The Paper December 13 Edition

CMYK Thursday, December 13, 2012

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Involved at The Caring Place. 3B

Restraining order lifted on EMS station

BY LEANNE AKIN

lakin@clickthepaper.com

The contractor working on the new emergency medical station in West Jackson has been given authorization to return to the work site of Lewis Braselton Boulevard.

A temporary restraining order, granted Nov. 20 by Judge David Motes, was lifted after the plaintiffs’ counsel did not appear at the Monday hearing held in Jackson County Superior Court.

During the proceedings, District 1 County Commissioner Tom Crow found himself on both sides of the legal issue.

While Crow is named along with fellow commissioners in the civil action brought by four individuals, he showed his support for the challenge to Jackson County’s efforts to

enhance public safety.

Judge Motes said the first matter before him on Monday was “Gilbert & others v.

Jackson County.” He asked if anyone representing Albon E. Gilbert, Jerry Tate, James Tate or Douglas C. Walters Sr., was in the courtroom.

Commissioner Crow raised his hand along with the plaintiffs when Judge Motes asked if anyone representing the plaintiffs or any of those parties were in the audience.

The judge said attorney David Jones had called 10 minutes before the 9 a.m. proceeding was to begin to say he was ill. Judge Motes’ office informed Jones of the requirements for a continuance and no written request for a continuance had been received by the time the judge entered the courtroom just before 9:30 a.m.

The judge asked if anyone had talked with the attorney for the plaintiff.

Commissioner Crow stood and said he had spent three hours on Sunday talking with Jones and said he “did look green around the gills and was throwing up some.” Crow said he encouraged Jones “to try everything within his power to be here since this needed to move forward.”

Judge Motes said the Annotated Code of Georgia 9-10-155 spells out the procedure for a continuance when an attorney is ill or otherwise absent. The judge also said he and his staff had spent time over the weekend preparing for the case as had the defendants’ counsel and, since Mr. Crow had spent three hours with Mr. Jones who knew he was sick, he would have thought Mr. Jones would have made the court aware of his illness.

BLESSING THE LAND

The judge said the petition for mandamus and the temporary restraining order are two separate parts and the TRO would automatically expire on Dec. 20. He noted he was without an affidavit from Jones describing his illness or his future availability.

County Attorney Julius Hulsey asked the judge to strictly adhere to the law since there was “a lot of money in damages at stake.” He urged the judge to dismiss the temporary restraining order and deal with the mandamus at a later date. The county has asked for a jury trial in the matter.

Hulsey provided a statement that gave a partial timeline related to the master plan for EMS stations in Jackson County and said years have already gone into the planning for

See ORDER LIFTED, 3A

Jefferson Dragons advance to playoff at Georgia Dome Go, Dragons, Go! Win, Dragons, Win? On Saturday, the Jefferson Dragons football team will be southbound to the Georgia Dome with proud community supporters cheering them on.

Banners are displayed across the community to show pride in the AA state championship game-bound Jefferson Dragons. Marquees display congratulations and rally support for the football team in anticipation of Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game against the Calhoun Yellowjackets.

At Monday’s meeting of the Jefferson City Council, Mayor Jim Joiner reminded everyone of the big game Saturday at the Georgia Dome. “Come out and support our guys as they go to the state championship,” said Joiner.

Jefferson Police Chief Joe Wirthman said a send-off is being planned with Dr. Kevin Smith, principal of Jefferson High School. The team will be leaving Memorial Stadium about 9:30 a.m., turning onto Highway 11 and then onto Damon Gause Parkway with a stop at Beef O’Brady’s for breakfast.

“They would like supporters to be on Memorial Drive to say goodbye and good luck,” said Chief Wirthman.

SCOTT ROGERS Regional staff

Father Eric Hill, center, the Rev. John Batusic, left, and Pastor Earl Pirkle bless the ground Sunday afternoon at the future site of the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton. Gov. Nathan Deal was the event’s guest speaker at the construction site off Thompson Mill Road.

Clergy, Gov. Nathan Deal and community involved in ceremony for hospital

BY JEFF GILL

Regional staff

BRASELTON — Area clergy and several dignitaries, including Gov. Nathan Deal, bestowed a blessing Sunday on a South Hall field of dirt that will be a home to a 100-bed hospital opening in the spring of 2015.

“Where do some of life’s most momentous, personal, heart-wrenching events occur? In hospitals,” Deal told a large gathering at the 119-acre River Place campus, where the hospital will be built.

“So, therefore, I think it is altogether appropriate that we should have a blessing of these grounds.”

The one-hour ceremony featured music, speak-

See BLESSING, 2A

SALES TAX DOLLARS AT STAKE

Shopping locally is important for schools, county

BY KATIE JUSTICE

kjustice@clickthepaper.com

Gov. Nathan Deal speaks Sunday afternoon at the blessing of the ground of Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton. The new 100-bed hospital on Thompson Mill Road is expected to be completed in 2015.

Jackson County Board of Education member Steve Bryant stressed the importance of buying locally during a Nov. 27 school system finance committee meeting.

Sales taxes, especially Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), increase to government entities, including the

school system, when shoppers spend their money in the local community. That is why Bryant reminds holiday shoppers to make purchases locally.

SPLOST for education is money from raised through a penny on the dollar collected on sales in the Jackson County. Its spending is restricted to what voters approved on the ballot.

See SHOPPING, 3A

Margaret Deadwyler closing out nearly 3 decades of public service

BY KATIE JUSTICE

kjustice@clickthepaper.com

For almost three decades, Margaret Deadwyler has called the Jackson County Courthouse -- both old and new -- her home away from home.

In fact, when she retires at the end of the year, she will be just shy of having worked for the county for exactly 29 years.

“Really, it’s been amazing how fast these years have past, especially this last one, and I’ve made a lot of wonderful friends being here. God has been good to me,” said Deadwyler, of her career with

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Today’s reception will honor probate judge, former clerk

the county.

Starting as a clerk in the office of the probate judge in 1984, Deadwyler assumed the role of judge herself when J.T. Wilkes retired in 1992.

“When my judge retired, I said you can’t do that to me; I’m too old to go out and compete for a secretary’s job with the younger generation, so then he said you need to run for this job,” said Dead-

Volume 7, Number 6 Obituaries Pastor’s Pen Police report Puzzles Sports

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wyler. “It scared me to death, but I did.

“God’s been good to me, and the people of Jackson County have been wonderful to give me five terms in office,” said Deadwyler.

In her role as probate judge, Deadwyler says she never knows what she’s going to be handling on a day-to-day basis, although she admits that she spends most of her time working on applications for gun licenses and marriage licenses.

Recent laws have made applying for gun licenses a more detailed process, which Deadwyler says takes more time than before.

See DEADWYLER, 3A

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Katie Justice The Paper

Margaret Deadwyler, who is retiring as Probate Judge of Jackson County after 29 years of service to the county, will be honored at a Thursday reception.

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

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The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

Sewer rate proposal revised in Hall Co.

BLESSING

Continued from 1A ers and a responsive blessing presided by Father Eric Hill of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Flowery Branch; the Rev. John Batusic, Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church, Chestnut Mountain; and Pastor Earl Pirkle, Central Baptist Church, Gainesville.

People were shuttled to the ceremony, taking place in a tent near the construction site, from Medical Plaza I along the dirt path of what will be a six-lane segment of the new Ga. 347/Friendship Road.

River Place, which will be home to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton, also will be off Ga. 211/Old Winder Highway, which leads to Interstate 85. Plans call for a second medical office building to open in early 2015.

“Today’s ceremony wasn’t a traditional groundbreaking, like you might attend when a new manufacturing plant opens, because we saw a blessing as more fitting for a hospital, considering the work involves saving lives and making deep, emotional, personal connections,” said Mary Lynn Coyle, the health system’s board chairwoman.

Deal said he believes that “one of the major ingredients in the quality of life is the availability of quality health care.

“People want to be close to a good hospital. They want to know that when their children ... or they are sick or injured, they have a good hospital they can depend on and can access in a timely fashion.

“It’s that proximity to a burgeoning portion of the

by sarah mueller

Regional staff

SCOTT ROGERS Regional staff

Above: A piece of land off Thompson Mill Road in Braselton will be the site of a new 100-bed hospital expected to open in 2015.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton held a blessing of the ground ceremony Sunday afternoon at the site.

Right: An artist’s rendering of the future Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton. population of this part of Georgia that is the driving force behind this new facility and will be the sustaining force behind the success of this new facility. It will indeed enhance the quality of life in Northeast Georgia.”

Deal also announced that the health system is seeking gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design health care certification for the hospital.

“LEED is an internationally recognized building program that certifies a construction project as being “green,” or using environmentally conscious process and materials,” according to

For The Paper

a hospital press release.

The new certification was created this year “to specifically certify projects related to health care,” the release states.

“There are only 12 projects across the nation currently seeking that distinction and, depending on timing, the (Braselton) project may be the first in the nation to receive the certification,” according to the hospital.

“Regardless of whether

the project is the first, third or fifth ... it’s still a special distinction that reinforces (the health system’s) commitment to doing things not only the right way, but in an elite way,” said Anthony Williamson, vice president of Greater Braselton development.

“We are very conscious and respectful of the history, integrity and beauty of this land, with sustainability and efficiency as top priorities.”

Ken Rearden, Hall County public works and utilities director, detailed another sewer rate proposal to the county commissioners at the board of commissioners’ work session Monday afternoon, drawing praise from one resident opposed to the county’s previously introduced plan.

“It certainly is a better alternative and more acceptable than what we have seen from the original proposal,” Phyllis Mercer said. “Most importantly to us, it appears to be fair to low-volume users.”

Mercer and other Deaton Creek residents gave the commissioners a petition with more than 600 signatures of residents who opposed the proposed sewer rate changes at its board meeting on Nov. 29.

Rearden recalculated the rate based on residential use. The alternate plan would not cap usage and it would charge $6 in fixed costs, including a $2 customer service charge and a $4 capacity charge. On

Tuesday, The Times incorrectly reported a $12 fixed charge.

The original proposal charged a $2 customer service charge, a $15 capacity charge and a $3.50 commodity charge.

The commodity fee charges per ccf, which equals 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons. The alternative proposal would generate about $1.32 million in revenue, Rearden said.

The original plan, which also had a 10 ccf limit on residential use, would bring in about $980,000 in revenue. Commissioners considered the original proposal on Thursday, but could approve pricing or cap changes.

If approved, rate changes would take effect Jan. 1. The current monthly rate is a $42 flat fee. Profit from a rate hike for South and North Hall users, would pay on the South Hall wastewater treatment plant acquired in 2008.

The county operates the Spout Springs Water Reclamation Facility with service primarily to Sterling on the Lake, Reunion and Village at Deaton Creek.

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The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

ORDER LIFTED Continued from 1A

this and two other EMS stations. Hulsey said commissioners have been involved in voting on aspects of the project, which is being constructed on land donated by the Braselton family. The land was donated in 2009 as a part of the Zion Church Road realignment right-of-way acquisition and work on the site was done in conjunction with the property serving as a borrow site for the road project, he said.

In the county’s brief provided to the judge’s office last Friday, Hulsey suggested the judge had been misled related to the construction status of the project.

“I would like to hear this case on its merits and wish Mr. Jones was here,” said Judge Motes. “I don’t know why he hasn’t provided the court with a motion and request” for the case to be heard in the future.

Acknowledging he was not an attorney, Crow asked if he could present a couple of things. He said he wanted to take issue with some of what Hulsey had presented. He maintained that the county attorney had provided some misrepresentation but declined to elaborate when questioned after the proceedings.

Declining the request, Judge Motes said, “Mr. Crow, you are one of the defendants.”

The judge went on to say that he could hear from one of the plaintiffs but they are represented by counsel, albeit absent.

In the county brief, it was maintained that none of the three statutory prerequisites for a TRO had been met and thus should be dissolved. “The defendants have fallen far short of the legal requirements for the issuance of a TRO,” and the brief pointed to another case in which “the superior court lacked authority to grant a TRO without notice to the opposing party.” The county did not have the opportunity to provide any facts on the case’s merit before theTRO was granted as an emergency situation was stressed to the judge.

“The plaintiffs have failed to show any harm whatsoever that they face as a result of the ongoing construction project, beyond the mere speculation that the project in question will exceed the budget, leaving insufficient funds to construct additional EMS stations,” the county’s brief says.

“Plaintiffs, who have observed the EMS station project, in the works for well over four years, and the construction of this particular station since June of 2012, fail to articulate why a purported emergency exists now, midway through construction of the station, after over $450,000 of public funds have been expended. Plaintiffs do not even describe what the emergency is; instead they merely allege that the large expense of the construction project in question endangers the feasibility of completing additional voter-approved projects with SPLOST V funds. These blanket conclusory allegations are not only incorrect; they are vastly insufficient to justify the extreme and unusual remedy of ex parte relief,” the brief says.

Judge Motes directed Hulsey to draft the order for his signature which would dissolve the temporary restraining order. That document was prepared, signed and filed in the office of Clerk of Superior Court Camie W. Thomas just after 3 p.m. on Monday.

On Tuesday, County Manager Kevin

SHOPPING

Continued from 1A For Jackson County, that money is spent on debt retirement, construction, technology, school improvements and Rutland, a project through the Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Services Agency which provides a school site for behavioral and high needs special education students in Bryant the area.

“We’ve said all along, spend more and the money comes back to the kids,” said Bryant, who calls SPLOST brick and mortar money. “It’s used for building. It’s used for technology.

It’s used for the things that it’s purposed for.”

“We’ve got a little bit of Tanger, half of it. We’ve got a few grocery stores,” said Bryant, who encourages

Poe advised Keith Hayes Construction had received the go-ahead to return to the site to begin work.

Hulsey had argued the order had prevented the contractor from being able to get the station “dried in” so the integrity of the poured concrete could be protected from the elements. Covering and waterproofing of the site was necessary. Hulsey said the contractor’s attorney had provided a letter indicating the county would be held liable for the contractor’s losses.

“The county will face a loss of the hundreds of thousands of dollars already invested into this project, as well as potential further damages in the form of breach of contract claim(s),” the brief maintains.

The county also contended that no further injunctive relief was needed since the plaintiffs were in “no danger of suffering immediate and irreparable harm if construction on the project is not halted.”

The brief maintains that “further delays of the construction will definitely cause the defendants and the public substantial harm in the form of damages arising from breaches of contracts, additional rent on the current EMS site at a rate of $1,000 per month and damage to the building and site of the station.”

But Hulsey suggests the most negative impact of the situation is to citizens.

“The citizens of Jackson County face imminent and severe harm as a result of such an injunction, which will only further delay the ability of the county to enhance emergency ambulance services in the western area of Jackson County for the public’s safety,” says the county’s brief.

The county has acknowledged that there had not been publication of previous Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) statements from 20062011 during the time Jackson County had lost its county manager and had an interim manager serving on two difference occasions. Logan Propes, who was appointed as Finance Director last month, has been working with County Manager Kevin Poe on streamlining accounting practices, and the matter of the 2012 report was already being addressed with the county’s auditor prior to the lawsuit.

The county questions the focus on only one of the SPLOST projects, EMS Station 3. The staff recommended the Braselton property as the most suitable choice for the West Jackson EMS Station, the brief says. “The staff presentation was made at the work session of the Commission at the March 7, 2011 meeting. There was discussion about the two prototypes proposed, and staff recommended the smaller version because of increases in construction costs that made the larger station too expensive...

The prototype plan to be built was approved, as well as the two station sites” on March 21, 2011.

“The building construction project was approximately 25 percent complete by the end of November when suit was filed, according to the construction manager, BM&K, PC,” the county’s brief says. “Over the course of the past 44 months since the property was acquired, the county has expended funds out of SPLOST IV in the amount of $450,443.99 to design, do site improvements and construct the EMS station.

“The county has spent nothing out of SPLOST V for the improvements. The land, valued at almost $1 million, was a gift to the county from a generous citizen in 2009. The planning to improve the EMS facilities stretches back to SPLOST IV’s inception; the need for better ser-

community members to do what spending they can within the county. “We don’t have a Wal-Mart. We don’t have a Target.

“I’ve tried to make a conscientious effort to make sure if I can buy what I can inside of Jackson County borders, I do,” said Bryant.

SPLOST dollars were discussed at a recent board of education session as the audit conducted by Duane Schlereth of Bates Carter & CO., LLP was presented.

In his brief presentation, Schelerth said, “The purpose of the SPLOST audit is required by the state legislation and allows you to collect SPLOST tax and the goal is to see that the funds are expended proficiently and economically so that you are getting the maximum benefit and to issue a periodic report.

vice in West Jackson was identified in 2007,” the brief says.

The county’s lengthy brief provided a further timeline of activities related to Station 3 including the October 2011 discussion which resulted in the Board of Commissioners voting “to amend the allocation from 50/50 for SPLOST IV public safety facilities money agreed to back in 2007, choosing instead to allocate a small portion of the $975,061 in unallocated funds to the fire training center and to the fire departments for radios, and allocating the majority of the funds, approximately $747,000 to the EMS facilities.”

The allocation of those funds for EMS stations had been a point of contention among commissioners but the majority of the board supported the means by which the county could put additional dollars toward the new EMS stations.

Commissioner Crow had promoted the spending of SPLOST dollars for a driving course to be constructed at the fire training center along with a list of other expenditures for that facility.

The county brief pointed to the involvement of the commission throughout the process of identifying the sites for the EMS stations, determining the smaller design as what would be built and approving the proposal to finance EMS stations with the remaining SPLOST dollars earmarked for public safety.

“During each stage of consideration, the Board of Commissioners has been cost conscious, as have the staff and construction manager, to make efforts to obtain the land by donation, to decrease the size and complexity of the station designs, to arrange the lowest costs by use of the parcel as a borrow pit in exchange for grading services and obtaining the lowest bids for construction,” the brief says. “...it is too late to turn back now, too late to abandon Station 3 and start anew,” the brief says. “...it cannot be forgotten who truly has an interest in this matter, the citizens of Jackson County.

The citizens need upgraded emergency services in western Jackson County, and Station 3 is designed to meet those needs. Every day Station 3 is delayed from opening is another day that the citizens of Jackson Count remain exposed to insufficient emergency services.

Each day the Station 3 project remains at a standstill is another day that a heart attack patient, a wounded child or a car crash victim must wait several extra precious minutes to receive life-saving emergency care.

“Certainly there is no question that the damage caused by a delay in emergency medical care may be the very definition of ‘irreparable harm,’ a harm that is vastly disproportionate to the Plaintiffs’ concern about the possibility of over-budget expenses. The Station 3 project is designed to meet the imminent needs of Jackson County citizens for upgraded emergency services on the western side of the county, and the plaintiffs’ petition amounts to a statement that the citizens’ lives are unimportant in the face of the plaintiffs’ concern about the budget.”

In the Monday order, it was noted that the construction could resume immediately with the dissolving of the temporary restraining order, in part, “because the court has concerns about the merits of the plaintifs’ claims for injunctive relief and ultimate success thereon.”

The petition for mandamus and injunction relief will be rescheduled before Motes in Jackson County Superior Court at a later date.

“We have no findings and we have no recommendations, and our conclusion is that you are arbitrating and expending the SPLOST program in an economically efficient manner, safeguarding the maximum SPLOST funds in accordance to state law,” said Schlereth.

In the past three years, the Jackson County School System has invested $39.7 million in approved projects, using SPLOST III and SPLOST IV proceeds. Jackson County expended $4.1 million during the year.

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Stolen ATM is recovered in Jackson Co. Two men stole an ATM from a closed Barrow County convenience store after backing their truck through the front glass doors during the early morning hours of Dec. 3.

The incident took place at approximately 5:30 a.m.

The ATM, recovered in Jackson County the following morning, is now in the possession of the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and being processed for evidence.

According to Lt. Matt Guthas, the Sheriff’s Office has identified two persons of interest and is attempting to locate and interview them. No arrests warrants have been issued at this time nor are names being disclosed.

The machines, which have several security measures installed, heavy -- generally requiring two people to move them. Some ATMs are bolted to the ground for added security but this one was not. Generally, these machines are not easily entered without using tools, and the suspects did forcefully enter the machine and remove the contents.

“The Sheriff’s Office is not disclosing the value of currency that was taken at this time as it may jeopardize the status of the investigation,” said Guthas. “This information may be of use in the future when identifying suspects and conducting interviews; thus it is not being disclosed.”

Two photos taken from the store’s security system show the vehicle used in the theft and blurry pictures of the two suspects who are believed to be white males.

Anyone who may recognize the suspects or who has information about this incident should contact the Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigations Division, at 770-307-3080, ext. 3083.

DEADWYLER Continued from 1A

And while marriage licenses consume a majority of her time, she says she doesn’t mind.

“My favorite thing to do is the marriages,” said Deadwyler, who says her office keeps a scrapbook of the weddings.

“It’s over 1,500 [weddings] I’ve done in the 20 years that I’ve been here.”

Deadwyler has lived in the area her whole life.

“I still live on the same road I was born on, Hog Mountain Road. I was born two miles down the road from where I live now,” said Deadwyler, who said she has a large number of relatives in the area.

“I used to joke and say that’s how I keep getting reelected, all my kin folk.”

Deadwyler says she doesn’t have many plans for her retirement, other than driving to Winterville once a week to keep her 1-year-old grandson.

“I have found that if I make plans, they change, so I don’t make specific plans anymore,” said Deadwyler.

She will be succeeded by Probate Judge-elect Sherry Moore in 2013.

“I think she’s going to do a great job. She’s already familiar with the court process because she has worked Clarke County for years, so I think she’ll be fine and adapt quickly and quite well,” said Deadwyler.

A retirement reception will be held for Deadwyler from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, in the jury assembly room of the Jackson County Courthouse.

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The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

CHURCH NEWS The Gobers Christmas Celebration will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at White Plains Baptist Church.

The variety performance will include singing, comedy and drama in celebration of the birth of Jesus. Admission is free but a love offering will be taken with a portion of proceeds benefiting Come Alive Ministries.

White Plains Baptist Church is located at 3650 Highway 124 West in Jefferson, between Hoschton and Jefferson. sss New Hope AME Church presents the “Joy of the Christmas Season with Kwanzaa.” This program will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.15, at 3 p.m. Mr. Jeremiah Blount, Atlanta Public Schools educator, will be the presenter.

New Hope AME Church is located on Georgia Highway 53 in Hoschton. The Rev. Karen L. Bennett is the pastor. sss Corner-Stone Church Preschool, located at 6933 Georgia Highway 11 in Jefferson, provides programs for preschoolers from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The program for 2-year-olds is Tuesday and Thursday; 3-year-olds attend Tuesday through Thursday; and 4-yearolds atend Monday through Thursday.

For more information, visit www.corner-stone.org/ preschool or contact director Kimberly Rewis at 678-5246986. sss The Church of Hoschton would like to extend an open invitation to the community to join in worshipping Jesus See CHURCH NEWS, 7A

Corner-Stone kids preparing to share season’s ‘Good News’ For The Paper

Yes, it’s true…the holiday season is upon us. And local congregations with plans for Christmas programs have been planning and practicing. The kids at Jefferson’s Corner-Stone Church are also gearing up, with an all-original production this year called “Good News!” But you’ve never heard the Good News done like this before.

No really…you haven’t. No one has. Corner-Stone is not only creating their whole concept from scratch, but they’re writing their own Christmas script and creating their own props, videos and production. They’re even writing and recording their own songs.

Ricky Fitzpatrick, a popular area songwriter and the Worship Leader at Corner-Stone, says “This is probably the most ambitious Christmas program I’ve ever been a part of…but the kids are going to be doing some very cool stuff. It’s going to be a night to remember.”

“Good News” presents the story of Christ, in the format of an evening newscast. Audience members can watch the evening news unfold as relevant and sometimes hilarious “signs of the times” are presented. And through guest appearances by “celebrities” like Paula Deen, and through stories, videos and the natural charm of the children, the characters in the time of Jesus’ birth will come alive in word and song, and in ways you’ve never seen them, before.

The original music, written for this program by Fitzpatrick, includes selections like the rockin’ title track, “Good News,”,with an opening scene that would make the UGA Redcoat Band proud. Then the smallest C-S Kids shine in “The Sheep Won’t Sleep.” And people have been buzzing

OBITUARIES Horace Richard Blalock

Died Dec. 6, 2012 Horace Richard Blalock, 99, of Lilburn, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012.

A self-employed lithographer, he was a staff sergeant in the Marines 4th Division during World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas M. Blalock and Rose Stone Blalock.

Survivors include his wife of 75 years, Allie Blalock; son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Cindy Blalock of Winder; grandchildren, Brian Blalock of Suwanee and Jessica Howe of Dacula; great-grandchildren, Brendan and Patrick Howe.

Graveside services were held Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Westview Cemetery, located at 1680 Westview Drive SW, in Atlanta.

Smith Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Brent Lamar Collier

Died Dec. 9, 2012 Brent Lamar Collier, 55, of Gainesville, died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012.

Born in Hall County, he was a member of Free Chapel Worship Center, and was an auto body paint technician. He was preceded in death by his father, Lee Carlton Collier.

Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Mandy and Collin Vander Pol of Dahlonega; Tara and Blaine Cochran and Brianna Collier, all of Gainesville; stepdaughter, Blair Tucker of Gainesville; mother, Mary Ruth Collier of New Holland; sister, Elaine Campbell of Gainesville; niece, Brandy Halt of Jefferson; grandchildren, Isaac and Bryce Cochran, and Emelyn Vander Pol. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, in the Ward’s Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Willard Thomas and the Rev. Randy Roys will officiating.

Ward’s Funeral Home, Gainesville The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Deborah Elaine Denard

Died Dec. 5, 2102 Deborah Elaine Denard, 59, of Winder, went to meet her father, Hoover Eugene Hodge Sr., in heaven on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012.

She was a member of Bethlehem First Baptist Church.

Survivors include her husband, Loren Scott Denard; mother, Mayme Alene Duckett Hodge of East Point; son and daughter-in-law, Thomas Wayne Pounds Jr., and Kelli Michele Pounds of Niceville, Fla.; brothers and spouses, Hoover Eugene Hodge Jr., and Leah Hodge of Niceville, Fla., Paul Douglas and Carole Hodge of McDonough and Robert Michael and Melissa Hodge, all of McDonough; stepchildren and spouses, Roxanne and Josh Smith, Scott Jr., and Toni Denard and Benjamin and Tonda Denard; grandchildren, Thomas Wayne Pounds III and Bridget Laine Pounds; step grandchildren, Zane and Zoey Smith and Benjamin David Denard; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, in the chapel of Smith Fu-

neral Home with the Rev. Ned Davis officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Smith Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Sara Ann Grant

Died Dec. 8, 2012 Mrs. Sara Ann Grant, 76, of Jefferson, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012.

Born in Auburn, she was a daughter of the late Erastus and Hester Hoopaugh Everett. She was a member of Apalachee Baptist Church.

Mrs. Grant was a customer service representative with J & D Medical Supplies. She was also preceded by siblings, James Harold Everett and Sue E. Higgins, and infant brother, Billy Everett.

Survivors include her daughters, Wendy Ann Tullis of Jefferson and Wanda Dale Tullis of Auburn; granddaughter, Tori Ann Tullis of Auburn; sisters, Betty Jean Whitener of Dallas and Marion (Farrell) Freeman of Dacula; sister-in-law, Hazel Everett of Bogart; and brother-in-law, Herman Higgins of Dacula.

A funeral service was held Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, in the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Rev. Kevin Burgess officiating.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Rickey Mark Hales

Died Dec. 4, 2012 Rickey Mark Hales, 53, of Commerce, died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012.

Born in Asheville, N.C., he was a son of Jarrell N. and Melba Ingram Hales of Chamblee. Mr. Hales grew up in Chamblee and later moved to Commerce and was an auto glass technician.

He attended Trinity Baptist Church in Brookhaven and was preceded in death by his brother, Phillip Scott Hales.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia Hales of Commerce; daughters, Pamela (Shane) Fortner and Amanda Hales, all of Jefferson; parents, Jarrell and Melba Hales of Chamblee; sister, Regina Hales of Woodstock; brothers, Jerry Hales of Woodstock and Eric Hales of Jefferson; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral service was held Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, in the chapel of Evans Funeral Home with the Rev. Johnny Knight officiating. The burial followed in the Pond Fork Baptist Church Cemetery.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Rachel Bailey Hanes

Died Dec. 9, 2012 Rachel Bailey Hanes, 85, of Buford, died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Hanes.

Survivors include her brother, Curtis Bailey of Buford; brother-in-law, Nathaniel Waldrip of Lilburn; sisters-in-law, Fannie Lou Pierce of Flowery Branch and Alphie Kendrick; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Born Sept. 11, 1927, in Lawrenceville, she retired from Dick Lynott Company after 10 years of service, and also from Georgia Boot Company in Flowery Branch after more than 20 years of service. She was a member of Mulberry Baptist Church in Hoschton.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, in the chapel of Flanigan Funeral Home with the Rev. Ollie V. Hayes officiating. Interment was in Mulberry Baptist Church Cemetery in Hoschton.

Junior E. Flanigan of Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Rita Kennedy Helton

Died Dec. 8, 2012 Mrs. Rita Kennedy Helton, 62, of Bethlehem, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012.

Born in Barrow County, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Annie Manders Kennedy. She was a lifelong member of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church and had served as an office assistant at Barrow Dental Associates.

Survivors include her husband, Terry L. Helton; son, Chad Helton of Bethlehem; daughter and son-in-law, Stacey and Steve Brown of Bethlehem; grandchildren, Tyler, Kayla and Connor Brown, all of Bethlehem; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Frankie and Betty Kennedy, Billy and Hilda Kennedy and Gary and Jane Kennedy, all of Hoschton.

A funeral service was held Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church with the Rev. Sammy Everett and Mr. Gary Kennedy officiating. Interment was in Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Charles Chapman officiating. Memorials may be made to Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 1412 Mt. Moriah Road, N E, Auburn, GA 30011.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Bonnie S. Hempton

Died Dec. 3, 2012 Bonnie S. Hempton, 54, of Hoschton, died Monday, Dec. 3, 2012.

Memorial services were held Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, at Loganville Church of God, located at 165 Church St., in Loganville. Pastor Cain Hendrix officiated.

Lawson Funeral Home, Hoschton The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Mary Ann Hotalen

Died Dec. 5, 2012 Mary Ann Hotalen, 77, of Winder, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012.

Born in Livingston, Ala., she was a daughter of the late Leonard and Ruby Johnson.

She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Janette Gilmore, Sarah Williams and Car Mobbs. Adored by her grandchildren, she was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, sister and friends. She enjoyed Alabama football.

Survivors include her daughters and son-in-law, Kim and Mark McAfee of Atlanta and Karen Crumbley of Winder; grandchildren, Ashley Crumbley of Winder and Brooke McAfee of Atlanta; brother, Winford Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn.; and sister, Imogene Godwin of Grove Oak, Ala. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, in Smith Memory Chapel with Pastor Ron Little officiating.

Interment was in Barrow Memorial Gardens.

Smith Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

William Junior Kidd

Died Dec. 5, 2012 William Junior Kidd, 53, of Dacula, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012.

Arrangements will be announced by Lawson Funeral Home, 35 First St., Hoschton, GA 30548, 706-654-0966, www.lawsonfuneralhome. org The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Jerry Doyle Landress Sr.

Died Dec. 8, 2012 Jerry Doyle Landress Sr., 65, of Winder, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012.

Born Aug. 10, 1947, in DeKalb County, he was a son of the late Glenn Jackson and Thearussa Berleen Sexton Landress. He was retired from the construction industry with many years of service. Mr. Landress was a member of New Life Worship Center in Statham.

Survivors include his daughters, Andreana Charlene Landress of Maysville, Haley Marie Landress and Tara Rose Landress, both of Winder; sons, Jerry Landress Jr., Michael Landress and Zachary Landress, all of Winder, and Eric Landress of Maysville; sisters, Ann Pendley of Tucker and Jean Evans of Maysville; brother, Jack Landress of Tucker; 11 grandchildren; five greatgrandchildren; and a number of other relatives.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, in the Evans Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Leon Pass officiating. Interment followed in the Melwood Cemetery in Stone Mountain.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Louise Langford

Died Dec. 5, 2012 Louise Langford, 85, of Hoschton, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012.

for months about the YouTube video of the Vanilla Ice inspired “Christ Christ Baby.” (Oh yes, they did.)

Planners are preparing, gathering and creating props and costumes and creating video “commercials,” and generally putting the final touches on what they expect to be a wonderful evening of “genuine worship and controlled chaos.”

Corner-Stone invites you to bring the whole family, and enjoy what promises to be an unforgettable night of music and laughter and worship at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.16.

For more information, call Ricky Fitzpatrick or Corner-Stone Church at 706-367-9742 or 706-372-0406, email ricky@rickyfitzpatrick.com or visit online at www.corner-stone.org.

For The Paper

Corner-Stone kids practice for “Good News.” The group of participants now involves 24 children, ages 2-10.

Ms. Langford came to Hoschton in 1945 to teach elementary school. She met and Langford married R o b e r t Langford who had the same last name.

She served as a teacher for 30 years in the school systems of Jackson and Hall counties and is often affectionately remembered for having used a ruler on the open palm of a misbehaving child. An active member of Hoschton First Baptist Church until her later years of failing health, she started the Vacation Bible School program in the 1950s and served in numerous teaching capacities within the church. She was also past president of the local PTA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert (Bob) Langford; parents, Clyde and Mary Langford; brother, Bill Langford; and sisters, Carolyn Martin, Betty Brown and Linda Morgan.

Survivors are her daughter and son-in-law Robbie Bettis and Fredrick of Hoschton; grandson, Ryan Lyndal Langford; step granddaughters, Lisa York of Mt. Airy, Julie Grindle of Pendergrass, Amy Woods of Maysville, Michelle Bettis of Braselton and Greg Bettis of Temple; close companion/ caregivers, Linda Bishop and Peri Williamson; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Hoschton First Baptist Church with the Rev. Rick Thrasher, the Rev. Cory Sexton and the Rev. John Mark Carpenter officiating. Pallbearers were Dan Langford Jr., Gary Langford, Greg Bettis, Brian Kendall and Paul (Buddy) Cheek Jr. Interment was in the Hoschton City Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Church of Hoschton building fund.

Lawson Funeral Home, Hoschton The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Ruby Thornhill

Died Dec. 7, 2012 Mrs. Ruby Thornhill, 86, of Hoschton, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.

A daughter of the late Henry and Lizzie Mae Everett Hawkins, she was also preceded in death by her husband, M.J. Thornhill, who passed away on Dec. 1, 2005. Mrs. Thornhill was a member of Bethabra Baptist Church and was a homemaker.

Survivors includes her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Darlene Thornhill of Hoschton; grandchildren, Anthony Welchel and Angela Holder; and great-grandchildren, Mary Welchel, Anna Holder and Gavan Welchel.

A funeral service was held Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronnie Coley and the Rev. Landon Frymire officiating. Interment was in Bethabra Baptist Church Cemetery.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

Willie ‘Boy’ Earl Wash

Died Dec. 7, 2012 Willie “Boy” Earl Wash, 60, of Hoschton, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at his residence following a brief illness.

A native of Forest, Miss., he was a son of Irma Wash Spivey of Forest Miss. Mr. Wash retired from Allied Systems as a car hauler with more than 20 years of service. After retirement, he started his own company, Nu-Wash Auto Transport, in 2008. He was a member of New Morning Star Church in Commerce.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia Colbert Wash; sons, Anthony Colbert Sr., of North Charleston, S.C., Roger Colbert of Columbus, Ohio, Tony Williams (Ginger) of Atlanta, Trey Wash of Indianapolis, Ind., and Chris Wash Sr., of Atlanta; daughter, Audrey Johnson of Gadsen, Ala.; granddaughter whom he raised, Kianthonie Colbert; grandsons, Chris Wash Jr., Cameron Wash, Onyx Johnson and Anthony Colbert Jr.; sisters, Veronica Rasco, Sonydra Wash, Sandy Faye Ryan (Douglas), Pam Wash, Paula Wash and Cynthia Rasco, all of Forest, Miss., and Jacqueline Rogers (James) of Inglewood, Calif.; brothers, Tommy Wash (Cynthia) and Scottie Wash (Juanita), all of Jackson, Miss., Douglas Wash (Bobbie Carol) of Milwaukee, Wisc., and Gregory Wash and Dewayne Gammage of Forest, Miss.; uncle James Wash of Lima, Ohio; aunts Bessie Shadwich of Lima, Ohio and Mary Hawkins of Forest Miss.; brothers-in-law, Walter “Pete” Chance and Jerry Colbert, both of Dayton, Ohio, and Wilburn “Bud” Colbert III of Lima, Ohio; sisters-in-law, Betty Stackhouse and Lois “Jeannie” Franklin, both of Cincinnati, Ohio; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, at Mt. Zion M.B. Church, 289 Zion Church Road, in Forest, Miss.

W.F. Mapp’s Funeral Home, located at 1050 E. Fifth St., Forest, MS 39074, will be in charge of out-oftown arrangements.

Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society, 1684 Barnett Shoals Road Athens, GA 30605.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson The Paper, Dec. 13, 2012

CMYK The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

5A

Thursday, December 13, 2012

FORUM

6A

One text can lead to regret for a lifetime This is the time of year that we associate with being good. Children are on their best behavior in anticipation of a visit from Santa, grown-ups develop a childlike kindness that extends to others and it seems that we get along a little better.

When bad things happen during the holiday season, it seems even worse.

It was three years ago on a December day that Caleb Sorohan, a freshman at North Georgia College & State University was driving along a road in Morgan County. He was a handsome fellow with a smile that could light up a room.

He was going to Athens to do a little Christmas shopping. En route, he was exchanging text messages on his phone with a friend. A second later his car crashed head-on into a truck pulling a horse trailer. Caleb was killed instantly.

It was nine days before Christmas and instead of planning a holiday party, his family was planning a funeral. First of all, there is something terribly wrong with the scenario of parents burying their children.

When you add to that the pall of death at Christmas, it is beyond awful.

There is good and bad from this story.

Caleb’s family and his former classmates at Morgan County High School began a relentless pursuit of a texting and driving law for our state. It was signed into law less than a year after his death and is called “Caleb’s Law.” Caleb’s sister, Alexandra, now a freshman in college, has traveled the state as a passionate advocate against texting while driving. Her brother, Griffin, is a member of the Governor’s Commission on Teen Driving.

They are articulate spokespersons for a cause that they are reminded of every time they think of their big brother.

I toured the state recently with Alex in hopes that her

Harris Blackwood story would convince others not to text and drive, especially during the holidays.

I heard her story repeated five times in a single day. I had a lump in my throat every time I heard it. I saw news reporters and tough state troopers fighting back tears.

On the Christmas morning after his death, Griffin and Alex decided to gather at the top of the stairs and come down while Dad captured it all on videotape. It was a tradition that began with Caleb.

Sadly, it didn’t help their spirits.

Since that first Christmas after his passing, the Sorohans have gone away for the holiday. They couldn’t take that empty place around the tree or at the family table.

They’ll do it again this year.

There are good things that have come as a result of the tragic end of Caleb Sorohan’s short life, but the good can’t take away the pain of a parent or sibling. A vital part of their lives was taken in a moment.

Despite having a law against it, people continue to text and drive. It is every bit as dangerous as drunk driving, and we are losing too many young people as a result.

There is no message worth anyone’s life. If you are so addicted to your smartphone, put it in the glove compartment and avoid the temptation.

An empty place at a family table in Morgan County is a stark reminder that one mistake can create a lifetime of pain.

Harris Blackwood is a Gainesville resident whose columns appear weekly.

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 www.clickthepaper.com

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

Steve Kelley Creators Syndicate

Diaries shed light on Lincoln (Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a three-part series. It is running over a five week period rather than three consecutive weeks.)

Thirty notebooks in pristine condition lay about me on the bed in Los Angeles after my husband had surprised me with the diaries of his greatgreat-grandfather, Charlie Tinker, a White House telegrapher who had been friends with President Abraham Lincoln.

Gingerly, I picked up the wonderments of history and found them to be in exceptional condition as though they were only a few decades old not 150 years.

In precise hand-written script, each notebook was numbered and dated such as: No. 18, February 15, 1865 to May 19, 1865.

“What a treasure,” I marveled quietly. I soon learned from reading the diaries that Charlie was a typical Tinker. At least typical of the one to whom I am married.

He meticulously recorded each day in a clear, perfect script, sticking mostly to facts and stirring away from opinion or emotional evaluation. And just like my Tinker, Charlie proved to be well-organized, even compulsive. Not only had

Ronda Rich he been mindful enough to record some of the most important days in our nation’s history, he made copies. His original diaries are written with quill and ink. Later, he must have thought of the significance these would be to history so he penciled an entire duplicate set.

“Tink, if these were in a library, we would have to wear white gloves to touch them,” I remarked, telling the story of how I once had the privilege of a private showing at the University of Georgia library of Margaret Mitchell’s first book, written when she was 11. I had been allowed to hold it and read about a little girl named Margaret who had helped to fight off the Indians but I had to wear white gloves.

Tink picked up a diary and begin to read randomly. Charlie was recounting a telegraph from Gen. William T. Sherman that day. “He was close to ...” Tink paused and pointed. “Can you make out the name of this

town?”

I gasped. “Milledgeville!

My beloved Milledgeville!

Home of Flannery O’Conner. And my column runs there. Oh, that Sherman!”

I was agitated, mad all over again about that 60mile swath he cut from Atlanta to Savannah.

After I calmed down, I recommenced to read. It was March 6, 1865.

“Lizzie and I attended the inauguration ball in the patent office,” he penned. “The ballroom was so crowded that it was almost impossible to dance.”

He described the room and who was seated with the Lincolns on the raised platform.

“During the evening, the president recognized me in the crowd and sent Robert (Lincoln’s son) to ask me if I had any news from (Gen. Philip) Sheridan, or from any other source since he was in the (telegraph) office that afternoon. I accompanied Robert back to the platform and gave the President the information for which he thanked me, and learning that Mrs. Tinker was present said he would be pleased to speak to her.”

Lincoln visited the telegraph office several times a day, eager to know the latest news from

dispatches. He seemed to consider himself more of the staff than their commander in chief. Often he would wander in, stroll over to the basket filled with dispatches and read through them, disappointed if nothing new had been wired since last he was there.

April 9: “General Grant telegraphs this evening that General Lee has surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to him accepting terms proposed

by Grant. Glorious news and everybody happy.”

April 11: Lincoln had come to the office and told a story. “To illustrate the point, he gathered his coattails under his arms and taking long strides passed out of the office laughing loudly and leaving me convulsed by his story and ludicrous performance.”

Imagine Lincoln being high-spirited. But the war was over. His burden had been lifted.

Then came Charlie’s entry on April 15. That is another story for another day.

Ronda Rich is the bestselling author of several books, including “There’s A Better Day A-Comin’.” Sign up for her newsletter at www.rondarich.com. Her column appears weekly.

‘One ringy dingy ... two ringy dingy’ I have heard the voice of evil. It told me to “press 2 for customer service.”

Then I waited for 20 minutes, gave my pertinent customer information and was put on hold while I was transferred to another customer service representative who could specifically address my issue.

Then I was on hold for another 15 minutes, gave my information to another person who spoke to me for 35 seconds and transferred me again. You know the drill.

Two hours later, I had spoken to seven wooden customer service reps for all of four minutes, and my issue had yet to be resolved. The rest of the time I spent on hold.

Listening to the worst of Yanni for nearly two hours gives you time to think — about life, about time, about how you are wasting your time, about Godzilla, about what’s the best kind of semi-automatic weapon, about the world and its issues and how to solve them.

Five years ago, 10 years ago, when you called a business or company, even a large one, the first per-

Len Robbins son to answer the phone was actually a person, a human being, most likely a competent woman. This lady, sometimes called a receptionist, would listen to your concern, and promptly steer you in a helpful direction. Your issue was usually resolved in mere minutes.

Those days are long gone, and that person’s job is extinct. If you own a business or company with more than five employees now, thanks to Obamacare, you are legally mandated to utilize an automated phone answering system rather than hire a receptionist.

Let’s see how that has worked out for us.

Since “the man” decided to have a machine answer the switchboard rather than Ernestine: ■ The economy has gone in the tank.

■ Gas prices have risen.

■ Unemployment has sky-rocketed.

■ The U.S. is trillions of dollars in debt.

■ A bad hurricane hit Haiti.

■ Jerry Reed died.

■ Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC championship game.

■ And now, our country’s about to dive off a fiscal cliff, which, as I pointed out in this space last week, is different from a physical cliff. Diving off a physical cliff is much worse, unless there’s a huge trampoline at the bottom of it. In that case, it may not be so bad.

My point is this: Ever since our collective business community decided to oust the receptionist in favor of a machine that does little of substance but infuriate customers, bad things have happened, especially to our economy, and Jerry Reed.

I understand this move was made in an effort to save money. Fine. How much does a receptionist cost? Has your cable bill gone down since they decided to get rid of all receptionists? Have any of your bills in the last decade lowered due to auto-

mated answering systems?

Where’s the savings to me, the customer? Or you, the customer? Or Jerry Reed, God bless his soul.

And the poor receptionists — millions of them around the world. They are now unemployed. And we wonder why our economy is in a free-fall.

You want to save the economy, Congress? Bring back the receptionists!

Pass a law (yeah, right) banning automated answering systems.

The results will include millions of people rejoining the workforce, improved customer satisfaction, a larger tax base, more spending power for consumers, peace in the Middle East, a healthier complexion and no more hurricanes.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for Jerry Reed, but not too late to save our world. Bring back the receptionists — pretty please with sugar on top.

It’s our only path to stopping the forces of evil.

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

CMYK local

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

POLICE REPORT Braselton Police ■ A domestic disturbance was reported Dec. 6 on New Liberty Way. A man returning to his residence to retrieve his things found him self locked out of the home, and the belongings of his mother, who was visiting, outside on the sidewalk. The man’s fiancée told officers she didn’t want the man or his mother in the residence.

■ A fake $20 bill was given to an attendant at a Highway 211 gas station on Dec. 7. The attendant noticed the bill didn’t look right so she tested it. The customer who paid with the bill became irate and accused the attendant of switching the bills.

The police were called and the counterfeit bill was confiscated.

■ The passenger in a car driving slow and impeding the flow of traffic on Interstate 85 northbound on Dec. 7 was found to be in possession of marijuana. Upon conducting a traffic stop, the officer noticed a strong odor of the drug. When the vehicle’s occupants denied having the drug, the officer warned he would have to search with his K-9 dog, which may bite them if they had marijuana on their persons. The passenger then pulled two bags of a green leafy substance from his shoe.

He was issued a citation for the possession of marijuana.

■ A Grand Hickory Drive resident reported two bicycles stolen from his porch on Dec. 7.

■ A White Walnut Road resident reported financial transaction card fraud on Dec. 7 after his card was declined although he had earlier deposited money in the account. When he checked his bank account, several transactions were made by someone else using his card.

■ A man walking on the night of Dec. 7 on Highway 211 was arrested for disorderly conduct after he attempted to run from and assault officers. The officers asked the man if he was OK,

where he was headed and if he needed a ride. The man, who didn’t respond, attempted to run away. Once he was caught, he attempted to hit officers.

The individual had outstanding warrant from Barrow County and was placed under arrest.

■ A Chardonnay Trace resident reported her vehicle stolen Dec. 7 after her son’s father took it from her residence. The vehicle was found by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and had been damaged.

Jefferson Police ■ An 18-year-old Jefferson man was charged with aggravated assault after a Dec. 8 fight at a Monte Lane residence.

Reports indicate the man pulled a knife and a fight broke out.

The suspect said he had been invited to the residence from which he had previously been accused of stealing property, which he denied. The victim said the suspect came to residence because he was upset that his ex-girlfriend was at the residence with other friends.

■ A Jefferson woman reported harassment by telecommunications after her ex-boyfriend refuses to stop attempting to make contact.

Reported Dec. 8, the situation has been ongoing for the past six weeks with the man even showing up where the victim’s family is and mouthing “I love you” across the room.

■ A Jefferson city worker was cutting grass along Lakeshore Drive and found a chainsaw and a blower covered by brush along the woodline. The items were in good condition and were taken in as evidence with a check to be made of stolen property.

■ A Dec. 6 burglary was reported at a Lee Street address after a door was found propped open with an oxygen tank. A bedroom had been ransacked.

■ Two persons were arrested

CHURCH NEWS Continued from 4A

Christ. Sunday services begin at 9:30 a.m. for Bible Study, 10:30 a.m. for Worship and 6 p.m. for Sunday evening services.

Wednesday Bible study and prayer time starts at 7 p.m. Christmas events will be held on Sunday, Dec. 23, beginning at 10:30 a.m. for the Christmas Cantata with the Candlelight service and communion at 6 p.m.

“Come be with us and worship the birth of our Savior,” said Pastor Cory Sexton, who can be reached at 678-234-9408. The church is located in the West Jackson Min-e Mall shopping center on Highway 53. sss Hoschton Church of God of Prophecy will present its Christmas play, “If Christ Had Not Come,” at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16. The church is located at 8187 Highway 332 (Pendergrass Road).

Thomas C. Holmes is the pastor. sss Celebration Church

is holding three special Christmas Eve services.

Times will be 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The children’s Christmas Eve program, featuring ages 3 through fifth grade, will be at 3 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Celebration Church is located at 5560 Thompson Mill Road in Hoschton. Call 770-9675529 or email office@ celebrationfamily.com sss Winder First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Orchestra and soloists invite the community to the Christmas cantata, “All Is Calm, All Is Bright,” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, in the sanctuary.

The cantata will also be presented during the 8:45 a.m. and 10:44 a.m. worship services on Sunday, Dec. 16.

Winder First United Methodist Church is located at 280 N. Broad St., in Winder, across from Ingles. sss Covenant Baptist

Dec. 5 on Interstate 85 after marijuana was located in two large black duffel bags in the 2007 Yukon. Officer Jay Parker stopped the vehicle for crossing the fog line three times. The driver said he was reaching down to pick up his biscuit and coffee and may have crossed the line because a chuck of tire was missing from a rear tire.

The driver’s story of going to visit an aunt in Philadelphia didn’t match up with the female passenger’s story of going to see her son in New York and the woman said the driver knew her husband. However, the man said the woman wasn’t married and he didn’t know her “baby daddy.” Parker then asked for consent to search the vehicle. He was assisted

by Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Chapeau. Found along with women’s clothing, a large mirror and several paintings, was the marijuana, for which the man said he paid $90,000. He said he could resell the marijuana up north at a $30,000 to $40,000 profit. The driver, who said the passenger was unaware of the marijuana in the vehicle, said he was trying to make extra money since he was out of work because of a hip injury. When the SUV was further searched at the police station, Parker found a hidden compartment in which illegal drugs could be hidden. The driver, Manuel Ramon Luna, 42, of Roswell, was charged with trafficking marijuana and vehicles with false or secret compartments and the passenger, Maria Altagarcia Jaquez, 45, of Buford, was charged with trafficking marijuana.

■ A Jefferson resident reported his ex-wife may have removed mail from his mailbox.

He became aware of the issue when he learned the ex-wife had a jewelry store statement for an engagement ring he purchased. He has had previous problems with the ex-wife.

■ A driver reported a vehicle break-in on Dec. 3 while the car was parked in the Kroger

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,” said Pastor Todd Coble, who can be reached at 678316-0273. Please join the congregation on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday School and 10:30 a.m. for worship service at the Depot in downtown Hoschton. Nursery and children’s church is provided. “If you don’t have a church home or if you looking for a new church home or if you are lost and looking for a way back home, please come and visit with us and see if God speaks to your heart,” said Coble. “God bless you and ‘See you at the Depot on Sunday.’” sss Yoga is offered on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Hoschton United Methodist Church. The

parking lot. Property valued at $2,861.95 was reported missing.

■ Two vehicles were identified by laser radar traveling 95 mph on Interstate 85 on Dec. 5.

One driver claimed their cruise control was set at 80 mph while the other said his cruise was set at 70. Both drivers were issued citations for speeding.

■ A Rivermist subdivision family reported a series of ongoing problems with a neighboring family. The complainant provided police with a list of disagreements between the family including the accusation that a cat was stolen.

Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office ■ A Delaperriere Loop resident reported damage Dec. 8 at her home when golf balls were thrown at her house. A window was broken. Despite living in Traditions of Braselton, officers say there is no part of the golf course from where balls could have inadvertently hit the house.

■ A Dec. 6 verbal dispute was reported at a Kinley Court residence between two parents during a child visitation exchange. The father claimed the mother came after him with a baseball bat, and the mother claimed he came after her with a flashlight. They have a history of problems during the exchanges, and officers report they believe they will continue to have problems.

■ A Bennett Cemetery Road resident reported suspicious activity on her property Dec. 6.

When officers responded, they discovered the person was the woman’s grandson, who lives with her part time. He was there to retrieve tools and did not wish to disturb her.

■ On Dec. 6, a Holiday Cemetery Road resident reported a man continually coming onto her property despite her having asked him to leave earlier. The man appeared highly intoxicated and returned multiple times in one night.

class is free but please bring a food donation for “Back-pack” ministry.

Email jah1996@aol.com.

HUMC is located at 12 Mulberry St., in Hoschton.

Contact the Rev. Luis Ortiz at 706-654-1422. sss Center United Methodist Church in Hoschton would like to invite everyone to the following events announces its monthly Senior Citizens Luncheon has been moved to today at 11:30 a.m.

The children and youth will present a Christmas program on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m.

Snacks will follow the program.

The church is located at 7641 Jackson Trail Road in Hoschton. Call 706654-4862 for Pastor Blane Spence. sss Arbor Pointe Church will hold a special Christmas Eve service entitled “A Sheepdog’s Christmas.” This familyfriendly worship service

■ A man reported damage to his vehicle which was parked at a fast food restaurant on Highway 124 on Dec. 5. The man left his vehicle at the site for about five hours to attend EMT class and, when he returned, there was damage to the window of his vehicle.

■ A Holiday Cemetery Road resident reported being threatened by her landlord on Dec. 5. The woman claims the man told her he will put her out any time he wants and her kids will be homeless.

■ The driver of a vehicle on New Cut Road was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol after the vehicle was traveling on the wrong side of the road on Dec. 4. The driver said he was driving erratically because he was attempting to smoke a cigarette. Inside the vehicle was an open case of beer and bottle of liquor. The driver was placed under arrest after testing over the legal limit of alcohol.

■ The driver of a vehicle weaving while driving on Interstate 85 on Dec. 3 was arrested for driving under the influence less safe, failure to maintain lane and having an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle.

■ A woman who was intoxicated and possibly high on drugs was issued a warning for criminal trespass at a Brockton Loop residence on Dec. 3. The woman was left at the residence by her friend when they got into an argument.

■ In a Dec. 3 report, a Tyler B Lane resident reported damage to a fence he was in the process of putting up on his property.

The resident said earlier property disputes led to a court case which granted the man the right to put up the fence.

■ A woman reported receiving threatening phone calls and text messages from her exboyfriend on Dec. 3. The woman claims he has been violent in the past and is doing drugs.

■

will take place at West Jackson Middle School at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Everyone is invited to join together to witness the Christmas story through the eyes of the sheepdog that accompanied the shepherds to the manger. Visit arborpointe. org, contact the Rev. Brad Greene at brad@ arborpointe.org or call 770-272-6778. sss Come celebrate and

7A

remember the meaning of Christmas with The Springs Church on Christmas Eve. This special service will be held 7-8:15 p.m. on Dec. 24 with Pastor Jamie Hudgins.

The Springs Church is located at 6553 Spout Springs Road, in front of Flowery Branch High School. No cost. Please visit the website at www. thespringschurch.org, call 706-491-6435 or email jamie@thespringschurch. org with any questions.

CMYK 8A

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

Party time.

Good thing you’ve got Publix. We have the perfect platters for every gathering. To see our complete selection, and for helpful entertaining tips, visit publix.com/entertaining. Please be sure to place your order in advance at your neighborhood Publix.

CMYK Thursday, December 13, 2012

SPORTS

B

HEADED TO THE GEORGIA DOME

BY CHARLES PHELPS

For the Paper

After last week’s triple-overtime victory over Fitzgerald, Jefferson head coach T. McFerrin said he was worried about an emotional letdown Friday night against Greater Atlanta Christian. He didn’t need to worry at all.

On Dec. 7, the Dragons defeated the Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans 42-14 at Memorial Stadium and will advance to the AA state championships.

The Dragons (13-1) will play the defending state champions Calhoun, a team which defeated Lamar County High School by a score of 21-14 last Friday. The two will go head-to-head for all the marbles at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the Georgia Dome.

Calhoun eliminated Jefferson from the playoffs last year.

“I didn’t talk about Calhoun. I didn’t talk about Lamar County.

I just said, ‘To get to the Dome, we got to win this game tonight.

I want you to get to the Dome.

I want you to have the Dome experience. I can’t be prouder.

Our defense made (big) plays,” said McFerrin.

They also had three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery along with two crucial stops in the fourth quarter.

“We knew they were a great team – great offense. They can hit big plays at any time. We knew we could execute. We knew we could stop them, and that’s exactly what we did,” said senior linebacker Wesley Simonton.

Senior quarterback Bryant Shirreffs led the offense, going 10-for-13 for 135 yards with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’m kind of in disbelief right now. [It was a] great game. [The] best game so far. I’m super excited. We got it done. The defen-

Al McLeod For the Paper

Senior quarterback Bryant Shirreffs attempts to escape a defender from Greater Atlanta Christian. He rushed for 129 yards, scored two touchdowns and threw for 135 yards to tally another two scores. sive stands were incredible. It’s just amazing; the chance to play in the Dome is (just) incredible.

I’m looking forward to it so much. The bond my teammates and I have created will last for life for sure. It’s just awesome,” said Shirreffs.

Junior running back Tristen Jackson rushed 73 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown.

“It means a lot. We set goals for ourselves and we’re reaching them,” said Jackson. We’ve overcome everything that people said we couldn’t do.

We can’t get revenge from last year because (Calhoun) put us out of the playoffs.”

Junior running back Isaiah Blake also had a big night, but his efforts were mainly through the air. He caught four passes

from Shirreffs for 69 yards and one touchdown. Tight end Donnie Hatfield also caught four passes for 56 yards.

The Spartans received the ball to start the game, but the Dragons quickly forced a threeand-out.

Then, Shirreffs and the Dragons’ offense began their first possession from their own 36-yard line. Six plays later, Shirreffs connected with Chandler Thompson for a 10-yard touchdown, but the extra-point was missed with 8:19 left in the first quarter.

Kyle Scales responded for the Spartans, who galloped into the end zone on 15-yard run. Jefferson’s Sammy Williams catapulted the Dragons to the lead on the next drive, rushing in on a 2-yard score. Shirreffs ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Dragons a 14-7 lead with 1:05 left in the first quarter.

However, the Spartans’ answered in a jiffy. Junior quarterback Rafe Chapple connected with senior wide receiver Peter Whiteneck on a 79-yard touchdown catch. The game was tied at 14-14 going into the second quarter.

The Dragons owned the second quarter. With 9:57 left in the second, Jefferson defensive back Tradd Porter recovered a Spartans’ fumble. Less than two minutes later, Shirreffs scored on a 53-yard touchdown run to go up 21-14 and that was a lead they would not surrender.

Jefferson went into the locker room with a 27-14 lead after a 20-yard touchdown strike from Shirreffs to Blake. Junior defensive back Austin Mixon intercepted a throw by Chapple at the end of the half.

In the second half, the Dragons dominated. Shirreffs and Jackson each scored one touchdown in what helped secure the win. Jackson scored his touchdown with 2:17 left in the game.

Dragons take on the Yellow Jackets Saturday

Al McLeod

It has been a very eventful season for the Dragons who will be competing in the AA state title game against defending champions Calhoun High School.

Hawks on the brink of Panthers get home wins a strong wrestling season against WWHS Tigers

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

The Mill Creek High School wrestling team is looking to transform into an elite contender; the Hawks are under reconstruction and Head Coach Rodney Potter is hopeful they will continue to build on what they have. The Hawks are loaded with more than 50 wrestlers this season and have a strong competitor in Marcos Rosenkjer who will help guide MCHS throughout the season along with a few others.

“Marcos Rosenkjer is a huge leader for us. He shows leadership, really commits himself and does what we want him to do during the offseason. He’s currently at 132 pounds and he’s the number one guy that started in the tournament for us,” said Potter. [We also have] Matthew [Felbaum] at 170.

He had some starts this year.

Andrew [Klemm is] at 195 and John [Hollenback is at 285.”

Potter is in his third season with the Hawks and noted his team is still trying to find their groove on the mat. The Hawks are missing some veterans that provided experience for them a year ago.

“It’s a growing team.

We’re still trying to build the program up to where it needs to be. We have a ways to go but we’re looking better. We lost a couple of kids last year.

They were seniors which is always good to have in the lineup,” Potter said.

As with most of the sports in Gwinnett County, wrestling poses a strong challenge and one of the Hawks most well known foes - Collins Hill High School - took the title last year. As a matter of fact, the Eagles have won the state championship five years consecutively; prior to 2008, Collins Hill won it all in 2002 and 2005. If the Hawks can continue to build on the success they are having, they have the potential to knock off the Eagles who are in the running for another title.

“Collins Hill and Archer are the top two teams we compete with in the area.

Within the region, North Gwinnett and Collins Hill is the top two,” Potter said.

“We already have more wins than we did last year

which is a good sign,” Potter said.

Things are looking bright for the Hawks future; they have a strong youth wrestling program and many of those youngsters will wear the cardinal and gold in the years to come. Last year, the Junior Hawks saw seven wrestlers qualify for state.

At the Longhorn Duals, the Hawks defeated Lanier High School 57-24 and Northview High school 54-30. At the Archer Duals, Mill Creek took 3 out of five with wins over Kell, Harris County, and Johns Creek High School.

The Hawks struggled a bit in the Walton Duals but pulled out a win over Dunwoody High School. MCHS will return to the mat tomorrow at Archer High School at 5 p.m.

Latrice Williams The Paper

Matthew Felbaum defeats a wrestler from Shiloh at the Brookwood Invitational and was just one of the Hawks that secured a top finish.

BY LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

Both basketball teams of Jackson County Comprehensive High School were in need of a victory -- one that would set the tone prior to them entering region play. The girls didn’t have any trouble putting away Washington-Wilkes High School while the boys’ match came down to the final seconds.

For the Lady Panthers, Mason Garland opened the night with a three-pointer and from there the squad leaped out to a 10-0 lead. Nothing seemed to be going the Tigers’ way throughout much of the first half. JCCHS took advantage of the Tigers’ struggles, which stemmed from a plague of turnovers. JCCHS held a 19-0 advantage over WWHS before the Tigers finally put two on the board. Whatever mistakes the Panthers committed were overshadowed by their 33-11 lead at halftime.

With a 22-point lead, it’s easy to see why the Panthers played a bit lackadaisical in the second half. The Tigers never gained enough momentum to make a comeback due to the outstanding shooting of Jackson County in the first half. The Tigers scored just 15 points in the second half and JCCHS went on to win 57-26.

“The girls had an outstanding team effort and played outstanding defense. Savannah [Roncadori ] and Gabbi [Kastner ] got into early foul trouble and Taylor Beshers did an outstanding job of filling the gaps,” said Head Coach John Hawley.

The boys had a game filled with much more suspense. As the clock began to run out, the Tigers sent Jackson County to the free throw line with the hopes of doing the unthinkable with just 0.8 seconds left to play.

“They are an athletic team. You can’t take a break off. The difference in that game was being able to pull down those rebounds and limit them to one look,” said Head Coach Britt Beaver. “We called a timeout to tighten up a little bit. That team won’t quit. We jumped on them and then sat

back for a minute. We don’t have the luxury to sit back especially when we are missing guys.”

Xavier Harper put two points on his stat sheet in the opening minutes of the game.

Hakeem Samuals drilled a shot from the charity stripe and added a putback jumper to extend the lead. Jacob Lewis produced a sensational move to the basket and a long 3 by the Panthers kept them slightly ahead of the Tigers. WWHS began to find an answer to the Panthers scoring attack and tied the game at 25-a-piece near the bottom of the second half.

The battle began to heat up when the Tigers took a 1-point lead in the fourth. The play that most certainly changed the game came from the hands of Chase Dunlap who sealed a 3-pointer to give the Panthers a 2point lead.

“That was a big three. When he hit that three, I think [their] confidence grew and they realized they could do it,” Beaver said.

“Jacob really played a great game and kept his composure. He had to play the point guard. Last year, he did not play the point guard. He can shoot really well. It was a great game for him. I was proud of him,” Beaver said.

One second was not enough time for the Tigers to get off a decent shot. The Panthers took a 47-44 win and Beaver was excited to pick up his first win of the season. The Panthers lost Mo Wade to a series of seizures which doctors are still researching but the team proved they can get the job done without their star player. Doctors are calling the illness “Mo Wade Syndrome” as they seek answers.

“We needed to get that [win]. The kids have played really hard and we’ve been close...to be able to get one with all the illnesses, injuries and missing people really boosted their confidence,” stated Beaver.

Both will take on Oconee County High School tomorrow.The Lady Dragons will compete at 7 and the boys at 8:30 p.m.

LOCAL FOOTBALL

LOCAL BASKETBALL

LOCAL SPORTS

See who is in action this week

See who is hitting the hardwood this week

Check out swimming and wrestling action

Jefferson High School is set to compete in the 2AA state championship game. The battle against Calhoun High School will take place Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the Georgia Dome. The Dragons are 13-1 and are having an impeccable season. Jefferson stumbled just once against Commerce High School at the start of the season but since then they have turned their season around, won 13 straight games and are hoping to bring the trophy back to Jefferson High School. Please visit ClickThePaper.com on Dec. 14 for extensive coverage including feature stories.

The Jackson County Comprehensive girls’ basketball team will compete against Oconee High School at OHS tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. and the boys’ team will compete at 8:45 p.m. at OHS as well. The Jefferson High School girls’ squad will takea on Social Circle High School at Social Circle tomorrow night at 6 and the boys will take the court against the Redskins at 7:30 p.m. The Mill Creek High School girls’ team will challenge Collins High School at Collins Hill at 6 p.m. The boys will compete at 7:30 p.m. against the Eagles as well.

The Jackson County Comprehensive High School wrestling team will compete in Lumpkin County tomorrow at 6 p.m. and again the next day at 10 a.m. The Jefferson High School swim team will compete tomorrow at the Frances Meadows Aquatic Center in Gainesville. The wrestling team will take the mat in the SC Duals at Berea High School on Dec. 15. A time has not been announced yet. The Mill Creek High School swim team will compete against Peachtree Ridge on Dec. 15 at 8 a.m. at the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center. The wrestling team tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Archer High School.

CMYK 2B

sports

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

JHS Lady Dragons look for Shining on the court strong resurgence this year player of the week

By LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

The Jefferson High School girls’ basketball team is another of the Dragons’ programs adding to the great tradition of excellence in JHS sports.

Not too long ago, the Dragons were winning 20 or more games a year. In the 2004-2005 season, Jefferson went (23-6) overall and 7-2 in region play.

The next season, JHS lost just nine games and again boasted 23 wins.

Jefferson had four straight seasons in which the Lady Dragons finished above .500; this year’s team looks to be headed in the right direction with the opportunity to finish as one of the top teams in the region.

“These kids are working hard. Their goals are no different than the ones we set the last several years and I think this team understands we have a lot of work to do,” said Head Coach Jason Gibson. “We have to try to get back to a place where we feel like we need to be.

“We are going to take who is out there and coach them [the]best we can [and] try to get them to play the best they can possibly play,” said Gibson. “The objective every year that we talk [about] are to win the region championship [game] and advance in the state tournament. That’s what we set out to do every year.”

“There are a lot of things as a coach you can’t control; you can’t control injuries. What we try to focus on is what our kids do,” Gibson said.

Last year, the Dragons finished 12-14 and found themselves in a very familiar situation; Jefferson didn’t have a chance to compete for a state title.

“We have been one game short of the state tournament for the last four years,” said Gibson. “It’s a frustrating thing when you work hard and are trying to get to a certain point but don’t quite reach that goal.

There have [been] some teams that I feel as though we could have gotten there had things worked out right. Then, there have probably been some teams where we probably were without a doubt the underdog in terms of getting there.”

Nadiya Miller - Mill Creek High School The senior guard scored more than 20 points, seven of which were 3-pointers to the lead the Hawks past Habersham Central High School. Her efforts helped Mill Creek achieve a huge win over the reigning champs out of the 8A-AAAA last year.

Correction In last week’s sports section under the story titled “Mill Creek goes 1-1 in its first two conference games. Meredith Schulte’s name was incorrectly spelled.

The Paper apologizes for the error.

Jefferson suffered two close losses to Flowery Branch and Winder-Barrow High School last year.

Both games went into overtime.

The Dragons will need to avoid extended games and put themselves in a situation to win early on, which may prove to be beneficial when teams are being seeded for a championship run. This season, the Dragons should have a shot at the region title but will have to get past a powerful Rabun County High School squad. Rabun County poses the biggest threat for the Dragons, a team that went 23-6 last year. RCHS defeated Jefferson 65-26 last year in a non-region game. The Wildcats were region champions two years ago in the 8A-AA region and lost to Calhoun High School in the first round of the state tournament last year.

Jefferson has the ability to kick teams out of the game early as they have done already twice this season. The Dragons defeated Therrell High School in the Tabo’s Tip-Off Tournament during which they conquered Therrell 54-12 with a strong effort by senior Sarah Wood, who finished the night with 14 points. Jefferson took out Oglethorpe County High School on Dec. 4 by a score of 56-18, with the Patriots scoring just 12 points in the first half.The Dragons lost Skylar Evanson, who was a big scorer. Along with losing one of their star players, Jefferson will welcome a few newcomers to the 8B-AA conference.

They will see a few teams they are unfamiliar with but should be able to handle most of them.

Commerce High School has been a foe of the Dragons for a while but Jefferson had the last laugh as they drilled the Tigers twice last season.

In non-conference play, the Dragons will face Decatur High School which has a strong shooter in Jordan Dillard. Decatur finished 22-7 a year ago.

Also look to North Hall High School, which reached the Final Four last season. The Lady Trojans have two scorers in Mary Kate Rushton and Mckenna Rushton, seniors who both reached 1,000 points in their careers last year.

This season won’t be a walk in the park but it is very likely the Lady Dragons could see their name on the bracket at the end of the regular season.

Non-region games will present challenges for JHS

By LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

The history of Jefferson High School athletics extends far beyond the football team.

The basketball team has a few banners hanging high in the gym and they do not go unnoticed. Head Coach Bolling DuBose is in his 37th year coaching boys’ squad.

For three consecutive seasons (2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007), the Dragons finished with more than 20 wins and went undefeated in region play. Jefferson continued to remain a powerhouse within the state and, in 2009, they finished the season without any losses in its conference. They went on to make an appearance in the Final Four where they lost to Thomasville High School, which eventually fell to Greater Atlanta Christian in the championship game.

Last season, the Dragons finished 20-10 with just one region loss to Elbert County High School. They also made an appearance in the region championship game where

they fell to Dawson County by just eight points. Jefferson will seek another appearance in the region championship game this year.

The reshuffled regions shouldn’t pose too much of a threat for the Dragons yet, they couldn’t get shots to fall their way against Oglethorpe County High School, therefore Jefferson must always come out and knock down shots just in case trouble arises.

The Dragons opened the season with a tough loss to Therrell High School, however, they turned things around with wins over Northview and Mountain View High School. On Dec. 4, Oglethorpe County came to Jefferson and stole one in a 4-point win. In the final quarter, the Dragons made a deep run and took a 1-point lead but they sent the Patriots to the foul line in the final minutes.

Jefferson was the favorite going into the game against Oglethorpe County but they didn’t play up to their potential until the second half. Wil-

lie Taylor anchored a strong offensive presence in the second half and the Dragons held a 1-point lead at the top of the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough to seal a win over a Patriot team that finished 7-16 a year ago.

The Dragons are missing Rufus Whitfield, Evan Shirreffs, Isaiah Blake, and Donnie Hatfield who are members of the football team. When these players return, the Dragons will have a little bit more height and depth to make them a solid team.

The Dragons lost Andre Daniel, Will Puckett and Austin Thompson. Thompson was a big scorer who finished with 35 points in the Dragons loss to Greater Atlanta Christian in the Sweet 16 last season.

JHS will compete against the Redskins of Social Circle High School tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The Redskins were 3-18 last season and are a newcomer to the region. The Redskins won’t have Robert Griffin III in the crowd to give them good luck; it should be an easy win for Jefferson.

Dragon wrestlers can continue JHS dynasty

By LATRICE WILLIAMS

lwilliams@clickthepaper.com

In 1999, Head Coach Phil Jackson was hired to lead the Los Angeles Lakers back to the success they saw in the 1980s; the Lakers won five championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) in a 10-year span. The conversation on whether or not Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal created a dynasty within the Lakers’ organization is always up for debate.

In comparison, the Jefferson High School wrestling team has created a dynasty of its own, except theirs cannot be questioned. If you are looking for a fight (let alone win a match), you may want to look elsewhere.

Jefferson just achieved its 12th consecutive traditional state championship, along with another state title in duals, making it 11 in a row.

Jefferson isn’t just at the top in the state but the Dragons have proven to be one of the most talented teams in the Southeast.

Former wrestlers such as Forest Garner, Hunter Garner and Kyle Baird (who were all four-time state champions) helped pave the way and set the tone for future athletes to come.

The Dragons lost Cain Finch and Forrest

Przybysz but has Chase Piperato, Tyler Marinelli (state champion a year ago), Jack Dollar, Jake Sherman and Aaron Anderson.

Jefferson finished at the top at the Panther Invitational on Nov.30-Dec 1. The match was held at Jackson County Comprehensive High School.

The Dragons have a lot of depth; they have plenty of wrestlers that can achieve top three finishes which can be deadly for their opponents when the state championship rolls around.

At the Panther Invite, Mitchell McGhee, Josh Harris, Tanner Thurmond and Zach Rhymer led the way with first place finishes; yet other Dragons such as Chase Piperato Jack Dollar and Aaron Anderson placed second.

Other noteworthy athletes that guided Jefferson were Kyle Kashuba, Jace McColskey, Deshawn Lester and Jake Sherman.

The Dragons are led by Head Coach Doug Thurmond, who has a plethora of athletes seeking another title to add to what’s become one of the most storied wrestling programs in the Southeast.

The Dragons will take the mat at Berea High School on Dec. 15 in the SC Duals. A time has not been announced yet.

Doug Chellew The Paper

The Jefferson High School wrestling team has created a history of winning tradition like no other.

The Dragons biggest challenge will come by way of Rabun County, which is a team that accomplished 20 wins on the season last year. Greene County, Union County and Washington-Wilkes all finished with losing seasons yet, the Patriots confirmed their ability to notch a surprising win.

Jefferson may not have many struggles in their division yet their conference games could put their season in danger if they don’t seal non-region wins. Their nemesis Commerce High School finished 15-13 last year and has seen success in recent years. Last year, they split the series at one-a-piece with Jefferson. A big one to watch for will be the matchup against North Hall who has turned into a powerhouse after going 24-6 last year. The Dragons will host the Trojans on Feb. 2 and will need a rowdy crowd to be the sixth man in a pivotal non-conference showdown.

The Dragons will face off against Social Circle tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Doug Chellew The Paper

Junior Satchel Turpin takes on to the basket against the Titans on Northview during the Tabo’s TipOff tournament.

CMYK Thursday, December 13, 2012

FEATURES

3B

A community filled with

CARING

Northeast Church addresses ongoing needs as holidays are brightened by Devin’s Stocking

BY KATIE JUSTICE

kjustice@clickthepaper.com

The Caring Place, a ministry of the Northeast Church in Braselton, can be no better described than by its very own name.

During the first Wednesday of every month, members of the church, along with community volunteers, dedicate a part of their day to helping those in need in the community. For three hours, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., volunteers provide local families with food, clothes and even a haircut if they’d like.

“It takes a lot to get this done in a three-hour period,” said Theresa Smith, who has been working with the effort, which began in 2000, for years.

“When I first started five years ago, it was basically the same 30-40 families every month. Now it’s nothing to get 25-30 new families a month,” said Smith, of the growing need in the community.

On average, The Caring Place serves more than100 families a month, which Smith says actually means they’re helping between 400 and 500 people each month.

Each family that comes to the church receives a box with 25 pounds of food and the opportunity to walk through the clothes room to pick out whatever clothes they need.

They may receive Christian counseling from Hope for the Hungry, a Christian ministry based in Cumming, and a haircut in the salon as well if they’d like.

In addition to the usually services, The Caring Place spreads some Christmas joy during its December ministry with families receiving turkey for a special holiday meal. Also, families with children were able to get some slightly used toys to go under the tree for Christmas morning.

“We’re just trying to provide a complete Christmas for those we can,” said Starla Harbin, wife of the Rev. Russell Harbin.

In addition to the monthly ministry, Northeast Church is also participating in Devin’s Stocking, a project started

by Susan McDowell. Her son Devin McDowell dreamed of helping children once he grew up, however, Devin was killed in a car crash in 2002.

To honor his memory, Susan started Devin’s Stocking, which provides Christmas gifts to children in the community, who may otherwise not receive any presents.

Families filled out applications and an estimated 150 children will receive clothes and toys this Christmas thanks to Devin’s Stocking.

Devin’s Stocking only happens once a year, but The Caring Place is open

monthly, and receives donations year round.

Right now, the biggest need is men’s clothing.

“Men don’t tend to get rid of their clothes as often as women do,” said Smith.

In addition to men’s

Katie Justice The Paper

Brenda Peppers and Kim Reese volunteer to sort clothing donations to get them ready for those who will come to Northeast Church’s monthly outreach, The Caring Place. clothes, the church is accepting donations of any type of clothing, nonperishable foods and baby supplies such

as diapers, wipes, formula and baby food.

Donations can be dropped off Saturday through Thurs-

day at the Northeast Church office at 2001 Cherry Drive in Braselton. For more information, call 706-654-3205.

Katie Justice The Paper

Haircuts and styles are provided at The Caring Place thanks to those, including church volunteer Carla Lawson, left, and community volunteer Thomas Gref, right, who works at Platinum Salon in Braselton.

Braselton Christian Academy’s food drive helps hungry families

BY KATIE JUSTICE

kjustice@clickthepaper.com

Katie Justice The Paper

Students at Braselton Christian Academy get food boxes prepared for families in need.

Tucked away on Tuscany Drive, just off of Highway 211 in Braselton, is the Braselton Christian Academy.

This small school is home to about 50 students, and these 50 children are making a difference in their community.

Beginning in November, a food drive was held in effort to provide food for the families chosen by the school from the Angel Tree. These families were also provided their desired toys and clothing listed on the tree.

However, students far surpassed the collections necessary for their families from the tree. Their “wonderful abundance” of nonperishable food is making its way to others in need in the community.

Once the boxes were

Katie Justice The Paper

Families on the school’s Angel Tree are getting food this holiday season as are others helped by the Rotary Club. packed for their Angel Tree families, a room in the school still remained full of food.

The surplus was split. Half

went to the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County.

See FOOD DRIVE, 4B

Hoschton Business Alliance supports Holiday Connection The Hoschton Business Alliance will be meeting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Country Inn & Suites in Braselton for the last monthly meeting of 2012.

This gathering will be a combination of a networking/social hour and Christmas Party. Visitors are welcome. There will be a white elephant gift exchange so anyone wishing to participate should bring a wrapped gift. There will also be raffle prizes and breakfast foods.

The HBA offers a dynamic forum for networking, learning about business strategies, and staying informed about community events and local opportunities. Guests are always welcome.

Dues will be collected for the 2013 membership. Those wanting to join or renew membership should bring cash or a check along with the HBA membership application found on the HBA website, http://www.officialhba.com/. For more information, call the HBA Secretary Sarina Roth at 678-897-7792.

LeAnne Akin The Paper

Representing the Hoschton Business Alliance as a donation was made to Niki Adams of Family Connection to help families this holiday through Holiday Connection was , left to right, Mark Holder, Tracy Jordan, Andy Garrison, Roxane Rose, Niki Adams, Dee Lavender, Linda Foster, Sarina Roth, Kim Kyst, Brittany Thomas. The donation was made at the Dec. 5 Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast which spotlighted nonprofits. Adams is still seeking support to aid families during this holiday season.

CMYK 4B

features

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

Are you in the Christmas spirit and prepared to follow Him?

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Braselton does a great job of attempting to get us into the spirit pretty early in the Christmas season with the parade and lighting of the Christmas tree.

I’ve found that I incrementally get into the spirit of Christmas. I thought I was fully into the mood until last week when I went to New York City. When I saw the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, I realized there was a huge gap between where I was in my anticipation of Christmas before and where it was after being in NYC for a week.

Then, I had a greater revelation. I thought I was prepared for Christmas before going to NYC, but after being gone from work and home for four days, I realized I still had a long way to go in preparation for Dec. 25.

I don’t know about you, but there are still stocking stuffers to buy, presents to buy and wrap, food to buy and prepare and that whole Christmas Eve sermon to write. Needless to say, I’m not prepared yet. Well, at least I’m not prepared for the festivities of Christmas, but I want to talk about getting prepared for Christmas in another way.

The ancient church anticipated Dec. 25 for not just the birth of Christ, but the promised return of Christ.

Of all the prophecies that were fulfilled, there is one that remains. Jesus Christ has yet to return. We do not know when he will return, only that he will.

Because we know he will return, we need to be prepared for that return.

For the last 2,000 years, the church has viewed the four weeks leading up to Christmas as a season of preparation, not just for the celebration of Christ’s birth, but also his return. Just before Jesus initiated the Kingdom and started invited people into the Kingdom, Jesus’ relative, John the Baptist, helped prepare people for that coming Kingdom. They way he called people to prepare is the same today. Preparing for Christ’s Kingdom begins with repentance.

John the Baptist first words were “Repent, for the Kingdom of God/heaven is near.”

To repent means to change direction of thinking, and to repent for the Kingdom means that we change in our direction of living. Instead of living for ourselves, we choose to live for God. While that’s impossible to do with good behavior or religious activity, it’s possible through Christ’s death and resurrection. To repent of one’s sins means that one trusts in Jesus as the forgiver of sins and leader of life.

John then called the people to recognize their repentance by consecrating themselves for this new life, identity and kingdom.

Biblically, people consecrated themselves to the Lord through ceremonial bathing. It was symbolic of purification and being set apart.

In the New Testament, this is called baptism. John baptized many in the river, and even Jesus himself. He was our model for a consecrated life or one that is set apart for the Kingdom of God. Finally, John challenged specific people to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Jesus never defined what that fruit looked like, but I assume that since Jesus initiated the Kingdom of God and invited people into it, then our call is the same.

Initiating the Kingdom comes through obedience to God’s commands and will. Inviting people into the Kingdom comes through praying for, serving and inviting our family members, friends, co-workers, classmates and neighbors into a faith relationship with Christ.

I recently had the opportunity to see this type of preparation come about for my two daughters.

On Nov. 25, while I was

David Walters

The Pastor’s Pen

preparing them for bed, I read to them from their “Father and Daughter” devotional Bible. We happened to be on the birth story of Jesus. Following the story, our discussion was on how Mary not only knew Jesus as her son, but also her Savior.

I asked the girls if they believed Jesus was their Savior. They, of course, gave the right answer, being the children of a preacher, and said, “Yes.” When I asked them what that meant, they couldn’t give me an answer.

So, we reviewed why Jesus died on the cross, why he rose from the dead, and what it means to believe in Jesus as one’s savior.

I then told them about my experience as an 8-year-old in trusting Christ. When I asked them if they wanted to believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, they both said “yes.”

I prayed and they echoed my prayer repenting of their sins, trusting in Jesus’ salvation, asking God to fill them with His Holy Spirit, and committing to follow him in life.

They’re now prepared!

Are you?

David Walters, pastor of The Vine in Hoschton, can be reached at david@connecttothevine.org.

Katie Justice The Paper

The grand opening celebration at the new location of Hope Resource Center provided a chance to show off the center, located at 745 Lee St., in Jefferson. Donations of new or gentlyused items needed by mother and baby – during and after pregnancy – are needed.

Hope Resource Center working to meet true community need

By KATIE JUSTICE

kjustice@clickthepaper.com

Hope Resource Center is back in business and ready to serve the community from its new home at 745 Lee St., in Jefferson.

Hope Resource Center Inc., is a Christian, charitable organization that aims to share the mission of Jesus Christ by providing for the needs of those who find themselves coping with an unexpected pregnancy.

Open Tuesdays and Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., the center provides free and confidential services, counseling and classes to women regarding pregnancy and parenting.

“We’re really excited about our new location. This location seems to be perfect for the needs of our client,” said interim director Tina Brock.

Brock, along with co-director Janis Katie Justice The Paper

Volunteers and guests were welcomed to the recent grand opening celebration. A 24-hour hotline is available and counseling and classes are provided to those coping with an unexpected pregnancy.

Ray, is currently in charge of the center, which is run by volunteers.

“Without them, we couldn’t make it, so we’re very thankful for our volunteers,” said Brock, who says those interested in volunteering can stop by the center or call the hotline.

“We are more than anxious to have the doors open more,” said Brock about the center’s likely growth as the clientele increase.

Some of the free services offered include confidential pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and information on the options of an unexpected pregnancy.

The center also operates an Earn While You Learn program, through which expectant mothers can learn more about pregnancy and caring for a baby while earning credits to go toward items for baby care.

According to volunteer Judy Hogan

Boone, participating in classes earns the women “baby bucks.” Those “baby bucks” can then be spent on items such as maternity clothes, diapers, cribs and car seats. Sixteen classes earn enough points to “buy” a car seat.

“It teaches them responsibility and stick-to-itiveness,” said Boone.

The center also offers free parenting classes, like skills classes, and postabortion counseling.

The center also provides a 24-hour helpline at 706-367-5304.

Hope Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that runs through donations. It is currently seeking donations of anything, either new or gently used, which a mother or baby could use for, during and after pregnancy. Donations can either be dropped off during center hours, or donors can call the hotline to set up a time.

CMYK The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

5B

ENTERTAINMENT

When sticky fingers are a sticky wicket with family coming for Christmas Dear Margo: Two sons and their wives visited us for Christmas last year. We have a large three-story home and live five to seven hours away from our children.

I decorated the stairs leading to the second floor with three framed Christmas embroideries from our Serbian daughter-in-law. I removed three expensive, framed Chinese pictures (from the other son) and carefully placed them together in a closet.

When Christmas was over, I went to put the Chinese pictures back up, but one was missing! I have searched every corner in this house and have not found it. We are sure our second light-fingered son stole it.

My heart is broken that he and his wife would be so bold as to steal something so large and personal while staying with us. What do I do? If I confront them, I may never see my granddaugh-

Dear Margo ter again. But I can’t let it go, and here come the holidays!

— Forlorn Dear For: When you refer to your “light-fingered son,” there is more than a suggestion that he is known for this behavior and has done it before. Kleptomania or not, the arrow of guilt points nowhere else. You clearly put the Chinese pictures away together, and one was missing.

It would have been good if you had dealt with this earlier, but better late than never. I would call him and say you have done a very careful reconstruction of the situation and, given his history, you would like the Chinese picture back.

If there is denial, a reminder of his history is in order. Dealing with him is better than “them,” and I don’t think they would withhold your granddaughter.

And for this visit, count the silver. Merry Christmas.

— Margo, directly Dear Margo: I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but I don’t know how to deal with my motherin-law. She’s a master manipulator who pits her own children against each other, and she’s a know-it-all.

I planned a wedding with my guy in mind, choosing all of the things he would like. I never wanted a big wedding, but I did it for him. She badmouthed me all weekend to anyone who would listen, and got so drunk she had to be carried out. Her own friends apologized for her behavior, but she denies anything ever happened.

Now I’m pregnant, and she’s on my case about my choice to breastfeed. (She

didn’t, so obviously that is what everyone should do.)

When I tell her it’s a personal decision, she tells me my mood swings are making me cranky. I have been lucky enough to have a wonderful pregnancy so far.

I’m still working full time, cooking and cleaning for my husband, and life is good. But now I can’t bear to pick up the phone anymore.

Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.

My husband is supportive, but his position is: “That’s just how Mom is.” She insists on staying with us when the baby is born because I obviously have no idea what I’m doing. I just can’t take any more, and I’m ready to cut her off. What is my next step? — Upset Dear Up: Because your husband sounds mostly supportive, take the bit in your teeth, and tell the battleaxe that your own mother is coming (if she is alive) or that you’ve arranged for some help. To reinforce

WORKING IT OUT

JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

SOLUTION

your do-not-show-up dictum, have your husband buttress the edict with a phone call of his own.

If push comes to shove, be prepared to lay it on the line that you and your husband are running your lives, not she. I do not believe in being held hostage by pushy people, parents included.

— Margo, independently Dear Margo: My cousin recently came out to the family. This wasn’t really a surprise, because we guessed as much. I have no problem with it, as I believe this is something that’s not a choice.

My question is: What is an appropriate response? “Congratulations!” doesn’t seem right, but neither does “Oh, we’ve known for awhile” or “It’s about time.”

I muttered something awkwardly, but I wish I’d said something more eloquent that expressed how I love him, no matter what, and that I’m glad he wanted

to share this with us. Can you help me with a good response to a friend or family member who comes out the next time? — Wanting To Say the Right Thing Dear Want: You know, whatever you say that’s supportive is fine. I have a girlfriend who, when her son came out, did say: “Ta-da!

I’ve known for quite some time.” With certain relationships, “Congratulations on coming out” would be fine.

If you want a do-over with this cousin, you might drop him a note saying what you wrote to me at the end of your letter. My all-purpose response when someone tells me s/he is gay is to say, “I hope there’s someone wonderful in your life — or that there will be.”

— Margo, supportively

Dear Margo is written by Margo Howard, Ann Landers’ daughter. All letters must be sent via the online form at www. creators.com/dearmargo. Due to a high volume of e-mail, not all letters will be answered.

CMYK 6B

FEATURES

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

sUPPORT of ADVANTAGE

Jackson County Family Connection still has families available for adoption this holiday season.

To assist Holiday Connection, you can donate new, unwrapped toys. Toys can also be dropped off at Jefferson Fire Station #1 located at 129 Athens St., in Jefferson, the Jefferson Police Department at 140 Mahaffey St., or the Crawford Long Museum at 28 College St. Please drop off donations by the end of the business day on Thursday, Dec. 20. sss

Dollar General, located at 1042 Washington St., in Jefferson, where Alicia Anglin and Marci Chastain work, has a donation box set up to help families served by Advantage Behavioral Health Systems.

“These families may be struggling from depression or anxiety, and this time of the year that should be filled with joy, it is not for them,” says Sarah Hill of Advantage. “This is generally because they have children, and they want nothing more than to have just one toy, to give them on Christmas morning.”

Customers can purchase clothes, toys and books from the Dollar General or they can purchase items anywhere and drop them off at Dollar General. Donations for a child ages 3-17 should be unwrapped.

Advantage will be screening recipients, says Hill.

A Zumba Party will be hosted from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Step Stomp & Cheer Training Center, is located at 9550-C Jackson Trail Road in Hoschton. Please bring a toy for entry and the toys will be donated to Toys for Tots. “Come and burn a ton of calories as we will be dancing up a storm,” said Step Stomp & Cheer owner Valarie Brown-Stephens. sss Breakfast with Santa will be hosted from 9-11 a.m. on Dec. 15 at the Hoschton Heritage Arts Center at 74 White St., in Hoschton. The cost is $2 per child and $4 per adult. sss Westbrook Academy and Braselton Prep will present “The Yule Mule,” a Christmas musical by Ray Lombardi, at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13, in the gymnasium building. Tickets are $5 with coffee and dessert are included. sss The annual community Christmas dinner will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, in the cafeteria of Jackson County Comprehensive High School. Bring the family to share a Christmas meal and enjoy holiday music and the kids can visit with Santa.

The community dinner is free to all. sss The Winder Christmas Parade is an annual event featuring local businesses and organizations traveling through the downtown area. This year’s parade will be Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

This event also features Santa Claus. Pictures with Santa will be offered after the parade at the gazebo in downtown Winder. Food vendors will be selling food and hot drinks along the parade route and inflatables will be located behind the gazebo. sss Experience Fun at the Fort, a picturesque and fascinating historic site within Fort Yargo State Park, while learning about life in the late 1700s. Fun for the whole family from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tours includes various interactive activities and educational opportunities. $3 plus $5 parking. 770-867-3489. sss The Crawford W. Long Museum is hosting its latest exhibit, “Christmas Traditions and the Civil War” through the end of January. The exhibit features a scene from Christmas past with examples of Civil War-era decorations and toys. The museum is also adding a new permanent exhibit, “Traveling in the Mid-1800s by Horse, Stagecoach and Train” will highlight travel in the mid-19th century.

The museum is located on the Jefferson Public Square at 28 College St., in downtown Jefferson.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

FOOD DRIVE Continued from 3B

The remaining half is to be donated to families in need, identified in part through Holiday Connection. A Christmas party, hosted by the Braselton Rotary, will be held Dec. 18 for these families.

Braselton Christian Academy drector Penney Smith, A member of the Braselton Rotary Club, is the person behind the food collection component of this year’s Rotary community project.

She is networking through Rotary to see that families in need of food can benefit from Braselton Christian Academy’s bounty.

Last Friday and on Monday, students compiled all of the remaining canned goods to share with Holiday Con-

nection.

“We just want to feed as much as we can for as long as we can,” said Madelyn Majewski, a sixth grader helping to pack boxes of food.

“We’re all very blessed here, and blessed with Mrs. Smith and the school,” said Kathy Barnes, as she supervised the students organizing the food.

“Our family base here is just unbelievable,” said Barnes, who reports everyone from parents to grandparents helped contribute to the food drive.

“I really know that God would like everyone [as I would] like them to have the food we have here,” said sixth grader Will Beckham.

“We’re very proud of the kids,” said Barnes. “They enjoyed learning about what it’s like to help someone else.”

“We’re very proud of the kids. They enjoyed learning about what it’s like to help someone else.”

Kathy Barnes Director of the food box packing

Hoschton author Chris Barber promotes first of children’s trilogy Hoschton Author Chris Barber had a successful book- signing event Dec. 8 at World Delights Coffee Shop in Dacula. He proudly displayed his two prized books, “Charging Your MindSet” and “Shadow: A Cat For All Seasons.”

Barber became interested in writing in the 1980s after realizFarah Bohannon ing that he did not have the same enthusiastic response from chilColumnist dren as his father did. His father could make children laugh and smile all by his presence, so Barber decided that he could reach children in this positive way by writing.

“I focus on writing to get children involved in dreaming and becoming a part of the book and all the characters,” Barber says. This mindset led him to publish the first of a trilogy, “Shadow: A Cat For All Seasons.”

His other book, which is actually the first book Barber had published through Tate Publishing, is an excellent and beneficial read for adults. “Charging Your Mind-Set” is a powerful book about the empowerment of positive thinking.

Since Barber served as a S.W.A.T. team member and a crisis negotiator for the Gwinnett Police Department, he constantly saw negative situations that could have morphed into something positive. In this particular book, Barber shares how a person who encounters negative situations throughout the day can switch his or her mindset to a positive one through eight stages. He truly wants to show his readers that it is harmful to dwell on negative circumstances because it will hinder positive thoughts.

Barber said he had a wonderful time at the booksigning and was able to discuss his books with the handful of customers that came in and out of the coffee shop between 1-3 p.m. He had copies of his books available as well as framed photos of the book covers.

Barber uses Tate Publishing, a mainline publishing house dedicated to working with aspiring authors and giving their book its best chance in the marketplace.

For more information about Chris Barber as well as a calendar of upcoming events, visit http://chrisbarber. tateauthor.com/ He also recently held a Dec. 6 book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Athens. There were a dozen authors there and they had customers drifting by to see what was on display and to learn more about the books and the authors themselves.

Farah Bohannon is a freelance writer living in Winder.

She loves to utilize her skills to write inspiring stories.

Reach her at farah.bohannon@gmail.com

Farah Bohannon The Paper

Chris Barber of Hoschton is promoting his books at special appearances including a recent booksigning for “Charging your Mind-Set” and “Shadow: A Cat for All Seasons.”

cmyk CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

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170-Notices 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 ON C.O.B.R.A. Insurance?

Want to get off? Need Affordable Health Insurance? Then Call Toll-Free 24/7 recorded message 1-888-599-4677

Jobs 200 227-Education

The Office of Academic Affairs at Brenau University, located in Gainesville, GA, invites applicants for Research Assistant. Details are available on our website at https://brenau. applicantstack.com/x/ openings.

Find it.

Buy it.

Sell it.

Automobiles Furniture Livestock Computers Jewelry

SALES REPRESENTATIVE The Times is seeking enthusiastic and eager professionals to join the established and experienced team in place.

Desire to sell in a team environment and seek new business is an absolute must. An individual with high energy and assertive work ethic along with the ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fluid environment daily will fit into our sales territory partnerships well. Dependable track record on attendance and attention to details will assure success.

Self-starter and self-motivated toward the senior account executive business plan will produce the highest achievements.

Primary duties include developing new business in tandem with the seasoned sales staff to exceed monthly territory sales goals.

Working knowledge of excel software, reliable transportation with a valid driver’s license/good driving record and ability to comprehend written and verbal instruction are required.

We offer you a start in sales culture with comprehensive compensation package to include competitive salary and health & time benefits.

Resumes and references to: hr@gainesvilletimes.com

233-Maintenance

279-Technical

Registered Vascular Tech Vascular Surgery Gainesville Licensed Practical Nurse (P/T; Pre-and Post op exp. Recovery exp.

IV exp) Vascular Surgery Gainesville Clinical Assistant (Part time or PRN; C-arm exp pref’d) Vascular Surgery Gainesville Check in/ Registration (Minimum 1 yr exp.

Span/Eng a plus) Vascular Surgery Gainesville LPN (Minimum 1 yr exp.

Span/Eng a plus) Bariatrics Gainesville Clinical Coordinator (LPN preferred.

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Diesel Truck Mechanic and Assistant Service Manager Salem Leasing has immediate openings in Norcross, GA. An Assistant Service Manager and Diesel Truck Mechanics.

Excellent pay and benefits! 2 yrs. plus exp., your own tools, good driving and work history. CDL-A driver license and/or Refrigeration unit experience would be helpful. Apply online or in person Salem NationaLease 4815 Buford Hwy, Norcross, GA 30071 www.salemleasing.c om Facilities Manager Position Available First Baptist Church of Jefferson is looking for individual responsible for keeping the facilities cleaned and maintained, including doing small repairs, and general labor necessary in assisting the ministerial staff. Applicant should have a passion for excellence, cleanliness, attention to detail and be a self-motivated person who is able to be effective when working independently with minimal supervision and produce results. This position requires a high school diploma, a minimum of three years experience, preferably in facility management, janitorial, or maintenance. 20-25 hours per week. $10-$12 per hour. Job description available at FBC office or by calling 706-367-8332.

Resumes accepted through Dec. 17.

240-Medical The Longstreet Clinic, P.C. is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions: Practice Management Systems Coordinator (M-F, IDX experience required. Coding and/or CPC certification preferred) Gainesville Interpreter (Fluent in Eng & Span.

Clinical exp pref’d) OB/GYN Gainesville

Appliances

Find the perfect 770-535-1199 pet Call and place your ad today in the Classifieds!

in today’s Classifieds.

Medical Asst.

(1 day per week Mon; 8:30am-5pm) Oncology Gainesville All positions are full time unless noted.

Full-time employees may be eligible for paid days off, health insurance and a generous retirement plan. Salary commensurate with experience. Previous medical office experience preferred.

Spanish/English skills desirable. Interested candidates may submit resumes via fax to 770-535-7445 Attn: Employment E-mail to: HR@longstreet clinic.com or complete an application at 725 Jesse Jewell Pkwy., Suite 270, Gainesville, GA 30501. For additional info about the Longstreet Clinic., P.C., please visit our website: www.long streetclinic.com MEDICAL ASST. PT/FT for busy Gainesville dermatology practice. Medical Asst. experience req’d. Fax resume to: 770-538-0556 WillowWood Nursing Center 4595 Cantrell Rd, Flowery Branch • CNA, F/T & P/T available.

• LPN - P/T available.

Fax resume to: 770-967-4312 or Apply in person

245-Misc.

Help Wanted Carriage Kia, in Gainesville, GA is looking for a Parts Driver. Must have a good MVR. Apply in person or E-mail resume to: ryant@carriageautomotivegroup.com

250Offices/Clerical LEGAL SECRETARY Local Law Firm seeks full-time legal secretary with real estate and litigation experience. Must know Microsoft Office and SoftPro a plus. Please submit resume to: Box 375 C/O The Times P.O. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503

270-Professional KIK International, LLC Gainesville, GA seeks SENIOR MARKET ANALYST- SALONS Resp for market analysis and tracking of international salon product launches as well as trends in salon product packaging and salon product ingredients.

Reqs Bachelor’s deg or foreign equiv in Marketing, Bus, or rel + 8yrs exp or no deg + 10 yrs exp with a Hair Stylist Lic. Travel required up to 10% of the time, fully reimbursed. Email resume specifying job code 66969 in the subject line to mpartridge@kik corp.com

345-Furniture LEATHER COUCH, dark green w/ matching CHAIR, good cond., $160 delivered.

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Neurosurgery Gainesville

350-Guns SERVICE TECHNICIAN Service/Start up Technicians.

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CONDITIONED AIR SYSTEMS 2410 Hilton Way, Gainesville, GA 30501 Fax: 770-535-8096

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280-Trades 25 year old Gainesville Shop has opening for GENERAL LINE TECHNICIAN Call Paul Fuller 770-718-3140 TRUCK SER VICE CALL MECHANIC needed. Must have tractor-trailer exp., capable of repairing trucks & trailers.

Own tools required.

Must have valid CDL. Call for details.

770-887-6117 West Georgia Electric is taking applications for experienced industrial electricians for plant in Pendergrass.

Call 770-490-7488 and lv msg with your contact info.

285-Truck Drivers ADVANCED DISPOSAL accepting applications for CDL-B Drivers Excellent pay/benefits. 7yr MVR needed.

Apply in person: 8880 Old Federal Rd, Ball Ground, GA 30107. EOE. Driver

CDL Drivers

Physician Assistant

or 1-800-395-5005

240-Medical

770-535-1199

Needed Tuition Paid by Federal Grants or VA Benefits.

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290-Warehouse SHIPPING ASSOC. ENERGETIX, a Dahlonega/ Gainesville area co. looking for responsible, quality, team oriented person to add to our Shipping Team. F/T position (M-F 8:30 to 5:30) We Offer: •Full training •Advancement opps •Co. with a great rep •Competitive comp Start at $8 to $10/hr •Great Benefits (Paid Time Off & Holidays, 401k) Must be able to lift 70lb boxes.

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E.O.E.

Stuff 300

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365-Misc.

For Sale 4X8 TRAILER Heavy Duty. 15” side boards & tail gate.

Will haul up to 3000 lbs. Good heavy duty Tires. $500.

770-532-4348 Garmin Nuvi 2300lm 4.3 w/ Lifetime maps $50, Ilive Sound Ba r27"$10,RCA WIFI Streaming Media Player w/1080p HDMI Output $40, Disc Gear 100 Disc Container $20, Black & Decker Covection CounterTop Oven $25, New Birki's & Keds Womens size 8 $10, Little Steamer $10, Pet Booster Seat $10, Small Dog Carrier $10 and lots more I am moving and need to get some of this gone.

Please call 706-776-6865 if interested HDTV Samsung 30" with solid oak entertainment Ctr. $300.00 (770-540-9187) RIMS 2010 Dodge 20" Factory Chrome Rims-4 @$500, Nice.

706-973-0662 VIDEO ROCKER CHAIR, Maroon colored, velour, $15; 5' x 3' KITCHEN TABLE w/ 4 chairs, black legs, wood tops, $65; REI Piggyback Baby BACKPACK CARRIER, $65; Safety 1st Infant ACTIVITY WALKER, blue & orange, $15.

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380-Pets & Supplies CHIHUAHUA, Pups Beautiful! Born Oct. 15th. $200.

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GREAT DANE Puppies, full blooded, not registered, parents on site, males & females, 6 weeks old, $200/each.

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REFRIGERATOR Sears Kenmore Elite, SS. Side by side, counter depth, 23 cubic ft. 4yrs old. $600. 770-534-7626 WASHER & DRYER Kenmore, White. $75 each. Can Deliver 678-546-9184 or 678-617-5560 WASHER & DRYER, Kenmore, Exc cond $250. 770-983-1507

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Starting @ $25.00 “Choose & Cut” 706-654-3250

345-Furniture FULL SIZE SETPillow-top, Brand New! $140. Still in plastic. Delivery avail 678-697-2842

1BR-$495; 2BR $595. 3BR- $650 In City. 678-617-5073 Oakwood- 2/2. $675. All Electric. www.callapartments.c om. 770-287-1456 OAKWOOD- 2BR/ 1.5BA. $595mo.

678-315-7051 770-833-9437 Oakwood- Pine Forest. 2BR/1BA $660 www.callapartments.c om. 770-287-1456

YORKIE'S CKC male/female breeding pair, 9 months old. $400 each or $700 for both. 706-809-9096

Homes & Rentals 400 410-Apartments Unfurnished Oakwood 1 BR Apt. $475 + dep. No pets.

770-654-5154 Oakwood 1 BR Apt. $475 + dep. No pets.

770-654-5154 1BR- 4th Floor. Jackson Bldg. dwntwn on The Square. Lanier, 404-202-7290 BSMT APT- E. Hall.

2BR/1BA. utils incld. $200 Dep; $150wk.

404-516-1007 or 404-925-2367 G’Ville- 2BR $610/mo water/trash incld no pet 678-677-1898 VISIT US AT GAINESVILLEGA APARTMENTS.COM See our New Web Site for your New Home Or Apartment.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK LANDMARK PROPERTIES Or call about our $599 Move In Special

678-779-2687

415-Business Property for Rent 2 Bay Warehouse 500 SF, $175/mo 770-540-5339 CLASS A OFFICE SPACE- Available Located on Green St. CD Properties 706-778-8001

420-Condos For Rent 2/2 w/Garage, Quiet, 1 story, Sardis, lawn care. 770-313-1333 3/2 Quiet, Sardis $795m 770-654-1767 770-250-0174

Thursday, December 13, 2012

710-Antique Cars/Trucks CADILLAC 1986 Sdn DeVille 89k, Exc 1 owner. $4000/obo.

Possible truck trade 770-967-0751 770-841-4548 FORD 1966 Mustang, sound too good to be true? Not if you call Dan, $6950.

Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

735-Autos for Sale

430-Houses for Rent Furnished Lake cottage. 2BR, 1 BA, GREAT ROOM, Deck, Deepwater Dock (needs repair). $750/mo 770-503-5070

435-Houses for Rent Unfurnished $0 Application Fee 3BR/2BA HOMES All Appliances included.

NO RENT until February 1, 2013

CADILLAC 1993 Deville, 4.9L V8, 91K miles, $5,891.

MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

888-246-2803 countrysidelakelanier. com EHO WAC 2BR/1BA, 3155 Durman Road. $550/mo + $550 dep.

770-536-3533 or 770-508-9215 3 & 5BR Lakefront Great Location. $1150-$1995 770-539-4400 Lrg Historic House dwntwn Lula. 2BR/ 1BA.$675mo $500dp.

770-861-8202 3BR/2BA- Sardis w/2BR In-law suite. $1200. 770-714-1992 3BR/2BA. $550 + dp.

1022 Etta Vista Cir, Gainesville. No pets!

770-536-5157 4031 Oliver Dr. 3/2, $800 + $800 dep. N. Hall. 770-354-9505 BEAUTIFUL & PRIVATE 5br/3bath, Inground POOL, stacked stone, hdwd flr, garage, big basement w/rec. rm, 2nd kitchen, w/d. $1750 mo. 678-697-8915 Photos www.greathallhome. com E. HALL on 3 acs.

4BR/3BA w/ small barn, $950+ $950 dp.

No indoor pets/smoking. 678-316-5102

CADILLAC 2002 Deville, 4.6L V8, 129K miles, $5,455.

MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

CHEVY 2001 Impala 69K miles $5,837 Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335 CHEVY 2003 Malibu Classic, champagne w/ tan cloth, $499 down. Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

CHEVY 2011 Impala LT, 3.5L V6, 25K miles, $14,455 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

FLWRY BR. 3/2 gar. $1100/mo 770-287-1456 LAKESIDE SPRINGS sbdv.

4BR/2.5BA. 1718 Sawgrass Cove.

Jacuzzi tubs, tile/ hrdwd flrs, hard surface counter tops, Etc 208-401-5828

CHEVY 2011 Malibu 1LT, 3.2L 4 cyl., 32K miles, $15,790 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

N. HALL- 3/2, full bsmt, gar, close in $850m. 770-531-7414

CHRYSLER 1994 Lebaron. Cnvt. auto, V6, green/gray. New top/tires. 157k. $1795. 770-262-8200

Nice 3BR/2BA, quiet New paint/tile floors, $825. 770-532-0966

LAKE, 3BR/2BA, fplc, $750 + $400 dep.

678-614-7607

FORD 2006 Freestyle, local trade, $8,150.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

3BR/2BA H & A $125/wk. No pets!

770-289-9142 CLERMONT- 2 & 3 Bdrms. Priv lot. $450 & up. 770-841-9974 Dbl Wide- 3BR/2BA $550mo. $300 dep.

6201 River Run Cir. 770-654-4743 Reduced Rate Free Rent Starting at $85/wk. N. & S. Hall & Gainesville.

770-534-7596 LRG. 3/2 dbl wide, 1 ac, Lula, fireplc. rent/lease purchase.

770-365-9610 N HALL, 2BR/2BA, $125/wk; $250 dep.

770-532-7226 NICE 2/1 on pvt lot in E. Hall. $120/wk (770) 540-0800 (770) 540-5978

465-Roommates Wanted Large Furn’d Room w/priv bath, cable, frig, No dep/util fees. $125/wk.

678-943-5143 MEN-ONLY. Fur Br, All priv + Xtras Oakwd. 770-530-1110 ROOMMATE Hwy 53 West Gainesville.

Cable/Utils incld. $365mo. No smkng 678-438-2886

Wheels 700 705-All Terrain Vehicles ARCTIC CAT 200890cc. Very Good Cond. Low hours. $900.470-262-8261

FORD 2012 Mustang $19,488 Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

TOYOTA 2011 Corolla LE, $13,755 Auto Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

LINCOLN 1994 Town Car 50K ORIGINAL MILES!! Fine example of a classic American Luxury car!! This is an all original car with only 50K miles!! Looks, runs, and drives like new! $5500.

678-989-4227 Mike.

AutoCheck by Experian report on Ebay OLDS 2002 Intrigue.

Real Low miles, A/C wrrty. $3800.

770-536-5858 770-967-8411

745-Import Autos

HONDA 2007 Civic LX. 2dr gray, 29,500 miles. Exc Cond. $12,500.

770-965-0199 INFINITI 2003 M45 $8,988.

Local trade.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

MAZDA 2008 6i Sport, 2.3L 4 cyl., 98K miles, $9,899 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200 MITSUBISHI 1996 Eclipse, 4cyl, 5spd, red/gray. 186k. New tires/clutch. $1795 770-262-8200 NISSAN 1998 Altima $2,888.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

FORD 2009 Fusion SE, 3.0L V6, 83K miles, $11,492.

MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200 NISSAN 2010 Sentra 53k. Amazing Deal!!

CHEVY 2011 Equinox 38k. 1 Owner. Clean!

NISSAN 2007 Quest.

79k. Loaded. 1 ownr See Oscar Marin Milton Martin Honda 770-540-1215

VOLVO 2001 S40, silver w/ gray lthr, $499 down.

Call Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

755-Sport-Utility Vehicles CHEVY 2001 Tahoe LS. white with tan leather, 4WD, 275k.

Good Cond. $5500.

404-229-9042 FORD 1999 Expedition, sound too good to be true? Not if you call Dan. $1,750.

Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988 FORD 2005 Escape 4X4, local trade, $7,830.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335 JEEP 2007 Compass local trade $9,382.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

JEEP 2008 Wrangler X, 3.8L V6, 55K miles, $17,677 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

KIA 2009 Borrego LX. Exc Cond. 54k, V6, seats 7, Trailer Hitch. Non-smoker. $16,750/OBO. Call 678-928-1853 NISSAN 2004 Pathfinder SE, local trade, $9,160.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

NISSAN 2005 Xterra Off Road, 4.0L V6, 109K miles, $8,899 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

765-Trucks

NISSAN 2002 Maxima, $5,988.

Local trade.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

CHEVY 2005 Silverado, regular cab, $10,309.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

NISSAN 2003 350Z, $11,032.

Local trade Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

CHEVY 2008 Silverado Ext. Cab, local trade, $19,487.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

NISSAN 2005 Altima, $8,188.

Local trade.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

CHEVY 2009 Colorado LT, Ext. cab, $14,988.

CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335

NISSAN 2006 Altima, 74K miles, $9,986.

Please call CARRIAGE NISSAN 770-532-6335 NISSAN 2007 Sentra, Sounds unheard of?

Not if you call Dan. $599 down.

Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

460-Mobile Homes for Rent 3/2 RABBITTOWN $620 +dep. No pets.

770-714-1992

745-Import Autos

HONDA 2003 S2000 Base, 2.0L 4 cyl., 49K miles, $16,899.

MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200 CADILLAC 2007 STS, 4.6L V8, 52K miles, $21,677 MOSS ROBERTSON Call Today 770-535-2200

7B

735-Autos for Sale

PONTIAC 2003 Sunfire, ready to go.

Have to ask Dan for this deal, $499 down.

Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

SUN HOMES

445-Lake Homes for Rent

310-Appliances Electric RangeAmana. Smooth surface. Like new. $350. 706-693-4520

425-Duplexes For Rent

The Paper

SAAB 2002 95, gray w/ gray leather and all the goodies, $599 down. Call Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988 Toyota 1989 Corolla.

5spd, new batt, Very Good & Reliable. $1800. 678-895-4910 TOYOTA 2004 Corrolla CE, auto trans, CD, cold A/C, good heat, $5900. Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

FORD 1994 F-150 5.0 V8 w/ auto trans., exc. cond., $999 down. Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

770-Vans FORD 1994 Aerostar.

Newer tires, battery & front brakes. Runs Great! 125k. $1400.

678-943-8906 HONDA 2003 Odyssey, white w/ gray lthr, ready to go, $499 down. Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988 PONTIAC 2005 Montana Van, champagne, tan seats, $499 down. Dan Jim Waters Motor 770-532-6988

Legals

CMYK 8B

The Paper | Thursday, December 13, 2012