Newspaper Page Text
PIKE COUNTY
VACCINE REPORT
Find out about COVID-19 vaccine availability
and how routine exercise can help you live longer.
See page 7 A
REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021
PIKE'S PEEK
COVID-19
daimstwo
more lives
According to the
Georgia Department
of Public Health daily
C0V1D-19 report, Pike
increased to 18 deaths
caused by the disease,
10 probable deaths, a
total of 882 illnesses
and 59 hospitalizations
as of Jan. 31.
There were 93
confirmed cases in the
past two weeks, up five
from 88 in the previous
two week period.
There were 26
students in the Pike
County school system
who had confirmed
C0V1D-19 cases as of
Jan. 29, including one
in primary school, two
in elementary school,
14 in middle school,
four at the Ninth Grade
Academy and five at
the high school. There
were a total of 280
students quarantined
for illness or exposure
and five adults quaran
tined.
Jobless rate
increases to
5.3 percent
The jobless rate
for the Three Rivers
region, which includes
Pike County, increased
by 0.1 % in December.
The rate was 5.3%
compared to 2.8% in
December, 2019.
Initial unemploy
ment claims in Decem
ber were up by 15%
from November.
In addition to La
mar, the Three Rivers
region includes Butts,
Carroll, Coweta, Heard,
Lamar, Meriwether,
Spalding, Troup and
Upson counties.
Black History Month: Stories of hope, sacrifice
As citizens celebrate
Black History month
across the nation, local
heroes were honored for
giving the ultimate sacri
fice during World War I.
See page 2A for the full
story on the American
Legion Post 197’s cel
ebration of four black sol
diers who volunteered to
serve - and gave up their
lives - in the first World
War, including William E.
Bankston, Green Black
man, John G. McLendon
and Ben L. Scott.
“When World War 1
started, many African-
Americans chose to
prove their right to
equality by serving
their country,” said
Post 197 commander
Bryan Richardson. “More
than 350,000 African-
Americans served during
World War 1. Roughly,
200,000 black troops
were shipped overseas.
With those sacrifices
and many others, blacks
have shaped the history
of this nation. Recent
history has been made as
well as Reverend Raphael
Warnock was sworn in
Jan. 20 as the first black
Senator from Georgia and
Kamala Harris was sworn
in to become the first
black, south Asian and
female to hold the office
of Vice President of the
United States of America.
“This is a great day
for Georgia and for our
country. Today, my father,
a veteran and son of south
Georgia, would have
been 104 years old,” said
Warnock. “Our country’s
first black, woman Vice
President swore in his
son, Georgia’s first black
United States Senator.
That this is even pos
sible is a testament to the
promise of our democ
racy and the covenant we
share with one another as
Americans. At the same
time, our nation faces mul
tiple crises brought into
sharper focus by a once in
a century pandemic. Con
gress must get to work
immediately to overcome
the challenges impacting
the lives and livelihoods
of Georgians, and people
across the country.”
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
A group of citizens and Pick Up Pike members recently picked up a trailer full of trash along Reisboro Road and will meet
again Feb. 6 or 13 at 10 am, depending on the weather, to finish the project. Other roads to be cleaned by the end of Febru
ary include County Farm Road and Williamson-Zebulon Road. Find more at Pick Up Pike (PUP) on facebook.
Group aims to clean county roads; help needed
Join Pick Up Pike’s
next Big Cleanup event
this Saturday, Feb. 6 at
10 a.m. as volunteers
gather to pick up trash
along Reidsboro Road
and encourage oth
ers to pick up trash
around their area of the
county. In case of rain,
the cleanup date will be
moved to Saturday, Feb.
13 at 10 a.m. Members
of the group cleaned up
part of Reidsboro Road
Jan. 23 with the help of
volunteers, including
Scout Troop 107.
“Thank you, every
one who participated to
get so much cleaned up.
While we were clean
ing up Reidsboro Road,
there were many others
who were also cleaning
up on many other roads
in the county. Highway
18 and Shortcut Road
were also cleaned up
again and looks fantas
tic,” said Blanche Rossi,
Pick Up Pike coordina
tor. “We want to finish
Reidsboro Road and
maybe others can con
tinue to cleanup in their
own neighborhoods too.
Teachers and parents,
please purposely dis
cuss with your students
and family members
the importance of not
littering. Many times
people have not been
taught not to litter and
it becomes a horribly,
bad habit. For those
who would like to learn
more, please join the
PUP Facebook group.”
See PICK UP PIKE page 3A
One of the Pick Up Pike founders Walker Chandler (right), PUP
coordinator Blanche Rossi (left) and PUP volunteer Linda Swet-
mon are hoping citizens will work together to clean Pike County’s
beautiful countryside in the coming weeks and years with events
planned monthly and a Big Cleanup planned annually.
Four
Chaplains
honored
online on
Feb. 7
A Four Chaplains Ob
servance Day program
hosted by Legion Family
197 will be celebrated
online Sunday, Feb. 7.
“One of the major
programs that the Legion
Family 197 conducts ev
ery year in Pike County
is the Four Chaplains
Program which honors
the four Army Chap
lains of different faiths
who gave the ultimate
sacrifice in aiding and
comforting fellow ship
mates during the German
sinking of the United
States Army Transport
(USAT) Dorchester dur
ing WW11,” said Post
197 commander Bryan
Richardson.
“This is an important
historical event in our
nation’s history. This
program honors the self
less sacrifices of these
four Chaplains as well
as provides an example
of man’s love for God.
It also helps educate
the community with
the stories of these four
chaplains.”
The four Army Chap
lains honored include
Reverend George Fox,
Rabbi Alexander Goode,
Reverend Clark Poling
and Father John Wash
ington.
See CHAPLAINS page 3A
The Wednesday Market celebrates 10 year anniversary
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Wednesday Market is celebrating 10 years. At left, Anna
Evans, Brenda Fayard and Sharon Fox spent many hours
volunteering at the market. Above, place orders online at
WednesdayMarket.LocallyGrown.net and pick up freshly har
vested and made items at 139 Adams Street in Zebulon.
The Wednesday Mar
ket in Zebulon recently
celebrated 10 years of
providing fresh fruit and
produce as well as home
made, baked and hand
crafted items for citizens
in Pike and neighboring
communities. Items are
listed at Wednesday
Market.LocallyGrown.net
and customers can place
orders as early as Satur
day, giving time for the
items to be fresh picked
or made by the following
Wednesday and picked
up at 139 Adams Street in
Zebulon.
On January 26, 2011,
The Wednesday Market
in Zebulon opened. Each
week, the products on
line are updated.
“From the beginning of
our creation, our pur
pose was to provide the
freshest, locally grown
produce, fruit and good
food available,” said
Market volunteer Beverly
Walter. “When we first
began, we did not know
whether the Market
would succeed. In the
beginning, we struggled
to recruit farmers. We
struggled to learn the
software and technology
that makes the Market
work. We struggled to
develop an accounting
system that is necessary
to facilitate the Market.
We struggled to figure
out how to market the
Market. Through our
early years, we kept
plugging away at it all.
This last year, 2020, was
remarkable in many
ways - some good, some
not so good. COV1D shut
us down for a while, but
eventually, just like so
many other businesses
around the world, we
adapted. We made new
customers in the pro
cess, too. The pandemic
and interruptions to
global supply chains
affected us all. Suddenly,
many consumers realized
the importance of locally
sourced goods, especial
ly food!”
The Wednesday
Market promotes small,
diverse, family-owned
farms that contribute to
society’s overall health.
According to the organiz
ers, the Market helps en
hance the local economy
by spending money with
local citizens, save natu
ral resources by reducing
fossil fuel and packaging
materials, provide learn
ing opportunities about
sustainable agriculture
and support small farms
and the rural way of life
by helping locals earn an
honest living.
“Just as we have been
for 10 years, we are open
for orders. Please place
your order by 10 p.m.
Monday,” said Walter.
“Orders are ready for
pick up between 2 and
4 p.m. Wednesday. Our
managers are volunteers,
as we have been from
day one. Without our
teamwork and dedica
tion, the Market simply
would not happen. A
few of us have ‘retired,’
but our founders’ vision
persists today. We are
grateful to our farmers
and customers for your
support and look forward
to continuing to serve
you!”
The current Wednes
day Market volunteers
are Sharon Fox, Nelda
Miller and Beverly Walter
and Wednesday Market
founders and retired vol
unteers include Anna Ev
ans, Brenda Fayard, Irma
Wing and Betty Dean.
