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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
THEY FOUGHT AND THEY WON
The honorary chairmen from the past 14 Relays for Life were recognized at the 2012
Relay Kick-Off Celebration. Those present were: (L to R, front) Beverly Jackson,
Jackson Austin, Nell Howard, Charlie Jo Watson, Sybil Kemp, Julie Sanders with her
sons Patrick and Peyton (in memory of Dale Sanders), and Karen White; (L to R, rear)
Ellis Howard, Melinda and Trent Shealey and John Bowen. (See the story below for
the rest of the honorary chairmen’s names.) Photos by Lorin Sinn-Clark
Relay kicks off 15th year with celebration
By Lorin Sinn-Clark
lorin @ barrowjoumal. com
The words “celebration”
and “cancer” are rarely linked,
but during the 2012 Barrow
County Relay for Life Kick-
Off Celebration, 15 years of
hope in the fight against cancer
were celebrated by a banquet
room full of cancer survivors
and their families - all gearing
up to join the fight again this
year. The 2012 Relay will be
May 11-12 at W. Clair Harris
Stadium, Winder-Barrow High
School.
“Cancer scares you to
death,” said Beverly Jackson,
a survivor, past Relay honor
ary chairman and Relay com
mittee member since Barrow’s
first Relay for Life in 1998.
“Cancer never sleeps and it
doesn’t care who it strikes...
In 14 years of Relays, Barrow
County has raised $2.2 million
— that's a bunch of money for
cancer research.”
Among those present at the
kick-off celebration were other
original Relay organizers and
cancer survivors, including
many of the past honorary
chairmen and their families.
Victoria Patrick, another
organizer of Barrow’s first
Relay and current communi
ty manager for the American
Cancer Society, South Atlantic
Division, challenged those
present to “celebrate, remem
ber and fight back” (the 2011
Relay theme) then “make this
our biggest Relay yet.”
Patrick emphasized that
there are many ways to become
involved in Relay for Life.
“You can be a team captain,
join a team, join the Relay
Committee, invite survivors to
attend or be a corporate or per
sonal sponsor,” she said.
Last year Barrow’s Relay
raised $150,000; some 57
teams and 270 survivors
participated. The top 2011
fund-raising teams were rec
ognized at the 2012 kick-off
and “Bev’s Babes,” (Jackson’s
team) received top honors for
raising more than $7,500.
CELEBRATING AND
REMEMBERING
John Bowen, a current
Relay warrior and past
honorary chairman, deco
rated the luminaria he lit
at the Kick-Off Celebration
in memory of his wife,
Martha.
In addition to announcing
the honorary chairmen for
2012, who are Brooks House,
Caroline Power Evans and
Ron Dunson, the honorary
chairmen from the past 15
years were recognized and
remembered.
They were: Phil Jones, 1998,
(not a survivor); Larry and Dot
Jones, 1999; Beverly Jackson,
2000; Nell and Ellis Howard,
2001; Ernest Green Graham
(in memory), Sybil Kemp and
Allison Carder, 2002; Edna
Jennings (in memory) and C.J.
Johnson, 2003; Dale Sanders
(in memory), 2004; Lillie
Karnes, 2005; Carol Lackey
and Ryan Morgan (in memo
ry), 2006; Charlie Jo Watson
and Larry H. Jones, 2007;
Laney House (in memory) and
Jackson Austin, 2008; Melinda
and Trent Shealey, 2009; Julie
Keinat, John Bowen and
Jake Smith, 2010; Karen and
Dewey White, Jake Grant and
Jake Geibel, 2011.
The kick-off celebra
tion was held on Nov. 1 at
Constance Manor in Winder.
Chick-fil-A provided the meal
and the Winder Woman’s Club
supplied the dessert. Relay
for Life is sponsored by the
American Cancer Society. For
more information, to donate,
to join or form a Relay for
Life team, go to www.relay-
forlife.org/barrowga or con
tact Patrick at 706-549-4893
or (c) 770-307-7956.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TOWN OF BRASELTON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT PROGRAM
(POST AWARD HEARING)
The Town of Braselton will hold a PUBLIC HEARING
on Monday, November 21, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at 5040
Highway 53, Braselton, GA 30517 for the purpose of
discussing the approved activities of the City's
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project.
On October 20, 2011, The Town of Braselton was awarded
Redevelopment Fund assistance in the amount of $500,000
to loan the Urban Redevelopment Agency of Braselton for
the purpose of eliminating blighted conditions at the
Braselton Brothers Store Complex located in historic
downtown Braselton.
Items to be discussed at the hearing include:
• The amount of funds received and description of the
activities;
• The amount of funds available for each activity and
the amount of funds that will benefit low-to-moderate
income persons;
• The plan, if applicable, to minimize or prevent the
displacement of person and the plan to assist people
who may be displaced; and
The public is invited to attend this hearing to become
informed of the project's activities. Persons with special
needs relating to handicapped accessibility or foreign
language shall contact Jennifer Dees, Town Manager and
Clerk at (706) 654-3915 prior to November 21, 2011. This
person can be located at the Braselton Town Hall at 4982
Highway 53, Braselton, GA 30517 between the hours of
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
holidays. Persons with hearing disabilities may contact the
Georgia Relay Service at (TDD) (800) 255-0056 or (Voice)
(800) 255-0135.
FURIOUS
FUNDRAISERS
“Bev’s Babes” was the
team that raised the most
money during last year’s
Relay for Life — more
than $7,500. Beverly
Jackson (L) is “Bev” and
Sybil Kemp is one of her
“Babes.” They were rec
ognized at the 2012 Kick-
Off Celebration.
KEEPING HIS
LIGHT ALIVE
Julie Sanders lighting a
luminaria in memory of her
husband Dale, the honor
ary 2004 Relay chairman,
at the recent 2012 Kick-Off
Celebration
Auburn city council approves moratorium
concerning ‘Internet sweepstake cafes ’
By Katie Cofer
katie@barrowjournal.com
The Auburn City Council on Thursday
approved a six-month zoning moratorium on
potential gambling establishments in the city.
The move will essentially ban any establish
ment owner from offering promotions or
sweepstakes for the purchase of Internet or
phone service within the city limits.
The recommendation came from the
Georgia Municipal Association, a nonprofit
membership advocacy group that represents
local governments. The GMA suggested that
cities adopt the ordinance to allow for more
time to investigate and address issues related
to potential Internet gambling issues.
According to the GMA, in Georgia, as
in many other jurisdictions, in order to be
considered “gambling” there must be a prize
or chance. These Internet sweepstakes cafes
have caused confusion as to whether they are
legal or not in Georgia.
“You’re buying time on the Internet and
they set up computer terminals, but legally,
we are gambling online,” said City of Auburn
attorney Jack Wilson, citing state legislation
that passed last year and was vetoed by the
governor, basically regulating the use of such
cafes.
The moratorium only places a temporary
hold on any applications for business licens
es, zoning or other permits for these uses,
which could be associated with gambling.
The mayor and city council may authorize
exceptions.
OTHER
ACTION
The city council also approved the follow
ing items at its Nov. 3 meeting:
•a recommendation to approve an amend
ment to section 15.04 of the Auburn Municipal
code to add the following to the list of adopted
codes: an international property maintenance
code, international existing building code,
international wildland-urban interface code,
international code council performance code,
international private sewage disposal code.
•a recommendation to approve an ordi
nance to impose a charge of $ .75 at the point
of sale per retail transaction on prepaid wire
less service.
•a recommendation to approve and award
Sue Lane drainage improvements to Fortis
Engineering Solutions out of Atlanta for
$29,729.50.
•a recommendation to approve a construc
tion cost of $47,490 for lots 18 and 19 at
Governors Ridge for removal and installation
of storm drain pipe and structures.
•a recommendation to approve and award
the grading and construction contract for the
City of Auburn Ballfields to Gary’s Grading
and Pipeline Company Inc. for $143,950.
•a recommendation to approve a water
line warranty service program through The
National League of Cities.
•a recommendation to set a facility use
fee for the use of the new City of Auburn
Ballfields at the following: Residents—
$25 per hour per adult team, per field, $20
per hour per youth team, per field; Non
residents— $37.50 per hour per adult team,
per field, $30 per hour per youth team, per
field; Nonprofit— $15 per hour per adult or
youth team, per field; Concession area— $25
per day; Concession building— $35 per day.
•a recommendation to approve the follow
ing mower and utility vehicle purchases for
the Parks and Leisure Department: a new
Toro G3 Commercial Zero Turn Mower from
Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation for $6,142.90
and a John Deere 4 by 2 TS Gator from Green
South Equipment for $5,000.
•a recommendation to approve medical
plans offered by the Georgia Municipal
Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield for
city wide employees to avoid a 13 percent
increase or $57,678 insurance premium for
January 2012.
•a recommendation to approve Carter
Watkins and Associates $23,650 contract
agreement to complete the design and con
struction architectural services for renova
tions to the Perry Rainey Building to be paid
for out of 2012 SPLOST funds.
•a recommendation to adopt a new employ
ee retirement plan.
DOT approves contractor for Hwy. 211/Hwy. 124 project
The Georgia Department of
Transportation has awarded a
$5.2 million contract for the
major overhaul of the inter
section of Ga. Hwy. 211 and
Ga. Hwy. 124 in Braselton.
CW Matthews Contracting
of Marietta will be the pri
mary contactor for the fed
eral project — which is slat
ed to begin in spring 2012.
Construction is expected to
be completed in April 2013.
The intersection is a busy
spot in Braselton that includes
a Shell gas station, the former
location of Sharon Baptist
Church and the planned con
struction of a RaceTrac in the
area. The project will add at
least one right turn lane and
at least one left turn lane to
each leg of the intersection
in Barrow County and two
through lanes on each leg of
the intersection.
In addition, Ga. Hwy. 124
east will have two left turn
lanes and Ga. Hwy. 211 south
will have two left turn lanes.
Sidewalks will also be built
on each leg of the intersec
tion. New signal heads (LED)
and new signal cabinet equip
ment will allow the signal to
be interconnected and timed
with the signals at the ramps
to and from Interstate 85 on
Ga. Hwy. 211.
Other contractors on the
Braselton project include:
Adams Grading Company,
Inc., clearing and grubbing;
Tony Cook Trucking, Inc.,
hauling dirt (partial) and
hauling graded aggregate
base; Detection Engineer
Tech, Inc., traffic sig
nals; Jake Martin and Son
Contractors, Inc., grassing;
Powell’s Trucking, Inc., haul
ing (aggregate); The Sharon
Company, Inc., guardrail;
and Thompson Carriers, Inc.,
hauling liquid asphalt.
The project is one of 10
new transportation infra
structure improvement and
maintenance projects across
Georgia that received spend
ing approval of a total of $54
million on Monday by the
DOT.
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