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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016
CHAMBER HONORS BURGAMY
AS BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
The Barrow County Chamber of Commerce recently announced Debbie
Burgamy as its 2016 Businesswoman of the Year. Burgamy was honored on
Nov. 16 during a luncehon at the Georgia Club. Burgamy was most recently
publisher of the former Barrow County News. In the nomination letter sub
mitted by Gwen Hill, Hill praised Burgamy as “a pillar in the community” for
her newspaper work and credited her with helping to bring more publicity to
chamber and community events. Photo courtesy of Nelson Sanders.
“Okinawa
Etched Deep
in My Mind”
By Herman Buffington
By Scott Thompson
Editor
As Auburn’s down
town district continues to
grow, city officials see
a need for an improved
public address system,
and City Council agrees.
Council on Thursday
approved a bid of just
under $46,000 by Gaines
ville-based db Audio &
Video over two other
companies to install a
downtown audio system
that would be controlled
from a single point and
would be expandable as
the area grows.
The bid total was
slightly higher than the
$44,000 one submit
ted by Westlake. Calif.-
based Guitar Center
Professional, but city
officials recommended
db because of its local
presence and extensive
resume that includes
sound system installa
tions at venues such
as the Avalan develop
ment in Alpharetta and
all the 12Stone Church
locations.
“They have an
impressive track
record and the equip
ment they’re offering
is top-notch,” said
Dan Pruehs, Auburn’s
parks and leisure ser
vices director. “This
sound system will be
used at every festival
and every event down
town. It’s weather
proof and something
that will get 365-days-
a-year use. The sound
quality is phenome
nal.”
Currently, the city
has to set up a portable
sound system for fes
tivals and events like
“Movie Night,” but the
new system will be pro
vide greater flexibility,
Pruehs said.
Some of the speakers
will be hung from the
side of City Hall while
the rest will be elevated
16-20 feet up in the air,
he said.
Having all communi
cations from the system
controlled from a sin
gle point will also help
law enforcement, Pruehs
said.
“From a public safety
standpoint, if we have an
emergency, the chief or
mayor or whoever can
hit the microphone and it
cuts off all the music and
becomes a public address
system for public service
announcements if we
need that immediately
without jumping through
a bunch of hoops,” he
said.
“What I really liked
about (an earlier demon
stration of the equipment
the company gave) was
that it is all part of the
same system,” Mayor
Linda Blechinger added.
“In the past with the
system we have, when
we’ve tried to switch it
from music to someone
talking, sometimes it
doesn’t even work.”
Council members were
also at ease with the com
pany being local and one
of its employees who
presented information
on the system earlier this
year being a city resident.
“It’s good to have them
here,” councilwoman
Peggy Langley said. “As
far as the money goes, I
would rather pay a little
more if that means hav
ing them here and having
a top-notch product.”
A Georgia Soldier's
Recollection of
Okinawa, The Last Battle
of World War Two
This book by Herman Buffington, the long-time pub
lisher of MainStreet Newspapers, is again available in a
limited quantity.
Buffington, who passed away in 2014, was a combat infan
tryman in the last battle of World War II, the Battle of
Okinawa. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 96th Infantry
“Deadeyes” Division and this book is his personal recollec
tion of the Easter Sunday, 1945 Okinawa invasion and other
memories of that battle.
The book is available for $10 plus tax at The Jackson Herald
office, 33 Lee Street in Jefferson.
To have a book mailed to you, send a check for $13.70 ($10
plus tax & shipping) to Helen Buffington, 162 Jett Roberts
Road, Jefferson, GA 30549. For more information, call 706-
614-4354.
Auburn council approves purchase
of downtown public speaker system
Drought continued from 1A
“During this prolonged
period of severe drought
in Georgia, we are bol
stering the state’s drought
response in more than 100
counties.” Deal said in a
news release. “I would like
to remind Georgians that
there are specific guidelines
and prohibitions to follow
during a Level 1 and Level
2 Drought Response, We
urge these communities to
act accordingly, use good
judgment and avoid outdoor
burning and watering while
we continue to work with
the EPD and pray for rain
across the state.”
This week marks the 24th
week of continuous severe
drought in northwest Geor
gia, the 22nd week for the
Atlanta metro area, the 21st
week in northeastern parts
of the state and the 15th
week in central Georgia,
according to the release.
“Today’s declaration is
driven by an extended peri
od of little or no rain and
increasing dryness in the
impacted areas,” said EPD
Director Richard Dunn.
“What’s more, there is little
hope for relief as weath
er forecasters expect an
unusually warm, dry winter
across most of the state.”
UPPER OCONEE
BASIN WATER
AUTHORITY DES
IGNATES STAGE
C DROUGHT
Meanwhile, the Upper
Oconee Basin Water
Authority announced that
it has designated a Drought
Severity Stage C for its
member counties, includ
ing Barrow, Athens-Clarke,
Jackson and Oconee.
Stage C is one stage below
the most severe drought
severity stage contemplated
by the UOBWA’s Drought
Management Policy/Con
tingency Plan. While severe
drought conditions current
ly exist, the UOBWA is not
asking its member coun
ties to implement water
use reductions at this time
beyond any restrictions that
may be imposed by the
Georgia EPD.
“The UOBWA utiliz
es a state of the art model
approved by the Georgia
EPD to help us identify
droughts and make appro
priate associated decisions
regarding any necessary
water use reductions,” said
Melvin Davis, chairman
of the UOBWA and the
Oconee County Board of
Commissioners, in a news
release. “Even though
current conditions, while
severe, do not require water
use reductions beyond those
which may be required by
the State, we felt that it
was important to continue
to inform the public about
current conditions and to
let the public know that we
are actively monitoring the
situation.
“We also ask that the pub
lic use our water resourc
es carefully and conserve
water when possible.”
The Bear Creek Reser
voir, which is in southwest
Jackson County and is the
water source for the authori
ty, is about seven feet below
its full pool. Brad Lanning,
with Jacobs Engineering,
reported the authority has
been treating an average
of 11.8 million gallons of
water per day since its last
meeting in September. That
is “much higher use we’re
seeing” than the same time
in 2015, he said. It was
about 7 MGD in 2015, he
said.
However, Lanning also
said the amount processed
for Wednesday was about
8 MGD. He noted cooler
weather likely helped lower
the amount.
Bobby Snipes, the author
ity’s “owners’ representa
tive,” said the authority’s
engineering and operations
committees will start meet
ing every two weeks to
more closely monitor the
conditions. The next joint
meeting will be Nov. 30.
Snipes said if conditions
get worse, the authority
might have a called meet
ing. But he said the model
used to predict water usage
and lowering in the reser
voir is better than in years
past. Projections for use
and water availability show
the reservoir level going
to about 64 percent if the
drought does not get worse.
Under “probably the worst
case scenario,” Snipes said,
the reservoir might fall to
41 percent full. The res
ervoir water pool was at
688 feet above sea level
Wednesday. Full pool is
695 MSL. Based on the
authority’s projections, and
assuming the state issues a
restriction of five percent
of usage, the reservoir is
projected to go as low as
683 MSL.
Lanning told the board
the lowest level for the res
ervoir has been 678 MSL.
He also said the authority
is not. and has not. taken
water from the river for
nearly all of seven weeks.
Snipes pointed out that
about four million gallons
of water was added to the
reservoir Monday. Lanning
said that occurred in about
five hours.
The authority board also
approved changes in pip
ing that would allow for
pumping about one million
gallons of water per day
back into the reservoir from
the settling ponds. Wayne
Haynie. chair for the engi
neering and operations
committee, said the recy
cling of the water would
help with the operations.
Amrey Harden, mem
ber from Oconee County,
asked about the outlook for
replenishing the reservoir.
Snipes said predictions are
for a 60 percent chance of
less-than-normal rainfall.
“It’s a long answer to a
question to say, ‘we don’t
know,”’ Snipes said.
He told the county rep
resentatives they might
want “to dust off your pub
lic information campaign”
about water conservation.
“Let’s not wait until we
get in a crisis to think about
that,” he warned.
Ron Bridgernan contrib
uted to this story.
Considering
buying or
selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
PUBLIX MYSTERY COUPON
See What 1$ Gets!
Bring this coupon to Publix on November 23, 2016, and find out what
one penny gets you! Good with your purchase of $10 or more.
Limit one coupon per household per day. Excluding all alcohol,
tobacco, lottery items, money services, postage stamps, gift cards,
and prescriptions. Customer is responsible for all applicable taxes.
Reproduction or transfer of this coupon is strictly prohibited.
Effective November 23, 2016 at participating stores in Ga., Ala., and Tenn.
Publix.
WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE* LU# 1 1078
WATER RESTRICTIONS/DROUGHT NOTICES
November 18, 2016
Due to the worsening of drought conditions, the EPD has declared a Level 2 Drought
Response effective immediately.
During a Level 2 Drought Response, outdoor landscape watering is only allowed two (2) days
a week determined by odd and even-numbered addresses. Even-numbered addresses and
properties without numbered addresses may water on Wednesday and Saturday between 4:00
p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Odd-numbered addresses may water Thursday and Sunday between
4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Prohibited outdoor water uses include the following:
• Washing hard surfaces such as streets, gutters, sidewalks and driveways, except
when necessary for public health and safety;
• Using water for ornamental purposes, such as fountains, reflecting pools and
waterfalls;
• The use of fire hydrants, except for firefighting, public health, safety or flushing;
• Washing vehicles, such as cars, boats, trailers, motorbikes, airplanes or golf carts;
• Non-commercial washing, or pressure washing, of buildings or structures, except for
immediate fire protection; and
• Charity, or non-commercial fund-raiser, car washes.
The following activities are allowed under both Level 1 and Level 2 Drought Responses:
• Irrigation of personal food gardens may be done at any time of day;
• Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf may be done at any time of day for
30 days after installation;
• Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses may be done at any time of day and
hand-watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container may be done at
any time of day;
• General landscape watering may be done between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. on the
designated days.
• For additional allowable uses refer to EPD Drought Management Document
Rule 391-3-30-.03 Predrouaht Mitigation Strategies
• Go to Barrow County website for more listings: www.barrowaa.ora
Barrow County is included in the 52 counties for Level 2 Drought Repsonse. More water
conservation information is available at http://eDd.aeoraia.aov/water-conservation.
Water conservation kits are available at Barrow County Water office upon request.
Barrow County Board of Commissioners
30 North Broad Street; Winder, GA 30680 • www.barrowga.org