Newspaper Page Text
Page 2B
December 7, 2022
t Reporter
Masonic Lodge presents
Annual Awards Night
At its annual awards
night on Nov. 22, Monroe
County’s Strict Observance
Lodge #18 presented the
L.C. Bittick Citizen of the
Year award to Mercer Bush
and the Edgar Pritchett
Mason of the Year award to
Frank Worley Worshipful
Master Ronald Norris was
the Master of Ceremo
nies for the evening, and
Charles Holloway, District
Deputy to the Grand Mas
ter, attended and assisted
with the awards.
The meeting was well
attended and those present
enjoyed the meal provided
by Donna Wilson and Bill
Neff and their spouses. The
Dixieland Dulcimers from
Griffin provided entertain
ment, and Frank Worley
shared his talents on the
harmonica. All of the
Masonic family had a part
of bringing the program
together.
Remember when...
1992
• New 3rd District Con
gressman Mac Collins (who
defeated incumbent Richard
Ray) and District 27 State
Senator Ed Gochenour (who
defeated incumbent Billy Har
ris) meet with local officials
at a reception at the Forsyth
Holiday Inn.
• Judges for Monroe County’s
Hometown Holidays parade
are Bill Boyd of the Macon
Telegraph, Brad Majors of
99 Ways, Dee Shannon of
WDEN and Mike Maze of
WMAZ.
• Weyerhaeuser Company
takes ownership of the former
Proctor & Gamble holdings,
including the Barnesville saw
mill and some 3,500 acres of
timber in Monroe County.
• Cleanup continues in areas
of Monroe County hit by a
tornado causing more than
$300,000 in residential
damage alone. The path was
Smarr to Lee King Road to
Edge Road to Jenkins Road to
Highway 87 near Juliette.
• Monroe County voter
turnout was nearly 44 per
cent; statewide turnout was
about 25 percent for the U.S.
Senate and Public Service
Commissioner races.
• On Dec. 10 Smarr resi
dents will mark the 154th
anniversary of the first train
stopping in the community.
• The Forsyth Holiday Inn's
new Holiday Conference
Center and its other meeting
rooms are now open for
gatherings.
• Winners of the C.T. Lounge
and East Recording Studio
talent contest are Toni Me
lissa (1st), Jerry Rafferzeder
(2nd), Jan Wilson (3rd), Jill
West (4th),
• Long time recreational
league coach Arthur Phillips
is calling it quits after 14
years; his son, Marcus, plans
to take over as coach in
1993.
• Monroe Academy 8th
graders visit Washington,
D.C. and Pennsylvania.
A convoy of about 50 Geor
gia State Patrol cars with
blue lights flashing travels
from Atlanta to the Georgia
Public Safety Training Center
where a class of 49 new
troopers graduated, were
assigned cars and dispatched
to post assignments across
the state.
2002
• The 13th annual Hometown
Holidays Parade expects
over 65 entries, with horses,
floats, bands and Santa.
• There will be lights and
sounds of the holiday season.
The 5th annual Bolingbroke
Holidays Parade will be held
along Rivoli Road at 3 p.m.
• Monroe County Arts
Alliance invites everyone to
its annual Lighting of the Tree
at the American Legion Hal
with local church and school
groups performing Christ
mas music, refreshments and
Santa.
• Sections of Little Deer
Creek in Monroe County are
placed on the Environmen
tal Protection Agency's list
because of unhealthy levels of
excess sediment in samples of
plant and fish life.
• Forsyth-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce
board of directors vote not to
fund the Culloden Highland
games/Scottish Festival or the
Ham Slam Barbecue contest
because funding guidelines
haven't been met. The Games
requested $15,000 and the
Ham Slam $8,000 from the
hotel-motel tax funds.
• The 2003 Chamber of
Commerce officers are Kerri
Swearingen, chairman; Clell
Morris, vice chairman; Dory
Cohen, secretary-treasurer;
Lee Willingham, past chair
man.
• Save the Children holds
its annual hotdog feast with
more than 150 people
attending and each family
receiving a bag of groceries.
• Ronnie Smith and Tim
Fontenot take 1st place in the
Lake Juliette Bass Tournament
with five fish weighing 16.53
pounds. The team of Canton
Lovell and Chary Brown
catch the tournament’s big
fish, a bass weighing 5.53
pounds.
2012
• Mary Persons Bulldogs wifi
make their first trip to foot
ball's Elite Eight since 1998
after Kenny Miller s 20-yard
field goal in overtime gives
them a 3-0 win in a defensive
slugfest at Cairo.
• Monroe County schoo
board hopes to build a $7.5
million fine arts center with the
1 percent sales tax it is asking
voters to approve.
• Incoming Monroe County
commission chairman Mike
Bilderback says his first order
of business is a major over
haul of the county's emergen
cy services department.
• Daley Cochran, 15, of
Forsyth dies after crashing an
ATV on a McCollum Road
farm in Lamar County.
• Santa and Mrs. Claus
wheeled into the Forsyth
courthouse square on police
Segways and were met by
hundreds of fans. Dancers
and choirs entertained, and
children watched "Rudolph"
at The Rose for free.
• Forsyth Shoney’s manager
Greg King and the restau
rant’s 36 employees, as
well as many customers, are
hoping Shoney’s will re-open
soon after closing because
of high liability insurance
premiums.
• Forsyth Monroe County Ki-
wanis Club new leaders are
Darrell Watson, president;
Kay Floyd, vice president;
Steve Humphries, secre
tary-treasurer.
• Clarke Nash, the grandson
of Justice and Mrs. Harold
G. Clarke of Forsyth, is
sworn in as a member of
the State Bar of Georgia
by Monroe County Superior
Court Judge Bill Fears.
• The Relay for Life of
Monroe County and the
Monroe County Leadership
Council receive the Survivor
and Caregiver Award at the
2012 Relay for Life of South
Georgia Conference.
• Dr. James Brown, MD,
MBA, son of Tim & Patty
Brown of Forsyth, and a
2002 Mary Persons gradu
ate, presents a research pa
per at the American College
of Chest Physicians annua
conference.
• Rocky Creek Baptist and
Christ United Methodist
Churches will host a live
nativity scene with actors
and animals on Friday and
Saturday.
• Forsyth is ready to buy
playground equipment for
Kynette Park after renovating
the park over the last year.
Surveyor Terry Scarborough
urges commissioners to press
on in the county line dispute
with Bibb County.
• Robert Hargrove of the
Georgia Forestry Commis
sion is the Exchange Club
Firefighter of the Year.
• PFC Brandon Brown of the
Georgia State Patrol is the
Exchange Club of Forsyth's
Law Enforcement Officer of
the Year.
• Joe Chambers, 95, of Mon
roe County kills a buck from
75 yards.
• Mary Persons cross country
star Anna Leigh Nix is named
the Girls Runner of the Year
for South Georgia counties
by ga.milesplit.com. She was
also named to the girls’ first
team, and Mary Persons
Caleb Watson was named to
the boys first team.
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
Original artworks wanted
for Forsyth gateways
The Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bu
reau (CVB) has launched a new public art
initiative. The Gateway to the Arts instal
lation uses public art to further establish
the community as a dynamic center of
creativity and as a destination for visitors.
The Public Arts Committee (PAC) seeks
an artist or team of artists to create artwork
suitable as a “wrap” for an estimated 3x5
foot sign. This opportunity is open to
visual artists in any medium, providing
the design can be digitally reproduced as a
vinyl wrap. The proposal is to wrap a min
imum of five (5) welcoming gateway signs
at entry points into the city and downtown
area. Final site selection will be in collab
oration with the selected artist(s). These
works of public art will be placed alongside
heavily trafficked thoroughfares welcom
ing visitors to the city.
Artists are invited to submit original
work for consideration. Funding is provid
ed in partnership by a Vibrant Community
grant from the Georgia Council of the
Arts, the City of Forsyth, and the Forsyth
CVB.
The PAC will evaluate and select the
artwork. The artist will receive a $250 hon
orarium for each selected work after the
release is signed and the wrap is complet
ed. A template of the sign frame and a list
of the committee members’ input notes is
available as part of the application package.
To receive an application, email gstan-
bery@dtyofforsyth.com or call 478-974-
1470 . Submission(s) must be sent as a
digital file prior to 12 noon on Friday Jan.
6.
CALENDAR
continued from Page 1 B
https://buy.ticketstothecity.com/
purchase.php?event_id= 1 1506
and at the box office two hours
before performances.
Dec. 10
Bolingbroke Christmas
Parade
The 31st Annual Bolingbroke
Christmas Parade, sponsored
by The Bolingbroke Commu
nity Club, will begin at 1 1
a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 on
Rivoli Road. In addition to the
parade festivities, there will
be food trucks and Santa's
Workshop following the
parade. Mr. & Mrs. Claus wifi
be ready to talk with children.
For more information, including
applications to participate,
call 478-474-7320 or email
bradybankston 19@gmail.com.
Troop 51 BBQ fundraiser
Boy Scout Troop 51 is holding
a Barbecue fundraiser to help
support its 2023 two-week
backpacking adventure at the
Philmont Scout Ranch in New
Mexico. Philmont Scout Ranch
covers over 140,000 acres of
rough terrain.The BBQ plates
with bread, a side, chips, drink
& dessert are $10 each. Plates
may be picked up at the De
pot/Conley Building at Adams
& Johnston Streets on Satur
day, Dec. 10 from 1 1 a.m.-l
p.m. Advanced tickets may be
purchased through any Troop
51 scout member.
Dec. 11
Book signing of 'The
Brothers of Bragg Jam'
Forsyth Antiques & More,
816 U.S. Highway 41, Forsyth
will host a book signing with
Julie Bragg for "The Brothers
of Bragg Jam, a Mother's
Memoir” on Sunday, Dec. 1 1
from 1 -4 p.m. Forsyth Antiques
& More will also be collect
ing canned goods and cash
donations for Monroe County
Food Pantry.
Wings & Words of Hope
holds benefit dinner
Wings and Words of Hope
will have a benefit dinner on
Sunday, Dec. 1 1 from 5-9 p.m.
at the Harriet Tubman Museum
in Macon to raise money to
help caregivers and their loved
ones. The benefit will also
honor the founder, the late
Joseph A. Finney Sr of Juliette.
There will be resources to help
other foundations continue their
work in blessing others.The
formal event will feature a live
band, stand-up comedian and
a catered meal. All proceeds
benefit the foundation. Tickets
are available on-line. For
information, contact Cheryl
Finney at 478-394-3831.
Dec. 12
MP & MCMS choirs pres
ent Holiday Concert
The choirs of Mary Persons &
Monroe County Middle School
will present a Holiday Concert
on Monday, Dec. 1 2 at 6:30
p.m. at MC Fine Arts Center.
Free Admission.
Dec. 14
Mrs. Claus to visit Monroe
County Library
Mrs. Claus is coming to a
special Story Time at MC
Library on Thursday, Dec. 14
at 4:30 p.m. to sing, read and
take pictures. She’ll listen for
last minute wishes to take back
to Santa. Pre-registration is
recommended.
Dec. 16
Fine Arts Center hosts
Jason Hoard & Friends
in 'A Bluegrass Gospel
Christmas
Jason Hoard & Friends present
“A Bluegrass Gospel Christ
mas" on Friday, Dec. 16 at
7:30 p.m. at Monroe County
Fine Arts Center, 27 Brooklyn
Ave., Forsyth.
Dec. 17
Gingerbread House event
1823 Artisan Guild, 30 E.
Main Street, Forsyth wifi
sponsor a Gingerbread House
Contest on Thursday, Dec. 17
from 1-3 p.m. The deadline to
register is Dec. 1. The fee to
participate is $30 for families
and groups of 2-3/team. All
material provided. Funds sup
port art in the community.
Dec. 31
Nominations for Commu
nity Awards
The Forsyth Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce is
accepting nominations for
Community Awards, including
Non-Profit of the Year, Young
Entrepreneur, Volunteer of the
Year, Small Business of the
Year, Hospitality Hero, Golden
Nail and Citizen of the Year.
Nominations are due Dec. 31;
winners will be announced Jan.
20. For more information emai
president@florsyth-monroe-
chamber.com.
Jan. 9
Introduction to Bridge
class
The Macon Duplicate Bridge
Club will offer an “Introduction
to Bridge" class on Monday
nights from 6-8 p.m. beginning
Jan. 9 for 12 weeks. Learn
the basics of bidding and
play at the Macon Duplicate
Bridge Club, 1070 Southshore
Place, Macon, a non-profit
member-led organization
that runs bridge games and
tournaments. The class is free
but the necessary books cost
$35. This course is the first in
a series of three. Sign up by
emailing or calling Sissy Macfie
at sissymacfie@gmail.com or
(478)808-6575.
On-Going
Heating Assistance
Middle Ga. Community Action
Agency will begin accepting
appointments for heating assis
tance in Monroe and the other
10 counties it serves for house
holds where all members are
65 or older or homebound on
Tuesday, Nov 1. Other income
eligible households may con
tact the scheduling system for
an appointment beginning Dec.
1. To schedule an appoint
ment call 1-844-588-1552
or go online to https:mgcaa.
appointment.works/ea/home.
To be eligible households must
document income, identities
and utility bills.
AA meetings
AA meetings are held at Christ
United Methodist Church, 417
N. Frontage Road, Forsyth on
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
at 7 p.m.
BOLINGBROKE
Continued from 1 B
one to remember for
Na’Lani. How? By purchas
ing and donating a small
gift such as a toy, a book
(for bedtime reading),
clothing (for a 16-month
old or slightly older to grow
into). Wrap the present
and bring it to the BCC
clubhouse the morning
of the parade. If you’re at
a loss, and looking for a
gift, check out either (or
both) Southern Charm or
Henry’s of Bolingbroke.
They both have sections for
young children (under 5)
that include toys, puzzles,
clothes, etc. that would
make perfect gifts for a
little girl. Plus, they both do
wrapping. If you cannot do
that, cash or checks are ac
cepted - payable to Boling
broke Community
Club (The BCC will
give the money to
the family; the BCC
will not shop for her.)
Visit the Bolingbroke Com
munity Club’s Facebook
page for more information.
Finally, as reported last
week in the Reporter, after
a three year pause, the
Lights on Pate Road are
back this year. The lights
began last week (Dec
1) and will rim through
Christmas Day. They’re on
Thursday-Sunday, 6-9:30
pm.
While driving through
the lights, kindly consider
a donation. All donated
money goes to the Christ
mas Angel Fund (CAF).
A donation box is set up.
The CAF provides gifts for
children at Christmas -
particularly to children in
the hospital. On Facebook,
check out the “Lights on
Pate Road” and see past
photos of children who
received CAF Christmas
gifts.
The lights are at 1403
Pate Road, about 1.5 miles
from 1-75. RIGHT turns
only into the lights. That
means you must come
from the direction of 1-75;
traffic from the other direc
tion (from North Wesley
an) will not be allowed in.
Reminder - People live on
Pate Road and the sur
rounding neighborhoods
- please make room and
allow them to enter and
exit their driveways and
subdivisions. Huge thanks
to the Watson Family
(Johnny, Cheryl, Hannah,
and Haleigh) for hosting
the lights, and to Shane
Edwards and family, Ma
con Fire Chief, who helps
install the lights.