County prioritizes improvements at Pickens Animal Shelter

By Angela Reinhardt and Larry Cavender

Staff & Contributing Writers

The condition and quality of parks in Pickens County has been a topic of much debate over the last few years, with many people calling for improvements and additions. The following is a guide to parks in our county and in immediate surrounding areas like Ball Ground, which are easily accessible to Pickens residents. Brief descriptions about what is available at each is listed, including unique features/information people might not know about. [Note: No it’s not a typo - there are two “Peace Parks,” and three parks with the word “Eagle” in the name]. See full description of each park on pages 10-11A of this week's print or online editions. 

Dan Pool / Photo

Poured concrete borders and landscaping stones were washed away along with plants and pine straw from water that flowed through Terry New’s backyard on Connell Street. The water came from a drainage easement during heavy rains on July 19.

       “If water fell out of the sky and tore stuff up, I’d fix it and never say a word,” said a Connell Street homeowner whose immaculately landscaped backyard suffered extensive damage following the heavy rains on July 19.

But the water that surged through the backyard of Terry New and his wife’s home in Stafford Manor didn’t just fall onto his yard. Their home sits directly in the path of a drainage easement, likely deeded to the city of Jasper, where stormwater runoff from two different directions comes together.

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photos/Dan Pool Rene Salvador, the owner, styles a beard, while his apprentice, Leo Aulturo, gives a haircut in the rear at the new barber shop on West Church Street.

      [Made in Jasper is an occasional series that looks at things made or people working right in our own backyards. Got an idea of something interesting made here, let us know, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 706-253-2457.]

       When you walk into Rene’s Dominican Barber Shop, 938 West Church Street, your first thought might be, this can not be Jasper.

Painted in bright colors, with 10 barber chairs, mirrors lining the walls and two fast-moving Dominican barbers, it’s a barber shop like we have not seen before in this town.

Captain Robert Reitz in Vietnam carrying a wounded South Vietnamese Ranger to safety during the 1968 TET Offensive.  This photograph is displayed on Ranger Reitz's honorary plaque within the Ranger Hall of Fame. Photo was originally taken by Dang Van Phuoc, an Associated Press photographer. 

By Suellen Reitz

Legion Director of PR

Colonel Robert A. Reitz (retired) of Talking Rock was recently honored as one of the  U.S. Army’s most elite as he joined fellow Rangers who have been inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. The honorary induction ceremony was held July 11 in Marshall Hall at Fort Benning, Ga. The large auditorium in Marshall Hall was filled to capacity with Rangers of all ages along with friends and family of each of the 16 honorees.

       See full story in this week's print or online editions.