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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. APRIL 16. 2009 Layoffs ..cont’dfrom 1A take any action on those three employees until the next BOE meeting. “We’re hopeful that we won’t have to RIF anyone,” Madison County Schools Superintendent Mitch McGhee said. However, if no teaching spots come open, the BOE will be forced to cut those jobs. Once faced with the elimination of 15 jobs due to a lack of state funding, Madison County has gradually decreased that number by sliding existing teachers into the spots of those who have opted not to return to Madison County Schools for 2009-2010. “It’s certainly not good news for those three folks, but, overall, to take the 15 number down to three is quite a bit of progress,” McGhee said. The three teachers still subject to layoffs have been notified. “We started talking to them when the list was about 10 (people),” he said. Deficit ..cont’dfrom 1A increased that deficit to $3.18 million. Had stimulus funds — American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money — not been available, Madison County would have been looking at severe cuts on top of cuts its has already made. If state revenue continues to decline, the state will call a special legislative session this summer and make cuts across the board. “Education will, of course, be part of that,” McGhee said. McGhee said he’s heard rumors that further cuts to educa tion might force the state to furlough teachers. Security .cont’dfrom 1A house. It is better to have a deterrent in place than to second guess ourselves if anything ever happens at the courthouse.” Thomas said that in the first day of metal detections, 110 knives and one pistol were barred from the court house. “Even my deputies who are not in uniform and do not have their county ID card will go through the metal detector,” said Thomas. The sheriff said a second metal detector will soon be installed at the back door so citizens can enter from the other side of the building. “We are working to get another metal detector and X-ray for the back door so eventually there will be two entrances to the courthouse," said Thomas. Runoff ..cont’dfrom 1A Patton Power has lived within the city limits of Colbert for about 70 years. She follows in the footsteps of her father who was once a Colbert city councilman. Waggoner, who has known Patton Power since grade school, said he’s happy to have her as a colleague now. “Of course, we’d been just as happy to have had Ellyn,” he added. “When you have two good people running like they were, it’s bad that someone has to lose.” For a small city holding a runoff to decide a special elec tion, Colbert enjoyed a somewhat high voter turnout. Participation in the runoff far exceeded voter turnout in the original election. Just 58 voters cast ballots in March, compared to 88 on Tuesday. Runoffs usually don’t garner as many votes as the first election, but Waggoner wasn’t surprised that Patton Power and Trinrud generated more ballots the second time around. “Not really, because I think they worked harder on this one than they did on the other one,” Waggoner said. The runoff also lured far more early and advanced voters (26) than the March 17 election (six). This was easily the city’s most eventful election in years. Since multiple candidates haven’t often sought the same office, Colbert hadn’t held a contested election since 1996. However, three candidates - Patton Power, Trinrud and Dennis Moon - opted to run for this empty seat at the council. Since Patton Power didn’t garner a majority of the vote in the March 17 race, it forced the first runoff in Waggoner’s 40-year stint as Colbert mayor. With Patton Power winning the open seat, Colbert has now its first full council since September. Waggoner is happy the process to fill the spot is now over. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “We can get down to business again, maybe.” CASH CALL AND COMPARE PER GRAM 706-369-0000 ■ i'll 1 GREG REEVES Fine Jewelry 613 Hawthorne Ave. • Athens Read, then recycle. CALL FOR A FREE QUOTE HE GALLAWAY -AGENCY Insurance Services Auto • Home • Life • Business 122 Courthouse Square □anielsville, GA 30633 (706)795-3700 thecallawayagency@windstream.net Kerry Callaway 65 apply for MCHS principal’s post By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com So far, 65 educators wish to be Madison County High School’s next principal. That’s how many applica tions the MCHS vacancy has generated since cur rent principal Tommy Craft announced in March that he was leaving at the end of the year to take a job as superintendent of Emanuel County Schools. Madison County Schools Superintendent Mitch McGhee reviewed the prog ress of the new principal search at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, not ing that the deadline for submitting applications is Friday, April 17. After that, a committee is set narrow the field to candi dates to be interviewed. The school system will conduct interviews the final week of April, leaving the first week of May available for additional interviews if needed. McGhee said he’ll submit a name for the board at its May meeting. “I fully expect to bring a recommendation to the board at that time,” McGhee said. McGhee will interview each candidate, as will the committee. Candidates will then take a student-led tour of MCHS. Applicants must have at least three years of admin istration experience, some experience in grades 6-12 and certain degree require ments. “It’s a pretty broad crite ria,” McGhee said. School board mem bers weighed in with their thoughts on the qualities that the ideal candidate should possess. Robert Hooper, among other things, wanted some one who would locate within the community and commit to staying at MCHS for several years. Chairman Jim Patton said the ideal candidate would focus on curriculum improvement. McGhee noted that each committee member will rank the candidates in a number of areas, based on the interviews, and compile a composite score. Those scores will play a significant role in his deci sion, McGhee said. Snow days won’t be made up By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Madison County students won’t have to make up two snowed-out school days from last month. Students missed three days in early March after eight inches of snow blanketed the county, but made up one of the days later that month. However, the Madison County Board of Education decided to excuse the remain ing two. Up to four days can be excused without makeup dates. Teachers, however, must make up the remaining two days, May 25 (Memorial Day) and May 29. The BOE made that offi cial Monday night, voting to amend the school calendar. The school board also voted to shorten the final day of class. May 22, to an early- release day. Attendance generally lags in the afternoon anyway with students checking out earlier in the day. Madison County Schools superintendent Mitch McGhee said many other school sys tems have altered their sched ules similarly for the final day of class. Though half a day of instruction is lost, “there really isn’t that much instruc tion going on that last day,” McGhee said. STATE WILL RELEASE REMAINDER OF CONSTRUCTION FUNDS With “substantial comple tion” documentation signed and verified by the Madison County Board of Education, the school system will have more dollars flowing its way. The state releases certain money it has withheld once it receives the substantial completion certificate for a project. Madison County stands to see a “fairly sig nificant” amount of cash by completing this step, accord ing to McGhee, allowing it to complete projects at the Colt Academy/Freshmen Bray Construction, Inc. • New Homes • Remodeling • Vinyl Siding • Masonry Work • Concrete Finishing (706) 789-2313 I - It Want to advertise in The Madison County Journal? Call Ginger at 706-367-5233 ext. 110 We Specialize In CUSTOM BfHLfl Pallets * Crates • Skids Heat treated for International Shipping also available! New and Used Metal fabricated to your specifications! Bale Hay 6.00 Roll Hay 30.00 Sawdust 25.00 ton Shavings 50.00 ton Liquid Nail 1.00 Paint 5.00 Crossties 8.00 Plastic Pallets 3.00 Pallet Jack 125.00 Metal Barrels 10.00 1/2” Plywood 7.00 3/8” Plywood 5.00 8’ Treated Landscape Timber 3.00 4” Pipe 4.00 ft. 6” Pipe 7.00 ft. 16” Roller Conveyer 7.00 ft. 24” Roller Conveyor 10.00 ft. Want to buy pulpwood, surplus metals, surplus lumber, pallet racking, shelving, plastic drums, pine straw, crossties, and 48” x 40” pallets. Dixieland Pallet Co. Dixieland Equipment Sales 3887 Athens Hwy. • Talmo, GA 770-535-2515 Academy/central office com plex. McGhee notes that this money can only be applied toward construction. The new building on Hwy. 172 has, of course, been in use for nearly a year, but McGhee said it’s not unusual for the state to request this documen tation long after a facility is completed. FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH, YOU CAN UST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS! Let your members know when your group is meeting! Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in... • The Jackson Herald • The Commerce to • The Braselton to • The Banks County to • The Madison County Journal Citizens Organized for Pipeline Safety investigating the health risks to citizens from underground pipelines and booster stations in Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09 JEFFERSON ip AMERICAN LEGION Albert Gordon Post 56 Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Harvie Lance, Commander Phone (706) 654-1274 .no BANKS COUNTY fg| AMERICAN LEGION Post 215 Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m. In Homer, GA at the American Legion Building on Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/09 HI VETERANS OF IP FOREIGN WARS Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr. Each 4thTuesdasy, 7:00 p.m. Lamar Langston, Commander Phone 706-652-2627 263 JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB Meets 2nd & 4th Monday Jefferson City Clubhouse 6:30 p.m.-(706) 387-1156 Mack Cates, President 542 A UNITY LODGE F & A.M. No. 36, Jefferson, GA 1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449 Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260 JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB Meets Tuesdays Jefferson City Clubhouse 12:30 p.m.-(706) 367-7696 Gina Mitsdarffer, President 547 MM BANKS COUNTY iygAMERICAN LEGION Riders Post 215 Meets each 2nd Thursday 7 p.m. In Homer, GA at the American Legion Building on Historic Highway 441 pd.02/10 Georgia Real Estate Investors Association, Inc. - Athens Meets the third Thursday each month 6:30 pm at the UGA Conferen ce Center 1197 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30601 Tom Hewlett - Chapter President thewlettl@charter.net Pd.12/09 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.-07/09 St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Mission Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m., Wed. 12:10 p.m. Parish Council meetings: 2nd Sunday of the month after 11:00 mass First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org 706-335-2622 pd.04/09 2435 Shoal Creek Road Colbert, GA 30628 Minimum Bid: $106,689.00 (or best offer above minimum bid) 20% non-refundable downpayment required on day of sale (certified funds) 5 Room Ranch, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths. This description is believed to be correct to our best understanding. DATE & TIME OF SALE: 05/05/09 at time 10:00 a.m. PLACE OF SALE Madison County Courthouse FOR INFORMATION CONTACT 1-800-349-5097 ext 4500 For further foreclosure sales and inventory property access our website: www.resales.usda.gov (2 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY