Mercer will begin play in 2013 after a 70-year hiatus in the sport. Former Furman coach Bobby Lamb will coach the Bears, who will compete as a non-scholarship Division I program.

Russ finished his career with 6,295 yards of total offense and 54 total touchdowns, while Johnson was selected to First Team All-Region 7-AAAAA in 2011.

Below are photos from Wednesday’s signing ceremonies held in the Mill Creek football clubhouse. Pick up a copy of The Paper next week for more on this story.

All photos by Matt Mauney – The Paper

Robbie Bettis is helping to guide the new Hoschton Heritage Art Council as it works to make Hoschton an arts destination.

Imagine artists traveling from all across the country to descend on the West Jackson area to be a part of an Plein Air event.

Consider the possibility that a historic local property could become the headquarters for a vibrant calendar of heritage happenings — from quilting bees to sharing the longheld practice of canning jellies and jams.

Or stretch the mind to see a local venue where performances including theatre and concerts could be presented.

Artistic visions are growing as the Hoschton Heritage Art Council sits around the table inside Auction Ventures, one of Robbie Bettis’ businesses in the West Jackson area. Bettis is one of the organizers of the council which is meeting regularly to launch the new cultural venture.

Embarking on the quest to make Hoschton a heritage arts destination, Bettis is joined by Astra Graham, Debra Swantek Brooks, Martha Moore, Martha Martin, Jean Beck, Re’gie Kennedy, Dianne Blankenship, Carol Tanner, Mia Rodriguez, Donna Bailey and Sandra Stephens.

The organization is putting together its formalized structure on the way toward establishing itself as a charitable nonprofit and a local business entity.

In an effort to get a financial jumpstart to plans which include securing the Dr. L.C. Allen home for a council nest, a March 30 fundraiser, an Auction Extravaganza at Auction Ventures, is planned. The event, with door prizes, a silent and live auction, will also benefit the Hoschton Historical Commission. Tickets for a spaghetti dinner on that evening will also be sold for the special event.

The extravaganza will also be a way to further sales of tickets for the big auction items which will be awarded at another event – possibly the May 26 Braselton Beach Bash or Art Trax, which may be scheduled for early June. The council hopes to keep Art Trax on the community’s

calendar by offering to assume responsibility for the arts happening.

One of the big items for the drawing will include a family crest. Re’gie Kennedy is the artist for the special item. Her husband, William G. Kennedy, a historian, will be researching the winner’s family crest which she will create into a beautiful work of art. Value of the piece is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000. Each creation is an original and uniquely designed for the family.

The big drawing tickets will be sold for $10 or three for $25 with a goal of 500 tickets being sold.

Live auction items for the March 30 event are being solicited by council members. Sought are contributions from artists as well new or slightly used furniture, collectibles, food including homemade cakes, computers, electronics, floral arrangements, glassware, gift certificates and more.

The silent auction items and door prizes are also needed and gift certificates and gift baskets donated by local businesses are being secured.

The council is working to arm itself with information.

In an effort to get community comments, a questionnaire is being circulated to serve as a needs assessment. The results from the community input will provide direction for the council’s endeavors. The questionnaire includes a long list of possible subjects for classes and seminars including acting, art history, cooking and culinary arts, film making, folklore, glass, interior design and landscape design, needlework and thread art, pottery, quilting, stain glass, woodcarving and more.

The questionnaire, which can be found below, also seeks information about other interests such as attendance and support for art shows and performing arts events.

Council members are currently working toward a logo with submissions to be made at today’s meeting of the council.

In a partnership effort with the Town of Braselton and the Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority, a Plein Air event is envisioned where artists would be invited to participate for a fee to paint in various locations around the community. The artists’ paintings could be sold at an outdoor market at the end of the event or an auction could be held. Braselton Town Manager Jennifer Dees requested the council’s involvement.

Discussions have already begun about the type of art offerings the council may consider. Two members have already offered to provide classes and others are being asked to submit proposals for offerings.

Sandra Stephens is suggesting a Plein Air art class at Sells Mill and Astra Graham is suggesting a beginners stain glass offering at the Braselton Antique Mall.

For more information on the upcoming event, visit www.AuctionVentures.com. For tickets and more information about the Hoschton Heritage Art Council, you can call Auction Ventures at 706-654-2693 or email auctionventures@yahoo.com

HHAC QUESTIONNAIRE

Jefferson needed little offense on the night, as four of the Dragons’ eight runs were scored walks or hit batters. The Dragons also scored on a sac fly by Bowen and on a wild pitch, which was followed by a two-run homer by Tyler Cole.

“I felt like that was the moment that broke things open,” Jefferson coach Tommy Knight said of Cole’s blast. The home run was Cole’s first of his varsity career and gave the Dragons a 5-0 lead in the third.

Jacob Page came in to relieve Bowen in the fifth and threw two hitless shutout innings with four strikeouts. Trent Sorrells came into the game in the seventh to close things out. The Gladiators only run came in the seventh on a wild throw from left field on a single with a runner on second.

The Dragons begin the year 1-0 and will face county rival Commerce Thursday in Jefferson, before visiting the Tigers Monday.

“I thought we played well tonight and I was especially proud of the way we threw the ball,” Knight said. “We were pretty consistent all night and were able to find the strike zone.”

His works have recently been published in What Fear Becomes, an anthology that features fiction, poetry and art of the horror genre.

The anthology stems from submissions to the well-awarded Horror Zine website that produces a monthly electronic magazine.

This is the third time he has appeared in the publication.

As the Editor’s Pick Poet for January, Bagwell’s poetry successfully approaches graveyard characters with humor.

In “Jason’s Lament” he creates a dialog between the actor who played Jason Voorhees, popular movie horror character, and his would-be agent, relaying his distress over being constantly type-cast in that genre.

The poem ends comically as the reader discovers that the actor has become a manifestation of his fictional character.

Bagwell’s strengths are in humor and clever imagery.

Editor Jeani Rector says, “[Bagwell] is a very talented poet and is highly prized here at the Horror Zine.”

The anthology is a must-read for chiller fans and locals alike. For more information on Dennis Bagwell and the publication visit www.thehorrorzine.com.

Dennis Bagwell responded to the following questions about his writing and other interests:

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your horror genre poetry?

A: I’ve been a fan of the horror genre for a long time. I see monsters and zombies behind every shadow and tree every where I go, day or night! Horror seems to come the most natural to me. When the inspiration hits, I just try to recognize it and grab it and start writing it down and try to make some sense out of my madness. I like to infuse humor in a lot of my writing, because horror can be very cheesy and low budget. I like to put well known horror personas into contemporary situations. Like my poem “Jason’s Lament.” It’s about Jason from the Friday the 13th series complaining to his agent. He’s hoping to star in a chick flick or land some coveted TV roles. Another is “If Frankenstein’s Monster were alive today.” He’d be a celebrity, go to rehab, and then no one would care about him.

Q: How did you find out about the Horror Zine and its publishing potential?

A: I did a random search online and stumbled on it. I felt like a freak who had found my circus. It has become my literary home. Jeani is very nurturing of unknown writers and artists and does everything she can to support them while they try to establish a name for themselves. She has never lost sight of the excitement of seeing your work in print whether it’s your first time or your 10th time. It’s been a real honor and privilege to share paper in three volumes of these anthologies with both unknown and very well known writers and artists. Volume 4 is currently in the works. All three volumes are available on Amazon in print or Kindle.

Q: What else are you currently involved in?

A: I’m currently considering trying to put together street poets collective. Going out into the world on street corners and bringing bad poetry to the masses with out the stuffy arrogance that academia has infected poetry with. It’s time to bring back easy to understand poetry to the common man, and just have fun.

Other than that, I’m very active with the Fort Yargo Living History society in Winder as well as the Crawford Long museum inJefferson. I’m a re-enactor guy, so I’m very passionate about history.Fort Yargo’s annual Colonial Market Faire starts on March 30.

Q: Do you look to different mediums (i.e. a novel) of writing in the same genre or perhaps in a different genre?

A: I write whatever inspires me when the inspiration hits. Horror is only about one-third of my writing output. My wife and daughters have inspired me to write some of my personal favorite poems. People love blood and gore, so I have found it much easier to get that published. I give the people what they want and that blood and guts seems to be it. But I don’t condemn myself to one thing.

Q: Do you have any advice for any aspiring writers or fans of the genre?

A: Regardless of what type of art you choose, don’t give up. Every artist that you love has been rejected and told their art sucks at some point. Make art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t always work within your comfort zone. Art isn’t always safe. Scare people. You might find an audience simply because your art is so off the wall. Artistic boundaries are meant to be trampled to death under the boot of non conformity. Embrace your inner freak and fly your freak flag proudly.

See more at www.dennisbagwell.weebly.com or www.thehorrorzine.com

Refreshments were served at the Braselton-Stover House preceding a presentation by Buford native Haywood Smith.

Joining the members and guests of the Braselton Woman’s Club was a table full of the Deaton Divas who were anxious to hear from Smith, who is well known for her Red Hat trilogy that continue to inspire Red Hatters and Pink Hatters.

B. Gordy, a Braselton Woman’s Club member, was decked out in her signature Red Hat purple and red.

She has learned through her research that the woman’s club was once actively involved in open houses for new area businesses, a practice she hopes the club will be reinstating to serve as a special welcome to new people to the community.

Smith spoke about her 14 published books and the inspirations that led to them.

Her books include six historical novels and seven southern women comedies, having secured a place on the New York Best Seller List with three of the books.

As Smith shared her background, many of the 50-plus in attendance chuckled at her sense of humor.

“My purpose is to make women laugh and to give them hope,” she explained.

Her historical romance novels do just that, featuring accurate, historically-based women who portray bravery and a deviation from traditional gender roles.

Following the same lines, her regional southern focused novels work to provide authentic examples of women’s struggles and the positive outcomes that can accompany them.

 Because she aims to provide entertaining, yet light reading for busy women, many of the members had either read her work, specifically her Red Hat Society Trilogy, or had seen her featured in Southern Living Magazine.

 “Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch made me laugh; I love her down to earth humor,” Joyce Buchanan ofJacksonCountycommented. “My husband, after hearing me, had me read it to him over a three-hour car ride.”

 The Braselton Woman’s Club features rewarding programs such as Smith’s at their monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month.

Visit www.haywoodsmith.net or your local bookseller for information on the author or to buy copies of her novels.