Newspaper Page Text
28 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, December 18, 2019
New Statham officials talk spending ‘freeze’
By Ron Bridgeman
ron@mainstreetnews.com
A “freeze” on spending may be coming
in Statham. The incoming new mayor and
an incoming city council member favor
some kind of spending halt until the budget
is reviewed.
Mayor-elect Joe Piper, who will take of
fice Jan. 2 said Monday, Dec. 16, he would
favor a “freeze” on all spending. Any ex
ceptions, he said, would have to be ap
proved by him.
Piper and incoming council member
Gary Venable said the city’s budget should
be reviewed. Venable said at the council’s
work session Dec. 12 the revenue is behind
and spending is above the budget limits.
The subject was not on the council’s
agenda Tuesday. Dec. 17, and was not
raised.
Piper said he believes a budget review
can be done by new officials in 30 days.
Venable presented some budget numbers
to the council Dec. 12. He said the city
needs “to tackle” its financials.
He called the financial statement as of
Dec. 6 “alarming” numbers. Venable had a
printout of the budget from July 1 to Dec. 6.
Numbers that got attention included wa
ter billed of about $175,000. compared to
$867,358 that was budgeted and the amount
spent for water of $233,069, compared to
the $70,000 budgeted.
City administrator Mai Chang told the
council the amount spent is so high because
See Budget, page 10A
Barrow
Briefs
ANNUAL LIVE
NATIVITY SET IN
BETHLEHEM
The annual Live Nativi
ty on the downtown Beth
lehem Square will be held
under the “Star” Sunday
and Monday. Dec. 22-23, at
7:30 p.m. each night.
Bethlehem First United
Methodist Church has coor
dinated the event since 1963
and has traditionally held
two showings per night, but
this year there will only be
one showing, leaders state.
The church’s first Christ
mas Pageant was held in
December 1963 through
the idea of the Rev. Wayne
Fears. The star above the
town square predates the
pageant. According to lead
ers, around 1951 Methodist
minister L.G. Martin first
conceived the idea of a
large, lighted star in a public
place at Christmas.
He erected the star at the
Methodist church and it
was later moved to the town
square, where it is easily
visible from Highway 11.
AGAPE INK
CHRISTMAS DINNER
Agape Ink, 669 Atlanta
Hwy. SE. Winder, will hold
its annual Christmas dinner
and presents with Santa for
families in need at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Families can sign up for
the dinner by texting Agape
owner Shane Whelchel at
470-422-9608 and listing
the ages and gender of their
children so organizers can
get appropriate gifts.
The elderly are also invit
ed.
See Briefs, page 10A
Index:
Public Safety
8-9A
Church News
13A
Classifieds
4B
Legals
5-9B
Obituaries
14-15A
Opinion
4-5A
Sports
1-3, 10B
MAILING LABEL
Christmas time in Winder
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Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
WINDER HOSTS 71ST ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE
The City of Winder hosted its 71st annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 14. The two-hour parade
began in the front of Ingles and traveled South on Broad Street and ended on East Athens in front of
the Winder Community Center. The Winder Police Department led the parade followed by the Barrow
Brigade JROTC and Northeast Georgia Medical Center Barrow carrying the Winder Christmas Parade
banner. There were over 100 parade registrants, vehicles and marchers and Santa and Mrs. Claus
ended the parade riding through in the Winder Fire Department’s second motorized firetruck, the
1940 Peter Pirsch Pumper Truck. After the parade Santa and Mrs. Claus listened to children’s wish list
during a meet and greet session at the Winder Community Center. There were also craft and food ven
dors available in the gazebo parking lot area before and after the parade. See more photos on page 11A.
A young one got her candy bag ready as Winder’s
Christmas parade approached.
Jessica Flores, 3, was playing tug of war over a
Santa hat with her sister and brother, Evianna
Flores, Dante Flores and Reyle Pesina, when she
took a spill at Winder’s Christmas parade on Sat
urday, Dec. 14.
Children were having a bit of fun picking at one another while waiting on the Christmas parade to
make its way through downtown Winder on Saturday, Dec. 14.
Statham
gets police
head after
closed
sessions
By Ron Bridgeman
ron@mainstreetnews.com
The Statham City Council
approved a new acting po
lice chief Tuesday, Dec. 17,
but it took four closed ses
sions over three meetings.
The council continued
to fuss over differences be
tween current and new offi
cials.
The meeting degenerat
ed at the end when council
member Hattie Thrasher
presented a bench for outgo
ing mayor Robert Bridges.
Catherine Corkren, a critic
of Bridges and the city gov
ernment, was shouted down
and drowned out by hissing
when she tried to say, “On
behalf of the people you
hurt
Thrasher said the bench
was from the Sunflower
Festival Committee and the
council.
The police chief saga
started when chief Allan
Johnston turned in a brief
letter of resignation Dec. 2.
However, according to one
official, Johnston turned
in his cruiser and person
al items Dec. 3 and did not
work out his notice. His last
day on the job was to be
Dec. 15.
The council hired John
Davis as the acting chief,
but some council members
were confused about what
position was being hired.
The position was referred to
as the “assistant chief’ and
the “interim” chief.
John Wood, who had been
the assistant chief, declined
to be named chief after a
closed session Dec. 11 —
when two closed sessions
were held for the same pur
pose in the same meeting.
Wood also resigned as the
assistant chief and took a
patrol position.
Council member Betty
Lyle made a motion to hire
Wood for a year and to pro
vide him with six-months
salary if he was fired with
out cause. That motion did
not pass.
Wood declined the job af
ter the closed session.
A fourth closed session
was held for about 13 min
utes Tuesday night before
Davis was hired.
The council held closed
sessions to discuss the po
lice Dec. 11 (two), Dec. 12
and Dec. 17.
AGENDA
The assistant chief and an
update on the city’s audits
were added to the agenda
Tuesday.
Mai Chang, city admin
istrator, said the FY2017
audit is on schedule to be
completed by the end of the
year.
See Statham, page 10A
o
