Newspaper Page Text
O
O
THE
ACKSON
H Wednesday, November 24, 2010
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 136 NO. 24 48 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75c COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
.ABenton • !
k| I
EST 1936
■ Home of the Eagle* i
x
•BES sign dedicated
in memory of longtime
educator.... page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'TSA the new KGB?'
page 4A
Sports:
•Former Lady Dragon
living out dream with
Lady Dogs.... page 1B
Features:
•Knitting clubs meet
at area libraries
page 1C
^.Christmas
iffcSPIRIT
JFQIJNDflTION
Kid* B * fnwironni**!l
•Trees for Troops
offered at local farm
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 8-28C
•Church News
page 5B
•Obituaries
page 6B
•School News
. . . .pages 8-10A, 12A
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Holiday events planned across county
Tree lightings,
parades ahead
AS THE holiday season approaches,
a number of special events are being
planned throughout Jackson County.
They include:
NICHOLSON
The annual tree lighting in Nicholson
will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4,
at the Nicholson Community Center.
The Rev. Theodore Braswell, Jones
Chapel Baptist Church, will read scrip
ture. Ricky Fitzpatrick, New Hope Baptist
Church Choir and The Maxwells will be
singing Christmas songs.
Santa will be set up in the community
center for the children. A live nativity will
be held and light refreshments will be
served.
“We hope you will join us for some
great Christmas music and refreshments
at the Nicholson Community Center,”
leaders state, “There will be hot chocolate
and coffee available on the patio to keep
you warm.”
The annual Christmas tree trimming
party will be held at noon on Saturday,
Dec. 4, at the Harold Swindle Public
Library, Nicholson.
Children of all ages are invited to attend
for fun treats, crafts and Christmas cheer
and to ring in the holiday season by deco
rating the library tree.
The library is located off Highway 441
near Benton Elementary School.
MAYSVILLE
The Maysville Community
Improvement Club will hold its annual
Christmas in the Park on Saturday,
Dec. 11. The event will feature craft
LIGHTS GO UP
Holiday decorations were placed in downtown Jefferson Monday by
volunteers who are preparing for the Christmas parade and other
festivities next weekend. Shown are: (L-R) Roy Plott, Andy Garrison
and Don Kupis. Also assisting, but not shown, was Mac Gramley.
Photo by Angela Gary
and food vendors, entertainment and A Christmas parade will be held at
s’mores. 5 p.m. Anyone who would like to have
a float in the parade is asked to line up
on Freeman Street.
Santa will be at the park from 6-8 for
the kids to visit.
Applications for vendors are located at
victorianmaysville.com.
HOSCHTON
The Hoschton Women’s Civic Club
will host its annual “Santa at the Depot”
from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec.
4.
The women’s club will take photos of
all the children with Santa and they will
receive the pictures before they leave the
Hoschton Depot. The children will also be
given a treat bag filled with goodies.
Santa will arrive at the Hoschton Depot
promptly at 10 a.m. on a fire truck from
the West Jackson Fire Department with
an escort by the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office.
A class from Zion Baptist Church,
Braselton. will provide hot chocolate on
the rear deck of the depot for kids and
their parents as they exit the building.
All activities are free. The Hoschton
Depot is located on Highway 53 across
from the city square.
CHATEAU FT,AN
The annual “Lighting of the Chateau”
will be held from 2-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov.
26, at Chateau Elan, Braselton. The event
will be held on the lawn of the winery.
Some of the free family-friendly holi
day activities will include a visit from
Santa Claus, story telling, magic and pup
pet shows throughout the day, and writing
letters to Santa.
Activities that have a fee - ranging from
$1 to $5 each - include carriage rides,
pony rides, a rock climbing wall, putt putt
continued on page 3A
Humanitarian Award
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
The Ark of Jackson County was the recipient of the Jackson County Community
Outreach 2010 Humanitarian Award, which was accepted by director emerita Carolyn
Townes (far left). Townes has worked for The Ark for 15 years. She is shown with other
members of The Ark. See the story on page 7A. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Wienges
Airport authority now uncertain about FBO
BYBENMUNRO
THE JACKSON County
Airport Authority has cooled on
potential plans to bring a fixed
base operator to the airport.
The authority has been study
ing a proposal from an FBO but
is having second thoughts about
that arrangement. FBOs are
contracted to provide primary
service to aircrafts and operators
at an airport.
“You know, I don’t know,”
chairman Shannon Sell told
the Jackson County Airport
Authority (JCAA) Nov. 16. “I
don’t know if I feel really con
fident about that anymore to this
point. I really don’t.”
Part of Sell’s reluctance is the
length of the contract, which
is longer than he believes the
airport authority is willing to
extend.
Sell said he’s also been told
“horror stories” by Carol Comer
of the DOT regarding other air
ports that have gone with FBOs.
“One of the main things that
she pointed out to us is that if
you hire an FBO and let them
here, you’ve given up that right
to exclude,” he said. “If anoth
er one comes in, you have to
let them come. They’ve got to
meet everything, and. of course,
there’s got to be enough busi
ness for everybody. But legally,
you can’t say ‘No you can’t
come. ‘We’ve got one.’”
Sell said Comer’s unofficial
position is that an airport should
staff its own employees if at all
possible.
Airport authority member
John Buchannan agreed that an
in-house approach might be a
good alternative.
“Shannon, I don’t think we
have the support to hire an FBO
either ... Maybe we need to go
back to the commissioners and
figure out a plan to start staffing
up the airport.” he said.
In other news, the JCAA wel
comed new member Jonathan
Milford as its fifth member.
Milford, who is from Commerce,
was appointed by Jackson
County Board of Commission
chairman Hunter Bicknell.
When asked by citizen Max
Allen, Milford said he isn’t a
pilot and does not own an air
craft.
“Why in the world do you
want to be on the airport author
ity?” Allen asked.
Milford, who’s in the insur
ance business, said he’s con
cerned with the progress of
Jackson County and hopes to
bring his business knowledge to
the position.
“What Mr. Bicknell came to
speak with me about was, ‘Hey,
we just need somebody on there
who has something to say about
business and has some knowl
edge of running this place like
a business.’” Milford said. “So
they obviously saw some trust in
me to consider me for the posi
tion and I was glad to take it.”
Milford joins Buchannan,
Ken Botts, Don Lohmeier and
Sell on the authority.
Caputo out as head coach
EAST JACKSON Com
prehensive High School head
football coach Frank Caputo
reportedly will not be back
coaching at the school next year.
Caputo reportedly turned in
his resignation to EJCHS princi
pal Pat Stueck Friday.
Neither Stueck nor superinten
dent Shannon Adams returned
calls or emails this week from
The Herald about the matter.
According to people close to
the process. Stueck told Caputo
last week that she would not be
recommending that he return as
football coach.
The action comes following
a vandalism incident involving
several EJCHS football players
at Jefferson High School when
the two teams played several
weeks ago. Caputo and seven
players were not allowed to par
ticipate in the team’s final game
of the season due to the situa
tion.
But that incident led to a series
of other questions involving
Caputo’s behavior, sources say,
all of which led to the decision to
replace him as head coach.
Hopkins not seeking judgeship
JEFFERSON ATTORNEY
Ronnie Hopkins has taken his
name out of consideration for
the State Court judgeship in
Jackson County.
Hopkins serves as the chair
man of the Jefferson Board of
Education and state law doesn’t
allow a person to hold two elect
ed positions.
Those who remain on the fist
include: Scott Tolbert, Donna
Golden Sikes. Nick Primm and
Jeff Perry. They will be inter
viewed on Dec. 7 by the Judicial
Nominating Commission for the
State of Georgia led by chairman
Michael Bowers.
The commission will then
select and recommend to the
governor those found to be
“qualified” to a short list of up to
five people for the position. The
governor will make the appoint
ment.
The position is vacant follow
ing the death of Judge Jerry
Gray.
Fire district vote set Tues.
AN ELECTION will be held
Tuesday, Nov. 30, for several
fire district seats.
In the Arcade fire district,
Travis Bennett. Deborah Stewart
and Reba Lee Childs are seek
ing the post 3 seat.
In the Harrisburg fire district,
Ronnie Massey and Tony Beatty
are seeking the post 5 seat.
There are also fire district
seats on the ballot in Jackson
Trail, South Jackson, Plainview,
West Jackson and Nicholson,
however, they do not have oppo
sition.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Nicholson approves $410,000 budget
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE NICHOLSON City
Council unanimously approved
the 2011 proposed general fund
budget totaling $410,000 follow
ing a public hearing on Thursday
night.
The 2011 budget is up slightly
from the $405,000 total general
fund budget for 2010.
Several residents spoke in favor
of the 2011 budget that includes
$20,000 for the library for books
and periodicals. There had been
some questions raised by coun
cil member Chuck Wheeler at a
previous budget meeting about
this amount.
Librarian Kelli McDaniel pre
sented the council with a list
continued on page 7A