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Peach PublLfhing Company u looking for the cover o f our next Wedding Magazine. Mil II..II inti Mil. ..II. ..II him 4*2 i ALL FOR ADC 301 GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT UNIV OF GA ATHENSGA 30602-0001 L manayt"Tncitiuuci n. UUI IW.I iv • I z 1 r * I J\ Vol. 126 Issue No. 2 50^ Peach County's Newspaper January If, 8018 Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron Evelyn Sledge - Roland A.J. Ogden - Fort Valley Obituary Notices on •Byron City Council: Every 2nd Monday, 6 p.m., 2nd Floor. Byron Municipal Complex. •Ft. Valley City Council: Work Session 5:30 p.m. Tuesday before regular meeting. Mayor’s Office. City Hall; Regular Meeting every third Thursday, 6:30 p.m.. Public Meeting Room, City Hall. •County (.'ommlssionerc Every 2nd Tuesday. 4 p.m.. Public Meeting Room. County Courthouse Annex, Ft. Valley. •Board of Education Study Session. Tuesday before Regular Meeting, 5 p.m.. Board Meeting Room; Regular Meeting every 1st Tuesday, Board Meeting Room. 523 Vineville St. Ft Valley •Hospital Authority: Friday after 4th Monday. 9 a.m.. Conference Room, Peach Regional Medical Center. •Development Authority: Every 3rd Thursday. 8 a.m., Conference Room. Troutman House, Ft. Valley, •Ft. Valley Utility Corn-mission: Every 2nd Monday. 6 p.m., Public Meeting Room, Ft. Valley City Hall. •Water A Sewerage Authority: 3rd Monday of month. 6:15 p.m.. Public Meeting Room, County Courthouse Annex, Ft. Valley. •Tax Assessors: First Thursday of month, 4 p.m.. Public Meeting Room. County Courthouse Annex, Ft. Valley. •Byron Planning A Zoning Every 4th Thursday of month. 6 p.m. •Fort Valley DDA Board: First Tuesday. 6 p.m., Troutman House Conference Room •Fort Valley Historical Preservation Commission: Second Thursday at 6 p.m , TVoutman House Conference Room Local Weather Forecast Sunny Wednesday, Jan. 11 Hi: 64* Lo: 36* Sunny Thursday. Jan. 12 Hi: 59* lo: 3 6 m Sunny Friday, Jan. 13 Hi: 60* Lo: 36* Sunny Saturday, Jan. 14 Hi: 61* lo: 36* Sunny Sunday, Jan. 15 Hi: 62* lo: 36* What’s INSIDE Patch In & Out MttMIMM £ Police Bact mmm .4 ,.8 .,.6 10 11 II 17 > t licit ( it hi v* Fur Over 100 Years 7 Advertising Spotlight WotLoat Beauty Salon .iembership Si 5/Month > $l "/>rrd!<ui ■ n* m >» m « am m* r— U. Drive Hits H H ^ Bump ^ Road _ W am w in V >■ ' t if ^ i, J* U / . - jjW&Mw' A view of State University Drive looking south from the base of the Wildcat Monument. Area residents are expressing strong opposition to plans to build islands in the middle lane for beautification and traffic control, while supporting the rest or the Streetscape project. Residents say the islands would alter the character of the street and cause problems during FVSU Homecoming. Photo by Victor Kulkosky By Victor Kulkosky News Editor The picture presented at last Wednesday's forum on the State University Drive Streetscape project was a pretty one, but elected officials said their constituents want to redraw the middle of the picture. The meeting at Fort Valley City Hall was held to give area residents more information on the project and to give them a chance to air their views on the $1.5 million project. At the last Local Legislators Preview 2012 Session BitS I 0 / ' J r County Commissioner Michael Dinkins, center, chats with State Reps. Lynmore James and Robert Dickey before last week's Legislative preview at the Austin Theater. Photo by Victor Kulkosky By Victor Kulkosky News Editor The message from area legislators at a Legislative Preview last week was simple: Expect tweaks but no major changes Tax Season begins January 17, 2012 ^ f Time T« each week for tips and services See page 11 City Council meeting, Preston King, spokesman for a local citizens' group, voiced opposition on behalf the group to the part of the streetscape plan that would place traffic control islands in the middle of State University Drive. The meeting was called in response to those concerns. Tray Gavin of Carter & Sloop, long¬ time city engineers, brought along a table-length drawing of the project, which would extend from the Wildcat monument at the beginning of State University Drive to Ira Hicks Blvd. State Reps Lynmore James and Robert Dickey and State Sen. Cecil Staton were the guests at a Legislative Preview forum sponsored by the Peach County Chamber of Commerce, held last Tuesday evening at the Austin Theater in downtown Fort Valley. 1 Pf •uch Publishing ( it. N cm s/ta/h'i y \ P^kbj About 45% of money spent at a local business stays in the 14% community at big-box compared store. to These only a dollars not only cycle through the community many times, but they fund also produce tax revenues to schools and safe streets The project as envisioned would repave the street, install antique-looking streetlights, place intermittent curbs extending into the outside lanes, and place intermittent islands in the center lane, which would be planted with low shrubs and include streetlights. Gavin said the islands would be from 150 to 300 feet apart; some would be integrated into crosswalks of stamped concrete that look like bricks. The design is similar to sections of Continued to page 3 New legislative districts would likely leav* James and Dickey represent ing roughly the same parts of Peach County as before, while Staton's new 18th Senate District would include all Continued to page 9 Byron Council Wrestles With Own Contract Rules By Victor Kulkosky News Editor The first meeting of the Byron Mayor and Council for 2012 began with an announcement of an approach¬ ing historic moment. Mayor Larry Collins read excerpts from a letter from City Clerk Betty Sims announcing her retirement effec¬ tive Feb. 2, 2013. The letter also said Sims would celebrate her 35th year of service to the city in October 2012. In her letter, Sims said she would step down from her current post as City Administrator and recommend Assistant City Clerk Derrick Hayes for the post. She further recommended Tina Allred prepare to take over her position as City Clerk upon Sims’ retirement. The council subsequently voted unanimously to appoint Hayes to the City Administrator post as recom¬ mended. Some items on the agenda did not go as smoothly. The first snag came when the coun¬ cil considered renewing the annual contract with the Byron Convention and Visitors Bureau. The contract actually expired at the end of 2011, but the city's own ordinance requires any contract over $500 to be before the council for one month before a vote, unless an emergency is declared. The council accepted Councilman Michael Chidester's motion to do so, with the explanation that the CVB would not be able to receive any city funds or per¬ form its functions without an approved contract. Chidester asked new City Administrator Hayes to ensure annual contracts such as the one with CVB go before the council a month before they expire. The city’s contract ordinance also complicated consideration of the sec¬ ond contract for Master Sewer System Improvements, known as Contract "B," which is the last leg of the city’s con¬ nection to the Macon Water and Sewer Authority. Public Works Director William McDaniel told the council Pyles Plumbing & Utility Contractors Inc. was the low bidder at $598,510. After several minutes of discussion, the council approved Chidester’s motion to accept the bid but take no other action until the council could approve a contract. In other business, Alan Dorsey of Alan's Towing addressed the council concerning issues with on-call wrecker service and maintenance work on city vehicles. Regarding wrecker services, Dorsey said he is the only one of three wrecker companies in Byron that has equipment to handle very large wrecks such as semis and RVs, but 911 has several times called the on-call wrecker. This has led to disputes over whose lot the wrecked vehicle, and the fees that go with it, should go to. Chief Wesley Canon told the council that the city ordinance does specify which wrecker should get which call, but officers and 911 dispatchers are not all equally aware of it and officers on the scene, who are concerned with han¬ dling traffic, might not pay attention to who takes wrecked vehicles away. Council members suggested the city's ordinance concerning wrecker services Continued to page 3