March 21, 20.18 Page 5B
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forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County Commissioners approved by a 4-0 vote on Tuesday,
March 20 to contract with Macon-based Pytes Plumbing & Utility Con-
tractors, Inc. on a water main extension along q-harpe Road.
The cost of the contract is $256,157, and Pyles Plumbing was the low
bidder out of eight companies vying for the project.
In other Board of Commissioners'.news:
Monroe County Commissioners approved by a 4-0 vote on Tues-
day, March 20 to start the process of dosing two south Monroe Cotmty
railroad crossings.
District 3 commissioner John Ambrose said Norfolk Southern wants
to dose crossings at Bunn Road and in front of the Methodist Church in
Bolingbroke and instead open up a widercrossing with gates and arms at
Old Rumble Road.
Monroe County Commissioners approved by a 4-0 vote on
Tuesday, March 20 to buy new software to operate fuel pumps at
the county's fuel depot.
Commissioners approve to spend $25,341 from MECO of Macon
for the equipment at the request of county shop supervisor Jeff
Corley. Shop assistant Tammy Wilcox said the county's fuel pumps
have been inoperable at times due to failures by the county's current
system, which has not been upgraded in at least 20 years.
Corley said the cost of the improvements will be shared with the
City of Forsyth and the Monroe County Board of Education based
on fuel depot usage.
County receives Partner of the
Monroe County Commissioners accepted on Tuesday, March 20 an award from the Central Georgia Boys
and Girls Club. Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia president and CEO Phillip Bryant presented com-
missioners with the 2017 Partner of the Year award in conjunction with the City of Forsyth and the Monroe
County Board of Education for the county's support for starting a new Boys and Girls Club chapter in
Monroe County in September 2017. Bryant said the Monroe County chapter, which meets at the Hub-
bard Sixth Grade Campus, has over 160 total members with an average daily attendance of 72 children.
(Photo/Richard Dumas)
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Gilda Stanbery of the Forsyth Convention
and Visitors Bureau revealed on Tuesday,
March 20 that Monroe County has been
selected to receive a visit on Oct. 22 from
the state's tourism resource team to issue a
report on High Falls.
Stanbery told commissioners: "Y'all must
know people in high places because they
were booked through 2020, so how we got
them for a day I do.not know. But I am
grateful"
In addition, Stanbery presented com-
missioners with copies of the new Georgia
Travel Guide, which frequently mentions
Forsyth arid Monroe County, She also
said Monroe County wedding and m et-
ing venues, induding the Monroe County
Convention Center, will be featured in the
upcoming May edition of Atlanta Maga-
zine.
Stanbery also noted the Perry-based
non-profit breast cancer support group Ta
Ta Bang Bang (Shooting Sports for Cancer,
Inc.) will hold a one-day fundraiser shoot at
Forsyth's Meadows Gun Club on Saturday,
April 14. Stanbery said about 400 persons
are expected to participate.
In other Board of Commissioners' news:
Monroe County Commissioners ap-
proved on Tuesday; March 20 to raise fees
at the Monroe County 1 . ndfiU on mobile
homes.
Landfill director Frank Newton recom-
mended rais g the landfill dumping fee for
intact mobile homes from $35 per ton to
$55 per ton as well as raising the disposal
fee for already demolished (unsorted) mo-
bile homes from $35 per ton to $50 per ton.
Newton said the landfill has not had a
request to dump an intact mobile home
in about three years but said he knew of
an upcoming doublewide mobile home
dumping request. Newton, who said only
mobile homes within Monroe County are
allowed to be dumped, said he does not
know of any surrounding county landfills
that even allow the dumping of intact
mobile homes.
New District 4 commissioner George
Emami questioned whether Monroe Coun-
ty should charge even more for dumping
mobile homes than Newton proposed.
However, Newton pointed out that if the
county increases the fee so much that the
cost of disposing of mobile homes becomes
cost prohibitive, then it makes property
owners less likely to get rid of dilapidated
mobile homes. After about 15 minutes of
discussion, Emami, at commission chair-
man Greg Tapley's urging, agreed to go
along with Newton's proposal. Commis-
sioners then approved the measure by a 4-0
vote. District 1 commissioner Larry Evans
in
was absent from Tuesdays meet g.
Monroe County tax commissioner Lori
Andrews requested on Tuesda March
20 for the county to spend an estimated
$31,500 to update computer equipment in
her office to make it compatible with a new
state operating system and software.
Andrews said the mandatory upgrade
goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, and her of-
rice would need its new equipment in place
by Sept. 30 of this year. Andrews, who said
seven computer stations at about $4,500
per station would need upgrading, said
she would get exact figures and come back
before commissioners again later this year.
Bulldogs to host inaugural
Best Ball tournament at
Forsyth Golf Club on Sat.
Mary Persons freshman Cannon Newberry connects on a
shot out of the rough on the fifth hole of MP's three-team
home opening match against Pike County and Tattnall
Square at Forsyth Golf Club on Thursday. The MP boys
and girls golf teams were next scheduled to host Lamar
County and Stratford Academy in a three-team, nine-hole
match at River Forest Golf Club at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The
MP squads will then travel to Hickory Hill Golf Course in
Jackson to face the home Red Devils and Monticello in a
three-team, nine-hole match at 4 p.m. on Thursday before
hosting the first annual 18-hole Mary Persons Best Ball
Tournament at Forsyth Golf Club at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
The MP boys squad will then travel to Newnan to play
in the 18-hole Cougar Invitational on Monday, March 26
before both teams travel the following day to Griffin Bell
Golf Links at Georgia Southwestern in Americus for a
nine-hole match with Schley County at 4 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 27. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
Gait
equestrian title
The Monroe County team of Emme Peterman, Preston Healy, Kalli Holderfield, Emma Grace Echols and Sommer
Donaldson (right and below) did a phenomenal job of representing Starting Gait/Cahaba Sunday at the 2018 South
Region DreSsage Rally (multistate). Starting Gait, located on Johnstonville Road, won first place in Horse Manage-
ment and first place overall out of 12 squads from all over the Southeast in Columbus onSaturday.
Center Administrator Katie Scharnhorst Linscheid said, "Let me tell you this is no easy task when the competition you
are up against is second
to none. South Region
develops solid pony club-
bers and for our riding
Center to be three years
young, this was a mind-
blowing accomplish-
ment. Needless to say,
I am one proud Center
Administrator! These girls
and boys worked hard
as a team, supporting
each other and riding
as a team. Pony club is
not only about riding but
developing equestrians,
including horse manage-
ment skills, team building,
and skills that carry on
for a lifetime. This team
had great learning expe-
riences and lots of laughs
along the way!" (Photos/
Kim Holderfield)
