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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. TUNE 3, 2009 - PAGE 7 A
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Folks On Reservoir Don't Like
Plans To Control Access To Lake
www.armc.org
By Angela Gary
Residents along the Bear
Creek Reservoir are upset
about the proposed regula
tions that would limit their
use of the lake.
Seven people spoke at
the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners’ meet
ing Monday night about
the regulations (see story
of regulations on Page 8B).
The BOC was set to vote on
the regulations at the meet
ing but postponed action
after hearing from those
opposed to the proposal.
In theory the lake has
been closed to all boat
access from Day 1, but in
reality adjacent property
owners have used the lake
at will. Now that the four-
county group plans to allow
fising boats on a limited
schedule, it also proposes
to restrict property owners
to the same hours.
Chairman Hunter Bicknell
told the citizens that they
need get on the agenda of
the Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority to speak
on their issues. The next
meeting of the authority is
at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday July
22, at the Northeast Georgia
Regional Development
Center in Athens.
“We can’t legislate action
that doesn’t conform to
what they agree to,’’ he said.
“Those concerns need to
be expressed to the Upper
Oconee Basin Water
Authority at one of their
regular meetings ... That’s
really where you need to air
your concerns.’’
Among the citizens speak
ing was Baz McDonald, who
wants the regulation limiting
fishing to be changed.
“It’s a public facility that was
paid for by all the citizens
and to restrict it based on
a recreation activity is inap
propriate and I’m not sure it
could be legal,’’ she said.
Dale Hawk, who lives
on Bear Cub Way, said he
bought a house on the lake
because of the amenities.
He said the proposed regu
lations “are not very ratio
nal’’ and are “punitive to the
homeowners on the lake.’’
“The county needs to be
proactive on this,’’ he said.
Hawk pointed out that
Jackson County has two
members on the Upper
Oconee Basin Authority
and they need to address
these concerns.
“Jackson County’s inter
ests are not being served by
these rules,’’ Hawk said.
Tom Claiborne, also a resi
dent of Bear Cub Way, said
the ordinance “needs tweak
ing’’ before it is adopted.
He added that people who
live on the lake should have
unlimited access.
“We are going to take care
of the lake,’’ he said. “If you
allow us to go out there,
you will have extra eyes and
ears to look for problems
and report them.’’
Ken Cordell, South
Jackson, said the policy is
“very discriminatory on
who can and can’t use the
reservoir.’’
William Hill of South
Jackson said he bought five
acres so he could go out
his back yard and fish. He
also planned to build a $1
million house there but said
he’ll not do so if this ordi
nance passes.
Another man who lives
near the reservoir pointed
out that the subdivision
was developed to be on the
lake.
“You take away the lake,
you take away that subdivi
sion,’’ he said. “That lake is
the lifeblood of that subdivi
sion ... We paid a premium
and are taxed a premium on
a closed lake.’’
Teresa M. Newton shows off the two awards
she won at the Georgia TOPS State Recognition
Day. She’s lost more than 50 pounds through
TOPS.
Losing 50 Pounds
Gains Local Woman
State Recognition
and she contact the chap
ter leader and went to her
first meeting in July 2008.
“I met some of the nicest
people I had ever met,’’ she
said. “All of the members
were so encouraging and
supportive of each other.
I decided to join that very
night. At first it was hard
for me to lose the weight,
but I kept trying each day
to change my bad eating
habits to healthier ones
and I started walking for
exercise.’’
Newton stuck with the
program and in spite of
“a couple of setbacks,’’
dropped 50-plus pounds
and no longer has to take
insulin shots daily for dia
betes.
At the TOPS State
Recognition Day May
14-15, Newton won the
award for greatest improve
ment and for first place in
Division 3.
More importantly, life is
better.
“It is not a diet, but a
change in my lifestyle,’’
Newton explained. “I
choose to be healthy over
anything else.’’
Nicholson's Budget Wins Approval
When it comes to losing
weight, the biggest loser is
the biggest winner.
In Georgia, one of the
biggest winners is Teresa
M. Newton of Commerce,
a member of TOPS 401
chapter in Commerce,
who won two awards at the
Take Off Pounds Sensibly
(TOPS) State Recognition
Day recently in Valdosta.
Dropping 50 pounds
and no longer having to
take five insulin shots a
day, however, mean a lot
more than the certificates
she brought back home.
Newton found her way
to TOPS, which meets
every Tuesday evening at
BJC Medical Center, after
her weight peaked at 219
and an insurance compa
ny refused to cover her
because she was obese.
“It was the first time any
one had told me that I
was obese,’’ she recalled.
“Overweight, fat, yes, but
never obese. I knew then
that I needed help if I
was ever going to get this
weight off.’’
A friend told her about
Take Off Pounds Sensibly
By Sharon Hogan
The Nicholson City
Council approved a “tran
sitional budget’’ Monday
night.
The budget tot als $343,500,
with the general fund budget
at $300,000 and the capital
projects fund at $43,500.
The six-month budget is
necessary because the city,
as of Jan. 1, 2010, will con
vert its budget from a July-
June fiscal year to a calen
dar year as required under
its new city charter.
The budget reflects no
increase over the prior bud
get period, based on a six-
month period.
The final public hearing on
the budget was held prior to
the regular council meeting.
No citizens came out to
speak on the budget.
The budget will become
effective July 1.
But residents did speak at
a budget hearing Thursday,
May 28, prior to the month
ly work session.
Daniel Sailors said, “Have
you reduced your budget
any?’’ The county is down
12 percent in tax revenue.’’
Mayor Ronnie Maxwell
replied, “Not this six-month
budget. We will look at
reductions in the next bud
get.’’ Maxwell said the city
has some capital projects
to finish during the next six
months.
“In Nicholson, in a
$700,000 budget only
$150,000 is Local Option
Sales Tax (LOST) revenue,’’
observed city attorney Rob
Russell, who added that a
large portion of the city’s
revenue comes from fran
chise fees.
Mike Stowers complained
that Nicholson is not getting
all the franchise taxes due
it. Russell said the Georgia
Municipal Association can
come in and do a franchise
audit.
“We are definitely going
to look at a franchise audit
as soon as we can,’’ Russell
Jackson
Moving
On Park Plans
said.
Other Business
In other business at
Monday’s council meeting:
•The council authorized
Maxwell to sign the Jackson
County Service Delivery
Agreement. All municipali
ties in the county are being
asked to approve a resolu
tion that allows the mayors
to sign the agreement on
behalf of their cities.
• The council set a meet
ing for 6 p.m. Thursday,
June 18, to discuss the
Nicholson Independence
Day celebration. The
event will be held 4-11
p.m. Saturday, July 4, at
the city’s amphitheater.
Maxwell said the entertain
ment and fireworks display
are already lined up. “This
year should be better than
last year,’’ Maxwell added.
Barbecue, hot dogs, fun
nel cakes and other food
items will be available.
By Angela Gary
Two years after agree
ing to build a coun
ty park on 14 acres
between Pendergrass
and Braselton, the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners is getting
ready to develop plans
for the project.
The commissioners
heard a request Monday
night to approve $17,400
for a master plan for the
Mountain Creek Park.
The money would come
from Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax
recreation revenue.
The BOC will take
action on the request to
allocate the money for
Wood Brothers & Scott
Inc. to develop the plan
at the June 15 meeting,
to be held at 6 p.m. at the
courthouse.
These days,
every penny counts.
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