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Robinson Elem. School
raises awareness for
childhood cancer
LOCAL, 11A
WEDNESDAY I OCTOBER 10, 2018 DaWSOflNeWS ^com DAWSONVULE, GEORGIA $1.00
Big items discussed at joint meeting
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
In their first joint planning session in
more than a decade, the Dawson County
Board of Commissioners and the
Dawsonville City Council gathered at
Amicalola Falls on Friday, Oct. 5, for a
day-long retreat with the goal of
strengthening communication between
the two governing bodies.
For some, it was the first time com
missioners and city council members
met face to face.
Over the course of the day the two
groups worked to gather a greater
understanding of the vision and long
term goals of the other, discussing past
issues as well as what is working well
now and what could be improved.
Langford Holbrook from the Carl
Vinson Institute of Government at the
University of Georgia facilitated the
meeting between the two entities, and
four big topics dominated the overarch
ing discussion of how the city and coun
ty can best work together going forward.
City close to acquiring airport
The biggest elephant in the room was
addressed early on as Mayor Mike
Eason updated the commissioners on
the status of the city’s plans to purchase
and operate the longest air strip in north
Georgia, the Elliott-family owned air
port off Hwy. 183.
Eason said the city’s involvement in
the airport dates back to 2006 or earlier
and that there has been a lot of contro
versy about the airport since then
because there was limited communica
tion.
Eason said that since last December,
the city has been working with the
Georgia Department of Transportation
and the Federal Aviation Administration
See Meeting 18A
‘It bridges the community 5
Photos by Jessica Brown Dawson County News
Wendy Goldman learns a new sign from Jimmy Reed during the first meet up of the ASL North
Georgia club in Dawsonville Oct. 6.
New sign language group builds connections in north Georgia
Helen Holloway founded ASL North Georgia after taking her
first American Sign Language at the University of North
Georgia. She wanted to create a group where signers of all abil
ities could meet to practice their skills and to provide an oppor
tunity to get involved with the local deaf community.
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
From children as young as nine
to adults in their 80s, an eclectic
group of individuals sat together
at Panera Bread Saturday, Oct. 6,
smiling to each other as they
communicated with nothing but
their hands.
It was the first gathering for the
newly formed group called
American Sign Language North
Georgia, where signers of all
ages and abilities gathered
together to form friendships,
learn new signs and practice their
signing skills among likeminded
people.
The club, founded by
Dawsonville resident Helen
Holloway, began after she
enrolled in Michael Leitson’s
ASL 1 course at the University of
North Georgia.
Holloway had taken an interest
in sign language when she stud
ied early child care and education
in her native England. She
learned that babies as young as
six months old can learn sign lan
guage, so she began signing with
her son William when he was just
an infant. As he grew older and
began talking, Holloway fell out
of touch with signing but wanted
to reconnect with her passion.
“I find it really interesting,”
Holloway said. “I’m terrible try
ing to learn other languages. Sign
language seems to be something
that is a little easier for me.”
After taking Leitson’s class,
she would come home and teach
William everything she had
learned as a way to practice, but
she was eager to join a local
group to practice with more peo
ple.
When she went to find a group
near her, she was surprised to
find that there were none.
“I just figured that for me to
practice it would be good to find
a group. When I looked online I
couldn’t find one so I figured
‘well if I can’t find one I’ll just
create one,”’ she said.
Holloway saw the club as an
opportunity for the community to
get involved for free and without
having to attend weekly class.
“I had the opportunity to go to
(Leitson’s) class once a week and
to study but some people might
not have the time or resources to
be able to go but they might be
interested in just learning for
themselves or they might have a
friend or family member they
might want to communicate
with,” Holloway said.
When Holloway approached
Leitson and her classmates about
starting a sign language club in
north Georgia, they were imme
diately on board.
See Language 15A
4 things from last
week’s board of
commissioners
voting session
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
The Dawson County Board of Commissioners Oct. 4
voting session had commissioners discussing the pro
posed 2019 budget as well as accepting a $74,000 grant
to aid victims of crime, applying for funds to fix the pier
at War Hill Park and approving a legal assistant position
for the county attorney.
First 2019 budget hearing held
The board held the first of three public hearings on the
2019 budget last week.
The only comments made by commissioners came
from District 4 Commissioner Julie Hughes Nix, who
asked that the Human Resources department consider
moving the potential new position of an administrative
assistant for the fleet maintenance department down in
pay grade.
“That seems like an awful lot of money for that posi
tion,” she said. “Maybe look at the salary study and see if
that can be reclassified, because I think that total package
ends up being almost $59,000 for a secretary position.”
Sheriff Jeff Johnson spoke during the public hearing,
stating he wanted to reassure the board that the two new
patrol positions that Chairman Billy Thurmond has pro
posed would be patrol positions if allocated.
Thurmond said during his budget presentation Sept. 27
that Johnson could technically use the funds for any posi
tions he chose because he is a constitutional officer,
despite the fact that Johnson had previously stated the
patrol positions were his number one priority.
See Board 14A
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AWARENESS MONTH
North Georgia’s Got
Talent to help victims
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness
Month and a local domestic violence shelter is helping to
raise awareness and funding for the cause with a regional
talent show set for this Saturday.
No One Alone, a domestic violence program and emer
gency shelter serving victims
of domestic violence in
Dawson and Lumpkin coun
ties, is hosting the second
annual North Georgia’s Got
Talent Oct. 13 at the Dawson
County High School
Performing Arts Center.
The show starts at 3 p.m.
and will feature performanc
es from the top 13 acts that
were selected from 40 audi
tions.
Proceeds from audition
fees, ticket sales and
People’s Choice Award votes will go to support NOA,
which has served nearly 20,000 men, women and chil
dren since opening its doors in 1992.
According to statistics from NOA, three out four
Americans personally know someone who is or has been
See Talent 111A
Current NOA
shelter needs
Canned vegetables
Canned meats
Nonperishable juices
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Laundry soap
Cleaning supplies
Razors
Towels
9 0 9 9
Inside
Volume 4, Number 3
© 2018, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
3B
Classifieds
8B
Dear Abby
7B
Deaths
2A
Legals
9B
Opinion
9A
Sports
1B
10A Dahlonega
Museum offers
unique murder
trial escape room
10A Federal grants
will help GBI,
Drug Courts
in opioid fight