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Third Judicial Circuit Shares A Father’s Pride
By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
In a ceremony as rare as it was wonderful, on October 3, among a room full of family, friends and community visitors gathered at the Madison County Courthouse, Judge Wetzel Blair performed an unprecedented ceremony that would bring any father to tears and any community to immense pride. On this unique occasion in Florida judicial history, Blair not only got the opportunity to see his daughter, Sara Elise Blair, be sworn in as a member of the Florida Bar Association, but he also had the honor of being the judge to perform the service.
Elise Blair, a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, grew up in Madison, a graduate of Madison County High School. Her mother Marilyn Blair, sister Caroline and grandparents Sadie Blair, Newton Collins and Betty Collins, as well as aunts Donna Blair and Diane Howard, joined cousins and dozens of friends and community for the awesome ceremony, each looking on with her father’s pride and joy.
State Attorney Jerry M. Blair of the Third Judicial Circuit concluded the ceremony by swearing Elise Blair in as Assistant State Attorney, where she will be working out of the Perry office. State Attorney Blair then presented her a framed certificate authorizing and commemorating the event.
The Blair family has been part of the Madison County landscape for generations. Since being elected as Madison County Judge 32 years ago, Judge Wetzel Blair has built an exceptional reputation for fairness and justice, safeguarding the community while never forgetting the human side of the judiciary. All agreed that Elise is a fine example of those same judicial qualities and will certainly continue the Blair legal heritage for years to come.



Commissioners To Hear Wastewater Infrastructure Proposals

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
During the upcoming regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners for Madison County, the board will hear proposals from the top three companies that have been screened by the County Coordinator’s office regarding the construction of a lift station to provide wastewater services to property located on the east end of Dale Leslie Drive near the Lee interchange. This project, which is estimated in the range of $750 thousand, will be funded with a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that is being facilitated by grant consultant Jim Parrish who has proven to be an exceptional resource in this critical county function.
A lift station is exactly what the name implies. In a water system, which is obviously a critical resource for commercial and industrial development, fresh water is made available to a facility using a combination of gravity from towers, elaborate pressure lines and pumps. Removing the wastewater from that same facility, however, has the additional challenge of starting at ground level and often running uphill along portions of the line that runs to the treatment plant. Simply put, it must be lifted there.
So, in order to facilitate this process, lift stations are constructed. And, again, while this is a common industrial project, it is essential for building out the 50-acre site being developed on behalf of the Madison County Development Council.
Several weeks ago, three companies were identified according to criteria established for this specific application, yielding the top three applicants that will now come before the board to award the contract. During the county infrastructure development that runs between Exit 258 and 262 along I-10 was launched a few years ago, these projects have been executed very effectively, although there was one disappointment that arose during this selection process.
Local engineer Brent Whitman, who has steadily increased the presence of his company, Madison Engineering, throughout the county in recent years, was not among the three engineering firms selected. He noted that his firm has earned the credentials to sit at the table for these types projects, further stating that the county should revisit the award-scoring format, which is too heavily weighted in favor of established firms.
Whitman spoke to CDBG Grant Manager, Steve Fellerman, headquartered in Tallahassee, to get more insights for future projects. Whitman said he very much enjoys working with the county and local municipalities; he simply wants an opportunity for more and larger local projects in Madison County where he and his family are proud to call home.



Realtor Objects To Price Of Courthouse Expansion

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
During a recent civic group meeting, realtor Roy Milliron voiced strong opposition to the recent $525,000 courthouse expansion. He emphasized that three separate appraisals acquired by the county averaged $200,000 less than the purchase price, further noting that the best appraisal, one that included a narrative acknowledging the additional benefits of the building being adjacent to the Courthouse Annex, was still over $150,000 lower than the purchase price. Considering these challenging economic times, Milliron suggested others speak out about the purchase.
Clerk of the Court Tim Sanders, who has established a conservative reputation for watching the cookie jar, disagrees with the characterization, and stands firm on his reasons for promoting the building so strongly to the commissioners.
“Several years ago, State Representative Joe Pickens, who sits on the Fiscal Council and Judiciary Committee, was speaking to regional clerks regarding the monies the we received as a “fiscally constrained” county. In the two-year period preceding that conference, Madison County had received about $1.2 million. Representative Pickens stated that using these funds for purchases like the courthouse expansion that are constructive to the county, but might otherwise be out of budget, is exactly how they were intended,” Sanders explained.
The Clerk was very gracious and understanding of the objections that have been voiced, remaining available as needed for discussion. He further thanked the board for their appreciation of this effort and looks forward to the facility serving the county for decades to come.



Do You Know A Real Hero?

By Bryant Thigpen
Greene Publishing, Inc.
The definition of a hero is simply “a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.” To me, a hero is a person who gives their life and donates their time for the cause of Christ, without complaints, but with gladness. Often a hero sacrifices their personal comfort or goes out of the way to do for another, or for God. These are true heroes. They can be found in every church when it’s church time, workdays or any activity involving their church.
In this issue of the Path of Faith, we have begun a series recognizing local heroes. We are looking for individuals who have been the backbone of the church and their family. One who sacrifices their time serving in the church, and someone you can count on, no matter what. If you know of someone who fits the criteria, please contact Bryant Thigpen at (850) 973-4141, or email bryant@greenepublishing.com.



NFCC Board Members Tour Renovated Buildings On NFCC Campus

Tour features NFCC College Preparatory Education Building and new Technology Center

Members of the North Florida Community College District Board of Trustees, left to right, Dr. Bill Brothers (Suwannee County); Linda Gibson (Madison County); Lester Padgett (Taylor County); Verna M. Hodge (Hamilton County); Brantly Helvenston (Suwannee County); Vice Chair Albert Thomas (Jefferson County); and Chair John Maultsby, Jr. (Madison County) toured two of NFCC’s newly renovated buildings on Sept. 16 following the college’s regular board meeting. The tour began in NFCC’s College Preparatory Education Building which houses classrooms, student support services, tutoring facilities, college preparatory education programs, as well as faculty and staff offices. Board members then toured NFCC’s new Technology Center which houses employee development and training facilities, multimedia presentation and video production facilities, and NFCC ‘s computer services department and duplication center. Both buildings were renovated over the summer and now offer the newest technology to students and employees in an optimal learning and teaching environment.