Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Mill Creek, West Jackson and Barrow County
Wednesday, July 9,2008
Vol. 4 No. 12 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com BarrowJournal.com 28 pages, 2 sections
Inside
•Hoschton council
member dresses as
scarecrow for meeting
page 2A
JACKSON COUNTY
•Thompson defends
county on dog case
actions
page 2A
Sports:
•Mill Creek rugby team
prepares for season
page 1B
•Sweet deal: Used truck
nets big profit for city
page 3A
Opinion:
•’Time for citizens to be
heard’
page 4A
Public safety:
•Suspect steals more
beer than car will hold
page 10A
•Church events
page 13 A
•Obituaries
page 14 A
Election 888 2008
All over but the cry’n
Voters to decide local races in Jackson, Barrow on Tuesday
READY FOR VOTERS
Polly Bostick, a poll worker, prepares for those participating in advance voting
this week in Braselton. Advance voting continues through Friday at three sites
in Jackson County and one site in Barrow County. Photo by Kristi Reed
For voters in Jackson and Barrow coun
ties, all the campaigning and political
forums will soon be over — at least for a
while.
Next Tuesday, July 15, voters will go
to the polls to decide a host of races for
local government positions in the Primary
election.
This week, voters in the two counties
can participate in advance voting to get
a jump on election day lines. Jackson
County has three advance voting loca
tions: The Braselton Police and Municipal
Court building; the county Administrative
Building in Jefferson; and the Commerce
Recreation Department in Commerce.
Barrow County voters can do advance
voting at the county commission meet
ing room in the county Administrative
Building.
Barrow County has 31,197 registered
voters according to election supervisor
Kristi Royston. She predicts a 40-45 per
cent voter turnout for the Primary.
In Jackson County there are 30,000 reg
istered voters. Several hundred had voted
ahead of time either through absentee or
advance voting, officials said.
On election night, voters can follow
the results live via computer at www.
BarrowJournal.com for Barrow County
and www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com
or www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com for
Jackson County.
Of special interest to Braselton area
citizens is the Jackson County Board of
Education race for Post 1. Incumbent
Michael Cronic faces challenger Brett
Schwartz. The post has been controver
sial in recent months due to turnover in
the position and controversy surround
ing some conditions at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School.
DA RACE HIGHLIGHTS
BOTH COUNTIES
High on the list of strongly-contended
races is that for District Attorney for the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit, which cov
ers Jackson, Barrow and Banks counties.
See ELECTION on page 2A
More Inside: Jackson County candidates answer political questions.
DA race the most expensive of election season
$73,163 spent through June
The three candidates vying for the District Attorney's position
in the Piedmont Judicial Circuit had spent over $73,000 through
June, making the race the most expensive local contest this elec
tion season.
According to the candidates’ campaign disclosure reports, Donna
Sikes had spent the most money in the race at $42,400. However,
despite a long list of individual contributions, Sikes had raised
only $21,000 so far. A large part of her expenses went to a political
consulting firm in Gwinnett County.
Candidate Brad Smith had raised the most money so far in the
campaign at $23,300, most of it from area law firms. Smith also
contributed to his own campaign both with in-kind donations and
in paying the $3,330 qualifying fee. Smith had spent $20,700 to
date, mostly to a Savannah based political consulting firm.
Incumbent DA Rick Bridgeman reported only $2,100 in dona
tions and expenses of $9,900.
The campaign disclosure reports do not include funds received
or expended after June 30, which means expenses in the two-week
period prior to the July 15 Primary aren’t included. That period
typically sees the heaviest expenses as candidates make a final push
to the election with increased advertising.
The following is a breakdown of the donations and expenses for
each DA candidate:
Rick Bridgeman (Incumbent)
Contributions
Robert Bridgeman, Silver Spring, MD, $500
Dan Branch, Hoschton, $150
See DA DISCLOSURES on page 3A
Barrow sheriff’s race tops campaign spending list
The heavyweight political
contest in Barrow County
appears to be the race for sher
iff where the two Republican
candidates had together spent
over $46,800 through the end
of June, according to this
week’s campaign disclosure
reports.
Sheriff’s candidate Jud
Smith had spent the most
money at $27,900 and had
also raised the most funds
with $33,600 in contributions. However, that contribution figure
includes a $13,500 loan from the candidate to his campaign.
Without that loan, Smith has raised outside funds of $20,000,
slightly less than that raised by his opponent, Murray Kogod, who
has raised $21,800 in donations.
The numbers do not include the final two weeks of spending
before next week’s election, the time when many candidates spend
the most money on a final push that includes heavy advertising and
direct mail.
Other Barrow races were more modest in both contributions
and expenses. In the hot Barrow Board of Commissioners’ race,
incumbent Doug Garrison was the only candidate who had filed a
campaign disclosure report as of presstime. Garrison reported total
contributions of $13,200 and expenses of $4,240.
The following is a rundown of Barrow County campaign disclo
sure reports for contested races:
Sheriff
Murray Kogod
Contributions:
Previous contributions, $10,149
Contributions of less than $100 each, $5,264
Jerry Maynard, Winder, $200
See BARROW DISCLOSURE on page 9A
KOGOD SMITH
Hoschton to fund
sewer line project
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Hoschton is moving forward with a project to bring
a new sewer line to the city’s industrial area — despite
falling shy of a goal to collect funds from affected busi
nesses.
The city council agreed on Monday to fund the remain
ing portion of a project to install a sewer line along Ga.
Hwy. 53 from Jopena Blvd. to Nancy Industrial.
Hoschton received a low bid of
$118,000 from Dale Construction
Company in February to complete
the project. At that time, the council
decided to ask businesses that could
tap into the sewer line to fund half of
the project — or $59,000.
When the city received checks
totaling only $35,000 from those
businesses, the council dropped the
project.
In June, the council decided to ask
those businesses again to provide funds. The city col
lected $45,000 — or 38 percent of the project’s total cost
— from the businesses.
And while the city didn’t receive the targeted 50
percent in funds from the businesses, council members
agreed the $118.000 bid estimate was still a bargain.
“If we’re going to move on this $118,000 bid, we
need to move quickly or the bid won’t be valid,” council
member Richard Green said.
Monday’s vote authorizes the city to fund $73,000 for
the sewer line project.
“I think that’s a wise decision,” council member
Theresa Kenerly said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Hoschton City Council:
•approved a survey of the city’s sewer system man
holes. Hoschton has an estimated 500 manholes, but the
See HOSCHTON on page 3A
GREEN
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Supporters have planted a cluster of political
signs near the Barrow County administration
building. Early voting began Monday and con
tinues through this Friday. The primary will be
held next Tuesday, July 15.
Turnout high
for early voting
BY KRISTI REED
Barrow County voters are eager to have their say in
the upcoming primary, if early voting is any indica
tion.
As of Tuesday evening, 654 votes had been cast in
two days of voting. During the presidential primary
earlier this year, only 479 votes had been registered
after the same period of time.
Barrow County Board of Commissioners chairman
Doug Garrison said that turnout for early voting has
been very good so far. At Tuesday night’s board of
commissioners meeting, Garrison reported that 333
people had voted Monday and 321 voted Tuesday.
Advance voting for the July 15 primary will con
tinue through Friday, July 11. The polls are open from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day in the commission meeting
room at the Barrow County Administrative Building,
233 East Broad Street, Winder.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the board:
•approved the purchase of a $22,621 Ford F-250
See BARROW VOTING on page 9A
