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THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 30. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Change is the name of the game at Community Thrift Store
By Suellen Reitz
Special Events Coordinator
Pickens Community Thrift
Store
If you haven’t stepped into
the Community Thrift Store
in the past few months, you
might not recognize what
you see. There is change in
every corner and it’s for the
better.
There was a time that peo
ple didn’t enjoy going to the
thrift store. The light was
dim, the store was cluttered,
things were on shelves in dis
array and at times, in an un
clean state... It looked like...
well... a thrift store.
Last October, a new man
agement team took the reins
of leadership. Their vision
was simple. Make the thrift
store a center of the commu
nity and a ministry of sorts to
those who volunteer and
shop there. To make it work,
they had to have a team of
volunteers that had the same
vision and passion to give the
existing 21 year icon a new
image. A year ago, there were
31 dedicated volunteers de
termined to keep the doors
open after Covid. Today,
there are 140 men and
women who are making a
difference.
The overall look of the
store has had a major facelift.
Each week, volunteers make
beautiful displays of the new
goods. With the bright light
ing along with the new clean
ing team keeping things
spiffy, the look is more like a
favorite department store,
neatly arranged for handy
shopping. Upfront, the new
cash registers and checkout
counter formation allows for
a quicker and more efficient
checkout.
Since dressing rooms are
no longer available, clothing
and any other item purchased
may be returned for a store
credit. And when there be
comes an abundance of a cer
tain type of item, shoppers
often are greeted with sales to
help clear shelves for the new
donations that continue to
come daily.
Don Russell started the
thrift store 21 years ago with
the goal of helping those in
need within Pickens County.
That goal continues today.
Since it’s beginning, more
than $10 million dollars has
been given in the form of
grants to non profits whose
mission is to serve those in
need. All of this has been
possible because of the gen
erous donations our commu
nity members have given the
store to resell at drastically
reduced prices affordable to
all.
‘‘God is blessing us here at
the thrift store," said store
President Terry Bishop (aka
Sarge). “When we identify a
need, it somehow just shows
up in the donation truck. And
because He is blessing us, we
all need to do our part as
good stewards of what has
been given us.”
Prices with the store have
never changed since it’s
opening, yet in that same
time period, inflation has
risen 92% in America. “If
you look at other thrift stores
in the surrounding area in
cluding big names like Good
Will, we are way below the
average in our pricing... by
like 60%”, said General
Manager Paulette McKenzie.
We have been able to do that
because of the low overhead
of not having any paid em
ployees,” she added.
Change is good, and in ad
dition to a new look, it was
time for a change in sales. It
was decided by management
that the store could be doing
so much more for the com
munity with only a minor
change in pricing. All stan
dard priced items have been
raised by 50 cents. Hardly
enough to even consider
mentioning...except for the
Debbie Schanen of Talking Rock, puts final touches on one the many end cap displays
at the thrift store. A volunteer there for seven years, she really enjoys tapping into her
creative side when she brings items together with similar themes and colors.
fact that individual daily back. Pickens Community Thrift
sales add up in quantity. Just Change really is the name Store is tndy a community
that tiny amount of increase of the game at the local thrift store. Come shop, save, and
can make a huge difference store. It’s all good... and see for yourself,
in what the store can give there’s more to come. The
Carr warns Georgians to look out for imposter scams
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individuals without insurance.
ATLANTA - Attorney
General Chris Carr is cau
tioning Georgians about sev
eral imposter scams that are
making the rounds.
“Scammers may try to
gain your confidence by pos
ing as a legitimate company
or government agency,”
warns Attorney General Carr.
“Consumers should be very
wary of unsolicited text mes
sages, emails and phone calls
and avoid providing sensitive
information, clicking on
links, or downloading file at
tachments unless they know
for a fact that the sender or
caller is who they claim to
be.”
Below are descriptions of
several imposter scams to
look out for:
Order Confirmation Seams
One imposter scam mak
ing the rounds takes the form
of an automated phone mes
sage from a major company
(such as Walmart, Amazon,
Costco or Target) confirming
a recent purchase you sup
posedly made for a big-ticket
item totaling several thou
sand dollars. You are told that
a shipment confirmation will
follow shortly at which time
your credit card on file will
be automatically charged.
The message asks you to call
a phone number if you did
not make the transaction in
question or to report an unau
thorized transaction. If you
dial the number, you will
likely be asked to provide
your account credentials or
payment information so that
your account can be “cred
ited.” The scammers will
then use that information to
steal your money or commit
identity theft. This scam can
also occur via email or text
message.
To avoid this scam, do not
RECYCLE ELECTRONICS - Nov. 13
KEEP GILMER
V
Off Electronics, 11
Sat., Nov. 13,9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
111 Gilmer Street, Ellijay, Ga
Gilmer County Courthouse Parking Lot
RAIN OR SHINE EVENT
Items Accepted:
Desktops
Check Processing
Ni-MH/Ni-CAD Batteries
Copiers/Scanners
Laptops
Gaming Consoles
Lithium Batteries
Typewriters
Servers
LCD Monitors
Car Batteries
Modems
Mainframes
CD-ROMS
Cable/Wire
Stereos
Network Hubs
Floppy Drives
Gaming Controllers
VCRs
Network Switches
Circuit Boards
Toner/lnkjet Cartridges
Radios
Cell Phones
Power Supplies
Blu-Ray Players
DVD-Players
Desktop Phones & Systems
Hard Drives
Printers
CD-Players
Keyboards/Mice
UPS and UPS Batteries
Fax Machines
Dock Stations
All TVs $20.00, CRT Devices $10.00,
everything else no charqe
Items NOT Accepted:
Projection or Console TVs Liquid Containing Devices
Household Trash
Blenders
Washer/Dryers
Alkaline Batteries
Microwave Ovens
Mixers
Vacuum Cleaners
Tires
Radioactive Material
Ovens
Speakers (Wooden)
Toaster Ovens
Humidifiers
Hair Dryers
Gas Grill Tanks
De-Humidifiers
Coffee Makers
Ceiling Fans
Battery Powered Tools
Gas Powered Tools
Freezers
Refrigerators
flPf
call the number provided or
click on any links. Instead,
log-in to your online account
with the retailer, or contact
the company through a veri
fied telephone number or
website to see if, in fact, there
was an unauthorized charge
made to your account.
Sweepstakes Scam
Scammers call or mail a
letter to consumers saying
they have won a cash prize in
a sweepstakes. The scammer
may claim to be a representa
tive from a government
agency or indicate that the
sweepstakes has been "ap
proved" by a federal law en
forcement agency, such as
the Office of the Attorney
General. The consumers are
informed that in order to col
lect their prize, they must
first pay various fees-usually
via wire transfer, gift cards or
prepaid cards-to cover taxes
or handling fees.
First and foremost, con
sumers should know that if
you are asked to pay money
to collect a prize, no matter
what the reason, it is a scam.
Being asked to wire money
or pay via gift cards or pre
paid cards is another red flag
of a scam. Furthermore, the
Attorney General’s Office
does not endorse sweep-
stakes.
Amazon AirPods Raffle
Scam
The Attorney General’s
Consumer Protection Divi
sion has also received com
plaints about text messages
that purport to be from Ama
zon and claim that you have
won a pair of AirPods in an
Amazon Raffle. The text
contains a link to click for
more information. Do not
click on the link. Doing so
could load malware onto
your device or lead you to a
phishing website that
prompts you for personal in
formation, such as your Ama
zon login and password.
KeepGMmerBeautiful.org
City Manager Vacancy
The City of Jasper “The First Mountain City” is located in Pickens
County, Georgia which is located in the foothills of the Appalachian
Mountains in North Georgia. Conveniently located less than an
hour drive from downtown Atlanta and the county seat of Pickens
County, Jasper is uniquely positioned along the thriving Hwy 515
Corridor all the while maintaining its charming and quaint rural
downtown and neighborhoods.
The City of Jasper is a Manager/Mayor/Council form of govern
ment that employs 85 professionals within 6 Departments (Admin
istration, Development, Fire, Police, Public Works, &
Water/Wastewater) and 10 divisions that oversee an approximate
combined budget of $11.5 million annually.
The Mayor and Council are seeking a professional that is a ded
icated team player and can quickly earn the confidence of the em
ployees as well as the community partners. The Mayor and Council
is desirous of empowering an individual as City Manager to carry
on the projects that have been set forth through years of visioning
and planning and to maintain the course of action that has positive
momentum.
It is expected that the next City Manager will continue imple
menting the goals as identified by the elected body and to con
tinue fostering employee professional growth.
The minimum qualifications are as foMows:
• Bachelor’s degree required in public administration, busi
ness administration, or related degree from an accredited uni
versity. A master’s degree is highly preferred
• A minimum of five years of executive level management ex
perience in local government or applicable executive type ex
perience is required. Local government experience preferred.
• Evidence of continued professional development such as
ICMA Credentialed Manager designation or other is a positive
and will be noted in the vetting process
The expected starting salary range for this position is commen
surate upon experience and qualifications but it is expected to be
market rate competitive. A comprehensive benefits package in
cluding health, dental, and vision is available along with participa
tion in the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefits System
(GMEBS) Defined Benefit Retirement Plan for all employees.
Interested applicants are advised to submit an email with cover
letter, resume, at least five job related references and salary history
no later than close of business on
October 1, 2021 to sjohnson@jasper-ga.us.
Any questions may be directed to Stacy Johnson at the email
address above or by calling 706-692-9100. It is anticipated that
the Mayor and Council committee will begin reviewing applications
immediately with the most qualified candidates asked to interview
thereafter.