Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 2, 2008 - PAGE 3A
The Bear Creek Reservoir appeared destined to run dry, but
is now recovering.The question is how it will hold up if spring
is as dry as suspected.
—Top Story? The Drought
Cont. from Page 1A
ban.
By June, the drought had
reached a point that the Upper
Oconee Water Authority could
no longer pump water from the
Middle Oconee River into the
Bear Creek Reservoir. Its level
began to fall; Commerce’s lake
remained virtually full.
Fall, generally dry anyway,
rolled around with no relief.
Suddenly, Jefferson’s reser
voir ran virtually dry, so offi
cials of Jefferson, Commerce
and Jackson County worked
out an arrangement to pump
Commerce water into the
county system, with Jackson
County taking some of the
water and Jefferson some.
Jefferson officials implement
ed level four restrictions, and
eliminated virtually all of the
exemptions.
The EPD instituted statewide
level four restrictions. The
Upper Oconee Basin Water
Authority begged its members
to cut usage as the lake level
declined, and Jackson County
slashed its usage by 17 per
cent.
The drought dominated the
news locally and regionally as
lakes Lanier and Allatoona,
upon which metro Atlanta
depends for water, fell to
near record levels. Officials
begin calculating the date by
which Bear Creek would run
dry (mid-December was the
first guess), and the authority
appealed to the EPD for a vari
ance to its permit so it could
pump water from the severely
depleted Middle Oconee River
in spite of the low flow. The
EPD approved a 15 million
gallon per day variance for 45
days, which it later extended.
The public responded. Usage
plummeted, people began
turning in neighbors for water
ban violations and everyone
began seeking alternatives for
finding more water.
Jackson County upgraded its
connections with Commerce
and Braselton and began look
ing to buy from Gainesville.
Commerce began thinking of
a future need to buy from
Toccoa, Braselton improved
its ability to get water from
Gwinnett County, and
Hoschton, Commerce and
Nicholson started looking at
reopening old wells.
Recovery Under Way
At this writing, recovery
of local water sources is
under way, thanks to reduced
demand for water, the EPD’s
permit variance and a little bit
of rain. The Commerce reser
voir is full. Prior to this past
weekend’s rain, the Jefferson
reservoir had recovered to the
point that the city was treat
ing 100,000 gallons per day,
and the Bear Creek Reservoir
has recovered more than eight
feet.
Alas, lakes Allatoona and
Lanier continue to fall, and the
concern is that they will not
fully recover by mid-spring,
when rainfall is typically scarce
and water usage begins to grow.
At the local level, Commerce
officials remain guardedly
hopeful that their reservoir
can withstand what remains of
the drought — a hope buoyed
by past experience and the
knowledge that the reservoir
contains at least six springs.
But Jackson County and the
rest of the users of the Bear
Creek Reservoir, having seen
how fast the reservoir went
down, worry about how it will
stand up next summer and fall
if the drought progresses as
expected.
As the new year dawns, the
level four water restrictions
remain in place and are like
ly to stay in place until the
drought is considered over,
and virtually every water sup
plier is forging agreements
to buy or sell water with its
neighbors.
Looming over everyone is the
2008 session of the Georgia
General Assembly, where
water is expected to be one of
the major issues. A state water
plan is due to be approved,
and it is considered highly like
ly that the state will exercise
more control over water that
heretofore has been viewed as
the exclusive property of the
individual communities who
capture and treat it.
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Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
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 man
ages BJC Hospital and Nursing
Home. It meets on the third
Monday of each month at the
same time and place.
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
Library board meets: 5:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
The Commerce Library Board
oversees the city library.
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce
Planninq 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.
Monday, Feb. 25
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce
Planninq Commission makes
recommendations on zoning
requests and land use matters.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
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. 28
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
— 2008 To Be A Busy Year For Jackson Voters
Cont. from Page 1A
July 15, the two top finishers will
meet in a runoff on this date.
Advanced voting will take place
July 29-Aug. 1
Nov. 4: The General Election,
when voters will elect county
commissioners, other constitu
tional county officers (sheriff,
probate judge, clerk of court,
coroner, tax commissioner),
county school board members,
representatives to the state leg
islature, United States represen
tatives and a new president of
the United States. Advanced
voting will be Oct. 27-31, and
the last day to register for this
election is Oct. 6.
Dec. 2: This is the date set
for any runoffs needed in the
event that no one receives 50
percent of the vote. There is no
runoff in a presidential election.
Advanced voting will be Nov.
24-28.
There will be no municipal
election in Commerce this year;
the next city elections — to fill
the positions of mayor pro tem,
Ward 1 and Ward 2 seats on the
council — will be Nov. 2009.
—Smoke In The House Won't Necessarily Mean A Fire
Cont. from Page 1A
some residential issues.
“If you see smoke, that means
there is the potential for sewer
gas to fill the house,’’ Harbin
points out. “Sewer gas’’ is meth
ane, and — besides being foul
smelling — is flammable and, in
some tightly confined cases, can
be deadly.
City workers will be in the areas
being smoked, and they’ll come
in and pinpoint the problem,
but it will be up to the property
owner to fix problems in resi
dences.
The city’s interest is in a more
efficient sewer operation. Data
collected over months and years
shows that in times of rain, the
Waterworks Road sewer pump
station works longer than usual —
a strong indication that stormwa
ter is entering the sanitary sewer
system. That water is then pumped
to and treated at the city’s waste
treatment plant, increasing the
cost of operations.
The process begins with run
ning “sewer cameras’’ into the city
ROOF DOCTOR
Roofing & Repair
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- Flashing
- Maintenance
- Inspections
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CELL 678-617-4503
FAX 706-677-1369
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lines to find root intrusion, cracks,
separated joints, etc. Once those
are cleaned up, smoke is pumped
in to pinpoint leaks. Because the
mill area is one of the oldest in
town, it will likely have numerous
issues.
The work started in early
December. To date, the city has
“found’’ two manholes that were
buried in 18-24 inches of soil or
asphalt. Those will have to be
rebuilt, along with some older
manholes around the mill.
WE DELIVER!
All deliveries are Delivered and Damped.
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-N uggets $25/scoop
Cypress Mulch $28/scoop
Straw Matting for Slopes 71/2’xl20’
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 100 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
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