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.

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

Dahlonega and the Liquor Vote

The City Council of Dahlonega seems to be listening to the voters when it comes to Sunday beer and wine sales. That's something the 'Big Daddy' County Commission in Lumpkin County failed to do.

The topic of Sunday liquor sales has popped up at the Dahlonega City Council. The council has decided to hold a public hearing to discuss the possibility of an election on Sunday beer and wine sales within the city limits.

Last month, the County Commission voted NOT to give the Lumpkin voters the opportunity to say Yea or Nay on selling beer and wine on Sunday. The result - Voters got mad...really mad. (An indication of this were the multiple Letters to Editor and columns in the local Dahlonega Nugget.)

We can only hope that the Dahlonega council members believe in the right of the people to vote...something the Lumpkin commissioners don't seem to believe in.

Best Of Dahlonega & Beyond - Our Take 2

In the spirit of Dahlonega's Nugget's 2011 BEST OF contest, Dahlonega and Beyond has a few more of our own Best OF recommendations.

• Best Dog - Hands down Nugget wins Best Dog award. Not only did she live for years at the Golden Pantry, but she's captured the hearts of thousands throughout Lumpkin and the world over. Nugget even has her own Facebook page.
• Best Museum - Since this is Dahlonega and Beyond, our vote for best area museum is the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville. The exhibits there trace NASCAR from its moonshine running days to Dawsonville's Bill Elliott's racing career and beyond.
• Best Ga. NASCAR Eating Experience - The Dawsonville Pool Room is a must-eat-at spot. Filled with Georgia racing memorial, the restaurant/diner serves a great Bully Burger and has daily Meat and Two specials.
• Best Hotel - While we were house hunting, we stayed several times at The Park Place Hotel  in downtown Dahlonega. Each suite is unique, you get a bottle of wine when you check in, and it has a patio on the square that's a fun place for people watching. 
• Best Local Park - The Yahoola Creek Park in Dahlonega is a perfect spot for picnics, for the children to play in the creek, and for short hikes or walks.
• Best Spelling Bee - That's the Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition's annual adult spelling bee. Lots of laughs as adults try spelling such words as ailurophile, equinoctial and horripilation.

We'll be posting more Best Of awards. Stay tuned.

Inmates Love Lumpkin Toilet Water

It seems that the Lumpkin County Detention Center was a hot bed of activity this month. According to The Dahlonega Nugget's Crimebeat this week -

• An inmate was sprayed with pepper-spray after stuffing her jumpsuit in the toilet, trying to flood her cell. Afterwards, we hope the deputies gave her a dry, clean jumpsuit sans pepper spray and toilet water.
• Another inmate was handcuffed and tased to stop him from splashing toilet water on his face. Gee, the toilet water at the Lumpkin jail must be extra special.
• And an inmate was restrained after repeatedly banging his head on the cell door. Ooh, talk about a sore head. Hope the deputies gave him some Excedrin Migraine afterwards.

But probably the most interesting items in Crimebeat were the reports of the Segway damaged when a Lumpkin County deputy "bumped" the two wheeler into a step at the city park and a man's two-year-old identifying the neighbor's children as the ones who threw rocks at the man's truck. Love to see that case go to trial. Two-year-olds always make terrific witnesses.

As always, Dahlonega and Beyond has its share of crime, just not the Page One Atlanta Journal & Constitution type. (Thank goodness.)

Crime Report - Atlanta vs. Dahlonega

Any day that you pick up the Atlanta Journal Constitution, you'll see the front page filled with crime reports, i.e. - Resident opens fire on two intruders, Cars broken into in Buckhead, Boyfriend killed by stiletto heel.

Now Dahlonega has its share of crime too. In fact, the second page of the local newspaper, The Dahlonega Nugget, each week features Crimebeat, a snapshot look of the week's crimes.

Here are some of the actual crimes reported in Crimebeat:

1.  A woman reported that someone had broken in to her home, stole some important papers and fed the dog. She thinks the culprit is her ex-husband.

2.  An allegedly intoxicated man wearing all black climbed onto the roof of Piazza's. He was arrested for public drunkenness.

3. A woman threw a party and a lot of people she didn't know showed up. Later, he found someone had stolen her laptop, cell phone and $100.

4.  A woman reported that someone stole the power meter from the side of her house.

And here's our vote for the biggest crime of the week - A deputy accidentally struck a mailbox with his patrol car.

As you can see, these are some pretty serious crimes. But when you compare these incidents with the seemingly unending crime in Atlanta, you can see why Dahlonega and Beyond is quite a safe place to be.