Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
Chamber to
‘tweak’ events
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE JACKSON County Area
Chamber of Commerce plans to
scrutinize its lineup of events.
Its board of directors voted
unanimously last Friday morn
ing to empower president Sam
McDuffie to appoint a committee
to evaluate every event and to
bring suggestions or recommen
dations back to the chamber board
for its December meeting.
President Shane Short said the
committee will “take a look at
every event the chamber has. The
events are so time-consuming for
staff, and we’re thinking of adding
another.’’
As an example of what the
committee might propose, Short
said the chamber has received
feedback regarding its annual chili
cook-off that the event should be
moved to the fall.
While it is possible that the
committee could recommend that
some events be canned and others
created. Short indicated that he
expects a lot of suggestions for
“tweaking” current events.
“The problem with the Taste of
Jackson,” he said, “is that we sold
less than 300 tickets. We’ve had a
difficult time getting our business
members to come back. They say
they’re not getting any business
from the event, and that’s why
they’re there.”
VALENTINE TO SERVE
AS TREASURER
In other business, the board
approved Tanger Outlets general
manager Mark Valentine as its
treasurer for next year.
The board also approved a
slate of new directors for 2011,
including Matt Benson, Mahaffey
Pickens Tucker, LLP; Ronnie
Hopkins, Davidson, Hopkins &
Alexander, PC.; Cindy Patterson,
Southeast Toyota Distributors;
Jim Shaw, Mountain Valley
Community Bank; Roxane Rose,
Living Media Group; Kathy
Wilbanks, individual; and Shawn
Watson, Legacy Landscape. Of
those, all but Patterson are current
board members.
Ballots have been emailed to
company representatives. The
results of the election will be rati
fied by the chamber board at its
December meeting.
Short got the board’s approval
to have an extended board meet
ing from 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 17 at
the Pat Bell Conference Center at
Hurricane Shoals, with the idea of
planning for the upcoming year.
“I’d like to see us develop a
budget based on where we want
to go,” he said.
MEMBERSHIP TOPS 600
Linda Foster, vice president for
member services, reported that
membership topped the 600 mark
for the first time, as of the end of
October.
Short also reported that through
10 months, the chamber is
$19,000 in the red. Two major
factors — later than budgeted
dues payment made by the cham
ber’s Affiance for Industry and
an almost $11,000 unbudgeted
expense to replace both heating
and air conditioning units at the
chamber office — hurt the bottom
line, he said. But he also added
that with those Affiance member
ship payments now coming in he
expects the chamber to be in the
black at the year’s end.
YOUNGEST AT KNITTING GROUP
Mary Schaefer (R), 10, and Ellen Schaefer, 12, are
the youngest members thus far of the knitting group
which meets the first and third Wednesdays each
month at the Jefferson Public Library. See page 1C for
more on the group, some members of which are knit
ting Project Linus blankets for children in need.
Photo by Jana Mitcham
State to spend $350 million on projects
THE STATE Transpor
tation Board voted Nov. 18
to spend as much as $350
million on statewide infra
structure projects to bolster
job creation and preserva
tion in Georgia’s struggling
transportation construction
industry.
“This is an important step,”
board chairman Rudy Bowen
of Gwinnett County said in a
statement. “While the state’s
economy is recovering, it is
taking longer than expect
ed. And this industry needs
as much support as we can
provide. I am certain our
action today will end up cre
ating and saving jobs across
Georgia.”
The board’s unanimous
vote was to dedicate an addi
tional $350 million from
the Georgia Department of
Transportation’s fund balance
for expenditure in the first
quarter of 2011 to supple
ment Georgia DOT’S normal
programmed project spend
ing during that period.
Department staff was
instructed to allocate approx
imately $250 million of the
additional monies for capital
and maintenance projects (60
percent for capital and 40
percent for maintenance) and
to use the remaining $100
million for rights-of-way
purchases needed to ready
still more projects for con
struction.
“The Board and the
Department have been cau
tious and conservative in
maintaining a healthy fund
balance,” member David
Doss of Rome said in a state
ment. “That is commendable,
but these are extraordinary
times with extraordinary
needs.”
Specific projects that may
be included in the special pro
gram will be determined this
month and during December
with bid lettings to begin
in January. They will be
selected from 270 projects
throughout Georgia, valued
in excess of $650 million,
which are ready for immedi
ate letting, but lack funding.
The State Transportation
Board determines policy and
exercises general governance
of Georgia’s Department of
Transportation.
Proposal made to clean up fallen tree
THE NICHOLSON Water Authority agreed
in a called meeting on Nov. 16 for its attorney
to make a proposal to a property owner who
has complained about a tree that fell on his
property that he blames on a faulty water
line.
At the Nov. 16 meeting, the Nicholson
Water Authority discussed a proposal from
attorney Rob Alexander, representing Darren
Glenn, the owner of private property where a
tree fell several months ago. Glenn’s boat was
also damaged by the fallen tree.
The NWA authorized its attorney, Tom
McCormack, to make a proposal to have the
tree removed with releases signed by all par
ties involved to eliminate any other liability or
costs to the authority.
If the proposal is accepted, the authority
will make a decision on a bonded tree removal
company to handle the removal process.
Ground-breaking ceremony held for Jackson County dam
Jackson County started work
October 18. The estimated
completion date is August 18,
2011. Sandy Creek #23 is
scheduled to start December
5 and it should be completed
by July 5, 2011.
Funding is being provided
through the ARRA 2009.
The NRCS is delivering over
$5 million in financial assis
tance through its Watershed
Rehabilitation Program, which
is being matched by almost $3
million in state funds through
the Georgia Soil and Water
Conservation Commission.
This year represents the
75th year of NRCS helping
people help the land. Since its
inception in 1935, the NRCS
conservation delivery system
has advanced a unique part
nership with state and local
governments and private land-
owners delivery conservation-
based on specific, local con
servation needs, while accom
modating state and national
interests.
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GROUNDBREAKING FOR DAM
Area conservationist prepare to turn the first shovel of dirt in a groundbreaking
ceremony in Jackson County at the “Sandy Creek #15” dam. Shown are: (L-R)
Herman Wheatley, chairman Broad River Soil & Water Conservation District;
Brett Dykes, executive director, Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission;
Everett Carey, landowner; James Tillman Sr., state conservationist USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service; and David Jackson, chairman Oconee River Soil
& Water Conservation District.
Holiday events continued from page JA
THE USDA - Natural
Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) recently
held a ground-breaking cer
emony and project review at
three American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009
dam rehabilitation sites.
The three dams are: South
River #4 in Madison County,
Sandy Creek #15 in Jackson
County and Marbury #22 in
Barrow County. Other projects
that are part of the ARRA are
Little Sandy and Trail Creek
#1 in Madison County and
Sandy Creek #23 in Jackson
County.
Watershed dams, originally
built to protect agricultural
lands from floods, are now
protecting homes, roads and
utilities from flood waters.
As a result, they are being
upgraded, or rehabilitated to
meet current public safety
standards.
All five dams are scheduled
to be completed by August,
2011. Sandy Creek #15 in
golf, moonwalks, face painting, and
making various arts and crafts. Wine
tours and tastings are $5, and culi
nary studio demonstrations will be
$1. There will also be a spa relax
ation room with massages for guests
for a fee. Some of the activities will
be held indoors.
The Lighting of the Chateau will
take place at 6 p.m. on the front
lawn, followed by a fireworks dis
play.
Parking is $10 for the event. For
more information, visit www.cha-
teauelan.com.
JEFFERSON
Businesses in downtown Jefferson
will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 3, offering refreshments for
a new tradition, “Downtown in
December.”
The event will include musicians
performing, free horse drawn car
riage rides, visits and pictures with
Santa Claus at the Pendergrass
Store, and a short Christmas variety
show by the Curry Creek Players at
Gingham Gal Cafe. Amy Bullock
will perform Christmas songs at
Downtown Gifts and Interiors.
The annual Jefferson Christmas
Parade will be held at 4 p.m. on
Saturday, Dec. 4, in downtown.
This year’s theme is “Christmas in
Our Town.”
Judging of floats will begin at
2:30 p.m. Judging will be on the
following criteria: Appropriateness
to the parade theme and originality
of the design.
The parade sponsors will provide
Santa Claus. No other Santa will be
allowed.
The deadline for parade entries
is the close of business on Monday,
Nov. 29.
Call the Main Street Jefferson
office at 706-367-5714 or email
Beth Laughinghouse at blaugh-
inghouse@cityofjeffersonga.com
for more information on either
Jefferson event or to obtain an entry
form and guidelines for the parade.
Entries may be dropped off at
city hall or the Main Street office
(located inside the Crawford W.
Long Museum). Forms can also be
mailed to: Main Street Jefferson,
28 College Street, Jefferson, GA
30549.
Melissa L. Hodges j
Independent Beauty Consultant
Call me today for discounts ?
and Holiday Open House j
770-317-0800
Email:
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www.marykay.com/ mlhodges
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Haircuts $10
Perms $40 - up
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Sun., 1-5:30 pm
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Hwy. 330
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