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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 27. 2008 - PAGE 3A
— Fay's Rain Brings Relief
Cont. from Page 1A
water from the Middle
Oconee River was being
pumped into the Bear
Creek Reservoir.
Fay appeared to offer the
first chance of major relief
for the Bear Creek and
Jefferson reservoirs.
As of Friday the Bear
Creek Reservoir was 5.05
feet low. With usage at
almost 30 million gallons
a day (mgd) and no water
being pumped in from the
Middle Oconee River in
two weeks, chief operator
Wayne Wilson was looking
at a receding shoreline.
“Were getting to the point
that we need rain pretty
badly,’' Wilson said.
Athens-Clarke, which
only uses the reservoir
when river levels are too
low to take water, is draw
ing almost 20 mgd, while
Jackson, Barrow and
Oconee counties together
were averaging nine to 10
mgd, Wilson said.
That left the lake level
almost exactly where it was
at this time last year.
“I would say we’re at
approximately the same
level. We may be a little
ahead,’’ Wilson commented.
By Tuesday morning
when the pumps were
turned on, the lake had fall
en to 5.45 feet below full.
Only eight-tenths of an inch
of rain fell Monday at the
Arcade measuring station
on the Middle Oconee, but
that was enough to allow
pumping into the reservoir
to resume.
Commerce’s reservoir
never got more than a foot
below full last year, but
when it hit .6 feet below full
last week, the city’s director
of water and sewer opera
tions was ready for some
rain.
“Keep in mind that over
at the water plant, we have
only had, since July 16, .65
inches of rain,’’ said Harbin,
“Since Aug. 1, we’ve had
only .29 inches of rain.’’
The good news is that all
the city reservoir needed
was one good shower in its
ample drainage basin. Fay
had delivered more than
that by early Tuesday.
“They say for us we may
have four to six inches of
rain,’’ Harbin said early
Monday morning. “If we
get that, the lake should be
in pretty good shape by the
end of the week.’’
Earlier this year, the city
modified its reservoir out-
take structure to hold a foot
more water, and the city is
planning to get state per
mission to add to that.
Jefferson’s municipal res
ervoir as of Aug. 22, was at
8.5 feet; full pool is 14.
Like last year, Jefferson
has turned to Jackson
County for help. As of
Friday, the city was buying
500,000 gpd from the water
and sewerage authority and
producing another 600,000
itself, said Jeff Killip, public
works director.
“We are limiting produc
tion to try to maintain the
lake level,’’ Killip advised.
Jefferson is issuing invita
tions this week to bid on
a silt removal project that
will increase the reservoir’s
holding capacity. It has
channeled Borders Creek
around the silt retention
area it hopes to clean out
in the upper end of the lake,
so five or six inches of rain
would recharge the lake but
not affect the silt project,
according to Killip.
Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, Aug. 28
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 6:00 p.m.,
Commerce Public Library.
Tigers on the Town: 7:30 p.m.,
Spencer Park, Downtown Com
merce. The Downtown Develop
ment Authority's annual pep rally
kicks off the 2008-09 high school
athletic season. The Commerce Ti
ger football team(s), the band and
cheerleaders will be present and
last year's teachers of the year will
be recognized.
Monday, Sept. 1
Labor Day holiday. All govern
ment offices and some businesses
closed.
Tuesday, Sept. 2
JCCO meets: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Hospital conference room. Jackson
County Community Outreach is a
grassroots community organiza
tion.
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 a.m.,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open
to all members of the Jackson
County Area Chamber of Com
merce. Members $5, guests $10.
Dr. Michael Adams, president of
the University of Georqia, will
speak.
Thursday, Sept. 4
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Commerce Middle School media
center. The work session prepares
the Commerce Board of Education
for its regular meeting the following
Monday.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Farmers' market: 7 a.m. to 11
a.m., South Elm Street, Commerce
(across from Spencer Park). Lo
cally grown fresh produce will be
offered. The market is open the first
and third Saturday of each month.
Monday, Sept. 8
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., Commerce Room, Commerce
Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Commerce High School media cen
ter. The Commerce Board of Educa
tion operates the city's independent
school system.
Tuesday, Sept. 9
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, Sept. 11
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 1:00 p.m.,
Commerce Public Library.
Monday, Sept. 15
Hospital authority meets: 1:30
p.m., conference room, BJC Hos
pital.
—Planning Commission Recommends Moratorium
—Pep Rally Set Thursday
Cont. from Page 1A
moved to the CHS gym.
“Since this is the Jefferson
game, we wanted to have
the pep rally rain or shine,’’
explained Hasco Craver,
executive director of the
DDA.
The DDA and the
Commerce Area Business
Association will also recog
nize the 2007-08 Commerce
teachers of the year.
In addition, a drawing will
be held at the event for four
sets of two CHS season
tickets for all home athletic
events. Registration slips
are available at participat
ing downtown businesses.
Cont. from Page 1A
Sept. 8 meeting at 6:30 p.m.
in the Commerce Room
of the Commerce Civic
Center.
Pinnacle, an Elberton-
based bank, purchased the
Athens First Bank & Trust
branch on North Elm Street.
Officials wanted to replace
the face of the current sign
and add an LED time and
temperature section.
The Athens First sign, like
many others in the down
town, pre-dates the sign
ordinance. The ordinance
states that when such signs
are replaced, they must be
brought into conformance.
The ordinance restricts
signs to 24 square foot and
a maximum height of 25
feet. It also prohibits inte
rior lighting, a feature of the
Athens First sign.
Using the existing sign
would “be a huge cost
savings to us,’’ explained
Donna Chambers, head of
marketing for Pinnacle. She
added that with an “awful
ly small piece of property
there is not much of an
opportunity to make a large
impact with signage.’’
Pinnacle proposed a
72-square-foot sign.
Perry made the motion to
recommend that the coun
cil deny Pinnacle’s request.
At the suggestion of Vice
Chairman Joe Leffew, the
motion also recommends
that Pinnacle be allowed to
create a banner to cover the
existing sign pending the
completion of the new sign
ordinance or until Dec. 31.
The planning commission
also voted unanimously to
recommend that the city
council deny Danny Allen’s
request to rezone 1.62 acres
on Harmony Street from
R-3 to R-5 so the owner of
a mobile home on the prop
erty can occupy it.
The 1979 singlewide had
been vacant for more than
six months. As a noncon
forming use (mobile homes
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are allowed only in R-5 dis
tricts), the city’s ordinance
requires that after they are
unoccupied for six months,
to be reoccupied, they
must be brought into com
pliance. In this case, that
would mean the erection of
a stick-built house.
Allen, who lives in South
Carolina, owns the lot upon
which four mobile homes
sit. He made the request on
behalf of the owner of the
trailer.
“This is her only place of
abode,’’ he said. “She has
no other place to live.’’
Perry — and others on the
board — expressed sympa
thy for the circumstances,
and reminded Allen that he
could lobby the city council
on behalf of his tenant.
“I just don’t think we have
any other choice,’’ said
member Ronnie Seabolt,
who was attending his last
meeting after eight years on
the panel.
The city council will also
act on the Pinnacle and
Allen requests at its Sept.
8 meeting.
In other business, Seabolt
said his goodbyes. The city
council named Darren
Owensby to replace Seabolt
on the board.
“It’s been an honor and
a privilige for me to work
withy’all,’’ he said.
Seabolt expressed appre
ciation to Perry and to
Zellner for helping him
understand the finer parts
of the ordinance. He also
predicted that Owensby
will do a good job on the
planning commission.
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