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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. J & J FLEA MARKET 11661 HWY. 441 N. • ATHENS, GA 30607 706-613-2410 www.jandjfleamarket.com Thanks for making us Georgia's Biggest REAL Flea Market! 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 WE DELIVER! All deliveries are Delivered and Dumped. All products available in dump truck loads and tractor trailer loads. 473 Lee Street Jefferson, GA Open 6 days per week landscaping specials! Mulches & Bark Red Dyed Mulch $25/scoop Brown or Black Mulch $25/scoop Double Ground Hd $25/scoop Mini-Nuggets $25/scoop Cypress Mulch $28/scoop 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 NEW PRODUCT Coastal Bermuda Feed Hay (Great for cows and horses) Square Bales $6/Bale 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. HAVE YOUR FFDERAL INCOME T A It HETUBM Pre parep 1 ' 1 In This Office And Yeu Could blLcont. Tht P. i-u lj OWNED 01 a 2006 Toyota Gantry Hytiriil PL1M * Wu H ini Hv ii 2GQ# >:-*UinntuiJ l-iic pnyniuiil fun ytiu >u mvir Hnnva 1 * - P jh | j_11 ii yum .K J Nil I.IU.UMIB l-axnli Ini Ei ■■■ J U] G H LJiuj: Llmul Cmuairan, Cl WED l?Kt ME-KiJ! '■f-r • CMlM nilinn ujil Arlnnmrnly Pnlrv W]U In n I'j-j i ■ ■ i Uk'k- l>uiiu' Ii Wli ■ j K-M 1 « <r-kP«M U.L» £■• ¥«r IM Happy New Year from the staff at Commerce Drug! FREE In-Town Prescription Delivery COMMERCE DRUG COMPANY Your Hometown Drugstore - Since 1918 - 1751 N. Elm St. 706-335-3111 Mon.-Fri. 9-6 • Sat. 9-1 We accept most insurance plans! n Thinking about a new career? Evening classes are starting January 8 for: Real Estate Salesperson at the Knoblock School, LLC 1215 South Elm Street, Commerce next door to Hodsdon Realty You do not have to drive to Atlanta anymore! 706-335-3381 www.knoblockandassoc.com The Knoblock School is a Georgia Licensed Real Estate and Appraisal School