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PAGE 2A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 2, 2015
Rotary...
cont’d from page 1A
Weddings...
cont’d from page 1A
Members of the Rotary Club of Madison County
enjoyed this cake Friday.
Madison County High School 2015 valedictorian
Sarah Spradlin talks to the Rotary Club Friday
morning.
can build a ramp the fastest.
Most every week, a group of
Rotarians arrives at some
one’s home and constructs
a ramp, giving physically
challenged citizens a safe
way in and out of their home.
The heartfelt thank yous and
the smiles on the recipients'
faces are hard proof of the
importance of the task. The
group hits ramp-building
milestones with regularity
and will soon celebrate its
600 th ramp.
But Friday was a celebra
tion of another milestone.
The Rotary Club of Madison
County enjoyed its 25 th anni
versary. And the group pol
ished off its Southern-style
breakfast with some celebra
tory cake, after first hearing a
humorous and inspirational
talk from Madison County
High School 2015 valedic
torian Sarah Spradlin, who
spoke of her home school
days with her mom, her
early struggles to overcome
dyslexia, her dad’s valuable
lesson about integrity — of
doing what’s right when
no one is looking — and
her admiration for Madison
County teachers, who she
said care deeply about their
students.
“The teachers of Madison
County have shaped so
many lives,” said Spradlin,
urging Rotarians to thank
local teachers for what they
do.
After the meeting, 11 of
the 31 charter members
gathered for a group photo
before the celebratory cake
was cut. Rotary members
agree that the group has had
a huge impact in their lives
and for many in the commu
nity as well.
Madison County commis
sion chairman and Rotary
member Anthony Dove said
the Rotary Club has “a pos
itive impact on our county.”
“Through their efforts on
helping fund and build our
senior center, promotion of
literacy, building of hand
icapped ramps for people
in need, support of our
food bank and many other
helpful projects and acts
of kindness,” said Dove. “I
commend and thank all the
Rotary Members of the past
and the present. God bless
you all.”
Current Rotary president
Jean Mullis, director of
Jackson EMC’s Madison
County office on Spratlin
Mill Road off Hwy. 29, said
she’s glad to be a part of
a group of folks who “call
Madison County home” and
“come together to do good
for others.”
“My very first visit to
Rotary was also my first
visit to the Ila Restaurant,”
said Mullis. “It was just after
I had been announced as the
new ‘Kenny Beck’ (aka the
Neese District Manager for
Jackson EMC) and I made
my way over to Ila from
Jefferson on a Friday morn
ing to meet Kenny there. I
don’t remember what the
program was that day, but
I remember the 4-way test.
I thought, ‘How will I ever
be able to recite those four
phrases from memory?’
Well, those phrases that
make up the 4-way test are
what I think about when
I think about Rotary. Is it
the Truth? Is it fair to all
concerned? Will it build
goodwill and better friend
ships? Will it be beneficial
to all concerned? If we ask
ourselves those four ques
tions in any and all circum
stances, then chances are we
will make the best decisions
for us in our personal lives as
well as our work lives.”
Mullis added that the fact
that the club is approaching
its 600th handicapped ramp
is “proof that this is a work
ing club with a lot of sweat
equity and it continues to
build strong bonds in the
community.”
Roy Gandy, who oversees
the Rotary’s ramp building,
said he knew nothing about
Rotary when he became a
charter member in 1991.
“But I soon learned it was
not a social club, but it was
a service club,” said Gandy.
“Being retired, I was real
ly interested in serving the
community in a voluntary
way, and this looked like
the chance. I liked ringing
the Salvation Army bell at
Christmas, and then when
the senior center came up,
and also the ramp program,
I knew I had joined the right
club. This club exempli
fied the Rotary Club motto
— service above self.”
Madison County Rotary
Charter President Marvin
White said Rotary has
helped thousands through
out the area over a quarter of
a century.
“I am very proud of what
has been accomplished by
the Rotary Club of Madison
County over the past 25
years,” said White in a letter
about Rotary this week —
see Page 5A. “The club is
more than I ever envisioned
it would be.”
Madison County school
superintendent Allen
McCannon said he appreci
ates what the Rotary Club
does.
“The Rotary Club has a
tremendous positive impact
on Madison County,” he
said. “I'm very indebted
to the men and women in
the organization. All the
things they’ve done are felt
throughout the county at
multiple levels.”
Assistant school super
intendent Bonnie Knight,
who served as Rotary pres
ident from July 2013 to
June 2014, said she loves
that the organization is “so
service oriented.” She spoke
of the group's assistance
to the food bank, the back-
to-school rally to provide
school supplies for needy
children, the reading pro
grams to help improve child
hood literacy and, of course,
the ramp program. She said
she also enjoys “starting out
the weekend with a laugh”
with her fellow Rotarians.
“I think it (Rotary) will
still be around 25 years from
now doing its thing,” said
Knight.
CHARTER MEMBERS
Charter members of the
Rotary Club of Madison
County include Fred Agnew,
Jere Ayers, John Bellew,
Jerry Bonds, Wade Bortle,
Gerry Burdette, Wayne
Causey, Wesley Chandler,
William Chandler, Darrell
Coile, John Dunleavy,
Moms Fortson, Roy Gandy,
Frank Ginn, Pat Graham,
James Hancock, Erwin
Hardeman, B.W. Hutchins,
Tommy Lackey, William
Malloy Lewis, Wesley Nash,
Phil Piche, Steven Wayne
Randall, Alton Rowe,
Banister Sexton, Raymond
Shedd, Paul Simmons, A1
Stone, George Westbrook,
Marvin White and Britt
Wilson.
Parade...
cont’d from page 1A
and children alike,” orga
nizers said.
The horseshoe pitching
tournament starts at 11
a.m. next to the Eberhardt
Log Cabin.
“You do not need to be
a professional to try your
pitching skills,” organiz
ers said. “Be sure to visit
the museum and travel
with Linda Fortson back
in time and learn of the
history and hear of some
of the early residents and
how Colbert came to be in
existence.”
The Red Caboose has
been restored and will be
open from 11 a.m. to 2
pm. The Eberhardt Log
Cabin will be open for
touring as well.
“Be sure to visit Triple B
Guns and Ammo, located
beside the First Citizens
Bank on Hwy. 72, to get
your ticket for a chance to
win an American Tactical
AR15,” organizers said.
The winner will be
announced at noon from
the stage. To be in the
parade, call City Hall 706-
788-2311 or to register
as a vendor, call Jenny
Mason 706-255-7053.
“Mayor Chris Peck, John
Waggoner, City Council,
and citizens of Colbert
welcome you to come
celebrate the 46th Annual
July 4th Independence
Day Celebration,” orga
nizers said.
one or two days each
month, due to the fact that
it is so time-consuming
and other judicial duties
take priority.”
The judge said the wed
ding services are consid
ered a “ministerial act.”
“In other words, it is not
a judicial function and it
is not a required ‘duty’ of
the probate court,” said
Cross. “Traditionally, it
has been a service provid
ed throughout the years as
a convenience for couples
wanting to get married
on-the-spot, or for couples
that did not have a minister
available.”
Cross said that he des
ignated one day a month
to perform weddings and
had people lined up on
those days, with a cere
mony taking place every
15 to 30 minutes. He said
the volume had increased
substantially recently.
“We tried to keep it
going as long as we could,”
said Cross of the wedding
ceremony services.
While the probate judge
will no longer conduct
wedding ceremonies in his
office, he said he will issue
marriage licenses to gay
couples as the law requires.
“We haven’t issued any
yet, but we’ve had a few
phone calls inquiring about
getting a marriage license,”
said Cross Monday.
The judge said Georgia
Attorney General Sam
Olens reviewed the law
and “expects all probate
courts in Georgia to adhere
to the law.”
“He also made it clear
that we are constitutional
ly required to issue mar
riage licenses to same-sex
couples,” said Cross. “Any
court that refuses to issue
a license to a same-sex
couple would probably be
subject to a discrimination
claim and possibly other
sanctions... .Each probate
court in the state has been
kept up-to-date on the
ruling and implemented a
pre-determined protocol
prior to the ruling in regard
to a ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ decision
so that each probate court
would be uniform and
on the same page, so-to-
speak, as soon as this rul
ing was released — either
way.”
Cross said the state coun
cil of probate court judg
es “worked diligently to
prepare Georgia's probate
court judges prior to this
decision in the event the
justices found in favor.”
“Forms had to be
changed — no more bride
and groom — now it’s
applicant one and two,
etc.,” said Cross.
The Madison County
Probate Court has issued
101 marriage licenses in
2015 and issued 269 in
2014. The licenses cost
$67 or $27 if the applicants
provide proof of counsel
ing.
The marriage certificates
are not the most frequent
licenses issued by the local
probate court. Last year,
the office issued exact
ly 700 firearms licenses.
Another 393 have been
issued this year.
The U.S. Supreme Court
voted 5-4 last week to
legalize gay marriage in
America. Justices Anthony
Kennedy, Ruth Bader
Ginsburg, Stephen G.
Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor
and Elena Kagan voted to
allow gay marriage in the
U.S. Justices John Roberts,
Antonin Scalia, Clarence
Thomas and Samuel A.
Alito Jr. voted against it.
State offers arson hotline
Insurance and fire commis
sioner Ralph Hudgens wants
to remind Georgians that the
state has a toll-free arson hotline,
1-800-282-5804, sponsored by
his office and the Georgia Arson
Control Program.
Callers to the hotline will be
eligible for rewards of up to
$10,000 if they provide infor
mation leading to the arrest
and conviction of an arsonist
According to Hudgens, call
ers and reward recipients may
choose to remain anonymous.
“We want to remind
Georgians of this incentive to
report any information they may
have about a suspicious fire,”
said Hudgens. “In many cases,
investigators rely on evidence
provided by witnesses to convict
an arsonist.”
Since its inception in 1979, the
Georgia Arson Control Board
has approved 560 rewards total
ing $1,617,850. The average
reward paid is $2,889.
In 2013, arsonists caused
$1.68 million in property dam
age in Georgia.
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Danielsville Branch
210 General Daniel Ave v N.
Danielsville, GA 30633
706-795-5000
Fax 706-795-0263
Colbert Branch
5536 GA Highway 72 W.
Colbert, GA 30628
706-788-0039
Fax 706-788-0059
Athens Branch
780 US Highway 29 N.
Athens, GA 30601
706
389
7979
Fax
706
369
1259
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firstmadisonbank
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Happy
4th of July
Madison
