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Page 12A — Wednesday, August 17, 2016 The True Citizen
4-H Wildlife Team named 3rd in nation
Taylor Mizelle, Lelan Eberly,
Ian Marchinton and David Ho
sier made Burke County 4-H
history this summer by earning
third place honors at the Nation
al Wildlife Habitat Education
Program Competition in Davis,
West Virginia.
Teams from 12 states from
across the nation competed
in the annual event, with Ten
nessee placing first and Texas
placing second.
Mizelle, who has been on
the Burke County 4-H Wildlife
Judging Team since it began a
few years ago, was confident
that her team would do well.
She was a little shocked, how
ever, when she was announced
as the third high individual in
the nation out of more than 40
competitors.
“Being awarded third place as
a team made me feel so proud to
be from Burke County... I knew
we had it in us all along,” said
Mizelle. “Winning third place as
an individual, however, was the
most shocking and exhilarating
experience. I never expected
that to happen for me on a na
tional level.”
The team started their historic
journey by winning first place
at the Georgia 4-H Wildlife
Competition back in October,
earning themselves a trip to
nationals. Hard work and long
hours of practice between the
state and national competitions
helped these young people to
achieve high scores in wildlife
identification and habitat man
agement practices that helped
them edge ahead of many of the
other teams.
“I could not have been more
proud of our team for the effort
they put into preparing for this
competition and the success
they achieved,” said county ex
tension agent Rebekah Greene.
“Having never been to the
national competition, we had a
long climb to figure out the con
Burke County 4-H Wildlife Team members are, from left, Ian
Marchinton, Taylor Mizelle, Lelan Eberly and David Hosier.
test format and learn new mate
rial in just a few short months.
These four young people have
worked tirelessly to learn a lot
of material in a short amount
of time.”
Eberly, who competed in
wildlife judging for the first
time this year, credited a lot of
the success of the team to its
coaches.
The team was coached by
husband and wife team, Buck
Marchinton and Dee McKin
ney. Marchinton is a wildlife
biologist with the Department
of Natural Resources, so his
knowledge definitely helped
the team to be well prepared,
Greene said. McKinney has
many years of experience
teaching and making study
guides through her role as an
associate professor at East
Georgia College.
The team also had lots of
support locally and from across
the state. Businesses and orga
nizations who helped sponsor
the team were the Georgia 4-H
Foundation, the Georgia Chap
ter of The Wildlife Society, Bet
ty Marchinton, Walmart, KJ’s
IGA, Zaxbys and McDonalds.
In addition to the educational
day and contest days planned
for them in West Virginia,
the team also participated in
educational tours of the Western
North Carolina Nature Center
in Ashville and the Tennessee
Aquarium in Chattanooga to
help expand their knowledge
of wildlife.
The team wrapped up their
trip at State 4-H Congress in
Atlanta where they were rec
ognized at the Annual State 4-H
Banquet for being the top wild
life judging team in the state.
A chance meeting a year
ago between Sardis resident
Brenda Aiello and country
crooner Amy Taylor led to a
benefit concert for the town’s
beloved old school. Aiello, a
member of The Old Sardis
School Restoration Commit
tee (OSSRC), remembers
meeting Taylor at a wedding,
and she reached out to the
Nashville recording artist in
hopes to raise funds for the
school. Not only did Taylor
eagerly agree, but Aiello said
she asked if she could bring
friends. Taylor, along with John
Brown and Coty James (and
even a cameo by hometown
police officer Mark Gatlin)
hit the stage in Sardis last
Saturday, bringing in money
that will go toward restoration
plans for the school which
currently serves as a com
munity center and food bank. “We are doing this for our school and most importantly,
for our community,” Aiello said, adding with a laugh, “We don’t want to hear anyone say,
‘There’s nothing to do in Sardis,’ anymore.” Fundraising efforts continue for the old S.G.A.
grounds, that is also home to the annual Frog Wallow Festival. For more information,
visit the OSSRC’s Facebook page https://rn.facebook.com/Sardis-Community-Center-
Sardis-Georgia-176542856053959. To make a donation, visit the group’s fundraiser
page, https://www.gofundme.com/2cgghb6k. Pictured above, Amy Taylor gets ready to
sing one of her smash hits.
2016
Left - Right: Front row: Emily Dixon, Gayla Landing, Abbigail Adams, Elaina Hirst hauer, Abby Scott, Caroline McTeer, Anna Marie Blackburn, Taylor Boswell, Caroline Cates, Abby
Dixon, Aland Mims, Halle Sasser, Makenzie Brocato. Row 2: Madison Mobley, Collier Smith, Joseph Jenkins, Jaylon Glisson, Casey Quick, Tyson Post, Kyler Deason, Mason Boswell,
Slake Harrison, Gracy Mulling. Row3: Hunter Woods, Carlos Bargeron, Ryan Duffle, Alex Hickman, Landyn Dunn, Daniel Meeks, Will Jenkins, Gatlin Jenkins, Row 4: Ashley Clark,
Mi chae i Fla kes, D a fto n J a c k son, J oey Wa I f, Pa rke r T ho mpson, Myl es B urn ette, Tre nt Harri s, Tri p p Pa rker. Row S: Jordan Wa Iden, Garret Ri c hards, Joh n 8 rag g, Ch r is top h e r Coo per, Col e
Lewis, Tucker Brown, Tyler Rich, Ray Myers, Back: Taylor Gay, Sally Kate Blackburn, Coach Chance Cofield, Coach Ben Skinner, Coach Charlie Fales, Coach Aaron Phillips,
Coach Rick Hopper, Caitlin McDonald, Aubrey Northcutt,
www.mizelIford.com Umm
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