About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2024)
W&t Srtncs gainesvilletimes.com Midweek Edition-March 6-7, 2024 Jim Massara Features Editor I 770-718-34211 life@gainesvilletimes.com Do the chocolate walk Paul Thomas Chocolates is one of the Dahlonega businesses that is part of this year’s Chocolate Crawl. File photo Celebrate sweets at Chocolate Crawl in downtown Dahlonega BY ERICA JONES ejones@dawsonnews.com Editor’s note: This published in a previous E-Paper edition and is being provided here for print- only readers. Through March 10, local chocolate lovers can satisfy their sweet tooth and explore down town Dahlonega, thanks to the town's annual “Chocolate Crawl'’ event. The annual event allows visi tors a chance to sample a wide range of chocolate treats from nearly a dozen of the downtown businesses. This year's partici pating businesses include: • Paul Thomas Chocolates • Bourbon Street Grille • Nighthawk Tavern • Connie's Ice Cream & Sandwiches • Dahlonega Fudge Factory • Spice & Tea Exchange • Picnic Cafe & Dessertery • Crown & Bear • Blue 42 Market • Tea Rabbit's • Shenanigans Irish Pub During the event, visitors can expect to sample a wide range of chocolate confections, including hot chocolate, pies, fudge, cook ies, drinks and more. The event is free and fam ily friendly. To participate, visitors can pick up a free “pass port,” while supplies last, at the Dahlonega Visitor Center through March 10. The passport includes a list of participating businesses and directions on how to navigate Dahlonega's downtown to get to each one. For more information about the Dahlonega Choco late Crawl event, go to https:// www.dahlonega.org/events/ festivals-and-annual-events/ dahlonega-chocolate-crawl/. Jessica Johnston Unsplash This annual event allows visitors to sample a wide selection of choc olates from multiple different establishments in Dahlonega. Pushpak Dsilva Unsplash The event is free and family friendly. To participate, visitors can pick up a free “passport,” while supplies last, at the Dahlonega Visitor Center. The passport includes a list of participating businesses and directions to each one. Jessica Loaiza Unsplash Know life has little guarantee Editor’s note: This is thesecondinatwo-paitseiies. Make no doubt about it: I was raised in a house hold of two of the most righteous people who ever lived. Both were mountain people who never gave a moment's thought to looking back at the mountain poverty they had escaped. Both came down, out of the hills, and built a better life for them selves. One that included bath rooms and heating that wasn't from a wood stove. But when the mountain people needed them, they were gone in a moment. One of Daddy's quirks was that his gas tank could never be less than three-quarters full. This was in the days when stations closed at 6 p.m., but it became a lifelong habit. “You never know when sumpin' will happen in the middle of the night and you gotta get to the mountains.” Daddy had no intention of becoming a bi-voca tional preacher. In fact, like many rural men, he ran from the calling for years. Then, one night at Aunt Ozelle's church revival, Daddy fell in the altar and surrendered. “When he come up out of that altar, I had no doubt that God had made a new man out of Ralph Satterfield.” Shortly, a tiny church in a county, fairly equally divided between righteous and renegades, called him to pastor tiny Mill Creek Baptist. He was ordained in a grueling service where other pastors grilled him on the Bible and his theological doctrine. This was years before I was bom, but I grew up hearing both loving and sad tales of that church. They loved so many there and, because Daddy had been bom into a band of renegades on his daddy's side, he had a powerful understanding of those who ignored the laws of the land. Moonshine. Murder. Gambling. He never judged. He just tried to steer them in the right direction and to church. Of all the tales, the most notorious was about four teenagers, drank, staggering into church, just as the old upright piano began to play, “Just As I Am.” Daddy stepped down from the pulpit and began his plea for the unwashed soul of any who had gathered. The boys laughed, mocking the preacher. His soft, green eyes watered as he humbly said, “If you don't know Jesus or where you will spend eternity, don't leave without making it right. The Bible says tomor row is not promised.” They'd had enough. From the back pew, still laughing and cursing, they stumbled out, into the warm August night. Later, some claimed to have heard the horrendous sound of metal and glass exploding as it wrapped around a tree next to a missed curve. Less than four minutes after stumbling out of church, all four boys were dead. This I don't know, but I suspect that Daddy sank down on the cement steps of the church, still in suit and tie, and dropped his head in his hands to pray and silently weep. Two days later, one of the boys' aunts made a scene when she marched into the church as Daddy stood over the casket to begin the service. A devout Christian woman, she burst through the door of the church and charged to the altar where she stopped and hauled back—and slapped the corpse across the face as hard as she could. She turned to those gathered and told them how he had laughed in the preacher's face two nights earlier. She said more. And it took ahold with at least one of her family. In the dusty, grassless, red clay dirt, they lowered the handmade casket. Daddy, broken-hearted, prayed, offered condolences to the family, then walked across the graveyard. “Hey, preacher, kin ya' wait up?” called the deceased's brother. Daddy stopped. The boy dropped his head. “Kin you pray for me? ‘Cause I wanna go where I know my brother ain't.” These words will stick to my heart always. Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of several books, including “What Southern Women Know About Faith.” Sign up for her newsletter at www.rondarich.com. Her column publishes weekly. RONDA RICH southswomen@ bellsouth.net EVENTS Inspired by Nature: The Works of James R. Darnell Art Exhibit. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through April 19. The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534- 2787, julie@theartscouncil.net. Free. Boot Barn Hall Blind draws on Wednesday and Sundays. 6:30 to 10 p.m. March 6,10. Boot Barn Hall (Gainesville), 312 JesseJewell Park way, Gainesville. Family Frolics. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 6. Elachee Nature Science Cen ter, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $0-$10. Homeschool Workshop: What is Soil?. 10 a.m. to noon March 6. Atlanta Botanical Garden Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. $10. An Evening with the Experts: An Art Collector and Investor Event. 7 to 9 p.m. March 7. The Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534-2787, julie@theartscouncil. net. Free. Hall Health Expo. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 7. Frances Meadows, 1545 Community way, Gainesville. 70-535- 6371,gracereed@gainesvilletimes. com. Free. Caffeine and Octane Lanier Raceway. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 8. Caffeine and Octane's Lanier Raceway, 5301 Winder Highway, Braselton. Sitting up with the Dead. 10a.m.to 10 p.m. March 8. Gainesville Branch Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011. $15. Early Blooms: Witch Hazel and Spring Ephemerals (Walking T our). 10 a. m. to noon March 9. Atlanta Botanical Gar den Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. $29 - $34. Pop up Fossil Exhibit with the Paleon tology Association of Georgia. 1 to 3 p.m. March 9. The Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 AcademySt. NE, Gainesville. 770-297-5900, info@ negahc.org. Free. United Way of Hall County’s 75th An niversary Gala. 6 to 10 p.m. March 9. The Boathouse at Lake Lanier Olym pic Park, 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville. 770-536-1121, kellison@ unitedwayofhallcounty.org. $75. 17th Year Church Anniversary. 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 10. Cornerstone of Faith Ministries, 3 First St., Gainesville. 470-556-5666, cornerstoneoffaith@ gmail.com. Free. Lula Cobb Memorial Car Show. 2 to 6 p.m. March 10.St. Paul United Meth odist Church, 272 W Academy St. NW, Gainesville. Book Folding Workshop. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 11. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 et. 4011, jcline@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. Eagle's Women’s Golf Chattahoochee Collegiate. March 11-12. Chatta hoochee Golf Club, 301 Tommy Aaron Drive, Gainesville. WHHS Art Exhibition. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 11-15. Flowery Branch City Hall, 5410 Pine St., Flowery Branch. Free. YAC. 4:30 to 5:30 p. m. March 11. North Hall Tech Center, 4175 Nopone Rd. Suite B, Gainesville. 770-532- 3311. Basic Building Blocks of Genealogy. 10:30 a.m. to noon March ^.Gaines ville Branch Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesvi lie. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011. Free. Special Needs Social Hour. 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 13. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, jcline@hallcountylibrary. org. Free. Lifelong Learners- Master Natural ist LITE. 10 a.m. to noon March 14. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535- 1976. $0-$10. Better Read Than Dead. 6 to 8 p.m. March 14. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, mbowen@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. Flowery Branch Winter Farmers Market. 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 14. Flowery Branch Farmers Market, 5210 Railroad Ave., Flowery Branch. 770- 967-6371, renee@flowerybranchga. org. Free. St. Patrick’s Day Market. 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 14. The Market Pavilion, 5210 Railroad Ave., Flowery Branch. Free. ONGOING Card workshop. 10a.m.to 1 p.m.first Saturdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532- 3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcoun- tylibrary.org. Discovery Saturday. 10a.m.to3 p.m. Saturdays. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Dr., Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $0-$10. Gentle Yoga. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.second, third and fourth Wednes days. Blackshear Place Branch Library, 2927 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville. 770-337-1572, dl9345@bellsouth. net. Free. Georgia Cross Stitchers. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. second Saturdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011; gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. Hip Hop Class Wednesdays. 4-5 p.m. (3rd to 5th Graders) through May 15. Gainesville Ballet Company, 971 River side Drive, Gainesville. 770-866-5353, info@gbcdance.com. $88. Inspired by Nature: The Works of James R. Darnell Art Exhibit. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through April 18. The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534- 2787, julie@theartscouncil.net. Free. LEGOCIub.4to7 p.m. Thursdays. North Hall Tech Center, 4175 Nopone Rd. Suite B, Gainesville. 770-532- 3311. Music Bingo. 7 to 9 p.m. every Thurs day. NoFoBrewCo. Gainesville, 434 High St. SW, Gainesville, topher@nofo- brew.co. Free. Northeast Georgia Writers. 1-3 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month. Gaines ville Downtown Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. talltaleswriter@gmail. com. Free. Trivia Night. 7-9 p.m.Tuesdays. NoFo Brew Co Gainesville, 434 High St. SW, Gainesville, topher@nofobrew.co. Free.
