U.S. Up to Us

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

THE UNITED STATES:

IT'S UP TO US

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The quadrennial presidential inaug-uration is Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol. All the troops and security around the Capitol this year is a stark contrast to an inauguration I covered as a young journalist in 1977.

That year, Jimmy Carter was being inaugurated president. The day was sunny but bitterly cold with a temperature in the teens. Mounds of snow covered the grounds.

My photographer colleague and I arrived at the Capitol early in the morning to pick up our credentials.

Looking back from today's perspective, it's amazing that we were able to just walk in a door of the U.S. Capitol and stroll the halls without passing through any kind of security and without anyone stopping us.

In a long conference room on the ground floor, somebody was holding a breakfast reception with fruit, pastries and hot coffee.

We had not had breakfast; so we went to the door of the reception, shook somebody’s hand standing there, said good morning, and walked right in. The Capitol was a very open place.

During that inaugural, Jimmy Carter became the first president to leave his motorcade vehicle to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, which several presidents have done since. When Carter and wife Rosalynn stopped their car and got out along the parade route, the surprised crowd audibly gasped and surged forward.

One wonders if we will ever see a president do that again. One wonders if the U.S. Capitol will ever be as open to the public as it has been in the past. We pray that our nation remains an open and free society. That task is up to us, for, as President John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address, "God's work on Earth is truly our own."

BOTH TIFT AND STATE SEE RECORD COVID-19 DEATHS

CITY OF TIFTON EXTENDS FACE-MASK MANDATE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Georgia set a new record Tuesday in the number of one-day coronavirus-related deaths reported while Tift County experienced its highest number of related deaths during the past week.

And Tifton City Council on Tuesday night extended its face-mask mandate for another 30 days, requiring the usage of face masks in public but imposing no fines for violations.

On Tuesday, the Peach State reported 170 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours; the previous one-day record was 159 deaths reported Jan. 15. Georgia also had 4,943 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, along with 265 additional hospitalizations.

Tift County reported six additional COVID-19 deaths during the past week for a total of 80. There have also been 81 new coronavirus cases reported in Tift during the past seven days. During the past two weeks, Tift County has had 189 new cases, translating to 463 cases per 100,000 population, according to the Ga. Department of Public Health (DPH).

Since the pandemic began, there have been 3,159 COVID-19 cases reported in Tift County. In the state, there have been 689,676 cases and 11,265 deaths as of Tuesday.

The DPH said that 423,011 Georgians have been vaccinated against the virus as of end of the day Monday.

SOUTHWELL OPENING COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC IN ADEL

Southwell Medical will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment on the Southwell Medical Campus in Adel to qualifying individuals. The drive-thru clinic will be held on the Southwell Medical Campus on the next four Wednesdays: Jan. 20, 27, Feb. 3, and 10.

The vaccinations will be available to those over age 65; first responders, such as police officers, fire fighters, and EMS personnel; and healthcare workers who are not employed by Southwell.

The vaccinations are by appointment only. Those who meet the eligibility criteria may call the drive-thru clinic’s request line at 229-353-2200 to leave a message for scheduling. A representative will return your call and schedule the appointment. Patients who receive vaccines through the drive-thru clinic will receive the first dose of the two-part Moderna vaccine. Their second vaccine will be scheduled while in the drive thru.

After receiving the vaccine, patients will be observed for 15-20 minutes by medical personnel to ensure they aren’t experiencing side effects.

“We are excited about the opportunity to expand vaccinations to Cook County,” said Carol Smith, Southwell chief nursing executive and Southwell Medical chief operating officer.

“We know that this expansion is an important step in vaccinating residents in all the counties making up our service area and are happy to provide them closer to home.”

Southwell has already been offering drive-thru vaccinations in Tifton. To request an appointment in Tifton, call 229-353-2200.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY STUDENTS STUDY,

WRITE HAIKU POEMS

Fourth-grade students in Rhonda Sumner’s classes at Tiftarea Academy have been studying Haiku poems. They have read many of them and worked with a partner to write poems together. Finally, each student wrote their own Haiku poem about their favorite thing in nature.

VIRTUAL FATHERHOOD CONVERSATION

SET FOR SATURDAY

A virtual Fatherhood Conversation for local fathers will be online 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23.

The discussion via Zoom is sponsored by the Omega Psi Phi fraternal organization in partnership with the Ga. Division of Child Support Services. The event is an opportunity to share insights and suggestions for fathers to help them become better fathers and role models for their children.

To join Saturday's meeting, Click Here! The meeting I.D. is 821 9580 5639; the pass code is 620973.

The Omega Psi Phi organization offers such services as child support, driver’s license reinstatement, GED enrollment, job training, help with job searches and volunteer opportunities.

For information, call 706-315-6454.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CAT OF THE WEEK

This adult male cat is super friendly and is available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter. To adopt him or see other pets available, visit the Animal Shelter from 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

Pets of the Week are sponsored by:

Branch's Veterinary Clinic

205 Belmont Ave., Tifton, 229-382-6055

LAST WOOD BUILDING IN TIFTON'S BUSINESS DISTRICT TO BE RAZED FOR BRICK STRUCTURE

– JAN. 21, 1916

The J.C. Goodman estate announced on Jan. 21, 1916, that it would soon erect a large brick building on the corner of Third Street and Railroad Avenue (now Commerce Way) containing five storerooms. To make way for the construction, the wooden building, circa 1889, which housed Goodman's Drug Store will be torn down along with the adjoining wood structure that housed the Tifton Post Office in the early 1890s. Goodman's Drug Store was the only wooden building remaining in Tifton's business district and was a city landmark.