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Barrow ... Journal www.BarrowJournal.com •r Read all over... Wednesday, May 18,2011 Vol. 3 No. 30 28 PAGES 3 SECTIONS A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. WINDER, BARROW COUNTY GEORGIA 30680 25(£COPY Community: •Barrow hosts Relay for Life page 1C •Airport deli under new ownership page 2C Opinions: •'Brown shines in all ways' page 4 A ,'Cut today's genera tion some slack' page 5A Sports: •Diamond Doggs fall in second round page IB •Cope leads WBHS at state track page IB •Ernest earns medal for AHS page IB •TOPS Soccer page 5 B Also Inside: •Church News page 5C •Classifieds page 7C •Obituaries page 4C •Pets of the Week page 3C •Public Safety pages 6-11A Online: Follow us on Facebook by becoming a fan of the Barrow Journal today. www.BarrowJournal.com To subscribe, call today: 770-867-NEWS (6397) The Barrow Journal is delivered by mail every Thursday. County taxes could jump 48% BOC looking at $5.7 million gap in FY2012 budget By Susan Norman snorman @ barrowjournal. com Based on budget talks this week, there is no doubt that the county’s property tax rate will rise in October. The only question is by how much. On the table is the possibility of a rate hike of up to 5 mills, which would be a 48-percent rate hike for properties everywhere but in Winder, where due to the annual rollback for the city’s separate fire tax, the county rate would jump as much as 62 percent. Because the tax hike would apply only to the county government’s operations, entire tax bills would not increase by those percentages. The effect of a 5-mill increase would be $200 in higher taxes for every $100,000 in a property’s value. CFO Rose Kissalita told the Barrow County Board of Commissioners at a called budget meeting that she now expects the funding gap for fiscal year 2012 to be more than $5.7 million. See Taxes on Page 3/* Crowning achievement EDUCATION EXCELLENCE (TOP) Meggan McNally was surprised by the announcement that she is Barrow’s Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012. She had just returned from a field trip with her students when a team of school administrators, family and friends delivered the news and congratulated her. Last year’s Teacher of the Year, C.J. Wilder performed her official “coronation.” (BELOW) McNally (center), a gifted (SCOPE) teacher at Yargo Elementary School is shown with Yargo principal Jan Masingill and schools superintendent Wanda Creel, after they surprised her with the announcement. Photos by Lorin Sinn-Clark Oh the places they 7/ go... WBHS, AHS seniors to receive diplomas By Katie Cofer katie @ mainstreetnews. com It is the week of high school commencement and Barrow County graduating seniors will be headed off to their next phase of life, Apalachee High School seniors will accept their diplo mas Friday, May 20 at 6 p.m. at the R. Harold Harrison Stadium at AHS. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 10 a.m. on the field or in the gym with each senior allowed four tickets for guests. Winder Barrow High School will hold its commencement on Friday, May 20 at 8 p.m. in the school stadium. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. in the school stadium. The valedictorian at Apalachee High School is Nicolai Popescu and the salutatorian is Tyler •AHS, Friday 6 p.m., R. Harold Harrison Stadium •WBHS, Friday, 8 p.m., W. Clair Harris Stadium Jacobs. Winder Barrow’s valedicto rian is Mai Xiong and Crystal Chukwurah is the school’s salu tatorian. According to statistics pro vided by school counselors, local seniors have a variety of after high school plans. Approximately 60 percent of Apalachee High School gradu ates will be heading off to a four-year university, 20 percent are going to a technical school and 5 percent plan to enter the military. Fifteen percent of the AHS graduating class is headed for the work force. See Graduation on Page 13A Alcohol related Fireman arrested following domestic violence incident By Susan Norman snorman @ barrowjournal. com A second firefighter working for Barrow County Emergency Services has been arrested following an alcohol-related domestic dispute. Bobby Ray Garmon, 36, of Red Oak Way in Winder, was charged April 24 with three misdemeanors, including bat tery, criminal trespass, and simple assault. According to a Barrow County Sheriff’s Office report, he had been drinking beer and tequila “throughout the day” at the home of a relative, and en route to their home that evening began yelling at his wife and “hit her in the right side of her face while she was driving her vehicle.” When they arrived at their GARMON house, she ran inside and locked the door. “Mrs. Garmon said her hus band ran to the front doot and tried to kick the front door open,” states the report by deputy William Myers. See Fireman on Page 13/* Performance Learning Center gives students second chance By Lorin Sinn-Clark lorin@barrowjournal.com Sometimes all a kid needs is a second chance and that is exactly what the Barrow County Schools Performance Learning Center provides to some 75 high school students who, if they were not at the PLC, would probably drop out. “I failed some classes and was off track,” said PLC junior Justin Jackson, whose post-high school plan is to become a firefighter. “I came here to get on track and now I am going to be able to graduate with the rest of my class. There’s no doubt — if I wasn’t here, I would’ve already dropped out.” Jordan Caler, another PLC junior, agreed. “I fell behind on credits — too far to get caught up. The PLC gives us a second chance. We don’t want to drop out, but sometimes that seems like the only option. Now I am caught up and will graduate on time with the rest of my class mates." Caler said he’s “leaning towards the military” after high school, "as a path to something in the medical field.” PLC principal Molly Stiltner said these students’ views voice the heart of the PLC mission. “We’ve always had a fair number of kids who get within a year or so of graduating and then drop out,” Stiltner said. “Our goal is to reach those kids, keep them in school and help them succeed.” See PLC on Page 12A “PEOPLE CARE HERE” This is one thing PLC students (L to R) Jordan Caler, Nicki Williams, Amanda Knight and Justin Jackson agree on about their school. They are in the Outdoor Learning Center with their math learning facilitator, Tam’ra Kerch. Photo by Lorin Sinn-Clark