Thumbs Up! April 9, 2018

One of the things many readers of all ages remember from their school days is science projects. For the most part, the projects were done because it was a requirement. Only the most researched and best demonstrated projects won ribbons and a chance to compete at the regional level. Smaller yet was the number that made it all the way to state competition. Last month, however, the Dougherty County School System had three projects that advanced to the state level. Nathan Masters from Westover High, Julya Nuygen from Robert Cross Middle Magnet and Skye Johnson, also from Robert Cross, took their projects on the road to compete with the best Georgia has to offer. After a two-day series of observations and interviews, Johnson was awarded third place in the Plant Sciences division. Congratulations to this trio for their accomplishments.

Tift Park has long been a part of Albany’s history. From the time carriages traveled the tree-lined trail, to the teenage hangout called the Wigwam to the zoo to the now popular Saturday Tift Park Community Market, generation after generation has enjoyed the Jefferson Street location. A few years ago, the park had fallen into near abandonment. A number of folks, the name Stephen Brimberry comes first to mind, decided it was time to take back this neglected treasure. Ever so surely returning to some level of its former glory, the storms of January 2017 put a halt to everything related to the park, including the location of the weekly market. With much work and expense, downed trees, debris and stumps have been removed. Under the guidance of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful, financial sponsors and a large number of volunteers, much has been replanted. The market has a better place to set up now by using the idle tennis courts and, after one letter to the editor of this newspaper, access to the spot has been improved. Now the city has an opportunity to receive a $20,000 grant for additional improvements. All that is needed is for people to go to www.nrpa.org/Disney and nominate Tift Park for the funding. Whether you enjoy alone time at the park or family reunions, this grant would benefit everyone.

From April 16 to 21, any city resident needing to dispose of limbs, leaves, old tires and appliances can do so at no charge. In fact, residents need not even leave home. Ward I Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard has arranged for pickup of the items with regular trash removal. Simply by placing the unwanted “trash” at the curb alongside their wheeled trash bins or Dumpsters, it will disappear from sight. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has won a gigantic settlement against the business known as National Check Resolution. The company’s owner and manager had threatened hundreds (more likely thousands) of consumers with arrest and/or imprisonment, shared confidential financial information with third parties, represented themselves as lawyers and attempted to collect debts from payday loans, which are illegal in our state. As a result, Carr and his office have put a stop to harassing phone calls and deception. Collections on 11,980 accounts are ordered ceased and all must be turned over to the attorney general so no further action can be taken on the debts. Found in violation of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act as well as the Fair Debt Collection Act, the company has been placed on a monitoring system and fined. The wheels of justice may turn slowly but in this case, they were turning in the right direction.