Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. TANUARY 14, 2009 - PAGE 3A
Audit Shows City Still
Strong Financially Overall
The audit of Commerce’s
fiscal year ending June 30,
2008, presents a picture of
a financially solid city. The
Commerce City Council
accepted the audit Monday
night.
The city’s net assets actu
ally decreased by almost $1
million during the year. That
was a result of the city council
voting to spend nearly three-
quarters of a million dollars
to upgrade the city retire
ment system, and its move to
retire some debt through the
Municipal Electric Authority
of Georgia.
“These special items
totaled $1.16 million,’’ noted
Stephan Wilcox, the audi
tor. “Excluding the special
items, the city’s net assets
increased by $190,000.’’
The audit also showed
that the city’s governmental
funds increased by $590,000
for the fiscal year while its
long-term debt decreased
by $430,000.
“What I read, it’s a good
thing,’’ declared Ward 4
Councilman Bob Sosebee
after Wilcox made his pre
sentation. “We’re very fortu
nate and blessed to be like
we are.’’
Wilcox didn’t disagree,
pointing out that a number
of cities have had to borrow
money to operate because
of the economic downturn.
— MLK Celebration Sunday
Cont. from Page 1A
went to work for the
Georgia State Patrol and
graduated from the 51st
Georgia State Trooper
School in Atlanta.
President-elect Barack
Obama will be honored at
the event. Awards will be pre
sented to citizens through
out Northeast Georgia. Dr.
J.T. Crenshaw and Sammie
Rucker, both of Jefferson,
will be awarded the “Citizen
of the Year’’ awards. Lois
Williams will be awarded the
“Humanitarian of the Year’’
award and James Pittman of
Commerce will be awarded
the “Entrepreneur of the
Year’’ award.
The Jackson County MLK
Choir will give the song ser
vice.
The event is sponsored
by the Jackson County
Martin Luther King Jr.
Commemoration Council.
The Rev. R.E. Cooper is the
president.
— City Finances Still Tight
Cont. from Page 1A
“We will see some improve
ment, but I do not expect at
the end of the year we will
have recovered $343,000,’’
said McKown.
The bottom line also
took about a $100,000 hit
when Louisiana-Pacific
went offline, according to
McKown.
In addition, McKown
said sales tax revenues,
which include SPLOST
and the local option sales
tax (LOST) are nine per
cent down from the previ
ous fiscal year. Interestingly,
McKown said a printout
from the Department of
Revenue indicates that res
taurant spending in Jackson
County is actually up.
City Manager Clarence
Bryant told the council that
the city’s “spending freeze’’
will continue through the
next quarter, and he warned
the city council that the loss
of gas sales to LP will have
a continued effect on the
city’s budget the follow
ing year. LP used gas year-
round, so sales after winter
will be down drastically.
“There’s $300,000 that
won’t be going to the
General Lund,’’ he said, add
ing that he would welcome
city council input as to how
to adjust for that loss.
“Y’all are going to earn
your keep in the next bud
get year,’’ he said.
The gas fund typically pro
vides $850,000 a year in rev
enue to the General Lund.
This week’s cold weath
er was good news for the
city’s financial outlook,
but it will need a lot more
days of low temperatures to
recover from what, except
for a time in November,
has been a warm fall and
winter.
—Plenty Of Mulch Available
Cont. from Page 1A
leaves and the plastic bags
they came in all together,
creating a mulch that might
be effective, but was filled
with shreds of plastic.
No longer.
The Environmental
Protection Division required
the city to eliminate the plas
tic. Today, wastes must be
put out by the road in paper
bags, which are biodegrad
able. The result is a better
quality of mulch.
To get a load of mulch, call
City Hall. Typically, mulch
can be picked up after noon
Wednesdays and during
busier months (springtime)
every other Saturday morn
ing at the old dump.
The mulch is free, but for
$50, the city will load and
deliver a larger quantity in
its brush truck.
Both Page and Rick Lewis,
Commerce public works
director, recommend add
ing nitrogen to the mulch.
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Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, Jan. 15
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. The Pilot Club of Commerce
meets on the third Thursday of each
month.
Monday, Jan. 19
Hospital authority meets: 1:30
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. The BJC Medical Center
Authority manages BJC Hospital
and Nursing Home.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC Medi
cal Center. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients and
their families.
Library board meets: 5 :00 pm,
Commerce Public Library. The Com
merce Library Board manages the
city library.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in starts at 5:00.
Thursday, Jan. 22
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 6pm,
Commerce Public Library. New
members welcome.
Friday, Jan. 23
Chamber banquet: 6:00
3.m., Jefferson Civic Center. The
.ackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce will celebrate its
past year. Band and dancing are
included.
Monday, Jan. 26
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce Plan
ning Commission makes recommen
dations to the city council on zoning
and other land use matters.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
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 p.m., Ryan's
Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, Jan. 29
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cyber safety seminar: 6 pm,
media center, Commerce High
School. The Commerce Police
Department will show parents how
better to protect their kids from the
dangers of the Internet. Free. Call
706-335-1 801 to register. Space
will be limited. No children will be
allowed.
Monday, Feb. 2
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., City Hall. This work session
prepares the city council for its regu
lar meeting the following Monday
night.
Maysville Council meets: 7:00
p.m., Maysville Public Library.
Nicholson Council meets: 7:00,
Nicholson City Hall.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
JCCO meets: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Hospital conference room. Jackson
County Community Outreach is a
grassroots community organization.
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, Feb. 4
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 a m ,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open to all
members of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce and
guests. $5.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
location TBA. This work session
prepares the Commerce Board of
Education for its regular meeting the
ollowing Monday.
Monday, Feb. 9
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, Feb. 10
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 pm,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, Feb. 12
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1 00 pm,
Commerce Public Library.
Monday, Feb. 16
Hospital authority meets: 1:30
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. The BJC Medical Center
Authority manages BJC Hospital
and Nursing Home.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC Medi
cal Center. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients and
their families.
Tuesday, Feb. 17
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.
Thursday, Feb. 19
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Town Hall Meeting: 6:00 pm,
Commerce Civic Center. Hosted by
the Downtown Development Author
ity for public input on the future of
the downtown.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. The Pilot Club of Commerce
meets on the third Thursday of each
month.
Monday, Feb. 23
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce Plan
ning Commission makes recom
mendations to the Commerce City
Council on zoning and other land
use matters.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
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 p.m., Ryan's
Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, Feb. 26
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 6pm,
Commerce Public Library. New
members are always welcome to
attend.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Pulls Out Of Jackson County
Jackson County may be
one of the fastest-grow
ing counties in America,
but the Atlanta Journal-
Constitution newspaper
has abandoned it.
Saturday, Jan. 10, was the
last day AJC subscribers
could get the newspaper
delivered to their homes
and the last day it was
available at newsstands in
Jackson County business
es.
Jackson was one of 19
counties eliminated from
the AJC’s service territory
as what used to be a state
wide newspaper responds
to falling circulation and
economic difficulties.
Other counties no lon
ger able to receive the AJC
by carrier service or at
newsstands include Banks,
Butts, Dawson, Banning,
Gilmer, Glynn, Greene,
Habersham, Haralson,
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Do you have Osteoporosis?
Are you experiencing sudden back pain?
You may qualify for a clinical research study if you:
► Are SO to 85 years of age
► Have experienced sudden back pain that started
within the last 14 days
► Have a radiological procedure that will confirm
your pain is due to a vertebral compression
fracture
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► Are in otherwise general good health
► Can complete daily phone calls and attend up to 2
office visits in a period of 10 days
► Qualified participants will receive investigational
medication and study-related medical care at no cost, and
may receive compensation for completed study visits
For More Information Contact:
Center for Advanced Research & Education
(770) 534-5154
Heard, Lumpkin, Morgan,
Pickens, Rabun, Spalding,
Towns, Troup, Union and
White.
The move is just the latest
in several cutbacks in the
AJC. In addition to trim
ming hundreds from its
staff in several increments,
the newspaper has reduced
its circulation area to 27
counties in and around
Metro Atlanta.
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
Tallulah Falls School
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Cl
Admissions Open House
Saturday, January 24, 2009
10:00 a.m.
• Fully accredited college prep program
• Music, arts, drama and sports
• 5 and 7-dav boarding’ programs
• National leader in providing
need-based financial aid
• Growing day program witb
morning and afternoon bus
service in surrounding counties
• Class of 2008 - 100%
college acceptance
Faculty anil student representatives will be on
hand to conduct campus tours and answer any
questions concerning academics, athletics,
admissions and financial aid. Refreshments will
be available. Please RSVPhy January 21.
Day program grades 6-12
Boarding program grades 7-12
www. tallulakf alls. orgf
Office of Admissions • (706) 754-0400
Tallulah Falls School is an equal opportunity institution and admits
students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.