Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 8A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 10. 2022
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From the Progress files
Turning Back
The Pages
V.
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From January 23, 1997
Chamber’s annual meeting
draws record crowd
With a record-breaking atten
dance, 160 members and guests gath
ered last Thursday evening for the
Pickens County Chamber of Com
merce’s annual meeting when the
president’s gavel was passed from John Trammell to Janet
Short. Between a prime rib dinner catered by the Wood-
bridge Inn and entertainment provided by “The Mayor and
Buford,” Chamber members heard a recap by outgoing
president John Trammell of a successful year just com
pleted and ambitious plans for the coming year by new
President Janet Short.
Trammell reported that the Chamber’s rolls grew by 50
during 1996 to the present 290 members. A highlight of the
year just ended was the completions of the Chamber’s of
fice complex at the community center. Trammell said the
building project received great support from the member
ship with over $65,000 contributed.
Ground broken for new high school
Local officials joined together at 500 Dragon Drive last
Wednesday for a ground breaking ceremony at the site of
the new high school. The 153,000 square feet high school
is located on a 160 acre site near Hwy. 5. Only 80 of the
160 acres donated by the Tate family will actually be de
veloped. Once completed, the school will house grades 9-
12. According to Board Chairman Jake Waller, grading
work at the site is complete and construction will begin as
soon as weather permits. School officials expect to be using
their new address by February 1998. The school will con
sist of 53 instructional units in three wings: a community
wing for the cafeteria, music room, gymnasium, media cen
ter and a 7,000 square foot auditorium’ a two story aca
demic wing and a vocational wing which will include
building construction, agricultural science, horticulture,
business education, home management, health occupations
and special education areas. Also included in the designs
are a stadium and field house behind the school.
In addition to these items, the local board of education
last week approved a resolution calling for a vote on a one
percent special option sales tax to fund several capital out
lay projects, one of which includes additional athletic fa
cilities at the high school. Among the items included in the
referendum are six tennis courts, a baseball diamond and
athletic and band practice fields. The cost of these projects
is estimated at $1,250,000.
The part of the high school already under construction
[grading] was funded through a $9.6 million bond.
SO
From February 3, 1972
Business changes
YEARS Vemie Jones Ford Company
has moved into their spacious new and
attractive location on East Church
Street. The official opening will be in
February. Parts and Equipment Com
pany, William C. Low owner, has
moved from West Street to the building vacated by Vemie
Jones Ford Company. Charles Jenkins has opened Insur
ance and Real Estate offices on West Spring Street. He has
renovated a former dwelling into attractive offices. The
Moore Hardware Co. building on East Church Street is
being renovated for a Sears Catalogue Ordering Business.
Land is being cleared on Burnt Mountain Road and the
Cove Road for a proposed Regional Shopping Center. Mr.
Howard Stancil has opened up a Used Car Lot next to he
Railroad Crossing on Burnt Mountain Road.
Mr. Turner receives Grand Lodge 50-year Award
W. Brother R.S. Turner, Past Master of Pickens Star
Lodge No. 220, F. & A.M., Jasper, GA, receives his Grand
Lodge 50-year Award. Presentation was made by W.
Brother Jack O. Smith, Past Master of Sharptop Lodge No.
680, also District Deputy to the Grand Master.
YEARS
From January 30, 1947
/ v ' Jasper Theatre will change manage
ment
Beginning next Monday, Mr.
J.S. Darnell will take over the opera
tion of the Jasper Theatre and Mr. Lee
Sosebee will be in charge.
Mr. Darnell is owner of the
building and equipment and operated the theatre with Mr.
Sosebee as manager until about a month before the latter
entered the military service, since which time it has been
operated under lease. Mrs. Carter Low holds the expiring
lease and has conducted the show on a very high plane.
New equipment is to be installed, but the installation will
not interfere with the operations of the show.
Grammar schools to hold county-wide tournament
The Pickens County Grammar School Basketball tourna
ment, like so many other things, was a war victim. It was
rehabilitated last spring by the seniors of Pickens County
High School. A fine tournament was held last year. Pickens
High Grammar School boys and Talking Rock girls won
and were given beautiful trophies.
The seniors of PHS are sponsoring this affair again. All
schools who have teams should groom them for this event.
More details and dates will be announced later. The tour
nament will be held after the district meets the last week in
February. This is for girls and boys both.
Bryan Lawrence
Email: Bryan@Iaithturf.com
LANDSCAPING DESIGN & INSTALLATION
FERTILIZATION • WEED CONTROL
LAWN MAINTENANCE • DEBRIS CLEANUPS & MORE!
770-490-2795
Continued From 1A
Landfill
of a pile of garbage first pre
sented at a called meeting
December 21st where the
county took immediate ac
tion to close the private land
fill citing it as accepting
waste from outside the
county and accepting house
hold garbage, in addition to
having tires and mattresses
clearly visible on photos - all
of which violate county
codes.
The other side of the split
screen showed the landfill as
it was currently with a layer
of dirt covering the garbage,
which Stancil said showed
“substantial work to have
everything covered.” He also
noted the landfill had paid the
$215,000 in overdue tonnage
fees it owed the county and
had applied and received a
temporary business permit to
do limited work there.
Stancil said several times
he believes there is a path
forward for the landfill to re
open. He said this may in
clude assurance that no
further household garbage
will be accepted and regular
inspections by county per
sonnel in addition the state
personnel.
However, Stancil ac
knowledged that the original
prohibition against accepting
waste from outside Pickens
County will not stand up to
challenge in the courts and
has been dropped.
He emphasized that based
on a meeting with the EPD
that the county is fully au
thorized to impose regula
tions themselves on a landfill
as long as they are equal or
more stringent than the state
guidelines.
In re-hashing the history
that led to the closure, Stancil
noted again that the landfill
had been the subject of seven
911 calls around the Thanks
giving period, including one
fire that burned for three days
without being able to be ex
tinguished. Stancil called that
one “pretty major.” He said
there have been numerous
citizen complaints and he and
fellow commissioner Jerry
Barnes feel bound by duty
and oath to take action there
to protect the public safety.
While not directly arguing
and at one point even apolo
gizing that he didn’t mean to
imply anything, Bob Nor
man, attorney for the landfill,
said they had operated in
compliance with state regula
tions and it “was unfortu
nate” the fire there kept
rekindling.
He said they have ad
dressed the county’s objec
tions in good faith and have
every intention of complying
“with legal and valid ordi
nances.”
He said their continued
closure since December 21
had created an “extreme fi
nancial burden.”
Landfill Owner/CEO Eric
Cash added they believe they
have everything in compli
ance and are ready to re
open.
Responding to one direct
question, Cash said the for
mer chief operating officer
was no longer with the com
pany and the county could
deal directly with him.
Addressing some specific
complaints, the landfill repre
sentatives said any mattress
in a house being demolished
could be put into a construc
tion/demolition dumpster and
that this may explain the nu
merous mattresses, including
one shown in a photo that
was burning.
For tires, the owner said
their operators know to re
move those when they see
them among the waste, and
that those shown in the
county’s photos must have
been recently dumped and
that they hadn’t had time to
pick them out yet. He assured
the commissioners that they
do inspect the garbage before
it is accepted.
Written requirements county
seeks to place on Whitestone
landfill
The county sent written
word to the landfill legal
counsel of what they will re
quire for it to re-open. Ac
cording to Stancil it included:
• Requirements for odor
mitigation;
• Requirements prohibit
ing any municipal waste -
this would include household
garbage and other items like
old tires;
• Requirement to cover all
waste with dirt every 14
days, rather than the state-re
quired 30 days;
• Ability for additional in
spections by the county;
• Other requirements per
taining to administration and
record keeping at the landfill;
•Very specific
penalties/actions if they are
found to be in violation.
Stancil said the county
would be open to some nego
tiation over wording and the
administration points, but
“We will hold firm all the
main requirements.”
*
P
Consigning ‘Women^S
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Winter Clearance Sale!
During the month
of February
Everything
50% off!
Browse our racks
Jewelry, Women s Clothing,
Plus Sizes, Formal Wear, Purses, Shoes
706-253-6905 • 540 N. Main Street • Jasper
Hours: Wed 11-5, Thurs 11-4, Fri & Sat 11-5
Lauison Self Storage
Al Lawson
Office 706-253-1188
Cell 770-893-7221
1188 Talking Rock Rd
Jasper, GA 30143
allawson3@gmail.com
Amatuer Radio
Club to meet
The Jasper Amateur Radio
Club meets on the second
Thursday of each month at 7
p.m. at the Cornerstone
Church Auxiliary building,
145 Cornerstone Drive (off
Camp Road just east of the
Pickens County Community
Center).
All visitors are welcome
to attend. Each meeting has a
free presentation and discus
sion of Amateur Radio events
or operating modes, includ
ing Emergency Communica
tions. Come see how much
fun Amateur Radio can be!
Please visit our website at
www.jasperarc.com for more
details.
Service
Club
The Pickens Community
Service Club meets every
2nd and 4th Thursdays at 7
p.m. downstairs in the
county administration of
fice.
Spotlight
Pickens
seminar
February
23
NWGA CIL invites all
people with disabilities,
agencies, nursing home facil
ities, youth organizations,
and other interested citizens
to attend an online Zoom or
phone seminar on Wednes
day, February 23 from 2-3:30
p.m.
Come learn how our serv
ices can assist you.
We will also discuss how
our services can help those
affected by the COVID-19
pandemic.
For more information, call
Christina Holtzclaw at 706-
314-0008 or 628-246-1825
or email her at
choltzcla w@nwgacil. org
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