With all the available technology, many travelers can easily check what’s going on at home base. Being technologically dumb, I depend on others to keep in touch. It worked for the past two weeks (almost) that I was at beautiful Cape San Blas beach.

Of course, via television we were very much aware of the terrible storms, the Royal Wedding, the postponement of the space launch, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and other general news.

On his laptop, my brother reads some of the news from North Georgia newspapers. My son checks my phone messages, brings in the daily mail and newspapers, keeps an eye on the property. So we learned right away to be grateful that the tornadoes missed our little piece of Georgia. Only a few tree limbs scattered about.

I waited until getting home, however, to realize how many congratulations are due to Dawson Countians.

First, there’s our county manager, Kevin Tanner, who received the initial Jerry Griffith Leadership Award given by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

Having watched Kevin mature and serve his native county since presenting him with a Woman’s Club Citizenship and Service Award in high school, I was not surprised at his being so honored.  Congratulations also go to our Chairman Mike Berg, who was sworn in as second vice president at that same ACCG annual meeting.

Dawson residents have reason to be proud on several fronts.

Also recognized at district and state levels were Dawson County Woman’s Club and their high school Juniorettes as well as several high school artists; 4-H Club members; high school athletes signing for scholarships, and many other students looking forward to academic scholarships as graduation day approaches.

Artists are presently much in the spotlight. Spring Fling, the Arts Council’s 10th annual Art in the Garden festival, is in full swing, and beautifully so, as I write this. And the annual Dawson County High School Art Show recently won high praise.

Special congratulations go to Grace Presbyterian Church for being one of five churches in the nation selected for a $50,000 grant, to be used for capital developments. That’s good recognition for the several community outreach programs that have been initiated by that congregation.

All of this is good news. But I have in my store of e-mails some not-so-good statistics which I plan to share with my readers. Hopefully, next week.

Helen Taylor’s column appears periodically in the Dawson Community News.