Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, October 8, 2020
Volume 133 Number 25
Jasper, Georgia
22 pages in two sections
Published Weekly
Pickens Commission Chair
candidates keep it "classy"
Commission chair candidate Kris Stancil (R) stressed relationship
building and his history of public service in Monday night ’s forum.
photos/ Dan Pool
Commission chair candidate David Shouse (I) emphasized his think-
outside-the-box approach and the need for change.
Econ. development,
JeepFest, good ol’
boys, and other
topics debated
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
The commission chair debate be
tween candidates Kris Stancil (R)
and David Shouse (I) proved to be
civil on the part of both candidates
as well as members of the public,
who were invited to ask questions
from the floor. The most heated por
tion was in response to a question
about Stancil’s involvement with
JeepFest.
During closing statements,
Shouse, who had apparently ex
pected a more fiery exchange, said
he would change his final comment
because discourse had remained
“classy.”
The event was held at the Pickens
County Administration Building and
was hosted by the Pickens Progress.
Stancil, who has a history of pub
lic service with law enforcement and
other entities like the Pickens Cham
ber of Commerce and churches, em
phasized in opening and closing
statements that relationship building
and working together with other
community leaders is “key for us to
be able to move forward.” He sees
Pickens as being on the “brink of in
credible things” with “great oppor
tunities in front of us.”
Shouse, a developer who has
many commercial properties, high
lighted his ability to think outside the
box, “roll up his sleeves and work,”
and negotiate with businesses and
leaders to bring meaningful projects
and improvements to the commu
nity. He wants to use his develop
ment background as a way to
improve the county and “lay a suc
cessful foundation” for its future. He
entered the race because “Pickens
County needed a real change.”
The following are highlights of
the debate, which lasted just over an
hour:
See Forum on 8A
Airport
By Max Caylor
Progress Contributor
“Customer service keeps
pilots coming back to buy
fuel and seek a home base
for their aircraft,” said Pick
ens County Airport Manager
Randy Thomason. The
Pickens County native has
been the day-to-day opera
tions person for 14 years and
knows the heartbeat of local
aviation.
Thomason started his avi
ation career in the fifth grade
as a member of the Civil Air
Patrol commanded by long
time pilot and airport sup
porter Howard Ray. He
joined the Air Force just
after graduation from Pick
ens High School and had a
27-year career as a weapons
specialist.
Everything about the air-
increasing in use, black ink
Some of the 70 to 80 planes based at the Pickens County Airport. The airport authority is the early stages ofplanning
for new T-hangars (for regular aircraft), jet hangars and a new terminal building. Max Caylor / Photo
port reflects Thomason’s ture. “I am proud of my director. thority Board and sees the
low-key, downhome attitude county and I want it to sue- Businessman Don Bog- aviation center as playing a
but with a tone of military ceed economically espe- gus, Jr. is the chairperson of vital role in economic devel-
professionalism and struc- cially the airport,” said the the five-person Airport Au- See Airport on 5A
Jasper Council raises property taxes by 21 percent
Trick-or-Treating
on Main Street still
up in the air
By Max Caylor
Progress Contributor
On Monday, Jasper City
Council voted to raise prop
erty taxes by one mill to
5.665 over the current rate of
4.665, a 21 percent increase.
Previously, council had dis
cussed a whopping 56 per
cent increase.
City Manager Brandon
Douglas noted that a prop
erty valued at $140,000
would now have an annual
i n - See Council on 9A
Into the wild blue yonder, remotely and virtually
By Larry Cavender
Progress Contributor
Airplane modeling has
been around almost since
Orville and Wilbur Wright
first escaped the bonds of
earth at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina well over a century
ago. From the Wrights' first
short, slow flight at an alti
tude of only a few feet, tech
nology has brought the
airplane to today's super
sonic jets flying into the
reaches of near extraterres
trial space.
Thanks to technological
innovation, modeling has
evolved as well, from primi
tive static balsa wood and,
later, manufactured plastic
models, to RC (Radio Con
trolled) models that are truly
technological wonders in
their own right.
RC airplanes (and heli
copters) have been around
for decades offering model
ing enthusiasts some sem
blance of actual flight.
However, for years, RC hob
byists were limited in that
they controlled their planes,
not from within the cockpit,
but while remaining on the
ground and watching from
below as the planes soared
overhead. Yet, with today's
virtual technology, that has
changed and brought the RC
modeling experience one
step closer to actual airborne
flight.
A demonstration of this
new virtual technology,
known as First Person View
(FPV), was recently afforded
to this reporter at the invita
tion of John Dobson, a mem
ber of the local Pool's Field
RCM Club. The club meets
at their airfield, from which
the club takes their name,
many weekends. Pool's Field
is located in Marble Hill on
Highway 53 at the JeepFest
facilities.
Dobson is one of 19 cur
rent members of the club
which is affiliated with the
See Hobbyists on 4A
An entire "squadron " of radio-controlled aircraft is parked on the "tarmac " of Pool's
Field in Marble Hill. Some of the pilots are standing in the backgroundjust behind Eric
Hendrix's chopper. Larry Cavender / Photo
Inside:
8 ©
11 spy
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Switch up your
routine and play a
game of “I Spy”
Page 6B
Editorial
We all can’t be
drunk on social
media
Page 10A
Taxes
E-SPLOST
explained
Page 4B
Health
Celebrate Breast
Cancer
Awareness Month
Page 6A
d
Nettes split with
NW Whitfield
Page 1B
Obituaries -11A
• Helen Densmore
• Timothy Raynes
• Pete Bryant
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