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PAGE 8A
BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016
Baker wins spelling bee, Back runner-up
SECOND PLACE
Skyeler Back placed second in the Barrow County School System spelling
bee held last week. Photo by Alex Pace
By Alex Pace
Journal Reporter
After 11 rounds of com
petition, Rachel Baker was
named the Barrow Coun
ty School System spelling
bee champion. Baker, a
sixth grader at Westside
Middle School, won the
competition with the win
ning word, “incorruptible.”
Baker said she heavily
prepped for the compe
tition, studying practice
words.
“I studied for hours on
end,” she said.
Baker squared off with
runner-up Skyeler Back
for three rounds. The two
were quizzed on the spell
ing of panzer, apricot,
iguana, quesadilla, spheri
cal and magnolia.
Back, a fifth grader
at Bramlett Elementary
School, was named run
ner-up of the contest.
Both students competed
against winners from each
elementary and middle
school in the district. Par
ticipants included: Chris
topher Bagwell, Auburn
Elementary School; Jer
emiah Byrd, Bethlehem
Elementary School; Joy
Shaba, County Line Ele
mentary School; Dinah
Guyven, Holsenbeck Ele
mentary School; Tyler
Partee, Kennedy Elemen
tary School; Dylan Morris,
Yargo Elementary School;
Daniel Kim, Bear Creek
Middle School; Spencer
Diehl, Haymon-Morris
Middle School; and Sky-
ler Cook, Russell Middle
School.
These students compet
ed in a vocabulary round,
followed by seven spelling
rounds before the compe
tition was narrowed down
to Baker and Back. Baker
will move forward to the
District 3 competition, to
be held later this month.
County’s general fund
reserves suffers big loss
By Al ex Pace
Journal Reporter
Barrow County’s general fund had a loss last year. The
Barrow County Board of Commissioners received an
update on its preliminary FY2015 budget report at its Feb.
9 meeting.
The county started the year with Si 1.3 million in the
general fund reserves but ended with $9.6 million.
The county received $36.86 million in revenues, almost
one percent higher than was budgeted. Property taxes came
in higher than expected, along with licenses/permits, inter
est and other miscellaneous revenues.
The county’s general fund expenses totaled at $38.61
million. Several departments were over budget. The BOC
approved budget amendments to transfer money in the gen
eral fund to cover the departments' deficits.
The juvenile court was $71,000 over budget because of
more cases, interpreters and emergency judicial assistance
and required pay increases for court reporters. The county
manager department was $58,800 over budget because of
the transition in administration. The building and grounds
department was $61,000 over budget, because of aging
buildings.
The county attorney, human resources and Northeast
Georgia Regional Commission departments were also over
budget. Chief financial officer Rose Kisaalita stressed that
the report is preliminary and the numbers could change.
The BOC also received an update on its water and sewer
budget. The department received $1.2 million more in sales
than was originally budgeted. All water expenses were
under budget, except the Barber wastewater system.
The BOC also received an update on its 2015 capital proj
ects, which came in over budget by $4 million due to the
purchase of a radio communications system for emergency
services. Other funds were spent on technology improve
ments and tractors for the roads and bridges department.
BOC seeks private temp
for vacant public works
Next food distribution scheduled Thursday, Feb. 25
By Alex Pace
Journal Reporter
The Barrow County Food Pantry in partnership with
The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia will hold a Food
Distribution Day on Thursday, Feb. 25, beginning at 8
a.m.
The event is held rain or shine at Holly Hill Mall on
Athens Street in Winder (across from Hill’s Ace Hard
ware). This is open to all Barrow County residents who
meet USDA income eligibility requirements. Proof of
Barrow County residency is required and the food is dis
tributed on a “first come, first served” basis.
Tom Garrett has resigned as the Barrow County public
works director. The Barrow County Board of Commission
ers discussed having a private company temporarily fill the
vacancy after an hour-and-a-half closed session Feb. 9.
The BOC approved in a 4-3 vote creating a special
committee to negotiate and authorize a contract with an
engineering company to fill the position until a full-time
director is hired. The contract could be terminated with five
days notice and the company would be paid no more than
the director’s salary.
The BOC plans to continue advertising the public works
director position. Interim county manager Jimmy Terrell
will take over the director’s responsibilities until the vacancy
is filled. Chairman Pat Graham said filling the vacancy will
cut down on the added workload for Terrell or a new county
manager, when hired.
“It is a lot to ask of one person to manage Barrow County
and directly supervise six departments, especially with the
workload of the departments in public works,” she said.
Graham said the department is working on several proj
ects and could soon move forward with phase III engineer
ing for the West Winder Bypass. She said a professional
services agreement could allow the county to quickly fill the
position. But several board members were concerned about
the process. Some questioned whether the BOC should go
through the normal hiring process, or to require Requests for
Qualifications (RFQ). But Graham said, "This seemed like
a quicker way to meet the need we have now because the
position is vacant.”
The vote passed with Roger Wehunt, Billy Parks and Ben
Hendrix opposed.
BOC continued from 1A
Thomas Pennington
said he was also worried
about the impact of near
by property values. Shawn
McDougall said the com
pany’s operation exceeds
the M-l zoning and said
the property violates UDC
requirements because it is
too close to a nearby res
idence.
Commission mem
ber Isaiah Berry also had
some concerns. Berry was
concerned about a buffer
variance that was approved
for the group, reducing the
required buffer size from
175 feet to 25 feet.
John Stell spoke in favor
of the rezoning, saying the
expansion would provide
economic growth in the
area. He said the he’s never
received a noise complaint
and said that company’s
operations qualify as M-l.
Stell said that the com
pany does not handle
hazardous waste and said
stormwater issues would
be addressed in construc
tion. The company plans to
expand its current facility
and later add three new
buildings on the property.
The BOC approved the
M-l rezoning, with Berry
opposed, on six conditions.
These include: all buffer
variance requirements
must be met; new build
ings must look architectur
ally similar to the current
facility; a landscape berm
is required along Patrick
Mill Road; and no metal
buildings are allowed.
Light industrial uses are
restricted to the M-l por
tion of the property and
tractor-trailer traffic is
restricted to travel to and
from Barrow Industrial
Parkway.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the
BOC:
•learned Danielle Austin
was selected as president
of the statewide County
Clerks Association.
•approved a rezoning
request from Go Wall Con
struction, LLC, for 3.67
acres on Harvey Lokey
Road, Bethlehem, from
agricultural (AR) to resi
dential (R-l). The owner
wants to divide the plot
into three tracts.
•approved a rezoning
request from JW Perkins
Investments, Inc., for 39.9
acres on Arnold Road SE,
Statham, from R-l to AG.
•approved a rezoning
request from Southpoint
Construction, LLC, for 6.5
acres on Hwy. 211, Wind
er, from R-3 for apartments
to R-3 for single-family
homes.
•approved a bid from
Fireline, Inc., for a res
cue pumper, totaling at
$456,000. The purchase
was approved in the
FY2016 budget.
•authorized Barrow
County Animal Control to
pursue a $5,000 grant from
the Petco Foundation.
The funding could
go towards spay/neuter
cost assistance, shelter
improvements and sup
plies.
February 10, 2016 ~ Crossword Puzzle
Steve
COURTROOM DRAMA! ■ The
Athens Christian Mock Trial Team
had a great day competing at the
State Bar of Georgia’s Mock Trial
Competition last weekend. Stu
dent lawyers learn how to try a
case by eliciting testimony from
witnesses, presenting documenta
ry evidence, and arguing the case
to a panel of judges. Student wit
nesses play the roles of the charac
ters involved in the case.
Junior Christina Mark and
Sophomore John Loveall won
Best Witness Awards and Senior
Chase Hockema and Sophomore
Daniel MacDonald received Out
standing Lawyer Awards in the
Competition.
Thanks to Supervisor Scott
Crawford who did a fantastic job
with this year’s team, and Con
gratulations to all those students
who participated!
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
Across
1. Jam into
5. Egypt’s capital
10. Disfigure
13. Biblical Hamath
14. Vipera berus
15. The three wise men
16. “The foaming cleanser”
17. Earthquake
18. Breezed through
19. South Pacific island
21. Legal possessors
23. List of dishes served
25. Jai __
26. Superhigh frequency
29. Farm fanbatic
34. Double agents
36. No (Scottish)
37. Peninsula off Manchuria
38. As fast as can be done
(abbr.)
39. Apulian city 70121
40. Talk show hostPhilbin
42. USA’s favorite uncle
45. More coherent
46. PBS drama series
49. Retirement plan
50. Be obedient to
51. French river
53. __ fatale, seductive
woman
56. Made a surprise attack
60. Winglike structures
61. Belittle oneself
65. Department of Troyes
France
66. Mains
67. Shoe ties
68. A carefree adventure
69. Mariner or sailor
70. Modern chair designer
71. Gin Fizz cocktail
Down
1. Chew the fat
2. A prince in India
3. A Far East wet nurse
4. Axiom
5. The frame around a door
6. Fruit drink
7. Ugandan Pres. Amin
8. Real Estate Services
9. Brass that looks like gold
10. Nutmeg seed covering spice
11. River in Austria
12. Eliminates
15. Canadian province
20. Green, Earl Grey and iced
22. Four ball advancement
24. Vaselike receptacle
25. Highest card
26. Unction
27.1st of the books of the
Minor Prophets
28. Symbols of allegiance
30. Farm state
31. A citizen of Iran
32. More dried-up
33. Alt. spelling for tayra
35. Perfect examples
41. One point E of SE
42. Secretly watch
43. Three toed sloth
44. _ student, learns healing
45. Liquid body substances
47. Act of selling again
48. Stroke
52. Selector switches
53. Speed, not slow
54. City founded by Xenophanes
55. Picasso’s mistress Dora
57. Having two units or parts
58.2nd largest Spanish river
59. Delta Kappa Epsilon nickname
62. The cry made by sheep
63. Air Cheif Marshall
64. Perceive with the eyes
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