may 2009 chamber chronicle

Recently, the GeorgiaChamber of Commercesent out an update ofthis year’s Georgia Gen-eral Assembly.

Your state politicianshave filed more than2,642 bills and resolu-tions this year. Few of ushave the time to dailymonitor what goes onunder the gold dome,

but it isimportantto checkup onwhat’sgoing onfrom timeto timeand askyourself:“What do

these bills, resolutions,

etc. do for me and mybusiness?”

Below are just a fewpoints I thought youmight find interesting.

The Jobs Opportunity& Business Act of 2009:

This one did not getmuch media coverage,yet it can have a hugeimpact on our state andregion. HB481 and

HB482, which was sup-ported by the GeorgiaChamber of Commerce,passed by incrediblemargins in the house andthe senate.

The bills provide fortax credits for newemployees hired, repealof the state inventorytax, eliminate state-col-lected sales tax deposits

and suspend incorpora-tion fees.

Trauma Care:The statechamber makes a validpoint. Businesses won’tgo where there isn’tquick access to healthcare.The House Waysand Means Committeepassed an amendment

By Elizabeth HamiltonStaff Writer

The Kangaroo Conserva-tion Center in Dawson Countyplayed host to more than 25foreign trade officials April 17.

The group,made up of topdiplomats and business offi-cials from 20 countries,visitedthe site as part of a three-dayInternational VIP Tour of north

Georgia.“It was an exciting day and

we were glad to welcome thisgroup of people here,”saidLinda Williams,president ofthe Dawson County Chamberof Commerce.“This tour is inits 23rd year,and this is thefirst time they have madeDawson County one of their

The Member Newsletter of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce

May 2009

D A W S O N C O U N T Y

Post Office Box 299“Old Jail”west of the square

Dawsonville, GA 30534(706) 265-6278

Chamber pays tribute to first

director, president

How did this session impact your business?

Jay Walker

VIP tour travels through DawsonGroup visits KangarooConservation Center

See IMPACT, 1

See TOUR, Page 5

TirzahNichols, left,animal keep-er at theKangarooConserva-tion Center,passes abeardeddragon toPaulo Pinto,consulategeneral ofBrazil.

Photo/ElizabethHamilton

Next week commem-orates small businessweek throughout theUnited States.

The Small BusinessAdministration forresearch purposesdefines a small businessas an independent busi-ness having fewer than500 employees.

Typically governmentemployees and schoolemployees are notincluded in these counts.This clearly leaves theeconomy of DawsonCounty driven by smallbusiness owners.

The U.S. Departmentof Commerce, Bureau ofthe Census states thatsmall business firmscomprise 99.7 percentof all employer firms andemploy about half of allprivate sector employ-ees.Additionally, smallbusinesses are responsi-ble for writing nearly 45percent of all the privatepaychecks in the UnitedStates.

Over the last 10 years,small businesses havecreated 60 to 80 percentof the net new jobs eachyear.

If you look at thenumber of scientists,engineers and computerworkers, you will findthat 40 percent of themare employed by a smallindependent business.

Small independentbusinesses are responsi-ble for 28.9 percent ofthe known export valuein the year 2006.Another

quite incredible numberis that small businessesproduce 13 times morepatents per employeethan large firms.

Did you know that wehave small independentcompanies based inDawson County thatexport to the Middle Eastand to the militaryaround the world?

Did you know thatparts for heavy machin-ery and vehiclessuch as Blue Birdand Kubota aremade here? Didyou know thatlabels for hun-dreds of nationalbrands such asPennzoil and Spec-

tracide are created herein Dawson County?While those are thelargest of our “small”employers, there are athousand more entrepre-neurs that offer analmost endless array ofproducts and services.

Our chamber and thelocal governments con-tinue to say:“Please ShopLocal.”

By doing so you aresupporting your owncounty and city govern-ments and our sales taxprojects such as libraries,

schools, emergency serv-ice equipment and more.You are supporting alocal business ownerwho writes paychecks tolocal residents and sup-ports local events.Thoseemployees then deposittheir checks into a localbank and spend locallytoo.

When you do businessout of town or on theInternet, all of that rev-enue goes to anothercommunity. Let’s keepour spending revenue

working for us here athome.

Next time you areshopping, tell a smallbusiness owner:“Thankyou for choosing Daw-son County as the loca-tion for your business.”

Shop Chamber mem-bers first and I hope tosee you at a local mer-chant’s establishmentsoon.

• Dawson Chamber Chronicle • May 2009

Linda Williams

Support small businesses in Dawson

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C H A M B E R M E M B E R SDawson Chamber Chronicle • May 2009 •

Chamber events

Grill 53 Burgers &More is celebrating theirone year anniversary byoffering customers a 10percent discount on pur-chases over $5 through-out the month.

May 14: Lunch withthe chamber at PeachBrandy Cottage at noon.Susan Weiner, executivedirector of the GeorgiaCouncil for the Arts, willbe the guest speaker. Shewill speak on “BusinessValue of the Arts.”Lunchis $12 with an RSVP or$15 without. For moreinformation, call (706)265-6278.

May 15: Sponsorswanted for Dawson DayThunder in the Sky Fire-works Extravaganza andIndependence Day Cele-bration at Rock CreekPark.The event will beheld July 3.Sponsorshipsare being acceptedthrough May 15.For moreinformation,contactBuffie Henson at (706)344-3646 or e-mail [email protected].

May 16: District OneCommunity Clean-up Day.The Dawson County Mar-shal’s Office and KeepDawson County Beautifulencourage everyone toparticipate in the first col-laborative district-widecommunity clean-upevent.Volunteers willassemble at Juno BaptistChurch at 8 a.m.and willbe given litter pick-up

routes and supplies.Lunch will be fur-

nished midday to volun-teers courtesy of Jay Walk-er and Kroger of Daw-sonville. Individuals andgroups can register bycontacting Cathy Brooksat (706) 344-3501, Ext.255 or e-mail her [email protected].

May 16: Tiger’s Foot-ball Spring Fest:Activitiesfor the entire family.Gatesopen at 11 a.m.For moreinformation,visitwww.dawson.org.

May 18: FinancingYour Business in the NewEconomy - Hosted by theDawson County Chamberof Commerce,First Citi-zens Bank of Georgia andthe University of GeorgiaSmall Business Develop-ment Center.

Key speakers include:Ron Simmons,area direc-tor,UGA Small BusinessDevelopment Center;Sandy Headley,vice presi-dent of lending,Appalachian CommunityEnterprises Inc.;LorraLee,president,EconomicDevelopment Corpora-tion;Cindi Wilson,smallbusiness banker,SunTrust;Karen Bryan,USDA,rural development loans.

To register,visitwww.gainesvillesbdc.org.Pre-registration fee is $15with online discountcode: rngevnxk.

Cost without pre-regis-tration is $69.

May 18-22: Small Busi-ness Week.Shop local,shop Dawson.

May 21: DawsonCounty impact fee publichearing at the DawsonCounty Board of Commis-sioners meeting at 6 p.m.The meetings are held atthe Dawsonville Munici-pal Complex,415 Hwy.53East,Dawsonville.

May 25: The VeteransAffairs of Dawson Coun-ty invites the communityto attend a special Memo-rial Day Service begin-ning at 3 p.m. at VeteransMemorial Park, Hwy. 9North, Dawsonville.Keynote speaker will beMike Berg, chairman ofthe Dawson CountyBoard of Commissionersand Vietnam veteran. Formore information, call

Pam Hamalainen at (706)265-6278.

May 26: BusinessAfter Hours will be host-ed by the Dawson Coun-ty Arts Council from 5-7p.m. Kroger will co-hostthe event. Other co-spon-sors are welcome.This isan excellent opportunityfor home-based business-es to display their prod-ucts and services.

For more information,call the arts center at(706) 216-ARTS.

The cash drawing issponsored by AFLAC-Sharon Reagan,AndersonFamily Medicine-Dr. LarryAnderson, North GeorgiaTeam-Keller-WilliamsRealty-Kristie Myers,R&D Caulking Inc.-MikeDowns and United Com-munity Bank-JamesAskew.

You must be presentto win if your name iscalled. Unfortunately, Car-rie Toro of HometownAppraisals was not pres-ent to win when hername was drawn at theApril event.The cashdrawing is now at$2,175.

May 28: The MethTask Force of DawsonCounty invites all toattend its meeting at 3p.m. at the AppalachianCommunity Center indowntown Dawsonville.

Chuck Wade, presi-dent and CEO of TheCouncil on Alcohol andDrugs and state directorof Drug’s Don’t Work inGeorgia will be theguest speaker.

For more information,contact Pam Hamalainenat (706) 265-6278.

Kenney recognized on Silver Star Banner Day

Photo/Michele HesterLinda Williams, of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, VietnamVeteran Wayne Watkins, Kim Cornelison, of the City of Dawsonville, pre-sented proclamations to Cpl. John Kenney declaring May 1 Silver StarBanner Day in both Dawson County and the city of Dawsonville.

By Jeff GillDCN Regional Staff

Despite rain and cloudyweather,Dawson CountyArt’s Council’s SpringFling Festival drew acrowd to downtown Daw-sonville May 2 and 3.

The eighth annual festi-val, formerly known as Artin the Garden,originallywas just a juried art showwith artists displaying gar-den-related art.

With juried parts intact,the event has evolved intoan arts and crafts festival,with food,musical per-formances and other activ-ities.A highlight for thechildren was a passenger

train that ran through themiddle school parking lot.

“We wanted to expandto have a major spring fes-tival in Dawsonville,so we

have tried to pull togethervarious aspects of thecommunity,”said MaryBob Fox,organizer of theevent.

The free event,whichserves as the arts group’smajor fundraiser, alsotook place at the BowenCenter for the Arts andthe Dawsonville Munici-pal Complex,whereKARE for Kids organizeda car show.

“One of the reasonswe wanted to (expand)the festival is the eco-nomic times,”Fox said.“We need to keep ourdoors open.”

The event drew ven-

dors from all around thearea, including Dave Ruskof Flowery Branch,whowas selling painted win-dows and other crafts.

Justin and WendyHasty of Horton,Ala.,dis-played their handcraftedwooden furniture as partof the family business,

Bent Creek Willow.“We had some friends

in this area who havepurchased quite a bit ofour furniture and recom-mended we come do thisshow, that it was a realgood festival and our chil-dren would enjoy it,”Wendy said.


C H A M B E R M E M B E R S

Office: 706-216-4806Fax: [email protected]

P.O Box 1096137 Prominence Court

Suite 240Dawsonville, GA 30534


The Dawson CountyChamber of Commerceofficially welcomed anoth-er new member and newbusiness in town,AtlantaMattress Outlet Store,witha ribbon cutting ceremonyon April 24.

Located in the historicHarben Brothers gas sta-tion in downtown Daw-sonville, the mattressstore has been opensince the first week inApril.

“It’s exciting to have anew type of businessdowntown,”said LindaWilliams,president of theDawson County Chamberof Commerce.“It’s great

exposure being locatedin downtown, and thisstore is helping to fill inthe gaps of providingservices to DawsonCounty citizens so theywill not have to travel

out of the county.”The store carries vari-

ous mattress brands suchas Laura Ashley,There-pedic,Englander andSpring Air with optionssuch as pillow top and

memory foam,amongothers.

Owners Lloyd andKari Freeman said theyare glad to be in Daw-sonville,which the cou-ple and their children call

home.“We opened our first

store in Alpharetta in Janu-ary 2008 and we choseDawsonville as our secondstore location to be closerto home,”said Lloyd Free-man.

“We both like the smalltown feel and being ableto live,work and play inthe same community,”headded.

The store is located at23 Hwy. 9 North indowntown Dawsonville,and is open Mondaythrough Saturday 10a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information,call the store at (770)616-2503 or visit www-.atlmattressoutlet.com.

New mattress store opens downtownThe Atlanta Mat-tress Outlet Storeofficially celebrat-ed its opening witha ribbon cuttingceremony April 24.The outlet store islocated in down-town Dawsonvillein the historic Har-ben Brothers gasstation.

Photo/Elizabeth Hamilton

Rain can’t wash out Spring Fling Festival

Photo/Tom ReedDavid Duke carries a flat offlowers he purchased atthe Spring Fling Festival.


stops.”Williams said the cen-

ter,which has some 300kangaroos,was chosenbecause of its uniqueness.

“No one else outside ofAustralia has the amountof kangaroos that we dohere,”she said.“We arevery proud of this facilityand proud to have it inDawson County.”

The Georgia Depart-ment of Economic Devel-opment organizes the VIPTour.Maggie Large,adepartment spokes-woman,said the eventfocuses on businesses,educational and sportsfacilities and economicdevelopment partnershipsthroughout the state.

“Each year a specificregion of the state is high-lighted to give the con-sulates an opportunity toget out of the Atlanta areafor a taste of the manythings the state has tooffer,”Large said.

“The goal of the tour isto hopefully encourageour diplomats to come

back to the places wevisit and explore more ontheir own.”

Brian Oak,the con-sulate general of Canada,enjoyed his visit to thekangaroo center.

“I was impressed withthe quality of the facilityand the conservationefforts made to preserve

the lives of the kanga-roos,”he said.“I was alsoimpressed with the well-being of the animals.They have done an excel-lent job here.”

Paulo Pinto,consulategeneral of Brazil, took noteof the center’s variety ofkangaroos,as well as itsbirds and reptiles.

Pinto embraced thecenter’s up-close experi-ence,adding that he wasintrigued by how well thefacility was run.

According to directorRoger Nelson, the centeris dedicated to preservingkangaroos through cap-tive breeding and publiceducation.

“Currently exhibitingkangaroos of nine species,our center has successfullybred and cared for over adozen different species ofmarsupials in the past 26years,”Nelson said.

This year’s VIP Touralso included stops inDahlonega,FloweryBranch,Gainesville andHelen.In Forsyth County,the group visited Hansgro-he Inc.,which manufac-tures decorative bathroomand kitchen fixtures.

Among the other coun-tries represented in thetraveling delegation werethe Czech Republic,Japan,Nigeria and Switzerland.

“Every year,Georgia’sconsular corps looks for-ward to getting to knowmore of Georgia by way ofthe VIP Tour,”said AmandaHodges,consul generaland trade commissioner ofAustralia.

“It’s an excellentway for us to reinforceour social, political,economic and culturalties with Georgia’s

TOUR from 1

Photo/Elizabeth HamiltonThe 23rd annual International VIP Tour visited the Kangaroo Conservation Cen-ter last month. Participants observed kangaroo behavior as well as demonstra-tions with “show animals.”

By Michele HesterStaff Writer

Advance tickets arenow available for theTiger Football Spring Fest2009 that will be heldMay 16 at Tiger Stadium.

The Dawson CountyTigers invite the entire

community to spend theafternoon watching theteam’s Maroon and Goldspring scrimmage. Kick-off is at 1 p.m., but gatesopen early at 11 a.m.

The $5 early admis-sion fee includes liveentertainment, barbecuelunch, concessions, fun

and games for the chil-dren, as well as theteam’s scrimmage game.

Admission the day ofthe event is $5 for adults,$3 for children. Barbecueplates the day of theevent will cost an addi-tional $5.

Live entertainment

performances includeThe Well Reads, 3rdCrush,The Desarios, StarFord and Tyler Wheeler.

Slides, carnival games,fair hair and micro rac-ers, among others, will beavailable for the kids,while adults can enjoyfoot massages by RelaxDawson.

The Chick-fil-A cow isalso scheduled to make

an appearance.A silentauction and raffles arealso planned.

Vendor tables are cur-rently available for $25.

For more information,call Lori Lewis at (561)254-4494 or (706) 216-7148,or e-mail [email protected].

E-mail Michele Hesterat [email protected].

Tiger’s Maroon and Gold game set for May 16Festival offers fun for the entire family



Eatery celebrates one year anniversaryBy Michele HesterStaff Writer

In celebration of theirone year anniversary,Jenny and Wilbert Chin-chilla,owners of Grill 53Burgers and More, areoffering discountsthrough the month ofMay.

A 10 percent discountis available for purchasesover $5.Daily lunch spe-cials are not included inthe discount.

“We want to thank thepeople of Dawsonville fortheir support,”said the

couple,who opened forbusiness next to Fred’sPharmacy in downtownDawsonville last May.

Originally open onlyfor lunch, Grill 53 nowserves bagels and bis-cuits for breakfast.Therestaurant also has anew drive-thru windowfor added convenience.

Lunch specialtiesinclude a variety ofgourmet burgers, gyros,salads and sandwiches.

“We take great pridein using only the fresh-est ingredients and bestquality meats in our

delicious burgers.Weare confident that thismenu and our friendlyservice will make Grill53 one of people’sfavorite places to eat inDawsonville,” saidWilbert Chinchilla.

Grill 53 is located at749 Hwy. 53 East,between Movie Galleryand Fred’s.

The restaurant is openfrom 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.Monday through Saturdayand until 8 p.m.on Friday.

For more informationor to place to go orders,call (706) 216-9951.

OwnersJenny andWilbert Chin-chilla cele-brate the oneyear anniver-sary of Grill53 Burgersand More indowntownDawsonvilleMay 1.

Photo/MicheleHester


For those who have asweet tooth from time totime and can only be satis-fied with a quality prod-uct, look no further thanPaul Thomas Chocolates.

Located in Dahlonega,less than a block from thehistoric square,ownerPaul Thomas Hoffman hasbeen making chocolatessince 1975 and justrecently relocated to theNorth Georgia Mountainsin May 2008.

“Paul Thomas Choco-lates is not just a candystore; its an experience,as well as an opportunityto understand the com-plexity of chocolate andits creation,” said owner

Paul Hoffman.“All products in our

store are handmade withthe finest of ingredients,”he said.

Hoffman shared thata vast array of productsare handmade, includinga variety of hand-dippedtruffles such as french,coffee, raspberry, swissand irish creme, to

name a few.In addition,there is

milk,dark and whitechocolate bark that isheavily chunked withalmonds,cashews andpecans,as well as twicecovered pretzels,straw-berries,cherries,caramelapples and more.

The Hoffman traditionof creating fine chocolates

began in 1975 in LakeWorth,Fla.,and the smallshop that Hoffman ownedthere morphed over theyears into the huge retailbusiness of HoffmanChocolates,resulting inseven retail shops inSouth Florida.

Hoffman decided tosell the business aboutnine years ago,decidingthat the North GeorgiaMountains is where hewanted to be.

“Drawn in by thearoma of a warming mix-ture of cocoa basedchocolate and fresh sweetcream,customers aretreated to the fun of view-ing the conveyor assem-bly, jokingly referred to asthe ‘Lucy Machine,’basedon the classic episode

from the ‘I Love Lucy’tele-vision show,”Hoffmansaid.

Hoffman says that heuses ingredients from allover the country andworld for his delicacies,and adds that:“It’s reallywonderful when peoplestart to understand thecomplexity of makingchocolate.”

The store is located at39 South Chestatee Street,Dahlonega.

Business hours are 9:30a.m.to 6 p.m.Mondaythrough Thursday;9:30a.m.to 7 p.m. Friday andSaturday and 11 a.m.to 5p.m.Sunday.

For more information,call (706) 864-6333 orvisit www.paulthomas-chocolates.com.

Chocolate shop ‘not just a candy store’Owners ofPaul ThomasChocolates,Paul and LoriHoffman,have beenoperatingtheir businessin Dahlonegasince May2008.

Photo/Submitted


• Congratulations toSouthern CatholicCollege’s first gradu-ating class of 2009.

• Congratulations toall 2009 high schooland college gradu-ates.

• Congratulations to Ed Combs of Re/Max 400 North. He hasearned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expertdesignation.

• Congratulations to Bradley Weaver. Bradley placed second instate in Diversified Horticulture and first in state in Agriculturesales as part of Dawson County High School’s FFA Club. Healso received the North Region Star State FFA Degree in Agri-culture Business, one of only three to be recognized. He willattend the national convention in October in Indianapolis tocompete in the National Agriculture Sales Contest.

• Shop chamber members first. Shopping local keeps sales taxdollars working for you.

Please let the Chamber know when you have a special event so we may add them in our Chamber Chronicle.


On April 21, the Daw-son County Chamber ofCommerce welcomednew member Mario HairStudio.

Located in Salon 08 at42 Grant Road, East,Dawsonville, studioentrepreneur MarioRueda thanked Salon 08,as well as the chamber,for opening their doorsto him.

“I love it here (inDawsonville),” saidRueda.

A hair expert, Ruedabegan cutting hair at theage of 15 for his friendsand family, and by thetime he was 17, he haddeveloped his own styleof cutting hair and ran a

small studio out of hishome.

“To me, cutting hairis an art that only a fewof us have mastered,” hesaid.“Every hair cut Igive is custom to yourlifestyle and the featuresand texture of your

hair.”After owning a cou-

ple of top hair salons inthe Atlanta and northAtlanta areas, Rueda saidhe moved to the northGeorgia area to bringnew meaning andexpertise in hair cut,

color, care and mainte-nance.

“Other than cus-tomizing hair cuts tothe lifestyle of myclients, my main goal isto make your hair flowwith you, so you don’thave to fight with it,”Rueda added.

Specializing in quali-ty rather than quantity,Mario Hair Studio offersthe following services:Cut, color, correctedcolor, perm, straighten-ing and tailored wigs byappointment only.

Lynn Watson, theowner of Salon 08, saidshe started her businessin October 2008 as aplace where individualcontractors can transi-tion from working in ahair salon to starting

their own business.“In Greek,‘08’ means

‘new beginnings’ andthat is what I want togive to other people,”Watson said.“This was anew beginning for meand it will be for others.This is a place that willgive people a chance tomove to the next levelof owning their ownbusiness.”

Watson said thatRueda has been at Salon08 for more than amonth and has beengreat to work with. Shedescribed him as a“God-send with amazingtalent and vision.”

For more informationor to schedule anappointment, call MarioHair Studio at (706)216-0098.

Chamber welcomes Mario Hair Studio

Photo/Elizabeth HamiltonA ribbon cutting ceremony April 21 celebrated theopening of Dawsonville’s newest hair salon, MarioHair Studio at Salon 08.

From staff reports

Four years ago, SouthernCatholic College welcomed itsinaugural class of students.

On Saturday, the class willreceive their college diplomas andlead the way for many other South-ern Catholic College graduates.

Commencement will take placeat 11 a.m. May 16 at Saint Luke theEvangelist Roman Catholic Churchin Dahlonega.

Southern Catholic College ispleased to announce that the MostRev. John F. Donoghue will be the

commencement speaker.Archbish-op Donoghue, a native of Washing-ton, D.C., was ordained to thepriesthood on June 4, 1955.

He served in several parishesbefore joining the staff of theArchdiocesan Chancery.There, heserved as Chancellor/Vicar-Gen-eral. He later became the secondBishop of Charlotte.

He served as the Archbishop ofAtlanta from 1993 until his retire-ment on Dec. 9, 2004.

The college has 46 students inits inaugural graduating class.

Southern Catholic Collegegraduates inaugural class

Dawson Chamber Chronicle • May 2009 •



Dr.Timothy A.Annis66 South 400 Center Lane,Suite 105Dawsonville,GA 30534 (706) 216-4875

Timothy A.Annis,D.C.Jeremy Elzey

Elzey Exterminating Co., Inc.(Residential & Commercial)

Free Termite inspections

1992 Dr. Bramblett Rd.Cumming, GA 30040

Office # 678-455-9200Cell # 678-887-0038

TelephoneReferrals: 1,968

Walk-in Visitors: 52

Apriltotals

Cash drawing grows for May eventBy Michele HesterStaff Writer

Just short of cele-brating a one-yearanniversary, First Citi-zens Bank of Georgiawelcomed the DawsonCounty Chamber ofCommerce to the mainbranch April 28 for themonthly Business AfterHours event.

Co-sponsored byChick-fil-A, the afterhours drew a largecrowd to the bank onCarlisle Road.

Jay Walker, chairmanof the chamber’sboard, thanked FirstCitizens and Chick-fil-Afor hosting the event.

“We appreciate whatboth of you do in thecommunity,” he said.

The large crowdcould have been due tothe chicken fingers andsweet tea, but most sus-pected the huge crowdturned out for themonthly cash drawing,which had grown to$2,050.

The bank’s lobbywas buzzing withexcitement when Daw-son County ChamberPresident LindaWilliams announced itwas time to draw aname for the cash and ahush fell over thecrowd.

“Carrie Toro,” saidSharon Reagan ofAFLAC, who is one of

five cash drawing spon-sors.

Other cash drawingsponsors include LarryAnderson of AndersonFamily Medicine; KristieMyers of North GeorgiaTeam Keller-Williams;Mike Downs of R&DCaulking Inc. and JamesAskew of United Com-munity Bank.

But Toro, whoworks for HomeTown Appraisals andtypically attends thebusiness after hoursevents, was not pres-ent and could notclaim the cash draw-ing.

The pot of gold,which Williams callsthe “Chamber’s eco-nomic stimulus pack-age,” has grown to$2,175 for the Maybusiness after hours.

The Dawson CountyArts Council will hostafter hours from 5-7p.m. May 26 at theBowen Center for theArts.

Kroger will co-spon-sor the event.

E-mail Michele Hes-ter at [email protected].

Arts Council to sponsor next BAH

Photos/Elizabeth HamiltonAll doctors need a black bag to carry on house calls.Dr. Larry Anderson was the winner of a black purseand wallet at last months Dawson County Chamberof Commerce Business After Hours event. Bella SolSalon donated the purse as a door prize.

Sharon Reagan andLinda Williams draw Car-rie Toro’s name as the$2,050 cash prize winnerduring the chamber’sbusiness after hoursevent April 28.

Dawson Chamber Chronicle • May 2009 •


Thank YouChamber Building Fund

Sponsors

PropertyInvestmentAssociates

that will allow voters todecide whether or not toadd a $10 fee to licenseplates registrations thatwould be dedicated totrauma care.

Bill SR277 passed thestate Senate and a senateconference committeehas been appointed toreview as of April 1.

Medicaid reimburse-ment:The Senate and theHouse have agreed torestore proposed reduc-tions in Medicaid reim-bursements for healthcare providers.

The state pays 84cents on every dollar ahospital pays on a Medic-aid patient.The proposedbudget would roll thatback to 75 cents.A 10percent roll-back Medic-aid reimbursement rateshurts the state’s healthcare providers, whichare vital to economicdevelopment.

These costs wouldeventually be passed onto employers, employ-ees, which would inturn possibly directsmall businesses awayfrom voluntarily offer-ing employees healthcare benefits.The endresult would be theneed for more Medicaidbenefits.

SB 82 strengthensGeorgia’s metal theftlaws providing penaltiesfor secondary recyclersthat accept stolen scrapmetal, SB 213 protectsmanufacturers from spe-cious nuisance lawsuitsbased on market share

or enterprise or other“theories” of industry-wide liability.

The Georgia andMetro Atlanta Chambersjointly backed a bill(SB84) to require moreaccountability of localschool boards.This waspassed by the Senate onFeb. 25, and passed outof the House EducationCommittee on March 25.

As we have seen withour neighbors to thesouth, accountability (orlack there of) of aschool board and loss ofaccreditation have notonly a negative impacton individual students,but also to a communitythat is trying to attractgood business and goodfamilies, not to mentionwhat it does to propertyvalues.

The list goes on. Iencourage each of youto visit the GeorgiaChamber of CommerceWeb site.

The links are easy tofollow and under Gov-ernment Affairs you canfind a link to the Geor-gia General Assembly,including any and allbills passed or underconsideration.

Find out what’s goingon, react in regards toyour business, have avoice.

Information wasobtained from the Geor-gia Chamber of Com-merce Web site,www.gachamber.com.

Jay WalkerChairman

IMPACT from 1




Each month a differ-ent business or organiza-tion sponsors the Daw-son County Chamber ofCommerce’s Ambas-sador’s breakfast,held at8 a.m.at Ryan’s in Daw-sonville the fourthWednesday of the month.

Appalachian Commu-nity Bank sponsored thegroup’s April meeting.

The bank, which isbased in Ellijay, has twolocations in DawsonCounty and is communi-ty oriented and commit-ted to serving the cus-

tomers and community.The downtown loca-

tion,which sits adjacentto Food Lion and theDawsonville MunicipalComplex, is the mainlocal branch and alsooffers a communitymeeting center nextdoor.

The Ga.400 branch,located at 4300 DawsonForest Road near theentrance to Wal-Mart,opened earlier this yearto serve the county’sgrowing east side.

Executive Vice Presi-

dent Greg Tyre said he isexcited to expandAppalachian CommunityBank’s services to thelarger surrounding com-munity.

Community memberswill recognize severalfamiliar faces at thebranch, including a num-ber of employees whoare Dawson County resi-dents and ready to giveback to their communitywith quality customerrelations and a friendlyatmosphere.

A NASDAQ traded

company,AppalachianCommunity Bank hasoffices across the northGeorgia region.

Appalachian Commu-nity Bank is open from9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday and 9a.m. to noon Saturday.Drive-up windows openat 8:30 a.m. Mondaythrough Saturday. OnFridays, the drive-upwindow stays openuntil 6 p.m.

Breakfast sponsor-ships,at a reasonablecost,are still available for

ambassador breakfaststhrough the year.

The sponsorship is agreat way for businessesto spread the word aboutthemselves and/or theircompanies.

The sponsorship pro-vides the breakfast forthe monthly meeting,gives sponsors 10-15minutes to briefly speakon their business andincludes a short profilein the Chamber Chroni-cle.

To register to sponsoran ambassador breakfastor for more informationabout the program,call(706) 216-1750.

Ambassador SpotlightAmbassador SpotlightAppalachian Community Bank

By Michele Hester Staff Writer

Chamber AmbassadorSusan McBerry takescommunity involvementto heart and continues toextend her hand when-ever someone needs herhelp.

“Almost every time Isend out an e-mail, shealways responds to vol-unteer,” said Denny Put-lak, co-chair of the Daw-son County Chamber ofCommerce AmbassadorProgram.

Program chairs Putlakand Carol Tyger

announced McBerry asthe chamber’s Ambas-

sador of the Month dur-ing the group’s April 22breakfast meeting atRyan’s.

“She did a fantasticjob on the membershipdrive,”Tyger said.

McBerry has beeninvolved with the cham-

ber’s ambassador pro-gram for about two yearsand was recognized earli-er this year as one of thetop five ambassadors forher contributions.

McBerry is also active-ly involved in the Daw-son County Woman’s

Club, where she servesas first vice presidentover membership andsecretary of the DawsonCounty Meth Task Force.

“As busy as Susan is,she still gives a lot of vol-unteer time to give backto the community,”Tygersaid.

McBerry, who haslived in Dawson Countyfor more than 20 years, isthe branch manager atAppalachian CommunityBank’s Ga. 400 location.She has more than 30years of banking experi-ence.

McBerry receives Ambassador of the Month

McBerry

“As busy as Susan is, she still gives a lot of

volunteer time to give backto the community.”

- Carol Tyger, co-chair of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Program


New membersPlatinum ScissorsSonya Burt(706) 216-444654 Lumpkin Campground RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Hair Salon

B&M House ArrestFaye Day(706) 579-1799P.O. Box 2163Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: House Arrest Services

Kaledioscope Window DesignsAmy Cox(706) 216-44151250 Hanging Dog RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Custom Window Treatments

Elzey ExterminatingCindy Elzey(678) 455-92001992 Doc Bramblett RoadCumming, GA 30028Category: Exterminating

Patel Chicken LLC dba KFCMukul Patel(706) 344-3991200 Center Lane, 400 NorthDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Restaurant

J.Thomas Salon

Danielle Case(706) 216-42474470 Hwy. 400 NorthDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Hair Salon & Spa

Loggins Hardware FlooringSammy Loggins(706) 265-8112988 Cain RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Hardwood Flooring & Tile

AAA Boat RepairBruce Paulson(706) 216-3059192 Glen Pirkle RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Boat Repair

Budget TrucksRhonda Tower(706) 216-67846198 Hwy. 53 EastDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Moving Truck Rentals

Offroad OutfittersJustin Smith(706) 216-2425212 Grogan Drive, Ste 400Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Jeep, Truck Accessories,Parts, Tires & Wheels

Kevin Tanner

P.O. Box 1885Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Individual Member

H&H LocksmithScott & Heather Harper(706) 216-8000350 Couch RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Locksmith

Michelle Electrical ContractorsCharles Smith(404) 569-6095418 Thompson Creek Park RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Electrical Contractor

Chattahoochee Insurance AgencyGreg Hicks(404) 405-53154863 Kelly Bridge RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Insurance Agent

Comcast SpotlightJennifer Policky(770) 559-22836250 Shiloh Road, Suite 300Alpharetta, GA 30005Category: Cable Advertising

Jolie Day SpaNicole Wimpy(706) 216-42474470 Ga. Hwy. 400 N.

Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Day Spa

Duncan PipelineDawn Duncan(678) 410-7451100 Old Dawson Village Road, Ste 120Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Utility Contractor

Joel Clement(706) 216-839614 Magregor LaneDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Individual Member

Vic & Duane Wallace(706) 265-4913 151 Bent Ridge Drive SouthDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Individual Members

DCHS Tiger’s Touchdown ClubLori Lewis(561) 254-4494P.O. Box 513Dawsonville, GA 30534Category: Non Profit (Sports)

Brogdon, CPABobby Brogdon(706) 265-1040185 Brogdon RoadDawsonville, GA 30534Category: CPA


Today’s economy hasgot many people downand out, jobless andpossibly even hope-less.

A workshop on May18 could provide hopeand help in a strugglingeconomy, especially forsmall business owners.

The workshop,Financing Your Businessin the New Economy,will be hosted by theDawson County Cham-

ber of Commerce, FirstCitizens Bank of Geor-gia and the Universityof Georgia Small Busi-ness Development Cen-ter.

According to LindaWilliams, president ofthe chamber, membershave expressed throughsurveys the desire tohave more workshopsthroughout the year.

“With today’s econo-my, we thought this par-ticular workshop wouldbe most beneficial,”

Williams said.“Small business own-

ers will certainly notwant to miss out on thisevent to learn about thevarious options avail-able for financing yourbusiness. I urge every-one to take this oppor-tunity.We don’t knowwhen it will be avail-able to us again,” sheadded.

The event will beheld at the North Geor-gia Event Center (previ-ously 84 Lumber) from

8:30 a.m. to noon, andwill feature six differentspeakers ranging inexpertise from commer-cial lending to econom-ic development.

To register, visitwww.gainesvillesbdc-.org.The pre-registra-tion fee is $15 with theonline discount code:rngevnxk.

Admission for theworkshop without pre-registration is $69.

Event discounts arecompliments of Sun-

trust Bank, and DawsonCounty Chamber ofCommerce memberswill receive a $5coupon redeemable at a2009 membershipluncheon.

The event center islocated at 31 SuccessfulWay, off Carlisle Road,in Dawsonville.

For more informa-tion, contact the cham-ber at (706) 265-6278.

E-mail ElizabethHamilton at [email protected].

Workshop aims to guide small businesses



Chamber remembers first director, president


Nearly two decadeshave passed since theDawson County Chamberof Commerce board ofdirectors made a decisionto hire a full-time director.

Friends and colleagueswho knew Traci LamarScates credit her for muchof the county’s tremen-dous growth since thattime.

Scates,described asone of Dawson County’sgreat promoters,diedApril 16 at age 53 in HallCounty.

A native of Augusta,shewas selected to lead thechamber at a time whenlocal business and govern-ment leaders were antici-pating great,potentialgrowth.

She was hired by theDawson County Chamberof Commerce as its firstpaid executive director in1992. A few years later,

the title was changed topresident and Scatesserved in that positionuntil 1998.

“When Traci represent-ed Dawson County,peo-ple in Atlanta couldn’tbelieve little DawsonCounty had someone likeTraci leading the way,”saidPhilip Hester,president ofChestatee State Bank andpart of the group involvedin her hiring.

A graduate of GeorgiaState University with adegree in business man-agement,Scates made adifference the moment

she stepped foot in thecommunity.

“She was smart,wellliked and learned quicklyin short order,”Hestersaid.“She came to us with-out a background in pro-moting,but she adapted,and people thought wellof her.”

In a 1994 business pro-file,Scates said she had “astrong desire to getinvolved in the communi-ty and to assist in spurringeconomic development inDawson County.”

Hester said the busi-nesses that chose tolocate in Dawson Countyduring the 1990s reflect-ed Scates’direction.

“The industry we havehere today is here becauseof Traci,”he said.

While Scates focusedon luring business toDawson County,she alsowas instrumental in tryingto preserve the county’s

rich history.She workedto have the old jail listedon the National Registryof Historic Places.

From a small room inthe historic courthouse,Scates was part of a groupthat worked with countyofficials to renovate thejail to be used as thechamber’s offices.

“Traci worked closelywith Sen.Guy Middleton,who was a huge part of usgetting state money toassist with the renova-tion,”said current Cham-ber President LindaWilliams.

“She was a very bigpart in organizing all thatand making it happen.Shewas such a lovely lady anddid so much for not justthe chamber,but for thecounty itself,”Williamssaid.

Marjean Miller,whomet Scates when she vol-unteered at the chamber

shortly after moving tothe area from Texas,saidScates is who introducedher to Dawson County.

“I had worked with alarge Chamber of Com-merce in Killeen,Texasand was truly impressedwith the caliber of talentTraci had and the workshe did at the chamber inDawsonville,”said Miller,who still has a sweaterScates gave her for Christ-mas so many years ago.

“It has two Scottie dogson the front and is one ofmy favorite clothingitems.I have to say I missher,”Miller said.

A celebration of Scates’life was held May 9 atBethel United MethodistChurch in Dawsonville.

Scates is survived bytwo sons,Dylan and LucasScates.

E-mail Michele Hesterat [email protected].

Scates, 53, died April 16 Far left, former DawsonCounty Chamber ofCommerce PresidentTraci Scates, left, and heradministrative assistantLaura Pittman workedtogether promoting theDawson County Cham-ber of Commerce in the’90s. Left, during the late’90s, the Dawson Coun-ty Chamber of Com-merce sponsored abiathlon race that passedthrough Amicalola Falls.Scates, right, is picturedat the event.

Photos/Submitted

Many say Traci Scates, second from right, is respon-sible for much of the industrial development in Daw-son County.


American Red CrossAtlanta Gear WorksCumming, Kelley & BishopDawson Learning CenterDiscovery Point No. 50Forrest Hills Mountain

ResortGlazing Rubber Products,Inc.Gold City Corral & Carriage CompanyJohn & Jane JohJTC Jerry Townley Con-

structionKeller Williams LegacyGroup - Martha PolmanLonghorn Steakhouse ofDawsonvilleParadise Valley ResortPet Watch Inc.

RK Package StoreRiskmasters Inc.SleeveCo Inc.Syclone Designs Inc.White InteriorsWildwood Christian Academy

Special thanks to the following members that renewed in April


Last month,Mike Berg,chairman of the DawsonCounty Board of Commis-sioners,was the keynotespeaker of the DawsonCounty Chamber of Com-merce’s monthly lunch-eon held at Peach BrandyCottage.

On April 9,Berg deliv-ered a state of the countyaddress, in which hestressed the concept ofopportunity.

Quoting his mother,Berg said that he formedhis speech around some-thing that she used to say:“There are never anyproblems,there are onlyopportunities.”

“I look at things fromthis perspective as best Ican,and I hope that youwill too,”Berg said.

Although there aregood opportunities withinthe county, the economicsituation has made thingsmuch more difficult forthe county,as well as thestate and nation.

Berg noted that theunemployment rate in thecounty was approaching10 percent,and that there

were morethan 40home fore-closures inthe firstfewmonths ofthis year asopposed toabout 11

last year.“Dawson County is in

an interesting budget situ-ation,the same as withthe state,”Berg said.“Wehave been losing sales taxdollars for quite a while,to the tune of about 16-18percent and more thanthat in some counties.”

He continued to saythat in 2008,DawsonCounty government wassupposed to have a budg-et of $26 million,but onlycollected about $22.5-23million.

“Because of the lowcollections,county offi-cials were able to cut thebudget so less was spentthan was taken in,”saidBerg.“For 2009,our bud-get is supposed to beabout $27 million,but wewill probably only collectas much as $23.1 million.”

Briefly explaining howthe county irons out a

budget for each year,Bergsaid budgets are plannedin three-year increments.

Providing hope andencouragement amongstlow numbers in a downeconomy,Berg said thatthis economy has “taughtus a great lesson in histo-ry. I hope our memoriesare long enough that wewill remember what wehave been going through,because it will make usthat much stronger.”

“If we have learnedanything from this,wewill be in good shape forthe future,”said Berg.

As a member of severaldifferent boards and com-mittees throughout thecounty,Berg commentedthat he has seen peoplepulling together like neverbefore,citing examplessuch as the United Wayand the soup kitchen atGrace PresbyterianChurch.He applaudedsuch organizations for thecommunity efforts to helpthose in need.

“Five years ago,we did-n’t see as much churchoutreach and service pro-grams that have comeabout recently,”he said.“We have several different

groups that are doingtheir part to help out.”

Berg also noted that theDawson County Chamberof Commerce has done an“excellent job of workingwith small business,thecommunity and being apartner so that they cangain business activity forthe county.”

He referred to thechamber as the first link,encouraged all those inattendance to support thechamber and work withthe people who are the“lifeblood of the econo-my.”

Plans for the newcourthouse administrationbuilding and fire stationwere shared with atten-dees of the luncheon,andwere presented by Berg asa few of the positive direc-tions in which the countyis moving.

“We are a great countyin such a great situation,”he said.“We are in theright place,at the righttime,and it is because ofall you hardworking peo-ple here today and in thiscommunity that we arebeing put in a position tobe first in line to gain thebenefits of the new econ-

omy that is around thecorner.”

Next month’s lunch-eon will be at noon May14 at Peach Brandy Cot-tage.

The guest speaker willbe Sue Weiner, the execu-tive director of the Geor-gia Council for the Arts.

Weiner will be speak-ing about the businessvalue of arts for a localcommunity.

“When a developertours a county for place-ment of potential busi-ness,often they request tostop at an arts organiza-tion because they oftentell the story of the localarea and what is impor-tant to the community,”said Linda Williams,presi-dent of the chamber ofcommerce.

“Having a strong artscouncil is an economicbenefit,and members willespecially not want tomiss what our speakerwill have to share aboutthe value of the arts,”sheadded.

For more informationabout the upcomingluncheon,contact thechamber at (706) 265-6278.

Berg gives state of county address to chamber

Berg


We takebanking

We take banking personally at Chestatee State Bankand it resonates in everything we do. Whether lending youmoney to start your business or build your home, or dis-cussing deposit options with you so you know yourmoney is safe.

You have put your trust in us, and we take that respon-sibility personally. In these challenging times, if you havequestions or concerns, call us, or come see us.

We want to help.For over a decade we have been here every step of the

way and we look forward to serving you and your familyfor years to come.

Main Office, Hwy 53 & 400 in DawsonvilleWith locations in downtown Dawsonville, Marble Hill andKeith Bridge Commons in Cumming

Chestatee State Bank Main OfficeOfficers, Assistants and Customer Service Representatives

personally.

may 2009 chamber chronicle

Documents

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