How We Protest in Dahlonega and Beyond

In so many parts of the world, when you get angry, you get a few thousand of your closest friends, relatives, and acquaintances together and riot. You burn a few buildings. Turn over a dozen or so cars. Throw heavy rocks at police officers. And, of course, you scream chants incessantly loud over and over  while waving your fists in the air.

Europe protest photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty

Fortunately, oh so fortunately, that's not how people in Dahlonega and Beyond react when they get mad. Here in North Georgia, we show our anger without taking to the streets, burning and looting

Here are a few examples of how people in our part of the world show their disdain:

1. Earlier this year, residents were angry, very angry, with County Commissioner Tim Bowden's seemingly disregard for voters. So, Commissioner Bowden was voted out of office.
2. A local distraught Walmart shopper, instead of rioting over a perceived misjustice, picked up a paint brush, a couple of cans of paint and painted a huge Don't Shop at Walmart sign on an abandoned building on Hwy. 9.
3. A Lumpkin homeowner, angered by a commissioner's actions (which she and others viewed as lawbreaking), printed up fliers, stood on a street corner and handed out her missives as voters went to the polls.
4. Upset with the response from a Lumpkin County Sheriff's deputy, a member of the Dahlonega Women's Club penned a scathing Letter to the Editor for The Dahlonega Nugget.

While the people in our area may show their dissatisfaction in non-violent ways, don't think we don't value our freedom and will fight for them. Our love of freedom and are country are quite evident to anyone who sees the war memorial on Dahlonega's town square or the graves of war veterans in local cemeteries.

Bikes to Zip thru Dahlonega

The Dahlonega area, with their curvy and mountainous roads, has long been a favorite of Harley, BMW, Yamaha and other motorcycle riders.

However, the other kind of bikes - the non-motorized kinds - are going to be filling the square this Saturday by the hundreds when Dahlonega hosts the 2nd Annual Six Gap Criterium, one of Georgia's premier cycling events.

While the event is open to riders from though out the region, don't expect to see the type of two-wheelers you rode as a child. The bicycles in this race are big-time bikes, some costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Cyclists from ten to 50 (and beyond), along with many of the Southeast's biggest stars in cycling, are expected to participate in the scenic Criterium. They will ride on a one kilometer closed circuit around the historic town square, along West Main Street and on the NGCSU campus. Cyclists can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour as they speed along the curvy and hilly course and compete for medals as well as thousands of dollars in prize money,

You can expect to see cyclyists riding through town from 3:30 to 8:30. The Junior Races start at 3:30 p.m. and the Men's Pro-Am at 7:30 p.m. The race is open to the public, and race organizers expect thousands of people to fill the square or line the route to cheer on the bikers.

And if watching cyclists speed around Dahlonega's curves isn't enough excitement for you, there's a Bike Expo in town and, of course, all the downtown shops will be open.

The Six Gap Criterium is the final event in the Georgia Championship Series (GCS). Many of those participating in the Saturday event will also ride in the strenuous, sometimes treacherous, Six Gap Century and Three Gap Fifty Bike Races on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Murder and Mayhem in Lumpkin

Yes, folks. There is murder and mayhem right here in Lumpkin County. Well, murder might be stretching the truth just a tad, but there definitely is some mayhem.

The story starts several weeks ago when the Dahlonega Women's Club displayed their first scarecrows around town to promote the organization's Scarecrow Stomp, a fundraiser and contest based on scarecrow building and scarecrow creativity. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the mayhem (and first of the many incidents) began.

One scarecrow disappeared, then another, and another. What happened next was even more disturbing. Someone (or someones) burned a scarecrow right where he/she stood. A news story in the Dahlonega Nugget, calling attention to the disappearances, and burning, seemed to quell the mayhem for a while.

But it wasn't long before scarecrows began disappearing again. Not just in downtown Dahlonega, but along county roads, in front of churches, and next to local businesses.

The scarecrows on display went missing at the Dahlonega Funeral Home, Woody's Barber Shop, the United Community Bank and the Dahlonega Baptist Church were all attacked and wrecked. The anti-scarecrow folks even stole the Uncle Sam scarecrow. (Ironically, among the missing is a scarecrow a deputy sheriff's uniform.)

"While they have small monetary value per se, they (the scarecrows) represent the collective work and enthusiasm of people trying to do good for the community," wrote Leah Ratzel in an editorial published in this week's Nugget. Sadden by "this reception in our community," Ratzel wrote that nearby towns have similar festivals, yet they "have no problem with vandalism. What's up with Lumpkin County."

It is sad, extremely sad, that a group of thugs (yes, I said thugs) have acted so irresponsibly. Having total disregard for the work of others. Destruction of property. Theft. Vandalism. These are not behaviors we want in Lumpkin.

Mayhem is not funny. It is a crime. Let's hope this vandalism doesn't deter the Dahlonega Women's Club from sponsoring Scarecrow Stomp again next year.

Scarecrow Stomp's Missing (Scare)Persons

Photos compliments of the Dahlonega Women's Club, Facebook

It's Fall Says Uncle Shuck's!

Before we moved to Dahlonega and Beyond, leaves turning bright orange and red were our signal that fall had arrived. But in our world now, the first real sign of fall is the opening of Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze in Dawsonville.  

Uncle Shuck's, which opened officially on Labor Day, is a green island -  of corn stalk rows, bright colored tents, tractors, horses, kids (lots of kids) and pumpkins, too.

When you leave anywhere near Dawsonville, you can expect to experience traffic backups for miles on 400 and Hwy. 53 as corn shucking, maze loving folks journey to this North Georgia hot spot on fall weekends. (FYI, this popular fun maze is not too far from the corner of Hwy. 400 and Hwy. 53.)

Uncle Shuck's isn't the only place for fall fun up here in Dahlonega and Beyond.

Imagine maneuvering through this maze!

Tourists (and we up here love our tourists) migrate to North Georgia for fall to experience the breath-taking colors, hand-picked apples, fun festivals, palate pleasing wines, and winding mountain trails.

How lucky we are to live here in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and all they offer.

(Photos from Uncle Shuck's.)

A Candidate for Cruiseaholic Anonymous

Okay. I'm just going to say it. I'm a Cruiseaholic. It's a sickness that I've had for about 20 years now. And, as I get older, I've found that the only remedy is, of course, another cruise.

How do you know if you're a Cruiseaholic? If you answer Yes to two or more of the following questions, you're definitely a Cruiseaholic and perhaps a possible candidate for Cruiseaholic Anonymous.

1. Is there is a separate section of your closet just for your 'cruise clothes'?
2. Is one of your photo albums filled with ship photographer portraits?
3. Have you been or will you go to Cozumel this year?
4. Is the Bahama Mama one of your favorite adult beverages?
5. Do you have at least one drawer filled with t-shirts you purchased on cruises?
6. Are you looking for cruise destinations for 2014? 
7. On your last cruise, did you pre-book a future cruise?
8. Have you bookmarked the URL for Cruise Critic?
9. Are you on a first-name basis with a cruise travel agent?
10. And, of course, do you own at least one Cruiseaholic luggage tag?

 Have any more Cruiseaholic signs that you want to share? D&B would love to hear them!

It's Back - Dawsonville Pool Room

Bully burgers are back !

Bully Burger lovers rejoice! The Dawsonville Pool Room (DPR) is open again. Closed in the spring by those infernal revenooers, the legendary Pool Room opened its doors on Labor Day Weekend much to the joy of Dawsonvillians and DPR fans worldwide.

On May 9, a force of Georgia state revenooers stormed into the restaurant during a lunch service, grabbed the cash register, ordered patrons out and shut the Pool Room down. Since that date the Pirkle family has worked with the government to regain possession of the restaurant and pay back a tax debt totally almost $40,000.

When word came that the restaurant doors had shuttered, the community rallied in support of Pirkle and the Pool Room, both icons in the county and in NASCAR racing circles. Groups and individuals have thrown fundraisers for the Pirkle family, created a Facebook page (Save the Dawsonville Pool Room) and written letters of support to local newspapers.

Pirkle plans to have an official grand opening in coming weeks. Until then, the Pool Room is open for lunch and dinner. Breakfast will be added later. As for the menu,  have no fear. The menu hasn't changed. Bully Burgers, those classic Pool Room fries, and the yummy daily Meat and Two specials are still available.

Dahlonega and Beyond urges all to journey to the Pool Room and support this historic venue by attending a fundraiser hosted by Save the Pool Room supporters. Two of those fundraisers are planned for coming weeks - Sept. 29 car show at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville and an Oct. 5 Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event at the Peach Brandy Cottage.

Welcome back, Dawsonville Pool Room. We missed you. 

(Bully Burger photo compliments of Foodspotting)

Is Catching Fire Coming to Dawsonville?

Rumors are that filming starts September 10 for the Catching Fire, sequel to the archery-laden film Hunger Games. Film directors decided not to go back to North Carolina where Hunger Games was filmed but to use movie-friendly Georgia as the set for part two in Suzanne Collin's Hunger Game series.

Casting for movie extras for Catching Fire has already started. There might even be an extra spot or two still available. Check out the movie's casting call.

What's great about Catching Fire's filming, according to the rumors, is that movie crews may be coming to Dawsonville, Ga., again. Earlier this year, movie crews spent a week in Dawsonville filming Clint Eastwood's new movie, Trouble with the Curve. (Who knew that Dawsonville was so photogenic?)

And it's with tremendous anticipation that we wait for some of the stars to actually appear in Dawsonville. Here's hoping we run in to a star or two in Walmart or at The Varsity - Dawsonville.

Here are just a Catching Fire Cast that we could see:

• Jennifer Lawrence 
• Josh Hutcherson
• Liam Hemsworth
• Donald Sutherland
• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Stanley Tucci
• Lenny Kravitz
• Elizabeth Banks
• Amanda Plummer
• Woody Harrelson

No to Bowden. Yes to the Stealth Candidate.

The people have spoken. Tim Bowden was voted out as District 2 Commissioner for Lumpkin County in the recent run-off election.

Steve Shaw, sort of a stealth candidate, bested Bowden by about 15% of the votes. The total was BOWDEN 1257 (42.55%) and SHAW 1697 votes (57.45%).

As District 2 residents who weren't too happy with Commissioner Bowden, we can only hope that Mr. Shaw will be a better representative for our area. Unfortunately, we don't know  that much about Mr. Shaw. He's what we call the stealth or mystery-man candidate.

The soon-to-be Commissioner Shaw didn't spend a lot of time handshaking, kissing babies, riding in parades, hosting fundraisers or going to campaign events. He was a no-show at the major candidate debates. The Dahlonega Nugget even had a hard time tracking him down for an article on candidate position statements and qualifications.

Let's hope that newly elected Commissioner Shaw has time to devote to his new part-time county job, and that he won't be so hard to find when a constituent has a question or wants to talk to him. We can also hope that if Mr. Shaw is given a key to the county, he won't lose it.

It's a Bee-utiful Life

Yes, life in Dahlonega and Beyond if bee-utiful. In fact, because of all the buzz in the air, this author hasn't had much blog posting time.

Why, no blogging you ask? Well, this is D's first year as a board member of Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition (LCLC), a non-profit devoted to improving the literacy rates in our area and to improving people's reading skills. As LCLC Awareness Chairperson, D's role is to promote our organization and, of course, to 'Bee Cool."

That's just what we have been doing. Instead of blogging, we've bee-come bee-centered, working hard to create a bee buzz, and spreading the honey on thick to promote the Lumpkin Literacy's Annual Adult Spelling Bee. (Yes, that sentence isn't exactly English teacher worthy.)

The Bee, one of LCLC's major fundraisers, is Sept. 11, at the Holly Theater in Dahlonega, at 7 p.m. It's is such a fun night. Adults in teams of three attempt to spell such challenging words as chimerical and farraginous. Go ahead. Admit it. You could correctly spell these without any trouble, right? We will be the first to admit, neither of these words appear in our vocabulary often. But then, a lot of words on last year's list that aren't exactly every day words for we Lumpkinites.

Oh, and if you would LOVE to attend this year's Spelling Bee, we've got tickets to sell. Just $10 each!

Eastwood, Timberlake and Dawsonville, Ga.

The trailer is out....the one to promote Trouble with the Curve, the soon to be released movie starring Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake and featuring scenes filmed in nearby Dawsonville, Ga.

In Trouble with the Curve, Clint is an aging baseball scout, who with his daughter, played by Amy Adams, comes to Atlanta to scout a promising young pitcher. The movie was filmed throughout Georgia - At the Atlanta Braves' stadium, in Georgia minor league ball parks, in an Athens bar, and in Dawsonville.  

If you look closely in the movie's promo, you can see shots of a motel - the Amicalola Motel, a not-so-upscale motel just outside of downtown Dawsonville. As the trailer flies by, look closely near the end for scenes with Clint, Justin and Amy pictured in front of the motel.

Once you see the trailer (and the motel), bet you can't wait to see the real thing. But wait you will. Trouble with the Curve doesn't hit the theaters until September. (Wonder if they will have a premier showing at Dawsonville's 400 Cinema?)  

Quadruplets in Dahlonega

No one even knew Georgia was pregnant, so when she gave birth Friday, everyone (and I mean everyone) was surprised. The surprise was even greater when not one, not two, but four babies arrived.

Rare baby white tigers. Photo from Gainesville Times.

Georgia and the quadruplet's father Magnum are Siberian Tigers, who make their home in the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega. The baby tiger cubs are rare white Siberians, like their mother.

Normally, Siberians usually have two or three cubs, so having four is not a common occurrence. The quadruplets join ten other Siberian Tigers at the Chestatee Preserve, which is home to a large number of big cats.

"'It's just a miracle that all four are still living,'" said the Preserve's General manager C. W. Walthen. According to him, the babies, each weighing less than 3 lbs., were taken from Georgia because she was not nursing them. The cubs are now being bottle fed and seem healthy. "It's just like having four new babies at home." The baby tigers will grow to be between 700 and 800 pound adults.

The Chestatee Preserve is known world-wide for its unique collection of animals, including an extremely rare mother-daughter set of Zedonks, a half zebra - half donkey combination. The Preserve, open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is the only exotic animal rescue and wildlife preserve in North Georgia. Obviously, this is a must-go-to spot when you visit the North Georgia mountain region.

For more details on the baby tigers, you'll want to read this Gainesville Times article -  http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/71013/.

13 Votes Made the Difference

Just 13 votes. That's all that separated candidates Steve Shaw and Carlton Smith for the crucial run-off spot for Lumpkin County District 2 Commissioner when the votes were counted last Tuesday, July 31 after the primary election.

The vote was so close that Shaw and Smith had to wait until Friday (Aug. 3) for the provisional and military votes to be counted before they knew which one of them had captured the run-off spot against incumbent Tim Bowden.  Finally after EVERY vote had been tallied, 13 votes still separated the two candidates. Steve Shaw had 13 more votes than Carlton Smith. (It's a shame Smith didn't make the run-off. He would have made a terrific commissioner.)

Steve Shaw now faces Commissioner Bowden in the August 21 run-off. If Shaw can capture a large portion of the Carlton Smith votes, he will win the commission seat. (Bowden only managed 38 percent of the votes in the July 31 primary with Shaw and Smith splitting the other 62 percent.)

D&B is not so sure what kind of candidate Steve Shaw is. We do know that he wasn't much into campaigning. He failed to show up at the candidate debates, he wasn't at the Lumpkin County Republican Party event for candidates, and he wasn't spotted at any fundraisers or campaigning at large county social gathering.

The next two weeks until the run-off will be interesting. Will Shaw continue his non-campaigning campaign? Or is Shaw's strategy one of hoping there will be enough anti-Bowden votes that he (Shaw) can cruise to victory? Only time will tell.

Politics in Lumpkin County

As they say, "You win a few. You lose a few." That's what happened yesterday in the primary elections in Lumpkin County.

Big Loss
D&B actively supported two candidates - Guy LaBoa and Carlton Smith. Unfortunately, Guy wasn't able to pull out a victory in his race for Lumpkin County Commission Chairman. He definitely fought the good fight, but as a Lumpkin newcomer (he's only lived here 9 years), he was an underdog the minute he decided to run. Guy, a retired Lt. General, would have made a great leader for Lumpkin.

Big Maybe
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Carlton is still in the race - just 12 votes away from making the run off for the District 2 Commissioner seat. With military ballots and some absentee ballots still to be counted, Carlton gain enough votes to come in second and face incumbent Tim Bowden in a run off. Hang in there, Carlton. You still have a chance!

Big Win
In another big vote, Lumpkinites voted over 72% (one of the highest ratios in the state election) against the 1% transportation sales tax. In this economy, the people in this mountain area just weren't ready to pay more taxes, especially when such a small amount of the money raised in the Mountain District were for Lumpkin highway projects.

Vote for Carlton Smith

Carlton Smith Gets D&B Vote for Commissioner.

In the election for Lumpkin County Commissioner, District 2, many voters are going to the polls to vote AGAINST Tim Bowden, the district's uber controversial commissioner. Bowden's single-mindedness and seemingly disregard to the electorate are reasons enough to cast a ballot for another candidate.

However, in D&B's case, we are not voting AGAINST Bowden. We are voting FOR Carlton Smith. Carlton is a neighbor, a man whom we know personally. In fact, he was one of the first people to welcome us to Lumpkin and extoll the virtues of our new county.

Carlton is a successful small business owner. He knows the challenges that businesses face. He's familiar with budgeting and the need to make wise financial decisions. He was a public safety worker for years so he values the roles that our fire fighters and sheriff deputies play.

Carlton is a husband, father, and grandfather who values the quality of life we have in Lumpkin. Most importantly, he loves Lumpkin, he's a true leader, and he will make a darn good commissioner.

P.S. Carlton spoke out months ago on giving Lumpkin voters the right to vote on the Sunday alcohol referendum. While he may not vote for Sunday sales, he strongly stands for letting the people vote on such a controversial issue.

Why We're on the Guy LaBoa Team

D&B have joined the Guy LaBoa team for Lumpkin County Commission Chairman. In fact, we've already cast our votes for him as early voters.

According to experts, the race between Guy and his opponent Chris Dockery is going to be tight. Both men definitely have their merits, but for us, Guy just is the better choice.

Guy graduated from the same university that D&B did (although a few years apart) so we know the values, ethics and code of honor that was instilled in him as part of his education. That alone would sway our votes his way, but there are other reasons to vote for Guy LaBoa. Here are a few:

1. Guy's a retired U.S. Army retired Lt. General. Now I ask you, how many communities have the opportunity to have a three star general as their leader?
2. Guy is a leader. He's lead men in battle; he's managed companies; he's built teams of disparate groups; he's been elected to public office. 
3. He's a conservative who is fiscally responsible. As a businessman and military officer, he's managed multi-million dollar budgets and knows the importance of smart spending and staying on budget.
4. He loves Lumpkin and Dahlonega. After living in over 20 places all over the world, he and his wife Pat SELECTED Lumpkin as their home. They could have retired anywhere, but they fell in love with Dahlonega. And, after all, this is where Pat and daughter Mary Kaye went to college.

But probably the best reason to vote for Guy is that he can be a full time commission chairman. With the challenges that our county is facing (and will face), we need a chairman who isn't juggling his chairman duties with another job or jobs. Guy is retired and has the time to devote to the chairmanship. Dockery has a full-time job as a builder and serves in the Army Reserve. Now I ask you, with those major responsibilities, just how much time will he have to handle the Lumpkin's critical issues?

Put Lumpkin first. Vote for Guy LaBoa for Lumpkin County Commission Chairman.

It was Bill Scott!

Commissioner Bill Scott Said YES

Thanks to one of D&B's loyal readers for pointing out a major error made in the Dahlonega and Beyond post of July 19. D&B incorrectly identified the stalwart commissioner who has repeatedly allocated for giving the people of Lumpkin the right to vote on the Sunday alcohol sales referendum.

The Commissioner who voted YES on three different occasions for the referendum is Commissioner Bill Scott. Thank you, Commissioner Scott, for speaking for the voters of Lumpkin County. You listened to the people when others on the commission suddenly became hard of hearing.

Liquor Referendum Makes the Ballot - At Last

Clarence Stowers casts deciding vote.

The Sunday beer and wine sales referendum will be on the ballot in November! The decision came Tuesday morning at the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners' meeting, with Commission Chairman John Raber breaking a 2 - 2 tie by voting YES to the referendum.

Commissioner Clarence Stowers, who had voted twice against the referendum, switched his vote to YES, joining Commissioner Bill Lewis on the YEAH side. Commissioners Tim Bowden and Clarence Grindle voted NO, as they had done previously when the issue was before the Board.

The pressure has been on the commissioners for months as Lumpkinites (including D&B) argued that the commissioners had denied voters the right to vote.

That public pressure seemed to be what changed Stowers' vote. When asked by The Dahlonega Nugget why he switched his vote, Stowers said he had not changed his mind on Sunday sales, but that he had changed his vote because "of the attacks," including attacks on his wife and mother. Some county employees had trouble doing their jobs because of all the calls on the Sunday sales issue, he said.

No matter what his reasons may have, Dahlonega and Beyond says, "Thank you, Mr. Stowers, for joining Mr. Lewis and Mr. Raber in giving the vote back to the people."

The Nuts Are Coming to Town

Yep. That's right. Nuts are coming to town - Alabama nuts to be exact. The Jim Lovell family is opening the first franchise of The Nut Shop, an uber popular Alabama nut business right here in Dahlonega.

Nut Shop products - from peanut and pecan brittle to roasted and boiled peanuts - are currently only available online, at Alabama and Mississippi convenience stores, and at University of Alabama's Brant-Denny Stadium. In fact, Nut Shop peanuts are the official peanuts for U of A athletics.

It took some convincing of the original Nut Shop owner, Cecil Williams, to franchise his brand, especially out-of state. After several months of conversation between the Lovell family and Williams, a deal was struck. Besides the store in Dahlonega, the Lovells also have the rights to wholesale their products throughout Georgia.

We're not sure all the 60 products found in the Alabama Nut Shop will be available in the Dahlonega store. So a trip to the Dahlonega Nut Shop is a must do. We need to see firsthand if the Lowells will have almonds, pecans, mixed nuts, chocolate covered nuts along with the beloved peanut.

While neither D or B can stand boiled peanuts, we're anxious to taste the shop's roasted peanuts and some of the shop's infamous pecan brittle. After all, will the Alabama peanut be as tasty as a Georgia peanut? Only a taste test will tell for sure.

We've Got Readers

Sometimes as a blog writer, you wonder if anyone out there is reading your blog....and then it happens. You introduce yourself and the person say, "You write that blog about Dahlonega, don't you?"

Guess that means that the blog is getting noticed. One person we met even commented that there had been an absence in blog entries. (Which was true - It's hard to write a blog when you are sailing the high seas or spending a week in small town Louisiana.)

So to the small but mighty group of Dahlonega and Beyond readers, thank you. Stay tuned for more musings from a North Georgia lover. Better yet, how about signing up as a follower?

Let the People Vote

The Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners has a giant decision to make Tuesday night, July 17. Should they, or should they not, let the Lumpkin voters vote on Sunday liquor sales?

In two other 'Should the Voters Vote' decisions, three of the four county commissioners said NO. Only Commissioner Bill Scott voted to let citizens decide on the sale of beer and wine on Sunday.

The hope of an ever growing group of Lumpkinites is that at least one of the Negative Three will switch his No vote to Yes. If that happens, the tie breaker goes to Commission Chairman John Raburn, who has publicly stated that he supports the referendum.

The pressure is on the commission. Last month, the Dahlonega City Council voted to put the liquor referendum on the ballot for voters WITHIN the city of Dahlonega. If the city's referendum passes, then county businesses. This fact was acknowledged by all four commissioners in last week's issue of The Dahlonega Nugget.

D&B are not the only ones who feel that our right to vote is being held hostage by three men. The Nugget's editor Wayne Knuckles, in a strongly worded editorial in the same issue of the Nugget, urged the commissioners to "let the people have the final say." After all, he wrote, "The proper course of action, the fair thing to do, is to put the question before the voters."

D&B will be part of the crowd Tuesday night to see just what the commission decides.

It's time, commissioners, to let the people vote.