Newspaper Page Text
The
www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com
NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
Vol. 24 No. 46 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 28 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
CITY GOVT
CHRISTIAN SERVICE
ECONOMY
Da receives
money
for water
upgrades
The city of Ha was given the
green light Tuesday for a drink
ing water loan of $400,000 and
a subsidy of $400,000 to help
finance water system improve
ments.
Upgrades include the devel
opment of a well, water main
replacement, new meters and
the replacement and repair of
fire hydrants.
The city will pay no interest
on the 20-year loan. The total
project cost is $800,000 with
the Georgia Environmental
Facilities Authority (GEFA)
providing the entire amount.
The Ila project was one of
seven environmental infra
structure project loans totaling
almost $5.7 million approved
by the governor Tuesday. Five
of the projects were either
fully or partially financed by
the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at
a total of almost $3 million.
The GEFA board of directors
approved the commitments to
help finance water and sewer
infrastructure projects in seven
communities throughout
Georgia.
“Investment in our state’s
water and sewer infrastructure
stimulates the economy, pro
motes the stewardship of our
natural resources, and helps to
meet Georgia’s future water
needs,’’ said Governor Sonny
Perdue. “The projects approved
today will improve water and
sewer system efficiency and
will ensure clean and safe
water.”
INSIDE
Send us your
kids’ Christmas
pictures
The Madison County
Journal will again pub
lish its annual Kids’
Christmas section. See
the ad inside for details.
— Page 5A
Index:
News — 1-3A, 7A
Opinions — 4-5A
Crime — 6A
Schools — 8-9A
Socials — 10A, 16A
Churches —11A
Obituaries —12A
Classifieds —13-15A
Sports — 1-2B
Legals — 3-11B
Contact:
Phone: 706-795-2567
Fax: 706-795-2765
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, GA, 30633
Web:
MadisonJoumalTODAY.
com
Jubilee Partners, which has offered a place of comfort for over 3,000 refugees
from 30 countries, will celebrate 30 years of existence in Madison County on
Thanksgiving Day. Pictured (L-R) are Jubilee volunteers Amber Oda, Indiana;
Manal Tayar, Lebanon; Jubilee leaders Don Mosley and wife Carolyn; and vol
unteer Chris Haynes, Tennessee. Zach Mitcham/staff
Thirty years at...
Jubilee Partners
The Job
Market
County’s first-time unemployment claims
dip slightly, but still greater than a year ago
Madison County saw
a slight drop in first-time
unemployment insurance
claims last month, but the
claims are still up from last
year.
According to figures
released last week by the
Georgia Department of
Labor, Madison County’s
first-time unemploy
ment claims totaled 271 in
October, down nine or 3.2
percent from the September
total of 280, but up 44 or
19.4 percent from Oct.
2008.
In Georgia, first-time
unemployment claims were
up six percent over the
past month, from 66,614
in September to 70,597 in
October. But last month’s
state figures were 2,030 or
2.8 percent below the Oct.
2008 figure of 72,627.
“The October jobless
claims report provides a
revealing snapshot of the
condition of Georgia’s job
market and viability of the
nascent economic recov
ery,” said State Labor
Commissioner Michael
Thurmond. “Most striking
is the lack of improvement
in initial claims, which
showed a decline of only
2.8 percent over the year.
This is a stark reminder that
job losses are continuing at
rates comparable to those
experienced at the height of
the Great Recession.”
HEALTH
Comer Christian organization celebrates
three decades of helping world’s refugees
Inside: ‘Mosley works on housing project
in North Korea,’ Page 2A
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
T hirty years have
passed since six
adults and five
kids moved from south
Georgia to 260 acres in
Comer.
Those first Jubilee
Partners in Comer were set
on doing the Lord’s work.
And they slept in tents, took
baths in the creek.
“In a mild sense of the
word, we were like refu
gees,” said Don Mosley,
director of Jubilee Partners,
remembering the early days
in Comer. “We got just a
taste of it. We became more
sensitive to what real, bona
fide refugees around the
world are up against.”
Apart from the lack of
modern comforts, there
was another concern.
Mosley, his wife Carolyn,
and others were aware
that some might worry
about what would happen
on that rural land. It was
1979, only a year removed
from that horrible incident
in Jonestown, Guyana, in
which a Christian ministry
had taken a horribly un-
Christian turn and more
than 900 people lay dead.
The newspaper headlines
out of Athens spoke of a
“commune” coming to
Comer.
But the Jubilee Partners
found support in Madison
County, not hate.
“We were going to local
churches, such as the Comer
United Methodist Church,”
said Mosley. “And bless
their hearts, they stood up
for us. There were several
instances when people said
‘Do you know what’s com
ing across the street from
you?’ And the people there,
William Porterfield and
others, said ‘Hey, you ought
What: 30-year anniversary
of Jubilee Partners
Where: Jubilee Partners,
Hwy. 22, Comer
When: Thanksgiving Day
What’s happening: Open
house, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; wor
ship service, 9:30 a.m.;
potluck meal, 1 p.m.
For more information:
706-783-5131, ext. 110
to meet these people. They
attend our church. They’re
good folks.’”
What took root 30 years
ago on that Comer prop
erty has changed numerous
lives — not just in Georgia,
but nationally and intema-
— See “Jubilee” on 2A
Swine flu vaccine
remains elusive at
local health depts.
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
A sign taped to the front
entrance of the Madison
County Health Department
pretty much sums it up - it
is out of flu shots. The
message also highlights
the “serious shortage” of
H1N1 (swine flu) inject
able vaccine that contin
ues to plague the northeast
Georgia area.
But the good news is
that cases of the H1N1,
or swine flu, are down
some in Georgia currently,
according to Northeast
District health director Dr.
Claude Burnett.
Burnett addressed the
flu pandemic and vaccine
shortage during a Madison
County Board of Health
meeting last week. But
Burnett also warned that
cases of H1N1 could go
back up as cold weather
and the “regular” flu sea
son sets in, which is some
times as late as Januray or
February.
“It’s prudent to get the
vaccine,” he advised, if
you can find it.
The clinic still has sup
plies of the H1N1 nasal
spray, which is available
for ages 2-49.
The most serious cases
of swine flu are being
seen in the four to 24 year
old age group, he added,
noting that the medical
community is not seeing
a lot of serious disease
in the over-50 population.
Burnett said he speculates
that older generations
have some immunity to
the virus, possibly due to
being exposed to a similar
— See “Flu” on 2A‘
HOLIDAY HELP
Thanksgiving tradition lives on in Comer
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, And one who waters will himself be watered.” — Proverbs 11:25
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
You may be hurting, but you are
cared for. And you are not alone.
That’s the message the late Carmine
Costello wanted to send with his
annual Thanksgiving dinner for those
in need, which he started 12 years
ago.
Costello’s family and numerous
volunteers keep that tradition of giv
ing alive, providing an estimated
650 hot Thanksgiving meals from
Proverbs 11:25 Ministries, hosted by
Carmine’s Pizza Time in Comer. The
— See ‘Thanksgiving” on 2A‘
Want to request a meal?
Call 706-552-0097 to reserve a Thanksgiving
dinner at no cost. Make sure to leave a mes
sage with a phone number so reservations
can be confirmed. Dinners may be picked up
starting at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, with
a limit of eight dinners per household.
Want to donate?
The Ministry is in need of donations of money,
food and time to make the event happen.
Those who would like to donate food should
contact or come by Carmine's to let them
know what you are planning to provide.
Monetary donations may also be made at the
restaurant, or deposited at First Citizens Bank
in Comer. All checks should be made payable
to Proverbs 11:25 Ministries.