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OPINIONS
Frank Gillespie
Washington predicted future events
George Washington was many things. He was our first president.
He was a soldier, a farmer, a statesman, and one of the founders
of our nation.
Ben Munro
Will 'the walk' bring back Georgia fan pride?
The relationship between Georgia and their fans has been much
like a troubled marriage - a lot of good times in the past, but
some stormy moments in the later years.
SPORTS
Directions to Area Schools
Back on track
The Raiders controlled the trenches, the clock and the score
Friday, earning their first win of the young 2001 season.
Madison County topped Apalachee 35-3 in Danielsville, grinding
out 287 yards on the ground and bouncing back from a 17-0 loss
to South Forsyth the previous week.
Neighborhood News...
BANKS COUNTY
Banks County Festival coming up
Annual parade to kick off festivities at 10 a.m. Saturday
The 29th annual Banks County Festival will be held on the historic
courthouse lawn in Homer on September 8-9.
SPLOST comes before voters Sept. 18
Voting on renewing the one-cent Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST) for education will take place in Banks County
on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
News from...
JACKSON COUNTY
CCHS SAT scores rise while JHS results fall
Both schools below state and national averages.The results of
SAT testing last spring showed local results to be mixed, with
students from Jackson County Comprehensive High School scoring
19 points better than last year while students at Jefferson High
School saw the average score fall 28 points. Scores at Commerce
High School were up 15 points over last year.
Jackson Keeps A Representative
Reapportionment Plan Enables Jackson To Still Elect District
25 Representative
She came out bruised and bloodied, but Rep. Pat Bell figures
she accomplished what she set out to do in the special reapportionment
session of the legislature.
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The Madison County Journal
Danielsville, Georgia
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SCHOOL SPIRIT
Madison County softball players show some school spirit at
the Raider football game Friday night. Pictured (L-R) are Devin
Burroughs, Lindsey Mason, Brooke Kesler, Danielle Johnson, Casey
Allen, Sarah Owen, Lindsey Barnette, Amanda Lewis, Taylor Sapp
and Melissa Elrod.
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Sorrells rehired
as Comer clerk
NeSmith announces he won't seek re-election.
Former Comer city clerk Steve Sorrells was rehired Tuesday night
to fill the position left vacant by the firing of Elaine McGee-Tate.
Sorrells has resigned from the position of transportation director
for the Madison County Board of Education in order to return
to the city post. He will also resume the position of city clerk
for Carlton.
Mrs. Tate was hired in August 2000 following Sorrells' resignation.
She served for one year before being fired last month. A public
personnel hearing for Tate has been set for the next city council
meeting on Oct. 9, 2001.
The council did not set a salary for Sorrells but voted to make
his pay comparable with that of other department heads. Public
Works head Gerald Kemp receives $30,000 per year. Police Chief
Barry Reed receives $28,000. The council will have to vote in
a public meeting to officially set Sorrells' salary.
Sorrells has also been rehired as city clerk of Carlton. He has
agreed that no work on Carlton's benefit will take place in the
Comer office except for receiving water payments. Comer will
be paid a monthly fee for this service. Other work Sorrells does
as Carlton's city clerk will be done at his home.
In another matter, Mayor Chris NeSmith announced he will not
seek re-election this fall. NeSmith ended the Tuesday night meeting
with a sigh and comment, "Only three more to go." After
the meeting NeSmith stated clearly that he will not be a candidate.
He cited antagonistic attitudes by some city residents as a leading
reason for his decision.
NeSmith was appointed in September 2000 to fill the unexpired
term of former mayor Kevin Booth. Booth had resigned due to disputes
with the public. One of NeSmith's first acts was to request local
legislation requiring that future mayor or council vacancies
be filled by special elections.
Colbert man completes
7,000-mile cross-country motorcycle trek
Lee Dickinson fulfilled a long-held dream this summer - to ride
7,000 miles across the country on his motorcycle, and to cover
the first 1,000 of those miles in 24 hours or less.
He began his journey on Saturday, July 15, leaving his home just
outside Colbert and completing one of his goals in Gibbons, Nebraska
- traveling a total of 1,237 miles in just 19 hours.
The feat earned him the "Saddle Sore 1,000 Award" from
the "Iron Butt Association," an independent association
of endurance motorcycle riders.
KEEP ON MOVING
"The key is to keep moving - and be prepared," Lee
said of covering so many miles in a day.
His specially-designed BMW motorcycle's 10-gallon tank allows
him to cover up to 400 miles between fill-ups, although he said
he usually allowed himself seven-minute stops every 300 miles
to grab a power bar and juice drink (consumed while gassing up),
use the restroom and refill a water bottle drinking system attached
to the inside of his custom-designed "crash suit."
Other on-board tools to facilitate his journey included a GPS
satellite receiver programmed with maps and a laptop computer
that allowed him to upload his selected route into the satellite.
The mounted satellite screen allowed him to follow turn-by-turn
instructions to within 11 feet of his selected route.
A touring seat and handlebars designed to Lee's measurements
provided extra comfort for the long hours on the road. Spare
parts, tools, a two-man tent, mattress pad, folding chair and
four changes of clothing completed his travel gear for the trip.
Most importantly, the special suit he wore not only provided
him with protection against the elements, but is designed to
help protect against injury in the event of an accident.
For example, a spill Lee took several years ago while traveling
at 50 mph left him with only a few scratches on the suit's knee
pads.
The tools and spare parts came in handy when an electrical system
failure forced him to make an unexpected stopover in the middle
of Nebraska later in the trip.
"Safety was a top priority," he said, adding that he
has 27 years' experience riding motorcycles. He began training
for this journey in April by running and exercising to get in
shape and by giving up caffeine.
"This was an endurance ride to find out 'what can I do and
do it safely,'" he said. "I don't do it (motorcycle
riding) recklessly."
To achieve his goal of 1,000 miles or more during the first day,
Lee traveled the interstate system, where he could cruise at
65 mph on smoother, straighter roads.
For the rest of the story see this weeks Madison County Journal.
Municipal qualifying
set for next week
Qualifying for November municipal elections is set for next week
in Danielsville, Comer, Colbert and Hull - Ila and Carlton
have no upcoming elections.
Here's a look at what's ahead:
DANIELSVILLE
Three posts are up for grabs in Danielsville - the mayor's seat
held by Glenn Cross; councilperson post 1 held by Laverne Watson;
and councilperson post 2 held by Nina Hitchcock. The term of
office for each of these positions will be from Jan. 1, 2002,
to Dec. 31, 2003.
Qualifying will begin Sept. 10 at 8:30 a.m. and end Sept. 14
at 1 p.m. at Danielsville City Hall. Those wishing to qualify
may do so during normal business hours at Danielsville City Hall.
The qualifying fee for mayor is $58.37 and $42.08 for councilpersons.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 Danielsville election
is Oct. 6. Voters may register in the registrar's office at the
county government complex or at Danielsville City Hall.
COMER
Three Comer city posts will be decided in November - the mayor's
seat held by Chris NeSmith. The term for this post will be from
Jan. 1, 2002, to Dec. 31, 2004. Voters will also choose a councilperson
districts 1 and 2. The District 1 post is held by Allene Pendleton
and the District 2 seat is held by Laquita Bridges. The term
for these offices is Jan. 1, 2002, to Dec. 31, 2006.
For the rest of this story see this weeks Madison County Journal.
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Animal shelter
construction set to begin this month
The construction of a long-awaited two-county animal shelter
is set to begin sometime this month, according to Susan Fisher,
president of the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter, Inc. (MOAS).
The group is funding the building project through private donations.
Both Madison and Oglethorpe county governments have agreed to
share the services of the shelter, which will be located next
to the Madison County Transfer Station, and to fund annual operating
costs of the facility at $3 per capita, based on the 2000 U.S.
census.
MOAS board members met Tuesday night to begin the process of
developing guidelines and protocol for the operation of the shelter
once doors are open.
A survey of the land for the shelter building was completed last
week, according to Fisher. Madison County signed a contract to
lease the land to MOAS in August.
Site preparation for the building was completed earlier this
year by county government employees under the direction of Madison
County Board of Commission chairman Wesley Nash.
Blueprints for the shelter were designed to incorporate a number
of features from other area shelters. The facility will contain
24 large indoor/outdoor dog runs, a cat, kitten and puppy room,
surgery and quarantine areas, a crematorium, and a large open
lobby that will double as a meeting room and classroom.
Board members said they have attempted to develop a structure
that will be much more than a "dog pound," and that
will provide a much needed service to both humans and animals.
The facility, which will be called an "animal adoption center,"
will be a dropoff facility only at first and residents bringing
in stray and unwanted dogs and cats will be required to show
proof of residence and sign a standard surrender form.
Animals that are in good health will be held a minimum of five
working days before being euthanized - longer if circumstances
permit.
Adoption fees have yet to be determined. All animals adopted
from the center will be spayed or neutered, as required by state
law, and will be given their first vaccines, including rabies.
Fisher estimates that the center will take in approximately 6,000
animals per year.
"We don't want to have to euthanize any of the animals we
take in, but realistically we know that will not be the case,"
Fisher said.
Nationwide, an average of one-third or less of shelter animals
are adopted each year, with the remaining being humanely destroyed,
according to recent statistics from the Humane Society of the
United States.
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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