This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.
If you enjoy reading Pike County Times, consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to support Pike County Times. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Thanks for supporting Pike County Times.com!
By Editor Becky Watts
WILLIAMSON - The City of Williamson held an Open House on December 17, 2011 to celebrate the changes that have been made to the Williamson Library/Educational Facility. The building sat in its current location for some time after being moved from the United Bank location across the street before work actually began on the facility. Warden Edd Sanders from the West Georgia Pre-Release Center was instrumental in helping to work get rolling on this facility.
Renovation began in late July when the Mobile Construction Inmate Detail from the Department of Corrections began to work on this library. These low security inmates have put their experience as carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to good use in Williamson on this project. The City of Williamson has bought materials and the Mobile Construction Inmate Detail has provided the labor. In some cases, materials and labor have been donated to this project as well.
Some of the changes have been completed and others are still in the works. A wall has been removed and a restroom is now accessible in the front part of the building. The old bank teller counter was lowered and moved back several feet to increase the footage in the library. Plexi-glass is being installed to separate the front and back areas to cut down on noise.
The bank drop box will be used as a book return and place to make payments for water and trash bills to the City of Williamson. There is a place for the children’s section of the library as well as computer section which will be a wi-fi hotspot for those who want to work from their own computers. A lot of work has been done to the floors in the entire building and part of the concrete for the drive through has been poured too.
There has been extensive work done to the roof and a deck and a handicap ramp are also in the works. There is also rollup window that opens onto the deck that can be used for community events.
Mayor Fry praised those who have shown their community spirit and been a part of this project. “Warden Edd Sanders arranged the inmate labor,” he said. Ruth Evans donated two sets of doors, Jan Rogers donated the raught iron railings and 38 boxes of books, Randy Corbin will be donating landscaping, Jeff Neighbors from Middle Georgia Flooring donated some of the flooring, Greg Fennell from Papa Willie’s donated some wings for the Open House as well as a reduced price Thanksgiving lunch for the inmates, Patty Searcy’s grandson donated his time and efforts with his Eagle Scout project which contributed two picnic tables and a willow tree, Danny Brown is overseeing the workers and helping make things happen, Charles Jaquess has donated his time and talents on this project, Lenny from the Williamson One Stop held a cookout and gave proceeds to the building fund, William’s Septic Enterprise gave a discount on the septic system, and Dependable Waste donated the dumpster. Georgia Power, K & H Electrical, Brian Whitehurst, Lowe’s, and Pike Depot have helped out with this project as well. And this isn’t all of the people and businesses who have come together on the Williamson Library/Educational Facility!
The City of Williamson bid on tables, chairs, and computer work stations from the now closed Houston County Library that Matthews Towing gave a good deal on bringing back to Williamson. Williamson Learning Center Students helped out with the unloading and sorting of books. People from all over the county have donated books and other items to this library. Many of these people and organizations are also thanked publicly on the City of Williamson’s website.
“A lot of people have come together,” said Mayor Fry. “We are trying to make it into a community gathering place… Maybe show a movie once a month.” This will be a place where people can meet their neighbors and this community spirit is showing with the donations that have been given for the City of Williamson Library/Educational Facility.
If you would like to be included on this list of volunteers to help with library renovations, please contact Council Member Carol Berry at 770-584-4013.
Click here to see before and after pictures from the City of Williamson’s website.
Click here to read an article and see some before pictures of the library.
Update 1.31.12: I was notified yesterday that the work on this project has been completed by the Mobile Construction Inmate Detail. Below are a "Before" picture when the building was first moved across the road and several "After" pictures.
