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What to know about the burn ban
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
We’re a little over two weeks into
the annual summer bum ban, which
prohibits burning yard and land
clearing debris in 52 Georgia coun
ties including Pickens. We spoke to
Jasper’s fire chief to get more insight
into the annal restriction that’s now
been in effect nearly 20 years.
The Summer Open Burn Ban
began May 1 and runs through Sep
tember 31. It prohibits all yard and
land-clearing bums. This means res
idents are prohibited from burning
leaves, yard waste, tree limbs, burn
ing grass or burning for land clear
ing, weed clearing, and a few other
less common bums during that time.
“People are allowed to have a
cooking fire or a fire for heat, as well
as recreational fires so campfires are
allowed,” said Jasper Fire Chief
John Sherrer — but outside of those,
fires are off limits barring a few spe
cial exemptions like permitted fire
fighter training or forestry prescribed
burning.
Grilling and barbecuing are al
lowed under recreational use, too.
“The bum ban is actually im
posed by the Georgia Forestry Com
mission and they are responsible for
enforcement, but if we get a call we
will respond and extinguish the fire
and if we feel it’s necessary, contact
the commission.”
Sherrer said if there is a report or
complaint made and the department
is called to a residence they start
with education.
“Some people aren’t aware of the
bum ban,” he said. “So we do edu
cation first, let them know the rules
before getting in touch with the
Forestry Commission.”
According to Sherrer, more often
than not on illegal bum calls resi
dents are not aware of the summer
burning ban rules, “But sometimes
it’s obvious the residents know they
are conducting an illegal bum.”
If there are repeat bum offenders
the chief said they will contact Geor
gia Forestry, “And we’ll say, hey, we
have an issue with an illegal bum.”
At that point the state agency can in
vestigate and issue a citation and im
pose fines.
“It doesn’t happen often, but we
have had to contact them,” he said.
In fact, the local department re
ceives fewer calls reporting illegal
bums or complaints of smoke in an
area during the ban than they do in
other months. That’s because so
many people are aware of bum ban
restrictions and follow the rales by
not burning leaves or debris, Sherrer
said.
The chief urged residents to take
special precaution with coals from
barbecue pits during the summer.
“They can stay hot for several
hours,” he said. “Make sure they are
completely cool before dumping
those. If you put hot coals in a trash-
can, the can catch on fire, and if the
can is near the house the house can
catch on fire.”
The bum ban is in place during
the summer ozone season, when
smoke from burning can negatively
impact air quality.
According to James Boylan, chief
of the EPD Air Protection Branch,
“Small particles are released into the
atmosphere during open burning. In
addition, other air pollutants are re
leased that can form ground-level
ozone in the summertime. Particu
late pollution can cause chronic heart
See Burn Ban on 11A
Downtown conies alive with first concert
of the summer, packing Main Street
A large crowd relaxes on Main Street for the first in the series of merchants reporting strong business and no problems with logistics.
Downtown Live events. Organizers say all went well with vendors and Look for the next Downtown Live on June 10.
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
The Downtown Development Authority
sponsored summer concert series picked up Sat
urday right where it left off last year with a large
crowd, few problems and a positive response,
say organizers.
Though the name changed over the winter
from Second Saturdays to Downtown Live, the
event has remained the same with a free concert,
food tents, vendors and a kids’ area provided by
local churches.
Like all free downtown events, the actual at
tendance is hard to estimate with no gates and
the crowd spaced out on both North and South
Main Street. It was without-a-doubt well at-
See Downtown Live on 11A
School days
to shed
30 minutes
next year
Photos of students
recognized by
school board,
Page 10B
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Following a marathon student
awards ceremony during their May
meeting, the Pickens school board
voted to change school stop times for
the 2023-2024 year. The new times
will shorten the school day by 30 min
utes for all students.
New times are: Pickens High
School and Pickens Junior High
School will start at 7:45 a.m. just like
they have this school year, but the day
will end at 2:15 p.m. rather than 2:45
p.m. Jasper Middle School and all
three elementary schools will still
begin the day at 8:30 a.m., but will
end at 3 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m.
The board originally proposed
changes to school start and stop times
that would have had older students re
porting later in the morning and stay
ing slightly later in the afternoon; and
which had younger students starting
the day earlier and ending earlier.
Board member Steve Lowe said
their decision was based on input
from „ _ . ._ . ...
See School Board on 11A
New to area, Mexican artist brings eagerness
to paint the world to Friday’s Art Walk
By Kevin Rauda
Contributing Writer
The pandemic pushed a kinder
garten teacher from Michoacan,
Mexico to become an artist who has
since relocated to this area and
whose works will be on display at
Friday’s ArtWalk in Jasper.
Jennifer Sanchez Monteagudo
Noe uses contrasting colors to bring
ideas into reality. She paints por
traits with neon colors conveying
shadows and light that construct
into faces. Noe is a rising artist with
a handful of paintings under her
belt, but with an eagerness to paint
the world.
The artist who moved to the
United States nine months ago says
art has always shaped her life.
“The reason I became a kinder
garten teacher is because you have
to be creative,” she said.
During the early stages of the
pandemic and undergoing man
dated quarantine in Michoacan, she
began to create art. “I was going
crazy. I had to do something,” she
said. “So, I began to paint without
any prior experience.”
After the easing restrictions of
the pandemic in Mexico, Noe de
cided to travel to the United States
with her cousin. She met her hus
band in Jasper and decided to move
here. The husband, noticing her cre
ative tendencies, encouraged Noe
to pursue a career in painting.
Her paintings are large, 3 by 4
feet canvases, using rich colors to
paint varied themes of native Amer
icans, portraits, and the human
form. Noe said, “I use oil. It’s very
durable and requires patience.”
“I was born for this. I love painting. I’m impassioned, ” says new
artist Jennifer Noe, going on to say that as a young child art had always
fueled her life. She is featured at ArtWalk Jasper, May 19 from 6-9 p.m.
Though recently she’s been ex
perimenting with acrylic paint, her
main medium, she says, is her
imagination.
When asked what inspired her
art, she explained that living sub
jects/nature like foliage, sunsets, or
anything naturally colorful are
sources of creativity.
See Inspired Artist on 11A
utstanding
Youth
Troop 20
celebrates
two new
Eagle Scouts
Page 2A
Downtown
coffee shop
evolving as
tastes change
Page 7A
Obituaries 10A
• Joan Batt
• Rusty Bruce II
• Houdini Clark
• Bessa Cochran
• Don Cook
• Cleo Dewitt
• George Hill Jr.
• Marcus Marron
• Peggy Ray
• Bobbie
Smallwood
• Joy Warden
• Timothy Williams
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
pickensprogress.com
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