Progress 2014 Dawson County News

Section

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Lanier Tech sets record at local campus.

Brown captures state title.

Education | 1D

Sports | 1F

C

Arts & Community nascar

LEGACY continues Young Elliott sees success on the track

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

The last time Dawsonville was featured on the news as much as it has been in the last year was during NASCAR g r e a t B i l l E l l i o t t ’s Championship 1988 season.

Fast forward to 2014 and the Elliott name is again creating a buzz in the sport. This time, however, it’s not the legendary “ Aw e s o m e B i l l f r o m Dawsonville” making the headlines. It’s his son, Chase, who turned 18 in November and became eligible for comp e t i t i o n i n N A S C A R ’s Nationwide Series.

Bill Elliott said he welcomes his son carrying on the family’s legacy.

“We are just very thankful for Chase to have this kind of an opportunity to race in Nationwide in his first full season of eligibility,” he said.

I n e a r l y J a n u a r y, t h e announcement was made that the younger Elliott would compete full time in the series for JR Motorsports with Atlanta-based NAPA Auto Parts as his primary sponsor for 2014.

JR Motorsports is the professional race team and

In his first full season in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, Chase Elliott is proving he is ready to carry on the Elliott family racing legacy.

Photos for the Dawson Community News

See LEGACY | 2C

Inaugural beer, music festival brews up fun

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Dawsonville may have brewed a new tradition after a couple thousand enthusiasts spent a weekend in August sipping beer and supporting live local music behind city hall.

In its inaugural year, the Dawsonville Music and Beer Festival was an “off the hook” good time for Chris

Thomas, who came from Ball Ground to check out what was on tap.

“We’re beer enthusiasts, and we’re glad to be here.

We came to support local music and local events and cold beer,” he said.

With more than a dozen live bands and a variety of Georgia-based craft brewers, the festival was exactly what Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan hoped for when the

city issued the permit.

“This was so much fun.

Everybody’s having a great time. We’ve had no problems and all I’m hearing are good comments from everybody,” he said. “They’re all saying they want this to be an annual event.”

Hansi Holloway said she was glad to see so many people in the city over the weekend.

See BREWS | 2C

File photo

Malia Alles pours a drink at the Sweetwater Brewery tent during the inaugural Dawsonville Music and Beer Festival in August.

Downtown revitalization moving along.

Senior center named for late director.

Business | 1E

Leisure | 7F

2C | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Community enjoys Christmas parade

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Makayla Couch shivered in the chilly weather last December as she waited for Dawsonville’s inaugural Christmas parade to begin.

“Parade, parade, I want to see a parade,” the 2-year-old said as she clapped her hands and looked for the first floats to wind around the downtown square where she waited with her family.

Within minutes, a police siren rang out through the streets and kids darted for candy tossed out to them.

“Oh wow, the candy, we got so much candy, pockets full that we gave to the smaller kids,” said 11-year-old Emily Coley. “The parade was so much fun.

They’ve got to keep doing this every

year.”

Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan also wants to see the parade become a new local, holiday tradition.

“The parade was an absolute blast,” he said. “Everyone was enthusiastic about it. I can’t thank the people that participated enough.

“Thank you Dawsonville for turning out for the first annual Christmas parade. It will only be bigger and better.”

Organized by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, the parade featured more than two dozen floats, groups and individual participants.

The city’s annual tree lighting followed at the Dawsonville Municipal Complex where kids visited with Santa, sipped cider and enjoyed live Christmas performances.

The Grinch (County Commissioner Gary Pichon), Cindy Lou Who (Berenice Garcia) and the Mayor of Whoville (City Councilwoman Angie Smith) judged floats during Dawsonville’s inaugural Christmas parade in December. Left, Jeremy Porter cruised through downtown Dawsonville on a go cart.

File photos

The Norton Agency’s Home for the Holidays with Santa float won for Most Creative in the parade.

FROM 1C

Legacy m a n a g e ment company for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 11-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races.

Chase Elliott said the relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the auto parts giant was nearly as big a surprise to him.

“We weren’t aware that this was going to come together until just a few weeks before the announcement. We hope this is a very successful and l o n g - t e r m r e l a t i o n s h i p ,” Chase Elliott said.

Fans believe the partnership is exactly what the young driver needs.

“I can see him go past Bill’s career,” said local racing historian Gordon Pirkle. “He got started so much earlier and with sponsors like NAPA and driving for Dale Jr. ... that’s going to be something to see.”

Taking his career to the top

FROM 1C

Brews “ I t h i n k i t ’s g r e a t f o r Dawsonville and great for the local businesses,” she said. “I hope that they do it again.”

Originally from Charleston, S.C., where beer and music festivals are popular, David Slaton said he predicts Dawsonville’s festival will keep “getting better and better.”

“This is the first year and the bands have been great, so hopefully they’ll get more vendors in and it will continue to grow,” he said.

The lineup, featuring eight

of the sport has always been the younger Elliott’s goal.

“I’m just happy to have the opportunity that I have,” he said.

He admits growing up with a NASCAR champion dad had its perks, but “at the end of the day, it’s still up to me to get the job done.”

His prediction for the season: “We hope to get to victory lane as much as possible, contend for a championship and gain as much experience as possible.”

Driving the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet, he’ll run the same number his father carried for much of his storied career.

Recently, the pair took the track together in Daytona to test for JRM. “We both had a lot of fun,” Chase Elliott said.

By taking on the full 33-race schedule, Chase Elliott has the chance to become just the fifth multi-generational NASCAR champion, along with Richard Petty (Lee Petty), Larry Pearson (David Pearson), Dale Jarrett (Ned Jarrett) and

Earnhardt (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) having accomplished such a feat.

Bill Elliott’s 1988 Sprint Cup title came during a season in which he recorded six of his 44 career wins. He is a twotime champion of the Daytona 500, a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and a 16-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award.

“No doubt, the historical element of this is pretty cool,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a statement. “Bill Elliott is one of the greats. I’ve always looked up to him. He had some great battles with my dad.

“Certainly, the Winston in 1987 is an all-time favorite. It was probably some of the hardest racing you’ll see, and it’s fun to watch even to this day. I think there are a lot of Elliott fans and Earnhardt fans that will take interest in Chase’s career and support him 100 percent.”

The elder Elliot is constantly reminded that his fans are following his son’s career.

For the Dawson Community News

Chase Elliott’s pit crew readies his No. 9 NAPA Chevy during a recent race.

“It really means a lot to me personally to see friends and hometown neighbors meet you in the store or just out at the movies and to say, ‘Hey, we’re pulling for Chase, he’s doing great,’ or, ‘We’re really proud of ‘our boy.’ It’s just great to have that kind of support from your hometown,” he said.

The Georgia Racing Hall of

Fame is home to a collection of racecars and memorabilia documenting the Elliott family’s NASCAR legacy. The museum also holds race viewing parties and encourages fans to support Chase Elliott’s career by watching the races on a wall-sized projection screen each weekend during the season.

For more information about the parties, call (706) 216-7223.

‘I think it’s great for Dawsonville and great for the local businesses.’

Hansi Holloway Festival attendee

tribute bands, including, Back N Black, Poison’d and Slippery When Wet, is already set for this year’s event, called Rockin’ It in the Sticks Music Festival, to be held May 9-10.

Tickets can be purchased online at ticketalternative.com and at the door.

File photos

ACDC tribute band Back N Black headlined the entertainment concert during the Dawsonville Music and Beer Festival last August.

Beer enthusiasts Chris Thomas and Colin Denlea drove in from Ball Ground to see what was on tap during the Dawson­ville Music and Beer Festival last year.

Volunteer Carol Grogan pours a draft beer from the Cherry Street Brewing booth.

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 3C

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Leap for Literacy biggest yet Effort raises money for WEE Books program

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

With all the talk of this winter’s ice and snow melting away, the obvious thing to do next is go swimming, which is what Dawson County residents gathered to do.

The fourth annual Leap for Literacy was held Feb. 22 at War Hill Park. The event benefits Dawson County WEE Books, a program developed to put ageappropriate books in the hands of preschool children.

The program is made possible by a partnership with the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy and

the WEE Books Community Action Team.

There are currently 70 teams across the state with more than 1,000 volunteers working toward mailing 25,000 Georgia children books each month.

“By the time the children finish the program, graduate pre-school and start kindergarten, they are ready to l e a r n ,” s a i d F e r s t Foundation President Betsy Wagenhauser. “This program has been shown to increase rate of success after high school graduation by about 80 percent.”

Wagenhauser said that the program is continually growing.

“Everyone who donates

File photo

County Commissioner Gary Pichon takes a running leap into Lake Lanier as part of Leap for Literacy.

helps a child have a successful life,” she said. “Next year, we hope to have up to 50,000 children enrolled across the state.”

According to the local chapter of WEE Books, 50 percent of the eligible kids in the county are in the pro-

gram, but the target is 80 to 100 percent involvement.

This year, the event raised about $6,000 for children’s literacy, almost $2,000 more than last year.

While the water wasn’t warm by any stretch of the

spectrum of jumpers this year and certainly more money and more people.

This event just grows every year, so we are expecting to be bigger and better next year.”

With this year’s event over, the organization isn’t sitting back to rest.

“As soon as this one is over, they are already starting to plan for next year,” said event emcee Warren King. “It’s a big deal. And it gets bigger every year.”

But for now, WEE Books is thankful for this year’s leapers and spectators.

“We want to thank everyone that participated and spectated,” said WEE Books volunteer Jane Graves. “Without you, it wouldn’t be half the fun that it is. We will do this again next year, so please come back and support us.”

imagination, those that jumped in were eager to do it for a good cause.

“They originally wanted me to come out and just do a toe tap and I said ‘I’m not just going to do a toe tap, if I’m going, I’m going all the way in,’” said jumper Jim King.

“Boy, was it cold. It was unbelievable.”

Judges Mike Berg, chairman of the Dawson County Commissioners, Jan Whetstone, owner of Jan’s Family Daycare and Lanier Swafford, chief of Dawson County Emergency Services, awarded certificates for classifications such as Best Leaper, Most Creative Team and Most Creative Leaper.

“We had a bigger participation this year,” said WEE Books President Lionel Graves. “We had a broader

Relay for Life campaign kicks off Event is set for night of April 25

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The search for the cure is on again in Dawson County.

Dawson County citizens are out, about and raising money for the American Cancer Society’s yearly event, Relay for Life.

Relay for Life gives cancer survivors and supporters a chance to unite as a community to honor survivors, raise awareness of reducing cancer risks and collect funds to help the American Cancer Society.

“Relay is your event. You are the heart and soul of this event, as a community,” said Brooke VanBuskirk, a staff partner with the organization. “This is your event to rally around survivors and community members

to show that you care and to try to make sure that, hopefully soon, that we won’t have to hear the word cancer anymore.”

This year’s theme will be “A Carnival of Hope.”

Plans call for carnival style games, food, clowns, balloons and other sights one might see at a carnival.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to have an event like this, but to see so much support from the community is great,” VanBuskirk said. “This is an amazing community and I know it will continue to do an amazing thing.”

Last year, Dawson County raised more than $51,000 for the American Cancer Society. As of mid-March, 15 teams had registered and raised more than $12,000, according to the county’s Relay site.

The 2014 Relay for Life event is set for 6 p.m. April 25 at Veterans Memorial Park.

For more information, visit www.dawsoncountyrelay.org.

Roger Slaton dons purple hair during the kick off of this year’s Relay for Life campaign.

File photo

The following events are planned to support the Dawson County Relay for Life: • Committee meeting - United Community Bank April 10: 5:30 p.m.

• Survivor dinner – Dawson County High School April 17: 6 to 8 p.m.

• Bank night – United Community Bank April 21: 5 to 7 p.m.

State-sponsored clubhouse Our staff is ready to go opens in Dawson County the extra mile for YOU!

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Last year, Dawson County saw a place for students to learn with and from each other open downtown.

Next Generation Clubhouse opened its doors in October to show the community what Bindy Auvermann, executive director, has been working on for the past couple of years.

“It’s taken us a long time to get here,” Auvermann said. “We are thrilled to be given the opportunity for the clubhouse.”

The facility is housed in renovated space at 462 Memory Lane, near the library and Fire Station 1.

The work was funded through state grants. The other clubhouse locations are in the more urban or suburban areas of Gwinnett County and LaGrange.

“We wanted to pick a more rural area for this location,” said Travis Fretwell, with the state offices of behavioral health and development. “We identified a need for a place where there wasn’t a lot of things for young people to do.”

But the clubhouse, which is open during afterschool hours and for special events, isn’t just a place for kids to hang out.

Its purpose is to steer Dawson County youth away from drug and other substance abuse.

“With a prevention-based clubhouse, we wanted to pinpoint areas where we can work with young people and divert them from any usage of substances and abuse,” Fretwell said.

The clubhouse employs a certified specialist to work

Charles Buckner

Mike Underwood

Pres./CEO

EVP

File photo

Youth Leader Bradley Jones, 15, demonstrates a puzzle ball to Dawson County Library Branch Manager Stacey Leonhardt.

‘We are thrilled to be given the opportunity for the clubhouse.’

Marsha Hansard

Chyrl Waldrip AVP

Operations

Teresia Grizzle Teller

Marie Cayo

Brenda Patterson

VP

Kim Smith

Bindy Auvermann

Executive director, Next Generation Clubhouse with the students who visit.

“I work very heavily with the students and make lessons for them. We use a curriculum and take them on field trips, things like that,” said Ellen Ward, prevention specialist.

“I’m really excited to see the growth of students and really see them learn.”

Next Generation also works with student volunteers to give kids one-onone time with peers.

“My brother told me about the program. It always helped him with problems and in school,” said youth leader Cody Owen, 16. “When I got into it, I really liked it.

“It helped me get my grades up and supported me through school. This program has done more

than anything else.”

As a youth leader, Owen assists with the meetings and any events at the clubhouse. “ T h ey w a n t u s t o become leaders,” he said.

“You get to create a new future for yourself.”

The clubhouse features technology such as computers, tablets and 3-D printers that students can use on site.

“We have chosen, as our vision, technology, because we need to move everyone into the 21st century,” Auvermann said.

The employees, particularly Auvermann, said they are anxious to get more kids involved.

For more information on the Next Generation Clubhouse, call (706) 4290110.

Teller

Loan Assistant

“You’ll notice the difference” 770-292-9168 706-216-5900

70 Carlisle Road, Dawsonville 5835 Bethelview Road, Cumming MEMBER

FDIC

www.myfoothillsbank.com

4C | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Sparks in the Park a blast

Residents celebrate country’s independence

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Family and community traditions continue with a bang in Dawson County.

Now in its sixth year, Sparks in the Park has become an Independence Day tradition.

Thousands turn out each year for fun, food and festival type atmosphere all leading up to a fireworks spectacular at dark to celebrate America’s birthday.

The event will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. July 3 at Rock Creek Park, 445 Martin Road, Dawsonville.

In addition to the fireworks display, park visitors can take part in various activities, including inflatables, a dunk tank and a rock-climbing wall.

“The 2014 Sparks in the Park offers excitement for everyone. You’ll experience a community event that offers activities for children and adults, music, entertainment, exhibitions, and food; all culminating with a firstclass fireworks display,” said event organizer Buffie Hamil. “Come experience Dawson County’s most exciting community tradition.”

Presented by the Dawson County Board of Commissioners and Dawson Community News, the family affair offers a carnival-like atmosphere, with activities including a dance contest, face painting, inflatable slides and a rock climbing wall. There is also a dunk

‘You’ll experience a community event that offers activities for children and adults... .’

Buffie Hamil

Event organizers tank and live music.

“We’re proud to sponsor this family-friendly event,” said Dawson Community News Editor Stephanie Woody. “We look forward to this each year. It gives us a chance to get out, support and be a part of the local community.”

Admission for the event is free, though children’s activities, souvenirs and concessions are available for purchase.

While guests can expect to find a wide range of treats, including cotton candy, popcorn, boiled peanuts, hamburgers and barbecue, and picnics are welcome, no alcohol is allowed on park grounds or outside parking areas.

Free parking is available at Rock Creek Park and neighboring River Park, as well as Riverview Elementary and Riverview Middle schools Shuttle service will continue between parking areas and the park throughout the evening.

For more information, call (706) 344-3646.

File photos

Above, NASCAR star and Dawsonville native Chase Elliott takes a dive into the dunk tank during last year’s Sparks in the Park. Left, Bella Bourne laughs on stage during the dance contest.

2014 schedule of events • 5 p.m.

Activities begin • 6 p.m. Live entertainment • 9:40 p.m.

Fireworks display

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 5C

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Work from both world traveling artists like Frank Ross, right, and local artists like John and Chris Lundy, left, are just a few pieces that are on display at the Bowen Center for the Arts.

A piece named “Emu Clock” by Bill Arrington was on display during the egg show. The black shell is unpainted and features a working clock.

Art center brings color to community

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

While still providing the same dedication to bringing art to Dawson County, the Bowen Center for the Arts has seen some changes in the past year.

The first major change is new Executive Director Virginia “Ginny” Greenwood.

“I had always come to this center for the art and it’s just a l w a y s a m a z e d m e ,” Greenwood said. “I’ve always loved the space and energy here.

She plans to bring in major, large art institute collections once or twice a year.

“Marcia [Chelf, former director] set up 2014, and she’s incredible, everyone knows that,” she said. “She took this place from nothing to something massive. I hope to keep it on the same level here.”

Greenwood said she would try to maintain the spirit of the gallery while putting her own spin on its traditional events.

One of the annual events is right around the corner.

The 13th Annual Art in the Garden Festival, sponsored by the Dawson County Arts

Council, will be held at the Bowen center from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 3 and 4.

The council’s aim is to promote and cultivate an appreciation for the arts and artistic spirit of Dawson County with their premier arts, crafts and garden event.

The festival will feature roving musicians, great food and fun. Attendees will also be able to shop from a variety of handcrafted goods including furniture, jewelry, leather purses, pottery, woodcrafts and homemade soaps all produced by local and regional artists.

For those that prefer an outdoor medium, a variety of bedding plants, shrubs, vegetables, tools and supplies will be available.

The center also features various shows and displays throughout the year that range from world-traveling artists like Frank Ross to local artists and educators such as brothers John and Chris Lundy.

The center could undergo some renovations — including new wiring, gallery lights and flooring — in the coming year, according to Greenwood. The

Easter Sunday Easter Sunday

File photos

Ginny Greenwood, executive director, works on new displays at the Bowen Center for the Arts in downtown Dawsonville.

Easter Sunday overall feel of the 100-year-old building would be preserved.

But no matter what comes in, goes out and changes at the Bowen Center, one thing that

will never leave or change is its continuing dedication to promoting art and artists from and in Dawson County, she said.

For more details on the

Bowen Center for the Arts or any of its events, visit www. dawsonarts.org, email info@ dawsonarts.org or call (706) 216-2787.

Easter Sunday Easter Sunday Join us April 20th for a Special Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet and our 2nd Annual Join us April 20th for a Special Join us April 20th for a Special EasterEaster Easter Egg Hunt Plus Carriage Rides Sunday Brunch Buffet and our 2nd Annual Join us April 20th for a Special Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet Sunday Brunch Buffet and our 2nd Annual

Join us April 20th for a Special Easter Easter Egg Hunt Plus Carriage • SPECIAL EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH: 11:00am –Rides 2pm and our 2ndEgg Annual Easter Egg Hunt Plus Carriage Rides Easter Hunt Plus Carriage Rides ($19.95 Adults / EASTER $18.95 Seniors / $9.95 4 -11 / our FREE 3& under) Sunday Brunch Buffet and 2nd Annual • SPECIAL EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH: 11:00am ––2pm • SPECIAL SUNDAY BRUNCH: 11:00am 2pm • SPECIAL EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH: 11:00am – 2pm • Easter FREE EASTER EGG HUNT: 2pm for ages walking – 10 years old Egg Plus Carriage Rides ($19.95 Adults /Hunt $18.95 Seniors $9.95 4 -11 3 3&& under) ($19.95 Adults / $18.95 Seniors //4$9.95 -113//&FREE FREE under) ($19.95 Adults / $18.95 Seniors / $9.95 -11 / FREE under) • HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES: Noon to 2pm, only family FREE EASTER EGG 2pm for ages walking – $5 10 per years old FREE EASTER EGGHUNT: HUNT: 2pm for ages walking old •••SPECIAL EASTER SUNDAY – 2pm • FREE EASTER EGG HUNT: 2pm for agesBRUNCH: walking – 1011:00am years old HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES: to only ••HORSE DRAWN RIDES: Noon to2pm, 2pm, only $5 per family ($19.95 Adults /CARRIAGE $18.95RIDES: / $9.95 4 -11 / $5 FREE 3 $5 & per under) • HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE Noon to 2pm, only per family Reservations areSeniors suggested •Noon 706-864-6456

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6C | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Festival draws record crowd

Event aids Christmas shopping efforts

Charlie Mincey’s No. 16 was among nearly 1,500 racecars and hot rods on display in downtown Dawsonville during the 46th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival.

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Some say 100,000 visitors.

Others say 150,000. Either way, the streets of Dawsonville were packed last October for the 46th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival.

With vendors from across the Southeast, live entertainment including nationally recognized Confederate Railroad and one of the largest collections of hot rods and racecars at any festival in the nation, the annual festival pays tribute to the area’s unique high octane heritage of white lightning and fast cars.

“Where else can you go in the country and see this many cars of this caliber in one a r e a ,” s a i d D a w s o nv i l l e Mayor James Grogan.

The festival also celebrated pioneers of the illegal liquor trade by inducting the inaugural class of the National

File photo

Moonshiners Hall of Fame during opening ceremonies.

Among the inductees were Dawsonville natives Brock Crane and Duck Thurmond.

Their proud daughters, Aline McClure and Carolyn Cantrell, accepted the awards for their late fathers.

“I just wish that Dad could have been here today. I know that he would be very, very

p r o u d ,” s a i d M c C l u r e o f Crane, who many in town knew as the “Apple Jack Man” for his apple brandy.

Cantrell thanked “all the people that got together and decided to present this honor to the men that made whiskey in Dawson County.

“They did that to support their family and they were all good men. My dad was one of the fin-

est men you’d ever know,” she said.

Also inducted were Simmie Free, whose multi-generational family recipe paved the way for the first legal distilled moonshine produced in Georgia, and nationally recognized distillers Jeff Waldroup and X Mark from the cable series “Moonshiners.”

Proceeds from the festival

support K.A.R.E. for Kids’ efforts to provide Christmas and other necessities to Dawson County children in need.

“I’d like to thank all the volunteers that help out with the organization. All the money that’s raised this weekend and all year around helps less fortunate kids to have a Christmas,” said Calvin Byrd, president of K.A.R.E. for Kids.

K.A.R.E. for Kids makes holiday wishes come true

By Michele Hester mhester@dawsonnews.com

Hundreds of local children woke up Christmas morning to find presents under their trees thanks to dozens of volunteers determined to make holiday wishes come true.

K.A.R.E. for Kids, the

Dawsonville-based nonprofit organization that strives to serve the community’s less fortunate families, provided Christmas presents to nearly 800 local children in 2013.

Funded by profits from the annual Mountain Moonshine Festival, the group of volunteers purchases items such as

winter coats, shoes, clothing, medicine and toys for Christmas and provides year-round assistance to families in need.

“Support of the Mountain Moonshine Festival enables K.A.R.E. for Kids to continue i ts m is s io n o f p rov i di n g Christmas to children in Dawson County,” said Calvin

Byrd, president of the organization.

K.A.R.E. for Kids also depends on the community’s generosity and receives support from local organizations, individual families and businesses.

“We are so appreciative, because 100 percent of those funds stay in Dawson County

to help our local residents in need,” Byrd said.

K.A.R.E. for Kids begins accepting applications for the 2014 Christmas season in midOctober.

For more information, visit www.kareforkids.us, email info@kareforkids.us or call (706) 216-5273.

Civic clubs offer a wide variety of activities David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County has a wide variety of civic clubs and organizations to offer and the organizations are always looking for involved, communityoriented members.

Following are some of the organizations in the area:

Lions Club

The Dawsonville Lions Club, founded in 1953, was started to create and foster a spirit of understanding among all members for humanitarian needs. Their core mission is to support the vision impaired and hearing impaired in need by providing care and resources to those in need. The Lions meet at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of the month at the Ryan’s restaurant on Ga. 400. For more information, contact David James at (678) 665-6383.

attend regular meetings, experience fellowship and raise funds for various causes. The Kiwanis Club meets at 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Ryan’s restaurant on Ga. 400. For more information, contact Kristie Myers at (770) 887-0053.

Woman’s Club

The Dawson County Woman’s Club is a memb e r o f t h e Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs, a state organization composed of women’s clubs throughout the state of Georgia. Every Georgia clubwoman is also a member of the General Federation of Women’s

Clubs, which is the oldest non-profit, non-denominational, non-partisan, and largest international service organization of volunteer women in the world. The Dawson County Woman’s Club meets at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, except in September when the meeting is held the second Monday. There are no

meetings in July and August.

The meeting is held at the Dawson County Fire Station No. 2 on Hwy. 53 East, east of Ga. 400. For more information, contact info@dawsoncountywomansclub.org.

Etowah Lodge F&A Masons No. 222

Etowah Lodge No. 222 is a masonic lodge chartered

through the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Georgia, which is recognized through the Grand Lodge of England.

Members meet at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 16 Bill Elliott Street in Dawsonville. For more information, contact (678) 455-5250.

Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Visit us at Dawsonville Municipal Complex, Hwy 53 East

Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Dawson County was founded in 1992. Since then, Rotary has sponsored many civic drives in the community, such as donating funds for Meals on Wheels, youth scholarships, monetary donations to the Chamber of Commerce for the old jail renovations and helping s u p p o r t t h e D aw s o n County High School band. Rotary meets at 7:30 a.m. every Thursday at the Lakeview Center on Dawson Forest Road.

For more information, contact Vernon Smith at (706) 216-1022.

Kiwanis Club

The Dawson County Kiwanis Club is an organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

Members of all ages

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DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 7C

8C | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

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Progress 2014

Section

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Health & Education

D

Lanier Tech

Dawson campus

Karen Tauber, left, and Britney Grillo work in the computer lab at the local campus of Lanier Tech.

sets record Big freshman class boosts enrollment

By Carly Sharec

DCN regional staff

Over the past year, Lanier Technical College has seen a greatly increased number in its students graduating from its various programs and degree courses.

“The large reason for that is that enrollment numbers dropped so much two years ago, we didn’t have as many students in the pipeline to graduate,” said President Ray Perren.

There had been a 19 percent decrease in enrollment between 2010 and 2011.

He pointed out that enrollment for the fall 2013 semester was up nearly 5 percent since 2012.

In early September 2013, 3,540 students were enrolled at Lanier Tech, with around 300 of those as dualenrollment.

Around 1,900 are first-year students, making it the largest freshman group the college has had in years.

For Dawson County, the increase in students includes an all-time record high of 213 students for the Dawson Campus, the largest enrollment for any given academic term in the history of the campus.

“We are excited to be serving over 200 students at the Dawson campus of Lanier Technical College,” said Troy Lindsey, dean of the Dawson Campus.

“The entire Lanier Tech Community has worked hard to reach this milestone. We look forward to continued growth as we serve our students and the community.”

“We made great progress in putting things in place and making plans to improve our graduation rate,” Perren said. “This year we’re in the process of really implementing those plans.”

One of those plans involves creating an individualized plan of study for all students when they enter as freshmen.

“We’re also beefing up our advisement program,” he said. “We’re using an application called Starfish, which is sort of an early warning system for students who tend to get in trouble in terms of attendance or their academic performance.”

With the program, the college can identify those students earlier, increasing the chance of success.

In a plan submitted in 2012 by Lanier Tech to Complete College Georgia, it was proposed that the college increase graduation rates by 5 percent annually.

Photos by David Renner Dawson Community News

Cason Hardigree looks on during a class at Lanier Tech, while fellow student Sebastian Tovar works on an auto engine. The local campus has seen an increase in graduating students in the last year.

Wanda Garrish gives a mannequin head a perm during her cosmetology exam at the college.

See CLASS | 6D

Medical plaza opens on Ga. 400 Facility part of Northeast Georgia Health System

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Health care offerings continue to improve in Dawson County with the opening of Northeast Georgia Health System’s Medical Plaza 400 last April.

“We are thrilled to be extending our services in this market and excited about the opening of our new Medical Plaza 400 and all of the services,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System.

The hospital system bought the property at 108 Prominence Drive in 2012 with plans to expand and renovate the former Moto400 building into a multipurpose facility.

Administrative Director Jo Brewer said the goal is for

patients to feel at ease at the new facility.

“We really want people to feel at home and confident in the care that we are giving them,” she said.

With more than 25,000 square feet, services at Medical Plaza 400 include urgent care, imaging, outpatient labs, sports medicine and numerous specialty physicians.

The Development Authority of Dawson County began working on an initiative several years ago to attract new medical services to the community.

“This is a clear example that Dawson County and in particular the Ga. 400 and Hwy. 53 intersection is becoming a medical destination,” said Charlie Auvermann, the authority’s executive director.

Michele Hester Dawson Community News

Northeast Georgia Health System President Carol Burrell claims the bow from the ribbon cutting for Medical Plaza 400 last March.

Northeast Georgia Health System is the third major medical group to open facilities in Dawson County in recent years.

“Physician groups and medical companies are looking at Dawson County as a potential location for their practices and businesses,” Auvermann said.

He went on to note that the expansion of medical offerings

i s a p l u s f o r “ eve r y o n e involved.”

“Not only is it the convenience for our citizens, but it’s also bringing more higher [paying] jobs into the county, which will in turn give our young people, especially those that are going to Lanier Tech, more opportunities to take jobs without having to go out of the county to find work,” he said.

Christie Haynes, president of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, said she is encouraged by the economic development potential health care facilities such as Medical Plaza 400 carry.

“For them to take an existing vacant building right along Ga. 400 and renovate it into a world-class medical facility ... anyone who toured the new facility can see Northeast Georgia Health System’s commitment to our community,” she said.

B r ew e r s a i d N o r t h e a s t Georgia Health System is vested in Dawson and will grow with the community.

“To the people of this warm and welcoming community, I applaud you and your vibrant c o m m u n i t y,” s h e s a i d .

“Northeast Georgia Health Systems stands ready to grow with you, to provide you with exceptional care, award winning health care to you and to your loved ones and our many visitors and guests.”

2D | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Faith-based Northside Hospital expands reach group aims to help homeless

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews. com

Representatives with several local churches have taken the initial steps in establishing a faithbased organization intended to help homeless families get back on their feet.

While still in the planning stages, the local group in February elected D o n n a We ave r t o serve as its chairwoman.

“It is a unique program in that families are not separated. A lot of times in shelters, men and boys are separated from women and girls,” said Donna Weaver. “This is an attempt to hold the family together and empower them.”

Gary Pichon said the initiative is much needed in the community.

“We have homeless here. They’re out of sight and out of mind, just ask the school system,” said Pichon, who is a member of Grace Presbyterian Church, which spearheaded the effort. “We have a lot of kids that have no home. They’re living in cars, in tents, living with family.

They don’t have a home of their own.

“We need to do something and this is a good way.”

With support from the national organiza-

tion of the same name, Family Promise would provide families in need temporary housing and job training while they search for more permanent housing arrangements.

“The way it works is you collect a bunch of congregations that then commit to housing a family, up to 14 people, in their churches at night,” Pichon said. “During the day, the families go to a day center where they can wash clothes, take showers, go to counseling, make applications for jo b s an d h ave an address...where people can reply to them.”

Locally, neighboring Hall County has a successful program, as does White County, according to Grace Presbyterian Pastor David Jordan.

N a t i o n a l l y, t h e Family Promise program has a graduation rate of 80 percent.

Pichon said the program is a win for all involved.

“It tries to bring the faith community together and it takes lots of volunteers,” he said. “It’s a system that doesn’t just take people and park them somewhere. It’s a system that makes congregations involved in their lives.

“It’s for the benefit of the congregations, as well as the families that we try to help.”

Northside Hospital continues to expand its reach in Dawson County.

Northside improved its m e d i c a l o ff e r i n g s i n Dawson County with the opening a local medical complex near Ga. 400.

Since its opening in 2012, the local campus on Northside Dawson Drive has added a variety of specialty services, including imaging and urgent care practices.

The hospital purchased the property at 91 Nordson Overlook, now known as Northside Dawson Drive, with plans to move and expand its imaging center, which opened on Dawson Commons Circle several years ago.

Northside HospitalForsyth Administrator Lynn Jackson said the new name reflects the hospital’s mission to be a part of the local community.

In recognition of February being Heart Healthy month, the campus offered a variety of important health screenings at no charge, such as blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and stroke risk assessment.

There was also an AED demonstration, as well as educational information on vascular an d card iac health. The event was held during the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours.

“I just want to thank the chamber for allowing us the opportunity to sponsor this event,” Jackson said.

“It’s important to us to not only be a part of this wonderful community, but also to open our doors and let people see what we are about.”

In addition to the imaging center, the 34,500-square-foot medical office houses Northside’s urgent care practice and a variety of

File photo

Amy Cox, left, with the Dawson Community Food Bank and Thrift Store presents Barbara Roberts with a gift certificate at a recent Business After Hours event held by the Northside Dawson campus.

specialty physicians.

Northside officials said that they plan to continue to make improvements and grow in Dawson County.

Charlie Auvermann, executive director of the Development Authority of Dawson County, said Northside’s plans for continued expansion along the busy Ga. 400 corridor shows the hospital system’s trust in Dawson

County and the future of the area.

“They’ve expanded and they’ve gone beyond that in the sense that they purchased enough land and have enough capacity to expand again,” he said.

“I’m thrilled that they are here, and I’m thrilled they show that kind of confidence in our economy and our county.”

Clinic moves to new location

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

After years of occupying the basement of Grace Presbyterian Church, the Good Shepherd Clinic moved to a new home in May. The board of directors for the clinic voted unanimously to accept Northside Hospital’s offer of free space in its building at 200 Dawson Commons, Suite 220 in April. The site is the former location of the hospital’s imaging center.

While the clinic will no longer be in the church’s basement, they are not cutting ties with the service it fostered for so long.

“Grace Presbyterian will continue to be a sponsor of the clinic,” said Doug Powell, treasurer for the clinic. “They’ve been contributing a percentage of their annual budget while we have been in their base-

ment and I have no doubt they will continue to do that as well as promoting the clinic. Other than that, there will not be any other ties to the church.”

No full partnership has been announced, nor does Powell foresee one. The clinic is fully operated as the Good Shepherd Clinic with space and supplies donated by Northside.

Northside, according to Powell, is simply a charitable donor with an invested stake in the clinic, making donations of office space and supplies to help the endeavor.

“Northside offered us access to their ‘graveyard,’ which is surplus furnishing and equipment,” Powell said. “We went down there and found several pieces, such as chairs, tables, filing cabinets, rolling carts, shelving units, a refrigerator and other office and medical

supplies. Northside-Forsyth is also providing us with a brand new exam table.”

Powell said the move was necessary for the clinic to grow, as the former location had become a bit cramped.

“We have two exam rooms and a nurses’ station is being used for multiple purposes in the church basement,” Powell said. “When we move to the new building, we will have four examination rooms and the nurses’ station will be devoted to just the nurses.

“There will be more efficiency for the staff and more privacy for the patients.”

The Good Shepherd Clinic is also working on expanding its offerings into dental work through volunteer dentists working at the clinic.

For more information on the clinic, call (706) 429-9914.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

BOE opens doors of new office School budget

David Renner

The former bank building houses the central office and the Board of Education meeting room.

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County Board of Education opened the doors on its new downtown central office in August.

During its April 15 board meeting, the school board voted 3-0 to approve a contract with Community & Southern bank for the two vacant buildings totaling 13,700 square feet at 28 Main St., for a cost of $1.3 million. The building was purchased with ELOST tax funds.

The central office was previously located on Allen Street. It will continue to be manned, according to Dawson County School Superintendent Keith Porter, but mainly used as storage.

The former bank building houses the central office, with reception areas, offices, and the

File photo

board of education meeting room located downstairs and more offices located upstairs.

The former Community Center is now known as the Professional Development Center.

“We are excited about having the two buildings, and the opportunity to provide more adequate spaces to serve our teachers, staff, parents and students,” Porter said. “The Dawson County Professional D ev e l o p m e n t C e n t e r h a s already been the host site for

our new teacher orientation, bus drivers meeting, and special education lead teacher meeting. We believe that it will be used extensively to accommodate various school and nonprofit groups as we move forward.”

A new central office was among the projects voters approved in November 2009, when they agreed to a five-year extension of the 1-cent sales tax for education. The 2009 referendum passed with 77.7 percent of the vote.

Graduation rate above state average

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County High School is seeing an increase in graduation rates from previous years.

In 2012, Dawson saw 79.8 percent of students graduating high school. This year, the rate is up to 84.1 percent — 190 of the 226 seniors set to graduate at the end of May, according to a report released on Dec. 11.

State Superintendent John Barge said the numbers are based off of a new “adjusted cohort rate.”

“Under a more rigorous calculation method, the trend still shows that the percentage of our high school students graduating increases year to year,” he said.

“Despite the economic challenges our districts are facing, we have more high school students graduating today than we ever have before, which is a testament to the hard work of our students and teachers.”

The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate defines the cohort based on when a student first becomes a freshman. The

rate is calculated using the number of students who graduate within four years and includes adjustments for student transfers.

In contrast, Georgia’s former graduation rate calculation defined the cohort upon graduation, which may have included students who took more than four years to graduate from high school.

The high school rates have been increasing over the past few years, with this year increasing from 2012’s 79.85 percent, itself an increase over 2011’s 74.39 percent.

“It is comforting to see the work of so many people is paying off. We are glad to see an almost 10 percent increase in the graduation rate,” said Dawson County High School Principal Jute Wilson. “Each May, we hand diplomas to students who are the first in their family to graduate. Diplomas open doors and opportunities. A higher graduation rate is good for every resident of Dawson County.”

The numbers exceed the state

percentage of 71.5 percent of students graduating, though the state also saw an increase from 69.7 percent.

“As compared to the state, we were very competitive. The Dawson County School System four-year high school graduation rate was the 33rd highest in the state out of the 182 systems listed,” said Dawson County Superintendent Keith Porter.

“Since they changed the manner in which they compute graduation rates two years ago, the DCSS rate has risen around 10 percent.”

Porter said it was the continued work of the entire faculty of the school system, not just the high school, which leads to these results.

“Graduation rate is a function of the work and skill of our entire system faculty and staff.

A child can be lost as early as elementary school if they have a bad experience,” Porter said. “I would especially like to congratulate our Dawson County High School and Hightower Academy faculty and staff for the high number of graduates.”

on the mend

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

For the first time in more than five years, the Dawson County Board of Education foresees no impending budget cuts.

While not official, the school board is projecting a nearly $33 million budget for the 2015 fiscal year. The upside to the increase from fiscal year 2014 is that the school system will be adding items back, not cutting, officials said.

Last year, the board voted to raise the millage rate by 1.7 mills to 17.246 mills. The system’s local funding is determined by a millage rate, part of a formula used to calculate property taxes, where one mill equals $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value.

The 2014 budget was set at $32 million, a decrease of $3 million from the previous year.

The budget was approved with the expectation the tax digest would continue to drop, this time by about 9.4 percent.

Original projections showed that, had the board not raised the millage rate, the system would have been in the black through fiscal year 2014, before ending fiscal year 2015 with a $4 million deficit.

However, thanks to a returning tax digest and state funding, both fiscal years 2015 and 2016 are projected to end with positive fund balances.

“We’re finally seeing the tax digest decrease in the value of our local 5 mills. It’s back down to about $900,000, so that’s helped us out.” said Jamie Ulrich, the system’s director of finance.

“Plus we’ve got the money that the governor has put back into education. Both of those items have really helped us out for the FY15 budgets. That’s really made the difference.”

Part of the return in funding comes from Gov. Nathan Deal’s incentive plan to help

state education, which put an additional $600,000 back into the local budget. That came on top of another $600,000 to help with rising employee insurance costs.

Ulrich said that the bottoming out of the digest and the money from the state has turned around projections for the coming years’ budgets.

“With the digest finally flattening out, maybe we can start to regain some of the digest values,” she said.

That would allow the school board to return all six furlough days to Dawson teachers, restoring a full school calendar of 180 days for students and 190 for teachers.

“It is something that we have wanted to be able to do since the first year, five years ago, when we had to take drastic measures to make our b u d g e t w o r k ,” s a i d Superintendent Keith Porter.

The board is also looking at returning some of the elementary schools’ assistant principals, counselors and auxiliary staff.

“The budgets of the past five years have certainly presented many challenges, but the sacrifices and creativity of those with whom I work only served to increase my respect and appreciation for their resolve and abilities,” Porter said. “From the beginning, they have taken the attitude that they would do whatever was necessary to serve the students with quality.”

T h e r e t u r n o f bu d g et finances and school support is something that is dear to Porter’s heart, as it was under his tenure as superintendent that they were initially cut.

Now, with his announced retirement, it’s also something he’ll be able to give back.

While this is only a preliminary budget, little change is expected leading up to a vote in July.

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dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 5D

6D | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

State school chief tours middle school Barge celebrates system’s success

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

It’s not uncommon to see Dawson County’s superintendent walking the halls of a local school.

However, some Dawson County Middle School students and staff were in for a shock in December when Keith Porter was joined by Principal Mark Merges and State School Superintendent John Barge to observe some classes.

Barge came to the school after it posted one of the highest score averages in the state on the CRCT, or Criterion-Referenced Competency Test.

“The biggest incentive we have for these schools right now is really bragging rights,” Barge said. “If they are doing some things here that we think is really working and really awesome, we’ll go and share them with

other places and send folks here.”

The CRCTs are standardized tests that measure students’ skills and knowledge on the state mandated content standards in reading, English/language arts, math, science and social studies.

The state average in 2012 was 85.43 percent. Dawson County Middle scored in the 92nd percentile, with most students meeting or exceeding the standard score.

“I can’t take any credit for any of this,” Merges said. “This is a great school and a great staff and they’re the ones that made this possible.”

Porter, however, was quick to give some credit to Merges.

“One thing that Mark did when he first got here that’s made this school better ... is that he made sure all of his teachers are gifted endorsed,” he said.

“That took some time and money, but 98 percent of the teachers here are [gifted] certified. It raised expectations. And those strategies for those gifted students are the strategies we want to use for all the students.”

File photo

Principal Mark Merges, left, welcomes State School Superintendent John Barge, right, to Dawson County Middle School in December.

Merges said that it is this higher expectation from his students that pushes them to succeed.

“We do a lot of things, but we stay consistent and we have high

Superintendent to retire Worked in system for the past 30 years

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County School Superintendent Keith Porter’s announcement in December that he would retire at the end of the school year left friends and colleagues praising his service and dedication.

“I’ve known Keith his whole life,” said Elaine Wilson, a member of the board of education. “We may fill his position, but there will never be a replacement for Keith Porter.”

Assistant Superintendent Lisa Perry said that it was Porter’s lessons in selflessness that have taught the system how to approach education.

“Working with Keith has been an absolute pleasure. He has taught me a lot about leadership, about being the person you should be,” she said. “Keith always puts others first.

I think that’s vital in being a good public servant. He has been an exemplary model in that.”

Porter, a county native and product of the local school system, announced his decision during the board’s December meeting. In a letter to the board of education, he wrote that he has “greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunities that I have been granted in serving the Dawson County School System for the past 30 years.”

Porter spent the past five years as superintendent. His last day will be May 31. While the board of education has not set a date, the search for his replacement began in January.

Education runs deep in Porter’s family.

“My grandmother taught for well over 30 years, mainly first grade, in Dawson County,” Porter said. “She was a huge influence on me going into education. Even as early as first grade, she would allow me to grade papers and pretend like I was a teacher.”

Not only was his grandmother a teacher, but his daughter, niece and sister-in-law are as well.

“My mom and dad really stressed education. They worked really hard to put me through school and give me those opportunities,” he said. “I’m really indebted to them for what they did to allow me to become an educator.”

Following graduation from the University

of Georgia in 1984, a then 21-year-old Porter took a job as a teacher at Dawson County High School. He taught and coached there for six years before becoming assistant principal at Dawson County Porter Middle School.

After four years in administration, Porter spent the next decade in curriculum and instruction. That included five years as curriculum director, two as executive director and three as assistant superintendent.

“I truly enjoyed working with curriculum and instruction,” Porter said. “I was able to work from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade with teachers who taught those grades.

“The board approached me when [former superintendent Nicky] Gilleland made the announcement that he was retiring. They asked me to consider the position. I decided that was the direction I wanted to go.”

Porter’s colleagues say he will be missed.

“When he retires, the school system will certainly miss his integrity, his honesty, his willingness to always do the right thing, even when it’s a hard thing to do, [and] his commitment,” Perry said.

“He has come up through this school system first as a student, then as a teacher and coach to an administrator and then leading us. You don’t find that often. I think that has a lot to do with his level of commitment,” she added.

It was that very upbringing the board sought when hiring him, according to Cecil Bennett, vice chairman.

“He does everything right and sometimes he goes to the extremes to make sure that he does do everything right,” Bennett said. “He’s been wonderful to work with here. Sometimes I tell him that he’s too good for his own good.”

Porter credited the system’s accomplishments to support from the community.

“I could not have asked for a community that valued kids more than Dawson County has,” he said. “They have proved that continually through the past five years.

“I also want to thank my family. I truly appreciate all the sacrifices they have made for my career through the years.

They are excited about me retiring and moving into the next chapter of my life.”

expectations for our students. I think that’s the key,” he said.

“You can do as many things as you want and start all these new programs, and it’s not going to

FROM 1D

Class Perren explained that not all graduates are reported to Complete College Georgia, but only those students who receive associate degrees, two-year diplomas or a Technical Certificate of Credit if it leads to professional licensure. Additionally, a student with a four-year diploma is not counted under Complete College Georgia.

For 2013, the goal was to increase the number of students graduating under those parameters by 40 students, but Lanier Tech added only 30.

The Complete College Georgia initiative lends itself to the state’s goal of adding 250,000 post-secondary graduates into the workforce by 2020.

“We are up in enrollment from this time last year,” Perren said. “Dual enrollment is a record number. So even though our graduates are down, right now I think in the next year or so you’ll see that number begin to rise again because we will have more stu-

work if you’re not consistent.”

According to Barge, the expectations are showing in the data he sees from the school system.

dents in the pipeline.”

He said one barrier in keeping students from attaining an education is financial.

“A majority of our students are firsttime college students,” Perren explained. “No one in their family has ever gone to college, so many of them are looking for ways to finance college.”

He said the HOPE grant and scholarship program has been an asset to a lot of people, but many still have financial issues.

He is optimistic Lanier Tech will reach the goal of increasing its graduation rate.

“Regardless of what (the) test scores (say), the group of kids coming out of high school today are the brightest bunch of kids that this country’s ever produced,” Perren said. “And the ones that come to us really tend to know what they want to do when they graduate. The program they study in is very relative to them, and they tend to do very well once they get into Lanier Tech.”

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8D | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

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Progress 2014

Section

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Business & Government

E

dawsonville

City plans

moving along Revitalization aids traffic flow downtown

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Last year, the city of Dawsonville unveiled a new set of plans to bring a rebirth to the downtown area.

Conceptual plans were unveiled in a town hall meeting in May. A project of the Dawsonville Downtown Development Authority, the plan focuses on revitalizing the historic district, enhancing the gateways that lead in and out of downtown and improving connectivity.

While parts of the conceptual plan are long-term ideas, improving the visualization of the downtown area by planting trees and creating grassy knolls along sidewalks and roads are easily obtainable, according to City Councilman Chris Gaines.

“I talked to several people [after the town hall meeting] and they all liked what they saw with the trees and the landscaping,” he said. “Making visual improvements, like planting trees, shows that we’re working and that we’re an active city and I think that’s important for businesses that are looking to invest here and for residents to see a thriving and an active downtown.

Among the group’s long-term goals are hidden power lines, specifically around the town’s historic courthouse, a truck route that would reduce tractor-trailer traffic through the downtown square and visual improvements to the city’s existing businesses.

Already, signs of this plan are beginning to happen across the city.

In August, the city council voted to change the names of First through Fourth streets as part of an effort to revitalize downtown by incorporating Dawsonville’s racing heritage.

See PLANS | 2E File photos

A roundabout has been added around the historic courthouse in downtown Dawsonville.

Street names have been changed in downtown Dawsonville to honor the city’s racing heritage. A new right turn lane, top photo, was put in in the City of Dawsonville at the intersection of Hwys. 9 North and 53 East.

‘Making visual improvements, like planting trees, shows that we’re working and that we’re an active city and I think that’s important for businesses... .’

Chris Gaines

City councilman

Commission chair president of state organization Expands vision of county

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

When Mike Berg moved to Dawson County from Gwinnett years ago, he could have parked a lounge chair on a deck overlooking Lake Lanier and enjoyed retirement.

Now in his third term as chairman of Dawson’s governing body, the former Gwinnett County commissioner said he has no regrets.

“I knew I could lend that to the county,” he said. “I knew that I was going to stay here for however long I was on this earth and so I felt like it was

important to me to give back. I had that expertise so I wanted to share it.”

Last April, Berg’s ability to build consensus, negotiate when needed and communicate a vision for effective government was celebrated as he was sworn in as president of the state organization dedicated to serving counties.

Serving as president of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia is an honor he shares with the county.

“I get to talk to big companies, developments and a lot of folks that I’ll be able to tell,

hey, look at Dawson County. It kind of brings it back home to us,” he said. “I think the thing that folks need to realize as it comes back to Dawson is that this puts Dawson in a different light.”

The association was formed in 1914 when county officials came together to help fund the state’s first highway department. It works on behalf of officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership development, civic and community engagement initiatives, as well as cost-saving measures.

It was 100 years ago that county commissioners in See PRESIDENT | 2E

File photo

Dawson County Commission Chairman Mike Berg thanks members of the state Senate in February for recognizing the 100th anniversary of Association County Commissioners of Georgia, of which Berg serves as president. Sen. Steve Gooch, right, sponsored the Senate resolution.

2E | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Ga. 400 facelift in the works County applies for grant to improve corridor

By Michele Hester mheter@dawsonnews.com

County Commissioner Gary Pichon has much to say about improvements he’d like to see made along Ga. 400.

In addition to planting shrubs and greenery in an attempt to lure developers looking to relo-

cate business, he’d also like to see the area named to reflect the community.

“It’s our main street, but it’s not Main Street, and it would be nice to be able to tell people who ask for directions a name instead of ‘out at 400, near the outlets,’” he said.

Pichon said implementing the

Publix, center set to break ground

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Officials confirmed in January that representatives with Publix Super Markets want to open a store in Dawson County.

“It’s definitely happening. They’ve definitely b e e n l o o k i n g ,” s a i d Dawson County Commission Chairman Mike Berg. “They have been out for two years now trying to figure out a spot where they want to be.”

QuikTrip convenience store chain also has an interest in Dawson County, according to Berg.

“They have both poured over the area to see where they want to be. They’ll be here. It’s just a matter of when they come and what spot they pick. It’s not a secret that they’re looking. It’s not a secret that QuikTrip has been looking,” Berg said.

Looking ahead, Berg predicts seeing “some very interesting developments” along the Ga. 400 corridor in the next few years. “[Ga.] 400 in the next three years is going to be a happening place,” he said.

Among the most notable changes in the area is the Blanchard Real Estate Capital commercial “power center” between Carlisle and Dawson

Forest roads.

The Atlanta-based group is expected to break ground in 2014 on the retail project on the 102-acre lot off Ga. 400 just south of North Georgia Premium Outlets.

Originally intended as a massive retail development that fell through when the economy tanked, Blanchard purchased the foreclosed Sembler property to build a nearly 350,000-squarefoot center that will include both national retailers and popular eateries.

While specific tenants have not been revealed, Blanchard reps have said to anticipate retailers that are new and needed locally.

Berg said it may be another couple months before the group starts releasing any additional information about the project.

“And when they do, there’s going to be a lot to it,” he said.

County planning and zoning director David McKee said activity at his office has increased in recent months with development inquiries.

“Our phones have been ringing, I can tell you that. It’s been three or four years since we’ve had the volume of calls that we’ve had in the last month,” he said.

“Main Street Project” has been a top priority of his for several years.

The commission voted unanimously Feb. 20 to apply for a transportation grant that would be used to spruce up a section of greenspace near Carlisle Road.

The transportation enhancement grant funds projects up to

$50,000 and requires no matching money from the county.

The county would be responsible for the upkeep.

“What we need is to pick up the trash, keep it clean, keep it mowed with good grass coverage and then some low line shrubbery that’s easy to take care of, that’s native, that makes the place look tended,” he said.

“What I’m hoping is we can take this grant, develop a plant-

ings plan, go to the state and then begin to execute a planting and maintenance plan for our main street.”

The push to name the area would be an extension of the project, and Pichon is interested in hearing suggestions from the public. “[Ga.] 400 is a pretty big piece of commercialization and it needs an identity,” he said. “It needs a name. What’s its name?”

Racing team moving here

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawsonville continues to be a hotbed for NASCAR activity with the announcement in early March that J.J. Yeley’s race team had decided to bring its operations to town.

“A new race team out of New York is coming down here,” said D a w s o nv i l l e M a y o r J a m e s Grogan. “They’ve bought [Ernie Elliott’s] facility and rented half of [Bill Elliott’s] garage.”

Xxxtreme Motorsport owner John Cohen said that it was Dawsonville’s racing support and heritage that drew his racing team.

The three X’s stand for exceed, excel and excite.

“When I saw how big into racing Dawsonville was, I wanted to be here,” he said. “I like the history of this town. If I can be part of the history of Dawsonville, it’s something I want to do.”

Cohen, a nightclub entrepreneur who owns the M2 Ultra Lounge in New York City, said that he had been eyeing the location for a while and spent some time talking with Ernie Elliott, the shop’s former owner and racing engine builder.

“After we took over Ernie’s engine shop, I figured we would bring the whole racing team down here,” Cohen said.

Cohen sponsored vehicles under the Xxxtreme Motorsport banner for drivers Josh Wise and Chase Austin in the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Currently, the shop has more than 10 employees, but Cohen said he wants to expand.

“The sky’s the limit here,” he said.“I want to go from 10 to 40 to 500 employees. I’ve been told that when you win Daytona, you get a

File photo

Owner John Cohen stands next to the Xxxtreme Racing trailer in Ernie Elliott’s former racing shop. Cohen plans to operate his racing venture in the space, which he bought from Elliott in February.

street — when you win a championship, you get recognized here. I love that Dawsonville offers that.”

Driving for Xxxtreme this season is Yeley in the No. 44 Chevy.

Yeley, who won the USAC Triple Crown in 2003, has two top-five finishes in the Sprint Cup series. He finished 10th in the 2013 Daytona 500 and 32nd in the point standings.

“We’re going for a Sprint Cup championship this year,” Cohen said. “J.J. said he’s never won a Sprint Cup, and he wants one of those, so we’re going for it.”

This season marks a return for Yeley, who, in 2009 broke three vertebrae during a crash in a USAC race and was forced to take time off.

“If we get going good, we might get to sound the siren [at the Dawsonville Poolroom] downtown more than once, with two guys now from the area racing,” Grogan said.

NASCAR legend Bill Elliott’s son Chase made his Nationwide racing debut earlier this year in Daytona. He’s finished with three top-10 runs so far this season.

Grogan sees a bright future for having Xxxtreme Motorsports in Dawsonville.

“We, as the city, are proud to have John and his company here,” he said. “We are expecting great things from them and expect to have a long and lasting relationship.”

Developers looking to build senior facilities

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County may soon be getting not one but two locations geared toward senior citizens.

Both Whitley Engineering Inc. and TBG Residential are looking at locations, one in the city and the other in the county.

North Georgia Assisted Living center is planned as a 26,000-square-foot complex to be built on 3.6 acres in downtown Dawsonville. When fin-

FROM 1E

Plans One of the first steps in the plan was to rename the streets in honor of eight men with local ties to victory at Daytona’s famed race track.

Among those who are now celebrated on street signs are

FROM 1E

President Georgia came together in support of committing funds to improve roads and create the state’s first highway department.

In February, lawmakers recognized that effort and comm e n d e d t h e AC C G a s a “respected legislative advocate for and voice of Georgia’s 159 counties.”

Resolutions celebrating the association’s centennial anniversary were read in both

ished, the gated complex would have 26 rooms with space for 44 occupants, according to Whitley Engineering.

A wing is also planned for dementia patients, monitored for the residents’ safety.

“This is going to be independent. It’s not going to be government subsidized,” said Mike Ford, owner of the property. “Our entrances will be gated, but we will have stores and salons located on premises for our residents. Of course, they can also come

and go as they please.”

The proposed location would be on Memory Lane, near Fire Station No. 1 and the Dawson County Library.

Ford presented the plans for consideration during the Feb. 17 Dawsonville City Planning meeting.

A second community is being planned by a residential company already present in Dawson County.

Farmington Creek has been billed as a 55 and older apartment complex on nearly 10

acres at 7142 Hwy. 53 East, across from Tractor Supply Co. near Ga. 400. “ We d o n ’t r e a l l y h av e much to say right now, but it’s coming along,” said Brad Smith, senior vice president of TBG Residential, the company that owns the Farmington properties.

“Currently, we are looking at about 50 units for an active adult community.”

According to county zoning records, the age and income restrictive development

would offer one and two-bedroom options, with amenities such as a clubhouse, workout facilities and covered pavilion.

TBG Residential also owns Farmington Woods, an apartment complex that recently finished construction of its 15-acre, 72-unit complex off of Perimeter Road in Dawsonville.

Smith said the company hopes to break ground sometime in the fall.

Ted Chester, Bill Elliott, Roy Hall, Bernard Long, Harry Melling, Raymond Parks, Lloyd Seay and Gober Sosebee.

The city has also taken lengths to improve its downtown traffic flow.

In November, state transportation crews spent two days transforming the intersections around the courthouse into a roundabout.

The change, which is also

aimed at increasing safety, includes slowing vehicles at yield markers as they enter the square.

Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan has noted that restructuring the roundabout is one of the first steps in the city’s downtown revitalization plan. It likely will also allow for additional sidewalks.

“As it is now, cars are going

so fast through town on [Hwy.] 53 that you can’t cross the road,” he said. “Drivers will have to yield to enter the roundabout, so traffic will be slowed down.”

Also, this February, a new right turn lane was installed at the intersection of Hwys. 9 and 53.

The new lane is 150 feet long with a yield sign for drivers turn-

ing right on to Hwy. 53 east from Hwy. 9 north.

Grogan views all of these efforts as more steps toward the city’s long-term makeover.

“Our enthusiasm for the downtown revitalization is stronger than ever as we see these improvements take shape,” he said. “Remember, it’s all a process and we are in the beginning phase.”

chambers of the Georgia General Assembly.

Sen. Steve Gooch, a former Lumpkin County commissioner who represents the state’s 51st district, said he was glad to sponsor the resolution in the Senate.

“It’s a pleasure to be here this morning to celebrate the 100year birthday of such a fine organization that you all rely on so much for information pertaining to the lives of people,” he said.

In addition to applauding the association’s work, Gooch recognized Berg’s commitment to the organization and Dawson

County.

“That position that Mike is holding right now is very important to not only the association, but I think it’s important to Dawson County,” he said. “I don’t know that the citizens really know how important that job is. Mike is in a unique position there and an opportunity that a lot of counties never get.”

Formed in 1914, the association works on behalf of officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, civic and community engagement initiatives and leadership development, as well as cost-saving measures.

Berg is the association’s first p re s i d e nt f r om nor t heast Georgia, and the first from a small city north of metro Atlanta. During the last year, he has traveled countless miles to visit counties and “get a true sense of what the state is like.”

“While different by location, all have a common vision of helping their communities and their constituents,” he said. “It gives you something you’d never get if you weren’t in that position and gives you contacts that you would not have otherwise.”

Having those connections also

has the ability, he said, to enhance Dawson County as a destination for economic development and prosperity.

“Overall, from our aspect, that’s one of the things I gained through this,” he said.

Among the association’s accomplishments in the past year are a complete rebranding that reflects where the group is now and where it wants to be in the future.

“We made a lot of progress this year,” said Berg, whose term ends in April. “We’ve done things ... that have not been done before and will not be done again.”

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 3E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Chamber of commerce rebrands image Unveils new logo, website

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce continues its year of changes with a rebranding of its public image.

Last year, the chamber saw a new staff come into the office. This year, it is changing the way that it is seen by visitors with a new logo and website.

The logo is the first step in a rebranding overhaul designed to spark interest in the chamber.

“The chamber really turned a corner last year, not just in that we hired a new director, but also that we have a new staff that’s come on,” said Peter Hill, 2013 board chairman.

“With the transition and renovation, it’s a perfect opportunity to rebrand and put a new face with the organization.”

Hill and Chamber President Christie Haynes unveiled the logo in March 2013, which features a display of mountains and an element of water with Dawson County Chamber of Commerce between the

two.

The mountains and lake mimic the longstanding local idea of Dawson County being “where the mountains meet the lake.”

“We are looking to create a brand and logo that fits our businesses and community,” Haynes said.

“We believe that unveiling our new logo is the first step in the process of creating the chamber’s new brand.”

Identifying a separation between the chamber of commerce, which focuses on promoting local business, and the convention and business bureau, which is designed to attract tourism to the area, was also a vital element in the rebranding process, according to Haynes.

At the same time, the chamber board of directors also voted to rename the convention and visitors bureau, now known as the office of tourism development, at Haynes’ suggestion.

The move, she said, more accurately identifies the department’s goal to lure tourism, rather than conventions which the

Dawson County Chamber of Commerce President Christie Haynes and Peter Hill, 2013 chairman, unveiled the group’s new logo early last year. Left, Haynes proudly displays the chamber’s new website.

File photos

county cannot adequately accommodate due to the lack of local hotels and motels, to Dawson

County.

Along with the logo, the chamber also unveiled its new website

this year.

The website includes a landing page that directs website visitors to the C h a m b e r , To u r i s m , Community and

Government, and Economic Development pages.

The landing page is geared to meet the informational needs of any local resident, business leader, out-of-town guest or family looking to relocate to Dawson County.

The chamber website can be visited at www. dawsonchamber.org. The website includes new features such as a Chamber Business of the Week highlighted on the front page, a Business Resources section, easy access to all chamber information, links to the chamber’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and much more.

“We are very excited about the launch of our new website. We hope that our community uses it as an informational resource,” Haynes said.

“We believe the website will bring an even greater value to our member’s investment in the chamber as it becomes more highly trafficked, continues to be a resource to not only the community but visitors as well, and presents Dawson County as the unique, scenic, engaged community that we are.”

Lake, retail touted as area’s economic engine

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

A local real estate expert says rising lake levels have played a role in the area’s economic upturn.

“We actually even sold a few lake houses in Lumpkin County and that’s really hard to do,” said Frank Norton Jr., president of the Gainesville-based Norton Agency real estate and insurance firm.

“We have had the strongest sales [on the] lake, when the lake went up ... over full pool ... what happens is we have a 35 percent increase in sales on Lake Lanier.”

In February, Norton counted down a list of “things to know about Dawson County,” which includes a housing shortage in the less than

$150,000 market.

Replenishing that stock should be one of the first goals to further improve the economy, he said.

“When I look at house prices under $150,000, which is where the market is, there are 6,000 single-family houses available for sale in metroAtlanta. In that market, [banks] would have been loaning all kinds of money to builders in 2006 to build product,” he said.

“We’ve got to figure out how the shackles that we’ve placed as a country on the banking industry can be loosened so that the banks can go back and do what they are supposed to be doing.

“Until you can get financing, we’re not going to start that business back the way it’s supposed to be. We’ve got to get that engine started.”

If the housing industry is in a state of recovery, Norton said retail is the next boon.

As in years past, he shined a spotlight on Dawson County’s retail center, again calling North Georgia Premium Outlets a “mecca for value priced retail.”

“You should live and breathe as a county, retail, especially for a county that is building an infrastructure on somebody else’s money. When 28 percent of the shoppers in your mall here come from ... across counties to this, that’s a sign of strong growth,” he said. “We’re going to see major retail activity in the next 12 months, and we’re going to see it right here.”

Chamber President Christie Haynes said the chamber is encouraged by the county’s economic

potential.

“We have really seen a turn around with [the businesses] that we work with and the number of people that are now coming in, requesting information about businesses and residences,” she said.

“We’re excited in 2014 to continue to partner so that we can continue that prosperity trend.”

‘We’re going to see major retail activity in the next 12 months, and we’re going to see it right here.’

Frank Norton

Real estate expert

City close on contract for new Internet option

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The city of Dawsonville now has another choice for Internet service.

Following a special called meeting Dec. 17, the city council voted 3-0, with Angie Smith absent, to approve a contract with Clevelandbased Appalachian Broadband Technologies Wireless.

The wireless network will transmit an Internet signal from the Trailwave high-speed fiber optic network to relays around the city, and from there to local customers’ receivers.

“When we design a system, we do it to be community specific,” said Rich Tarpley, president and CEO of the company. “By using the fiber optics as the backbone, we have loads of bandwidth available.”

The council authorized Mayor James Grogan to sign the contract once the wording has been finalized.

According to the agreement, Dawsonville will handle the billing

‘We have people already begging to be signed up, even before the ordinance was officially approved.’

James Grogan

Mayor, Dawsonville for the company. For every residential and commercial customer, ABT will then pay the city 5 percent of the monthly billings.

“The contract also allows ABT to put [wireless receiver] antennas on the water towers at the cemetery and at Burt’s Crossing to be able to bounce the [wireless] signals off,” Grogan said.

The deal also allows for further expansion, as Grogan said he anticipates “there would be other things in the future” for network growth. “[City Attorney] Dana [Miles], Rich and I have been working on this agreement for some time,” Grogan said. “It’s been revised a few times and we’re confident in what we have.”

Dawsonville has been

testing the wireless network since October with select local businesses.

It also was tested by ABT at the Moonshine Festival, during which more than 1,000 devices were connected at one time.

“The city doesn’t have any cost in the infras t r u c t u r e ,” said Councilman Chris Gaines. “We have not spent any taxpayer money on this system.

Everything is being done

by ABT Wireless. Not a dime is coming from the city.”

Grogan said during the meeting that residents a r e a n x i o u s t o h ave access to the network. “ We h a v e p e o p l e already begging to be signed up, even before the ordinance was offic i a l l y a p p r ove d ,” h e said.

Get your FREE visitor’s guide at www.dawson.org or call 1-877-302-9271

5066_1_dawsonChamber032614Prog

4E | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

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Pictured from left to right: Jacob, John, James, Janet, Jim, and Joseph Otwell

Monday - Saturday 9am-8pm Closed Sunday

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dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 5E

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6E | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

College opens spa, salon to public Students learn to pamper locals

“You learn a lot. You touch on all of the areas of spa work,” said student Chris Ahrendt. “One thing it’s made me want to do is go back to school and get my aesthetician’s license. I enjoy it.”

The salon area offers haircuts starting at $5, color beginning at $28 and foils starting at $35.

The spa area of the salon will offer manicures, pedicures and facials.

“All pedicure stations have plastic liners for sanitation safety,” Brown said. “Specialty facials such as microdermabrasion and oxygen therapy facials are offered as well.”

Waxing services and lash and brow tint is also offered.

Finally, spray tanning is also available to the public, with students being certified to do the work on-site.

“It’s the best around,” said student Wanda Garrish. “I drive a long way to get here, all the way from Maysville. It’s worth every mile.”

For more information about the spa and salon services being offered on the Dawsonville campus, call Lanier Tech at (706) 216-5461.

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

In their ongoing commitment to prepare their students for c a r e e r s , L a n i e r Te c h n i c a l College opened up a spa in Dawsonville last year.

Open to the public, the salon and spa operates from 8 a.m. to noon and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday.

“The students get real life experience by operating all aspects of a full service salon,” said Angelia Brown, cosmetology instructor at the Dawsonville campus. “From greeting the guest, client consultation, performing services with the most current equipment available, and using state of the art software to check the client out at the end of the service.”

According to Brown, all services are provided by senior level students and the work is closely monitored by the cosmetology instructors.

File photos

Manicurist Samantha Sexton, right, works on Donna Jackson’s nails at the Lanier Tech Salon and Spa. Student Courtney Fraley works on a color and foil treatment for Lauren Williams.

Lanier Tech student Chris Ahrendt gives a facial to Shanna Beard.

‘Hunger Games’ shoots in Dawson County

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Film crews from the blockbuster “Hunger Games” movie franchise were in town last September shooting scenes for “Mockingjay,” the third segment in the popular series.

Scenes were filmed on a large tract of private land off

Elliott Family Parkway, where crewmembers were seen hauling in large lights and industrial-strength fans.

The local set was closed to the public with local off-duty security officers keeping away any onlookers, including a couple of paparazzi who had h e a r d A c a d e m y Aw a r d winning actress Jennifer

Lawrence might have been there.

It remains unclear if Lawrence, who plays “Hunger Games” heroine Katniss Everdeen, was on the set.

She was, however, spotted last year at the local Starbucks and also shopping at the outlet mall. That was

around the same time production crews were scouting Dawson to film scenes for “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” the second installment.

C r ew s a r e e x p e c t e d t o return to the county later to resume shooting this spring.

Georgia has been one of the country’s leading locations for Hollywood film production for

Reservoir permits sought

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Two major entities in Dawson County have plans to withdraw water from the Etowah River Basin.

Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan announced that the city has applied for two surface water withdrawal permits from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

If approved, the permits would allow the city to pull water from the Etowah River and store it in the proposed Calhoun Creek Regional Reservoir.

“These permit applications are the next step in securing a reliable source of water for the residents of Dawsonville well into the future and providing storage for use by our neighbors,” Grogan said.

The city is the first local government entity to align with Georgia Reservoir Co. on the project, according to Scott Cole, an attorney representing the developers.

“Other local governments have looked at the project, but the city of Dawsonville is the first ... willing to file applications with the state,” Cole said.

Dawson County Commission Chair Mike Berg confirmed Cole made the presentation to him a couple years ago. Lumpkin and Forsyth county officials have also been contacted.

“At that time, they were looking at pumping water down to Forsyth County,” Berg said.

Cole said that Calhoun Creek would be considered a regional reservoir, rather than just a water resource for Forsyth, as was proposed in 2011.

“Essentially, we let the dust set-

tle and continued to talk to local governments,” he said. “There is an interest in moving forward.”

Brooke Anderson, general manager of Etowah Water and Sewer Authority, said he was surprised by the city’s requests.

The authority has been working since 2006 to develop the Russell Creek Reservoir on Etowah River Road, less than 3 miles from the proposed Calhoun Creek site on Hwy. 9.

“The city has been kept apprised of our progress, so yes, we are puzzled,” Anderson said.

According to Anderson, the Russell Creek Reservoir is designed to serve a projected population of 125,000 and supply the needs of Dawson County, including the city, past 2050.

“We have had numerous conversations over the years with the city concerning our Russell Creek Reservoir,” Anderson said. “The authority ... has acquired all of the land and is currently in the final stages of the permitting process.”

Grogan said the city’s intention is not to compete with the authority’s aim to supply water along the Ga. 400 corridor.

“The proposed reservoir project will supply the long-term water needs of Dawsonville the region,” Grogan said. “We’re not wanting to compete with what they have been doing at 400.”

The idea, Grogan said, is to “get ahead of the game as far as water goes.”

“This is a very lengthy process that will take a long time before anything happens,” he said. “The city is preparing for the future if water becomes an issue.”

The city council met with repre-

sentatives from Georgia Reservoir Co. during a closed portion of a December 2012 meeting.

“We had them come in and do an executive session presentation to get the council aware of what was going on,” Grogan said.

In during the February 2013 city council meeting, the mayor made the announcement about the permit applications.

“We didn’t bring it out in the very beginning because we didn’t know what part or role we, the city, would want to play,” he said.

According to Councilman Chris Gaines, a vote was not required for the city to seek the permits. He did, however, say the next step would be to look into grants available for governments to conduct a study on the project.

“Anything going forward, from my point of view, I would want to see detailed business plans ... the impact,” Gaines said.

According to Grogan, the proposed reservoir site straddles Dawson and Lumpkin counties on Hwy. 9 and includes between 1,100 and 1,500 “rolling acres in the city of Dawsonville.”

“It’s a manmade reservoir already, an old rock quarry, that’s not conducive to anything else really, and there are no buildings or anything,” he said. “The main part was we just wanted to make everyone aware of what’s going on.”

Grogan cited the continued litigation between Alabama and Florida over the water resources in the Coosa and Chattahoochee River basins as reason to consider the reservoir partnership.

“Water is and will continue to be a precious resource,” he said.

a couple of years, thanks to the tax breaks and incentives the state offers the industry.

Christie Haynes, president of the local chamber of commerce and office of tourism development, said filming a m ov i e t h e m a g n i t u d e o f “Hunger Games” could have a tremendous impact on economic development.

Sheriff restructures command staff

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle recently promoted two officers to new leadership roles within the department.

The promotions of Maj. Ray Goodie in January and Maj. Greg Rowan in March are intended to streamline operations and increase the number of officers on the roads, according to Carlisle.

A Dawson County High School graduate, Goodie joined the sheriff’s office in 2004 after spending six years in the U.S. Army.

He climbed the ranks from jailer to patrol officer to investigator and now oversees the department’s criminal investigations unit, which until recently was a combined division with patrol.

“This did two things. It got CID more focused in on CID and got Ray over there investigating the crimes, the cases, coming in,” Carlisle said.

Rowan, a 22-year veteran with the department, commands the sheriff’s uniform patrol division.

“When John Cagle, who was the chief deputy, retired in December, instead of filling that position, I basically took on those responsibilities and used that money in our

budget to put another officer on the street,” he said.

Carlisle said the need for additional officers on the streets became evident in recent months, after a review of recent shoplifting cases along the Ga. 400 corridor.

“Crimes such as shoplifting have increased in recent years, requiring patrol officers to respond and take reports, which takes them away from their primary duties,” he said.

Additionally, calls for officers to respond to Amicalola Falls State Park have grown by nearly 75 percent in the last year.

“In 2013, our deputies responded to 208 calls at the state park, up from 56 in 2012,” Carlisle said.

“And of that 208, 128 came in after July 1, after they took their DNR’s law enforcement rangers out of the falls. They said then that it wasn’t going to fall back on us, but I knew that it would.”

Carlisle said the restructuring is a continuance of his goal to provide top-notch law enforcement services to residents and visitors to the county.

“With all that’s been going on, we needed to do something to have more patrol officers on our roads,” he said.

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 7E

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Incumbents carry council election in 2013

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

Dawsonville elected its incumbents back into office for city council in November.

Long-time councilman Mike Sosebee, who previously served more than 30 years on the council, and Angie Smith, who was elected after being appointed to fill an unexpired term in

2012, garnered the top two highest amounts of votes in the election.

Smith received the most votes with 85, or 41 percent, to Sosebee’s 72, or 35 percent.

“I thank the voters. I’ve been honored for the past year to be selected to serve out the remaining term,” she said. “Now, to be re-elected for a full term is an

even bigger honor. It means the voters trust me. That means a lot to me.”

Sosebee also thanked those who supported him during the election.

“I’m thankful for everybody that voted, especially the ones that voted for me,” he said. “I’d like to continue representing the people that voted and continue with the

revitalization program. We’re on a good path right now and I’d like to keep carrying that out.”

Smith and Sosebee began their four-year term in January. The term will expire Dec. 31, 2017.

Nearly 10 percent of Dawsonville’s 1,178 active registered voters took to the polls in the general election, according to official results

Sosebee

Smith

posted by the Dawson County Board of Elections.

Tanner has successful sophomore session House adopts legislator’s four bills

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

A bill designed to protect citizens from having nude photographs or material distributed to the Internet without their consent was approved in the Georgia House of Representatives.

Rep. Kevin Tanner’s intimate harassment bill, which passed 168-3 and would make the act a criminal offense, is now awaiting a vote in the Senate.

“This is a very important piece of legislation that I’m proud to author, because it

addresses an issue that many people have fallen victim to.

Pa s s a g e wo u l d g ive l aw enforcement the ability to prosecute this type of crime then,” Tanner said.

The 2014 Legislative Session was busy for the sophomore lawmaker.

In addition to the intimate harassment bill, Tanner also authored major bills that passed during the session.

House Bill 741, which passed 161-1 in the House, stems from an issue Dawson County faced a few years ago when a developer petitioned to dump partial-

ly treated waste on property near the North G e o r g i a P r e m i u m Outlets.

“This is especially Tanner important for the Dawson County community,” Tanner said. “This issue originated when I was county manager, and I’ve worked on it since then to give local communities a local voice in regards to sludge application.”

The bill would give local governments and their citizens a say in where sludge can be placed in their communities. It

would also require any public hearings on matters of sludge application to be held in the county where land is located, contrary to current law that does not regulate such a criteria.

Tanner’s second bill that passed in the House on Feb. 10 aims to correct an issue involving local option sales tax distributions after the manner in which the tax is split was ruled unconstitutional in 2013.

“Lumpkin, which I represent, is one of 35 counties affected by last year’s Supreme Court decision,” he said.

Tanner was among a group of state representatives with backgrounds in local government asked to sit on the panel to

address the problem.

“It was a great honor to be asked to carry the legislation on their behalf, and I’m glad to see it pass the House floor,” he said.

The bill was adopted 170-0 in the House and now moves to the Senate.

Early in the session on Feb. 6, a bill Tanner introduced to make it less costly for those serving on active duty in the United States military to be able to obtain a Georgia hunting license also passed without dissention in the House.

The House bills had to pass in the Senate before they could go before the governor for approval.

Authority offers to buy County approves bonuses water system from city

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Mayor balks at latest proposal

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The Etowah Water and Sewer Authority made Dawsonville an offer in November it’s unlikely to accept — sell the authority the city’s system.

“If they take our offer, we would take over all operation and maintenance and full responsibility of their infrastructure,” said Brooke Anderson, general manager of the authority, which provides service to much of Dawson County. “We would consolidate into one entity.

“We wouldn’t have two water and sewer providers in the county. There wouldn’t be this continual, contractual, territorial fight that happens every 18 months. We’d like to get away from that. We believe we can do it.”

But Dawsonville Mayor James Grogan said officials aren’t interested in parting with the infrastructure.

“We have a very good system. Our rates are much lower than Etowah,” he said. “Our system is efficient. We offer excellent service and are responsive on a personal level to our customers.”

The city and Etowah have had a service agreement since 1989. At the time, the city was not able to provide enough water for its residents.

The agreement, which established a perimeter around the original city boundaries, was amended in 1990, ’94 and 2006 as water and sewer infrastructure grew.

The city submitted a proposal to Etowah in May to renegotiate billing plans, as well as the current service area.

According to Grogan, this is not the first time the authority has offered to buy the city’s water and sewer infrastructure.

“They’ve done this every time we’ve tried to talk to them about increasing our scope as far as new customers and taking care of the customers within the city,” he said.

However, authority officials counter that this is the first time they have seriously presented such an offer to the city.

“We’ve talked about it a lot, but we’ve never formally presented an offer,”

Anderson said. “We felt that, while everything we’ve discussed is certainly workable, this [deal] is also workable if the city has a desire.”

Under the proposal, the city would receive $4 million at closing and $200,000 per year for 30 years. The deal would not include the city’s existing debt structure.

“It’s difficult for us to address [the debt] specifically. We’ve taken a look at the 2013 operating budget for the city,” said Linda Dunlavy, Etowah’s attorney. “We’ve estimated the city’s debt structure for the water system is about $200,000 a year.”

Grogan said that, while the city would not make a definite decision at the time, a deal was unlikely.

“It makes me feel good that they made an offer,” he said. “It lets me know we have something worthwhile. For that reason, we want to hang onto [the infrastructure].”

Anderson said the offer was sincere and that authority officials felt it would be

in everyone’s best interest.

“We feel like it’s a generous offer,” he said.

“Holistically, that’s the best answer for all of the citizens of Dawson County, inside and outside of the city limits. We’re willing to work with the city on these terms of the agreement, but we believe $10 million is something worth considering.”

Anderson also said that it shouldn’t be solely up to the mayor to decide.

“The city council represents the citizens and we hope the citizens have an opportunity to hear the offer, form an opinion and express that to their elected officials,” he said.

The deal, according to the authority, would also not impact any of the city’s current water dealings and would even alleviate some of the loans and grants the city has been seeking.

According to Grogan, the deal simply will not work for the city.

“We feel it would not be productive for a monopoly of services,” he said.

“Competition is what keeps the engine humming. We will only address the service area as we proposed to Etowah initially.”

Dawson County commissioners approved a one-time bonus for government employees in December.

District 1 Commissioner Gary Pichon’s motion to amend the county’s 2013 budget and spend money in the general fund to give all full-time and permanent part-time employees a bonus unanimously passed.

The amounts, which ranged from $270 to $1,082, were based on years of service.

Chairman Mike Berg said the commission received numerous emails

from grateful workers following the decision.

“The employees haven’t had a [pay] increase in seven years,” he said. “We did have enough fund balance at the end of the year to date to be able to afford to spend some dollars for employees and decided to do it based on years of service, because people who have been here longer deserve a little bit more.”

For the sixth year, the 2014 budget, which was approved in July, did not include salary increases for employees, though commissioners acknowledged that the cost of living has risen.

Board restores agency’s funding

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County commission in September voted to restore funding to the group responsible for recruiting economic development.

In a 4-0 vote, the commissioners approved the county’s $21 million budget for 2014, which includes $75,000 for the local development authority, funding that was cut two years earlier.

“The development authority is very happy and excited that the board of commissioners reestablished part of our funding,” said Peter Hill, chairman.

“It shows support for the economic development for our community and sends an important message to developers and our residents that our board of commissioners supports economic

development in our county.”

Charlie Auvermann, the authority’s executive director, said the partnership will play a role in the county’s ability to overcome the recent recession and flourish in the coming months.

“By attracting new businesses to our community, by helping our existing businesses grow, we expand the tax base for the board of commissioners who in turn can fund the services that help make Dawson County a wonderful place to live, work and play,” he said.

“You can see all across rural Georgia the effects of communities that ignore economic development, and the effects of those that partner together to create sustainable, thriving communities for their citizens. Those that ignore it are struggling.”

“A Tradition in Community Service” 344 Highway 53 East Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-265-3159 www.beardenfuneralhome.com Obituary Line 706-265-4444

8E | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Progress 2014

Section

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Sports & Leisure

F

wrestling

Brown crowned

state champion

File photo

Dawson County High School wrestler Gavin Brown pins an opponent in a match earlier in the season. Brown won the 182-pound state championship in the 2013-14 season.

Finishes season with 48-2 record

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Tigers Gavin Brown was crowned champion at the State Traditional Wrestling Championships on Feb. 22.

The tournament was a one-day event held at Buford High School.

Brown, who wrestles at 182 pounds, opened the tournament with a 4-1 decision over Isaiah Hale from North Hall.

With the win, Brown advanced to the semi-finals.

In the semis, Brown defeated AJ Edmond of Elbert County, 7-2.

In the finals, the Tiger defeated Phillip Dean from Banks County, 6-5, in a very exciting match. Dean came into the final with a 52-4 record.

Brown, who was runner-up in the same weight class last season, finished the season with a 48-2 record.

Four other Dawson County wrestlers competed at the meet.

In the 220-pound weight class, senior Keaton Toal took third place after defeating Justin Loredo from Buford in a major decision, 10-2.

Toal got off to a great start. He defeat-

For the Dawson Community News

Tiger Gavin Brown was named champion of his weight class in February when he competed in the State Traditional Wrestling Tournament at Buford High School.

ed Loredo (31-20) in the opening round.

In the semis, Toal was pinned by Matt Dilbeck (41-4) from Banks County. Toal finished his season with a 40-5 record for Head Coach Arron Haynes’ team.

Also wrestling at the state meet were

Justin Evans (31-9) at 113 pounds, Harrison Adams (28-11) at 132 pounds and Brett Whalen (36-16) at 195 pounds.

Dawson County finished tied with Adairsville and Pierce County for

11th place as a team. The Tigers picked up 35 teams points.

Winning the state championship was Buford with 156 points. Runnerup was Banks County with 101 points.

Racing hall of fame honors Pirkle The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame paid tribute to Gordon Pirkle by presenting him the Founder’s Award during the group’s annual induction ceremony Dec. 13.

File photo

Inductees for 2013 celebrated

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Gordon Pirkle found himself speechless when the spotlight shifted his way at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame’s annual induction last December.

“I don’t believe this. They pulled one on me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he said, accepting the hall’s “first, last and only Founder’s Award.”

Hall of fame board member Brandon Reed presented the honor Dec. 13, as well as a portrait of Pirkle that will be

display at the museum in Dawsonville, where the banquet was held.

“Last year, the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame celebrated its 10th anniversary,” he said. “We would not have made it that far, or even gotten started, without the vision of what can be said to be the heart and soul of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. “[Pirkle’s] given his time, his money, his strength and his heart to this place.

He asks only in return that people remember the names of the racers enshrined here.”

Pirkle’s extended family was in attendance for the presentation.

Daughter Haley Garrett said she couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute to See HONORS | 2F

2F | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

basketball

Girls see back-to-back state tournament runs

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

File photo

Sam Muenchen pulls down a rebound. The Tigers reached the Sweet Sixteen this season and finished with a 22-8 record.

Boys end season in Sweet 16

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County High School varsity boys’ basketball season came to an end in late February.

The Tigers ran into a very good Cedar Grove basketball team Feb. 25 in Ellenwood and fell 62-33.

Coach Thad Burgess said goodbye to five seniors: Sam Muenchen, Lucas Pain, Jackson Putnam, Cameron Millholland and Jonathan Sanderson.

“This group of seniors has been part of two Sweet Sixteen appearances which has never been done in the history of our school. I think all these guys can be proud of the season that they had. They will be great leaders in whatever they decide to pursue.”

Cedar Grove won the opening tip.

Saints player Chris Frederick nailed a three-pointer to open the game at 6:40

in the first quarter. The Saints never relinquished the lead and opened up a 15-8 advantage after one quarter of play.

Frederick finished the game with 18 points.

The Saints were more athletic and physical, according to Burgess. It showed on the floor, as every missed shot seemed to find the hands of a Cedar Grove player, especially Jacara Cross who finished the game with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

“We ran into a buzz saw tonight in a very athletic and excellent Cedar Grove team,” Burgess said. “Cedar Grove went 18-2 in a very difficult region. They completely controlled the game and we had no answer to their pressure and skill level.”

Cedar Grove was eliminated in the Elite Eight round by Morgan County, 69-61.

Hard work describes Tigers wrestlers

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Hard work and dedication are two words used to describe the Area 3 Class AAA champions, the Dawson County Tigers.

The Dawson County High School varsity Tigers wrestling team, under the direction of Head Coach Arron Haynes, defeated defending Woodward Academy on their home mat to take the championship.

Up next, for several Tiger wrestlers, was the State Sectionals held at Sonoraville High School in Gordon County.

Dawson County was to be matched up against Area 4. The top four wrestlers from the event advanced to the State Traditional Tournament, which was at the Gwinnett Arena. Wrestlers in positions five and six served as alternates.

“It truly takes great kids that buy into our system to find a way to upset a formidable opponent like the reigning state champions in Woodward Academy,” Haynes said. “The coach from Woodward always has his wrestlers bring their “A” game, taking us to the wire in a battle for area.”

Two Dawson County wrestlers won their weight class. Gavin Brown (182 pounds) and Keaton Toal (225 pounds) were crowned

FROM 1F

Honors her father.

“He’s worked really hard. He has so much history in his heart that everybody needs to hear about it,” she said. “All my life, racing has been No. 1 in him.

Area 3 champions.

Tigers runners-up were Harrison Adams (132 pounds), Zach Guy (160 pounds), Jacob Haberkam (285 pounds) and Jeremy Whalen (138 pounds).

Third place medal winners were Justin Evans (113 pounds) and Brett Whalen (195 pounds).

Finishing in fourth place was Josh Poe (106 pounds).

Alternates for the Tigers were fifth place finisher Ryan Jones and sixth place finisher Gilbert Pruitt.

Haynes praised his coaching staff and this year’s team leaders for the program’s success this season.

“Today was a testament to the hard work and dedication of our young men and my assistant coaches who put in thankless hours,” Haynes said following the match. “I can’t say how much our captain and senior leadership has meant this season, as well as the efforts of Gregg Adams, Noel Poisson, Ryan Coker, Kenny Houseal and our trainer Chris Dearwent who continues to put my boys back together again and again. We look forward to the next two weeks of state to see how we stack up against the other areas.

Practice should be fun this week.”

He loves it.

“He loves racing more than anybody I know and he knows the history of it and he wants to preserve it.”

The museum in Dawsonville is recognized by the state as the official home of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, which honors prominent members and their contributions to motors-

The run of Lady Tigers’ basketball came to a halt in Madison on Feb. 24 against a very strong Morgan County team.

Head Coach Steve Sweat’s team fought the entire game before coming up on the short end of a 67-55 decision.

Morgan County (23-5) was eliminated by St. Pius X in the next round, 51-38. St. Pius X went on to win the state championship against Buford in Macon.

Dawson County has had a great couple of years with back-to-back state tournament runs.

During the 2012-13 season, the Lady Tigers were State Class AAA runners-up, to St. Pius X, and the 2013-14 season ended with a “Sweet Sixteen” appearance.

The team has a 47-16 record over the last two seasons.

There were two seniors on this year’s team, Madison Shope and Alison Honea.

“I want to give a special thanks to our seniors.

These two stuck it out for four years and accepted their roles very well,” Sweat said.

The game was close in the first quarter, with the Lady Bulldogs holding a slim 19-18 lead after the first eight minutes of play.

Both teams continued to battle in the second quarter.

Morgan County, under head coach Joshua Reeves, outscored the Lady Tigers 10-8 in the quarter to take a 29-26 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was the downfall for Dawson County. Morgan County outscored the Lady Tigers 20-9 to extend their advan-

File photo

Dawson County player Ashley Parker goes up strong for a shot against West Hall. The Lady Tigers finished the season in the Sweet Sixteen.

tage to 49-35. Turnovers led to numerous scoring chances for the Lady Bulldogs.

But the never say die spirit of the Lady Tigers was evident in the final quarter. Dawson County cut the Morgan County lead to five points, but the Lady Tigers were unable to move any closer.

“We just could not get going after halftime. We had way too many turnovers and they (Morgan County) did a good job of taking advantage of our turnovers by scoring,” Sweat said.

Ashley Parker led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 21 points. Junior teammate Sheyenne Seabolt added 13 points, Karlie Bearden scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds, Jordan

Moore had four points, Peytan Porter scored three points and Shope and Ansley Costley added two points each.

“It was another good year for the Lady Tigers.

We have made back to back state tournament appearances and we hope to keep working to make it back next year,” Sweat said.

The Lady Tigers ended the season with a 20-10 record.

This year’s varsity roster included: Erin Chatham, Jordan Moore, Madison Shope, Ta b i t h a Morrison, Karlie Bearden, Lauren Burgess, Alison Honea, Haley Burgess, Ansley Costley, Ashley Parker, Peytan Porter, Sheyenne Seabolt and Brooke Wende.

football

File photos

Cody Lamar helped the Tigers’ football team to a 5-5 record during the 2013 season.

Tigers close in on playoffs

By Pam Jacobs pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

The season ended abruptly for the Dawson County High School varsity Tigers football team in mid-November.

Head Coach Jeff Lee’s team lost 10-7 to visiting West Hall, to end the season. The Tigers finished with a 5-5 overall record, but were 3-4 in Region 7-AAA. For West Hall, the season will mark the team’s first state playoff appearance

ports heritage.

The 2013 class of inductees included Charles Barrett, Hank Blalock, Frank Christian, Freddy Fryar and Huston Platt.

The hall also named Chase Elliott the 2013 Driver of the Year. His father, Bill Elliott, winner of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and 2002 Georgia Racing Hall of Fame

since 2002.

The Spartans entered the playoffs with a 6-4 record and were 4-3 in Region 7-AAA. “The 2013 season had its share of ups and downs, missed opportunities and surprises. I think we surprised a lot of people in the position that we finished in, with a chance to go to the playoffs in game 10 of the season,” Lee said.

“We will graduate a good bunch of seniors who have

inductee, accepted the award on his son’s behalf.

“Racing has changed a lot. I look out here and all the guys that paved the road, not only for me, but for Chase, it’s incredible,” said the elder Elliott, who added that his son could not attend the awards ceremony due to a prior commitment with Hendrick Motorsports.

‘I think we surprised a lot of people in the position that we finished in.’

Jeff Lee

Head coach won a lot of games over the last three years. They will be missed as we began preparations for next season,” Lee said.

He, too, praised Pirkle for his work with the hall of fame.

“We all lose sight of where racing came from,” he said.

“Gordon’s commitment to make this place work and continue on and support all the guys that’s made racing what it is today, that’s the most important part of this whole deal and what this is about.”

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 3F

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

baseball

Season is under way

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Despite picking up five straight wins to start the season, the Dawson County High School varsity baseball team dropped its first three region games in early March to start the season with a 5-3 record.

The Tigers picked up their fifth straight win with no losses following a come from behind 5-2 win over Gilmer County in Ellijay on March 5.

Dawson County scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take the win.

Logan Burt started the game on the mound for Dawson County.

The senior pitched five innings and struck out 12 Bobcats. He walked five and gave up just two hits. Only one of the two runs Burt gave up was earned.

Levi Whitmire came on in relief for the final two innings a n d p i c ke d u p t h e w i n .

Whitmire shut down Gilmer.

He allowed no runs over the last two innings with three strikeouts.

Burt also had a great day at the plate. He went 2-3 with an RBI. Zach Buchan was 2-4 batting with two RBIs and

File photos

Pitcher Logan Burt throws a pitch during a recent game.

Below, Harley Pruitt is safe on a close play at the plate in action earlier this season.

JT Eggert crosses home plate for a run in a game played earlier this season.

Brody Chester was 1-3 with two RBIs. “It’s nice to get off to a good start, but we have many areas to improve with the region schedule beginning,” said Head Coach Thad Burgess. “Our guys will play every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the rest of the year.”

Burgess said the team must improve their batting in order to see success in region play.

“Our pitching and defense has been good, but we must hit better to have a chance in the region,” he said.

Following his team’s three region losses, Burgess said focus will be key.

“We just have to keep focused and believe in what we are doing. We have six weeks left, a lot of baseball to be played,” he said.

Two softball players named to all-area

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Two Dawson County High School softball players were named to the All-Area team by The Times of Gainesville following the 2013 campaign.

Junior Joy Lewis was named to the first team.

Lewis, an infielder and pitcher, batted .507 with 14 doubles and 34 RBIs. Lewis also picked

up six wins on the mound with a 1.87 ERA. She had 103 strikeouts this season.

Senior pitcher/first baseman, Martie Rogers, was selected to the second team. The Lander University signee batted .453 with 20 RBIs this season.

Rogers had nine wins and two saves from the mound over 99 innings that she pitched. Rogers also recorded 101 strikeouts.

Buford dominated the All-

Area team with four players named to the first team and four players named second team.

It is an impressive cast joining Lewis on the first team.

This includes Player-of-theyear Morgan Walters from the state Class AAA champions, Buford Wolves. The senior smacked an eye-opening 17 home runs with 60 RBIs for C o a c h - o f - t h e - Ye a r To n y Wolfe.

Also on the first team are Bria Bush, Buford. The junior was named pitcher-of-the-year with an 18-1 record with 109 strikeouts in 103.2 innings of work. Natalie Winters (East Hall), Ashley Neal (West Hall), Tessa Daniels (Buford), Olivia Husted (Jefferson), Mason Garland (Jackson County), Kali Turner (East H a l l ) , G e o r g i a We b b (Habersham Central), Kelly

Kahlert (Flowery Branch), and Niki Cook (Buford).

On the second team with Rogers are Laken Chambers (Union County), Haley Warner (Banks County), Jordan Deep (Buford), Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch), Baylee Sexton ( B u f o r d ) , D r ew P u c k e t t (Buford), Jenna Thomas (Commerce), Sydney Kinard (Lumpkin County), and Remington Hasty (Buford).

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

soccer

Ladies team dominates opponents on the field

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

File photo

Alan Sanchez and his Tigers soccer team is off to a strong start in the 2014 season.

Boys off to a strong start

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County High School varsity soccer team won both matches played recently in convincing fashion.

The Tigers defeated Fannin County, 11-1, on March 4, and Cartersville, 4-0, on March 7. Both games were played at Tiger Stadium in Dawsonville.

The Tigers also won three games in the recent To u r n a m e n t of Champions in Jekyll Island.

Coach Jed Lacey’s team has been consistently ranked in the top five so far this season in Class AAA. “This team plays so well together. They just love passing to each other. It’s fun to watch them play,” Lacey said.

Cole Edwards has been

‘This team plays so well together.

They just love passing to each other.

It’s fun to watch them play.’

The Dawson County High School varsity girls’ soccer team continues to show why it consistently holds a top 10 ranking in the state in Class AAA. The Lady Tigers overcame a sluggish first half to defeat Fannin County, 3-0, March 4.

Coach Jed Lacey’s team picked up its fourth win of the season with an exciting penalty kick win, 4-3, over visiting Cartersville on March 7.

The team also won three games at the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Jekyll Island recently.

“What a game against Cartersville,” Lacey said. “This is what I wanted to see, us stepping up to the challenge of an undefeated Cartersville team.

Cartersville is a good team, with some great talented young front players. We looked good tonight. Still needing to work on parts of our game to make us a better ball club, but there is no doubt

we made big strides in getting where we want to be as a team,” Lacey said.

Following the tournament in Jekyll Island, Lacey said he was happy with what he saw.

“We came away from Jekyll with all our questions answered. For the second year in a row we came away undefeated with no goals scored on us. I feel we are ready now and think we have the identity we were looking for,” Lacey said.

Members of this year’s varsity team is made up of: Anela Melton, Mackenzie Callas, Meghan Picklesimer, Jessica Chambers, Taylor Bennett, Sara Bywaletz, McKenzie Rhoades, Tina Libao, Emily Stapler, Ivonne Maldonado, Madison Callas, Summer Armstrong, Riley Cox, McKay Shively, Isabella Elliott, Samantha Keeney, Suzanne Eckert, Emily Queen, Kathryn Ryerse, Devon Coates, Lindsey Knotts, and Brooke Cagle.

Jed Lacey

Head coach the leading scorer for the Tigers so far in the 2014 campaign.

Brandon Lund has also been a strong scorer and Brooks Fulford, goalie, has been very strong for the team as well, according to Burgess.

“We have been waiting to play this game [against Cartersville] for five years,” Lacey said. “This is a marque win for us.

Cartersville soccer carries a distinction well known throughout the state. We have always wanted to get them on our schedule but it never worked out.

Finally, when we did we

put a circle on the schedule wanting to get a quality win with this one.”

T h i s y e a r ’s r o s t e r includes: Ty Anglin, Brooks Fulford, Logan Hurst, Drew Bishop, Cole Edwards, Josh Sage, Daniel Gonzalez, Randy Schultz, Alan Sanchez, Jacob Miller, Brandon L u n d , Sa l M e n d o z a , David Velasquez, Jose Zuniga, Kevin Gonzalez, Jake Smith, Rigo Jansen, Jonathan Steele, Austin Stewart, Josh Litherland, B e n L e a v e r, L o g a n Spindle and Jason Mays.

Cross country teams have strong campaign in 2013

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

It was a cool morning for the Class AAA state cross country meet in Carrollton in November.

On a very demanding course, the boys and girls teams from Dawson County finished in 12th and 11th places respectively at the Nov. 9 event.

“The state course was hard and didn’t lend itself to fast times, but in a championship race situation, everything is about place rather than time,” said Head Coach Charles Beusse.

Leading the boys’ team, like he did all season, Dylan Forester finished in sixth place overall. He crossed the finish line with a time of 16:47. He was one of just two runners from public schools to finish in the top 10. The other public school runner was Quintin Miles from North Hall who finished in third place.

“Dylan ran a great race for us. [Class] AAA is one of, if not the, toughest classifications in the state for cross country and a sixth place finish is definitely something to take pride in,” Beusse said.

Forester was followed by teammates Brandon Barker (18:42), Avery Cowart (18:43), Brian Colin (19:37), Armando Jimenez (19:43), Mason Carr (19:37) and Ben Umberger (20:13).

The Tigers lost Forester, Cowart, Colin and Carr to graduation this year.

“We have some rebuilding to do, but the bar that these guys have set for our program will aide greatly in doing that. We have some good talent coming up from middle school and our junior varsity program so I think that we can come back strong next season,” Beusse said.

Freshman Lady Tiger Bailey Cotter led the local girls’ team with a 46th place finish out of 212 runners.

Cotter finished the 3.1-mile course with a time of 22:26.

“Bailey (Cotter) led the team with a very strong performance in her first state meet,” Beusse said.

C o t t e r wa s f o l l ow e d b y Fa i t h Sinclair (23:16), Melanie Rimawi (23:16), Cassidy LeCours (23:17) and Isabel Queen (23:17) all of whom finished within a minute of Cotter. Ansley Costley and Taylor Grindstaff rounded out the top seven

File photo

Lady Tiger freshman Mackenzie Callas and her teammates remain constantly ranked in the top 10 in Class AAA throughout the 2014 season.

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File photo

Dylan Forester finished in sixth place individually at the State Cross Country in the fall of 2013.

for Dawson.

“I was very proud of how well the girls pushed through the tough course and how well they did under the pressure of competing in the state championships despite their youth. So much of this season has been about these girls getting experience and simply learning how to race,” Beusse said.

Out of the top five runners; two were freshmen, two sophomores and one junior.

“I think that an 11th place finish is something to be proud of. I’m very excited for things to come from this group of girls. They are all hard workers and I couldn’t be more proud of how they’ve carried themselves this season,” Beusse said.

“Overall, I’m pleased with our season. Taking over as head coach directly following college presented its challenges, but working with such a great group of runners made it much easier. I think that we did some things this season which helped to move our program in the right direction,” Beusse said.

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dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 5F

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

12 and under basketball team finishes second From staff reports

Dawson County’s 12 and under Lady Tigers traveled to Carrollton March 7-8 to compete in the GRPA Class B State Basketball Tournament.

The team earned a bid to the final dance by winning the GRPA District 7 tournament the previous weekend. The state tournament played out like a bittersweet movie for the Lady Tigers, which resulted in four hard fought games against formidable opponents.

The Lady Tigers began pool play March 7 against the host team, and defending state champions, Carrollton, for seeding into the one day single elimination tournament.

The Tigers came out strong and defeated the defending champs 48-41.

The next morning the Lady Tigers picked up where they left off and defeated Effingham County 52-28. The Tigers’ strong defense and powerful offense was too much for Effingham.

In the semi-final game, Murray County matched up pretty evenly with the Lady Tigers. “[Murray County was] a solid team, tough opponent and the team to beat,” said Head Coach Stephanie Sosebee.

The Lady Tigers led by one at the end of the first and took a six point lead into the locker room at half time.

Dawson County Parks and Recreation Athletic Director Zak Moore described the first half as “a

solid performance.”

A neck and neck battle ensued throughout the third and fourth quarters, with both teams struggling with fouls. The end result put Dawson up by six at the buzzer and the hard fought victory earned the Lady Tigers a spot in the championship game.

Championship play began at 6 p.m. with Dawson once again facing Carrollton.

Like Dawson, Carrollton had battled their way through two games earlier in the day to earn a spot in the championship.

Carrollton came out strong and jumped to a 12-4 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Dawson was trailing for the first time in the tournament and Carrollton seemed to be gaining momentum.

By the half, Carrollton had stretched its lead to 10 and the Lady Tigers entered the locker room trailing and running out of gas. The trend continued through the third and into the fourth, with the Lady Tigers trailing by as many as 22 points and missing countless free throw opportunities.

With 3:30 remaining, Dawson found another gear and began chipping away at the Carrolton lead.

With 30 seconds left in the game the Tigers had cut the deficit to three points and with two seconds to go, Bell Tinsley hit a layup to make it a one point game.

The final buzzer sounded before the Lady Tigers could get the ball back, and the team fell by one, 39-38.

The 12 and under Lady Tigers basketball team finished as State Runners-up at the GRPA Class B tournament in Carrolton in early March.

For the Dawson Community News

5068_1_wildBirds032614_Progress

Putnam named to first team

By Pam Jacobs pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Jackson Putnam was named to the first team defense for football by The Times of Gainesville at the end of the 2013 season.

Putnam was selected to the team as a defensive back.

Putnam had a great season for Dawson County High School Head Coach Jeff Lee’s team. He accu-

mulated 117 tackles and fiv e i n t e r c e p t i o n s o n defense for the Tigers.

The team ended the season 5-5.

Named to the second team offense was Tiger fullback Cody Lamar.

The senior running back amassed 901 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns. Lamar also hauled 237 yards in receiving yards.

Nominated to the honor-

able mention team were Tigers: Keaton Toal, senior, linebacker; Zach Buchan, junior, quarterback and Corbin Thomas, junior, offensive lineman.

Player-of-the-Year was Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson from Gainesville. Watson will continue his career at Clemson University.

Coach-of-the-Year was Tony Lotti from West Hall.

Golfers thrive despite weather

By Pam Jacobs

pjacobs@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County High School Golf Coach Wes Greer’s teams are playing well despite the weather.

Earlier this month, the boys teams picked up a 172-217 win over Lumpkin County, and a 172-182 victory over Chestatee. The match was played at Chestatee Golf Club.

Jake Phillips was the low medalist for the Tigers. He shot a 41 over the 9-hole event.

The Lady Tigers defeated Chestatee 169-180 at the same course.

Madison Caldwell led Dawson County with a 35, which was even par for the course.

Both teams have also participated against Forsyth Central High School at Crystal Falls Golf Club.

The Lady Tigers defeated Forsyth Central 104-112.

The scores were lower because the Lady Bulldogs only had two players.

Once again, Madison Caldwell posted the lowest

score over the nine-hole round. She had an even par 36.

The Tigers also defeated Central. The team posted a 180-190 win. It was the fourth straight win for Dawson County.

The Tigers were led once again by Jake Phillips with a 41. Phillips was low medalist for the boys match.

“It was an extremely cold day and harsh conditions to play in. I am extremely proud of how the boys and girls played in the bad weather,” Greer said.

Three park, rec teams compete in elite eight From staff reports

Three Dawson County youth football teams competed in the elite eight of the North Georgia Youth Football Association playoffs in November.

Mike McCarthy’s seven and under Tigers defeated the Gilmer County Bobcats by a score of 12-0 to advance to play the Lumpkin County Indians.

Chad Cofield’s 10 and under Tigers proved too much to handle for the Chestatee Eagles, as the team won 24-12 to advance and face the Jefferson Dragons in the semifinals.

For the Dawson Community News

The Dawson County 10 and under Tigers competed in the elite eight.

Coach John Kenny’s nine and under Tigers lost a hard fought matchup with the

Rabun County Wildcats and finished the season with an 8-2 record.

6F | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Parks offer abundance in recreation Whether you’re making a splash in the pool at Veterans Memorial, taking a lap along the walking trail at Rock Creek, fishing and camping at War Hill or hiking at Amicalola Falls State Park, there’s outside entertainment for the entire family close by.

Amicalola Falls State Park Featuring the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, Amicalola Falls State Park in northwestern Dawson County, is one of the area’s most popular attractions. The 729-cascade is surrounded by a vast 1,020 recreational tract ideal for hiking, trout fishing and sightseeing. Springer Mountain, the southernmost start of the Appalachian Trail, is a short 8-mile trek from the popular park. For more information, call (706) 344-1500.

Amicalola River Trail The great outdoors of Dawson County is accessible to everyone, even those with physical disabilities. A riverside nature trail along the Amicalola River is ADA compliant and leads to End of the World Rapids, one of the most picturesque — and challenging — stretches of whitewater in the area. From Dawsonville, take Hwy. 53 West into the Amicalola River Watershed.

The trailhead and parking is on the right, before the bridge over the river.

Dawsonville City Park A small park is located in downtown Dawsonville, off Mills Ford Road, near Dawsonville Memorial Gardens. The park features a picnic pavilion, basketball court and playground. For more information, call (706) 265-3256.

Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area Camping, hiking, horseback riding and hunting are just a few of the activities available to Dawson Forest visitors.

Originally planned as an airport, Dawson Forest offers 27 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and equestrian riders. The City of Atlanta tract consists of 10,000 acres, and is managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission, as well as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. For more information, call (706) 265-3707.

Nix Bridge Park

Veterans Memorial Park Veterans Memorial Park

Nix Bridge Park is a small park and boat launch area off Nix Bridge Rd. It has picnic tables with grills and nice views of the lake. For more information, call (877) 444-6777.

River Park River Park is located on Hwy. 9 South, between Bannister Road and Riverview Middle School, River Park offers a free canoe and kayak launch on the Etowah River. A $3 fee is required at the Kelly Bridge Road take-out. Park Hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m., MondaySunday. For more information, call (706) 344-3646.

Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park and Sports Complex, located on Martin Road in southern Dawson County, boasts a vast variety of sports offerings for local athletes. Park features include facilities for softball, soccer, tennis and basketball, as well as playgrounds, walking trails and pavilions for larger parties.

Benches and swings donated by local organizations and individuals are also available at the park. The 29,000 square-foot recreational center includes two full gymnasiums, meeting rooms, a community room, workout facility, multipurpose

Amicalola Park

River Park

rooms, offices and storage space. The park is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. The park’s recreational center is closed on Sunday. For more information, call (706) 344-3646.

rooms, boat ramps and swimming area. For more information, call (877) 444-6777.

Thompson Creek Park Thompson Creek Park, located on Thompson Creek Park Road, off Hwy. 53 East, is a small park and boat launch area with a large covered barbecue area, bathrooms and picnic pavilion. For more information, call (877) 444-6777.

Toto Creek Park Toto Creek Park, located off Price Road, offers primitive camping, picnic tables, rest-

Veterans Memorial Park Veterans Memorial Park on Hwy. 9, north of Dawsonville features an Olympic style swimming pool, as well as walking trails with activity stations, playgrounds, and facilities for football, basketball, tennis and soccer. The county’s senior center is also on the park grounds. Formerly known as Dawson County Park, a group of local veterans worked with officials to rename the park Veterans Memorial in 2007, at which time the group unveiled a Veterans Monument to complement the park’s Veterans Memorial wall. Flags from each

veterans day

branch of military fly over the monument. The park is open from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily. For more information, call (706) 344-3600.

War Hill Park War Hill Park, located at the end of War Hill Park Road, has 14 primitive campsites with fire pits, charcoal grill and lantern hook. Day use areas offer picnic tables, swings, benches, beach, fishing pier, four onsite boat launches and a bath house with showers and restrooms. Campsites are available for $16 per day on a first come, first served basis. Day use pass is $3 per car. Park Hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m., MondaySunday. For more information, call (706) 344-3646.

Cumming

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File photos

Vietnam veteran Bert Lawson was named the 2013 Veteran of the Year during last year’s Veterans Day events.

Community honors sacrifice

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

Luke Holmes may just be 7, but he understands the sacrifices servicemen and women make for his country.

“I wanted to tell the veterans that we love them,” he said Nov. 11 as he held a hand-drawn banner stating the same.

“They protect our country, and I wanted to tell them thank you.”

Holmes was among hundreds lining the downtown streets, waving flags and holding up signs of gratitude, as veterans of all ages and from each branch of the military shared the spotl i g h t d u r i n g Dawsonville’s annual Veterans Day celebration.

In its ninth year, the ceremonies began with a formal tribute to veterans at Dawson County Middle School. That was

followed by a parade through downtown Dawsonville, one of just two places in Georgia designated as a 2013 Veterans Day Regional Site by the Veterans Day National Committee. The other is Atlanta.

Eulene Disharoon said she was proud to be a part of the celebration.

“It’s wonderful to do something for the people who served now and before us,” she said.

“Kids need to learn about the veterans.

“My father-in-law was in World War II and other members of my family served. With the way it is now, we all need to be up here thanking these people.”

Sponsored by the local veterans affairs group, the annual ceremony pays tribute to veterans who continue their mantra of service in their communities.

Serving as emcee,

Ve t e r a n s A ff a i r s o f Dawson County President Don Brown presented the 2013 Ve t e r a n o f t h e Ye a r award to Bert Lawson of Dawsonville.

Lawson, who was shot down in Vietnam and wounded twice, currently serves as a board member and treasurer of the Georgia Mountain Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, an advocate for a strong national defense that represents the interests of military officers and their families at eve r y s t a g e o f t h e i r careers.

“Vietnam was a tough part of American history.

Whether we agreed or not, we did what we were ordered to do,” he said. “But the real heroes are the ones that didn’t make it home.”

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dawsonnews.com | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | 7F

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Library offers wide variety of activities

By David Renner

drenner@dawsonnews.com

The Dawson County branch of the Chestatee Regional Library System offers a wide variety of activities for young, old and in between.

“Our library is one of the highest in the state for circulation per capita, which is great news that so many people are using this branch,” said branch manager Stacey Leonhardt.

For those interested in family lineage and ancestors, the library offers meetings of the Dawson County Historical and Genealogical Society.

For the younger crowd, the library offers fun activities such as teen bingo and other social events like gingerbread house building in the

winter season.

For infants and toddlers, the library offers Movers and Shakers story time for ages 4-5 and Totally Toddlers for ages 2-3 years.

The library also has a new location to get books from.

If you live too far from the downtown area or just want a quick trip to find a new book, the library’s new satellite branch is there for you.

A convenient pick up and drop off location for people who live closer to the 400 corridor, the satellite location is open Mondays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m. A small collection of less than 200 books & CDs are available for patrons to check out. Patrons can also put books on hold through

‘Our library is one of the highest in the state for circulation per capita.’

Stacey Leonhardt

Library branch manager

the PINES system and pick them up there as well as return items during open hours.

For more information about the library or any of its events, call the main branch at (706) 344-3690.

To check out a book or check for availability from the Ga.. 400 branch, call (706) 216-3800, Ext. 71200.

File photo

Tre’ Arnold, left, points out some house constructing tips to Austin Locke, right. All the supplies used for the annual gingerbread houses are provided by the library.

Center named in longtime director’s honor

By Michele Hester

mhester@dawsonnews.com

On July 25, hundreds gathered for the unveiling of the Margie Weaver Senior Center to commemorate nearly three decades of compassion, loyalty and love for seniors in the community.

“The only thing that would have made it better is if she’d been there, if she got to retire and she’d got to see it. Just to honor her, that her name will be on that building from now on, it’s just amazing,” said S h a r o n R e a g a n , We ave r ’s daughter.

Weaver died March 18 at the age of 74, four months shy of File photo what would have been her 30th Dawn Pruett and Krista Bearden unveil the Margie anniversary as the center’s Weaver Senior Center on July 25. The center was director. renamed in her honor to mark nearly 30 years of service County Commission to the county’s seniors.

Chairman Mike Berg called the

April 19th

Taste of Forsyth Along the Hospitality Highway

Saturday 11 am - 6 pm Food Samples: $1.00 - $4.00 FREE Easter Egg Hunts 3 & under - 11:30 am 4 thru 7 - 12:30 pm 8 thru 10 - 1:30 pm Admission: FREE

July 3rd & 4th

Independence Day Festivities

July 3rd - Street Dance • Food & Craft Vendors Childrens’ Activities 6 pm - 11 pm Fireworks 9:30 pm at Fairgrounds July 4th - Annual Steam Engine Parade @10 am

August 29th - 31st

IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) World Championship Rodeo

Friday & Saturday 8 PM • Sunday 7 PM Admission: 13 & up - $15.00, 5 - 12 - $10.00 4 & under - FREE, Seniors 65+ $12.00 7 Event Rodeo includes: Bull Riding, Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, Calf & Team Roping

dedication ceremony a celebration.

“Margie was such a dynamic figure. This building will stand here a long time and will have her name on it ... and we’ll remember her for the good things she did,” he said.

Having the center bear her name would most likely rank among Weaver’s most meaningful achievements at the center, according to granddaughter Samantha Bruce.

“I remember how excited Nanny was when she finally got the OK to break ground and build the current facility. At that time it was her greatest achievement as director,” she said. “Her last greatest achievement as director was finally getting the elevator in and working.

“Nanny would have been as honored and proud as I am.”

In May, county native Dawn Pruett was selected to lead the center.

“I know that I have big shoes to fill as Ms. Margie was a great teacher and mother to all of us.

She can never be replaced,” she said. “I have a great group of people to work with at the center and the seniors that we get to serve are our family.”

With a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Georgia College & State University, Pruett’s 25-year career in county government spans varied roles.

“I am excited for the opportunity to serve as director of the Dawson County Senior Center. I truly believe that after working in county government for 25 years that God has placed me in a position where I belong,” Pruett said.

October 2nd - 12th

Cumming Country Fair & Festival

Mon- Thurs 4 pm - 10 pm • Friday 4 pm - Midnight Sat. 10 am - Midnight • Sunday 12:30 - 9:00 pm Admission: Adults - $7.00, Students 5 - 18 - $3.00 4 & under - FREE Parking - $3.00 Advance Tickets Available Sept. 1st - 30th Adults - $5.00, Students 5-18 $2.00

Free Concerts & Shows with Paid Admission

Heritage Village • Indian Village • Working Exhibits Cotton Gin • Sawmill • Sorghum Mill • Cider Press Blacksmith • Grist Mill • Quilters • Schoolhouse Churches • Doctor’s Office • Dentist’s Office Barber Shop • Post Office • General Store • Printing Press • Midway Rides • Daily Ground Acts • Petting Zoo & Local Entertainment • Grand Concert Lineup

8F | DAWSON COMMUNITY NEWS | dawsonnews.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

AMERICAN PROTEINS STARTED MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS AGO WHEN LELAND BAGWELL BEGAN OPERATING A SMALL RENDERING PLANT IN NORTHEAST FORSYTH COUNTY. AT THAT TIME THE POULTRY INDUSTRY WAS JUST GETTING STARTED IN NORTH GEORGIA, AND THE BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE PROCESSING PLANTS HAD TO BE HAULED AWAY AND BURIED. AS A VISIONARY, MR. BAGWELL SAW A NEED AND WAS DETERMINED TO FILL IT. HE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO RECYCLE BY-PRODUCTS GENERATED BY THE INTEGRATED POULTRY INDUSTRY. TODAY HIS VISION, AMERICAN PROTEINS, IS VERY MUCH ALIVE AND AN ESTABLISHED, INTEGRAL PART OF THE MODERN POULTRY INDUSTRY. THE COMPANY HAS GROWN FROM A SMALL, SINGLE PLANT OPERATION TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT POULTRY RENDERER WITH 12 DIVISIONS IN 4 STATES. CURRENTLY, AMERICAN PROTEINS RECYCLES OVER 4 BILLION POUNDS OF INEDIBLE POULTRY EACH YEAR USING THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY SECURE METHODS AVAILABLE. WITHOUT THIS RECYCLING PROCESS, THE REMAINS OF OVER 34 MILLION CHICKENS PER WEEK WOULD BE BURIED IN LANDFILLS, CONSUMING SIX ACRES A DAY.

Growing together and depending on each other.

American Proteins

Inc.