Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3A
Lula proclaims November as 'Family Month'
; ■
PRESENTS PROCLAMATION
Mayor Milton Turner presents the proclamation recognizing “Family Month”
in the city to Gainesville councilman George Wangemann during Monday’s
council meeting. Photo by Justin Poole
School system considers
making biodiesel for buses
BY JUSTIN POOLE
The City of Lula is rec
ognizing the month of
November as “Family
Month.”
Mayor Milton Turner read
the proclamation during
Monday's regular council
meeting. Turner presented
the proclamation to George
Wangemann and Beverly
Howerton.
Wangemann, a councilman
for Gainesville, said that
“families are the bedrock of
society.”
The Lula proclamation
states that the “family unit
is an integral part of the
fabric of the community
and provides a structure for
children.” The proclama
tion encourages families to
spend quality time together
to strengthen relationships.
The council approved the
proclamation unanimously.
During Monday's meeting
the council took the follow
ing action:
•approved a resolution for
SPLOST VI funds that would
bring in approximately $1.9
million for road, redevelop
ment, water and sewer proj
ects if Hall County approves
the tax. The tax is voted on
BY SHARON HOGAN
Generous Hearts and Banks
County Family Connection
will be giving out turkeys
and trimmings to needy
Banks County families from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday,
Nov. 21, at the Banks County
Recreation Department.
Robin Trotter, Banks
County Family Connection
director, asked for volunteers
to help with the event at the
monthly Family Connection
meeting on Monday, Nov.
17.
Banks County Middle
School is hosting a health fair
at the event. Stacey Morgan,
Banks County Middle
School, said as of Monday,
in March 2009.
•approved granting the
mayor the authority to order
surveys on properties affect
ed by water and sewer line
right of ways (ROW) depen
dent on the legal opinion
of the city attorney. Brad
Patten, city attorney, is look
ing for ways for the city to
resolve the ROW issue with
15 agencies had signed up to
attend the event.
Groups will be offering
hearing tests, blood pres
sure checks, vision screen
ing, taking vital signs and
offering information on
their organizations, Morgan
added.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
Monday’s meeting:
•Trotter said the Banks
County Family Connection
housing and transportation
team is continuing to work
to acquire funds through
Banks County Community
Resource Association to
help residents with trans
portation. The goal is to
out surveys. The property
that would be surveyed if
needed is approximately two
blocks.
•approved sending out a
notice letter to residents
about residential street
lights.
•discussed budget amend
ments, Veteran’s Park con
tract and garbage services.
have the program in place
by January 1, Trotter added.
Banks County residents who
qualify could get help with
Banks County Transit fees
for doctor's office visits,
grocery shopping trips and
possibly transportation to
work, Trotter said.
•Trotter announced the
annual career day event set
for May 13 at Banks County
Middle School.
•Trotter said Generous
Hearts has had three meet
ings and seen 125 families
seeking assistance this holi
day season. “Lots of new
families are being seen,”
Trotter said. “We are really
having to look at families
No action was taken on any
of these items.
•recognized the November
Yard of the Month recipi
ents including Marilyn and
Feliciano Mendez from
District 1, Jackie Berry from
District 2, Harold Caudell
from District 3, Kazia Guynn
from District 4, and Darryl
Womack from District 5.
that have been served by the
organization more than three
years.”
The deadline for sponsor
ships is December 15. The
gifts will be distributed on
Friday, Dec. 19.
•Trotter reported the food
bank served 58 families in
October.
•Trotter said she will be
attending a summit on teen
smoking on January 24.
Trotter said she plans to take
four or five teens with her to
this event.
The next regularly sched
uled monthly meeting will be
held at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
Dec. 18, at the Banks County
Recreation Department.
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Banks County School
System is considering making
biodiesel for use in its buses.
Clay Hobbs, Banks County
School System Transportation
Director, gave a presentation
Thursday to the board of edu
cation on making and using
biodiesel in the school system's
buses.
Hobbs said biodiesel is a fuel
that is made from plant and
animal byproducts. Biodiesel
causes less carbon build-up in
diesel engines and acts as a
cleaning agent, Hobbs added.
There are currently only two
school systems in the nation
that make their own biodiesel
for use in their buses, Hobbs
said.
Hobbs said the public rela
tions for a program like this
would bring positive exposure
to the school system and the use
of biodiesel could be a savings
for the school system.
Biodiesel burning engines
create nearly clean exhaust and
this is better for the students'
health and is better for the envi
ronment, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said one of the top
issues to making the product is
obtaining the fat byproduct to
be used. Fieldale currently cre
ates 13,000 gallons of chicken
fat per day that they sell. Hobbs
said he has talked with Fieldale
a little bit about this project.
In order to make the biod
iesel product, the school sys
tem would need to purchase a
biodiesel processing machine,
purchase storage tanks and con
tainers for the feedstock and the
biodiesel and purchase a build
ing for storage and to house the
machine, Hobbs said.
Hobbs added that a plain
metal building would be suf
ficient.
The approximate cost could
be $794,439 for a 55-gallon
machine or $123,799 for a
275-gallon machine, Hobbs
said.
Superintendent Chris Erwin
said one of the main reasons to
consider this project is a safety
issue.
“This would reduce the emis
sions for our children and be
a cost savings to our system,”
Erwin said.
No action was taken on this.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at Thursday’s work ses
sion:
•the following board members
were recognized for their years
of service to the board as they
begin another year on the board
in January, 2009: Neal Brown,
13 years; John D. Williams, 10
years; and Ron Gardiner, 13
years.
•Erwin discussed the Full
Time Equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment growth. Erwin said
FTEs are what the system is
paid on by the state.
•the board adopted a spend
ing resolution for the month of
December.
The next regularly scheduled
BOE work session will be held
at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11,
at the board office.
Family Connection turkey give-away set Fri.
Photos cont'dfrom 1A
Maysville
cont'dfrom 1A
GENERAL FUND
Although it wasn't discussed
Thursday, Maysville’s general
fund budget worksheet proj
ects a tax decrease and only
a small increase in spending.
The 2009 general fund bud
get would net $657,400, a
little more than the 2008 bud
get of $635,100. Most of the
increase in revenues would
come from more electric fran
chise tax income.
In expenses, both the city’s
police department and library
would see spending increases.
Salary increases are included
in the budget draft.
Read, then
recycle!
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