Hometown Gifts
Tasty treats
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- Get a little nutty this holiday season by heading to Lucky Lady Pecans, Gifts and More, the retail store of the Tracy-Luckey Co., which processes pecans in its plant in downtown Harlem. A 12-ounce tin is $19 or $20, an 8-ounce gift bag is $10, and a 1-pound bag is $14. Traditional flavors include praline, roasted and salted, angel honey, chocolate covered, cinnamon spiced and raw halves and pieces. New flavors are key lime, sweet and salty, mesquite barbecue, and Sweet Georgia Heat. The store also offers koozies for $2 and T-shirts for $14. The store is at 140 N. Hicks Street in Harlem, near the factory. Store hours are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.luckyladypecans.com or call (706) 556-6216.
- Also in Harlem, someone with a Southern palate would enjoy a tasty treat from Red Oak Manor and The Acorn Restaurant, a family-owned bed and breakfast in Harlem operated by Columbia County Commissioner Scott Dean and his family. The bed and breakfast offers homemade family goodies, including 4- and 8-ounce jars of Ricki's Pepper Jelly for $3 and $5; 8- to 12-ounce jars of vinegar and tomato-based barbecue sauce for $5-$7; 4- and 8-ounce jars of chow chow for $3 and $5; and a 16-ounce jar of sweet pickles for $6. Red Oak Manor is at 410 N. Louisville Street in Harlem. For information, call (706) 556-8222 or visit www.redoakmanor.com.
- Bean Baskette Coffee Shop, 4414 Evans-to-Locks Road, Evans, offers travel mugs bearing the shop's steaming coffee cup logo for $12 to $15. Store hours are from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday. Call (706) 447-2006.
- Abbi's Coffee Mill and Roastery, in Petersburg Shoppes at 408 Furys Ferry Road, sells stainless steel travel mugs bearing the shop's name for $9.99; T-shirts for $7; and visors for $7.50. The coffee shop also offers 40 blends and flavors of coffee and a choice of three half-pound bags of beans or ground coffee in a wooden box with the Abbi's logo for $19.99. The coffee shop also offers its special Abbi's Blend coffee. A quarter-pound bag costs $2.74, a half-pound bag is $5.48, and a 1-pound bag is $10.95. Hours are from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call (706) 651-9111.
Sights and sounds
- The pupils of North Harlem Elementary School are ready to put you in the holiday spirit with their compact disc, Silver Bells of Harlem: A Christmas Collection . The CD features 20 holiday songs, some sung by pupils, and instrumental selections included for sing-a-longs. A version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas is performed by the entire student body and faculty. The CD costs $5 and is available by calling the school office at (706) 556-5995, ext. 5817; sending an e-mail to amy.huff@ccboe.net; or by mailing a check payable to the school to North Harlem Elementary School, Attention: Amy Huff, Music Department, 525 Fairview Drive, Harlem, GA 30814.
- Fresh from receiving two Country Music Association awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year for I Run to You , from their self-titled debut album, the pop-country trio Lady Antebellum has souvenirs available in stores or through their Web site, www.ladyantebellum.com. The first single from the group's second album, titled Need You Now , was released in August and the album is anticipated to be released in January. Two members of the chart-topping group are Lakeside High School graduates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood.
- Music and souvenirs are available from Kelley's older brother, Josh, also a Lakeside graduate, at area stores and from www.joshkelley.com.
- The most recent CD from Stephanie Staples, an Evans native and independent Christian artist, is available. New Journey Home , released in 2007, is her fourth album. All the CDs are available at www.stephaniestaples.com.
- For a laugh from the movie buff on your list, consider the slapstick comedy of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem, where Hardy was born, sells the comedic duo's movies on VHS and DVD and has T-shirts depicting scenes from many movies, coffee mugs, Laurel and Hardy books and many other stocking stuffers. Items range from $3 to $20, and shipping is available. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call (706) 556-0401.
Wear it proudly
Several student clubs at Columbia County's newest school, Grovetown High School, offer T-shirts embellished with the school's warrior mascot or star and "GT" logo. The shirts, available in short and long sleeves, cost $10 to $20. Call the school at (706) 447-2102 for information.
Most schools have T-shirts and sweatshirts with school logos. The items are available from the school, Parent-Teacher Organizations and booster clubs. Call each school for details. The last day of shopping is Dec. 18 -- the final day of school prior to the Christmas break.
- Hometown Sports features area public and private middle and high schools letter jackets for $165, including custom embroidery; athletic bags for $28 with custom embroidery; and T-shirts, golf shirts and jackets starting at $15. The store at 4115 Columbia Road in Martinez is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday. Call (706) 651-8777.
- One Columbia County sporting goods store carries duffel bags imprinted with the names of some county high schools. Academy Sports, at 4210 Washington Road in Evans, has duffel bags customized for Evans, Greenbrier, Harlem and Lakeside high schools for $19.99. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
- Gear for the links is sure to get the golfer on your list swinging. Hats and shirts with logos are available at area golf courses. Hats cost $19.99 and shirts range from $30 to $67 at Bartram Trail Golf Club in Evans, (706) 210-4681. Hats range from $18 to $25 at Jones Creek Golf Club and shirts range from $25 to $130. Call (706) 860-4228. West Lake Country Club offers hats starting at $22.50 and shirts from $45 to $90. Call (706) 863-4642.
- Sunrise Grill in West Town Shopping Center sells products bearing the image of the restaurant's sunglass-wearing, grinning sun. Mugs cost $5.
- Ruth's Family Restaurant, which has operated in the same Washington Road location in Martinez since 1965, offers the restaurant logo on T-shirts in a variety of colors for $12.95, mugs and holiday-theme mugs for $4, and a gift-wrapped pumpkin roll for $14.75.
Read all about it ...
- Evans resident Gerrie Sobel has reading material for the young one on your list. Her two books -- a Christmas and a Halloween story about Jacob & His Magical Flying Bears -- were inspired by her first grandson. The books are available for $11.50 each at www.jacobsbears.com and other online bookstores.
- Jerry J. Wilcher, a former Columbia County educator, published Long Lonesome Road, a novel about murder and law enforcement. Wilcher, who served 22 years as principal of the former Evans Middle School, follows a newly-elected sheriff as he joins forces with state and federal agencies to solve the murder of his predecessor. The book is available from www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.xlibris.com.
- Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Capt. David Butler's book, Columbia County Gray: Burial Locations for Confederate Soldiers in Columbia County, Georgia , is a painstakingly researched hardback that provides the location -- complete with satellite coordinates -- for every Confederate soldier's grave in the county. Butler's book can be purchased directly from him for $25, plus a $3 shipping fee. To reach Butler, send an e-mail to dabutler@mvfd.net.
- Columnist Lucy Adams, whose work appears in The Columbia County News-Times and other regional newspapers, has published a collection of humorous essays called If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny . Adams, a Columbia County native and McDuffie County resident, is a teacher at Augusta Preparatory Day School. The book is available for $14.95 from the Web site www.ifmama.com and at www.amazon.com. Caps, T-shirts and aprons also are available.
- For those interested in Columbia County history, there is To Seek a Newer World: A History of Columbia County, Georgia , by Gerald J. Smith. The book costs $25 and is available from any member of the Columbia County Historical Society or by calling Pat Hardaway at (706) 312-7254 or Vermill Baxter at (706) 541-1683.
- Kiokee Baptist Church offers a look into its history with A History of Kiokee Baptist Church in Georgia: Georgia's First Continuing Baptist Church , by the late Waldo P. Harris and James Moesteller. The book is available at the church's office in Appling for $30, or $35 if mailed. Make checks payable to Kiokee Baptist Church, P.O. Box 430, Appling, GA 30802. Call (706) 541-1086 for information.
- Evans High School JROTC instructor, Patrick Rivette, created a fictional history of a biblical character in his book The Chief Centurion: A Soldier of Rome . Rivette created a fictional life for Claudius Lysias, a Roman centurion who saves the Apostle Paul from the mob in the books of Acts. The self-published book follows Lysias from his training in Jerusalem, his service in Gaul, the invasion of Britain and back to Jerusalem. The book is available at www.xlibris.com.
- Columbia County 4-H board members and volunteer Jean Embry wrote The First Piece of the Puzzle , a mix of poetry and prose. The book is available for $19.95 at www.borders.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com.
- An Euchee Creek Elementary School teacher turned a college project into a novel for young readers. Patricia Brower, a first- and second-grade early intervention teacher, published Trapped in the River , which is illustrated by her mother. The book revolves around a squirrel trapped in the middle of a river while going after an acorn. The book is available at www.xlibris.com.
- The young reader on your list will enjoy Wally the Whale Learns How to be a Winner . The book, written by Riverside Elementary School first-grade teacher Sherry Riner, tells the story of of Wally, who is teased for not being a good swimmer. He practices, gets good and becomes a winner with a bad attitude. Wally then learns to be a good-spirited winner. The book is available from www.amazon.com.
- For the middle-schooler who struggles in math, Pesky Percentages would be a good gift. Riverside Middle School eighth-grade teacher Brett Cooper wrote the book with a "common-sense" approach to teaching percentages involving rhyming and visual aids. The books is available from www.authorhouse.com and www.amazon.com.
- For those who prefer to read imaginative fiction, consider Martinez resident Benjamin Towe's two fantasy series about the Lands of Donothor and Parallan. Books from the Donothor series include Deathquest to Parallan , The Orb of Chalar , The Death of Magick , The Chalice of Mystery and The Dawn of Magick . The Elfdreams series includes The First Wandmaker and The Lost Spellweaver . The novels are available at www.authorhouse.com, www.borders.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
... and then cook it
- For a little extra holiday flavor, Stevens Creek Elementary School offers a cookbook called A Spoonful of Excellence . The cookbook features 400 recipes submitted by Stevens Creek staff members, families and pupils. It is available for $3 (or two for $5) from the school office.
- Karin Calloway provides some easy holiday recipes in Quick Cooking II: A Second Serving . The cookbook is a compilation of recipes featured in the Martinez resident's weekly column in The Augusta Chronicle . It is available at The Columbia County News-Times office for $16.95 or two for $25, plus tax.
Joining in
- CSRA Happy Tails Rescue Inc. offers a 2010 calendar featuring photos of cats and dogs the group has rescued, along with their stories. The calendars cost $20 and are available at all Happy Tails-sponsored events, with proceeds benefiting the animal-rescue operation. Call (706) 836-2708.
- For the animal lover on your list, a gift donation to the Columbia County Humane Society might be a good idea. The society is raising money to operate the low-cost spay/neuter clinic Dogwood Park at 6100 Columbia Road in Appling, and for construction of a dog park and shelter. For information, call (706) 541-2911.
- The history lover on your list will enjoy a membership to the Columbia County Historical Society. Memberships range from $10 per year to $100 for a family lifetime membership. Call Pat Hardaway at (706) 312-7254 or Vermill Baxter at (706) 541-1683.
- For the disc golf enthusiast, consider a membership to the Professional Disc Golf Association, based at Columbia County's Wildwood Park. Memberships include a PDGA logo disc, mini marker, rule book, member card with lifetime member number, the PDGA's DiscGolfer magazine and a discounted rate for sanctioned events. Members are able to earn PDGA points. Memberships range from a $75 annual professional membership to a $25 junior. Discounts are $5 per each person for family memberships. Call (706) 261-6342 or visit www.pdga.com.
- Avid readers and those who wish to pass the joy of reading on to future generations can get a membership to Friends of the Columbia County Libraries. Memberships range from $10 for an individual to a $500 "Best Friend." Members receive a 20 percent discount at Borders Books, Music and Cafe. Call Barbara Williams at (706) 863-8760 or visit www. ecgrl.public.lib.ga.us and follow the links.
- The art aficionado on your list should enjoy a membership to Columbia County Arts Inc., an organization that supports arts in the county. Members receive an Arts Talk newsletter, invitation to special membership events and performances, and a 10-percent discount for art organization-sponsored shows, performances and exhibits by Columbia County Arts groups, including Stage III Ltd., the choral society, civic orchestra, artists' guild, Columbia County Ballet and the Laurel and Hardy Museum of Harlem. Memberships start at $25. Visit www.columbiacountyarts.org.
- If the art lover on your list would rather own a piece of art, two Web sites feature many Columbia County artists and their works. The Columbia County Artists' Guild site, www.artistguildcc.org, features online galleries of county artists, including painter Carol Kelly Dorn, photographer Dwain Shaw, potter Betsy Borgatti and multi-media artist Cyndy Epps, as well as links to their personal Web sites.
A Web site designed specifically to showcase products and arts created in Georgia, www.gamadegagrown.org, also features many Columbia County arts businesses with links to their Web sites.
- The signature or name of a child can be engraved on a commemorative brick at River Ridge Elementary School. The bricks come in three varieties -- regular and signature for $50 and corporate for $500. All proceeds go toward paying for classroom necessities. To order, contact Parent-Teacher Organization President Tina Hartzog at (706) 364-6188 or bthartzog@hotmail.com.
- Military members on your list might enjoy a commemorative brick that will be used to pave the walkways around the Wall of Honor for Veterans in Grovetown. The pavers cost $40 each and can be engraved with as many as three lines of 14 characters each. Forms are available at the Grovetown City Hall on Old Wrightsboro Road. Call (706) 863-4576.
Home for the holidays
- Stay toasty this holiday season with an afghan featuring scenes from Columbia County sold exclusively by Strictly Country, 4313 Washington Road, Evans. The afghans cost $69.95. Call (706) 868-1348.
- For those who'd like a little pampering for Christmas, handmade soap from Luna Bug might be just the gift. Grovetown soapmaker Leslie Carson creates the artful, all-natural soaps created in with themes including My Georgia!, Traveler, Planetary and Seven Wonders series. The Holiday-theme soaps -- Tis the Season and Merry Mint! -- also are available. Most of the soaps are $5 each. Balms, salves, lotions and shampoo bars also are available. Luna Bug products can be purchased at Best Western on Park West Drive, Bow Wow Boutique in Grovetown or at www.lunabugsoap.com. For information, call (706) 309-9563.
- The Busy Bees Quilting Club, based at Philadelphia United Methodist Church in Harlem, offers custom-made quilts starting at $35 for a baby blanket and up to $500 for a larger quilt. Proceeds from the sales go toward making quilts for the Medical College of Georgia, area nursing homes and an Atlanta children's home. Call (706) 556-9596.
- Easter Seals offers a limited-edition Christmas ornament commemorating local history and helping the disabled. A recent ornament in the series features Oliver Hardy, is 24-karat gold over brass and costs $10. All Easter Seals ornaments from 2006 and older cost $10 and ones made since 2006 cost $15. The ornament is available at the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem and at the Easter Seals office, 1500 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta. For information, call (706) 667-9695.
- For the art aficionado who wants to own a Columbia County artist's work, a visit to Etc. of Harlem might be in order. The locally-owned business showcases works of many area artists, including many from the county. Artworks include fine and folk art, heritage crafts and rustic furniture. The store also carries antiques and collectibles. Works range from $3 note cards up to $1,200 pieces of fine art. The store at 212 N. Louisville St. in Harlem, is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday. Call (706) 556-8000 or visit www.etcofharlem.com.
- A busy holiday season calls for a little extra rest on a Serta mattress manufactured at the company's factory in Grovetown. Just Beds at 4158 Washington Road in Evans carries a full line of Serta mattresses starting at $249. Hours are from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Call (706) 868-5500.
- For those who like to stay informed about Columbia County, consider giving an annual subscription to The Columbia County News-Times . The subscriptions, which also can be mailed out of town, cost $52 plus tax. Call (706) 868-1222.
Get moving
- All homeowners could use a little help with the lawn, especially from a John Deere tractor or lawn mower. Some models are made in the company's Grovetown plant. Augusta Turf and Tractor sells a full line of John Deere mowers beginning at $429 and tractors starting at $10,900. Call the business at 2804 Wylds Road in Augusta at (706) 737-9191.
- Traveling around the yard, neighborhood or golf course would be a little easier in a Club Car golf car. The cars, manufactured in Evans, are available from Transportation Solutions of Augusta, 692 Commerce Court, Evans. Prices range from $1,600 for used cars to $7,000 for new vehicles. Four-wheel utility cars cost up to $10,000. Up to $4,168 is available in tax credits for one of the four street-legal, low-speed vehicles. The electric vehicles feature brake, turn and head lights, windshield wipers and seat belts. The models cost up to $10,000. The store is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit www.tsagolf.com or call (706) 228-5525.
- A Columbia County license plate is available from the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce at 4424 Evans-to-Locks Road in Evans and at The Columbia County News-Times office at 4272 Washington Road in Evans for $5. Proceeds benefit Columbia County Arts Inc.