Newspaper Page Text
o
o
20 Pages, 2 Sections
A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Innovation Amphitheater:
Barrow’s music headquarters
Credit: AIM at CFIT
The Barrow County School System presented the third annual Cultural Con
nections Series, a performing arts series at the Innovation Amphitheater
(pictured above). Held in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts,
the series brings professional artists to the community and provides afford
able and entertaining evenings of music, dance, poetry and other works of
art. What’s more, Barrow’s own student artists are given the unique oppor
tunity to present audience members with a special opening performance.
Cultural Connections Series
In April, students from the Arts and Innovation Magnet Program (AIM) (pic
tured above) took a field trip to see the Atlanta Shakespeare Company perform
“Much Ado About Nothing.” On May 9, the Atlanta Opera Studio Tour gave two
performances of Engelbert Humperdinck’s take on the fairy tale, “Hansel and
Gretel.” A daytime show provided an field trip opportunity for roughly 1,200
elementary students, many of whom experienced live opera for the first time.
An encore show was performed for the community that evening and featured
opening performances by several BCSS musical theater programs. Up next at
the venue is a summer concert series, which begins Friday night (May 19) as
American county music legends Doug Stone and T. Graham Brown take the
stage.
BCES
promotes
Shannon
Faulkner
to captain
Youth Leadership Barrow
Class of 2023 graduates
By Carole Townsend
Students from Apalachee
High School. Barrow Arts
and Sciences Academy
(BASA), Bethlehem Chris
tian Academy and Wind
er-Barrow High School de
voted nine days this school
year to leadership develop
ment and awareness of com
munity issues.
Through the Youth Lead-
MAILING LABEL
'0 4879 14541 7
ership Barrow program, stu
dents interacted with local
decision makers to develop
the knowledge and skills
necessary to become confi
dent. active leaders in their
community and schools.
The participants completed
community service projects,
toured local government
and industry organizations,
and were mentored by local
business and non-profit lead
ers.
This year’s tours and guest
speakers included Wimberly
Roots. Barrow County
Courthouse and Jail, City
of Winder Fire Department,
Solvay, Fort Yargo, Geor
gia State Capitol. Northeast
Georgia Medical Center
Barrow, Holiday Connec
tion. Ministry Village,
Wimberly Center non-prof
its. and Extra Special People
(ESP).
MORE ABOUT THE
YLBPROGRAM
The Youth Leadership
Barrow (YLB) program
provides leadership devel
opment and community
awareness training for soph
omores and juniors in Bar-
row County high schools.
YLB uses the University of
Georgia Fanning Institute’s
leadership development
See YLB, page 2A
Earlier this year, Barrow
County Emergency Services
(BCES) held a promotional
process within the depart
ment. Over the course of
several weeks, the qualified
candidates were evaluated in
many areas. “The lieutenants
that participated are some of
the best in the industry,” said
Chief Alan Shuman. “We
are very happy to announce
Shannon Faulkner as our
newest captain.”
Captain Faulkner has been
with the department since
July 2006. After completing
his recruit school, Faulkner
than proceeded to obtain his
emergency medical techni
cian-intermediate certifica
tion. He later was promoted
to the rank of lieutenant. He
has worked with different
crews on both C shift and
A shift, where he has built a
reputation as helping to push
his crews to become better.
Captain Faulkner has
also been a regular instruc
tor with recruit classes for
many years, and has served
on several committees with
in the department. His latest
work was on the extension
of Fire Station 6. He put in
many hours working on the
proposal and the construc
tion. Captain Faulkner is al
ready in his new role as the
field captain on C shift. “We
look forward to seeing all
that Captain Faulkner does
in his new role and wish him
well as he continues working
with us,” said Chief Shuman.
“He is a great example of the
quality of the men and wom
en of Barrow County Emer
gency Services.”
Statham mayor
responds to council’s
call for his resignation
1
Statham mayor Joe Piper (ictured left) was sworn in
as the Mayor of Statham Jan. 2, 2020 by former city
attorney Thomas Mitchell.
By Carole Townsend
Statham mayor Joe Pip
er Tuesday read a prepared
statement in response to
the city council’s call to
resign his office. Among
other grievances, council
members claim that Piper
violated city policy when
he entered into a severance
agreement with former city
employee April Stephens,
without obtaining sign-off
from the city attorney.
Piper’s statement read as
follows:
“The council has decided
that my actions have vio
lated the Charter, and that
talking to the news media
violated their trust and put
the city in a liable situation.
This council demands that
I resign from my elected
post. Information provided
by the council in this reso
lution states that I did not
seek advice from the attor
ney. and that I did not have
the contract reviewed.
I did seek the advice of
the counselor about the
events and conversation
of that morning; however,
I admit to failing to have
the contract reviewed. The
situation was chaotic, with
a disgruntled employee
threatening to involve the
city in an ugly lawsuit,
which she may or may not
have won. The cost to the
city is a minimum $25,000
deductible, regardless of the
result - a lot more than the
severance package in dis
pute. I was acting in the best
interest of the city by trying
to avoid litigation. This city
council wanted April Ste
phens fired and gone for
years, then when she was
terminated, you’re still not
happy.
I asked for impact fees
three different times (based
on $2,000, times 320 homes
built or slated for build to
date), and the council voted
it and the $640,000 down.
These fees are collected
from new homes for people
moving here and the impact
See Statham, page 2A
W- i
k-
• --yd.
'll
Credit: City of Auburn
The City of Auburn was awarded an over $11.4 million
Georgia Fund loan.
Credit: City of Winder
The City of Winder was
awarded a $14 million
Drinking Water State Re
volving Fund loan.
Auburn, Winder awarded
multi-million dollar loans for
water system infrastructure
WaterFirst
Community
qualifiesfor
interest rate
reduction
AUBURN
The City of Auburn was
awarded an over $11.4 mil
lion Georgia Fund loan by
the Georgia Environmental
Finance Authority (GEFA)
board of directors.
The loan will finance the
construction of a new water
treatment plant. The city is
converting an existing rock
quarry to a pump storage
eraw water storage pond. The
new water treatment plant will
treat the water stored in the
quarry and will be used by the
cities of Auburn and Winder.
This project will increase wa
ter supply and improve sys
tem reliability.
The city will pay 2.13% in
terest on the 20-year loan. The
loan qualifies for a reduced in
terest rate due to the city being
a WaterFirst Community.
The Georgia Fund, a
state-funded loan program,
provides communities with
low-interest loans for water,
wastewater, water conserva
tion, and solid waste infra
structure projects. Eligible
projects include water and
sewer lines, treatment plants,
pumping stations, wells, water
storage tanks, and water me
ters. These projects conserve
and improve water resourc
es and facilitate economic
growth and development.
WINDER
The City of Winder was
awarded a $14 million Drink
ing Water State Revolving
Fund (DWSRF) loan by the
Georgia Environmental Fi
nance Authority (GEFA)
board of directors.
The loan will finance up
grading and improving the
Highway 53 Water Treatment
Plant. This project will in
crease the water supply reli
ability to 9.2 million gallons
per day and improve the treat
ment process.
The city will pay 1.63%
interest on the 20-year loan,
which is eligible for a reduced
interest rate because the city is
a WaterFirst Community.
The DWSRF provides
low-interest loans for infra
structure projects that deliver
safe, affordable drinking wa
ter. These projects conserve
and improve water resources
and facilitate economic devel
opment. The program is joint
ly funded by the U.S. Envi
ronmental Protection Agency
and the state of Georgia.
The Georgia Environmen
tal Finance Authority (GEFA)
has approved financial com
mitments totaling $5.5 billion
to local governments, busi
nesses and nonprofits since
1985.
For more information, visit
gefa.georgia.gov.
GDOT PUBLIC INPUT MEETING SET JUNE 6
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is conducting a study on a 40-mile sec
tion of State Route ( SR) 316, from 1-85 in Gwinnett County to SR 10 in Oconee County.
The goal of the study is to set forth recommended potential improvements to the corridor, in
addition to the ongoing SR 316 reconstruction projects. GDOT is hosting a public meeting
in Winder on June 6 for Barrow County residents to share information and gather feedback
from residents. Local leaders and strongly encourage the public to provide input to help
with the planning the transformation of SR 316 into a safer, more efficient roadway.
GDOT is also hosting meetings in Dacula (Gwinnett County) on May 23 and in Bogart
(Oconee County) on May 25.
