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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 11.2021
Community Responds
Mountain bike trails at
Doris Wigington Park?
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By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Jasper Council is consid
ering converting Doris Wig
ington Park, which has not
been popular with the public
since it opened, into a moun
tain bike park. They are con
sulting with a mountain bike
association to generate de
sign plans/project cost. We
asked our Facebook follow
ers if they think mountain
bike trails are a good idea for
that area, and if not what they
would like to see there. See
our Facebook page for all re
sponses.
Misty Nealey Long -
Jasper does need a bike park,
but with walking trails also.
It should be a combination
that fits in with a variety of
options for all. Maybe even
an area for kids to just ride
their bikes.
Weston Gaddis - All this
wasted money. Why couldn't
we ever just get a skatepark?
Tim Schutter - The park
is a joke. Hardly anyone uses
it...who’s to say it would be
used for mountain bikes?
There’s clearly a demand for
affordable housing in the
area. Why not sell it to a de
veloper? Seems like a good
location.
Paul Lampasano - It
would be very cool if they
built some mountain bike
tracks and maybe thought
about putting a little
skatepark in there for the kids
to go to also.
Will Tate - Doris Wiging
ton Park is in desperate need
of reworking to build sustain
able multi-use (walking/bik
ing/running) trails.
Jasper/Pickens residents de
serve better trails so that we
can get more use out of the
limited acreage we have
available for public use.
Sabrina Woody -1 have
never even heard of it. Of
course, I'm on the west side
with no park. Maybe it’s not
popular because they don't
know it’s there.
Val Smith - My vote goes
for disc golf.
Zita Arrendale Strother
- Throwing more money at
what has been from the be
ginning a bad location
choice. It has a very isolated
and unsafe feeling. It is a
predator’s dream. I wouldn't
walk there with my German
Shepard and my concealed
weapon pistol alone or with
some else. Everything they
teach us about situational
awareness in self defense
courses say don't go to places
like this.
Matt Mayfield - Main
tain, upgrade, add more trash
cans with routine pickup, bet
ter lighting and accept pro
posals and bids for potential
uses. I’m sure the police de
partment could routinely pa
trol the area to provide a
sense of safety.
Pamela Almond - I've
lived here since 1984 and I
had no idea where this park
was until I read where a
[Facebook] poster stated its
location. A mountain bike
park will limit it's use. It
would be nice if it was adver
tised and multi-use.
Cory Green - I've always
loved that park. Its a great
space and if the city would
put a little effort into it it
could be even nicer. Make it
multi-use. Keep the trails but
add more for the bikes. Look
into disc golf courses. Please
don't take away that space for
walkers/runners.
Joelynn Ratley Neigh
bors - Before you put a lot of
money reworking the park
why not first advertise its lo
cation and plan a few small
events there that get a news
paper story. I have no idea
where it is and never heard of
it.
Jerry Jabo Patterson -
Lumber Company already
has too much traffic without
adding to the problem
Kimberly Murphy - This
park, though I have never
been to it, bares the name of
a great woman. Mrs. Wiging
ton was an amazing woman
with a huge heart that loved
people and loved this com
munity. And it’s a shame that
this dedication to her has
been let go and not utilized to
its full potential. The city
should be ashamed for not
making this tribute front and
center and make it a place
that families love to go and
enjoy making great memo
ries. That’s what Doris would
have wanted.
Bobby Alexander - Yes.
A local bike trail would be
awesome.
Trevor Wells - It has po
tential to be a nice bike park,
but only if it's done correctly.
We walk our dogs there from
Monoclonal antibody infusion
center opens for high-risk
patients with COVID-19
Jasper - Piedmont Moun
tainside Hospital has opened
an infusion center to admin
ister monoclonal antibody
treatments for high-risk pa
tients diagnosed with
COVID-19 that do not re
quire hospitalization and
oxygen therapy.
The treatments will be
with the pharmaceutical
products Bamlanivimab or
with Casirivimab and Imde-
vimab. These treatments
were approved by the U.S.
Food and Drag Administra
tion through an emergency
use authorization in Novem
ber 2020. They are intended
for individuals who have
mild to moderate COVID-19
and are high-risk for pro
gressing to severe COVID-
19, including those aged 65
years or older or who have
certain chronic medical con
ditions.
“Being able to offer this
treatment right here, in our
community, is an important
step forward in the fight
against COVID-19,” said
Denise Ray, CEO of Pied
mont Mountainside. “This
treatment can help keep high-
risk patients who have
COVID-19 out of the hospi
tal, and it can help prevent
further COVID-19 complica
tions. It is truly a game
changer for high-risk,
COVID-positive patients.”
Patients receive the treat
ment through infusion during
an outpatient visit, and it
works by preventing the
COVID-19 virus from pro
gressing once it’s infected
them. Monoclonal antibody
treatment has been proven to
decrease the viral load in pa
tients and has also been suc
cessful in reducing
hospitalization for high-risk
patients with COVID-19.
“We’re proud to be able to
offer this treatment to pa
tients in our community,”
said Moiz Master, M.D.,
Chief Medical Officer at
Piedmont Mountainside.
“But it’s important to note
that this treatment is for pa
tients who have tested posi
tive for COVID-19 and are at
a high-risk for hospitalization
and potential complications.”
Those considered high
risk include:
People who are 65 years
of age and older
People who have chronic
kidney disease
People who have an im
munosuppressive disease
state or are receiving im
munosuppressive therapy
People who have a body
mass index of 35 and higher
People with diabetes
People 55 years of age
and older with cardiovascular
disease, hypertension, COPD
or other chronic respiratory
diseases
To receive treatment, pa
tients must be referred to the
infusion center by a doctor
within the first 10 days of
having symptoms of
COVID-19.
“Patients should discuss
the appropriateness of this
therapy with their doctor,
and, if appropriate, ask their
doctor to initiate a referral for
treatment,” said Dr. Master.
Brooks Hollow Apartments
100 Brooks Hollow Drive • Jasper, Georgia 30143
706-692-5931
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED AT THE SITE OFFICE
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS
Housing for persons 62 years of age or persons with disabilities.
Washer/Dryer Connections • Community Room Central Heat/Air
RENTAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS
“This institution is an equal opportunity provider” •
ACCESSIBLE UNITS - REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS /t.
TTY Relay 711
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time to time and it's nice be
cause there is almost never
anyone there during the day
so you feel like you've got a
little spot in the woods all to
yourself. I currently live right
next door to this park...At
night [it] is currently nothing
more than a drag exchange
lot and a place for teenagers
to come do donuts in the
gravel lot or ride their vehi
cles through the trails at
night...Unless the city is
going to actually close the
gates (that they spent money
to install and have never
closed) at all parking areas
every night, put in good trash
receptacles with regidar pick
ups, and maintain the area,
then why invest more money
in something that they al
ready don’t maintain or con
trol?
Donna Quinton - A few
picnic tables along the trails
woiddn't hurt. Or even a
swing to relax would be nice.
Reanna Livingston - A
bike trail in general woidd be
awesome. I’m in.
Joseph Baggett -1 woidd
like to see some paved trails
there. Turning into a moun
tain bike park will limit its
use and take it away from
pedestrians.
April Beck - FYI we all
already use it as such. Sounds
good to me as long as we can
still have our walking space.
But area and trails need some
TLC.
HAPPY
PRESIDENTS
DAY
★ ★
★ ★
ON PRESIDENTS’ DAY, WE
HONOR THE MEN WHO
SERVED OUR GREAT
COUNTRY SINCE 1776.
While we haven't been around quite
that long, we are still very proud to
have served our great community
for over 20 years. In observance of
President's Day, we will be closed on
Monday February 15th, but we will be
open the following day for business
as usual.
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6
MAIN OFFICE: 15 Sammy McGhee Blvd. • Jasper, GA 30143
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