Newspaper Page Text
Page 1 B
November 9,2022
^Reporter
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.
Nov. 11
Pregnancy Center offers
free professional hair
cut & style
The Pregnancy Center of
Monroe County, 562 N. Lee
Street, Forsyth will have a
special event on Friday, Nov.
11 at 10 a.m. Come get your
hair cut and styled for free
by professional stylists. The
Pregnancy Center offers free
pregnancy tests, information
on all options, pregnancy
and parenting classes, free
diapers & wipes, support &
referrals. Ultrasounds are
coming soon. For more infor
mation, call 478-994-3173.
Nov. 12
Cub Scout Pack 51 holds
Community Food Drive
Cub Scout Pack 51 will
have a Community Food
Drive on Saturday, Nov.12
from 9 a.m.- 12 noon at the
parking lot on E. Johnston St.
in Forsyth across from Robins
Financial Credit Union. Dona
tions of non-perishable food
items are reguested. They
will go to the Forsyth United
Methodist Church Food
Pantry. Call 478-258-1453
for more information.
1st Annual Fall Back
Folk Festival
The 1st Annual Fall Back Folk
Festival will be Saturday,
Nov. 12 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
at 5047 High Falls State
Park Rd. In High Falls. There
will be folk art, food and
friends.
Citizen's Firearms Course
Monroe County Sheriffs
Office will host a Citizen's
Firearms Course on Satur
day, Nov. 12 starting at 8
a.m. It will cover firearm use,
proficiency and safety. There
is no cost, but participants
must provide their own legal
handgun, belt, holster, eye
& ear safety equipment and
at least 100-150 rounds of
ammunition. The course is
limited to 30 participants,
age 21 and older who live
or work in Monroe County.
Applications are available
at Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office; the deadline is Nov.
4. Applicants must provide
two forms of identification
and submit to a background
check. For more information,
contact Sgt. Kevin Williams at
478-994-7048.
Nov. 15
Veterans Night
The Lt. James Monroe Chap
ter DAR will sponsor a free
event for all local veterans
on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from
6-7:30 p.m. at the Forsyth
Depot/Conley Building. Loca
veterans are invited to drive
through the depot parking lot
to receive a goody bag of
treats and prizes.
Holiday Hope program
for those grieving loss
of a loved one
Crossroads Christian Coun
seling Center will sponsor
the Holiday Hope program
for those facing the holidays
after the loss of a loved one
on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from
6:30-8 p.m. at Vineville Bap
tist Church, 2591 Vineville
Avenue, Macon. Clinicians
will offer practical tips and
insights about understanding
grief during the Thanksgiv
ing and Christmas season,
including a special session for
children ages 5 and up. The
program is free, but please
RSVP to Crossroads at 478-
475-4608.
Nov. 17
Mary Persons presents
"A Disney Cabaret"
Mary Persons will present “A
Disney Cabaret” on Thurs
day, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. and
Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.
at Monroe County Fine Arts
Center, 27 Brooklyn Ave„
Forsyth. Admission is $10
cash only.
Until Nov. 18
4-H Poinsettia Fund
raiser
The Annual Monroe County
4-H Poinsettia Fundraiser will
See CALENDAR
Page 3B
Mary Persons Environmental & Natural
Resources team places 5th in U.S.
The Mary Persons Environmen
tal and Natural Resources (ENR)
team placed 5th in the Nation.
Team members are Jacob Mc-
Gouirk, Kaitlyn Shields, Cameron
Sparks, and Nyx Winchester.
Sparks placed 5th, McGouirk
placed 11th, and Shields placed
13th out of the best individuals in
the nation. Winchester earned the
title of a Silver Emblem Individ
ual.
The Mary Persons team repre
sented Georgia FFA at the 95th
National FFA Convention &
Expo. The team worked hard to
reach the national competition
and earned that opportunity by
placing first at the Area 3 ENR
Competition in November and
then 1st at state in December.
The top two teams from each
of the six FFA areas in the state
moved on to the state compe
tition. At the state competition
Mary Persons earned the
title of State Champions.
Before traveling to India
napolis, the team competed
in a virtual general knowl
edge exam, identification
exam, and data interpreta
tion practicum.
Once in Indiana, the
team members competed
in a team activity and three
hands-on practicums.
There are five available
practicums, which include
Data Interpretation, Water
Analysis, Soil Profile, GPS
Focations, and Waste Man
agement. The team mem
bers did not know which
practicums they would be
competing in until they
arrived. The combined scores of
both their virtual and in-person
competitions led them to their 5th
place National placing.
The ENR Career Development
Event (CDE) provides compet
ing students an opportunity to
gain awareness and demonstrate
knowledge in areas that affect air,
soil, and water. Compet
itors interpret data, use
measuring devices in the
field and work through
real-life scenarios
involving environmen
tal threats in pursuit of
scoring the highest as a
team and individual.
Each team consisting
of four FFA members
competes in all types
of weather conditions
— just like professionals
working the environ
mental and natural
resource industry — in
pursuit of recognition
for demonstrating skills
relevant to GPS naviga
tion, soil science, water
management, and wild
life conservation. The
competitors produce
written statements and
Pictured is the Mary Persons Champion Environmental & Natural Resources team,
left to right, Cameron Sparks, Jacob McGouirk, Nyx Winchester, Kaitlyn Shields.
Mary Persons ENR team competes at Nationals in Indianapolis.
an oral presentation, and must ex
hibit competency via writing and
identification activities. Through
these challenges, students develop
interest and knowledge in sustain
able management of the environ
ment and will become the future
stewards of resources critical to
the future of agriculture.
Jacob Mc
Gouirk grad
uated in May
2022 and is
a freshman
at Mercer
University;
he attends
New Provi
dence Baptist
Church.
He enjoys
reading and
hanging out
with friends.
In the future,
Jacob hopes
to graduate
from the
University of
Georgia with a Forestry Degree.
Kaitlyn Shields graduated in
May 2022 and is a freshman at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural
College. She is currently involved
in the collegiate level of FFA at
ABAC. She enjoys drawing and
painting. Kaitlyn is currently pur
suing a Forestry Degree.
Cameron Sparks is a senior
at Mary Persons, plays the bass
drum in the Bulldog Brigade, is
the Band Captain and works at
Chilis in his spare time, along
with being in FFA. He enjoys
listening to and writing music,
reading and spending time with
his friends and family. After grad
uation, Cameron plans to attend
college and major in Music/Tech
nology Performance or Biology.
Nyx Winchester, a senior at
Mary Persons, is on the academic
team, works at Tractor Supply,
is helping a local church with an
FGBT support group and is the
FFA Vice President. Nyx enjoys
archery, Greek history/mythology,
reading and writing stories and
reptiles. After graduation, Nyx
plans to attend the University of
Maine and pursue a career related
to wildlife.
Article and photos are courtesy of
Bill Waldrep, Mary Persons agri
culture teacher and FFA advisor.
Moose Lodge Toy Run raises $12,000
said we can count on seeing
them again next year.
Local rider, Len Curry has
ridden in the Toy Run sev
eral times. He was up early
again this year getting his
Harley Davidson polished
up and looking good for the
run. Curry was impressed
with the number of bikes
and riders that showed up
this year. He said he loves
to ride and feels good about
helping the kids at the same
time.
Proctor stressed that to put
the Toy Run together it took
a group effort from this
great community that truly
cares about the youngest of
Monroe County citizens.
fortunate children who
live in our community.
Riders came from all over
the state. Tommy and An
gie Smith rode to Monroe
County from Barnesville
on their Yamaha to par
ticipate. Tommy, the son
of a Marine sergeant, is
the chairman of the VFW
Riders in Barnesville,
and Angie is their event
coordinator. This is their
second year to ride, and
Tommy said their desire
is to help the communi
ties in and around Lamar
County, mostly helping
the families and children
of veterans. The couple
By Steve Reece
stevereece@gmail.com
The roar of 70 motorcy
cles broke the stillness
of a hazy fall morning
on Nov. 5 as the motor
cycles rumbled out of
the parking lot of the
Forsyth Chapter of the
Moose Lodge 2424 at 524
Cabiness Road led by a
Monroe County patrol
unit to begin the 21st
Annual Monroe County
Toy Run.
The pack headed north
on Hwy. 42 to Flovilla,
back south on Hwy. 87 to
Juliette, to Jarrell Plan
tation, then back to the
lodge for a hearty BBQ
lunch. The 55-mile route
was chosen not only for its
winding roads but also for
its beauty this time of year.
This year’s Toy Run was
once again a success with
around 175-200 people in
attendance. Lodge commit
tee chairman Joey Proc
tor said those who made
donations of raffle items,
food items, their time and
money; helped to raise
around $12,000 for the
children of Monroe County.
All proceeds will go directly
to the C.A.R.E. Cottage to
purchase Christmas gifts, as
well as clothing, shoes, and
needed items for the less