Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, West Jackson and Barrow County
Thursday May 12,2011
Vol. 7 No.4 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com
Member of the
Georgia Press Association
250 copy
16 pages, 2 sections
News
Rabies Clinic
protects dogs and cats
See 3A
Feature
All Together Now
Inaugural Relay For
Life links Braselton and
Hoschton with a common
goal. See 1B
Editorial
Music for remembering
moms See 4A
Public Safety
Seizure, grass fire among
emergency calls last week
See 5A
A life-changing event
Jackson Austin, 8, walks with his mother Danielle Austin during Relay for Life’s Survivor’s
Walk on Friday at Hoschton Park. Danielle, a co-organizer of the first Relay for Life held
in the West Jackson area, is a seven-year cancer survivor while her son is a four-year
survivor. They joined hundreds of area residents for the event, which raised thousands of
dollars for the American Cancer Society. Photo by Kristen Morales
Photos, story, Page 1B
Jackson Countv schools
Board
plans
layoffs
Grants help extend
days for Pre-K classes
By Kristen Morales
The Jackson County Board of Education voted
Monday night to trim 10 staff members off its pay
roll, citing increased fuel costs and a decrease in
local tax revenues.
This will be the third year the school system has
reduced its workforce, Superintendent Shannon
Adams said during the board’s work session on May
5. When combined with less state funds and a man
datory austerity reduction, Adams said the cuts were
necessary in order to stay financially sound.
“We still have an austerity reduction, and the
going rate to transport students to and from school,
and the number of students (is up),’’ he said. “So we
have to face financial challenges, but we continue
to be an austere school while we face those chal
lenges.”
The board plans to cut two media specialists,
one and a half business education teachers, two
See Schools 2A
Hoschton
Health fair offers more than basic screenings
Index
Church
3B
Obits
4B
Classifieds
5B-7B
Contact Us
• News: news@mainstreetnews.com,
call 706-367-5986 or fax to 706-387-5421
•Ads: ads@mainstreetnews.com or
call 706-367-5233
• Editor: editor@mainstreetnews.com.
By Kristen Morales
Local doctors, counselors
and emergency personnel will
join forces on Saturday for a
comprehensive health fair that
covers more than just some
blood pressure checks.
While the Hoschton Health
Fair will provide free screen
ings and information on social
programs, the array of doc
tors and other professionals
will take the event one step
further, said Hoschton Mayor
Erma Denney. The event will
take place 8-11 a.m. Saturday
at Towne Center, in front of
Dr. Leslie David’s Northeast
Georgia Physicians Group
office.
“This is like the big kahuna
of health fairs,” Denney said.
“This is a massive thing for our
What: Hoschton
Health Fair
•When: 8-11
a.m. Saturday
•Where: Towne
Center, Hoschton
community to have this.”
There will be free carotid
artery screenings, blood pres
sure checks, blood glucose
testing (fasting preferred), pul
monary function testing, bal
ance testing, body mass index
checks, ophthalmology screen
ings and sleep disorder screen
ings. Jackson EMS will pro
vide free blood pressure checks
and demonstrate how its equip
ment works, while representa
tives will be on hand from
the Northeast Georgia Agency
on Aging, the Jackson County
Health Department and Peace
Place. The event also will serve
as a drug “takeback” location,
where people can drop off old
or unused prescription drugs to
be properly disposed.
The Agency on Aging serves
as a one-stop shop for seniors
and disabled persons of all ages
in a 12-county area. The agen-
See Health 2A
Online
Follow us on
Facebook by
becoming a fan of
The Braselton
News
Braselton
Town approves new voting districts
www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com
I- <
CC H
O W
CO O
CL
S3
£3
By Kristen Morales
Some Braselton residents may be
voting in a different district after the
town council approved a new district
map at its Monday night meeting.
The previous map needed to be
changed after recent U.S. Census data
showed the town grew 522 percent in
the past decade, from 1,206 residents
in 2000 to 7,511 in 2010. This meant
the town had to update the boundaries
of its four council districts, redividing
the town’s 5,241 eligible voters.
The version approved on Monday
with a unanimous vote puts 1,312
residents of voting age in District 1;
1,318 in District 2; 1,307 in District
3; and 1,304 in District 4. District 2,
the largest district with a total popu
lation of 1,944, includes portions of
Chateau Elan, the Falls of Braselton
and Mulberry Park subdivisions.
The revised districts keep exist
ing town council members in their
districts, but makes changes to the
See Districts 2A
OLD VOTING
DISTRICTS
Sunday alcohol
sales on ballot
By Kristen Morales
First Hoschton, now Braselton.
Braselton’s town council voted
Monday night to give voters the final
say in allowing Sunday alcohol sales.
This comes on the heels of Hoschton’s
decision to also allow the Sunday sales
issue to be part of the November elec
tion. Gov. Nathan Deal recently signed
a bill allowing municipalities to put the
issue to a vote, starting with the munici
pal elections on Nov. 8.
Braselton already allows restaurants
to sell alcohol by the drink on Sunday;
the vote would allow stores to sell pack
aged alcohol.
Town Manager Jennifer Dees said
there was no special language that
needed to be drawn up prior to the
referendum. Instead, towns such as
Braselton approve placing the language
in the state law on the ballot for the vot
ers to decide.
See Alcohol 2A
O
o
