Newspaper Page Text
Page 4B
April 12, 2023
MCR hits Key West
As Lew, Michelle, Addison & Ansley Nowell traveled to
the southern most point in the United States for spring
break, they took along their hometown newspaper to give
The Reporter a glimpse of Key West.
^Reporter
Forsyth plans activities
for Georgia Cities Week
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth passed a resolution
recognizing Georgia Cities Week
at its April 3 meeting. The Georgia
Municipal Association (GMA) has
designated April 24-29 as Georgia
Cities Week 2023.
Kemie Childs, Forsyth Main Street
coordinator, is in charge of orga
nizing local activities for the week,
which will be the 24th anniversary
of Georgia Cities Week to highlight
the significance of local govern
ments and the services they provide.
The next city council meeting will
be moved from Monday, April 17, to
Monday, April 24 and will be at 10
a.m. at the Monroe County Board of
Education auditorium, 25 Brooklyn
Ave., Forsyth to allow the Mary
Persons government class to attend.
After the council meeting, Mary
Persons students will hold a mock
city council meeting. Winners of the
elementary students art contest for
grades 3-5 and the middle school
students essay contest related to
Georgia Cities Week will be an
nounced at the council meeting.
Each day during the week the
Forsyth Main Street social media
page will have fun facts and photos
and chances for participants to win
prizes. City Hall will hold an open
house with tours on Tuesday, April
25 from 4-6 p.m. On Saturday, April
29 Forsyth will hold a Clean-up
Day. Participants will meet at the
city hall parking lot at 9 a.m. and
will be provided trash bags, gloves
and pickup sticks. A 20’ dumpster
will be available for large items in
the city parking lot near the public
safety complex.
For more information on Geor
gia Cities Week activities, contact
Childs at 478-994-7747 or main-
streetforsyth@gmail.com.
In 2022 more than 160 cities
participated in Georgia Cities Week,
according to the GMA website.
Health Fair provided free and convenient screenings
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Health Department and
Rock Springs Clinic teamed up to offer a
Health & Wellness Fair on Monday, April 3
from 9 a.m.-12 noon at the Health Depart
ment.
Impending rain showers sent the Health &
Wellness Fair inside the Health Department
rather than in the parking lot as was planned.
Fuckily the newly renovated Health Depart
ment has a large room that accommodated
the community activity well. The Fair offered
blood pressure and glucose checks, screenings,
information and giveaways.
The team from the Rock Springs Clinic
explained that the clinic provides free primary
healthcare and medication assistance to unin
sured and underinsured clients. It concentrates
on preventive care and care for chronic dis
eases, such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD,
asthma, cholesterol, urinary tract infections,
arthritis, gout and acid reflux.
Rock Springs Clinic is located near Monroe
County Hospital at 100 MFK Jr. Drive and
partners with the hospital for lab work and
outpatient service. The Forsyth location is
open on Wednesdays at noon. Appointments
and walk-ins are accepted. Nurse Practitioner
Fisa Goodwin oversees patient care at the
Forsyth location.
The clinic also has a Milner location at 211
Rock Springs Road that is open every second
and fourth Thursday at 8:45 a.m. The Milner
office has been in operation for 13 years, and
the Forsyth office opened three years ago.
Call 678-688-1950 to reach the Milner clinic
or 478-992-9581 to reach the Forsyth clinic.
Rock Springs Clinic is a non-profit 501(c)3
that operates through monetary donations
and donated hours of service by professionals
and other volunteers.
Alexander IV Senior hiving was repre
sented at the Health Fair to give information
about its services with assisted living and
memory care. It is located at 3769 Ridge Ave.
in Macon.
Health care professionals were ready to serve the public at a Health & Wellness Fair
on April 3. Pictured, left to right are a representative of Alexander IV Senior Living,
JyMiera Jenkins of Monroe County Health Department (MCHD) and April Walker,
director of patient services at MCHD. Behind them is a team from the Rock Springs
Clinic.
At the Georgia High School
Association State Fiterary Meet
Mary Persons was represented
well. Sidney Stapleton placed
2nd in the state in Girls’ solo, and
William Fittle placed 2nd at the
state level in Boys’ solo.
Ava Nelson was 4th in hu
morous interpretation. The
Boys’ Quartet of Fuke McBride,
William Fittle, Jackson Roller
and Riley Van Voorhis placed
4th. Emma Parker competed in
International Extemporaneous
Speaking.
The state AAA Fiterary Meet
was at Bremen High School on
March 25.
Mr. Hernandez is coordinator
and coach of the 2023 Fiterary
Team. Ms. Spires and Ms. Green
way are coaches and Kipp Gill is
accompanist. The team won the
championship for Region 2-AAA.
First place region winners from
Mary Persons include Sydney
Stapleton—Girls’ solo; William
Fittle—Boys’ solo; Ava Nel
son—Humorous Interpretation;
Abby Etheridge, Eliza Gavin, and
Sydney Stapleton—Trio; Fuke
McBride, William Fittle, Jackson
Roller and Riley Van Voorhis—
Quartet; Emma Parker—Interna
tional Extemporaneous Speaking.
Mary Persons’ 2nd place win
ners at Region 2-AAA were Wil
liam Fittle—Domestic Extempo
raneous Speaking; Zoe Oglesby
and Riley Van Voorhis—Duo In
terpretation; Kate Morgan—Dra
matic Interpretation: Gabriella
Miller—Fiterary Analysis Essay;
Sarina Eckelbarger—Argumenta
tive Essay. Reagan Clance placed
4th at Region in Personal Essay.
Other members of the Mary
Persons Fiterary team are Alexis
Brewer, Anna Corbett, Tia
Eckelbarger, Dylan Garza, Faith
Goodwin, Karl Knight, John Wy
att Sanders, and Breana Wyrick.
at State
The Mary Persons Academic
Team competed for the GATA
Varsity State Championship in
Winder on March 25 and placed
6th in State in its division. Team
members include seniors Chloe
Myers, Dylan Garza, Emily Oden
and Emily Adams and junior
Isabel Sneddon.
Monroe County saw $62.2 million visitor spending in 2021
Pictured at the March 28 Forsyth CVB board meeting are Tushar
Patel, Gilda Stanbery, Helen Walker, Sam Patel, Brandie Starr,
Paige Bryson. Sam Patel was sworn in as a new member of the
board at the March meeting. Board members not pictured are
Melvin Lawrence, Navid Kapadia, Alondra Ochoa.
By Gilda Stanbery
Executive director/CEO Forsyth
CVB
The City of Forsyth Convention
& Visitors Bureau held its annual
planning meeting, and shared
“Tourism is big business for
Forsyth.”
“While air travel and interna
tional visitors are still down, we
are starting to see the return of
group travel... our location for
road trips and cross visitation
can’t be beat,” said CVB Executive
Director/CEO, Gilda Stanbery.
“Reviewing our activities from
last year and planning for 2023,
gives us the opportunity to
highlight the role the CVB plays
in the local economy. The CVB
works on behalf of the commu
nity to bring people to Forsyth
which gives people jobs and helps
the hotels and our other small
businesses” stated CVB Authority
chairwoman, Helen Walker.
“We have been at our location
on the Square for almost a year,
and I am surprised how much
business we get from 1-75” added
Branded Starr Western Boutique
owner and CVB Authority vice
chair, Brandie Starr. “We had
no idea it would be that big an
impact.”
Tourism and travel play a sig
nificant role in the
economic vitality of
our communities.
We have seen it
reflected in rebuild
ing our economy
and reconnecting
with each other
across the country.
Tourism and travel
contribute so much
to our local econo
my and our com
munity's unique
character.
Stanbery shared
the latest report* (*
Source: GADEcD
2021 TourismEco-
nomics report from
the Georgia Depart
ment of Economic
Development, that
the 2021 economic impact of
domestic travel in Forsyth and
Monroe County is $62.2 million
in visitor spending; 788 jobs; and
$16.2 million in labor income.
This saves each Monroe County
household $496 a year in taxes!
Tourism creates jobs, both
through direct employment
and indirectly in sectors such as
retail and transportation. When
these people spend their wages
on goods and services, it leads to
what is known as the “multiplier
effect,” creating more jobs. In
2021, tourism provided 788 jobs
in Monroe County and $16.2
million in wages. That accounts
for 6.58 percent of employment
in Monroe County.
In 2021, our Forsyth hotels
brought in $12.2 million; restau
rants brought in $19.6 million;
retail brought in $10.8 million;
recreation brought in $10.2
million; and $9.3 million in
transportation spending. Visitors
generated $5.1
million in state
and local tax
revenues, plus
an additional
$3.5 in federal
tax revenues.
Tourism is great
for Forsyth
and Monroe
County!
The tour
ism industry
also provides
opportunities
for small busi
nesses, which is
especially im
portant in rural
communities.
Tourism gen
erates extra tax
revenues, such
as hotel taxes, which are used
for schools, housing, and hospi
tals. The City of Forsyth collects
hotel-motel taxes from 12 hotels
and one KOA Campground. 60
percent of the hotel-motel tax
goes to the City and the remain
ing 40 percent to the Convention
& Visitors Bureau.
The hotel/motel tax rate will
increase from 5 percent to 7
percent effective Jan. 1 and the
way the funds are distributed to
the city and the Forsyth CVB will
change slightly.
At the Feb. 6 City Council
meeting, Stanbery reported
that the city had collected about
$600,000 in 2022 hotel-motel
taxes to date. Of that amount,
$240,000 went to the CVB its
operations and for marketing in
state, regional, and national pro
motions. Those funds allow the
CVB to focus on the city’s attrac
tions, shops, restaurants, parks,
festivals and other amenities to
attract visitors and businesses.
“Our goal to influence people to
come to and to stay in Forsyth.
Once here, we do everything we
can to support a great experience
during their visit. We collaborate
with everyone we can to make
that possible. ” shared Stanbery.
The balance, of $360,000 of the
hotel-motel tax money would be
transferred to the city’s general
fund.
To learn more about the City
of Forsyth Convention & Visi
tors Bureau and for what to do
and see in our area, visit: www.
forsythcvb.com