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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007
County discusses TDR proposal at meeting
County BOE gets more district complaints
Parents express concern about traveling distances
BY BRANDON REED
Parents living in the area bet
ween Hwy. 82, Hwy. 11 and Hwy.
129 continue to be upset about
how far their children are having
to travel to school this year.
Tammy Shekey said at Monday
night’s Jackson County Board of
Education meeting that members
of the community in that area are
concerned about the amount of
time their children have to spend
on a school bus.
She said there are 85 children in
the area between Finch Landing
and Wood Farm subdivisions,
with 49 of those attending South
Jackson Elementary School.
Shekey said she didn’t believe
the plan is in the best interest of
children and that they deserved an
option to do something other than
going across the county to attend
school.
“It’s a numbers game to make
the numbers look better at East
Jackson,” Shekey said of the
board’s motive for the district.
But BOE Chairman Kathy
Wilbanks disagreed.
“No, it’s not to make the num
bers look better,” she said. “It’s to
alleviate the overcrowding on the
west side. And there’s still subdi
visions being built left and right on
the west side.”
One person asked the board to
consider changing school district
lines to allow area children to
attend schools closer to home.
“The last time we looked at this,
we did give an option,” Wilbanks
said. “We can’t keep re-opening
this issue.”
The board took no action on the
group’s request.
In other business, the BOE:
• learned that it met the Georgia
School Board Association stan
dards and received a certificate
saying that the board now meets
those standards.
• was informed by superinten
dent Shannon Adams that East
Jackson Elementary School met
the criteria to be a platinum school
for the statewide accountability
system. The school reached the
highest level of attainment.
• was informed that the school
calendar for 2008-09 will be as
close to the current calendar as it
can be, with adjustments for day
changes.
• was given a construction upda
te from Dennis Patrick, director
of administrative services, who
told the board that Gum Springs
Elementary School is still on sche
dule, with brickwork to be comple
ted at the end of the month. Water
and sewer lines will be going in
this month as well.
• learned that EJES has had
almost 98 percent attendance for
the third school month. Adams
said that system wide, the atten
dance rates continue to be very
good.
• heard Adams report that
SPOLST revenue for August was
at almost $600,000.
• recommended requests for
additional personnel be approved,
including a Spanish teacher for
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School, a social stu
dies teacher for East Jackson
Comprehensive High School, an
8th grade teacher for Kings Bridge
Middle School and 3rd grade tea
cher for Maysville Elementary
School and two special education
paraprofessionals.
• approved the purchase of eight
regular buses and one special edu
cation bus from International at a
total cost of $674,065.
• approved surplus items to be
resold or disposed of.
• approved a list of substitute
teachers, individuals for employ
ment, resignations, and transfers.
• approved the retirement of
Beth Bray, principal for Benton
Elementary School, effective June
30, 2008.
• went into a closed meeting
for approximately an hour and 15
minutes to hear the appeal of a stu
dent disciplinary tribunal. Upon
coming out of the closed meeting,
the board voted unanimously to
uphold the tribunal’s decision.
BY ANGELA GARY
The potential for corruption and
decreased property values were
among the concerns citizens had
about “transfer of development
rights” at a program on the subject
last week.
More than 75 developers, farm
ers and interested citizens attended
a meeting last week on transfer
of development rights (TDR).
Jackson County commissioner
Tom Crowe planned the meet
ing and has encouraged his fellow
commissioners to take a look at
this method of development. But
most of those who spoke at the
two-hour meeting had concerns
about the program.
TDRs allow increased develop
ment in some areas of the county
in return for less development in
other areas.
Richard Pruetz, a consultant
who specializes in TDR, present
ed a one-hour program and then
answered questions from the audi
ence. No action has been taken by
the BOC on the matter.
Pruetz said the time is “ideal” to
look at implementing TDR since
the county is about to update its
comprehensive plan.
A man in the audience, who said
he lived in a county where TDRs
are in place, said the program has
been “abused by developers.”
“It’s easy to go wrong,” he said.
Another woman added that
TDRs allow for developers to
“overbuild” and “slums and ten
ants” to be built.
“It doesn’t do what it says it will
do,” she added.
Developer Keith Hayes said he is
concerned that the program would
lower property values.
“I think it is too much govern
ment,” he said.
Crow said the current rezoning
process already has problems and
could also be open to corruption.
“We need to be thinking outside
the box,” he said. “This is just one
tool. We hope to keep looking...
This may not work, but we need to
explore it.”
BOC-IDA meet on potential road projects
$80 million discussed for economic development
BY ANGELA GARY
Jackson County leaders are con
sidering more than $80 million in
road projects in an effort to boost
the county’s long-term outlook.
The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners and the county
Industrial Development Authority
met for six hours Tuesday to
discuss a list of potential road
projects to possibly be funded
through bonds in 2008.
No action was taken, but the
two groups did prioritize the proj
ects.
The first four projects to be
would be: John B. Brooks Road,
$6.4 million (with Jefferson to
assist with funding); engineering
on State Route 53 from 1-85 to
State Route 332, $495,000; an
interchange justification feasibil
ity report for another exit on 1-85,
$250,000; and a county-wide
transportation and rail corridor
plan, $185,000.
The remaining projects were
grouped into three tiers.
Projects listed as “Tier One”
were:
•Zion Church Road construc
tion, $22.9 million.
•Bana Road, $5.4 million.
•Commerce Retail Blvd., $10
million.
“Tier Two” projects include:
•Hog Mountain Road, $4.9 mil
lion.
•State Route 82/Airport, $10.5
million.
•Hospital Road, $600,000.
“Tier Three” projects include:
•Concord Extension, $18.6 mil
lion.
•Concord Extension Sewer,
$1.3 million.
•Steve Reynolds signal,
$80,000.
Cronic named to District 1 school board post
IDA considers buying, selling lots in Central Jackson
BY BRANDON REED
Michael Cronic was named as
the new District 1 member on
the Jackson County Board of
Education during Monday night’s
meeting.
Cronic was chosen from three
candidates who applied to fill the
vacant post. He fills the unexpired
term of Steve Bryant.
Cronic is a West Jackson
native and is a broiler manager
for Columbia Farms in Lavonia.
He is a member of West Jackson
Volunteer Fire Department, serv
ing as chief of the department for
three years.
“I think we’ve struggled on our
side of the county for the best rep
resentation,” Cronic said. “We had
a good guy and had some district
lines that were kind of messed up.
I’m just looking for an opportunity
to serve our side of the county.”
Jackson County BOE approves new employees
BY BRANDON REED
The Jackson County Board of
Education approved several new
hires Monday night. Those hired
were:
•Martha Bait, food service
assistant, EJMS.
•Kathy Barnett, custodian,
EJES.
•Richard Friedman, school
nutrition manager, EJES.
•Catherine Cantrell, 5th
grade teacher, WJIS (effective
12/17/07)
RESIGNATIONS
The following resignations were
approved:
•Carol Gilham, special educa
tion teacher, EJMS.
•Donna Wells, food service
manager, EJMS
•Sandy McGrath, paraprofes-
sional, WJPS
•Rebecca Stone, 5th grade
teacher, WJIS
TRANSFERS
The following transfers were
approved:
•Alisa Hanley, principal, WJIS
to Gum Springs Elementary.
•Lydia Anderson, special educa
tion teacher, EJES to EJMS.
•James Pope, custodian, EJES
to EJCHS.
RETIREMENT
The following retirements were
approved:
•Beth Bray, BES (effective
6/30/08)
Bid approved for Hoschton Street water tank
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Jefferson officials approved
a bid of $178,000 with Utility
Service of Perry for renovations
on the Hoschton Street water tank
during Monday night’s voting ses
sion.
The $178,000 amount represent
ed the low bid and was approved
unanimously by the council.
In other action during Monday’s
20-minute meeting, Jefferson offi
cials:
•agreed to hold council meetings
on the second and fourth Mondays
beginning January 2008.
•approved a low bid of $709,421
from Griffin Brothers of Maysville
for wastewater and pumping and
transfer facilities for the 1-85
corridor pending final easement
acquisition.
•tabled a bid proposal from
Universal Watermain of Auburn
for $266,695 for the relocation of
certain water and sewer facilities
on Hog Mountain Road.
•tabled a proposal to make the
calaboose a historic property.
•approved use of road consult
ing services on an as needed basis
with Development Planning &
Engineering Firm of Buford.
•agree to auction various surplus
items, including 14 Nextel phones
from the police department, two
pressure washers and a Bobcat
mower, on GMA’s Gov. Deals
Online Auction.
Griffin named new NGHS Child Care Center director
Northeast Georgia Health System,
Inc. (NGHS) has announced that
Diane Griffin has been named as
director of its Child Care Center.
Griffin comes to the center with
many years of experience, accord
ing to the health system. She pre
viously served as a pre-kinder
garten consultant for Bright from
the Start, Georgia’s early child
hood education regulatory agency.
Prior to that, she served as Brenau
University’s child care center direc
tor for seven years.
Griffin has a bachelor’s degree
in travel and tourism from Georgia
Southern University and a master’s
degree in early childhood educa
tion from Brenau University.
“I fell into this career, and I fell
in love with it. I have found my
niche,” Griffin says. “I am very
excited to work with such a dedi
cated, caring staff.”
Griffin says that as director, she
plans to guide the child care cen
ter through a year-long Center of
Distinction accreditation program
through Bright from the Start’s
Standards of Care division.
Griffin lives in Bethlehem with
her husband, Pete, and son, Will.
The NGHS Employee Child
Care Center cares for employees’
children, ages 6 weeks and up. The
center currently serves 85 children,
including two classrooms dedicated
to state-funded pre-kindergarten.
The center’s state-funded pre-kin
dergarten program accepts chil
dren whose parents are not NGHS
employees. For more information,
call 770-718-5454.
The Jackson County Industrial
Development Authority is consid
ering buying and selling lots in its
Central Jackson Industrial Park in
Jefferson.
The IDA tabled an offer from
Don Moore to purchase 4.09 acres
he owns in the park until all mem
bers of the IDA could be present.
Only Chairman Scott Martin and
members Chas Hardy and Jim
Shaw were able to attend last
Friday’s meeting, where attorney
Daniel Hay good relayed Moore’s
offer to buy back the land.
The owner — not related to
Jackson County’s State Court
solicitor by the same name — paid
$22,500 per acre for the tract. The
IDA offered $27,000 per acre to
get it back, and Moore countered
with an offer of $30,000.
Following a six-minute closed
session, Martin announced that
the authority would defer action
on the request until a later meet
ing.
Bill Schaller, owner of Four
Seasons independent Living
Center, expressed interest in
acquiring land in the same indus
trial park to start a warehouse
and storage business with Cory
Ledford. Schaller told the author
ity he’s developed similar busi
nesses in Florida. The company
rents inside and outside storage
space and rents and sells storage
containers.
Martin told Schaller that he’d
provide him with a copy of the
park’s covenants, which include
requirements for screening outside
storage facilities, and advised him
that land will sell for $30,000 an
acre. Schaller expressed interest
in a couple of lots, including one
containing a long-vacant building.
Three representatives of First
Industrial, a commercial devel
opment company, attended the
meeting. The company hopes to
acquire a site of 150-300 acres for
speculative development.
Newspaper accepting kids photos for annual section
The deadline for accepting pho
tos for MainStreet Newspapers’
annual children’s Christmas sec
tion will be Monday, Nov. 26, at
5 p.m.
Parents are asked to submit pho
tos early, as photos received after
the deadline will not be published.
The special section will be in
the news stands of The Jackson
Herald, The Commerce News
and The Banks County News on
Wednesday, Dec. 19.
The newspapers will be accept
ing photographs of children age 8
years and younger. The child must
live in Jackson or Banks coun
ties. Photos of grandchildren will
be taken only if the child resides
with the grandparents (which must
be stated when submitting the
photo).
Please submit the following
information along with the child’s
photo: The first and last name and
age of each child shown, as well
as the parents’ names, their city
of residence and phone number.
Photos submitted without all of the
information may not be published.
Black and white or color photos
can be used, but no Polaroids or
photographs printed out from a
computer onto laser paper will be
accepted, as they do not reprint
well.
Digital photos with the above
information may be e-mailed to
news@mainstreetnews.com. The
e-mail MUST contain the subject
line “Christmas Kids Photo” as
a title, or the child’s photo may
not be published. Also, the child’s
photo and information requested
above must be submitted in the
same e-mail. Do not submit mul
tiple e-mails for the same child.
Once photos are submitted, they
may not be replaced with another
photo.
The photos may be dropped off
at or mailed to any of the newspa
per offices and may be picked up
there after Dec. 19.
NGMC cardiac rebab program receives certification
Northeast Georgia Medical
Center (NGMC) again has been
awarded program certification
for its cardiac rehabilitation pro
gram by the American Association
of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation (AACVPR).
Certification recognizes programs
reviewed by a national board and
found to meet the outlined essential
requirements for standards of care,
according to the medical center. This
is the third time NGMC’s Cardiac
Rehab program has received the
three-year accreditation; the pro
gram first received accreditation in
2001.
The cardiac rehabilitation program
at NGMC uses education, exercise
and emotional assistance to support
a patient after a cardiac event to the
best possible recovery.
For more information call
770-533-8200.
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