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Serving the communities of Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Mill Creek, West Jackson and South Hall Wednesday, January 23,2008 Vol. 3 No. 40 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. BraseltonNews.com 22 pages, 3 sections Inside •New local theatre group to present show page 3A JACKSON COUNTY •BOC postpones action on impact fees page 2A HALL COUNTY •Officers training to enforce immigration law page 2A Sports: •Swim Hawks split team for meets page 2B Opinion: •‘County deal for Braves should have been in the open’.... page 4A Public safety: •Woman threatens cop during DUI arrest page 5A •Church events page 7A •Obituaries page 6A Braselton planners OK commercial zoning requests Property owners plan to assemble tracts BY KERRI TESTEMENT The signs posted along Ga. Hwy. 53 and Lagree Duck Road in Braselton say it all - this area is for sale. Several property owners near the “tri angle,” a sharp intersection where the state highway and Lagree Duck Road meet, have posted real estate signs indicating the poten tial for the area to be become commercial developments. Already, several other properties along Hwy. 53 have been annexed and zoned com mercial in Braselton in recent months. On Tuesday, the Braselton Planning Commission recommended approval of three requests from property owners seek ing commercial zoning in the town. The town council will hold a public hearing on the requests on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 4 p.m. and is expected to vote on the proposals on Monday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. The town council will also decide if the properties should be annexed into Braselton from unincorporated Jackson County. Drs. Jay and Rehka Desai own two prop erties in the area - a .47-acre parcel on Hwy. 53 that currently includes an office for North Georgia Insurance Center and a one-acre parcel at the intersection of Hwy. 53 and Lagree Duck Road that now includes an office for Waypoint Realty. The Desais are seeking General-Commercial (G-C) zoning in Braselton for the properties. Kedrick Scott of Wood Brothers and Scott, said there are no current plans to develop the properties. The Desais want to have the See ZONING on page 8A HALF-TIME PERFORMANCE The MC Steppers at Mill Creek High School performed at Tuesday’s basketball game against North Gwinnett High School. The step team includes more than 30 members. Photo by Kristi Reed Stepping Out Mill Creek’s step team gaining fans at games BY KRISTI REED alftime is not a good time to go for snacks if you are fortunate enough to be at a Mill Creek High School home basketball game when the MC Steppers are scheduled to per form. Mill Creek’s Uniquely Gold Step Team has been gaining fans this season with exciting, energetic performances. Step team coach Lorraine Smith said the team’s attitude is what keeps fans watching when the MC Steppers perform. “[Attitude] draws the crowd in and makes them enjoy the competition; makes them enjoy the perfor mance. If it’s a dead performance, everybody tends to walk out because it’s halftime. You’ve got to do something to pull them in and make them stay,” Smith said. The step team has had no problem convincing the crowds to keep watching. Step team performances have been routinely greeted with enthusiastic cheers and applause. Step is an African inspired dance in which perform ers use their hands and feet to create percussion sound with synchronized movement. Smith said stepping has grown in popularity in recent years. Though step originated in Africa, it became popular in the United States when several sororities and fraternities incorporated step dance competitions as part of their social activities. “[Stepping] has grown since then and it has moved down into the high schools and the middle schools and churches. It just everywhere now,” Smith said. See STEP on page 8A TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PLACE Rep. Tommy Benton, Rep. Terry England and Barrow County Board of Commissioners chairman Doug Garrison were on hand Tuesday night as the Ten Commandments were once again placed on display in a Barrow County government building. Photo by Kristi Reed Ten Commandments return to county building BY KRISTI REED The Ten Commandments are once again on display in a Barrow County government building. Three years ago, county officials were forced to remove the bibli cal laws from the courthouse after a prolonged legal battle with the American Civil Liberties Union. Barrow County’s struggle led to the introduction of state legislation which allows local governments to display nine historical docu ments as part of a ‘Foundations of American Law and Government’ exhibit. The Ten Commandments are part of that display. In November, Barrow County commissioners voted unanimously to install the exhibit. State Representative Terry England presided over Tuesday night’s ceremony at the request of board of commissioners chairman Doug Garrison. “I wouldn’t have missed this. It’s been a long time coming,” said England. England told those in attendance that Barrow County “took the lead in the battle against good and evil, in one sense of the word, a couple of years ago.” England then introduced Dr. Jody Hice, president of Ten Commandments Georgia Inc. Ten Commandments Georgia is a non-profit organization which supported Barrow County in its legal fight with the ACLU. Dr. Hice delivered the invocation at Tuesday night’s ceremony. “I think it is so fitting that this display goes back up here tonight after all that has taken place here in Barrow County,” Hice said. State Representative Tommy Benton was also on hand to help place the religious tenets back on display. England said Benton was See TEN on page 8A Barrow to spend $52.3 million for new county detention center BY KRISTI REED Barrow County Commissioners voted last week to approve requested expenditures of $52.3 million for the new Barrow County criminal justice facility. The facility itself, which will include a new courthouse and jail, is projected to cost $47.2 million. The remaining $5.1 million will be spent on architectural fees, equip ment, furnishings and other related costs. Michael Fischer, assistant administrator for Barrow County, told commissioners that county officials and Turner Construction have worked for months to bring the proj ect in under budget. The $47.2 million represents a guaranteed maximum price for delivery which will enable the county to fin ish construction with $33,000 remaining in allocated funds. Fischer said that while $33,000 may not sound like much money compared to total project costs, the initial construction propos al would have resulted in a $583,000 deficit. Currently, the county estimates it will have $46.4 million in bond proceeds, $4.3 million in interest earned and $1.6 million in future interest to fund the project. Fischer said Turner Construction was selected as construction manager due to the company’s experience in jail and courthouse facilities. As a condition of the agree ment approved by the commission, Turner Construction will be responsible for any cost overruns. Construction has already begun at the new facility which is located off Barrow Park Drive. Fischer told commissioners that Turner Construction intends to have the facility substantially completed by Feb. 5, 2009. The guaranteed delivery date is April 1, 2009. Final completion is scheduled for April 10, 2009. District 2 Commissioner Bill Brown praised Turner Construction and govern ment staff for reducing project costs. “Everybody has shown a willingness to come together and work. To bring it in under budget speaks well of our staff and their staff,” he said. Ken Alabiso, deputy operations manager of Turner’s Atlanta office, was also present More News The planning commission notes the decline in the number of zoning requests - an indication of worsen ing economic conditions. See page 8A at Tuesday night’s meeting. Alabiso has been assigned to the Barrow County crimi nal justice facility project. “It’s a pleasure working with Barrow County,” he said. “It’s been a really good group effort and we’re looking forward to a successful completion.”