Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Area N e ws
Barrow Countv Board of Education
Barrow BOE recognizes Saunders, Darby
Hoschton
BY KRISTI REED
The Barrow County Board
of Education recognized
Superintendent Ron Saunders for
being named Georgia Superintendant
of the Year this past week.
Bill Bramlett, board chairman,
presented Saunders with an award
at the Tuesday night Board of
Education meeting.
“We wanted to tell you how
much we appreciate you,” Bramlett
said. “It is an exceptional award
you received from the state. We
wish you well at the national level.
On behalf of the board of educa
tion, we would like to thank you for
consistently demonstrating excep
tional leadership in your role as the
superintendent of Barrow County
Schools.”
Saunders said he was honored
and humbled by the award.
“This really is an award for the
school system,” he said. “All of
you care about this school system
and you care about the kids. I’m
just very honored to represent this
board of education. I’m just hum
bled by all this and I will cherish it
forever.”
The board also recognized A1
Darby, assistant principal of Winder
Barrow High School, on being
named Georgia Assistant Principal
of the Year. Rob Johnson, Principal
of Winder Barrow High School,
praised Darby for his dedication
and service.
“He is one of the brightest admin
istrators with whom I have ever
worked,” Johnson said. “He causes
others around him to work hard
er. His dedication is unmatched.
He strives everyday to make sure
Winder Barrow High School is the
best place for our kids. This is so,
so deserved.”
The board announced more good
news for Barrow County Schools.
BEING HONORED
Ron Saunders (left) receives an award from Al Darby (right).
Saunders was named Georgia Superintendent of the Year and
Darby was named Georgia Assistant Principal of the Year.
Photo by Kristi Reed
The Barrow County Early Learning
Center was recognized for achiev
ing all “Exceeds” ratings from the
Pre-K Program Assessment for the
2006-2007 school year.
Tonya Royal accepted the com
mendation on behalf of the center.
Royal said she and the rest of the
staff hoped to continue with all
“Exceeds” ratings.
“It’s a great accomplishment,”
she said. “We are very proud.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the board:
•approved the realignment of the
Statham Elementary Attendance
Zones. Approximately 180 students
will be transferred to Holsenbeck
Elementary beginning with the
2008-2009 school year. The board
will be sending letters to the par
ents of affected students explaining
the timeline and options for the
transfers.
•withdrew a proposed resolution
opposing House Bill 900. HB 900
in its original form proposed elimi
nating property and ad valorem tax
and replacing them with a state
wide sales tax. Local governments
would be required to seek funding
for schools and other programs
from the state. Due to changes in
HB 900, a new draft of the resolu
tion will be prepared. Saunders
said it was important to express
the board’s concern that the pro
posed legislation will remove tax
ing authority from the school board
and limit access to school funding.
•presented Winder Barrow Middle
School with this month’s Clean
School award.
•placed the Career, Technical and
Agricultural course revisions rec
ommended by the state on the table
for a review period.
•placed the “Exploring
Agriscience” textbook on the table
for a 30-day review period before
adopting.
•set the next board work session
for Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. and the next
board meeting for Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
HOSCHTON POLICE RECEIVE CHECK
The Hoschton Police Department received a check on Monday night for $12,030 from the Blue
Light Committee, which recently held an auction to benefit the police department. Shown are (L-R):
Dave Hill, police chief; and Blue Light Committee members JoNan Warwick, Cindy George and Pam
Butler. Photo by Kerri Testement
Jackson County
County expected to end year in the red
Winder
Winder to honor mayor Ouzts for 17 years of service
BY KRISTI REED
City Administrator Bob Beck
announced Tuesday that the City
of Winder will host a reception for
Mayor Buddy Ouzts to honor the
mayor’s 17 years of service. The
reception will be held on Sunday,
December 16, at the City of Winder
Cultural Arts Center dining room
from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.
“The public is invited and we
encourage them to come,” Beck
said.
Speaking at Tuesday night’s city
council meeting. Beck praised
Ouzts.
“For me, he has been a mentor. I
have been honored to work for him,”
Beck said.
City employees will pay trib
ute to the mayor at the employee’s
Christmas luncheon scheduled for
December 21.
Beck also announced a gradu
ation ceremony honoring the
Management Development Class of
2007. The ceremony will be held on
Dec. 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the Winder
Community Center. The city will
recognize 26 employees who have
completed a year-long training pro
gram presented by the University of
Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of
Government.
Beck said the Management
Development program is important
to the city.
“I think the city will benefit tre
mendously down the road from the
knowledge [these employees] have
acquired in the program,” Beck
said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, council mem
bers:
•voted to issue a permit for the
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
See WINDER on page 5A
The Jackson County government is expected to end
the year $552,000 in the red, mainly due to salary
hikes for employees.
At Monday nights Jackson County Board of
Commissioner’s meeting, county finance director
John Hulsey reported that while income was running
above budget for 2007, expenses were also over
budget.
The main reasons for the extra expense is due to a
pay hike approved last summer that was made retro
active to Jan. 1 which cost the county $486,200, and
a new salary scale that was put into place for the last
six months of the year costing an additional $197,300
in salary expenses.
While the county will likely end the year in the
red, Hulsey’s report stated that the county remains in
a strong overall financial condition with unreserved
funds of $5.7 million in the county’s general fund.
Committee to work renovations of old courthouse
BY ANGELA GARY
A seven-member committee will
be formed by the first of the year to
oversee renovations to the historic
courthouse in downtown Jefferson.
Each of the five members
of the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners will recommend
one appointee. There will also be
two appointees from the county his
torical society and one from the
Jefferson Historic Preservation
Commission.
The BOC unanimously agreed at
a meeting Monday night to have
the committee in place by January.
There was some discussion on
whether to form a committee or to
seek local legislation to have an
authority formed. The board agreed
it would be best to form a committee
so that work can begin immediately.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday’s
meeting, the BOC:
•reappointed Jim Shaw to serve on
the county industrial authority.
•reappointed John Buchanan, Bill
Warned, Shannon Sell and Don
Lohmeier to the county airport
authority.
•reappointed Don Segraves and
John Gaissert to the county plan
ning commission, and named David
Earhart to serve in place of Marty
Clark.
•reappointed Don Segraves to serve
on the county board of adjustment.
•reappointed Jacque Wilkes and
Jean Collins to the county dangerous
dog committee.
•lifted the partial burn ban to fol
low state recommendations. The
commissioners also agreed that fur
ther action to reinstate or lift the bum
ban is to be made by the county man
ager, who was told to get input from
the county fire association before
making a decision.
•agreed to spend $12,500 with
Dorfman Consulting to do a commu
nity services study. The information
gathered will be used in the county’s
update of the comprehensive plan.
•heard an update from planner
Frank Etheridge on the county’s
local comprehensive plan update.
This must be completed by Oct. 31,
2010. Commissioner Brace Yates
recommended that public input be
taken from the beginning of the pro
cess.
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