Clarkesville Mayor Terry Greene is pleased with the two bids he’s seen for the planned renovations on part of the city’s fire-damaged square, “Both proposals look great. They’re very, very similar. Either one would be ideal so it’s going to come down to the very fine details and differences between them.”

Three contractors initially showed interest in restoring the old Ramsey’s Grocery location and the former Sharky’s Restaurant building next door but when Thursday’s deadline for proposals passed, only two bids came in.

Blake Rainwater and Associates of Clarkesville and John W. Spratlin and Son of Lincolnton are in the running for the first phase of the work. BM&K Construction and Engineering of Braselton came to Clarkesville early in the process but apparently did not present a bid before the deadline.

“We found those two proposals to be very close in price and similar in design but not exactly the same designs,” explains Kirby Glaze, from the Atlanta consulting firm Public-Private Partnership Project Management (4PM). Glaze is overseeing the bid process for city leaders.

He says the final bid prices from both contractors are within the range the city expected to see but thinks that he and council members need more time and more information to choose the best one for Clarkesville.

Glaze, City Manager Barbara Kesler and some members of council plan to meet with each of the bidders separately next week, “It will give us an opportunity to go through the proposals line by line,” Glaze says. “We can get a better understanding of each contractors pricing and their preliminary design concepts.”

City staff says those bid documents, which include concept drawings of the building renovations, won’t be released to the media or the public until after next week’s meeting.

The interviews with contractors will mean a slight deviation from the city’s published timeline for the downtown Clarkesville square project. They originally had “Complete Contract Negotiations/Issue Notice to Proceed” listed for July 2. That step will now come sometime after the next regular city council meeting on July 6.

Kesler says the change won’t delay the overall project and Glaze says the renovation work on the first set of fire-damaged properties could be finished, with the buildings ready for tenants, by January 2016.

About the prospective contractors:

Clarkesville-based Blake Rainwater & Associates is already familiar with the project having contracted with the city early this year to stabilize what remains of the damaged buildings.

John W. Spratlin & Son works all over the state restoring historic buildings including several courthouses (like this one in Zebulon) and train depots.

While Richard Scott Burton and his wife Cheryle avoided a criminal trial by striking a deal with prosecutors last month, they now face a civil trial in a lawsuit brought by the children they’re accused of abusing.

Initially Richard Burton, the former police chief in Mt. Airy, was looking at two counts of aggravated child molestation. His wife and he together faced 28 counts of first-degree cruelty to children.

The deal from the Habersham District Attorney’s office reduced all those charges down to a single count each of second degree cruelty to children. The Burton’s guilty pleas resulted in 50 days in jail (served weekends only), probation and a fine.

The deal and the sentence outraged many in Habersham County who voiced their dissatisfaction via letters and social media posts.

This week a lawsuit was filed against the Burtons on behalf of the children the couple admitted to neglecting.

The new civil complaint, filed Tuesday by the children’s legal guardians Fran and Ricky Chastain, claims the children were, “subjected to a protracted and constant course of physical, mental and emotional abuse and neglect, negligently, recklessly and intentionally inflicted…” during the years they lived with the Burtons.

Accusations in the Complaint against Richard and Cheryle Burton

a. Starving, under nourishing and withholding food from the Children as punishment or as a disciplinary tool;

b. Isolating the Children from contact with people outside the Defendants’ household and dramatically limiting contact with those in it;

c. Confining the Children to their one room and adjacent hallway except for brief periods during which the Children were required to perform chores;

d. Forcing the Children to all live in one bedroom while other children of the Defendants each had their own separate bedroom;

e. Locking the Children in their bedroom overnight and for other extended periods as punishment for minor offenses and to prevent the Children from having access to food overnight;

f. Failing to provide the Children with adequate medical attention and care and sexually abusing the Children.

Attorney Spencer Carr’s firm is representing the Chastain family in the suit, “You want to see good things come for the kids,” he says. “At the end of the day, we’re professionals just wanting to pick up where the justice system left off. The Carr Law Group, with our associate Jim Cox, has the litigation experience to be very successful in this case.”

The complaint claims “the children have suffered significant injuries in the nature of malnutrition, undernourishment, retarded physical growth, emotional disabilities and physical and mental harm.”

It asks a jury to award $5,000,000 to cover the abused children’s ongoing “physical, medical and emotional treatment” as well as $5,000,000 in punitive damages.

The Burton’s have 30 days to respond to the complaint.

Habersham County Recreation Department Director Fenton Morris was attacked Thursday afternoon in his office at the Ruby C. Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville.

Now Habersham has learned that Morris’ attacker is believed to be Roger Canup, husband of former recreation department employee Diane Canup. “Diane was terminated this past fall for hostile work environment issues,” explains Habersham County Manager Phil Sutton. “She had threatened the recreation department staff.”

In a message to Habersham County Commissioners, Sutton said, “Mr. Canup came to Fenton’s office and hit Fenton, then they scuffled.” As to the extent of their injuries, “Both of them have some cuts,” Sutton says.

Both men were taken to Habersham County Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.

Sutton says Canup and his wife will face legal action, “The police will be filing a report to place a restraining order against Mr. & Mrs. Canup, and they will not be allowed to make contact with the employees at the recreation department. Neither Diane nor her husband will be allowed on County property.”

According to Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell, criminal charges will be filed against Roger Canup in connection to the attack.

UPDATE – Danny Roger Canup, was booked at the Habersham County Detention Center on charges of “Battery” and “Disorderly Conduct” Thursday afternoon. Both charges are misdemeanors. No bond has been set.

County officials expect Director Morris to return to work on Friday.

Full statement on today’s attack from County Manager Phil Sutton

“Fenton Morris was attacked by Roger Canup, the husband of Diane Canup.  Diane was terminated this past fall for hostile work environment issues.  She had threatened the recreation department staff.  Mr. Canup came to Fenton’s office and hit Fenton, then they scuffled.  Both of them have some cuts, and both will be going to the hospital to be checked out.  The police will be filing a report to place a restraining order against Mr. & Mrs. Canup, and they will not be allowed to make contact with the employees at the recreation department.  Neither Diane nor her husband will be allowed on County property.”