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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008
Auburn officials sign off
on sewer agreement
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
It's official. The Auburn
City Council voted unani
mously last Thursday night
to accept an agreement with
Barrow County that will allow
$3 million in funds for exten
sion of sewer to the city.
The vote took placed dur
ing a special business meet
ing held prior to a work ses
sion. Auburn mayor Linda
Blechinger was pleased to
give the project the official
green light.
“It has been a long, hard
road,” the mayor said.
Under the new agreement,
the county and city govern
ments will build five sewer
projects totaling $3 million
in costs during the next three
years.
All of the projects hinge on
the ability to obtain necessary
financing. Auburn currently
has limited public sewer and
it is available only to com
mercial users. The new sewer
facilities would provide the
city of Auburn with a capac
ity of approximately one mil
lion gallons per day of treated
wastewater.
NEW EDC LOGO
The new Economic Development Council logo was officially introduced last week. County and city officials
attending the ceremony included Chamber of Commerce president Tommy Jennings, Braselton Mayor Pat
Graham, City of Statham clerk Susan Gabriel, marketing committee member Margaret Whieldon, chamber of
commerce chairman Rod Trahan, first vice-chairman Chris Gray, EDC chairman Chris Maddox, EDC vice chair
man Don Stewart, former chamber chairman Lisa Maloof, City of Auburn mayor Linda Blechinger, City of Winder
mayor Chip Thompson and EDC vice-president Linda Moore. The new logo was designed during an eight-month
process. Photo by Susan Treadwell
Mariachi class, Classworks once again on agenda
Republican strategy faces snag
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Barrow County Board
of Education was scheduled
Tuesday night to again discuss
a proposed Mariachi class at
Apalachee High School and
the expansion of a Classworks
program into all middle and
elementary schools.
Both controversial items
have been discussed at past
meetings. The BOE tabled
action on the issues seeking
additional information.
The Mariachi class is being
proposed for spring semes
ter at Apalachee High School
Volunteer
drivers needed
for veterans
Volunteers are being
sought to drive two vans
available to take veterans
to Athens, Augusta and
Atlanta for medical ser
vices.
The Disabled Veterans
for 20 students. The class is
a Hispanic-based music class
proposed by Kerry Bryant.
Separate funding has been
obtained for the class. Bryant
has stated at past board meet
ings the class would be a
cultural experience for AHS
students.
BOE member Lyn Stevens
has expressed the most con
cern publicly about the class,
saying she fears it would
“open the door” for “ille
gal immigrants” to come to
Barrow County like they have
in neighboring Hall County.
The Auburn-Carl Lions
Club will conduct their annu
al Senior Citizen Christmas
Supper on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Beginning at 5 p.m., a
Chicken Stew Supper will
be served. During the meal
Christmas music will be per-
Bryant countered the class
would be open to all students,
not just Hispanic ones. AHS
principal David McGee is in
favor of adding the class at
the school.
The Barrow BOE was also
scheduled to once again dis
cuss expanding the Classworks
program at a cost of approxi
mately $450,000.
Classworks is a program
supporters say helps teachers
meet the needs of all students,
regardless of the level they
are currently at. It is also used
to help students reach CRCT
formed by the Wayne Bartlett
singing group and door prizes
will be given to conclude the
evening activities.
Everyone is invited to come
and enjoy the food and fel
lowship.
The Lions building is
goals and to target learning
problems and help give solu
tions for weaknesses, program
officials said.
In Barrow County,
Classworks is currently used
at County Line Elementary
School, Holsenbeck
Elementary School, Kennedy
Elementary School and
Statham Elementary School.
But some BOE members
are concerned about the cost.
Tuesday's meeting was held
after deadline for this edition.
See coverage on our website
at www.barrowjournal.com.
located on County Line Road
behind Fire Station #4 in
Auburn. No reservations are
needed.
For additional informa
tion, call Terry Dover at
770-962-0210 or see any
Auburn-Carl Lions member.
BY SUSAN NORMAN
A Republican strategy to
help the re-election chances
of Sen. Saxby Chambliss in
the Dec. 2 General Election
Runoff has hit a snag.
The GOP recently mailed to
Republican voters postcards
with a message from Gov.
Sonny Perdue that they could
mail to their local election
board offices to request absen
tee ballots.
But hundreds of voters in
Barrow County and thousands
across Georgia did not sign
their postcards before mailing
them to their local boards of
election.
Barrow County Elections
Supervisor Kristi Royston says
her office rejected hundreds
of absentee ballot requests
because of missing signatures.
“On average, half of the post
cards that we received were
not signed,” Royston said. "We
rejected several hundred of the
postcards because they weren't
signed.”
The voter confusion likely
occurred because the signature
line on the postcard was not
directly below the area identi
fying the voter. Instead, it was
below an area for an alternative
address where the voter could
ask for the ballot to be sent.
Royston’s staff sent new
applications for absentee bal
lots to all local voters who sub
mitted unsigned postcards.
With the runoff one week
away - and the Thanksgiving
holiday interrupting this week's
mail service - anyone wanting
to vote by absentee ballot will
have to act quickly.
The Board of Elections
and Registration Office must
receive all applications for
absentee ballots by Wednesday,
Nov. 26, and the marked bal
lots must arrive at the office by
Dec. 2.
Local interest in the con
test between Chambliss and
Democratic challenger Jim
Martin is high. Royston said
1,187 local residents voted in
person Nov. 18-21 at the Barrow
County Board of Elections and
Registration Office.
Advance in-person voting in
the same location will be avail
able Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov.
26 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
All regular polling places
will be open for the runoff.
“I just encourage everyone to
vote and appreciate their par
ticipation,” Royston said.
On Barrow County's runoff
ballot are the U.S. Senate race
and a non-partisan runoff for
the Georgia Court of Appeals
between Sara Doyle and Mike
Sheffield.
Association acquired the
vans and they are fully
equipped and insured.
One van is kept in Jackson
County, while the other one
is in Clarke County.
Anyone interested in
volunteering is asked to
call Robbie Blalock at
706-795-2000.
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