Education, workforce development, and a busy fall calendar of arts and community events highlighted the Sept. 16 meeting of the Eatonton-Putnam Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Partnership.
The informal group meets monthly at the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce (E-PCOC) offices, typically bringing together 15-20 representatives of local government, schools, businesses, cultural organizations, and community institutions.
Much of the meeting focused on Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC), with special guest Dr. Craig Jackson, vice president for student affairs at CGTC, outlining programs ranging from traditional degree offerings and workforce training to dual enrollment, adult education, and specialized programs designed to move students directly into career-developing jobs.
Jackson said CGTC serves 11 counties and has been Georgia’s largest two-year college by enrollment for several years, pointing out that last year’s enrollment was approximately 17,000 and 13,000 students are already enrolled for this year’s fall semester. CGTC’s mission, he added, extends well beyond traditional college courses.
It includes customized training for businesses and industries, short-term certification programs, and adult education, Jackson said. He also highlighted the college’s dual-enrollment program, serving more than 5,000 high school students by allowing them to complete college courses without paying tuition, fees, or book costs.
Carrie Dietrich, director of Satellite Operations for Baldwin, Jones, and Putnam Counties, said the Putnam Center, located opposite the county’s administration building alongside Hwy. 441, also offers adult education and traditional college courses. She added that dual enrollment has grown to the point that Putnam County High School transports about 50 students daily to the center.
The discussion also produced the possibility of an expanded partnership with Putnam General Hospital. Hospital CEO Thomas Goss said the hospital would welcome CGTC nursing students as well as students studying radiology, medical assisting, billing, finance, coding, and other fields.
Jackson said the need for clinical training opportunities will grow as Central Georgia Tech develops a regional Health STEM high school in Houston County, thanks to receiving a $10 million Bloomberg Foundation grant.
The rest of the meeting turned largely toward upcoming events and ongoing efforts to promote Eatonton and Putnam County.
Downtown’s Georgia Writers Museum (GWM) is preparing for its annual Haunted Eatonton tours during the final two weekends of October. GWM President and co-founder Lou Benjamin said the haunted tours continue to evolve with new locations and scripts, with Atlantabased Essential Theatre helping to write this year’s material.
The museum’s statewide Spooky Story Contest is also underway, Benjamin added, with participation having grown from 65 entries in 2020 to about 700 last year.
E-PCOC President Robbie King said the Chamber is producing new professional photography and video for social media and preparing for its inaugural Halloween morning R.I.P. 5K. King said the aim is to make the race an annual event able to attract runners from beyond Lake Country. This year’s course through and near downtown Eatonton will feature actors from GWM’s ghost tours and will pass through a local cemetery.
Meanwhile, Kevin Tomson-Hooper of The Artisans Village reported that its Dual Vision exhibition has grown into its largest yet, featuring more than 300 pieces involving 82 artists and 22 photographers. The organization is also continuing its “Painting Between the Lines” collaboration with the Writers Museum, pairing written works with artwork inspired by them.
Tomson-Hooper also reminded members that a statue honoring Eatonton native and World War II Tuskegee Airman Hiram Little will arrive Sept. 28 for installation ahead of its Sept. 30 unveiling at Veterans Wall of Honor Memorial Park in downtown Eatonton. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the event scheduled for 11 a.m. next Wednesday, he stressed.
Downtown merchants are also working together on yet another Halloween attraction, as local business leader Myrna Taylor said she and other store owners are planning their second crime or murder-mystery crawl for Oct. 24, designed to bring visitors through downtown before that evening’s GWM ghost tours. Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than 500 people, she pointed out.