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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? 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