By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter

brobinson@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — Lynn and Tim Jacobs, owners of Pedal’n Shak sports and recreation, asked Pickens City Council on Monday night for permission to apply for a grant set aside for businesses on the Doodle Trail as their business depends greatly on the success of the trail.

Jacobs said she and her husband were pushing hard to get their business ready for the excitement brought by the Doodle Trail.

“We’re excited about your business,” mayor David Owens said. “We think its going to be great for you and the citizens.”

“We will apply that money very well to the beautiment and make it pretty down there,” Tim Jacobs said. “It’s a wonderful trail. I think it’s going to be a huge success.”

Owens gave an optimistic forecast to the Jacobses.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say they wished y’all were open,” Owens said.

“Believe me, I wish we were, too,” Lynn Jacobs said.

Owens said council would need to amend the ordinance to cover the Jacobses’ property. He advised them to apply for the grant and said it should be changed by the time the paperwork went through the system.

Debbie and Richard Reed are new to the Pickens area and were concerned about abandoned houses near their home that could create fire hazards.

They were more concerned about trailers that have been abandoned on their property that have become nuisances and present unsafe conditions.

Owens said the city has a program in which it helps pay for the destruction of such property.

“Sometimes it’s so bad to where we can’t get the property owners to tear them down, and we’ll just put a lien on the property and tear it down and present a bill for the cost of tearing it down in the form of a tax notice,” Owens said. “Abandoned houses are not necessarily something we want to pursue. If they keep it up, keep it clean. But there’s things like vehicles that have to be licensed.”

Officials also announced the Pickens Recreation volleyball teams each won state titles in their age groups.

“We need to do something for the little girls and honor them for winning the state championship,” councilman Carlton Holley said.

Officials also said the “Folsom Prison Gang” will be performing at Pickens’ downtown amphitheater on Saturday evening.