Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
January 28, 2009
Here are the top MCR
vents from this week, as
ranked by our readers.
www.mymcr. net/vent.
I am TIRED of hearing that
Obama is black. He's MIXED,
people! He is half white/half
black-why do people tend to
forget the WHITE part of
Obama (primarily himself)?
rank: 11
I hope to see that Hubbard
Alumni paid for the postage of
my last bill too. If not then
every organazation has the
right to place ads in my bill,
rank: 7
Good ole boy politics are still
at work. How can they justify
eliminating the CFO position
when the county finances
according to what we hear are
in better shape than ever?
What gives with this move?
rank: 5
I hate seeing bus drivers with
out children on them talking on
the cell phone. I sure hope they
do not cause an accident with
my child on the bus. rank: 4
Does anyone know how
much money Monroe County is
trying to get from the stimulus
package? We know the elected
officials have our best interest
at heart and have applied for
money to better our county,
rank: 2
Now that the new president
has been sworn in we are now
officially an Obamanation. rank:
1
Hats off to Tiffany and the
Chamber staff for another awe
some annual meeting/dinner.
For those of you who didn't
attend - shame on you! Your
Chamber works hard for you -
show your support, rank: 0
^Reporter
Did molestation suspect mentor in Monroe?
Schools say they have no record of him here
A Riverdale man charged
with molesting a
fourth grader in
Butts County
schools told
authorities he
had been a men
tor in other
school systems as
well, including
Monroe.
But Monroe
school officials
say they have no
record that he
worked with kids here.
Assistant superintendent
Jackson Daniel said the
school system has no
knowledge that the sus
pect, Adrian Zakaluzny,
63, ever worked as a
mentor in Monroe
County schools. Butts,
Spalding and Clayton
county schools have con
firmed that Zakaluzny
tutored in their schools.
Zakaluzny apparently
told Clayton County
Detective Joanne
Southerland he's been a
tutor in Monroe County
schools some time in the
past 15 years. He had no
prior criminal convictions
and had been a foster
parent.
But on Jan. 12, a
fourth-grade boy told
police that Zakaluzny, his
mentor at a Butts
County elementary
school, took him to
Zakaluzny's Clayton
County home and
molested him, Clayton
County police Lt.
Rebecca Brown said.
Police said there may
be other victims and
asked parents in
Clayton, Spalding, Butts
and Monroe counties to
question their children.
“There is no informa
ZAKALUZNY
tion that any criminal
activity occurred
on any school
property or that
they were aware
of the molesta
tion,” Brown
said.
Neither police
nor school offi
cials would iden
tify the school
Zakaluzny
Monroe County average annual rainfall since 2002 shows that 2008
was the wettest year since 2005. (Graphic/Denzil Hansford)
C ounty rainfall in
’08 most in 3 years
But water restrictions remain
Georgia’s drought appears to be about over, at least in
Monroe County.
Monroe County received 7 more inches of rain in 2008
than in 2007, according to average rainfalls compiled by
the Monroe County Extension Service. And it’s the most
annual rainfall since 2005.
The county's 13 measuring stations averaged 53.37
inches of rain in 2008, while they averaged 46.56 inches
in 2007. The Smarr recycling center had the most rain
fall of the year with 58.20 inches and the Culloden recy
cling center had the least amount with only 49.30 inches.
August proved to be the wettest month in 2008 with a
county average of 7.65 inches, while a dry spell occurred
during September with only 1.68 inches. December was
also a dryer month than November, averaging 4.94 inch
es versus 5.83 inches.
So far January has had a relatively good amount of
rain fall. The county average for Jan 1-5 was 0.52 inches
and the total for Jan. 7-12 is 1.50 inches. High Falls had
0.92 inches of rainfall during Jan. 1-5 while Pea Ridge
Road got 2.80 inches last week.
Nevertheless, Forsyth and Monroe County water cus
tomers are still under state-wide outdoor watering
restrictions. Those living in odd numbered addresses can
only water outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Sundays from midnight-10 a.m., while those in even
numbered addresses can water on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Saturdays from midnight-10 a.m. No one should
water outdoors on Fridays. No word on when the state
might lift those restrictions. Much of Georgia is still
recovering from an extended drought.
worked in.
Butts County
school officials confirmed
that Zakaluzny had regis
tered with the schools as a
classroom mentor in 2007
and 2008. School officials
said Zakaluzny has volun
teered in Clayton and
Griffin-Spalding schools in
the past.
“Detectives are thinking
there are probably other
kids he may have done
this to,” Brown said. “The
child mentioned there may
be other victims.”
In Monroe, Daniel said
the schools use the Big
Brother Big Sister pro
gram to run background
checks on all potential
mentors.
In Butts County, school
mentors help teachers
organize activities, read
with students and help
tutor in math, associate
Superintendent Sheree
Bryant said. All volunteer
activities are supervised
by the teachers.
“We did a background
check on him and the
background check was
clear,” Bryant said.
Police said Zakaluzny
had no prior criminal
record.
The boy since has trans
ferred to another school
district.
Zakaluzny volunteered
in Clayton schools from
1998 to 2002, district
spokesman Charles White
said. School records show
Zakaluzny passed a crimi
nal background check in
September 1998 and com
pleted the district’s Adult
Role Model for Students
training, White said.
Records do not indicate
which schools he worked
in, he said.
Zakaluzny also volun
teered in Griffin-Spalding
Schools before July 2006,
when the district started
requiring background
checks and keeping volun
teer records, district
spokeswoman Anna Burns
said.
Police ask that parents
or potential victims con
tact Clayton police
Detective Joanne
Southerland at 770-477-
3655.
Some of the information
in this story is courtesy the
Atlanta Constitution.
MY BUSINESS
MY CHAMBER
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