Brian K. Pritchard announces candidacy for State House District 7

News, Politics

Georgia-  Brian K. Pritchard (BKP) announces his candidacy for State House District 7.  A special election will be held on January 3rd 2023. 

“I’m excited to announce today that I am running for Georgia State House District 7. Unfortunately this election will run through the Christmas and New Year holiday. Governor Brian Kemp has called for a special election January 3rd.”

Thank you, 

“BKP” Brian K. Pritchard

[email protected]

706-889-9700

On November 16th a giant tree fell in the North Georgia mountains. The second longest-serving State House Speaker, David Ralston died. Although I considered him a close friend, I never called him David. I always addressed him as “Mr. Speaker.” Speaker Ralston loved the people of the 7th District where he called home from the time of his birth. He also loved the State of Georgia and being House Speaker. I asked him if he would ever run for congress or senate and both times he answered with a firm, “NO, if I did that they wouldn’t let me be speaker.”

 

We knew him as Speaker Of the House but we can’t forget he was Georgia State Representative District 7, elected to the office in 2003. You can’t go anywhere in the district that you don’t see the fruits of him being our Representative.The hard reality is the 7th District is no longer represented by the Speaker of the House, it’s like we have hit the reset button. This is not the time to take any chances.  We need to elect someone ready to serve on day one.  We can’t afford for our district to go backwards, we must be prepared to go forward. That is why I’m announcing that I’m running for Georgia State House District 7. 

 

We the People …. Our Founding Fathers intended for us to have a representative government of the PEOPLE and By The People, not corporations, special interests or lobbyists. The only reason you run for office should be to serve the people of the district.  We are tired of self-serving politicians in this country. The people, businesses and organizations in the 7th District will be my special interest group.  

 

This Special Election is what they call a jungle primary meaning there is no party primary and then a general election. This is a nonpartisan election. Candidates don’t have to identify a political party on the ballot. 

 

But, I am a Republican, and I am a Christian first.  Nothing comes before God and family. I am a Constitutional compassionate conservative. I believe in loving and caring for my fellow man.  A political party should never be the determination on how we care for people less fortunate than ourselves.  I support and will uphold the great documents of our US and State Constitutions.  I am a fiscal conservative.  I believe the state can provide services needed to operate with a little less money from the taxpayers. The people pay the bills and the government should be good stewards of the taxpayers money. We The People are overtaxed and need a representative that is beholden to the people. I believe in limited government and it’s time we get the government out of our pockets. I will be a representative for all the people in the 7th District.

 

  • We must protect our environment and preserve our beautiful lakes, rivers and forests. 
  • We must protect our children from a “WOKE” government agenda and preserve parental rights. 
  • I will work with the county and city governments to find a balanced way to continue growth in the district while maintaining the rural look and feel that we love. 
  • I have and will always support our teachers and our local educational system and the University system in our district. The children are our future and we need to provide them every opportunity possible for them to be successful. This will help attract well paying jobs to our district. 
  • I have and will always support our law enforcement. The safety and well-being of our citizens will alway be a top priority of mine. Drug cartels are not welcome and I will help our great men and women in law enforcement get the resources they need to keep us safe. Keep Atlanta crime out of our mountains! 
  • I have and will always support our accountability courts. 
  • As your Representative I will do everything I can to eradicate the drug problem in our community. We need to restore families. This is a must to protect our children from this evil. 
  • I am pro second amendment and believe in the sanctity of life. 

 

I look at everything with a positive view and I know together we can accomplish our goals.  I am a husband, father, and grandfather and protecting this district will have my entire focus and attention.  Look for my upcoming campaign videos where I will go into greater detail on all the issues. 

 

In the coming days of the campaign I will release short videos highlighting my dedication to the 7th District over the past 20 years and how I plan to represent the district. Visit our website BKP4GA.com and follow our social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BKP4GA. 

 

If you have any questions do hesitate to contact me at bkp4ga@gmail or call me 706-889-9700. 

I look forward to the opportunity to speak about the issues with any group or even a living room coffee talk. 

 

I humbly ask for your vote to be your next District 7 State Representative.

 

Sincerely,

 

“BKP” Brian K. Pritchard

 

 

 

Fall Festival Saturday October 1st at Epworth Community Club with Speaker of the House Rep David Ralston and US Senate Candidate Herschel Walker

News

Week 6 North Georgia Scoreboard

Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

Lets take a look at some of the scores across North Georgia from this Friday night.

Fannin- 47

Gordon Central- 0

The Rebels have now pieced together back to back blowouts, as they beat Gordon Central 47-0. Fannin now moves to 3-2 on the season and will head into their Bye, before a showdown with Model on 10/07. The Warriors are now 0-5 and will travel to Haralson (1-3), in hopes to pick up their first win of the season. 

Pickens- 7

Lumpkin- 42

Lumpkin moves to 5-0 for the first time since 1988 as they blow out the Dragons in this one, 42-7. Lumpkin now faces 3 straight road games and will head to Norcross to take on Wesleyan (1-4) next Friday night. As for Pickens, they fall to 1-4 on the season and will head into their Bye Week with a lot to work on and a matchup with Dawson County (3-2) on the horizon. 

Gilmer- 35

Wesleyan- 20

The Bobcats stun the Wolves and handle this one, winning 35-20. Wesleyan now falls to 1-4 on the year and will host the undefeated Lumpkin County Indians next Friday night. As for the Bobcats they picked up the big region win and move to 4-1 on the season. They will travel to West Hall (1-4) to take on the Spartans next Friday night. 

Dawson- 56

West Hall- 7

The Tigers looked good coming out of their Bye Week and dominated West Hall 56-7. Dawson moves to 3-2 on the season and gets their first region win under their belt. Now they will look to next week as a big region showdown at White County (2-2) awaits. West Hall falls again moving to 1-4 on the season. The Spartans will host Gilmer (4-1) next week. 

North Murray- 40

Harralson- 29

The Rebels now fall to 1-4 on the season after North Murray beats them 40-29. Haralson will now look to get back in the win column as they host Gordon Central (0-5) next week. The Mountaineers are now 3-2 on the year and will travel to Murray County next Friday. 

Murray County- 0

Model- 44

Model dominated Murray County in this one, shutting out the Indians 44-0. Model now moves to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the region. The Blue Devils will travel to Rockmart who will be fresh off their Bye. As for Murray County, they fall to 0-5 and will host North Murray (2-2) next week. 

North Georgia Chairmen urge Kemp to close State Parks

Community, News
Georgia, North Georgia, Governor, Brian Kemp, State Parks, Close, Shut Down, Letter, Chairmen, Habersham, Rabun, Franklin, Towns, White, Gilmer, Dade, Fannin, Union, Lumpkin, Stephens, Banks, Travis Turner, Tim Stamey, Greg James

Blue Ridge, Ga. – Twelve Commission Chairmen from North Georgia counties have joined together and signed a letter asking Governor Brian Kemp to shut down the State Parks.

“It appears that these nonresidents believe our area is a safe haven because of its rural nature. To the contrary, the influx of people into our communities has had a staggering detrimental effect on our resources,” the letter to Kemp read in part.

Georgia, North Georgia, Governor, Brian Kemp, State Parks, Close, Shut Down, Letter, Chairmen, Habersham, Rabun, Franklin, Towns, White, Gilmer, Dade, Fannin, Union, Lumpkin, Stephens, Banks, Travis Turner, Tim Stamey, Greg James

Habersham County Commissioner District 5 Tim Stamey

The letter goes on to outline the resources in our area that have been affected by the out-of-towners looking to seclude themselves, including in these resources are food, dry goods and fuel.

It goes on to inform Kemp that our area is not equipped medically: “Our communities simply do not have enough hospital beds or medical personnel to care for the inflated population.”

Though only serving as a commissioner for a little over three months, Habersham County Commissioner District 5 Tim Stamey felt he needed to be proactive in bringing a solution to this problem: “I am a retired special operator and we don’t sit around talking about things, we get it done.”

Stamey who sits on the County Health Board said, “I’m on the County Health Board and talk to Healthcare workers in my county on a daily basis. They are the heros/heroines in all this. This virus does not spread itself on the wind.”

Moccasin Creek State Park, situated just North of Unicoi State park has been “crazy, 4th of July crazy” for the past three weekends according to Stamey, who has witnessed the impact on his county first hand.

Stamey initially contacted Rabun County Chairman Greg James and White County Chairman Travis Turner.

“I started this by just trying to get border counties on board,” Stamey said and added, “Then Chairmen were like well, did you call such and such, I know they feel the same way. It just kept getting bigger and bigger.”

Stamey said that all Commission Chairmen were helpful, on board, and taking the matter seriously: “I talked to most of them several times and for up to an hour each time.”

Stamey, along with the 12 county chairmen and many residents, is hoping that this letter will get the attention of Kemp. The letter in closing states: “On behalf of the many citizens that live in North Georgia who entrust us as County Commissioners to represent their interests, we respectfully ask you to close all of the state parks located in our area immediately.”

Georgia, North Georgia, Governor, Brian Kemp, State Parks, Close, Shut Down, Letter, Chairmen, Habersham, Rabun, Franklin, Towns, White, Gilmer, Dade, Fannin, Union, Lumpkin, Stephens, Banks, Travis Turner, Tim Stamey, Greg James

Georgia, North Georgia, Governor, Brian Kemp, State Parks, Close, Shut Down, Letter, Chairmen, Habersham, Rabun, Franklin, Towns, White, Gilmer, Dade, Fannin, Union, Lumpkin, Stephens, Banks, Travis Turner, Tim Stamey, Greg James

 

Click Here to read about National Park Closures in our area

Team FYN Sports Covers Local Sporting Events

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FetchYourNews.com is dedicated to bringing our viewers local sports. All our events are streamed live and then archived for later viewing. FYN covers all sports for all ages: Football, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis……

 

Become A Sponsor For The Christmas Clash Presented By Team FYN Sports

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Team FYN Sports will be broadcasting live the Blue Ridge Christmas Clash. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Support your local youth and sports and market your company at the same time. Contact us now @ [email protected] or 706.276.6397

Collins Bill to Honor Fallen Marine Sent to President’s Desk

Press Release, State & National

COLLINS BILL TO HONOR FALLEN CLERMONT MARINE SENT TO PRESIDENT’S DESK

WASHINGTON—The Senate last night voted unanimously to pass H.R. 3821, legislation to rename Georgia’s Clermont Post Office in honor of Zack T. Addington. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) introduced the bill this September, and it passed the House in November.

“Lance Corporal Zack Addington represents the selfless courage that’s cultivated in northeast Georgia, and I’m excited to see this bill leave Congress and head to the president’s desk for his signature,” said Collins.

Collins also honored Addington when he spoke about the bill on the House floor.

Background:

Known to his neighbors as Zack, Addington joined the United States Marine Corps in 1967. A native of Clermont, he became a rifleman in the 3rd Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force and deployed to Vietnam that year. Addington was promoted to Lance Corporal and served his country honorably until he was killed in action in May 1968.

That June, Addington received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon in recognition of his service there.

The NEW FYN Classifieds

Community, Featured Stories

The NEW FYN Classifieds

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The NEW FYN Classifieds making it easy to buy, sell, and trade 24/7. You can place an ad online in just a few clicks. Place an ad and find what you’re looking for.

Garage sales, services, realestate, cars, boats, clothes……….

Visit the new FYN Classifieds where you can buy, sell and trade with your community.
www.Classifieds.FetchYourNews.com

Fire in the Sky over Lake Blue Ridge Saturday June 30th

Community

FYNTV.com Georgia State House Representative District 8 Debate

Community, Election, Election 2018, FYNTV, Politics, State & National

 

 

Georgia State House Representative District 8 Debate with the Incumbent Matt Gurtler vs. Candidate Mickey Cummings.

Join us on Good Morning from the Office every weekday starting at 8AM! We will be featuring Fetch Your News FYNTV.com TV personality BKP and his political opinion, and anything goes!

Have a question, comment, or want to be on the show? Call or text 706-889-9700.

 

Williamson qualifies to run against Ralston in May Primary

Election 2018

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – As Qualifying Week begins in the state of Georgia, candidates have lined up to officially get their names on the ballot for the May General Primary to be held May 22, 2018, with a voter registration deadline of April 23.

Georgia, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Fannin, Gilmer, Dawson, Margaret Williamson, David Ralston, Georgia House of Representatives, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, District 7, Republican Primary, General Election 2018, Qualifying Week

Williamson qualifies for May General Primary.

One race in particular is being closely watched and it comes from Georgia’s 7th District. The seat currently held by Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston is being challenged by Ellijay resident Margaret Williamson.

Williamson made her intentions clear when she announced earlier this year that she would be seeking the Republican nomination for the General Election to be held Nov. 6, 2018.

Williamson acknowledged in a statement previously released to FetchYourNews that she had mailed the “Declaration to Accept Campaign Contributions” form to the Georgia State Transparency & Campaign Finance Committee.

A 37 year resident of Gilmer County, Williamson says, “I consider it my home. My husband John and I raised our 4 children here and now enjoy our reward, the 11 of our 15 grandchildren who live in the county.”

Having studied Engineering, Marketing and Business, worked as a Healthcare professional, and owned a small business, Williamson says that her involvement in politics spans over 2 decades when she worked on her first campaign in 1994.

“As a regular visitor to the Georgia Capitol I keep informed on current legislation, especially those that affect the taxpayers of the Georgia State District 7,” Williamson said explaining that since 1994 she has remained active and aware in politics.

Williamson added, “It is distressing to see bills passed that fail to meet our needs but only help our big business and special interests groups, bills that increase our taxes, and bills that burden us with unfunded mandates, regulations, and growing number of fees that hurt our economy.”

Williamson discussed the economy of our area, citing that while leadership in Georgia likes to dote Georgia as the number 1 place to do business, that statistics of this claim does not add up.

Georgia, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Fannin, Gilmer, Dawson, Margaret Williamson, David Ralston, Georgia House of Representatives, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, District 7, Republican Primary, General Election 2018, Qualifying Week

Williamson makes her candidacy official by qualifying on March 5.

In Georgia State District 7 the average annual income per household is below that of the national and state averages according to Williamson. She attributes this assessment to high property taxes, increasing school taxes, fees, penalties, regulations, and fuel taxes which all decrease a family’s spendable income.

Williamson says there is no one fix and added, “Without growing our tax digest, bringing in more revenue from sales tax, improving our economy, we would be left with raising our millage rate and who wants that?”

“We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the U.S.,” Williamson spoke of the growing tourism to our area. “This industry now is the biggest contributor to our economy.”

“We need to work together to make our counties even more attractive,” Williamson added, “without compromising our Conservative North Georgia values.”

“I have said from the very beginning of my campaign that I am not running against,” Williamson spoke of her intentions in the upcoming year,”I am running for the people in District 7. I will work diligently to meet their needs and not those of a minority of special interests groups.”

Upon completing the qualifying process yesterday, Williamson will continue campaigning in hopes of overcoming incumbent Ralston in the May General Primary.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

SPEAKER DAVID RALSTON QUALIFIES FOR RE-ELECTION IN HOUSE DISTRICT 7

Election 2018
Monday, March 5, 2018(Blue Ridge, GA) – Today, House Speaker David Ralston qualified to run for re-election in House District 7. The Republican Primary is May 22, 2018.

“Serving as House District 7’s voice in the Georgia General Assembly is an honor and responsibility I hold dear,” said Ralston. “Representing the best interests of North Georgia remains my number one priority.

“In the State House, we passed comprehensive tax reform that will empower job creators, spur economic growth, and keep more money in the pockets of Georgia taxpayers. Thanks to President Trump and the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, we delivered the largest tax cut in modern, Georgia history.

“To keep District 7 – and our entire state growing – I created the House Rural Development Council to identify the problems facing communities outside of Metro Atlanta and prescribe legislative solutions for growth and prosperity. We have already passed several of the Committee’s recommendations and have a long-term commitment to the success and vitality of rural Georgia.

“While I am proud of what we have accomplished at the State Capitol and throughout District 7, I am seeking re-election to continue fighting for Gilmer, Fannin, and Dawson County families. With the continued support of local voters, we can keep our community strong and our future bright.”

David Ralston is the 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, a position he has held since 2010.  He was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002, and represents House District 7, which includes Fannin and Gilmer counties and a portion of Dawson County.

Dawson County Varsity Baseball Schedule 2018

DCHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports
Date Opponent Home/Away
2/8  5:00p
Game Details: Riverwood
Away
2/13  5:55p
Location: Athens Christian High School
Away
2/17  1:00p
Game Details: Edo Miller Field/ Brunswick
Away
2/17  4:00p Away
2/20  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
2/22  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
2/23  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
2/26  5:30p
Game Details: @ North Georgia campus
Away
3/1  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/2  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/6  5:55p
Location: Fannin County High School
Away
3/9  5:00p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/9  7:30p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/12  5:55p
Location: Greater Atlanta Christian High School
Away
3/14  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/16  5:55p
Location: Greater Atlanta Christian High School
Away
3/19  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/21  5:55p
Location: Union County High School
Away
3/23  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/26  5:55p
Location: Lumpkin County High School
Away
3/28  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
3/30  5:55p
Location: Lumpkin County High School
Away
4/2  5:55p
Location: West Hall High School
Away
4/4  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
4/6  2:00p
Game Details: ALPHARETTA HS
Away
4/9  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
4/11  5:55p
Location: East Hall High School
Away
4/13  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
4/16  5:55p
Location: North Hall High School
Away
4/18  5:55p
Location: Dawson County High School
Home
4/20  5:55p
Location: North Hall High School
Away

Schedule Legend

  • Region Game = *
  • Playoff Game= **
  • Tournament Game= ***

Warriors Slay Dragons at Mountaintop Tourney

Sports, Team FYN Sports

Courtside coverage provided by Reagan Young, TeamFYNSports Reporter

This past Friday at the Mountaintop Holiday Classic, the White County Warriors and the Pickens County Dragons traveled to Fannin County for their match up on day two of the tournament. Both teams were coming off of a loss from the first day of the tournament and ready to walk away with a win.

It was a high action and fast paced game from the start. The Dragons made the majority of their points from down low while the Warriors did most of their damage from driving the lane. Dragon post, Seth Bishop, led Pickens in scoring from the block with twenty-one points. Warrior guard, Austin Harris, led his team in scoring with twenty-four points due to his hustle. Warrior post, Austin Rowland, had the hustle on defense to make steals and contribute twelve points for his team. With the Warriors in the lead near the end of the third quarter, Pickens makes a buzzer beater shot to tie the game 17-17.

The hopes were high at the beginning of the second quarter. Both teams had the same chances of winning and were not giving up. The lead went from team to team and it became unpredictable on who would have it next. Warrior, Chandler Harris’s outside shooting came alive which put eleven points on the board for White County. Warriors, Reece Dockery and J. Ben Haynes, also had a good game above the key by each adding five points to White County’s score. The Warriors took a seven point lead over the Dragons at the end of the second quarter by making the score 29-22.

With Pickens down more than they had been the entire game, they were determined to make a come back. Both teams applied heavy defensive pressure on the other by putting a full court press into action. The press resulted in both teams getting steals and adding onto their score. At the end of the third quarter, White County doubled their lead over Pickens with a score of 47-33.

Pickens picked up the pace at the start of the fourth quarter. The Warriors start to put even more defensive pressure on the Dragons and draw fouls. Warrior, Jay Lepkoske, contributed one of his five points from the free throw line. The Warriors also started to have good looks inside which resulted in Kaleb Crane’s overall four points. Warriors, Daniel Rowland and Cooper Turner, followed the trend and each added four points onto White County’s score. However, the Warriors were not the only ones adding onto their score. The Dragons came back at the end of the fourth quarter with a score of 53-53, putting the game into overtime.

The intensity came alive at the beginning of the quarter. Both teams had four minutes to win the game. Pickens finally took the lead that they had been working for the whole game just to have the score tied once again at 63-63, putting the game into double overtime.

Four more minutes were put on the clock as both teams gave the game their all. The quarter was filled with hustle after loose balls, fouls from attempting to keep the other team from scoring, and heart. The back and forth of the game had everyone on their feet as they watched with anticipation. Although both teams played to the best of their ability, the White County Warriors had a 74-67 victory over the Pickens County Dragons.

The White County Warriors win puts their overall record at 9-4 while the Pickens County Dragons stand at 4-9. Catch the Warriors next game on January 2 at 5:45 as they travel to take on North Cobb Christian!

Georgia Election Run-Off Results

Election 2018

 2018 Georgia Election Run-Off Results

Tonight marks the run-offs for election races in Georgia, these results are unofficial until approved by the Secretary of State.

 

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 756,016 votes   51.97%

John Barrow (D) – 698,770 votes   48.03%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 749,805 votes   51.83%

Lindy Miller (D) – 696,957 votes   48.17%

 

Check for local results by county here:

 

Gilmer

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,337 votes   83.13%

John Barrow (D) – 880 votes   16.87%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,250 votes   81.79%

Lindy Miller (D) – 946 votes   18.21%

 

Pickens

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,408 votes   84.01%

John Barrow (D) – 839 votes   15.99%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,325 votes   82.70%

Lindy Miller (D) – 905   17.30%

 

Fannin

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,522 votes   81.89%

John Barrow (D) – 779 votes   18.11%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,454 votes   80.57%

Lindy Miller (D) – 833 votes   19.43%

 

Dawson

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,985 votes   85.83%

John Barrow (D) – 658 votes   14.17%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,939 votes   85.02%

Lindy Miller (D) – 694 votes   14.98%

 

White

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,063 votes   82.78%

John Barrow (D) – 845 votes   17.22%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,960 votes   80.82%

Lindy Miller (D) – 940 votes   19.18%

 

Union

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,246 votes   80.92%

John Barrow (D) – 1,001 votes   19.08%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,108 votes   78.65%

Lindy Miller (D) – 1,115 votes   21.35%

 

Towns

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,161 votes   79.95%

John Barrow (D) – 542 votes   20.05%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,105 votes   78.22%

Lindy Miller (D) – 586 votes   21.78%

 

Murray

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,699 votes   88.99%

John Barrow (D) – 334 votes   11.01%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,691 votes   88.84%

Lindy Miller (D) – 338 votes   11.16%

 

Lumpkin

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,378 votes   78.47%

John Barrow (D) – 927 votes   21.53%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,337 votes   77.89%

Lindy Miller (D) – 947 votes   22.11%

Fetching Features: a look at former Superintendent Mark Henson

Community, Lifestyle

Have you ever had a goal that you wished to achieve? Something became a driving force in your life as it took a point of focus. It may have been that you wanted to become something, maybe a firefighter, an astronaut, or a soldier. You strove to follow that dream, to grow closer to that goal. The achievement was your motivation.

For some, at least.

Many people will recall the nearly 30 years Mark Henson spent as the Superintendent of Fannin County Schools teaching and influencing the kids of Fannin County. Many may think of this as a life well spent. Henson himself would agree, but it was not always so.

Growing up among a family of educators, Henson knew the life well before he even graduated high school. It was part of the reason he struggled so hard against it. While it may seem like 30 years in the career isn’t the best evasion strategy, Henson says it came down to logic as to why he finally gave in.

After high school graduation, he took his goal of avoidance instead of achievement to heart. “If you go back and look at my high school annual, my ambition was to do anything but teach school because everybody in my family at that time, were teachers,” says Henson as he explains attending the University of Georgia shortly before moving back to Blue ridge to work for the Blue Ridge Telephone Company.

Spending about a year at the job after college didn’t work out. Henson doesn’t speak much on the topic as he says his father knew someone working for Canada Dry in Athens. With a job opening available and good pay to entice him, Henson made the switch to working for the soda company.

Moving to Athens, Henson became an RC/Canada Dry Salesperson over the surrounding five counties in Athens. A hard job that required many hours, Henson said he’d be at work at 6 a.m. and got back home at 8:30 p.m. Though well-paying, the job fell flat for Henson as he came to terms with the long hours and little time for himself. With two years under his belt at the company, he began thinking about Blue Ridge again and his options. As he says, “Teaching didn’t look so bad then.”

Despite the years in opposition, the effort spent running away from the ‘family business,’ Henson began thinking ahead at the rest of his life. Already considering retirement at the time, it was this that ultimately turned his attention back to teaching. It wasn’t family, it wasn’t friends, but rather, it was logic that drew him to the career his life’s ambition avoided.

“I made pretty good money, there just wasn’t any retirement,” says Henson about his time at Canada Dry. As he looked harder at teaching and began seriously considering the career path, he says, “When you look at teachers, you’re never going to get rich being a teacher, but there’s a lot of benefits like retirement and health insurance that these other jobs just didn’t have.” He also notes he proved what he wanted as he retired at 54-years-old.

After much thought, it began with a call to his father, Frank Henson. He told his father he wanted to come home and pursue teaching. Though his father told him to come home and stay with them again, Henson says it was the money he had saved from his position at Canada Dry that allowed him to attend school for a year before being hired as a para-pro, a paraprofessional educator. It was a very busy time in his life as Henson states, “I would go up there and work until 11:30, and then I would work 12 to 4 at what used to be the A&P in McCaysville. I went to school at night…”

The next few years proved to be hectic as he graduated and started teaching professionally “with a job I wasn’t even certified for.” It was January of 1989 and the new school superintendent had been elected in November and as he took office in January he left a gap in the school. To fill the Assistant Principal position the, then, Superintendent had left, they promoted the teacher of the career skills class. With the vacancy in the classroom, Henson was appointed to step in to teach the class. Half a year was spent teaching a career path and skill class to 9th graders in what Henson refers to as a “foreign world.”

The first full-time teaching position he holds was perhaps the one he was least qualified for. Henson noted his nervousness taking the state-funded program. The previous teacher had gone to the University of Georgia to receive training to fill the position. Talking with the previous teacher about the class, Henson shared his reservations about the lack of training and certification. Receiving note cards and guidance on how to handle it helped, but only so far.

Henson recalled looking at the cards and seeing tips like, “Talk about work ethic for 20 minutes.” He was stuck in a position without a firm foundation. He spent the next semester “winging it” and juggling the class with student placement in businesses. Struggling through the day to day at the time, he now looks back and says, “Apparently, I did pretty good at it.”

The interesting part was that the promotions that led him into this position similarly mirrored Henson’s own path to Superintendent one day. An omen easily looked over at the time, but glaringly obvious in hindsight. Though he wouldn’t take the direct path from Teaching to Assistant Principal to Superintendent, they did set the milestones that he would hit on his way.

He also saw plenty of doubt on his way, too. He never looked at the Superintendent position as a goal, but even maintaining a teaching position seemed bleak as he was called into the office one day and told his career class position was no longer being funded.

Thinking he was losing his job, he began considering other opportunities as well as missed options, he had just turned down a position in Cartersville where Stacy, his wife, was teaching. Worrying for no reason, Henson says he was racing through these thoughts until they finally told him they were moving him to Morganton Elementary.

Taking up a Math and Social Studies teaching at Morganton Elementary, Henson found more familiar territory in these subjects. Yet, having gotten used to the career skills, he says he still felt like he was starting over again. The years proved later to be quite fortuitous as Henson says he still has people to this day stop him and talk about their time learning from him as students. Relating back to his own school years, he admits he wasn’t the best student and he made his own bad decisions.

From situations in band and class alike, he notes that he worked hard, usually sitting in first and second chair as he played the trombone, but he still found plenty of things to get into as he, by his own confession, “made the drum major’s lives and stuff miserable.” Enjoying every opportunity he could get to goof off, it became a trend throughout his school career.

Yet, in teaching, he brought those experiences and understanding to the kids as he tailored his classes each year. He shared one story of a girl that stopped him to speak for a while. Eventually, she asked, “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Admitting that he didn’t, she replied, “Well, you really helped me a lot. I was ADD and you would let me sit at your desk.” He says she went on talking about the way he changed her life.

It seems almost common now to associate teachers with stories like these, changing people’s lives, yet, it’s not often you may think a student causing trouble would become that kind of teacher.

The effort returned in a major way as Henson was elected Teach of the Year at Morganton Elementary in only his second year. The award was a testament to his efforts and success, but also evidence of how much he had changed in his life.

“You get out of school and you work a couple of real hard jobs, you see there might be more to life than goofing off. That got me redirected and helped me get through college and get my teaching degree,” says Henson.

It was more than just awards, though. Morganton Elementary created several relationships for Henson that followed him throughout his career and his life. spending four years at Morganton made it the longest position at the point, but it led to so much more. It led to three more years of teaching at East Fannin Elementary before receiving a promotion to Assistant Principal at West Fannin Middle School.

Moving from a position as a teacher to Assistant Principal isn’t just a promotion, it is a major change into school administration. No longer dealing with individual classes of students, Henson says it becomes far more political as you get pressed between teachers and parents. You walk a tightrope as you want to support your teachers in what they do, and you want to listen to concerned parents and find that middle ground. “You have got to kind of be a buffer between them… You’re always walking a tightrope,” he said.

He served as Assistant Principal to Principal David Crawford who served as Assistant Principal to his father, Frank Henson. Mentoring him in administration, he says David was a “laid back guy” that would still “let you have it” some days. It set him on a steep learning curve. Despite the jokes and stories, he led Henson on a quick path to his own education. In a sort of ‘sink or swim’ mentality, Henson said he was given a lot more authority than he expected, but he enjoyed the job.

How much he enjoyed it was a different point. Though Henson says he has never had a job in education he hated, he did say that his year as Assistant Principal was his “least-favorite job.” Though stressing he has enjoyed his entire career, he noted that the stress and shock of transitioning from Teaching to the Administration as a more big picture job factors into the thought.

Even that wasn’t meant to last long as he moved from Assistant Principal to Principal after just one year.

Nearing the end of his first, and only, year as Assistant Principal, he was called into the office again. This time it was the school systems office as his Superintendent at the time, Morgan Arp, wanted to speak with him. As he tells the story, “He said, ‘I’m looking at restructuring the system a little bit on principals and administrators. I’m not saying this is gonna happen, but if I made you Principal at East Fannin, would that be okay?’

I said, ‘Sure, I’ve been there and I know the people fine.’

He said, ‘What about West Fannin?’

I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been there a year, I can deal with that.’

He said, ‘What about Blue Ridge Elementary?’

I said, ‘Well, that’s the school I know the least. I’m sure if you put me in there, I could. But the other two make me feel a little more comfortable.’

So the next day I got a call, and I was principal for Blue Ridge Elementary.”

Though comical, Henson said it actually worked out great as he met two of his best colleagues there. Cynthia Panter later became an Associate Superintendent and Karen Walton later became his Assistant Superintendent. Both were teachers he met at Blue Ridge Elementary.

“Blue Ridge was really where I made a lot of later career relationships,” says Henson.

His time as Principal was also a lot easier for him as he says after the year at West Fannin he knew what he was doing and had more confidence in the position. Having ‘matured’ into the job, he says the Principal position has more latitude in decisions. Having a great staff at both schools made the job easier, but the transition was simpler also because he felt he was always second-guessing himself as an assistant principal. His maturity also gave him new outlooks on the choices and decisions made.

“I think a good administrator serves as a shield between the public and teachers who need someone in there to mediate,” he says. Molding things into a larger plan for the schools and taking views from all those who take a stake in their education, “Everybody wants what’s best for the child.”

Surrounding himself with assistant principals and administrators that were detail oriented to allow him to deal with people and focus on the ‘big picture,’ two of his favorite parts of his career as he says.

After three years at Blue Ridge Elementary, the Curriculum Director at the county office resigned. Applying on a fluke instinct, he later got a call saying he got the position. He joined the staff as K-6 Director of Curriculum alongside Sandra Mercier as 7-12 Director of Curriculum.

However, his time in the office saw much more work as he spent time covering as Transportation Director and other fill-in duties. It wasn’t until 2003 when Sandra Mercier took the office of Superintendent, according to Henson, that she named him as Assistant Superintendent and really began his time in the Superintendent position.

He had never thought about going for the position, applying, or even thinking of it. Henson said he did want to be a Principal, but the county offices were beyond his aspirations.

Largely different from transitioning from Teacher to Administrator, the transition into the Superintendent position was far easier says Henson. You’re already dealing with a lot of the same things on a single school scale, but moving to the Superintendent position crosses schools and districts. He did not there is a lot more PR involved, but nothing to the extreme change as he experienced his first year in administration.

Becoming Superintendent in 2007, he says he focused on opening the school system up and growing more transparent than it already was. Sharing information and speaking straight about his feelings allowed a certain connection with people. It seems, in truth, that he never quite outgrew some of the goofiness of his childhood as he recalls joking with colleagues and staff.

Henson says he wanted to have a good time in the office despite everything they dealt with. He pushed the staff, but they also played pranks on each other and shared moments like a school secretary embarrassing her daughter with a funny picture.

Noting one particular instance, Stacy recalls a story with finance running checks in the office. With one office member in particular who would always try to jump scare people running the check machine. Henson quickly opened the door and threw a handful of gummy bears at her. Unfortunately, a few were sucked into the machine and ruined the check run. It wasn’t a good day considering, yet the staff laughed about it and shared in the comedy.

A necessary part of the job is what Henson calls it. The lightheartedness was key to maintaining his staff. “If you stay serious a hundred percent of the time, it’s going to kill you,” he says.

The position wasn’t just laughter and jokes though, tough times came plenty enough. Not all of them were the expected issues that you might expect. Aside from the general politics that face schools daily in these times, Henson even dealt with death threats in his position. Having let people go and dealt with others careers, he admits he had that one employee’s spouse threated his life after a firing.

As he speaks about some of the hardest moments like this, it’s hard to find out how harrowing the event really was. Henson says now that it’s not a big deal, it wasn’t the only threat he had. His wife speaks a little more plainly as she confesses some days, she couldn’t tell if it was worth it for him to be the Superintendent. Yet, even she says in hindsight that she is proud of the honesty, integrity, and openness that permeated his ten years.

Additionally, dealing with things like the shootings and issues that have plagued schools in the last decade, he adds, “It’s a more stressful job than when I started 30 years ago. It’s much more stressful. There are so many things that the state expects, that locals expect, that parents expect… I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in another 30 years.”

Henson agreed that schools have lost a lot of the innocence they used to have within the teachers and staff. As these people continue to rack their brains on following the mission to educate and keep kids safe, they take a lot of the stress off the kids as they are at school. He said, “I don’t know if it’s spelled out, but I think if you’re a good teacher, you feel that inherently.”

It also branched over into policies, with increased focus on testing and numbers, Henson said the position got a lot more into the realm of politics as you deal with the state legislature and handling the constant changes that came from the state adds another item to juggle.

As a superintendent, you don’t need state tests, as Henson says, to tell you how well a teacher teaches. “I can sit in a class for five minutes and tell you if a teacher can teach.”

In the face of everything, Henson said he wouldn’t burn any bridges about returning to education, but he’s enjoying his retirement.

Henson has already reached the “what’s next” point in his career as he retired last year. One year into retirement, he says he is just as busy as ever with his position on the Board of Tax Assessors and putting a daughter through college at the University of Georgia. On top of maintaining his own projects, he says he’s focusing on being a parent and husband and making up for time lost in his position as Superintendent.

Once he hit ten years in the office, Henson said he felt like he had done what he wanted, it was time to hand it over to someone else for their impressions and interpretations. Though retiring from his career, he didn’t fade into obscurity. With Stan Helton asking him to sit on the Board of Tax Assessors and others still seeking advice and counsel, he simply transitioned once more.

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