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Lake Oconee News
FRIDAY, MAY9,2025 | A3
MORGANCOUNTY
LAKECOUNTRY
Godfrey’s Feed named Small
Business ROCK STAR by state
Godfrey’s Feed in Madison
has been named a 2025 Small
Business ROCK STAR by
the Georgia Department of
Economic Development.
The business received the
award, alongside Calhoun’s
American Dakota, Conyers’
Evans Tool & Die, Moultrie’s
Maule Air, and Glenville’s
Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm,
as part of the state’s celebration
of Georgia Small Business Week
2025 held May 4-10.
“We are proud to have been
chosen as a Small Business ROCK
STAR for 2025 by the Georgia
Department of Economic Devel
opment,” Godfrey’s Feed shared
on its Facebook page. “We couldn’t
do what we have without the
support from our customers and
employees and we are proud of the
work they do to keep agriculture
thriving in Georgia.”
Gov. Brian Kemp, an entre
preneur and small businessman
himself, issued a proclamation
emphasizing the importance of
small businesses across the state.
“Small businesses are the
backbone of Georgia’s economy,
providing jobs for their employees
and vital goods and services for
their communities,” Kemp said.
“As the owners and operators of
>4
GODFREY’S
-fleed— 1
Ousted
small businesses ourselves, First
Lady Marty Kemp and I know
how hard these job creators work
to provide for their families and
give back to their neighbors.
Thank you to this year’s Small
Business ROCK STARS and the
thousands of small businesses
creating jobs for hardworking
Georgians in every corner of the
state.”
“Whether a company supports
10 jobs or 10,000 jobs in the state,
everyjob creator contributes to
Georgia’s unique industry mix,”
Commissioner Pat Wilson said.
“Small businesses are as diverse as
the communities that they are part
of, from carpet manufacturers
in north Georgia to agribusi
nesses in the heart of our state.
Thank you to the economic devel
opers, small business resource
centers, and many partners who
support Georgia’s small business
community.”
The Georgia Department
of Economic Development,
in partnership with the
Georgia Economic Devel
opers Association (GEDA),
established the Small Busi
ness ROCK STAR awards as a
way to recognize and commend
the innovations, community
engagement, and positive impact
of the state’s small businesses. This
year’s winners have fewer than 300
full-time employees, are involved
in charitable organizations in their
communities, and were founded in
the State of Georgia.
“Economic development is as
much about supporting existing,
local industry as it is about
attracting new investments,”
GEDA President and CEO Grant
Cagle said. “Small Business
ROCK STARS is an opportunity
for Georgia to celebrate the busi
nesses that are growing with our
communities, and we are excited
to welcome five new Small Busi
ness ROCK STARS to our existing
cohort.”
For additional information about
Georgia’s Small Business ROCK
STAR awards, visit|georgia.org/
rockstars.
— Contributed
Robins FCU accepting
grant applications
Robins Financial Credit
Union is now accepting
applications for their
2025 Community Project
initiative, an annual
grant program designed
to provide support to
nonprofit organizations
making a lasting impact
within the credit union’s
45-county service area.
Created with a mission
to uplift and empower
communities, Commu
nity Project provides
significant financial
assistance to 501(c)3
organizations working
to improve the quality of
life for individuals and
families. This funding is
specifically intended to
support large-scale proj
ects that might otherwise
be cost-prohibitive for
many nonprofit groups.
“At Robins Financial,
we believe in the power
of partnership and the
importance of giving
back to the communi
ties we serve,” Robins
Financial President
and CEO Christina
O’Brien said. “Commu
nity Project allows us to
support the vital work
of local nonprofits that
are addressing needs
and creating meaningful
change.”
Since beginning this
initiative in 2015, Robins
Financial has awarded
$1.8 million in Commu
nity Project funding to
more than 100 organiza
tions throughout Middle
Georgia. Last year, 14
deserving groups were
selected as recipients.
Robins Financial Credit
Union is committed to
making a difference by
supporting those who
serve others. All eligible
nonprofit organizations
within the credit union’s
45-county service area
are encouraged to apply.
The deadline to submit
your online application
is Friday, May 9, at noon.
Detailed information,
including a full list of
eligibility requirements
and the online applica
tion form, can be found
by visiting robinsfcu.
org/2025-communi-
ty-project.
— Contributed
THUNDER
CONTINUED FROM >: A1
site plan “posted by the
current developer of the
commercial land [that]
clearly violates this.” She
said the proposed plan
calls for a new road to
begin on Thunder Road
and extend into Riverside
Drive.
“In addition, the Scott
Road extension feeds all
the way into Riverside
Drive as well. You now
have two commercial
roads dumping into
Riverside Drive,” Berg-
dorf told the commission.
“That’s a total of three
exit entryways into the
roads of Thunder Valley,
which clearly violates the
rezoning conditions.
“We want to be able to
live in harmony and in
safety,” she continued.
“There are ways that this
commercial property
can be developed while
minimizing the impact
to the residents and our
private road, not private-
public roads for our
neighborhood. But first
the commissioners must
step up and approve and
review and have some
discussions. Let’s talk
about this before it’s too
late.”
Also speaking in
support of Bergdorf s
cause were Thunder
Valley residents Tom
Parham, Lisa Peterson,
Connie Johnson, and
Sherry Donovan. Parham
reminded Hersey and
Commission Chair Bill
Sharp of past support,
both electorally and
financially, in recent
elections from Thunder
Valley residents.
“The equipment has
already been delivered
into Thunder Valley for
these road extensions.
Time is of the essence to
review and it doesn’t meet
current zoning,” Donovan
later declared. ‘We need
the commissioners to
do a full review before it
proceeds. You have the
power, and we need your
help.”
Also addressing the
commissioners were
several local pickleball
enthusiasts, asking for
the county to build new
courts to support their
new-found passion.
“We need dedicated
pickleball courts, covered
resting areas, water
stations, and bathrooms,”
District 4 resident Ellen
Littleton said. “As a full
time resident taxpayer
and senior citizen of
Putnam County, I’m not
aware of any exercise
activities being offered
through the recreation
department that meet
the needs of active senior
citizens.”
Later, Hersey ques
tioned the wisdom of
holding a meeting and
voting by the commission
on an employee benefits
package in Savannah.
“First, I think it was
maybe legal but inappro
priate to hold that called
meeting in Savannah at
a location and time that
was inconvenient for
members of the public
and probably for most
of the employees to
have comments on the
upcoming or adopted
health insurance
programs,” he said. “The
second comment is simply
that I was not in atten
dance at that meeting
and therefore will recuse
myself from any vote on
approving the minutes.”
The commission also
watched a 10-minute
video about land use
assessments presented
by George Kelecheck,
founder of the EYE of the
Taxpayer Association.
The video stressed the
importance of promoting
and creating walkable,
livable, mixed-use neigh
borhoods similar to tradi
tional downtowns over
car-centric developments
that wind up as a drain on
taxpayer resources.
“The smarter you plan,
the better off we will be
and be able to keep our
taxation for our citizens
that are here and coming
to this county,” Kelecheck
said upon the video’s
conclusion.
Finally, Putnam County
Fire Chief Thomas
McClain addressed the
commission, explaining
the county’s ISO fire
rating recently improved
from 5 to 4, representing a
positive impact on county
insurance rates.
The chief described a
complicated evaluation
that takes into account
various factors such as
fire department appa
ratus, staffing, training,
and response times, as
well as where its units are
placed in accordance to
the hazards of buildings
within the county.
“There are 48 buildings
in Putnam County that
ISO identifies as three
stories or higher or have a
required fire flow of over
3,500 gallons a minute.
And we’re absolutely
graded on what proximity
to those buildings our
engines and ladder appa
ratus are and what our
response times are in both
of those groups of vehicles
to those target areas,”
McClain explained.
The chief added that
some factors can be
improved upon only by
adding to the fire depart
ment’s facilities, equip
ment, and personnel.
“We’re geographi
cally challenged in the
fact that we cover 345
square miles out of four
fire stations. So, you can
imagine that response
time is the largest hurdle
that we face,” McClain
told the commission. ‘We
can get out of the station
faster, we can process the
calls faster, but we can’t
overcome the geography
or what the travel time is
going to be unless we add
more.”
The commission
thanked the chief for his
department’s efforts and
his work in leading it.
The area
beneath
and around
the pointer
is slated for
commercial
development,
but nearby
Thunder
Valley
residents
insist it
must adhere
to long-
established
stipulations.
GOOGLE EARTH
THE SHERIDAN GROUP
706-626-0143
1020 Parkside Commons 983 O’Kelly Street
Greensboro, GA 30642 Conyers, GA30012
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