Newspaper Page Text
SEE PAGE IB
SEE PAGE 6A
Eagles Seek
Fourth Win
At Union Co.
Clark Sentenced
To Life For
Murder Of Grandson
Vol. 134
No. 31
20 Pages
3 Sections
50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875
NEW CHS TAKING SHAPE
Photo Key:
1. Classroom area
2. Main gymnasium
3. Auditorium
4. Band/Chorus area
5. Administrative suite
6. Technology classrooms
7. Media center
8. Cafeteria/commons area
9. Underground sedimen
tation pond (and parking
area)
10. Student entrance
11. Student parking area
From above, the full footprint of the new Commerce High School construe- occupancy in the fall of 2011.
tion project is clearly visible. Since the photo was taken on Sept. 2, steel has Photo courtesy of Don Lohmeier, Sky Lark Photos
been erected in the classroom area. The project remains on schedule for
CHS Construction Project Hitting Full Stride
By Ben Munro
The Commerce School
System is writing much
larger checks these days
for the construction of
the new Commerce High
School as concrete block
and steel work continue
for the 136,500-square-foot
project.
The sixth payment request
was just over $ 1 million.
“The payment requests are
coming in larger sums the
last two or three months,
but you see the work that’s
being done," superinten
dent James “Mac" McCoy
said.
The project — which is
approximately 30 to 35
percent complete — is real
ly starting to take shape,
McCoy said.
“It’s absolutely going to be
beautiful,’’ he said. “You can
see everything, and if any
one in the community wants
to come by you just holler
and I’ll take you through
the school and show you
exactly where everything is
laid out and how it’s laid
out.’’
Board member Mary
Seabolt asked if the high
school gym would be large
enough to accommodate
tournaments.
“It will host anything you
want to,’’ McCoy said. “That
gym will seat nearly 1,500
people when it’s all said and
done.’’
The system’s funding for
the project is also coming
together.
The last of the bonds
for the new school are on
schedule for public sale,
and Commerce Schools
should have the final $8.5
million for construction by
mid-November.
“That will take us on out
to complete this project,’’
McCoy said.
McCoy has also provided
each school board member
with a complete list of sub
contractors and their home
office information.
“If anybody asks who’s
doing what, you know
where to go to and where
they’re from,’’ he said.
Art In The Park This
Weekend At Shoals Park
The 19th annual Art in the
Park festival will be held
at Hurricane Shoals Park
Saturday and Sunday, Sept.
19-20.
Booths will be open from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
and from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30
p.m. Sunday. Entertainment,
concessions and youth
activities will also be offered
both days. Children’s activi
ties will include puppets,
a petting zoo, ponies, a
moonwalk, giant slide and
obstacle course.
At the gristmill, visitors
will be able to see the water
wheel turn corn into fresh
ground cornmeal, which
will be sold. Entertainment
will be on the mill porch
with Pee-Wee Garrison
and Family and The Blue
Billy Grit Bluegrass Band.
Cornbread, beans and
sausage will be sold in the
Pethel Cabin.
Heritage Village will be
open and visitors will be
able to tour the chapel
and log cabins that date
back to the 1800s. The
Georgia Infantry Civil War
Re-enactors will be camped
out and will re-enact battles.
The country store will be
open. Civil War church ser
vices will be performed at 1
p.m. Sunday in the chapel.
There will be an arrowhead
display and demonstrations
of blacksmithing and basket
weaving.
The 5K Mill Race will be
held at 3 p.m. Sunday. A
one-mile fun run or walk
will take place at 2:30 p.m.
For more information on
either, call Keith Ariail at
706-335-5519.
An antique vehicle cruise-
in will be held during the
two-day festival. Antique
cars will be on display.
The finale will be the
Duck Dash planned for 5
p.m. Sept. 20. Ducks can be
“adopted’’ for $5 each for
five for $20. Prizes will be
awarded.
Admission and parking
are both free. The East
Jackson Comprehensive
High School ROTC will
assist with parking.
Hurricane Shoals is locat
ed on the Hwy. 82 Spur
between Jefferson and
Maysville.
New Ward 4 Councilman Clark Hill takes the
oath of office from city attorney John Stell.
Hill Sworn In, Council
Now At Full Strength
By Mark Beardsley
For the first time in seven months, the Commerce
City Council was at full strength Monday night.
After the city council certified the Sept. 15 special
election to fill the Ward 4 vacancy — an election called
off when Clark Hill was the only candidate and thus
declared a winner with one vote (his own) — city attor
ney John Stell administered the oath of office to Hill.
“It’s nice to have a full council again,’’ noted Mayor
Charles L. Hardy Jr.
Hill’s first meeting was also one of the shortest in
recent months. It took the council a full 18 minutes to
work through a page-long agenda, virtually all of which
amounted to housekeeping details.
But that doesn’t mean nothing significant happened.
Cont. on Page 3A
No Tax Hike Seen
In Jackson Budget
By Kristy Reed
With its first hearing
just two weeks away, the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners was briefed
Monday night regarding the
status of the 2010 budget.
County finance direc
tor John Hulsey said he
planned to visit with each
commissioner during the
next week to discuss the
proposed budget.
According to Hulsey, the
2010 budget will be bal
anced without the use of
reserve funds and without a
tax increase.
“We have accomplished
that through being able
to refinance the county’s
debt,’’ Hulsey said. “We
have implemented the fur
lough days; the other thing
we have done is that we
are recommending we sus
pend contributions to the
county’s defined contribu
tion plan.’’
Commission chairman
Hunter Bicknell asked if the
proposed cuts would elimi
nate the projected $3.5 mil
lion shortfall for 2010.
Please Turn to Page 3A
Reception To Honor Craver Friday
The Downtown Develop
ment Authority will honor
its executive director Hasco
Craver Friday on his last
day of work.
Craver is taking a job
with the Northeast Georgia
Regional Commission after
almost four years as DDA
executive director and Main
Street manager.
The DDA will host a drop-
in reception Friday, Sept. 18,
from 4:30 to 6:00 at Sanders
Furniture. Fight refresh
ments will be served.
“He has served our com
munity well and we want
to thank him for provid
ing us with excellent lead
ership over the past 3
1/2 years,’’ commented
Jennifer Sanders of Sanders
Furniture.
Births 9A
Church News 1 1A
Classified Ads 6-8B
Calendar 3A
Crime News 6A
News Roundup 2A
Obituaries 1OA
Opinions 4A
School News ..8 & 1 2A
Sports 1-3B
Social News 9A
Rainfall this month
.30 inches
Rainfall This Year
31.40 inches
8 "04879 14141
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
T-showers: Low, 66; high,
79; 60% chance rain
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
T-showers: Low, 64; high, 81;
60% chance rain
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
T-showers: Low, 63; high, 82;
40% chance rain
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Showers: Low, 61; high, 78;
30% chance rain
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