Newspaper Page Text
™,!r ? egion Roundup
Benton Opposes
Bill To Create
Charter Schools
State Rep. Tommy Benton said
this week he is opposed to legis
lation that would allow the estab
lishment of charter schools.
Benton, who represents parts
of Jackson, Barrow and Hall
counties, said he was opposed
to the state legislation, but didn’t
cast a vote on the measure.
“A ‘no’ vote on House Bill 881
would not have done any good,”
Benton said. He said he stepped
out of the House chamber during
the vote.
The legislation, which passed
in the Georgia House of
Representatives by a 119-48 vote,
would create a charter school
commission that would serve
independently of the Georgia
Department of Education, but
under the supervision of the
state board and in collaboration
of the DOE.
The commission would have the
power to authorize and serve as
a sponsor commission of charter
schools, including both approval
and denial. Commission mem
bers would be appointed by the
governor, the Lt. Gov. and the
Speaker of the House.
Benton, a former educator, said
he was opposed to HB 881
because it would allow groups
to bypass local school systems’
boards of education to establish
a charter school.
But the legislation would also
give money to the Northeast
Georgia Regional Educational
Service Agency (RESA), which
serves Jackson County’s three
school systems, Benton said.
RESA, and the school systems
it serves, is trying to fund a new
facility for the Rutland Academy,
a psycho-educational program in
Athens.
OTHER BILLS
Two other key legislative items
last week were bills related to
identity theft and dogfighting,
Benton said. He voted in favor of
both items.
HB 310, which prohibits own
ing or training dogs to fight, was
passed by the House by a 165-6
vote.
The bill states that violating
the law would be punished as a
felony with a first offense pun
ished by one to five years in jail
and/or a $5,000 fine. A second
offense would include one to
10 years in jail and/or a $15,000
fine. Attending a dogfight would
also be a crime subject to punish
ment, according to the bill.
Another bill passed by the
House last week was HB 130,
which allows a consumer to
request that a credit reporting
agency not release their credit
report information by placing a
“security freeze” on it.
Consumers may request to have
the “security freeze” temporarily
lifted. Credit agencies can charge
706-354-1539 • Epps Bridge Pkwy.
(Across from Super WalMart)
a consumer a maximum of $3
for each placement, temporary
lift or removal of the “security
freeze.”
Benton was one of five legisla
tors to sponsor HB 130. In the
past, the state legislature was
quick to approve measures that
helped businesses, but not con
sumers, he said.
For more information, visit
Benton’s website at www.tom-
mybenton.com.
Jefferson Gets
Loan For
Reservoir Work
Jefferson has been approved
for a Georgia Fund loan of $1
million to finance water system
improvements.
The money will be used to help
finance improvements to the
existing Curry Creek Reservoir
in order to address current
drought conditions.
The city will pay 3.68 percent
interest on the 20-year loan.
The total project cost is $1.3
million, with the Department of
Community Affairs proving a
block grant of $100,000 and local
funds totaling $200,000.
New Hangars
On Tap For
County Airport
The Jackson County Airport
Authority has begun the process
to build new hangars.
The authority voted unani
mously Wednesday, Jan. 30, to
authorize Talbert and Bright, its
consultants, to put together a
proposal on the costs of design
ing hangars on sites on the cur
rent airport property.
“There are three sites that we
are looking at right now on the
east side of the runway to build
hangars,” said airport manager
Bob Stapleton. “We’re talking
about T-hangars, and individual
hangars to accommodate aircraft
that want to be inside a hangar.”
The proposal is expected to be
ready in a few weeks.
The authority also authorized
chairman Shannon Sell to discuss
the current hangar lease with the
current leaseholder principals.
“There’s a 3.7 acre lease on the
east side of the airport runway
that’s been in existence for some
time,” Stapleton said. “We’re try
ing to find a way to update that
lease, and bring it up into today’s
standards, and make it more
amenable to the folks here.”
The authority also voted unani
mously to ask for a proposal
from a land acquisition company
on the cost and procedures to
begin the acquisition of 30 acres
on the west side of the runway.
Choral Director
Heading To London
In Mid-February
Jackson County Comprehen
sive High School chorus teach
er Todd Chandler will travel to
London to further his choral
directing skills in mid-February.
He will study conducting one-on-
one with Patrick Russill, director
of music at the London Oratory
and head of choral conducting
at the Royal Academy of Music,
London.
His passion for instructing
young vocalists led him to his
current position at JCCHS in
Jefferson. He also directs choirs
at First Baptist Church in
Commerce.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be going
to London if it weren’t for my
students,” said Chandler.
Chandler, along with many of
his current and past choral stu
dents, will travel to several music
scenes in Germany in early April
where they will perform with the
Liszt School of Music Weimar
instrumentalists. While orchestra
students accompany the chorus,
Chandler will direct.
“They have worked so hard this
year and I want to make sure I
direct the Liszt School of Music
Weimar instrumentalists with
precision and accuracy so that
my students have every oppor
tunity to perform to the best of
their ability,” he said.
The group will be perform
ing in Berlin, Leipzig, Bayreuth,
Weimar, etc. In addition, the
group is planning a performance
at a nearby former Nazi deten
tion camp.
“It’s an exciting opportunity
because rarely do high school
choral groups get to travel outside
the country,” said Haley Baggerly,
a senior at JCCHS. “To be sing
ing with such a great orchestra is
a huge honor.”
The Liszt School of Music
Weimar is an internationally
acclaimed 136-year-old music
school in Weimar, Germany.
The choral program is hold
ing fund-raisers to generate mon
ies to help offset the trip costs
on students. Interested donors
should contact Todd Chandler
by e-mailing tchandler@jackson.
kl2.ga.us.
DA Schedules
Meetings In
Circuit's Counties
District Attorney Rick
Bridgeman will hold a series of
first quarterly public meetings
Saturday, Feb. 16.
He will meet with Jackson
County citizens from 8:30 a.m.
until 9:30 a.m. at the Jefferson
House Restaurant, 682 Athens
Street in Jefferson.
Bridgeman’s Barrow County
meeting will be from 10:30 a.m.
until 12 p.m. at the Winder Police
Department training room, 94 N.
Broad Street in Winder.
Bridgeman will meet with Banks
County citizens from 1 p.m. until
2:30 p.m. at the Historic Banks
County Courthouse in Homer.
Citizens are invited to come
and ask questions about the oper
ations in the Piedmont Judicial
Circuit District Attorney’s
Office.
Pendergrass
Council Votes To
Annex 40 Acres
The Pendergrass City Council
recently approved the annexa
tion of a 40-acre tract of land into
the city. The request was made
by Hamilton Homes LLC.
The property backs up to the
“Kinney property” next to a
spray field. Administrator Rob
Russell said that the applicant
was not seeking a zoning change
on the property. He had said at a
previous meeting that they had
no plans for the property.
The council also voted unani
mously to approve an ordinance
appointing the Jackson County
Public Development GIS depart
ment as the official provider of
mapping services for the city.
Danielsville
Donates Funds
For Response Team
Danielsville’s city council gave
a $1,000 donation check to
Sheriff Clayton Lowe Monday
night to help purchase equip
ment for the Special Response
Team (SRT) recently implement
ed by the sheriff’s office.
Lowe thanked the council for
their support and reported that
approximately $20,000 has been
donated by the community in the
establishment of the SRT.
Genealogical Group
To Meet Tuesday
At Winder Church
The East Georgia Genealogical
Society will meet Tuesday, Feb.
12, at 7 p.m. at The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Winder.
J.H. Segars, a historical
researcher and author, will
present the program, “View of
a Southern Solider in the Civil
War.” He will provide research
tips for the Civil War ancestor,
including the African-American
solider.
He will also discuss how one
can publish their family history.
Segars will bring historical pub
lications and offer them at a dis
count to the membership.
For more information on
Segars, visit www.southernlion-
books.com/ editor.htm.
Now's The Time
To Load Up On
Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout cookies are now on
sale, and will be sold door-to-door
until the end of February and
then will be available for purchase
at booth sales around the area.
This year, the Girl Scouts have
announced two new cookie fla
vors — the Lemon Creme Chalet
and a chocolate chip cookie that
is sugar free. In addition, girls will
also be selling Samoas, Trefoils,
Tagalongs, Thin Mints, All-
Abouts and Do-Si-Dos. Cookies
are $3.50 a box and a portion of
the sales benefit local troops.
The Girl Scout Cookie
Program — an integral part of
Girl Scouting’s Business and
Economic Literacy initiative
for girls ages 6-17 — provides
finance, marketing, and public
speaking skills, along with expe
riences that build girls’ self-con
fidence and help them develop
their own personal leadership
style, according to the organiza
tion.
Through the Girl Scout Cookie
Program, girls manage inventory,
set goals, learn money manage
ment and develop marketing
skills. Essentially, the girls run
their own business. The entire
troop sets a goal and follows a
plan leading toward that goal.
Girl Scout troops use funds from
the cookie activity to fund a ser
vice project or to plan for a trip.
To volunteer, join as a member,
or make a donation, call Girl
Scouts of Northeast Georgia at
706-548-7297 or 770-536-8656.
Piedmont College
Sets Open House
At Athens Campus
Students and their parents
interested in learning about
the Piedmont College Athens
Campus are invited to an open
house at the college from 6:30-8
p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28.
Located at 595 Prince Avenue,
Piedmont’s Athens Campus
now offers complete four-year
degrees in a variety of career-ori
ented subjects, as well as gradu
ate degree programs in educa
tion and business.
The open house is an opportuni
ty for undergraduate students to
meet Piedmont faculty and learn
about the new programs offered
in Athens. Welcome and intro
ductions will begin at 6:30 p.m. in
Commons Hall, and tours will be
given shortly after. The evening
will end with a dessert reception
in Rogers Hall. For more infor
mation call Piedmont College
Undergraduate Admissions at
I- 800-277-7020, or visit www.pied-
mont.edu.
Red Cross Offers
Babysitting
Course For Teens
The East Georgia Chapter of
the American Red Cross is offer
ing a babysitter’s training course
Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to
3:30 p.m., at the American Red
Cross Blood Donor Center in
Athens.
The fee is $38 and is open to all
II- to-15 year olds.
Participants in the course will
learn how to respond to emer
gencies and illnesses with first
aid and other appropriate care,
make decisions under pressure,
manage young children safely,
identify common safety hazards
and prevent injuries, and choose
safe and age-appropriate games
For more information, or to
register, contact the East Georgia
Chapter at 706-353-1645.
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DID YOU KNOW?
By Preacher Clint
DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL
MANKIND WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD
ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS?
(Rom. 2:5&6) This means that it
does matter what you do, because
GOD is going to hold you
accountable for your actions. You
may reject the gospel of Christ and
refuse to accept GOD s plan of
salvation, but the day will come
when you will bow before him and
be judged.
(Rev. 20:11-15)
Therefore it is important to live a
good moral life because your
punishment will be less severe. But
how much better to stand before a
loving father than a stern judge..I beg
you to accept JESUS as your SAVIOR
then GOD will be your FATHER..
Send comments to
Clinton Sexton
116 Ashland Drive
Commerce, GA 30529
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