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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010 • VOLUME 123 NUMBER 25
JASPER, GEORGIA • 500
Ethics complaints filed against commissioner
Jones says “baseless”accusations made by “disgruntled developer”
By Angela Reinhardt
Formal complaints have been filed with
the State Ethics Commission against Sole
Commissioner Rob Jones and previous
county economic developer Larry Toney.
Jones says, however, there is no validity
to the charges and states further that Leon
Bridges, the man filing the complaints, has
a personal vendetta against Pickens County
government and against Jones himself for
lost court cases, court ordered fees, and for
being denied permits for a planned housing
development.
On August 6, 2008 Leon Bridges, CEO
of Mortgage Alliance Corporation, Inc.
filed a suit stating the county impeded de
velopment of the proposed 240-lot Silver-
stone subdivision on Parker Road. Bridges
lost his case in federal court but is continu
ing to pursue judgement against the county
in state court. According to Bridges’
Sept. 7 filing with the ethics commission,
Bridges made three separate complaints.
He accuses Jones of “illegal use of public
employees in a political campaign,” as well
as failing to file a $1,000 campaign contri
bution in a timely manner, and filing an in
complete contribution report regarding a
$1,000 donation made to the Tom Graves
campaign.
In his formal complaint, Bridges claims
that during the 2008 election campaign, in
which Jones was running for re-election,
there were monthly county meetings held
where department heads were assigned
tasks by then economic developer Larry
Toney to ensure Jones was re-elected.
“Each of these monthly meetings lasted
one-and-a-half hours,” Bridges states in his
complaint. “Larry Toney was the modera
tor with Commissioner Jones in attendance.
At these meetings, Mr. Toney would write
on the board, #1 goal, Robert to be re
elected, and each department head would
be assigned tasks to accomplish #1 goal.”
In 2008 Larry Toney served, and is cur
rently serving, as head of the Pickens
County Republican Party. Toney also
served as a paid county consultant until he
resigned following Progress inquiries this
August into his duties and compensation as
a paid consultant.
Bridges goes on to state in his complaint
that during the 2008 primary election
Jones, “on three separate times...entered
the polling place,” after being asked by the
Pickens County Supervisor of Elections
and Registration Julianne Roberts to leave,
and further that Roberts filed an E-mailed
complaint with Continued on Page 17A
All Pickens schools
and system make AYP
By Dan Pool
When the final numbers
were calculated, all Pickens
schools and the school system
as a whole achieved the coveted
AYP status, according to the
state’s records.
In an initial report released
in July, all schools here had
made AYP (Adequate Yearly
Progress), but the system as a
whole was listed as not attain
ing that status.
Superintendent Mike Ballew
said he knew that was incorrect
and appealed the non-perform
ing status. Ballew said he
checked the state’s website reg
ularly to see if the status had
been officially changed to pass
ing.
Friday, October 15, was the
day the final report was finally
released, showing all Pickens
schools and the system now
listed in green for having met
the increasingly tough stan
dards.
This marks the fifth year in a
row the county-wide system
has made AYP, something less
than one-quarter of all systems
in the state can claim this year.
Ballew said this is quite a
distinction as only 46 systems
out of Georgia’s 186 total made
AYP. And fewer than 30 sys
tems statewide accomplished
what Pickens did with all
schools and the system making
By Christie Pool
Are city and county officials
and Jasper merchants giving lo
cals a trick or a treat this Hal
loween? All three have
announced plans to open trick or
treating for residents Friday, Sat
urday, or Sunday depending on
where you claim your haunting
grounds. This may thrill kids and
parents alike as kids can load up
on a year’s worth of candy, and
parents can see costumes used
more than once.
For little goblins and ghouls
who enjoy seeing hundreds of
costumes ranging from clowns
and cute cartoon characters to
downright scary creatures of the
night like swamp monsters and
vampires, the Jasper Merchants
Association invites you to Main
Street on Friday, Oct. 29 from 4
to 6 p.m.
“It’s a great benefit for the
kids,” said Merchant’s Associa
tion President Ross Galbreath of
Hollywood FX Hair Studio.
“Those people who live in far
out areas have a place to go and
trick or treat that’s safe.”
With huge turnouts every
year for downtown trick or treat
ing, Galbreath said it’s always
fun to see the kids and adults
who get involved all decked out
in fun and fancy costumes.
“It’s really great to see every
one get into it, especially the
grown-ups,” Galbreath said.
Commissioner Rob Jones in
vites county residents to trick or
treat on Saturday, Oct. 30 from
dusk until 8 p.m.
“Because of church being on
Sunday and kids having to go
AYP.
“It feels good to do this,”
Ballew said. “It gets tougher
every year.”
Assistant Superintendent
Tommy Qualls said every year
the state raises the bar on what
it takes to make AYP status, in
creasing required percentages
on graduation tests for high
school students and on other
scores.
He said in the next year,
there will a big jump in what is
required to make AYP.
Ballew said he considers this
AYP status a good indicator of
how local systems stack up, be
cause it is the state setting stan
dards and judging all aspects of
schools and of school systems.
He said there are no statistics or
subjective comparables. It’s just
pass or fail.
Of the schools making AYP,
a high percentage come from
the northeast portion of the
state. Of the regional group that
includes Pickens County, there
are seven school systems in its
(RESA) group. Of these sys
tems, five of the seven had all
schools and the system make
AYP. Pickens, Fannin, and
Gilmer counties all made that
status, while other nearby coun
ties such as Gordon, Murray,
Whitfield, and Cherokee did
not.
back to school on Monday, par
ticularly for those two reasons,
we’re having trick or treating on
Saturday,” Jones said.
Jones said it is of course op
tional for parents when they
want to take their children trick
or treating. Saturday night, he
said, is just a suggestion. Jones
said people calling his office in
quiring about Halloween had
concerns about trick or treating
on Sunday night, which is actu
ally Halloween, because of Sun
day evening chinch services and
school the next day.
“A lot of people didn’t want
to mix the two together. Every
body just thought it would be
better to have it on Saturday, but
it’s normally a parent’s decision.
Government can only do so
much. We just put it out there.
It’s just a suggestion,” he said.
For residents inside the city
of Jasper, Mayor John Weaver is
staying old school, keeping trick
or treating on Halloween. Jasper
residents will trick or treat Sun
day, Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m.
“Well, let’s just say if you
miss trick or treating this year,
it’s your own fault,” Weaver
quipped. “The biggest concern is
trying to have too many Hal
loweens. The merchants are on
Friday, and I understand the
county has made it Saturday. Our
position in the city is we’ve al
ways tried to keep it on the 31 st,
which is Halloween, to prevent
any confusion.”
Weaver said he understands
the concern over Halloween
falling on a night kids have to
get Continued on Page 17A
By Dan Pool
Greg Lovell officially became
Jasper’s Chief of Police with a
swearing-in ceremony Friday,
October 15, at city hall.
Lovell, who succeeded 29-
year veteran Harold Cantrell,
spoke to the large crowd of law
enforcement, court, and county
officials on hand, saying the
Jasper Police Department will
continue with its high record of
service, as it is staffed, “by a
bunch of good guys.”
“We will be compassionate
and show discretion, but that
doesn’t mean we won’t be tough
on crime,” said the 14-year vet
eran of the Jasper department.
Lovell said he will follow a
saying he heard at police chief
school, “I can’t do it all, but I’ll
do all I can.”
Lovell thanked all law en
forcement agencies represented
and acknowledged their resource
as a “vast amount of knowledge.”
He said he will seek their advice
when necessary.
Cantrell gave thanks in an
opening prayer that during his
time as chief there was never a se
rious injury to any officer, nor any
officer killed in the line of duty.
Lovell began his career in law
enforcement in 1987, joining the
Atlanta Police Department after
service in the U.S. Army. While
on the Atlanta force, Lovell
worked for several years on
horseback, patrolling at large
events.
After building a home in Elli-
jay, Lovell hired on with the City
of Jasper Police Department in
1996, where he has worked since.
Lovell is married with one
step-daughter. He and his family
reside in Ellijay.
As part of his training to be
come chief, Lovell attended the
Chief Executive Training Class
for newly appointed chiefs of po
lice, held in Duluth from October
4 through October 13.
The 60-hour course, adminis
tered and provided by the Georgia
Association of Chiefs of Police, is
required by state law for all newly
appointed heads of law enforce
ment agencies.
The curriculum is designed to
give the newly appointed law en
forcement administrators training
on police management and to in
form them of laws and policies af
fecting their departments.
Chief Lovell was among 49
law enforcement administrators
attending the course.
HERITAGE DAYS HITS HOME RUN -Above, one of Ellijay's Apple Ridge Woodturners wowed
crowds at the annual Talking Rock Heritage Days festival held last weekend. Perfect festival weather brought
large crowds to the event, where dozens of food, arts and crafts vendors and demonstrators set up camp
on Main Street. Festival-goers also enjoyed live music from gospel and bluegrass bands while perusing
Talking Rock's downtown antique shops. Heritage Days is held the third weekend in October each year.
School Board holds October meeting
Walmart impacts sales tax
collection in a positive way
School .V receive clean audit report
By Dan Pool
In the first full month of sales tax collections
since Jasper’s new Walmart opened, it was estimated
the mega-retailer added about $60,000 to monthly
sales tax revenue returned to the school system, ac
cording to a report at Thursday’s Board of Education
meeting.
During the October meeting, Amy Burgess, chief
financial officer for the schools, reported the
SPLOST check for September was $378,000. The
state of Georgia calculates and disburses sales tax
revenue to counties, schools, and other recipients.
The latest check to the state was up from
$314,000 in August and the $300,000 sent in July.
Burgess said in a follow-up interview that collec
tions for the past 12 months had averaged $310,500
per month.
Burgess said collections have been consistent
over the past year, so the impact of Walmart on the
September check was easy to pinpoint.
Commenting at the meeting, School Board Chair
man John Trammell said, “This is $60,000 in sales
tax that we’re keeping in Pickens County, that is not
going to Cherokee or Gilmer counties.”
The schools are in the fourth year of a five-year
sales tax (SPLOST) col- Continued on Page 17A
Headache or stomachache?
Three days of Trick-or-Treat
to be seen in Pickens
Greg Lovell takes over as Chief
of Police for City of Jasper
Mayor John Weaver delivers the oath of office to Jasper Police Chief
Greg Lovell in a ceremony last Friday
Letters to the Editor 14A
People 23A
Sports 1B
Legals 6B
Classifieds 15B
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What’s Inside
Meth supplier busted
The Pickens County Sher
iffs Office and the Zell
Miller Mountain Parkway
Drug Task Force have
ended a one-month investi
gation of a Marble Hill
home where cash and a
large supply of meth have
been seized. Four arrests
were made, but officers say
more are possible.
Page 19A
Christ, fun included
Pickens County Young Life
prides itself on building
strong relationships with
adolescents in an attempt
to bring kids closer to
Christ. Local chapter of the
national Young Life pro
gram is hosting a fundrais
ing banquet on Nov. 4 at
Sharptop Cove, and they
would love for you to at
tend. Page 18A
Like wine? Love art?
Sharptop Arts Association
is holding its first ever
Wine & Art Event in their
Visionary’ Gardens, located
directly behind the arts
center. Participants will
enjoy wine tastings, silent
auctions, food and enter
tainment, but tickets are
selling fast. Learn how to
get in on the fun inside.
Page 16A
Now you can be a
Retired Educator, too
The Pickens County Re
tired Educators have
changed their by-laws, and
now any person who has
shared interest in the asso
ciation may become a
member. Page 4A
Constitutional
amendments on
simmer at TEA Party
meeting
In what is sure to be one of
the final community forums
on the approaching Nov. 2
General Election, the Pick
ens County TEA Party has
invited State Rep. Rick
Jasperse to "cut through
the legalese" of proposed
constitutional amendments.
The public is invited to at
tend this informative event.
Page 8A
Deaths
William Roberts
Brandi Marshall
Laura Martin
Marcelle Burgess
OBITUARIES, Page 20A
Weather
By WILLIAM DILBECK
HI
LOW
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Monday
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