Dawsonville Pool Room supporters rally behind restaurant owner

DAWSONVILLE - Gordon Pirkle's family members say they know he might have made some mistakes, but they still don't think state officials should have seized his Dawsonville Pool Room this week.

The 77-year-old Pirkle owes close to $40,000 in taxes along with more than $43,000 in fees and penalties on his restaurant. Family members have said the problem stemmed from dealings with a previous accountant and that he and his accountant had been working with the state to make payments.

But Wednesday, agents with the Georgia Revenue Department shut down the restaurant right in the middle of lunch hour.

Pirkle's daughter-in-law Karen Reece was not there at the time, but she said she got an eyewitness account from her sister-in-law, who was working at the Pool Room.

"She said it was just a horrible, horrible scene," said Reece. "They went through [the restaurant] with the customers. She even had her grandson there...and he was scared, you know, because they came in with guns and things of that nature."

Reece said Pirkle was attending a funeral at the time of the seizure and had no idea what had happened. She said agents seized all money from the cash registers and closed the doors. Pirkle was allowed to enter the restaurant Thursday to retrieve all perishable items.

"It's kinda like being put in debtor's prison," said Reece. "You know, you get put in debtor's prison, but they stop the way that you could make a living."

Reece pointed out that 12 employees are now out of work.

"They're gonna have to go to the unemployment line and you and I and/or the government are going to have to pay for those people."

Pirkle's grandson, 18-year-old Michael Garrett, a senior at Dawson County High School, along with his 25-year-old cousin Jordan Reece, created a Facebook page to garner support for the Pool Room and his grandfather.

He said the Dawsonville Pool Room was part of his childhood experience.

"I've worked on and off ever since I was old enough to stand over the sink and wash dishes," said Garrett.

He said, though, the Dawsonville Pool Room isn't just important for his family, but for the entire community.

"He's (Pirkle) probably helped everybody in the community in some shape or form," said Garrett.

Garrett said the goal with the creation of the Facebook group, as well as opening of benefit banks accounts, is to resolve the financial issues and re-open the Dawsonville Pool Room for his grandfather.