Putnam’s only Locally Owned, Independent, Community Newspaper • Established in 1898. Putnam County Only Serving Satsuma ● Pomona Park ● Lake Como ● Crescent City ● Seville ● Pierson ● Welaka ● Fruitland ● Georgetown ● East Palatka ● Palatka ● Interlachen ● Melrose ● San Mateo 50 January 22, 2020 • Vol. 78, No. 44 Crescent City, FL ¢ Classic movies The sight of smell Scout Report Learn which classics Find out how dogs Scouts build cars helped pave the way see things for upcoming for modern movies. with smell. Pinewood Derby Page B1 Page B1 Page A4 Park closed for re-model Putnam County Parks & Recreation started demolition of the old “Project P.L.A.Y.” play- Remembering King ground area located at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 17 and 19, across from the Putnam Crescent City Honors the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. County Sheriff’s Office in Palatka on Mon. Jan., 20. Expect the new playground and splash pad to be completed by May of this year. Please to do not plan any family events at the play area during this time. Beef and Noodle Dinner The Lake Como Community of Hope Church, at 126 Highland Ave., Lake Como, will host a homemade beef and noodle dinner on Sat., Jan. 25 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The dinner includes potatoes, vegetables, drinks and des- sert for $7 per person. White Elephant Sale The Hope Lutheran Church located at 273 C.R. 309 in Satsuma is having a White El- ephant Sale on Sat., Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are too many items to list so go and see for yourself. All proceeds benefit the missions of the church. Woman’s Club Bingo Night The GFWC Woman’s Club of Welaka will hold Bingo Night on Fri., Jan. 24 at 644 C.R. 309 in Welaka. Doors open at 5 p.m., food will be served at 5:30 p.m. and Bingo starts at 6 p.m. This event is open to the public for a $20 donation. All games will be paid out in gift cer- tificates. Must be 18 years of age. A portion of the proceeds will go towards charities support- ed by the club. For more information contact Ruth E. at 386-336-2846. Classic Airplane and Car Show The tenth annual Palatka Classic Airplane and Car Show will be held on Sat., Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kay Larkin Municipal Airport in Palatka. The show will feature war- birds, antique and modern day aircraft, clas- sic cars, airplane, helicopter and open cockpit biplane rides. Lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m. with donations requested. Sky- dive Palatka will be actively jumping through- out the day. Rain date is Sat., Feb 8. For more information call 386-329-0149 or visit www. palatkakaylarkin.com. Male volunteers needed The Heart of Putnam Food Pantry is in need of male volunteers. Located at 521 South 13th St., Palatka from Tue. and Fri. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help unload food picked up from grocery stores and unload at the pantry. The pantry is operated by an all volunteer staff of good hearted people. For more information call Sandra Bayless at 386 -627-6845. Putnam County Residents of Crescent City honored the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Mon., Jan. 20 with a walk and ceremony at Eva Lion Park in Crescent City. The gazebo, where the ceremony was held, was recently named in honor of the late Marcus Hardy, former Crescent City Commissioner. Dignitaries who spoke were Crescent City Commissioner Harry Banks, Crescent City Mayor Brett Peterson and County Commissioner Bill Pickens. (Photos by Mike Jones) Student arrested with loaded gun Special to the Courier Journal On Tues. Jan., 14 the Putnam County Sher- iff’s Office (PCSO) and Putnam County School District announced that a loaded hand gun was brought on the campus of C.H. Price Middle School in Interlachen. According to reports, an anonymous tip lead to PCSO deputy Colby Eads retrieving the gun Subscribe Today and detaining 12-year-old Jaden Maurice Smith Only $24 a Year! Only $24 a a seventh grader at the school. The tip was given Call 386-698-1644 around 3 p.m., before school was dismissed. there was a loaded handgun that was recovered Smith now faces two felony charges of illegal at my son’s school,” said Putnam County Sheriff possession of a firearm and possession of a fire- Gator Deloach in an interview later that night. Inside arm on school grounds. According to the PCSO Deloach gives credit to school staff, the tip- YOUR ADDRESS HERE! YOUR For home delivery via the USPS. Church...................A5 Smith has been sent to a juvenile detention facil- ster and Deputy Eads for quickly and decisively ity in Volusia County. Community............A3 taking action to get the firearm off of the stu- The PCSO stated that the investigation is still dent. Because of this quick action the gun was Crossword.............B4 ongoing and authorities are not sure at this time removed and the school did not have to be locked how the firearm, which was reported stolen from down. The PCSO said it was a better decision to Faces & Places.....B1 another county, came into Smith’s possession. quickly remove Smith from the other children. Authorities believe Smith may have been in pos- Sheriff Deloach went on to stress the impor- Opinion..................A2 session of the gun for a few days prior to the in- tance of parental involvement saying, “It’s time cident. Public Notices.......B4-5 for parents to step up and take some responsibil- “You can imagine that it made my blood run ity for their children and ensure that they are not Way Back When....A4 cold the moment that I got that phone call that bringing things to school that they shouldn’t.” A2 Courier Journal • Jan. 22, 2020 OPINION A bullet in the arm Where Government Watch Daris Howard City of Crescent City Did that City Commission Meeting February 13, 6 p.m. City Hall, 3 North Summit Street. Meets 2nd Thurs of the After I got over the shock of seeing the bullet in my arm on the MRI, month. 386-698-2525 - www.CrescentCity-FL.com curiosity started to get the best of me. I thought of the years of my life and Town Council of Welaka when it possibly could have happened. I also realized that the bullet was Town Council Meeting, February 11, 6:00 p.m. why every time I had gone through airport screening, I was pulled aside Zoning Board Meeting, Tuesday, February 11, 5:30 p.m. by the security personnel so they could use their magic wand along my leg Town Hall, Fourth Ave. Meets 2nd Tues of the month. and my arm. My leg was understandable. It was held together with more 386-467-9800. www.Welaka-FL.gov bolts than a car chassis. But now, for the first time, I understood why they Town Council of Pomona Park wanded my arm. Still, the question lingered as to where the bullet came Town Council Meeting, February 11, 6 p.m. from. “Ill Wind” Town Hall Council Chambers, 1775 US Hwy 17 S. When I went to work, my colleagues asked what the MRI had shown. When I mentioned the bullet, they were almost as shocked as I was. When [email protected] 386-649-4902 The use of ‘ill www.PomonaPark.com they found out I didn’t even know exactly where or when I had gotten it, Putnam County Board of County Commissioners they were even more surprised. wind’ is most com- monly in the phrase January 28 9 a.m. Regular Meeting “You can’t go around telling people you were shot and don’t even Meets second and fourth Tuesday in the Commission remember it,” one of them said. “You need to make up a good story to go ‘it’s an ill wind that chambers, 2509 Crill Ave, Suite 100, Palatka. with it.” blows nobody any 386-329-0205. “Like what?” I asked. good’. This is first www.putnam-fl.com/bocc/ “I think you should tell people you were abducted by aliens,” he replied. recorded in John Putnam County School Board “And they shot me? Why would aliens shoot me?” Heywood’s A dia- February 4, at 6 p.m. Regular Meeting He shrugged. “Tell people you were escaping, and they were firing at you.” logue conteinyng Meets the first and third Tuesday in the School Board When my one son heard about the bullet, he laughed. “At work, some of the nomber in effect Meeting Room, 200 Reid Street, Palatka. 386-329- the other men sit around and tell tough-man stories. Wait until I tell them of all the prouer- that my father is so tough that he got shot and didn’t even know it.” 0545. www.putnamschools.org bes in the Englishe Pretty much everyone who heard the story had some sarcastic comment. But, if possible, I still hoped to find out where and when I got it. So I turned tongue, 1546: Lane and Road Closures to the one person I thought might have an answer. I called my mother. “As you be muche The following is a list of road and lane closures that “Mom, do you have any idea where or when I could have gotten a bullet the worse. and I may impact traffic through Fri., Jan., 24.