Newspaper Page Text
Spring great time
to visit Stone
Mountain Park
OR 7-year-old Jake Myler,
the best part of his visit
to Stone Mountain Park
was playing in The Bam. He loved
running and climbing and throw
ing the balls. His day at the park
included several visits to The Bam.
As for 8-year-old Sarah Minish,
she enjoyed taking the skyride to the
top of the moun
tain and seeing
the pretty view.
She also had fun
sitting on the
mountain and
having a snack
with her friends.
For me, the
best part of the
day was watch
ing the joy and
excitement
Sarah and Jake had as we covered
as much ground as possible during
our day-long visit to Stone Mountain
Park. There is so much to do that
you could easily stretch your visit
over several days in order to experi
ence everything. It’s easy to see why
Stone Mountain Park is listed in
Frommer’s “500 Places to Visit With
Your Kids Before They Grow Up.”
Flowers are blooming, the weather
has warmed up which make spring
the perfect time for a visit to Stone
Mountain Park. Stone Mountain is
the state’s most visited attraction, as
well as being the world’s largest piece
of exposed granite rock. Just an hour
drive away, it makes a perfect get
away for North Georgia residents.
Several new attractions are offered,
including “Journey to the Center
of the Earth,’’ a 3D movie with 4th
dimension special effects. This film,
starring Brandon Frasier, follows
three adventures which captures
the beauty and grave danger deep
beneath the Earth’s surface. It’s a real
treat for all ages and a great way to
cool off after being out in the heat.
The Great Bam features super
slides, climbing structures and lots of
interactive games. The kids really love
climbing, sliding and playing in this
huge bam. The parents also get a few
minutes to sit on one of the benches
and catch their breath before heading
out for more adventure at the park.
We also took enjoyed “Ride the
Ducks,’’ which includes a journey
on land and water through the park.
Kids and adults alike will love
Sky Hike. This quarter of a mile
family adventure course has three
trails to choose from: a 12 foot trail
for beginners, a middle 24 foot
high trail for the courageous and
the super challenge trail at nearly
40 foot high or more than four sto
ries tall, for the true daredevil.
No trip to Stone Mountain is
complete without going to the top of
the mountain. The Summit Skyride
provides a spectacular view of the
Confederate Memorial Carving, as
well as the Atlanta skyline. You can
spend as much time as you would
like on top of the mountain. We
bought some snacks and found a
great spot to enjoy the view and relax.
Other attractions include: a train
ride, putt putt, riverboat ride, Sky
Hike and Camp Highland Outpost,
Antebellum Plantation and Farmyard
and plenty of entertainment options.
The park has plenty of picnic areas,
as well as several snack shops and
restaurants. We always enjoy lunch
ing at Miss Katie’s and this visit was
no exception. For some wonderful
southern cooking, it is the place to
visit. Everyone gets a hearty sample
of sweet potatoe fries, fried onions
and fried pickles, as well as one of
the scrumptious homemade rolls
that is tossed to you. We all caught
our rolls and buttered them off for
a great start to our meal. The kids
loved the mini comdogs, while the
adults enjoyed the com on the cob,
turnip greens, baked beans and
garlic mashed potatoes with gravy.
They also have wonderful sweet
tea, another southern favorite.
Admission prices: Adventure Pass-
Adults $26/$21 children 3-11 (tax not
included). Mountain Memberships-
Adults $52/$42 children 3-11 (tax not
included). Family Value Pass- four
one-day Adventure Passes, four meals
$109 (tax not included) purchase
online only. Parking is $8 per vehicle.
For more information on Stone
Mountain Park attractions and hours
of operation, call 770-498-5690
or check out the website at www.
stonemountainpark.com.
Angela Gary is associate editor
of The Jackson Herald and editor of
The Banks County News. She can be
reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.
INSIDE: ‘Road to Recovery’ training ahead in Jefferson — page 4C
April 15,
2009
0 The Jackson Herald
Jana Adams Mitcham,
Features Editor 706-367-8760
jana@mainstreetnews. com
Section C
WINNING DRILL TEAM
Members of the JHS AFJROTC Drill Team that won third at the Air Force National Eastern Drill Meet: (L-R), Gorge Rodriguez, Amber
Simerly, Emily Mitchell, Miguel Rodriguez, Timmy Warren, Matthew Tillman, Lance Wilson, Brian Herron, Hannah Botts, Milan Patel,
Andre Gonzales, Clay Gooch, Derrick Alderson and Miranda Bellew. Instructors are Major Bryan Watson and Chief Master Sergeant
Budell Willis. Photos courtesy of JHS AFJROTC
What about
JHS AFJROTC?
Following trip to nation’s capitol, instructor
shares details about the three-year-old program
D URING JEFFERSON High School’s spring break, members of
the JHS Air Force JROTC team loaded up into a school bus and
traveled 1,300 miles round-trip to compete at a national drill
meet and to spend some time at the nation’s capitol. The drill team brought
home a third place win, as well as individual wins. Here, Major Bryan
Watson, who serves as a JHS AFJROTC instructor along with Chief Master
Sergeant Budell Willis, shares some details about the trip, as well as about
the program, now in its third year.
•What is the mission for the AFJROTC program at JHS?
The mission of the AFJROTC Program is to “develop citizens of charac
ter dedicated to serving their nation and community.” The mission of JHS
AFJROTC is to educate and train students to be successful and productive adults
upon graduation from Jefferson High
School; to instill a sense of patriotism
and service to country; promote per
sonal responsibility; build teamwork;
and provide instruction in basic mili
tary skills.
•How is it affiliated with the Air Force?
The Air Force provides the textbooks/curriculum, uniforms, a large part of
the electronic equipment and the initial start-up equipment for drill and color
guard teams. The initial start-up contribution of the Air Force is $102,000, with
a recurring annual contribution of $72,500. The Air Force provides guidelines
on how to operate the program and supports the cadets with many opportuni
ties to participate in programs across the nation. This includes to Cadet Officer
Leadership Schools held in the summer and AFJROTC Honors Camp, which
is held in New Mexico and Oklahoma. The Air Force covers the expenses for
cadets to attend these camps, so they are open to all that qualify.
•How many students are now in the program? How have those
numbers increased in the past three years?
There are 85 students in JHS AFJROTC. We have seen an increase of about
five percent each year. Current enrollment for next school year shows a signifi
cant increase of about 20 percent, which is due to students seeing the accom
plishments of cadets in JROTC and wanting to be part of this.
•How many instructors are there?
There are two instructors at JHS. Once you go over 150 students in the class
room you can hire an additional instructor with AF support.
•How did you get involved in JROTC?
Major Watson: In the late 1990s, I realized that I wanted to work with young
men and women while still in the Air Force. While I was at the University of
continued on page 2C
Q & A
VISITING THE WHITE HOUSE
The Jefferson High School AFJROTC group is shown at the
White House after touring the inside of it.
JHS AFJROTC DRILL TEAM
The Jefferson High School AFJROTC drill team is shown compet
ing at the Air Force National Eastern JROTC Drill Championships.
The local team won third place over teams from schools of all
sizes from across the country.
JHS AFJROTC earns third
place at national drill meet
T HE CADETS of the Jefferson High School AFJROTC Drill Team
finished third place at the Air Force National Easter JROTC Drill
Championships held in Upper Marlboro, Md„ during the JHS
spring break.
The team members that made history for the JHS AFJROTC were:
Miranda Bellew, Emily Mitchell, Gorge Rodriguez, Amber Simerly, Derrick
Alderson, Clay Gooch, Timmy Warren, Lance Wilson, Andre Gonzales,
Miguel Rodriguez, Milan Patel, Brian
Herron, Hannah Botts and Matthew
Tillman.
“I told you guys we would come
up here and win something!” stated
team commander Cadet Gooch to his
teammates. “We worked hard through
freezing cold weather and rain. We
deserve this. Thank you guys for com
ing up here and doing your best and
practicing hard. I’m so proud of you.”
Gooch had much to celebrate.
He won second in the Drill Team
Commander Division. The competi
tion was tough, with teams coming in
from New Hampshire to Miami, Fla.,
to compete for the best in the Eastern
U.S.
The Dragons did not let this affect
them, and they weren’t about to go
SECOND AT NATIONALS home empty-handed.
Team commander Cadet Clay “With the loss of two team members
Gooch of the Jefferson High three weeks before the competition, we
School AFJROTC is pictured had some big adjustments to make, but
after he won second place in the cadets put more time into prepar-
the Drill Team Commander ing and it paid off,” said Chief Master
Division at national competi- Sergeant Budell Willis,
tion. The Color Guard Team, including
Emily Mitchell, Gorge Rodriguez,
Hannah Botts and Gooch, won seventh place in the Unarmed Color Guard
event.
“These three years (in JROTC) for me have been the best, and winning here
at nationals was awesome!” exclaimed Cadet Mitchell.
Mitchell and two other members of the team saw their last competition as
they will graduate this year, but they will be remembered as charter members
of JROTC at Jefferson High School.
Mitchell summed it up: “We did great, and you guys will do great next year,
as well.”
“These young men and women worked hard and came home with something
to be proud of: A sense of pride and winning spirit,” Chief Willis added.