Pike County Post 197, The American Legion will hold a short service to offer thanks and prayers for our military on the first Monday of every month at 12:00 pm (noon). This is a monthly service that is held at the Veteran’s Memorial on the Pike County Courthouse grounds. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information contact pikepost197@gmail.com.

A support group for caregivers of family and friends who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, held its first meeting on March 8, 2012 at Concord United Methodist Church. The group will meet the second Thursday of each month.

Caregivers of loved ones with memory loss are invited to attend. There will be a special informational program as well as the opportunity for conversation and fellowship. Refreshments will be provided. Separate supervised activities will be provided for loved ones with memory loss.

Contact Tammy Jarrett at 706-646-3949 or Gary Kemp at 770-584-2388 if you plan to attend or for more information.

Thomaston Toastmasters meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 12 - 1 p.m. at The Pie, 710 N. Church Street, Thomaston. Visitors are welcome. Anyone living or working within driving distance is welcome to attend. Visit us on Facebook for more information: www.facebook.com/ThomastonToastmasters

The Pike County Republican Party meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Pike County Senior Center located at 2488 Highway 19 N, Zebulon. Contact Brent Taylor, Chairman, at (678) 972-9352 for more information.

The Pike County Democratic Party meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 PM at A Novel Experience in Zebulon.

The American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, and the American Legion Post 197 meet on a monthly basis here in Pike County. All meetings are held at the Post 197 Building located at 645 Meansville Road in Zebulon, Georgia.

For more information, contact pikepost197@gmail.com.

GED classes and are offered at Concord Baptist Church (8670 Hwy. 18). Amy Tate is there every Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Students may also register for the program at the same location and times. All classes, books, and materials are free. Scholarships for GED testing fees are available. Contact Amy at atate@sctech.edu or 770-467-6036 for more information. (Amy spoke to Kiwanis of Pike last week. Thanks to Mike Cox and Kiwanis Club of Pike for this information.)

The Pike Community Resource Network meets on the first Thursday of each month from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at the Church of Joy located at 3080 Highway 362 W, Williamson.

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Powell of the Pike Community Resource Network at 770-567-2930 or pikecommunityresourcenetwork@gmail.com.

The Alzheimer's Association has a Georgia Chapter that offers services, programs, education, and support groups in our state. Click on the links to find out about what is offered here and how you can become involved. The calendar has a list of dates and times for upcoming events, programs, etc. that is invaluable for families affected by Alzheimer's.

This group has been in existence since 1982 and has seven regional offices as well as a state office in Atlanta. Find out more at www.alz.org/georgia about how the Alzheimer's Association can help you and your family!

PINE MOUNTAIN - Do you want to help out in a project that will benefit many at a public venue? Does your group want to participate in a group project picking up trash and making a community asset shine? FDR Park is looking for volunteers to help with a roadside trash pickup. Workdays are FREE and volunteers of all ages are welcome. You do not have be a PMTA member to participate and you do not sign up in advance or call ahead. Just show up a few minutes before the stated start time.

Click here to find out more about this and a list of hikes at FDR Park. Please tell them that you read about this on Pike County Times and snap a selfie or two and send them to editor@pikecountytimes.com as you work or hike!

The EPD burning restrictions go into effect May 1 and last through the summer months until October 1 each year. ww.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/permit9.18.17.html

For more information visit the Georgia Forestry Commission’s web site at www.gatrees.org or call your local office of the Georgia Forestry Commission at (770)227-5522 or (706)646-6011. You can also contact the Georgia Environmental Protection Division at (404)362-2671.

ZEBULON - The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 197 is having a Fish Fry on Friday, September 14, 2018 from 4-7 pm at the Pike County American Legion Post 197 located at 645 Meansville Street in Zebulon, GA 30256. $8 a plate donation. Plate includes: catfish, french fries, home-made hush puppies, and slaw.

No presale tickets. Just show up on Friday. Thanks for supporting our local Sons of American Legion Squadron 197!

Pike County Parks & Recreation Authority is excited to announce our outdoor movie line-up for this year. Movies will be shown on the lower football field of the parks & recreation complex. Admission is free and concessions will be open throughout the night.

This year our movies will continue during the months of September & October. Our October movie will be a classic from the past. Our Outdoor Movie Series has two more movies to follow on September 14 and October 19.

For more information, please call the recreation office at 770-567-2027. To see the movie line up, click here.

A Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at Vernon Woods Retirement Community, 101 Vernon Woods Drive, LaGrange, GA 30240. Registration – 8 AM *** Walk – 8:30 AM.

For more information, contact Ally Barnett at abarnett@alz.org or 706-256-0361.

A Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Friday, September 21, 2018. Uptown Columbus, GA. Registration – 5 PM ***Walk – 5:30 PM.

For more information, contact Ally Barnett at abarnett@alz.org or 706-256-0361.

Promise Place, the non-profit organization that provides services to victims of domestic violence and their children, will host its 14th annual Run to End Domestic Violence on Friday, September 28 at 6 p.m. at Picnic Park located behind the Peachtree City library. This family-friendly event will comprise of a 5K Run or 1 mile Walk around Lake Peachtree. T-shirts and goodie bags are guaranteed for runners and walkers who pre-register online. Awards will be presented to the overall male and female winners, along with age category winners.

Georgia is currently ranked 8th in the nation for the rate at which women are killed by men. Whether you run, walk, or volunteer, your efforts will help bring the community one step closer to our mission of preventing domestic violence. Can’t make this event but wish that you could? You can register as a “Phantom” runner! You will still get a shirt and at the same time support a good cause. Race day registration begins at 5pm and ends promptly at 5:45 pm.

Early Bird Registration is $25 through July 15th. The cost is $35 after July 15th and $40 on the day of event. For more information on the Promise Place Run/Walk, please call 770-692-3390 or register online through our website at www.active.com/orgs/promise-place.

A Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, 201 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City, GA. Registration – 8 AM *** Walk – 9:30 AM.

For more information, contact Kristie Touchton at ktouchton@alz.org or 478-746-7473

The Intervene Challenge is a 5-hour workshop with more than 11,000 people trained nationwide since 2012. Area Facts: Pike County and Upson County have 10-year suicide rates higher than state and national averages by as much as 300% in some years. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people. Trained people save people.

This is a community wide event for all people at least 16 years of age. POST credit for law enforcement. CEU credit available for LPC’s.

This event will be held on October 23, 2018 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at Flint River Campus, Building B, Room B-132 located at 1533 Hwy 19 South in Thomaston, A 30286. Lunch Provided By: Thomaston-Upson County Rotary Club. Training provided by: the Pike and Upson County Family Connections.

Seats are LIMITED! Reserve your seat Today! Contact Vanetta Moss at: 678.972.0234 or register online at www.eventbrite.com. Please let them know that you heard about this training on Pike County Times.

Prescribed fire is defined as fire applied in a knowledgeable manner to forest fuels on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish predetermined, well-defined management objectives. This course is designed for Prescribed Burning Managers. The 1992 Georgia Legislature passed the Prescribed Burning Act which allowed the Georgia Forestry Commission to promulgate a Prescribed Burn Manager Certification Program. Although certification is not required to practice prescribed burning in Georgia, the program is offered in the interest of higher learning and achievement for qualified prescribed burn practitioners and landowners.

Course includes self-study of materials provided by mail prior to the program, a two-day training session and a written state exam. Applicants for certification must pass this exam with a score of 70 or higher, have two years of experience and meet a prerequisite of having been the person in charge of five prescribed burns before becoming a certified prescribed burner in Georgia. 11.5 hours of CFE’s will be awarded for those registered foresters needing continuing education credits.

Classes will be held on Oct. 24-25 at the Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens and Dec. 4-5 at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton. Classes are limited to 40 participants. For information on specific classes and registration, please visit gatrees.org/forest-management/prescribed-fire/prescribed-fire-certification. For additional questions pertaining to this class or questions about prescribed burning, please contact Ken Parker, Wildland Fire Specialist, at 478-751-3332 or kparker@gfc.state.ga.us.

State Representative Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale) will host Gold Star Father Day on Friday, November 9, 2018, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Rep. Burnough sponsored House Resolution 655 during the 2018 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly recognizing November 9 as Gold Star Father Day annually in Georgia. Click here for more.