By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
It had been a week where Athens and Limestone County had been “soaked” (literally and figuratively) in blessings, and Mayor Ronnie had barely scratched the surface. It is estimated that the Velcro Pygmies event as part of Fridays After Five on July 31 drew close to 4,000 people. The event was a complete success, and a great way to focus on Fall Festival Season.
The Teacher’s Institute, sponsored by Athens Public Schools, was on Monday the 3rd, and its purpose was to honor teachers of every grade, subject, and tenure for the ways they lay down their lives for our kids. Some of the teachers present at the event were just beginning their careers and so excited to get started. Other teachers were excited that this was their last year. They wanted to finish strong just as much as the new ones wanted to start strong. “This is a great time to keep our teachers and kids in prayer,” said Mayor Ronnie.
The keynote speaker was Reggie Dabbs, a man who by all odds shouldn’t be alive, let alone a successful public speaker. It is safe to say that Reggie’s life was saved by a teacher. His mom was a pregnant teen who was living in a chicken coop, and she then remembered that a teacher told her class to call if they ever needed anything. The family took in the teen, who gave birth to Reggie. The father was unknown, and for years Reggie didn’t have a last name until the Dabbs’s officially adopted him. He went on to play football at Tennessee and made the Athens audience laugh when he told them that he couldn’t stand Alabama OR Auburn….when it came to football! Reggie also plays a mean sax, and doesn’t hide the fact that when he started playing in the 6th grade, his adoptive parents “made him” play a musical instrument and he hated it. Now he is forever glad that they did not back down. Mayor Ronnie and Holly Hollman were deeply moved by his presentation, given the fact that once upon a time, long, long ago, Mayor Ronnie taught high school math and science, and Holly has given years of her heart to the Mayor’s Youth Commission, which has gone on to be a model for student leadership development for several mayors and cities across the country.
Wednesday morning was a day of rejoicing for the not-for-profits in our city and county. TVA has had a TVA Cares program since COVID, and matches funds that are earmarked by the City of Athens to improve the quality of life in our town for all. The recipients are as varied as can be, and include agencies that align with TVA’s priorities. They are:
- Education, in particular STEM related activities.
- Workforce development/training.
- Environment/community stewardship.
- Disaster relief/emergency response.
- Health/hunger/housing.
All in all, sixteen agencies will be receiving $46,000, which will serve to improve the quality of life for the people of Athens-Limestone County.
We spoke about people facing things such as cancer and other challenges, and there was just one thing left to do, and that was pray. So, we did, and once again it was time for Ronnie to roll.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
