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4A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, November 23,2022
Santa, hundreds of helpers ride during Toy Run
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
Hundreds of bikers and
Jeeps joined one of north
eastern Georgia’s largest
toy runs this past Sunday
with the same goals:
Collect donations for chil
dren in need this holiday
season, and have a good
time doing it.
The Nov. 20 toy run,
hosted by the Buck Jones
Charity Foundation, began
at the Cumming
Fairgrounds, stopped at
Dawson County’s Veterans
Park and concluded at
Lumpkin County High
School (LCHS).
Toy and card donations
were split between local
agencies The Place of
Forsyth County and Bald
Ridge Lodge, K.A.R.E. for
Kids, DFCS Lumpkin
County and Community
Helping Place.
The donations will then
be given to area families
who need help with
FROM 1A
Ralston
Republican Gov. Brian
Kemp ordered flags flown
at half-staff until Ralston is
buried and said his body
will lie in repose at the
Georgia Capitol.
“Our state lost one of its
true giants,” Kemp said in a
statement.
Former Gov. Nathan
Deal, a close friend of
Ralston for more than 40
years, described Ralston as
an exceptional public ser
vant who guided Georgians
over the course of his polit
ical career.
“(Ralston’s) constituents
are blessed to have him as
their voice at the Capitol,”
Deal said. “As speaker, he’s
been an outstanding leader.
His steady hand and guid
ance helped bring order
and efficiency to the
General Assembly, which
can be an unwieldy and
unpredictable body at
times.
“I could have asked for
no better partner during my
tenure as governor.
Together, we worked to
bring Georgia out of the
Great Recession to make it
the No. 1 state for business.
Under his watch, our state
has become stronger and
our future brighter.”
State Rep. Lee Hawkins
of Gainesville, who
became friends with
Ralston before he was
elected to the House in
2012, said they had often
exchanged political ideas
and contemplated running
for congressional office
over the years.
“(Ralston) was a won
derful man and a great
statesman,” Hawkins said.
“He always thought of oth
ers and thought much of
our state. Much of his work
was to better this state for
its citizens, and he passed
some very meaningM leg
islation that will affect all
of us into the future. I will
greatly miss him.”
State Sen. Butch Miller,
of Gainesville, who noted
Ralston worked for the
Gainesville Times for a
brief time, also spoke in
commemoration of the late
speaker.
“Georgia has lost a great
man,” Miller said. “David
Ralston loved this state and
worked tirelessly for the
betterment of all its resi
dents. He was a friend and
a mentor to me and to
many others. I count
myself privileged to have
known him politically and
personally.”
A lawyer from the north
Georgia mountains,
Ralston had said he hoped
to continue as a member of
the House even after step
ping down as speaker after
13 years.
Until the current legisla
tive term ends in January,
House Speaker Pro Tern
Jan Jones, a Milton
Republican, will become
speaker, as called for by the
state constitution. She will
be the first female speaker
in Georgia history.
Christmas.
But before leaving the
fairgrounds Sunday morn
ing, event organizer Don
Parkinson thanked each of
the participants for donat
ing and continuing the leg
acy of Buck Jones, former
Cumming Police Chief.
“None of us would do
this if Buck hadn’t had
thought of it 31 years ago,
so just remember Buck in
your prayers,” Parkinson
said.
He then invited Jones’
widow, Treva Jones, to cut
the ribbon blocking the
exit to the Fairgrounds,
officially opening up the
passage for the parade to
ride to its next stops.
“I just want to say thank
you all so much for com
ing out this year and for
the support,” Treva said.
“You all know it’s not
about us. It’s not about
you. It’s about the little
children.”
Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Office deputies escorted
Republicans on Monday
nominated Jon Burns of
Newington to replace
Ralston when the newly
elected General Assembly
convenes Jan. 9, an effort at
continuity supported by
Ralston’s closest allies.
“David Ralston spent his
career in public service try
ing to lift others up and
move our state forward,”
Jones said in a statement.
“He knew the awesome
power of bringing people
together — reasoning
together — and finding
common ground.
Regardless of political ide
ology, he treated everyone
with respect and was a
model of civility.”
Ralston is survived by
his wife, Sheree, and two
adult children. Funeral
arrangements will be
announced later.
As the paramount leader
of the House, Ralston
shaped taxes, spending and
laws.
In one example, he mus
cled through changes this
year to how mental health
benefits are provided by
private insurers and how
the state provides mental
health services. He could
also put bills in the garbage
can, stopping a state take
over of Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International
Airport in 2019.
Ralston was first elected
to the Georgia Senate in
1992 when Democrats
were in the majority, serv
ing six years. He lost a race
for attorney general to
Democrat Thurbert Baker
in 1998 before being elect
ed to the House in 2002.
The longest-serving state
house speaker in the United
States at the time of his
death, Ralston was cut
from the mold of Tom
Murphy, the west Georgia
Democrat who command
ed the House from 1973 to
2003. Ralston took office
after a chaotic period when
the first Republican speak
er in more than 130 years,
Glenn Richardson,
resigned following a sui
cide attempt and revela
tions of an extramarital
affair with a lobbyist.
Ralston had lost a speaker’s
bid against Richardson in
2008.
“He brought a calm and
steady hand to the House
when it was in need of a
calm and steady hand,”
outgoing House
Appropriations Committee
Chairman Terry England,
an Auburn Republican and
Ralston confidant, said ear
lier this month.
Ralston survived a chal
lenge to his power after
The Atlanta Journal-
Constitution revealed he
had used his position as
lawmaker to delay court
proceedings for people he
was representing in court.
Most of the hard-core con
servatives who rebelled left
the House after failing to
unseat Ralston, with the
speaker engineering the
defeat of some.
Ralston shepherded a
wide range of Republican
priorities and was always
ready to cut taxes, boasting
Julia Hansen Dawson County News
The Buck Jones Toy Run's Santa, Steven Jett,
waves to K.A.R.E. members and other volunteers
as the motorcade makes its way into Dawson
County's Veterans Park on Sunday, Nov. 20.
the lengthy motorcade
from the fairgrounds to
Veterans Park and LCHS.
Dawson volunteers
helped haul K.A.R.E.’s
allotted bags and bags of
donations to a separate
truck from the main dona
tion trailer.
When the motorcade
arrived at Veterans Park,
volunteers were ready for
them, with
several stations ready to
go for riders to dig in and
enjoy warm chili and com-
bread provided by
K.A.R.E. and restaurants
Miller’s Ale House, Texas
Roadhouse and Crave Hot
Dogs & BBQ.
Before Sunday’s event,
the foundation had already
amassed at least $32,000
in donations, which was
close to the 2021 amount
collected and well on the
way to the charity’s
$50,000 goal, Paras previ
ously said.
“I didn’t know what to
expect with the cold
of a state income tax cut
passed this year that could
ultimately total $2 billion.
He also championed rural
development.
A guardian of the powers
of the legislative branch,
Ralston initially clashed
with Kemp before settling
into a close working rela
tionship. He was an enthu
siastic lover of legislative
give-and-take, often best
ing the Senate in negotia
tions, frequently roasting
critics with a quip from the
speaker’s dais and relishing
interplay with reporters.
But some Republicans
saw Ralston as too friendly
to Democrats. He helped
rescue a hate crimes bill
from legislative purgatory
after the 2020 death of
Ahmaud Arbery, and sti
fled efforts to pass religious
liberty legislation that liber
als said would have legal
ized discrimination.
“He saw the reality that
the House needed to be a
leader for some level of
moderation in the face of a
Republican Party that has
turned dramatically to the
right,” said Mary Margaret
Oliver, a Decatur Democrat
who co-sponsored this
year’s mental health bill
and was one of Ralston’s
warmest friends in the
General Assembly.
The close ties to her and
Smyre meant Democrats
could get a respectful hear
ing from Ralston, and
sometimes get a little of
what they wanted in legis
lation.
“We forged progress
where we could, and did
not hold grudges when we
went in different direc
tions,” tweeted Rep. Scott
Holcomb, an Atlanta
Democrat.
Times reporter Brian
Wellmeier contributed to
this article.
weather, but it’s still more
people than last year,” said
K.A.R.E. President
Rhonda Evans.
Looking around at the
participants, event organiz
er Steve Paras called the
response “an amazing
turnout” and predicted the
charity run was “definitely
going to do better than last
year.”
“We want to thank all of
the clubs that [participat
ed] — the Punishers, the
Patriots, the Windows
Sons, North Georgia
Riders, Blue Knights,”
Parkinson said. “All of you
guys have done a tremen
dous job.”
Steven Jett from the
North Georgia Mountain
Riders reiterated the main
reason riders like him
commit to the annual toy
run. For the past years, Jett
has led the procession as
its bona fide Santa, taking
the time to adorn his bike
with holiday cheer before
the event.
“I enjoy every bit of it,”
Jett said. “I don’t have kids
myself, so I donate to help
these kids in the hard
times, especially [during]
the past few years.”
Note: Sabrina Kerns
contributed Forsyth-
specific reporting for this
article. This article will be
updated online with dona
tion totals.
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Dawson County Humane Society
a no kill shelter
706-265-9160
Doggy Spotlight:
Look at her pretty smile! This red cutie is Hemmi, and yes,
she is strong like her name suggests. Hemmi has a deep, loud
bark which can be intimidating, but she can be a very loving
and sweet girl once she warms up and adjusts to new people.
She will need an owner who is patient and kindhearted to help
her to feel loved and safe. Hemmi loves nothing more than
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commands and has a lot of love to share with her future owner.
Hemmi is about four years old and weights 52 pounds.
Hemmi
For more information contact the 706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Rd, Dawsonville
Dawson County Humane Society Adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex
Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE
Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd.
All proceeds benefits
the Humane Society
Bradley M. Maple
CPA, PC
706-216-2362
2390 Thompson Rd • Ste 100
Dawsonville
ANH Collision
Specialists
706-216-0992
103 Industrial Park Road,
Dawsonville
Dawsonville
Veterinary
Hospital
706-265-8381