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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
GRANT WINNERS
Jackson EMC community relations representative Karen Ewing presents all the Bright Ideas grant winning teachers in Barrow County middle schools with
a check recognizing their innovative classroom projects. Pictured, from left to right, are: Karen Ewing, Jackson EMC; Ginger Crosswhite, assistant prin
cipal, Haymon-Morris Middle; Brad Bowling, principal, Westside Middle; Melissa Miller, teacher, Haymon-Morris Middle; Tina Kinchen, teacher, Westside
Middle; Dee DeBold, teacher, Westside Middle; Elizabeth Moore, teacher, Westide Middle; Christina Morris, teacher, Westside Middle; Hannah Croy, teacher,
Westside Middle; Holly Shepherd, teacher, Bear Creek Middle; Aprille Williams, teacher, Russell Middle; Leah Jordan, teacher, Russell Middle; Dr. Jennifer
Wood, principal, Bear Creek Middle; and Paul DeFoor, principal, Russell Middle.
8 Barrow teachers at 4 schools win grants
Jackson Electric Mem
bership Corporation (EMC)
recently awarded four Bar-
row County middle schools
$11,979 in Bright Ideas
grant funds for eight innova
tive classroom projects.
Barrow County Middle
School Bright Ideas Grant
winning teachers were:
Holly Shepherd, Bear
Creek, $1,285 for Grizzly
Garden; Melissa Miller,
Haymon-Morris, $954 for
Exploring Renewable Ener
gy; Elizabeth Moore, West-
side. $1,270 for Mobile Edit
ing; Christina Morris. West-
side, $1,532 for Un mundo
de la exploracion; Tina
Kinchen, Westside. $1,819
for 3D Physical Science; Dee
DeBold, Westside, $2,000
for Dragsters/Bridges; Leah
Jordan, Russell, $1,950 for
Audio Books; and Aprille
Williams, Russell, $1,169
for Media Maker Space.
In 2016, Jackson EMC
awarded more than $65,700
in Bright Ideas grants to 53
teachers in 29 schools across
its service area, marking
an increase of more than
$15,000 from 2015.
The Bright Ideas Grant
Program awards up to
$2,000 to middle school
teachers in the Jackson
EMC service area for inno
vative classroom projects
that would go unfunded
otherwise.
An independent judges
panel evaluates the applica
tions based on measurable
goals and objectives, inno
vation, student involvement
and implementation plans.
For more information on
the Jackson EMC Bright
Ideas Grant Program, visit
www.jacksonemc.com/
brightideas.
Book Review: ‘Rogue Lawyer’ by John Grisham
Reviewed by
June Smith
It seems plausible that all
of us have read at least one
of John Grisham’s many
novels. If you are like me,
I find his novels to be very
complimentary of lawyers in
general...that is, until this
one. Yes, there are some
rogue lawyers and Grisham
exposes many of their capers
in his latest novel, “Rogue
Lawyer.”
Grisham introduces us to
what appears to be a new
character, Sebastian Rudd,
whom I feel certain we will
encounter over and over in
future novels. Sebastian
doesn't have a brick and
mortar office but is a “mobile
lawyer:’ His office was fire-
bombed probably because
he offended gang members,
police, insurance compa
nies, other lawyers, and his
ex-wife.
He now operates out of
a bulletproof van packing a
pistol, sticking very close to
his paid bodyguard and liv
ing out of a different motel
room every night when he
is arguing his always contro
versial cases.
Rudd is not your typical
“smooth” lawyer. He works
only with his bodyguard,
swigs bourbon and patron
izes cage fights, known to
many as human cockfights.
But he is the lawyer you want
at your side when something
unpleasant hits the fan.
He loves taking on the
underdog because he feels
that’s who he is too. I found
myself cheering him on
more than once.
While the setting isn’t
clear, I’d guess its some
where in the Southwest with
in contemporary time. His
client is a brain damaged
18-year-old dropout named
Gardy who is accused of the
double murder of two girls
in a small town called Milo.
Gardy does not make a good
impression in the courtroom
because of his tattooed and
pierced body and his con
stant smirk. He appears to be
rough and unkempt.
Rudd is the only lawyer
for miles around willing to
defend him. Rudd just loves
the challenge of a fixed fight
having to “claw and raise
hell” in a courtroom. Gardy
gives him that opportunity.
His intellect and yet aloof
personality at times remind
ed me of House, the televi
sion doctor with a distinct
attitude.
The story is suspenseful
and at one point Rudd finds
himself interacting with a
serial killer who promises
to divulge the location of
the police chief’s missing
daughter. In that interac
tion, Rudd becomes a per
ceived threat to the police
force and becomes more
fearful of them than the seri
al killer. He proclaims that a
lawyer like him is forced to
work in the shadows since
the police often cheat and as
a result, he is forced to cheat
even more.
If you like Grisham, you
will find this novel one of his
finest. It’s a page turner with
all the usual roller coaster
situations that most charac
ters encounter in Grisham’s
novels. At this stage in his
writing career, it’s amazing
that he can still hook us with
his distinctive characters,
tricky legal predicaments,
and rewarding endings. This
is truly one of Grisham’s
best, so enjoy the read! I did!
June Smith is a retired
English teacher who writes
book reviews for The Bra-
selton News once a month,
Her email address is teach-
erjsmith@bellsouth.net
Area announcements
Holiday
giveaway
is Nov. 20
The Feeding the Multi
tude annual holiday give
away is set for Sunday, Nov.
20, at the Jefferson Civic
Center.
There will be a hot
Thanksgiving meal, clothes
closet, health and beauty
services, door prizes and
games and community ser
vices. The event is open to
the public and intended for
those in need.
Lunch will be served
from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Free
services will be offered
while supplies last starting
at 1:30 p.m. Doors open at
12:30 p.m.
For more information,
contact Porsha Williams at
678-763-8525 or Regina
Bush at 706-247-1984.
‘Turkey
Shoot’
planned in
Jackson Co.
The Jackson County 4-H
Archery team will hold a
“Turkey Shoot and Family
Fun Day” at 7 p.m. on Fri
day, Nov. 18, and at 9 a.m„
11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sat
urday, Nov. 19. The event
will be held at 167 Wages
Bridge Road, Athens.
The 18-meter indoor
FITA competition will be
open to all ages. The cost is
$10 per shooter.
On Nov. 19, there will be
inflatables and a mechanical
bull set up from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Wristbands for
these activities will be $10.
Vendor booths will be set
up with Christmas gift items
offered for purchase. Lunch
and drinks will be available
to purchase.
Drawings will be held for
give-aways. Tickets will be
$2 each or one ticket for
each donation to Jackson
County Family Connection.
Items needed for donation
include: Soap, deodorant,
shampoo, tooth brushes,
tooth paste, mouthwash,
pest control, lice treatments,
socks, underwear and gift
cards.
Pre-register for the event
at https://goo.gl/forms/
rJMUNbp41 cDrkV m 13.
The event will benefit
the Jackson County Family
Connection program.
For more information,
call Holly at 706-654-7236
or Melissa at 678-234-6657.
Parade set
Nov. 19,
entries
sought
“Centennial Christmas”
is this year’s theme of the
annual parade ushering in
the holiday season in Bra-
selton.
Parade entries will
assemble at the Braselton
Tech Center on Hwy. 53
on Saturday, Nov. 19, and
the parade winds its way
into the historic downtown
beginning at 10:30 a.m.
“We are excited to see how
entries will tie in our centen
nial celebration theme,” said
downtown director, Amy
Pinnell. “They might want
to depict a certain decade or
use a birthday theme - lots
of options. Prizes will be
awarded in three categories
- theme, spirit and best in
show. Parade entry forms
are available at www.down-
townbraselton.com or in the
downtown office in the Bra
selton Brothers center.”
Judges are charged to
consider several elements,
including festive colors,
materials, costumes, spon
sor signage or holiday greet
ing, props, craftsmanship
and creativity. The holiday
festival is staged in the Bra
selton Town Green, and the
Venerable Tams will per
form a free concert during
the afternoon hours.
For this and other events
in Braselton, visit www.
downtownbraselton.com
or call 706-684-0369.
Woman of the
Year luncheon
ahead Nov. 16
The Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce will
host its ninth annual Woman
of the Year Luncheon on
Wednesday, Nov. 16, from
11:30 a.m.-l:30 p.m.. at the
Commerce Civic Center,
located at 110 State Street.
Commerce.
Betty Cantrell. 2016
Miss America, is the key
note speaker for this year’s
Woman of the Year Lun
cheon.
In September of 2015,
Betty Cantrell, from War
ner Robins, became the first
Miss Georgia since 1953
to take home the crown.
As Miss America 2016,
Betty embarked on a year
of service that took her on
a national tour to educate
audiences on her plat
form — Healthy Children,
Strong America — encour
aging children to make
healthy choices and to stay
physically active. She also
continued to entertain the
nation with her vocal per
formances, as well as serve
as the National Goodwill
Ambassador for Children’s
Miracle Network Hospitals.
She grew up on a 700-acre
farm in Warner Robins and
aspires to one day perform
on Broadway. She plans
to perform at the Nov. 16
event.
For ticket and sponsor
ship information, contact
the chamber at 706-387-
0300 or email Leigh Carroll,
membership coordinator, at
lcarroll@jacksoncountyga.
com.
Braselton
tree lighting
is Nov. 12
Braselton concludes its
2016 movie season on Sat
urday, Nov. 12, with “Ice
Age: Collision Course”
under the town green’s
stars and hosts the annual
lighting of the town’s tree.
The festivities will be
staged on the Braselton
Town Green from 5-7
p.m. including food trucks
and concessions. Holiday
entertainment will show
case the town’s tree as
a special guest does the
honor of lighting it.
The movie is free to all
who are encouraged to bring
chairs or blankets. This and
other family-focused events
celebrating the town’s cen
tennial are at www.down-
townbraselton.com.
. . Save The Date , •
LJ 16th Annual LJ
Share the Blessing Event
Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016
11AM - 1PM
Winder-Barrow High School
272 N. Fifth Ave., Winder
FREE Services Available:
Hot Meal • Healthcare Services
Food Pantry • Toy Shop • Barber Services
Volunteer Opportunities!
Clothes Closet
Food Pantry-
Toy Shop
Kitchen Prep
Kitchen Serving
Volunteers Must
Register @
SpiritofSharinginc.org
or Call Towanna Johnson
678-602-0976
Donation Drop-Off Location
and Times:
White Oak Spring Missionary Baptist
Church
123 E. New St., Winder
9am to 12pm on Nov. 12,19,
and Dec. 3,10, and 17.
Items Needed:
Canned Goods, New or Lightly Worn
Clothing, Coats, New Toys and Toiletries
For donation information, contact
Albert Johnson, 770-851-2918,
Cassandra Harris, 706-461-0457 or
Towanna Johnson, 678-602-0976