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Vol. 126 Issue No. 33 50tf
Legal Organ For Peach County ; C/fy of Forf Valley and City Of Byron
Jazz In The Valley
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Musicians do a sound check at the first annual Jazz in the Valley event held last Saturday on Main Street
in Fort The event raised funds for Peach kids.
Leader
Tribune 2011
Candidate
Profiles
ir
Name: Al Harper Sr.
Running Far: Byron City
Council Post 1
Current Post, If Any: First Time
Running Why For This
Are You Running
Office? We love living in Byron,
and want to try ana make it
better for all concerned.
What Do You See As The Mosf
Significant Issues and Facing Your
Community? Jobs Taxation
Personal: Born and raised in
Bibb County, member of Southside
Baptist Church in Macon until
moving here. My wife of 28 years,
Beverly, and who I have also one resides son, Ray
Harper Jr., in
Byron. I have and three Michelle, daughters,
of Lisa, which Sandy reside two
retired in Byron. I am and a
Painting Contractor,
have lots of free time to devote
to the City of Byron. I have many
friends in this area, and wish to
help out in any way I can, as well
as speak up for them in any situa¬
tion that arises. .
Contact. (478) 919-4196, email
msbev77@yahoo.com
i
Name: Mike Love
Running fot: Mayor, Cify of
Byron (if
Current Why Post any): None for
are you running
Mayor? Through the of life I
course my
have had the incredible oppor¬
tunity of living in soma of the
reatest places in the United
fates. I have also lived in some
areas that were not so grand.
The difference between the two
poles simple really boils planning down to and two
coneepts, involvement. While
community I
was a city manager for the city
of Ogden, Utah, I took classes
designed for city leaders from
the University of Utah. These
classes taught us how to plan
for reach positive growfh and how to
out to the community to
help empower the citizens to
transform their community into
a town they would be proud
of. I took those lessons learned
in the classroom and placed
them into action by organizing providing
citizen groups and
them the resources and support
they needed. We did some
pretty amazing things in that
little town. Now, I see Byron is
Continued to page 14 _
Rhythmic sounds of blues and jazz
filled the air as the Fort Valley commu¬
nity gathered for the first annual Jazz
in the Valley fundraising event.
Located on Main Street, the fun¬
draiser was sponsored by Frito Lay,
Com South, All-Stars Footwear and
Apparef and various other benefac¬
tors to help raise money for Peach
Academy Kids (PAK), a non-profit
organization that provides educational
programs for grades two through six.
Peach Academy Kids was established
in 2009 as the Peach County school
system went from a five-day to a four
day school week. PAK offers programs
ranging from kids entrepreneurship,
creative dance, and mock trials.
“We had to come up with a way to
help provide for our quality programs
and what better way than with Jazz
music,” said Kristie Kenney co-found¬
er and executive director of Peach
Stumbo Reports Dill Arrest
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
_
In an exclusive interview in his
office Monday afternoon, Fort Valley
Mayor John Stumbo told The Leader
Tribune he had recently been arrested
in Monroe County and charged with
the driving under the influence of alco¬
hol and possession of an open alcohol
container.
“I'm incredibly sorry, embarrassed
and humiliated by the bad judgement
on my behalf,” Stumbo said. His
wife Helen Rhea and City Attorney
Charles Jones were also present at the
interview.
Stumbo said he was publicly report¬
ing his arrest out of his “Christian
belief that I should acknowledge my
fault, it shall not happen again.”
Stumbo said he did not deny the
Byron Council Approves
'Green' Purchasing Resolution
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
it’s not just California; Byron is
going green, too.
At Monday’s regular meeting the
Mayor and Council of Byron approved
a resolution committing the city to
reducing energy consumption, buying
CQCrgy efficient products and finding
alternatives to fossil fuels.
In explaining the resolution. Mayor
Larry Collins satd Byron is a mem¬
ber of the Middle Georgia Clean Air
Coalition, an alliance of cities and
counties that focuses on improving
air quality in the region. Collins said
tit h t mm tv l < h t i I (Iff 1 1 til
Peach ■ Newspaper
Academy Kids. “It’s great to trace back
to the origins of music, before hip-hop
or rap there was jazz."
Different vendors set up along Main
Street offering bar-b-que, drinks, and
even tailored suits; soon the streets
began to fill with a variety of lawn
chairs from supporters and those want¬
ing to hear the sounds of soulful music.
“I’m excited to be here, I feel won¬
derful 1 do a lot of jazz events in the
Atlanta area and it feels good to be
in Fort Valley,” said Ginger Davis the
host of Jazz in the Valley. Originally
from the Midwest Ginger Davis, also
known as "Ginger D”. grew up around
jazz and was excited about the oppor¬
tunity to help PAK by hosting the
event.
“That’s what it’s all about, anything
to enhance the lives of kid’s especially
through music, people are sitting and
staying in their lawn chairs this is awe-
charges.
Attorney Jones added that the Mayor
had pulled off the road and was not in
motion at the time of his arrest. He
said, there was no accident or injuries
to anyone.
Stumbo said he would follow all
legal requirements and does not plan
to fight the charges.
Jones said he and the Mayor were
working to close the case as quickly
as possible.
“We're trying to move it along,"
Jones said. "We don’t want it to be
a distraction to some of the positive
things that are happening here.”
In addition M) the interview, Stumbo
released the following signed state¬
ment to the public.
"It is with great humility and regret
that I inform you that I was recently
arrested and charged with Driving
The STWP lists planned projects
in several categories; Community
Facilities and Services, Economic
Development, Housing. Natural and
Cultural Resources, Land Use and
Transportation, and Intergovernmental
Coordination. The list includes a brief
description of each project, the party or
parties responsible for the project, the
estimated cost, funding sources, and
estimated time of completion.
In other business. Mayor Pro Tem
Michael Chides ter reported on items
arising from the recent Utilities
Committee meeting. Chidester the
Continued to page 14,
that while improving local air quality
is good by itself, environmental issues
are a major factor affecting the ability
of Robins Air Force Base to keep exist¬
ing missions and take on new ones.
The council unanimously approved
the resolution.
In other business, the council
approved transmitting the Byron
Short-Term Work Program for 2012-
20i<S to the state. Mayor Collins told
the council the STWP is a part of the
Joint Comprehensive Plan which lays
out plans for several categories of
local projects. He said transmitting the
STWP is required to qualify for state
and federal funds for the projects.
some," said Davis.
Jazz in the Valley featured many
different performing acts throughout
the day including Blynd Shadows,
Hayiya Dance Theatre, Jules and the
Gents, Ken Trimmins Jazz Quartet,
Traficjam and Mike Walton Quartet_
“I’m honored to be playing’in fcort
Valley’s first jazz festival, I had a great
lime the audience is definitely into it
and you can tell the crowd here is at
least knowledgeable about jazz or at
least wants to be,” said Mike Walton
of the Mike Walton quartet.
Walton, a recent Valdosta State grad¬
uate and jazz musician was asked to
perform by Peach County Kids execu¬
tive director Kristie Kenney.
“Originally when 1 heard about the
event I didn’t know iff should sign up
but then a day later JKristie Kenney]
Continued to page 14
___
Under the Influence of Alcohol and
Open Container. I accept full respon¬
sibility for the terrible decision f made
to consume alcohol and then drive. I
am sorry for the embarrassment that
I have brought upon my family and
the city that I love. I am thankful for
the support of my family, especially
my loving wife, my friends and sup¬
porters during this difficult time. I
have always cherished the trust that
the citizens of Fort Valley have placed
in me over the past 12 years. I will
continue to work tirelessly for the city.
Please know that my love for the City
has not diminished and I hope that
you will continue in our partnership
to continue to move the city of Fort
Valley forward.
“Dr. John E. Stumbo, Mayor
“City of Fort Valley
"October 10,2011”
I l\ <h It l*uhit\ltitti* ( V». \r’»*A/t <//>*
OCTOBER 12,2011
Investigation
Clears B0E
Of Charges
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
The monthly meeting of the Peach
County Board of Education was wind¬
ing down when member Dr. Virginia
Dixon brought up the issue of an inves¬
tigation of charges against the board
made by former Superintendent Dr.
Susan Clark.
In response. Chairman Jamie
Johnson read portions of two letters,
copies of which were prov ided to the
press. The first letter, addressed to cur¬
rent Superintendent Joe Ann Denning
and stamped as received on July 22,
2011, said the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools Council on
Accreditation and School Improvement
had received complaints that the school
district was violating accreditation
standards set by AdvancED, the parent
company of SACS CAS1, the agency
that accredits schools in the Southeast.
The letter was signed by Jay Wansley,
Associate State Director in Georgia for
AdvancED/SACS.
The letter does not mention the
source of the complaints, but in bring¬
ing up the issue. Dr. Dixon named
former Superintendent Dr. Susan Clark
“as the source of "charges made against
the board.”
Among the allegations were “inter¬
ference in the day-to-day operations
of the district, employing personnel
without the recommendation of the
superintendent and conducting illegal
executive sessions," the July22 letter
says. Those illegal sessions allegedly
took place in March, April, May and
June 2011.
State law permits school boards
and other government entities to
enter “executive." or closed session
for a narrow list of purposes. They
include attorney/client privilege (which
applies only when the board attorney is
present), discussion of real estate trans¬
actions, discussion of strategic and
business plans and personnel matters
(to protect employee privacy). The
board must vote to enter closed session
in open session, and votes on matters
discussed in closed sessions must be
taken in open session.
The closed sessions must be
announced at least 24 hours in advance,
including notification to the county
legal organ, which is The Leader
Triune in Peach County.
The July 22 SACS letter also says,
"the former superintendent alleged she
was given a document that directed her
to 'allow the high school and its staff
to develop the master and bell sched
ules for the upcoming year including
weight training classes for all athletic
programs' and to stop micromanaging
the high school principal.'
The July 22 letter also says the
former superintendent alleged a board
member “was allowed to question,
during a board meeting, the superin¬
tendent's budget proposal line items
without the prior knowledge and
consent of the superintendent."
The July 22 letter says the com¬
plaints suggest the school district might
have violated AdvancED Accreditation
Standards 2, which covers governance
and leadership. The letter quotes parts
of that standard. "2.1 Establishes and
communicates policies and procedures
that provide for the effective operation
of the system; 2.2 Recognizes and
preserves the executive, administra¬
tive and leadership authority of the
administrative head of the system; 2.3
Ensures compliance with applicable
local, state and federal laws, standards
and regulations."
The July 22 letter says the Peach
County School District had 30 days
to respond and a special review team
would be appointed if the response
suggested violations of accreditation
standards.
A letter to Superintendent Denning
received on Sept. 9, 2011 signed by
Continued to page 5
___