There are many recreational opportunities in Decatur County, some of which require membership and many of which are free to the public. Decatur County is pleased to announce the acquisition by the Silver Lake property by Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which will open to the public August 2008 for fishing, hunting, hiking and other family-oriented recreational opportunities.
Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA
Click here YMCA, for more information on the Bainbridge -Decatur County YMCA, phone 229-243-0508. Located at 1818 E. Shotwell Street, the local "Y" is a 40,000 square foot complex featuring an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a diving well, four lighted tennis courts, two air conditioned racquetball courts, an indoor jogging track, a large gymnasium with basketball courts, free weight room and exercise classes. The fitness center features showers, steam, sauna, and whirlpool for men and women, and the Y's soccer program for kids is one of the most popular anywhere. The Langston-Gray Bowling Center at the Y is open to the public and has16 lanes for public bowling and nightly bowling leagues.
City of Bainbridge Leisure Services
The Leisure Services Department of the City of Bainbridge, 229-248-2010, offers many community sports programs for both youth and adults, and maintains several parks within the city limits of Bainbridge. The city also maintains a modern public aquatic center, phone 229-248-2013, located on Potter Street. County residents pay the same registration fees as city residents thanks to an intergovernmental agreement between Decatur County and Bainbridge. Statewide tennis tournaments, as well as baseball (tee-ball leagues and up), softball, soccer and flag football for all ages are also offered. Click on Leisure Services for more information.
There is another option for youth who choose to participate in sports. Bainbridge Youth Football League is an organization in Decatur County that offers area youth the opportunity to participate in free tackle football and cheerleading activities.
Best Fishing in the South
The Flint River and Lake Seminole offer abundant fishing and water sports. Decatur County's county seat of Bainbridge was recently named "The Bass Capital of Georgia." Thousands of amateur and professional fishermen attend many top bass tournaments held here throughout the year. Lake Seminole is ranked by some as the fifth best bass fishing lake in the United States. Abundant populations of striped and white bass, catfish, crappy, and bream are also found in the area waterways.
Fishing is a year-round activity on Lake Seminole. In addition to the challenging bass fishing tournaments held in the area annually, there are many casual competitions held almost every weekend among local bass clubs and professional anglers. The annual Jack Wingate Open is held the first weekend in March and is a good chance to test your skills against the best fishermen in the business. The Lake Seminole area even has a legal netting season - the only location in inland Georgia where this is true. For more information on upcoming bass tournaments, contact Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce at 229-246-4774. Â
Camping, Boating, Water Skiing, and Picnicking
In addition to fishing, there are other outdoor activities for nature-lovers. Camping, boating, water skiing, and picnicking are also favorite leisure activities in the area. Boaters are provided with numerous boat ramps along the shores of the Flint River, Spring Creek, Lake Seminole,and related bodies of water. Boat rentals are available at Seminole State Park and Wingate's Fishing and Hunting Lodge. There are numerous camping sites, RV sites/parks, and freshwater beaches.
There are several beautiful parks maintained by the City of Bainbridge, including Earle May Boat Basin, Cheney Griffin Park and W.M. Coyle Park. The parks include such items and features as campsites, barbeque pits, stocked fishing ponds, a steam-powered sawmill, playgrounds, a historic non-functioning steam-powered train engine and an outdoor theater. There are elevated nature trails, boardwalks, bike trails, lighted tennis courts, fishing piers and more.
Are you a golfer? Golf enthusiasts (and serious players) will find that Decatur County is blessed with two (2) golf courses located in the community. The privately owned Bainbridge Country Club features an eighteen (18) hole golf course, four (4) lighted tennis courts, swimming pool, club house, and a pro shop. An 18-hole public course, The Pines, is also available, and is located on Highway 27 North at the Decatur County Industrial Park, phone 229-246-8545.
Libraries
There are two libraries available in Bainbridge/Decatur County. The Southwest Goergia Regional Library , located at 301 S. Monroe Street, phone 229-248-2665, fax 248-2670, is open six days a week (see Web site for hours as they vary) has regular adult and children libraries with public computer access as well as resources for persons who are blind or have visual impairments or physical handicaps. Call 229-248-2680 or 1-800-795-2680 for more information. The Bainbridge College Library, located at 2500 E. Shotwell St., phone 229-248-2590, is open to students and the community and is located in the Academic Building on campus. It is also open six days a week.
To view past Board of Commissioner meeting minutes, the county budget, draft of proposed animal ordinance or other documents, go to the left-hand column under "Directory," click on "County Commission," and scroll down to bottom of the page to find and click on the required document to view it.
Keep Decatur County Beautiful’s Electronic Recycling Event is coming up Saturday, August 23rd at Decatur County Fairgrounds -1213 Vada Hwy., from 10am – 2 pm. At this time, local residents can drop off old personal computers, monitors, LCD screen/flat screen monitors, VCRs, radios, stereos, DVD players, microwaves, power supplies, rechargeable batteries, vacuums, banking equipment, telephones, pagers, networking equipment, laptops, keyboards, mice, power cables, medical equipment (non-hazardous), printers, copy machines, fax machines, cell phones, transformers, scanners, portable electronic devices, servers, HUBS, ink and toner cartridges, remotes, modems, projectors, cameras, and televisions ($10/set charge to leave tv sets.) *Items Not Accepted: Refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, mercury containing devices (thermometers, fire alarms), hazardous chemicals/materials, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, bio-waste. (*NOTE: appliances ARE accepted at both Decatur County Landfills. For information, call 465-3188.)
Employment Opportunities
Decatur-Grady 911 Communications Operator Trainee - Part- time (34 hrs per week) during 6 month training period. Insurance/Retirement Benefits after training and Certification. 18 yrs of age, HS diploma or GED, background check, drug screen and driver's history required. Must be able to work rotating shift, weekends, holidays and be on call.
Georgia Certified Paramedic- ITLS & PALS Preferred - 24/48 hr shifts. Up to $4000 Sign On BonusÂ
Contact Human Resources at 229-248-3030 for employment opportunities
County Calendar
The next regular Board of Commissioners meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 26, 2008, at County Administrative offices on Broughton Street. Call 248-3030 for more information. Commission minutes from previous meetings can be viewed at bottom of County Commission main page.
The Second Annual Decatur County Employee Health Fair will be held Tuesday, August 19, at the Administration Building at 203 W. Broughton St., from 6:30 am to 3 pm. It is recommended that any employee wishing to participate in the free lab work should fast at least 12 hours before having blood drawn. Smoking Cessation classes begin in September, as well as a series of "Lunch & Learn" health sessions. Employees must register for these free classes at the Health Fair. (Go to "News & Events" page under "Directory" for dates, times of these classes.) Contact Human Resources Director Marjorie Mayfield at 248-3030 for more information.
A Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax election will be held Tuesday, September 16, 2008 for the purpose of allowing citizens to decide if they want to renew the one cent tax in Decatur County, which, if passed, is expected to generate a total amount of $36,867,625 in five years for use by the county, the Hospital Authority and the county's four municipalities to pay for infrastructure improvements, capital projects and capital purchases.
Keep Decatur County Beautiful's Annual Rivers Alive! Event will take place on Oct. 11 this year. Call 229-246-3611 for more information.
There are many recreational opportunities in Decatur County, some of which require membership and many of which are free to the public. Decatur County is pleased to announce the acquisition by the Silver Lake property by Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which will open to the public August 2008 for fishing, hunting, hiking and other family-oriented recreational opportunities.
The Flint River and Lake Seminole offer abundant fishing and water sports. Decatur County's county seat of Bainbridge was recently named "The Bass Capital of Georgia." Thousands of amateur and professional fishermen attend many top bass tournaments held here throughout the year. Lake Seminole is ranked by some as the fifth best bass fishing lake in the United States. Abundant populations of striped and white bass, catfish, crappy, and bream are also found in the area waterways.
