Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 23, 2008 - PAGE 3A
Lanier Tech Sees
Record Enrollment
The enrollment at Lanier Techni
cal College has reached a record
high. According to figures supplied
by the Technical College System
of Georgia, the combined enroll
ment at the school’s five campuses
at the end of fall quarter was 3,308
credit students. This surpasses the
previous high of 3,250 credit stu
dents enrolled in fall 2003.
Dr. Mike Moye, president, cred
its the increase to the college’s
focus on making its offerings
more accessible. Lanier Tech has
campuses in Oakwood, Cum-
ming, Winder, Dawsonville and
Commerce. According to Moye,
this expansion has allowed many
students to seek career training
who could not have imagined go
ing to college in previous years
due to busy schedules and other
obstacles.
Enrollment at the Commerce
campus was 97 for the fall quarter
and is 92 for the winter quarter,
neither of which are records, ac
cording to Dr. Howard Ledford,
campus coordinator.
“What is a record is the num
ber of Jackson County students
enrolled at Lanier Tech,’’ he said.
“They may come here for some
core classes and then go to Wind
er or Oakwood or study online
— we’re seeing a huge increase in
online students.’’
Ledford said 306 Jackson Coun
ty students are enrolled. That fig
ure does not count Jackson Coun
ty enrollment in the school’s GED
and English as a second language
courses. The Commerce campus
has 141 students in its GED pro
gram and 46 in ESOL. It services
another 104 students through
programs offered at the Gordon
Street Center and the Jackson
County Correctional Institute.
Lanier Tech offers career-skills
training in health occupations,
business, computers, industrial
technology and public service.
The college offers a full evening
schedule and hundreds of online
courses to further meet the needs
of working students. Another
major factor in the enrollment in
crease is that Georgia citizens are
starting to learn more about the
Georgia HOPE Grant program. A
vast majority of the students en
rolled in credit programs at Lanier
Tech use the Georgia HOPE Grant
to pay for tuition and books. The
HOPE Grant does not share the
strict requirements of the HOPE
Scholarship, which is used in the
University System. The primary
qualifications for the Georgia
HOPE Grant are that the student
must be enrolled in a technical
certificate or diploma program
and must be a legal Georgia resi
dent for one year prior to apply
ing. There are no income, age, high
school GPA or high-school gradu
ation date limitations.
—BOC Tables Impact Fees
Cont. from Page 1A
said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the BOC:
•appointed Ken Botts to
serve on the county airport
authority. He replaces Bill
Warnell, who asked not to be
reappointed.
•appointed Jeff Perry to
serve on the county plan
ning commission. He replaces
Catherine Daniels, who asked
not to be reappointed.
• reappointed JohnDerochers
to serve on the county parks
and recreation committee.
•named Robert House to
serve on the newly-formed his
toric courthouse restoration
committee.
•approved a rate schedule
from BM&K PC for providing
engineering and construction
management services. Projects
the company are handling for
the county include the eco
nomic development roads and
sanitary sewer program and
the county jail.
• approved a resolution final
izing the county’s pre-disas
ter hazard mitigation plan.
The plan was designed and
completed by the Northeast
Georgia Regional Development
Center and was mandated
by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
•approved the consul
tant services agreement with
Moreland Altobelli for mon
itoring and engineering the
county landfill site.
— Road Projects Profitable
Cont. from Page 1A
Boulevard (serving the pro
posed new development around
The Pottery property at Banks
Crossing), $10 million; Zion
Church Road, $23 million; Bana
Road, $6.6 million; and a three-
percent “oversight’’ charge for tier
one and two projects, $1.5 mil
lion.
Debt service of those projects
would amount to $2.4 million per
year, an amount Clerici predicted
could be covered without a tax
increase.
There is also a “tier three,’’ which
is proposed for a future bond issue
of $37.7 million, bonds for which
have not been approved to date.
It includes Hog Mountain Road,
$4.9 million; a new road to con
nect Hwy. 82 with the county air
port, $10.5 million; realignment
of the end of Hospital Road
at U.S. 441, $600,000; Concord
Road extension, $18.6 million;
sewer lines to serve the Concord
Road extension, $1.3 million; a
signal light on Steve Reynolds
Industrial Parkway, $80,000;
extension of a county sewer line
to the county airport, $500,000;
and oversight of tier three proj
ects, $1.1 million.
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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. 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
Hospital authority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Medical Center. The BJC
Medical Center Authority man
ages BJC Hospital and Nurs
ing Home. The meeting was
changed to the fourth Monday
due to the Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday.
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.
Garden club reception: 7:00
to 9 p.m., Commerce Public
Library. The Harmony Grove
Garden Club invites all pro
spective members to a recep
tion featuring a guest speaker,
door prizes and refreshments.
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.
Wednesday, Feb. 6
Chamber breakfast: 7:30
a.m., Jackson EMC, Jefferson.
Frank Norton will present his
annual "Native Intelligence"
report. All chamber members
and guests are welcome.
Thursday, Feb. 7
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., location to be announced.
This "work session" of the Com
merce 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
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
thrd Thursday of each month.
Monday, Feb. 25
Hospital authority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Medical Center. The BJC
Medical Center Authority man
ages BJC Hospital and Nurs
ing Home. It normally meets
on the third Monday of each
month but was moved back a
week due to the Presidents' Day
holiday.
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.
Monday, March 3
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, March 4
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.
Wednesday, March 5
Chamber breakfast: 7:30
a.m., location TBA. Commerce
Civic Center. All members of the
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce are invited.
Thursday, March 6
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., location to be announced.
This "work session" of the Com
merce Board of Education is
used to prepare for the regular
meeting the following Monday.
Monday, March 10
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, March 11
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.
Wednesday, March 12
CABA meeting: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center. All Com
merce Area Business Associa
tion members are invited.
Thursday, March 13
Kiwanis CIud meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, March 17
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, March 18
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, March 20
Kiwanis CIud 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, March 24
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, March 25
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, March 27
Kiwanis Cluo meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
— Locals Scramble For Influence On New Water Districts
Cont. from Page 1A
if appointed, said Bicknell. He
declined to announce the two
other nominees because they
were not at the meeting and
had not been asked if they were
willing to take on the responsi
bility.
Commerce is working through
the Broad River Soil and Water
Conservation District toward the
same end, says Bryan Harbin,
the city’s director of water and
sewer operations.
“Us, and Banks, Madison and
Elbert counties, are working to
make sure we have representa
tion,’’ Harbin explained. “What
we don’t want to happen is to let
Augusta hog all 25 seats.’’
Commerce officials are happy,
however, to be a district that is a
little further away from Atlanta.
The underlying fear is that if
the drought continues into the
late spring and lake levels at
Lanier and Allatoona continue
to fall, the state could order the
diversion of water from other
basins to bail out Atlanta.
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77D-SB6-79D0
City of Commerce
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
The City of Commerce Planning Commission will hold
a public hearing on Monday, January 28, 2008 at 7:00
p.m. in the Commerce Civic Center Peach Room, 110
State Street. The purpose of the hearing is for 1)
Steven Sears, 193 Willow Street, variance on size of
accessory building, Map No. C03, Parcel No. 018.
The public is invited to attend.
David Zellner
City Planner
“We want to pretty much con
trol our water resources. The
closer you are to Atlanta, the
more likely you are to be asked
to bail someone out,’’ Harbin
explained.
It also doesn’t hurt that the
Broad-Savannah basin has been
largely spared the worst of the
drought.
Harbin said the members of
the Broad River sub-basin of the
Savannah-Ogeechee basin hope
“to present a solid front’’ when
the district begins formulating
policy.
“We haven’t met yet, but we’ve
been talking,’’ Harbin commented.
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