Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
H Wednesday, April 28, 2010
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 135 NO. 45 48 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•JHS, EJCHS prom
scenes page 28C
Op/Ed:
•'Myths of education
funding'
page 4A
Sports:
•Dragons start strong
at region track meet
page 1B
Features:
•Acting Action
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 10-27C
•Church News
page 7B
•Obituaries
pages 9-1OA
•School News
pages 88tl 1A; 5, 6, &8B
o -S
Electronics firm to locate in Jefferson
To bring 400 new jobs to area
BY ANGELA GARY
AN ELECTRONICS firm locating in
Jefferson will bring in 400 new jobs to the
area.
The name of the company, which will
locate in the city limits of Jefferson, has
not been disclosed. Jefferson Mayor Jim
Joiner announced at the city council meet
ing Monday night that the company has
made the decision to locate in the city. An
official announcement with the name of the
company is expected within the next few
weeks. Sources indicate the firm may be an
online electronics company.
The business will be located in a spec
building on Hog Mountain Road.
The Jefferson Development Authority
has offered the company a four year phase
in of personal property taxes.
In other businesst the council discussed a
proposed water treatment expansion.
“You will basically have a new plant”
engineering consultant Jerry Hood said.
The improvements will increase the
capacity at the plant from 1.57 million gal
lons per day to 2.36 million gallons per day.
The plans also call for building a chemi
cal storage building behind the plant and
upgrading the piping and valves.
The city is seeking a $1.8 million
Appalachian Regional Commission ( ARC)
grant to fund the project and construction is
slated for 2011.
Also at the meeting, the council:
•appointed Betty Martin to represent
the city on the Jackson County Library
Board.
•approved an agreement with Jackson
County on the Martin Luther King Jr. Road
project.
•recognized Zoe Radford as the District
12 winner in the “If I were mayor con
test” sponsored by the Georgia Municipal
Association. This is the fifth year that the
District 12 winner has been a Jefferson
Middle School student.
Census workers to begin
home visits this weekend
JACKSON COUNTIANS
who have not submitted a
Census form will get a visit
from a Census worker begin
ning May 1.
Beginning the first week in
May, Census takers ( also known
as enumerators), will begin
canvassing homes all over the
United States to make sure that
each local community is repre
sented as accurately as possible
in the population count.
A Census worker should have
the following:
•an identification badge.
•a Census canvassing bag.
•a confidentiality notice.
•a handheld device.
“Before you talk to a Census
worker ask to see their identi
fication and never invite any
one you do not know into your
home,” organizers state. “A
Census worker will never ask
you your Social Security num
ber or any personal account or
financial information. The only
thing a Census worker should
ask you is the 10 questions on
the Census form which relate
to name. age. race and phone
number.”
Census workers will attempt
to visit a residence up to three
times. Each time, the worker
will leave a door hanger featur
ing a phone number residents
can call to schedule an appoint
ment.
Planners OK 2030 plan
By Katie Huston
THE JACKSON County
Planning Commission approved
a resolution authorizing sending
the draft Comprehensive Plan
for 2030 to the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners for
approval.
The plan will go on to the
BOC at a public hearing on
May 17, at 6 p.m., at the Jackson
County Courthouse.
If approved, the plan will then
go on to the state for further
approval, before going back to
the BOC for final action.
Citizens present at the recent
planning board hearing spoke
mostly about concerns with
commercial development on
Highway 129.
Several people said that
development should be limited
and not cut into the residential
property that exists near Hwy
129.
“I think it would disrupt the
rural nature of the property,”
Curtis Collier, who lives off
Hwy. 129, said.
Planning board chairman Jeff
Perry asked the residents if they
preferred development to con
tinue linearly or in nodes. The
consensus was that construc
tion is most desired to continue
linearly, but it should be done in
moderation.
Angela Scarborough was one
resident who spoke, saying she
doesn’t want the aesthetics of
the county to change.
“I am concerned about keep
ing the rural character and the
lookout in our rural areas,” she
said. “I think if we could bring
(overlays) in, too, that could be
very beneficial to our county
and its appearance in the long
run.”
Commission member Don
Segraves also had an opinion
on how development should
continue.
"By putting it in nodes where
your crossroads come out and
where the traffic is and just
have a small node, you can limit
what you would back and let
that grow,” Segraves said. “As
that filled up, then you could go
to the next crossroad. That way
you wouldn’t interfere with as
much residential growth.”
Planning Consultant Jerry
Weitz said that final drafts of the
maps will be presented to the
BOC at the May 17 meeting.
continued on page 5A
Two qualify so far for BOE;
Yates qualifies for BOC post
Qualifying ends Fri.
BYANGELA GARY
AFTER TWO days of quali
fying, only three candidates had
qualified for the July 20 election.
In the District 5 county
board of education race, Steven
Bryant, Hoschton, was the only
one to qualify as of press time
Wednesday. Jill McEver is the
incumbent.
In the District 3 county board
of education race, Celinda
Wilson was the only one to qual
ify as of press time Wednesday.
Incumbent Kathy Wilbanks,
who serves as chairman of the
BOE, has announced that she
will not seek re-election.
No one had qualified as of
press time for the county BOE
District 2 seat not held by Tim
Brooks. However, Brooks
reportedly planned to qualify on
Wednesday.
In the District 3 seat on
the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners, incumbent
Bruce Yates is the only one who
has qualified so far.
In the District 4 BOC race,
no one has qualified. Incumbent
Dwain Smith has announced
that he plans to seek re-election
but he had not qualified as of
Wednesday morning.
continued on page 2A
ARBORIST GIVES DEMONSTRATION
Certified arborist John Ritzier of New Urban Forestry, a professional tree service, was
on the scene last week at Curry Creek Park during the cleanup day and helped give a
demonstration on tree care and pruning. See more on page 3A. Photo by Katie Huston
Daisy Festival coming up April 30-May 2
THE CITY of Nicholson’s annual Daisy
Festival will be held April 30-May 2.
Music, games, food and a parade are part of the
plans for the three-day festival.
The festival will open at 6 p.m. on Friday with
entertainment, a cake walk and arts and crafts
booths scheduled.
On Saturday, the parade will be held at 10:30
a.m. Opening ceremonies will be held at 11:30
a.m. and local politicians are invited to speak.
Entertainment will be provided throughout the
afternoon.
On Sunday, gospel music will be offered from
1 to 4 p.m.
Applications are no longer being accepted for
booth space.
Friday Schedule of Events
•6-7 p.m. Glory Road
•7-7:30 p.m. Cake Walk
•7:30-9 p.m. His Vision/Danny Ray
Saturday Schedule of Events
•10:30-11:30 a.m. Parade
•11:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony
•12:20-12:45 p.m. School of Dance
•1:45-2:30 p.m. Mellow Yellow Chug Contest
•3-4 p.m. Hula Hoop Contest
•5-6:30 p.m. Cake Walk
•7-8:30 p.m. The Dalton Gang
•9-10 p.m. Eli Carlan Band
Sunday Schedule of Events
•1-4 p.m. All day gospel featuring
Clarke Kesler and Friends
Unemployment rate drops slightly
THE UNEMPLOYMENT rate in Jackson
County fell slightly from 11.9 percent in February
to 11.4 percent in March.
Statewide, the rate was 10.1 percent in March.
Among Northeast Georgia counties, Elbert led
the list at 14 percent, while Franklin, Hart and
Rabun counties were all above 13 percent.
Counties around Jackson were all below 10
percent with the exception of Barrow, which was
10.5 percent.
Rabies clinics set across county May 5-8
By Mark Beardsley
TWO VETERINARY clinics
and the Jackson County 4-H
Club will host their annual series
of rabies vaccination clinics May
5-8. There will be 19 clinics at
15 locations (see clinic schedule
on page 5A).
Georgia law requires that all
dogs and cats three months old or
older must have a current rabies
vaccine. The shots will cost $7;
other yearly vaccinations and tes
ting will be available at addition
al charges. The vaccinations are
provided by staff of Commerce
continued on page 5A
‘West Side Story’ at JHS this week
READY FOR THE SHOW
Jefferson High School drama students, and even some faculty members, will per
form “West Side Story” this week, with shows at 7:30 p.m. April 29 and 30 and May 1
at the JHS performing arts auditorium. Students are shown here at dress rehearsal.
“West Side Story” is a more modern day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s
“Romeo and Juliet.”