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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. NEED PRINTING? CALL 706-367-5233 L i-T'j'i'rr.'iffi':- fttr i hurr Jfl Yb(mx jn ifv jIiyui We Pay Top Dollar tut nil silver, <.H;iMmnLh, pnpcr mfinev and spfirv; mfmo-mhi'm foe Knows Coins! 706-54 K-16.12 Lctfngton Kd. wwimhi^aoon *dlrcct-mn On average, drivers who switched to Allstate saved $338 a year Call me today. JOEL A HARBIN. CIC (706) 387-5030 38 SYCAMORE ST JEFFEH5QN Jcrcll-larbinSallls.talc.com Q)/lllstate YW'n# " 4Hd rjwijp ■■ >n fcv LHm rm im.■ r*tppJ tortyFiinr- .i -wnv.-i» CMp- IUM u-r-jfci-i'.B? •■■rinCitfHnd-a^'vdh arifed tzrtFirmird Hjfcpd Ic r.iUfl, trl qiJtfcrttai Qbltli I i.kijj lh Um-iuii 11- - -j j.ik 1 .i.-irr j i: C-u-ui, i a ir.i I. „j ■. Hviflit-ah. | 2KT JiniilalBum ZJi-un 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 99 - Metal - Shingles - Flat Roofs - Flashing - Maintenance - Inspections HOMER CARVER OFFICE 706-677-1986 CELL 678-617-4503 FAX 706-677-1369 VISA AMiericanI ■exbress J & J FLEA MARKET I 11661 HWY. 441 N.* ATHENS. GA 30607 R 706-613-2410 www.jandjfleamarket.com Thanks for making us Georgia’s Biggest REAL Flea Market! 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 HAVE YOUR FtPEBAt Income TAX. 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