Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3A
PHOTOS BY JEFF SHERIFF
At left, newly installed Post 197 officers include (l-r) Danny Jeffreys, Laurah Rhodes, Bryan Richardson, Jeff Sheriff and Stefan Huckaby. At right, outgoing Post 197 commander Bryan Richardson
(left) swears in new commander Paul Chatterton.
American Legion Post 197 changes command
The Pike County
American Legion Post
197 conducted a change
of command and new of
ficer induction ceremony
July 8 at the Post 197
facility.
The outgoing com
mander Bryan Richard
son commanded the
Post for the past two
years.
Elected Paul Chatter-
ton assumed command
of Post 197. He is an
Army veteran with 22
years of service, and has
been a member of Post
197 five years. He has
previously served as the
Post Junior Vice Com
mander.
Richardson as his
final act as Commander,
installed the new Com
mander Chatterton.
“Legionnaire Paul
Chatterton has been
chosen Commander
of the Department of
Georgia, Post 197 by his
fellow Post legionnaires.
Legionnaire Chatter
ton, you have been
entrusted with very
important duties. You
are to teach and protect
the cardinal principles
of The American Legion
throughout our Post.
You are entrusted with
the supervision of the
duties of all officers of
this Post. Loyalty to the
Post, its membership,
and state and national
organizations are obli
gations which you now
assume. You are more
than the presiding of
ficer for meetings. You
are guided by our Post
Constitution and its by
laws, and the decisions
of the executive commit
tee. Yet, the responsibil
ity of the programs is
on your shoulders. You
must initiate programs
and carry them through
to completion. You must
familiarize yourself with
the traditions of your
Post and the American
Legion. By your sincere
acceptance and earnest
performance of these
duties, may the trust of
your fellow Legionnaires
have reposed in you as
their commander be jus
tified,” said Richardson.
“Commander, you have
my dedicated support
and loyalty as you move
our post forward serving
veterans and improving
our Post, organization
ally and physically. 1 ask
our general member
ship to support our new
commander and give
him a chance. Give your
good ideas and ways to
better the Post, and then
commit to your ideas.
Let’s give him our trust
and work together in the
name of The American
Legion.”
Past Commander
Richardson then passed
the gavel to Commander
Chatterton.
“Commander Bryan
Richardson, you have
just completed two
years of command and
service to The Ameri
can Legion and to Post
197. The records of the
Post indicate the qual
ity of your service. It
is our hope, the things
you learned about The
American Legion and
Post 197, and the expe
rience you gained will
always be available to
those who follow you.
On behalf of Post 197,1
thank you for the service
you have rendered The
American Legion and
Post 197,” said Chatter
ton.
“My fellow Legion
naires, I present to you
the officers of your
choice: Senior Vice Com
mander Sam Rhodes,
Junior Vice Commanders
Danny Jeffreys and Jeff
Sheriff, Adjutant Stephen
Golias, Finance Officer
Bryan Richardson, and
Executive Committee
Members Stefan Huck
aby, Matt Germain, and
Laurah Rhodes. These
Legionnaires have been
chosen to fill the elected
offices of Post 197.1
congratulate the mem
bership on the selec
tions you have made.
You have chosen them.
Now it is your duty to
aid them in every way.
Help them to keep The
American Legion faith
ful to its principles and
ideals. We know they
will vindicate the trust
that has been placed in
them. We know they will
fulfill every obligation
required of them. They
will familiarize them
selves with the duties of
their offices and carry
out those duties with the
same spirit from which
arose The American
Legion. The welfare and
success of this Post de
pends on them, as does
the preservation of the
integrity of the American
Legion. Protect the good
name of the American
Legion with the people
of our great nation;
help them to know the
Legion’s purposes and
policies. Remember the
open-mindedness that
motivates us as mem
bers; remember there
is no rank among us
for we all serve now as
equals. We all are aiming
for the same goals - the
ideals of justice, free
dom, democracy, and
loyalty. Remember, too,
the cardinal principles
of the American Legion
are the remembrance of
those who served our
great nation and helped
protect our freedoms
and American values
that we all cherish; the
rehabilitation of all dis
abled veterans; care of
the dependents of those
who have answered the
final call; care of those
who now are suffering
from wounds, disease,
and want; the education
of our children; and ser
vice to the community,
state and nation.”
Commander Chat
terton then swore in the
new Post 197 officers.
Williamson council discusses water meters, qualifying
BY DWAIN W. PENN
dwain@pikecountygeorgia.com
Williamson mayor
Steve Fry shared the
usual monthly financial
report at the July 8 meet
ing, but this month, dis
turbing numbers led to
a previously overlooked
topic of water loss.
“Just a week past the
halfway point of the fiscal
year, 73% of our revenue
is in, running a bit high,”
said Fry. “Fortunately
only 45% of our budget
has been spent.”
Upon inspection of
the utility budget (water
and garbage), recent his
tory of water loss caught
the attention of several
council members. An ex
planation of the amounts
was needed. While most
other Pike municipalities
report their water loss
as a percentage of billed
water usage, Williamson
reports the loss in gal
lons.
On average the city
loses between 70,000 and
80,000 gallons a month,
up to 1,000,000 gallons a
year.
According to Fry,
water loss in the city
can be due to house
fires or brush fires, but
most of the loss is due to
leaks in the system. The
annual cost to the city
for 1,000,000 gallons of
water loss is only $6,000,
but steps will be taken
to save as much of the
precious resource as
possible.
The new automated
water meters installed
several years ago with
their digital monitoring
feature are suppose to
find leaks but only if they
are on the consumer’s
side of the meter.
Fry along with help
from Scott Huckaby
have devised a plan to
pinpoint areas in the city
where leaks are preva
lent. In the middle of the
night, service areas will
be isolated by briefly
shutting off system
valves and determining
through the Griffin main
water meter if water is
flowing in the area indi
cating leaks.
It will take time to
find the major leaks, but
Fry is confident of suc
cess over the next few
months.
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard the qualifying
dates have changed for
the post 5 council seat to
August 24 for the Sep
tember 21 election and
August 16-18 for Novem
ber 2.
• Approved a request
for the installation of a
ceiling fan at the library.
• Raised the non-
potable water fee at the
old city well to $8 per
1,000 gallons.
• Updated the B&B
Landscaping contract
bid from $600 to $640 a
month to include an addi
tional .8 acres in Benson
Hilley Park, the recent
purchase of the Coggins
property.
• Discussed potential
annexation of a Second
District Road property
with Stephen Brentlinger,
recently hired by the
county as executive
director of the economic
development office for
special projects.
• Received the June
library report of 111 pa
trons, $84.50 income and
an undisclosed number
of books donated.
• Heard details of a
special fundraiser hosted
by the Ashley Glen
homeowners association
to benefit a young cancer
patient this fall. Be
nevolence has expanded
plans to include charity
tournaments involving
the disk golf course, the
bag toss boards and even
children activities during
the Wing Shack grand
opening.
• Heard during the
town hall meeting a resi
dent is refusing to pay for
a water meter damaged
on his property by other
vehicles. “When 1 move,
1 can’t take the meter
with me,” observed the
citizen.
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SEE YOIIR *D HERE:
PIKE COUNTY
SCHOOLS
PRAYER WALK
STARTING AT
9:00 AM SATURDAY
August 7,2021
School Campus
Hwy. 19 South
Zebu Ion
Sponsored by
PIKE COUNTY CHRISTIAN
MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION