"James Ergas, a supervisor-inspector with the marshal's office, said a deputy marshal tried to take Reuben Odell Levy [pictured, pic added May 2, 2008], 35, of South Carolina into custody outside a Rite Aid drug store at Athens Highway and Rosebud Road. Richard Mecum, the U.S. marshal for the Atlanta office, identified the officer as Jeremy Smith. Mecum said Levy got into a vehicle and drove away, but Smith reached into the car and tried to grab the keys. The marshal was dragged a short distance and shot Levy, Ergas said. Levy drove to the Hawthorn Glen subdivision about a half-mile away and abandoned the vehicle, Mecum said."
More on the fugitive capture that happened earlier today. More details have come to light. The manhunt started at the Rite-Aid Pharmacy at the corner of US78 and Rosebud Road.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
U.S. Marshal Dragged By Car
Six Flags Over Georgia Lowers Ticket Prices
"Six Flags Over Georgia announced Tuesday it is cutting the price for a regular adult admission ticket by $10, from $49.99 to $39.99. The price reduction is for the rest of the 2008 season."
Source: AJC
Right now, Six Flags is only open on weekends, but it will be open through the week starting May 23rd through August 10, 2008
Use this link to order your 6 Flags season passes online and you can even print them at home! Unlimited rides.
Fugitive Captured
If you saw any of the emergency vehicles or saw and heard all the helicopters overhead in Snellville this afternoon, here is what was going on...
"SNELLVILLE, Ga. -- An armed robbery suspect who led
United States Marshals and Gwinnett Sheriff's deputies
on a car and foot chase Wednesday has been captured in
the back yard of a home near Snellville.
The man could be seen sprawled face down on the ground
and appeared to be wounded in the arm.
Law enforcement officials established a perimeter along
Athens Highway [Hwy 78] near Cooper Road near Snellville to
search for the suspect after he escaped the custody
of an officer during a traffic stop."
Full Story on 11ALIVE's Website
UPDATE: 11Alive 2:10 pm - this includes photo.
The Mystery 30K+ Check...Oberholtzer blames Brooks
"During Monday's city council meeting, which stretched out until 11 p.m., When three city council members tried to ask follow-up questions, "...the $30,000 was discussed and discussed to appropriate it. The council never passed that amount and it is clear by that fact that the line item for this had to be amended so enough money was allocated for this non-budgeted expense. The line item was GMA dues and there was never enough money allocated in that line item to cover this $30,000" " It was also mentioned at the April 14 Council meeting by Kelly Kautz that at one of the next meetings information will be given regarding a PAYMENT of $30 thousand dollars that Jerry Oberholtzer had Sharon Lowry (Snellville employee) write with the knowledge of only Council Woman Barbara Bender, behind the back of former City Interim manager Jim Brooks after the council voted down the participation for this cause. We are in the process of obtaining more information on this action as the City of Snellville certainly doesn't have the resources to give a $30,000.00 check to anyone, especially when the council denied the request. This check was given to a Gwinnett County organization and the council stated that NO OTHER MUNICIPALITY in the county would be giving anywhere close to $30K." I did finally find out from the AJC article what the money would be used for when given to the Municipal Association. "The money Snellville gave to the Gwinnett Municipal Association was to help hire an executive director, who is still not in place." I'm sorry, let me tell you, if you gave me 30 thousand dollars to headhunt for you, I would find you someone suitable. C'mon.
Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer read a statement saying he hadn't authorized
the check and blamed former interim City Manager Jim Brooks.
Oberholtzer quickly cut them off, saying the matter was not open for discussion."
Now, some information that was emailed to me by residents of Snellville who wish to remain anonymous....I'm not a big fan of anonymous stuff - because I think if someone has something to say, they should be able to put their name behind it...but it is also a sign of the state of the City of Snellville right now that people want to get information out, but they are afraid of having problems. So I understand.
Here are some bits of what was emailed to me. They are from different people.
Snellville News Updates
Councilwoman calls for investigation to clear up confusion
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By BETH WARREN Snellville Councilwoman Kelly Kautz has publicly called for an investigation into an unauthorized $31000-plus check written without the city ...
Tax Commissioner Katherine Sherrington holds annual Leadership ...
Duluth Weekly - Duluth,GA,USA
The conference opened with a welcome from Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholzer and featured keynote speaker state Rep. Brooks Coleman (District 97, Duluth), ...
Evangelist Brian Fossett to be VP nominee
Town Hall - Washington,DC,USA
Rusty Newman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Snellville, said he will nominate Fossett for the post during the SBC's June 10-11 meeting in Indianapolis. ...
New football coach at Carver
Winston-Salem Journal - Winston-Salem,NC,USA
... will replace Keith Wilkes, the head coach since 1992 who resigned last month to become the head coach at Shiloh High in Snellville, Ga. ...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Gwinnett County News Updates
'Life improvement' coach faces dozens more sex charges
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ He billed himself as "life improvement"
coach and was charged earlier this month with rape and child
molestation on Gwinnett County. ...
Gwinnett police looking for new recruits
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
The Gwinnett County Police Department is hosting a job fair from 9 am to 6 pm Saturday at its training facility at 854 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. ...
Do you stop for snapping turtles?
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
My husband was following in our car so we could return to
Gwinnett County Sunday night. Just over a rise in the road
near Harpersville, Ala., I saw a turtle ...
What's on this page →
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Who is the most recent Gwinnett County player drafted
in the first round? 5. Who is the most recent DeKalb County
player drafted in the first round? 6. ...
A very thin blue line in Gwinnett schools
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
These are the kinds of incidents that stretch the officers
hired by the Gwinnett County Public Schools. School Resource
officer, Tony Lockard (left) talks ...
Gwinnett E85 pump popular with flex-fuel crowd
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Gwinnett County closed bidding on a proposed fuel
contract for 1.6 million gallons of E10 and E85 ethanol blends
Thursday. The county hasn't committed to ...
Promises "Real Change" for Gwinnett
Gwinnett Gazette - Lawrenceville,GA,USA
Bruce LeVell, small business owner and community leader,
qualified today as a Republican candidate for the Gwinnett
County Board of Commissioners District 1 ...
GMC and St. Joe's create Gwinnett Cardiovascular Services
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Gwinnett County is the largest county in the nation without
an open heart surgery program within its boundaries.
A decision from Georgia Department of ...
Off-duty police officer injured in wreck
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By MIKE MORRIS An off-duty DeKalb County police
officer was seriously injured early Monday when his pickup truck
wrecked on a wet Gwinnett County interstate ...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Gwinnett News Updates
Ga. Democrats line up to run
Fort Mills Times - Fort Mill,SC,USA
John Linder in a conservative Gwinnett County district and said he's hoping to capitalize on a general sense of discontent among voters that government ...
Water park proposed
Rome News-Tribune - Rome,GA,USA
LAWRENCEVILLE - A new water park proposed in the city of Buford will make a splash in Gwinnett County, its developer said. Chad Lagomarsino said studies ...
McDonald Will Run For Old Seat On PSC
Insider Advantage Georgia - Atlanta,GA,USA
Candidates for Spier's seat must come from district that reaches from the north corner of the state down into Gwinnett County.
WXIA-TV - Atlanta,GA,USA
In Gwinnett County firefighters were busy rushing to multiple scenes, putting out fires believed to be started by lightning as well. ...
Friday, April 25, 2008
Gwinnett News Updates
Gwinnett police: Five teens connected to county's graffiti problem
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By ANDRIA SIMMONS Gwinnett County police say five teenagers arrested this month are believed responsible for recurring graffiti in Gwinnett. ...
Gwinnett Chamber announces Korean trade partnership
GwinnettHerald.com - GA,USA
by Scott Sowers DULUTH – Gwinnett County, long known for having one of the largest Korean communities in metro Atlanta and the country, is looking to forge ...
What would you put in the budget?
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Gwinnett County put off hiring additional school police officers. Everyone has ideas on how to divvy up the pot of money. Teachers want their step salary ...
Professor arrested for having child porn on school laptop
Access North Georgia - Gainesville,GA,USA
(AP) A professor at a medical college in Gwinnett County has been arrested for downloading child pornography onto a school laptop. Peter Alan Rogers, 59, ...
Police: Gwinnett Professor Had Child Porn On Laptop
CBS 46 - Atlanta,GA,USA
A professor at a medical college in Gwinnett County was arrested earlier this week for downloading child pornography onto a school laptop. ...
Gwinnett government Open House, com see how we work for you
Duluth Weekly - Duluth,GA,USA
To find out, come to the 8th annual Gwinnett County Open House this Saturday, April 26 from 11 am until 2 pm This event is a local celebration of National ...
Alert system expanded to off-site campuses
Online Athens - Athens,GA,USA
... of severe weather and other imminent or continuing threats now includes students and workers at UGA-run programs in Griffin, Tifton and Gwinnett County. ...
Express Yourself! Forums
Gwinnett Gazette - Lawrenceville,GA,USA
What happens if Uline leaves Gwinnett County before the 10 years are up? Do contractual conditions exist that enable the County to recover any ...
Dept. of Commerce: Fulton County has highest per capita income in Ga.
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
DeKalb County had a PCPI of $35902, putting it ninth in the state in 2006. Its TPI of $26224,61 made it third in the state. Gwinnett County had a PCPI of ...
Metro drivers: Tax us and build more transit
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
"There's always been the north end vs. the south end, what there was downtown Atlanta vs. what's happening in Gwinnett County," said Clayton County ...
Snellville Days 2008
On this page of the Snellville Days website, you can see the list of all the people and businesses appearing in the parade if you scroll down. Mayor Oberholtzer will be in one car, followed by Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld, Council Member Barbara Bender, Council Member Robert Jenkins, and Council Member Kelly Kautz, then Council Member Tod Warner.
I couldn't help but wonder if they will all travel the parade route in bumper cars. Just the mental image of that amuses me. Yeah I know, I'm twisted and sick...but that's why you like me, right? Oh be honest, don't you think it would be great fun if they could do that? It would be so healing to the entire Snellville community and show that we can have a sense of humor 'round here.
"The 2008 Snellville Days Festival will be held May 3rd & 4th at T. W. Briscoe Park in Snellville, Georgia, and is one of the city's premier events.
Snellville Days features a weekend full of free fun, including more than 150 craft and food vendors, a car show on Saturday, Dog & Disc Competition, stages with live entertainment, a Saturday night concert, and much more."
For full information on the Snellville Days Parade and all the day's special events, be sure to see the Snellville Days official website at www.snellvilledays.com.
Pilots say T-Mobile Cell Phone Tower Location Not Safe
"In the case of a proposed T-Mobile tower near Snellville, much of the debate is over whether the 126-foot tower would stand in the way of approaching aircraft to private Lenora Field, a small privately owned grass runway."
~read full article written by Michael Pearson in the AJC
Traffic Light a'Comin to North Rd and Pinehurst
Thank you, Jesus!...I don't know how the people who live near that intersection can stand all the pollution each day. This is like an answer to prayer for them, I'm sure...but the construction won't happen until 2009. AJC's Snellville Blog
Baseball Camp for 1st - 8th Graders
South Gwinnett will host a baseball camp June 2-6, 2008 from 9 am —12 pm each day.
Students in 1st through 8th grade may attend the week long camp for
$70. Go to www.southbaseball.com for info.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Horsetown East Breyer Fun Day - FREE
Join Horsetown East for a special Breyer Day! (Sorry, it's not the ice cream, it's a model horse/collectible company...but good stuff too! Breyer has been making model horses since 1950.)
Bring your friends and paint your own model horse. Fun and prizes, see the latest Breyer products.
Special "Fun Day" collectible model horse available only through this event! (please note that the horse I have shown in this blog is for illustrative purposes only, and is not the free horse you will paint)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
11:00 am - until???
Call Horsetown for more info: 770-736-1888.
1959 Dogwood Rd. Snellville, GA
I called today and spoke to Alissa, she said that this is 100% FREE...the collectible horse you can paint and take home is free, and this is for all ages. So enjoy!!!
Some examples of Breyer horses:
Breyer Horses: Stablemates Playmat with Horse
Breyer Horses: Cloud's Legacy - Four-Horse Set
Breyer Horses Classics: Rearing Appaloosa Blue Roan
Breyer: Anatomy in Motion Model Horse
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Gwinnett County News Updates
Chicago company to add 500 jobs in Gwinnett
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By MICHAEL PEARSON A Chicago shipping supplies company will consolidate and expand its Gwinnett County operations, promising to bring 500 new jobs to the ...
Gwinnett's sewer account clean up not easy in Berkeley Lake
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By EILEEN DRENNEN Berkeley Lake resident Frank Way was surprised to get a letter from the county the other day telling him he was going to have to pay $20 ...
Uline Shipping Supplies adding jobs in metro ATL
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Uline Shipping Supplies is staying in Gwinnett County and will add 500 jobs after buying a new facility. Waukegan, Ill.-based Uline, which provides material ...
Pharmacist gets 10 years for child porn collection
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By BILL RANKIN A 54-year-old Gwinnett County pharmacist on Tuesday was sent to federal prison for 10 years for collecting child pornography. ...
Groundbreaking announced for Chattahoochee Bank of GA
Access North Georgia - Gainesville,GA,USA
The bank will target small- to medium-sized businesses, their owners and professionals in Gainesville-Hall County as well as in northern Gwinnett County. ...
Grocery chain abandons plastic bags
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
However, despite the apparent trend in using reusable bags for grocery shopping, plastic remains quite popular for Gwinnett County shoppers. ...
Missing kayaker rescued in Gwinnett
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Gwinnett and Forsyth county authorities launched a helicopter and watercraft search when he hadn't returned by nightfall. His mother, Sharon Jones, ...
Rivers leaving Randallstown for Ga. high school
Baltimore Sun - United States
Shiloh is a 5A school, the largest classification in Georgia, and is in Gwinnett County. "They've been to the [state] tournament but have no state ...
New Fulton schools chief off to fast start with board
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
She quit her previous job as associate superintendent of teaching and learning for the Gwinnett County Public Schools the Friday before. ...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Parents of 13 year old gave Carmine Baffa legal guardianship
Police: Phony therapist raped girl, 13, because she was 'sexually repressed'
If you recall, I blogged about this on Thursday. Here's an update. I swear, hearing about this just makes me want to barf. Or cry. Or cry and barf. We all need to wake up and protect our kids!
Hypotist used 'cuddling sessions' with teens, police say
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
A magistrate judge found probable cause to bind the charges over to Gwinnett County Superior Court. King said the former patients, now 13 and 19, ...
Contact lead investigator Diane King at 770-513-5356 if you have anything that will help in this case or if you have been victimized.
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Oh no, he di'nt!
Name calling, infighting plague Snellville city council
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
This is how the Snellville mayor and some City Council members describe one another. So it's not surprising that politics here have been contentious for ...
Whoo...I'm not touching the stuff in this report with a 10-foot pole.
Aw, who am I kidding? You know I'll probably write about this later...
I definitely want to talk about Mayor Oberholtzer's comment about not fitting in because he's originally from the north. I can relate, and I'll tell you why later.
There are mistakes in the article though - the article makes it sound like Jerry Oberholtzer lives in Athens. He lives in Snellville, but the engineering firm he works for is in Athens.
And Kelly Kautz saying "we're as bad as Lithonia." Way to insult another city. Really classy.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Snellville Middle School Student, 13, dies in accident
A 13 year old Snellville Middle School student, Christopher Thomas, died in a tragic accident during Spring Break when a tree fell on him. The Principal of Snellville Middle sent out an email and a letter to parents of all grades to let them know what had happened. I didn't plan to blog about it until it hit the general press. Now the story is in local news media.
The tree was apparently rotted and had termites, and from what I've heard - in the way that "boys will be boys," Christopher and a friend or relative his age were kicking the tree. I know that's what my kids would have been doing, if they had been there. That's just a thing kids like to do. I'm very sad for this family, and the child's dad is right, we must tell our kids we love them every day, you never know what could happen.
Now the insurance company is working to find out who owns the land where the tree is, and are they responsible for the upkeep of the trees? It could be owned by the homeowner's association.
They'll probably have to have surveyors and such come out and determine property lines.
One of the problems I've seen with insurance companies and trees is, if you have a tree on your property and you know it's rotten or termite ridden, and you call your insurance company - they will tell you they will not pay to have the tree removed. The insurance company will only pay if the tree comes down and crushes a house or a person. I found this out when my father called State Farm Insurance to inquire about a tree he needed removed. It seems like it would be less in the long run for the insurance company to cover dangerous tree removal, doesn't it?
What's being done about homelessness?
Did you know that Gwinnett County has no homeless shelters? I just found that out today. I had no idea! Yet, in Gwinnett County in 2006, there were 20,485 evictions and 6,130 foreclosures. At the average family size of 2.5 that means that approximately 66,537 family members lost housing in 2006.
The average age of a homeless person in the United States is 9, and during the 2005-06 school year, Gwinnett County Schools found accommodations for over 3,000 students.
I heard today about a program called Family Promise. Westminster Presbyterian Church participates in it. Family Promise sponsors 4 families at a time. The churches in the network take turns giving the families housing. It's not just a Presbyterian charity, though. It's many different churches, people of all faiths helping. The average time spent with each family is 90 days. By the "graduation" from the program, the family will have found employment and permanent housing. The whole idea behind the program is to work on the underlying problems that cause homelessness.
To learn more about the Family Promise program, click here . There are 39 networks of Family Promise, and we have one in Gwinnett.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
"Life Improvement" Coach Charged with Rape of Two Teens, Police Say More Victims Possible
"Hypnotist charged with raping two teens at Lawrenceville home" "Many of Baffa's patients were referred to him by licensed psychotherapists, Spellman said. Baffa is "not a licensed therapist of any sort," Spellman said, though police said he represented himself to patients as a psychotherapist. Alan Allard, a counselor in Lawrenceville, said that up until 2006 he referred patients to Baffa. Allard said Baffa was always cautious about wording his credentials, describing himself as a "coach" and allowing others to assume he was a doctor."
[The home was on Stationville Run in Lawrenceville and he initiated 'therapy sessions' in his home]
Man led 'life improvement' seminars; police think there might be more victims."
"Many of Baffa's patients were referred to him by licensed psychotherapists, Spellman said. Baffa is "not a licensed therapist of any sort," Spellman said, though police said he represented himself to patients as a psychotherapist."
The man's name is Carmine Edmund Baffa and he is 52.
Contact lead investigator Diane King at 770-513-5356 if you have anything that will help in this case or if you have been victimized. According to the article, he had a lot of charisma and was very manipulative. If you have been a victim of this disturbed individual, I urge you to step forward so that this creep won't be able to take advantage of anyone else for a long time. According to the article, he had a lot of charisma and was very manipulative.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Snellville News
Emory-Eastside hospital plans $100 million expansion
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By KEN SUGIURA On any given night, 95 percent of the beds in Emory-Eastside Medical Center are occupied, the Snellville hospital said. ...
Gwinnett approves $38M for Alexander Park
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
The 91-acre park on Old Snellville Highway at Scenic Highway will open next spring or next summer with a 1-mile soft-surface trail and 1.5-mile asphalt ...
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
By BETH WARREN Snellville city officials exchanged several barbs Monday night but made no progress in finding someone to run the city until a new city ...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Snellville/Centerville Murder Trial to Begin
"... trial will begin this week for a Snellville man accused of gunning down a motorist in a McDonald's parking lot. Sabon Allen Julius, 19, is charged with murder in the Sept. 7, 2006, shooting death of Adler Jerry Benoit, 20, of Jonesboro. Police found Benoit dead in a car outside of a McDonald's restaurant on Centerville Highway near Snellville." - AJC
Emory Eastside Expanding
Emory Eastside Hospital is planning a $100 million expansion for an additional building and hospital beds. - Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Would You Believe...Freezing Temperatures Coming?!?
This is actually great news for me. We need to get up in our attic
to do some ductwork repair, and of course
it will be really warm up there!
SAT APR 12 2008 GWINNETT COUNTY Weather Advisory
...UNSEASONABLY COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK...
...FREEZING TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM NORTHWEST GEORGIA SATURDAY MORNING TO
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA BY AFTERNOON. AN UPPER LOW...NOW LOCATED OVER
THE GREAT LAKES REGION...WILL DEEPEN AND BEGIN TO SINK
SOUTHEASTWARD SUNDAY...AND WILL SWEEP ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA MONDAY
INTO TUESDAY. UNSEASONABLY COLD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO
ACCOMPANY THIS WEATHER SYSTEM. HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY WILL ONLY
REACH THE 50S IN NORTH GEORGIA...AND MAY NOT EVEN RISE OUT OF THE
40S ON MONDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL FOR MID-APRIL. WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS...IT
WILL FEEL MORE LIKE EARLY MARCH INSTEAD OF MID-APRIL. RAIN SHOWERS
AND EVEN A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE UPPER LOW
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BUT NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED.
Attention Snellville Pizza Fanatics
Domino's pizza of Snellville is having Customer Appreciation Day today and tomorrow.
Get a Large 1 topping pizza for as low as $3.99. This is only available at one location, so
check out all the details at Snellville Eats!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Go get him girls
Funny this site is called Millionaire Match, but most on the site 'only' make $150,000 or above per year...but they say that if you make $150K your likelihood of future wealth is likely.
<<Here's a guy from Snellville who's on the site.
I'm almost his perfect match too - occupation: artist/creative, I'm the right age, I'm the right height although I'm at the top of his height preference... (I'll have to tell my Hubs of nearly 23 years that he's out of the picture now LOL)...but I don't think my body counts as "hot." (I will tell Hubs he's stuck with me for another 20 plus years)...honestly, I don't think I would exercise to become hot even if you paid me $150,000.
Ladies, do you care how much money a guy makes?
Do you care if his entire body is gray?
Men, do you think a website like that is only for "gold diggers?"
Do you think Mayor Oberholtzer is "a bully"?
"Oberholtzer is an unpleasant man, a bully with a hot temper who likes to yell at people. Everyone who's the tiniest bit familiar with Snellville has known that for years. But I think this is a symptom of a man who has become mentally unstable." - MTHEORY Blogger
Why or why not?
I don't think Mayor Oberholtzer should be serving as City Manager, even as Interim City Manager. I agree with the person who pointed out to me that the residents of Snellville didn't elect Oberholtzer to be City Manager, they voted him to be Mayor. It's a simplification but it does make sense.
But "mentally unstable?" Nah. I don't agree with that. I think Mayor Oberholtzer thinks he is doing the right thing by Snellville. He has said in the past that the Department Heads are great and the city "practically runs itself." I think the regular City Manager position pays something like $110,000 or more per year. That's a lot of money and I don't think that figure includes benefits. Jim Brooks did a fantastic job and in my opinion was well worth what he was paid (see earlier blog post)
In regard to losing temper and yelling at people, if that makes someone a bully, then I am a member of that club. I wish I wasn't. But when you have someone who is passionate about what they do and you add to that someone who is used to pushing ahead and getting things accomplished, it always looks pushy and controlling to others. When I was a manager, I was accused of being pushy. It does take forcefulness sometimes to get the things done that need to be done.
But all 60 or so of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I do like to look at all sides of a story. It doesn't make for a good blogger. I should try to be more biased one way or the other and rant and rave about my position. It brings more web-traffic and comments. It works for the radio talk show hosts. I don't think they truly believe half the stuff they say.
I have to say that I am surprised that this blog doesn't get comments on these issues. I do wonder if there is fear of retribution? After all, Snellville is a relatively small town still, and everybody knows everybody else... and you know I'm not a fan of anonymous comments, because I don't think they are 100% fair, but if you are afraid of trouble, go ahead and post comments anonymously.
Snellville City Manager issue continues
This excerpt from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution continues the saga from Wednesday's post = "The mayor said then he could do the job just as well until a permanent city manager was hired. However, State Attorney General Thurbert Baker reviewed the issue and issued a written opinion earlier this month making it clear that a mayor cannot also serve as city manager under Georgia law. Mayors aren't supposed to give direction or orders to city employees publicly or privately because that's the duty of city managers, Baker wrote in his opinion. The mayor said Wednesday that Baker's opinion is not binding, a comment that angered Auld. "His comments suggest he believes he is above the law," Auld said."
I asked around to friends and family for opinions and one said,
"The people of Snellville didn't elect him [Oberholtzer] to serve as City Manager, they voted him in to be Mayor.
Isn't it amazing that simplifying something does give you the answer you need?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Can Mayor O also be Snellville City Manager? GA Atty General Says No
"A power struggle in Snellville gained new momentum this month with the Georgia Attorney General ruling that the mayor can not legally fill the vacant city manager's position."
Attorney General Thurbert Baker sent his opinion that -
"The mayor is not authorized to both act in his capacity as the elected executive leader of the city and also as the city manager because such dual service is inherently incompatible and inappropriate."
Mayor Oberholtzer's comments were:
"Just because the attorney general gives an opinion, that's not a binding opinion," the mayor said. "Is he going to have me arrested or sue me? He can't."
Full AJC Story Here
Well, what do you think? On one hand, I'm concerned about the Mayor's full-speed-ahead, my way or the highway approach...but then again, we are saving tons of money not having to pay a City Manager!
My opinion is that Mayor Oberholtzer may be able to serve in the capacity well, making suggestions and recommendations as he says in the article....but it sets a bad precedent, because in the future, Snellville might not have a Mayor who is able to ethically serve well in that position and could take advantage of the dual role.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
New London Theatre presents Lion, Witch, Wardrobe
New London Theatre will present “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”
(The Chronicles of Narnia), opening April 18th, 2008 at 8 pm.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy story written for children
by C. S. Lewis in 1950. The story, set in 1940, it is the first part of the series of
adventures of The Chronicles of Narnia. Four children who enter the enchanted
world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe and begin the high adventure filled
with creatures and spirits of myth and fable. The children must help Narnia and
learn lessons from their odyssey of courage, unselfishness, and wisdom.
The principal inhabitants of Narnia are intelligent talking animals including King Aslan,
the great Lion of Narnia. Also present in Narnia, however, is the wicked White Witch,
and the four children are caught up in a deadly struggle between good and evil.
he play is a lively telling of this struggle and is brought to life by the talented and
enthusiastic cast and crew drawn from northeast Atlanta environs.
The show will be performed at New London Theatre, 2485 East Main Street, Snellville, GA,.
“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” troupe will enchant their audiences on the following dates:
April 17: (Dress Rehearsal – tickets: $8.00)
April 18: 8 pm
April 19: 2:30 (matinee) & 8 pm
April 20: 2:30
April 25: 8 pm
April 26: 2:30 (matinee) & 8 pm
April 27: 2:30 pm
May 2: 8 pm
May 3: 2:30 (matinee) & 8 pm
May 4: 2:30 pm
The public is cordially invited to attend. Tickets are $12.00 in prepaid (on our website)
or $15.00 at the door. If you would like to learn more about The New London Theatre,
need more information, Tickets, auditions, etc. contact us at:
www.newlondontheatre.org - NLTSnellville@yahoo.com – or - call us at (770) 979-3691
Snellville Middle School Relay for Life Fundraising Yard Sale
The Snellville Middle School Relay for Life team will
hold a yard sale at Snellville Middle
on Saturday April 19th from 9:00 to 3:00.
You may donate items to be
sold by the Relay for Life team or
you may rent space for your own yard sale.
You may rent double parking spots for $35.00 or
triple parking spots for $45.00. Rented space does
not include tables, you are only renting the space.
All proceeds from the space rental and the Relay for
Life booth will support the Snellville Middle School
Relay for Life team.
If you have questions, want to rent space, or want to donate
items to be sold please contact:
Donna Copeland at 770-985-3585 or
donna_copeland[AT]gwinnett.k12.ga.us
or contact Jerrie Greene at
jerrie_m_greene[AT]gwinnett.k12.ga.us.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Storms Possibly Headed Toward Us
The storms that hit hard in Arkansas may cause trouble here. "A strong cold front that spawned overnight tornadoes in Arkansas is headed toward Georgia, and could bring isolated severe storms to metro Atlanta Friday afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service warned that there's a slight risk of severe weather across much of the state, with the primary hazards being damaging winds, large hail and lightning." Source: AJC...More
Snellville Flu
Have you had the flu yet this year? I had the flu shot but I still had the flu this past week. My kids also had the flu. Our average temperature during this flu was 102. My flu started with a symptom of a backache.
I am pretty much over it now, except for congestion. I am taking Mucinex D. If you are able to take it, I do recommend it. Just drink a LOT of water with it.
