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PAGE 12 A BARROW JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 Second Georgia Club tour set Sunday I t's the most wonder ful time of the year and The Georgia Club Foundation is celebrating the spirit of the season with its second annual Christmas Tour of Homes on Sunday, Dec. 7. Festively decorated homes from each of the communi ty's distinctive neighborhoods will be showcased on the tour. Proceeds from the tour will benefit several area charita ble organizations. Last year, the inaugural tour drew more than 800 visitors and raised $24,000 for the beneficiaries. “The generous spirit of our residents is what makes this event happen, and we are grateful for those opening their homes and those volunteer ing,” said Jim Vanden Berg, CEO of The Georgia Club. “The Georgia Club Foundation is delighted to bring back this signature event for a second year and supporting organiza tions that do so much for our communities.” Homes on the tour feature colorful art collections, per sonal movie theaters, cus tomized entertainment spac es and a car lover’s dream. Private residences on the tour include: •The Village - Home of University of Georgia Gymnastics coach Suzanne Yoculan and Don Leebern •Oconee Springs - Home of Brian and Gina Avery •North Hill - Home of Ron and Bonnie Deal •North Hill - Home of Doug and Linda Johnson •Wexford Gardens - Home of Vic and Mary Mixon •High Bluff - Home of Jake and Marisa Grant Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at The Georgia Club, the Barrow and Oconee chambers of com merce, North Georgia Bank and the Peoples Bank. TOUR SUNDAY The second annual Georgia Club tour will feature numerous private, exclusive residences. Beneficiaries include the High School Scholarship Fund at Apalachee and North Oconee high schools and Athens Academy; the Partners in Education Fund, benefit ing programs at Bethlehem and Rocky Branch elemen tary schools and Haymon- Morris and Malcom Bridge middle schools: Peace Place, a free, safe shelter assisting battered women and their children; Project Safe, an organization working to end violence against women in Clarke and Oconee counties; and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, the local orga nization that has been creat ing audio recordings of texts to contribute to the Princeton Listen & Learn Library for more than 50 years. An addition to this year’s tour is the Christmas Cottage, Eight houses to be open for Reunion tour of homes BY KERRI TESTEMENT If you're still looking for some ideas for decorating a Christmas tree, consider a stop in one house on the tour of homes in the Reunion neigh borhood. There, James and Cynthia Taggart will display 17 Christmas trees in their five- bedroom house in the residen tial golf community located off Thompson Mill Road in South Hall, near Chateau Elan. The Reunion community will hold its annual holiday tour of homes on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The eight houses on the tour will be decorated for the holidays. Tickets for the self-guided tour are $10 for adults, and children ages three and up. Tickets may be purchased at the Meeting House, next to the Reunion Hall, on Dec. 6, start ing at 9:45 a.m., with the last tickets being sold at 3 p.m. All proceeds will be donat ed to Eagle Ranch, a Christ- centered home in Chestnut Mountain for boys and girls in crisis and in need of hope and healing. James Taggart — an inte rior designer with 22 years of experience — decided to open his house for the tour of homes to not only support Eagle Ranch, but to also show HOLIDAY DECORATIONS The living room in the house of James and Cynthia Taggart in the Reunion neighborhood includes plenty of holiday decorations. Photo by Kerri Testement a holiday gift shop located in the Clubhouse that will offer gourmet food items, teach ers' gifts and unique holiday crafts. All gifts are less than $50, and proceeds will go to the tour's beneficiaries. Traditions tour to benefit youth house BY KERRI TESTEMENT The doors of six houses in Traditions of Braselton will be open for tour guests this weekend — and homeowners hope the effort will raise funds for a local youth home. Traditions of Braselton will hold its inaugural tour of homes on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1-6 p.m. Last tours begin at 4 p.m. The golf community is the largest residential neigh borhood in Jackson County. Homes featured on the tour will be decorated for the holi day season. Tickets are $25 on the day of the tour. Advance tickets are $20, and are available at the Braselton Antique Mall and both Hometown Community Bank locations. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Amanda House, a residential youth house in Nicholson that serves girls that are primarily ages 10-18, who are in need of emergency placement or can't be placed in a regular foster home. The Amanda House will serve children in Jackson, Banks and Barrow counties. Real estate agents Larry and Jean Beck volunteered to have their 10,000-square-foot DINING ROOM DECORATIONS The dining room of Larry and Jean Beck greets guests when they enter the Traditions of Braselton residence. Photo by Kerri Testement house on the Traditions tour to benefit the Amanda House. “The house is all about light and openness, and bringing light into the house,” Jean Beck said. Another family opening their house for the Traditions tour of homes are Bulldog fans, as well. Jerry and Cindy Hohman moved into their 5,000 square- foot residence on the first hole of the Traditions golf course in March 2006. The couple has lived in Georgia for 21 years and moved from the Johns Creek area to avoid traffic, Cindy Hohman said. The five-bedroom, three- level house features a UGA- focused game room, bar and media room. Guests for the Traditions tour of homes are asked to park at West Jackson Middle School on Gum Springs Church Road, located off Ga. Hwy. 124. Several area churches have donated their buses to transport guests to the houses. For tickets, call Judy Leatherwood at 404-403-9978 or visit www.traditionstourof- homes.com. For information about ads in the tour of homes book, call Jean Beck at 770-527-6059. his four children the impor tance of helping others. “When you know it's for a good cause, why not?” he said. And Taggart admits he’s a fan of Christmas — that's why there will be 17 decorated trees in his house. “Each one has a theme and a different feel,” said Taggart, who has three girls and one boy whose ages range from four to 12. There’s a Barbie tree, a beach tree, an American Girls tree, a butterfly tree, a balle rina tree, a bear tree and tree in the master bedroom featuring decorations with a chocolate theme. His wife Cynthia, who is a professional baker, also has a tree with cookies and kitch en supplies hanging from its branches. When guests arrive at the Taggart residence, a snow tree featuring crystal and silver decorations will greet them. “Obviously as a decorator, you believe in drama, but I also believe in magic,” Taggart said. That explains the 17 trees in his house, he added. For more information, contact Carrie Neville, Reunion activities director, at 770-965-6144 or carrie.nev- ille@jwhomes.com. A\ Wm) MM Come celebrate the Grand Opening of the only locally owned newspaper in Barrow County. Christmas Open House Join us for our Christmas Open House December 11, 2008 Drop-In 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served Enter to win great door prizes with a grand prize: 1 night stay at The Evergreen Resort at Stone Mountain Park with breakfast and park tickets for two. Barrow || J our nal 77 East May Street, Winder 770-867-NEWS(6397) www.barrowjournal.com