PLACES OF DAWSON:
The Station House opens for business
IGY6 Coffee opens new brick and mortar location
October/November 2024
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024
4 Arts
See the latest books you can check out from Dawson County Library
5 Christine Hinton Tax planning triggers
6 ON THE COVER: Places
The Station House offically opens
8 Wellness Clean eating on a budget
10 Faces Chris Sheets opens new IGY6
12 Flavors Fall baking with Erica
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DAWSON LIVING
A Division of Dawson County News
Dawsonville, GA A Metro Market Media LLC property
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PUBLISHER
Stephanie Woody
MANAGING EDITOR
Erica Jones
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE
Margie Rogers
ADVERTISING SALES
Meghan Hernandez, Multimedia Sales Representative
CREATIVE SERVICES
April Seymour
Chelsea Sunshine Courtney Smith
PHOTOGRAPHY
Erica Jones
Julia Hansen
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sudie Crouch
Erica Jones
Julia Hansen
“Check out” what’s new
AT THE LIBRARY!
The Three-Body Problem by
Cixin Liu
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
Unsheltered by
Barbara Kingsolver
The New York Times bestselling author of Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, and The Poisonwood Bible and recipient of numerous literary awards—including the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Orange Prize—returns with a timely novel that interweaves past and present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval.
Born of Blood and Ash
by Jennifer Armentrout
The Flesh and Fire series reaches its conclusion in Born of Blood and Ash, a true romantasy powerhouse. The stakes are ratcheting up higher and higher as time ticks towards a surprising and inevitable end.
344-3690
A Dozen Tax Planning Triggers
Now is the tax planning season. Those that treat tax filing as an event and not a process often are the ones paying more than they need. So how do you go about moving from the event to planning? By looking at triggers that should stimulate a discussion. Here are some of the more common:
1You owed tax last year. Having a surprising tax bill is never fun. So if you owed taxes last year, project your current year obligation with a little planning if you have not already done so.
2Your household income is over $150,000 single and $200,000 joint. As your income grows, so does your tax bill. This occurs because tax rates increase, and tax benefits phase out. This includes things like; lower child tax credit amounts, increases in capital gains tax rates, higher income tax rates, medicare surtaxes plus more.
3You are getting married or divorced. The tax penalty for being married is higher than ever. Are you prepared? And if going through a divorce, not all assets are treated
the same in the eyes of the IRS.
4
You have kids attending college in the next few years. There are a number of tax programs that can help, you may wish to review your options and their impact on your tax return.
5
You have a small business. There are depreciation benefits, qualified business deductions, and numerous small business tax credits to consider. A review is especially important if you have a business that is a flow through entity like Sub Chapter S, partnership or sole proprietor as these entities are taxed on your personal tax return..
6You plan on selling investments. Capital Gains tax rates can now range from 0% to 37% (or even higher with the Net Investment Tax).
7There are changes in your employer provided benefits. These changes could impact your taxable income this year. It is especially important if you are provided with high deductible insurance options.
8You buy a home, sell one, or go through home foreclosure. There are great tax benefits within your home, but only if you know about them and plan accordingly.
9You have major medical expenses. It is harder than ever to itemize deductions, but one way it’s possible to itemize is if you have a major medical expense. When this happens it is time to review ALL itemized deductions to minimize your taxes.
10You recently lost or changed jobs. Understanding the tax impact of unemployment benefits is crucial.
11You have not conducted a tax withholding review. To avoid under withholding penalties, you need to ensure your withholdings are sufficient.
12
Your estate has not been reviewed in the past 12 months. Recently passed estate laws and potential changes in these rules make an annual review a must.
If any of these triggers apply to you, please schedule a tax planning appointment.
“Thank you for making us Best of Dawson for six years in a row. We are known for the quality of our service and the high standards we set for ourselves. Our primary goal is to help our clients make informed financial decisions.”
The Station House
SERVES UP SOUTHERN FROM SCRATCH
Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com
Community members now have a new southern dining option in the downtown Dawsonville area, thanks to newly opened restaurant The Station House.
The Station House is located at 415 Highway 53 East, in the same building complex as Dawsonville City Hall. The restaurant has been in the works for several months and finally opened this month, wrapping up a busy opening
week with its grand opening and ribbon cutting event on Friday Aug. 23.
Marla Nix, who has owned and operated The Station House restaurant in Cumming for 18 years, said that she’s excited to expand her restaurant’s reach by opening her new second location in Dawsonville.
“We have another restaurant in Cumming that we’ve had for 18 years and we’re just super excited for this,” Nix said. “I look forward to serving this community for many years.”
The Station House menu includes a wide range of southern-cooked breakfasts and lunches, including homemade biscuits, omelets and platters for breakfast and sandwiches, salads, chicken tenders and other plates for lunch. Unlike the existing location in Cumming, the new Dawsonville location also serves dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The restaurant also offers a list of weekly lunch specials, which is announced
The Station House restaurant is now officially open in downtown Dawsonville. - photo by Erica Jones
each week and includes well-loved southern menu items like chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, fried shrimp and catfish.
During the ribbon-cutting event on Aug. 23, representatives from the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Dawsonville and community members gathered to celebrate the restaurant’s grand opening.
“This is a very special day and I’m glad to have The Station House here,” Mayor John Walden said, recounting how he’s already received phone calls from community members praising the new restaurant’s food and service.
City Council Members Sandy Sawyer and Will Illg also spoke during the event, congratulating Nix and her team on the success of the restaurant in its first week.
“Whenever I’m talking to potential restaurant owners I tell them that if you have a good product and good service and want to test it out, open it up in downtown Dawsonville and downtown Dawsonville will tell you pretty quick if it’s good or it’s not,” Illg said. “From what I’ve heard you’ve been getting a crowd, so that means that it must be good.”
“We’re so excited to have you here; congratulations,” Sawyer added.
Before cutting the ribbon, Nix thanked the city for their help in getting the restaurant ready to go, the community for their support so far and her family for their love and help throughout the process of opening the new location.
“This is a family affair and I’m thankful for my family; I appreciate them and I thank them for helping,” Nix said. “I’m very excited to be here and to serve this community; I hope that we can keep up the good work and make you all happy in serving this area.”
The Station House is located at 415 Highway 53 East and is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays.
For more information about the restaurant, including the full menu and daily specials, go to https://www. thestationhouse.org/ or follow the restaurant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thestationhouserest/
by Sudie Crouch Health & wellness columnist
One of the biggest concerns I hear from clients is being able to afford healthy meals.
A very valid worry, especially when the prices at the grocery store are a major pain point for all of us!
Not knowing what to expect at the checkout can definitely make it harder to know what to eat, but there are a few helpful tips that you can take that can help you make some healthy choices and not break your budget.
The biggest piece of advice I tell clients is to shop their weekly sale paper and meal plan around it. Produce is often the biggest concern as fruits and vegetables can often be costly, especially if shopping organic. Shopping for fruits and vegetables that are in season can also help you save money. It used to be that we only had access to certain produce during their season, but now we can find most readily available year round. Of course, that can make some foods higher than others. We’re paying for that convenience.
Some stores do have better prices on the
Making Healthy Meals Affordable
organic items, but if you’re not wanting to shop organic, checking the prices of what you normally need in the sale paper is a smart strategy. Depending on how much processing is involved can also affect the price but convenience can be an important factor if you’re short on time. A bag of pre-cut broccoli may be more or the same price as a whole head. It’s a matter of knowing what’s on sale, what you may need, and where you’re willing to spend a little more if needed.
Farmer’s markets can also be a great source for produce too, and often the local growers may use less pesticides. It’s always a great question to ask them, and knowing more about where your food is coming from and how it’s grown can be a great piece of education!
Don’t feel like your produce has to be fresh to be healthy. Frozen is the next best option to fresh, followed by canned. Make sure to check that the selections are lower in sodium and added sugar or packed in natural juices.
If chicken is on sale that week, that can be the protein that your meals are based around. Depending on what the sale price is and if you have freezer space, it may even be worth it to buy a few extra packs to freeze or go ahead and prep and freeze. Just make sure you label it with the date
and what it is – one of my biggest meal prep pet peeves is throwing away stuff when I can’t remember how old it is. Some other items to look for are canned beans and bags of lentils, which can be great sources of protein; quinoa and brown rice are also good.
Buy in bulk on items you can when they are on sale, especially if it’s staples you use often and have space to store, like canned veggies, broths, etc. This can help build your pantry and allow you to have some items on hand that are healthy too.
Batch cooking can be super helpful as well. It allows you to make multiple meals and freeze for later.
Another thing I often recommend is taking advantage of curbside grocery pickup when available. This way you can take time to order what you need, compare prices, and avoid any spontaneous impulse purchases which drive up your total. It’s also helpful when you’re not wanting to have all the temptations in the store too. There’s a reason the bakery is usually next to the produce!
Don’t forget to check for online coupons as well. Many stores allow you to sign up for perks and rewards which can help give you a few discounts.
By taking a few intentional steps, you can still eat healthy and stay within your grocery budget!
“A True Blessing”
THIS LOCAL COFFEE VENDOR DEBUTS BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORE
Julia Hansen DCN Staff
For IGY6 Coffee owner Chris Sheets, growing his business into a brick-and-mortar operation in Dawsonville has been a dream over one year in the making.
As Sheets smiled and helped customers and colleagues at the store’s grand opening celebration on Saturday, one got the sense that the reward for him is as much about fellowship as it is about the business.
“God’s been good to us,” Sheets said, adding that marking this milestone “feels really good.”
Sheets and his colleagues greeted dozens of customers during the Aug. 17 grand opening, two days after the physical shop debuted.
“I didn’t know for sure where all this was going to go when we started the mobile [truck] up, but I know where I wanted it to go,” Sheets told DCN on Thursday. “I know with just enough trust in God and trust in our community, that we could get there. It’s been a true blessing.”
“Now more than anything, what I’m most looking forward to is being even a bigger part of the community here, and that’s been my goal from the beginning,” Sheets added.
IGY6 Coffee’s brick-and-mortar store is at 61 Elliott St. S. in Dawsonville, about a block from the downtown square.
The coffee shop’s hours are now Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On Saturday, multiple area vendors, including veteran-owned businesses, set up shop outside IGY6 Coffee in a show of support.
Area nonprofit Fishing with Everyday Heroes attended, and over $1,000 was raised to take veterans and first responders out fishing, according to an IGY6 Coffee Facebook post.
“I didn’t know we were going to get this much support from the community on our opening day,” Sheets said, sharing his gratitude. “It good to see it. I love it. It’s one of the things love about Dawsonville… being able to be a part of all this.”
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Sheets debuted IGY6 Coffee’s mobile truck in April 2023, according to previous reporting by DCN.
IGY6 stands for “I got your six”, a military and first responder saying which means “I’ve got your back”.
Sheets served in the U.S. Army for about five years before getting injured, later facing PTSD and struggles with drug addiction. In recovery groups, Sheets often found himself having good talks with others over a cup of coffee.
He also found faith in the midst of his struggles and seeks to show his beliefs through his business.
The Bible verse in his business logo is Proverbs 27:17, which reads, “As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.”
IGY6 Coffee owner Chris Sheets hands a customer part of her order via the shop’s drive-thru window. - photo by Julia Hansen
Sheets wanted to bring greater awareness to PTSD and suicide, mental health issues faced by many military members, veterans and first responders.
That mission aligned with the purpose of the Florida-based IGY6 foundation, so Sheets gives a portion of his coffee shop’s proceeds to the foundation.
His business has also supported law enforcement, like the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and other locals in the area.
Last fall, the coffee business also joined the community-wide “We Care” campaign to raise awareness about suicide prevention and the new national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988.
IGY6 Coffee’s mobile truck has shown up at Dawsonville’s First Friday and farmers market events as well as outings at the city’s Atlanta Motorsports Park.
“Dawsonville is a great community and being able to be a part of this community, to me, is very rewarding for all of us here, but especially for myself,” Sheets told DCN.
MORE ON THE MENU
Customers can make mobile orders or walk into the store and decide at the counter. People can park or proceed through the store’s drive-thru to pick up their orders.
The drive-thru lane goes past the store window and around the back of IGY6 Coffee’s parking lot, leading people back onto Bill Elliott Street to exit.
Most of the coffee shop’s drinks, even frozen ones, can be made as decaf options “except Earl Grey tea or matcha,” Sheets said.
A new food item could also help IGY6 Coffee take a bite out of the onthe-go breakfast crowd.
The decision on bagels came down to what Sheets dubbed “an opening in the market” and the current heating and toasting food capacities of the kitchen.
The bagels are ordered from New York, a state well known for its bagels.
Flavors include plain, everything, cinnamon raisin, French toast and cheddar jalapeño. People can pair a bagel with plain or maple bacon cream cheese, according to Sheets.
Current bagel specials are the Bagelator, which includes a slice of cheese, sausage patty, four bacon slices and the bagel bread.
Another dish is dubbed the “Freedom Bird.”
That nickname was what soldiers would call the plane that brought them back from deployment. It comes with cheese and chicken salad made by Sheets’ mother, Anna Plage.
Sheets said he and his colleagues will adjust the store’s schedule and feature regular bagel and latte specials.
The mobile truck won’t be going away, as Sheets said he’s still down to use it for events.
IGY6 Coffee is also working on staggered delivery days for each Dawson County public school.
Sheets said he thinks online ordering will make that easier, as people can make notes about a teacher’s specific school in the special instructions space for that particular order.
That way, it would be easier to package up all the orders for a given school and then drop them off at the school.
SHOW OF SUPPORT
Plage, who attended the shop’s grand opening Saturday, has been a strong supporter of Sheets’ business from the beginning.
“I feel blessed that he’s been blessed,” Plage said. “He deserves this. He’s worked so hard…and I think for me, with God’s help, Chris has made it, and he’s doing beautifully.”
One of the other familiar faces Saturday was Scout Samples, a former employee of IGY6 Coffee who just recently branched out to start her own business, Scout’s Sourdough.
“Since we started, we’ve been talking about what we were going to do, so seeing it is completely different. It’s awesome…I think it’s actually even better than I expected,” Samples said of efforts with the coffee shop.
Another supporter of Sheets and IGY6 Coffee, Wayne Whited, called the local turnout Saturday “just the beginning,” noting the draw of Sheets’ personality and “love for the community.”
“They want to help. They want to see him do good,” Whited said.
If conditions hold in the coming months and year, Sheets hopes to possibly add more square footage to the store for seating and kitchen space.
“With the [kind of] support we’re getting, I have no doubt that we will,” Sheets said.
AppleBundt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(For coating the cake after it’s baked)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cider Donut Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a bundt
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, oil and eggs and mix on medium speed for about two minutes. Add applesauce and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and apple cider and mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through mixing.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
5. Let the cake cool in the cake pan for at least an hour before turning it out onto a platter or cooling rack.
6. Using a pastry brush, coat the cake in the melted butter. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon and sprinkle onto the top and sides of the cake.
FROM ERICA JONES, DCN EDITOR
Georgia Racing Hall of Fame reopens with new additions
Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com
The museum has been closed for several months as the wellknown local attraction has undergone several renovations and additions. One of the biggest new additions is a bay of several “Thunder Road” racing simulators, in which museum patrons can try out stock car racing for themselves.
“We have new state-of-the-art full-motion technology simulators; they’re designed to fully immerse the user into a true racing experience,” Museum Director Cindy Elliott said. “We guarantee you’ll walk away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the skill of the professional driver.”
Each month the simulators will have an updated selection of cars and tracks, Elliott said, and everything about the simulators is designed to give users an experience as close as possible to driving an actual stock car. The simulators also include a space for spectators to watch the races.
“We’re one of the few facilities in the southeast to offer full-motion simulators to the public, allow participants to race against each other and spectators [to] view all six racers in one screen together,” Elliott said.
The Gordon Pirkle Room, which is the museum’s conference and event room, has also been renovated, with a new bay of windows overlooking a brand-new outdoor area behind the museum.
“The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame is proud to offer one of the only enclosed rental spaces for special events in Dawson County,” Elliott said. “Other additions include our newly added covered terrace off the back of the building… it is absolutely beautiful.”
The museum has also added a new vintage garage exhibit for museum visitors to enjoy in addition to the existing exhibits about the history of stock car racing, the Hall of Fame showcasing racing legends and of course the well-loved exhibit about Dawsonville’s own legendary Elliott family and the racing careers of Bill Elliott and his son Chase.
During the museum’s grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 27, museum leadership, elected officials, Chamber of Commerce members and local legends like Gordon Pirkle and Bill Elliott gathered to celebrate the museum officially reopening its doors to the public.
“Our commitment to excellence remains unwavering, and we’ve been working diligently to ensure that every detail reflects our dedication to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction,” Elliott said before cutting the ribbon. “This is not just the reopening; it is a new beginning and we are so excited to share it with you.”
Georgia State Sen. Steve Gooch also spoke during the reopening event, thanking Elliott and her team for their hard work and for all the effort they’ve put into the museum.
“The fact that stock car racing got its start here is too often overlooked; too many [people] talk about it going on in Charlotte, North Carolina but it truly started here and we want to thank you for capturing that,” Gooch said.
The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame is located at 415 Highway 53 East and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets online, go to https://georgiaracinghof.com/.
The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame now offers state-of-theart racing simulators. - photo by Erica Jones
~Tim & Lindsay White
