About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2019)
Thursday, October 17, 2019 Volume 132 Number 26 Jasper, Georgia Local News Published Weekly “No, we’re not arming teachers,” says Wilson Community erupts over transgender issue Gun policy under 30-day public review By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com At their regular meeting, Thursday, Oct. 10, Pickens Supt. Carlton Wilson dis cussed a policy that would allow some employees to carry a firearm on campus. Wilson recommended the policy be placed under pub lic review for 30 days before it goes to the board for a vote at the November meet ing. A few years ago the Georgia General Assembly approved a policy that al lows boards of education to approve certain personnel to carry weapons on school property or in any building leased by the district, at a school function, on a bus or other transportation fur nished by the school district. According to the AJC, Laurens County became the first Georgia county to allow firearms in schools in 2018, which was spurred on by shootings in Parkland, Fla. Pickens County schools, in conjunction with the Pickens Sheriff’s Office, is becom ing a model of school safety for their active shooter train ing. Wilson has called the See Guns on 2A Angela Reinhardt / Photo The crowd erupts after impassioned comments from Joy House Executive Director Steve Lowe, who said he was “heartbroken ” by the school system’s actions allowing more bathroom choices for transgender students. By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Roughly 850 people turned out for a tense town hall meeting regarding transgender bathrooms in Pickens schools, a topic that has caused public uproar and division in Pickens County over the last week. No issue in recent history has cap tured the attention of local residents as strongly as this has. The town hall meeting, which was standing room only at one of the county’s largest ven ues, was the biggest anyone could re call in many years. The issue has aroused much anger and confusion, spurring on death threats to top school officials. In anticipation of a tense meeting, enflamed by heated social media posts and comments leading up to the event, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office had over 20 deputies on duty at the Pickens High School Performing Art Center Monday, Oct. 14. The town hall was emotionally charged, with impassioned members of the public speaking on both sides of the issue. Although no one was escorted from the building, Pickens Supt. Dr. Carlton See Transgender on 2A Advance voting open, runs through November ist i % sales tax, earlier Sunday alcohol sales on ballot [Sample Ballot Page 13B] By Christie Pool Staff writer christie@piekensprogress.com Advance voting began Monday, Oct. 14th. Voters wishing to cast their ballot before Election Day may do so Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through Friday, November 1 at the Pickens County Office of Elections and Registration located at 83 Pioneer Road, Jasper. Voters go to their polling place on Election Day, Tues day, Nov. 5th from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will not be a Saturday advance voting day, according to Elections Supervisor Julie Roberts. Those are required only if there is a federal issue on the ballot. Voters here may cast bal lots either for or against a one percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to be continued for six years, ending in 2025. Local county and city governments expect to re ceive $37 million to fund capital projects if the sales tax is approved. Pickens County officials will use the funding for roads, bridges, water and sewer facilities, debt on the airport, Fire/EMS/911, sher iff’s facilities and equip ment, parks and recreation projects and facilities, and economic development cap ital outlay project(s). City of Jasper officials say they will use money from the tax for roads, side walks, bridge and storm water projects, water and See Voting on 17A From Jasper to Japan Lawson trains for 2020 Paralympics Family / Photo Ali Lawson in action during the Para Pan-American Games held this August. Lawson grew up in Jasper and graduated from PHS. Her parents are Al and Terri Lawson. She is one of a set of triplets. Her brothers are Will and Clay. Lawson is a four time national champion, silver medalist at the 2019 Para Pan-Am Games, and over the course of five years has medaled at several regional tournaments. By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com If anyone is a shining example of overcoming challenges it’s Jasper na tive Ali Lawson. Lawson, who has lost 90 percent of her vision to a de generative eye disease, is now a world-class “goalball” athlete prepar ing for the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. “I’ve had so many people in my life who are incredibly supportive,” Lawson said from Ft. Wayne, Ind. where she trains as a resident of the Goalball Center for Excellence. “My parents have been amazing, and I have grown up around so many strong women, like my mom who works so hard and who has always told me to never stop and go for it. I’m very for tunate.” Lawson, just back from the ISBA Para Pan-American games in Peru as well as a test event in Tokyo, took time out from her busy schedule to talk about goalball and her plans for the future. The 24-year-old Pickens High graduate said despite her vision prob lems she had a fairly normal child hood. She wore glasses from the age of 2 to 14 and was able to participate in sports like soccer and t-ball during those early years. She also excelled in academics, graduating in 2014 as an honors student. “Vision played a part in my child hood but thanks to my parents I never felt separated or isolated,” said Law- son. “I’m very grateful.” She wasn’t introduced to goalball until high school at a day camp at the Center for the Visually Impaired in At lanta. The coach at that demo game saw Lawson’s potential when she fried out the sport. She was 17 at the time. “The coach told me, it looks like you’re going to be playing goalball,” she said laughing. “I loved it.” See Lawson on 2A “Compassion, common sense, and the law” RV discussion continues By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com After quickly approving a rezoning to allow a new winery, the planning commission returned to a discussion of the need for regulations on RVs, tiny homes and other alternative hous ing during their October meeting Monday in the Admin Building. In the brief business, they voted to rezone 36.6 acres off Inland Drive, in the Jones Mountain area, to agricul ture to accommodate a planned win ery by property owners Charles and Cathy Hoetink of Woodstock. The couple plans to eventually plant five acres in grapes and be open to the public on weekends. They indi cated during questions from the com mission members that their operation will be in the center of the property, leaving an ample buffer and they have no concerns about the property being on a gravel road. They said it takes about three years for hybrid grape vines to begin pro ducing grapes for wine and five years for classic vines to produce. By pur chasing other Georgia-grown grapes, they hope to have wine to sell in about two years. A structure will be built on the property for production/tasting. The zoning change was recom mended unanimously. RV discussion shows hesitancy to en force rigid rides During the board comments por tion of the meeting, commission member Clayton Preble referenced an October 3 Pickens Progress article (“It’s warm, dry and what we can af- See RV on 17A Inside: Are there haunted places in Pickens County? Page 6A Jones seeks re-election as commission chair Page 9 a Obituaries - 3A • Barbara Brown • Billye White • Carl Sissom • Charles McMullen • Clara Quinton • Deborah Norton • James Morgan • Luke Wheeler • Marcia Preble • Tony Payne • Vera Wright Index Obituaries 3A Editorial 4A Letters to the editor . ,5A Church 16-17A Kids 5B People 4B Classifieds 14-15B Legals 6-13B Follow Us Online 6Gl 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
