Momma! Madison Car Care fixed up your truck just right! It ain’t clackin’ and a clickin’ no more! Perf! Let’s get the kids to wrestlin’ camp at the high school! Get in kids! Ok Petey the Poodle! You can come too but Momma says you’ve got to ride in the back like a real dog! Dang! Let’s ride Clyde! All right kids!
    Here’s where you get off! What the? Petey’s done jumped out of the truck and run back behind the gym into those woods! Momma! Help me find ‘em! Now what in the Sam Hill are you doin’ with that bow and arrow? Whoa! Did y’all hear that ruckus? Ding dang! It’s Hogzilla and he’s got Petey cornered!
    Let’s creep up behind those bushes for cover! Shhhhhhhhh . . . Steady with that arrow Momma . . . Steady . . . FIRE! SQUEELLLLLLLLLLL! Talk ‘bout a stuck PIG! You’ve done killed Hogzilla! It’s a dang good thing the Morgan County High School Bulldogs have football practice today! Let’s go fetch us some bulldogs to help load Hogzilla into the truck! Ok boys! One! Two! Three and LIFT THE PIG! Whew! Go Dawgs!
    Look at Petey sittin’ atop that Hogzilla in the back of this fine truck! Now that’s as pretty as a picture! Where we headin’ Momma? Oh. My. Gosh! That’s the perf place for Hogzilla! Ok y’all! We’re headin’ up Greensboro Road to Morgan County’s newest Award-Winnin’ Barbecue restaurant! That’s right! Smokin’ Gun BBQ owned by Charles and Karen Bradley! Honey, they’ll know what to do with this big fat pig! 
    Now let me tell you what . . . Smokin’ Gun BBQ is super FANTASTIC GOOD! So it’s located at 1540 Greensboro Road (That’s highway 278) in Madison and they’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday and Dinner Thursday through Saturday!

By Kathryn Schiliro
Staff Writer

Thought to be the best of the best, four local businesses, one governmental entity and two individuals were recognized by the Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce Friday afternoon at the Chamber's annual meeting, held at the James Madison Inn Conference Center.

The Chamber's "Hospitality Entrepreneur of the Year" award was given to Ricardo Casillas of Tequila Express.
His journey to owning his own Madison restaurant wasn't an easy one, according to the Chamber's Andy Williams, who presented Casillas' story to those gathered. Casillas was a farmer of corn, beans and cattle in San Miguel, Mexico, when his cousin got him a job in a Los Angeles factory.

By 1982 Casillas is working at the City Club in Marina del Rey, Calif., and has a job as part of the service staff at the Marriott by 1985. Hearing about an opportunity in Georgia, Casillas makes the move and is employed as the general manager of a Gwinnett County restaurant. Then he learns of a business opportunity in Madison, one that would allow him to own a restaurant.

Casillas opens Tequila Express, but difficulties soon follow. The restaurant won't catch on, he is losing money, and the long hours of work (which include a daily drive from Buford) don't seem to be paying off. But, eventually, word of mouth spreads, patrons begin returning and Town Park opens.

And Tequila Express is successful. Casillas moves his family to Madison.
"Now, it's not uncommon to wait on a table," Williams said. "He and his wife, Gloria, are realizing the American dream."

The "Business of the Year" award was given to United Bank's Russell Carter.

Quick hide me! If that’s Momma just tell her I ain’t home! Yeah! Tell her I’ve gone fishin’! That’ll do the trick! Ding dang there sure is a lot of junk in this hall closet. Now y’all just shut your traps and don’t give me away ‘cause I . . . BAM! SLAM! LIGHTS! SLAP! Hell fire, Momma! You know I waddn’t hidin’! I was just tryin’ to find me a Six Flags outfit! Lord help us! Momma’s a roller coaster ridin’ fool and she’s gonna make me ride ‘em all!
    Fast forward to Six Flags Over Georgia and the 20-story-70-miles-per-hour Goliath.
    Momma! That girl over there’s done fainted after ridin’ Goliath! It ain’t safe! Don’t make me do it! Wake me up when it’s OVER! We’re almost to the top! Lord Have MERCCYYYYYYYYYY! Next up: Scream Machine, Cyclone, Batman, Superman, Ninja, Mind Binder, Scorcher . . . Where in the Sam Hill is the merry-go-round?  

Momma! Where’d you get them big red wax lips! You look like a ding dang fool! Get me a pack of those! Ha! Now let’s tool ‘round town in that fab convertible and scare us up some fun!

    Come on y’all! Don’t you have a hankerin’ for some old fashioned candy? Yes! That classic candy is back in style in a big, big, way! And, right soon we’re gonna be able to get it any time we want to! Ok so here’s the scoop and nothin’ but: Lorenze and Allison Tremont of Madison are fixin’ to open a brand spankin’ new shop called Ella’s Sweet Shoppe named after their daughter! Ok so it’s gonna be located at 191 West Jefferson St. in Madison right smack across the street from the gazebo at Town Park! The best part is that this new candy shoppe is gonna have thousands of old fashioned prepackaged and ready sweets like those famous red wax lips, Flicks, Hot Dog Bubble Gum and a bunch of other nostalgia candies! Plus Ella’s is gonna offer 24  yummy flavors of gourmet Italian gelato -- sort of like ice cream only better! Lorenze says their Gelato will be authentic with no mixers, powders or additives! Oh and did I mention the huge selection of independent brands of soda pop? Well shoot y’all! They’re gonna have that too!  Oh and Ella’s will offer Wonka candies too! Wow! Lorenze says he wants our kids and youth to have the opportunity to have the memories of an old fashioned sweet shop! But for us grownups and teens, Ella’s will offer Wi-Fi, a seating area! Oh and they’ll have a party room perf for Birthdays! They are shootin’ to open July 1 with a grand openin’ slated for July 3 from noon until 4 p.m. In the meantime, check out their web page at www.ellassweetshoppe.com! Keep watchin’ this column for more Ella’s Sweet Shoppe updates!

Hey Grad! This ad’s for you! For all the times you snuck out late at night only to get caught . . . for all the times you left my car empty of gas . . . for the dirty clothes strewn about your room, hall, and bathroom . . . for the forgotten projects that you remembered at 8:30 p.m. the night before they were due . . . for the whines . . . the thousands spent at Madison Drug . . . the chores forgotten . . . classes skipped . . .  Saturdays sleeping until 1 p.m. . . .  Oh and for all of those April Fool’s Day pranks I fell for . . . This grad ad featuring a baby photo of you in the tub is for you! Oh and for all those really, really, good grads who aced all the tests, played their hearts out in high school sports, band, cheerleading, art and debate . . . for the kids who never, ever gave up this ad’s for you too! Congratulations Class of 2010! You did it!

    Parents, friends and local businesses! Heads up! Celebrate our Morgan County graduates with an ad in the Citizen’s special Graduation Section that comes out next week! Just call the Citizen at 706-342-7440 and honey we’ll fix you right up!

Finish up your coffee y'all 'cause I just heard Momma's truck pull up in the drive! She wants us all to head over to Verner Farms out in Rutledge to uncover their secrets to success! Momma! Where'd you get all this surveillance equipment! You're like a redneck James Bond! WHAM! You didn't have to slap me into next week! I reckon Momma's gonna get some farmin' tips! Ok! Ready! Don't worry Petey the Poodle! You can come too! Dang Momma! Is this a new Ford truck from Youngblood? Ain't no recession 'round here! No sirree! We are stylin' like nobody's business! Y'all just stuff yourselves in the back seat and let's hit it!  Momma did you call Adam or Alan and let 'em know we're comin' over here? What! We can't just gallivant all over their farm without 'em knownin' it! Somebody's gonna get out the shotgun! Stop the truck behind that tractor over yonder. . . . I reckon the Verners won't mind if we have a little look see. Petey! Get your poodle pants right smack back here immediately! You ain't no cow! Now get outta that pasture and stop yippin' and yappin' all over creation! Yikes! Do y'all see what I see? That's gotta be the biggest, meanest bull in Georgia! Plus he's madder than a hornet's nest knocked down with a broom stick! Honey that bull's gonna send Petey into the spirit realm! HELP! What the? Where in the Sam Hill did that big brown Bear come from? It looks like he's kinda slow on the uptake! Yikes! The bull's chasin' that Bear all over creation! Petey get in the truck! Shasta! The Bear's down! Look! That Bull's not stoppin'! I mean he's headin' straight up North to Wall Street! But he'd best watch out! The Euro might wave the red cape and stop 'em in his tracks!