Newspaper Page Text
The
Commerce News
PAGE 2A • AUGUST 6,2008
Public Shows
Little Interest
In Budget Hearings
HOMER - The Banks County
Board of Commissioners held
two hearings on the proposed
$14.5 million county budget last
week but there was little citizen
input.
The hearings were held at 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Thursday. No citizens
attended the morning hearing,
and only one person attended the
evening hearing. Several elected
officials and county staff were at
both meetings.
The project budget is up almost
six percent over the current bud
get. Commissioners state “cost of
living" expenses and rising insur
ance costs are the main increases
in the budget. Chairman Gene
Hart added that there will be no
millage rate increase.
The board of commissioners
is expected to adopt the bud
get when it meets at 6:30 p.m.
Monday Aug. 12.
Turtle Trek Is
Saturday
At Crow's Lake
Visitors should bring sunscreen
and a lawn blanket or chair and
plan to spend a fun-filled day
of great food, free activities and
entertainment when the Tree
House hosts its Turbo Turtle Trek
at Crow’s Lake, Jefferson, from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9.
The event, which is a fund-rais
er for the Tree House, the chil
dren’s advocacy center for the
Piedmont Judicial District, raised
tens of thousands of dollars at last
year’s event. The free Family Fun
Festival is an important part of
the Turtle Trek, providing families
with a great opportunity for a
day of games, crafts, touchable
animals, safety awareness and
education.
Food such as chicken barbe
cue, hamburgers, hotdogs, cot
ton candy, fresh seasonal fruit,
ice cream and baked goods will
be available for purchase, as a
fund-raiser for a large number of
Jackson and Barrow County non
profits. In addition, non-profit,
public safety, and medical organi
zations will be on hand with lots
of hands-on activities.
Little visitors are invited to bring
a teddy bear or other stuffed
friend in need of repair to visit
Barrow Medical Center’s Teddy
Bear Surgery. Magoo the Tortoise,
the Chelian Farms llamas and
adoptable pets from the Jackson
County Humane Society will be
ready for touching, organizers
say.
Public safety organizations from
all over the three-county area will
provide opportunities to learn
about safety in an exciting, but
non-threatening way, with lots of
memorable activities. Smokey the
Bear and representatives of the
U.S. Forestry Service will pay a
visit, while representatives of the
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources will be on hand with
free gunlocks and pointers on
gun safety.
“These are just a few of the
great activities that will be hap
pening Saturday," volunteer
Donna Butler said. “We are espe
cially excited this year about our
— Election
Cont. from Page 1A
Tim Madison’s problems. She
also produced a late direct-mail
piece trying to tie Smith to the
rape and murder of a Florida
girl by a man who pled guilty
to misdemeanor charges in the
Piedmont Circuit.
Smith carried Jackson County
and Sikes won Banks County
637-490 but Smith put Sikes
away with a strong showing in
his home county, carrying Barrow
2,717-1,395.
Smith wound up with 57 percent
of the vote Tuesday night.
Region Roundup
Open New Elementary School
Kathy Wilbanks, chairman of the Jackson County Board of
Education, and Alisa Hanley, principal, cut the ribbon on the new
Gum Springs Elementary School during a ceremony Sunday.
Families, local officials and community leaders toured the facility
after the ceremony. Photo by Kerri Testement
entertainment. A local performer,
Jonathan Jackson, will emcee and
perform, allowing us to feature
a number of local groups and
talents. We’ll have a wide vari
ety from gospel to kids music,
from old time string to tiny danc
ers. We encourage everyone to
get there early and plan to stay
from the beginning of the first
performance to the end of the
Turtle Race, V.I.T. (Very Important
Turtle) Decorating Contest and
race results.
“And we know that it’s frequent
ly very hot for the Turbo Turtle
Trek, so this year, the City of
Loganville has graciously loaned
Tree House volunteers a large
mister tent to keep our visitors
cool. In addition, Stop and Ride
of Jefferson will be there with
large fans to help keep the breeze
moving."
Schedule
10 a.m. Commerce School of
Dance
10:30 a.m. Performer & Emcee
Jonathan Jackson
11:15 a.m. The Maxwells, (gos-
pel)
11:45 a.m. Erin Ramsey, soloist
12:00 - 12:15 p.m. Jonathan
Jackson
12:15 - 1 p.m. The Garnett River
Gals Old Time String Band
1 p.m. Turbo Turtle Trek emceed
by Jonathan Jackson
1:30 p.m. V.I.T. Turtle Beauty
Contest (Decorated Turtles)
emceed by Jonathan Jackson
Governor's Offices
Launches New
ConsumerEd Site
The Governor’s Office of
Consumer Affairs has launched a
new web site, www.ConsumerEd.
com, which targets young adults
to become smarter consumers.
The web site walks consumers
through major purchasing and
financial decisions, such as buy
ing a car, purchasing a house,
renting an apartment, making
home improvements, dealing with
credit and debt, managing money
and avoiding foreclosure.
The web site is divided into
four main topic areas: Car, Home,
Credit/Debt and Finances 101.
The Governor’s Office of
Consumer Affairs is the consum
er protection agency for the State
of Georgia. The office is charged
with protecting consumers from
unfair and deceptive acts and
practices in the context of con
sumer transactions.
Fatal Barrow
Fire Under
Investigation
The Winder Fire Department is
investigating a fatal house fire at
498 N. Fifth Avenue.
Firefighters were dispatched to
the scene shortly after 9:30 p.m.
Sunday night. The structure was
heavily involved when emergency
personnel arrived.
A body was located in a bed
room in the front portion of the
house after the fire was extin
guished.
Fire department officials are not
currently releasing the name or
gender of the victim.
Winder Fire Chief Ray Mattson
said investigators are awaiting
results from the crime lab before
releasing any further information
about the deceased.
“Right now, we are in the mid
dle of our investigation," he said.
“We’re still in the process of look
ing at the fire and trying to deter
mine the cause."
Hoschton May
Allow Alcohol
Sales At Concerts
Beer and wine may be served at
two concerts set for the Hoschton
Fall Festival in September.
That’s if the city council
approves the idea at its meeting
next month. The Hoschton City
Council is expected to consider
an ordinance that would allow
beer and wine to be sold at desig
nated events and places, such as
the fall festival.
The ordinance would allow beer
and wine to be sold in 16-ounce
cups by a licensed establishment.
Drinking beer and wine in a can,
bottle or glass would be prohib
ited. No outside alcohol could be
brought to the events.
The entertainment committee
of the Hoschton Fall Festival
asked the city council to consider
the proposal.
Last week, the council debated
if it should approve the ordi
nance.
Council member Theresa
Kenerly said the ordinance fol
lows similar policies for concerts
in Duluth and Norcross. But
council member Richard Green
said parents may not want their
children to be around those drink
ing at a concert.
“I think the fall festival is a fam
ily affair and I don’t think this is
family friendly," Green said. “I
think there any number of attend
ees that might be offended by
it — drinking in public — and who
would question the city’s judg
ment in permitting it."
Council member Tom Walden
said beer and wine would only be
sold during the concerts.
“It’s only for a very short time in
a limited area," he said.
Green said he isn’t opposed
to alcohol, but doesn’t want to
be around other people drinking
alcohol in open containers.
Monday, council member Jim
Jester asked that the ordinance be
placed on first read, which means
the council would vote on the
proposal during its September
meeting.
If approved, beer and wine could
be sold during two concerts,
from 7:30-10 p.m., at Hoschton
Towne Center. R McClain’s and
Anthony’s New York Pizza and
Italian Grill, both located in
the shopping center, would be
allowed to serve drinks.
Banks and Shane will perform
Friday, Sept. 26, and Bill Gentry
and The 35 Cent Rodeo will per
form Saturday, Sept. 27.
Hoschton Considers
Regulation Of Golf
Carts On Streets
The Hoschton City Council is
considering an ordinance that
would regulate the driving of golf
carts in the city limits.
The council discussed the pro
posal Monday, but opted to have
the city’s public safety committee
take a second look at the ordi
nance.
The ordinance would designate
crossover spots for golf carts and
other low-speed vehicles along
Ga. Hwy. 53 and Peachtree Road.
It would also require that residents
pay $25 for a five-year permit
to register their golf carts. Non
residents would pay $50 each
year.
Council member Jim Jester ques
tioned if Hoschton has enough
golf carts to justify an ordinance
regulating their use.
“How do we arrive at a need?"
he asked during Thursday’s work
session.
Mayor Bill Copenhaver said a
number of citizens have asked
about driving golf carts in the city
limits.
Council member Richard
Shepherd said a growing popula
tion that includes older citizens
who may want to stay in the area,
but travel to stores in golf carts.
The purpose of the ordinance is
to make it safer for such motor
ized vehicles, he said.
“Hoschton is laid out in a very
accommodating way to do this,"
council member John Schulte
said.
Council member Tom Walden
questioned why Hoschton needs
to charge a registration fee for
golf carts.
Shepherd said the city could
monitor golf carts. The proposed
ordinance also follows a simi
lar one used in Peachtree City,
which charges a registration fee,
he added.
“Hoschton is not Peachtree
City," Walden said.
Monday, Shepherd said reg
istering golf carts would allow
the city to prioritize funding for
recreational paths, based on the
addresses of registered users.
Copenhaver said the registration
fees will fund the maintenance of
designated golf cart paths.
By Monday night’s meeting,
council member Jim Jester said
the ordinance had become too
complicated and should be tossed
out. His comments followed a
debate about if and where chil
dren ages 12-15 should be allowed
to drive golf carts in the city.
“We’ve turned what should be
a simple issue into a 10-12 page
very complicated ordinance that
is going to be very difficult to
enforce," Jester said.
He also raised the concern that
someone could get hurt while driv
ing a golf cart along a Hoschton
street.
“This isn’t Peachtree City," Jester
said. “Peachtree City was designed
for this."
Police chief Dave Hill said state
law allows golf carts to be driven
on streets, provided drivers fol
low traffic laws.
Shepherd said the goal is to
follow the existing state law, but
make it safer for drivers with
designated crossover points on
streets.
Hill said the registration process
also educates people about laws
related to driving such vehicles.
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