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SEE PAGE IB SEE PAGE 10A Lady Tigers Get Ready For Season Opener That's No Sidewalk Under Construction On Interstate 85 Vol. 133 No. 26 22 Pages 3 Sections Wednesday AUGUST 13, 2008 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Council Finally Puts Walgreens Sign To Rest By Mark Beardsley Commerce finally put the Walgreens’ sign variance request behind it. The city council voted Monday night to deny the pharmacy’s request for a variance in the size of its sign, but agreed to allow it to have a digital letterboard as part of the sign. The store is under construction at the corner of North Elm Street and Homer Road. Councilman Bob Sosebee made the motion to accept the Commerce Planning Commission’s recommendation to require the company to stay within the 24-square-foot guide line of the ordinance. “In that 24 feet, if they want to put a message board, they can,’’ Sosebee proposed. Donald Wilson seconded the motion. Doug McGee, developer of the property, asked the council to “give us the consideration you have given other people in grant ing a variance to the sign ordi nance.’’ Over the past several months, the store has floated through the site developer several proposals for a sign, all with the letterboard and all significantly larger than 24 square feet. In each case, the Please Turn to Page 5A Commerce Schools Start New Year 1,516 Enrolled In City Schools Enrollment Up Slightly Over Last Year Enrollment in the Commerce School System for the 2008-09 school year appears to be about where it was last year, Superintendent James E. “Mac’’ McCoy reports. After three days, the school system had attendance of 1,516. “Those are butts in the seats,’’ said McCoy. “We know there are others on paper.” A year ago, school opened with 1,498 and enrollment grew to 1,526 after 10 days. “I’d say we’re on target,” the superintendent said. “We’ve still got people coming in and regis tering, a pretty steady stream.” After adding a kindergarten and a second grade class this year, the city system has no non residents on the “waiting list” for enrollment. Last year at this time, parents of 20 kindergarten ers and 20 first graders were waiting to see whether the pri mary school would have room. “There’s no one on the wait ing list,” confirmed primary Principal Kim Savage. “We were able to take everyone. Right now we’re good.” Kelia Osorio was excited to get the 2008-09 school year started last Thursday. The first grader was escorted by her mother. Enrollment as of Monday was 405 at the primary school, 218 at the elementary school, 450 at the middle school and 403 at Commerce High School. McCoy said the school year got off to a smooth start. “It was just like we never ended. That’s the way you like it,” he said. City School Tax Rate To Stay At 17.75 Mills Board Trying To Deal With Prospects Of More State Bunding Cuts By Brandon Reed A week after approving the tax rate for the year, the Commerce Board of Education is now work ing to get the budget for fiscal year ‘09 in place. The millage rate was set Aug. 5 at 17.75, the same as last year. The first reading of the pro posed budget was held Monday night at the board’s regular monthly meeting. The proposed budget projects an estimated general fund rev enue of $2,880,976 from local taxes, with a total estimated rev enue of $12,247,598 once fed eral and state sources, as well as other local sources, are factored in. The proposed budget also shows a total estimated expendi ture of $13,008,859 in expenses, leaving $761,261 to come out of reserves. The fund equity for the begin ning of the year is projected at $1,500,000. By the end of the year, that is projected to fall to $738,739. Superintendent James E. “Mac” McCoy said some changes had been made to the proposed bud get over the weekend. “We’re in better shape,” McCoy said. “We’re still going to tighten the belts as the year goes. We set everything based on revenue that we generated this year. We hope we’re conservative, or at least balanced on that.” The budget will be considered for final adoption at the board’s Sept. 8 meeting. The board voted to approve a resolution to send the millage rate to the city. In other business, McCoy informed the board that July SPLOST revenues came in at $135,172, boosting the school system’s SPLOST balance to $1,763,791. That was reduced to $1,520,286 following a bond payment of $243,405. Sealed bids for the construc- Please Turn to Page 3A W THURSDAY FRIDAY Mostly sunny: Partly cloudy: Low, 65; high, 89; Low, 67; high, 89; 10% chance rain 20% chance rain SATURDAY SUNDAY Mostly cloudy: Isolated T-storms: Low, 67; high, 87; Low, 67; high, 88; 10% chance rain 30% chance rain Reservoir Levels Commerce: 697.3 (.3 feet below full) Bear Creek: 691.8 (3.2 feet below full) Rainfall this month .5 inches Rainfall This Year 25.05 Inches INDEX Births 3B Church News 7A Classified Ads 1-4C Calendar 3A Crime News 8A News Roundup 2A Obituaries 9A Opinions 4A School News 6-8B Sports 1-2B Social News 3B 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 Group Plans 'Summit' On Teen Pregnancy Next Tuesday Night Jackson's Rate Of Births To Teenagers Highest In Health District By Mark Beardsley A group determined to lower Jackson County’s rate of teen age pregnancies will hold a “teen pregnancy summit” next Tuesday night. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition — an outgrowth of the Jackson County Health Department — hopes to attract teenagers, parents and public offi cials to the Jefferson Civic Center from 5:30 to 7:30. “We hope to find out how the community wants us to pro ceed,” explained Beth Heath, county nurse manager. “Do they want more information in the schools, do they want more information for parents or do they want us to back off?” Heath presented the board of health with a chart comparing Jackson County’s rate of births to teenage girls with 40 other governments, including four sur rounding counties and a number of countries. With 73 births per 1,000 teenage girls per year, Jackson County ranks higher than all but five of those compared, which range from Switzerland at four births per 1,000 teens to Panama and El Salvador, which average 88. The state average is 52 and the national average is 40. Jackson County has the highest rate of births to teens in the 10-county health district as well. The program will include speakers, a panel of parents and a question-answer-opin ion session designed to provide input from the audience. Child care, door prizes and refreshments will be provided. The coalition is using billboards, has sent special invitations out to elected officials and is sending home flyers with school children to try to attract a crowd. Heath observed that children born to teenagers occupy the equivalent of 64 classrooms in schools throughout Jackson County as a means of showing the effects of teen birth on local taxes. Vice Chairman Keith Zimmerman, a physician, asked if the department interviews pregnant teens who enter the clinics to determine the contrib uting factors — lack of access to or knowledge about birth con trol — for example. He suggested that impulse is likely a contributing factor. Please Turn to Page 3A Beth Heath The Cupboard's Almost Bare Banks-Jackson Emergency Food Bank man- economy is sending larger numbers of families ager Christa Shumake stands in front of the to the food bank for short-term emergency nearly empty shelves. The downturn in the help. Booming Business Means Hard Times For Local Food Bank By Mark Beardsley Business is booming at the Banks-Jackson Emergency Food Bank in Commerce. That is never a good thing. So many people have come to the food bank that its shelves are nearly bare. “It’s the lowest I can remem ber, and I’ve been here 14 years,” remarked Christa Shumake, man ager. The slack economy has dealt a double-whammy to the food bank. More people are out of work — and food — so they appeal to the food bank, and donations of both food and money are also down, for the same reasons. And, said Shumake, August is always the food bank’s worst month. Located on Georgia Avenue in a building provided by First Commerce Bank, the food bank supplies the short-term emergency food needs of people referred by a local church or by the Jackson or Banks Departments of Family and Children Services. Recipients typically get a one-week supply of food. “We’re having so many families come in,” said Shumake. “We’ve Please Turn to Page 3A