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The Le6 County Ledger
Volume XXVI - Number 19
Vowr Hometown Source Of Local News
Leesburg, Georgia - - January 8, 2004
Hometown Newspaper of Floyd and Jackie Wilson
Fifty Cents
Hinman Named County
Commission Chairman
At Monday
night’s meeting,
the Lee County
commissioners
acted quickly on
a motion by the
presiding chair
man, Billy Mathis,
that Eddie Hinman
serve as chair
man for 2004. All
of the commis
sioners voted in
favor of Mr. Hinman. Before
the vote, Mr. Mathis reminded
the commissioners that he had
announced earlier that he did
not wish to continue serving as
chairman.
The vote for vice-chair
man was not as smooth as Mr.
Hinman made the nomination
of Jackie McCorkle for vice
chairman his first
order of business.
His motion was
quickly seconded
by Mr. Mathis.
Mr. McCorkle
was named vice
chairman by a
vote of three to
two with Com
missioners Lewis
Harris and Jackie
Sizemore voting
no.
After the meeting, Commis
sioner Jackie Sizemore issued
the following statement “I
would prefer we were up front
with all of our decisions and not
decide among a few before the
meeting, which was obviously
the case Monday night. I am not
seeking nor do I covet a position
of power or status on the com
mission. I simply want to do the
best job I can for Lee County
and my district.
“I wish we could be more
open and honest with each
other, like Commissioner Lewis
Harris for example. He is up
front and says what he thinks is
right. We don’t always agree,
but at least I know he is shoot
ing straight from the hip.
“I know we will not always
agree, but, I do hope we will
start the rest of the year with
a more open attitude and with
a positive team effort to move
this county forward in the right
direction. I am willing to bend
over backwards for any com
missioner as long as they are
genuine and above board.”
Eddie Hinman
Commissioners Approve Renovation
For Clerk Of Superior Court
2003 Lee County Forestry Queens
Front Row: Junior Miss - Katlyn Emerson, Tiny Miss - Haley Warren, Little Miss
- Alexis Ruby. Back Row: Miss Hospitality - Mallory Swearinger, Miss - Amanda
McDaniel, Teen Miss - Mary Edgemon.
Forestry Pageant
Application Deadline
The Lee County Forestry
Pageant and Educational As
sociation is pleased to announce
that the Lee County Forestry
Pageant with be held January
31, 2004 at the Lee County
High School. The pageant will
have five age divisions which
are Tiny Miss- ages 3 to 6 years,
Little Miss - ages 7 to 9 years,
Junior Miss - ages 10 to 12
years, Teen Miss - ages 13 to 16
years, and Miss - ages 17 to 23
years old.
The winners of these divisions
will serve as Ambassadors for
the Georgia Forestry Commis
sion Lee County Unit in pro
moting Forestry in the upcom
ing year. 2003 Forestry Queens
have made appearances at the
Lee County Schools for Arbor
Day, Lee County Commis
sioner’s Meeting, Tri-County
Forestry Field Day in Buena
Vista, the State Forestry Field
Day in Macon, and at the Lee
County Health and Safety Fair.
Doherty, Duggan
& Rouse Insurors
AN EMPLOYEE OWNED COMPANY
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
Badges for
Life Blood
Drive
Thursday,
Jan. 8
2-7 p.m.
Hwy 19 S
Fire Station
The 2003 Lee County Queens
will also participate in the Lee
County and Albany Christmas
Parade.
The winners of the 2004
pageant will also represent Lee
County at the 65 th Miss Georgia
Forestry State Pageant that will
be held in Tifton in June 2004.
Last year Amanda McDaniel of
Lee County was crowned Miss
Georgia Forestry and is now
traveling throughout the state
informing people of the impor
tance and benefits of forestry to
the State of Georgia. Amanda
and runner-ups received over
$60,000.00 in college scholar
ships, gifts, and prizes at the
Georgia Forestry State Pageant.
The Lee County Forestry Pag
eant and Educational Associa
tion are receiving applications
for entry into the Lee County
Forestry Pageant until January
16, 2004. Anyone interested in
entering into the pageant can
receive an application at the
Georgia Forestry Commission
office located at 336 Highway
32 East, Leesburg, Georgia.
The office is located across
from Fire Tower Road with the
fire tower in the front yard, or
call 759-3011. Also you can
receive more information and
applications on-line at http:
//leeforestrypageant.tripod.com.
Lee County Forestry Pageant
Director Michelle Warren can
be contacted at leeforestrypage
ant@yahoo.com. REMEMBER
THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRY
IS January 16, 2004.
Photo by Derryl Quinn
Leesburg Obtains Grant For Car Cameras
The City of Leesburg Police Department has been
approved for a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant
of $7,011.00 for two car cameras for police cars.
The camera operates automatically when the officer
makes a traffic stop. Capt. Monterey Moody is
pictured demonstrating the camera.
Following months of discus
sion, while storage space in
the clerk of superior court was
dwindling fast, the commission
ers approved spending $36,000
to renovate the space in the
courthouse formerly used by the
tax commission office for stor
age and work space for the clerk
of court use. Will McDonald,
facilities manager, had prepared
a list of repairs including a
sprinkler system for that area.
With a back-up of records in
place, the commissioners had
the sprinkler system removed
while noting that the records
would be damaged by water if a
fire occurred.
Expressing her relief at the
commission’s approval, Ann
Nix, Clerk of Superior Court,
inquired how quickly the work
could begin. She noted that
it was becoming necessary to
store records on top of cabinets.
The commissioners will review
a request from the owners of
the Albany Mall to reimburse
the cost of engineering and
other fees associated with the
dedication of 36 acres on Ledo
Road to Lee County. At their
last meeting, the commissioners
accepted 36 acres of ponds and
green space from the owners
of the Albany Mall. That land
provides storm drainage for
many commercial properties in
the Ledo Road area. Some of
the Grand Island Golf Course is
also located on the same land.
Crisp To Seek Century
Commission Post
1, Jenny Crisp, am announc
ing my candidacy for the Cen
tury District of Lee County. Due
to the solicitation of my many
friends in this district and the
confidence that they repose in
me, I have decided to announce
my candidacy for county com
missioner. As a member of an
old south Georgia family who
has owned land in Lee county
for three generations and who
has called Lee County home for
more than seven years I am hon
ored to be asked to run for the
office of county commissioner.
I have an agricultural degree
from Auburn University, a
business degree from Georgia
Southwestern College and two
years in the criminal justice
program at Darton which I
pursued while I was employed
full time with Miller Brewing
Co. I left Miller after five years
to take over the daily operations
of our family business. I have
spent my life as a self-moti
vated, hard working and active
individual.
After reviewing over two years
of commission meeting minutes
it has become obvious that the
minutes are murky at best dur
ing periods where the commis
sioners are spending our money
in ways that they don't think we
(the taxpayers) would approve.
On the whole, the Grand Island
Golf Course matter is unclear
and rudderless not to mention
at this point a huge money pit.
We (the taxpayers) deserve full
disclosure and accountability
for our hard earned tax dol
lars. Attracting a cash cow
(WalMart) to Lee County does
not excuse wastefulness in this
government.
In my 40 years of being a
part of this great county, I have
seen it grow from a backward
Jenny Crisp
agricultural county to a thriving
bedroom community for Albany.
We need to keep the ball rolling
in the right direction by enforc
ing strict zoning, keeping the
schools in the top percentile,
attracting more revenue produc
ing businesses without lowering
the standards and spending our
money wisely. We need to ensure
the protection of our citizens
and their belongings by provid
ing police protection, fire pro
tection and EMS protection for
all our citizens. We need to pro
vide the infrastructure (roads,
water, sewer) necessary to
sustain growth in our county. We
don’t just want to be a bedroom
community for Albany; we want
to be the success story of South
Georgia. We want to be savvy
enough to set the standard.
If elected, I promise the people
of this district all of my energies
in exposing waste and cor
ruption in their government. I
will not play politics nor will I
practice fraud or deceit in my
voting policies.
The Ledger provides space
for candidates to introduce
themselves to the citizens
of Lee County. The Ledger
does not endorse any one
candidate.
By acquiring the 36 acres, Lee
County consolidated ownership
of the golf course and acquired
a drainage basin that with the
completion of a drainage way
to the Kinchafoonee Creek will
be able to provide drainage to
the remainder of the Ledo Road
commercial corridor.
The owners of the Albany
Mall was requesting that the
county reimburse them for out
of pocket costs related to the
real estate transaction with the
county. The expenses included
engineering, appraisal and
legal fees believed to be in the
$10,000 to $12,000 range.
The commissioners tabled a
lease agreement with the De
partment of Natural Resources
to construct a boat ramp on
county property at the creek
on Highway 19 South near the
Dougherty County line.
The commissioners set the
qualifying fees for the 2004
General Election. The qualify
ing fee for county commissioner
is $45.00. Commissioners from
the Redbone District, Leesburg
District and Century District
will be elected this year.
The qualifying fee for sheriff
is $1,577.10. The qualify
ing fee for chief magistrate is
$1,210.09. The qualifying fee
for probate judge is $1,210.09.
The qualifying fee for clerk of
superior court is $1,321.72. The
qualifying fee for tax commis
sioner is $1,185.27. The quali
fying fee for coroner is $108.00.
The qualifying fee for school
board member is $45.00. Mem
bers from the Redbone District,
Leesburg District and Century
District will be elected this year.
BUFFALO ROCK
Lee Co.
Board of
Education
meets
Monday,
Jan. 12 at
6:00 p.m.
Board of Ed.
Office