Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 136 NO. 28 40 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
•44th annual kids'
Christmas section
•A dust explosion
injures two at business
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'Let's hope Gov.
Deal's actions match
his words'.... page 4A
Sports:
•JCCHS boy's hoops
team continues amazing
turnaround.... page 1B
Features:
•Live Nativity held at
Center Grove . page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 5-16C
•Church News
page 4C
•Obituaries
pages 8-9B
•School News
pages 8&10A
O -S
Maysville to query fire department costs
BY KATIE HUSTON
THE CITY of Maysville’s 2011 bud
get is down 9.6 percent from last year,
but the city will take a closer look at
how the fire department spends money.
The department made no cuts, keep
ing its budget the same as last year at
$23,000, it was reported at a city council
meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7.
The city cut where it could in other
departments, including trimming
$11,870 from public safety. Other
departments submitted itemized bud
gets to the council, but the fire depart
ment did not.
For council member Lynn Villyard, to
not even examine the fire department’s
expenses makes her feel uncomfort
able.
“What troubles me about this par
ticular area is that unlike everybody
else, there’s nothing submitted for
what their expenses are to base this
number on.’’ she said. “So I don’t
know if it’s wildly, you know, out of
line, or if, you know, we need to add
to it. I don’t know because nothing is
submitted to the council to look at,
and I think it should be.”
Mayor Jerry Baker said he approached
the department attempting to receive an
itemized budget, but to no avail. He also
mentioned how the fire department is in
need of new radios, new equipment and
new clothing.
It’s unlikely that even upon clos
er examination the department would
receive an increase.
The council decided that by June, it
would ask for the itemized budget from
the department and amend the budget
accordingly.
The Maysville Fire Department
answers calls on both Jackson County
and Banks County sides of the city.
Council member Clay Dorsey said that
comparatively, fewer calls are made on
the Banks County side of the city. Baker
said it’s because last year, the county
responded to some calls that Maysville
should have made.
Baker also said furloughs for city
employees would be lifted, however no
pay raises would be made. The council
will reevaluate in June to see if it can
afford to offer raises at that time.
Making a joyful noise
‘WE THREE KINGS’
The three “wise men,” (L-R) Hannah Savage, Meg Mizenis and Emma Grace Bost,
are shown singing “We Three Kings” during “The Christmas Story” presented at
Jefferson First United Methodist Church Sunday evening. The cast ranged from the
three kings to Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds, various sheep and a donkey
and cow. Photo courtesy of Jefferson First United Methodist Church
WJ residents oppose BOC action
Zoning change for commercial project approved
BY ANGELA GARY
A REZONING that
will allow a commer
cial development on Hwy.
124 in West Jackson was
approved Monday night by
the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners despite
opposition from area resi
dents.
The BOC approved the
request from John Buchanan
to rezone 12.67 acres at
6289 Hwy. 124, Hoschton,
from A-2 to CRC for the
project.
Winder attorney John
Stell spoke on behalf of
Buchanan and pointed out
that the property is adjacent
to a commercial develop
ment.
“Although there are sever
al subdivisions in the vicin
ity, the proposed use will
not conflict with the nearby
residential uses,” Stell said.
“The proposed development
will provide future need
ed services and shopping
opportunities for the resi
dents.”
Family Dollar will be the
first business to locate on
the property. Stell said the
remaining property will not
be developed until commer
cial users are found.
“He has no interest in
building a spec building,”
Stell said. “It will only be
developed and sold to end
users. There will be no spec
buildings on the property...
Demand is not a factor to be
considered in a zoning case.
He will only develop as he
has users such as
Family Dollar.”
More than 30 area
residents attend
ing the meeting in
opposition to the
zoning change with
two people speak
ing.
“There is an
established pattern
of resistance to the resi
dents to commercial devel
opment,” Mark Hix said.
He added that the site is
surrounded on the north,
south and west by residen
tial property.
Hix said the property val
ues of the home owners will
decrease by having Family
Dollar located near their
property. He asked if the
rights of a developer come
before the rights of indi
vidual home owners.
Commissioner Bruce
Yates made the motion to
approve the zoning change
and Dwain Smith, Tom Crow
and Hunter Bicknell voted
for approval. Commissioner
Chas Hardy was not at the
meeting due to a death in
his family.
In making the motions,
Yates said: “We have done
our best to work with the
community and develop a
plan that would give us the
ability to control what is
placed and what it looks like
for future development.”
The approval came with
several conditions, includ
ing no outside storage, all
dumpsters must be a mini
mum of 100 feet
from the closest
residential struc
ture, no com
mercial vehicles
parked over
night and buffer
requirements.
After the
approval was
given, the crowd
of residents who attended
the meeting in opposition to
the rezoning left with many
yelling comments to the
commissioners, including
“your property values just
fell,” “you can’t fix stupid
sitting up there,” “You don’t
care about the people,” “it’s
all about money” and “vote
them out of office.”
OTHER ZONING
In other zoning-related
requests, the BOC:
•agreed to a request from
Dotson Road LLC to with
draw the application to
change the conditions to
allow the road to remain
gravel instead of being
improved with asphalt pave
ment. The applicant plans to
instead seek rezoning of the
property.
•approved a request from
Elaine Brown Coile to
rezone 9.8 acres at 179 LBJ
Road, Nicholson, from A-2
to AR to split the property
as her mother’s will speci
fies.
•approved several amend
ments to the unified devel
opment code, including
adding references to overlay
districts and other editing.
YATES
Coach under investigation
THE FORMER girls’ softball coach at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School is reportedly under investigation for
having a possible “inappropriate” relationship with a student.
The coach, who was also a teacher at West Jackson Middle
School, resigned Dec. 3.
Officials close to the situation confirmed to Mainstreet
Newspapers that a criminal investigation had been undertaken in
the matter. No charges have been filed.
School officials would only confirm that the softball coaching
position was currently open.
County manager’s contract
extended for another year
BYANGELA GARY
COUNTY manager Darrell
Hampton’s contract was extend
ed for one year Monday night
by the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners following a
30-minute closed session.
BOC chairman Hunter
Bicknell and commission
ers Bruce Yates, Dwain Smith
and Tom Crow voted in favor
of extending the contract.
Commissioner Chas Hardy
was not at the meeting due to a
death in his family.
The BOC also discussed
Hampton’s contract in a
30-minute closed session last
week. No comments were
made about the matter during
the open session.
No changes were made to
Hampton’s contract and he was
not given a raise.
In other business at Monday’s
meeting, the BOC appointed
the following:
•Jim Dove, industrial devel
opment authority.
•A1 Venable and Jimmy Ford,
planning commission.
•Don Seagraves and Shirley
Turner, board of adjustment.
•Charles Harrington and
Larry Marchinton, dangerous
dog committee.
•Jay Phillips. Jimmy Peck
and Helen Gunnels, parks and
recreation advisory board.
•Dwayne Ansley and Jack
Legg, Keep Jackson Beautiful.
•Susan Chaisson and Priscilla
Daves, natural historic resourc
es advisory council.
•Lucille Law. Northeast
Georgia Aging Services advi
sory council.
•Tom Page and Bruce Yates,
Northeast Georgia Solid Waste
Management Authority.
Unemployment rate skyrockets
AFTER FALLING to sin
gle digit territory in October,
Jackson County’s unemploy
ment rate jumped nearly a
full point in November, back
above 10 percent. It left
Jackson as having one of the
highest rates in Northeast
Georgia.
For November, Jackson’s
rate hit 10.6 percent, far above
October’s 9.8 percent rate and
almost as much as November
2009 which was 10.8 percent.
The state rate for November
was 10.3 percent.
According to the state’s
numbers, some 2,848 people
were unemployed in Jackson
County in November.
Holiday closings listed
AREA governments have
announced when their offices
will be closed for the Christmas
and New Year’s Day holidays.
Both holidays fall on a Saturday
this year.
ARCADE
The Arcade City Hall will
be closed all day on Friday,
Dec. 24. in observance of the
Christmas holiday.
For the New Year’s holiday,
the Arcade City Hall will be
closed all day on Friday. Dec.
31.
BRASELTON
The Braselton Town Hall will
be closed all day Thursday and
Friday, Dec. 23-24 in obser
vance of the Christmas holiday.
For the New Year’s holiday,
the Braselton Town Hall will be
open half of the day, from 8 a.m.
to noon on Thursday, Dec. 30; it
will be closed all day on Friday,
Dec. 31. No council meetings
will be affected by the closings.
COMMERCE
The Commerce City Hall will
be closed all day on Friday.
Dec. 24, in observance of the
Christmas holiday.
For the New Year’s holiday,
the Commerce City Hall will
be closed all day on Friday.
Dec. 31.
HOSCHTON
In Hoschton. city hall will
be closed on Friday, Dec. 24;
and Monday and Tuesday, Dec.
27-28 for the Christmas holi
day.
The Hoschton City Hall will
also be closed on Friday, Dec.
31, in observance of the New
Year’s Day holiday.
Also, the Hoschton City
Council will hold its work ses
sion on Thursday, Dec. 30, and
regular meeting on Monday.
Jan. 3, both at 7 p.m. The coun
cil had previously posted differ
ent dates for those meetings.
JACKSON COUNTY
The Jackson County govern
ment offices will be closed on
continued on page 5A