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**********... .********.3-DIGIT 326
Special Collections 12
University of Fla. Libraries Compp
PO Box 117007
GaQineslle FL. 32611-7007
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NTI CELLO
ONT!-
NEWS
141th Year No. 10 Wednesday, March 4, 2009 50 460 +4
Commission Votes To Cut Impact Fees Dramatically
County Will Refund Fees Collected From 2005
LAZARO ALEMAN
Monticello News *
Senior Staff Writer
Citizens who want-
.ed ;relief 'from the
. impact fees pretty much
got, their way on
* Thursday night, Feb. 26,
with commissioners
approving an ordinance
That drops two of the
uimpact'.fees to zero and
cuts the other two by
half'.,
Commissioners
went so far as to approve
a second .measure that
will refund the' larger'
portion' of the $85,000 or
so that the county has
collected since the impo-
sition of the first impact
fee' in 2005. Even so,
:many in the audience.-
part.of the Citizens for a
-Strong Economy -
expressed- disappoint-
Free Photo
Shoot
Set For
Children
Parents: Here is an
opportunity to get pho-
tos made of your child,
or children (if more
than one), and have the
photo appear in the
newspaper, all. at no
cost. There is no age
limit for the children
either
Interpress Studios.
a professional and
mobile photography
team, will be coming to
Monticello on Thursday,
March 12. and set up
shop from 3:30 to 7:00
p.m. at the Women's
Club. 990 East Pearl
Street.
The studio will take
the children's photos -
maybe even a family
portrait, if you desire.
although the latter is
not eligible for inclu-
sion in the newspaper -
and sometime in the
near future, the
IMonticello News or the
Jefferson Journal will
feature the children's
photos- under the head-
ing "Tomorrow's
Leaders".
An appointment for-
the photo taking is not
required, but is highly
encouraged. To sched-
ule an appointment, call
Emerald at (850) 997-
3568 or (850) 973-3497.
ment that commission-
ers'didn't completely do
away with the fees.
Which led
Commissioner Hines
Boyd, who proposed the
action that the commis-
sion ultimately took. to
express his own disap-
pointment that some
would not be satisfied
short of getting their
way completely
"I think it's impor-
tant to keep perspec-
tive," Boyd said. "We've
given this a lot of
thought. We've also got-
teh calls from people
who aren't here who
said, 'don't do away with
the impact fees'. When
you're up here, you have
to balance the needs of
everyone, If there's a
disappointment for me.
it's that some folks feel
we didn't do enough
when we reduced the
fees by 90 percent. It's
not fair for the people
now living here to have
to pay for the new people
coming. For those peo-
ple who say it's not
enough, I'm sorry you
feel that way. But it's
important that we con-
sider everybody, even
the people not here."
The commissioners'
5-0 vote followed a two-
hour meeting and sever-
al months of pressure
from the Citizens for a
Strong Economy, a
group dedicated to the
abolishment of' the
impact fees.
The discussion on
Thursday started with a
brief presentation by
Attorney Heather
Encinosa, of. the law
Monticello News Photo by Laz Aleman, February
Commission Chairman Eugene Hall spe
Attorney Heather Encinosa following the
hearing on Thursday evening, Feb. 26.
firm of Nabors, Giblin & prehensive impa
Nickerson, which pre- Please See
pared the county's corn- Fees Page 4A
:., -,eoPle a dhig heMiola-J( ti~
~foo aroun qth azebo, -Wher~eth ,Iionlvwasmetd.
iEvent Concludes ,
-Tiree- Year Project
LAZARO.ALEMAN
Monticello News
Senior Staff lWriter
About 80 people
gathered at the site of
the newly renovated
park on Pearl Street at 2
p.m.. Saturday Feb. 28,
for its dedication to the
late Dr. Reginald David
Jordan, variously
described by speakers
at the event as a friend,
a family man, an ani-
mal lover, an accom-
plished musician, an
avid reader aid an
exceptional veterinari-
an.
A''iffong th6oe'gath-
ered were family mem-
bers and friends of the
late Jordan, including
his wife. Peggy Jordan;
his mother, Ann
Jordan; and his friend
and business partner,
Dr. Mike Purvis. Also
attending were numer-
ous Pearl Street neigh-
borhood residents, sev-
eral city and county
elected officials, and
not a few pet lovers and
their four-legged
"friends".
Jordan's death in
2006 prompted Wendy
Moss and Betsy
Pertierra, of C-SAW,
. Inc., to propose dedicat-
ing a park to his memo-
ry, 'a project for which
they enlisted help from,;
city officials, Health
'Department Director
Kim Barnhill and land-
scape architect Winston
Lee, among others, and
which resulted in the
acquisition of a
$200,000 state grant in
2007.
That $200,000 went
into converting a large-
ly abandoned city prop-
erty and playground on
Pearl Street into a state-
of-the-art recreational
site incorporating
health, social, recre-
ational and environ-
mental themes in its
design. As Lee
described it, the all-
green park features a
centrally located and
open-sided gaze
allows for the st
musical and
social function
also for the ,co
tion of mothd
other caretake
can converse
keeping an eye
charges.
The park a
tures playgroun
ment for thE
young; exercise
ment for the
inclined and
inducement to
in general; a
rack that links
to the nearby
trail in a bid for
tivity; and a "ra'
Please
Dedication Pag
Plenty Of Land
SAvailable For
Commercial Use,
Planner Says
Planning Commnission
Head Addresses
1 Economic Development
Board
LAZARO ALEMAN
AMonticello News
y 26. 2009 Senior Staff lWriter
Pla n n i n g
aks with Commission Chairman
special Nick Prine appeared
before the Economic
Development Council
act fees (EDC) on Monday, Feb.
Impact 23. to address the orga-
nization's concern that
Jefferson County has a
-limited amount of land
that is readily available
for commercial develop-
nlent.
Bottom line, Prine's
message to the EDC,
whose mission is to
attract businesses and
promote economic
development, was that
'. the county has more
.. land available for com-rn
mercial development
than most comprehend.
"'You have more lati-
tude than you realize."
Prine told the group.
S"The fact is that' you
have a lot more land
options than you realize
without changing a
thing. And this is avail-
able to you right now."
Prine cited 11' uses
that are permitted to
8,'209 varying degrees in the
hairs or different land-use
zones, which are desig-
bt nated as agricultural,
abo that residential, commer-
aging of cial, industrial, mixed-
other use and such. The 11
ns and
ngrega- permitted uses, mean-
ngrega- while, include struc-
rs anho tures or activities that
are classified as institu-
wnthe tional, residential,
on their recreational, conserva-
tion and commercial.
idso fea- Prine focused on the
d equip- 17 activities specifically
3 very identified as permitted
etqueti uses under the commer-
athletic cial designation. The 17
as an included such activities
exercise
bicycle as restaurants, grocery
e stores, law offices,
the site retail stores and fuel
bicycle stations. But simply
connec- because an activity
inhow wasn't identified
See Please See Land
Ie 4A Available Page 4A
1.ocal tong-lma Business Last to Fire
FRAN HUNT dispatched: to the scene Lloyd Volunteer Fire Edwards' business was i.
Afonkicello News at 7:29 Eight minutes De artment as well as totally destroy ed
Staff Writer
One of the county's
long-time businesses
was totally lost in an
early morning fire,
Monday, March 2.
Jefferson County
Fire Rescue reported
that at 7:26 a.m., a fire at
166 Brown load was
called into dispatch by a
passer-by and Jefferson
County Fire Rescue was
later when units arrived
on the scene, the work
shop of Vic Edwards'
business, Oak and Rope
Design, which had been
in business since 1974,
was fully involved and
the roof :was collapsing.
Responding
units included Jefferson
County Fire Rescue,
Monticello. Volunteer
Fire Department, and
deputies from the
County Sheriff's Office.
Firefighters were on
scene approximately
two hours extinguishing
the flames and overhaul-
ing the site to ensure
there were no more
embers or hot spots.
Fortunately, no one was
at home or inside of the
structure, so there were
no injuries. However,
"He had a fully oper-
ational business in
there," said Captain Ron
Motter. "There was all
kinds of high grade
wood-working machin-
ery, wood, cardboard
boxes used for shipping,
and ,two lawnmowers
outside, and there was
also paints, thinners,
Please See
Fire Page 2A
4
-a-
/ A
Monticello News Photo By Fran Hunt March 2, 2009
2 Section
Around Jeff. Co. 4-8A
Classifieds 12A
Dining Out Guide 10A
History 9A
is, 22 Pages
Wed 63/37 Thu 71/42
3/4 3/5 '
Sunny. Highs in the low 60s and Sunshine. Highs in the low 70s
lows in the upper 30s, and lows in the low 40s.
Fri
316
76/50
More sun than clouds, Highs in the
mid 70s and lows in the low 50s.
Legals 13A
School 16A
Sports 10A-11A
Viewpoints 2-3A
I
2A Monticello News
www. ecbpublishing. com
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
IEWPOINTS &
PINIONS
I Have A Love/Hate
Relationship With My GPS
This past week my two
daughters and I took a trip
up to Nashville, TN, for five
days. It was great, and all
three of us had a wonderful
time. We took a lot of pic-
tures and gathered a lot of
information, all of which
you can read about in our
upcoming "Summer
Travel" pages, here-in the.
newspaper.
We left late Tuesday
night, and I drove the eight
hour trip straight through
From midnight on there is
was no traffic on the roads.
(except for me and semi
trucks), and that made it a
fairly nice ride.
iI learned to really
appreciate, and to hate, my
GPS unit in my car, during
this trip. Up until this past
week, the major use of that
GPS was to punch in direc-,
tions to specific locations in
Tallahassee. Simple! Put
the djrections.in,-it-tells me
to get on I-10, tells me which
exit to get off on, and then
-leads me to the correct
address. I have been able to
handle that, and I truly
have loved that GPS.
Going through down-
town Atlanta, at midnight,
I really appreciated having
that GPS mounted on my
windshield. It kept me on
track. Six lanes of traffic
(seven at some times) was
overwhelming to someone
who is used to nothing' but
two lanes, and the multi-
tude pf signs and direc-
tions was confusing. But
my GPS got me through it.
"She" (it's a woman's voice)
talked to me the whole
time.... "Keep to the right
in two miles," "Keep to the
right in .5 miles," and
'"Remain on the current
road." (Lucky for me. how-
ever, it was midnight and
only a few of'us were actu-
ally on the road.) '
Along with the voice,
there is also the dingingg"
noise "she" makes. "She";'
dings when-I am supposed
to get off on my new exit.
I made it safely to our
hotel, Wednesday morning
at 3:00 a.m., without inci-
dent. I was so proud of
myself. The next day we
drove downtown and then
to a friend's house, on the
outskirts of Nashville,
without incident. All with
the help of that little GPS.
Again, I was so proud of
myself.
Somewhere during the
next two days, our "friend-
ship" ended. Those few
days in Tennessee began
testing my patience with
that thing: Atlanta was a
piece of cake to what I was
dealing with, in Nashville.
But the fact that I had tons
of. traffic :to deal with,
added to the stress. (Once
again we are talking
about someone who is used
to '"rush hour" .meaning
that you actually get
stopped by all four red
lights in town.)
I truly began thinking
"she" was messed up.
"She" would tell me to
"stay on the current road"
and I did, only to find that I
made a wrong'turn. The
:words "Calculating Route"
became a thorn in my side.
Those words meant that I
had taken the wrong turn
and "she" had to figure out
where I was, and how to get
me back on track.
And that dinging
became a nuisance. "She"
dings EXACTLY when
"she" wants you to do
something. No lead way---
I need lead way!!!! When I'm
told to get off on an exit and
I'm trying to read the road
signs, and read the little
itty-bitty words on that
GPS and try to figure out if
that is, in fact, the correct
exit, given that there must
be 10 different interstates
all intertwined together'in
Nashville, then I need
more time than "she" gives
me with those darn ding-
ings.
The more I messed up,
the more confused I got.
The more confused I got,
the more aggravated I got.
The more aggravated I got,
the more I felt like a com-
plete failure after all, who
can't find their way around
WITH a GPS unit?. And all
the while, there sat my two
daughters laughing.
Laughing at me.
I do consider myself
fairly smart, book smart
that is. I have never told
anyone that I actually have
a lot of common sense,
however.
It took me two days to
figure out, with 10 different
interstates apd six lanes of
traffic, that when "she"
said "stay on the current
road" "she" meant that
particular interstate num-
ber not the lane of traffic
I was in. If I was in the far
right lane (after coming off
an interstate exchange)
and "she" said "stay on the
current road" then I did. I
stayed right there in that
lane until it veered and
took me right back off on
the next road. Then the
famous words of "calculat-
ing route" would haunt me.
The fact that she
would "ding" even if "she"
doesn't want me to get. off
through the "winter
storm" that passed
through the east Sunday
morning. For 400 miles we
drove in the snow storm.
For the most part, I was
kinda glad we did. My girls
got to see more snow than
they've seen; we took pic-
tures, got it on video, and
saw things that we
Southern girls don't see
much.
The trip was nice. It is
nice to always come home
though. We made memo-
ries..... and that is what is
always the most important
thing in life.
Until then..... I'll see
you around the. town.
on an exit confused me. If I
heard a "ding" then I
thought I was supposed to
get off on that exit, or turn
on that road. Not the case.
"She" dings just if you fol-
low her directions. When
"she" says "stay on the cur-
rent road" and I actually
did, when I would pass that
exit, "she" would ding.
Made me think I was sup-
posed to turn there.. Nope.
She meant "ding" this is
where I want you to stay on
the current road. (This is
where the hate part of the
relationship really started
taking shape.)
It seemed like a hit-
and-miss with my under-
standing of that thing.
Sometimes I seemed to
grasp the full understand-
ing and sometimes I
seemed.to just drift off into
total oblivion and could not
grasp the meaning of what
"she" was trying to tell me.
It took me two days to
fmally realize what I was
doing wrong and to under-
stand her dinging. I could-
n't help but laugh at
myself. After all, my chil-
dren had already laughed
enough at. me.
\ With the help of
Cheltsie, who would sit up
front with me, the GPS and
I became friends again. I
learned that. "stay on the
current road" did not mean
that lane of traffic; it
meant read the darn road
signs and stay on that road.
So, the ride home, was nice.
My GPS and I understood
each other once again and
"she" helped me get' us
home.
We did however drive
;that her children are older.
MQNTlCELLQ L, M
ERALD GREENE d ednsd a 2 pm o
| EMERALD GREENE dWdnesday al 12"00 p.m for PION
t~ Pubshber/Own~r
RAY CICHON
~. Managing Editor
LA7ARO ALEMAJV
-5Senior Staff Writer
4" -LAsslFIE AND LE;AL. ADS
lIjdc~ns~fnr claisifieds 16 Monday
l. LI'OD' ~nL for Wednesday's paper.
Advert'emeni iq Monday at 5 (00
p.m for WednesdaVs paper. .nd
Wedne~da .v a 5 p m. for Fridavys
p~ipcr
fT rt rI. 11L.ll t', Ii'dilf.egr krAfidljii,
ICnLcuAHON DEPAIMFJYF
Suhsmnpttn Ratt,
Flond~i $4t5 per~ya
Oul-Od-sl ale $5, pct ear
i State & lrjal LIw% in'lkuded i
Established 1869
A weekly newspaper [USPS 361-620] designed for the express reading pleasures of the people of its
circulation area, be they past, present or future residents.
Published weekly by ECB Publishing, Inc., 180 W Washington St. Monticello, FL 32344. Periodicals
postage PAID at the Post Office in Monticello, Florida 32344.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MONTICELLO NEWS, P.O. Box 428, Monticello, FL
32345..
This newspaper reserves the right to reject any advertisement, news matter, or subscriptions that, in
the opinion of the management, will not be for the best interest of the county and/or the owners of this
newspaper, and to investigate any advertisement submitted.
All photos given to ECB Publishing, Inc. for publication in this newspaper must be picked up no later than
6 months from.the date they are dropped off. ECB Publishing, hInc. will not be responsible for photos beyond said
deadline.
stip l c rIs IrlTme
TEN YEARS AGO
March 3, 1999
The Lake Miccosukee draw-
':down that was scheduled to begin
Monday has been postponed tem-
Sporarily, pending the acquisition
of more information.
As a result of the two hanging
deaths at Jefferson Correctional
lInstitution, the Department of
corrections has implemented a
number of procedural and
i administrative changes that are
Intended to prevent such
tragedies in future.
Motorists turning into the
iWinn Dixie parking lot on
| Saturday were greeted by a slew
of emergency services personnel
land others, part of a, public
i awareness campaign to encour-
age the use of seatbelts and child-
Irestraint seats.
Construction of the adminis-
tration section of the new jail
was expected to be, completed
'Tuesday, according to Keith
Leach, project manager for Peter
Brown Construction Company
TWENTY YEARS AGO
March 1, 1989.
The area' branch of the
Florida Game and Fresh Water
Fish Commission (FGFWFC) has
vowed to do its best to organize a
special detail of enforcement offi-
cers in Jefferson County in an
attempt to -put an end to illegal
Refuse dumping in the count, pri-
marily in its cemeteries.
The paving of Willow Street
i in Pecan Grove Estates and South
iWaukeenah Street will be getting
Iunderway soon. Completion is
estimated sometime in April.
.. A window in the Philadelphia
SBaptist Church, located on
iFulford Road, was all that stood
betweenn an apparently hungry
person and half a box of saltine
crackers, so a rock was thrown
through the window to gain entry
to the church to satisfy the thief's
,'appetite.
Something seldom heard of
these days is cattle rustling, but
I the Jefferson County Sheriff's
,i' Department encountered just
I l.-such a case over the weekend.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
March 1, 1979
Jefferson County's proposed
land use plan-a blueprint that
XV *^,L.JJ
will have a. heavy impact tipon'
future growth and development-
made its public debut February
22, and got mixed reviews.
, Ribbon cutting ceremonies
were held at the new TG& Y store.
The Aucilla Lady Warriors
ended their season last Saturday
night after losing to Laurel Hills
and the Sectional playoffs 60-51 at
,Laurel Hills.
FORTY YEARS AGO
March 1, 1969
Members of the Jefferson
county Tri-Hi-Y attending the
1969 Florida YMCA Youth
Legislature were Debbie
Edwards, Sherrie Rabon, Jane
Dickerson, Vicki Buzbee, Topsy
Hatchett and Sally Shuman. Mrs.
Charles Anderson was the chap-i
erone.
Tommy E. Ritcher, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Cleo Ritcher of
Monticello was initiated into the
Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at
Florida State University over the
weekend.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
March 1, 1959
"Fashions Through the
Years" is the theme of the
woman's' Club fashion show. A
picture of Mrs. Stephen Walker
and daughter, Bitsy, in the cos-
tumes they will wear, is on the
society page of the paper.
A new and modern drug
sundry store was opened last
week by C.L. Pope, opposite his
Motor Court on North Jefferson.
Miss Martha Lynn Harris
reigned as Valentine Queen at the
Valentine party held in the gym-
nasium last Wednesday, Miss
Carolyn Nix is the Junior High
Princess.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
March 1, 1949
E.H. Finlayson announces
that he will produce Dixie 18
Hybrid seed corn.
Future Farmer's quartet com-
posed of Edward Mathis. John
Linton, Rex Hudson and Jimmy
Reichert have proven so good
they have been asked to sing at a':
number of programs and over their
radio in Thomasville, GA.
The Key Club entered Miss;
Judy Glover in the beauty contest/
to be held at thd Festival of),
Flowers in Fernandina.
Fire
Cont. From Page 1
lacquers, varnishes and
other woodworking relat-
ed combustibles inside,
so the fire burned hot,
hard and fast."
The State Fire
Marshall was called to
determine the cause' of
the fire, and Motter
reported that the cause
could not be immediately
determined due to the
fire burning hard in the
building from end to end.
The power company-
was also called in to cut
the power to the struc-
ture.
The estimated
value of the property
lost. in the flames,
including the struc-
ture, machinery and
materials, is one quar-
ter of a million dollars.
180 W Washington
Street
Monticello, Florida
RO. box 428
32345
850-997-3568
Fax 850-997-3774
Email: ilionticellonews
@)embarqmail.com I
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
www.ecbpublishing.com
Monticello News 3A
IEWPOINTS &
PINIONS
Hard Times For County Becoming Harder
By Paul De Revere
YOUR CAPITOL
BUREAU
Conservation ease-
ments and improve-
ments to sewers, roads
and emergency services
hang in the balance this
Legislative Session,
which convened March
3.
Budget-cutting may
discourage some, but
Dick Bailar, executive
secretary for the
Jefferson County
Legislative Council
(JCLC), is still going to
request money from the
state.
"If you don't ask for
it, you never get it," he
said. Bailar's main goal
is to work with lawmak-
ers to define precisely
what a "conservation
easement" means in
terms of Amendment 4.
This is a state constitu-
tional amendment,
passed in November
2008, that offers a tax
exemption to owners orf
land dedicated forever to
conservation purposes.
Amendment 4 adds
land to Florida Forever,
a program that allows
the state to buy Florida
land to be forever dedi-
cated to conservation.
Florida Foriever,
which replaced the simi-
1 a r i n s p i r i t
Preservation 2000 pro-
gram, has purchased
approximately 3.8", mil-
lion acres of state land
since 2000, according to
the Department of
:Environment a 1
Protection. That is more
than one-tenth of the
state's total land mass,
according to 'the Census.
Jefferson County '. is
home, to approximately
21 percent of Florida's
privately held land in
* conservation easement,
according to state
records.
Bailar said the JCLC
will ask the state to give
Jefferson County about
$216,000 dollars, "dollar-
for-dollar" in lost prop-
erty tax revenue. "So we
don't lose ground."
Jefferson County
Commissioner Felix
"Skeet" Joyper said the
county's lost property
tax revenue may be clos-
er to $800,000. This is the
amount that might be
lost by Jefferson County
if all the eligible proper-
ty owners opt for the tax
exemption of
Amendment 4, which is
a worst-case scenario.
Legislators have dis-,
cussed implementation
of Amendment 4 and are
likely to adjust the lan-
guage of the
Amendment 'and put it
before the voters again,
The new language
would limit land that
could be tax-exempt.
Amendment 4 is
"going to ,really affect
the tax base," said Rep.
Michelle Rehwinkel,
Vasilinda, who repre-
sents parts of Jefferson
County "There's this
back and forth of how
this law is going to get
implemented."
Amendment 4 isn't
Bailar's only concern.
He. plans to seek help
from the state for
Jefferson County to
improve- sewers, pave
roads and construct a
Civic Center.
"We can't put in for
any more local proj-
ects," Bailar said. "Right
now, it's just, 'How do we
save our butts?"
Vasilinda said she
understands that
.Jefferson is already "fis-.
cally constrained." '
She said' she hopes
the upcoming federal
stimulus package, the
American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act
signed recently by
President Barack
Obama will bring
Jefferson County some
money for much-need-
ed projects. "We're
waiting on it but I don't
think it's going to be
enough," Vasilinda
said. "I think it's going
to fulfill some part of
the need, but I wish we
(the Legislature) had
our own (stimulus
package)."
Vasilinda attended
a meeting with
Jefferson County citi-
zens earlier this month.
"They mentioned sew-
ers in a big way," she
said, recalling one citi-
zen's account of torren-
tial rains from last
year's Tropical Storm
Fay. The roads and sew-
ers flooded.
"One lady said
there were things float-
ing in the streets that
she wouldn't want to
talk about," Vasilinda
said. But Vasalinda
doubts that permanent
solutions from federal
stimulus will 'come
quickly, if at all.
Bailar said some
county projects are
"shovel-ready," or vir-
tually ready to start
within a very short
period of time. They
are completely vetted
locally, through
processes such as zon-
ing and budgetary plan-
ning.
"We, need a new
firehouse and emer-
gency services center,"
which is shovel-ready,
Joyner said. The resur-
facing of Old Salt Road,
or Highway 149 in the
eastern part of the
county, and Over the
Lake Road, or Highway
146 in the northwestern
part, ,is also shovel-
ready, he added.
-O
*Funny how the
only border of
Monticello Pines
Property that is sealed
up tight- complete with
barb wire fences
' Coopers Pond/Spring
Hollow Heights and
they're the only ones
who have raised the
stink about the
development...
COINCIDENCE? I
THINK NOT!
WARNING,
For the ones
who ignore the
NO TRESPASSING
signs you will be
prosecuted to the full
extent of the law when
you get caught.
*1~
p.
copyrightedd Material
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EIFIESN
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
COUNTY
Impact Fees Cont. From Page 1 Land Available Cont. From Page 1
ordinance, outlining the.
two choices before commis-
sioners.
Choice one, she said,
would lower the law-
enforcement and trans-
portation impact fees .to
zero and leave the ambu-
lance arid fire protection
impact fees intact. Choice
two would likewise lower
the law enforcement and
transportation fees to zero,
but in addition would cut
the ambulance and fire pro-
tection impact fees by half,
she said.
"That's it basically in a
nutshell," Encinosa said.
Commissioner
Stephefi Fulford immedi-
ately offered a third propos-
al, one that would do away
with the impact fees entire-
ly. Fulford said he had
either misheard or misun-
derstood Boyd's calling for
the halving of ambulance.
and fire protection impact.
fees, not their abolishment.
"I yvould like to put
forth a motion now to
repeal the .comprehensive
ordinance in its entirety,"
Fulford said. "I see no need
for, impact fees in Jefferson
County." .
He offered -statistics
showing that 'the county's
per-capita growth from 2000
to 2006 was one of the low-
est in the state and in the
Big Bend area. MeanWhile,
the county's property taxes,
had increased by $3 mil-
lion. and yet the county had'
no money and its citizens
needed jobs, he said.
'I will argue until I die
that the best way to raise
revenues is through eco-
nomic activity, and hot by ;
raising taxes," Fulfoird'
said, getting applause from
the audience '. ,
His motion,, however,
failed to get support From
the' tht. ff~tu 'oitmission-
ers. < .
The ; discussion
returned to versions A and
B of the ordinance, pro-.
posed respectively by
Commissioners Felix
"Skeet" Joyner and Boyd.
Joyner, however, soon indi-
cated that he would support
Boyd's version, essentially
dropping his argument that
the ambulance and firepro-
tection. impact fees should
remainintact.
Boyd explained that.
his version attempted to get'
as close as possible to what,
Fulford and the impact fees
opponents wanted, without
entirely wiping the meas-
ures off the books.
He argued that the
impact fees had been right
when they had been
imposed because officials
had feared at the time that
deIvelopment would "over-*
run the county. The eco-
nomic downturn had large,
ly removed that concern
and the impact fees had had
the unintended conse-
quences of hurting local
residents instead, he said.
Thus. he agreed that the
impact fees needed to be
"dialed down" for the time
being to afford people a
measure of relief. But, it
was important to keep the
fees on the books for the
eventuality when the econ-
omy picked iup again and
developments once 4 again
flourish, he said.
Otherwise, the present
property owners in the
coufity would end up shoul-
dering the .burden for the
costs of the increased serv-
ices that growth would
demand, he said.
"We need to remain
flexible," Boyd said. "It's
important that the'county
maintains as much flexibil-
ity as possible in case we
face rapid growth again
and so residents here don't
get caught flatfooted."
Fulford still had a
problem with a 50 percent
reduction of the ambu-
lance and fire protection
'impact fees, which he said
would stilTlhave a prohibi-
tive effect on businesses
tryingg to locate here. Bit
his -motion to reduce the
ambulance and fire protec-
tion impact fees, to zero
failed to get his colleagues'
support, with the other
commissioners arguing
that the fire and ambulance,
Services needed the money
to deal with the growth that
was already occurring in
the Lloyd area.,
Six members of the
public spoke on the issue,
one in support and five in
opposition. The one propo-
nent, Dick Bailar, called the,
impact fees. a necessary
measure to ensure that
newcomers paid f6r the
additional services 'that,
their coming created. He
reminded the commission-,
ers that.about 2,000 houses
'were still online to be con-
"structed 'sooner "or' later;
and he offered that the indi-
viduals mounting the oppo-
sition to the infpact fees'
were contractors, develop-
ers, realtors 'and others
Who stood to gain from the
construction and- sale of
.new houses.
"As 'for the people of
low income who are being,
told that they are being
held back by the impact
fees," that's not the case,"
Bailar said. "In fact, if the
impact fees are removed, it
will impact the low income
persons 'more. in' property
taxes." .
Speaking in opposition
were Chuck Sarkisian,
John Nelson. .Byron
Barnhart, Gary Gooch and
Paul Michael.
,,Sarkisian reiterated'
his argument that impact
fee revenues can: only be'
expended on capital
improvement projects that
are directly tied to growth,,
a concept he said commis-
sioners failed to grasp.
"You need to read the
ordinance to see what you
can do with the impact'
fees,'.' Sarkisian said.
'Nelson' praised
Fulford's stand, which he
said showed wisdom,
courage and compassion.
He further offered that he
had been canvassing the
people "who pulled the
lever" and the word from
citizens was that the com-
mission should eliminate
the impact fees or reduce-
them to zero.
"I've conversed, with
-citizens across all district
lines and the word, coming
back to me is that it's
another tax," Nelson said.
"Listen to the people,
Eliminate it or take every-
thing to zero."
Barnhart suggested
that the impact fees were
not unlike the bite that the
criminal elements in
Chicago and other such
places put oni legitimate
enterprises in order for the
latter to be able to conduct
business.. He offered that'
commissioners who
weren't listening to the will
of the people would pay the
price at the .ballot box in
the next election, appear-
ing to take particular aim
at Boyd, who represents
District 3.
"No longer will you be
able to ask :for our support
when you have not support-
ed \Ius," Barnhart said.,
"When you come by, we're
going to say bye."
Gooch reiterated the
point, that impact fees
funds could only be used
for projects. directly associ-
ated with growth.
SMiller chided the com-.
mission for not 'involving
the City Council, School
Board and churches in the.
decision to impose the
impact. fees, but rather
depended on the opinion of
Fire Rescue Chief Jim
Billberry, whom he called.
an outsider. ,
"You make it seem that
without' the, impact fees
this county can't operate,"
Miller said. "But you can
*-operate without these
impact fees. Zero out the
impact fees now."
Michael) questioned
why the commission, was.
even discussing the issue of
keeping the .impact fees.
Was the motivation behind
the fees to raise:revenues or
to'bar people from coming
here? He argued that
Jefferson County was a lag-
gard in the area in terms of
economic development and
Would continue to be so
until the county either
began offering incentives
for businesses to locate
here or removed the barri-'
ers such as impact fees that.
prevented them from com-:
ing.
He offered that the
Citizens for -a Strong
Economy would continue
to be a viable force in the
community and that the:
group's next task would be
*to promote economic devel-
opment.
Commissioners, for
their part, conceded the
need for relief from the
impact fees in light of the
current economic down-
turn, but they also stood
fast on the need to keep the
impact fees on the book.
Comm ission-
Chairman Gene Hall point-
ed out that Florida growth
management and concur-
rency laws mandated that
growth pay ,for itself
"Growth management.
law says you shall, shall,
have concurrency manage-
ment instruments in
place," Hall said.
S Commissioner Felix
. "Skeet" Joyner distin-
Sguished between "the 150
people in the room and the
13,890 people out there".
"The 13,890 tell me not
to raise their property
taxes but to provide the
services," Joyner said.
"Folks, we listened, we
learned, we reduced the
fees. I think we've been fair.
I'm not going to raise prop-
erty taxes under no condi-
tion. I'm listening to the
people. I listen everyday."
Said Commissioner
Danny Monroe: "This is a
small price for newcomers
to pay for their share. If we
don't have impact fees, our
grandchildren will be pay-
ing for the newcomers."
on the list didn't necessari-
ly preclude it, he empha-
sized, citing the racetrack
as an example.
"What you find is that
,seven of the 11 uses can be
.done in almost any of the
(zoning) categories," Prine
said. ,
And even if a particu-
lar activity didn't quite
measure up to the letter of
law insofar as the require-
ments for a particular zone,
the mechanisms of vari-
ances and special excep-
tions could sometimes
allow fo7r its placement in
the desired location any-
way, he said.
"So you have more flex-
ibility than you realize,"
Prine said.
He distinguished
between commercial and
industrial .. operations,
which he said .properly
belonged in the industrial
park and in other selected
site around the county
that have been specifically
identified for industrial
use.
"The acid test is how
heavy is' the use,". Prine
said.
But as for the commer-
cial designation, which can
rdnge from light commer-
cial to high intensity com-
mercial, it could be located
almost anywhere in : the
county, he reiterated,
adding the caveat that avail-
.ability of infrastructure
played a definite part in the
'planners' decision .for
approval or rejection. of :a
specific project.;
"Much of. it is driven
by infrastructure, whether
sewer and water are avail-
able," Prine said.
He recommended that
the group review the
Future' Land Use Map
(FLUM), which readily'
identifies' all the areas of
the county whqre,;ommer-
cial ..,. enterprises, are
allowed. -He suggested, that
the .group would find the
exercise instructive and
productive.
Prine called the timing
of the EDC's inquiry
"impeccable", given that
the Planning Commission
was presently involved in a
lengthy -.and extremely
important rewrite of the
Comprehensive' Plan, the
document that guides
growth management in the
county. Ultimately, the
changes made to the Comp
Plan would lead to changes
in the Development Code,
the document that governs
the day-to-day practical
land-use decisions, he said.
Prine, in fact, began
his presentation with an
Dedication
bridge" consisting of a
small wooden structure over
a symbolic stream of what
should soon be flowering
plants that represent the
poem-inspired rainbow
bridge "just this side of
heaven", in "memory of
Jordan:'
In keeping with
Jordan's lifetime dedication
to the care of animals, the
park also is pet-fri6ndly, with.
a drinking water fountain
for humans that comes com-
plete with an attached water
bowl for pets.
The ceremony on
Saturday opened with bag-
pipe music, followed by a few
introductory remarks by
Pertierra and the official
dedication of the park as the
Jordan Memorial Park by
proclamation, as read by
Monticello Mayor Tom
Vogelgesang.
Lee next described
some of the social, econom-
ic, and public health aspects
of the overall design, as
incorporated in the different
elements of the park.
Unfortunately the funding
hadn't allowed for the plant-
ing of different colored flow-
ers to simulate the rainbow
effect of the stream under
the bridge, he said. But he
offered that the effect would
nonetheless be striking
when the single-color flower-
ing plants bloomed.
Purvis spoke at length
about Jordan, whom he
called a friend, a partner and
a colleague. He noted that
Jordan would have been
overview of the
Comprehensive Plan,
which he described as a
state-driven document com-
posed of nine elements. The
nine, in part, are traffic,
housing, conservation,
recreation' and capital
improvements.
Prine explained that
the aim of the
Comprehensive Plan was
essentially to establish the
goals, objectives and poli-
cies that the community
would follow to accomplish
orderly and integrated
growth and development.
"But you can't change
it without state approval,"
Prine said, leafing through
the first part of a thick doc-
ument that he carried and
separating what he said
were 90 pages.
The 90 pages represent-
ed the actual
Comprehensive Plan, a doc-
ument that he said the
Planning Commission was
currently rewriting as part
of' a process that the state
allows every seven years to
keep the plan current and
viable.
Much of the rewrite
was driven by, changes in
state laws, Prine said. Other
revisions were to correct
errors and make the docu--
ment clearer and more
readable, he said. And yet
other revisions were to
bring the document into
line with present realities,
given that the county was
ho longer the rural commu-
nity that was identified in
the document when origi-
nally drafted in 1990. :
"We're not really farm-
ers anymore," Prine said.
"We're residential now."
Prine called the
rewrite a painstaking
process that required care-
ful attention and discussion
of almost'every word,; as
.each 'had the potential to
.have far-reaching repercus-
sions..
"We are now eight
pages into this rewrite after
months," Prine said, adding
that the entire process
would likely take about a
year. :
He next separated the
other 400 or so pages of the
document, which he 'said.
represented the
Development Code, or the,
.nitty-gritty nuts-and-bolts
details that spelled out
exactly how Comp Plan's
,goals, objectives and. poli-
cies would be implemented.
The good news was that the
Development Code coulq be
amended without state
oversight, he said.
Prine mentioned that
.one of the changes that the
planners wanted to make
was to increase densities
by creating at least one new
land-use category and
adjusting density levels
accordingly across the rest.
He. explained that 10
dwelling units per acre was
the maximum density
allowed in the county cur-
rently. The goal, he said,
was to increase that densi-
ty to 36 units per acre so as
to allow for apartment
buildings, townhouses,
condominiums and such.
But remember that the
'state had to approve all
Comp Plan changes, he
said. And remember also
that the state had already
approved the county for a
maximum of 65,000 to
68,000 houses a number
that the county would not
'likely attain in decades, if
not longer, he said. Under
these circumstances, if the
county were to ask to
increase its densities, the
state's response was sure to
be no, Prine said.
Therefore, what the
planners were proposing
was. to shift the existing
densities, he said. For an
example he cited the Ag-20
classification, a land-use
category that allows one
house per 20. acres.
Currently, the Ag-20 desig-
nation applies to planta-
tions, Prine said. But plan-
tations, which encompass
thousands of acres, are
never likely to be devel-
oped. So the result was that
the Ag-20 category was
"sucking up- density", he
said.
The thinking, Prine
said, was to create a new
land-use category and
called it "plantation",
which would allow for one
unit per.plantation.
"This will free up thou-
-'sands of lots," Prine said.
The county could then
take. these freed density
values and allocate them to
other areas of the county
where the infrastructure
was already in place in
order to allow for higher
densities in these areas,
such as the. main arterial
corridors and near I-10, he
explained. ,
Prtne conceded that
the urbanization of areas
currently designated rural
would likely displease
many of those affected. He
himself had mixed feeling
,about the proposition, he
said. But it was something
that had to be done if the
county was' to .achieve
growth, acquire affordable
housing, and do it in a rea-
sonable and orderly man-
ner, he said.
Cont. From Page 1
proud to see so many gath-
ered inhis name, at the same
time that he would have
cringed at the attention.
"David didn't like to be
the center of' attention,"
Purvis said. "I hope his spir-
it forgives us."
He described Jordan as
a dedicated family man and
one who genuinely cared
about people in general,
always seeing the best and
the potential in everyone.
"He saw people for what
they could be," Purvis said,
illuminating his point with
an anecdote about Jordan's
propensity to use big wdrds
in the hope that it would
inspire others to look utp the
words and so' improve their
own vocabularies.
"He always wanted you
to take it to the next level,"
Purvis said. "He liked to
involve people in learning."
As for the animals that
Jordan treated, he didn't see
them as mere four-legged
creatures, Purvis said.
"He saw them as part of
other people's family," he
said. "And he would care for
them in a way that would
honor that relation-
ship...His untiring spirit
inspired me to work harder."
He called Jordan a man
of integrity, a negotiator by
nature, a natural problem
solver, and a man full of
compassion, both for ani-
mals and people.
"Hle was slow to speak
ill of others or to judge,"
Purvis said. "He embraced
all people the same, from the
highest to the lowest stages
of life, He was always a gen-
tleman."
Purvis concluded with a
quote from Southern novel-
ist Williams -Faulkner's
acceptance speech at the
Nobel Prize banquet in
Stockholm on Dec. 10, 1950.
"I decline to accept the
end of man,"'Purvis read as
part of Faulkner's speech.
"It is easy enough to say that
man is immortal simply
because he will endure: that
when the last dingdong of
doom has clanged and .faded
from the last worthless rock
hanging tideless in the last
red and dying evening, that
even then there will still be
one more sound: that of his
puny inexhaustible voice,
still talking.
"I refuse to accept this. I
believe that man will not
merely endure: he will pre-
vail. He is immortal, not
because he alone among
creatures has an inex-
haustible voice, but because
he has a soul, a spirit capa-
ble of compassion and sacri-
fice and endurance...
Following the dedica-
tion ceremony, cake and
refreshments were made
available.
C-SAW sponsored the
event. C-SAW stands for
Citizens Supporting Animal
Welfare, a nonprofit organi-
zation co-founded by Moss
and Pertierra in 2004. Its pri-
mary stated mission is to
provide an educational
forum with balanced per-
spectives on humane issues.
ase ie.it htti/ffwiv w.cbpublishingcoui to vote on
the questionofthe wel
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
AjR OUND
www. ecbpublishing. corn
SEFFERSON
Monticello News 5A
COUNTY
LONUN 1
AL~N0A[
MARCH 5
First Baptist
Church, Monticello
Relay for Life team will
hold a Fish Fry starting
at 5 p.m. Thursday in
the fellowship hall.
MARCH 5
The Business
Community Prayer
Breakfast and meeting
will be held 7 to 8 a.m.
on the first Thursday of
the month.' Plan to
attend, and bring a
friend. For more loca-
tion information con-
tact Coordinator L.
Gary Wright at 997-5705,
933-5567, or
lgwright39@embarqma
il.com
MARCH 5
,Painting on old tin
for the garden, bird-,
houses, and bee skeps 6
p.m. Thursday at One
Heart Earth Center, 450
West Madison Street.
Contact Sallie Worley at
997-7373 for more infor-
mation.
MARCH 5,
Girl Scout leaders
and volunteers meet
6:30 p.m. on the first
Thursday of every
month at the Eagle's
1Nest on' South Water
Street for a general
.meeting. Contact Vicki
Adams for more infor-
mation at 386-2131, or,
Svadams@gscab.org
SMARCH5 ;,,
r(AA-, meetings ,are.
held"' 8 p.m. on
Thursday at the Christ
Episcopal Church
Anniex, 425 North
Cherry Street. For more
information call. 997-
2129 or 997-1955.
MARCH 6
Guitar wizard
Robin Kessinger
returns to the Opera
.House 8 p.m. Friday
joined by a fellow West
Virginian singer Kate
Long,, and Tallahassee
bass player Carrie
Hamby Doors open.at
7:30 p.m. Call the Opera
House for reservations
or information at 997-
4242.
MARCH 6
Ashville Area
Volunteer Fire
Department meets 6:30
p.m. on the first Friday
of each month at the
fire station. Contact
.Fire Chief John
Staffieri at 997-6807 for
more details.
MARCH 6
Monticello Rotary
Club meets every.
Friday at noon at the
Monticello/Jefferson
Chamber of Commerce
on West Washington
Street for lunch and a
meeting. Contact
President James
Muchovej at 980-6509 for
club information.
MARCH 7
AA meetings are
held 8 p.m. Saturday at
the Christ Episcopal
Church Annex, 425
North Cherry Street.
For more information
call 997-2129 or 997-1955.
MARCH 7
The Elizabeth
Baptist Church Relay
for Life team, "The
Parson's Posse," will
have a sweet sale at the
1 Monticello Post Office
on Saturday morning. If
you have a special "han-
kering" for some, of the
country sweets, be sure
to stop on by.
MARCH 7 AND 14
Jefferson SHARE
registration 10 a.m. to
12 p.m. Saturday at.
,,-Central Baptist Church
in Aucilla; 'on: Tindell:'
'Road,' and at the
Jefferson County
Public Library on
South Water Street. The
cost of the basic food
package is $18. Contact
Martha Creel, at 445-
9061 or Leslie Blank at'
556-5412 for, more infor-
mation. A
MARCH 7
New exhibit open-
ing reception 2 to 4 p.m.
Saturday at the
Jefferson Arts Gallery
featuring local painter
and sculptor, Ken
Harper. This exhibit
will be on display the
entire' month. Jefferson
Arts, Inc. exhibits are
free and open to the
public at the Gallery
,Ct~itarest
ALBERTA
Alberta H. Ammons,
age 79 passed away
Thursday, February 26,,
2009 in Ft. Lauderdale,
FL.
Alberta was a native
of Lloyd, FL and lived in
Ft. Lauderdale for many
years.
Funeral services
will be Thursday, March
5, 2009, at Mt. Hermon
A.M.E. Church in Ft.
Lauderdale with Rev.
Michael K. Bouie offici-
ating. Interment will fol-
low at Forest Lawn
Cemetery, Pompano
AMMONS
Beach, FL.
Visitation/viewing will
'be held at McWhite's
Funeral Home, 3501 W
Broward Blvd, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL 33312
(954-584-0047).
Mourning Alberta's
passing is son, Edison J.
Hall (Mary) of Ft.
SLauderdale; sisters,
Celia M. Morris of Ft.
Lauderdale, Rosetta
Morris of Jacksonville,
FL; brothers, Samuel L.
Thomas (Delores), and
Phillip Morris (Edna) of
Ft. Lauderdale.
location 575 West
Washington Street. The
Gallery is open 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Wednesday
and Saturdays or by
appointment. Jefferson
Arts, Inc. is a non-profit
group with a goal of
promoting art and art
education in the
Monticello area of
North Florida and
South 'Georgia. For
more information, con-
tact the Gallery at: 997-
3311 or . visit
www.jeffersonartsgalle
ry.com
MARCH 7 AND 21
Girl Scouting is fun,
and builds girls of
courage, confidence,
and character, who
make the world a better
place. Join with other
girl's ages 8 to 12,
Junior Troop 150, 10
a.m. to .12 p.m. on the
first and third Saturday
of each month at the
Greenville United
Methodist Church to
learn more about Girl
Scouts. For more infor-
mation contact co-lead-
ers. Janice and Sean
Carson at *948-6901 Or
contact the Council of
the i4palachee Bend at
386-2131..
MARCH 9
;Big Bend
Horseman's Club, a
new "open horse show"
club, is.startling upin
- ithe' area ?fori albreeds,
and for new 'mefibers
who don't have horses
but have an interest in
horses, or plan to have a
horse in, the near
future. The 'next meet-
ing is 7 p.m. Monday, at
Green Industries
Institute just 3 miles
west of the courthouse
on the south side.
Contact Kathy Shepard
at 997-8404 or
www.bigbendhorse.co.
m for more informa-
tion.
MARCH 9 AND 23
Masonic Lodge #5
meets 7:30 p.m. on the
second and fourth
Monday of the .month'
at the Hiram Masonic
Lodge, 235 Olive Street
in Monticello. Contact
Roy Faglie at 933-2938
for more information.
MARCH 9
Missionary Society
of, Greater Fellowship
MB .Church will meet
5:30 p.m. on the Monday
after the second
Sunday. Call 997-4742
for more information.
MARCH 9
First Presbyterian
Church Relay For Life
team is holding a
'smoked chicken dinner
fundraiser' 11 a.m. to 2,
p.m. Monday, at the
church fellowship hall
in Monticello. The
meal will include a-
smoked chicken quar-,
ter, beans, cole slaw, a
roll, dessert .and cold
tea. .The requested
donation is $5 per
plate. Delivery will. be,
available. fo.r,;. a, mini-
mum'.of two plates for
$2 extra. Contact Ellen
Jerauld at 544-6094 or
997-2798 for delivery
and for pre-orders.
MORE LOCAL
CHILDREN
NEEDED
Feature to run soon
We need m6re children
for our ..TOMORROWS
LEADERS... feature to run
soon In this paper. All parents
that want their children to be
features should call
997-3568
There is NO CHARGE
and' all photos will be
published.
Everyone Is welcome so
help us make this feature a
success.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
* High quality, professional photographs will be made locally and at
no charge or obligation.
* We, as sponsors, will use and display the photos as a tribute to
TOMORROW'S LEADERS...TODAY
* As a bonus, you will see finished color photos (photos used in
the feature e w i be in black ad white) and have an opportunity
to purchase any for your family needs- you are not obligated
to buy anything. No age limit.
'TOMORROW'S LEADERS..." Feature is Sponsored by:
Monticello News &
Jefferson County Journal
Photography by
INTERPRESS STUDIOS
MARCH 9
AA women's meet-,
ings are held 6:45 p.m.
Monday; AA and Al-
Anon meetings are
held 8 p.m. Christ
Episcopal Church
Annex, 425 North
Cherry Street. For
more information call
997-2129 or 997-1955.
MARCH 9
Boy Scout Troop
803 meets: 7 p.m. every
Monday at the Eagles
Nest on South Water
Street. For more infor-
mation, contact Scout
Leader Paul Wittig at
997-1727 or 997-3169.
MARCH 9
VFW Ladies
Auxiliary' Post 251
meets 6:30 p.m. on the
first Monday' of each
month at Memorial MB
Church. Contact Mary
Madison at 210-7090 for
more information.
MARCH 10
Jefferson SHARE
registration 6:30 to 8
p.m. Tuesday at the
Jefferson County
Public Library on
South Water Street.
The cost of the basic
food package is $18.
Contact Martha Creel
at 445-9061 or Leslie
Blank at 556-5412 for
more information.
MARCH 10'
AA classes are held'
every.Tuesday eveauig, ,
8 p.m. for those seeking
help. Located at; 1599->
Springhollow Road in
the Harvest Center.
Contact Marvin
Graham at 212-7669 for
more information.
MARCH 10
Monticello/
Jefferson County
Chamber of
Commerce's general
meeting is held at noon,
on the second Tuesday
of each month and
includes lunch.
Contact Director Mary
Frances Gramling at
997-5552, or monticelloj-
effersonfl.com
MARCH 10
American Legion
Post 49 and Ladies
Auxiliary will meet 7
p.m. on the second
Tuesday of each month
for a business meeting
at the Otto Walker Post
on South Water Street.
Contact President Fred
Shofner at 997-3234 for
more information.
MARCH 10
The Monticello
Phlockers meet at ,6
p.m. on the second
Tuesday of each month
at The Brick House
restaurant. For more
information about this
new club contact
Brenda Wilfong at 545-,
2821.
MARCH 10 AND 24"
Free and confiden-
tial HIV testing will be
held 1 to 3 p.m. on the
second and fourth
Tuesday at Harvest
Christian Center, 1599
Springhollow Road, at
Waukeenah Highway.
Dollar General gift i.
cards will be given to
all. participants. For
more information con-
tact Jamie at 656-2437
,ext. 237,,or,510-,93434iior.--),-
.Melissa at 544-1433.
MARCH 11
Mignonette
Garden Circle, meets at
noon on the second
Wednesday of the
month for a meeting
and program. Contact
Chairman Jan
Wadsworth at 997-4440
for meeting location
and for more informa-
tion.
UNINSUREDD?
We have a sliding-fee program for those who
qualify at Tri-Ciunty Family Health Care.
EPkici. 850-948-2840
TRI-COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE
193 NW US 221 Greenville, FL 32331
Mon., Wed., Fri. 8am-5pm; Tues. 10am-5pm; Thurs. 10am-7pm
North Florida Medical Centers, Inc.
&V' ,i_ 9 C'4Q f Home
THE PRESCRIPTION roR Health
p,)i 4'?S Care
IFree Blood
SFree Delivery For & Pressure
Prescriptions Check
Jackson's Drug Store -
S 166 E. Dogwood Monticello Giftq
850-997-3553 Medication
Z 9,-.. j Counseling
Are You In Need Of
Chiropractic Services?
Dr. Michael A, Miller
180 S. Cherry St., Suite D
Monticello, FL 32344
OMcI GOfV I AVI
OJU-V
3116 Capital Circle NE, Ste.2
Tallahassee, FL 32308
OA 40A II'A A'
/ow e1tUU C B-S ohu -oa
Now excepting Blue Cross Blue Shield and most other insurances
OZUU
'Rare Door
Open from 7 am 2 pm 7 days a week
serving breakfast & lunch.
We now have, WI-FI plus specialty Coffees,
Espresso's, Cappuccinos & Latte's
Open Thurs., Fri., & Sat. 6-9 pm
serving fresh Seafood & handcut steaks:
Thurs., Fri., & Sat.
Call for reservations.
850-997-3133
6A Monticello News
Ak FOUND
www.ecbpublishing.com
EFFERSON
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
COUNTY
Chamber Hears From P S Arts Business
DEBBIE SNAPP
Monticello News
Staff/Writer
Local business
owner David Woodyard,
P S Art, spoke to mem-
bers of the
Monticello/Jefferson
County Chamber of
Commerce about his
business. successes, dur-
ing the Feb. 10 meeting.
PS Art is a picture
frame shop business
located in the Industrial
Park on US 19 South.
The business
employs 45 area resi-
dents and handles up to
3,00'0 pictures, mirrors,
and the like every week.
Most of the orders
are shipped- exclusively
to hotels and nursing
facilities' in the larger
cities across the United
States and abroad.
The company pur-
chases its artwork, mir-
rors, and materials in
bulk for a better price.
Chamber President
Bob Davison reminded
members about the
upcoming Chamber
fundraiser.
The Sporting Clay
Shoot will be hosted by
the Beau Turner Youth
Conservation Center
located at 9194 US 19
South in Capps.
Registration will
begin at 8 a.m. on
Saturday, April 4 with an
awards ceremony at 3:30
p.m.
Prize drawings,
donated by local busi-
nesses and residents, will
be held throughout the
event.
Tickets are $75 with a
maximum of 50 to be sold
and all proceeds will bene-
fit the Chamber.
Committee Chairman
Suzanne Peary organized
another successful
Chamber After Five event
Tuesday evening Feb. 17.
The "block party"
was held on East
Washington Street in
front of Monticello
Hairlines, Attorney
Robert Morris, Starducks,
and Edward Jones.
Approximately -60
members. and residents
were in attendance for the
walkabouts of the busi-
nesses and to enjoy an
array of hours d'oeuvres,
wine, coffee, and soft
drinks.
Door prizes were
awarded. to lucky win-
ners, all donated by the
local businesses of
Capital Health, Edward
Jones, Farmers and
Merchants Bank, and
Starducks.
For more information
contact the Chamber at
997-5552. .
Jetterson Journal E'noto by ueoie bnapp, -eoruary 1u,.zuu.
Monticello/Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Director Mary Frances
Gramling, left, speaker David Woodyard, center, and Chamber President Bob Davison,
right, welcome the P S Art business owner to the February meeting.
*~. rmI
,',, I
Jefferson Journal Photo By
,;Debbie Snapp,
February 17, 2009.
The Chamber After Five Block Party held on Tuesday evening was quite the suc-
cess according to Committee Chairman Suzanne Peary, who organized the event in
front of the businesses of Monticello Hairlines, Attorney Robert Morris, Starducks,-
and Edward Jones. Sharon Morris was ever so helpful in the handing out of door
prizes.
Jefferson Journal Photo By Debbie Snapp, February 10, 2009.
Local business owner David Woodyard, P S Art, spoke to members of the
Monticello/Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce about his business suc-
cesses, during the February afternoon monthly meeting.
Fire Rlesdiue
FRAN HUNT
Monticello News
Staff Writer '
Jefferson County
Fire. Rescue announced
last week, its support of
the Big Bend Diabetes
Community Health
Worker Program in .its
pursuit of the Glosing
the Gap Grant.
DEBBIE SNAPP
Monticello News
Staff Writer
The Madison area
has been selected as one
of five locations for
"Town Hall" meetings to
get important input
from people in rural
areas about health con-
cerns.
The State Office of
Rural Health wants to
know what people who
live in rural areas con-
sider to be the top health
issues.
The information
will be shared about this
process along with
expected results from
the people participating.
Everyone in
Jefferson, Madison,
Taylor, Suwannee, and
all other surrounding
rural counties are invit-
ed to join for this special
meeting.
The facilitator will
be Dr. Gail Bellamy, a
Florida State University
Professor. She will lead
the discussion, and com-
ments and opinions
from the participants
will be documented and
provided to the State
Office of Rural Health.
These sessions
allow local people an
supports Diabe
"We agree that there
is a need to provide infor-
mation on the availabili-
ty of local diabetes serv-'
ices to countyresidents,"
said Chlief Jim Billberry.
"In order to improve
information about dia-
betes services' Fire
Rescue agrees to -work
with BBRHN to create
opportunity to share
what matters to them.
and what- they think
should be emphasized
when it comes. to opti-
mum healthcare for
rural areas.
Rural health hqs
some unique character-
istics related to the
delivery of health care
services because there
are often limited
p r o v i d e r s .
Transportation is often
a key issue, and many
of the people living in
rural areas work for
small companies who
are not able to provide
health care.
Participation in
this .meeting will help
to ensure that maxi-
mum Healthcaree -is one
of the key benefits.
This is a chance for
your opinions to be
heard.
The Madison
County Memorial
Hospital and the State
Office of Rural Health
are co-sponsors for this
event.
For more informa-
tion contact Dana
Leggett at 973-2271
x1944, or Vicki
Howerton at 973-2271
x1966.
ttes ldlcatiol 0Opera House Announces Events Coming In March"
referral opportunities
for patients who receive
emergency diabetes
i related services through
Jefferson County Fire
Rescue, and who may
need follow-up diabetes
care.,
Fire Rescue will
work with Network staff
and the Jefferson County
Health Department, to
craft appropriate infor-
mation, referral forms
and procedures to ensure
that residents who.
receive emergency dia-
betes-related services are
appropriately informed
about and referred for
follow-up.
RAY CICHON
Monticello News
Managing Editor
Robin Kessinger,
National Flat-
Picking Champion
Guitarist, will appear
with Kathie Long and
Carrie Hamby, 8 p.m.,.
Friday, March 6 at the
Opera House.
Tickets are $12 for
adults; $10 for Opera
House members. Doors
open at 7:30 p.m.'
Altrusa of
Monticello and the
Opera House Stage'
Company will present
Nun Bingo, 7 p.m.,
Saturday, March 14.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Admission is $10 and
includes six Bingo
cards,
Proceeds will bene-
fit Altrusa of
Monticello, and
Monticello Opera House.,
Stephen Robinson,
Classical Guitarist is
considered a fine player
with a sweet pure sound,
technique to burn, and a
strong sense of phras-
ing, as described in the
Tallahassee Democrat,
in October, 2007.
He will perform at
the Opera House, 8 p.m.,
EU D-theyJ. htt-o~.r
FmectiveDirect.,
Friday March 20. Doors
open at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for
adults and $10 for Opera
House Members.
A Spring Fling
Dance, featuring The
Chaotics and 19 South
will' entertain 7 p.m.,
Saturday, March 21.
Tickets are $10, if
purchased in advance,
and $12 at the door.
Doors open at 6:30
p.m., along with a cash
bar.
For additional infor-
mation about any of the
above events, contact the
Opera House at 997-4242,
C l C i i nit nt
Board choireo
ANNOUNCEMENT
ELECTION FOR NEW
BOARD MEMBER TO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
TIME: 6:00 pm 8:00 pm
PLACE: Jefferson County Library
Capital Area Community Action Agency is the primary anti-
poverty and advocacy agency serving a 7-county area
including Jefferson County. Meetings are bi-monthly on the
third Tuesday of the month at 309 Office Plaza Drive,
Tallahassee at 7:00 pm.
If interested in serving, please attend.
i ACm ndiu'Smyr %t iUa{. Ii t'U w 1
100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS OUR GOAL
FOREIGN & DOMESTIC
Body & Paint Work Frame Straightening
FREE ESTIMATES INSURANCE WORK WELCOME
1630 E. Jackson St. Thomasville, GA
(located behind Langdale Auto Mall)
229-226-2077
Residents Asked To
Share Health Concerns
WE TAKE THE
DA1,TS OUT OF
ACCIDENTS
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