About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2022)
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. 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