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This Week: Calendar Volunteer Oconee! Camp: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oconee Veterans Park, 3500 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville. Days are spent volunteering with local nonprofits and exploring community partnerships. Not all work, this week offers the chance to explore local businesses with tours and lunch. Great resume and college application builder. Limited to 20 participants per session. Oconee residents only. Ages 1315. $110., 706-540-4152. 706-206-5094

Issue 28

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Volume 11

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Lights in the sky

Baby/Toddler Open Playtime: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Play with age-appropriate toys and make new friends. Ages 0-3 years only. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary. org/oconee Learn to DIY: Cream Puffs (Bastille Day, Mango Languages): 1 p.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Learn how to make cream puffs and how you can use Mango Languages with your Athens Regional Library system library card to learn a language. Registration is required. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 7693950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee., www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee Crafternoon: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Drop in for a fun, self-directed “Make it and Take it” craft. Check our Facebook page on Wednesdays to find out what we’re doing - Oconee County Library Children’s Section. All ages. 2:30-4:30 pm. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee., www.athenslibrary.org/oconee TOPS weight loss: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Government Annex Building, Highway 15, Watkinsville. Meetings are held each Thursday. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a nonprofit support group for weight loss. Members can share challenges, successes, or goals, hear a brief program and discuss plans for the week. (800) 932-8677 or www. tops.org Curious George Visits the Library: 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Join us for a morning of curious fun Please see EVENTS

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Twitter @TheOconeeLeader

SPOTTED PHOTO Fireworks explode during Oconee County’s Fourth of July celebration last week at Oconee Veterans Park. More photos, page 3.

Commission OKs rezone requests 316, Hog Mountain will see more development By Mike Sprayberry TheOconeeLeader.com

Further development is coming to both the 316 corridor and Hog Mountain Road while other county property is approved for federal farmland protection. The Oconee County Board of Commissioners July 5 approved rezone requests for an Athens business to relocate to GA-316 at Mars Hill Road and for two new fast food restaurants to open on Hog Mountain Road near Butler’s

Crossing. The Board also approved a farmland protection conservation easement for a local property owner. “(The rezone request on GA-316) is an electrical supply company that is located in Athens-Clarke County now and is moving out to Oconee County,” said Melvin Davis, Chairman of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners. “It would be a larger facility and allow them to supply more wholesale as well as retail. It will also probably be more convenient to some of the folks they sell supplies to.” The 29.91-acre property was

rezoned for Tew Family Investments, LLC. According to Davis, that development is expected to start “reasonably quickly, within the next month or so.” The Board of Commissioners also approved a rezone request by Stonebridge Partners to develop 1.962 acres on Hog Mountain Road. The rezoning would allow for fast food restaurants with drive-through windows. “That is the lot adjacent to Subway, between it and the Oconee Vision location,” said Davis. “It is for two fast food restaurants that will come there. I do not know the

names of the restaurants that will locate there, but there will be connectivity between them, Subway and down to the Sherwin-Williams paint store. “I think the reason the Board voted for it was because they felt like it was the right location for it. There are other businesses just like that in the area. It should not be an issue as far as traffic being in conflict with the opening and closing of schools across the street, down the street or up the street. There is Please see REZONE

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Check out the history at library in Bogart By Rob Peecher

TheOconeeLeader.com

On Saturday mornings in an old school building not far from the Bogart Library, volunteer historians are keeping the past alive. Almost a year ago the Bogart Historical Society began hosting a history museum in the Bogart Agricultural Center. The items on display in the museum are an eclectic mix of personal collections, but they all point perfectly to the small town history of Bogart. Maggie Collins, the president of the town’s historical society, was at the museum this past Saturday, greeting visitors and giving tours, along with the society’s historian, Janet Luke. But they weren’t just giving tours. Saturday they were also receiving donations to the museum. Mike Jakubowicz and T.L. Turman were at the museum to donate a couple of artifacts they found in Bogart while out metal detecting. One was a Southern Cross of Honor – a medal earned during the War Between the States – and the other was a commemorative coin honoring the presidency of U.S. Grant. Everyone agreed that the Southern Cross, while a wonderful find, was not a complete mystery, but the presence of a Grant coin in the rural South caused some head scratching among the Bogart historians.

Photo by ROB PEECHER Janet Luke, historian for the Bogart Historical Society, accepts two donations from Mike Jakubowicz who found a Southern Cross of Honor medal and a President U.S. Grant commemorative coin while metal detecting in Bogart.

Nevertheless, the coin and medal both now are part of Bogart’s history. “The reason we started the museum is because we had all of this stuff in our homes, and we wanted to have a way to display it,” Collins explained. “We also wanted to be able to share with other people all this information we have about the history of Bogart. So often we hear people say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ The museum gives us a way to share this information about the town.” The museum is set up in two rooms in Bogart’s Historical Agricultural Center, a former building on the campus of the old Bogart high

school. Half of the museum occupies the old agricultural classroom and the other half occupies the home economics classroom – what Collins describes as the “boys’ side and the girls’ side” of the school building. An old workshop and an old cannery in the school building were converted to rental rooms when the school building was renovated in 2014. Many of the items in the museum trace back to the Bogart High School. There’s a lunchroom tray that came from the school’s cafeteria, as Please see LIBRARY

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Thursday, July 14, 2016

The joys of having sons employed

McKay Higginbotham, daughter of Scott and Angela Higginbotham.

Michael Miller, son of John and Kelly Miller.

Maggie Payne, daughter of Bobby and Jennifer Payne.

Ansley Brooke Miner, daughter of Keven and Stacey Miner.

Pest control firm awards sholarships Staff Reports

TheOconeeLeader.com

Five graduating students who are the children of American Pest Control employees were recently awarded Gene Higginbotham Memorial Scholarships in honor of the man who founded the company in 1971. The scholarships honorees were: Colby Chance, son of Kitty and Donald Chance, who is an advanced placement scholar and graduated in the top 5 percent of his class at North Oconee High School. He will be attending Georgia Tech University. Michael Miller, son of John and Kelly Miller, who graduated from Oconee High School and will be

attending the University of North Georgia in the fall. Michael excelled in many extracurricular activities while in high school including track-discus, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Young Life. Maggie Payne, daughter of Bobby and Jennifer Payne, who graduated from Oconee High School and will be attending the University of North Georgia in the fall. Maggie participated in cross country, debate team, and is a language arts and advanced placement scholar. McKay Higginbotham, daughter of Scott and Angela Higginbotham, who graduated from Prince Avenue Christian School and will be attending Shorter

Colby Chance, son of Kitty and Donald Chance.

University. McKay received many accolades while in school for her academic success and artwork. She was also a football cheerleader and played singles for the tennis team while in high school. Ansley Brooke Miner, daughter of Keven and Sta-

Library well as a metal tray that was made in the workshop. Cabinets feature trophies won by the track and field and basketball teams from Bogart High School. A framed Bogart High School basketball sweater hanging on the wall in the museum was the sweater worn by one of the school’s standout players – Janet Luke who now guides tours through the museum. Among the artifacts in the museum is a teacher contract from 1913. The teacher acted as teacher and principal, and she made $50 a month. The city provided the historical society with several information boards that hang on the walls, though the historical society provided the information and photos for the boards. A part of the museum is dedicated to Raden H. Pruitt, the last surviving World War II veteran from Bishop who died two years ago. Another corner is dedicated to Dr. L. H. Elder, a one-time physician in Bogart who was known to carry around a pocketful of “yellow pills,” Collins said.

cey Miner, who graduated one year early with honors from Faith Academy. She will be attending Georgia Perimeter College in the fall. Higginbotham died in 2015, and the scholarship was created in his honor by family and employees to continue his legacy.

Continued from page 1

“In Oconee County’s history we’ve only had two police officers who were killed in the line of duty. One of them was Hubert Johnson, who was a Bogart Police officer who was hit and killed by a woman driver.” Maggie Collins on the framed police uniform of former Bogart officer Johnson

“I guess those yellow pills were supposed to be some kind of cureall,” she said. “We have the bottle that he kept the yellow pills in.” A portion of one wall that features a framed police uniform honors former Bogart Police officer Hubert Johnson. “In Oconee County’s history we’ve only had two police officers who were killed in the line of duty,” Collins noted. “One of them was Hubert

Johnson, who was a Bogart Police officer who was hit and killed by a woman driver.” Against a wall is the organ that was shared by a number of Bogart churches. On Sunday morning, the organ would be loaded on the back of a wagon and taken from one church to the next. Visitors to the museum are liable to learn all sorts of facts about the history of Bogart, including that the town was known as Osceola prior to 1892. When the railroad came to town, though, the name had to be changed because there could be only one Osceola, Georgia, on the rail line. Collins and the other historians who run the museum can explain where the name Bogart came from. They can also tell visitors about why it was worthwhile to make a photograph when one of Bogart’s postmasters rode a horse. The museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., year-round, except on holidays. The Bogart Agricultural Center is located across the street from ACTS food bank.

It was a moment of short lived joy in our house last week when, for the first time, all three of our sons were employed. Jean and I were counting the dollars we would save – dollars that typically go to lunch at Zaxbys, the movies, gas in the car, taking a girlfriend out to dinner, beef jerky (a surprising amount of money goes to beef jerky) and Cokes at the store. We ran out of fingers and toes counting up all the saved dollars, but conservatively we estimated we might save as much as $10 million over the course of the summer. Our youngest son is working on a farm. Over the past couple of years his interest in livestock and hard work and all things outdoors has increased, and so I found an opportunity for him to work a few hours a week at a farm. For a 14-year-old who can’t drive, he’s making a lot of money (which is probably not a good first lesson to learn about farming). Robert loves the job, and because he’s working with cows that are bred with buffalo, there’s a fair amount of danger to the work that allows him to walk around with all the swagger of the roughest and tumblest cowboy from the rough and tumble Wild West. He totes around 50 pound sacks of feed. He runs electric fences. He digs up thistle. And he bosses around a herd of beefalo cattle. Our oldest son is working three part time jobs – he’s flipping pizzas a day or two a week, he’s painting houses Monday through Thursday, and he’s doing some occasional work for me shooting and editing video. I think Harrison’s making more money than Jean and I combined, but he also has twice as many vehicles as we have. Somehow, he still asks us for gas money, but that’s okay because I frequently ask for the keys to his Jeep. He’s saving money and paying his way through college and not taking student loans, and so we gladly cough up the cash he uses to get to and from work. The best part is that he is too busy and too tired to get into any trouble, and at 20-years-old he has plenty of opportunity to get into trouble. And then there is our middle son. Nate, who is 16 this summer, didn’t have a job and didn’t have an interest in getting a job. Jean and I both found job openings for him, but he had no interest. He didn’t want to do this, and he didn’t want to do that. And he complained that he had too busy of a summer doing nothing to have to also work. We didn’t press the issue, though we probably should have. When Harrison was 16, he was enrolled in soccer camps and other activities that kept him busy, so we never pushed him to get a job. It’s hard, when you set a precedent, to change the rules with the second child, and Nathan knows that Harrison wasn’t ever required to work when he was 16. But a couple of weeks ago, Harrison came home with an announcement. If Nate wanted it, he could go work with Harrison

Monday through Thursday painting houses. The guy doing the hiring was a little hesitant because Nate is 16 and the company policy is that you have to be 18 to paint a house. But because one of Harrison’s co-workers decided to “smoke pot before lunch,” as Harrison explained it, they were in a bind and needed an extra hand. Harrison repeatedly pointed out to us that the kid was caught smoking pot “before lunch,” as if smoking pot on the job after lunch was somehow a more reasonable activity. So Nate got his first job, working with his brother painting houses. What a great job this is, too. Painting houses is the best job in the world for teenagers. They had to be up and out of the house by 5:30 every morning. They worked hard from about 6:30 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. They worked in the sun climbing ladders and toting ladders and carrying paint. They came home exhausted and hungry and went to bed at 9 o’clock in the evening. Really, Jean and I couldn’t have been happier. We were saving, conservatively, millions of dollars in money that would have otherwise gone to beef jerky. Our sons were all gainfully employed. They were all too exhausted to get into any trouble. And they were all exhibiting the kinds of responsible behavior that parents long to see in their children. Harrison even came home bragging about how hard Nathan was working. But our happiness was short lived. After a mere two days of painting houses, poor Nate was fired. Apparently the boss was feeling very nervous about having hired a 16-year-old outside of company policy, and though Nate was working hard and doing a good job, the boss could only see the potential trouble he would have if a 16-year-old fell off a ladder and hurt himself. So he found someone else who wouldn’t smoke pot before lunch and fired Nathan. Getting fired is no fun, but Nate took it manfully. Even though he was doing a good job and saw the potential for coming out of the summer a rich man, it turns out Nathan didn’t really enjoy getting up early during summer break, toting around ladders and cans full of paint, and he wasn’t having any fun painting houses in the hot, hot sun. And now that summer is rapidly running out of time, Nate doesn’t have to worry that Jean or I will harass him about getting a new job. Of course, the worst part is that we’re now back to funding his beef jerky habit. Rob Peecher is author of the book “Four Things My Wife Hates About Mornings,” available at Amazon.com.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

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First-rate fun on the Fourth

SPOTTED PHOTO

mike boyd PHOTO

mike boyd PHOTO Scenes from Oconee County’s Fourth of July fest last week at Oconee Veterans Park.

Rezone nothing on that land now.” Davis was not aware of a timeline for construction on the site, but believed these projects would move quickly as well. “(Stonebridge Partners) did not indicate a timeline, but I would guess that when you come before the Board with a rezone request for a specific location, you probably have a contract for a restaurant ready to come.” A farmland protection conservation easement was also approved for property belonging to Carole Ludwig. “That was approved from the federal level,” explained Davis. “The Board had to wait until that land was approved by the feds and the funding was available. It was

Continued from page 1 approved by the Board. The land has to stay in that capacity in perpetuity.” “She is paid to keep it in that kind of use in perpetuity and she has to make a contribution to support that. They pay her the appraisal value of the property. We asked the Athens Land Trust to serve as the overseer of that property to make sure it stays in that use from this point on. She can sell it, but it has to retain the same use as it has now.” The Board of Commissioners also approved a final amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 budget as well as contracts for solid waste, road patching, tree trimming and removal and miscellaneous concrete repair to county roads.

Events and stories with the most infamous, mischievous monkey of all! Get your picture taken with Curious George! For all ages and their caregiver. Intro to Excel 2010: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Learn the basics of using Excel, the parts of an Excel Window, creating a spreadsheet, using basic formulas, and more. Limited to 5 participants. Registration is required. All programs are free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www. athenslibrary.org/oconee Oconee Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oconee County Courthouse, 23 N Main Street, Watkinsville. The market is open rain-or-shine on Saturdays through the last Saturday in November. Located in front of the courthouse in downtown Watkinsville. Your Library @ the Oconee Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oconee County Courthouse, 23 N Main Street, Watkinsville. Join us for a fun activity and pop-up library! Register for a library card and check out books, too. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee Alanon: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Watkinsville 1st Methodist Church, 1331 New High Shoals Road, Watkinsville. 12 step recovery for people affected by someone’s alcohol use. free Meets daily in the area in various locations. http://www.ga-al-anon.org/ CLASS: Tai Chi for Adults: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Winterville Center for Community and Culture, 371 North Church Street, Winterville. Join other senior adults in this fun exercise program. The class meets weekly on Monday at the Winterville Center for Community and Culture Cost: 1 punch on your card or $15 Instructor: Popular Tai Chi instructor, Tom Wittenburg, leads these morning sessions. Please call the Winterville Center for Community and Culture at (706) 742-0823 to register. Brown Bag Movie : The Emperor’s New Groove: noon Monday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Bring

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Continued from page 1 your lunch and watch a family movie on our big screen. We’ll provide the popcorn! All ages. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee., www. athenslibrary.org/oconee Kimchi Workshop: 6 p.m. Monday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of eating kimchi. Now you can learn more not only about why it’s good to eat but how to make it! This workshop is hands on. Bring your own Mason Jar and we will provide the rest. Registration is required, space is limited. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee., www. athenslibrary.org/oconee Walnut Grove Baptist Church Revival: 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 6121 Greensboro Highway, Watkinsville. WGBC Annual Revival with Rev. Christopher Wimberley of Hunter Hill First Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta as guest preacher for the week. Storytime: 10 and 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Storytime is for preschool aged children and their caregivers. Come for stories, songs, movement, crafts, and fun! Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee Lego Club: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Let’s build! Join us in creating Lego art and playing Lego-based activities. Lego blocks provided! Ages 3-11. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee., www.athenslibrary.org/oconee Storytime with Carol Cain: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. On your mark, get set, listen…Welcome back phenomenal storyteller Carol Cain as we share a morning of zany and outrageous stories for the entire family. For all ages and their caregiver.

For hundreds of photos and updates about Oconee events and people, go to theoconeeleader.com

This Week: OGC

WARRIORS l TITANS l SPARTANS l WOLVERINES l LIONS

July 14, 2016

All-star swimmers compete at district meet Gymnastics

State meet Page 5

Upcoming

Contributed photos by Nancy Hollett

The Oconee County all-star swim team competed earlier this month in the district meet in Habersham County. Team members include Caroline Allen, Addie Argo, Landon Beaver, Amelia Beaver, Eileen Brook, Luke Burrell, Simon Casey, Will Chafin, Matthew Clausen, Piper Cyterski, Robbie Dillon, Ella Dillon, Allie Dominicali, David Duncan, Colton Evans, Kinsley Evans, Caiden Fowler, Carter Fowler, Aubrey Frey, Reese Graham, Lauren Green, Luke Greeson, Ansley Halbach, Crenshaw Halbach, Cash Havick, Charlotte Holland, Madison Holland, Samantha Holland, Garrett Land, Sydney Lyn, Isabella Lyons, Jillian Martin, David Mustard, James Mustard, Mary Mustard, Connor O’Mara, Erin Osborne, Luke Phillips, Tanvi Prakash, Mercer Rabon, Harrison Rue, Samuel Rue, Tanner Schroer, Tucker Schroer, Eli Searcy, Naomi Searcy, Walker Smith, Olivia Warren, Abigail Weimer, Emily Weimer, Jack Yu, Anna Clausen, Vibha Gowda, Yana Himani, Charlotte Warren, Andre Williams and Embyr Williams. The team is coached by Billy Hentenaar and Jack Wright. The state meet is this weekend in Tifton. Pictured above left is Olivia Warren. Pictured below left is David Duncan. Pictured below right is Kinsley Evans.

Several high school athletes signed to play in college. Their stories will be featured this summer in The Oconee Leader.

Online

Photo gallery

James Banks hoops camp theoconeeleader.com

Online

Summer basketball camps take place at Athens Academy, PACS By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

Two long-time basketball camps took place a couple of weeks ago in Oconee County. Prince Avenue Christian School hosted its camp from Monday to Thursday to finish at least its eighth year. Athens Academy hosted the James Banks Basketball Camp from Monday to Friday to finish its 15 year. “It gets better every year. The quality of play and the kids as far as their skill sets in early ages have been tremendous,” Banks said. “It’s hard work and tiring but a lot of our former players are here. It’s been a lot of fun having those kids back and being around them. Forging a relationship with those guys has been very rewarding. They have been working hard and help make the camp a success.” “It’s been good,” said PACS athletic director Richard Ricketts. “We had a great turnout. The kids have done a good job listening and doing the things the way we ask. Coach (Michael) Palmer and all of the high school kids have done a good job. It’s been a good week for anybody.” Both camps had more than 50 players attend. “We are getting kids excited about basketball and having fun,” Ricketts said. “This is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, we have had.” “It’s been extremely competitive,” Banks said. “They have done great with the stations. The games have been very close. The parity has been unbelievable. It’s been a th

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PACS youth hoops camp theoconeeleader.com

great camp as far as the skill sets.” Banks had several of his former players help coach his camp, which he says has about 70 percent of campers return year after year. “A lot of them come until they are in the ninth grade. It is good to see that,” Banks said. “It’s good to know they trust me as a coach and as a person and understand we are going to work hard and have fun.” Banks said about 80 percent of campers have gone on to play at the high school level. “What is fun is I ended up coaching a lot of them,” Banks said. “A lot of them went to play at different schools in the surrounding areas as well. It is quite an honor to see them grow and hopefully I had some impact on them learning the game and learning the fundamentals and skill sets as well. It’s been fun.” Ricketts had several current players helping instruct the camp at PACS, giving them a chance to be on the coaching side of the sport “It’s good but it’s even better for the little kids,” Ricketts said. “They don’t think much of us coaches but they think the world of the high school kids. It’s win-win for both of them.” Ricketts said several of the campers who have attended throughout the years have gone on to play at PACS. “We have kids playing for us now that used to come to these camps,” Ricketts said. “It’s a total program. We have kids not from our school here. It’s good to let them learn and get the community involved.”

Photos by MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Thursday, July 14, 2016

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Page 5

Oconee Gymnastics Center state competitors

Oconee Gymnastics Center competitors succeed at state meet By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

Members of Oconee Gymnastics Center recently competed at the state meet and several gymnasts earned a berth in the regional meet. Regional Qualifiers include: Jordan Barrow - Level 9 Emma Pachuta - Level 8 Destiny Tate - Level 8 Mary Catherine Hotcaveg - Level 7 Meghan Jackson - Xcel Gold Anna Arthur -Xcel Gold Harper King - Xcel Gold 1st place winners - Earning Gold Meghan Jackson -Xcel Gold- beam Katie Lange Level 4- beam Megan Blocker Level 4 - beam Jordan Nichols Level 4- floor Hannah Cooper Level 3- beam, floor and AA Islay Drake Level 3- floor Delainey Drum Level 3- vault and AA Ashley Hollis Level 3- bars, beam, and AA ShelbyJohnson Level 3- bars Ella Glass Level 3- floor Emory Brinson Level 3- floor Caroline Prince Level 2 - Bars, Beam & AA Graycyn Burt Level 2- Bars Mattlee Scott Level 2- Floor Abigail Brand Level 1- Beam & AA Barry Kate Heune Level 1 - Beam & AA Alex Dean Level 1-Vault 2nd Place - Earning Silver Emma Pachuta Level 8 - Beam Sarah Blake Wilson Level 5 - AA Aidan Washington Level 4 - Beam Katie Lange level 4 - Vault Ashley Hollis level 3 - vault

Anna Thomas level 3 - bars and floor Ella Glass level 3- bars and AA Grace Hatcher level 3 - floor Sydney Barham level 3 - bars Copelan Odell level 3 - bars, beam and floor Delainey Drum level 3 - beam Kayla Tally level 3 - beam Erika Hull level 2 - bars Graycyn Burt level 2 - floor Abigail Brand level 1 - floor Barry Kate Huene level 1 - vault and bars Josie Brown - beam and AA Molly McNeil level 1 - bars Lauren Rothman level 1 - beam 3rd Place - Earning Bronze Mary Catherine Level 7 - Beam Destiny Tate Level 8 - Vault Sarah Blake Wilson Level 5 - Vault and Bars Lexie Spencer Level 5 - Bars Carly Paten - Floor and AA Jordan Nichols - AA Aidan Washington level 4 - Bars Sydney Stricklin level 4 - bars and AA Chloe Wilson level 4 - bars Sidney Thurmond level 4 - beam Katie Lange level 4 - AA Addison Eberhardt level 3 - vault Delainey Drum level 3 - bars and floor Emma Weems level 3 - bars Reagan Porterfield level 3 - bars Ella Glass level 3 - beam Copelan Odell level 3 - AA Olivia Debord level 3 - AA Anna Thomas level 3 - AA Lexie Day level 2 - Beam Makayla Ward level 2 - Floor Erika Hull level 2 - AA Maci Wilson level 2 - Bars Jade Roysden level 2 - beam Abigail Brand level 1 - bars Josie Brown level 1 - bars

Oconee Gymnastics Center regional qualifiers

Shelby Thomas with family and coaches North Oconee softball

Thomas signs with UNC Pembroke to continue her softball career By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

North Oconee graduate Shelby Thomas has some family that grew up in the North Carolina town of Pembroke, which is located west of Lumberton on the eastern part of the state. Located in Pembroke is UNC Pembroke, which competes in the Peach Belt Conference. When Thomas walked onto the UNC Pembroke campus the first time, she knew that is where she wanted to play softball, and that’s where Thomas signed to play. “I am really excited. This is something I have been working for for a very long time. I have always pushed myself very hard to get here so I am excited it is happening,” Thomas said.

“I am really excited. This is something I have been working for for a very long time.” — Shelby Thomas

“My family is from Pembroke and I went to a visit there. I went to their camp and I fell in love with the campus, the coaches and the team.” She said she looked at several different schools before deciding on UNC Pembroke. “Once I went to the school, I knew I wanted to

be there so I pushed extra hard to be there,” Thomas said. “It felt like a family to me. The coaches made me feel more welcome than any of the other schools I went to. I knew that was a place for me. “It will be a challenge but I am ready for the challenge and I am going to work as hard as I can.” Thomas said she was recruited for her hitting and added she may get some playing time in the outfield as well. She started playing in the outfield two years ago. “I work every day after school and I also go to the gym every day after school,” she said. UNC Pembroke is coming off a 30-23-1 overall season and a 14-10 record in the conference.

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Page 6

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Education/Training

1180

Oconee Preschool Academy is accepting applications for a full time cook, Monday - Friday 6:30 am - 2:30 pm. Responsibilities include preparing nutritionally balanced meals and snacks following USDA & DECAL guidelines, menu planning, ordering and maintaining cleanliness of kitchen and common areas of school. Must have relevant experience in commercial kitchen, school cafeteria or equivalent. Must apply in person at 1890 Mars Hill Road between 8:00am and 5:00pm.

Installation / Maintenance / Repair

1260

Installation / Maintenance / Repair

Let us help you find your new career today!

To Advertise: Phone 706.208.2290 1260

Major Manufacturing Facility in Athens, Georgia has an Immediate opening for: Industrial Maintenance Person 3 to 5 years’ experience in the field Machinist skills preferred Must have: High School Diploma/GED Georgia Work Ready Certificate Physical Exam/Drug Screen Rotating Shifts (3 shifts) Excellent Benefit Package Please send resumes to: 7000010962@ad2job.com EOE/M/F/V/D

PR OFESSIONAL

A Guide to Professional Services in the Oconee County Area To Advertise: Phone 706.549.0123 Home Services

Home Services

3520

Real Estate

3780

Professional Services

3715

Professional Services

BRIAN’S TREE & HANDYMAN SERVICES

CHUCK HARDY & SONS LLC BRUSH, MULCHING & STUMP

GRINDING

WE DO IT ALL!

u Underbrush Removal u Stump Grinding u Lots Cleared u We grind brush around lakes u Concrete Removal u Demolition of Houses & Mobile Homes

TREE SERVICES • TREE & HEDGE TRIMMING • UNDERBRUSH CLEARING • FULL TREE REMOVAL

FLOOD PROBLEMS? • STORM DRAINS • FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION • RETAINER WALLS

ROOFING • PATCHWORK • METAL • SHINGLES • ANY KIND OF ROOF REPAIR

OTHER HOME SERVICES • PAINTING • WOOD REPAIR • LANDSCAPING • PRESSURE WASHING • MULCH, GRAVEL, & PINE NEEDLE SPREADING & HAULING • YARD & LEAF CLEANING

DON’T MISS OUT ONE BEDROOMS IN 5PTS.

Minutes to Campus, UGA & City Bus, Swimming Pool, No Pets. Furnished and Unfurnished. Come check us out. You will be amazed at how nice our units are. (706)548-1132 www.carouselvillage.net Carousel Village Apartments 1907 S. Milledge Ave. A-9.

Insured Free Estimates! 706-201-4380

Oconee County’s best source for finding painters, plumbers, landscapers, roofers, and other skilled local service providers

CALL BRIAN 706-247-5430 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK LICENSED & INSURED SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT EDT CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING

* Rotten Wood Repair *Carports & Garage *Additions *Renovations *Roofing Repairs *New Home Construction *Sun Rooms *Decks & Patios *Ceramic Tile *Home Maintenance *Painting (Int/Ext) *Kitchen & Bath Renovation *Window & Door Replacement

LO O K I N G F O R A

PA I N T E R ?

State Licensed & Insured

For ALL Your HOME IMPROVEMENTS, Large Or Small, Call Today For A FREE ESTIMATE

706-202-6066 Call Anytime & Ask for ET Visit our website at www.edtconstruction.com edtconstruction@yahoo.com Serving Athens since 1989

UlmBrothers Tree Service

Local and experienced! We are fully insured and offer Tree removal,Trimming Pruning, Debris Removal, Insurance work, Right of way work, Lot clearing, and Stump Grinding. We pride our self on customer service and satisfaction. Call for a free estimate today. Office: 706-369-5300 Cell: 706-255-4941

Classic Home Repairs “I do the work myself and I guarantee the work I do” • Carpentry Work • Decks & Ramps • Int/Ext Painting • Drywall Repair • Windows & Doors • ROOFING AVAILABLE Kenneth Hightower

770.601.1479

homerepairs02@gmail.com

www.gbedellconstruction.com Home Services

3520

Landscaping

3615

www.gbedellconstruction.com

Looking for a professional service provider? LOOK NO FURTHER!

LOOK NO FURTHER!

Looking for a painter?

KLEEN KUT LAWN SERVICE All your lawns care needs, tree, bush trimming removal, gutters cleaned, natural areas cleared, seeding, core aeration. Free affordable estimates 706-521-1590

The Professional Services Directory is Oconee County’s best source for ﬁnding painters, plumbers, landscapers, roofers, and other skilled local service providers.

Advertise in the Professional Services Directory! Call 706.549.0123 for more info.

3715

PR OFESSIONAL

Oconee County’s trusted source for plumbers, handymen, and more!