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PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2010
DOT projects unveiled at meeting in Jefferson
Bike path and
bridge repairs
among plans
BY ANGELA GARY
THE GEORGIA Depart
ment of Transportation
has $7.8 million in road
improvement projects
planned in Jackson County
over the next four years
with a bike path, bridge
repair and streetscape
improvements among the
plans.
The DOT held a meeting in
Jefferson last week to pres
ent the State Transportation
Improvement Program
(STIP). which is a four-
year plan detailing feder
ally-funded projects. The
plan presented is for 2011-
2014.
Maps of the projects were
on display and DOT engi
neers were at the meet
ing to answer questions.
The majority of those who
attended the hearing were
county and city officials.
A bike plan is estimated
to cost $625,000 and will
go from State Route 53
from Braselton to Hoschton
to State Route 124.
The DOT also plans to
fund seven bridge repair
projects along 1-85 in
Jackson and Banks counties
at a cost of $1.2 million.
Other projects planned
in Jackson County include
B. Wilson Road to King
Road in the Commerce
area; replacing bridges
on Hwy. 82 Spur, Galilee
Church Road and State
Route 334; stream mitiga-
LOOKING OVER PLANS
Hoschton city clerk Cindy George is shown looking over plans presented by the
Georgia Department of Transportation for the next four years. The DOT held a
meeting in Jefferson last week to present the State Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP), which is a four-year plan detailing federally-funded projects.
Also shown is DOT engineer Kyle Mote. Photo by Angela Gary
tion; a railroad crossing at
State Route 98; signals on
State Route 15; landscap
ing as part of the Maysville
and Jefferson streetscape
projects; widening the
road in the Jackson County
Industrial Park; locating
warning devices on State
Route 15 and King Road;
improvements to McClure
Industrial Park; resurfac
ing and maintenance at
Wayne Poultry Farm Road;
and bridge repairs at State
Route 15 to Storey Street to
State Route 82.
District 1 • Barrow. Jackson
& Walton Counties
MAPS ON DISPLAY
The Georgia Department
of Transportation held
a meeting in Jefferson
last week to present the
State Transportation
Improvement Program
(STIP), which is a four-
year plan detailing fed
erally-funded projects.
Maps of the projects were
on display and DOT engi
neers were at the meet
ing to answer questions.
The majority of those who
attended the hearing were
county and city officials.
Airport authority cancels
meeting but still mulling FBO
BYBENMUNRO
THE JACKSON County
Airport Authority (JCAA)
continues to weigh its options
on hiring a fixed base opera
tor (FBO) but has yet to go
over a lease agreement and
minimum standards submit
ted by a potential FBO.
The airport authority was
slated to go over those docu
ments Monday but will have
to reschedule that meeting.
Authority members did,
however, take a fact-finding
trip to the Stephens County
Airport Tuesday to further
investigate the possibility of
bringing an FBO to Jackson
County. Stephens County
uses an FBO, which are typi
cally contracted to provide
primary support to aircraft
Bowers named
look into CRCT
GOV. SONNY Perdue has
appointed former Georgia
Attorney General Mike
Bowers, as well as former
DeKalb County District
Attorney Bob Wilson, as spe
cial investigators to look into
testing irregularities on the
2009 CRCT administration
at Atlanta Public Schools and
Dougherty County School
System.
Governor Perdue told the
state board of education
that he took this step after
the reports submitted by
Atlanta Public Schools and
Dougherty County School
System were deemed to be
incomplete.
Mike Bowers, Commerce,
and operators at or adjacent
to an airport.
“Whatever they discuss,
they'll go over at the next for
mal meeting,” interim airport
manager Glen Boyd said.
In another airport matter,
JCAA chairman Shannon
Sell has invited local pilots
to meet with him tonight
(Wednesday) at 6 p.m. at the
airport to discuss airport con
cerns.
Boyd stressed that this is
an informal gathering, not an
official meeting. Boyd said an
airport authority quorum will
not be present.
“It’s Shannon Sell saying to
the pilots, ‘I want to sit and
talk and I want to know what
your concerns are,’” Boyd
explained.
by governor to
irregularities
has been involved in several
local cases, including rep
resenting Barrow Regional
in the Northeast Georgia
Medical Center’s proposed
hospital in Braselton.
Bowers is a partner at Balch
& Bingham LLC. He joined
the firm in September of
1998, concentrating in gener
al civil litigation. He became
partner in January of 2000.
Georgia Trend Magazine
named Bowers as one of
the 100 Most Influential
Georgians from their begin
ning in 1990 through 1997
and again in 2003. Bowers
currently serves as chair
man of the Georgia Judicial
Nominating Commission.
Chamber plans ‘Jackson Derby’
THE JACKSON County Area
Chamber of Commerce is bet
ting that a little horse racing can
raise a few dollars.
President Shane Short got his
board of directors' go-ahead last
Friday to continue planning for
the “Jackson Derby.” a horse
racing themed fundraiser to be
held next spring.
“It’s basically a virtual horse
race,” Short explained.
Gina Mitsdarffer, chair
man of the chamber's Events
Committee, explained that her
group was looking for a new
event and came up with the
idea.
The Jackson Derby would
feature “electronic racing” and
wagering with “play money,”
and some kind of prizes for the
biggest “winners” at the night's
end.
“Maybe we’ll do it up with
some hats and mint juleps,” she
explained.
Short said the goal was a
“Churchill Downs (home of the
Kentucky Derby) kind of event.
Ladies, wear your hats, guys,
your coats.”
“Nobody else I know does
anything like that,” Short told
his board. “.. .We think we can
make it real fun.”
The committee is looking for
an inside “arena” in which to
hold the event, which would fea
ture races on big-screen TVs
where participants, “just like you
would do at a horse race or
greyhound race, you place your
bets,” said Short, who added that
some real horses would likely be
on the site “for show.”
The date, place and ticket costs
have yet to be determined.
Jefferson officer placed on leave
GBI asked to investigate altercation
JEFFERSON police officer Steven Taylor has been placed
on administrative leave with pay after reportedly being
involved in an altercation at Mike's Down Under Monday
night.
Jefferson police chief Joe Wirthman said he has asked the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the incident.
Taylor was off-duty when the altercation occurred.
Chamber membership, finances remain steady
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
CONSIDERING the econo
my, the Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce is
doing just fine, thank you.
Meeting last Friday morning
for the first time since June,
the chamber’s directors found
that member-wise and finan
cially, the chamber is holding
its own.
Treasurer Emily Howell did
note that the chamber suffered
a net cash loss during June and
July, but not as much a loss as
the budget forecast.
In addition, she pointed out.
the chamber has more than
$78,700 cash on hand heading
into the fall, when a couple of
major fundraisers are likely to
boost that total.
On the membership side.
Linda Foster, director of
member service, had a similar
report.
While she reported that the
chamber dropped 16 members
in June and six in July, it added
10 in June and 13 in July, for a
net gain of one, bringing mem
bership to 585.
Foster credited newly-hired
marketing coordinator Kim
Kyst with recruiting 20 of the
new members.
Foster also backed Howell’s
budget optimism. She reported
that last year’s Taste of Jackson
Business Showcase had $6,000
in sponsorships, but this year,
seven weeks away from the
event, the chamber has sold
$11,500 in sponsorships.
In addition, president Shane
Short announced that this
Friday’s Chamber Classic golf
tournament is “sold out” with
sponsors and teams.
In other matters, Howard
Ledford, coordinator of
instruction at Lanier Technical
College's Commerce campus,
reported that Jackson County
has been certified as a Work
Ready county, one of 56 in
Georgia.
Signs designating Jackson
as a “Certified Work Ready
Community” are being printed
by the state and are expected to
be delivered this month.
Achieving Work Ready sta
tus has been a two-year project.
Ledford said the re-certification
effort is already under way.
Fosterreported that the cham
ber will host a Drugs Don’t
Work seminar from 10 a.m. to
noon on Sept. 9. Companies
who complete the seminar and
become certified “drug-free
workplaces” can qualify for a
7.5-percent reduction in then-
workers compensation insur
ance costs.
Chamber’s school supply drive continues to Sept. 1
THE RESPONSE to a countywide
drive to collect supplies for local schools
has been — so far — something of a dis
appointment.
The drive was initiated by the Education
Committee of the Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce to help boost area
schools that are cash-strapped by declining
tax revenues. The Jackson County chapter
of the Georgia Alumni Association also
joined the effort.
“So far, very few supplies have been
donated.” said Linda Foster, the cham
ber’s director of member services, in a
report at last week's board of directors
meeting.
Foster said the drive is scheduled to
conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 1. at the
monthly membership breakfast held at
7:30 at Jackson EMC. To encourage dona
tions, the chamber will hold a drawing for
door prizes for people who bring school
supplies to the breakfast meeting.
The donated materials will be distrib
uted to schools in the Jackson County,
Commerce and Jefferson school systems.
There are eight drop-off locations: First
Commerce Bank. Randstad. Funopolis,
Jackson County Farm Bureau. Gwinnett
Federal Credit Union, Jackson EMC,
Hometown Community Bank and
the Jackson County Area Chamber of
Commerce office.
The most needed supplies include copy
paper, hand sanitizer, tissues, book bags
and notebook paper.
For more information, contact Foster
at the chamber office at 706-387-0300 or
Linda@jacksoncountyga.com.
Thursday,
September 23, 2010
at 7:30 p.m.
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