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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.