LocalA2 | Washington County News Saturday, June 8, 2013

2091940

Chipley seniors earn recognition, awardsSpecial to the News

CHIPLEY — The Senior Awards Program was held on May 28 at Chipey High School in the auditorium.

Chipey High School Seniors Harry “Bubba” Davis and Aaliyah Coleman were named the 2013 L.E. “Earl” Sellers Memorial Award winner for outstanding athlete.

The award is sponsored by the Washington County News was presented Tuesday at the Chipley High School senior awards program. Students are selected by the faculty for the honor.

Students also received honors for academic achievements and numerous scholarships.

Students receiving awards at the ceremony included:

Chipola Recognition Scholarship: Sarah BowenVocal Music Scholarship to Chipola College:

Garrett Pletcher Chipola Regional Arts Association Scholarship:

Damion PotterInstrumental Music Scholarship to Chipola College:

Denise SpracklenWashington County Scholarship Trust: Jasmine

Belser, Zack Butler, Kara Bush, Jackson Cagle, Courteney Lee, Garrett Pletcher, Allie Rudd, Rakeia Sorey

West Point Home Scholarship: Allie RuddCattleman’s Association Scholarship: Taylor

BirgeWashington County Education Association

Scholarship: Allie RuddTake Stock in Children: Loretta Latham,

Courteney Lee, Josh Pitts, Rakeia SoreyWashington County Chamber of Commerce: Julia

VeitKiwanis Club: Garrett Pletcher, Josh Pitts,

Allie Rudd, Taylor WilliamsChipley Woman’s Club: Josh PittsEarl Sellers Award: Bubba Davis, Aaliyah

ColemanWashington-Holmes Technical Center: Joshua

Corbin, Colleen Taylor, Dimple Patel, Braylee Pooser, Morgan Worley

Summa Cum Laude’ Graduates (Earned a weighted GPA of 3.85 or higher): Jasmine Belser, Sarah Bowen, Mary Bowen, Kara Bush, Zackary Butler, Jackson Cagle, Sara Compton, Jenna Corbin, Bubba Davis, Fletcher Dilmore, Danielle Gainer, Ed Laird, Zach Lankist, Loretta Latham, Tiffany Laurie, Austin Miles, Dimple Patel, Tyler Pettis, Garrett Pletcher, Braylee Pooser, Kirstin Redfield, Allie Rudd, Rakeia Sorey, Denise Spracklen, Julia Veit, Bridget Vickers, Corrie Wilkins, Mary Helen Wilson

Magna Cum Laude’ Graduates: Hunter Brock, Emily Clark, Morgan Locke, Sierra Stoe, Robert Sullivan, Brittany Woods

Williams Family Reunion Association: Sarah Bowen

Bright House Networks Future Leader Award: Fletcher Dilmore

American Legion Award: Colton Tenzel-Walser, Bridget Vickers

Scholastic Achievement Medallion: Zachary Butler, Jackson Cagle, Julie Veit

M.R. Coggin Scholarship: Allie RuddSASHTO Scholarship: Ed LairdBurger King McLamore Scholarship: Bubba

DavisSpirit of Auburn Founders Scholarship: Mary

Helen WilsonAuburn University - College of Math & Science

Scholarship: Mary Helen Wilson Accepted in the Auburn University Honors

Program: Mary Helen WilsonSandy Kirkland Fleck Scholarship: Allie RuddAT&T Foundation Scholarship: Zachary ButlerFalling Waters Presidential Volunteer Service

Award: Zachary ButlerAccepted in the University of Florida Honors

Program: Zachary ButlerBoy State Participants: Fletcher Dilmore,

Morgan Locke2013 Science Olympiad - 3rd Place: Loretta

Latham2013 Science Club - Most Outstanding Member:

Loretta Latham2013 Chemathon - Honorable Mention: Loretta

Latham and Denise Spracklen2013 Envirothon - Honorable Mention: Denise

Spracklen, Dimple Patel, Loretta Latham

2013 Robotic Competition - 2nd Place: Loretta Latham, Hunter Brock, Allison Rudd, Zachary Lankist

National Honor Society Senior Members: Mary Bowen, Sarah Bowen, Zackary Butler, Sara Compton, Jenna Corbin, Bubba Davis, Ed Laird, Zach Lankist, Austin Miles, Dimple Patel, Tyler Pettis, Denise Spracklen, Julia Veit, Bridget Vickers, Mary Helen Wilson

National Honor Society Scholarship: Bridget Vickers

Seniors on the Bible Club Leadership Team: Loretta Lathem, Julia Veit, Garrett Pletcher

Key Club Recognition: Allie Rudd, Josh Steverson, Mary Helen Wilson

Journalism Senior: Allie RuddVocal Music Awards: Julia Veit, Landon

Odum, Garrett Pletcher, Damion Potter, Brittany Woods, Ebony Williams, Aaliyah Coleman, Brandon Licea, Kaylah Lara, Savannah Wall

Outstanding Musician: Julia VeitTheatre: Co-President, Damion Potter;

Co-President, Garrett Pletcher; Vice President, Landon Odum

Lead Performer Awards: Julia Veit, Landon Odum, Damion Potter, Garrett Pletcher, Julia Veit

Juniorettes Recognized: Kara Bush, Emily Clark, Araceli Galvan, Dimple Patel, Laridsa Reyes, Mary Helen Wilson

Seniors Recognized for Service: Julia Veit and Joshua Steverson

Seniors Recognized for Citizenship: Rakeia Sorey and Cole Western

FFA Senior Officers: President, Emily Clark; Vice President, Taylor Birge; Chaplain, Morgan Locke

Senior FFA Members Recognized: Devan Blair, Colby Chance, Holly Davis, Lauren Estes, Tiffany Laurie, Libby Patterson, Robert Patterson, Blayne Rustin, Taylor Williams

Seniors Recognized for School Spirit: Allie Rudd and Hunter Brock.

PROGRAM SEqUENCE COMPLETERS FOR FUTURE BUSINESS LEAdERS OF AMERICA (FBLA)

Administrative Assistant: Savannah Wall, Omar Sasser-Mask, Jasmine Belser, Kaylah Lara

Web design: Bridget Vickers, Rakeia Sorey, Hannah West

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification in Word in FBLA: Jasmine Belser

Certification in Word and PowerPoint in FBLA: Ryan Dawson

Certification in Word, Excel and PowerPoint in FBLA: Savannah Wall

FBLA district First Place in Technology Concepts: Ryan Dawson

FBLA First Place in Public Speaking II: Kaylah Lara

FBLA Fourth Place in Technology Concepts: Qaasim Gibson

FBLA President for the year: Qaasim GibsonFBLA President first semester: Dimple Patel

UNITEd STATES MARINE CORPS Athletic Awards: Hunter Brock, Jasmine

BelserMusicianship Award: Malcolm FunderburkLeadership Award: Dylan Clark

By MATTHEW BEATON522-5114 | @matthewbeaton

mbeaton@pcnh.com

PANAMA CITY — State Senate President Don Gaetz blasted the “dysfunctional” federal govern-

ment Wednesday, saying the “mind-less” sequestra-tion cuts might force him and House Speaker Will Weatherford to call a special session to remedy funding cuts.

While meeting with The Panama City News Her-ald’s editorial board, Gaetz also said the Legislature shouldn’t be reconvened to work out a solution on implementing the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare); that he supports greater attention being paid to Apalachicola Bay; and that the Senate will hold hearings on a recent $52 million deal approved by Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

SequestrationGaetz, a Niceville Republi-

can, said he was to receive a list

Wednesday of state services and projects that will lose federal fund-ing under sequestration. These include the National Guard and mental health and substance abuse programs.

“Your federal government in Washington is dysfunctional; it’s the Hatfields and the McCoys. They can’t pass a budget and so they’ve got a mindless sequestra-tion,” he said.

So, there’s a looming ques-tion, Gaetz said, whether he and Weatherford should call a special session to bail out the federal government.

Gaetz laid out Florida’s options to deal with the sequestration cuts — shortchange programs and those who have contracts through those programs; raise taxes; de-plete the state’s cash reserves; or reroute other state monies to the affected programs.

Gaetz already sounded a warn-ing on sequestration earlier in the week. He and Weatherford wrote Secretary of Defense Chuck Ha-gel, asking that federal military technicians be exempted from the furloughs, which start July 8.

The Florida National Guard would be affected by the seques-

tration cuts, and their service is vital during and after disasters, the letter said. But, Gaetz said, there’s been no response from Washington.

“They have a Dumpster on Capitol Hill,” Gaetz said. “There’s a sign on the side of it that says ‘in-put from the states.’ That Dump-ster gets filled during the week, and then dumped in the Potomac River on Friday nights.”

Gaetz, more seriously, said let-ters also were sent to Florida’s congressional delegation. He said every member of the delegation should “think as a Floridian” and apply common sense to the cuts.

“Sequestration is not just a federal issue, but it’s a state issue — and it suddenly becomes a local issue, especially if a hurricane hits Northwest Florida,” he said.

ObamaCareGaetz was adamant the state

Legislature shouldn’t reconvene to pass a deal on implementing the Affordable Care Act because the parties are too far apart. He said there needs to be a “landing zone.”

“The governor, as you know, has gone from: ‘No, no, hell no’ to

‘Yes, please, I’ll take two scoops on Medicaid expansion,’ ” he said.

The House, meanwhile, doesn’t want to expand Medicaid or take the billions in federal dollars that comes with it, and the Senate wants the money but doesn’t want to expand Medicaid; instead it would use the money to allow Flo-ridians to buy private insurance.

“You really have three par-ties, none of whom look at this the same way,” Gaetz said.

Apalachicola BayGaetz also is ready to put a

greater state focus on the ailing Apalachicola Bay, which has seen a steep decline in its oyster har-vests, largely because of the lack of freshwater flowing down the Apalachicola River.

“People are now beginning to understand how significant and important that issue is,” he said.

Gaetz said he expects more attention will be paid to it in the future, and to solve it there needs to be interstate cooperation with Georgia, where the water feeding the bay originates.

“We ought to be banging on the door of the governor of Georgia all the time and trying to figure out

what we can do that would make it worthwhile for them to cooperate with us,” he said.

The state has taken some fee-ble steps, including $3 million in the state budget for the bay, some of which will monitor water flow down the river. Gaetz even gave a creative suggestion on how to gain leverage against Georgia for more water flow. He said that plenty of people who use the state-subsi-dized Citizens Insurance aren’t residents.

“Now, I’m not talking about starting a trade war, but I do think that I’ve learned in business and a little bit in politics that if negotia-tion is to occur somebody has to want something or they have to want something to stop,” he said.

Gaetz said he and state Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, who chairs the Bank-ing and Insurance Committee, worked on the idea to allow for “differential rates” for the insur-ance program.

“I think we’re in a position to play that card, and it needs to be-come very important for the gov-ernor, and not just him, it needs to become very important for Will Weatherford and me,” he said.

Sen. Gaetz rips feds for sequestration

“I understand how you may feel about alcohol sales, and the consump-tion of alcohol, but in this country, you are allowed to make a choice, whether or not you want to purchase or consume alcohol,” An-derson said.

Anderson said he had called DeRuntz’s office and been told that he could not sell alcohol under the county’s current zoning laws.

“I would like someone to sit down with me and ex-plain why it’s okay to sell a six-pack three miles north of town, but I can’t negoti-ate for a piece of property to move a fraternal organi-zation to,” Anderson said.

DeRuntz said he would be more than happy to explain the ordinances to Anderson. “What we have here are a couple of issues. First there is the property zoning, then there is the al-cohol sales issue.”

The property zoning became residential during the ongoing process of cre-ating the Future Land Use Map, which began back in 1975, Commissioner Roger Hagan said.

“It’s not just us, a lot of people have sat in these chairs during this pro-cess.” The property would have been operating as a fraternal organization as a nonconforming us-age, DeRuntz said, which

meant that when it ceased to be a fraternal organiza-tion the property reverted back to its original zon-ing, which was low density residential.

As for selling and con-suming alcohol on prem-ises, the rules in Washing-ton County are pretty clear, DeRuntz said.

“It’s prohibited. There is an exception for conve-nience stores, but clubs and restaurants are not al-lowed to sell alcohol.”

Anderson complained that the real estate listing did not match the county’s designated zoning, but real estate consultant Jim Town, who was in the audi-ence, said that it was the

real estate broker’s job to make sure the zoning was correctly identified for a listing.

“A lot of real estate agents do get in touch with Mike (DeRuntz) and make sure to get the proper land use.”

Town noted that even if the county rezoned the proposed property as com-mercial, that would not mean that Anderson would automatically get a liquor license.

DeRuntz said he spoke with Anderson again on Thursday attempting to set up a meeting with him and his real estate agent. “We’ll try and get his is-sues resolved.”

AMVETS from page A1

PHOTOS BY RANdAL SEYLER | The News

At left, Allie Rudd was recognized as a Journalism Senior by club sponsor Millie Kindig. At right, senior members of the physics class are honored.

SEN. dON GAETz