By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   The graduation rate at the high school was 66.0 percent and the number of dropouts for Madison County for 2006-2007 was low during the 2006-2007 school year, coming in at 5.5 percent.
            A breakdown of the dropouts by race were as follows:
            •White/non-Hispanic – 24
            •Black/non-Hispanic – 37
            •Hispanic – 4
            •Asian/Pacific Islander – 0
            •American Indian/Alaskan Native – 0
            •Multiracial – 0
   The graduation rate at Madison County High School was 66.9 percent.
   A total of 134 students received standard diplomas last year from the high school. A breakdown by student sex and races were as follows:
•White/non-Hispanic females – 45
•White/non-Hispanic males – 36
•Total whites receiving a standard diploma – 81
•Black/non-Hispanic females – 25
•Black/non-Hispanic males – 25
•Total blacks receiving a standard diploma – 50
•Hispanic females – 3
•Hispanic males – 0
•Total Hispanics receiving a standard diploma – 3
A total of 26 students received special diplomas. Those receiving special diplomas are broken down as follows:
•White/non-Hispanic females – 1
•White/non-Hispanic males – 2
•Total whites receiving a special diploma – 3
•Black/non-Hispanic females – 11
•Black/non-Hispanic males – 12
•Total blacks receiving a special diploma – 23
•No Hispanics received a special diploma
   A total of 23 students received certificates of completion for 2006-2007. Twelve of the students were black females and thirteen were black males. No whites or Hispanics received certificates of completion.
   Twenty-eight students received their General Equivalency Diploma. Twenty were white males and eight were black males. No female of any race and no Hispanic males received their equivalency diploma.

20th Of May Pageant Set For Friday

   The 20th of May Pageant will be held Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at the Madison County Recreation Center. Contestants for 2008 pictured, top row, left to right: Kristen Kennedy, Katisa Robinson and Shonice Wilson. Bottom row, left to right: Cierra Davis, Tamara McCall and Quinesha Farmer.

Bill Goza Dies

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Bill Goza, a successful lawyer, judge and teacher who gave the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion to North Florida Community College, died Tuesday, May 6, in Gainesville, at the age of 90.
   A fifth generation Floridian, Goza was born August 18, 1917 in Madison. He was a direct descendent of John Francis Webb, a signer of the Florida Constitution.
   Goza, who moved from Madison to Clearwater at the age of three, was a 1938 graduate of the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Blue Key, Pi Kappa Alpha and president of the John Marshall Debating Society.
   In 1941, he received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Florida Law School.
   Following graduation from law school, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served as first lieutenant of the 54th Armored Field Artillery.
   In addition to being a successful attorney, Goza had a passion for Florida history and forensic science. He was twice president of the Florida Historical Society, a student of the Seminole Indians and a board member of the Seminole Wars Foundation, participating in the Dade Battle Talks, the Ft. King Road March and the Prince Diary Acquisition at the University of Florida.
   Because of his interest in forensic science, Goza participated in the investigations of the circumstances surrounding the mysterious deaths of President Zachary Taylor, Francisco Pizzarro, the family of Czar Nicholas II and Joseph Merrick, “the Elephant Man.” His work led him to become a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and associate director of the Maples Center for Forensic Medicine.
   Goza was responsible for restoring the Wardlaw-Smith House in Madison, now known as the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Conference Center and still referred to by locals as “the Mansion.”
   Goza also donated his extensive collection of rare and unique items such as historical newspapers, imprints, photographs, archaeological reports and books to the University of Florida.
   In 1976, the University of Florida gave him a Distinguished Alumnus Award.
   “I have many fond memories of my days as a Gator and I am thankful every day for the opportunities the University of Florida has granted me,” Goza said in an interview before his death.
   Goza is survived by his wife, Sue; two daughters, Ann Folsom and Mary Rouse; a devoted son-in-law and good friend, Wayne Folsom; three grandchildren; his sister, Hazel McLeod;  and a niece and a nephew.
   Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, May 24, 2008, at the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Conference Center in Madison. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Madison.

BOCC Praises Progress And Teamwork

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   During the regular meeting of the Madison County Board of County Commissioners held on May 7, Commissioners received one positive update after another, each illustrating solid progress along with the teamwork that supported the process.  Beginning with a rich review from Lisa Flournoy regarding the Junior Auxiliary Cans 4 Kids project, to the favorable County Financial Audit Report, all in attendance were visibly impressed with the news.
    Flournoy opened by extolling the benefits, socially and financially, of recycling programs in general.  On a local level however, things got much more personal, as she crusaded for the continuation of the county partnering in charitable recycling projects.  Recycling Coordinator Jerome Wyche and the board were in full agreement.  On an official note, they requested all interested charities receive notification and be allowed an opportunity to submit an application to be considered for funding.
   The board also voted unanimously to formalize and post the position for an Executive Director who will direct the collaboration between the Tourism Development Council and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. 
Additionally, in the area of stimulating local growth, the board voted unanimously to join the North Florida Economic Development Partnership.  A public/private partnership, the organization has historically supported growth in the region through such things as grants, collaborative efforts with the Regional Planning Council and Workforce Development Board, as well as serving as the direct agent for the North Central Florida Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern (RACEC).
   Regarding the Annual Financial Report, which covered the year ending September 30, 2007, Frank Mercer of Lanigan & Associates P.C. presented an overview of findings to the board.  In a brief computerized presentation, Mercer summarized the numbers, painting a picture of financial health.  In fact, there was only one minor qualification in the area of accounting for ambulance services, which was a topic addressed and resolved later in the meeting.  In total, assets were up, expenses were in line with expectation, and although future budgets will face economic challenges from cutbacks and changing legislation, on a local level the county continues its progress through good teamwork.
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

David Paulk Announces Candidacy For Sheriff Of Madison County

   I, David Paulk, take this opportunity to announce my candidacy for the office of sheriff of Madison County.
   I would first like to tell you a little about myself. I was raised in Suwannee County just across the river. I attended the public Schools and graduated high school in Live Oak, Florida. I later attended North Florida Junior College receiving an associates of arts degree. I am the middle child of eleven children and I was raised on a farm where hard work and honest family values were taught. My parents taught me that if I wanted something bad enough that hard work was the best way to acquire it. They took me to church regularly and taught me that lying, stealing, and cheating were wrong. If someone committed these acts, swift, sure, and necessary punishment was the consequence.
   In 1971 I met and married Caroline Brock of Day, Florida. We have been married for 36 wonderful years wherein we raised three sons: David M.. Paulk, II, Elias J. Paulk, and Robert Brock Paulk. We chose to raise our sons here in Madison County and all three attended and graduated from the public schools. My oldest son David is a Baptist minister and a professor at North Florida Community College. Elias, my middle son, is a Baptist minister and currently serves as the youth minister at the First Baptist Church of Madison. He also teaches at Madison County High School. My youngest son Robert is employed by the New York Mets Sterling Corp. of New York as a professional baseball pitcher. Robert has been playing professional baseball for six years. My wife Caroline and I are members of Ochlawilla Baptist Church and we live on north Rocky Ford Road between Cherry Lake and Pinetta here in Madison County.
   I have been in private business for thirty five years as a surety agent better known as a Bail Bond agent. I work the courts of North Florida and South Georgia., I am licensed through the Florida Department of Insurance and have taken and completed over 200 hours of Criminal law and Court related classes to maintain my license as a bail agent. I have spent hundreds of hours in court and I have a thorough knowledge of the laws of Florida and how they apply to the public. My job gives me experience working with the courts of the state of Florida and with the people
of Madison County.
   To operate and maintain a successful small business in this day and age requires a variety of skills. One must not only know the public they serve, you must also have a working knowledge of tax laws, small business rules and regulations, state and county laws and regulations, as well as city laws and regulations. Due to the ever-changing economy, one must be able to write out, maintain, and operate a viable budget in order to compete. I have gained these skills through my operating a successful business for over thirty-five years here in Madison County.
   The Sheriff’s Department operates on a budget of over three and a half million dollars. The Sheriff’s Department should be operated by someone who knows how to operate a business. This is the only way that all our tax dollars and resources will be utilized effectively. The experience and knowledge I have acquired while managing a business and working with the courts of North Florida, as well as my knowledge of the laws of Florida qualify me as the best candidate for the job as your next sheriff.
   Any Madison County law enforcement officer will tell you that 85% or more of the crime and most of the domestic problems we have in Madison County are a direct result of either drugs and or alcohol. If elected as your Sheriff, I WILL form a drug and alcohol enforcement team to work on cleaning up Madison County's drug problem. I know we will never be able to get rid of all the drugs on our streets but my goal is to put as many of the drug dealers in prison as I can if they don't stop peddling their poison in our county. We need to keep pressure on them and if we keep putting them in prison they will quit dealing or find some other place to go and live.
   If you elect me as your next Sheriff I will maintain a reasonable budget and provide prompt, dependable service to you the public I serve. I will hire and provide well trained officers and personnel to serve you, the citizens of Madison county. If elected as your sheriff I intend to hire a full time grant writer for the Sheriff's Dept. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars available to assist small counties such as Madison. By doing this I will be able to provide service at a more reasonable cost to the tax payers and citizens of Madison County. A grant writer can acquire grants valued at five to ten times what it cost for the department to hire him. I will make a difference that you will be able to see. I believe that community patrolling is important and high visibility of officers can deter crime. My officers will be visible and patrol on a daily basis, in your community. MY goal as your next sheriff is to make Madison county a better place to live
and raise our children and grandchildren.                                         
   I am running as a Democrat and I need your vote and support in this first election on August 26, 2008. I will try to contact as many of you; the Madison County citizens as possible and ask you for your vote and support. For those that I miss please consider me for your next Sheriff with your vote.
   I would like to thank my many friends and neighbors that have stopped by my office or called to encourage me to run for this office, I am not accepting contributions to my campaign but I do need your support, prayers, and votes to help me win this election.
   If anyone has questions or input feel free to call me at any time at my office 850-973-8432 or my cell 850-253-5586.
   Thank you for taking the time to read this announcement and please take the time to vote and I would appreciate your voting for me. David M. Paulk For Sheriff.
   Pd. Pol. Adv. Paid for and approved by David M. Paulk Democrat for Sheriff of Madsion County.