About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 2018)
Nick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | life@gainesvilletimes.com She (Times gainesvilletimes.com Saturday, November 24, 2018 Photos by AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Deputy Kevin Snyder with the Hall County Sheriff laughs with a customer at The Honey Baked Ham Company while directing traffic on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Honey Baked Ham hires officers during the holidays to control traffic and watch for unruly customers. Meet Deputy Kevin Snyder, who works hard to keep Honey Baked Ham shoppers safe in the small lot BY LAYNE SALIBA lsaliba@gainesvilletimes.com Even though for his health he no longer eats ham, Dep uty Kevin Snyder of the Hall County Sheriffs Office shows up to The Honey Baked Ham Company on Thompson Bridge Road every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. He’s not there to stand in line because his wife told him to pick up the turkey — he’s there to protect those that are. “I’m here pretty much as traffic detail,” Snyder said. “It’s really tight quarters, and if I don’t keep the traffic mov ing, it will get jammed up and we’ll have an accident.” Honey Baked Ham has hired Snyder, along with other law enforcement, for the past nine years to help keep things under control at its store in Gaines ville that gets especially busy around the holidays. And for the volume the store sees, it’s a small space to control. The store and the parking lot both take up just a small corner on Thompson Bridge Road, so Snyder has to be there to make sure things flow. “I’ve never had a fender- bender in here in the time I’ve been here, so I’m doing good so far,” Snyder said, laughing. “I need some wood to knock on.” If it wasn’t for an old, shut down Citgo gas station next door, there would be people parking across the street at Publix, running across the street to pick up their Thanks giving Day meal. After nine years, Snyder said things have stayed mostly quiet as he’s been out at the store. It’s the interaction with all the customers he enjoys the most. “I like doing it, I love doing it,” Snyder said, as a customer drove by wishing him a happy Thanksgiving. “The people I get to deal with is awesome. And I’ve been doing it so long, I see the same patronus com ing out here year after year, so everybody knows me.” He said he hands out glow sticks to some of the kids who are there with their parents. “I’ll get out here and start carrying on with everybody coming in,” Snyder said. “It just livens up the place when you get along with everybody. ” And good thing Snyder is there to liven things up, because sometimes the line can wrap around the building with a 40-minute wait. That’s what Tom Fairbrother, gen eral manager, said happened last year. In his first Thanks giving as general manager, he made sure the store was prepared. “We’ve got nine people on three registers,” Fairbrother said. “You can move them right along and the line never backs up. There’s one on each side of the register, so one just scans and it keeps flowing.” He said “they made it sound scary,” but everything went well in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. “You just have to know what you’re doing and have a great staff,” Fairbrother said. “Just have an idea what you’re doing, and you’re good.” It also helps to have that deputy outside. Snyder said he’s usually out at the store anywhere between eight and 13 hours for two or three days around the holidays. The extra money in his pocket is nice and his hard work was rewarded as he got to spend Thanksgiving with family and get his hands on some of his favorite Thanks giving side dish — cranberry sauce. “Cranberry sauce, over everything,” Snyder said. “Well, sweet potato souffle, too. I like the sweet stuff.” Left: Hanna Grogan, left, presents a ham to a customer at The Honey Baked Ham Company on Thanksgiving eve. Below: Deputy Kevin Snyder directs traffic at The Honey Baked Ham Company. Snyder has been working the holiday rush for the past nine years and still enjoys it. FAITH EVENTS Mike Pardue. 5 p.m. Nov. 25. Old Nacoochee Baptist Church, 487 Hub Tatum Road, Sautee. 706-892-9236. Singles Enrichment/Empowerment. 9-9:45 a.m. Nov. 25, Dec. 23, Jan. 27, Feb. 24 and March 24. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 4000 Thurmond Tanner Road, Flowery Branch, mzbcinfo@yahoo.com. 2018 Festival of the Nativity. Display of more than 800 nativities. 6-9 p.m. Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 1.3-9 p.m. Dec. 2. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1234 Riverside Drive, Gainesville. 770-561-1199. Movie Night. 7 p.m. Dec. 1, Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 30. Chicopee United Methodist Church, 3 First St., Gainesville. 770-634-6803 or pegflute@yahoo.com. Christmas Lunch. Noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 8. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 4000 Thurmon Tanner Road, Flowery Branch. mzbcinfo@yahoo.com. Wishes and Candles. Christmas concert. 7-8:30 p.m. Dec. 8-9. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Sugar Hill Stake), 4833 Suwanee Dam Road, Suwanee. 404-375-7882 orcketchem@ ldspublicaffairs.org. Christmas Musical. 4-6 p.m. Dec. 9. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 4000 Thurmon Tanner Road, Flowery Branch. mzbcinfo@yahoo.com. Marriage Enrichment. 9-9:45 a.m. Dec. 9 and Jan. 13. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 4000 Thurmond Tanner Road, Flowery Branch. 770-967-3722 or mzbcinfo@ yahoo.com. Christmas Lessons and Carols. 8:45 a.m. Dec. 16. Cumming First United Methodist Church, 770 Canton Highway, Cumming. The LeFevre Quartet. 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Lighthouse Baptist Church, 329 Harmony Church Road, Dawsonville. The LeFevre Quartet and Sounds Of Jericho. 7 p.m. Dec. 28. The Venue at Christ Place Church, 3494 Atlanta Highway, Oakwood. Rethinking Retirement. Retreat to encourage and equip elders for the work of discipling the next generation. 9 a.m. Feb. 15 to 10 a.m. Feb. 17. Ark on Lake Lanier, 6250 Old Dawsonville Road, Gainesville. $150-400. Darrell and Dawn Ritchie. Noon Feb. 26. Concord Baptist Church, 6905 Concord Road, Cumming. ONGOING Celebrate Recovery. 6:15-9 p.m. every Friday. Dinner, large group service and small groups. Children’s ministry available for children of all ages. CrossBridge Community Church, 751 Ga. 53 E, Dawsonville. $2-3. 770-883-2576 or slreeves2@yahoo.com. Free clothing store. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday. Infant, children and adult clothing available for those in need. Donations appreciated. Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 7049 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch. 678-336-6964. Gentle Hearts Ministry Food Pantry. Distribution of food. 5-6 p.m. every Wednesday. St. Paul United Methodist Church, 705 Summit St., Gainesville. 770- 536-4910. Senior adult choir. 1 p.m. Wednesdays. First Presbyterian Church, 800 S. Enota Drive, Gainesville. Membership not required. 770-532-0136.
