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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 6. 2008 - PAGE 5A
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Recognizing Two
Overlooked Heroes During
Black History Month
Editor
Since February is Black
History Month, I think it's
appropriate to share this story
from 1966 and recognize two
children who were then 8 and
9 years old and displayed more
courage than any of us could
have recognized.
In fall of 1966, I entered the
fourth grade at Commerce
Elementary School. It was the
year before full integration was
enforced, and as I entered my
classroom I saw my first black
classmate, Kevin Kidd, sitting
in the very back of the last row
from the door. He didn't say
a word all day. When recess
came, Kevin stayed put; the
same for lunch. I was begin
ning to wonder if Kevin could
speak (years later I would won
der if he was ever quiet).
Kevin was so quiet during the
year, our teacher (name with
held) once told the entire class
we all had to stay after school
for 10 minutes for excessive
talking, "except for the little
colored boy" (actual words
etched in my mind).
Three years ago, I learned
Kevin lived an hour away from
me in Maryland. I did some
quick research, and thanks to
the Internet, was able to con
nect with Kevin. While eating
dinner, we went back to that
time in 1966 and Kevin shared
things with my family from
that period that I found mov
ing.
What I didn't realize was that
Kevin had been stuck between
two worlds. His mother, a
teacher, had been asked to
come over in 1966 to acclimate
herself in preparation for all
the African-American students
integrating the following year.
Ms. Kidd asked her two sons,
Kevin and Milton, to come
along with her.
After following their moth
er, Kevin and Milton were
ridiculed in their community.
Many of the other black chil
dren accused Kevin and Milton
of thinking they were "better"
than them because they attend
ed the school for whites. At the
same time, white children and
teachers treated them different
ly. They didn't go to recess or
lunch because they were isolat
ed, alone and scared. They were
literally stuck in the middle of
the racial divide at the most
tumultuous period in our his
tory. This would not have been
an easy task for grown men, let
alone two young children.
As the days, months and years
passed Kevin became my friend
and I'm proud to continue to
call him my friend today. I
believe the entire community
owes Kevin and Milton recog
nition for forging a path and
displaying bravery well beyond
their years. They were truly two
of Commerce's youngest pio
neers thrown in the middle of
what was then controversy.
I also owe Kevin recognition
for helping to open my mind
to the world as it was meant
to be, and I owe him thanks
for all the laughs he provided
through my years at school.
Terry Craft
Baltimore, MD
— Christinas Telescope
Cont. from Page 4A you hear nothing further about
will understand this. this project, however, please
So, over the coming months don't ask: there may be a rea-
(years?) I will be pouring foot- son for my reticence,
ings, erecting foundations, Willis Cook is a retired electri-
building frames and doing cal engineer who was born in
something with Fiberglass. If I New Orleans and grew up in
am even moderately successful, the Mississippi Delta. He lives on
I will be sure to let you know. If Varner Road in Franklin County.
Don Byram, Janice Adams and VC Perry cut the ribbon
marking the opening of DonByramArt, located in Commerce
Crossing Shopping Center.
From The Pottery, A New
Frame Store Opens Doors
Janice Adams, VC Perry and Milli Pezzuto had a combined 31 years
of framing experience in the Frame Shop located in the now-closed
Pottery. Starting last Saturday, Feb. 2, they moved their experience
and talents across the parking lot from The Pottery to Commerce
Crossing Shopping Center and are now framing at DonByramArt.
DonByramArt held its grand opening Saturday, not only with
the same people as the Pottery Frame Shop, but also with a much
expanded selection of molding, hand-crafted pottery, art and gifts.
Said Owner Don Byram: “We are very pleased to continue the
tradition of hand-crafted and custom framing people have come to
expect from Janice, VC and Milli and are excited to offer over 1,000
styles of molding, locally crafted pottery, and local print artists. We
feel very blessed to be able to keep the best framers in northeast
Georgia working together.’'
DonByramArt is located at 249 Pottery Factory Drive, behind
Zaxby’s. Its phone number is 706-336-8080.
Tackson County Government
Commission To Debate
How To Measure
Greenspace Set-Asides
By Angela Gary
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners is debating
whether the amount of open
space allowed in planned unit
development subdivisions
should be increased.
Currently, the county requires
20 percent of the land in these
subdivisions to be open space.
But there is concern expressed
by some of the commissioners
that developers use “swamp
land” to qualify, land that
couldn’t be developed anyway.
The commissioners debated
the matter on the last day of a
three-day retreat last week in
Macon. They reached no deci
sion, but the board agreed to
look into the matter further.
There was also some discus
sion about the kinds of prop
erty that should be counted
toward the open space require
ments.
“I can’t see them using a
swamp, or swampy area that
they can’t use anyway,’’ said
Chairman Pat Bell.
Commissioner Tom Crow
added, “I want to make sure
the revision we make is in the
best interest of all of Jackson
County.’’
Bell replied, “I think we all
want that.’’
Crow asked that an “expert”
give the county input on the
issue. Bell questioned how
much that would cost.
“We’re just in January and
we’re spending money and
spending money (from con
tingency),” she said. “By next
month, we will be out of
money.”
Commissioner Bruce Yates
asked the staff to get a cost for
such a study.
GIS PROGRAM
A recommendation to pull
the global information sys
tem (GIS) program out of the
planning office and make it
a separate county department
was met with approval. But the
board was hesitant to move
forward with a recommenda
tion to hire an assistant for
GIS manager Joel Logan. Staff
said the salary and benefits for
the position would amount to
$40,000.
Bell asked why staff in the
planning department could not
assist with GIS. She pointed
out that zoning submissions
are down, which should free
up some time of the planning
staff.
“Planning and development
should be a little slow now,”
Bell said. “We hired people
when it was booming.”
Hampton said staff would
look at getting another intern,
or doing something more cost-
effective than creating another
full-time position.
DOT Plans Upgrade Of Hwy. 98 Intersection
Jackson County
Commissioner Jody Thompson
says the Georgia Department
of Transportation is scheduled
to let a contract later this year
to improve one of Commerce’s
more dangerous intersections.
The DOT, says Thompson,
will receive federal funding to
realign the Maysville Road’s
intersections with King Road
and B. Wilson Road.
Currently, B. Wilson Road hits
the Maysville Road (Highway
98) from the west several feet
before King Road intersects
Highway 98 from the east, cre
ating hazardous driving con
ditions that have resulted in
numerous wrecks.
The plan is to move King
Road’s intersection to the south
and swing B. Wilson Road’s
terminus a little to the north
so the two roads hit Highway
98 directly opposite of each
other. B. Wilson Road will have
left-turn and right-turn lanes
and King Road a left-turn lane.
There will also be left-turn
lanes in both directions on the
Maysville Road at the intersec
tion, a deceleration and right-
turn lane at the Quality Foods
Shopping Center for south
bound traffic and a left-turn
lane at the shopping center for
northbound traffic on Highway
98.
“Of course, there will be a
traffic light,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, he’s
been interested in improving
the intersection since taking
office three years ago.
“We didn’t think the DOT
would ever do it,” he said. “But
Don Clerici did some research
and found that federal funding
is available and has been out
there for years.”
Thompson also reported that
the DOT plans to review the
King Road railroad grade cross
ing and schedule it for upgrades
in state Fiscal Year 2009.
Nicholson To Deed
Land To Fire Dept.
By Brandon Reed
The Nicholson fire department
now owns the land underneath
its fire station. The Nicholson
City Council voted unanimous
ly Monday night to deed the
land, upon which there is also a
county EMS station, to the fire
department. The vote carried
the stipulation that should the
department choose to move off
the land, the property would
revert back to the city.
In other business:
• The council voted to approve
$2,160 for 12 new wooden chairs
for the library.
•The council voted unani
mously to spend $600 for the
purchase of materials for eight
picnic tables for the amphithe
ater.
• The council voted to approve
new hours for City Hall. They
will be open from 8 a.m. to 2
p.m. Monday through Friday.
•At Thursday night’s city
council workshop, a discus
sion was held with citizens and
fire department officials on the
status of the ISO rating. Fire
officials reported that they are
about 75 percent through the
process, and are currently work
ing on pre-fire plans for the
area.
NEED PRINTING?
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706-367-5233
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County Accepts Annual Grant From FA A
By Kristi Reed
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners voted unani
mously Monday evening to
accept a 2008 entitlement grant
of $150,000 from the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
to go toward improvements at
the Jackson County Airport
The money will go with past
years’ entitlement funds — which
are given annually to general avia
tion airports — to help pay for the
ongoing runway expansion proj
ect that is expected to cost $5.5
to $6 million. Bids will be opened
later this month. Other sources
of funding for the project, which
will extend the runway 900 feet,
include an expected $3.5 million
grant from AirGeorgia and more
than $1 million the county air
port authority has banked over
the years from FAA entitlement
grants and Georgia Department
of Transportation funds.
In other business, commission
ers:
•agreed to provide a 60-foot
right of way necessary to con
struct and maintain the Lipscomb
Lake Road bridge replacement.
The replacement was deemed
necessary after officials deter
mined the bridge would not sup
port the weight of school buses,
forcing the buses to detour
around the bridge. By provid
ing the right of way, Jackson
County will receive funds from
the Georgia Department of
Transportation to construct
the 56-ft. by 26-ft. replacement
bridge. The county will provide
for the ongoing maintenance of
the bridge.
• authorized a resolution which
will allow the county to receive
a $152,800 reimbursement for
costs incurred during landfill
cleaning and investigation. Due
to current funding levels in the
Hazardous Waste Fund, the
county will receive 50 percent
of eligible expenses initially with
the rest to be paid as funds
become available.
•approved an amendment to
the Newco Sports and Outdoor
Lighting contract. Jackson
County contracted with Newco
to install lighting at various
fields in East Jackson Park. The
amended contract will expedite
the completion of a riding arena
and buffer for Hurricane Shoals
Park. Newco will install lighting
for the riding arena at a cost
of $33,500. The project will be
paid for with SPLOST funds.
The addition of arena lighting
brings the total Newco contract
amount to $185,400.
•approved the establishment
of a special tax district for the
Steeplechase subdivision. The
tax district is being created for
the purpose of providing 32
street lights for the 73 lots within
the subdivision.
•accepted a right of way on
Hog Mountain Rd at Jefferson
Mill Business Park.
•received a request from a
homeowner on Commerce Road
regarding littering in the area.
Gayle Dailey of 4404 Commerce
Road asked that the commission
investigate the situation. Dailey
said the area was an eyesore and
presented a bad image to visitors
driving through the county.
BLUE GRASS MUSIC
At Watson Mill Fish House
February 16 (Saturday)
Featuring: Waitin On Parts
&
CHITTLINTIME
55
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
Thursday, February 21,2008
Watson Mill Fish House • 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
This is our final chittlin’ supper of the season.
Located off Hwy. 22 between Comer & Lexington on Watson Mill Rd.
706-783-5986
Owned and operated by Susan Saxon Singleton and Greg Singleton
NOW OPEN
y
Ama Kishi
Japanese
Steakhouse
& Sushi Bar
Dinner: 5:00 p.m. ■ 10:00 p.m.
Monday - Saturday
706-423-0040
228 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. • Commerce, GA 30529
Across From Home Depot