About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 2018)
Friendly critters draw big crowd to library LOCAL, 3A Show your 4th of July spirit PULL-OUT U.S. FLAG, 6A ★ ★★★★★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★★★ *********** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★★★ *********** 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 0 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 Taking on cancer requires an elite clinical team. That's why Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has the most board-certified medical oncologists in Georgia. We diagnose and treat more new cancer cases than any other hospital in the state—providing care at 48 cancer centers. 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