Wheeler Chamber of Commerce Holds Vote for Board of Directors at Little Ocmulgee 

The Wheeler County Chamber of Commerce held a vote for its Board of Directors during their meeting on Nov. 18 in the Little Ocmuglee State Park & Lodge visitor’s center.

The voting process, presided over by Janice Mock, saw ballots and pencils distributed to one attending representative each of Chamber members, on which the representative would write “yes” or “no” next to the name of each director candidate.

The election results were not counted at the meeting and will be announced at a later date. Mock also claimed the Chamber would make a more concerted effort towards membership retention in the future, as they were still “in the catch-up mode” following Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Park Manager Sonny Taylor also spoke at the meeting to thank the chamber for supporting the park by holding its meeting there, and to give updates regarding various park improvement projects.

According to Taylor, the visitor’s center, which had served as a storage facility for nine years, would receive substantial renovations, including replacing the current windows and carpet, along with a new outdoor section. However, he also stated the project’s intentions to respect the building’s history.

“I think it’s probably the coolest, neatest building we have on the park,” said Taylor.

He also stated the park would implement a local loyalty program, where local residents could present their IDs to receive a “reasonable price” when renting the visitor’s center or other park spaces.

“This park and the amenities that are here are here because the state of Georgia wanted it to be in this area,” said Taylor. “It wasn’t put here to make money.”

Post-refurbishment concept photos of the building were also on display, though they did not necessarily reflect the final design.

Taylor also spoke about repairs to the dam in the park’s lake, which had developed a leak necessitating the lowering of the water level. The repairs must be completed during an appropriate “weather window”, so park staff have kept the water low so it may be repaired within the coming weeks rather than in July.

The chamber also invited Craig and Tiffany George of the Addiction Recovery Center (ARC) to speak to the attendees. 

The ARC is a Vidalia based rehabilitation support center for women 18 years old and older who suffer from either chemical or behavioral addictions. The program provides participants with housing, counseling and training along with connections to assist them in finding work.

Participants in the program are expected to pay $1,500 up-front to cover their housing costs for their first five weeks, with $250 payments due each Friday afterward. However, donations to the organization can allow organizers to temporarily waive up to $1,000, allowing participants more time to find work to cover their costs.

“We need opportunities,” said Craig George. “We need to shatter stigma.”

The chamber also heard a membership report from Vice-President Jeffery Floyd. According to Floyd, the chamber had a total of 97 members as of November 18, with 53 individuals, 18 small businesses and 11 nonprofits. 

Secretary Crystal Clark delivered the financial report. According to Clark, the general account balance totalled $19,593.09, and the hotel and motel account balance totalled $26,402.06.