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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 4 8 7 9 14 14 1