Newspaper Page Text
Inside
Seniors stay
active thanks
to center
See story, photos
on page 12A
C team
soccer opens
season with
two wins
See MP soccer
Page B1
Weekend
Move clocks
up Sat. nite
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Two announce bids for tax chief
Miller retirement invites candidacies from
Democrat Andrews and Republican Baswell
BY WILL DAVIS
Qualifying is still eight weeks
away, but two women are already
throwing their hats in the ring to
be the next county tax commis
sioner.
Monroe County finance officer
Barbara Baswell has announced
she’ll run for tax commissioner
as a Republican. And it appears
she’ll face off in November
against Lori Andrews, who
announced she’s running for the
post as a Democrat. Andrews, 32,
has worked in the tax commis
sioner’s office for the past eight
years.
Baswell, 57, said it’s the right
time for her to run because long
time tax commissioner Patsy
Miller is not seeking re-election.
“I want to carry on Patsy’s lega
cy,” said Baswell. “She does an
excellent job. My biggest goal is
to see to it that it’s managed as
well.”
A new tax
commissioner
would make
$56,423 if coun
ty commission
ers task the
new one to con
tinue serving as
chief registrar
as well. The
salary is set by
the state and depends on popula
tion size and experience.
Before going to work for the
county, Baswell had 30 years of
experience in private accounting
practice at the
now defunct firm
of Gibson and
Conger in
Forsyth. A
Forsyth native,
she was appoint
ed county clerk
in 2006 and
served for one
year before being
named chief finance officer.
See BASWELL page 7A
ANDREWS
BASWELL
FORSYTHIA FORECAST
Friday
High: 56°
Low: 31°
Partly cloudy
Saturday
High: 49°
Low: 27
Partly cloudy
Sunday
High: 60°
Low: 32°
Mostly sunny
All clear
for festival
But bring a jacket to
avoid a Forsythia frost
You may need to bring a jacket if you’re headed to
the square for the Forsythia Festival this weekend.
After three years of warm weather, forecasters are
calling for a cooler Festival in 2008.
After an overnight low of 31, the high for Saturday is
expected to only be around 50 degrees with a mix of
sun and clouds. Sunday, expect more sun and a little
more warmth. The high for Sunday will be around 60
degrees. The chance of rain is only about 20 percent all
weekend.
The Forsythia Festival will be able to go later into
the night though, with the clock springing forward
early. Daylight Savings time begins early this year, at
2 a.m. Sunday morning.
See Forsythia schedule, horseshoe pairings, page 6-7B
Pickin’ and grinnin’
First Baptist youth choir heads to
Kornfield Kounty: Pop. 43. Sa-lute!
Window
dressing for
Above, David Cavalier and Keith
Curtis wait inside the half-circle
opening on the second floor of
the courthouse as Terry Gotcha
raises the radius window up to
its new home. The men are part
of the crew from L.S. Installa
tion of Atlanta and have been
busy trying to get all 62 new windows installed in the courthouse just as the streets around the
square are filled with visitors this weekend for the Forsythia Festival. Company owner Len Sievers
says the windows should be completed by the middle of the week. The old windows were installed
in the early 1970s and since they didn’t fit the space, parts of the openings were boarded up. The
new windows are closer to the original style and are part of an ongoing restoration of the court
house that includes a new copper roof. Improvements on the inside will include pulling up the old
carpet and refinishing the hardwood floors beneath. The jury room is also being remodeled. Even
tually the entire courthouse is to be renovated and restored to much of its former beauty. The court
house was built in 1896. (Photos/Gina Herring)
State, surveyor in spat
over cost of
BY WILL DAVIS
What will it cost Monroe County to
have the Monroe-Bibb county line re
drawn?
It’s a question in hot dispute right now.
The Warner Robins surveyor appointed
to settle the impasse, Terry M.
Scarborough, estimated his work would
cost $465,000. That would mean Monroe
County would pay half, about $232,500.
county line
But the secretary of state’s office now
says Scarborough should be able to do
the first phase for less than $89,000. A
second phase of marking the county line
on the ground would be less than that.
But in a Feb. 25 certified letter,
Scarborough adamantly rejected the sec
retary of state’s fee proposal. He said the
See SPAT page 6A
BY GINA
HERRING
The First
Baptist Youth
Choir treated
dinner guests
to a good old
fashioned
time last
week. The
group put on
its own version
of the popular
1970s variety
show, “Hee
Haw” for its
annual dinner
theater Feb.
23, and raised
$5,700 from
ticket sales,
donations,
tips and the
infamous
cake auction.
The money
will be used
for the
group’s
annual
choir tour
this June.
Every
year, STEALING THE SHOW: Jon Smallwood was an in-
the spration with his performance of the Brooks and Dunn
youth song “I Believe.” (Photo/Gina Herring)
choir
travels near and far, spreading God’s love in song and
fellowship. Their adventures have taken them to the
Grand Canyon, California, Philadelphia, Key West and
a lot of places in between. This year, the choir will take
on the Big Apple. Plans are still being finalized, but
the choir expects to perform at churches, retirement
homes, hospitals and homeless shelters on its trip.
See HEE HAW page 7A