About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2019)
Wednesday, July 3,2019 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A Striving to keep the message of July 4 alive As July 4 approaches, I always find myself listening to the Hamilton Broadway musical soundtrack. One particular moment never fails to make me shed some tears. On the eve of the Battle of Yorktown, George Washington tells Alexander Hamilton that “his tory has its eyes on you.” I think about that lyric often. I think back to our forefathers and I wonder, “did they know what they were doing would alter history?” Did they know their rebellion would lead to independence? Did they know what doors they would open? What’s even more impressive is when I look back at our Revolutionary War heroes, I realize how young they truly were. Some of the heroic names we remember from our history books were younger than I am now when JESSICA TAYLOR Features Writer they took up their arms to defend this land. Marquis de Lafayette was 18 when he traveled from France to fight with the colonists against the British. James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, dropped out of college at age 18 in 1776 to join the Continental Army. Aaron Burr was 20. Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens were 21. Nathan Hale was a 21-year-old school teacher who volunteered for a dangerous spy mission. He was captured by the British and hanged Sept. 22,1776. He is remembered for saying “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” And for the unsung heroes whose names were never learned in our U.S. JJistory classes: Maj. Thomas Young was only 12 when war broke out. He joined the militia when he was 16. Deborah Sampson was 15 at the start of the war. She disguised her self as a man so she could enlist. For two years she fought with Patriot forces, leading dangerous expeditions, digging trenches and capturing 15 Loyalists. Once her identity was discovered by a doc tor, she was honorably discharged. Sybil Ludington, also 15, rode her horse for 40 miles to warn the Patriots of a British attack. Bom a slave, James Armistead, worked as a spy under Marquis de Lafayette as a teenager. JJis intel from General Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold led to the victory at the Battle ofYorktown. Another slave, Peter Salem, was 16 when he was freed to serve in a local militia in Massachusetts. He then enlisted in the Continental Army under George Washington. He was even named a hero in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Even our seventh president, Andrew Jackson, who was only nine years old when the war began, played a role in the Revolution. Though he was only 13-years-old when he served as a patriot courier, he was captured by British soldiers and was hit across the face because he refused to shine his captors’ shoes. It’s remarkable to me that these young heroes were so willing to fight and lay down their lives for an ideal that all men are created equal. Though we have war heroes of all ages and backgrounds, the American Revolution shows many of our heroes were teenagers, were schoolteachers, were farmers, were everyday people. Many of them weren’t trained soldiers. They fought because they believed in something with every fiber of their being, pushing down their fears and persevering onwards to victo ry- I wish I could go back in time to tell them their unyielding courage in the face of certain death and their passion to create a better world for their families and the families not yet bom was not in vain. I wish I could tell them thank you, but the only way I know how to give my thanks is to follow in their footsteps - standing up for what I feel is right, exercising the privileges their sacrifices have afforded me and not letting their importance be forgotten. Photo for the Dawson County News Representatives from AT&T present the University of North Georgia with a $25,000 grant to help first generation non-English native speaking students receive academic enrichment support that will help them to succeed in high school and beyond. AT&T awards $25K for Steps to College initiative From staff reports AT&T is helping the University of North Georgia (UNG) make a difference in the lives of more than 115 area high school students for whom English is not their primary language. Through a $25,000 grant, the compa ny will help ensure that first generation non-English native speaking students receive academic enrichment support that will help them to succeed in high school and beyond. Now entering its 20th year, Steps to College (S2C) is a summer for-credit program designed to meet the unique needs of bilingual or multilingual area high school students who are also English learners. “Every child has the potential to suc ceed and is a vital part of Georgia’s future,” said state Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega). “I am so proud of UNG and the administrators, teachers and vol unteers who are doing so much to ensure that these students are not left behind but are prepared to pursue and accomplish their dreams.” “For all students, and especially for students who aspire to significant aca demic achievement, English proficiency is a significant milestone,” said Jeff Tarnowski, Vice President for University Advancement at UNG. “The S2C pro gram was developed to both help stu dents stay on track for high school grad uation, but to also introduce these stu dents to the university educational envi ronments and to support them in consid ering options available to them. We appreciate the support of the community and of leaders like Senator Gooch in making a lasting difference for these students and their families.” Participating school systems, which provide transportation for students, include Gainesville City school system and the Hall, Forsyth, Habersham, Stephens and Banks county school sys tems. Classes are held on the UNG Gainesville Campus as well as the Cumming Campus and, according to the 'For all students, and especially for students who aspire to significant academic achievement, English proficiency is a significant milestone.' Jeff Tarnowski UNG Vice President for University Advancement needs of prospective students, include courses such as American Government, science, math, language arts and ESOL. The program, which includes classroom instruction, bus transportation and lunch, is free to the students. “AT&T is dedicated to helping peo ple make connections - with each other, with information and entertainment, and with opportunities for the future,” said Paul Chambers, AT&T Georgia regional director of external affairs. “We are excited about the difference the Steps 2 College program makes in the lives of its students and honored to support the great work being done by all involved.” As part of AT&T’s support, the sum mer students are visiting AT&T work locations in their respective towns for additional career advice and perspective. The University of North Georgia (UNG) is one of the largest public uni versities in the state with almost 20,000 students across its five campuses — Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee County. UNG is one of six senior military colleges in the United States and is designated as a University System of Georgia leadership institution and as The Military College of Georgia. It offers more than 100 pro grams of study including certificates, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as professional doctoral programs. FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY!! FRIDAY, July 12th 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Downtown at Bill Elliott St. & Tucker Ave. Food Truck Vendors • InSlatables • Balloon animals • Face Painting Body of Atlanta drowning victim recovered Monday afternoon xnamex Dawson County News The body of Corey Lamar Brown Corey Lamar Brown was found July 1 at VannsTavern Park. By Nick Watson DCN Regional Staff An Atlanta man’s body was found in 26 feet of water Monday, July 1, near the spot he disap peared three days earlier on Lake Lanier, according to authorities. Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens found the body of Corey Lamar Brown, 28, around 4:44 p.m. Monday near Vann’s Tavern Park. “Game wardens located him using sector scan sonar and then recovered him with the remote-operated vehicle,” DNR spokesman Mark McKinnon said. Brown was on a rented double-decker pontoon boat Friday, June 28, with a group of people jumping from the top and sliding down a slide, according to DNR Sgt. Lee Brown. “They had rented a pontoon boat and they were out on the lake for the day swimming,” Sgt. Brown said. “From what I understand, he was going after someone else and he started struggling and then went down.” McKinnon said game wardens were called to the scene around 6:15 p.m. Friday. Two individ uals were rescued, but Brown never resurfaced. Sgt. Brown said he believes Brown knew how to swim and wasn’t sure if alcohol was a factor in the reported drowning. Sonar and dive teams searched the area until about 1 a.m. Saturday and began again around 7 a.m. On Saturday afternoon, a DNR helicopter helped in the search, but as boat traf fic picked up, the dive team and sonar searches were called off. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Hall County Fire Services dive teams assisted in the search. Reporters Layne Saliba and Jeff Gill contributed to this story. Below are 10 fireworks safety tips you should know. • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol • Never allow young children to handle fireworks • Older children should use them only under close adult supervision • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eye wear • Never light them indoors • Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material • Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting • Never ignite devices in a container • Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks • Soak unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire The best way to protect your family is to not use any fireworks at home. Instead, attend public fireworks displays and leave the lighting to the professionals. Sheriff Jeff Johnson Visit us on Facebook 3> Dawson County Sheriff’s Office Dawsonville, Ga www.dawsoncountysheriff.org Non-Emergency 706-344-3636 Tip Line- 706-265-4744
