Newspaper Page Text
Front - Feb 6 2/4/03 4 :43 PM Page
Upgrading Emergency Medical Services Part Of SPLOST Proposal
Three Fully Equipped EMS Stations Wdl Be Added If Voters Approve Sales Tax Referendum in March / 12A
FEBRUARY 6,2003 VOLUME 115 NUMBER 39 JASPER, GEORGIA 30143 USPS 431-830 THREE SECTIONS 40 PAGES PLUS SUPPLEMENTS
Jasper Council
approves 176-unit
apartment deal
Mayor, Councilperson Mosley
voice strong support for project
Sarge, the head trainer, and wrestler Chad Adams work out at the new Super Power Plant train
ing facility in Jasper. Management predicts the training center will put Jasper, GA on the profes
sional wrestling map. (Photo by Damon Howell)
The business of body slamming
Well-known trainer opens
professional wrestling facility in Jasper
By Michael Moore
The next time you eat breakfast at the Waffle
House, don’t be surprised to see wrestling stars like
Goldberg or Bobby Eaton of the Midnight Express
sitting at the table next to you. And the next time
someone pulls up behind you at the Amoco, or passes
you on Hwy 515 it could be Kevin Nash or Rick
Steiner.
These professional wrestling superstars are not just
passing through and they definitely are not lost.
Jasper is their destination.
Athletes known for their pile-driving, body-slam-
ming relentlessness in the rings of the WCW and
WWE (formerly WWF), and on millions of TV
screens, will be coming to visit the legendary trainer
known as Sarge at the new Super Power Plant on
Chambers Street.
The facility, also home to the new independent
Superior Wrestling circuit, is a cutting edge training
center for both accomplished stars and novices.
With three professional rings, a therapy room, a
tanning bed, and webcams, Sarge said, “Our goal is to
make this the biggest and best facility in the country.”
The Super Power Plant held its grand opening
Thursday. Some of the biggest names in the industry
were there to help Sarge and owner James Adams
break it in.
Buff Bagwell, Rick Steiner, Prime Time, Bobby
Eaton, Lash Larue, Goth, and Troy were among the
stars mingling with fans and giving tips to younger
wrestlers.
Bagwell, a Sarge protege who plans to wrestle in
the new circuit, said Superior Wrestling will help fill
Continued on page 5A
Nelson City Council
approves five-year plan
For historical preservation, economic development
Briefly. . .
Don’t Forget...
Valentine’s Day is coming up
on Friday, February 14 and to
help you make sure you appro
priately express your Valentine
sentiments to that “special
someone,” local merchants are
offering a variety of specials
for the occasion. Check out the
ads throughout this issue of the
Progress for Valentine gift sug
gestions. There’s also a Valen
tine Dance on tap at the Art
Center along with all the art
classes offered there. Page 9B
“Friends ” Make
Donation to Library
With state funds for local
libraries being cut, Friends of
the Pickens County Library
have stepped forward yet again
to provide financial support
and help make up the budget
shortfall. Friends membership
now exceeds 350 but new
members are always welcome.
The library support group will
be hosting a program by a
Gone with the Wind expert
later this month. This would be
an excellent time to become a
library “Friend.” Page 10A
Montessori School
Open House
The Jasper Montessori School
which offers classes for chil
dren ages 3 to 6 will be hold
ing an open house Sunday
afternoon. The school, located
on Refuge Road, is in its sec
ond year of operation here and
has just moved into a larger
building. The public is invited
to tour the facility and find out
more about the learning oppor
tunities offered at the Jasper
Montessori School. Page 6B
A Dream
Come True
A USDA Rural Development
program is helping make home
ownership a reality for some
Pickens County residents.
Details of the loan program are
explained by the USDA office
in Jasper. Page 8A
Deaths
Ralph McPherson
Donnie Mae Ridings
Bobby White
David Duvall
Ethel Caylor
James Duncan
Bobby Cornett
OBITUARIES ... .See Page 2A
Weather
By WILLIAM DILBECK
HI
LOW
RAIN
Tuesday
48
27
.29
Wednesday 47
42
1.69
Thursday
51
36
.09
Friday
44
36
.00
Saturday
49
35
.00
Sunday
66
39
.00
Monday
61
39
.78
Visit Us
On The Web
www.pickensprogress .com
The Progress is
printed in part on
recycled newsprint
and is recyclable
By Dan Pool
With the mayor saying it is the
“sweetest deal I’ve ever seen, even
if I have been chewed out for a
month,” the Jasper City Council
rezoned 25 acres along Highway
515 to allow a 176-unit apartment
complex at their regular meeting
Monday.
The council’s unanimous action
changed the zoning for the acreage
from commercial to multi-family
residential.
Both Mayor John Weaver and
councilperson Hazel Mosley
voiced strong support for the
developer and the plans to put the
apartments in the same vicinity as
the hospital.
Mosley said she had visited
another project by the same devel
oper in Woodstock and she liked
what she saw with the quality of
construction and the after-school
program operated at the site.
“I’d like to see Highway 515
saved for commercial,” she said.
“But if you want to know where
this site is, it’s the highest knoll
behind the pond (south of the hos
pital) and I don’t think any com
mercial company would want to
locate there.”
Property owner Gary Copeland,
whose company is also involved in
the site development on the tract,
By Michael Moore
County Commissioner Bill New
ton Thursday signed a resolution
formally adopting the liquor-by-
the-drink ordinance approved by
voters in November’s election.
Newton signed the new law,
effective immediately, at the second
of two public hearings on the ordi
nance. No one from the public
attended Thursday’s hearing.
The signing of the law means
that restaurants throughout the
county may apply for a license to
serve liquor on their premises. It
applies to both new and already
existing establishments.
Applications and copies of the
ordinance may be picked up at the
commissioner’s office.
The Jasper Optimist Club is
pleased to announce that the annu
al STAR Banquet is scheduled for
Thursday, Feb. 27. The banquet
will be held at Jasper United
Methodist Church. This is the 13th
year that the local club has spon
sored the STAR program. The
said the property being sold for the
apartments is too far from the inter
state to attract businesses.
It had no value commercially,
but the additional rooftops will
attract future commercial develop
ment, he said.
Mayor Weaver said the city has
been meeting with Home Depot
and Kroger about a development in
that area and representatives from
both stores were pleased to hear
that the apartments would be locat
ing nearby.
“We’ve had meetings with
Home Depot and Kroger and I
know they’re glad you’re coming
and I know you’re glad they’re
coming,” the mayor said.
Weaver said you have to have
the residential growth before you
can attract commercial growth.
A representative from the devel
opment company described the
project as “upscale.” The plans call
for tennis courts, a pool and a secu
rity gate.
The apartments will be rented at
both market rate and with a tax-
credit plan, according to Stephen
Klee with the development compa
ny PRS, the fastest growing real
estate development company in the
state.
“You will not recognize these as
Continued on page 4A
The twenty page ordinance is
virtually identical to that of the city
of Jasper.
Servers who pour distilled spirits
will have to have a permit to do so.
This permittance would be based on
a background check by the Sheriff’s
Department. Owners or partners of
establishments which apply for a
liquor license will have to undergo
a background check as well.
The county liquor licenses will
cost licensees $3,000 per year. In
addition the county will ievy an
excise tax of three percent per drink
sold.
Licenses will have to be
renewed at the end of every year
when they expire. The commission-
Continued on page 4A
banquet will recognize the STAR
Student and Teacher from Pickens
High along with nine other STAR
finalists.
STAR (Student Teacher
Achievement and Recognition) is
in its 45th year and is sponsored in
the State of Georgia by the Profes-
By Michael Moore
The Nelson city council Mon
day night unanimously approved a
five-year Short Term Works Pro-
sional Association of Georgia
Educators (PAGE) Foundation.
The Optimists, as part of the local
program, decided several years
ago to recognize the top academic
achievers at PHS. The club felt it
was important to recognize not
Continued on page 5A
gram (STWP).
The plan will center around pre
serving the history and culture of
the city. It also includes various
economic development and land
use projects, as well as infrastruc
ture improvements.
A major focus of the historical
preservation plan will be on Nel
son’s vast marble industry heritage.
Over the next five years, the
council will work on a business
plan that attracts retail marble ven
dors to the city. Mayor Pro Tern
Eric Wilmarth said this will “go
hand in hand” with a marble muse
um that is also a part of the STWP.
The museum will focus on the
history and methods of marble min
ing in Nelson. It will contain sam
ples of the different pieces of mar
ble that are mined. One possible
location for the museum is the back
of the new City Hall building.
Wilmarth said the Pickens Coun
ty Chamber has heard the proposal
for the museum, and they gave it
“positive” support.
Another project of the STWP
that will preserve Nelson’s history
is to gather photographs and histor
ical documents for public display.
The city will also pursue the
establishment of a joint Historical
Preservation Commission with
neighboring cities and counties;
identify historical properties in Nel
son; and seek funds to make record
ings of area citizens “sharing their
knowledge of our history,” the pro
posal states.
For economic development, next
year the city council wants to meet
with the owners of LaFarge and
CW Matthews Company to annex
quarries and processing plants on
Old Nelson Road. They also want
to “establish a relationship with
Imerys (Georgia Marble Compa
ny)” to make sure Georgia Marble
continues to operate in Nelson.
Other ways to pursue economic
development in the five-year plan
will be to attract a light industrial
park “to increase the job base,” and
look into conducting an annual fes
tival similar to the Marble Festival
or Talking Rock Heritage Days.
Over the next two to three years,
the STWP will address multiple
road improvements and street scape
plans throughout the city, and the
construction of 1.3 miles of side
walk.
By 2007 the program will secure
the expansion of city parks and
amenities, and the construction of a
maintenance facility.
Land use improvements will
include the adoption of a soil ero
sion control ordinance, and setting
aside green space for permanent
protection from development.
The city will also seek the
authority to issue land disturbing
permits, and it plans to remove
abandoned houses.
The STWP must now be
approved by the North Georgia
Regional Development Committee
before it can be implemented by
Nelson.
In other news:
•In a closed door session, the
Continued on page 4A
County guidelines,
applications for sale of
liquor-by-drink approved
Banquet set for February 27
STAR student and teacher honored
2003 nominees for STAR Student and Teacher for the Pickens County School System.
