Newspaper Page Text
The Braselton News
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Page 2A
Area News
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
BOC approves zoning for shopping center
BY ANGELA GARY
A rezoning for a shopping cen
ter in West Jackson was approved
by the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners Tuesday night.
The BOC approved the request
from Mike Malerba to rezone
three acres on Skelton Road from
A-2 to NRC to develop a strip
commercial shopping center.
In other action at Monday
night’s two-hour meeting, the
BOC:
•postponed action on an agree
ment with Dorfman Consulting
for $12,500 to conduct a commu
nity services study for the coun
ty. There was some discussion as
to whether this was put on the
agenda in time for the commis
sioners to review it and where the
money would come from.
•approved a contract with
the Georgia Department of
Transportation for the resurfacing
of Ridgeway Church Road and
Sanford Road and the base and
paving of Mary Collier Road.
•approved a contract with
Emergency Billing Inc. for medi
cal transportation services for
Jackson County EMS. Emergency
Billing will provide services for a
percentage of 7.5 percent minus
any refund amount of money col
lected during the billing cycle.
•approved a $69,301 contract
with Ross & Associates to do a
study of impact fees.
•agreed to reduce the speed
limit on Harold Phillips Road
from 55 miles per hour to 35
miles per hour. Planning director
Scott Carpenter said the road has
19 driveways, two hills and one
steep curve. Before the change
was approved, BOC chairman
Pat Bell questioned why this mat
ter was not discussed with road
superintendent Larry Guthrie
and public works director Don
Clerici before it was presented
to the BOC for action. “The pro
cedure was not followed,” she
said. “This board relies heavily
on Mr. Clerici and Mr. Guthrie
on roads.”
•postponed a recommenda
tion to abandon a portion of
Bill Wright Road. This must be
advertised and a public hearing
held before any action is taken.
•approved a request from Jane
Murray to change the conditions
on the zoning of her property
on Skelton Road so that fences
are no longer required along the
development.
•chairman Bell introduced
newly-appointed county manager
Darrell Hampton. “He was cho
sen unanimously and that’s hard
to do with this board,” Bell said.
•Don Segraves spoke on his
concerns about transfer of devel
opment rights (TDR). The coun
ty recently held an meeting about
TDRs.
Braselton
Playhouse raffle to raise funds for Habitat
The Jackson County Habitat for
Humanity is raffling off a one-of-
kind children’s playhouse to raise
funds for the construction of the
county’s eighth Habitat house.
The 10x8 foot playhouse fea
tures a front porch with carriage
lights, and dormer windows with
window boxes fdled with pan
sies. Construction of the house
was supervised by Stan Beeco,
owner of Beeco Construction and
a Jackson County Habitat board
member.
“Each house we build, even tak
ing into account donated materi
als and volunteer labor, requires
about $45,000. We felt that the
playhouse would be a great way
for us to use our Habitat building
experience to make something
that children would enjoy and
their families would be proud of,
and in doing so help build a real
house that will provide a family in
need with a decent place to live,”
said Jackson County Habitat pres
ident Gordon Wilson.
The house is on display in front
of the Jefferson offices of Jackson
EMC on Commerce Road.
Raffle tickets for the house
are $10 each and can be pur
chased at the following locations:
in Jefferson at Jackson EMC,
Mattox Feed and Seed, Trinity
Tire, Jefferson Tire, Sugar &
Spice, Bright Beginnings, Verizon
Wireles s, Living J ackson magazine
and Doggie Style’n Professional
Pet Grooming; in Commerce at
Northeast Georgia Bank, Athens
First Bank, and McDonald
Ace Hardware; in Braselton at
Hometown Community Bank and
Northeast Georgia Bank; and in
Talmo at CAM Realty Group, or
by calling or emailing Bonnie
Jones at 706-367-6114, bjones@
jacksonemc.com.
The raffle drawing will be
held on Dec. 15, in time for
the playhouse to be delivered for
Christmas.
‘Ms. Cured for Life’ pageant ahead
Jackson Creative Community
Resource Center will host a
“Ms. Cured for Life” pageant
at 7 p.m. Friday, February 8, at
the Commerce Cultural Center.
Proceeds will benefit the center’s
Relay for Life team. Food ven
dors will be at the event.
Applications will be taken
through December 30, and
forms are available from 2 to
4 p.m. weekdays at Jackson
Creative, 106 Industrial Parkway,
Commerce. Contestants must be
over 21, have a sponsor to pay
the $25 entry fee and sell 10 tick
ets to the pageant. Contestants
need a formal gown, and make
up artists will be available. Each
contestant will receive a free
guest ticket.
A mandatory stage rehearsal
will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb.
1, at Jackson Creative.
Tickets for audience members
will be $7 in advance, $10 at the
door and $30 for a family of five
or more.
For more information, call
706-335-5379.
Run/walk held to benefit Red Cross
The East Georgia chapter of the
American Red Cross will hold its
22 nd annual Sleighbell 5K Run/
Walk on Saturday, Dec. 1.
The event will be held at the
pavilion at Pittard Park on N.
Church Street, Winterville.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
and the race starts at 8:30 a.m.
Proceeds will benefit local disas
ter services of the East Georgia
chapter of the Red Cross.
For more information, or to reg
ister, visit www.sleighbell.org or
call 706-353-1645.
Need Printing?
Call 706-367-5233
Recycle!!
Jackson Countv School System
‘Mean girls’ new outlet for bullying at schools
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
“Mean Girls” isn’t just a popu
lar movie about manipulative rela
tionships between some teenagers
— local school leaders say it’s a new
trend of bullying among girls.
“Mean girls,” also known as “rela
tional aggression,” is behavior that is
intended to harm someone by dam
aging or manipulating relationships
with others. Educators say these
relationships can start as young as
pre-school age.
The Jackson County Safe and
Drug Free Schools committee heard
a presentation about “Mean Girls”
during its meeting last week. The
next committee meeting is scheduled
for March 27.
“Mean girls” will use exclusion,
gossiping, insults, teasing, alliances
and even “cyber bullying” to taunt
their so-called friends.
More than 160,000 kids nation
wide miss school each day out of
fear of being bullying, according to
statistics presented to the commit
tee.
Jackson County educators also
learned that “mean girls” have cer
tain roles — including the “Queen,”
who gets her friends to do what
she wants, to the “Wannabee,” who
loves to gossip and strives to have
the “right” look. Other roles include
the “Gossip,” “Sidekick,” “Floater,”
“Bully,” “Bystander,” and “Target.”
“Mean girls” are usually verbally
abusive to other girls, and not physi
cally violent, according to the pre
sentation.
Schools, however, can address
“mean girl” bullies by teaching
empathy, encouraging extracurricu
lar activities and having small group
discussions.
Parents can encourage their chil
dren to have relationships with adults
and other children who appreciate
them for what they are. Parents can
also teach kindness and model that
behavior; become computer savvy to
address “cyber bullying” threats; be
aware of their child’s online activi
ties and not allow a computer in their
child’s room.
Parents are further encouraged to
talk about both sides of an issue, as
girls may talk about being a victim
and not about being the aggressor.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Jackson
County Safe and Drug Free Schools
committee:
•learned that its 2008 budget will
be $27,759.
•learned that the state needs assess
ment survey that was conducted in
October will serve as the baseline
data for upcoming years.
•heard from educators at various
Jackson County schools on how
they observed Red Ribbon Week.
Activities included special speakers,
special rallies and making posters.
•learned that the Jackson County
School System has 13 confirmed
cases and two suspected cases of
MRS A, or methicillin-resistent staph
ylococcus aureus. MRSA comes in
two forms — a rare, but potentially
deadly form mostly acquired in hos
pitals and another form in the com
munity that responds to antibiotics
and is seldom fatal. There have also
been 34 cases of staph infections this
school year. Anyone who looks like
they may have an infection are being
sent home. Special attention will be
given during the wrestling season,
when students are likely to have
skin-to-skin contact with other wres
tlers who may have an infection.
County BOE approves new employees
BY BRANDON REED
The Jackson County Board of Education approved
several new hires last week. Those hired were:
•Martha Bart, food service assistant, EJMS.
•Kathy Barnett, custodian, EJES.
•Richard Friedman, school nutrition manager,
EJES.
•Catherine Cantrell, 5 th grade teacher, WJIS
(effective 12/17/07)
RESIGNATIONS
The following resignations were approved:
•Carol Gilham, special education teacher,
EJMS.
•Donna Wells, food service manager, EJMS
•Sandy McGrath, paraprofessional, WJPS
•Rebecca Stone, 5 th grade teacher, WJIS
TRANSFERS
The following transfers were approved:
•Alisa Hanley, principal, WJIS to Gum Springs
Elementary.
•Lydia Anderson, special education teacher,
EJES to EJMS.
•James Pope, custodian, EJES to EJCHS.
RETIREMENT
The following retirements were approved:
•Beth Bray, BES (effective 6/30/08)
Barrow County Planning Commission
Retail center plans get recommended approval
BY KRISTI REED
The Barrow County Planning
Commission recommended at
a meeting last week approving a
request which would allow a retail
center to be constructed at the comer
of Midland Avenue and Hwy 8. The
proposed project would include a
convenience store and office space.
Commissioners stipulated that the
applicants must complete a traffic
study and meet highway corridor
overlay requirements.
Attorney John Stell, speaking
on behalf of applicant Shawn Ali,
requested that the screening buf
fer requirement be removed. Stell
told commissioners the buffer would
be replaced with a landscaped area
to improve business visibility from
both Midland Avenue and Highway
8. Stell explained that the site plan
calls for the building to be placed
at an angle facing the intersection.
This placement would screen the
rear of the business from view elimi
nating the need for the buffer.
In other business, the planning
commission:
•recommended approval for a
request by Mary Ann Prater to rezone
three acres out of a 10.049 acre tract
from AG to AR for a single family
residential home. The property is
located at 1031 Clacktown Road in
Winder.
•recommended approval for a spe
cial use permit requested by Allison
Moravec of 674 Rivermill Road
in Bethlehem. The permit would
allow Moravec to operate a bar
ber shop in her garage. District 5
Commissioner Howard Hawthorne
and District 3 Commissioner Wayne
Alexander voted against the request
after voicing concerns that the pro
posed business would not meet state
licensure requirements. District
1 Commissioner Joe Goodman
motioned for approval after express
ing his view that the state licensure
requirements were outside the pur
view of the planning commission.
Nancy Easterling (District 4) and
Chet Holiday (At-large) also voted
for approval.
The Barrow County Board of
Commissioners will vote on the
zoning requests at the December 11
meeting.
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