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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2018 5A
Political group sues Ga. over election procedure
Abrams-backed organization says state officials grossly mismanaged’vote
Associated Press
ATLANTA — A political organi
zation backed by Democrat Stacey
Abrams filed a federal lawsuit Tues
day challenging the way Georgia’s
elections are run, making good on a
promise she made as she ended her
bid to become the state’s governor.
State elections officials “grossly
mismanaged” the 2018 election in
a way that deprived some citizens,
particularly low-income people and
people of color, of their right to vote
in violation of their constitutional
rights, the lawsuit says. It was filed
by Fair Fight Action against interim
Secretary of State Robyn Critten
den and state election board mem
bers in their official capacities.
“The general election for gover
nor is over, but the citizens and vot
ers of Georgia deserve an election
system that they can have confi
dence in,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo,
Abrams’ campaign manager who’s
now CEO of Fair Fight Action.
More than 40,000 people called
to report problems they faced when
they tried to register or vote, and
their stories bolster the allegations
in the lawsuit, Groh-Wargo said.
In a fiery speech ending her cam
paign Nov. 16, Abrams announced
a lawsuit would be filed against
Georgia “for the gross misman
agement of this election
and to protect future elec
tions from unconstitutional
actions.”
As secretary of state,
Abrams’ opponent, Repub
lican Gov.-elect Brian
Kemp, was the top elections official
until he declared himself the winner
and resigned two days after the elec
tion. On the campaign trail, Abrams
repeatedly called Kemp “an archi
tect of suppression,” an
allegation that Kemp vehe
mently denied.
The lawsuit was filed
against Crittenden, who
was appointed by Gov.
Nathan Deal after Kemp
stepped down, but it
clearly targets Kemp.
In response to a request
for comment on the lawsuit, Kemp
spokesman Ryan Mahoney said in
an email that the governor-elect “is
focused on building a safe and pros
perous future for Georgia families.”
Abrams
RIVERSIDE
■ Continued from 1A
physical abuse continued to occur against
L.A., her son,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleged the two cadets’
abuse “was reported by plaintiff’s teachers
to one or more Riverside defendants.”
Eventually, the roommate was removed
and replaced with another for the plaintiff,
who withdrew in April 2013.
The lawsuit is alleging “negligent failure
to protect” the plaintiff from the abuse.
“On one occasion R.R. was told, ‘You know
how boys are. Sometimes they fight.’ Or,
‘boys will be boys,”’ according to the lawsuit.
The complaint does not clarify who made
those comments to the plaintiff’s mother.
The lawsuit is seeking “compensatory
damages in a sum in excess of $100,000,”
punitive damages and a refund of tuition
paid, which was $32,588 for 2012 and 2013.
SEWAGE
■ Continued from 1A
public works director.
The leak was discovered on Nov.
17. The pipe broke when it shifted
because of erosion from heavy rains
that week, when the Reunion subdi
vision received about 4 to 5 inches
of rain.
Water in the creek has been
tested at two sites, one 50 yards
upstream from the spill site and the
other 1,000 yards downstream.
The morning of Nov. 18, the
water upstream had a fecal con
form count of 180 parts per 100 mil
liliters, according to county testing
data. That number downstream was
much higher, at 5,700 parts per 100
milliliters.
The next day, on Nov. 19, the
upstream count was 220, while the
downstream count was 310, a num
ber that Shahbazaz said is not espe
cially high. Counts have been declin
ing since then, and on Sunday morn
ing, levels were at 119 upstream and
118 downstream.
Rearden said data from before
the spill was not available because
the county had not been required to
test Sherwood Creek regularly.
According to state regulations,
for water used for recreation such
as fishing, fecal coliform levels
should not exceed a geometric
mean of 1,000 parts per 100 millili
ters between at least four tests over
a 30-day period between November
and April, when water activities are
less likely to be occurring.
County officials reported the spill
to the EPD when it was discovered.
Sherwood Creek flows into the
Oconee River and is not connected
to Lake Lanier. Drinking water was
unaffected.
PARKS
■ Continued from 1A
facilities and upgrades for
the next decade. The last
master plan was completed
in 1999 and updated in
2009, so now officials want
to take a fresh look at what
can be improved or added
based on feedback from the
community.
Residents can attend one
of three remaining public
meetings or take an online
survey to tell officials about
their experiences and what
they would like to see.
Mack Cain, a senior land
scape architect at Clark Pat
terson Lee who is leading
the master plan, said the
goal is to be finished with
the plan by April. It will be
reviewed by parks staff and
the parks advisory board,
then go to the Hall County
Board of Commissioners for
approval.
On Tuesday, Jose Torres
said the county could pursue
more partnerships with col
leges and universities so stu
dents can get out of the class
room and learn in the parks,
particularly on the lake. Tor
res teaches at Lanier Tech
nical College.
“Parks are for sports, but
they can be educational,” he
said. “With the colleges and
universities, there could be a
good partnership.”
Torres also said he would
like to see county parks take
advantage of the natural
beauty of Lake Lanier and
showcase the lake. Cain
said that is a goal moving
forward, but private own
ership of lake land and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engi
neers’ control of the lake
limit availability of land on
the lake.
Beverly Brinson said she
would like to see county
staff and resources allo
cated more equally around
the county. East Hall Park
needs more scoreboards,
but other parks have them,
she said. The county also has
only two coordinators for
athletics programs, which
is not enough when parks
are spread out around the
county, she said.
“All the facilities in the
county are not equally rep
resented,” Brinson said.
For Steve Patterson,
trails are a priority. He said
he wants to see trails con
nected to form a path from
downtown Gainesville to
Lanier Tech, which would
make the county more
walkable.
“I’d think we’d have the
opportunity for some busi
nesses along there,” he said,
noting the Beltline in Atlanta
could be used as a model.
The Gainesville-Hall Met
ropolitan Planning Organiza
tion is finishing a trail study
to look at locations for multi
use trails in the county, and
officials have said they hope
to connect existing trails to
form a larger trail network.
Cain said trails have
become a top request for
parks systems.
Larry Poole, a Gillsville
councilman, said he would
also like to see more trails,
especially in North and East
Hall.
“I realize this all boils
down to funding, and I know
how difficult that is, but
until we get that in the plan
ning process and the master
overview of what we need,
it’s going to be more difficult
to get it done,” he said.
Poole also said he wants
parks to reflect the charac
ter of the areas where they
are located.
“(Designers) tend to level
everything and build a park.
It takes away a lot of the
beauty that you could other
wise enjoy,” Poole said.
Cain said Hall has great
opportunities for parks
because “your land is not
spoiled yet.”
“It’s not overrun with
all kinds of other develop
ment,” he said.
Other needs planners
anticipate include increased
interest in soccer as the
area diversifies, Cain said.
Cricket could also become
more popular, he said.
Cain said changes have
been coming as baby boom
ers age and communities’
expectations adjust.
“I grew up with football,
baseball and basketball.
That was it,” Cain said. “...
What’s happening with baby
boomers’ children, which
are the millennials, they’re
not engaging in sports as
much as our generation
did.”
But both millennials and
baby boomers like trails, he
said.
Cain said about 1,300 peo
ple have already taken the
survey, and planners hope
to double that number.
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Buff alo, where he served as
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