Newspaper Page Text
SUMMER WRESTUNG
Tiger wrestlers take to the mats over the
summer looking for some improvement.
Page IB
FATAL WRECK MON.
A Commerce man died Monday morn
ing when o pickup truck overturned on the
bypass: Page 9A
Vol. 134
No. 18
32 Pages
2 Sections
www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com
^ The » u
(Jommerce News
Wednesday
JUNE 17, 2009
50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875
Farmers' Market Starts Saturday
By Mark Beardsley
The Commerce Farmers’ Market will
open its 2009 season Saturday morning
with at least 50 percent more vendors than
last year.
The market, which will offer fresh pro
duce at least through August, will be held
in the track-side parking lot on South Elm
Street at Spencer Park. The market starts at
7 a.m. While it is scheduled to run until 11
a.m„ past experience suggests vendors will
be out of produce long before 11.
“We already have eight signed up with
strong interest from another three who will
be signed up by then," said Hasco Craver,
who as executive director of the Downtown
Development Authority is organizing the
event. “That’s 50 percent more than this
time last year.’’
The market is open to items grown or
The Commerce Farmers’ Market
will run every Saturday morning from
7:00 to 11 — or until vendors run out
of produce.
produced in Georgia.
“We will have lots of produce, potted
plants, herbs and cut flowers,’’ Craver said.
“I actually had somebody come by who will
be brand new to the market selling produce
who also might have some locally-made
crafts. It would be really neat if the market
takes on that aspect as well.’’
The area has space for 19 vendors.
“That whole parking lot might be full,’’
Craver proposed.
One of the aspects that interests Craver
is that a majority of the vendors already
signed up have not sold produce in the first
two years of the market.
“If we can build on what we had the past
two years with the new people and their
energy and enthusiasm, it will be amazing,’’
he said.
In its first two years, the market alternat
ed between Commerce and Jefferson. This
year there will be a market every Saturday
in Commerce; likewise in Jefferson.
“Now people will know they can come
downtown every Saturday and know they
can buy fresh produce,’’ Craver comment
ed.
Also new this year, the growers will take
over most of the organization each Saturday.
They’ll erect the signs and banners, collect
the fee from new vendors and erect the
barriers keeping customers’ vehicles from
entering the market area. Melanie Freeman
is heading up that effort, Craver said.
Out of concern for public safety, cus
tomers will not be able to drive into and
through the parking lot this year.
Saturday’s customers can expect to find
a variety of traditional “early crops,’’ said
Craver, including yellow and zucchini
squash, peppers, green beans, a few toma
toes and possibly some melons brought in
from South Georgia.
Buyer Still
Looking
At LP Site
By Mark Beardsley
A financing snag isn’t
expected to derail an
American wood prod
ucts firm from buying the
Louisiana Pacific plant on
U.S. 441 at Center.
The company, whose
name has not been
released, hopes to use the
Please Turn to Page 3A
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
Partly cloudy: Low, 73; high,
95; 10% chance rain
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
Sunny: Low, 73; high, 97;
0% chance rain
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
Isolated T-showers: Low, 70;
high, 94; 30% chance rain
SUNDAY, JUNE 21
Mp-
Mostly sunny: Low, 70; high,
93; 10% chance rain
INDEX
Births 1 1A
Church News 8B
Classified Ads 6-8C
Calendar 3 A
Crime News 8-10A
News Roundup 2A
Obituaries 2-3C
Opinions 4A
School News 4-6B
Sports 1-3B
Social News 1 1A
9
Nature Study At The Library
Reptile Encounter
Approximately 125 children turned out alligator as he makes the connection between
Saturday for “Reptile Day” at the Commerce reptiles of the past and those of the present.
Public Library Saturday. Andy Howington of the Photo by Mark Beardsley
Georgia Reptile Conservancy shows off a small
Field Work Winding Up On Reservoir Sites
By Mark Beardsley
Jackson County should
pin down the location of its
future reservoir this fall.
The engineering firm
doing the analysis of three
potential sites finally com
pleted its environmental
fieldwork and geo-tech
nical drillings necessary
to compare the sites, the
Jackson County Water
and Sewerage Authority
learned last week.
“We got permission from
the two remaining property
owners to get on their prop
erty,’’ said Rob MacPherson
of Prime Engineering, the
company doing the analy
sis. “The environmental
fieldwork and geotech
nical drillings were done
this week. The data will be
available in July.’’
MacPherson proposed
AKhhUI 111 II f I
1 ■11: ■ ■: r f S
Once the data is analyzed, Jackson County offi
cials will have to choose one of the three sites
above for the construction of a reservoir.
that the authority discuss
the findings in a work ses
sion in September.
The reservoir search is a
joint project of the author
ity and the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners.
It is being conducted in
the belief that the county
needs a secondary water
source to the Bear Creek
Reservoir — particularly
since the authority dis
putes the amount of water
actually available from the
regional reservoir.
Three potential sites
were identified. The larg
est of the three is along
Little Curry Creek west
of Nicholson inside of
Brockton Loop and back
ing up to Brockton Road.
The other two are east of
Nicholson. One is between
Quail Ridge Drive on the
north, Wages Farm Road
on the south and Sanford
Road on the east. The third
is located on Hardman
Creek west of Hwy. 334
Cont. on Page 3A
More $$ Is
Stimulating
For City
Commerce Gets Extra
30% Funding For
Oxidation Pond Project
By Mark Beardsley
Commerce’s share of the
federal stimulus money just
went up by $330,000.
The city received notice
recently that instead of a
$1.1 million loan that would
be 40 percent forgiven with
federal stimulus funds, it will
be forgiven 70 percent of the
loan.
“Basically, we got an addi
tional $330,000,’’ explained
Bryan Harbin, director of
water and sewer operations.
The $1.1 million proj
ect will renovate two oxi
dation ponds at Banks
Crossing, which are the
subject of an Environmental
Protection Division (EPD)
consent order. Financing
comes through the Georgia
Environmental Facilities
Authority, which administers
federal stimulus funds allo
cated to the state’s waste-
water and drinking water
programs, Harbin said.
Commerce was originally
approved for 40 percent
forgiveness, but projects in
Banks County qualified for
70 percent forgiveness. As
both ponds are not only
located in Banks County
but also serve only Banks
County customers, the city
sought the greater level of
loan forgiveness.
Both ponds will get ultra
violet light disinfection sys
tems, and the Davis Brothers
pond will also be outfitted
with more aerators, a bar
screen and will be dredged.
As soon as GEFA approves
the loan, sometime in July,
the city will bid the project.
“We’ve got the drawings
ready to go to bid,’’ said
Harbin. “The day GEFA tells
us to proceed, we’re ready
to put it out for bid. We’ve
got all of the EPD approvals,
the environmental impact
approval and the design has
been approved. The only
thing we’re waiting on is the
Cont. on Page 3A
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