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Sports: IB Gridiron Leopards to hold spring game Community: 3A Cancer survivor of the week May 14,2008 The Banks County News 504^ Homer, Banks County, Georgia 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • mainstreetnews.com • 22 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 39 No. 40 Lula Railroad Days coming up Saturday The 32nd annual Lula Railroad Days festival will be held Saturday, May 17. The festival begins with the parade down Main Street at 10 a.m. and continues throughout the day with entertainment, rides, crafts, food and drinks at the historic Railroad Park. Entertainment begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with Betty Rogers and the Georgia Star Twirlers; 12:30 p.m., The Stancils; 1:30 p.m., The Stephens Sisters; 2:30 p.m., Clemons Chapel Choir; 3:30 p.m., Raffle Drawing; 4:30 p.m., Allison Medlock; and 5:30 p.m., The Lanierland Boys with Marion Merck. There is no admis sion charge and parking is free for the event. For more information, contact city hall at 770-869-3801. Relay for Life set for this weekend The Banks County Relay for Life will be held May 16-17 at the old Banks County high school football field, located behind the new elemen tary school. “It’s not just for cancer sur vivors and fam ilies of cancer victims, but it is for everyone, whether you have been touched with cancer personally, or not,” states Anita Bonds, one of the volunteers. “But most people, if they will be perfectly honest, know of someone with can cer or have known someone with cancer. The committee plans on it being a fun-filled night for all ages. Please come out and support those with cancer and remember those who have fallen to cancer. We would love to see the elementary school parking lot around the school filled with cars that night.” The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16, at the survivor tent, which will recognize the survivors in attendance. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, a welcome will be given, as well as a presentation of the American flag colors by the Banks County High School Jr. ROTC Club. The pledge of allegiance to the continued on page 3A Celebrate Life i6-i7 News - 2-3A •Banks County Middle holds career day — page 2A Op/Ed • ‘Going against the grain for November vote’ — page 4A Other news •Social News — pages 7-8A •School News — pages 5A, 8B •Public Safety — page 6A • Legals — page 4B • Church — page 7B •Obituaries — page 5B All the way to state BANKS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AT STATE Athletes from Banks County High School competed at the state’s high est level this past week. (Above) Jay Harn represented the BCHS track team at the state meet in Jefferson competing in three events in the wheelchair competition. Harn, shown celebrating one of his two state titles with coach Rob Moffett, took first in the 200 and 800-meter events and was second in the shot put. (Left) Kasey Hudgins and the BCHS Diamond Leopard baseball team qualified for the Class AA state playoffs and faced defending state champion Holy Innocents in an opening-round series in Atlanta on a hot Friday afternoon. See more details in today’s sports section. Photos by Lyn Sengupta Reed resigns as Baldwin mayor Special election set Sept. 16 BY SHARON HOGAN Mark Reed has resigned as mayor of Baldwin to run for a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. In a 3-2 vote at this week’s meeting, the council agreed to hold the special election to fill the mayor’s seat on Sept. 16. Council members Jeff Murray and Rodney King voted against that date. The qualifying dates will be from July 21 through July 23 during normal busi ness hours at city hall. The qualifying fee for the mayor’s seat was set at $35. At a meeting on May 8, the council had a lengthy discussion about how to fill the mayor’s position. City attorney David Syfan said the city has three choices on dates to hold a special elec tion: July 15, the date of the general primary election; September 16; or on November 4. Syfan said calling the election for July 15 would mean that both a county and a city election would be held for Baldwin residents. Syfan said this could mean voters would have to vote in two differ ent places and that could be confusing. But several Baldwin residents spoke out in support of holding the election on July 15, at the same time as the coun ty elections. Baldwin resident Linda Caudell said she had contacted Ann Jarrells, Habersham County Election Superintendent, and was told that if it is 60 days prior to the July 15 election, it can be included on the county election ballot. Caudell said, “If you let this linger, Mark Reed has stepped down as mayor of Baldwin as he prepares to run for a seat in District 10 of the Georgia House of Representatives. you get into the national election.” Council member Robert Bohannon made the motion to approve the ordi nance to hold the special election on Sept. 16. “I’ve been a council member for 26 years,” Bohannon said. “I have lived in Baldwin since 1961. If people are interested in the city and what goes on they’re going to attend meetings and get involved before election time.” Reed is running as a Republican for the House District 10 seat currently held by Ben Bridges. He has been mayor since November 1995 and has presided over 300-plus council meet ings. At his last meeting on April 28, Reed said that his position as mayor has been the most rewarding experience of his life. Reed stated that he has seen a lot of progress in Baldwin, including the con struction of the wastewater treatment plant, the 4-lane expansion of Hwy. 365, and the construction of the public safety buildings for Baldwin. — Economic Development — Banks gets 'entrepreneur friendly' designation BY ANGELA GARY Banks County is the state’s new est designated ‘Entrepreneur Friendly’ Community. The designation means the com munity has developed an environment that is welcoming to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ninety-two percent of Banks County’s 350 companies are small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. “I want to say thank you to our entrepreneur friendly team that worked so hard to accomplish this goal for Banks County,” chamber director Tara Fulcher said. “The Banks County chamber is proud to be named the first point of contact for small business, entrepreneurs and start-up companies in Banks County.” Fulcher led a committee in gather ing information on current businesses and developing a strategy to promote new business development. The com mittee met for eight months and inter- viewed 18 business owners. Last week, state leaders, chamber members and county business own ers gathered in Homer for the offi cial announcement that the county had received the designation. Before the afternoon ceremony, state leaders traveled to several Banks County busi nesses, including Grove River Ranch. Presentations were given from other county business owners, including Joe Book of PakMail and Jerry Boling of Document Destruction. As part of the process to earn the designation, Banks County completed the entrepreneur friendly program with the assistance of GDEcD’s regional representative Suzanne Browne. The county analyzed its entrepreneurial and small business environment and developed strategies to help foster its growth. Banks County also underwent a full- continued on page 3A Chamber plans May 22 picnic The Banks County Chamber of Commerce will hold its seventh annual picnic on the lawn at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, on the lawn of the historic courthouse in Homer. Entertainment will be provided by Jared Clark. Drawings will be held for door prizes. The deadline to make reservations is May 20. For more information, call the chamber at 706-677-2108. Driver indicted for vehicular homicide March 07 accident resulted in death of BCHS student BY CHRIS BRIDGES A 19-year-old has been indicted in the death of a fellow Banks County High School student following a one- vehicle accident during March of last year. Chase Poole, of 321 Borders Road, Commerce, was indicted by a Banks County Grand Jury last week for homi- cide by vehicle in the first degree in addition to reckless driving. Banks County sheriff Charles Chapman said Poole turned himself in Saturday morning to the county jail and has since bonded out. The accident, which occurred on Hwy. 98 between Homer and Maysville, resulted in the death of Ashley Blevins, a senior at BCHS at the time. In addi tion to Blevins’ death, Poole was also injured in the accident as was another passenger, Trace Lamfier, also a BCHS student. Blevins was reportedly ejected from the vehicle. According to the Georgia State Patrol investigation, Poole, who suffered head injuries in the accident, attempted to overcorrect the vehicle and lost control. Piedmont Judicial Circuit District Attorney Rick Bridgeman said he could not comment on the case since it is ongoing. He did say vehicular homicide in the first degree carries a maximum sentence of three to 15 years,while the reckless driving charge carries a maxi mum sentence of 12 months. Poole’s arraignment is set for May 29. — Election Update — Voters encouraged to get absentee ballots Registered voters may request an absentee ballot from their county registrar by completing an appli cation available on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website. The website is: www.sos.ga.gov/ electionsMectionCenter08.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/ElectionCenter08. htm. “We will likely see high turn out in this year’s general primary and general election. That could mean extended wait times at some precincts,” secretary Karen Handel said. “Absentee voting is a conve nient 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 continued on page 3A Vandalism at Gillsville park BY SHARON HOGAN Vandals recently damaged a picnic table and broke a window at the Gillsville Park. Council member Todd Dale reported at a city council meeting last week that someone had spray painted all over the tables under the picnic pavilion with blue spray paint. A name is painted on the tables, Dale said. A window was also broken at the park building. City clerk Paula Whiting said that Dwight Miller said he would open and close the gate if he is the one chosen to do the grass cutting. Keeping the gate closed at night might help cut down on the vandalism at the park, lead ers said. However, the council agreed there is no need to lock the gate if the fence is not going to be put back up because someone could drive around the gate and get in.