Newspaper Page Text
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The Braselton News
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Bus driver shortage continued from 1
printed “Bus Drivers Needed” banners
and placed them on school buses through
out the area. Farmer said it was a chal
lenge to fill the bus driver vacancies last
summer and thinks the advertisements
helped.
Commerce transportation director
Terry Canup said the district just became
fully staffed last month, fdling its 10
positions. Commerce superintendent Joy
Tolbert said it has been a challenge to
fill the vacancies because of a difficult
schedule, weather conditions, stress of
driving on a daily basis and a limited
salary. Training requirements also add to
the difficulty.
“It is very difficult to find drivers who
are already qualified and trained to drive
immediately.” said Tolbert. “If we find
people who are willing to drive and they
are not currently qualified and trained,
the applicants go through an extensive
training process to become certified to
drive.”
Requirements vary by district, but
applicants must have a current Geor
gia Commercial Driver’s License with
passenger and school bus endorsements
and complete training. While Jefferson
has remained fully staffed with 14 driv
ers, transportation director Mark Weaver
admits it is difficult to find applicants
that meet all of the requirements.
“Often times, the applicant will be
qualified with some of the requirements,
but will be lacking in other areas,” said
Weaver.
In addition to training drivers, some
local districts are challenged by the need
for substitute bus drivers and high turn
over. But all three transportation direc
tors agree that the job has its perks.
Health insurance and flexible hours
and two big draws for potential drivers,
according to Farmer. Many bus drivers
are retirees, clergy members, at-home
mothers and farmers.
“We have some chicken farmers,
self-employed people and individuals
that work other jobs after they finish their
bus routes,” said Farmer. “This works
with their schedules and allows these
individuals to receive health benefits.”
Farmer said another draw for the jobs
is the community impact and ability to
work with children.
“The best part about being a bus driver
is establishing a positive relationship
with the children,” said Farmer. “If you
love children and desire an opportunity
to be a positive role model, then driving
a bus is for you.”
Stolen banner found continued from 1
The banner is locked up in Sanders’ office
right now, he said, but it will be returned
to the former gym where the 1964 team
earned the title.
“We’re going to clean it and then we’re
going to have it framed and hung back up
and bolted into the wall,” said Sanders. “It
will be displayed back at the gym. protected
under glass.”
Sanders said he has received a lot of calls
from people already wanting to know the
status of the missing banner.
“I’m just thankful it’s back,” said Sanders.
“Obviously it was a prankster and they got
nervous and returned it. We’d like to thank
Captain Solis and the folks that helped. I
was so happy when they told me. Mystery
solved!”
A previous story about the stolen banner
incorrectly referred to the 1964 Jackson
County High School team as the 1964 Bra
selton High School basketball team.
Teacher delivers good news
West Jackson Elementary School gifted resource teacher Amy Tinnell
is shown notifying her students with the help of a robot that they will be
traveling to Atlanta on March 8 to communicate with an astronaut who is
orbiting the earth.
Lesson from space continued from 1
Students had learned about the speed of
sound and light and were programming
robots to send a message to earth using
Morse code and lights.
Tinnell was notified earlier this week
that her class was one of only five in the
state selected to travel to Fembank Sci
ence Center for the International Space
Station Radio Contact Event.
As a winning teacher, Tinnell’s class
will receive a bus voucher to bring her
students to the event, where they will
propose questions to ask the astronauts.
Additionally. Tinnell’s lesson plan will be
published on the ASF website.
After Tinnell learned her plan was
selected, she “happily notified her stu
dents the next day... with the help of a
robot, of course!” she said.
Now. these fifth graders are preparing
questions for the astronauts and getting
ready for a fun day learning more about
science in outer space. Tinnell said she
and her students are honored to represent
Jackson County Schools at this event and
are excitedly anticipating this special day.
The International Space Station
Radio Contact Event is made possible
by the Amateur Radio on the Interna
tional Space Station (ARISS) program,
which is an international consortium of
amateur radio organizations and space
agencies including National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) and
AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Cor
poration). The ASF was selected as one
of 14 sites nationwide to participate in
ARISS this spring. ASF is partnering
with Fembank Science Center, BK Inter
national Education Consultancy, Met
ropolitan Atlanta Regional Educational
Service Agency, NASA Solar System
Ambassadors, Emory University Plane
tarium, Mill Springs Academy, and the
North Fulton Amateur Radio League to
bring this opportunity to Atlanta.
For space and radio science resources
or to learn more about the Atlanta Science
Festival in general, visit http://atlanta-
sciencefestival.org/ariss-resources.
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Poll worker training underway
A group of volunteers gathered for poll worker training in the elections
office at the Jackson County Administration Building last week. The group
was made up of new and seasoned poll workers and volunteers from
Commerce and Jefferson high schools. Poll training takes about two to two-
and-a-half hours. Early voting for the March Election, Presidential Primary
and Special Election begins Monday, Feb. 8. Super Tuesday will take place
on Tuesday, March 1. Photo by Katie Cofer
New sanitation services for
Hoschton residents tabled
By Katie Cofer
A new contract for sanitation services
that will affect residents in Hoschton
will not change for another month.
RFPs for new sanitation services were
discussed at Monday night’s city coun
cil meeting, but a decision to go with
a one of two garbage collectors was
tabled until next month’s meeting. The
two bidders were WastePro and White
Oak Sanitation. The city has used both
companies for sanitation services in the
past.
The city opened the RFPs at on Thurs
day, Jan. 28. At Monday’s council meet
ing, White Oak agreed to extend the
city’s contract another month until the
council meets again on Monday. March
7.
PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD
ORDINANCE MOVES FORWARD
The council heard city attorney Thom
as Mitchell present a potential ordi
nance which would allow non-residents,
who still own property in the city, to
serve on the city’s planning commis
sion. There is one seat open on the plan
ning and zoning commission. Kenerly
said she is eye-ing a business owner or
property owner to fill the seat. The first
reading of the potential ordinance was
held Monday night. The council only
needs to hold another reading before it
can adopt the ordinance.
NEW PIZZA PLACE IN CITY
SQUARE TO SELL ALCOHOL
Patrons to a new pizza place in
Hoschton City Square can soon order
beer with their slices if they want. The
Hoschton City Council unanimously
approved an alcohol license for Josh
Tedder with Sliced Pizza during a pub
lic hearing held Monday night. No
one spoke for or against the applicant.
Tedder said he still has to apply for the
license with the state.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM UPDATE GIVEN
Fletcher Holliday with EMI, Inc, gave
an update on the city of Hoschton’s
storm water management program and
presented two estimates for engineering
work to the council. This is Hoschton’s
second year in MS4. The first estimate
is for $4,400 to file the city’s annual
update to the program. The second
estimate is the cost to begin mapping
the city’s storm water system and its
infrastructure for $19,000, which Holli
day said was one of the components that
was not completed in the first year the
program was in place. Holliday said all
the mapping is expected to be complet
ed by March 15, 2017.
ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
DISCUSSED, WASTEWATER
UPDATE GIVEN
Wastewater manager David Pollard
provided a presentation on road paving
improvements proposed for Deer Ridge
and White Street, however the council
tabled any action. Pollard said last
month, he had to borrow some road
signs and equipment from the Town of
Braselton and has requested the city
purchase its own.
REQUESTS FOR DEPOT
USES APPROVED
The council approved three unspec
ified dates for events planned by the
Hoschton Heritage Arts Council for the
Hoschton Depot, as well as a car show,
and a request for holding a weekly yoga
class at the building.
USE CREDIT CARDS AT
CITY HALL NOW
Residents can now use credit cards to
pay for fees and other bills to the City
of Hoschton. The council approved a
measure to allow the city to accept Visa
and MasterCard as payment.
COUNCIL HEARD MAYOR’S
REPORT ON UPCOMING EVENTS
The council also heard the mayor
report that the city will be hosting a
citywide networking event on Thursday.
March 10, at 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday,
March 15, at 7 p.m. at the Hoschton
Depot the council will be hosting a
community emergency awareness class,
taught by CERT director Bruce Davis.
There will be a discussion as to what
will happen to the city in the event of
an emergency. There will be a brick
party held at the Hoschton Depot by
the Hoschton Woman’s Civic Club on
Friday, March 19, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business Monday, the coun
cil:
•heard EMI, Inc. president Jerry Hood
provide an update for the city’s waste-
water treatment plant.
•went into closed session to discuss
personnel at 6:37 p.m. At 6:47 p.m., the
council returned and took no action.
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