Newspaper Page Text
Serving the communities of Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Mill Creek, West Jackson and South Hall
Wednesday, February 6,2008
Vol. 3 No. 42 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. BraseltonNews.com 24 pages, 3 sections
Inside
JACKSON COUNTY
•Johnson announces
run for chairman seat on
board of commissioners
page 2A
BARROW COUNTY
•Winder Community
Center gaining popularity
page 2A
JACKSON COUNTY
•Student pleads guilty
in school bomb case
page 2A
Sports:
•Lady Hawks ready to
kick off soccer seaon
page 1B
Opinion:
•Trouble brewing in
Barrow over airport
page 4A
Public safety:
• Police: Man leaves
kids at home to go to
liquor store
page 5A
•Church events
page4B
•Obituaries
page 6A
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Jackson County voters oppose bonds, booze
Mixed results for presidential race
CASTING A BALLOT
Doug Swafford casts his vote in Hoschton during Tuesday’s election. Almost 50
percent of registered voters in Jackson County voted on Tuesday, according to the
probate office. Photo by Jeremy Ginn
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Jackson County voters shot down proposals
Tuesday to allow Sunday pouring of alcohol
in unincorporated areas and to expand the
county's recreation facilities.
The alcohol referendum failed by a 56-44
percent margin while the recreation bond refer
endum failed by a 51-49 percent difference.
Jackson County voters also favored Mike
Huckabee on the Republican presidential pri
mary ballot with the candidate getting 41
percent of the vote. On the Democratic ballot,
Hillary Clinton was the leader with 54 percent
of the vote.
Nearly 50 percent of registered voters in
Jackson County turned out for the election with
12,674 ballots cast.
CONTROVERSIAL VOTE
The most controversial part of Jackson
County's balloting revolved around the pro
posal to allow the Sunday pouring of alcohol in
unincorporated areas of the county. A number
of churches organized against the vote and the
measure was believed by many to be the cause
of the large turnout.
The defeat of the measure, however, will
have little short-term impact. There are no res
taurants in unincorporated areas of the county
currently serving alcohol, other than two golf
course restaurants. Both of those are allowed to
serve alcohol on Sundays under a state license.
Most restaurants serving alcohol in Jackson
County are located inside town city limits
and will not be affected by Tuesday’s vote.
Each town sets its own rules for alcohol sales.
Several local towns already allow Sunday pour
ing of beer and wine in restaurants.
County officials said they put the measure on
the ballot so that future development projects
would not have to annex into a city to get a
Sunday pouring liscense.
RECREATION BOND DEFEAT
On a $15 million bond referendum to expand
the county’s recreation facilities, 6,311 votes
were cast in opposition to the proposal, while
6,056 votes were cast in favor. The bonds
would have funded a new recreation center at
Lamar Murphy Park that would have included
two gymnasiums, an indoor pool, racquetball
courts, multipurpose rooms, meeting rooms and
office space.
The bond would also have provided funds to
buy 340 acres for recreation projects throughout
the county and expand some facilities at Lamar
Murphy Park and West Jackson Park.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
In Barrow County, Republican voters favored
Huckabee with 3,323 votes. McCain followed
with 1,947 votes and Romney with 1,960 votes,
according to the secretary of state’s office.
See ELECTION on page 3A
A path to help businesses
NEW SEWER LINE PLANNED
Hoschton council member Richard Green points on a map where a new sewer line will serve the
city’s industrial area along Ga. Hwy. 53. Photo by Kerri Testement
Hoschton asking for businesses to fund sewer line
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Hoschton is turning to some of its businesses to help
fund the installation of a new sewer line to the city's
industrial area.
Monday night, the Hoschton City Council approved a
low-bid of $118,000 from Dale Construction Company
to install a sewer line along Ga. Hwy. 53, from Jopena
Blvd. to Nancy Industrial Drive.
In order to make the project a reality, Hoschton is
seeking financial commitments from the businesses
along the highway that would benefit from connecting to
the sewer line. The council said it will fund the project,
if the city receives $59,000 from the businesses within
45 days. City officials said 60 percent of those busi
nesses have given a verbal commitment to the project.
Hoschton doesn’t currently provide sewerage service
to its industrial area, where businesses are connected to
septic tanks. Several of the businesses in the industrial
See HOSCHTON on page 5A
Tagalong time: Girl Scouts selling cookies
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Junior Girl Scout Troop 1948 has
an ambitious goal — sell more than
6,000 cookie boxes this year.
It’s a goal that the girls from
Braselton and Hoschton could reach.
Last year, they sold 5,048 boxes,
making them the highest-selling
troop in Jackson County.
As door-to-door sales of the
iconic Girl Scout cookies continues
through the end of February, area
troops are preparing to sell boxes
at local grocery stores and discount
super centers.
Vickie Adams, a leader with Troop
1948, said the 13 girls in the troop
are eager to sell Tagalongs, Thin
Mints, Samoas and Do-Si-Dos to
area patrons.
“I really saw that when they did
their subdivision sales, they were
just amazing,” Adams said.
Bridgid Blakesley is a leader with
Hoschton-based Troop 1946, which
was established in December. The
new troop is in the midst of its first
cookie sale campaign.
To prepare for the sales campaign,
Troop 1946 was one of several
area troops that recently attended a
“cookie rally.” The event included
skits by other Brownies and Girl
Scouts troops, and the opportunity
to taste the six cookies (includ
ing the new All Abouts and Lemon
Chalet Cremes) the girls are selling,
Blakesley explained.
Girl Scouts are encouraged to
look and act the part while selling
See COOKIES on page 5A
Smith announces bid for
District Attorney seat
F ormer assis
tant district
attorney Brad
Smith, Hoschton, has
announced his inten
tion to seek the seat of
District Attorney for
the Piedmont Judicial
Circuit in July’s elec
tions. The position is
currently held by Rick
Bridgeman, who was
appointed to the post
following the resigna
tion of former DA Tim Madison last
summer.
SMITH
“This July’s primary
presents a significant
opportunity for the
people of the Piedmont
Circuit,” Smith said. “It
will be the first time in
over 20 years they have
had a choice for dis
trict attorney. I believe I
present the best choice.
Now more than ever the
DA's office needs expe
rienced leadership - in
both words and acts - in
See SMITH on page 5A
DA to hold public meetings Sat.
District Attorney Rick Bridgeman will hold the first in a series of quar
terly public meetings on Saturday, Feb. 16.
He will meet with Jackson County citizens from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
at the Jefferson House Restaurant, 682 Athens Street in Jefferson.
Bridgeman's Barrow County meeting will be from 10:30 a.m. until 12
p.m. at the Winder Police Department training room, 94 N. Broad Street in
Winder.
Citizens are invited to come and ask questions about the operations in the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
Construction on track at
Barrow County schools
BY KRISTI REED
Construction at Apalachee High
School and additions and renova
tions to Winder-Barrow High School
are on schedule, according to Jake
Grant, assistant superintendant for
facilities
Speaking at Tuesday night’s
Barrow County Board of Education
meeting, Grant also told board mem
bers that planning continues for the
new Russell Middle School, which
is scheduled to open in 2010.
In other business, the board:
•approved the addition of
Humanities as a social studies elec
tive at Winder-Barrow High School
for the 2008-2009 school year.
•approved changes to the county's
graduation policy in order to bring it
in line with the state’s policy.
•approved the calendar for the
2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school
years.
•adopted a resolution certifying
that all expenses for the construction
of Holsenbeck Elementary School
have been paid in full.
•approved the purchase of
Symantec anti-virus software from
Tech Depot Inc. The estimated cost
for the software is $20,730.
•selected Ideal Communications
to install cabling at Apalachee High
School. The project is expected to
cost $76,400.