Newspaper Page Text
LIGHTING
OF CONCORD
The streets of Concord were filled with smiles as
Santa arrived and families celebrated together.
See page 1B
PIKE COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
See Santa
atZebulon
park Dec 9
Citizens fight for Pike ag rights
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COONTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Nearly every chair was filled at the Tuesday, Nov. 28 com
mission meeting as citizens expressed their opinions on the
county’s proposed UDC (Unified Development Code). Many
spoke against restrictions on the number of chickens and
livestock allowed on certain parcels of land.
Citizens were loud and
clear about their desire
not to be limited on
agricultural rights in the
county during the Nov.
28 commission meeting,
speaking both before
the meeting in the town
hall session and during
a public hearing on the
county’s proposed UDC
(Unified Development
Code). After more than
an hour of discussion,
commissioners voted to
defer the first reading of
the ordinance changes
and schedule a workshop
with experts from fields
related to the changes.
“This was initially
started to better manage
subdivision requirements
and we were not looking
to limit agriculture in the
county,” said commission
chairman Briar Johnson.
Several requested that
agricultural restrictions
be lifted altogether and
many also requested
commissioners take a
step back and look more
closely at the issues be
fore moving forward.
“There’s so much that
goes on in our county
that has to do with
agriculture. The zoning
board will change over
time and they may not be
as in favor of as we are
today,” said Pike Agri
business Authority chair
Mark Camp. “As you look
at making these changes,
please allow time to go
over it closely.”
It was noted that the
county has had a mora
torium for many months
that will expire by the
end of the year and the
code changes need to be
updated by then.
Some of the restric
tions have been changed
since the first draft of the
code but Pike extension
agent Brooklyne Wassel
asked that students not
be required to apply for
a special use permit and
have to appear before
FFA advisor and agri
culture teacher Brandi
Baade noted that there
are 279 FFA students at
the high school and 75 at
the middle school with
over half of them living
on four acres or less.
“This will greatly
impact our youth ag pro
grams in the community
stock.
“We already have
nuisance laws in Georgia
for dealing with defined
nuisances so this is really
a redundant restriction,”
he said. “We ask that you
get rid of those restric
tions and it would solve a
lot of issues that people
have with these pro
posed ordinances.”
“There are many
things here that can be
detrimental to the coun
ty,” said Matt Bottoms,
addressing the garden
ing restrictions on small
parcels. “There are many
things that need to be
addressed and methodi
cally gone through. I’m in
the nursery business and
probably give away more
plants than 1 sell but it’s
scary to think that 1 can’t
give plants to a person
who lives on a one-acre
lot because they can’t
plant it.”
Many citizens also
mentioned the increasing
house size and acreage
requirements, noting that
seniors have few options
for staying in Pike and
younger citizens are be
ing ‘priced out’ of living
in the county where their
families have lived for
generations.
See CITIZENS page 3A
Leland’s lights shine bright at Shoemake’s Epic Christmas
Santa Mark (Nalls)
will visit with local
boys and girls at the
Zebulon City Park
pavilion from 10 a.m.
to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9.
Santa encourages
everyone to bring a
camera or cell phone
for pics. The event is
free but donations are
being taken for the
Pike County Backpack
Program which pro
vides weekend meals
for students in the Pike
County school system.
To volunteer or donate
to the Backpack Pro
gram, call 404-2164568
or 404-626-0217.
Joy Walker will be
grand marshal of
Christmas parade
Send Letters
to Santa by
Friday, Dec. 8
Santa’s helpers
at the Pike County
Journal Reporter want
to make sure letters
get to the North Pole
before Christmas.
Letters may be
mailed to: P.O. Box
789, Zebulon 30295,
dropped off at our
office on the square in
Zebulon or emailed
to news@pikecounty
georgia.com.
Letters will be
published in the
Wednesday, Dec. 20
edition. The deadline
for letters is 5 p.m.,
Friday, Dec. 8.
Enjoy the bright lights and community fun Dec. 15
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
The 2023 Holly Jolly
Lighted Christmas Parade
will take flight Dec. 15 as
it features Delta’s first
female pilot Joy Walker
as grand marshal. In her
honor, all parade fees will
be split between the Ki-
wanis and the Lions Club.
“Joy has donated much
of her time to these two
wonderful civic clubs and
the Pike County Chamber
of Commerce is pleased
to be able to support
them in this way. Any
one can sign up for the
parade up until the day
before, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.,”
said Chamber of Com
merce executive director
Meredith Maddox.
This year’s Lighted
Christmas parade will
kick off at 7 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 15 and will travel
from the schools to Pike
County Parks and Rec
reation which will host
the Holly Jolly Christmas
Market from 5 to 10 p.m.
at the Parks & Recreation
Community Center.
“As a chamber we want
to work with the Parks
and Recreation Author
ity to host an amazing
event and parade for
our community and the
Community Center at
the recreation fields has
much more space than
the downtown area,” said
Meredith. “We are asking
floats to veer to the left
onto Williamson-Zebulon
Rd and travel to the ball
fields for a community
event out there. Tractors
and walking groups will
still turn around at United
Bank and travel south on
19 back to their respec
tive staging points before
joining the fun at the
Community Center.”
For more information
on the Holly Jolly Christ
mas Market at the Com
munity Center, contact
Victoria at 770-567-2027.
For more information on
the Holly Jolly Lighted
parade, call 770-584-5638
or email info@pikecoun-
tygachamber.com.
Joy Walker was a
31-year-old private pi
lot and engineer when
she applied to be the
Delta Airlines’ first
female pilot. She
wanted to see
women in the
cockpit and
other opera
tional areas.
She
was hired
on July 2,
1973. While
she recognized
that being a
first in any
profession
would
have its
chal
lenges,
she had
no idea
that she would be “the
only”for three long
years.
“Every time you
stepped into the
cockpit, you had to
prove yourself,” Walker
said. “A woman in the
cockpit was an
adjustment
for everyone
- fellow pilots
as well as
customers.”
Walker
worked for
Delta until
2002, when
she retired as a
Boeing 767
Captain.
Since
retiring,
she has
invested in
the com
munity in
many ways,
including as an active
member of the Kiwanis
Club and Lions Club.
In honor of
Joy Walker,
the parade
entry fees
will be split
between the
Kiwanis Club
and Lions
Club.
The Shoemake’s
Epic Christmas Lights
will brighten spirits at
140 Beeks Circle in Wil
liamson from now until
the end of the year.
The show runs from 6
to 10 p.m. every night
and until midnight on
Fridays and Saturdays.
Visitors are asked to
park across the cul de
sac facing the house
and turn off headlights.
The show is synchro
nized with music and
visitors can tune radios
to 88.3 FM to hear it in
their vehicles.
“We run our light
show from Thanks
giving to New Year’s
every year. We have a
donation box right past
our driveway if you
wish to leave a dona
tion. You can find out
more about about our
cause and our son who
passed away at www.le-
landshoemakefounda-
tion.com. We encour
age everyone to share
this event to come
out as many times as
you like,” said Amber
Shoemake.
For more informa
tion on the show, go to
www.facebook.com/
theshoemakesepic-
christmaslights.
SPECIAL PHOTO
At right, the Shoemake’s
Epic Christmas Lights will
take place every night
from 6 to 10 p.m. and until
midnight on Fridays and
Saturdays at 140 Beeks
Circle in Williamson. The
show includes music that
can be listened to through
vistors’ radios in their
vehicles.
