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PAGE 12A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 16. 2008
County School Board
Hears Complaints
About JCCHS Facilities
By Brandon Reed
Complaints about the need
to upgrade facilities at Jackson
County Comprehensive High
School brought a large crowd to
Monday night’s board of educa
tion meeting, but school officials
said there isn’t enough money
to do some of the things on the
group’s wish list.
Speaking on behalf of some
JCCHS parents, Steve Crawford
told the Jackson County Board
of Education that the high school
needs better maintenance, new
facilities and a better attendance
policy for students currently being
forced to attend East Jackson
Comprehensive High School.
“You’ve got a lot of cheerleaders
for this school,’’ Crawford said.
“We’re fans of the school sys
tem. But today, we’re not fans of
what we’re getting as far as main
tenance and facility at Jackson
County High School.’’
The facilities issue arose after the
opening of the new EJCHS last
fall. In several letters to the editor,
JCCHS patrons have complained
that the new school’s facilities
are far superior to JCCHS’ build
ings. Monday night, Crawford
read a prepared statement that
expressed concerns about class
room trailers being used for stor
age, water leaks in the gym, the
transportation of students to the
Gordon Street facility and the
need for a new gym. Crawford’s
statements also touched on a
desire by parents in the Hwy 11/
Hwy 82 “triangle’’ area to have a
choice in what school their chil
dren attend.
But school officials were not
optimistic that state funding
would be available to do many of
the items mentioned.
“I’m going to be real truthful and
up-front,’’ said superintendent
Shannon Adams. “My anticipa
tion is that we will not qualify for
very much high school money, or
for very much elementary school
money. The facilities section does
not make a distinction by atten
dance zone at all.’’
Adams said the board would
receive a report from its con
sultants Jan. 17, which will help
start an update of the board’s
seven-year facility plan. Adams
said that the process would let the
board know to some degree how
much state capital outlay money
the system will qualify for in the
next year.
Crawford asked if that meant
that the school system would not
have state funds to add on to
JCCHS until EJCHS is full.
“That pretty much is it,’’ Adams
said. “You earn money through
that program by demonstrating
need. And the way you demon
strate need is to have a bunch of
kids in portable units. If a local
school system puts forth a lot of
local effort, be it bonded indebt
edness or SPLOST revenue, then
you really kind of shoot yourself
in the foot, because you have
those kids in permanent class
room space and you don’t earn
capital outlay money because
you don’t demonstrate a need.”
Board chairman Kathy Wilbanks
said the system has worked to pre
vent using portable classrooms.
“By preventing that, it’s hurt us
this way, because we don’t have
the capital outlay that we can go
down there and spend $10 mil
lion,’’ she said. “It’s just not there,
because we’ve been pro-active in
building schools.’’
Adams said a potential solution
would be to ask voters to pass
another general obligation bond.
“I’m going to be real honest
about that,’’ he said. “I would
be scared to death of it right
now. I think that the atmosphere
among taxpayers and voters is
not good.’’
Adams said a lot of money that
could be spent on other things
is going on interest on bonded
indebtedness.
Crawford said that members of
the parents group would be in
attendance at next month’s board
meeting to hear the results of the
Jan. 17 report.
“We’d like for ya’ll to use your
professional acumen in finding a
solution for us,’’ Crawford said.
"Miss Cured For life'
Pageant Planned Feb. 8
were taken
Jackson Creative Community
Resource Center will host a “Ms.
Cured for Life’’ pageant at 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 8, at the Commerce
Cultural Center. Proceeds will
benefit the center’s Relay for Life
team. Food vendors will be at the
event.
Applications
through Dec. 30.
NEWS DEADLINE
4:00 MONDAYS
WOODYARD
Accounting
18 South Public Square
Jefferson, GA 30549
- (706) 693-4280 -
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DID YOU KNOW?
By Preacher Clint
DID YOU KNOW THAT EVEN
AFTER ADAM DISOBEYED, THAT
GOD CAME LOOKING FOR HIM?
GOD loved Adam so much that
He made a way to restore him to
fellowship (Gen. 3:21) GOD
created us for his good pleasure
and still desires our fellowship,
and That is why GOD sent His
SON into a sin cursed world to
die...(Jn. 3:16) GOD'S greatest
desire is for mankind to be in his
presence, but that can only
happen if you accept HIS SON
JESUS as you sacrifice for sin
“without the shedding of blood
there is no remission of sin.”
GOD IS CALLING FOR YOU
TODAY (Mt. 11:28-30).
Send comments to
Clinton Sexton
116 Ashland Drive
Commerce, GA 30529
A mandatory stage rehearsal
will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb.
1, at Jackson Creative.
Tickets for audience members
will be $7 in advance, $10 at the
door and $30 for a family of five
or more.
For more information, call 706-
335-5379.
2nd Taxiway Being Considered For Airport
By Kerri Testement
The Jackson County Airport
Authority is considering a plan
to add a second taxiway to Lyle
Field.
As discussed Tuesday night,
Jan. 8, the plan would involve the
purchase of a 34-acre tract on
Ga. Hwy. 82, next to the county
airport. The property includes
one house.
A family member of the prop
erty owner told the authority
that his relative is aware that such
plans may be coming.
At the meeting, the authority
met with representatives from
THC, a Duluth-based consultant
firm that specializes in the plan
ning and implementation of air
port land acquisition and noise
mitigation programs.
THC president Joe A. Carroll
told the Jackson County group
that his company has worked
on projects with 34 airports in
Georgia. The company’s other
clients also include Atlanta’s
Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport and airports in San
Antonio, Milwaukee and
Gulfport, MS.
“We manage the entire project,’’
Carroll said.
That includes handling surveys
and title attorneys, negotiat
ing with the affected property
owners and assisting residents
through a relocation program.
THC also coordinates projects
with any state agencies and the
Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), Carroll said.
The first step in the property
acquisition process is to hold
a public hearing, Carroll said.
His company will also provide
affected homeowners with a fed
erally-mandated booklet about
the process.
Once officials have negotiated
with a homeowner, it may be
60-90 days before the author
ity makes an offer, he said. The
complete process of acquiring
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• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
COMMERCE
AMERICAN LEGION
Commerce Rec. Dept. Post 93
Carson Street - 1st Mon. night
Each Month, 7:30 p.m.
335-6400
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pd.-2/20os
JEFFERSON
AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 3io
CJg Georgia Real Estate Investors
tS Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn
197 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
mailto:thewlettl@charter.net
website: www.gareia.org p.| ,,.,,7
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pd.os/os
BANKS COUNTY
AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.o6/os
• VETERANS OF
FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Mike Buffington, Commander
Phone 706-335-6532 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. *(706) 367-1400
Mark Bradley, President
UNITY LODGE
F& A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
A. Ben Wurtz • 706-367-1400
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. • (706) 654-2237
Clay Eubanks, President
property may take from six to
nine months to finish, Carroll
added.
However, should a property
owner decline the offer, the
authority can begin the eminent
domain process, Carroll said.
The Jackson County Airport
Authority plans to seek funds
from the FAA and Georgia
Department of Transportation
for the second taxiway project.
The authority hopes to learn by
the end of the year if the FAA
will give the group funds in the
2009 fiscal year budget.
“Every expense you can think
of is covered,’’ Carroll said of
the FAA funding program. Those
expenses also include relocation
costs of the affected homeown
ers, he added.
Should the authority not receive
the FAA funds next year, it can
reapply for another year.
Meanwhile, the J ackson County
Airport Authority continues to
work on its top project — the 900-
foot expansion of its runway.
That project has an estimated
price tag $6.1 million, accord
ing to airport manager Bob
Stapleton.
The FAA is expected to fund
90 percent of the project, with
the DOT providing five percent
of funds and local money back
ing five percent of the runway
extension, Stapleton said. The
authority is also seeking a $3.5
million grant from AirGeorgia,
he added.
The authority plans to accept
bids on the runway extension
project through mid-February,
Stapleton said. Construction is
slated to begin in May and end
in February 2009.
HANGAR ISSUE
The authority also fielded
requests Tuesday to build addi
tional hangars at the county-
owned airport — but officials
say questionable agreements
between tenants and former
county officials are complicating
the issue.
Jackson County owns the land
at the airport that the hangars are
built on and leases the hangars to
other organizations.
Dry Pond Investment Inc.,
Jefferson, constructed three
hangars at Lyle Field and leas
es the land from the county.
The company plans to build a
fourth hangar that would house
18 planes.
Max Allen, president of Dry
Pond Investment, wrote in a let
ter to the airport authority that
the additional hangar would gen
erate more property taxes for
Jackson County and potentially
bring $2,000 per month in rental
income.
Dry Pond Investment is propos
ing a land swap with the airport
authority to build the hangars.
Donald Weiman, Hoschton,
has also asked the airport author
ity to construct one to three rows
of “T-hangars’’ at Lyle Field.
Allen told the airport authority
that his hangars currently house
42 airplanes — a majority of the
aircraft at Lyle Field. His request
to build more hangars dates
back more than five months, and
Allen expressed frustration at
not getting a commitment from
county officials to construct the
additional hangars.
Airport authority chair
man Shannon Sell said he has
“begged’’ for the county’s law
firm to provide some legal advice
on the issue.
“There should be some middle
ground between Jackson County
and Dry Pond Investment,’’ Sell
said.
Both parties agreed to seek
legal advice on Dry Pond
Investment’s proposal and the
recommendations of airport
manager Stapleton on the issue.
Jackson County built the han
gar that houses Emory Life
Flight and has plans to build 24
“T-hangars,’’ Sell explained.
Sell said he prefers that the air
port authority lease the ground
for others to build hangars and
Jackson County build its own
hangars as well.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the airport
authority:
• named Shannon Sell as chair
man and John Buchanan as vice
chairman of the airport author
ity.
•heard John Hulsey, county
finance director, report that
the authority had a deficient of
$156,000, which he described as
“concerning’’ until the authority
can start earning more income,
possibly by leasing hangars. The
county made a $61,000 profit
from the sale of fuel at the air
port, he added.
•heard from Stapleton
about the Georgia Forestry
Commission’s lease for a hangar.
Stapleton said the state agency
owes the county $ 1,800 in various
fees dating back several years for
leasing the hangar site. A former
airport manager leased the han
gar to another individual when
it was believed at the time that
the forestry commission would
leave the airport, Stapleton said.
The authority should ask the new
tenant if he wants to stay in the
hangar or receive his rent back
from the county, Stapleton said.
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