By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   The regular meeting of the Madison County Board of County Commissioners on June 4 included two appointments to the Tourism Development Council to fill vacancies created by the unanticipated resignations of three tourism council members last month.  In other tourism business, Commissioners also approved the agreement between the Tourism Development Council and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, which includes provisions for an Executive Director among other collaborative features. 
Other items on the agenda included renewal of the county engineering services contract with Reynolds, Smith and Hills and execution of the construction contract with Peter Brown for the Emergency Operations Center.  The board also issued a resolution in support of efforts to introduce Broadband for Rural Healthcare into Madison County.
   The issues behind the recent dispute between the County Commissioners and some members the Tourism Development Council have not been formally resolved, but for now, at least, two of the three vacated positions have been filled.  The TDC, as the tourism council is mostly referred, has designations associated with its member structure, specifically; the positions that are vacated have to be replaced with parties from the same category. 
   In this case, Jim Catron, a Madison City Commissioner, replaced resigning Madison Mayor Myra Valentine, who satisfied the “Elected Municipal Officer from Most Populace Municipality” specification.  The second position filled, from the category of “Elected Municipal Officer from Any Municipality,” the opening that was created by the resignation of Doug McNicol of the Town Council of Lee, was covered by the addition of Town of Lee City Councilwoman, Shirley vonRoden.  The third position has yet to be filled.
   Additional tourism business on the agenda concluded with the unanimous approval of the agreement between the Tourism Development Council and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce concerning collaborative activities, including creation of a permanent Executive Director for the partner project.  The details are essentially centered on the common goal of business growth through promotion where tourism is considered a leading priority.
   In other business, the board voted to extend the contract for county engineering services with Reynolds, Smith and Hills for an additional three years, where Bill Steves represents the firm locally.  The board also executed the completed contract with Peter Brown Construction for the construction of the Emergency Operations Center coming later this year to Harvey Greene Drive off State Road 53 in Madison.  And lastly, updates on the suggested medical/commercial broadband communications network will be forthcoming, although the board did join efforts and issue a resolution so the provider from Tallahassee can go after additional public funding from a large Federal Communications Commission pool being used for those infrastructure purposes.
Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Madison Whole Child Project Setting Program Priorities

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   With the completion of key “listening projects” that were conducted recently to get feedback from various groups in order to set priorities for the Madison Whole Child Project, the group is now preparing to tackle many of those priorities by launching several child development programs in the upcoming months.  Whole Child is structured to consider all major influences involved in the development, or often lack of development, of children of all ages. 
   For instance, the poverty culture that creates many of these challenges affects children directly and through its adverse affects on parents, peers, and the environment.  This in turn forces schools to become part time caregivers, robbing them of essential human resources and time that is required to effectively teach and learn.
   Whole Child Chair Phyllis Brinson recognizes these characteristics of the community, having served as an instructor at Madison County Central School and also as the Director of the Madison Recreation Center on 360A a few miles south of Madison.  In fact, Brinson has also organized a summer program at the recreation center that includes a variety of recreational activities, as well as hot lunches and learning programs, all at an extremely affordable rate.
“Everything we do must be targeted to the needs of the child, meaning the “whole” needs of the child.  Summer programs, and virtually every activity for that matter, should be tooled for that purpose.  The needs are too high and the resources are simply too few to do otherwise,” Brinson explained.
Among the areas discussed as priorities were poverty/unemployment, parenting and housing.  Actually, the mission of Whole Child, which started from directives and funding obtained through the Lawton Chiles Foundation, is broad and essentially all-inclusive.  And while this broad focus presents challenges, Madison Whole Child intends to eat the priority pie chart one section at a time.  Then as root causes are identified, intervention strategies can be generated, executed and adjusted according to those established goals.
   To assist in this effort, Madison Whole Child is requesting participation from parents and leaders throughout the community, a little or a lot, since every aspect of the organization’s mission supports the efforts of both.  For more information about the activities of Whole Child, as well as summer program availability, simply call (850) 973-4633 or (850) 973-2867.   
Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Deer Causes Rollover

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A rollover, involving a car versus a deer, ended with the two occupants of the vehicle being transported to the hospital on Saturday, June 14.
   According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Jontavia Pratt, 20, was traveling west on the highway in a 1999 Ford when a deer entered the roadway.
   Pratt took evasive action to miss the deer by steering aggressively to the left.
   The Ford crossed the eastbound lane and entered the south shoulder.
   Pratt then overcorrected, crossing both lanes and entered the north shoulder. The Ford rotated clockwise and rolled as it entered a ditch.
   The car came to a final rest on its roof, facing north.
   Madison County EMS treated and transported Jontavia Pratt and the other occupant, Jaketa Pratt, to Madison County Memorial Hospital.
   The Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
   FHP Trooper William Ernst was the investigating officer.

Greenville Teenager, Pinetta Man Injured

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A Greenville teenager and a Madison man were injured in a traffic accident on Wednesday, June 11.
   According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Katelyn Annette Scarboro, 16, of Greenville, was southbound on US Highway 221 and making a left turn onto US Highway 90.
   At the same time, Danny R. Richardson, 51, of Pinetta, was westbound on US Highway 90.
   Scarboro reportedly failed to yield the right of way to Richardson and the front of her 1996 Toyota struck the front of Richardson’s 1997 Dodge pickup at the intersection of Highway 221 and Highway 90.
   Scarboro was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries. Richardson was taken to Madison County Memorial Hospital for treatment.
   Employees of the City of Greenville and Madison County Sheriff’s deputies assisted the Florida Highway Patrol at the scene.
   FHP Trooper Bill Grubbs was the investigating officer.

Preserving A Piece Of History In Madison

   Suwannee River Water Management District (District) officials announced the commencement of a large-scale historic preservation project in Madison County on the plantation mansion and grounds once occupied by Governor George F. Drew during the 19th century.
   The project is funded with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historic Resources, Florida Department of State and the District. 
   The project includes performing an in-depth archaeological survey of the ruins; locating subsurface archaeological material; and documenting the very large brick ruins of the mansion and its cistern.
   Extensive historic and cartographic research concerning Governor Drew, the history of Ellaville in relationship to Drew, and related Drew-owned businesses and transportation systems associated with the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers will also be completed. 
   Boundaries of the Governor Drew Mansion Cemetery and its grave locations will be located using ground penetrating radar, and thereafter mapped using a global positioning system (GPS). All tombstones will be noted, recorded and marked for future avoidance. Each of these resources will be evaluated with reference to specific criteria for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
   Edwin McCook, SRWMD public use coordinator and the contract’s administrator says, “The historic resources located within District lands are a non-renewable resource of growing importance to our community. Intact historic ruins which are preserved within a rural setting, such as the Governor Drew mansion site, are especially well suited for preservation and public interpretation.”
   The contract will be executed by Bland & Associates, Inc. (BAI), an archaeological and historic preservation consulting firm with offices in Jacksonville, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. 
   In regard to the project, BAI Senior Historian Sidney Johnston explains, “Governor Drew played a pivotal role in the history of Florida, and his mansion was a silent witness to this story. We look forward to documenting this historic treasure. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Madison County and SRWMD officials in advance for their cooperation. It is an honor and a pleasure to execute this contract on their behalf.”
   During the 1870s, Drew amassed a small fortune from his sawmill and lumber business in Ellaville. He became popularly known as “Millionaire Drew,” a moniker that gained him recognition as an important North Florida businessman.
   In the early-1870s, Drew was appointed a Madison County commissioner, and in 1876 he won the gubernatorial election following a hotly contested vote recount. As governor, Drew played a major role in state and national political events that eventually led to the “Compromise of 1877” and the end of Reconstruction in Florida.
   As governor, Drew counted among his successes the creation of the State Bureau of Immigration, which helped promote settlement. The Florida State Grange was chartered with Drew’s support, and his administration also oversaw the first implementation of county and city boards of health.
The two-story mansion, surrounded by formal gardens, was built in the late 1860’s and was one of the first homes in the area to have modern facilities. It was destroyed by fire in 1970, but the ruins still remain.

Madison County Launches Electronic Recycling

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   As technology grows at a faster and faster pace, so too does the waste created from the flood of electronics that are generated from those changes.  Televisions, computers, game systems, cell phones and music players alike are ultimately replaced by the coolest and newest.  Oddly, unlike old couches and chairs that are comfortably tossed to the curb, people have a tendency to store old electronics, as if the electronics fairy might visit and sprinkle dust over them, bringing it back to life.  Seriously though, when this electronic waste is finally discarded, it needs proper disposal as well, or even better than that, needs to be included in the expanding Madison County recycling efforts.
   Effective July 2008, the Madison County Solid Waste and Recycling Department will formally launch its upgrade to collect electronic waste for proper disposal and recycling.  As noted above, electronic waste includes computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, fax machines, copy machines, cell phones and other assorted electronic equipment and materials. 
   As a reminder, the department is now operating on a four-day workweek for fuel conservation, so residents may drop off their electronic waste Monday thru Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., at the Recycling Center on Rocky Ford Road.  The department is now closed for public drop off on Friday. 
   As always, there is no cost for dropping off these items and everyone is urged to take advantage of these eco-friendly methods of disposing electronic waste, preventing it from being disposed hazardously Additional inquiries may be directed to (850) 973-2611.