We contacted John Mann of TreeMann’s Tree Service of Ellijay to come out and give us a price to have the view cleaned up. After meeting with John, we contracted him to ‘help us out’.

He and his son, Mason, came out the morning of and started to work. With John on the deck directing Mason, who of course was climbing the trees, they worked steadily and efficiently together. Before long, the ‘view’ was coming into ‘view’…by the end of the first day, we had the view that brought us to this house in North Georgia.

But it wasn’t totally finished. There were still some things that we felt were ‘unfinished’, so John and Mason came back the next day and ‘finished’…We had them clean up a few more trees and with that, we had our ‘spectacular North Georgia Mountain view’.

Thank You John and Thank You Mason – you both did an exceptional job. You gave us our confidence back in contractors who say what they’ll do and then do it. We truly love how the vista turned out and would highly recommend you to anyone looking to have their view opened up, anything what so ever to do with trees and your many other services.

Contact John Mann at 706 276 2085  themanns@ellijay.com www.treemanns.com

Notice the hole in the tree

Notice the hole in the tree

Notice the hole in the tree

Notice the hole in the tree – so very high up!

Mid way – the views are starting to open up

PAR’s 3rd Annual FUR BALL…

Courtesy of Susan Catton, PAR Fundraiser Coordinator.

Plans have come together to make sure that Saturday, November 7th is once again, an evening to remember.  The 3rd Annual FUR BALL Fundraiser for Pickens Animal Rescue will be held at Chattahoochee Technical College from 6:00pm to 10:30pm.  The evening includes an exciting Silent Auction, a dinner buffet catered by the Woodbridge Inn, the “Golden Biscuit Awards”, a Heads-or-Tails Game and live entertainment by The Glow Band.

The Silent Auction Team has been busy gathering items generously provided by local and national businesses to add to our evening activities.  The auction provides another way to increase funds raised through fun and exciting competitive bidding.  It also provides businesses and individuals with an opportunity to be tastefully presented and acknowledged for their support of our organization. Marilyn Pitts, Auction Coordinator,   reports there are approximately 130 items to bid on.  Many items are posted on the website www.pickensfurball.org along with the individuals or businesses that made the donations.  Make sure to visit the website and make your shopping list early.  Doors open at 5:45pm so guests can register for their bid numbers, enjoy a beverage, and find those great bargains!  All biding closes promptly at 7:00pm.

Back by request, this event includes a gourmet dinner buffet catered by the Woodbridge Inn.  Hans Rueffert, of the Woodbridge Inn,  is overseeing the meal preparation for this year’s event and promises to put his “special touch” on each item prepared.  Hans is Jasper’s own culinary sensation and award winning Chef of “Hans Cooks the South” on ETC3TV.  He is also the creator of four Signatures Spices and author of “EAT Like There’s No Tomorrow”.

Appearing for the first time in Jasper, the entertainment for the evening will be performed by The Glow Band, a seven piece “performance, dance, show band”.  This phenomenal group is comprised of the best musicians and vocalists in the southeast.  All have toured with national acts, credited gold records or both.  GLOW features three exceptional vocalists, Tim, Lina and Brittany, and a blow-your-socks-off rhythm section.  Visit their website www.theglowband.com for a sneak preview.  This will be a great way to end off the night.  Get ready to have some fun!

Susan Catton, the 3rd year Event Coordinator of the Fur Ball says, “The willingness of those who have chosen to sponsor, donate auction items and volunteer, easily demonstrates to me that our community is aware of the need for local animal rescue services.  PAR has been successfully providing this service for 13 years now and is determined to continue their life saving work with the help from our community”.

Our returning Sponsors of the Fur Ball this year are; ETC, Jasper Dental Associates, Southern Home Inspections, North Georgia Living Magazine, Foothills Dental Associates, Nature’s Farmacy, Lakota Cove, Pit Stop Portables, Appalachian Country and Trout’s Beverage.  Our new Sponsors are; The Computer Cat Web Design, Global Builders, Full Impacting Marketing, Inc, Goin’ Postal, Jasper Eye Associates, Camille Hammond & Edwin Marger.

A special thank you also goes out to the volunteers involved with this year’s event; Marilyn and Tony Pitts, Mike and Barbara Miller, John McCarthy, Jenall Huhner, Ginger and Logan Hall, Angela Nolte, Candy Barnes, Cindy Hart, Maria Ashbey, Charlotte and Bryan McInerney, Sue Parker and Chantelle Root.  Also, thanks to everyone who has been selling tickets and those who have purchased them!

It is not too late for you to help!  Make plans now to attend this special event.  “Remember, this is not about buying a ticket.  This is just another way to make a donation to Pickens Animal Rescue.  In return we are saying Thank You by inviting you to attend our celebration”, said Susan.  “The Fur Ball unites Pickens Pet Lovers and allows us to focus our attention for one night on the hundreds of wonderful pets that have been placed in loving homes throughout the past year.”

Tickets are still available for this event and can be purchased at Goin’ Postal, The Rescued Furniture and Thrift Store, on-line through the website or by calling Susan Catton at 770-894-7037 to make your reservations by phone.  The last day to buy tickets is Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.  Attire is “cocktail to casual”, come dressed to have fun!

October 2009

Are you coming to the 3rd Annual Fur Ball for the Pickens Animal Rescue? If not, you should, check out the invite from

Victoria, Bernie, EJ and Shep – You are now Invited To Attend The 2009 FUR BALL Fundraiser for Pickens Animal Rescue

Come and do your part for animals in Pickens County. We all appreciate it!

• Phone Reservations by Credit Card only;

• Rescued Furniture & Thrift Store, 371 N. Main St., Jasper

• PAW’s on Main * New Vet Center* beginning 10/26/09 for 1 week only!  5pm-10pm
• Goin’ Postal, 938 W. Church St., Jasper 8:30am-6pm
• On-line www.pickensfurball.org (paypal service fee is $8.00)
• Click on this link and Print out the Ticket Order Form to mail. We MUST receive it by the end of the day Tues., Nov 3rd! Ticket Order Form

• You’ve never attended before..it’s about time.
• You have a pet of your own & love’em sooo much!
• Your pet is a Rescue too!
• You need another tax deduction for 2009
• You were going to make a donation to PAR anyway
• You need a reason to buy a new dress!
• Your “Date Night” is way OVERDUE
• “Everyone Else is Going”…sound familiar?
• Dinner prepared by Hans Rueffert…need I say more?
• You feel like dancing
• The GLOW BAND is amazing entertainment
• You love to Bargain Shop at Silent Auctions!
• It’s a great “Ladies Night Out”
• People watching is fun!
• The Golden Biscuit Awards are better than the Golden Globes!
• I have something in common with EVERYONE there!
• The “BEST EVENT” of the YEAR is in my own town!
• I LOVE animals
• I Support PAR
• “It’s a good thing to do” & the animals need my help.

email2friend

Aug 2, 2009 – Courtesy of Susan Catton, Fundraising Coordinator for the Pickens Animal Rescue

Pickens Animal Rescue announces their main fundraising event for 2009

Get ready to “Shake Your Paws and Wag Your Tails” at the 3rd Annual FUR BALL Fundraiser being held again at Chattahoochee-Appalachian Technical College, on Saturday, November 7th.  This semi-formal gala begins at 6:00pm and includes a Silent Auction, dinner catered by the Woodbridge Inn, “Golden Biscuit Awards” and live music by the Nashville based “Chris Weaver Band”. This event has been a great success and gives our community an opportunity to enjoy themselves while supporting PAR. Whether you are a dog or cat lover, or just want to show your support while enjoying a night out close to home, make plans now to attend this fun and festive evening.

The first Fur Ball in 2007 was established to celebrate the 10 Year Annviversary of Pickens Animal Rescue and to celebrate the lives of thousands of pets that had been saved by the hard work and commitment of this group’s efforts. It was also a great way to thank their supporters who contributed to the success of the organization through their volunteerism and their financial support. The Fur Ball also provided an opportunity to tell the community more about what PAR does and invite their support. We gathered nearly 200 pet lovers in one place, raised funds for the organization and a great time was had by all who attended! Because of the incredible support, the Fur Ball is now an annual event.

The Fur Ball is made possible through Sponsor donations. The fundraising portion of this event comes from having an exciting and successful Silent Auction and by those attending. Go to www.pickensfurball.org to see the 2007 and 2008 Sponsors and event photographs.

“The Fur Ball provides Sponsors an opportunity to show their support for the service that PAR provides to abandoned dogs and cats in our community, while receiving acknowledgement for their donation”, says Susan Catton, Event Coordinator for the 3rd year in a row. “We understand there are multiple opportunities for our local businesses and individuals to donate to other organizations and many receive requests frequently throughout the year. Keeping in mind our current economic condition, we have lowered our Sponsorhip Levels while maintaining and/or increasing the Sponsor benefits from previous years. We are confident that many will find a Sponsor level to fit their donation budget for 2009.” Ticket prices for individuals has remained the same at $75.00 per person. Reduced rates are available for groups reserving tables for 8 or 10 people.

Sponsorship and Silent Auction donations are a great way to market and advertise your business while showing you support for PAR. Not only will you be included in our vast advertising campaign, you will be listed on our website and in our event program. Aproximately 200 “animal loving” people have attended this event each year. To become a Sponsor, contact Susan Catton at 770-894-7037 or ParVolunteer@yahoo.com. To donate Silent Auction items, contact Marilyn Pitts at 678-410-8154 or marilynpitts@frontiernet.net.

Tickets are now available for sale on-line www.pickensfurball.org and at the Rescued Furniture and Thrift Store, 371 N. Main St., Jasper.

More locations will be available soon!

Pickens Animal Rescue (PAR), is a volunteer, not-for-profit 501c3 Georgia Corporation, established in 1997. PAR’s mission is to find good, loving homes for the abandoned and abused animals in our community, and to reduce the problem of pet overpopulation through spay/neuter programs. Since 2000, PAR has found new homes for more than 5,800 pets and provided spay/neuter assistance for nearly 7,600 dogs and cats. PAR maintains a 7 acre, 50 dog and 20 cat boarding facility a.k.a. “The Rescue Ranch” in Talking Rock, their “Rescued Furniture and Thrift Store” on N. Main St. in Jasper, and their soon to open “Pickens Animal Wellness” after hours and emergency veternarian clinic. Pickens Animal Rescue is passionate about helping animals in our community. With your help, we’ll continue to successfully care for abandoned dogs and cats in Pickens County in the months and years ahead.

We thank you for your support.

More information is available on their website www.pickensanimalrescue.org.

Thank You!!! Telluride Band

Beth and the Band, TelluRide
Cain, Ryan, Adam, Beth, Brian, Jimi

The Band TelluRide is here in Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia for a music clinic at the Pickens High School and to perform at the 2nd Annual FurBall – an event for the Pickens Animal Rescue. Check out this video, an interview with Jeff Catton and the guys of TelluRide!

TelluRide conducts music clinics for High Schools in every state they go to. Their first record is about to be released and they have opened for lots of great bands; Foreigner, Little Big Town, Leanne Rimes, REO Speedwagon, CCR and the list goes on. They have also sang the National Anthem at many stadiums including, Atlanta Speedway, White Sox, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Royals, to name a few. They have recently been commissioned by the Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis to write their theme song. They have been working on this for quite a while and it will be released in 2009.

What an honor to have this great band right here in our little town of Jasper. Be sure to keep an eye on this band, you are bound to see a lot more of them in the very near future. Check out their website TelluRide, sign up for their fanclub and any time you can catch this band in concert, be sure to go. It will be a treat.

Remember TelluRide will be playing again this year for the

Pickens Animal Rescue’s 2nd Annual FurBall!

We decided to have the 2 for 1 special, which included an appetizer and two entrees. We got the fried green tomatoes and he the Calabash Chicken Finger plate and myself, the Calabash Chicken Salad. Yum Yum! Way more than I could eat after the delicious rolls with honey butter (2 baskets) and the fried green tomatoes with the spicy sauce.

He and I enjoyed a mother/son dinner talking about school, work and plans after senior year! My how quickly they grow up.

Here is a short video of some of the sights of the Downtown Jasper Antique Car Show…so many beautiful cars…

If you have some great pictures or videos of the last Car Show of the season, please send them on, I will be more than happy to put them on our site…Thank You For Visiting!!!

Here is a video of how playful Chipper is, he loves other dogs and he loves kids. He would make a welcome addition to any family… (video to show up shortly)

To adopt Chipper, please contact Pickens Animal Rescue at 706-692-2772, you’ll be glad that you did and so will Chipper.

Courtesy of Christie Pool, 8/20/2008 – Pickens County Progress

All but one of the county’s seven schools saw an increase in enrollment at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, especially at the elementary level, and officials believe the trend will continue over the coming years, prompting careful facilities and fiscal planning.

The county’s newest school, Harmony Elementary, gained 59 of the 143 additional students who headed to class this academic year in Pickens County. Hill City Elementary followed closely behind with an additional 47 students, and Tate picked up 26 over last year. Jasper Elementary gained just four new students.

According to a report during Thursday’s school board meeting, Pickens schools logged in 4,494 students a few days into this school year, up from 4,351 at the beginning of the 2007-08 year. The system ended last year with 4,227 students.

“We’ve been seeing enrollment at two of our elementary schools, Harmony and Hill City, rise every year, and that rise has been pretty consistent,” said Attendance Officer Shelley Cantrell.

Superintendent Mike Ballew said the 136-student increase at the elementary level is something administrators expected and for which they were planning.

Pickens High School picked up nine additional enrollments while Pickens County Middle School dropped nine students from its rolls. Jasper Middle saw a gain of seven students.

The largest school, Pickens High, has the highest enrollment of all county schools with 1,273. Harmony Elementary has the second largest enrollment at 745 students. Hill City Elementary educates 667 students. With an enrollment of 508, Jasper Elementary maintains similar numbers to the two middle schools, Jasper Middle and Pickens Middle with 531 and 483, respectively. Tate Elementary is the county’s smallest school with just 323 students.

Ballew said all county schools have room to grow, but administrators will be looking at what building additions may needed by the time the current SPLOST comes to an end in three years.

“Pickens County Middle School at one time had 1,100 students there before we opened up Jasper Middle, so there’s room to accommodate more students there,” Ballew said. “And Jasper Middle used to be the old high school, so they can handle more kids. We have a five-year plan in place, but we always look to the future.”

Following a closed session, board of education members unanimously voted to hire three more teachers, one each at Harmony, Tate and Jasper elementary schools to accommodate the growing number of students.
Cantrell reported four students (three ninth-graders and one tenth-grader) dropped out of school over the summer. According to Cantrell, each of the students said they will seek a high school equivalency diploma.

Cantrell said her office this year will put a greater focus on students who last year missed 15 or more days of school. She said middle and high school students will have mentors assigned whose task will be to get them to attend school regularly. Cantrell said she will spend time in the homes of elementary-aged students who missed an extraordinary number of school days last year.

“My focus is to be out in the homes more, so we can talk to parents,” Cantrell said.
In other business at the board meeting:

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Lloyd Shaddix reported on construction and maintenance projects. Shaddix said renovations at PHS are 72 percent complete. The ninth-grade wing, he said, still lacks landscaping, but the metal roof is being installed on the theatre and gymnasium. The academic wing, Shaddix said, is 99 percent complete.

Gymnasium and kitchen projects at Jasper Elementary School have been approved by the state, and administrators are working on getting permits and prices for the projects.

Pickens County Board of Education meets the Second Thursday of each month at 5 p.m in the Jasper Elementary School Media Center. For information call 706-253-1700.

A Customer trying out Jasper’s Newest ‘Dog Wash’ on Grand Opening Day!

Peetie has no idea what is in store for him…

It’s like ‘Thanks a lot mom’

Jean Ray, Owner & Justin Thacker, Manager

Jean told us that her husband, Ronnie, had this idea of a Dog Wash way back in 2000 when they opened Burnt Mountain Auto Wash
but it wasn’t until a few months ago that it all to fruition. They bought the custom manufactured dog wash from a company in Australia. This is only the second one in the United States, according to the Pickens Progress, Jean told us. This is really a dream come true. They wanted people to be able to bath their own dog – as taking your friend to the groomer can sometimes cause anxiety attacks. This Dog Wash here in Jasper is going to be one of the best places to check out!

The next time your pooch needs a bath, go by and try out Jasper’s Newest Dog Wash behind the Burnt Mountain Auto Wash. You will love the ease of washing your pet in a convenient tub with all the shampoo, flea and tick shampoo and even a dryer at the end.

Let us know what you think about the Jasper Dog Wash – we would love to hear your comments.

Check out Britt’s video-

A video of Britt 10 days ago, check it out-

Also, be sure to get out and vote for your candidate on Tuesday, August 5th. If you take your children to school, stop by and vote after you drop them off. Your vote will help determine your next Sheriff-Please know that your vote does count. You can always vote early, this week, July 28 through August 1, you can stop by the Pickens County Administration building’s elections office from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. to cast your vote and avoid the long lines at the polls.

Your Vote Counts!

Week of Sunday, July 27th – Every week on Sunday, we are checking the gas prices in the Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia area to see where the cheapest/least expensive gas prices are. Check back each Sunday evening or Monday morning, just before you go to fill up your gas tank. You could save a few dollars.

This week, July 27, 2008, the winner of the Cheapest/Least Expensive Gas Prices is…Chevron 1005 CANTON HIGHWAY, BALL GROUND, GA 30107 @ $3.87/gallon

Prices for 30143

#	Station/Brand	Address	Unleaded	Plus	Premium	Diesel
	CHEVRON CHEVRON 0303526	1005 CANTON HIGHWAY BALL GROUND, GA 30107	07/26/08
	CITGO DUNN’S FOOD STORE #1	170 ANTIOCH CHURCH RD TALKING ROCK, GA 30175	07/25/08	07/27/08
	Bp JASPER BY PASS BP	2200 HIGHWAY 53 W JASPER, GA 30143	07/27/08			07/26/08
	KROGER KROGER #1620	115 BILL WIGINGTON PKWY JASPER, GA 30143	07/25/08			07/25/08
	CHEVRON COUNTRY CUPBOARD #15	1759 HIGHWAY 53 W JASPER, GA 30143	07/25/08			07/26/08
	BP JASPER BP FOOD SH	910 W CHURCH ST JASPER, GA 30143	07/27/08	07/26/08
	RACETRAC RACETRAC 118	303 INTERSTATE SOUTH DR JASPER, GA 30143	07/25/08
	BP BP WEST MARKET	4631 HIGHWAY 53 W JASPER, GA 30143	07/26/08
	CHEVRON CHEVRON #21049	13359 HIGHWAY 53 MARBLE HILL, GA 30148	07/27/08	07/25/08		07/26/08
	BP CLAYTON FOOD STORE	3421 LAND RD CANTON, GA 30114	07/25/08		07/26/08
	CITGO MOUNTAINVIEW CITGO	29 COVE RD JASPER, GA 30143	07/26/08
	CITGO WEST ENED GENERAL ST	2881 JERUSALEM CHURCH RD JASPER, GA 30143	07/25/08

Gas Prices for 30143
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Courtesy of Gas Prices in Jasper, Pickens County, GA

Please know that gas prices can/will change at any time, without notice.