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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008
Maysville mulls budget
By Justin Poole
DECISIONS ON a possible
water rate increase, a possible
tax hike and several other
items were put on hold by
the Maysville City Council
Monday night.
That leaves the 2009 city
budget still up-in-the-air.
The council plans to have
another meeting to discuss
how to proceed with the city's
finances.
The city’s general fund
budget for 2009 is currently
at $677,800, up 6.5 percent
from 2008. The water fund
budget is at $721,500, up
$78,200 from 2008.
City attorney Gary Freeman
said the council may have to
approve an operating budget
for the water department and
rework the final budget with
rate increases. The water bud
get has to be balanced, he
said.
Mayor Jerry Baker said that
if the water rates have to
increase, raising the millage
rate as well would not help
the residents.
In other business, Lyn
Villyard said that current
Maysville DDA members
have been asked to volun
tary resign so that the DDA
can be restarted with better
guidelines.
In other business, the coun
cil:
•approved $500 to cover
the cost of the portable toilets
from D&H Portables used
during the festival.
•approved a $1,105 bid to
replace the window panes
at city hall, coming from
the Banks County SPLOST
funds.
•approved the resolution
for the comprehensive plan
noting the service area.
•approved an amendment
to the business license pro
cedure and appointed the
city clerk, Barbara Thomas,
as the planning and zoning
administrator for the purpose
of approving licenses. The
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A JACKSON County
school bus packed with stu
dents was evacuated Monday
morning after a small fire
was reported near a wheel.
Shannon Adams, super
intendent of the Jackson
County School System, said
the bus had an estimated
60 students on board and
was heading to Gum Springs
Elementary School in West
Jackson. The bus had stu
dents from all grade levels
— elementary, middle and
high school, he added.
The bus driver said a
wheel cylinder was getting
too hot and stopped the bus
at Revival Baptist Church
on Ga. Hwy. 332, where the
CITY ATTORNEY
DISCUSSES SPLOST
Maysville’s city attorney
Gary Freeman explains
the situation on the use
of SPLOST funds to the
council during Monday’s
meeting.
Photo by Justin Poole
council will still have appli
cants come before the council
to answer questions about the
type of business.
•approved a quictclaim
deed for the unused portion
of Pritchett Road, basical
ly swapping land with the
owner.
•approved Chuck Floyd
for a business license upon
meeting the requirements
for a home occupation busi
ness and the approval of the
administrator.
•approved three city spon
sored events: A citizens din
ner on Nov. 22; the Christmas
Tour of Homes on Dec. 13:
and the December “Movie in
the Park” on Dec. 20.
•Mayor Baker commented
that the holdup on the side
walk improvements is due to
the railroad, but that a deci
sion should be made some
time this week. He said that
around the first of the year,
work should start on the proj
ect.
•Clay Dorsey commented
he was proud to see the Dollar
General open and to have
Community Bank & Trust in
the city.
bus typically turns around
each day for its route, Adams
said.
The bus driver noticed that
there was smoke coming
from the wheel cylinder and
evacuated the students. A
small fire soon started near
the wheel, but was quickly
extinguished, Adams said.
“It really was a non-event,”
he said.
The bus driver asked the
county school system's trans
portation department for a
replacement bus, which was
soon available at the scene,
Adams said. The students
were taken to school on the
replacement bus and there
was little delay in getting
students to class, he added.
‘Bus Trip
PRINCIPAL SPEAKS
East Jackson Elementary
School principal Jen
nifer Halley spoke
to guests Thursday
on the 16th annual
Georgia Partnership for
Excellence in Education
Bus Trip Across Georgia.
EJES one of
13 schools
on the tour
BY ANGELA GARY
EDUCATORS AND busi
ness leaders from across the
state visited East Jackson
Elementary School Thursday
as part of the annual “Bus
Trip Across Georgia.”
EJES was one of 13 stops
on the 16th annual Georgia
Partnership for Excellence in
Education Bus Trip Across
Georgia. The event is held
each year to honor achiev
ing schools and programs
and showcases what they are
doing to be successful.
“Schools such as East
Jackson Elementary have a
right to be excited because
they are doing good things,”
said Dr. Stephen Dolinger,
president of the organiza
tion. “This tour provides
them the public recogni
tion they deserve but don't
often get. In the case of this
school, our participants will
see a school that is far out
distancing state standardized
test score averages and has
met adequate yearly prog
ress four years in a row.”
Two buses escorted by
Georgia State Patrol cars
arrived at the school just
before lunch Thursday. After
music by the East Jackson
Comprehensive High School
band and the EJES chorus,
the visitors toured class
rooms and had lunch.
The participants come
from business, government,
education and civic leader
ship positions.
“They see good things
happening and working and
often take those ideas back
home to their communities,”
Dolinger said.
The tour began in 1993
and has become an event
that is anxiously awaited
every year by the educa
tion community. This year,
the theme is “Strengthening
the Pipeline to Graduation.”
Schools are selected for
having a “record of excel
lence.”
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
Students evacuated
from school bus
dcvetaping
leaden of
COMPETENCE
CONSCIENCE
COMPASSION
CONFIDENCE
and COURAGE
Monsignor Donovan
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
FALL TOURS
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Across Georgia’ stops at EJES
ESCORTS GUESTS
East Jackson Elementary School student, Ridge Chaisson, escorts some of the
visitors on the 16th annual Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Bus
Trip Across Georgia. The event is held each year to honor achieving schools and
programs and showcases what they are doing to be successful.
VISITS CLASSROOMS
Educators and business leaders from across the state visited East Jackson
Elementary School classrooms Thursday as part of the annual “Bus Trip Across
Georgia.” EJES was one of 13 stops on the 16th annual Georgia Partnership for
Excellence in Education Bus Trip Across Georgia.
BUSES ARRIVE AT EJES
Educators and business leaders from across the state visited East Jackson
Elementary School Thursday as part of the annual “Bus Trip Across Georgia.” Two
buses escorted by Georgia State Patrol cars arrived at the school just before lunch.
ATTENTION CHOCOLATE LOVERS, BAKERS AND TASTERS!
You're invited to attend the
2008 CHOCOLATE FAIR ON NOVEMBER 10, 2008
FROM 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the
TANGER TOWN CENTRE at Banks Crossing
Want to win $100? Enter a chocolate dish in the Banks County CVB Chocolate Fair
Chocolate Competition and if your dish wins, you'll receive $1001 Entry fee is $25 and
the deadline to enter is November 6, 2008.
Want to taste all the chocolate dishes in the competition? Purchase a ticket in advance
for $5 (tickets are $7 at the door) to attend the fair and taste all the dishes in the
competition. No one admitted without ticket. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Tickets and entry forms available in Homer at First Georgia Bank; and at Banks Crossing
at RE/MAX Select Commerce in the Commerce Crossing mall; and in Cornelia at the
Community Bank & Trust main branch.
For an entry form or more information, call the Banks County Convention & Visitors
Bureau (CVB) at 706-677-5265 or email bankscvb@windstream.net.