Entries by Angela Gary

The abundance of outdoor adventure and the beautiful natural surroundings you find in the North Georgia town of Blue Ridge make it a perfect destination for a family get-away.

Ziplining at Blue Ridge Canopy Adventure, a monster truck ride through the country side with Blue Ridge Off-Road Adventure, gem mining and putt putt at Lilly Pad Village, a train ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and picking strawberries at Mercier Orchards were all part of the outdoor adventures we enjoyed on a recent family get-away to Blue Ridge.

ZIPLINING
Blue Ridge Canopy Adventure, located at 1408 Appalachian Hwy., is a great place to kick off your outdoor adventure trip. The canopy tour offers 13 ziplines, providing plenty of thrills for children and adults alike. Jake did this adventure and said it was a highlight of his trip (see his column for more details on the zipline). Tyler and Austin were his guides and he said they did a great job leading the group and making sure it was fun for everyone.
For more information, check out the website at www.theblueridgecanopyadventure.com or call 706-946-1010.

MONSTER TRUCK
Blue Ridge Off-Road Adventure, located at 319 Hells Hollow Road, is owned by the same company as the canopy adventure. You can make arrangements for a ride on the truck while you are at the Blue Ridge Canopy Adventure office.
The former military trucks have been converted into monster trucks for this adventure. You are strapped into the seats lining the back of the truck and then you head off into the woods for a thrilling and scenic ride. On this one and a half adventure, you will go up steep grades, through washes and climb across obstacles and over rugged terrain.
Also located on the site of the monster truck ride is a trout stream where you can feed the fish, gem mining, horseback riding and pony rides.

LILLY PAD VILLAGE
The Lilly Pad Village, located at 24 Adelaide Drive, is the perfect stop for families. Children and adults of all ages will enjoy all the family-fun activities that are offered. The gem mining, putt putt and catch and release trout fishing will provide hours of fun for the family.
My nephew, Jake, loved the gem mining. It was his first time trying this and he declared it to be “awesome.” It was also educational as he learned about he different kinds of stones as he uncovered them.
“It doesn’t end here,” owner Geza Csuros said. “You can take the stones home, research them on the Internet and make jewelry.
Tiger Eye, Smoky Quartz, Amathyst, Moonstone, Soda Light, Garnet, Green Quartz and emeralds were among the stones Jake found in his bucket. He was so excited with each one that he found.
Csuros and his wife, Gina, have been operating the Lilly Pad for six years and continue to expand the business that started out as a coffee shop as a retirement business for the couple. It has changed fro a part-time retirement job to a full-time business with more than 25,000 visitors stopping by last year.
For more information, check out the website at www.lillypadvillage.com or call 706-534-1317.

TRAIN RIDE
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway allows you to really relax and enjoy the beautiful countryside on the one-hour train ride over to McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tenn. You catch the train in downtown Blue Ridge for this sight-seeing trip that takes you through some of the most beautiful Blue Ridge scenic spots. Once you arrive, a blue line painted on the pavement allows you to stand in two states at one time as the train stop is on the Georgia-Tennessee state line. You have time for some shopping and lunch.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway also offers special excursions throughout the year, including an Easter excursion, Halloween train ride and Santa Express.
Once you get back to Blue Ridge, plan to spend some time exploring the downtown area. Among the stops to make are The Sweet Shoppe, winner of “Cupcake Wars” where I had the most amazing cupcakes; Three Sisters Fudge, which has a wide variety of fudge; Huck’s General Store, which has a great selection of T-shirts, jams, jellies and pickles.
For more information, check out the website at www.brscenic.com or call 877-413-8724.

MERCIER ORCHARDS
At Mercier Orchards, located at 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, the family will love the wagon ride out to the fields to pick strawberries, blueberries, and apples, when they are in season. Our trip was during strawberry season and we filled out baskets with strawberries, munching on the succulent berries as we walked among the rows.
Back at the store, you will find amazing fried pies (apple, cherry, chocolate and cream cheese among the ones we tried), apple donuts, cider and gift items.
For more information, check out the website at www.mercier-orchards.com or call 706-632-3411.

WHERE TO STAY
To find the perfect accommodations, contact Georgia Mountain Cabin Rentals at www.georgiamtncabins.com. We loved Bucksnort, a two-bedroom cabin that is perfect for a family of four. The main floor had a large living room area with a television and DVD player, sofa and chair, dining area and full kitchen. One bedroom and a bathroom are also on this floor. Upstairs is another bedroom and bathroom and a sitting area with a sofa and table. Downstairs you will find a pool table and bathroom with a hot tub just outside the door.
For more information, check out the website or call 1-877-656-7368. Once you get to town, you will find the office at 3608 East First Street in Suite 105.

WHERE TO EAT
Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, located at 8055 Aska Road, is a wonderful place for dinner overlooking the scenic Toccoa River. The restaurant specializes in fresh North Georgia Rainbow trout but many other menu items are offered, including steaks, ribs and seafood. Our server, Brace, was great and he made great recommendations, as well as making sure we had everything we needed. For an appetizer, we tried the salmon treat, which was a light, tasty start to our meal. For an entrée, I had the pecan crusted flounder and it was amazing. We took a piece of the peanut butter pie back to our cabin for dessert later and it was also wonderful.

For more information, check out the website at www.toccoariversiderestaurant.com or call 706-632-7891.

To start planning your Blue Ridge adventure, go to www.BlueRidgeMountains.com or call 800-899-MTNS.

Due to large amounts of rainfall on Thursday, two culvert washouts occurred on Cotton Tail Drive off Harmony Church Road in the northern part of Banks County leaving the road impassable.

Emergency personnel quickly responded and assessed the damage and evacuated one resident by boat. Two evacuation routes were located by the county through surrounding private property in case of emergency.

Cotton Tail Drive is a private road and the residents have already contracted with a private company for the replacement of the culverts and repair of the road.

The Baldwin City Council approved several personnel items after holding a closed session at the May 28 meeting, including the following:

•promoting David Moulder from officer to sergeant with the Baldwin Police Department.

•promoting Josh Ivey from seargent to lieutenant with the Baldwin Police Department.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, the council:

•agreed to accept Coventry Healthcare of Georgia with an early renewal date of June 1, 2013, as the City of Baldwin’s medical insurance carrier.

•accepted the SPLOST 6 Intergovernmental Agreement with Habersham County.

•agreed to assess $34 to delinquent property taxes to cover the upfront collection cost.

The Farmers Market in Downtown Homer will begin the first Saturday in June at 8 a.m. and will be open every Saturday through the summer except for the day of Homer's Sunday School Celebration and the Labor Day Holiday Festival.

“Buy from Homers Farmers Market to build a stronger community of friends,” organizer Janice Tennent states.

Items available starting the first Saturday are: Large variety of tomato plants including Heirloom Cherokee Purple, variety of pepper plants, basil, lilies, Flag Iris, Bearded Iris, Blooming Almond, and Catherine's Homemade Brownies and Bread, and Handmade Crocheted and Knitted Items.

“The first few of Saturdays in June, Jaemor Farms is helping Homer's Farmers Market get started since the spring has been so cool,” Tennent said. “We will pick up corn, tomatoes and strawberries. If you are interested in anything else or have any question please let us know.”
Set up for vendors will be around the park. There is no fee. An umbrella or tent is recommended, not required, but may be needful in the hot summer or rain. “Please call or email in your items that you plan to sell so we can advertise for you and the community will know what is available,” Tennent said. “You can bring anything you think will sell. Yard sales are not allowed. Its a fun day setting up, talking to your fellow growers, and meeting new and old friends.”

Send a message to DDAHomer@gmail.com (not case sensitive) or leave a message on 706-654-7288.

Banks County students and teachers have a lot to be proud of.

The Banks County Board of Education met last Thursday to discuss the schools’ progress report. Superintendent, Chris Erwin, and Assistant Superintendent, Donna Reed, shared how pleased they are with the academic accomplishments of Banks County’s four schools.

Students are still waiting to receive their testing scores, but Superintendent Erwin anticipates the results will be even better than they have been in the past.

Over the past nine years, the schools’ CRCT scores have greatly improved. The percentage that did not meet standards in 2003 was approximately 30 percent. In 2012, that percentage decreased to six percent.

In 2003, the percentage that exceeded was approximately 11 percent. In 2012, that percentage increased to 43%.

“That ‘exceeds’ category is so important to us,” said Superintendent Erwin. “We want to get that percentage as high as we can.”

While the CRCT is only administered to two of Banks County’s schools, there have been improvements in all the schools.

This year, the school system piloted the new College and Career Ready Performance Index. This new measurement system will replace Georgia’s Adequate Yearly Progress.

According to the results, Banks County schools have all surpassed the state average.
Banks County Elementary School received 95.2 points out of 100. The average in Georgia was 83.4.
Banks County Middle School received 93.7 points, compared to Georgia’s average at 81.4.
Banks County High School received 72.9 points, compared to Georgia’s average at 72.6.

The CCRPI measures the school in four categories: achievement, progress, achievement gap closure and exceeding the bar.
The CCRPI was implemented halfway through the school year. The BOE anticipates that once the program is fully implemented, and the criterion is more fully developed, Banks County schools will have even higher scores.

All four Hispanic males in the I-85 and exit 154 area who were the focus of a man hunt Wednesday are now in custody.

Ten other people from the same vehicle were brought to the jail for questioning, according to officials.

“ICE has been notified,” Sheriff Carlton Speed said. “The Banks County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all law enforcement and concerned citizens for their help.”

The Banks County Sheriff’s Office is involved in a man hunt at Hwy. 59 and Martin Bridge Road near Banks Crossing.

Further details are not known at this time. They will be posted as they become available.

Nestled among beautifully landscaped grounds in Pine Mountain, Georgia, is a wonderful lodge where you can get spa treatments, relax at the pool, enjoy fine dining and stroll through the nearby Callaway Gardens. The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens is a paradise spot where visitors don’t even have to leave the grounds to have a relaxing and rejuvenating get-away.

The lodge is the perfect girlfriend get-away destination for North Georgia residents, as well as also being a great place for families and couples. It’s only a few hours drive away and it offers a great weekend or week-long get-away.
After checking in on a recent Friday night, we headed to the Piedmont Grille, located adjacent to the lobby. The Piedmont Grille offers fine dining with the Friday night seafood buffet being the perfect choice to kick off your visit. For a more casual evening, the Ironwood Lounge is also offered near the lobby area. [Full Story »] 

The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals has been postponed due to rain. The race is scheduled to be completed Friday and Saturday, May 10-11.



Sportsman classes will be allotted one time trial run before going into eliminations. The Professional classes will have qualifying sessions at 2 and 4 p.m. on Friday and begin final eliminations at 11 a.m. on Saturday.



All purchased tickets can be used towards a credit for the rescheduled date next weekend or towards the 2014 event. For further ticket information, please contact the NHRA Ticket Office at 1-800-884-6472.