Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, April 27, 2022, Image 6

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Dawson County news., April 27, 2022, Image 6

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Newspaper Page Text6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com Wednesday, April 27,2022 NGCC hosts annual Earth Day event, poster contest By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com On Saturday April 23, the North Georgia Conservation Coalition hosted its annual Earth Day event, complete with a poster contest for local children, a raffle and silent auction, an electric vehicle show and several booths offering informa tion about different ways to help save the planet. Vendors at the event had tables set up cover ing many of the ways that community members can help the environ ment, offering informa tion about bees, pollina tor plants, solar power, clean energy and much more. When event attendees entered the Bowen, they were given a “Bingo” card to encourage them to go to the different tables, and once they col lected signatures from all of the tables present they were given free flowers. The event also offered a raffle and silent auction with prizes donated from local businesses, and an opportunity for children to make an Earth Day themed craft. The North Georgia Conservation Coalition also hosted its annual Earth Day poster contest, announcing the winners during the event. This year, three schools from Dawson County partici pated, and students were given the opportunity to draw Earth Day themed posters and participate in the contest for a chance to win in their age group. This year’s winners were: • Kindergarten through first grade age group: • First place: Noemi Bryant, Robinson Elementary School • Runner-up: Alonso Zavala, Kilough Elementary School • Third through fifth grade age group: • First place: Benjamin Readinger, Kilough Elementary School • Runner-up: Piper Rae Reebideaux, Kilough Elementary School Middle school age group: • First place: Kaylee Hall • Runner-up: Ayla Brown • Overall winner: Benjamin Readinger North Georgia Conservation Coalition Director Bette Holland said that she was pleased with the number of ven dors that traveled from all over Georgia to help sup port the mission of the Earth Day event. “We’re just pleased as can be; these folks with tables have come a long way,” Holland said. “And we have an amazing group of volunteers; it took a lot of organizing but now Em just walking around watching every thing get done.” The most important takeaway and the goal that all the vendors were working towards together, Photos by Erica Jones Dawson County News Dozens of Earth Day themed posters, drawn by children in several of Dawson County's schools, hung in the Bowen to be judged as part of the North Georgia Conservation Coalition's Earth Day event on April 23. Holland said, is that there are lots of small things that can make a big dif ference toward helping conserve the planet. “We’re just hoping that people will start to understand that there’s things that they can do on a personal level or in their businesses to cut carbon emissions, to reduce energy costs, to reduce pollution, to keep the water clean, the for ests safe and not have them bulldozed,” Holland said. “We need to get people that maybe don’t know that much about it, but they’re will ing to turn down their thermostat, put in LED lights, use less water, Event attendees learn about pollinator plants and flowers during the North Georgia Conservation Coalition's Earth Day event on April 23. don’t throw away food about how you can make go to the North Georgia and just refuse plastic.” a difference or to contact Conservation Coalition For more information Holland to learn more, website at ngacc.org. FROM 1A Growth in his district. “Emergency services are really important to me because you don’t think about needing emergency services or how important or crucial that is a commu nity until you’re in need,” he said. Bruce highlighted fund ing like SPLOST and GDOT’s Local Maintenance & Improvement and other state and federal grants for the county government to address infrastructure. She added that with Dawson County EMS’s three ambu lances with one in reserve and four on the way in the next two years, the problem “Isn’t just funding but a [supply chain] backup due to COVID-19.” “If we don’t have those [emergency services], then we don’t have anything else in this county,”’ Bruce said, mentioning how SPLOST helps Fire & EMS and the Roads Department secure key equipment. She later added that a good working relationship with GDOT is key to secur ing funding for different projects along the several state highways or roads in the county. “If you know the busi ness of the county,” she said, “then you can accom modate the budget that you have in order to get to the citizens what is needed for safety, parks and rec, the sheriff’s office, etcetera.” Guiding growth Stowers explained that any decision he would make on county matters would be guided by faith. “I’m a child of God, and I can’t make a decision without praying and feeling good about it when I lay my head down at night,” he said. “It’s not only [about] doing what constituents want to be done or approved, but [about] huly feeling like the Lord is leading me to approve or disapprove of a zoning.” He cautioned that devel opment should fit the char acter of an area and agreed with Bruce about using the comprehensive and land use plans to guide deci sions. “I know it’s exploding, but we can’t say ‘no’ to growth [as commission ers],” he said. “We need more ‘work’. Yes, we have some retail and some res taurants, but we need more commercialized growth here.” He pointed to a desire for more estate-size lots con sidering the more recent R-3 residential growth, also citing the need to balance “maintaining the county’s beauty and still populating the area.” Bruce explained that the county’s quality of life has driven much of the recent population growth. “When they come to a county that’s beautiful, it means we’re doing it right,” she said. “That’s why we’re seeing growth...that’s a good thing.” She reemphasized the comprehensive and future land use plans as key in saying what kind of growth can happen where, such as on Ga. 400, which can carry or allow for heavier commercial growth and the associated traffic. Bruce said she thinks the residential growth, particu larly with future dense communities, can be slowed. She qualified that listening to constituents matters, and so does adher ing to the planning docu ments in order to avoid “uncontrolled, unexpected growth that we can’t pro vide the infrastructure for.” She also cautioned that denying otherwise proper rezone requests may lead to a waste of taxpayer money via lawsuits with develop ers that result in the latter winning and still being able to build their projects in the county. “If we don’t like it,” she said of the current county growth plans, “then let’s go to the Long Range [Planning Commission] or Planning [Department] and come up with a better sys tem to get the citizens involved and get the citi zens and the board to come up with what’s best for the community.” She also gave a nod to Parks and Recreation, say ing impact fees from incoming developments are crucial and could help increase recreational capac ity for a parks system that’s “busting at the seams.” “We cannot forget about our children and how Parks and Rec provides for them,” Bruce said. “It keeps them busy, teaches them teamwork and keeps their mind focused on things that are good.” Dickinson also pointed to the importance of long- range plans and suggested talking with other counties, such as Forsyth County to the south, to see what they’re doing for road fixes. She also suggested taking a “wait and see” approach as it pertained to greenways and learning the “dos” and “don’ts” from other municipalities. She also considered it of “extreme importance,” should she take office, to ensure the county is on a good economic trajectory, given the possibility of a recession in coming months. As for housing, Dickinson would rather see more single than multifam ily units added, though she said she doesn’t have any thing against apartments. Rather, she voiced wari ness of the acute impact a population increase in a small area could have on county roads, schools and emergency services. She explained how this especially concerned her, particularly given the need for more first responders, absence of a hospital in the county and lacking ambu lances. The latter would not concern her as much if there was a hospital within Dawson County, she added. Given recent citizen con cerns about public safety and traffic, she requested county commissioners vote on a moratorium. “I just feel like we need to back up our infrastruc ture first,” she said. She elaborated that she’d also like to see commis sioners physically go to locations, like the Savannah Trace neighbor hood, that could be impact ed by incoming or pro posed development. Dickinson put a great deal of emphasis on that and listening to constitu ents. She also mentioned that a good attorney could alle viate concerns about the county getting sued after denying a developer’s rezonings. “The safety of Dawson County citizens is most important,” Dickinson said. “They (developers) cannot sue the county if you’re voting for the safety of your citizens.” What she said she didn’t want for the county is unplanned growth, overde velopment and improper infrastructure that brings more traffic and crime, like her former area of resi dence. “We all have an invest ment in Dawson County,” she said. “We don’t want to stop progress, but we certainly owe it to our selves to be informed and to help manage our growth for a positive outcome for generations to come.” — Ayr ^ ^ i / a if i N 4 / / / Voting Schedule For the Democratic or Republican & Nonpartisan General/Special Election of Mav 24. 2022 Voter Registration Deadline: Advance Voting: / f April 25th (new and changes) May 2-May 20, 2022 ~ Mon - Fri 8am to 5pm Sat-May 7 & 14, 2022 - 9am to 5pm At Board of Elections office - 96 Academy Ave ** Note: Absentee by mail ballot applications for elderly/disabled/military need to be requested each election year, in order to receive ballots, by mail, for the remainder of that year; time frame to request begins 78 days prior and ends 11 days prior to the election on the application supplied by the Secretary of State’s office. https://securemvabsenteeballot. sos. ga. gov/s/ ** ALL absentee voters:_ Mav 13. 2022 is the last day to request an absentee ballot. All Polls will be open Election Day from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm 1. ) WEST precinct - at Fire Station #6 on Hubbard Rd 2. ) CENTRAL precinct - at Board of Elections office, 96 Academy Avenue 3. ) EAST precinct - at Fire Station #2 on Liberty Drive (next to Tractor Supply) If in question about your voting location, and/or to view a sample ballot you may visit “My Voter Page” @ https://mvp.sos.aa.aov/s/ or call the Elections & Registration office at 706-344-3640 ~ It is, also, strongly advised to familiarize yourself with a sample ballot. There are several offices for vote. All is located on our website. (No voting on Monday prior to all elections). PLEASE NOTE: Due to continual concerns of health risks due to COVID-19 & it’s variants, we ask that you exercise social distancing. Any necessary changes will be posted to our website and Facebook page.