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 Chateau Rodeo Classic
to visit Braselton July 27-29
THE FIFTH annual Chateau Rodeo Classic
will be held July 27-29 at the Château Élan Winery
& Resort Equestrian Center. The show will begin at 8 p.m.
on the 27th and 28th, and 2 p.m. on the 29th. 
Gates will open each day two hours before the performance, and
the first 200 children in attendance July 29 will receive cowboy
hats and other free items.
Admission for the event is $12 for adults and $8 for children
ages 5-12. Children under 5 years of age will be admitted free.
All tickets will be sold at the gate.
Proceeds from the rodeo will benefit Children's Heathcare of
Atlanta, The Leukemia Lymphoma Society and The Eagle Ranch.
More than 200 cowboys are expected to participate in competition
for top prize money and a chance to qualify for the National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas later this year.
Competitive events will include bareback riding, saddle bronc
riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing and bull
riding. There will also be a number of dress acts, vendors, concessions
and pony rides, and plenty of clowns.
The rodeo will be officially sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo
Cowboy Association (PRCA), the largest rodeo sanctioning body
in the world. The organization, based in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
boasts more than 11,000 members and 700 sanctioned events annually
across North America.
 Lula
driver wins Pro Truck race
Lula's Mike Davidson pushed his Chevrolet past polesitter Chet
Chester on lap 50 of 100 to score his first win of the year in
the PARTS Pro Truck Series. The event was slowed three times
by caution, and wound up being a nine-lap dash to the finish.
Chester, Rodger Adkins, Kevin Barrett and Richard Johns rounded
out the top five.
"Everybody out there raced hard," Davidson said in
victory lane. "We had a good truck tonight ... To win is
just unreal. We left another series and came back to this one,
and I guess we're going to stay for a while."
Ministock race car driver Curt Britt capped off a charitable
month Saturday by winning the Sunoco Ministock event at Lanier
National Speedway.
Britt donated all his Lanier winnings for the month of June to
Rhubarb Jones' March Across Georgia, to help find a cure for
leukemia. Saturday's win was worth another $1,350 for the cause.
Britt narrowly edged Brian Huff and Jefferson's Steve Hill for
the win.
Kevin Stephens notched another win in his dominant Simpson's
Trucking & Grading Sportsman season, leading wire-to-wire
in the caution-free 30-lapper.
The Pro Challenge Series, based in Tennessee, made its inaugural
visit to Lanier, and produced a photo finish. Josh Adams edged
Wayne White by inches, with Marty Arender, Jay Beebe and Bennie
Hoover following.
Steve Parris cruised to victory in the Brown Modifieds 15-lap
event, outdistancing Veldee Kemp, Jeff Crane, Jimmy Winibecko
and Kyle Gregson.
Lanier National will celebrate Independence Day tonight with
double-points night and a spectacular fireworks show afterward.
All divisions will be in action, including the Budweiser Pro
Late Models.
Grandstand and trackside parking gates will open at 5 p.m., with
qualifying beginning at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.
For more information on on this and other upcoming events, contact
Lanier National Speedway at (770) 967-8600, or visit their website
at www.lanierspeedway.com.
 Summer Recreation Activities
In Commerce
The Commerce Parks and Recreation Department has announced its
schedule of summer activities.
The conduct of most activities listed is contingent on sufficient
interest shown through registration. Unless otherwise specified,
registration for all activities listed may be made at the Recreation
Office at Veterans Memorial Park on Carson Street from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. weekdays. Registration for each activity will be taken
on a "first come" basis until filled.
Please call the Recreation Office for additional Information
at 335-3236.
Recreation Swimming
The veterans Memorial Park Aquatics Center is open to the public.
Admission is $1 for pre-schoolers through high school and $2
for adults. Season passes for individuals and families are available.
Weather permitting, the pool will be open Mondays through Saturdays
from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays.
Young children who are not potty-trained are required for health
purposes to wear air tight pants or a diaper especially designed
for swimming.
Learn-to-Swim Classes
Classes for girls and boys ages 4-12 at the beginning and intermediate
levels are scheduled July 9 - July 20. The two-week session will
be composed of 10 lessons and will only meet on weekdays.
Class will start at 10:15 a.m. and will last 45 minutes. registration
is $35.00 and the number of students will be limited.
Tiger Baseball Camp
A one-week camp for youth ages 7-14 is scheduled for July 9-13
from 9:00 a.m. until noon daily. Players will be taught the fundamentals
of throwing, hitting, and base running. Participants should bring
a glove, bat, hat and cleats. Everyone will receive a camp T-shirt.
The staff of instructors will be composed of CHS Head Coach David
Cash and CHS Assistant Coach Mark Hale along with Ricky Woodruff
of the Parks and Recreation Department.
The registration is $50 and will be filled on a first come basis.
Water Aerobics
This activity is a water exercise class for adult men and women
in general, but it will be particularly beneficial to individuals
with arthritis, muscular disease, osteoporosis, heart disease,
recovery from joint replacement as well as other disabilitating
injuries.
Water aerobics strengthens all muscles and joints without the
stress, stiffness and soreness which accompanies land exercise
programs. Workouts will require participants to use their arms,
legs, hips, and neck and will elevate the heart rate through
the buoyancy of the water.
For the rest of this story, see this week's Commerce News.
New manager
has Lanier on the pole
Lanier National Speedway manager Stan Narrison has no doubt had
his critics during the first few months of his tenure, as all
new guys on the job will. Those critics are probably becoming
fewer of late, as Lanier's decision to defy conventional wisdom
and hire the former restaurant manager seems to have paid off.
Narrison took the post in January, and was paired with long-time
Lanier employee Steve Sexton, the new competition manager. Completing
the new full-time Lanier team is track administrator Wanda Smith.
According to Narrison, the emergence of NASCAR as a star in the
business world has made his transition much easier.
"The philosophy of track operators is, you either take a
racer and have them run your track, or you take someone that's
been around for years and years. The way short track racing and
NASCAR racing has developed, ... I think you've got to have a
business sense also. You can't be a guy who just knows racing."
With Lanier's 2001 season approching its midpoint, Narrison says
the staff is on target to reach its season goals.
"I am very pleased. We had a game plan going into this season,
and I think so far the things we've tried have worked very well.
There were some things folks said wouldn't work here, like trophy
dashes and inversions, but they have made for some fantastic
racing. I think the facility is very fan-friendly. We're starting
to see an increase [in the number of] new fans."
One of the changes made for the 2001 season is the addition of
a Friday night racing shedule for the popular Legends series.
"It would be easy to just pack them in to Saturday night,"
Narrison said, "but I think for the stock car program to
thrive and for the Legends program to continue to grow as it
has, the Legends need their own night."
As for Lanier's future, Narrison said increasing car counts is
a primary objective.
"We're working on the X-Karz, which is an entry level for
those drivers that want to get involved in racing without spending
a lot of money. I think our goal is to build a regional track
where we are able to bring in some bigger shows. I think what
we'll see is many of the wooden bleacher tracks going by the
wayside, and some of the larger and stronger tracks ... continue
to shine over the next several years."
 Madison
Co. all star action kicks into full swing
Nine of the Madison County Recreation Department's all star teams
kicked off action this week. Here is a summary of reported action:
9- AND 10-YEAR-OLD NATIONAL LEAGUE
ALL STARS
The 9- and 10-year-old National League team picked up a 6-0 win
over Hart National in the loser's bracket to bounce back from
a 2-0 loss to Habersham National Sunday.
9- AND 10-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN LEAGUE
ALL STARS
The 9- and 10-year-old American League team received a bye from
Sunday's play, but fell 10-0 to Toccoa American Monday night.
11- AND 12-YEAR-OLD NATIONAL LEAGUE
ALL STARS
The Madison County National League squad pounded their Hart Conty
opposition on the field Monday night in Danielsville, followed
by rains that simply pounded the field, postponing the contest
in the fourth inning with Madison County two outs away from a
17-0 win.
The game was concluded Tuesday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. but results
were not available due to July 4 holiday deadlines.
Regardless, the 11- and 12-year-old National League's runs were
as abundant as the Monday night rains.
The team scored early and often against the Hart National League
squad.
Madison County struck for three runs in the first inning highlighted
by a solo home run by Kevin Fields, followed by a seven-run effort
by the team in the second to put them up 10-0.
The team added a run in the top of the third and tacked on six
more in the top of the fourth, sparked by pitcher Chad Boswell,
who ripped a two-run triple and Michael Freeman, who delivered
a towering two-run homer to center field.
The rains then started falling in the bottom of the fourth after
Madison County had recorded an out in the inning. The game was
delayed approximately 45 minutes before officials postphoned
the game until Tuesday.
Monday night's offensive explosion followed a heart-breaking
affair Sunday.
Fate dealt a cruel blow to the 11- and 12-year-old National League
all star squad with the team dropping their opening-round contest
in Danielsville to Hambersham National in the final inning, 4-3.
The team carried a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning,
but watched the edge slipped away with Hambersham tying the game
up in the inning and then winning on a wild pitch that allowed
a runner to score from third.
In the loss, Madison County trailed 1-0 until the third inning
when Matt Hix tied the contest with a two-out RBI single.
Madison County then took advantage of Habersham control problems
in the fourth, with Kyle Cooper and Chad Boswell both scoring
on wild pitches, giving their squad a 3-1 edge.
top in the first inning with a run and then threatened for more
the following inning, putting runners on second and third with
no one out before Cooper got two strike outs and a pop out to
end the threat.
11- AND 12-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STARS
The Madison County American Little League breezed by their opening-round
foe, trouncing Hart County American 5-0. The team played Tuesday
night at 6 p.m. in Hartwell in the winner's bracket in the second
round of action.
JUNIOR LEAGUE NATIONAL ALL STARS
The Junior National League team made has made quick work of opponents
during their first two contests in the Area 1 tournament held
in Toccoa. The team topped Toccoa National 10-9 Sunday, then
downed Habersham National 10-0 Monday.
The team will move on to the third round of action, playing Thursday
in Toccoa at 7 p.m. in the winners bracket.
JUNIOR AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STARS
Rains wiped out the Madison County Junior American League team's
Monday night's hopes of getting back on track from their Sunday
afternoon 3-0 loss to Habersham American in Danielsville.
The team was scheduled to compete in the loser's bracket but
the weather postphoned the contest until Tuesday.
Results of that game were unavailable due to early July 4 deadlines.
The team was looking to rebound from their shutout loss in the
opening round of the Area 2 Junior League all star tournament
to the Habersham squad.
The Sunday contest was a pitcher's dual until the bottom of the
fifth inning when Habersham loaded the bases and pushed three
runs across the plate to break the shutout.
Madison County's offense had a chance to keep their hopes alive
in the final inning, loading the bases in the seventh with two
outs. However, Habersham got a strikeout to end the threat and
move on to the winners' bracket.
9- AND 10-YEAR-OLD SOFTBALL ALL STARS
The 9- and 10- year-old softball squad fell 12-2 to Hart County
in their opening round of competition in Clarkesville and played
Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in the loser's bracket.
11- AND 12-YEAR-OLD SOFTBALL ALL STARS
The Little League softball squad topped Hart County 9-8 Monday.
JUNIOR LEAGUE SOFTBALL ALL STARS
The Junior League softball all stars were topped 11-6 by Toccoa
Monday night.
7- AND 8-YEAR OLD ALL STARS
Both Madison County's American and National 7- and 8-year-old
all star teams bowed out of action a last week.
The American League squad picked up a win and two losses during
the tournament.
The team opened last Wednesday night against Habersham National
and played to a 10-10 draw due to a timelimit rule and finished
the next day, falling 11-10. The Madison County Amercian squad
then exploded offensively against Habersham American later that
same day in a 19-7 win. The team was ousted from play Friday
though with in a 15-11 loss to Franklin County.
All star roundup:
SUNDAY, JULY 1
·Habersham 9- and 10-year-old National 2, Madison County
9- and 10-year-old National 0
·Habersham National Little League 4, Madison County National
Little League 3
·Madison County American Little League 5, Hart American
Little League 0
·Madison County Junior National League 10, Toccoa Junior
National League 9
·Habersham Junior American League 3, Madison County 0
LAST WEEK
·Habersham 7- and 8-year-old National 11, Madison County
7- and 8-year-old American 10
·Madison County 7- and -8-year-old Amercian 19, Habersham
7- and 8- year-old American 7
·Franklin County 15, Madison County 7- and 8-year-old
Amercian 11
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