Rees Park, a tranquil oasis in the heart of Americus’ historic district before the March 1 tornado ripped it asunder, will be the site of a joyous celebration of the arts Saturday, April 21. And you’re invited to the party.

The Arts Council’s Arts in the Park this year will be bigger and better than ever with more of everything to offer. For a while though it didn’t look like Rees Park would be the venue of the annual celebration.

That’s because the Arts Council’s board had the determination and the will to again stage the annual event at Rees Park as intended for they believe it important to support the City in restoring the park and hold the celebration there no matter the condition.

Immediately after the tornado, Rees Park certainly was a depressed area. Not for long though. Everyone rolled up their sleeves to get the park cleared. It’s always dangerous when you start naming people who should get credit for fear of leaving someone off the list. So I’m not going there. Certainly Charlotte Cotton, the City of Americus administrator and her entire staff, and Lou Chase, council member in the district in which Rees Park lies, along with her fellow council members should be acknowledged for clearing the park of the tremendous amount of debris the tornado left in its wake.

Two days after the tornado hit Americus, Bruce and I walked the several blocks from our home to Rees Park and couldn’t believe what we saw. Looking around at the uprooted trees, downed power poles, electric wires all over the place, leaving gaping holes in the ground and the Victorian bandstand blown to smithereens, I remarked that I didn’t know how he thought the Arts Council could stage Arts in the Park there this year. Pity the man. He has two high maintenance jobs. Besides being my husband, Bruce is president of the Arts Council.

But as I said, everyone rallied to “the cause” to make Arts in the Park 2007 — Happy 175th Birthday Americus — a show stopper for sure!

The park’s towering oaks that provided blessed shade and served as anchors for exhibiting visual art sadly are no longer standing, but large tents are being provided to hang student art as well as amateur and professional artists. Artists — visual, glass artisans, jewelry, pottery — from across Southwest Georgia will exhibit and many will have their artwork for sale.

There are a multitude of activities — paint the gazebo bandstand — is only one of the many projects, along with crafts, musical performances, glass blowing and pottery demonstrations, professional puppet shows, magic shows, dramatic performances and entertainment galore. Among the performing artists are the Zydeco and Drum and Fife Band (they’ll meet and escort the S.A.M. Shortline passengers from the College Street stop to the park), Americus High School Singers, GSW Dramatic Arts group, GSW Chamber Singers singing Broadway show tunes and Sumter Players youth group, The Jesters, will perform.

Of course, there will be food and plenty of it from barbecue to roasted turkey legs and hamburgers and hot dogs to funnel cakes and cookies. And the crème de la crème and the most fun of all will be singing 175th Happy Birthday to Americus and cutting the mammoth birthday cake..

All of this is a gift to the community from the Americus-Sumter County Arts Council and made possible in part by the generosity of the Mix Foundation and the Georgia Council of the Arts.

We’re looking forward to seeing you. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Be sure to say “hello.”

SUMTER SEENS: Finally all my children are older than me! I just tell everyone that they’re the children of my first husband’s first wife — confusing? It’s meant to be. Son Mark Barrett celebrated his birthday at a surprise (?) party hosted by his wife Anne and sons, Beau and John at Pat’s Place with sisters Margaret Herndon of Atlanta and Helen Penter of Charlotte coming especially t help him blow out all the candles; Sue Hall and Janine Brock celebrating their birthday last Monday; the Crisp family has four generations with a son named Charles — three of them still living — the youngest Charlie Crisp, son of John and Whitney Crisp, was baptized Easter Sunday at Calvary Episcopal along with Piper Boatright, infant daughter of Brett and Jessica Boatright; congratulations to Clive Rainey celebrating 30 years at Habitat for Humanity; Ruth Jones observing her birthday over lunch at Henderson Village with friends Alice Argo, Gail Hooks, Kitty Mays, Carol Mott and Betty Pope; Rosalynn Carter Institute Director Rick Birkel and wife Kathy moving into their home here on Hancock Drive; Nita Lynn Cohen visiting parents, Ferd and Millie Cohen; Ann Markette spending Easter with her parents, Manson and Sally Markette; Amelia Cohen getting settled in her new digs on Daniel Street; Lori Shivers and daughter Lauren, Leila Jones and daughter Haley, cruising the Caribbean during spring break and travel isn’t over for Lori — she and son Aaron Shivers fly to Phoenix, Ariz., to help her grandmother Marge Vargas blow out the candles on her 85th birthday cake; Mike and Lee Yates visiting son Dr. Michael Yates in Maryland, and Ann Thomas beautifying walkway with new plants.

Leila Case lives and works in Americus.