About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2022)
Wednesday, March 16-17,2022 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B Escaping the chaos RONDARICH Columnist The clatter. The racket. The noise. The excitement. The angst. The constant beeping of text messages. The consis tent ringing of the landline. It was all too much. Chaos blanketed our nor mally tranquil home. Tink’s television series was in the full throes of production and there was constant commo tion. Horses that took off a-runnin’; actors with sore throats; rain when the script called for sunshine; actors who requested line changes in their dialogue. Tink is a pro. Easily, he caught the flying bullets. But me? I’d had enough of the ram bling disruption. “I’m goin’ to Mama’s,” I announced, throwing my note books and laptop into a crate. “I need some peace and quiet.” “Are you going to take her with you?” Tink asked, tossing his head toward my beloved dachshund, Dew Drop. “Yes.” He smiled. “And Biscuit can stay here with you.” Biscuit is our res cue beagle who dances around constantly with happiness. Most women go home to Mama when they’re escaping a husband or unhappiness. I go home to Mama’s when I need to crawl back into the simple raising of Rural Route One and push the noise of Hollywood behind me. The moment I pull into the driveway of that little abode where my dreams were born and I was sternly raised, an easy breath returns to my chest. There are the trees I climbed, the red and white glider where I sat to string beans in the dusk of summer evenings, and the front door where my college boyfriend kissed me “good night” as Daddy flipped on the porch light. It is my respite. The bricks and mortar where I run to push behind me the bright lights and over-rated glamour of the television business. It is ironic. In that little house, I used to sprawl on my belly in front of our RCA color TV with my face cupped in my hands while I daydreamed of being in the television busi ness. I suppose it was my gut’s compass for where I was heading. Then, the dream caught me and it’s not at all what my ten- year-old-self imaged. So, I frequently return to the roots of my raising and remember, sometimes emotionally, that little freckle-faced girl. Dew Drop was sniffing happily in the yard while I unloaded my things. I had much work to do and I was eager to dive in. In my way of thinking, I could do two days of work in two hours. I dashed out to the car to retrieve something just as a deputy’s car creeped by — then stopped, backed up, and pulled into the drive. It was Calvin, our local patrol. He is a gentle, Southern man with gracious manners and a drawl of kind ness. He often leaves us notes to tell us he is keeping an eye on us. “Hey there, Miss Ronda.” I walked over and squeezed the hand he offered through the window. “I wanted to check on y’all.” We talked of life’s surprises and disappointments; how strong sweet gum trees are and how hard it is to find hired help. Calvin had just left when I settled into the covered swing under the arbor of maples and began to write. Peeping between the cascade of leaves, I saw a white sedan pull to a stop. The door swung open. I knew the voice before I saw the face. “I thought you were here!” It was my cousin, Don. He settled on the swing to visit and said, “I don’t want to hin der you.” “Please stay,” I urged. “I may get a story.” An hour or two slipped by as we talked, an increasingly sweet calm creeping over me. I waved as he left, thinking about all the times that folks dropped by the house. Just to say “hello.” Like Calvin and Don. Hollywood ain’t what I thought it’d be. But home will always be as I remembered. Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of Let Me Tell You Something. Visit www.rondar- ich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. Have an Italian appetizer night in ADLEN ROBINSON Columnist Probably my favorite type of dinner to have is an appetizer dinner, which we have always called a “snack dinner.” I love an Italian themed snack dinner most of all—one where you can make a few hot appetizers and then pair them with an easy-to-put-together charcuterie board. Add a good bottle of red wine, and you are set to have a delicious dinner—perfect for nibbling on while watching a good movie or sitting in front of a cozy fire—or both! Mushroom and Fontina Crostina • 1 baguette, sliced • 5 tablespoons olive oil • 1 !/2 pound mush- rooms, sliced (gourmet blend if available) • 2 tablespoons but ter • 2 small shallots (or 1 large), finely minced • 1 clove garlic, finely minced • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves • 3 tablespoons dry white wine • Pinch of salt and pepper • 1 Vi cups Fontina, shredded • 1 Vi tablespoons parsley, finely minced Brush baguette slices with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Toast lightly on both sides. In a skillet, melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add gar lic and thyme and cook another minute. Add white wine and salt and pepper. Cook another minute. Spoon mush room mixture on top of toasted baguette slices. Top each with some shredded Fontina and broil until cheese has melted. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve. Roasted Eggplant Caponata • 1 ¥i pound egg plant, cut into 1-inch pieces • 6 tablespoons olive oil • Salt and pepper • 3 stalks celery, finely chopped • 1 red onion, chopped • 1 cup tomato sauce • 1 cup green olives, chopped • 14 cup capers, drained • 1 tablespoon sugar • 'A cup white wine vinegar • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped • 14 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped Preheat oven to 425-degrees. In a bowl, toss the eggplant with 5 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, turn ing halfway through. Meanwhile, heat remain ing tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium- high heat. Add celery and onion and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce, green olives, capers, sugar, white wine vinegar and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then add the roasted eggplant. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in pars ley and basil. Serve warm or at room temperature with crackers or sliced baguette. Mortadella and Prosciutto Stuffed Pizza • 1 ball of pizza dough, store- bought or home made • 3 tablespoons olive oil • Coarse flaky salt • 14 pound provolo- ne slices • Vi pound prosciut to, thinly sliced • Vi pound mort adella, thinly sliced • 1 ¥1 cups baby arugula, stems removed Place pizza dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 V2 hours. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Roll out the pizza dough to an 1 l-inch circle. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in hot oven, on a pizza stone if you have one, for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and slice it horizon tally with a serrated knife while it is still hot. Layer on the provolone, pro sciutto, and mortadella. Top with arugula and then replace the top of the pizza crust. Let sit for 5 minutes, then slice and serve. Tips for Creating Charcuterie Board • Choose a lovely wooden board or platter to serve your charcuterie on. I have one that a close friend gave me that is round, wooden and swiv els. • Choose three or four different cheeses—vary them by texture and taste. Pick a soft cheese, such as brie or camem- beit, a hard cheese, such as cheddar or Gruyere, a semi- soft cheese, such as mozzarella or fontina, and a pun gent cheese, such as a blue cheese or a Stilton. • Add various pre cut salamis, or rolled up deli meats. • Place a few small bowls on your board and fill them with toasted nuts, and some fig or raspberry pre serves. • Arrange a variety of crackers on the board or in a bas ket next to the charcuterie board. You can also include some toasted baguette slices. • Include some olives—green or kalamata, or a combination. • Pick out some pickled vegetables and/or some cor- nichons. FROM 1B Hartley applied his talent, skills and experience to be a crit ical part of an elite group of performers. While Hartley still has important group perfor mances to attend, such as the DCHS Symphonic Band’s Large Group Performance Evaluation next week and Spring concert later on, his final All- State experience was a culmination of his individu al growth and hard work. “Back in eighth grade at my first time audition ing...I got into the audition room and messed up my scales horribly,” Hartley said. “I learned that scales were the main thing that I really needed to work on. I needed to practice things that I don’t enjoy as much so I can get better at the things I do enjoy.” Hartley’s focus on the fundamental aspects of playing his instrument has helped him not only with his individual performing but also in becom ing a leader within the DCHS band. An astute sight-reader, Hartley learned that the confidence he needed for All-State is an invaluable part of helping the DCHS band navigate the often challenging path that LGPE sight-reading presents. “I just try to help my people follow along if they get lost and show them where it is that I am play ing,” Hartley said. “I realized [at All-State] that if you become shy about what you’re doing, you mess up more. If you exude confidence, it’s a lot better.” As for the future, Hartley has a unique avenue he wants to take to apply his music skills. Inspired by the likes of Aaron Copeland and John Williams, Hartley is pursuing a career in film and theatrical music composition. He is already taking composition lessons with a private teacher and is learning how the structure of music operates. Last year, Hartley won the 2021 GMEA compo sition competition. Currently, Hartley is observing how scores can reveal a character’s depth — through the detective comedy-drama Monk. A leitmotif he heard in the television show was “Trudy’s Theme”, named after the main character’s deceased wife whose murderer is sought after for the entirety of the series. “I am learning more about how you develop ideas and how those ideas can be put together,” Hartley said. “My mind kind of works like there is a ton of stuff going on at one time, so it’s good to try to focus that down and have ideas that are not cluttered together.” Hartley will leave DCHS as one of the most dec orated musicians in school history. FROM 1B Baseball the Tigers offense expand the lead, with Cramer hit ting a two-run single, Andrew Burt following up with an RBI single and Glass helping his own cause with a two-run hit of his own. In the top of the fourth inning, Joshua Priest would come in to relieve Glass and would steady the ship with four strike outs of his own in two innings pitched. By the end of the game, Nick Mullinax and Colton Rucker led the Tigers by each having four runs, despite only having a single hit between them. This showed both their will ingness to take walks and awareness on the base- paths. With the wins, Dawson County moved to 8-4 overall on the season. This week, the Tigers will play White County and host two of those three games. The first game will be Monday, March 14 at home, followed by a game on the road Wednesday and the final game at home on Thursday. FROM 1B Seniors able to improve as a result of that constant reflection. “I like being by myself for sure. [Singles] is a smaller court, so I know I have to get every ball,” Smith said. “Whenever I play doubles for fun...I kind of go for everything even when I’m not sup posed to, so it messes me up.” As part of a group that has gone undefeated in team play so far this sea son, Smith has shown growth both in physical and mental aspects of her game. One strength that she highlighted was her finish ing shots, which have allowed her to build up points quickly without hav ing to be stuck in long ral lies. Her prowess from the baseline has paired well with an improved sense of confidence, having faced occasional struggles last season due to placing pres sure on herself within games and sets. “The most improved part of my game is definitely [avoiding] getting in my head,” Smith said. “I would just get upset with my play ing skills and it was just a downhill spiral from there.” She has credited her suc cess this season with her ability to move past small mistakes within a match so that the focus can remain on the bigger picture. By not getting upset at herself, Smith has been able to find consistency. Smith has already achieved the goal she set for herself at the beginning of the season by winning a majority of her matches. Outside of tennis, Smith is a member of several school clubs and is an active member of her church, playing guitar at services there. She plans to attend Auburn University for an undergraduate degree in a Pre-Physician Assistant career track before attend ing PA school afterward. Swafford’s tennis career has largely hinged on fami ly and friends, with his cousin signing him up for the sport his freshman year. After joining the team, Swafford quickly partnered up with longtime friend Connor Scroggins. The two have formed a successful doubles team that relies on the natural communication between the pair. “Since ninth grade we have played every match together,” Swafford said. “He’s been my best friend since fourth grade.” The doubles partnership is a direct reflection of that friendship, with Swafford using his strong serve and Scroggins returning shots at the net to efficiently wear down opponents. Swafford has also improved his own game with the help of head coach Logan Allen. This year, Swafford is a part of the first senior class to play all four seasons under Allen. Those seniors have helped lead the boys team to an undefeated record so far, with the confidence of Swafford playing an important role. While he does not have any special equipment, Swafford does credit his signature white headband as a necessity on court. Part of the seniors’ suc cess has been in their camaraderie, with Swafford mentioning that he enjoys watching and learning from his team mates, especially Zach Friday. Outside of tennis, Swafford currently works as a staff member at Dawson County Parks and Rec and plans on working for his father’s company as an electrician after gradua tion. He also plans to introduce his future chil dren to tennis. FROM 1B Tennis teamed up for a 6-2, 6-1 win. With those wins, the Tigers remain undefeated in team play on both the boys and girls teams. The boys team is 8-0 while the girls stand at 7-0 due to one event being rescheduled. While both teams are still 4-0 in Region 7-AAA, there are some tough tests ahead. The Tigers will play on the road at Lumpkin County on Tuesday, March 15, before facing two more strong sides in North Hall and Cherokee Bluff. “We are really trying to get ramped up for this next week of competition,” Allen said. “I felt like they all had a good match today to go into that, so I feel like it was a good way to move forward into our really tough matches coming up.”
