Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 12 A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010
EPD to hold hearing on Plant Dalberg Feb. 18
THE ENVIRONMENTAL
Protection Division will hold a
public hearing on Feb. 18 on a
proposal to double the electrical
output of the Plant Dahlberg
combustion turbine generating
plant in Center.
The hearing is set for 6 p.m.
- 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.
18, in the auditorium of the
Jackson County Administration
Building, located at 67 Athens
Street, Jefferson.
The EPD will have repre
sentatives available to discuss
plans to build and operate four
new simple-cycle combustion
turbines that would increase the
plant’s output from 770 mega
watts to 1530 megawatts.
Plant Dahlberg is a natural
gas-fueled, simple-cycle com
bustion turbine electric-gen
erating plant used to generate
electricity for Southern Power.
Eight of its 10 units went online
in 2000, while the other two
went online in 2001. The site
is designed to accommodate 16
units.
Typically, the plant runs when
the demand for electricity nears
a peak - when electricity is at its
most expensive.
Southern Power is a sub
sidiary of The Southern
Company, which is the parent
company of Georgia Power
Co., Alabama Power Co., Gulf
Power Co. and Mississippi
Power Co. It acquires, builds,
manages and owns electrical
generating plants.
Immediately following the
public meeting, the EPD will
hold a public hearing at which
time citizens may present data,
make a statement or offer a
comment in support of or in
opposition to the proposed per
mit change, either orally or in
writing.
A copy of the permit applica
tion is available at the County
Administrative Building, 67
Athens Street, Jefferson.
Nicholson continued from page 1A
At the Thursday meeting, for
mer Nicholson council member,
Faye Seagraves, presented the
council with a petition with 39
signatures of people in Nicholson
who are against the $ 10,000 being
added to the travel budget.
Seagraves also brought up the
ethics complaint she brought
out at a council meeting late last
year.
“I know one council member
who didn’t drive to Savannah,
but he got paid for mileage,” she
said.
At issue is one council mem
ber receiving reimbursement for
mileage when he actually rode to
the annual meeting in Savannah
with another council member.
LIBRARY REPORT
Kelli O’Clare, librarian, pre
sented the council with a detailed
report on the requested funds for
the library and how those funds
will be spent. O’Clare advised
she originally asked for $25,000
for library materials, including
$15,000 for books, $5,000 for
DVDs and $5,000 for audio books
(books on CD). Some $24,884
has been allotted in the proposed
2010 budget.
O’Clare reported each library
book costs between $25 and $40,
if not more. Each DVD costs
between $20 and $30, education
al DVD sets can cost upwards
of $100 and audio books costs
between $30 and $70. State
money for libraries has been cut.
“This year, the Nicholson
library got $1,128, of which we
have $42.40 left until June 30
of this year,” O’Clare said. “We
need to have the most up-to-date
materials available, We have a
large number of local families and
individuals that go elsewhere, like
Commerce, Jefferson or Athens,
for their library needs, purely
because we don’t have anything
they’re looking for.”
O’Clare presented the coun
cil with the number of patrons
who visited the library from July
through December 2008 com
pared to 2009. In 2008, there
were 4,373 patrons and, in 2009,
there were 5,117. This is an aver
age of 853 patrons per month,
O’Clare stated. The total number
of items checked out during the
same period in 2008 was 2,623
and in 2009 it totaled 3,353.
O’Clare said, “A library’s cir
culation numbers, as well as its
patron counts, are directly tied to
how well the collection is built
and updated.”
Former librarian, Bea Pearre,
said, “That’s a beautiful report,
but I feel the $24,000 is excessive.
I don’t agree in putting books on
the shelf to make the shelves look
good. I want books on the shelf
that are going to be read.”
Pearre reported prior to her leav
ing the library she was involved in
a procedure where dusty books
were pulled off the shelves and no
longer used.
Nicholson resident and former
council member, Paul Cartledge,
asked, “What happens to the dirty
books, I mean dusty books?”
A Friends of the Library mem
ber advised they are put up for
public sale and the money goes
back to the library.
Nicholson resident, Ann
Wilbanks, said, “In 2008, we
didn’t have money to buy toilet
tissue and paper towels. Miss Bea
and myself used our own money
to purchase these items. Why do
we have so much money this
year and we didn’t have any last
year?”
Wilbanks also worked at the
library and is referring to a memo
that Maxwell sent to all city
employees on Oct. 30,2008.
Maxwell read the memo
to everyone in attendance at
Monday’s council meeting. In
the memo Maxwell wrote: “I
am asking you as employees to
help make any cuts possible, ex.
thermostats, reusing city bought
materials and supplies, etc.... All
supplies, crafts, salaries, books,
weedeaters, paper, pencils, pens,
chairs, gas, oil, electricity, etc.
comes from the general fund.
This is the fund we have to be
more careful with... Requests for
purchases may be turned down
and probably will be at this time
... I just want to share with you;
it is a time to pinch pennies and
hold on to what we have.” Toilet
tissue and paper towels were not
mentioned in the memo.
Friends of the Library presi
dent Jack Rice said, “Most people
don’t even know where the library
is. Unless we keep the library and
materials up to date, the library
will not grow.” Rice stated his
goal for the library is to have a
book mobile.
A Nicholson resident for 33
years, Carolyn Knight said, “If
you don’t keep up-to-date stuff in
the library people won’t come.”
Nicholson resident, Tully
Westmoreland, suggested that the
council look at setting aside a cer
tain amount of the franchise fees
to go to the library each month.
Mary Jane Hilley said, “We are
trying to develop our library and
to do this we need to buy new
books.”
Gail Maxwell, wife of mayor
Ronnie Maxwell, told Wheeler
she couldn’t believe he had the
“audacity” to suggest taking
money from the library to put in
travel.
Wheeler said, ‘This money is
not just for Chuck Wheeler. I just
made a suggestion that we might
trim the library budget.”
The council members are
required to take a certain amount
of classes each year. At the annu
al meeting in Savannah, council
members attend classes to get
their certification.
Maxwell said, “At the annual
meeting, we are there to promote
Nicholson.”
Wheeler said, “So you are say
ing we are going places.”
Maxwell said, “I didn’t say
that.”
Wilbanks said, “I have been
on this council for eight years.
Anything we, the council, have
done has been done by state law,
federal law or whatever. We know
what will happen if we don’t fol
low the law.”
Maxwell stated the city’s bud
get in 2000 totaled $243,126 and
the city had $569,000 in assets.
The proposed 2010 budget is
$405,000 and the city has $2
million in assets, “Everything
is above-board in Nicholson,”
Maxwell said.
Nicholson resident, Jimmy
Ford, told the council he knew
things had to be moved around in
the budget and he was aware they
had to be trained to be certified.
“I agree money is needed for
the library,” he said. ‘The library
needs new carpet and painting
and it is hard to heat.”
Maxwell reported that SPLOST
money could possibly be used
to purchase new carpet for the
library.
“I am pretty much at the end
of my rope as far as the budget is
concerned,” Ford said. “I know it
has been tough this past year.”
START YOUR CAREER IN REAL ESTATE
o„„ $395
Includes Book &
Study Materials
Next Class Starts
Soon in Braselton!
Day, Evening & Online
Classes Available
(678) 318-7949
REAL ESTATE
fjjj: RESOURCES ACADEMY
1 RERA
www.RERAcademy.com
Nicholson resident David
Wilbanks said, “I want to see this
town grow, but we have got to
watch growth. We’ve got to look
at our infrastructure.”
Wilbanks added that Nicholson
does not have the roads to handle
all the growth.
“If ya’ll keep the people of
Nicholson informed, we can all
work together,” he said. “Let’s put
it out for the citizens of Nicholson
to know what your are doing.
Let’s keep things straight and
honest.”
OTHER BUSINESS
•prior to Thursday’s public
hearing, in a 3-2 split vote, the
council adopted the partial com
prehensive plan update resolu
tion. Wilbanks, council member
Bobby Crawford and Maxwell
voted in favor of the resolution.
Wheeler and Watkins voted in
opposition.
•at Monday’s council meet
ing, Maxwell announced the
Nicholson Daisy Festival kick
off will be held at 10 a.m. on
Thursday, Feb. 11, at the
Nicholson Community Center.
The next regularly scheduled
council meeting is the work ses
sion set for 7 p.m. on Thursday,
Feb. 18, at the community cen
ter.
Nash death ruled accidental
BYANGELA GARY
THE DEATH of a Hoschton
man who was found in a field in
September has been ruled acci
dental.
GeorgiaBureauoflnvestigation
director Jim Fullington said that
the toxicology reports show that
John Richard Nash, 24, died
from the combination of multi
prescription drugs and alcohol.
Nash’s mother reported him
missing on Sunday, Sept. 20. He
was last seen near Hwy. 124 and
Maddox Road in Hoschton on
Friday, Sept. 18.
Approximately 30 people
from several area law enforce
ment and emergency agencies
helped Hoschton police search
for Nash on Thursday, Sept. 24.
His body was found that day by
a search dog in a wooded area on
McEver Lane.
‘CASAblanca’ plans fundraiser
THE FIFTH annual
CASAblanca fundraiser to ben
efit the Piedmont CASA will be
held on March 13 at 7 p.m. at the
Jefferson Civic Center.
All proceeds from the event
directly benefit children in fos
ter care in Barrow, Jackson and
Banks counties by providing
them with a CASA volunteer - an
impartial adult specially trained to
advocate for the child’s interest as
they work their way through the
courts and social services sys
tems.
For $75 ($60 for senior citi
zens), participants will get a buffet
dinner, bar with beer and wine,
and $5,000 in play money for
casino-style gaming - from cards
to craps. All participants are also
entered into a grand prize draw
ing.
Tickets are available at PakMail,
the Superior Court Clerk’s office
and Piedmont CASA.
County furlough set Feb. 19
THE JACKSON County government offices and courthouse
will be closed on Friday, February 19, due to a furlough day.
Strong Bank.
Strong Service.
¥
And the Highest Customer Satisfaction in the Industry.
How do we know we have the most satisfied customers? Quite simply,
we ask them. Each and every day our customers provide feedback and
tell us what they think and they consistently rate us well above 90% -
an exceedingly high score in relation to our peers. That's all because
of the outstanding team of bankers who are committed to providing
a high level of service - to each customer, every time.
So, if you're looking for a strong bank with the highest rated customer
service, look no further than United Community Bank.
'Reporting provided by Customer Service Profiles-an independent research company.
COMMERCE
2055 Homer Rd.
706-423-9300
CORNELIA - Main
1472 Hwy. 441 Bypass
706-776-3114
CORNELIA - Downtown
255 N, Main St.
706-776-3114
CLARKESV1LLE
468 W. Louise St.
706-754-2233
U
United
i UNITED » Community Bank
The Bank That SERVICE Built
Proudly serving our customers for 60 years, with 27 locally managed banks
in over 100 locations in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee,
<s>
Copyright 2010 United Comm unity Bank
Member FQIC I ucbi.com