Newspaper Page Text
Page 2B
^Reporter
May 24, 2023
Tyler Johnson selected for
DAR Youth Citizenship Award
At the Monroe
County Middle
School Honors
Program on May
16, Tristan Tyler
Johnson was pre
sented the DAR
Youth Citizenship
Award by Denise
Herring on behalf
of the Lt James
Monroe Chapter
National Society
Daughters of the
American Revo
lution. Tyler was
selected to receive
this award for
exemplifying the
qualities of honor,
service, courage,
leadership, and
patriotism.
(Photo cour
tesy of Amanda
Garnett)
What is fireblight?
By Cliff Collins
Monroe County Extension ANR Agent
cliff GDlhnsdXiga Gifu
A re your pear or apple trees look
ing burned on the ends of the
limbs and leaves? Are you no
ticing a real distinct Shepherds
Hook or “upside-down J” on the leaves? If
you answered yes to these questions your
pear and/or apple trees likely have Fire-
blight.
Fireblight is a disease that is highly de
structive and highly infectious. It is caused
by bacteria and is a problem in Georgia
and can be more prevalent in some coun
ties than other counties. Monroe County
is showing a large number of trees being
infected this year. Fireblight attacks leaves,
shoots, blossoms, fruits, and roots of
infected trees.
This disease will affect plants in the Ro-
saceae family, including trees and shrubs
in orchards, nurseries, and landscapes. The
plants may include but are not limited to
Serviceberry, Flowering Quince, Coto-
neaster, Hawthorn, Apple and Crabapple,
Almond, Plum, Cherry, Pear, Rose, and
Spirea.
What symptoms will my trees exhibit?
The bark at the base of twigs infected with
the blight will become water soaked, then
they will get dark, sink in and dry out.
Cracks may develop where it was water
soaked. Young twigs and branches will
die on the terminal end and look burnt
or rust-colored. Branches will likely be
bent in the shape of a Shepherd’s Hook on
the tips. The dead fruit and leaves do not
usually fall off the plant.
Typically, the disease enters the plant
through natural openings, such as flowers
or wounds. This is why it is common in
the spring. The disease will begin running
through the new growth before it moves
to older wood. This disease spreads to
healthy plants from diseased plants very
quickly.
Managing this disease is not an easy task.
During the spring and summer, prune out
infected branches 8-10 inches below the
damage. Do not prune while the plants
are wet. Between each cut, dip the prun
ing tools into 70% isopropyl alcohol or
See FIREBLIUGHT Page 4B
Community Calendar
Continued from page 1 B
M.C. Sheriffs Office Teen
Safe Driving Camp
Monroe County Sheriffs
Office in cooperation with the
Georgia Public Safety Training
Center will hold Safe Driving
Camp for ages 15-17 on Sat
urday, July 8 from 9 a.m.-4:30
p.m. at GPCTC, 1000 Indian
Springs Dr., Forsyth. The dead
line to apply is June 10. Submit
the application to MCSO in
person or by mail. The fee is
$20, which includes hot lunch
and T-shirt.
1st Annual Save A Pet
Rescue Ride
Monroe County Moose Lodge
2424 will host the Save A
Pet Rescue Ride on Saturday,
June 10 starting from 524
Cabiness Road, Forsyth. Sign
in is 10 a.m.; ride begins at 1 1
a.m. There will be two routes:
motorcycles & cars. Jeeps.$20/
bike or jeep, $ 10/passenger.
Lunch, raffle prizes, entertain
ment by The Mustangs. For
more information, call Amanda
after 5 p.m. at 478-365-3033
or Mary Edith at 478-394-
0670.
Game of Shrooms
The Fall Back Folk Festiva
will present an international
free art scavenger hunt in
High Falls on Saturday, June
10. Local artists will hide
mushroom-themed art in the
High Falls area. Find clues and
game rules on the Fall Back
Folk Festival Facebook page.
Fan Design contest for
Indian Spring Hotel Bicen
tennial
The Butts County Historical
Society is having a fan design
contest for students K-l 2 to
create a design for the Bicen
tennial of the Indian Springs
Hotel/Museum. There will be
recognition for the top three
entries at each grade level
and prizes for the top entries,
including gift certificates. Entries
should be on 3 x 5 white index
cards or eguivalent space.
Entries will be judged on
creativity and use of theme (the
200th anniversary of the hotel
built by Chief William McIn
tosh of the Muskogee nation).
Deadline is June 10. Visit the
BCHS website or the BCHS
room at the Historic Court
house for detailed instructions.
June 11
Lily Court #17 of Jericho
celebrates Heroine Day
Lily Court # 17 Heroine of
Jericho of Forsyth will cele
brate their Annual Heroine
Day at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June
1 1 at St. Luke A.M.E. Church,
143 James Street, Forsyth. Rev.
Tonya Battle Walker will be
the guest speaker. Heroine
Mary Herring, Most Ancient
Matron and Companion Rob
ert Wilson, Worthy Joshua.
June 19,20
Soccer Camp for lst-4th
grade, 5th-8th grade
Mary Persons Soccer will
present co-ed Bulldog Soccer
Camp on June 19 for lst-4th
grade and June 20 for 5th-8th
grade at the Mary Persons
Soccer Field, 66 Thornton
Road, behind Monroe County
Middle School. There will
be individual skill work, small
group training and fun games.
Registration is $35: T-shirts are
guaranteed with registration
by June 1. The registration link
in bit.ly/3N8fkdb. For more
information contact Coach
Kenny Miller at Kenny.miller® 1
mcschools.org.
June 24
Benefit Ride for Ashley
Bird
Rocky Creek Baptist Church
and the Forsyth Motorcycle
Ministry will host a benefit
Bike/Jeep Ride to Pine Moun
tain for Ashley Bird. Breakfast
and registration begins at 8
am, 225 Rocky Creek Rd.
Forsyth. Kickstands up at 9am.
A BBC lunch is provided after
the ride. Cost is $25 per Bike/
Jeep and $20 for passengers.
Ashley is a Forsyth native who
is fighting Nasopharyngea
Cancer. The ride is spon
sored by the Monroe County
Reporter.
On-Going
Forsyth Farmers
Market is open Friday
Forsyth Farmers Market
opened at a new location,
94 E. Adams Street (Old Mill
Market) and will be open
every Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
through October. Vendor regis
tration is available at City Hall,
23 E. Main Street or online at
www.mainstreet.cityofforsyth.
net.
Forsyth Monroe County
Rotary Club
Forsyth Monroe County Rotary
Club meets a 1 2 noon each
Thursday at The Fox City Brew
ing Company, 45 N. Kimball
Street, Forsyth.
Friends of Monroe County
Library Book Sale
The Friends of the Monroe
County Library holds ongoing
book sales in the library lobby
(62 W, Main Street) and at For
syth Antiques and More (booth
145), 816 Highway 41 S. All
sales support the library.
AA meetings
AA meetings are held at Christ
United Methodist Church, 417
N. Frontage Road, Forsyth on
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
at 7 p.m.
Monroe County
Historical Society
The Monroe County Historical
Society meets on the first Mon
day of each month at 7 p.m.
at the Conley Building, 104 E.
Adams Street, Forsyth.
Story Time at M.C. Library
will resume in fall
Monroe County Library Story
Time has ended for the 2022-
23 year.
Monroe County
Forsyth Bicentennial Fun Fact
By Ralph Bass
ralphbassir@gmail.com
S everal little
boys who
once walked
the streets of
Forsyth later became
men of national prom
inence.
James M. Nabrit, Jr.
was a young boy when
his father served as minis
ter to the congregation at
St. James Baptist Church.
Although the family lived
in Macon, Nabrit doubt
lessly accompanied his
father to Forsyth for ser
vices, walking down James
Street from the depot to
the church. Years later
Nabrit, an attorney, served
as president of Howard
University for almost a
decade.
Nabrit’s brother, some
five years younger, prob
ably wasn’t walking when
his father left the pastorate
at St. James. This younger
brother, Samuel, became
a marine biologist hold
ing a Ph. D. from Brown
University. Dr. Nabrit later
served on the U. S. Atomic
Energy Commission.
Thomas A. Dorsey was
a tot when he trudged
behind his father, who had
come to Forsyth as a Pen
tecostal minister. Years
later, Dorsey, by then an
accomplished musician,
experienced a personal
tragedy, the death of his
wife and infant son, that
resulted in his writing the
gospel hymn “Take My
Hand Precious Lord.” He
also wrote “Peace in the
Valley’
Born in England, T.
Addison Richards was in
his teens when his family
moved to Forsyth so that
his father could teach at
the Forsyth Female Acad
emy. Here he probably
first heard about the high
falls of the Towaliga River.
Some years later he visited
the falls with his artist
brushes, creating an image
he used in the book, Geor
gia Illustrated, which he
and his brother published.
Years later Richards,
ensconced in the artistic
circles of Manhattan,
became corresponding
secretary
of the
National
Acad
emy of
Design,
serving
for 40
years. He
not only
contin
ued to
paint but he also edited
the first major guidebook
to the United States and
Canada with information
on transportation, hotels,
sites to visit. It naturally
included illustrations by
Richards.
Unlike the others men
tioned here, Maceo Hub
bard was born in Forsyth
and grew up here, but left
his hometown to attend
Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania. In 1926, he
graduated from Harvard’s
law school, one of the few
from Forsyth ever to have
done so. During World
War II he was an attorney
for the Fair Employment
Practices Committee and
after the war joined the
Justice Department. There
he helped fashion the
legislation that became the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Remember when...
1993
* Between Monroe Acade
my and Mary Persons 220
seniors will graduate. At
M.A. valedictorian is Ernie
Dodd, salutatorian is Kris
tina Peterson and Denise
Cox is a close third. At M.P.
the top male and female,
black and white students
are Kristerly Mays, Jennifer
Stokes, J.T. Love and Jason
Kimbell.
Mary Persons senior .Jason
Sterling of Juliette is named
a National Merit Scholar.
He was Monroe County s
STAR student and was
named to receive a Geor
gia Mining Association
Scholarship.
* Monroe County Clerk of
Court Geraldine Ham and
her staff saved $1,675 in
tax funds by calling jurors
over the weekend and
telling them not to report
after all 15 cases on the
court calendar were either
settled or continued.
* Forsyth Exchange Club
honored Bessie Turner with
its Book of Golden Deeds.
Monroe Memory Gardens
on Highway 41 opens a
new garden, "The Garden
of Gethsemane," and offers
buy one get one free with
purchase of an interment
space and free spaces
for veterans, no purchase
required.
* Connie English, Cathye
Seymour, Rebecca Smarr
and Betty Hampton are
winners in a Monroe Coun
ty Hospital staff cooking
contest. Their recipes will
become part of a cook
book.
* Monroe County Hospital
Pink Ladies donate a new
chair scale for use by the
hospital.
Georgia Corrections
Academy instructors Tom
McMillan and Steve Coker
will attend the 6th annual
World Police & Fire Games
in Colorado Springs, Cole.
Monroe Academy head
football coach Bruce Lane
resigns.
* Mary Persons academ
ic bowl team of Jennifer
Stokes, Kristen Grizzard,
Danny Walsh and Taylor
Buff will compete in the
season finals of WMAZs
Teen Challenge.
2003
• The first class of Leader
ship Monroe graduates 19
members. It donates money
to Monroe County Hospita
as a class project.
• The 9th Annual Pet Parade,
sponsored by the Backlot
Players and Save A Pet, inc„
will be Saturday, May 31 at
Forsyth City Park.
• Three animals, two
raccoons and a skunk, in
Monroe County have tested
positive for rabies in recent
weeks.
• Towaliga Superior Court
Judge Tommy Wilson is
speaker at the dedication
of the Freedom Shrine at
Monroe County Justice Cen
ter sponsored by Monroe
County Exchange Club.
• Monroe County Relay
for Life awards the Mt.
Zion UMC team plaques
for "Most Spirit and "Best
Campsite.” The Mt. Zion
team raised $15,557.87.
• Will Peters is named Most
Valuable Player for the
Bulldog baseball team. He
also won the Best Defensive
Player award and a $500
scholarship for having the
highest grade point average.
• Christina Braswell signs
a letter of intent to play
basketball at Brewton Parker
College in Mount Vernon.
2013
• The new Dollar Tree
in Forsyth holds a ribbon
cutting.
• The Medical Center
invests $6 million to convert
the old Walmart into the
Monroe Regional Complex.
The idea started with Dr.
Steven Taunton of Forsyth
looking for room to add
his son and daughter to his
practice.
• Mary Persons Class
of 1958 holds its 55th
reunion.
• Georgia Swimming honors
four Monroe Countians as
All Stars: Tyler Sakir, 15;
Aiden Hichkad, 10; Tristan
Hichkad, 15; Nikki Johnston,
17.
• Barbara Shannon Watkins
is Monroe County’s Mother
of the Year, nominated by
her daughter, Shaneatra
Barkley.
• Winners in the "What
Love About Monroe County’
essay contest sponsored by
Todd & Stacy Tolbert are
Joy Freeman, David Marti
nez and Jane Newton.
• Monroe County deputies
track down two wanted
fugitives, including an alleged
bank robber, after a six-hour
search.
• Hundreds gather at Mon
roe County courthouse to
observe the 62nd Nation
al Day of Prayer with a
40-minute service.
• The Ga. DOT will correct
a sign on 1-75 N that mis
spells ’Juliette.’
• Monroe County Board of
Education must cut its budget
by 2 percent because of
cuts in state funding. It has
a shortfall of $518,799 in
a budget of over $31.3
million as it starts the budget
process for 2013-1 4.
• Monroe County BOE will
cut parent coordinators from
four to two.
• Wayne & Mary Ann Jarrel
of Culloden celebrate their
40th wedding anniversary
with a trip to Hawaii.
• Forsyth city council hears
its revenue is down and its
expenses are up. City clerk
Janice Hall says unpaid
invoices at the time of the
meeting total $433,415 and
a payment of $537,000 is
due MEAG for electricity.
• Mary Persons boys soccer
team moves on to the second
round of state competition.
• Nick Davis wins the 100m
race with 1 1.05 seconds at
the AAAA state champion
ship, believed to be Mary
Persons’ first individual event
champion in nine years.
• Monroe County Middle
School baseball wins its
second championship in three
years.
• Mary Persons soccer play
ers Jeff Barron and Reece
Clark sign letter of intent
to play at Georgia Military
College and Reinhardt Col
lege, respectively.
• Three T.G. Scott projects
advance to the Ga. Student
Media Festival: Ellie Adams,
Eason Farmer & Blake
Thompson and Karen Smith’s
class.
• Mary Persons band direc
tor, Jim Blanton, announces
he won’t return after three
years at the school, and
201 3 Teacher of the Year,
Spanish teacher Sophe Pope,
also resigns.
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