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PAGE 20, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, THE ISLANDER We were so close By Pamela P. Shierlling Last Thursday evening Glynn Comity Commissioners had the oppor tunity to take a positive step forward in humane animal treatment. The County removed from the agen da Dr. Bill Disque's proposal for a low cost spay/neuter program. The vote on this program was deferred until the next meeting so there is still hope. The proposal was deferred because local veterinarians are opposed to a low cost spay neuter program operated by the county. I agree that the county should not be in competition with pri vate business. However, the county is in the busi ness of picking up, warehousing and killing animals. Glynn County eutha nizes 67% of the animals, cats and dogs, that come through its doors. In hard numbers we kill about 2,400 ani mals per year in Glynn and most of them are healthy animals. Low cost spay/neuter programs do address one of the causes of animal overpopulation. All we are doing right now in Glynn County is trying to deal with the symptoms of animal over population. And it isn't working. The number of stray, unwanted animals grows each year. And the number of animals put to death each year contin ues to grow. I do not want the competition of a low cost spay/neuter program to harm our local veterinarians' business in any way. But I would like to see the killing slow down. So what is the answer? A possibility is a user license fee. If a pet owner wants to keep his/her animal intact, then he/she pays a fee to the county. This was discussed by the Glynn County Animal Services Advi sory board several years ago but the Pamela Permar Shierling Editor idea did not make it to the full County Commission. I trust that Commission members will meet with the veterinarians and come up with a solution that fits every one's needs including the animals' needs. “I Jekyll Island earns national recognition for wildfire preparedness Because of its efforts to reduce the vulnerability of homes and landscapes to wildfire, Jekyll Island has earned Firewise Communities/USA recogni tion from the National Firewise Com munities Program. The public is invited to attend the recognition ceremony to be held Thurs day, October 8 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.mm at the Jekyll Island Fire/EMS Department on Stable Road. Firewise Communities/USA as represented by Slauson will present a plaque commending Jekyll Island to Jones Hooks, Jekyll Island Execu tive Director. In addition, a community road sign will be presented to Jason Richardson, Jekyll Island Public Safety Director. After the ceremony the public is invited to share in barbecue provided by the Jekyll Island Fire/EMS Depart ment. The United Way will be selling baked goods. Jekyll Island is the only community in Glynn County to be recognized as a Firewise Communities/USA, joining many other communities nationwide that have been recognized since the program's inception in 2002. To receive Firewise Communities/ USA recognition Jekyll Island met a rigorous set of requirements over the past three years. "Achieving Firewise recognition is not a quick or easy process. Jekyll Island has done an outstanding job of creating a local Firewise Task Force t Yates-Astro w,Termite & Pest Control v 265-1577 eiivermg Knock Out Punches Since 1928! SAVE $100 Off Termite Treatment Present this coupon for a $100 discount on a Yates-Astro termite treatment. If your home is not presently covered under an annual termite warranty, it should be! Present this coupon after your free estimateforyour$100savings! OSentricon Expires 10/31/09 SAVE $50 Off Pest Control Present this coupon for a $50 discount on a Yates-Astro monthly pest control program. This savings is available for your choice of monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annual treatment plans! New residential customers only. Call for special commercial savings. Expires 10/31/09 EDITORIAL Monkey Wrench Continued from Page 6 Rd., Phillips said the engineering has not been done yet because Beaufait was waiting to see if the rezoning was approved first. Phillips said once the engineering was done they would know if the bicy cle shop would need to be a "right turn in, right turn out only" driveway. Commissioner Howard Lynn (Dist. 4) said he did not see where traffic problems from the past had been recti fied. "There's a bank right across the street from this location where there's already a traffic problem," said Lynn, "Shouldn't this be rectified first?" Philllips explained that the bank that originally wanted to go on this lot had three drive through windows that would have generated a lot of traffic. "The bike shop will have much less," and implementing Firewise principles," said Jim Smalley, manager of the Firewise Communities program. "By preparing homes, structures and land scapes before a wildfire occurs, Jekyll Island has dramatically increased the chance that homes and structures will be protected when a wildfire occurs." Working through the National Asso ciation of State Foresters (NASF), state forestry agencies support the Firewise said Phillips, "Traffic flow, a function of design, will be dealt with when the access lanes are designed." Lynn replied, "But that's a county responsibility. We should have a rec ommendation from our traffic engi neer." Phillips said the everything was in compliance with county ordinances and that the traffic department had signed off on the rezoning as compliant. "Shouldn't a traffic study be done first?" asked Lynn. Phillips said, "In my opinion the analysis that has been done is enough to show that this rezoning and land use will work in this location. Some other changes may be necessary, but those have not been engineered yet." After the discussion, Island Com missioner Tom Sublett (Dist. 2) made the motion to approve the rezoning, which passed unanimously. “I Communities/USA recognition effort. Mark McClellan, Chief Ranger/Forest er, Glynn Comity Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission was instrumen tal in helping Jekyll Island achieve Firewise recognition. The program is a nationwide initia tive that recognizes communities for taking action to protect people and properties from the risk of fire in the wildland/urban interface. “I H elping good people through tough times. 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