Newspaper Page Text
frirrr Region Roundup
Barrow Chair
Fumes At
Reservoir Suit
Barrow County’s top
elected official served
notice last week that
Barrow not only oppos
es Jackson County’s law
suit over Bear Creek, but
will seek damages should
Jackson County prevail.
Doug Garrison, chair
man of the Barrow County
Board of Commissioners,
sent a three-page letter to
Jackson County Chairman
Pat Bell voicing strong
opposition to Jackson
County’s suit over Jackson
County’s share of the
water from the regional
reservoir.
Jackson County owns 25
percent of the reservoir
and is entitled to 25 per
cent of its water. However,
the county has sued the
Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority com
prising Jackson, Barrow,
Oconee and Clarke coun
ties over what that 25 per
cent means.
The official “yield” of the
reservoir has been placed
at 58 million gallons per
day (mgd). Jackson County
believes that calculation is
flawed and has data from
a consultant claiming that
the yield is 24 mgd.
If Jackson’s figures are
correct, all parties’ stakes
in the 505-acre lake are cut
by more than 50 percent
and that, at current usage,
other member counties are
infringing upon Jackson
County’s entitlement.
Garrison calculated
that if Jackson County’s
figures are used, Barrow
County will lose over $211
million ($400 million when
adjusted for inflation) in
income over a time he did
not specify.
“Barrow County intends
to pursue collection
of all such lost revenue
from Jackson County,” he
fumed, adding that the
figures are “not specula
tive lost profits as they
are based upon current
committed contracts and
will be calculated based
upon prevailing inflation
ary adjusters and will be
easily recoverable pursu
ant to a counterclaim that
Barrow County will bring
against Jackson County.”
Jackson County is repre
sented by former Georgia
Attorney General Mike
Bowers in the case.
MSN To Start
Barrow County
Newspaper
MainStreet Newspapers
Inc., Jefferson, is launching
a new community newspa
per in Barrow County. The
Barrow Journal will begin
publication Oct. 29. It will
be a traditional weekly
broadsheet newspaper with
a focus on local Barrow
County news.
“Despite all the doom-and-
gloom people hear about
the newspaper industry,
we believe there is a strong
demand for high quality
community newspapers,”
said co-publishers Scott and
Mike Buffington. “For many
years, we’ve been asked by
readers and advertisers in
Barrow County to publish
a local weekly newspaper
in the community; we are
responding to that demand
with the launching of the
Barrow Journal.”
MainStreet Newspapers
is a nationally renowned,
family-owned newspaper
company that publishes
five community newspa
pers in Northeast Georgia.
The locally owned firm also
operates a family of com
munity websites, including
the BarrowJournal.com,
which is focused on news
in Barrow County.
The staff of the Journal
will be Chris Bridges as
editor, Susan Treadwell as
advertising manager, Kristi
Reed as news and web edi
tor and Susan Mobley as
office manager. The staff
also includes Jessica Brown
and Jeremiah Dills, report
ers and photographers.
The Buffingtons, owners
of MainStreet Newspapers,
will also have a hands-on
role in the new enterprise,
along with a number of
additional MainStreet staff
members who will provide
support services for The
Barrow Journal.
“We take a lot of pride in
providing quality local news
$ 5 00 0FF
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173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53
706-335-7458 706-654-0070
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HAUNTED TRAIL
Sat., Oct. 25 and Fri., Oct. 31
Begins after dark!
100 Crooked Creek Road,
Athens, GA
For more information, call
(706) 227-0523
Public Hearing
Notice of Public Hearing
The Housing Authority of the City of Commerce has
developed its Public Housing Agency Plan in compli
ance with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility
Act of 1998. The Commerce Housing Authority
Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hear
ing October 30, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in the conference
room, main office located at 100 Willoughby Homes,
Commerce, Georgia. The purpose of the hearing is
to discuss the Agency Plan and to invite public com
ment regarding the plan. A draft copy of the plan is
available for review prior to the meeting at the above
address. The Housing Authority hours of operation are
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For
additional information concerning the public hearing,
please call (706) 335-3611. Should any public housing
resident require transportation or special accommoda
tions in order to attend this meeting, please contact
the Housing Authority.
coverage and high value for
advertisers in the communi
ties where we publish news
papers,” the Buffingtons
said. “We also believe in
reinvesting in the communi
ties we serve; we are not a
large corporate conglomer
ate. Both we and our staff
members are local people
who live and work in the
communities we serve.”
The Barrow Journal’s office
is located at 77 East May
Street, Winder.
Other newspapers pub
lished by MainStreet
Newspapers are The Jackson
Herald, Jefferson; The
Braselton News, Braselton;
The Commerce News,
Commerce; The Banks
County News, Homer; and
The Madison County Journal,
Danielsville.
Rezoning For
Exotic Farm
Denied By BOC
A request from a
Hoschton man to change
the land use designation
for his exotic animal farm
was denied in a 3-2 vote
of the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
after a lengthy discussion
Monday night.
Eugene Gilbert asked for
a land use map amend
ment from a “residen
tial growth” designa
tion to “rural places” for
2E67 acres on Skelton
Road located between
Hwy. 124 and Hwy. 332.
Commissioners Bruce
Yates, Jody Thompson and
Dwain Smith voted to deny
the request. Chairman Pat
Bell and commissioner
Tom Crow voted against
the motion to deny.
The Jackson County
Planning Commission had
recommended approval
of the request, while the
county planning staff had
recommended denial.
Gilbert raises exotic
animals on the property,
which was rezoned from
agricultural to residential
several years ago. At the
time, Gilbert planned to
sell the property to a devel
oper and move his exotic
animal farm to another
location. When that didn’t
work out, he decided to
continue to operate his
exotic animal farm on the
Skelton Road property.
Gilbert said he wanted
the map change so that
he could then ask that the
property be rezoned back
to A-2. He added that he
has no plans to expand the
farm operation.
Winder attorney
John Stell, representing
Buckeye Land and Timber
Company, spoke in oppo
sition to the request. Stell
said the county’s land use
plan shows the area as
being designated for resi
dential growth. He added
that Gilbert could continue
to operate the farm with
out the zoning changes
'Ride For Life'
Is Saturday
At Jackson EMC
Jackson Electric
Membership Corporation
(EMC) employees will
host a “Ride For Life”
to benefit the American
Cancer Society this
Saturday, beginning at the
EMC office complex at
850 Commerce Road in
Jefferson.
Registration will begin
at 9 a.m. and riders will
%
ARNELL %
DESIGNS
EMORIALS
An MBD Enterprises Co.
Toni Darnell Pacioiia Serving this community since 1962.
Office located at 220 Hwy. 441 S. in Commerce, GA.
706-335-4066
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a. m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday - 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Closed Sundays
**We accept M/C, Visa and offer a lay-a-way plan.
CALL AND COMPARE
PER GRAM
706-369-0000
GREG REEVES
Fine Jewelry
613 Hawthorne Ave. • Athens
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction
DUI SCHOOL
706-336-6777
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010 and 2007
Next DUI Class begins on November 1, 2008
Next Defensive Driving Class will be held on October 25, 2008
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6 am-2 pm 6-9 prn II am-3 pm
A// You Can Eat Catfish on Friday & Saturday Afy/tts/
Dine with friends in a warm environment at
Sarah's, a family-operated restaurant featuring
homecooked meat made with Orly fresh ingredients.
6 Homer St. . 706-652-0070
On the Jackson/Banks county line in Maysville
depart at 10 a.m. Riders will
be charged a registration
fee of $30 for solo riders
and $35 for two and up.
Motorcyclists participat
ing in the event will receive
a ride T-shirt and lunch,
and enjoy entertainment,
door prizes and a 50/50
drawing at the ride’s start.
The police-escorted ride
will leave the EMC offices
for a leisurely ride through
the countryside, take a lap
around the Peach State
Speedway track and end
up at the Atlanta Dragway
in Commerce, where bik
ers will get to make a pass
down the drag strip before
lunch is served.
For more information
or a registration form for
the “Ride For Life,” con
tact Phil Failyer (pfailyer@
jacksonemc.com or 706-
367-6241) or Tim Sweat
(tsweat@jacksonemc.com
or 706-367-6142).
Beginners'
Beekeeping
Class Offered
A free beginner’s beekeep
ing course will be offered at
6 p.m. Thursday Oct. 23, at
the Jackson County Farm
Bureau office, 2388 Hwy.
129 N„ Jefferson.
Supper will be served at
the beginning of the meet
ing.
Hosted by the Farm
Bureau women’s commit
tee, the event for prospec
tive beekeepers will be
taught by the University of
Georgia Extension Service.
Reservations are required.
Call 706-367-8877 or email
ammerk@gfb.org for more
information.
3 Jackson Gas
Stations Under
Investigation
State officials are investi
gating whether several local
gas stations committed
price gouging after a recent
hurricane.
The Governor’s Office of
Consumer Affairs is inves
tigating three stations in
Jackson County and six in
Barrow County according
to Shawn Conroy a spokes
person for the department.
Those stations are among
166 Georgia gas stations
that the department has
authorized its attorneys to
seek subpoenas document
ing possible price gouging,
Conroy said.
The Office of Consumer
Affairs isn’t naming the sta
tions under investigation
and it could be months
until its investigation is
complete.
In the wake of Hurricane
Ike, the state department
received at least 1,500
phone calls from consum
ers complaining about price
gouging at gas stations. The
department also received
numerous e-mails, letters
and faxes, Conroy said.
After Hurricane Katrina
in 2005, the state received
more than 6,000 complaints
of price gouging at the gas
pump. Most of those cases
were settled administrative
ly, Conroy said.
Penalties range from
$2,000 to $20,000 for each
violation, he added.
Under Georgia law, price-
control statutes are acti
vated upon the governor’s
declaration of a state of
emergency.
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Dealers Space Available.
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FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH,
YOU CAN LIST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS!
Let your members know when your group is meeting!
Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in...
• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
VETERANS OF
9 FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Mike Buffington, Commander
Phone 706-335-6532 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. • (706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
A UNITY LODGE
F&A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwight Wier • 706-367-5882
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. • (706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pd.-07/09
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
HP AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 no
White Plains Baptist Church Pd 02/09
Faith Bible Class meets every Sunday morning
at 10:00 a.m. It is a place where strangers
become friends and friends become family.
706-367-5650
White Plains Baptist Church
3650 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson, GA 30549
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pci.ii/os
BANKS COUNTY
fgj AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/09