Thanksgivin’! I flat can’t wait! Come on y’all! Let’s all head over to Town Park in downtown Madison, stand in a Big Circle of Love, hold hands and sing it: Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go! What? It’s my cell. . . Yay! It’s MeeMaw! Hells Bells! Meemaw and PawPaw say Thanksgivin’ is a naw, naw! Dang it!
    Where is the Biz Buzz gonna have her Thanksgivin’ feast? I mean, I ain’t cookin’, Momma ain’t cookin’, MeeMaw ain’t cookin’, Sista ain’t cookin’, Bubba ain’t cookin’, even mean ole Aunt Elmira Gulch ain’t cookin’! Wait a minute!
    Hope and Glory! The gloomy clouds are a partin’ and the sunshine is pourin’ in! We do have a place to go for Thanksgivin’ and we don’t have to cook or clean up a big fat mess!
    Right! All you have to do is look in this issue of the Morgan County Citizen for two special ads promotin’ special Thanksgivin’ Day celebrations! Yay!
    Southern Cross Ranch located at 1670 Bethany Church Road is havin’ a fab Thanksgivin’ Feast on Thanksgivin’ Day, Nov. 25 with all the fixin’s . . . turkey, ham, lamb, mashed potatoes, stuffin’ and more! Now that’s slap yo momma good! Seatin’ times are from noon til 2 p.m.
    Call 706-342-8027 for reservations!

Cue Mission Impossible Theme Song. Play the tape! Petey, Scrappy and Biz Buzz. Your mission should you choose to accept it involves scaring the daylights out of the University of Georgia’s mascot Uga rendering him incapacitated and unable to travel to Auburn for the big game.  

 We accept! Petey! Hold still you fool poodle! This orange pet-hair paint is loud! And the black stripes look . . . .Grrrrrreat! A few hair extensions here, a few faux whiskers there and Perf! You flat look like a scary miniature Auburn Tiger sans roar! And, check out Scrappy, the Chihuahua mixed-with-lord-knows what! His outfit looks more like a ding dang owl than a War Eagle but it’ll have to do! Ok! Our intelligence report said Uga should be walkin’ by any . . . There HE IS! Go get ‘em boys! Petey! Scrappy! Watch OUT! HELP!  

 Uga’s got ‘em both by the neck! What the? They’re safe! Was that Super Man? No! It was all a big, blue whirl! But, I did notice he was wearin’ the number 2! Well, whoever it was just saved the day!  

Gobble . . . .Gobble . . . Gobble! Momma! Will you shut your turkey-callin’ mouth for one dad-blasted minute!
    I’m tryin’ to concentrate on our huntin’ map ‘cause I know just where those big ole fat, tasty wild gobblers are a roostin’! We’re gonna have us a Thanksgivin’ Feast like no other! Come on and let’s get on our fancy huntin’ outfits! We gotta get out in the woods before the sun! Shotgun? Got it! Ammo? Set! Rabbit foot? In the bag! Snacks and White Lightin’? Cheers! Let’s hunt! Ding dang!
    These woods are flat dark as ink! I can’t see sardines! Grab hold of my hand, Momma! Hells Bells! When in the Sam Hill did you start wearin’ fur gloves with pointy long claws! And, stop that huffin’ and a growlin’ or you’ll scare the gobblers! What the? Momma? Is that you over there next to that tree stand? Well if that’s you, who in Tarnation am I draggin’ . . . SHASTA! Momma toss over our snacks and white lightin’ to my Black Bear friend! Just do it and I’ll make a run for it! Whew! We just barely made it out alive! I reckon we’d best stick with the buzz on biz!
    Holiday Madness. I know we haven’t even had Thanksgivin’ yet . . . But SO WHAT? I’m flat ready for CHRISTMAS! The tree! The lights! The Nativity Scene I never put away from last year! The SHOPPIN’! And, honey all of Morgan County is flat gearin’ up for some Holiday fun! Madison Main Street and a host of fab retailers are hostin’ a Merchants Holiday Tour of Shops Nov. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. til 6 p.m.!
    Honey! They’re gonna have free carriage rides, live music and cool discounts and refreshments in participatin’ shops and restaurants!

1: Back to Wellness

Pictured at the ribbon cutting for Back to Wellness's new showroom are (left to right) Gail Williamson, Chamber Ambassador; Carrie Hughes, Dr. Hughes' wife, holding Allie Jane, Zoie, Zachary; Dr. Michael Hughes; Sandra Saunders; Chris Cook; Bobby Brown, from Georgia Sleep Shop; and Shey Daniels. Photo by B. Crowley.

2: The Brady Inn

Karen and Peter Wibell reopened the Brady Inn in downtown Madison after an extensvie renovation to the grounds. Today the Brady Inn has is a perfect setting for outdoor weddings and celebrations. Photo by D. Yost.

3: Belles Beaux and Gifts

Downtown Madison's Belles Beaux and Gifts owner Theresa Bishop hosted last Thursday evening's Chamber After Hours, a monthly Madison-Morgan Chamber of Commerce event designed to promote networking and relationship building among its members. About 25 people attended the event. Theresa recently transformed her former business, Antiques on the Square, to Belles Beaux and Gifts, a new shop selling crystal, china, flatware, linens, upscale cookware, gifts and antiques. It also offers a bridal registry. Pictured (left to right) are Sunflower Festival Founder Wes Holt of Rutledge, Madisonian Rennie Nestor of Edward Jones and Belles Beaux and Gifts owner Theresa Bishop. Photo by D. Yost.

4: Goody’s

Last Wednesday morning, more than 100 people, including management, showed up to celebrate the opening of Goody’s, located in the former Peebles location. Photo by P. Yost.

By James Faucett • Photo by Angelina Bellebuono

“Basically, our name says it all,” said Jack Bone, a local business owner and the group’s president, at the group’s meeting earlier this month. “We’re for jobs, opportunity and lower taxes.”
Since forming a few months ago, the non-profit has brought in guest speakers and then broken up into groups to identify concerns they have with Madison, the county and the school system.
“We just want to make a positive impact on Morgan County,” Bone said Tuesday. “We want quality growth, like everybody else.”
The main thing the group is concerned with is local economic development, said member Johnny Youngblood, of Madison.
“If we don’t bring more industry into Morgan County, taxes are going to keep going up every year,” Youngblood said. “If we don’t get more businesses in here to offset the taxes on the property owners, it’ll tax us out.”
Youngblood said of Madison, “The city seems like they’re anti-economic development.”
A major focus of the group’s criticism is Madison’s impact fee policy. The city adopted the policy 3-2 last year, with council members Fred Perriman and Rick Blanton voting against it.
“We don’t think it’s a good thing,” Youngblood said. “We’re wanting jobs, opportunity and lower taxes and we don’t see that the impact fee is a good thing to bring industry here.”
That’s why the group recently had Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Bob Hughes speak at its last meeting, he said.
“Is that a good policy or not?” Youngblood said. “That’s what we wanted to know.”
In Youngblood’s assessment, after hearing from Hughes, the group determined it was not.

Black Bird Down. Mornin’ y’all! Come on in, grab a cup of coffee and let’s relax on the front porch! Hey! Did y’all notice we’re all dressed in vintage fashions from 1963? How weird is that? Y’all look! Have you ever seen so many ding dang black birds? I reckon there’s a storm blowin’ here from Alabama! Momma! Show everybody your new pair of Love Birds! I just hate that they have to live in a cage, but ain’t they cute? Yikes! That big fat black bird just landed on the porch rail! There’s another one! And, another! They’re everywhere! This is flat creepy! These black birds have us surrounded! They’re just cacklin’ right quiet like and starin’ at us with their beady black bird eyes! Stay calm y’all . . . now very, very slowly grab your pellet guns outta your pocketbooks! Good! Now . . on count of three . . . one, two, POW, SQUAWK, PLOP, PECK, OUCH! Hell’s Bells! We won! But, I’ve ‘bout had enough of this bird huntin’ business! Now where’s my handsome husband’s credit card! Jack pot! Let’s go shoppin’ and dinin’! You drive!