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PAGE 12A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 30. 2010
Marble Festival Road Race
this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Runners on your mark, get
set, GO! Feet pounding, runners
stretching, people shouting greet
ings to one another. North Geor
gia apples in kudzu baskets and
Bodacious snacks, cups and cups
of PowerAde and water, volun
teers in orange vests blocking
roads along South Main Street,
orange cones, race officials
yelling, “Clear the road for run
ners, men to the left, ladies to the
right,” flagging tape and finally
the finish line. These are some
of the sights and sounds you will
see and hear around Jasper
United Methodist Church as we
prepare for the 30th Annual
Georgia Marble Festival Road
Race. The more than 600 partic
ipants come from Jasper and all
over the North Georgia area,
with many families, running
clubs and teams participating.
The 5K (3.1 miles) race blasts
off at the 4-way stop at the inter
section of Spring Street and
South Main Street; it features a
downhill finish that weary run
ners look forward to. After the
5K, runners 14 and under will
enjoy the One Mile Fun Run,
along with many power walkers
and even folks out for an early
autumn morning stroll.
The road race sponsored by
the Dorcas Circle of the Jasper
United Methodist Church is the
main fundraiser each year, pro
viding funds for ministry to chil
dren and families in our commu
nity. The pre-registration fee is
$18 through Sept. 29, $20 after
the 29th and on race day registra
tion, $15 for kids 14 and under.
Every one who signs up receives
a fabulous and comfy long sleeve
T-shirt designed and printed by
Sharp Mountain Graphics.
The list of ministries sup
ported by the race is long and
varied and includes programs
within our UM congregation as
well as our community. The
Pickens County Pregnancy Cen
ter, local JUMC preschool,
scholarships for youth for camps
and spiritual retreats, the Good
Samaritan Center, CARES, Girl
and Boy Scout troops, Ap
palachian Children’s Emergency
Services, Boys and Girls Club,
Joy House, Hope House, Goshen
Valley Boys Ranch, Sunshine
Camp and SERV Ministries In
ternational.
Awards are given for both
races in various age categories at
the awards ceremony, finishing
just in the nick of time for the
Georgia Marble Festival Parade.
5K awards to Overall Male and
Female, Master and Grand Mas
ters plus 3 deep in 16 age groups.
1 Mile awards are presented to
Overall Male and Female plus 3
deep in 4 age groups. One to
each running club, school and
Sunday rains welcomed
by all, especially city’s
water superintendent
Long Swamp Creek, city water
supplies replinished
By Christie Pool
With two-and-a-half inches of
rain falling in a near continuous,
soaking flow throughout the day
Sunday, county residents were
breathing a sigh of relief after
weeks with not a drop of rain to
hydrate lawns, plants or pools.
But perhaps no one was happier
than city of Jasper Water Super
intendent David Hall who saw
the amoimt of water flowing over
the dam at Cove Creek move
from under two inches to just
over 8 inches.
“It made a world of differ
ence,” Hall said Monday morn
ing. “The main indicator in a
drought situation is the surface
water strain on Long Swamp
Creek.”
Hall said the late summer’s
lack of rain never got to the point
it did two years ago when red
flags were going up for local au
thorities worrying about water
supplies for their customers.
“It was, however, getting on
down to where we were sort of
getting concerned with the creek
level,” he said. “We were actu
ally down to where only an inch
and three-quarters was coming
over the dam. After the rain Sun
day afternoon there was eight
inches coming over it. The rain
made a big difference.”
When the flow over the dam
gets below two inches, Hall said,
the city pulls water from the
Cove Creek mines, which hold
an estimated 300-400 million
gallons of water.
“The mines are at 230 feet
right now and full is 200 feet,”
Hall said. “The lowest we’ve
Pickens Master Gardeners schedule
new member training
If you have ever thought of
becoming a Master Gardener,
now is the time to sign up. The
first requirement is to take the
training consisting of 80 hours of
classroom instruction. After fin
ishing the training and passing
the test you must volunteer 50
hours in the first year to the var
ious Master Gardener projects to
become a Master Gardener. In
the following years, 25 volunteer
hours will be required to main
tain your membership.
An Initial Training class for
five counties is scheduled at the
North Metro Campus starting in
January, one day a week for 10
weeks. The cost will be $140.
The class size is limited and par
ticipants will be chosen by inter
view by their County Master
Gardeners. Pickens County resi
dents must register for this class
by Oct. 15. See the Pickens
County Master Gardener Web
page for the class application and
detailed class information.
www.pickensmg.com
Contact the Master Gardeners
at the County Extension Office,
706-253-8840, or uge
1227@uga.edu
Card of Thanks
Geneva Evans would like to
send heartfelt thanks for all of the
We’re always
just a click away
(If you have internet access)
www.pickensprogress.com
kind thoughts and prayers during
her illness. The food and gifts
were constant reminders of those
who care. Visits from friends are
so uplifting. These things have
helped more than you know in
the recovery process. Still going
strong in the Lord’s name. God
bless you all!
family with the most partici
pants. Recipients can proudly
display their unique marble
plaques. Naturally, the marble
comes from local quarries, gen
erously donated by the Blue
Ridge Marble and Granite Co.
The fickle fall weather has no
bearing on the race. It is held
whether it is a chilly morning or
a hot, humid day. So come on out
and join in rain or shine!
You can download and print
the registration form from our
website located at: www.jaspe-
rumc.org, tagged on the left side
of the home page as UMW Road
Raceorwww.active.com. Forms
are also available at the church
lobby welcome center or the
church office, 85 West Church
Street, Jasper, Ga., 706-253-
2100. Return completed forms
with check or cash to the church
office. (Make checks payable to
JUMC, Dorcas Circle.)
Many thanks to our sponsors:
$500 Level: Century 21 -Lind
sey & Pauley, Clockwork Print,
Blue Ridge Marble and Granite
Company, Steve Moranos All
state Agency and quotemegeor-
gia.com
$300 Level: Jasper Drugs and
Gifts, William (Chuck) Mc
Curdy, Attorney at Law, Geral
dine’s Bodacious Cheese Straws,
Bell, Rollins, Rugh & Logan
LLC, Burnt Mountain Trading
Company, Ginger Hall Body By
Vi, Renasant Bank, Jasper Fam
ily Dentistry, Fixmebruce.com
and R&R Body Shop.
Product Sponsors: Blue Ridge
Marble & Granite, Bojangles,
Clockwork Print, Cool Water
Distribution, Geraldine’s Boda
cious Snacks, Powerade.
Three pounds of prescriptions pills pop up
on Sheriff’s Take Back Day
Sheriff Donnie Craig, center, said he was surprised by the number ofpeople seeking to get rid of
old prescriptions Saturday, during the “Take Back Initiative. ”
Sheriff Donnie Craig said he
was surprised by the amount of
pills taken permanently off the
street dining his first “Take Back
Initiative” Saturday.
On Saturday, the sheriff,
deputies and members of the
anti-drug coalition manned a
booth at the courthouse where
old prescription drugs could be
turned in for disposal.
The sheriff said about 15 peo
ple came by and at first he was
discouraged but “then I realized
that this was three pounds of
stuff we could take of the streets
and that is pretty successful.”
While some of the pills re
ceived Saturday were old vita
mins, other people turned in
OxyContin, and other painkillers
which are sold on the street for il
licit purposes.
Often people keep old pre
scriptions or when someone dies
who was on painkillers which are
still left and this day gave a way
for people to safely dispose of
what they may have had in their
homes, said Craig.
He said people are sometimes
hesitant to flush the pills down
the toilet fearing they might con
taminate a water supply and
throwing them in the trash leaves
them open to being found and
taken by someone later.
Craig said he felt the day had
shown there was enough need
that he will get an old mailbox
and put it in front of the jail for
anyone who still has oid pre
scription drugs they would like
to get rid of. He said this jail
drop-off will be a no-questions-
ask way to dispose of any drugs.
He said the box will be clearly
marked and painted to indicate
its purpose when it is ready.
Foumof
‘TaOqtig tRpcf
16 th Annual
Heritage Days Festival
October 16 ~ 17, 2010
9:00 am ~ 5:00 pm
Antiques • Music • Food
Arts & Crafts
Fun for all ages
FREE PARKING &
ADMISSION
ever seen the mines was at 270
feet and that was during one of
our severe droughts back in
2006. Zero is ground level and
the water level at 200 means its
200 feet from the surface of the
ground so the further the water
drops the higher the number
goes. It takes a long time to drop
that mine a foot.”
The city water system
processes an average of 1.7 mil
lion gallons of water a day, peak
ing as high as two million a day
back in June and July, Hall said,
during the peak of pool season.
There are approximately 5,400
city water meters, with an aver
age of 2.8 customers per meter.
When rain stopped coming in
August, Hall said demand didn’t
increase too much or cause a
strain on the city’s water supply.
“I think it was late enough in
the year where people sort of
gave up on the pool thing and
garden thing,” Hall said. “The
creek was our main concern. We
were hoping to get some rain for
it but we were still in good shape.
We weren’t to the point we were
a couple of years ago.”
Hall credits the mine reserves
for the city’s thriving water sys
tem.
“The mines were acquired in
the late 90s or early 2000 and the
wells around there installed in
1996 and if it wasn’t for the
mines we’d be purchasing water
from somewhere else like Chero
kee County every summer,” he
said. “We’ve seen a lot of dry
spells but we’ve come through
them.”
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2010 Ford E350
15 PassenqerVan
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2011 Ford Ranger Sport
Super Cab, 4X4, Loaded
Was $29,300
Discount $5,514
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2010 Ford F-150 Lariat
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Discount $10,927
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2010 Ford Fusion SEL
Sunroof
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2010 Ford Flex Limited
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2010 Ford Explorer
Eddie Bauer Edition, Black
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2010 Ford Focus SEL
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2010 Ford Taurus Limited
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Kipp
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1999 Ford Taurus SE
Was $4,999
Discount $3,026
YOUR PRICE
4 $ 1,973
1999 Ford Expedition
Eddie Bauer Edition, 4WD, Sunroof
Was $8,999
HgrTUj Discount$3,028
YOUR PRICE
$5,971
2008 Chevy Uplander LS
Was $16,999
Discount $5,212
YOUR PRICE
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2007 Chevy Impala LS
Black
Was $16,999
Discount $5,012
YOUR PRICE
$11,987
2010 Ford Escape Ltd.
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1986 FORD F-150
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— Discount $3,013
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BBililMI $2,986
2003 Ford F-150 Lariat
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2007 Chevy Malibu LS
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2010 Chevy Impala LT
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2006 Hummer H2
Was $35,999
Discount $7,278
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2006 Polaris Scrambler
Was $5,999
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2002 Ford F-150 4WD
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2007 Scion
Was $15,999
Discount $4,028
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2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
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S^gjj Discount $5,178
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2008 Ford F-250 FX4
4WD
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Discount $8,61
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1997 GMC High Top
Conversion Van
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2006 Chevy Colorado
Ext. Cab
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Discount $4,028
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2004 Mazda RX8
Loaded, 39K Miles
Was $16,999
Discount $5,013
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2008 Jeep Wrangler
Unlimited, 4WD, 4 Door
Was $28,983
Discount $6,022
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0% financing with approved credit. See dealer for complete details.
North GA Ford
Visit us at northgaford.com 706-632-8900
LOCATED BETWEEN BLUE RIDGE AND BLAIRSVILLE ON HWY. 515