Newspaper Page Text
SEE PAGE IB
SEE PAGE 8A
East Jackson
Sweeps CHS
In Tennis Match
Celebrating
The Great
American Cleanup
Vol. 134
No. 8
18 Pages
3 Sections
www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com
Commerce Slews
Wednesday
APRIL 8, 2009
50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875
Parade,
Egg Hunt
Are Sat.
Elm Street in downtown
Commerce will be a good
place for motorists to avoid
Saturday morning.
At 10:45, the street will
be closed to traffic as hun
dreds of children walk from
Community Bank & Trust
south to the First Baptist
Church in the 20th annual
Commerce Easter Parade.
Community Bank & Trust,
the Commerce Business
Association and the
Downtown Development
Authority sponsor the city’s
Easter event, which includes
the parade and an egg hunt
for kids 12-under at the
church.
Prior to the parade, rib
bons will be presented to
winners of contests for the
best-decorated bicycle, best
decorated wagon and best
decorated battery-operated
vehicle. Those entering the
contests should be at the
starting point by 9:45 a.m.
The activities begin at the
Please Turn to Page 3A
Condos
Proposed
In Maysville
By Justin Poole
A developer met with
the Maysville Planning and
Zoning Commission last
week to discuss building
condominiums in the town.
Barry Lord, representing
the Gilmer Glenn family,
presented the proposal. He
sought input on whether it
would be acceptable to pro
ceed with applying for a
rezoning of 16 acres from
agricultural to multi-family.
The property currently con
tains a number of rental
mobile homes.
Lord and the commission
discussed the layout of the
two-story units, types of
exteriors and city building
codes. The planners recom
mended that Lord apply for
rezoning with the condition
that a more detailed design
will be provided to depict
the architectural styles. Lord
was also informed that the
property owners would be
Please Turn to Page 3A
CONTACT US
Phone: 706-335-2927
FAX: 706-387-5435
E-mail:
news@ma i nstreetnews. com
mark@mainstreetnews.com
Mail: 1672 S. Broad St.
Commerce, GA 30529
New Face At The Library
From Cuba where information is tightly over as library director just as the General
controlled, to the Commerce Public Library, Assembly funds the library’s long-planned
where access to information is total, Miguel expansion. See Page 6A.
Vicente has come a long way. Vicente takes
library Expansion
Grant In State Budget
Local Officials Holding
Breaths Until Governor
Signs FY 2010 Budget
By Mark Beardsley
It took a bit of political maneu
vering, but the FY 2010 state
budget contains the $1.5 million
Commerce needs to expand its
library.
Sen. Ralph Hudgens and Rep.
Tommy Benton overcame late
obstacles to get the money into
the final version of the budget.
Now all it takes is the signature
of Gov. Sonny Perdue — or his
inaction until July 1 — and a year
long project will finally come to
fruition.
The legislators delivered the
very welcome news Friday after
noon and evening.
“Ralph called me Friday after
noon and said the library was in
the budget," said Mayor Charles
L. Hardy Jr. “We’re just delighted
to get it. I called our new library
director, Miguel Vicente, then I
called Susan (Harper, recently
retired library director) and left
word on her answering machine."
“Tommy called me Friday night,"
said Harper. “The legislature was
taking a supper break. I was so
excited."
Harper called Anne Rogers, vice
chairman of the library board and
its longest-serving member, and
told her.
“Then I spent a few hours with
a friend and when I got home
there was a message from Buzzie,"
Harper said. “Then I knew it was
really, really true. Then I called
everybody."
Rep. Tommy Benton, left,
and Sen. Ralph Hudgens used
last-minute manuevering to
get the library funding in the
final state budget.
“I heard this before I started, the
possibility of having the money,"
said Vicente, who is in his second
week as library director. “I didn’t
know they would approve it so
fast. It’s a great thing."
Please Turn to Page 3A
Commerce Politics
Hill To Run For Ward 4 Council Seat
By Mark Beardsley
Dr. Clark Hill confirmed
a rumor last week.
The Commerce physi
cian and newly-elect
ed chairman of the
Commerce Downtown
Development Authority
will run for city coun
cil in the special election
in September to fill the
Ward 4 seat vacated by
the resignation
of Bob Sosebee.
Hill, 37, has
practiced inter
nal medicine
in Commerce
since 2001
and has lived
in Commerce
since September
2000. Prior to
Sosebee’s resig-
Dr. Clark Hill
nation, Hill had
planned to run
for mayor pro
tem in the regu
lar election in
November.
“I’ve been
thinking about
it a long time,"
said Hill. “The
timing was right.
I just want to see
us continue to move in
the right direction. I think
I’ve learned a lot while
sitting on the DDA about
how the city works."
Hill owns Hill Medical
Group, an internal medi
cine practice in both
Commerce and Homer
with Dr. Milene Argo
Cont. on Page 5A
Community
Garden
Gets AHome
Foundation Donates
Use Of Land For
Community Gardens
By Mark Beardsley
Residents of Commerce who
don’t have a place to grow
squash, tomatoes or flowers will
get the opportunity to have a
garden this year.
The Commerce City Council
announced at its Monday work
session that the “Community
Gardens of Commerce," a proj
ect initiated by Carson Street
resident Forrest Green, will
become a reality this spring.
City manager Clarence Bryant
said the Harmony Grove
Foundation has donated use of
a 100 by 90 area adjacent to
the old Bi-Lo Shopping Center
(behind Mike’s Quick Stop) on
South Elm Street for the project.
The property has room for 15
by 20 garden spots.
“They told us if we need
more, we can have it too," said
Bryant.
Signs and flyers are being
designed, and Green will coordi-
Please Turn to Page 5A
ISO Rate
To Drop In
Nicholson
By Brandon Reed
Nicholson citizens shouli
begin to see a decrease in th
cost of their homeowners’ insui
ance premiums.
That’s because the ISO ra:
ing for the incorporated are,
of Nicholson has been brough
down from a rating of nine to
five. The project to bring the ISC
rating down had been ongoin
for about two years.
The announcement was mad'
during Monday night’s city cour
cil meeting.
“I’m tickled to death," sail
Mayor Ronnie Maxwell. “I appre
date the water department am
fire department, as well as th'
city people all working togethe
to get this done, and saving ou
citizens a lot of money.
“I’ve been about to bust wan
ing to tell somebody," he added
The Nicholson Area Fir'
Department was reviewed b;
ISO in November of 2008 am
officials just received the initis
paperwork on the outcome.
The ISO organization review
and sets the rating for all fir'
departments in the United States
These ratings range from one ti
10 with one being the very bes
rating.
Please Turn to Page 5A
Church News 3B
Classified Ads 6-8B
Calendar 3A
Crime News 7A
News Roundup 2A
Obituaries 4-5B
Opinions 4A
School News 10A
Sports 1-2B
Social News 9A
Rainfall this month
1.37 inches
Rainfall This Year
15.62 Inches
o
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
Mostly cloudy: Low, 53;
high, 73; 10% chance rain
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Thundershowers: Low, 54;
high, 71; 70% chance rain
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
f
Partly cloudy: Low, 48; high,
74; 20% chance rain
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Partly cloudy: Low, 51; high,
70; 20% chance rain
4 8 7 9
O