Newspaper Page Text
2A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, October 31,2018
Linemen are everyday heroes
To put it in the words of
my country kin: In 19 and
35, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed an
Executive Order that creat
ed the Rural Electrification
Administration.
This would be a remark
able turning point for the
South.
Roosevelt had fallen in
love with rural Georgia
when his friend, George
Foster Peabody, talked him
into traveling to Warm
Springs in hopes that the
hot spring waters would
soothe his polio-stricken
limbs. Roosevelt was of the
privileged New York elite
so he had no idea how the
poverty-plagued Southern
region was forced to live.
What he saw there would
change his heart — and his
changed heart would trans
form all of America during
the dark days of the
Depression.
Only towns and cities
had electricity because the
costs of laying power lines
to sparsely populated areas
were too great. Under
Roosevelt’s Executive
Order — which Congress
would turn into a legislative
act in 19 and 36 — the fed
eral government loaned
money to distribution areas
to install the equipment.
These member-owned
cooperatives became
known as Electric
Membership Cooperatives
(EMC). Most of these
EMCs or REAs (Rural
Electric Association) still
exist today, along with
municipal and privately
owned power companies
which serve the more popu
lated areas.
Whether you have elec
tricity supplied by a cooper
ative, a Southern Company
Ronda Rich
Columnist
subsidiary or other, we all
owe a lot to the linemen,
the unsung heroes.
Whenever a winter storm or
tornado is coming, I pray
for these men and women
who leave the safe comfort
of their homes to rebuild
our power lines and service
transformers in the worst
kinds of weather. They are
warriors.
A few years back, we had
an ice storm that left our
farm looking as though a
tornado had come through
and laid waste two dozen
trees. Eve been through
three tornadoes, a tropical
storm created by a hurri
cane, and many snow and
ice storms. I’ve never per
sonally experienced such
damage. We were without
power for three full days. It
was so cold that our house-
plants froze and died but
the ice never melted in the
refrigerator. We stayed
warm by plugging in an
electric blanket to an exten
sion cord that ran to a gas
generator on the back
porch. It ran out of gas
about 4 a.m. every morning
but we got through it.
It was tough for us but it
was a lot tougher for those
trying to restore the power.
On the Rondarosa, we
are serviced by two differ
ent EMCs: one on the front
side and another on the
backside. Sometimes, dur
ing storms, one side of the
property has power while
the other doesn’t. Our
membership in these two
EMCs entitles us to receive
a magazine filled with fea
tures and energy tips.
Recently, as I flipped
through an issue, a headline
caught my eye: “Steve
Gabrels Retires As Crew
Foreman.”
I don’t know Mr.
Gabrels but his story
touched my heart and it’s
one I feel is probably
shared in common with
thousands of linemen
across the South. He was
proud to be able to get on
with the power company
because it paid a good
wage and was considered
the kind of job that would
help a man provide for his
family and retire with ben
efits.
Here, I want to quote
him directly: “I realized I
would be working with
good people and by that I
mean Godly people. They
treat each other with
respect, take pride in doing
a great job and have the
desire to go above and
beyond for the members.
Without a doubt, the good
Lord opened the door for
me to have this job and
kept me safe from harm’s
way countless times.”
“Tink, listen to this,” I
said, reading Mr. Gabrels’
words aloud. I choked up.
This is the American
South. A place made by
hard-working, God-fearing
people — with a big hand
extended by Mr. Roosevelt
to help us up from the dirt
ditches.
I’m so grateful for them
all.
Ronda Rich is the best-selling
author of Mark My Words: A
Memoir of Mama.
OBITUARY
Barbara Fowler
Barbara Fowler, 71, of
Dawsonville, died Oct. 24,
2018.
Barbara was a member of
New Light Baptist Church.
Her parents, Jesse and
Mary Morgan; her brothers,
Ralph, Joe, Wallace, and
Buddy Morgan; and her sis
ters, Lillian Henderson and
Betty Lois Youngblood,
preceded her in death.
Survivors include her
husband of 53 years, Robert
Fowler; daughter and son-
in-law, Brandy and
Richmond Chadwick;
brothers and sisters-in-law,
Aaron and Mary Morgan,
Charles and Marie Morgan,
Bonnie Morgan; sisters,
Louise Fritts and Shirley
Weaver; sisters-in-law,
JoAnn Burgess, Nancy
Purcell, and Pauline
Edwards; various other rel
atives also survive.
Funeral services were
held at 2 p.m. Oct. 30 in
the Ingram Funeral Home
Chapel with Rev. Bud
Sutton and Rev. Sean
Carnahan officiating.
Interment followed in
Sawnee View Gardens.
The family received
friends from 12 to 2 p.m.
Oct. 30 at the funeral
home.
Ingram Funeral Home of
Cumming was in charge of
arrangements.
Dawson County News
October 31, 2018
IHARDWARE
22 Long Rifle
Shells 40 Grain
BRICK OF 500 CARTRIDGES
ON SALE $25.00
BOX OF 50 CARTRIDGES
ON SALE $2.79
www.dawsonvillehardware.com
(A \^AxHO<2yi/
^Water & 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.
Arrest Reports
Oct. 22
William Joe Adams, 43, Marietta:
Probation violation/felony.
Christopher Jay Sawyer, 49, Jasper:
Probation violation/misdemeanor.
Crystal Dawn Wilson, 33,
Dahlonega: Here for court.
Oct. 23
Troy Donald Arnold, 54,
Dahlonega: Open container violation,
DUI/alcohol, failure to maintain lane.
Melissa Allene Bennett, 38,
Cumming: Theft by shoplifting.
April Leshia Etris, 35, Dawsonville:
False name/date of birth.
Heather Nicole Everhart, 33,
Dawsonville: False name/date of
birth, possession of a controlled sub
stance.
Jose Fidel Giron Sandoval, 28,
Dawsonville: Simple battery/family
violence, false imprisonment.
Dustin Elliott Hobbs, 33,
Dawsonville: Possession of firearm
by convicted felon.
Teiddra Denise Mitchell, 28,
Savannah: Theft by shoplifting.
Colby Nicholas Pardue, 19,
Dawsonville: Suspended vehicle reg
istration, defective or no taillights,
violation of conditions/limited permit.
Oct. 24
Cody Michael Darby, 26,
Dahlonega: Obstruction of officer,
possession of a controlled substance.
Michael David Lambert, 46,
Birmingham, Ala.: Driving while
license suspended/revoked, failure to
maintain lane.
Oct. 25
Charles Edward Dickinson, 34,
Dawsonville: Possession of a con
trolled substance, drug related
objects, reckless driving.
Kimberly Rose Gentry, 50,
Clarkesville: Bench warrant/failure to
appear in court.
Josiah Daniel Linton, 18, Lithia:
Aggravated sexual battery, aggravated
child molestation.
Oct. 26
Sarah Leighann Hope, 34,
Dawsonville: Open container viola
tion, DUI/alcohol, DUI/endangering
child under 14, failure to maintain
lane.
Daniel John Nelson, 19,
Dawsonville: Hit and run, report acci
dent with damage/person injury, fail
ure to yield entering/crossing roadway.
Oct. 27
Christopher Karl Glowacki, 30,
Newnan: Driving while license sus
pended/revoked, following too close
ly-
Emily Alicia Hall, 17, Cumming:
DUI, driver to exercise due care.
Zachary Thomas Hunsucker, 24,
Dawsonville: Possession of marijuana
less than one ounce, two counts drug
related objects, obedience to traffic
control device, DUI/alcohol and drugs.
Miracle Troyanna Suddeth, 28,
Dawsonville: Aggravated assault, bat
tery.
Crystal Plemmons Walden, 37,
Dawsonville: Simple assault/family
violence.
Oct. 28
Elliot Lome Jack Sr., 35, Conyers:
Too fast for conditions, DUI, failure to
maintain lane.
Jake Douglas King, 29,
Dawsonville: Probation violation/mis
demeanor.
Anthony Gonzalo Ortega, 20,
Gainesville: DUI/alcohol.
Jerry Wayne Prichard, 26,
Dawsonville: Three counts aggravated
assault.
Michael Anthony Pruitt-Akins, 30,
Dawsonville: Hit and run, striking
fixed object, DUI/alcohol, failure to
maintain lane.
Samuel Cordell Reagan, 31,
Dahlonega: Charges pending.
An
Speaker Ralston Fighting
for North Georgia
Delivered the first income tax cut in
over 70 years
Fought to make rural Georgia a priority
at the Capitol
Protected our 2nd Amendment right to
bear arms
Expanded High Speed Internet Access
Continued economic growth and
healthcare innovations
VOTE TUESDAY!
Early Voting Continues Until Friday
Paid for by Ralston for Representative
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 ii:
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.