Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson 500 copy
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Vol. 10 No. 24 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Services held for Hoschton man killed in crash
Services were planned Tuesday for a
Hoschton man who was killed in a crash
on Hwy. 332.
Robert Hughle Thompson, 82, of
Hoschton. died in a three-vehicle crash
on Thursday afternoon near Stone Creek
Drive on Hwy. 332.
Thompson, the driver of a gold Ford
Taurus, reportedly left his lane on Hwy.
332 and side-swiped a black Toyota
Tundra driven by Conner Meyers. 18,
of Hoschton. Thompson's vehicle then
struck a blue Jeep Patriot driven by
Allie Holder. 17. of Hoschton.
Holder was transported to Piedmont
Athens Regional Medical Center with
serious injuries. Meyers had minor inju
ries.
According to the Georgia State Patrol,
the investigation will continue until a
toxicology report is completed. The
GSP noted no charges are expected.
It’s not clear why Thompson’s vehicle
failed to maintain lane.
Braselton marker
basis for Jackson
County line survey
Just where exactly is the line that divides Jackson and Hall
counties?
To find that out, you’d have to go back in time over 200
years and talk to some Indians and original surveyors who
noted trees, houses and gardens as markers, places which
no longer exist.
“They would take a hatchet and mark trees,’’ said Jackson
County GIS director Joel Logan about how the original
survey was done to determine county lines.
The only thing that is known about the Hall-Jackson line
is the marker located in Braselton where four counties inter
sect — Jackson, Hall. Gwinnett and Barrow.
Last week, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners
signed-off on a resolution starting a six-step process to use
that marker as the basis for finding the exact route of the line
dividing Hall and Jackson.
While county officials said there is no current major
dispute with Hall County, both parties want to avoid future
jurisdictional problems as the area begins to develop. At
stake are critical issues such as where property taxes are
supposed to be paid, where children attend public schools
and what emergency services should be called to a partic
ular address.
GILLSVILLE SPARKED ACTION
The question of the Jackson-Hall line has been around for
a long time, officials said, but the recent request by three
Jackson County property owners to annex into the town of
Gillsville raised the issue to the forefront. Jackson officials
opposed the annexations not wanting part of Gillsville to
become another municipality with Jackson County.
After last week’s BOC action, the matter will now come
before the Jackson County Grand Jury. From there, the
Clerk of Court will send a letter to the Governor, who will
appoint a surveyor to define the boundary. The counties will
then have 30 days to protest the finding if they choose.
The counties affected by the final outcome will pay the
cost of the survey, which is expected to be $10,000 to
$30,000.
This isn’t the first time in recent memory that Jackson
County has dealt with county line issues. In 1968, Jackson
and Clarke counties redefined that boundary via this pro
cess.
In 1993. a dispute with Banks County over the boundary
at Banks Crossing was also settled.
CONFUSING HISTORY
Logan gave the BOC a 25-minute history lesson last
week about how the county’s boundaries were determined.
Jackson was cut from Franklin County in 1796 and over
the 221 years since, parts of Clarke, Madison, Banks, Hall,
Gwinnett and Barrow counties were cut from Jackson. Each
of those actions changed the county’s boundary, sometimes
in ways that were unclear.
“We don't have clearly defined lines.” Logan said.
The particular issue with the Jackson-Hall line is that its
northeast comer has no marker. Somewhere along Hwy. 52
near Gillsville, Hall, Jackson and Banks counties meet, but
exactly where that spot is remains something of a mystery.
The other comer of the Jackson-Hall line in Braselton is
known and a marker does exist at that location.
Both Jackson and Hall officials want to determine the
location of that northeast comer near Gillsville. then sur
vey a line down to the Braselton marker. The result would
become the official county boundary.
According to Logan, the original line between Hall and
Jackson was supposed to ran parallel to the “Hawkins
Line,” which in the early 1800s was the boundary between
the United States and the Cherokee Nation. The Hawkins
Line ran through what is now northern Banks County, but its
exact location also isn’t very clear in the records.
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Braselton Bash car show held Saturday
Model A on display
Shown is Randy Prince’s 1930 Ford Model A at the YearOne Braselton Bash Public Safety and
Awareness Car show Saturday afternoon. Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
YearOne hosts Braselton Bash
YearOne hosted its annual Braselton Bash Public
Safety and Awareness Car Show on Saturday.
Pictured (LEFT) Jaxon Lemons, 6, and Memphis
Lemons, 2, checked out a West Jackson Fire
Department fire truck; and (BELOW) some of
the YearOne Braselton Bash Public Safety and
Awareness Car show winners. Winners include
the following: Best of Show William Tarlton 1953
Ford F100 Truck, Greg Glawson 1956 Chevrolet
210, Eric Haisley 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, Ron
Strickland 1963 'A Ford Galaxie 500 XL, Doug
Edmonds 1964 Chevy II Nova, Bill Creel 1965
Chevrolet Chevelle, Dale Gagnon 1962 Chevrolet,
Greg Glawson 1969 Camaro SS, Thadd
Wallace 1940 Ford COE Truck, and Jim Garrett
1971 Chevy Chevelle. See more on page 2.
‘Mill around downtown’
planned for next Friday
Locals can “mill around downtown” during the open
ing day of the Braselton Farmers Market next Friday.
There will be mill tours, a tractor show, a walking tour
and the farmers market will be open Friday, June 2, from
4-7 p.m.
The event kicks off Braselton's weekly market which
will be held on Fridays at the Braselton Brothers Store
Complex on Davis Street. The market opens at 4 p.m.
and shoppers are asked to not enter the market lot before
4 p.m. For the market vendor list, visit Facebook.com/
BraseltonFarmersMarket or DowntownBraselton.com.
“Milling Around Downtown is the day we open up the
old enterprise roller mill on Frances Street,” leaders state.
“Mill guides will give tours of the first floor between
4-7 p.m. Come see this wonderful historic structure and
learn how wheat and com were milled into flour and
commeal.”
North GA 2 Cylinder Club will host a tractor show at
the event and Amy Pinnell will give walking tours of
downtown from 5-6:30 p.m. The walk is about a mile-
long and will take approximately one hour.
Tours are free.
Missing Braselton
girl now safe at
home with family
A 14-year-old Braselton girl is home safe after running
away from her residence last week.
Maria Leggiero went missing on Tuesday, May 16,
after she was seen playing soccer in the backyard of her
residence in the Legends of Chateau Elan.
Authorities with the Braselton Police Department were
called to the scene shortly after Leggiero went missing
and later determined Leggiero likely ran away. She left
with backpacks, clothes and a toothbrush.
Family members took to social media Tuesday night
and Wednesday morning pleading for any information
on her whereabouts. Lanier Christian Academy, where
Leggiero is enrolled, arranged a massive search party in
the area Wednesday and handed out fliers.
Leggiero was spotted in the Dacula area and was ulti
mately found at a gazebo on Hamilton Mill Road. She
walked the entire way.
Leggiero was reunited with her family on Wednesday.
No charges were filed.