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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
RMS STUDENT
(From left) Barrow County REACH Georgia program coordinator Sherri
Perry, Haymon-Morris Middle School student Isaac Xiong, Bear Creek
Middle School student Jasmine Hernandez, Westside Middle School student
Christopher Munoz and Russell Middle School student Damien Brown are
shown at Tuesday’s program. Photo by Carmen Morrison
Four students sign as REACH scholars
ENGLAND SPEAKS AT CEREMONY
State Rep. Terry England, R-Auburn, was the
guest speaker for Tuesday’s ceremony.
Photo by Scott Thompson
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Reporter
Four Barrow County
School System students
sat at tables with fami
ly members in front of
cameras and a room full
of people and signed con
tracts.
It wasn’t the college
football signing day cer
emony that has become
a nationwide ritual every
February. Instead, the
contracts signified the
students’, and their fami
lies’, commitment to their
academic futures.
Eighth-graders Jasmine
Hernandez (Bear Creek
Middle), Damien Brown
(Russell Middle), Isaac
Xiong (Haymon-Morris
Middle) and Christopher
Munoz (Westside Mid
dle) joined the REACH
Georgia scholar program
during Tuesday morn
ing’s ceremony at the sys
tem’s central office.
“It kind of is like col
lege signing day; it’s
just a neat thing,” guest
speaker and state Rep.
Terry England, said of the
ceremony, which was one
of 90 happening around
Georgia on Tuesday.
“I’m glad we decided
as a state to do this on a
statewide basis and have
some excitement about
it because this is a very
important day.”
REACH (Realizing
Educational Achievement
Can Happen) Georgia was
launched by the state in
2012 and is a mentoring
and scholarship needs-
based program aimed at
providing low-income but
high-achieving students
access to higher educa
tion and helping them
develop and sustain a
career path.
The program’s first stu
dents from Dodge, Doug
las and Rabun counties
graduated high school
earlier this year, and so
far it has not lost any
students while growing to
700 scholars in 69 school
systems statewide.
Barrow County became
part of the program last
year and initiated five
students in addition to
the four who signed on
Tuesday. Qualifying
middle school students
are nominated by their
teachers and go through
an extensive application
process that includes a
written application, two
academic recommenda
tions and one community
recommendation.
Those selected sign
contracts with their par
ents or guardians pledg
ing to maintain at least a
2.5 grade-point average,
attend school regularly
and remain crime-, drug-
and behavior issue-free.
They are paired with
community mentors and
academic coaches, who
along with the students’
families, help monitor
their progress.
Those who complete
the program upon high
school graduation are
eligible to receive up
to $10,000 in financial
scholarships through the
program to go toward
enrollment at any in-state
HOPE-eligible, public or
private, two-year or four-
year institution.
Barrow County super
intendent Chris McMi-
chael said roughly 60
colleges and universities
have pledged matches or
double matches for the
scholars, meaning they
could be eligible for up to
$30,000 in financial help,
depending on the institu
tion they attend.
To date, more than $11
million has been invested
in the program through
public and private contri
butions.
“It’s a proud day for
all of us,” McMichael
said. “... This is not a
handout-type thing. It’s a
partnership between the
state, communities and
colleges. This is some
thing that’s pretty unprec
edented in this state for
everyone to come togeth
er like this.”
According to a com
mendation letter signed
by Georgia Gov. Nathan
Deal, 60 percent of Geor
gia’s jobs by 2020 will
require postsecondary
degrees or certificates,
but only 42 percent of
the state’s young adults
currently have such cre
dentials.
The program’s website
touts progress, noting that
90 percent of its scholars
are “on a trajectory” for
the HOPE Scholarship,
compared to just 49 per
cent of the state’s students
who were HOPE-eligible
in 2015.
In a recorded video
message, Deal and first
lady Sandra Deal urged
students to remain com
mitted to their education
beyond completing the
requirements.
“This program is just
a launching pad to the
future,” Gov. Deal said.
Budget continued from 1A
That figure would include a 1.5-percent pay increase county manager Mike Ren-
shaw recommended for all county employees as well as bringing all employees to
competitive salary levels according to market conditions.
The option recommended by Renshaw would put fire, EMS and 9-1-1 employees
above market rate in an effort to address retention issues within those departments.
The county has budgeted nearly $9 million for capital improvements, including a
$2.75 million carryover from projects that weren’t completed this fiscal year.
Planned FY2017 capital improvements include:
•$2 million in various road improvements, which will be paid for through a com
bination of SPLOST proceeds and state funding.
•more than $1 million in water, sewer and fire infrastructure projects.
•$800,000 to replace 20 sheriff’s office vehicles.
•$300,000 in upgrades to the county’s E-911 telephone systems.
•$105,000 to replace the kitchen floor in the sheriff’s office, which Renshaw said
is deteriorating.
The budget came with little controversy, as the millage rate will remain steady.
There is projected to be a 0.01-percent property-tax decrease in the incorporated
portions of the county and a 0.79-percent drop in the unincorporated portions.
“It’s been an exciting budget process,” said Renshaw, who arrived in Barrow
County May 1. “It’s always exciting coming into a new organization and working
to develop a budget. This time was not without wrinkles, but I’m very confident this
puts Barrow County in a very strong financial position for the next nine months to
address all of its capital needs without having to consider raising the millage rate.”
Barrow Animal Control participates
in national volunteer service program
By Scott Thompson
Neivs-Journal Reporter
Aiming to boost the amount of volun
teer work at its shelter, Barrow County
Animal Control has joined a national
service initiative.
The department is seeking adults and
children as young as 5 years old to be a
part of the President’s Volunteer Service
Award program.
Established by former President George
W. Bush in 2002, the program encourages
citizens to get involved in and give back
to their communities through volunteer
ing hours.
Depending on the number of hours
volunteered in a year, people in all age
groups as well as organizations can be
eligible for Gold, Silver or Bronze certif
icates. Any individual who accumulates
4,000 or more hours of service through
the program is given the program’s high
est honor — the President’s Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Barrow Animal Control director Jaclyn
Nguyen said the department got started
with the program earlier this year and is
inviting more participants.
The department will host a ceremony
after 12 months to reward those who
achieve a certain number of hours in their
age group to qualify for an award. Award
winners receive a personalized certificate,
an official pen, medallion or coin, and a
congratulatory letter from the president.
“We’re really hoping this will take off
and get the whole community involved,”
Nguyen said. “We really hope we can
get a lot of teenagers involved in this as
well. It would look really great on college
applications and job resumes.”
While Barrow’s euthanasia rate has
declined, the shelter’s population is grow
ing. As of Aug. 31, the department had
taken in 1,774 dogs and cats this year,
compared to 1,569 for the same time
period last year.
So the need for more volunteers exists,
Nguyen said.
“We are constantly looking for good
volunteers at the shelter because people
get busy with life and have to move on,”
she said. “We have lots of opportunities
out there that people may not think of,
even if they’re not able to physically be
here.”
Volunteer opportunities at the shelter
range from taking animals outside and
socializing them, cleaning them to call
ing rescue groups and foster homes and
updating websites such as Petfmder.
Nguyen said the younger children are
working on building a photo booth so
people who come in and adopt pets can
get their first “family” photos taken there.
Those interested in volunteer opportu
nities can come to the shelter at 616 Bar-
row Park Drive in Winder for orientation
every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Proposed apartments raise concern
By Alex Pace
News-Journal Reporter
A proposed apartment community
in Braselton has apparently caused
some concerns. Wilwat Properties has
requested to delay public hearings on
a proposed apartment community so it
can address concerns.
The group is requesting a rezoning
of approximately 27.94 acres off of
Hwy. 211 to include an apartment
community. The land is a portion of
HECE, LLC, group’s 237-acre devel
opment behind Publix on Hwy. 211.
The planned unit development was
initially proposed to be entirely com
mercial. But due to the “void of apart
ment units in the Town of Braselton,”
Wilwat Properties wants to include
a 367-unit garden style multi-family
apartment community within the PUD.
The zoning change was originally on
the Braselton Planning Commission’s
September agenda, but the item has
been delayed.
“This deferment will allow us to
properly address any and all concerns
from residents, town officials and
planning commissioners regarding this
project,” Wilwat vice president Lee
Freeman wrote to the town last week.
The proposed apartment community
would have a gated entrance, a resort-
style swimming pool, a dog park,
bocce ball court, “valet” waste service
and indoor exercise. The average size
of the units would be 960-965 square
feet.
Forty percent would be one-bed-
room units, 52 percent would be two
bedrooms and three percent would
be three bedrooms. In its application,
Wilwat said the mixed use would be
more in line with the town’s Future
Land Use Plan.
“The community will be better
served by adding a mixed use concept
incorporating residential into the cur
rently all commercial PUD, which in
turn, should increase demand for its
commercial uses,” Wilwat wrote in its
application.
The planning commission will have
its public hearing on the application
Oct. 24.
The town council’s public hearing is
set for Nov. 10.
MEMORIAL BENCHES
Family, friends and colleagues of the late Diane Hale gathered recently
at the Barrow County Courthouse as memorial benches and plants were
unveiled in her honor. Hale, a former long-time employee of the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, died in January. She was 56, and
Tuesday would have been her 57th birthday. Several people shared their
reflections of Hale during the ceremony.
Photo by Scott Thompson
PUBLIX MYSTERY COUPON
See What 1$ Gets!
Bring this coupon to Publix on September 21, 2016, and find out what
one penny gets you! Good with your purchase of $10 or more.
Limit one coupon per household per day. Excluding all alcohol,
tobacco, lottery items, money services, postage stamps, gift cards,
and prescriptions. Customer is responsible for all applicable taxes.
Reproduction or transfer of this coupon is strictly prohibited.
Effective September 21, 2016 at participating stores in Ga., Ala., and Tenn. ;
Publix.
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