Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 2, 2008 - PAGE 9A
■
i
!■
I
! iA-
A i-«!
1 A J
1
School officials and community leaders celebrate the opening of the $50 million East Jackson Comprehensive High School.
No. 5 Story
Incumbents Sweep
Elections In November
Ranking as the number five
story of 2007 for The Commerce
News was the city election in
November.
Two years earlier, the
Commerce-Jackson Concerned
Citizens group stunned local
officials by electing two mem
bers — Dusty Slater and Wayne
Gholston — to the city coun
cil. With Ward 2 Councilman
Donald Wilson showing strong
support for the group, it need
ed but one more victory to
take over control of city govern
ment.
But voters overwhelmingly
rejected the group’s slate of
candidates for mayor and the
three open seats on the coun
cil, returning Mayor Charles L.
“Buzzie” Hardy Jr. to office,
along with councilmen Mark
Fitzpatrick, from Ward 3; Bob
Sosebee, from Ward 4; and
Richard Massey, from Ward
5. Hardy and Fitzpatrick each
took 71 percent of the vote,
while Sosebee won with 68 and
Massey with 59 percent.
The citizens’ group has been
active for more than three
years, voicing criticism over
city spending and “accountabil
ity.” Not only did it fail to gain
any ground Nov. 6, but it also
opened itself up to losing what
it has in 2009, when all three of
its city council members will be
up for re-election.
No. 3 Story Of 2007
East Jackson Comprehensive High
School Raised The Bar For School Facilities
The opening of the new East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School last July is the third-
ranked story published last year
by The Commerce News. Staff
and students who attend the
new school could be forgiven
for making the case that it was
the top story of the year.
When EJCHS opened its doors
to students Monday, Aug. 18, it
marked the first time since the
closing of Benton High School
in Nicholson that Jackson
County students living in East
Jackson had a high school they
could truly call home.
And with 96 classrooms, state
of the art technology, full athlet
ic facilities and 312,000 square
feet under roof, EJCHS made a
statement that the bar for high
school facilities had just been
raised.
“Having envisioned this all the
years we were planning and
working on it, I still walk in
here and go, Wow!”' said former
superintendent of schools Andy
Byers during open house the
Sunday before school opened.
“I’ve been awed.”
Byers called the new school
evidence of the county taxpay
ers’ commitment to children.
“Our children are not just
competing with the kids in this
county, they’re competing with
children throughout the state,
throughout the nation, for
tomorrow’s jobs,” he said. “We
are providing for them the best
opportunity possible, and it’s
up to our children, and you as
adults to encourage our chil
dren, to keep them in school, to
take advantage of this marvel
ous, marvelous opportunity.”
Principal Pat Stueck promised
that the quality of education
to be offered children would
match the quality of the new
building.
“Our goal will be the relentless
pursuit of excellence, and we
promise to be excellent in every
thing we do at East Jackson,”
she said at the grand opening.
The school cost close to $50
million. Planning began in 1998
with the purchase of the 150-
acre tract behind East Jackson
Elementary School.
It boasts an auditorium that will
seat 784, a gym of almost 60,000
square feet and is built to serve
1,850 students. Enrollment on
Day 1 was pegged at about 900.
With the opening of school
came the beginning of the inau
gural athletic seasons. Every
first touchdown, first run and
first basket went into the Eagles’
record books. The Lady Eagle
fast-pitch softball team even
won the Region 8-AA crown.
Top Crime Story
Commerce Goes After
Drug Cash On Interstate
The indictment and arrest
of former District Attorney
Tim Madison was a major
crime story throughout the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit, but
in Commerce, the major story
was the city’s pursuit of drug
money from Interstate 85.
Using techniques picked up
in special training, Commerce
officers, like those in Braselton
before them, began tapping
into the illicit money going
down 1-85 to Atlanta, where it
is intended to be used for buy
ing drugs.
And, the department has
been successful. It hasn’t
approached the $4 million
Braselton reportedly has con
fiscated, but the Commerce
Police have made several
major scores, the latest of
them a $296,000 seizure taken
from a truck driver who pro
fessed to have no idea that the
money was there or where it
came from.
The city partners with fed
eral agencies who do currency
investigations, which typically
result in a split of the money.
Typically, the driver or occu
pants of the vehicles in which
the money is found deny any
knowledge of its existence,
and are not charged with a
crime.
The stops are made on the
basis of traffic violations,
and officers are trained to
recognize indicators that
illegal drugs or cash may be
involved.
No. 4 In '07: Commerce Raises Funds For Library Expansion
The effort to raise $583,000 to
build a 5,000-square-foot addi
tion to the Commerce Public
Library ranks as The Commerce
News’ No. 4 story for 2007.
The expansion is not a new
story. During 2006, the city pur
chased two pieces of property
adjacent to the library to pro
vide room. Those buildings were
bulldozed and the site cleared in
early January.
The total project is expected
to cost around $2 million, with
the Department of Regents pay
ing 70 percent of the cost.
But in late January, library offi
cials reported that they must
have the local match — some
$583,000 — in hand by June to
qualify the project for state fund
ing in the 2008 budget year.
In February, the Commerce
Library Board appointed Tricia
Massey to chair a fund-raising
drive that would comprise a
variety of approaches to collect
the money.
The library offered bricks at
$50 apiece to honor or memori
alize loved ones, solicited cash
donations from individuals and
businesses, held events ranging
from a hoedown to a pancake
supper, asked local governments
for money and began forming a
tax-exempt foundation to solicit
corporate grants.
The effort did not produce
the needed revenue by June,
and it continues. The big
gest donation, $120,000, was
pledged by the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners.
Another $75,000 donation was
announced in December by the
Harmony Grove Foundation. As
the money came in, a “fund-rais
ing train” climbed a mountain
on a sign erected in front of the
library.
As of Jan. 1, the fund drive had
raised about $343,335, some 59
percent of the total.
The move to create a founda
tion is under way because some
corporations and foundations
will not — or cannot — give
money to entities without 501
(c) (3) status.
“We still have to get our tax
identification number,” said
Library Director Susan Harper.
“It is in process.”
That could hasten the comple
tion of the fund-raising drive,
something the board would like
to do by June.
“We would love to be in a posi
tion to say to the state by the
end of June we’ve done our part,
so put us on the runway,” said
Harper. “Put us in line for that
funding.”
The key to the fund-raising
success, Harper declared, was
Massey’s acceptance as cam
paign coordinator.
“She said she was honored
to be asked and would love
to do that,” Harper recalled.
“Considering that this is her pro
fession, this was astonishing to
me. She’s been so generous and
positive and so professional. I
think it’s made a huge difference
to the future of the library. And,
she’s made it fun.
“We’ve got $239,614 left to
raise.” Harper added. “We’re
good to go and we’re moving
on.”
Staff and supporters of the library pose in front of the sign
depicting progress in fund-raising — with some of the first
checks donated toward the expansion. The library did not meet
its goal, but the fund-raising continues, with a focus on getting
grants from major foundations, with the hope of reaching the
goal by June.
The Commerce News
Get the local school, church, sports and other
community news delivered to your home each week!
Just clip the coupon below to begin saving today over the newstand price!
Name
Address
City State Zip
Subscription rates for The Commerce News are asfollozvs:
$19.75 per year for Jackson and adjoining counties; $17.75 per year for senior citizens in Jackson and adjoining
counties; $38.85 per year for delivery elsewhere in Georgia; $36.85 per year for delivery elsewhere in Georgia with
senior citizen discount; $44.50 per year for delivery out of Georgia; $42.50 per year for delivery out of Georgia zvith
senior citizen discount; $42.20 per year for the military zvith APO address.
Enclosed is my check for $ or □ MC or □ visa #
Expiration MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
33 Lee Street, P. O. Box 908 Jefferson, GA 30549
Phone 706-367-5233 Fax: 706-367-8056
Website: www. mainstreetnews. com
ATTENTION!
HAVE YOU GOT CREDIT CONCERNS?
Do you need a 2nd chance with your vehicle financing?
Do you need dependable transportation?
LET YOUR JOB HISTORY AND YOUR
DOWN PAYMENT BE YOUR CREDIT!
CALL 866-636-4881
High % of approvals
'Mayne~ [\jeal
Chm/miet
Hwy. 441 in Commerce
706-335-3196 • 800-798-7435
www.wayneneal.com
SERVICE HOURS:
M-F 7:30-6:00 • Sat. 8:00-4:00