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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. APRIL 23. 2009 — PAGE 3A
Fortson withdraws
appeal of dismissal
Former Madison County clerk Morris Fortson has dropped
the appeal of his termination.
Madison County commissioners suspended Fortson with
pay Nov. 18, with his dismissal taking effect Jan. 6. The BOC
cited several reasons for his termination, saying he made errors
in budgeting projected revenue, failed to handle a claim for
unemployment benefits correctly, failed to implement auditor’s
recommendations, committed accounting errors and failed to
keep the BOC informed on significant issues.
County commission chairman Anthony Dove issued a brief
press release about Fortson dropping his appeal.
“...The county’s decision to terminate him therefore will
stand,” the statement read. “The county’s insurance carrier
has chosen to pay Mr. Fortson a nominal sum, equal to pay he
would allegedly be due for unused vacation time accrued prior
to termination. The amount was a total of $4,508.”
Madison Co. animal
control officer resigns
Madison County code enforcement and animal control offi
cer Andy McLendon submitted a letter of resignation to county
commission chairman Anthony Dove April 15.
McLendon has been employed as one of two code enforce
ment/animal control officers in the county, serving under the
supervision of code enforcement director Jack Huff.
The board of commissioners was scheduled to discuss the
vacancy during its Wednesday evening meeting, which was
held after press time for this week’s paper.
Danielsville woman
wins $77,000 in lottery
A Danielsville woman won $77,000 earlier this month with
a Georgia lottery ticket purchased at a convenience store on
Hog Mountain in Watkinsville. Tara Hix, 36, played the lot
tery’s instant win game Lucky 7’s Bingo and won a top prize,
according to a press release.
Hix is married to Kenneth Hix and is the mother of two
children. She works as an accounting specialist.
“I was shocked, I’m still in shock,” Hix said. “The first
person I told was my husband, and he says he wants a bass
boat.”
The couple plans to pay bills, help their parents and save for
their children’s future.
Hull voters to be
‘shocked’ by mail
Harrison may have county water by year’s end
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Harrison District residences
and farms in northern Madison
County may have county water
running through their section of
the county by the end of 2009.
The Georgia Environmental
Facilities Authority (GEFA)
will likely approve funding for
the $2.8 million project water
line next week, according to
Industrial Development and
Building Authority (IDA) exec
utive director Marvin White.
White told the IDA board
Monday that the county should
qualify for a 20-year zero per
cent loan for 30 percent of the
funds, with the remaining 70
percent provided by a GEFA
grant. The original paperwork
had indicated that the loan
would be at three percent, but
White said he has received word
that Madison County meets
guidelines to qualify for a zero
percent loan.
The IDA held a public hearing
on the Harrison project on April
14 and White said most com
ments were favorable.
The Harrison project is one
of two “shovel-ready” water
line projects that the IDA has
submitted to GEFA requesting
funding through federal stimulus
monies (the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act) for rural
counties.
White said once the project
funds are approved, the author
ity will need to need to com
plete the work between June 1
and Dec. 31.
The water line will include
interconnections to Royston and
Franklin County water systems.
In another matter, the IDA
agreed to table accepting a
bid on the Hull/Sanford sewer
project, agreeing to meet again
in a special called meeting on
Tuesday, April 28, at 8 a.m.
so that IDA attorney Victor
Johnson can have time to look
over the bids. White said that
requested documentation had
been left out of the low bidder’s
submitted bid. White also said
all submitted bids were “way
over” budget, with the lowest
bid being $1.3 million over,
which may mean the authority
will have to re-bid the project.
In other matters, the board
approved resolutions to apply
for two $500,000 grants, one for
Hull/Sanford sewer improve
ments and another for road
improvements at the new Cooper
Road Industrial Park (Columbia
Farms) east of Comer.
The board heard from utility
director Steve Shaw, who said
that all ongoing water projects
in the county are finished. The
Hwy. 98 water tank painting and
refurbishing is completed and
water lines from the tank should
be installed this week, with the
tank coming on line within the
next two weeks.
‘All that Jazz ’
First-year MCHS ensemble playing ‘America’s music’
This week: The Madison County High
School jazz ensemble will perform at the
UGA-Athens Twilight Jazz Festival at 1
p.m. Friday.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
For Madison County High School band
director Nick Golding, implementing a jazz
program was a no-brainer.
“Jazz is America’s music,” said Golding,
who is in his first year at MCHS. "It was bom
in America. In my opinion, everybody band
should have a jazz program."
Following in that tradition, Madison County
High School has its first jazz band in at least 20
years, perhaps more.
Formed in January, the 12-member group
debuted by playing a mini-concert in front of
the board of education at its April 14 meet
ing and then earned straight-superior ratings
at a competition in Franklin County over the
weekend.
The group impressed judges with three songs,
“Walkin’ with Jackie," “Mr. Blue’s Bossa” and
“Bop!"
It now looks forward to playing the UGA-
Athens Twilight Jazz Festival this weekend, an
event that should draw several bands.
“I’m looking forward to exposing the kids to
more of the music and letting them get to hear
The Madison County Jazz Ensemble comprises Alex Perry (alto sax), Branson
Smock (alto sax), Elizabeth Wood (tenor sax), Nick Waldrop (bari sax), Larry
Starkey (trombone), Heidis Smith (trombone), Andrew Pruett (trumpet), Nathan
Ollis (trumpet), Chris Bradberry (trumpet), John Dial (trumpet) Robin Taylor
(keyboard) and Taylor Sexton (drum set).
some really top-notch groups," Golding said.
The jazz band closes the year with its spring
concert May 12.
Golding, who played in his high school jazz
band and later wrote jazz arrangements while
in the U.S. Naval band, said exposing students
to the genre is important.
Prior to this year, MCHS music students
weren’t overly familiar with jazz or its luminar
ies like John Coltrane or Miles Davis.
"It’s just something I love,” Golding said.
"The kids, I think, they’re excited more by the
rhythms and just playing some cool harmonies
and being able to swing."
Though jazz presents MCHS musicians with
a different style of play, Golding said they’re
learning it well.
The jazz program should only grow next
year, gaining several rising ninth graders,
and Golding plans to make this a year-round
ensemble next fall.
"They’re starting to show a good, solid fun
damental understanding of the swing style,”
Golding said of his first jazz group. “We’re
definitely laying down a good foundation for
the coming years.”
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
MCMS writing scores better than state, area average
Hull residents might be taken aback by what they find in
their mailboxes this week.
The city will send notices to the homes of all registered
voters alerting them to a June 16 special election to fill a
seven-month vacancy on the Hull City Council.
This is likely the first time voters in the tiny city along Hwy.
72 have received any mail regarding a municipal election,
mayor Paul Elkins said.
“It is something that our voters are going to be shocked (to
see),” Elkins said.
The council has had an opening since September when
Elkins vacated his post to run for mayor.
Hull attempted to fill the seat in March with a special elec
tion, but no one attempted to qualify.
Determined to lure more interest this time, city leaders
opted to send all voters notification that a council spot is
available.
“We have got the most up-to-date list there is in existence,”
Elkins said. “I think it’s going to be interesting to see a reac
tion on this.”
Qualifying for the special election is May 4 (9-10:30 a.m.),
May 5 (5:30-7 p.m.) and May 6 (4-5:30 p.m.) at city hall. The
fee is $19.50.
In addition to the election notice, city residents will receive
a list of pertinent telephone numbers that city officials spent
months compiling.
“Those are the numbers that, if you go through the tele
phone book, are a pain to find,” Elkins said.
The first number listed is that of Hull City Hall, letting
residents know that one exists.
“It’s a step forward in letting them know, ‘hey, there is a
government of the city of Hull,”’ Elkins said.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
County school leaders suspect
ed that Madison County Middle
School's eighth grade writing
test scores would stack up favor
ably against the area and the
state.
They recently received the
statistics to validate that confi
dence.
The school’s mean scale score
was a 215, two points better
than RESA average and five
points better than the state mark,
according to statistics provided
by the state.
"We want to continue to
improve, but that in itself is a
great improvement for us,”
superintendent Mitch McGhee
said.
Additionally, 12 percent of
MCMS eighth graders exceeded
standards on the writing test.
Only seven percent of students in
the RESA exceeded standards,
while just six percent throughout
the state did so.
"We doubled the percentage
exceeding standards for the state,
so we are very, very proud of
that," McGhee said.
Twenty five percent of MCMS
eighth graders did not meet stan
dards, equal to the state mark
and two points higher than the
RESA. Meanwhile, 63 percent
of MCMS eighth graders met
standards, compared to 69 per
cent at the state level and 70
percent in RESA.
In a separate matter, Madison
County Middle School has 193
students with perfect attendance
so far this year, up from 94 last
year.
The school has also seen a
decrease in those missing 15 or
more days, dropping from 74 last
year to 58 this year.
Last year, 748 students were
eligible for MCMS’s annual
“Attendance Extravaganza,”
which awards students with
strong attendance. This year,
about 800 will be eligible.
“We’re doing some great
things there with attendance at
the middle school," McGhee
said.
Attendance is one of the
adequate yearly progress (AYP)
criteria assessed for middle
schools.
In other matters, McGhee
recently submitted an updated
strategic plan — reflecting prog
ress on each objective — to
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He will also meet with the
school system's strategic plan
ning team April 30.
“As you’ll see, we have accom
plished a whole lot that we have
in the strategic plan,” McGhee
said. “We now need to bring
that more to the forefront and
make sure it guides our deci
sions if we’re having to make
even further tough decisions in
the future.”
McGhee noted that the sys
tem has been in “survival mode"
recently with budget cuts.
“Really, I went against my own
commitment," he said. "We need
to use the strategic plan when
we’re making these decisions."
But for the most part, McGhee
said the system has done that.
"I’m amazed when you look at
it so see how much we've gotten
done this year,” McGhee said.
He reminded the BOE that
phase I improvements aren’t due
for completion until the end of
next school year.
"We have really accomplished
all kinds of things this year,”
McGhee said.
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