MONTICELLO NEWS 152 Years of Serving the Monticello Community www.ecbpublishing.com Wednesday, December 16, 2020 No. 42 75¢+Tax Monticello man dies in crash Kathrine Alderman ECB Publishing, Inc. According to an official Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) report, on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6:39 a.m., a wreck occurred in Gadsden County. A semi, driven by a 36-year-old male from Blountstown, Fla., was attempting to turn south onto Lanier Road from a private dirt road. Meanwhile, a pickup truck, driven by James William Gaczewski, a 48-year-old male from Monticello, with a four-year-old passenger, was traveling northbound on Lanier Road just north of US Hwy. 90. The semi failed to yield the right of way to Gaczewski and the trailer obstructed Gaczewski 's lane of travel in the northbound lane, causing him to hit the semi trailer's left rear. After impact, Gaczewski's pickup truck rotated until finally coming to a rest partially on the roadway and partially in the east side ditch, facing a northwesterly direction. ECB Publishing Inc. Photo by Laz Aleman, December 12, 2020 See CRASH page 3 A mound of the illegally dumped tires was still at the garbage collection site on New Monticello Road. Law enforcement agents reportedly had leads on the violator and are looking for the individual. Legislative hearing Illegal dumping Thursday at 4 p.m Lazaro Aleman may lead to arrest ECB Publishing, Inc. Lazaro Aleman dumping occurred at the garbage collection site on The Jefferson County Legislative Delegation ECB Publishing, Inc. New Monticello Road, about a mile west of announced last week that it will hold this year’s Monticello and a quarter mile north of U.S. 90. legislative hearing on Thursday evening, Dec. 17, in Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s She said an individual driving a flatbed wrecker the Jefferson County Office and law enforcement agents from the Florida truck and pulling a trailer drove into the site on two Courthouse Annex. Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) separate occasions last week and dumped about 300 State Representative were on the hunt last week for the person or persons tires. Jason Shoaf, chairman of who illegally dumped hundreds of old tires at one of “The first time they dumped about 150 tires at the delegation, and newly the county’s garbage collection sites. the site,” Letchworth said on Thursday, Dec. 10. elected Senator Loranne Beth Letchworth, director of the Jefferson “The next night, they came back and dumped about Ausley will be on hand to County Solid Waste Department, said the illegal See DUMPING page 3 share information about the coming legislative session and address constituents’ concerns and Driver takes curve too fast questions. Jason Shoaf “Senator Ausley and I State Representative are honored to represent the residents of Jefferson County in the legislature,” Shoaf said in announcing the hearing. “I look forward to convening in Jefferson County and discussing state issues that are of interest to local officials and residents.” Held annually, prior to Loranne Ausley each legislative session, Senator the delegation hearings are intended to afford local officials, citizens and organizations an opportunity to meet with the representatives, present legislative proposals or express opinions on issues of concern. ECB Publishing, Inc. Photo by Deidre Myers, December 5, 2020 Typically, the hearings last about an hour or so, A Monticello woman was driving east on Boston Highway when she attempted to turn onto Texas depending on the number of speakers and the issues Hill Road. According to reports, she did not slow down enough to make the turn and crashed into the and concerns raised. ditch on Texas Hill Road's east shoulder. The vehicle then traveled down the ditch, coming to a final rest teetering over the deep embankment. Jefferson Fire Rescue and Florida Highway Patrol assisted The delegation asks that any person or on scene. See HEARING page 3 Waukeenah Highway repaving effectively dead Lazaro Aleman the outcome. already extended once earlier, was set to expire in ECB Publishing, Inc. More than a week earlier, in fact, County December. Attorney Scott Shirley, who had been keeping Shirley said the FDOT’s decision stemmed The Waukeenah Highway resurfacing project, county officials abreast of the legal developments in from the budget shortfall that the department was which had long been in litigation, officially died on the case via periodic executive sessions that were facing as a result of the drop in state revenues from Thursday, Dec. 3, when the Circuit Court issued an closed to the public, informed the board that the decreased fuel and other taxes from business order abating the complaint filed against the county FDOT had pulled the plug on the project. closures and the public traveling less as a result of by a contractor. Shirley told the Jefferson County Commission the coronavirus pandemic. In reality, however, the Florida Department of on Thursday, Nov. 19, that the state agency had But the FDOT, he said, had also expressed Transportation (FDOT) had already earlier sealed denied the county’s request for a second extension concerns about the ongoing litigation, which dates the fate of the resurfacing project, although the of the $3,068,465 grant that was to finance the from April. litigation and COVID-19 undeniably contributed to repaving. The award contract, which the FDOT had See REPAVING page 3 One Section - 14 pages Did you know? Index Honey is the only Puzzle Page.............................................................9 Viewpoints.............................................................2 School....................................................................10 natural food which Community News................................................4-7 Faith & Family..................................................11-13 never spoils. Holiday Shopping Guide.........................................8 Classifieds & Public Notices................................14 2 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 • MONTICELLO NEWS Viewpoints & Opinions Emerald’s Gem Box... C hristian Concepts I’m a Glamma (Again) Global Warming This past Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6:27 p.m., I became a I read a recent Glamma – again! article titled “Should Logan Michael Riley scientists artificially entered into this world cool the planet to stave Emerald Greene weighing seven pounds five off climate ounces and was 20 3/4 inches catastrophe?” It seems Parsons long. He is the son of my those who believe Publisher youngest daughter, Brooke, global warming is a and her husband Clint. Gary B. King threat to civilization Two years ago, I entered into the elite and Guest Columnist think it is time to take amazing group of grandparenthood; and I must say matters into their own being a grandmother (AKA Glamma) has been hands and do something about global absolutely wonderful and one of the greatest joys in warming. my life. (Althought it is still hard to believe that I am Does anyone remember that in the actually old enough to have grandchildren. It seems early 1970s there was “almost unanimous” just like yesterday that I was 25 years old, with two agreement among the scientific community small children of my own. Only now-a-days I don’t that global cooling indicated the earth was have that same youthful energy and it takes me a lot entering a new ice age that would reduce longer to get up off the floor, when playing.) food production on a grand scale, causing As I watched Brooke grow during her pregnancy, widespread starvation, resulting in a my heart swelled with joy, love and adoration. For I decreased human population on the earth knew she and Clint were going to be such good, of 75% to 80%? Now the threat is global loving parents. I felt pride in the woman she had warming. become and reverence, for both she and Clint, in all Brooke and Clint with their brand-new baby son, Logan Michael Riley. Scientific history of global they were doing in preparing everything, just temperatures clearly shows the earth goes perfectly, for the arrival of their new son. old we are, the motherly instincts just never leave us. through periods of cooling and warming. I For the last eight months I have prayed daily for I love my two daughters with my every being! have read reports that as recent as a the safety of Brooke and their unborn child; and now However, I was always told that the love of a thousand years ago the mean global for the last several grandchild would surpass temperature was warmer than it is today, days I have prayed anything I thought I “One thing is for sure …. Grandparenting and civilization was not destroyed. and thanked God for could possibly feel for I do not think global climate change is answering my will make you a different person. Mostly, another child. Some of a threat to civilization; the biggest threat to prayers. you’ll just become nicer than you were as my friends often told me civilization is Congress and those Chicken This birth was a a parent.” they wish their little different, for grandchildren had come Little scientists that advise them. we weren’t allowed first. Others jokingly It has been said that bad weather to go into the hospital. So, for the first two days of said, “I think I love my grandkids more than my reminds mankind that we really are not in Logan’s life, we only had pictures that were texted to kids.” I had always laughed at my friends … not control of everything. I think it is arrogant us and Facetime phone calls to rely on. It wasn’t truly knowing the depth of those statements … until for scientists to think they can or need to until Monday night that we all got to hold him. Oh, I became Glamma. It is truly a special kind of love.