Two Killed In Crash

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
A 58-year-old Madison man and a 28-year-old Hispanic migrant worker were killed in a two-vehicle head-on collision on County Road 141 in Hamilton County on Sunday afternoon, August 24.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Jose Faustino de la Cruz-Polonio was traveling southbound on County Road 141 in a 1996 GMC Suburban. The Suburban crossed the centerline into the northbound lane of the road.
Edward Woodrow Smith was traveling north in a 1989 Ford F-150 pickup and collided head-on with the Suburban, which was in the wrong lane.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Polonio was a suspect in a hit and run that occurred on US Highway 41, approximately 10 minutes prior to the fatal crash.
County Road 141 was blocked for about three hours.
Preliminary investigation indicates that alcohol consumed by Polonio may be a factor in this crash.
FHP troopers are continuing the investigation.



Madison County Farm Bureau Accepting Nominations For George Townsend Good Neighbor Award

Madison County Farm Bureau is presently accepting nominations for the annual George Townsend Good Neighbor Award, which will be presented at the local Madison County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, September 16.
This award has been presented annually for the past eight years. The award is given to someone in our community who truly demonstrates what being a “Good Neighbor” is all about.
“Mr. Townsend fit into this category as being a good neighbor to everyone he came in contact with,” said Richard Terry, a member of the Farm Bureau.
George Townsend owned and operated the Madison Stockyards for years and years and his son and daughter and her husband still operate Townsend Livestock Company in Madison.
“Mr. Townsend always had a kind word for everyone he met, and especially, the younger generation. He supported every youth program held in the county and surrounding counties as well. He never met a child he did not really love and have time for. That was what George Townsend was all about,” added Terry.
Terry said, “Farm Bureau is indeed proud to present this award every year to someone in our community who really makes a difference in our world.”
If anyone has a nomination that would qualify for the award, they need to submit the name and a short one-page narrative about the person, which must include why the person deserves the award.
The nomination MUST be delivered to the Madison County Farm Bureau office before Friday, September 5.
The applications will be judged by a committee of the Madison County Farm Bureau and the presentation will be made at the September 16th Annual Meeting.



Landfill Workshop Adds Insult To Injury

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
The City of Madison Commissioners joined the Madison County Board of County Commissioners on August 20 for a workshop to discuss the status and future proposals regarding the toxic contamination centered at the closed landfill on Rocky Ford Road caused by chemicals that came from the nearby ITT-Thompson Industrial Site. As noted in a recent article, the site hasn’t come close to standard following years of a “pump and treat” system that was intended to be complete years ago. Toxic levels, particularly when water tables rise, remain at hundreds of times the safe limit.
There was minimal discussion of new alternatives, although there is the looming price tag for whichever direction is pursued. Many observers were shocked when reminded that the city and county are each shouldering 20 percent of the costs of cleanup. In fact, when the attorney for ITT-Thompson expressed his sympathy at what the community was facing financially and environmentally in dealing with this issue, this reporter caught more than a few eyes rolling considering that the poison belonged to ITT-Thompson in the first place.
After all, the city and county didn’t manufacture any of the deadly contaminant called TCE, therefore wanting ITT-Thompson to step up and absorb 100 percent of the costs, especially after initial reports that they are intending to absorb the entire financial burden for cleaning up their nearby abandoned industrial site that created the cancer-causing chemicals. In a disturbing side-by-side comparison, common sense would have the two situations quite comparable.
In recent developments, a previous city official very close to the situation expressed his willingness to go on record stating that hundreds of additional barrels remain undiscovered. This same party has already spoken to several current officials where he offered physical evidence to accompany his serious desire to support the community in this challenge. Another expert associated with the process expressed his concern that counsel woefully served the city and county at the time the cleanup agreement was executed.
When the meeting broke an underlying sentiment was apparent. ITT-Thompson needs to respect the expectations of officials and residents who attended, as well as hundreds of others throughout the county when they say that ITT should spare no expense in eliminating this deadly threat to the children of Madison County and that they should not rob Madison County of those limited and precious financial resources it does possess, resources that are literally earmarked for causes central to its daily survival.



Mayor Presents Kendrick Key To The City

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Florida District 10 Representative Will Kendrick visited Madison on August 19 to present a few checks and share a memory or two with the grateful supporters who came out to meet him. Dignitaries and guests gathered on the grounds located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Bunker Street, where Kendrick delivered two checks for $33,902.17, one designated for Madison Park and the other for Lake Frances Park.
The Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, referred to as FRDAP (pronounced “fer-dap”), issued the two grant checks that Kendrick passed on to Madison City Manager Harold Emrich. FRDAP grants totaling in the millions have been responsible for parks development throughout Madison County. Mayor Ernestine Kinsey and Town Manager Cheryl Archambault of the Town of Lee joined Madison City Commissioners Sumpter James and Judy Townsend in thanking for Kendrick for his regional and local efforts.
City of Madison Mayor Myra Valentine returned the gesture by giving Kendrick a key to the city. An additional surprise was created when the fifth grade class of Jessica Galbraith from Madison Academy was invited to attend. The class had visited the state capitol earlier this year as part of a government awareness field trip and wanted to wish Kendrick well before he left office. Kendrick is coming to the end of his two-term limit.



Joint Collection Site Approved By City And County

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Madison County is concluding preparation for its 11th Solis Waste and Recycling Collection Center. The site has the unique feature of being the first collaborative effort between the City of Madison and Madison County. Coordinator Allen Cherry and City Manager Harold Emrich strongly supported the process, agreeing that resources could be used much more efficiently by serving both groups collectively.
The new site, named the Madison Central Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Center, will be located on Highway 53 North, tentatively scheduled to open within the next 30 days, weather permitting. The governments have drafted a local agreement that will outline the procedures and responsibilities of county and city, including an outline for use.
At the Madison City Commissioners meeting held on August 12, Cherry and Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator Jerome Wyche briefed the Commissioners regarding joint usage of the site. The City Commissioners were pleased with the presentation and unanimously endorsed the project. Other than that, the site will operate under the same procedures as the other 10 sites located throughout the county.
Specific directions on site usage will appear in a future article when final details are determined. Organizers thanked the Board of County Commissioners and the Madison City Commissioners, stating that this venture will be a giant step in furthering the efficient efforts for keeping a clean and healthy Madison County.