The HOA and all registered voters in the Amicalola District thank Board members Tom Alexander, Ben Collins, Carl Deane, and George Thurman for leading the effort to keep the polling place at Station #6.

They mobilized a team of determined volunteers to obtain valid signatures for the petition that was presented to the Dawson Board of Elections and Registration (DBE).

Tom, chair of the HOA Liaison Committee, made a convincing argument against moving the polling place at the DBE meeting on March 17.

Sixty-five percent of the voters in the Amicalola District live within five miles of Station #6. Amicalola is the largest district in Dawson County. We applaud the DBE for making the right and fair decision to keep Station #6 the voting place for the large number of Amicalola voters living inside and outside of Big Canoe.

A cooperative effort by the HOA, POA, and Dawson County is in place to bring Station #6 up to the standards required by the DBE. The next election, a General Primary and Special Election, will be on July 15. The polling place for Pickens residents is at the fire station on Yellow Creek Road.

The HOA also thanks Smoke Signals Online intrepid reporters Barbara Schneider and Laura Link. Their professional, timely, and in-depth reporting represented all sides of the Amicalola District polling site issue. SSOL articles and opinions brought clarity to the debate and facilitated communication between the community and the DBE.

Your HOA is much more than the usual homeowners association. The HOA sponsors Smoke Signals and Smoke Signals Online. It publishes an atlas and wall-size maps of Big Canoe. Once a year, it prints the Directory and provides an opportunity for residents to edit their profiles online. It maintains the Post Office and cleans up Steve Tate Highway twice a year. It sponsors Red Cross Blood Drives, health screenings, flu clinics, holiday events, educational seminars, cultural events, and sports activities.

And, have you heard about the Propane Consortium?

There are now 1,495 residents in the HOA. If you are not already a member, please join. The larger our membership, the more representative we are of Big Canoe.

A membership form is in the Directory on page 21, or go to http://www.bigcanoehoa.org, scroll down the left to Big Canoe HOA Info, click on Membership Information.

Mark your calendars for upcoming events. We will see you there.

April 26, 7:30 p.m.--Ciraldo Duo, a duet of classical guitar and flute. Though free to the community, reservations will be required. Watch for e-mail and flyers to make reservations.

June 1, 7 p.m.--DeKalb Symphony Concert on the Green, co-sponsored by your HOA and the Developer.

June 14--AARP Defensive Driving Course.

July 12 --Big Canoe Homeowners Association Annual Meeting.