I hope everyone in town turns out for Art in the Park at Rees Park today. Presented by the Americus Arts Council, the event has been ongoing even when the tornado devastated the park and surrounding property. That year the event was moved to Georgia Southwestern State University under the shady trees lining the main entrance and there was a great attendance.
The-man-who-reads over my shoulder Arts Council president when he along with his capable board were instrumental in reviving Art in the Park which continues to thrive under its present and strong leadership.
We plan to be at the park this afternoon, so if you see us rambling through the art work or admiring the glass art, please say hello.
I suppose many of us remember exactly what we were doing on Sept. 11, 2001, the day Islamic terrorist groups attack the United States, striking the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington and high-jacked a passenger plane with the intention of striking the White House. Fortunately, the passengers thwarted the mission and the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field. It was indeed a deadly day.
At the time, I was employed at Habitat for Humanity International and sitting at my desk on the second floor of Habitat’s headquarters’ building. From my desk, I had a wide open view of the outdoor landscape and sky above, which that day was a beautiful cerulean blue dappled with white cumulous clouds. I had just hung up the phone, having concluded a conference call with Habitat’s marketing representatives in Washington. About five minutes later, my phone rang again and this time the man-who-reads-over-my shoulder was on the other end of the line. He frantically related that while he was watching NBC-TV the regular program was interrupted by a special news report showing fiery flames and black smoke billowing from New York’s Twin Towers.
Something I’ll never forget. Please stop for a minute on Tuesday, 9/11 to say a silent prayer for those who died in the terrorist attacks. And thank those who keep our country safe from harm today.
Meanwhile our cable TV provider decided to take a vacation on Game Day Saturday, denying us live action play. We said a grateful “thank you” to WDEC radio and at least we could hear the Dawgs tromp Austin Peavy at Sanford Stadium in Athens. However many Americus SEC fans attended opening day of football, including Nathan and Mary Anne Hammack who cheered the Auburn Tigers to victory over Washington in Atlanta; Rick and Genie Powell watched Rick’s alma mater University of Tennessee Volunteers lose to West Virginia at the season opener at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium; and Americus was well represented at the UGA game in Athens by Faith Pinnell and son, Shaw Pinnell and a friend, as well as John Fowler, Will Reid, and many others,
Traveling to Maine and a cooler clime with no gnats were Kathryn Fowler Moore and her grandmother, Sally Markette, who visited Bill and Anne Markette Lee, at their summer home in Boothbay Harbor as well as Sally’s brother and wife, John and Muffy VanVoorhis; Stick and Elise Miller spent a week visiting her parents at their Maine summer home; and Diane Hall was traveling in Europe as well as Bunny Byrne and a friend. Reba and Sam Hunter have returned from a cruise in the Baltics; while taking a last-minute Labor Day fling at the beach were Mark and Anne Barrett of Leslie, and son, Beau Barrett and friend, Natalie Mitcham of Macon, went to Destin; and Lori and Andy Shivers enjoyed Panama City Beach with daughter, Lauren Vann and grandson, Bennett Vann, 20 months. Congratulations to Angela and Rene Smith met their new grandson, Richard Kevin Jackson, III (“Trip”), who was born to Kev and Kate Jackson of Savannah on Aug. 30.

Leila Sisson Case lives in Americus.