New Visitor Center for Downtown Ellijay

A historic building is getting a new occupant in Downtown Ellijay. Dr. Watkins’ Carriage House will be the new home for a Downtown Welcome center as the result of a joint effort between Gilmer County, The City of Ellijay, The Better Hometown Program, Dedicated Ellijay Merchants & Associates (DEMA), and The Chamber of Commerce. Gilmer County, owner of the property, has agreed to allow the use of the property at no cost. An agreement is in the works to provide for the maintenance, staffing, promotion and furnishing of the Center. The Better Hometown Manager will relocate her office from City Hall to the Center. Volunteers will be used to staff the Center and provide information to visitors.

The Welcome Center location has housed many occupants since Dr. Watkins had it constructed as his carriage house. The last occupant was the Gilmer County Voters Registration Office, prior to that the County Extension Service occupied the site.

A walkway will be constructed that will connect the County Parking Lot, the Welcome Center and the square. Visitors will now have a site in Downtown Ellijay to pick up brochures and find out about activities and events in “The Ellijays”. No date has been set for occupancy as the building requires some renovation. Hopefully occupancy will occur during the summer months so it can be fully operational for late summer and fall activities.

Hike Gilmer County

If you are looking for a great hiking and/or camping experience you have to consider Gilmer County. With over forty percent (40%) of Gilmer County in public lands, we offer some of the best hiking trails and wilderness camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After all, both the Benton MacKaye & Appalachian Trails start (or finish) in Gilmer County, Georgia.

One of the best resources for information on the best hikes in Gilmer is Collin Carter at the North Georgia Mountain Outfitters. Collin is located at the Cartecay River Bridge, on Industrial Dr. at 1^st Ave. in Ellijay. The store is just across Industrial Blvd. from the Hardees Restaurant. Not only can you get “geared up” at North Georgia Mountain Outfitters but Collin also offers several guided (and unguided) hikes every month. Some are guided group hikes and include overnight trips.

Here is the schedule for the month of June:

· June 6^th the 3.5 mile loop at Amadahy Trail around Carter’s Lake. Leaving at 10am.

· June 13^tha work trip on the Benton MacKaye Trail.

· June 20 / 21^st an overnight backpacking trip, 5 – 7 miles each day on the Benton MacKaye Trail, from Bushy Head Gap to Dyer Gap.

· June 26^th from 6pm until 8pm Collin will hold a backpacking Clinic. Backpacking 101 is for those novices that want to know the basics of backpacking. “What to bring & where to put it!”

· June 27 / June 28^th an overnight backpacking trip in the Cohutta Wilderness along Conausaga River Trail.

Contact Collin at info@hikenorthgerogia.com to register for the hikes and obtain details on meeting locations & times. You can also register on her website at www.hikenorthgeorgia.com. There is plenty of trail information and links to popular hiking venues on the website also.

*Photo contributed by Collin Carter, Georgia Mountain Outfitters

Gilmer County, “Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia”

Are you looking for something exciting to do on your next trip to your cabin? Are you a full time resident and looking for more exercise? Try out Gilmer County’s 400 miles of mountain bike trails, ranging from 2 to 50 miles in length. From easy to “extreme” you can find your level of riding right here in Gilmer County. In 2008 the Georgia Legislature named Gilmer County the “Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia.” However, long before that we were being acclaimed as a mountain bike destination.

In 1990 Southern Outdoor Recreation Magazine referred to Gilmer County as a “destination spot” for mountain biking. Sports Afield in its March 2000 issue named Ellijay, Georgia as #1 in the top 10 mountain bike towns in the United States.

The Ellijay Mountain Bike Association is an active member of SORBA. Gail Kirkman is the current President. You can contact her at admin@ellijaymountainbike.org or check out their website at www.ellijaymountainbike.org. You can also find out information about local trails at the Cartecay Bike Shop. Their web site is www.cartecaybikes.com/.

BOC Chairman's Report

Below is the Board of Commissioners Chairman's Report for this week. The report will be printed in the Times-Courier in it's June 4, 2009 edition.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day. Having been to Arlington National Cemetery before, I’m always stirred to watch the laying of the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown. It saddens me to see Europe and other parts of the world harbor anti-American sentiment, when it is the blood of American soldiers that gives them the freedom to express their dislike! Gilmer County has sacrificed some outstanding citizens over the generations for the Cause of Freedom, and many others have served our country proudly. We must never forget the price that they paid, nor why they paid it.

The Animal Shelter opened at long last on Thursday. It is a fine and functional facility, and a vast improvement over the cellar of the old jail. More than a “dog pound”, this program provides a needed function regarding the animal population of a county of our size. Drop by and look it over, it is located on Highway 52 East across from the compactor.

Work began on Maxwell Road Tuesday. Progress slowed towards the end of the week as some hard rock was encountered. This was not totally unexpected. We are set to do some minor blasting this week and continue on. Fannin County has agreed to put down the pavement on this road as it connects to the part that they paved a few years ago and benefits several of their citizens. The decreased amount of gravel and motor grader work will result in an immediate annual cost savings to the taxpayers of Gilmer County, as is the case on gravel roads that get paved. Maxwell Road will continue to be closed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during week days until the project is completed.

The donation of property by Lawrence Mooney on Roy Road for a fire station was completed on Friday. Gilmer County and the Bucktown community are very fortunate to have generous and caring citizens like Mr. Mooney. Construction will begin this summer on the station, which will be an aesthetic metal and block building. Placement of this station, which will be an unmanned volunteer station, will bring many homeowners within 5 miles of a fire station, which should result in noticeable reduction in homeowner’s insurance premium for those folks.

I met with representatives from a regional helicopter ambulance service on Friday. They have interest in placing a base of operation in Gilmer County. The improved response time of critical patients that have to be flow out, such as vehicle accident trauma and strokes, would be greatly improved. Currently it typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes to get a helicopter here when someone needs to be flown out. Having one based here could potentially save the lives of Gilmer County citizens as well as those in surrounding counties.

As a barometer of economic conditions, the Environmental Health Department noted an increase in new septic system permits for the month of May. New permits issued have gone from 5 in January, 6 in February, 7 in March and April, to 11 in May. The gradual increase in building activity is welcomed by Gilmer County. They also added 3 new facilities for food service inspections, for a total of 78 permitted food service establishments in Gilmer County. Fourteen bite cases were investigated, with one fox testing positive for rabies.

As always, feel free to contact me by email (mchastain@gilmercounty-ga.gov) or by calling the BOC office at 706-635-4361. Comments can be left on 706-515-2320.

June Activities In Gilmer County

If you are planning your activities calendar for June here are several you won’t want to miss:

· Gilmer Farmers Market: Every Saturday morning starting at 8:00 am located at the Farm Bureau Parking Lot on River Street in Ellijay. New vendors are welcome. Booth fees are only $5.00 per season. Plants and seasonal vegetables as well as homemade jams, jellies, relishes, etc are in good supply.

· Pickin’ on the Square: Every Friday evening from 6:00 pm until about 9:00 pm the square in downtown Ellijay comes alive with bluegrass, country, rock and gospel music. Bring your instrument and “jam” with local musicians or just come to listen.

· Fair Tax Presentation: Sponsored by the Gilmer County Republican Party. June 2, 2009, 7:00 p.m. at ETC Harrison Hall, 224 Dalton St., Ellijay. “Learn the true details of this federal sales tax proposal that will (among other things) eliminate the IRS. Tom Brown, PhD from Ga. Tech and member of the Speakers’ Bureau of the Americans for Fair Taxation will make the presentation and answer questions about the proposal.

· Ellijay Bluegrass Festival: The annual bluegrass festival will be held on June 6, 2009 from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm at the Lions Club Pavilion in Ellijay. Local bands as well as nationally know bluegrass “pickers” will take the stage playing some of the finest bluegrass music in the south. Bring your lawn chairs, picnics, and coolers. There will be no concessions stands open at the festival.

· Walnut Mountain Arts & Crafts Sale: The annual Arts & Crafts Sale at Walnut Mountain will be held at the camp ground on June 6, 2009 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. There will be mountain décor, crafts of all kinds, paintings, jewelry and plenty of food. From Ellijay, take Hwy 52 east to Turniptown Rd. Then 3 ½ miles to Walnut Mountain. Call 706-273-7400 for additional information.

· DEMA Marching Band Practice: Tuesday, June 9^th at 4 p.m. Gilmer High School. Contact Kathy Robinson at 706-635-2782 if you want to join a fun group of all ages. The band will debut in the upcoming July 4^th Parade in Downtown Ellijay. Baton twirlers & flag waivers needed along with horn tooters & drum beaters.

· Paddle Georgia: Paddle Georgia will shove off on their 92 mile trip (in 7 days!) from the banks of the Coosawattee River in Ellijay on June 20, 2009. Details about the entire trip can be found on the Paddle Georgia website. Gilmer County is set to give the paddlers a big send-off. Paige Green, President of the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce said, "we are having a music festival in downtown on June 20th from mid afternoon to 9pm in the city parking lot that adjoins the Times-Courier. In addition, country music star, Ty Herndon will perform at the Ellijay Elementary School that evening. The afternoon music festival will feature local talent and will be free to the public. Tickets for the Ty Herndon concert start at $10 and are available at the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center."

· Southeastern Bluegrass Association: The Cherry Log chapter SEBA meets on the fourth Saturday (except December) from 3 pm until 6 pm at the Cherry Log Christian Church. Contact Al or Dana Henderson at 706-635-3786 for additional information.

If you have an activity you want published just email me at mjholstein@ccim.net with the details.