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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017
Water authority is still facing
potential drought conditions
By Ron Bridg'eman
News-Journal Reporter
Area counties may face more drought
problems in 2017 if underlying con
ditions do not improve, Bob Snipes,
consultant for the Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority, told the group last
week.
UOBWA is a four-county group that
includes Jackson, Barrow, Clarke and
Oconee counties.
Bear Creek Reservoir in the south
western part of Jackson County is the
group’s water source,
A water treatment plant that serves
Jackson, Barrow and Oconee counties
is at that reservoir.
Snipes said the most recent water
supply model provides “good news and
not-so-good news” for the group.
The good news, he said, is the reser
voir has returned to full pool of 695 feet
above sea level.
It has been at full pool, or very close,
since early January.
The rainfall in January, through Jan.
20, was 6.4 inches, which is above the
4.5 inches of average rainfall in the past
45 years during the month, he said.
The average use for water also is
“slightly less” than in 2016.
Snipes added the “not-so-good” news
is that the three-month streamflow pro
jections are “about the same as they
were in 1986 and the streamflow for
January 2017 was “significantly less”
than in 2016.
In addition, the soil moisture content,
as of Jan. 9, was -4.81, which compares
to -1.63 for January in 1986.
The soil moisture content “continues
to decrease,” Snipes said.
If it does not rebound before the
drought season this year, the “base
stream flows might be less.”
He said the area continues to be in
stage D for drought, the most severe
stage.
“That may seem contrary” to other
information, such as the full reservoir
and rainfall, but the underlying numbers
require UOBWA to monitor conditions,
he said.
Snipes told the joint engineering and
operations committee that it should
“continue to be mindful of the water
supply model and what it says to us.”
The group also unanimously agreed
to extend Jacobs Engineering’s man
agement contract for the reservoir and
UOBWA for three years.
The extension includes some condi
tions. Those are:
•The multipliers used to calculate
Jacobs payment will remain the same,
except for a minor adjustment which
will be a decrease.
For 2016, the company received
$1,052,441 as a management fee for
the contract, according to the UOBWA
financial statement.
•A review of the people managing the
reservoir will be conducted by Jacobs
with comment from UOBWA. That
review is to be conducted before the
contract ends in September.
The new contract will start in late
September.
In other business, the board:
•Heard a report from Snipes that the
lagoon discharge system project at Bear
Creek was completed in December for
much less than the estimate. The project
was estimated to cost about $37,500
and it cost under $9,400. Snipes said the
savings from electricity cost would be
about $196,000 per year, making it “a
very cost effective move.”
•Heard from Snipes that a review
of the cost allocations among the four
counties is due. It was updated in 2012
and a review is scheduled for 2017,
every five years.
Random Rants in Rhyme
Blackie
Blackie was a Spanish mule
that could make me feel like a stupid fool
by raising in me such intense ire,
that I felt in danger of hell-fire.
I found myself using all those bad words -
you know, the ones that I had often heard
those other boys use on the school yard
back in those days when times were so hard.
Of course, none of this was ever my fault!
I was plowing a mule not worth her salt,
and she aggravated me every day.
It was her fault I spoke that way.
My Daddy would say when he came in late,
“The lines you plow are not very straight.”
“Daddy, that mule can aggravate.”
I would say (and I was only eight).
August came, and with it Revival,
and I needed help for my survival.
I walked the aisle, gave the preacher my hand,
and got my ticket for the Promised Land.
Next morning, as I hooked her to the plow,
I said, “Blackie, I’m a Christian now,
and those words I’ve been saying every day -
I’m not going to talk to you that way.”
Before, in that field, we had gone two roundabouts,
every one of those words had already come out.
The halo I had worn so auspiciously
had fallen around my neck and was choking me.
Nothing has changed, old Satan seemed to say,
you’re the same sorry thing you were yesterday!
And they had told me that nothing could sever
me from salvation forever and ever.
But that was before I knew Philippians 1:6,
a biblical promise on which my mind fixed:
He who began a good work (in your life)
will be faithful to complete it ‘til the day of Christ.
So, Blackie, I owe a debt to you.
You helped me to find One who has been true
and led me for years - but obviously -
He is not done. He’s still working on me!
© 2017, cbs
UNWRAPPING A GIFT
Larry Germain is shown helping Don Wildsmith unwrap his gift for his
volunteer work at Adult Literacy Barrow. He received a signed toilet
seat from students and staff at Adult Literacy Barrow that reads “Chief
Standing Water.” Wildsmith was constructive in helping Adult Literacy
Barrow move from Athens Street to Wimberly Center. During the move,
a pipe had burst in the new building and water gushed into the class
rooms. Wildsmith coordinated students and staff in the cleanup. He
was also Master Chief Hospital Corpsman in the Navy and Marines.
These two events lead to his nickname “Chief Standing Water.” Photo by
Wesleigh Sagon
Ball continued from 1A
Road continued from 1A
advancement opportuni
ties and quality of life for
its citizens.
The program initiates,
plans, directs, and coordi
nates programs for adult
education in conjunction
with citizens, govern
ment, educational institu
tions, business and indus
tries, leaders state.
Over ALB’s 24-year
history. Barrow County’s
illiteracy rate (adult citi
zens without a high school
diploma) decreased from
42 percent in 1990 to just
18.7 percent in 2015.
Over $1.5 million in
matching grants have
been received through the
ALB to assist teachers
and students, yet the pro
gram is not sustainable
without support from the
Barrow community, lead
ers state.
This year ALB plans to
serve 2.200 students.
The Winder Campus
of Lanier Tech was also
established through the
Barrow County Literacy
effort.
They now offer 54 pro
grams including degrees,
diplomas and certificates
with more than 400 stu
dents per year.
Bethlehem Elementary
School now offers class
es for BES parents who
want to leam English.
Funds raised by Beth
lehem Elementary School
help support this class.
Leaders state that
English as a second lan
guage (ESL) classes are
an important part of their
program because it helps
to educate parents so they
are better prepared to
support and educate their
children.
“Local education pro
grams have been raising
money to work with Adult
Literacy Barrow to serve
the needs of parents. If
children’s parents can
read and write English
then their kids will do
better in school,” said
Brenda Thomas, exec
utive director at Lanier
Technical College Adult
Education Program.
For more information
on Adult Literacy Bar-
row, contact Sally Brown,
executive director of
ALB, at 770-531-3369
or by email at sbrown@
laniertech.edu.
all to stop people from
flying up and down this
road.”
Installing speed bumps
“is a one-day project,” he
said. “Does it take some
one on this road getting
killed and this county get
ting sued before we do
something? These (driv
ers) do not care. You try
to talk to them, and they
shoot you birds. They cuss
at you.
“Do people not care
about people anymore?”
While there have been
no accidents on Cash Road
recorded on file, the coun
ty's engineering office has
installed warning signs
near the residential area of
the road.
County manager Mike
Renshaw said last week he
visited with the Brewers
about three months ago
and directed county pub
lic works and engineering
staff to conduct a traffic
study of the road.
Commissioners voted in
2006 to prohibit the use
and installation of speed
bumps on county-main
tained roads.
They based their deci
sion on research indicating
that speed humps would
be costly to install and
maintain and that there
were more cost-effective
ways to improve traffic
safety on roads.
Instead, Renshaw said,
the county is proposing to
install a series of thermo
plastic rumble strips in an
effort to raise motorists’
awareness of the 25 mile-
per-hour speed limit.
“Our engineering office
has had great success
recently installing (the
strips) along similar road
segments, significantly
and safely reducing vehi
cle speeds,” Renshaw said.
“There is an abundance of
research studies that dis
putes the effectiveness of
speed humps as a general
traffic calming strategy.”
Media reports around the
U.S. in recent years have
suggested that in addition
to the installation and
maintenance costs associ
ated with speed bumps,
they could also interfere
with emergency vehicle
response times, lead to a
reduction in property val
ues and increase the wear
and tear on residential and
commercial vehicles.
But Doug Brewer
doubts that rumble strips
will have that much of an
effect on drivers’ behavior.
“They are not going to
help,” he said. “If people
tear up their car going fast
over speed bumps, that’s
their fault. The county
should not have to pay for
it. But I would appreciate
my family being protect
ed.”
Commissioner Joe
Goodman, who has visited
the spot of concern and
was addressed directly by
the Brewers at last week’s
meeting, acknowledged
the situation is serious.
“It’s a dangerous, blind
curve. There's no other
way to sort it,” Goodman
said. “But there are things
from us that prohibit doing
radar detection out there
and we have the resolution
in place that doesn’t allow
for speed bumps. We’re
exploring all the options
available to us. I know it’s
been longer than it should
have been, but we’ve had
personnel changes, a new
county manager come in, a
new public works director
come in. This should have
been addressed sooner, but
it’s not for a lack of try
ing. We’ve tried to do this
right, but our hands are
tied a little due to policy.”
As to whether the coun
ty should reconsider its
previous decision to out
law speed bumps, Good
man said that should be
evaluated on a case-by-
case basis.
“It’s difficult to warrant
one for one or two people,
but at the same time, if it’s
a better safety aspect, it’s
worth looking at,” he said.
“Still, there are standards
that have to be met. You
certainly don’t want to put
one on a blind curve where
someone can come around
the curve, hit one and get
seriously hurt.
“Loss of life or anyone
getting hurt is unaccept
able, no matter which side
you fall on.”
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