Entries by Mark Beardsley

OPINION: For all the challenges, the city will pass a budget

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in Opinions

Sunday, February 12. 2012

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By Mark Beardsley

The development of the 2012-13 Commerce budget will be an interesting process.

With revenues down due to the recession (particularly the closing of its biggest gas customer, Louisiana Pacific), Commerce has utilized its reserve funds to balance the last several budgets. Those funds are now dangerously low.

Additionally, there are city councilmen who want to see major expansions in recreation — including the immediate development of the city’s new parkland to provide extra ball fields.
[Full Story »]

Meeting set to organize Commerce farmers' market

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Mark Beardsley

in Area Headline News

Saturday, February 11. 2012

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The Commerce Downtown Development Authority will host an informational meeting Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. for people interested in participating in the 2012 Commerce Farmers’ Market. It will be held at the Commerce Business Development Center, 12 Pine Street, across Pine Street from Spencer Park.

The purpose of the meeting is to organize the market for the year.

“We’re hoping to move it into Spencer Park,” said Denise McKay, executive director of the DDA.

Since its inception, the market has been held in the public parking area along the railroad tracks across South Elm Street from Spencer Park.

Busy agenda for city council Monday night

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Mark Beardsley

in Top Stories

Saturday, February 11. 2012

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With a lot on its plate for 2012, the Commerce City Council faces a long agenda for Monday night’s meeting at 6:30 in the Commerce Civic Center.

The council will hire an interim city manager (see separate story), resolve its debate over whether re-roofing a house should require a city permit, consider amending its distilled spirits pouring license to cut the rate by more than half (just in the central business district), make plans to provide for an interpreter and public defender for municipal court, and could approve a final resolution to the greenspace controversy at Oconee Pointe Subdivision.

[Full Story »]

Commerce Council to hire interim manager

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Mark Beardsley

in Top Stories

Thursday, February 9. 2012

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The Commerce City Council is starting the process of replacing soon-to-retire city manager Clarence Bryant.

The council is expected to vote next Monday night to hire Tom Berry, a veteran city manager, to both be the interim city manager and to serve as the city’s headhunter in replacing Bryant.

[Full Story »]

Hearing set Thursday night on zoning 'overlay district'

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Mark Beardsley

in Top Stories

Wednesday, February 8. 2012

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The Jackson County and Commerce planning commissions will hold a public hearing Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Commerce Civic Center to show off a proposed “overlay” zoning district to cover the entrances into town.

The proposal would make development standards identical for parcels that are in Jackson County and in Commerce in those areas, where some tracts are in the city limits and others are not.

The district would cover Hwy. 98 east and west, U.S. 441 north and south, Homer Road and Hwy. 326.

OPINONS: Make cuts except where it bothers us

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Mark Beardsley

in Opinions

Wednesday, February 8. 2012

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The Associated Press carried a story Monday that, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ran under the headline: “Defense cuts test lawmakers’ resolve on deficits.” The gist of the story was that while members of Congress claim to want to reduce spending, when the cuts affect their districts, the support vanishes.

It’s an all-too-familiar scenario among legislative bodies: everybody wants to accomplish something, but no one wants to be inconvenienced to make it happen. Yet there is little good that can be accomplished without some expense or sacrifice. [Full Story »]

OPINION: Guilt and pleasure

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Mark Beardsley

in Opinions

Sunday, February 5. 2012

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By Susan Harper

My latest guilty pleasure — the most recent in a long line of them, I fear — is the delicious Edwardian soap-opera called “Downton Abbey” now running on GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) on Sunday nights.

In the way that a good toll-house cookie is liberally studded with chocolate chips, “Downton Abbey” is replete with longing lovers, secret scandals, tinkling crystal chandeliers, aristocrats in evening dress, servants in livery, soldiers of both classes in the uniforms of World War I, satisfyingly slimy villains, and a doughty old dowager countess with a whim of steel and the saving grace of a sly wink. [Full Story »]

City Lights Festival out; July 4th fireworks on

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Mark Beardsley

in Top Stories

Friday, February 3. 2012

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The Commerce Downtown Development Authority is going to do something new this summer.

It will hold its Independence Day fireworks display on — Independence Day.

For the last 15 years at least, the city fireworks show was part of the City Lights Festival held at least a week before July 4. Last year it was on June 25. [Full Story »]

2 charged in theft of power shopping cart

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Mark Beardsley

in Public Safety

Friday, February 3. 2012

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A man and a juvenile boy face theft by taking charges after they allegedly loaded an electric grocery shopping cart into their truck and drove away.

The mistake they made, according to the Commerce Police Department, was stealing it from a store across the street from where they lived. [Full Story »]

OPINION: Make my next beer a Coors Light

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Mark Beardsley

in Opinions

Friday, February 3. 2012

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By Mark Beardsley

Hoping for enlightenment, I dropped in on the “Green Life Expo” Saturday morning at The Classic Center — an event heavily dedicated to recycling.

Parked at the end of the hall was a Coca Cola truck. Surely, I thought, Coke is here to announce to the world that it’s phasing out 16-ounce plastic containers for all Coke products, thereby making a statement about a commitment to the environment. [Full Story »]

Entries by Mark Beardsley

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