President’s Comments From Bill Bomar

When I began to compose these comments, it was the first of Spring. However, based on The Carolina Channel Winter Storm Bulletin for Rabun County on my computer screen, winter was still in evidence. This was hard to believe because the Winter season in Rabun County around Lake Burton has been relatively mild with many beautiful weekends. I know that the LBCA members who are permanent residents and those who keep their homes “open” during the Winter will agree that the northeast Georgia mountains are as delightful and fun in the winter as they are at other times during the year. To the LBCA members who “close” their homes during the colder months, WELCOME BACK. We look forward to sharing the lake and the coming months with you and your families.

You will see in the February 28, 2001 financial summary that LBCA is in sound financial shape, but much of our funds have already been committed and are restricted. If you have not mailed your $75 dues for 2001, please send it today to LBCA, P.O. Box 1988, Clayton, GA  30525. The amount of our dues is small in relation to the benefits you receive and the value of your investment in Rabun County.

LBCA has recently been referred to as a “social organization – more concerned with holding events to raise money for the charitable desires of the Association’s Board of Directors than serving the needs of the community”. I strongly disagree with the statement, because it could not be further from the truth. Our actions have always been, and will continue to be directed toward promoting and maintaining the interests and concerns of Lake Burton residents in identifying and resolving mutual problems regarding safety, security, county services, and anything else that affects the welfare of the residents, many of whom are our members. It is true that we have raised over $135,000 in the last four years for the three volunteer fire departments who provide rescue and fire protections to our families and homes, and $116,000 for the Rescue/Fire Boat to be given to Rabun County for the Lake. It is also true that our members, Board of Directors, and Officers work with our County Officials, Georgia Power, and many others for the benefit of the Lake Burton residents and have accomplished much for the residents of the community through cooperation and involvement. I also acknowledge; however, there is still more to be done.

As usual, there is much going on this season, as described elsewhere in this newsletter, in the Calendar of Events in your Membership Directory and on our website at www.lbca.net. Check us out, mark your calendar and plan to participate. Separate notices will be mailed for events such as the June 16 and August 18 member meetings, the July 21 Tour of Homes, the July 28 Bluegrass Party, and the two Golf Tournaments. Also, this year we are sponsoring with GA DNR a Boating Safety Course on June 9 at Wildcat Fire Department. I am sure that Wildcat will proudly showcase its new Pumper Truck during this course, as well as at other times. LBCA will also be receiving the new Rescue/Fire Boat and contributing it to Rabun County this Spring. This boat will initially be housed in Murray Cove at the Georgia Power Company boathouse until a permanent facility can be constructed next Winter when the annual tide goes out. These two new major pieces of equipment will contribute greatly to the safety of the Lake Burton community.

Your Association Officers and Board Members have been busy since the end of last Summer. In recent months, this has been especially true for Lawrence Stockton who has been working with County Officials and Art Benton, who has had meetings, discussions, and emails with various individuals concerned with the Georgia Transmission Company/Habersham Electric Membership Corporation High Voltage Power Lines issue. The March 29, 2001 issue of The Clayton Tribune included an article on Georgia Transmission Corporation’s decision on March 27, 2001 to choose “Corridor D” because the route primarily crosses land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Will we need more electricity in western Rabun County? Yes, we certainly will. There are already generators strategically placed in the area to furnish supplemental electricity at this time. Are there alternatives to a 115KV transmission line? Yes there are, but will they be cost beneficial in building a vital infrastructure necessary in the future to provide dependable electric power in Rabun County?  Are there environmental matters to be considered? You bet there are. This issue is ongoing and I urge you to become informed. Subscribe to The Clayton Tribune. It is an excellent newspaper. Another source of information is an organization known as Citizens for Rabun’s Heritage. Citizens for Rabun’s Heritage describes itself as a coalition of homeowners, small businesses and advocacy groups that is monitoring the power line developments. This group has engaged a qualified consultant who is in the process of finalizing his report.

I am sure you have heard by now that Fred Stewart died on March 8, 2001. Many years ago, Fred started the Lakes Fire and Rescue Department and Mountain Patrol. We owe Fred’s family our deepest sympathy, and greatest thanks for Fred’s life and dedicated work for the Lake Burton community and the safety of our families and homes. Contributions in memory of Fred may be made to the Lakes Fire and Rescue Department.

As previously stated, I will always try to be available to you, by phone, email, or snail mail. However, at times it may take me a while to respond, because I still need to work so I can enjoy this great lake and area. My email address is bbomar@windhambrannon.com. Thanks for your support.

Mountain Patrol

Not only was Fred Stewart a member of our community with everyone getting his attention, he had a profound influence of many employees who have gone on to continue their professional careers in law enforcement. The following list represents “graduates” of Mountain Patrol who now serve on neighboring forces.

This legacy of Mountain Patrol along with the continued commitment of Butch Stewart and Michelle Bramlett to our community need to be applauded.

Bluegrass Party

The annual Mid-Summer Night’s Bluegrass Party will be held on July 28th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 P.M.. at Fred’s Shed with music by Curtis Blackwell’s Bluegrass Band. Dessert will be catered by Glen Ella Springs. Be sure to mark your calendar for this evening of fun filled with candlelight, music, and laughter.

Tallulah-Persimmon Fire Station

The volunteers at Tallulah-Persimmon Fire Station (Station 3) wish to thank you for another year of support. Your assistance allows us to maintain our fire equipment and work toward future goals.  

Our primary goals, equipment and volunteers, have remained the same over the last few years. Our station runs nearly 100 calls a year including emergency medical, motor vehicle accidents, structure and brush fires, and search and rescue. In order to make these calls, we must constantly update and maintain our equipment in order to serve our community. Our oldest vehicle and weakest link in assisting the public is a 1964 Ford engine. It has experienced brake and accelerator problems and replacement parts are becoming difficult to find. It continues to be our goal to replace this vehicle.

We have received specifications for a new engine from E-One (manufacturer of fire trucks). In planning, Chief Daniel Johnson has been in communication with E-One over the past two years; meanwhile, the station has saved the monies from the LBCA and our own fund-raising efforts to purchase this truck. However, due to the County cutting the fire department budget, it will take several more years to realize this goal.

Our second challenge involves our volunteers. In order to have a volunteer station, we must have volunteers to run the calls. This past year we lost four (due to “retirement” and relocation), and we gained two leaving us with 14 on our roster. It is our desire to increase our membership to 20. A larger group reduces burnout for our core volunteers who not only run calls, but also attend county meetings, keep and organize records, and communicate with the public and other agencies.

Volunteering is time consuming, and we realize it takes a special dedicated person to give of his/her time, but the rewards of service are great. We have written articles in The Clayton Tribune to educate the public, and we are always looking toward our families and neighbors who might show an interest in volunteering.

Thank you for your time,

Tallulah-Persimmon, Station 3, Rabun County Fire Department

Rabun County

Lawrence Stockton has been active as the liaison representing the interests of LBCA with our County government. Although many topics are continually being discussed, the following items of interest have been verified in writing by our County Administrator, Mr. Jim Bleckley.

“We are aware of the problem on Charlie Mountain Road and it is our intention to repair the roadway as soon as weather permits and hot asphalt is available. (This project has been completed.)

This is a short update on what roads will be paved on Lake Burton as soon as possible.

1.  County Road #100 (Meeting House Mountain Road): the grading is almost complete and we hope to start paving this Spring or Summer.

2.  County Road #102 (Blalock/Goldmine Road): we hope to start work this Spring on the Goldmine end of the road. The Commissioners are discussing the possibility of extending paving further than the 1.25 miles originally approved.

3.  County Road #103 (Plum Orchard Road): we hope to pave this road up to the intersection with Oscar Rock Road. Also, we plan to pave a portion of Cat Gap Road which also intersects with Plum Orchard Road.”

LBCA’s focus in working with County officials has been directed to improving roads used by Lake Burton residents and County school buses. Questions about your road can be directed to Lawrence Stockton.

Payments To Volunteer Fire Departments

After much concern and debate, the Board of Directors of the Association revised its policy for payments to the three Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) around the Lake. The new policy continues to recognize that financial and other support of these VFDs continues to be an important priority of the Association and the Foundation. The major points of the revised policy are summarized below:

*     Annually in its budgeting process the Association Board of Directors will determine the amount of support from dues to be given to the VFDs. This amount will be a minimum of $12 per Association member and will be paid on January 1.

*     In July each year, after Rabun County has set its fiscal budget support of the VFDs, the three VFDs will submit requests for needs to be funded from LBCA fund-raising projects. The Fire Chiefs are requested to submit a joint prioritized request. Requests to fund urgent needs may be submitted at any time during the year.

*    LBCA fund-raising events will be “earmarked” prior to the event in order to allow the beneficiary organizations to “partner” with the Association in conducting the event.

Anyone wishing to have a complete copy of the resolution may request one through Bill Bomar or any Officer or Board Member.

As previously announced, the Lake Burton Civic Association Foundation was incorporated and has obtained IRS approval as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. A portion of dues set-aside for the VFDs and the proceeds from future fund-raising events for the VFDs and other charitable causes will go through the Foundation to allow you a deduction in your income tax return.

Nominating Committee

The Association bylaws provide for the selection of a Nominating Committee by the Board of Directors. The task of the Nominating Committee is to search out LBCA members willing to serve as Officers and on the Board, and to prepare a slate of Officers and Directors for election at the annual meeting of the Association on August 18, 2001. If you have an interest in serving on the LBCA Board, or know someone who would be willing to serve, please contact one of the members of the Nominating Committee by May 5th. Many of you responded to the survey question last fall.  Circumstances and commitments change, so reaffirm your willingness if you will still be available to serve next year. Members of the Nominating Committee are:

Bill Bomar, Chairman

Art Benton

Gaston Brawley

Sid Kollme

Bill Markert

Personal Endorsement

If you are not a subscriber to Mountain Patrol, you should consider being one. Recently Linda and Art Benton built a fire in their fireplace for a cold Winter night. There were high winds from the North, and their chimney did not like the wind direction. The result was the exhaust up the living room fireplace chimney was forced down the bedroom fireplace chimney. Now as all of us know, the smoke is supposed to leave the house and not return, even though it does have a pleasant odor.  Obviously with all that smoke in the house, the smoke/fire detector went off. Mountain Patrol monitors the alarm system, and within sixty seconds the night duty officer was on the phone wanting to know if there was a fire and should the fire department be dispatched. Fortunately, there was no fire and the night duty officer was able to assist in getting the alarm system turned off. THANK YOU Mountain Patrol. This is just one small incident of all the good work done by the members of the Mountain Patrol staff.

LBCA Home Tour 2001

The LBCA Home Tour 2001 will be held on Saturday July 21, with a rain date for Sunday, July 22. We are pleased to announce that the homes of Wilds and Georgia Pierce, Bob and Gwen Fink, Mike and Rachel Hammer, and Dick and Anne Vincent will be featured this year. All homes are in the Timpson Cove and Dick’s Creek area. You will receive in a separate mailing both a ticket order form and a volunteer sign-up sheet. Please note that this year BOTH of these forms may be returned to the same person – Linda Dixon.

We are going to try something new on this year’s tour. Millennium Art Coop in Sautee, a non-profit art gallery for mentally disabled artists, will be displaying several of their art pieces. This art is of professional quality and we feel that it will enhance the tour.

Please note:

*     We have changed the departure times slightly this year – please consult the ticket order form.

*     We will have drinks and cookies for sale during the tour, but have deleted hot dogs and chips from the menu.

*     It takes 150 volunteers the day of the tour to make the tour work.

*     You still must be a current member of LBCA to purchase tickets for the Home Tour.

*     Tickets will be mailed starting June 1st and are limited to 500.

*     Please remember there is a lot of walking and climbing of stairs involved in the tour.

We look forward to seeing you on the tour this year.

2001 Home Tour Committee
Linda Thompson, Steve Barrett, and Linda Dixon

Wildcat Fire And Rescue Pumper Truck

Most of the Lake Burton residents are familiar with fund-raising efforts of the Civic Association, which are shared with the volunteer fire departments in our Lakes community. This has been an ongoing dedication by the Civic Association to assist in ensuring the highest state of professional training and readiness for the fire stations nearest and dearest to our homes. It is great news that the new “pumper truck” has been delivered to the Wildcat VFD, and the donation set aside by the Civic Association will be used to equip the truck with necessary safety and fire fighting equipment to make it effective for the job. You are welcome to visit the Wildcat station and see the new truck

Wildcat Fire Station

The Wildcat VFD is very proud to announce that we have finally received our new Class A pumper truck. We are currently in the process of installing the needed equipment on the new truck. This is being done with the help from funds that the LBCA had set aside for that purpose. We thank the LBCA for their contribution to this much-needed project.

We are planning our upcoming “Chick’n Coop” Fried Chicken and Corn Fritter fund raiser to be held this Summer. We will be doubling our cooking capabilities so that waiting time can be drastically reduced. We appreciate all whom participated last year and look forward to seeing you again this year. The date is to be announced.

For the year 2000, the following breakdown of calls that Wildcat VFD responded to:  24 Medical, 3 Motor Vehicle Accidents, and 14 Fire for a total of 41 calls.

Sanitation Update

According to our newest County Commissioner John Davis, consideration is being given to the idea of another “solid waste” facility in the West portion of Rabun County. The large dumpsters were and are a health and contamination hazard, and are now against state regulations. This means that a legitimate recycle center could be the best solution to the desire to have a “garbage” collection process for West Rabun County. The budget process is beginning for the next fiscal year of the county, and the project of a new recycle center for our area will be brought before the budget committee. If a recycle center is included in the budget, and this is a big if, the project funds would not be available until the fiscal year 2002 beginning in July 2001.

Lots of people have their own opinions about this project, and many concerns still exist with commissioners, residents and Georgia Power Company. Obviously the location and expense of the operation are the two main concerns now. If the recycle center is located on Burton Dam Road, a location being supported by a number of residents, will the county be able to restrict the use of the recycle center to Rabun County residents? No decision has been made yet, but we should have some news in the next newsletter.

Rescue / Fire Boat

The Rescue / Fire Boat will be delivered to Lake Burton in April. Lakes Fire and Rescue Department will assume responsibility for the operation of the boat from its base in Murray Cove. When the boat is received, it will be contributed to Rabun County and will become part of the County’s Fire / Rescue system. We hope to have the boat on display in the water during the Home Tour in July, and at other times during the Summer months. More importantly, we hope that you will see the boat on the Lake in times of need. Thanks to all who have contributed money and time to make this project a success. Also, thanks to Rabun County, Georgia Power Company, the State of Georgia, and Mr. Warren A. Blye of the Lakemont-Wiley Fire Department for their support. This boat is another step toward the improvement of our safety and security on Lake Burton.

Artists Of The Lakes Showcase

Georgia Heritage Center for the Arts invites artists of Lake Burton to display their original artwork in a showcase presented at The Center from August 6th to September 23rd of this year.

This showcase focuses on the artists of Lakes Burton, Seed and Rabun. It is coordinated by The Center with the help of artists Cynthia Whitney of Burton, Susan Leggett of Seed, and Libby Mathews of Rabun. Receptions honoring the artists will be held the weekend of August 25th.

Georgia Heritage Center for the Arts is located on the northwest corner of the bridge in Tallulah Falls. Please call 706-754-5989 or email ghca@alltel.net for more information.

Boating Safety Class

The LBCA has arranged for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to present a Boating Safety Class on Saturday, June 9, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Wildcat Volunteer Fire Department on Highway 197. The class is free and is open to everyone 12 years of age or older, and will include testing for those who wish to obtain a Boating Safety Certification. For your convenience, the Wildcat Volunteer Fire Department will be serving a hamburger basket lunch to all attendees for $6.00 per person, payable at the door. Space is limited and our recent survey indicated that over 500 members wished to attend this course. Please make reservations no later than May 27, 2001, using the registration card to be sent to you. For those of you unable to attend on June 9th, DNR will also be offering the course at Tallulah Gorge State Park on May 19th, June 16th, July 13th, and August 11th. Call DNR at 770-535-5499 for further information.

LBCA Member Survey

The survey was very well supported with 423 respondents. The Board of Directors is taking all of the issues into account so that we are responding to as many of your desires as possible. The largest number of respondents were interested in attending a safety / boating course. There are 527 people who are interested in such a course. Other responses to the survey concerned meeting times, speakers, and interesting topics.

The good news is that a safety / boating course sponsored by LBCA and DNR will be held this Spring at the Wildcat VFD station on June 9, 2001. The class size will have to be limited so don’t wait to sign up. Other courses will be conducted by DNR throughout the Summer at Tallulah Gorge State Park. The courses are listed in our Calendar of Events. Contact DNR at 706-754-7970 to register for these courses. (Click this link to view survey results.)

Political Atmosphere

Today all of the registered voters of the Lakes area of Rabun County deserve to be recognized for their decisions and civic responsibility. We have a new County Commissioner, who is now listening to the citizens and attempting to respond to our needs.  If you had not taken the initiative to go to the polls and change the mix of the commissioners, we would not have the attention from the commissioners. The stability and well being of our community require our participation. Keep up the good efforts.

Membership Report

Lake Burton Civic Association Membership as of April 6, 2001 is approximately 890. Letters have been sent to all members that have not responded to the dues notice mailed last Fall. Your financial support is important as well as your involvement.

April Is Cleanup Month

Signs were put up at the beginning of April in several spots around the Lake to remind you that its time to clean up your road. This year, Rabun County held an annual countywide cleanup day on April 14th. If you have not already done so, please take some time to pick up trash along the roads in your area. Make it a neighborhood time, socialize, pick up litter and help our lake roads to look pristine again.

A card to report an individual you see littering is available at the Marshall’s office. If you are willing to testify in court, the violators will be issued a citation. Otherwise, they will be sent a letter letting them know they were observed littering. Remember, if you have had work done on your house you have probably contributed to the litter on the road even if you have not been here.

If you have any questions, please call Marian Hansen at 706-947-3625.

Three Lakes Golf Challenge

The second annual golf tournament between members of the Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, and Lake Seed Civic Associations is moving to the Spring this year. The tournament will be held on Friday, June 1, 2001 at the Orchard Golf and Country Club. There will be a reception for golfers, their spouses, and all other members of the three Associations after the golf tournament.

Mark your calendar and help Lake Burton win the trophy that was taken home by Lake Rabun last Fall.

Registration information will be mailed around the first week in May. Direct your questions to Roger Hansen of Lake Burton Civic Association or Dave Cowan of Lake Rabun Civic Association.

Copyright © 1999 - 2004 by Lake Burton Civic Association and Scot Roberge.  All rights reserved.