Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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.