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Talking Rock Heritage
Days this weekend 3A
Thursday, October 19, 2023 | Volume 136 Number 27 | Jasper, Georgia | 24 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
Two camps emerge from candidate forum
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
A Monday forum featuring city of
Jasper candidates highlighted two
general tones among incumbents and
new candidates on the political
stage.
Incumbents tended to speak in
more detail about projects and
progress in Jasper, which they be
lieve is moving in a positive direc
tion and has made great strides over
the last few years. Most other candi
dates called for change to a govern
ment they believe has taken a
downward turn in terms of priorities
and leadership, and want to be a
voice for residents they believe are
not being heard.
Before a packed Pickens Room in
the County Admin Building, candi-
Patrolled by camera
Speeding
tickets to
be issued in
school zones
starting Nov. 9
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Come November 9 watch your
speed passing in front of four of the
school campuses here, cameras will
be tracking your speed and tickets
will be issued by mail for any one
going more than 11 miles over the
posted limits.
The camera enforcement will only
be active during school days, begin
ning an hour before classes start and
ending an hour afterwards. Holidays,
weekends, summer vacation, the
cameras and deputies who review
their videos get the day off.
The cameras and signage have
been up for several weeks as sheriff’s
officials tested the system, got proto
cols in place and arranged internet
for all the sites.
During the set up period, they
have issued more than 3,000 warn
ings by mail and will continue to
issue warnings between now and No
vember 9. Sheriff Donnie Craig
stressed no one has to do anything re
garding the warnings - except slow
down.
In an interview this week, the
sheriff said they are giving ample
warning time as he wants everyone
to be aware of the cameras. The re-
See Cameras on10A
Subdivision on
Jerusalem
Church Rd.
gets thumbs up
RV park gets
thumbs down
from planning
commish
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
The county planning commission
went into extra innings on October
10th hearing five cases with varying
complexities and results during a
meeting spanning more than two
hours.
The commission makes recom
mendations on zoning and land use is
sues but final authority rests with the
board of commissioners who are ex
pected to hear the recommendations
at their November meeting.
• In the only simple case, property
owner Marie Hyde was given a rec
ommendation to rezone 4 acres of
Highway 136 in Blaine from High
way Business to Suburban Residen
tial.
Hyde plans to build four single
family homes of around 1,500 square
feet which she will list for around
$400,000.
After this case, things got prickly.
See Zoning/Development on 9A
like to see smart, controlled growth.
Mayoral candidate Kirk Raffield
said government’s job is not to con
trol a person’s property, but to follow
the city’s comprehensive plan and
stand up for people’s rights. He
brought up council’s recent morato
rium on residential development as
an example of their dedication to
smart growth.
Mayoral candidate Lora Erdman
said growth is “good,” but ques
tioned if what Jasper leadership is
doing is smart. She is concerned
about infrastructure and water sup
ply, said citizens need to be heard
“not just behind closed doors,” and
called for accountability.
Brandon Hannah, running unop
posed for Post 3, wants controlled
growth with resources to handle that
growth, as well as increases in
Jasper’s commercial and business
sector. Hannah has not been publicly
See Forum on10A
Gravity derby rolls into Jasper
Photo/ Robin Dunn
The driver for Team Pumpkin Spice races their pie-shaped derby car
down Stegall Drive in Jasper Saturday as part of Jasper Police’s first
gravity derby race. See more photos and full story, Page zA
Dollar Tree coming to
central Jasper building
Jasper mayoral candidates - Kirk Raffield takes notes while Lora Erd
man addresses the crowd at Monday’s forum.
dates answered prepared questions sored by the Pickens Progress.
as well as a few questions that were Thoughts on growth - The ma-
taken from the floor, then gave clos- jority of candidates said it is in-
ing statements. The forum was spon- evitable for Jasper, but they would
photos/Angela Reinhardt
Crews are at work on this East Church Street building where a Dollar
Tree will soon be located. The general contractor on site said it will be a
large version of the chain store.
Downtown
Development
Authority discusses
project, government’s
role in business
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Over the last few weeks work
has been underway at the building in
Jasper that most recently housed a
Rite-Aid. The 57,000 square foot
building sat empty for several years,
but will soon be home to a Dollar
Tree. A building permit on the door
lists Dollar Tree as the ongoing proj
ect.
A few months ago, after the dol
lar store’s interest in the property be
came known, the Progress was
contacted by a member of Jasper’s
Downtown Development Authority
to ask if we would poll the public to
see what they would like to see in
that space. The poll was expanded to
include several other questions
about downtown Jasper, the results
of which are on the Pickens
Progress website. Responses to the
specific question about the old Rite-
Aid property garnered a variety of
responses, from a grocery store to
restaurants to a theater, music venue,
and many others. Of the 250 re
sponses only two people said they
wanted to see a dollar store in that
location, with a few people respond
ing they would like to see anything
but a dollar store there.
The DDA wanted to try to
change the trajectory for the build
ing at 70 E. Church Street. DDA
leaders said when they became
aware that the building was poten
tially going to be for sale they sent a
letter of intent to purchase the prop
erty to the real estate agent repre
senting the owner, who lives out of
state. In an email to the Progress,
DDA leadership said they were not
successful because the owner was
too far along with a lease agreement
and was not interested in selling.
Jasper’s DDA board is comprised
of Amy Leake, president; Parish
Lowrie, vice president; J Cornelius,
secretary/treasurer; Jack Dunn,
Marty Callahan, Kirk Raffield.
Leake sent the email as a statement
on behalf of the DDA.
“We pursued this purchase solely
because we felt - and still do feel -
that piece of property has tremen
dous potential to benefit our down
town, our citizens, and our visitors.
No firm plans were in place at that
time as to what the DDA might do
with the property if we were able to
obtain it. At that time, the owner's
real estate agent advised the DDA
that the owner was in the final stages
of leasing the building to Dollar
Tree. The owner of the building
never executed the letter of intent
and did not contact us regarding our
interest in purchasing the property.
It is our understanding that the prop
erty has now been leased to Dollar
Tree.”
See Dollar Tree on 10A
Putt-Putt
course opens
in Talking Rock
Page 5A
Churches
Jasper First
Baptist marks
175 years this
week Page 5A
And has a new
large mural
Page 4B
Tech/Politics
State looks
at promise,
threats of
Artifical
Intelligence
Page 2B
Obituaries 8B
• Joyce Allen
• Betty Ann Bledsoe
• Lois Downes
• Jean Roland
• Edna Satterfield
• Hugh White III
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