Newspaper Page Text
The
www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com
MARCH 4, 2010
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
Vol. 25 No. 8 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 20 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Bryanna Davis gossips on the party line during a
scene of “A Good Life,” last weekend. Margie Richards/
staff
‘A Good Life 5
returns to the stage
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
You can never get too
much of a good thing, and
the same is hue of “A Good
Life,” an original play about
life and growing up in
Madison County, Georgia.
The play, originally per
formed in 2008, returned to
the stage for three perfor
mances last weekend: Friday
night at Trinity Baptist,
Saturday at Springfield
Baptist, and Sunday after
noon at the Madison County
Senior Center.
“I was so proud of my
actors,” said Stephanie
Astalos-Jones, the play's
director, editor and story
collector. “To watch them
bloom and watch the audi
ence’s reaction to them was
absolutely inspiring. I’ve
been hearing from so many
audience members that they
were sincerely touched
and uplifted by the perfor
mance.”
But Jones said there are no
plans right now to perform
the play again, though next
year is the county’s bicen
tennial.
“It is a lot of work to
accomplish and we have
benefited from a grassroots
arts grant from Georgia
Council for the Arts,” Jones
— See “Play” on 2A
Snow...again
Madison County schools closed Tuesday afternoon as
the county was briefly blanketed with snow. It was
a year ago this week that a major snow storm led to
numerous collapsed chicken house roofs and multiple-
day power outages for thousands. Pictured is the snow-
covered Red Raider football field. Zach Mitcham/staff
THE ECONOMY
What to do with SPLOST?
Collections down; projects on hold; leaders to discuss options
Other News:
— Search for new EMS
director continues, 3A
— Road maintenance
remains an issue as bad
weather persists, 3A
— Woman faces multiple
animal control citations, 3A
— County to consider
5-day week at transfer sta
tion, 3A
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Collections for Madison County's one-
cent sales tax for county improvements
remain down, but county commissioners
will soon meet to talk about what to do
with the pennies that are slowly trickling
in.
BOC chairman Anthony Dove
announced Monday that collections for
the special purpose local option sales tax
(SPLOST) and the local option sales tax
(LOST) are down about 3.5 percent from
last year's figures. He reported that last
month’s figures were slightly higher than
the previous month's, but collections are
still not meeting projections.
Madison County renewed SPLOST in
2008, anticipating approximately $12.6
million in revenues over six years. The
county is not on pace to meet that figure.
— See “SPLOST” on 2A
Big Hearts, Big Smiles
Madison County’s Karlee Tyner answers a question on stage at North
Oconee High School Saturday night during the Extra Special People of
Northeast Georgia Big Hearts Pageant. For more pageant photos, see
page 12A For an opinion piece about the event, see page 4A,
Zach Mitcham/staff
CITY NEWS
Colbert considers depot upgrades
Floor sinking at city office
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Not only is Colbert looking at add
ing an awning to its 118-year-old depot,
city leaders are also considering flooring
repairs to the historic building that also
serves as city hall.
The floor in the office area of the depot
has been sinking for years.
“If you look from the outside, you can
tell where the wall is beginning to sag,”
Mayor Chris Peck said. “And if you stand
over there, you can actually see outside
— See “Colbert” on 2A
ZONING
BOC denies
rezoning
Monday
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County com
missioners turned down a
commercial zoning request
off Hwy. 29 near Diamond
Hill Ball Park Monday.
Anthony Phillips sought
to rezone 25.5 acres from
R-R (rural residential,
two-acre minimum) to B-2
(business) to combine with
an adjoining five-acre B-2
lot. The parcel is located
at the comer of Hwy. 29
South and Diamond Hill
Colbert Road.
No specific business
plans for the property were
discussed Monday.
The BOC voted 4-1 to
turn down the request,
with commissioner John
Pethel providing the lone
vote against denial. The
planning commission
unanimously recommend
ed approval of the request
in February.
A rezoning of the prop
erty was first requested in
2005, but was denied by
both the planning com
mission and the board of
commissioners. The five-
acre business use was
subsequently granted in
2006, following a lawsuit
by Phillips against the
county.
Phillips’ attorney Victor
— See “Zoning” on 2A
INSIDE
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-5A
Crime — 6A
Socials —7-9A
Obituaries —10-11A
Sports— 1-3B
Schools — 4B, 8B
Churches —4B
Legals — 5B
Classifieds —6-7B
Contact:
Phone: 706-795-2567
Fax: 706-795-2765
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, GA, 30633
Web:
MadisonJoumalTODAY.
com
Looking ahead:
Special
Madison Co.
ag insert
Next week’s Madison
County Journal will include
a special agricultural insert,
focusing on local non-farm
ing agjobs.
State tourney
coverage
Madison County High
School’s varsity boys’
and girls’ basketball
teams earned state play
off berths this year. See
coverage of state tourney
action inside.
— PageiB
LOCAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Barnes, Bundy chosen as STAR student, teacher
The Madison County Chamber of Commerce held its annual
breakfast last week to honor this year’s STAR student and his
STAR teacher. Pictured (L-R) are Chamber chairman Brian
Kirk, MCHS principal Chad Stone, school superintendent
Mitch McGhee, STAR teacher Becky Bundy, STAR student
Scott Barnes, mom Carol Barnes and Chamber president
Marvin White. Margie Richards/staff
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County High School
senior Scott Barnes was honored
by the Chamber of Commerce
last week as this year's STAR
student. Barnes chose Ms phys
ics teacher, Dr. Becky Bundy, as
Ms STAR teacher.
To earn tliis award, high school
seniors must have the highest
score on a single test date on the
three-part SAT and be in the top
10 percent or top 10 students of
their class based on grade point
average.
Scott is the son of Carol
Barnes, who is an employee
of the Madison County School
System.
Scott not only excels in the
classroom, but is active in the
National Honor Society, the
chess club and is a member of
the cross-country team and the
soccer team at the high school,
Chamber president Marvin
White noted.
Scott plans to attend the
University of Georgia in the fall
where he will major in math and
physics.
Scott said he chose Dr. Bundy
because her physics class was
"immediately interesting" to him
and because he feels her class has
made an impact on shaping the
course of Ms future in college.
For her part, Dr. Bundy praised
Scott for Ms efforts in her class,
saying he was her “number one
student” who actually took the
things she said to him in class
to heart.
"I tell students the most impor
tant tiling is to learn how to teach
themselves,” Bundy said, adding
that Scott has done that. "He
really is a STAR student,” she
said.
Madison County School
Superintendent Mitch McGhee
presented a plaque to the pair
and congratulated them on the
award.
