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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023
Letters to the Editor
Meet the candidates for
Maysville mayor’s race
Richard Presley
Bill McLeish
Incumbent Maysville
Mayor Richard Presley is
seeking re-election in the
Nov. 7 race. See Presley’s
response to the candidate
questionnaire below:
What in your back
ground makes you quali
fied for this position?
I want to thank the citi
zens of Maysville for allow
ing me to serve the commu
nity for 20 years as Mayor.
As my record shows Mays
ville has progressed tremen
dously in the 20 years. You
can see improvements in
public safety, public works,
library, renovation of sew
er system and City Hall,
paving of streets, building
of sidewalks, and working
with an active Downtown
Development Authority for
future improvements to our
downtown area. One of our
major accomplishments that
I am very proud of is the ad
dition of the 50-acre public
park. It serves our commu
nity for walking trails, fish
ing, concerts, family events
and a place for relaxation
with plans for additional ex
pansion.
At the present time we
are under construction of
the last major phase of the
water system upgrade. This
includes a well that helps
lower our purchases from
other systems. As mayor I
have had a great working
relationship with our city
council, city administrator,
and city clerk to accomplish
these projects. My thanks
again to each of them for
their hard work.
There again you can look
at these accomplishments
that have taken place dining
this administration. I am
looking forward to continu
ing to serve Maysville for
future improvements and
growth.
How do you think Mays-
ville’s growth should be
managed in the coming
years?
Planning, planning and
more planning.
Our community must
collectively plan for future
growth thoroughly, under
standing risk and tapping
into opportunities. The de
velopment of comprehen
sive infrastructure plans to
accommodate the growth
for the community, capital
improvement plans, finan
cial planning and all other
studies that go along with
growth. This could be a
lengthy plan for the next
administration through hard
work and community sup-
Richard Presley, incumbent
Maysville mayor seeking
re-election
port.
What are the top three
issues facing Maysville in
the next 10 years? If elect
ed, how would you address
these issues?
• Economic development
• Proper management
• Comprehensive plan
ning
It starts with dedication
and hard work. We would
continue to work closely
with other agencies for ad
vice and direction for the
betterment of the City of
Maysville.
Please provide a brief
biography of yourself.
My parents were Bob
and Vivian Presley, lifelong
residents of Maysville. I
graduated from Commerce
High School in 1972. Then
I went on to attend Gaines
ville College and later
transferred to Athens Tech,
where I received an Emer
gency Medical technician
license. I was employed by
the Jackson County emer
gency medical services,
from November 1974 until
1982. In 1982 we opened
a family business in Mays
ville. Until today we are still
operating Presley Farm and
Garden in agriculture sales
of fresh vegetables, fresh
meats and equipment.
I attend Maysville Bap
tist Church. I am married
to Sharon Davis Presley.
We have two children Kyle
(Tina) Presley and Jena
Moorhead with 2 grand
children Brylee and Addy
Moorhead.
I will continue to serve
the citizens of Maysville
with dependability, reli
ability, and the best interest
for the town. I ask for your
prayers and support during
this election. Thank you
again for allowing me to be
your mayor for 20 years, as
well as your continued sup
port in the future.
Remember to vote on No
vember 7. Election will be
held at Stonepath Church,
8430 Maysville Rd., Mays
ville.
Thank you.
William “Bill” McLeish
is a candidate for Maysville
mayor. Read his response to
the Mainstreet Newspapers’
questionnaire below:
What in your back
ground makes you quali
fied for this position?
The several businesses
I owned over the years re
quired me to deal directly
and effectively with the
public. These endeavors
required me to be bud-
get-minded, timely, creative
and aware of my customers’
needs. In addition, I learned
to become a good listener
and an effective leader who
was able to get things done.
I made sure that all employ
ees were well treated, prop
erly trained, and productive.
I also valued input from
them.
How do you think Mays-
ville’s growth should be
managed in the coming
years?
A key piece to manag
ing Maysville’s growth is
to communicate well with
the residents and listen to
their ideas and concerns.
Some are relatively new to
the community and have
brought with them new
thoughts and good ideas
to share while others have
lived here their entire lives
and have helpful insights
and very valuable perspec
tives. All voices deserve to
be heard. Good communi
cation with the residents of
Maysville will be important
to me.
I believe that small busi
nesses will be key in devel
oping our city’s economy
and our downtown area.
The small businesses now
in place are owned and
operated by very dedicat
ed, hardworking people.
I applaud them. Our city
needs to make it easier for
prospective business own
ers to start a new business
in Maysville by providing
them with clearly written
expectations and providing
an atmosphere of encour
agement and support.
Another key piece to
Maysville’s development
is addressing the issue of
vacant and deteriorating
buildings in the downtown
area. These structures are
part of our town’s history,
and there is no reason to let
them deteriorate until they
fall in. Such has been the
fate of more than one of our
historic structures. I believe
that cooperation from the
owners of these buildings
coupled with hard work
to secure funding through
grants is possible, and that
our downtown can become
a stellar example of honor
ing the past and securing the
future.
The first step as a leader
is becoming well-informed.
Bill McLeish, candidate for
Maysville mayor
Once I read the most recent
Comprehensive Plan Up
date for the City of Mays
ville published in 2018 by
the Georgia Mountains Re
gional Commission, I knew
immediately I wanted to
get involved. Both my wife
and I volunteered to serve
on the 2023 commission
and attended all communi
ty presentations as well as
helped with the city-wide
survey. Similarly, I will at
tend the upcoming informa
tion meeting regarding the
Northeast Georgia Inland
Port project, which will af
fect nearby 1-85. I feel it is
very important to stay up
dated on what is happening
beyond our city limits as
there will be a ripple effect.
What are the top three
issues facing Maysville in
the next 10 years? If elect
ed, how would you address
these issues?
•Improve the quality and
quantity of treated water —
I would consult with nearby
small cities to learn how
they are successfully pro
viding the water citizens de
serve. I would also consult
with professional engineers.
• Secure Road safety — I
would contact GA DOT to
analyze our situation in or
der to improve pedestrian
safety and address heavy
truck traffic.
• Revitalize the downtown
historic district - Buildings
must be made structural
ly sound to meet building
codes so that businesses can
occupy them, and adequate
parking must be made avail
able so that the public can
access businesses.
Please provide a brief
biography of yourself.
I am a retired executive
chef, having graduated with
Honors from the the Culi
nary Institute of America
in New York. I worked in
prestigious restaurants and
country clubs in various
parts of the U.S., and I also
owned and operated my
own restaurant and cater
ing business. From the food
industry, I transitioned to
sales specializing in indus
trial cleaning equipment for
food manufacturing plants.
My wife, Susan, and I have
three adult children and 8
grandchildren. My goal is
to help the city of Maysville
thrive.
Judge upholds election law
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
A federal judge has denied motions to temporarily block
several provisions of controversial election reform legisla
tion the General Assembly’s Republican majorities passed
two years ago.
Several civil rights groups challenged restrictions in Sen
ate Bill 202 on absentee voting and the placement of absen
tee ballot drop boxes, claiming the new law will make it
harder for Black voters in Georgia to cast their ballots in
the next year.
But U.S. District Judge J.P Boulee ruled against the mo
tions for a preliminary injunction Wednesday, declaring
that the plaintiffs failed to prove the legislation was intend
ed to discriminate against voters based on their race.
The provisions at issue included limits on the number of
absentee drop boxes, an ID requirement for voters casting
absentee ballots, and a ban on volunteers providing food
and water to voters waiting in line at the polls.
The plaintiffs had brought the lawsuit before last year’s
elections.
But the judge declined to issue a ruling at the time, con
tending that changing voting laws close to an election
would confuse the voters.
The General Assembly passed SB202 after Democrats
had scored major gains in Georgia in the 2020 election
cycle, including Joe Biden’s victory over incumbent GOP
President Donald Trump and the capture of both of the
state’s U.S. Senate seats.
Georgia students top
national average on ACT
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia’s Class of2023 scored slightly lower on the ACT
than last year’s cohort but exceeded the national average
for the seventh year in a row. Georgia students recorded an
average composite score of 21.3 on the ACT, down slightly
from 21.6 in 2022 but above the national average of 19.6.
“As I’ve had the occasion to say often lately - I’m in
credibly proud of the class of 2023,” State School Super
intendent Richard Woods said Wednesday. “These students
were high-school freshmen when the pandemic closed
schools in 2020. Their education was severely impacted
by the national crisis, but they have risen above.” The ACT
results came just two weeks after the state Department of
Education announced Georgia’s Class of 2023 also bested
the national average on the SAT. Georgia students taking
the ACT scored highest in reading, with an average of 22.2.
That was followed by an average of 21.2 in science, 20.7 in
English, and 20.6 in math. Georgia’s ACT scores in every
subject were higher than the national average.
Says Wilson’s letter
‘breath of fresh air’
Dear Editor:
The letter last week from Mr. Mordecai Wilson was a
wonderful breath of fresh air. He expressed better than I
ever could how important it is now to talk with each other
and not at each other. As difficult as it may be to believe,
I have friends from across the entire political spectrum.
Even when we disagree vigorously (and sometimes loud
ly), we are still friends after 50 years and while I can’t say
I always understand their perspective, we find enough in
our mutual interests and beliefs to maintain the relation
ships.
Maybe if we refrain from angry, insulting name calling
long enough to get to know each other, one person at a time,
we can begin building bridges instead of blowing them up.
Would anyone like to meet for coffee with a liberal old
lady and see if we can find common ground? Email me at
dkforcoffee@gmail.com (this is a throw-away mail box so
I don’t get the wrong kind of email at my usual email - but
will definitely respond to sincere interest in talking). And
thank you again Mr. Wilson for your excellent letter which
led me to get way out of my comfort zone here.
Sincerely,
Dene Kirby
Commerce
Banks County
Rotary Club offers info
on efforts to end polio
Dear Editor: Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative have made great strides to reduce
polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide over the past 35
years, and we’ve reduced the circulation of wild polio to
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
That’s why as we approach this World Polio Day on 24
October, as a Rotary member, I am pleased to recognize
this progress. However, I ask everyone to help us finish
the job and end polio for good to ensure that this paralyz
ing disease does not return to polio-free countries, putting
children everywhere at risk.
From encouraging vaccine acceptance to sharing factual
vaccination information to calling on elected officials to
fund polio eradication, there are so many ways in which
we can each support polio eradication efforts. We must all
do our part to prevent polio outbreaks in our own commu
nities and continue the march toward global eradication.
We have an opportunity to make history by ending po
lio, which will be only the second human disease ever to
be eradicated, and the time for action is now-visit end-
polio.org to leam more about how you can get involved.
Best Regards,
Doug Cheek
President — ’23-’24
Banks County Rotary Club
Information about
MainStreet Newspapers
About the newspapers: The five MainStreet Newspa
pers publications — The Madison County Journal, The
Jackson Herald, The Braselton News, The Barrow Jour
nal and The Banks County News — are printed and de
livered once a week.
•About delivery: The newspapers are delivered to the
post office and, from there, to subscribers’ post office
boxes or home mailboxes. The newspapers do not have
“paper boxes” at people’s homes and are not delivered by
carriers. However, the papers are delivered to newspaper
vending machines in various locations across Madison,
Jackson and Banks counties.
•About subscriptions: Subscribers are sent a renewal
notice before their subscription runs out. A quick way to
check to see when a subscription ends is to look for the
expiration date on the mailing label.
Online: Each of the newspapers has its own website
(CommerceNewsTODAY.com, MadisonJoumalTODAY.
com, JacksonHeraldTODAY.com, BraseltonNewsTO-
DAY.com, BarrowJoumalTODAY.com and BanksNew-
sTODAY.com) in addition to a common website for
sports (MainStreetNewsSports.com), obituaries (Main-
StreetObits.com) and a combined site, MainstreetNews.
com.
For more information on the above items, or for other
details about the newspapers, call 706-367-5233.
The Banks County News
Homer, GA 30547
Founded 1968
The official legal organ of Banks County, Ga,
Mike Buffington Co-Publisher
Scott Buffington Co-Publisher
Angela Gary Editor
BanksNewsTODAY.com
(SCED 547160)
Published weekly by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.,
P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, Ga. 30549
Yearly subscription rate: $45 Regular
Seniors $40
Periodicals postage paid at
Homer, Ga. 30547 (547-160)
Postmaster: send address changes to:
MainStreet Newspapers, Inc., PO Box 908,
Jefferson, Georgia 30549-0908