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Vol. 140 No. 32 28 Pages 2 Sections rpl WEDi I septemb: Commerce News Wednesday SEPTEMBER 28,2016 www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Jobless rate falls to 4.1% Rezoning for annexation gets thumbs up from planners Figures released last week by the Georgia Department of Labor indicate that Jackson County’s jobless rate fell a tenth of a percent between July and August and is now the fourth-lowest in the state. DOL put Jackson County’s August unemployment rate at 4.1 percent, down from 4.2 percent in July. Georgia’s jobless rate for August slipped twotenths of a percent to 5.2 percent, while the jobless rate for Northeast Georgia fell to five percent, also down two-tenths of a percent. “The rate fell as employ ers laid off fewer workers,” declared a DOL news release regarding the Northeast Geor gia numbers. “The number of initial claims for unemploy ment (benefits) declined by 134, or 8.2 percent, to 1,502 in August. Most of the decrease came in manufacturing. Over the year, claims were up by 165 or 12.3 percent, from 1,387, in August 2015.” But there was another rea son the jobless rate slipped — the labor force, defined as those employed and those unemployed but looking for work—declined by 1,620 peo ple in August. The number of employed residents was also down by 1,020 workers, while the number of unemployed residents fell by 600. Three counties in the state — Oconee, Cherokee and Forsyth — each had unem ployment rates of 4.1 percent in August, the lowest rate in Georgia. Other area counties and their jobless rates for August include: See “Jobless” on 3A 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 7B Classified Ads 8-9B Crime News 6-8A Obituaries 15A9-11A Opinion 4A School 9-11A Sports 1-5B Social News. 12-14A MAILING LABEL BELOW If the Commerce Planning Commission gets its way the Commerce City Council will vote on Oct. 17 to rezone a 43.3-acre subdivision on White Hill School Road and to annex it. The planning commission, which makes rec ommendations on zoning and land use to the city council, voted unanimously Monday night to rec ommend that the city council grant JP Squared, LLC’s rezoning for annexation request. The property includes 42 three-quarter-acre lots. In Jackson County, the property is zoned R-l; the proposal is to zone it R-2 in the city. That would require houses to be a minimum of 1,600 square feet, said planning director David Zellner. “They will adhere to our architectural stan dards,” Zellner told the planning commission. “They just know that it’s easier to deal with us.” He added that the plan is to build one-sto ry, 1,600-square-foot single-family houses and 1,800-square-foot two-story houses. “They plan to start building immediately,” he said. “They’re ready to hit the ground mnning. See “Rezoning” on Page 3A Miss and Mr. CHS Anna Hardy and Dalton Flint were elected Miss and Mr. Commerce High School and were announced recently in a school-wide assembly. They were chosen by staff at CHS and recognized at the downtown pep rally on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Photo by Brit Jones Autumn Leaf Festival is Friday-Sunday Maysville’s 49th annual Autumn Leaf Festival will be held Friday, Sept. 30, through Sunday, Oct. 2. The event, the oldest local festival, will include a parade, street dance, arts and crafts booths and food concessions. The schedule of events includes the following: Friday, Sept 30 • 9 a.m. Festival opens • 4:30 p.m. Cake walk • 6:30 p.m. Sean Van Meter • 7 p.m. Ethan Crump • 8 p.m. Street dance featuring Southern Impactt Saturday, Oct 1 • 9 a.m. Festival opens • 10 a.m. Parade • 11 a.m. Opening ceremonies with National Anthem by Lindsey Davis •11:30 a.m. Commerce School of Dance • noon Sean Van Meter • 1 p.m. Raychel • 2 p.m. The Thinks on Its • 3 p.m. Mark Garrison • 4 p.m. Starr Phepps • 4:30 p.m. Cake walk • 6 p.m. Eli Carlan Band • 8:30 p.m. Hooch Holler Sunday, Oct 2 • 12 p.m. Festival opens • 1 p.m. Starr Phepps • 1:30 p.m. Sean Van Meter • 2 p.m. The Dodd Brothers • 3:45 p.m. Announcements • 4 p.m. Lucky White • 4:30 p.m. Closing announcements Cruisin’ Commerce Downtown to be full of classic vehicles Saturday night Cruisin’ Commerce will fill the downtown with classic cars, car enthusiasts and a few Pokemon GO devotees Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. Held in conjunction with the Northeast Georgia Swap Meet at the Atlanta Dragway and sponsored by the Commerce Down town Development Authority the event will feature vintage vehicles and live music in Spencer Park. There will also be three PokeStops in the area of the park. Lures begin at 6 p.m. and will continue to 10. The North Georgia Pokemon Go Group and Dragonstone Beadworks will be set up in Spencer Park and will host a raffle of Pokemon and gaming items. Classic vehicles, a few of them original, some fully restored, some in the process of being restored and still others in great need of restoration, will be parked throughout the downtown (along Elm and Broad Streets, in the parking lot across from Spencer Park and in the new Cherry Street parking lot), hoods up and available for inspection by attendees. “We’re expecting over 100 vehicles,” said Natalie Thomas, executive director of the downtown development authority. There will be no beer garden this year, but Cruisin’ Commerce attendees can buy beer and wine from El Pari an Mexican Restaurant and Commerce Sports Bar and Grill, and under the city’s recently-amended ordinance, they will be able to take those beverages out of the restaurants. The city will have a marked “event zone,” and the restaurants will sell beer and wine in specially-marked cups, which can be carried throughout the zone. There will also be food and beverage vendors in the park. The Retro Rockits will provide live music from a stage on Little Street. Car buffs will get to vote for the “People’s Choice” award by dropping a ballot into a box in Spencer Park. The owner of the winning vehicle will receive a trophy. Pine, Oak, Little and Sycamore streets will be closed for the event. Is homelessness an issue for city? Planning commissioner Andre Rollins cites examples of homelessness Does Commerce have a homeless problem? At least one member of the Commerce Planning Commission says it does. Andre Rollins told the planning commission Mon day night that he’s aware of a number of homeless people, including one man who lives underneath a mobile home, where he was recently discovered by city code enforcement offi cer Billy Vandiver. “I’ve never heard any body discuss homelessness here in Commerce,” Rollins said. He also told the planning commission that in the past week he’s run into two homeless women who live in their vehicles, one with an infant, who applied to rent a house he owns. He said other men are essen tially homeless, though peo ple will take them in for the night. “We actually have a homeless problem,” Rollins declared. “It’s really come to light, people living in their cars. They have jobs. ...I guess we never thought about it. Imagine working 28 hours a week, trying to find a place to stay, pay utilities and you’ve got a kid.” As for the man living under the mobile home, Rollins said he’s been there for years. “He’s living off the grid,” he said. “Everybody in the neighborhood knows he’s there. He’s a good guy. ...He works on cars, does day labor. That’s my handy man. Everybody in the neighborhood uses him.” Rollins said the man has a mattress, uses a bicycle for transportation and has access to the bathroom in the mobile home. Rollins said the man’s “home” is known locally as “down under,” and that the man is content with his sit uation. Prior to living under the trailer, the man lived in a “real small” storage build ing, Rollins said, which he’d equipped with a barrel that served as a heater. Rollins said he could name four other men who are “functionally home less,” two of whom are vet erans. “There is an underground homeless population in See “Homeless” on 3A