June 7, 2000

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OPINIONS
Zach Mitcham
My Pop
It's a vague memory, but I still recall years ago my dad telling me, "You can call me Pop."

SPORTS
Cleveland Indians draft MCHS hurler Tolbert
Madison County's Scott Tolbert was drafted Monday by the Cleveland Indians in the ninth round. However, the recent high school graduate...

Neighborhood News...
BANKS COUNTY
Third graders improve, fifth graders drop in ITBS results
Banks County third graders this year showed improvement over last year's class in the annual ITBS testing results.

Grads turn tassels at BCHS
It was a time to share the memories of the past 13 years, from the new friendships in kindergarten to the relationships in high school.

Teen in NJ stabbing not indicted by grand jury
A Jackson County grand jury decided Monday not to indict Brandon Cody Self, 17, in the May 17 stabbing death of Warren Albert Martin Jr. near Pendergrass.

mainstreetnews.com The Madison County Journal Danielsville, Georgia Telephone: (706) 367-5233 Fax: (706) 367-8056 NEWS / ADVERTISING / PRINTING ® Copyright 2000 MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright / Terms / Privacy

TAMING THE BEAST A clown shows his bravery with a bull Saturday night at the Madison County Fairgrounds in Comer. Bull riding was held at the fairgrounds both Friday and Saturday nights.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Comer hires police chief, city clerk
Two new city employees were introduced at the Comer City Council meeting Tuesday night.
New Police Chief Barry Reed will take office on June 19. Chief Reed is a 12-year veteran law officer, having spent the past 10 years with the Oconee County Sheriff's office. Reed held the rank of lieutenant, supervising a shift of nine deputies.
Reed, his wife and two children moved to Comer in September.
"I am happy to be working where I live," he said.
A new city clerk, Elaine McGee, took up her duties Monday. She will also serve as city treasurer.
McGee is a native of Madison County who has lived in Atlanta for the past 35 years.
"When I found an opportunity to come home, I was quick to take it," she said.
Also Tuesday, the city council voted to purchase a new garbage truck. The new vehicle will be smaller than the present machine, and can be operated by any licensed city employee. The old truck requires a commercial license. The new truck is estimated to cost the county $1,100 per month on a lease/purchase agreement, and includes a $9,000 credit for the old truck. The council voted to offer the old truck for sale as surplus property to see if it will bring more than the trade-in price.
Gere Kemp, who operates the city water, sewer and garbage services, said the new truck can be operated with greater safety because of the visibility from the cab, adding that it's more convenient because any city employee can drive it and it will cost less in repairs.
In other action, the council approved a new beer and wine permit for the Comer Amoco. The station had lost its permit for selling beer to a minor. The store is being sold to the brother of the previous owner.
The council rejected a plea from Kell Patat that his water bill be adjusted. Patat filled his swimming pool with 40,000 gallons of water which did not enter the sewage system. Kemp said that he had to pay the same bill to fill his pool and he oversees the system.
The group approved the rezoning of a lot on Vine Street Extension from R-1 to R-3 so that James and Teresa Jordan can build a 1,000- square-foot rental home on the property. While there are no other R-3 lots on the street, most of the homes are at or below the 1,000- square-foot size. The vote was 3-1 with councilman Jeff Turner voting "no."
The council decided to move the July meeting from July 4 to July 5 at 7 p.m. due to the national holiday.

Elberton man killed on motorcycle
Ronald Adams, born in 1948, of Elberton was killed Tuesday night when he crashed his 1980 Yamaha motorcycle about one-tenth of a mile west of the Elbert County line on Hwy. 72.
The accident happened shortly before 8 p.m. No cause for the accident has been determined, according to the Athens post of the Georgia State Patrol.

 
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County shows slight drop on grad tests
Madison County's rising seniors didn't fare as well as the MCHS class of 2000 on the state-mandated graduation tests for students to show proficiency in English, math, social studies and science before receiving a high school diploma.
The biggest difference between the two classes was in science, where 72 percent of the 1999-2000 juniors passed the science test on their first try, compared to 78 percent of the preceding class. Eighty-three percent of first-time test takers passed the social studies portion of the test and 94 percent passed the English test, one percentage point lower than the class of 2000 on both exams. Meanwhile, this year's juniors fared two percentage points lower than the recent MCHS graduates, with 89 percent of the 2001 class passing the exam on the first try.
Despite a slight drop in numbers, the percentage of Madison County juniors passing the state-mandated graduation tests on their first try nearly matches the Georgia average, with the county matching the state average in English and social studies, while faring one percentage point better in science and one point worse in math.