Tallulah Falls Marketing Plan Presented

The Northeast Georgian
75 cents
MAY 3, 2013
Weekend
‘Face of secondary education’ to change next year
By KIMBERLY BROWN
Because
of
Georgia
House Bill 131, Georgia Senate Bill 289, some changes
in state Department of
Education rules and new
accountability, “the face
of secondary education in
Habersham County” is being redesigned.
During a called Habersham County Board of
Education meeting April
30, Pam Dalton, director of
secondary curriculum in
the county, described the
changes to the board.
Possibly the biggest
change is a requirement
for school systems to offer
virtual learning opportu-
nities, mandated by SB289,
which is also known as the
“virtual learning bill.”
Dalton said under that
bill,
students
entering
ninth grade in 2014-15 must
complete at least one course
via Georgia Virtual School,
an online dual enrollment
course offered by a postsecondary institution or by a
private provider.
SB289 also requires local districts to maximize
the number of students using online end-of-course
tests (EOCTs).
Local school systems
may not prohibit any student from taking a course
through Georgia Virtual
School regardless of wheth-
er the school in which the
student is enrolled offers
the same course.
“We’re being charged as
a district to maximize our
online testing opportunities,” Dalton said. “That’s
why your commitment to
support the computer lab
purchases is critical because it will also be a piece
of SB289.”
“We have to change our
way of thinking about the
courses we’re offering our
students,” School Superintendent Matthew Cooper
said. “We have to get creative to comply with some
of this new legislation. I
See Education, Page 2A
Habersham’s
MOST WANTED
D
E
R
U
T
The Habersham County Sheriff ’s Office is seeking to
locate the following individual. Those with information
on his whereabouts are asked to call 706-839-1724.
P
A
C
James Len Ramey
41 years of age
Caucasian male, brown hair, brown
eyes, 6’1”, 210 pounds
Last known location: Iron Ore Road
at state Route 365, Demorest
Last seen: April 18, 2013
Ramey apprehended
in Lumpkin County
Capture ends four-month pursuit of most wanted
KIMBERLY BROWN/Staff
A group of National Day of Prayer Breakfast attendees gather to pray. The breakfast was held Thursday at Habersham
Electric Membership Corp. community room with guest speaker, the Rev. Shane Satterfield, southeast region vice president
of Marketplace Chaplains. Shown, facing inward from left, are Cliff Brown, Blake Foster and Mike Franklin.
National Day of Prayer observed locally
Day of Prayer Breakfast
held May 2 at Habersham Electric Membership
Corp. community room.
Satterfield has been in
the ministry for 21 years,
with 15 years as a Baptist
minister and six years
as Southeast Region vice
By KIMBERLY BROWN
How do you pray?
Praying the promises
of God is a way to revolutionize your prayer life,
the Rev. Shane Satterfield
told a group of about 100
attendees at the National
president of Marketplace
Chaplains, supervising
more than 500 chaplains.
Satterfield said there
is only “one truth” for
believers. “The idea that
somebody can represent
truth to you, and you
disagree with it, is what
freedoms are about. But
it doesn’t make the truth
any less truth. Whether
you believe in God or not,
it doesn’t make him not
God.”
Saying there’s “too
See Prayer, Page 3A
By CHRISTINA SANTEE
The search for Habersham County’s most wanted
man ended Tuesday.
James Len Ramey, 41,
of Clarkesville, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals
Service Northern District
personnel at approximately
3 p.m., April 30, in Lumpkin
County, according to Habersham County Sheriff Joey
Terrell.
“I think the Lumpkin
County Sheriff [Department] was involved, but the
U.S. Marshals [Service] was
[the agency] after him,” he
said April 30.
Authorities had been
hot on Ramey’s trail since
January, when he allegedly
tried to hit two Habersham
County Sheriff’s Office
deputies while fleeing from
a Demorest residence in a
stolen truck.
In Habersham County,
Ramey currently faces
charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault
on police officer, theft by
receiving stolen property,
reckless driving, fleeing
or attempting to elude police officer, obstructing or
hindering law enforcement
See Ramey, Page 2A
Archway executive committee
hears Tallulah Falls marketing plan
Feasibility study of Rails to Trails to be conducted
By DONALD FRASER
E. LANE GRESHAM/Staff
Dispatchers with Habersham County E-911/EMS keep a log of livestock owners in case of
escape. When cows or other livestock are reported “at large,” dispatchers attempt to contact
owners for retrieval. Shown, a pair of Hereford cows located in Batesville ponder the camera.
E-911 dispatchers ready in case of
‘The Great Escape,’ bovine-style
By DONALD FRASER
It’s a cow book, and
that’s no bull.
Habersham E-911/EMS
dispatch maintains a log
book of owners of cows
Volume 121, No. 92
“and all kinds of animals,”
said Melanie Ballanger, assistant director of Habersham Emergency Management Agency/E-911, on
April 29.
“A livestock book is
Contact us
706-778-4215
Fax
706-778-4114
thenortheastgeorgian.com
Two sections, 20 pages
PHONE
FAX
more like it,” said Lynn
Smith EMA/E-911 director
on April 30.
The book lists livestock
owners, Ballanger said.
See Cow, Page 3A
INDEX
DEATHS, 8A
•Arnold F. Burton, 67
•Dr. Rodrigo Jurado
Habersham Archway Partnership
has been loaded up with projects, but
the executive committee now has several tangible results.
Two University of Georgia graduate
students in the Terry College of Business unfolded a town of Tallulah Falls
marketing plan May 1 for Habersham
Archway Partnership’s executive committee.
“We’re really excited about this
project,” said Michael Kolzet, of the
Tallulah Falls marketing plan he and
fellow graduate student Kevin Trexler
developed. The two were impressed
with the number of “assets we can leverage,” Kolzet said, for improving
the town’s business and commercial
future.
The students, with plan in hand,
told Partnership executive committee members they would present plan
highlights, which included four steps
to revitalization.
Step 1 is downtown improvements,
including refurbishing old buildings,
offering retail stores and restaurants
incentives to move into the area and
creating a main street with a coffee
shop, art gallery or similar business
which “encourages socializing.”
•Lurlene W. Payne, 85
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coME visit our sHowrooM
The “use of the Tallulah Falls Overlook” is one of our marketing advantages, Kolzet said, and it is “the hook”
to get travelers to stopping and visiting.
Creating a community foundation
is Step 2 and the collective funding
would be used to help further arts and
business projects. The foundation also
provides a vehicle for community buy
in and an opportunity to voice their vision of the town’s future, Kolzet said.
Marketing the town is imperative
for both existing business and to attract new business, according to Kolzet. He noted the town’s website is out
of date and there is much inaccurate
information. The Internet plays significantly into tourist planning.
“You’ve got to stay up-to-date with
that information,” Kolzet said.
The biggest problem [facing Tallulah Falls] is lack of awareness” the
town exists, Kolzet said. A marketing
campaign and signage are a necessary
Step 3. “Signage is important,” he said,
especially an electronic sign with messaging “that talks about what is going
on.”
It is important “to get people to stop
[at Tallulah Falls], even if it’s just for a
few hours,” Kolzet said.
See Archway, Page 9A
The Northeast Georgian
Friday, May 3, 2013
9A
Demorest ponders contractor-based planning
Building code enforcement, code violation investigation part of package
By DONALD FRASER
The city of Demorest
is discussing contracting with Suwanee-based
McFarland-Dyer Associates for construction site
plan review, development,
building construction inspections,
engineering
services and code enforcement within the city.
The services would be
on an as-needed basis.
The
discussion
occurred during council’s
April 30 regularly scheduled work session held
prior to its first Tuesday
monthly meeting.
Council also discussed
pending changes to city
ordinances pertaining to
fees for services which
could be provided by McFarland-Dyer in the future.
“We would manage that
process,” said Guy Herring, director of planning
for McFarland-Dyer, of the
site planning, permitting
and building inspection,
including “contact with
necessary state agencies.
Fees paid would have 90
percent going to the company and 10 percent going
to Demorest, Herring said.
“It’s like a pay through.
The client is paying for the
services.”
Having the private
company manage the process means it would take
on liability.
“This would take the
liability off the city,” said
Councilman Jerry Harkness.
But
final
decisions
would remain the city’s
responsibility,
Herring
said. “We’re certainly not
going to make decisions,”
but will advise the city.
Handling city code
violations “would be complaint based,” Herring
said, with the company
investigating and making
an enforcement recommendation and the city police department handling
enforcement.
In other business, council:
• Heard a resolution to
appoint Jack Fulbright to
the Demorest Downtown
Development
Authority
will be voted upon at the
Tuesday meeting;
• Heard from Ben Turnipseed, with the city’s
Atlanta-based water and
wastewater engineering
firm, bids for construction
of a new wastewater treatment plant will be opened
May 7.
Turnipseed
reported
the city’s water meter replacement project is 90
percent complete and a
waterline
replacement
project is 10 percent completed.
The almost-$1.4-million
water system pipeline replacement project includes
water line replacement
in the Soque Trail, Soque
Ridge and Pea Ridge areas. Work includes replacing approximately 18,000
feet of eight-inch pipe
and another 20,000 feet of
six-inch line. Another approximately 12,000 feet of
six- and four-inch water
system distribution line
is included in the project,
along with various service
connections, fire hydrants
and valves.
The water meter project
replaces old meters with
radio-read meters at a cost
of approximately $1.2 million.
Worldwide free comic book days comes to Clarkesville
The Art-Full Barn in
Clarkesville is one of thousands of comic book shops
around the world celebrating the comic book art
form on Saturday, May
4. On Free Comic Book
Day, more than 3.3 million comic books will be
given away by participating stores, introducing as
many people as possible
to the wonders of comic
books.
“The wide array of
comic books being published today ensures that
readers of all ages — children, teens, and adults –
can find something appro-
priate that will stir their
imaginations,” said Gail
Kimsey of The Art-Full
Barn.
Celebrating its 12th
year, Free Comic Book
Day has proven to be a
smashing success, spreading the word that comics
are terrific reading.
“Even if you have never
picked up a comic book,
stop into The Art-Full
Barn, because you never
know what you will end
up finding,” Kimsey said.
“We at The Art-Full Barn
want to spread the word
comics are perfect for today’s times. Comic books
and graphic novels are
considered hip, hot and
smart, and we have more
than 1,000 of them to give
away on May 4.”
Kimsey said comic
books have propelled to
the front ranks of pop
culture, with many being
adapted into movies.
“The first weekend of
May has been and will
continue being a big day
in the comic book world,”
she said. “This is our first
year participating in the
event and we want it to be
a fun day for everyone, so
anyone who comes into
the store will get a free
comic book. Anyone coming in wearing a comic
book-related shirt would
get two free comic books.
And anyone who shows
up in full costume will get
three.”
Regular updates, information about comic books
and a list of participating
publishers and their free
comics are all online at
FreeComicBookDay.com.
Free
Comic
Book
Day kicks off at 10 a.m.
and runs until 5 p.m. at
The Art-Full Barn, 107
LaPrade St., Clarkesville.
Call 706-754-1247 for more
information.
Hayes Chevrolet to remodel Baldwin facility
Hayes Chevrolet dealership is undergoing a major overhaul this spring.
In an effort to satisfy
General Motors Co. standards, Hayes Chevrolet
began renovating its facility Monday, April 29, according to Terry Hayes,
partner of Hayes Chevrolet, located at 3656 state
Route 365 in Baldwin.
“We’re updating the
building, the outside …
the showroom and also
the service area and the
customer lounge,” he said
May 1. “[GM] has certain
standards and is trying
to get every dealership to
look similar.”
Hayes said since the facility had not been updat-
freshing,”
he
said, adding the
Chrysler Dodge
Jeep Ram store
adjacent to the
Chevy dealership
had
undergone
renovations
in
early 2012. “[But]
this is a lot more
of a major overhaul than the
Chrysler store.”
Hayes said he
anticipates
the
construction will
last approximately 90 days.
CHRISTINA SANTEE/Staff
Chevrolet will
The Hayes Chevrolet dealership in Baldwin receives updates to its
maintain regular
business hours
service parts facility.
throughout the
ed since its establishment “facelift.”
course of renovain 2005, it was time for a
“It needed a little re- tion, he added.
Archway
Revitalization, Step 4,
is key to the future of Tallulah Falls and includes
lodging, such as a bed-andbreakfast, and perhaps a
restaurant, preferably a
coffee house. Emphasis
also needs to be on events.
“You’re not capitalizing on them,” Kolzet
said. “These events could
be bigger and better,” he
said, of whitewater kayaking and aesthetic water
releases.
“There is no [working]
relationship between the
[Tallulah Gorge State]
park and the town,” Kolzet said. No referrals are
made to town businesses
because park employees
don’t even know businesses’ operating hours. “You
need a liaison between the
two,” he said.
An important point to
Tallulah Falls’ future is
“who is going to take leadership and ownership of
this?” Kolzet said. “The
only way you can do this
is by getting the communities together,” including residents, businesses,
Tallulah Falls School
and Tallulah Gorge State
Park.”
“The sheer speed of
traffic,” said Mike Mixon, Habersham Archway
Partnership chair, makes
it difficult to pull tourists
from the highway into
town.
10th District Rep. Terry
Rogers noted similarities
between Tallulah Falls
and the Sautee Nacoochee
area in White County. Sautee has developed a community center and a busy
commercial area, which
From Page 1A
draws tourists away from
nearby Helen. “There are
some tremendous parallels,” Rogers noted.
“Once people learn of
the opportunities” for activities in Tallulah Falls,
“things will happen,” said
Larry Peevy, Tallulah
Falls School president,
and a Partnership executive committee member.
“People aren’t looking for
Tallulah Falls. They’re
looking for the [Tallulah
Gorge State] park or for
recreation.”
“I think it’s an outstanding plan,” said Gail
Thaxton, North Georgia
Technical College president, and a Partnership
executive
committee
member. “There are some
things expensive [to accomplish] and there are
some things that could
start tomorrow” [with
less cost], she said.
In other business, the
committee:
• Approved organizing
a work group to conduct a
feasibility study of a Rails
to Trails project using
the former Tallulah Falls
Railroad rail bed.
Mixon
polled
each
member of the committee
to allow comment, which
was generally positive.
“I think it’s a great
idea,” said Natalie Crawford, District 4 County
Commissioner.
“I think it’s important
we pursue it,” said Wade
Rhodes, with the Habersham Chamber of Commerce board. “We need to
do it while we’re hooked
up with Archway.”
Committee
members
had no problems leavening their positive comments
with
practical
concerns for costs, maintenance issues and related
matters.
A
feasibility
study
could address “how is it
going to be maintained?”
said Mt. Airy Mayor Gary
Morris. In terms of trail
development “you might
be talking Cadillac and
I’m talking Chevrolet.”
“A 150-page rails to
trails [draft] plan” has
already been produced by
the Georgia Mountain Regional Commission,” said
Mixon. “There’s a lot of
information in it.”
“The only way we’re
really going to know [if
a Rails to Trails project
is feasible] is if we have
a work group and have a
study done,” Mixon said.
He also noted “asking
hard questions doesn’t
mean you don’t support
it.” By asking hard questions, “I like to think it’s
been thought through
very well,” Mixon said.
Four other graduate
students,
from
UGA’s
School of Environment
and Design, presented a
Master Plan Vision for
the Habersham County
Airport Industrial Park.
[The Archway Partnership students were scheduled to present the plan
to the Habersham County
Industrial Development
Authority at its May 3
regular monthly meeting.
Because the meeting fell
after The Northeast Georgian’s press deadline, the
story will be in the May 8
issue of the newspaper.]
CONGRATULATIONS
Class of 2013
By CHRISTINA SANTEE
SUBMITTED
Co-founders and Clarkesville natives Britney Vickery, left,
and Ivy Hall, with the signed Starter Kit Box for the 10,000th
consultant.
Initials Inc. Signs
10,000th Consultant
On the evening of April
29, an exciting email was
circulated to Initials Inc.
Home Office staffers from
co-founders Britney Vickery and Ivy Hall.
It simply read, “We did
it! 10,000th Creative Partner
(consultant) signed!”
For weeks the company
has been projecting when
the 10,000th Creative Partner would start a business
with the company.
“Achieving this milestone is the beginning of
so much for us all,” Vickery said. “Living our core
belief of ‘There’s only one
you’ means this number
represents the thousands
of lives we have the honor
and privilege to be a part of
everyday. And more so, that
we are just getting started
on this amazing journey.”
So what does this mean
for the Clarkesville-based
Initials Inc.?
“When you look at companies in our industry [direct sales such as Mary Kay
and Pampered Chef] with
substantial growth, one of
the milestone benchmarks
that they talk about is hitting 10,000 consultants,”
Hall said. “With this number, momentum escalates
for even faster growth; positioning the company to
offer better tools, improved
processes and create more
opportunities for women
and families across the
country.”
To announce the accomplishment, Vickery and Hall
shared the news with more
than 40,000 of their friends
on the Initials Inc. corporate Facebook page through
a video announcement.
“When you have something big to share you want
to tell your friends, right?
We thought we’d share it
with over 40,000 of ours,”
Vickery said.
Initials Inc. was launched
in 2005 by sisters Vickery
and Hall. Initials Inc. is a
fashion handbag and home
organization company that
offers products through inhome parties.
Locally, Initials Inc. employs more than 48 residents
from Habersham County
and the surrounding area.
For more information on
Initials Inc., visit Initialsinc.com.
– Staff reports
BOE to hold meeting for DOE planning
The Habersham County of Board of Education invites parents,
guardians and community members to provide input for the
Consolidated Local Education Improvement Plan, as required by
the U.S. Department of Education.
A meeting is set for 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, in the Media
Center at Demorest Elementary School, 3116 Demorest- Mt. Airy
Highway, Demorest.
System directors for Special Education; Title I, Part A Academic Achievement; Title I, Part C Migrant Education; Title II, Teacher
Quality; Title III, Immigrant; and Title III, Language English Proficiency will be present.
For more information, call Rhonda Andrews, 706-754-2110,
ext. 104.
The Northeast Georgian
Honors All Habersham County Graduates...
Class of 2013
This year’s special graduation publication will include:
• Graduate Photos
• Honor Photos
• Senior Superlatives
We will have seniors from three schools
A keepsake for students and families
Publication date: Wednesday, May 29
Deadline date: Friday, May 10
Contact Your Advertising
Representative Today!
Linda Carder .................. lcarder@@thenortheastgeorgian.com
Bernie Mastracchio ..... [email protected]
Melanie Peek .................... [email protected]
(706) 778-4215
2013-G