Newspaper Page Text
Page 2C
June 8, 2022
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Bradley
Crystal McKinzie, Joseph
Bradley exchange vows
ARfeporter
John Fleckenstein
Happy 70th!
Long-time Monroe Countian John Fleckenstein
celebrated his 70th birthday on June 7th.
He was Monroe County’s Father of the Year in
2012 and continues to be the special patriarch for
his family, including his wife, Nancy, children John
(& Hannah) and Jessica (& Brandon Starr) and
granddaughters, Emily, Olivia, Abby, Riley and
Sadie.
He worked for Southern Forest Industries in
Smarr for over 30 years while always finding time
for his family, coaching Little League and being
involved in the community in various ways.
His birthday was the occasion for a family cook-
out.
Dorothy (Dot) Mercer
90 years young!
On Saturday June 4, Dorothy (Dot) Mercer celebrat
ed her 90th birthday (June 8) at her home in Juliette
with family and friends. She has two children, Chris
(Kathy) Mercer and Neal (Tylene) Mercer, six grand
children, 12 great grandchildren and two great great
grandchildren. Numerous family and friends celebrat
ed Dot’s birthday with cake, presents, and quality time
together.
Crystal McKinzie and Joseph (Joe) Bradley were mar
ried on Saturday, May 14,2022 at the Pavilion at Rocky
Creek Baptist Church.
The brides daughter, Haylee, and sisters, Ashley Bird
and Josie Rafferzeder, served as the brides attendants. The
grooms daughter, Kylie Smith, his brother, Benjamin, and
brother in Christ, Chantel Hicks, served as his attendants.
The brides sons Jackson and Jason, were the ring bearers,
and the grooms granddaughter, Rose, led by her father,
Logan, dropped a path a petals before the bride.
The bride was given in marriage by her father, Jerry Raf
ferzeder, and her mother, Tammy Rafferzeder, officiated
at the ceremony.
* Reporter
50 N. Jackson Street • Forsyth, GA • 478-994-2358 • wvnv.mymcr.net
Spotlight on Local Churches
PASTOR’S CORNER by Rev. Scott Harrell
God rescues us from sinking sand
R ecently I was at the beach when
tide was out. I had waded about
fifteen feet into the water. Suddenly
I felt I was sinking as I stepped into
what felt like a bog. I rapidly sank up to
my calves into this gooey section of slimy,
muddy sand. It took great effort to try and
break free. I had flashes of
Gilligan’s Island when Gil-
ligan and crew had gotten
caught in quicksand.
Sometimes life’s problems
feel like Sinking Sand, ready
to swallow us up. Maybe
you are in a place where ev
ery day is a battle to get out
of a slimy bog. Like me at
the beach, every step seems
to exasperate your prob
lems. You feel like you are
sinking deeper and deeper
into a pit that you can’t get
out of. I have good news for you. You are
not on your own.
When shepherd-turned-warrior, David,
knew that the Kingdom of Israel had been
stripped from Saul and given to him, he
found himself running away from Saul’s
jealous persuit. When Saul finally realized
that he had messed things up and God was
taking away his kingship and giving it to
David, he was jealous. He was out to get
David. David understood the fear; he knew
what it felt like to be in ‘sinking sand’. He
also knew the only way out was by God’s
strength.
In Psalm 18, we find David’s response to
God’s triumph over his enemies and his
deliverance from Saul. “I love you Lord:
You are my strength. The Lord is my Rock,
my Fortress, and my Savior. My God is my
Rev. Scott Harrell
Rock, in whom I find protection. He is my
Shield, the power that saves me, and my
place of safety.”
The words he used were rock, fortress
and place of safe refuge. That is how he
described God. God brought comfort.
When it seemed like he had been aban
doned and had no way, in his
heart he knew that God was the
rock In reality, David had no
other option but to trust God. He
was a wanted man, yet God had a
plan for him.
If you feel like you are in a bog
of sinking sand, remember the
words of David when describing
God. He is our fortress and rock.
In His strength and power, we can
we find comfort and help from all
of life’s challenges. God reaches
out in the hard times of our lives
and lifts us out the mess we find
ourselves in. He puts us on the Rock that
cannot be shaken.
God not only delivered David from ‘sink
ing sand’, not only did He place him on a
solid rock, but he made him so “surefooted
as a deer, enabling him to stand on moun
tain heights.”
This is true of God today. He wants to lift
you and me out of our problems, onto a
solid rock. Then He can make us so secure
in Him that we can stand on mountain
heights. From the mountain top we will be
able to look back and see where it was from
which God has delivered us.
Don’t stay in the sinking sand. Trust God
to place your feet on the Solid Rock
Scott Harrell has served in various ministe
rial capacities in Monroe County over the
years.
SHONEYS
Continued from Page 1C
at a local realtor's office stuffing envelopes
and other duties. Some students do so well
at their jobs that they are offered a paying
job after graduation.
Darlene Allen, a paraprofessional who
has been working with special needs
children for 15 years was at Shoney's with
Sarah Mimbs, also a paraprofessional and
Mary Persons graduate who has worked
with the program for 7 years.
Allen said the kids are learning things
they wouldn't be able to otherwise, like
the satisfaction of doing a good job and
interacting with people on the outside
world. Mimbs said there are three differ
ent groups of children who study science,
math, English, speech, sign language, and
other subjects when they aren't on the
job. The program is always looking for
new places where these young people can
get experience and any interested busi
ness can contact the Mary Persons High
School.
Remember when...
1992
The Older Americans Council
holds its annual Memorial
Day program with Mayor
Paul Jossey as keynote
speaker.
Forsyth contractor Steve
Haines trades hammer for
baton to lead the Macon
Symphony Orchestra during
the annual Pops Concert.
Mary Persons 1992 gradu
ation speakers are Paquita
Bass, Nicole Gibson, Car
Stewart and Clay Pugh.
Mary Persons Shawn
Montford is named Athlete
of the Year and Clay Pugh is
named top Scholar-Athlete.
Monroe County 4-H agent
Ginny Atkins is honored for
continuing excellence by
the Georgia Association of
Extension 4-H agents.
Mike Bussey & Bobby Banks
will staff Monroe County's
first Recycling Center on High
Falls Road. It is a model for
communities throughout the
state.
2002
Monroe County commission
ers' wish list for its SPLOST
$22.4 million proposal
include $6.3 million to pay off
the bonds issued to buy the
former Tift College campus
and nearly $10 million for
road and water projects.
Melissa Randall's 5th grade
class at Hubbard Elementary
completes a year's work on
a quilt to show support after
the Sept. 1 1 tragedies. It will
be sent to a public library in
New York.
Jim Peters announces he will
run for the District 4 post on
the Monroe County Board of
Commissioners.
Macon Police Dept. Major
Willie Billue, 45, and his wife,
Shirley, are killed when a tire
blows on their motorcycle on
1-75 near Forsyth
The Mount Zion United
Methodist Church Men
organize and charter with
Michael Banks as president,
Red Ezelle as v.p. and Dustin
Coward as secretary/trea
surer.
Monroe County holds a Car
diac Arrest fundraiser for the
American Heart Association
with “Judge" Melvin Law
rence giving out sentences
at Forsyth United Methodist
Church.
Steve Coleman & Associates
receives the Torch Award
from the Better Business
Bureau for outstanding high
ethical standards.
Ga. Power presents Mon
roe County Middle Schoo
a check to help defray
expenses for printing student
agendas.
New Forsyth residents
receive newcomer bags with
more than 65 promotional
items from local businesses
when they sign up for utilities.
The Monroe County Adult
Learning Center holds its first
cap & gown ceremony for
those earning their GED's.
The Georgia Greenspace
Commission approves grants
to 14 counties, including
Monroe, to help local gov
ernments acquire and perma
nently protect greenspace.
Ashley Gibson, Kellis Johnson
and Hollis Johnson sign to
play soccer at Gordon Col
lege.
Encore Dance Studio holds
its annual recital at the Board
of Education auditorium.
2012
Jordan Whitehead and
Courtney DeRieux are Mary
Persons’ valedictorian and
salutatorian.
Mary Persons catcher Devin
Skelton signs to play basebal
at Berry College. Center
fielder Spencer Welch signs
to play baseball at Andrew
College. Mary Persons'
Charlie Johnson signs to
play tennis at Oglethorpe
University.
Mary Persons senior Nick
Davis finishes 5th in the
100m sprint and 8th in the
200m sprint at the AAA
State track meet.
Mary Persons basketball
star Brannen Greene, the
top ranked rising senior in
Georgia, will transfer to Tift
County High School for his
final high school season.
A Monroe County jury indicts
former school administrator
Joe Parker for stealing more
than $6,000 from the schoo
system. He repaid the money
within the last month.
A GBI investigation into
claims Forsyth broke the law
by spending $12,000 with
city council member Mike
Dodd's business, Dodd Build
ers Supply, will be presented
to a grand jury. The city
chose Dodd after getting
bids.
Monroe County Relay for
Life has raised $86,500
toward its $103,000 goal
so far.
Forsyth begins the process
to demolish four houses seen
as uninhabitable and unsafe,
including 274 Indian Springs
Dr., 288 Old Waterworks
Rd., 240 Sharp St. and a
Milledge Circle address.
87 percent of this year's
junior class at Mary Persons
has already passed either
the graduation or end-of-
course tests in all five subjects
compared to 82 percent last
year.
The new Ga. License plate
designed by Forsyth artist
Linda Sosebee is available
at the Monroe County tag
office.
Mary Persons senior Jacob
Haygood signs to play soccer
with Ga. Southwestern State
University. Senior Candler
Proffitt signed to play soccer
with Mars Hill College in
N.C.
Mary Persons' Kaylee Chit
wood signs to play softball at
Abraham Baldwin Agricul
tural College.
New First Presbyterian
Day School graduate Cole
Wheeler will join his brother,
Tyler, at the II.S. Military
Academy at West Point.
The Walmart Founda
tion awards Angel Brown,
daughter of Forsyth Walmart
employee Laura Brown, a
$1 3,000 scholarship over the
next four years.
Remember When
This look at what Monroe County residents were reading in the
Reporter 30, 20 and 10 years ago this week is brought to you by...
Monroe County
Memorial Chapel
We set the standards
that others follow 1
Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
478-994-4266