Newspaper Page Text
36 Pages 3 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50« Copy Wednesday, February 15, 2017
State contract to upgrade 8 traffic
signal intersections around county
Barrow
Briefs
SPLOST
committee
meeting
Monday
The Barrow County SPLOST
Citizens Committee will hold
its next meeting Monday, Feb.
20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Barrow
County Senior Center, 80 Lee
St., Winder.
Topics to be discussed will
include hearing a presentation
from both Barrow County Lei
sure Services as well as the
county public works/roads and
bridges department concern
ing capital project needs in
those areas.
The committee is tasked with
vetting a list of projects to rec
ommend to the Board of Com
missioners to put on a 1-cent
special-purpose local-option
sales tax that would go before
voters on the November ballot.
If passed, the tax would in
effect be a continuation of
the current SPLOST once it
expires June 30, 2018.
The meeting is open to the
public.
Piedmont
CASA
fundraiser
The fifth annual Piedmont
Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA) Heart for
Children - Heart for Chocolate
fundraiser will be held Satur
day, Feb. 18.
The “Black & White Gala” is
set for 6:30 p.m. at the Jeffer
son Civic Center.
The event will include a full
dinner buffet, silent/live auc
tions, chocolates from local
bakers, open bar (tips appreci
ated) and the Fly Betty Band.
For more information, call
Michelle Black at 678-777-
5630 or www.PiedmontCasa.
org.
All proceeds will bene
fit Piedmont CASA, serving
advocates to local foster chil
dren to ensure they have a safe
and stable permanent home.
Index:
Church News
10A
Classifieds
3-4C
Legals
5-11C
Obituaries
11A
Pets of the Week
12A
Public Safety
8-9 A
Sports 1 -
■10, 12B
Mailing
Label Below
A $1.67 million Georgia
Department of Transporta
tion contract will be used for
upgrades to eight traffic signal
intersections around Barrow
County.
Announced by DOT officials
last week, the work is part of
nine projects statewide totaling
more than $89 million that will
be aimed at relieving traffic con
gestion and improving pedestri
an safety. The Barrow work will
be completed by Fort Mill, S.C.-
based American Lighting and
Signalization. Inc. It will include
new various flashing yellow left
turn signals to help unclog busy
intersections and the installation
of countdown timers and signs
instructing vehicles to yield to
pedestrians.
The intersections to receive
upgrades include:
•Ga. 211/Jefferson Highway at
Carl-Cedar Hill Road/Rockwell
Church Road.
•Ga. 53/Gainesville Highway
at Rockwell Church Road.
•Atlanta Highway at Wal-
Mart.
•Ga. 8/Loganville Highway at
Matthews School Road.
•Ga. 316 at Ga. 211/Bethle
hem Road/Statham Road.
•Ga. 316 at Kilcrease Road.
•Ga. 316 at Carl Bethlehem
Road.
•May Street and Williams
Street/Athens Street.
The work is expected to be
fully completed by Jan. 31.2019.
Information on schedules, lane
closures and detours associated
with the projects will be made
available in advance of construc
tion, according to a DOT news
release.
BOC votes
to renew,
expand Ft.
Yargo lease
The Barrow County
Board of Commissioners
on Tuesday approved the
renewal and expansion of
the recreational ground
lease with the State Prop
erties Commission for Fort
Yargo State Park.
The new 25.5-year lease
allows the county to use
its lease area at the park,
which includes recreational
facilities, plus an addition
al 37 acres adjacent from
those facilities that com
missioners voted last year
to acquire the use of.
Under the new agree
ment, the county has five
years to construct any pro
posed improvements on the
37 acres or the parcel would
likely revert back to the
control of the state, county
economic and community
Chamber hands out top
awards at annual dinner
AWARD WINNERS
The Barrow County Chamber of Commerce handed out its top awards of the year at its 70th
annual awards dinner Saturday night at Chateau Elan. Pictured, from left to right, are Steven
Canup, Sunita Singh, Ellen Petree, Beth Caldwell, Michelle Walker, Jason Britt and Mike
Muse. Photos courtesy of Nelson Sanders
Caldwell named ‘Shining Star’ at banquet
The Barrow County Chamber of Com
merce held its 70th annual awards dinner
Saturday at the Chateau Elan Winery &
Resort.
The chamber named Beth Caldwell its
Shining Star for the year.
Caldwell, a former teacher, also served
terms on the Barrow County Board of
Education, Barrow County Board of Com
missioners and Winder City Council.
She has also been instrumental in efforts
around the county to combat illiteracy.
In 1991, she helped establish the Wind
er-Barrow Certified Literate Community
Coalition.
Other award winners Saturday night
included:
•Sunita Singh, Northeast Georgia Medi
cal College, Ambassador of the Year.
•Michelle Walker, Community Service
Award.
•Bethlehem Church, Distinguished Ser
vice Award.
•Bentley’s Butcher Shop, Small Busi
ness of the Year.
•Oak Grove Landfill, Large Business of
the Year.
•Ellen Petree, Citizen of the Year.
SHINING STAR
Beth Caldwell speaks after receiving her award
during the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce’s
annual awards dinner Saturday.
development director Guy
Herring said.
No definitive plans for the
site have been announced
by the county at this point.
Also, any lighting pro
posed for the site would
have to be approved by
the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources parks
operation staff and Georgia
State Parks would retain the
proceeds from the timber
prior to the construction.
In other business, com
missioners:
•approved the Fiscal
Year 2016 financial report
and budget amendments
for various departments.
The amendments were to
move around money from
departments that under
spent their budget to those
that overspent theirs. While
no new funds were added,
the county had to make the
amendments because coun
ties are required by the state
to have a balanced budget.
•Approved a $150,000
grant from the Appalachian
Regional Commission for
the extension of the Park
53 Industrial & Technology
Complex road. The grant
requires a 50-percent
See BOC on Page 2A
o
School system announces Pre-K lottery dates
Applications for the Barrow
County School System’s 2017-
2018 Georgia Pre-K Program
Lottery will be accepted March
1-31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon
day through Friday at the BCSS
Professional Development Cen
ter (PDC), located at 179 West
Athens St. in Winder.
Children must be 4 years of
age on or before Sept. 1, 2017,
in order to apply for the Pre-K
program. Children who are 5
years of age on or before Sept.
1, 2017 and have not attend
ed Georgia’s Pre-K Program as
a 4-year-old may enroll in the
BCSS Pre-K program.
Families should come to the
PDC to pick up and complete a
lottery application.
This information will also be
available online at www.barrow.
kl2.ga.us/pre-k.html starting
March 1, 2017.
Parents will be required to
show current proof of residen
cy to verify their elementary
school attendance zone. Proof of
residency is a utility bill (elec
tric, gas, water, cable/satellite,
garbage or house phone), set
tlement statement, or a rental/
lease agreement. Parents will
also need to bring a copy of
their child’s birth certificate or
other acceptable proof of age
and identity to verify the child’s
birthday/age.
A lottery number will be
issued to each applicant.
The Pre-K Lottery application
information must be turned in
See Lottery on Page 3A
