Newspaper Page Text
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VOL. 133 NO. 18 44 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Holiday events held
across the county
pages 10A &10B
•No property tax in
Hoschton .... page 3A
Op/Ed:
•'The passing of two
"Macs"' page 4A
Sports:
•Mat Dragons take
Panther Invitational
page 1B
Features:
•Holiday design class
taught in Nicholson
page 1C
Other News:
•School News
pages 8B, 5-7C
•Public Safety
pages 6-8A
•Legals
pages 11-24C
•Church News
page 9B
•Obituaries
page 9A
Jefferson looks at red light cameras
Vote ahead Dec 22
BYANGELA GARY
SPEEDERS IN Jefferson may soon be
caught by cameras located at red lights.
The Jefferson City Council will decide
at its Dec. 22 meeting whether or not
to approve a proposal from police chief
Joe Wirthman to locate cameras at traffic
lights on Hwy. 129 at 1-85. The cameras
would not be placed at the traffic light in
downtown Jefferson.
A study was conducted of the traffic
volume, accident rates and violations at
all of the traffic lights in town. The traffic
lights at 1-85 had the most accidents and
speeders.
At a meeting Monday night, Wirthman
said the cameras would reduce the num
ber of accidents.
“This is mainly a public safety issue,”
he said.
But one councilman wasn’t so sure.
“Many studies have shown those cause
accidents instead of prevent them,” said
councilman Roy Plott.
An official with Lasercraft, a company
that offers the cameras, said they have
seen a 50 percent reduction in crashes
after the system is installed.
If the cameras are approved, there
would be a 30-day warning period.
During that time, violators would receive
warning notices in the mail. After that,
tickets would be mailed to speeders.
Lasercraft presented a $4,695 per
month fee for installing, maintaining and
operating the program. The company
would mail citations and collect the fines.
Information was also provided on how
much money this brings in for other
towns in Georgia. In Alpharetta, $1.1 mil
lion in fines was paid in 2005 for tickets
issued by the company.
Neighbors
opposed to
church plans
Jefferson hears UMC,
Harvest Chapel requests
BYANGELA GARY
REZONING REQUESTS from two area
churches were met with opposition from
neighbors Monday night at the Jefferson
City Council meeting.
The Jefferson City Council heard re
zoning requests from Jefferson United
Methodist Church and Harvest Chapel
Ministries. But neighbors around both
churches spoke in opposition to the rezon-
ings.
The Jefferson City Council is scheduled
to take action on the requests at 6 p.m. on
Monday, Dec. 22, at the civic center.
JEFFERSON UMC
Ron Bond presented the request from
Jefferson First United Methodist Church
to rezone 1.83 acres on Cooley Street and
Storey Street from R-2 (residential) to 0-1
(office-institutional) to locate a parking
lot. Bond said the church membership has
grown and available parking is less than it
once was.
“This request is not a casual desire,” he
said. “It is a necessity because, in recent
years, some of the houses closest to our
church have changed ownership. Some of
these new neighbors have requested that
we not park on their property. We have
lost three blocks of property that was origi
nally used for church parking.... Parking
is a major problem. We have no desire to
become a mega church. Time, money and
space simply prohibit this.”
Bond said the lot is vacant and is not
located in a historical district.
“It is almost secluded,” he said. “.. .We
wish to maintain this community atmo
sphere and remain on this site. Development
of this lot should not adversely affect our
nearest neighbor, Mr. DuBose.”
Church member Tracy Pratt also spoke
in support of the rezoning, pointing out the
positive influence the church has on the
community, including providing food to
people in need during Thanksgiving and
gifts for area children for Christmas.
“We love our community,” she said. “We
don’t want to hurt that community. We
want to enhance it.. .We want to be a part
of the community. We need a little elbow
room.”
continued on page 3A
ONE INJURED IN WRECK
One person was transported to Athens Regional Medical Center for injuries received in a two-vehicle
wreck on Hwy. 11 Tuesday. According to the Georgia State Patrol, Kong Xiong, 27, Dacula, was travel
ing east in a 2000 Toyota Celica when the passenger-side tire failed, causing Xiong to lose control of
the car. The Toyota rotated counter-clockwise and was struck in the rear passenger side by a 1999
Pontiac Montana van driven by Douglas Miller, 57, Winder. Xiong’s car then traveled off an embank
ment and overturned. Xiong was transported with visible injuries to ARMC by Jackson County EMS.
Miller and a passenger in his vehicle, Debbie Miller, 53, Winder, complained of injures but were not
transported according to the report. Photo by Mike Buffington
Area high school writing test results released
Georgia High School Writing Test
Percent passing (meets/exceeds requirements)
School
2008
2007
Jefferson
96%
88%
Jackson County
88%
90%
East Jackson
91%
—
Commerce
92%
95%
Apalachee
91%
88%
Winder-Barrow
91%
92%
Banks County
92%
89%
Madison County
87%
86%
State
89%
88%
By Jana A. Mitcham
RESULTS FOR 11th graders tak
ing the Georgia High School Writing
Test for the first time in the fall have
been released for area high schools.
In Jackson County, East Jackson
Comprehensive High School,
Commerce High School and Jefferson
High School test takers exceeded the
state’s 2008 average of 89 percent
passing test. The “passing” score
includes a combination of students
meeting and exceeding requirements.
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School posted a 2008 score of
88 percent passing. (See chart for a
comparison with 2007 scores.)
In Banks County, 92 percent of
11th graders taking the test for the
first time passed the test, up from 89
percent in 2007.
Madison County High School had
87 percent of the test takers pass
ing the test in 2008, up one percent
from 2007.
Apalachee High School in Barrow
County had 91 percent of the stu
dents passing the test in 2008, up
from 88 percent in 2007.
Winder-Barrow High School had
91 percent passing, down from 92
percent in 2007.
In Georgia, 106,152 high school
students took the writing test, with
96,444 of those reported as first-time
test takers in the 11th grade.
Funeral service ahead Fri. for long-time politician Mac Barber
J. MAC BARBER, 91, died on
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, in Macon.
A memorial service will be held
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008, at 2 p.m. at
the First United Methodist Church of
Commerce. The Revs. Hoyt A. Allen
and David G. Bowen will officiate.
The body has been donated to Emory
University Medical School.
Barber, a lifelong politician and
public servant was one of the most
colorful figures in recent Georgia
history. Known universally “Mac,”
Barber was bom in Banks County,
the son of the late William L. and
Susan K. Barber. He grew up in
Commerce.
He is survived by a niece, Angela
G. Adams, Macon, and a great-neph
ew, James Adams III, and a great-
niece, Kathryn A. Brooks, both of
Macon. He was preceded in death by
his wife, Janette McGarity Barber; two
sisters, Marian Barber and Kathryn B.
Mac Barber is shown in the late 1960s
with Gov. Lester Maddox.
Gaultney, and brothers William Ralph
Barber and Dwight F. Barber.
Barber attended Georgia Tech and was
a U.S. Army veteran of World War n.
His political career was long and
varied. He served in the Georgia
Legislature from 1949 to 1973 as a
representative from Jackson County.
Georgia Public Television, the
Fembank Science Center and edu
cational bills were among his major
focuses.
He served one term as mayor
of Commerce, chaired the State
Committee on Education, was presi
dent of the Georgia School Board
Association and the Commerce
Kiwanis Club. Barber chaired the
board of the First United Methodist
Church of Commerce, was long-time
chair of the BJC Hospital Authority,
was president of the chamber of com
merce, chaired the Georgia Committee
on Children and Youth, the Governor’s
Conference on Education and the
Jackson-Banks chapter of the American
Red Cross.
Barber was honored for his accom
plishments by the University of
Georgia, Emory University, the Georgia
Association of Educators, the Georgia
Youth Council, the National Association
of Retired People and the Georgia PTA.
Barber was known for his humility
and his eagerness to help his constitu
ents, a trait that endeared him to many,
but which created difficulties when
he forgave medical bills owed at BJC
Hospital or utility bills during his tenure
as mayor.
He knew virtually every politician and
department head in Georgia and was
always willing to make a phone call for
someone in need.
“Mac” was also known locally and
statewide for colorful quirks and idio
syncrasies. He used to leave his PSC
office through a window so he wouldn’t
be seen. If he was known locally for
being slow to pay his bills, it is also true
continued on page 3A