Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by Georgia HomePLACE, a project of the Georgia Public Library Service.
About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2016)
PAGE 2A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 Fireworks rules have changed Georgia citizens can buy and set off real fireworks for the second year in a row, but the rules on when they can be shot off have changed since last July 4, thanks to the Georgia General Assembly. Fireworks users beware: new rules limit times and dates Jackson schools continue to mull high school options The Jackson County Board of Education is continuing to mull its options on how to transition into a future west side high school. The BOE had a called meeting last week to discuss design plans and the possibility of temporarily using the facility for enrollment relief in West Jackson. The BOE is planning a compact, multi-story facility that can be built-out in phases. The facility will be located on the district’s Hwy. 332/Skelton Road property in West Jackson and will likely front Hwy. 332. While the end goal is a high school, the district could tran sition some of its students into the school before converting it to a full high school. The BOE is considering several options. One includes constmcting the core of the building, add ing in athletic facilities and using the site as a 10-12 academy. The current Jackson County Comprehensive High School could then be used for relief from West Jackson Middle School. Another option includes constmcting more of the build ing, but delaying the construction of athletic facilities. The site could then be used as an 8-9 academy giving relief to both JCCHS and WJMS. The new school will likely cost between $25-$35 million. Even with Education Local Option Sales Tax and General Fund money, the district may be forced to stretch the con struction time until it has enough funding (possibly fall 2019). You can celebrate July 4 with a bang — with some restrictions. With Independence Day coming up on Monday, per haps hundreds of citizens await the opportunity not just to see local fireworks displays, but also to set off their own fireworks. Legisla tion approved in 2015 greatly expanded not just the ability to set off fireworks, but also allowed their sale throughout the state. That said, the General Assembly came back this past legislative session and revised the law with House Bill 727 after legislators were deluged with complaints about the use of fireworks at all hours. Those planning their own fireworks displays should take note of the law’s restrictions. Against The Law The following are viola tions of the law for which law enforcement officers may issue citations: •selling fireworks to any person under age 18 •possession or use of fireworks by a person under age 18 •sale of fireworks by a person under 18 unless that person is working as an assistant to a licensed dis tributor •selling fireworks by any means other than as an in-person, face-to-face sale •using fireworks indoors or within the right of way of a public road, street, highway or railroad • igniting fireworks on pri vate property without permis sion; and on public property, including streets and parks • setting off fireworks between midnight and 10 a.m. and after 9 p.m. — except — on July 3, July 4, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 when fireworks can be used up to 11:59 p.m., and on Jan. 1, when they can be used from midnight to 1 a.m. •igniting fireworks where not permitted — private prop erty without permission, pub lic property unless there is a special use permit, within 100 yards of an electric plant, water or wastewater plant, gas stations, electric substa tions, jails or prisons or any other place covered by a municipal ordinance •using fireworks in any state park, historic site, rec reational area or any area operated by the state or one of its agencies •using fireworks within 100 yards of a hospital nurs ing home or other health care facility unless the facility grants permission in writing •the ignition of fireworks from 9 p.m. to midnight on days other than July 3, July 4 and Dec. 31. The revised law allows use of fireworks from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily but recognizes that local jurisdictions have the right to implement noise ordinances that could pro vide further restrictions. Rep. Tommy Benton, who voted for the bill, said that he voted against the first version because it did not allow sale from temporary vendors. “I felt like the state was making a decision on who could and could not sell fire works,” Benton said “In the end, it was the best thing we could come up with to get something passed to get relief for towns and subdivi sions.” Benton said he received numerous complaints from residents of a subdivision in Braselton and two behind Kroger in Jefferson “com plaining about rockets and firecrackers going off at 1:00 or 2 a.m.” “The biggest complaints were from farmers about the noise scaring chickens in their chicken houses and scaring horses and cows,” he said. Benton Elementary principal resigns Benton Elementary School principal Pam Shields has resigned. The Jackson County Board of Education approved her resignation at its June 23 meeting. Amity Hardegree, the district’s current director of curric ulum and instmction, will serve as the interim principal at BES. Also at its meeting, the BOE approved the following: Hires • Kathy Brown, special education paraprofessional, North Jackson Elementary School • Rebecca Heard, band instmctor, East Jackson Middle School • Kendall Steele, art teacher, EJMS • Leslie Stephens, special education teacher, East Jack- son Comprehensive High School Resignations/Terminations • Krista Buice, paraprofessional, EJMS • Megan Cason, math teacher, EJCHS •Lindsey Martin, custodian, Jackson County Compre hensive High School •Warren Standridge, health/PE teacher, West Jackson Elementary School The BOE also approved its 2016-17 administrative sup plementary salary schedule. It is the same as the 2015-16 schedule but must be approved annually. Commissioners appoint two new SPLOST review committees The Jackson County Board of Commissioners appointed 10 men to serve on two SPLOST review com mittees last week. At least one more — and possibly two more — committees will eventually be filled. The five-member com mittees appointed on June 20 will oversee spending of special purpose local option sales tax money on water and sewer projects and on parks, recreation and “other” matters (vehicle pur chases, building construc tion, e911 upgrade, etc.). A third committee will be tasked with approving SPLOST funds for road, bridge and sidewalk projects. “We’re waiting on some confirmation to put the final guys on the road commit tee,” Commissioner Chas Hardy explained. The commissioners dis cussed the nominees during a closed-to-the-public “exec utive session.” According to Hardy, BOC chairman Tom Crow wants to add a fourth committee, whose task would be to pro vide financial oversight of the other three committees. That matter has yet to be resolved. The following committee members were approved June 20: Water and Sewer proj ects: Thomas Gary Dennis Sikes, Gene Gilbert, Ralph Brooks and Clarence Bry ant. Parks, Recreation and Other: Michael Cronic, Jim McQueen, Johnny Brown, Jason Kim and Vance Holi- field. The oversight committees were created to improve voter confidence in the spending of SPLOST funds as a result of Nicholson’s use of $10,607 in SPLOST 5 money to pave what amounted to a driveway into property owned by Mayor Ronnie Maxwell’s mother. Maxwell was subsequent ly arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on a count of theft by taking and two counts of violating his oath of office. He awaits trial. The committees will over see how the new round of SPLOST — collections which begin on July 1, 2017 — is used. All SPLOST 6 projects will be presented to one of the committees. The committees will review the projects and the proposed budgets and can publish public notices on their findings, but the commit tees do not have the power to stop a project. SPLOST 6 is expected to generate $55 million over six years. Jackson County will get $38.85 million of that and will use $21 million of it for debt reduction. The plan is to spend the remainder as follows: •water projects, $9 mil lion (through the Jackson County Water & Sewerage Authority) •road, street and bridge projects, $3 million • public safety equip ment, $2.25 million •renovation for the his toric courthouse, $800,000 • animal shelter, $250,000 Each of the cities also gets a share of the revenue based on population. The break down for each town includes the following: Arcade, $1.5 million; Braselton, $1.3 mil lion; Commerce, $4.6 million; Hoschton, $1.2 million; Jeffer son, $5.25 million; Maysville, $600,000; Nicholson, $1.4 mil lion; Pendergrass, $500,000; and Talmo, $333,000. Keep yards trimmed, city official asks With grass, weeds and shrubs growing rapidly — assuming the area gets some rain — Commerce building official Billy Van diver reminds residents that they are expected to main tain their property in accor dance with the International Property and Maintenance Code and the city’s cleanli ness of premises ordinance. “Both list tall grass and weeds, inoperable vehicles, discarded tires, auto parts, etc.,” Vandiver said.” The code enforcement officer also pointed out that it is the owner or tenant’s responsibility to keep their yards maintained all the way to the street. If Vandiver spots a yard in violation, the procedure is to give notification in the form of a code violation notice or a letter. “If anyone receives an ‘overgrown grass and weeds’ letter or notice on the door, they have 10 days to cut their property” Van diver said. “After that, the city can take bids and hire an outside contractor to clean the property at the owner’s expense. Once the invoice is paid by the city we will file a lien on the property in order to recoup the funds.” In addition, the city can withhold utility service until the lien is paid, which means owners will not be able to rent, lease or sell the property until they repay the city for the cleanup. Most of the problem prop erties are rental units with out-of-town owners. 2016 a good year for Georgia peaches It’s going to be a peachy that peach to ripen where in o \ rrxi i r/zvalhr vArorof clnh- summer in Georgia. Growers from the state’s main commercial peach-pro ducing farms say the com bination of cold weather in January and late February combined with mild weather in March positioned them for their biggest crop in years. “We have not had this size of a peach crop in many years, so everybody’s pretty excited out on the farms,” said Will McGehee of Gen uine Georgia, a cooperative of five major Georgia peach farms. “This is going to be a good year.” All summer long, then, Georgians will be able to get peaches for eating fresh, bak ing pies, canning or making jams and jellies. Peaches and many other summertime favorites like watermelons, tomatoes and sweet corn are available across the state at Georgia Farm Bureau Certi fied Farm Markets (CFMs). To maximize enjoyment of Georgia’s namesake fruit, eat them when they’re ripe. It’s pretty simple to tell when they’re ready. According to McGehee, the ripeness of peaches is color-coded. “Look inside the stem cavity and if you see lime green you’ve got two or three days on the counter to get you really want to sink your teeth into it,” McGehee said. “If you see creamy yellow or sherbet orange in the stem cavity, it’s ready that day or the next morning. If you mix up your peaches between those two colors you’ll have some today some tomorrow and some in three or four days that’ll be ripening at the right time.” Georgia peach growers produce more than 40 vari eties of peaches, and they reach maturity at various times into August. This pro vides consumers access to peaches wherever they choose to buy them, whether it’s in the nearest CFM or at their local grocery store. Helen V Hewell Please Recycle This Newspaper C Headmaster’s Comer by Steve Cummings ACS MISSION TRIP TO THE DOMINICAN - Next week, ACS will be taking a group of 13 students and adults on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Our group will be helping build a wall around The Ark - a residential children’s facil ity that hosts 65 Dominican children in 7 different homes. The purpose of the wall is to deter theft that has been a problem at The Ark. Our goal is that our team members will learn, fellow ship, and encourage this community and its workers. This is a great chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a different culture. A big THANKS to Lindsay Black mon for coordinating this ef fort. ATHENS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL “Affordable Quality Education Since 1970" K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586 www.athenschristian.com
