Best of Dawson 2023

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Congratulations to each winner of the Best of Dawson 2023!

The businesses and individuals you’ll see listed in this magazine represent the best of the best in their respective fields, and the hard work and dedication to their professions have pushed them to the very top.

For the third year in a row, this year’s Best of Dawson awards gala will take place at Lilly Creek Farm and will be made possible by presenting sponsor John Megel Chevrolet.

During the event, winners will have the chance to network and celebrate one another and all their accomplishments.

Also, for the third year, the Gordon Pirkle Heart of Dawson award will be presented to a community member who exhibits a love and passion for the Dawson County community, much like Pirkle himself.

The second annual Roger Slaton Servant Leadership award will also be presented to a community member who embodies the servant leadership and heart for volunteering that Slaton will always be remembered for.

At the Dawson County News, we couldn’t be more

grateful for every business and individual that participated in the 2023 Best of Dawson contest, and especially for community members who took the time to nominate and vote for their favorite businesses.

This love and support for local businessmen and women is one of the many things that makes Dawson County unique and yet another example of the way that community members here show up to support one another and encourage each other every day.

Thank you to our sponsors and to the businesses and individuals represented in this magazine and thank you for taking the time to read these pages.

The Best of Dawson contest wouldn’t be what it is without you, and we’re grateful for the honor of facilitating the contest yet again.

Congratulations to every local business and individual who has been named a winner of the 2023 Best of Dawson contest!

Thanks for reading, Erica Jones, Editor

John Megel Chevrolet expands services, continues to provide quality customer service

By Erica Jones | ejones@dawsonnews.com

It’s been another busy year for John Megel Chevrolet in Dawson County, as the dealership has continued to serve customers in the North Georgia community and uphold its reputation of quality and trustworthy customer service.

John Megel Chevrolet owner Jonathan Megel is a third-generation car dealer, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.

In the years that John Megel Chevrolet has been in Dawson County, the dealership has grown and developed into what it is today: a trustworthy and reputable company that demonstrates loyalty and dedication to their customers in all that they do.

The business expanded in 2021 with the addition of John Megel Ford in Cleveland, Georgia, and leadership and employees have been hard at work to help both dealerships excel in their communities.

This year, the company added yet another item to the long list of quality services they offer to customers: mobile service vans to make routine car maintenance even more convenient.

“We have two mobile service vans, so we can go out and do oil changes, tire rotations, filters, just quick service stuff — right in your driveway, at work or at home,” Executive Manager Shawn Boyd said.

“The customers who have seen it really love it; they think it’s an awesome treat to be able to be at work or be at home and not have to come sit in a waiting room waiting to get their car serviced. They can do it at their leisure,” he said.

In addition to the mobile service vans, the company

has also started offering pickup and delivery servicing options, allowing customers to have their car picked up to be serviced at the dealership and then dropped back off to them afterward.

“We always do pickup and delivery in sales, and we’ve been doing that for years; we’ll deliver cars anywhere, but adding it to the service side is a whole new deal,” Megel said.

“It’s something we’re working really hard on and trying to grow, and I think it’s going to be a big piece of our business in the future,” Boyd added.

The dealership’s family-like atmosphere and customerfirst attitude are big parts of why so many people in Dawson County and beyond

have gone to John Megel Chevrolet as new and repeat customers.

Employees at John Megel Chevrolet strive to not just sell cars to their customers, but to make it as easy for them as possible throughout every step of the car-buying process.

Year after year, John Megel Chevrolet has won awards in the community for its service, trustworthiness, and dedication to its customers.

“It’s awesome; it’s a testament to our employees, the way they treat customers that come in, and how loyal our customers are to us,” Boyd told the Dawson County News after winning two categories in last year’s Best of Dawson contest.

The dealership won several

categories in the 2023 Best of Dawson contest, including Best Dealership Service Department, Best Major Brand Used Car Dealership and Best New Vehicle Dealership.

“It’s always a good feeling to win anything,” Boyd said. “It just makes us proud of the people we have employed here – working in our departments, dealing with our customers, and always trying to do right by them.”

This is the third year John Megel Chevrolet has been the presenting sponsor of the Best of Dawson awards ceremony. Boyd said attending the event and seeing how many of their customers are also successful business owners themselves is always great to see.

“It’s awesome to be in a position where we can do that and have the opportunity; our awesome customers have kept us rolling through all of the craziness we’ve dealt with the last couple of years,” Boyd said.

“It’s crazy to walk into the [Best of Dawson] gala and see the overwhelming number of customers that we have that are business owners in the community; just seeing so many of your customers being successful business owners in the community is just really awesome.”

Boyd said getting to celebrate with customers and fellow business owners, as well as winning awards year after year, is proof of the impact the dealership is making on the community.

“It’s great to know that we have a tight enough relationship with these business owners and the community that they love us too,” Boyd said. “It’s the best compliment we can get is winning an award like this.”

John Megel Chevrolet and John Megel Ford Executive Manager Shawn Boyd, left, and owner Jonathan Megel.

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

AUTO & TRANSPORTATION

Auto Body Shop

Disharoon Automotive

Auto Glass Repair/Replacement

Southern Auto Glass

Auto Parts Store

O’Reilly Auto Parts

Dealership Service Department

John Megel Chevrolet

Golf Cart Sales & Service

North Atlanta Golf Carts

Independent Auto Repair Shop

Silver City Tire & Automotive

Independent Used Car Dealer

PRIMARY AUTO GROUP

Jeep Wrangler Argo ATV XTV UTV

Major Brand Used Car Dealership

John Megel Chevrolet

New Vehicle Dealership

John Megel Chevrolet

Oil Change

Grease Monkey

Small Engine Repair/Sales

Silver City Tire & Automotive

Tire Store

War Hill Tire

Towing Service

K&K Towing of Dawsonville

BUSINESS

Accessories Store

Sweet Sassafras Boutique

Accounting/Tax Prep

Christine Hinton, CPA

Antique Store

Soul Sisters Antiques

Assisted Living Community

Manor Lake Assisted Living & Memory Care - Dawsonville

Bail Bond Company

Liberty Bail Bonds

Bank/Credit Union

United Community Bank

Banquet/Event Facility

Lilly Creek Farm

Barber Shop

Dawsonville Barber Shop

Beauty and Hair Salon

Platinum Scissors

Boat Services

Lund Marine

Boutique

Sweet Sassafras

Car Wash

Bamboo Car Wash

Carpet Cleaning

KG Cleaning Service, Inc.

Carpet/Flooring store

Sovereign Flooring, LLC

Catering

Dawsonville Pool Room

Child Care Center

White Oak Learning AcademyDawsonville Locations

Children’s Clothing Store

OshKosh B’gosh

Cleaning Company

ATD Cleaning Services, LLC

Commercial Real Estate Company

The Welch Team - Keller Williams

Realty, Community Partners

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

Computer Repair/Services

AML Computer Services, LLC

Dance Studio

Cumming Dance AcademyDawsonville

Dry Cleaners

Top Cleaners

Electrical Contractor

Mr. Value Electricians

Family/Childrens Activities

Launch Trampoline Park

Feed & Seed Store

Brooksher Feed & Farm Supply

Fencing Contractor

Ruggiero Fencing

Financial Planner

Alexandria Williams, Modern Woodmen of America

Fitness Center/Gym

Onelife Fitness - Dawsonville

Floral Arrangement

Dawsonville Florist

Furniture Store

Soul Sisters Antiques

Garbage/Waste Removal

Evans Garbage Services

Grading & Hauling

Bolton Grading

Grocery Store

Ingles

Gun Store

Appalachian Armory & Off Road, Inc.

Gutter Service

Sheffield Gutters

Hardware Store

C & W Hardware True Value

Health & Beauty Retail Store

Salt MedSpa of Dawsonville

Health Insurance Agency

Krumm Agency, LLC

Heating/Air Service

Elite Heating & Air

Home Decor/Furniture

Soul Sisters Antiques

Home Renovation/Remodeling

North Georgia Roofing & Property Renovations, LLC

Home Repair/Handyman

Freedom Painting and Handyman Services

Hotel/Lodging

Amicalola State Park Lodge

Insurance Company

(Not Individual Agents)

VanKeith Insurance

Agency of Dawsonville

Jewelry Store

Tripp and Company Jewelers

Junk Removal

400 Waste and Scrap, LLC

Kitchen/Bath Remodel

Brandon Nahlik Construction

Landscape And Design Company

Nature’s Color, LLC

Lawn Care/Weed Control

ALF Lawn and Pest Solutions

Locksmith

North Georgia Key Works

Men’s Clothing Store

Brooks Brothers

8 Year’s In A Row

Thank you to our loyal customers for naming us Best Bank/Financial Institution and our very own, Pam Pilcher, as Best Teller. We value your continued business and trust, and look forward to serving you and our community for many years to come.

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

Mortgage Company

Destiny Mortgage Lending

Nail Salon

Moon Nails & Tan

Nursery/Greenery

Abbott Creek Nursery

Outdoor Specialty Store

Brooksher Feed & Farm Supply

Painting Company

Freedom Painting and Handyman Services

Pawn Shop

Dawsonville Gun & Pawn

Pest Control Company

Duncan Exterminating

Pet Boarding

Country Home Kennels

Pet Care

Mandy’s Pet Spa

Place to Work

Mandy’s Pet Spa

Pressure Washing

Sprayed Pressure Washing

Printing & Graphics Company

400 Ink - Signs & Graphics

Propane Company

Amicalola Propane

Real Estate Group or Firm

The Welch Team -

Keller Williams Realty, Community Partners

Roofing Contractor

Hopewell Roofing

Security Service or System

Blue Sky Systems

Self Storage Facility

Byrd’s Mini Storage

Septic Services

Banks Septic

Shoe Store

Famous Footwear

Spa Services

GDE Aesthetics

Specialty Retailer

Soul Sisters Antiques

Sporting Goods Retail

Appalachian Armory, Inc.

Swimming Pool/

Spa Design/Service

Aqua Design Pool and Spa

Tanning Services

A Touch of Hope

Tattoo or Body Piercing shop

Blind Faith Tattoo Company

Thrift Store

No Longer Bound

Travel Agency

Memories in the Making with Makayla

Tree Service

Superior Arbor Management (SAM)

Vape Shop

The Vaperz Den

Vitamin Store

Nature’s Health Store

Water Well and Pump Service

Bolton Well and Pump Service

Water/Fire Damage/

Mold Remediatioin

Water Removal Services, LLC

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

Wedding Venue

Lilly Creek Farm Events

Wild Bird Supplies

Wild Birds Unlimited

Window Tinting

TopLine Tint, LLC

Women’s Clothing Store

Sweet Sassafras Boutique

Community Art Gallery/Studio

Bowen Center for the Arts

Church

Soul Filling Station

Civic Club

Rotary Club of Dawson County

Nonprofit Organization Dawson Community Food Bank & Thrift Store

Place to Volunteer

Dawson Community Food Bank & Thrift Store

Sports League/Instruction

Swim Warriors

Tourist Attraction

Burt’s Pumpkin Farm

Volunteer

Gordon Pirkle

EDUCATION

Assistant Principal

Mandy Smith, Black’s Mill Elementary

Principal

Brody Hughes, Dawson County High School

Private School

Lighthouse Christian Academy

Public School

Black’s Mill Elementary School

Teacher

Alexis Phillips

Tutoring

Wanda Grigsby

FOOD & BEVERAGE

American Food

Big Reds

Appetizer

LongHorn Steakhouse

Asian Restaurant

Kani House

Bagels

Big Red’s Biscuits & Deli

Bar

Miller’s Ale House

Barbecue

Big D’s BBQ

Best Beer Selection

Miller’s Ale House

Best Wine Selection

Dawson Fine Wine & Spirits

Breakfast

Big Red’s Biscuits & Deli

Business Lunch

LongHorn Steakhouse

Butcher/Meat Processor

The Steel Buffalo Butchery

Coffee Because Coffee Delivery Restaurant

Domino’s Pizza

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

Dessert

Made by Bernadine

Dinner LongHorn Steakhouse

Donut Shop

Da Vinci Donuts

Family Restaurant

Papa’s Place

Fast Food

Chick-fil-A

Fine Dining

The Blue Bicycle A Bistro

French Fries

Chick-fil-A

Fun Atmosphere

Friends Dawson Grill

Hamburger

Dawsonville Pool Room

Happy Hour

Miller’s Ale House

Health Food City Produce

Ice Cream

Sweet Charlie’s

Italian Restaurant

Ruby’s Recipes

Liquor Store

Premium Package Outlet

Lunch

Big Red’s Biscuits & Deli

Margarita

Senor Fiesta

Martini LongHorn Steakhouse

Mexican Restaurant

Senor Fiesta

Pizza

Brooklyn Joe’s Pizza Pasta

Place to Celebrate Special Occasion

Longhorn Steakhouse

Romantic Restaurant (Date Night)

Blue Bicycle

Salad

Zaxby’s

Sandwiches

Ray’s Signature Grill

Seafood

Kajun Seafood -

Dawsonville

Soup

Mutt & Jeff’s Smokehouse

Southern Cooking

Papas Place

Sports Bar

Miller’s Ale House

Steak

LongHorn Steakhouse

Sushi

Osaka Steak & Sushi

Sweet Tea

Dawsonville Pool Room

Takeout

Fajita Grill

Wings

Old Dad’s Wings

MEDICAL

Audiology/Hearing Aids

North Atlanta ENT and Allergy

From opening in November of 2015, integrity has been the driving force that keeps customers coming back for all of their prescription needs. Let’s work together for your health!

This pharmacy is outfitted for both retail and compounding pharmaceutical needs which allows us to serve you with any prescription. Compounding needs can include pain creams, hormone replacements, veterinary, and many more.

Doris Cook honored with Roger Slaton Servant Leadership award

By Erica Jones | ejones@dawsonnews.com

This year’s recipient of the Roger Slaton Servant Leadership award is Doris Cook, who will be honored for her hard work and dedication to children in the Dawson County community.

Cook moved to Dawson County in 1983 and has poured herself into her community ever since. Through her work with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, the Dawson County Board of Education, Etowah Water & Sewer Authority and much more, Cook’s impact has extended throughout the county.

Cook worked with Etowah Water & Sewer Authority for almost 25 years, during which time she helped coordinate river cleanups, educate the community about clean water issues and also served on the education committee for the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP).

“When I worked at Etowah Water and Sewer in the beginning, I was their PR person, so I was in charge of the river cleanups, and part of my job at Etowah was I was in and out of the schools doing the clean water issues; that was fun and got me in the schools in another side of learning and teaching,” Cook said.

“I served on the education committee for the GAWP doing river cleanups, looking at water quality, we did the Upper Etowah River Watershed Group and looked at what was happening up in Lumpkin County to see how it affected Dawson and then how it affected Forsyth and Cherokee counties.

“And we looked at how could we help the farmers with erosion control; we went to EPA and EPD and found money to do stream bank restoration; we just kind of found whatever we could find to fit the need.”

Cook was also heavily involved with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, starting out was an ambassador and becoming their first ambassador of the year around 2000 before serving as the chairman of the board in 2002.

Cook also served on the Chestatee Bank board and with United Way, in addition to being the secretary and treasurer for the Starbright Foundation before the organization changed into what the community knows today as K.A.R.E. for Kids.

“I was the secretary and treasurer for K.A.R.E. for Kids; it was Starbright when I started and I loved doing that,” Cook said.

“I was the [representative] that everybody would call and I’d go wherever there was an avenue to get some extra help, whether it was school supplies or medicine or glasses or some of them needed to go to the dentist.

“We’ve come a long way since then, like we have that dental bus that comes to the schools and helps, so I’m glad to see that — I feel like some of the footsteps that I made kind of helped things get better,” she said.

Top photo, Doris Cook and the late Roger Slaton display their awards at the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce’s gala in 2014.

Above, Members of the Dawson County Board of Education Doris Cook, Will Wade and Karen Armstrong welcome late former First Lady Sandra Deal, center, in 2015.

Left, Doris Cook enjoys a hot dog during the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority Resource’s annual hotdog lunch fundraiser for United Way in 2008.

But perhaps Cook’s biggest passion throughout the years has been education and making sure that children in the local school system get the best education possible.

“I got involved because of the schools; there were a lot of things that I thought were needed and ways that parents could help,” Cook said. “I would come and do things after school if there were events and I got involved in the PTA and became a reading mentor.

“That’s one of my main goals; it’s something that’s important to me is for kids to be able to read because if they can’t read right it makes it harder on them. I want them to have a good reading and writing foundation so that’s been one of my goals even on the board now.”

Cook is now in her 19th year on the Dawson County Board of Education, and she said that she plans to run again for reelection when her term is up next year. She said that education is especially important to her on a personal level because of the way she was brought up.

“My dad was a farmer and he had an eighth grade education; my mom’s mom died when she was about 10 years old so she had to help raise her younger brothers and sisters and she only got a fourth grade education,” Cook said. “It was always important to them; my dad taught me how to read in the AJC paper back in the day, he would sit and read to me.”

“And every night my mom would read me a book and if she didn’t know the word we would put a tiny little pencil mark beside it and I would go up to the teacher the next day, ask her what those words were and then I would go back home to my mom,” she said.

Cook’s mom was later able to go back to night school, and she said that this drive and determination by both of her par-

ents to make sure that she had an education has always stuck with her.

“It was so important in my family that everybody had an education; I feel strong about that that everybody needs an education,” Cook said.

Outside of her work with the Board of Education, Cook loves to garden and to read, as well as spend time with her husband of nearly 40 years, her children and grandchildren.

The Roger Slaton Servant Leadership award was created by the Dawson County News in 2022 in honor of late Dawson County business leader Roger Slaton. A lifelong resident of Dawson County, Slaton poured himself into serving his community in any way possible, from serving alongside Cook on the Board of Education to his roles with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, his business and his church.

The inaugural Roger Slaton Servant Leadership award was presented to his family in his honor during the 2022 Best of Dawson event, and each year after it will be presented to a community member who embodies Slaton’s servant leadership, heart for the community and selfless spirit for which he will always be remembered.

According to Slaton’s son, Barry Slaton, Cook is a very deserving recipient of the award named in honor of his father’s legacy.

“I’ve known Doris all my life at Etowah; I’ve known her since she was on the board [of education] with daddy and since I’ve been on the board,” Slaton said. “She’s always been very involved and willing to do anything that was needed as far as the board or otherwise in the community. I just think she would be a great recipient of the award.”

BEST OF DAWSON WINNERS

Cardiology

The Heart Center of NGMC - Dawsonville

CBD Store

Your CBD Store

Children’s Dentist

Bright Smiles

Chiropractor

Nature’s Way Chiropractic

Cosmetic Dentistry

Harris Family Dentistry

Dermatology

Cleaver Medical Group

Drug and Alcohol Treatment (Substance Abuse)

Alpha Hope Counseling, Inc.

Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists

North Atlanta ENT and Allergy

Family Practice

Chestatee Emergent Medical Care

General Dentistry

Dawsonville Distinctive Dentistry

Home Healthcare

Caritas Hospice

Hospital Presence

Northeast Georgia Health System

Imaging Service

Northside Dawson Imaging

Massage Therapy

A Touch of Hope

OB/GYN practice

NGPG OB/GYN Dawsonville

Optometry Practice

Dawson Eye Group

Orthodontics

Bright Smiles

Orthopedics

NGPG Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Dawsonville

Outpatient/Ambulatory Surgery

North Atlanta Ear, Nose and Throat Surgical Center

Pain Management

Cleaver Medical Group

Pediatrics Practice

Dawson Pediatrics

Pharmacy

Dawson Pharmacy

Podiatry

Dr. Eric Gruen, Gruen Podiatry

Therapy-Physical

BenchMark Physical Therapy

Urgent Care

Chestatee Emergent Medical Care

PROFESSIONALS

Accountanting Professional

Christine Hinton, CPA

Auto Mechanic

Chris McBrayer

Bank Teller

Pamela Pilcher

Barber

Kat majeste

Body Piercing Artist

Jennifer Castellaw

Civil Attorney

Patterson, Moore and Butler

Contractor/Construction

Charles Blackstock Construction

Counselor

Kyle Ramsey, Black’s Mill Elementary School

And finally I would like to thank our coworkers, thanks to the great team we have with kitchen staff, chefs, food runners, chip takers, busboys , hostesses, bartenders Thanks to everyone for their hard work and dedication.

expressing the great emotion and satisfaction achieved thanks to all of you. thanking God for health, strength and leading us on who have supported us for these 2 years of service, we are now, “

US.

to thank our coworkers, thanks to the great team food runners, chip takers, busboys , hostesses, their hard work and dedication.

We would like to start by expressing the great emotion and satisfaction we feel for receiving this award which has been achieved thanks to all of you.

I want to start by thanking God for health, strength and leading us on the right path. I also want to thank all our customers who have supported us for these 2 years of service, without your support or vote, we would not be who we are now, “ your favorite Mexican Restaurant.” And finally I would like to thank our coworkers, thanks to the great team we have achieved starting with kitchen staff, chefs, food runners, chip takers, busboys , hostesses, bartenders and managers. Thanks to everyone for their hard work and dedication.

Sharon Fausett honored with Gordon Pirkle Heart of Dawson award

By Erica Jones | ejones@dawsonnews.com

This year’s recipient of the Gordon Pirkle Heart of Dawson award is lifelong Dawson County resident and pillar of the community Sharon Fausett, who will be honored for her long-standing commitment to and love of Dawson County.

Both of Fausett’s parents grew up just a few miles apart from each other in downtown Dawsonville, and she was born and raised near the downtown area before moving to the northern end of the county when she married her husband Danny.

“I was born just right up the road and my husband said I was a ‘city girl’, then when I married him I went 12 or 13 miles up the road,” Fausett said. “I thought it was the twilight zone at first and then I just got ingrained and immersed in it; I love it. I’ve just lived within a few miles my whole life; I’ve been here the whole time and have never wanted to leave.”

Growing up in Dawson County, she said, was an experience she wouldn’t trade for the world. In school, her mother and aunt were both teachers and her uncle was the principal, so it was “almost like you were in a private school cause it was so small and you got one-on-one attention from everybody, ... everybody in the little town knew one another, there were friends everywhere you went.”

“I’ve talked about I wish there was such a thing as a time machine so you could dial it back and see how small it was,” Fausett said. “You identified people by their cars; you’d see a car coming and know who it was so you’d start waving. Everybody was just friends; you had closer friends than others but you just knew everybody and you knew the good, the bad and the ugly and accepted that, whatever that was.”

Several years ago, Fausett became interested in government when she was asked to be on the tax assessor’s board. She served in that capacity before she was approached about running to be on the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, BOC, where she served for eight years before stepping down at the end of 2022.

Top photo, Sharon Fausett reads the late Carol Taylor’s “To You, Dawson County” in December of 2022 to summarize her feelings about serving on the Board of Commissioners’ District 1 seat.

Above, Sharon Fausett shares her gratitude for one of the two new state-of-the-art ambulances as previous Fire Chief & EMA Director Danny Thompson shows her the med unit’s specs, like the oxygen tank’s liftingand-lowering mechanism in July of 2022.

Left, Sharon Fausett speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony in 2022 for the new Amicalola Falls State Park visitors center.

While serving on the BOC, Fausett said that one of her biggest goals was to do all she could to help preserve the scenery and the natural beauty of Dawson County, especially in her northern district.

“The scenery and the natural beauty; the farming aspect, the outdoor aspect, that is what I love,” Fausett said. “When you stay close to the earth and close to nature you’re so grounded. I want my son to inherit the farm and I want my grandson to; that’s my goal is to die and leave that for them because this way of life is passing.”

Fausett and her husband own Fausett Farms, which is best nown for its horse trails and for its sunflower fields in the fall. She said that opening up the trails and the sunflower field to visitors is a way for her and her family to share their love of Dawson County’s natural beauty with people from all over.

“The first year the sunflowers were planted it was a fluke but the whole 30 acres all bloomed at once; I saw that and I thought ‘I don’t know how anything could be more beautiful than that’,” Fausett said.

“For years we didn’t really open up the farm, and now I’m trying to pass that on to people who come to the sunflowers or to the horse trails because I want them to love nature and I don’t want it to be destroyed,” she said.

Besides serving on the BOC, Fausett has served on the Farm Bureau board for around 10 years and has been a member of the Dawson County Historical Society for around seven years.

Over the years she’s seen the county change dramatically, she said, and while sometimes change can be difficult she still loves the county she’s called home for her whole life.

“Some of the changes I don’t like but that’s how life is — I don’t like everything about myself so why would I like everything about a county,” Fausett said. “But I like a lot more than I dislike, and it still has somewhat of a hometown feel.”

She added that, as someone who’s lived in the county for her whole life, she loves to explore other places and to travel but she’s always excited to return home afterwards.

“I’ve embraced my roots — the good, the bad and the ugly — I love to travel and I love to see different places but I also love to come home,” Fausett said. “When you’ve been here awhile you’re just intertwined with everybody; none of us are independent, we’re all dependent on each other, and you are who you are by experiencing all these people — I wouldn’t

take anything for it.

I just love it — I don’t know that I have enough words to express how much I love it adequately.”

The Gordon Pirkle Heart of Dawson award was created by the Dawson County News in 2021 in honor of local pillar of the community Gordon Pirkle, whose heart for his hometown and love of the community is evident in all that he does.

Each year, the award will be presented each year at the Best of Dawson event to a community member who embodies the giving spirit and love for Dawson County that Pirkle does.

Pirkle himself was instrumental in selecting Fausett as the recipient of this year’s award, saying that as a fellow lifelong resident of Dawson County he couldn’t think of a better person to be honored with the award.

“I’ve known her all through high school and from then on and I couldn’t think of a better one,” Pirkle said. “She’s done lots up in that end of the county; beautifying it and things. She’s made a difference in this community and made it better — I think it’s well-deserved.”

Top photo, Sharon Fausett reads the late Carol Taylor’s “To You, Dawson County” in December of 2022 to summarize her feelings about serving on the Board of Commissioners’ District 1 seat.

Above, Dawson County commissioners shared their admiration and joy at the opening of the new Fire Station 8 on March 4, 2021. Sharon Fausett called the event “a great day for Dawson County.”

At John Megel Chevrolet, we have an excellent selection of new and pre-owned vehicles. You can also enjoy the current financing specials and lease offers we have on all of the most popular Chevy models in the lineup. We pride ourselves in being the used car dealer that has options for almost every kind of driver and budget.

Thank you to our community for always supporting us and voting us the best heating and air company six years in a row. As a lifelong resident of Dawson County, this recognition is such an honor. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

~ Tim & Lindsay White

Natural relief of:

Dr. Kara’s goal is to help patients maintain a natural, healthy lifestyle-and this goes beyond chiropractic adjustments. Dr. Kara hopes to help you balance emotions, remain physically well, be happy spiritually, and help give your body exactly what it needs for long-term health and wellness.

We are a body of passionate individuals reaching souls for Jesus Christ! Everything we do is about Him first, with our passion for people being a close second. Our church is a home for all to come together regardless of the depth or the height of your testimony! We strive daily to turn families back to one another along with building lasting relationships that point back to Him. 1

We are blessed to be affiliated with the Dawson Community Foodbank and the individuals who put their time into our community serving over 1000 families in one months’ time. We share a combined passion for families!

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