Dawson Living September/October 2023

September/October 2023

FARMERS INSURANCE

Trey Thomas is Dawson’s newest agent

FALL CAMPING

Best places to camp and glamp around Dawson County

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PUBLISHER

Stephanie Woody

Eugene Jackson

ADVERTISING SALES

David Smithson, Multimedia Sales Representative

CREATIVE SERVICES

Claudette Keeley, April Seymour, Chelsea Sunshine

PHOTOGRAPHY

Erica Jones, Adrienne Crawford

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Erica Jones, Sudie Crouch, Adrienne Crawford

DAWSON LIVING

A Division of Dawson County News

Dawsonville, GA

A Metro Market Media Inc. property

www.dawsonnews.com

One might hear that catchy jingle for Farmer’s Insurance when their sign comes into view. Trey Thomas hopes that his office will come to mind and pique the interests of Dawson County’s residents when they see his Farmer’s Insurance sign.

Located in front of the Pool Room and the historic courthouse in downtown Dawsonville, Thomas is one of Farmer’s newest agents, joining the company in December of 2022. “I’m looking forward to bringing white glove service to residents of Dawson County,” Thomas said.

Thomas’ passion for insurance goes together with the desire to meet the insurance needs of his clients. “We want to extend our great service and expert advice to everyone. Insurance is something you need, and you need it now. Most importantly, you need an expert,” Thomas said.

“We are a full-service insurance agency; including life insurance, commercial business insurance, Foremost insurance, which is specialty for boats, R.V.’s, ATV’s and the like. Something else we offer, that is specific to Dawsonville especially, is Haggerty Insurance. This covers hotrods, and classic cars, cars that like to race,” said Thomas.

As a Farmer’s agent, Thomas is looking forward to building meaningful relationships with the residents of Dawson County and helping them navigate their insurance options. Thomas wants to make sure that his presence and dedication to Dawsonville reflect his desire to be a trusted resource for insurance-related matters.

He brings fifteen years’ experience in the industry and has added team members like Amanda Sheffield, who has provided her network of connections within Dawson County and whose smile matches her drive to serve.

“I want people to know that I’m loyal to my policy holders and I understand what true service is.” Thomas said. “To quote my mentor, the late great Roger Slaton, ‘No matter how big your book of business is, if you can’t be personable with people, you don’t have anything.’”

Thomas added: “I want to be able to grow my office and expand my reach to everyone in the county. I’m also hoping to grow my team here soon.”

Thomas has partnered with the College and Career Center Academy at Dawson County High School for students interested in learning what Farmer’s Insurance is

all about.

“This is a great way to provide an option for an excellent career path for the next generation. It’s my hope that the high school kids that learn about Farmer’s will look into an internship with us.” he said.

Thomas can also be found at some of Dawson County High School’s football games. As head of the “chain crew”, he and other members of the community stretch the “chains” along the sidelines and mark the first, second, third and fourth downs.

Dawsonville residents can also sometimes enjoy watching evening NASCAR races playing from the projector Thomas uses on the side of his building.

“I was happy to have a nod of approval from longtime resident Gordon Pirkle when I brought that projector out,” Thomas said. “These are just some of the ways I like to be involved in Dawson County.”

Come see Trey Thomas and his team today for all your insurance needs.

The office is at 3 Hwy. 9 South, Dawsonville Ga, 30534. He can be reached by phone at (706) 300-5364, by email at Trey@myagenttrey.com or on the web at www.Dawsonvilleinsurance.com.

Mastering your credit card (and not the other way around!)

The average credit card balance in America ballooned to $5,910 in 2022. This figure is up 13.2% from the year before according to Experian, and it spells out a worrisome (and costly) trend for consumers. After all, credit card interest rates were on rise throughout all last year and well into 2023, mostly due to changes to the federal funds rate by the Federal Reserve. The fact is, consumers with credit card debt pay an average interest rate of 20.92% as of February 2023, compared to just 16.65% in the second quarter of 2022.

Fortunately, you have the power to use credit cards to your advantage — and to avoid paying exorbitant interest rates altogether. Consider these tips to master credit cards instead of letting them rule over you this year. Plan purchases to carry no credit card balance. While interest rates are incredibly high right now, you can use credit cards without paying for the privilege. Instead of racking up balances

and hoping you can afford the bill, use credit cards for planned purchases only — and for spending that’s backed up by money in the bank. Provided you pay your credit card balance in full each month, today’s sky-high interest rates can’t hurt you.

Consolidate high-interest debts. You can get a break from today’s high rates by consolidating credit card debt you already have with a 0% balance transfer credit card. Many cards in this niche give you 0% APR on balance transfers, purchases or both for up to 21 months. This gives you time to pay down your balance with zero interest, which can help eliminate debt faster and save money along the way. Earn rewards for your spending. If you’re still using your old credit card from college or haven’t bothered to upgrade in the last few years, you could be missing out. Today’s credit cards let you earn as much as 2% cash back on spending

with no annual fee, or you can opt to earn generous rewards for travel instead. Just make sure you carry no balance, as interest rates on these cards can be even higher than regular credit cards. Put your perks to work. Finally, check whether your credit card has other, often unpromoted, benefits. Depending on your card, you may have access to perks like purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties on items you buy that come with a manufacturer’s warranty or even travel insurance protections. If you already have access to these benefits or others, knowing ahead of time is the best way to put them to good use.

Credit cards offer convenience and a range of features you can benefit from, but they can either be a blessing or a curse for your finances. Ultimately, your best bet is taking control of your credit card use before it controls you.

Walkingwayyourto health

by Sudie Crouch

& Wellness columnist

Health

Anytime someone is looking to lose weight or improve their overall health, one of the first questions they ask is what kind of exercise should they try.

Should they lift weights? Began an intense cardio routine? Or maybe even start doing HIIT workouts?

Others want to join a gym but there is also a lot of fear and intimidation that can go along with joining a gym.

There are as many different workout options available as there are different weight loss methods.

Given the fact that recent studies have found a sedentary lifestyle can be as detrimental to our health as smoking, many people have started looking at different options to increase their movement and get in more exercise.

There are as many different workout options available as there are different weight loss methods.

But the good news is, finding a way to get some exercise doesn’t necessarily mean a big investment or joining a gym. It can be as easy as lacing up some tennis shoes and heading out your front door.

Why walking

Walking is not only one of the most effective ways to get in movement, but it has tremendous health benefits as well.

Some of the benefits include:

 Helps reduce blood pressure

 Eases joint pain – motion is lotion!

 Helps lower blood sugar

 Boosts your immune system

 Burns calories

 Reduces stress

Walking is also something that has a lower risk of injury. Oftentimes, people may not have the proper technique with certain exercises or may overdo it; with walking, they are doing a low-impact exercise that doesn’t have many of the potential injuries that other exercises may have. (There may still be risks of falling or tripping, so please proceed with caution and safety.)

Walking is also free – you can get started with just a decent pair of shoes.

How far should you walk?

If you’re not sure how far or long you should be walking, the main thing is just get started. If you haven’t been very active previously, five minutes can be a good target to start with and you can build up from there. Many health apps

recommend 10,000 steps a day, but for many, that may be too much. The key is to start with an achievable and doable amount of steps that you can consistently reach. Just get moving. You can stretch the goal to a higher number as you feel comfortable with the pace you’re able to walk.

You definitely don’t have to walk a long distance if you’re just getting started. A good key to remember is that 2,000 steps roughly equals a mile, so if you were hitting 10,000 steps, that would be five miles a day.

If you don’t have a step counter device or don’t have a pedometer on your cell phone, you can also roughly estimate it as approximately 15 - 22 minutes is equal to a mile.

What if you can’t get in steps?

There may be some obstacles to getting a walk in. The weather – either too hot or too cold – is one of the biggest obstacles that many people encounter. There are several indoor walking videos that are available on YouTube that can help you get in those steps in the comfort of your climate controlled living room. Additionally, walking in place is even a great way to get in your steps. Some people enjoy walking in place while they watch a favorite program or during the commercials.

Another option can be using a treadmill but that’s really not necessary. You can also go to an indoor mall to get in steps or walk extra laps around your grocery store. Just finding creative ways to get in a few extra steps can help you reach your goal.

So if you’re looking to incorporate exercise into your routine, walking is anything but basic and a great way to get in movement and improve your overallhealth.

Places to go camping IN AND AROUND DAWSON COUNTY

Story and photos by Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com

As Georgia’s summer heat gives way to fall and its cooler weather, it’s the perfect time to spend some time outside enjoying the fall scenery and the beauty of the North Georgia mountains. Here are several places in and around Dawson County to go camping this fall.

AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK (DAWSON COUNTY)

Where is it: Amicalola Falls State Park, 418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville

Details: Amicalola Falls State Park offers 24 wooded campsites to accommodate tent camping or RVs. Each campsite is an easy pull-in or back-in site with water, power, grill and a fire ring. ADA accessible camping is also available. The campground includes a comfort station with laundry facilities and ADA accessible restrooms and showers, and paved pathways to walk through the campground. It also provides easy access to miles of hiking trails and to the beautiful, 729-foot Amicalola Falls.

For more information: https://www.amicalolafallslodge. com/accomodations/campsites/

AMICALOLA FALLS GLAMPING (DAWSON COUNTY)

Where is it: Amicalola Falls State Park, 418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville

Details: Interested in camping but not so much in roughing it? Glamping gives campers an opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors while still enjoying the luxuries of home. These four completely furnished tents offer beds, residential A/C and heating, ceiling fans, electrical outlets, a

mini fridge and Keurig coffee maker, and home decor including rugs, lamps and a diffuser. The glamp-sites also include two hammocks, a wood fire ring, charcoal grill with a cooking grate, string lights, two camp chairs and a picnic table.

For more information: https://resnexus.com/resnexus/ reservations/book/8E228CF2-6147-4568-987B-DCFDA8760970

WAR HILL PARK (DAWSON COUNTY)

Where is it: War Hill Park, 4081 War Hill Park Road, Dawsonville

Details: Dawson County’s War Hill Park offers 14 primitive campsites, day-use areas and a bath house with restrooms and showers. Campsites are open from March 1 through Oct. 31 each year.

For more information: https://www.dawsoncountyga.gov/ parksrec/page/war-hill-park

ETOWAH RIVER CAMPGROUND (LUMPKIN COUNTY)

Where is it: 437 Rider Mill Road, Dahlonega

Details: Etowah River Campground offers both tent campsites and full hook-up RV sites. Located outside of Historic Dahlonega, each of the campsites has easy access to the Etowah River for fishing or tubing, and several of the tent campsites are located right on the river. The campsite also includes a full bathhouse with restrooms and showers.

For more information: https://etowahrivercampgro0.wixsite.com/ mysite-1

SHADY GROVE CAMPGROUND (FORSYTH COUNTY)

Where is it: 7800 Allyn Lane Memorial Way, Cumming

Details: Shady Grove Campground features RV sites with water, tent sites and group sites with water and picnic shelters. Located on Lake Lanier, the campground also includes a beach and swim area, boat ramp with courtesy dock, restrooms and showers and a playground. The campground also includes opportunities for walking, running, boating and swimming.

For more information: https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/ shady-grove-campground/PRCG/1070700/overview

Last week I had the honor of appearing before the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals. The Eleventh Circuit is the court under the United States Supreme Court that handles matters for Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. I appeared before the court because of an interesting question of liability concerning whether a rental property, which might be rented through Airbnb or VRBO or any other type of entity, has a similar liability to that of a landowner who has abandoned the property for other people to live in. The Court had to address whether there was a landlord-tenant relationship (consisting of certain rights and responsibilities on the part of both parties) or whether it was more like a hotel. It is always very exciting for a lawyer to appear before an appellate court, especially one like the eleventh Circuit which handles important

matters for people in the three-state-area. Often, federal questions like immigration are argued before the court.

I argued before the eleventh Circuit for about thirty minutes which was the maximum time that was allotted per side. In cases like the one we argued, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals looks to Georgia law because the case was brought in diversity. In a diversity case, citizens from two different states do not trust the local courts to handle a matter, so they bring the case to a federal court which is supposed to be neutral. These diversity cases only involve controversies over $100,000 in damages. In our case, our client, an elderly person, was coming down a staircase when she fell. We had expert witnesses that opined that the staircase was defectively constructed and should not have been permitted for the rental.

The Eleventh Circuit judges grilled me on several very important legal points. They did look to the Georgia Supreme Court for guidance on how the landlord-tenant versus innkeeperguest relationships were to be construed. I am not waiting on their decision. I recommend that if you are renting your home as a guest accommodation, you spend the time to make sure that the premises are safe. If there are any hazards you should promptly remove them, and if there are hazards that you cannot remove, they need to be communicated clearly to your guests.

I wish everyone the best when renting their home for a vacation rental. Because it is a rental business, there are legal business responsibilities with liabilities.

Steven Leibel is an AV rated Super Lawyer in personal injury, He can be reached at (404)-892-0700.

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