Newspaper Page Text
50<t • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 28 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 45 No. 11
Wrestling
Hanley named
coach of year |g
Commission
Sports
Race coming to
Banks Crossing
4B
Natu
isrtft <5^5> Southern
School
Jumping rope for
a good cause
3A
continues budget cuts
BY SHARON HOGAN
As work on the proposed Fiscal
Year 2014 budget continued on
April 24, the Banks County Board of
Commissioners continued to make
cuts.
At the end of the day on Wednesday,
cuts of $96,502 had been made to the
proposed 2014 budget of $12.4 mil
lion. Another budget work session is
set for 2 p.m. on Friday.
However, the commissioners voted
unanimously Wednesday to lift the
hiring freeze to allow Steve Reece,
public utilities director, to hire a relief
operator at the water plant.
The relief operator’s position will
add approximately $40,000 - salary
and benefits - to the water plant
operations budget for FY2014.
Reece told the BOC he had two
employees considering retirement in
January 2014.
“One I’m pretty sure of, he has
already moved to South Carolina, and
the other is considering it,” Reece
said.
Reece said he needed to get some
one in place to avoid not having
enough operators if the two current
employees retire.
The commissioners made cuts
to the water plant budget and in
the end, after including the relief
operator’s position, the total recom
mended FY2014 budget was $666,523
- up $65,989 over the 2012 budget of
$600,534
The commissioners trimmed
around $6,800 off the proposed
FY2014 wastewater budget totaling
$211,031, which was already down
$22,661 from 2013.
Cuts totaling $2,736 were made to
the proposed $236,600 FY2014 water
administration budget.
The proposed FY2014 water dis
tribution budget was $243,800 - up
$17,680 from $226,120 in 2013.
Reece asked the BOC to allow him
to hire one additional person to help
out with water distribution. Reese said
he currently had two vacant posi
tions - utility repairman and utility
operator.
BOC chairman Jimmy Hooper
said, “Personally, I can’t see the dol
lars here to hire another person.”
Commissioners Sammy Reece and
Charles Turk agreed with Hooper.
EXTENSION SERVICE
Cuts totaling $1,717 were made to
the proposed FY2014 budget totaling
$75,774 for the extension service.
The BOC made a cut of $800 in the
amount proposed for computers.
Hooper said, “We are trying to get
all computers under Data Survival.”
Bob Waldorf, extension agent,
explained that the computers used by
the extension office are purchased
with matching grant funds through
the University of Georgia.
continued on page 2A
MAYSVILLE
City plans
to make
new park
BY CAMERON WHITLOCK
The Maysville City Council
spent half an hour behind
closed doors Monday before
reconvening to announce the
purchase of 46.423 acres of
land to be used for a city park.
The council adopted a reso
lution approving the purchase
of the property at 48 Homer
St. from sisters Daune Turner
Davis and Katherine Turner
Rushton, at a cost of $170,000.
The two sisters, whose fam
ily (Carr) originally hailed from
Maysville, said they were more
than pleased to be able to pro
vide a park to the citizens of
Maysville.
“Maysville and Banks County
have been in our family for
over 160 years,” said Davis. “We
were absolutely thrilled when
the mayor called us and said
they wanted a park.”
Mayor Richard Presley said
that the council had been
continued on page 2A
Inside
•BCHS students visit
France
— page 12 A
Op/Ed
• Why our kids aren’t
learning
page 4A
Other news
• Social
- 10A
• Church
— 9A
• Obituaries
- 10A
• Public Safety
- 5A-6A
• Legals
— 7B-9B
• Sports
- 1 B-4B
• School
— 5B
Festival celebrates the arts
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Betty Redman is shown with one of her acrylic paintings at the Festival of Arts held in down
town Homer on the historic courthouse square Saturday. Photo by Wesieigh Sagon
BY WESLEIGH SAGON
T he Festival of Arts was held Saturday in
downtown Homer on the historic court
house square. The festival, made possible
by The Holiday Festival Committee, featured
artwork from throughout North Georgia and
will become an annual festival.
Amost the artists with work on display was Dell
Hinsley (Redbone), who said he has been disabled
since he got hurt doing construction work. He said
making pottery got him back into the public.
Another featured artist, Betty Redman (BJ Crocker),
who lives in the Carnesville area, has been painting
since last year and this is her second art show. Acrylic
paintings by Redman are professionally framed at
Hobby Lobby and are all titled, signed, numbered
and dated.
Cheryl Williams, “The Accidental Photographer,”
had many pieces on display. Williams has been doing
photography for two and a half years and also paints
and draws.
The festival also featured live performances by the
Back in Time Band. Back in Time is a nine-piece band
based in Gainesville. The band is known for its clas
sic rock, soul and East Coast beach music. And for
all of those bluegrass fans, BlueBilly Grit, winner of
the 2012 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition, also
performed live during the Festival of Arts.
MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 11A
Gathering
results
in man's
stabbing
Sheriffs office
investigates incident
near Harmony Baptist
The Banks County Sheriff’s Office inves
tigated a stabbing in the northern part of
the county on Wednesday night.
BCSO Investigator Captain Dan McDuffie
said officers responded at approximately
9:30 p.m. to a group of young males,
including both juveniles and adults, gath
ered in the parking lot of Harmony Baptist
Church for the purpose of fighting with
each other.
One person was stabbed and transport
ed to the hospital with non-life threatening
injuries. Several of the males sustained
injuries.
McDuffie reported a search warrant
was executed on a residence in the
Hollingsworth Community in reference to
this case.
“Due to the case being under investiga
tion, additional information is not being
release at this time,” McDuffie said.
If anyone has any information, or may
have seen anything suspicious regarding
this incident, they are being asked to call
the Banks County Sheriff’s Office at 706-
677-2248.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BCES Spring Fling
and Car Show
on Saturday
The 2nd Annual Banks County
Elementary School Spring Fling and
Car Show will be held Saturday.
The car show will be held from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. There is a $15 donation
to enter a car.
Door prizes and trophies will be
given and raffles will be held during
the car show.
The car show is sponsored by
Dwayne Reece, Direct Access Auto
Color, Commerce.
The Spring Fling will be held from
3-6 p.m.
Admission bracelets on Saturday
will be $15 each and will include three
free special event tickets. Admission
bracelets will need to be purchased
for all school-age children.
Activities included with the admis
sion bracelets include: a dance in the
cafeteria with a DJ; tag your teacher;
face painting/tattoos/shimmer hair/
nails; bouncy house; Karaoke rooms;
bingo; bowling; 12 video game rooms;
petting zoo; corn hole game; base
ball throw; basketball shoot; football
throw; tug of war; ping pong; and
more.
Special events will include: pets
gone wild, one ticket required; dunk
ing booth, five throws with one ticket;
cake walk, one ticket with a free walk
every 30 minutes; concession stand;
and 10 vendor booths.
All proceeds from the event will go
to purchase tools to educate the stu
dents at BCES, leaders state.
This weekend
includes Lula
Railroad Days
The City of Lula’s 37th Annual Lula
Railroad Days are Friday and Saturday.
The festivities will kick off Friday
night from 7-10 p.m. at the depot stage
with music and dance, featuring the
Steve Dyer Band.
Festivities on Saturday begin at 9
a.m. with the opening of local arts,
crafts and food vendor booths at the
Lula Train Yard.
The annual Railroad Days Parade
begins at 10 a.m. The parade will travel
the length of the old historic down
town railroad tracks with a variety
of floats and unique entries, leaders
state.
Entertainment at the depot stage
begins after the parade and stage
performances will run throughout the
day featuring singers, dancers, local
bands - Bluegrass, country rock and
gospel - including the national record
ing artist Steve Bryson Band.
“This is a wonderful family event
offering great entertainment, unique
arts and crafts and a fantastic food
selection with a local flare,” leaders
state. “So make plans to join in all the
festivities and fun for all.”
Homer Garden
Club Show and
Tell and Swap
Meet planned
The Homer Garden Club meets
this Saturday, May 4, at 10 a.m. at
city hall in downtown Homer.
The topic will vary with show
and tell. Those able to share this
month are asked to bring their
favorite plant or clippings and
several to swap and share. Janice
Tennent will start the show and
tell with some of her favorites; a
Money Plant and babies (who
wouldn’t want one of these) and
a geranium. The flower of the
month will be geraniums.
“Come enjoy great friends,
great sharing, Citified Fruit Cake
and hot tea,” said garden club
members. “This club is for anyone
who is interested; living in Homer
is not a prerequisite. “Come learn
with us. We always have fun.”
