Couple Commissions Painting of Old Oak Tree
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A1 The Northeast Georgian $1 September 25, 2015 Weekend Trial continues for alleged bank robber, verdict to come Witnesses take the stand, as does accused, Raymond Whitmire By DONALD FRASER himself. Staples seeking to As of Thursday, tie the type of bag The ongoing trial of the jury was expect- McKinney typi- Raymond Charles Whit- ed to start delibera- cally provided his mire, 58, charged with the tions Friday, Sept. customers to Whit- April 2014 armed robbery 25, said Mountain mire. of the Cornelia branch of Judicial Circuit The bank rob- United Community Bank District Attorney ber told the bank (UCB), continued this the Brian M. Rickman. teller he had a gre- week, with prosecutors Whitmire, of nade, showing a piling up evidence tying Alto, was arrested WHITMIRE green bag. Whitmire to the crime, May 11, 2014, in McKinney tes- while the defense sought to Towns County, two weeks tifi ed the type of bag he poke holes in circumstan- after the armed robbery gave to customers was to tial evidence presented. occurred at 11:10 a.m. hold funeral associated At The Northeast Geor- April 26, 2014, at the UCB materials, such as docu- gian’s press deadline, located along the Historic ments and a guest registry the trial – which began Highway 441 Bypass. book. During questioning Monday at the Habersh- Funeral Director Brad- by Staples, McKinney said am County Courthouse, ley McKinney, former he used different color Clarkesville – still includ- owner of McKinney Fu- bags at different times ed alibi witnesses to be neral Home in Dahlone- and the ones he used were heard, testimony by Whit- ga, testifi ed Sept. 23 as a stamped with the funeral KIMBERLY BROWN/Staff mire, closing arguments prosecution witness, with home’s name. Clarkesville artist Janice Wiggins, and a jury decision. At one Mountain Judicial Cir- “Green and blue are the second from left, fi nishes reading about her painting of the point, Whitmire had also cuit Chief Assistant Dis- old oak tree in Turnerville, during an open house at the home of Phil and Betty Healy on Sept. mentioned representing trict Attorney J. Edward See Whitmire, Page 2A 19. Applauding are the Healys, back right, standing beside Wiggins, and also shown are guests Al and Gail Greene, seated, and Steve Eigel, left. Caudell chosen to Army All- Couple commissions American Band painting of old oak tree By KIMBERLY BROWN reason, she titled her piece, “The Living By NOAH BRITTON Tree.” A Turnerville couple has fi gured out Wiggins said, while planning the paint- Out of 20,000 applicants a way to celebrate their 50 years of mar- ing, she and her husband, Ron Manning, from across the nation, riage by honoring something even more would visit the tree to take photographs. Habersham Central High enduring. “Whether I ever use them or not, I felt like School (HCHS) senior Dil- For their golden anniversary, Phil and I was getting to know the tree,” Wiggins lon Caudell has been select- Betty Healy, who live in the northern end said. ed as one of 125 high school of Habersham County, commissioned a The idea for the painting evolved, Phil students to perform in painting of the old oak tree, located on Healy said. He said they saw tryptic paint- January 2016 with the U.S. NOAH BRITTON/Staff the corner of Bear Gap and The Orchard ings at the Lake Burton Gallery, and they Army All-American Band Habersham Central High School roads. The land the tree stands on was re- saw Wiggins’ work at the Mountain Gal- at the All-American Bowl senior Dillon Caudell has cently purchased by Habersham County, lery in Clarkesville. in San Antonio, Texas. been selected as one of 125 high school students to per- and is the intended site of a new fi re sta- “We bumped into her last December, “I found out the day after form in January 2016 with the U.S. Army All-American Band tion. Habersham County commissioners and we started talking about the tryptic my birthday,” said Caudell, at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. have vowed to protect the tree, which is (style),” Healy said. “It evolved over the 18. “I was in Chattanooga, estimated to be about 200 years old. next couple of months.” Tennessee, and I was about to go up the drum line.” He considers his admission The Healys, both 72, will celebrate He said the tree is “symbolic of the side of a mountain when I got the call. to the drum-line his “favorite” memory their special anniversary Oct. 9. To cel- area.” I didn’t really realize I had made All- throughout his participation in band. ebrate the painting, done by Clarkesville “We needed something that’s indica- American until after I got down. It was “Before every game, we always get artist Janice Wiggins, they held an open tive of our love of the Northeast Georgia like a birthday present – the best [one] I in a circle and say the Lord’s prayer. … house at their home in The Orchard Sun- Mountains and this area,” he said. “So we could have received.” Then we do a little bad-mouthing about day, Sept. 19. settled on what everybody calls the hang- A Mt. Airy resident, Caudell said the other band,” Caudell laughed. “But The tryptic (tri-panel) painting was ing tree, though nobody’s ever been hung his inclination toward music was fi rst we have one of the best drumlines in the done in mixed media, with acrylic paint there.” inspired by the history and “heavy in- nation.” and cheesecloth, bark paper and art tis- Both born and raised in Chicago, Illi- volvement” of close relatives, but his 10 These relationships encouraged sue for texture, Wiggins said. The paint- nois, the Healys have lived in Clarkesville years in band are marked by the “famil- Caudell throughout the rigorous, month- ing took Wiggins about eight months to for eight years. Before that, they lived in ial quality” of the HCHS Band of Blue. long application process. Applicants sub- complete and was done by “divine inspira- Atlanta since 1974. Phil Healy is retired “Everybody knows each other,” he mit a series of video auditions featuring tion, to tell me how to paint the tree so it’d from the shopping center investment busi- said. “You spend a majority of the week solo and group performances that dem- be meaningful,” she said. ness, and Betty Healy is a retired nurse. with these people, and you have to listen onstrate excellence in music and march- While some have called the large oak “We had a cabin at Lake Burton for 20 to them and know them for performanc- ing performance. tree “the hanging tree” in the past, Wig- years, so we’ve known this area and loved es.” Members of the All-American Band gins, who is an ordained minister, said, this area,” Phil Healy said. “We think we Caudell is a percussionist for the Band “I’m not calling it a hanging tree. I want- of Blue, and serves with a “close-knit See Caudell, Page 3A ed to focus more on the positive.” For this See Oak, Page 2A Fall Mountain Habersham County’s water Traveler guide systems under study by Archway By DONALD FRASER ply from its wells to serve customers such as Habersham Medical Center and If you, as a household, fi nd yourself Piedmont College. available now without water, it’s a problem. If you’re a And in an engineering report to Bald- municipality and the water system runs win council Sept. 10, Holliday stated, The premiere guide to fall events and dry, it’s a big problem for a lot of people. “this will also be an issue when both fi l- happenings is now available throughout Fortunately, such occurrences tend to ters and clarifi ers are rehabilitated this Northeast Georgia. be rare. Still, some cities and towns in winter as they will have to [be] offl ine for The Mountain Traveler fall 2015 edi- Habersham potentially face water short- several weeks.” tion, a publication of the Northeast Geor- age issues. But Demorest City Manager Steve gia Region of Community Newspapers Alto operates 10 wells to deliver water Lindsey has a different perspective. “I’m Inc., features the “Top Spots to play out- to customers. Last week, the town took not anticipating it causing a problem,” doors in Northeast Georgia.” one of its major producing wells off-line he said Sept. 21 of potential shutdowns of “We are pleased to once again offer this because of excessive uranium levels. the Baldwin water system. publication to our region,” said Alan Ne- Baldwin fi nds itself on the horns of “I’m confi dent of our ability to make Smith, regional publisher. “It serves as a dilemma. With the water plant’s two up [for the difference],” Lindsey said. the perfect resource to direct visitors and water fi lters scheduled for maintenance, Demorest purchases about 41 million residents alike to the shops of our adver- a situation taking the plant offl ine two gallons monthly from Baldwin and 4 mil- tisers and scenic places in the Northeast The fall 2015 days for each fi lter, the city is looking for lion gallons monthly from Toccoa, Lind- Georgia mountains.” edition of The Mountain a supplemental water supply for its cus- say said. The Toccoa line only serves An expanded list of events and stories Traveler is now available at various outlets. tomers, one being the city of Demorest. north Habersham County customers, he about the people and places unique to the Alternatively, Baldwin will have to fi nd said, but more customers could be served mountain region is included in the magazine.