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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2007 - PAGE 5A Maysville, Fire Department Reach Agreement On Lease By Chris Bridges After months of delays, the Town of Maysville and the fire department signed a new lease on the fire station on Hwy. 52. The issue had been delayed numerous times but was finally ironed out Monday night. The fire department will lease the building for 15 years for $10 per year with an option for another 20 years. Maysville will provide water ser vice while the fire department will be in charge of maintenance and repairs on the building and for providing insurance. Council member Trent Strickland had an issue with an item in the proposed lease about the fire department having the right to make structural changes without consent of the council. Fire Chief James Lyle said he would prefer to leave that item in the lease. “We built this station to begin with,” he said. “I still think structural changes should be approved,” Strickland said. Mayor Jerry Baker said he agreed with Strickland on the issue. Lyle said he already has planned to add another office and a kitch en area to the building. Eventually, Lyle gave in on the issue when his legal representative, Daniel Haygood of Watkinsville, said he would add the phrase: “with prior written consent of the landlord which may not be unreasonably withheld” concern ing structural changes. Councilman Janis Parkhill told Lyle she simply wanted to get the new lease taken care of and not to have it delayed any longer. It was also agreed that Maysville owns the station although the fire department will operate and run it. A major reason for the delay in the new lease was that Lyle contested who actually owned the fire station building since it was built by fire department per sonnel. In other business during Monday’s meeting, the council: •voted to lower speed limits in subdivisions and all secondary streets in the city to 25 miles per hour. •approved a request to con struct a home on Factory Street from Jeff Davis. •denied a request from Susan Rylee to move a mobile home to 145 Hogan Street, which is in the historic section of Maysville. The Commerce Board of Education was one of 15 Georgia school boards named by the Georgia School Boards Association as a “school board of distinction” at the board’s annual conference in Atlanta Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Pictured at the award presentation are, left to right, Gillis Skip Dawkins, GSBA president; board members Arthur Lee Pattman, Bill Davis and Mary Seabolt; board member elect Rodney Gary; chairman, Steve Perry; superintendent of schools James E. “Mac” McCoy; and Jeannie M. Henry, GSBA executive director. Nicholson Council Puts Maxwell Road Paving Request On Hold By Brandon Reed Plans to pave James Maxwell Road in Nicholson are on hold for the time being, as the Nicholson City Council voted to table the matter until its next meeting. The matter had been brought to the council by residents of the road, who said during last Thursday’s work session that they were looking for relief from the dusty conditions in the area. The council agreed to put the matter to a vote at Monday night’s meeting. But the motion to pave the road way from ditch to ditch died for a lack of a second after councilman Lamar Watkins voiced concerns over the amount of space afford ed to two passing vehicles on the roadway. Faye Seagraves, who made the motion, wanted to know why posi tions had changed among council members since Thursday’s work session. “Thursday night when we dis cussed this, and I know I’m not senile, everybody said going ditch to ditch would be fine,” she said. Watkins said he had viewed the roadway with the city’s building inspector since the work ses- Santa To Visit Library Friday Santa Claus will visit the Harold S. Swindle Public Library from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. “We want everyone to bring their children and let them visit with Santa,” said branch manager Bea Pearre. “We will be making pictures at $3 each, or you can bring your own camera. This will be a wonderful time for the chil dren and their parents.” sion. “I’m for paving the road, but I want it done right to begin with,” he said. The council then voted to table the matter to allow for further study. Mayor Ronnie Maxwell recused himself during the vote and dis cussion. The council also voted to approve a $30,000 road bond to cover any possible future con struction problems. Maxwell said there are no current issues that the bond is meant to address. “It’s just for future protection,” Maxwell said. “We’re going to save ourselves a problem in the future.” In other business: •The council voted to approve Christmas bonuses for city employees. •The council voted to approve a veteran’s memorial along Hwy. 441, in front of the Benton Elementary School. The memori al will consist of state flags from around the country that will be displayed on certain holidays. •The council voted to approve a permit fee for the construction of a barn or pole barn at $100. •At the work session, the coun cil discussed requiring building permit applicants to specify on the application the use of the building. •At the work session, the council heard about a proposed annexation of 368 acres in the area of Berea and Tal Phillips roads by Bill Fleeman. Maxwell said that Fleeman’s attorney, the city’s building inspector, and the city’s attorney are getting the particulars together, and said that request would come back at some point in the future. — Santa Lives As The Spirit Of Christmas Cont. from Page 4A purpose stays the name. The pur pose was to bring love and joy to children as a reminder of the first Christmas. The Puritans thought this practice and the celebration of Christmas as irreverent. It was not until after the Dutch and other groups settled in the colo nies that frivolity in the celebra tion of Christmas was revived. By the 1800s the Dutch Sinta Claes (Santa Claus) was firmly in place in the United States. Santa Claus has survived wars, reformation, danger of extinc tion and defamation. Santa has survived cruel and crude jokes and caricature. Santa has sur vived depressions, recessions and booms. Santa has survived for generations of children who believed. The true Santa will live for as long as children of all ages remember him as the mythical symbol of loving and giving - giving not of worldly things, but the giving of our hearts to one another in remembrance of God’s own gift to man. Santa lives. Claire Caus is a retired educa tor who enjoys occasional stints as “Mrs. Claus” around Christmas. Commerce BOE Declared 'Of Distinction' The Commerce City School Board was one of l5 Georgia school boards to be awarded the Georgia School Boards Association’s “School Board of Distinction” at the Georgia School Boards Association/ Georgia School Superintendents Association Annual Conference in Atlanta Nov. 30-Dec. 1 In addition to verifying compli ance with GSBA’s Standards for Local Boards of Education, the Commerce City Board provided documentation in the following areas: • compliance with GSBA Standards for Local Boards of Education. •implementation of the GSBA Board/Leadership Team Self Assessment Checklist. •formalization of the superin tendent evaluation incorporating district goals. • a web link to the local district’s policy manual that is posted to the Internet. •a copy of, or a web link to, the board’s goal setting model and listing of the district’s goals. •a web link to postings of monthly board meeting agendas. •a stated plan to integrate tech nology at the governance level of the local district. The Standards for Local Boards of Education is a voluntary pro gram of the Georgia School Boards Association. It sets bench marks of organizational structure and governance objectives for local boards of education that wish to participate in the pro gram. Committee To Oversee Courthouse Renovation By Angela Gary A seven-member commit tee will be formed by Jan. 1 to oversee renovations to the his toric courthouse in downtown Jefferson. Each of the five members of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will recommend one appointee. There will also be two appointees from the county historical society and one from the Jefferson Historic Preservation Commission. The commissioners unani mously agreed Monday night to have the committee in place by January. There was some discus sion on whether to form a com mittee or to seek local legislation to have an authority formed. The board agreed it would be best to form a committee so that work can begin immediately. In other business at Monday’s meeting, the BOC: •reappointed Jim Shaw to serve on the county industrial authority. •reappointed John Buchanan, Bill Warnell, Shannon Sell and Don Lohmeier to the county air port authority. • reappointed Don Segraves and John Gaissert to the coun ty planning commission, and named David Earhart to serve in place of Marty Clark. • reappointed Don Segraves to serve on the county board of adjustment. •reappointed Jacque Wilkes and Jean Collins to the county dangerous dog committee. •approved a request from the City of Arcade for assistance with the repair of a cross drain on Double Bridges Road. •approved a request from the City of Nicholson for the widen ing of Lakeview Drive and the resurfacing of the roadway from the railroad tracks to Sanford Road. •lifted the partial burn ban to follow state recommendations. The commissioners also agreed that further action to reinstate or lift the burn ban is to be made from the county manager, who was told to get input from the county fire association before making a decision. •agreed to spend $12,500 with Dorfman Consulting to do a community services study. The information gathered will be used in the county’s update of the comprehensive plan. •agreed to spend up to $20,000 for a preliminary engineering agreement with CSX Railroad for improvements to John B. Brooks Road. roof doctor Roofing & Repair 99 - Metal - Shingles - Flat Roofs - Flashing - Maintenance - Inspections HOMER CARVER OFFICE 706-677-1986 CELL 678-617-4503 FAX 706-677-1369 Christmas at Shirley’s TREES GALORE!! Our fresh CHRISTMAS TREES will fill your home with the vibrant scent and spirit of the holidays! We have the ever-popular Fraser Fir! CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Old Fashion Bulk Candy orange slices, bon bons, chocolate drops & more CHRISTMAS IDEAS? Carhartt Clothing, Wolverine Boots & other great items Sfri/tley FEED & SEED Purina MiIIs, Inc. Maysville Rd • Commerce, GA (706) 335-2162 Godfrey's Feed North Georgia Floors is Greener Than You Think . 11 partners a itfr Mf/turtrjffnslrir^, -nfr prauil JVi ortiwifK'e \ tHififtSitM inrfUlIrri't I'd Mi* i/ur r 17■prjvipjd ■ I ir’ ilw? iinirth 2.i' ■ ■ >1 ill (.-rvyJoj iHriUculMlkiefcxI in AintTicj .itviul J hillkci sudibolda Le nsiii; [miduLli mh vinr. ■ Mi.itrn.YL.> niiir curpel fiber. Snan&mnd wilh DhF-,t1 t ’ j &whii ifacxiL mil twe JrriylBf rwfcYiBiti mgtEridsfaiiOT j-*lo-vni ]|«n crcalea situ MtSfamH. nwjfl|6bfe j d inctitdifelj duybteaid uivxl-kHU. nj iiaipd, * Mi- - Lvtrtitaud ear|iw HV- ti-m-IoJ IhiIl-. * All l! lErvk 1 .v.ipji pkkIikI 1 - hai. >/hidVfcI ■' 1; h iiH r It ifr.in I n-itiSta I--in \ E.hi lii-l 1 -.■■■!;iulii: I.iM Mm-. 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Yl hme I'MH ill n-'ll' kl hfHf L ’I kv I Mill I IlIlM 1 ■ ' A j tilikjili iMrL'Mdii |ui4innL Atvduicty nahmii m in ifc jj^luciniii III ||K"ir l|:.H 111-1, fjpLdlUi t Vji'j rJji m- •ffhritm to (font uifjin?. - h Th'.wtiAdi't^n.'fiihAfJtkffliif. ■ ■■ h Lih-v.'ihi hJ i ii^ii'ihJ-., jih.+: I yVJwtft Gitwpit t-kwr-and ■ hiteiiun r. nil .1 K-l"? Ati^s; Frar I■ 1 = ■!: 1.:r:11 -11 r;■;v l-^v 1l- l/j 1 r; 11 nfl, ft 1 nYi g, c (Mtl ^ MOHAWK (706) 754-4329 9 Dance with the jester’s from 8:30 - 12:30 m m at The Commerce Civic Center ^ $25 per person For tickets and more information call (706) 335-2954 “All You Can Eat” Prime Rib Buffet Available \ $25 Advance Purchase 6:30 - 8:30 p.m 11 i: ill