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PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MAY 12. 2022
KPB Memorial Garden gets a refresh, with more
to come (including new Edible Jasper gardens)
In 2002, Keep Pickens
Beautiful established a Me
morial and Honorary Garden
near the Chamber of Com
merce in Lee Newton Park.
The garden was redesigned
in 2015, and is currently un
dergoing another significant
refresh.
Initially, members of the
community could make a do
nation in memory of their
friend or relative, and KPB
would install a marble plaque
with a tree or shrub. That
same year, a pergola was in
stalled adjacent to the Cham
ber of Commerce building
with benches for seating.
Over time, the markers were
hidden by the growing plants,
were damaged by lawnmow-
ers, or got buried by brush or
silt; the pergola was over
grown by the ornamental
plants that were installed
around its perimeter.
Keep Pickens Beautiful
redesigned the Memorial and
Honorary Garden in 2015.
Boulders were strategically
placed for comfortable,
shady seating near the creek,
additional marble benches
were added, all the marble
markers were relocated, and
paths were installed from the
Chamber building to the seat
ing area. However, since
2015, Lee Newton Park has
experienced some significant
floods and the paths were not
designed for this abuse, so
they suffered.
This past winter, KPB
cleared all the plants from
around the pergola. There is
still work to be done because
the plants were extremely in
vasive - holly bushes, wiste
ria, and English ivy - so it’s
going to take some work to
completely eradicate them
since KPB won’t use any
chemicals in their gardens.
KPB will progressively add
edible plants around the per
gola to expand the Edible
Jasper project - 3 fig trees
have already been added
along the back; blueberries
and kiwis will be added in the
future.
Once the weather cooper
ated, the paths were recon
structed. KPB worked with
Whiten Land Management to
redesign the paths to handle
the expected repeated flood
ing it will need to endure.
They removed the original
paths, dug a proper founda
tion and filled it with crushed
Planters at Lee Newton
Park
marble, reset the marble
edges, and filled the paths
with a substrate that should
withstand any abuse it’s
faced with.
In addition to rebuilding
the paths, KPB is working to
help address the water
drainage issues in that part of
the park. A section in the
bend of the path was low so
it held water and the area be
hind the path was a constant
swamp. The front area has
been filled and mulched; it
will be planted this fall or
next spring as an Edible
Jasper garden. The back area
has been filled and will be
monitored during future
rains, and once the water is
properly draining, the area
will be reseeded.
This project couldn’t have
been accomplished without
the incredible generosity of
the Pickens community:
•Triple P Farm & Dirt
Works donated their time and
equipment to remove the
original paths and to dig
down a few inches for a
proper foundation. They also
donated the hauling of the
marble gravel and path mate
rials.
•Polycor donated the
crushed marble for the path
foundation.
•Southscape provided the
path materials at cost.
•KPB President Vered
Kleinberger volunteered
three days of assisting with
digging, hauling, and spread
ing dirt and path material.
Next time you’re in Lee
Newton Park, be sure to no
tice the improvements and
enjoy some quiet time in the
Memorial and Honorary Gar
den near the creek. Watch for
future Edible Jasper work
shops in the park.
Visit https://keeppickens-
beautiful.org/programs/beau-
tification/ memorial-garden/
to learn more about the Me
morial and Honorary Garden.
Visit KeepPickensBeauti-
ful.org to learn more about
KPB and their projects and
programs.
Realtor Lori Chastain joins Thornton Agency
Real Estate Agent, Lori
Chastain, has joined Paige
Thornton Realty. Chastain’s
specialties include Buyers
Agent, Listing Agent, New
Home Construction and Land
Packages. She will be cover
ing all of North Georgia from
Cobb County to Hiawassee,
Georgia.
Following her becoming
licensed, Chastain stated,
“I've wanted to be a Real Es
tate Agent since I was old
enough to know what one
was.” Lori earned her real
estate license a year ago and
gained a lot of experience
and knowledge starting out
with Keller Williams.
Paige Thornton Realty,
serving all of north Georgia
and north metro Atlanta, is a
small boutique firm that spe
cializes in foil service, hands
on approach to every client.
Ms. Thornton has strong
local ties to Union County
and is passionate about lo
cals. "Lori Chastain is a per
fect addition to the team
because of her strong ties to
Pickens County locals there",
states Thornton. Chastain’s
decision to join Paige Thorn
ton Realty was a perfect fit
for the women given their de
sire to cater and specialize to
their home communities.
"Paige is so authentic,”
Chastain said. “I admired her
business practices and re
spect how she treats people.
I'm extremely grateful to be
in business with her.” “We
are very proud to have Lori
joined our agency,” said
Thornton. “I appreciate her
professionalism and all her
values she brings to the table.
Her skills and friendliness
will allow our agency to
serve this area of Georgia
better. Lori treats every
transaction with respect and
■»—
Lori Chastain
vigor. This is what the firm
stands for 100%". Lori can
be reached on her cell phone
directly at (706) 669-5988.
Her family is deeply
rooted in the history of Pick
ens County. Her grandpa,
Howard Dilbeck, and his
brother opened the first full
service gas station north of
Marietta. Her grandma, Mar-
vis Dilbeck, came to Jasper
to work for the Home Exten
sion Agency where, among
her projects, she built the 4-
H program and held club
meetings for women in the
different towns in the county,
publishing materials to help
housewives. Mrs. Dilbeck
was also a Genealogist, be
fore the internet and she con
tributed to many books about
local family histories. Her
grandpa, Carl Taylor, was the
Warden of the Convict Camp
in Pickens and oversaw the
development of county infra
structure. Her family has
been responsible for record
ing and reporting the local
weather to the National
Weather Service news for
more than 80 years. Her fa
ther, William Dilbeck, con
tinues this tradition.
Lori attended Jasper Ele
mentary and Pickens High
School and received a Bach
elor's degree in Middle
Grades Education as a grad
uate of North Georgia Col
lege. She has two children,
Mallory and Ryan, the third
generation of her family to be
raised on her family's farm in
Jasper. She taught middle
school and coached various
m
Join Greenzo’s Green Gang!
Griinzo's Green guide
Greenzo is Great at Giving Guidance on Growing and Gaining Greener Goals
What is composting?
• Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as
leaves & food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil & plants.
• Fondly referred to by farmers as “black gold,” compost is rich in nutrients
and can be used for gardening, horticulture, and agriculture.
• Composting is a great way to recycle the organic waste we generate at
home. Food scraps and garden waste combined make up
more than 28% of what we throw away!
How can you help?
• Start your own compost!
• The ideal compost location is a dry and shady spot.
• To start, add alternating thin layers of greens & browns,
ending with a layer of browns.
• Learn more here: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101
Reduce Waste! Compost Food and Yard Scraps!
GIVI A HDDTl DON'T POLLUTE!
visit KeepPickensBeautiful.org for more information
kPb
HEIRLOOM
& NATIVE
PLANT SALE
Bee happy - don’t miss out
on the 2022 Heirloom and Native Plant Sale!
Support local Master Gardeners and 4-H by buying native
and heirloom plants. These are plants that grow well in
our environment while supporting birds, pollinators, and
wildlife. See our website below or find us on Facebook
for a complete plant listing.
JL
Date: May 14 Time: 8 am to Noon
Place: Veterans Memorial parking lot Jasper, GA
Pickens County Master Gardeners
Phone: 706-253-8840
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
EXTENSION
E-Mail: uge12272@ga.edu or pickensmg@tds.net
http://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/pickens.html
sports in Pickens County for
20 years.
Lori's other interests and
hobbies include DYI proj
ects, home improvement and
leather crafts, such as hair
bows. She recently helped
start the Jasper Referral
Group, the first Networking
Group in Jasper, Georgia.
Paige Thornton is ex
tremely well known in the
real estate industry in North
Georgia. Paige Thornton Re
alty is located at 37 A Young
Harris Street, Blairsville,
Georgia.
The agency’s website is
PaigeThorntonRealty.com.
The agency’s phone number
is 706-400-5555.
Pickens County Board of Education
Called Board Meeting
May 12, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Pickens Junior High School
1802 Refuge Road, Jasper, GA
The Pickens County Board of Education will hold a
called board meeting on May 12, 2022 at Pickens Jun
ior High School, 1802 Refuge Road, Jasper, GA 30143.
This location was chosen by the board members in order
to host a student recognition ceremony during the regu
lar monthly meeting which will begin at 6:00 PM.
■.Call to Order
II. Approval of Agenda
III. Executive Session
IV. Approval of Executive Session Minutes
V. Adjourn
Pickens County Board of Education
Regular Board Meeting
May 12, 2022 at 6 p.m.
Pickens Junior High School
1802 Refuge Road, Jasper, GA
The Pickens County Board of Education will hold the May 12, 2022 regular monthly
board meeting in the auditorium of Pickens Junior High School, 1802 Refuge Road,
Jasper, GA 30143. This location was chosen by the board members in order to host a
student recognition ceremony. The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM.
I. Call to Order
II. Invocation
III. Pledge of Allegiance
IV. Approval of Agenda
V. Recognitions
A. Young Georgia Authors Competition - Destini Shope, Director of Community
Engagement
B. Ellison Steinhauer Receives GREA Academic Award - Dr. Chad Flatt, Pickens
Junior High Principal
C. Fall Mt. League Tennis Champions - Dr. Chad Flatt, Pickens Junior High Principal
D. Wrestling - Winter Team Champions - Dr. Chad Flatt, Pickens Junior High
Principal
E. Baseball - Spring Team Champions - Dr. Chad Flatt, Pickens Junior High Principal
F. Pickens High 2022 Valedictorian & Salutatorian - Chris Wallace, Pickens High
Principal
G. 2022 STAR Student & Finalists - Chris Wallace, Pickens High Principal
H. GHSA Literary AAAA State Champion: Piper Duncan - Chris Wallace, Pickens
High Principal
I. CTAE Recognitions - Tim Baisden, Pickens High CTAE Director
J. Girls Tennis: Elite 8 - Chris Williams, Athletic Director
K. Girls Soccer: State Playoffs - Chris Williams, Athletic Director
L. Boys Soccer: Sweet 16 - Chris Williams, Athletic Director
M. Baseball: Sweet 16 - Chris Williams, Athletic Director
N. e-Sports: Rocket League: AAAA State Runner-up - Chris Williams, Athletic
Director
O. Pickens County School District 2022-23 Teachers of the Year - Destini Shope,
Director of CommunityEngagement
P. Pickens County School District 2022 Retirees - Destini Shope, Director of
Community Engagement
VI. Superintendent Reports
A. Financial Update - Amy Smith, Chief Financial Offi cer
B. Operations and Construction - Stacy Gilleland, Chief Operations Offi cer
VII. Action Items
A. Approval of Personnel
B. Approval of Financial Reports
C. Approval of Waste Management for 2022-2023 Garbage Services
D. Approval of Lanier Exterminating Service, Inc for Exterminating & Pest Control
Services 2022-2023
E. Approval of ABM Custodial Services for 2022-2023
F. Approval of Seasonal Designs Landscaping for 2022-2023 Lawn Maintenance
G. Approval of Purchase of Tractor for Pickens Junior High Agricultural Facility
H. Approval For Pickens County BOE To Request Assistance of the GaDOE Facilities
Section - Five-YearLocal Facilities Plan
I. Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip for TSA National Conference
J. Approval of MOU with Dalton State College
K. Approval of Minutes
L. Approval of Surplus
VIII. Public Participation
IX. Board Comments
X. Adjourn