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About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2016)
Vol. 140 No. 30 26 Pages 2 Sections rpl WED j[ SEPTEMI Commerce News Wednesday SEPTEMBER 14,2016 www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Kelly Moates Moates is new CEO of Habitat The Jackson County affili ate of Habitat For Humanity has announced the hiring of Kelly, Moates as its new exec utive director. A resident of Braselton and a graduate of Jackson County Comprehensive High School, Moates has a bache lor of arts degree in nonprofit leadership (and a minor in entrepreneurship). He served one year with ACTION, Inc., Athens. Habitat “seeks to put God’s love into action. Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build houses, communities and hope,” according to its mission state ment. The group seeks volun teers to serve on committees dealing with family selection, construction, the Restore, fund development, public relations, faith relations and family support. “Please take some time to consider being a part of a committee and helping us to make a greater impact on Jackson County,” Moates said. He can be reached at 706- 336-0061 or at director@jack- soncountyhabitat.org. Contact Us •News: news@mainstreet- news.com, call 706-621-7238 Online B Follow us on Facebook by liking The Commerce News www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com INDEX Church News 6B Classified Ads 8-9B Crime News 6-8A Obituaries 7 B Opinion 4A School 9-1OA Sports 1-5B Social News...9-11A MAILING LABEL BELOW Maysville opens its new park — Page 5A Tigers have week off after 42-7 victory — Page IB Alcohol downtown Commerce council to make beer, wine more accessible in city events downtown The Commerce City Council stands ready to amend its alcohol ordinance to expand the ability of local restaurants to offer beer and wine by the drink during city-spon sored events. The council will vote on the agen da Monday night, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. in the Commerce Room of the Com merce Civic Center. “We want to open the business for our restaurants instead of hav ing a single beer garden in Spen cer Park,” explained city manager James Wascher at the mayor and council’s “work session” on Sept. 6. “They (imbibers) would go into our restaurants and get a special event cup, which they could carry through the zone.” The ordinance provides five potential zones in which people could carry plastic or paper cups (provided especially for the event) without mnning afoul of the law. The zones would be authorized on a per- event basis, depending on the size and location of the event. For example, during the upcom ing Cruisin’ Commerce on Oct. 1, people buying beer or wine for the occasion in any of the city’s down town restaurants would be able to carry the beverage — in the special ly marked cups — throughout the event. There are no provisions for liquor or mixed drinks. Under the ordinance, patrons of the Concerts on Cherry events would be able to buy beer or wine at the Commerce Sports Bar and Grill or El Parian Mexican Bar and Grill and consume them in the parking lot where the concerts take place. The ordinance calls for the zones See “Council” on Page 3A Remembering radio days Bill Anderson and former WJJC general manager, Grady Cooper, 93, shared memories of their days at the radio station when Anderson was in town last week promoting his new autobiography. Cooper hired Anderson, then a 19-year-old student at the University of Georgia, to serve as a disk jockey. See Page 3A City school board cuts ' 16 tax rate Commerce residents can expect their school tax bills to be slightly lower this year. The Commerce Board of Education set its 2016 tax rate Mon day night at 19.139 mills for maintenance and operations and three mills for school bonds. That compares to 19.845 mills for M/0 last year and three mills for bonds. The board did not discuss the bond rates, having covered the issue in previous meetings and held public hearings. Monday night’s meeting took just seven minutes. In other business, the board: • approved an update of its policy on complaints and griev ances that superintendent Joy Tolbert termed “just a revision from an earlier policy that we have.” • approved a fundraiser for Commerce Elementary School, selling wrapping paper, kitchen items and popcorn, with pro ceeds going to pay for tables in the cafeteria • approved a fundraiser for the Commerce High School bas ketball program — a 5K race on Dec. 3 — with proceeds going for training equipment, supplies and a video program •learned that after receiving a $117,114 disbursement from the education local option sales tax, its ELOST balance is $498,999 Personnel Moves The board also made the following personnel moves: • New hires: Dawn Gary, part-time assistant principal at CES; Tara Simonton, a 49-percent fourth-grade teacher; Nancy Wag ner, CES cafeteria staff; Shelita Summerour, a special educa tion paraprofessional at the Rutland Academy; Alicia Varga, a kindergarten paraprofessional at Commerce Primary School; Tim Nunn, bus driver for field trips; Bobbie Jo Hanshaw, sub- Photo by Angela Gary See “BOE” on Page 3A 26th annual Art in the Park festival coming up this weekend The Tumbling Waters Society will present its 26th annual Art in the Park festival Saturday and Sunday at Hurricane Shoals Park, featuring arts and crafts, entertainment and food. Proceeds for the event are used for park improvements. Saturday The festival will kick off Saturday with a 5K Mill Race at 8 a.m. Late registration/check-in will be held from 7 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. in Pavilion 4. The Maysville entrance will be closed to traffic for the race. The race awards will be presented in the amphitheater at 9 a.m. The festival will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with arts and crafts, including paint ings, pottery jewelry, wooden carvings, bowls, signs and painted glass. Food booths will be open offering a variety of dishes. Barbecue will be sold at the concession stand. In the Kids’ Zone, located on the Maysville side, inflatables, face painting, ponies and puppet shows will be offered. The Tumbling Waters Society table, located on the Maysville side, will feature the sale of tickets for the Duck Dash, along with corn meal and T-shirts. The historic gristmill will be in operation and corn meal will be offered for sale. Cornbread, beans and cobbler will be sold in the Pethel Cabin. Miniature golf will be offered at the “Spirit of the River” golf course at $3 for adults and $2 for children. In the Heritage Village, a living history presenta tion of an 1800s village will take place. Handmade items from the 1800s will be offered for sale. There will also be tours of buildings in the Historic Village, a blacksmith demonstration, folk art and historic craft demonstrations, a produce and plant stand, hit-or-miss engines and a jail wagon. Civil War Union and Confederate camps will be in the village presenting drills, discussing history cook ing and haversack displays. Military and civilian wares will be offered for sale from sutlers and period apothecary. The Chuck Wagon Gang will See “Festival” on Page 3A
