FBI investigates mayor in Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt on the hot seat ►►PAGE 6
Compensation reform NF teachers to receive merit-based pay ►►PAGE 7
Georgia getaways
Hidden gems around the state ►►PAGE 28
A look ahead
JC Mayor Mike Bodker previews 2015 ►►PAGE 12
January 15, 2015 | johnscreekherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 19, No. 3
Council vetoes early elections Will fill Posts 2, 5 in November By HATCHER HURD hatcher@northfulton.com
HATCHER HURD/STAFF
In front, from left, are Mount Pisgah Christian School Project Manager Sonya Tablada, City Councilwoman Cori Davenport, Mayor Mike Bodker, MPCS Trustee Larry Payne, MPCS Head of School John Marshall, MPCS Board Chairman Doug Williams, City Councilman Bob Gray, City Councilman Steve Broadbent and Alpharetta City Councilman Jim Gilvin. In the second row are City Councilman Lenny Zaprowski, MPCS benefactor Diane Geier, MPCS benefactor Jay Geier, MPCS Trustee Jim Brady, MPCS Upper School Head Mary Ann Morris and MPCS benefactor Lori Payne. In the third row are Mount Pisgah UMC senior pastor Steve Wood and MPCS benefactor Dianne Williams.
Mount Pisgah School dedicates $20M building Geier Hall adds classrooms, labs and cafeteria as Pisgah School families open pocketbooks
By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The families that are the backbone of Mount Pisgah Christian School gathered Jan. 11 to celebrate the dedication of the spanking new Geier Hall, a 48,000-square-foot multipurpose building that will house the upper school (ninth
through 12th grades). The original campaign was to raise $15 million over three years. Once it got started, school parents raised $20 million in something like 20 months, said fundraising cochairman Larry Payne. The student population is now at 1,050, but the goal is to have 1,200 students in K-12 grades. Head of School John D.
Marshall welcomed parents and supporters and thanked them for making this latest addition possible. “It has been an almost unbelievable journey. This follows a three-year, $11 million sports complex campaign. So this is just tremendous,” Marshall said.
See DEDICATION, Page 26
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – In a 4-1 vote, the Johns Creek City Council decided Jan. 12 it was more prudent to leave two seats on the City Council vacant for 300 days and wait until the November elections, which are already on the docket. Former state Rep. Lynne Riley’s resignation from the Legislature triggered the resignations in early Novem-
ber of two members of the Johns Creek City Council, who left to seek her seat. The City Council could have immediZAPROWSKI ately called for a March special election with qualifications in February, but Mayor Mike Bodker
See ELECTION, Page 4
State House seat enters Round 2 Stewart, Raffensperger vie in Feb. 3 runoff By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Despite five candidates on the ballot for Ga. House District 50, it was a two-person race between former Councilmembers Kelly Stewart and Brad Raffensperger in the Jan. 6 special election. It was a virtual dead heat as Stewart garnered 1,079
RAFFENSPERGER
votes (44 percent), just 53 votes ahead of Raffensperger’s total of 1,026 (41.84 percent). Since no one obtained the necessary 50 percentplus 1 margin needed for
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See SEAT, Page 4