By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Tammra “Tammy” Tuten Webb is the 2008 Lee Citizen of the Year.  She is the middle of three children born to Howard and Micki Tuten. 
   Webb’s maternal grandparents, Wilson and Clarice Barck, settled in the Dowling Park area after moving here from Minnesota.
   Her paternal grandparents, Amon and Edna Tuten, settled in Madison County many years ago and most of the family has remained in this area, including Webb and her husband, Scott.
   The Webbs have three boys: Troy Bradfield, Amon Webb and Chance Webb. The Webbs are members of Midway Baptist Church, where Tammy is a teacher of the Children’s Church Program.  Although a full-time employee of the Madison County Guardian ad Litem Program, she makes it a devotion to help children wherever possible, often doing work on her own time, purely out of the goodness of her own heart.
   An extremely generous person, Webb is always willing to lend a helping hand.  If a family is in need, she makes sure they get necessities.  When a community member requires assistance and an all-out fundraising project needs to be undertaken, she is right there to oversee it.
   Webb has been an active volunteer at Lee Elementary School for as long as she can remember; however, 2008 will mark a sad end to much of that volunteer time, as she won’t have children attending Lee Elementary School after this year.  Webb has been a member of the PTO Board at the school for several years, as well as a lead volunteer in major PTO fundraising events.
   As impressive as her commitments to the children, the school and the needy, Webb has equal devotion to her community.  She is involved with practically every Lee event, such as the annual Lee Homecoming festivities.  Webb also has a lead role in local scouting, especially with the Cub Scout Troop in which her youngest son is a member. Her troop keeps her busy, doing everything from cooking a meal with the boys to camping out on a riverbank with them, and although she may not admit to it, rumor has it that she makes the best 10-layer cake in all of Lee.
   Beyond her cooking and caring, Webb has won the hearts of kids and adults alike, making her a natural choice for the 2008 Lee Citizen of the Year.
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greeneublishing.com.

Vision 2020 Sets Guidance For Ten More Years

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   What do education, housing, public safety, land use, economic development, environmental, health care and tourism have in common?  According to organizers and participants in the recently completed Vision 2020 planning process, these remain the key elements that should be the focus of county resources in the years to come.
   At the fourth and final Vision 2020 meeting held on March 27 at NFCC, committee chairs from each of these eight categories presented a brief summary of his or her respective group findings. 
   Drawing from approximately eight hours of discussion over three small-group meeting periods, wish lists were first created then later culled into a general outline.  From this outline, county organizers must now draft an updated Comprehensive Plan, which is a periodic requirement of state legislation and one of the reasons the Vision 2020 process was launched. 
At the same time, local volunteer leadership will now attempt to draft marching orders for the private sector contribution that will be necessary to meet the lofty goals that emerged.
   For instance, there was mention of getting county schools with “F” ratings to a “B” level.  Another goal stated that more $15-$ 20 per hour jobs must be created.  Still another goal was improving dire health issues.  The list literally covered every major challenge facing the county.  Many declared intentions actually received applause.
   Ultimately, there were few, if any, overlooked issues.  There were however, several questions that committee leadership will take with them as they address these diverse challenges:
           
            “Who will direct these projects?”
            “Who will physically deliver solutions?”
            “How will we organize sufficient volunteers, especially for the disparity issues?”           
            “If it takes money to accomplish, where will it come from?”
            “If it takes specialized expertise to make happen, how do acquire and afford it?”
           
   Terms like Enterprise Zone and Infrastructure, among other components affecting the planning process must be optimized as well.  But among those most directly charged with picking up the process will be the Madison County Development Council (MCDC).  
   The MCDC was also established from county planning legislation that was handed down from the state.  As mentioned above, the Vision 2020 process was in part necessary to fulfill requirements of the Florida State Comprehensive Plan.  Practically speaking though, the MCDC will now become the forum to pick up and advance the Vision 2020 efforts. The MCDC meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at the Extension Office.  Residents are urged to attend. 
To learn more about the MCDC, go to www.madisoncountyfl.com and click on the Development Council selection found along the left side of the home page.
   Dr Elizabeth Bolton from the University of Florida IFAS office, along with her team of Ph.D.s, including Dale Pracht and Mark Brennan, facilitated the Vision 2020 procedure.  Providing both forms and a framework, the team delivered a model that ultimately gave organizers and participants a full range and full ownership in the process.
   “Ownership will remain the lingering challenge,” one planner noted.  “It’s a question of courage in complexity.  One the one hand, most of the key issues raised are too complicated to achieve for even the most motivated volunteers, especially since most volunteers have other fulltime responsibilities.  On the other hand, many of the issues that might be immediately addressed require a very high degree of social courage that’s difficult to find.”
   Also yet to be found are the opinions of those centers of influence and wealth that were absent from the planning process.  For example, simply consider the well-known names that are repeatedly associated with the bigger county proposals from the last two decades, those proposals involving key land and commercial transactions, including those from the deals that didn’t work out.  The views and vital contributions of these first families of Madison County, which includes most of its anchor businesses, were not well represented. 
   Ironically, these founding families and their businesses represent the original planning of Madison County because they brought or grew the businesses, they move the majority of new money and they set the prices for manpower.  Historically, they will use their influence to replace officials, pastors, teachers or any other unwanted effect. 
   The bottom line is that these business owners and financial controllers are also the first people with whom real investors will want to speak when making a decision to introduce any multi-million dollar venture.  And they are also the only people with sufficient social power to quickly break down barriers.  At the end of the day, without their buy-in and resources, even the most extensive planning may just be an exercise in committee fanfare and fulfilling required paperwork.
   The MCDC and other local leadership will now work to connect the dots.  Regardless, and as the name of the process implies; it’s a wonderful “vision” for the county.
Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Superior Trees Named Grand Marshal For 2008 Lee Homecoming Day

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Superior Trees was selected as Grand Marshal for the 2008 Lee Homecoming Day.  President Alan Webb joins wife Amy and fellow associates Summer Jones and Asa Putnal in accepting this tribute. 
   Superior Trees, Inc., located four and one half miles east of Lee on Highway 90, is a wholesale nursery specializing in bareroot and 1- to 30-gallon potted plants from more than 200 species of native trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials, vines and ferns. 
   The nursery was constructed in 1953 by St. Regis Corp. to produce pine seedlings for reforestation.  Then upon acquisition of St. Regis by Champion International in 1985, the nursery was slated for closure.  In response, Alan Webb, nursery manager at the time, spearheaded the formation of Superior Trees, Inc., successfully acquiring the business in 1986.
   In 1994, the nursery hit a monumental milestone when it was recognized as the first single nursery facility in the country to have produced one-billon plants.  The product line has since been expanded to include hardwood species and containerized plants.
   Superior Trees, Inc. now has 20 permanent employees with an additional 25 seasonal workers, having grown from only six full-time employees at its inception.  Plants are now shipped to wholesalers, retailers, reforestation and landscape contractors, and well as forestland owners throughout the southeast.
   The 2008 Lee Homecoming Committee, along with all the officials and residents of Lee and Madison County, congratulate Alan and Amy Webb, Charles Webb and all the fine staff of Superior Trees for their ongoing contribution to the community.
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Two Separate Interstate 10 Bust Bring $32,415 In Cash and Drugs

By Ted Ensminger
Greene Publishing Inc.
   Two Madison County Sheriffs Office Deputies hit pay dirt with two separate traffic stops in March on Interstate 10.
   On Wednesday morning, March 12, at 4:30 a.m., Deputy Dennis Pitts pulled over a 2992 Acura S.U.V. driven by Jeffery Pena for a traffic violation.  While taking enforcement actions, Deputy Pitts learned that Pena had a suspended drivers license and an active arrest warrant from Broward County for failure to appear on possession of marijuana charges.
   Deputy Pitts place Pena under arrest and began to run on check on passenger, Jeffery Luna.  Sgt. David Harper arrived to assist.  Luna came back as wanted by the U.S. Marshall’s Office for conspiracy to commit home invasion, armed robbery resulting in injury.
   Deputy Pitts and Sgt. Harper conducted a felony takedown.  Sgt. Harper began a search of the automobile and found a manufactured compartment built into the Acura.  The Acura was towed to the Madison County Jail for further investigation.
    Sgt. Harper and Deputy Pitts were able to force the electronic compartment and located two plastic bags that were concealed inside.  Once the bags were removed from the compartment, they were found to contain $26,535 in suspected drug money.
   The cash and the Acura S.U.V. were seized by the Madison County Sheriffs Office.
   In a similar story involving the same two officers, but in reverse roles, on Tuesday night, March 25, Sgt. David Harper stopped a 2008 Mazda driven by John Preston Hardaway for a traffic violation.  While talking with Hardaway, Sgt. Harper detected signs of criminal activity.
   Deputy Pitts arrived on the scene to assist.
   Sgt. Harper completed his enforcement action and asked for consent to search the vehicle for illegal contraband.  Hardaway denied the request.
  Sgt. Harper, who is a Canine Officer, informed Hardaway that the canine named “Nitro” would be used to sniff the exterior of the vehicle for narcotic odor.
   As Sgt. Harper went to retrieve “Nitro” from his patrol vehicle, Deputy Pitts patted Hardaway down for weapons.  During the pat down, Deputy Pitts discovered a plastic bag in Hardaway’s front pocket that contained a large number of Oxycodone and Oxycontin pills, also known as “Hillbilly Heroin.” 
   During the search, several more pills were found, including five Xanax pills.
   The estimated street value of the narcotics is $5,880.00
   Associate Publisher, Ted Ensminger, can be reached via email at 2ted@greenepublishing.com

Hospital Spending Hearing Canceled

By Ted Ensminger
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   The management of the Madison County Memorial Hospital has requested that the Madison County Commission cancel the public hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, at 5:30 p.m.
   According to Tim Sanders, Clerk of the County Court, the hospital management is currently considering other options.