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The Lee County Ledger
Volume XXIV - Number 31
your Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Leesburg, Georgia -- March 14,2002
Hometown Newspaper of Thomas and Connie Nance
Fifty Cents
SON
Three Veteran School
Administrators Not Listed
For 2002-2003 Assignments
Commissioners Approve Resolution To
Expand Role Of Probate Judge
“Little Shop of Horrors” continues at Lee County High School. See page 6A for
the story, more pictures and show times. Pictured are Laura Ruckel, Kim Perez,
and Elizabeth Walters as the narrating trio of Skid Row urchins in the high school
production of “Little Shop of Horrors”.
During their business meeting
Monday night, March 11, the
members of the Lee County Board
of Education approved adminis
trative assignments for Fiscal Year
2003.
Keith Lee, Principal of Lee
County Middle School, Henry
Crain, Assistant Principal at Lee
County High School, and Gene
Miles, Assistant Principal at Lee
County Elementary School were
not included on the list submitted
to the board by Dr. Bill Lewis,
Superintendent.
According to Dr. Mike Davis,
Assistant Superintendent of Per
sonnel, the three administrators
have submitted letters stating their
intent not to to return to the Lee
County School System next
school term. However, a con
firmed source stated that at least
one of the administrators was
given the option, by the superin
tendent, to resign and receive let
ters of recommendations or be ter
minated.
According to state guidelines,
school administrators do not have
tenure and can be terminated with
out a reason being given.
Henry Crain has been an admin
istrator in the Lee County School
System for several years. He was
an assistant principal at Lee
County Middle School for several
years before being transferred to
Lee County Primary School. Crain
was transferred to the high school
this school term where he served
as an assistant principal.
Gene Miles came to the Lee
County School System from
Dougherty County. Mr. Miles was
an assistant principal at Lee
County High School for several
years before being transferred this
school term to Lee County El
ementary School.
Keith Lee came to the Lee
County School System from
Americus. He has been the prin
cipal at Lee County Middle
School for several years.
The board members heard an
update on the roof problem at the
high school. The roof has been
damaged for several months. The
wide gap in the roof extends sev
eral feet and will cost approxi
mately $16,000 to be repaired.
The company that installed the
roof has declared bankruptcy;
therefore the school system will
have to bear the cost of the re
pairs.
The board members recognized
several groups of middle school
students. Presented by Keith Lee,
LCMS Principal, the group in
cluded Georgia Music Educators’
District II Honor Band partici
pants, semi-finalists for the
GMEA All-State Band, All State
Chorus, State Runner-Up Quiz
Bowl members, district Spelling
Bee winner and a Book Sharp
participant.
Chris Warren, middle school
and high school track coach, told
the board of needed supplies and
equipment for the track teams.
Warren asked the board to speed
up the process to get things
needed by the children. Dr. Lewis,
superintendent, told Coach War
ren that he had not received any
requests for track during the past
four years. Lewis continued that
Lee County has been needing a
strong track program since he has
been in Lee County. Coach War
ren was told to prepare a list of
supplies and equipment needed
and submit it to the principal.
SPLOST committee members Tim McLean, Ralph Moore, Wendy Holloman, Emily
Kitchens and James Sizemore met Monday to discuss final citizen
encouragement.
SPLOST Vote March 19
The Friends of Lee County
Committee held its last meeting
on March 12, 2002, in prepara
tion for the final push to encour
age citizens to vote on March 19.
Lee County voters will decide on
March 19 whether or not to con
tinue the Special Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST). Two refer-
endums, one for education fund
ing and one for county expendi
tures, will appear on the March
19 ballot.
Members of the Friends of Lee
County Committee emphasize
that the referendums seek ap
Doherty
Duggan
wHouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Lee County
Board of
Commissioners
will meet
March 18 at
6:00 p.m. in the
Administration
Building
proval of the existing tax. "No
new taxes are proposed under the
referendums," emphasizes James
Sizemore, Treasurer of the com
mittee. "The referendum simply
seeks to continue the existing
sales tax."
SPLOST provides substantial
funding for countywide projects
such as road paving and recre
ation expenditures and capital
improvements of the Board of
Education. "These referendums
will ensure that the Board of
Commissioners and the Board of
Education have over thirty mil
lion dollars to complete necessary
projects." comments Wendy Hol
loman, President of the commit
tee. "These projects will either be
funded by SPLOST or Lee
County citizens will have to pay
for these projects with additional
property taxes. The money has to
come from somewhere."
It was emphasized at the meet
ing that citizens should be aware
that most every other county sur
rounding Lee County has a Spe
cial Local Option Sales Tax to
fund its projects. Much of the
money generated by SPLOST
comes from money spent in Lee
County by people outside of the
county. In the view of the com
mittee members, the sales tax is
the most equitable form of taxa
tion.
The SPLOST referendums are
the only issues on the March 19
ballot. Turn out is critical and the
Friends of Lee County Commit
tee encourages all of the citizens
to vote on March 19,2002.
"The March 19 election is criti
cal to the future of Lee County."
says former Board of Education
Chairman and Red Bone resident
Ralph Moore, "We expect
SPLOST to fund the building of
schools, libraries, and recreation
facilities. It will also fund road
pavings. This is a no lose vote
for Lee County.”
The Lee County Board of Com
missioners approved a motion
March 7 to introduce local legis
lation during the 2002 session of
the Georgia General Assembly
relating to the jurisdiction of the
Probate Court of Lee County. The
motion was approved with Com
missioner Eddie Hinman voting
against the motion.
Magistrate Judge Jim Thurman
spoke against the commissioners
approving the motion. Judge
Thurman stressed the spirit of
open government but indicated
that this request was drawn up
behind closed doors. Thurman
said the Constitution of Georgia
spells out the duties of the mag
istrate court. He said that this
motion would change the system
without consultation with the dis
trict attorney or clerk of court.
Thurman went on to say that it
was premature to make this
change without giving adequate
time for input.
Chairman Billy Mathis said that
he did not see the confusion that
Judge Thurman was talking
Express Lane in Leesburg was named the Best Store of
the District and Store of the Year recently. In receiving the
Store of the District, the Express Lane in Leesburg located
on Highway 19 South was selected the best of the ten
stores in the district. In receiving the Store of the Year
Award, the Leesburg store came in first of 40 stores in
the three districts. Gina Brown, store manager, said the
award is based on sales, merchandising, customer
relationship, organization and cleanliness. Ms. Brown said
that she and her staff appreciate the support of their
customers.
Lee County Commission Chairman Billy Mathis was
presented with a plaque by Pamela Harris in
appreciation for his support of the thirteen and under
All-star Basketball team. The thirteen and under
basketball team won the Region in Tifton by one point
and lost in the State Tournament by one point.
about. Probate Judge John
Wheaton explained that the reso
lution, which is applicable only
to Lee County, provides that the
Probate Court of Lee County
would have jurisdiction to try and
dispose of misdemeanor cases,
which are not county ordinances
violations, where the person
charged with the misdemeanor
violation waives jury trial and
agrees to enter a plea of guilty.
According to the resolution, it
is the intent of the board of com
missioners that the disposition of
such misdemeanor cases in the
Probate Court of Lee County will
lessen the burden of the Lee
County Superior Court which
presently has jurisdiction of such
cases.
The commissioners approved a
resolution to introduce local leg
islation which would conform the
salaries of the chairman and the
members of the board of commis
sioners to current practices as re
quired by Georgia law in con
forming such compensation to
current law. Any changes in com
pensation will be occur after the
next election.
BUFFALO ROCK
Lee County
Retired
Educators will
meet Monday
March 18 at
10:00 a.m.
Fellowship Hall
at Leesburg
United
Methodist
Church
