Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 27. 2008 - PAGE 5A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Group Offers Support For
Heart Patients And Their Families
Editor:
February is American Heart
Month and a good time to
remind the increasing num
ber of heart patients in the
Banks-Jackson-Commerce area
that they are not alone in their
recovery.
Mended Hearts, affiliated with
the American Heart Association,
is a national nonprofit organi
zation offering the gift of hope
to heart patients, their families
and caregivers for more than
50 years.
Locally, Mended Hearts
Chapter 171 has local volun
teers, heart patients themselves,
who are trained visitors and
offer this same gift of hope in
partnership with BJC Medical,
St. Mary's Hospital and BJC
Rehab Center.
One might say "we've been
there — done that" when it
comes to successfully manag
ing the challenges of this often
overwhelming disease. We
invite any heart patient, family
member or caregiver to let us
know if we can help — either
through a visit or by attending
our regular scheduled meet
ings.
Mended Hearts maybe reached
by calling Theron Stancil at
706-335-3476 or nationally at
1-888-432-7899 or by visiting
the web site at www.mended-
hearts.org.
Sincerely,
George W. Evans,
President,
Mended Hearts Chapter 171
Jackson County’s teachers of the year hon
ored Monday night are, left to right, Sharon
Williamson, East Jackson Elementary School;
Tammy Lott, Maysville Elementary School;
Kelly Crump, North Jackson Elementary
School; Stephen Lush, South Jackson
Elementary School; Courtney Philips,
West Jackson Intermediate School; Cindy
Thompson, West Jackson Primary School;
Holly Canup, East Jackson Middle School;
Justin Schupska, Kings Bridge Middle
School; Misty Lewis, West Jackson Middle
School; and Col. Tom Taylor, system win
ner and East Jackson Comprehensive High
School winner. Not pictured are Laura Becker,
Benton Elementary School; and Shannon
Lawrence, Jackson County Comprehensive
High School.
Citizens Need To Take Stand On
A Dangerous Commerce Intersection
Chamber Honors Top Students, Teachers
Editor:
I certainly applaud the tenac
ity and perseverance of the
citizens of Jefferson and par
ticularly the residents of Old
Pendergrass Road and SR 129,
which mainly led to the instal
lation of a traffic signal at that
dangerous intersection.
I believe I speak for the citi
zens of Commerce. We also
have a dangerous intersection
at SR 98 and King Road/B.
Wilson Road. In my 13 years
in Commerce there have been
numerous non-fatal (thank
God), some serious accidents at
this intersection. But I under
stand from a long-time resident
that one or two fatalities have
occurred. Almost daily, I wit
ness numerous "near mishaps"
there, caused by motorists hav
ing to look four ways to avoid
death or hospitalization.
A few years ago, I requested
a local city official to look at
putting a traffic light at this
intersection. I was advised
this would require State DOT
approval and action. I under
stand a request to the DOT was
made, but nothing happened.
Recently a dialogue was initi
ated by me with Commissioner
Jody Thompson to address this
urgent community need with
the DOT agency. Commissioner
Thompson contacted the agen
cy and was told that a contract
to study this intersection would
be let in December 2008. The
commissioner stated that he
would stay on top of it to insure
that it occurred.
I deeply appreciate
Thompson's diligent and
prompt response and as a citi
zen I am proud of his "con
cern skills." My next move,
because most people who know
me expect that I will not give
up because I believe in cit
izen involvement, I placed a
call to the DOT Area 6 Office,
stated my case and explained
that December 2008 was too
long to wait for a study, then
longer if and when installation
was approved. The lady listened
and promised to get back to
me. To date I have received no
response.
My next step was to contact
my friend, Rep. Tommy Benton,
who listened, promised to inter
cede with his contacts at State
DOT headquarters. Basically
Rep. Benton received the same
answer as Commissioner
Thompson, except that the study
and possible installation would
not occur in 2008, due to right
of way issues, etc. Again I appre
ciate Rep. Benton's prompt
action, follow-up and response.
This is the mark of servant lead
ership by both men.
This is another example of a
state government agency being
totally unresponsive to urgent
public health and safety issues,
even when pursued by our
elected officials. What we really
need is immediate site observa
tion and installation. "Contract
letting" is a process that should
not be guided by some depart
mental time frame, when a
sense of urgency is required.
The traffic volume at B.
Wilson Road, King Road and
SR 98 intersection has increased
significantly due to motorists
from Jefferson shopping in the
Commerce area, Brentwood
Estates/Mount Olive Road resi
dents banking and shopping in
the Quality Foods area, plus a
new subdivision on the north
end of Mount Olive Road, auto
traffic to and from Hwy. 441
and Jefferson and Jefferson Road
motorists crossing and traveling
down Ridgeway Church Road
to Steven Tanger Boulevard to
shop. The increased speed and
the horsepower of trucks travel
ing on SR 98 would certainly
almost guarantee fatalities if an
auto was hit broadside.
One of the justifications the
DOT responded to for the Old
Pendergrass Road/SR 129 light
was the fear of having a school
bus accident. Well, we can also
use this point, because we have
school buses crossing this inter
section plus emergency vehicles
and senior citizen motorists.
The last point is, we have a
business establishment on one
corner that many times has
parked vehicles that obstruct
visibility.
Finally, if there ever was a time
for the citizens of Commerce,
residents of Mt. Olive Road,
Ridgeway Road areas and
Jackson Hills Apartments to dis
pel apathy and complacency
and speak up strongly, it is now.
Don't wait for your loved ones
to meet tragedy or be hospital
ized or maybe die yourself and
leave your family with a void.
The need for this traffic signal
has gone for too long. We need
to unite on this issue. I sin
cerely ask you to step up to the
plate as a taxpayer and citizen.
Call the Area 6 DOT office at
706-369-5627 and register your
complaint. We need this traf
fic signal installed now to save
lives. This is your city, this is
your county. God bless you all,
and keep hope alive.
Sincerely,
Jim Scott
Cont. from Page 1A
spirited boy” in the band.
He is an Eagle Scout, was
awarded Boy Scouts’ Order of
the Arrow and is joint-enrolled at
the University of Georgia, where
he plans a dual major of biology
and computer science with a
minor in music.
Brad Stansbury, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Scott Stansbury of
Jefferson, is the Jefferson High
School STAR student, and he
chose Sanford Freeman, an AP
U.S. History instructor, as his
STAR teacher.
Stansbury, a transfer from
Illinois, played football, ran
track, wrestled and was on the
county math team in Illinois.
Upon transferring to Jefferson,
he continued all of those sports
events, joined the Academic
Bowl Team and managed a per
fect score on the math portion
of the SAT.
Teachers Of The Year
The following were honored as
teachers of the year.
Commerce: Jean Davis,
Commerce Primary School
and Commerce system winner;
Matthew Dahlke, Commerce
High School; Bryant Chitwood,
Commerce Middle School;
and Lisa Brown, Commerce
Elementary School.
Jackson County: Col.
Tom Taylor, East Jackson
Comprehensive High School and
system winner; Laura Becker,
Benton Elementary School;
state law to have a qualified local
government status. Without it,
eligibility for outside assistance
would be suspended.
“This plan will help be a guide
book for city leaders,” Hazell
said. Citizens can submit com
ments or ideas for the plan to
Hazell at Town of Maysville
Sharon Williamson, East Jackson
Elementary School; Tammy Lott,
Maysville Elementary School;
Kelly Crump, North Jackson
Elementary School; Stephen
Lush, South Jackson Elementary
School; Cindy Thompson, West
Jackson Primary School; Holly
Canup, East Jackson Middle
School; Justin Schupska, Kings
Bridge Middle School; Misty
Lewis, West Jackson Middle
School; and Shannon Lawrence,
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School.
Jefferson: Jennifer McAuley,
Jefferson Middle School and
system winner; Anita Hayes,
Jefferson High School; and Sandi
Flint, Jefferson Elementary
School.
Comprehensive Plan, P.O. Box
1720, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. He
can also be contacted at 770-
538-2617 or by e-mail at ahazell@
gmrdc.org.
The next public hearing on the
Maysville comprehensive plan is
scheduled for Monday, March 3,
at 6:30 p.m. at the library.
Maysville Seeks Input On Town's Future
By Chris Bridges
Maysville officials say they
want input from the people they
represent.
The city is working on its new
comprehensive plan and wants
to hear from citizens about the
direction they want the munici
pality to go in future years.
The first of several public hear
ings was held last Thursday on
the matter as Adam Hazell of
Georgia Mountains Regional
Development Center spoke to
the city council members and
two citizens who attended.
Thursday’s was one of three
required public hearings on the
matter.
Currently, Hazell is conducting
research and obtaining city-relat
ed documents. He said the first
public meeting is held to explain
the process. Hazell said a com
prehensive plan is required by
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335-6084
2183 N. Elm St Commerce, GA
Your patronage helps provide for those in need.
706-335-3381
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706-335-7793
215 Mercer Place, P. O. Box 1241
Commerce, GA 30529
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