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Friendly critters draw
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PULL-OUT U.S. FLAG, 6A
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DawsonCountyNews
WEDNESDAY I july 4,2018 Dawson News ► com dawsonville, GEORGIA $1.00
Photos by Jessica Brown Dawson County News
Robert Graham (center) holds up his limited edition die-cast car that was gifted to him by Hot Wheels
Director of Marketing Ricardo Briceno and Track Designer Eric Han for winning a spot in the finals of
the Hot Wheels Legends 50th anniversary tour June 30.
Fired up for Hot Wheels
Toys anniversary tour sees largest turnout in Dawsonville
Enslee Brown, 5, Colton Jones, 2, and Emma Kate Brown, 7, enjoy playing in
the free kids zone at the Hot Wheels Legends tour June 30.
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
Since Robert Graham
was 14 years old, he’s been
building and restoring cars.
It’s a passion that he’s
passed along to his two
sons and his grandsons.
So when his grandson,
Landon Graham,
approached him with a
wild idea six years ago to
build a custom hot rod,
Graham knew it would be a
special experience.
“My grandson drew a
picture of it on a paper
towel...he said “PawPaw
we need to build this car,”
so six years later there’s the
result,” said Graham as he
motioned to his Surf Rod.
The design was clearly
born from the mind of an
inventive 13-year-old. With
large tires in the back, the
engine sticking out in the
front, a black body and
wood paneled doors,
Graham and his grandson
brought to life the possibili
ties they had envisioned.
Graham said it wasn’t an
easy process, and he used
the experience to teach
Landon about saving
money and putting in some
elbow grease to make their
dream a reality.
The duo limited them
selves to build the Surf Rod
on a budget of $25 per
week, teaching Landon
valuable lessons in saving
money and managing his
priorities while spending
precious time in his grand
father’s garage.
The car was completed
the week before
Thanksgiving in 2017, and
had its debut at the Turkey
Run car show in Daytona.
“It was a real hit down
there. Just couldn’t believe
it. I’ve had a lot of high end
street rods ... never has
anything got the attention
like this ole car has,”
Graham said.
A lifelong Hot Wheels
enthusiast with 22 totes
filled with his collection of
die-cast cars, Graham was
excited to travel to
Dawsonville from
Cartersville for a chance to
partake in the Hot Wheels
50th Anniversary Legends
Tour on June 30.
Over 275 cars registered
for the sixth stop on the
15-stop national tour, all
vying for a chance to be
selected by a panel of judg
es as a finalist in Hot
Wheels’ search for the next
Legends car. Hot Wheels
has been touring the coun
try in search of the next
unique car to add to their
massive collection to com
memorate their first 50
years.
“This morning when I
first got here I was one of
the first cars in here and
when I was going over to
get my picture taken my
door came open and I
reached to grab my door
and ran into a light pole,”
Graham said. “So I was so
upset with it I was ready to
load it on the trailer and go
home and they convinced
me to stay.”
By the end of the show,
Graham was glad he
stayed, as he was
announced the winner for
See Hot 12A
Highway 53
pass lane to
be removed
Political pressure, recent
accidents spark restriping
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
The Georgia Department of Transportation is plan
ning to restripe the passing lane on Hwy. 53 east into
Dawsonville between Hugh Stowers Road and Buddy
Burt Road to make it safer for drivers navigating the
winding roadway.
GDOT plans to remove the passing lane and create a
two-way center turn lane in its place.
This portion of the highway is a particular concern
for residents, especially the portion known as the
“Buddy Burt Road Curve” in front of Dell Conner
Construction, where earlier this year an 18-year-old
high school student was killed, and where six were
seriously injured in a multi-vehicle wreck just last
month.
Due to increased public concern, local politicians
contacted GDOT to see what could be done to mitigate
traffic incidents in the area. In April, state Rep. Kevin
Tanner, R-Dawsonville, requested that GDOT evaluate
the passing lane section on Hwy. 53.
In a letter to Tanner dated June 26, District 1
Engineer Brent Cook stated that the District Traffic
See Highway 12A
Why there’s no
end in sight for
state water war
By Nick Bowman
DCN Regional Staff
Supreme Court justices say there are five questions
left to answer in the water war between Georgia and
Florida, and one side is already declaring victory.
In its 5-4 decision released on Wednesday, June 27,
the Supreme Court returned the case to its special mas
ter, the attorney who has adjudicated most of the case
between the two states. That gives Florida another
chance to make its case that Georgia water use has
caused harm to Florida residents and that a court-
ordered consumption cap in the Peach State is the
solution.
The decision drew disappointment from Georgia
leaders, who otherwise remain confident in their case,
and elation from their contemporaries in Florida.
In remanding the case, justices ruled in a 5-4 deci
sion that Florida had proven it has suffered harm
because of Georgia’s water consumption and that a
consumption cap could be created if enough informa
tion is gathered by the special master.
The case centers on the Apalachicola-
Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Fake Fanier and the
dams in the basin operated by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
See Water 110A
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9 0 9 9
Inside
Volume 3, Number 40
© 2018, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
3B
Classifieds
8B
Dear Abby
7B
Deaths
2A
Legals
8B
Opinion
9A
Sports
1B
4A Bowen camp
teaches kids
elements of art
10A Dawsonville
approves
2018-2019
budget
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