Lee Volunteer Fire Department Fights Fire - Twice!!

By Ted Ensminger
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   It could be called the fire that just would not go away. 
   The Lee Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, March 9.  According to Fire Chief Reese Thomas, the fire was located on SE Gilbert Trail just off Rogers Sink Road, in a 60 foot by 80 foot enclosed pole barn.  The barn was owned by Don and Lori Willis of Madison. 
   “The fire was very hot,” states Thomas.  “We just can’t thank the other departments that came to our rescue enough!” he continued.  “They did a great, great, great, great job!” he exclaimed.
   The Lee, Pinetta, New Home and Madison Fire Departments all responded to the stubborn blaze.  “We are so thankful for those other guys, it all ran like clockwork.  And everyone was really tired, thank the Lord no one was hurt.” 
   The fire fighting squads were on the scene until approximately 4:30 a.m. Monday morning.  The pole barn was a total loss, but the apartment at the end of the pole barn may have some items that are salvageable.
   No livestock or equipment was lost in the fire, although Lori Willis received blisters while evacuating equipment from the barn.  Thomas reports that her condition is good and she should be just fine.
   After a long night of fire fighting, the LVFD was called to duty once again at the same location at approximately 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 10.  While trying to remove some of the items from the apartment, apparently the fire restarted and the LVFD needed to be called once again.  Approximately one hour later the fire was out and the crew set forth for a well-deserved rest.
   It is believed that the fire was cause by an electrical spark.

Associate Publisher Ted Ensminger can be reached via email at 2ted@greenepulishing.com.

Claymore “Boogie” Schnitker Dies

   Mr. Claymore “Boogie” Schnitker, age 79, died Sunday, March 9, 2008, at his home in Madison, surrounded by his family.  Funeral services will be Wednesday, March 12, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Madison.  He was born in Jacksonville, the son of the late Henry E. Schnitker and Bess Souders Schnitker.  He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Walteria Wooten Schnitker; two sons, Clay A. Schnitker and his wife, Kay, of Madison, and Mark B. Schnitker and his wife, Cil; four grandchildren, Jennie, Ben, Evan and Matthew Schnitker; and a close fiend and caregiver, Twanna Holden.
   Boogie attended the Cherry Lake Farm School, and graduated from Madison High School in 1946.  In high school he played and lettered in football, basketball and baseball.  He also graduated with an Associates of Arts degree from North Florida Junior College, and was in one of its first graduating classes.  He was recently honored, with his son Clay, as a distinguished alumni by what is now North Florida Community College.  Boogie was later appointed to the Board of Trustees of North Florida Community College in 1986, where he served for 13 years.  He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1999.  Both of Boogie’s sons and his granddaughter graduated from North Florida Community College, and his grandson, Evan, now attends North Florida Community College.  
   Boogie worked for what is now Wachovia Bank for 47 years before his retirement in 1994.  He began work at the bank when the bank was known as Florida First National Bank of Madison, then left to serve his country as a sergeant in the United States Air Force.  He served in the Korean War, and was stationed in Guam and Okinawa.  After leaving the service he returned to Madison to again work at the Bank.  Over the years the bank’s name changed to Florida National Bank, then Southeast Bank, then First Union, and is now Wachovia Bank.  Boogie was elected president of the bank in 1966, and continued to serve as president until his retirement in 1994.  He continued to serve on the Board of Directors of the bank after his retirement.  Boogie also served for several years as a Director of the Florida Bankers Association.
   Boogie was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Madison, where he was a deacon and sang in the choir for many years.
   Boogie loved Madison and was very active in this community.  He was a founding member of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, where he also served as president. 
   He was also a member of the Madison Lions Club and served as its president.  He was a member of the Madison Gator Club, and loved attending gator football games.  And for several years  Boogie served as a Director of the North Florida Livestock Association.
   When his sons were young, he established the “Biddy Basketball” program, and coached there for many years.  Biddy Basketball was a program for all young children in Madison to learn and play basketball competitively prior to reaching the school sponsored programs.    
   After his retirement, Boogie began riding horses, and was a proud member of the Madison County Sheriff’s Posse and the Madison Trail Riders Club.  He loved to play golf, ride his horse Sam, travel, watch the Madison County High School Cowboys play baseball, and spend time with his grandchildren.
   Boogie had many friends in this community, and helped many people in both his job at the bank and through his community activities.

Madison County Prescription Drug Discount Card Available March 14
“It can be used by all residents”

   On Friday, March 14, Madison County will launch a discount card program to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs.  The county is making free prescription drug discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) that offers average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.
   The cards may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage, and are accepted at all of the county’s pharmacies.  A national network of more than 57,000 participating retail pharmacies also will honor the NACo prescription discount card.
   “Madison County is proud to be one of the counties nationwide participating with NACo,” said Allen Cherry, County Coordinator.  “The NACo prescription discount card offers significant savings for the uninsured and underinsured residents of our county, and even those fortunate to have prescription coverage can use the card to save money on drugs that are not covered by their health plan.  Residents do not have to be Medicare beneficiaries to be eligible for this program.”
   Best of all, there is no cost to county taxpayers for NACo and Madison to make these money-saving cards available to residents.
   Cards will be available at the following locations:  each pharmacy, the Health Department, the Public Libraries, Madison County Court House, Madison City Hall, Greenville Town Hall and Lee Town Hall.  Residents will also be able to come by the Board of County Commissioners boardroom in the Courthouse Annex to pick up a card on Friday, March 14, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  County residents can also call toll free 1-877-321-2652.
   “Using the NACo prescription discount card is easy,” said Cherry.  “Simply present it at a participating pharmacy.  There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use.  Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.”

Ru’Shauntah Jackson Wins Miss Essence And Kortnie Page Wins Jr. Miss Essence

By Tyrra B Meserve
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Both the Miss Essence and the Jr. Miss Essence Pageants of Madison County were held Sunday, March 24, at the Van H. Priest Auditorium, located on the NFCC campus. The Morningstar M.B. Church and Radio Station WMAF 1230AM, in conjunction with North Florida Community College, were this year’s sponsors of the Miss Essence and Junior Miss Essence Pageant of Madison County. Entitled The Colors of Life, not only was the pageant beautifully put together, but the ladies that participated were diverse in looks, talent and style. Radiating confidence, character and class, the contestants were stunning examples of young ladies that will be winners in life, no matter what course they choose after the days of pageant have passed.
   The Junior Miss Essence Pageant, open to girls aged 12 to 15, was a new edition this year to Madison’s annual Miss Essence event. Younger ladies joined the competition for the Jr. Miss Essence title, preparing for the day that they will move up the ladder to the next step of Miss Essence. Younger, but no less talented, poised or pretty, the Jr. Misses took the stage with a confidence that was unexpected for girls so new to the pageant circuit.
   After Pastor Oliver Bradley welcomed and introduced the M.C.s of the Miss Essence Pageant, Ms Edna Haynes Turner and Mr. Jerome Wyche took over. It was their turn as M.C.s to then introduce the Pageant’s judges and tabulation committee, followed by the contestants. The audience was treated to vocal and dance routines, spoken word poetry, eveningwear competitions, and finally, impromptu questions as one by one the Misses and Jr. Misses took the stage, displaying an impressive array of abilities.
   When the final results were tallied, there could be only one Miss Essence, and one Jr. Miss. RaShuntah Jackson was crowned Miss Essence 2008, in the 16 to 19 age group. Jakira Moore took first runner up position, with second runner up being awarded to Crystal Ford. Kortnie Page was the winner of the Jr. Miss Essence selection, while Romane` Morris took first runner up and Tyneshia Arnold made second runner up. Crowned by former pageant winners Ashley Parrish and Shara McNair, the girls owned the stage upon which they won their titles.
   All of the participants of the pageant should be proud of themselves for the confidence and preparation they obviously put in to their portions of the competition. Each girl was uniquely fabulous, displaying individual style and poise as she walked the stage, from the youngest to the most experienced, each brought their own personal touch to the collaboration.
   The Pageant Committee wishes to thank everyone involved in this year’s Miss Essence Competition, those who assisted, and all that supported the pageant and pageant contestants. An incredible way for young girls to learn style and grace, how to walk talk and perform with the essence of a princess, may the Miss Essence Pageant continue in the years to come to help further the community’s girls to further themselves on their life paths of tomorrow.