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Publication Number 635540 Volume 82 Number 24 Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Local Judge lifts SDA grant sanctions against County, cities Weather By Charles Duncan counties and cities every remains an ambitious goal. Towns County Herald decade to determine how [email protected] According to Towns and and which government will County Superior Court Lake Levels Senior Judge Robert deliver services within each records, the lack of agreement Struble has approved Com- of Georgia’s 159 counties. with the City of Young Harris missioner Bill Kendall’s re- During several meet- is because of the failure of that Thur: Rain 78 54 quest through court papers filed ings over the past year the city to submit a clear and con- Fri: Rain 76 55 last week to lift grant sanctions county, Young Harris and cise outline of the boundaries Sat: Cloudy 81 55 Hiawassee, and the Towns of a proposed Service Deliv- Sun: Cloudy 81 53 against Towns County and Mon: Cloudy 78 53 Young Harris and Hiawassee. County Water Authority ery Area and to define which Tue: Cloudy 76 54 The consent order will have worked toward an services would be provided in Wed: Rain 74 49 restore millions of grant dol- agreement on how and who specific areas within Towns lars at stake for Towns will deliver 90 percent of the County and how those ser- County and the City of services to citizens. How- vices would be funded. Hiawassee. It’s unclear if ever, there is one remaining Towns County seeks the city of Young Harris had sticking point on which a to have the court order a any grant dollars at stake. deadline agreement had not prepared Service Delivery The three govern- been reached, and which put map showing the boundaries ments had been declared the county and cities in the of the City of Young Har- non-qualified entities be- non-qualified government ris’ proposed Service Deliv- cause they have not agreed status regarding a water ser- ery Area, a clear and con- Upstream Elevation vice agreement. cise statement as to the pro- Predicted on a Service Delivery Strat- egy Agreement. Service Judge Struble has ordered posed services provided in 04/20/11 that court proceedings and me- the subject areas and plans Lake Chatuge 1923.06 Delivery strategies are re- Lake Nottely 1777.02 quired by law in each com- diation take place April 26, at the for funding of the services. Towns County Courthouse. A service delivery Commissioner Kendall says a confirmed court-ordered consent order Blue Ridge 1655.96 munity in Georgia to avoid lifts sanctions against the county and its cities. Photo/Charles Duncan duplication of services, thus, The county has reached strategy agreement allows INDEX saving tax dollars for resi- an agreement with the City of local governments within funding through grants. ments are on the outside 2 Sections, 20 Pages dents. A Service Delivery Hiawassee, but an agreement the same county borders to Without an effective agree- looking in, in terms of state Agreement is required of with the City of Young Harris receive state and federal ment, those local govern- and federal funding. Arrests...... 2A Church/Obits...... 8,9A Classifieds...... 2B Coach Paul unveils her Editorial...... 4A Young Harris Fest a two-day hit Calendar...... 4A Festival featured fine art, pottery and Poet Laureate Bettie Sellers Legals...... 2B Sports...... 10,11A By Janice Boling 2011 recruiting class Television ...... 6A Towns County Herald Buford team captain Sheresse Williams included on team [email protected] By James Reese Chamber Chronicles Towns County Herald The Young Harris [email protected] Page 13A Spring Fest drew a crowd throughout the weekend. With more than 60 It won’t be long before Fish Fry juried artists and plenty of Coach Brenda Paul has VFW Post 7807 will food vendors, the juried, some new help to join next host its a fish fry on Fri- two-day festival offered ev- year’s Lady Mountain Lions. day, Friday, April 22 from erything from fine art, pot- Coach Paul, the archi- 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. tery and jewelry to soap- tect of 452 basketball coach- making, home canned jellies, ing victories during her illus- All you can eat fish, Coach Brenda Paul curly fries, baked beans, story telling and hand-knit- trious career on the hard- hush puppies, cole slaw ted scarves. wood, announced her list of Kelly also from Chestatee and iced tea. All this at a The event was held Sat- new signees to the Mountain High School and finally cost of $9 per person. urday and Sunday in Mayor’s Lions’ roster. Ashley Knox from McMinn Now with a non-smoking Park in Young Harris. Kaycee Cash from Central in Englewood, Tenn. dining room. The juried artists, great Etowah High School, Keta Coach Paul, who Fish fries will be food, and entertainment Robinette from Marion coached the Lady Moun- held the second and 4th were featured at the free, County High School, Jasper, tain Lions to an 11-13 finish Fridays of each month. family-orientated event. Tenn., Arielle Thomas from in their first season, said she Even the parking was free. North Clayton High School, loved the balance in this Event goers were treated to Sheresse Williams from signing class. ... two days of beautiful art- Buford High School. These “Combined with the work, pottery, jewelry, fiber future scholar-athletes will early signees, this class has art, pine baskets, candles, join fall signees: Peyton Happy 155 Robertson from Chestatee Ansley Burnette signs copies of her book Frisco Finds A Forever See Coach Paul, page 15A Towns County See Festival, page 15A Family during the festival in Young Harris. Photo/Janice Boling High School and Rachel A beautiful hand- made quilt will be on dis- play at the square in Solid turnout for Chatuge cleanup Kris Kristofferson Hiawassee from 11 a.m. By James Reese to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Towns County Herald May 14, at the annual [email protected] comes to Hiawassee Arts & Heritage Festival Tickets go on sale on Friday at Fairgrounds sponsored by the Towns In the race for all im- County Historical Soci- portant tourism dollars, pro- By Charles Duncan ety. The quilt depicts tecting “the Goose that laid Towns County Herald events and items of inter- the Golden Egg” is a must, [email protected] est in the past history of The Ridges Resort & Ma- the county beginning with rina General Manager Chad His graveled voice is the Cherokees’ Trail of Hooper said. iconic, but it’s his pen that Tears. Other historical “Keeping Lake Chatuge has built a lasting legacy for items and pictures of clean, that’s what it’s all Kris Kristofferson. schools and classes of about,” said Hooper, who led Whether it was Gos- long ago will also be on a group of more than 60 com- pel, Rock ‘N’ Roll or Coun- display in the gazebo. munity members recently on try Music, chances are the Events begin at 11 a tour of duty trash pick-up biggest hits of countless per- a.m. with welcomes by around the 7,000-acre lake formers were penned by county and city which straddles Georgia and Kris Kristofferson, Rhodes dignataries, live music, North Carolina. Scholar, educated at Oxford. Kris Kristofferson gospel singing, square “We had great support The list of performers that have topped the charts musical success is far from dancing, and poetry and out here in this event,” standard. Born in Brownsville, Hooper said. “Almost 60 with a Kristofferson-penned old time stories will lead Coach Brenda Paul’s Young Harris College Mountain Lions Texas and raised in a military up to cutting of the birth- song is a long one. David pitch in and help clean up around the shores of Lake Chatuge Price, Johnny Cash, Janis family, he followed the family day cake around 3:30 See Chatuge page 15A recently near The Ridges Resort & Marina. Photo/James Reese Joplin, Faron Young, Roger tradition by serving in the U.S. p.m. This will be followed Army as an Airborne Ranger by a performance of our Miller, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap, Waylon Jennings, Patti helicopter pilot and achieved own Elvis impersonator the rank of captain. (Roy Perren). Don’t miss Ronnie Milsap here June 18 Page, Bobby Bare, Joe Simon and yes, Kris Kristofferson. Through the years, this day-long event with By Charles Duncan ents. He later moved to Ra- Kristofferson has been one all kinds of food, music Towns County Herald leigh to attend a school for Kristofferson was in- [email protected] ducted into the Songwriters’ of the busiest performers to and fun. the blind. It wasn’t long be- ever grace the music indus- Six Grammy awards, fore those closest to him, Hall of Fame in 1985. Kristofferson’s career try. Rough, gruff and tough, 40 No. 1 hits, and winner of noticed a natural tendency to the free spirit of Kristofferson ... the Country Music pursue music at an early age. has spanned more than 40 years as a singer, songwriter has become an iconic sym- Happy Easter Industry’s Most Promising There, he began bol of Country Music, Folk Young Artist in 1975, Ronnie studying violin and piano for and actor, having performed in 91 motion pictures, either Music and Rock ‘N’ Roll. The Towns County Milsap’s career has come the next 12 years. The lure Get in line on Friday, Herald wishes you and full circle. He’s returning to of music proved powerful on the big screen or television. On May 21, at 7 p.m. at or get left out, these tickets yours a blessed Easter his roots, which include the Ronnie Milsap for the young Milsap, and will move fast as Holiday as we remem- Northeast Georgia Moun- Tickets go on sale May 13th while he pursued his stud- Anderson Music Hall, the leg- endary artist known as Hiawassee welcomes an ber the sacrifices of our tains. for $32, handling fee in- ies diligently in order to icon to Towns County. Lord and Savior Jesus Milsap, who attended cluded. A portion of the pro- make the grade at law Kristofferson will perform, Christ and celebrate his Young Harris College on a full ceeds go to the Shriner’s school, a chance meeting most likely before a packed resurrection. music scholarship, will be live Hospital. with Ray Charles prompted auditorium in Hiawassee. Tick- TOWNS COUNTY HERALD Check the Com- in concert on June 18th at Milsap spent the first him to take another path that ets go on sale Friday at the munity Calendar and Anderson Music Hall at 7 p.m. six years of his life in was about to open for him. Georgia Mountain Fair- Church Page for holiday Milsap is expected to Robbinsville, NC; he was Milsap went on to grounds. The cost of admis- events in your area. fill the 2,900 seat, air-condi- abandoned by his mother, sion: $42, handling fee included. See Ronnie Milsap, page 15A tioned Anderson Music Hall. and raised by his grand par- Kristofferson’s path to