By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.
In their April 20 meeting, the County Commission approved a resolution honoring the late Deputy Marcus Jones, Sr., and also heard a heartfelt proposal from Jones’ friend, Michael Maurice, about renaming part of the bike trail, from Hanson up to the railroad tracks, after Jones.
“He had found a new love,” said Maurice. “When that bike trail was finished, he had bought himself a new expensive bike and he loved riding that trail.”
Jones died suddenly at age 40, of a massive heart attack, earlier this month.
The Commissioners agreed to check with the Water Management District, which is responsible for that section of the bike trail, and take up the proposal at the next meeting.
Fran Pylus, of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), also spoke to the Commission, seeking their help in letting the seniors of Madison County know that her agency is available and ready, to either provide them with assistance, or put them in touch with the right organization that provides the elder service they need. Her agency is one of several in Florida, and her particular AAA is responsible for 14 counties; it is a kind of “one stop shopping” for seniors, for everything from free telephones with amplified audio technology to the organization SHINE that specializes in helping the elderly fill out forms and applications. “We’re trying to find seniors in rural areas to let them know we’re here to help.”
Finally, an ongoing disagreement between the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Tommy Jonas, who owns the Family Fun and Game Center, was resolved. The conflict began severeal weeks ago, when the Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous complaint that Jonas was selling beer without a license. At the meeting last Wednesday, a frustrated Jonas was ready to turn in his beer license and call it quits, when Lt. Ralph Campbell, of the Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco out of Tallahassee, took the podium to clear up the matter. His research had found that Jonas was properly licensed to sell beer, but that the address had been recorded incorrectly, causing the confusion. With that mistake corrected, he stated that Jonas should be able to run his business without any future problems.
