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Grove Hill Citizen promotes town's great quality of life
She is a member of the Grove Hill Arts Council, the local Civitan Club, Book Club, Grove Hill United Methodist Church, Historical Society and American Legion Auxiliary. She has also worked on the annual United Way campaign and is a graduate of and current board member for Leadership Clarke County. In a letter nominating Norris for the award, Rachel Lindsey said "the busier and more 'stressed' the happier she is. She is always available to help, whether it is cooking for the church, special event, organizing a workshop, seminar, sharing her vast knowledge with oth- ers or just walking a friend's dog. She does not know the word 'no.'" "It's almost like it's your responsibility," Norris said. "If you are a part of something, then you are responsible for being active and trying to make whatever you are a part of better." Program inspired her Norris said she was also inspired by attending the Your Town, a leadership initiative responding to the design needs of small towns and rural areas. She learned from the experience that many people yearn for the small town quality of life that Grove Hill has to offer. "Grove Hill is unique in the county," she said. "We have our own personality, and it's not Jackson's or Thomasville's. "When you drive through, you might say it is slow, that's OK. We're within driving distance of anything that you really need - then you come home. "…(For the future) I think it is vital that we decide…what our town is going be and figure out where we fit within the county, and then develop those things rather than trying to duplicate," Norris said. "We don't have the same assets (as the communities in the North and South). "We're always going to be centrally located. We're always going to have that small town atmosphere. Those are things we are going to have to develop." Norris agreed with a recent marketing study that envisioned Grove Hill as the heritage and cultural center of Clarke County. Through her work with the Arts Council, she has discovered "so many people who love to paint (and) draw. When we had the photography exhibit, we had 250 entrees." People interested in arts Norris believes there are still more people in the community who would want to participate in the arts. "We're always amazed at how many people are interested in these things," she said. "They've just never had an opportunity." She said the new proposed senior center and forestry museum would be added components to attract people to Grove Hill. Norris was born in the Bashi community and graduated from Thomasville High School. She attended Patrick Henry Junior College in Monroeville. She has worked in the County Revenue Commissioner's office for the last 15 years. She is married to Dan Norris, and the couple has two sons, Kyle (who is in the Air Force in Korea) and Danny (who attends Auburn University). Both sons attended Clarke County High School, and Norris has been a member of the school's Quarterback Club. Norris lives 13 miles west of the Grove Hill town limits, but counts her family as members of the greater Grove Hill community. "It's the people that move to Grove Hill that truly appreciate what we have," she said. "The people that are here just take for granted that you know everybody at the post office (and) that if you are sick and don't come to drink coffee, somebody is going to check up on you. "We just take all those little things for granted." Grove Hill would be an excellent place for people to retire to, Norris said. 'We play pretty' with others Through her work with local organizations, Norris is also trying to build relationships with other communities in Clarke County. The arts council has sponsored a play in Jackson, and they work with arts volunteers in Thomasville with the annual "Ghost Walk." "We play pretty," she said. "…It's like brothers and sisters, you're not all the same, but you can work together." Norris believes that participating in the arts can bring the county together.
Admission for the Nov. 1 banquet is $10 and can be purchased from the Chamber, the Clarke County Museum or Rachel Lindsey at the Clarke County Courthouse. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
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