the paper january 3 2013 edition

12
CMYK Get updates during the week at ClickThePaper.com | 50 ¢ INSIDE The Paper P .O. Box 430 Hoschton, GA 30548 ECRWSS CURRENT RESIDENT PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 13 GAINESVILLE, GA Thursday, January 3, 2013 Volume 7, Number 9 Church 4A Entertainment 5B Features 2B Forum 5A Obituaries 4A Pastor’s Pen 4A Police report 2A Puzzles 5B School news 4B Sports 1B Got a news tip? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail [email protected] Want to advertise? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail [email protected] Delivery questions? Call 770-532-2222 or e-mail [email protected] Brighter economic days ahead: Speaker BY STANLEY DUNLAP Regional staff Brighter days are ahead for Georgians after drastic legislative changes have made the state more business friendly, says Speaker of the House David Ralston. Ralston spoke about the economic out- look of the state during the recent annual Eggs N Issues event hosted by the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce. The state still faces many challenges, however, Geor- gia is in a better position moving forward, he said. Several other state legislators spoke briefly during the event. Reps. Tom Kirby (R-Loganville) and Terry England (R-Au- burn) and Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) and Rep. Regina Quick (R-Athens) talked about the teamwork that’s necessary for state government to be successful. Ralston said once the economic reces- sion hit that legislators had to make the unpopular decision to cut 20 percent of the budget. During that time, Ralston says he learned that for every potential cut there was some- one that would “come flying into the Capitol and say the future of mankind depends on that not being cut in the budget.” However, with a 10.3 percent unemploy- ment rate, it would’ve been unfair to in- crease taxes, Ralston said. “To tell the people of Georgia ‘look guys, we’re sorry we don’t have the political will, we don’t have the political courage to cut spending so we need you to send us a little more money (is unfair),’” he said during the event, which was sponsored by Jackson EMC. While navigating through the tough times, legislators decided to seize the op- portunity of improving the economy. A tax reform council made up of business profes- sionals recommendations led to the most significant tax reform page in the state’s history, Ralston said. “When negotiating with Caterpillar, they were keeping a close tab,” he said. “I’m not sure they would have come if not for us passing that.” The next goal is to take on business regu- lations and “look at the bureaucratic rules and red tape that cause businesses to strug- gle…,” Ralston said. Emphasizing technical colleges has equipped Georgia’s workforce better than many other states. That was a factor in Bel- gian company IVC US’s decision to bring jobs to Dalton, he said. “We can use that as we build our eco- nomic future looking forward to a brighter day,” Ralston said. Also, deepening the harbor and expand- ing the port in Savannah should allow larger ships to pass through impacts not just that area but the entire state. “We are on the verge of doing what will BY KATIE JUSTICE [email protected] Unemployment in Georgia is at its lowest rate in almost four years. The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that the preliminary unem- ployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region declined to 7.5 percent in November, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.6 percent in October. The rate was 8.5 percent in No- vember 2011. The Georgia Department of Labor recently announced the seasonally adjusted unem- ployment rate is at 8.5 percent, a down from 8.7 percent in Oc- tober. “This is the lowest state un- employment rate in nearly four years, since it was 8.5 percent in January 2009,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. The state unemployment rate is down from 9.5 percent in November 2011. However, the Georgia unemployment rate still exceeds the national rate of 7.7 percent. “Once again, the rate dropped because of continued job growth and fewer new lay- offs,” said Butler. The rate declined because of fewer new layoffs, repre- sented by first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits. There were 291 fewer layoffs in construction, trade, information services, finan- cial services, professional and technical services, adminis- trative and support services, BY KATIE JUSTICE [email protected] While Georgia’s unemployment has reached its lowest rate in almost four years, the state is still behind the national average, with many in- dividuals still out of work. However, for those seeking employment, the Workforce Investment Act, or WIA, offers hope. The Northeast Georgia Regional Commis- sion, or NEGRC, is a government agency that helps with local issues such as government plan- ning, economic development, aging services and job training. The NEGRC’s Workforce De- velopment Division provides management of the WIA funds allocated to the region. They help link individuals to job training and placement. Carol Rayburn Cofer, Workforce Develop- State’s joblessness drops to lowest rate in four years “I am encouraged by the continuing growth in the number of manufacturing jobs in Georgia.” Gov. Nathan Deal Investing in Georgia’s workforce BY STANLEY DUNLAP Regional staff The first manager for Barrow County says he’ll spend the first couple of months listening to county officials and employees as he takes on a new challenge. Jock Connell was to begin Wednesday in the new position that will change how the county government operates. He said working in Barrow County will be unique since it’ll be its first county manager position, while the other counties he’s served as man- ager for were already under that type of government. Connell spent more than 23 years with Gwinnett County including time as the county’s manager and has recently served as interim manager for Hall County. “I think it’s always wise to come in and make sure you understand what the lay of land is,” he said last week. It’ll take some time for ev- eryone to adapt to the new system. “There may be some days we take one step forward and two steps backward,” Connell said. “That’s the nature when you’re implementing something like this. But there will also be days you take three steps forward.” The amount of resources will be among the biggest changes for Connell. In Gwinnett County, the budget was more than $850 million while Hall’s budget ranged from $85 million to $90 million. This fiscal year’s general fund budget for Barrow County is $34 million. As with any county, there will be a focus on improving the job market, however more so in Barrow since it’s more agriculturally based. Improving the tax digest, which now comes from mainly residential properties, is essential, added Connell. The county spends more money when it relies too heavily on residential properties. For instance, providing county services for an average priced home may cost $1.12 for every $1 brought in while for commercial developments it can cost $80 cents for each $1 spent, Connell said. “If you can get it at the right balance, it’s good economi- cally, but it also gives the dollars to expand resources if you need to,” he said. Connell ushering Barrow into new government form Connell Lisa Laskey The Paper The Duncans’ former home, once the end of the school bus line, still stands at the now bustling intersection of Spout Springs and Thompson Mill roads. Below: Not only a local landmark, the Duncan’s Corner directional sign and its cre- ator, Lucius Duncan, were once shown on the late CBS newsman Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” feature. Regional staff photographer Tom Reed captured this image. BY SHANNAN FINKE The Paper regional staff Despite the hustle that surrounds the intersection of Spout Springs, Thomp- son Mill and Friendship roads in South Hall nowadays, Frank Duncan can re- member a time when the land around self-named Duncan City was “a whole lotta nothin’.” In fact, Duncan City didn’t have as much as a sign to let those passing by know where they were or point them in the direction they were looking to go. So in the late 1970s, after years of giving directions to lost travelers who would knock on the door of his corner house, the late Lucius Duncan, Frank Duncan’s father, asked the county to put up a road sign so people would stop interrupting family dinners. After being told a sign at that inter- section would bankrupt the county, Lu- cius Duncan took matters into his own hands and erected a handcrafted sign directing people to cities like Winder, Athens, Jefferson, Commerce and even London and Hong Kong. “We had a lot of people ask how to get to Gainesville,” Frank Duncan said. “But there were people wanting to get all over.” As the self-appointed mayor of Dun- can City, Lucius Duncan even set the Country crossroads Duncan’s Corner: Where travelers once interrupted dinner See DUNCAN, page 2A See INVESTING, page 3A See JOBLESSNESS, page 3A See OUTLOOK, page 2A HBA supports food program. 2B

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CMYK

Get updates during the week at ClickThePaper.com | 50 ¢

INSIDE The PaperP.O. Box 430Hoschton, GA 30548

ECRWSSCURRENT RESIDENT

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 13

GAINESVILLE, GA

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Volume 7, Number 9

Church 4AEntertainment 5BFeatures 2BForum 5AObituaries 4A

Pastor’s Pen 4APolice report 2APuzzles 5BSchool news 4BSports 1B

Got a news tip? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail [email protected]

Want to advertise? Call 706-658-2683 or e-mail [email protected]

Delivery questions? Call 770-532-2222 or e-mail [email protected]

Brighter economic days ahead: SpeakerBY STANLEY DUNLAPRegional staff

Brighter days are ahead for Georgians after drastic legislative changes have made the state more business friendly, says Speaker of the House David Ralston.

Ralston spoke about the economic out-look of the state during the recent annual Eggs N Issues event hosted by the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce. The state still faces many challenges, however, Geor-gia is in a better position moving forward, he said.

Several other state legislators spoke briefly during the event. Reps. Tom Kirby (R-Loganville) and Terry England (R-Au-burn) and Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville)

and Rep. Regina Quick (R-Athens) talked about the teamwork that’s necessary for state government to be successful.

Ralston said once the economic reces-sion hit that legislators had to make the unpopular decision to cut 20 percent of the budget.

During that time, Ralston says he learned that for every potential cut there was some-one that would “come flying into the Capitol and say the future of mankind depends on that not being cut in the budget.”

However, with a 10.3 percent unemploy-ment rate, it would’ve been unfair to in-crease taxes, Ralston said.

“To tell the people of Georgia ‘look guys, we’re sorry we don’t have the political will,

we don’t have the political courage to cut spending so we need you to send us a little more money (is unfair),’” he said during the event, which was sponsored by Jackson EMC.

While navigating through the tough times, legislators decided to seize the op-portunity of improving the economy. A tax reform council made up of business profes-sionals recommendations led to the most significant tax reform page in the state’s history, Ralston said.

“When negotiating with Caterpillar, they were keeping a close tab,” he said. “I’m not sure they would have come if not for us passing that.”

The next goal is to take on business regu-

lations and “look at the bureaucratic rules and red tape that cause businesses to strug-gle…,” Ralston said.

Emphasizing technical colleges has equipped Georgia’s workforce better than many other states. That was a factor in Bel-gian company IVC US’s decision to bring jobs to Dalton, he said.

“We can use that as we build our eco-nomic future looking forward to a brighter day,” Ralston said.

Also, deepening the harbor and expand-ing the port in Savannah should allow larger ships to pass through impacts not just that area but the entire state.

“We are on the verge of doing what will

BY KATIE [email protected]

Unemployment in Georgia is at its lowest rate in almost four years.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced last week that the preliminary unem-ployment rate in the Northeast Georgia region declined to 7.5 percent in November, down one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.6 percent in October. The rate was 8.5 percent in No-vember 2011.

The Georgia Department of Labor recently announced the seasonally adjusted unem-ployment rate is at 8.5 percent,

a down from 8.7 percent in Oc-tober.

“This is the lowest state un-employment rate in nearly four years, since it was 8.5 percent in January 2009,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

The state unemployment rate is down from 9.5 percent in November 2011. However, the Georgia unemployment rate still exceeds the national rate of 7.7 percent.

“Once again, the rate dropped because of continued job growth and fewer new lay-offs,” said Butler.

The rate declined because of fewer new layoffs, repre-

sented by first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits. There were 291 fewer layoffs in construction, trade, information services, finan-

cial services, professional and technical services, adminis-trative and support services,

BY KATIE [email protected]

While Georgia’s unemployment has reached its lowest rate in almost four years, the state is still behind the national average, with many in-dividuals still out of work.

However, for those seeking employment, the Workforce Investment Act, or WIA, offers hope.

The Northeast Georgia Regional Commis-sion, or NEGRC, is a government agency that helps with local issues such as government plan-ning, economic development, aging services and job training. The NEGRC’s Workforce De-velopment Division provides management of the WIA funds allocated to the region. They help link individuals to job training and placement.

Carol Rayburn Cofer, Workforce Develop-

State’s joblessness drops to lowest rate in four years

“I am encouraged by the continuing growth in the number of manufacturing jobs in Georgia.” Gov. Nathan Deal

Investing in Georgia’s workforce

BY STANLEY DUNLAPRegional staff

The first manager for Barrow County says he’ll spend the first couple of months listening to county officials and employees as he takes on a new challenge.

Jock Connell was to begin Wednesday in the new position that will change how the county government operates.

He said working in Barrow County will be unique since it’ll be its first county manager position, while the other counties he’s served as man-ager for were already under that type of government.

Connell spent more than 23 years with Gwinnett County including time as the county’s manager and has recently served as interim manager for Hall County.

“I think it’s always wise to come in and make sure you understand what the lay of land is,” he said last week.

It’ll take some time for ev-eryone to adapt to the new system.

“There may be some days we take one step forward and two steps backward,” Connell said. “That’s the nature when you’re implementing something like this. But there will also be days you take three steps forward.”

The amount of resources will be among the biggest changes for Connell. In Gwinnett County, the budget was more than $850 million while Hall’s budget ranged from $85 million to $90 million. This fiscal year’s general fund budget for Barrow County is $34 million.

As with any county, there will be a focus on improving the job market, however more so in Barrow since it’s more agriculturally based. Improving the tax digest, which now comes from mainly residential properties, is essential, added Connell.

The county spends more money when it relies too heavily on residential properties. For instance, providing county services for an average priced home may cost $1.12 for every $1 brought in while for commercial developments it can cost $80 cents for each $1 spent, Connell said.

“If you can get it at the right balance, it’s good economi-cally, but it also gives the dollars to expand resources if you need to,” he said.

Connell ushering Barrow into new government form

Connell

Lisa Laskey The PaperThe Duncans’ former home, once the end of the school bus line, still stands at the now bustling intersection of Spout Springs and Thompson Mill roads. Below: Not only a local landmark, the Duncan’s Corner directional sign and its cre-ator, Lucius Duncan, were once shown on the late CBS newsman Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” feature. Regional sta� photographer Tom Reed captured this image.

BY SHANNAN FINKEThe Paper regional staff

Despite the hustle that surrounds the intersection of Spout Springs, Thomp-son Mill and Friendship roads in South Hall nowadays, Frank Duncan can re-member a time when the land around self-named Duncan City was “a whole lotta nothin’.”

In fact, Duncan City didn’t have as much as a sign to let those passing by know where they were or point them in the direction they were looking to go.

So in the late 1970s, after years of giving directions to lost travelers who would knock on the door of his corner house, the late Lucius Duncan, Frank

Duncan’s father, asked the county to put up a road sign so people would stop interrupting family dinners.

After being told a sign at that inter-section would bankrupt the county, Lu-cius Duncan took matters into his own hands and erected a handcrafted sign directing people to cities like Winder, Athens, Jefferson, Commerce and even London and Hong Kong.

“We had a lot of people ask how to get to Gainesville,” Frank Duncan said. “But there were people wanting to get all over.”

As the self-appointed mayor of Dun-can City, Lucius Duncan even set the

Country crossroads Duncan’s Corner: Where travelers once interrupted dinner

See DUNCAN, page 2A

See INVESTING, page 3ASee JOBLESSNESS, page 3A

See OUTLOOK, page 2A

HBA supports food program. 2B

CMYK

�A The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 local

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To submit items for publication, please provide complete information plus a contact name and number. Information cannot be guaranteed for publication on a specific date. Photos should be in focus and all people pictured clearly identified.

•Getting Published•

169 Towne Center Parkway, Hoschton, GA 30548 P.O. Box 430, Hoschton, GA 30548

Editor:LeAnne Akin

Advertising:Debbie Purvis

Sports Editor:Latrice Williams

General Manager:Norman Baggs

Circulation Director:Dan Montgomery

Publisher:Dennis L. Stockton

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

A Hog Mountain Road resident reported receiving possible harassing phone calls from another woman Dec. 27 and a threatening text message saying if she wanted an altercation the woman should go to the home of the caller’s mother.

A Dec. 27 dispute was reported between a man and the woman living with him, who he had been seeing off and on. The woman, who had slapped the man causing his nose to bleed, was placed under arrest for battery.

On Dec. 26, an officer observed a vehicle turning left off Highway 129 to Lee Street laying drag. Once the officer stopped the car, he noticed an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. The driver was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, having an expired tag and laying drag.

A Dec. 28 burglary was reported at a Windy Hill Road residence in Jefferson.

On Dec. 27, a dispute was reported at a Lavender Road residence in Jefferson after a woman and her boyfriend got into argument over the man taking meth.

A driver on Highway 60 in Hoschton on Dec. 27 was found to be driving with a suspended license and no insurance.

A woman reported her pocketbook stolen by a man who had previously been staying with her at her Lebanon Church Road home. The theft was reported Dec. 26.

On Dec. 26, a vehicle was found abandoned on Highway 53 in front of Hoschton Park. The vehicle had side-swiped the guardrail for about 30 feet before stopping. Inside the vehicle were several open containers of beer. The vehicle was reported stolen from Gainesville.

On Dec. 26, a woman at a Holiday Cemetery Road residence requested assistance to retrieve her keys from within her vehicle. Her dog was also locked in the vehicle.

A man reported his garden tiller stolen from his Old Pendergrass Road home on Dec. 23.

A vehicle was found to

be abandoned after it had been wrecked in a ditch on Jackson Trail Road on Dec. 25.

On Dec. 25, a woman driving along Highway 53 in Hoschton reported a car attempting to pass her as she was passing another car. The driver and the passenger then made obscene gestures at the woman and attempted to get her to pull into a parking lot. The woman then called 911.

A Hoschton woman reported fraudulent charges on her debit card on Dec. 23. There were two separate charges, one for $200 in Miami and a $1 charge in Tennessee.

On Dec. 21, a Highway 124 resident reported a metal gate to his property taken off its hinges.

A traffic stop for a vehicle with a brake light out on Dec. 22 led to the arrest of a man with an active warrant out of Madison County.

On Dec. 22, a man was arrested at a Hoschton restaurant for battery. A woman working at the restaurant said the man threw a mustard bottle at another patron and poured himself beer out of the tap after being refused further service. He then attempted to start a fight when he was being kicked out, and then struck the woman on her face.

A woman driving on Highway 129 without tag lights was arrested Dec. 22 when she was found to be driving with a suspended license and a warrant out of Clark County.

The owner of a Jefferson area car dealership reported Dec. 21 that two auto dealer license plates either stolen or lost from his lot.

On Dec. 22, a resident of Valley Way in Pendergrass reported the screens on three of the windows at his home cut.

An Ashwick Drive resident in Jefferson reported damage to her vehicle after her sister-in-law kicked its door on Dec. 22.

On Dec. 23, a man was arrested on Highway 129 in Jefferson after attempting to run another car off the road. The man claimed the woman in the backseat of the car stole something from him. The woman, his ex-fiancé, said he was upset thinking she kept her engagement ring, which

she had given to his parents. The man also got out his car and grabbed onto the woman’s car as it was pulling away. He was placed under arrest for reckless driving and disorderly conduct.

A Charlie Smith Road resident reported being bitten by a neighbor’s dog on Dec. 18.

On Dec. 19, an officer patrolling Thytira Brockton Road due to an earlier copper theft found a man at the residence to have a child support warrant. The man was placed under arrest.

A woman reported damage to her vehicle after another driver backed into her car at a Highway 124 business on Dec. 19.

On Dec. 18, a Meadowvista Lane resident reported suspicious activity and possible harassment by his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend.

A furniture store van knocked over the mailbox of a Mandy Lane home in Brasleton on Dec. 18.

On Dec. 18, a man reported his passport missing at riding in a Gainesville taxi.

A Dec. 18 dispute was reported between a Branch Drive resident and a tenant renting a room in her basement. Both parties claimed the other wanted a relationship while each said they did not.

On Dec. 18, a woman driving on Highway 129 was arrested for driving with a suspended license.

On Dec. 17, a man driving on Highway 441 without a working tag light was found to be driving with a suspended license and was placed under arrest.

Braselton PoliceOn Dec. 17, a Sheriff’s

deputy from another county notified the Braselton and Jefferson police departments about a Facebook posting by a Jackson County resident related to the recent school shooting in Connecticut. The man was questioned about the posting but no actual threat was determined.

A Dec. 24 domestic dispute with shots fired was reported on Riverwood Drive. The shooter was placed under arrest for aggravated

assault, seven counts of reckless conduct and discharging a firearm while under the influence.

On Dec. 26, a woman having a party at a home in Jesse Cronic Court reported a Kindle stolen from her residence. The man who was suspected of taking it was found to be wanted on a warrant out of Gwinnett County and was arrested.

A man driving on Jesse Cronic Road with a flat front left tire was stopped Dec. 26 and eventually placed under arrest for driving under the influence, drive without a license, failure to obey a traffic control device and driving on the wrong side of the road.

A Dec. 27 call about two suspicious persons were reported at a Braselton antique store. Once officers caught up to one of the men he was placed under arrest for shoplifting several items including two coins and a vintage toy truck.

On Dec. 28, a driver pulled over for failure to maintain lane on Thompson Mill Road was arrested for failure to maintain lane, speeding and driving under the influence. The passenger of the vehicle was arrested for disorderly conduct under the influence when he refused to listen to the officer.

A Dec. 29 burglary was reported at a Baker’s Farm

Circle residence. Damage resulted and several appliances were stolen.

On Dec. 29, a burglary was reported at a home on Spout Springs Road in which only the television was stolen despite other items of value being in the home.

A Dec. 17 driveoff was reported at a Highway 53 gas station. A truck driver left without paying for $521.61 worth of gas.

On Dec. 17, the pastor of an Ednaville Road church reported two checks valued at almost $1,200 each were cashed and deposited by a man who was unauthorized to do so.

Suspicious activity was reported on Dec. 17 on Highway 53 when four juveniles were seen throwing rocks off the Highway 53 overpass of Interstate 85. The young men said they were not throwing anything off the overpass, and were warned they could be criminally charged if they caused an accident.

The owner of a store on Highway 53 reported a theft by shoplifting on Dec. 17. A man in the store reportedly stole a bottle of 14-year-old scotch whiskey.

On Dec. 17, a man was arrested for disorderly conduct at a Spout Springs Road shopping center after an altercation another man whose twin brother owed the him $5.

On Dec. 18, a truck driver attempting to turn around in a Highway 53 parking lot struck a boulder, which then became lodged under the vehicle until it made a turn that dislodged it. The driver stated he did not realize he struck anything.

On Dec. 17, a man returning to his friend’s home on Council Lane after a night out, found the two right side tires of his rental vehicle slashed. The man said he believes his friend’s wife may have done it because she was upset about the two men going out.

A Dec. 19 verbal dispute was reported at a Highway 211 hotel. The incident occurred between a man and his fiancé after they had been drinking. The man said his fiancé “snapped” and said she was going to call the police and make it look like he hit her. The two were separated, and the man was advised to stay away from the woman.

On Dec. 20 around 1 a.m., three individuals in ski masks pried open the door to a Highway 211 gas station and stole multiple cartons of cigarettes.

A Dec. 22 burglary was reported at a Reisling Drive residence. The resident said she believed a friend from her AA meeting stole nine prescription pills while she was sleeping.

POLICE REPORT

speed limit for the intersection as “let ‘er go.” He claimed he received his mail from Buford, Hoschton and Flowery Branch, but his love letters always came from out West.

“He had women from all over sending him love letters. A lot came from Califor-nia,” Frank Duncan said. “They had seen him on television and thought he had a lot of money.”

But despite being interviewed for news-papers and television, including “On the Road” with Charles Kuralt, Lucius Dun-can was a farmer just working to make it through tough times a century after his fam-ily moved to the area.

“Daddy established Duncan City, and times were hard then. The family came down from South Carolina (in 1877) and eventually a lot of them moved out differ-ent ways, but he stayed here and named it ‘Duncan,’” Frank Duncan said.

To get to and from school, Frank Duncan rode a makeshift school bus from Duncan City to Flowery Branch and was named an unofficial member of the school patrol.

“Our house was the last stop on the route for the bus, and I would run up when we got to the railroad tracks to check for any trains

coming,” he recalls.In the evenings after school, it wasn’t un-

common for the Duncan family to sit down for dinner and hear a knock at the door.

“Daddy would tell me to go answer the door cause he was eating supper, so I’d go answer it and have to tell people which way they needed to go. A lot of times, it’d be dark outside and I’d point them down the right road,” Frank Duncan said.

But on those special nights when his mother would kill a chicken for dinner, Frank Duncan said the directions he gave got a little sloppy.

“All I wanted was to get back in the house and eat that chicken, so I wouldn’t really tell people how to get where they needed to. Daddy told me to stop doing that and give them the right directions.”

Lucius Duncan farmed cotton and corn on the land that is now prime real estate for shopping centers, restaurants and doctors’ offices. Now, his son handles the flurry of commercial development on what is known as Duncan Corner, although the old white house where the Duncan family lived still stands.

“I can’t take that house down, so we’ve got someone renting it right now. This area has changed a lot over the years, really in the last five to 10 years, going from a hole-in-the-wall, just a hole-in-the-wall, to a lot of movement,” Frank Duncan said.

OUTLOOK Continued from 1A

DUNCAN Continued from 1A

be the biggest economic development project in this state for many generations,” he said.

England, who introduced Ralston during the event, said the former “rainy day fund” of $1.5 billion and stimulus money helped with some budgets. What’s left now in the rainy day fund is just a “drop in the bucket,” he said.

“As we go into the (2013) amended budget and (2014) full budget, we don’t have those cushions anymore,” England said.

While it’s a challenge to balance the budget, England said he’s grateful that the state is required to do so and that Gov. Nathan Deal’s steady leadership helps them get through that process.

Collaboration between the area’s officials is what will help the state be successful, Ginn said.

“You can have your education and your leadership but unless you have teamwork you don’t have anything,” he said.

CMYK

The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 3Alocal

Priscilla A. Murphy is now a Certified Municipal Clerk, designation awarded by the International Institute of Mu-nicipal Clerks (IIMC) Inc.

IIMC grants the CMC designation only to those municipal clerks who complete demanding education requirements; and who have a record of significant contributions to their local government, their community and state.

Murphy serves as City Clerk and Assistant City Manager for the City of Jefferson.

Jefferson City Manager John Ward said, “Few clerks in Georgia hold this designation and it is a great honor that ours does. Priscilla’s accomplishments add to the trend among our distinguished staff who are constantly push-ing themselves to new levels, keeping up to date with new training and becoming the best at what they do.”

“In light of the speed and drastic nature of change these days, lifelong learning is not only desirable, it is necessary for all in local government to keep pace with growing de-mands and changing needs of the citizens we serve,” said Brenda Cirtin, MMC, IIMC President. “Your City can take immense pride in Priscilla’s educational accomplishments and achievement of this milestone.

“On behalf of the IIMC Board of Directors, I am honored to endorse the conferring of CMC to Priscilla A. Murphy,” said Cirtin. “We share your pride in this achievement and we applaud your support of the role Priscilla plays in your city.”

By KaTIE [email protected]

Those seeking employment are often very familiar with the idea of a resume. However, according to Carol Rayburn Cofer, Work-force Development Director for the North-east Georgia Regional Commission, many may not quite understand the value their resume actually has.

“[Those seeking employment] need to be making sure that their resume is updated, and is in line with portraying the skills that the current employer base is looking for,” said Cofer. “That may well involve tailoring a resume to the industry you’re applying for, not just having a generic one that says ok here I am, come take me.”

Cofer says job-seeking could have more than five versions of their re-sume, which need to be easily customizable to each specific job being sought.

“If you’re applying to the manufacturing sec-tor, then you need to look as your skill set and make sure those things you did as skills are relevant to the manufacturing sector are what you highlight,” Cofer said. “It’s really making the best of the skills you’re showcasing in that resume.”

According to Cofer, the content on a re-sume is more vital than ever thanks to many companies now using software to sort through applications.

Cofer says the software is set to seek out specific words and “if you don’t have those particular words in your resume then you will not even move forward. “

The reason most companies are now turn-ing to software programs to sort through resumes is the overwhelming number of job applications received in response to job postings.

“When an employer posts a job opening, many more people will turn in resumes than they will ever be able to screen through. So they are looking for every tool out there to help them screen people to get to a manageable number that they can then determine which ones out of this number meet the criteria for us to call in for perhaps the initial interview,” Cofer said.

For help with re-sumes and other aspects

of job applications, visit a local career center. Nearby Georgia Department of Labor career centers are located in Athens, Monroe and Gainesville. Visit www.dol.state.ga.us for more information.

ment Director, works directly to help indi-viduals find employment, either by direct job placement or through training.

“I don’t think that we’re recovering as quickly as other parts of the country,” said Cofer.

“I think we are seeing a rebound. I think there are additional listings that are appear-ing. I think there is hiring that is taking place, but it is driven by different sectors so what’s happening in one sector may not necessarily be in another sector.”

Thus, there are jobs out there, and the NE-GRC aims to help people find them.

According to Cofer, there are several steps anybody seeking employment should take, even if you are unemployed, underemployed or simple looking to change careers.

“The first thing I encourage anyone to do is make sure they’re utilizing the services of their local department of labor career cen-ter,” Cofer said. Many employers list their job openings with the Georgia Department of Labor, which is available at www.dol.state.ga.us, as well as being posted at career centers.

“The reason I would encourage people to physically go to a career center is because they have a computer resource area that any person can come in and use the computer to

look up job listings or work on their resume,” said Cofer. “They have a copy machine and a fax machine that people can use to fax ap-plications and resumes if need be. They have staffs that are available to help people navi-gate that part of the process.”

The NEGRC also helps connect individu-als to training opportunities and workshops covering topics such as resume preparation and interview skills.

Eligible individuals also have the oppor-tunity to attend training, usually at a public technical college, to make them better able to find employment.

“That’s really the part that my office plays is the training, we don’t do the training -- we broker the training,” Cofer said. Those eligi-ble receive financial support while attending school. The tuition is covered by WIA funds, and help is also available to cover fees, books, supplies and a small amount is available to offset support costs such as gas or daycare.

“We do not pay them to go to school, they are not paid an hourly stipend to go sit in class, so folks will have to have some way to take care of their basic needs while they are in training,” said Cofer, who admits that school isn’t the best option for everyone.

Whether directly seeking a job or simply looking for options, the NEGRC offers a va-riety of services to help individuals with em-ployment. To check eligibility information is available on www.negrc.org or call 706-369- 5703 or 1-800-533-5872.

educational services, health care and social assistance and accommodations and food services.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.2 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11 percent.

Statewide, there was an increase of 9,600 jobs. Ac-cording to the state Depart-ment of Labor most of the growth was in trade, trans-portation, and warehous-ing, up 12,400; educational services, up 1,700; informa-tion services, up 1,600; lo-cal government, up 1,300; financial services, up 1,200; and manufacturing, up 600.

That growth offset some of the losses. According to the Department of Labor, construction cut 4,000 jobs; leisure and hospitality, cut 2,700; professional and busi-ness services, cut 2,100; and other services, cut 1,100.

The number of job gains for Gainesville was 3,200 or an increase of 4.2 percent. The metropolitan areas growth was second only to Brunswick which saw an in-crease of 4.6 percent.

Athens gained 2,400 jobs, which was an increase of 2.8 percent, and Atlanta gained 33,900 jobs, which was an in-crease of 1.5 percent.

“I am encouraged by the continuing growth in the number of manufacturing jobs in Georgia,” said Gov. Nathan Deal.

“This is a result of fo-cusing on a pro-business environment and working closely with Georgia em-ployers to help them grow

their businesses, while ac-tively recruiting new indus-try to our state,” said Deal

The state’s labor force is also growing, reaching 4,800,345 in November, the highest level since Febru-ary 2009. The labor force was up by 7,101 individuals from 4,793,244 in October.

JOBLESSNESS Continued from 1A

INVESTING Continued from 1A

By KaTIE [email protected]

Almost half of all unem-ployed in Georgia are long-term unemployed.

That means they have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks but, accord-ing to Carol Rayburn Cofer, Workforce Development Director for the Northeast Georgia Regional Commis-sion, that doesn’t mean find-

ing a job is impossible.“The perception seems to

be that when someone is a long-term unemployed per-son, they’re hard to employ,” said Cofer. “There’s a per-ception that there’s a mind-set among employers that once someone has been out of work that they are harder to put back to work.

“Philosophically, for what we do, we don’t agree with that. Our position is if we have

a long-term unemployed per-son who engages in training, and that training may take them anywhere from six months to 24 months, then they are working to prepare themselves to change from one occupational career area to a different occupa-tional career area and that takes time,” said Cofer.

According to Cofer, indi-viduals who have worked before or have been laid off

are not unemployable. “When you’re talking

about a person who’s been laid off from their job, they bring a skill set with them, and even if they have been unemployed, if they’ve worked for 20-25 years they’ve got a skill set,” said Cofer. “The skills I’m talking about are often referred to as soft skills. They know how to get up and get to work; they know how to handle trans-portation challenges should they arise; they know how to attempt to keep their per-sonal issues away from the work place so they can do the job they were hired to do.”

Cofer says individuals with such skill sets are em-ployable. They may require training, but they have the mentality to hold a day-to-day job.

“At the point in time when individuals are looking for employment, there needs to be a focus of this is my job right now-looking for a job, and that means you get up ev-ery day and you go through all those steps,” said Cofer.

Cofer also said that those unemployed may not get the right choice the first day they begin searching; it’s an ongo-ing process.

Information on jobs and training opportunities are available at the Department of Labor website, www.dol.state.ga.us or the NEGRC website at www.negrc.org.

Long-term unempLoyed

Finetune resume for search

Training may be needed for jobs

Murphy is Certified Municipal Clerk

Priscilla A. Murphy has earned the CMC designation.

CMYK

�A The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 local

Brad BensonDied Dec. 30, 2012

Bennie Bradford Benson Jr., 73, of Jefferson, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 at his home sur-rounded by his family. Brad suffered from Parkinson’s for the past 10 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, B.B. Benson Sr. and Annie Mae Love Benson.

Suvivors include his wife of 51 years, Barbara Barnett Ben-son; daughter, Kelli Benson Sosebee and husband, Ted; and four wonderful grandchildren, Kaleb Sosebee, Ashton Sosebee, Kendall Sosebee and Rylee Sos-ebee, all of Jefferson.

Also surviving are four sib-lings, J.B. (Jim) Benson and Guy Dean, Marty B. Cooper and Danny of Jefferson and Merita Beatty of Newnan; seven nieces and nephews; 13 great-nieces and -nephews. He was honored to have two namesakes.

He was a Transportation Engineer II and was employed by the Georgia Department of Transportation before retir-ing after 34 years of as a crew chief of three location survey parties out of Gainesville. He then worked in Barrow County as head of the Engineering Department for 12-plus years. He served his country in the United States Navy from 1961-1964 aboard the USS Canberra. His active duty time included deployments during the Cuban Missle Crisis. He had multiple deployments to ports of call around the world during his time in service. His ending rank was Postal Clerk Third Class aboard the USS Canberra.

The funeral service was held Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in the chapel of Evans Funeral Home with the Rev. Mark Mobley, the Rev. Wayne Norris and the Rev. Doug Hilliard officiat-ing. The burial followed in the Evans Memory Gardens with Alex Bryan, Tim Love, Frank Eberhart, Harrison, McDonald, Peanut Evans and Jim Love as pallbearers. Fellow retired Department of Transportation employees were honorary pall-bearers.

Memorials made to the Na-tional Parkinson Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 5018 Hagerstown, MD 21741-5018, or the charity of your choice.

Evans Funeral Home, Jef-

fersonThe Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

Donald W. costley Died Dec. 25, 2012

Donald W. Costley, 48, of Au-burn, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012.

Born in Atlanta, he was a son of Ann Cash Costley and the late Mack Costley. He was employed at the Home Depot Distribution Center.

Survivors, in addition to his mother, include his daughter, Katy Costley of Winder.

No services are planned at this time.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

opal Spence Deaton Died Dec. 31, 2012

Opal Spence Deaton, 90 of Winder, died Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.

Born in Barrow County, she was a daughter of the late Olin and Annie Mae Chapman Spence. She was also preceded by her husband, Golden R. De-aton;, and a son, Roger Lamar Deaton. She was the salutato-rian of The Winder High School Class of 1937. A homemaker, she was a member of Sharon Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Rev. Jon Reed and Jason Scott officiating. Interment will be in Sharon Baptist Church Ceme-tery. Flowers are welcomed or memorials may be made to the church or charity of choice.

Surviviors include her daugh-ter, Ann Cronic of Winder; son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Marilyn Deaton of Xenia, Ill.; grandchildren, Jason Scott, Jarrod Scott, Elizabeth Deaton, Katherine Deaton and Tanya Feldhake; and seven great-grandchildren; and sister, Sarah Pentecost of Winder.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2013

Robert Jason HeltonDied Dec. 28, 2012

Robert Jason Helton, 39, of Winder, died Friday, Dec. 28, 2012.

Born in Athens, he was a son of Randall and Debbie Lawson Helton. He was preceded by a brother, Jeremy Helton.

Survivors, in addition to his parents, include his sons, Austin Helton Sorrells of Winder and Samuel Helton and Jeremiah Helton, both of Statham.

A memorial service was held Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Rev. Donnie Penning-ton officiating. Memorials may be made to Eagle Ranch, P.O. Box 7200, Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502.

Carter Funeral Home, Winder

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

Bobby Junior HicksDied Dec. 23, 2012

Bobby Junior Hicks, 66, of Maysville, died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012.

Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 28, 2012 at Ho-schton First Baptist Church. In-terment was in Woodbine City Cemetery in Jefferson.

Lawson Funeral Home, Ho-schton

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

leonard R. MotesDied Dec. 29, 2012

Leonard R. Motes, 82, of Winder, died Sunday, Dec. 29, 2012.

Birn in Jefferson, he was a son of the late John Manual and Cleo Motes. He was a retired truck driver for the Frito-Lay Corporation. He was also pre-ceded in death by his wife, Mae Belle Ledford Motes.

Survivors include his daugh-ter, Linda Austin of Flowery Branch; sons, Charles Motes of Winder and David Russell Motes of Kentucky; stepson, David Moats of Jonesboro; and 11 grandchildren.

Graveside services were held Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in the Dry Pond United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Evans Funeral Home, Jef-ferson

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

Betty Gail StraderDied Dec. 29, 2012

Betty Gail Strader, 60, of Monroe, died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.

Of the Baptist faith, she was a secretary for the Georgia For-estry Commission serving Mor-gan and Walton counties. She also appraised property for the Walton County Board of Com-missioners. She was a member of the Southwest Florida Arche-ologist Society and volunteered the Barrow County Museum and with the Barrow County Historic Preservation Society. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Thomas Hendon Sr., and Blanche Sweet McLain Hendon; and sister, Charlotte Bracey.

Survivors include her hus-band, Charlie Strader of Bonita Springs, Fla.; brothers, Blake McLain Hendon or Monroe and John T. Hendon Jr., of Blairsville; sisters, Carol Se-lando of Winder Jackie Beck of Buchanan; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service with family and friends will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Ronald McDonald Foundation for Children or the Hepatitis C Foundation.

Smith Funeral Home, Winder

The Paper, Jan. 3, 2012

More than 40 years ago, a wiser older man shared his se-cret of success with me. I had sought his counsel because I knew he was looked to as a person who was successful in life.

I have never forgotten the conversation or the counsel he gave me that day. In fact, since that meeting, I have applied the same principles he shared with me. I also learned a method by which he looked at his life and I determined that I wanted my life to reflect the same degree of success for which he was known.

His counsel to me, which I have carried out from that day forward, was to always take time to evaluate the past, learning from mistakes and noting the successes, and planning for the future with great pas-sion and desire.

My friend told of taking the last week of each year as the time when he would look back over the year that just passed. He set aside a certain amount of time to look at the past and refused to give any more time than what was set to think back through the events of the year.

Upon taking the time to think through the year, my friend said he would then lay a calendar of the upcoming year in front of him on his desk and look at each month in order to begin setting his plans for the New Year.

He was a public speaker, much sought after to be heard by many people over the years of his life work. He also said that he determined that once the review of the past year was complete he never looked back again, he only moved forward with his plans.

As a young man, I was impressed with the discipline of this elder wise man and how he had stayed with his plan in more than 50 years of work.

That same year, I put in place the same plan. I set aside time to look back on all that had happened to me or around me during the year that was passing. I then set before me a calendar to begin making my personal and professional plans for the New Year.

At first, the plan seemed hard to go through. I was determined, however, to follow through with this plan to see if the dividends for me would be close to the same payout my friend had received. Much to my surprise after about five years, the more I followed that plan the easier it

became and the more posi-tive results I began to see in my life.

I share this with you today because this is the day that I will begin my evaluation of the past year and move each day through this routine that has become second nature to me now after 40 years of practicing this planning process.

One of the pit falls of such a plan is the temptation to spend too much time look-ing back on the past. It becomes easy to over think or try too hard to think how a situation or circumstance could have been different if certain things were done dif-ferently.

I remember the old truism, of “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” That simple statement applies as we are looking back. The out-come of an event cannot be changed, the only thing about it that can be changed is my attitude about it, and how I could do dif-ferently if that same event happens again.

As I invest the time in the days leading toward New Year’s Day, I will have many hours of thinking through my life and events of my past life. The most important aspect of his plan, however, is the attitude that I take regarding all that has happened to me, or around me.

I refuse to be a victim of my circum-stance. I accept full responsibility for all the decisions I made (good and bad) that impacted the events of my life. One of the most important learning events in my life came about when I came to understand that blaming someone or something else for the good or bad in my life will not change the event, but by accepting per-sonal responsibility could very well change how I will respond to the challenges in the future.

From where I stand, I look forward with great excitement to 2013 and all that will be my personal responsibility to make a difference.

Ray Newman’s “From Where I Stand” col-umn appears on Wednesdays in the Bar-row county News. He is also a Pastor’s Pen columnist with The Paper and is pastor of Macedonia community Baptist church in Braselton. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]

OBITUARIESCHURCH NEWS

Looking happily forward to the new year ahead

Ray NewmanFRom WheRe I StaNd

covenant Baptist church is a group of called-out believers who are committed to following Jesus Christ as Lord. We do this by sharing the good news of the gospel to those who are separated from God; and by teaching believers how to be fully devoted followers of Christ. Please join us on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday school followed by our worship service at 10:30 a.m. at the Depot on Highway 53 in downtown Hoschton. Nursery and children’s church is provided. If you don’t have a church home, looking for a new church home or if you are lost and looking for a way back home, please come and visit with us and see if God speaks to your heart. If you have any questions, please contact Todd Coble, our Pastor at 678-316-0273. God bless you and “See you at the Depot! On Sunday!”

s s s

arbor Pointe church invites you to West Jackson Middle School every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Beginning Jan. 6, the worship messages will be titled “Red Letter Reset” and will explore themes such as anger, lust, greed and criticism based on Jesus’ direct words and teachings in Matthew 5-7. Nursery is provided each Sunday, as are special programs for children and youth. Visit arborpointe.org, contact Rev. Brad Greene at [email protected] or call 770-272-6778.

s s s A southern gospel singing will be

held at 6 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2013, at New Beginning Baptist church featuring “The Gobers.” Everyone is welcome. The church is located at 4403 Winder Highway in Flowery Branch. Call 770-597-7742.

s s s

calvary Baptist church will have its First Friday Singing on Friday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. In concert will be Southern Gospel groups The Troy Burns Family, the Matt Dibler Family and the Calvary Baptist Church Choir. A love offering will be taken. Calvary Baptist is at 1975 Highway 82 in Statham.

s s s

East Side Baptist church will host the first Rodney Gober New Year’s Jubilee on Saturday, Jan. 5, beginning at 6 p.m. Singing with the Gobers will be Crystal River, Changed 4, Noah’s Faith and C.R.O.S.S. The concert is free. A love offering will be taken. The church is on Bert Day Road and Ga. Highway 8.

s s s

I look forward with great excitement to 2013 and all that will be my personal responsibility to make a difference.

jACkSON COUNTy BApTIST CHURCH

leanne akin The PaperSilt fence is expected to be going up this week in anticipation of construction work for Jackson County Baptist Church. Pastor Jack Lawson read from a Bible which he placed in a plastic bag to protect it. The crowd, including Sheriff-elect Janis Magnum, Tax Commis-sioner Don Elrod, Jefferson Mayor Jim Joiner, Jefferson Councilman and Living Word Wor-ship center Pastor Mark Mobley and members of the new church congregation, gathered for the Sunday groundbreaking and noteburning. See more at ClickThePaper.com

PublisherDennis L. Stockton

General ManagerNorman Baggs

EditorLeAnne Akin

FORUMThursday, January 3, 2013

5A

Of course, I’ll be having black-eyed peas and col-lard greens for New Year’s Day. It has become more than a tradition. It’s almost downright superstition, though I hate to admit that.

And, of course, I’ll make the usual resolutions. I’ll commit those stubborn 6 pounds to a diet, pledge to work out more than once a week, promise to be kinder to those who are meaner and read my Bible daily.

It is safe to say that I will not miss peas and collards on the first day of the New Year and, by sometime in February, I will have already failed at all these resolutions. However, if I can stay away from a prob-lem with the phone com-pany, I may have a chance of stretching the “kinder to meaner” resolution to March.

This year, however, I’m brave enough about my past failures to audaciously add some brand spanking new ones. That’s because I have a brand new husband and I realize that it is my wifely duty to help to make him a better man. I’ll hap-pily use some of my resolu-tions to do that.

Since you and I are such good friends, I don’t mind sharing them with you and since my husband is a faith-ful reader of this column, he’ll have a copy, too.

1. I plan to introduce him to a check register. It’s helpful device that lists checks that are written and keeps a tally of money in the account. Now you should know; I’m fervent in book keeping and counting my pennies. He, though, totes checks in his pockets, writes them at will and never thinks to record them. “I know what a check register is,” he will say in-dignantly when I question whether he has ever seen one. This year I resolve that he will prove those words to me.

2. I will challenge him daily to show me that he is carrying a pocketknife. Every farmer or Southern

man knows that a pocket-knife is indispensable. “I need something to cut the twine on these bales of hay for the horses,” he said the other day.

I smiled. “That’s why you’re suppose to carry a pocketknife with you. You never know when you need to whip it out and cut some-thing.”

A wedding gift from our friend, Mike, was a pocket-knife. “Every man needs a pocket knife,” Mike ex-plained then tossed a nod in my direction. “And she really likes men who carry pocket knives. She says it’s sexy.”

3. There needs to be more reverence around our house paid to that great and mighty warrior, Gen. Robert E. Lee. I expect his birthday on Jan. 19 to be treated with somber respect and there should be no head shaking over the fact that some Southern states declare his birthday to be a state holiday. Gen. Lee is to the South what bush hogs are to farmers — a hero.

4. I am going to promote less hand washing around here. My husband, who

is not a doctor but often writes one on television, goes through a bar of soap every two days while a bottle of liquid soap lasts less than a week. I believe that a few germs make us healthier. If you keep your body stripped of germs, how can you build up im-munity to them?

I will say, though, that of all my resolutions relating to the man of our house, this is the one I have the least faith in. It’s probably a safer bet that I will succeed in reading the Bible daily as opposed to this one. He likes clean.

So, those are my new, never-used-before resolu-tions. Maybe my husband will clip out this column, put it on the refrigerator and practice these things.

Or maybe I’ll be repeat-ing these resolutions again next year. Just like all my previous resolutions.

Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of several books, including “There’s A Better Day A-Comin’.” Sign up for her newsletter at www.rondarich.com. Her column appears weekly,

I was always a big fan of Bugs Bunny cartoons. There was a recurring theme where an electronic machine would transfer the brain and voice of Bugs with Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd or Porky Pig.

For a portion of the car-toon, the character would take on the complete per-sonality of the other.

I don’t know that I would want the complete transfer from someone else, but I know several people who I gladly take a small transfer of their talents.

Spencer is a friend of mind who was a star player at Treutlen County High School two decades ago. He can still throw or hit a ball with a good measure of the prowess he had in high school.

I, on the other hand, was the last kid picked at any sport. I played a game of softball this year for the first time in probably 30 years. There was no epiphany where I suddenly became a softball aficionado. I’m still about as good as I was 30 years ago.

My friend, Mark, can just do magic things with a pi-ano. I’m a mediocre player and I play by ear.

I could go on about friends who have great abil-ity.

I am a pretty good writer and speaker and there are folks who are envious of that. However, after 52 and half years on this planet, there are things that will not change. I could practice softball or piano every day and I would never be in the league with my friends.

To the best of my knowl-edge, the transfer machine is only the stuff of cartoons and science fiction.

So, as I approach the start of 2013, I think it is best to focus on the things I can change as I make those oft-broken resolutions.

I’m going to use my abil-

ity to write and will write more words of encourage-ment. I won’t do it by e-mail, either. I want to take the time to write a note or letter to someone every week to brighten their path a bit. A friend and I were talking the other day about how much a hand-written note means to someone.

I’m going to be a better friend. And that’s not a Facebook friend, that’s a real friend. I have used the Internet to reconnect with a few people who have made an impact in my life. This year, I want to sit down face-to-face and talk about times that were good for both of us. There are many people with whom I need to catch up.

I want to use my faith bet-ter. On occasion, I have op-portunities to share my faith with others. I should do this every day. There is a great old song that says, “If I can help somebody as I go along, my journey shall not be in vain.” I want to repeat that concept often.

There are other things that are regulars on my list of resolutions. I need to eat better, exercise more and take care of myself. I have asked a few friends to nudge me in the year ahead when I stray from that goal.

I want to be a better hus-band and father. Those are two that I find there is room for improvement.

I hope that a year from now, I can exclude the words, “if only,” from my vocabulary.

Harris Blackwood is a Gainesville resident whose columns appear weekly.

Steve Kelley Creators Syndicate

A new year of checks, balances

� ink tank � nds columnist is an ‘old geek’

Making the most of what I have in 2013

Ronda Rich

HOMERVILLE —An independent think tank has found that syndicated col-umnist Len Robbins is an “old geek.”

The Institute for Com-parative Study, a Fairfax, Va.-based think tank, con-cluded that Robbins was an “old geek” after an exhaus-tive three-hour study.

“Basically, the subject (Robbins) is an old geek, and has been for quite some time,” said Dr. Don-ald Grantham, who headed the study for the Institute. “For him to claim he is in any way young, cool, or hip is simply false. We also found ample evidence that he was even never close to being cool or hip when he was young. Our research shows he even attended an Anne Murray concert as a teen.”

The study was com-missioned by friends of Robbins, who claim that the 40ish father of three refuses to admit that he’s middle-aged and out of touch with today’s pop culture.

“He owns a minivan, for Pete’s sake,” said a friend who contributed to

the study. “Maybe this will convince him to stop those lame Gary Coleman refer-ences. Gary Coleman has been dead for three years now, and didn’t have a job for 20 years before that. Nobody knows who he is anymore.”

According to a report published by the Institute, the study based its conclu-sion on the following evi-dence:

Subject (Robbins) oc-casionally drives a Honda minivan.

CD found in subject’s CD player was “Best of Steely Dan.”

Search of residence found a Members Only jacket in subject’s closet.

Surprise search of subject’s person found the following in subject’s pants pocket: One (1) receipt from Fox’s Pizza Den; two (2) children’s sweat bands;

one (1) receipt from the Shoney’s buffet; one (1) Bob the Builder toy truck, which is believed to have come from a kids’ meal; and three (3) grocery cou-pons.

Interview with subject revealed that he did not know any of the songs or artists from the latest Bill-board Top 10 chart.

Subject recently updated his prescription glasses for nearsighted-ness, which subject con-sistently and mistakenly called “short-sightedness.”

During interview, sub-ject made what the study believes were attempts at humor, using the following outdated pop culture refer-ences: Rubik’s Cube, “What you talkin’ about Willis?,” Oscar Gamble’s hair, Em-manuel Lewis, “Maude,” Shirley from “What’s Hap-penin?,” “Disco Duck,” Darryl Dawkins, “Where’s the beef?” and repeatedly quoted someone named Aunt Esther.

Robbins refuted the study’s findings.

“First of all, I’m not that old, compared to Abe Vi-goda,” he said. “And to say

I don’t know what’s going on with pop culture today is absurd. I know who Sponge-bob Squarepants is. I know who that Simon LeBon guy on ‘American Idol’ is. I’ve watched the ‘Deuce Biga-low’ movies, much to my chagrin. And what’s a think tank anyway? These people weren’t from a think tank; they were from a think hot tub. And my mom forced me to go to that Anne Mur-ray concert. I don’t think that should be counted against me.”

Grantham said that Rob-bins is in the first stage of being an old geek.

“In the second stage, he’ll start losing his hair and do the ‘comb-over’ or the ‘swipe-over,’ with his part steadily moving south-ward, at about a half-inch a year. It’s just a matter of time,” said Grantham.

Robbins didn’t refute that finding.

“Yeah, I’ve already started doing that,” he said.

Len Robbins is editor and publisher of the Clinch County News in Homer-ville. His column appears weekly.

Len Robbins

Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment

Harris Blackwood

Letters policySend letters to [email protected]; fax, 706-658-0177; or P.O. Box 430, Hoschton, GA 30548. Please include name, hometown and phone number. Letters should be limited to 300 words on one topic and may be edited.

P.O. Box 430Hoschton, GA 30548

www.clickthepaper.com

U.S. CongressU.S. Rep Rob Woodall, 1725 Longworth House O� ce Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-4272, fax 202-225-4696; 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30045, 770-232-3005, fax 770-232-2909; woodall.house.gov.Sen. Saxby Chambliss, 416 Russell Senate O� ce Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-3521; 100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1340, Atlanta, GA 30339, 770-763-9090, fax, 770-226-8633; chambliss.senate.govSen. Johnny Isakson, 120 Russell Senate O� ce Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-3643, fax, 202-228-0724; One Overton Park, 3625

Cumberland Blvd., Suite 970, Atlanta, GA 30339, 770-661-0999, fax, 770-661-0768; isakson.senate.gov

District 45 Sen. Renee Unterman, P.O. Box 508, Buford, 30518, 770-945-1887; [email protected] 47 Sen. Frank Ginn, P. O. Box 1136, Danielsville, 30633; 706- 680-4466; [email protected] 49 Sen. Butch Miller, 2420 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, 30504, 678-989-5301; [email protected]. Emory Dunahoo Jr., District 25, 4720 Walnut Lane, Gainesville, 30507, 770-534-0314; 411 [email protected]

GOVERNMENT CONTACTS

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6A The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

BY LATRICE [email protected]

All-State awards have begun rolling in, courtesy of the Associated Press, for athletes who provided many enthralling and entertaining games this year on the grid-iron. Jackson County Com-prehensive, Jefferson and Mill Creek High School have at least one athlete to garner honors from the AP.

Xavier Harper of Jackson County was named to the AAA First-Team Offense. Harper played an intricate part in ending the Panthers’ 20-year playoff drought. Against cross-town rival East Jackson High School, Harper scored three touchdowns - making it one of his best per-formances of the year.

For Jefferson, winning the 2AA state championship over Calhoun High School was the icing on the cake of its season and now they have more toppings to add.

Head Coach T. McFerrin was named the AA Coach of the Year, quarterback Bry-ant Shirreffs took Offensive Player of the Year while sam linebacker Wesley Simon-ton was dubbed Defensive Player of the Year.

McFerrin sealed his sec-ond state championship in his career this season. In 1995, McFerrin led Elbert County High School to a state title. He also led eight differ-ent teams to a postseason ap-pearance.

Shirreffs finished the year

with 1,372 rushing yards and scored 20 touchdowns. Shirreffs threw for 2,369 yards and aired out 18 touchdown passes. Shirre-ffs is also currently in the run-ning for Player of the Year from Georgia High School Football Daily as he is currently ranked eighth on the list of nominees.

Shirreffs was also selected to participate in the Georgia North-South All Star Game on Dec. 29 in Columbus. Shirreffs shared snaps with AJ Erderly of West Forsyth High School. The North team won 14-7.

Simonton caused havoc all year long on the defensive side and tallied 189 tackles, along with seven-and-a half sacks, 26 tackles for loss, five pass break ups, one interception, two forced

fumbles and one blocked field goal.

The Hawks boast two athletes in Kelsey Griffin and Jacorey Lewis who were honored for their talent on the turf. Lewis accumulated 2,317 yards and 31 trips to pay dirt. Lewis has received interest from Loui-siana State University, Missis-sippi State University and the University of Mississippi.

Griffin, who is committed to the University of South Carolina, forced a double-team all year long. The future Gamecock was a beast on the defensive line for Mill Creek and showed exactly why he is listed on ESPN’s Top 150 football recruiting list.

Some of Griffin’s most mem-orable performances came against Mountain View High School where he registered eight tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. Ironi-cally, two of Griffin’s most note-worthy performances came in two critical losses. Against North Gwinnett High School, Griffin tallied 10 tackles and one tackle for loss.

He had 14 tackles, one pass break up and one tackle for loss against Norcross High School. Mill Creek helped Head Coach Shannon Jarvis achieve his first nine-win season since his coach-ing career with the Hawks began back in 2004.

Athletes earn Associated Press honors

Doug Chellew The PaperTop: Senior Wesley Simonton led the Dragons in total tackles. Bottom: Se-nior Bryant Shirre� s anchored Je� er-son through a 14-game win streak.

Will Fowlkes For the PaperSenior Xavier Harper helped lead the Panthers to a 6-5 record along with a � rst round playo� appearance against Cartersville High School on Nov. 16.

Latrice Williams The PaperSenior Kelsey Gri� n will be playing in college football’s most competitive conference.

Magic Moment Photography For the PaperSenior Jacorey Lewis torched defenders all year long, earning the attention of many colleges.

BY LATRICE [email protected]

Senior Nadiya Miller of the Mill Creek High School girls’ basketball team isn’t intimidated by anyone twice her size.

She may not have the height to make aggres-sive moves inside but her shooting from the behind the arc has been a killing her opponents so far this season.

“At first, I wasn’t a big 3-point shooter. When I moved up to varsity I started shooting 3-point-ers. I was really small and I couldn’t get inside so I stay outside,” said Miller.

It’s inevitable that Miller gets the ball when she is open and it fuels the fire in her to deliver from the toughest spot on the court.

“It feels really good. Once I get going, I don’t want to stop. It gets the

adrenaline pumping,” said Miller. “[When] my teammates keep feeding me the ball, it gives me confidence that they trust me.”

Miller was on the Final Four team from two sea-sons ago and those memo-ries are still vivid.

This year’s team has more to prove but Miller doesn’t mind that. In fact, she welcomes critics with open arms and hopes to silence them during the state playoffs.

“We are trying to get to a place where people think we are not going to go. That’s our biggest drive - making it farther [than people expect],” Miller said.

While Miller has earned a lot of attention, she says the success of the team can’t be attributed to just one person.

“I think the season is more team-oriented. We

don’t have any superstars. We play together and we have multiple people who can produce,” said Miller. “The seniors are leaders so I think we are doing a good job of teaching them how to play Mill Creek basketball.”

Miller admitted that she wasn’t as outspoken in the past as she has been this season. She allowed the veterans to lead the way while she let her game do the talking.

“I think my leadership has also grown a lot. I’m more vocal this year than last year,” Miller said.

Miller plans to attend college and would like to continue playing at that level, but before she leaves, she wants to leave her mark in more ways than one.

“I want to leave Mill Creek as a good student and a good athlete,” said Miller.

Miller shoots for big dreams and big three’s

BY LATRICE [email protected]

It took just 10 seconds for Jefferson High School to draw first blood in the opening round of the Walnut Grove Christmas Tournament but the rest of the game belonged to Athens Christian Acad-emy.

Tay Taylor’s hot hand delivered and a shot fell from the behind the arc in Jefferson’s fast-paced start but it was a short-lived moment to savor as the Dragons would fall 77-57.

The foul bug struck Jef-ferson which allowed the Eagles to vacation at the charity stripe for most of the game. The Dragons fell behind 16-10 and its foul drama continued to be the catalyst for the Eagles’ success.

Jefferson’s inability to earn time at the foul line limited the chances to climb back. Dangerous passes, turnovers and a long scoring drought sent JHS into the locker room at the half, down 41-22. Jefferson’s downward spiral continued com-

ing out of the half and knocked them out of con-tention for a first-place finish in the tourney.

The dark clouds passed on day two as Jefferson faced fewer challenges in a win that really showed their versatility on the roster. Just when it looked like the Dragons’ flame had been put out, they turned things around with a statement with 63-56 win over Monroe Area High School.

Tyler Patrick and Jake Franklin set the tone for Jefferson for an early 5-0 lead. The Hurricanes made their presence felt as they held on to a 2-point lead at the bottom of the first quarter. From there, both squads saw a scoring slump.

Taylor showed up to pull the Dragons within one and Satchel Turpin followed with a 2-pointer but the Dragon lead quickly diminished as a

trip to the foul line by Monroe tied the game at 19 each.

A 3-pointer by Evan Shirreffs sealed a 12-point lead and was the turning point for Jefferson that had to fend off a hungry Monroe team down to the final seconds.

In the finale, the Drag-ons were looking to go 2-1, but fell 52-39 to Heritage High School. Nearly five minutes passed before Jefferson sunk its first shot, courtesy of Jeshua Kidd.

The Patriots didn’t have much to brag about either as both teams com-bined for just nine points in the first quarter. Down 26-13 at the break, Jeffer-son continued its plunge and struggled heavily at the free throw line where Jefferson could have taken the Patriots out of the game.

Patrick was awarded for his performance and named to the All-Tourna-ment Team for the Drag-ons. Jefferson will return to action Jan. 4 as they travel to face Ogletho-rpe County High School. Showtime is 8:30 p.m.

JHS falls in Christmas tourney

BY LATRICE [email protected]

A trio of Spartans delivered in double-digit scoring to catapult Greater Atlanta Christian past

J e f f e r -son High S c h o o l as the L a d y Dragons t r i e d to cap-ture the Walnut G r o v e Chr i s t -

mas Tournament title. GAC had other plans.

Brianna Cummings scored 21 points while CiiCii Buford put up 18 and Sydni Means added 15 in the Spartans’ 72-43 win.

Jefferson’s achilles’ heel was turning the ball over and staying in foul trouble. Two costly turn-overs by Jefferson handed the Spartans a 6-0 advantage in the first quarter. Head Coach Ja-son Gibson reloaded with new ammo as the starting five took its first break of the day but not before trimming its deficit to one.

With less than five to play before the break, the Dragons were down 22-19 but sent GAC to the foul line twice in a short period, allowing the Spartans’ lead to grow by four.

A common theme for Jeffer-son was missed opportunities; when GAC failed to run their plays effectively, Jefferson failed to create easy turnovers. The nightmare continued for JHS as its deficit grew to 30 late in the fourth.

In the second round, Jef-ferson turned things around with a 57-46 win over Monroe Area High School. The Drag-ons didn’t exactly cure its foul trouble yet the Hurricanes tor-tured itself so much in that area that Jefferson’s mishaps looked minuscule.

Kellie Goza, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, attacked the backboard early on for JHS. She continued to be aggressive under the basket for Jefferson and helped seal a 25-21 lead at the top of the third. Dralynn Vaughn added two for a five-point advantage, and Jefferson continued to execute their screens and maintain a comfortable lead.

By the end of the third quar-ter, Jefferson looked like a different team from the one viewers saw the day before. The Dragons played solid in the paint and were not timid in securing rebounds. The Hurri-canes crept back into the game but the Dragons never surren-dered its lead.

In the final round, a fifth-place finish was up for grabs but Heritage High School served up a 49-31 loss for the Dragons. Jefferson’s dilemmas from the past came back to haunt them as they struggled at both ends of the floor.

The Patriots took Jefferson out of its element and held the Dragons to just six points at the end of the first quarter. JHS was forced to play a half court game where they lived underneath the Patriots’ basket for much of the contest.

The Lady Dragons will re-utn home to host Oglethorpe County High School on Jan. 4. The two became familiar with each other earlier this season and the Patriots will look to seek revenge against a Dragon team that allowed just 18 points. Show time is set for 7 p.m.

Dragons tumble in WGCT

BY LATRICE [email protected]

After becoming a powerhouse in the state, it would only be fitting for the Jefferson High School wrestling team to test themselves among oth-ers outside of Georgia. It seems like no matter where they are on the map, the Dragons are sure to uphold its winning ways.

JHS traveled to Tennessee to take part in the Pigeon Forge Du-als; Jefferson held on to its bragging rights after coming out as the victor for the second straight year in the event.

Jefferson battled William Blount HS out of Tennessee and Woodford HS from Kentucky. Gilmer High School, who has a few things to brag about as well, was shut down by the Dragons 37-21.

Zach Rhymer was named the tournaments most outstanding wrestler in the upper weight divi-sion for JHS.

Jefferson continued its tour in Rochester, MN where they com-peted in The Clash. The Dragons placed 15th out of 32 teams. JHS

started off on the right foot with a 31-29 win over Prior Lake, Minn. where the Dragons went up against eight seniors.

JHS fell to Simley, Minn. by one point; the Dragons aren’t used to be-ing on the losing side of things and the 35-34 defeat prevented them from placing in the top 12.

However, Jefferson repre-sented well for the state of Ga. by defeating Collins Hill High School, who notched its fifth consecutive AAAAA state title this past season. The Dragons won 45-23.

Tyler Marinelli set the tone for Jefferson and achieved a 5-1 re-cord. He was defeated by one of the top wrestlers out of the state of Missouri, who is ranked nationally. Chase Piperato added a major 4-2 record for a Jefferson team that saw two men fall to injuries.

The Dragons will return home to host the Area Duals Jan. 4-5; Rabun County, Oglethorpe County, Social Circle and Washington-Wilkes High School are just a few of the schools that will seek to take down Jeffer-son at home.

Je� erson wrestlingreturns from toughout of state meets

Latrice Williams The PaperSophomore Jake Franklin gets the ball away from a stingy Heritage High School defense with a swift dish to senior Tyler Patrick.

FEATURESCMYK

2BThursday, January 3, 2013

Season of sharing and caring should last year round

LeAnne Akin The PaperThe Winder Fire Department loaded up donations of toys and a $615 monetary gift from the Jug Tavern Squares.

BY LEANNE [email protected]

When the publicity sur-rounding a national effort to perform random acts of kindness in memory of the child and adults who lost their lives in the senseless-ness that was the Sandy Hook shooting took off dur-ing the holidays, some peo-ple were moved to action.

But around Barrow and Jackson counties, caring people are moved to action whenever they see a need. Taking care of community isn’t just a holiday happen-ing.

Consider that the Winder Fire Department has eyes

See CARING, page 3B

The Hoschton Business Alliance met at Country Inn & Suites for its last gathering of the 2012 year on Dec. 18. The networking/Christmas party also was an opportunity for the group to present its collective contribution to the Weekend Kids Backpack Program. The HBA presented a check for $365 for kid-friendly foods to go home with students over the weekends. The group also donated $365 to Jackson County Family Connec-tion earlier in the month. For more information about the Hoschton Business Alliance, visit the website, http://www.o� cialhba.com/.

HBA SUPPORTS BACKPACK PROGRAM

BY KATIE [email protected]

Almost 15 percent of the residents of Jackson County live below the poverty level and, for some of these people, even a simple meal costs beyond their means.

However, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia is aiming to help those in North-east Georgia, by inviting the community to “Paint Empty Bowls to Fill Hungry Stomachs.”

The effort is a part of the food bank’s Empty Bowls fundraiser. Members of the community are invited help make and decorate handcrafted bowls. Then, on March 6, guests are invited to a meal of soup and bread, and they get to keep their handcrafted bowl. Tickets to the event are $20 a person with the money raised going directly to help feed those served by the food bank.

But, before the food bank can host its Empty Bowls luncheon, it needs to have 450 handcrafted and painted bowls. While half of those painted bowls will

be donated by Good Dirt in Athens, the other half are plain ceramic bowls that are in need of artwork. To help fill the need for decorated bowls, the food bank is hosting several painting sessions.

Painting a bowl to donate to the lun-cheon costs $7.

“The $7 helps to cover that cost and the cost of the firing and stuff at the ce-ramic studio,” said Tina Laseter, event and food donation manager at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. “For every person that does this, we are able to provide 28 meals to hungry Northeast Georgians. Your contribution helps off-set these costs.”

For $14, participants can paint a bowl to keep, and for $21, you can paint a bowl that will be returned to you as well as allow you to participate in the March luncheon.

Volunteers can paint bowls Jan. 8, 21 and 29, and on Feb. 7, 9 and 11. The times and additional information are listed on the food bank’s website at www.food-banknega.org.

EMPTY BOWLSPainting e� ort will � ll hungry stomachs across Northeast Georgia

Katie Justice, sta� er at The Paper, (above) joined in with a recent “Paint Empty Bowls to Fill Hungry Stomachs” e� ort. Additional dates are slated for individuals and groups to take part in readying bowls for the food bank’s fundraiser on March 6.

FalCan food drive focuses on � tness, helping others

Jefferson Middle School was the second place winner in the FalCan Food Drive School Challenge, presented by Publix and United Healthcare. The challenge provided an opportunity for communities to help fight domestic hunger.

Elementary, middle and high schools across Georgia could register for the FalCan Food Drive School.

An Atlanta Falcons cheerleader and Fred-die Falcon visited Jefferson Middle School to celebrate the accomplishment of the October food collection effort with Falcons prizes in-cluding tickets to the Nov. 18 Falcons game against the Arizona Cardinals. Recognition was also given to the school at the game.

The visit to the school found Freddie and cheerleader Sabrina teaming up with stu-dents as they competed in a series of fitness stations: tug of war, jump rope, situps and pushups, hula hoop and the shuttle run.

Jefferson Middle School collected 3,428 pounds of food to be donated to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.

Kings Bridge Middle School collected 1,279 pounds while East Jackson Elementary

School collected 1,076 pounds and West Jack-son Middle School collected 250 pounds.

Sherry Aquino, who has been actively pro-moting Food 2 Kids, reports that 92 children in Jackson County are currently being served by the weekend backpack-type program.

“I have kids on a waiting list to start re-ceiving food,” said Aquino, who hopes to add more students when school begins in 2013.

“Our focus at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia is to support the Food 2 Kids Pro-gram by targeting schools that participate in the Food 2 Kids Program and to collect Food 2 Kids specific items: peanut butter, ravioli, or juice boxes,” said Aquno.

“By collecting food for this program, it re-duces the cost which allows to add more chil-dren. For example, by collecting just 1,000 pounds during this campaign, we can spon-sor 2.5 children for an entire school year,” said Aquino.

For more about how you can help with Food 2 Kids, call Aquino at 770-656-6028.

See scenes from the Falcons celebration at Jefferson Middle School at ClickThePaper.com

CMYK

The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 3Bfeatures

open throughout the year when there are hurting families in need of a helping hand. While the majority of the kindness shown may be evident around the Christ-mas holidays, know that the awareness of the needs of others, especially children and senior citizens, is visible all year.

The Jug Tavern Squares, a group of area square dance enthusiasts who en-joy getting together for fun and fellowship, marked the holiday season with the pre-sentation of toys collected to be shared with the children of the community.

Working with the Winder Fire Department, a leader in the holiday coordination to make the holidays mer-rier for families across a multi-county area, the Jug Tavern Squares presented lots of toys at a December dance. Fundraising had also taken place throughout the year with raffle drawings being held for the Christmas effort.

Holiday treats were en-joyed as happy dancers pre-

sented the donations with president Rainger Buehler thanking the firefighters and Joan Mathews, admin-istrative secretary, for their efforts.

Steve Holzhausen is the caller who adds a lively voice to the Jug Tavern Squares dances held from 8-10 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays at the YMCA in Winder. The group, part of the Northeast Georgia Federation of Square Danc-ers, has a number of veteran square dancers who are involved in refreshing the skills of some returning to the family entertainment and teaching some news-comers.

The sharing hearts of the Jug Tavern Squares en-riched my holiday.

Also this season, I had an opportunity to witness the unselfish giving of a group of individuals who come together annually to help others in their community. Through Jackson County Family Connection, families are invited to spend some time enjoying a holiday

meal.One family volunteered

to be a part of the sharing in celebration of the birthday of a family member. Fitting that a birthday celebra-tion would honor the One whose birthday would be celebrated this season.

It is hoped this 4-year-old outreach can grow to help other families and expand its mission. Networking with caring businessmen like Berlin Reese of Quality Foods, churches and civic groups could foster a spirit of caring and sharing at the holidays, certainly a special time of year. And perhaps the associations made for this effort can link into the potential for addressing on-going community issues.

CARING Continued from 2B

By Lisa LaskeyRegional staff

The dog days of summer have passed, the tempera-tures have dipped and you’ve pulled out the winter wear; what about your dog? Ca-nine coats and sweaters are a hot trend these days – pun intended. But, do dogs really need outerwear?

“If a dog lives inside dur-ing chilly night and has his normal coat,” pet groomer Sandy Hammer said, “he or she should not need a sweater or coat. But, the owner of pet grooming salon Groomingdales said, “If an owner has their dog shaved during winter months, then a jacket or sweater can come in handy. Please keep in mind a dog should never be left unattended while wear-ing clothing, as they can get hung up on something and possibly hurt themselves.”

When indoors, even if the thermostat has the humans chilly, clothing is not neces-sary Hammer said. “For the most part, dogs do not need clothing indoors. There may be a few exceptions as with senior dogs, or sick dogs, but I would take it off indoors.”

Hammer works with pet stylist Lisa Benjamin, the former owner of the salon, and they groom and provide doggy day care services to dogs of all breed and size. Hammer and Benjamin pro-

vided a few additional tips for maintaining and caring for your canine’s coat during the winter months.

1. If a dog has a coat that constantly growing then they should be clipped in the win-ter. A dog with a long coat can mat before you know it. You can always adjust the length according to a dog’s environment.

2. A dog can be bathed on a regular basis, as long as you use a soap-free and deter-gent-free shampoo; this will not dry out the skin and will

not affect your spot-on flea treatment.

3. If a dog is scaly and itchy, it may be a result of bathing with harsh shampoos or it could be an allergy. The best thing to do is see your vet to rule out any health prob-lems.

4. Flea prevention should be kept up all year. This area does not have extreme cold temps to kill off all the pests. Plus, it needs to be in your dog’s system when the temperatures go up in the spring.

Neil Simon’s autobiographical “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is bringing a bit of Brook-lyn to Georgia, with the help of the Jefferson Community Theatre.

“Brighton Beach Memiors,” is the story of a poor Jewish teenager fantasizing about base-ball and girls while living in an overcrowded house with his parents, brother, aunt and two cousins.

The play, which mixes comedy with

drama, will performed Jan. 17-20 at the Wil-liam Duncan Martin Performing Arts Center at Jefferson High School. Thursday through Saturday shows will be held at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for the Thursday night show. For Friday through Sunday, tickets are $10 or $7 for seniors.

For tickets, call 706-367-5714 or visit main-streetjefferson.com.

By katie [email protected]

Georgia ranks within the top 10 states for charitable giving, according to The Chroni-cle of Philanthropy at Philanthropy.com.

Georgia is ranked eighth in generosity, according to a report compiling data up un-til August of 2012. According to the report, the average household donates 6.2 percent of their discretionary income to charity.

In regard to total contributions, Georgia ranks sixth out of the 50 states, with total contributions amounting to around $4.8 bil-lion.

On a local scale, Gwinnett County is

ranked 79 out of 3,115 counties in the coun-try in total contributions. The average citi-zen donates 5.7 percent of discretionary income which amounts to about $351.2 mil-lion given to charity.

Hall County is ranked 301 out of 3,115 with total contributions amounting to $83.7 million. The city of Gainesville itself ranks 76 out of the country’s 366 major metro-politan areas, with contributions reaching more than $78.5 million.

Jackson County ranks 580 out of 3,115, with citizens donating 5.3 percent of their discretionary incomes to charities. Total contributions for the county are in excess of $35 million.

From staff reports

The Winder-Barrow Coalition for Adult and Continuing Education will hold its annual Literacy Gala “A Novel Affair” on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, at the Winder Community Cen-ter.

Dance to the tunes of Atlanta cover band, “Band of Gold” while dining on delights prepared by “Cornbread to Caviar.” Hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6:30 p.m. with din-ner following at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar; you must be 21 years of age to attend.

This is the 20th anniversary of the Gala be-gun in 1993. Members of the Winder Wom-en’s Club saw the need for a certified literacy program in Barrow County. The Literacy Gala, formerly known as the “literacy ball,” was established to help fund the program. It now supports adult literacy instruction, GED exam scholarships, college scholarships for GED graduates, matching funds to secure grant funding and English literacy instruc-tion.

You can provide support on several levels. Individual tickets are $75 of which $57 is tax deductible.

Sponsorships include tickets to the Gala include a Bronze Sponsorship of $200 ($164 is tax-deductible and includes two tickets); Silver Sponsorship of $500 ($428 is tax-de-ductible and includes four tickets); Gold Sponsorship of $750 ($642 is tax-deductible and includes six tickets); and Platinum Spon-sorship of $1,000 ($856 is tax-deductible and includes eight tickets).

To purchase tickets or sponsorships, con-tact Dr. Ron Saunders, executive director of the Winder-Barrow Coalition for Adult and Continuing Education, at the Winder-Bar-row Campus of Lanier Technical College, 89 E. Athens St., in Winder, at 770-868-4089, or call Lynn Hammond, Gala chairperson, at The Principal’s Palette, 9 W. Wright St., in Winder, at 770-307-8450.

The Winder Community Center is located at 113 E. Athens St., in Winder.

The Braselton An-tique Mall recently held a drawing for prizes donated by vari-ous dealers within the Mall. Ticket number for each prize were drawn and posted on Dec. 24 on the front door, on Facebook and the Mall’s website www.brasel tonan-tiquemall.com.

Rusty Brooks, direc-tor of UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Govern-ment –International Center, recently purchased moccasins at BAM, and this gave him a large number of tickets which he checked for his winning

numbers. Sure enough, he won five of the items advertised including the painting by Linda Griffith, a glass bowl donated by Ryan Langford, a floral arrangement donated by Fran and Chester Thomas, a Cars 2 Toy donated by Robbie Bettis and an or-ange glass footed bowl do-nated by Jane Murphy.

Judy Brooks of Brasel-ton also won the BAM Jams and Donna Bailey’s hand loomed bracelet.

No one has claimed the big prize yet. If prizes remain after two weeks, new tickets will be drawn and the winning numbers posted.

Lisa Lasky The PaperA naturally long-haired dog, like Mia Nix shown here after her grooming, may need to wear a sweater or coat out-doors during colder temperatures.

Does your dog really need a winter coat?

‘Novel Affair’ for literacy is Jan. 26 in Barrow Co.

Theatre presents Brighton Beach Memoirs Jan. 17-20

Georgians open their hearts, wallets to charity

Big prize win for Brooks

Robbie Bettis with the winner of several prizes, Rusty Brooks.

CMYK

4B The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 schools

By KATIE [email protected]

Momentum, force and energy transfer may sound like subjects from a high school physical science class, but these were just a few of the many topics explored at the West Jackson Intermediate School’s Science Night.

Families were invited to join WJIS students to explore aspects of the science curriculum being taught at the school on Dec. 6.

Fun activities enjoyed by the kids delved into a variety of scientific concepts. Students worked with sound vibrations in the “Chicken in a Cup” project where a combination of a cup, string and paper clip were resulted in a sound similar to that of a chicken.

In “Driving Drafts,” students navigated a cotton ball around a maze by blowing through a straw. This was a lesson in force with most students accidently sending their cotton balls flying with their initial blows.

“Bouncing Balls” explored the transfer of energy when a ping pong and golf ball were dropped one on top of the other.

Principal Diane Carr says the school hosts a curriculum night for each content area taught at the school.

“This is something we do to bring our par-ents in and involve them in their child’s edu-cation. This also gives the students a chance to encourage their love of science,” said Carr.

Almost 170 students attended the event,

brining along their family members, which Carr said resulted in around 400 attendees.

“Anyone is invited, so it is also a way to reach out to our school community,” said Carr.

WJIS PTO president Brian McCall at-tended the event with his daughter who is in fourth grade.

“[Science Night] lets the parents know what their kids are learning,” said McCall. “Some of [the activities] blow my mind. There’s ev-erything from something simple and easy to something very complex.”

Parent Stacey Harris said she had a won-derful time at Science Night.

“It’s very informative and parent friendly,” said Harris. “[The students] don’t even really realize what they’ve learned.”

By KATIE [email protected]

Five area high schools followed the state trend and showed improvement on their Georgia High School Writing Test scores for fall of 2012.

The Georgia High School Writing Test is given to all 11th grade students in the state, and the scores represent first time test tak-ers.

Jackson County Comprehensive High, East Jackson County High, Jefferson High, Winder-Barrow High, and Mill Creek High Schools all showed an increased passage rate on the GHSWT.

Three of those schools, JCCHS, EJCHS, and WBHS, also showed increases in the percentage of students exceeding the stan-dards on their tests.

In Jackson County 93.7 percent of stu-dents met or exceeded standards on the GHSWT. At JCCHS 91.7 percent of students passed their tests, and the percent of those exceeding the standards rose to 13.4 per-cent from 5.4 percent last year.

Jackson County School System Director of Academics Rise Hawley admitted pride in both county high schools nearly doubling their rates for the percentage of students exceeding standards.

“Of course we’ll continue to work on meeting and exceeding for all students,” said Hawley at the December board of edu-cation work session.

Jefferson High School showed an in-crease from 77.8 percent to 93 percent in students meeting standards. However, there were a decreased percentage of stu-dents exceeding standards and not meet-ing the standards. The percent of student exceeding standards decrease by almost 15 percentage points to 3.2 percent.

Mill Creek also saw an increase and stu-dents meeting the standards with decreases in those not meeting and exceeding stan-dards as well. At MCHS 82 percent of stu-dents meet the standards, up from 78.8 per-cent last year. Only 1.6 percent of students tested did not meet the standards, and 16.4 percent of students exceeded standards.

MCHS

WBHS

JHS

EJCHS

JCCHS 8.3 %

3.9%

3.7%

4.5%

1.6%

78.3% 13.4% 94.9%

85.6% 10.6% 96.1%

93.0% 3.2% 93.6%

86.6% 8.8% 95.5%

82.0% 16.4% 98.4%98.4%

Doesn’t Meet Standards

MeetsStandards

ExceedsStandards

Percent Passage

Louisville, Ky.— Monty’s Plant Food Company, a Louisville, Kentucky-based manufacturer of plant and soil enhancement products for the agriculture, industry, is now accepting applica-tions from Georgia students for four, $1,000 college schol-arships. The awards will be made in conjunction with the National FFA Organization to high school seniors who are members of FFA.

To be eligible students must also meet criteria in-cluding:

· Resides in Georgia – Al-abama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, North Carolina, North Da-kota, South Carolina, Ten-nessee or Virginia residents are also eligible to apply

· Live on a family farm· Plan to pursue post-sec-

ondary education and study agronomy and crop science, sustainable agriculture, soil science or soil conservation

· Have a minimum high school GPA of 3.25

· Have participated in community service

A complete list of criteria is listed online at www.mon-tysplantfood.com.

Scholarship applications are available online at www.

ffa.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15, 2013. The Monty’s Plant Food Company scholarships will be awarded in May.

“FFA is a wonderful lead-ership program and we are proud to partner with such an influential organization to offer scholarships to young people in agriculture,” said Dennis Stephens, president, Monty’s Plant Food Com-pany. “We value education and are pleased to help stu-dents pursue a college de-gree.”

Each year, the National FFA Organization awards approximately $2 million in scholarships sponsored by businesses and individuals through the National FFA Foundation. Scholarships are awarded for a wide va-riety of experiences, career goals and higher education plans. Students can complete one application to be consid-ered for all scholarships of-fered through the National FFA Organization.

About Monty’s Plant Food Company

Monty’s Plant Food Com-pany develops plant and soil solutions for growers around the world in the agriculture,

horticulture, lawn and gar-den and turf industries. In each segment, Monty’s offer products and protocols to ad-dress specific needs and chal-lenges. Founded in 1997, the Louisville, Kentucky-based company’s products are ef-fective, environmentally sound and economically feasible. For more informa-tion about Monty’s plant, soil and specialty products, visit http://www.montysplant-food.com or Facebook.com/MontysPlantFood.

Georgia FFA members eligible for scholarships

The Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI) will be partnering with the Winder Police Department and Lanier Technical College to offer a free, two-hour driving course for both parents and teens starting at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Lanier Technical College in Winder.

The course, Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver Error (PRIDE), helps par-ents and guardians prepare their teens to drive.

“PRIDE is an excellent orientation to the driver education process and teen driving laws. It’s designed to help young people be-come better decision makers, especially as new drivers,” said Frankie Jones, GTIPI’s director. “It will help parents and their new teen drivers learn what they need to do dur-ing those 40 hours of driving time. Our ulti-

mate goal is to reduce risk-taking behavior and youth related car crashes.”

GTIPI is funded by a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and will be partnering with School Resource Of-ficer Missy Towe and HEAT Officer Chris Wigner, both of the Winder Police Depart-ment.

Registration forms can be downloaded from the City of Winder website at www.cityofwinder.com under the police depart-ment’s “PRIDE program” link or can be picked up in person at the police depart-ment located at 94 N. Broad St., in Winder.

Lanier Technical College’s Winder cam-pus has agreed to allow Winder Police and GTIPI to host this event on their campus so more people can attend. Enrollment is limited.

Exploring science at WJIS

Katie Justice The PaperFifth Grade Teacher Julie Riley helps Julie Dixon take her fingerprints; Below, left Allison McCall learning about the chemical reactivity of different liquids during “Kitchen Chemis-try”; Below, right Mrs. Melissa Peak helps Addison Brantley figure out her reaction speed.

Mrs. Jennifer Grizzle explains how force im-pacts motion to Jeremy Crane.

Writing scores improve at area schools, across state

Katie Justice The Paper

Teen drivers, parents can take free PRIDE course

The Paper | Thursday, January 3, 2013 5B

CMYK

Dear Margo: I am writing in response to a letter I saw in your column. When I was 30, I was still single and had been “in love” twice since I was 18. The first one came to an end naturally (he’s now one of my oldest and dearest friends); the second, tragi-cally.

My fiance was killed in a car accident a few months before our wedding when I was 26. I went on with my life, and at 30, I was happily enjoying my career and family and being the favorite Auntie for my nieces and nephews. I was really happy and realized that if I never fell in love again, it’d be cool. I was just as happy without a significant other as I had been when I had one!

I went along doing my thing, being social, enjoy-ing my job and hobbies, and when I was 30 I met an awesome guy 10 years my senior at a Humane Society fundraiser. We met in May, moved in together in Janu-ary and got married the fol-

lowing May on the anniver-sary of our first date.

As a society, we put so much emphasis on marriage as the be all and end all to happiness that we create too much stress and angst about it. Quite frequently, when we stop wigging out about The Big M, as my husband and I jokingly call it, we find some-one to be with.

We’re still together 12 years later and are planning on forever. I honestly don’t think everyone has to get married to be successful and happy. For us, this is how it worked out, but we were both happy with our lives before we got together, and if it hadn’t worked out for us, we’d still be happy. And yes, First Love did dance at our

wedding. — LuckyDear Luck: Hooray for

you — and thank you for con-firming a few of my beliefs. One is that a partner does not make a life great, but can share it. Everyone is respon-sible for their own happiness, and for many people, solo is the way to go. Bachelors were always around, but the women’s movement made it acceptable for women, as well, to travel light.

Not to get too woo-woo about it, but I do subscribe to the Zen tenet that when you stop looking, you will find whatever it is you want — or stumble on it. And lastly, I am a great believer in affin-ity groups. You and your hus-band shared an interest from the get-go, which immedi-ately gave you something in common. Long may you love. — Margo, happily

Dear Margo: A guy I be-friended in the gym a year ago became my client, and we are both aware of the ex-tra mile I have gone and how

well it has served his busi-ness. While he’s been ver-bally appreciative of what we do and has invited me to some of his social occasions, I thought there was a mutual liking, personally.

Just today I was a part of a conversation with him and another woman when she began thanking him for the lovely gifts (this is the festive season here). As we were all standing together, I could sense his awkwardness and discomfort. I am aware that this woman has connected with him in the gym this season. I felt a bit bad. I had presumed we were all on an equal platform. (By the way, the guy and I are both single, and she is married with a family.)

This isn’t some sort of love-triangle at all. If he does not send a gift, that is fine with me. I have a job to do and will continue to do it and remain courteous. But I am anticipating a “corporate gift” to me, and it will feel like a compensatory/conso-

lation well-I-meant-to-send-you-one-as-well thing. How do I respond to this kind of consolation? — Somewhat Disappointed

Dear Some: With a cordial thank-you note. — Margo, normally

Dear Margo: I suspect you do not, but most people work in an office. Wherever there are different personalities, there are all sorts of things you’d love to tell your boss -- anonymously. I thought you and your readers would like to know about a free new service at tellyourbossany-thing.com that helps you do just that.

Think of this website as a virtual version of the clas-sic suggestion box. Upon signing up, an employee is prompted to enter their own email address, their boss’s email address and a thought-ful message about what is bugging them. The site then delivers said message to said manager, who can review the complaint and reply in

kind, all without knowing who they’re actually talking to. — Hope This Is Helpful

Dear Help: You are right on the money about there being workplace troubles galore, and often the person who would like to report the difficulty feels unable to do so for a number of reasons.

Sometimes the trouble has to do with a relative who is employed, the boss’s secret or not-so-secret romantic interest, or an employee who somehow has ingratiated him or herself with the boss despite poor performance, just to name a few possibili-ties on a list that is endless. (And you are correct that I do not work in an office — which is a good thing, be-cause my “office attire” is a nightgown and robe.) Thanks for the good suggestion. — Margo, remedially

Dear Margo is written by Margo Howard, Ann Landers’ daughter. All letters must be sent via the online form at www.creators.com/dearmargo. Due to a high volume of e-mail, not all letters will be answered.

Marriage doesn’t have to be the end goal for everyone

WORKING IT OUT

JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU SOLUTION

Dear Margo

ENTERTAINMENT

cmyk

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 770-535-1199The Paper Thursday, January 3, 20136B

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CADILLAC 2005 DeVille 4.6L FWD,

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BUICK 1998 Park Avenue. 3.8L V6, 88k, FWD. $5891.

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735-Autosfor Sale

700

Wheels

MEN-ONLY. Fur Br, All priv + Xtras

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Large Furn’d Room w/priv bath, cable,

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465-RoommatesWanted

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rent/lease purchase. 770-365-9610

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3BR/2BA Dbl. Wide, $675/mo + $400

dep. 678-776-2422

460-Mobile Homesfor Rent

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445-Lake Homesfor Rent

FLWRY BR. 3/2 gar. $1100. 770-287-1456

www.callapartments.com

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2BR/1BA. Candler Rd at I-985. $425

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Oakwood- 2/2. $675. All Electric.

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425-DuplexesFor Rent

2 Bay Warehouse500 SF, $175/mo770-540-5339

415-BusinessProperty for Rent

Oakwood- Cedar Springs. 1-2BR. $540 & up. 770-287-1456

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Oakwood- 2/1.5,yrd, safe, C/H/A $605-

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410-ApartmentsUnfurnished

400

Homes &Rentals

GOT GOLD OR SILVER?

Not Sure Who To Trust?

Ethical private buyer will help you under-stand exactly what you have and it’s

value. Selling to me is optional. It’s my pleasure to help.

Craig, 404-729-6692

390-Wanted ToBuy

YORKSHIRE TERR.AKC. Pups. Males, $400 & Females,

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FREE LOVING KITTENS

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2 Young Female BEAGLE- Dogs

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380-Pets &Supplies

POOL TABLE, $150; Stainless Steel

REFRIGERATOR,$200.

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POKER TABLE, like new w/ 8 padded chairs, plus chips, $1700. Cash only.

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INFANT ACTIVITY WALKER,

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BACKPACK CARRIER, $65;

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Boston AccousticsSound Bar- barely

used. $130; Janome Sewing Machine#8077- barely used. $225; Queen Sofa

Bed $50. 770-532-0045

Antique Dining Tables, Antique

Sewing Machines, Many Toy Cars,

China, Hand Painted Dishes. Call For Details, 770-744-8721

365-Misc.For Sale

QUEEN SET-Pillow-top, Brand New! $175. Still in

plastic. Delivery avail 678-697-2842

KING SET-Pillow-top, Brand New! $250. Still in

plastic. Delivery avail 678-617-7353

Grandfather ClockMust Sell! Howard

Miller. Chiming. 610F983 (Made in USA). New! Reg:

$2,982 Sell: $1,200. Will delv & set-up at N/C. 706-344-7283

345-Furniture

WASHER & DRYER, Kenmore, Exc cond$250. 770-983-1507

310-Appliances

Antique Slot Ma-chine & Old 1899

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Bugsy S. Price $1950; appraised at $5,000. 12 antique carpets $250 ea.

Great Christmas Gifts 678-516-4833

305-Antiques &Collectibles

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dedicated! •Regular runs to Iowa•Salary pay (up to $1,190/per week)

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Taking Applications for HVAC/Refrig

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706-776-1977

280-Trades

SERVICE TECHNICIAN

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CONDITIONED AIR SYSTEMS2410 Hilton Way, Gainesville, GA

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279-Technical

JIMMY JOHN’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop, Gainesville, GA

Hiring: Drivers;In Shop; & Shift

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275-Restaurant

SAWNEE EMC, an electrical utility in

the north Atlanta metro area, is seek-ing an ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERRequires a Bachelor degree in electrical engineering. Experi-ence in the electric utility field is pre-ferred, but not re-quired. Applicants

must present com-pleted corporate ap-

plication prior to 5pm, January 28, 2013. Application forms available at

543 Atlanta Highway, Cumming. Website: www.sawnee.com;

E-mail: HumanResources@sa

wnee.comEOE-M/F/D/V. Drug

free workplace

Gainesville State College accepting

applications for Manager Of Web Communications

Position will oversee the day-to-day and strategic manage-ment of content for the university’s ex-ternal website and intranet (portal for faculty, staff and

students).Bachelor’s degree in computer science,

administration, man-agement or field

related to position requirements. Mini-mum 5-10 yrs expe-rience in web devel-opment to include at least 3yrs in a man-agement role, pref-erably in a higher education setting.

For full job descrip-tion, qualifications

and application pro-cedure visit our

website www.gsc.edu

& link Staff Positions.

Application deadline is Jan. 7, 2013.

An AA/EEO Institution

270-Professional

Growing Plastics Co. needs

PRODUCTIONWORKERSfor 3rd shift

(11:00pm-7:00am). Good benefits.

Starting pay $9.25/hr. Apply in person

Wednesday-Friday between 3pm- 5pm.

706-654-3120.PMI, 9519 Jackson

Trail Road, Hoschton

265-Production

PARTS & SERVICE CASHIER needed.F/T position for busi-ness minded person with professional ap-pearance. Apply in person or E-mail

[email protected].

Carriage Nissan, 2400 Browns Bridge Rd, Gainesville, 30504

No phone call please

FULL-TIME ADMIN/ CSR POSITION

3-5yrs Exp. Order Entry, Order Billing, A/R, Admin, Payroll.Must be flexible to work 8am-5pm or

10am to 7pm shifts. Resume with salary

history to: cscott@shastabever-

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250-Offices/Clerical

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245-Misc.Help Wanted

Carriage KIA in Gainesville needsPROFESSIONAL SALES PEOPLE Great pay, good

benefits. Will train the right person. Apply in

person or fax resume to:

678-717-2155 Carriage KIA, 2815 Browns Bridge Rd.

No phone calls please

230-GeneralSales Agents

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPANISH

IMMERSION TEACHER

to develop & deliver instruction classes in Spanish to 1st, 2nd & 5th graders; Adapt

teaching methods & instructional materi-

als to meet students’ varying needs & in-terests; Assess stu-dents’ progress in

reading Spanish us-ing techno. & as-

sessment tools; En-force all administra-tion policies & rules governing students; Maintain accurate & complete student re-

cords; Assign & grade class work &

homework; Plan field trips; Plan & lead

conferences & meet-ings with parents.

Req: Bachelor’s de-gree in Education or closely related field; Must have demon-

strated ability to per-form stated duties gained thru acad

coursework/previous work exp. Must have valid teacher certifi-

cation by the state of GA w/endorsement in Early Childhood

Educ. Must be fluent in spoken & written Spanish language. Competitive salary. Send resume to:

David Moody, Hall County School Dis-

trict, World Lan-guage Academy, 711 Green St, Gainesville, GA 30501; Attn: Job

MGI

227-Education

200

Jobs

ATTENTION CLASSIFIEDCUSTOMERS

The Times Classified Department asks

that you verify and proof your classified ad(s) the first day that it is scheduled

to print.If any corrections need to be made, please contact our

department, Monday through Friday, before 3pm.

The Times will not be held responsible for any issues that may arise after the first day of publication.

[email protected]

770-535-1199

170-Notices

$1200 RewardLost- Brown Female Poodle (7lbs). Wear-ing pink shirt. Gwin-nett/Hall on 11/19/12.

Please Help! 770-633-1994

160-Lost &Found

100

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POP’S FIREWOOD Proprietor: Dylan

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000

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