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SEE PAGE 5A SEE PAGE 8A Maysville's Festival Draws A Big Crowd One Will Be Crowned At Homecoming Vol. 133 No. 34 20 Pages 2 Sections 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Keith Burchett Archie Chaney Aretha Hill 3 Qualify For Special Ward 3 Council Election Three candidates will be on the ballot Nov. 4 for the spe cial election to fill the Ward 1 vacancy on the Commerce City Council They are Keith Burchett, Archie D. Chaney Jr. and Aretha Hill. Burchett and Hill are political newcomers. Chaney served 22 years on the city council, including 10 years as mayor pro tem. All three are natives of Commerce. Burchett, 52, lives at 139 Windy Hill Road and attended Commerce High School. He is the owner of Commerce Janitorial Service and he and his wife, Lynn, have two grown sons and four grandchildren. Chaney, 69, lives at 57 Ridgeway Drive and is retired from General Motors. He and his wife, Vivian, have three grown daughters and five grandchildren. Please Turn to Page 3A Busy Day At The Airport Frank Darby, center, talks to visitors at the third annual Autumn Fly-In Saturday at the Jackson County Airport about the virtues of his Helicycle helicopters. Darby, from Gainesville, brought two ultra-light helicopters, which were among scores of aircraft on display. The event, sponsored by the Jackson County Aviation Association, drew several hundred people to see airplanes, take air plane rides and to learn about general aviation. Photo by Mark Beardsley Miss East Jackson Homecoming Briana Thompson was crowned homecoming queen Friday night at East Jackson Comprehensive High School. Group Seeks Nicholson's Help Restoring Courthouse Hotel-Motel Tax On Agenda For City Council THURSDAY, OCT. 9 Showers: Low, 57; high, 74; 50% chance rain FRIDAY, OCT 10 Few showerrs: Low, 57; high, 79; 30% chance rain SATURDAY, OCT. 11 Partly cloudy: Low, 57; high, 83; 20% chance rain SUNDAY, OCT. 12 Partly cloudy: Low, 59; high, 81; 30% chance rain Reservoir Levels Commerce: 697.4 (.2 feet below full) Bear Creek: 686.12 (10.88 feet below full) Rainfall this month 0 inches Rainfall This Year 37.15 Inches INDEX Births 8 A Church News 9A Classified Ads 7-1 OB Calendar 3A Crime News 6-7A News Roundup 2A Obituaries 6B Opinions 4-5A School News 7-8 B Sports 1-3B Social News 9-1OA 4 8 7 9 1 4 1 4 1 " 9 Ash Responds To Suit, Denies Wrongdoing Former BJC Medical Center surgeon Dr. Keith Ash has denied any wrongdoing or negligence in a malpractice suit filed by four former patients. In a response to the July lawsuit, Ash’s attorney, John A Dickerson, has also asked that the claims of the plaintiffs be sepa rated into four suits to be heard individually. The response was filed in the Superior Court of Jackson County Sept. 15. BJC Medical Center, a co defendant, had previously filed an answer in which it denied all allegations per tinent to the institution. Former patients Stephanie Floyd, Karen Hunter, Billy Ray Hawkes and Debra Kraft filed suit in July, alleging that surgical procedures per formed by Ash at BJC amounted to malpractice. They sought actual and punitive damages. The response asks that sections of the suit dealing with previous malpractice allegations be stricken as “unduly prejudicial.’’ Ash denies claims made in the suit that he and his Commerce Surgical Associates were “engaged in a joint venture’’ with BJC Medical Center. Those allegations were the basis for the defendants seeking triple punitive damages under the RICO (Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations) Act. While the response does not deny that the four suffered post-surgical complications, it specifi cally denies that Ash was responsible — or liable — for those problems. The response also denies Cont. on Page 3A By Sharon Hogan Several members of the Jackson County Historic Courthouse Restoration Committee attended the Nicholson City Council Thursday night to request that the city partner with the committee in restoring the historic courthouse in downtown Jefferson. Member Charlotte Mealor said the committee is issu ing a challenge to each city in Jackson County to sponsor a room for resto ration. Mealor added the Jackson County Historical Preservation Commission has set aside $10,000 for the project already and it con tinues to hold fund-raisers. Mealor said the court house will be used to house historic documents and county offices once the res toration is complete. Buzz Ward, commit tee member, said the Jackson County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution Aug. 8 that set aside $2 million in bond rev enue for use on the court house project. “Sixty days ago, the envi ronmental study was let on the project,’’ said Ward. He added that the first issue on the restoration is to repair the roofs and the clock tower. By Mark Beardsley The Commerce City Council may have found the closest thing to a tax no one will oppose. When it meets Monday night at 6:30 in the Commerce Civic Center, the council anticipates ask ing its attorney to draft an ordinance that would levy a five-percent tax on hotel and motel rooms in the city There are no hotels or motels in Commerce, which is one reason why the council wants to enact the tax. “Through annexation or development, there is a strong probability we will have one,’’ explained Downtown Development Authority executive direc tor Hasco Craver. Craver briefed the city council on its tax options, having attend ed a Department of Community Affairs semi nar on the tax. Actually, the city council may have already passed such a tax, but if so, it is not “on the books.’’ Mayor Charles L. Hardy Jr. recalled that in his first meeting as mayor the sub ject came up and the coun cil passed an ordinance. “But they can’t find any record of it,’’ the mayor said. If the council follows through, the tax could be in place by the end of the year. While there are no hotels or motels in the city, a sign on developer Jon Purcell’s property just south of the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers has been promot ing the future placement of a Microtel hotel for more than two years. If the tax passes and if a hotel or motel comes into the city, 40 percent of the revenue generated by the tax would have to be used to promote tourism. The rest could go into the city’s general fund. Light Agenda Otherwise, the agenda for Monday night’s meet ing is rather sparse. The council will act on Danny Allen’s request to rezone 1.62 acres on Harmony Street from R-3 (residential) to R-5 (mobile homes) so the owner of a mobile home on the property can occupy it. The city’s planning com mission has recommend ed that the city deny the request. Also on the agenda are: • a request from Pinnacle Bank to hold a grand opening “tailgating party’’ in the city parking lot off North Elm Street from 11 to 2 Friday, Oct. 31, as part of its grand opening event. Pinnacle has bought the Commerce branch of Athens First Bank & Trust. •approval of an amend ment to the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia’s (MEAG) rules that would give the city the ability to place money in a fund reserved for capital projects. The coun cil apparently plans to approve the amendment, but has no interest in using such a fund. •discussion of a street lighting ordinance precipi tated by the residents of Cont. on Page 3A