Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 11A
Chambliss wins runoff for second term
By SUSAN NORMAN
In an unusually strong
turnout for a runoff election,
Barrow County voters Dec.
2 helped re-elect Republican
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss to
a second term.
More than 38% of the coun
ty's 33, 877 voters cast their
ballots in person or by absen
tee ballot.
And by a nearly 4-to-l mar
gin, those 12,884 local vot
ers helped re-elect Chambliss
and bring back to the Public
Service Commission Lauren
McDonald, a former com
missioner who also is a
Republican.
In the Senate race,
Chambliss received 10,034
votes to Democrat Jim
Martin's 2,850.
In the PSC race, McDonald
received 9,635 votes to
Democrat Jim Powell’s
2,736.
The races were
close only in one
local precinct - No.
10 Leisure Services
Center - where
Chambliss received
just eight more votes
than Martin, and
McDonald received
16 more than
Powell.
Barrow County’s pick for
the Court of Appeals, Mike
Sheffield, did not win state
wide, however. Statewide,
Sara Doyle won the post by
about 50,000 votes in the non
partisan race.
Voters at six local precincts
gave Doyle a handful more
votes than Sheffield, but
countywide, he received 5,805
votes to her 5,051 votes.
Turnout was a critical fac
tor in Tuesday’s Republican
victories.
Statewide,
Chambliss beat
Martin by a margin
of 315,217 votes.
McDonald beat
Powell by 259,501
votes.
Locally, the turn
out was half of
what it was on Nov.
4 for the general
election.
A total of 8,610 people went
to the polls Tuesday. Another
3,086 voted in person dur
ing brief periods of early and
advanced voting. And another
1,196 people cast their vote
in the runoff by absentee bal
lots.
“This is good, very good
for a runoff,” said Barrow
County Elections Supervisor
Kristi Royston in an interview
Wednesday.
CHAMBLISS
Bethlehem extends bank variance
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Town of Bethlehem officials
unanimously voted Monday
night to extend the variance
for Community Bank & Trust
allowing it to continue operat
ing from its modular unit off
Hwy. 11 and Manger Avenue.
Phil Page, representing
the bank, asked the council
for an extension of the vari
ance, which would allow
Community Bank & Trust
more time in constructing a
permanent location on the
site.
“We are asking for another
12 months,” Page said. “Right
now we are getting the right-
of-way on Manger Avenue
surveyed and the driveway
cuts for Hwy. 11. We still plan
on having a building when
the economy goes back up.
By that point, we hope to
know something about county
sewer as well.”
Page said Community Bank
& Trust was “committed to
Bethlehem.”
“Our success will be greater
with brick and mortar,” he
said.
In other business at
Monday’s December meeting,
the council:
•voted to award the clean
ing contract for city hall, the
pavilion and community cen
ter to Chris Little.
•adopted an updated sign
ordinance.
•agreed to allow the public
access to an old city com
puter.
Water group approves $ 7 million budget
BYANGELA GARY
The Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority approved a
$7 million budget Wednesday,
Nov. 26, with the two Jackson
County representatives voting
against it. Representatives
from Clarke, Barrow and
Oconee County all voted in
favor of the budget, which
reflects a 9.5 percent increase
from the year before.
Jackson County Board of
Commission chairman Pat
Bell and Jackson County
Water and Sewerage Authority
manager Eric Klerk voted
against the budget.
Bell spoke on the $250,000
added to the budget to cover
legal expenses because of
a lawsuit filed by Jackson
County against the authori
ty. She said the extra money
would not have been necessary
if the other authority members
had agreed for an outside firm
to study the reservoir capa
city. Jackson County and the
authority have disagreed over
the available capacity.
“This could all be settled if
this body would agree to bring
in a third party to take a look
at our opinion of the findings
of our expert compared to the
findings of the JJ&G expert,”
Bell said after the meeting.
The $7 million budget is up
over the current $6.4 million
budget. The budget inclu
des $4 million for operating
expenses and $2 million for
bond interest expense.
In other business last week
the authority:
•agreed to get bids for crea
ting a website for the reser
voir.
•approved a $271,984 bid
for a boat ramp. Each coun
ty will pay one-fourth of the
cost. It will take 90 days to
complete the project.
Barrow chamber says ‘shop local’
Shop local. That's the
message coming from the
Barrow County Chamber of
Commerce as the area heads
into the Christmas buying
season.
“Look to your local retail
ers and businesses first,” said
Chamber President Tommy
Jennings. “With the economy
struggling, and money tight,
our local economy is in need
of local shoppers spending
their money where they live.
Local merchants and busi
nesses are the backbone of
our economy. Our local sup
port will benefit businesses
and the community both.
And we know that local busi
nesses give back, not just in
contributions, but in jobs and
taxes paid.”
Auburn, with its conve
nience and interesting shops;
Winder with its traditional
downtown businesses open
and ready for business: and
Statham, with the quaint feel
along Railroad Street, all
offer exceptional products at
competitive prices, Jennings
said.
“Our local businesses sell
anything you could ordinar
ily find at the malls outside
of Barrow County. And con
sidering the cost of travel,
both in terms of gas and time,
local retailers and businesses
become even more of a bar
gain,” he said.
Fieldhouse continued from 2A
“There are some bugs to
work out,” the board chair
man said. “Some of them
are large, especially when it
comes to the roof.”
Ballard said while it
sounds “bad” he wanted to
note the cost to construct
the new activities center was
well under what it would
have been had it not been
done with donated time and
labor.
Board member Lynn
Stevens said she was not
happy with anyone being
in the building until it was
deemed safe by an engineer.
“That is my concern also,”
Wehunt said.
“We went through the
building and there is no con
cern about that,” Bramlett
said.
NIGHT-TIME LIGHTS
Parents and children gather around a gazebo in Auburn Friday night for the city’s
lighting event to bring in the holiday season. Photos by Jessica Brown
Auburn
Lighting
SANTA ARRIVES
Santa makes an appear
ance at the Auburn
Lighting event.
OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW VERITY BANK
Corporate officials joined local employees of the Winder Verity Bank for the ribbon
cutting earlier this month. Barrow County Chamber of Commerce officials were also
on hand for the ceremony.
PARTNERSHIP BARROW
Wayne Bartlett was the guest speaker at the Barrow
County Chamber of Commerce breakfast Tuesday.
Bartlett, along with Greg Cantrell, spoke about the
Partnership Barrow organization which has helped
support and fund several local events including paving
the softball field parking lot at Apalachee High School
and overall support of the Barrow County School
System. Bartlett also spoke of his real estate company
which was founded by Jerry Maynard in 1979.
Photo by Chris Bridges
CASA needs
volunteers
Volunteers are needed to
serve as an advocate for a
foster child.
Piedmont CASA (Court
Appointed Special Advocates)
will hold a training class at the
Barrow Chamber of Commerce
each Tuesday night from 6 -9
p.m. beginning January 13 and
ending February 24.
Advocates visit their child
monthly, gather information
about them and their family
and present a written report
to Juvenile Court. Call the
office for more information at
706-387-6375.
Recycle!
Medicine Wheel Clinic
85 Auburn Park Drive
Auburn, GA 30011
770-277-7958
“Methadone as Medicine” medicinewheel@bellsouth.net
GRAND OPENING SPECIAL
4 Each Take homes or more,
$9 a Day Dosing
Poochie Parlor
Skillful & caring dog groomer giving
individual attention. Vet recommended.
Serving Barrow County for over 5 years
Call for appointment
770-714-3527
te * * *
CUSTOM MADE
SCREENS
Heat & Air Parts
All Wood Cabinet and Vanities.
We cut glass and mirror.
WHIDDON SALES
617 Atlanta Hwy SE (Hwy. 29) • Winder, GA
770-867-1638
The Secret of Success Is To Look Cool And Calm On The Surface
And To Be Paddling Like Heck Underneath!
At the Barrow Journal, our “success” means doing whatever it takes to help our
advertisers be successful.
Call Susan Treadwell at 770 867 NEWS (6397)
www.BARROWJOURNAL.com