The Colquitt/Miller County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Mayhaw Pageant Saturday night, September 9, 2006, at the Miller County Elementary School Auditorium.
The theme for this year’s pageant was “Celebrating Miss Mayhaw.” The theme was carried out in the stage decor.
The pageant got underway with the singing of the “National Anthem” by Mr. Eddie Whitaker.
Vincent Edenfield introduced the mistress of ceremonies for the evening’s pageant, Debra Atkinson, a chamber of commerce board member.
The pageant featured 31 lovely ladies vying for the titles of Tiny Miss, Little Miss, Junior Miss, Teen Miss, and Miss National Mayhaw.
The pageant got underway with the reigning queens’ production number to “Celebration.” The 2005 queens are Tiny Miss, Savannah Hall; Little Miss, McKenna Locke; Junior Miss, Rachel Grimsley; Teen Miss, Jordie King; and Miss National Mayhaw, Jessica Parks.
“Holiday” brought to the stage the Tiny and Little Miss contestants as each of them were introduced.
The Junior Miss, Teen Miss, and Miss were welcomed to the stage by “Let’s Get This Party Started,” and each contestant introduced themselves to the audience and judges.
Mistress of Ceremonies, Debra Atkinson then introduced the judges and the auditors for the night’s pageant.
After the Tiny Miss and Little Miss walk and on-stage question, the audience was entertained by Junior Miss Mayhaw, Rachel Grimsley.
The Teen and Miss contestants were then welcomed back to the stage as they did their verbal communication on “I feel like celebrating most when...” followed by entertainment by the mistress of ceremonies, Debra Atkinson.
Before crowning the Tiny Miss and Little Miss, Savannah Hall and McKenna Locke gave their farewell speech and took their final walks.
In the Tiny Miss division, Most Photogenic was awarded to Caroline Middleton; Prettiest Dress, Kate Pope; and People’s Choice, Caroline Middleton. Second runner-up was Caroline Middleton; first runner-up was Kate Pope; and the new Tiny Miss Mayhaw is AnaLeigh Cook. Others competing were Paige Williams, Madison Roland, and Harley Shiver.
Little Miss winners were Most Photogenic, Paige Bailey; Prettiest Dress, Kara Williams; Spirit Line winner, Jordan Temples; Overall Spirit Winner, Sydney Thomas; and Peoples’ Choice, Kiley Harden. Third runner-up was Sydney Thomas; second runner-up was Kiley Harden; first runner-up was Kara Williams, and the new Little Miss Mayhaw is Jillian Hawkins. Others competing in the pageant were Katyln West, Lindey Buckhalter, Haley Chandler, and Amber Watson. After a ten minute intermission, Jessica Parks, the reigning Miss National Mayhaw, and Jordie King, the reigning Teen Miss Mayhaw introduced the visiting queens.
The Junior Miss, Teen Miss, and Miss contestants competed in their on-stage walk and questions, followed by entertainment by the 2005 Tiny Miss Mayhaw, Savannah Hall, and Little Miss Mayhaw, McKenna Locke.
Before the crowning of the Junior Miss, Rachel Grimsley gave her farewell speech and walk, followed by the crowning of the new queen. The Photogenic Award winner was Ansley Phillips; Prettiest Dress award was Brittany Beard; People’s Choice was also Ansley Phillips. Second runner-up was Julia Grimsley; first runner-up was Megan Tharp, and the new Junior Miss Mayhaw is Brittany Beard. Others competing in this group were Maegan Harrison and Taylor Ball. Jordie King, the reigning 2005 Teen Miss Mayhaw gave her farewell speech and made her final walk before crowning the new winner. Prettiest dress award went to Amber Pickett; Photogenic award winner was Audrey Runnels; People’s Choice award was Asilynne Strickland. Second runner-up was Audrey Runnels. First runner-up was Courtney Brownlee, and the new Teen Miss is Amber Pickett. Other contestants were Megan Bush and Charlea Hall. Miss National Mayhaw, Jessica Parks, made her final appearance to the stage as she gave her farewell speech and took her final walk before the new queen was announced. First runner-up was Julie Calhoun. Julie also received the Peoples Choice Award. The new Miss National Mayhaw is Lauren Arnold.
These five new queens will reign over the 25th annual National Mayhaw Festival, which will be held the third Saturday in April, 2007, at Spring Creek Park. They will also promote the festival as guests in other parades and events.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of all the girls to make this pageant memorable. The participation of all the volunteers, family and sponsors have come together to make the National Mayhaw Festival Pageant a highlight of the chamber’s year,” stated Veryl Garland Cockey.

This week’s edition is filled with information on how and why our farm industry should be as careful as possible while harvesting this crop.
The farmers and farm equipment are already in the fields and on the roads getting from one area to another, starting to gather what looks to be a fine crop. Most of the corn crop has been harvested. Some of the peanuts are beginning to be plowed and picked in the county. Over the next few weeks, the harvest season should be in full force with some of the largest tractors and gathering equipment imaginable. Some of the equipment is so large that it is hard to get it down some of the dirt roads, and it takes up both lanes of traffic on a two lane highway.
Please be patient and courteous as our farmers move this equipment from one area to another.
Farmers, please be as careful as possible. We need you for another crop year. Don’t get in too big a rush and don’t break the law by pulling too many trailers to market and between fields. If you must move those trailers and equipment after dark, make sure the lights are working properly. Farm safety makes good sense and saves lives. It could be your life or your loved ones.
We hope everyone has a successful crop year. Farming is our livelihood.

The Miller County Board of Commissioners adopted that there will be a special election on September 19, 2006, for the purpose of submitting to the electors (Voters) of Miller County the following question:
Shall a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district of Miller County for a period of time not to exceed six years and for the raising of an estimated amount of $3,600,000.00.
This special sales tax will be used for the funding of roads, streets, bridges, emergency medical services, sheriff’s department, county buildings for Miller County, the fire department, and the City of Colquitt.
This tax is a new sales tax to be voted for an additional new one cent on the taxable property purchased inside the limits of Colquitt and Miller County. You are voting to raise the sales tax for the stated uses. This is not an extension of the former SPLOST sales tax that was enacted four years ago. That tax will cease when it has collected the amount of sales taxes that it was designed to collect. The purpose of the tax being collected now was distributed differently and was supposed to have been spent on different capital expenditures.
The new sales tax will be distributed at a different rate for the city and county and will be spent for different purposes. The new sales tax will last for six years and will not have a cap, so it can collect the estimated $3,600,000.00 or if the economy of this county and city grows, it can collect an unlimited amount of sales tax with no cap.
To be able to vote in this special election, you must have been registered to vote in Miller County by August 21, 2006.
The election will take place on West Street at the Colquitt Polling Place (formerly known as the Miller County Road Department), and the polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Every voter is urged to go to the polls and vote “YES” or “NO” on the sales tax issue. This tax will affect every person who pays taxes in this city and county as well as those who come to Colquitt and Miller County to shop.
The choice is the voters of this county.

Our beloved columnist, the late Edith McDuffie, will be missed as the chief writer of “Ebony’s Dots and Dashes.” She began the column in the late 1970s and was a faithful weekly contributor to the Miller County Liberal until her death on August 31.
Those who enjoy this column which highlights the people and events of the local African American community will be delighted to learn that Miss Edith’s friend and frequent co-writer, Katie Smith, has agreed to continue gathering the news. Miss Edith would certainly want “Ebony Dots and Dashes” kept alive. Miss Katie is one of the youngest 92-year-olds you will ever meet, and we hope the Colquitt and Miller County folks will supply her with news items. Welcome aboard, Katie!

The rains came last Saturday and Sunday, with amounts of the much needed moisture. It was reported from two to seven and one half inches were fell in some areas of the county.
Other than some dirt roads getting a bit messy and U.S. Hwy. 27 in Colquitt being covered, as usual, there was no reported bad flooding.
Some businesses along U.S. Hwy. 27 received high water inside the building due to the water dammed by the roadway backing the water up.
Just days before, Spring Creek had stopped running in many areas, was pooled up and seemed to be on the way to drying up completely; it was overflowing the banks and running out into the swamps Monday and Tuesday.
Some experts stated that if the creek had not been almost dry, there would have been more flooding with the heavy rains.
Some farmers have mixed emotions about the amount of rain.
One farmer stated that God was just tired of hearing him and his family beg for rain for his crops. He said that he thanked God for sending the much needed rains, but that would do for right now.
Other farmers starting to take up peanuts preferred not having the heavy rains, but since we don’t have that control, we’ll take what we get.

Week of September 10, 2006