Newspaper Page Text
The
Commerce News
Page 2A • MAY 14,2008
Public Forum Set
On LP's Request
To Hike Emissions
A meeting will be held Thursday
on a request from Louisiana-
Pacific’s plant in Center for higher
emissions of formaldehyde from
its production equipment. The
Georgia Environmental Protection
Division (EPD) will host a public
forum to answer questions and
receive comments about L-P’s per
mit request Thursday from 6:30-8:30
p.m. at the Nicholson Community
Center, located at 175 Lakeview
Drive, Nicholson.
L-P’s facility is located at 10910
Commerce Road, Athens.
In its air quality application, L-P
requested that the EPD amend its
permit to increase formaldehyde
emission limits from its dryers and
the press. Formaldehyde is con
sidered a Hazardous Air Pollutant
(HAP) by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
During the meeting, EPD repre
sentatives will make a brief presen
tation before holding a question-
and-answer (Q&A) session. EPD
will follow that with a public hear
ing to receive formal comments
regarding the proposed permit
amendment.
For information on the permit
modification application or review
process, contact James “Jac” Capp
at 404-363-7020 or John Yntema at
404-363-7117.
For information about the Q&A
or public hearing, contact Thomas
Smith at 404-362-2790.
Braselton Mayor
To Chair GMA
Policy Committee
Braselton mayor Pat Graham has
been appointed chairman of the
Georgia Municipal Association’s
(GMA) municipal government
policy committee. It is a two-year
appointment.
As chair, Graham will be respon
sible for overseeing the develop
ment of GMA’s municipal govern
ment policy platform and presid
ing at committee meetings.
The municipal government policy
committee is responsible for guid
ing the development of policies
that address a wide range of issues,
including annexation, service deliv
ery and promotion of municipal
home rule.
The appointment was made by
Kingsland Mayor Kenneth Smith,
who serves as president of the
association.
“Mayor Graham will continue to
provide effective leadership in her
role as chair, as she has done in so
many other instances on behalf of
GMA,’’ Smith said.
Graham will chair her first com
mittee meeting at the spring meet
ing of GMA’s legislative policy
council in May.
Art Show And
Sale Set At Banks
County Library
HOMER - The 16th annual Art
Show and Sale is being held at
the Banks County Public Library
in Homer through May 18 during
normal library hours.
Many local and regional artists
will have work on display and for
sale to the public. This event has
expanded with well over 50 local
artists expected to participate.
These contributing artists will have
three to five of their original works
on display. It also offers visitors a
chance to see the talent available
in this area.
Awards will be presented to the
first, second and third place work
in each category, such as pottery,
woodcarving, painting, sculpture
etc. and there will be a Best of
Show award, a People’s Choice
award and a Children’s Choice
award.
The People’s Choice will be voted
on by library patrons during the
exhibit and the Children’s Choice
will be voted on by the children
who visit, including the classrooms
who will visit as a field trip from the
Region Roundup
Banks County Primary School.
This event culminates with a tea
for the artists and guests Sunday,
May 18, from 2-4 p.m. The public
is urged to come out to meet the
artists, see their work and learn
what inspires them. Information
on future library events will also be
available.
For library hours, directions or
more information, contact the
library at 706-677-3164 or by e-mail
at skrumnow@prlib.org.
Banks County Wins
'Entrepreneur
Frendly' Designation
HOMER - Banks County
is the state’s newest desig
nated “Entrepreneur Friendly’’
Community.
The designation means the com
munity has developed an environ
ment that is welcoming to small
businesses and entrepreneurs.
Ninety-two percent of Banks
County’s 350 companies are small
businesses with fewer than 20
employees.
“I want to say thank you to our
entrepreneur friendly team that
worked so hard to accomplish this
goal for Banks County,’’ chamber
director Tara Fulcher said. ‘The
Banks County chamber is proud
to be named the first point of
contact for small business, entre
preneurs and start-up companies
in Banks County.’’
Fulcher led a committee in gath
ering information on current busi
nesses and developing a strategy
to promote new business devel
opment. The committee met for
eight months and interviewed 18
business owners.
Last week, state leaders, cham
ber members and county busi
ness owners gathered in Homer
for the official announcement
that the county had received the
designation. Before the afternoon
ceremony, state leaders traveled
to several Banks County busi
nesses, including Grove River
Ranch. Presentations were given
from other county business own
ers, including Joe Book of PakMail
and Jerry Boling of Document
Destruction.
As part of the process to earn the
designation, Banks County com
pleted the entrepreneur friendly
program with the assistance of
GDEcD’s regional representative
Suzanne Browne. The county ana
lyzed its entrepreneurial and small
business environment and devel
oped strategies to help foster its
growth.
Banks County also underwent
a full-day assessment by a review
team composed of GDEcD
staff and representatives from
the Department of Community
Affairs, Georgia Tech, Small
Business Development Center,
White County Economic
Development and Greater Hall
Chamber of Commerce.
Qualified entrepreneurs and
small business owners in Banks
County are now eligible for cus
tomized market data, such as
demographic and business infor
mation, to help them become
more competitive.
Madison County
Commissioners To
Face Dmg Tests
DANIELSVILLE - Madison
County commissioners agreed to
accept the cup and head to the
stall, intending to show that they
are willing to be randomly tested
for drugs, just like they expect of
county employees.
“Maybe they can look at my
shoulder while I’m there,’’ joked
Chairman Wesley Nash of his
visit to Regional First Care, which
conducts drug tests for the coun
ty
Commissioner Bruce Scogin
asked the county attorney if the
gathering of commissioners for
urine analysis would constitute
an illegal meeting, then audience
member Danny Andrews jok
ingly warned Scogin not to tap
his foot, drawing laughs from the
audience.
But the commissioners weren’t
laughing about the state of drug
testing among Madison County
employees.
County clerk Morris Fortson
reported that only one random
drug test has been performed
in the past three years. He said
Regional First Care dealt only
with the county’s former per
sonnel manager, who recently
resigned.
“From what I understand they
were waiting on the human
resources director to provide
them with a roster (of those to be
tested),’’ said Fortson.
Commissioner Stanley Thomas
said he was appalled.
“One in three years is total
ly, totally unacceptable,’’ said
Thomas, adding that failure to
test employees regularly opens
the door for a myriad of legal
troubles.
The board recently agreed to
test 10 percent of county employ
ees randomly four times a year.
And the group agreed Monday to
be first up at the stall, with each
planning a trip to Athens Tuesday
morning for a screening.
Ex-Commissioner
Files Ethics
Complaint On BOC
DANIELSVILLE - John Scoggins
says the Madison County Board
of Commissioners made a cam
paign contribution to Stanley
Thomas when it reimbursed the
District 1 representative for legal
fees incurred during a failed recall
effort.
Now Scoggins, who served
briefly as the county’s District 4
commissioner before resigning,
has filed a complaint with the
State Ethics Commission, alleg
ing that Thomas broke the law
by accepting the funds from the
BOC and not reporting the pay
ment as a campaign contribution.
“It speaks for itself,’’ said
Scoggins of the ethics charges,
declining to comment further.
Meanwhile, Thomas had plenty
to say, calling the action a purely
political move in an election year.
“This is harassment,’’ he said.
“It’s ridiculous that my friends
and family have to pick up the
paper and read these lies.’’
Thomas incurred $13,197 in
legal fees during the recall effort
against him. Recall chairman Jerry
Williams was ordered by a judge to
reimburse Thomas roughly $7,000
in legal expenses. The BOC voted
last March to cover legal fees for
commissioners defending them
selves in a recall, but only if a
judge deems that the recall effort
lacks legal merit. The county then
paid Thomas in April 2007 the
remainder of the fees.
“If the county is being led by an
ethically bad person, then why
did he wait a year to file, why
wait until after qualifying?’’ said
Thomas. “It’s outright politically
motivated.”
In his complaint, Scoggins
said the board was wrong to pay
Thomas. He said the BOC sought
to circumvent state law and the
Ethics in Government Act by
“renaming the recall process a
quasi-criminal action.’’
“The MCBOC further attempt
ed to separate the finding of lack
of sufficiency from the defini
tions of the Ethics in Government
Act and the Georgia Recall Act,’’
wrote Scoggins in his complaint.
Scoggins said county policy
provides for the coverage of
legal expenses for defense for
“civil, criminal or quasi-crimi
nal actions.’’ He contends that
Thomas’ payment does not fall
under these provisions, noting
that the Georgia Supreme Court
determined that the “recall pro
cess is a political process.’’ He
wrote that Thomas violated the
law by accepting the money from
the county “as an individual, not
as chairman of the ‘campaign
committee”’ and that the “con
tribution’’ exceeded the “amount
allowed by the Recall Act.’’
Thomas filed and won an ethics
charge against Williams, claiming
that the recall chairman failed
to file campaign contributions
during the recall effort. Thomas
noted that he himself did file
contribution reports during that
time. When Williams’ campaign
reports were filed, they showed
that Scoggins, who said he was
a paid consultant for the recall
effort, was actually contributing
money to the recall effort against
Thomas.
“He’s mad at me for exposing
him,’’ said Thomas. “I caught him
in an outright lie.’’
Thomas said the payment from
the county was not a “campaign
contribution,’’ but a “reimburse
ment.’’
“The check stub says ‘reim
bursement for legal fees,”’ said
Thomas.
He added that the issue is “pret
ty disheartening.’’
“They got two of them to resign
from (in the 1990s) with recalls,’’
said Thomas. “They’re trying to
drive me to quit, but I’m not a
puppet or a yes man.’’
Listening To
Music In The Park
Approximately 70 people
turned out last Friday
night to hear Boss Laura
and Jimmy T perform in
Spencer Park. The free
concert was part of the
Commerce Downtown
Development Authority’s
“Fridays After Five” pro
gram. The next event will
be Friday, May 23, when
Curley Maple, a folk/blue-
grass/Americana group,
will present another free
concert at 6:30 p.m.
I’m
Certified
to hit the ground running.
CERTIFIED
WORK
With Work Ready, Georgia
companies are enjoying a
competitive edge they’ve never
had before. To learn how to hire
Work Ready people, visit
www.gaworkready.org or the
economic development office
at your local technical college.
■<
▼
RELAY
FOR LIFE
On Friday evening, May 30, 2008 the Opening Ceremonies for this year’s American
Cancer Society RELAY FOR LIFE presented by Wayne and Heather Abbs,
Wayne-Neal Chevrolet will begin at Peach State Speedway. There will be
Luminaries to line the track area. The Luminaries will be lit in memory and honor of
loved ones and friends who have had cancer. The Lighting Ceremony will begin at
9:30 p.m., and everyone is invited to attend.
We want to give everyone an opportunity to pay tribute to their loved ones and friends AND help fight
this disease that claims so many lives.
You do not need to be an actual participant in this Celebration to take part in this tribute. With your
donation the individuals you designate will be written on the luminary to be lit on Friday evening.
If you would like to participate in our candle lighting, clip and send in the form below. The sooner we
stop this disease, the more lives we can save.
Thank You.
Please light a candle in memory or in honor of my loved one/friend. I understand that the proceeds will
go to benefit the American Cancer Society. Please print legibly the following information:
In Memory
In Honor
From: (Your name and address)
Amount enclosed ($5 minimum per luminary ).
Number of Luminaries
Please make check payable to the American Cancer Society and mail or give to:
Gail & Larry Banks Luminary Service sponsored
1347 Lewis Roberts Rd. by Jackson EMC
Jefferson, GA 30549