The Paper December 26, 2013 Edition

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Hoschton hosts holiday event. 5B

Jackson County road planning shifting

By Jeff Gill

Regional staff

Jackson County leaders said they think joining with Hall County will work in their favor when it comes to road planning.

The Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization is expanding its transportation planning area next year to include a couple of areas in Jackson County, particularly fast-growing Braselton and Hoschton.

“There’s some things that Jackson County has — Interstate 85, (parts of) U.S. 129 and our rail access — that we need to bring up and really plan for that Gainesville-Hall hasn’t looked at before,” said Gina Roy, director of Jackson County’s public development department.

Three urbanized areas of Jackson County are moving into Gainesville-Hall MPO from ARC

“I think we’ll bring some new light and new ideas and hopefully broaden (GainesvilleHall’s) region.”

When the 2010 census was released, it showed Jackson had experienced urbanized growth in three areas: a small portion near the East Hall border, the Braselton-Hoschton area of West Jackson and a small area on the Clarke County border.

Jackson County has signed an agreement with the Athens-Clarke County MPO to include the area on the Clarke side in that MPO’s transportation planning efforts.

The portion near East Hall would be considered part of the Gainesville-Hall MPO and the Braselton-Hoschton area would be in the Atlanta Regional Commission.

“We sat down, met with and discussed with all three MPOs about what would be the best advantages for us and where we would get more out of our transportation planning,” Roy said.

“Even though we have a larger portion with ARC, we’re still so far out of metro that I’m afraid we ... would be just a minor blip on their big agenda,” she added. “I don’t think

we would get a full benefit.”

To take care of road planning in the remaining areas, Roy said, two agreements would have to be signed, including one among Jackson, Gainesville-Hall MPO and ARC that says ARC relinquishes the Braselton-Hoschton planning area to Gainesville-Hall.

The other one would be between Jackson and Gainesville-Hall MPO to do planning in the Jackson County areas.

The Georgia Department of Transportation “hasn’t set this drop-dead date that we have to (complete the agreements),” Roy said. “We know that we need to do it. That’s why we’ve been working on it. It’s been kind of a slow process.”

See ROADS, 2A

New Year’s Day Program in 87th year

Santa’s been here and school’s out Santa Claus stopped off at the Braselton Library on Dec. 19 to visit with children and field some last-minute requests so that his Christmas Eve delivery would be just right for those who have been nice. See more scenes from Santa’s afternoon storytime with Santa at ClickThePaper.com and see the Braselton Library’s Facebook

page. Below: On the final day of school before the holidays, there was a festive mood at West Jackson Intermediate School where student showcased their work for parents and celebrated the season. Mike Black joined daughter Alex for some Christmas crafts and Tatum Wiley was dressed in holiday fashion in Mrs. Gooch’s room.

The 87th annual Jackson County New Year’s Day Program will be held at 9 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2014, in the auditorium of the Jackson County Administrative Building.

The first New Year’s Day Program was held in 1927 with Judge W.W. Dickson presiding.

This year, Pastor Darrel Rewis of Corner-Stone Church located in Highway 11 in Jefferson, will be the featured speaker. He will be introduced by Tax Commissioner Don Elrod.

Jackson County Clerk of Superior Court Camie Thomas will provide the invocation and Mrs. Mary Burley will sing “God Bless America.”

Magistrate Judge Billy Chandler will introduce county officials and guests.

“Everyone is invited to the program which is held for the purpose of thanking God for the blessings of the past and seeking divine guidance and blessing for the coming year,” said Jackson County Solicitor Don Moore.

TeenPact, a Jackson County organization dedicate to preparing students for business and political leadership, will again host the event and provide coffee and doughnuts.

Hoschton budget being studied

By FARAH BOHANNON

fbohannon@clickthepaper.com

The City of Hoschton held its first meeting Dec. 9 to discuss the 2014 budget. It was a successful meeting led by Mayor Theresa Kenerly and City Clerk Ali Merk.

With the budget package presented, there will be another meeting to vote on the official budget set for 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30.

“I’m really excited for a successful 2014,” said Kenerly.

The discussion began with General Fund, with the first reading with a starting point of total income.

In 2013, the city had $8,000 set aside for cemetery lot sales, but anticipate to generate $10,000 for 2014.

“James Lawson [of Lawson Funeral Home in Hoschton] is bringing in a lot of cemetery sales. He

See HOSCHTON, 2A

Schools’ graduation rates rank above state average

By Katie Griffin

klgriffin@clickthepaper.com

Georgia’s 2013 public high school graduation rate increased almost 2 percentage points over the previous year, from 69.7 percent in 2012 to 71.5 percent in 2013. Even better, the rates have increased by more than 4 percentage points since 2011.

The graduation rates for all of the schools located in Jackson County are listed below.

Jackson County High Schools: East Jackson Comprehensive High School: 2013’s four-year rate is 79.4 percent, down 4 percentage points from 2012’s five-year rate

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of 83.4 percent.

Jackson County Comprehensive High School: 2013’s four-year rate is 81.8 percent, which is up 1percentage point from 2012’s five-year rate of 80.5.

The Jackson County School System’s average graduation rate for 2013 is 80 percent, which is well above the state average of 71.5 percent. The 2012 system average was 81.8 and the state average for 2012 was 71.6, so the average of both the state and Jackson County School System’s graduation rate has slightly decreased.

“We are proud of the progress our district is making. However, we are keenly focused

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on increasing our graduation rate so that every single student leaves college, career and life ready,” said Dr. April Howard, Superintendent of Jackson County Schools.

Seeing that both Jackson County high schools are well above the state average graduation rate is something to be proud of. Jackson County Comprehensive High School’s increase in graduation rate is certainly a great accomplishment and, with great new leadership at East Jackson Comprehensive High School, there is high hope the graduation rate there will increase in the coming years.

“Innovative learning environments that

Got a news tip? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail editor@clickthepaper.com Want to advertise? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail ehouse@clickthepaper.com Delivery questions? Call 770-532-2222 or e-mail circulation@clickthepaper.com

promote engagement and personalized learning will be among the most important strategies we implement,” said Howard.

“We are pleased that the graduation rates continue to go up. We are proud of our staff and the effort they give to each individual child to help them do their best, we are also extremely proud of our graduation coach who helps students with special difficulties to reach that graduation goal and obtain that degree,” said Jackson County Comprehensive High School Principal Scott Smith.

See GRADUATION, 2A

The Paper P.O. Box 430 Hoschton, GA 30548

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The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

Bring One for the Chipper Keep Jackson County Beautiful, the Cities of Jefferson, Commerce, Arcade, Talmo and Hoschton and Jackson EMC invite Jackson County citizens to “chip in” when getting your house back in order after the Christmas holidays. We have made at least one of your hosehold decisions free, easy and ecofriendly during this holiday season.

Bring One for the Chipper, a statewide annual Christmas tree recycling program, is being held at the same locations as last year in Jackson County – Jefferson Civic Center, Lanier Tech in Commerce, Arcade City Hall and Hoschton and Talmo Depots – from Thursday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 4.

For citizen’s convenience these locations will be open 24 hours a day. They will not be manned.

For 23 years, Georgia citizens have supported Bring One for the Chipper. This

program promotes the kind of responsibility necessary in a sustainable community.

Christmas tree recycling programs like Chipper support eco-friendly holiday efforts that have a greater influence.

This is the ninth year Keep Jackson County Beautiful has participated in the state program. Jackson County trees will be shredded by Jackson EMC and used to enhance public playgrounds and other areas. The last three years Hoschton has taken advantage of this effort to add “padding” and cut down on the wet areas in their playground at the city depot.

Since 1991, “Bring One for the Chipper,” has collected more than 6 million trees. Jackson County averages 300-500 trees annually.

Contact Susan Trepagnier at 706-708-7198 or email strepagnier@jacksoncountygov. com

HOSCHTON

The grand total for 2014 permits equals $5,015.

In the general business licenses category, the city anticipates a budget of $12,000.

There was $12,163.50 generated in 2013.

Other parts of the income section of the budget for 2014 are alcoholic beverages (license fees, $2,850), financial institution taxes ($8,000), insurance premium taxes ($71,000), business and occupation license taxes ($192), energy excise taxes ($2,000), alcoholic beverage excise ($23,000), Local Option Sales Tax LOST ($23,000) and Title Ad Valorem Tax TAVT ($16,000).

Franchise taxes are expected to decrease in the 2014 budget—down to $95,000 from 2013’s $104,097.36. Franchise taxes include electric, gas, television cable and telephone.

The Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG) will increase from $14,109.08 in 2013 to $17,027.78 in 2014.

There is banked money for road projects, but it has to be met with a 30-percent local match.

Continued from1A sales, but anticipate to generate $10,000 for 2014.

“James Lawson [of Lawson Funeral Home in Hoschton] is bringing in a lot of cemetery sales. He knows what he’s doing in order to boost our sales and sell what isn’t as popular. He also ensures that everything is in the correct place in terms of digging,” said Merk.

A total of $4,500 is set aside for 2014 for the rental of the City Square building as well as $4,000 for the Hoschton Depot. That brings the total to $8,500 for 2014 rents and royalties.

As for the business license penalty, it was decided that $535 will be pulled from 2013 and $500 for fees, specifically for zoning and land use. In 2013, the zoning and land use budget total was $499.56, so the 2014 amount was rounded up.

Few changes are proposed related to permits, which includes building and signs, motorized carts and land disturbance. It is anticipated the city will generate $4,000 for building and signs and the motorized carts fee will remain at $15. A slight decrease is anticipated for land disturbances at $1,000.

GRADUATION Continued from 1A

Mill Creek High School: The 2013 four-year graduation rate is 84.4 percent, which is up 1.4 percentage points from the 2012 rate of 83 percent.

Jason Lane, principal at Mill Creek High School, says that he believes the results show that his students to be very successful in graduation rates and the high standards that are held for students in the Gwinnett County Public Schools.

“While our graduation rate is well above the state average, we continue to look for ways to make our students more successful,” said Lane.

Jefferson High School: The 2013 four-year graduation rate is 89.6 percent and the five-year graduation rate is 90 percent.

“I’m encouraged that Jefferson’s graduation rates remain considerably higher than the overall state averages,” said Jefferson City Schools Superintendent Dr. John Jackson.

He continues by saying that however, they do have approximately 10 percent of students not graduating on schedule and some not graduating at all.

“As long as the problem exists to any degree, we cannot be completely satisfied with where we stand,” said Jackson.

See more on the Hoschton budget proposal on the Hoschton budget at ClickThePaper.com

Commerce High School: The 2013 four-year graduation rate is 86.6 percent, which is up 1 percentage point from the 2012 rate of 85.5 percent.

“Our system is encouraged to see an increase in the graduation rate; however, we know that we still have much work to do. Our goal is for every student to graduate from high school in four years,” said Dr. Joy Tolbert, Superintendent of Commerce City Schools.

All of the schools located in Jackson County have a graduation rate that is above the state average. Most agree that there is still work to be done, but the schools should take the time to celebrate a job well done.

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge said the trend is showing the percentage of high school students graduating is increasing from year to year, even under a more rigorous calculation method.

“Despite the economic challenges our districts are facing, we have more high school students graduating today than we have had in several years, which is a testament to the hard work of our students and teachers,” said Barge.

For more information about the Jackson County School System, visit www. jackson.k12.ga.us and for more information about the Department of Education, visit www.gadoe.org.

EARLY DEADLINES Because of the upcoming New Year’s Day holiday The Paper will alter its advertising and legals deadline as follows:

Retail & Classified Display Ads Publication Date Deadline The Paper Thursday 1/2/14 Friday, 12/27, 9:00am

ROADS

Continued from 1A She said she hopes agreements will be in place by early summer.

Jackson County has to file its fiveyear comprehensive plan with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in 2015 and the plan has to include transportation features.

“From a transportation planning perspective, they have more of a connection to Hall County than Atlanta,” said Srikanth Yamala, Hall’s planning director and the Gainesville-Hall MPO director.

Much of Braselton is in Hall County,

particularly in the Spout Springs Road area. Hall County is planning to widen Spout Springs to four lanes between Interstate 985 in Flowery Branch to Braselton in the Thompson Mill Road area.

Also, skirting or running through the Braselton-Hoschton area in Hall is the DOT’s widening of and new construction involving Ga. 347 between I-985 and Ga. 211/Old Winder Highway.

“Anytime we can look at transportation options and choices when they’re crossing county borders, it will only be helpful for the entire region,” Yamala said.

Another result of the Jackson County agreement is an expansion of the Gainesville-Hall MPO’s policy

committee, a decision-making group comprising a DOT representative and top elected officials in the area.

Also, the Gainesville-Hall MPO’s 2040 Metropolitan Planning Plan is slated for an update, with work set to begin next year and be completed by August 2015.

Part of Flowery Branch also fell in the ARC after the 2010 census, but the South Hall city is staying put in the Gainesville-Hall MPO. “For our purposes, we are more closely aligned with Hall County and Gainesville,” Mayor Mike Miller said.

“It didn’t make sense for us to be in the ARC. There’s no possibility that we would even entertain that option.”

‘Quick Response’ brings turn lane From staff reports

The Georgia Department of Transportation announces a “gift” that will “keep on giving” to the people of Jefferson. A Quick Response project widened State Route 11 Business/Winder Highway at its intersection with SR 11/ Jefferson Bypass to create a right turn lane from SR 11 business onto State Route north toward Winder.

“The new right turn lane is 300 feet long giving people driving from Jefferson on SR 11 Business toward Winder on State Route 11/US 129 a lane to

wait in while through traffic continues. This right turn lane improves the overall operation and efficiency of the intersection. The work also created a dedicated through lane crossing the Bypass to SR 11. I believe it will make a big difference to the people who use the roadway daily,” explained Georgia DOT Board member, Emily Dunn.

Dunn represents the 9th Congressional District including Jackson County on the State Transportation Board. She also serves as secretary for the board and is from Blue Ridge.

The Quick Response program al-

lows low cost, operational improvements to be made to the State Route system. Projects are identified by Georgia DOT Engineers or city/ county staff then managed through the Office of Local Grants. This improvement cost $38,771.52.

“Small changes can make a big change in your commute. The quick response program is a tool specifically for work costing less than $200,000. As we work to improve the state route system in Northeast Georgia, share your ideas with us at www.dot.ga.gov,” concluded Dunn.

Jefferson Police receives grant The Jefferson Police Department has been awarded a public safety partnership grant totaling $10,000 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Atlanta.

The incentive grant, which will last through Septmeber of 2014, is designed for smaller law enforcement agencies that have partnered with GOHS and excelled in participating in highway safety initiatives as well as making their communities safe during the previous year.

The criteria in determining award of the grants include reporting enforcement datate to GOHS, participa-

tion in meetings of the local traffic enforcement network, hosting network meetings and submitting applications for GOHS’ annual law enforcement awards program, Governor’s Challenge.

“This grant has provided the Jefferson Police Department with equipment to improve our traffic goals which are to provide safe highways for our citizens and those traveling through our community,” said Jeffersson Police Chief Joe Wirthman.

“The traffic vests also provide safety for our officers when they are enforcing traffic laws and working accidents,

more especially during the night-time hours.”

The grant has provided tools including Alco-sensors, reflective traffic vests, flashlights and traffic cones to hand out to officers. These tools enable staff to perform their duties safely and efficiently.

The grant’s goal is to reward agencies for proactive approaches to traffic safety and to provide the tools ncesssary to continue those efforts.

For more information on the Jefferson Police Department’s award, contact Lt. Steve Bannister at 706-3675231.

Quick action of Jackson County crew honored by commissioner Customer service award for response to safety hazard along Braselton highway given to six GDOT crew members Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Golden presented the December commissioner’s Customer Service Commendation to the Jackson County Maintenance Crew on Monday for their quick response to a safety hazard in Braselton.

The crew corrected the issue the same day it was reported.

“On a windy morning, a call came in from a motorist whose vehicle was hit by a large black walnut while driving on SR 53 in Braselton. The motorist was concerned because the tree was

full of walnuts and she didn’t want a windshield cracked by the falling nut. Once the location of the tree was pinpointed, the Jackson County Crew went that same day and trimmed the branches overhanging the state route removing the hazard. The motorist called back to our office on her commute home and was most appreciative to see the work already complete. The quick action and thorough response of this team makes them an asset to Georgia DOT. I am proud to honor them today,” said Commissioner Golden.

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The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

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Hospital’s new trauma designation benefits region Northeast Georgia Medical is Level II center

By JEFF GILL

Regional staff

Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville has received a long-coveted trauma designation from the state, increasing the number of seriously injured patients who can be treated at the hospital, potentially saving lives.

Officials said a survey team from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Office determined the hospital has qualified for the Level II designation, based on criteria set forth by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

“We are thrilled to receive this designation,” said Brad Nurkin, medical center president. “This is a crowning achievement for our organization and represents the culmination of more than four years of work towards this tremendous goal.”

Nurse practitioner Deb Battle, director of trauma and acute care surgery service at the hospital, said the designation means emergency medical responders “and more importantly, patients” have access to a hospital with “the full range of trauma resources available 24/7 to handle all types of traumatic injury, no matter how big or how small.”

The hospital announced the designation Dec. 16, following a Dec. 5 visit to the hospital to follow up “on opportunities they identified during their visit in May,” said Dr. John H. Adamski II, the hospital’s medical director of trauma and acute care surgery.

“These specifically include some structures and processes we needed to strengthen based on (the College of Surgeons) guidelines.”

In reacting to the news, Adamski said, “While we are extremely proud of what this means for our organization,

we are even more aware of (the) designation’s true meaning — better access and higher-quality trauma care for the patients we serve in Northeast Georgia.”

Dr. Priscilla Strom, a surgeon with The Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville, said the designation effort “was a comprehensive team effort, as physicians from many of our medical specialties worked together toward the goal of improving care for our community.”

The announcement came much sooner than expected.

After the Dec. 5 visit, officials said they didn’t know when the hospital would receive an official decision letter.

After the team’s visit in May, “we received (a notice) about six weeks later, so we expect it will be in that same time frame or less,” hospital spokeswoman Melissa Tymchuk said at the time.

Georgia has four trauma designations, with the highest being Level I. Those hospitals, which include Atlanta Medical Center and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, “offer the greatest level of comprehensive trauma care, from prevention through rehabilitation,” according to the Georgia Department of Community Health. Tymchuk said the biggest difference is that Level I centers must be teaching hospitals.

A Level II center “generally can provide the same level of clinical care as a Level I, but usually does not have the focus on research, education and systems planning,” the state says.

“Some patients with very complex injuries may require transfer to a Level I center.”

Still, Strom has said, she believes the designation for Northeast Georgia Medical Center “will save lives.”

The mortality rate from trauma in Georgia is 20 percent higher than other states, and “that’s due to the fact

that right now there are ... regions without designated trauma centers,” Adamski has said.

And with Northeast Georgia’s hills and valleys, making it difficult to reach some injured patients, “you’re already behind the eight ball in terms of transporting someone down to another facility,” he said.

A Level II designation for Northeast Georgia Medical Center would be a first for the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission’s Region 2, which covers Northeast Georgia.

The nearest Level II centers to Hall are in North Fulton, Lawrenceville and Athens.

Now that the hospital has received the designation, it can expect more reviews.

A team would “come back at least every three years ... to review our trauma program and ensure it continues to meet designation requirements,” Adamski said.

However, the group “can come for a site visit at any time, and we will be required to submit reports to the state every quarter.”

Designation brings benefits for families Emergency medical care has taken a sudden, huge leap forward in the region especially for those with serious injuries.

“Now we’ll start to see some of the sicker and more injured patients who otherwise would have been sent to facilities elsewhere,” said Adamski, followingthe announcement the hospital had received a Level II trauma care designation. “Those patients will be transported to us in a quicker manner ... and that increases our experiences in terms of taking care of the patients.”

With the designation, there shouldn’t be any lag time in the hospital accept-

Nat Gurley Regional staff

Northeast Georgia Medical Center emergency staff, from left, registered nurses Jamie South, Holly McLaren and Debbie Callahan and emergency room doctors Gary Kempler and John Adamski. ing trauma patients, because “to be designated, we’ve had all the resources and the personnel in place for a good amount of time now,” Adamski said.

The hospital will be adding a trauma orthopedist in January, said Battle, who has devoted four years on efforts to ready the hospital to move to the next level.

“Right now, even with the designation, there are still some complex orthopedic procedures that would have to be transferred” to Atlanta Medical Center or Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, said Battle.

“Our staff has grown not just with physicians, but with outreach people, so that we can improve injury prevention and safety programs,” Adamski said.

The hospital also hopes to better “evaluate the outcomes of our patients we’re treating, not just within our own internal way but on a national database,” he said.

“Trauma is a public good, a public service, just like (emergency medical services), fire and police departments,” Adamski said.

“The hospital is doing what it needs to do for this community and this region, and then

regionally, we’re doing what we need to do for this state.”

David Kimbrell, chief of Hall County Fire Services and the county’s emergency management director, said the designation also benefits the families of trauma victims.

“In the past, people would be separated (from) their families while they’re flown to Atlanta, and the family would have to spend the time to get down there,” he said.

“But probably the best benefit is much better care that the hospital is able to provide, and we can get them to that care much quicker.”

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The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

CHURCH NEWS

Ron Jaeh For The Paper

Michele Colluro, Vincent Colluro, Doug Dixon and Joe Fitts were among the Village at Deaton Creek Military Support Club members placing the wreaths at Alta Vista Cemetery for the Wreaths Across America commemoration. Below: Ron Jaeh places a wreath.

Deaton Creek Military Support Club supports Wreaths Across America

By Saul Levenson

For The Paper

Visiting the grave sites of lost loved ones is a solemn, mournful occasion. Paying your respects at the headstones and grave markers of fallen heroes leaves you with an entirely different feeling. That’s what many Creekers experienced in early December while laying 115 balsam memorial wreaths on veterans’ graves at the Alta Vista Cemetery in Gainesville.

“It was a most moving and enriching experience,” said Michele Colluro, project chairman for the Military Support Club-sponsored Wreaths Across America event. “It is a wonderful way to express gratitude for those who have served and protected our country.”

Despite it being a cold, chilling, raindrenched day, a sizeable turnout observed an opening patriotic ceremony wherein our own retired Navy Captain Ron Jaeh and Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Doug Dixon represented two of the six branches of service by presenting ceremonial wreaths before other volunteers began laying 400 overall on veterans’ graves. For sure, the conditions didn’t dampen the spirit of those participating, one of whom declared “it’s nothing compared to what these veterans went through.”

With its stated mission to remember our fallen heroes, honor those who serve and reach future generations about the value of freedom, this year’s event accounted for 540,000 of these 20-inch wreaths adorning veterans’ graves in all 50 states and at 24 national cemeteries overseas. And as one speaker made note, “it’s but one way of remembering the heroes who died protecting

the United States of America, one wreath at a time.”

After all veteran graves had been decorated, one wreath remained which Capt.

Jaeh and Chief Master Sgt. Dixon brought to the Village at Deaton Creek and placed at the base of our clubhouse flagpole in honor of all Deaton Creek veterans and their families who have made sacrifices to help preserve those freedoms we so preciously cherish.

Pierre Claeyssens, a Belgian soldier rescued by U.S. Forces from German occupation in World War I, subsequent philanthropist and founder of a Santa Barbara Veterans Museum, when asked about his special feelings for the military, said, “To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen. To be forgotten is the worst.”

And so we at the VDC Military Support Club are doing our best to help make sure these heroes are indeed not forgotten.

OBITUARIES Elaine Qualls Armour

Died Dec. 22, 2013 Elaine Qualls Armour, 67, of Gainesville, died Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following an extended illness.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, at Memorial Park South Cemetery. The Rev. Wayne Hicks will officiate. The family will receive friends at the cemetery from noon until 2 p.m. on Friday.

Born in Lula on March 12, 1946, she was a daughter of the Dewey and Annie Armour. She attended New Haven Church.

Survivors include her husband, James Qualls; son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Sandy Qualls of Ocala, Fla,; son, Rodney Qualls of Ocala, Fla.; daughter and son-inlaw, Krystal and Tim Duros of Gainesville; five grandchildren; a great-grandchild; brothers, B.F. Armour of Banks County and Gene Armour of Gainesville; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial Park South Funeral Home, Flowery Branch The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Tom J. Beaird Sr.

Died Dec. 19, 2013 Tom J. Beaird Sr., 77, of Smyrna, died Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013.

A native of Columbus, he was a son of the late Julius Jefferson and Mary Frances Pirkle Beaird. He was a former resident of Dacula and Stone Mountain, and was a member of Bethlehem First United Methodist Church.

He attended Brown High School and received his B.S. Degree in Building Construction at Georgia Tech. He was employed at Lockheed for six years where he assisted with the development of the C-5 A Galaxy; the DeKalb School System for 18 years,

and AT&T for 19 years. The family is extremely grateful to St. Joseph’s Hospital for the care given to Mr. Beaird.

Survivors are his wife, Diane Beaird of Smyrna; children, Marianne (Dale) Dhillon and Tom Beard Jr., all of Atlanta, and Brent (Carrie) Beaird of Gainesville; stepdaughter, Melanie (Kenny) Burk of Dacula; grandchildren, Kyle, Austin and Evan Dhillon, Sydney and Brooke Beaird and Peyton Burk; and cousin, Jeanette Jones of Columbus.

A funeral service was held Monday, Dec. 23, 2013, at Bethlehem First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Parker Benson officiating. Interment was in Westview Cemetery.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Virginia Ann Deavers

Died Dec. 21, 2013 Virginia Ann Deavers, 85, of Gainesville, died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following a brief illness.

Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 23, 2013, in the chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home with Interment following in Memorial Park Cemetery. Dr. Bill Coates officiated.

Born Oct. 11, 1928, in Habersham County, she was a daughter of the late Calvo Lee and Cleo Burton Lee. She was a member of First Baptist Church, where she attended the Gleaners Sunday school class. She was a homemaker. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi and volunteered with the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Auxiliary. She enjoyed traveling the world and was an avid Georgia football fan. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Clayton Deavers; daughter, Debbie Tisdale; several sisters; and

one brother.

Survivors include her daughter, Pam Reid of Gainesville; grandchildren and spouses, Andy and Dana Reid of Cumming, Emily Mooney of Hoschton, Lynn and Rod Oomens of Charleston, S.C., and Lydia Polin, also of Charleston, S.C.; four great-grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews; and other family members.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the First Baptist Church, 751 Green St. NW, Gainesville, GA, 30501.

Memorial Park Funeral Home, Gainesville The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Lou Nelle Gee Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 23, 2013, in Wards Funeral Home Chapel for Lou Nelle Gee, 86, of Flowery Branch. The Rev. Leon Thompson and the Rev. William Gee officiated.

Burial followed in Alta Vista Cemetery.

Born in Barberton, Ohio, she was a daughter of the late Fornia G. Faulkner and Ora Louise Walden Faulkner.

She retired from Zeeman Manufacturing and Peace Goods Clothing Store. She was a member of Morningside Baptist Church and was a loving mother and a friend to all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her husband, L.C. Gee; sons, Mike, Steve and Johnny Gee; and daughter, Glenna Gee. Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Kenny and Brenda Gee of Gainesville; daughters, Linda Williams and Joan Sailors, both of Flowery Branch; brother, Bill Faulkner of Gainesville; sisters, Peggy Shirley of Jefferson and Helen Brown of Acworth; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Those wishing may make memorial gifts to Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, 2150 Limestone Parkway, Suite 115, Gainesville , GA 30501, or Alzheimers Association, Georgia

New Community Church will be moving to a new location on Jan. 5, 2014. We invite you to Sunday service for worship, teaching and communion at Lawson Funeral Home, located at 4532 Highway 53, Hoschton (between Church Street and West Jackson Street). Service is on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. New Community believes that if we can move people along in their faith journey to passionately love God, then consistently loving others will be the result. Our vision is that everyone who comes to New Community will be accepted, loved, and encouraged to connect with what God is doing at New Community and in Jackson County.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, we can be all kinds of great things, but if we don’t have love, we are only noise (paraphrase). If there is one thing that will define New Community, it will be LOVE. Join Pastors Mike McGuire and Joey Durmire as we gather together as a faith community. sss The Church of Hoschton invites the community to its services. Service times are as follows: Bible Study starts at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday followed by morning worship at 10:30 and evening services at 6. Wednesday service begins with prayer time at 7p.m. and Bible study at 7:30 p.m.

The church is located at 99 E. Jefferson St., in Hoschton. Pastor Cory Sexton can be reached at the church office at 706-654-8415 or on his cell at 678-234-9408.

“Two’s Day” Bible Study are continuing. There are two sessions beginning at 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Continental breakfast is served prior to each session. This month, the study will be in chapter 4 of the Book of James. sss New Liberty United Methodist Church extends a warm welcome to all visitors.

Bible study has two classses to choose from: 9 a.m or 6:30 p.m. on Mondays The classes are led by Pastor Whit Martin.

The youth meet on Sundays at 5 p.m ; Sunday School is at 9:45 a.m with coffee and biscuits. For additional information about the Children’s Ministry and the Youth Ministry, call the church office 706-654-2406.

Community groups that meet at the church: The Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Troop 146 and Pack 146 meet at 7 p.m on Monday; The Braselton Yarners meet at noon on Tuesdays. sss Covenant Baptist Church is a group of called-out believers who are Committed to following Jesus Christ as Lord. We do this by sharing the good news of the gospel to those who are separated from God; and by teaching Believers how to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

Why are we here? How can my life have meaning, value and significance?

What is my purpose? These are questions we all face at one time or another.

Come and join us as we study the Gospel Project in Sunday School and learn how sin robs us from experiencing the reason we have been made – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Please join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30 at the Depot in downtown Hoschton. A nursery and children’s church is provided.

Pastor Todd Coble may be reached at 678-316-0273. God bless you and “See you at the Depot!” sss A Call to Worship now has a new location in the meeting room of Country Inn & Suites on Highway 124 in Braselton. Services are at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. Call 706-983-0449 or visit www.call2worship.org sss Arcade Community Church presents Praise Night on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 8 p.m. – midnight at the church. Singing will be Steve Pruitt, Frankie D and the Arcade Church Singers. The church is located at 171 Highway 82 South in Jefferson. Contact Pastor David Maddox at 706-202-7321.

Jesus is born in bethlehem At New Liberty United Methodist Church on Dec. 22, children sat in a group to learn about the story of the birth of Jesus and then completed a craft picture of an angel to take home.

Children then joined church members for a potluck dinner and a visit from Santa. In the sanctuary, the children re-enacted the birth of Jesus through the telling of the story and singing Christmas songs. The evening ended with everyone lighting a candle, singing Silent Night and praising Jesus.

Chapter, 1925 Century Blvd., NE, Atlanta , GA, 30345.

Wards Funeral Home, Gainesville The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Nanny Johnson

Died Dec. 19, 2013 Marie “Nanny” Robertson Johnson, 74, of Hoschton, died Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013.

Born in Hoschton, she was a daughter of the late Grady Leonard “Slim” Robertson and the late Maggie Matthews Robertson. A homemaker, she owned and operated Winners Circle BBQ and for many years kept numerous children of the community in her home. “Nanny,” as she was affectionately called by most everyone in the community, was a member of the Walnut Fork Baptist Church.

She loved to cook and serve the community. She was also preceded in death by her son, Jeff “Grass” Johnson, and brother, Royce Robertson.

Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Horace Johnson; daughter and sonin-law, Nancy Johnson Tabor and Michael of Pendergrass; sons, Randy “Radio” Johnson of Hoschton and Terry “Naner” Escoe of Braselton; sisters, Demaris Anglin of Jefferson and Corine Hix and Larie Robertson, both of Hoschton; brother, Quentin Robertson of Hoschton; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, in the chapel of Evans Funeral Home with the Rev. Tim Strickland officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Eagle Ranch, P.O. Box 7200, Chestnut Mt., GA 30502-0500.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Mary Phillips

Died Dec. 20, 2013 Mary Phillips, 81, of Bethlehem, died Friday, Dec. 20,

2013.

She was a retired plant manager with Rockwell International and was a member of Bethabra Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Theresa Williams.

Survivors include her son, Earl E. Phillips of Jefferson; daughters, Sheila Skinner Shedd of Winder and Tammy Hunter of Bethlehem; sister, Betty Fox of Murrayville; 13 grandchildren; 29 greatgrandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013, at Smith Funeral Home in Winder.

Burial will follow in Barrow Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Smith Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 26,2013

Sonny Williamson

Died Dec. 18, 2013 Lonnie Leroy “Sonny” Williamson, 74, of the Redstone Community of Athens, died Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013.

Born in Jackson County, he was a son of the late Lonnie and Genevieve Smith Williamson, and was a member of Redstone Methodist Church. He graduated from the University of Georgia after obtaining a Masters Degree in Wildlife Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism and

Literature. He did post-graduate work at the University of Maryland in Economics and retired as Vice President of the Wildlife Management Institute after 30 years. He was an accomplished writer having written for such magazines as Outdoor Life, and also served on the Outdoor Wildlife Association of America Board of Directors, 1985-1987; President, 19911992; and Board Chairman, 1993. “Sonny” as he was affectionately addressed by family and friends was also preceded by sisters, Betty Jo Pinson and Juanita Williamson.

Survivors include his wife, Donna Wood of Athens; son and daughter-in-law, Tony and Tammy Williamson of Athens; daughter and sonin-law, Robin and David Buchanan of Lafayette, La.; sister and brother-in-law, Yvonne Williamson Wilkes and Ray Wilkes of Athens; grandchildren, Grace Ann Williamson, Sam Williamson, Sally Pat Williamson, Sydnee Belle Buchanan and Bailey Buchanan; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial services were held Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, in the chapel of Evans Funeral Home with the Rev. Bryce Behnke officiating.

Memorials may be made to the St. Mary’s Auxiliary Love Lights, 1230 Baxter Street, Athens, GA 30606.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson The Paper, Dec. 26, 2013

Our Family Our Family Is Here forYours Is Here forYours Mr. James Lawson

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business

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

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Lawson Funeral Home hosts open house A crowd gathered Dec. 18 to celebrate Lawson Funeral Home with a Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony.

James and Carla Lawson decided to celebrate a yearplus milestone at their 4532 Highway 53 facility with a holiday open house, and the community joined in.

Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and board members, Hoschton Mayor Theresa Kenerly and clerk Ali Merk, District 3 Commissioner Bruce Yates were also in attendance.

The Lawsons say they have been blessed to be able to serve grieving families of Jackson, Banks, Barrow, Hall and North Gwinnett counties.

James Lawson provided tours of the facility.

State’s jobless rate drops to lowest mark in 5 years From staff reports

The Georgia Department of Labor announced Dec. 19 that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 7.7 percent in November, its lowest point since November 2008, when it was 7.6 percent. The rate is down four-tenths of a percentage point from 8.1 percent in October and a full percentage point from 8.7 percent in November a year ago.

“The rate is down because of strong job growth

and a very good drop in new claims for unemployment insurance benefits,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “The number of new jobs is the best October to November growth since 2007 and the number of new claims is the lowest for any month since September 2007. Both of these numbers pre-date the recession.”

The number of jobs increased by 19,500, or 0.5 percent, from 4,076,000 in October to 4,095,500 in November, the most jobs in Georgia since September

2008. Growth came mostly in trade, transportation and warehousing with 14,700 new jobs. Government added 2,000; financial services, 1,700; construction and education and health care, 1,500 each; manufacturing, 1,000; and information services, 900, along with 100 in other services.

Over the year, Georgia gained 91,200 jobs, or 2.3 percent, since November 2012 when there were 4,004,300 jobs.

“The November to November job growth is the

strongest for that period in eight years,” said Butler.

“The growth came in several industries, which indicates a broad job market recovery.”

The gains came in professional and business services, 27,400; leisure and hospitality, 20,500; education and health services, 18,600; trade, transportation and warehousing, 16,500; construction, 13,100; and financial services, 5,900. Government has lost 6,900 jobs in the past year.

The number of new layoffs, represented by initial

Awarded Operation Round Up grants total more than $8 million The Jackson EMC Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $100,766 in grants during their November meeting, including $81,752 to organizations serving area residents. Awards included: ■■ $15,000 to the Athens Nurses Clinic to help cover the costs of expanding the current clinic hours of operation by 6 hours per week, allowing nurse practitioners to see about 24 percent more acutely ill patients a year and providing more time to focus on health promotion, education and wellness programs.

■■ $15,000 to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens for its monthly Mobile Pantry Program, which distributes large quantities of food before its expiration date through partner agencies in nine local counties, eliminating the need for the agencies to store the food and allowing the Food Bank to distribute thousands of

pounds of food to those in need at a fraction of the cost.

■■ $15,000 to Tiny Stitches, Inc. in Suwanee, which uses a network of volunteers to make handmade tote bags filled with a 37-item layette that will keep the infant warm and dry for the first 2-3 months of life, donated to mothers in nine North Georgia counties who have little or nothing for their newborns.

■■ $6,000 to the Barrow County 4-H to purchase parts, materials, power tools and technology for its robotics program, which builds science, engineering and technology skills, inspires innovation and promotes wellrounded life skills in middle and high school students.

■■ $6,000 to the Jackson County 4-H to purchase parts, materials, power tools and technology for its robotics program, which builds science, engineering and technology skills, inspires in-

2013 Holiday Schedule Jackson County Transfer Station Holiday Hours:

Christmas Eve: 7:30 am – 12:00 noon Christmas Day: Closed New Year’s Day: Closed HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY! The Jackson County Transfer Station is located at:

100 Landfill Drive in Jefferson, GA 30549 Phone: 706-367-5253

novation and promotes wellrounded life skills in middle and high school students.

The Jackson EMC Foundation has put more than $8 million back into local communities since it was founded in 2005, funding 791 grants to organizations and 278 grants to individuals. Cooperative members participating in Operation Round Up have their monthly electric bills rounded up to the next dollar amount, with the “spare change” going to the Foundation.

Any individual or charitable organization in the 10 counties served by Jackson EMC may apply for a Foundation grant by completing an application. available at www.jacksonemc.com or at

local Jackson EMC offices.

claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, decreased to 33,781, down by 6,351, or 15.8 percent, from 40,132 in October. Claims declined in several sectors, including manufacturing, 1,800; professional, scientific and technical services, 825; administrative and support services, 700; retail trade, 650; health care and social assistance, 600; transportation and warehousing, 300;

and construction, 250. There were 47,351 claims in November 2012.

The overall number of unemployed Georgians decreased to 363,055, down by 20,322 from 383,377 in October.

This is the fewest unemployed Georgians since October 2008 when there were 346,852. There were 420,382 unemployed residents in November 2012.

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

forum

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Always put family first at Christmas

My mama has been gone for 17 Christmases. I still remember asking her every year what she wanted for Christmas.

“I just want my children around me,” she would say.

It took years after her death for me to understand that.

For some families, it seems Christmas is a competition to see how many boxes one can place around a Christmas tree. That’s never been me and I’m glad.

I now know what Mama meant about having your family around. It’s not about cuddling up with them and watching a movie, it’s just knowing they’re around.

We live in such a transient society where parents live on one coast and children on another. That makes it tough, especially on the holidays.

But what I can’t understand is families who live a few hours or even a few miles from one another and they gripe and complain about getting everybody together. The holiday season was meant for sharing it with one another. Knowing somebody loves you and cares about you is the greatest gift you can give or get.

I didn’t come from a tradition where we had church on Christmas Eve, but I love that time more than ever today. I love to see everybody else’s children, too, especially those who have grown up and now have families of their own. I love the fact that we sing “Silent Night” and know silent will not be the operative word for the remainder of the night. Folks will chat away as they share time with those they love.

I don’t have little folks around anymore and look forward to the time when a new generation of kids comes to be a part of our family. That’s the magic of Christmas and that’s what it is all about.

However, there are families who have been feuding

Harris Blackwood for years. Sons or daughters no longer speak to parents or vice versa. Sometimes these silent standoffs are over things that seem so trivial, but are enough to make people hate one another.

Sometimes, there are miraculous moments when longstanding skirmishes are settled. Sometimes hearing stories about peace and goodwill are enough to break through the hardened hearts that have kept families apart.

There are also those who have no children or other family members, but long for time spent with folks who are willing to welcome them in as one of their own.

It might be an older person you see at church every Sunday. It might be a young adult whose parents have passed away. Invite someone to be a part of your holiday celebration. It will be a gift that will pay dividends for years to come.

When I was single and in the media business, I had families who invited me to join them on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Their expression of kindness has stuck with me over the years.

In this day and time when long distance phone calls are almost non-existent, call someone and catch up with him or her and wish them a Merry Christmas. And after all this, if you still moan and gripe about going across town to see your mom or dad, just remember there are a lot of us out there who would love to spend time with ours. Enjoy it while you can.

Harris Blackwood is a Gainesville resident whose columns appear weekly.

Sometimes hearing stories about peace and goodwill are enough to break through the hardened hearts that have kept families apart.

Letters policy Send letters to editor@clickthepaper.com; fax, 706-658-0177; or P.O. Box 430, Hoschton, GA 30548. Please include name, hometown and phone number. Letters should be limited to 300 words on one topic and may be edited.

The First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

P.O. Box 430 Hoschton, GA 30548

Steve Kelley Creators Syndicate

Tree memories light up season Christmas is the time that we pack expectations into every package we wrap and for weeks anticipate that one, perfect Currierand-Ives day.

And, of course, since any day is seldom perfect, there are varying degrees of letdown that trickle across the population. For some people with high hopes, Christmas Day turns out to be melancholy. I realized this year, though, that there is one day of the Christmas season that never disappoints me. In fact, it is always warmer, more loving, memorable and joyous than I expect.

That’s the day I put up my favorite of three trees, the one in the bedroom that is a scrapbook of the bygone years and the people I love. It is a silk tree covered in white lights with iridescent ornaments. The tree itself brings back the memories of a hotel suite in Lexington, Ky., where I was speaking at a women’s event. It was a three-day tour on which I made new friends and had many laughs. I was watching a Bethlehem lights segment on QVC, saw the tree and ordered it. Whenever I put it up, I smile remembering

Ronda Rich that joyous trip.

The angel atop that tree was purchased in Los Angeles when I traveled the NASCAR circuit and they still raced at the worn-out, now torn down, dusty Riverside Raceway. On the way to the airport, I had extra time, so I stopped at a mall. The angel cost $40, a lot of money to me back then but I really wanted it for my first grown-up Christmas tree. Her lights are burned out now but she has never missed a year, guarding my tree and watching over me.

Big, glass balls that look like bubbles were purchased 20 years ago from the revered, now-gone Rich’s department store in Atlanta. Until last year, I had broken nary a one of the irreplaceable balls. I was sad for days after one dropped from the tree. It makes me think of Rich’s strong traditions, including the Pink Pig kids’ ride, the

tearoom and the bookstore in the basement.

Several years ago, Mama and I were shopping at a department store one night before Christmas. They had a weekend half-price sale of all ornaments so I bought several glimmering, fourtiered glass snowflakes.

Mama watched, smiling sweetly at their gorgeousness as the clerk carefully wrapped each one. Oh, how I enjoy the remembrance of that night with Mama as I hang each one.

Long, glass icicles scattered with shimmering, silver glitter remind me of my best friend from high school. Shortly after my first book was published, Lisa found herself in an emergency during the Christmas season, short of help in her gift shop. I showed up and worked long days, refusing to take payment. Of course, she gifted me with Fritz and Floyd pieces and offered anything I wanted at half price.

I bought those beautiful icicles so I think of her, that Christmas and our teenage friendship.

A Swarovski ornament is a reminder of a blizzard that once stranded me in New York City two days

before Christmas, while a larger one, both purchased at Rockefeller Center, marks my first Christmas with Tink, bringing to mind the light snow that was falling that night. Such a magical memory.

Three sets of glistening white balls were a gift for my first tree from my godmother, Mary Nell; a set of cascading glass bells were purchased in Pocono, Pa.; and a heavy iridescent ball came from the glassmakers in Corning, N.Y., outside of Watkins Glen.

The one that heart-tugs most, though, is the Hallmark ornament Daddy insisted on buying. It is a lighted elf working at his bench. “Buy it,” he commanded, handing me the money.

Decorating that tree fills me with such love and warmth, which is exactly what Christmas should be.

Ronda Rich is the bestselling author of several books. Sign up for her newsletter at www.rondarich.com. Her column appears weekly. “The Town That Came A-Courtin’,” the television movie based on Ronda’s best-selling novel, airs at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 on UP.

Andy Griffith had cure for ‘affluenza’ Don’t they watch “The Andy Griffith Show” in Texas?

Perhaps you’ve heard about this story in the national news: A Texas teen was drunk and driving a truck that caused a wreck that left four people dead, and others seriously injured. A juvenile court judge sentenced 16-yearold Ethan Couch to 10 years probation and a stint in a ritzy California rehab facility. No jail time.

A psychologist called by the teen’s attorneys testified that Couch suffered from “affluenza,” a condition where his development has been stunted by his parents’ wealth and their propensity to give him everything he wanted.

First, some pre-rant background.

The teen had at least one alcohol-related brush with the law before. On the night of the crash, he had a blood-alcohol level of .24, three times the legal limit, and THC, valium and muscle relaxants were also

Len Robbins in his system. He had apparently stolen beer from a local Walmart, and was driving 70 mph (in a 40 mph zone) when the Ford F-350 pickup he was driving swerved and struck a motorist who had broken down, and three people — Good Samaritans —helping the disabled motorist out.

All four — Breanna Mitchell, 24; Brian Jennings, 41; Hollie Boyles, 52; and Shelby Boyles, 21 — died.

Prosecutors in the case were asking for a sentence of 20 years, with at least two years in jail. In a Dallas Morning News story, an assistant district attorney who has prosecuted more than 50 intoxication manslaughter cases, Richard Alpert, said in every one of

those cases, the culprit was sentenced to at least some incarceration.

In the story, Couch’s attorney, Reagan Wynn, said Judge Jean Boyd was simply following the law with her sentence.

“If the point of the juvenile system is to rehabilitate these kids and make them productive members of society, then the judge did absolutely the right thing,” Wynn said in the story. “If the point of the juvenile justice system is all about vengeance, then she didn’t do the right thing.”

So according to the “affluenza” defense, the best way to rehabilitate someone who has committed a crime is to not punish them? They are sending him to rehab in a Newport Beach facility that costs $450,000 a year. Is that also where they send criminals that suffer from “povertyitis”?

Listen, I don’t know what strip mall they got this “psychologist” from, but there is no such thing as

“affluenza.”

And if there is (and, again, there isn’t), the cure for “affluenza” isn’t to withhold punishment. The cure is: Hold them accountable for their actions.

Which brings me to the “Bailey’s Bad Boy” episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.” In that episode, a young Bill Bixby plays a pompous rich teen who sideswipes a truck in Mayberry. His father plans on getting his son off without any punishment, but young Ronald Bailey (Bixby), after watching Andy hold Opie responsible for his behavior, decides to be accountable and “stand on his own two legs.”

Bailing your kids out of jams doesn’t help them — it handicaps them.

Accountability. As we say here in Georgia, “that’ll cure ’em.”

Len Robbins is editor and publisher of The Clinch County News in Homerville. His column appears weekly.

www.clickthepaper.com

Publisher Dennis L. Stockton General Manager Norman Baggs Editor LeAnne Akin

Government contacts U.S. government President Barack Obama, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500, 202-4561111, 202-456-1414, fax, 202-4562461; www.whitehouse.gov Sen. Saxby Chambliss, 416

Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-2243521; 100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1340, Atlanta, GA 30339, 770-7639090, fax, 770-226-8633; chambliss. senate.gov Sen. Johnny Isakson, 131 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-2243643, fax, 202-228-0724; One

Overton Park, 3625 Cumberland Blvd., Suite 970, Atlanta, GA 30339, 770-661-0999, fax, 770-661-0768; isakson.senate.gov U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, 513 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-9893; 111 Green St. SE, Gainesville, GA 30501, 770-297-3388; dougcollins.house. gov

business

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

7A

Prudential Georgia Realty officially joins Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices “It’s like Christmas,” said Peg Perkins, one of the agents with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, as agents entered the 85 North location in Hoschton where new signage brands the real estate office with a vibrant cabernet color.

The large conference room table was filled with boxes of new business cards and name tags with the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand, and agents were eager to see what was in store as Dec. 9 marked the official launch of a new era for the company.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the new real estate brokerage network operated by HSF Affiliates LLC, announced Dec. 9 that Prudential Georgia Realty has joined the growing network and is operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia properties’ new “Cabernet & White” yard signs are now appearing throughout the area.

Jan, Baker, Senior Vice President and Broker - 85 North, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, says she is excited to be painting the town “Cabernet.”

A breakfast buffet was enjoyed at the Hoschton office where bows and balloons and even the cups and napkins sported the new signature color and logo. Agents had been shopping to find clothing and accessories to coordinate. A special cabernet drink, Cran-pomegranate-sparkling cider, was served.

Pat Lynn and Carol Guse agreed the transition had been fairly seamless. “And it’s hard not to be excited to be No. 1,” said Guse. Being a recognized brand is a point of pride, Lynn noted.

One of the younger agents confessed she had to Goggle Berkshire Hathaway to learn how prestigious and respected the company was.

She said she was impressed by what she learned.

“It’s a sign of quality for real estate,” said Forsman, who says Integrity, Values, Compliance, Reputation and Ethics set the company apart.

The brokerage, an established frontrunner in the Atlanta real estate market, follows affiliate launches in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Washington.

“We are thrilled to now be part of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network,” said Dan Forsman, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties “Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brings an unparalleled level of quality and innovation to the real estate market and we are excited for what the future holds.”

Forsman and Earl Lee, CEO of HSF Affiliates, introduced the new brand at an agent event on Dec. 9 at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta where they spoke about the impli-

cations of the transition on the local real estate market.

Guests were also invited to a private tour of the museum in honor of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ new corporate membership and donation to the museum.

“Dan and his company have built a stellar reputation by delivering the highest value and exceptional service to clients,” said Lee. “We are proud they are now part of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and we look forward to their continue growth and success.”

Added Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America Inc., “Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties is a highly regarded real estate company both nationally and regionally and we are delighted they have joined the Berkshire H athawav HomeServices network.”

The brokerage also unveiled a suite of innovative digital resources for its agents and consumers, including a new real estate mobile app with custom local search options and a new digital advertising network, which will revolutionize the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta real estate market.

As part of the transition, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties agents also gain access to a robust real estate technology platform, ongoing business consultation, professional education, marketing support and more.

The company is part of a long line of Prudential Real Estate affiliates that have and will continue to join the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand through 2014 and beyond.

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A ribboncutting ceremony was held Dec. 11 at several listed homes in the Hamilton Mill area to ccelebrate the launch of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties. Below: On Dec. 9, Jan Baker welcomed agents to a special breakfast at the Hoschton office before the group boarded a bus for a company-wide celebration at High Museum of Art. Agent Peg Perkins said it was like Christmas as she opened up her new business cards and Berkshire Hathaway lapel pin and nametags.

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Visit BHHSGeorgia.com to find an office or agent near you.

Hoschton Business Association is spreading cheer The Hoschton Business Alliance celebrated the holidays and the season of giving with its annual Christmas party by presenting donations to several area nonprofits and sending members home with a present obtained in an entertaining gift exchange.

The members also brought donations for Toys for Tots which HBA member Kate Schermerhorn, Sales Associate for Eagle Carpet Care collected for the U.S. Marines’ effort. She also had several other partners in the collection effort. See related story.

The Hoschton Business Alliance presented Jackson County Habitat for Humanity with a $1,000 check which will help complete the 11th Habitat house now winding down. It had been hoped the home would be ready for the Ginger Phillips family to move into by Christmas, however, the dedication had to be delayed until January.

Additional donations and volunteers will help get the project completed.

The HBA also supported Jackson County Family Connection with executive director Linda Foster accepting the $250 donation.

Dianne Blankenship and Carol Tanner of the Hoschton Preservation Commission received a $250 check which will go toward ongoing work on the Darby Building.

Debbie Gori of Adventure Bags accepted a $250 donation for that nonprofit that provides a book bag containing important items like a stuffed animal, toothbrush, toothpaste, under garments, hair brush or comb, socks, coloring books, crayons and a journal for displaced children including those entering foster care or in shelters.

The presentations were made by HBA president Andy Garrison, treasurer Susan Tuggle and vice president Don Adams. Secretary LeAnne Akin The Paper

Nancy Rhodes, a member of the current Leadership Jackson class and owner of Ardonare, was able to reclaim a cashmere blanket during the HBA’s Christmas party gift exchange held at the Dec. 17 monthly meeting.

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The members and guests took part in a gift which found John Schulte, whose idea prompted the formation of the alliance, taking home a huge box of candy and Nancy Rhodes, owner of Adonare and a member of the current Leadership Jackson class, stealing back a cashmere blanket. Debbie Gori selected a set of Georgia Lottery tickets in hope of scratching off more money for Adventure Bags. One of her tickets yielded a $100 prize.

Garrison complimented the alliance and a wonderful six months and said all members were pulling together.

He urged continued support for each other’s businesses.

The Hoschton Business Alliance meets monthly on the third Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. at Country Inn and Suites in Braselton. Guests from all surrounding areas are welcome to join in and see this dynamic group interact, network and share business advice.

The Hoschton Business Alliance is made of active business people, community leaders, and individuals

LeAnne Akin The Paper

HBA president Andy Garrison, center, presented a $250 check to Dianne Blankenship and Carol Tanner of the Hoschton Preservation Commission. They are flanked by HBA treasurer Susan Tuggle, left, and Don Adams, right. See more scenes at ClickThePaper.com with a passion for success.

Their purpose is to connect as business owners – in our city and locally surrounding areas, partner with these communities, and grow their organizational footprint – as individual businesses and as a business alliance.

For more about the Hoschton Business Alliance, visit www.officialhba.com or the facebook page, HBA Hoschton Business Alliance.

Contact secretary Shawna Anderson at 678-761-6866.

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8A

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

CMYK Thursday, December 26, 2013

Sports DRAGONS LOOK SHARP AT UGA

Multiple swimmers lead Jefferson to big finish in Athens meet by latrice williams

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

The Jefferson High School swim team recently competed against 13 teams in one its toughest meets to date at the University of Georgia. It was a very competitive day in the pool where the boys took 10th place overall and the Lady Dragons finished fourth.

“The level of competition in this meet really went up and our swimmers responded well. The meet included the powerful Oconee teams and Harrison High School so our swimmers got to swim against some of the best in the state,” said community coach Chad Klinck.

“I think everyone of our swimmers improved in at least one event and we really swam great top to bottom,” said head coach Lane Guzman.

The boys were led by Nic Aquila, Cole Holbrook and Jacob Musgrove who each turned in great performances as a team and as individuals.

“Nic Aquila, Cole Holbrook and Jacob Musgrove crowded the standings of the 500-yard freestyle, finishing third, sixth and seventh. Jacob qualified for the second year in a row for the state meet with his time,” Klinck said.

Musgrove also finished third in the 200-yard freestyle. The Lady Dragons had no shortage of victory as they posted more than five top six finishes. Heather Perry finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Camille Porter finished second in the 100-yard backstroke and first in the 100yard freestyle.

B

MC Hawks finish 10th at County Invite

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

North Gwinnett in the first round and Nighee Eddington of MeadowThe Mill Creek High creek in the second. He School wrestling team then ran into his archhad a great showing at the nemesis Rudy Guillen Gwinnett County Champiof Buford. Guillen wresonship where they finished tled with Norcross last 10th overall as 13 wrestlers season but no matter made their mark early and which school he comreturned for Day Two. petes at, he’s always a Four competitors had force to be reckoned a shot at a first-place finwith and proved so by ish while the rest vied for finishing in first place. third. However, five were The Hawks were in eliminated in the first eighth place after the round, leaving eight with first round on Day Two the duty of accumulating and were nearly 35 as many points as possible. points away from first Bobby Klemm was the place.

Latrice Williams The Paper unsung hero for Mill Creek But as the day proas he finished first and was Bobby Klemm earned a 5-4 victory over Dallas Hadley of Dacula. gressed, underdogs the only Hawk to do so. KlBerkmar and Meadowemm defeated Dallas Hadcreek rose up the charts, “I went to off-season workouts county invitational. ley of Dacula High School in a and I got stronger. The coaches “That first-place win really putting Mill Creek in 10th place. match that needed overtime.

Chandler Miele (132) opened have helped me a lot this season. boosted my confidence. It made Klemm has made a dramatic I’ve built a good work ethic,” me more aware and more pre- his day with an overtime showturnaround from a year ago and stated Klemm. pared on [how to get through a down against Anderson Bui of said he put in as much work as he Meadowcreek.

Klemm also finished in first tough bracket],” Klemm said. could between summer training place in the Santa Slam and rode Marcos Rosenkjer, a 145-pound for football.

See MILL CREEK, 2B that momentum wave into the wrestler, defeated Justin Lewis of lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

PORTER NAMED CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hawkins named as AT&T Junior Bowl competitor

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

See JEFFERSON, 2B

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

Johnathan Hawkins suffered a wrist injury prior to the start of the season but his stock didn’t fall one bit as he was selected to compete in the AT&T Junior Bowl.

The game will take place Dec. 31 at Grady Stadium in Atlanta.

Hawkins underwent surgery prior to the start of the season and wore a cast on his wrist but has been cleared to play by his doctor.

“I was very excited when they called my name at the camp. I was one of the few who got selected from the large camp and I approach this game as a way to show my talent against the top kids in the state,” said Hawkins.

“It’s a blessing and I want to show every college or any-

Panthers gear up for tourney

body that doubts me what I can do.”

A running back for the Mill Creek High School football team, Hawkins has received offers from Auburn University, Penn State University and the University of Arkansas.

At the AT&T Junior Bowl, Hawkins will compete with a talented bunch, including Stephenson High School defensive end Chauncey Rivers, who is committed to the University of South Carolina.

Joshua Thomas, an athlete from Buford, will showcase his talent alongside Hawkins and has offers from Mississippi State University, the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University to name a few.

See HAWKINS, 2B

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

A high school basketball season wouldn’t be complete without a holiday tournament and the Lady Panthers team will showcase its skills in the Big Red Tournament in Gainesville.

Jackson County Comprehensive High School will be one of four AAA teams, and Alpharetta, Central Gwinnett, Chattahoochee and Gainesville are also on the bracket. All records are as of Dec. 19.

North Hall comes into the tourney undefeated. The Lady Trojans are typically a powerhouse not only in their region but throughout the AAA classification. Just two seasons ago, the Lady Trojans were a Final Four contender.

Franklin County, which Jackson County beat earlier this season, has made a drastic turnaround since that loss. The Lady Lions scored 60 or more points on three opponents and average 51.7 points per game.

Franklin County is 7-2 and undefeated in region play.

See JACKSON COUNTY, 2B

Doug Chellew The Paper

Tradd Porter gets his shot at running back after making an interception against Social Circle.

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

Strong safety Tradd Porter of the Jefferson High School football team was named the CoDefensive Player of the Year by Georgia High School Football Daily. He shares the honor with defensive tackle Luther Jones of Union County.

Porter finished the season with 96 tackles, one sack, eight tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble. Despite all the numbers, Porter considers this a team award, citing unselfishness as the reason to the team’s success and this accolade.

“It is a great honor for me but

I’m a team player and I consider it an honor for our team,” said Porter. “I have played with a great group of friends my whole life at Jefferson and we have always played as a team no matter what the sport.

“We have won several state championships in three different sports and you have to be unselfish to do that. On defense, it takes 11 guys being unselfish to get five shutouts like we had this year,” said Porter.

“There is no way I would have won this award without seniors like Hanon Price, Austin Mixon, Isaiah Blake, Tyler Bowen and many more. We did it all together and they are my brothers forever,” he said.

Doug Chellew The Paper

Running back Johnathan Hawkins looks for a hole to run through in a Sept. 20 game against Peachtree Ridge.

Hawkins finished the season with seven rushing touchdowns.

LOCAL basketball

local basketball

local baseball

Jackson County hoops

High school holiday tournaments

G-Braves baseball gear on sale

Jackson County Parks and Rec basketball teams will enjoy a long Christmas break and the wins they picked up as well. The Barrow Bulldogs defeated EJ Rouse 2011. Commerce Simpson defeated Commerce Sorrells 21-18. Commerce Vandiver picked up a 40-36 win over Commerce Huff. Commerce Massey picked up a 3-point win over Commerce Hobbs 10-7. Jefferson Sparks saw a win over EJ Richardson 25-7 and Barrow Flight earned a close win over JC-Walker 46-42.

There will be plenty of high school basketball in action over the Christmas break. The Lady Panthers of Jackson County Comprehensive High School will compete in the Big Red Tournament in Gainesville Dec. 26-28. Both Jefferson High School basketball teams will compete in the Walnut Grove Christmas Tournament Dec. 27-30.

The Lady Hawks will compete in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Dec. 27-30 and the boys will travel to Tift County for the McDonald’s Classic.

The Gwinnett Braves are running a special promotion through Dec. 28 where everything is 20 percent off. Some of the items include Braves T-shirts, hats, baseball cards and more. They open the season April 3 on the road against the Durham Bulls. Gwinnett also has special holiday packages on sale that can be used at any home game and include on-field batting practices and merchandise. 2014 season tickets are also available. Visit gwinnettbraves.com for the promo code or call 678-277-0300.

2B

sports

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

JC matures fast before area duals from the beginning of the year out of the entire team. I feel that our wrestlers are as best prepared as they could be this year,” said Powers.

“We have made some slight changes to how we approach matches and this has made a huge difference and that has translated to wins.

“We’ve [also] given up fewer pins in each match this year. That makes a huge difference in duals. We score a lot of points in our wins and give up few in losses and that is why we’ve had such success in duals this year,” said Powers.

JCCHS will compete in the Hurricane Duals at Monroe Area High School this weekend in a meet Powers said will be the prelude before the area duals. A total of 13 teams will compete in the area duals, including East Jackson, Franklin County, North Hall and West Hall. The Panthers recently defeated WHHS at home.

“We wrestle a lot of duals and dual tournaments headed into area so that we know how to wrestle as a dual team. It is our hope to place well in the tournament and take that momentum into area duals,” Powers stated.

So who’s standing in the Panthers’ way? For starters, Buford High School’s Chip Ness, who is a three-time state champ and has surrendered just one match his whole career. Ness is committed to the University of North Carolina and has 92 pins under his belt.

In terms of teams as a whole, JackLatrice Williams The Paper son County has a legitimate shot at havTrevin Sweat saves the day for Jackson County against Clarke Central in a home ing several first-place finishers, parmeet earlier this season where he won by pin. ticularly in its 106, 195 and 220 weight divisions. While it will take a collective

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS strides, Powers is hoping they’ll save effort, Powers said the youngsters will need to prevail. lwilliams@clickthepaper.com their best act for last.

“I think we can surprise some peo“We’re all wrestling extremely well right now. We’re improving match to ple at area duals and should have an extremely competitive lineup. Some of High school wrestlers are just one match,” Powers said. week away from area duals, the tourThe coaching staff knew that limit- our younger wrestlers will have to step nament that determines whether or not ing pins would be key to not only having up in duals as we made a lot of moves in they book their ticket to state. success throughout the year but a shot our lineup to make us stronger against For Jackson County Comprehensive at state as well. After some fine tuning, different teams. I don’t know who it High School, peaking at the right time Jackson County coaches say they feel will be right now but, in order for us to have success at area duals, one of our is not now, according to head coach Ja- pretty good about the squad. son Powers. While they’ve made good “I have seen a ton of improvements younger wrestlers will have to step up

MILL CREEK Continued from 1B

Both exchanged points frequently in all three matches before Miele took an 11-10 lead and did not relinquish it.

Yet, he was knocked out of contention for first place after a loss to Brayden Hartley of Buford.

He returned the next day and limited Shiloh’s Isaiah Thomas to two points but fell victim to Adam Lloyd of Peachtree Ridge in the next round.

Wesley Peterson (152) came up just one match shy of the championship round. He faced Foley Akanmu

of Peachtree Ridge, saw a forfeit and then suffered an untimely loss in the third period against Berkmar’s Ethan Castaneda.

In the 182-pound division, Matthew Felbaum cruised through Day One with two wins but couldn’t get past Mountain View’s Octavin Jarda. Felbaum finished the day in fifth place.

Ardy Velez (195) also finished fifth, rebounding well after a tough loss that he suffered Day One. “It feels good. I worked hard for

Latrice Williams The Paper

Continued from 1B

JCCHS comes in looking for its offensive firepower. All season they’ve been sparked by Mason Garland and Shelton Kendrix who exchange the role as leading scorer.

The boys will not compete in a holiday tournament but will compete against Washington-Wilkes on Dec. 28. The boys will have eight days of rest before the game against the Tigers, a team they split the series with a year ago.

Jackson County has relied heavily on Hakeem Samuals and Antonio Strickland. Samuals had 17 points and a double-double and Antonio Strickland had 15 points against White County. Look for Samuals and Strickland to key contributors again.

Latrice Williams The Paper

JCCHS wants to get all its playmakers involved in terms of scoring against Washington-Wilkes and the rest of its region opponents.

Continued from 1B “I’m excited about the competition level. I love competing and I’m looking forward to playing with some of my friends,” stated Hawkins.

I look forward to playing against Justin Young (Grayson) Gabe Tiller (Archer) and others because we’ve been playing together and against each other for a long time. I can’t wait to face some of the top defensive players in the country like my [friend] Mehki Brown.”

The AT&T Junior Bowl was developed by Izell Reese, who played with the Dallas Cowboys, and Joe Burns, who played for the Buffalo Bills. Only juniors are eligible to compete and are displayed on risingseniors.com. The bowl is promoted as a way to educate players on what to expect when they get to college, encourage them to maintain high academic achievement and give back to their community.

JEFFERSON

Continued from 1B “The girls’ 4x100-yard freestyle relay team of Ryan Childress, Bree Hanson, Heather Perry and Camille Porter, who qualified for the state swim meet, finished fourth.

Bree Hanson and Ryan Childress swam their best times and finished third and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle,” Klinck said.

The Dragons have broken the stigma that a new program can’t survive against veterans. They have three relay teams that have qualified for state, along with Musgrove and Porter who will make their second appearance at state.

“Our team only has one senior and three juniors so we are building,” said Guzman. “I think everyone is really excited about the program and where we are headed.”

Jefferson will have one month off until its next meet but the Dragons will keep their feet wet with practices over the holidays to prep them for a busy January schedule. They’ll return to the pool Jan. 11 in Gainesville at the Frances Meadows Center.

LADY HAWKS GET BIG REGION WIN OVER NORTH GWINNETT; BOYS FALL 87-62

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

The Lady Hawks looked sharp with the return of Meredith Schulte against North Gwinnett High School.

MCHS led by 12 headed into the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs wouldn’t go away easily. Yet, Mill Creek held on to its lead and was aided by Schulte who scored 23 points, resulting in a 51-50 win.

Louisiana State University commit Stephanie Amichia led North Gwinnett with 17 points.

The boys however, saw a North Gwinnett team that dominated the entire game. T.J. Howard led the pack with 26 points and four Bulldogs had double figures including Howard. Kamaran Calhoun scored 19, Malik Carter and

what I earned. I was kind of bummed after my first loss but I came back the next day wanting a medal and I fought hard,” said Velez.

Velez, who is a second-year wrestler, placed in a weight class 13 pounds more than what he weighs and looks forward to wrestling 182 in the area duals.

“I’ve been doing my homework on who I will have to face and who will give me a challenge. I’ll be practicing and grinding to get better so I can do well in the area duals,” Velez said.

Left: Ardy Velez defeated Shavar Henry of North Gwinnett in the second round of the third place bracket. Right: Jesus Ramos represented the 138 pound weight class for Mill Creek.

JACKSON COUNTY

HAWKINS

Anisha Kabir For The Paper

Kathleen Haxton (11) look for an open teammate against Peachtree Ridge.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

features Start 2014 on a healthy note

3B EXPOSURE

By FARAH BOHANNON

fbohannon@clickthepaper.com

For years, living a healthier lifestyle, losing weight, and exercising more have been some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. The television is always blaring with different diets to try and gym memberships to purchase. Fortunately, there are other ways to start the year off on a healthy note without spending excess money.

Let’s admit it: fad diets can be exhausting and tedious. After a few weeks of eating the same bland food, it can be difficult to see others chowing down on pizza, pasta and cake, so any weight loss or health goals are likely to fail due to extreme deprivation and boredom.

Kath Younger-Monson of Charlottesville, Va., who writes a popular food blog, Kath Eats Real Food (www.katheats.com), has a great proposition on this topic. She calls it the “squiggly line effect.”

“The squiggly line effect is my method of weight maintenance. I let myself enjoy the delicious, calorie-dense foods that I love, but I balance that out with healthy, real food,” said Younger. “For example, if I have a birthday party to attend and I know there is going to be cake, I’ll eat a big salad for lunch with smoked salmon or an egg. I then feel OK eating a slice of cake with my beloved vanilla buttercream frosting because I then start the next day eating healthy, real foods again. It’s all about a healthy balance and portion control.”

Younger’s method basically says that weight and health maintenance can be achieved, even if you enjoy your favorite double chocolate ice cream, loaded baked potatoes or meat-lovers pizza from time to time. Just don’t do it every single day, and keep portions relatively small -eat one slice of pizza with a big salad instead of three slices. Or enjoy one scoop of ice cream instead of three. Your weight and health journeys will be more enjoyable this way, and portion control will eventually become easier.

Whitney and Scott Carlson of Hoschton are firm believers in working out and clean eating.

In fact, it is such a passion of theirs that they, along with friends Jim and Tiffany Staples, started a blog called He & She Eat Clean (www. heandsheeatclean.com). The blog shares healthy recipes, workouts, giveaways, challenges and more while uplifting its audience to obtain a clean, fit life.

“I recently quit my corporate job to become a personal trainer and online coach,” said Whitney. “I believe that eating clean and working out will give anyone the results that they want. It happened to me. I happen to be passionate about all things finance, so being frugal and saving money is important to me. People are always telling me how expensive it is to eat healthy, but imagine how expensive it is to treat diseases and illnesses caused by a life of inactivity, obesity and just being unhealthy -- definitely way more expensive than buying lean meats and veggies instead of processed junk.”

The writers of He & She Eat Clean happen to love all types of food, so they’ve taken several unhealthy recipes and “cleaned them up” so they can still be enjoyed. A few examples include clean cookie dough, clean chocolate covered peanut butter balls, banana bread, guilt free cinnamon rolls, clean pizza, burgers and lasagna, to name a few. These recipes use lighter and more nutritious ingredients like oat flour, lean, grass-fed meat, egg whites, allnatural sugar substitutes and whole-wheat flour instead of excess amounts of butter, white flour and sugar.

The gang also believes that a consistent workout schedule is important, but they realize that it is not always feasible to pay for gym memberships or to even have the time to leave the house or the office to exercise. There are several at-home workouts available on their site, which have been convenient for stay-athome-moms, those who work from home, or for those who frequently travel and stay in hotel rooms.

Georgia ranks #38 among the other states in overall health, according to America’s Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation.

In order to lower this number and become a healthier state, the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) used America’s Health Rankings to transform state health systems, which includes reducing infant mortality rates, obesity and tobacco as well as the continuation of the Georgia Student Health and Physical Education Act. Perhaps as a community we can strive to make 2014 and beyond healthy and, hopefully, contribute to a lower ranking for Georgia. Eating a balanced diet, staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are excellent resolutions for the coming year.

Gyms in the area include Anytime Fitness (Braselton, Hoschton, Winder, Auburn, Dacula), Snap Fitness Jefferson, which will be closing on Dec. 27 with memberships transferring to Jefferson Fitness, Winder YMCA, Pump ‘N Iron Gym Winder, Curves Winder and Be-Fit Workout Studio in Hoschton.

For more information about Georgia Health Rankings, visit www.americashealthrankings. org.

LeAnne Akin The Paper

Jefferson Library Manager Amy Carlan talks about the new library which is under construction in Jefferson Station. The larger library will help meet the growing needs of one of the system’s busiest libraries.

Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce showcases nonprofits With the season of giving here along with the time to think of year-end donations, the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce provided area nonprofits with an opportunity to showcase their missions at the Dec. 4 business breakfast.

In addition to serving as the renewal of the Eggs & Issues for the Jackson County legislative delegation to provide some insight into the upcoming session, the final

Chamber breakfast of 2013 was an expo for some of the representatives of the community’s organizations to connect with business leaders.

Now is the time for making tax deductible donations. At right is a list of the participants and contact information so you can get information on the nonprofits or find out more about what kind of support you or your business could provide.

LeAnne Akin The Paper

Jackson County Certified Literate Community Program director Sandra Fite participated in the expo held Dec. 4. Jackson County recently renewed its financial support to the ongoing adult literacy effort in Jackson County.

Non-Profit Expo Participants

■■ Boy Scouts of America - Northeast Georgia Council - Phil Nichols P.O. Box 399 Jefferson, GA 30549 800-699-8806 ext. 116 Cell: 404-316-2534 Fax: 706-693-4849 ■■ Humane Society of Jackson County - Margaret Lang 98 College St. Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-1111 ■■ Jackson County Certified Literate Community - Sandra Fite 1482 Galilee Church Road Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-8574 ■■ Jackson County Family Connection Council - Linda Foster 456 Athens St., Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-3021 Fax: 706-367-3044 ■■ Jackson County Habitat For Humanity - Paul Brown 661 S. Elm St. Commerce, GA 30529 706-336-0061 ■■ Lindsay’s legacy Mentoring Lisa Stephens P.O. Box 451 Jefferson, GA 30549 706-410-5525 Fax: 706-367-0931 ■■ Peace Place P.O. Box 948, Winder, GA 30680 Outreach office 675 S. Elm St. Commerce, GA 30529 770-558-5064 See EXPO, 4B

Holiday-themed fundraising

By KATIE GRIFFIN

klgriffin@clickthepaper.com

Mary and Brent Greenwood, owners of Funopolis Family Fun Center in Commerce, invite everyone to participate in their second annual Christmas Village to benefit local nonprofit groups. The village will remain open every weekend until Jan. 5, 2014. It opened on Dec. 6.

They have a new concept this year so the non-profit organizations do not have to build a house to be a part of the Christmas Village, instead they have brought the village inside the haunted house trailer. There are 12 rooms that 12 non-profit organizations have decorated. Each room has a Christmas theme that reflects what type of work the nonprofits do.

“We are so proud of our local non-profits and we ask that you please come see the displays and vote for your favorite,” said Mary Greenwood.

There will be a $3 entry fee and everyone will get to tour the Christmas Village and then cast one vote for their favorite non-profit. For every vote, the non-profit organization will receive $1 and the display that gets the most votes will win the grand prize at the end of the event.

As in the past three years, Funopolis will have Santa Land where children can visit Santa and get pictures. There will be a professional photographer available to take pictures but families will also have the option of taking pictures themselves if they prefer. The children can play with Santa on Funopolis attractions. Santa will be available from 2-6 p.m. on Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Some of the non-profit organizations that will benefit from this event are The Tree House, Peace Place, Habitat for Humanity, The Humane Society, Commerce Library, Family Connection and The Boys and Girls Club.

There are five small houses that have been built for the village and are outside the Haunted House trailer. The first house is a gingerbread house that was donated for Peace Place. The second house is for Habitat for Humanity. The houses have either been donated by a small business or have been handmade by the non-profits or volunteers.

For more information, contact Mary by phone at 706-3353866 or email funopolis@windstream.net.

Funopolis hosts Christmas Village as fundraiser for area nonprofits

You can vote for the Peace Place gingerbread house when you visit Funopolis’ Christmas Village through Jan. 5, 2014, and help support nonprofits of the area. Also participating is The Tree House, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society of Jackson County, the Commerce Library, Family Connection and the Boys & Girls Club.

4B

features

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

LeAnne Akin The Paper

Sharing blessings

Linda Foster of Jackson County Family Connection and Cheryl Iski and Paula A. Matzko the Humane Society of Jackson County also participated in the Chamber nonprofit expo. See Page 5B for tips on end-of-year giving.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office will be distributing Christmas gifts to several families in need this week throughout the county. “We would like to say thank you for the large amount of contributions by businesses, private citizens, Sheriff’s Office employees and local organizations that have made it possible for our agency to help provide for these families this year, particularly the children,m” said Sheriff Janis Mangum. Pictured above are Jailer Conrad Davis, Sargent Brad Hill, Investigator Richard Vickery with Sheriff Mangum. At left, Joni Lott and Destiny Roberts assisted in sorting and distributing toys.

EXPO

Continued from 3B

■■ Piedmont Regional Library System/ Jefferson Public Library Amy Carlan 379 Old Pendergrass Road Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-8012 ■■ Piedmont CASA Inc. Annette Bates 5000 Jackson Parkway, Suite 210 Jefferson, GA 30549 706-387-6375 Fax: 706-387-6388 ■■ The Tree House Inc.

Becky Lee 173 Highland Drive Winder, GA 30680 770-868-1900 Fax: 770-868-1920 ■■ United Way of Northeast Georgia Rubielen Norris 1 Huntington Road Suite 805 Athens, GA 30606 706-543-5254 Fax: 706-369-8852 ■■ Wellspring Camp & Conference Center Josh and Tammy Griffin 193 Lindsay Lane Jefferson, GA 30549 Phone: 706-206-0893

LeAnne Akin The Paper

HBA vice president Don Adams, HBA president Andy Garrison, Kate Schermerhorn, sales associate for Eagle Carpet Care and HBA secretary Susan Tuggle with the toys collected for the U.S. Marines’ effort.

Eagle Carpet Care teams up with Toys for Tots Eagle Carpet Care & Restoration was able to collect 558 toys for Toys for Tots.

For Eagle Carpet Care’s sixth annual toy drive which ended on Dec. 17, Eagle partnered with several businesses in the community to collect toys.

For each person that donated either directly with Eagle or at partnered business location, Eagle offered a coupon for $20 off any of

their professional services.

Partnered donation sites included Anderson Physical Therapy Associates in Braselton and Gainesville, Braselton Antique Mall and Stonewalls BBQ in Braselton, Von Deylen Chiropractic in Buford, Georgia Gun Store in Gainesville, Healing Grace Ministries, Northeast Georgia Motorsports and Hoschton Area Business Alliance in Hoschton and Bentley Butcher Shop in Winder.

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features

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

5B

Christmas Extravaganza is hosted in Hoschton

By FARAH BOHANNON

fbohannon@clickthepaper.com

The first Holiday Extravaganza in the City of Hoschton was a family fun event held Saturday that got everyone excited for the next big holiday -- Christmas.

The Christmas Extravaganza took place at the Hoschton Depot, and guests were greeted by a wonderful musical group playing instruments and singing Christmas songs. Also on the porch of the depot was the sparkly, shiny, special Christmas tree where purple bows and ornaments were hung to honor loved ones who are fighting or in memory of those who have lost their battle with cancer.

Dec. 14 happened to be a dreary, cold day with torrential rain and gusty winds lasting through the afternoon, so the event’s turnout wasn’t as high as Merk would have liked.

“I think the weather scared some people off from coming, even though the rain had stopped. However, we had a great time and there was a decent amount of people to enjoy the holiday festivities,” said Merk.

Merk said her hopes are still very high about this

Christmas Extravaganza event because this year was the very first one. Things will only get better each year and it is a family friendly event that supports a great cause -- Relay for Life. Keepsake ornaments were sold and money was raised for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

People donated $5 to place a purple ribbon on the tree while a $20 donation got a purple ornament to hang and another to give as a commemoration of the event. Merk wrote the names of these individuals on the purple ornaments with a silver paint pen, which looked marvelous on the special Christmas tree.

Children participated in cookie decorating, crafts, Christmas carols, s’more making and hot cocoa drinking. The showing of the movie, Polar Express, was moved inside the depot since the grass was still very wet outside.

Danielle Austin, who works with the Town of Braselton, was in attendance with her family including son, Jackson. Both are cancer survivors and have an amazing story. They were at the Christmas Extravaganza to let loose and enjoy

Farah Bohannon The Paper

While the threat of bad weather kept people away from the Christmas Extravaganza, those who ventured out enjoyed music and hot chocolate, crafts, a treelighting ceremony and the movie, Polar Express, shown inside.

the holiday season as a family. Three generations of her family took their turn at playing the kazoo and she captured images which she posted on Facebook.

“There is a pretty good turnout so far, despite the weather. I’m glad we have

the option to come inside and still have fun,” Austin said at the event.

Merk said she hopes the event will be an annual happening. She also plans to other quarterly events for Hoschton residents to enjoy throughout the year.

“I think it is important to host warm and fuzzy events like this so everyone involved with the City of Hoschton --whether you are a resident or an employee -- can engage with each other and make positive memories. I don’t want the only communica-

tion between residents and city hall to be paying bills,” said Merk. “All of us at city hall want to reach out to the city and offer fun things for them to do.”

Visit www.cityofhoschton. com for city happenings.

The Tree House is helping children reclaim lives

The Tree House, the children’s advocacy center serving Barrow, Jackson and Banks counties, provides child services including counseling as well as family support including parenting sessions and supervised visitation.

The nonprofit served 629 persons last year including 372 children receiving 4,385 services. A total of 348 forensic interviews were conducted and crisis counseling services were provided to those children. A total of 877 individual counseling sessions were conducted and 1,587 followups and referrals were provided.

Staffers provided 580 supervised visits for families whose children are in some type of state care and case management was provided for 219 persons.

The Tree House has its main office in Winder, however, a donation from the Luther and Suzie Harrison Foundation supported the establishment of a satellite

Becly Lee speaks with Peter Lanham at the Dec. 4 Chamber breakfast. office in Commerce. Located next to the new location of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, The Tree House office is providing improved access to services for families in northern Jackson County and Banks County.

A Survivors of Abuse Rock Camp (SOAR) was a day camp hosted for teenage girls who have been victimized by sexual abuse. During the camp, the participants made new friends and en-

Bring One for the Chipper Dec. 26 - Jan. 4 Recycle Your Christmas Tree!

LOCATIONS • Arcade City Hall • Commerce at Lanier Tech • • Hoschton at the Depot • • Jackson County Transfer Station • • Jefferson Civic Center • • Talmo - Across from the fire department • Drop-Off areas will be marked with caution tape designating where your tree(s) should be placed.

joyed workshops including art and music, dance and creative writing. The camp’s final day found the participants entertaining parents, friends and guests with a choreographed dance and a song. They also shared their writings. With a generous donation from Clipper Petroleum, the SOAR camp will be held again next year.

The Tree House provides an opportunity for community members to help support the mission of “Building Families Rebuilding Lives” with year-end giving opportunities.

A donation of $10 will pay for play therapy supplies for one child while a $25 gift will buy the parenting curriculum for a family. It takes $40 to finance a supervised visit and $50 pays for a single therapy session for a victim of child abuse.

Three home visits to families in need of hands-on parent education can be paid for with a $100 donation while $200 pays for a forensic inter-

view of a suspected victim of abuse. A forensic evaluation can be financed with a $400 donation.

In August, the first Primal Rush Obstacle Course Race was held at Crow’s Lake with 14 obstacles for contestants to run, swim and crawl over.

One of the big fundraisers for The Tree House is A Night of Hope for Children, set for April 4, 2014, at the Winder Community Center.

Tickets are $35 each. This will be the 16th annual Night of Hope which includes a buffet dinner and both a live and silent auction. For tickets and more information about donating an auction item, contact The Tree House at 770-868-1900.

Donations can be made to The Tree House, 173 Highland Drive, P.O. Box 949, Winder, GA 30680. Learn more about The Tree House and other ways you can help support community advocacy efforts by visiting www. thetreehouseinc.org Becky Lee, executive di-

rector of The Tree House, and other staffers are available to speak with commu-

nity groups and business gatherings. Contact The Tree House at the number above.

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6B

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

Boyfriend is a winner, but he avoids conflict at all costs Dear John: I am in a longdistance relationship and it works for us.

We have a great time when we’re together, and we’re compatible on most levels, particularly when it comes to the bedroom.

I’m 41 and divorced with three children, who are 9, 12 and 14. He is 44, never married and without any children.

He has shared with me his desire for a long-term relationship and that he’s not totally content being a “bachelor.”

The major problem I’ve encountered is that he avoids conflict at all cost.

I recently expressed that I was “hurt” when he planned a minivacation by himself and didn’t ask me to go. This discussion resulted in us not seeing each other for three weeks.

I am just now getting him to open up to me. He admits his tendency to avoid conflict, revealing that in the past, whenever conflict would arise, he would simply break up with the other person.

John Gray I can’t believe he feels two people can have a relationship with no conflict. I explained to him how issues that need discussing will always arise and that no one is perfect.

He says he’s willing to try to work on this because he values what we have together. — Guidance Appreciated, in Providence, R.I. Dear Appreciated: For whatever reason, your boyfriend does not have a positive image of long-term relationships.

Quite often, this is a pattern you will see in people who were raised with parents in troubled relationships.

All couples argue, but not all of them are willing to get past these difficulties. It is quite possible that during his

earliest years, when he was his most impressionable, his parents were one such couple.

Conflict for him, therefore, becomes the stopping point of a relationship rather than an issue two people can work on, resolve and move on from. In a certain sense, you could compare his reaction to a recurring nightmare in which all is well until he comes across this inevitable dark place and does not know how to escape.

This might go a long way explaining why your guy is 44 and never married.

He can overcome this pattern, but he will need your love and patience, and perhaps some joint counseling in the future.

The good news is, I suspect, that he would like this relationship to succeed.

With your patience and persistence, that just might happen.

Dear John: The guy I’m dating just told me I can’t sleep over during the week.

His reason is that he doesn’t sleep well when I am over

and that bothers him at work the next day.

Is he lying? My ex-boyfriend said the same thing, and three weeks later, he broke up with me. — Worried, in Jackson, Miss.

Dear Worried: These are two different men. Just because the first one said the same thing before breaking up with you doesn’t mean that the second one will call it off too.

Don’t assume your new boyfriend is doing anything other than asking for a good night’s sleep.

I agree with you that the ability to cuddle and stay the night can be an important component in the long-term viability of a relationship.

However, if one partner tosses and turns, snores, has restless leg syndrome or other issues, you don’t necessarily have to sleep in the same room.

You may not be aware of your own nocturnal habits.

Ask him honestly if this might in fact be the issue. If so, then talk to your doctor about a possible solution or ask her to recommend a

WORKING IT OUT

sleep specialist.

Remember, sleeping together is only one aspect of your relationship. What happens when the two of you are awake is much more important to the success of your love.

Dear John: “Hank” and I are in the process of getting a divorce. It will be final in a little over a month.

We have a 7-year-old daughter, who is now the only source of happiness in my life.

This separation and divorce have been so difficult for me. Hank was the one who wanted to end our marriage, and to make matters worse, he recently got involved with another woman, who my daughter tells me about. I feel so much anger and bitterness over his taking up with another woman. — Hoping to Move On, in Fort Worth, Texas Dear Hoping: Statistically: Separated men are far more likely than women to quickly move into another relationship.

Martians often believe the pain they experience in divorce can be resolved by beginning another relationship.

Most likely, this is the real reason for his moving on. Though unfortunately, these “rebounds” often do not work because the underlying issues that broke up the old relationship have yet to be resolved.

Women frequently take longer to get involved again because divorce raises basic issues of trust.

Don’t compare his situation to yours. Explore your feelings and begin the process of working through them.

Starting over is not easy; a variety of books and community outreach programs can help you through this process. Love and happiness will find you again.But you first must allow yourself the time and space to heal.

John Gray is the author of “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.”Visit www. marsvenus.com.

Tell us what you think We want to know what you like about your paper. Send an email to editor@ clickthepaper.com, call 706-658-2683, or send a letter to The Paper, P.O. Box 430, Hoschton, GA 30548, or drop it off at The Paper office located at 169 Towne Center Parkway in Hoschton Towne Center.

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Announcements

Jobs

770-535-1199 Toll Free 1-800-395-5005

Services Adult Care ALZHEIMERS CARE 24/7 In our Home. Priv. room. 770-536-5102 Oakwood ChildCare 5006 Mc Ever Rd. Ages: Baby & Up. $125 770-536-4671

Childcare Kid’s World Child Care I-985 /Jesse Jewell, $100/wk 770-297-1500

Firewood FIREWOOD. Seasoned Hardwood. $75.

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Announcements Notice ATTENTION CLASSIFIED CUSTOMERS The Times Classified Department asks that you verify and proof your classified ad(s) the first day that it is scheduled to print.

If any corrections need to be made, please contact our department, Monday through Friday, before 3pm.

The Times will not be held responsible for any issues that may arise after the first day of publication. classifieds@ gainesvilletimes.com 770-535-1199

Jobs Accounting FULL CHARGE BOOKKEEPER Full time/Part time available. Exp with Peachtree Accounting a must. Position available immediately.

Email resume to lynn@ redoaksanitation .com

General Sales Agents JOIN THE TIMES TEAM! Professional?

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We are looking for individuals who will impact our bottom line and provide solid customer satisfaction experience. You will work with a seasoned and award winning staff of dedicated and dependable team builders and team players.

Primary duties include developing new business while working to meet and exceed monthly sales quotas.

A working knowledge of Excel software, advertising layout and design is helpful, but more important is your desire to help our clients succeed. Reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license with good driving record are required.

Must have good written and verbal communication skills with external and internal customers, with a strong customer service/satisfaction drive. Need these skill sets to succeed: commitment, attention to detail, organization, teamwork, and ability to multi-task in fast-paced environment.

Applicants should be experienced in online advertising, familiar with interpreting and explaining metric data, comfortable with softwares and technology, capable of sharing their knowledge with others and excited about selling one of the best news Web sites in the state.

We offer a competitive salary & bonus plan as well as comprehensive benefits package.

Email your resume and letter of interest including salary requirements to: hr@ gainesville times.com No phone calls please.

EOE/M/H JOIN THE POULTRY TIMES TEAM! Professional?

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Child Care, Help Wanted Construction Dental Domestic Education Financial General Sales Agents Maintenance Management Medical Misc. Help Wanted Office/Clerical Part Time Help Wanted Poultry Production Professional Restaurant Help Security Technical Trades Truck Drivers Warehouse

*Business Opportunities *Financial *Happy Ads *Lost & Found *Notices *Personals *Situations Wanted

Place your ad today. Call

Classification Index

of Braselton, Chateau Élan, Hoschton and Jackson County

*Home Improvement *Instruction *Landscaping *Misc Services *Painting & Papering *Plumbing *Pressure Washing *Remodeling & Repairs *Roofing *Welding

Accounting Adult Care, Help Wanted

Stuff *Antiques/Collectibles *Appliances *Auctions *Bicycles *Building Supplies *Cemetery Lots For Sale *Christmas Trees *Coins & Jewelry *Computers *Furniture *Guns *Heavy Equipment *Household Items *Lawn Equipment *Livestock *Misc. For Sale *Musical Instruments *Office Equipment *Pets & Supplies

7B

*Sporting Equipment *Tickets *Wanted To Buy *Yard Sale *Yard Sale - Out Of Area

Homes & Real Estate

Acreage for Sale Business for Sale Business Property for Sale Condominiums for Sale Farms & Farm Land House for Sale - Hall House For Sale - Surrounding Investment Property Lake Home for Sale Lake Property for Sale Lots for Sale Mobile Homes for Sale Mountain Property Real Estate Wanted Surrounding Counties Vacation Property

Homes - Rental Apartments - Furnished Apartments - Unfurnished Business Property For Rent Condominiums for Rent Duplexes For Rent Houses for Rent - Furnished Houses for Rent - Unfurnished Lake Home for Rent Mobile Homes for Rent *Roommates Wanted Rooms for Rent Vacation Property for Rent *Wanted to Rent

Wheels

*All Terrain Vehicles *Antique Cars/Trucks *Auto Parts *Auto & Trucks Wanted *Autos for Sale *Four Wheel Drives *Import Cars *Motorcycles *Sport-Utility Vehicles *Tractor Trailers *Trucks *Vans

Recreation *Boats & Marine *RV’s/Travel Trailers

Apr 2013

Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 5:00pm

dependable team builders and team players.

Primary duties include developing new business while working to meet and exceed monthly sales quotas.

A working knowledge of Excel software, advertising layout and design is helpful, but more important is your desire to help our clients succeed. Reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license with good driving record are required.

Must have good written and verbal communication skills with external and internal customers, with a strong customer service/satisfaction drive. Need these skill sets to succeed: commitment, attention to detail, organization, teamwork, and ability to multi-task in fast-paced environment.

Applicants should be experienced in both online and telephone sales. Ability to develop long-term relationships with advertisers.

We offer a competitive salary & bonus plan as well as comprehensive benefits package.

Email your resume and letter of interest including salary requirements to: hr@ gainesville times.com No phone calls please.

EOE/M/H

Management Rose Acre Farms Will be accepting resumes for a Feed Mill Operations Manager at Canon Egg Farm 4661 Airline-Goldmine Road Canon Ga 30520 Phone:706-245-4925

Medical Employment Opportunities for The Longstreet Clinic, P.C. are listed on our website at www. longstreetclinic.com.

All candidates for employment should submit information via the link posted on our website. Thank you for your interest in employment opportunities with The Longstreet Clinic, P.C.

Misc. Help Wanted Carriage Nissan & KIA in Gainesville, GA needs Service Advisors.

Carriage KIA also needs Exp’d. Technicians.

Please apply in person or email resume to: rtapp@carriageauto group.com No phone calls please.

LABORER- Appliance Install Asst. $8-10/per hr to start. 404-786-7081 R&D Maintenance Service, INC. is currently accepting applications for Full Time Grounds Maintenance Laborer Positions. Must be at least 18, have a valid driver’s license and pass a drug screen. Apply in person from 8:00am3:00pm at 1025 Buford Dam Rd, Buford, GA 30518. EEO

Office/Clerical Seeking Experienced Executive Assistant!

Must be nice, professional, detailoriented and very organized. Must be proficient in Word, Outlook and Excel.

FT with benefits.

Email Resume: secsysco1@yahoo.com

Restaurant Help Poor Richard’s is taking applications for Full time Exp’d. LINE COOKS & DISHWASHERS 770532-0499

Trades Commercial cabinet company seeks to employ Exp’d Carpenters to install cabinets, solid surface tops, wood paneling, etc.

Contact Brannon @ 770932-2226 ext. 111 DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

NEEDED EXPERIENCED ELECTRICIANS and HELPERS: Commercial Full Time Position - Call Wallace Electric Co (678) 432-7210.

Truck Drivers CDL DRIVERS Needed Tuition paid by Federal Grants or VA Benefits 770-614-6022 or 1-877-GET-A-CDL Call and see if you Qualify in 5 minutes! dtruckschool.com CLASS A- CDL DRIVERS 2yrs. experience & Clean MVR. 770-887-6117 CLASS A CDL DRIVERS needed FT/P/T/Wknd to haul feed in Gainesville.

Local, home daily, benefits. Must have good MVR and 2yrs verifiable experience.

Call Bruce 678-936-8279 DRIVER WANTED Class B. Experienced.

Residential Garbage Truck Driver 678-455-7819 ; Fax: 770-536-3288 OTR DRIVERS ILG in Buford, GA is hiring OTR Drivers: CDL Class A, at least 2yrs experience, No DUI last 5 yrs, No felonies last 10 yrs. Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Vacation & 401K. Call 678-730-6740 or 678730-6764 ask for Bob

Warehouse SHIPPING & RECEIVING Position needed in Buford, GA. MUST have a minimum of 2yrs exp using UPS Worldship.

MUST have exp using FedEx and Freight shipping. MUST type 35+ WPM. Competitive pay and great benefits package! Email resumes to resume@gesrepair. com or fax to 770-9651314

*Requires payment in advance.

Musical Instruments (3) ACOUSTIC GUITARS Inquire at kfd1969@ yahoo.com

Pets & Supplies CHIHUAHUA, CKC, long hair, female, very tiny, parents on premises, 7 weeks old, $250. Will hold for Christmas.

678-897-7332 770-530-0799 ENGLISH MASTIFF pups. $500, AKC reg 678-960-6919

JACK-UAHUAS - Very small, breed, good with children, great little hunters, tails docked, Wormed, House broken, new home package, 9wks. $200/each. 678457-9782 LABRADOR RETRIEVER Puppies. 10 beautiful AKC puppies. Taking deposits now. Puppies will come with 1st shots, de-worming & vet checked. Yellow, black chocolate & white. $400. Ready Jan. 4th.

Call or text Kim, 706968-9165 Outstanding Black Lab Puppies. AKC reg.

4 males, 6 females left. $800. Will hold for Xmas.

404-314-3737 YORKSHIRE TERRIER Puppy, female, registered, $300.

Sweet Christmas Gift!

706-864-5655

Wanted To Buy Violin Bow broken, can’t afford high price.

Anyone with one not in use, please call 770983-3833

Homes-Rentals Stuff Appliances WASHER & DRYER Kenmore. Exc Cond. $250. 770-983-1507 Washer/Dryers Stoves & Refrig.

Mattresses.

Refrig $125-$550.

Washers/Dryers from $125. We do Appliance & Service Calls!

678-714-0493

Bicycles Raleigh -Mens 26” Road Bike- 21 gears, Shimano Derailer. Good Cond.

Rock shox. $90 ; Trek Womens Mtn. Bike. 26” , 21 gears, Good cond. $80.

678-828-9707

Furniture ARMOIRE- White, wooden; Changing Table; Convertible Crib $400/obo. Lve msg. 770355-5762.

Guns Unfired DPMS AR EMAIL KFD1969@ YAHOO.COM

Misc. For Sale

Peace Sport 2013 Scooter, like NEW! 81 miles. Only asking $550! Wendell 770-241-1464 ELECTRIC MOBILITY SCOOTER, 4 Wheel, 500 lb. capacity, less than 2 years old, many great features, showroom cond. $3,600 list price. Asking $1,750 706-693-4520

ApartmentsUnfurnished

In City- on Candler St. 1BR- freplc, $650/mo.

678-776-6837

Duplexes For Rent $650/Mo. w/water.

E. Hall near YMCA. 2/1 in private setting. Like new! No pets. Call Tabb (Chestatee Brokers) 770539-9134

Roommate WantedPrivate home. $400/mo.

Oakwood , GA near 985.

770-912-3531

Homes & Real Estate Condominiums For Sale

N Hall -2BR/1.5BA Covered deck. $625/mo.

770-540-7571

FOR SALE BY OWNER 2BR/2.5BA , full bsmt, freplc, deck, completely renovated thru-out, new appls. Close in. Lake access. $62k. No owner financing. For appt 706-865-6565

Houses For RentFurnished

House For Sale-Hall County

HOUSES & APTS. Avail in Gainesville & Hall Co. The Simpson Co. 770-532-9911

$144,900 New Constr N. Hall. 3BR/2BA Cape Cod w/ HW Floors, Granite in Kitchen & Baths on Great Lot! Call Jessie Carmon for more info 770-530-4316 or KWLP 770-503-7070

3BR/1BA In City. Nice!

HVAC. $695/mo. Also 2/1 $645. 678-617-5073

Houses For RentUnfurnished $199 Moves You In! Pay No Rent Until February 1st, 2014 $0 application fee Expires 12/31/13 3BR/2BA Homes From$699 a month Sun Homes 888-246-2803 Countrysidelake lanier.com EHO WAC 2BR House- C/H/A. $650/mo. 6 miles N. of G’Ville. 770-654-4073 3BR/2BA- 1 car gar. $900mo. 770-287-1456 callapartments.com 3BR/2BA Gainesville. $975/mo Owner/Agent.

Darlene 678-300-1275 4BR/2.5BA, in City, $1,200/mo. 770-5347596 5BR/4BA. freplc, swim/ tennis. Great Location. $1975.

770-539-4400 Apts/Homes. General Property Mgmt.

770-287-1456 www. callapartments.com

TOYOTA 2001 Avalon XLS, 139K miles, exc. cond., $5,000.

941-400-0517

Autos For Sale

Recreation RV’s/Travel Trailers DUTCHMAN 2008 Denali. 31ft. Travel Trailer. 1 slide out, Almost new cond. Slps 6. Many Extras. Asking $17,500/negot. Can be seen at Kamper Korner, 3158 Hwy 129, Cleveland, GA 706865-9591For further info call owner, Larry in Gainesville at 770-5314341

Wheels All Terrain Vehicles E-TON 2009 Viper-R, 4 wheeler, 90cc. Used Very Little. New battery & service up to date. $800. 770-536-0637 POLARIS 2004 500HD. ATP, True 4x4 on demand, Like New! $3500. 770-983-7832

BUICK 2012 Lacrosse 16000 mi $21850.00 Showroom condition.

Bought new at Hardmans Non smoker Call Mike 678-410-1375.

CADILLAC 2004 EXT Top Cond, 247k road mi. Must sell. All Extras. $10K. 404-401-6589 See By Appointment

CHEVY 2002 c6500 Rollback.21ft bed.

Wheel lift. 6spd.3126CAT engine 244,000 miles.$27,000 678-9364380

Sport Utility Vehicles

CHEVY 2008 Malibu LTZ. $12,627.

All Credit OK Call Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 DODGE 2008 Avenger SE. $9987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 FORD 2004 T-BIRD. Burgundy, low mi, new tires, both tops. Loaded.

Very clean. $19,500. 770718-7850; 770-869-0020 FORD 2009 Fusion SEL $7987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

ACURA 2012 TI $24,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 HONDA 2004 Civic 2dr, 5spd manual, red with black interior. $4800.

Exc Cond. 770-540-1215

“MOVE-IN SPECIAL” 2, 3 & 4 Bdrms with C/H/A on 1/2 acre lots.

706-839-5684 or 706968-1022

HONDA 2011 Accord $15,587 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

2BR/1.5BA. Oakwood. $720-$730.

770-287-1456 callapartments.com

REDUCED RATE Free Rent Starting at $85/wk. N & S Hall & Gainesville.

770-534-7596

Oakwood - 2/1.5, yard very safe, H/A $645$725. 678-357-5044

Condominiums For Rent 3BR/2BA Quiet, Sardis $820/m 770-654-1767 770-983-3579

Roommates Wanted CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! Priv, quiet, furn’d w/ cable. No dep/utils. $100-125/wk. Near I-985 Oakwood/Gainesville.

678-328-9980 MEN- Low$ Pvt home, Fur Br, All Priv + Xtras, Oakwd 770-530-1110

KIA 2008 Sedona. $6608 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

FORD 2008 Escape $9987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 FORD 2010 Explorer $11,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

NISSAN 2006 Armada LE $11,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2010 Versa 1.8 $10,987 All Credit OK Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2011 Versa $9987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

DODGE 2013 Ram Quad Cab. $23,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 FORD 2013 F-150 XLT Crew Cab. $25,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2006 Frontier Ext Cab, 63k miles. $11,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2006 Frontier LE $14,487 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2010 Frontier $18,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2013 Frontier SV. Crew Cab $22,989 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 NISSAN 2013 Titan SV Crew Cab. $23,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434 TOYOTA 2002 Tacoma $7987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

Vans CHRYSLER 01 & 02 VANS. Both in Exc Cond.

DVD, Available for $499 down. Call Kevin, 770530-1140 HONDA 1998 Odysey Excellent Condition.

Must See! $499 down.

Call Kevin, 770-530-1140

NISSAN 2013 Murano $19,738 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

MAZDA 2006 Miata, white w/ black int., black top, 102K, auto, $8,500 obo. 678-447-6716

TOYOTA 2001 Rav-4 $5987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

NISSAN 2013 Altima 3.5 SL. $24,987. 6k miles All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

TOYOTA 2011 Sienna $20,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

28 days 95

for

30

$

FORD 1999 Explorer Sport. 6cyl, dark blue, AT, AC, PW, PL, cruise, CD. New tires. Runs Good. 770-534-2083

CHEVY 2013 Silverado Ext Cab. $23,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

NISSAN 2013 Xterra $20,447 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

KIA 2013 Forte EX $12,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

Sell it 6 ways for as little as

CHRYSLER 2007 Pacifica $5987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

KIA 2006 Sorento.

77K miles. Excellent Condition. Asking $7000. 706-864-2039,

Import Cars

HONDA 2008 Accord EX-1. $11,483 All credit OK Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

3BDRM. BLOWOUT 1st mo. Free 770-536-0508

Motorcycles KAWASAKI 2009 KLX 140. Dirt Bike. Less than 25hrs ridden. Like New! Garage kept. $1750/ obo. 706-215-0238; 404434-1278

Mobile Homes For Rent

FORD 1967 F-100 Ranger.

Classic Truck for Sale.

Has 352 V-8 with C-6 Automatic Transmission.

This popular short bed truck was re-painted several years ago with the light blue and white color combination. The bench seat, carpeting, and inside door coverings were also redone by previous owner. Showing just over 37,000 miles but speedometer cable is not working. Converted to dual exhaust with the rumble of glass packs. PRICE REDUCED$9,250.00. Reasonable offers considered.

Call 863-594-4747 or 863-594-4748

VOLKSWAGEN 2012 Passat $13,987 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

CADILLAC 2011 DTS Platinum. Gray/ ebony. 27k. $39,950.

Certified. Will finance 770-531-1309. See pics Auto Trader car ID AT13EOF61B

$ BEST VALUE $ Close To Town Ready to move in Spring Valley Apt 1BR/1BA from $600/mo 2BR/2BA from $725/mo Brandon Place Apt 2BR/2BA Flats $675/mo Great Locations Call Jacky today 678-779-2687

Antique Cars/Trucks

TOYOTA 2010 Corolla $12,487 All Credit OK! Carriage Mitsubishi 770-536-4434

Trucks CHEVY 2005 Colorado Good engine. 4dr Ext Cab. Exc Cond. auto, pwr lcks/wind/ steering/ brakes. good heat/air. tilt, running board, cargo & tow pkg, bedliner & cover, dual air bags, am/fm & CD player, On star. $10,500. 770-535-6718; 770-789-4818

*

GOLF CART 2010 EZGO RXV. 48volts, fully equipt, Like New! $3750.

678-316-1051 -MOVINGChina Cabinet/ Hutch w.lights-4dr.Oak Good Cond.- Firm $565 Frigid./bottom freezer, Amana 20 cu. ft. bl. text.

Excellent Cond. $525 Teeter/Hang-up Like New $155 55g fresh.w. Aquarium all access.-used $90 Call after 6 pm 678-522-4834 PIERCE’S PINE STRAW - Re-Opening Nov. 18th.

Open Daily. We will Not Be undersold.

Quality For Quality!

1507 Martin Luthe r King Blvd., Gainesville, GA Across from The Tire Barn. For Nov & Dec. $2.90 per bale.

Deliver $3.50 per bale Spreading Available.

678-617-0403 678-677-6352

Renew for half price!

The Times Auto Kit moves cars and more!

*Some restrictions apply. Four (4) line minimum. Valid for individuals only. Must be prepaid.

Callor770-535-1199 toll free 1-800-395-5005

Auto Kit Honda 5x5.75

The Paper

The Paper Thursday, December 26, 2013

8B

The Paper | Thursday, December 26, 2013

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS Leftover Pets offers low cost spay/neuter surgeries at the clinic located at 610 Barrow Park Drive in Winder.

December clinic days are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Prices are $85 for a female dog over 25 pounds, $65 for a female dog up to 25 pounds, $55 for a male dog, $50 for a female cat and $35 for a male cat.

All surgery prices include a free rabies vaccination.

There are no extra fees added for in heat or pregnant animals. Visit http://www.leftoverpets. org. Appointments are required and must be made by calling 800-9785226. sss

Council. The competition, which will have local “celebrities” paired with their dance instructors who are putting them through the paces of learning dance moves to make them stars.

Each team is raising money for their selected charity while also raising money for the arts council.

Go to the JCAC website, www. jacksoncountyartscouncil.

beginning Feb. 3.

See www. fifthrowcenter.com sss

sss Fifth Row Center presents Fiddler on the Roof, being directed by Myrna Feldman with musical direction by Billy Valentine.

Auditions for Fiddler on the Roof will be held Monday, Jan. 6, and Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Buford Community Center Theater, located at 2200 Buford Highway in Buford.

Show dates are May 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2014, wtih rehearsals

Save the date of Feb. 8, 2013, for the HeART for Chocolate, Heart for Children Gala to be held at the Braselton-Stover House in Braselton. The event will benefit Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) with a dinner, auction and more.

Tickets are $45 each, and can be purchased at www.

PiedmontCasa.org

Friday, 12/26 – Saturday, 12/28 At Your Local Store

ANNUAL END OF YEAR

SPLASH into 2014 by taking a plunge in Lake Lanier and supporting an Olympic legacy program for local youth. During the Lake Lanier Polar Bear Jump, you’ll compete for a number of prizes including best costume, biggest splash, oldest and youngest jumpers and best sponsored group jump. Prizes will also be awarded for the chili cook-off, which is free to enter.

Come join us for a quick cool down, followed by a dip in the hot tub and warm chili and hot chocolate. We look forward to starting the New Year with you at noon on Jan. 1, 2014, at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue at 3105 Clarks Bridge Road in Gainesville.

Register online at www. lckc.org/PolarBearSwim The cost is $25 for a single jump or $50 for a family jump.

Group sponsorship opportunities are available. sss

SHOP EARLY - DOORS OPEN AT 8AM! Selection varies by store

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Bling in the New Year at the Commerce Civic Center on Monday, Dec, 31, 2013. Featuring “Ultimate Sound”, enjoy an evening of live music, dancing, unlimited photo package, champagne toast and midnight buffet.

Doors open at 7 p.m.

Enjoy live music from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Cost is $25 per person. For more information, call 706-3356417. sss

Dancing with the Stars - Jackson County Style is the Jan. 25 fundraising effort being hosted by the Jackson County Arts

The Jackson County

Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual awards banquet on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, at the Jefferson Civic Center. For ticket information, call the Chamber office at 706387-0300.

This event will celebrate the accomplishments of the previous year and set the standards for a successful year to come. The festivities include dinner, awards presentation and installation of the new Board of Directors.

Best Deals 3The DAYS ONLY! on PCs, TVs & More

Relay For Life of Braselton-Hoschton will kick off the 2014 season at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in the Braselton Community Center. A kickoff rally will launch the fundraising efforts. Register a team and get a first opportunity to select a campsite for the overnight event set for April 25, 2014, at Hoschton Park. Call 706-543-2240 or visit RelayForLife.org/bhga sss

The Winder Library invites children in grades 3-5 to join the Crazy 8s Club from 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays starting on Jan. 8, 2014. Registration is limited to 20 children so sign up early.

The club will meet for eight weeks. It’s a highenergy, hands-on math program guaranteed to get kids fired up about math. Crazy 8s will feature one-of-a-kind activities including Glow in the Dark Geometry, Bouncy Dice Explosion and Toilet Paper Olympics.

Crazy 8s is a pilot program designed for libraries by Bedtime Math, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids learn to love math so they can become capable adults. Bedtime Math offers families a daily playful math problem at www.bedtimemath.org sss

com and follow the directions to vote for your favorite team. It’s a dollar per vote. You can follow the progress of the dance teams on our Facebook page, Dancing with the Stars – Jackson County Style! Be sure to reserve a table so you can be “up close and personal” with your chosen dance team.

To purchase tickets to the Jan. 25 event at the Jefferson Civic Center, call 706-757-3535. sss

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Rebate Offer Terms: Rebates are valid for the ad dates indicated on this publication and forms are available online. Please see a sales associate for assistance. Most rebates are Limit 1 per person and must be submitted within 30 days of purchase. Rebates typically paid in 8-10 weeks. Rebates are paid as Prepaid card or check, depending on the offer. Prepaid cards are not redeemable for cash. See individual rebate form for more details. Unless noted otherwise, TigerDirect rebates limited to one product per household or address. †Refurbished. In-store offers valid only Thursday 12/26/2013 through Saturday 12/28/2013. Offers are not valid on prior purchases. Restrictions apply. TigerDirect is not responsible for typographical or photographical errors. Savings calculated off manufacturer list price. Prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. No rainchecks. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Other limitations may apply. TigerDirect.com is a registered trademark of TigerDirect, Inc. All rights reserved. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. For more information about the Intel processor feature rating, please refer to www.intel.com/go/rating. *Intel® Turbo Boost Technology requires a PC with a processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology capability. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology performance varies depending on hardware, software and overall system configuration. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. For more information, see http://www.intel.com/technology/turboboost. Acer, the Acer logo and Aspire are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the properties of their respective owners. 1Apple, iPod, iPad, and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the US and/or other countries.

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