Centennial Celebration Showcases A Century Of Pride

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
     In early spring of 1909, four men gathered in the town center of a community known as Lee — located in western Madison County — to place their signatures on the incorporation papers that marked the official beginning of what would later be called the “Little but Proud” town. On March 28, 100 years later, the town gathered again, this time to celebrate its 100th birthday.
     The centennial celebration opened with an entertaining re-enactment of the 1909 signing thanks to players from the RATT Pack, short for Rural Area Theatre Troupe. Under the direction of Jessica Webb and Judie Baldwin, four performers walked the audience through the signing and a flag raising ceremony. Representing founding forefathers Greenberry Haven, J.E. Witty, Thomas Boone and Bailey Smith, the four actors effectively captured the flavor and look of the time, receiving great praise from all in attendance.
     Following the re-enactment, the crowd filled the recently constructed “Ernestine Kinsey Hall” to standing room only, where a number of local notables were invited to share personal and historical accounts of Lee. Mayor Kinsey presided over the series of speakers, offering several stories of her own, including a brief description of how the town motto originated.
“During a newspaper interview with the Florida Times-Union, Louis DeMotsis, who was mayor for 30 years before me, was being interviewed because the town was going through some tough times. He told the reporter that Lee was ‘too little to exist, but too proud to give up,’ and it stuck,” she explained.
     Other guest speakers representing local government and longtime friends of Lee included: Madison Mayor Jim Stanley, State Representative Leonard Bembry, County Commissioner Roy Ellis, Clerk of the Court Tim Sanders, Greenville City Commissioner Elesta Pritchett, Lee VFD Chief Reese Thomas, Jackie Johnson, Ed Meggs, Louis DeMotsis and Lee Town Manager Cheryl Archambault. Great praise was also given to Thelma Thompson, among others, for her outstanding contribution to the community and especially planning for the celebration.
     Kudos were also extended to Carlton Burnette for furnishing the new flag that was raised during the re-enactment and now flies over City Hall. Unfortunately, the grand finale — an exceptional fireworks show — was eliminated due to severe weather. Fortunately, Marshall Beck magnificently launched the pyrotechnic extravaganza sponsored by Kin Johnson over lovely Lake Brittany a week later, concluding the annual Lee Day celebration.
     Mayor Kinsey graciously closed the ceremony in the same charming manner in which she opened it. As the lights went down in the meeting room bearing her name, one could still feel the moment as though watching a classic movie, except rather than the final curtain falling, the director could be heard saying, “Keep your seats folks. The best is yet to come.”
     Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@ greenepublishing.com.

Four Freedoms Festival
This Weekend

     Special guests, vendors and even class reunions are all gathering this Friday and Saturday for the 28th Annual Four Freedoms Festival, sponsored by Progress Energy, Embarq and the Madison County Community Bank.  The event is hosted annually by the Greater Madison County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
     Many new and exciting changes have been added this year.  According to chamber director, Ted Ensminger, “We are working to make the Four Freedoms Festival the premier patriotic event for North Florida and south Georgia.”  To that end, this year’s event will include representatives from the military from Tallahassee, Valdosta, and Jacksonville.  Special guests include representatives from District 2 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars coming from throughout Florida and Georgia, including a display coming from Moultrie, Ga.
Thursday evening, the North Florida Community College Foundation, Inc. and the Sentinel Upstage Players present a dinner theater play called Lady Pirates of the Caribbean. Tickets for the performances are available daily by calling 850-973-1613. You can also get tickets for just the performance at the door. Performances take place at the Van H. Priest Auditorium at 7 p.m. Thursday and Saturday evening, and a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 18.
     Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the all new Four Freedoms Friday Family Fun Night and the deadline for the Dessert Bake-off at Bali’s Base Street Florist. At 5:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, the festival continues with food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, rock climbing wall, games and bounce houses!  Friday evening events include the annual Pet Contest, sponsored by Christy Killingsworth, at the Four Freedoms Park Gazebo beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. will be the announcement of the Four Freedoms Citizen of the Year, followed by Becky’s Dance Step Studio’s recital, with the new location being the northwest corner of the parking lot at Madison County Community Bank. Music will be played from the Gazebo as the sun sets on Festival Eve. This is a special night for the children and a new format for the Four Freedoms Festival Friday night activities.
     Festival day begins on Saturday before the sun comes up with nearly one hundred booths’ spaces booked by area vendors. Registration for the annual Colin P, Kelly Freedom Run, sponsored by North Florida Community College, begins at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Range Avenue and Marion Street. The one-mile fun run begins at 8:00 AM, with the 5K run beginning at 8:30 a.m. 
     Parade participants will start lining up at about 9 a.m., behind O’Neal’s Restaurant on West US 90. Live entertainment on the Courthouse steps begins at 9:30 a.m. as anxious spectators line up along the parade route. Many special surprises are in this year’s parade, including a judging of the parade entries, with awards being given for the best non-profit entry, the best commercial entry and the best entry overall. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
     The Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion will once again serve as the headquarters for the annual Four Freedoms Quilt and Flower Show. This event will begin on Thursday, April 16, and run through Saturday, April 18. Display hours are from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.
     Also new this year, the 1898 Sanctuary of the First Baptist Church will open to visitors from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The historic building is located at the corner of Pinckney Street and Orange Avenue, across from the old jail. There is no admission charge but donations will be appreciated and will be used for the upkeep of the building.
     The Four Freedoms Diaper Derby, sponsored by Madison Junior Auxiliary, begins at 11 a.m., followed by the Madison Firefighter’s Challenge at 12:30 p.m. The annual Frog Jump competition, sponsored by Tim Sanders and John Lewis, begins at 1:30 p.m. and the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, sponsored this year by Browning & Sons, and Capital City Bank, begins at 2 p.m.
     Also new this year is the Four Freedoms Golf Tournament. The Madison Country Club will be open to the public all day on Saturday, April 18. The Four Freedoms Golf Tournament begins at 1 p.m. and will conclude with a “bring your own steak” dinner afterwards. For information on the Four Freedoms Golf Tournament, please call the Madison Country Club at 850-973-6701.

- - Fleeing Attempt Sunk - -

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
     Two men fleeing from a Madison County deputy did not heed a flood warning sign and they and the black Dodge Charger they were driving ended up in the water.
     According to a Madison County Sheriff’s Office report, Deputy Jason Whitfield attempted to stop the Charger for going 56 in a posted 35 mile per hour speed zone. He followed the vehicle east on US 90, attempting to catch up to it.
     Whitfield observed the vehicle turn north onto Country Kitchen Road and he continued to try to catch up to the car.
     Whitfield advised dispatch that he was attempting to stop the Charger, which was traveling at a high rate of speed. He lost sight of the vehicle around the intersection of Country Kitchen and Dusty Miller roads. He notified dispatch that he lost sight of the black Dodge Charger at 2:03 a.m.
     Bay County Sheriff’s Deputy Albert Willis (who was assisting the Madison County Sheriff’s Office due to the flooding) notified dispatch at 2:05 a.m. that he and Deputy Larry Grainger (also from Bay County) were attempting to stop the vehicle on Hickory Grove Road. Willis and Grainger had been in the area conduct ing a traffic check to establish the residency of drivers attempting to ender the area.
     Willis told dispatch that the Charger was on Bellville Road (Highway 150) beyond the closed road barricades and was in the water.
     Upon Whitfield’s arrival at the scene, Willis and Grainger advised him that two black males, Lee Curry, 32, and Fred Marshall, 32, had climbed out of the windows of the Charger before it was fully under water.
     Marshall, the driver, was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude. Curry, the passenger, was charged with resisting without violence for giving a false name.
Madison County EMS and the Pinetta Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene.
     The vehicle was removed by Ben’s Towing.