One of Habersham’s oldest manufacturers has been sold…again. The Gores Group, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, announced Thursday it has entered into an agreement to sell Scovill Fasteners to Morito, a leading global supplier of apparel fasteners, components for automobiles and cameras and other niche manufactured products. Founded in 1908, Morito is based in Osaka, Japan and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this month.
Gertie Mae’s featured in magazine
Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio in Mt. Airy is receiving national exposure. The unique floral design studio, owned by Sherry Donnelly, is featured in the Fall 2014 edition of Weddings Unveiled magazine.
King Vision adds doctor, expands hours
Dr. Holton King announces the addition of J. Matthew MacDonald, O.D. to his optometric practice. Dr. MacDonald is from Anderson, South Carolina and a graduate of Brigham Young University. He earned his Doctorate of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry graduating Magna Cum Laude. He is married to Lauren and they have a son, Graham.
Guard Me
A complex anatomical device, the human eye is a remarkable, architectural wonder of our body. It gives us the ability to see by refracting light and producing a focused image that stimulates a neural response. It is probably one of the most protected parts of our body by eyebrows, eyelashes, eyelids, and blinking. Our reflexes involuntarily react to anything that threatens our eyes, from dust particles to flying objects.
In every day life, we use references to the eye or pupil to indicate characteristics of our lives:
“She is the apple of his eye” indicates the importance of one person to another. “The movie was a real ‘eye-opener’ for me” indicates that we learned something from an experience. “Keep your eye on the ball” indicates caution in focusing on detail. “He really has an eye for it” indicates a person’s ability to do something well.
The eye is also an indicator in wisdom or ignorance:
“I see what you mean” expresses understanding. “Hind-sight is 20/20” is an expression used after something happens in our lives; if we had just known a particular thing, we could’ve changed the outcome. “He turned a blind eye” expresses when someone ignored something. “Due to an oversight” is used when we forget something. “To oversee a project” is to be in charge of it.
Psalm 17:8, “Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
We are like ‘eyes’ to God and He guards us with great care. He is as protective of His people as we are of our eyes. In Zechariah 2:8, “For this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you – for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye’ -“ In those words, I feel the protection of God. I feel the wall of fire around me; I feel the power of His reflexes; I know I am protected from evil.
We are given a divine guardianship. Think today on God’s protection of you. It is far more than you could ever imagine. Understand that wherever you go, He is with you. In a 16 hour day (the time you are awake) you will blink probably an estimated 15,000 times – that’s around once every five seconds. Consider as you move around throughout the day, God is covering you like a blink of the eye.
As a young boy my grandmother would tell me, “God will always rescue you, Michael, either here on earth or in the heavens. You do not ever need to be afraid.”
DQ in Cornelia gets facelift
A popular fast food hang out in Habersham is getting a facelift. The Dairy Queen in Cornelia recently closed for remodeling. The restaurant, located at the intersection of Business 441 and Camp Creek Road, is scheduled to reopen in December.
Cornelia adopts comprehensive development ordinance
Cornelia City Commissioners, with a unanimous vote on Tuesday, Oct. 6, adopted the city’s first comprehensive ordinance regulating development within the city limits.
With the adoption of a new Minimum Development Standards ordinance, a uniform set of guidelines is in place to provide guidance for well-planned and beneficial projects and safeguard the community against slipshod, unsafe, or substandard development projects.
“Anyone that wants to do any kind of new development — it could be commercial or residential — there are now standards they have to meet,” Cornelia City Manager Donald Anderson says.
The ordinance covers all aspects of development, from road construction to water and sewer line installation and everything in between, he adds. “Instead of just going out there and throwing out asphalt for a road, it has to have the compaction and all the minimum requirements,” Anderson says, explaining that the ordinance utilizes known and proven industry standards to provide a baseline for all new development within the city boundaries.
The new Minimum Development Standards — an extensive document of more than 240 pages — replaces two existing city documents, the subdivision regulation in 2005 and the 2007 minimum development policy. “We found there were conflicting statements in each, plus some of the minimum requirements – such as for water line materials — were not up to industry standards,” Anderson says, adding that roads construction is an important part of the ordinance. “Now we no longer have what they call a “private road. If you are building a road, even if you want it to remain private, you are going to have to build it as if you are giving it to the city,” he says, adding that those precautions assure all roads are safe, and in maintainable condition if the city does have to perform maintenance on the roadway at some point.
“Many problems can be created when new development occurs. Therefore, reasonable regulation and control of development is necessary to minimize these problems,” states the ordinance, which lists the following goals as the guiding purpose behind creation and adoption of the ordinance:
- To protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of the
City; - To encourage orderly subdivision of land as well as economically sound and stable
land development; - To assure the provision of required streets, utilities, and other facilities and services
to new land developments in conformance with public improvement plans of the City; - To assure adequate provision of safe and convenient traffic access and circulation,
both vehicular and pedestrian, in new land developments, especially for the purposes
of assuring that all building lots will be accessible to fire fighting equipment and other
emergency and service vehicles; - To assure the provision of needed open spaces and building sites in new land
developments through the dedication or reservation of land for recreational,
educational, and other public purposes; - To assure the adequate provision of water supply, storm water drainage, sanitation,
lighting, and other necessary improvements; - To assure equitable review and approval of all subdivision plans by providing
uniform procedures and standards for the subdivider and land developer; - To assure, in general, the wise development of new land areas, in harmony with the
comprehensive plan of the community and the development pattern of neighboring.
A copy of the full ordinance is available at city hall, 181 Larkin Street.
Sheriff’s deputies to be posted at rec league games
An altercation during a youth football game in Habersham last Saturday, Oct. 4, has resulted in a step-up of security precautions during games for the final two weeks of the season.
The rivalry between two Habersham teams, Habersham Caudell and Habersham Wade, became heated, with words exchanged between two players. Subsequently, an assistant coach for the Habersham Caudell team engaged in a verbal exchange with a referee, who then ejected the assistant coach from the game. The incident also prompted angry and verbal response from some spectators in the stands, according to league officials and Habersham Sheriff Joey Terrell.
“Apparently, from what I understand, there was an altercation between coaches on the field,” Terrell says, adding that recreation department representatives have informed him “all of that has been ironed out and taken care of; there will be no more issues (with coaches).”
Regarding the actions of people in the stands, Terrell said he received a couple calls from concerned parents about the actions of at least one spectator who was using “inappropriate” language.
“This is 10- 11- 12-year-old kids playing football, and they (the parents) are acting like its the Superbowl and the world is coming to an end,” Terrell told Now Habersham late Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 8. “They’re acting like children themselves, so we are going to pay an officer overtime to go babysit, basically, at these ball games. We are going to go ahead and put somebody over there for the next two weeks”
There were no arrests or official action taken by the Sheriff’s Office at the Oct. 4 game, Terrell says.
“There are no reports, there is nothing official. When I’m talking about the coaches, I’m just telling you what I heard from other people. I did have two phone calls from parents about the issue,” he told Now Habersham. “When someone called 911 on this person in the stands, they got irate, and (the person who made the 911 call) thought (the person in the stands) was going to hurt them because of their gruff and abusive behavior. We will put a stop to that.”
Talks between the Sheriffs’ Office and the Habersham Recreation Department have included discussions of putting an officer at each game next year.
“I’ve already talked with Fenton (Fenton Morris, Director of Habersham Parks and Recreation) about them building in money for security,” Terrell says. “That’s a crying shame, that you have to build in security to the fees, but that’s what it’s going to be.”
Now Habersham spoke at length with Morris, who serves as the Habersham delegate to the North Georgia Youth Football Association (NGYFA).
Recreation department personnel are present at each game in order to “monitor games and control the crowds,” Morris says, adding that there has been some talk of increasing security at the games.
“I talked with (Habersham Sheriff’s Investigator) Greg Bowen and he did inform me that there will be a Sheriff’s resource officer at the next two games to keep parents in line with what they are supposed to be doing, (which is) just enjoying the game,” Morris told Now Habersham late Thursday afternoon,.
The prospect of stationing an officer at each game next year has been a topic of discussion, Morris says, adding that there are often officers assigned to other school sports. Morris did not specify whether there are concrete plans to include funding for the extended security in next year’s budget and fees, but says the extra security is something he would like to see happen.
The Habersham Recreation Department joined the NGYFA last year to expand the competitive oportunities for Habersham youth involved in local sports.
The NGYFA bylaws and rules state “Any coach, player, or spectator ejected from a game or facility for any reason will serve a minimum of a one game suspension in addition to the suspension from the current game. The coach will not be allowed in or around the facility while serving their suspension. After the first ejection/suspension the coach will be placed on a one year probation period. If a second ejection occurs during the probationary period the coach is suspended for 1 full (season), regular and playoffs, if applicable.” Morris says that ruling will be followed in this case.
Funeral services announced for motorcycle wreck victim
A Cornelia man killed in a motorcycle wreck earlier this week will be laid to rest Saturday. A “celebration of life” service will be held for Jerald Freeman on October 11 at 4 p.m. at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Cornelia. The church is located at 8503 Pea Ridge Road. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with full military honors
Freeman was found dead in a ravine off Pea Ridge Road less than two miles from his home Wednesday. His brother, Joel Freeman of Demorest, discovered his body. Family members had been searching for Freeman since the previous day when he disappeared while driving his motorcycle home from Florida.
Authorities were called to the accident scene near the intersection of Pea Ridge Road and Laurel Ridge Drive in Hall County at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. Georgia State Patrol Corporal Dallas Van Scoten says the investigation into the accident shows Freeman was rounding a curve when his motorcycle ran off the east shoulder of the road, crossed the center line to the west shoulder and ran down an embankment. Freeman was thrown from his motorcycle about 16 feet down while his bike continued traveling, stopping at the bottom of the 20-foot ravine. Authorities say the wreck appears to have happened sometime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Freeman was the owner of About Time Tree Service in Cornelia and also worked as a skydiving instructor in Atlanta. He was a 1985 graduate of Habersham Central High School in Mt. Airy and a 1987 graduate of Truett McConnell College in Cleveland.
An Army veteran and outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed riding motorcycles, traveling and skydiving, Freeman is remembered by friends as a man who loved life. One childhood friend posted a moving tribute to him Thursday on Now Habersham:
First of all, my prayers are with Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, Joel, Nicole and Jaden. Jerald was my best friend growing up. If someone asked where I was, the answer most times was “Where is Jerald? If you find him, you’ll find Scott.” Since I’ve been in the Army, I haven’t been able to see Jerald for many, many years which is clearly my loss. Jerald was the most fun and loyal friend anyone could ask to have in their life. A significant part of my childhood died on Tuesday. If you haven’t lately, give that best friend in your life a call…today! You just never know when that opportunity will no longer be available. God bless, Scott Mewborne
Many more tributes have been shared with Freeman’s family through social media; friends and strangers alike expressing shock and deep sadness over his death.
Freeman’s wife, Nicole, reached out to the online community on Tuesday after her husband failed to arrive home from Florida. She says he was last seen Tuesday morning at a hotel in Sycamore in southwest central Georgia. She lost cellphone contact with him that afternoon and, when he didn’t return home, launched a frantic search through law enforcement and social media to find him.
In addition to his wife, Freeman is survived by his daughter, Jaden Beth Freeman; his parents, J.B and Joyce Christopher Freeman of Cornelia; and his brother and sister-in-law, Joel and Cindy Freeman of Demorest.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, at McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home in Cornelia.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations be made to the Jerald B. Freeman Memorial Fund; c/o Joel Freeman, PO Box 33, Clarkesville, GA 30523. All donations will benefit Jerald’s daughter, Jaden.
An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.
Click here for more details on funeral arrangements.
Possible lead in Baldwin gas station robbery; may be connected to other crimes UPDATE
Law enforcement officers may have a lead on the individual responsible for an armed robbery early Wednesday morning at the Gulf gas station at the intersection of the 441 Bypass and Industrial Boulevard in Baldwin.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Oct. 8, a man entered the convenience store and, displaying a firearm, demanded money from the clerk. The suspect took the cash drawer and lottery tickets as well as cigarettes, according to police records. “Someone tried to cash lottery tickets from that bunch in Gainesville today,” Habersham Sheriff Joey Terrell told Now Habersham just before 5 p.m. Wednesday. “The Lottery Commission notified us and our investigators were sent down there. They are trying to pull video (from the Gainesville store).”
At this time, there is no identification of the individuals involved in the attempt to cash the tickets, or further information on the Gainesville link to the Baldwin robbery. However, a burglary at a liquor store in Mount Airy committed in the overnight hours of the same night is believed to be the work of the same individual. “We believe, from some store video footage and other things, that the same person did the liquor store burglary that committed the robbery (at the Gulf Station),” Terrell says.
According to the store clerk and store security video images, the suspect is a black male who was wearing a black “hoodie” jacket with fur on it, and a mask. “She (the clerk) said he had something over his face, but she could see his eyes,” Terrell says, adding that additional reports have been made that may be connected to the case. “We had some video from another store we are looking at, of a black male being suspicious. We’ve had a couple different stores that notified us of that, so we’re following up on that,” Terrell says. “There is also a black or dark color small SUV, possibly a Jeep, that was seen around one of these stores, kinda acting funny, so that’s maybe another piece of the puzzle.”
An attempted break-in at Gene’s Pawn Shop in Cornelia occurred on the same night as the burglary and armed robbery. “We don’t know if that is related,” Terrell says, adding that the Cornelia Police Department is handling the pawn shop case. Gene’s Pawn Shop, located on Old Cleveland Road in Cornelia, was the site of a smash-and-grab style firearms theft on April 25 of this year. According to case records, a van stolen from a church outside Atlanta was used to smash into the pawn shop in the early morning hours, and several weapons were stolen. The same van was used several hours later in a similar style burglary at a clothing store in Southwest Atlanta.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Atlanta Field Division acted as the lead agency in the firearms theft, and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. The National Shooting Sports Foundation offered a matching $10,000 reward. An arrest has not yet been made in that case but Cornelia Police say there is no connection between the attempted break-in earlier this week and the smash-and-grab in April. They say they are hoping for an update from the ATF on the April 25 robbery in the near future.
Anyone with information regarding Wednesday’s robbery and/or burglaries, or anyone seeing a person matching the suspect’s description “acting suspiciously” around convenience stores in Cornelia or Balwin should contact a law enforcement agency, Terrell says.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 706-839-1724, the Baldwin Police Department contact number is 706-776-5256, and the Cornelia Police Department can be contacted at 706-778-8585.
Just the way you are
In Eastern European folklore, vampires were known to arise from the dead and disturb the living until they were either impaled or burned – a gruesome definition at best, but are they still among us? Are they lurking around the corners, hiding in bushes, living in Seattle (as the popular Twilight series suggests), waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims?
I think not, but a deviation of such does walk among us. Those energy suckers, negative proclaimers, angry, grumpy individuals with whom we work, walk the streets, sit in the stands with at ball games, or drive on the freeways beside. Those people who want nothing more than to take the chirp out of our song. They may be the person who wakes beside us in the morning or joins us at the breakfast table. Have you ever noticed how one ill-minded, mad-at-the-world, feet stomping individual can ruin the entire day just by opening his or her mouth? With self-evaluation, on some days, it may just be the person who glares back at us in our mirrors.
We all need to be loved and respected. There is an innate desire within each of us to feel valued and appreciated by those around us. And if only we could choose who loved us, valued us and respected us, the world could glow with positive expression; but that’s not the way it works. Even those we care for the most can, like a vampire, drain our enthusiasm and weaken our zest for life. We, ourselves, may be the vampires in the lives of those around us. I have come to realize through the trials of my own life that it is an impossible – no matter what you do – no getting around it – task to make other people love us. Oftentimes the harder we try, the more damage we do to our heart because the rejection stirs our inner-self to wonder, “what about me is not lovable or valuable to you?”
We all want to hear, as Billy Joel sang, “Don’t go changing to try and please me…I could not love you, any better. I love you just the way you are..” The reality weighs heavy, we cannot control the hearts of others; but we can control our own.
I grew up with 3 siblings, 2 sisters and a brother. One day we loved each other, the next we were plotting enemy front-line strategies to take one another out. Sibling rivalry can be brutal but also a natural part of development. It is how we learn to negotiate, compromise, humble ourselves, and surrender. God, as our Father, understands that we, as brothers and sisters, will disagree. From those disagreements and conflicts, we will learn to live together. The key is “how” we handle them that matters most to God.
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22, “Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.”
People can be self-absorbed, inconsiderate, unloving, degrading. It is arguable, but many think such behavior is learned – on the contrary. Those emotions have been with us since the day we were born. I never taught my toddlers to say, “MINE!” But I spent a great deal of time singing the “We Share” song. I didn’t teach my children to hit or bite or pinch. But I spent a great deal of time monitoring the “Time Out” corner as punishment for such behavior.
As adults we need to understand God’s instruction in our dealings with others. The enemy of our soul wants nothing more than to penetrate our relationships with others and divide the Kingdom of God.
John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
The next time a vampire creeps up behind you, ask God to deal with him or her. Praise Him that He created those around you. Marvel in His handy work. Give others the grace God gives to us daily. God is the Healer – the Restorer. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 3: 8-9, we must learn to treat others with compassion by keeping our own hearts tender, and not allow ourselves to “return evil for evil.”
When I deal with vampires, I simply communicate a prayer to God stating, “I know that you have a purpose for that person just as you have for me. What it is, I can’t imagine, but nevertheless, help me to love them as I know You love me. ”
Faith Christian to host fall festival
Faith Christian Academy in Mt. Airy is hosting a Fall Festival on October 25. Proceeds benefit the school. It promises to be a great time for a great cause so mark your calendars now!