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WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2023
• Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 57 No. 26
Annual Memorial Day program held in Homer
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
Col. A1 Fracker, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq,
spoke on the meaning of Memorial Day at the annual pro
gram held in Homer Monday morning.
The American Legion Post 215 sponsors the annual pro
gram to honor and remember those who gave the ultimate
sacrifice.
“Memorial Day is a reminder that not all veterans return
home from the battlefield,” said Col. Fracker, who led the
Banks County High School JROTC program. “Memorial
Day is a stark reminder there is a cost for freedom. Unlike
Veterans Day, which is a time to honor all who serve, Me
morial Day is time to pay tribute to those very servicemen
that did not come back alive.”
The annual program included the placing of a patriot
ic wreath at the eternal flame in Veterans Park in Homer.
Betty Brookshire and Judy Wendt placed the wreath at the
eternal flame.
A wreath was also placed at the crosses on the historic
courthouse lawn at the cross that recognizes unknown sol
diers.
Others on the program were members of the American
Legion, who presented the colors; Sarah Harris and Heath
er Parson, who sang; and Fred Wendt, who prayed.
Tim Harper was master of ceremonies. Prior to the cer
emony, poppies were given out to those in the audience.
Photos by Angela Gary
Betty Brookshire and Judy Wendt placed a wreath on the eternal flame at Veterans
Park in Homer at the annual Memorial Day program sponsored by American Le
gion Post 215. See more photos on Page 3A,
Col. A1 Fracker, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, spoke on the meaning of Me-
World War II veteran Henry David Banks was at the -it-* , .... , ,, . T1
, J . monal Day at the annual program held in Homer Monday morning,
annual Memorial Day program in Homer.
BOC denies conditional use request for hotel
Alto’s 17 th
annual Spring
Fling planned
Alto's 17th annual Spring
Fling will be held from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Satur
day, June 3.
The parade will start at
10 a.m.
The event will include
live entertainment with
Steve Bryson, antique trac
tors, float contest, car show,
food and craft vendors and
children’s activities.
To sign up to be a vendor
or parade participant, con
tact Alto City Hall at 706-
778-8035 or email altocity-
hall @ windstream.net.
Baldwin
Water Wars
set June 10
The City of Baldwin
will hold Water Wars from
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on
June 10 at Mitchell Gailey
Park.
“Bring your water guns
and a towel to beat the
heat with city staff and our
neighbors,” organizers state.
Refill stations will be
posted around the park.
This is a free event that is
being planned by the City of
Baldwin.
Jobless
rate down
slightly in
county
The unemployment rate
for the Georgia Moun
tains Regional Commis
sion, which includes Banks
County, was down sev
en-tenths to 2.2 percent over
the month.
The rate was 2.1 percent
one year ago.
The labor force was down
2,197 over the month and
up 2,508 over the year, to
243,606.
The number of employed
was down 533 over the
month and up 2,139 over
the year, to 238,260.
Initial claims were up 47
(8 percent) over the month,
and up 253 (66 percent)
over the year, to 637.
MAILING LABEL
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
The question on wheth
er a new Hilton property at
Banks Crossing would be
an “extended stay” proper
ty was debated among the
board of commissioners at
its May meeting.
Adam Patel with Legacy
Hotels Commerce requested
a conditional use permit for
1.5 acres located at 30933
Hwy. 441 (beside of Pritch
ett Tire) at Banks Crossing.
Plans are to locate an 83-
room Home 2 Suites by Hil
ton with a projected revenue
of $3 million annually.
After a lengthy discus
sion, the request was unan
imously denied by the com
missioners.
Stuart McMann presented
the request, saying it would
be an “all-suite hotel.”. He
said the project would bring
in an additional $250,000
in annual tax revenue. Late
2024 or early 2025 is the ex
pected completion date.
Commissioner Chris Aus-
burn questioned whether
this brand of hotel is adver
tised as an “extended stay
hotel.”
“As a brand it does,” he
said. “We don't plan on ad
vertising it as an extended
stay hotel.”
Commissioner Bo Gar
rison asked, “How can you
separate yourself from Hil
ton advertising you as an ex
tended stay on their national
website?”
Stuart replied, “We can’t
but to the community and
businesses we are going to
be seeking here, we will not
advertise as extended stay...
Our target market is one to
five days... Our rates are
designed nightly rental. We
don't have a weekly rate.”
Kristin Mayernick also
spoke on behalf of the proj
ect.
“It will not be an extended
stay product,” she said. “We
will not promote it locally. I
am giving you my word as
a business partner with you.
We will run it the same way
we run our other hotels.”
Patel also spoke in fa
vor of the request, stating.
“We are willing to work
with you. Hilton is a very
sought-after brand. It is an
honor to get a license for
a Hilton and we have that.
If you want to give us sev
en-day checkout, we will do
a seven-day checkout... You
have my commitment. That
is all I can do.”
Citizen Larissa Campbell
spoke against the project,
stating, “I think this is a
bad idea. They don’t have
enough land. It is an extend
ed stay hotel. This is not
something we want here.”
PLANNING
In other planning busi
ness, the BOC:
•approved a request from
Scott and Robin Thomas
for a conditional use permit
to operate a quarterly auc
tion on two lots, at 30220
and 30244 Hwy. 441 for
commercial vehicles and
equipment. Mrs. Thomas
presented the request and
said two sales have already
been held, with temporary
permits issued. She said 100
or fewer people attended the
sales and future sales would
be the same. Sales are held
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (at
the latest, with most ending
around 3 p.m.).
•postponed a request,
until the June 13 meeting,
from John Phillips for a
conditional use permit for
63.91 acres at Ervin Cham
bers Road to locate six to
eight poultry farms, with a
reduced setback. The re
quired setback is 800 feet
and Phillips has just under
that amount. The request
was postponed in order for
the applicant to be present
to address questions and to
present a copy of the letter
of intent from the poultry
firm. A representative of the
applicant was at the meet
ing.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
BOC:
•approved new water me
ter connection fees as pre
sented by public utilities
director Horace Gee. Gee
said the majority of the con
nections are three-quarter
inch lines. The change is
for this to go from $1,675 to
$1,975. In the commercial
range, the fee was increased
from $2,525 to 2,825. The
average increase for other
rates is $300 to $400. The
new rates would go into ef
fect July 1.
•approved a request from
Gee to proceed with a
“non-contested” condem
nation for a sewer easement
for property on Bennett
Road from Commerce Solar
Property through a Southern
Conservation Trust.
•approved the annual con
tracts, serving the private
sector and public sector in
the county, with the Georgia
Mountains Regional Com
mission.
•approved the annual pub
lic transit contract for public
transit offered by the county
senior citizen’s center.
•approved the fire code
plan and inspection services
agreement as presented by
fire chief/911 director Steve
Nichols.
Mobile library to make stops in county on Fridays
A mobile book mobile will make stops at several loca
tions in Banks County in June and July.
“Purl,” the pop up rolling library, will be at the following
locations on Fridays during both months:
•4 Way Stop in Homer, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
•Baldwin's Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to noon.
•Alto Police Department, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
•Lula Academy parking lot, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Visit Purl to check out books, pick up summer reading
“take and make craft” kits, register for prizes and pick up a
weekend food bag for kids age 18 and under (sponsored by
the Northeast Georgia Food Bank).
The Piedmont Public Library System’s pop-up rolling library, PuRL, will be making
stops in Banks County this summer.
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