Newspaper Page Text
Front - April 22
4/20/04 5:16 PM Page 1
e-
Georgia rolls through Pickens County this Sunday
120 Top Pro Cyclists To Race On Local Roads / Page 4A
APRE.33, 2004 VOLUME 116 NUMBER 50 JASPER, GEORGIA 30143 USPS 431-830 THREE SECTIONS 53 PAGES PLUS SUPPLEMENTS
Briefly. . .
Looking For
A New Pet?
Pickens Animal Rescue will
be holding a pet adoption fair
this Saturday at Town &
Country Pet Mart on N. Main
Street. They report that many
wonderful dogs and cats will
be available for new owners.
For those not in the market for
a pet but wish to support this
group’s animal rescue efforts,
they will be grilling hot dogs
and hamburgers for sale on
Saturday too. Page 5B
Be A Good Sport
Or You're Out!
With the recreation depart
ment’s youth baseball and
softball season getting under
way, over 500 kids are having
fun at the ball park. And for
the most part, their parents are
too. But across the nation
there are a growing number of
cases where bad behavior
erupts from the stands rather
than cheers. To help keep
things under control here, Rec.
Dept. Director Greg Walker is
using a “Parents Promoting
Positive Sports” program to
encourage good behavior.
While heckling the umps has
always been a part of baseball,
if parents take it too far, they’ll
be ejected from the stands for
the season. Page 5A
Together
We Prepare
The local American Red
Cross chapter is conducting a
campaign to remind residents
to be prepared for emergencies
and also to raise funds for dis
aster relief. “Together We Pre
pare” is the Red Cross’ motto
for promoting preparedness
for disasters both manmade
and natural. Page 5A
Weather
By WILLIAMDILBECK
HI
LOW
RAIN
Tuesday
54
34
.15
Wednesday
56
36
.00
Thursday
71
41
.00
Friday
77
45
.00
Saturday
77
49
.00
Sunday
80
54
.00
Monday
78
57
.00
Deaths
Madeline Prather
Cayce Woodward
Annie Yates
Bertie Ryder
Homer Howard
J. B. Richards
John Blackwell
Gladys Eubanks
OBITUARIES ... .See Page 11A
Visit Us
On The Web
www.pickensprogress .com
The Progress is
printed in part on
recycled newsprint
and is recyclable
Jasper/School Board
sewage conflict draws to a close
By Michael Moore
A recent dispute between the city of Jasper and the
Pickens County Board of Education involving infra
structure appears to have been resolved, according to
officials from both bodies.
The school board is still reviewing its planned dis
closure of a private meeting that took place on March
17, which two members of the Jasper city council
members also attended. The conflict was presumably
the topic of discussion at the meeting.
“Until we have an official resolution, we cannot dis
cuss the details of the meeting,” said board chairman
Tony Young. “But there will be full disclosure of the
meeting as soon as we are sure we have a resolution.”
He said a resolution “appears to be close at hand.”
Young also said that if any litigation takes place, it
would be against the city of Jasper.
The superintendent of the Jasper Water Plant, David
Hall, said the disagreement which led to the March 17
meeting pertains to ownership of a sewer pump station
at Pickens County Middle School (PCMS).
Hall said a verbal agreement between school and
city officials in 1999 gave the city permission to tie
onto the pump station when its sewer system along
Highway 515 was near completion. The city was to
take over ownership of the pump station, as well as one
at the high school, and all aspects of maintenance and
expenses associated with it, according to Hall.
Also, the city agreed to waive the $75,000 fee it has
charged other property owners to tap onto the system.
said Hall, who was not present at the March 17 meeting
but was involved with negotiations leading up to it.
The city’s sewer project, which was designed in
1999 as part of a state grant/loan, was completed last
month.
A forced main line which goes from the four-lane to
Refuge Road via Harmony School Road, was placed in
the ground in one of the first steps of the system’s con
struction. That line ends in the middle of the school
parking lot. The pump station is at the far corner of the
parking lot next to the PCMS gymnasium, and it serves
the school.
Hall said it was understood in 1999 that the main
would be completed and tied onto the pump station by
the city when the project reached its final stages, which
was earlier this year.
However, Hall said that this year, when work crews
went to complete the tie-on to the pump station, the
school board objected, asking for further concessions
from the city.
The city declined to give more than what was
agreed in 1999, Hall said. As a result, they did not tie
onto the pump station, and instead tied directly to the
forced main already in place on Refuge Road in front
of the school. That main runs from the pump station,
up to the Refuge Road right of way, and then to the
city’s waste water plant.
The fact that the verbal 1999 agreement between the
city and the school board was never written down made
it difficult to enforce, Hall said.
Continued on page 3A
Mother arrested after removing child
from Tate elementary,
skipping appearance in truancy court
A Jasper woman is being held in the Pickens County
Jail after entering Tate Elementary School and remov
ing her child without the school’s permission.
The child, a fourth grade girl, was safely back at
school the following day, according to principal Sherry
Mullins. She was placed with another family member
after the incident.
A sheriff’s department spokesman said the mother,
who was already on probation with the city of Jasper,
was charged with disrupting a public school.
On Monday morning at about 10 a.m., the mother
arrived at the school without reporting to the front
office, Mullins said. She went directly upstairs and
“grabbed” the child, according to Mullins.
A teacher who noticed the woman did not have a
visitors’ pass tried to stop her, and the mother told her
there was a “family emergency” before quickly leaving
through a side door, Mullins said.
The woman sped away in a pickup truck with the
child, and the sheriff’s department was called.
Mullins said she recognized the woman as the
child’s mother, but she was still required to sign in at
the front office and get permission to be in the building.
“Her rights as a mother were not taken away,” said
Mullins. “She could have signed in at the office and
checked her child out.”
The mother was scheduled to be in truancy court
that morning, according to Mullins. When she did not
arrive at court, a bench warrant was issued for her
arrest, and she shortly arrived at the school.
Mullins said all Pickens County Schools have a poli
cy of requiring visitors to check in with school offi
cials .
“All children have to be signed out, and all visitors
have to have a visible pass issued by a school employ
ee,” said Mullins.
Allen Wigington of the sheriff’s department said,
“Any time someone walks onto school property to
remove a child without permission, it’s of great concern
to us.”
Damon Howell / Photo
Roper Park was bustling with activity last Saturday when the
Pickens County Recreation Department kicked off the 2004
baseball, softball, T-ball season.
Play Ball!!
PCRD Opening Day A Success
The 2004 Pickens County
Recreation Department Baseball,
Softball & T-ball season opening
day was a great success this past
Saturday as all 47 teams were rep
resented and introduced to the
public. On a beautiful spring day,
Roper Park was filled with chil
dren full of dreams and parents,
grand-parents and various family
members full of pride. All of the
teams were paraded onto field #3
where each team and their spon
sor were recognized and also
every child and volunteer coach
was introduced.
Recreation Department Direc
tor Greg Walker said 550 children
had signed up as of last Friday.
After the introductions, every
one was treated to a sparkling ren
dition of the “National Anthem”
by Pickens High School sopho
more Brittany Glover. The first
pitch for baseball was thrown out
by Pickens County Commissioner
Bill Newton and for softball by
Pickens High School girls head
basketball and softball coach
Donnie Byrom. After that, Pick
ens County Recreation Depart
ment Director Greg Walker
declared the 2004 season official
ly open.
To conclude the day’s activi
ties, a home run derby was held
on field #2 for all of the Recre
ation Departments volunteer
coaches. This event was a lot of
fun and it was won by Mike
Kephart who coaches the 9-10-
year-old boy’s Cubs. He blasted
two long home runs to beat sever
al other coaches who hit one
home run each.
A very special thank you from
the Recreation Department is
extended to our friends at ETC
who sponsored this event and
helped make it the success it was.
They had games for children and
giveaways for everyone that
ensured a good time was had by
all!
Pickens Deputy paid $40,000 on last day on the job
County attorney says payment is for settlement, but few details provided
By Dan Pool
Amy Trantham, who worked for two years as a Pickens
Deputy, was paid $40,000 by the county on her last day on the
job, but few details on the check are being released by the
sheriff’s department.
According to her personnel file Trantham served as deputy
and communications officer from Jan. 25, 2001 until Jan 13,
2003. Her file contained little in the way of information relat
ing to her performance.
Captain Allen Wigington said Trantham had been assigned
mainly as an administrative clerk, but had the training to
assist in investigations.
Her file shows she “voluntarily resigned” on Jan. 13, 2003.
On that day the county issued her a check for $40,000.
It was budgeted as payment to others in the sheriff’s budg
et.
County Financial Director Lorrie Fleming said she did not
have any details on the payment.
Sheriff Billy Wofford and Wigington said they would like
to discuss the case, but refrained because it is a personnel
issue.
Wofford said he would stand on his past record.
“I stand on my record of twenty three plus years of dedi-
Continued on page 3A
2004 “Art
Gala this
By Doug Brooks
Still time to get your tickets or make
donations for the 2004 “Art for Heart” Gala
to be held this Saturday evening from 7-11
p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, spon
sored by the Pickens County Division of the
American Heart Association.
The “Art for Heart” Gala will include a
silent and live auction of outstanding works
of art donated by local artists and great
music for listening and dancing by Swing
Shift. A wide variety of scrumptious hors
d’ouvres will again be provided by the pre
senting sponsors, Joe and Brenda Rueffert
and the Woodbridge Inn. This year’s theme
is “Go Red For Women” and women are
encouraged to wear red. Men could also
show support by wearing a red tie or some
other red item.
Donors of art work are asked to take their
donations to Elaine Carver at the Jasper
Local artist Alan Young with one of
the watercolors he is donating to the
Heart Fund auction. Young said he
spent three months working on this
piece and he considers it one of his best.
for Heart”
Saturday
Banking Co. Items can include original
works, prints, mixed media, pottery and
sculpture. Donations are tax deductible.
To be successful, a live auction requires
three things: outstanding items to be auc
tioned, individuals to bid on the items and a
talented and live auctioneer. Tom Lindsey
will fill the bill as auctioneer again this year
and we are assured of a lively and successful
auction.
Tickets for the Gala are $40 each and are
available at Century 21 - Best Mountain
Properties, Marble Hill, Century 21 - Lind
sey & Pauley, Crescent Bank, Jasper Bank
ing Co., Jasper Drug Store and the Pickens
County Progress.
This is an opportunity to attend an
evening of music and entertainment, enjoy
great refreshments and participate in an auc
tion to raise funds for a cause that is impor
tant to all of us, the fight against heart dis
ease and stroke.
A special event this year will be a tribute
to Earl Brinson, long-time local supporter of
the work of the American Heart Association.
Funds raised by the event will go to the
American Heart Association’s continuing
Continued on page 3A
No foul play
in death of
local man
A Jasper man was found
deceased Saturday morning on
Mullinax Road, but no foul play
was suspected.
Wayne Alan Wynn’s body
was found in the woods on the
side of the road, according to a
sheriff’s department incident
report. Two area residents look
ing to buy real estate noticed the
body lying on the ground as they
drove by.
Both local and GBI officials
responded when one of them
called 911.
Pickens County coroner Lon
nie Waters said the autopsy
determined the death was “acci
dental,” which rules out both
foul play and natural causes.
Waters said he didn’t have
the complete results back from
the crime lab, but had been noti
fied that no further investigation
was required.
“There is no reason to sus
pect the person was killed or
killed himself,” said Waters.
