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Page 2A — Wednesday, November 18, 2009, TheTrue Citizen
EBA actors win state; Broome named all-state performer
ByTres Bragg
tresbragg @ bellsouth .net
It was lights, camera and a lot
of action for Edmund Burke
Academy’s One Act Play cast
this year.
For the first time since 2001,
the cast and crew captured the
GISA AA state championship
with their rendition of “The
Ransom of Emily Jane.” Judges
praised EBA crew members for
their effective use of scenery,
high energy, proper enunciation
and good characterization.
Edmund Burke beat out eight
other schools across the state to
bring home the trophy. Lily
Broome took home one of five
all-state performer slots and her
fellow cast member, Torey
Flowers, was named honorable
mention all-state.
Edmund Burke also won the
region championship just weeks
before taking the state title. Jen
nifer McDaniel, Broome and
Flowers were all selected as all
region performers. They fdled
three of the six all-region slots.
ENCORE
The public will have two more
chances to see Edmund Burke
Academy perform their champi
onship play. The first will come in
March 2010 when they perform
at the Center for New Beginnings
during their dinner theatre night.
Burke County High School will
also perform on same night.
Edmund Burke’s second perfor
mance will be in the school’s
gymnasium, however, a date and
time has not been finalized.
One Act Play cast members
are, from left, Cody Ashe,
Marian Byne, Torey Flowers,
Lily Broome, Wilson
Blanchard, Amber Bowman,
Tabitha Trent and Jennifer
McDaniel. Other members are
Sammy Seay, Nathan Kittrell,
Laney Lewis, Nelson Liu and
Adrienne Sharpe. Coaches are
Linda Byne and Carol
Johnson.
Waynesboro election costs more than $50 per vote
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
The low-show election for
a Ward 3 city council seat has
cost Waynesboro taxpayers at
least $50 a vote.
Of the ward’s 1,000-plus
pool of voters, only 93 cast
ballots Nov. 3.
Although all the bills are
not yet in, Barbara Hammett,
executive director of the
Burke County Board of Elec
tions and Registrations, esti
mates the total will run just
under $5,000 for the costs of
poll workers, election techni
cians, legal ads and printing.
And the bucks don’t stop
there. The low turn-out may
have also contributed to the
mandatory Dec. 1 runoff elec
tion between incumbent
Curtis Bell and candidate
Portia Lodge Washington.
Bell received 36 votes to
Washington’s 32.
Interest in the Ward 3’s race
was so low, only three more
ballots were cast there than in
Keysville, where only 166
residents are registered to
vote. But Washington be
lieves that if the poll had been
closer, more Ward 3 residents
would have cast ballots
Citing lack of transporta
tion as a major hindrance, she
sent a letter to local officials
Nov. 4 requesting that the
run-off election be housed at
the neighborhood Davis Park
Center, rather than the Burke
County Office Park which is
around two miles from most
residences in the ward.
“All other voting district
polls are convenient to the
people of their district,” she
wrote, calling for a polling
site voters can walk to. “The
people of Ward three need the
opportunity to be actively in
volved in their community
election process by exercising
their right to vote without hin
drance.”
The Davis Park Center is
owned by the Waynesboro
Housing Authority and leased
by Burke Community Part
nership, for use as a teen cen-
Meet legislators for breakfast
From Staff Reports
The Burke County Chamber
of Commerce will host its third
annual Legislative Breakfast on
Thursday, Dece. 3, at Mobley’s
Cafeteria, in Waynesboro.
The full-plated breakfast will
feature brief statements from
state legislators representing
Burke County, as well as oppor
tunities for questions from the
audience.
Ashley Roberts, Executive Di
rector of the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce, says the
event is an excellent opportunity
to meet local representatives and
hear firsthand about legislative
business going on at the State
Capital.
“It’s important for our com
munity to stay informed and un
derstand the issues going on at
the state level and how these is
sues affect us directly,” Roberts
said. “We hope this gives our
members an opportunity to have
their voices heard on issues that
may affect their business and our
community.”
Tickets for the breakfast are
on sale at the chamber office and
are $10 for chamber members
and $20 for non-chamber mem
bers. For more information on
the event, call 706-554-5451.
Deadline for purchasing tickets
is Monday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.
Downtown Open House
is Sunday
From Staff Reports
Get your holiday shopping
done in downtown Waynesboro.
This Sunday, Nov. 22 the an
nual Christmas Open House will
begin at 1 p.m. with four hours
of only-once-a-year specials at
downtown businesses.
“We’re asking residents to
shop local first this holiday sea
son and support our downtown
businesses,” Downtown Director
Andrea Stein said. “The open
house is full of good cheer and is
a fun way to catch the Christmas
spirit... it’s a tradition in down
town that you won’t want to
miss.”
Shoppers can check off their
lists with great finds from local
retailers and will have a shot at
winning a booklet containing
hundreds of dollars of downtown
gift certificates when they visit
six locations and get their Down
town Dollars card stamped. A
purchase is not necessary to re
ceive the stamp, and Downtown
Dollars drawing cards are avail
able at all participating busi
nesses.
Shoppers who spend $25 or
more will also receive a free in
sulated cooler tote when they
show their receipts to volunteers
in the parking lot between
Frames and Things and the Good
Day Cafe.
Last year, shoppers spent more
than $5,000 during open house.
“That money was invested in
our local businesses and in down
town Waynesboro,” Stein said.
“And those are key factors that
are vital to the Main Street
Waynesboro program’s mission
and the Chamber of Commerce.”
ter.
Although no official deci
sion has been made,
Washington’s request will not
likely become reality - at
least in time for the Dec. 1
runoff.
According to city adminis
trator Jerry Coalson, it would
take several months for the
building to be inspected by
the Department of Justice -
and even then, several ob
stacles could stand in the way
of certification, such as the
seven-space parking lot.
The move would also mean
out-of-pocket expenses for
the city.
“It would cost anywhere
from five to seven thousand
dollars to move the election
there,” Coalson said.
Right now, city elections
for all three Waynesboro
wards are held at the West
Sixth Street office park,
which is located on the edge
of Ward 2. The American Le
gion, located in Ward 1, is uti
lized for state and federal
elections.
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GET YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING DONE
IN DOWNTOWN WAYNESBORO
Community Thanksgiving Service
The churches of Waynesboro will gather at First Baptist
Church on North Liberty Street, 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22 for
the annual Thanksgiving Community Service.
"This service gives us a special opportunity to gather to
gether and to give thanks to God for all of His good and
gracious gifts to us,” said church pastor Dr. A1 Wright. Matt
Wigley from the Waynesboro Church of God will be preach
ing, and both the choir of First Baptist and the Praise Team
will be leading in worship.
The general public and all church congregations are en
couraged to attend. Childcare will be provided.
SHOP LOCAL FIRST
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Sponsored by participating downtown businesses, the Main Street Waynesboro program, and the Burke County Chamber of Commerce | photo courtesy of Allen Smith, Graphicsmith Studios