Newspaper Page Text
NEW DISTRICT?
State legislators are using 2020 Census
data to create a new district map that may
move Pike County from District 131 to 135.
See page 2A
PIKE COUNTY
PHOTO BY WES PARTIN / PARTIN AERIAL
JOURNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021
PIKE'S PEEK
COVID-19
cases low
Pike County had
nine confirmed cases of
COVID-19 over the past
two weeks according
to the Georgia Depart
ment of Public Health
on Nov. 15. In the Pike
school system, there
were a total of four
cases and five quaran
tined as of Nov. 12.
Pike County has
had 50 deaths due to
COVID-19, 20 probable
deaths and 129 hospi
talizations since the
pandemic started.
Thirty-four percent
of Pike residents are
fully vaccinated. To
make an appointment
for the vaccine at the
health department, go
to district4health.org
or call 888-457-0186
Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
and Saturday from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meansville
gets $1.4
million water
system loan
The city of Means
ville was recently
awarded a $1,400,000
Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund (DWS-
RF) loan by the Georgia
Environmental Finance
Authority (GEFA) board
of directors. The loan
will finance replacing
water main, hydrants
and valves and install
ing an automatic me
ter reading (AMR) sys
tem. The project will
reduce leaks, increase
billing accuracy and
improve meter reading
efficiency.
The city will pay
0.86% interest on the
30-year loan. The city
is eligible for princi
pal forgiveness up to
$560,000.
Thankful and giving, family shares harvest
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Mary and Mark Nalls of
Zebulon are going to cel
ebrate Thanksgiving again
this year by sharing their
garden’s harvest with
members of the commu
nity at their home at 127
Gwyn Street in Zebulon.
Their 55x70 foot garden
has 17 rows of turnips
and five rows of collards
and it will be open from 7
a.m. to dark on Monday,
Nov. 22 and Tuesday,
Nov. 23 for members of
the community to come
pick for their families for
Thanksgiving.
“We want people to
come and get what they
need - but not more than
they can use for Thanks
giving so everyone can
have their share,” said
Mark. “A lot of people
have gifts and things
they can do well and they
don’t get to share it but
this is something 1 can do
and this is something 1
can share. When you see
people out here picking
and harvesting together
and you see they are so
happy, it makes your
heart smile.”
Mark has excelled at
growing crops for years
but didn’t know how
much he enjoyed it until
he was taking a horticul
ture class in high school.
“For one of my horticul
ture classes, the project
was to plant a home gar
den and 1 did really good.
1 got an A for the project,”
said Mark. “Being out in
the garden brings me a lot
of joy, it’s pleasing to me
to till the ground, plant
the seeds and tend them
as they grow.”
See HARVEST page 2A
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Mark and Mary Nalls are opening up their garden at 127 Gwyn Street in Zebulon to members of
the community Nov. 22-23 to share their Thanksgiving harvest of turnips and collard greens.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Teachers of the Year who were recently honored at the board of education meeting include (l-r)
high school teacher Dr. Tammy Gillies, elementary school Program Challenge teacher Ashley
Wright, NGA teacher and district Teacher of the Year Clayton Moon, middle school teacher
Dawn Pickens and primary school teacher Sandy Brooks.
Educators honored at Pike schools
The Pike County
school system Teachers
of the Year were recently
honored during the Nov.
9 board of education
meeting.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Second grade teacher
Sandy Brooks is the Pike
County Primary School
Teacher of the Year. She
has been teaching for 25
years and was a parapro-
fessional for eight years.
“She’s one of those
people you can always
count on to say and do
the right thing every
time,” said PCPS princi
pal April Teal-Phagan.
“She is definitely a team
player and always put
the needs of students
and others ahead of her
own. She has stepped up
to take on roles that no
one else want to do. She
always states things in a
positive way and and is a
wealth of knowledge, ex
pertise and experience.
Here is what one of her
students said about her,
‘When 1 met Mrs. Brooks
for the first time, 1 knew 1
would learn a lot by her
look. I’m so sad to leave
school because she is my
favorite teacher. 1 love
Mrs. Brooks and 1 know
she loves me. 1 would do
anything for her.’”
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Program Challenge
teacher Ashley Wright is
the Pike County Elemen
tary School Teacher of
the Year.
“Ashley Wright rep
resents the epitome of
a Pike County educator
- pouring countless hours
into designing units of
instruction so students
have every opportunity
to explore, experience
and engage in the world
around them,” said PCES
principal Dr. Melissa
Smith. “Her passion and
zeal over the last year
has resulted in a trans
formation of our Program
Challenge. The students
in her program are en
gaged in opportunities to
develop the Portrait of a
Graduate competencies
through projects such
as the Bird Relocation
Station in which students
designed safer nest
ing habitats to relocate
nesting birds from the
walkways to other areas
of the school campus.
Last year, she embarked
on a year-long River
Literacy Project involving
students taking a deep
dive into the rivers of
Georgia. Students were
engaged in research,
creating models and
finally a float down the
Flint. She is working to
build a network of agen
cies to develop an action
plan and secure grant
funds for an interdepen
dent fruit and vegetable
ecosystem in the garden
area behind our school.
These are just a few
examples of the amazing
works she facilitates in
her classroom.”
MIDDLE SCHOOL
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Dawn Pickens has
taught for a total of 22
years with 18 years of
teaching in Pike and
she is the Pike County
Middle School Teacher of
the Year.
“She truly loves her
job and her students -
even the ones who are
the most challenging
- and they love her too.
She has a killer work
ethic and is a true team
player,” said PCMS princi
pal Mike Maddox. “She
is the type of teacher
all students want and
deserve to have. She is
loved by her family at
PCMS and we salute you
for all you do in the class
room every single day.”
Maddox said others
describe her as ‘having a
heart for everyone who
crosses her path’ and
‘always having a smile on
her face that’s infectious.’
See EDUCATORS page 3A
Thanksgiving service
planned for Nov. 23
Citizens from Pike
and surrounding com
munities are invited
to join together and
count their blessings
at the annual Com
munity Thanksgiving
Celebration set for 7
p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23
at Mt. Gilead Baptist
Church, 14550 Highway
19 north.
“The Pike County
Christian Ministerial
Association cordially in
vites you to our Annual
Community Thanksgiv
ing Celebration, where
we will be gathering
all together as one to
worship, fellowship and
give thanks to the Lord
for the many blessings
we enjoy,” said Ben
Maxedon.
Rev. A1 Shackl
eford will bring the
message and attire is
casual. A love offering
will be accepted.
Oa e
iX
Lighting of Concord is
Dec. 3; register online
for visits with Santa
Festivities for the
Lighting of Concord
will start at 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 3 but Santa
will arrive early and be
on site from noon until
8:30 p.m. Register for a
time to visit with Santa
online at https://www.
signupgenius.com/go/
10C0F4BA4AF2AAAF-
FC34-lighting.
“The city of Concord
invites you to the an
nual Lighting of Concord.
Gather around crackling
fireboxes with friends
old and new, enjoy pony
rides for the children
or eat tasty food served
along Main Street,” said
Concord deputy clerk
Anita Neath. “Sing along
with live entertain
ment! Santa arrives early
this year with visits by
appointment only begin
ning at noon and ending
at 8:30 p.m. You only
need one slot per child/
family. Santa’s photog
rapher will be on site to
capture that special mo
ment with your child! To
be courteous to all
Santa’s visitors and keep
things flowing, pictures
with Santa will be lim
ited to the professional
photographers’ options
of a digital photo (email)
for $15 or a maximum of
two photos taken by our
photographer with your
device.”
The annual event usu
ally includes the jingling
of sleigh bells as local
families bring out their
horses and donkeys to
take visitors on rides
through Concord.
PHOTO BY
RACHEL
McDANIEL
Everyone
enjoys the
Christmas
spirit at the
Lighting of
Concord,
including (l-r)
Cami Kerce,
Bailey Berner,
Abbi Lowe
and Declan
Tenbrink at
a previous
celebration.