About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2013)
PACE 6A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 201 3 Pruning fruit trees improves harvest Home fruit orchards are often neglected when it comes to the annual training and prun ing of the fruit plants. Without training and pruning, however, fruits will not develop proper shape and form. Properly trained and pruned plants will yield high quality fruit much earlier in their lives and live sig nificantly longer. A primary objective of training and pruning is to develop a strong frame work that will support fruit produc tion. Another goal of annual train ing and pruning is to remove dead, diseased, or broken limbs. Proper pruning and training also opens up the tree or plant canopy to maximize light penetration. The follow ing information describes the pruning process for blueberries and figs. Once your blueberry plants are established or if you have some older, overgrown plants, you will not need to prune them much until they reach six to eight feet in height. You will then want to begin a cane renewal program. You need to start by pruning out one to three of the largest canes each winter and cut them at anywhere from zero to twenty four inches from the ground level. Prune back any tall canes that can be cut back to six to eight feet tall. After repeating this process for about five years, the bush should be totally renewed. The results will provide new, more productive canes that will sprout from the old canes and will sprout below the ground level. The best pruning time for blueberries is in the late winter to early spring (February-March). Begin training your fig plants to grow in the bush form at the time of planting by cutting off one-third of the young plant. This forces shoots to grow from the base of the plant. Let these shoots grow through the first season. Then, late during the winter after the first growing season, select three to eight vigorous, widely spaced shoots to serve as leaders. Remove all other shoots. Be sure the lead ers you select are far enough apart to grow to be 3 to 4 inches in diam eter without crowding each other. If more branching is desired, head back the bush each spring beginning the second year after planting, after danger of frost is past but before growth has started. Do this by removing about one- third to one-half the length of the last year’s growth. Also, prune all dead wood and remove branches that interfere with the leaders’ growth. Cut off low-growing lateral branches and all sucker growth that is not needed to replace bro ken leaders. If you would like more informa tion on caring for fruits, stop by, email, or call the Banks County Extension Office - 413 Evans St.; bwaldorf@uga.edu; (706-677-6230). Bob Waldorf is the Banks County extension agent. Take part in survey of housing opportunities During the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4, Ninth District Opportunity, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, will be asking people in your community about their housing situation and various factors that affect people’s abil ity to obtain housing. A simple survey asking ques tions about your housing status on the night of Jan. 28 will be used to help legislators and ser vice providers determine the number of homeless and unsta bly-housed families in commu nities across the state and pro vide justification for financial assistance to these areas. Your participation in this project is cmcial to the people of your community leaders state. For more information, con tact Banks County Community Resource Center, 110 Shortest St., RO. Box 144, Homer, GA 30547, 706-677-3921 or by email at banks@ndocsbg.org. The survey will be available at your local Ninth District Opportunity, Inc. office, as well as partnering organization sites throughout the county. No names will be recorded and the survey will only take a moment to complete. Reading dub, free movie at Maysville Public Library Events coming up this month at the Maysville Public Library includes the following: •Thursday, January 10, 11 a.m., “Bookends” Reading Club. • Saturday, January 12,11 a.m., free movie, “Secret of the Wings.” •Tuesday, January 15, 22 and 29, 10:30 a.m., pre school storytime. •Tuesday, January 22, 5 p.m., “Mad-Hatter’s” Knitting Club. •Saturday, January 26, 11 a.m. “Spa Theme Day.” All the programs are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Facebook page or contact the library at 706-652-2323 or maysville@ prlib.org. Piedmont Library Board meets on Jan. 17 in Homer The Piedmont Regional Library Board of Trustees will meet Thursday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Banks County Public Library. The library is located at 226 Highway 51 South, Homer. Public meetings you can attend The following local govern ment agencies hold regular meetings which are open to the public: •The Homer Garden Club meets on the first Saturday of each month from 10-11 a.m. at Historic Homer Highway and Athens Street, across from the park. • Maysville City Council, 7 p.m., first Monday of each month at the Maysville Public 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 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 meeting. • Baldwin City Council, 7 p.m., second and fourth Monday of each month at city hall. A work session is held at 6:30 p.m. on the Thursday pre ceding 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. sec ond Tuesday of each month at the county annex. A work ses sion is held at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the county annex. •Alto City Council, 7 p.m., second 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 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month. •Banks County Middle School Booster Club, 6:30 p.m., third Monday of each month at the Banks County Middle School lunchroom. •The Banks County High School All Sports Booster Club meets monthly on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the media center at the high school. Volunteer opportunities available To be listed in the volunteer column, send information toAngieEditor@aol.com or mail it to: Angela Gary, The Banks County News, P.O. Box 920, Homer, Ga. 30547. The following are volunteer opportunities in Banks County and the surrounding area: • Banks County CERT is seek ing volunteer participants. For more information, check out the website at www.bankscert. org or call the Banks County EMA Office at 706-677-3401. • The Banks County Literacy Council needs volunteers to work on projects, help dis tribute books and materials, help with clerical work, and other similar work. If you are interested, call Mellisa Dalton at 706-677-3693, or see Stacy Krumnow at the Banks County Public Library.” • Piedmont CASA volunteers speak for children who are in foster care. For more informa tion, call the CASA office at 706-387-6375. •The Banks County Adult Literacy Center is seeking volunteer teachers. They especially need math tutors, including the areas of intro ductory algebra, geometry and Algebra I. Tutors are needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. For more infor mation, call 706-677-4302. •Civil Air Patrol: cadets, ages sixth grade through 18 years old, participate in search and rescue missions and learn how to fly airplanes. Senior members teach cadets and students at middle and high schools and can also work with emergency services. Contact Luther McCoy, 706- 677-1490. •Adult learning center at Lanier Technical College satel lite campus 706-335-1931. • Hope Resource Center: cri sis pregnancy support center, 706-367-5304. •Action: help package and distribute food to low-income families and the elderly, 706- 367-9599. •Christian Outreach Food Bank: work in warehouse, 335- 6084. •Girl Scouts: needs troop leaders, assistant leaders, trainers and recruiters. Call Terri Bear, 706-548-7297. Maysville business donates $27K to Wounded Warriors Annual Model 'A! Ford raffle nets charity thousands BY KATIE COFER A patrotic story comes from Maysville this week, where a family-owned business recently raffled off a restorable Model A in support of a non-profit organization that provides aid to American veterans who have been injured in foreign combat. This year’s raffle raised a total of $27,650 for the Wounded Warrior Project. Business-owner Mike Butcher and his family have operated the Model A car parts company in Banks County since 2004. This is the second year the business has raffled off an antique restorable in support of Wounded Warriors. “I think it’s a very patriotic thing for us,” said Butcher. “There’s such a lot of it on TV these days.” The drawing for the 2012 raffle took place Dec. 31. The lucky winner of the 1928 Closed Cab pickup went to ticket no. 669 556 — a Mr. G. Adkins of Zephyr Hills, Fla. — he picked up his cab last Saturday, said Butcher. “Our support is 100 percent behind our brave men and women in uniform and we will continue to support the Wounded Warrior Project,” Butcher’s website boasts. “This being our third Raffle, our hopes were to by pass last year’s $18,450. With three weeks to go we MAN WINS CAR Mr. G Adkins of Zephyr Hills, Fla., is pictured next to a 1928 Closed Cab Ford pickup he recently won in a raf fle in Banks County. Maysville busi ness owner Mike Butcher raffled off the antique car in support of the Wounded Warriors project. The fundraiser col lected $27,650 this year. had our doubts, then suddenly the floodgates opened. Our total that we raised for 2012 is $27,650 — This is far beyond our expectations!” Butcher said he will likely continue raising funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. “It was so successful,” he said. Northeast Ga. Tea Party to meet Jan. 22 The Tea Party of Northeast Georgia will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 22, at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express at Banks Crossing. Newly elected and re-elect ed sheriffs from several local counties will be the guests. There will be time of a ques tions and answers to talk about each of their plans for their counties. For more information, call 706-654-8292 (call instead of text). FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH, YOU CAN LIST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS! Let your members know when your group is meeting! Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in... • The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News • The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal % HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON CO. Retail Thrift Store Tues. - Sat. • 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. 96 College Street 706-367-1111 • www.hsjc.com JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB Meets Tuesdays Jefferson City Clubhouse 12:30 p.m. *(706) 367-0958 Mark Bradley, President J 547 A ROCKWELL l>J - 2 W LODGE F& A.M. ' ™ ' No. 191, Hoschton, GA 2nd Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. • Dinner at 6:30 p.m. www.rockwelllodge191.com Two blocks behind Larry’s Garage West Broad at Hall Street BANKS COUNTY Igjj AMERICAN LEGION Post 215 Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m. In Homer, GA at the American Legion Building on Historic Highway 441 Pd.os BANKS COUNTY MM AMERICAN LEGION ™ AUXILIARY-Post 215 Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m. In the American Legion Building at 1350 Historic Homer Hwy., Homer, GA pa. 2 JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB Meets 2nd & 4th Monday Jefferson City Clubhouse 6:30 p.m. *(706) 367-9349 Jimmy Mock, President 54 , PARKINSON DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP 1 st and 3rd Thursday • 11 a.m. St. Paul’s Methodist Church Academy Street, Gainesville, GA. Contact: Deane & David Poole 7706-967-0161 Pd 10 HOME BIBLE STUDIES LIVING HOPE PENTECOSTAL 2nd & 4th Thursdays each month 7:00 p.m. 306 McKinney Rd. • Jefferson, GA Rev. Charles R. Gay, Jr. 706.202.4920 • 706.207.0182 We look forward to you joining us. Pd. 12 Acts 2:38 JACKSON COUNTY Pd 10 REPUBLICAN PARTY Meets 2nd Sat. of each month Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Meeting starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. Jefferson Clubhouse, 302 Longview Drive, Jefferson ~ Everyone welcome! www.JacksonGOP.org Pilot Club of Jefferson Meets 3rd Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm Jefferson City Club House 706-367-9313 or 706-693-4715 m BANKS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. meets first Monday each month 7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441 North in Homer pd.os Tri-County » Shrine Club 4 ,h Mon. of each month • 6:30 p.m. For more info contact Jesse 770-403-0078 or Lonnie 770-503-5949 pu. 12 ATHENS AMERICAN A LEGION 'HP p ° st 20 Meets each 4th Tues., 6:30 p.m. George Therriault, Post Commander Home (706)613-8534 gtherriault35@gmail.com pd. 12 A UNITY LODGE F & A.M. No. 36, Jefferson, GA 1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. Tom Hays *678-316-7492 Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260 9562 JEFFERSON AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION www.jaba-ga.org Meets 3rdThurs. • 11:45 a.m. Community Bank & Trust Bldg. 71 Memorial Drive DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS & AUXILIARY Joe Brown Conally, Chapter 2 meets 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. 1001 Winterville Rd. • Athens, GA Watter Butler, Commander 12 Pd. 01 Madison County Democratic Party Conolus Scott Jr. ~ Committee Chairman 706-789-3336 Call for monthly meeting information www.madisoncountydemocrats.linkpc.net St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Mission Mass Schedule: Fri. 9 a.m., Sat. 4:00 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m., Thurs. 12:10 p.m. First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org 706-367-7220 Pil2 |f% JEFFERSON 10 HI AMERICAN LEGION Post 56 • Each 3rd Tues., 6:30 p.m. Gene Bennett, Commander Phone (706) 757-2288 www.albertgordonpost56.org THE MADISON COUNTY RETIRED EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION meets September - June on the second Tuesday of the month at 11 a.m. at the Ila Restaurant in Ila. There is no local meeting in July and August. Troyce Ann Pawlowski, President 706-548-7996 r„.6 Pd “ MADISON COUNTY /^AMERICAN LEGION Aj§r Post 39 Meets last Thursday, 7 p.m. JANUARY - OCTOBER American Legion Building Crawford W. Long Street
