ONTICELLO NEWS M144th Year No. 18 Wednesday, May 2, 2012 50¢ 46¢ + 4¢ Election Information Jobless Rate Drops Here, Madison And Statewide LAZARO ALEMAN since January 2009, and represent- persons out of a labor force of ECB Publishing ing a 0.4 percentage point drop 7,136, compared with 753 jobless Senior Staff Writer from the previous month. persons out of a labor force of Jefferson and Madison coun- “This was largest over-the- 7,098 in February. In March 2011, ties’ jobless rates dropped in month decline in the state’s job- the comparable figures were 780 March, reflecting a similar drop less rate since October 1992,” the jobless persons out of a labor in the state’s overall unemploy- FDEO reported. force of 7,199, when the unemploy- ment rate, according to the latest The U.S. unemployment rate ment rate was 10.8 percent. statistics released by the Florida in March was 8.2 percent. Statewide, the 9.0 percent Department of Economic Oppor- For Jefferson County, the 8.0 translates into 836,000 jobless tunity (FDEO). percent rate represents 551 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of The figures show Jefferson persons out of a labor force of 9,282,000. Seasonally adjusted, County’s jobless rate was 8.0 per- 6,846, compared with 562 jobless Florida’s total nonagricultural cent in March, down from 8.2 per- persons out of a labor force of employment was 7,328,700 in cent in February, while Madison 6,827 in February. In March 2011, March, an increase of 10,800 over County’s rate was 10.2 percent, the comparable figures were 599 the month, according to the down from 10.6 percent the previ- jobless persons out of a workforce FDEO. ous month. of 6,840, when the unemployment “The number of jobs in the Four More Florida’s seasonally adjusted rate was 8.8 percent. state was 89,800 over the year, an rate, meanwhile, was 9.0 percent For Madison County, the 10.1 increase of 1.2 percent from Candidates Now in March, the lowest it’s been percent translates into 720 jobless Please See JOBLESS RATE EVENT OFFERS A RETURN In Races For TO STERLING YESTERYEARS LAZARO ALEMAN hold on the grounds of Public Offices ECB Publishing the old county jail on Senior Staff Writer West Dogwood Street on Here’s a chance to re- Saturday evening, May LAZARO ALEMAN turn to the Roaring 20s 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. ECB Publishing and more sobering 30s, if and running until 11 Senior Staff Writer albeit for an evening, p.m. Four more candidates have now pre-qualified for and do so in the name of The theme of the public office, while an incumbent has announced that a good cause, which benefit party, as related he won’t seek reelection, bringing to 29 the total num- should mitigate against by Main Street President ber of individuals likely to run in the coming elec- the guilt of indulging in Margie Stern, is the tions. the excesses and extrav- 1920s, a period character- The four new candidates are Terri Long, Ann aganzas of the former ized by art deco, Prohibi- Herring, Ed Vollertsen and Franklin “Jay” Brooks. era at least. tion, speakeasies, Long and Herring both seek the District 1 School We ‘re talking about ragtime jazz, flappers, Board seat being vacated by Vollertsen. This makes for the fun and fundraising and of course, gangsters five potential candidates who now seek the District 1 event that Main Street Please See School Board seat. Monticello is planning to YESTERYEARS Page 3 The other three are Phil Barker, Colin Baron and Sandra Patterson. School Board races are nonparti- COMMISSIONERS san. Vollertsen and Brooks, meanwhile, seek the Dis- REACH POINT trict 1 County Commission seat currently held by Stephen Fulford. OF NO RETURN Fulford, who had pre-qualified earlier and drawn no opposition, announced late last week that he would ON ROCK MINE not seek a second term because of family considera- LAZARO ALEMAN tions. ECB Publishing Vollertsen is a Republican, the same as Fulford, Senior Staff Writer and Brooks is a Democrat. Commissioners have The other School Board seat being contested is the now metaphorically District 4 one, which incumbent Marianne Arbulu is come to the banks of the leaving to seek the superintendent’s position. The two river Rubicon, or point of candidates in this race so far are Larry Halsey and no return, where it con- Carolyn Loggins-Wade. cerns the rock mine in In the District 3 County Commission race, incum- the southern part of the bent Hines Boyd, a No Party Affiliation (NPA) candi- county; or so mining ex- date seeking a second term, faces opposition from pert Randy Hatch in- challengers C. P. Miller and Vernie Key, both Democ- formed the board in so rats. many words at a recent And in the District 5 County Commission race, workshop. Democratic incumbent Danny Monroe, who is seeking Hatch reminded com- a third term, is being challenged by Stephen Walker, missioners that he had an NPA candidate, and Bernice “Mac” McLeod, an- forewarned them at the other Democrat. start of his assigned task A total of eight candidates are seeking the School to make the rock mine a Superintendent position, four Democrats, two Repub- viable operation that licans and two NPA. there would be several The four Democrats are incumbent Bill Brum- logical places at which field, seeking a second term; and challengers Glover the relationship could be Jones, Valarie Thompson and Dr. Melvin Roberts. disconnected and the The two Republicans are Arbulu and Al Cooksey. process stopped without And the two NPA candidates are Nancy Whitty and the county incurring un- Charles Parrish. reasonable costs. Please See CANDIDATES Page 3 He said they had now arrived at one of those logical disconnect places, possibly the last and final notice Please See ROCK MINE Page 3 The Tigers State Championship Ring Ceremony, which was slated for MARCH ANOTHER DRY, HOT MONTH last Monday night, April 30, was post- LAZARO ALEMAN based on records dating from 1932. The total rainfall between poned. The Ceremony will be held this ECB Publishing This according to the latest April 2011 and March 2012 was Thursday, May 3, at 7 p.m. at the old Senior Staff Writer hydrologic conditions report re- 38.82 inches, making it “the driest JCHS auditorium, pending the delivery The average rainfall across leased by the SRWMD. of all April-March periods since the Suwannee River Water Man- The report shows that three 1932, and the 14th driest of all 12- of the rings. agement District (SRWMD) dur- frontal systems swept across the month periods on record.” (The The public is invited to attend. ing March was 3.86 inches, region during the month, mostly lowest on record, 36.28 inches, was representing 86 percent of the favoring the northern part of the recorded for the period between long-term average for the month district. Please See MARCH Page 3 1 Section 16 Pages Around Jeff. Co. 3-7 Legals 15 Church 8-9 School 13 & 16 Classifieds 14 Sports 10-12 Comm. Calendar 5 Viewpoints 2 Local Index Weather 2 • Monticello News www.ecbpublishing.com Wednesday, May 2, 2012 AROUND JEFFERSON COUNTY STINGERS MISS AND TEEN MISS WATERMELON QUEEN 've read with consid- PAGEANT SLATED FOR JUNE 9 • 7:00 P.M. “Ierable excitement a recent article "Unsafe Building Abatement Or- dinance ready for re- BABY TO TWEEN PAGEANT JUNE 9 • 10:00 A.M. view" WOW, I'm impressed. Now I won- der if / when this ordi- Applications Now Being Accepted nance will be enforced. Makes one wonder if the The Jefferson County months old (separate division 16-24. The Miss contestants will please contact the pageant Mayor / City Council Chamber of Commerce is for boys and girls); 2-3 years old be judged during a private in- chairman, Emerald Greene, at members or the County Commissioners have pleased to announce that the (separate division for boys and terview, a sportswear competi- 997-3568, or 973-4141, or 973- some financial interest Watermelon Festival Pageants girls); 4-6 years old; 7-9 years tion and an evening gown 3497. in certain properties will be held on June 9, at the old; and 10-12 years old. Each competition. with all the foot drag- old Jefferson County High girl/boy will compete in the Every contestant will re- ging, that has gone on School auditorium, located on “formal wear” competition ceive a trophy and the queens for multiple years ????? South Water Street. This marks only. in each division will receive a Someone mentioned the second year the event is The Teen Miss Watermelon crown, trophy and sash. "Spineless Jerks", for not signing their name, being chaired by Emerald and Miss Watermelon pageant There is a $50 entry fee to not me - Gordon Mc- Greene. This year’s pageants will be held at 7 p.m. on June 9. enter the pageant. The dead- Cleery will include age divisions from The Teen Miss Watermelon line to enter the pageant is May birth through 24 years old. division is for girls ages 13-15 4. Applications may be picked The Baby to Tween pag- years old. Each young lady will up at the Monticello/ Jefferson Email your eant will be held on June 9 at 10 compete in sportswear, and an County Chamber of Com- stingErs to: a.m. The age divisions are: 0-11 evening gown competition. merce, Bugsy’s Bling and the monticellonews@ months old (separate division The Miss Watermelon Monticello News Office.