Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Braselton News
Page 5A
letters
Community not helping
abandoned dogs
Residents stay active at The Village at Deaton Creek
READY TO MAKE A MOVE
Cindy Scott and Louise Silva study their Mahjongg tiles at The
Village at Deaton Creek.
Dear Editor:
I am writing in regards to an
ongoing problem in the town of
Braselton. There are three aban
doned dogs that live in the kudzu,
on the streets and underneath the
condemned houses across from
the Braselton Tile Factory.
When I came across these dogs
about six months ago, they were
sitting in the middle of Hwy.
124 at rush hour causing cars to
swerve and slam on their brakes
to avoid them. After talking to the
police and many people in town,
I have found out that these dogs
have lived this way for years.
They are not dangerous and
they keep to themselves and are
only looking for food, water and
safety.
After all these years, no one in
town has bothered to help them or
follow the animal laws of Jackson
County. They are in danger of
getting killed at any time or caus
ing an accident on Hwy. 124 or
Hwy. 53.
I decided I would get these
dogs help no matter what it took.
This has proven to be impossible.
I have called the police, ani
mal control, the Humane Society,
all the vets located in Braselton,
the property management com
pany for the land they live on and
countless rescue groups and shel
ters. No one was willing to help.
For the last six months, I have
gone to these dogs two or three
times a day. I have made them
a clean area to eat in. I make
sure they are fed properly and
have plenty of cold fresh water to
drink. Most of all, I have given
them much needed attention that
they crave so desperately.
They are afraid of most people,
but I have finally bonded with
them and they trust me. Taking
care of them is not an easy job
for me as I have an illness that
could take my life at any time. I
am determined to make sure these
dogs are taken care of before that
The Jackson County Board
of Education is accepting let
ters from interested candidates to
fill the unexpired term for the
Post 1 seat — which covers West
Jackson, including Braselton and
Hoschton.
Steve Bryant resigned from the
post in September, after learning
that he doesn’t live in District 1.
The term for the Post 1 seat will
expire on Dec. 31, 2008.
Candidates must have lived in
happens.
The last town official I spoke
with wants to force animal con
trol to brutally and inhumanely
capture these dogs and put them
down. The way Braselton has
treated these dogs for years is a
disgrace and the town should be
ashamed. It’s time the officials
in the town step up, take respon
sibility and do the right thing by
these poor innocent dogs.
Braselton wants to advertise as
an historic, family-oriented town
with quaint shops and eateries.
Well, that image will be changed
quickly if this problem goes pub
lic and PETA is picketing on
every corner.
If a vet would help and some
volunteers (which I have plen
ty of) could capture these dogs
humanely, with a meatball sed
ative and take them to a res
cue group where they would be
accepted.
A lot of groups will not take
animals from a private citizen,
only from a vet, police, or animal
control. If for some reason the
dogs have to be put down, they
have already lived a horrible life
and deserve to leave this life in a
humane manner, which would be
to sedate them with a meatball
and put them down while they
were asleep. At least they could
die peacefully, which is better
than the way they lived.
This is just one more reason that
Jackson County needs to become
a member of the 21st Century and
build an animal shelter.
I am pleading with anyone that
may be able to help, that might
know a rescue group, a shelter,
someone that is willing to take
any of these wonderful dogs, or
just has any ideas or suggestions
to please contact me on my cell
at 678-231-1098. I would greatly
appreciate any help.
Sincerely,
Debra Vener
Hoschton
Jackson County for 12 months,
reside in the Post 1 school board
district and be a qualified voter in
Jackson County.
The BOE will accept letters of
interest from qualified candidates
until Friday, Oct. 19.
Interested candidates may e-mail
a letter to kwilbanks@jackson.
kl2.ga.us or mail letters to: Kathy
Wilbanks, Jackson County BOE
chairperson, 3006 Brockton Loop,
Jefferson, GA 30549.
BY KRISTI REED
With a 38,000 square foot ame
nity center, two pools, nine miles
of walking trails, a state of the art
fitness center and more, retirement
for residents of The Village at
Deaton Creek is anything but dull.
The amenities alone would keep
most people occupied, but resi
dents at Deaton Creek — located
on Thompson Mill Road in South
Hall — take the phrase “active
adult lifestyle” very seriously.
Since the community started in
June 2006, residents have formed
more than 60 clubs and special
interest groups. These clubs
include woodcarving, wine tast
ing, genealogy, digital photogra
phy and many more. The clubs add
to an impressive list of activities
for the planned 1,300-lot commu
nity’s target demographic, those
55 years of age and older.
Lifestyle director Lori Twiss said
there is a group for every interest.
“If someone has a passion for
anything in particular, they come
to me,” Twiss said. “I help them
get it started. If there are things
they need to nurture the group, I
help them with that.”
According to Twiss, the neigh
borhood’s singles club was the first
to get organized. More recently,
residents formed a vintage car
club.
“We added four new clubs this
week,” Twiss said.
Twiss believes the clubs are
important to community residents.
“It gives them a great opportu
nity to meet new people,” she said.
“Clubs are a way to really get to
know someone and become poten-
Hoschton
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
The removing of a historic
house in Hoschton could make
way for a new commercial proj
ect on Ga. Hwy. 53.
Cornel Oroian has request
ed a building permit for a new
structure at 4165 Hwy. 53 and
received a recommendation
for approval by the Hoschton
Planning Commission Monday.
The Hoschton City Council
is expected to discuss the pro
posal during its work session on
Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. and
its regular meeting on Monday,
Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.
Oroian operates Hoschton Art
and Decor, a business inside the
McDaniel-Spealman House. The
white house dates to 1891, and is
daily lifelong friends.”
Making friends is one reason
resident Barbara Klein wanted to
join a women’s group. She and
60 other women are part of the
Blue Sneakers club. At their first
meeting, each participant brought
a pair of blue sneakers to decorate.
Whenever the group goes out in
public, the members wear their
personalized blue sneakers.
Though having fun is important
to the ladies of the Blue Sneakers
club, helping the community is
a priority as well. Club founder
Donna Woodward is excited about
the group’s focus on service proj
ects.
“I like the idea of us helping oth
ers,” Woodward said. “We’ll have
some fun, but we also want to help
other people.”
The Blue Sneakers club recently
completed a food drive and is
planning other projects in the near
future.
While social clubs are popular
at Deaton Creek, gaming clubs
attract the most participants. Two
clubs, Mexican Train Dominoes
and Bunco, routinely draw 70 or
more players.
Rodger Meyer, president of the
Mexican Train Dominoes club,
believes his game is one of the
best. Meyers said many club
members have bought Mexican
Train domino sets so they can play
at home with their families and
friends.
Meyers has been playing the
game for more than 10 years and
said the fun extends beyond actual
game play.
“It isn’t the game itself,” he
located next to an old tin garage
that is a two-story building.
Oroian is proposing to build a
9,555 square-foot mini-shopping
center with five units. The prop
erty is already zoned for com
mercial use.
However, the site is locat
ed in Hoschton’s Downtown
Development Overlay (DDO),
which requires that permit
requests be heard by the plan
ning commission. Oroian’s
request was the first of its kind
heard by the commission since
the passage of the DDO.
Oroian said to construct the
new commercial building, the
existing house must be removed
from the property.
“I want it removed, first,” he
said. “It’s the opportunity to get
together and enjoy yourself.”
Mahjongg is another popu
lar game at Deaton Creek. Club
president Ruth Breliant describes
Mahjongg as a “challenging, fas
cinating and stimulating game.” A
longtime fan of the game, Breliant
has enjoyed passing her excite
ment for the game on to others.
Breliant likens Mahjongg to a
rummy game. Players are dealt
a hand of 13 tiles. The object of
the game is to match the tiles to a
scoring card.
“You try to make the tiles in
your hand equal what is on the
cards,” Breliant explained.
Each year the card changes
which puts everyone on an equal
footing, according to Breliant.
Breliant said that although there
is a learning curve, it does not take
said. “I don’t want it destroyed.”
Dianne Blankenship, a member
of the city’s historical preserva
tion committee, said the house
should not be demolished. The
house was one of more than
60 “historical” sites designat
ed around Hoschton in 2004,
Blankenship said. That only
identified the house as a his
torical site, but the property is
not on the National Register of
Historic Places, she added.
Oroian said that when he
bought the property five years
ago, the house was in such poor
condition the owner only sold
the land. The owners said they
had to reinforce the house to
prevent it from collapsing.
“When I bought this property
long to learn the game.
“Once you learn it, you’re
hooked,” she warns.
Though having fun and mak
ing friends are the main reasons
for forming a club, Twiss said
there can be other factors. Twiss
said a group of ladies recently
formed a Women’s Texas Hold-em
club after being excluded from the
men’s weekly poker game.
No matter what their reason for
forming a club, Twiss is happy to
help them.
“Nothing makes me more happy
than to hear them laughing and
having a good time,” she said. “I
know I have done my job.”
The Village at Deaton Creek is
located on Thompson Mil Road,
one mile south of Hwy 211. For
more information, call 770-967-
6366.
in 2002, I had no restrictions,”
Oroian said.
Jackson County tax records
show the 116-year-old house is
valued at $60,756.
Oroian said he would donate
the house to someone, if they
agreed to move it from the prop
erty. But city planner Wistar
Harmon said the poor condition
of the house may make it diffi
cult to move to another location.
The commission’s recommen
dation to approve the building
permit is based on the condition
that Oroian donates the house
and that it is moved in a “rea
sonable time.” Oroian would
also have to follow architectural
design standards with the new
buildings.
Braselton section no longer to
be in The Herald subscriptions
The Braselton News section will no longer be included inside sub
scriber copies of The Jackson Herald, as of Nov. 1.
The Braselton News is available for .25 cents at newsstands and is
mailed for free to residents in Hoschton and Braselton.
Need Printing?
Call 706-367-5233
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Jackson County BOE taking
letters for vacant seat
Historic house to make way
for new commercial center
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