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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010
Jackson County has highest use of HINI vaccine
JACKSON COUNTY
has had the highest percent
age of allocated H1N1 vac
cine doses actually used among
health departments in northeast
Georgia.
According to statistics
released earlier this month by
Georgia’s 10-county Northeast
Health District, Jackson County
provided 108 percent of its
allocated doses. The Jackson
County Health Department was
allocated 2,610 doses but has
provided 2,806 vaccinations.
District-wide, 28,000 doses
have been allocated to the 10
counties, with 20,676 (or 74
percent) actually used. Madison
County used the smallest per
centage of allocated vaccine
doses, at 46 percent, or 765
doses given out of 1,660 swine
flu vaccines sent to the county
health department.
Lou Kudon, the health dis
trict’s program coordinator and
epidemiologist, encourages
citizens to get vaccinated on a
yearly basis. He said he tells
skeptics of the shots that the
vaccines are worthwhile.
“We tell them the truth: that
the vaccines are exceedingly
safe and exceedingly effective,”
said Kudon.
Kudon noted that “H1N1 is
probably here to stay,” adding
that Georgia has seen a spike
in H1N1 cases in recent weeks.
He said the H1N1 vaccine will
likely be mixed with seasonal
flu vaccines in the future.
Kudon said the more people
who are vaccinated, the less a
problem H1N1 will be.
“It's the concept of herd
immunity,” said Kudon. “The
more people have it, the less it
will be spread.”
The health official said peo
ple should realize that it’s not
just their own welfare at stake.
“Getting a vaccine is not
only for you but for your loved
ones,” said Kudon. “You don’t
want to get the flu and transmit
it to someone who might be
affected much worse than you
are.
Candidates to speak at
May chamber breakfast
ALL OF THE (so far) announced candidates for Senate District 47
have agreed to appear before the membership of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, May 5.
The chamber will use its 7:30 breakfast at Jackson EMC for apolit
ical forum featuring the candidates vying to replace Ralph Hudgens
in that seat. Hudgens is running for state insurance commissioner.
The breakfast will be open to the public at $5 per person.
Announced candidates include Shane Coley, Barrow County,
Kelley Gary, Hoschton, and Doug Bower, Oglethorpe County. All are
running as Republicans.
District 47 is made up of all of Barrow, Madison and Oglethorpe
counties, as well as a large part of Jackson County and smaller areas
of Elbert and Clarke counties.
‘A Day at the Historic Courthouse’ planned May 8
THE JACKSON County Historic
Courthouse Restoration Committee
(JCHCRC) will hold “A Day at the Historic
Courthouse” on Saturday, May 8, from 10
a.m.-5 p.m. on the grounds of the Jackson
County Historic Courthouse, located at 85
Washington Street in downtown Jefferson.
All proceeds will go towards the restora
tion of the courthouse, which, when com
pleted, will appear as it did in 1908. The
goal is to make it as historically accurate as
possible, leaders state.
The highlight of the day's events will be
an auction featuring such items as court
house artifacts, an 1876 Mason Hamlin
organ, and the #10 brick from the original
1879 building. This brick was originally
auctioned at the Heritage Celebration in
2009.
Activities throughout the day will be:
Local musicians playing period music; food
vendors with foods that would have been
available in 1908; an exhibit of automobiles
from the early 1900’s; children’s booth fea
turing age appropriate activities; and tours
of the courthouse ($5/person). Because of
the ongoing construction, no children under
12 will be allowed on the tour. No open toe
shoes or loose fitting clothes either, leaders
state.
Gene Barrington, architectural consultant
in charge of the restoration project, will
be leading the tours. He will provide an
architectural history of the courthouse, give
an update on the exterior restoration and
explain plans for completion of the inside.
Candidate forum ahead Thurs.
THE FOUR Corners Tea
Party will hold a political
forum at 7 p.m. on April 29
for candidates in the 49th
State District race. The forum
will be held at Gainesville
State College.
The forum is for candi
dates in the May 11 special
election. All three candidates.
Butch Miller, Jimmy Norman
and Brandon Givens, have
been invited.
The forum and debate will
be moderated by Martha
Zoller. All voters are invited
to this event.
Contact Michael P.
Howington at 404-983-
2994, at www.facebook.com/
mhowington or at mhowing-
ton @ windstream.net.
Qualifying cont’d from JA
Woman concerned about conditions at airport
BY SHARON HOGAN
A COMMERCE woman
came before the Jackson County
Airport Authority on Tuesday.
April 20, to air her concerns
with conditions at the airport.
Joanne Lunsford, 40 Edgar
Drive, presented a letter to the
authority addressing concerns
that she has with the airport.
Lunsford also appeared at the
April 19 meeting of the Jackson
County Board of Commissioners
and spoke about her concerns at
the airport.
“My husband and I have been
residents of Jackson County for
about a year,” Lunsford said at
the airport authority meeting.
“The reason we chose Jackson
County was to be close to our
airplane and to participate in
airport activities with other avi
ation enthusiasts.”
Lunsford said when she and
her husband first moved here
they were pleased with the com
pany and the fellowship at the
airport.
“We were made to feel wel
come by all we were in con
tact with.” she said. “In the last
few months, we have noticed
a marked decline in the atmos
phere.”
Lunsford reported the furni
ture, television, wall pictures,
snacks, water and pet amenities
have been removed from the
pilots lounge.
‘ ‘It has become an unwelcome,
vacant building,” Lunsford said.
“The friendly people are gone
- to where? And why? To
compound these concerns is the
basic lack of sanitary supplies,
specifically the lack of soap in
the bathrooms.”
Lunsford also addressed the
authority about the price of avi
ation fuel at the airport.
“From an economic stand
point, Jackson County was
always a good place to buy our
aviation gas.” Lunsford said.
Lunsford advised the autho
rity that due to the recent incre
ase in fuel prices they (she and
her husband) will purchase their
fuel at a nearby county airport at
more reasonable prices.
Airport Manager Bob
Stapleton asked authority chair
man Shannon Sell for permis
sion to address Lunsford’s issu
es.
“I would like to address
these issues since this has been
presented to the public two
times,” Stapleton said.
Stapleton explained to
Lunsford that the pilots lounge
has been moved into the dou
blewide trailer on the airport
property. The move was made
at the request of the pilot’s asso
ciation, Stapleton advised.
The reason for separating the
pilot's lounge from the flight
planning area was reports of
“vulgar language, racist jokes
and alcohol consumption.”
“You have people flying in
here with their wife and kids and
they don't want to hear stuff like
that,” Stapleton said. “As for the
soap in the bathrooms, I perso
nally inspected the bathrooms
and they meet military stan
dards. I am retired from the
military. I went over this mor
ning and I can assure there is
soap in the soap dispensers and
paper towels in the paper towel
holders.”
Stapleton said the county buil
ding and grounds crew comes
over twice a week to clean the
restrooms.
Stapleton told Lunsford that
the television, wall pictures and
snack machine have all been
moved into the trailer as well.
Stapleton also addressed the
comments about the increase
in fuel prices. He said that 18
months ago the authority set the
mark-up on fuel.
“We have not changed
the mark-up in 18 months, “
Stapleton said. “The cost of fuel
to us is what’s increased.”
The authority and Stapleton
asked Lunsford to bring any
problems in the future to the
attention of the airport man
ager.
Stapleton said, “I can be
reached at any time and I will
make sure the problem gets
handled.”
Max Allen also addressed the
authority about the fuel prices.
“Can't you look at lowering
the percentage of the mark
up?.” Allen asked.
Stapleton passed out a com
parison sheet on fuel prices for
airports within 45 miles of the
Jackson County Airport.
“We are not out of line with
the other airports around us,”
Stapleton said.
Stapleton reported the avera
ge price for fuel is $5.10 per gal
lon for aviation fuel and $4.63
per gallon for jet fuel.
Stapleton reported that the
county airport does allow its
customers to pre-purchase a
minimum of 500 gallons of fuel
at a cost savings of 25 cents per
gallon off the cost to the county
for the fuel.
“I don't know what we can
economically do to lower fuel
costs.” Stapleton said.
Sell added, “I would like to
see the monthly fuel consump
tion numbers for the past 12
months.”
Stapleton advised he would
get this report to present at the
May authority meeting.
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CITY OF HOSCHTON
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission
(NEGRC), on behalf of the City of Hoschton,
will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, May 3 at
6:00 p.m. at the Hoschton City Hall, 79 City
Square, Hoschton. During the Public Hearing
portion, NEGRC staff will present the draft
Community Assessment and Community
Participation Program for the City of Hoschton
Comprehensive Plan and notify the community
of when these plan components will be
transmitted for review and comment.
A copy of the draft Community Assessment
and Community Participation Program will be
available by April 26, 2010 at http://
www.negplanning.org/documents/14.
Questions concerning this plan update should
be directed to Nina Butler, Planner, (706) 369-
5650 or email nbutler@negrc.org.
I ^
Founder’s
Corner
by
Buhl Cummings
LETTER...We are sending a
big “Thank You” to one of our
ACS grads, who took the time
to write us a wonderful letter
recently. The following is a
portion of it: “I entered ACS
as a 4th grader in 1970, and
stayed until I graduated in
1979. Those were great days
in my life. I received an excel
lent education, formed friend
ships which have remained
throughout my life, and had
wonderful extracurricular
activities. I participated in
many of these opportunities
due to the sacrifices of my
parents, but the opportunities
were offered and supervised
by the faculty at ACS, and I
am grateful. Thank you ACS.”
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
"Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
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OPEN WEEKENDS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
Both of Jackson County’s
state House of Representative
seats are up for election: District
31, currently held by Tommy
Benton (R); and District 30,
held by Tom McCall (R). At
press time, Benton and McCall
were the only two candidates to
qualify for these seats.
The State Senate District 47
seat that covers Jackson County
will also be on the ballot. At
press time, Kelley Gary (R) and
Shane Coley (R) had qualified.
Incumbent Ralph Hudgens (R)
is running for state insurance
commissioner.
In the State Senate District
49 seat that covers a portion of
Jackson County, Butch Miller
is the only one who had quali
fied as of press time.
U.S. senator Johnny Isakson
is up for re-election, as is
District 10 U.S. Congressman
Paul Broun. At press time,
Broun (R) and challenger
Russell Edwards (D) had quali
fied for the District 10 seat. As
for the senate race, Isakson (R)
and challenger R.J. Hadley (D)
had qualified.
At the state level, voters will
decide elections for both gov
ernor and It. governor this year.
Other state elections include
secretary of state, attorney gen
eral, state school superinten
dent, state agriculture commis
sioner, state insurance commis
sioner and state labor commis
sioner. Among the candidates
are Gary Black, Commerce,
who is running for agriculture
commissioner.
Qualifying ends at noon
Friday.
Local candidates for the
board of commissioners or
county board of education
can qualify with the Jackson
County Republican Party at 20
Railroad Street, Jefferson, in
the Ken Martin Construction
building, according to Ron
Johnson, chairman of the
Jackson County GOP.
Democratic candidates for
those same offices can quali
fy with the state Democratic
offic.
The voter registration dead
line for the July 20 primary
election is June 21.
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