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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Vol. 16 No. 24 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages Graduation photos See scenes from Jackson County High School's 66th graduation commencement ceremony PAGE 6A Spring festival Hoschton held its spsring festival over the weekend on City Square, featuring craft and food vendors PAGE 12A Hoschton Hoschton mayor plans to move, will resign when house sells By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com According to a Facebook post from Lauren O’Leary, the first-term Floschton mayor plans to resign from office — though not immediately — due to an impending move. O’Leary, who took of fice in January 2022, said her husband received a job offer that will require the family to relocate from Hoschton. Her term doesn’t expire until 2026. “I wanted to take this time to address the citizens of Hoschton,” O’Leary wrote in the May 16 post. “My husband has received a job opportunity that will require my family to relo cate, We are excited about our next chapter, howev- r er. it’s also bittersweet to leave the Hoschton com munity.” According to the post, she will continue to serve as mayor until her house sells “and help in any way I can until we are no longer See O’Leary, page 3A South Hall ALL SMILES ON GRADUATION NIGHT • * v 1 > -■■■ 1 A large group gathers around to pose with Raven Cook for a photo following Friday’s (May 19) graduation ceremony at Jackson County High School. Veteran support Brother^ keeper South Hall office development proposed By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com Hall County leaders are considering a proposed seven-acre planned of fice development (POD) in South Hall on Winder Hwy. Applicant Maroun Aoun requests to amend the con ditions of a POD to allow for a development of mixed offices at 4240 Winder Hwy. near the intersection with Martin Rd. According to planning documents, initial plans call for the use of two buildings, totaling 2,700 square feet, as office space. But expansion plans in clude the redevelopment See Development, page 3A INSIDE n/c t Ferrari Challenge at Road Atlanta PAGE10A News ... 1A-3A Opinion ... 4A Public safety ... 5A School 7A Obituaries... 9A Sports 10A Classifieds ... 11A MAILING LABEL o South Hall-based foundation fights veteran suicide epidemic By Ben Munro ben@,mainstreetnews. com Chris Cathers, an Army veteran, was suicidal for over a decade before get ting help. He’s made it his life’s mission to see that other veterans do the same. Cathers, a South Hall resident and former Green Beret, started Brothers Keeper Veterans Founda tion (BKVF) over a year ago to destigmatize mili tary-based mental health issues and curb the veteran suicide rate. Cathers said the statistic of 22 veteran suicides a day is grossly understated. It’s closer to 80, he esti mated. A May 13 benefit at Braselton Brewing Com pany was held to support BKVF’s mission to reduce that number. Cathers stresses to fellow Photo by Ben Munro Chris Cathers (right), a former Green Beret, started Brothers Keeper Vet eran Foundation (BKVF) after struggling with his own post-military men tal health for a decade. Cathers is shown here with Luke Henderson, who helped coordinate a BKVF fundraising event May 13 at Braselton Brew ing Company. During that event, Cathers was presented with an image of him (created by Harold Patrick) during his military service days. veterans there’s no shame talk about their feelings,” to say look, ‘Dude, you’re in seeking help. said Cathers, who lives in not weak. You have a phys- “A lot of guys come Flowery Branch and serves ical injury to your brain, from old school back- as BKVF president. “I’m grounds where men don’t out here doing it purposely See Veterans, page 3A Braselton Braselton project update: Brassie Lane, Davis St. and library extension slated for July finish The area in and around downtown Braselton west of Hwy. 53 has been a hub of construction activity re cently. Here is a quick at the status of some of the ongoing public projects: •Brassie Lane and Davis St.: Braselton Town Manag er Jennifer Scott projects a July finish of these street im provements to coincide with the library extension com pletion, though she believes the road work is ahead of the library. The town is widening Brassie Lane and installing 90-degree parking while also placing a landscaped medi an down the leg of Davis St. west of Hwy. 53 running to Hwy. 124. Scott reported that both road projects are “pretty far along” with the hardscape portion of the work. Land scaping, including trees in the medians and tree wells, has yet to be installed. The streetlights, likely the last pieces to be installed, have yet to be delivered. •Library extension: Com pletion of the 8,166-square- foot library addition on Da vis St. is expected in July. The two-story, $4.1 million expansion will include a chil dren’s wing and study rooms, allowing for more circulation materials and programming. See Updates, page 12A Hoschton Hoschton seeking $500,000 grant for city park By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com Hoschton officials hope to land a half-mil lion grant to aid their efforts towards a city park near downtown. The city council voted last week to pursue a matching grant of up to $500,000 through the Department of the Interior Land and Wa ter Conservation Fund to help develop the park on a seven-acre tract on Mulberry St. A three-phase plan calls for a park with walking trails, a playground and an amphi theater. Applications are due May 30. The second phase of the application will be available in the fall. Hoschton will have a funding com mitment by late winter or early spring if suc cessful. The city has already made moves to devel op the park. In April, the council awarded a See Grant, page 3A