Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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. Subscribe. Your name goes on the label in this box 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