Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 12A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Madison County Habitat
art auction set for Nov. 21
Madison County Habitat for Humanity will host its seventh
annual Home and Garden Art Auction Nov. 21, from 5-10
p.m. at Boutier Winery, Danielsville.
During the silent auction from 5 to 7 p.m. there will food,
wine and smooth jazz played by the Athens-A-Train band. A
live auction will begin at 7:30 p.m. with artwork, homemade
and handmade goods by local artisans and goods and services
by local vendors.
“This is a great opportunity to hear good music, eat good
food, meet new people, enjoy good company, find special
one-of-a-kind gifts for friends, family and yourself and help
support Madison County Habitat for Humanity in their efforts
to build and provide affordable housing for Madison County
families,” organizers said.
Boutier Winery is located at 4506 Hudson River Church
Road. Driving directions to the winery from the four-way
stop in Ila are: travel north on Hwy. 98 (approximately .3
miles) and turn right onto Hudson River Church Road (just
past Mt. Hermon Presbyterian Church) and continue 1.3 miles
to the winery, located on the right. Directions to the winery
are also available at www.boutierwinery.com or by calling
706-789-0059. Visit the Habitat site at www.madisoncounty-
hfh.org and photos of the art available can be viewed at www.
picherealtyauction.com/auction_list.php
New flood maps available
for viewing Nov. 16
Grand Jury hears reports, issues recommendations
Madison County's flood risk
information has been revised, and
updated flood hazard maps are
now ready for review.
An open house will be held
Monday, Nov. 16, at the govern
ment complex at 91 Albany Ave.,
Danielsville. There will be a for
mal meeting starting at 4 p.m. All
county and city officials are urged
to attend along with surveyors and
builders. There will be an “open
house type meeting’’ from 5:30 to
7 p.m. for anyone that would like
to drop in.
"You can see the new prelimi
nary maps, learn how they can
affect building and flood insur
ance requirements and find out
what your options are,” planning
officials said.
For more information, contact
the planning and zoning office at
706-795-6340.
The members of the October
term of the Madison County
Grand Jury heard reports from the
following public officials:
•Michelle Strickland, Clerk
of Superior Court, explained the
duties and responsibilities of her
office. She provided the Grand
Jury with a financial report for her
office.
•Anthony Dove, Chairman
of the BOC, explained what his
department does and how it works.
He broke down how his budget
was spent and explained budget
cuts for 2010. He explained mea
sures to correct how money (more
importantly cash) is handled by the
county so that it cannot be stolen.
He also addressed any concerns
of the Grand Jury in regards to his
position and future budget needs
for specific departments.
•Sue Carithers, Victim Assistance
Program Coordinator, Northern
Judicial Circuit, explained the ser
vices her office provides to the
community and discussed how the
office is funded. She explained
in detail the purpose of the pro
gram. There is no expense to the
taxpayers for the program, which
is funded by a five-percent sur
charge of the fines and fees col
lected from the five counties in
the Northern Judicial Circuit. This
program is designed to facilitate
the needs of victims of violent
crimes. Volunteers from the com
munity ate needed to help satisfy
grant requirement for this service.
Finally, Carithers also discussed
the DUI Memorial Sign program.
•Robert Lavender, District
Attorney, Northern Judicial Circuit,
explained the duties of his office.
He has five assistants and works
in Madison. Franklin, Elbert,
Hart and Oglethorpe counties. He
explained how they are funded and
where the money is spent. He also
expressed gratitude that the county
pays the salary of the secretary for
his Madison County office.
•Mitch McGee, Superintendent
of Madison County Schools dis
cussed the enrollment for the
2008-09 school year. He also pre
sented scores for the county scholls
and explained how the school sys
tem compares to other counties in
the area.
•Louise Watson, Tax
Commissioner for Madison
County explained the duties of
her office. She explained how
much money her office collects
and where that money goes. She
explained how money is handled
so that it cannot be stolen. She
addressed the late tax bills over
past few years and explained that
additional staffing would help
eliminate this issue.
•Cody Cross. Probate Judge
of Madison County explained
the duties and responsibilities of
his office. He provided a finan
cial report to the Grand Jury and
explained how money is handled
so it can't be stolen. He explained
the potential conflict of interest of
his office handling elections as an
elected official himself. He also
gave the Grand Jury and over
view of the new collections service
employed to collect outstanding
citations. There is no charge to
the county for this service. Judge
Cross mentioned the new online
payment system for minor fines.
He also discussed the need for
a state court to handle traffic
offenses, saying this would greatly
reduce the strain and case load on
the Probate and Superior courts.
•Sheriff Kip Thomas explained
the duties and responsibilities of
his office, including the changes
he has implemented since he took
office. Captain Joe Rickman gave
the Gland Jury a tour of the jail on
the sheriff's behalf. Sheriff’Thomas
stated the need for more jailers per
shift. The current staff per shift is
far below the recommendation of
the Georgia Sheriff's Association
of one jailer per four inmates. This
could potentially cause a liability
for the county. This does create
a safety issue for those who cur
rently work in the jail as well as
those housed in the jail. Sheriff
Thomas stated the poor condi
tions of the fleet of patrol cars. He
said many of the patrol cars have
over 150,000 miles. This creates
a liability issue for the county and
a safety issue for the occupants of
the patrol cars. It is recommended
by the insurance company that
vehicles are removed from ser
vice after 150.000 miles. Finally
Thomas addressed the need
for a place for female inmates.
Cuirently. they are being held in
surrounding counties.
•Harry Rice, Judge of the
Madison County Magistrate
Court, presented a financial report
and caseload report to the Grand
Jury. He explained the duties of
the office and explained the use
of alternative dispute resolution to
reduce the number of cases and
time spent in court.
•Teny Reese, officer of the
Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad,
presented a demonstration on vari
ous types of illegal substances and
the tools associated with the use of
these substances.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Among the recommendations
issued by the Grand Jury were:
•that the board of commissioners
allocate additional revenue as the
economy improves to the sheriff’s
budget for the following items: the
cost to fund two additional jailer
positions per shift and the cost to
repaii' the leaking roof on the jail.
•that the board of commission
ers separate the board of elections
from the office of the probate
judge. This would remove any
potential conflicts of interest of
the office of the probate judge
handling elections as an elected
official.
'Welcome to
Dowdle Gas
275 Athena Drive
Athens, Ga. 30601
PROPANE
For Service & Installation
Call
706.546.8181
Your Locally Owned
Propane Supplier
Williams
Bar-B-Que
Colbert Location
$1 Off Order
* Mention this ad*
Tues., Wed. & Thurs.: 11am - 2pm, Fri. & Sat.: 11am - 6pm
THIS IS IT! THIS WEEKEND!
THREE BIG DAYS OF RACING!
FRIDAY, NOV. 13
First-Ever INEX/600 Racing Series Legends,
Bandoleros, Thunder Car Program
SATURDAY, NOV 14
Mini Stocks, Iceman Late Models, Trucks & Renegades,
Late Model Qualifying For World Crown 300
SUNDAY, NOV IS
Tickets On Sale Now At
www.GreshamMotorsportsPark.Gom
Ydur T Jew 'Bank
Sandy Massey
Head Teller
Karen Davis
Assistant Head Teller
Helen Varner
Teller
Lobby Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Drive-Thru Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m. to Noon
COMMERCE
2055 Homer Road
706-423-9300
United
i uljlTED i Community Bank.
The Bank That SERVICE Built. -
1=} Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC | ucbj.com
Proudly serving our customers for 59 years, with 27 locally managed
banks in over 100 locations in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Now Open to Serve You
Stop by and visit with our experienced team of bankers.
Angie Hooper
Vice President
Stephanie Dalton
CSft Supervisor
Debbie Williams
Senior Vice President
Melissa Morris
Loan Processor
Sharon Hill
invest men tAssiS tant
Lee Heard
C5R