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 Jefferson pool open; Camp F.U.N. coming up
The Jefferson City Pool is currently open to the public from
1 p.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $3 per person. Season
passes may be purchased for $50, and family passes for $150.
They may be obtained either at the pool or at department headquarters
on Mahaffey St.
The city pool is also available from 7 p.m. through 9 p.m. nightly
for private parties. Anyone interested in booking a party should
call the department at 367-5116.
SUMMER DAY CAMP
Camp F.U.N. will begin June 18. Pre-registration is required.
Camp dates are June 18-22, June 25-29, July 9-13 and July 16-20,
from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the City Park. The rain location
is the City of Jefferson Parks and Recreation Department.
Campers will take part in arts and crafts, outdoor games, team-building
activities and swimming on a daily basis.
Special full-day field trips are planned on each Thursday, and
require an additional fee. Only the first 40 registered children
will be able to participate in the field trips.
The day camp is open to children ages 5-12. The cost is $40 per
child, with a $5 discount for each additional child from the
same family. All camp counselors will be certified in CPR.
Session one will run June 18 - 22. The theme will be Ultimate
Sports Appreciation. Thursday's field trip is to an Atlanta Braves
game, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. The cost for the game is $10,
and includes the ticket and transportation.
Session two is scheduled for June 25 - 29. The theme is Wacky
Water Adventure. Thursday's field trip is to Lake Lanier Islands
Water Park. The cost for the trip is $25 per person, and includes
meal and transportation.
Session three will be July 9 - 13. The theme is Crazy Dazey Week.
Thursday's field trip is to Zoo Atlanta during the week. The
cost is $12 per person.
The final session is planned for July 16 - 20. The theme is Whassup
Week. The final week will feature teamwork games and arts and
crafts, and a special trip yet to be announced is planned.
WORKERS NEEDED
The department needs certified lifeguards, counselors, concession
workers and a bus driver for summer activities.
Anyone interested in participating on a planning committee for
activities for next year's May is Older Americans Month should
also contact the department. Last week's ice cream social drew
more than 65 older Americans.
For more information on programs offered through the Jefferson
City Parks and Recreation Department, contact Davis at 367-5116,
or stop by the department's new home adjacent to the Jefferson
Police Department.
 Banks
County Recreation Department summer events
June 18-June 22
Boys' Basketball Camp (Ages 8-12)
Sponsored by Banks County head basketball Coach Mike Ruth
Cost $40 Per Child
Camp will be held at the Banks County High School Gym
Make Checks Payable to Mike Ruth
June 18- June 22
Girls Fast-Pitch Softball Camp (Ages 9-15)
Sponsored by Emmanuel College fast pitch Coach and Players
Cost $50
Camp will be held at the Banks County Recreation Department
The camp will run 8:00am-12noon
June 25-June 28
Girls Basketball Camp
Sponsored by Banks County head basketball Coach Mike Gordon
Cost $30 per child
$10 deposit is needed by June 15 to receive a t-shirt
11 year old through 8th grade
(anyone playing on 10ft goals next year)
Camp will run from 9am-12noon
10 and under Camp will be from 1:00 pm til 4:00 pm
Make checks payable to Mike Gordon Baseketball Camp
Contact Mike Gordon at 335-6026 or BCRD for more information
June 25 - June 29
Boys' Baseball Camp (ages 8-14)
Sponsored by Banks County Head Baseball Coach
Michael Williams
Camp will run from 9:00am-12noon
Cost $40 per child
The camp will be held at the Banks County Recreation Department
Make Checks Payable to Michael Williams
July 16 - 20
Youth basketball Camp boys and girls (ages 8-12)
Sponsored by Children's Outreach
The camp will run from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Camp will be held at the Banks County Middle School Gym
Cost $40 per child
Make checks payable to Children's Outreach.
 Tiger Basketball Camp
In June
Thirteen will be a lucky number for kids attending the 13th annual
Commerce Tiger Basketball Camp, head coach Rex Gregg promises.
The camp, June 11-14 at the Commerce High School gym, promises
to teach the fundamentals of dribbling, passing, shooting and
defense to boys and girls ages 8-14. Camp hours are 9:00 to noon.
Gregg will be assisted by Lady Tiger head coach Don Watkins,
assistant coaches Jimbo Stephenson and Greg Jarvis and by present
and former Tiger basketball players.
The fee is $50 and the deadline is June 11. Checks should be
made payable to GA Prep Hoops Services and sent to Gregg at 425
Roosevelt Drive, Commerce, GA 30529.
"We will place campers in small groups according to age
and ability, and they will be instructed by quality high school
coaches," Gregg stated. "We feel that this will allow
for maximum gains in each player's game."
Registration forms were sent home with each Commerce Elementary
and Commerce Middle school student. They can be obtained by contacting
Gregg at 335-3533 (home) or 335-5942 (CHS).
All campers will receive a camp T-shirt.
 Jackson
County moving to Class AAAA?
It's that time again.
To some, June 2001 means graduation or vacation. To the Georgia
High School Association, it brings reclassification of member
schools back into the spotlight.
Most member schools received the GHSA's proposed 2002-03 reclassification
figures last week, based on FTE enrollment figures submitted
to the GHSA earlier this year. Class AAA will see the most significant
changes, including the movement of both Jackson County and Madison
County from Class AAA to Class AAAA.
"We were so close to AAAA last time, and we're growing so
much that we anticipated this would probably happen," Jackson
County athletic director Greg Lowe said earlier this week. "The
interesting thing will be to see the pace of growth between this
time and next time."
The GHSA currently reclassifies its member schools every two
years. The reclassification of 2000 was an exception to that
rule, and was brought on by pressure from state legislators tired
of hearing from constituents about alleged inequities between
public and private schools, particularly in Class A.
The result was a massive reclassification that included the addition
of a fifth class and the introduction of a 1.5 factor in determining
classification for private schools.
"I think five classes is the way to go," said Commerce
A.D. Steve Savage. "I've been a proponent of that for years,
but I think there are better ways to do it. I believe 25 percent
of the schools should be in Class A, and 15 percent in Class
AAAAA."
Member schools have until June 25 to submit an application to
move up one or more classifications. Among those likely to petition
for a move up is Towns County. The Indians' FTE of 278 places
them solidly in the smaller end of Class A, but principal Dr.
Randy Hale indicated Monday that Towns will move into Class AA,
just as they did in 2000.
"We're going to maintain our Class AA status. If we were
to play strictly single-A, we would be traveling 200 miles. It
makes a real difference for a small school."
REGION ALIGNMENT TO BE SET LATER
The GHSA will wait until after the June 25 deadline before aligning
member schools into regions, but based on current and past regions,
Region 8-AAAA will likely have a familiar look to Panther and
Raider fans.
Both Loganville and Winder-Barrow will also move up to Class
AAAA. The current Region 8-AAAA also includes former 8-AAA foes
Habersham Central and Newton County, as well as Athens-area schools
Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central.
"It's such a hard thing to anticipate what the regions are
going to look like," Lowe said. If current Region 8 schools
remain there, the region would feature the largest Class AAAA
school (Newton County, FTE 1,485) and the smallest (Madison County,
FTE 1,167). Lowe said that disparity shouldn't mean much in competition.
"Numbers do mean something, but they mean a lot more in
Class AAAAA than they do in Class AAAA and AAA. To me, statistically
that's going to make a difference, but when you go to Class AAAAA,
they probably have a 1400-student spread." The difference
is actually even greater. The largest GHSA school in Georgia
is Collins Hill, with an FTE of 3,484. Windsor Forest is the
smallest Class AAAAA school, at 1,491.
REGION 8-A CHANGES
Among the teams moving up to Class AA are current Region 8-A
members Buford, Wesleyan and Providence Christian. That would
leave only Jefferson and Commerce among current Region 8-A teams
playing football. Other likely members of Region 8-A are Lakeview
Academy, Brenau Academy, Rabun Gap, Tallulah Falls and Woody
Gap.
Jefferson football coach Bob Gurley believes moving some teams
in from Region 7-A would be a good idea.
"If you look back at the way Region 8-A used to be, you
had Athens Academy and Social Circle, and now you've got Athens
Christian. You could take those three and then you'd have five
[playing football] in Class A. If they [the GHSA] want to spend
a little time on it, they can fix it, but we don't know what
they're going to do."
 Swann
and diamond Dogs bound for College World Series
Adam Swann should feel right at home in a dramatic postseason
run.
As a senior in high school, he helped guide the 1998 diamond
Raiders through an improbable ride to the AAA championship series.
Now three years later, as a junior in college, he again finds
himself helping another team venture deep into the postseason
as the Georgia Bulldogs are Omaha, Neb.-bound for the College
World Series for the first time since 1990.
And just like in 1998 with Madison County, Swann's crafty bat
work has helped the diamond Dogs stand among the final survivors
in the NCAA baseball tournament.
After hitting .400 with eight RBIs to help the Bulldogs come
out of the loser's bracket and win NCAA Athens Regional Tournament,
Swann hit for a .333 clip during the best-of-three super regional
series against Florida State this week, which Georgia won three
games to two.
Swann made his strongest offensive statement in the team's series-deciding
8-3 victory over the Seminoles Monday.
The junior went two-for-four, including a first inning two-run
double to give the diamond Dogs a quick 2-0 edge en route to
eliminating Florida State form tournament play.
Swann also came up big in the series' opening win against Florida
State, drilling two doubles to aid Georgia in the 8-7 win Saturday.
The junior collected his other hit of the series Sunday, getting
a single in Georgia's 11-6 rain-interrupted loss to the Seminoles.
Swann and the sixth-seeded Bulldogs will now try to keep their
national championship hopes alive Saturday, taking on the third-seeded
Southern Cal Trojans at 1:30 p.m.
If the Bulldogs are to advance in the College World Series, they
are going to need Swann's bat. The Comer native has proven himself
among the most reliable and consistent hitters in the Bulldog
lineup this year.
Through 67 games, Swann ranks fourth on the team in average,
hitting .324, first in doubles with 26, third in hits with 85,
fifth in homers with six and second in RBIs with 62.
The Raiders' all-time home run leader and holder of five other
offensive records has also been consistent at the plate throughout
his stay in Athens. As a freshman in limited playing time, he
hit .302 with two home runs and broke through a year later, hitting
over .300 with nine home runs, tying the school record for the
most grand slams in single season with three.
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