Dream season over Get your Vidalias! All-Region players named 5 lb bag with subscription Read more on page C1 Read more on page C8 The Clayton Tribune THURSDAY, May 16, 2013 Vol. 116, No. 20 ■ 75 CENTS theclaytontribune.com County SPLOST bonds validated other cities March 27 The Clayton Tribune, that they will get their wanting to settle its in Rabun County Supe- Lawsuit with challenging the legality the county’s legal or- money back, he said. If lawsuit with the county rior Court. The state fi led of the SPLOST resolu- gan. Stockton said the a SPLOST statute were and other cities would its complaint through Clayton could tion, intergovernmental city didn’t have legal struck down, which is fall under attorney-client Mountain Judicial Cir- agreement and SPLOST standing to challenge what Clayton’s lawsuit is privilege. cuit District Attorney referendum. The action the bonds at the hearing aiming to do, a SPLOST “I can’t speak for the Brian Rickman. be null and void taken May 8 may have because it is not a party measure could continue county, but I think cer- The complaint states By Blake Spurney rendered Clayton’s legal to their issuance. For a since the bonds were tainly the city of Clayton that pursuant to law, an Editor action null and void, ac- challenge to have merit, validated. would be open to any rea- election was held “and cording to County Attor- he added, a claimant The $9.1 million in sonable discussions, and the results of the Elec- A superior court judge ney Allyn Stockton. He would have had to fi le bonds is less than half as their attorney would tion were prima facie in has validated $9.1 mil- said the issuance of the a motion to intervene. of the projected revenue advise them to listen and favor of the issuance of lion in bonds for the bonds was “conclusive.” Only if the motion was of $20 million the 1-cent weight matters accord- the Bonds and the im- disputed Special Purpose “It means this lawsuit granted could the pro- sales tax is projected to ingly,” he said. position of the Sales and Local Option Sales Tax is like a Lamaze class, cess have been impeded. bring in during the next Baker met with Clay- Use Tax.” referendum that is part and we wound up with a Stockton said mul- six years. ton City Council for an Rabun County voters of a pending lawsuit fi led C-section,” Stockton said. tiple examples of case City Attorney Mitch hour in closed session approved the SPLOST in by Clayton against the In other words, the law backed the county’s Baker said Monday he Tuesday to discuss pend- a March 19 special elec- Rabun County Board of validation of the bonds contention that Clayton couldn’t comment on ing litigation. tion by a 60-40 margin, Commissioners and the validates the entire pro- no longer has anything how the bond validation The process to validate and the election results other fi ve cities in the cess. No one challenged to challenge. The public might affect the case bonds is a routine court were certifi ed. Superior county. the bonds after the legal policy behind those deci- since he hadn’t heard action in which the state Court Judge Russel Clayton fi led suit notice for the hearing sions allows the lend- about the action. Any fi led a petition and com- against the county and was twice published in ers to have confi dence discussions of the city plaint against the county Please see BONDS, A9 Fur Ball Man pleads for pets is in stabbing Sunday death By Blake Spurney By Shelby Harrell Editor Staff Writer A 51-year-old Clayton Rabun County residents man pleaded guilty May 9 will be having a ball this to voluntary manslaugh- weekend in support of ter in the Oct. 12 stabbing local pets at the inaugual death of Alden Leland Paws 4 Life Fur Ball. Hass. The ball, which starts William Edward Owen at 5 p.m. Sunday at the was sen- Rabun County Civic tenced Center, is raising money to fi ve for Rabun Paws 4 Life, a years in no-kill open-admission prison animal shelter. followed The shelter is a nonprof- by 15 it organization and has years of only been in operation proba- since last October. Paws Trevor Metcalfe/The Clayton Tribune tion as 4 Life is ineligible to re- part of ceive Wildcat football heads back to the fi eld a negoti- OWEN state No. 3 Ashton Hopper and no. 81 Jordan Oliver run a noose drill while center Tommy Chevalier looks on. The Rabun ated plea. fund- County High School football squad began spring practices May 6, and ends with a scrimmage Tuesday. Assistant District At- ing torney Maggie Hastings until explained the circum- it has stances that led up to the been encounter between Owen open City plans anticipate no SPLOST revenue and Hass at 519 Joe Speed for Road. The two men had a a year. Jenny Wilson, By Shelby Harrell maintenance costs and more agreement in December for the history of violence, and chairwoman of the Fur Staff Writer specifi c water and sewer fi gures. SPLOST that was approved by Hass, 57, previously had Ball, said she hopes the Barrick said Clayton should voters in March. been convicted of simple event raises suffi cient Clayton City Council is work- make some budget cuts since it “With resurfacing and road assault against Owens in money to support the ing on reorganizing and trim- wouldn’t be receiving any Spe- maintenance, because we don’t South Carolina. shelter’s needs. ming expenses from its 2013-14 cial Purpose Local Option Sales get any SPLOST money, we have Mountain Judicial “We need to have a fi scal year budget. Tax revenue for the next six to pay for every little bit of that Circuit Public Defender fundraiser because that’s During a budget workshop years. The Rabun County Board ourselves,” Barrick said. “Last Drew Powell said his how we support our mis- Tuesday, Moody Barrick, pub- of Commissioners and every city time, when we tore our roads client had a good self- sion,” she said. “We need lic works director, proposed a in the county except Clayton en- defense claim since there to raise a lot because we budget suggesting reduced road tered into an intergovernmental Please see CITY, A10 were questions as to have lots of dogs and cats whom actually started we need to take care of the fi ght and whom was and to keep our shelter defending oneself. open-admission and no- “Basically it was a com- kill.” Coach Saban’s $11M house up for auction promise between us all. The event will include the defendant didn’t want both live and silent auc- By Blake Spurney to risk going to prison for tions, featuring items the rest of his life, and the such as a golf package Editor state didn’t want to risk from Old Edwards Inn, him being acquitted,” a trip to Napa, Calif., a University of Ala- bama football coach Powell said. trip to the British Virgin According to Hastings, Islands, original artwork Nick Saban and his partner are selling the Owen and his girlfriend, and rare bottles of wine. Debra Baynard, had got- “So many people have $11 million house they co-own on Lake Burton ten into an argument the given such great stuff, previous day. She then so I’m really excited for at a June 6 live auction. Concierge Auctions is went to Hass’ residence people to come out and in Walhalla, S.C. The two buy, buy, buy,” Wilson holding the auction for the six-bedroom, nine- hitchhiked back to the said. residence on Joe Speed The event kicks off bathroom house with- out a reserve. Saban Road so Baynard could with a cocktail hour fol- retrieve her belongings. lowed by dinner at 6 p.m. and Jim Suddes built the house on a 1.7-acre All three got into an ar- catered by local restau- Submitted Photo gument. rants. The live auction lot as an investment property. The Lighthouse Pointe, which has been on the market for a couple of years, is being sold Sometime during the begins at 7 p.m., and live at auction June 6. Previously listed at $10.95 million, it is owned by University of Ala- argument on Oct. 12, bama football coach Nick Saban and builder Jim Suddes. Please see BALL, A9 Please see SABAN, A9 Please see OWEN, A10 3 sections, 24 pages INDEX WEATHER Calendar ......................B6 NASCAR .......................C3 High 78-81 Church .........................B4 Obituaries ....................A6 Low 57-60 Classifi eds ....................C4 Police Blotter ................A2 Honor Roll ....................A7 Sports ...........................C1 Isolated Letters ..........................A4 Your Pet........................A8 thunderstorms. Medical Directory .........B3 Weather .......................A9 See page A9. A2 May 16, 2013 COMMUNITY The Clayton Tribune POLICE BLOTTER CONTACT US Main Line: 706-782-3312 Friday, May 3 property, and he wanted ● Joshua Lee Justus, verbal dispute between Fax: 706-782-4230 them cleaned up. Those 25, Mountain City, was two middle school girls. Mail: 120 North Main St., P.O.Box Woman’s ● A woman reported who cut the trees didn’t arrested and charged The matter was referred 425, Clayton, GA 30525 that $900 was missing want the man back on his with driving on a sus- to school resource offi cer Email: thetribune@ from her residence on neighbor’s property. He pended license and a Kevin Woodard.