THURSDAY April 4, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 cents White City Council votes to close Richards Road BY JAMES SWIFT ders on it,” Baker said. “The cies she wanted me to call, to holding the road together.” [email protected] road is eroding away, and in sev- tell them this is what we have From Baker’s perspective, the eral places, there are large holes, — ‘a high-hazard rail and road quickest fi x for the City’s drain- It may have been April Fools eight to ten inches in diameter.” crossing that is failing and could age problems is to fi x its road Day, but for the White City At this point, Baker said it’s no cause a catastrophic event.’” infrastructure problems. But Council Monday’s meeting was longer a question of when calam- Baker said a consultant evalu- that won’t come cheap; not only about a deathly serious public ity strikes, but how soon. ated the road last week. Replac- would boring the road cost in ex- safety concern. “The road is going to fail,” he ing the culverts or increasing the cess of $100,000, Baker said that After hearing comments from warned council members, “and drainage swell along the road option runs the risk of damaging White City Clerk Robin Deal the liabilities are going to be tre- are unlikely, Baker added, since nearby water and natural gas and municipal water department mendous.” most of the road lies along a lines, as well as utilities cables. representative Billy Baker, the Deal said she recently had a fl ood plain. “It’s going to cost some big council voted unanimously to conversation with a Department A steady stream of truck traf- bucks to fi x this,” he said. “A indefi nitely close a portion of of Natural Resources represen- fi c, he added, is accelerating the couple of hundred-thousand dol- Richards Road, which is fre- tative regarding the City’s drain- road’s deterioration. Baker said lars is not going to take care of quently used as a thoroughfare age issues along the road. he is especially concerned by the it. To fi x that road and get some from Old Tennessee Road to “In her opinion, we have a amount of water seeping under- shoulders that could support the U.S. 411. traffi c issue instead of a water neath the road. road, I don’t think there’s enough The problem, City offi cials issue,” Deal stated. “She told “On the east side, across the right-of-way over there to do JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS say, is the railroad crossing along me to start calling the [Depart- road over by the basketball court, that.” The White City Council voted unanimously Monday to shut Wolfpen Branch. ment of Transportation]; there’s the pavement is holding the road down Richards Road until a plan can be determined to address “The road does not have shoul- about four or fi ve different agen- up,” he said. “Kudzu is basically SEE WHITE, PAGE 5A numerous infrastructural issues. Pine snakes OFF TO THE RACES take center stage at WMS 8th- grader racing Pettit to BMX world Preserve championships April 13 BY MARIE NESMITH in Belgium [email protected] BY DONNA HARRIS [email protected] While the full scope of the pine snake’s existence in north Georgia BMX racer Spencer Fleming has a still is a mystery, the reptile will chance to be a world champion. slither out into the limelight April The Woodland Middle School 13 at the Pettit Environmental Pre- eighth-grader has earned the opportuni- serve. Ongoing from 10 a.m. to 5 ty to represent the United States in the p.m., the venue’s Georgia Pine UCI BMX World Championships July Snake Program & Hike will fea- 23-27 in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, af- ture presentations by Project Pine ter winning a series of races at the Gator Snake co-founder Bryan Hudson at National World Qualifi er Feb. 22-24 in 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Oldsmar, Florida. “This program idea came from “It’s really cool to be going,” he said, our educator, Erin Zaballa, since noting this will be his fi rst time compet- she was aware of the Georgia Pine ing at worlds. “It’s an honor to represent Snake Project through her work the USA.” with the Georgia Reptile Society,” During the Florida qualifi er, which said Marina Robertson, executive was part of a larger national racing SPECIAL director for the Pettit Preserve. event, Spencer, 13, said he competed for Woodland Middle School eighth-grader Spencer Fleming, in the blue helmet, awaits the start of a race in McDonough. “Once I spoke with Bryan, I knew a spot on Team USA on Friday then par- we needed to have him out to ticipated in the regular national series needs to raise a lot of money for Spencer Georgia, he is No. 1 in all age groups of next few weeks, I’m headed to Texas, the preserve for a program. Like on Saturday and Sunday. to be able to compete in Belgium. boys/men on his 20-inch bike and No. Las Vegas, Nashville, Utah, and there many of our presenters, he is very “There are only 16 kids in each class “As with most sports, we pay for a ma- 12 on his 24-inch bike; No. 1 in the state is a national at Cobb County BMX in passionate about his topic and his that qualify to go to worlds,” he said. jority of his racing so we hope we are on both bikes in the 13 expert boy cate- Powder Springs at the end of April. I knowledge about pine snakes is a “Class is age and type of bike — 20 inch able to give him this opportunity that he gory; and No. 3 in the Southeast on his probably won’t go to Canada until after valuable resource. or 24 inch. I qualifi ed for both bikes. If has worked so hard for,” he said. “Al- 24-inch bike in the Gold Cup series. worlds.” “Plus I was also interested in the you were in the Top 8 at worlds last year, though he does have sponsors, they are He also is waiting for the national age To be at his best, the young BMX star citizen science aspect of his pro- you also get to be a part of Team USA.” mostly for parts and related to the ac- group rankings to be posted. follows a rigorous training and exercise gram, which encourages lay per- He added there were only two world tual bicycle. Nothing for entry fees and “Nothing about BMX rankings are program and a strict diet. sons to learn to identify pine snakes qualifi ers in the country — the Florida travel.” easy to understand,” he said. “I practice at the track in Powder and document sightings. Even site and the Spring Nationals in Albu- The family is seeking sponsors to Spencer, who belongs to the SSquared Springs twice a week, but I train every more intriguing, when I asked if querque, New Mexico, in March. help with those two costs, which will to- Southeast team, travels across the coun- day except Thursday or Friday, depend- pine snakes were endangered, the His parents, Todd and Belinda Flem- tal around $10,000, Fleming said. try and into Canada every year to com- ing on if there is a national that week,” response was that we simply don’t ing of Taylorsville, couldn’t be prouder Anyone who is interested in helping pete in races. he said, noting those races determine know enough about their range and of his performance at the competition. should contact him at 678-956-9658 or “Every weekend, there is a nation- how riders are ranked in the country. numbers to begin to address that “We are thrilled that Spencer’s hard todd_fl [email protected]. al race,” he said. “We are on the road Spencer said he also does drills at question. So his program is a great work and dedication have paid off,” his Spencer’s current rankings show why two to three weekends a month. This home and uses a Pro Gate to practice his opportunity to educate the public dad said. “We are excited to go to the he’s good enough to earn a spot on Team year, I’ve raced in Kentucky, Louisiana, starts. and enlist their help.” world championships with him.” USA. North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida and But Todd Fleming said their family In the district, which covers all of several different places in Georgia. The SEE BMX, PAGE 5A SEE PETTIT, PAGE 5A LEVELING OUT AUTISM AWARENESS DAY RANDY PARKER/DTN Water levels in Lake Allatoona have returned to normal after last month’s heavy rains submerged boat ramps, picnic pavillions and shoreline fi shing areas like the one seen here off of Highway 293 in SPECIAL south Bartow Cartersville Mayor Matt Santini, center, and Commissioner Steve Taylor, right, sign a Procla- County. mation declaring April 2, 2019, as “Autism Awareness Day” within Autism Awareness Month as families touched by autism look on at the Frank Moore Administration and Judicial Building in Cartersville Tuesday. They are, from left, Amy Black, Mason Allen, Kara Allen, Matthew Allen, Gabriel Moreland, Aidan Moreland and Sandi Marcus. 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