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THURSDAY. MARCH 3. 2022 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
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From the Progress files
Turning Back
The Pages
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From March 6, 1997
Chamber names new director
The Pickens County Chamber of
Commerce is pleased to announce the
unanimous appointment of Mahria
Smith as executive director. Smith
brings years of public relations and
administrative experience to this posi
tion as she has served as administrative assistant at the
Jasper United Methodist Church since 1989. She served as
legislative aide to State Representative Garland Pinholster
and has extensive background in graphic arts and publica
tions. Smith’s community activities include service with
the Pickens County Library Board, selection as Lioness of
the Year, involvement with the Friendship Force and Re
tinitis Pigmentosa Foundation. Smith designed the Cham
ber’s seal as well as the seal for the city of Ball Ground.
City council annexes Hwy. 53 property
During its regular monthly meeting, the Jasper City
Council added to the city by annexing two pieces of prop
erty on Hwy. 53 near the 515 intersection. In two separate
motions, the council voted unanimously to include property
on both sides of McDonald’s on Hwy. 53 into the city. The
first piece of property, between McDonalds and Bryant’s
store, is owned by the Deland Corporation and plans are in
the works to build a Pizza Hut on the site, said Jim Smith,
the city’s grant administrator. The second area of property
belongs to Regions Bank and includes approximately two
acres. The council, after lengthy discussion, voted to give
Regions a tax abatement on the property until it is devel
oped.
SO
From March 2, 1972
YEARS
aao
Georgia is No. 1 Tree Farm state
The elating Tree Farm state in the
nation is Georgia. In fact, statistics just
released by the American Forest Insti
tute show that Georgia has a million-
acre edge on the No. 2 state. George
D. Walker, Cooperative Extension Service forester who
cited the figures explained that on January 1, Georgia had
3,191 certified tree farms with a total acreage of 7,906,669.
In second place was Florida, with 6,818,191 acres. Ala
bama with 6,748,479 acres was third.
4-H news
At the last county council meeting, two new ideas were
introduced by council members. First, Pres. Bill Brooks
gave a demonstration on 4-H aerospace, a new project in
which 4-H’ers are eligible to work on at the county level.
This project involves working with model rocketry, cover
ing construction, launch and the technology involved.
Champion speller
The winner of the Pickens County Spelling Bee was Gin
ger Caylor. Ginger is a fifth grader at Jasper Elementary
School and represented Pickens County at the District
Spelling Bee in Jefferson City on March 1. Her parents,
John and Cathy Caylor, and her sister Julie said, “We are
very proud of Ginger and all of her accomplishments.”
YEARS
/— - . . From March 6, 1947
/ C 9 J.H. Dilbeck appointed to high Ma-
m sonic position
At the last annual communication
of the Grand Lodge of Georgia
F.&A.M., a resolution was adopted
creating the office of assistant custo
dian in each Congressional District of
the state. As a result Hon. Chesley W. Monk of Sylvester,
Grand Master, last week appointed J.H. Dilbeck of Jasper
to this post for the ninth district. He received his commis
sion as a member of the Board of Custodians of the Grand
Lodge Monday. His duties will be to assist the district sub
ordinate lodges in the uniform work; and White cards to
members showing proficiency in the work adopted by the
Grand Lodge, and to conduct official schools of instruction,
one of which begins in the Masonic Temple here Friday
night, March 7th, and continuing each Friday night until
further notice.
Weather
The Atlanta station of the United States Weather Bureau
says that while no one day in February set a record low, it
averaged the coldest month of any February since 1879. At
the government station in Jasper there were five days on
which the thermometer dropped to 11 above, and several
others on which it registered in the teens. March came in
like the proverbial lion. Saturday was cold, but Sunday was
colder, with snow and high wind that blew the snow away
about as fast as it fell. Where it drifted to is a mystery we
cannot explain.
H&R
BLOCK
Online and
in person.
Help is here.
BEHIND THE CARWASH,
675 NOAH DR
JASPER
706-692-3178
Ch&r\rDinAjk.
Cherronda R.
Tax Pro
Casual Classics concert series to
present Feiner Musicke March 7th
Tenor Dr. Mel Foster and harpist Ellen Heinicke Foster
Dr. Mel Foster, Tenor
Ellen Heinicke Foster,
Harp
Feiner Musicke is fea
tured as the next concert,
March 7 of the Casual Clas
sics Concert Series. The 7
p.m. concert is at Fellowship
Presbyterian Church, 389
Bent Tree Drive, Jasper GA
30143. Performing are tenor
Dr. Mel Foster, associate pro
fessor of voice at Morehouse
College, and harpist Ellen
Heinicke Foster, second harp
for the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra. Feiner Musicke
blends the power, grace and
passion of the performers to
create a unique and unforget
table musical experience.
There will be an opportunity
to mingle with the artists over
coffee provided by Red Bean
Coffee before the concert,
and during intermission.
Works on the program in
clude music by Debussy,
F aure, Milliken, Quilter,
Willis, and Burleigh. The
works by Sandra Milliken
and Dr. Sharon Willis are
premiere performances for
Feiner Musicke.
Feiner Musicke is a hus
band and wife duo commit
ted to the performance,
publication and recording of
music for voice and harp. Be
cause the repertoire is lim
ited, Ellen Heinicke Foster
has transcribed many pieces
originally written for voice
and piano. Several of these
transcriptions can be heard
on their first recording, Now
Sleeps the Crimson Petal.
They have also published
three volumes of transcrip
tions of songs by Claude De
bussy and Gabriel Faure. The
Duo has performed through
out America for festivals and
conferences and on numer
ous recital series.
Tenor Mel Foster is an As
sociate Professor of Voice
and Associate Provost for
Academic Success at More
house College. He earned the
Bachelor of Music degree at
the Eastman School of Music
where he studied with John
Maloy, and his Master of
Music and Doctor of Musical
Arts degrees from the Uni
versity of California Santa
Barbara where he was under
the tutelage of Elizabeth
Mannion. More recently, he
has benefitted from mentor
ing by Victor Roman.
A native of Charlotte, NC,
Dr. Foster believes his expe
rience at the Brevard Music
Festival as a teenager heavily
influenced his decision to
commit his life to singing.
Since then, he has had the op
portunity to be engaged in
opera, oratorio, and recital
performances throughout the
United States and Europe. He
is interested in the vital role
that the arts play in sustaining
culture.
Endeavoring to create
more roles for African-Amer
ican operatic tenors, he has
premiered more than ten
roles and solos for the Ameri-
color Opera Alliance, for
which he is now the artistic
director.
With the Atlanta Opera, he
performed the role of Nelson
in their historic 2008 Euro
pean tour of George Gersh
win’s Porgy and Bess.
Ellen Heinicke Foster is
currently second Harp for the
Atlanta Symphony Orches
tra. Since 2014, she has been
the Adjunct Professor of
Harp at Southern Adventist
University. She has a Bache
lor of Music, Cum Laude, in
Harp and Music Education
from The Eastman School of
Music. After teaching K-6
Music in Lawrence, Kansas
public schools, she continued
her harp studies, receiving a
Master of Music in Harp Per
formance from University of
British Columbia and an
Artist Diploma from Yale
University. Her teachers in
clude Nancy Allen, Rita
Costanzi and Eileen Malone.
While a graduate student,
Mrs. Foster won the Con
certo Competition at Univer
sity of British Columbia and
was Runner-Up in the Con
certo Competition during a
summer at the Aspen Music
Festival. She has performed
throughout America, Canada
and Europe as a soloist, ac
companist and orchestra
member. She has performed
with the Vancouver Sym
phony, New Haven Sym
phony, Connecticut Opera,
Santa Barbara Symphony,
Santa Barbara Opera, Atlanta
Symphony, Atlanta Ballet,
Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Boy
Choir and the Georgia Boy
Choir, as well numerous or
chestras and choruses in the
Southeast.
As an educator, she has
been a teacher and mentor for
the Urban Youth Harp En
semble, taught at The Carver
Schools and is the Director of
the North Atlanta Harp En
semble. Mrs. Foster has been
an active member of the
American Harp Society and
has served 3 terms as Presi
dent for the Georgia Chapter.
She can be heard on record
ings with the Atlanta Sym
phony, Macon Symphony,
Atlanta Boy Choir, and Geor
gia Boy Choir.
There is no charge for ad
mission, although contribu
tions are gratefully received;
donations from the series’ pa
trons cover the expenses of
these concerts. Following
protocols established at the
church, all those attending
are strongly encouraged to
wear masks while inside the
facility and during the con
cert.
Casual Classics was es
tablished in 2007 by Suzanne
Shull, then a resident of Bent
Tree and member of Fellow
ship Presbyterian Church.
Over the years, the series has
featured many soloists and
ensembles associated with
the Atlanta Symphony Or
chestra, faculty at Kennesaw
State University, and emerg
ing artists. With Suzanne’s
move to Atlanta, Calvert
Johnson stepped up to be the
new Concert Manager, be
ginning with the 2018-19
season. Members of the
Board of Directors include
Kelly Lohman, Lin Pollard,
Marc Unger, Richard White,
and Suzanne Shull as past di
rector. Future concerts this
season include the Emrah
Kotan Jazz Ensemble, May
2, and the Atlanta Symphony
Woodwind Quintet, June 6,
2022.
For additional informa
tion, contact Calvert Johnson
at 404-373-0748 or
calvertj ohnson@gmail. com.
Crime. Luck and Redemption
The Life and Times of Wallace Hughes, Jr.
By Chris Feldt
Contributing Writer
Pickens County has a his
tory replete with convicts
who escaped local authori
ties.
This particular story took
place near Sharptop Church
(on Grandview Road) and as
events unfolded moved to the
Connahaynee Lodge grounds
within Tate Mountain Estates
before the convict escaped
our county.
On September 2, 1937 a
group of convicts were on a
work detail near Sharptop
Church, when one of con
victs, a man convicted of
murder, escaped from the
group and ran up an embank
ment.
A flurry of bullets were re
leased and the man stumbled.
When the deputies ran to
where the man fell, they were
surprised at the lack of blood
in the area. Wallace Hughes
was not wounded, nor did he
stay around for any length of
time. Aposse of 50 men with
bloodhounds searched in
vain for a week without find
ing him.
Hughes had made his way
to Burnt Mountain to the
quarters of some servants of
the Connahaynee Lodge. Re
ports differ as to whether or
not Wallace acquired any
clothes from the servants.
Regardless, for the fourth
time in Wallace’s illustrious
criminal career, he had es
caped. After escaping north
Georgia Wallace made his
way to California, New York
and Chicago before returning
to Atlanta.
Wallace’s criminal career
began in 1932, when, at the
age of 17, he killed two men
while holding up a restaurant
in Atlanta. He fled the restau
rant being chased by police.
Gunshots were exchanged as
Wallace made his way across
several rooftops of buildings
in downtown Atlanta before
finally being captured atop
the Georgia Power Company
building.
He was arrested and sent
to trial. After taking his own
defense, the presiding judge
sentenced Wallace to death
by electric chair.
Wallace Hughes, Jr. was
bom in Fulton County, Geor
gia in 1915. He lived with his
mother and father, and two
older sisters. During the trial,
he testified that his father
Wallace Hughes, Sr. had in
troduced alcohol to him as a
child and had eventually de
serted the family.
He claimed that the effects
of his childhood had led him
to a life of crime.
A year later, feeling pity
on the youthful Wallace,
Governor Eugene Talmadge
had commuted his death sen
tence within seven hours of
his execution. Yet Wallace
decided that prison life was
still not for him and decided
to escape. In 1936, Hughes
fled from a prisoner camp in
Soperton, Georgia. This was
his third escape.
Fast forward to January of
1938. After having been on
the lam for three months,
Wallace was recaptured by
Atlanta police.
The police had noticed a
stolen car outside of a house
on Beryl Avenue and
searched the car. After secur
ing two pistols, they raided
the house.
Hughes and three other
criminals were arrested.
Upon being arrested, Hughes
was subsequently identified
in a lineup for having robbed
someone else between his es
cape and capture.
Wallace was sent to a
prison farm at Reidsville,
Georgia for a few years.
However, in the spring of
1942, he and seven other
prisoners, orchestrated an es
cape. Three of the eight con
victs were shot. Five of the
eight were captured immedi
ately. Wallace was neither
shot nor captured right away.
Later that summer, be was
captured using the alias
Buddy Hughes and charged
with transporting a stolen au
tomobile.
Miraculously and surpris-
A photo in the July 9,
1932 Atlanta Constitution
from the trial of Wallace
Hughes, Jr.
ingly, Wallace was allowed
out of prison after having his
life sentence commuted on
November 11, 1956 and by
1958 he was living in Rome,
Georgia, married and had
taken up employment as an
office machine repairman.
Wallace outlived his wife and
became a regular attendee of
the Second Avenue Baptist
Church of Rome. He passed
away peacefully at the age of
64 in 1978.
Wallace lived most of his
life as an outlaw, with blatant
disregard for the property,
life or rights of others. And
yet, time and time again, he
consistently escaped justice,
breaking free repeatedly and
amazing luck, avoiding gun
fire in every case.
In my research, I could
not find record of his pardon
from prison. After his death
sentence was commuted to
life without parole, barring a
pardon, he should have never
been released.
Regardless, his last
decades were spent in mar
riage, work and church as a
contributing member of soci
ety. He found redemption.
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