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PAGE 6A -- THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 5, 2007 Looking For A Gift Jeffrey David Straub Jr., 6, looks carefully over Christmas shopping event is sponsored by the the merchandise offered at Saturday’s Secret Downtown Development Authority and the Pilot Santa Workshop, held at the Commerce School Club of Commerce. of Dance on North Broad Street. The children’s DDA Seeks Grant For Renovation Of Building The Downtown Development Authority wants to renovate its 12 Pine Street (formerly Collins Cleaners) building for a public meeting space and public rest rooms, and it hopes to get federal funds to pay most of the cost. Meeting last Wednesday morn ing, the DDA talked about the building, which most recently housed a Christian school. Chairman Bob Sosebee pro posed spending $1,000 to hire a consultant to write a grant for U.S . Department of Agricultural Rural Development money. The estimated cost of the proj ect is $100,000; the DDA would apply for $99,000, and Sosebee appeared confident that the DDA could be successful. The DDA acquired the building last year after the development of public restrooms for the down town appeared among the top pri orities listed in a town hall meet ing held about the downtown. The restrooms are also seen as essen tial for events the DDA hopes to host in Spencer Park — which was fully renovated this year. “I don’t want us to spend any city money if we can get a grant,” said Dr. Clark Hill, but Hill also speculated that with some vol unteer labor and materials, the city might actually be able to do the work for about half of the estimate. “If we can get $50,000, we can do this,” he insisted, reminding the authority that the Spencer Park renovation was done at about half the estimated cost, thanks to donations of cash, materials and labor by private organizations. Downtown Update Hasco Craver, the DDA’s execu tive director, updated the IDA about developments in the down town. The old Wood-Johnson and Logo Express buildings have been sold, the WJJC Radio building and Dr. Elaine Beck’s building are under going facade work, and Craver reported continuing discussions with people interested in placing restaurants downtown. Two restaurant spaces are avail able for lease, including the Bob Yarbray building (formerly Tri County Pharmacy) and the for mer Opera House Italian Cafe, both on South Broad Street. “There are just a lot of opportu nities right now,” Hill observed. Craver also reported that Don Shubert plans to renovate the facade on his South Broad Street building next spring and that North Georgia Insurance plans to renovate its former gas station property on South Broad Street. “It’s good to see things happen ing in the downtown,” Sosebee commented. “Now we’ve just got to get (the buildings) filled up this year.” Time To Update Design Plan? Sosebee suggested that the DDA considering updating its downtown design guidelines that have been in existence since the late 1980s. “I think we need a professional to come in and help us, because things have changed in the past 20 years. There are materials available now that weren’t even thought of in the ‘80s,” he said. If the DDA undertakes the update, there will be meetings to solicit public input, he indicated. Sosebee also told the DDA that the city’s downtown build ing demolition moratorium will likely be extended 30 days while the DDA fine-tunes its proposed demolition ordinance, the pur pose of which is to protect the historical integrity of the central business district. There are no pending demolition requests. NEED PRINTING? CALL 706-367-5233 What Gift Will Bring The Most Joy & Happiness This Holiday Season? The Gift of LASIK! Ca l riam! a LASIK Gilt Certificate f -y ywrsfllf nr h bwed one Hus holiday SFid5cu anc g : VE Ihe q J l of : : E£-\ NHLu r sl vie on. 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Pat Bell, chair of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, and Eric Klerk, manager of the county water and sewerage authority, cast the only dissenting votes last Wednesday as the author ity voted to draft a request for proposals for a reservoir site study. “We already did a study. We don’t want to pay for another one,” Bell explained after the vote. Elton Collins, a member of the basin authority and for mer member of the county water authority, supported the motion. “I voted for it because I want to see what they come up with and there will be another vote before it is sent out,” he said. The study would attempt to clarify the yield of the Bear Creek Reservoir and identify potential sites for a second res ervoir that would be used to provide water to the Bear Creek facility during times of drought. Jackson County has already conducted a water analysis that, in part, identifies potential res ervoir sites within the county. Jackson County officials are cool to building a second region al reservoir in large part because they believe the method used to allocate costs from the Bear Creek operation are skewed against Jackson County. Bell pointed out recently that while Oconee County uses more than twice as much Bear Creek water as Jackson, Jackson pays a much higher charge for renewal and replacement — a sinking fund to replace things that wear out in the treatment plant. That’s because those replacement costs are allocated by ownership rath er than by usage. “The equipment gets worn out from being used, and Oconee County is using it twice as much as we are,” Bell complains. To date, Bell has had little luck convincing the other coun ties — Athens-Clarke, Barrow and Oconee — that the formula should be changed, and that results in her having little enthu siasm for extending the part nership for a second reservoir, which would most likely also be located in Jackson County. Complicating the matter is Jackson’s belief that Oconee County is either taking Jackson County water or, at least, using Jackson County water treatment capacity, without reimbursing Jackson County. According to Bell, one official has admitted to her that Oconee is using Jackson County water. The formula for allocating costs among the four member counties was based on all of the partners in the authority using their full allocation. Jackson County is entitled to 25 percent of the water in the reservoir, but is using a very small por tion, while Athens-Clarke and Oconee have used their full allo cations. At the point where all member counties are using their full allotments, Jackson officials say they have no objections to the formula. Until that time, they say, Jackson is absorbing an unfair amount of the operat ing costs. “It (building the second res ervoir) makes a lot of sense if there is trust among the four counties, but there is not trust from one county,” she declared after the meeting. While the regional authority has not formally identified any sites for a second reservoir, its chairman, Melvin Davis, indi cated that Oconee County offi cials had looked at one site, apparently near the Barrow- Jackson line. Jackson County’s own analysis turned up 17 potential reservoir sites, including existing lakes that could be used as they are or modified to create reservoirs, and sites where new impound ments could be created. In other business, the author ity voted to implement a “level five” of water restrictions to help cope with the drought. The level mandates a 30 percent reduction in usage — which all parties have already met. Habitat To Hold Drawing For Playhouse The Jackson County Habitat for Humanity is selling tickets on a one-of-kind children’s play house to raise funds for the con struction of the county’s eighth Habitat house. The 10 by 8 playhouse fea tures a front porch with carriage lights, and dormer windows with window boxes filled with pan sies. Construction of the house was supervised by Stan Beeco, owner of Beeco Construction and a Jackson County Habitat board member. “Each house we build, even tak ing into account donated materi als and volunteer labor, requires about $45,000. We felt that the playhouse would be a great way for us to use our Habitat building experience to make something that children would enjoy and their families would be proud of, and in doing so help build a real house that will provide a family in need with a decent place to live,” said Jackson County Habitat president Gordon Wilson. The house is on display in front of the Jefferson offices of Jackson EMC on the Commerce- Jefferson Road. Tickets for the house are $10 and can be purchased at the fol lowing locations: in Jefferson at Jackson EMC, Mattox Feed and Seed, Trinity Tire, Jefferson Tire, Sugar & Spice, Bright Beginnings, Verizon Wireless, Living Jackson magazine and Doggie Style’n Professional Pet Grooming; in Commerce at Northeast Georgia Bank, Athens First Bank and Trust and McDonald Ace Hardware; in Braselton at Hometown Community Bank and Trust and Northeast Georgia Bank; and in Talmo at CAM Realty Group, or by calling or emailing Bonnie Jones at 706-367-6114, bjones@ jacksonemc.com. The drawing will be held Dec. 15. now open medlink banks 706-677-4568 1244 Historic Homer Highway Homer, Georgia Appointments Accepted Walk-Ins Welcome We accept most major insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, State Health Benefit Plan, Worker's Compensation, and have payment plans for those who qualify. VISA