Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 23,2022
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A
Students survey jobs during second annual event
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
From finance and real estate
to public safety and tech-based
jobs, eighth graders had the
chance to learn about future
career choices firsthand during
Dawson County Junior High
School’s second annual “Career
Exploration Day"’ Thursday.
The junior high gym was
transformed into an arena-style
booth setup, with around 40
tables stashed with a range of
business information and even
tangible props. And at each
table, students could talk to
people employed at local busi
nesses or marketing them, like
the Dawson County Chamber
of Commerce.
Classes attended with their
social studies teachers.
Students were given a bingo
card filled with questions to ask
businesses, and upon complet
ing it, they could enter the card
into a raffle drawing for a gift
card.
“It’s questions like, ‘How’d
you get started in your career?
What background do you need
[in order] to do this career?
What’s your favorite thing
about your job?,"’ said Work-
Based Learning Teacher Kristy
Moore, who helped coordinate
the event.
Dawson County High School
junior Jonathan Graves
explained how taking part in
the information technology
pathway has helped him prac
tice coding for computer games
and apps.
DCHS junior Tyler Tangle
spoke about his experiences in
Future Business Leaders of
America or FBLA.
“The competitions help us
[with job skills] because they
have categories like job inter
views, testing or game devel
opment,” Tangle said of the
club. “You can enter different
competitions based on what
you’re good at.”
During the career day, stu
dents also got to grow their
perspectives about various job
fields.
“When you live here, you
may not realize what your
town has to offer,” the cham
ber’s tourism and events direc
tor, Dustin Heard, said about
local attractions and entertain
ment spots. “I think it’s that
perspective of taking a step
back and seeing what we
have.”
“I love doing these kinds of
things because a lot of people
don’t realize... that there’s so
many different job opportuni
ties within a nonprofit,” said
Amy Palmer, outreach coordi
nator for The Place of Dawson
County. “If you don’t have
some people doing that busi
ness side, the nonprofit won’t
survive.”
Wesley Bearden with
Bearden Funeral Home empha
sized the importance of being
able to talk with people, a skill
that can apply to any job.
“If you’re not able to talk to
folks, then you’re not going to
be able to help when it’s such a
sensitive time,” Bearden said of
his family’s business.
“We kind of go back to how
rewarding it is to be able to
help folks in the community
when they need it the most,” he
added about his comments to
students.
Goofy gets a home thanks to Dawson Humane Society
by Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
Like other canines staying at the
Dawson County Humane Society’s
no-kill shelter, male hound and
boxer mix Goofy didn’t have the
easiest past.
He was first adopted as a puppy
and abused, returned for a while,
adopted and returned again, then
staying at the shelter for another
three to four years straight.
Then in mid-September 2022, a
whole 1,672 days after first coming to the
shelter, Goofy happily went home with a
familiar face-humane society volunteer
Kevin McCall.
McCall would occasionally go to the
shelter to volunteer with friends like
Donna Biondich and her son, Matt.
Goofy’s 100-plus pound stature and ten
dency to bark and snap at new people
made him intimidating for some volunteers
to handle, said humane society director
Jason Hutcherson.
Enter McCall during Goofy’s extended
shelter stay.
“Matt said, ‘You have to see this dog.
It’s a dog no one else will walk,”’ McCall
said about his first impression of Goofy.
Two volunteers were trying to put a har
ness on Goofy before taking him
out for a walk, but, like many a
persistent dog, he was able to wig
gle and break free of their grasp.
Goofy approached McCall, who
was standing at the lobby door.
“He put both of his front paws
on my shoulders and started lick
ing my face,” said McCall, “and
that was it. We were set from then
on.”
McCall was successfully able to take
Goofy out for a walk. Upon returning
inside, a female worker said Goofy’s
response to him was a big relief, as she’d
never seen the dog do that and thought
he’d bite McCall instead.
Shelter visits became Goofy staying
overnight with McCall sometimes. After
the Biondich family moved away from the
Dawson area, McCall kept volunteering as
a favor to Matt.
“The more I was with him, the more I
wanted to be with him,” McCall said of
Goofy.
He continued going to the shelter over
three years to walk Goofy on weekends
and during the week after school.
“He’d even come when it snowed and
we were closed,” Hutcherson said.
“Goofy would get so excited.. .and would
know that he (McCall) was there.”
Because where McCall was living at the
time didn’t allow animals, he couldn’t
adopt Goofy right away. But he continued
visiting the canine nonetheless.
He also took the dog for whole weekend
stints or to house-sitting jobs, giving the
two of them a lot of quality time together.
After he came back to bring Goofy to a
permanent home, McCall said his big
gest concern about the dog was leaving
him alone for nine hours, given McCall’s
job as a teacher in Fulton County.
However, the two were able to work
on the dog’s routine.
Goofy went from waiting at the front
door while McCall was gone to retreat
ing to the couch.
“By day four, he was laying in my bed
as happy as can be,” McCall said of
Goofy. “He’s comfortable because he
knows that every time, I’ll walk him as
soon as I come home. And then I feed
him. Feeding time’s his favorite time of
the day.”
Goofy’s exercise routine includes 60-90
minute weekend walks at area parks. And
much like his human counterpart, Goofy
enjoys watching football, so McCall tends
to turn on a football game when he leaves
his residence.
Training Goofy has taken McCall a lot
of time and patience. While the canine
can sense other dog people, he’s still pro
tective of his owner and doesn’t always
take well to strangers.
“I know he has it in him,” McCall said
about Goofy’s future disposition, “so
we’re [still] working on his personality.”
The two have already worked through
so much, though. Now, McCall will get
compliments from passersby on how
beautiful Goofy is.
Now with winter approaching, Goofy
will once again have the chance to frolic
in the snow, as McCall said that’s when
his dog is most energetic.
Goofy’s story is just one example of the
difference that a volunteer’s efforts can
make.
“That’s the kind of dedication we see,”
Hutcherson added. “We’d like to see
more of it.”
Goofy
FROM 1A
Turkey
According to Amy
Palmer, outreach coordi
nator for The Place of
Dawson County, the
donations collected dur
ing the drive will go to
make Thanksgiving
boxes for food pantry cli
ents to pick up for the
holiday.
“The clients for the
food pantry will get a
Thanksgiving box that
has non-perishables, a
turkey and then a $25
grocery store gift card to
get the perishable items,”
Palmer said. “All the
monetary donations, the
turkeys and everything
stay in Dawson so we’re
excited.”
Palmer said that, for
families or individuals
who can’t afford a special
meal on Thanksgiving,
these boxes can make a
world of difference.
“This could be a really
sad time for families, a
time where they don’t
have the money to have a
Thanksgiving meal for
their family, so this is
creating those special
memories with their kids
that they can really have
family time,” Palmer
said. “And for our seniors
who feel forgotten, this
reminds them that they’re
not forgotten and lets
them have Thanksgiving
as well.”
On a personal level,
she said that seeing the
reactions of the clients
when they receive a spe
cial meal like the
Thanksgiving boxes
makes the program even
more exciting to get to
play a part in.
“I just see food pantry
clients in my brain all the
time, so I can just picture
faces with every turkey
that comes in, every
canned good — I can just
see these families and
their faces when we give
out these items,” Palmer
said.
Seeing a neighborhood
like Chestatee come
together to rally around a
common purpose, she
added, is a huge blessing
to an organization like
The Place of Dawson
County that helps so
many members of the
community.
“We’re so incredibly
grateful and humble just
for the partnership and for
their enthusiasm to give;
everyone that has come
through is just so positive
and excited to give back
to the community and
Dawson County families
and that is just so special
and such an encourage
ment to us to have their
partnership,” Palmer said.
“This just means every
thing to Dawson County
families; Chestatee neigh
borhood and their gener-
DawsonCountyNews
DawsonNews com
Our office will be CLOSED
Thursday, November 24
in observance
of Thanksgiving.
sMoiifsmii
( ' lloll mnir re
Fresh Cut Fraser Firs
Cut your own Cypress or Pine, &
fresh cut Fraser Firs! Handmade wreaths!
276 Woodland Lane, Dahlonega
(4 miles North of the traffic light at Walmart)
Hours: Tues-Fri: 3pm - Dark Sat: 10am - Dark
Sun: 1pm - Dark Closed Monday
CASH OR CHECK PREFERED
706-864-8222
NANCY HORTON S
Back Porch Pottery and Gilt Store
osity through the years is
such an anchor in the
community and what they
are giving today is going
directly to Dawson
County families for
Thanksgiving.”
This year was
Chestatee’s 11th year
holding the turkey drive.
Chestatee residents who
were instrumental in put
ting out boxes to collect
donations and helping
with the food drive
included Paul Hanson,
Katie Brents, Debbie
Myers, Billie Jayroe,
Lynn Holliman, Dee
Greenspan, Janice
Kimball, Kathy Cretney,
Gina Allen and Barbara
Dumont.
For more information
about The Place of
Dawson County including
how to donate to the orga
nization, go to https://
www.theplaceofforsyth.
org/ or call 770-288-0088.
Start earning with
Bank OZK today!
3 51 %
m I APY*
8 month CD or IRA CD Special
4.00%
13 month CD or IRA CD Special
4.10
O/
/o
APY*
18 month CD or IRA CD Special
Visit our Dawsonville location or open
an account online at ozk.com.**
<> BankOZK
ozk.com I Member FDIC
’Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective as of the publication date. Offer applies
to new CDs only. $1,000 minimum deposit to open and is required to earn stated
APY. Penalty for early withdrawal. IRA CD is subject to eligibility requirements.
Offer not available to Public Funds, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions.
Fees could reduce earnings. Offer subject to change without notice. Offer good at
location in Dawsonville, GA only.
**IRA CD must be opened in person and cannot be opened online.