Greene County Democrat

Tag: Mollie Rowe

  • Charity Days provide $116,00 in grants Greene County Racing Commission distributes $720,000 for first 2 quarters of 2025

    Front Row – Commissioner Donald F. Means, Commissioner Linette Brown, Commissioner Morris Hardy, State Representative Curtis Travis Back Row – Johnny Isaac, Lameka Bryant, Cortnei Hood, Mollie Rowe, Reginald Spencer, Marquita Lennon, Christopher Jones, Marcia Pugh, Andrea Woods, Charlie McAlpine, Miriam Leftwich, Darlene Robinson, Johnnie Knott, Marilyn Gibson, Brandon Merriweather, Hodges Smith, Hattie Samuel, Howard Crawford, James Morrow, Teresa M Atkins, Brenda Burke, Anita Lewis.

    The Greene County Racing Commission (Linette Brown–Chairperson, Morris Hardy–Vice-Chairman, and Donald Means–Secretary), was joined by Alabama State Representative Curtis Travis, legal counsel Brenda M. Pompey, Esq., and Office Manager Gerry Coleman on August 8, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. to welcome recipients of its 2025 Charity Awards disbursements. Also, welcomed were recipients of disbursements under Senate Bill #40, Act No. 223-206 (“Bill”) for the first and second quarters of 2025. These awards were made possible through proceeds generated from licensed gaming activities at the Palace.
    Chairperson Brown explained that the Racing Commission hold two charity days each year – one in March and one in July – which are advertised approximately two weeks in advance. The funds raised during these events make up the money distributed as charity disbursements. The Commission’s goal is to assist as many qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations as possible that provide vital services to the community. These organizations offer a range of support, including health initiatives, food drives, parenting and adoption guidance, housing assistance, youth development and camps; fire and emergency services, educational, and social services. The Racing Commission encourages everyone to support charity days at the Palace.
    This year, the Racing Commission was proud to support a total of 12 charities, including the Greene County Volunteer Fire Association which represents 14 volunteer fire departments. Chairperson Brown said, “We’re proud to support the important work being done across our communities, and we recognize the impact these funds have for those in need.” The Commission remains committed to ensuring that these proceeds benefit organizations that align with its mission to promote public welfare and community enrichment. The total amount for charity this year was $116, 500.00.
    The second group of disbursements, based on the Bill, covered both the first and second quarters of 2025. Under the Bill, each recipient’s percentage is determined by legislation. Chairperson Brown reminded the mayors representing the various municipalities across Greene County of the importance of encouraging their constituents to complete the Census survey, as each municipality’s award is determined by its population – the larger the population, the larger the award.
    The Statement of Distribution details the amounts allocated to each recipient under the Bill. The distributed for the first two quarters of 2025 was $720,000.00.
    Future allocations under the Bill will be made quarterly, subject to the continued availability of funds. The Commission has requested that the Greene County Commission issue payments within the next 10 days (by August 18th) to recipients who receive funds under the Bill.
    On behalf of the Greene County Racing Commission, Chairperson Brown said, “Though it’s been a long time coming, the Commission is grateful that the road has led to this moment, where we can give back to the people of Greene County. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the citizens of Greene County for their patience, kindness, and support along the way. Every bit of the funds shared today is meant for the citizens of Greene County, and for the good of the county we all call home.”
    Chairperson Brown thanked everyone for attending, for the work they do in their communities, and for their continued partnership. She said the Racing Commission looks forward to seeing the positive impact these funds will make in our county.
    Linette Brown, Chairperson
    Morris Hardy, Vice-Chairman
    Donald F. Means, Secretary

     

     

  • Greene County celebrates 20th Year of Black Belt Community Foundation

    L to R: Community Associates Geraldine Walton, Mollie Rowe, Nancy Cole, BBCF President Felecia Lucky, BBCF Founder Carol P. Zippert, BBCF Community Associates Miriam Leftwich, Darlene Robinson and Johnni Strode-Morning.

    On Friday, April 25, 2025, the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) Greene County Associates held its 20th year celebration lifting community engagements supported by BBCF. Its theme: The Roaring 20’s depicted an era of fashion and a period of extraordinary community work in Greene County.

    BBCF President Felecia Lucky shared in the celebratory occasion, saluting the Associates with the statement “Greene County always goes big.” Greetings were also brought by Eutaw Mayor Latosha Johnson and Greene County Commission Chairperson, Garria Spencer, Associates Coordinator Miriam Leftwich, Nancy Cole, Johnni Strode-Morning and Darlene Robinson. Mollie Rowe served as Mistress of Order.

    A special recognition was presented to Dr. Carol P. Zippert as a founding member of BBCF. She gave a brief overview of the journey of the foundation.

    The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) is celebrating its 20th year of serving 12 counties in the Alabama Black Belt. Each of the 12 counties, including Greene, Sumter, Pickens, Hale, Perry, Marengo, Choctaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Wilcox, Macon and Bullock is hosting a 20th Year celebratory event.

    Through community grants and other financial and technical resources, BBCF assists local groups engaged in transformational work to lift its community through arts and culture, education, health and wellness, childcare, civic engagement, youth leadership, and related projects. Each county has a group of volunteers known as Community Associates who are dedicated to educating the community on the vision and mission of BBCF and assist in raising funds, which earn a percentage match by BBCF, to support local projects. Funds raised by Associates in a particular county support grants to groups in that county.

     

  • Greene County MLK programs challenge us to vote and work harder to realize “the dream”

     

    Atty. Phyllis Craig Taylor


    Elder Spiver Gordon, Councilwoman Valeria Watkins, Anita Lewis, Director of GCHA, Mollie Rowe, Director of EHA, GCHA Boardmember Carolyn Branch and
    Professor Phyllis Craig Taylor guest speaker.

    Dr. Carol P. Zippert, Dr. Dione Edison, Dale Lanier, Lester Cotton, Gus Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman with Spiver Gordon at New Peace Baptist Church

    “Godly Men” at Unity Breakfast at the Eutaw Activity Center

    Elder Spiver Gordon presents award to
    Bishop Glen McCord

     

    The Alabama Civil Rights Freedom Movement, under the direction of Spiver W. Gordon held a series of programs during the weekend of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday, to honor his legacy and challenge the people of Greene County and the western Alabama Black Belt, to work harder to realize the dream of justice and equality for Black people.
    A youth educational program on Black history on Friday, January 12, 2024, was limited because 11th and 12th graders, who were scheduled to attend, did not have school because of the weather. Several adults attended the meeting at New Peace Baptist Church and discussed the importance of reaching out to involve young people in the continuing movement and struggle.
    Two hundred people attended the Unity Freedom Breakfast at the Eutaw Activity Center, on Monday morning, January 15, 2024. Mayor Latasha Johnson of Eutaw, Commissioner Garria Spencer, Commissioner Allen Turner, Herbert Lavender of Pickens County, John Zippert, Co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat, and Dr. Monty Thornburg were among those who gave greetings.
    Attorney Glen McCord, a native of Wilcox County, who has a law office in Eutaw, was the primary speaker. McCord said he was glad to be working in Greene County and “to be grafted in” by the residents here. He said that there was great potential for growth in Greene County because Highway 43, will soon be 4 lanes, and the double Interstate Highway of 59 and 20, that go right by Eutaw and Greene County. We have the potential to grow as part of Tuscaloosa, but we must take care to preserve our own identity.
    McCord celebrated Dr. King’s work and accomplishments. He said, “Be as humble when you are successful, as you were when you had nothing.” Gordon gave awards to group of men, who worked to support their communities and churches.
    He also memorialized a group of people, who died during the past year, “who gave time, service and dedication to support the cause of freedom, justice and equity” in Greene County.
    Gordon and a small group marched uptown, from the Activity Center to the Courthouse, followed by a dozen or more cars with people who felt too old to walk or too uncomfortable in freezing temperatures to walk.
    Another program was held at the Courthouse to mostly honor women who participated in movement and church activities. After a spirited devotion, led by women and several selections from the Greene County Community Choir, several women including Mayor Latasha Johnson of Eutaw, Carolyn Branch of the Greene County Housing Authority, Johnnie Knott, former Circuit Clerk, and leader of “Woman to Woman”, and former Probate Judge Earlean Isaac, brought greetings and spoke to the legacy of Dr. King.
    Dr. Carol P. Zippert, Co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat introduced the guest speaker, Professor of Law Phyllis Craig Taylor, who is a native of Choctaw County, daughter of Thelma Craig and a law professor at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. Zippert, who has known Phyllis Craig Taylor since she was a young girl, stressed her connections to the Black Belt.
    Dr. Taylor spoke to the issue that there are “new Confederates” in America, who want to take us backwards. “We must be aware that systemic racism is making a comeback in our nation. There are attacks in every state against our voting rights. These people feel threatened by the skills, spirit and unity of Black people. They have become afraid of us, and they want to stop our progress,” she said.
    “We must do like we did in the times after slavery and in Reconstruction, when Black people bought and owned 13 million acres of land; built hundreds of schools, through the Rosenwald school’s model; and provided teaching excellence in our schools before integration. Do not underestimate our enemies. Dare to organize and invest in our communities and people. Take our voting rights back. Do not vote sometimes, but all the time, and for every office on the ballot. We must send our enemies back to the pit of darkness, where they came from,” Taylor said.
    At the end of the program, Spiver W. Gordon again gave out numerous awards and citations to women who had been active in the movement, church, and community.

  • Children’s Policy Council hosts UA New Faculty Engagement Tour

    On May 11, 2023 the Greene County Children’s Policy Council hosted the University of Alabama New Faculty Engagement Tour at the Robert Young Community Center in Eutaw, Alabama. The tour”s – Exploring New Places, Meeting New People, and Engaging New Communities – purpose is to encourage new community -university partnerships. Six panelists from Greene County discussed their programs making a difference in Greene County and what type of additional community-engaged research or service partnerships with the University of Alabama faculty, staff, and students would be helpful to address priorities within the County.
    The panelist on the program were Christopher Jones, Director, Greene County Ambulance Service, Dr. Corey Jones, Superintendent, Greene County School System, Mildred Morgan, Facilitator, Strengthening Family Program, Mollie Rowe, Director, Eutaw, Housing Authority, John Zippert, Chairman, Greene County Health System Board and Lillie Jones-Osborne, Chairman, Greene County Children’s Policy Council.
    This is the fifth New Faculty Community Engagement Tour to visit Greene County. According to Dr. Samory Pruitt, Vice President of Community Affairs at the University of Alabama, “ Community-engaged scholarship exists at the intersection of teaching, research, and service, the three pillars of the University of Alabama’s mission. The tour plays an important role in advancing that mission by providing opportunities to connect, and for the community members to become the teachers while members of the University community embrace the role of learner.”
    Judge Lillie Jones- Osborne served as the facilitator and site coordinator for the group. She stated, “We are always happy to host the group and to sit down and have new dialogue with the faculty and staff to encourage new partnerships.” She further stated that several partnerships have developed over the years because of the engagement tour. The tour visited several other areas in the Black Belt and in West Alabama over a three-day period.

  • Greene County BBCF Community Associates launch shoe drive to raise funds for community grants

    BBCF Community Associates L to R: Mollie Rowe, John Zippert, Miriam Leftwich and Carol Zippert

    Eutaw, Al 2019 – Greene County Community Associates (GCCA) of the Black Belt Community Foundation are conducting a shoe drive fundraiser starting May 20, 2019 thru July 20, 2019 to raise funds to support community local level grants to be distributed in Greene County next year.
    GCCA will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will come back to benefit Greene County organizations through the foundation’s community grants program. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes to GCCA members or at the Greene County Democrat Office – 206 Prairie Avenue, Eutaw – our primary collection point..
    All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise (small business) partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families. One budding entrepreneur in Haiti even earned enough to send to her son to law school.
    “We are excited about our shoe drive,” said Miriam L. Leftwich, GCCA County Coordinator. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we raise money for BBCF Community Grants, and we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
    By donating gently worn, used and new shoes to the Greene County Community Associates, the shoes will be given a second chance and make a difference in people’s lives around the world.
    The Greene County Community Associates ask you to encourage others to donate shoes to this worthwhile cause.
    Contact any member of Greene County Community Associates: Miriam Leftwich, Rodney Pham, Mollie Rowe, Geraldine Walton, Carol Zippert, John Zippert, Johnni Strode Morning, Andrea Perry. Nancy Cole, Valerie Watkins, Darlene Robinson or Johnny Williams.
    The primary collection point at the Greene County Democrat will be open on Mondays from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM; Tuesday- Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; and Fridays from 8:30 to Noon. Special arrangements for shoe drop-offs can be made by calling the Democrat at 205-372-3373.
    You may also contact any member of the BBCF Greene County Community Associates, including Miriam L. Leftwich, County Coordinator at 205-496-2070 or by email at Leftwicm@bellsouth.net, for more information on the shoe drive.