Newspaper Page Text
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Byron Middle School Chorus
Participated in FAME Show
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The Byron Middle school chorus students participated in the FAME Show Choir
Summit that took place at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA this past
Saturday. The students were divided in 3 groups and from 8am-6pm, they learned
choreography to many popular choral numbers including This Is Me, Dynamite and
Will It Go 'Round in Circles. The students later put on the entire performance before
a huge audience of parents, friends and administrators.
Pictured left to right¬
ist Row: Maggie Lettice
2nd Row: Donna Wingate, Meagan Huff, Kaelyn Shields, Emilee Bruce
3rd Row: Gayla Gasparich, Grace Dominy, Rachel Insley, Brianna Corlee, Dalia Perez
4th Row: Brittney Forbes, Makayla Matthews, Sarah Robinson, Paige Patterson, Mary
Jo McCary
5th Row: Katie Carter, Leia Williams, Emily Heath, Alyssa Dean
6th Row: Alex Williams, Hunter Johnson, Lucas Gray and Caleb Stephenson.
Will This Mild Winter Mean
More Insects This Summer?
Nancy C. Hinkle, Ph.D.
Dept, of Entomology
University of Georgia
Athens GA
Insects are durable - winter
never kills them all off.
But there are differences
in numbers that survive truly
harsh winters - with long
periods of freezing tempera¬
tures - and numbers that persist
through mild winters (such as
we are currently experiencing).
Here in Georgia we never
have temperatures that are
severe enough to have much
impact on insect populations.
Think about those warm days
in any winter when insects are
out and about despite snow a
week earlier. have hun-
UTILITY COMMISSION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
sions controls, Warfel said.
MEAG projects the whole¬
sale rate at 7.61 cents/kWh this
year, rising to 8.05 cents/kWh in
2014 and then declining slight¬
ly in the following two years.
Warfel said the projections only
account for existing regulations.
The cumulative added costs
of environmental regulations
cost the FVUC about $250j000
in 2011 and are projected to
increase to $450XXX) this year,
rising to over $700,000 next
year and leveling off at over
$800,000 over the next several
years, according to Warfel's pre¬
sentation. (The $700XX)0 for
next year would be the total
additional costs over a few
years, not another $700XXX).)
Proposed regulations limiting
carbon emissions could be “a
game changer” Warfel said, and
proposals to designate coal ash
as a hazardous substance would
add more costs to electricity
production.
FVUC General Manager Ned
Watson presented the case for
raising rates. Using a slide
presentation, Watson said the
FVUC budget for 2010-2011
allotted about $8.8 million for
power costs. The 2011-2012
budget (the current year) pro¬
jected $9.6 million for power
costs, or about S770XXX) more.
However, in November 20i 1,
MEAG revised its cost esti¬
mates up $444299. making
the total increase in wholesale
PEACHES TO THE BEACHES YARD SALE
MARCH 9-10 IN FORT VALLEY
Radies ix> nut Beaches
SlI I
THE SECOND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IN MARCH
Georgia's longesl yard sale, the Peaches «o the Beaches Yard Sale, will take place March 9-10
at the Troutman House 201 Oakland Heights Pkwy Fort Valley Georgia.
The Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale will feature vendors selling everything from antiques
and locally crafted items to traditional yard sale fare. Yard sale sites will range from large multi¬
organization sites to individual sites
Participating communities include Culloden, Roberta. Fort Valley, Perry, Hawkinsville,
Eastman, Helena. McRae. Lumber City. Ha/lehurst. Graham. Baxley, Surrency, Odum, Screven,
Jesup, Brunswick. St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.
For information about the Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale, contact April Bloxson at Peach
County Chamber of Commerce, at 478-825-3733 or via e-mail to chamber#peachchamber.com.
1
. FEBRUARY 22, 2012
kered down and waited out the
cold, then emerged to enjoy the
warmth when it returned.
Some insects have antifreeze
in their blood, which allows
them to survive subfreezing
temperatures with no damage.
Mosquito larvae can survive
just fine under a sheet of ice
covering their pool. So it’s time
to start checking for contain¬
ers that hold water around your
property. Is there a bucket or
tarp out there with a few cups
of water in it? Dump it and
put it where the next rain won’t
fill it. Female mosquitoes are
already looking for a place to
lay their eggs and you don’t want
to encourage them around your
house.
Most insects have the ability
power costs about $1.2 mil¬
lion. Measured in kWh, that is
an increase of .096 cents/kWh,
assuming sales of 127 million
kWh. Watson said. That equals
a 13.6% increase to the FVUC.
Forecasts for fiscal year 2013
project a 7.1% increase in costs,
3.8% in 2014. 0.6% in 2015,
and finally a decrease of 1.4% in
2016. That is equivalent to a 1.8
cents/kWh increase, or 25.5%.
over the next few years.
Watson said the wholesale
power costs do not take into
account any changes in main¬
tenance and operations. (The
FVUC charges customers its
wholesale cost for electric¬
ity plus a distribution charge to
cover M&O costs.)
The $12 million increase in
costs has already created a defi¬
cit of that amount, Watson said,
with the fiscal year half over.
The proposed rate increase will
only cover about $933,000 of
that deficit.
Watson said the commission
has a flexible operating bud¬
get, or reserves, of $8 million
available. The recommendation
for reserves is six months of
expenses, or $8 million - $10
million for the FVUCs $21 mil¬
lion budget.
“We could do like Congress
and kick the can down the road."
Watson said, or the commission
could raise rates. He suggested
commissioners enact a policy
that rates would increase or
to seek out warm spots to spend
cold nights, either under the bark
of trees or in cracks around our
homes. One good place to hide
is the crawl space under build¬
ings, where temperatures almost
never reach freezing. Another is
culverts. Storm drains provide
a cave-like habitat that protects
insects from low temperatures
(and also provide a cool retreat
on sweltering summer days).
A milder winter probably
allows a higher proportion of an
insect population to survive, thus
giving it a head start on building
up numbers in the spring. But
by mid-summer there will not
be a noticeable effect on insect
populations - we’ll just have a
lot of bugs as usual!
decrease along with costs.
Watson said the FVUC “has
been very well managed” and
done just about everything pos¬
sible to reduce expenses, with
four positions unfilled and no
recent capital spending (major
items such as trucks and large
equipment).
“That option has been played
out about as strongly as we
can," he said.
Watson presented proposed
rate changes, which include
increases in base rates for all
customers, and residential rates
per kWh rising 4.5 cents/kWh
for November to June. A new
small industrial rate of 13.5
cents/kWh would begin. Large
commercial, industrial and
industrial rates also go up, with
rates depending on usage.
According to a list provided
by the FVUC, electric rates for
Fort Valley are the lowest in
the state A residential cus
tomer using 1500 kWh a month
currently pays $108.85, with a
combined rate of 7.2567 cents/
kWh. Even with the increase,
the rates would still be the low¬
est in the state.
After a long discussion, com¬
missioners voted 3-1 to approve
the rate increases effective
March 1,2012. Bob Hunnicutt,
Billy Jones and Mayor Stumbo
voted in favor; Jo Ann Dankel
voted against the increase.
It’s Camellia Season in Middle Georgia
By Angela Kelly
In Middle Georgia we are
privileged to have an extra
season. Camellia Season.
Right now it is at its peak.
Throughout our area there are
beautiful camellia blossoms in
full bloom in yards, at schools
and businesses. We have two
of three species of camellias,
Japonica and Sasanqua, but
include hybrid and Reticulata
as well. The third species.
Sinensis, is a type of camel¬
lia that is used to make teas.
Camellia's start blooming in
October and continue through
to spring.
Camellias, native to eastern
and southern Asia, were
WILLIAMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE I
restaurants, which will increase
business, boost sales taxes and
hotel/motel taxes.
Williams also wants to
enhance Fort Valley's appeal
to young adults, who often have
to leave town for dining and
entertainment. A greater mix
of restaurants and entertain¬
ment would keep many of those
young adults in town, spending
their money close to home.
That appeal to young adults
also includes making the city a
place where they can start busi¬
nesses and establish families.
Some of them try to get estab¬
lished in the city, but most of
them move on, Williams said.
She said she has met with
community leaders and wants
to work with Fort Valley State
to boost support for entrepre¬
neurs.
“Everybody in business has
had a dream that started some¬
where,” Williams said. “If we
can develop those dreams in
young adults, they won't have to
go to big cities.”
The Middle Georgia native
has had her share of big-city
living and returned to small¬
town life.
“I like small cities and I
want this one to attract young
people,” she said.
In addition, she wants to
see more of those businesses
catering to FVSU students and
selling FVSU-themed clothing
and other items.
Williams also wants to make
downtown Fort Valley the
nucleus for an expanding busi¬
ness community. Those busi¬
nesses, she said, have to be the
right fit for the city. Given Fort
BYRON CONTINUED FROM PAGE I
must approve the satellite early
voting location for Byron,
Another detail is the hours for
the county elections office and
the Byron Municipal Complex,
The Elections Office is open
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
EMPLOYMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM
(EIP) APPLICATION
Peach County is considering applying to the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs for an Employment Incentive Program (EIP) grant of up
to $500,000. These funds must be used to benefit low- and moderate-income
persons. The activities for which these EIP funds may be used are in the area
of economic development.
More specific details regarding the eligible activities, plans to assist any
displaced persons and the estimated amount of funds proposed to be used
for activities to benefit low- and moderate-income persons, and the rating
system will provided at a public hearing which be held at the Peach County
Commissioners Office public meeting room at 213 Persons Street in Fort
Valley, Georgia on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
The purpose of this hearing will be to obtain citizen input into the develop¬
ment of the application and to review progress on any previous CDBG grants,
if applicable.
Persons with special needs relating to handicapped accessibility or foreign
language should contact County Administrator Marcia Johnson at (478) 825-
2535. She can be located at the Peach County Commissioners Office at 213
Persons Street, Fort Valley, GA 31030 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Any amendments or revisions to the Comprehensive Plan relative to this
project will also be discussed at this hearing.
Individuals who are hearing impaired may consider using the Georgia
Relay Service, at (TDD) 1-800-255-0056 or (VOICE) 1-800-255-0135.
r
THE LEADER-TRIBUNE
introduced to Americans by
Frenchman Andre Michaux
around 1785. Michaux gave
Sasanquas to his friend. Henry
Middleton in Charleston, South
Carolina for his formal garden,
Middleton Place A double
red camellia is the only sur¬
vivor of the original plants.
It is fittingly named ‘Reine
des Fleurs' (Queen of Flowers).
The beautiful plants were a hit
and spread quickly throughout
the region and then the states.
Alabama made the camellia its
state flower.
There are 3,000 kinds of
camellias, with a variety of
colors, shapes and sizes. Colors
range from snow white to dark
Valley's mix of residents, high
end retailers are not likely to
succeed here, while low-priced
and mid-priced businesses
could do well.
“I'm tired of Perry and
Warner Robins getting our
business.” Williams said.
She said she wants to see
more housing in Fort Valley that
could attract a wider variety of
residents.
Work force development is a
part of this picture as well.
Williams is Chairman of the
Board of Directors of Literacy
Education for Adults in Peach
Inc., which has for along time
been nurturing the dream of a
work force development center
in the county. Thanks to a
partnership between the county
and Middle Georgia Tech and
funding proposed for the next
SPLOST, that center looks like
a possibility.
She mentioned the South
American bus-manufacturer
Tatsa Inc., which bought the
former Wanderlodge building
but has yet to move in.
“They will come when there's
a good work force,” Williams
said.
If big employers have to bring
in workers from outside, they
wind up draining resources
from the community, Williams
said.
“We need them banking here,
spending here and living here,"
Williams said.
Williams said she will
develop relationships with
developers and people at
various levels of government to
help Fort Valley prosper. One
thing Mayor Stumbo has done
M-F from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.. while
the Municipal Complex is open
from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. As
the official keeper of records,
the Elections Office must be
open at the same time as any
red. with pink and lavender.
Camellias should come with
a caution The outstandingly
beautiful blossoms capture the
eye, heart and spirit of those
who fall under their charm.
They are truly addictive. You
cannot have just one. They can
be found at nurseries, home
improvement stores and camel¬
lia societies throughout the
nation and of course at Massce
Lane Gardens.
Take a look around your
community when you are out
and about. When a blossom
makes you take a long second
look, it will probably be a
camellia.
well is to cultivate relationships
with state and federal officials
in a position to help the city, she
said. By bringing more com¬
munity members into her circle
as Mayor, Williams said she
would be able to build on their
state and federal relationships.
“If you got those partners
on the team there should be no
problem,” she said.
She also wants to increase the
diversity of the city's all-impor¬
tant pool of volunteers. By this,
she stressed she doesn’t mean
racial diversity but diversity in
life stages, so that volunteers
are not just retirees but people
of different ages and economic
statuses.
With the election still a year
away. Williams answered the
question people have been
asking:
“Why so early?"
"Because of the opportunity,”
she said. “I don't believe in last
minute things.”
Rather than stick a toe in the
water, Williams said, “I always
step into the water.”
Her initial meetings with
groups around town have won
positive feedback, Williams
said. Her campaign commit¬
tee will have its first meeting
in April.
“I'm not going to campaign in
office,” Williams said. "I will
do what I was elected to do."
And, with a little luck,
Barbara Williams could get
elected to do something more.
“With the people's and the
Lord's help, we can make this
happen." she said.
satellite location, Riley said,
Commissioners voted to
approve Byron's request, con
tingent upon working out the
details.