Newspaper Page Text
2A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, October 24,2018
OBITUARIES
Austin Mark Burke
Austin Mark Burke, 20,
of Dahlonega, died Oct.
17, 2018.
Austin was bom Jan. 5,
1998. A native of Sautee,
he had lived in Lumpkin
County for the past two
years. He was a 2016
graduate of White County
High School where he
enjoyed being a member of
the FFA. He was
employed by ARW and
enjoyed coon hunting, deer
hunting, mowing the lawn,
horseback riding and being
a cowboy.
Survivors include his
fiancee, Hanna Pan ter of
Dahlonega; parents, Hal
and Louanna Burke of
Sautee; sisters, Christen
Crump of Cleveland,
Ashley Lafountain of
Cleveland; brothers and
sisters-in-law, Joshua and
Tara Murray of Sautee,
Jorden Burke of Sautee;
grandfather, Harold Burke
of Lula; various other rela
tives also survive.
A celebration of Austin’s
life was held at 4 p.m. Oct.
21 at Winds of Peace
Fellowship with Rev.
Tommy Panter and Rev.
Tony Elrod officiating.
Interment followed in the
Winds of Peace Fellowship
Cemetery.
The family received
friends beginning at 2 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Winds of Peace
Fellowship.
In lieu of flowers dona
tions may be made to
Winds of Peace
Fellowship, 1550 Harmony
Church Road,
Dawsonville, Ga. 30534.
Bearden Funeral Home
of Dawsonville was in
charge of the arrange
ments.
Dawson County News
October 17, 2018
Earl Edward England
Earl Edward England
Sr., 84, of Ellijay, died Oct.
21,2018.
He was a loving father
and grandfather whom
loved sports, fishing and
gardening. He was a veter
an of the United States
Army where he served
during the Korean War. He
was considered the Mayor
of Burnt Mountain by all
the locals and would patrol
the mountain on his four-
wheeler.
His wife, Peggy Joyce
England, and brother,
Johnny England, preceded
him in death.
Survivors include his
sons, Eddie England of
Ellijay, Todd and Sherri
England of Ellijay; sister,
Sue Johnson of
Summerville; grandchil
dren, Nick England, Kalin
England, Ashley and Cody
Pitts, Nathan Flanagan;
various other relatives also
survive.
Funeral services will be
held at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 in
the Bearden Funeral Home
Chapel with the Rev. Mark
Henson officiating.
Interment will follow the
funeral at Antioch Baptist
Church Cemetery in
Dawsonville.
The family will receive
friends from 5 to 8 p.m.
Oct. 24 and from 11 a.m.
until the service time Oct.
25 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers the
family asks that donations
please be made to K.A.R.E.
for Kids, P.O. Box 211,
Dawsonville, Ga. 30534.
Bearden Funeral Home
of Dawsonville was in
charge of the arrange
ments.
Dawson County News
October 17, 2018
Judith R "Judy"
Hopkins
Judith P. “Judy” Hopkins
(Brown), 74, of
Dahlonega, died Oct. 18,
2018.
Born April 19, 1944 to
the late Raymond Lambert
and Betty Jane Royalty,
she had been a resident of
Dahlonega for 33 years
having moved from
Danville, Ill.
Judy was a psychiatric
registered nurse her entire
career and worked for the
State of Georgia until her
retirement. She enjoyed
buying fabric, crafts, read
ing and most of all her
time with family and
friends.
Survivors include her
husband of 33 years, Roger
Brown of Dawsonville;
children, Mike Dougherty
of Danville, Ill., Tina
Indrunas of Clearwater,
Fla., Mindy Whited of
Dawsonville, Anna
Berkley of Dawsonville;
brother, Tony Bonacorsi of
Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; eight
grandchildren; various
other relatives also survive.
Memorial services were
held at 2 p.m. Oct. 21 in
the Bearden Funeral Home
Chapel with Rev. James
Lemley officiating.
The family received
friends from 1 p.m. until
the service hour Oct. 21 at
the funeral home.
Bearden Funeral Home
of Dawsonville was in
charge of the arrange
ments.
Dawson County News
October 17, 2018
William Ray Rickett
William Ray Rickett, 80,
of Dawsonville, died Oct.
21,2018.
He was bom in 1938 to
William and Clara Mae
Rickett. He was a member
of Faith Baptist Church in
Suwanee.
His son, Dawson Neal
Rickett and his daughter,
Charlotte Ann Church, pre
ceded him in death.
Survivors include his
loving wife of 59 years,
Joann Rickett; his sons and
daughters-in-law, Rev.
Alfred and Telete Rickett
and Rev. Sam and Kim
Rickett, all of Cumming;
daughter, Denise Sheets of
Dawsonville; eight grand
children; several great
grandchildren; two sisters;
four brothers; various other
relatives also survive.
Funeral services for Mr.
Rickett were held at 2 p.m.
Oct. 23 in the chapel of
Ingram Funeral Home with
Rev. George Teems, Rev.
Alfred Rickett and Rev.
Sam Rickett officiating.
Interment followed at Faith
Baptist Church Cemetery
in Suwanee.
The family received
friends from 6 to 9 p.m.
Oct. 22 and from 9 a.m.
until the service hour Oct.
23.
Ingram Funeral Home
and Crematory of
Cumming was in charge of
arrangements.
Dawson County News
October 17, 2018
Dwight Townley
Dwight Townley, 60, of
Oxford, died Oct. 17,
2018.
Whether at his job or
working on the farm,
Dwight took pride in being
a hard worker. In 2012, the
Dawson County Fire
Department honored his
exceptional work ethic
with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. As a
man who valued family
and loved being outdoors,
he cultivated a strong bond
with sons, Jason and
Travis, while camping,
trout fishing, watching
them play sports and vol
unteering as a Cub Scout
leader for their Troop.
Funny and personable,
Dwight was the center of
attention at social gather
ings - always cracking
jokes and making others
laugh. He was also known
for his love of gospel
music and singing in
church.
His parents, L.B. Ford
and Orlene (Cantrell)
Townley, preceded him in
death.
Survivors include his
wife, Susan Townley of
Oxford; sons, Jason Ford
Townley of Perry, Travis
Austin Townley of Oxford;
sister and brother-in-law,
Joyce and Alex Pledger of
Jefferson; brothers and sis-
ters-in-law, Randall and
Jackie Townley of
Cleveland, Roger and
Becky Townley of
Cumming, Cecil and
Dottie Townley of Ellijay,
Ronald and Wynell
Townley, Don and Lynda
Townley, all of
Dawsonville; as well as
several nieces, nephews,
great-nieces and great-
nephews; various other rel
atives also survive.
A funeral service was
held at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 in
the the chapel of Caldwell
& Cowan Funeral Home
with Pastor Ron Heiber
and Dr. Kerry Duncan offi
ciating. Interment followed
in Lawnwood Memorial
Park in Covington. The
family received friends
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct.
19 at the funeral home.
Caldwell & Cowan
Funeral Home of
Covington was in charge
of the arrangements.
Dawson County News
October 17, 2018
BOC sends letter to city objecting to annexation
Commissioners object to higher density of planned subdivision
'The city has the right to annex this...
if we object, then we're just basically
(heading) toward attorney fees and
time wasted for objecting to this.'
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
In a 3-1 vote Oct. 18, the
Dawson County Board of
Commissioners decided to
send a letter of objection to
the city of Dawsonville in
regard to a pending annexa
tion and rezoning request
for two parcels of land on
Perimeter Road at the cor
ner of Allen Street where a
subdivision is proposed.
Applicants Michael
Turner and Myles
Montgomery are petition
ing to annex into the city
limits 11.407 acres and
rezone to R-3, or single
family residential with a
density of three units per
acre, as well as rezone
another 2.768 acres already
in the city from light indus
trial to R-3.
The applicants also asked
for a variance of 3.74 units
per acre as opposed to the
standard three. The variance
was approved by the plan
ning commission Oct. 8,
contingent upon the city
approving annexation and
rezoning.
If passed by city council
the annex and rezone would
allow a 5 3-home subdivi
sion on 14.175 acres.
The acreage that is cur
rently in the county is
zoned RSR, or residential
sub-rural, which allows
only one principal resi
dence per parcel of land.
County Attorney Lynn
Frey said at the BOC meet
ing that high density devel
opment and the possibility
that the city will be creating
an unincorporated island at
the corner of Allen Street
and Perimeter Road were
grounds for the county to
object should the board
decide to.
Frey said if the county
objected and the city and
county could not reach a
deal, the parties could go
into arbitration, which
should move faster than
normal litigation.
“The city has the right to
annex this ... if we object,
then we’re just basically
(heading) toward attorney
fees and time wasted for
objecting to this,” District 3
Commissioner Jimmy
Hamby said.
Hamby asked if anyone
knew of objections to an
annexation where the coun
ty had won, and no one said
they had. District 2
Commissioner Chris
Gaines, who used to sit on
the city council, said the
county often fought annex
ations but it did no good.
District 1 Commissioner
Sharon Fausett said she
wanted to object.
“What in the world is
going to happen with that
many houses jammed right
there, and the schools...
Robinson Elementary, you
got the high school, I can
not imagine how you could
even get to school,” she
said. “I think a higher den
sity is really going to cause
a problem.”
Chairman Billy
Thurmond said arbitration
would be between the
county attorney, city attor
ney and an arbitrator, and
would not cost the county
any additional money.
District 4 Commissioner
Julie Hughes Nix made a
motion to send a letter of
objection, which was
approved 3-1 with Hamby
voting against the motion.
The city council conduct
ed a public hearing on the
annexation and rezoning
request Monday night, and
Planning Director Robbie
Irvin said that he had
received the county’s letter
of objection and was work
ing to resolve the issue.
Along with approving the
variance, the city planning
commission also voted
unanimously to recommend
the council approve the
annexation and zoning with
conditions: that the devel
oper reach an agreement
with the city for a joint
detention facility and
improvements to be made
Jimmy Hamby
District 3 Commissioner
by the developer to the pro
posed city dog park; that
the city require two
entrances to the subdivision
with one on Allen Street
and one on Perimeter Road;
and that the developer pro
vide inter-parcel pedestrian
access to the city property.
In order for the council to
approve the annexation and
rezoning after the second
hearing Nov. 5, a legal deal
between the city and Turner
and Montgomery in regard
to the construction of the
detention facility and
design of the future dog
park will need to be final
ized.
Montgomery said at the
meeting Oct. 22 that he
believes the density is suit
able for the area and that he
and Turner are not asking
for something far-fetched.
“It will complete those
vacant tracts that are there
and then everything in that
quadrant will be developed,
and the 3.74 units per acre
that we’re requesting is
actually less than what you
find in the Stonewall subdi
vision, which is adjacent to
our development,”
Montgomery said.
Victoria Goodyear, who
lives in Pigeon Creek
Estates, said she did not
support the annexation and
density of the planned
development.
“I don’t think it’s needed,
I think sometimes when
you give them an inch
sometimes they take a
mile,” Goodyear said. “And
when you look back five to
10 years down the road
you’re like ‘whoa, what
happened? This has gotten
a little out of control.’”
At the city council meet
ing, council member Mark
French stated he would like
the city to consider impos
ing a moratorium on annex
ation and rezoning until an
impact study can be com
pleted and considered by
the council.
The request will be back
before the council at 7 p.m.
Nov. 5 for a final vote.
CM
V\Vater & Sewer Authority
“Excellence in every drop ”
In honor of our Veterans,
Etowah Water & Sewer Authority will be
hosting a luncheon for Veterans and a guest
Monday, November 12, 2018 at 1 pm
Dawson County Junior High School
located at 332 GA-9, Dawsonville
The Veterans Affairs of Dawson County will have a
ceremony and parade following the luncheon.
Daws o n C o u nty N e ws
A Metro Market Media Publication
Established in 2015 by the merger of Dawson Community News and Dawson News and Advertiser
30 Shoal Creek Road i PUBLISHER | Stephanie Woody
Dawsonville, GA 30534 GENERAL MANAGER | Brenda Bohn
PHONE (706) 265-3384 EDITOR | Allie Dean
FAX (706) 265-3276
usps 018-876 | Updates online at DawsonNews rii
Display advertising
For Wednesday: Retail
and Classified deadlines
are 3 p.m. Friday
Classified liners
(help wanted, for sale, etc.)
For Wednesday: Deadline
is noon Monday
Advertising rates available upon
request.
To subscribe in Dawson County:
ONE YEAR | $45
TWO YEARS | $75
To subscribe elsewhere in Georgia:
ONE YEAR | $65
To subscribe outside of Georgia:
ONE YEAR | $65
Published Wednesdays by the Dawson County News Co., 30 Shoal
Creek Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Second-class postage paid at
Dawsonville, Ga., and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address
changes to Dawson County News, P.O. Box 1600, Dawsonville,
GA 30534.