Newspaper Page Text
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
-Mark Twain
• Opinions
• Community
Views
• Good Old
Common Sense
The Progress
Editorial
August 10,2023
Locally owned businesses
give towns their character
Jasper’s Downtown Development Au
thority is seeking input from the commu
nity about what they want to see come
here. We’d first like to encourage every
one to participate in that survey. What do
you want to see on Main Street? In the
central business district? Along Highway
515? Visit the Pickens Progress' website,
Facebook and Instagram pages to partic
ipate.
The responses will be shared with the
DDA as well as with the public in a fu
ture article.
The DDA obviously can’t pick and
choose which businesses go where in a
free market, but part of their role is to
work with property owners and develop
ers to support projects and development
opportunities that align with goals of the
community. The DDA also has the power
to do more than just help guide conver
sation. If they see fit, they can support
projects in a more tangible way. Accord
ing to the Georgia Municipal Associa
tion, downtown development authorities
can accept grants, apply for loans, ac
quire/improve property, enter into con
tracts and intergovernmental agreements,
and issue revenue bonds.
We appreciate the DDA for placing
importance on community input, and for
taking steps to solicit that input.
We believe that locally-owned busi
nesses are better for the community over
all.
People who have a vested interest in
the community will naturally be better
stewards and more concerned about the
impact on the neighboring properties
than someone in a corporate office in an
other state.
Nearly every holiday shopping season
we editorialize about why shopping local
is important, and we believe trying to en
courage locally-owned businesses to
open here is the other side of the same
coin. Studies show that independent, lo
cally-owned businesses keep more
money in the community and offer sec
ondary benefits as well. Big coiporations,
by the nature of their structure, send
some portion of any profits out of town.
A few perks of locally-owned
businesses:
• Owners often work with local serv
ice providers, purchase goods from local
distributors and work with local hanks.
Chain stores more often rely on regional
offices and national supply chains.
• Local owners often contribute to the
civic and cultural life of a community.
They might sponsor your child’s basket
ball team or non-profit, participate in a
community event, or arrange one them
selves. [In many cases, it’s hard to navi
gate the coiporate structure to find
someone to authorize a donation.]
• When a corporate store does pull out
of a community the area may be left with
empty spaces that are difficult to find
new tenants for, and because of this they
sit empty for long periods of time.
The centrally-located building in
Jasper that most recently housed a Rite-
Aid is a prime example as well as the dis
count store near the VA hospital and one
former fast food spot on the fourlane.
We realize that many residents have
been chomping at the bit for a few cor
porate businesses to move here, includ
ing the much-dreamed-about Longhorn
and Chick-fil-A. We’re not arguing that
there isn’t some excitement/convenience
at having a familiar business here that
many patronize in other towns, but com
munities need nice, unique and perhaps
a little quirky family-owned businesses
to give a town some character.
A city filled with chain stores is unat
tractive, uninspiring, and not good for the
overall health and vibrancy of the com
munity. Longhorn and Chick-fil-A — or
fill-in-the-blank with any other chain —
- aren’t the places you take friends visit
ing in town. You take guests somewhere
with local flavor and character.
We want Jasper be the best it can be,
and be the best for residents and business
owners, so take the DDA survey, be part
of the conversation and let your leaders
know what you think will help it get
there.
Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@pickensprogress.com
See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457.
The Pregnancy Center offers advice/classes
Handling a move to a
new town
By Renee VonBehren Man
ager
The Pregnancy Center
Moving into a new area
brings all sorts of questions
and challenges. Whether the
move happens for a great rea
son (new job, first home, new
adventure) or a not-so-great
reason, finding your way
around a new area brings a
lot of questions. Where do I
get a great haircut? What is
the best burger place? Who
knows a great babysitter?
When does the school bus get
to the stop?
As you are navigating
your new surroundings, don’t
forget to give yourself time.
Making new friends and
making your new area home
takes time. Children handle
change very differently than
adults. What may be exciting
for you, may be very scary
and overwhelming for your
child.
Some things to remember
that may help make a move
easier for children:
1. Allow children time to
adjust and work through their
feelings. Younger children
may not have the verbal skills
to express themselves and
may need extra attention and
patience.
2. Change is a part of life.
Letting your child experience
and work through change
helps them grow and handle
life better.
3. Get your kids involved
in the process and help them
be excited for what is com
ing.
4. Walk your kids in your
new neighborhood, so they
become familiar with their
surroundings.
5. Explore. Drive around
town and find the best your
new town has to offer.
6. Find your child’s
school. If you move in the
Summer, do your best to find
a buddy in your neighbor
hood that can help on the first
day.
It is important to tell your
kids as soon as you can that
there is going to be a move.
Be positive and help them be
excited about the future.
There is always some
thing good you can empha
size! If possible, take a trip to
your new town before the
move so your child can see
the reality of what is coming.
Fear of the unknown can
cause anxiety in everyone,
especially kids.
Being organized, patient,
empathetic, flexible, and pre
pared as best you can, will
make your new area truly
home for everyone.
Are you moving or
preparing to move? We can
help with some informative
classes to help you help your
kids with the process. Give
us a call 706-253-6303 or
come by for more informa
tion on Samaritan Drive in
Jasper.
With over 500 lessons to
choose from in subjects such
as pregnancy/birth, parenting
infants through teen years,
life skills, and positive part
nerships. All of The Preg
nancy Center's services are
free and confidential.
To learn more about the
Earn While You Learn Pro
gram, visit www.babyonthe-
way.org or call
706-253-6303.
(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457
www.pickensprogressonline.com
DAN POOL
Publisher/Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia.
Entered at the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia 30143
as Mail Matter of Second Class.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS, 94 N. Main St., Jasper, GA 30143.
One Year Subscription: $41.17 for residents of Pickens County
or the cities of Ball Ground, Fairmount, and Ranger;
$52.30 for all other Georgia residents; $62.32 out of state residents.
dMbe is>d)ooI
Other Voices
A Star Is Bom
By Public Service
Commissioner Tim
Echols
I was surprised at the
surge of emotions I felt as the
new Vogtle reactor came on
line and into commercial op
eration. The construction of
the project was massive—
over 7,000 workers toiled. It
had delays. Costs soared.
But in the end, Plant Vog
tle had more lives than a cat.
With the rising sun of a new
week, the first U.S. nuclear
unit built from scratch in
more than 30 years came to
life. Here is how it happened.
Let’s start with the co
owners—any of which could
have killed this project along
its rocky path. Oglethorpe
Power, MEAG Power, the
City of Dalton, and Georgia
Power worked together with
dogged determination to fin
ish this project. Scary mo
ments like the bankruptcy of
Westinghouse that brought fi
nancial trouble to its parent
Toshiba would have sidelined
most. Through this and more,
Southern Company and co
owners stepped up—keeping
the gates of the plant open,
even through the COVID
pandemic. Their persistence
and determination in com
pleting this project is remark
able.
The men and women of
the craft work force perse
vered too—through hot sum
mers and cold winters,
through COVID, through de
lays, and often through the
difficulty of being away from
their families.
Their sacrifice was not in
vain because they have cre
ated something almost as
complex as a spaceship and
certainly more impactful to
the average family. The
Union workforce also played
a unifying role in keeping
both political parties engaged
in the project and cheering
for success.
The people of Georgia,
their elected officials, their
chambers of commerce and
our educational institutions
provided needed support
these many years. Even
through the most difficult
parts of this project, public
support stayed strong. Sure,
there were naysayers, but
while their voices were heard
the overwhelming desire of
our stakeholders was for
Georgia to accomplish this
great task. Call it Southern
pride maybe, but we wanted
to show the nation we could
do it. As an energy commis
sioner in the state, I felt this,
and it bolstered my own
courage to support moving
forward with the project.
My fellow commissioners
on the Georgia Public Serv
ice Commission played a
pivotal role. We had the Con
stitutional authority to end
the project, to make life so
difficult for Georgia Power
that they would throw in the
towel and just take the tax
write-off like counterparts in
South Carolina had.
Instead, every Commis
sioner since the project began
gave their full support
throughout the construction
process. We believed that nu
clear energy made sense in a
day when baseload coal and
gas plants were disappearing
around the country.
We knew that Georgia
businesses would benefit
from the clean energy and ad
ditional capacity. We knew
that our citizens valued relia
bility and forward-thinking.
Finally, it mattered for
America. Continuing our
project kept the U.S. from
forfeiting its leadership in nu
clear energy. As other states
have decommissioned reac
tors without replacing them,
the world has begun looking
to nations like China and
Russia.
The only way for America
to continue setting interna
tional standards for nuclear
safety and security is to in
vest in reactors and technol
ogy. China is anxious to
export its technology around
the world, locking countries
into long-term, reciprocal
trade relationships that hurt
U.S. interests, jobs and ex
ports. I was constantly re
minded of—and haunted
by—these and other negative
consequences of giving up on
this project.
Vogtle has set the stage for
a wave of new construction
we should see over the next
decade around the country. It
makes sense—because this
project served as a training
ground for thousands of nu
clear workers and supply-
chain companies, utility
regulators like me, and even
for the NRC, which proved
an untested regulatory
process.
So, as this first “star” nu
clear reactor is born, so to
speak, I celebrate. Not just
for me and the others who
worked to make it happen,
but for our children and
grandchildren, who for the
next 60 years, maybe even 80
years, will have carbon-free
power, more job opportuni
ties, and better lives.
Commissioner Tim Echols
is the Vice-Chair of the Geor
gia PSC and founder of the
Clean Energy Roadshow
cleanenergyroadshow.com.
He hosts Energy Matters
Radio @timechols.
Correction:
In last week’s article re
garding teacher’s salaries,
three salaries for the
Cherokee County School
District were incorrect.
The highest paid teachers
in Cherokee County are:
Teachers with Bachelor’s
Degree, $80,000; with
Master’s Degree, $89,000;
with Specialist Degree,
$96,000.
Spot an error,
let our editor know.
dpool@pickensprogress.com
WEATHER
By William Dilbeck
HI
LOW
RAIN
Aug.
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Aug.
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81
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Aug.
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81
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1.16
Aug.
04
81
67
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Aug.
05
87
70
.00
Aug.
06
78
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.94
Aug.
07
87
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