september 2011 chamber chronicle

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

— George Bernard Shaw

I don’t know if you know what we do. A chamber of commerce is created as a

business-oriented organization designed to (A) give you, the member, an opportunity to showcase your business and generate sales, (B) serve as an information hub assisting busi-ness owners/managers by providing educational opportu-

nities and (C) represent the business community before government agencies on a local and state level.

We are a referral service, an advertising agency, an advocate, a support system.

Chamber members receive

discounts, free merchandise and special services from other chamber members. Why wouldn’t you want to be a member?

Your membership dues are the lifeblood of our organiza-tion. Without our members

there would be no cham-ber.

Without the chamber, Dawson County would have zero business-oriented events

The Member Newsletter of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce

Edition Highlights:

September 2011Post Office Box 299292 Hwy. 400, North

Dawsonville, GA 30534(706) 265-6278

Slaton celebrates anniversaries

Jay Walker honored

Berg speaks to chamber

First Citizens hostsBusiness After Hours

Membership drive a success

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR STEPHANIE MATHIS

What does the chamber do for me?

See CHAMBER | 2

By Michele [email protected]

Taylor Wallace considered taking a Caribbean vacation with the $10,000 cash prize he won last month in the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce reverse raffle.

“I’d like to say I’m going scuba div-ing in the Cayman Islands with the winnings, but I think I’m going to pay some bills instead,” he said.

Wallace had just arrived home from

work on Aug. 25 when friend Carla Boutin phoned him with news that he was in the running to win the grand prize.

“You’re in the top three,” said Boutin, who sold Wallace a ticket to the reverse raffle nearly a month earlier.

Within seconds, the winning field was narrowed to just two tickets, the one Boutin was holding for Wallace and a ticket belonging to Trent

Wallace wins $10,000 raffle

See RAFFLE | 3

For the Dawson Community News

Kathy Fuller presents Taylor Wallace with a $10,000 grand prize check he won Aug. 25 in the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Reverse Raffle.

Mathis

The Consumer Expo is less than two months away.

As a business member of our chamber, I hope that you have reserved a table for this great net-working and marketing event.

A maximum of 70 of our chamber businesses will be showcased at the Lakeview Center for the annual opportunity to meet your current custom-ers and reach out to new ones.

Hundreds of shoppers and consumers are expected to attend. If you meet just one new customer, you will more than recover the small

cost to be an exhibi-tor.

The event was originally called the Business Expo, but in an effort

to make sure everyone understands that it is intended for the buying public, we are trying a name change this year. The event is open to everyone who needs goods and services and that is pretty much every-one out there.

Whether you are in the market for insurance, a carpet cleaning profes-

sional, a photographer or a vehicle; plan to attend the 11th Annual Consumer Expo from 4-7 p.m. Nov. 1.

A variety of business representatives will be on hand to talk with you one on one about their goods and services.

Restaurants, food ser-vice and caterers will be present to offer you sam-plings of their specialty items.

Many of the exhibitors will offer door prizes, so there will be many rea-sons to attend.

If you are a business owner or manager and need resources to help your business thrive, we

will once again have a Business Resource Area.

Agencies and organi-zations such as the Small Business Development Center, ACE Loans (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs) and sever-al others are expected to be in attendance to answer your business questions.

So if you are consider-ing entrepreneurship or need assistance with a current business need, this resource area is for you.

The event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend.

Please plan to stop by and invite your neigh-

bors, co-workers and family members to attend as well. It will be your once a year opportunity to find a diverse group of business people assembled in one place eager to tell you about their specialties.

If you are not a mem-ber of our organization already, I invite you to consider membership. Won’t you join us?

2 | DAWSON CHAMBER CHRONICLE | dawsonnews.com SEPTEMBER 2011

The Consumer Expo is for everyonePRESIDENT’S MESSAGE LINDA WILLIAMS

Williams

James AskewUnited Community Bank

Brooke Anderson (ex-officio)Etowah Water and Sewer Authority

Pat AndersonAnderson Family Medicine

Charlie Auvermann (ex-officio)Development Authority of Dawson County, exec-utive director

Jennifer Baker (2012 chair elect)United Community Bank

Mike Berg (ex-officio)Dawson County Board of Commissioners

Carla BoutinState Farm Insurance

Doris CookEtowah Water and Sewer Authority

James Grogan (ex-officio)Dawsonville City Council

Kathy Fuller K.C. Fuller and Associates

Peter HillHill Design Associates Architects

Warren KingIndividual

Stephanie Mathis (2011 chair)Bank of the Ozarks

Kristie MyersThe Norton Agency

Keith Porter (ex-officio)Dawson County schools

Denny PutlakDenny Insurance Group

Carol TygerAmbassador representative

Mike Underwood (2010 chairman)First Citizens Bank of Georgia

Linda Williams (ex-officio)Dawson County Chamber of Commerce

Gloria WyattNorthside Hospital-Forsyth

DAWSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

designed for networking and promotion.

Businesses would have to individually make their voices heard with concerns to local government agencies instead of having one unified voice.

Grand openings would hap-pen, but with less promotion and without an official ribbon-cutting.

Educational opportunities would be held out of the coun-ty.

Newcomers would have lim-ited resources available to learn about Dawson County and would have to do all the

legwork individually instead of picking up a newcomer’s packet full of all important information.

There would be no “to-go” source for referrals to local businesses. You guys would be on your own.

Thank goodness we have a viable and active chamber of commerce!

Members, I hope you are using your membership to its fullest.

Call or e-mail the chamber when you have special promo-tions, changes in service and exciting announcements. Let us spread the word for you.

Use your free Web page on www.dawson.org to promote a “Hot Deal.”

Ask us about sponsorship

opportunities to get your busi-ness name in front of a larger audience.

Attend chamber functions and meet potential clients.

Now more than ever it is crucial to promote your busi-ness as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Membership is reasonably priced.

Know that dues are going to support the business organiza-tion in Dawson County and we are spreading your mes-sage.

We have your best interests in mind.

If you are not yet a member, please contact the chamber.

Stephanie MathisChairwoman

FROM 1

Chamber

dawsonnews.com | DAWSON CHAMBER CHRONICLE | 3SEPTEMBER 2011

Sept. 15-18: The recreation center at Rock Creek Sports Complex will be closed to allow sufficient time for repairing and refinishing the gym floors. This means the weight room, offices, gyms, indoor restrooms/showers and indoor meeting and classrooms will be closed during the four day period. The outdoor facili-ties will remain open as normal and staff will be checking voicemail and e-mail frequently throughout the day. The indoor and outdoor facili-ties at Veterans Memorial Park will remain open as normal. For more information, contact (706) 344-3646 or [email protected].

Sept. 16: The Dawson County Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 970 asks the community to attend the POW/MIA Memorial Service at Veterans Memorial Park from 5:30 to 6 p.m. For more infor-mation, call Dave Hildebrand at (770) 533-1906.

Sept. 16: Come join in the fun at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Huck’s Apple Barn at 11:30 a.m. on Dawson Forest Road.

Sept. 22: North Georgia College & State University and The Mike Cottrell School of Business are proud to host its annual speaker series. Industry leaders share their perspective on what it takes to succeed in domestic and interna-tional markets characterized by increasing competition and com-plexity. John Allison, distin-guished professor of practice, Wake Forest University, will be the speaker. Allison is the retired chairman and CEO of BB&T Bank. All sessions are free and open to the public. The series is held from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. in the Banquet Room (second floor) of the new Dining Hall on the main campus in Dahlonega. For more informa-tion, contact Dr. Max Burns at (706) 864-1620 or at [email protected].

Sept. 27: Bank of the Ozarks will host Business after Hours from 5-7 p.m. The bank is at 6639 Highway

53 East, Dawsonville. Special thanks to the cash drawing spon-sors; AFLAC-Sharon Reagan, Anderson Family Medicine-Dr. Larry Anderson, The Norton Agency-Kristie Myers and United Community Bank-James Askew. Remember, you must be present to win if your name is drawn.

Oct. 4: North Georgia College & State University and The Mike Cottrell School of Business are proud to host its annual speaker series. Industry leaders share their perspective on what it takes to succeed in domestic and interna-tional markets characterized by increasing competition and com-plexity. Carla Cooper, president and CEO of Daymon Worldwide will be the guest speaker. All ses-sions are free and open to the public. The series is held from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. in the Banquet Room (second floor) of the new Dining Hall on the main campus in Dahlonega. For more informa-tion, contact Dr. Max Burns at (706) 864-1620 or at [email protected].

Oct. 7: Dawson County Chamber of Commerce annual Golf Tournament will be held at Chestatee Golf Club. Players and hole sponsors are needed. Special thanks to the $1,000 sponsor, Northside Hospital-Forsyth. Special thanks to North Georgia College & State University for sponsoring the box lunches. Thanks to the hole-in-one spon-sor, SunTrust Bank. For more information, call the chamber at (706) 265-6278.

Oct. 13: Lunch with the cham-ber at noon at Lakeview Center. The guest speaker will be Gary Pichon. He will be speaking about his Great Park idea for Dawson Forest. Special thanks to luncheon sponsor, Northside Hospital-Forsyth. Registration is available online at www.dawson.org. RSVP must be received by Oct. 10. For more informa-tion, call the chamber at (706) 265-6278.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Townley, also of Dawsonville.Townley also was not present at the

raffle, but friend Rory Cunningham dialed his number to let him know of his standing.

Rushing to the front of the room, Cunningham announced Townley had offered Wallace a sure thing.

“Trent wants to split it,” Cunningham told Boutin. “He’ll split the winnings.”

But Wallace was feeling a bit lucky that night.

“I didn’t have the $5,000 going into it, so it seemed like I should just go for it,” Wallace said.

In the end, Wallace held the winning ticket and is now $10,000 wealthier.

Linda Williams, chamber president, said she was pretty sure this was the first time the winner was not present to claim the grand prize.

“Nonetheless, I believe there was still some excitement at the end when we had Trent Townley and Taylor Wallace both on separate cell phones,” she said.

The reverse raffle is the chamber’s biggest fundraiser each year with pro-ceeds supporting programs that sup-port small business.

“As always, this year’s event was a lot of work on the part of the ticket sellers. All together, we ended up sell-ing more than 240 tickets this year,” Williams said. “As usually happens, the ticket sales are extremely slow until the last two days and then people started making the decision to partici-pate.”

FROM 1

Raffle


Dawson County Commission Chairman Mike Berg encouraged members of the business community to take part in mak-ing Dawson County all it can be by talk-ing to others about the county.

“The more we’re able to get out and talk about who we are, the more likely busi-ness will want to expand here or move here,” Berg said when he spoke during the chamber’s membership luncheon last week.

In his annual State of the County address, Berg outlined major issues Dawson County is currently facing, includ-ing decreasing tax revenue that he antici-pates will continue for several years to come.

“Last year, we had a $21.8 million bud-get. This year we’re at $20.9. That’s a drop of between $800,000 and $900,000,” he said. “Five years ago, we had planned a $30 million budget by this year.”

He cited employee health care, fuel costs and a more than 10.5 percent over-all decrease in revenue from recent resi-dential tax assessments as having the most impact on the county’s operating budget.

“Property taxes have affected us a lot.

Next year, we’ll reappraise commercial property and then we’ll see another $400,000 to $600,000 reduction,” he said.

In preparing the county’s 2012 budget, which was approved last week and does not include a millage rate hike, Berg said each county department and government subsidiary was asked to cut operating bud-gets by 5 percent.

“This is in addition to the cuts we’ve been asking for the last few years,” he said.

Organizations like the health depart-ment, library, chamber of commerce and development authority each took drastic cuts.

County employees, he said, also shouldn’t expect cost of living increases for another few years.

But there is a bright side to the picture, Berg promised, adding the county has seen increases in both LOST and SPLOST revenues in recent months.

“It’s going to take us a long time, but we’ll work through this,” he said. “Our only major revenue is from businesses expanding and coming into our county.”

That’s where he said the business commu-nity can do its part.

“We’ve got to go out and create new business opportunities into this county,” he said.

Chair speaks at luncheon

By James G. Wolfe [email protected]

Active community member Roger Slaton has celebrated several anniversaries over the past few months.

In June, Slaton cele-brated his 50th wed-ding anniversary with his wife, Loretta, and followed that by cele-brating his 30th year as a State Farm Insurance agent Aug. 1.

“The Good Lord has really blessed me,” Slaton said. “I’ve been fortunate to be born and raised [in Dawson County], graduate from Dawson High School, attend the University of Georgia, and come back to my home town to raise my family.”

In addition to being an insurance agent, Slaton is in his 28th year as a member of the Dawson County Board of Education.

Superintendent Keith Porter said that Slaton’s advice and direction as a part of the school board has been invalu-able.

“[Slaton] understands the needs of our stu-dents and community,” Porter said. “It is truly amazing the number of positive educational changes that he has led through the years.”

Slaton said that serv-ing on the Board of Education is one of the most important aspects of his career as a com-munity servant.

“Being on the school board has been a big

part of my life,” Slaton said. “Everything starts with the children, and the only way to give them every advantage in life is to start with a strong education.”

Slaton also has served on the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and spent 10

years on the Lanier Technical College Board of Directors.

“State Farm encourag-es community involve-ment,” Slaton said. “And since this is the community I grew up in and love, getting involved was something that I deeply wanted to do.”

Slaton said that gain-ing employment with State Farm was a thing of chance that just as easily couldn’t have happened.

“I was looking for a job and just happened to be in the right place at the right time, thank the Lord,” Slaton said. “I had a friend who knew a man that need-ed an [insurance] agent and one night my friend and I went to a restau-rant. That man just hap-pened to be there eat-ing.

“He offered me a job, I accepted, and I’ve been with State Farm ever since.”

Slaton began by opening a small office on the square.

“Some of the custom-ers I got that first year are still my customers,”

Slaton said. “I’ve still got the first policy I ever wrote.

It’s just been a tremen-dous honor and plea-sure to represent State Farm in Dawsonville,” Slaton added. “I’m just thankful for the loyal customers I’ve had these past 30 years.”

Despite the many community roles that Slaton fills, he said he has no plans to retire.

“I plan to work until I

can’t work anymore,” Slaton said. “I have a great staff, a great job, I work every day and I’m still active, so I’m happy with where I’m at and what I’m doing.”

Slaton credits his wife for his continued suc-cess.

“She’s my strength, the force that keeps me going,” Slaton said. “She’s certainly the wind beneath my wings.”


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

P.O Box 1096137 Prominence Court

Suite 240Dawsonville, GA 30534

Slaton celebrates wedding, work anniversary

Photos for the Dawson Community News

Roger and Loretta Slaton at their 50th wedding anniversary party in June.

Roger Slaton and his staff recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as a State Farm agent in Dawson County. Pictured with Slaton are Sandra Jenkins, left, Jeanette Vaughters, center, and Margaret Bowen.

‘I’ve been fortunate to be born and raised [in Dawson County], graduate from Dawson High School, attend the University of Georgia, and come back to my home town to raise my family.’

Roger SlatonBusinessman



Stacy’s Plumbing Company is a business full of plumbers that have a long history of experienced service.

“I’ve been doing this over 15 years,” Stacy Givens, owner, said at the company’s ribbon cutting held at the Chamber of Commerce’s Ga. 400 office late last month. “I’m glad to finally have a business I can call my own.”

Givens’ company offers all types of commercial and residential plumbing services.

The company provides both installation and repair of established

residential and commercial plumb-ing, including the installation or repair of water lines, wastewater lines, sinks, toilets, showers, bath-tubs and water heaters.

In addition to established build-ing installation and repair, the com-pany also does installation of plumbing facilities in new residential and commercial construction.

“We do everything from leaks to water heaters,” Rob Jackson, a plumber with the company, said. “If it involves plumbing, we can do it.”

The company consists of several licensed plumbers and is up for any project large or small, according to Jackson.

Givens said she decided to join the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce because she wants to make the public as aware as possi-ble that her company is open for business.

“I’m very happy and honored to be a member of the chamber,” Givens said. “It’s a great organiza-tion for businesses.”

Currently based out of Cumming, Givens said her company will ser-vice any request in the north Georgia area.

For more information about Stacy’s Plumbing Company, call (770) 887-4464 or e-mail [email protected].


Offering a full range of res-idential natural gas services, Pruitt & Pruitt Gas Company recently joined the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce.

With more than 12 years of experience, Darrell Pruitt’s company offers a reliable alternative to electric service at an affordable rate, according to Pruitt.

The business installs a vari-ety of gas-related products, including gas meters, gas stoves, deck grills, outdoor gas lights, gas fire pits, HVAC service and many other residential gas related items for both new construc-tion and established homes.

“We also do repairs to gas grills, gas logs or any other type of gas service in homes,” Pruitt said. “If it comes to residential gas ser-vice, we do it.”

With the rising costs of electric service and the cur-rent state of the economy, Pruitt believes the need for gas services is on the rise.

“We’ve seen a pickup in people asking for new gas facilities or wanting to modify what they already have to include more gas-powered appliances,” Pruitt said. “And hopefully by joining the chamber we will see even more.”

Pruitt said he is excited to be a part of the chamber and hopes that joining will lead to more opportunities for his business.

“The chamber has a lot of members and hopefully that will help us to get our name to a wider customer base,” Pruitt said. “It’s a great organization to be a part of and I’m glad to have joined.”

For more information about Pruitt & Pruitt Gas, call Pruitt at (770) 652-1852.

Company offers alternative to electric service

James G. Wolfe Jr. Dawson Community News

Pruitt and Pruitt Gas recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate joining the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s Ga. 400 office. From left to right, Crystal Martin, Stacy Givens, Steve Semmelink, Darrel Pruitt, Rob Jackson, Steve McCray, Cooper Amos and Jordan Amos.


Stacy’s Plumbing Company recently celebrated joining the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting at the chamber’s Ga. 400 office. Left to right, Crystal Martin, Darrel Pruitt, Steve Semmelink, Stacy Givens, Rob Jackson, Steven McCray, Cooper Amos and Jordan Amos.

Plumbing company joins chamber


• Improve your skills … take an online class. For more information, visit www.dawson.org.

• Are you certified Work Ready? For more informa-tion, visit www.gaworkready.org.

• Past issues of the Dawson County Chamber Chronicle can be found on the chamber’s Web site, www.dawson.org.

• Remember to shop local.• Congratulations to Appalachia Grill on its 20th

anniversary.• Register now for the Oct. 7 golf tournament. Call

(706) 265-6278.

Please let the chamber know when you have a special event.


Nestled in the North Georgia mountains, just out-side of Dahlonega and Cleveland is a 40-acre zoo that not only provides animals for various community activities and outreach programs, but is open to the public.

Opened to the public in 2010 after more than a decade as a community out-reach service, North Georgia Zoo offers a plethora of ani-mals from all over the world.

Featured on many television shows, such as “Dirty Jobs,” “The Today Show,” “Fox and Friends,” “The View,” “The Conan O’Brien Show” and many more, the zoo owned by Tom and Hope Bennett began as a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

“We have about 400 ani-mals here now and they’re divided into two sections,” Tom Bennett said. “We have the general petting zoo area which houses goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, turtles and those types of animals, and we have our Wildlife Walk, where our other, more exotic animals are available for view.”

Along the Wildlife Walk, visitors will find wolves, exotic birds, kangaroos, and exotic cats and dogs from as far away as Australia.

“A lot of time, people get these animals when they are small as pets,” Bennett said. “And then realize that keeping them as pets once they grow isn’t really an option.”

While the public zoo is an important facet of the facility, Bennett said the most impor-

tant thing the preserve does is community outreach.

“We travel all over the country, to schools, libraries and other community func-tions, to try and bring aware-ness of the wildlife world to children and adults alike,” Bennett said. “Our primary goal is education and we hope that we do our small part in spreading informa-tion.”

The zoo is maintained by a small staff of dedicated interns and volunteers, many of which live on site.

The zoo is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the fall, winter and spring months, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week during the summer. For more information, call (706) 348-7279 or visit www.north-georgiazoo.com.

North Georgia Zoo open to public


An infant African porcupine is one of the many animals housed at the North Georgia Zoo. The zoo is located between Helen and Dahlonega.


As guest speaker at the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce August luncheon, Congressman Tom Graves told attendees change at the national level begins at home.

Graves currently represents Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, which stretches from the northern suburbs of metro Atlanta to the northwest-ern corner bordering Alabama and Tennessee.

His appearance to talk to the chamber’s mem-bership on Aug. 11 was one of three stops he made in Dawson County last month to discuss his congressional voting record, the goings-on in Washington and his views on job creation.

“This change can begin in the 9th Congressional District,” he said.

The guest speaker for the chamber’s October

luncheon will be County Commissioner Gary Pichon, who is scheduled to talk about his idea for a grand park on land sur-rounding a proposed reservoir in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.

The luncheon begins at noon on Oct. 13 at the Lakeview

Center on Dawson Forest Road. Registration is available online at www.daw-

son.org. Follow the Chamber of Commerce link to Event Registration and Membership Luncheon.

Early bird reservations will be $12.50 for mem-bers for those who register before Oct. 10. Reservations received after the cutoff date will be $15 for members or $18 for visitors.

You may also R.S.V.P. by calling the chamber at (706) 265-6278.

Graves promotes job creation

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From custom entryways, gardens and tubs to custom cabinets, Rob Heath has been creating beautiful art and accent pieces in glass for more than 35 years.

His business, Blue Ridge Glassworks, has provided service for such famous personalities as NASCAR great Kyle Petty and music icon Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls.

“I usually service regional north Georgia, but have done work for peo-ple all over the southeast,” Heath said. “I’ve also done custom orders and sent them to as far away as South America and Alaska.”

Heath began operation in 1978 in Gainesville, and moved to Dawson County a few years later.

“I’ve been here at this location for 13 years and haven’t regretted moving to Dawson County for one second,” Heath said. “I’ve seen this county grow and every bit of it has been for the better.”

Among designing pieces of glass work for homes, Heath also creates new custom art, does glass repairs, and creates awards for local businesses and organizations, including the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce.

“I do commercial, residential, church-es; anything with glass,” Heath said. “I’ve done stuff for the United Way and other businesses.”

Heath said that he has felt the effects of the down economy.

“When the economy was great, my main business was through new homes,” Heath said. “Now I do more remodeling work and art pieces.”

He also noted that he has seen defi-nite improvement in the economy.

“I’ve got a lot of work now,” he said. “It was kind of slow there for a while, but it’s definitely picking up.”

For more information about Blue Ridge Glassworks, call Heath at (706) 216-2882, e-mail him at [email protected] or visit www.blueridgeglassworks.com.

Glass business offers variety of services


Rob Heath, owner and operator of Blue Ridge Glassworks, cuts a piece of glass while working on a custom order. Heath has been creating glass pieces professionally for 35 years.

By Michele Hester [email protected]

Participants enrolled in Dawson County’s Citizens Academy were among the first to tour the county’s new courthouse and government cen-ter late last month.

“This place is going to be pretty cool. You can tell a lot of thought went into the courthouse,” said Thayer Spencer, who signed up for the 10-week course to gain a better understanding of local government and its operations.

Spencer is looking forward to see-ing more as the course moves for-ward.

“I heard about this and wanted to be more knowledgeable about the county and how it’s run. It keeps you connected with what’s going on in the county,” he said.

Now in its fourth year, the acade-my gives participants an up-close look at the inner workings of county government through one-on-one inter-action with local officials and those responsible for day-to-day operations of local government.

Doug Powell is taking the course for a second time.

“I took the course a few years ago when I was still working and had to miss a couple of the classes,” he said. “Now that I’m retired, I decided to come back and go through it again.”

The class runs through November and culminates with a graduation cer-emony.

For more information or to have your name placed on the list for next year’s academy, call Cathy Brooks at (706) 344-3501.

Michele Hester Dawson Community News

More than two dozen local residents were among the first citizens to tour Dawson County’s new government center late last month as Dawson County Citizens Academy kicked off its fourth year. The 10-week course gives participants an up-close look at the inner workings of county government through one-on-one interaction with local officials and those responsible for day-to-day operations of local government.

Government academy enters its fourth year


Walk-in visitors: 592 Telephone referrals: 3,129

NEW MEMBERS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Thank YouChamber Building Fund

Sponsors

PropertyInvestmentAssociates

Dawsonville Printing ServicesRussell Grace(706) 216-439933 Hwy. 9 SouthDawsonville, GA [email protected]: Printing Services

Georgia Mountains HospiceKim Adams Trotter(706) 253-410070 Caring WayJasper, GA [email protected]: Hospice

Pruitt & Pruitt Gas ServicesDarrell Pruitt(770) 652-1852174 Stacie Lane, Dawsonville, GA [email protected]: Gas Services/HVAC

Good Shepherd Clinic of Dawson CountyPenny Putnam(706) 429-9921170 Hwy. 9 NorthDawsonville, GA [email protected]: Free Medical Clinic

UCBI – Gail MorrisGail Morris(706) 531-11106372 Hwy. 53 EastDawsonville, GA [email protected]: Mortgage Loan Originator

Salon ZoyaZoya Sareb(706) 265-655134 East 1st St.Dawsonville, GA [email protected]: Hair Salon

Dawson Learning Center (rejoined)Roger Slaton(706) 216-203340 Hightower Pkwy.Dawsonville, GA 30534

[email protected]: Day Care

Tower Auto Repair (rejoined)Rhonda Tower(706) 265-61526198 Hwy. 53 East, Dawsonville, GA [email protected]: Auto Repair

GTA AutomotiveGlenn Anthony(706) 531-13281128 Harmony Church RoadDawsonville, GA [email protected]: Auto Repair and Towing

Paceley Inc.Kim Paceley Zajac(678) 612-92005556 Williamson DriveGainesville, GA [email protected]: Cleaning Service

Norton Agency – Gina JohnsonGina Johnson (404) 506-9928434 Green St.Gainesville, GA [email protected]: Real Estate

Norton Agency – Cathy DanielCathy Daniel, (678) 772-97314320 Settendown Village RoadCumming, GA [email protected]: Real Estate

John Megel ChevroletCheri Kimbrell(706) 265-54001392 Hwy. 400 SouthDawsonville, GA 30534Category: Auto Dealership

Jan’s Family DaycareJan Whetstone, (706) 216-63728455 Hwy. 53 EastDawsonville, GA [email protected]: Day Care


Program names Melching Ambassador of the MonthBy Michele [email protected]

Steve Melching was recently named Ambassador of the Month by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Program.

For his involvement with the group, Melching received a Walmart gift card during the ambassador’s August meeting.

An account executive with Smoke Signals, the Big Canoe Homeowners Association news-paper, Melching joined the Ambassador Program in February to learn about the county and “give back” to his community.

“Joining the Dawson chamber has been a big advantage to

Smoke Signals and our organiza-tion,” he said.

Melching and his wife Beverly have a daughter, Morgan, who is a junior at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.

The couple has lived full time in Big Canoe for the past two years. They recently signed up for a Bocce ball league.

“I would add how impressed I am with the chamber staff, board members and the ambassador team, all working together to make Dawson County a better place to live and work for all of us,” he said.

Originally from Kentucky, Melching enjoys golf, tennis and traveling.

AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT


Ambassador chairwoman Angela Harben presents Steve Melching with a Walmart gift card after he was named Ambassador of the Month in August.


The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce events committee has been hard at work organizing the organization’s annual golf tourna-ment.

The event is set to begin with a shotgun start at noon Oct. 7 at the Chestatee Golf Club. Players may arrive at 10 a.m. to check in and enjoy some time on the driving range and putting green.

Jennifer Baker, chair of the cham-ber’s events council, said the date of the tournament was selected with the hope of a perfect fall day.

“We are counting on a Chamber of Commerce Day for our event,” Baker said. “Which will mean it will be a great opportunity to enjoy a round of golf in the spectacular north Georgia mountains.”

Chamber Chairwoman Stephanie Mathis said the organization expects around 20 teams to participate.

“Although we can certainly accom-modate more,” Mathis said. “Players are encouraged to register as soon as possible.”

Registration for individual players is $125, with teams of four costing $500. A corporate sponsorship is $600, which includes a team of four people and a hole sponsorship.

Chamber President Linda Williams said that individual hole sponsor-ships are also available.

“At $150, being a hole sponsor is an affordable way to support our organization and it gives great expo-sure to the business whose sign will be prominently placed at one of the tee boxes,” Williams said.

Baker thanked the event sponsors for their support.

“Northside Hospital-Forsyth is the official sponsor of the award dinner after the event and North Georgia College & State University is spon-soring the box lunch,” Baker said. “SunTrust is sponsoring the opportuni-ty to win $10,000 on a specific hole-in-one.”

Baker also stated that there will be prizes awarded for the first and sec-ond place teams for both net and gross scores. In addition, all of the par-3 holes will offer prizes.

The tournament will be played in a Lauderdale Scramble format, accord-ing to chamber Vice President for Tourism Marty Williams.

“So you don’t need to be a top-notch player to enjoy the day with us,” Williams said.

Registration for the tournament is now open. You may register at www.dawson.org or call the cham-ber at (706) 265-6278.

Chamber to hold annual golf tourney



Randy Donaldson of the Small Business Development Center of Gainesville gave a presentation last week entitled “Starting a Business: The Basics Part One” at the Dawson County Library.

The Sept. 6 presentation, sponsored by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, took attendees through the first major steps of determining how to start a small business.

From assessing the current economic cli-mate for the business, to researching the capital and support necessary for startup, the presentation covered some of the steps to get started as an entrepreneur.

“I think it went pretty well,” Donaldson said. “We had several people who have already started a business and several more who were interested in the con-cept.”

The group consisted of about a dozen local residents who have an interest in becoming a small business owner or advancing their current entrepreneurship.

Ann Bosworth said she attended because she has a hobby and wanted to see its validity as a business.

“I just wanted to get ideas and an understanding of what it takes to start a business,” Bosworth said. “It was very helpful and now I want to talk to [Donaldson] about setting up a meeting to speak in more detail.

“He definitely gave me a lot of good suggestions to think about.”

Chamber President Linda Williams said the presentation was a success.

“We had a nice little group who learned something useful and can use the event to enjoy networking with others who have a similar interest in opening a business,” Williams said. “The SBDC is a great, free resource of people who are interested in starting their own busi-ness.”

Williams noted that the chamber’s Web site features an instructional booklet on how to assess and begin a small business, in addition to creating a busi-ness plan.

For more information about starting a small business, visit the chamber’s Web site at www.dawson.org or call (706) 265-6278.

For more information about the Small Business Development Center, visit www.sba.gov, or call (770) 531-5681.


Randy Donaldson, of the Small Business Development Center of Gainesville, speaks to several community members about the steps required to begin a small business. The presentation, sponsored by the local chamber, was held Sept. 6 at the Dawson County Library.

By James G. Wolfe Jr. [email protected]

After moving to a more heavily travelled location across from the North Georgia Premiem Outlets, a local dry cleaning business recently joined the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce.

Premier Cleaners, owned and operated by Nirmita Patel, has been operating in Dawson County for more than five years and offers full service dry cleaning and shoe repair.

“I decided to open the business in Dawson County because it was such a growing community,” said Patel at an Aug. 24 ribbon cutting.

“There was a need for competi-tion for the local cleaners,” she said. “And so I decided that this would be a great place to open a business.”

Patel originally opened the busi-ness in a small shopping center

located across from Walmart, but decided to make the move to a location more apt for advertisement.

She hopes that the new location will allow for more walk-in custom-ers, who may not have known the business was in operation.

Premier Cleaners also features a free pickup and delivery service for some local businesses.

“We’re just offering that to busi-nesses in a small area at the moment, but hope to expand that as our business grows,” Patel said. “Hopefully we would be able to offer that service to all Dawson County businesses in the future.”

In addition, the cleaners currently offers curbside service at its Ga. 400 location.

The business is open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

For more information or to set up pickup and delivery service for your business, call (706) 216-5245.


Nirmita Patel, center, owner and operator of Premier Cleaners, cuts a ribbon Aug. 24 to celebrate joining the chamber.

Premier Cleaners saw need for competition

Chamber sponsors small business presentation


Two local women won the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce Amazing Race membership drive Aug. 30.

Carol Tyger, ambassa-dor representative for the chamber, and State Farm agent Carla Boutin teamed up to secure five member-ships for the chamber and win the race.

“We’re just ecstatic,” Boutin said. “It’s been a long day.”

The two began the race at 8:30 a.m. and didn’t fin-ish until after 3 p.m.

The grand prize was a four-day, three-night stay at a beach condo in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

“We’re really excited about that,” Tyger said. “We both need a vaca-tion.”

In order to win the prize, the team, calling themselves the “Mountain Mommas,” had to begin by securing a membership and receiving a clue after providing proof they had gotten the mem-ber.

“We sent them pictures of the checks and they would send us back clues,” Tyger said.

The race began at the chamber office, where the staff had placed business cards of members who hadn’t renewed their mem-berships on a table.

“We just took all of the cards we could and got to work,” Tyger said. “We were the first ones [at the

chamber office] this morn-ing.”

The team started with Tower Automotive and after securing its membership, got the first clue.

The race went on from there, with the team gain-ing ANH Collision, John Megel Chevrolet, the Dawson Learning Center and finally GTA Automotive to receive the final clue.

“[John Megel] didn’t realize their membership was up,” Tyger said. “That was a really big one.”

“Carol figured out the last clue about watching out for bees beside apples,” Boutin said. “She yelled into the phone ‘Applebees!’”

The two arrived at the res-taurant to find a golden ban-

gle bracelet and a beach vacation waiting for them.

In total, the chamber received 15 memberships in the drive thanks to the efforts of five teams.

The race was the second of two membership drives the chamber held during the months of June, July and August.

The first, a member-to-member drive, encouraged current chamber members to seek out new businesses for the chamber. That drive netted seven new members for the chamber.

The amazing race drive held Aug. 30 brought in 15 new members to finish off the summer with a grand total of 22 new businesses joining the chamber of commerce.



Carol Tyger, left, and Carla Boutin display the golden bangle they retrieved in the final leg of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce’s Amazing Race membership drive. The team, named Mountain Mommas, secured five cham-ber memberships to take home the grand prize beach vacation.

‘Mountain Mommas’ win membership drive


There was no grand prize winner when First Citizens Bank of Georgia welcomed the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce membership to spend the afternoon at the bank for the group’s Business After Hours event.

If Shawn Dutcher had been in attendance Aug. 23 when his name was called as the cash drawing win-ner, his organization, Young Life, would have received $100.

First Citizens Bank of Georgia opens its doors annually for the chamber’s after hours events.

“We’d like to welcome you all here this evening,” said Mike Underwood, executive vice president.

Based in Dawsonville on Carlisle Road, First Citizens Bank of Georgia was founded in 2007 and now also has a second location in Cumming

on Bethleview Road. The chamber would like to thank

the following cash drawing sponsors: Sharon Reagan-AFLAC, Larry Anderson-Anderson Family Medicine, James Askew-United Community Bank and Kristie Myers-The Norton Agency.

The chamber would also like to thank the individuals and business members who donated door prizes for the event.

The cash drawing grows to $200 for the Sept. 27 business after hours, which will be at Bank of the Ozarks, located at 6639 Hwy. 53 East.

Bank of the Ozarks invites every-one to dress in their favorite sports team colors for an evening of tailgat-ing at the bank.

The event begins at 5 p.m. and runs until 7 p.m. For more informa-tion, call Stephanie Mathis at (706) 216-2265.


Stephanie Mathis, chairwoman of the chamber’s board of directors, draws Shawn Dutcher’s name as the winner of the chamber’s monthly cash drawing during the August Business After Hours at First Citizens Bank. Dutcher was not present to claim the prize, so the cash drawing grows to $200 for the Sept. 27 event at Bank of the Ozarks.

No cash winner at August event


By Michele Hester [email protected]

After a decade as manager at the local Kroger, Jay Walker recently accepted a transfer to a store near Stone Mountain.

On Aug. 25, members of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce honored Walker for his years of service to the organization and the local community during the group’s annual reverse raffle.

Linda Williams, president of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and a friend, called Walker’s move a “true loss” for the community.

“We wish him well, of course, but he will be missed. He was such an inte-gral part of our community and he gave so much to so many organiza-tions, not just the chamber,” Williams said.

Stephanie Mathis, Kristie Myers and Kathy Fuller began the dedication with a song for Walker, followed by Mathis presenting him with a proclamation of appreciation.

“It was a great honor for me to pres-ent the Chamber’s Proclamation to Jay at the Reverse Raffle. I wish him the

very best and the chamber owes him a debt of gratitude,” Mathis said. “While Jay has never lived in Dawson County, he has certainly made it a better place to live, work and play. He knows if he is ever looking for a new home, he already has one here.”

For Walker, it’s a new beginning, an opportunity he’s passed up many times before.

“I knew it was coming and I turned down a couple of opportunities, but then a little bird told me I needed to stop turn-ing down opportunities,” he said.

During his time in Dawson County, Walker has been heavily involved with numerous local charities and non-prof-its, including United Way, NOA and the Dawson County Arts Council.

He also served as chairman for Dawson County Relay for Life the last two years.

Williams added: “We’ll literally and figuratively have some big shoes to fill.”

Walker admitted his last few days in Dawson County were emotional.

“I’ll tell you this, I’ll never work with a team of people like I work with [in Dawsonville], because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t get to do the things in the community that I get to do.”

Chamber honors Walker


Stephanie Mathis, chairwoman of the chamber’s board of directors, pre-sented Jay Walker with a proclamation of appreciation Aug. 25 during the group’s annual reverse raffle. A longtime supporter and community volun-teer, Walker recently accepted a transfer from the Dawsonville Kroger to a store near Stone Mountain.


Recently opened Huck’s Apple Barn, located just off of Ga. 400 on Dawson Forest Road, will have a grand opening celebration the weekend of Sept. 16-18.

Festivities will kick off with a rib-bon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Friday to celebrate the business’s joining of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and continue with an opening day celebration beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Huck’s Apple Barn offers a variety of apple products, including pies, frit-ters, cider, bread, honey, jams and jellies.

The barn is also an authentic gener-al store filled with unique gifts that include kitchen and home décor, vin-tage toys, stuffed animals and bird feeders.

In addition to the store, Huck’s Apple Barn features a 50-foot-high inflatable slide, which will be avail-able at the opening celebration. Also on the premises will be a jumping pil-low, singer swing, peddle carts, H20 balls, bungee inflatable, bucking cow train and pony rides.

The Barn offers a large tent and picnic tables that can be reserved at a discounted group rate for birthday parties, church groups or any other community outing.

Owners Denise Mosely and Melani Grindley are longtime business own-ers who wanted to open a business that their six children could be involved in.

Huck’s Apple Barn is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday during the fall.

For more information, contact the business at (706) 429-0065.

Apple barn will have grand opening event


A remembrance service will pay respect to soldiers who remain miss-ing or were once prisoners of war.

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 970 and the Dawson County High School JROTC invite the communi-ty to gather at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at Veterans Memorial Park in honor of POW/MIA Recognition Day.

The national remembrance honors the commitments and the sacrifices made by the nation’s prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action.

“What it comes down to is they are not here and we are,” said organizer and Vietnam veteran Dave Hildebrand.

After the reading of the names of each Georgia soldier who remains missing by local veterans, JROTC cadets will replace the two POW/MIA flags that have flown over the memorial for the last year.

The day of recognition is one of six days that the black POW/MIA flag shall be flown over federal facilities and cemeteries, post offices and mili-tary installations.

For more information, call Hildebrand at (770) 533-1906.

Service pays respect to missing soldiers


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