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MONROE COUNTY
Community
Calendar
Calendar items run free
of charge as a community
service each week as space
allows. Mail items for the
Community Calendar to
Diane Glidewell at news@
mymcr.net by 8 a.m. on
Monday.
April 28
Candidate Forum
The Monroe County Reporter
will sponsor a Political Forum on
Thursday, April 28, at 6pm at
the new Forsyth City Hall. All
candidates for Monroe County
Board of Education and Board
of Commissioners who face op
position 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),
April 30
Autism Awareness
Festival
The Annual Autism Aware
ness Festival will be
Saturday, April 30 from 8
a.m.-3 p.m. at the Day
spring Presbyterian Church
campus, 1045 Highway
4IS, Forsyth. The event is
sponsored by the Anchor
of Hope Foundation. There
will be a 5K trail race and
family fun run that morning
and live entertainment, food
vendors, children’s activities
and information about autism
resources during the day.
For more information, cal
478-994-0438.
May 2
Monroe County His
torical Society hears
the real story of Doc
Holliday
The speaker at the Monroe
County Historical Society
meeting on Monday, May
2 at 7 p.m. at the Conley
Building, 104 East Adams
St., Forsyth will be Victoria
Wilcox. Wilcox is the found
ing director of Fayetteville's
Holliday-Dorsey-Fife Muse
um and spent two decades
of research on Wild West
egend Doc Holliday and
his Georgia ties. She is the
author of a documentary film,
historical novel trilogy and
a pictorial biography. The
public is invited. For more in
formation, email ralphbassjr® 1
gmail.com.
May 2-7
Taco Week
Forsyth Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce
is presenting Taco Week
Monday-Saturday, May
2-7. Check out various
activities and tacos around
town throughout the week.
May 6
Forsyth Tree Board
Golf Tournament
The 7th Annual Forsyth Tree
Board Golf Tournament will
be Friday, May 6 at the For
syth Golf Club, 400 Country
Club Drive, Forsyth. Registra
tion is 8 a.m., with tee time
at 9 a.m. It will be 4-per-
son 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 information, contact
Michael Glisson at Glis-
son6@gmail.com
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 be hidden in downtown
Forsyth businesses. Clues will
be posted on B&GCCG
Facebook and Instagram
so be sure to check back
frequently. Find a pink
rubber duck, read the clue
See CALENDAR
Page 3B
Around Monroe County ► ► Forsyth • Juliette • High Falls • Bolingbroke • Culloden • Smarr
Forsyth welcomes new economic developer
Cody Ellis
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Cody Ellis is Forsyths new
economic development director
and zoning officer. He began his
service with the city in early April
and said that so far he loves For
syth and is excited to be in a job
that is really what he wants to do.
Ellis is filling a position that has
been vacant for several months,
but city manager Janice Hall said
he has hit the ground running
as she introduced him to city
council at its April 18 meeting.
He is the primary contact for new
businesses interested in coming
to Forsyth and is responsible for
guiding business owners and oth
ers through zoning ordinances,
including advising Forsyths Plan
ning & Zoning Commission on
updating, revising and applying
the ordinances.
Ellis’ hometown is Oxford in
Newton County, just north of
Covington. He enlisted in the
U.S. Army after graduating from
Eastside High School in 2011 and
served as a signals intelligence
analyst. After completing train
ing, he was assigned to Korea,
where he enjoyed the food and
the chance to see another part of
the world, and finished his tour
of duty at the National Security
Agency at Ft. Meade, Md.
After his discharge he began his
college studies at the University of
Maryland in Towson, then trans
ferred to University of Georgia,
where he earned degrees in Eco
nomics and Classics with a minor
in Classical Culture. Graduating
in May 2020, at the beginning of
the pandemic, limited his employ
ment opportunities for a while,
but he eventually began working
as project manager for an expan
sion joint company.
Ellis said that job proved to
be a blessing in the opportuni
ties it gave him to develop skills
in working with people and in
multi-tasking. However, the drive
to Pendergrass was awful, and
it wasn’t the chance to work in
economic development that he
wanted.
He sees the position in Forsyth
as a chance to help the community
grow while keeping that small
town feel that he and many others
love. He said he watched Coving
ton grow quickly and lose much
of its small town ambiance. Ellis
said he knows that small town
charm is the reason many people
come to Forsyth and want to stay
in Forsyth, and he feels they can
have the amenities they want from
economic development without
losing it.
“I think you can grow
and still keep your iden
tity’ said Ellis. “When I
went into the army, a man
at church told me to always
remember where I came
from and that’s important.”
When he isn’t work
ing, Ellis enjoys being
outdoors, hunting and
fishing, or watching UGA
football. His parents and
older brother still live in
Newton County. Ellis said
he has been able to ac
complish several of his
goals, like seeing some of
the world. In addition to
his travels for the army, he
backpacked across Europe,
including Greece, while in
college as part of his clas
sical studies. He is the first
person in his family to earn
a college degree. He said
while some commented
that the college graduation
ceremony wasn’t signifi
cant, especially during Co-
vid, it was more than a ceremony
for him because it was something
he was doing for his family.
He said now he wants to help
make Forsyth a place where
people will shop, work and enjoy
restaurants and recreational
activities as well as make their
residence.
“It’s like you’re building some
thing,” said Ellis. “There’s a sense
of pride and accomplishment in
putting ideas in use.”
The Leonards
celebrate their
60th wedding
anniversary
Claude and Virgie Leonard celebrated 60
years of marriage on March 24,2022 in Macon
with their children and grandchildren. They
met in Pensacola, Florida while Claude was
stationed at the naval base and Virgie worked
on base as a civil servant.
The couple has lived in Georgia during most
of their 60 years of marriage. Before retiring
from Georgia Power Company, Claude worked
at Plant Scherer from 1984-97. The Leonards
have two children, Greg Leonard of Gray, who
now works at Plant Scherer, and Lori Leonard
Burnham of Athens. They have five grand
children: Evan Leonard, Erin Leonard Bryant,
Olivia Burnham, Neal Burnham and Emma
Early in their marriage the Leonards were baptized
together.
Claude & Virgie Leonard
Burnham.
One of their special memories is their joint
baptism as a young married couple. Their
pastor in Smyrna baptized them simultane
ously; they went beneath the waters of baptism
together to publicly share their faith in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Claude has enjoyed many rounds of play at
the Forsyth Golf Course, and the couple has
enjoyed trips together to beaches and to Lake
Oconee area campgrounds, often hosting
children and grandchildren, and Virgie and
Claude have attended many sporting events,
school functions and church programs lovingly
supporting their grandchildren.
Reversal: Farmers Market to stay on Jackson St.
Tomatoes were one of the specialties available at the
Forsyth Farmers Market in May 202 1.
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth Main Street/
Downtown Development
Authority changed the de
cision it made at its April
11 meeting to move the
Farmers Market from N.
Jackson Street to a lot a few
blocks away near Old Mill
Market. At a called meet
ing on Wednesday, April
20 Forsyth Main Street
director Frank Wilder
said he, Main Street/DDA
board members and city
council members heard
from Farmers Market ven
dors and patrons objecting
to the move.
Wilder said the objec
tions were that there was
a lack of shade at the
new site, that it was more
difficult for vendors and
customers to access and
that vendors would face
competition from busi
nesses near Old Mill Mar
ket. He had administrative
assistant Monica Cordy
reach out to Farmers Mar
ket vendors for input.
Of the 12 vendors who
responded, eight said they
would participate in the
Market at the new site,
although they did not nec
essarily prefer it, and four
vendors said they would
no longer participate in
the Market if it moves to
the proposed location.
Board member Denise
Buff said that the negative
aspects of the move that
concerned the vendors
and the public were the
same ones the board
discussed before deciding
it would be worthwhile
to try the move. She
said there was a positive
aspect to the complaints
received, that they will
increase awareness of the
Farmers Market.
“I hope they will all
come,” said Buff. “We have
the Market for the public.”
Board chair Kerri Swear
ingen said Main Street/
DDA will try to increase
signage and other publicity
for the Farmers Market,
regardless of which loca
tion is chosen. Reasons
for moving the Market
to the site near Old Mill
Market included that it
would have increased vis
ibility and more customers
because of the other busi
nesses nearby and that Old
Mill Market would allow
use of its restrooms, which
would be better facili
ties than the port-a-potty
provided by the city at N.
Jackson Street.
Cordy said the cost for
one port-a-potty and one
hand washing station for
the Farmers Market season
is $1,670. There was an av
erage of 14 vendors weekly
paying $5 each. The fee
has increased to $10/week
this year.
Forsyth Farmers Market
is open every Friday from
May to October.
Board member Wes
Cone said it is good busi
ness to put your business
near other businesses,
where traffic will bring
customers. He felt the
move would bring the ven
dors increased profits.
Wilder said although
vendors could pull up to
unload at the new site,
they would have to move
their trucks after unload
ing. However, he said
customers would be able
to pull up to the Market to
shop and then load their
purchases. He said this was
similar to most farmers
markets. He said he can’t
do anything about the
shade trees, but vendors
can put up tents. He said
he was also looking at the
benefit to the city of bring
ing more people to the
thriving area near Old Mill
See Farmers Market •
Page 3B