The Carribean Group

Although officially named after South Carolina military leader Andrew Pickens, locals claim that the county’s title hails from the Georgia term “getting the pickin’s,”-because the area got the best of everything locally.
Located at the beginning of the Appalachian mountains, Pickens County certainly did get a lot. The natural beauty of the mountains is within commuting distance of Atlanta proper and boasts progressive schools, small town atmosphere and abundant recreation activities.
Pickens used to be the world’s largest marble producer-over 60 percent of the federal buildings in the nation’s capitol are made from Pickens’ marble-but has since tapered off that specific quarrying focus. Now, Pickens County has a hodge-podge of industries that include rubber, timber, apparel, sheet metal and calcium production.
The county seat of Jasper is a rapidly growing town that has become a very popular retirement community. It is serviced by I-575 (about an hour outside of downtown Atlanta) and has a brand-new high school that was named one of the nation’s “Highest Achieving” schools by U.S. News and World Report in 1999.
With its proximity to the city and an eye of continued managed growth, Pickens is an ideal place to get the best of both the metropolitan and rural worlds.

education

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
www.pickens.k12.ga.us
Board of Education
706-253-1700

By law children must be five years old on or before September 1 to enter kindergarten and six years old on or before September 1 to enter the first grade. You will need the following documentation for your kindergarten or first-grade child: a certified birth certificate from your state department of vital statistics; a vision, hearing and dental screening from a family practitioner or local health clinic; immunization records on Georgia State Form 3032.

The HOPE Scholarship Program
The Georgia Student Finance Commission handles all matters pertaining to the HOPE Scholarship Program and the PROMISE Teacher Scholarship Program. For more information, visit the Student Finance Commission at www.gsfc.org. For more information, contact the Student Finance Commission at:
Georgia Student Finance Commission
2082 East Exchange Place
Tucker, GA 30084
770-724-9000

School and bus assignment information:
706-253-1700

Avg. SAT Scores (Note: most students take the SAT whether they go on to higher education or not.)

Avg. Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) Scores

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Appalachian Technical College
100 Campus Drive
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-4500
Degrees: Diploma and technical certificate programs

medical

Ambulance Service / Emergency 911
Poison 911
Fire 911
Pickens County 911
Pickens County Police 911
Rescue 911

Mountainside Medical Center
1266 East Church Street
Jasper, GA 30143
706-692-2441

utilities

ELECTRICITY
Georgia Power
888-660-5890
Deposit: based on credit
www.georgiapower.com

Amicalola EMC
Deposit: varies
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-5200 or
800-992-6471


TELEPHONE
Alltel of Georgia
50 Mark Whitfield St.
Jasper, GA 30143
706-692-0054

Ellijay Telephone Company
224 Dalton St
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-276-2271

GAS
For more information on establishing your gas connection and the deregulation of the natural gas market in Georgia with a listing of the residential gas providers, see the opening of these county listings.

Georgia Natural Gas
P.O. Box 723908
Atlanta, GA 31139
770-850-6200 (inside metro Atlanta)
877-850-6200 (outside metro Atlanta)


WATER
City of Jasper
706-692-9100

County Water
706-253-8718


GARBAGE
Mauldin Trash Service
706-337-2603

parks

Parks & Recreation Department
706-253-8863

Roper Park
417 Refuge Road
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-8863

Historic Tate House Mansion
61 Marble Mansion Lane
Highway 53
Tate, GA 30177
770-735-3122

libraries

Pickens County Library
100 Library Lane
Jasper, Georgia 30143
706-692-5411

post office

www.usps.gov

Jasper Post Office
100 Eagles Landing
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-4300

Talking Rock Post Office
100 Antioch Church Road
Talking Rock, GA 30175
706-276-4197

Tate
4855 Highway 53 East
Tate, GA 30177
770-735-3527

Nelson Post Office
199 Dogwood Drive
Nelson, GA 30151
770-735-3316

car tag & license

License Tag Location
35 West Church Street
Suite 100
Jasper,GA 30143
M-F 7 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.
706-253-8882

miscellaneous

Voter Registration
For information:
706-253-8781

Pickens County Chamber Of Commerce
500 Stegall Drive
Jasper, GA 30143
706-692-5600
www.georgiamarble-mountain.org