The shop window at Woody’s Barber Shop went dark last Thursday morning.
The downtown gathering spot, which is often bustling in the early hours, had no lines and no customers.
Instead loyal patrons were met with a large poster board which was placed in a barber’s chair facing the window, signed by owner Cathy Garner.
“The City of Dahlonega left a message that they are turning off my water today,” read the message. “I have paid every water bill!”
The four-foot-tall poster board listed the contributions of Woody’s to the community over the years, which ranged from hair cuts for cancer patients to providing power for the city during Christmas.
“So after 95 years of service this is what they did to me,” read the message. “We need your voice please!”
That voice was found on Facebook as a picture of the sign was posted in multiple places and an online outcry followed as users deemed the city’s actions anything from “unacceptable” to “disappointing” to “disgusting.” Rumors then began to circulate that the city had actually shut down the barber shop.
On Monday, City Manager Bill Schmid said there was no truth to that.
“Suffice it to say social media is not always correct,” he said. “No action has been taken by the City.”
He added that the warning was part of the city’s procedure for dealing with customers who have unpaid bills.
“Unless there is an emergency situation requiring immediate action, termination of water service only occurs when an unpaid utility account bill has been accumulating for a few months,” he said. “In this case the dispute seems to be about a downtown mandatory minimum monthly garbage rate set by the Council at $40.”
That rate was unanimously approved by the city council at an August 3, 2020 meeting. It officially went into effect in October.
Garner said she has refused to pay for the garbage fee because her business only produces a small amount of trash, which she disposes of herself.
She opted to write “I recycle” on the bill instead of paying that fee. It’s a matter of principle, she said.
“You’re hitting us up for trash during a pandemic?” said Garner.
Schmid said that regardless, the bill must be paid.
“Service payments for water, sewer, garbage and stormwater on the combined utility bill are required to be paid in full,” he said.
And if they aren’t, eventually the city has the authority to turn off the water to the downtown establishment.
“The situation is no different at this establishment than it is for neighboring businesses on either side and in the rest of the downtown area,” Schmid said.
On Tuesday morning Garner went to City Hall and paid the bill.
But she wasn’t happy about it.
“It’s not right,” she said while standing outside her business Tuesday morning. “It’s a sad day in Dahlonega. I don’t tell [Mayor] Sam Norton where to buy his produce. I don’t think he should tell me what to do with my trash.”
Garner said she will reopen for business on Thursday.
Calls to Norton were not returned by press-time.
WOODY’S WOES
Meanwhile, locals just want to see Woody’s back in business.
“It’s just sad,” said Lumpkin County resident Rebecca Jackson, who took her child to Woody’s for one of his first haircuts. “It’s the smallest shop on the square and might be the oldest running business. We took our picture there on Halloween when we were dressed like The Andy Griffith Show because Dahlonega reminds us of Mayberry. And Woody’s reminds us of Floyd’s.”
Customer Thomas Odom walked up to the closed barber shop on Tuesday and was disappointed to find out he’d have to wait for his hair cut. And he bristled at the idea of a mandatory fee.
“If you are going to get elected based on being a small business supporting conservative-minded individual and then force someone to make a choice that they don’t want to make, then practice what you preach,” he said. “Are you saying it to get elected? Or are you saying it because you actually stinking believe in it?”
Upon hearing this, Garner gave Odom a big hug of appreciation. And she said she hopes her fellow downtown business owners will follow her lead.
“It’s time to speak up, people,” she said. “…I’m the first domino.”