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PAGE 8A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. AUGUST 17. 2023
Local 4-H Program Helps Youth
Find Their Sparks
Submitted by
Pickens County
Extension Service
As local 4-Hers are begin
ning to succeed in so many
different areas, the extension
office is getting more and
more questions about what
Pickens County 4-H does and
how to get youth involved.
Pickens County 4-H
serves children in school in
4th grade in conjunction with
the Agriculture program at
Hill City Elementary and in
6th grade during their club
time. When the new 4-H
Agent joins the existing part-
time 4-H Program Assistant,
5th graders can be served as
well.
These school programs
will be reaching approxi
mately 300 students during
school hours. After school
hours, 4-Hers extend their
learning in after school pro
grams and competitions.
After a 4-Her joins the
program, he/she is chal
lenged to find a project area
that they want to explore in
depth. This is where the con
cept of “helping someone
find their spark” comes in.
Students come with their
own suitcase loaded with
their background, knowledge
and interests. These are
“sparks.”
A spark is a passion for a
self-identified interest or skill
or a capacity that lights a fire
in a young person. 4-H staff
can help students find, ex
plore and enhance this area.
This can be something that
they have studied in school, a
hobby or skill that they are
already doing at home, or it
can be something totally new.
There are approximately
50 different areas 4-Hers can
study depending on their age.
Students are not only ex
posed to a curriculum devel
oped by the University of
Georgia Extension, but also a
great variety of experts both
through the UGA Extension
Program.
In this article we are fo
cusing on two different 4-
Hers in two very different
projects. One is Miranda
Childers who is in the Food
Preservation project.
This is a traditional proj
ect that has been a focus of
study in 4-H since the early
years of Georgia 4-H. For
Miranda, this is something of
a legacy in that her family
has been canning and pre
serving food for years.
It was such a natural fit for
her as she spends many hours
in the garden and then in the
kitchen making sure she can
enjoy her hard work year
around through the canning
process. As she studies this
area more and more, she will
build on what she already
knows by adding new areas
of food preservation.
She will be able to rely on
the resources provided
through the program’s con
nection with a field of home
economists that specialize in
this area.
Then, on the other hand,
we have Reese Davis who
has been in the Pickens
County 4-H program for five
years. She has been in the
Outdoor Recreation project
for several years but was
looking for a change.
At PHS, she studied Envi
ronmental Science last year
and is studying AP Biology
this year. She expressed an
interest in many areas of Sci
ence, so it seemed that the
Physical, Biological, and
Earth Sciences project would
be the perfect fit as it is an
“umbrella” of the sciences.
As she prepares her port
folio of work, she will be
challenged to include these
many different areas into one
in depth area of study. This
project is an example of a not
so traditional project that
gives students the opportu
nity to build on something
they have studied in school
that has piqued their interest
in further study. In this partic
ular area, she will have ac
cess to many different
science specialists at the Uni
versity of Georgia.
Does this organization
sound like just what you have
been looking for? This pro
gram is open to boys and
girls in grades 4-12. Our
Junior-Senior (7th-12th
grade) enrollment has al
ready jumped over 100% for
this academic year. The ex
pected enrollment is ex
pected to increase as Pickens
County 4-H professionals
start instruction in the 4th-6th
grade classrooms within the
next month. This program
has room for homeschool
students as well. Come grow
with us and be a part of the
excitement.
For more questions about
the local 4-H program, please
contact the Pickens County
Extension office at 706-253-
8840. Pickens County 4-H
latest activities can be found
on Facebook at Georgia 4-H
Pickens County or on Insta-
gram at Pickens County 4-H.
You can find out more about
the project areas of study on
the Georgia 4-H website:
Georgia4h.org.
Local Matters.
Support Communit
Journalism
Reese Davis teaches a younger child about fossil fuels
using chocolate chip cookies.
NOW HIRING
The City of Jasper is now accepting applications for the following positions:
(2)FT Mandated Police Officer - Starting pay is $46,912.00 - 84 hours
within a 2- week period - paid bi-weekly, Night shift/Split shift 1 hour
incentive at regular pay per night.
(2) Part Time Mandated Police Officer
(No benefits)
$21.43 hour/ Paid bi-weekly
(1)FT Firefighter Paramedic- $56,500 annually including OT
on/ 48hr off schedule paid bi-weekly
24 hr
(1) Water Distribution Technician - Starting pay $16.00 hour - 40
hours a week- paid weekly, rotating 7 days on call with additional 7
hours at straight time nights and weekends required for shift
differential.
(2) FT Public Works Technician - Starting pay $16.00 hour - 40 hours
a week- paid weekly, rotating 7 days on call with additional 7 hours at
straight time nights and weekends required for shift differential.
Positions will be open until filled. If your application is chosen to
move forward you will receive an email (that is listed on your
application). Email is our prime way of communication as some phone
carriers block our main line number.
Documentation is required for education and experience to
determine exact pay. All positions will be provided a uniform.
Interested applicants can find detailed job descriptions on our
webpage at www.jasper-ga.us under Human Resources. Fill out the
appropriate application (police is the only separate one- everyone else
fill out the main city application), provide a cover letter and resume.
All references, Professional and Personal, should not be related to you.
A complete and detailed application will be considered over one that
is incomplete. All positions require a valid driver's license as you will
be driving a city owned vehicle while on the clock. Police officers will
be given a vehicle to take home (with a maximum radius milage).
Benefits for Full Time positions include Medical - Tier amounts, Dental
- 100% employer paid for employee only, Vision - Tier amounts,
Short-term - 60% weekly income, Long-term - 60% weekly income
and AD&.D Insurance. Employer-Paid Retirement, Employer-Paid Life
Insurance (Employee-25k, Spouse $5k, Children $2500. Per child),
Employer-Paid Police Officer Annuity and Benefit of GA retirement
and GA Firefighter Pension, Hartford Firefighter Cancer Coverage.
Accrual paid Sick, Vacation and (13) Holidays Leave.
Once you have completed these requests submit them to Stacy
Johnson, Human Resources at sjohnson@jasper-ga.us and my direct
line is 706-301-5004 if you have any further questions.
Planning Commission
holds simple, quick
August meeting
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Pickens Planning Com
mission Chair Clayton
Preble expressed apprecia
tion when meetings run
quickly and smoothly,
Monday’s work for the
five-person commission
having been wrapped up in
less than 20 minutes.
The only items before
the commission, which
makes recommendations
regarding rezonings and
special variances on
county property, for Au
gust had been two small
parcel splits to allow resi
dential use.
In the first Brian Ar
mour, the owner of a nine
acre tract on Pin Hook
Road sought to have an ad
jacent small (.66 acre) en
trance strip rezoned from
Highway Business to
Rural Residential so it
could be combined with
the larger tract for better
access. He told the com
mission the larger rear
piece was essentially land
locked. Once he has solid
access, he intends to split
the bigger tract for residen
tial lots.
A neighboring property
owner was there and said
he would like to negotiate
with the owner for part of
that property but had no
objection to the rezoning.
With little to deliberate
upon, the commission rec
ommended the rezoning
needed.
The second piece of
business was even simpler,
Steve Holt on Hidden
Cove Drive with a Ball
Ground address, wished to
split an 11.4 acre agricul
tural piece into two Small
AG zoned lots so he could
sell part to a neighbor and
keep part for a pasture.
Again the commission
recommended the rezon
ing with little to discuss.
Counseling
Individual, Couples and Family Therapy
with Adults, Teens and Children
Robin W. Dunn M.S.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Over 30 years experience helping people live better
770-548-1966 • 505 Cove Rd. • Suite 3 • Jasper
www.robinwdunnlpc.com
WORK SESSION AGENDA
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS
THURSDAY-AUGUST 17, 2023-4:30 PM
1266 East Church Street - Jasper, GA 30143
Commission Conference Room - Suite 168
Items for Discussion:
1. Planning & Development
Updates
2. Department Head Updates
3. General Discussion
4. Adjourn
AGENDA
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS
THURSDAY - AUGUST 17, 2023 - 5:30 PM
1266 East Church Street - Jasper, GA 30143
Commission Conference Room - Suite 168
1. Call to Order
2. Opening Remarks
3. Prayer
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Amendments to Agenda
6. Consent Agenda
7. Old Business
8. New Business
A. Resolution - Authorizing Signatures for TAN
Note
9. Action Items
A. Approve Minutes
* Work Session Meeting - August 3, 2023
* Regular Meeting - August 3, 2023
B. Rezones:
RZ-190499-Joseph and Dianne Deren
239 Green Ridge Road
AG to ER
10.07 acres
Parcel #065 011 003
RZ-190503-Kevin Loner
26 Turner Road and Refuge Road
RR to HB
1.44 acres
Parcel #JA21 016 and JA21 017
RZ-190504-Tanner Cummings, Bliss
Holdings, LLC
930 Upper Salem Church Road
AG to HB
48.42 acres
Parcel #041 182
10. Guests/Comments
11. Closing/Commissioner’s Comments
12. Executive Session
13. Approval of Executive Session Minutes
14. Adjourn