This Week:
Sports Issue 25
Volume 10
From the Oconee to the Apalachee
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Volleyball
Academy wins Page 7
Schools
MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader
Prince Avenue Christian, winners of the last two Region 8-A championships, defeated George Walton Academy 45-6 last Friday night in Monroe. It was the region opening game for the Wolverines, and they improved to 3-0 overall. The Wolverines play at Athens Christian on Friday night. Pictured is Kevon Hudson eluding a George Walton defender on his way to the end zone in the second quarter. Hudson had a 19yard and 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. For the full story, see page 4. Visit theoconeeleader.com for more pictures from the game.
Academy
Ship-A-Chip Page 2
4-H
ACTS calling on churches to help fill shelves BY ROB PEECHER
The Oconee Leader
The Bogart food bank run by Area Churches Together Serving made its largest single purchase of food in August, but within a week, a third of it was gone. Reiny Hiss, who serves at the director at ACTS, said in August the local food bank spent $12,000 on food. “Then in September we had the largest single week we’ve ever had other than a holiday week, and 30 percent of it is gone,” Hiss said. ACTS always takes a hit with slow donations in the summer, Hiss said. People go on vacation and are busy with school starting back, and by the end of August the shelves at ACTS can begin to empty. “By the end of the summer we always go
down hill,” Hiss said. “Then it’s a struggle to keep going until the second week in November when we get donations from the schools’ can drive.” Hiss said he is contacting the big churches in Oconee County to try to get donations to carry ACTS through the next couple of months. Hiss said a lot of churches are taking monetary donations and passing those along to ACTS along with non-perishable food donations. Grace Fellowship brought in a large cash donation last month. “Grace came in two weeks ago with a tremendous collection, and that was one of the big helps that got us through last month,” Hiss said. Though the economy is improving, Hiss said the numbers of families that ACTS serves have not had a corresponding drop. Instead, Hiss said
ACTS is now seeing an increase in the senior population it serves. “We’ve been slammed by seniors who had their food stamps cut this year,” he said. “The families of mostly construction workers we used to serve are not coming back. The seniors are now coming in and filling those same slots.” Over the last year, Hiss said about 130 families who came to ACTS regularly seeking assistance have been “outed” – meaning they no longer come to ACTS for assistance. Over the past few years, ACTS has served about 200 families each month. Hiss said last month ACTS served 210 families. “Our numbers are not going down, it’s just different people we’re seeing.” Rob Peecher is a reporter for The Oconee Leader.
Latest store openings bring center to near-full BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader
Forestry Team
wins district Page 3
Coming Soon:
Members of the Classic City Band, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary performing music in the Athens area, will perform October 13 at 7 p.m. at Oconee Presbyterian Church. The concert will feature ensembles from the band, including the Classic City Dixie Dawgs, a New Orleans style band; the Classic City Swing and the new Classic City German Band. For information visit classiccityband.org. The concert is free.
More than two years since the opening of the first businesses at Epps Bridge Centre, the existing retail space is nearing capacity with the opening of two new stores this month and next. But more is still expected to come. Party City opened at Epps Bridge Centre September 8 and Bed, Bath and Beyond is expected to open October 1. With tenants reporting positive sales and existing space soon to be “96 percent leased,” developer Frank Bishop discussed the development’s impact on Oconee County and the region, as well as its future, including new restaurants and the development of related outparcels. “There are two restaurants that we are probably able to announce,” said Bishop. “There is going to be a sandwich shop and a sit-down restaurant. The sit-down restaurant should be open before Christmas.” Other new tenants seem imminent as Bishop expands the development to outparcels, but he indicated specifics are yet to be determined and will depend on the tenants themselves. “We don’t know (the size of future retail spaces) until we contact the tenants or they contact us. It depends on their interest level and the space that they need. I think when the last stores open, it will be 96 percent leased. “What is left to be built are the outparcels and how they take shape depends on who we bring in. Building sizes (for potential tenants) range from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet.” What fills each remaining space also depends to some degree on which stores and restaurants are already a part of the shopping center. “We have tried to be selective about the tenants we put in Epps Bridge Centre. It’s impor-
Bed Bath & Beyond and Party City are among the latest stores opening at Epps Bridge Centre. These stores bring Epps Bridge Centre’s existing space to 96 percent full.
tant to encourage cross-shopping and for tenants to complement each other. That is important to successful retail. So, we are being careful about the outparcels, as well. We want to make sure they are complementary. For example, we don’t want to build four sushi restaurants next to each other.” According to Bishop, so far, the selection of tenants has been successful. “I do know that the movie theater and Old Navy are continuing to report good sales,” said Bishop. “Everybody is reporting good sales.” In addition to jobs brought to Oconee County by each business at Epps Bridge Centre, Bishop added that Oconee County citizens continue to
benefit from both sales tax and property tax revenue generated by the development. “It is a regional center and because it is in Oconee County, citizens in Oconee County reap the benefits of property and sales tax revenue,” Bishop said. “It is still in a regional location. I believe the Chamber of Commerce did a study and six or seven out of ten cars in the parking lot were from outside Oconee County. I think that’s a signal that it is being accepted as a regional location. “I do know that we paid over $350,000 just in Please see
‘Epps Bridge Centre’ Page 3