Newspaper Page Text
~ News Region Roundup
Habitat Of
Madison County
Wins EMC Grant
DANIELSVILLE - Madison
County Habitat for Humanity has
been awarded a $15,000 grant by
the Jackson EMC Foundation to
help fund construction of the or
ganization’s third Habitat Com
munity house.
The Madison County Habitat af
filiate has constructed six homes
since its beginning in 1998 and has
purchased 10 acres of land where
it will eventually build 15 homes
on half-acre lots with green space
for gardens and play. Homes are
sold to qualifying low-income
families at no profit and financed
through affordable no-interest
loans. The affiliate is the only
housing provider for families with
annual incomes between $8,895
and $17,790, who are not eligible
for conventional loans and can
only afford a home if labor and
interest costs are eliminated.
The grant will be used for fram
ing and to purchase an energy-
efficient heat pump and Energy
Star qualified washer.
Funded by Jackson EMC mem
bers, who contribute through the
Operation Round Up Program,
the Foundation has awarded near
ly $2.4 million to date through
205 grants to organizations and
97 grants to individuals. Opera
tion Round Up rounds up electric
bills of participating members to
the next dollar amount, using the
spare change to do charitable
work.
BOC Chairman
Ordered To Pay
$200 Ethics Fine
DANIELSVILLE - An ethics
complaint filed by Commissioner
John Pethel against Commission
Chairman Wesley Nash has re
sulted in a $200 fine for Nash.
Pethel maintained that Nash il
legally used county equipment for
political purposes in 2004, while
Nash said he used a county com
puter for a few dollars worth of
printing.
According to the “findings and
conclusions’’ filed by the State
Ethics Commission on May 22,
“in September or October of
2004, Respondent (Nash) brought
his own blank mailing labels and
a computer disk, containing the
names of registered voters in
Madison County, to the Madison
County Planning and Zoning
Office. Respondent then used a
computer and printer located in
the Planning and Zoning office
and printed mailing labels bear
ing the names of voters in Madi
son County.’’
Nash acknowledged that he did
use a county printer. He said he
chose to pay the fine rather than
hire a lawyer to fight against Peth
el, which he said would have cost
“a whole lot of money.’’
“It was just a lot cheaper to pay
the fine than hire a lawyer to fight
it,’’ said Nash. “I have never asked
Headmaster’s
Corner
by
Buhl Cummings
COMMENCEMENT .Athens Christian
School’s 35 th High School Graduation
was held Saturday evening, May 17, in
beautiful Eagle Stadium. Hundreds of
parents, grandparents, relatives and
friends were on hand for the happy
occasion.
ACS has worked with the parents of
these fine graduates to train them
academically, culturally, and spiritually.
Our goal for these young people was
not only to sharpen their God-given
tools to help them make a living, but it
was also to help train them how to live.
Knowing the Lord and living for Him
is Life with a capital "L”. What can ACS
do to help you?
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
the county to pay any of my legal
bills. And I already have a sizable
personal investment in this, be
cause I didn’t ask the county to
pay my legal bills.’’
Pethel said he felt Nash got off
far too easy.
“I feel like the fine issued by the
commission was not nearly as
much as it should have been for
what he did,’’ said Pethel.
Airport Presents
$15 Million
Plan To County
JEFFERSON - The Jackson
County Airport Authority present
ed its five-year capital improve
ments plan to the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners in a joint
meeting last week. The plan calls
for $15 million in improvements
to the airport facility, including
the construction of T-hangars, the
construction of a new terminal
building and fuel system updates
between 2009 and 2013.
The board did not vote on the
FY 2009 plan, but expects to take
the matter up as an action item at
its first meeting in June.
With the Federal Aviation Ad
ministration (FAA) expected to
pay for 95 percent and the state
expected to pay for 2.5 percent,
that would leave the county’s
overall cost for the five-year plan
at roughly $1.2 million.
The authority wants to move
on plans for the 2009 fiscal year,
which would include corporate
and commercial hangar site con
struction, relocation of the current
fueling ramp and work on reopen
ing the crosswinds runway.
But the largest part of the 2009
improvements would be $5 mil
lion in land acquisition around
the airport. While the federal and
state monies are guaranteed, ac
cording to authority chairman
Shannon Sell, the time frame in
which the county would be paid
back is not. Sell said the county
could be reimbursed quickly or it
could take as long as five years for
the money to come back in.
The authority told the commis-
Legal Notice
Vaughns Wingslingers Grill has
applied for a beer and wine
license to sell malt and vinous bev-
erages by the drink/consumption
on premises) at 1662 S. Broad
St., Commerce, GA with an open
ing date of June 1.
All history checks have been
completed and there are no nega
tive responses.
The owner of the properly is
Kerry Vaughn.
sioners they would like to obtain
a line of credit for the $9 million
FY 2009 projects, which would
cost the county $125,000 once the
federal and state reimbursements
come in.
Commission Chairman Pat Bell
said while she supports what the
authority wants to do, she wants
to see the federal and state reim
bursement guarantees in writing
before she will fully support it.
“I am with you on the project
and I am with you on the plan,’’
Bell said. “I am so grateful that we
have such a tremendous authority
now that is looking after the air
port. I’m thankful that we have a
good manager, and I think we can
move forward. I’ve just got to get
this in my mind, as to the spend
ing of taxpayers’ money.’’
Sell said: “That’s one reason
we’re here today. We look at this
as being a good thing for the
taxpayers of Jackson County,
because within time, it will bring
businesses and tax revenue in.’’
Airport manager Bob Stapleton
said he could obtain those written
guarantees for the commission
ers.
“I can guarantee you we’re go
ing to get reimbursed for it,’’ Sell
added.
Voters Encouraged
To Get Absentee
Ballots For Primary
Registered voters may request
an absentee ballot from their
county registrar by completing an
application available on the Geor
gia Secretary of State’s website.
The website is: www.sos.ga.gov/
elections/ ElectionCenter08.htm.
Voters may then submit the
form to their county registrar by
mail or fax. Contact information
for county registrars is available at
www.sos.ga.gov/ elections/Elec-
tionCenter08.htm.
“We will likely see high turnout
in this year’s general primary and
general election. That could mean
extended wait times at some pre
cincts,’’ secretary Karen Handel
said. “Absentee voting is a con
venient way for voters to exercise
their civic duty without having to
visit a polling place on election
day.’’
Voters can request an absentee
ballot beginning 180 days prior
to an election without providing
a reason. Absentee ballots will be
mailed 45 days prior to federal,
state, and county elections and
21 days prior to elections featur
ing only municipal candidates.
Voters must submit a separate
absentee ballot application for
each election, unless they are
physically disabled, of advanced
age, or exempted by the Uni
formed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act.
Voters participating by absentee
ballot by mail are not required to
provide photo identification. Ab
sentee ballots must be received
by the county registrar by election
day.
Hoschton Farmers'
Market is Open
Every Saturday
The Hoschton Farmers’ Market
is now selling a large variety of
plants each Saturday, from 9 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m.
The market is located on Ga.
Hwy. 53, next to the gazebo in the
city square, near city hall.
Knowledgeable people will be
available to answer customers’
questions about the plants, peren
nials, annuals and hanging bas
kets. The vendor will also be able
to answer questions or assist with
plant problems.
Smith, Yates Earn
Certification
From State Group
Jackson County commission
ers Dwain Smith and Bruce Yates
were recently honored for com
pleting the nationally-recognized
county commissioners training
program.
The program is co-sponsored by
the Association County Commis
sioners of Georgia (ACCG) and
the University of Georgia’s Carl
Vinson Institute of Government.
The Jackson County officials
were awarded a “Certificate of
Recognition’’ during an awards
ceremony at ACCG’s 2008 an
nual meeting in Savannah for
completing the training program.
The program enhances local gov
ernments’ ability to provide pub
lic services responsibly, efficiently
and cost-effectively, according to
the ACCG.
To receive certification, officials
must complete 48 hours of instruc
tion. Since its inception in 1987,
more than 2,400 county officials
have become certified through the
program.
Governor Declares
'Sales Tax Holiday'
July 31-Aug. 3
The annual “back to school’’
sales tax holiday and the energy
efficient products sales tax holi
day will be on the calendar again
this year, according to Gov. Sonny
Perdue’s office.
During the annual “back to
school’’ sales tax holiday, Georgia
shoppers will have the opportu
nity to purchase certain clothing
items, computers and computer
accessories tax-free.
The “back to school’’ sales tax
holiday begins at 12:01 a.m., Thurs
day, July 31, and continues until
midnight Sunday, Aug. 3.
Georgia’s fourth annual Energy
Star sales tax holiday begins at
12:01 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, and
continues until midnight Oct. 5.
During that period, products
with the Energy Star designation
will be exempt from the state
sales and use tax. WaterSense
products will be eligible for the
tax-free sales tax holiday during
this period.
WaterSense will help consumers
identify water-efficient products
and programs. The WaterSense
label will indicate that those prod
ucts and programs meet water
efficiency and performance cri
teria. For additional information
on WaterSense, visit http://www.
epa.gov/ watersense/.
The sales tax exemption is in
tended only for individuals and
their personal use. It does not ap
ply to purchases made for resale,
purchases by businesses, items
leased or rented, or items sold at
sports facilities, theme parks, res
taurants, public lodging establish
ments and airports.
For more information, visit
wwwlegis .state .ga.us.
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
W & W METAL ROOFING
|M|B
30 Year
Paint *4
“We Got You Covered”
Residential • Commercial • Agricultural
• Ship Anywhere In The USA
• We Stock Your Metal Needs
• Visit Our Showroom
www.wwmetalroofmg.com
usam
706-654-5836
Hwy. 60 / Candler Hwy. • Pendergrass, Ga.
Warranty
Sales
Service
Installation
$ 5 00 OFF
Ticket Of s 20°° Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only.
La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Jefferson
173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 605 Athens Street
706-335-7458 706-367-5095
^Tfie Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant. j
KEEP AMERICA
BEAUTIFUL
GET A HAIRCUT
Commerce's Only
Barber Shop
Family Haircare
Bill Wood, Owner
) Walk-Ins Welcome
Wood Barber Shop
581 lla Road, Lot #l, Commerce
(706) 335-5392 • Mon.-Fri. 8-6