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PAGE 10A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 9. 2008
Kids and staff at the Commerce campus of ebrated the club’s new independence from Hall
the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County cel- County with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Boys & Girls Club Celebrates New Charter
Commerce Nearing Decision
On Buying New Vogtie Power
Kids, staff, parents and the
board of directors were on hand
at the two units of the Jackson
County Boys and Girls Clubs
for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Although, the Jackson County
Boys & Girls Clubs have been
in existence since June 2003, this
day was a celebration because the
clubs have established their own
charter from the National Boys
and Girls Clubs of America.
'This is an exciting day for the
Jackson County Boys and Girls
Clubs. Now that we are able to
have our own charter, we no lon
ger need to depend on the Hall
County club which we were oper
ating under. With the help of gener-
One water system’s trash may be
another’s treasure.
The Jackson County Water and
Sewerage Authority revealed last
Thursday night that Madison
County is willing to take a liability
off its hands. Call it recycling.
The Jackson County 200,000-gal
lon elevated water tank at Center
has been out of service since 2002.
There’s nothing wrong with the
ous supporters in our community
and local businesses, we have suc
cessfully obtained a charter of our
own,” explains Executive Director,
Michael Williams.
The kids were treated to a hot dog
snack with the help of donations
from Ingle’s, Bell’s, Kroger and the
BJC Medical Center Auxiliary.
“We have been so fortunate to
receive such a huge outpouring
of support from the people of
Jackson County. We were con
fident in our communities to be
able to go and obtain our own
charter because we knew our
citizens would support us,” said
President Bo Braswell. “Our deep
est appreciation goes to everyone
tank, but it’s not tall enough to
work in the county system and too
small to warrant raising.
According to Stacy Jenkins, the
authority’s water services supervi
sor, the authority would have to
pay about $15,000 to have the tank
removed.
“Madison County is interested in
taking it off our hands,” he told the
authority.
who believes in our cause.
“We serve over 300 kids during
our summer programs and this
is a very expensive time of year
for us. Without the help of Hall
County now, we have decided to
have our most-successful fund
raiser in the spring rather than in
the fall.”
The annual Boys and Girls Club
Auction will be held Friday, May
2, at the Commerce Civic Center.
A catered steak dinner from
Longhorn’s will be available as
well as a cash bar. There will be
20 live auction items and many
silent auction items ranging from
sports memorabilia to gift certifi
cates and vacation homes.
Water Tank
“I’d tell them they couldn’t start
until tomorrow,” quipped authority
member Andy Goodman.
However, after some discussion,
the authority agreed that it should
seek bids on the tank in case there
is a potential to sell it. The authority
agreed to advertise it on a govern
ment web site, www.govdeals.com,
and to notify Madison County of
the move.
Commerce officials hoped
to find out today (Wednesday)
how much participation in the
new nuclear power units at
Plant Vogtie will cost.
Officials were due to meet
with the Municipal Electric
Authority of Georgia (MEAG)
in Monroe. According to City
Manager Clarence Bryant, the
council would either commit
itself to a power purchase at the
meeting or shortly thereafter.
“We may talk about it at our
retreat,” he said, referring to
the city’s biennial retreat this
Friday and Saturday at Smithgall
Woods.
MEAG is entitled to 500 mega
watts of power from the new
plant; of that portion, Commerce
is entitled to 3.1 megawatts.
But because some of the 49
People in Wilson-Bennett
Cemetery may turn over in their
graves as the “Bana Road” indus
trial site is developed.
Literally.
A cemetery containing pos
sibly 45 graves, none with a
legible grave marker, and one
possibly containing the remains
of a Revolutionary War soldier,
is slated for relocation, the
Commerce City Council learned
at its Monday night work ses
sion.
The small cemetery of f Wheeler
Cemetery Road above Interstate
85 is part of the nearly 600 acres
to be developed by Commerce
Land Holdings, Mayor Charles
L. Hardy Jr. explained.
“A Mr. Wilson contacted Bill
member cities likely won’t buy
up their entitlements, the city
hopes to be able to buy more.
“We’re eligible for 3.2 mega
watts based on our share of
MEAG,” Bryant explains. “We’re
asking for 10, and we might get
between five and six.”
At stake is the city’s future
electric base load, which is
critical to establishing future
electric rates. The challenge is
to provide adequate base load
so that it is seldom necessary
to buy electricity on the open
market, but to not buy so much
base load as to create a finan
cial burden. If the city doesn’t
buy enough, it will be forced to
supplement its supply by buy
ing much more expensive elec
tricity on the open market. If
it buys too much base load, it
Butler, one of the principals, and
said it is possible that he has a
Revolutionary War descendant
buried there,” Hardy told the
council.
But there are no legible head
stones, no names on graves, and
the mayor said he was told that
only two people have visited the
cemetery in recent years.
Commerce Land Holdings is
going through a state-mandated
legal process to remove the graves
to a location yet to be decided.
“If there is a possibility of a
Civil War veteran being buried
there, you can’t touch it,” said
Councilman Richard Massey,
who is a funeral director.
“Bill’s thinking he can,” Hardy
replied, adding that going
risks burdening its ratepayers
with excessive debt.
However, because the demand
for the Vogtie power is much
higher than what will be avail
able, MEAG will be able to
sell electricity not immediately
needed by its customers — quite
possibly at a profit, according
to Bryant.
“We should find out tomorrow
if we’ll be selling it for a profit,”
he said.
The purchase will be for a
50-year supply. The cost will be
financed for at least 20 years,
and the two new nuclear units
are scheduled to go online in
2015. Georgia Power Co. is the
majority owner, but Oglethorpe
Electric, MEAG and the city of
Dalton Utilities are also part
ners.
through the process is likely to
cost the developers $100,000.
“It’s Bill’s cemetery,” opined
City Manager Clarence Bryant.
“If you want to go there to visit a
relative’s grave, you’ve got to ask
his permission.”
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Authority May Give Away
Developer Planning To Relocate Old
Cemetery In Bana Road Industrial Site
The Commerce City
BOE approved a plan for the
new Commerce High School.
A group of concerned citizens,
P.E.A.C.E., feels that several key
environmental issues are
compromised.
No Track
Anderson
Arts
performing
Fen .... halved-
cap
acity
Theater
Classrooms
windows
with
no
lack of
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No gy mni
a siumfor2y earS -
Please attend the
Informational meeting
on Sunday. April 13
at 3:00 n.m.
First Baptist Church of Commerce
(Family Life Center)
PEACE is urging the BOE
to relook at the CHS design and
hear the Community’s concerns.
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