Newspaper Page Text
FREEDOM!
Local businesses wish you a happy
and safe Independence Day!
See page 1B
PIKE COUNTY
JOURNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR IViVAVA>11:W<»1!IHM»KM’fc■ EH«»li»■ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28,2023
Williamson
residents
to see trash
rate increase
BY DWAIN W. PENN
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Williamson mayor
Steve Fry offered, as
part of his mayor’s
comments, a trash
collection fee schedule
update at the June 15
meeting, for council’s
consideration. Through
a process of public pre
sentations by local com
peting trash vendors
and the final selection
to keep Am Waste as the
city provider, council
approved June 15 an
increase in garbage fee,
effective July 1.
In the process of
hearing the benefits
and detriments of both
Express sanitation and
Am Waste, it was men
tioned by council and
the general public that
Express’ fee was $1
higher than Am Waste,
but with the latter
finding an innovative
solution to waste man
agement and disposal
in the next state, one
should have expected
Am Waste to raise fees
to cover costs.
The public will see a
rate increase of $14.50
to $18.50 per can.
Cost for the second
can, as needed, will be
reduced, effective July
1. Am Waste is going
to one can collection.
Recyclables can now
go in cart with regular
garbage.
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard the current
balance, as of June 14,
in the city budget is
over $1,974,000.
• Learned from city
clerk Pamela Schoen-
tag the cost of postage
stamps is going up to
66<t July 9. Residents
are encouraged to do
city business digitally to
reduce cost of postage.
See WILLIAMSON page 3A
Join the July 4 bike parade
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Every July 4, young
sters in the Concord
area get ready for the
Children’s Bike Parade
through downtown by
decorating their bikes
and proudly wearing
red, white and blue. This
year’s event will be held
Tuesday, July 4 with
lineup in front of the Con
cord City Hall starting at
9:45 a.m. and the parade
starting at 10 a.m. sharp.
“Please wear your
most patriotic clothes
and pets are welcome
and encouraged,” said
parade organizer Cherie
Holmes. “All types of
bikes, trikes, scooters
and wagons are welcome
and we loved to see them
decked out with patri
otic decorations. Please
do not bring motorized
vehicles, motorcycles,
etc. Refreshments will be
served after the parade
at the pavilion.”
Prizes will be awarded
for three different age
categories, including 1 to
3 years old, 4 to 8 years
old and 9 to 13 years old.
Register prior to parade
line up to get a number.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Young bikers ride in last year’s Independence Day Bike Parade through downtown Concord.
Join this fun on Tuesday, July 4 with lineup at 9:45 a.m. in front of Concord City Hall.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE J. JOEL EDWARDS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Dawn Mahealani is a distant cousin of Princess Ka’iulani, the last heir apparent to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom and
she performed traditional Polynesian dances for students at the J. Joel Edwards Public Library’s summer reading program.
Family fun at the library
Henry Ledbetter holds up the series of books given to him
by Deron Hicks (right) during a recent Books ‘n Bites program.
Citizens of all ages are
enjoying the Summer
Reading Programs at the
J. Joel Edwards Public
Library in Zebulon and
they run through the
end of July. Sign up at
frrls.beanstack.com or
visit the library during
regular business hours
Monday, Wednesday
and Friday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m., Tuesday and
Thursday from 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m. and Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Attendees of the
library’s first Books
‘n Bites were awarded
a rare treat as Warm
Springs author Deron
Hicks chatted about his
five previous books and
provided some teasers
for his upcoming mys
tery set in Asheville, NC.
Local kids learned
about the county’s K-9 of
ficers from Lt. James Fox
who taught them about
Ben and his jobs and
Dep. Casey Hammond
who taught them about
Buster and his duties.
Students got to
experience the world
of Polynesian Program
with Dawn Mahealani
who presented Tahitian
Dance, Maori Poi and
Hawaiian Hula. Students
and even PCFD chief
Bobby Wilkerson got to
join in the musical fun
by dancing and playing
the Hawaiian instru
ment the uli uli!. Dawn
is a distant cousin of
Princess Ka’iulani, the
last heir apparent to the
throne of the Hawaiian
Kingdom.
Lt. James Fox teaches local kids about the jobs and duties performed by the county’s K-9 officer Ben (above) at a recent Sum
mer Reading Program at the J. Joel Edwards Public Library.
County
approves
Meansville
subdivision
Pike County commis
sioners approved a previ
ously denied subdivision
plats by a 3-2 vote during
their June 14 meeting.
During his report to
commissioners, county
attorney Rob Morton said
commissioners needed
to entertain a motion
related to the subdivision
request based on discus
sions that have been
conducted in closed,
executive session due to
pending litigation.
The county attorney
noted that the subdivi
sion plan was denied in
late April and the appli
cant filed an appeal and
the issue went to litiga
tion. The county’s plan
ning and zoning board
recommended approval
with several conditions
prior to the commission
er’s denial.
Commissioners voted
3-2 to approve the sub
division with the recom
mended conditions with
commissioners James
Jenkins and Jason Proc
tor in opposition.
The 13-lot major subdi
vision (Woodcreek Subdi
vision) was requested at
the April 25 commission
meeting and was denied
by a 4-0 vote. The 53-acre
property in Meansville
runs from the intersec
tion of Highway 109
and Adams Road to the
intersection of Sandefur
Road and Adams Road.
At the April 25 meeting,
commissioners discussed
water control issues due
to a creek and lake on
the property and noted
that the subdivision did
not meet the A-R prop
erty uses desired by the
county.
Attorney Scott May-
field requested and was
allowed to speak after
the denial at the April
25 meeting on behalf
of owner James Jones.
He noted that the plans
for the subdivision fit
the county’s ordinance
requirements.
Commissioners also
approved the first reading
of amendments related
to HB 1405 and changes
to the Zoning Proce
dures Law required by
the state. It was noted
that the county’s code of
ordinances is undergoing
changes but that these
particular changes need
to be made before the
state law goes into effect
July 1.
See COMMISSIONERS page 2A
