NELL BENTLEY BARFIELD, age 71, of Jackson, Georgia, passed away Wednesday, October 1, 2014, at Habersham Home.
Children’s Sale starts Friday
Parents eager to save money – and make money – on children’s clothes, toys, furniture and other items are in luck. The popular semi-annual kids’ consignment sale is back this weekend at the Habersham County Fairgrounds. Doors open to the public Friday at 9 a.m.
The sale, owned and operated by Sonya Hurt of Mount Airy, is like a playground for discount shoppers and a potential gold mine for consignors. Hurt says 350 consignors dropped off items for this weekend’s event. She says during each sale, on average, at least 20,000 items are sold. “Our motto is recycle, reuse and resell,” says Hurt, “and that’s what we do.”
The Children’s Sale began in the late 1990s back when the economy was good. Since the recession it’s offered families a way to buy things their kids need and want without breaking the bank. Hurt bought the business seven years ago but has been involved with it much longer. “It started 15 years ago in a small 12×12 room with five moms and it’s just grown from there.”
Today, sale merchandise fills the Dewey H. Tench Pavilion at the Habersham County Fairgrounds in Clarkesville. All items are screened to insure they meet certain standards.
Stained, broken or otherwise damaged merchandise is not allowed. Hurt says quality control is a key factor in the Children’s Sale’s success. So are volunteers. Consignors who volunteer to help during the two-day event receive tickets to a special preview sale. But it isn’t just consignors who volunteer their time. For the Hurts of Habersham it’s a family affair. “My husband and I start working on it (setting up the sale) on Sunday and we’re out the next Sunday. Seven days, I’m in and out,” Hurt says. After that, she and her mother-in-law, Susan, spend at least a week scanning tags from sold merchandise and mailing checks to consignors. Then at least two months prior to each Fall and Spring sale they spend time securing the site, registering consignors and publicizing the event.
Susan Hurt says preparing for the Children’s Sale is like “setting up a department store and selling it out in two days.” It’s a lot of work but she says it’s worth it. “It is awesome. It’s awesome for the consignors, it’s awesome for the people who just come in to buy. It’s just good for the community.” Besides, it’s not all work and no play. “It’s actually a social thing,” Susan Hurt says. “All these ladies come together every six months and it’s fun.”
You can join in the fun this weekend. The Children’s Sale is open Friday, October 3, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and on Saturday, October 4, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Prices on many of the items will be reduced to half off on Saturday between 12:30-2 p.m.
For directions to the Children’s Sale and for more information about it click here.
Lady Lions Take 2-1 Win from Panthers
LaGrange, GA – The Piedmont College women’s soccer team held a double-digit shot advantage in a 2-1 victory over USA South foe LaGrange College earlier tonight on the road. The night contest featured a display of possession by the visiting Lady Lions as Piedmont had the run of the play for most of the night spending much of the 90 minutes in the home team’s half of the field creating 24 shots overall while holding LaGrange to just two.
Piedmont’s Savannah Castles was the first to find the net when she headed away a Shayna Rogers corner to put the Green and Gold up 1-0 in the 12th minute. For Castles, the goal is her 4th of the season while Rogers now has five assists on the year.
The Lady Lions continued to pepper Panther keeper Courtney Slauson with shots taking eight shots compared to just one for the home team in the first half. Holding a 1-0 lead in the intermission, Piedmont’s Tori Gillett scored her first career goal in the 56th minute to double the lead as she beat Slauson to a service from the right by Megan Hatfield making it 2-0 PC.
LaGrange would get on the scoreboard late when a toe ball from Sydney Dorsey in the 68th minute skipped through the Lady Lion defense and keeper Michaela Gardner to cut the lead in half 2-1. However, despite the goal from the home team, Piedmont kept the pressure on as a Castles header would clank off the bar just minutes later denying the sophomore a second goal on the night.
Piedmont would go on to hold the lead 2-1 for a one-goal victory against the Panthers taking a third conference win and moving up the league table with 10 points now through five games.
With the win, Piedmont moves to 6-3-1 overall and is now 3-1-1 in conference play. The win over the Panthers is the first one-goal victory in the series since a 3-2 win by Piedmont in the 2011 GSAC championship game as PC took the last two meetings by a combined 6-1 scoreline.
The Lady Lions will step out of USA South play for their next contest as they make the short trip over to play Toccoa Falls College on Saturday afternoon with kickoff set for 4:00 pm. The two last met in the 2011 season when Piedmont claimed a 4-0 win over the Eagles in the midst of a 13-game unbeaten streak to start the season.
Lions Win 3-2 Shootout Over Rival LaGrange
LaGrange, GA – The Piedmont College men’s soccer team used a second half score to separate themselves from the hosting Panthers of LaGrange College in a key USA South matchup earlier tonight. The Lions outshot the home team 21 to 13 controlling much of the match, but the Panthers’ ability to strike quickly kept them in the contest.
The match would see-saw back and forth in the opening 45 minutes which featured four combined scores by the two teams playing in South Georgia. LaGrange would take the early advantage scoring just 1:38 into the game on a bullet header by Daniel Provence off a Raymond Haas service from wide right stunning the traveling Lions faithful.
The Panthers’ early score was a page out of the Lions’ playbook as youngster Ryan Herbert etched his name into the Division III record books with his goal just nine seconds in the last time PC took the field in a weekend match at Methodist. Herbert’s goal tied for the 5th quickest all time in the history of NCAA Division III.
Piedmont would not wait long to equalize doing so on a corner kick that batted around the 6-yard box before PC’s Colin Little put the ball into the back of the net for the score in the 4th minute. Just 13 minutes after drawing level, the Lions then took the lead for the first time on the day when Little got his second goal of the game when he fired a volley from 25 out after the Panther defense could not clear cleanly.
Little’s low driven shot dented the back of the LaGrange net to make it 2-1, but the Panthers had magic left in the first half as Kristian Javier took a ball with less then five seconds remaining and managed to drive centrally and strike a right-footed shot that tapped the right post and went in to put the Panthers even at 2-2 just before the halftime whistle blew.
In the second half, Chase Kane would score his fifth goal of the season when he placed a cut back pass from Ryan Herbert into the corner of the LaGrange goal to put his team up 3-2, a spot PC that would stay in for the rest of the evening.
With the win, the Lions move to 6-4 overall and improve to 3-1 in the USA South on the season. PC’s three conference wins is already tied for the most league wins for the Green and Gold since the Lions moved to the USA South.
Piedmont will return home for its next match, a Monday night affair on October 6 with kickoff at 5:00 pm against visiting Bob Jones University who took the better of a 4-1 decision between the two last season. The match will be aired live on the Mane Event Broadcasting Network with both a live video feed and live stats integrated through the broadcast provided courtesy of the Office of Athletic Communications at PC.
Lady Lions Drop Match Against Maryville
Maryville, TN – The Piedmont College Volleyball team dropped its second USA South match Wednesday night to preseason conference favorite Maryville College 3-0. The Lady Lions have lost their last four straight and are now 10-7 overall.
The first set was a battle to the finish but the Scots came out with the 28-26 victory and from there on the Scots left no doubt. In the second set, Maryville won 25-16 and followed that with a 25-17 victory in the third set.
Leading the way for the Lady Lions were Mallory Leary and Amanda Trotter who both recorded 6 kills in the match. Xandy Green tallied 16 assists while Kait Steele also added 11.
Katie Faith led the team with 13 digs and Green contributed 8 as well. The Lady Lions were held under 30 kills for the match while giving up 50.
Piedmont will return to the court this weekend as Cave Arena will be the site of a tri-match Saturday. The Lady Lions will take on both Mary Baldwin College and Greensboro College beginning with Mary Baldwin at noon and Greensboro at 4 p.m.
Cantrell named interim CEO of HEMC
The Habersham Electric Membership Corporation board of directors has selected an interim CEO for the Co-Op, following the sudden resignation of Todd Pealock on Monday. Board Chair Hugh Rucker announced Wednesday that Jonathan Cantrell has been selected to serve as Interim CEO.
In making the announcement Rucker said, “Jonathan will lead HEMC while the Board searches for a permanent CEO. That could take some time, as we will diligently seek the best fit for the cooperative.” Prior to his appointment, Cantrell was the Data Warehouse Program Manager for HEMC. He has been with HEMC for 12 years, beginning his career with the cooperative in the Information Technologies Department and became the Director of IT services before assuming the Data Warehouse position.
Cantrell graduated from Piedmont College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and worked at Standard Telephone before joining HEMC. “I am humbled by this opportunity,” Cantrell said. “Habersham EMC is known for our exceptional service and that will remain our focus during this transition and beyond.”
Cantrell and his wife, Martha, reside in the Hollywood community of Habersham County. The couple has three adult children and one grandchild.
Temporary spike in Demorest water bills
Demorest water customers can expect higher than normal water bills this month due to a change in the Water Department’s billing system.
City Manager, Juanita Crumley, says Demorest has switched to a “two cycle meter reading” to allow the Water Department to bill closer to when the water meters are read. As a result, Crumley says, the first billing cycle will reflect larger usage and bills will be higher. She says next month’s bills will be considerably lower.
Crumley says the change-over will allow the Demorest Water Department to detect leaks more quickly. “We apologize for this inconvenience,” she says, “but this will help in the future if you have a leak at your house.”
Former HABCO coach dies
Funeral services are scheduled this weekend for a well-known, former Habersham County coach. Walter Davis of Cornelia passed away Wednesday. He was 89.
Davis taught and coached football and basketball at South Habersham High School in Cornelia from 1957-1962. He served as Athletic Director and coach at the Georgia Industrial Institute for juvenile offenders in Alto from 1963 until his retirement in 1983.
A WWII Navy veteran, Coach Davis was a long-time fixture in the Habersham County recreation sports leagues during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. He was a member of Harmony Baptist Church and a former member of the Cornelia Lions Club.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday, October 4, 2014 at Whitfield Funeral Home’s North Chapel in Demorest. Interment will follow in Yonah Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5-8 pm on Friday, October 3, 2014.
For more information click here.
Blattice Sisk English
BLATTICE SISK ENGLISH, AGE 98, of Homer, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, September 30, 2014.
Fatal crash on 365
A fatal wreck involving a tractor trailer and car completely shut down Highway 365 in Alto for two hours Tuesday. Corporal Auston Allen with the Georgia State Patrol says 78-year old Nola Johnson of Gainesville died from injuries she suffered in the crash.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of 365 and Jaemor Farms Road. Allen says Johnson was a passenger in a 1999 Lexus ES300 driven by her husband, 77-year old William Johnson of Gainesville. He says Johnson was traveling west on Jaemor Farms Road and crossed over 365 to turn south when he failed to yield and ran into the path of a northbound semi-truck. Troopers say the driver of the truck, 26-year old Charles Littrell of Harrogate, Tennessee, attempted to swerve and avoid a collission but struck the Lexus in the front left-hand side. The truck overturned in the median. The Lexus landed in a ditch off the east shoulder of the road.
The GSP says Littrell was uninjured. William Johnson suffered a serious head injury. He and his wife were both transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center where she later died.
All lanes of 365 near Jaemor Farms Road were closed while emergency crews cleared the scene. Corp. Allen says charges are pending. The accident remains under investigation.
Soccer fans “bubble” with excitement
Soccer fans were “bubbling” with excitement Tuesday as Piedmont College hosted Habersham County’s first-ever Bubble Soccer Event. Director of Student Activities and Campus Events, Natalie Crawford, says 125 students, faculty and staff signed up for Tuesday’s event. They took turns donning large, plastic bubbles then spent several minutes kicking around the soccer ball, bumping and falling on the ground like Sumo wrestlers. Some even scored!
While Bubble Soccer is relatively new to the States it’s all the rage in Australia and Europe and last night’s event revealed why. About fifty spectators joined in the fun, watching from the sidelines and bleachers above Piedmont’s Walker Athletic Soccer Field. Jody Anderson of Clarkesville was among them. Anderson works at Piedmont College and brought his three daughters to the event. Hear what the Anderson family has to say about Bubble Soccer by clicking on the audio below.