Newspaper Page Text
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ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 137 NO. 5 44 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Summer fun at the
Boys & Girls Club
page 9A
Op/Ed:
•'CRCT school re
sults; Morris debacle
continues; Bicknell's
disappearing act'
page 4 A
Sports:
•Jackson Co. prepares
for World Series whirl
wind page IB
Features:
•'Dearly Beloved Wife'
and other accounts
from Civil War camps
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 5-16C
•Church News
page 7B
•Obituaries
page 6B
•School News
pages 14&16 A, 10-11B
o -S
Morris among highest paid food admin
To rank 15th
in state in pay
ALTHOUGH former Kings Bridge
Middle School principal Debra Morris
is taking a slight pay cut in her new posi
tion as food services administrator of
the Jackson County School System, her
$97,250 salary will make her the 15th
highest paid food services official in the
state based on 2010 data.
Morris’ salary puts her among much
larger school systems in the state, includ
ing Bibb County. Atlanta Public Schools,
Clayton County, Forsyth County, and
Richmond County, among others.
Morris, whose tenure at KBMS was
riddled with controversy over poor stu
dent test scores, was recently moved from
that position to replace the county’s retir
ing food services director Wanda Oliver.
Morris’ $97,250 salary is eight percent
higher than Oliver’s, who made $89,824
in FY2010 according to state data, but
it’s less than the $101,734 she earned as
principal.
In an e-mail response to an Open
Records request, superintendent Shannon
Adams said Morris’ pay “is nothing more
nor less than where her supplements,
degrees, and years of experience place her
on a pre-determined salary scale.’’
“Dr. Morris actually does have in her
training, background, and experience (in)
a long list of skills and knowledge that
make her highly qualified for the position
she will be filling,” he added.
That experience includes serving in fast
food restaurant management from 1984 to
1994, according to her career background
provided by the school system.
She was also a family and consumer
sciences teacher at Clarke Central High
School in Athens from 1992 to 2003.
During that time, she was honored as
the Georgia ProState Teacher of the Year
and Clarke Central’s Teacher of the Year.
Morris further won top awards at the
Athens school and other grants, scholar
ships and awards.
Morris’ culinary experience includes
training in Charleston, S.C.; Providence.
Rhode Island; and the Art Institute of
Chicago. Her latest training took place
in 2002 — when she completed course
work at Virginia Tech/Culinary Institute
of America, and became a ServSafe certi
fied trainer.
Morris earned a bachelor’s degree in
home economics education from Lander
College in 1983, a master’s degree in
occupational studies from the University
of Georgia in 1998 and an educational
doctorate degree in occupational studies
with a minor in educational leadership
from UGA in 2002.
Morris was the first principal of KBMS,
which opened in 2007. But the school
straggled with poor test results since it
opened under Morris’ leadership.
Howard Glennen. a former principal of
Jefferson Middle School, is coming out
of retirement to fill the position at KBMS
vacated by Morris.
Cheaper by the Dozen
CAST FOR ‘CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN’
The cast of Cheaper by the Dozen is shown at a recent rehearsal. Jay Holl, who plays the father,
speaks to his children, played by the following: Isabella Hisky, Kaylan Hopewell, Savannah
Short, Riley Gross, Gabby Borden, Ashley Rose Moore and Sidney Trunk. See the story and
more photos on page 8A. Photo by Monica Flamini
County may use Jefferson’s building inspector
BYANGELA GARY
JACKSON COUNTY leaders are
considering a proposal to contract
with the City of Jefferson’s building
inspector to handle building inspec
tions for the county.
At a board of commissioners
meeting Monday night, planning
director Gina Mitsdarffer presented
a plan to contract with the City of
Jefferson to use its building inspec
tor, Danny Atkins, on an as-needed
basis. The county would use Atkins
a minimum of 10 hours per week
and as many as 20 hours per week.
The county would pay the city
$39.25 per hour for Atkins’ servic
es. which would include his salary,
benefits, workers compensation and
insurance.
The BOC will vote on this pro
posal when it meets at 6 p.m. on
Monday at the courthouse.
The county building inspector
position is vacant following the
retirement of Jerry Lord, who was
working 20 hours per week.
OTHER BUSINESS
Other items discussed at the meet
ing this week that will also be on the
agenda for a vote Monday include
the following:
•an agreement with the Georgia
Department of Corrections to house
inmates at the Jackson County
Correctional Institute. Warden
Johnny Weaver said the county
would house up to 200 inmates
and would receive $20 per day, per
inmate.
•a resolution adopting a surcharge
for E-911 services on prepaid wire
less services sold in the county.
•a resolution authorizing the chair
man to execute a contract for reim
bursement from the hazardous waste
trust fund. The county will also meet
with state officials to discuss why
only $13,290 of the county’s sub
mission reimbursement costs was
approved. The county had asked to
be reimbursed $122,239.
•authorizing the finance depart
ment to close the Wells Fargo
account for the senior center renova
tion project.
•authorizing the finance depart
ment to establish an inmate release
account with Wells Fargo Bank.
Also at the meeting this week,
the BOC discussed a proposed
agreement with Benson Forrester
to install a siphon system in the lake
located at 1034 Blue Herron Drive.
Commerce, in Montgomery Shores
Subdivision. The BOC agreed to
get the Soil Conservation Service to
look into this situation and make a
recommendation.
Sunday alcohol sales
Jefferson must decide on referendum
BYBENMUNRO
A BEER run on Sunday?
Jefferson city leaders will soon have to choose if they
want to place that option on a November referendum. City
manager John Ward HI told the council Monday that a
decision is needed within the next month or two if the city
wants to include Sunday alcohol sales on the ballot.
Recently-passed Senate Bill 10 allows local jurisdictions
to place the issue on the upcoming referendum. As the city
moves forward with August qualifying, it will also need to
finalize the ballot - including referendum questions - at
the end of that month in preparation for November.
“And this would also be on the ballot at that time if
you so choose to place it on the ballot at that time,” Ward
said.
He added that several cities near Jefferson have already
decided whether to go forth with the referendum or not.
The ballot question would read, “Shall the governing
authority be authorized to permit and regulate package
sales on Sundays between 12:30 and 11:30 p.m.?”
The city must also decide if it wants to include the
package sale of distilled spirits on the referendum since
Jefferson’s current alcohol prohibits those sales.
“I thought as long as we were going to discuss or con
sider Sunday sales, we may want to also look at that as a
possible question for your attention,” Ward said.
Only beer and wine can be sold in package stores in
Jefferson currently.
Ward said he performed a small assessment of some
nearby cities’ sales and believes that there’s a potential
$50,000 of additional sales revenue from adding the sale
of distilled spirits.
When asked if there’s been any interest expressed in
selling distilled spirits. Ward said he receives three to four
calls a month. He also said he’s fielded multiple calls
continued on page 5A
EPA ready to
collect for Sikes
Oil cleanup
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
SIX YEARS after a deadly explosion at Sikes Oil
Service in Arcade, a federal agency is on the verge
of collecting money for its cost to clean up the site.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is seek
ing public comments for its pro
posed settlement agreement with
54 parties responsible for paying
for the cleanup costs of the now-
closed business on U.S. Hwy.
129.
In June 2005. an explosion at
Sikes Oil caused the destruction
of a tanker track filled with oil. the destruction of a
portion of a building on the property and the release
of hazardous substances from tanks and drums
maintained at the site, according to the EPA. The
explosion also caused the instant death of a 42-year-
old contractor.
The EPA removed oil, wastewater and drams
from Sikes Oil from June to September 2006 at a
cost of more than $750,000.
In 2007, the agency entered into an agreement
with Timken U.S. Corporation, which paid more
than $100,000 in its share of the cleanup effort at
Sikes Oil.
The EPA used money from the federal Superfund
continued on page 5A
SIKES
Sales taxes down
IN WHAT WAS supposed to be a year of
economic recovery, so far that isn’t evident in
Jackson County where one key measure contin
ues to fall.
Sales tax revenue to the county government for
the first four months of 2011 lag behind last year
by nearly $100,000. according to data recendy
released by the county.
Through April in 2011. the county collected
$1.6 million compared to $1.7 million at the
same point last year, a decline of nearly six
pecent.
For the month of April, the county was down
$37,000 over the same month in 2010, a drop of
eight percent.
Local governments are heavily dependent on
sales tax revenues in their budgets. But the sales
tax data is also a key economic indicator. Higher
sales tax revenues indicate more sales at local
businesses while lower sales taxes reflect less
business activity.
Jackson County’s peak sales tax income was in
2007 at $6.3 million for the year. That dropped to
a low of just over $5 million in 2009. Last year,
the county was up to $5.2 million. The budget for
2011 is $5.3 million.
But at the current pace, the county could hit a
new low by the end of 2011.
BOC plans retreat
THE JACKSON County Board ol
Commissioners will hold a “retreat” from
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. at
The Georgia Center, located at 1197 South
Lumpkin Street, Athens.
Items on the agenda include comprehensive
plan, financial report, debt profile, goals and
objectives, budget priorities and redistricting.