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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 15. 2021
THURSDAY. APRIL 15. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Black bears in Georgia: Spring sightings not unusual
Spring is here and this
means people may begin see
ing all types of wildlife that
have not been as visible
throughout the winter
months, and that includes
possible sightings of black
bears. Now is the time to be
come BearWise, according to
the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources’ Wildlife
Resources Division.
“Bears are hungry and
ready to find food upon leav
ing their dens after a winter
time hibernation period. This
search for food can some
times put them a little too
close to people,” says Adam
Hammond, state bear biolo
gist with the Wildlife Re
sources Division. “We can
help keep bears from getting
too close to our homes and
our businesses when we be
come ‘BearWise’ and leam to
live responsibly with bears.”
What is BearWise? It is an
education program devel
oped by bear biologists from
each of the 15 state wildlife
agencies that make up the
Southeastern Association of
Fish and Wildlife Agencies
(SEAFWA). The program,
anchored by the website
www.bearwise.org, offers cit
izens specific, detailed, and
high-quality information,
starting with the Six Bear
Wise Basics:
•NEVER FEED OR AP
PROACH BEARS: Feeding
bears (intentionally or unin
tentionally) trains them to ap
proach homes and people for
more food. Bears will defend
themselves if a person gets
too close, so don’t risk your
safety and theirs!
•SECURE FOOD,
GARBAGE AND RECY
CLING: Food and food odors
attract bears so don’t reward
them with easily available
food or garbage.
•REMOVE BIRD FEED
ERS WHEN BEARS ARE
ACTIVE: Birdseed and other
grains have a high calorie
content making them very at
tractive to bears. The best
way to avoid conflicts with
bears is to remove feeders.
•NEVER LEAVE PET
FOOD OUT: Feed outdoor
pets portion sizes that will be
completely eaten during each
meal and then remove left
over food and food bowl. Se
curely store these foods so
nothing is available to bears.
•CLEAN AND STORE
GRILLS: After you use an
outdoor grill, clean it thor
oughly and make sure that all
grease and fat is removed.
Store cleaned grills and
smokers in a secure area that
keeps bears out.
•LET NEIGHBORS
KNOW: Share news with
your friends and neighbors
about recent bear activity and
how to avoid bear conflicts.
Bears have adapted to living
near people; are you willing
to adapt to living near bears?
“Let’s be proactive and
ensure there is nothing
around our home or business
that will attract bears and
serve as a ‘free lunch,”’ says
Hammond. “Providing bears
a meal might seem harmless,
but bears that have access to
human-provided foods often
become dependent upon peo
ple for food, leading to de
structive behavior and
eventually to the bear’s de
mise. We want to avoid this
cycle.”
The black bear is a sym
bol of Georgia’s natural di
versity, the only bear found
in the state and a conserva
tion success story. Though
now considered the most
common bear in North Amer
ica, the species was nearly
eradicated from Georgia in
the 1930s due to unregulated
hunting, illegal harvest - in
cluding the killing of bears as
“vermin,” and large-scale
habitat loss. Sound wildlife
management practices have
restored Georgia’s black
bears to a thriving population
estimated at 4,100 bears
statewide.
Black bears may legally
be taken during the hunting
season, which occurs each
fall in Georgia (https://geor-
gia wildli fe. com/hunting/hunt
er-resources). However, the
taking of bears during any
other time of the year, or the
taking of bears illegally dur
ing the hunting season is
called poaching. Prevent
poaching of bears (by email,
phone or in person) by re
porting any illegal activity.
Visit
http://gadnrle.org/ranger-hot-
line for more information.
For more information on
living responsibly with bears,
visit www.bearwise.org.
Sierra Club challenging plan to charge
Georgia Power customers for coal ash cleanup
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - The Sierra
Club filed an appeal Friday to
a court decision upholding
Georgia Power Co.’s plan to
collect from customers $525
million in coal ash pond clo
sure costs.
The state Public Service
Commission (PSC) gave the
Atlanta-based utility permis
sion to pass along those costs
as part of Georgia Power’s
2019 rate case. A Fulton
County Superior Court judge
upheld the commission’s de
cision late last year.
Georgia Power is spend
ing an estimated $8.1 billion
on a multi-year plan to close
all 29 of its ash ponds located
at 11 coal-burning power
plants across the state to
comply with federal regula
tions. The utility plans to ex
cavate and remove the ash
from 19 ponds and close the
other 10 ponds in place.
Coal ash contains contam
inants including mercury,
cadmium and arsenic that can
pollute groundwater and
drinking water as well as air.
“Georgia power cus
tomers have already paid for
the coal being burned - both
with their pocketbooks and
with their health,” said David
Rogers, Southeast deputy re
gional director for the Sierra
Club’s Beyond Coal Cam
paign. “They shouldn’t have
to foot the bill for Georgia
Power’s bad business deci
sion decades ago to not prop
erly dispose of this toxic coal
ash.”
In a brief submitted to the
Georgia Court of Appeals,
the Sierra Club argues that
Georgia Power failed to ex
plain in the rate case how it
would spend the $525 mil
lion it requested.
The brief also complains
that the PSC approved Geor
gia Power’s proposal even
though the state Environmen
tal Protection Division has
yet to issue permits for the
ponds slated to be closed.
The costs of cleaning up
around 92 million tons of
coal ash across Georgia
would go up if the PSC later
requires the utility to exca
vate all of the ponds and store
the ash in lined landfills, the
Sierra Club asserts.
Georgia Power issued the
following statement on the
case:
“The issue of cost recov
ery was thoroughly discussed
and evaluated through Geor
gia’s open and transparent
regulatory process with the
Georgia Public Service Com
mission (PSC), and the PSC’s
decision was affirmed by the
Superior Court of Fulton
County.
“Georgia Power took
early action to quickly and
safely begin closing all of our
ash ponds, and our closure
plans fully comply with the
federal Coal Combustion
Residuals (CCR) ride as well
as the more stringent require
ments of the state CCR ride.
We strongly disagree with
any claims to the contrary.”
The Republican-con-
trolled General Assembly de
clined to take up legislation
introduced by minority De
mocrats during the recently
concluded session requiring
coal ash to be stored in lined
landfills.
A bill tightening monitor
ing requirements for coal ash
made it through the Georgia
House of Representatives but
died in the state Senate.
Low cost spay neuter certificate sale set for May 1
Be-Paws We Care will
once again offer a low cost
spay/neuter certificate sale on
Saturday, May 1 from 9:30
a.m. - noon at the Pickens
Room in the Pickens County
Admin Building.
The cost is $35 for any cat
and $45 for any dog. This fee
will cover spaying and neu
tering your pet plus their ra
bies vaccination, post op pain
meds and nail trim.
There is also special pric
ing for low income, military
and senior citizens. Pur
chased certificates must be
redeemed at Georgia Animal
Project in Ball Ground.
This is a cash only sale.
No credit cards or checks ac
cepted. Please bring exact
change. You must present a
valid Pickens County ID.
The sale is located at the
county admin building at
1266 E. Church St., Jasper.
Questions may be directed to:
bepawswecare 19@gmail.co
m
Remember: dogs and cats
can’t add or subtract but they
sure can multiply.
820 S. Main St. 1305 Old Philadelphia Rd.
Jasper, GA 30143 Jasper, GA 30143
706-692-5900 706-253-5900
Your one-stop, on-the-spot
auto service headquarters
for a complete line of
quality tires and auto services.
Hello, neighbor!
HERE TODAY.
HERE TOMORROW.
yj Proud to be your hometown bank
^ for over 20 years.
M
V ftifyrtf
Count,
MAIN OFFICE: 15 Sammy McGhee Blvd. • Jasper, GA 30143
COVE ROAD OFFICE: 65 Cove Road • Jasper, GA 30143
706) 253-9600 • www.cbopc.com ^
CBD Oil
products
available
at your
hometown
pharmacy
rasper
(drugs & GIFTS
1 North Main Street
Jasper, GA
706-692-6427
Animal Medical Clini
1C
Reasonable Companion
Animal Care
C. Craig Chester, DVM
706-253-6284
292 Burton Street
Jasper, GA 30143
Mon-Thurs, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tues & Wed, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Friday
Parish Lowrie, Agent
360 W Church Street
Jasper, GA 30143
Bus: 706-692-6920
parish@parishlowrie.com
1801132.1
Please stop by and say, “Hi!”
I'm looking forward to serving your needs for
insurance and financial services.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®
CALL ME TODAY.
^ State Farm
State Farm, Bloomington, IL
Good Samaritan
/ 0
W HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
Restoring Health. Saving Lives.
706-253-4673
175 Samaritan Drive
Jasper; GA 30143
www.goodsamhwc.on
We accept all payment types: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United, Veterans Choice,
Medicaid and Medicare, and also have a low-cost sliding scale for those without insurance.
Q/
GENERAC
Generator
y Sales
y Installation
y Service
y Warranty
y Parts
GENERAC
Spring
is in the air which also means
so are spring storms.
Let us help you with installing
a Generac
Generator for your home.
Let us help you
get prepared for a
major power
outage, so we can
ensure you won’t
be in the dark for
hours or days on
end. When the power goes out
your Generac Automatic Home
Standby Generator will come on
within 30 seconds and restore
power to your home or business
and you can continue life as
normal. Call PSU today for a
free site visit and leam how
owning a Generac Automatic
Home Standby Generator can
keep you out of the dark. We
have generators in stock and
ready for immediate installa
tion. We accept all major credit
cards and we also have
financing available. We look
forward to hearing from you.
Power Solutions Unlimited, Inc
706-253-7737 scott (0ypsu24-7.com 1-844-200-7737
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
9AM Choose to Lose Weight Lose J
Group @ Pickens Community Center, ^
Room#1
3
4
Pickens Schools Spring Break C
5:30PM Cardio Power Pump @ Rec. U
Center
7PM Trivia @ Rocco's
Pickens Schools Spring Break ft
5:30PM Yoga Warrior Flow
class @ Rec. Center
5:30PM Varsity Baseball @ PHS
Pickens Schools Spring Break /
Moon - Rotary Club @ Chatt *
Tech
7PM Tristan Tritt & Pale Moon Creek
@) Rocco's
Pickens Schools Spring Break ><
5:30PM Yoga class @ Rec.
Center
6PM Talking Rock Town Council
Pickens Schools Spring Break Q
9AM Choose to Lose Weight Lose
Group @ Pickens Community Cen
ter, Room#1
12-5PM BOGO Sale @ The Preg
nancy Center, 7 Caring Way
7:30AM Jasper Farmers Market @ A f\
Lee Newton Park (Opening Day) 1 II
8AM Yoga @ Rec. Center
11AM Pints & Poses @ Talking Rock
Brewery
1- 5PM Gospel Singing in the Mountains @
Blairsville Community Bldg., 129 Union
County Rec. Rd., Blairsville
1 PM Three Wheeled Submarine 2 Rocco's
2- 6PM Old Jail Open downtown
5-7PM Eric Reinhardt @ Jax Coffee Shop
8PM Blair Outloud Band @ Rocco’s
1:30-5:30PM Live Music @ Faint- A A
ing Goat Vineyards
2PM Loose Shoes Band @ Rocco's
12-5PM All formula 50% off plus A O
FREE samples @ The Pregnancy 1 ^
Center, 7 Caring Way
5:30PM Cardio Tabata Class @ Rec. Cen
ter
7PM Trivia @ Rocco's
7:30AM Chamber Break- A ft
fast @ Chatt. Tech
5:30PM Yoga Yin & Yang class @
Rec. Center
Moon - Rotary Club @ Chatt A A
Tech 1 ^
4PM PHS Golf vs. Gilmer @
i/Vhitepath
7PM Dueling Pianos @ Rocco's
5:30PM Yoga Barre/Fusion A ft
class @ Rec. Center
6PM Commissioners' Meeting @ Cty.
Admin. Bldg.
6PM Board of Education meeting @
Central Office
6:30PM Sassafras Writers Group @
Southern Appalachian Folk School
9AM Choose to Lose Weight Lose A r'
Group @ Pickens Community Cen- | Q
ter, Room#1
TBD Red Bean Coffee & Yoga/ Bird
Friendly Coffee
12-5PM $1 Sale all women's & maternity
clothes @ The Pregnancy Center, 7 Caring
Way
5:30PM Varsity Baseball @ PHS
5:30PM Varsity Girls Soccer @ PHS
10AM Kiwanis Big Hearted Biker a ^
Ride @ Rocco’s \ /
12PM Varsity Baseball @ PHS 11
12-5PM $1 Sale all women's &
maternity clothes @ The Pregnancy Cen
ter
6:30PM Virtual Lucky 8 Chamber Give-A-
Way via ETC livestream (Dinner @ Cham
ber from 4-6PM)
6:30PM Jasper Community Worship @
Lee Newton Park
8PM Big Al & The Heavy Weights @
Rocco’s
11:30AM Yoga, gourmet A ft
brunch & mimosas @ Bent
Tree Lodge
1:30-5:30PM Live Music @ Fainting Goat
Vineyards
2PM Whiskey Stills & Mash @ Rocco's
12-5PM Happy Mom-day free gift A Q
to all moms @ The Pregnancy 1
Center, 7 Caring Way
PHS Track Region
4PM PHS Golf @ Bent Tree
5:30PM Cardio Class @ Rec. Center
7PM Trivia @ Rocco’s
5:30PM Yoga Balance OQ
Focus class @ Rec. Cen-
ter
5:30PM Varsity Baseball @ PHS
6:30PM PHS Spring Musical @
PHS
Noon - Rotary Club @ ChattO A
Tech u 1
4PM PHS Golf @ Bent Tree
Earth Day OO
5:30PM Yoga/Pilates Fu- ^
sion class @ Rec. Center
6:30PM PHS Spring Musical @
PHS
9AM Special Olympics @ Pickens O ft
Schools ^ vJ
9AM Choose to Lose Weight
Lose Group @ Pickens Community Cen
ter, Room#1
12-5PM Flash Sale All shoes $1 @ The
Pregnancy Center, 7 Caring Way
6:30PM PHS Spring Musical @ PHS
9PM Gregg Erwin Band @ Rocco’s
8AM Yoga @ Rec. Center
10:30AM Rock Solid Yoga and a£-\
Pint @ Rock Solid Brewing, Ball
Ground
2PM Still Truckin @ Rocco’s
8PM Preacher Stone @ Rocco's
1:30-5:30PM Live Music @ Fainting Q
Goat Vineyards £ \J
2-5PM Eric Reinhardt @ Jax Coffee
Shop
5:30PM Cardio Class @OC
Rec. Center
7PM Trivia @ Rocco's
5:30PM Joy House Banquet @ O V
Sharptop Cove, Pickens Young ^ *
Life
5:30PM Yoga Slow Flow class @ Rec.
Center
12-5PM BOGOSale @ TheOO
Yegnancy Center, 7 Caring^— O
Way
Moon - Rotary Club @ Chatt Tech
5:30PM Yoga class @ Rec. QQ
Center
6:30PM PHS Spring Musi
cal @ PHS
30
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