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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
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Sidewalk construction beginning
Work has finally started on the new sidewalk going from Commerce Middle School to Lakeview Drive
on Jefferson Road. Crews have installed silt fences and are working in the vicinity of Dogwood Trail and
Deer Trail Country Club. The $720,000 project is expected to take 90 days and is partially funded by a
$250,000 grant.
Commerce poised to completely
ban local 'donation boxes'
The problem
People, usually at night, continue to dump trash
and items that cannot be recycled in or even out
side of the donation boxes, creating an eyesore.
Commerce is poised to
ban donation boxes altogeth
er.
Typically situated in a park
ing lot, the boxes purport to
offer people a way to recycle
unwanted but useable items.
Also typically, they become
nuisances, with people
depositing virtually anything
they don’t want instead of
paying to dispose of it at a
landfill.
Over a year ago, the city
instituted an annual fee for
the boxes, hoping to cut the
number down. It worked
to the extent that there are
now about five such boxes
remaining, but it didn’t solve
the problem of people dump
ing unwanted items outside
the boxes.
“It’s still a problem,”
interim city manager James
Wascher told the city coun
cil at its July 5 “work ses
sion” meeting. “We’re find
ing household garbage sit
ting next to these donation
boxes.”
Ward 4 councilman Bobby
Redmon asked how the
change would affect the busi
nesses who currently allow
such boxes on their property.
“Businesses would not
be able to have the outside
boxes,” Wascher respond
ed. He also pointed out that
there remain several places
in town where people can
donate used but still useable
items.
“When you are coming
after hours and you don’t
want a receipt, you’re prob
ably dumping something
because you don’t want to
pay to take it to the landfill,”
commented Mayor Clark
Hill.
Hill also told the council
that people using the boxes
think they’re donating their
goods to a nonprofit entity,
when actually, the items go to
for-profit thrift stores.
“They were popping up
everywhere,” he recalled.
“They’re not really for
nonprofits,” Wascher agreed.
Among the businesses in
Commerce that will accept
used items are the Atlanta
Union Mission, Christian
Outreach, the Habitat for
Humanity ReStore and the
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift
Store.
Probelm at
Restore too
The Habitat for
Humanity Restore isn’t
immune to the prob
lem either. Nightime
“deposits” are often
made in or around the
ReStore’s collection
bin. Under the pro
posed ordinance, the
Restore would have to
remove its collection
box. The proposed
ordinance is expect
ed to be on the city
council’s agenda on
Monday, July 18.
Memoir writing workshop planned
at historic Jackson County courthouse
A workshop on memoir
writing will be held at the
Jackson County Historic
Courthouse on Tuesday,
July 19. A tour of the court
house will be offered at 6:30
p.m. and the memoir writ
ing workshop will be held
from 7 to 9 p.m.
The workshop is $20,
which will go toward the
Jackson County Historic
Courthouse Restoration
Fund. Cash, checks and
credit cards will be accept
ed.
Kathryn Gray-White, his
torian professor and free
lance writer, and Linda
Hughes, writer and pro
fessor, will lead the work
shop. Myra Lewis Williams,
author of “Great Balls of
Fire” and “The Spark that
Survived,” will also attend.
Williams was the 13-year-
old, second cousin, child
bride of Jerry Lee Lewis.
Hughes, Gray-White and
Williams will sign their
books following the pro
gram. Three books will be
for sale, for $15 each, and
the memoir coloring jour
nal for $3. The books are
“What we talk about when
we’re over 60” (anthology
of short stories), “Becom
ing Jessie Belle” and “The
Spark that Survived.”
Seating is limited and
pre-registration is request
ed. Register by calling 706-
387-7685.
The historic courthouse
is located at 85 Washington
Street, Jefferson.
PLEASE
RECYCLE THIS
NEWSPAPER
Braselton announces
lineup for centennial
event planned Aug. 20
Braselton turns 100 this year and the town will celebrate
with an event set Saturday, Aug. 20, from 2 to 10 p.m.on the
new Town Green, next to the historic Braselton Brother’s
Department Store building.
The dress is casual (shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops). Sun
glasses and sunscreen are recommended.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and
blankets.
The lineup for the day includes:
• 2 p.m. - Event begins. There will be a variety of food
trucks, live music and other activities. There will be chil
dren’s activities, corn hole and other games, contests, a
birthday “cake,” photo opportunities and more.
• 2-4 p.m. - Creston Maxey performs.
• 4-5 p.m. - Celebrate the new “Green” ceremony. There
will also be birthday treats, a group picture and a toast for
the Town of Braselton.
• 5-9 p.m. - The Fly Betty Band performs.
• 9 p.m. - fireworks display begins.
Other Features
There will also be giveaways.
Pets are welcome. A pet area with water pools, shade
and waste stations will be set up next to Braselton Gallery
on Frances Street.
Downtown businesses will be open, many of which are
pet friendly.
For more information and updates, see the “Braselton
100th Birthday Blast!” Facebook page.
Pendergrass changes
council meeting times
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Pendergrass City Council will now hold council
meetings in the mornings as opposed to evenings.
At its June 28 meeting, the council approved changing the
time for the council meetings to 9 a.m. on the last Tuesday
of each month.
The change will take effect with the July 26 meeting.
In other business, the council:
•received notice from city administrator Rob Russell
that the fee to refinance the old city hall/library building
would be around $8,000. Russell said the bank handling
the refinancing has one lawyer approved to handle the pro
ceedings and his fee would be $8,000 for a $125,000 loan.
Russell told the council that some of the recently approved
special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) revenue
was designated to pay off capital expenses - old city hall/
library building.
• received notice from Russell that the entrance to the
new City Hall building is being re-done to take care of a
drainage issue.
Free mulch available
to Commerce residents
The Commerce Public Works Department has an abun
dance of free mulch available for city residents.
The mulch is made from yard wastes — leaves, limbs,
cuttings — ground up at the former city dump at the end of
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. It is offered free to residents
who come pick it up, and a Public Works employee will load
the tmck or trailer.
The city will also deliver larger amounts, for $50, inside
the city limits.
Residents can pick up mulch between 1:00 and 2 p.m.
every Wednesday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on alternate
Saturdays. Call 706-335-3164 to confirm Saturday dates and
to make appointments to pick up the mulch.
The next available date is Saturday, July 23.
Rotary collects care
boxes to send to soldiers
Deadline to donate is Monday, July 25
The Rotary Club of Braselton is supporting the 2-87 Battal
ion in Afghanistan by putting together care boxes to go to 45
soldiers of the United States Army.
These soldiers are in one of the most challenging areas
and are located in a much smaller base with very few con
veniences, according to Rotary organizers.
They are in need of towels, air fresheners, small personal
fans, batteries, candy, hand held mirrors and more items.
Those interested can contact Leigh Carroll at 770-778-
9788 or email lcarroll@jacksoncountyga.com.
Those that don’t have time to shop for the items can also
make a cash donation. The deadline is Monday July 25.
Those wanting to participate can also submit cards, letters
and artwork.
AA meets 4 times weekly
The Breezy Knob chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous
meets four times a week at 69 Central Avenue (across from
First Commerce Bank) in Commerce.
Meeting times are: Sunday, 7 p.m., open discussion;
Tuesday 8 p.m., open discussion; Thursday 8 p.m., open
discussion; and Saturday, 8 p.m., open discussion and open
literature