The Oconee Leader

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This Week:

Sports Issue 3

Volume 11

Thursday, January 21, 2016

From the Oconee to the Apalachee

Basketball

NOHS Page 6

Schools

ROB PEECHER/Oconee Leader

Lisa Hudson (right) has been mentoring Denver Self (left) for seven years. Last week, Lisa spoke at a breakfast hosted by the Oconee County Resource Council to commemorate Thank a Mentor Day.

BY ROB PEECHER

The Oconee Leader

Student

Artists Page 3

Online

Lisa Hudson had no intentions of becoming a mentor.

“My friend Kathleen (Miller) was the school nurse at Oconee County Middle School, and she called me one day and said, ‘I signed you up to be a mentor, and I already know the boy you’re going to mentor,’” Hudson recalled.

That was seven years ago.

Friday, Lisa and Denver Self, the student Kathleen wanted her to mentor, were at a breakfast organized by the Oconee County Resource Council to recognize Oconee County’s mentoring program and volunteer mentors.

Amanda Davis, who coordinates the mentor program for the OCRC, said she asked Hudson to speak at the breakfast.

“Lisa has such a great story because she’s been mentoring Denver for seven years,” Davis said.

When they met, Denver was a typical sort of middle school boy. He did well on tests, but wasn’t much interested in homework.

Denver said through the past seven years, Lisa would meet him for lunch and they would talk about what was going on his life.

“She helped me through a lot of stuff,” he said.

“It was a benefit to me. Sometimes she would help me with my classes. Math isn’t her thing.”

Lisa said mentoring Denver has been “a great experience.”

“When I started mentoring him, I had two sons in middle school,” Lisa said. “Middle school is a different kind of animal. Denver is right between my two sons, I had one younger and one older. It made it easier with my own children, because Denver would talk to me about things maybe my own children wouldn’t talk to me about because I’m their mother.

“You go into something like this thinking about how you’re going to help somebody else, but really it was a blessing to me.”

Friday’s breakfast gave the Oconee Resource Council an opportunity to celebrate Thank You Mentor Day, and Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis read a proclamation

recognizing January as National Mentor Month.

Davis thanked the mentors who were present at the breakfast for the time they invest in the young people they mentor.

“The service you provide to them will make them better citizens in the future,” Davis said.

When Lisa spoke to the other mentors, she told them that during his sophomore year, Denver got into trouble. His infraction didn’t involve anyone else, she said. It was a poor decision, but it was met with a lengthy suspension that Denver served in in-school suspension from November to March.

“Denver came to a fork in the road,” Lisa said.

“It would have been easy for him to drop out of school, but that’s not him.”

During that time, Denver tutored other students. He made other good use of his time, gathering school credit so that when he came out he was ahead of many of his peers. Now, in his sen‘Mentor’ Page 3

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Oconee author’s latest book a departure from earlier work

BY ROB PEECHER

The Oconee Leader

Basketball

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Gail Karwoski has made a name for herself writing children’s books focused on historical events.

She’s written about a dog on the Lewis and Clark expedition. She’s written about Jamestown and the San Francisco earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.

Her latest work is mostly a departure from what she’s done in the past, and it started with a phone call that took her back almost 40 years.

About four years ago, Karwoski got a phone call from a friend from college. At the University of Minnesota, Karwoski had worked for then-student government president Jack Baker. Over the years, she had lost touch with Baker, but now he had sought her out with a proposal for a new book.

“I was reluctant at first,” Karwoski said. “This was way out of what I normally do. It was like apples and oranges to the kinds of books I normally write.”

Karwoski’s newest book is intended for an adult readership, and it tells the story of the first samesex marriage in the United States.

The story goes back farther than one might think.

In the early 1970s, Karwoski was finishing her Master’s degree at the University of Minnesota, and she was looking for a writing job. At the time, as part of the student empowerment movement, the school’s student government formed its own

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Author Gail Karwoski (center) with Michael McConnell (left) and Jack Baker (right) who are featured in her latest book, “The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World: America’s First Gay Marriage.”

corporation and was looking for someone to write its communications.

Jack Baker was the student body president, and when Karwoski was hired for the job, Baker became her boss.

“He was well known, at that time and that place, as an openly gay man,” Karwoski said. “He got elected as the first openly gay student body president. When I got to know Jack, he was already married

to his partner Michael.”

Jack and Michael McConnell met in 1966 and not long after they decided they wanted to be married. To achieve this, Jack – who at the time was an engineer – decided to attend law school at the University of Minnesota so that they could find a way to legally get married.

“They found, at the time in Minnesota, that gender was not specified in Minnesota statutes,” Karwoski explained.

“Jack

thought, as law student, they could apply for a marriage license and get married, because whatever not prohibited in the law is legal. They applied for a license and the officials denied their request even though gender was not specified in the law, the official said gender is implied.”

This denial of the license became a legal fight that would go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and though Baker and McConnell would lose that battle, it was referred to in the 2015 Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage.

Undeterred, they found another option that they thought would work. Karwoski explained that Baker had been orphaned as a young child, and though he was now an adult in law school, the couple decided that McConnell would adopt Baker. In this way, they would have some of the rights of a family, even if they could not be married.

During the course of the adoption, though, their attorney asked if there would be a legal name change – a common enough practice in adoptions. Here they hit on a possibility to get legally married. They decided to change Baker’s name to “Pat McConnell,” a gender-neutral name. Michael then traveled to a rural Minnesota county and applied for a marriage license using ‘Karwoski’ Page 2

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

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County discussing roads projects at called meeting

BY MIKE SPRAYBERRY The Oconee Leader

The Daniells Bridge Road Flyover project, shelved when the Oconee County Board of Commissioners voted not to proceed with a project framework agreement last April, will be among several traffic solutions the Board discusses with Public Works Director Emil Beshara at a called meeting Friday.

The project, potentially connecting Daniells Bridge Road to the Oconee Connector near Home Depot and possibly including a half-diamond interchange onto GA-Loop 10, remains on the region’s list of possible transportation projects managed by MACORTS (Madison AthensClarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study), one of 16 federally mandated metropolitan planning organizations in Georgia.

Other ideas for managing traffic on GA-316 throughout Oconee County will also likely be discussed at the 2 p.m. meeting Friday.

“At this point, (the Daniells Bridge Road Flyover project) is still on the MACORTS list of projects, but it’s on a list of future projects,” said Melvin Davis, Chairman of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners.

“I believe we set aside some funds for a review or a preliminary design in Fiscal Year 2017, so it would be a year or so down the road before it can be done, but the Board will be talking about it before that. It has not necessarily gone away, but there is not an immediate action being taken on it.”

In addition to the Daniells Bridge Road Flyover project, Davis said the Board will likely discuss the GA-316 corridor throughout Oconee County Friday.

“Another thing somewhat re-

lated is that there has been some discussion among Board members to authorize a review of the entire 316 corridor and have a consultant take a look and see what plans should be made to address future traffic issues. For example, do we need frontage roads along 316 so that we can move traffic that way and, at the same time, allow for some development along 316 with those frontage roads?

“Or do we need to review more intersections and what do we need to do about handling traffic at Jimmy Daniel Road or McNutt Creek Road. What needs to be done? Do intersections need to be signalized or is there something else that should be done there or at other intersections? We can have somebody take a look, review the corridor, see what projected traffic issues are years down the road and what can be done about them.”

The possibility of the Daniells Bridge Road Flyover would likely come up as it pertains to the future of the 316 corridor, said Davis.

“We will be reviewing that entire corridor from the Clarke County line to the Barrow County line.

How can traffic be better handled along that corridor? So, the discussion will probably include some thoughts about whether or not we need a flyover, what we might need to do in addition to it or other suggestions to move traffic more efficiently.”

Davis emphasized that while it may be again considered in the future, the Board of Commissioners is not currently moving forward with any plans for the Daniells Bridge Flyover.

“The Board voted not to move forward with those projects last year, but it is still possible for the future.”

Mike Sprayberry is a reporter for The Oconee Leader.

‘Karwoski’

Baker’s new name. Only one of them had to be present to apply for the marriage license. A friend who was a Methodist minister then married them in 1971.

“So, while they managed to marry, they did not manage to open the door for other same sex couples,” Karwoski said.

All the while, their case against the Minneapolis official who denied them a marriage license was snaking its way through the court system, and they had another case working through the courts. In 1972, both cases would reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

When Jack entered law school, Michael sought to get a job at the University of Minnesota in its library. He was hired, but when University officials realized he was openly gay, they rescinded the job offer. McConnell sued the school for discrimination.

While they did not win their legal fight for same sex marriage, McConnell did win his suit over discrimination.

For Karwoski, the decision to write the story was not an easy one. It was, she understood, a significant departure from the 14 children’s books she has written previously.

Baker and McConnell encouraged her to fly to Minneapolis to visit them and discuss the book.

“My husband, Chester, encouraged me to go to Minneapolis and see what they have to say,” Karwoski said.

She visited McConnell and Baker for a week, and during that visit agreed to write the book. They decided to write the book as McConnell’s memoirs “as told by Gail Karwoski.”

Over the next three years, Karwoski made three or four trips a year to Minneapolis to stay for a week or two at a time, interviewing and writing McConnell, Baker and others who were involved.

McConnell and Baker had volumes of papers to assist in the writing, and they did much of the necessary research to help Karwoski. Baker also helped by explaining the sometimes complex legal issues.

“They had saved all the documents and all the news clippings; for 10 years they were in the national media and even more so in the Midwest,” Karwoski said.

After finishing school, Baker ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat in Minneapolis. As Karwoski noted, cultural acceptance of same sex couples was vastly different in the 1970s than it is today, and

Continued from the Front

by the 1980s, Baker and McConnell’s activism for gay rights began to slow down.

“Like a lot of us, as they got older they were more focused on their family and their careers,” she said.

While the book includes chapters about the Minnesota legislature approving same sex marriage (an event which occurred during the course of writing the book) and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on same sex marriage last year, most of its focus is the late 1960s and 1970s.

Karwoski said there was some concern, at least initially, about her taking on this book and how it might impact her role as a children’s author.

“I worried about it at first,” she said.

“But not a lot; I knew them, they were friends, and it didn’t occur to me to judge them or ostracize them in any way. Four years ago, when I started working on the book, they were worried it would ruin my career or people would heckle me or worse. They worried for me, and I didn’t tell many people about it, that I was working on it, because I didn’t want to get in a situation that might be uncomfortable.

“But even during the course of writing the book, we could see a change of public opinion turning; it was just clear more people were in favor of gay marriage than against it. There was no reason to be dishonest about my role in this. I’ve always believed if people loved each other and were committed to each other, I never could imagine what could be bad about being in love.”

The book launch is taking place later this month in Minneapolis, but following that, Baker and McConnell will be coming to Georgia where a series of events have been set up to launch the book here.

In addition to events in Atlanta and at UGA, the Karwoski, Baker and McConnell are slated to be at the Athens Regional Library at 3 p.m. on February 3 for a book discussion and meet and greet in the auditorium. On February 6, all three will sit on a panel at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation to discuss memoir writing. That will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, and though the event is free, registration is required at ocaf.com. And on February 6 at 6:30 p.m., they will be at Avid Bookstore on Prince Avenue in Athens for a launch party.

The book, published by the University of Minnesota Press, is titled “The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World (America’s First Gay Marriage), A Memoir by Michael McConnell with Jack Baker, as told by Gail Langer Karwoski.”

A bag lady at the grocery store

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Now that my wife is making stained glass full time, with her studio in a detached garage at our home, her typical day involves her turning on the heaters in her studio, getting the kids out the door and on their way to school, and then walking outside to work.

When Jean goes to the office, so to speak, she dresses for comfort, and she’s not trying to impress the neighbor’s cats (who, most days, are her only visitors).

Often, to take full advantage of her time, she doesn’t worry about showering first thing in the morning.

We call it her “artist look.” In the summer, her artist look consists of shorts and tie-dye T-shirts. In the winter, it’s her jeans with holes in them (because she gets them dirty working with chalk and the cement that goes between the lead and the glass) and a sweatshirt.

She was in full artist mode Thursday afternoon when she went to pick up the boys from school. Once she had the kids, she needed to get taco shells and shredded cheese for dinner. Still dressed for comfort and wearing a ball cap to cover the fact that, even though it was late in the afternoon, she’d not yet had a shower, she went into Publix looking more like a bag lady than a typical Oconee County mom.

She got the taco shells and then went back to get the cheese. When she got to the cooler where the cheese is displayed, she saw that one brand had a $2 coupon in that week’s circular. She had with her just $11.08, but she knew with the coupon she had enough money to get two packs of shredded cheese.

In our house, we eat enough cheese every year to support a small dairy farm, so any time Jean sees that the cheese is on sale or has a

coupon, she’ll grab an extra package knowing that we’ll soon devour it.

“So even though I only needed the one pack of cheese for dinner, I picked up two packs of cheese,” Jean told me later, “and I knew I could use the coupon in the circular at the register, so I knew I had enough money.”

With her three items, she got in the 10-items or less express line.

The girl at the checkout scanned the two bags of cheese and the taco shells, and it came to $11.26. Jean told her there was a coupon for the cheese. The girl looked through the circular, but she didn’t see the coupon. Jean looked through the circular, but she didn’t see the coupon, either.

Jean didn’t have a debit card or a check or emergency change stuck in her boot. She had $11.08 and the knowledge that there was supposed to be a coupon, and that was all she had.

By now, an angry mob was beginning to form. Jean, with her eleven dollars and eight cents and insistence that a coupon existed for the cheese, was taking the “express” out of the express line.

Not only that, she looked like a bag lady in her work boots and ripped denim and her over-sized sweatshirt that doesn’t do much for fashion but keeps her warm in her studio, and her ball cap that she borrowed from our 14-year-old son, so it smelled of Oconee River fish.

“I’ll just take it to customer service and let them find the coupon,” Jean said, settling down the angry mob and relieving the girl at the checkout counter who was desperately trying to find a cheese coupon and wondering why the taco shells smelled of Oconee River fish.

So Jean took up her purchases and her $11.08 and walked over to customer service and explained to them

about the coupon that no one could find.

As she recounted the story to me, I could see the whole thing in my mind: Jean, smelling like river fish and looking like a hobo, wandering the front of the grocery store muttering to herself about $2 coupons and toting those packages of shredded cheese like they were filled with gold; meanwhile an angry crowd of hurried shoppers queued up behind her grumbling about slow shoppers in express lines; a panicked checkout girl worrying about crazy bag lady customers and fishy smelling taco shells.

It turns out that Jean and the girl at the checkout were looking through last week’s circular, and that’s why they couldn’t find the cheese coupon. The folks at customer service were able to find the coupon and Jean got her cheese and taco shells for $9.26 and was ready to leave the store with a buck-eighttwo in her pocket.

That’s when the woman who was in the express line behind my wife stopped her.

In a generous gesture of kindness, the woman offered to give Jean a quarter. I could imagine the look of sympathy, the feeling of there-butfor-the-grace-of-God-go-I that must have been expressed on the woman’s face.

Oh, my only regret is that I wasn’t there to witness the scene for myself.

Jean thanked the woman, told her they’d found the coupon and she didn’t need the quarter, and thanked her again.

“I wanted to tell her I’m not really a poor bag lady, that I’m only an artist,” Jean laughed.

“You should have taken the quarter,” I told Jean.

Rob Peecher is a reporter for the Oconee Leader and from now on he’s riding to the store with his bag lady wife.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Academy students advance in state art symposium

Page 3

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Five Athens Academy art students have been named District Finalists and have advanced to the All-State Art Symposium, sponsored by the Georgia Art Education Association and held at Columbus State University. Seniors Elise Geruntino, Isabelle Hale, and Elizabeth Simmons,junior Julia Harisay, and sophomore SofyBertiolihave each received a certificate of achievement for their district-level win. Their work will be judged during the symposium in mid-May, after which final winners will be announced. Pictured above is Julia Harisay’s entry in the symposium.

‘Mentor’

Continued from the Front

ior year, Denver is dual enrolled at Oconee County High School and the University of North Georgia’s Oconee Campus.

“He is going to be the first in his family to graduate from high school,” Lisa said.

In the fall, Denver plans to attend college. He’s applied to a number of schools, but he said his first choice, if he gets it, will be the University of Denver.

“I’d like to wake up every morning and see mountains,” he said.

Right now, he’s thinking that he’d like to either get a degree in accounting or electrical engineering.

Lisa said she never regretted her friend signing her up to mentor Denver. She left the others in the room with a final word of encouragement: “You get more blessing out of it than they do.”

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This Week:

NOHS

North Oconee wins Clarke-Oconee Invitational WARRIORS TITANS SPARTANS WOLVERINES LIONS

Thursday, January 21, 2016

FROM STAFF REPORTS The Oconee Leader

Basketball

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Racing

Townley

Busy 2016 Page 5

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OCHS-Jefferson

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Schedule:

Athens Academy Basketball – 5 p.m., Jan. 23 Swimming – 6 p.m., Jan. 23 Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Basketball – 4 p.m., Jan. 30 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 2 North Oconee Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 22 Swimming – 6 p.m., Jan. 23 Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Basketball – 7 p.m., Feb. 5 Oconee County Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 22 Swimming – 6 p.m., Jan. 23 Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 23 Wrestling – 5 p.m., Jan. 26 Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 26 Basketball – 7 p.m., Jan. 29 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 2 Prince Avenue Christian Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 22 Swimming – 6 p.m., Jan. 23 Westminster Christian Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 25 Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 26 Basketball – 6 p.m., Jan. 28 Basketball – 6 p.m., Feb. 1

Thirty high school swimming and diving teams were in Athens last Saturday for the Clarke-Oconee Invitational and North Oconee continued its winning ways this season by finishing first overall with 604.5 points. Lovett was second with 568 points.

The Lady Titans scored 403 points to finish first among girls’ teams. The Titans scored 201.5 points to finish third among boys’ teams.

Oconee County finished fourth overall with 425 points. The Warriors scored 220 points to finish second among boys’ teams. The Lady Warriors scored 205 points to place fifth among girls’ teams.

First-place finishes for North Oconee include the Girls 200 Medley Relay (Caroline Allen, Megan Measel, Alexis Shirley, Anna Ash), Girls 200 IM (Megan Measel), Girls 100 Fly (Megan Measel), Boys 100 Fly (Charlie Logan) and Girls 400 Free Relay (Alexis Shirley, Megan Measel, Anna Ash, Caroline Allen).

New state qualifiers include the Boys 200 Medley Relay, Kate Mattison (100 Fly), Madison Holland (100 Back), Anna Ash (100 Back), Lyndsey Kalessa (100 Breast) and Charlie Logan (100 Back).

The Oconee County women’s 200-medley and free relays (Erin Osborne, Danielle Della Torre, Grace Williamson, Emily Weimer) both finished second, missing a tie with North Oconee by the narrowest possible time, .01 in the medley, and coming second to Harrison High in the free relay. The men’s 200-free relay (Riley Olson, Tucker Schroer, Robert Wylie and Aiden Brook) finished fourth, while the team of Tucker Schroer, Aiden Brook, Tanner Schroer and Robert

Above photo by MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader, below photo contributed

Above, North Oconee’s Megan Measel was on the 200-freestyle and 200-medley relay teams that finished first in last week’s meet in Athens. Below, Oconee County diver Jack Edelen finished third in last week’s event.

Wylie swam to a silver finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay. All of the above relays achieved state qualifying times.

Emily Weimer nailed two state qualifying times in her individual races, the 50yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, in which she finished sixth and fourth. New qualifying times were also garnered by top OCHS points-earners Danielle Della Torre in the 50-yard freestyle (1st), Aiden Brook in the 100-yard butterfly (3rd) and Robert Wylie in the 200-yard freestyle (1st) and 200-yard Individual Medley (2nd). Della Torre re-qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke (1st) and Brook in the 500-yard freestyle (2nd).

Other top-eight finishers for Oconee at this large meet included Erin Os-

borne (200-yard IM, 7th; 100-yard freestyle, 8th), Tanner Schroer (50-yard freestyle, 4th; 100-yard backstroke, 8th) and Riley Olson (100-yard breaststroke, 7th).

The Warrior diving team also presented a number of state qualifying marks, with Adam Brooks finishing second (351.85) and Jack Edelen finishing third (341.80) among the men, and Katie Knight taking fourth (368.30), Ginny Deal sixth and Natalie Dietz tenth among the women.

The last meet for local teams before the high school state meet February 4-6 at Georgia Tech will be the Athens Area competition on Saturday at Ramsey Center.

Lions win ninth this season with victory over Covington Seven players scored to help lead the Westminster Christian Academy varsity boys’ basketball team past Covington Academy 46-36 last Thursday night. Harrison Ricketts led the Lions with 12 points. Xander Haymore added 10 points. The Lions improved to 9-4 overall and 6-1 in region.

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MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

Busy upcoming season awaits North Oconee graduate Townley Auto racing

FROM STAFF REPORTS The Oconee Leader

Athenian Motorsports is pleased to announce it will field full-time entries in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 2016. The organization will also campaign a part-time entry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Fresh off a popular win in Las Vegas in October and an eighth-place finish in the NASCAR Truck Series driver standings, John Wes Townley will return behind the wheel of the company’s No. 05 Chevrolet Silverado.

Townley will also pilot the majority of the upcoming season’s ARCA races in AMS’ No. 05 Chevrolet. For the second consecutive season, the team will compete with Chevrolet engines supplied by Hendrick Motorsports.

“I’m very excited about this season because I’m confident we’re going to be fast off the trailer in the Truck Series each week and I get a chance to r un most of the ARCA races at some of many of my all-time favorite race tracks,” the 26-year-old Townley said.

Townley’s Truck Series effort will once again be led by veteran crew chief Michael Shelton, who guided James Buescher to the 2012 Truck Series championship. Former Truck Series driver Terry Cook will once again be Townley’s exclusive spotter in all three series.

Schutz finishes third in latest fencing competition Area student Kate Schutz finished in third place in the On Guard High School Fencing League Invitational on January 10. Schutz, who is home schooled and in the eighth grade, was the only female and only middle school competitor in the top eight. The competition continued a run of success she has had. On November 14 in the Athens Fencing Open, she finished first in the women’s event where she was the youngest person in the event and competing against high school and college fencers. On September 3, she finished third in the Atlanta Regional Youth Circuit. Schutz is pictured with her coach Allen Schneider.

Contributed photo

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

“On the Truck side, the entire band is back in place,” said Townley, a lifelong resident of Watkinsville. “Everybody is back. That’s pretty impressive in this day and age when guys jump around during the offseason.

“But I believe in this team and they believe in me. I really think we’re in position for a breakout season.”

Veteran crew chief Kevin Reed and Townley will be reunited in ARCA this season. The two teamed to win ARCA’s 50th race in Daytona Beach, Fla. in Feb. 2013.

Reed comes to AMS to lead the organization’s first venture

into ARCA. “I’m happy to be working with Kevin Reed again,” said Townley, who is participating in the ARCA test in Daytona today. “We won Daytona back three years ago and, honestly, we should have won four or five other ARCA races over the past couple of years. Kevin and I seem to have good chemistry.

“Our goal is to go out and run up front at each ARCA race. I’m sure the competition will be top-notch. But with my experience, Kevin’s experience, the team we have in place and Terry Cook in the spotters’ stand, I know we can challenge for the victory each week.”

Because Townley will be racing for the championship in the Truck Series, he will be forced to miss five to seven of this year’s ARCA events. Beginning with the ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway in June, Athenian Motorsports is looking for a qualified and selffunded driver to compete in the races Townley will miss.

Inquiries can directed to team president Mike Hamlin at mike.hamlin@athenianms.com.

There are also sponsorship opportunities available in all series. Interested parties should contact Hamlin.

Townley is also scheduled to compete in three Xfinity Series races, two in Daytona and one in Talladega, Ala., in AMS’ No. 25 Chevrolet Camaro.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

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Oconee County basketball

Page 6

Warriors come up short in region contest against Jefferson

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Ben Huckaby has hit several big shots for Oconee County this season, including a game-winning 3pointer earlier this month against Elbert County.

Down three last Friday to Jefferson with time winding down, the ball was in Huckaby’s hands once again with a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime, but Huckaby’s shot didn’t fall and the Warriors lost 49-46 to Jefferson.

“I think he ended up almost being surprised that he had as much space as he did and didn’t necessarily have to rush it,” said head coach Richard Wehunt.

“He’s the one I would want to shoot the basketball. One week ago sometimes that is going to happen and sometimes what happens tonight is going to happen. That is a tough shot for anyone to make. It was plays earlier in the game that ended up costing us a win tonight.”

The Warriors were down 49-43 when the Dragons hit one of two free throws with 23 seconds left. A 3-pointer

by Huckaby with 11 seconds left got the Warriors within three points. Jefferson missed two free throws with seven seconds left, setting up Huckaby’s last-second shot.

Huckaby finished with 12 points. Roques Dowdy had nine points. Chance Peden had 10 points.

The Lady Warriors also fell to Jefferson, 60-38, but they played the Lady Dragons close in the first half and led 22-21 before Jefferson built a 31-24 halftime

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Roques Dowdy had four points in the fourth quarter and seven overall against Jefferson last Friday.

lead. A pair of former Lady Warriors, Jazmin Allen and Mackenzie Ulmer, led Jefferson with 14 points and 11 points, respectively.

“That was our best first half of the year. We played really well,” said head coach Jeanette Looney.

“The past few weeks, we have improved every week.

It hasn’t quite gotten to the scoreboard yet but they keep getting better.

“They are all friends but you always want to do your best. I thought there was some good play on both ends. I know they’d like to beat them but they played well. We didn’t score enough in the third. They are getting better.”

Sara English led the Lady Warriors with nine points.

Ansley Hart had seven points and Emma Deal had six points.

“They didn’t quit. They kept working and came out hard again. That’s all we can ask. They are one of the top two or three teams in the region. I am proud of them,” Looney said. “We don’t have any easy games.

There is no such thing as an easy game for us. We’ll get there.”

Next up for Oconee are home games against Hart County on Friday (7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and North Oconee on Saturday (6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.).

Lady Titans win at Elbert, NOHS swept at home vs. Newton North Oconee basketball

BY MATTHEW CALDWELL The Oconee Leader

Last Friday night, North Oconee earned a 54-29 non-region win against Elbert County in Elberton for their 13th win of the season.

Emma Weynand and Camryn Williams both had 13 points. Keller Barks had 11 points.

“It was a road trip and a hostile environment. What a great environment Elbert County is. I had never been there,” said head coach Erick Willis. “It is a super place and there was a lot of energy in the building. We had to play hard at first and then we took care of business.”

Last Saturday against 6-A Newton, the Lady Rams didn’t miss much in the first quarter when they built a 22-3 lead after the first eight minutes. The teams both scored 10 points in the second quarter and 16 points in the third quarter, but the lead Newton built in the first quarter helped the Lady Rams top the Lady Titans 59-33. Weynand had 11 points.

“You can’t come out flat against a 6-A team that is 15-3,” Willis said. “I said let’s just win the quarters and see what happens in the end. We tied them and tied them and in the fourth quarter, we gave up a little bit.

The good news is it’s to a region game. The bad news is that’s the level of play we

MATTHEW CALDWELL/Oconee Leader

Camryn Williams had 13 points in last Friday’s win against Elbert County and six points in last Saturday’s loss to Newton.

have to get to. We didn’t match that tonight. We are better than what we showed tonight.”

Matthew Quint scored 39 points and Jack Chambers scored 13 points but the Titans fell to Elbert County last Friday. Chambers scored 13 against Newton in the Titans’ 75-37 loss to the top-10 ranked Rams.

“I thought our kids came out and played well and executed tonight,” said assistant coach Frankie Keller.

“We had a tough week. We played against a bigger school and a bunch of talented athletes. They were strong and big and quick.

My kids didn’t quit. They went out and worked hard.

They battled from the beginning of the game until the end.”

North Oconee hosts North Hall on Friday night at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and travels to Oconee County on Saturday at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Thursday, January 21, 2016

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To Advertise: Phone 706.208.2290 Other

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HORTICULTURE Select Trees Enterprises, Inc., Crawford, GA is now hiring 10 temporary Nursery Workers to work in Oglethorpe and Oconee Counties, GA from 2/15/2016 to 11/1/2016.

Hourly wage of $10.59. Perform manual labor to transplant, prune, thin and harvest large shade trees. Load and unload trees, pots, stakes, tools and equipment. Work outside in inclement weather conditions including extremely hot, humid and/or wet weather for extensive periods of time; perform prolonged walking, reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, pulling, lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs; climb 6 ft ladders and reach over head for extended periods of time. Drug testing and background checks are conducted post hire at the employer’s expense and are not part of the interview process.The employer does not employ persons convicted of sex related crimes, violent crimes, or drug related crimes except under extremely limited circumstances. Individual circumstances will be taken into consideration at the request of the applicant. Three months of verifiable wholesale nursery experience required. Three quarters of an average of 40 hrs/wk guaranteed. Tools, supplies, and equipment provided at no cost. Housing provided at no cost if outside commuting area. If applicable, transportation and subsistence expense to the job will be paid upon completion of 50% of the employment period, or earlier. Apply for this job at the nearest office of the SWA in the state in which this ad appeared or contact the Athens Career Center- Georgia Dept of Labor, 150 Evelyn Circle Neely Drive, Athens, GA 30601, (706) 583-2550, JO# GA8363057.

Education/Training

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Seeking an experienced Grants Coordinator. Must have experience as a writer and administrator of grants projects/contracts. Position requires excellent computer, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Min Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree *and* two (2) years of Grant related work experience. Experience may substitute for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications: Prior work in a college or research setting.

Salary/Benefits: Salary is commensurate with education and work experience. Benefits include retirement, paid state holidays, annual and sick leave, and the State of Georgia Flexible Benefits Program.

Application Deadline – Until Filled

Download an application at www.northgatech.edu and submit with current resume, names and contact information of three professional references, and transcripts from all colleges attended to the address below. A criminal history report and motor vehicle report (MVR) are required for the recommended candidate.

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Education/Training

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Now Hiring Full Time & Part time teachers.

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Front Desk Reception needed immediately for Georgia Skin Cancer & Aesthetic Dermatology in our Athens area office Family-oriented work environment with an excellent salary/benefits package offered.

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Manufacturing / Production / Operations

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WAREHOUSE RECEIVING ASSOCIATE burton + BURTON®, one of the world’s largest balloon and coordinating gift distributors, located in Athens, GA. has an immediate opening for a Warehouse Receiving Associate.

Essential job functions include receiving, stocking, and consolidating in-coming merchandise.

Must safely use all warehouse equipment (forklift, order picker, pallet jack, hand trucks, etc.) to complete tasks. Must be able to lift and move up to 75 lbs. on a frequent basis.

Applicants can apply in person at 325 Cleveland Road, Bogart, Mon-Fri from 9am-4pm or email resume to cblackwell@burtonandburton.com Manufacturing / Production / Operations

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Peterson Spring is looking to hire a machine operator for 2nd shift (4:00 pm – 2:00 am) Mon-Thurs.

Operator needs to have mechanical ability and be able to learn quickly. Competitive wage, health insurance, 401K. Apply in person at Peterson Spring 600 Old Hull Road Athens, GA 30601.

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TranSouth Logistics is seeking a FT Dispatcher.

Job Responsibilities: • Coordinate/plan daily loads with available capacity to maximize customer service and productivity while minimizing expenses • Assign loads to drivers and ensure compliance, safety, and on-time delivery • Create and publish the daily load plan schedule.

• Update dispatch reports with daily activities and metrics • Ensure on-time service via the driver check calls.

• Communicate clearly, courteously, and effectively to internal and external customers • Report performance metrics and concerns to management as required • Follow all required safety policies and procedures.

• Ability and willingness to answer calls when needed outside of work hours.

Preferred Qualifications: • Bachelor Degree in Logistics/Transportation or relevant experience • Experience in truckload dispatching (a must) • Advanced computer skills (MS Office, AS400, TMS, etc) • Experience using load boards and backhaul planning Minimum Qualifications: • Must be detailed oriented • Excellent communication skills, flexibility, and sense of urgency • Must be able to handle multiple tasks • Must be able to work in a fast paced environment • Firm understanding on DOT Hours of Service regulations • Must have excellent attendance record in previous positions Required experience: Dispatcher : 2 years

We offer a competitive benefits package which, includes a base salary, health / dental / disability / life / accident insurance, 401K, personal days, vacation, holidays, . . ., etc.

Qualified candidates please submit your resume in person at 1001 Cherry Drive Suite 300 Braselton, GA 30517 or email at HR@tran-south.com.

**Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to contact those applicants whose experience and background best match our requirements.**

Northeast Sales Dist., Co. is accepting applications for following positions: • Local Route Delivery drivers. Route delivery experience is helpful.

Class A CDL is required.

• Warehouse labor and forklift operator.

Applicants must provide a seven-year MVR and a background check prior to interview. Benefits include 401k, health, life, disability, dental, paid vac and more.

Apply in person at Northeast Sales 840 Ronald Wood Rd., Winder, GA 30680.

M - F 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. 678-963-7700.

Medical / Health

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Morgan Memorial Hospital Med-Surg RN – Full Time & PRN positions avail.

Seeking a Registered Nurse (RN) to work in the Med-Surg Department. The candidate must hold current licensure in the State of Georgia and have CPR/BLS, ACLS certification.

Must be willing to work weekends when needed.

Apply online at www.mmh.org Or send resume to Sarah S. Phillips, HR Fax: 706-342-2742 e-mail: sarahp@mmh.org Morgan Memorial Hospital is a Drug Free Workplace/EEOC

PR OFESSIONAL

A Guide to Professional Services in the Oconee County Area To Advertise: Phone 706.549.FAST Home Services

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Plumber Pro Service and Drain

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Bickley’s Tree Service f Tree Service f Lawn Maintenance f Stump Grinding f Brush Chipping f Bobcat f Dump Truck Insured

UlmBrothers Tree Service

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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.

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Lamar Adams 706-224-2079 P R OF E S S ION A L

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

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