Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
m
w
H Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 133 NO. 45 42 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Storm damage seen
in county .... page 3A
•Better CRCT math
scores reported
page 5A
Op/Ed:
•'Court should have
tossed Voting Rights
Act' page 4A
Sports:
•Park and rec. tourneys
continue page 1B
Features:
•Couple crossing
country in Model A
makes stop in Maysville
page 1C
Other News:
•School News
pages 3, 7&8B
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 8-26C
•Church News
page 6B
•Obituaries
pages 4-5B
Q -R
School leaders pan new law
Attendance law change opens door to all schools
“(School attendance lines)
might well as not exist anymore.
It’s going to make it extremely
hard for school systems to know
where to build new schools,
if kids can go anywhere they
want to go.”
— Shannon Adams, superintendent,
Jackson County School System
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A NEW STATE law that
would allow students to attend
another school could potential
ly have a major impact on the
Jackson County School System.
In May, Gov. Sonny Perdue
signed House Bill 251 — which
gives parents the option to enroll
their child in another public
school in the same school system
or in a school in another school
system. The change doesn’t
apply to charter schools.
The law takes effect with the
upcoming 2009-2010 school
year, which starts in August for
most area school systems.
The law says that local school
systems must adopt a process
for allowing students to transfer
schools and notify parents of
schools with available space by
July 1 each year. Parents would
be responsible for providing
transportation.
Jackson County School
System superintendent Shannon
Adams certainly isn’t a supporter
of the new changes.
“The whole thing, to me, is
beyond ridiculous,” he said on
Monday. “It’s beyond me how
legislation like that ever gets
passed.”
With two high schools, three
middle schools and eight ele
mentary schools, the Jackson
County School System stands to
be directly affected by the new
state law.
The new state law would allow
parents to select which schools
their children attend — even if
it’s not the school specified in a
district’s attendance zone policy.
“(School attendance lines)
might well as not exist anymore,”
Adams said. “It’s going to make
it extremely hard for school sys
tems to know where to build new
schools, if kids can go anywhere
they want to go.”
That means the public image
of a school — and if it’s “desir
able” or not — will also play a
key role in parents’ decisions,
Adams said. It could affect the
academic and athletic achieve
ments at schools, he added.
The superintendent worries
that the new law would eventu
ally create “have and have-not
schools” within a district.
“If the perception ever gets
out that some schools in a school
system are better or worse than
others, that is a hard thing to
combat,” he said.
Another concern is students
who will take advantage of the
law to switch schools, if they
are upset with a decision from a
teacher or administrator at their
existing schools, Adams said.
The law, however, doesn’t
apply to new schools opened in
the past four years.
That means East Jackson
Comprehensive High School
and Kings Bridge Middle
School would not have to
follow the new state law for
another two years, while Gum
Springs Elementary School
wouldn’t be eligible for three
years.
Already, the Jackson County
School System has fielded a
“number of questions” from
parents about the changes. The
inquiries have focused on high
and middle schools, Adams
said.
“We haven’t had a flood of
communication by any means,
but some parents are aware that
this is fixing to become reality,”
he said.
The state department of educa
tion has offered limited guidance
on the new state law, which also
requires that local school boards
adopt a policy by July 1.
The Jackson County Board
of Education will be given a
proposed plan when it meets on
Monday, July 13, Adams said.
One of the requirements of the
state law says school systems
must notify parents by July 1
of each year which schools will
have available space to accept
transferring students.
Adams said that could lead
to a new definition of how
school “capacity” is determined
in the state. He also questioned
if the law violates the Georgia
Constitution, which allow local
school boards to determine
school attendance zones.
BIG SPLASH
Summer Kennedy, 10; Savannah Lacis, 11; Zoe Hadler, 11 and Lindsey Nilsen,
11, all joined hands and jumped in the Jefferson Pool this week. The girls are all
campers with the Jefferson Summer Camp program. Photo by Katie Huston
Major detour ahead for road project
John B. Brooks Rd. to be dosed at times for project
EXPLAINING ROAD CLOSURES
Jackson County capital projects manager Don Clerici
explains the upcoming closure of John B. Brooks
Road in north Jefferson. Photo by Kerri Testement
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A ROAD improvement proj
ect through one of Jackson
County’s key industrial areas
is creating the need for a major
detour.
John B. Brooks Road —
located between U.S. Hwy.
129 and Ga. Hwy. 332 in north
Jefferson — includes some of
the county’s largest industries,
such as Mission Foods, Seydel,
Spectrum Brands and Hitachi.
But the road — which hasn’t
been improved since the mid
1980s — is in dire need of
being widened. It also has it
share of large potholes.
“(The area industries) have
been waiting a long time for
this to be done,” said Jefferson
Mayor Jim Joiner.
What will be done is a $2.2
million improvement and
widening project of John B.
Brooks Road that will affect
24 businesses, and residents
around north Jefferson and
Pendergrass.
That’s why leaders in
Jefferson and Jackson County
are getting a jumpstart on noti
fying motorists of the detours,
which should start in mid-July.
County capital project man
ager Don Clerici warns that
some people will hear com
plaints from motorists about
the detours around the road
way.
“There’s going to be some
pain and agony with this pro
ject,” he said during a press
conference on Thursday.
John B. Brooks Road cur
rently handles 6,000 cars per
day. In 20 years, it’s estimated
that the road will have 10,000
vehicles a day on it.
In order to allow businesses
to keep operating through con
struction, officials are planning
a series of four or five closings
until its completion in August
2010.
The first closing will take
place Friday, July 17, through
Wednesday, July 22. That’s
when three railroad cross
ings serving the area will be
replaced.
“Those three crossings are
critically important to the
operation of those businesses,”
said county manager Darrell
Hampton.
The new “urbanized” rail-
continued on page 8A
Jefferson Freedom Festival
ahead Sat. in downtown
FIREWORKS, music, kids’
activities and food vendors will
highlight the Freedom Festival
slated for 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday,
June 27, in downtown Jefferson.
The fireworks show will begin
around 9:30 p.m.
“Kiddieville,” sponsored by
Jackson EMC and the Jefferson
Area Business Association,
will include inflatables and
“much, much more,” said Main
Street Jefferson director Beth
Laughinghouse. ‘This is prob
ably going to be our biggest
festival to date.”
Mark Garrison and fam
ily will perform from 5 to 7
p.m. BlueBilly Grit, a Jackson
County-based bluegrass band,
is also on the music list for the
evening. The Shade, including
Jefferson resident Mark Starnes,
along with three friends, will be
on the lineup with classic rock
and roll.
July 4th
festivities
coming up
Food vendors will offer bar
becue, hotdogs, hamburgers,
bratwurst, ice cream, cotton
candy, fried pickles, watermelon,
boiled peanuts and more.
“The fireworks prom
ise to be the best ones ever,”
Laughinghouse said. “Bring
your chairs and your family and
friends and join us downtown for
all the fun.”
Nicholson plans July 4 event
BY SHARON HOGAN
NICHOLSON leaders are
making plans for the town’s big
gest July 4th celebration.
Fireworks, food and enter
tainment are set for 3 p.m. on
Saturday, July 4, at the amphi
theater in Nicholson.
The Nicholson City Council
finalized plans for the annual
event at the council meeting on
Thursday night, June 18.
“This is going to be our big
gest festival July 4th event so far,”
said Mayor Ronnie Maxwell.
A number of groups are set
to perform beginning at 3 p.m.
with Aaron Hollis followed by
The Maxwells at 4 p.m., Mark
Garrison at 5 p.m. and the GTOs
beginning at 7 p.m. until the fire
works start.
Fireworks are set for 9 p.m.
The Bobby Compton Band will
perform following the fireworks
show.
“A Mello Yello chug-off con
test will take place for contes
tants of all ages,” Maxwell said.
A large variety of food and
drinks are planned. Maxwell
said.
“We have bar-be-que, nachos,
hot wings, meatballs, kettle com,
ice cream, peanuts, pizza, hot
dogs, hamburgers, chicken sand
wiches, funnel cakes, bloomin’
onions, watermelon, lemonade,
water and soft drinks,” he said.
There will be inflatables, train
rides and pony rides for the chil
dren to enjoy, Maxwell said.
continued on page 8A
BJC may have Tenn. buyer
BJC MEDICAL Center may have found the white knight to rescue
it from its financial difficulties.
The Commerce-based facility announced Tuesday that it has
entered a letter of intent with Restoration Healthcare, a Tennessee-
based operator of hospitals, that could lead to the sale of BJC Medical
Center.
A news release issued Tuesday said Restoration Healthcare has held
preliminary meetings with local physicians who have expressed inter
est in developing a joint venture at BJC.
The news release quoted Steve Clapp, president of Restoration
continued on page 8A