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t Sutler Herald
u Your Newspaper Since 1876”
(Publication Number US1 J S 534*720)
146th YEAR, NO, 17 THURSDAY, APRIL 27,2023 1 SECTION, 8 PAGES $1,00 PER COPY
People From All Around Visit “The Sweetest Spot In
Georgia” For The 25th Georgia Strawberry Festival
Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, people from Taylor County and beyond gathered in Reynolds for the 25th Anniversary of The Georgia Strawberry Festival. The festi vities began
Friday night with a gospel music concert and picnic in the Julian Knight Park. Old Paths, opened by Resurrected Vision, filled the air with the sounds of Southern Gospel, while
attendees enjoyed barbecue by the Reynolds Fire Department, ham burger's and hot dogs by the Taylor County Touchdown Club, and strawberry shortcake by The Church. Saturday
began with the 5-K Run for Literacy, followed by the Georgia Straitiberry Parade at 10 a.m. and a full day of events, including the Arts, Crafts and Boutique show, Elvis Tribute
Contest, Art Show, Old Book Sale, Prehistoric Nation with life-size dinosaurs, Weenie Dog Race, Fire Truck Pull, Strawberry Pie Eating Corniest, Vintage Tractor Show, Photo
Scavenger Hunt, live entertainment by Kilby Kirksey and Drew Epton and Friends, and lots of games, rides, and activities for the kids.
Reynolds City Council Hesitantly Approves Increase In Trash Pickup Fees
By VALORI MOORE
Editor
On Monday, April 17th, the
Reynolds Mayor and City
Council held their regular
monthly meeting.
At last month's meeting, it
was announced that GFL En
vironmental is raising the cost
of trash pickup for the City. Af
ter searching for options and
coming up with none, the
Council hesitantly agreed to in
crease the monthly trash
pickup fees for customers. The
vote was unanimous, with
Council woman Timishea Price
absent. Trash pickup rates will
be $17.50 per month for cus
tomers inside the City Limit
and $19.50 per month for those
outside the City Limit. The
new rates are effective May
1 st. It was noted that the City
of Butler received the same
increase from GFL.
April 24-28 is Georgia Cit ies
Week, and the City of Reynolds
will celebrate Friday, April
28th, with a bike ride with the
Mayor at 6 p.m,, followed by an
ice cream social at 6:30 p.m.
Meet at the gazebo. Bikes and
scooters are welcome, as are
volunteers and donations. City
Clerk Sissy McLaughlin ad
vised that there is $500 in the
budget for the Cities Week
event,
A Citywide Yard Sale will be
held July 1st, from 9 a.m. un
til 2 p.m. It is $2 to have your
yard sale added to the city
map. Pay at City Half by June
23rd. Proceeds will go to the
Recreation Fund, which was
created at this meeting. If it
rains on July 1st, theyard sale
will he held the following Sat
urday, July 8 th.
A meeting was held April
19th, with the County and the
Cities of Reynolds and Butler,
to discuss possible projects to
be included on the upcoming
SPLOST ( Special Purpose Lo
cal Option Sales Tax) referen
dum. Mayor Butch Turner
suggested the follow ing topics
for the City of Reynolds' project
list: recreation, concession
stand at Louisiana Court, mar
ket next to Papa’s Place, pub
lic safety, Jaws of Life for the
fire department, water and
sewer, event center, safer
courtroom, and resurfacing the
city's tennis courts.
The Council approved a busi
ness license, including a beer
and wine license, for Yogi Patel
to reopen the Lucky Lottery
Store, which recently closed.
Mr. Patel was present at the
meeting.
During the property commit
tee report. Councilman Eddy
Couch stated that progress has
been made on the stormwater
project paving. He said, 'Town
looks great,” and he thanked
everyone who helped with the
citywide cleanups.
Councilman Danny Peed said
the finance committee is work
ing on the budget, and Mayor
Pro tem Tiffany Coker advised
that the police committee is
working with Police Chief
Lonnie Holder on police de
partment budget requests.
Yolanda Majors, Taylor
County Family Connection Di
rector, relayed that the appli
cation has been completed for
Public Health on Wheels. She
is hopeful that the medical bus
will be on the empty lot by
Papa's Place on May 19th.
Police Chief Holder asked the
Council to consider the police
department’s budget. He said,
T only ask for what we need,
not what we want,”
Also, Council approved an
LPR (License Plate Reader) for
the police department. The
cost is $6,200 for the lirsl year,
$3,100 for the following four
years, and the police depart
ment will own the LPR after
five years, and there will only
be a $1,000 per year license fee.
The LPR will be funded
through the police depart
ments technology funds. Chief
Holder said that 27 guns were
taken off the streets last year,
due to the LPR.
Councilwoman Hannah
Sloan reminded the Council of
the Scrap Tire Disposal Event,
which will be held May 12th
and May 13th.
City Clerk McLaughlin re
ported that there were six vol
unteers for the first citywide
cleanup, and 12 for the second
cleanup. Flint Energies pro
vided a donation to feed the
volunteers.
Last year, donations for the
city cemetery, Hilicrest Cem
etery, were over $3,000,
Ms. McLaughlin advised that
one of the City’s rental proper
ties at 1'he Armory has been
rented for office space for a
broadband contractor. There
is a prospect for the rental
property on Winston St, for a
boot/shoe repair shop.
A1 Towns was present at the
meeting. He asked the Mayor
and Council if there are any
plans to fix the drainage prob
lems on the streets on the
north side of town, like is be
ing done on the south side of
town.
Mayor Turner explained that
the project started on the south
side of town, and this is Phase
I of the project. He said, “Phase
II is coming.” He concluded, T
can assure you, we are not go
ing to leave the north side out!”
With no further business to
discuss, the meeting ad
journed.
City of Reynolds To Celebrate Cities Week
Week is April 24-28, and The City of Reynolds
will celebrate Friday, April 28th,
with a Bike Ride With The Mayor at 6 p.m.,
followed by an Ice Cream Social at the Gazebo.
Bikes & Scooters are welcome.
Bring your helmet!