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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