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frirrr Region Roundup
7 G's Farm
To Help Send
Trees To Troops
7 G’s Farm, Nicholson,
will participate in the
Trees for Troops program
this Christmas to pro
vide Christmas trees for
American service person
nel.
The farm, located at 2375
Old Kings Bridge Road,
seeks “sponsorships” of
$35 apiece for trees that
will be harvested, packaged
and sent to military bases
during the second week of
December.
The 2008 Trees for Troops
official weekend is Dec. 5-7,
which is when interested
persons can come by the
farm, personally select a
7-7.5-foot Leyland cypress
tree and apply a Trees
for Troops tag. The farm
staff can also do that for
sponsors. Ornaments and
additional cards can also
be donated and sent with
the trees by Fed Ex. The
Fed Ex/Christmas Spirit
Foundation organizes the
event.
All sponsors will receive
a tax deductible receipt for
a 501c charitable contribu
tion. Checks should be made
out to the 7 G’s Farm, which
will, in turn, make the con
tribution to the Christmas
Spirit Foundations.
The farm will begin accept
ing sponsorships the first
week in November.
Realtors To
Collect
Toys For Tots
The North Georgia Board
of Realtors, Commerce, is
collecting “Toys for Tots”
for the foster children in
four surrounding counties,
including Jackson County.
To donate toys, look for
the “Toys for Tots” signs at
any participating real estate
office in Jackson County.
The North Georgia Board
of Realtors office will also
be a drop-off point.
For more information,
contact Miranda Moody at
706-335-3044.
Summaries Of
Amendments
Are Available
Summaries of the three
proposed amendments to
the Georgia constitution
are available on a website,
according to secretary of
state Karen Handel.
The amendments will be
on the general election bal
lot Nov. 4.
The first proposed amend
ment would encourage the
preservation of Georgia’s
forests through a conserva
tion use property tax reduc
tion program.
The second proposed
amendment would autho
rize local school districts to
use tax funds for communi
ty development purposes.
The third proposed
amendment would autho
rize the creation of special
infrastructure development
districts providing infra
structure to underserved
areas.
The summaries and con
stitutional amendments in
their entirety are available
at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/
Elections/2008_amend-
ments.htm.
A copy of the constitu
tional amendments in their
entirety is on file in the
office of the judge of the
probate court and is avail
able for public inspection.
Printed copies of the sum
maries are available with
county elections superin
tendents and the secretary
of state’s office. To obtain a
printed copy of the summa
ries from the secretary of
state, call 404-656-2871.
Expansion Of
Exemption To
Be On Ballot
Jackson Countians will
vote in the Nov. 4 election
on a proposed homestead
exemption for senior citi
zens.
The question on the ballot
is as follows:
“Shall the act be approved
which amends the current
homestead exemption from
Jackson County school sys
tem ad valorem taxes for
educational purposes for
persons who are 65 years
of age or over and whose
real income, excluding cer
tain retirement income,
does not exceed $18,000
by increasing the exemp
tion amount from $20,000
to $40,000?”
Similar wording will
be offered to citizens in
Jefferson and Commerce
school districts.
The move is an effort to
give greater school property
tax relief to senior citizens.
It was pushed through the
legislature by Rep. Tommy
Benton after a number of
older citizens lobbied for a
larger tax break.
Some senior citizens are
still unhappy with the pro
posal, saying it doesn’t go
far enough to help older
homeowners. Some larger
metro counties give a much
larger break to senior citi
zens on school property
taxes.
But Benton, and others,
developing
leaders of
COMPETENCE
CONSCIENCE
COMPASSION
CONFIDENCE
and COURAGE
Monsignor Donovan
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
FALL TOURS
Nov. 5th & 19th
p-in from 11:00am - 1:0(
590 Lavender Road • Athens, GA
706.433.0223 • www.mdchs.ore
Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School shall admit students of any race, color, sex. national and ethnic ungin to all the nghts. privileges, programs, and activities generally
accorded or made available to students. Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality and ethnic origin in the administration
of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. Monsagnor Donovan Catholic High School is an
independent Catholic school serving the families of northeast Georgia. MDCHS is not affiliated with the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Elect
Archie D.
Chaney, Jr.
Ward 1 Council Seat
Experienced,
Proven
Leadership.
I will work for the benefit
of ALL residents of this community.
I appreciate your support and
your vote on Tuesday, November 4.
Paid for by the candidate.
have pointed out that larger
metro counties with a more
diverse tax base and deeper
pockets can afford to give
a larger tax break while
Jackson County’s resources
are much smaller and more
limited.
SS Recipients
To Get Raises
Starting In Jan.
Monthly Social Security
and Supplemental Security
Income benefits for more
than 55 million Americans
will increase 5.8 percent in
2009, the Social Security
Administration announced
last week. The 5.8 percent
increase is the largest since
1982.
Social Security and
Supplemental Security
Income benefits increase
automatically each year
based on the rise in the
Bureau of Fabor Statistics’
Consumer Price Index for
Urban Wage Earners and
Clerical Workers (CPI-W),
from the third quarter of
the prior year to the cor
responding period of the
current year. This year’s
increase in the CPI-W was
5.8 percent.
The 5.8 percent Cost-of-
Living Adjustment (COFA)
will begin with benefits
that over 50 million Social
Security beneficiaries
receive in January 2009.
Increased payments to more
than 7 million Supplemental
Security Income beneficia
ries will begin Dec. 31.
Some other changes that
take effect in January of
each year are based on the
increase in average wages.
Based on that increase,
the maximum amount of
earnings subject to the
Social Security tax (taxable
maximum) will increase to
$106,800 from $102,000. Of
the estimated 164 million
workers who will pay Social
Security taxes in 2009,
about 11 million will pay
higher taxes as a result of
the increase in the taxable
maximum.
JM Family
Enterprises
Turning 40
Diversified automo
tive company JM Family
Enterprises Inc., parent
company of Southeast
Toyota, is celebrating its
40th birthday.
A $12.2 billion corpora
tion with nearly 5,000 asso
ciates, JM Family is ranked
it as one of the largest pri
vate companies in the U.S.
Jim Moran, who died in
2007, founded the compa
ny in 1968, the same year
he signed an agreement
in Japan Oct. 26 estab
lishing Southeast Toyota
Distributors EEC as the
exclusive Toyota distribu
tor in five southeastern
states. Moran evolved JM
Family into businesses simi
lar to departments within
a dealership. Subsidiaries
include Southeast Toyota
Distributors EEC (Southeast
Toyota), World Omni
Financial Corp. (World
Omni), JM&A Group, JM
Fexus and JMsolutions.
“We stand today 40 years
strong because of Jim Moran
and his good old-fashioned
belief in hard work and inno
vative business practices,”
said Colin Brown, president
and CEO of JM Family.
“Having the best products
and services to sell, a solid
reputation and associates
who are extremely talented
and loyal, JM Family is posi
tioned for even greater suc
cess in the future.”
RECYCLE THIS PAPER
ATTENTION CHOCOLATE LOVERS, BAKERS AND TASTERS!
You're invited to attend the
2008 CHOCOLATE FAIR ON NOVEMBER 10,2008
FROM 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the
TANGER TOWN CENTRE at Banks Crossing
Want to win $100? Enter a chocolate dish in the Banks County CVB Chocolate Fair
Chocolate Competition and if your dish wins, you'll receive $1001 Entry fee is $25 and
the deadline to enter is November 6, 2008.
Want to taste all the chocolate dishes in the competition? Purchase a ticket in advance
for $5 (tickets are $7 at the door) to attend the fair and taste all the dishes in the
competition. No one admitted without ticket. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Tickets and entry forms available in Homer at First Georgia Bank; and at Banks Crossing
at RE/MAX Select Commerce in the Commerce Crossing mall; and in Cornelia at the
Community Bank & Trust main branch.
For an entry form or more information, call the Banks County Convention & Visitors
Bureau (CVB) at 706-677-5265 or email bankscvb@windstream.net.
DISCOVER FUN AT
FUNOPOLIS FAMILY FUN CENTER
www.funopolisfamilyfuncenter.com
40155 Hwy. 441, Commerce, GA 30529 • 706-335-3866
Located at 1-85 - Exit 149, go east 8/10 mile (just past Walmart) behind Car Wash
Laser Tag, Bumper Cars, Arcade
Games, Food and much much more!
HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Until April)
• Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. -11 p.m. • Sun. Noon - 9 p.m.
Includes unlimited bumper cars, bumper boats, go karts, mini
golf, Spider zone, Tornado and one session of Laser Tag and one
bucket of balloons for water wars.
Add one $3.00 game card for games.
One coupon needed per person. No cash value or substitutions.
Good only on Oct. 31 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.
On Halloween from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
2-Hour Wristband $15.00
For those over 12 years of age:
Discover a new place to celebrate a safe Halloween - spend it at
Funopolis!
Funopolis is sponsoring a two-hour event on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.. Children under 12
(who meet the height requirements) and dressed in costume will receive free rides on Tornado, Pirate Ship (our new
kiddie ride!), mini carousel, bumper cars, bumper boats, climbing wall, Spider zone, inflatables and mini golf. Treats
will also be handed out at each ride. Kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and during these two hours any
accompanying adult can play mini golf and drive child, as needed, free. Please remember socks for inflatables and
Spider zone and closed-in shoes for the climbing wall.
Where The Fun Begins
And Never Ends!
Think it’s time for a new
councilman that will be
open-minded and stand up
for all the people?
Vote for and Elect
KEITH
BURCHETT
Commerce
City Council
Ward One
November 4, 2008
Paid For By The Candidate