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THURSDAY. JULY 20. 2023 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Thrift Store’s Christmas In July-Fest
draws record crowd
By Suellen Reitz
Public Affairs Director
Near record breaking heat
last Saturday didn’t keep the
numbers down in attendance
of the third annual Christmas
In July Festival. Somewhere
between 400-500 folks en
joyed the afternoon’s activi
ties that were nonstop at the
Community Thrift Store’s
community wide event.
Congrats also go to Jasper
resident Mitch Yeargin for
winning the raffle for a beau
tiful patio set donated by
Home Depot.
Everyone enjoyed the free
hot dogs and grilled sausages
and the live music. Cares Di
rector Andy Cradock, Chris
tian Ambassadors Don and
Damon Wisdom and
Cradock, and Hutch & Wails
Rock & Roll Revival made
up of Christy Hutch &
Tommy Wails from Wood-
stock all sang their hearts out.
A hayride delighted young
and old riders, and Summer
Santa, aka Rick Cash, greeted
kids of all ages posing for
photos and distributing small
toys. The other big crowd
pleaser was our Celebrity Pie
In The Face Competition
Christmas decor was abounding at the CTS Christmas In July Fest. Store volunteer
Carol Schlitz took a moment to look for treasures before snatched up by others eager to
find bargains.
with Jasper Mayor Steve
Lawrence, County Commis
sion Chair Kris Stancil, and
Chief Deputy Jeff Hall.
Kudos to Mayor Lawrence
for winning the trophy for
most money raised.
All in all, more than $4,000
was raised for the “Shop
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With A Hero” program.
Many thanks to all who
came and made the effort
such a success. Sponsors in
clude: Jasper Coca-Cola
United, Pickens Progress,
The UPS Store, Community
Bank Of Pickens County,
Jasper Fitness, Roland Tires,
Rooster’s Hometown Mar
ket. The Home Depot, Sack-
etts, Good Samaritan Health
& Wellness Center, Georgia
Mountains Hospice, Salon
84, The Last Catch, Ap
palachian Gun, Dos Margar-
itas, LC Tacos & Margaritas,
Bub-Ba-Q, I Love NY Pizza,
Cannon Automotive, Spin
Doctor LLC, and Body Plex.
If you missed the event, be
sure to mark your calendars
now for the next big festival
at CTS. Tis The Season Fest
will be held on Saturday, De
cember 2nd. Come hungry
and sample the delicious va
riety of chili entries in our
second Chili Cookoff.
Early voting has proved
popular in Georgia
Peach State
second in nation
for early voting
in last national
election
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Georgians
have taken to early voting in
a big way.
The Peach State ranked
second in the nation for early
voting last November, ac
cording to a new study re
leased by the U.S. Election
Assistance Commission. The
report found that 58% of
Georgia voters cast their bal
lots before Election Day, up
from 48% in 2018.
“Georgia leads the nation
in voter access, election se
curity, and innovation,” Sec
retary of State Brad
Raffensperger said. “Georgia
voters have the confidence
that they can cast their ballot
easily, and that their vote will
count.”
Raffensperger famously
refused then-President Don
ald Tramp’s request to “find”
enough votes to overturn
Georgia’s presidential elec
tion results in January 2021.
Democrat Joe Biden had car
ried the state the previous
November by 11,779 votes.
Since then, Raffensperger
has defended the security and
accuracy of Georgia elec
tions and backed innovations
to further improve the voting
process.
In May, he announced the
state will be conducting
“health checks” in all 159
Georgia counties. The health
checks will examine election
management systems, ballot
marking devices, and scan
ners to verify that the soft
ware used in last year’s
elections has not been
changed.
Weight Loss
Group
Choose to Lose - Weight
loss group meets at the Pick
ens County Community
Center Room #1 every Fri
day morning. Weigh in time
is between 9 a.m. and 9:30
a.m. Meeting runs from 9:30
a.m. to 10:30 a.m. No
charge. Call Pat Groves for
more information at 1-417-
413-8025.
The new study found
that Georgians voted early
last year more than any
other state except Texas. At
the same time, only 6% of
Georgia voters cast their
ballots through the mail, re
turning to pre-pandemic
levels.
Only about one-third of
voters waited until Election
Day to cast their ballots in
person, which kept lines at
the polls short or nonexist
ent in most precincts.
Announcements galore
from local theater group
Tater Patch is full to the
brim with exciting news.
We are delighted to get
some new kids on the
stage. Taterpalooza Sum
mer Youth Camp for The
ater is in underway. We
have about 25 excited kids
and several excited staff
ready to get those kids on
stage.
Back by popular de
mand and ONE WEEK
END ONLY:
Independence Day at
Happy Meadows returns
on August 11, 12, and 13.
Tickets will be available at
the website this week. This
play was one of our most
seen productions in recent
years and some people
have said they regret miss
ing it and others want to
see it again. So, with the
same hilarious cast, it’s
back for one weekend only.
Advance tickets can be
bought online at our web
site: taterpatchplayers.org
by clicking on “buy tick
ets” and following the
prompts.
The evening of August
26, Tater Patch Players is
very proud to host a
fundraiser for the Na
tional Ataxia Foundation.
More information on this
worthwhile event will be
available soon. Meanwhile,
learn more about this con
dition at the foundation’s
website ataxia.org.
In September, we bring
a more serious production.
For four performances
only, we present a staged
reading of The Guys, by
Anne Nelson. This is a
powerful two person show
about a meeting between
Joan, an editor, who tries to
help Nick, a NYFD Cap
tain, prepare the eulogies
for the eight firefighters
who died under his com
mand that day.
As she helps him find
the right words to honor his
“guys”, he helps her feel
the depth and importance
of a firefighter’s bond with
his team and a very per
sonal look into trying to
move beyond loss.
Tater Patch will donate
a portion of the ticket and
concession receipts to a
first responder’s charity.
In October we’re also
looking forward to the re
turn to our theater of Mark
Twain. Brought to life on
stage by Kurt Sutton, you’ll
be treated to stories, songs
and a lot of “Sam
Clemens” humor. Come
spend some fun hours with
one of America’s great
writer and humorist. It’ll
bring a smile to your face
and heart.
November 5 brings an
other first to our theater.
From 3-4 p.m., All
Strings Fall Concert in
Jasper will take place on
our stage. We are thrilled to
be having these talented
young musicians and invite
you to enjoy them as well.
You can get more informa
tion about them at All
Strings Music Lessons on
Facebook.
Auditions will be held
in September (dates com
ing soon) for a wonderful
Christmas play, “A Candle
in the Window”. This will
be performed November
24, 25, 26 and December 1,
2, 3, 8, 9, 10. There is a
large cast of adults of many
ages and kids from teens to
elementary school age.
The play takes place in
a rural train station with a
group of weather-stranded
passengers. Each of them
has a story that’s put them
on the train journey, and
each has something trou
bling them.
Another unlikely group
joins them and with smiles
and Christmas-like magic,
show that there are still,
sometimes, angels among
us.
Tater Patch Players the
ater is so pleased to be folly
busy again. That means we
can always use lots more
volunteers to help with
everything from painting
scenery and making cos
tumes to selling popcorn
and dusting the auditorium.
Email us at taterpatch-
players@gmail.com or
show up any Monday at 10
a.m. for Volunteer Monday
at 95 Philadelphia Lane in
Jasper.
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