Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Area N e ws
Drought
Rain helps, but much more needed
Rain over the last week has
given some hope that the historic
drought affecting the state may
be relenting. But, weather experts
warn that it will take a lot more
rain to refill area water reservoirs.
Showers in the Northeast
Georgia area have raised the flow
level of the Middle Oconee River
near Arcade. The river hit a his
toric low on Sept. 4 at .7 ft. stage.
On Tuesday of this week, that has
risen to 2.08 ft. stage.
The Middle Oconee River is a
key source of water in Northeast
Georgia since water is pumped
from it into Bear Creek Reservoir.
It is from that reservoir that
Jackson County gets much of its
water.
Reports indicate that the reser
voir water level has risen in recent
weeks from its October low of 14
ft. below full to about 10 ft. below
full.
In Jefferson, the city reservoir
went up some after the recent rain,
but is still 2.5 ft. low.
“It came up some,” Jefferson
public utilities director Jeff Killip
said Tuesday. “We’re still a long
way from being out of the woods.
Any rain will help some. It stops
us from having to buy so much
from the county.”
Officials are still concerned
about next summer and fall if
the drought lingers through the
coming winter months. If the area
starts the summer with reservoirs
below normal, the situation could
become much worse next year.
Jefferson
Judge tosses suit against former police chief
A federal court judge has ruled
in favor of former Jefferson Police
Chief Darren Glenn in a civil
action fded against the former
chief in 2006. Federal Court Judge
William O’Kelley granted Glenn’s
motion for summary judgment last
week in a 2006 suit filed by JPD
officer Lee New against Glenn
over a 2005 demotion. The han
dling of that demotion and New’s
threat of a lawsuit led to Glenn’s
firing by Jefferson officials in June
2006.
Meanwhile, Glenn is sched
uled to appear before the Jackson
County grand jury next Tuesday as
prosecutors try for a third time to
indict the former chief over having
run car tag information illegally.
Glenn’s grand jury appearance will
be the first time Glenn’s side of the
case is aired as prosecutors have
previously declined to interview
Glenn and attempted to block his
appearing before the grand jury.
Last month, Jackson County
Superior Court judge Bob
Adamson dismissed 30 indict
ments handed down against Glenn
because prosecutors from the
Georgia Prosecuting Council in
Atlanta did not let Glenn make
a statement to the grand jury in
September. Under Georgia law,
law enforcement offices have the
right to make a statement to the
grand jury if they are facing indict
ment on charges related to their
position.
December’s hearing will be
the third time state prosecutors
have attempted to indict Glenn.
In December 2006, prosecu
tors attempted to present similar
indictments against Glenn and
four other former JPD officers,
but those indictments had to be
withdrawn after Glenn’s attorney,
former Georgia Attorney General
Michael Bowers, pointed out that
they cited a bogus state law code.
CIVIL SUIT TOSSED
Last week’s ruling to grant a
summary judgment in officer Lee
New’s lawsuit against Glenn was a
major legal victory for the former
chief after 18 months of a complex
legal wrangling.
In 2005, Glenn demoted New
from Sergeant to patrol status.
New did not contest the demotion
at that time, but five months later,
in May 2006, his lawyer began
sending a series of aggressive let
ters to Jefferson officials, hinting
at a lawsuit and claiming that
Glenn’s action to demote New had
violated New’s civil rights.
All during May 2006, letters
went back and forth between the
city, New’s attorney and Glenn.
On at least two occasions, Glenn
asked for a meeting with city
officials to discuss New’s lawsuit
threats, but no meeting was ever
set up.
On June 1, 2006, city manager
David Clabo, assistant city man
ager John Ward and city attorney
Ronnie Hopkins met with New
and his attorney to discuss the
threatened lawsuit. At that meet
ing, the city agreed to pay officer
New $3,800, restore him to the
rank of Sergeant, give him the
day shift for at least three months
and give him a raise to $16.58 per
hour. In return, New signed an
agreement not to sue the city or
anyone associated with the city
over his earlier demotion.
Later that same day, Clabo and
Ward summoned Glenn to city hall
and fired him over his handling of
the Lee New matter.
Despite having agreed not to sue
anyone over his demotion, New
later filed a federal lawsuit against
Glenn alleging his civil rights had
been violated.
However, last week that suit
was effectively tossed when Judge
O’Kelley agreed with Glenn that
New had signed the agreement
not to sue the city or “any other
individuals” acting on behalf of
the city.
Arcade
GBI clears officer of stealing from suspect
FUNDS DONATED TO WINDER LIBRARY
The Winder-Barrow Community Theatre recently presented a check for $685 to the Winder branch of
the Piedmont Regional Library. The money was donated out of the ticket proceeds of the play, “And
Then There Were None,” and will be used to purchase books for the juvenile section of the library
to help update that section. Each production of the Winder-Barrow Community Theatre provides
money to a nonprofit group that is sponsored by the Winder-Barrow Community Theatre. Shown are
Pam Veader (right), president of the Winder-Barrow Community Theatre, presenting a check to Angel
Tuggle, manager of the Winder branch of the Piedmont Regional Library, and Alan Harkness, the
regional manager of the library.
Arts council
Arts Development Council of Georgia to meet
The Arts Development Council
of Georgia (ADCG) will hold its
next General Membership/Open
Meeting at The Pecan Orchard
Art Gallery, 115 E. Broad St.,
Greensboro, on Wednesday,
December 5, at 10 a.m.
The ADCG is continuing its
membership drive and prospec
tive new members are invited to
attend.
Board member, artist and gal
lery owner, Lillie Morris of Evans,
also a Celtic fiddle player, will
play a couple of seasonal num
bers. Professional storyteller and
vice chairman Donna Butler of
Nicholson will also be featured.
Representing the culinary arts
will be Chef Doug Janousek of
Home-Cookin’ in Union Point. He
will create festive mulled apple
cranberry cider and spiced muf
fins and cranberry combread. The
seasonal refreshments are being
sponsored by Larry Cole of Cole
Insurance Agency, Greensboro
office.
“We have such a wealth of var
ied talent,” chair Bill Ronay said.
“It will be an uplifting and fun
meeting.”
ADCG guest speakers will
include Gail Vail, president of the
Greensboro Arts Alliance (GAA),
and Cameron Hampton, artist and
owner of The Pecan Orchard Art
Gallery.
The successful “Two Minutes of
Fame” show-and-tell introduction
exercise will be held again. Artists
are asked to bring a piece of their
art (that they can hold in one hand)
and should be prepared to give a
very brief talk on their art, their
“Two Minutes of Fame.” The first
10 artists to register before the
meeting will be called up at the
meeting. Contact Tina McCullough
at 706-783-4665 to participate.
The board will hold at short busi
ness meeting at 9:30 a.m. before
the general meeting. The ADCG
three-point mission is cultivating
a thriving economic environment
for the creative expression and
appreciation for the arts through
entrepreneurial development, edu
cation and marketing.
ADCG membership has been
established currently at a prelimi
nary fee of $25 for artists/indi
viduals, $100 for art advocates,
and $100 or above for corporate
sponsors.
Any artist - visual, theater, musi
cian, craft maker, arts advocate or
corporations interested in joining, is
asked to send a check made payable
to the Arts Development Council
of Georgia, Attention: Treasurer
Cary Fordyce, 305 Research Drive,
Athens, Georgia 30605-2795 and
provide their name, address, tele
phone number and e-mail address.
Membership applications are
online at www.adcg.org.
For more information, call Bill
Ronay, chair, 706-342-8225 or
Tina McCullough, secretary, at the
Blue Bell Gallery, Comer 706-
783-4665 or Anne Jenkins, public
relations, co-owner of The Point of
Art Gallery 706-486-6808. ADCG
is a non-profit, Georgia corpora
tion.
An Arcade police officer
who faced allegations of taking
money from someone he arrested
has been cleared by the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation.
The Arcade Police Department
requested the GBI investigated
the allegations on April 27 when
a person said $910 was taken
from him during the arrest. The
man alleged that the officer who
arrested him stole the money from
him while he “frisked him.”
“It is requested that this case
be placed in a closed status due
to the lack of evidence of any
criminal activity,” the GBI report
reads. “The victim in this inves
tigation advised that he is not
sure whether he lost the money
or if the money was taken, and
the officer which was alleged in
the theft passed the polygraph
examination.”
Submit your school or social news from Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Mill Creek,
South Hall or West Jackson by e-mailing news@mainstreetnews.com, faxing items to
706-387-5421 or calling 706-367-5986. Feature story ideas are also welcomed.
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