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DCMS girls cross
country team win
Mountain League
Championship sports, ib
A NOTE TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS:
You may receive two copies of the Oct. 6 edition of the Dawson County News
in the mail. Due to a production problem, the edition mailed earlier omitted
a page of public notice advertising that was scheduled to run. This edition
corrects that error and includes the full public notice section. We apologize
and thank you for your continued support of your hometown newspaper.
DawsonCountyNews
WEDNESDAY I OCTOBER 6, 2021 DaWSOflNeWS ^com DAWSONVULE, GEORGIA $1.00
MEET YOUR CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
Two Dawsonville City Council seats are up for election this fall, with early voting
beginning in just a few short weeks. As the election draws closer, it’s important to
get to know the candidates you’re voting for to fill the council Post 2 and Post 4
seats. DCN sat down with all four candidates to ask them a couple questions about
themselves and their goals if they should be elected.
MARK FRENCH
Post 4 incumbent
French is 51 years
Republican. He holds
degree in Finance
from North Georgia
College and State
University and cur
rently works as an
office manager for a
local manufacturing
company.
Previously, he
worked for just under
20 years in the finance department for
the Lumpkin County government. He
has lived in the city for 12 years and is
involved in many groups and organiza
tions in the community, including
attending Dahlonega United Methodist
Church and the First Baptist
Dawsonville.
He has served on the city council
since he was elected into the role in
2017 and is running against Jamie
McCracken for the Post 4 City Council
seat.
Q: Why are you running for city
council?
A: “I feel that my experience that I
See French 13A
JAMIE MCCRACKEN
McCracken is 45 years old and is
a conservative. He holds an associ
ate degree in air conditioning and
mechanical systems
from Gwinnett
College and went to
MTI from 2000
through 2003 to
study mechanical
systems.
He currently
works as the general
manager for Joe
Powell and Associates. He has lived
in the city limits for four years and
is a 25-year resident of Dawson
County and has been involved in
many groups and organizations in
the community, including serving
as the vice president on the Gold
Creek Homeowners Association
board, leading small groups and
Sunday school classes at local
churches.
He is an alumnus of Leadership
Forsyth and has served on the
Dawsonville DDA for about two
years. He is currently running for
See McCracken | 5A
WILL ILLG
Post 2 incumbent
Illg is 35 years old and is conserva
tive in his political
affiliation. He holds
an associates degree
from Gainesville
State College and a
Bachelors of Arts
from Brenau
University, and he
currently works full
time as an invest
ment advisor and
also as an associate pastor with Echo
Ministries.
He moved to Dawsonville in 2017,
moved out of the city in 2019 and
moved back in 2020. He is involved
in many groups and organizations in
the community, including taking his
son to football games, attending First
Baptist Church of Dawsonville, serv
ing on the Dawsonville DDA, and
accomplishing a lot of volunteer and
service work in different local minis
tries.
He has served on the city council
since May 2021, when he was
appointed by fellow council members
See Illg 14A
MIKE SOSEBEE
Sosebee is 79 years old and is con
servative. He is a high school gradu
ate, a U.S. Army veteran and a
retired sales manager.
He has lived in the
city for 50 years and
is involved in the
community he lives
in, including being a
member of the
American Legion and
attending church in
the city.
He has previously
served on the city council for several
years, from 1980-2004 and again
from 2012-2017. He is currently run
ning for Post 2 City Council seat
against William Illg.
Q: Why are you running for city
council?
A: “I want to use my love and
knowledge of Dawsonville as a
member of the city council. I have a
servant’s heart, family, church and
community. More than 30 years ser
vice on the city council gives me
institutional insight and a vision for
our future.”
See Sosebee 13A
old and is a
a Bachelor’s
French
McCracken
Sosebee
Riverview Elementary named 2021 National Blue Ribbon school
Erica Jones Dawson County News
Riverview Elementary School was one of nine schools in Georgia to be named a 2021 National Blue
Ribbon school by the United States Department of Education.
Jacob Smith
jsmith@dawsonnews.com
Riverview Elementary
School was one of nine
schools in Georgia to be
named a 2021 National
Blue Ribbon school by
the United States
Department of Education.
According to the U.S.
DOE, “affirms the hard
work of educators and
communities in creating
safe and welcoming
schools where students
master challenging and
engaging content.”
This is the 39th year
that the award has been
given to over 9,000
schools across the coun
try.
“This year’s cohort of
honorees demonstrates
what is possible when
committed educators and
school leaders create
vibrant, welcoming, and
affirming school cultures
where rich teaching and
learning can flourish,”
U.S. Secretary of
Education Miguel
Cardona said.
According to the
National Blue Ribbon
Schools website, their
SPARK program stuck
out during the decision
making process.
Riverview is a Positive
Behavior Interventions
and Supports school and
the development of this
“created an environment
where students are reward
ed for perseverance,
acknowledged for accom
plishments, and encour
aged to do their best.”
The energy that comes
from this process is what
Riverview began referring
to as SPARK, or Service,
Pride, Attitude, Respect
and Kindness.
“One emphasis of our
SPARK program is
respect and consideration
for individual differences,”
the release on the National
Blue Ribbon website said.
“Seeing our students learn
to love and respect those
different from them and
grow into advocates for
others is one of the most
rewarding parts of work
ing at Riverview.”
“We believe that our
SPARK will grow brighter
and brighter as our stu
dents and staff continue to
commit themselves to
develop empathy and pro
mote acceptance.”
Riverview principal
Adam Maroney said in a
phone interview he
believes the school han
dles their PBIS initiative
with “such fidelity that it
makes it unique for our
school.”
“I’m very excited about
being named a National
Blue Ribbon School for
2021,” Maroney said. “I
think it’s a fantastic honor
for our students, staff and
community as a whole to
be recognized on the
national stage. It’s really a
testament to the work we
do here at Riverview.”
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Inside
Volume 7, Number 36
© 2021, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
2B
Classifieds
7B
Dear Abby
6B
Deaths
2A
Legals
8B
Opinion
9A
Sports
1B
4A Dawson
Chorale puts
on Beatles
concert
Teen honored
at ‘Community
of Courage
event
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