Staff Reports

The city's 16th annual MadisonFest – a gardening, arts and crafts, and music festival – is set for this Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Town Park.
Numerous handmade craft and food vendors, including a beer garden, will be located in booths in the park.
There is no charge to attend.
Drop-in lectures and demonstrations include: at 11 a.m., Dr. Allan Armitage, Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, will present "Let's Get Kids (and Grandkids) in the Garden;" at 12 p.m., Mimi Maumus, the chef and owner of Athens-based home.made catering, will present "Inventive Ways to use Pickles;" at 12:30 p.m., Jeff Johnson, Madisonian and Master Composter, will present "Composting: Make your own Superdirt!"; and at 1 p.m., of Creative Containers and Citizen columnist, will present "Creating beautiful and successful containers for your garden."
As far as live music, the Morgan County High School Jazz Combo performs at 10 a.m., the Laura Monk Duo at 11 a.m., Nathan Sheppard at 12:30 p.m. and Johnny Roquemore and the Apostles of Bluegrass at 2 p.m.
Sponsors for this year's festival include: Big Green Egg, the Morgan County Citizen, Natural Gas, Dock 103.9 WDDK FM and Solar Sun World. Festival partner is the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.

Printed in the April 25, 2013 edition

By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage, held April 18 through 22 this year, was created five years ago in hopes it would bring more business and more overnight stays to the seven communities it links, according to Madison Conventions & Visitors Bureau Director Ellen Ianelli.
The pilgrimage website describes the event as “a 100-mile trek through seven communities that escaped (Civil War Union General William Tecumseh) Sherman’s burning march through Georgia.”
Those seven communities, from north to south, include Athens, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Jones County, and Macon.
In Madison visitors on the pilgrimage could take in Heritage Hall, the Rogers House, Rose Cottage, and Hilltop.
Ianelli said that when the pilgrimage was created it was with the understanding that it would be reassessed after five years, which happens this year.
“There have been no high ticket sales,” she said, adding that the communities may instead offer a tourism pass for discounted admission to places on the trial valid year round.

Printed in the April 25, 2013 edition

By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The 77th Annual Masters not only brought golfers and visitors from around the world to Augusta, it also brought them to Morgan County. Many hotels and restaurants in the county benefitted from these visitors last week.
Robin Shuman, the general manager at Comfort Inn, said they “absolutely” saw a difference.

“They were very wonderful people who filled us up every day, Sunday through Sunday,” she said. “We were close to sold out every night.”
Another hotel that did well: Hampton Inn Madison. Liz Stiles, who works the front desk there, said, “We sold out all week long.”

Business also was good at the James Madison Inn, according to Jake Grant, general manager.
“There’s very much of an impact,” he said. “It’s one of our top-grossing weeks of the year. From the hotel perspective, it’s great.”
It’s also great from the restaurant perspective.
Lauren Caldwell, a server at Amici Italian Cafe, said, “It was definitely a good week. We’re still feeling the impact on Monday.”

As for previous years, Caldwell said the Masters “always has helped our numbers.”
Vicki Bryan, a server and barista at Perk Avenue Cafe, agreed.
“We have had a lot of Masters traffic,” she said, adding that they even had some on Monday. “We had a pretty good bit of traffic this past week.”

Rutledge merchants also felt an impact. Ed Hogan, owner of The Caboose in Rutledge, said they always see an impact during that week.
“The Caboose always does; it’s the start of our season,” he said. He added that a lot of golfers stayed and played at Hard Labor Creek State Park, “We got them every day. It was great.” 
Not all businesses felt the benefit, though.

By Kathryn Schiliro
Managing Editor

In an effort to conserve funds, about 25 school system vacant positions won't be filled for the 2013-2014 school year.
The vacancy of these positions, which will be open at the end of this school year, is due to retirement or resignation, Superintendent Dr. Ralph Bennett told the school board at their meeting Monday, April 8.
Class sizes are expected to grow to about 25-30 students, according to Bennett.
"It looks like most schools are biting the bullet," Bennett said.
The system has saved funds over the past few years by not filling about 60-70 positions when teachers retired or resigned.

Printed in the April 18, 2013 edition.

By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

For the January through March 2013 time period the Morgan County Recreation Department (MCRD) took in a net income of $85,260.60, according to MCRD Director Lance Alexander.
Alexander shared this information during the quarterly meeting of the MCRD in April.
During that same meeting the board approved an increase in sport and program fees.
“It’s not a big, significant jump,” he said, noting that the increase may add as much as $7,500 in sport fees alone to the department’s income. “Others around us get 70, 80, 90, or 100 for the same type of service. A $10 increase is not a big issue.”

As for participation numbers, MCRD had 6,309 participants during the same time period. That number includes participants in baseball, softball, spring soccer, Valentine’s Dance, adult and youth tennis, an Easter egg hunt, and the recent Bicycle Ride Across Georgia event.
These numbers may increase if MCRD and the Madison Area Youth Soccer Association (MAYSA) can reach an agreement.

Alexander said he planned to meet with MAYSA representatives to discuss fees and what MAYSA will offer MCRD in exchange for a place to play and practice.
He estimated that MAYSA had about 125 participants last fall while MCRD had about 300.
“They’ve really been working good with me,” he said. “It’s been a good deal so far.”
Prior to the close of the meeting Alexander shared estimates for updating various aspects of MCRD.

Updates include $24,000 for resurfacing eight tennis courts, $168,000 for a track surface, $35,000 for track field renovation, and $25,000 for soccer field renovation.
He noted that MCRD uses the track and field about once a year while the high school uses it for soccer and band practice.

By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

During an April meeting members of the Joint Development Authority (JDA) of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton counties heard a couple of updates regarding two projects at Stanton Springs.

Paul Michael, vice president of TPA Realty Services, JDA’s partner in Stanton Springs, said that infrastructure is on schedule as far as the gas, water and sewer.
“It’s moving along quickly,” he said. “We’re pleased with that.”
They are working with Georgia Power to get a substation, he said: “We’ve pledged to work with them as quickly as possible.”

He added that Baxter International has erected a concrete plant: they have started foundations and the first wall.

Also, he said that Baxter has 24/7 security.

“Things have quieted down,” he said, adding that construction activity has discouraged foot traffic.

In other news, the JDA agreed to remove 6.7 acres for the state’s training center from the 1,600-acre site’s protective covenants.
Michael explained that the state’s attorney cannot take title to the property with the covenants in place.

“We have dealt with this issue in other projects,” he said, adding that Baxter understands and supports TPA in this request.

Printed in the April 18, 2013 edition.