DAHLONEGA - This was gold panning championship weekend in Dahlonega.<br>
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Once again The Dahlonega Jaycees and the Consolidated Mining Company teamed up to bring history back to the hills.<br>
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There is still plenty of gold <br>
if you are lucky enough and hard working enough to find it.<br>
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During the World Open Gold Panning Championship Sunday competitors separated eight pea-sized nuggets from a sand filled pan as quick as they could.<br>
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The current record is 7-point-55 seconds held by Californian Donald Roberts.<br>
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His father, Jack Roberts, brought the Gold Panning Open to Dahlonega in 1988 because of a lack of interest and sponsorship in California.<br>
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The nation's first gold strike was near Dahlonega in 1828.<br>
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Roberts said there's still a lot gold in the ground.<br>
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He says they struck a vein building the Dahlonega Wal-Mart but covered it up.<br>
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"It was more practical to build a store on it and let people spend their money than to it is to get the gold out," said Roberts.<br>
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"That's hard rock mining." <br>
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Roberts said competition panning calls for a steady hand and speed, not the size of the nugget.<br>
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The Championship brought 25 competitors to the Consolidated Gold Mine.<br>
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Competitors had to separate nuggets from sand filled pans in seconds, not minutes.<br>
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This is basically the way hopeful miners looked for gold in the Georgia hills of the late 1820's and in the California gold fields in the 1840's.<br>
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Dahlonega Jaycees President Rick Hathcock said the Jaycees saw real potential in sponsoring the event. <br>
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"Being in Dahlonega it's just a gimme, " said Hathcock.<br>
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"Being in gold country this is the place for it, that's the way we feel."<br>
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In this year's competition Ronnie Gaddis of Dahlonega took his fourth first place win at 9.22 seconds followed by David Smith of Crandall at 11.71 and Mildred Norrell of Dahlonega with 12.09.
