To the Editor:

A big thank you to all who worked so hard on our float. Because of all your hard work, we placed “Best in Show” for 2012 in the annual Christmas parade.
Our mission is about seeing the lost saved, recovering lost sheep, mending broken homes, bringing the homes back together, seeing the captive set free and seeing that the needs of our community are met. (Luke 4:18-19)
We are rapidly outgrowing our current location and are in prayer for some land to put our church building on so we can fulfill our mission. Anyone who knows of any land that we might be interested in, please contact: Madison House of Refuge,1341 Ponder Pines Road, Madison, GA 30650; 678-595-5450.
Thank you and God bless.

Pastor Garfield Chambers
Madison House of Refuge
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 13, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

Thank you, Madison, for allowing the Morgan County Historical Society to “show you off” to our visitors this weekend during our Holiday Tour of Homes! Our tour was a huge success thanks to the efforts of so many people – our homeowners, who so graciously opened up their homes to welcome over a thousand visitors, Jones, Ewing, Dobbs & Tamplin Insurance Agency and Jim Boyd and Associates Inc. for sponsoring our event, the restaurants and businesses who stayed open late to accommodate our guests, our local police force, and our 150-plus volunteers who answered questions, guided buses, and served as docents at our homes. You all made our Tour Weekend magical!

Sarah Burbach, Chair
2012 Heritage Holiday Tour of Homes
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

What a knockout weekend... beat last weekend all the way! The main attraction in this community is the Historic Homes... that is why they come to Madison and build our economy! If the access to the tours of historic homes is shut down by zoning or regulations...we will all suffer.  Having a tour of your historic home,whether it is sponsored by the Cultural Center, the Chamber of Commerce or a private tour, it is a gift for all of Madison! All of us at The Madison thank you for all your hard work for this weekend and we invite all homeowners, who participated in this weekend's tour, to come have lunch on us at The Madison Gift Mart and Cafe'.

Sheri Clark
Owner, The Madison Gift Mart and Cafe
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

We would like to thank all of our local performers who made the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center’s Community Holiday Concert such a wonderful success! From violins to bongo drums to the Ashburn Chorale – each act graced us with the spirit of Christmas.
We would also like to thank United Bank, our sponsor for this free-to-the-public event and to Jack’s Creek Tree Farm for donating a Christmas tree to a lucky audience member, as well as the numerous volunteers backstage who made the entire evening run effortlessly. We are so fortunate to live in a community which embraces the arts and supports local talent... and that talent was rich and plentiful at our Holiday Concert!
Thank you, all.
Sincerely,

Elsie Monk and Sarah Burbach
MMCC Community Holiday Concert Committee
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

Tourism is one of the largest economic engines for Madison/Morgan County. It seems to me that in this harsh economic environment, we should avidly support a local, licensed business that brings in tourists to shop and dine in our town. These tourists often fall in love with Madison, participate in word-of-mouth marketing, and ultimately return as visitors or even relocate here. I ask the city government to seek a solution that supports creative forms of tourism. Our local economy needs tourists' dollars in order to thrive.
Regards,

Chris Hodges
Madison
Via e-mail

Printed in the December 6, 2012 edition

To the Editor:

On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to congratulate Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright, who was elected and is now serving as chairman of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.
The entire state will benefit from Mr. Bright’s service as chairman of the council, which provides professional training and a number of other important services to the hundreds of elected and appointed prosecutors across Georgia.
Mr. Bright’s acceptance of this post demonstrates his continued commitment to public service, which in turn serves to promote the cause of justice, uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of all citizens. We wish him well in this new position of statewide leadership.

Robin Frazer Clark
President, State Bar of Georgia
Faxed

Printed in the November 29, 2012 edition.