Newspaper Page Text
FLAG FOOTBALL
The Lady Pirates flag football team started
the season strong in their second year.
See page 1B
ACE & ASSIST
The Pike County volleyball team
finishes season second in region.
See page 1B
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023
PIKE'S PEEK
Place pecan
orders for 4-H
by Oct. 23
Pike 4-H is selling 1
pound bags of shelled
Elliott Pecan halves
(1 pound for $13) to
raise money for
4-H activities
such as
club meet
ings, offi
cer train
ing, project
achievement,
competition
teams, reward trips
and summer activities.
“These pecans are
Georgia Grown and
some of the most deli
cious pecans you will
ever eat,” said Penny
Cosper. “Please place
your order by Monday,
Oct. 23 by contactting
the 4-H office at 770-
567-2010 or via email
to pennyc@uga.edu.”
Enjoy free
Writing Wild
class Oct. 20
If you think you
can’t write at all or if
you enjoy writing a lot,
join the Writing Wild
class on the square
Friday, Oct. 20. The
free writing workshop
is part of L4G4’s ef
forts to celebrate the
National Day of Writ
ing. The class is open
to high schoolers and
adults from 6-7 p.m.
Free Writing Wild
notebooks will be pro
vided and participants
can sit around the
courthouse square to
write. Writing prompts
will include re-creating
wild memories, sharing
hometown history and
reflecting on nature’s
wildness. Those who
would like can return
for the closing session
of the class and share
some of their work.
The class will be led
by Rachel McDaniel,
author of Images of
America: Pike County.
Rezoning request for 58-acre sports facility
SPECIAL PHOTO
Zebulon city council members will hear a rezoning request to allow for a 50+ acre sports facility
on Highway 19 south on Oct. 24. The property was previously planned as a 40-lot subdivision.
The city of Zebulon
zoning board held a public
hearing on the rezoning of
around 58 acres on High
way 19 south near Smoots
from PRD (Planned Resi
dential Development) to
HC (Highway Commercial)
for a recreational sports
facility. They voted to al
low the rezoning request
to be heard by Zebulon
city council, with board
member Beverly Walter
stipulating that the de
velopers need to provide
more details on lighting
and hours of operation.
City of Zebulon council
members will consider the
rezoning request at their
Oct. 24 meeting.
According to developer
Steve Reeves, the proper
ty will eventually include
six ball fields, two larger
ones for baseball, two for
softball and two for base
ball/softball and other
uses. It will also include a
gym with basketball and
multi-use courts, a play
ground, an amphitheater,
pickleball courts and a to
tal of 537 parking spaces.
Reeves noted that previ
ously, preliminary plans
for a 40-lot subdivision on
the property were submit
ted to the board but the
required sewer system
is not available from the
city that far south. He re
quested the city waive the
requirement for city sewer
since it is not available
yet. He noted the facility
will be on the city’s water
system. He said there will
be three separate rest
room facilities as well as
a multi-purpose building
and each will have its own
septic system and replace
ment area for the future.
“This is like the Field
of Dreams, if you build
it, they will come,” said
Reeves. “This property
is going to be developed
and 1 think we all prefer
this versus the impact 40
houses will have on the
city. But this is income
generating for the city.”
See REZONING page 3A
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SPECIAL PHOTO
The historic 50th annual Concord Country Jubilee will be held this weekend on Saturday
and Sunday, Oct. 21 -22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The parade will be at 2 p.m. Saturday.
50 years of Jubilee joy!
Fishing rights, river
access discussed
The historic 50th
annual Concord Coun
try Jubilee will be held
Saturday and Sunday,
Oct. 21-22 from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. each day. The
parade will be at 2 p.m.
Saturday. A limited num
ber of 50th Jubilee com
memorative t-shirts and
hats can be purchased
at Concord City Hall
during regular business
hours.
In addition to sold
out vendor spaces, the
Jubilee will include live
music, fun for all and
the Concord Jubilee
Reminisce Photo Con
test.
“We have had so
much fun sifting through
old newspaper clip
pings and photographs
from previous Concord
Jubilees,” said Concord
city clerk Anita Neath.
“Reminiscing spawned
the idea to sponsor a
Concord Jubilee Remi
nisce Photo Contest.
Dig through those old
pictures (yes, even
before there were smart
phones, jpg, pngs and
Polaroids)! Find your fa
vorite photo and post it
on the City of Concord,
Georgia facebook page’s
post about the contest
by Oct. 13. Two winners
will be announced Oct.
21 at 1 p.m. First place
will receive a Jubilee tee
shirt and cap. Second
place will receive a tee
or cap.”
Saturday’s 2023
musical lineup for the
historic 50th anniver
sary Jubilee will include
Pine Grove Five at 10
a.m. The Fairlanes at
11:15 a.m., Are You
Kind at 12:30 p.m., Pike
County Junior Players
at 3 p.m. and Fourth
Dimension at 4 p.m. Sun
day’s lineup includes a 9
a.m. Sunday service led
by New Mount Calvary
Baptist Church, New
Creation at noon, River’s
Edge at 3 p.m. and Slim
Pickens at 4 p.m.
Several Pike residents
were among those who
spoke to the House Study
Committee on Fishing
Access to Freshwater
Resources during a meet
ing in Gay on Oct. 4. The
committee is evaluating
the recently passed HR
519 in regards to private
property owners’ ability
to restrict access versus
the public’s right to utilize
waterways for recreation.
Pike has no public access
to the Flint River even
though there are more
than 25 miles of the river
on the county’s western
border. One access area
was blocked two years
ago with a large raised
driveway at Flat Shoals.
The driveway dead ends
into a fence and provides
no access to the subdivi
sion. It had been used as
an access ramp to the
river for generations.
County manager
Brandon Rogers was one
of the first to address the
committee.
“Pike County has had
issues when it comes to
fishing rights and those
tend to get entangled
with other issues like
trespassing and litter
ing,” he said. “Former
president Jimmy Carter
floated the river and
made comments about
how beautiful the river
is and how everyone
should get a chance to
enjoy it. We don’t want
to do away with that, but
we want to try to find a
compromise.”
See FISHING RIGHTS page 3A
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
County manager Brandon Rogers speaks to the House Study
Committee on Fishing Access to Freshwater Resources.
Lions Club donates more than $6,000 to Touchdown Club
The Pike
County Fions Club
recently pre
sented the Pike
County Pirates
Touchdown Club
with a check for
$6,100.
These proceeds
are generated
from the net profit
realized each year
from the sale of
ads in the football
program that is
sold at each home
game.
“Everyone
is encouraged
to purchase a
program and to
support the mer
chants that make
this project a
great success for
our high school
football program,”
said Charles Bent
ley of the Fions
Club.
SPECIAL PHOTO
The Pike County Lions Club recently donated more than $6,000 to the Pirates Touchdown Club. Pictured are (l-r) Cameron Tuggle, Bob
Harrison, Jr., Charles Bentley (presenting check from the Lions Club), Pirates head coach Bryan Holley, David Sammons and Abram Jobe.
