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Firehouse Subs to open soon
8AGW Firehouse inside pic
Firehouse Subs

Fire up your mouth because Firehouse Subs is coming to town.

A new Firehouse Subs restaurant is projected to openSept. 5in Dawsonville.

The restaurant will be located in a small strip shopping center on Georgia 400, across from the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall and between Friends Sports Bar and Grill and Moes Southwest Grill.

It expects to hire 19 - 22 full and part-time employees.

Applications for cashiers, cooks and food preparers are available atwww.firehousesubs.com, and in an outside box located at the restaurant.

The popular, franchised, casual food chain was founded in 1994 by brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen, who served as firefighters. Twenty years later, the brothers have 790 Firehouse Sub restaurants in 41 states and one in Puerto Rico.

The Dawsonville location is a first in the county.

People get really excited about Firehouse Subs, because we have an array of hot sauces, 50 to be exact, at every locations, Public Relations Director Avagay Lindsay said Monday.

And, according to the company website, People come back again and again because, unlike other sub places, we steam our meats and cheeses, releasing a rush of flavors, then stuff a serving thats way over code on one of our toasted private recipe sub rolls.

Apparently, thats not the only thing the brothers do well.

Since 2005, through our public safety foundation, we have given $10.1 million to local first-responders, Lindsay said. The foundation provides lifesaving equipment and education opportunities.

In Georgia, she said, the foundation has given $779,800.

All the local fire department has to do is go online and apply for a grant, and well donate whatever they need, she said. Thats a big deal right now with all the budget cuts.

William Nichols, the local franchise owner, could not be reached for comment by presstime.

The Firehouse Subs foundation raises money by allowing customers to round-up their bill to the nearest dollar.

And, Dawson County Fire Station 2 will be featured in a unique hand-painted mural that will hang at the restaurant, according to Lindsay.

Dawson County EMS Chief Lanier Swafford said hes excited about his team getting recognition.

Fire station number 2 was chosen because the restaurant is in their district, EMS Chief Lanier Swafford said. Were excited about that. Firehouse Subs was founded by firemen, but theyre much more than that. They recognize the efforts of the local community and give back to it.

Swafford said he has applied for grants from Firehouse Subs in the past without much luck.

But, maybe now with a store in our area, well have a better chance.

Community Events
6 variances approved by board
7ESN Screen shot 2015 09 22 at 1.30.11 PM
BOC

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners Thursday said yes to six of seven variances that will bring Dawson Marketplace one step closer to reality.

"Dawson Marketplace wants to vary from the stipulations given to them by the Board of Commissioners in 2007," Rachel Burton, director of planning and zoning for Dawson County said.

Documents indicate Dawson Marketplace approved variances include:

varying the minimum setback from the right-of-way for Georgia 400 to 90 feet from 100 feet; vary the building facade composition from 80 percent to 50 percent; varying the maximum number of off-street parking spaces to one per 50 square feet of gross floor space; varying the number of monument signs from one to five; varying signage for multi-tenant buildings from two to one and allowing for minor signs, and varying the screening of mechanical equipment from the street for only rear facades facing Lumpkin Campground Road.

The board denied the variance for wall signage with the stipulation that it could be addressed at a later date.

Separately, the board approved two agenda items pertaining to the Margie Weaver Senior Center: a request to hold a raffle and an addendum to the FY 2016 Legacy Link contract.

"Dawson County contracts with Legacy Link each year for our meal service for our seniors," Senior Centor Director Dawn Pruett said. "They are our facilitator for funding for state and federal grants. We are in a district with Hall, Lumpkin, Forsyth and a few others. This is an addendum to the contract that was originally approved months ago."

In other county business, the following requests passed by unanimous vote:

Dawson County Emergency Services Director Billy Thurmond was granted approval of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Grant. Each county in Georgia is required to update their hazard mitigation plan and have it approved by GEMA and FEMA. By doing so, Dawson would be eligible for federal and state funding in the event of a disaster declaration. The total amount is $24,000 ($18,000 federal, $2,400 state, $3,600 county in-kind).

"The grant allows us to be eligible for funding in the event of an emergency like we had last February with the ice," Thurmond said.

Lori VanSickle and Duane Wallace were appointed to the Dawson County Library Board by the commissioners, replacing Kay Black and Eydie Stegall, respectively. VanSickle brings twenty years of leadership and management experience to the board. Wallace has been a licensed counselor for nearly fifteen years both professionally and in a volunteer capacity.

October has been proclaimed 'Clean Water Month' and Dawson County citizens are encouraged to participate in "Imagine A Day Without Water" Oct. 6-8. Other observances include River Clean-up Oct. 14 and Shore Sweep for Lake Lanier Oct. 27, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at War Hill Park.

Separately, the issue of a new fire station was addressed on behalf of Sandra Bryan, a resident of Rainbow Lake Dr. Bryan's residence received a fire rating of 10 due to its considerable distance from a fire station. The implication for those who receive a rating of 10 is higher insurance costs.

Anybody that is beyond five road miles from any of Dawson County's eight fire stations is classified as a ten, according to Thurmond.

"When and if we build a fire station at the Etowah water tank on Elliott Family Parkway, Ms. Bryan would be within the limits," Thurmond said. "We have property, but we don't have funds."

The Board will meet next on Thursday, Sept. 24 in the Assembly Room of the Dawson Government Center, 25 Justice Way at 4 p.m.