August 2003 Archived Columns

8/25/2003

Last weekend was beautiful, although the temperatures have crept up a little closer to what’s normal at this time of year. For one of the first times this summer, it’s actually dried out a little bit. As I said last week, it appears that the TVA is beginning to draw the lake down, so people need to get their recreational activities in before the lake level gets too low.

Things to do over the Labor Day weekend: Last week, I mentioned Camp Reggae, our local reggae festival, which is headlined by our own local band, the Natti Love Joys. They’re the real thing, and the festival should be a fun event. You can read more about it in last week’s newsletter, or visit www.campreggae.com.

On Labor Day itself, don’t forget the annual Labor Day barbecue, in the downtown city park. It’s chicken and ribs, and a good time is usually had by all. There will be live entertainment. For more information, check my calendar listings for August.

The final hearing on the billboard ordinance is tomorrow (Tuesday) at the court house at 7 PM. Everyone who cares about this important issue should attend. The entertainment value may also be high, because I have heard reports that a new billboard has sprouted in front of Sisson Log Homes, despite the moratorium.

Best wishes for a good Labor Day. Hope everybody stays safe, avoids the yellow jacket nests, and has a great time!

8/18/2003

The weather was very nice last weekend, although the temperatures have risen a bit closer to what’s normal for this time of year. The heat seems to be promoting something of a late afternoon thunderstorm pattern, which is also familiar for this time of year. One of the things I’ve noticed while swimming in the lake is that the lake hasn’t really warmed up a great deal, although I did notice some warming this weekend. Unfortunately, it appears that the TVA has already started pulling the lake down for the winter. If you’ve got plans involving the lake, it might be good to come up soon and get it in before the water levels get any lower.

People have been asking me how the real estate market is up here, and I can tell you that it’s nothing like Atlanta at this point. Our office made the Coldwell Banker Top 20 internationally for offices with 11-20 agents in July. That’s the second time this year, and it’s really incredible given that the other offices in there with us are in places like Cape May, NJ, San Francisco, and Hawaii, where the average transaction is much larger than ours. Last week, we averaged 513 visitors a day to our company website, which is up over our usual 330 or so. I’m also experiencing more than usual activity on my own websites. It looks like we’re gearing up for a great fall selling season.

It's the time of year when the yellow jackets get very aggressive. It's a good idea to keep away from their nests, or to destroy them if possible. I had an interesting case at home, where the yellow jackets had built a nest in some cross-tie stairs I had built. I couldn't get the spray in there effectively, but I finally settled them down with expanding foam sealant (marketed as "Great Stuff" among other names). Unfortunately, the copperheads also get more aggressive at this time of year. Unlike rattlesnakes, these fellows don't rattle and don't try to avoid confrontation. They can be identified primarily by their triangular heads and their very aggressive attitude. Keep clear of them at all costs.

I had another case last week where the idiots were feeding the bears. Unfortunately, these idiots were in the rental right next to my cabin, and it turns out a dog was killed two lots away from the lot where they were feeding them, probably by a bear they attracted. Owners of rentals should be very strict about the no feeding rule, because the first thing one of these idiots is going to do if anything happens is to sue the owner of the property, whether they attracted the bears themselves or not. Once again, it's a bad idea to leave your garbage out, and it's an even worse idea to leave food out. Once a bear becomes a nuisance in this way, it usually has to be destroyed. Let's all get together and "educate" some of these misguided people.

Looking ahead to the Labor Day weekend, you might want to check out the Reggae Fest at Camp Reggae. It’s hosted by our own Jati and Marla Allen and their band, the Natti Love Joys. They’re considered the best reggae band in Atlanta, but they really have an international reputation for their music. Jati is from Kingston, Jamaica and Marla is from England. This band is excellent, truly world-class. Visit their site at http://www.campreggae.com.

8/3/2003

We had a good weekend, although it’s raining on us today (Wednesday). The temperatures have continued unseasonably cool, and I can report from personal experience that the lake is still nicely cool for swimming.

We’ve been very busy in the office, and for the second time this year, we’ve ranked in the top 20 Coldwell Banker offices internationally for offices with 11-20 sales associates. This was for June, and we’re quite pleased with the ranking. Not only are we the only office in Georgia that ranked in the top 20, the other companies we are ranked in there with are in places like California and Hawaii, where the average sales are much higher than ours (our average sale is probably around $130,000-150,000).

According to U.S. Census statistics, Fannin County is fourth in Georgia in number of new homes built and percentage increase in housing. We are the only mountain county in the top 10, with a 6.3% rate of growth. Among our nearest neighbors, Gilmer had 4.3% and Union 3.5%. These statistics provide hard evidence of what I’ve been saying for some time now, that we’re the hottest second home market in the mountains.

At the public comment meeting about the new billboard ordinance, there was quite a public outcry, and the ordinance was sent back to the county attorney for revision. Those of you who are interested in this issue should continue to follow it closely. I've pasted to latest communication from Joe Webb below:

"To. Interested Parties from Joe Webb
RE: Billboard Ordinance - PUBLIC HEARING 8/12/03 at 5 PM at the Sr. Citizens Center

We have prevailed in the first round of Public Hearings! Thanks for turning out and speaking up. The Fannin County Commissioners have incorporated most of our suggestions: e.g.:
1. No more billboards anywhere in unincorporated Fannin County
2. All Billboards to be removed from the county in 5 years
3. All lighting form the top pointing down within 1 year.
4. No illumination allowed between 12:00 Midnight & 5 AM within 1 year.
While we now have a NO BILLBOARD ORDINANCE PROPOSED. It is still not passed. We need to again be at the PUBLIC HEARING & speak in favor of this option versus the Ordinance that we spoke against at the last pubic hearing.There has been a section added to control political signs - it perhaps needs some adjustment. We need to speak to this. The confusion that I see is political signs may only be up 30 days prior to an election, this would prevent one from putting a Presidential sign in one's yard until October, while the Presidential campaign season is six months.
The major thing, we need to speak for is to add a commercial sign section to the ordinance. Currently, there are no restrictions on signs located on the property of a businesses as long as the sign advertises the co-located business. This would allow a private business to erect a Billboard on their property advertising their own Business. The city of Blue Ridge has an ordinance to control commercial signs within the city limits. It would be good to adopt a model compatible with the city of Blue Ridge and unify commercial sign control.
Hope to se you at the Public Hearing next week - Tuesday August 12, 2003 at 5 PM at Sr. Citizens Center. Your presence is important - the commissioners need to understand our citizen views. Again, thanks for your support on this issue. See you Tuesday. Sincerely, Joe Webb "

At this point, it appears that Fannin’s millage rate will remain unchanged.

Last week, I saw a fawn that was only several days old. I would have thought that it was too late in the year – I usually see them in the spring and early summer - but it has been an abnormal year. For those of you who may need a little refresher course in woodcraft, when fawns are born, they can neither walk nor run. For a critical period of a week or so, their only chance of survival is to hide in the woods, attended by their mother. People sometimes come across these little dears and assume that they have been abandoned. In an attempt to do the right thing, they may remove the fawn from the woods and take it to the vet. Unfortunately, this is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Even if the fawn is returned to the place where it was found, the mother may not accept it after it has been handled by humans. When you find a fawn in hiding, it is probably fine to admire it for a moment or two and then quietly take your leave. Rest assured that the mother is somewhere nearby, anxiously awaiting your departure. Please do not touch or handle the fawn, no matter how tempting. Be aware that they are so quiet when they are hiding that they may appear to be stillborn. It’s nature’s way. For those of you with a more practical turn of mind, remember that it is illegal to possess a live deer under any circumstances.

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