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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011
JOINER SPEAKS TO JABA
Jefferson Mayor Jim Joiner (R) spoke to the Jefferson Area Business Association on
Thursday at the monthly meeting. Also shown is Shawn Watson, JABA vice presi
dent. Photo by Sharon Hogan
Jefferson mayor gives update at JABA
BY SHARON HOGAN
FIVE HUNDRED new job positions came in
to the City of Jefferson in 2010. This is just one
of the facts about the city that was highlighted
by Jefferson Mayor Jim Joiner as he spoke to
the Jefferson Area Business Association on
Thursday, Jan. 20.
Systemax brought in 400 of the new jobs
when it opened its facility on Hog Mountain
Road.
Joiner, mayor of Jefferson since 2001, stated
the population in Jefferson was 3,825 in 2000
and the estimate for 2009 is 7,917.
“We expect this to be up some when the final
numbers are in,” Joiner said.
Joiner said building permits in Jefferson have
decreased from 162 in 2007 to six in 2010.
Other highlights pointed out by Joiner were:
•the city took over ownership of the Crawford
Long Museum in 2009 and in 2010 a one-year
celebration was held.
•102,000 books were checked out at the
Jefferson Public Library during 2010.
•there were approximately 10,000 partici
pants in Jefferson Recreation Department pro
grams during 2010.
•the Jefferson Police Department obtained
state certification in 2010. “Our police depart
ment is one of only 100 out of 700 departments
in the state who are state certified.” Joiner said.
•the city has obtained two grants, one for
$920,000 and one for $300,000, to go towards
the $1.8 million total price tag for the filtration
change-out at the city's water plant.
•the city planted 111 trees in 2010. The trees
were purchased with American Recovery &
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant funds.
•the city received an ARRA grant for
$327,000 to fund the parking lot extension at
the Jefferson Civic Center.
•CVS Pharmacy is coming to Jefferson. Work
is underway on the CVS site near the Kroger
shopping center.
Joiner talked about the ongoing work on the
downtown streetscape project. “Downtown is a
mess right now,” Joiner said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Thursday’s JABA meet
ing:
•vice president Shawn Watson announced the
new officers for 2011.
•Watson announced that Reba Cash will be
retiring from Community Bank & Trust and
Wayne Garrison will be taking over her position
with the bank.
The JABA meeting for February is set for
11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the meeting
room at Community Bank & Trust. Memorial
Drive, Jefferson.
Nicholson council approves paying off loan
BY SHARON HOGAN
IN A UNANIMOUS vote at Thursday’s meet
ing. the Nicholson City Council voted to spend
$142,848 to pay off a loan.
Council member Chuck Wheeler made the
motion to pay off the city’s existing United States
Department of Agriculture Rural Development
loan.
“This loan is costing us about $600 per month in
interest.” Mayor Ronnie Maxwell said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Thursday’s meeting:
•Maxwell appointed council member Bobby
Crawford as mayor pro tern. Maxwell advised
the city’s charter was drawn up so that each year
a different council member is appointed as mayor
pro tern. ‘This way everybody on the council will
serve as mayor pro tem for a year.” Maxwell said.
Maxwell read aloud the section of the city charter
dealing with this appointment by the mayor.
•Maxwell announced plans for a Nicholson
Daisy Festival meeting set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday,
Feb. 8, at the community center.
•Maxwell announced that due to lack of business
the city council meeting set for 7 p.m. on Monday,
Feb. 7, has been cancelled. The next meeting will
be the council work session at 7 p.m. on Thursday,
Feb. 18. at the community center.
•Nicholson resident Paul Cartledge told the
council that a man at his church in Commerce
on Wednesday night commented on how good
the City of Nicholson looked as he was driving
through town. “He talked about how clean it is as
you are driving through,” Cartledge said. Maxwell
said, “That is a compliment on our maintenance
crew. Mike and Terry do a good job.”
•Maxwell announced plans for the “Turning
America’s Heart Back to God” rally planned for
7 p.m. on Friday. Feb. 4, at New Hope Baptist
Church. “They will meet at The Redd House at
5 p.m. for supper before the rally,” Maxwell said.
The ladies of the church will hold a prayer meet
ing for the rally at 10 a.m. on Feb. 3 and 4.
•Nicholson Planning and Zoning Board mem
ber Jan Webster commented on the planning
and zoning class she attended on Jan. 19, along
with other Nicholson staff. “I really learned a
lot. I came away with a lot of good information.”
Webster said.
•Webster asked the council to enforce the city’s
sign ordinance. “I really wish you would enforce
your ordinances - especially the sign ordinance.
Take down the signs that don’t meet the guide
lines,” Webster said.
School board names principal
as new asst, superintendent
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
AN ADMINISTRATIVE
position once cut in a round
of layoffs will be back on
the payroll for the Jackson
County School System, the
board of education decided
on Thursday.
The position of assistant
superintendent of human
resources — which was once
held by Keith Everson —
will be filled immediately
by Kathy Elrod, a long-time
educator and principal at
North Jackson Elementary
School.
The Jackson County School
System has 1,350 employees
spread across 14 facilities,
according to superintendent
Shannon Adams. The dis
trict’s part-time personnel
director. Sarah Greene, has
been handling most employ
ment issues.
“We’re at the point now
where we can’t make that
work anymore,” Adams
said.
The board’s decision came
after a 45-minute closed-
door meeting to discuss per
sonnel.
The assistant superinten
dent position was one of 38
teaching and non-teaching
positions cut by the board
of education in March 2009.
when the Jackson County
School System was facing
a budget shortfall. The dis
trict later pulled out of a
$908,600 deficit, but after
a second round of layoffs in
April 2010.
The assistant superinten
dent will be responsible for
handling employee benefits,
contracts and recruitment,
along with investigations
and managing the sick leave
bank. It also includes the
hiring, evaluation and dis
missal of personnel, among
other duties.
Elrod will have a tran
sition period between her
new duties at the central
office and helping at North
Jackson Elementary School,
Adams said.
The school system will
immediately advertise with
in the district to fill the prin
cipal’s position at NJES, he
said. Adams expects the job
will be filled quickly.
NEW COACH
The Jackson County Board
of Education also named a
new head football coach at
East Jackson Comprehensive
High School, after its former
coach resigned in the after-
math of a vandalism incident
during the fall.
Brian Smith, a head
coach at Hebron Christian
Academy, was named to the
head football coach position
at EJCHS. He was also a for
mer head football coach at
North Greenville University
in South Carolina and played
at Clemson University
(see separate story in the
sports section for additional
details).
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
BOE:
•learned that the school
system will pay a total of
$3,700, as part of a negoti
ated settlement for clean
ing up the former Sikes Oil
Service. The district was a
customer of the Arcade oil
recycling business, which
was closed after a 2005
explosion killed a man.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
later ordered 68 groups that
used the business — includ
ing the school system — to
fund their share of the clean
up costs. Superintendent
Adams has been involved
in the negotiations. The cost
equals $2.95 per a gallon for
the 1,295 gallons of used
motor oil the school system
took to Sikes over a three-
year period.
•learned that with 50
percent of the fiscal year
complete, the school system
has collected 58 percent of
budgeted revenue and spent
46 percent of expenses. The
school system received a
large portion of its local
taxes — 78 percent — in
December, when property
taxes were due.
•learned that the lat
est Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
collection for November
totaled $416,780, compared
to $413,000 in October. In
November 2009, the dis
trict received $399,370 in
SPLOST revenue.
•approved a new pol
icy related to seclusion
or restraint of students.
Superintendent Adams said
the district didn’t receive
any public comments about
the proposal, after it was on
the table for the board’s con
sideration for a month.
•approved the employ
ment of Milton Clinkscales.
band director, East Jackson
Middle School.
•approved the resigna
tions of Matha Mejias, spe
cial education paraprofes-
sional, EJCHS; and Cecilia
Chandler, special education
paraprofessional, EJCHS.
•approved a leave of
absence for educational rea
sons for Cynthia Boswell,
Title I paraprofessional,
WJMS.
•learned that the school
system’s special education
department was honored by
the state for being a top
district in Georgia for its
special education students
meeting or exceeding stan
dards. The Jackson County
School System met four
out of seven target areas to
receive the honor.
•learned that Benton
Elementary School was
a gold award winner for
the Single Statewide
Accountability System for
greatest gains in student
achievement. BES was one
of 22 schools in Georgia
to receive a gold award in
the category. Other Jackson
County schools were also
honored by the state and will
be recognized at the board’s
meeting in February.
•learned that East
Jackson Middle School has
been selected as one of 15
schools in the state to be a
2011 Georgia Lighthouse
Schools to Watch. The pro
gram is part of the National
Forum, which includes
more than 60 experts ded
icated to improving edu
cation. EJMS principal
Heidi Hill said the program
encourages schools to move
from “good to great.” EJMS
will benefit from additional
mentoring and networking
opportunities among other
schools, along with other
benefits, she said.
Kidd to serve as Jefferson mayor pro tem
BY ANGELA GARY
LONG-TIME Jefferson
city councilman C.D. Kidd
III was named Monday
night to serve as mayor
pro tem.
In other appointments at
the monthly council meet
ing, Priscilla Murphy was
named to serve as city
election superintendent.
In other business Monday night, the coun
cil approved the following:
•establishing the qualifying fees for the
2011 city elections.
•a resolution to authorize membership in
the Georgia Municipal Association’s work
ers’ compensation self-insurance fund.
•a resolution to authorize volunteer fire
men, certified volunteer policemen and elect
ed officers to be covered under workers’
compensation.
•a quit-claim deed for .015 acres at 252
Martin Street between the city and Karen
Herring. The property was abandoned by the
city many years ago and Jefferson has no
claim to the land, according to city attorney
Ronnie Hopkins.
•the tree council’s sustainable community
forest master plan.
The council also held a closed session to
discuss property acquisition. No action was
taken when the meeting was opened to the
public.
Area schools named Title I Distinguished Schools
A NUMBER of schools in
Jackson County were named
Georgia Title I Distinguished
Schools by state school super
intendent John Barge on
Thursday.
“These schools have shown
that high expectations, hard
work and collaboration do
improve student achieve
ment,” Barge said in a state
ment. “I’m so pleased to rec
ognize the educators, students
and parents in these schools
and school districts.”
Title I schools have a sig
nificant population of students
who are economically disad
vantaged and receive federal
money to assist with the edu
cation of their students.
Title I Distinguished Schools
have made Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) at least three
years in a row and are given
a certificate. Those that have
made AYP four or more years
receive a monetary award paid
out of federal funds.
Overall, 868 schools in
Georgia were named Title I
Distinguished Schools.
In Jackson County, those
schools were: Benton
Elementary School,
Commerce Primary School,
South Jackson Elementary
School, Commerce
Elementary School, North
Jackson Elementary School.
Jefferson Middle School. East
Jackson Elementary School.
West Jackson Middle School,
Maysville Elementary School
and East Jackson Middle
School, all of which will
receive a $742 award each.
Kings Bridge Middle
School and Jefferson
Academy were also named
Title I Distinguished Schools
and will receive certificates.
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