Newspaper Page Text
- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2006
6A
Gift cards require research
to get most for your money
fly SHARON OMAHEN
University of Georgia
Gift cards have become
popular options for the
holiday season and other
gift-giving times. But a
University of Georgia finan
cial expert warns gift card
givers to read the fine print
before buying and giving
gift cards.
“Different cards come
with different terms and
conditions related to fees,
expiration dates, where
you can use the cards and
what happens if cards
are lost or stolen,” said
Michael Rupured, a UGA
Cooperative Extension
financial specialist. “Gift
cards are definitely not all
created equally. There can
be some big differences
from one card to another.”
Less than your mon
ey’s worth Some gift cards
actually cost more money
than what they’re worth, he
said. For example, a SSO gift
card can cost $55.
“So you’ve lost $5 from
the purchase fee right off
the bat with this type of gift
card,” he said. “Typically,
these are the gift cards that
can be used at multiple
locations.”
Gift cards purchased
directly from a retailer are
usually offered at face value,
he said. But they may have
SEPTAGE
From page iA
matter of time before they
shut down again.”
Stalnaker noted some of
the local companies that
pump out septic tanks are
going out of business because
they have nowhere to dump
the septage.
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
said he has heard of some
fly-by-night septage haulers
dumping their loads in fields
in south Houston County or
in city sewer lines by open
ing manhole covers.
The cities providing more
sewerage and sewer service
is not a solution, as people
don’t want to be annexed
or to get rid of their septic
tank, Walker said.
He cited as an example
HOME
From page lA
have to learn flexibility and
be prepared to do things
that need to be done. I have
brothers and sisters, I am
not better than they are. I
just accepted a life style that
works for me.”
Stephanie McClesky joined
the service right out of high
school.
Now a technical sergeant -
both work law enforcement
and are assigned to Robins
Air Force Base - she said it
PLASTIC
From page lA
$799.99, $19.45 for those
between SBOO and $899.99
and is $21.60 for those
between S9OO and $999.99.
The city council also
approved another SIO,OOO
for the demolition of the
Stokes building at 1100
Watson Blvd., at the corner
of Commercial Circle as lay
ers of floor tiles and con
crete were found beneath
the asphalt. “The layer of
asbestos tile had to be abat
ed,” Mayor Donald Walker
explained.
The council also amended
an annual contract with the
Silvex Company for sewer
solvent from SB6 to S9B a
pail because of the increase
in raw materials to make the
product. Councilman John
Havrilla questioned the
amendment to an annual
contract. “Can’t we enforce
the contract?”
Kim Demoonie, city pur-
JAIL
From page lA
each time.
Before being picked up
different charges associated
with them.
The card recipient can be
charged for not using their
gift card, too.
Fees, fees, fees
“Some companies deduct
a nonusage fee starting
about six months after
the date the gift card was
purchased,” Rupured said.
“This is a concern, because
many people set gift cards
aside and forget about them.
And this fee will continue to
be subtracted from the card
until its value is depleted.”
Per-use transaction fees
are another possible draw
back to using gift cards, he
said. This fee is deducted
from the gift card if the
entire amount isn’t used in
one transaction. Rupured
said the face value of
some gift cards can even
be reduced by a fee that’s
charged when you call to
check the card’s balance.
“All of these fees and
terms should be disclosed,
perhaps on the card itself,”
he said. “But more often,
the fees are explained in
a separate document, on a
Web site or from a toll-free
number.”
Just like cash in many
ways
Gift cards work just like
cash. When you make a
transaction, that amount is
deducted from the amount
a Moody Road homeowner
having septic problems. “I
told him we could run sewer
out there but he’d have to
be annexed into the city. He
said no he didn’t want to be
annexed.”
“The tanks we have in the
county,” Stalnaker added,
“are most likely not coming
out of the ground. It is very
difficult to get rid of them.”
The county is not in the
sewage business, Sanders
said.
“A county-wide sew
age system is economically
astronomical,” he said. “It’s
not economically feasible.”
State Representative
Larry O’Neal said a “pos
sible fix is a DCA grant.”
Mayor Walker said the
city has done some of that
with the grants from the
Department of Community
is about giving your all.
“Running (a) family, home
(and) careers is not about
what you get to do when
you want to. It is about giv
ing 100 percent all the time,
not just the wife but the
husband too. If I get sick his
portion is kicked up to 267
percent. We have an attitude
that is different than most.
We just believe in each other
and being there. “
As far as being apart over
Christmas, Christopher, a
staff sergeant, said the time
has come for the family to
find traditions of its own.
chasing analyst coordinator
said the increased cost “is
cheaper than what we could
get from any other vender.
He’s selling it to us at a loss
now.”
The product is also the
only one that been working
for the city, Demoonie said.
Also among the 13 bids
council approved was a
bid from Critter Fixer of
Bonaire to perform spay/
neuter procedures on cats
and dogs adopted at the city
animal shelter at SSB/$35
for cats and S6B/$55 for
dogs plus $9 for rabies vac
cinations. Critter Fixer will
also do all Warner Robins
Animal Control exams for
free including housing of
animals and writing up cru
elty cases, consulting with
officers on cases and serving
as witness in court for the
cruelty cases.
The council also appointed
Gary Lee to the Planning
and Zoning Commission to
fill the unexpired term of
Leon Grigsby. Lee, owner
this time, Jackson was con
sidered an absconder from
probation and the state sex
offender registry, as well as
the sheriff’s office.
His last known address on
on the card.
And, just like cash, if you
lose a gift card, the person
who finds it can pick it up
and use it. For safety sake,
Rupured says, write the gift
card’s unique number on
your receipt. Then attach
the receipt to the gift card.
“They already know how
much you’ve paid, and now
they’ll have the information
they need to replace it if it’s
lost,” he said. “And they
have the detailed informa
tion on any possible fees,
too.”
As long as you pay atten
tion to the terms, he said,
gift cards can be useful.
“A lot of retailers don’t
charge any fees for using
their gift cards,” he said.
“And if you have family or
friends in different cities,
you can buy a gift card from
a major retailer. Just check
with them to make sure
they have the same retailer
near by.”
Gift card tips
To make sure the $25 you
spend on a gift card is actu
ally a $25 gift, then, (1)
be sure you understand the
terms, (2) keep the receipt
and write down the card
number in case it’s lost
or stolen, and (3) give the
receipt with the gift card
so the recipient will know
how to use it to get its full
value.
Affairs “to offset some in
Bonaire to install sewerage,”
on property owners request
ed for annexation.
O’Neal also proposed
increased costs. “Maybe
double the cost of a load to
amortize bonds to offset the
costs,” O’Neal said, for addi
tional treatment. “The cities
need an incentive to handle
septage.”
In a related matter,
Stalnaker also raised con
cerned about a movement
in the EPD to shift addi
tional responsibility to local
authorities for permitting.
The county has agree
ments with the Georgia Soil
and Water Conservation
Commission as local issu
ing authority to issue land
disturbance permits for sites
over an acre, which requires
the developer to comply with
“I come from a large fam
ily,” he said. “My father’s
family was even larger. My
wife Stephanie, Calloway,
Madsion and I make the
complete family.”
Teamwork is the key to
success they both add.
“It is not hard to figure
out,” Christopher said. “If
she cooks I do the dishes.
Children’s bath time or read
ing time is a group effort.
Saturday is our traditional
family time. The children
are young but they have no
doubt that we are all here as
a family.”
of Lifetime Developers, is
a former football standout
at Warner Robins High and
Georgia Tech who played for
the Detroit Lions.
He has moved his busi
ness from Atlanta to Warner
Robins to return home. “My
family has been her since it
was York,” Lee said.
City Council also approved
a SIOO Christmas bonus for
city employees. Havrilla
voted against the bonus,
explaining he had no notice
of the proposal and said “in
my view it would be bet
ter to appropriate salary. A
bonus is a private sector, not
a public sector reward.”
He said the bonus “con
veys a level of capriciousness
not appropriate to the public
sector. I vote against it.”
He was the only one. The
other council members pres
ent - Dean Cowart, Clifford
Holmes, Terry Horton and
Doug McDowell - and the
mayor approved the bonus.
Councilman Steve Smith
was not at the meeting.
Angela Avefiue in Warner
Robins was last verified on
Oct. 12.
He is currently being held
without bond at the Houston
County Detention Center.
LOCAL
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Mid South places third in
annual Christmas parade
Special to the Journal
Mid South Federal Credit
Union joined its fellow
Georgians in celebrat
ing Christmas in Macon
Dec. 11. As a participant
in this year’s 44th Annual
Macon Jaycee’s sponsored
Christmas parade, Mid South
Federal Credit Union took to
the streets of downtown atop
a festive Christmas float,
which received third place
in the Commercial Float cat
egory. Approximately 40 par
ticipants from Mid South’s
Macon locations took part to
the county regulations.
He said the EPD wants
the local issuing authorities
to adopt the state’s general
permit as the local regula
tions.
Stalnaker had several
questions, including: Would
the county also have addi
tional responsibility and
liability and what is the
state doing with the S4O per
land disturbance permit the
county sends now?
“If all the state is doing
is filling the paperwork
and the county is handling
administration and enforces,
why should the state get any
money at all?” Stlanaker
asked.
He also noted that local
participation is voluntary.
What happens if all the
counties decide to turn in
their local issuing authority?
The McClesky family
comes from a long line of mil
itary members. It has been
important to Christopher
while growing up to have
events together with family.
Stephanie recognizes that
and plans to carry on that
tradition.
“Christopher’s family has
the great tradition of all,”
she said. “... the little kids
having the same pajamas ...
then they take photographs.
It wouldn’t be for everyone,
but it is just a special memo
ry. When you are little these
are important.”
United Mrtfwdid &uach 11
Service Times, 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. 11
Communion, Open To All I
Message by Rev. Jenny Jackson-Adams I
_ Child Care Provided I
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1002 Carroll Street • Perry, GA 987-1 852
bring the float to life.
“It’s a treat to see our
members’ faces light up
and say, ‘That’s my credit
union!’ as we pass by on
the float,” stated Mid South
FCU Branch Manager
Connie Ogletree, fashion
ing a holiday red sweatshirt
emblazoned with the mes
sage Happy Holidays from
Mid South Federal Credit
Union. “Seeing our staff get
in the spirit of giving dur
ing this season makes par
ticipating mean that much
more.”
Mid South Federal Credit
“It would bring it to a halt,
“he said.
Stalnaker and Walker both
raised concerns about more
and more unfunded man
dates being pushed on them.
“To do this additional work
we need additional resourc
es,” Stalnaker said.
“If there wasn’t so many
Clearly, The Lighting Store is where
to go for Christmas Lights. Clearly.
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/C 37/e Jlijfitinj St ere 3
926 Carroll St. • Perry, GA 31069
478-224-8888
T-F 9ani-spm SAT 10am-2pm
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Union is the oldest locally
owned financial institution
in Macon, celebratingits 70th
anniversary in 2006. With
offices in Macon, Warner
Robins and Milledgeville,
Mid South FCU is a full ser
vice financial institution
whose services are available
to anyone who lives, works,
worships, or goes to school
in 13 Middle Georgia com
munities. Mid South Federal
Credit Union also partici
pated in the Warner Robins
and Milledgeville Christmas
parades held earlier this
month.
unfunded mandates,”
Walker told the legisla
tors, “my council wouldn’t
be asking you for so much
money.”
State Senator Ross
Tolleson assured the city
and county officials he
would “push dialogue with
the EPD on this.”
Head
Taller
Sarah
Hill,
from
the
Hartley
Bridge
Branch,
holds
up the
third
place
trophy
while
riding
on the
float
dur
ing the
parade.
Contributed
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