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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 2, 2009 — PAGE 5A Beardsley... continued from page 4A United States) to rally Iranian masses to his side, but we are similarly summoned by the call to “protect our freedom” by invading a third-world country whose leader we despise and whose oil we covet. We can be patriotic and be misguided, which is understandable in these confusing times. Sometimes we can learn from the most improb able sources, like the thousands who protested a rigged election in Iran. Those people also love their country, but they stood up for the principle of free elections to a corrupt power structure. We are not alone in loving freedom, but we've enjoyed so much for so long we forget what it’s like to not have it. We’re luckily spoiled. We haven’t had to defend our freedom since the Cold War ended. The big gest threat to our American freedom comes not from abroad, but from those within who would trade away the very rights for which our forefa thers fought in exchange for a false sense of secu rity or to vindicate their political passions. The signers of the Declaration of Independence stood for bigger things. Because they put their families and lives at risk and prevailed, America stands today as the most powerful nation in the world. It is appropriate to note that we’re today where Great Britain was in 1776. Times do change. Mark Beardsley’ is the editor of The Commerce News, a publication ofMainStreet Newspapers. Fourth of July ... continued from page 1A tained Colbert in 1971 by riding a bicycle backwards, his signature trick. That bike currently rests in Colbert’s museum. Sen. Sam Nunn, Sen. Herman Talmadge, Gov. Joe Frank Harris and Gov. Roy Barnes (whose wife used to teach in Colbert) are other past high-profile guests. “We've had several well- known politicians,” Waggoner said. Many local politicians have used the parade to bolster their own campaigns. Waggoner said it’s easy to tell when it’s an election year by the politi cal fliers strewn throughout town. “In an election year, you have more trash to pick up off the ground,” he said. Glad-handing from politi cians aside, the Colbert parade remains basic at its core: kids and community. “It’s for the kids, really,” Waggoner said. "And it’s an opportunity to showcase some of the things going on in the county.” Though the parade is well- established, Waggoner said the future of Colbert’s prin cipal event depends on the younger generation. “We need to get more young folks involved if we’re going to carry on this tradition," Waggoner said. COLBERT CELEBRATION INFORMATION The 40th annual Colbert Independence Day parade begins July 4 at 9 a.m. This year’s procession fea tures antique cars, tractors, marching bands, fire engines and motorcycles. “Real fun for all ages," orga nizers said. Melvin Johnson and Ben Tuggle, long-time contribu tors to the Colbert community, are grand marshals. The mas ters of ceremonies are Tommy Hall and “Crazy Ole’” Roscoe Pucannon. The Colbert barbeque lunch is served after the parade. The Colbert Lions’ Club will offer hot dogs and hamburgers. Other food vendors will be on-site as well. The Eberhardt Home, a long cabin belonging to one of the earliest families in Five Forks (Colbert’s former name), will be on display. The railroad museum (located in the depot) and the city’s red caboose and fire truck will be opened to the public, too. Fourth of July activities include horseshoes, pony rides, little train rides and inflatables for kids. The Madison County Community Band will perform a concert at the post office at 9 a.m. Lydia Joiner and Alan White will perform the national anthem. Bands will take the stage under the old oak trees, emceed by — in his own words — the “disaster of ceremonies,” Roscoe Pucannon. Musical acts include Bill Ashley, Southern Drive Band, The Billy Fowler Band with Homer Chastain and Atlanta country-rock group, the Rock Bottom Band. Tommy Hall and Lydia Joiner will also perform. “Mayor (John) Waggoner would like to thank all the people who contribute in so many ways to make the Colbert parade and celebration a tradi tion for 40 years," organizers said. MUSIC INFORMATION Here’s information on the bands playing the Fourth of July celebration: •The Rock Bottom Band, a group of musicians from Atlanta, has performed renditions of country-rock pop songs for 10 years. Guitarist Danny Smith “is well-known for his unusual style of playing,” according to organizers, while drummer and vocalist Mark Ensley has a reputation for “his way of delivering soulful sounds and the diverse nature of the mate rial he performs so skillfully.” Baseman Jimmy Rogers and singer Robyn Bratcher — both “no less talented in their own right” — round out the lineup. •The Billy Fowler Group has played in the area for many years. Fowler will team-up with long-time keyboardist Homer Chastain, drummer Jason Griffeth and base player Wayne Smith for the Fourth of July show. •The Southern Drive Band comprises popular musicians with a repertoire of new music and old country rock and pop standards with a touch of soul and blues. •Bill Ashley, proficient with many instruments, will be on- hand “with his great touch of blue grass styling that has made him so well know,” organizers said. MCMS fares better on CRCT report By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnes.com Madison County Schools superintendent Mitch McGhee praised improvement system-wide on the CRCT report released earlier this month, but noted much-needed gains at the middle school level. “The middle school was the area that we needed to see the most improvement in, and we did,” McGhee said. Particularly in math. Half of Madison County Middle School eighth graders failed that portion of the CRCT last year, and 40 percent statewide. But 67 percent of this year's MCMS eighth graders meet or exceeded the standard, one of the largest improvements in the area. “We had a lot of room to improve, and we did ... We had very significant gains in Math and we were very happy with that,” McGhee said. Middle schoolers faired well in other areas as well. The state was forced to throw out woeful middle social studies scores throughout Georgia last year. But this year, 71.4 percent of Madison County’s eighth graders met or exceeded the standard. McGhee called that an “incredible report.” The middle school’s gains on the CRCT helped it meet Adequate Yearly Progress marks on the initial report. Only after summer re-takes, did MCMS meet AYP last year. Madison County Middle School’s success comes at a time when McGhee said middle schools in the state are having difficulty meeting AYP. “We think that’s pretty significant for us,” he said. “Because if you look across the state, typically, less schools are making it, not more. So we’re kind of going against the tide there.” As for the rest of the system, McGhee noted improvements in reading and language arts scores in grades K-8. "Across the board, we saw some pretty signifi cant gains there,” McGhee said. IDA makes report to the board of commissioners Madison County Industrial Development and Building Authority executive director Marvin White presented a a status report to the county board of commissioners at their meeting Monday night. The report included: •Water/sewer update: The IDA has re-adver tised the bid for the wastewater treatment plant, along with the drip field for the Hull-Sanford Sewer System. The system will have a beginning capacity of 50,000 gallons per day, with a second 50,000 gallons per day to be added when needed. The IDA received a $500,000 grant award June 24 from the One Georgia Authority for the system. This grant, along with a $1.6 million Georgia Environmental Facilities Association (GEFA) loan, a private developers’ investment of $341,000 and $750,000 in SPLOST funding over a six-year period brings a total investment in sewer services in the county to $3,2 million. •Eleven bids were received on the Harrison community water project and low bidder Griffin Brothers, of Maysville, with a bid of $1,233,128 was selected for this phase of the project. The IDA has $2.3 million approved for the total project with a 70 percent federal subsidy and a 30 percent loan at three percent. Construction is expected to begin in mid-July and must be completed by Dec, 31, 2010. •The IDA is still working with two large busi ness prospects for the county. •Mike Alewine is establishing a new chicken house bedding process center in Comer, which will provide a few jobs for the county and tax revenue from the business. •Columbia Farms plans to open its new feed mill on Hwy. 72 East of Comer by the end of this month. The IDA has installed two wells with approximately 100-120 gallons per minute to sup ply water to this area, with plans to install a water storage tank at this site as soon as possible. The IDA will sell water to the feed mill. Madison County Industrial Park Water System Annual Quality Water Report 2008 jbo I need to take special precautions? Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV / AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/ Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791). The county drinking water is disinfected by chlorine and floruide is added for better dental. Where does my water come from? The county drinking water is supplied by 2 ground water wells in MADICO Industrial Park. Source water assessment and its availability The county water source is protected by a wellhead protection plan and a source water assessment program as provided by the state of Georgia. Why are there contaminants in my drinking water? Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426- 4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity: Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses; organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. How can I get involved? It is controlled by Madison County Industrial Development and Building Authority which is located on Hwy 29S, 101 Courthouse Square, Suitel02. Board meeting every third Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. Water Quality Data Table The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. MCLG or Contaminants MRDLG MCL, TT, or MRDL Your Water Range Low High Sample Date Violation Typical Source Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products (There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.) Chlorine . (as Cl 2) 4 4 1.0 0.5 2.0 2008 No Water additive used to control microbes (ppm) TTHMs [Total 80 16 N/A 2008 No By-product of drinking water disinfection Trihalomethanes] (ppb) Inorganic Contaminants Fluoride 4 (ppm) 4 1.0 0.6 1.5 2008 No Erosion of natural deposits water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Nitrate 10 [measured as Nitrogen] (ppm) 10 1.1 NA 2008 No Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits Microbiological Contaminants Fecal coliform/ 0 0 NA NA 2008 E. coli (positive samples) A violation occurs when a routine sample and a repeat sample, in any given month, are total coliform positive, and jyj _ Human and animal fecal waste one is also fecal coliform or E.coli positive. Total Coliform 0 (positive samples/month) 1 0 NA 2008 No Naturally present in the environnment # Samples Your Sample Exceeding Exceeds Contaminants MCLG AL Water Date AL AL Typical Source Inorganic Contaminants Copper-action level at consumer taps (ppm) 1.3 1.3 0.52 2008 0 No Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits Lead-action level at consumer taps (ppb) 0 15 0 2008 0 No Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits Undetected Contaminants The following contaminants were monitored for, but not detected, in your water. MCLG MCL or or Your Contaminants MRDLG MRDL Water Violation Typical Source Unit Descriptions Term Definition ppm: ppb: positive samples / month positive samples NA ND NR ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/L) positive samples /month: Number of samples taken monthly that were found to be positive, positives samples /yr: The number of positive samples taken that year NA: Not applicable ND: Not detected NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended Important Drinking Water Definitions: Term Definition MCLG MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: Tire level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MCL MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level: Tire highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. TT TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. AL AL: Action Level: Tire concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Variances and Exemptions Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions MRDLG MRDLG: Maximum residual disinfection level goal. Tire level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. MRDL MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. Tire highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MNR MNR: Monitored Not Regulated MPL MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level For more information please contact: Steven Shaw, P. O. Box 189, Danielsville, GA 30633, 706-795-9865.