Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, January 04, 2023, Image 11

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Dawson County news., January 04, 2023, Image 11

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Newspaper Page TextWednesday, January 4,2023 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B Everyone comes with If your path has ever crossed with mine, if we have ever spent more than 10 minutes in con versation, or your mama ever stopped me in the grocery store, there is an excellent chance that you’re in a story. A stranger pulled up beside me on a sidewalk the other day. She didn’t begin with “Hello” or “ Are you who I think you are?” She just plunged in. “I’m halfway through the book about your mama and I can tell you this: she’s just like my mama.” She then dug digger into the story. “One time, my mama was called to be on a jury. We lived in a small town where it was hard to put a jury together because everybody knew each other. And, most of us was kin in some way or the other.” The attorneys begin questioning the prospec tive jurors. “Do you know the defendant?” asked one to the mother’s woman. “Well, I know him but I don’t know him. Not good. When he got mar ried, I bought them a weddin’ gift. I don’t know if he’s still married to her or not. But last I heard, he was.” Since the pickings was slim, the woman was selected for the jury. “From then on, every time Mama saw him she would say, ‘I remember when I was on the jury and they drove us by the place where the crime was committed.’” Some stories aren’t worth the tellin’ or the hearin’. Sometimes, when I’ve finished a speaking engagement and am at my book table, signing books, someone will burst into the front, slam their hands down on the table, and announce, “I’ve got a story I have to tell you.” If the story is more than 10 seconds long - and it always is - I will say, “Would you mind waitin’ until I finish here?” Sometimes, the story is hardly worth the trouble. But sometimes ... Once, a man had accompanied his wife through the line, to get her books signed. It was an event to celebrate can cer survivors. As I signed her books and talked, he waited for an opportunity then said quietly, “Lewis Grizzard was a good friend of mine. We worked together.” Now, that caught my ear. I looked at the line of people, at least an hour long then, and asked, hopefully, “Would you mind waiting until I fin ish? I would love to hear anything you have about Grizzard.” Kindly, the gentleman stayed, talking to Tink until I was available. I peppered him with ques tions and he patiently answered. It is a sadness to say that the years are quickly dwindling down the num- ber of people who remember humorist Lewis Grizzard. He was a pio neer in the art of Southern storytelling in newspa pers. He made it look so easy. Sometimes it is. Usually, it isn’t. I discovered Grizzard when I was 16 and he published a book called Don’t Sit Under The Grits Tree With Anyone Else But Me. A boy in my Sunday School class gave it to me for Christmas and it turned out to be the gift RONDARICH Columnist a story that would last a lifetime. I became a devoted reader of Grizzard’s columns in the Atlanta Constitution and he, unbeknownst to him, became my mentor. Grizzard had a nose for a story, an instinct for the tale’s moral and equal doses of cynicism and humor to decorate it entertainingly. Plagued with lifelong heart woes (both physical and emotional), Grizzard died at age 47 in 1994 during an open-heart sur gery which he had been warned that he was unlikely to survive. I cried for two days but my grieving has never ceased. It’s getting increasingly hard to find folks who knew Grizzard or can share insights with me. But if you’re one, don’t hesitate to step in front of the line or stop me on the street. I’m always looking for a good Grizzard story. Ronda Rich is the best-sell ing author of What Southern Women Know About Faith. Visit www. rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly news letter. FROM 1B Events Ethan Smith and Anna LeCave. At the state finals, the girls 4x400 group finished fourth in all of Class 3A after breaking a school record while the girls 4x800 team finished sixth. Individually, Smith finished fifth in the 800-meter race and LeCave fin ished sixth. Volleyball has winningest season, makes state tournament The DCHS volleyball team had its winningest season in program history, finishing the 2022 season with a 26-18 record and making the state tournament. Throughout the season, the Lady Tigers established themselves as force in Region 7-3A, winning matches against eventual region champion White County during the regular season. Four players from the team earned All-Region honors — Abby Felkai, Kirklyn Porter, Megan Roche and Emerald Sallee. DCHS alums hired as head coaches A pair of former Dawson County student-athletes earned positions as coaches, with Logan Burt hired as head baseball coach and Will Anglin hired as head girls basketball coach. Cheer team wins 21st region title A year after winning the class 3A state championship, the DCHS com petition cheer team won its 21st Region 7 title under head coach Kim Fleming. Smith and Cranford named DCN Athletes of the Year At the second annual Athlete of the Year event hosted by DCN, track and cross-country athlete Ethan Smith and cheerleader Caroline Cranford were named Athletes of the Year. Smith broke school records as a Tiger, most notably the 800-meter run time. In that event, he has two career top-6 finishes at the class 3A champi onship. He won numerous regular season races in that event and was an integral part of multiple relay teams. Cranford was a leader of the 2021 state championship team, named as an All-State cheerleader as well as the Class 3A cheerleader of the year in 2021. Hughes named all-state golfer, finishes 6th at state DCHS golfer Alex Hughes capped his Tigers career in top form, placing sixth at the class 3A state champion ship with an overall score of 1-under par. He was then selected to the All- State team. New homecoming king and queen named At halftime of the Dawson County football game on Sept. 23, seniors Trinity Cruse and Macy Clark were named as DCHS homecoming king and queen. The son of Justin and Jaclyn Cruse, Trinity is a member of the DCHS soccer team, National Honor Society, Beta Club, an officer for the Key Club and treasurer for the Future Business Leaders of America chapter. Cruse plans to continue his educa tional path with the hopes of attend ing the University of Georgia on a Pre-Med track, working toward the medical field. The daughter of Andy and Charity Clark, Macy is the active president of FBLA, vice president of NHS and will be traveling to Europe next summer as part of the International Club. Clark plans to attend college to work toward a degree in health pro motion to become a hospital admin istrator. FROM 1B Boys points this season, but there has been a gradual increase in consisten cy from others. Most recently, Nick Bellinger helped keep the Tigers’ spirits high during the game against Flowery Branch. For every basket the Falcons scored to extend their lead, Bellinger would increase his aggression down the court, finishing with 10 points. Aspen England has also been a key contributor, bringing plenty of energy when the starters are in need of rest. His defensive efforts have been sig nificant in helping the team maintain leads. One other important player is fre quent starter Owen Walls, whose rebounding skills have often helped take the load off Harvey, who regular ly reaches a double-digit rebound total. All of these efforts tie back to the overall message put forth by the play ers at Winter Media Day — that everyday improvement takes priority over the statistics. “Our short-term goal is getting bet ter everyday and coming in with the best attitude and best effort we can give,” Reed said. “Whether that leads to wins or losses is out of our con trol.” So far within Region 7-3A, the Tigers have a 1-2 record but have shown an ability to compete against all three teams. Against West Hall, Dawson trailed by eight points at halftime before leading during the third quarter. A late rally by the Spartans would give the Tigers a loss in their region open er. Dawson would visit Gilmer three days later, holding a lead at halftime before ultimately falling short. The Tigers would later earn their first region win against Pickens. The Tigers have a tournament in Dalton this week and a game in Chattanooga, Tennessee, next week before resuming their competition against Region 7-3A opponents. That game will be away at Lumpkin County on Tuesday, Jan. 10. FROM 1B Lady Tigers Lumpkin County in the next tourna ment game could be expected, the Lady Tigers got stuck in a rut and lost winnable matchups against White County in the third-place game and Westminster in the state playoff game. With the departure of just one player from last season’s roster, Dawson has become more skilled and mature over the past year — looking to avoid the consistency issues from last season. During last month’s Winter Media Day, senior Kirklyn Porter talked about another important element to the team’s growth — cohesion. “We are now working toward a common goal and we know each other very well,” Porter said. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time.” This year, even with early-season injuries taking out as many as three players at the same time, the entire squad has brought significant contri butions. From the timely shooting of Maddie Siuta and Emma Grace McCarron to the interior strength of Eva Bishop and Jaci Wilson, there has hardly been a player who has not played a pivotal role this season. In fact, there have been multiple games where all active players on the roster scored. While last season’s team showed glimpses of the team’s depth, this edition of the Lady Tigers has been well-rounded — giving ample sup port to offensive leaders Porter, Abby Samples-Slaton and Morgan Chester. Defensively, the team has placed emphasis on putting equal effort in the backcourt and the front. Speedy players like Kindra Coker and Anna Ayers have been as important to the defensive effort as players with more length. Now that the team has shown its versatility, the next challenge will be to make it to the state tournament — a tall task considering four other teams in Region 7 are ranked in the top 10 of Class 3A, according to MaxPreps. But Anglin believes that the team’s diligence and senior leader ship will help them maximize their potential this season. “Each and every player when [they] come into practice, it should be noticeable if someone is not working hard,” Anglin said. “I think that is absolutely a reflection of how the [seniors] come into practice.” Stew season is here Now that most days will be on the cool side for a few months, it is time to haul out your stock pot and/ or slow cooker and make a big pot of stew. Classic Beef Stew • 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into bite sized cubes • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 Vi teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon pepper • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 onion, chopped • 3 carrots, chopped • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 3 tablespoons flour • 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced • 8 ounces frozen pearl onions, thawed • 1 cup dry red wine • 4 cups chicken broth • 2 cups water • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cubed • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 4 ounces frozen peas • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped In a large stock pot, heat olive oil. Sprinkle the chuck roast pieces with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the meat until browned on both sides. Remove meat to a plate. Add butter to pot and then add chopped onion, carrots, and celery, cooking until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and cook another min ute. Add tomato paste and flour, stirring to combine. Add chicken broth, red wine, Worcestershire, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in a pre heated 300-degree oven for 2 hours. Add water and potatoes, mushrooms, and pearl onions and cook another hour until potatoes are tender. Add peas and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. ADLEN ROBINSON Columnist Slow Cooker Chile Verde Stew • 2 pounds tomatillos, papery skins removed and washed • 1 onion, chopped • 8 cloves garlic, peeled • 2 jalapenos, halved lengthwise, and seeded • 2 poblano peppers • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 3 pounds pork butt, cut into bite sized cubes • 1 Vi teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon pepper • 1 cup cilantro • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatillos, onion, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor. On the same baking sheet, add the jalapenos and pob- lanos. Broil the peppers until they are charred. Turn the poblanos to char all sides. Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Wearing gloves, peel the skins off of the peppers, dis carding the seeds from the poblanos. Add peppers to the blender and blend all until combined. Add the cilantro and oregano and pulse a few times. Set aside. Sprinkle pork cubes with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium high heat and working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Pour pork cubes into slow cook er and pour the sauce over all, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice or with com tortillas. White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew • 6 ounces cooked chicken sausage links, diced • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 1 onion, chopped • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 5 cups chicken broth • 3 cups water • 1 teaspoon salt • Vi teaspoon pepper • 2 bay leaves • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed In a stock pot, heat olive oil. Add celery, carrots, and onions and cook until vegetables are very soft. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add cooked sausages, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, bay leaves and apple cider vinegar. Cook for 30 minutes over medi um heat. Add white beans and cook another 15 min utes. Taste for seasoning. Lamb Stew • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into bite sized cubes • 1 onion, chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 1 teaspoon sit • Vi teaspoon pepper • 3 cloves garlic, chopped • 14 cup tomato paste • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika • 6 cups beef broth • 1 cup dry red wine • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 3 sprigs rosemary • 2 bay leaves • 2 pounds baby potatoes, halved • 'A cup parsley, chopped Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the cubed lamb on all sides. Remove to a plate. Add carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper to pot and cook until vegetables are very soft. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomato paste, cumin, paprika, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, bay leaves, and baby potatoes. Bring to a boil and then partially cover and cook until meat and potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour and 45 min utes. Alternatively, you can cook the stew in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours. Add parsley.