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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008
City of Auburn ends year in the black
But city cutting back for 2009
The City of Auburn finished
FY08 in the black according
to preliminary numbers by the
city’s internal accounts. City
administrator Ron Griffith
reported to the city council
last week that the town took in
more money than it spent dur
ing the year and that an audit
would be completed by Feb.
15 of the city’s operations.
The unaudited report for
Auburn shows that the town
netted $174,300 in its General
Fund during FY08 and
$174,500 in its water fund
for a total net in the black of
$348,800.
The town’s general fund
expenses were $443,200
under budget and water fund
expense were $738,100 under
budget, according to town fig
ures.
Despite that strong finan
cial showing, the city is tak
ing steps to tighten spending
during the first part of 2009.
According to Griffith, the city
is freezing all overtime and
will avoid filling vacant posi
tions until the end of March.
He said, however, the police
department and emergency
situations would be exempt
from that freeze.
Auburn’s FY09 General
Fund budget is $3.6 million
and its Water Fund budget is
$1.4 million. The city also
has a solid waste budget of
$158,600 and a capital proj
ects fund budget of $1.9 mil
lion.
Auburn chief seeks approval of K-9 officer
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Auburn Police Chief Fred
Brown is looking to add a
four-legged officer to his
force.
Brown outlined to the city
council last week why a K-9
officer would benefit the
department and how it would
be paid for at no cost to the
taxpayers.
“Recently, we had a need
for a K-9 officer and the only
one available was in Monroe,”
Brown told the city coun
cil during a work session.
“Winder’s was in use so we
had to look elsewhere.”
The chief said drug activity
has increased in Auburn and
the addition of a K-9 officer
would help with property and
vehicle searches.
The Auburn Police
Department previously used
a K-9 officer, but the program
was discontinued. Brown said
the time is right to bring the
program back.
If approved, a K-9 officer
would work with a pre-deter-
mined officer, whom Brown
did not want identified since
he works undercover at times.
“We have not found one
yet,” the chief said. “They
range in price from $3,000 to
$12,000.”
Dogs can be purchased from
Europe, or from kennels in the
United States. Brown said his
department would purchase a
German Sheppard.
The K-9 officer would be
purchased with drug seizure
funds. The only cost to the
council would be for insur
ance, food and vet bills
although area vets and stores
are being contacted about
donating services for the ani
mal.
The department already had
a vehicle designed to transport
a K-9 officer.
“Is it common for a city of
our size to have one,” council
member Sally Brown asked.
“I believe the time is right
for this,” the chief responded.
Brown asked the council to
grant him permission to pur
chase the dog without approv
al if one is found for $5,000
or less. If the cost is more, he
would have to request permis
sion.
The K-9 officer would live
with its partner, but would
remain the property of the
Auburn Police Department
should that partner ever leave.
The council could take
action on the chief’s request
at the Jan. 8 meeting.
Winder planning board gives five approvals
The Winder Planning Board on Dec. 16
voted to recommend that the Winder City
Council approve a total of five applications
for variances, subdivisions of properties and a
conditional use request.
The board recommended approval of a trio
of applications by Terry Twiddy and owner
Danchelle, Inc. to subdivide into three lots
a property at Georgia Avenue and Kimball
Street, to rezone the properties at 193, 197
and 201 Georgia Ave. to R-2 (two-family
residential), and to decrease their minimum
lot widths.
The board also voted to recommend approv
al of a variance request by applicant Steve
Matthew Lynn and the owner, the Estate of
Cora Robinson, for a decrease in the required
lot size, lot width and rear setback of property
located between 139 and 151 North Center St.
and across the street from 146 and 152 North
Center St.
The property is zoned R-l (single-family
low-density residential).
And the board also voted to recommend
approval of a conditional use request by appli
cant Nicole Miranda and owner Duard Baxter
Family Limited Partnership to operate a day
care facility at 160 North Broad St.
All of the planning board’s votes were unan
imous, according to City Planner Barry Edgar.
Teen a national photo finalist
‘ALMOST A CLASSIC POSE’
This photo, taken by Barrow Journal photographer
Jessica Brown, was chosen as a finalist in a national
contest sponsored by Canon U.S.A.
Barrow Journal photogra
pher Jessica Brown is a final
ist for the second year in a row
in a national football photo
contest sponsored by camera
maker Canon U.S.A.
Brown, a student at Winder-
Barrow High School, is one
of 14 national finalists in the
“Why Do You Love Football”
photo challenge. The grand
prize winner will win a trip
and four tickets to the 2009
Super Bowl in Tampa Bay,
Fla.
Football and photo fans can
now vote on the final winners
by logging onto www.usa.
canon.com/app/html/NFL/.
Once into the site, click the
“Photo Contest” link at the
upper left of the page and
then vote on both action and
feature football photos in teen
and adult categories. At the
end of the form, fill out your
name and contact info and
click to submit your vote.
Brown’s entry is in the
“Teen Action Photo” division
and is from a girls’ powder
puff football game this fall.
The entry is titled, “Hersman:
Almost a Classic Pose.”
The name is a play on words
from the famous Heisman
Trophy award which features
the image of a football player
running the ball with an arm
out and a leg in the air.
“We are extremely proud of
Jessica’s nomination for this
award,” said Barrow Journal
editor Chris Bridges “She is a
very talented photographer and
her skills have been a valuable
asset to our paper. She is a true
credit to Winder-Barrow High
School and Barrow County in
general.”
Last year, Brown finished
second in the national con
test. The final 14 are selected
from several thousand entries
by a judging panel consisting
of renowned sports photog
rapher, Peter Read Miller ol
Sports Illustrated and Archie
Manning, former NFL quarter
back and father of Indianapolis
and New York Super Bowl
MVP quarterbacks, and othei
prominent staff photographers
from the Professional Football
Hall of Fame.
Barrow schools receive Title I awards
Several schools in the
Barrow County School
System will receive finan
cial awards for being named
a Title I Distinguished
School.
Georgia has 777 Title I
Distinguished Schools that
made Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) for at least
three years in a row.
Title I Distinguished
Schools that have made AYP
for three consecutive years
are awarded a certificate,
while those who have made
AYP four or more years
receive a monetary award,
paid for out of federal funds,
local school officials said
recently.
Title I schools have a sig
nificant population of stu
dents who are economically
disadvantaged and receive
federal money to assist with
the education of these stu
dents.
In Barrow County, awards
were given to:
•Kennedy Elementary
School, $842 for consecu
tively making AYP for six
years and four years as a
distinguished school.
•Holsenbeck Elementary
School, $842 for consecu
tively making AYP for six
years and four years as a
distinguished school.
•Statham Elementary
School, $842 for consecu
tively making AYP for six
years and four years as a
distinguished school.
Hospice seeks bereavement volunteers
Superior Court judges continue to recover
Superior Court judge David
Motes is home after undergo
ing surgery Thursday at an
Athens hospital, while judge
Joe Booth remains in the
intensive care unit at the hos
pital.
Motes’ surgery was con
nected to a bone infection. A
cyst was removed during the
surgery and he returned home
the next day.
Booth went to the hospi
tal last Thursday with flu-like
symptoms. The problem was
later found to be related to his
colon and he had emergency
colon removal surgery. He
also has a blood infection.
The court calendar will not
be impacted by the illnesses
of the judges. Senior court
judges will fill in while Motes
and Booth are out.
Hospice of Northeast
Georgia Medical Center
(NGMC) needs caring indi
viduals to volunteer their
time and compassion to help
serve grieving individuals
during the year following the
death of their loved one.
Volunteers may provide
phone support or visits to
the bereaved or may help
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