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THURSDAY. MAY 13. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 5A
Jasper’s Mama Geraldine’s receives Georgia 2021
Small Business ROCK STAR award
Cathy Cunningham, founder and CEO of Mama Geral
dine’s and The Bodacious Food Company. Mama Geral
dine’s has been honored as one of the state’s model small
businesses.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Jasper-based Mama
Geraldine’s is one of just six
businesses recognized by the
Georgia Department of Eco
nomic Development as a
Small Business ROCK
STAR for 2021.
Mama Geraldine’s was
founded in 1995 and has be
come the #1 cheese straw
seller in the USA. The com
pany sells a variety of cheese
To the Editor:
Hopefully President
Biden will make nuclear
deals with Iran and North
Korea. However, it is equally
to be hoped that he does not
repeat the fatal flaw of the
first Iran deal: It imposed a
waiting period for the inspec
tion of suspected sites.
This would have allowed
them to move the materials
for making a nuclear
weapon—such as enriched
uranium—to a second site
during the waiting period for
the first site; then when the
second site would come
under suspicion, it would
have a waiting period during
which the material could be
moved to a third site; and so
on. (That is why a future
president may cancel the deal
again.)
Alvin Blake
To the Editor:
Another mass shooting
today. One hundred and forty
mass shootings so far this
year. Trust me, I get the “It is
our right” argument, but what
about the innocent men,
women, and children’s
“Right to Life”? Who decides
straws as well as cookies, all
of which are made from The
Bodacious Food Company
on Gennett Drive in Jasper.
Scott McMurray, deputy
commissioner of Global
Commerce Division for
GDEcD, recognized Mama
Geraldine’s and the busi
nesses’ accomplishments. In
a video sent out across the
state following the announce
ment, McMurray discusses
their humble beginnings
from founder/CEO Cathy
Cunningham’s kitchen to
who’s right is more impor
tant? I suppose it depends on
who’s mother, father, child,
sister, or brother was lost to
these mass murders you ask.
I recently had a similar con
versation with a dear friend.
She insisted that if there were
any gun control legislation
passed, it meant that the gov
ernment would come and
confiscate all our guns.
This is where social media
and certain media sources
have instilled not only fear
but “alternative facts.”
I would welcome some
one to give me a video clip of
any House or Senate demo
cratic representative who has
said or even implied that pro
posed common sense gun
control legislation will re
move our second amendment
rights.
I can remember when
there was a huge battle over
our personal right and choice
to choose to wear or not
where seatbelts in our per
sonal vehicles even though
there was clear evidence it
saved lives. I do not recall
anyone screaming they were
going to take all our cars
away if we didn’t abide by
that new law.
My brother was killed in
present, when her cheese
straws “have become wildly
popular in Georgia and
across the world.”
“I really was astounded,”
said Cunningham. “This is
such a great way to honor
small business in Georgia -
but I have to give it to my
staff because nothing great
happens at Mama Geral
dine’s without them.”
Mama Geraldine’s ships
to Kroger, Walmart, Publix,
IGA, Food Lion, and many
other retail partners.
“Pretty much the only
place we don’t ship to is Har
ris Teeter,” said Cunningham,
who left the corporate radio
world to start her business. “I
prematurely quit my job, but
I didn’t want to be in that
an automobile accident be
fore seatbelts were required
by law. We were told, had he
had his seatbelt on he would
n’t have been thrown from
the vehicle and may have sur
vived.
I ask those of you who be
lieve that it is more important
to stand your “It is my right’
ground, than wonder what is
more important when you or
someone you know loses a
mother, father, sister, brother
or child in a mass shooting
with an automatic assault
weapon? God forbid, but for
those hundreds who have lost
them, I imagine they think
differently now.
I do own one gun, that is
all I can use at any given
time; therefore, I do not need
more. It is not an assault
weapon, as I am not planning
on going to war. Thank God.
I pray we as Americans can
realize we are one nation and
should not be going to war
with one another. Let’s find a
way to prevent more mass
murders, by using common
sense and not panic or fear.
Valerie Millar
To the Editor:
May is Mental Health
Month. By urging my public
officials to prioritize suicide
prevention, mental health,
and crisis care, I am hoping
to influence collective
change to support #Mental-
Health4All.
Right now, individuals in
crisis are able to call 1-800-
273-8255 to reach the Na
tional Suicide Prevention
Lifeline. The Lifeline pro
vides 24/7, free and confi
dential support for people in
distress and those that care
for them. Soon, it will be
much easier to remember
how to reach the Lifeline as
the number will be changing
to "988" nationwide by July
2022.
Knowing this, it is criti
cally important that states
pass legislation now to reli
ably fund 988 and their state's
crisis response system, just as
we fund 911 and emergency
services - through small fees
on our phone bills. Reliable
Article
Archive
www.pickensprogress.com
world anymore. The only
thing I knew about the food
business at the time was that
I loved food.”
Mama Geraldine’s busi
ness ramped up in 1998 after
Cunningham relocated to
Jasper, and they now ship all
over the world. The famous
cheese straw recipe she
started with was her
mother’s, and Cunningham
still uses it to this day.
“Small businesses take
risks, create opportunities,
supply incomes, generate
ideas, and make sizeable im
pacts on their communities,”
said Governor Kemp. “I
couldn’t be more proud to
celebrate the state’s six Small
Business ROCK STARS this
year, and I extend my sincer-
funding will help to ensure
all 988 callers can reach a
counselor in their own state
who is familiar with and can
connect them with local re
sources. Culturally compe
tent support and local
connections can better help
all callers through their crisis
and in their recovery.
Join me this month in urg
ing your public officials to
fund 988. We all play a role
in changing the culture
around mental health. To
gether, we can ensure #Men-
talHealth4All.
Sincerely,
Stuart and Winborne
est thanks to all of them for
their hard work and dedica
tion.”
Other 2021 Small Busi
ness ROCK STARS are Wan
der North Georgia, Clayton;
Skyfire Consulting, Marietta;
Callaway Blue, Hamilton;
Vidalia Apicultural Services
& Bee Co., Lyons; Pretoria
Fields, Albany.
“Our Small Business
ROCK STARS reflect the
charm and community spirit
found in every comer of the
state,” said GDEcD Commis
sioner Pat Wilson. “Each of
our winners has shown in
credible resilience over the
past year, and it’s an honor to
celebrate them as we look to
ward a brighter future.”
Small businesses make up
99.8% of all businesses in
Georgia, according to a press
release from the GDEcD.
The Georgia Department of
Economic Development’s
Small Business team created
the Small Business ROCK
STAR awards as a way to
salute the risks, innovations,
outreach, and impact of the
state’s small businesses. Each
of this year’s winners have
fewer than 100 full-time em
ployees, are involved in char
itable programs in their
communities, and were
founded in the State of Geor
gia. Since its inception, the
Georgia Small Business
ROCK STARS program has
garnered more than 2,000
nominations and honored 33
small businesses as Small
Business ROCK STARS.
“Employing more than
1.6 million Georgians across
the state, Georgia small busi
nesses are vital to our econ
omy,” said GDEcD Deputy
Commissioner for Global
Commerce Scott McMurray.
“Operating a small business
takes sacrifice and hard
work, and we remain com
mitted to helping them con
tinue to flourish and expand
across Georgia.”
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South Cherokee/Jasper
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1623 East Church Street* Jasper, Georgia 30143
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www.SouthCherokee.com 706-692-1632 or 770-928-3679
Called Board Meeting
Pickens County Board of Education
May 13, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.
Pickens County Board of Education Central
Office, 100 D.B. Carroll Street
Jasper, Georgia 30143
The Pickens County Board of Education will meet
on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. for a
called board meeting and will continue to follow the
Department of Public Health's and Pickens County
Schools COVID-19 guidelines for distancing and
masking.
I. Call to Order
II. Approval of Agenda
III. Executive Session
IV. Approval of Executive Session Minutes
V. Adjourn
Regular Board Meeting
Pickens County Board of Education
May 13, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
Pickens County Board of Education Central Office, 100 D.B. Carroll St.
Jasper, Georgia 30143
The Pickens County Board of Education will meet on Thursday, May 13 at
6:00 pm for the regularmonthly board meeting and will continue to follow the
Department of Public Health's and PickensCounty Schools COVID-19 guide
lines for distancing and masking.
This meeting will be available for viewing at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L45CRQ89m-g&ab_channel=PCBOEGA
I. Call to Order
II. Invocation
III. Pledge of Allegiance
IV. Approval of Agenda
V. Public Participation
VI. Recognitions
A. Rose Finney Wins 1st Place - State Competition One-Act Play Writing -
Destini Shope, Director of Public Relations
B. 2021-22 Teacher of the Year Recognitions - Destini Shope, Director of
Public Relations
C. 2021 STAR Recognitions - Chris Wallace, Principal of Pickens High School
D. 2021 Valedictorian and Salutatorian - Chris Wallace, Principal of Pickens
High School
E. Pickens High School HOSA earns Grand Prize Award - American Red
Cross HOSA Chapter of the Year- Leslie Zuidema
F. School Nutrition Program Named 2020 Vision District - Beth Thompson,
Director of Nutrition
G. Recognition of the Pickens County School District Nurses - Gail Smith,
Director of Health Services
VII. Superintendent Reports
A. Financial Update (Amy Smith, Chief Financial Of cer)
B. Operations and Construction (Stacy Gilleland, Chief Operations Of cer)
VIII. Action Items
A. Approval of Financial Reports
B. Approval of Personnel
C. FY21 Budget Amendment
D. Policy BCBI - Public Participation in Board Meetings - Request for Revision
E. Approval of Memorandums of Understanding
1. Approval of MOU with the University of Alabama
2. Approval of MOU with University of Phoenix
F. Approval of ABM First Amendment to Service Agreement
G. Approval of Dreambox Learning Software and Services Agreement
H. Request for Board Approval for Early Release Day on Last Day of School
I. Approval of Pickens Junior High School Band Out-of-State Field Trip
J. Approval of Minutes
K. Approval of Surplus
IX. Board Comments
X. Adjourn
Letters tot/m Editor