The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 174

CHEROKEE JQ4 Thursday, Dec. 24, 1998 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution TTTT rincipal Sewage system set for Ball Ground fjf I I i has plan to fight bullying I 1 By Mark Bixler STAFF WRITER By D.L Bennett STAFF WRITER all Ground officials say the city's longtime septic woes will finally be solved when a new I he principal of E.T. Booth Middle School plans to launch an anti-bullying program at his school in i I 't v. 1 'V $2.5 million sewer system comes on line in three years. Surveys are being done for a system that would connect the city to sewer service near the Cherokee County Airport.

The city of Canton has agreed to treat the city's sewage but fees are still being negotiated. The city expects to pay for the project with a $1.4 million low-interest loan plus $1.1 million in rural development grants. A $250,000 grant is being sought that would allow the city to connect poorer residents to the system at little or no cost. Mayor Rick Roberts said the sewer W7 FRANK NIEMEIR Staff Memorial: Eighth-grader Michael Williams looks at the new garden at E.T. Booth Middle School that has been dedicated to the memory of fellow student Josh Belluardo, who, classmates and neighbors say, was killed by a bully.

January, three months after 13-year-old Josh Belluardo was attacked and killed after he stepped off a school bus in his neighborhood. Classmates and neighbors say Josh was killed by a bully. Investigators have charged high school sophomore Jonathan Miller, who rode the bus with Josh, with murder. School administrators say Jonathan got into trouble 34 times in his two years in middle school and that he was suspended 11 times and placed in in-school suspension eight times for such offenses as pushing and taunting other students and cursing at a teacher. E.T.

Booth Middle School Principal Phil Gramling, who testified in Jonathan's bond hearing about the boy's discipline problems, said he got the idea to start an anti-bullying program the week after Josh was killed. He was at a conference for middle school administrators in Denver, he said, when a seminar on bullies caught his attention. He plans to talk with parents, train teachers and teach students about bullies. The goal, he said, is to persuade students who are not the victims of bullies to condemn bullying and intervene safely when they see one classmate bullying another. The E.T.

Booth student council has surveyed the approximately 800 students to determine the extent of the problem. ,13 1 Gramling said national statistics show that 30 to 35 percent of students are either bullies or the victims of a bully. He said that students often do not report bullies. If a bully is picking on or beating another child and a teacher asks them what's going on, the bully is likely to lie to protect himself and the victim is likely to minimize the problem for fear of retribution from his tormentor, Gramling said. Children who know about bullies sometimes do not want to tell because they do not want to "tattle" on a classmate.

"There's a difference between reporting bullying and tattle-telling," Gramling said. Other problems occur when a child tells his parents that he or she has been bullied and the parent tells the child to stick up for himself or fight back. That can be dangerous, Gramling said, because bullies are typically older, bigger and stronger than their victims. "Josh Belluardo was a confident, strong young man. He wasn't the typical victim of a bully," Gramling said.

Even so, the principal said he is well aware that Jonathan "had a history" of bullying and taunting other students. Witnesses in a Dec. 3 bond hearing for Jonathan said that Jonathan spat in a girl's face, threatened to kill another girl, pushed students, cursed at teachers and disrupted class. But even children who exhibit bullying behavior don't do so in all situations. Witnesses who testified on Jonathan's behalf described him as an ordinary teenager who liked to work at the family computer, swim and participate in the Boy Scouts.

Gramling said after the holidays he plans to send letters to parents to explain the purpose of the new program, called Bully Beware. He said administrators will train teachers in the new program early in January. Classes for the seventh-and eighth-graders should begin later in January. You can learn more about the anti-bullying campaign on the Internet, at: http:www.bullybeware.com. system is critical to the city's future.

"We are not trying to change the face of our city," Roberts said. "We are just trying to level the playing field so those of us who live here can have some of the services we'd like to have that we now FRANK NIEMEIR Staff Mustard Seed Cafe owner Laurie Grizzle, with customer Joe Baltes, looks forward to being able to serve more customers. ihelter: Commission passes 10 of 17 zonings Continued from I Commissioners eventually decided to table the shelter proposal at the recommendation of Commissioner Rebecca Ray. The shelter proposal was part of a lengthy agenda that included 17 rezon-ing requests. The board passed 10 zoning requests but held or denied seven others.

Community activists left generally pleased for the first time in months. The most controversial project got shot down while another that drew heated opposition was amended to make it more acceptable to neighbors. "Overall, I'd give the board a passing grade," said Chuck Dean of Hickory Flat, a vocal critic of the outgoing board. "For the closing out of the year, the taxpayers fared the best. We won more than we lost." Dean and others have blasted the and retirement community.

The board, in an unusual unanimous vote, agreed that Town Lake Parkway at 1-575, a key entrance to the county, shouldn't be cluttered with mini-warehouses and storage buildings. Pioneer Properties' proposal had drawn intense opposition not only from neighborhood residents but even local developers who said it would be an eyesore and give those arriving in the county a bad impression. Commissioners granted the 3.2-acre parcel general commercial zoning but deleted mini-warehouses as a possible use after the developers suggested the compromise. Cherokee ended the year with 93 zoning requests, a 66 percent increase from the then record 56 applications filed last year. More than half were filed since the election losses of Long and Lathem.

board since September when the voting bloc of Hollis Lathem, Jimmy Long and Rebecca Ray began ramming through dozens of zonings. The bloc was rock solid in September, passing all 14 cases. Lathem's grip began to slip in October when Ray cast a couple of dissenting votes. She did the same again in November. On Friday, the bloc crumbled.

Even Long, Lathem's staunchest ally, failed to follow the chairman's lead. Three times he joined with Ray, J.J. Biello and Ilona Sanders to reject a proposed zoning. That left Lathem as the only commissioner supporting the three controversial projects. The most controversial of the three losing projects was a proposal to turn 60 acres off Arnold Mill Road and Ga.

140 into a subdivision, apartment complex simply a miscommunication. "We are trying to move forward with the proper procedures, but we are also trying to kcip up with the animals the county is putting on us," Tucker said. Perry also asked the board to commit to match whatever the Humane Society might raise for a new shelter, up to $250,000. "We don't even know whether we have any money or not," Commissioner Ilona Sanders said. As part of the drive for a new shelter, Tucker said the Humane Society board had also decided to reassign longtime shelter director Ottis Moore to a fund-raising slot.

Dani Bishop started work as the new director on Saturday. SI Volunteer: Helping others leaves no time for self-pity leave town for. We want to make it more livable without losing its identity." Growth of the downtown area for decades has been hampered by poorly draining soils and tiny lot sizes that limit use of existing buildings. Health department officials routinely list the city as one of the worst places in the county for septic problems. Many of the city's lots are about lA-acre and don't meet today's size standards for septic tanks.

Laurie Grizzle, owner of the new Mustard Seed Cafe, knows firsthand about the city's septic problems. Her restaurant was cleared for 50 customers by fire marshals, but limited to 22 by the health department because of an inadequate septic system. "It would really help us out a lot," Grizzle said. City leaders say the new sewer system will help them attract new development. "Sewer is a major problem in being able to redevelop the downtown area and restore Ball Ground as a trade center like it was for years until the 1960s," Roberts said.

Ball Ground now has about 400 water customers. Almost all of them, about 90 percent, must agree to hook up to sewers to meet the conditions of the loan and grant. City leaders plan to offer the service at little or no cost initially to tempt as many as possible to hook on. Homeowners will have to pay the cost to run lines from the street to the house and make the needed connections. If not enough residents and businesses take the offer in the first 60 days, the city will mandate hookups, Roberts said.

Stragglers could be forced to pay more. The county now charges $1,800 to hook on to its system. Roberts said the city is likely to charge a similar fee eventually. Similar decisions in other areas have caused voter revolts. So far the change in Ball Ground has been smooth, but Roberts said the council is ready for controversy if it arises.

"If we want the city of Ball Ground to survive for future generations', we've got to make some tough decisions today," Roberts said. Engineers are expected to be finished sometime next year so the system can be bid out by the end of 1999, Roberts said. It will take another 18 months to build. Roberts said hie hopes the system will be up by late 2001 or early 2002. "When it happens it will change Ball Ground, but it's not being done to increase density and such.

There is land that can't be developed now that could be with sewer, but anything will have to fit with the city's land-use plan," the mayor said. Continued from I Provides GED training and education to enable people to achieve economic independence. 770-720-1685. Cherokee Outdoor YMCA Provides summer camp experiences for children in Cherokee County. 770-591-5820.

Diabetes Association Provides programs and resources to assist diabetics in self-care and management of their disease. 404-527-7150. Families First Offers such services to families and individuals as counseling and crisis intervention. 770-988-1260. Family Violence Center Provides a safe haven to families who are victims of domestic violence.

770-479-1804. Metro Atlanta Council on Alcohol and Drugs (MACAD) Provides a drug prevention program to students in Cherokee County. 404-351-1800. Ministries United for Service and Training (MUST) Provides essentials, such as food and clothing, to needy families in Cherokee County. 770-479-5397.

Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Council Helps girls develop as responsible and creative individuals through workshops, camping and special projects. 404-527-7500. Northwest Home Health Care Provides home health services as directed by the patient's physician. 770-479-3232. Visiting Nurse Health System Provides health services in the home under the direction of the patient's physician.

770-753-2000. To add your nonprofit agency to our list in future editions, call Angela Aaron at People who want to volunteer their time in Cherokee County have plenty of opportunities. Here is a list of some nonprofit agencies that need help: American Cancer Society Dedicated to the control and eradication of cancer through service and rehabilitation, education and research. 770-303-0200, Ext. 217 American Red Cross Provides disaster relief, health and blood services, safety instruction, assistance to military families and veterans.

770-428-2695. Blind Low Vision Services of North Georgia Services to assist blind and visually impaired children and adults. 770-432-7280. Boy Scouts of America Provides activities for character development, citizenship training and personal fitness. 404-577-48 1 1 Boys Girls Clubs of Cherokee County Provides youth development services to emphasize self-esteem and sound values.

770-720-7712. Cherokee Child Advocacy Council Inc. Offers a centralized, child-friendly location where children who have been abused are taken to begin the healing process. 770-592-9779. Cherokee County Senior Services Delivers meals to elderly shut-ins and provides other services for the elderly.

770-345-7440. Cherokee Day Training Center Provides early intervention and specialized instruction for children from birth to 3 years who are experiencing developmental delay problems. 770-345-5821. Cherokee Family Learning Center giving. "People do want to help," he said.

"People do want to understand what the true meaning of Christmas is." Unfortunately, he said, too many people who open their hearts and their checkbooks in December forget about their needy neighbors the rest of the year. "You don't see a lot of canned food drives around July 13," Kinston said. "People need help year-round." He said there are long-term plans to run Cherokee Christmas all year, but that probably won't happen right away. The organization, whose headquarters are in the basement of a house near the historic Rock Barn, Cherokee High School and Canton Elementary School, will help 271 Cherokee County families with 612 children this year. Kinston, who lives near Canton with his wife and their children Lucas, 18, and Anna, 8 said giving back some of his time to try to improve the lot of others is the least he can do.

"God's taken care of pie," he said. have in the past," he said. Kinston, 42, continues his volunteer work while waiting for a new liver. He's been on a transplant list for more than two years. Three weeks ago, he checked into the hospital thinking he was about to get a healthy liver.

But doctors canceled the operation after a last-minute glitch. "This has been such a blessing to me in so many ways," he said. For one thing, he said, the postponement has allowed him to spend more time helping Cherokee Christmas deliver its services more efficiently. He said he gets too busy around Christmas to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. "I don't have a chance to get caught up in all the commercialism," he said.

He said people, companies and organizations that donate toys, food and clothing for the needy at Christmas time have reminded him that some others also know about the spirit of.