Newspaper Page Text
October 12, 2022
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.
Oct. 14-16
'Nightfall with Edgar Al
lan Poe' is at The Rose
The Backlot Players will pres
ent "Nightfall with Edgar Allan
Poe" at The Rose Theater
on the square on Friday and
Saturday, Oct. 14-15 at 7:30
p.m. and on Sunday,, Oct. 16
at 2:30 p.m. The approach of
Halloween is the perfect time
to visit the macabre world of
Poe in this play by Eric Cable
directed by Matt Robichaux.
Come experience four works
often considered Poes best.
Tickets are available at Tickets
to the City or at the box office
two hours before perfor
mances.
Oct. 14, 21, 28
Forsyth Farmers
Market every Friday
Forsyth Farmers Market is
open for its 2022 season on
Fridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It
will be at 9 North Jackson
Street (the lot behind Persons
Banking Company) each Fri
day through October. Vendors
offer locally grown produce
and homemade goods. For
more information, call 478-
994-7747 or email mcordy@
cityofforsyth.com
Oct 14-15
Kingdom Builders
project weekend
The annual dates for Monroe
County Kingdom Builders to
work on the houses of elderly
and needy homeowners will
be Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 14-15, to coincide with
Monroe County Schools Fall
Break. Those who need as
sistance, those who would like
to volunteer and those who
are able to donate materials
or support the project in other
ways should pick up informa
tion and applications as soon
as possible at Circle of Care,
Monroe County Reporter
(478-994-2358), Forsyth
United Methodist Church (478-
994-5706) or other participat
ing churches.
Oct. 15
Butterfly Release at the
Pregnancy Center
The Pregnancy Center of
Monroe County will have a
Butterfly Release: Pregnancy
& Infant Loss Awareness Event
on Saturday, Oct. 15 from
10:30-11:30 a.m. at 562 N.
Lee St. All who have expe
rienced miscarriage, ectopic
pregnancy, stillbirth or infant
loss are especially invited.
Health Insurance Seminar
Rev. Ella Chambliss, owner/
CEO of Chambliss Christian
Center, Inc. will hold an Insur
ance Seminar on Saturday,
Oct. 15, from 10 a.m.-12 noon
at the Telling Our Story Black
History Museum, 500 Hwy
83S, Forsyth. Chambliss Chris
tian Center, Inc. is a 501 c3
organization whose mission
is to inform, educate and
enrich the community. Shania
Chambliss from CAABA Ins.
will be the presenter. Oct. 15
is the first day of open enroll
ment for Medicare users and
other insurance needs will also
be addressed. There will be
an opportunity for questions;
current information to make an
informed decision health care
coverage will be provided. Ev
eryone is welcome. For more
information, call 478-731 -
4103
Oct. 15-Nov. 13
30 for 30 Walk-a-Weigh
Monroe County Extension
invites everyone to participate
in 30 for 30 Walk-a-Weigh:
Walk 30 minutes per day for
30 straight days from Oct. 15-
Nov. 13. Find encouragement
from daily social media posts
created by Cooperative Exten
sion professionals across the
country and weekly Facebook
Live Walk-a-Weigh classes
from Monroe County Exten
sion agent Amanda Harner.
478-994-7014 or Amanda.
Harner@uga.edu
Oct. 19
32nd Annual Birth
day Celebration for
90-100-year-olds
The family of the late Rubye
J. Watts invites everyone 90
See CALENDAR
Page 7C
Community
Around Monroe County ► ► Forsyth • Juliette • High Falls • Bolingbroke • Culloden • Smarr
Rep. Susan Holmes, 4th from left, introduces her family at the reception held in her honor on Oct. 4 jointly by the Chambers of Commerce of Mon
roe, Butts and Jasper counties.
Saying thanks to a great servant-leader
worked within political
networks to serve those
who elected her. Many
times those who saluted
Susan Holmes praised Paul
Holmes as well, comment
ing that the people in their
district got “two for one.”
Candidate for Georgia
lieutenant governor Burt
Jones welcomed those
present and said that it had
been “an absolute pleasure”
serving with Holmes in
the legislature for 10 years.
Describing her as “just
a fine lady’ he said that
sometimes she treated him
like a colleague and some
times like one of her sons.
He said she treated every
county she served as her
home county. Jones noted
Left, Rep. Susan Holmes with Rep. Robert Dickey and retired
Rep. Bubber Epps. Above, left to right, candidate for Lt.
Governor Burt Jones, Forsyth Monroe County Chamber rep
resentative Pam Davis, retired Hubbard Elementary principal
Jay Johnston and CPA Rae Johnston are some of the crowd of
individuals who attended the reception for Holmes.
that Holmes had been an
important advocate for
the Idlewilde Conference
Center, the venue for the
reception.
“This building would
not have happened if not
for her hard work,” said
Jones. “Susan and Paul are
always model citizens, put
ting others first.”
U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who
has served the 10th district
since 2016 but resigned to
seek the office of Secretary
of State, was one of the
dignitaries who thanked
Holmes for her service.
“You’re one of those who
literally has done every
thing, farming, teaching,
being a postmaster and a
mayor, serving on many
boards,” said Hice. “You
are one of the most influ
ential women in the state.”
He presented Holmes
with a flag that had flown
over the U.S. Capitol in
her honor. Hice referenced
Matthew 22:11 to describe
Holmes’ servant heart.
Rep. Robert Dickey said
that Holmes was one of the
first people he called when
he began thinking about
running for the Georgia
legislature, and her re
sponse had been,
“Rim, run, run!”
“She’s my moral com
pass,” said Dickey. “She’s
very opinionated, and I
really trust and value her
thoughts and how hard she
works for her constituents.”
He said he recalls a
luncheon when Holmes
advocated for broadband
internet all over her district
and he thought it would
never happen.
“See what’s happening
now,” said Dickey. “She
doesn’t take ’no’ for an
See HOLMES . Page 6C
By Diane Glidewell
news'-mymcr.net
The Chambers of
Commerce of Forsyth-
Monroe County,
Jackson-Butts County
and Monticello-
Jasper County joined
to host a reception
for retiring Georgia
House of Representa
tives member Susan
Holmes on Tuesday,
Oct. 4 at Idlewilde
Conference Center in
Indian Springs State
Park. Holmes has rep
resented District 129
(initially District 125)
since January 2011.
She didn’t seek reelection
for another term this year
and will be leaving office at
the end of2022.
The reception was
crowded with friends, fam
ily, admirers and political
associates of Holmes, who
recently turned 80, eager
to thank her for her service
and wish her well on the
next chapter of her life. Re
ceiving praise almost equal
to Holmes was her hus
band, Paul, who worked
side by side with Holmes
as she served in the legisla
ture, tirelessly chauffeuring
her and attending commu
nity events, large and small
with her as she interacted
with her constituents and
Kingdom Builders welcomes volunteers Oct. 14-15
By Jody Barfield
The annual Kingdom
Builders ministry event is
this Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 14-15. KINGDOM
BUILDERS is a joint min
istry of the many churches
of Monroe County as we
collectively work together
as God’s people to help
give a “hand-up” to fami
lies of our community in
need.
The hope is to have most
of the churches repre
sented with volunteers as
we work together to help
people in our community.
Church volunteers provide
assistance to those good
people in the community
who are in need of help
with a household project
because they do not have
the ability or resources
to get the needed repairs
done. We validate the ac
tual need, and oftentimes
the families we serve pay
what they can so they in
turn can help others, too.
The typical families we
serve are elderly persons
with limited income, single
parents and those suffering
from an illness or injury
(such as stroke patients).
We have identified seven
projects we will be able
to serve this year, and we
have secured more fund
ing than we ever have. We
now need volunteers to
help get the work done.
Volunteer needs in
clude: minor construction
projects, flooring, minor
plumbing or electrical
jobs, handicap ramps, yard
work and landscaping
repair, and gutter work.
You do not have to have
any skill; we have skilled
people who can show you
what to do- we just need
your hands and time.
However, if you have
some skill and experience,
we most certainly can use
that, too! Quite simply,
we show our love for God
by loving and helping our
neighbors.
We will gather at 8
a.m. on both Friday and
Saturday at Forsyth UMC,
68 W. Johnston St. (down
town across from the post
office) to start each day
with breakfast. We will
then break into our work
teams and depart to the
work sites at 9 a.m.
The work days will last
from 9 a.m. to roughly
4 p.m. Lunches will be
provided. Please register
by Oct. 13.
We are serving two days,
but we just need for you
to give the time you can
give. You can serve 1 day, 2
days, or portions of either
day. Volunteers need to be
age 12 and up.
There are a number of
ways to serve. You can
serve on a job site, or you
can also help prepare and
serve meals, be a pho
tographer, be a hauler of
supplies and debris, run
heavy equipment or help
clean up.
If you and/or your family
would like to help oth
ers while working along
with people from other
churches, we would love to
have you join in on the fun
and great cause. You can
register online by using the
QR code below or by sim
ply entering the following
address into your internet
search bar: www.bit.ly/
kbform2022.
If you have questions,
call or text Jody Barfield at
770-722-5203 or email
jody.barfield@yahoo.com.
Come be a part of God’s
church making a differ-