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WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008 THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PAGE 5A Saturdays in the Park Countians visit Niagra Falls I can see it now! Saturdays in the Park! Vegetable trucks lining the square, older men in their suspenders and hats sit ting in the shade, ladies tapping on watermelons, smoke rising from the grill, a bit of music com ing from the Celebration Stand and friends catching up on the latest! The Downtown Development Authority board, has but one purpose, to make Homer a bet ter Hometown for you. It is a great little town but we have been working hard to spruce up our sweet Homer and it is starting to pay off for all the hard work that many people have put in. You may notice quite a bit of paint here, a new porch roof there, a few flowers in the park, cleared brush, new sidewalks, and lamp post that light up the night. And this June will start “Saturdays in the Park” for you to enjoy. Harmony Baptist Church is going to kick off the summer by providing breakfast, lunch and music. The farmers will be around the park with their produce that is picked fresh and local. Katherine Shubert always has a “mess” ready in bags for you! What the farmers garden has not yet produced, David and Katie’s will have all that you would need. They already have deli cious watermelons and Georgia strawberries! As the summer pro gresses, more and more vegetable, flowers, plants, fresh eggs, and homemade bread will be avail able. Harmony Baptist Church will be in the park the first and second Saturday in June and has many things planned for the money that they hope to raise. Their Youth Group needs another van as the first one is full to capacity, more sports equipment, music equipment, and sponsorships for camps. The Ladies Ministry has wonderful conferences and teas that they offer to the community. And the Vine Ministry, “I am the Vine, you are the branches...”, is going all out to meet the needs of the people. They will help pro vide food for Banks County as they partner with First Redeemer in Cumming, with their “There’s Hope for the Hungry” Ministry. A huge tractor trailer will pull up in the church parking lot, stocked full, and give out food freely to the hungry. Harmony Baptist wants to meet their physical need, offer financial counseling, and help them in their spiritual need. The Vine Ministry also looks for where God has an opportu nity ready to reach teens. They will go and play music the teens like, hang out with them, build relationships and share the gospel. Steve Tillia, a laymen in the church, seems to be on fire to touch the community. He is a fireman! For God by day and Gainesville by night. He shared a lot of things that the church is doing and said, “It shows that you care when you actually step out and do something for people.” I can hear Jesus say to Harmony Baptist, “When I was hungry, you fed Me. When I was thirsty, you gave Me drink. When I was rained on, you gave Me a new roof. When I was in need, you gave Me your last two dollars.” Glory Baptist Church will be in the park the third Saturday for their VBS kickoff. They always have many things for the kids to do on that day. It looks like a fun fest when you drive by and you just have to stop and join in on the fun! I know they would love for you to stop by! If Charlotte Maxwell is there, it’s guaran teed fun! You will just have to come and see and enjoy! Homer Presbyterian Church has a fundraiser the fourth Saturday in June, and will be ready to serve you! They will have just finished up their VBS and already starting on new projects and activities. Bill and Teresa Ford are some of the nicest and most genuine peo ple I know. The Church recently invited me and my daughter, along with 100 other mother and daughters, to their Mother/ Daughter Tea. It was the most meaningful event that my daugh ter and I have ever been to. They did not leave one stoned unturned, going above and beyond what they needed to do. It didn’t cost us a thing, and we received many blessings! The invitation was a cut out tea cup with the tea bag as the invitation! Cute, cute, cute! And, we will always cherish our geodes. The ladies had us break open this average looking rock but when you looked inside it was a beautiful crystal, showing how beautiful a mother daughter relationship could grow! The deli cious fest was wonderful and kept coming and coming. Thank you ladies for a beautiful evening! You made each of us in the room feel like the guest of honor! That’s what is happening in June! Anyone can join in on the fun! Whether you are a farmer, a church, a child or an adult, you can be a part of “Saturdays in the Park.” Remember, there is no charge at all. Churches and farmers keep 100% of what they make. Farmers: Bring your truck full of your harvest. It has to be grown in Banks County and on your farm. It is better for the economy to buy local and it’s about as fresh as you can get! Plus, it is just great fun to visit with everyone in the park. Churches: Call the Downtown Development Authority to sched ule your Saturday in the Park. 706.654.7288. The Presbyterian Church is graciously offering their Annex Parking lot (old Post Office) for you to set up your breakfast and lunch station. You will need to be open from 8-1:00 and provide a bit of live music. During breaks you can put in a CD for easy listening. A public restroom will be open downstairs in the Fire Station. Friends and Family: Come on down and support our local farm ers and businesses! Come early and get your fresh tomatoes, pole beans, corn of the cob, okra, cucumbers, and yellow squash. I saw my first squash on May 9th and I will have much more to come! Come by my stand and get you several baby ones. Cut it long ways, put a little butter and salt on it, and stick it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Yummy! Come on down each Saturday in the Park throughout the sum mer! Shop the vegetable trucks and local stores, grab a bit for breakfast and lunch, enjoy some music, see old friends, meet some new friends, and help the church es change lives along the way! Besides, there is nothing like a tomato sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise, salt and pepper, a tall glass of sweet milk, sitting on the porch swing with a cool summers breeze blowing through your hair! Everyone will be wait ing on you and I’ll bring the salt and pepper! Janice Tennent is a resident of Homer. She writes an occasional column about the people and places of Banks County. K enny and Joyce Crumley, along with Mary Parson, all enjoyed a trip last week to Niagara Falls in New York. They also crossed to the Canadian side of the falls. They returned home on Thursday afternoon. They all had a great time. Brenda and Billy Whitfield, along with the Austin, Calen, and Grayson, all enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend camping on the lake. Thanks to everyone who helped with Relay for Life. With your help, we raised over 47,000. This was more than $5,000 more than was expected to be raised. Thanks to all the survivors who came out to walk. We’re look ing forward to next year. If you missed the relay this year, make a note to be there with your team next year. Silver Shoals Baptist Church will hold VBS June 2 through June 6 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. Brent Cantrell was honored with a graduation party at his home on Friday evening after graduation. We wish him the best as he starts this new chapter in his life. The community was saddened to hear of the death of the mother of Edger Crow Jr. His mother, Gladys Crow, lived in Cornelia. Remember her family and host of friends when you pray. She will be greatly missed. Those in our community who are overseas fighting or state-side being trained to defend our coun- Dear Editor: I would like to commend Chief Gary Pollard of the Banks County Fire Department for standing up for what is right! He went to bat for a former employee and asked for permission to rehire her after being ordered to fire her recently due to her felony record. He was willing to put his reputation on the line for a woman who has proven to have given her all on the job and wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. I believe that her felony record should not block her from doing what she is trained and loves to do... The following local government agencies hold regular meetings which are open to the public: •Maysville City Council, 7 p.m., first Monday of each month at the Maysville Public Library. •Banks County High School All-Sports Booster Club, 6:30 p.m., first Monday of each month, BCHS library. •Maysville Planning and Zoning Commission, 7 p.m., last Monday of each month, Maysville library. •Banks County Planning Commission, 7 p.m., first Tuesday of each month at the courthouse. •Gillsville City Council, 7 p.m., first Tuesday of each month at city hall. A work session is held at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the try include: Gary Hogman, Jason Ledford, David Willoughby, Sgt. T.J. Brookshire, Kyle Delaigle, David McWhorter, John Groves III, Clint Medlock, Timothy Reems, Richard Davenport, Kyle Pilgrim, Russell Cantrell, Shawn McClure, Sgt. Amanda Justus, Matthew Sutton, Justin Johnston, David Puttnum, Alex Head, Tiffany Sorrows, James Sullivan and Mark Sullivan Jr. Those who are sick in our com munity include many who have cancer and need our prayers. Those on the sick list are: Barbara Sue Holcomb, Kenneth Parson, Carolyn Standridge, Julie Davenport, James “Shorty” Bellotte, Stephanie Randolph, Ray Bellamy, Robert Wood, Joe Vaughn, Cindy Hogman, Erika Barker, Gracie Turpin, the Rev. Leon Brown of North Carolina, Mildred Garrison, Perry Smith, Horace Whitfield, Penny McClure, David Dunson, David Campbell, Mae Chitwood Smith, Ruth Evans, Dristan Tyndell, Trinity Brown, Elizabeth Cook, Juno and Bobbi Samples, Cranford Smith, David Smith, Ruby Nix, Roy Broome, Royce Jones, Steve Fattig, the Rev. Leroy Burns, Blanch Burns, Odell Wade, Zine Bell Wade, Claudette Griffin, Loy Palmer, Van Chase, Allene Montgomery, Wayne and that is to fight fires! She has done her time and now deserves to be given an equal chance at being successful in life! Being gainfully employed with a meaningful career will allow her to pay taxes, proba tion payments and gain self-esteem that is crucial to reducing her risk of recidivism! We are building prisons in the state of Georgia faster than we can release inmates and taxpayers are the ones that are paying the price, so why wouldn’t we, as a society, want to invest in giving ex-offenders a chance to redeem themselves and pay back society? month. •Banks County Board of Education, 7 p.m., third Monday of each month at the BOE office. The work session is held on the Thursday prior to the regular meet ing. •Baldwin City Council, 7 p.m., second and fourth Monday of each month at city hall. A work ses sion is held at 6:30 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each regular meeting. •Homer City Council, 6 p.m., second Tuesday of each month at city hall. •Banks County Board of Commissioners 6:30 p.m. second Tuesday of each month at the Holcomb, Joshua Thomas, Dennie Maxwell, Karen Adkins, Angie Roach, Henry Galloway, Mrs. Bobby Blackwell, Mary Sims, Darian Gray, Jerri Gray, Frank Cronic, Dan Tomlin, Jerry Poole, Greg Baker, Cidney Wilson, Jeremy Gaddis, Johnny Westbrook, Tommy Gray of Cornelia, Jerry Carlan, Luther Campbell, Echo Evans, Carol Dean Beck, Johnnie Dalton, Allan Poe of Commerce, Chad Standridge, Scott McClure, Winford Baker, the Rev. Jerry Smith, Coy Marlow, Betty Griffin, Bennie Jackson, Clifford Wilson, Elizabeth Wilson, William Wilson, Christine Chitwood, Johnny Smallwood, Eddie Borders, Pauline Arfin, J.D. Pritchett. Crystal Medlock, Joann Broome, Michelle McClure, Mary Bell Echols and J.R. Boswell, Remember our family when you pray. If you know others who are sick, please call me so I can add their name to our prayer list. Happy birthday to: Michael Pace, Martha Campbell, Anita Bonds, Whitney Black, Angela Boling, David McWhorter, Twana Wood, John Owensby and Ricky Carroll. Happy anniversary to Daryl and Beth Gooch and Colby and Kathy Turpin. Willene Parson Boyle is a com munity columnist for The Banks County News. I am so proud of Chief Pollard and what he was willing to do and I know that he has made a difference in Banks County by helping this woman to regain her career! He has also changed the course of her life forever. Isn’t that what God com manded all of us to do? To love and forgive one another just like he forgave us? We could all take notes from Chief Pollard on how to stand up for what is right and to not give up when the going gets tough. Sincerely, Melisa Fincher Chairman, WCMTF courthouse. A work session is held at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the courthouse. •Alto City Council, 7 p.m., sec ond Tuesday of each month at city hall. •Lula City Council, 7 p.m., third Monday of each month at city hall. A work session is held at 11 a.m. on the Thursday preceding the regular meeting. •BJC Medical Center board of directors, 1:30 p.m., third Monday of each month in the conference room of the hospital. •Banks County Middle School Booster Club, 6:30 p.m., third Monday of each month at the BCMS lunchroom. janice tennent Letter to the Editor Commends fire chief Meetings citizens can attend in county News From Poplar Springs By Willene Parson Boyle GARDEN FRESH GOODS TO BE OFFERED Fresh vegetables will be offered at the park in downtown Homer on the first Saturday of each month. Local farms and business owners will be at the park. mainstreetnews.com Your patronage helps provide for those in need. * i i 1 i i 1 i i 1 i i 1 i i 1 i i 1 i i 1 s ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS Leslie M. Pitts, DMD Pediatric Dentistry 706-335-7793 215 Mercer Place, P. O. Box 1241 Commerce, GA 30529 Website: drlpitts.com Gmail: drlpitts@drlpitts.com Commerce First United Methodist Church Preschool Year 2008 - 2009 What we have to offer: • Half Day Preschool for ages 2-4 • Experienced Staff • ABEKA Curriculum • Bible lessons and Chapel time • Music and Movement classes • Monthly visit to the Library • Computers in 3 & 4 year old classes • Playground and gym Tuition from $120 to $160 per month plus registration fee For more information, call Preschool at (706) 335-9589 or stop by the school office.