Newspaper Page Text
TER: A FRIEND TO BE
HONORED AND REMEMBERED / 4A
Tuesday, September 21,2021
barnesville.com
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Lamar
records
four COVID
deaths for
week
Lamar County’s CVID-
19 rose by 65 new cases
during the period Sept.
10-17, the latest figures
available at press time
Monday. The community
also recorded four new
deaths over that span.
As of 3 p.m. Friday,
DPH had recorded 2,149
confirmed cases of the
virus here with 158
hospitalizations and 64
deaths.
DPH reported only
36% of Lamar countians
have had at least one
dose of COVID vaccine
and only 31% are fully
vaccinated. Those num
bers lag behind the state
totals. As of Friday, 53%
of Georgians had had at
least one dose of the vac
cine while 46% were fully
vaccinated.
Updates on COVID are
published every weekday
at barnesville.com.
Concert
postponed
until
Halloween
Due to wet conditions
at Summers Field Park,
the Buggy Days concert,
which was to have been
held Saturday night, has
been postponed until 6
p.m. on Oct. 30.
The entertainment line
up will remain the same
with Caleb Anthony and
the Holliday Troubadours
opening for Blair Crim-
mins and the Hookers.
That will be the night
for trick-or-treating in
the Thomaston Street
area. Additionally, sev
eral churches will set up
trunk-or-treat stops at the
park.
For more information,
call 770.358.5884.
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Wet, restricted Buggy Days still a hit
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The 47th Buggy Days festi
val, besieged by COVID restric
tions and wet weather, was
still a hit among those who
ventured out to enjoy the arts
and crafts fair, food court and
fireworks display.
“1 think things went as well
as they could have. We didn’t
do as well as we would have
liked because we had a lot of
no shows. The vast majority
of the vendors 1 talked to want
to come back. Those who had
booths in the food court were
satisfied with their sales. Some
were extremely satisfied,”
longtime festival chairman
Dick Esco reported Monday
morning.
Saturday morning’s road
race went off well and the
Saturday morning crowds
downtown were strong. “We
had a real good crowd Satur
day morning,” Esco confirmed.
Then, right at what would have
been parade time in a normal
year, heavy rains scattered the
throng.
Revelers returned in good
numbers for several hours
after church on Sunday until
more rain arrived.
As always, the fireworks
show drew a large crowd with
many people watching from
their cars in the Gordon park
ing lot. Others stopped in the
road to take in the spectacle.
“1 was shocked at how many
people were out there in the
rain. The location is perfect.
1 wish we hadn’t had to post
pone the concert. 1 had several
people tell me it was the best
fireworks show we have ever
had,” Esco added.
The hope is that Buggy Days
will return in its full glory in
2022 but more volunteers will
be needed to make that hap
pen.
“We are always short of
volunteers. We always need
more,” Esco concluded.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
A big Buggy Days smile
With her face freshly painted, Mary Frances Tuttle was all smiles Sunday afternoon as she shopped for goodies
at the Buggy Days food court. Despite rainy conditions and the cancellation of the annual parade, the festival drew
steady, if not large, crowds.
The Buggy Days concert at Summers Field Park was postponed until Halloween weekend. (See related story.)
Griffin Area Concert Association
announces 2021-2022 season
The Griffin Area Concert
Association (GACA) recently
announced the return of live
concerts for its 2021-22 season.
“After having to cancel our
last two concerts in March and
April of 2020 and the entire
season for 2020-21, we are
excited to announce that the
curtain is going back up with
five outstanding concerts for
the 2021-22 season,” said GACA
co-president Lewis Brewer
said.
The season will kick off on
Oct. 26 with the Thalea String
Quartet. The quartet has
performed at venues such as
Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy
Center, Massey Hall and has
served as Associated Artists
at the Queen Elisabeth Music
Chapel in Belgium. Due to
the current renovation of the
Griffin Auditorium, the concert
will be held in the sanctuary of
Griffin First United Methodist
Church. The remaining four
concerts will be at the Griffin
Auditorium. All concerts will
begin at 7:30 p.m.
Back by audience request,
Monroe Crossing Bluegrass
Band will take the stage at
the Griffin Auditorium on Jan.
11. Monroe Crossing dazzles
audiences with an electrifying
blend of bluegrass, bluegrass
gospel and heartfelt originals.
On March 3, GACA will
present the exciting trio Holy
Rocka Rollaz and their tribute
to early American Rock ‘N Roll
artists such as Elvis Presley,
Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Bill
Haley & The Comets and many
more.
On March 24, GACA, in col
laboration with Griffin Choral
Arts, will present Immortal
Belated. Featuring the Carroll
Symphony Orchestra, concert
pianist Terry Lowry and Griffin
Choral Arts, this concert will
feature some of Beethoven’s
best loved choral and orches
tral works. The season ends
on April 5 with British singing
sensation Mark Kingswood
and his band. Kingswood is
redefining what it means to be
a modern-day crooner and per
forms original compositions as
well as more traditional songs
of the genre.
“Season tickets for all five
concerts will remain $60 with
varying levels of sponsorships
also available. Individual ticket
prices will remain just $20 with
a special rate of $15 for groups
of 10 or more and GACA will
once again allow students free
admission when accompanied
by a paid ticket holder,” said
Brewer.
Ticket information is avail
able on the GACA website at
GriffinConcerts.org or by call
ing 770-228-3229.
Drive-by
shooting
suspect Zion
Pate out of
jail on bond
WALTER GEIGER
NEWS@BARNESVILLE.COM
Drive-by shooting suspect
Zion Pate (aka High Risk Ziggy)
turned himself in to authorities
in Spald
ing County
September
14. Pate
allegedly
opened
fire on a
parked, oc
cupied ve
hicle along
1st Street in
Barnesville PATE
Sept. 2.
The assault triggered a huge
law enforcement response and
officers and deputies in tactical
gear cleared several homes in
the area without locating Pate.
Pate, who is charged with
three counts of aggravated
assault with a firearm, reckless
conduct, criminal damage to
property and possession of a
firearm during the commission
of a felony, spent two days in
jail before being released on a
$42,500 bond.
Final quarry
vote is tonight
The Lamar County commis
sion will vote tonight on allow
ing the development of a rock
quarry on 331.24 acres near
the intersection of Hwy. 41
South and Crawford Road. The
proposal received approval
from the planning commission
and zoning board of appeals
Sept. 16 despite heated opposi
tion from residents of the area.
The commission will con
duct its own hearing tonight
at 6 p.m. at the courthouse. A
vote is scheduled for the regu
lar commission meeting which
follows at 7 p.m.
1D1 Land Holdings, LLC. is
seeking to rezone the Lamar
tract from agricultural-resi
dential to M-2 manufacturing.
The site includes considerable
additional, adjoining acreage in
Monroe County.
Community
clean-up is
Saturday
The newly revived Keep
Barnesville Beautiful organi
zation will hold its first com
munity clean-up Saturday,
Sept. 25. Volunteers will meet
at 10 a.m. at the BPD head
quarters on Mill Street.
Areas along Atlanta,
Forsyth, Mill and Railroad
streets, College Drive and
Gordon Road will be targeted
for trash pickup. Those who
cannot join in are encouraged
to clear litter in and around
their homes.
Volunteers should wear
gloves and bright colors or
reflective gear and bring a
trash grabber. Garbage bags
will be provided.
For more information, call
770.358.7660 or 706.741.2524.
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS