Courthouse remodels to celebrate Christmas

In a major renovation paid for entirely by employee contributions and voluntary labor, the Franklin County Courthouse spruced up in time for Christmas.

To celebrate the complete remodel, the offices of the tax collector, property appraiser and clerk of courts welcomed children and their families Monday afternoon to enjoy treats, and visit with Santa, and to come home with a gift, the presents provided courtesy of Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s Jingle at the Jail.

The renovation began with a modest effort to redecorate the three offices’ doors, and soon blossomed into a full-scale redo, led by Property Appraiser Rhonda Skipper’s staff, whose work was voted by attendees as the most outstanding. The other two offices were tied for second place.

“Everything was handmade,” said Skipper. “They put a whole lot of work in it. They did a very good job; I was very proud of them.”

The work included hand-cut snowflakes and gingerbread men on the wall, and a gingerbread house made out of cardboard boxes recycled from the bin in Apalachicola under the Gorrie Bridge. The snow on the roof of the gingerbread house was made from paper plates, with lollipops made of balloons with plastic bags.

Trina Lockley was the “human gingerbread person,” and Jacob Braswell was the Grinch, with Santa Claus appearing courtesy of an arrangement with the bailiff, Lee Segree.