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OPINIONS
Frank Gillispie
King's anti-South bigotry has back fired
Martin Luther King III caused quite a stir
in Atlanta last week when he wrote to the NCAA asking them to
move all postseason tournaments from Atlanta unless . . .
Margie Richards
For my daughter as she turns 18
Dear Miranda,
This coming Monday, your first day of college classes, will also
be your 18th birthday. For the first time you'll be living "on
your own," away from home - away from me. But you're ready
for this, you've been ready for some time.
But then again . . .
SPORTS
Raiders hope experience equals success
If there's a magic brew for winning, the
fundamental ingredient is experience. And with eight seniors
on this year's Madison County fast-pitch softball team, many
Raider fans foresee a feast come playoff time.
Neighborhood News...
BANKS COUNTY
Council tables mobile home park annexation
Wesley Hunt, the new owner of Village Mobile
Home Park, will have to give the Baldwin City Council more assurances
that he plans to do what he says about upgrading the 15-acre
park that is home to 287 people before it annexes the property
into the city.
Banks BOE approves $14 million budget Monday
The Banks County Board of Education approved
a $14 million budget when it met Monday that is up $621,000 over
last year.
News
from...
JACKSON COUNTY
Commerce Moves To Become A 'City Of Ethics'
If passing a resolution can make it so, the
Commerce government would now be officially a "city of ethics."
County BOE opens doors to city students
Students living inside the cities of Jefferson
and Commerce may once again attend class in the Jackson County
School System if they choose to do so. A new open door policy
was adopted by the Jackson County Board of Education Monday night
that rescinded a 1996 policy which had closed the county school
system to out-of-district students.
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The Madison County Journal
Danielsville, Georgia
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GETTING READY
Teacher Betsy Cheek reaches to put up decorations in her new
room at Hull-Sanford Elementary School last week. Cheek is just
one of many teachers who have been working off and on all summer
to get ready for the start of school on Friday.
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Time for school
bells
Students all over the county are getting
backpacks packed, pencils sharpened and minds ready for another
year of school.
School system employees have been busy for weeks, seeing that
everything is ready for that first day of school.
And instead of six schools countywide, this year there are seven,
with Hull-Sanford Elementary School opening its doors for the
first time.
Other changes include new principals at both the high school
and middle school this year, as well as at Ila and Danielsville
Elementary.
HIGH SCHOOL
Approximately 1,225 to 1,250 students will enter or return to
Madison County High School this year, up slightly from the beginning
of school last year.
Freshmen will need to report to the school's gymnasium on Friday
morning for a welcome and to receive instructions for their first
day of high school.
All students will need to report to their advisors before going
to their first period classes to receive schedules, locker and
lunch shift assignments.
There are no mobile unit classrooms this year, thanks to a new
14- room wing which opened last year.
Evening school will continue in that wing this year, with Robert
Harrison serving as principal. Harrison has left his position
as principal of Madison County Middle School.
The evening program is designed to help students catch up or
retake classes needed for graduation.
School begins at 8:07 a.m. each day.
New principal Bob Rhinehart said he has made few changes or additions
to the routine since coming on board July 1.
"It would be presumptuous of me to make changes until I
see how things are done and settle in myself," he said.
"We have high expectations for both our students and the
school," he added.
Michelle Gentry replaces long-time counselor Susan Young this
year. Young has transferred to a counselor position at Hull-Sanford
and Ila Elementary schools.
Other new faculty and staff this year include: Rick Tatum - administrative
staff; Latana Coile, Drew Eager, Steve Crouse and Jay Paul -
social studies; Dorinda Haley, Leslie Knight, and Bridget Paul
- special education; Kay Farmer - agriculture; John Fleming -
young farmer instructor and Stanley Pruett - construction. Also
new this year are special education paraprofessionals Donna Compton
and Lorey Phillips.
To see the break down of other area schools as well as further
back-to-school coverage, check out this week's Madison County
Journal.
Jail construction
set for November
Construction of the new 60-bed Madison
County jail is scheduled to begin Nov. 1, county commission chairman
Wesley Nash said Monday.
Nash said some site plans have not been ironed out. For example,
he said consideration must be given to plans for kitchen and
laundry areas to facilitate later expansions of the jail. The
chairman said he will meet with architects twice next week, then
meet with sheriff Clayton Lowe regarding site plans.
The current Madison County jail, which has an official capacity
of seven, is one of the most overcrowded county detainment facilities
in the state.
County voters tagged $2.3 million in sales tax money in 1997
for the construction of a new jail.
Debate continues
on proposed county storm water management ordinance
A debate over the county's proposed storm
water management guidelines continued at Monday's Madison County
commissioners' meeting, but the issue is far from resolved.
The commissioners will meet again on the issue 30 minutes before
their regular meeting Aug. 28.
On Monday, planning commission chairman Pat Mahoney requested
that the board pay the Regional Development Center $628 to help
revise a proposed storm water management ordinance.
Commissioner Nelson Nash made a motion to deny the funds, saying
a storm water ordinance isn't needed.
"I'm not in favor of this," said Nash. "I'd have
to see something else to justify spending $628."
Patsy Pierce also voted in favor of the denial, but the other
three commissioners voted against that measure.
Taylor, Mahoney and county zoning administrator Kim Butler -
who said her office receives frequent calls about runoff problems
- said regulations are needed.
"If we don't come up with something, we're going to have
more problems," said Taylor.
Those who favor storm water regulations say the guidelines will
force developers of subdivisions and large commercial properties
to act responsibly in storm water management. They point to Windsor
Heights Subdivision where the Hwy. 29 Ingles has caused severe
water runoff problems in recent years, noting this as a prime
example of why regulations are needed.
But those against the regulations say the guidelines could infringe
on the property rights of individuals and leave the average citizen
with hefty engineering fees should they decided to divide their
property.
The county's four-page proposal introduced this year includes
a number of standards for storm water management. For example,
the proposed ordinance says that "cross drains on public
streets shall be sized to carry the 100-year storm event without
overtopping the roadway." And "longitudinal pipes on
public streets shall be sized to carry the 25-year storm."
Not everyone would be required to adhere to storm water guidelines.
Agricultural uses of land are exempted from the requirements
of the storm water ordinance. This includes land used for forestry
practices, cultivation of agricultural crops and the pasturing
and raising of livestock. Also exempt from the restrictions are
individual single-family dwellings, residential duplexes, residential
mobile homes and residential manufactured homes which are constructed
within a subdivision development of fewer than five parcels or
on an individual lot not part of a subdivision development.
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Enrollment up
to 4,600
Approximately 4,600 students will begin
school in Madison County this Friday, according to superintendent
Dennis Moore. The expected enrollment will likely be up by 140
students.
Moore pointed out that exact figures will not be available until
after the first 10 days of school. Many students do not pre-register,
and a few latecomers will push the total up.
Students will be returning to new or remodeled schools in most
cases. Assistant superintendent Jimmy Minish reported that the
new Hull/Sanford school is complete except for paving of the
road, moving of a pile of top soil to cover septic fields and
some landscaping. Additions to existing buildings are complete
along with fresh paint, new carpets and cleaned tiles.
Minish reported that new partitions are needed in the boys' bathroom
at Madison County Middle School. Existing partitions have been
in place since 1988 and are rusting or damaged. The board of
education voted to spend up to $5,000 for materials to replace
the partitions.
A complete review of the county's school transportation plan
is nearing completion. Newly hired director Steve Sorrells is
working with the 911 system to identify the addresses of students
using the buses to develop the most efficient routes. According
to Dr. Moore, the new plan has reduced bus mileage by 125 miles
per day.
Bus traffic will be closely monitored for the first few days
to determine any problems and make necessary changes.
A new price list for the school lunch program was released. The
price list includes an overall price increase of 12 percent,
the first increase in four years.
The board adopted a number of policy changes on school safety
and discipline required by new state laws. Among the changes
are a requirement that a disciplinary hearing officer be appointed
to hear complaints prior to action by the school board. Each
school will establish a placement review committee to deal with
disruptive students who have been removed from class by teachers.
Another committee will hear complaints about gender equity sports
problems.
The board also adopted guidelines for after-school programs.
A called meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m.
to review opening of the school year and to deal with any problems.
BOE chairman Jimmy Patton was absent from the Tuesday meeting.
He is in Ireland attending the wedding of his daughter.
See this week's Madison County Journal for complete back-to-school
coverage.
'Accept all or
none'
The Madison County commissioners denied
tax commissioner Louise Watson's request to adopt part of the
county's personnel policy Monday.
Commissioner Bruce Scogin maintained that the intent of the personnel
plan is to promote uniformity in how county employees are treated.
He said allowing a department to accept parts of the plan would
go against that aim.
The board voted recently to allow magistrate judge Harry Rice
to accept parts of the plan for his employees. Board attorney
John McArthur will now look into the legality of reversing the
acceptance of Rice's proposal.
The county's constitutionally-elected officers, such as Watson
and Rice, have the option of accepting the county's personnel
policy for their employees. County department heads do not have
that freedom.
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