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OPINIONS
Ben Munro
Hopefully Richt can drag UGA fans out of the past
Dearly departed coach Jim Donnan once said of Bulldog fans that
he'd "never seen people so stuck in the past like they are
around here."
Frank Gillespie
Do you believe in karma?
Do you believe in karma? This element of many Eastern religions
holds that any action you take will always affect your future.
When you misbehave, you create bad karma. When you do positive
things, you create good karma.
SPORTS
Directions to Area Schools
Raiders ready to bring on the heat
Despite loss of eight seniors, softball Raiders look for success
in 2001. Raider softball coach Doug Kesler hopes that success
will be a hard habit for his team to break, even with a different
cast of players this year.
Neighborhood News...
BANKS COUNTY
Poultry growers plead for legislative support
Poultry farmers from Banks, Jackson and other Georgia counties
met with the Georgia House of Representatives agriculture subcommittee
last week to plead for passage of a bill that would end what
they say are unfair practices in the industry.
New 911 address signs to be available
The Banks County 911 department is getting ready to offer new
address signs to the public to be placed on their property.
News from...
JACKSON COUNTY
Spring test results finally reported
Students in the Jackson County and City of Jefferson elementary
schools generally scored above the state averages on the new
Stanford 9 standardized testing last spring, but eighth graders
in the county system came in below the state and national averages.
GBI: Acting Alone, Chief Stole $269,000
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has closed its inquiry into
the embezzlement of traffic forfeitures and has concluded that,
acting alone, former police chief George Grimes stole $269,779
from Jan. 1, 1994, to the date of his death, June 1, 2001.
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The Madison County Journal
Danielsville, Georgia
Telephone: (706) 367-5233
Fax: (706) 367-8056
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CLOSE CALL
A Danielsville woman received only a minor injury from this
wreck with a tractor trailer on Hwy. 29 last Thursday afternoon,
Aug. 9. Wanda Sue Daniels, 50, of Danielsville, was traveling
south on Hwy. 29 when she attempted to turn left into Country
Line Produce just inside the Madison County line. A USF Holland
tractor trailer, driven by William Gene Chester, 48, also traveling
south, hit Daniels' 1991 Dodge Caravan in the rear with his right
front fender. He braked, causing the tractor trailer to skid.
The van slid back across the road from the impact, lodging in
the trailer's side. Daniels was treated at the scene with a minor
laceration to her leg. Two children, ages 11 and 6, who were
passengers in the van, were not injured.
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The battle over
districts
Local legislators say proposed districts are power play by Democrats.
Neither of Madison County's Republican state legislators had
anything good to say about the proposed redistricting maps put
forth by Governor Roy Barnes and the majority Democrats.
"I am very disappointed in the votes of my Democratic colleagues,"
Senator Mike Beatty said. "This may be a good map for preserving
the Democratic majority, but it is a bad map for Georgia."
State Rep. Ralph Hudgens agreed. His complaint is the way the
maps fragment communities of interest.
"There is no commonality within the proposed districts,"
he said.
New senate and house maps split Madison County into widely divergent
districts. The state senate map splits off the western edge of
Madison County and connects it to a senate district that meanders
across North Georgia as far west as Gilmer County. The remainder
of the county is in a district that stretches south towards Augusta
The proposed state house map splits the county three ways. Again,
the western edge of Madison County is combined with a narrow
strip of Clarke and most of Oconee County. Northeast Madison
County is combined with Banks and Franklin counties, and the
remainder of the county is linked a group of low population counties
to the south.
These district lines forces both representative Hudgens and senator
Beatty, both Republicans, into districts containing another Republican
incumbent. Both would face very difficult primary campaigns if
they decide to seek reelection.
"Democrats need to beware of unexpected consequences,"
Sen. Beatty said.
By forcing strong Republican legislators into difficult elections,
they may spur a wave of strong statewide candidates."
Hudgens said if he is forced into an impossible situation in
the new district, he would give strong consideration to running
for Lt. Governor.
Sen. Beatty expressed his concern about the splitting of counties
by the new maps.
"The Senate map splits 88 counties and 150 voting districts.
Each senator will be forced to deal with many more city and county
governments in widely dispersed areas. That makes effective representation
almost impossible."
He said he was also disturbed that a Democratic National Committee
operative was involved in drawing district lines in order to
assure continued control of the state legislature by Democrats.
New districts will not be implemented until current legislator
terms are complete.
Proposed school
budget up 12 percent
The Madison County school board is proposing a $28.5 million
budget, up approximately 12 percent from $25.38 million last
year.
The budget increase will require a hike in property taxes. How
much of an increase won't be determined until tax digest figures
are finalized. The tax commissioner's office said Wednesday that
a date has yet to be set for final digest figures.
School leaders say several things contributed to the proposed
budget increase. Among these are an estimated $750,000 in increased
instruction expenses. Maintenance expenses are also expected
to rise approximately $100,000.
Assistant superintendent Allen McCannon pointed out that the
school system was $90,000 over budget in gas and power expenses
last year due to last year's energy crisis. He also noted that
several vacant positions in the school system went unfilled last
year.
"We went bare bones last year," said McCannon.
Proposed 2001-2002 instruction costs are approximately $18.4
million. Other major school expenditures include about $2 million
in maintenance costs, $1.9 million for school administration
and $1.4 million in transportation expenses. The board estimates
a fiscal year ending balance of $1.2 million.
The tentative budget includes $6.9 million funds from local taxes
and $20 million in state money.
The school board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget
at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 21, in the high school media center.
While the school board is nearing the end of its budget process,
the county commissioners are beginning. The board will hold a
budget work session Monday beginning at 5:30 p.m. The commissioners
plan to listen to budget requests from 18 county department heads
for 15 minutes each Monday.
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Industrial Authority
seeks more water for Hull
The Madison County Industrial Authority is looking elsewhere
for the additional water needed to furnish the Hull-Sanford water
system. The authority is negotiating with Fortson Well and Supply
for the private water system at Millbrook Park of the Spratlin
Mill Road. The system contains two wells; one yields 100 gpm
of good water. The other produces 200 gallons per minute but
has a high iron content that will require extensive treatment
to be usable. Authority Chairman John Scoggins said the second
well would be used only in emergency situations.
Approximately one mile of water main would have to be constructed
to connect the Millbrook system to the Hull-Dogsboro system.
The new line would run from the traffic light in Hull, down Hwy.
72 to Spratlin Mill Road and up to Millbrook Circle. The authority
voted to obtain engineering studies necessary to install the
water line.
Negotiations to obtain the property containing well #2 near Dogsboro
have been tabled for 120 days.
"Everyone needs time to rethink their positions," Scoggins
said.
The delay in finding adequate water for the system has also delayed
finalization of the purchase of the Hull-Dogsboro water system
from Clarke County. Scoggins said that once water is available,
Clarke County will be given two weeks notice to complete the
deal.
The second water service area under consideration has moved closer
to reality. A meeting at Black's Creek Church drew 150 interested
citizens.
Forty-eight people signed request for water service in the phase
one area.
For the rest of this story see this weeks Madison County Journal.
To read more about the local events in
Madison County, including births, weddings, sports news and school
news, see this week's Madison County Journal.
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