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The Sky this Week: Winter begins

By
Tyler Penland
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High in the sky later this week Santa Clause will make an appearance, but before that we have a fairly exciting week.

The next few nights are the last chance to try and see Comet Leonard. Thus far it has been nearly invisible to the naked eye but a pair of binoculars will bring it into easy view. I captured this photo back on Wednesday before the clouds moved in and while Leonard was very close to the horizon. It has now moved left significantly and lies left and well below Venus in the twilight sky. The comet itself is fairly bright, but since it lies against the bright twilight background its brightness is kind of lost. You can see Leonard as the brightest spot just above the trees right of center in this image.

May be an image of nature and sky
Leonard on December 15, 2021 Source: Tyler Penland

Leonard will be moving a little lower each night the next few days and eventually disappear completely. Tonight will be the best chance and this image shows it’s approximate location after sunset tonight.

The Full Cold Moon rose on Saturday night and it will remain large in the sky for the first half of the week. This particular full moon was the opposite of a supermoon: a micromoon. The moon will be rising a little later each night leaving more and more time for evening stargazing every day!

The biggest event of this week will be the winter solstice. While this isn’t something to see specifically, it marks an important part of the Earth’s orbit. The Earth is tilted at 26.5 degrees as it orbits around the sun, and this is what causes our seasons. The winter solstice occurs on the day when the sun goes directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. For the southern hemisphere, this means long days and warm temperatures and it is actually their summer solstice. Here in the northern hemisphere we see shorter days and cooler temperatures with 24 hours of darkness occurring at the largest area around the north pole. The solstice occurs at 10:58AM on Tuesday December 21, 2021 this year.

Interestingly, this is also when the Earth is closest to the sun. Earth’s Perihelion, it’s closest approach to the Sun, occurs around 2 weeks after the solstice. This year, the perihelion will occur on January 4th.

Diagram showing the distance between the Sun and Earth at different times of the year (perihelion and aphelion).

You’ve probably heard of meteorological winter which is a different idea entirely. Meteorological winter begins on the first of December since the year is divided up evenly into 4 quarters. These quarters are set up to more accurately reflect the temperature swings. For example, the coldest weather in the northern hemisphere usually occurs after the winter solstice, hence why most of meteorological winter falls mostly after the solstice (January and February).

Regardless of which “beginning” of winter you celebrate, this time of year heralds the beginning of the coldest weather and, hopefully, some snow.

Head out this week and take a peek at the waning moon and Comet Leonard and have an excellent Christmas!

 

P.S.- Keep an eye out for Santa!

TFS cuts ribbon on new school store

By
Tallulah Falls School
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Shown, from left, are Colton Augustine, Yukun “Tom” Fu, Andrew Erwin, President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy, Mara Radovic, Milos Vico, Ashli Webb, Ninel Tarasova, Nafis Rahman, Zeyu Fang and teacher Jennifer Cox.

Members of the entrepreneur class at Tallulah Falls School commemorated an experiential learning project with the opening of the new school store on Dec. 7.

The name, 1909., is a nod to the past, noting the year of the school’s founding.

Teacher Jennifer Cox said the students have implemented a business plan including purchasing, stocking and merchandising the inventory soon to be available for sale to the target audience – TFS students.

More than four dozen items will be offered for sale including basic school supplies, water bottles, school logo stickers and specialty items such as uniform sweatshirts and other branded apparel.

The store, conveniently located in the lobby of the Larry A. Peevy Upper School Academic Complex, is slated to open in early 2022.

Nathaniel Mack Davis

By
Now Habersham
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Nathaniel Mack Davis, age 86 of Demorest, passed away on Saturday, December 18, 2021.

Born on March 20, 1935, in Pensacola, Florida, he was a son of the late Barney Sharnick and Listney Boone Davis. Mr. Davis was a U.S. Army veteran and was a self-employed artist in the construction industry. He was an award-winning artist, visionary and creator. Some of his creativity was exhibited in the cornices, corbels and columns that he constructed. Notably, his talents were utilized in the restoration of the Flagler Museum of Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Davis was a member of The Torch; the Jupiter Light Masonic Lodge #340, where he also served as Master; the Amara Shrine Temple and was a Shrine clown for 15 years; the Order of the Eastern Star and served as Worthy Patron three different times. Mr. Davis loved his family and was a great Dad, who was involved in all of his children’s activities.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his eight siblings.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Dorothy Wile Davis of Demorest; son and fiancée, Nathan Wile Davis (Tracie Sorrells) of Demorest; daughter and son-in-law, Reynell “Rey” Sirum (David) of Marianna, Florida; grandson and wife, Joshua Sirum (Danielle) of Greenwood, Florida; great-grandchildren, Ayden and Oaklen Sirum; several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 3 pm until the service hour on Wednesday at the church.

Memorial services will be held at 4 pm on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, at The Torch, with Pastor Mike Franklin officiating.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Gainesville developments offer new life in downtown district

By
Tricia Cumiskey
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The renovations on downtown Gainesville include a sidewalk expansion project along Bradford Street which Chris Richardson, owner of Re-cess, is particularly happy about. (Tricia Cumiskey/Fresh Take Georgia)

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Gainesville residents, businesses and city officials say they are looking forward to the imminent completion of some $200 million in new development and infrastructure upgrades to the city’s historic downtown.

A combination of public and private financing will bring new apartments, shops, restaurants, venues and higher education facilities to the area surrounding the Gainesville Square, as well as improved sidewalks and parking options.

“If the core of Gainesville isn’t vibrant and solid, then it won’t reach its full potential,” said Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey. “This allows us to create that sense of a real downtown where people want to go and live.”

After construction was delayed by the pandemic, Lackey said he expects the projects to be completed between the end of this year and early 2022.

The $25 million Gainesville Renaissance mixed-use development, along the Spring Street side of the square, will house retail stores, restaurants, Brenau University psychology department and seven condos. (Tricia Cumiskey/Fresh Take Georgia)

Two of the largest components are a pair of mixed-use developments known as the Gainesville Renaissance and Solis Gainesville, respectively.

The Renaissance, led by Roddy Properties, is a $25 million, three-story building on the Spring Street side of the square with space for six retail stores and two restaurants on the first floor. The second floor will house Brenau University’s adolescent psychology department. The third floor is comprised of seven condos.

First-floor restaurants are under final negotiations, but the development is planned to be finished at the end of this year with only minor tasks left to finish in January, according to Lackey.

The Solis Gainesville project is a $50 million dollar mixed-use development led by Terwilliger Pappas. The six-acre piece of property will include 223 apartments and two restaurants facing Jesse Jewell Parkway. The restaurants will be located right outside Gainesville Square at the end of a pedestrian bridge formerly known to locals as the “bridge to nowhere.”

Other projects include the $15 million Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Music venue and a $75 million Courtyard Marriott hotel and apartment complex named The National.

The construction continues on the site of the new Courtyard Marriott hotel and The National apartment complex. (Tricia Cumiskey/Fresh Take Georgia)

Lackey said two of the private projects are in a tax allocation district, which means they could get reimbursed for some of their property taxes over the next 15 years. He said the city has approved up to $11 million in tax reimbursements for The National and $3 million for the Gainesville Renaissance, but the final amount will be determined by how much the developers have spent on the projects.

Additionally, the city is undertaking $3 million in streetscaping, which will come out of the general fund, and $13 million for a new parking deck on the north side of the square funded by local sales taxes.

Chris Richardson, a local business owner who operates three restaurants on the square — Re-cess Southern Gastro Pub, Stables at Re-cess, and YellowFin — said he welcomed the changes, even though the construction has been a headache compounded by pandemic restrictions.

“The construction impacted us hard because of a parking standpoint, just the chaos,” he said, adding that the sidewalk renovations restricted front door access for businesses on Bradford Street.

But the city tried to work around those businesses’ schedules, Richardson said, and now that the work is ending, his restaurants are starting to see a rise in customers.

“All three of my restaurants will gain outside seating because of the sidewalk expansion,” he said. “When the weather is nice, outside seating is desirable, which will bring a lot of new faces around.”

Holly Litton, 49, lived in Gainesville for 10 years before moving to Cumming, Ga., and said she was surprised to see the square now. She said the renovations are giving downtown Gainesville a facelift.

Holly Litton, a former resident of Gainesville is visiting a local restaurant on the square. (Tricia Cumiskey/Fresh Take Georgia)

“I usually am passing through Gainesville, so this is my first time walking through the square in quite a while and I am amazed at what is going on,” she said.

Mary Lina Pardue, 48, the director of the children’s ministry at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, said she comes downtown to eat, shop, and get her hair done at a local salon.

“This gives us a full downtown, like a destination where everyone wants to be,” Pardue said.

This article appears on Now Habersham through a news partnership with Fresh Take Georgia

John Robert Peek

By
Now Habersham
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John Robert Peek, age 88 of Clarkesville, Ga passed away on December 16, 2021.

John was born on July 18, 1933, in Hapeville, GA to Robert and Irene Peek. He was known in his younger years as Bobby. He was a gifted athlete who excelled at baseball and basketball including playing basketball at Georgia Tech on an athletic scholarship. He then joined the US Navy and the military renamed him John. During his twenty-two-year military career, John faithfully served his country with squadrons 5, 16, 50, 12, 162, and 101. His tours of duty included time on the USS Orinsky and the Vietnam War. He served as an instructor as well. John left the military and did major construction and remodeling before settling on a career with Caterpillar as a maintenance supervisor. John sponsored many folks in Alcoholics Anonymous. He was an athlete, electrician, soldier, construction worker, mechanic, teacher, sponsor, son, brother, father, stepfather, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and friend.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Kathy, and his grandson, Kyle Poteat.

John is survived by his brother, Frank Peek of Athens, GA; his children and sons in law, John Peek of Clarkesville, GA; Dianne and Tom Van Valkenburgh of Lynchburg, VA; Susanne and George Fry of Clarkesville, GA; Shannon Arnold of Cherokee, NC; Katina and Jason Poteat of Jacksonville, NC; his grandchildren Jacey, Alanna, Ethan, Autumn, Mark, Stephanie, Adeline, Wyatt, Vivian and his great-grandchildren Lily and Zachary as well as many other relatives and life long friends.

No formal services are planned.

An online guest registry is available at www.HillsideMemorialChapel.com

Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia. (706) 754-6256

Grady Brian “Bubba” Gerrell

By
Now Habersham
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Grady Brian “Bubba” Gerrell, age 65 of Baldwin, passed away on Thursday, December 16, 2021.

Born on May 16, 1956, in Demorest, he was the son of the late Lowell and Mattie Lee McDuffie Gerrell. Mr. Gerrell was formerly employed with Ethicon and was of the Pentecostal faith.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by a sister, Addelleen Shedd; brother, T.L. Gerrell and brother-in-law, Otis Scroggs.

Survivors include sisters and brothers-in-law, Dolly Parker (Lamar) of Baldwin, Regina Scroggs of Alto and Lisa Chambers (Curt) of Baldwin; brother-in-law, Billy Shedd of Cleveland; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

No formal service is planned at this time.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Cody paces offense as Indians roll past Mt. Paran

By
TFS Athletics
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Vlad Popescu (photo by Austin Poffenberger)

The TFS Indians varsity and JV boys both took on Mt. Paran Saturday at home. Both teams won, heading into the Christmas break on a high note with wins on back-to-back nights.

The #6-ranked Indians won 79-61 over Mt. Paran, and were paced by senior Charlie Cody’s 23 points. Junior Anfernee Hanna added 20, and Milos Vico had 13. TFS moved its win streak to 5 straight, matching the season-high. Overall, the boys are 10-1 heading into the break.

The JV team slipped past Mt. Paran, 54-48. The visitors led 12-10 after a first quarter that saw TFS leave plenty of points on the board with some high-percentage layups not going in. The Indians got going in the second and closed the half up 30-22. The Indians used half-court pressure in the second half and cleaned up on rebounds at both ends. Despite Mt. Paran’s 10 3-pointers, the Indians maintained their lead.

Vlad Popescu had 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Bentley Huff had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and made a pair of 3-pointers. Sam Ketch added 9 points and 5 boards, while KC Respress had 6 points. Rounding out the scoring was Teryk Tilley with 4 points (as well as 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals), Tanner Davis with 3, and Zakhar Valasiuk with 2. The JV boys are now 3-2 overall.

State officials back off plan to cut support time for people with severe disabilities

By
Andy Miller
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State officials have dropped their plan for limiting the hours of support allowed for more than 180 Georgians with severe medical or behavioral health needs.

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) had proposed the limits under a “waiver” proposal submitted to the federal government. The goal was to use those remaining funds to serve more people who are on waiting lists for services. Thousands of Georgians await such help.

Fitzgerald

The proposed cap on hours of assistance had alarmed families like the Gaffneys of Evans, a community in east Georgia.

Their son, Matt, 43 is nonverbal and suffers from multiple conditions: severe autism, bipolar disorder, and chronic gastrointestinal issues. After problems with his care in group homes, Sue and her husband, Phil, moved Matt to an independent home in Athens 20 years ago.

The Gaffneys cover the cost of Matt’s cottage plus other expenses. The state has paid for support workers to assist him 24 hours a day, so he’s not left alone. These aides help him eat, bathe and dress, and take him shopping, among other duties.

The Gaffney situation was profiled by Georgia Health News in February, in an article on the state’s waiver plan. “There’s no way our son can be left alone for even five minutes,’’ Sue Gaffney told GHN then.

She said this week that the family is grateful that state agencies rescinded the waiver application.

“We will always remain concerned about future actions by these agencies that can impact our Georgia citizens with disabilities, including our Matthew.  For now, we are breathing easier this holiday season,” she said.

The provider group that works with Matt, Georgia Options, “has provided him a quality life. As a family, we are tremendously grateful,” she said.

DCH and the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), which administers the programs, said in a letter to providers this month that the proposed changes were dropped after discussion with community stakeholders, the waiver provider network, and families. The agency also cited the availability of federal stimulus funds related to the pandemic.

MORE: Low wages and pandemic gut staffing support for those with disabilities

The commissioner of the DBHDD, Judy Fitzgerald, said in a statement that “our goal with the proposed changes was to serve as many people as possible. While we removed the proposed caps on skilled nursing and additional staffing hours from our waiver application, we are not abandoning our commitment to the 7,000 people who still wait to be served.”

Matt Gaffney with his parents

The proposal on limiting service hours caused an outcry among the parents of individuals getting that help. They said their children were likely to be moved to group homes, where they wouldn’t get the services they need.

The state’s share of the care for the 188 people is about $9 million annually, officials said earlier this year.

The proposed waiver changes led to rare dissent on the DCH board.

Mark Trail, a former Georgia Medicaid director who was a DCH board member at the time the issue came up, asked agency officials tough questions about the move. He persuaded the board in January to table the issue until the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) could weigh in on the changes.

But the next month, the board approved the proposal, with Trail voting against it.

Trail told GHN in a February interview that he didn’t get “clear answers’’ from state officials on the waiver changes. If the changes were to be approved by CMS, Trail said, “there will be some people who will be no longer to live independently, and will have to live in a shared living environment.’’

An alternative would be to add more funding for people on the waiting lists, Trail said.

It was never clear how many people could have potentially come off the waiting list as a result of the change, the Georgia Recorder’s Jill Nolin reported recently. State lawmakers added about $2 million to this year’s budget with the intention of funding about 100 slots. Advocates and families have been asking the state to boost funding for waiver slots.

Athens-Clarke Police arrest three known gang members

By
Now Habersham
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Athens-Clarke County Police, along with FBI gang and regional drug task force agents recently arrested three known gang members as part of an initiative to target criminal street gang activity.

Authorities arrested Rodarius Travell Favors, 29, and Fredrick Heard, 19, both of Athens, and Demarco Maurice Hardy, 19, of Statham. Officials say they recovered four firearms – three of them during Favor’s arrest. The three purported gang members face the following charges:

Favors – felony probation violation and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to ACCPD, he is on currently probation for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, which he has violated six times. At the time of his arrest, he was out of jail on bond for violating the street gang terrorism and prevention act, officials say.

Heard – felony probation violation and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently on probation for aggravated assault. ACCPD recovered one firearm in the course of Heard’s arrest.

Hardy – possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and failure to maintain lane. At the time of his arrest, Hardy was out on bond for possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, carrying a weapon without a license, and driving on a suspended license.

“Over the past two weeks, ACCPD has arrested ten known gang members and seized nine firearms, as well as drugs and stolen property,” a media release from the police department states.

The department again affirmed its commitment “to protecting the community and vowed to “continue to focus our efforts on violent criminal street gangs.”

Anyone with information about criminal street gang activity in Athens should use ACCPD’s Crime Tip Line at 706-705-4775, email the Gang Unit at [email protected], or through the department’s gang unit website.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

By
Justin Hall
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Let’s not beat around the bush. The MCU has had a checkered year in 2021 with Black Widow and Eternals being underachievers, but they’re back on the right track with the latest Spider-Man movie, No Way Home. It brings a lot of the elements fans have loved from the previous installments: Lots of action, sly humor and a great amount of emotional heft that resonates and helps advance the plot.

Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker and his alter ego and this time, he’s on the run after his identity has been exposed to the world in Far From Home.

He’s not the only one who suffers the consequences. His girlfriend MJ (Zendaya); his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon); and his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) are all in trouble due to their association with Spider-Man.

Desperate for his fortune to change, he turns to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to use his bag of magic tricks to create a mystic spell that will make the world forget who Spider-Man is.

Strange’s actions have some consequences of their own as when after the spell is cast, it unleashes different villains from multiverses who confront Peter or should I say, who they think is Peter.

Peter has to contend with the likes of the returning Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe); Doc Ock (Alfred Molina); the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church); the Lizard (Rhys Ifans); and Electro (Jamie Foxx). You would think that a movie with this many villains would lead to chronic overload, but the screenplay makes coherent, sufficient work out of this plot thread and they each get a fair amount of screen time.

At times, it may feel like the movie is a smorgasbord of fan service and I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that. It seems hypocritical of me to say that after I blasted Ghostbusters: Afterlife for doing the same thing. The biggest difference is that No Way Home is not making any attempt to recycle what’s been done before.

Holland and the rest of the cast bring their A-game in a number of trenchant, vigorous scenes that do add up and the special effects sequences are remarkably ingenious because they’re a seamless combination of CGI and interactions with the actors themselves and never once do they look jerky or artificial.

There are also several other moments that may or may not be hugely unexpected but will, nevertheless, generate tremendous applause in theaters.

Overall, this is a rich, complex, visually spectacular superhero epic. This may be the best Spider-Man movie I’ve ever seen.

Grade: A

(Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments.)

Helen Christmas parade today

By
Staff Report
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(Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

We’re heading into Christmas week and, despite more rain in the forecast, Helen is getting ready to celebrate with a parade

Last weekend’s stormy weather forced Helen and another Northeast Georgia town, Royston, to postpone their parades. With rain again in the forecast this weekend, Royston announced Thursday is has canceled its parade, but Helen is going on with its festivities.

“There is light rain in the forecast, but as long as there is no lighting or storms, the parade will take place,” a notice on the city’s website states.

MORE: Northeast Georgia weekend forecast

Helen’s parade is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 18. Visitors can watch it from several locations, including Edelweiss Strasse, Chattahoochee Street and north Main.

The parade will begin on Edelweiss behind the Helen Welcome Center and make its way west, turning left onto Chattahoochee Street. From Chattahoochee, the parade will turn right onto Main Street.

The mile-long parade route will start on Edelweiss Strasse at the Welcome Center, turn left onto Chattahoochee, then right onto North Main. (Google maps)

 

Local educator finishes in top 5 of Live’s Holiday Sweater Contest

By
Joy Purcell
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Tracy Allison appeared in her Grinch sweater on Live with Kelly and Ryan on Dec. 17, 2021. (image courtesy Live with Kelly and Ryan)

The Grinch delivered some extra green to one local educator this Christmas courtesy of a national television talk show.

Former Habersham Middle School Assistant Principal Tracy Allison is $500 richer after being selected as one of five finalists in the Holiday Sweater Contest on Live with Kelly and Ryan. While she didn’t win the $3,000 grand prize – that went to a woman named Kari from Anchorage, Alaska – Allison says she was “very excited” to be in the top five.

Show hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest unveiled the finalists and winner on their show Friday, December 17. The finalists appeared on the show via Zoom.

Allison was selected as a finalist after submitting a photo of herself in her Grinch sweater. It was one of the many Christmas sweaters she wore to school while in public education.

Allison has since retired and now serves as an adjunct online professor for Valdosta State University.

A friend convinced Allison to enter Live’s Holiday Sweater Contest, telling her “any of the ugly sweaters” she used to wear to school could be a winner.

The Mt. Airy educator says she’ll use her winnings to help pay for a nice delayed 30th wedding anniversary trip with her husband.

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