GMC News
GMC Provides Funds to Purchase Tables for Oconee River Greenway
Georgia Military College Provides Funds to Purchase 2 Handicap-Accessible
Picnic Tables for Oconee River Greenway in Milledgeville
MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – Georgia Military College recently provided the funds to purchase two handicap-accessible steel picnic tables for the Oconee River Greenway, a popular multiuse recreational area in Milledgeville that includes 83 acres of riverside property owned by GMC and leased by the Oconee River Greenway Authority.
The two steel tables have been installed by the City of Milledgeville Public Works Department, along with three additional matching tables purchased by the Oconee River Greenway Foundation. The tables have a special coating to help them withstand the elements, as well as the frequent floodwaters of the Oconee River, said Oconee River Greenway Foundation Treasurer and GMC alumnus, David Grant.
The five steel tables replaced concrete tables that were damaged by floodwaters or vandals. The new tables are secured to concrete pads and are located just south of the parking lot area, near the stage. The two purchased picnic tables are the most recent contributions made by GMC to the Oconee River Greenway.
GMC is proud to be a founding partner in the establishment of the Oconee River Greenway and has long been active in providing the manpower needed to support the Oconee River Greenway Authority and Foundation in the areas of trash pickup, maintenance, and campus security personnel for the Greenway.
“We have partnered with GMC from the beginning,” Grant said, adding, “If there’s something, we can’t handle, GMC has helped.”
Last year, the City of Milledgeville passed a resolution to approve an agreement with the Oconee River Greenway Authority, as well as with GMC and Baldwin County, that folds the Oconee River Greenway into the city’s existing Parks and Recreation Ordinance in terms of its operation, maintenance, repair, and security.
Those duties originally fell to the Oconee River Greenway Authority, who has a yearslong existing agreement with GMC to lease the College’s property for the sole purpose of creating the Oconee River Greenway.
From the start, GMC has recognized the significant contribution and intrinsic value the Oconee River Greenway makes to the community and to the local economy. The Greenway is crisscrossed with paved multiuse trails for visitors to walk, bike, or jog. It also provides a boat ramp for boating, kayaking, and canoeing, as well as a historic site, dog park, elevated stage, and fishing stations.
“Through visionaries, like Bill Craig and Charles Ennis, GMC early on secured property connecting the Milledgeville Campus to the river. Because of that foresight, GMC was able to later partner with the Oconee River Greenway Authority to allow for co-use of our property providing an opportunity for the community to enjoy the nature with walking trails and access to the river,” GMC President William B. Caldwell said. “We are proud to be part of this legacy that has served our community and provided access to these nature trails for several years.”
