Communities shared news about special events and the people making a difference locally.
2 Girl Scout troops work at Lakeland parks
Two Girl Scout troops contributed to the beauty of two Lakeland parks during April, and on its website the City of Lakeland thanked them publicly.
Girl Scout Troop 13771 collected trash on April 27 at I.H. Park in Lakeland to complete service work for the community. The girls collected several bags of trash that help prevent all of it inevitably ending up in the lake.
Also on that Saturday, Girl Scout Troop 10006 cleaned up and planted sunflowers, monkey grass and purple creeping phlox to help refresh the look of the memorial at Zadie Kuehl Park. The girls spent the winter maintaining compost that they used to help fertilize the new plants. All of this work went towards the requirements for their Garden Journey badge.
Healthier Bartlett names poster contest winners
Healthier Bartlett recognized the student winners of its “Don’t Smoke in Our Parks” poster contest at the April 23 meeting of the Bartlett city board. Three schools participated.
Ellendale Elementary’s winners included Isabella Bristow, fifth-grader, overall winner; Mischa Reister, fourth-grader; and Sophie Valadez.
Bon Lin Elementary’s winners included Payden Pembleton, fifth-grader, overall winner; Jenica Martin, fifth-grader; and Judy Vo, fourth-grader.
St. Ann Catholic Church’s winners included Eriel Wilkins, fifth-grader, overall winner; Shannia Bailey, fourth-grader; and Angelene Sta Cruz, fifth-grader.
Prizes were awarded from the Shelby County Health Department. The three overall winners will have their artwork featured at a Bartlett park.
Healthier Bartlett is a city-wide health initiative that works to educate and encourage individuals to live a healthier lifestyle.
Kiwanis Club speaker touts Bartlett park plans
The upcoming enhancements to Bartlett’s largest park, W.J. Freeman Park, were the topic of the day at the April 24 meeting of the Bartlett Kiwanis Club. Shan Criswell, director of the Bartlett Parks and Recreation Department, talked about the plans for new sports fields, an amphitheater, golf course and more.
Sandra Gallagher, communications and public relations director for the club, said, “All the new amenities in our future will serve as a draw to families looking for a place to live. Our city planners continue to focus on what is best for the citizens of Bartlett.”
The Bartlett Kiwanis Club meets at noon on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at Coletta’s Italian Restaurant, 2850 Appling Road, Bartlett.
The club is also hosting its 15th annual golf tournament May 10 at Quail Ridge Golf Course, 4055 Altruria Road, Bartlett. The event has cash prizes and is being sponsored by St. Francis Hospital-Bartlett. Lunch will be provided by Peterson Insurance, and dinner provided by Wiemar’s Jewelry, catered by Coletta’s Italian Restaurant.
Davies Manor opens for spring season
Spring is a welcoming season at the historic Davies Manor Plantation at 9336 E. Davies Plantation Road, Bartlett. The house museum has returned to normal operating hours, and the grounds and gardens are back in bloom.
Tea in the Manor is back. Tea and snacks will be served with the price of admission every second Wednesday and final Saturday of the month through November. Tea hours are 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Recent events on the grounds included the Shelby County History Festival on April 7.
The latest enhancements include trail improvements by local Eagle Scouts, installation of a temporary exhibit marking the Memphis and Shelby County bicentennial, and completion of an exhibit on the manor house’s porch wing, examining the history of slavery and sharecropping at Davies Plantation.
Other attractions include three new beehives near the pond, the return of the spring gardens and plans for a summer outdoor music series.
