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2A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, May 31,2023
FROM 1A
Berg
While the resolution was
signed into law last year,
the Department of
Transportation officially
installed the new signs at
the intersection just a few
weeks ago. The original
plan was to surprise Berg
with a ceremony and offi
cial unveiling of the signs,
but when the coverings
were unexpectedly taken
off the signs before the cer
emony was planned he
quickly started receiving
calls about them.
“I was so surprised; they
passed it last year and
Steve didn’t tell me, he told
my wife so we could have
a big surprise unveiling
there,” Berg said. “Then all
of a sudden they put the
signs in so it was already
unveiled, so that’s why they
did this [presentation]
today. My daughter called
me and said ‘Dad, why is
your name there at Dawson
Forest and 400?’ and I had
no idea.”
Berg served in the Army
and as a manager with the
Georgia Power Company
and is now the principal for
Mike Berg and Associates,
Inc. and the CFO for his
wife’s company, Marketing
Incentives.
Throughout the years, he
has been involved with
boards and organizations in
several Georgia counties,
including Dawson County.
He served as District 3
Gwinnett County
Commissioner from 1985
to 1989, Chairman of the
Dawson County Board of
Commissioners from 2005
to 2017 and as the presi
dent of the Association of
County Commissioners of
Georgia from 2013 to
2014.
Berg has also been
heavily involved in several
local Rotary clubs for 38
years, including serving as
an Area Four Assistant
Governor from 2017 to
2020 and as the 2021-22
District Governor for
Rotary District 6910.
One of Berg’s favorite
memories from serving on
the Dawson County Board
of Commissioners took
place at the intersection
directly next to where the
intersection now dedicated
to him is, back when both
Kroger and Publix were
looking to move into the
Dawson County communi
ty.
“The developers for
Publix and Kroger came to
me at the same time and
said ‘we need a light to get
into the development’ so I
talked to DOT and they
said they’d be glad to put a
light in as soon as they
start development,” Berg
said. “I asked [DOT] could
I give them a check from
the Dawson County
Commission and they
could hold on to it, then as
soon as they start develop
ment they can just tear the
check up, but the commis
sion said no, so I wrote
them a personal check for
$136,000 and told them to
just hold onto it until they
started developing there
and then tear it up.”
“And I didn’t tell my
wife about it until it was
all over,” he added, laugh
ing.
Berg already has several
different structures in two
different counties with his
name on them, including
the Dawson County court
house which was built
while he was serving as
the chair of the county’s
board of commissioners.
“I have my name on two
courthouses, one jail, two
parks, two libraries and
one sewer plant,” Berg
said. “The courthouse has
my name on it because we
did that during that time;
the rest of it is Gwinnett.
I’ve got my name on a lot
of stuff, and this one is
permanent, because when
a building comes down it
changes but this will be
there forever.”
He added that he’s
enjoyed getting several
phone calls from friends
and family members who
have noticed his name on
the intersection signs since
they were installed.
“About three weeks ago
I got a call from a guy I
hadn’t talked to in 12-13
years and he called me and
said ‘I’m at the corner of
Dawson Forest and 400
and a cop pulled me over
because I was speeding; I
looked up and saw your
Erica Jones Dawson County News
State Rep. Will Wade and State Sen. Steve Gooch stand with Mike Berg and
his wife Jane on May 25 after officially renaming the intersection at
Highway 400 and Dawson Forest Road the Mike Berg intersection.
Obituaries
James Don “JD”
Swartz
August 5, 1935-May 25,
2023
On Wednesday, May 25,
2023, James Don “JD"
Swartz passed away
peacefully at Franklin
Woods Hospital. JD was
born August 5, 1935, to
Don and Maude Jane
Barnett Swartz. He lived a
beautiful life of 87 years.
JD grew up in Johnson
City, TN. He graduated
from Science Hill High
School where he was a
member of the football
team. His life displayed the
ultimate story of how hard
work and motivation as a
young man led him to suc
cess. Immediately after
high school, JD spent three
years in the Merchant
Marines. When he returned
home in 1958, he began
his first job in the newspa
per business in Bristol, VA.
Throughout his business
journey, JD eventually
became president of
Worrell Enterprises that
consisted of 33 newspa
pers and three television
stations. JD ended his
career as co-owner of
Swartz-Morris Media. JD’s
main hobbies were hunting
and golfing. He truly
enjoyed golfing at the
Johnson City Country Club
where he had several
holes-in-one. He also
enjoyed The Olde Farm
and The Virginian courses.
JD truly believed in giving
back to those who made a
difference for others. He
loved his church, St. John’s
Episcopal Church and The
Salvation Army. JD was
also very active in his com
munity. He served on the
board of directors for the
Salvation Army, Girls Club,
United Way, Bank of
Tennessee, ETSU College
of Business Board of
Advisors, and the ETSU
Foundation. He was also a
member of the ETSU
President’s Trust and the
Hurstleigh Club. JD’s main
enjoyment was taking care
of his entire family. He was
preceded in death by his
parents, his brothers
(Eugene Swartz, Ralph
Estes Swartz) and his sis
ter (Freddie Lee Saylor).
His surviving children are
James Don Swartz Jr.
(Cathy), Marcee Marie
Whisenant (Allen), Janet
Melissa Range (Gary), and
Kelly Hull Swartz (Cheri).
His surviving grandchildren
are JD Range (Gabriella),
Zoe, Cassie, Jet, and
Larissa Swartz. His great
grandchildren are Jack
Daniel and Kaitlyn Marie
Range. JD wanted it known
that he considered Dennis
Stockton, one of his former
employees/partners, an
adopted and cherished
son. In lieu of flowers, the
family ask that donations
be made to the Salvation
Army of Johnson City -
JD’s most treasured orga
nization. The family of JD
Swartz will receive friends
from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
on Tuesday, May 30, 2023,
at St. John’s Episcopal
Church in Johnson City. A
Committal service will be
held at 2:00 PM the follow
ing day, Wednesday, May
31,2023, at Monte Vista
Memorial Park. Those
attending are asked to
gather at the graveside by
1:50 PM. Honorary pall
bearers will be: Buck
Bacon, CW Baskette, Rod
Biasco, George Dykes, Jim
McGlothlin, Charles Morris,
Charles Hill Morris, Charles
Steagal, Dennis Stockton,
and John Tickle. Memories
and condolences may be
shared with the family via
www.morrisbaker.com.
Morris-Baker Funeral
Home and Cremation
Services, 2001 E. Oakland
Ave., Johnson City, is serv
ing the Swartz family.
sign. Can you fix my tick
et?’,” Berg said.
Gooch said that getting
the resolution signed to
name the intersection in
Berg’s honor was a very
worthy project to spear
head.
“Mike and I have known
each other for a long time;
we started out in local gov
ernment together,” Gooch
said. “Georgia 400 has
changed a lot in the last 23
years and it’s going to con
tinue to change, good and
bad. Most of that change is
because of the leadership
of local governments; it’s
not always one person that
does it, it’s a team, but it
takes a leader of that team.
Mike Berg has truly been a
leader of this community
for many, many years.”
And Berg is a worthy
man to name the intersec
tion after, Wade added, as
his whole life has been
dedicated to service and
his community.
“I’ve known Mike for a
long time, and one of the
things that I think stands
out about him is steadfast
leadership,” Wade said.
“You can see the mark of
what he’s done and what
he’s accomplished in his
life, and it’s all tied back
to that core center of who
he is.”
King Crossword
ACROSS
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Stable diet
11
Lost traction
1 Modern taxi
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Napkin's place
16
Roswell visi
alternative
43
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tors
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considerations
20
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21
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9 ER workers
(Abbr.)
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49
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23
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14 Actor Kilmer
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specimen
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24
Glenn of the
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17 506, in old
52
Tower city
26
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53
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18 Charon's river
27
Dol. fractions
19 Speedy
DOWN
28
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21 Devil's domain
1
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29
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birthplace
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2
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31
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3
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34
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26 Circus gym
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start
nasts
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30 Call — day
part in the
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31 Kathy of
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(Abbr.)
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38
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32 Pro vote
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Cilium
33 "No worries ..."
author
40
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^ Daws o n C o u nty N e ws
A Metro Market Media Publication
Established in 2015 by the merger of Dawson Community News and Dawson News and Advertiser
30 Shoal Creek Road i PUBLISHER | Stephanie Woody
Dawsonville, GA 30534
PHONE (706) 265-3384 EDITOR | Erica Jones
FAX (706) 265-3276
usps 018-876 | Updates online at DawsonNews rii
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