Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. OCTOBER 21.2010 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 17A
Elect"
RICK J ASPERSE
OUR State Representative
Rick has lived, worked and raised his family right here.
Rick served our community as the County Agent
for Pickens County for 27 years.
let’s send Rick to Atlanta to:
Reduce Spending • Reduce Taxes
Encourage Entrepreneurs
A trusted proven leader, a conservative problem
solver and an independent thinker,
Rick will listen and work for us!
ESCPWIilll
State Representative
www.Ricklasperse.org • rick@Ricklasperse.org
Facebook: RiCk2010 • 770-893-2039
Paid for by Citizens for Rick Jasperse
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Executive Appreciation
Dinner being held Oct. 26
In celebration of National
Boss Day which was observed
Oct. 16, the Appalachian Chapter
of International Association of
Administrative Professionals® is
hosting a dinner to honor execu
tives at their meeting on Oct. 26.
This dinner meeting is open to all
area administrative professionals
and their boss. Attendees are not
required to be members of IAAP.
GA Division IAAP President
Nina Hubbard, CAP, will be the
guest speaker presenting a pro
gram honoring the well deserved
executives that keep organiza
tions running successfully.
The executive appreciation
dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. at
Crust Restaurant in Jasper. Ad
vanced reservations must be
made by Monday, Oct. 25 at
noon. Contact Sheri Crowe,
CPS/CAP, at 706-253-2457 or e-
mail scrowe@pickensprogress-
com or Rena Morris, CPS/CAP,
at 678-493-6260 or e-mail
rena@brjc.net
Continued from Page 1A
Ethics complaints against
Commissioner Jones
the Pickens County Board of
Elections that has never been fol
lowed up on or, “even acknowl
edged,” by the board.
Bridges also claims that
Layne Arnold, who was at the
time serving as Pickens County’s
Public Safety Officer, resigned
because of political pressure
from Jones during the 2008 elec
tion.
Jones filed his response to
the charges with the State Ethics
Commission on Oct. 12. If the
commission deems there are
grounds to proceed, the com
plaints will be brought before the
commission at an informal pre
liminary hearing.
Jones also sent the Progress
the following signed press re
lease in response to Bridges’ ac
cusations:
“On Sept. 8, 2010 Leon
Bridges filed a complaint with
the State Ethics Commission
based upon acts that he alleges I
committed two years ago. This
complaint was filed weeks after
Pickens County prevailed
against Mr. Bridges’ company,
Mortgage Alliance, in the federal
lawsuit it filed against the
county. Mr. Bridges has cost the
taxpayers of Pickens County un
necessary attorney’s fees as well
as costs in the defense of this
lawsuit. In fact, the federal judge
has ordered Mr. Bridges’ com
pany to reimburse the taxpayers
almost $15,000 of court costs
and fees. As of this date, Mr.
Bridges has not reimbursed the
taxpayers. A few weeks prior to
our vote on the multi-man com
mission, Mr. Bridges walked into
the newspaper office and asked
that it investigate the ethics com
plaint he planned to file against
me.
“In the complaint, Mr.
Bridges alleges that I forced
county employees to campaign
for me. This allegation is, of
course, not true. I have never al
lowed political campaigning of
any kind to be performed by a
county employee while that em
ployee is being paid by the tax
payers. Once I had been elected,
I adopted a policy prohibiting
this activity by our employees.
“Mr. Bridges also alleges that
I failed to report a campaign do
nation within two working days
of my receipt of the donation.
State law requires candidates for
state-wide offices to report dona
tions of this type within two
working days; however, these re
quirements do not apply to can
didates for county and city
offices. I reported all campaign
donations as required by state
law.
“Last year, I made a cam
paign contribution to Tom
Graves’ Congressional cam
paign. I disclosed this contribu
tion as required, and Mr. Bridges
does not dispute that in his com
plaint. However, his third allega
tion against me claims that Mr.
Graves did not report this contri
bution in his required disclo
sures. I do not know if he did or
did not; however, I certainly
have no control over Mr. Graves’
disclosures.
“I consider the trust that the
citizens of Pickens County place
in me as the highest honor a man
can receive. I will not violate that
trust; and I hope that you join
with me in a shared disgust for
individuals who would make dis
honorable, baseless claims to sat
isfy their own personal agendas.
“Thank you for your contin
ued support, trust, and confi
dence in me.”
The press release was signed
by Rob Jones.
Continued from Page 1A
Tax collections up since
opening of Walmart
lection. While the Walmart bump
should add a lot over the next
year, collection projections have
been re-adjusted downward sev
eral times since 2005 when the
current SPLOST was approved
by voters. Originally the school
system projected $23 million in
revenue over the five years, but
that has been reduced closer to
$19 million.
In the financial report, it was
also noted the schools received a
very good report from auditors.
The school audit only showed
one finding, that regarding the
method used to pay school board
members. This was described as
a technical finding that has been
corrected. It involved the way
the payroll department handled
per-diem pay paid to school
board members for their atten
dance at school board meetings.
Trammell said the audit
process has become much more
intense in the past years with ad
ditional reports required.
Trammell said state auditors
now use a “fine-toothed comb.”
He praised central office staff for
their cooperation with the audit
and the results.
“Good work, everybody,”
Trammell said. “It was a very
good audit, and that was good to
see.”
During one of the shortest
meetings in recent years, the
school board conducted little
business aside from general re
ports.
Among the reports:
• Director of Operations
Lloyd Shaddix reported grounds-
keeping at all campuses is now
divided between three local com
panies: Hemlocks Landscaping,
Kevin Goble Landscaping, and
Bruce’s Landscaping (Bruce
Lemon).
Shaddix said there is still
some work done by school main
tenance employees.
Outsourcing the bulk of the
landscaping has produced some
financial savings, especially
when costs of repairing or re
placing equipment is figured in,
Shaddix said.
Superintendent Ballew noted
in a follow-up interview that
using local companies saves the
school system a little money and
benefits the community.
• Shaddix, who also handles
transportation, reported that bus
routes for Jasper Elementary
School have been adjusted to add
one route. He said Jasper Ele
mentary has seen the most
growth for this school year, “and
all chose to ride the bus, which is
a good thing.”
He said the revamped sched
ule, which began this week,
“should get kids home earlier
and with less overcrowding.”
Continued from Page 1A
Trick or Treat times
up early for school the next day,
but he felt it would lead to more
confusion year to year to start
changing the date.
“We apologize for any incon
venience, but as mayor of a small
city, I can’t change the date of
Halloween,” he said. “The 31st
of October is and always will be
Halloween, and it’s not my job to
change that.”
Weaver said trick or treating
ends early enough for kids to get
home and in bed without falling
asleep in class the next day. As
for the issue with it being on
Sunday, Weaver said that if folks
have a problem with it being on
Sunday, they likely won’t like
trick or treating in general.
“Halloween is more of a com
mercial event than anything else.
It’s about kids getting candy,” he
said.
TECA
Plantation
All New
Friday«
Saturday
Nights
Spin-Midnight
Every
weekend
Oct. 8—Oct. 30
$10 0# -Adults
$5 (KI -8 & Under
For
Information
706-515-5448
706-273-0803
tecaplant@
hotmail.com
Off Hwy 53
West
1/2 mi. from
Wendy’s in
Jasper
Follow Signs