Up in Jefferson County, census workers to blitz previous low count areas

On Saturday, April 10, citizens are encouraged to March to the Mailbox, in an effort to improve participation in the 2010 Census.

Complete Count Committee Representative Judy Jones said the program will target the Bartow and Wrens communities because they are the concentrated areas where there was not enough participation in the 2000 census.


The city of Bartow will have volunteers from the Complete Count Committees go door-to-door to give out information and make sure everyone knows about the census.

Arty Thrift said Wrens will host a fishing rodeo called Fish to be Counted for the Blitz program. The rodeo will be on April 10 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rodeo will take place at Johnson’s lake on Thomson highway next to the Wrens Elementary School.

“We hope everybody comes out and supports the census and how important it is to our community,” Thrift said. Thrift said the event will target local churches and city organizations.

There will be refreshments. Citizens should bring their own fishing supplies. For more information about the rodeo, contact Thrift at 706-547-3000.

“There seems to be a lot of confusion with people with Post Office boxes not receiving their census forms,” Jones said. “If they do not get the forms by the end of March, we are suggesting they go to one of the sites.”

Jones said each town has a site where a person can pick up a ballot and fill it out and mail it.

“People need to understand the census is linked to money,” Jones said, “especially with disaster funds.” She said a city would only receive disaster relief for the amount of people represented in the census.

Jones explained an example she heard about the lack of census participation consequences.

“People need to understand the census is linked to money,” Jones said, “especially with disaster funds.” She said a city would only receive disaster relief for the amount of people represented in the census.

Jones explained an example she heard about the lack of census participation consequences.

She said there was a lack of participation in the city of Matthews for the census, resulting in a very small population count on paper. Last year when tornadoes tore through the city, funding for disaster relief was only represented for the number of people who were counted in the census. Matthews did not receive the funding they could have, had they had a stronger participation in the census.

“There was not an accurate account in Matthews so there was not funding for the disaster as it could have been had we an accurate count,” Jones said. “When the tornado came through, they didn’t have many people located there, even though there were. They (Matthews) were so leery of federal government that they opted to do without.

“Our federal funds are based on our census count for disaster,” Jones said.


JEFFERSON COUNTY
QAC Question Asst. Centers and Be Counted Sites
Moore and Moore Barbershop (Be Counted Site), Wadley Jefferson County Tax and Tag Office (Be Counted Site),
Louisville McCollum Public Library (QAC Site)
Wrens City of Wadley (QAC Site)
Wadley Stapleton City Hall (QAC Site)
Stapleton Kingdom Life Fellowship Ministries (QAC)
Wadley City of Avera (QAC site)
Avera City of Wrens (QAC Site)
Wrens Wadley Public Library (QAC Site)
Wadley Jefferson County Commissioners Office (QAC Site)
Louisville Alpha and Omega Hair Salon (QAC Site)
Louisville Jefferson County DFACS (QAC Site)
Louisville Bartow City Hall (QAC Site),Bartow
Jefferson county Library (QAC Site)
Louisville Glascock county DFACS (Be Counted Site)
Gibson Glascock County Libray (Be Counted Site)
Gibson Mitchell City Hall/Fire (QAC Site)
Mitchell Glascock Board of Commissioners (QAC Site) Gibson