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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 13A
Athens Eye Associates
Local artist carves his work with chainsaw
HISTORY TOUR
Students from the Performance Learning Center vist-
ed the Barrow County Museum Tuesday morning. The
students also visited Lanier Tech during their trip.
Photos by Jessica Brown
Braselton still wants state
designation for downtown
By Kerri Testement
kerri @ mainstreet. com
If it’s available, officials in Braselton still want the town to
be considered for a state program that helps cities revitalize
and develop their downtowns.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Office of
Downtown Development coordinates the state's Main Street
and Better Hometown programs — both designed to provide
assistance of core commercial districts with technical help,
financial tools and training.
Braselton applied for the program in 2009, but was later
told that the DCA was no longer accepting new cities for
the designations.
However, town officials have learned that other cities in
Georgia were recently accepted to the program.
Former Braselton mayor and current Downtown
Development Authority (DDA) member Pat Graham told
the group on Thursday that being accepted to the state pro
gram has an economic development advantage.
The town initially showed interest in the program in
2003.
One of the requirements of the program is that a city fund
an employee to work on its downtown for 20 hours a week,
according to Graham. The majority of that work will focus
on economic development and bringing more businesses to
the area.
“A downtown doesn't really become economically thriv
ing until you have critical mass of businesses that draw
people there," she said.
The program offers a number of resources, such as free
design services, for those member cities that fund a staff
member, Graham said.
Braselton also wants public-private partnerships and
could seek a loan for such deals, she added. The state desig
nation gives more credibility to those cities in the program
for lending institutions.
The closing of the visitors center at nearby Mayfield
Dairy in Braselton will also affect the number of guests to
downtown, Graham said.
Braselton Mayor Bill Orr recently sent a letter to the
DCA asking that one of its representatives in the Office of
Downtown Development visit the town or provide more
information about the Georgia Main Street/Better Hometown
program and other downtown development services.
The letter emphasized the town’s commitment to revital
izing its downtown and applying for a state designation in
the program.
The Better Hometown designation requires that cities
have a population under 5,000 and the Main Street program
requires between 5,000 and 50,000 residents.
Town manager Jennifer Dees has said that Braselton
wants to become a Better Hometown, but its population
may be too large for that designation. Braselton has about
7,500 residents.
By Lorin Sinn-Clark
lorin@ barrowjournal, com
J oe Watkins is a man of
many talents, skills and
interests.
He retired from the Army
Air National Guard, Winder
unit, some years ago after
spending years working on
the ejection seats and life sup
port equipment on Mohawk
aircraft.
In 1991, after searching in
vain for a carriage he could
begin to offer for hire at
weddings and other events,
he built his own carriage
in only seven months. That
was followed by another
and another and that venture
became Back When Carriage
Rides, his current near full
time business. Watkins’ latest
interest is chainsaw carving
and in the short time he’s
been at it, he’s found out he’s
pretty good at it.
“I saw a demonstration at
the old Smith Hardware on
Jackson Street in the early
‘70s and I wondered if I
could ever do that,” Watkins
said, but he "dismissed the
idea since I have no other
artistic abilities.”
Then, in May of 2010, the
power company cut a tree
down in his yard and Watkins
said he decided to try chain
saw carving "after all.” The
carving was much easier than
he thought it would be and
since then he has carved an
impressive array of work.
Alex Hill of Hill’s Ace
Hardware in Winder saw
some of Watkins’ figures
and was so impressed he
scheduled a day of chainsaw
carving demonstrations with
Watkins at the store.
“He’s only recently started
doing this and has already
done some really good carv
ings,” Hill said.
Watkins said what he
enjoys most about carving
with a chainsaw is, "When
I look at a log lying there, I
can only say what the genie
said to Aladdin, ‘Consider
the possibilities.’”
Ever the humble beginner,
Watkins adds that "the high
light is probably not the fin
ished product, but the point
where you can actually begin
to see the object staring back
at you."
Watkins said he is still
experimenting and still learn
ing. While he now uses a
special carving bar and chain
that “really makes things
easier,” Watkins said a begin
ner can “get by with basic
equipment." White pine is a
favorite wood among chain
saw carvers, but since there
“is not a great abundance of
that around here," he uses
pine more easily found in
the area. And, thanks to his
old friend, Raymond Doster,
Watkins has an ample supply
of rough logs to work with.
“Raymond planted about
20 pines from near Brasstown
Bald (GA) on his (Barrow)
property back in 1960,”
Watkins said. The trees grew
tall, but then fell victim to a
massive storm that uprooted
several and topped the rest.
“Raymond was gracious
enough to give me all I need”
and in return, Watkins carved
Doster a bear from a stump
in Doster’s front yard.
While the maj ority of chain
saw carvers “seem to stick
mostly to bears,” Watkins
said he enjoys the challenge
of the human form. Facial
features are much harder to
carve than bears, he added,
but also are more rewarding.
“I tried to replicate the
likeness of my granddaugh
ter,” he said. “
Most people say it looks
like her, but with that project
I found it is not so easy to
capture the innocence in the
face of a child — especially
using a chainsaw.”
Watkins is available to do
on-site carving for people
who have had trees cut down
CHAINSAW ARTIST AT WORK
Joe Watkins working on a bear carving in progress at a recent demonstration he did
at Hill’s Ace Hardware in Winder. Photos by Lorin Sinn-Clark
Winder City Councilman At Large
SHE’S AMAZING
This is one of the many
carvings Joe Watkins has
done with his chainsaw
since he started experi
menting with the art form
in May of 2010.
Photo by Lorin Sinn-Clark
and want a carving made out
of the stump.
His variety of carriages,
including a Cinderella pump
kin coach and two hearses
are available for weddings,
funerals, hayrides and other
events.
For more information, visit
Back When Carriage Rides at
www.brivida.com/backwhen.
AND SO IS HE
Chainsaw carving is only one of the special things Joe
Watkins knows how to do. He also builds all kinds of
carriages available for hire for weddings, funerals and
other special events. This is Joe and one of his carved
creations at a demonstration he gave recently at Hill’s
Ace Hardware in Winder. Photo by Lorin Sinn-Clark
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Local downtown business owner, not a
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City Council At Large
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