Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
Let me see if I understand this:
Dean huckeba, owner of
Nashville Sounds, said he was
going to ask the sheriffs office
to help at closing time so I can
go and drink and at closing
time the sherriff will be waiting?
Thanks! rank: 18
Seriously....Nashville Sounds
opens back up and there is a
drunk driver that wrecked....!
think we've all had enough of
the dangers of drinking and
driving this week considering
various local news stories....
rank: 17
The yearbook staff took orders
for yearbooks for months. If you
wanted one, you should have
ordered one. My friends and I
did! By the way, who would pick
up the cost for extra yearbooks
ordered but not purchased?
rank: 16
ATTN: MONROE CO.TAXPAY
ERS: If you agree it's time we
citizens clean house and re
move the self-serving politi
cians we elected to office in
next election, please click "like
it" to remind them that those of
us who voted them in plan on
voting their butts out even
faster, rank: 15
RE: I'm not a Courthouse Sod
lover at all....but I am a county
employee and I know how
everyone is. Whining about
everything. Water your garden
if you want...it's not like the city
is patrolling looking for you to
go against the water ban...That
sod is your tax money, rank: 12
What is a FAIR education?
What is Title I? How much is
our annual total cost for Mon
roe County public education in
cluding federal funding? per
student? rank: 11
GA Law: All public lavatories
shall be supplied with soap and
individual towels with a recep
tacle for their disposal. All pub
lic toilet rooms shall be provid
ed with toilet paper, rank: 10
What's honest about drinking
and driving? It's strange how
smart a person can become
once they've been caught and
are charged with DU I. Other
wise they're just dumb like you
and me. rank: 10
Hey courthouse sod lover, how
about all the people who are
losing there gardens because
they are not watering because
of the restrictions? rank: 10
Dear God, Happy Father's Day
2011. rank: 9
I got a question I just read the
article on Jeff Davis DUI inci
dent: Did he take the
breathalzyer at the jail? The pa
per only states he refused a
breathalyzer or sobriety test at
the checkpoint, if so my under
standing he loses his license
for a year. Where is the inci
dent/arrest report? rank: 9
The "Judge" didn't wiggle be
cause he already knew the
song and dance he was going
to have to perform. If he really
wanted to do something that
was honorable, he would quit
his job in the county court, too.
rank: 9
Funny-a county staff person
gets fired for the same thing a
commisioner does, way to go
larry e. rank: 8
Because...ban or not if the
Courthouse lawn isn't wa
tered...YOU people will com
plain about the thousands of
dollars that is being flushed
down the toilet that was spent
in the sod that's laying at the
courthouse. Can't win for los
ing... rank: 7
I personally think Jim Ham is a
very nice person but I wish he
would stay down on his family
farm and leave running Monroe
County to somebody else. Like
maybe the other commission
ers? rank: 7
^Reporter
June 22, 2011
Rec board to weigh
new drafting rules
BY LAURA CORLEY
Coaches, players and
parents may not have as
much choice of who’s on
whose team in the coming
year after complaints were
heard at an open meeting
with the Monroe County
recreation department
board on June 13.
The rec board hosted an
open complaint session
last Monday to try to
address some contro
versy that arose dur
ing just-finished
baseball and softball
seasons.
Some parents have
complained that cer
tain coaches are
packing their teams
with the best players,
for instance by telling
children not to show
up on certain days of
the draft so that they
save them for their
team. This has been
addressed by putting
the names of kids
who didn’t show up
into a hat and having
coaches draw names
randomly.
But Keith Smith, a
regular volunteer
coach, thinks that
the incentive to be a
coach would disap
pear if they did not get to
pick their own teams. He
said he scouts out the best
players by watching other
games, and that he felt he
was doing a justice to his
team by doing so.
“It would be a big disap
pointment if y’all take that
element out of the draft
and assign kids to teams,”
said Smith, “You’re going
to find some coaches that
don’t care to coach,”
Rec board member
Raymond Laymon con
cluded the divisive topic of
drafting with the notion
that the process needs to
be “tweaked”. The possibil
ity of an outside board
that chooses teams was
discussed, which would
mean coaches would not
have a say in who ends up
on their teams, with the
exception of their own
child. Board member Ken
Boyer said that he wants
to make the games more
competitive and fair so
that children will have
fond memories of playing
at the recreation depart
ment. County administra
tor Anita Buice said the
rec board will continue to
look at how to address the
draft issue.
On another topic, the rec
board discussed whether
outside vendors should be
allowed to do business
within the park. This
includes ice cream trucks,
hot dog and toy vendors.
The board, with the input
of attendees, decided to
bar all outside vendors for
safety reasons.
Buice said that she hears
complaints about umpires
not paying attention to the
game and making rude
comments.
“If an umpire is not act
ing professionally on the
The rec board is considering changes to
the way teams are drafted at the rec de
partment. (File photo)
field then they do not need
to be here,” said Buice to a
room full of nodding
heads.
As a solution, Buice pro
posed to include in the
umpire’s contract that
they are only allowed five
valid complaints by more
than one person. Once an
umpire accrues five com
plaints they will be fired.
The board voted unani
mously to accept Buice’s
proposal.
Uniforms were discussed
next. The primary con
cerns were that teams
have not been getting
their uniforms until after
the seasons have begun.
Hansford suggested dead
lines be strictly enforced.
The department will now
impose a stricter deadline
and will order samples of
uniforms. Participants
should expect to circle
their size on a scale to
eliminate confusion.
According to Hansford, it
typically take two weeks
for uniforms to arrive.
Sizes will now be taken at
draft, and uniforms will be
ordered shortly after to
allow time for possible
back order or delivery
problems.
Attendees had much to
say about park mainte
nance. The two-story
building in the center of
the baseball fields is dilap
idated, according to county
assistant clerk Becky
Cleveland, and the water
on several fields does not
work.
Another big complaint
was housekeeping and
maintenance in the rest
rooms. According to board
member Rob DeRieux,
people are unhappy
because the stall doors
will not lock among other
issues.
“They’re tired of the
Pepto-Bismal color in
most of them,”
DeRieux said.
The board plans to
make changes so that
things are more fair
and comfortable at
the department for
players, coaches and
parents.
The Recreation
board meets the sec
ond Monday of each
month at 6 p.m.
Members of the com
munity are encour
aged to come and
share thoughts and
opinions.
Despite the growing
pains, recreation
director Desi
Hansford said the
department contin
ues to be a great way
to bring Monroe
County together.
“This is the only place
that we have that every
body, no matter where you
worship or where you go
to school, can come,” said
Hansford.
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You’ll have mail
Monroe County property owners should find their
2011 property tax assessments in the mail next week.
The county is getting ready to send 16,800 notices
through the postal service before July 1. Anew state
law requires counties to send assessment notices to all
property owners, even if there's no change in the
assessment.
With the county having just completed a revaluation
of all large agricultural properties, some of those
property owners will see big decreases in their assess
ment, said Monroe County tax chief appraiser Bob
Simmons. Simmons said the appraisal company
GMASS has reevaluated ag tracts of 25 acres or more
and settled on assessments of about $1,700 per acre.
That's well below what those tracts were assessed at
during the 2008 county-wide revaluation, when the
real estate boom was at its peak.
The notices will also include estimated county tax
bills based on last year's millage rate. However,
Simmons cautioned property owners not to be con
fused because Monroe County school officials say
they'll likely hike their millage rate. Besides,
Simmons said he's expected a big drop in the tax
digest, or total value of property, which could also
require millage rate hikes.
Property owners will have 45 days after receiving
their notices to file an appeal, either in writing or in
person at the assessors office in the basement of the
county administration building on West Main Street.
Tax bills are slated to go out in October and are nor
mally due in December. Property tax revenue helps
fund the county government and school system.
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