Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 — Wednesday, September 15, 2010, TheTrue Citizen
Waynesboro council wants
judicial center downtown
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
With early voting for SPLOST
III beginning Sept. 20,
Waynesboro City Council has
adopted a resolution requesting
the proposed judicial center be
constructed downtown.
If voters approve the one-cent
local sales tax on the General Elec
tion ballot, approximately $56
million will be collected over a
period up to five years to pay for
a number of projects in Burke
County and all its municipalities.
Approximately $15 million will
be allocated for the construction
of a new judicial center.
Although Burke County com
missioners have not pinpointed a
location, controversy has already
arisen over whether the center
should be built in downtown
Waynesboro or whether officials
should look to county-owned land
near the library. Others, still, have
pointed to empty buildings like the
old Bi-Lo shopping center.
Waynesboro city council and
Mayor George DeLoach made
their stance clear last Tuesday
when they signed off on a resolu
tion stating the current courthouse
anchors downtown and a move
outside the area would be “detri
mental.”
The resolution was signed at the
request of downtown business
owners and employees who were
represented that night by Jesse
Palmer HI, president of First Na
tional Bank.
“I hope all of us citizens realize
how important it is to pass
SPLOST... it is the fairest tax we
pay,” Palmer said, emphasizing the
importance of passing the referen
dum.
He said that while downtown
land acquisition would certainly
call for more effort and higher
costs, the end result would benefit
the entire community.
‘Too many businesses and res
taurants’ bottom tine profit is ab
solutely dependent on court and
all the judicial functions down
town,” he said.
Palmer planned to present the
resolution to Burke County Com
missioners during their meeting
Tuesday night (after press time),
along with petitions signed by area
residents. The Downtown Devel
opment Authority was also ex
pected to present a letter in sup
port of keeping the courthouse
downtown.
Bibs for lost babies
Mothers and concerned community members walked through downtown Waynesboro Saturday morning
in the second annual Infant Mortality Walk for Awareness. The procession ended at Liberty Square, where
41 bibs are displayed on a clothesline to remember local babies who lost their lives before their first
birthdays. According to Enterprise Community Healthy Start officials, the latest statistics show that 41
infants died in Burke County between 1998 and 2007. “We want to have a better outcome of pregnancies
and more healthy babies,” Healthy Start’s Debra Griffin said. Mayor George DeLoach, who spoke at the
ceremony, encouraged better education and healthier lifestyles to combat the problem.
Learning the ropes
0
_Q
E
03
o
c
CD
0
The newest batch of participants in the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce’s leadership program learned
the ropes during a daytrip to Atlanta. Last Thursday,
Leadership Burke 2010 members visited the Geor
gia Resource Center and Department of Economic
Development where they conquered the ropes
course and worked on team building and leadership
skills, as well as strategies to overcome challenges.
Pictured, Waynesboro CPA Lindsai Gentry completes
the zip line portion of the ropes course. Other class
members are Alphonzo Williams, Lance Poindexter,
Allen Kicklighter, Val Prescott, Leah Lewis, Crystal
Eubanks, Lisa Smith and Stacey Rucker.
Drive for the Best!
Gordon Trucking, Inc.
Immediate Openings!!
Teams-All the miles you can
log!
Regional & OTR openings
Full Benefits,401k
Regular Hometime
We have the Freight!
Talk to a recruiter live!
www .TE AMGTI .com
888-832-6484
EOE
VMBMtWfflmv/.llvuu f
2 BR Single Wide
3 BR Double Wide
Pest Control Wale* &
Lawn Care Included
1 Year Lease.
w ww. westei negate Lbtcum
Ifliuiin Wdyncikio & Aypiili
of! Hwy 21 -Tour Points ffd .)
Park proposed for
North Waynesboro
By Elizabeth Billips
lizbillips@yahoo.com
A neighborhood park could
be in the making for North
Waynesboro.
At the request of community
volunteer O.J. Frazier,
Waynesboro City Council
agreed to pursue a lease with
Norfolk Southern Railroad for
an approximate 5-acre strip
along the tracks. The property
runs from Ninth and Liberty
streets, across from Southern
Bank, all the way to Herman
Lodge Boulevard.
Frazier believes the unutilized
land could be transformed into
a badly needed park for that sec
tion of town.
“We have to find a mecha
nism to make it work,” Frazier
said last Tuesday night as he
passed out a sketch of his pro
posed ideas. “It’s something
that’s needed in the city and es
pecially in this area.”
Frazier’s rough plan calls for
a playground, splash fountain
and picnic shelter enclosed by
a wide walking trail. “We are
only limited by our vision,” he
added, noting that the features
can be easily changed to suit the
needs of the public.
Several years ago, city coun
cil was on the verge of forging
a deal with Norfolk to create a
park in that same spot. How
ever, the project came to a halt
when city officials inquired
about several test wells they
noticed on the property.
According to City Attorney
Jerry Coalson, Norfolk's “deci
sion makers,” who were un
aware of the land’s close prox
imity to contamination from the
old Atlas Chemical site, put on
the brakes and called off the
lease agreement.
Now that the property has a
clean bill of health, council
members will try again.
Currently, the city maintains
an annual $2,500 lease for a
small parcel at the eastern-most
tip of the tract where Burkeland
Garden sits. Officials hope they
can negotiate a less expensive
deal in return for free mainte
nance on the property.
This property, located just off Liberty Street, is the proposed site for a neighborhood park.
OUR HEART JUST
GREW BIGG
ER
You already know that our Emergency Department has shorter
wait times and is closer than most. What you may not know is this:
Doctors Hospital is also an accredited Chest Pain Center—from
first diagnosis to life-saving cardiac interventions and beyond,
our caring team of professionals is specially trained to treat
patients experiencing symptoms of heart attack. In short, now
Doctors provides more than prompt, expert treatment for medical
emergencies, we also have heart!
nor, ors
H □ S P I T A L
3651 Wheeler Rd | Augusta, GA 30909 | www.doctors-hospital.net
Visit us online at
www. thetrucitizen. com or on facebook
Accredited Chest Pain Center