Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Barrow it Journal
www.barrowjournal.com donmia’c Roef Woolrlw Panor 0010.0017
Georgia’s Best Weekly Paper, 2012-2013
Vol. 6 No. 29
20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS plus inserts
A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. WINDER, BARROW COUNTY GEORGIA 30680
500 COPY
McMichael looks to keep up momentum
Selected as lone finalist
for BCSS superintendent
By Alex Pace
alex@ mainstreetnews. com
As heir-apparent to the super
intendent's chair in the Barrow
County School System, Chris
McMichael said this week that
he wants to focus on keeping the
system’s momentum in improve
ment moving forward.
“My goal is to keep improv
ing,” said McMichael. “I see this
as a support position. I support
the principals who support the
teachers who support the kids.”
McMichael said he wants to
expand the AP and Carnegie pro
grams in the system, improve test
scores and expand the options for
special education stu
dents.
“I applied because
I believe in Barrow
County,” he said.
“I’ve been here for
five years and I just
think it’s a great
place to be. It wasn’t
really my intention to
become a superinten-
#•/
i <
MCMICHAEL
dent, but I’ve been work
ing with such a great team
and such great kids.”
McMichael is current
ly working alongside
departing superintendent
Wanda Creel during a
transition period. Creel
will be leaving BCSS for
a position at Gainesville
City Schools after the
school year is completed.
“Dr. McMichael and I are con
ducting transition meetings to
allow me to provide information
and answer any questions he may
have,” said Creel. “He and I have
been working together as a team
for a number of years so most
of the information is not new to
him.
See McMichael on Page 5A
Winder
annexes
‘islands’
By Susan Norman
snorman @ barrowjournal. com
With the help of state
officials, 88 unincorporat
ed properties have been
annexed into the city of
Winder.
The small pockets — or
“islands” — of unincor
porated parcels were com
pletely surrounded by prop
erties already inside the city
limits.
To clean up the city map,
and to clarify which fire and
law enforcement agencies
should respond to emer
gencies at those locations,
city officials last year began
working with property own
ers to encourage them to
allow their properties to be
annexed.
Most, but not all, property
owners initially were recep
tive to the city’s annexation
requests, according to city
officials at the time.
At a meeting of the
Winder City Council on
Monday, councilman Bob
Dixon asked planning
director Barry Edgar if all
of the county islands now
have been annexed.
Edgar indicated that they
have not, responding that
the city council would have
a called meeting at 7 p.m.
May 20 “to address the
islands.”
According to city clerk
April Furman, there are
nine remaining unincorpo
rated islands inside the city.
See Islands on Page 2A
Contact:
Phone: 770-867-6397
Fax: 678-425-1435
Mail: 77 E. May St.
Winder, Ga. 30680
Web: www.barrovyjournal.com
Mailing Label Below:
Celebrating life...
Big crowd turns out for annual Relay at W. Clair Harris Stadium
HONORING, REMEMBERING LOVED ONES
The annual Relay for Life was held Friday into Saturday at W. Clair Harris Stadium at
Winder-Barrow High School. Cancer survivors attended the event and family members
and friends remembered those lost to the disease. Photos by Jessica Brown
Bomb threat at
AHS is a hoax
By Susan Norman
snorman @ barrowjournal. com
With the end of the school
year just around the comer,
pranksters last week created
havoc at five area schools
by writing bomb threats on
restroom walls and doors.
The incidents occurred
over three days and led to
the evacuations of three
Jackson County schools,
one Jefferson City school
and here in Barrow County,
Apalachee High School.
No bombs were found,
but school and law enforce
ment officials devoting
resources to checking out
the threats didn’t find humor
in the disruptions of East
Jackson Comprehensive
High School on April 30;
Jefferson Middle School
and Maysville Elementary
School on May 1; and West
Jackson Middle School and
AHS on May 2.
See Threat on Page 2A
Tribute ride to
be in Statham
The “Ride 4 The
Fallen" tribute will pass
through Statham as part
of a statewide and nation
al tribute to veterans who
died in the line of duty
in 2013. The event will
begin at Cycle World of
Athens with registration
at 9 a.m. and the parade
beginning at 10 a.m.
The honor ceremo
ny will take place at
the Statham Veterans
Memorial on Railroad
Street, at 11 a.m. fol
lowed by the Freedom
Ride at noon.
All parade riders must
register online at www.
Ride4TheFallen.com. All
donations will benefit the
Military Veterans Project.
Also that day, the
Georgia "Remembering
Our Fallen" exhibit will
be held in the Statham
Community Center from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
'0 4879 14541
o
Ribbon cutting set for
streetscape completion
By Susan Norman
snorman @ barrowjournal. com
Thirteen months after the
work began, local and state
officials next week will have
a ribbon-cutting ceremony cele
brating the completion of more
than $6 million in roadway and
streetscape improvements along
several blocks of North Broad
Street.
The event will be at 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 13, at Jones Park
at the Gazebo at the corner of
North Broad and Candler streets.
Participating in the program
will be Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle,
Jamie Boswell, who represents
the 10th Congressional District
on the State Transportation
Board, Sen. Frank Ginn, Rep.
Terry England and Mayor David
Maynard.
The contractor for the project,
G.P Enterprises Inc., complet
ed the work two months ahead
of the Georgia Department of
Transportation’s July deadline.
The $4.9 million in roadwork
was the replacement of almost
three-fourths of a mile of old
asphalt on North Broad Street
using more than 100 concrete
panels — a first for a road in
Georgia that isn’t an interstate.
The panels are expected to pro
vide a stronger driving surface
that will last decades, according
to GDOT.
See Streetscape on Page 5A
UNIQUE
BIRTHDAY
Neelie Perno
recently cel
ebrated her
11th birthday.
Instead of
presents for
herself, she
asked for
items from
the Leftover
Pets wish list.
She happily
delivered her
donations,
including dog
collars, dog
food, cat lit
ter, cat food
and bleach.
Neelie is the
daughter
of Joe and
Leigh Perno
of Winder.
