With five children and four grandchildren, Ty and Chris Akins are anticipating the holidays to be full of tradition and sentiment.
Ty Akins, Chairman of the Habersham County Commissioners, and his wife, Chris, talked with Now Habersham about the importance of family, celebrating Jesus’ birth, and creating traditions and memories.
Joining traditions
One such tradition comes from Chris’ family. Her mother was German and her grandmother moved to the United States from Germany. As a child, her grandmother would set her snowboots outside the door for “Kris Kringle” to fill with fruit, candy, and nuts. Over the years, Chris has continued the German tradition by giving her children brown bags to put outside for Santa to fill.
When Ty was a boy, his Mom would make sausage balls for Christmas morning. Ty maintains this tradition along with his mother. Ty takes his sausage ball-making very seriously. It is something the whole family enjoys and looks forward to tasting on Christmas morning.
“We’ve been able to incorporate our childhood traditions into our family and it feels wonderful,” Chris Akins commented.
Coordinating holiday events
Coordinating a big family isn’t easy. “There are times when all our family members are here and those times are incredible. Other years, we are missing someone because they had to be somewhere else, but they are always in our hearts,” Chris added.
The Akins family enjoys decorating the tree together, watching out for their “Elf on the Shelf” named “Snowflake the Elf,” and cooking meals in the kitchen together.
“Chris is an amazing cook,” Ty said. “We look forward to Christmas dinners and she just takes it and runs with it, creating incredible food for us all.”
Strong marriage
Both Ty and Chris understand the importance of time together, communication, and being present for one another.
Their history together is unique, having known each other for many years before being married. Chris is a poet and wrote poetry about Ty which was published in an International Library of Poetry Book. Chris says they genuinely know the love they have for one another and that to the core, they are meant to be together.
Christmas morning
The Akins’ house is full on Christmas morning. As Chris put it, “It’s a family affair.” After opening gifts and eating sausage balls, there is target shooting, playing games together, and hunting.
Snowflake the Elf made a zipline down the stairs the year before and the anticipation as to what she will do this year is always on their minds.
Advice for others
Chris understands the pressure women are under especially during the holidays to decorate the house in magazine fashion, to cook, to clean, to wrap gifts, and to make memories. She wants to let everyone know, “It’s not always the biggest most elaborate gifts that make Christmas memorable. It is the laughter, the time with loved ones, that bring the happiest moments.”
Ty and Chris want to wish all our Now Habersham readers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
For the record
In an unfortunate turn of events, Judge Oliver did not grant The Orchard an injunction to stop the construction of an EMS radio tower within the subdivision, even though restrictive covenants are directly attached to the property’s deed. In his defense, to grant an injunction he must weigh the public need against harm to The Orchard.
Habersham County’s (HC) poor planning led to this ‘emergency,’ leaving Judge Oliver with a public need too great to ignore.
To explain, the current HC EMS radio system was constructed in 2010 and is based on a modified industrial/construction product that covers 65% of the county. HC claims this system is in disrepair and is woefully inadequate as it does not comply with today’s coverage standards of 90-95%. However, the coverage standards have been unchanged for over 20 years.
Did HC residents not deserve the same level of safety from 2010 to now, or were we just not worth the money? It appears that new municipal buildings, the county manager’s $190K salary, and various over budget projects were a better use of taxpayer money over the last 13 years. If safety is so important, why wait until the current system fell into disrepair to implement change?
In my opinion, the county had no plans to upgrade until the system fell into disrepair. If parts were still available, and federal funding from the American Recovery Act didn’t exist, I bet we would not be getting a new EMS radio system regardless of public risk. In any case, HC now has a crisis, and no government shall let a crisis go to waste.
Judge Oliver was curious why the lawsuit was taking place at the 11th hour, and here’s why. HC identified The Orchard lot three years ago but did not notify Orchard residents until January of 2023. Orchard residents expressed dissent about the location, and in the Spring of this year, county officials notified The Orchard they would seek alternate locations. It is important to note The Orchard offered to buy the lot back from HC for the cost to relocate the tower elsewhere (no cost to HC or taxpayers). HC declined this offer and come Summer, refused to use alternate locations, citing expense and marginally less coverage.
At this point, The Orchard sued to uphold its covenants. In an attempt to get a fair shake, The Orchard filed suit in Fulton County, but HC filed to move the suit back to Habersham. HC attorneys claim filing in Fulton was a delay tactic when in reality, this frantic mess was manufactured by HC to ensure victory. HC knew no local judge could rule against a new EMS radio tower, regardless of location, ordinances, or covenants, when the current system is so dilapidated all citizens are at risk.
I’m tired of government getting to throw out the rule book in the name of SAFETY, especially when said government is responsible for placing us in harm’s way. As far as this specific tower, all conflict could have been avoided three years ago, a few months ago, and even today. It is painfully obvious towers don’t belong in residential areas, which is why county ordinance forbade it.
During the November hearing, Judge Oliver himself asked county officials, ‘Who thought it was a good idea to put a tower in The Orchard?’ A great common-sense question HC should have pondered years ago. Orchard residents still express willingness to buy the land from HC for the cost of relocating the tower.
The Orchard has offered our county government free lunch, and HC chose to bite the hand that feeds them.
Richard J. Rumble
Clarkesville