Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A -- THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2007
While the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority has been talk
ing about building a boat ramp for two years, a lakefront prop
erty owner built his own in a matter of days at the Bear Creek
Reservoir. Officials are trying to figure out what to do about the
unauthorized project.
At Last, A Boat Ramp
At Bear Creek Reservoir
A Jackson County property
owner did in a matter of days what
the Upper Oconee Basin Water
Authority has been talking about
doing — but has not accomplished
— for more than two years.
The owner of a lakefront parcel
on Hwy. 334 has built a boat ramp
on the Bear Creek Reservoir.
True, it’s not an officially sanc
tioned, handicapped accessible,
professionally engineered boat
ramp with a standard slope and
the approval of the authority’s rec
reation, operations and finance
committees. It did not require the
issuance of RFPs, RFQs, advertise
ment for bids, a public hearing,
or feedback from the authority’s
committees. And it’s not open to
the public.
Rather, it took a little cutting of
trees, a few loads of gravel and
about 30 feet of hand-poured con
crete leading through a thicket
down to near where the lake’s edge
would be if not for the drought.
“It made my day,” said Pat Bell,
chairman of the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners, who
has been fighting for a public boat
ramp at the reservoir and has re
peatedly expressed frustration
with the glacier-like speed of the
authority’s bureaucracy in under
taking the task. She found out
about the ramp at a meeting of the
authority’s Operations Committee
last Wednesday.
The authority is trying to figure
out what to do about the ramp. All
activities in the buffer zone around
the lake must be approved by the
authority. The ramp was not. The
owner of the site, which is gated
and surrounded with “no trespass
ing” signs did not seek permission
from the basin authority Nor did
he ask Jackson County for permis
sion, but the county doesn’t issue
permits for boat ramps anyway,
Bell said. The matter has been
turned over to the authority’s at
torney.
Theoretically, boats of all kinds
are still prohibited on Bear Creek,
but people who own property
around the lake routinely put their
boats on the 505-acre (when full)
impoundment. Canoes, kayaks
and aluminum boats that can be
launched by hand can be seen in
the yards of houses around the
lake.
The authority has acquired prop
erty for a boat ramp and parking
lot and rest rooms and has a cost
estimate of $247,000 for the proj
ect, considerably more than what
was spent for the private ramp.
Bell has tentatively identified
the owner of the property, but he
did not return a call seeking com
ments on his project.
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Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, Dec. 27
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 6:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Beginning and experienced
quilters are invited.
Monday, Dec. 31
New Year's Dance: 8:30
p.m., Commerce Civic Center.
Ages 21 -up only, featuring The
Jesters. Advance tickets are
$25, and a dinner package is
available. For tickets, call the
Downtown Development Au
thority office at 706-335-2954.
Tuesday, Jan. 1
New Year's Day: Most
businesses and all government
offices closed
Wednesday, Jan. 2
Chamber breakfast: 7:30
a.m., location TBA. Open to all
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce members and
their guests.
Thursday, Jan. 3
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Monday, Jan. 7
Commerce Council meets:
6:00 p.m., City Hall. This "work
session" prepares the city coun
cil for its regular meeting the
following Monday.
Nicholson Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Maysville Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Tuesday, Jan. 8
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Airport Authority meets:
5:30 p.m., Jackson County
Administrative Building, Jeffer
son. The authority manages the
county airport.
Thursday, Jan. 10
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce Elementary
School media center. This "work
session" of the Commerce
Board of Education is used to
prepare for the regular meeting
the following Monday.
Monday, Jan. 14
Commerce Council meets:
6:30 p.m., Commerce Room,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce High School
media center. The Commerce
Board of Education operates
the city's school system.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, Jan. 17
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Parham's Restaurant. The Pilot
Club of Commerce meets on the
third Thursday of each month at
the same time and place.
Monday, Jan. 21
Hospital authority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Medical Center. The BJC
Medical Center Authority
manages BJC Hospital and
Nursing Home. It meets on
the third Monday of each
month at the same time and
place.
Library board meets: 5:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
The Commerce Library Board
oversees the city library.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients
and their families.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, Jan. 24
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 6:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Beginning and experienced
quilters are invited.
Monday, Jan. 28
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce
Planning Commission makes
recommendations on zoning
requests and land use matters.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, Jan. 31
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Monday, Feb. 4
Commerce Council meets:
6:00 p.m., City Hall. This "work
session" prepares the city coun
cil for its regular meeting the
following Monday.
Nicholson Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Maysville Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Tuesday, Feb. 5
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Airport Authority meets:
5:30 p.m., Jackson County Ad
ministrative Building, Jefferson.
Thursday, Feb. 7
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce Elementary
School media center. This "work
session" of the Commerce
Board of Education is used to
prepare for the regular meeting
the following Monday.
Monday, Feb. 11
Commerce Council meets:
6:30 p.m., Commerce Room,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce High School
media center. The Commerce
Board of Education operates
the city's school system.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, Feb. 14
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, Feb. 18
Hospital authority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Medical Center. The BJC
Medical Center Authority man
ages BJC Hospital and Nursing
Home. It meets on the third
Monday of each month at the
same time and place.
Library board meets: 5:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
The Commerce Library Board
oversees the city library.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients
and their families.
Tuesday, Feb. 19
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, Feb. 21
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Parham's Restaurant. The Pilot
Club of Commerce meets on the
third Thursday of each month at
the same time and place.
—Reservoirs May Be Recovering, But Drought Far From Over
Cont. from Page 1A
those whose primary income is
from water sales, the situation
may be challenging.
Given that the reservoirs are
slowly filling, Bell thinks it will
take a re-education effort by next
spring to remind the public that
water conservation is still crucial.
The total effects of what we now
call the Drought of 2007 will not
be fully known until summer —
maybe even fall — of next year.
“We’ve got some of the best
minds doing this (working on
managing the drought),” notes
Bell. “I have a lot of faith. We can
do a lot in the spring. We’ll be cut
ting back on the flowers we plant
around the house and looking for
other ways to use less water. We’re
all going to be conscious of this
until the drought is over.”
Bell points out that the situation
in 2007 never got as dire as the
drought of 1986, when wells were
going dry all over the county and
emergency supplies of hay were
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Straw Matting for Slopes 7L2'x120'
Reasonably Priced $40/Roll
Tractor Trailer Load discounts available
Delivery on 10 scoops or more free
up to 10 miles from lot,
then $1 per mile both ways thereafter
Straw
Wheat Straw/Mulch Hay $4/bale
Long Needle Pinestraw $3.25/bale
Delivery on 1QQ bales or more free
up to 10 miles from lot,
then $1 per mile both ways thereafter
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shipped in from the Midwest to
keep cattle alive.
“That was what brought about
Bear Creek,” she notes. “Jackson
County is in a lot better shape this
time than most counties, because
of the reservoir — and because of
the Commerce reservoir.”
Looking Ahead
Jackson County has already
completed an analysis of its future
water needs and of locations for
potential reservoirs. None could
be employed to alleviate the
current drought, but just as the
drought of 1986 led to the con
struction of the regional reservoir,
this drought of 2007-08 will likely
be the catalyst for building new
reservoirs.
“It’s a learning experience,” Bell
notes.
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Happy New Year
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706-335-3111
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