I2J OUR REGION
Shannon Casas | Editor in Chief
770-718-3417 | news@gainesvilletimes.com
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia
Saturday, December 29, 2018
ASK THE TIMES
By KELSB7 RICHARDSON
For The Times
Jack Frost’s 21 statues of U.S. presidents can now be found in Memorial Park Cemetery’s Garden of Heritage.
Jack Frost’s presidential statues
moved to Memorial Park garden
If you’ve been wondering about
something in your community,
Ask The Times is your place to get
answers. The following question was
submitted by a reader and answered
through the efforts of our news staff.
What happened to Jack Frost’s
presidential statues?
Once located at The Arts Council
Smithgall Arts Center in downtown
Gainesville, the 21 statues of U.S.
presidents can now be found in
Memorial Park Cemetery’s Garden
of Heritage.
Jack Frost, owner of Memorial
Park Funeral Home, commissioned
the marble statues and made the
decision to place them in the newly
developed Garden of Heritage.
People can find the garden north
of the cemetery’s pond.
Kevin Wetzel, president of Memo
rial Park Funeral Home, said five
more statues of presidents will soon
arrive in the garden, including Pres
ident Donald Trump.
“It’s going to be a garden for fam
ily in the area to reflect on the past,
as well as the future and present
with President Donald Trump,” he
said.
In three weeks Wetzel said the
garden should have the five new
statues and finalized positioning
of the original statues. He said the
garden will most likely accumulate
more marble presidents over time.
Some of the presidents that are
currently on display include George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and
Ronald Reagan.
Each marble memorial contains a
well-known quote from its president
below the statue.
Share your thoughts, news tips
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thing in your community, Ask The
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SAFETY
■ Continued from 1A
For example, House leaders
suggest the state develop a threat
assessment model outlined in
the U.S. Secret Service’s School
Safety Guide.
State Rep. Emory Dunahoo,
R-Gainesville, said the Secret Ser
vice’s protocols are something he
supports.
The average “active-shooter”
incident lasts just six seconds, but
it can be over in a flash, accord
ing to the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation.
Improving safety infrastruc
ture at public elementary, middle
and high schools through meth
ods such as secure entries and
exits and additional surveillance,
can be critical to mitigating the
impact the six seconds can have.
And that’s why House leaders
also want to explore a statewide
communications network and
promote the “See Something, Say
Something” mobile application
that allows students and educa
tors to report threats.
One of the more controversial
proposals from the House com
mittee involves public knowledge
of school lockdown and safety
plans.
These plans are currently not
subject to open records laws, but
their design and approval, which
may be done during a public
meeting, can mean these plans
are published or publicly avail
able anyway.
The House committee recom
mends making discussion of such
plans during board of education
meetings, for example, off limits
to public scrutiny.
If the House pursues this mea
sure, it’s likely to receive push-
back from First Amendment and
free press advocates.
“We don’t ever want to hide
anything,” Dunahoo said.
But he doesn’t want to give
away too much, either.
“That’ll be a part of what will
come up” during the 2019 legisla
tive session, Dunahoo said.
Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
Zack Marley, school resource officer at West Hall High School, takes a position at the front of
the school moments before students leave for the day Monday, Aug. 27. Hall County spent
several hundred thousand dollars this year to expand security measures at all schools.
Sgt. Chris Jones, left, and Officer Griggs Wall, of the Gainesville Police Department, watch
as Gainesville High School students make their way to buses parked out front.
Hall jobless rate
hits record low
The Gainesville-Hall County metropolitan area
continues to set records with the lowest jobless rate
in Georgia.
According to the state Department of Labor,
Gainesville set records in November for total jobs and
employed residents.
The unemployment rate for the local metro area
fell to 2.6 percent in November, a 0.3 percent drop
from October, and down from 3.5 percent one year
ago.
“This really has been a great year for Georgia,”
Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a press
release. “Across the state we continue to add jobs, and
find people to fill them. We’ve routinely set records.
There is much to be thankful for this holiday season.”
The total eligible labor force in Gainesville fell by
73 people in November to 104,274.
That number, however, is up 2,796 over the past
year.
Gainesville added 246 employed residents in
November, pushing the total to a new record high
of 101,541. An additional 3,620 workers are now
employed since the same time period last year.
Moreover, the total number of available jobs grew
by 700 in November to 95,900, a record high.
Joshua Silavent
Two dogs in contact with
rabid fox in Clermont
There was recently contact between a rabid fox
and two dogs in the 6900 block of Keith Road in
Clermont.
The fox was shipped to the Georgia Public Health
Lab in Decatur, and Hall County Animal Control
learned Friday that the fox tested positive for rabies.
This is the ninth confirmed case of rabies in Hall
County in 2018.
Positive alert signs will be posted in the area
where the rabid fox was located.
If you see an animal behaving abnormally in
the area, contact Hall County Animal Services at
770-531-6830 or during non-working hours call Hall
County Dispatch at 770-536-8812.
Rabies vaccines are available at the Hall County
Animal Shelter for $10 Tuesday through Friday, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1688 Barber Road in Gainesville.
Compiled from Hall County Government press release
Sears in Gainesville is among
those closing across the nation
The Sears at Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville is set
to close in late March, according to a statement from
Sears Holdings.
The company said it told the employees of 80
Kmart and Sears stores Thursday, Dec. 27, of the
upcoming closings.
“Liquidation sales at these stores are expected to
begin in two weeks,” according to the Sears Holdings
statement.
Nick Watson
TV 18 going off the air Dec. 31
TV 18, the local government access channel, will
go off the air at midnight Dec. 31 as Hall County and
the city of Gainesville shift their focus to producing
online content.
The change, announced earlier in December, is
the result of a survey of residents that found that
people were not watching traditional cable as much.
Gainesville City Council and Hall County Board
of Commissioners meetings will still be recorded
and posted on each government’s website and social
media pages.
TV 18 cost about $250,000 to operate annually, an
expense that was split between the city and county
governments.
Megan Reed
PLEA
■ Continued from 1A
multiple checks recovered for Hall County victims,”
according to Oakwood Police.
The mail came from businesses and residences
from at least 17 cities and seven counties, according
to Oakwood Police.
Bryant’s case is still pending, according to court
records.
Smith’s attorney David Hoffer did not return a
request for comment Friday, Dec. 28.
Oakwood Police said the suspects used a $419.90
forged check to purchase merchandise at a Walmart
in July 2017.
More than a dozen victims are listed in the
indictment.
Smith was ordered to pay $419.90 in restitution to
the forgery victim as well as 40 hours of community
service. This case will run concurrent with another
case recently closed out in Hall County.
HEROIN
■ Continued from 1A
Glen Cove Apartments.
“The investigation was a result of suspicious activ
ity and undercover operations,” Holbrook wrote in
an email.
Authorities seized 179 grams of what they believed
to be heroin in individual baggies, as well as 9 grams
of marijuana and a gram of synthetic marijuana.
They also seized $6,000 in cash.
At $300 per gram, 179 grams of heroin would cre
ate an estimated street value of $53,700, according to
Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad Lt. Don Scalia.
COURTESY GAINESVILLE POLICE
Police seized 179 grams of what they believed to be
heroin in baggies, as well as 9 grams of marijuana and
a gram of synthetic marijuana on Dec. 18.
