The Oconee Leader

Page 1

This Week:

Sports Issue 28

UGA

Volume 10

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Football

See more high school photos online at theoconeeleader.com

Business

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Traveling Hobo

Cafe

Page 2

A strong defensive effort helped the Malcom Bridge Lightning defeat the Oconee County Braves 14-0 last Thursday at MBMS. The Lightning improved to 4-0 overall and the Braves dropped to 3-1. Woody Barks had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Chase Chance had a 4-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Pictured is Malcom Bridge’s Adam Weynand tackling Oconee County’s Jimmy Boswell in the third quarter. For the full story, see page 4. For more photos of the game, see theoconeeleader.com.

New Hard Labor reservoir beginning to fill BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

Sports

The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir, the product of a partnership between Oconee County and Walton County, has begun the 12 to 18-month process of filling with water expected to provide for future growth in both counties. Oconee County is responsible for 28.8 percent of the costs of the project and is entitled to 28.8 percent of the water resources it will eventually provide. Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis offered an update on the project’s progress and discussed the role it could play in the county’s future. “They have reached the point that they are beginning to fill the reservoir,” said Davis. “Obviously, the rain since it started filling has been good for the reservoir, but there is a long way to

go to fill it to full capacity. It’s going to take maybe another 12 to 18 months to get to full capacity.” Davis provided facts and figures regarding the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir and its expected production once complete. “The land that had to be acquired for the reservoir is slightly less than 2,500 acres and the pool area for the lake is 1,370 acres. The shoreline, all the way around, will be 38 miles and the depth of the reservoir at the dam will be 82 feet. “It is going to hold approximately 12 billion gallons of water. When it is at full capacity and complete, it will yield about 52 million gallons of water a day. Oconee County owns 28.8 percent of that, about 15 million gallons a day.” Planning for the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir project began in the 1990s and permits were is-

sued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia Environmental Protection Division in the 2000s. Regional growth slowed with the recession of the late 2000s, but, according to Davis, the project remains important to the county’s future. “No question about it,” said Davis. “It has taken a number of years to get to this point, but it has been a good decision for Oconee County to partner with Walton County on this project. I think we always have to plan for the future as far as water needs. If we don’t have adequate water to supply our residents and businesses, we will die. “We currently only have a small percentage ‘Reservoir’ Page 3

Please see

Washington Farms weathers rainy first week of fall activities BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

Football

NOHS Titans Page 5

Coming Soon:

Walk For Wishes, a family-friendly fundraiser walk of less than two miles, will be held at Oconee Veterans Park on Sunday, Oct. 18. The walk will raise money for MakeA-Wish Georgia. Registration is at 2 p.m. and the walk begins at 3 p.m. Walkers are encouraged to raise $100. Visit walkforwishes georgia.org for more information or to register.

More stories and photos available at theoconeeleader.com

Washington Farms launched its 23rd fall season last week, offering visitors a range of seasonal activities and experiences that have only grown in popularity each year. Aside from selling seasonal crops to the public, the Hog Mountain Road farm has gradually added fall attractions such as corn mazes, petting zoos, pig races and pumpkin slingshots to entertain families and keep the family business going. “This is our 23rd year and one of the neat things is that we like to say that we’re making memories,” said owner John Washington. “People come out here with their families and take their kids on a hayride through the pumpkin patch or to the petting zoo. There are so many things to do. They come out and have a great time and go back years later and look at their scrapbooks from when they were 3 years old, 7 years old and 15 years old. “We’ve got kids coming out now that came out when they were little and now they are bringing their own kids. It’s really cool to hear all the stories. They’ve got pictures of themselves out here when they were younger and now they’ve got pictures of their kids out here. It’s a lot of fun to do something like that.” Those memories might never

Washington Farms this year went with a Georgia themed corn maze.

have been made without some adversity early in the farm’s existence. “We started off with pick-yourown strawberries,” said Washington. “Our third year in business, a late freeze came through, tempera-

tures dropped to the low teens and we lost our strawberry crop. I told my wife that we don’t have the money to pay anyone. So, that’s how we started on the pumpkin patch. It was 5 acres and we offered hay rides. The first field trips were

$2 a piece. That included the pumpkin patch, hayride, the petting zoo and an educational talk. “From there, we have been diversifying. Now, we have a corn maze, jumping pillows, a vortex tunnel, a ball zone, throwing area, a cow train, pig races, a pumpkin slingshot, a pirate ship and a tricycle track. We have a bunch of stuff for kids and families.” Washington explained a couple of the attractions in further detail. “The vortex tunnel is a hollow tube you can walk through, nine feet in diameter, with lights spinning to give the appearance that the tube is spinning. It is really disorienting to some people and others have no problem with it. For the pumpkin slingshot, we set up a target in the lake. It is made out of tin, so when someone hits it, it is so loud, you can hear it all over the farm. “This year’s corn maze theme is the Georgia Bulldogs. There is a big ‘G’ in the maze, about 130 feet wide and about 80 feet tall. It is an 8-and-a-half acre corn maze with probably 350,000 stalks of corn. There is a mile and a half of paths and two big bridges out in the field about 10 feet high. The corn is 9 to 12 feet high, so you can look out Please see

‘Washington Farms’ Page 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.