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Wednesday, December 26, 2007 The Braselton News Page 3A tell any difference between it and a stock production model Trans Am from 1977. The car is adorned with the aforementioned ‘screaming chicken’ on the hood, is trimmed in gold, and has the classic Trans Am lines. But a closer look, as well as a guided tour from Ocock, will show you not only the differences between YearOne’s creation and the showroom model, but also a glimpse into the hard work that’s gone into the car. The standard sealed beam head lights have been replaced with modern projector bream head lights, the fitting of which required a lot of fabrication. There’s also the addition of fog lamps in the area where the stock model origi nally had the front turn signals located. The rear taillights have been replaced with LED lights for a more modern look. The front and back glass is flush-mounted to give a more modern feel to the car. This meant creating new glass pieces to fit. Wider wheels and tires mean bet ter handling and performance, but the custom wheels still have the classic snowflake look from the original. The entire front fasciae has been replaced. The stock ones had a tendency to crack over time, so a custom fiberglass piece has been made by YearOne, which drops the Pontiac badge for a cleaner look. And that’s not to mention mild changes to the spoiler, fender flares, and heat extractors on the car. Then there’s the interior of the car, with custom bucket seats, race inspired pedals, upgraded stereo and console with an inte grated navigation system, and a four-point roll bar. POWER UNDER THE HOOD There are two phases to the Burt Reynolds Edition, named BAN- Two and BAN-Three, a play on the license plate of the movie car (the first YearOne built Trans Am, BAN-One, was to be offered as a phase too, but was found to not be “beefy enough”). BAN-Two features a tubular front subframe, tubular upper and lower control arms, integrated subframe connectors, and front coil-over shocks. BAN-Three has a four-link rear suspension with a track bar, and front and rear coil over shocks. Under the hood, this is obvi- Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System estab lish healthcare services in the Braselton area. That includes attracting physi cians to the area, which includes young families in new subdivi sions and senior adults at the nearby Village at Deaton Creek and Chateau Elan. “I think it makes for a very health mix,” Jackson said of the area. A majority of the patients Jackson sees at the Braselton Clinic hail from Gwinnett County and South Hall, he said. There is a also a strong patient base from West Jackson and Jefferson. BANDIT — continued from page 1A FAMOUS CAR YearOne in Braselton is rebuilding the TransAm made famous in the “Smokey and the Bandit” mov ies. Photos by Brandon Reed HOMETOWN HOT ROD It’s clear to see where this TransAm calls home — Jackson County. ously not a run of the mill Trans Am. The BAN-Two has a choice of a 550-horse power Pontiac 455 with aluminum heads, or a 550 hp GM LS-based engine. The real movers come in the BAN-Three, where you have a choice between two 650 hp engines, a 496 cubic- inch all aluminum Pontiac 455, or an LS-based engine. Ban- Three also comes equipped with a 6-point rollbar with optional five-point racing harnesses. “We wanted this to be a modern car with the vintage sheet metal,” Ocock said. “I think we achieved that.” And yes, you can get it with a T-top. BUILT FROM OLD CARS Ocock says finding donor cars from which to build the new vehi cles has been surprisingly easy. “We have the advantage of not having to be too picky,” Ocock said. “We have a full fabrication shop in the back, and have guys that can do all this work. Plus, we sell the parts, so for us to buy a car that would be a parts car or donor for somebody else isn’t a big deal. We were able to find some of them without leaving the middle of the state. Once you start looking for them, they really are everywhere. You find them parked under guys’ lean- tos, parked in their garages, out behind their houses.” And while the classic Trans Am might be popular, they aren’t as rare as you might think. But find ing them in good shape is another matter. “The T-tops were apt to leak,” Ocock said. “Water would collect in the floor pans, so all our cars have new floor pans. Water would collect in the trunk, so all our cars have new trunks.” Ocock says the response to the cars has been very positive. “Pontiac enthusiasts love it, fans love it,” he said. “Hot Rod Magazine did a piece on it, and for the next couple of months, they published letters from people saying that they really liked the car. I haven’t heard from anybody that they don’t like it. Everybody kind of looks at it and says yeah, that’s a cool car.” YearOne has three Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Ams under construction, with others ordered. One is being repaired after a “testing incident,” while the BAN-One and Ban-Three models are ready to show. So, if you’re ready to buy that red shirt, cowboy hat and distinct ly seventies bell bottom jeans, and give the local smokeys a run for their money, how much will one of these hot rods set you back? “Call for pricing,” Ocock said with a smile. A pretty female passenger, and police cars for high-speed pur suits are not included. DOCTOR — continued from page 1A Jackson said the dynamic growth in the Braselton area, along with a commitment from the health system for top-tiered healthcare services will attract more physi cians. In March 2005, the Northeast Georgia Health System purchased 119 acres on Thompson Mill Road, near Ga. Hwy. 211 for a South Hall medical campus. The focal point of the medical campus will be a 100-bed hos pital, which will offer medical and surgical services, diagnostic services, outpatient rehabilitation, emergency services and some specialty services. The opening of the hospital will coincide with the widening and re-alignment of Thompson Mill Road (Ga. Hwy. 347), probably around 2012. Construction of the first building on the medical campus — Medical Plaza 1 — started in September. When the three story, 105,000 square-foot facility is completed in fall 2008, it will include space for 40-50 physicians representing 8-10 medical specialties, accord ing to the health system. Dr. Jackson said the Braselton Clinic is slated to move to Medical Plaza 1. The medical campus has space for potentially two more medical office build ings, he added. Jackson said he believes physi cians will also be attracted to the area with the natural settings of River Place, as opposed to typical medical buildings. The health system also plans to use technology as much as possible at River Place. At the Braselton Clinic, the physicians already use a paperless system to keep track of patients’ medical records, Jackson said. Despite the new job title with the health system, Dr. Jackson said he plans to keep patient care his first priority. And when he isn’t helping patients, Dr. Jackson said he enjoys spending time with his family, gardening and painting. Showroom Samples Ctose Outs Sc rate h-N-Detvt Warranty Claims m (706) 335-4944 321 Pottery Factory Commerce - acrooo from QUT&ACK STEAK House Church News Lingering emptiness Eyes of the Father Parrish Myers M * eotf@comcast.net > ' When I was a kid, my classmates and I used to play this game: we’d go up to a tree and hug it. Yeah, I know. The premise of the game was that you hugged the tree as tight as you could for sixty seconds. When you released the tree and stepped away, you still felt like you were holding onto it. I don’t know what the point of it was, except to see if it really worked. It did. I remember still “feeling” the tree in my arms for several minutes after I’d released it and walked away. Amy went out of town this week and took Chloe with her. What made me remember that game from so long ago is the feeling I’m expe riencing right now. You see, I can still “feel” Chloe in my arms, even though she isn’t there. The sense of her absence is mad dening, overwhelming. Is this how God feels when we sin? Is this what he experiences when we knowingly turn away from him, driving a wedge of sin between him and us? Does this same empti ness overwhelm him when our sin prevents him from holding us in his arms? It puts the destructive power of sin in a whole new context, doesn’t it? Not being able to hold Chloe in my arms makes me feel like a part of me is missing. That’s the way God feels when we rebel against him. It’s like having a part of him self removed. But come on, is sin really that serious? You better believe it is. Our sin is what separates us from God (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). Our sin is what caused Christ to die on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sin is what continues to separate us from God whenever we choose to chase after our own desires, rather than doing that which is pleasing to him (James 1:14). Amy and Chloe are out of town for a single night. They’ll be back tomorrow. It’s not that long of a trip, yet it still affects me. We may think of our sin as a small thing. A short diversion. A “little trip” away from God. But there’s nothing diminutive about sin. It is powerful, it is destructive, and it negatively affects our relationship with our heavenly father. So what can you do? Two things. First, ask God to forgive you for the sins you’ve already committed. Ask him to remove the wedge of sin that divides you and him. Ask him to receive you back into his arms, where he wants you to be in the first place. Second, keep your eyes open to the temptations before you. As the saying goes, “An ounce of preven tion is worth a pound of cure.” Being on the alert against sin will help you avoid it, thereby protecting your relationship with God. I hate that empty feeling. I don’t want to experience it with Chloe, and I know God doesn’t want to experience it with me. He doesn’t want to experience it with you, either. Is he? Parrish Myers is a resident of Braselton and pastor of Pine Crest Baptist Church. You can e-mail him from his website at www.eyesofthe- father.com Braselton approves permits The Braselton Planning and Development Department issued 11 resi dential building permits in November, according to a town report. Four permits were issued in Jackson County, three in Barrow County, two in Gwinnett County and two in Hall County. The town didn’t issue any permits last month for non-residential buildings. In November, permanent sign permits were issued to Premier Storage and Subway. Temporary sign permits were granted to Kei-Bei Nails, Merl-Norman and Monterey’s. The following items are listed by town officials as pending develop ment permit applications, preliminary plats or site development plans: Braselton Village, located on Ga. Hwy. 211 and Beaver Dam Road; Reserve at Liberty Park, phase 2; Liberty Crossing, phase 2; Discovery Point; Braselton Distribution Center, building 12; Braselton Crossing; Wachovia Bank, located in front of Publix; Braselton Academy; CGJ Enterprises, office warehouse at Bordeaux Business Park; Hampton Inn; and Creekside Village. Hoschton OK’s business license Hoschton issued one business permit in November, according to a city administrative report. A business permit was issued to Vintage Grace (antique and vintage sales), located at 4188 Hwy. 53. No building or home occupation permits were issued in November. Also, the city paid $69,201 in general fund bills, $149,139 in bills from the capital projects account for the wastewater treatment plant, and $64,770 in bills from the city’s water/sewer fund. The Braselton News HOLIDAY AD DEADLINE ft Classified and Display Ads 12 Noon, Friday, Dec. 28 for the Jan. 2 publication 33 Lee Street • P.O. Box 908 Jefferson, Ga. 30549 (706) 367-5233 I//J