Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, July 21, 2021
PHOTOS COORTESY OF THE J. JOEL EDWARDS POBLIC LIBRARY
Summer reading club participants had the chance to ride a unicorn during a recent program, including Brynnley Proctor (right). The special unicorn was visiting from Perfect Pony Parties of Concord.
Unicorns visit summer reading club at Zebulon City Park
The J. Joel Edwards Public
Library has created a magical
Summer Reading Club experi
ence for local students as they
hold weekly programs for all
age students.
Each Thursday in June
and July students 6 through
12 have met at 1 p.m. at the
Zebulon City Park to enjoy dif
ferent programs from chickens
to unicorns and everything in
between.
Perfect Pony Parties of
Concord recently brought
unicorns to the park for the
children to learn about and get
to ride on.
Children (0-12) and teens
(13-18) can participate by go
ing to frrls.beanstack.com on a
computer or smartphone and
registering, then logging the
hours they spend reading in
June and July.
Molena council thanks retiring police chief; talks internet access
BY DWAIN W. PENN
dwain@pikecountygeorgia.com
Molena police chief
Novin Darsey presented
his last monthly report
at the July 12 council
meeting. Topics included
a written list of calls and
citations plus a mention
of a July 11 structure fire.
In closing, Darsey offi
cially tendered notice of
retirement to council.
“It’s time to start a new
chapter,” said Darsey.
“I’m retiring as chief effec
tive July 30. I’ve enjoyed
it. Councils and mayors
were great. I worked with
a good group of guys
who had my back. They
offered backup and un
conditional support when
needed.”
Darsey introduced
council to officer Matt
Polk of the Zebulon police
department as a potential
candidate for chief or in
terim chief. Polk has drug
investigation experience
plus C1D background.
Council thanked
Darsey for his service.
They want to expedite
the process to find a re
placement before Darsey
leaves the department.
David Stewart, the “go
to IT guy” in Pike County,
was invited to follow
Darsey and share current
progress, plans and solu
tions for viable internet
service growth in Molena.
“We have established
a backbone of the back
haul,” said Stewart. “And
with a core network of
nine folks, the potential is
high for new customers.”
“There are differ
ent signals at different
points,” he explained.
“We found a good signal
north along GA 18 toward
Concord in a promising
area of service, a good
community with a high
residential density.”
“We are leaving no area
untested - toward 109,
down 18, off Jones Road,
even on Glenn Beckham’s
property. Due to inter
est, we’re shooting down
GA 18 toward Dunn’s
Street at the Molena Food
Mart.”
“I spoke with the own
er of the mart about using
his sign to boost service,
but he plans to install a
new sign. So we will try to
utilize the highest point
on that property.”
Solutions proposed by
Stewart include the use of
ham radio towers preva
lent in the area, 40-foot
telephone poles at a cost
of $400 each, and an ex
isting tower off of GA 18
north of Molena. Unlike
the existing towers, the
telephone poles have the
benefit of being installed
where the best and stron
gest signals are.
Stewart is offering
free WIFI service for the
pavilion at a nominal cost
of $250 for equipment.
The upgrade will make
the venue more appeal
ing for a variety of local
events and be something
that can be touted on the
soon-coming city website.
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard repairs are
needed at the Georgia
Power substation on 109
to reduce interference
with wireless communi
cations.
• Learned one of the
Bagwell Street signs is
misspelled causing confu
sion in locating the sand
pit. Pit managers are also
requesting a small direc
tional sign be posted at
the caution light on 18.
• Heard the water sys
tem filters will be changed
out in a few days.
• Agreed to make the
recent flag retirement
ceremony an annual
event. A drop-off box or
receptacle will be placed
at the old jail or city hall
to collect worn out flags.
• Granted permission
for the Molena Civic
Club to host a Christmas
festival this year with the
city joining to support it
in 2022.
• Heard the domain
name for the city website
is molenaga.com and
should be operational in
a few months.
• Approved a bid of
$3,680 to split water
service by installing a
second meter on a Spring
Road property.
• Approved Dyke
McMichael as Director of
Public Works.
• Agreed to contact
local cities for an ordi
nance governing food
trucks for adoption by
the city to allow food
trucks to operate in Mo
lena to provide residents
with places to eat.
• Approved adjust
ments on the current
budget.
Jim Cody dies after battle with C0VID-19
BY WILL DAVIS
publisher@mymcr.net
A Forsyth business
owner and former Pike
County resident died of
COV1D over the July 4
weekend at the age of 58.
Jim Cody, owner
of Interceptor Public
Safety Products at
1110 Indian Springs
Drive, died at Coliseum
Hospital in Macon.
Cody started Intercep
tor in 1994 in Milner.
He wound up partner
ing with Mac Brown of
Forsyth and they moved
the business there in
2005. Interceptor outfits
vehicles and other
equipment for police
and fire departments.
Brown said Cody,
who was not vacci
nated, came down with
COV1D
about 8
weeks
ago.
Brown
said
that
Cody
had
moved
from his
home in Williamson, Ga.
to his second home at
Lake Sinclair to recuper
ate. But Brown said his
family couldn’t get him
on the phone at Lake
Sinclair and finally had
to go get him and take
him to the hospital.
Cody’s stepson Josh
Huff told the Reporter
he took Cody to the
Coliseum emergency
room. He said the doc
tor ordered Cody some
Ivermectin. But Huff
said that the chief medi
cal director at Coliseum
“slapped the doctor’s
hand” and refused to al
low it. Huff said he’s not
happy about it.
“I think doctors are
working inside of a
political and financial
box,” said Huff. Huff not
ed studies have shown
Ivermectin is helpful for
COVID patients but said
top officials continue to
say there haven’t been
enough studies.
“There could be a lot
more lives saved,” said
Huff.
Brown said Cody con
tinued to worsen and
doctors took him off life
support on Saturday.
Brown said Cody was
cremated and said there
may be a funeral at a
later date.
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PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Bob Clark of Meansville stands in B&D Ceramics which was recently sold to his son, Brian
Clark. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and evenings by request.
CERAMICS: Shop continues legacy
FROM PAGE ONE
That purchase added
the slip production to
the ceramics shop. Slip
is available for purchase
for $5 per gallon.
“The slip is being
purchased by ceramics
shops all over the south
east,” Brian said.
B&D Ceramics is also
in the process of set
ting up a mold library
to check out and return
molds without having to
purchase them.
“Someone told me
‘no one’s ever done that
before,’ and I said, ‘Well,
there’s never been a Bob
Clark before,” he said.
B&D Ceramics now
has around 15,000 molds
in their library that they
have gathered since the
1970’s and are adding
others constantly.
“You can find just
about anything here in our
library,” Bob said. “There’s
something for everyone to
create, paint and enjoy for
years and years.”
Churches and other
groups are welcome to
come do crafts and there
are projects starting from
50 cents and up.
The ceramics shop
is open from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. each Saturday.
Classes are available
upon request and bisque,
greenware and slip are
available and items can
be fired for a small fee.
Slip purchases can be
made by calling Brian at
678-603-3718.
Set up an appointment
with Tina at 404-625-1820
to create ceramic pieces
in the evenings.
With more than 16,000 molds, there is something for every group or interest at B&D Ceramics
in Meansville. The ceramics shop has been in existence since 1945 when it started in Nebraska.