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SEE PAGE IB SEE PAGE 5A Tigers To Host 13th Offensive Camp County Residents To Get Watering Relief SEE PAGE 3A Amateur Radio Field Day Coming Up Vol. 133 No. 18 26 Pages 3 Sections Wednesday JUNE 18, 2008 mainstreetnews.com 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Farmers' Market Starts Saturday At Spencer Park The 2008 City to City Farmers’ Market opens Saturday morning at 7:00. It’ll be in the trackside parking lot in front of Spencer Park on South Elm Street in downtown Commerce. The official hours are 7:00 to 11, but last year’s experi ence suggests that shoppers intent on buying fresh squash or beans should be there early. ‘The earlier the better,” con firms Hasco Craver, execu tive director of the Downtown Development Authority, which along with the Jefferson Better Hometown program, sponsors the market, which alternates Saturdays between Commerce and Jefferson. “The hours are from 7:00 to 11:00, but your best chance for purchasing some thing is between 7:00 and 9:00.” As this is the opening Saturday, Craver is not sure what to expect.” “It’s hard to predict exact ly what will be there the first weekend,” he said. “I expect at least five to seven vendors, but it’s still early in the season, so the corn and other things peo ple may be hunting may not be there in the first week.” Craver said some vendors he’d talked to expected to have tomatoes, squash and possibly corn available Saturday. Historic House Demolished The Pittman House, located on Homer Road on property being developed for a new Walgreens, was demolished last week. There had been some expectation that the house would be moved, but that plan fell through, resulting in its demolition, although some parts were reportedly saved. Four other build ings were also destroyed to make room for the Walgreens. Photo by Mark Beardsley Will Third Time Be A Charm For Walgreens' Sign Request? Company Seeks SO Percent More Space Than Allowed In Ordinance i i: n :i THURSDAY FRIDAY :■ Sunny: Isolated T-storms: Low, 63; high, 83; Low, 64; high, 87; 10% chance rain 30% chance rain SATURDAY SUNDAY Scattered T-storms: Scattered T-storms: Low, 64; high, 79; Low, 66; high, 88; 30% chance rain 30% chance rain Reservoir Levels Commerce: 697.8 (.2 feet above full) Bear Creek: 695 (full) Rainfall this month 1.95 inches Rainfall This Year 23.05 Inches INDEX Church News 10A Classified Ads 1-6C Calendar 3A Crime News 6-7A Library News 8B News Roundup 2A Obituaries 9A Opinions 4A School News. . . 3B & 6B Sports 1-2B CONTACT US Phone: 706-335-2927 FAX: 70G3 87-5435 E-mail: news@mainstreetnews.com ma rk@ma i n streetnews. com brandon@mainstreetnews.com teresa@mainstreetnews.com Mail: P.O. Box 459, Commerce, GA, 30529 Walgreens will make a third stab at getting a larger-than-allowed sign for its new Commerce store Monday night. The Commerce Planning Commission will hear company officials argue for a 36-square- foot sign — 50 percent larger than allowed under the city sign ordinance — at 7:00 p.m. in the Peach Room of the Commerce Civic Center. The planning commission makes recommendations to the Commerce City Council on zon ing and land use issues. Walgreens first applied for an 80-square foot monument sign plus an automated letterboard sign. When the planning com mission rejected that, Walgreens came back in April with a pro posal for a 24-square-foot pole sign and a letterboard sign of equal size. The planning commis sion rejected that as well. The latest proposal includes a monument sign comprising 36 square feet, including the letter- board sign, according to David Zellner, planning director. Also on the agenda for Monday night are: • a conditional use permit request by the Commerce Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, so the church can build an addition to its Mount Olive Road facility. • a request for a variance in the rear setback from Nelson Nix for his 115 Clayton Street prop erty. Nix intends to replace an old storage building and needs a four-foot variance in the rear setback. •discussion of an amendment to the zoning ordinance to define “recycling station” and to allow for “recycling centers.” Any action taken Monday will be in the form of a recommenda tion to the city council, which would take the final action at its July 14 meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center. Still Some Farming Left In Jackson Jackson County may be the 10th fastest growing county in America, but there’s still some real agriculture taking place — particu larly here on the east side. Darrell Williamson had a crew harvesting more than 400 acres of winter wheat off Hwy. 334 last Friday. First, the combine (not pictured) went over the field harvesting the grain, after which the crew cut, baled and picked up the wheat straw. In fact, the straw, a byproduct of the operation, fetch es more in the market than the wheat itself. Photo by Mark Beardsley BJC Surgeon Resigns A Day Before Suit Filed Dr. Keith Ash's Resignation Costs Hospital One Of Its Top Revenue Sources The general surgeon at BJC Hospital in Commerce announced his resignation and closed his office Monday. The following day four former patients filed suit against him and BJC Medical Center over alleged malpractice. Dr. Keith Ash’s resignation leaves the medical center without one of its primary profit centers and has it scrambling to replace the services he’s provided for four years. “He announced it Monday. It was a personal decision, and I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for him,” said Jim Yarborough, CEO of the medical center. Ash did not return a telephone call seeking comment. Yarborough indicated that Ash wants to relocate within a group rather than serving as a sole prac titioner. “He’s performed thousands of procedures and operated here 24/7,” Yarborough noted. Ash joined the hospital in March 2004, and his surgical trade has repeatedly been credited with helping the hospital turn its finan cial situation into the black. His departure has the hospital scram bling to find replacements. “We’re doing everything we can to find alternative services,” Yarborough said. They include a gastroenterolo gist in the specialty clinic, a radi ologist and other doctors who can Dr. Keith Ash joined the hospital staff in 2004. The revenue generat ed by his surger ies is credited with helping BJC turn its finances around. perform some of the procedures that Ash handled. “We are also trying to find a general surgeon who would be willing to come in two or three days a week in a clinical setting and do surgeries at the hospital,” Yarborough said. “We would like to find a general surgeon who would be associated with other general surgeons in our region, so they can take some time off.” Yarborough had nothing but praise for Ash. “During his four-plus years as an active member of our medical staff, Dr. Ash has performed thou sands of surgical procedures and has gained the confidence and respect of many patients, families, BJCMC hospital staff, BJCMC medical staff and the overall com munity in general,” Yarborough wrote in an e-mail to hospital staff. “Dr. Ash has been providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week cover age during his tenure as our ‘solo’ surgeon with minimal time off and Please Turn to Page 3A Vote Clears Way For Bana Road Work By Angela Gary Road projects in Commerce and Braselton will move forward following action Monday night by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to approve agree ments with developers. The BOC approved develop ment agreements Commerce Land Holdings and Braselton Ventures. The agreement with Commerce Land Holdings is for the Bana Road project in East Jackson. The developer agrees to donate 15 acres of right of way. Construction of the road is scheduled for this fall. The project will add 2.7 miles of three-lane roadway to the “1-85 parallel net work” connecting State Route 98 (Maysville Road) and State Route 82 Spur, along with opening up over 425 acres for potential indus trial development. The agreement with Braselton Ventures is for the Zion Church Road project in West Jackson. The agreement outlines the dona tion of four acres by the devel oper. The county will realign Zion Church Road from State Route 124 at the intersection of Josh Pirkle Road North/ State Route 53 to the new location. The project is funded through economic development road bonds approved by the com missioners. It is currently in the design and right of way acquisi tion phase, and construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2009. Nicholson Schedules Hearings On Proposed '08-'09 Budget The city of Nicholson will hold its hearings on the proposed 2008- 2009 budget at the Nicholson Community Center, 175 Lakeview Drive, Nicholson, July 1, at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and July 7 at 6:30 p.m. The city council’s work session for July has been cancelled. The council will hold its regular coun cil meeting Monday, July 7, at 7:00 p.m.