The Northeast Georgian

A1 The Northeast Georgian 75 cents SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 Weekend SPLOST committee gearing up By DONALD FRASER has the issue on the ballot. quirements; for example, and public safety. A por- Generally, the ballot Habersham County is set- tion of its funding will go Public forums to ex- language requires a yes ting aside approximately to hiking trail develop- plain the benefi ts of con- or no response to the ques- $6 million of its portion ment, which is intended tinuing the countywide tion whether a 1-percent of hoped-for proceeds for to encourage economic Special Purpose Local Op- sales tax shall be contin- economic development, development through in- tion Sales Tax [SPLOST] ued for six years to raise primarily the Habersham creased tourism. should be scheduled after approximately $33,600,000 County Airport Indus- “We feel like this a planned Sept. 19 meeting to fund capital projects for trial Park. Other funding SPLOST needs to be heavy of a committee supporting Habersham County and for the county will go to on the details” when pre- SPLOST VI. local municipal govern- public safety, roads and sented to the public, said The current SPLOST ments, including public bridges and recreation. Brian Horton, Sept. 3, V is scheduled to end in safety, roads and bridges, As a municipal example, chairman of the SPLOST Submitted March 2014. Whether the economic development, the town of Tallulah Falls committee. Cities will receive 43 percent SPLOST is renewed will water and sewer and rec- also targets infrastruc- Municipal and county of the proceeds, divided as be determined by voters reation. ture upgrades and mainte- government representa- illustrated, of the proposed Special Purpose Local Option Sales during a Nov. 5 county Each government is nance, such as water and Tax VI, with the county receiving 57 percent. special election, which targeting its own re- sewer, roads and bridges See SPLOST, Page 2A Demorest mayor denies knowledge of water system deal City cautioned by The Orchard residents By DONALD FRASER More questions and no answers keep popping up re- garding the status of rumored water system purchase negotiations between the city of Demorest and The Or- chard subdivision. The matter came to the forefront at the end of Au- gust, when Demorest mayoral candidate Rick Austin rhetorically asked the city to suspend discussions of Demorest buying The Orchard’s water production and distribution system. He cited a current investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation into fi nancial irregularities at Demorest City Hall. In one instance, approximately $5,000 was apparently stolen from city hall early in 2013. A second investigation is into “sig- nifi cant irregularities” pertaining to fi nancial matters found during the Fiscal Year 2012 audit. Councilman John Popham confi rmed Aug. 22 De- morest was in talks with The Orchard, a private gated residential and golfi ng community in north Habersh- am. Talks are in an offer/counter-offer stage, Popham said. “We’ve been working on it a good while,” Popham told The Northeast Georgian. “We’ve got a bunch more work we’ve got to do on it.” But it’s news to Demorest Mayor Malcolm Hun- nicutt. “We certainly didn’t know,” there was a pro- spective purchase of The Orchard’s water system by the city, Hunnicutt said at council’s Sept. 3 regular monthly meeting. “It was a shock to us.” Hunnicutt was responding to a question about a By CHRISTINA SANTEE/Staff pending sale from Dave Thomas, who along with three other residents of The Orchard, attended Demorest’s LABOR DAY LOVE Tuesday meeting. “We’re concerned, as property owners at The Or- A labor of love culminated in the birth of a baby girl Monday, when Tylee Belle Bowden was born to Mt. Airy couple – Leta chard,” Thomas told council during the public com- Lomax, 22, and Tim Bowden, 28, – on Labor Day. Tylee Belle was delivered at 1:23 p.m., Sept. 2, at Habersham Medical Center, ments portion of the meeting. giving new meaning to the term “Labor Day” after her mother went into labor at 5 p.m. the day prior. “It was the best holiday so Thomas went on to describe a litany of problems and concerns pertaining to the subdivision’s water system, far this year; the happiest one,” Lomax said Sept. 3. Tylee Belle weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and measured 19-1/2 inches long. including the problem of just who owns the infrastruc- She joins sibling Layleigh Cheyenne Crowe, 4. “I’m happy as long as she is happy and has a happy life,” Tim Bowden said. Tylee Belle was HMC’s only Labor Day birth for 2013. See Demorest, Page 2A UGA study: county Mother of teen cancer trail system ‘feasible’ survivor:Editor’s note: ‘A mom knows’ By KIMBERLY BROWN Historical Railroad State September is childhood Trail in Florida; the Silver cancer awareness month. A countywide recreation Comet Trail near Atlanta; To honor survivors and trail system is “feasible,” the Virginia Creeper Trail their families, The North- but offers “challenges” for in southwest Virginia; the east Georgian is featuring a Habersham County, accord- Western Maryland Rail series of three very personal ing to a study conducted by Trail; and the Ecusta Rail stories. The message in to- the Archway Partnership Trail in North Carolina. day’s story about Matthew trail feasibility work group. The report shows ben- Henson’s diagnosis at 15 The report was present- efi ts of a countywide trail months with a Wilms tumor ed by Leigh Elkins of the include travel, recreation is for parents – trust your Carl Vinson Institute of and tourism revenue; instincts when it comes to Government at the Univer- home value appreciation advocating for your child’s old, he was diagnosed with sity of Georgia to the Arch- and taxes; additional fi scal healthcare. Wilms tumor. way Executive Committee benefi ts to municipal gov- By KIMBERLY BROWN Andra Henson works on Wednesday. ernments “due to hazard as lunchroom manager In determining feasibil- mitigation and pollution Now almost 16 and at Cornelia Elementary ity, Elkins said, the work control;” retirement relo- School. When Matthew was group looked at case stud- cation and retention; com- a 10th-grade student at Habersham Central High diagnosed, she was a single ies of nearby trails, includ- mercial/retail impact due mother and a school bus ing the Greenville Health to increased visitors and School, Matthew Henson’s KIMBERLY BROWN/Staff life didn’t start easily. driver in Gwinnett County. System Swamp Rabbit new businesses; reduced While Matthew was being Trail in South Carolina; healthcare costs because of Matthew Henson, who will turn 16 in just a few days, and Though he was a seemingly healthy 10-pound baby, his treated, Andra met and the American Tobacco increased exercise; historic his mother, Andra Henson, went through the ordeal of Mat- Trail in North Carolina; mother Andra Henson said, the Tallahassee-St. Marks See Trails, Page 3A thew’s Wilms tumor when he was only 15 months old. when he was only 15 months See Cancer, Page 3A Contact us INDEX Volume 122, No. 22 706-778-4215 DEATHS, 8A Fax •Michael S. Reepe, 59 •Ronald W. Smith, 73 Classifi eds 5-6B 706-778-4114 Calendar 12A thenortheastgeorgian.com Opinion 4A Sports 1-3B Two sections, 18 pages TV 6B PHONE 706-864-6068 MEtAL FAX 706-864-2147 rooFiNG & siDiNG 6195 Hwy 52 East • Murrayville, Georgia 30564 coME visit our sHowrooM A2 2A The Northeast Georgian Friday, September 6, 2013 Public meetings scheduled SPLOST From Page 1A tives met a number of ects.” sham, while the second Reabold described com- The following public meetings are scheduled between times to hash out details “They worked it out will be in south Habersh- mittee members, includ- Sept. 6-13. of portioning out fund- and walked away from the am, both at locations yet ing in addition to her- ing, Horton said. He noted table satisfi ed,” Horton to be determined. self and Horton, Barrie SPLOST VI does not have said. Martha Reabold, Aycock, Dan Barry, Phil Habersham County Commission a Tier One project, unlike The sales tax revenue SPLOST committee trea- DeMore, Judy Forbes, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at the new judicial center, corner of Stanford SPLOST V, which had the “gives them [cities] money surer, said fundraising is David Foster, Michael Mill Road and Llewellyn Street, Clarkesville. [A quorum may be present for new judicial center as a to do projects that are key not a priority for the com- Harvey, Jeff Herrin, the cornerstone dedication ceremony.] primary project. Conse- to infrastructure needs,” mittee. To her and fellow Wade Rhodes and Ken quently, SPLOST VI will Horton said, noting “many committee members, bro- Schubring, as “enthusias- Habersham County Airport Authority see more revenue distrib- of the projects have been chures and other printed tic” and prepared to make uted to municipalities, on the back burner for a materials are not the best presentations in front of 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at the Habersham County Airport. Horton said. “At the end long time.” way to convey the mes- civic groups. of the day, the cities and “We are giving the in- sage of how important the “We want to let the Habersham County Board of Education county came together,” he formation,” Horton said SPLOST is to the commu- community know how im- 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at the School Board offi ce in Clarkesville. said. of the planned presenta- nity. portant it [SPLOST] is,” (Work session 4 p.m.) The bargaining saw “47 tions.

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