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Page 3B
April 6, 2022
sReporter
Bicentennial Committee wraps celebration of 200 years
On March 23 many of those who worked on the numerous activities celebrating Monroe
County's 200th birthday met to consider their successes.
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
The Monroe County
Bicentennial Commit
tee worked together for
over two years planning
and coordinating
the celebration of
Monroe Countys
200th birthday
The group of
citizen volunteers
had to plan and
re-plan activities
and events as co-
vid kept changing
what was possible
and appropriate.
On March 23
members of the
committee were
invited to a dinner
at the Monroe County
Convention Center catered
by Her Majesty to celebrate
the successful completion
of their efforts.
Ralph Bass, chair of
the committee thanked
everyone for being a part
of the effort. He thanked
the Monroe County Board
of Commissioners for
its support, including a
donation of $5,000 to get
plans started. He noted that
businesses and individuals
in the community stepped
up so that it was never
necessary to go back to the
commissioners for more
financial assistance.
“I’m proud of the work
everyone put in,” said
Commissioner John Am
brose. “You made Monroe
County shine.”
Jonathan Adams, who
took responsibility for
heading up the celebration
festival, acknowledged that
he had asked his wife, ‘Why
did I ever say yes?’ Adams
had to plan the celebra
tion not once but twice.
After the May celebration,
planned for the county’s
actual birthday, had to
be canceled, Adams re
grouped and planned the
celebration for September.
Plaques were presented
to several members of the
Bicentennial Committee
who put in extra efforts
over the last two years.
After Adams, Winifred
Berry was thanked for
the energy and tireless
dedication she brought
to the project. Lillian
Davis was thanked for
keeping the committee
focused, and apprecia
tion was expressed to
Richard Dumas who
was repeatedly the go
to person when plans
didn’t go as smoothly as
hoped.
Bass thanked Clarice
Durden for her valuable as
sistance with contacts and
Herbert Gantt for his help,
especially with the oral
history project. Bass said
that Adam Ham constantly
surprised him with the pos
sibilities his technical skills
offered. Nolen Howard
offered insights into the
Board of Education’s role
over the years and took on
coordinating the planting
of the Bicentennial tree at
City Hall. Bass said Steve
Reece came later to the
project than the Bicenten
nial Committee members
but made up for lost time
with videos.
Joe Reed offered pos
sibilities and options to the
Bicentennial Committee,
sent handwritten thank-
you notes, worked with
the time capsule contents
and the calendar project.
Jimmy Zellner headed the
time capsule project, which
grew from one to two
50-year-old capsules plus
the capsule for the future,
and was the bookkeeper for
the Committee.
Bass said Gilda Stan-
bery was the driving force
behind the Committee’s
work and brought valuable
experience from previous
projects. She brought tact
and energy from fundrais
ing to visual detail.
“No one knows more
about Monroe County his
tory’ said Zellner of Bass
as he presented a plaque to
him. “He kept us on track,
made difficult covid deci
sions and did the displays
that will be an asset for
years to come.”
Bass said the Bicentennial
celebration was a commu
nity effort by many indi
viduals. Members of the
Bicentennial Committee
(in alphabetical order) are:
Jonathan Adams (Celebra
tion Chairman), Ralph
Bass (Chairman), Winifred
Berry (Entertainment),
Lillian Davis, Will Davis,
Chrissy Donovan, Richard
Dumas (Media), Clarise
Durden, Herbert Gantt
(Archives), Adam Ham
(Website), Nolen Howard,
Tommy Moon, Joe Reed,
Gilda Stanbery (Secretary),
Rebecca Stone, Todd Tol
bert (Finance), Rosemary
Walker, Nicole Walters, Jim
Zellner (Treasurer)
Winifred
Berry,left,
presents Gil
da Stanbery
roses and
a plaque to
show appre
ciation for
her work on
Bicentennial
events for
the last two-
plus years.
The Reporter is happy to publish birth announcements and
birthday greetings for children up to age 12 free of charge
Email photo and information to Diane Glidewell at news®
mymcr.net by Friday before the date of publication.
Remember when...
CALENDAR
Continued from Page 1 B
Johnstonville Road, Forsyth
will have opening day
activities on Saturday, ApriI
9, including a free Easter Egg
Hunt at 3 p.m. and pictures
with the Easter bunny for a
donation. 404-456-1 198.
Candidate Meet &
Greet; 2021-22 Athlete
Meet & Greet
Two special events will be
held at MLK Auto Sales, 209
Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.,
Forsyth on Saturday, April 9
from 1 1 a.m.-5 p.m. Monroe
County NAACP will sponsor a
candidate Meet & Greet. All
candidates are invited. Also,
there will be an Athlete Meet
& Greet to recognized athletes
who have excelled over the
last year. All athletes and fami
lies are invited. Wendell Green
Jr., point guard for the Auburn
University basketball team will
be highlighted.
April 11
Athletic Physicals for
Student Athletes
Mary Persons will offer athletic
physicals for student athletes on
Monday, April II for $10 at 4-5
p.m. for rising 6th, 7th & 8th
graders and from 5:15-6:15 p.m.
for rising 9th-12th graders.
April 14
High Falls Lake Assoc, to
meet
The High Falls Lake Association
will meet Thursday, April 14 at 7
p.m. in the High Falls Park group
shelter. This will be an open
format re-organization meeting.
Topics will include the need for
election of officers, the purpose
and goals of the association, lake
water testing and quality and
open discussion of the general
community of High Falls. Everyone
is welcome to attend this meeting
and contribute meaningful discus
sion. There will be a refreshment
period after the meeting and
everyone is encouraged to bring
snacks and/or drinks to share.
Invite friends and neighbors for
this meeting.
MP's Got Talent
Tri-M Music Honor Society will
present ‘MP’s Got Talent’ on
Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. at the
Board of Education Auditorium,
25 Brooklyn Ave., Forsyth.
taken during the 2022 Georgia
Legislative session.
April 23
6th Annual Charity
Golf Tournament
The Forsyth United Methodist
Men and Boy Scout Troop # 51
will sponsor their 6th Annual
Charity Golf Tournament on
Saturday, April 23 at 8 a m. at
The Forsyth Golf Club. Proceeds
benefit the Bob Land Memo
rial Scholarship Fund and BSA
Troop 51. Golf and lunch is $50
per player, $200 for 4-person
teams. Hole Sponsorships are
$100. Fun and prizes for all! Call
(404) 392-5595 or (478)
550-6096 for information &
registration.
April 28
Candidate Forum
The Monroe County Reporter
will sponsor a Political Forum on
Thursday, April 28 at the new
Forsyth City Hall. All candidates
for Monroe County Board of
Education and Board of Commis
sioners who face opposition in the
May 24 primary are invited to
come and share their positions.
April 28-30
"The Sound of Music"
Mary Persons & Monroe County
Middle School will present “The
Sound of Music’ on Thursday,
Friday & Saturday, April 28-30
at 6 p.m. and also at 2 p.m. on
Saturday at Monroe County Fine
Arts Center. Tickets are $15 pre
sale and $20 at the door (cash
or check).
May 6
Forsyth Tree Board
Golf Tournament
The 7th Annual Forsyth Tree
Board Golf Tournament
will be Friday, May 6 at
the Forsyth Golf Club, 400
Country Club Drive, Forsyth.
Registration is 8 a.m., with
tee time at 9 a.m. It will be
4-person scramble-best ball.
To register, $75/person, $300/
team. Contact Lyn Sandifer
at the City of Forsyth. Fees
include lunch, goodie bag,
green fees & cart and tickets
for door prizes. Cash prizes
for top three teams. Limit 1 8
teams. Proceeds help fund the
tree planting projects of the
Forsyth Tree Board. Sponsor
a hole for $50 or donate a
door prize. For more informa
tion, contact Michael Glisson
at Glisson6@gmail.com
be hidden in downtown For
syth businesses. Clues will be
posted on B&GCCG Face-
book and Instagram so be
sure to check back frequently.
Find a pink rubber duck, read
the clue attached to it, and
follow the instructions to claim
a prize. For each lucky pink
duck you find and register,
we will enter a duck in your
name in the upcoming Great
Ocmulgee River Duck Race
in Amerson Park Macon on
June 1 1 where ducks are up
for adoption for $20, or 6 for
$100. On race day, adopted
ducks will be launched onto
the river and first duck to
get across the finish line wins
$10,000. Proceeds for the
event will go to Boys & Girls
Clubs of Central Georgia's
healthy lifestyle initiatives. The
Great Ocmulgee River Duck
Race is a win for all involved.
June 10
Teen Safe Driving Camp
Monroe County Sheriff's
Office will offer the 14th
Annual Teen Safe Driv
ing Camp for drivers ages
15-17 at the Georgia Public
Safety Training Center, 1000
ndian Springs Dr., Forsyth on
Saturday, July 9 from 9 a.m.-
4:30 p.m. Cost is $20, which
includes lunch and T-shirt.
Space is limited. Application
deadline is June 10. For more
information, contact M.C.
Sheriff's Office.
On-Going
New pavers at Monroe
County Veterans Memo
rial to be engraved
For those who have been
thinking about honoring a
family member or friend who
is a veteran by engraving a
paver at the Veterans Memo
rial on the Monroe County
Square with his or her name
and information, it is time to
follow through with that inten
tion. It is necessary to wait
for engraving until there are
a sufficient number or orders.
Enough orders have been
received, but the engraver is
now waiting to receive stenci
materials. To place an order
contact Dr. Priscilla Doster at
478-994-9613 PDoster48@
aol.com.
April 14
M.C. Republican Party
sponsors Legislative
Update
The Monroe County Republican
Party will sponsor a legislative
update on Thursday, April 14 at
6:30 p.m. at Old Mill Market,
94 East Adams Street, Forsyth.
Light refreshments will be served.
Come get an update on actions
May 6, June 3
Boys & Girls Clubs of
Central Ga. present
Duck Scavenger Hunts
The Boys & Girls Clubs of
Central Georgia will host
a Duck Scavenger Hunt on
Fridays, May 6, and June 3
(one rubber duck for each
date). Pink rubber ducks will
1992
Effective April 1 Monroe
County’s sales tax drops
from six to five percent as
the special purpose oca
option sales tax approved in
1990 ceases. It has brought
the county, Forsyth and
Culloden $1.8 million with a
disbursement from the state
remaining.
A clean-up is sponsored by
the Cabaniss Community
Association.
Beginning May 3 it will be
mandatory to dial the area
code in all long distance
calls, including those in the
91 2 area code. The new
706 area code is being
added that day.
Forsyth police interrupt a
“ladies only" entertainment
night at the Left Banque cafe
on the square on Tuesday
to the dismay of more than
1 30 patrons watching the
U.S. Calendar Men of South
Carolina perform. There
were no arrests in what the
officers termed a male strip
show.
Veterinarian Dr. W.E. Neisler
and Monroe County 4-Her’s
will team up for their 15th
annual traveling rabies
clinics.
Hubbard Elementary student
teams jumped rope for three
hours and raised $2,300
for the American Heart As
sociation.
Billy Cawthon is honored as
the only active charter mem
ber of the Forsyth Exchange
Club, which was chartered
on Nov. 7, 1947.
Mt. Zion High School (Clay
ton Countyl’s Jackie Green,
a 1970 Mary Persons
graduate, is named Ath
letic Director of the Year for
GHSA Region 4-AAAA.
Brittain Vaughn of Monroe
Academy and Jason Joseph
of Mary Persons place
3rd and 4th in the 13-15
division of the Jr. Cherry
Blossom Golf Tournament at
Bowden Golf Course.
2002
Winners of Hubbard Primary
School’s Young Georgia
Authors' Writing Competition
are 2nd grader Brandon
Lee, 1st grader Kachina
Walker, kindergartener
Logan Grigsby.
Curtis Daniel receives the
James Wimberly Racial
Barrier Breaker Award for
2002 at a ceremony at the
Douglas Theatre in Macon
for being the first African
American member of the
Loyal Order of Moose in
Georgia.
The District Attorney reports
disposal of 29 of 40 cases
slated for the March trial
calendar.
Commissioners apply for a
Community Block Develop
ment grant of $500,000 to
be combined with $600,000
on hand from SPLOST funds,
to build a 14,000 sq. ft.
youth center between Tift
College and Ingles.
Monroe County receives
$10,000 in Georgia Local
Development Funds to make
its recreation complex handi
cap accessible.
The local Lions Club along
with the Monroe County
Saddle Club is getting ready
for the 8th annual Georgia
High School Rodeo.
Bessie Mays, Fort Valley
State University Extension
program assistant in Monroe
County, organizes this year's
Kids Fair with the topic of
nutrition.
Monroe County Recreation
Department holds its version
of March Madness with 10
teams competing for trophies
in the Mary Persons gym.
Colette Chambliss soars
over 15 feet 6.5 inches in
the long jump to take first
place for Mary Persons at
the home track meet against
Spalding and East Laurens.
She also finished first in the
200m sprint at 27:.77.
2012
Forsyth s Grits Cafe burns,
but firefighters save adjacent
buildings, including the Rose
Theater. The building on the
square dated back to at
east 1 898.
Four Forsyth men are
charged in a drive-by shoot
ing in Barnesville, including
a former Mary Persons foot
ball standout now competing
at Wingate College.
George Metzler, a former
FBI agent now living in
Monroe County, alleges in
his new book that the U.S.
government conspired with
the mafia to kill President
John F. Kennedy.
Forsyth is cracking down
on substances like synthetic
marijuana that may have
dangerous effects.
Five Forsyth mayors help
unveil a new plaque to dedi
cate the city’s Paul H. Jossey
Jr. Public Safety Complex;
the complex was completed
in 2005.
Bobby and Betty Ann
Herndon Ivey celebrate their
50th wedding anniversary.
First place winners of the
2012 Exchange Club For-
sythia Festival Golf Tourna
ment are Dr. Tom Perry,
Dalton Johnson, Coleman
Martin, Bill Brown.
The Laughing Pizza Band
performs a concert at K.B.
Sutton Elementary as a
reward for students.
Ryan Wolf, a 2006 Mary
Persons graduate, graduates
from North Georgia College
& State University and is
commissioned a second lieu
tenant in the U.S. Army by
his father, CW2 Todd Wolf.
Most votes in their age
categories in the Monroe
Reads with First Adorable
Reader Contest went to
Matthew Biers, Areli Gomez
Ruiz and Shywood Hughley.
A drawing by Mary Persons
senior Caitlyn Douglass
is named Best of Show in
the Student Art Contest
sponsored by the Monroe
County Arts Alliance.
Mary Persons state cham
pionship land judging team
(Jonathan Daniel, Colt Music,
Austin Kent, Ethan Boyd) will
compete in nationals in May.
The junior varsity team of
Tia Chasten, Jessica White,
Caroline Waldrep and Da
vid Allen Robins placed first
in its division.
Remember When
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Memorial Chapel
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Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
478-994-4266