Newspaper Page Text
ONE DOLLAR
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
PIKE COUNTY
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
Boys cross country are region champs and the
girls came in second. Both now head to state.
See page 6B
Daylight Saving Time will end this
Sunday. Set your clocks back and
check batteries in safety devices.
REPORTER
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT DAVIS
Join the Bigfoot fun in Mo-
lena at the festival and 5K
/ fun run on Saturday, Nov.
18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bigfoot Fest
is Nov. 18
in Molena
Join the hunt for fun
and the world’s elusive
sasquatch at the Nov.
18 Bigfoot Fest in
Molena. The festival
will run from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. and include mu
sic, vendors and the
Elkins Creek 5K and 1
mile fun run/walk.
All Elkins Creek
runners and walkers
will get a t-shirt at the
event and first and
second place medals
will be presented in
each age group. Pro
ceeds will benefit the
J. Joel Edwards Public
Library.
For more info or to
sign up, go to molena
ga.com/molena-
bigfoot-fest-elkins-
creek-5k-event-forms.
Along with lots of vendors,
the event has featured pony
rides and a petting zoo.
Cities announce proposed mill rates
Three cities in Pike
County recently an
nounced their upcoming
meetings to set millage
rates, including Concord,
Williamson and Zebulon.
Since the county’s tax
digest has increased at
the rate it has, the cities
adopted lower millage
rates to keep property
tax revenue close to the
previous year instead of
the more substantial in
crease citizens would see
if the millage rates were
left the same as in 2022.
According to the tax
commissioner’s office,
even with a rollback, some
citizens could see an in
crease in taxes while oth
ers may not, depending
on how much the value
of their property was in
creased by. Some citizens
could see a decrease or
stay close to the same
amount as last year.
The city of Concord
will hold a meeting to
set their millage rate at 7
p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 at
50 Main Street. The pro
posed net tax increase is
9%, compared to 4% in
2022, -2% in 2021, 4% in
2020 and -3% in 2019 and
2018. See the five year
digest ad on page 2A.
The city of Williamson
will hold a meeting to
set their millage rate at
7 p.m. Thursday, Nov.
9 at 71 Midland Street.
The proposed net tax
increase is 13.8%, com
pared to 18.1% in 2022,
3.8% in 2021,6.8% in
2020, 15.3% in 2019 and
20.36% in 2018. See the
five year digest ad on
page 2B.
The city of Zebulon
will hold a meeting to set
their millage rate at 11
a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 at
7818 Highway 19 south.
The proposed net tax in
crease is 16.7% compared
to 0.07% in 2022, 0.01% in
2021, 12.9% in 2020, -.2%
in 2019 and 1.6% in 2018.
See the five year digest
ad on page 5A.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
A Pike County High School student operates the school’s new heavy equipment simulator as
others observe. Students in the Heavy Equipment Operator Pathway have the opportunity to
graduate with 11 certifications and work on a real job site as part of their Capstone Projects.
PCHS cranks up Heavy Equipment Operator Pathway
PCHS teacher Shane Moore explains the simulator program
to local contractors and community stakeholders.
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
The new Heavy Equip
ment Operator Pathway
was celebrated with a
ribbon cutting ceremony
Oct. 26 at Pike County
High School. The pro
gram is one of only 15 in
the state and students
who complete the HEO
pathway will graduate
with 11 heavy equipment
certifications as well as
have an opportunity to
work on-site with local
companies before gradu
ation. Students can learn
to run different equipment
and the controls can be
switched out for the simu
lators including excavator,
dozer, mulching forestry
kits and backhoe.
“These students will
have the opportunity to
learn all they need to be
a great asset in the field,”
said PCHS teacher Shane
Moore as he talked with
local contractors and
community partners. “We
want them to walk out
the door into a career
and all that is made
possible because local
companies are willing
to partner with us and
see the need of having a
program like this.”
The HEO pathway
includes classroom
curriculum which goes
along with the lessons
taken on the state-of-the
art simulation equip
ment. Classes include
industry fundamentals
and occupational safety,
excavator operator train
ing, advanced construc
tion excavator, dozer
operating training, track
type tractor training,
advanced dozer and an
industry partner certifi
cation as part of the stu
dents’ Capstone projects.
The goal is for students
to continue as seniors
through a work-based
learning internship.
“The classroom cur
riculum that goes along
with the simulation work
is just as important as the
simulators and these stu
dents are so excited about
it, they are racing to finish
their work so they can get
in the seat of the simula
tor,” said Moore. “We
want these students to be
ready to have a career and
contribute to society after
graduation. They will walk
away from this program
with 11 certifications and
you are the ones who will
put them on the real steel
to see what they are ca
pable of and you will sign
off on the certification for
their Capstone Project,
not me.”
See HEAVY EQUIPMENT page 3A
Home field
advantage
Jack Pilkenton field,
also known as The Jack’
was recently named
the 2023 AAA Field of
the Year by the Georgia
Dugout Club. The Jack
boys, also known as the
Pike County High School
Pirates baseball team,
earned state champion
ship titles in 2019 and
2022, due in part to the
home field advantage at
The Jack.
Pirates head coach
Blake Parrott has been
coaching since 2016
and he also worked on
the field when he was a
baseball player himself
from 2003-06.
“Baseball coaches are
crazy about their fields.
It’s like a badge of honor
and shows others how
important the game is
to them,” said coach
Parrott. “As far as other
sports here at Pike, their
coaches maintain their
fields as well. Foot
ball and soccer do an
amazing job with Pike
Stadium. The softball
field has been groomed
by Coach Hanson this
past season and every
one can see the amazing
improvements that have
taken place there. Ryan
Hurkmans keeps our
playing fields weed free
and green. He plays a
big role in why our fields
look the way they do. As
far as The Jack goes, a
lot of credit needs to go
to coach Hanson. That
man has put in a lot of
blood, sweat and tears
on that field.”
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Baseball gloves line the
beautifully manicured grass
of Jack Pilkenton field
which was named the 2023
AAA Field of the Year.
Coach Blake Parrott has
spent many hours taking
care of The Jack with his
son Grayson sometimes
helping out as well.
See FIELD page 2A
Place orders for Extension’s Fall Fruit Sale by Nov. 3
“Fall is the perfect
time to plant fruit trees,
so naturally it’s time
for the annual Fall Fruit
Plant Sale Fundraiser
with the Pike County Ex
tension Office,” says Pike
extension agent Brooklyn
Wassel.
The Fall Fruit Sale
helps support local
agriculture and natural
resources programming
efforts, enhance food
security and support a
local, Pike County plant
nursery.
All proceeds from the
fundraiser help benefit
the Pike County Exten
sion program, including
but not limited to pro
gram supplies, materials
and equipment.
“With benefits like
that, participating in the
sale is an easy choice.
This year there are
seven different plants
to choose from: blue
berries, blackberries,
raspberries, pears, mus
cadines, figs, and plums,”
she said.
“Each plant has differ
ent varieties to choose
from so you can decide
what flavor, season, and
mix is the right addition
to your home.”
The blueberries,
blackberries, raspber
ries, muscadines and figs
are all one-gallon plants
offered for $10 per plant.
The pears and plums are
five-gallon plants offered
for $25 per plant.
All orders must be
placed and payment
made by Nov. 3 to the
Extensions Office by call
ing 770-567-2010, email
ing Pike.Extension@uga.
edu or swinging by the
office at 74 Gwyn Street
in Zebulon.
Plants will be available
for pick up Nov. 9 from
4 to 6 p.m. at the Pike
County Extension office.
“Add fruit to your
family’s table by plant
ing your very own fruit
plants this fall while also
supporting local op
portunities at the same
time,” said Wassel.