THURSDAY January 23, 2020 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 cents Etowah Indian Mounds to offer free admission on Super Museum Sunday BY MARIE NESMITH [email protected] In honor of Super Museum Sunday, Etowah Indian Mounds will waive admission fees Feb. 9. “Super Museum Sunday started off with museums and historic homes along the Georgia coast, years ago, as a way of offering winter vacationers something to do in the off months, for free, in the hopes that it would spur retail sales,” said Keith Bailey, curator for the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site. “In 2017, Etowah Mounds and other his- toric sites, throughout the state, joined in as participants, to make it a statewide event, giving people something to do in the cold of winter, when people often feel it is too cold to do things outside.” Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 9, Etowah Indian Mounds will offer special programming, such as compact guided tours at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. During the educational walk, visitors will learn more about the 54-acre site, where several thousand American Indians lived from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1550. Regarded as the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast, Etowah Indian Mounds at 813 Indian Mounds Road in Cartersville safeguards six earthen mounds, a village area, a plaza, bor- row pits and a defensive ditch. “Archaeologist and author Adam King will be here at 2 JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS p.m. to give a lecture on iconography,” Bailey said. “For From left, District 15 State Rep. Matthew Gambill, District 14 State Rep. Mitchell Scoggins and District 16 State Rep. Trey Kelley. those unfamiliar with him, Dr. King has done lots of re- search here at the site, starting in the early 1990s when the stairs on Mound A were updated from crossties to an actual staircase with handrails. Much of his work is considered State representatives from Bartow nondestructive, as it utilized technologies, like ground pene- trating radar and magnetometers.” While King is delivering his presentation, the Etowah In- dian Mounds also will conduct a blow dart making program County sponsor wide slate of bills at 2 p.m. Costing $2 per participant, the fee will cover the expense of the activity’s materials. “The [Super Museum Sunday] event is part of Georgia BY JAMES SWIFT districts. to date is House Bill 765, a bill The legislation was also spon- Historical Society’s annual history festival, and we’ve been [email protected] “Education districts 1, 2, 3, 4 which looks to increase the min- sored by District 14 State Rep. honored to participate for the past few years,” said Kim and 5, as they existed immedi- imum compensation for Geor- Mitchell Scoggins (R, Carters- Hatcher, public affairs coordinator for the state’s Parks, Rec- Although the Georgia Gener- ately prior to the effective date gia’s chief magistrates and “to ville.) In addition to sponsoring reation and Historic Sites Division. “Working together with al Assembly hasn’t even been in of this subsection, shall contin- provide for the calculation of HB 737 and HB 765, he also other museums allows us to paint a broader picture of Geor- session for two full weeks, over ue to be designated as education future increases in the minimum sponsored House Bill 538, a bill gia’s past and bring attention to the importance of history.” that timeframe State representa- districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respec- compensation for chief magis- that was withdrawn by the House All of Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ his- tives from Bartow County have tively, but as newly described trates.” and recommitted on Jan. 14. toric sites will celebrate Super Museum Sunday, with some already sponsored a smatter- under subsection (b) of this sec- Under the bill, Georgia’s chief That legislation seeks to re- — like the Etowah Indian Mounds — extending their com- ing of bills, running the gamut tion,” the bill text reads. “And magistrates could be guaranteed vise a subsection of Georgia plimentary admission hours past the offi cial noon to 4 p.m. from legislation that would rede- on and after the effective date of as much as $133,106.73 a year in Code pertaining to State Board period. fi ne the Bartow County School this subsection, such members salary, depending on the popula- of Equalization duties, ultimate- “One of the most popular is Roosevelt’s Little White House Board’s voting districts to legis- of the board serving from those tion size of their jurisdictions. ly allowing “all questions of law where you can learn how FDR’s experiences in rural Georgia lation that would address Geor- former education districts shall The legislation would also cre- decided by a court or the Geor- led to New Deal policies still in use today,” Hatcher said, gia’s laws on elder abuse. be deemed to be serving from ate an increase in the minimum gia Tax Tribunal pursuant to this providing an overview of the state’s historic sites. “Etowah The lone piece of legislation, and representing their respective compensation for magistrate subsection, including interpreta- and Kolomoki protect earthen mounds built more than 1,000 as of Wednesday, sponsored by districts as newly described.” court clerks, as well as increase tions of constitutional, statutory years ago by long-lost civilizations. all three of Bartow’s State rep- So far, the bill made it to a the pay for any probate judges and regulatory provisions” to “The most recent site to open is Hardman Farm in Sautee resentatives is House Bill 737, House second reader on Jan. 14 also serving as magistrates or be made “without deference to Nacoochee where you can tour a beautiful home and dairy which would allow the Bartow and is currently pending in the chief magistrates from an an- any rule, determination or in- barn. The real Anna Ruby, whom the waterfall in Helen is County Board of Education to House Intragovernmental Coor- nual minimum of $13,223.25 to terpretation, whether written or named after, lived in this house.” “change the defi nition of the ed- dination Committee. $14,162.10. unwritten, that may have been For more information about the historic sites’ special pro- ucation districts.” The only other bill District That bill made it to a House made on the matter by the [De- gramming Feb. 9, visit GaStateParks.org/SuperMuseumSun- Essentially, that would re- 15 State Rep. Matthew Gambill second reader on Jan. 16 and is partment of Revenue.]” day. draw the boundaries for the (R, Cartersville) has sponsored now pending in the House Judi- local school board’s five voting in the 2020 Legislative session ciary Committee. SEE BILLS, PAGE 5A SEE MOUNDS, PAGE 6A Board approves rules for new voting system BY BEN NADLER work best is that we actually would imple- machines, which combine touchscreen vot- Associated Press ment the rules that have already been post- ing with printed ballots, to Georgia’s 159 ed,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffen- counties. Georgia’s elections board on Wednesday sperger, the state board’s chairman. “Then Concerns about election security caused approved a set of rule changes to govern the we would consider amending those rules fur- a federal judge last year to order Georgia to use of new voting machines that are being ther, to further tweak this and hone down the replace its outdated, paperless voting system rushed out statewide for the state’s fast-ap- rules as we want them.” before any ballots are cast in 2020. An attor- proaching presidential primaries in March. Any further changes would require a an- ney for Raffensperger’s offi ce told the judge State Election Board members acknowl- other 30-day period for public comments last week that deliveries should be completed edged some of the newly adopted rules may before the board could vote to approve them. by mid-February. County election offi cials need further fi ne tuning. They were approved Georgia’s presidential primaries are set still have to test the new machines and train RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS regardless because of the tight deadline for for March 24, but advance voting begins poll workers ahead of the primaries. Etowah Indian Mounds will waive admission fees on Su- rolling out the new machines. three weeks earlier on March 2. The state per Museum Sunday, Feb. 9. “Because of the timeline ... what seems to is racing to distribute more than 33,000 new SEE VOTING, PAGE 5A Library system receives GCA grant to fund programs this spring BY DONNA HARRIS artist residency — through the Geor- big and small, to be able to provide arts preciation of local artists and artwork munity centers and schools that invite [email protected] gia Department of Economic Develop- programming for their communities. in Bartow County,” he said in a news Georgians to connect with one another ment’s Georgia Council for the Arts. Through it, we have been able to bring release. and with meaningful arts experiences in The Bartow County Public Library’s In late November, the council, along some super artists and performers to our “The Vibrant Communities Grant, their everyday lives.” summer reading program may still be with state Rep. Matthew Gambill from libraries. The grant money is a big help along with our new Cultural Facilities Shalin said the library applied for the a few months away, but Youth Services Cartersville, announced the library sys- to us.” Grant, have allowed GCA to support grant, which actually will total $1,500 Coordinator Thomas Shalin is already tem had been chosen to receive a $1,000 Gambill said he was “pleased” that some of the most impactful arts pro- due to a required library match of 50%, preparing for a major kickoff celebra- grant to fund a special artistic perfor- the library system will receive a grant gramming happening in communities to “help give us some extra money” for tion.