LCC Receive Juneteenth Jubilee Event Update
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The Juneteenth Jubilee committee informed the Lyons City Council of the schedule of events for this year’s celebration during the Council’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 4.
According to Juneteenth Committee Chairwoman Attallaka Harris, this year’s Juneteenth Jubilee began last weekend, as the annual King of the Grill competition was held at St. Luke AME Church in Lyons from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, and a Line Dance Workshop was held for the public at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, at the Callaway Community Center.
More Juneteenth festivities will kick off this weekend, beginning with the Freedom Friday event, which will be held from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Vidalia Community Center on Friday, June 14, and will feature several local vendors. The fun will continue on Saturday, June 15, as the Basketball Tournament tips off at 10 a.m. at Toombs County High School, and the Jubilee in the Park festival rocks Vincent Faison, Sr. Park from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Harris also shared her excitement that the Juneteenth Jubilee banners were hung on the light poles in the city’s downtown. She asks that anyone with questions about the event contact the committee by email at Toombsjuneteenth@ gmail.com.
Also, during the meeting, City of Lyons Community Liaison Alysa Marsicano shared an update on the marketing and public relations of the City, as she emphasized that the municipality is performing well on its social media platforms and remaining highly involved in the community. She informed the Council that the City’s animal control had recently attended the Dog Days event at Jack Hill State Park, during which all of the animals brought by the agency were adopted.
“The event started at 12:30 p.m. and our first adoption was happening by 12:37 p.m.,” Marsicano shared. “It was super successful and good to see how to run an adoption event. We are hoping to host some of these events possibly in the future.”
She also told the Council about the City’s first-ever interns – Toombs County High School rising juniors Jean Peterson and Clark Brennan. These students are spending their summer learning more about government and business, as they have worked to create animal control brochures, conducted interviews for biographies of Council members and other leaders, attended community events, toured local businesses, assisted with website update, promoted rental spaces, and more.
In addition to this, the Lyons Main Street Association explained to the Council that the Association is currently working with a new app to create three scavenger hunts which may be completed by the public in the downtown area, and that a new Shop Hop game had began in the City’s downtown area. The activity encourages people to shop locally in exchange for a chance to win prizes in monthly raffles.
It was also announced that Governor Brian Kemp officially signed the Soap Box Derby bill into law on May 7, making the Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby known as Georgia’s Official Soap Box Derby.
The Greater Vidalia Chamber and Toombs County Development Authority presented several dates for the Council to remember, including the Renew MedSpa Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, June 13, at 4 p.m. at the business’s location on Meadows Street in Vidalia, and the monthly meetings of the Authority at 12 p.m. on June 20 and the Chamber at 11:30 a.m. on June 27.
City Manager Jason Hall told the Council that Joshua Keater, Chris Failla, and Johnathan McGahee each were celebrating a work anniversary during the month of June. He also announced that the Council’s next work session will be at 6 p.m. on June 25, while the next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 2.
During the business portion of the meeting, the Council approved the installation of two stop signs at the intersection of W. Clifton Ave and S. Washington St. in order to transform the area into a three-way controlled stop. This change comes after Councilman John Moore, Jr. received many complaints about drivers speeding through the area while children played nearby, creating a dangerous situation. The Council members shared that they hope this decision helps to slow down traffic and ensure safety for all in the location.
Council members also agreed to reappoint Paige Corouthers to another five-year term with the Lyons Housing Authority Board of Directors. Authority Executive Director Shawnee Gunn requested this reappointment, stating that Corouthers is a highly valuable member of the administration.
The 2024 operating budget was approved to be adjusted to include the demolition of a building which sits upon a recentlypurchased piece of property beside the Lyons Railroad Depot, and to pave the parking lot of the Depot. The demolition will cost $13,000 and will provide more parking spaces for the location, while the paving will cost $47,750 and will help to make parking easier within the area.
At the conclusion of the meeting, citizen Richard Jeter spoke to the Council about his concerns regarding dogs running through the neighborhood near Lanier Street. Mayor Willis NeSmith thanked Jeter for informing the Council of the situation and assured that the Lyons Police Department and Animal Control will patrol the area.
