About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2019)
Thursday, October 3, 2019 Volume 132 Number 24 Jasper, Georgia Local News Published Weekly ™ "It's warm, dry and weekend what we can afford" By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com say permanent RV dwellers Organizers are gearing up for the 39th annual Marble Festival, which will run this weekend Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6. “We are excited to have so many new additions to the festival this year and are looking forward to see everyone there,” said Pick ens Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amberle Godfrey. Festivities kick off on Saturday at 8 a.m. with the Marble Festival Road Race, followed by a parade down Main Street in Jasper at 10 a.m. Events, activities, and entertainment are scheduled until 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Lee Newton Park. This year’s Grand Marshal is the 2019 Citizen of the Year Pickens Sheriff Donnie Craig. New events this year in clude the “Egg Fest,” a Big Green Egg demonstration on Saturday, Oct. 5th where participants can stop by for food samples or play a game of comhole. Also new are tours of a tiny home, a retail non-profit vendor area, a “bigger and better” kids area, ghost tours of the Old Jail that have already sold out, and a booth where Ken- nesaw State University’s Department of Museums, Archives, & Rare Books will document stories of Pickens County history. See Festival on 2A Dan Pool / Photo Neal Montgomery, outside his home, says he and other RV residents would “be lost in the woods” if the county suddenly cracked-down on housing that doesn’t meet official building codes. By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com “Necessity, pure and simple; it’s what we can afford,” said one of the residents of two RVs parked near each other north of Jasper. One member of the group asked for the Progress to come and see their homes in hopes that the county will understand the implications of any re strictions they may pass on RVs. The planning commission has dis cussed in two previous meetings the need to address people living in non- certified housing, including RVs, Tiny Homes, and even tents. The discussion indicated there may be between 50 and 100 of these residences that the county’s planning office was aware of. In comments later, Planning Director Rodney Buckingham said that was his ballpark estimate but he simply doesn’t have any good way to survey all the people out there who may be re siding under the radar in non-tradi- tional homes. The two RVs visited both sat on rented property with well-maintained yards off Circle Stone Road. One, a 30-footer, had several potted plants around the doorway and looked like it would fit in at a vacation destination RV park. The condition of the other, a cramped 22-footer, looked rough out side and inside, but the lot where it sat was shady and neat with a picnic-table Southern Spirits film coming soon to an old jail near you Angela Reinhardt / Photo Jethro Flicks’ Executive Producer Tim White gets into character at the gallows inside the Old Jail where he filmed Southern Spirits. The film will run the last three weekends in October inside the historic Main Street build ing. By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Most people have been to haunted houses or haunted hayrides during the Hal loween season - but how many people can say they’ve watched a spooky film in side a spooky old jail in the days leading up to All Hal lows Eve? This year movie-goers will have their chance with Southern Spirits, the locally- produced film that will be presented inside the historic Old Jail on Main Street the last three weekends in Octo ber. The film follows the story of a jail tour guide who, after being granted ac cess by the “Keymaster,” un intentionally conjures ghosts of former inmates and sparks a series of tragic events. “It’s tasteful, there isn’t any gratuitous violence, just See Film on 2A Extreme danger with burn ban lifted By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Other than a few very brief instances, there has been no rainfall for weeks. The conditions have reduced lake, creek, and river levels, and made for very dry condi tions in Pickens County and much of Georgia. These drought-like conditions, now rated a four and five on the Georgia Forestry Commission’s five-step danger system indicating “very high” or “ex treme” danger, will impact the summer bum ban that was lifted on Tuesday, Oct. 1 for 54 counties in Georgia. Residents can now apply for a permit for outdoor fires. "The decision to bum must be made on specific weather criteria in each location, and because safety is always our top con cern, burn permitting may be restricted based on the fire danger forecast,” said Georgia Forestry Commission Chief of Protection Frank Sorrells in a prepared statement. "The GFC will resume issuing burn permits on a day to day basis, follow ing our established fire danger and smoke management procedures, in those counties which have been under the EPD Bum Ban. We recognize the importance of and pro mote prescribed burning for the many wildfire prevention, forest management and agriculture benefits it provides. How ever, right now we're asking everyone to be extremely vigilant when doing any open burning, including burning yard de bris.” Jasper Fire Chief Steve Roper said recreational fires such as campfires and very small bonfires with all natural mate rials for entertainment purposes do not re quire a permit. According to the GFC, “a permit is required for burning all natural vegetation that his hand-piled, including leaf piles on the premises that they fall, ex isting small clearings to plant vegetable and flower gardens, and vegetative debris disposal from storm damage, weed abate ment, disease or pest prevention.” It is unlawful to bum man-made mate rials at any time, even in a bum barrel. Pickens County Fire Marshal Shane Callahan said despite the bum ban being lifted, it will be “iffy” if residents will be able to get a bum permit. “I applied for a permit for the high school to have a bonfire for their home coming, and the only way they were going to give me one See Burn Ban on 2A School board approves millage, 2020 fiscal year budget By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com In a called meeting lasting a matter of minutes the school board approved the millage rate for this year and a fiscal year 2020 budget Friday at the central office. With board chair Tucker Green partic ipating by speaker phone, the board ap proved a rolled back millage rate of 15.1 mils, down from last year’s 15.33. Superintendent Carlton Wilson com mented that this marked the fourth year in a row they had rolled back the tax rate and he was excited about it. The board is projecting to collect $21,713,882 in property taxes to fund the next budget. This is up 1.92 percent ($409,416) over the amount collected this year. The rising tax digest (value of prop erty in the county) allows all the local gov ernments to lower their millage rates and collect either the same amount or slightly more than previous years. The millage rate has dropped steadily since 2015 when it was at 16.1 mils as the digest (value of taxable property here) has increased during that same time from $1,337,126,369 in 2015 to $1,430,426,977. Inside: Part two of The Great Marble Strike of 1962 Page 14A Brock Turner first in Bass tournament Page 1B Obituaries - 12A • George Baker • Ruth Roland • Samuel Knighton , Jr. Index Obituaries 12A Editorial 4 A Letters to the editor 5 A Church 5-6B Kids 4B People 3B Classifieds 8-9B Legals 6-7B Follow Us Online 6DU YouQH§ Contact Us 94 North Main Street Jasper, Ga. 30143 706-253-2457 www.pickensprogress.com Open for business during these hours: Mon-Thurs, 9-5, and Fri, 9-4:30 See School on 2A
