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HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Amwaste exec
asks for
patience with
garbage
pickup issues
SEE PAGE 3A
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City council okays downtown
mixed-use building on Main
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
Barnesville city council
members voted 4-1 last week
to approve a resolution pro
posing complete renovation of
the Collier building at 215 Main
Street to include residential
apartments and ground-floor
commercial businesses.
Southern Venture Partners
LLC presented the proposal
after having assessed the
building formerly known as
Collier on the corner of Market
and Main. SVP owner Zach
Westerfield told the council
particulars on each area on the
two levels. There will be a total
of seven small apartments and
two or three commercial busi
nesses. Parking will be across
the street, where SVP negoti
ated an agreement with United
Bank for 10 designated parking
spaces. The downstairs apart
ments will be compliant with
the Americans with Disabilities
Act, he said.
Stated in the resolution
were reductions of the zoning
ordinance requirements for
square footage of apartments,
from 450 to 370 square
feet, and commercial
space reduced from 50%
of ground floor to 45%.
In answer to a ques
tion from council member
Chris Hightower about
whether Westerfield was
committed to complete
and support the project,
Westerfield said, “We are
not going to ‘flip’ this
property. This is ‘home’
to me, and this will be
held as a long-term as
set for the company.
It’s about helping the
community, benefitting
everybody and saving old
buildings.” He added that
the development is aimed
at single tenants with ties
to the community, such
as Gordon State College
teachers, “not a college-dorm
type building.”
New council member Joe
Sims cast the dissenting vote,
commenting that he had talked
to numerous downtown busi
nesses and“nobody favors
this.”
The council also approved
on first reading zoning
changes for Sandra and
Irvin Trice to consoli
date their properties
around the Trice Funeral
Home on Mill Street.
In the council reports,
Sims noted several
problems with street
lights out in his ward.
Butch McDaniel’s insur
ance office has moved
to Thomaston. Christo
pher Hightower noted
the Young Adult-Teen
Ecumenical Service will
be held the third week
end in January. Sammy
Shropshire, who was
appointed mayor pro
tern for 2022, noted that
the council retreat com
ing up in February will
include discussion on the con
ditions at E.P. Roberts Center.
Citizen Dorothy Carter
encouraged the council to
consider appointing a program
manager at EPR “to bring
activities back for our young
people.”
SHROPSHIRE
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Support across all sports
Some of the most loyal and vocal fans of the LC basketball teams are the members of the boys and girls
varsity soccer teams. There is always a large group of soccer players cheering on the Trojans and Lady Trojans.
Showing their support during last week’s sweep of Bleckley County were Maci-Lauren Lanier (left) and Ally Blox-
ham. Soccer tryouts are underway at the high school and middle school and the varsity season begins Jan. 20.
MLK Day
observance
is Monday
The annual Martin Luther
King Day observance will be
held Monday, Jan. 17 in down
town Barnesville and will, for
the first time, feature a parade.
The theme for this year’s cel
ebration of the life of the slain
civil rights leader is ‘It Starts
With Me. Shifting Priorities to
Create the Beloved Commu
nity’.
The Beloved Community
Parade kicks off the event
and participants will lineup
beginning at 8:15 a.m. at the
E.P. Roberts Center on Mill
Street. The parade will begin
at 9 a.m., following Mill, Main
and Thomaston streets to the
courthouse where hot refresh
ments will be available.
The courthouse program
will feature local pastors and
community leaders. Rev. Rufus
Clemmons, associate minister
at Mount Hope Baptist Church
in Zebulon will deliver the key
note address.
For more information, call
470.352.9287.
Wireless hotspots
available at library
The Barnes-
ville-Lamar
County Library
now has wire
less hotspots
available for checkout. Grant
funds were received to offer
the program for people who
need temporary access to the
internet.
The hotspots will allow the
connection of 10 devices to
the internet anywhere Verizon
offers service for free. The
hotspots are portable and
rechargeable.
Hotspots can be checked
out for two weeks by adult
library cardholders in good
standing. Your PINES account
or your ID must reflect mem
bership or residency in the
Flint River Regional Library
service area which consists of
Lamar, Butts, Fayette, Monroe,
Pike and Spalding counties.
Members who need them
can also check out Chrome-
books from the library.
For more information, call
770.358.3270 or visit lamarli-
brary.org.
Lamar's CJ Allen is first team all-state
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Trojan junior linebacker CJ Allen
has been named first team all-state
by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Allen has become the most
highly recruited player in Trojan
football history with 17 major col
lege scholarship offers and more to
come as his senior year approach
es.
The most recent school to get
involved is Oklahoma under new
coach Brent Venables, former Clem-
son defensive coordinator.
Allen is a two-way player for the
Trojans. This past season he had
1080 yards rushing, averaging 9.6
yards per carry. He scored 16 of
fensive touchdowns and had eight
games in which he had at least 100
yards on the ground.
As good as that is, Allen really
shines on defense. He led LC with
91 solo tackles in 2021. He had eight
tackles for losses, 63 assists, three
sacks and three interceptions.
Allen returned two of those picks
for touchdowns. On two of his
sacks, he stripped the ball and LC
got turnovers off them.
“CJ is not just a good football
player, he is a great person. His
character and work ethic are
second to none. He works hard in
the classroom, weight room, on
the football field, basketball court
and the track. His football IQ and
attention to detail are as good as
I have ever seen in a high school
player,” Trojan coach Travis Elling
ton gushed when asked about his
star player.
After the season, Allen was
named the region player of the year.
As do the college scouts, El
lington sees Allen playing on the
defensive side of the ball at the next
level.
“As good as CJ is running the
ball, I see him playing on defense
in college. With the way the college
game is played nowadays, forward
passes and matching coverages,
CJ will fit into schemes well. He
has all the measurables. He is big,
fast, strong and tackles well. He has
good grades, good character and
the desire to be the best he can be.
Coach Bobby Bowden talked about
players who just have ‘it’. CJ has
‘it’,” Ellington concluded.
Junior linebacker CJ Allen has been named first team all-state by the
AJC.
©2022 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS
