Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010
Historic courthouse renovations still under way
By Katie Huston
IT’S BEEN over a year since
renovations began on the Jackson
County Historic Courthouse on
Washington Street in Jefferson,
but officials are now hoping to
complete the exterior work by
early May.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners established
the Courthouse Restoration
Committee back in December of
2007. The seven-member com
mittee includes: Jack Legg, J.T.
Wilkes, Carol Murphy Holzhalb,
Margaret Ward, Linda Aaron,
Don Kupis and Charlotte Mealor
who has been the chairperson of
the committee for the last two
years.
Since renovations began in
December of 2008, requests for
proposals and contracts were
issued for a number of aspects in
the project. The architect, clock
restoration as well as restoration
to outside walls, windows and
doors were among them. In addi
tion, the 1966 addition to the
courthouse was demolished and
hazardous material was removed,
including all lead-based paint on
the outside walls.
The goal is to have the renova
ted courthouse looking as histori
cally accurate as possible to the
1908 structure.
During its current stage in res
toration, the face and hands of
the clock are being worked on.
Mealor said that it’s almost com
plete and the clock will be reins
talled as soon as work begins on
the roof and clock tower.
“We are very excited about how
(the clock) looks and anxious for
it to be back in the historic court
house,’’ Mealor said.
In preparation for the new
metal roof, structural supports are
being repaired and rein-forced in
the clock tower.
The Jackson County Historical
Society donated $10,000 toward
the clock restoration. The res
tored windows are also nearing
completion and will soon be
ready for installation, according
to Mealor.
Still to come for the court
house is installation of the metal
roof and color application for the
outside walls. These renovations
will begin as weather, which has
presented problems, permits.
“Much work has been de
layed due to inclement weather,’’
Mealor said. “Some of the brick
and mortar work has to be done
at certain temperatures for a cer
tain length of time.’’
Back in 2007, the Jackson
County Board of Commissioners
A work in progress
EXTERIOR WORK ALMOST DONE
The Jackson County Historic Courthouse Committee hopes exterior work at the old
courthosue will be finished by May. Photos by Katie Huston
PRE-RESTORATION
Shown above is a photo of the clock
tower works before it was restored
recently. Photo by Julie Magee
set aside $2 million in bond pro
ceeds for the restoration work.
That’s where a large portion of
the funds are coming from, but
the committee is constantly seek
ing other sources of revenue.
“With the help of many fine
folks in Jackson County, we
have cleared over $15,000 since
September, 2009, for the in
terior,’’ she said.
Mealor said that the committee
is planning fundraising events to
be announced next month.
Whatever money is leftover
after exterior work is complete
will go toward the interior reno
vations.
POST-RESTORATION
The clock tower is quickly nearing com
pletion and above, is a photo of how the
process is moving along.
mostly the people have been
trusting the committee members
to represent them well.’’
The courthouse committee is
still seeking any pre-1950 pho
tographs that were taken in and
around the historic courthouse.
Those interested are also wel
come to help with researching
the 1906-1908 period in Jackson
County, in particular with how
the court system operated, and
may contact Mealor at cmealor@
uga.edu or at 706-621-0489.
To donate to the Historic
Courthouse Restoration Fund,
a check may be mailed to 67
Athens Street, Jefferson.
After work is complete, the
renovated structure will be used
as an Archives and Welcome
Center. In addition, there will be
rooms for a county museum, in
which the courtroom itself will
be restored to its 1908 appearan
ce. It may also be used as a meet
ing hall. Also in the completed
courthouse will be some county
offices.
The committee meets every
second and fourth Monday of
each month. Anyone in the com
munity is welcome to attend the
meetings.
“We have had a few to come to
our meetings,’’ Mealor said. “But
Subdivisions continued from page lA
Wilkins to build a guesthouse on his prop
erty at 2337 Hog Mountain Road.
•a request was approved from Joshua
and Stacie Hughes to locate a garage over
1,000 square feet on their property at 906
Collins Road.
•the creation of a stormwater advisory
and planning committee was authorized
to be chaired by GIS Manager Joel Logan.
County staff and a representative from each
municipality will also be participating.
•proposed fees from Logan for requests
for information from the county GIS office
was approved.
•a request was approved allowing
an 87-day extension to Cline Service
Corporation on the Lipscomb Lake Road
Bridge replacement project. The delay is
due to inclement weather and schedule
delays and the new contract completion
date will be March 1.
•portions of the Jackson County UDC
were amended to include and define
“Public Institutional.’’
•a new ordinance was established that
repeals anything not in accordance with
it and affects the UDC and the official
zoning map of the county. The ordinance
didn’t change anything, but simply fos
tered consistency within the code and
zoning map.
•a request to rezone 156.386 acres on
Wayne Poultry Road from Light Industrial
to General Industrial was tabled because a
Developments of Regional Impact study
is ongoing.
APPOINTMENTS
Those appointed or reappointed to coun
ty positions at the BOC’s Monday night
meeting were:
•Jon Milford was reappointed to the
Jackson County Industrial Development
Authority for a five-year term.
•Ken Botts was reappointed to the
Jackson County Airport Authority for a
one-year term.
•Jeff Perry was reappointed to the
Jackson County Planning Commission for
a three-year term.
•Guy Spicer was appointed to the JCPC
for a one-year term.
•Jean Collins, Larry Marchinton and
Robert Schwalbe were reappointed
to the Jackson County Dangerous Dog
Committee for three-year terms.
•Josh Huskins was appointed to the
Jackson County Parks and Recreation
Advisory Committee for a one-year term.
John Derochers declined to be reappoint
ed.
Defunct subdivisions % complete
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod D) 56%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod E, Lots 1-15,93-105)
35%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod E, Lots 16-46,49-57,...)
25%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod F) 25%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod G) 16%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod H) 19%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod I, Lots 1-37) 36%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod J, Lots 1-39) 44%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod K, Lots 1-29) 48%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod L, 1-15,87-91) 66%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod L, 67-76) 10%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod L, Lots 35-42) 62%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod L, Lots 49-51, 52-66) 53%
Traditions (Phasef Pod L, Lots 16-34,44-86) 53%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod M) 43%
Traditions (Phase 2, Pod N, Lots 1-5) 40%
Traditions (Phase 2, Pod 0) 26%
Traditions (Phase 2, Pod P, Lots 1-30-, 35-107) 16%
Traditions (Phase 2, Pods Q, R, S) 5%
Traditions (Phase 3, Pods T, U V) 2%
Traditions (Pod N) 28%
Trailside Crossing 5%
Twin Creeks 0%
Whispering Falls 5%
White Hill Estates 21%
Whitehill Meadows 10%
Wicklow 20%
Woods Hollow 40%
Caller says passengers
arguing, one possibly shot
A SLOW-MOVING vehi
cle in which a witness report
ed seeing its passengers argue
and possibly heard a gun
shot was stopped by officers
from Arcade, Jefferson and
Jackson County.
A caller told emergency
dispatchers that the Jeep
Cherokee was traveling on
Athens Highway to Galilee
Church Road in Jefferson,
according to an incident
report from Arcade police.
The caller said it appeared
that the occupants were argu
ing and they thought they
heard a gunshot and possibly
saw a gunshot wound victim.
An Arcade officer spot
ted the vehicle on Athens
Highway and followed it to
Jackson Trail Road, where
another Arcade officer and
one from Jefferson assist
ed with a traffic stop. The
Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office said the officers could
stop the vehicle as long as
there were enough officers
for the felony traffic stop.
When the vehicle was
cleared of its three passen
gers, officers said they found
no signs of a potential gun
shot victim.
A female passenger denied
any knowledge of a potential
weapon, but the driver said
there was a gun in the glove
compartment with the clip
in a console. The third pas
senger also knew the exact
location of the weapon.
The female passenger gave
officers several last names
and a wrong Social Security
number for herself. After the
woman realized that the offi
cers had found the weapon,
she admitted that it belonged
to her and she could have it in
the vehicle with her, accord
ing to an incident report.
An Arcade officer then
briefed a Jefferson officer,
who had arrived on the scene,
about the incident.
The female passenger was
charged by Jefferson police
with obstruction for lying
about the handgun.
The third passenger in the
vehicle was charged with
possession of a firearm by a
convicted felon.
The woman said she had
been married to the man mul
tiple times and didn’t know
that he was a convicted felon.
An Arcade officer took the
woman to jail.
In other reports, Arcade
police charged Jayme Rueda,
24, Atlanta, for failure to
maintain lane, failure for
slower vehicles to keep right
and no license.
Arcade police also handled
a theft by taking incident and
a traffic stop in which the
driver didn’t have insurance.
Sales taxes remain down
LOCAL OPTION sales
taxes remained down by
16 percent YTD through
last October, according to
recently released county fig
ures. That amounts to around
$743,400 less than for the
first 10 months of 2008.
Jackson County collected
$394,800 in sales taxes for
October 2009, which was
down 17 percent on a month-
to-month basis.
Although the county had
earlier amended its 2009 bud
get to compensate for lower
sales taxes, at the current rate
the county will finish 2008
around seven percent below
its earlier estimates.
Sales tax revenues are a
key economic indicator of
the state of local economic
activity and also a key source
of revenue for local govern
ments.
County democrats to host
gubernatorial candidate’s wife
THE JACKSON County Democrats will host Carol Porter on
Thursday, Jan. 14, at Mike’s Grill, Jefferson.
Carol Porter is the wife of state Rep. Dubose Porter, a Democratic
candidate for governor. She will speak about many topics, with a
focus on education.
Everyone is welcome. Organizers say educators and those con
cerned about public education should attend the meeting.
The forum will begin at 7 p.m. The complete menu of Mike’s
Grill will be available, starting at 6 p.m. in the banquet room.
For more information, email democratsofjackson@gmail.com.
BOE continued from page 1A
November totaled $399,370 — compared to $408,580 in October.
The November 2009 SPLOST collection, however, was higher
than November 2008 — when it was $353,000. Sales tax collec
tions in November have shown a dip for the past couple of years.
•approved the expenditure of up to $7,800 in SPLOST funds
to sand, refinish and seal the gym floor at West Jackson Middle
School.
•approved the expenditure of up to $330 of SPLOST funds
for moving a security camera from the gym at the Gordon Street
Center to the A hall and installing a key pad at the B-16 entrance
at the school.
•approved the expenditure of up to $6,000 in SPLOST funds for
an entry sign and message board at East Jackson Middle School.
An existing sign on Waterworks Road will remain.
•learned that energy bills for December jumped 30 percent,
compared to November. Colder weather led to the higher energy
costs. During the winter holidays, all schools were kept at 55
degrees.
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