About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2023)
An Independent Newspaper for Independent People. Thursday, September 21, 2023 | Volume 136 Number 23 | Jasper, Georgia | 20 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00 County park needs are many; funds, space remain limited By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com With building a house, people get excited picking out wall colors and finishing touches, no one likes to hear about septic systems, under ground power and foundations. At a joint meeting Wednesday, the county commissioners and Parks and Recre ation Advisory Board realized that also applies to parks. In a long, and wide-ranging dis cussion, commissioners and recre ation board members, along with parks personnel, discussed how the public is expecting amenities like pickleball courts, improved ball fields and a new swimming pool. But as Brian Jones, the director of parks and recreation, said, the two biggest issues they face every year are parking and bathrooms. Another top need is a maintenance building. Currently equipment like mowers is spread out in different buildings, including the concession stand, where maintenance supplies are stored alongside food and drinks. Discussion ranged to the long de sire by some to see a new park for the west end of the county. It was ac knowledged that the current single park for the county was judged inad equate in size and shape for the growing population. In addition to budgeting, space at Roper Park must be tightly watched. The property for Roper Park was do nated by the Roper family and once served as an airport with its long nar row shape. The shape makes it im possible to locate modem field designs with central concession and bathroom areas. Commission Chair Kris Stancil said his basic plan is allocate SPLOST funds for short terms proj ects between now and 2026 and then look at the addressing recreation sig nificantly more with the next SPLOST. Stancil said they are projecting roughly $2 million in SPLOST funds that can be spent on recreation over the next two to two-and-half years. But this is based on sales tax revenue and could vary. In 2026 the county can put another sales tax referendum before voters, where they could re quest additional Hinds for recreation. However, Stancil said he wants to see the county develop a specific master plan before then. All three commissioners - Kris Stancil, Josh Tippens and Josh Tatum - attended with county clerk Lesa Thompson, recreation depart ment director Brian Jones and assis tant Seth Boyd. Members of the See Parks on 11A Suspected electrical fire followed “perfect production day ” at Bodacious Foods Photos/City of Jasper Fire and Angela Reinhardt Fire crews battle a blaze at Bodacious Food Company Thursday. Owner Cathy Cunningham, top left, said the building went up quickly because of flammable cardboard displays that were inside in stacks. She is shown with employee Ashley Taylor. By Angela Reinhardt Staff Writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Mid-moming Tuesday, Bodacious Food Company owner Cathy Cun ningham was taking a short walk to alleviate stress, but the woman who just a few days before had lost her business’ building to a fire was surpris ingly positive. “I’m an optimist and a glass half-full kind of person,” Cunningham said, “and a lot of times it’s running over. It was running over this week end. I’m so blessed with family and with this community.” Bodacious Food Company manufactures the popular Mama Geral dine’s Cheese Straws and other products, which are distributed in 13 states by way of Kroger, Food Lion, Ingles, and other retailers. Cunningham built the facility in 1998 and expanded in the early 2000s. The building is nearly 15,000 sq. feet in total. The structure fire occurred at the Gennett Drive location in Jasper. It was Thursday, Sept. 14 at approximately 6:28 See Bodacious on 11A Foothills IGA honored for “21 years of exemplary service” By Angela Reinhardt Staff Writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Last week longtime owners of the Foothills IGA were presented with the “Spirit of IGA” Award by IGA CEO John Ross, who spoke about the store’s exceptional service over the years and the impact the local grocer has had in the commu nity. The presentation, made to owners Jeff and Sandy Downing, was held Friday, Sept. 15. After over two decades at the Marble Hill location, the Downings have announced their retirement. An IGA press release states, “This accolade celebrates the gro cery store's remarkable dedication to providing exemplary customer serv ice, high-quality food, and active community engagement during its 21 years of operation. The award also recognizes the significant con tributions of the Downings, who re cently retired after leaving an indelible mark on their community.” Ross said outside of the positive impact the Downings have had in the area, the store has had a major impact on him as well under the their leadership. “My first day on the job, actually even before I went to work here was in this very store,” he said. “I came to see this [it] on my journey to fig ure out if IGA was the gig I wanted...you walk into a modem and well-run store like this that’s connected to the community; highly respected by all your customers.. ..I left...and called my wife and said this is the business for me.” After six years with the company, the local IGA is still his favorite of the 6,500 locations. “I’m honored to receive this..award,” Downing said. “I’m re ceiving it on behalf of the present employees and former employees... It’s been an honor to be a part of the IGA family.” Downing became an independent grocer in the late 1990s and opened the IGA in 2002. Foothills IGA maintained the IGA Five Star Status since its incep tion. In 2015, the store and its owner, Jeff Downing, achieved in ternational recognition when they were named the IGA International Retailer of the Year. “Downing's influence extended far beyond his store's aisles,” the re- Photos/Angela Reinhardt Sandy and Jeff Downing with IGA CEO John Ross, right, who was highly complimentary of the local store’s accomplishments under their leadership. lease states. Downing has served in community leadership roles with various organizations, including the Rotary Club, Pickens County Cham ber of Commerce, Hope House, and the Good Samaritan Health & Well ness Center, and in 2014 was Pick ens County Citizen of the Year. He has also been chairman of the Georgia Food Industry Association and was the recipient of their Legacy Award in 2015. Sandy Downing, Jeffs wife, “played a crucial role in the store's success, retiring from her career as a registered nurse when the family opened the store to establish the flo ral and gift shop within Foothills IGA, enhancing the store's offerings and providing a unique shopping ex perience. Since its opening in Janu ary 2002, Foothills IGA has continually expanded and evolved under the Downings' leadership, with regular reinvestment and reno vations to ensure it remains a com munity cornerstone. They have been See Spirit of IGA on 11A Mother says go-kart gift shows there are still good people Page 12A ArtWalk Jasper Returns Fri. Sept. 22 Page 12A Law & Order Fraud, stolen vehicle and more from the Sheriff’s Beat Page 5A Obituaries 10A • Claudia Buckner • Verna Hill • Thomas Johnson • Mary Ledbetter • Roy Royal $1.00 per copy 4879 08163" o
