The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

In honor of President's Day, which was Monday, I thought you might find some trivia about our former presidents interesting.

George Washington was the only president who was unanimously elected. He ran unopposed for both terms of office that he served. He was also the only president who did not represent a political party. President Washington's second Inaugural Address was the shortest in history. It was only 135 words long.

Thomas Jefferson was the country's first-known speleologist (cave explorer). He was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. Jefferson originated the custom of shaking hands with the President of the U.S. Before his term, people bowed to the president. President Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th. He died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Theodore Roosevelt and John Quincy Adams were two presidents who didn't lay their hand on the Bible to take the oath of office. President Roosevelt didn't have a vice president from 1901-1905. He was the first president to refer to his residence as the "White House." Prior to his term it was known as the Executive Mansion or just the President's House. Booker T. Washington was the first black man invited to dine at the White House, a guest of Roosevelt. He was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

John F. Kennedy was the youngest man, the first Roman Catholic to be elected president, the first to win a Purple Heart, the 4th president to be assassinated and the first Pulitzer Prize winner His father gave him $1,000,000 when he turned 21. (Each of his nine brothers and sisters got a million dollars too!)

Jimmy Carter was the only president born in Georgia. He was one of four Baptist presidents. Jimmy Carter was the only president who commanded a submarine. Jimmy Carter is a speed-reader: he has been clocked at 2,000 words a minute with 95 percent comprehension.

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Happy birthday to: Jan Griffin, Lois Godbee Wilson, Vaughna Roberts, Gloria Becton, Clint Davis Sr., Susan Welch, Tykeise Oliver, Zachary Keller, Janasia Brady, Charles Burke, Blake Lane, Dee Dee Goodwin, Brookes Brinson, Adam Oglesby, Richard Odom, Becky Thomas, Matthew Thompson, Linda Jackson, Fran Boynton and Lynn Pierce.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Oglesby, Mr. and Mrs. Hud McTeer, Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Black, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Chance, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burke and Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Wiggins.

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Military Active Duty List: Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Bahrain; PV2 Ashley Clifton, U.S. Army, Yongsan, Korea; Airman First Class Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, F.A.S.T. Company, Yorktown, VA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Bossier AFB, Bossier, LA; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion- Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E- 3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.