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OPINIONS
Frank
Gillespie
Let's honor the Confederate soldiers
The Madison County Greys, Camp 1526, Sons of Confederate Veterans
invites you to attend a memorial service for the 400 Madison
County men who served in the Confederate Army.
Margie
Richards
The best things about vacation
A warm, soft breeze blowing, the sound of waves hitting the shoreline
and shrimp boats on the horizon.
When I close my eyes I can still experience those sensations,
but it's back to reality this week.
SPORTS
MCHS captures third state title in four years
Madison County is Georgia's best when it comes to rifle shooting.
No qualifiers - no ifs, ands or buts - are needed to support
that statement.
Neighborhood News...
BANKS COUNTY
Ballinger pleads guilty to arson
Arson counts include December 1998 fire at Banks County church.
Jay Scott Ballinger, an admitted Luciferian, pled guilty Friday
on five counts of arson, including the December 31, 1998, fire
at a Banks County church.
DA discusses ordinances for county property at Banks Crossing
The Banks County Development Authority is apparently gearing
up for future growth behind the huge Wal-Mart store at Banks
Crossing.
At a meeting Thursday morning, the DA discussed covenants and
ordinances for the 19.35 acres behind Wal-Mart at Banks Crossing
that the county owns.
News from...
JACKSON COUNTY
Overtime pervasive in Jefferson pay
An Analysis
BY MIKE BUFFINGTON
Pay scales in the City of Jefferson have been controversial for
years. That's especially true for department heads, where infighting
and bickering over compensation has led to a number of heated
council meetings.
Commissioners Kill Steel Plant Rezoning, Endorse Apartments
JEFFERSON -- A request to rezone 30 acres on Hwy. 441 in Center
for industrial use was denied by the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners Monday night, but the commissioners voted to endorse
a proposal for a 120-unit apartment complex on Progress Road
near Commerce.
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The Madison County Journal
Danielsville, Georgia
Telephone: (706) 367-5233
Fax: (706) 367-8056
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THIRD TITLE IN FOUR YEARS
Crystal Dove (pictured) and the Madison County rifle team
captured their third state title in the past four years Saturday,
firing a new state record score.
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Search under way
for new Comer principal
A committee headed by Robert Harrison has received over 20 applications
for the job of principal of Comer Elementary School.
The committee used the local RESA organization, and the "teachgeorgia.org"
web site to recruit applications. Harrison told school board
members Tuesday that the committee will review the list and recommend
several candidates to the board at its May 15th meeting.
Former principal Mac Almond resigned after being accused of financial
wrongdoing and other misconduct.
Also Tuesday, Comer Elementary received good news. The Gholston
Trust has presented a check to the board for $68,900 for use
by Comer Elementary. The money will be used to establish a computer
lab at the school.
Madison County
man to teach others how to build log cabins
'An American experience'Madison County man to teach others how
to build log cabinsFriends of Watson Mill Bridge State Park is
sponsoring a one-day workshop Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m.
- 4 p.m. on how to build a log cabin.
Taught by log cabin expert Chip Chandler, this hands-on workshop
will feature such topics as: choosing the best trees, use of
a draw knife and proper notching.
Chandler has constructed several log cabins in the Athens area,
including his own, and has demonstrated his skills at the Northeast
Georgia Folk Festival at Sandy Creek Park and the Colbert Fourth
of July Festival.
The cost of the workshop is $5 per person, but is waived for
members of the Watson Mill Friends group.
Bring a bag lunch and wear sturdy clothes, organizers say. The
number of participants is limited.
Call the park office at (706) 783-5349 to reserve your space.
Watson Mill Bridge State Park is located south of Hwy. 72 between
Comer and Carlton in Madison County.
The sands of time slowly
slip away when you turn your car down
the city of Carlton's First Street. The road becomes rough, unpaved
and seemingly impassable if it's been raining. The wilderness
soon greets you and just when you think civilization has reached
its end, a two-story, double roof, 2,600 square-foot pine log
cabin that sits just off this rocky dirt path, reaches out and
snatches your eye.
The structure is tucked as far away in the backwoods as possible
from the four-lane, fast-paced life that has sprung up in northeast
Georgia over the past decade. The cozy abode is striking because
it harkens back to a time more fitting of the Daniel Boone era
when trails were being blazed and a man made his living through
the strength of his hands and the sweat from his brow. But beyond
the appearance of this impressive structure actually lies a story
that celebrates the American experience of our forefathers.
Burton "Chip" Chandler sits comfortably in his cabin
now, over two decades removed from its construction and enjoys
a bowl of cereal on a calm but slightly overcast Friday morning
while he pets a massive but gentle Great Pyrenees dog. It's just
part of the peaceful, relaxed country life that he's found at
this location- a place he has called home for half his life.
In fact, he's almost linked inexorably to it. "The only
way I'd sell this place is if Wal-Mart moved next door,"
Chandler explains.
And that would probably be hard for him to do given the sentimental
value of this log cabin. Chandler didn't move into this lodge
or even hire someone to build it for him. He followed in the
grand tradition of American pioneers of centuries gone by and
constructed his home by himself with his bare hands.
For the rest of this story, see this weeks Madison County
Journal.
Fortson case set to
open May 14
The trial of accused murderer Tracy Fortson is scheduled to begin
May 14 in Madison County. But a change of venue could still be
in the works.
Northern Judicial Circuit Judge Lindsay Tise has chosen to wait
until jury selection to make a decision on moving the case out
of the county, most likely to see if an impartial jury can be
found in the county.
Fortson's attorney, Thomas Camp, filed a motion for a change
of venue in January, claiming the jury pool in the county may
be biased against the defendant due to local media coverage of
the case.
Earlier this month, Tise denied the defendant's motion to dismiss
the case as well as motions to suppress evidence recovered in
Fortson's home and vehicle.
Fortson is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend, Doug Benton of
Colbert, encasing his body in cement, leaving him in a wooded
area in Oglethorpe County and attempting to burn his house down
to cover up her alleged crime. She faces one count of malice
murder, felony murder, attempted arson and two counts of aggravated
assault.
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Band boosters
seek financial assistance
Greg Bleakley of the Madison County Band Boosters appeared before
the school board Tuesday night to ask for assistance in financing
upcoming events.
The boosters face a financial crisis following the arrest of
the group's former treasurer, Greg Moore, for allegedly stealing
about $28,000 from the boosters.
Bleakley told the board that efforts to recover the money would
take time. Immediate needs of the bands are an honors banquet,
a summer band camp and the cost of sending a band member to the
state band program. Boosters need $12,000 in the near future
to finance these projects.
The board asked Superintendent Keith Cowne to see if there is
any way to assist the band boosters and let them know as soon
as possible.
Let the games begin
Youth baseball, softball get rolling Saturday.It's time to get
the ball rolling, the bats cracking and the mitts popping.
Madison County's youth baseball and softball season gets under
way Saturday and recreation leaders say the turnout is good this
year.
Approximately 500 kids have signed up to play Little League baseball
and softball. This includes 42 teams - two minor league, two
major league and two senior league fast-pitch softball squads;
as well as six mini league, eight minor league, 12 major league
and seven junior league baseball teams.
Though played at recreation facilities, Little League is separate
from the league operated by the recreation department, where
another 500-plus kids will suit up for baseball and softball
action. This includes 20 T-ball teams, 10 boys' pitching machine
squads, four girls' pitching machine teams, six 10-and-under
slow pitch softball teams, four 12-and-under slow pitch squads
and one 14-and-under slow pitch team.
Also, adult softball is in the works, with four women's open
league teams, six women's church league squads and 15 men's church
league teams.
"We're excited," said county recreation director Dick
Perpall. "It seems like it gets bigger every year."
The recreation department currently has 45 employees to help
prepare the facilities and accommodate the kids, parents and
coaches.
Perpall warned that parking will be a problem again this year.
"I don't know any park that has enough parking," said
Perpall.
But a number of improvements have been made to the recreation
facilities since last season, including remodeling the restrooms,
the installation of steps down to the track, more paved areas
to make dugouts more handicapped accessible and additional landscape
areas - all at the main park. Paving was also done around bleachers
at Diamond Hill Park, as well as the construction of a retaining
wall, which recreation leaders say will help improve the landscaping
and appearance of the park.
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