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PAGE 2B — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 3. 2009
Sports shorts
Comer 5K Reindeer
Run/Walk is Dec. 5
The Madison County Recreation
Department has planned the 16th
annual Comer Reindeer Run/Walk
for Saturday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. in
conjunction with the annual Comer
Christmas Parade.
The event is a combination 5K
run-walk, with the option of a 1.7-
mile “ran, walk or crawl" shortcut,
according to organizers.
The entry fee is $20.
T-shirts are long sleeved and are
guaranteed in the requested size to
all pre-registered participants.
There is also a $10 no-shirt option
for registration.
All races begin at 10 a.m.
Divisions include (male and
female) 10-and-under, 11-14,15-19,
20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44,
45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69
and 70-and-over.
Those competing in the 5K race
are eligible for the following awards:
first-place overall finisher, the top
masters (40-and-over) and first- and
second-place division winners for
both male and female divisions.
Those interested in the Comer
Reindeer Run/Walk can contact
the Madison County Recreation
Department at 706-795-6270.
Rec Dept, offering
calligraphy
lessons Dec. 6
The Madison County Recreation
Department will offer calligra
phy lessons Sunday, Dec. 6, at the
Madison County Library meeting
room from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
to those at least 12 years old. The
fee is $10 per person.
Registration deadline is Dec. 4.
Those signing late will be charged
an additional $5. The $10 fee
includes all supplies for the class.
Mike Moak, Hull, instructs the
class. For more information or to
register, call the Madison County
Recreation Department at 795-
6270.
Moak has been teaching calligra
phy for 15 years, including teaching
at Michael's in Athens. The lessons
will cover areas such as the basic
calligraphy strokes, pen and ink use
and basic layout planning.
Varsity football
banquet is Dec. 7
Madison County Ffigh School’s
varsity football banquet is Dec. 7.
Players, cheerleaders, coaches,
chain crew, Touchdown Club mem
bers, school administrators and foot
ball trainers, managers, and videog-
raphers are admitted free. Everyone
else must pay $5.
Basketball 101 starts Jan.
5 at rec dept.
The Madison County Recreation
Department will offer Basketball 101
again this winter for four weeks on
Tuesday nights beginning Jan. 5 from
6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at the Hull-
Sanford Elementary Gymnasium.
The fee is $35, including a t-shirt.
The class is open to boys and girls
ages 5-6.
During each session, participants
work on drills to improve their ball
handling, passing and shooting
form.
Theresa Bettis instructs the class.
Space is limited, so early registra
tion is encouraged by organizers.
Pre-registration and pre-payment are
required.
For more information, contact the
recreation department at 795-6270.
Parenf/child dove hunt
set for Dec. 19
The fifth annual Madison County
Parent/Child Dove Hunt will be held
Dec. 19 at Travis Legg's and Cory
Clements' property in Comer.
The event will begin at 9 a.m.
Participants will be able to build their
own turkey call and there will be a
demonstration by Craig Fulghum of
how to use different calls.
"Bring plenty of shells because
there will be clays to shoot and
hopefully lots of doves," said orga
nizers.
A barbecue lunch will be pro
vided.
"As always, we have numerous
things to give away and hope that
we can beat last year's attendance,”
said organizers. "So hang up the
rifles for one Saturday and you and
your kids come have a fun day with
the game warden and lots of other
folks.”
Those wanting to participate can
register at one of the following
locales: Georgia Outdoor Sports,
Madison County Hardware, North
Georgia Sports, Midway Farm
Supply and Shuler's.
cuts
December 4, 2009
All Stores Open until 9:00 p.m.
Sanders Furniture
Our Town Antiques
Commerce Drug
My Daughter's Antiques
Little Italy
Subway
Sheila's Consignment
Cherished Treasures
Carol Streetman Photography
Edward Jones'
Jay's Department Store
Chris' Place
Wing Slinger's
Giftworks At The Joy Shoppe
Harmony Grove Grill
Commerce Printing
Holly Rogers Tax & Accounting
New Image
Emergency Billing
Cremco Computer
1 st Choice Locksmith
First Commerce Bank
Regions Bank
GA Agri-Business
McDonald Ace Hardware
Community Bank & Trust
Come Join The Fun
• Candle Lit Sidewalks • Caroling
• Carriage Rides • Live Nativity Scene
• Pictures With Santa Claus
Santa's Helpers In The Park
• Jackson County 4H Love Of Llama Club
• Commerce School Of Dance
Complimentary Refreshments At Most Locations
Visit participating locations for a chance to win
1 of 3 Gift Certificates for downtown shopping
Cans For Coupons
To Benefit Banks Jackson Food Bank.
(Drop off at Community Bank
& Trust or GA Agri-Business)
For more information, call:
706-335-2954
Reclassification .. • continued from page IB
Eligh School principal Chad Stone said Wednesday
morning.
The GHSA reclassification committee was
scheduled to Wednesday — after press time — to
place teams in regions.
The reclassification committee will then meet
Dec. 16 to hear appeals from any school seeking
a lateral transfer from the region to which it was
assigned.
The entire GHSA executive committee will
meet on Jan. 12 to finalize the reclassification
cycle, which is now four years instead of two.
Unless MCHS has an enrollment drop of 20 per
cent — which is very unlikely — the school will
remained locked into Class AAAA until at least
2014. Still, school official thought it was worth a
shot to plead their case to the decision makers at
the GHSA.
"We felt we owed it to our kids,” Stone said.
Madison County School Superintendent Mitch
McGhee, who co-signed the petition with Stone,
said the system felt very justified in the appeal but
knew it would be a tough process.
"The Georgia High School Association granting
appeals is less likely than the Supreme Court of the
United States,” he said. "We’re trying anyway.”
Madison County has played in Class AAAA
since 2002 and has been a member of Region
8-AAAA that entire time. Not counting schools
with smaller enrollments that ask to play in Class
AAAA, Madison County is the second-smallest
school in the classification with 1,425 students.
That’s only seven students more than Class
AAA’s largest school, Shaw (1,418).
"The floor actually came up to us,” McGhee
said. "It's not that we reduced our numbers. It’s
just that that bottom number came right up next
to us. Nobody really knew that was going to hap
pen.”
Because MCHS’s numbers were so close to
Class AAA enrollment figures, school officials felt
justified in their appeal.
While the GHSA lists Madison County's enroll
ment at 1,425 (that figure is the average of last
spring’s enrollment and this fall’s enrollment),
MCHS official project the enrollment at 1,418.
"We actually had enough students shortly after
the FTE count that actually did withdraw," he
said “And the senior class is much larger than the
junior class.”
With the assumption that it will remain a Class
AAAA school, Madison County awaits the
GHSA's decision on what Region 8-AAAA may
look like for 2010-2014.
Reclassification will alter Region 8-AAAA by
at least one school with Monroe Area dropping
down to Class AAA. Madison County head foot
ball coach and athletic director Randell Owens
said there’s the possibility that Flowery Branch,
which is moving up to Class AAAA, could join
Raider coach Randell Owens said Madison
County would have less travel expenses
and bigger gates if it coud play in 8-AAA.
Region 8-AAAA. And there's always a chance
that Alcovy, which used to be in the region, could
rejoin Region 8-AAAA. The Tigers currently play
in Region 4-AAAA.
Archer, a new school in Gwinnett County, had
the enrollment (1,867) to play in 8-AAAA but has
requested to play in Class AAAAA.
Owens hasn’t liked playing in Region 8-AAAA
for several reasons, including travel costs and
diminished returns at the football gate,
“It goes to a lot of things,” Owens said. “We
really would prefer to be in 8-AAA.”
He compares the cost of a 30-minute trip to
Franklin County as opposed to near two-hour long
trips to three Rockdale County schools.
“You start multiplying what it cost to compete
with Rockdale versus locally with our surrounding
counties," he said.
Playing more local rivals would not only spare
Madison County that travel expense but generate
more dollars for home football games.
Owens said Madison County makes between
$13,000 to $15,000 at the gate when playing
nearby schools Franklin County or Elbert County
in football, but only $3,500 to $6,500 playing
region foe Rockdale County.
Bigger football gates extend beyond the grid
iron, Owens said.
‘That helps all of our athletic programs,” he said.
‘That’s more money to spend on cross country and
golf and sports that doesn’t have a gate,”
Playing in 8-AAA simply makes more financial
sense, Owens said, “not be mention the interest in
rivalry and competitiveness.”
If Madison County must stay in Region
8-AAAA, the best scenario then would be for a
subdivided league, Owens said.
That would re-open the opportunity for more
local, gate-generating, non-region football games
that the last two football schedules have lacked.
‘We have to pick up some games around here
that mean something to our folks,” Stone said.
In Region 8-AAAA’s current configuration,
Madison County has played all region games,
forcing it to discontinue series with local rivals like
Franklin County and Elbert County.
First Citizens Open House
Join us for refreshments, hot
chocolate, balloons, face
painting, and more.
Comer Office
36 Hwy 72 E
1:00 pm
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Just before the Comer Christmas Parade
First \ Citizens
Were on if.