Thursday, June 30,2022 | Volume 135 Number 11 | Jasper, Georgia | 24 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
What’s up with Jasper’s wastewater?
photo/Angela Reinhardt
Jasper’s wastewater treatment facility is reaching its permitted capacity with a long-awaited ex
pansion project delayed again, this time because bids came in more than double the expected
amount.
Q&A about city’s stalled
wastewater project
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Jasper leaders were shocked when bids for
their wastewater expansion project recently came
in over $10 million above the anticipated amount.
These bids sent them scrambling to get an appli
cation to the U.S.D.A. in hopes that they will be
able to secure the additional funding needed.
The wastewater expansion project has been in
the works since 2016, and when completed will
increase the city’s wastewater treatment capacity
from 780,000 gallons a day to 1.56 million gal
lons a day - but there have been setbacks due to
holdups with the EPD caused in part by the pan
demic, and more recently because of funding.
[The city had $7,725 million secured for the proj
ect from the U.S.D.A. through a combination of
grants and a Rural Development loan.]
Because of these additional funding setbacks,
coupled with a surge in development in Pickens
County, the Progress spoke with Jasper’s Assis
tant City Manager Kim Goldener about their
wastewater situation.
In June of 2021, the Progress reported that
city officials at that time considered it “crucial”
to get the wastewater expansion underway as
quickly as possible. In that article, Jasper’s
Water-Wastewater Director David Hall ex
plained that the EPD and permitting had stalled
the project essentially since 2016. Now it’s a year
after that article was published. If it was crucial
then, where are we now? What is the current ca
pacity of the wastewater treatment facility, and
current usage?
Goldener: Our current NPDES [National Pol
lutant Discharge Elimination System] permit is
sued by EPD allows for 0.80 million gallons per
day (800,000 gallons per day) to be discharged on
a monthly average. This means that as long as the
city’s daily discharge flows within a 30-day pe
riod averages out to 800,000 gallons per day or
less, the city is meeting the conditions of the per
mit. When system flows approach 80 percent of
our permitted discharge on a consistent basis,
EPD requires that the system expansion process
be started.
See Wastewater on 11A
Photo/Angela Reinhardt
Pickens Airport Manager Randy Thomason finishes refueling an Apache attack hel
icopter on a scouting trip from South Carolina.
National Guard scout airport
for refueling/staging base
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
A handful of spectators
gathered on the porch of the
small Pickens County Air
port terminal to see a not-so-
small Apache helicopter
refuel, a rarity according to
the airport manager.
You could hear the inim
itable Apache sound before
the aircraft became visible
over the tree line; it was loud
and deep and pulsating just
like in the movies, which be
fore last Thursday was the
only place this reporter had
heard it.
Wind created by the pow
erful blades picked up as the
attack chopper came in for a
landing.
Airport manager Randy
Thomason drove quickly
across the terminal-area
parking ramp in a refueling
truck, which would pump
477 gallons into the helicop
ter in two sessions that day.
The first refueling was a
test run; the second was a
“hot” refuel where the en
gine stays running during the
process. Pickens Fire & Res
cue crews were on scene as a
safety precaution.
“We get about four to six
[Apaches] a year, but a lot
more UH-60 Blackhawks,”
said Thomason. “Maybe as
many as 40-plus.”
This particular model was
what one of the pilots called
the “latest, greatest” Apache,
the AH-64E Version 6.
“It’s the next generation,”
said Justin Sadeghian, Chief
Warrant Officer 4 and Train
ing Instructor with the Army
National Guard. “It’s pretty
cool. We’re one of the few in
the county who has one. It’s
the latest, greatest machine
out there.”
After maneuvering up the
side and into the rear seat of
the tandem cockpit, the burly
machine was as impressive
See Refuel on 11A
Fourth of July
celebration
schedule
announced
/ JASPSR LiOtii CLUB
INDEPENDENCE DAY
SPECTACULAR
[The Jasper Lions have an
ad on pages 2B-3B with an
easy-to-read schedule of
events.]
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
The Jasper Lions say
plans for the Fourth of July
celebration are going
smoothly, with the full
schedule of events and en
tertainment finalized.
The fair and rides at Lee
Newton Park will begin
Wednesday, June 30 and run
through Monday, July 4.
The lion’s share of
events and entertainment
are on July 4, including the
parade that will roll out at 1
p.m. to streamline with the
fair’s opening time around
2:30 - 3 p.m. One band will
perform on Saturday, July 3
at Lee Newton Park.
Bay Cagle will emcee
the parade and entertain
ment at Lee Newton Park
on July 4th.
Prior to the parade on
Main Street at 1 p.m., a
brass quintet will perform
the Star Spangled Banner at
12:30 p.m. on the Pickens
County Courthouse lawn.
After the parade, festivi
ties move to Lee Newton
Park at 2 p.m. when the
DAV Honor Guard and Ma
rine Corps will present col
ors, lead the Pledge of
Allegiance and perform
three-volley salute at Lee
Newton Park. Cagle will an
nounce float winners at that
time.
Directly following an
nouncements, the Commu
nity Band, which includes
players from the AP Winds
and local musicians, will
perform American classics
including Sousa marches,
movie themes, and patriotic
See July 4th on 11A
The Good Vibes
+
Tandem biking Rails to Trails
Tom and Kathy Pickering have spent a
lifetime being active. Career educators who
retired from the Pickens County School Sys
tem in 2 011, the couple now spend their time
hiking, biking, traveling and hanging out
with their children and grandchildren.
The active and outdoorsy lifestyle is a big
draw for them and, for the past 30 years the
husband and wife duo have spent a lot of
time riding Atlanta’s Silver Comet Trail,
often on a tandem bike.
The following was submitted by Tom
for our Good Vibes series about their
hobby of bike riding on Rails to Trails
bike paths:
“Rails to Trails is a term used to describe
abandoned railroads that have been con
verted into multiuse trails that are used by
hikers, bikers, bike riders and some allow
horseback riding. Most of these trails are
family friendly since the grade is usually
10% or less and can be enjoyed by people of
all fitness levels.
' \/\\i/ m'H
f Wj
m
i ^ •aH
V
Tom and Kathy Pickering enjoy spending time biking
our country’s Rails to Trails paths, multiuse trails across
the U.S. that have been converted from abandoned train
tracks into multiuse trails for hikers and bikers.
The couple often bike the paths on a tandem bike.
Ferraris galore
as sportscar
club comes
to Jasper
Page 1B
Learn about this
invasive plant
putting on a
roadside color
show
Page 12B
Runoff Results
Josh
Tippens
wins
west
commission
seat in low
turnout race
Page 7A
Obituaries - 8A
• Barbara Purdy
• Billy Goforth
• Cheryl Little-
Smith
• Gary Hollis
• Marjorie Priest
• Jane Wehunt
• Tommy Shaw
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
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See Good Vibes on 11A
