Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
Residents encourage 'targeted growth'
BY SHARON HOGAN
T he majority of the Banks
County residents attend
ing the framework work
shop last week on the comprehen
sive plan update were in favor of
targeted growth in the county.
Marty Sewell and Marla Bexley-
Brown, MACTEC Engineering
and Consulting, Inc., presented
the results of a survey completed
by county residents dealing with
growth and issues and opportuni
ties in Banks County over the next
10 years.
Sewell said the survey shows
residents want to encourage
growth in targeted areas, grow
the school-age population/provide
more activities for children, work
to attract jobs that will help retain
Banks County’s graduates and
the younger population, expand
commercial and industrial base
in targeted areas to lighten the
residential tax burden on the citi
zens, promote tourism, build a
multi-purpose facility, raise the
overall education attainment and
encourage small businesses in the
county.
Most citizens were in agreement
that the landfill on Bennett Road
should not be expanded. Sewell
also said, the survey shows that
residents want new growth to be
focused in the Martin Bridge Road
area. Residents also believe the Old
Highway 441 area would be a nice
place for mobile home parks and
residential growth. However, the
majority agreed that people should
be encouraged to get into good
affordable housing (stick built), as
opposed to mobile homes.
A Banks County resident said
on Tuesday night that she moved
from Gwinnett County to get away
from the traffic and she wants the
area to remain rural. She said the
county needs to encourage own
ers of farm land to continue to use
their property as farm land.
Sewell said some housing issues
discussed were the need to have
affordable housing to help keep
young people in the county and
the need to offer a wide range of
house prices.
The residents want to avoid high
density housing in certain areas,
Sewell said.
Residents see the need for a
multi-purpose enclosed arena/
facility for hosting large-scale
events, conferences and conven
tions, Sewell said. Local residents
also appreciate the county’s histo
ry and want to see local historical
sites marked, the survey showed.
Sewell said residents polled also
wanted to see green space corri
dors along the Hudson River and
Grove River/ Creek.
On the issue of community
facilities, the group agreed that
sewer expansion could provide
infrastructure that would facilitate
targeted industrial, commercial
and residential growth. The coun
ty’s recycling program could be
expanded to reduce the amount of
solid waste going into the landfill
was an item the residents agreed
on.
On the transportation issue, the
240 miles of unpaved roads in the
county are considered a problem
to the residents. Board of com
mission chairman Gene Hart told
those in attendance that the county
has eight people on the county
road crew and they try to get
around to all the dirt roads at least
twice a year to scrape them and
clean out the ditches.
The residents were in agreement
that the county board of com
mission and the county board of
education need to continue their
coordination. This is an important
issue, Sewell said.
County resident Leslie George
asked on Tuesday if the county
can require any new construction
to have underground utilities. At
issue is the Banks Crossing area
with all of the overhead utilities.
The group also agreed that the
signage in the Banks Crossing area
needs to be addressed.
Sewell said the community vision
statement for Banks County is to
create a community that protects
open space and to create a com
munity that values its public edu
cation and has devoted sufficient
resources to bring the county’s
students in line with state and
national averages for educational
attainment.
The county has tentatively set the
open house for the comprehensive
plan for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June
10, at the senior center, Thompson
Street, Homer.
Schaefer decides to seek re-election to 50th District
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
State Senator Nancy Schaefer
announced last week she will seek
a third-term to represent the 50th
district.
Previously, Schaefer had
announced she was going to chal
lenge U.S. Congressman Paul Broun
in the upcoming Republican primary
for the 10th district.
However, Schaefer said fam
ily commitments would prevent her
from doing so. The state senator
said her husband, Bruce, was having
health problems and she could not
consider undertaking a campaign at
the time.
However, last week Schaefer
announced she would seek re-elec
tion to her state senator seat.
“Bruce and I have been blessed by
constituents across the 50th District
running for the 50th District Senate
Seat again. We have experienced
much prayer from so many of you
in the last few weeks and we are
most grateful. We are at peace with
our decision and look forward to
greeting the great folks in the 50th
District this summer.”
Official candidate qualifying
began Monday and will continue
through Friday.
Bridgeman
Piedmont Judicial Circuit
District Attorney Rick Bridgeman
has announced that he will seek
election to the office of District
Attorney, a position that he has
held since his appointment by Gov.
Sonny Perdue on Sept. 6, 2007.
“It has been my privilege to serve
the citizens of Banks, Barrow and
Jackson counties as their district
attorney these past seven months,”
Bridgeman said. “Since 1995, I
have built a record as a tough
yet fair prosecutor, dedicated to
protecting Georgians and holding
offenders accountable. I am com
mitted to bringing a culture of
excellence to the office of district
attorney and remaining a faithful
and trustworthy steward of that
important public office.”
“I have a new vision for a district
attorney’s office that focuses on
serving the public, working with
our criminal justice partners to
vindicate the rights of victims and
law abiding citizens and seeking
justice on each and every case,” he
continued.
“I am honored to serve with
a group of outstanding men and
women and am proud of the great
strides that together we have
made in just a few short months,”
Bridgeman said. “I hope that I
Maysville to
host meeting
The City of Maysville will hold a
public information meeting to take
comment on the comprehensive
plan for the city on Thursday, May
1, at 7 p.m., at the Maysville Public
Library.
Read, then
recycle this
newspaper!
NANCY SCHAEFER
urging me not to give up my Senate
seat,” Schaefer said. “Bruce still
faces surgery, but after tests, con
sultants and a plan, we now have a
balance with Bruce’s health and my
Break-in reported at Maysville Elementary
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Maysville Police Department
is investigating a break-in on Sunday
at Maysville Elementary School.
Maysville Police Chief Clarence
Sullens said 14 classrooms were
entered by breaking windows in the
outside doors.
“They never entered the hall
ways where the alarms are located,”
Sullen said.
A custodian at the school discov
ered the break-in on Sunday after-
noon. Sullens said based on the time
that the custodian had entered the
school earlier in the day on Sunday
and the time she returned, the break-
in is believed to have happened
sometime Sunday afternoon.
Two laptop computers and a digi
tal camera have been reported miss
ing so far.
Sullens said this is an on-going
investigation and his department is
working with the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office on this.
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Let us know your story ideas
Have an interesting story to share? Do you have a unique hobby?
If so, we would like to know.
Contact Angie Gary, editor of The Banks County News, at 706-367-2490
or e-mail information to her at AngieEditor@aol.com.
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• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
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.05/08
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.06/08
glfi 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.
Dwight Wier • 706-367-5882
Borders St. behind Tabo's 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. • (706) 654-2237
Clay Eubanks, President
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.-2/2008
JEFFERSON
AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 310
White Plains Baptist Church '
Faith Bible Class meets every Sunday morning
at 10:00 a.m. It is a place where strangers
become friends and friends become family.
706-367-5650
White Plains Baptist Church
3650 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson, GA 30549
to seek election as DA
RICK BRIDGEMAN
have earned the opportunity to
continue to serve the citizens of
the Piedmont Judicial Circuit as
their district attorney and I appre
ciate their continued support and
confidence.”
Bridgeman, a resident of
Hoschton, previously served as an
assistant district attorney in the
Piedmont, Northern and Mountain
Judicial Circuits.
Prior to completing law school,
Bridgeman served as an inves
tigator in the DeKalb County
Solicitor’s Office.
Bridgeman obtained his B.A.
degree in criminology from the
University of Maryland and his
law degree from Georgia State
University College of Law. He
is admitted to the Georgia Court
of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme
Court and the United States
Supreme Court and is a member
of the Georgia District Attorneys’
Association and the National
Association of District Attorneys.
Bridgeman serves as the co-chair
of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit
Family Violence Task Force, as an
ex-officio member of the board of
directors of the Tree House Child
Advocacy Center, and a member of
the Piedmont Circuit Child Abuse
Task Force. He is also the chair
person of the local Child Fatality
Review Committee and a mem
ber of the Jackson County Police
Chief’s Association.
Bridgeman and his wife,
Genoria, have been married for
17 years. They previously served
as foster parents for Jackson and
Banks counties and now have
three children, Joshua, Jasmine
and Matthew.
Bridgeman and his family are
active members of Zion Baptist
Church, Braselton. He is also a
Gideon.
For more information about Rick
Bridgeman and the Office of
District Attorney, visit www.
piedmontda.com.
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