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THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 1.2011 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 3A
TEA Party spurs Constitution Day celebrations
Leaders rally to honor founding document
Local leaders unify to honor Constitution Day, to be held on September 17. Above,
Commissioner Rob Jones and Jasper Mayor John Weaver sign a joint proclamation
declaring the week of September 17 through September 23 Constitution Week in Pick
ens county. Pictured are (back row from l to r) Stephen Hall of the Pickens County
Tea Party, Susan Walker of the Pickens County Tea Party, City of Jasper Chief of
Police Greg Lovell, Pickens County Sheriff Donnie Craig, State Representative Rick
Jasperse, Matt Youngblood of WYYZ, Kathy Boutwell of the Pickens County Tea
Party, Tonia Clark, production manager from WYYZ and (front row from l to r)
Jasper Mayor John Weaver, Pickens County Commissioner Rob Jones and Ap
palachian Judicial Circuit Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver.
By Angela Reinhardt,
staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
On September 17, 1787 the
U.S. Constitution was adopted.
Now, 235 years later, local
leaders are banding together to
honor Constitution Day, a federal
observance that was established
by lawmakers in 2004.
The Pickens County TEA
Party has rallied members of the
school board, the county govern
ment, City of Jasper officials, the
sheriff’s office and others to get
behind the September 17 obser
vance, with visions of making it
an event that unites the commu
nity under the banner of patriot
ism.
“We want the community to
come together to celebrate the in
credible liberties and freedoms
that we have and really invoke
some community spirit and patri
otism,” said Pickens County
TEA Party Chair Susan Walker.
“I remember being in Jasper after
9/11, and everyone on Main
Street was displaying flags and it
was such an incredible feeling of
unity. That’s what we want this
day to be.”
While created back in 2004,
Constitution Day was brought to
the attention of the Pickens
County TEA Party just last year,
and they discovered a little-
known prevision to the 2004
amendment that requires that
every school or college that re
ceives federal funding to teach
about the Constitution on Sep
tember 17, the same day the doc
ument was signed by the
founding fathers so many years
ago.
“We found that out and just
thought, this is important and this
is something we need to get be
hind,” Walker said, who began
speaking with local school offi
cials about upholding the provi
sion.
“I had nothing but support
from everyone I spoke with,”
Walker said, who noted that all
schools in the Pickens County
school district will, for the first
time, be honoring Constitution
Day during the week leading up
to September 17.
Among the many projects and
events being held at local
schools, PCMS will be hosting a
Constitution-themed assembly,
and at the elementary, middle
and high school levels students
will be able to participate in an
essay and poster contest with the
theme “What the Constitution
Means to Me.”
Winning entries may be pub
lished at www.futurevoiceso-
famerica.org, and some winners
will be invited to read their es
says on WYYZ radio and at the
Constitution Day Festival, slated
for September 17.
“Every school is going to do
something,” Walker said. “We
want kids to know how precious
our freedoms and liberties are.
We want to celebrate them so we
don’t lose the principals that are
outlined in our Constitution.”
Walker and other local TEA
Party members are also encour
aging downtown businesses to
display a flag from September 11
through September 18.
Constitution Week has also
recently been designated in Pick
ens by way of local proclamation
signed by both Pickens County
Commissioner Rob Jones and
Jasper Mayor John Weaver. Con
stitution Week will be held from
September 17 though September
23.
“It’s just good to get this on
the books,” Walker said. “It lets
people know leaders are really
behind this.”
The Constitution Day Festival
will be held at Lee Newton Park
from 5 to 9 p.m. The event is
free, and will feature musical en
tertainment, speakers, food and
other fun activities.
Walker also said the TEA
Party, who is sponsoring the
event, is looking for donations
that will go to fund scholarships
for children or to help with costs
for the event.
The TEA Party is also encour
aging businesses to donate door
prizes for students who are enter
ing the poster and essay contest.
“This is a day that is so im
portant, because the Constitution
is so important,” Walker said.
“Let’s make this something re
ally special for everyone in the
community.”
My T utor
Charity Wofford
771 Talc Mine Road
Jasper, GA 30143
678-761-7473
678-909-0307
northgatutor@yahoo.com
www.northgatutor.com
Young Life pleased with Judge’s ruling,
hope for quick resolution
Some of Young Life’s 1,146 acres that were ruled on by the courts.
By Christie Pool
Staff writer
christie@pickensprogress.com
Young Life officials and attor
neys last week issued statements
saying they are pleased with a re
cent superior court ruling grant
ing the group’s Sharp Top Cove
camp tax-exempt status on 647
of its 1,146 acres in Pickens
County.
“Young Life is extremely
pleased with the recent decision
that was handed down by Judge
Bagley, and believe that it further
supports Young Life’s long
standing claims that Yoimg Life’s
Sharp Top Cove camp is being
used as a place of religious wor
ship, consistent with its tax-ex
empt purpose,” said Paul
Sherrill, Young Life Vice Presi
dent of Administrative Services.
Pickens County
Coin Collector’s Club
Meets the 1 st & 3 rd
Tuesday of each month
at 5 pm at the
Dean Center,
Amicalola E.M.C
515 at Camp Road
Jasper, GA
Call Butch 770-324-8724
“Young Life remains grateful for
the tremendous support that has
been received from county resi
dents regarding this issue. It has
always been the desire of Young
Life to positively contribute to
the community in whatever ways
it can. Young Life is hopeful that
Pickens County officials will
move forward to resolve this
matter quickly, so that Young
Life can continue to direct its ef
forts and resources to share the
love of Christ with hurting ado
lescents.”
In late July a superior court
judge ruled partially in Young
Life’s favor, saying the organiza
tion does qualify for a tax ex
emption as an institution of
“religious worship” and the orig
inal 647 acres purchased in 1997
along with several of the group’s
lodges and buildings should be
exempt from ad valorem taxes.
Judge Jeffrey Bagley ruled
against Young Life, however,
saying the group’s tax exempt
status for their additional 499
acres should be decided by a
jury. Young Life had petitioned
for exemption for the 499 acres
under the state’s “public charity”
statute.
Attorneys for Pickens County
filed a notice of appeal to chal
lenge the trial court’s ruling on
the 647 acres and expect the final
judgment to come sometime next
year. According to the tax asses
sor’s office, the Sharp Top Cove
property is valued at $11.87 mil
lion. Last year the nearly 1,200
acres and buildings were as
sessed $106,741 in taxes.
“Georgia case law under
stands that God cannot be con
fined to any one building and
worship occurs when a group of
people is gathered together to
honor Him with reverence and
prayer,” said Mary Benton, of
Alston and Bird, lead counsel for
Young Life. “The Sharp Top
cove camp property is dedicated
to and used for the purpose of
worshipping God through the
many activities that are incorpo
rated into camp. The entire camp
property is a manifestation of the
gospel. As Judge Bagley deter
mined, Young Life is clearly ex
empt as a place of religious
worship, and we believe this de
cision will be upheld at the Court
of Appeals, which has already
ruled that the same property was
exempt for the same purpose
when owned by the Atlanta Bap
tist Association.”
Both sides will next present
oral arguments in appeals court.
No date has been set.
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Barber Shop
Where Customers Are #7
706-253-6302
630 E. Church Street • Jasper, Georgia 30143 ’
Mary Caraway
Owner
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Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
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706-692-6427