Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, June 1,2023 | Volume 136
Number 7 | Jasper, Georgia | 22 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1-00
New businesses coming to Pickens
Photo/Angela Reinhardt
Construction is underway at the future site of Mavis Tire & Brakes on
Noah Drive. Mavis Tire is one of several new businesses and develop
ments coming to Jasper and Pickens County.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Motorists have likely noticed
grading underway at several loca
tions around town. We touched base
with city and county leaders to con
firm what new businesses and devel
opments are coming down the pike.
•Large grocery store chain - A
major commercial project, including
a well-known grocery store, will lo
cate at the former site of the Lawson
Chevrolet dealership on Highway
515.
Rumors have swirled for months
that Publix would locate at that prop
erty, but according to Jasper’s Assis
tant City Manager Kim Goldener it
is officially listed only as a large
“grocery chain.” It is believed the
developer will have signs announc
ing specifics in the near future.
Goldener recently told the
Progress the city has received word
from a project engineer that develop
ers are finalizing plans and should be
submitting those plans to the city for
review and approval, and subsequent
permitting.
The assistant city manager added
that there are several outparcels in
the overall grocery chain project.
“We’ve been approached by dif
ferent engineering firms that are
working on behalf of some well-es
tablished restaurant names regarding
the site and building plan process,
the city’s requirements, general per
mitting questions, etc., but have not
received any plans as of yet,” she
said. “I believe most of them are in
their due diligence period prior to
signing lease agreements with the
overall site developer. Hopefully
very soon we’ll have more informa
tion we can share on who will be
comtng tn.
The Progress previously reported
that the city worked for months ham
mering out a deal between council
members and staff with the devel
oper. The city will provide enough
waterline to run it from an existing
line on the comer of A. W. Lawson
Blvd. out Camp Road to the comer
See Development on 11A
Off into the future —
247 graduate from Pickens High
FLYING HIGH - It was the moment they’ve all been waiting for - dium Friday evening, May 26. The ceremony, which marked the end of
graduation day. Pickens High School seniors enthusiastically toss their their high school careers, included tearful and emotional speeches from
caps into the air after graduation ceremonies concluded at Dragon Sta- students and the guest speaker.
By Eli Galligan
Intern Reporter
In a sentimental and well-attended gradua
tion, the families and friends of approximately
247 graduating seniors gathered at Dragon Sta
dium to celebrate their accomplishments. In
cluded were a series of tear-jerking speeches and
the classic handoff of diplomas.
Guest speaker Jana Champion was chosen by
the class of 2023 to represent them. She remi
nisced on the fond memories she shared with
members of the senior class, and honored the les
sons she learned from these students.
“I fear it is not me who has educated you, but
you guys who have educated me,” Champion
said.
She encouraged class members to overcome
the inevitable obstacles they will face by staying
true to who they are and accessing the power
they hold within.
“Everything you need is already within you,”
said Champion.
Valedictorian Brandon Bell crafted his speech
See PHS Graduation on11A
Burnt Mountain Center celebrates 50 years
Open House June 2
will mark occasion
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
The happiest group in Pickens County will
celebrate 50 years of sharing joys and struggles
when the Burnt Mountain Center hosts an open
house on Friday, June 2.
The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
their building located at 515 Pioneer Road,
Jasper.
For those who have never met the “clients,”
the Burnt Mountain Center (BMC) is now a
learning center - teaching daily living skills, job
readiness and providing structured outings to
around 75 intellectually disabled adults five days
a week.
There is some irony in that before 2019 and
the shift to job readiness, the clients all worked
with real jobs and real paychecks before changes
in federal and state guidelines forced them to shut
down that component of the program.
Begun as the Pickens County Training Center,
the program started in the basement of Tate Ele
mentary School. From Tate, the clients and staff
moved into a building near First Citizens Bank in
Jasper. Then in March of 1973 the property on Pi
oneer Road was acquired and their original build
ing constructed using donations from the families
of those served, community members, plus sup
port from nearby Pickens Technical School and
“a benevolent contractor.” The building and
workshop spaces have been their home since
then, and it was then they became known as the
Burnt Mountain Center.
At that point the program considered them
selves a “work activity center” where staff mem
bers hunted down job opportunities that the
clients could handle and then either brought ma
terials in-house or supervised clients at job loca-
photo/Dan Pool
An original client, Robert Goss, holds a photo last week that shows him with the original group
of the Pickens County Training Center 50 years ago. The rest shown are clients (l-r) Blondine
Bannister, Janice Cantrell, Harvey Wofford, Joe Stell, Jim Boyd and Goss. All besides Goss are
deceased. See photos of the center through the decades, Page 8A.
tions. ago.
Leading the charge at the Burnt Mountain “This [anniversary] is a family celebration,”
Center today is Executive Director Debbie she said. “It’s amazing going back through the
Rooker, who began as a bus driver there 42 years pictures and seeing
See BMC 50th on 11A
Outstanding
Youth
3rd grader
Natalie
Chapman
wins Young
Author’s
contest
Page 12A
Airport
Pickens
Airport to
host Military
Appreciation
Day June 10
Page 8B
Obituaries 10A
• Herman Biddy
•Freebon Bruce
•David Howe
•Whitley Jenkins
•Steven Moore
•Charles Nutting
•Jennie Oldham
•Patsy Stanfield
•Joy Summers
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
pickensprogress.com
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