Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 11,2015
ASHBURN,GA, 31714
VOL 109 - No. 45 • 500
www.thewiregrassfarmer.com
^Around Town N
Subscribe to
The Wiregrass
Farmer
Delivered in your
mail every week
Call 567-3655 for
information.
Christmas
parade
Annual Christmas Pa
rade December 12th at
6pm "Rockin' Around the
Christmas Tree". Entry fee
$10. Contact the Chamber
for more information.
School concert
The Turner County
Middle/High Music De
partment will present its
2015 Songs of the Season
Christmas concert on
Thursday, December 10
beginning at 7. Admission
will be $5, a toy of equal
or higher value for the
Toys for Tots drive, or, if
you so desire, both. Thank
you for your support of the
Turner County Music De
partment!
Meet & Greet
You are invited to a Meet
and Greet for the newest
physician at Ashburn Pri
mary Care, Mariel D. Hep
burn, MD. It will be held
Thursday, Nov. 12th at 5pm
in the Reception Hall at
Quails Landing, Little
River Plantation. Pood and
drinks will be available.
Literacy night
Turner County Elemen
tary School Pamily Literacy
Night Parents and Teachers
Working Together to help
Children Enjoy Reading
November 17, 2015 in the
TCES Media Center from
4:30-6:00 p.m.
Story Time - Reading
books with your child 2nd-
5th graders may take AR
tests. Take home activities
to help your child with
Reading
Music classes
Music classes for guitar,
bass, drums and piano are
being held each Saturday at
6 p.m. at Christ Poundation
Assembly of God church in
Roger's plaza. Donations
are requested to help cover
expenses.
Obituaries
Mrs. Mildred P. Hawkins,
94, Rebecca
Mrs. Juanita Lipham
Yarbrough, 86, Sycamore
Complete obituary
information Page 5
F acade
grant
back
Up to $500
in matching
funds for
businesses
Serving Turner County Since 1902
Southland Ford donated a Mustang to the Sheriff’s Department for use in the CHAMPS program. The car was
covered in the special wrap by another company. Pictured Southland owner Bill Davis and Sheriff Andy Hester.
Car donated to Sheriff’s Office
The Sheriff’s Department
has a new ride, a Mustang
decked out in patriotic colors
and logos for the Choosing
Healthy Activities & Methods
Promoting Safety (CHAMPS)
program.
Southland Lord in Ashburn
donated the vehicle to the
Sheriff’s Department for use in
A proposal to change out
the City of Ashburn’s water
meters at a cost of more than
$800K got a cool reception last
week at City Hall.
The Council agreed to a no
charge study to see what it
would cost and what the
change could save the City, if
anything.
Individual City Council
members said they are going to
vote against the idea because
Ashburn can’t afford it.
The idea is to change out all
the CHAMPS program. Deal
ership owner Bill Davis said he
is planning to donate similar
cars to sheriff’s departments in
Crisp, Worth and Sumter coun
ties as well.
The idea “just came to me.
I hope the kids enjoy the car,”
he said.
“I appreciate the men and
the City’s water meters to
short-distance radio frequency
reading system meters. It was
called drive-by meter reading
at the City Council. It’s exactly
that (see callout for explana
tion) .
Still Waters, a Leesburg en
gineering firm, pitched the idea
for drive-by meters to the City
Council at the November
meeting. Chad Griffin and
Brian Henderson first ap
proached Mayor Sedric
(See METER Page 3)
women in law enforcement
and everything they do for us.
They put their lives on the line
for us every day,” he said. “I
hope they can use this car to
teach children to stay away
from drugs and lead a healthy
life.”
Sheriff Hester said he ap
preciated the donation. The car
will be used when the
CHAMPS program is taught
and for special events for the
Sheriff’s Department. It won’t
be used for regular patrolling
unless there is an emergency,
he said.
“I appreciate Southland
Lord and Bill Davis giving
(See CAR Page 2)
by Stevi Thompson
The Ashburn Downtown
Development Authority
(ADA) is reintroducing the La-
cade Improvement Matching
Grant Program to encourage
improvement and investment
to the overall revitalization of
the Historic Downtown Ash-
bum Business District.
This program provides up to
$500 in matching grant funds
to finance exterior improve
ments to a property owner or
tenant's commercial building
that will be aesthetically pleas
ing and complimentary to local
design guidelines or concepts
acceptable to the ADA.
The program is designed to
retain and attract businesses,
strengthen the Central Busi
ness District, increase utiliza
tion of downtown buildings,
restore economic vitality and
enhance property values. The
program is a reimbursement
program and shall be adminis
tered on a first come first
served basis.
Prospective applicants
should contact the ADA to get
more information. The A AD A
willl accept applications year-
round.
Lor questions regarding the
Lacade Improvement Grant
Program, please call or email
Stevi Thompson, Ashburn 567-
9696, or turnercountycham
ber® gmail.com.
Council hears new meter proposal
Still Waters offered three different proposals
A) $894,000 - This calls for replacing all 2200 water me
ters in the City with drive-by meters. With a 40 percent
GEFA grant, Ashburn would have to borrow $536K. All the
work would be done by a contractor.
B) $630,000 - The same as Option A, except City Water
Department employees would replace old meters and
change the head on the newer meters. Ashburn would have
to borrow $382K.
C) $413K - Just replace old meters with the new drive by
meters. Ashburn would have to borrow $247K.
None of these proposals included replacing City gas me
ters with drive-by meters. Ashburn has 590 gas customers.
Mr. Griffin said replacing those meters would cost $81,000.
GEFA is not offering grants for that.
Ashburn passes fireworks license
Cleveland Brown and his first book, “Moonshine and
Living in the Deep South.”
Brown becomes an author
Cleveland Brown’s first
book is now out and he’s work
ing on another one.
“Moonshine and Living in
the Deep South” is a collection
of stories about growing up in
Ashburn as the son of a moon
shiner. The book also talks
about the author’s home com
munity as it is now.
“It is something I’ve been
wanting to do all my life. Once
I retired, I had an opportunity
to do it. You (Wiregrass editor
Ben Baker) inspired me to
when I was writing for the
paper. I appreciate that,” he
(See BOOK Page 2)
Anyone selling fireworks
outside in Ashburn is going to
have to pay at least $5,500 in
licensing fees, starting Jan. 1,
2016.
Lireworks cannot be sold
outside, like under a tent, be
fore Jan. 1 according to the
new state law.
The state legislature passed
a two-license law allowing
fireworks sales in Georgia.
The first license is $5,000
and allows a business to sell
fireworks from inside a build
ing. The second is a $500 li
cense that allows fireworks to
be sold outside a building like
under a tent in a parking lot.
City Attorney Tommy Cole
man explained the law to the
Council at the November
meeting.
1) The $5,000 license is is
sued by the state. Municipali
ties do not get any of this
license revenue. This is
mandatory for any fireworks
sale in the state.
2) Municipalities can create
a $500 per location license for
selling fireworks outside. Mu
nicipalities keep all this license
revenue. This is in addition to
the $5,000 license.
3) The business selling fire
works outside does not have to
be local, but does have to be
within 75 miles of the outdoor
location.
“They could be in Albany,
for instance,” Mr. Coleman
said. The brick and mortar
business could also be in
Tifton, Moultrie, Cordele,
(See LICENSE Page 2)
GEOGRAPHY
While learning about geography, Miss Barnette’s 1st
Grade Gifted students had a “Pumpkin Paint Party with
their Parents.” The students and their parents painted
the continents and oceans on a pumpkin to make a
pumpkin globe!
COUNTRY
FINANCIAL,
Pylant Insurance • 567-3542
246 E. Washington Ave.
Wed Sunny
oQ
Thur Partly Cloudy
©>
Mostly Sunny
Showers
Fri Partly Cloudy
You may be a redneck if... your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
Jeff Fox worthy