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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