The Oconee Leader

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

This Week: Calendar Oconee School Supply Drive: Thursday, Oconee Chamber of Commerce, 55 Nancy Drive, Watkinsville. The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Fox’s Pizza to help host our annual Oconee school supply drive. The school supply drive benefits students in need at area schools, and we need your help. Between now and July 28, simply purchase new school supplies and drop them off at the following community partners in the school supply donation bin: BankSouth, Fox’s Pizza, the Oconee Chamber of Commerce or Danielle Grier (Realtor with the Missy Peters Group at Prestige Property Specialists). Thank you for your support.

Visit the Oconee County education website and select your school for a list of most needed items by school.

Infant Storytime: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library.

Babies love books, too!

This is a special Storytime for our youngest readers-to-be, 0-24 months. Come for stories, songs, nursery rhymes, bouncing, and cuddling, and then stay for some playtime with friends. A great way to introduce your baby to the joy of books, learn new ways to share books with your baby, and meet other parents. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary. org/oconee.

Intro to Word 2010: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library.

Learn the basics of word processing, the parts of a Word Window, files, toolbars, icons, and more. Class is hands-on.

Registration is required All programs are free and open to the public.

For more information, please call (706) 7693950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee.

Crafternoon: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oconee County Library. 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 Summer Revival: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Browns Chapel Baptist Church, 1030 Brown Chapel Road, Bishop. Pastor Patrick Burgess and New Tate’s Grove Baptist Church of Elberton; Pastor Elijah Collins and New Jerusalem Baptist Church of Lawrenceville; and Pastor Brian Macon and Promise Land Christian Center of Stone Mountain will be the guest revivalists, respectively.

Please see EVENTS

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Contact us:

Email editor@theoconeeleader. com

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Issue 30

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Volume 11

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Alcohol referendum advances

By Lee Shearer

TheOconeeLeader.com

A voter referendum on Sunday alcohol sales in Oconee County moved a step closer to happening on Tuesday.

At an Oconee County Commission meeting, commissioners kept the Sunday alcohol sales on the agenda for their upcoming voting meeting in August.

Voters could see two questions on the ballot, if commissioners approve – whether to allow Sunday package sales of beer and wine at grocery stores and other businesses allowed to sell those beverages, and whether to allow Sunday sales by the drink of beer, alcohol and wine.

What won’t be on the ballot is whether the county should allow

package sales of distilled spirits such as bourbon and rum.

Before the commission could call a referendum on package sales of distilled spirits, which are not legal now on any day of the week in Oconee County, 35 percent of the county’s registered voters would have to sign a petition calling for a vote, Oconee County Attorney Daniel Haygood told commission-

ers.

There’s not enough time to accomplish that before the county board of elections’ Aug. 10 deadline for finalizing the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.

“That would be a very difficult thing to have happen between now and the time of the election,” he Please see ALCOHOL

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Run in peace: Retro 5K at Oconee Veterans Park

Photo by blane marabel Oconee Veterans Park hosted the 7th Annual Heat of the Night Retro 5K recently. Proceeds from the race benefitted the Oconee Civitan. There were special awards for the best male/female retro costume. The race is part of the 2016 Black Bag Race Series and the Run and See Georgia Grand Prix. More photos on page 3.

Watkinsville house moving to a new home

By Jim Thompson

TheOconeeLeader.com

Jacked up and resting on timbers and steel beams, its two front porches removed, a 19th-century Watkinsville house that might have been dismantled and sold piecemeal is instead ready for the short move to its new home, according to James Carter, the local historic preservationist who purchased the structure in May. The Second Street house, which had belonged to Watkinsville Memorial Baptist Church, is being moved to a half-acre lot next to the church property, a journey of several dozen feet.

The move could come as soon as today, Carter said last week, although there is no particular timeline for the work. The schedule could be affected by weather, should any thun-

Photo by john roark This house off Second Street in Watkinsville was sold by Watkinsville Memorial Baptist Church to local historical preservationist James Carter. Carter is moving the 4,000-square-foot home roughly 50 feet to its new location.

derstorms leave the ground too muddy to get the structure placed above its new foundation.

As of Thursday afternoon, the concrete foot-

ings needed to support the house’s new foundation had been poured, and wood braces had been installed in the house, mostly to keep its chimneys stable,

Carter said.

Much of the house’s history is clouded in mystery, owing to a fire years ago at the Oconee County Courthouse that destroyed

a number of real estate records.

Various histories of Oconee County report that the house was built in the early to mid-1800s by a Thomas Booth, who reportedly built two similar houses in Watkinsville, one of which is now a children’s clothing store at 35 N. Main St. Initially known as the “Dr. Durham House” because it was patterned after a house built for a doctor in the Greene County community of Scull Shoals, the house also was known as the Osborn House as a result of its purchase in the late 1800s

by English native David Augustus Osborn.

As Carter has prepared the house for moving and gotten deeper into its architectural history, a Please see HOUSE

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Going with the flow User’s guide covers the Broad River in depth

By Wayne Ford

TheOconeeLeader.com

The Broad River User’s Guide is more than a book of maps about a river that today is protected for its environmental beauty and free-flowing waters.

The writer, Joe Cook, didn’t just exPhoto by JOE COOK plore the river to observe its route. He looked deeper and researched the hisThe Crump Mill area on the Broad River.

tory and culture along its winding path from the mountains of Northeast Georgia to its meeting with the Savannah River north of Augusta.

“He gets into the history of the area that the river goes through and researches how the river has influenced Please see RIVER

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Thursday, July 28, 2016

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Vote set on District 2 seat Oconee County officials have set an election date to fill the unexpired term of a county commission member who resigned to run for the commission chairmanship.

The election to replace John Daniell in District 2 will be Nov. 8, the same day as the general election.

Current Chairman Melvin Da­ vis, whose term expires at the end of this year, did not run again for the post.

Daniell’s District 2 term expires at the end of 2018.

He ran unopposed for the chairmanship in the Republican primary in May and currently faces no opposition in the Nov. 8 election.

Qualifying is set for Aug. 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Photo by wayne ford These students from the Paul Anderson Youth Home in Vidalia stopped overnight recently in Watkinsville after riding in from Lincolnton.

Because it is a special election, without a primary, candidates don’t have to list their party if they don’t choose to.

A runoff would be held Dec. 6 if needed.

Two other commission seats are on the ballot, but as in other races in solidly Republican Oconee County, a Republican candidate faces no opposition.

Mark Saxon is running unopposed for the Post 4 seat he already holds, and Mark Thomas is running unopposed to succeed the retiring Jim Luke in the Post 1 seat on the fivemember Oconee County Commission.

The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11, six days before the early voting period begins.

­— Lee Shearer

A strong showing by bike riders

By Wayne Ford

TheOconeeLeader.com

Toccoa native Paul Anderson was once known as the “strongest man in the world.”

Anderson, who won an Olympic gold medal in weight lifting, died in 1996, but his legacy lives on in Vidalia, where his home for troubled youth has changed lives for more than five decades.

Last Thursday a group of young men from the Paul Anderson Youth Home passed through Athens and stopped overnight in Watkinsville as they participated in a 500-mile-long bicycle ride that is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

The home, which does not receive government money, depends on its success at raising money, according to Matthew Hendley, vice president of advancement at the home, which opened in 1961.

The home on a given year caters to about 20 youths ages 16 to 20 years old.

“The majority need some direction.

They’ve been in trouble and have issues in life they need to work through.

We’re a Christian alternative to the prison system,” Hendley said.

This was the 11th annual ride for the group from Vidalia. However, a couple of years ago another group from

Anderson’s hometown decided to participate by doing a 200-mile ride. The Toccoa group has raised about $4,000 toward the goal of $200,000, Hendley said.

Duane Mahone of Toccoa organized the second ride.

“I thought why not put the two together. I threw it out to a few of my friends and I said ‘this is what we’ll do.’ We’re building a bridge between the Paul Anderson birth home and his youth home,” Mahone said Thursday as he gathered with other riders for ice cream in Watkinsville.

Mack Jordan of Vidalia originally organized the Paul Anderson Bike Ride.

“When Paul Anderson died there was nobody out on the road to raise visibility and publicity for the home so this is a way to do that,” said Jordan, who knew Anderson.

“He was a very dynamic person and he wanted to make a difference,” Jordan said.

That difference is echoed in the voices of the young men who participated in this year’s ride.

Sam, a teenager from Dallas, was at the home for almost a year. Sam said he was using drugs and on the verge of ending up in jail.

“The way everything was going (in Texas), nothing good would have come

Alcohol said.

“I think it’s almost impossible,” Commissioner Jim Luke said.

If voters approved Sunday sales by the drink and package sales of beer and wine, the change would require a “fairly straightforward” modification of county ordinances – basically, just changing the days on which sales are allowed, and setting a time for closing and opening.

Georgia is a “prohibition” state, with state laws that make it more difficult to allow alcohol sales than in

from it so being where I am today is a blessing,” he said. “It has changed me a lot. I can’t thank them enough.”

Deven, a 17-year-old from Knoxville, Tenn., was in the program for 11 months.

“I was a drug addict and on the verge of not graduating high school and going to jail,” he said.

Perry, a 19-year-old from Lucas, Texas, was making the bike ride with his father, Amin, a businessman.

“The initial startup of the program you will hate, but after two or three months, you’ll understand. They are trying to help you,” Perry said.

“He was struggling at school and at home. We were at a dead end so we sought a placement in a Christian boarding school,” Perry’s father added. “The staff has a heart of giving and sacrifice for the benefit of others.”

Fritz Olnhausen, a resident of Norcross, joined the ride for the third time.

“The Paul Anderson Youth Home saved us as a family. My son was in trouble,” Olnhausen said. “I was fortunate to get him enrolled there.”

Today, Olnhausen’s son is about to graduate technical college in South Carolina.

“The reason I do this is to give back,” he said. “They’ve given me and my family so much. I see this as a small token to help them.”

Continued from page 1 other states.

“That’s why it’s so convoluted,” Haygood said.

Commissioners discussed having a called meeting about the alcohol sales questions and possibly placing informative advertising, if they decide to place it on the ballot.

“I think the public’s not going to have much opportunity to know all this in the short term,” Luke said.

Luke and Commissioner Mark Saxon thought the commissioners should get a gauge of public sentiment on

Sunday alcohol sales.

If commissioners don’t put the question on the general election ballot, they could schedule a vote in a special election, perhaps in March.

But staging another election would cost the county money, and voter turnout is likely to be much larger in the November election and more representative of how voters feel, commissioners said.

“I don’t drink, but I’m willing to put it on the ballot,” Commissioner Bubber Wilkes said.

contributed Joe Cook, author of the Broad River User’s Guide.

River

Continued from page 1

society,” said Victor Johnson, a longtime member of the Broad River Watershed Association based in Danielsville.

“It’s an excellent book and goes in-depth with the history of the area,” agreed Michael Moody, owner of the Broad River Outpost, a business popular on the river for the rentals of kayaks and canoes.

The book was published this year by the University of Georgia Press and is the third in a series of user guides for rivers in Georgia, the first two being the Etowah and Chattahoochee rivers. Cook has prepared another guide about the Flint River for publication in 2017. He is beginning work on a guide for the Oconee River, which forms near Athens where the North Oconee and Middle Oconee rivers converge.

Cook, a resident of Rome and director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, is also a coordinator of the Georgia River Networks’ annual Paddle Georgia event. He grew up in Atlanta and said he spent many hours of his boyhood fishing and paddling on the Chattahoochee River.

The books are a guide that paddlers can take on their treks along the rivers.

The books “are portable and on water resistant paper,” Johnson said. “They have nice readable color maps and they go handin-hand with the water trails that nonprofits are working on with local governments for people to have ways to enjoy our rivers.”

The research for the guides begins with visiting the rivers, Cook said.

“I’ll go out and paddle the river, take maps and note any interesting features and landmarks, then I research those features,” he said.

The Broad River was one of the first inland water basins settled by colonists migrating west into Georgia. There was also a period of intensive agriculture in the Broad

River watershed during the 1700s and 1800s, Cook said.

These agriculture uses in many instances caused problems with sediment that clogged the river system, including its three forks: the South Broad, Middle Broad and North Broad rivers. During the early 1900s, in an effort to reclaim farmland that was being flooded due to the clogged streams, the government straightened portions of these river forks by making channels, according to Cook.

“Some portions run straight as an arrow,” he said. “The three forks of the Broad have been dramatically altered despite the fact there are no dams on them.”

“Since the passage of the Clear Water Act, we’ve seen us reclaim our rivers,” Cook said.

“People are rediscovering our rivers as a recreational destination.”

The book points out many old and forgotten points of interest, places like Kennedy’s Gate, a spot where Long Creek in Oglethorpe County connects to the Broad. This locale was a settlement where trappers met and traded their goods.

If one travels to the lower end of the Broad, there is the wide rocky area of Anthony Shoals, a place mostly noted for the rare Shoals Spider Lillies.

“You may not know there was once an extensive industrial complex there and you may not know the main route through the shoals was actually blasted out of the rocks. You might miss a lot of those things,” Cook said.

There are a couple of upcoming opportunities for area residents and river enthusiasts to meet Cook.

On Aug. 20, he will speak at the Broad River Watershed’s meeting at Camp Kiwanis outside Danielsville.

Then the Georgia River Network based in Athens is sponsoring a paddle on the Oconee River in the Milledgeville area Sept.

17-18.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Running the Retro 5K

House number of interesting possibilities have emerged. Recently, Carter said, he noted some initials carved in the interior of the house that could indicate that, instead of merely being modeled after the Durham house, the Second Street home might at one time have served as a residence for the Durham family.

Watkinsville Memorial Baptist purchased the house and some associated acreage in 1971 and used the structure for church services and other activities for two years, when the congregation moved into the church they built on the site. The house was used as a residence for pastors until 2004, but it has been vacant since that time.

Nearly a year ago, the church listed the house for sale on Craigslist, on the condition that it be moved, in order to accommodate the church’s plans to use the house site for some new purpose, possibly either a playground or a family life center. The online advertisement touted the structure as a rich source of architec-

Events For additional information, please visit www.bcoconee.com or call (706) 310-0074.

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.

Amazing End of Summer Puppet Show with David Stephens: 3 p.m.

Friday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Come join David Stephens of All Hands Productions for this new take on Jack and the Beanstalk that combines classic characters with new, original stories, music, and lots of laughs. All ages. Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary/oconee.

Dr. Arvin Scott’s Drumming for

Photos by blane marabel Oconee Veterans Park hosted the 7th Annual Heat of the Night Retro 5K recently. Proceeds from the race benefitted the Oconee Civitan. There were special awards for the best male/female retro costume. The race is part of the 2016 Black Bag Race Series and the Run and See Georgia Grand Prix.

Mills will serve on 441 bypass panel Penny Mills, a retired academic administrator who served with several organizations in Oconee County, was appointed to a Citizens Advisory Committee for the U.S. Mills Highway 441 Bishop bypass project.

Mills will represent Positively Oconee, a citizen’s group monitoring the project, which is a planned bypass around Bishop.

The highway will also be four-laned from Watkinsville to the Morgan County line.

Mills, who is retired from the Oconee campus of North Georgia College, has served on several committees including the

Oconee County Planning Commission, the Oconee County Library Board and Keep Oconee Beautiful Commission.

Mills was appointed after a June meeting in which a Georgia Department of Transportation official and contractor Parson Brinckerhoff offered the Positively Oconee group a seat on an advisory committee, according to Lisa Douglas, spokeswoman for Positively Oconee.

Mills was praised by Douglas as “an advocate for planned growth and preservation of green space.”

Planning for the highway expansion is still underway.

— Staff reports

Interim CEO named for Oconee campus The University of North Georgia’s vice president for auxiliary services and real estate will serve as interim CEO of the university’s Oconee County campus.

Jerry Sullivan will take over the day-today management of the Oconee campus Aug. 1 but will retain his vice presidential title, the university announced.

Sullivan replaces Eric Skipper, who took a job as executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort.

University of North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs will name a committee this

fall to find a long-term replacement for Skipper.

Sullivan has an undergraduate degree from Valdosta State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Brenau University and has done graduate work at the University of Georgia.

Sullivan has been at UNG for slightly more than two years, since April 2014. Before that, he was a vice president with the Follett Higher Education Group. He also served as assistant director of community relations at Waycross College.

— Staff reports

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Continued from page 1

tural salvage.

According to Carter, the house does feature a number of interesting architectural details, including an original pegboard where clothes would have been hung and three English box locks, made by a company that stopped producing them in the 1830s.

Last week, Carter said that the house continues to reveal bits of its history, including hand-split wood lath over which the original plaster was placed, and handmade nails incorporated in construction of the home.

Perhaps most interesting, Carter said, was the discovery of what appears to be the remains of a staircase, uncovered as the house was being prepared for its upcoming move. The presence of that staircase indicates that the house, which features a number of Victorian design elements, might have been built originally in the Federal style, which was prevalent in the United States in the late 1700s through the early 1800s.

Continued from page 1 Success: 2 p.m. Saturday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville. Let’s end the summer with a BANG! Dr. Scott has been inspiring and entertaining children for 17 years with handson, interactive group drumming! He brings professional quality drums and percussion from Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa and the USA. This program has been featured on CNN News, and Dr. Scott has performed for two international Olympic events, plus produced and recorded three albums.

All ages. Free and open to the public.

For more information, please call (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee.

Back to School Storytimes: 10 and 11 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Oconee County Library, 1080 Experiment Station Road, Watkinsville.

Get ready for silly songs, awesome stories, and super fun crafts to get excited about school! Free and open to the public. (706) 769-3950 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/oconee.

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

This Week: NOHS

WARRIORS l TITANS l SPARTANS l WOLVERINES l LIONS

July 28, 2016

Oconee grad Frazier hits first career Major League home run in 5-4 win Oconee County High School graduate Adam Frazier stepped into the batter’s box at PNC Park in Pittsburgh with the Pirates tied 4-4 with the Philadelphia Phillies. On a 2-1 count with nobody on, Frazier drilled a pitch deep over the right-field wall for a home run, his first career home run in Major League Baseball, to give the Pirates a 5-4 lead.

The game was delayed in the bottom of the eighth inning because of rain but after a delay of an hour and 32 minutes, the

Track

Sigler signs Page 5

Online

teams were back on the field. Frazier’s home run proved to be the difference as the Pirates won 5-4.

Frazier was interviewed by Robby Incmikoski of Root Sports Pittsburgh following the game. ““It feels pretty good. Tie ball game pretty late, just trying to help the team and get on base any way I could,” Frazier said. ““I was trying to get one to hit and luckily got the barrel out to it and it made its way over the fence. It was pretty exciting.”

In 21 games with the Pirates,

he has 14 hits, four doubles, one triple, one home run, a .359 batting average and a .405 on-base percentage.

“Mentally you have to check in when your number is called and go out there and do what you can and play,” Frazier said. “If you start thinking about it too much is when you get in trouble.”

The Pirates are in Atlanta to play the Braves on August 2-4 for their only trip to Turner Field this season.

-Matthew Caldwell

Boswell debuts in Truck Series at Eldora

Photo gallery

MVP School of Basketball theoconeeleader.com

2016 high school football schedules

Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images

Oconee County native Brady Boswell made his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last week in the Fourth Annual Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, driving the No. 05 Zaxby’s Chevrolet. Boswell was subbing for another Oconee County native, John Wes Townley, who missed the event because of a concussion. Boswell started the event 16 and finished 21 . th

Athens Academy 8/19 At Walker 9/02 At Lakeview Academy 9/09 Athens Christian 9/23 Towns County 9/30 At Riverside Military 10/07 At Hebron Christian 10/14 Providence Christian 10/21 George Walton Academy 10/28 Commerce 11/04 At PACS North Oconee 8/26 At Grovetown 9/02 At Morgan County 9/09 Cedar Shoals 9/16 At Clarke Central 9/23 At Winder-Barrow 10/07 Oconee County 10/14 Jefferson 10/21 At Madison County 10/28 St. Pius X 11/04 At Stephens County Oconee County 8/26 Clarke Central 9/02 At Walnut Grove 9/09 Morgan County 9/16 At Cedar Shoals 9/23 Eastside 10/07 At North Oconee 10/14 St. Pius X 10/21 At Stephens County 10/28 At Madison County 11/04 Jefferson Prince Avenue Christian 8/19 Aquinas 8/26 At Riverside Military 9/02 Athens Christian 9/09 At Towns County 9/23 At George Walton 9/30 Commerce 10/07 Lakeview Academy 10/14 At Hebron Christian 10/28 At Providence Christian

st

PACS grad Howell named assistant coach at Armstrong State

By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

Prince Avenue Christian grad Amber Howell was a graduate assistant coach last season for Armstrong State University where she played collegiate basketball for two years.

Last week, Howell was named a full-time assistant coach by Armstrong State head coach Fala Bullock.

“My sophomore year out of my junior college when I started to get recruited again for my four-year, a lot of the schools I looked at talked about graduate assistant coaching.

Before then, I didn’t know you could be a GA and that could help you be an assistant. Going into my junior year, that is why I picked Armstrong because it had the best opportunity for me to become a graduate assistant after I got done playing,” Howell said. “I have always wanted to be a coach, ever since I started playing AAU and being at Prince Avenue helping with the little kids really made me want to coach.

“Here, our head coach is handson so you get a good bit of work to do. I helped with practices. I helped plan practices. I travelled.

I helped with game strategy. She was open to ideas. It wasn’t her telling you exactly what to do and do it. She wants you to bring something to the table. It allowed me to grow as a coach. She helped a lot.”

She said her long-term goal is to

become a head coach one day.

“I primarily want to stay in the Division II world but if I get called up to DI or to Division III, I want to eventually run my own program,” Howell said.

After graduating from Prince Avenue Christian, Howell played two years for Central Georgia Tech in Macon. She said playing for Armstrong State was “an incredible experience”.

“Division II is a competitive level and the Peach Belt is a very competitive conference,” she said.

“Armstrong is a small big school.

It is similar to Prince Avenue where it was small but big at the same time. It is a family environment. All of the athletic departments are very close. I enjoyed it.”

She said she heard from her high

Contributed photos by Armstrong State

school head coach, Richard Ricketts, just days after she was hired.

“He called to congratulate me and told me if I needed anything, he was a phone call away,” Howell said. “It meant a lot to me because Coach Ricketts played a big part in me getting here today, pushing me to go to school and telling me

I could play college basketball. It meant a lot to hear from him because he did a lot for me at a young age.

“I couldn’t do it without my roots at Prince Avenue and my parents and all of the administrative people that really pushed me to pursue school.”

Tell our advertisers you saw them in The Oconee Leader • Go to theoconeeleader.com for picture galleries

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Page 5

2016 Oconee County Little League All-Star teams

Harper Sigler with family Track and field

Sigler signs with East Tennessee State

By Matthew Caldwell TheOconeeLeader.com

Harper Sigler wrapped up his high school track and field career with a successful week in May. Just days before competing at the Georgia Olympics, Sigler signed to run for East Tennessee State University’s track and field team.

On the day of his signing ceremony, he found out he got a full ride to join the team.

“On my way here is when I officially found out. He said he is pretty sure he had the money and he called earlier today and let us know,” Sigler said. “I am ecstatic. I am happy for the next part of my life and glad to share it with my family and teammates. I am really happy right now.

“I ran at a meet at their indoor track back in January/February. I started talking to the coach. The whole way through my senior year of track, I have been keeping in touch with him. I fell in love with East Tennessee State while I was there. They have everything I want and need there. I feel like East Tennessee State is the best school for me.”

Sigler finished second in the Class AAAA 800-meter dash in his final meet as a Titan.

He started running competitively in the seventh grade when he joined a club team

in Atlanta. He took three official visits during his recruiting process – East Tennessee State, Morehead State and UNC-Chapel Hill.

He plans on majoring in nursing. He said he knew what he wanted to major in before he started looking at schools, which helped narrow down his choices.

“He deserves what he is getting,” said North Oconee head track coach Ken Hutto. “If I had a poster of what you want a student-athlete to look like, he would be it as far as how he carries himself as a young man and as an athlete. I hate to see him go but hopefully some of our younger kids picked up on his influence and will continue to act in his mold.

“He is a great kid, not just an exceptional talent. I can’t say enough about what he has meant to the team as far as leadership.

He is a great role model for the kids, especially with us being so young this year.

An exceptional talent but it comes from hard work and dedication. I am excited for him. I think he is excited about where he is headed. We have been blessed to have him for four years and wish we could have him another four years but that’s not the case. I think he will do great and take off at the next level. What they do with kids from here to there is something else. With the type of work he puts in, he will get so much better.”

MVP School of Basketball camp held at PACS

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Michael Palmer hosted the 11th annual MVP School of Basketball the last two weeks at Prince Avenue Christian School. The first week of camp was for girls’ basketball players. The last week of camp was for boys’ basketball players. For more photos, see theoconeeleader.com.

Rookie Softball Joana Brugh Naomi Couch Mary Bright Dillard Kinlee Hagwood Savannah Higgins Zoe Hill Abigail Keith Lexi Rainey Taylor Saxon Tracy Toney Mary Linda Veit Kennedy Wiedower Manager: Travis Saxon Coach: Michael Youngblood Coach: Jason Hagwood Rookie Baseball Gavin Bray Will Chafin Brody Christopher Landyn Dykes Ty Kerns Patrick Hassan Hagan McCormick Kane Smith Caleb Streer Brodie Wiepking Cason Wright Manager: Will Chafin Coach: Gary Dykes Coach: Matt Kerns Sandlot Baseball Oconee American William Archer Shannon Dickert Grayson Fuller Conner Jackson Eli Hunt Bo Little Chase Lindsey Carter Mink Carson Mink Jackson Parker Isaac Smith Jackson Towe Manager: Bill Dickert Coach: Stan Jackson Coach: Mike Towe Oconee National Samuel Amabile Bo Boykin

Ben Chatham Claxton Pilgrim Henry Hynes Harrison Kilzi Luther Moore James Mustard Zeke Newberry Jacob Odom Brody Rogers Grady Spurlin Manager: David Mustard Coach: Charlie Hynes Coach: Drew Pilgrim 9/10 Baseball Chase Scott Andrew Gillespie Nicolas Hurley Mel Begnaud Byrd Carter JJ Poole Cohen Schofill Mac Ricks Ryan Postnieks Braedon Hassan Branson Dykes Bennett Logan Brice Kimsey Manager: Brian Kimsey Coach: Matt Gillespie Coach: Scott Logan 9/10 Softball Isabella Donegan Kamryn Hill Kylee Jones Niyla Kinney Carter Mann Tamia Mitchell Abbi Patterson Reese Riddle Taylor Thomas Callie Woods Manager: Matt Mann Coach: Roy Woods Coach: Lane Smith 10/11 Baseball Khalil Barnes Kade Donaldson Clay Dunagan Michael Elder Camden Eldridge Cameron Hassan Hunter Huff

Brooks Parrish Krish Patel Daniel Smallwood Manager: Ben Eldridge Coach: Tiffani Adcock 11/12 Baseball Stiles Begnaud Zach Cartrette Thomas Clausen Rhett Daniel McGinnis Harvey Jake Holt Josh Holt Evan Ivester Jack LaFlamme Brodie Scott Cole Smith Caleb Wilson Manager: Wesley Scott Coach: John Begnaud Coach: Jamie Ivester 11/12 Softball Sidney Agee Skylar Branch Megan Buffington Lauren Chapeau Emma Coleman Hannah Crawford Lucy Hunt Mary Mustard Kristina Postnieks Tamara Strickland Lauren Thompson Bailey Windson Manager: Jessica Hood Coach: Bert Windsor Junior League Baseball Jackson Riddle John-Thomas Rodgers Bryant Echols Luke Corbin Spencer Bowie Shane McCormick Harrison Jones Avery Buffington Max Pearson Nathaniel Lemons Cole Canaday Brody Canaday Manager: Joey Echols Coach: Jeff Riddle Coach: Derrick Lemons

Tell our advertisers you saw them in The Oconee Leader • Go to theoconeeleader.com for picture galleries

Page 6

PR OFESSIONAL

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

3520

Home Services

3520

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

State Licensed & Insured

Home Services

3520

“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

Home Services

770.601.1479

homerepairs02@gmail.com

3520

Landscaping

3615

KLEEN KUT LAWN SERVICE Mowing, trimming, edges & blowing, tree & bush trimming removal, gutters cleaned, natural areas cleared, seeding, core aeration. Free affordable estimates 706-521-1590

Serving Athens since 1989

BRIAN’S TREE & HANDYMAN SERVICES WE DO IT ALL!

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

Home Services

Classic Home Repairs

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

3520

www.gbedellconstruction.com

Real Estate

3780

LO O K I N G F O R A

PA I N T E R ? www.gbedellconstruction.com 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

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.

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.

Thursday, July 28, 2016