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20 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Jug Tavern Festival held in downtown Winder
Credit: Facebook
The downtown streets of Winder were tilled with music, delicious food and pure fun during the bustling
Jug Tavern Festival last weekend. The festivities began on Friday evening with performances from The
Not So Average Party Band as the event opener, followed by Uptown Funk, who delighted the crowd with
their rendition of Bruno Mars’ contemporary classics, igniting a lively dance floor. Saturday’s lineup fea
tured hot air balloons, a carnival, a car show, touch-a-truck activities, and a Georgia football watch party.
A balancing act
WBCT negotiates new lease with City of Winder
By Morgan Ervin
The Winder-Barrow
Community Theatre
(WBCT) is currently at
a crossroads as negoti
ations are underway for
a new lease agreement
with the City of Wind
er. The outcome of these
negotiations holds the
key to the future of this
cherished cultural insti
tution, which has been
an integral part of the
community for years.
The WBCT has been
operating under two
contracts, one verbal and
one physical, which al
lowed it to use a space in
the Colleen O. Williams
Theater, located in the
City of Winder’s Cultur
al Arts Center. With its
long maintained contract
with the city, coupled
with its 501©3 status,
any drastic changes or
excessive financial de
mands could potentially
force the theater to shut
down.
According to WBCT
Vice President Leslie
Kimbell, in return for
WBCT’s contributions,
including financial sup
port for the building’s
renovations and upkeep
of the facility, it was
promised the use of the
space for its cultural and
theatrical activities by
the city.
“We have invested
thousands of dollars into
that building. It’s not just
a facility for us; it’s our
home,” said Kimbell.
“We’ve taken immense
pride in maintaining it.
Because we felt safe and
secure in our home, we
have given back over
$60,000 to the commu
nity over the years.”
WBCT’s mission goes
beyond the stage, as its
advocates and represen
tatives see it as a vital
part of the community,
providing a platform for
people to come together
to create art and culture.
“For some people, the
ater is their sport,” said
Kimbell. “It’s a commu
nity of people.”
The situation has
reached a critical point
as WBCT needs confir
mation on its 2024 dates
and access to its desig
nated storage areas for
costumes and props to
continue its operation.
What’s more, WBCT is
currently in the midst of
its last show of the sea
son, with the 20th an
niversary season on the
horizon for 2024.
“We had a really big
splashy amazing season
of favorites and world
premiere planned for
our audience. There’s a
whole lot that goes into
planning and the first
thing we need are our
dates,” said Kimbell.
The WBCT currently
pays $2,150 in quarterly
rent, for exclusive use of
the theater and dressing
rooms for a minimum
of 150 days per calendar
year.
The city sent a draft
contract to WBCT on
Oct. 23, which provid
ed three new leasing
options, as well as oth
er terms and conditions
concerning repairs, en
try and inspection, the
ater equipment, techni
cal services, parking,
custodial and cleaning
services, removal of
equipment and other
general provisions.
Each of the three op
tions specifies terms
related to exclusive use
and rental payments.
In Option A, the
WBCT is granted 150
days of exclusive access
to the leased premises
annually, with the city
prohibited from rent
ing or allowing oth
ers to use the premises
See WBCT, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Johnnie Lay Burks’dedication to students
inspires school renaming in her honor
Submitted photo
Clarke County Schools held a rededication event Friday, Nov. 3, to commemorate the lasting im
pact of Johnny Lay Burks by renaming one of its elementary schools after her. A Barrow County
native, Burks was valedictorian and class president at Glenwood High School, where she gradu
ated in 1958. She then embarked on a teaching career at the Clarke County School system in the
late 1960s. Her steadfast commitment to enriching the lives of youth has created a lasting legacy
in the Athens area and beyond. Pictured above are Glenwood Elementary and High School alum
ni who attended the dedication event and Barnes & Noble bookstore employee Terry Stewart of
Winder, who assists Burks in her purchases of books for school students. The honoree is com
mitted to supporting students so that every child across the Clarke and Barrow County school
systems are reading at or above their grade level.
Barrow elects four
new mayors, votes
‘yes’ to TSPLOST
A number of munic
ipalities across Barrow
County had contested
races in the Nov. 7 elec
tion. The following are
the final results of those
races and the countywide
TSPLOST referendum:
TSPLOST
• Yes — 3,401
•No — 1,888
AUBURN
Mayor
• Peggy Langley — 243
• Rick Roquemore - 426
City Council
• Jamie Bradley (I) -265
• Josh Rowan — 299
•Jeremiah Outwater -244
• Bo Bland — 240
• Leandro Silva — 204
BETHLEHEM
Mayor
• Sandy McNabb (I) -36
• Christopher Lelle -43
City Council
• Scott Morgan (I) — 28
• Sharon Johnson — 52
STATHAM
Mayor
• Joe Piper— 75
• Deborah Kraus - 250
WINDER
Mayor
• Shannon Hammond
-708
•Jimmy Terrell —1,088
City Council Ward 4
• Travis Singley (I) -383
• David Arnold — 283
City Council Ward 3
• Todd Blackwell — 148
• Power Evans — 436
City Council At-large *
• John Bums — 677
• Taffy McCormick - 802
• Pam Powell — 263
*Burns and McCormick
will go into a runoff
since neither received a
majority of the vote.
Shop with a Hero is set for Dec. 9. The parade from the Com
munity Center to Walmart will begin at 8:30 a.m.
BGSO and WPD
prepare for Shop with
a Hero set for Dec. 9
The Barrow County
Sheriff’s Office and the
Winder Police Department
are planning and preparing
for its favorite event of the
year, Shop with a Hero,
set for Dec. 9.
Each year, participating
law enforcement agencies
strive to make this event as
memorable as possible and
this year the community is
invited to help by lining
the streets as local police
parade the kids from the
Winder Community Cen
ter to Walmart.
Law enforcement agen
cies will leave the Commu
nity Center on E. Athens
Street at around 8:30 a.m.,
make a left onto Broad, a
right onto May Street and
continue until they get to
Walmart.
Shop with a Hero is an
annual event that identifies
children in the community
that could use a little extra
support and love during
the Christmas season.
The morning of the event
children are fed breakfast,
paired with an hero and
paraded to Walmart with
lights and sirens.
While inside Walmart,
the children receive a gift
card to spend however
they wish.
The children and their
stories touch the hearts of
the heroes they are paired
with and provide mem
ories that will last a life
time. “On this very spe
cial day the children are
our Heroes,” said a BCSO
Facebook post. To partic
ipate in this event or for
more information, email
Lt. Faye Spaulding at
faynette.spaulding@bar-
rowsheriff.com.
Donations will be ac
cepted through Dec. 1.