Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - February 2, 2017 by Appen Media Group

Fe b r u a r y 2 , 2 0 1 7 | N o r t h F u l t o n . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 3 5 , N o . 5

Homeless survey

Volunteers sweep North Fulton for displaced population ►►PAGE 12

Road improvements

Residents weigh in on proposed upgrades to Kimball Bridge Road ►►PAGE 4

Officials examine transit

Jackson Healthcare $100M expansion

City, county officials study Dallas Area Rapid Transit for fresh ideas ►►PAGE 6

Opinion

Appen launches investigative reporting initiative ►►PAGE 8

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Jackson Health Care’s 300,000 square-foot expansion is styled as an Italian Renaissance piazza with the eight-story office building at left, the fitness center styled after the Roman Colosseum, center, and the 1,385-space parking deck.

Jackson Healthcare has announced a $100 million expansion and the creation of a 340,000-square-foot campus in Alpharetta. Making the announcement are, from left, state Sen. Brandon Beach, Jackson Healthcare President Shane Jackson, Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and architect Joseph Trammell. For details see article Page 5.

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2 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An incident of road rage ended in arrest Jan. 19 as a man was charged for aggressive driving, reckless driving first offense and speeding. Alpharetta police were patrolling on Ga. 400 southbound, near McGinnis Ferry Road, when one officer noticed a red sedan pass by in the inside lane with a silver Mercedes CLK 500 following closely behind. The officer said that he saw the Mercedes “aggressively accelerate” and erratically changed multiple lanes without

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All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Alleged shoplifter caught returning to same store MILTON, Ga. — A man was arrested Jan. 22 for shoplifting multiple times and obstruction. An employee at Fry’s Electronics on Webb Road called police when he recognized a man in the store as a suspect who had allegedly shoplifted from them Jan. 14 and 17. Store footage showed Aaron Wuescher taking a $700 drone and $350 camera Jan. 14 without paying for either item. When police arrived and approached the 34-year-old Wuescher of Woodstock, Wuescher turned around and walked away. Another officer stood in Wuescher’s way, and that’s when Wuescher ran. Police caught up with Wuescher and tackled him. He was arrested on two counts of felony shoplifting and for misdemeanor obstruction.

Woman finds card fraud in OK, GA MILTON, Ga. — A woman reported a

using a turn signal. The Mercedes then “brake checked” the sedan, causing the sedan’s driver to make an abrupt lane change to avoid crashing. The Mercedes’ speed was clocked at 100 mph in a 65 mph zone. The driver of the Mercedes, 58-year-old John Hall of Suwanee, said that his behavior was from “road rage.” He was arrested without incident.

case of identity fraud Jan. 20 when she noticed suspicious activity on her account spanning two states. The woman said she first realized something was wrong Jan. 19 when she received an email from her bank saying that her requested credit card had been delivered to Lawrenceville. She had not requested any new cards and did not recognize the address. The woman then reviewed her account history and saw two charges she had not made. One was for $20 in a Walmart in Oklahoma, and the second was for $2,700 in a Target in Milton, Ga. After reviewing the charges, the woman called her bank to freeze her account. She told police that she has had similar issues in the past.

Police recover stolen motorcycle JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man was arrested Jan. 21 after attempting to flee from police for allegedly stealing a motorcycle. Johns Creek police were informed by DeKalb County police about the stolen motorcycle, which was traced to Long Pointe in Johns Creek. Officers initially got no response from the residents when they arrived. After a while, a woman came out

DUIS & DRUGS All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

DUI arrests ►► Bruce Wilson Smitherman, 61,

of Birmingham Road, Milton, was arrested Jan. 21 on Cogburn Road in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Detric Raymone Butler, 32, of Valley Glen Drive, Gainesville, was arrested Jan. 21 on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI. ►► Steve Andrew Sims, 27, of Longlake Drive, Duluth, was arrested Jan. 21 on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI, speeding and failure to maintain lane. ►► Victor Rodriguez, 27, of Wood Creek Trail, Roswell, was arrested Jan. 21 on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and driver unlicensed. ►► Monica Sanchez Venegas, 42,of Enniskillen Court, Suwanee, was arrested Jan. 22 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, speeding and failure to maintain lane. ►► Vittal Sainath Alamanda, 44, of Ledmark Court, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 11 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

See BLOTTER, Page 36

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of multifocal intraocular lenses for patients having cataract surgery?

See The Big Game Clearly!

By Dr. Cameron Johnson

A cataract is caused by the clouding of the natural human lens. When the cloudy lens is removed with surgery, a new artificial lens is placed in the eye to focus images properly.

Cameron Johnson, M.D. Cataract & Refractive Surgeon

When considering cataract surgery, it is important to discuss the risks and benefits of the surgery with your eye doctor. With advancements in artificial lens technology over the last decade, discussing the type of new lens to be placed in the eye has become very important as well.

When a person reaches their 40’s, they begin to note that they are no longer able to see up close without glasses. While patients often have much decreased need for glasses for distance vision after cataract surgery, with a standard lens they will still need reading glasses for near vision. Fortunately, patients now have additional lens options. One of these options is called a multifocal lens. This type of lens corrects both near and distance vision. One survey found that 4 out of 5 patients with this type of lens reported never wearing glasses. Many patients find that these lenses add greatly to their quality of life and enjoy the convenience of not having to keep up with reading glasses. However, these lenses are not for all patients. In order for these lenses to work well, patients must have relatively healthy eyes. Those with severe dry eye, macular degeneration, or advanced glaucoma are not good candidates. A patient also must not have much astigmatism in order for these lenses to work well. Patients with larger amounts of astigmatism would likely benefit more from an astigmatism correcting intraocular lens. Patient personality plays a role as well. While multifocal lenses are very good, they are not capable to giving patients the vision they had when they were 20 years old. Like all technologies they have limitations. Patients often note haloes around lights and can have glare issues, especially at night. However these symptoms are less noticeable with time. In one study, 6 months after surgery, only about 6 percent of patients described these problems as severe. Reading with these lenses requires adequate lighting, so patients may still need reading glasses in a dimly lit restaurant. There may be some decreased sharpness as compared to standard lenses, especially at night and in rainy or foggy conditions. This means that patients who know themselves to be perfectionists wanting the clearest possible vision at every distance, may do better with a standard lens and reading glasses. Finally, these lenses are considered to be similar to LASIK or cosmetic surgery by insurance companies. Therefore they are not covered by insurance and require an additional fee. However, even given these limitations, 93% of patients receiving one popular type of multifocal lens say they would choose to have a multifocal lens again.

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NEWS

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Bond project could begin in 2018 as traffic plan comes into focus By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Alpharetta transportation officials are moving forward with plans to pair a local bond project to improve traffic flow on Kimball Bridge Road with another project farther north on the same roadway. Residents had a chance Jan. 26 to look over the latest proposals and add their voice to the mix as the city solidifies plans for work between North Point Parkway and Waters Road. The city is also involved with a similar project on Kimball Bridge funded through the recently passed TSPLOST. That project, estimated at $6 million, involves bike, pedestrian and operational improvements from North Point north to Westside Parkway. The $9 million southern improvements are funded through a $50 million bond referendum passed by residents last May. “Overall, individuals are very pleased that nothing really changed, that we did what we said we were going to do,” said Pete Sewczwicz, Alpharetta director of Public Works. Last year, the city conducted several outreach meetings. Based on input from those meetings and recent traffic counts, the city developed a concept plan for improvements along that southern stretch. From those meetings, the city has come up with a plan that Sewczwicz says honors the wishes of the citizens.

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Plans call for adding a travel lane from North Point to Waters. In addition, the city would install left-turn lanes at key intersections and key entrances to subdivisions. It would also install an 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the south side of Kimball Bridge and provide bike enhancements. “The one thing that came out of the public meetings was citizens did not want any additional improvements on the north side,” Sewczwicz said. “We’re going to be repairing some curb and gutter, change the radius to make things easier for ingress and egress, but we’re not adding wide sidewalks on the north side. We are not tearing up curb and gutter. We’re respecting their desire to maintain the 5-foot sidewalk on the north side. We’re not installing any trees, anything like that.” In addition, the concept calls for a connection to the Greenway at the Sterling Brooke subdivision entrance. The purpose of the Jan. 26 meeting, Sewczwicz said, was to show the public that the input collected was honored in the current plan. “There is no difference. It’s not like

we tweaked it,” he said. “You said you wanted one lane, we did one lane. You said you wanted left-turn lanes. We did left-turn lanes. We did the sidewalk. We did the bike enhancements.” From the latest meeting, Sewczwicz said residents have asked the city to look more in depth at the intersection at North Point and Kimball Bridge for the turning movement. Residents say they want two right-turn lanes off of North Point onto Kimball Bridge Road.. “In addition we need to show them that with the TSPLOST project of Kimball Bridge Road from North Point to Westside Parkway, that we’re incorporating some of that work within this design so we can match things up,” he said. “Residents of the Sterling Brooke community had very positive words regarding the connection to the Greenway and wanted to work with us,” Sewczwicz added. “They had some ideas, so we’re going to be meeting with them to sort that out, and we’re going to be working with our engineers on the intersection improvements.” He said there were requests for an even wider sidewalk at points on the south side of the road, so there may be a 10-foot-wide sidewalk in some areas. Sewczwicz said the next step is to work with the utility companies and map out areas where poles and lines may need to be moved. “My overall goal is to have the project out to bid by the end of the year, and construction hopefully can start at the beginning of next year,” Sewczwicz said. “We may push things out a month or two depending on the weather. Construction should take about a year. We’re looking at a 12 to 15-month construction schedule.”

Taste of Alpharetta named Top 20 event ALPHARETTA, Ga.—The Taste of Alpharetta has been honored as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast for 2017 by the Southeast Tourism Society. This year’s festival will take place on Thursday, May 4 in downtown Alpharetta. The Southeast Tourism Society developed the STS Top 20 Events program to recognize successful festivals and special events across the Southeast. Events considered for the STS Top 20 recognition must be at least three years old and have attendance of at least 1,000 people. Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes them throughout the United States. The complete list of Top 20 Events

is available on escapetothesoutheast. com and travelpressmediaroom.com.

NEWS

Jackson Healthcare to build $100M campus Project to add 1,400 jobs in 8-story office tower By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga – Jackson Healthcare, the 18th largest privately held company in Georgia, has always thought big. But the planned 300,000-square-foot, $100 million campus expansion on Northwinds Parkway in Alpharetta will be jaw-dropping. Jackson Healthcare plans a 30-acre Italian Renaissance campus that includes an eight-story, 267,000-squarefoot office building which should make it the tallest in North Fulton. It will have a 39,000-square-foot fitness and amenities building shaped in the image of the Roman Colosseum and a 1,385-space parking deck as well. The plan is to accommodate a huge expansion of Jackson Healthcare’s operations. The holding company is comprised of some 17 subsidiaries, primarily in the health staffing industry. With 1,100 current employees, Jackson will more than double in size when the expansion is completed. The project will break ground in 60 days and should be completed in the fall of 2018. Jackson Healthcare President Shane Jackson said his company takes pride in having been named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the best place to work the last three years running. Jackson said the company follows the vision of his father Rick Jackson to serve others. To that end, the company takes great care in providing a positive work place for employees. So an on-site 39,000-square foot fitness center with restaurant and other amenities would fit right in with the company ethos. It will house a state-ofthe-art gym, an indoor pool, and a fullservice restaurant for associates. It also includes a hair salon, dry cleaners, spray-tanning studio, chiropractor, massage and a barber. Together the office building, fitness center and six-story parking garage are designed to resemble the buildings that line the Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. “We are building this for our associates. This is for them to enjoy,” said Jackson. “The quality of service we give our customers is directly related to the quality of the people within our com-

Jackson Healthcare Expansion at a glance Total value: $100 million New Jobs: 1,400 (sales and technology) Components: • 8-story, 267,000 s.f. office building 6-story • 39,000 s.f., gym, pool, restaurant • 1,385-space parking deck pany. We want them to have a beautiful place to work together.” The architect of the Jackson project is Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio, LLC Architecture + Interior Design (RJTR). The general contractor is Choate Construction. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete. “The design challenge of Rick and Shane Jackson was to create a 21st Century workplace within architecture that authentically recalls the Italian Renaissance,” said Joe Trammell, Project Principal for RJTR. “There will be nothing like it, anywhere.” State Sen. Brandon Beach called the project an “iconic development” for North Fulton. “I’ve known the Jackson family both personally and professionally and what they have done for the community,” Beach said. “Rick has always gone by the philosophy of ‘Go big or go home.’ “Well, this is big. Georgia is the No. 1 state to do business in and we appreciate Rick and Shane’s job creation here. The state doesn’t create jobs, companies do.” Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle was also enthusiastic about the expansion. “There have been many big announcements in Alpharetta recently, but this is huge,” Belle Isle said. “Jackson Healthcare is the No. 1 place to work because they focus on that. They create a community.” Belle Isle called the project another great step for Alpharetta, “The Technology Center of the South.” It complements Avalon, Gwinnett Tech’s Alpharetta campus and the new North Winds Parkway extension in invigorating the city’s development along Ga. 400.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 5

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6 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

NEWS

Officials get close look at Dallas rapid transit Fulton officials ride rails from Dallas to Plano in search of answers By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com (This is Part II of an article on a fact-finding tour of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System and the possible application of similar rapid transit in North Fulton. For Part I see the Jan. 26 Herald article or go online to http://tinyurl.com/zmard2r)

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NORTH FULTON – When a Fulton County delegation of 10 mayors and Fulton County commissioners took a quick two-day trip to Dallas, Texas, to see the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in action, it was with an eye to working cooperatively on a similar system in Fulton County. The leaders participating included Fulton Chairman John Eaves, Fulton Commissioner Liz Hausmann, Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood. Most leaders are agreed that Fulton County can never pour enough concrete to keep up with Fulton’s transportation congestion, so they went to Dallas to see the much ballyhooed DART in action. And with the passage of the TSPLOST infusing $655 million for transportation solutions over the

LOCKWOOD

next five years, leaders are giving regional solutions to congestion more thought. Commissioner Hausmann, representing Johns Creek, said she and others have noticed how the Dallas suburb of Plano closely resembled the North Fulton area in many ways, and how DART so transformed that community. “Plano was just the sleepy little suburb that was getting sleepier and sleepier [getting rundown actually], until it got rapid transit,” Hausmann said. Considering all of the recent discussions about the TSPLOST and engaging both elected officials and the public, Hausmann thought it would be a good idea for representatives from around the county to see just what transit means in a real-world situation. In addition to Fulton officials, others making the trip were Georgia Department of Transportation Director Russell McMurry, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Christopher Tomilinson and directors of four Fulton community improvement districts. Most came back favorably impressed, but they see problems adapting the same light rail to Fulton’s geographical topographical problems. While complete agreement among officials would

BELLE ISLE

HAUSMANN

WOOD

be hard to get based on one field trip, there was consensus about some of the salient features of DART that would be attractive in North Fulton. It is cheaper. Light rail does not entail the big train stations MARTA has with huge parking components. DART vehicles are more like streetcars which run at street level. Passengers just step off at or near their destination. Light rail can move people with more mobility than heavy rail and do it cheaper. Light rail is also an engine for economic development. Alpharetta Mayor Belle Isle said he liked light rail “much better” than MARTA’s heavy rail. “There are no escalators, no turnstiles. You just step on at street level. I could see getting on at North Point Parkway and stepping off at Avalon,” Belle Isle said. He liked the ease of getting on and off light rail. But Belle Isle noted the density of a city like Plano is about 275,000 – which is about the population of all of North Fulton. And its downtown is just a few square blocks.

See TRANSIT, Page 30

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8 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

OPINION

A newsroom also marches on its stomach I’ve always had a strong admiration for our men and women serving in the military. It takes a special kind of person to put their lives on the line for people they will likely never meet. I just didn’t know how brave they were until recently. I was somehow convinced by our execKATHLEEN STURGEON utive editor Hatcher Hurd to try a Editor sampling of a military ration. kathleen@appenmediagroup.com A local man who sends care packages to troops gave Hatcher an MRE – meal ready to eat – kit, complete with a veggie burger and barbeque sauce. As the “office vegetarian,” I was summoned to take one for the team. I have a vague memory of trying something similar in college after visiting an Army supply store and being impressed and somewhat amused that a vegetarian ration was offered. I don’t think that went over too well, or if I even ended up trying the powdery food. So when Hatcher asked if I was interested in sampling, I roped my fellow newsroom staff into joining me on the taste test journey. Around lunchtime we ripped open the package. Let me just start by saying, our ignorance was showing, or as Hatcher put it, was flashing in neon. We inspected each individual package and were thoroughly amused by the teeny, tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce. First, we sampled the various premade food, beginning with the bread which tasted like a stale piece of pita bread. The chocolate banana nut muffin top left a lot to be desired; in fact we never noticed it was supposed to be banana flavored until we read the

package. But what really stuck out to us were the raisins. My coworkers put it eloquently when they said they’d remember trying those forever, and that the raisins, “rotted immediately upon contact with saliva.” After we experimented with the side dishes, it was time to make our veggie burger. Let me just say, this food gives a whole new mean-

We give you, Blackbox It is with great pleasure that I announce on behalf of the entire Appen Media Group team the launch of our newest project, dubbed Blackbox (or BL4CKB0X as you will often see it designated). Blackbox is the new investigative journalism arm of our multimedia company. For over 30 years Appen Media Group, HANS APPEN while thorough and detailed in General Manager hans@appenmediagroup.com its reporting of current news, has never designated resources and manpower to what consumers of news would describe as investigative journalism. And, to be fair, rarely do news organizations of our size and scope do such a thing. This role is typically played by larger daily media companies like Cox Media Group’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, or the Boston Globe, for which this company drew inspiration from for the Blackbox model. For those of you who saw the movie Spotlight, you will understand what I am talking about. The Boston Globe has a division of its newsroom designated to deep background investigations, usually centered around corruption, crime or abuse of power. They are meticulous with their research, sift through hundreds of tips from readers for legitimate leads,

and work autonomously from the rest of the news staff. They are dubbed Spotlight. For us, there will be some parallels and some differences with their structure. First, the similarities. The Blackbox team is a small group of journalists alloted as much time and effort required to research, verify and report on major news stories. We will depend on tips from our readers, a multitude of recorded and off-the-record sources, and will only spend time on stories that deserve the depth of attention we will give it. The Blackbox team will build a thesis based on a hunch or tip. Then, we will gather facts to support our thesis and continued work on the project. We will continue to work on some, and then that’s when we’re off to the races. The differences? While the Boston Globe is able to designate resources to a separate dedicated team of journalists for Spotlight, we will be running Blackbox with the team we already have on staff. This means they will be contributing to Blackbox in addition to the beats they already cover. Another key difference is that while we will dive into statewide and national issues, our focus is still and always will be local. So, while the exposure to our work may be small, the impact will be just as strong, if not more so. Additionally, I would like to take the time to an-

ing to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Trying to figure out how to make the burger was like an intelligence test. We had to set up the provided heater, which took pretty much all the brain power we could muster. I can’t even imagine being out in the field having to figure out how to work the cooker. I hope they are taught how to set up their food prior to shipping out. Once we waited the allotted 10-15 minutes, we tried the burger. As someone who eats veggie burgers regularly, I have to admit it wasn’t too shabby. Granted, I wouldn’t buy it in the store or order it at a restaurant. But if I was out serving our country and really hungry, I would be happy to have that. It’s also incredible that a vegetarian dish is obtainable at all. In my everyday life, I am often told to “eat around the meat” or “pick it out.” My choices are sometimes limited to macaroni and cheese or rolls. So the fact our military thinks about offering this as an option, if for religious or personal reasons, is excellent. All in all, we, of course, tasted the food through our mindset of not actually being in the military and having the option to eat other food if we didn’t like what was presented. Eating rations is just one small part of being in the military, but as was once said, “an army marches on its stomach.” As for our newsroom, I’m not too sure we could suck it up and eat the provisions, then go out and interview and write, let alone go into battle. So I commend the army for not only eating their MREs, but for doing so and then going on to serve our country and putting their lives at risk. We thank you for all that you do.

Blackbox is the new investigative journalism arm of our multimedia company. nounce we are beefing up on resources on our news team. In addition to industry vets Hatcher Hurd, Pat Fox, and rising star Kathleen Sturgeon, we are thrilled to announce the hiring of Joe Parker as a full-time reporter covering the Milton beat and the promotion of Julie Grochowski to reporter covering the Roswell beat. Both will contribute to Blackbox projects. For now, I recommend you follow any Blackbox updates in your local Herald newspaper and via the team twitter handle @BLACKBOXdocs. The team is now working on multiple projects, and we will keep you posted on appropriate updates or when projects are ready. Also, send us tips! We have a few leads we are looking into, but would love to hear from our readers on anything they would like for us to investigate. To send a tip to the Blackbox team, simply email it to tips@blackboxdocs.com or submit it via the website, blackboxdocs.com/contact. You can do this anonymously or by giving your name and contact info. Your name and contact info will solely be used to follow up for questions, and will never be written anywhere in our reporting without your expressed consent.

NEWS

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 9

Local protest erupts over Price nomination, ACA 10 organizers vow first of many demonstrations By JULIA GROCHOWSKI julia@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — In the wake of U.S. Rep. Tom Price’s nomination as cabinet secretary of Health and Human Services, some North Fulton residents have been getting busy exercising their First Amendment rights. Constituents from Price’s own district flocked Jan. 24 to the busy streets surrounding the congressman’s district office to peacefully protest his nomination and to support the Affordable Care Act. More than 200 people lined the sidewalks up and down both Mill Street and Ga. 9 in solidarity. This was in stark contrast to the originally expected 50-70 people. Car horns could be heard blaring every few seconds as passing drivers shouted their support for the protest. “This is the beginning of a movement. This is the result of 10 strangers coming together in 10 days to create this,” said Leonard Witt, one of the organizers. The grassroots protest was orga-

nized by groups like Needles in a Haystack, Indivisible Georgia, MoveOn and various online meetup groups. According to the organizers, most of the crowd was made up of first-timers who had not been previously politically active. “We all basically decided about 10 days ago that this was a great opportunity for us to make our opinions known about the Affordable Care Act and that Tom Price is unfit to be Secretary of Health and Human Services,” said Carlos Moreno, one of the organizers. “He’s clearly got a conflict of interest with his personal finances. He’s broken House ethics rules. “Repeal of the ACA would cause physical harm to all Americans, not just those on subsidies, as well as Georgians and his own constituents.” For many of the protesters, the issues hit home. Local resident Renee Millstone, a cancer survivor, said that she was protesting to protect the ACA, which reduced her monthly premiums from $2,000 to $500 for her pre-existing condition.

JULIA GROCHOWSKI/HERALD

Around 200 people gather in Roswell to support the Affordable Care Act. Repealing the ACA could reverse that. “Me and so many Americans like me are in those shoes right now, and it would be a sad, sad day if people could not get access to affordable healthcare,” said Millstone. “It would just be dev-

astating to people like me. You would either go without and not get medical care, or you would be financially ruined with such high premiums.” But not everyone at that corner was

See PROTEST, Page 34

10 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

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teenagers, a 13-yearold and a 16-year-old, who had disappeared. Both teens were in foster care under the protection of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services. Alpharetta Public Information Officer SPIRES George Gordon said police believe that the 13-year-old called her father, 32-year-old Steven Spires of Locust Grove, at 8:48 p.m. Jan. 14 to pick her and her companion up from Main Event Entertainment in Alpharetta. Spires has a court order prohibiting contact with his daughter. He was aware of that order and that it was a violation for him to meet with the teen, Gordon said. According to Fulton County jail records, Spires had been arrested in 2008 on charges of statutory rape, sexual exploitation of a minor and simple battery. Hours after the Amber Alert was issued, police found the elder teen in Covington. “[She] was found wandering in a parking lot at a hotel. Deputies had

gone to that particular hotel on a different call, and they happened to see her and realized that she matched our Amber Alert,” Gordon said. “Spires had dropped her off, because she didn’t want to be a part of the group anymore.” However, neither Spires nor his 13-year-old daughter were there. This is not the first time Spire’s daughter has gone missing. As a 12-year-old, she was also allegedly taken from Hall County last July by her father and his 19-year-old girlfriend. She was found 11 days later in McDonough with Spires, who was arrested then on charges of interference with custody. This time, the father and daughter were found at a hotel Jan. 24 in Bibb County by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Federal law enforcement and several local law enforcement agencies all assisted with the search for the teenager and Spires. Spires was arrested and charged with felony interference with custody. Details about the incident and what occurred while the trio was on the run are not being released as the case is still under investigation by state authorities.

NEWS

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 11

Bob Gray announces for congress By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Bob Gray, Johns Creek City Councilman and a Johns Creek –based technology executive, announced this week he would run for Georgia’s 6th District Congressional seat. That seat is expected to become vacant with cabinet confirmation of U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Roswell, as President Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services. When Price is confirmed, Gray says he will resign his seat as Post 4 city councilman and run for Price’s congressional seat. His signs are already out, he said. Upon confirmation, the governor will announce a special called election to fill the Sixth District seat. It is not confirmed, but Johns Creek City Clerk Joan Jones said she would try to have the city’s special election at the same time. Gray said he only made up his mind about getting into the race over the past few weeks, but he began mulling the idea shortly after Price was tabbed by the president for his cabinet. Gray was asked why he thought he would make a good congressman. “First I think President Trump will need willing partners to effect the change that is necessary and that the people who voted for Trump want,” Gray said. “We’re going to need people who support that. “I think it’s clear that the entire country, with the exception of some places around New York City and Los Angeles think the country has been headed in the wrong direction,” he said. “In order to effect the kinds of change that the people who voted for Trump want, we’re going to need people who support that.” Congress today is “unresponsive and doesn’t deliver results,” he said. “That is what people want to see, they want results and not endless debate.” Gray said as a businessman, he can deliver results rather than talk. That is what business people are used to doing – obtaining results. Gray said his priorities in Congress would be, first, to fuel the economy. He said he recognizes as a businessman that Congress does not grow the economy. But by easing regulations and letting loose American know-how, American businesses can get the econ-

omy growing again. His second priority would be to control federal spending “We’re driving a car at 85 miles per hour toward a brick wall. And we have to slow down before we hit it,” he said. His third priority would be national security. That starts with securing America’s borders. But the greater threat, Gray says, is cybersecurity. “Our electrical and communications infrastructure are at tremendous risk. Much of the wars we will fight in the future will be won or lost on the basis of technology,” he said. Gray won his first term on the City Council in 2015 filling the unexpired term of Ivan Figueroa. He won a full GRAY term last November

First I think President Trump will need willing partners to effect the change that is necessary and that the people who voted for Trump want.” BOB GRAY Johns Creek City Councilman

running unopposed. He said he ran then on improving traffic and has done that with road improvements, paving city streets and supporting an intelligent traffic management network that manages city traffic in real time. “It has not been enough, but with the TSPLOST, we will make more progress in that area.” He pointed to the city’s increase in parkland on his watch with plans to do more. Finally, he said the council has done a good job of minimizing high density development in the city that adds to congestion. Gray said he also feels good about bringing his business experience to bear to help the city develop financial plans and to operate the city on a sound business plan. The city also reduced the millage rate by a half-mill.

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North Fulton community conducts homeless survey Annual count seeks to help needy By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The community rallied together Jan. 26 to try to help the homeless population in North Fulton. As part of the annual nationwide Point in Time Homeless Count, various groups convene to survey the unsheltered homeless who are sleeping in outdoor locations such as sidewalks, parks, woods, encampments and under bridges. The event is sponsored by the Continuum of Care program, part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development

department. Every jurisdiction that receives federal funds for homeless services must do the count annually. The surveys provide demographic information on each homeless individual, give insight to their homeless history and assess individual needs that will enable the Continuum to effectively plan housing and service interventions to prevent and end homelessness in North Fulton. Volunteers form teams and work closely with county leaders, police and community organizations to gather accurate information about the number of homeless people residing within the cities that make up Fulton County, including Alpharetta and Roswell. Last year’s event found over 50 homeless people in North Fulton, while this year saw 32, according to Bar-

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Volunteers gather to help with homeless community. bara Duffy, executive director of North Fulton Community Charities, a Roswell-based nonprofit that helps needy families. Of those counted outside, they ranged from a man who had just become homeless the day before to another man who said he had been homeless for 10 years. The group counted 24 men, five women and two children. And while the decrease might seem like a good thing, Duffy said it’s not necessarily accurate. “It’s a bit of a disappointment,” Duffy said. “The teams had no trouble finding places where it was obvious folks were making a place to stay. But unless we could physically lay our eyes on them, we couldn’t count them even if we knew so-and-so was living in a particular location. “ It will take more work to figure out the right numbers. Duffy said data from her group shows they are seeing more individuals on a daily basis at NFCC. “The fact we didn’t find them in the three hours we were out, doesn’t mean they weren’t there,” Duffy said. “It’s obvious to me that we don’t have fewer homeless in our community than we’ve had in the past. I firmly believe there are a good many more.” From October to December 2016, NFCC saw 2,020 households that applied for service. Of those, 198 said they were homeless, including those who were living in hotels, were recently evicted or living in the woods. And because of the variety of locations, it can be hard to get an accurate number because some of the homeless may be in hotels or in the woods. That’s why people like Jennifer Garrard with SC3D Impact, which is a 2017 Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce leadership group, decided to get involved. “There’s a gap for immediate housing for individuals,” Garrard said. “We

By the numbers • From October to December 2016, North Fulton Community Charities saw 2,012 households that came for service. • Of those, 193 households said they were homeless, or 355 individuals including 122 children • 1 out of every 10 who came to NFCC over that 3-month period considered themselves homeless.

are looking into how we can help these people and immediately assess their needs. There are people in our community who didn’t choose to be this way. It is just life’s circumstances.” The leadership class is doing a campaign, called One Step Away, on homelessness in North Fulton because a lot of people don’t necessarily see it, she said. “There’s no way people would see these people at some of the places we went,” Garrard said. “Where they are staying, sleeping or camping is in the woods sometimes and you wouldn’t know. We want to show there are people in our community who want to better their lives and we need to come together to support them.” Garrard said the lack of resources in the community also hinders the ability to help. “I love that a lot of our nonprofits started out as a way to address a need in the community,” she said. “But there’s limited space and the need is great, as well. How can we be cities that offer that?” To learn about One Step Away, visit onestepaway.net or NFCC at nfcchelp. org.

COMMUNITY

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 13

Applicant seeks residential development on Kimball Bridge Project would add over 80 living units By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Less than two weeks after the City Council approved a residential mixed-use development on South Main Street, the Alpharetta Planning Commission will consider a proposal calling for 25 townhomes and 57 single-family homes in a development at Kimball Bridge Road and North Point Parkway. The development proposed by 1699 Land Company LLC would sit on 12.5 acres (6.56 units per acre) on the southeast corner of the intersection. Representatives from the group are seeking an amendment to the city’s Master Plan, rezoning from Office-Institutional to Community Unit Plan and a variance. The CUP designation would allow for residential on the property. Planners are scheduled to hear the matter at the Feb. 2 Planning Commission meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

City staff has recommended denial of the request. Alpharetta has seen a fair share of residential development over the past two years, sparked in part by major mixed-use developments, such as Avalon and the downtown City Center. On Jan. 23, the City Council approved a request by Duke Land Group to build a mix of retail, office, restaurants and residential on an abandoned 13-acre lot on South Main Street. That decision drew a crowd of more than 50 residents, fully half opposed. Opponents, including City Council member Jim Gilvin, argued that the city was abandoning its commitment to maintaining restrictions on high-density residential development. Proponents have argued that these developments, if properly vetted, not only help populate commercial districts but can also help revitalize areas in need of an economic boost. The 5-1 vote by the City Council Jan. 23 ran counter to a recommendation by the Planning Commission which had voted to deny the South Main project the month before. Representatives for the Kimball Bridge development say that, with one

The city has already received a dozen letters from nearby residents, primarily in the Kimball Farms neighborhood, opposed to the rezoning request. exception to the south, surrounding properties are zoned Office-Institutional. Surrounding properties include Verizon to the north, Royal 400 South office park to the east, North Point Park office condominiums to the west, Wells Fargo Bank to the southwest, and New Prospect Elementary School to the south. The property has a comprehensive land use plan designation of Corporate Office, which allows office and acces-

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sory office uses. Surrounding properties are also designated Corporate Office, except for New Prospect Elementary School which is designated Public, Institutional, Education. They further state that denial of the application would be unconstitutional in that it diminishes the marketability of the property for the landowner. The city has already received a dozen letters from nearby residents, primarily in the Kimball Farms neighborhood, opposed to the rezoning request. Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said the city staff’s opposition relates to several factors, including traffic and the balance of commercial to residential property the city likes to maintain. Drinkard also said the property has prime marketability as office because office is currently in high demand in Alpharetta. The latest figures show the office vacancy rate in the city is at 9.3 percent, one of the lowest rates in Metro Atlanta. Regardless of the outcome at the Planning Commission, the City Council will have final say on the application at its regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 27.

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14 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

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BurgerFi helps raise $14K for foster children

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Foster Care Support Foundation gears up for Prom-a-Palooza Feb. 19 with donations By JULIA GROCHOWSKI julia@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. — Foster Care Support Foundation with the help of BurgerFi recently raised almost $14,000 to support foster children in Georgia. All of this money is going to support the nonprofit’s mission and programs, including its upcoming Prom-a-Palooza.

“When kids come into foster care, they come in with nothing but what they’re wearing. That’s it,” Rachel Ewald said. “We provide clothing, toys, school supplies, books, infant care supplies and other items that the kids or foster parents would need for free.” Most of these supplies stay with the children, so that if they have to move again, they at least have some of their own personal belongings. Although based in Roswell, the foundation’s reach extends all across Georgia, helping foster children and families from as far away as Valdosta, Savannah and Augusta. “We started in 1996 in my garage and incorporated in 2000, and now

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BurgerFi: Continued from Page 14 we’ve served almost 50,000 kids so far,” said Ewald, executive director at Foster Care Support Foundation. “This was the biggest PayPal month we’ve ever had since we started.” Ewald said that BurgerFi’s support has already made a huge impact on the foundation overall. “In October we were about $250,000 short of a budget, and now we’ve made it,” Ewald said. “We don’t get government funds – not a penny. Our funds come completely from the community.” For three months, starting in October, BurgerFi ran information about Foster Care Support Foundation in the restaurant and directed customers to the foundations website to donate. They additionally held a toy drive for the holidays and agreed to match up to $5,000 in donations. These kinds of organizations and fundraisers hit close to home for BurgerFi franchise owners Ron and Terrie Altman, whose own daughter is adopted. “We’ve always had a heart for kids, and we understand that as we become successful, we are able to financially support wonderful organizations in the community like Foster Care Support

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 15

Foundation,” Ron said. “Our guests are just great and generous people.” At the end of 2016, BurgerFi had helped raise close to $14,000 total for the foundation. Foster Care Support Foundation is in part using the donations to get ready for one of their biggest annual events, Prom-a-Palooza, which will be held Sunday, Feb. 19 this year. Prom-a-Palooza helps foster children throughout Georgia get ready for prom by supplying clothes, make up and accessories. They are also treated to fashion and make up tips and tutorials that they might otherwise not learn because of their situation. Events like Prom-a-Palooza give foster children a sense of much-needed normalcy and confidence by participating in the same kinds of events like their peers do, and the having them come together for a night helps create a community, Ewald said. “They come in here, and they realize that, ‘I’m not so odd. Look at all the girls in the same position as me. I can do this,’” Ewald said. “It empowers the girls to think that they’re not so different or alone in their journey.” Foster Care Support Foundation is currently looking for a sponsor and volunteers for Prom-a-Palooza. To learn more about Foster Care Support Foundation, get involved or donate, visit fostercares.org.

Northside Hospital offers prostate screening in Alpharetta Feb. 16 ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Northside Hospital’s Cancer Institute is offering a community screening to determine men’s risk for developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, aside from skin cancer. The screening will take place: • When: 5:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16 • Where: Northside/Alpharetta Medical Campus, 3400 Old Milton Parkway Building C, Suite 100/110 Alpharetta, Ga. 30005 Free parking available.

• Eligibility: Men ages 40-75, who have never been diagnosed with prostate cancer, have not had a prostate exam within the past year The screening is administered by health care professionals and will include a prostate-specific antigen blood test. A nurse navigator will be available to help arrange follow up care, if indicated. Spanish interpreters will also be available free of charge during the screening. Registration is required to confirm your time at the screening. Call 404531-4444 to schedule an appointment.

We are continuing to grow our reputation for being a great place to live, work and play. STEVE STROUD, Roswell Inc’s Executive Director 16 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017

Roswell Inc casts bright economic forecast for 2017 By JULIA GROCHOWSKI julia@appenmediagroup.com

By the Numbers

ROSWELL, Ga. — The future looks bright for Roswell, and the city is only going to keep flourishing from the successes of 2016, according to Roswell Inc’s Executive Director Steve Stroud. Roswell Inc, a public-private partnership with the city of Roswell for economic development, hosted the Roswell State of the City Jan. 27 with Mayor Jere Wood to go over the economic highlights of 2016 and STROUD the outlook for 2017. “From an economic development perspective, 2016 was a great year for Roswell. Our business climate was strong with the highest level of new businesses opening up in the city in the past several years,” Stroud said. Food and beverage tourism had a huge impact in 2016, and film tourism is on the rise this year, Stroud said. One of the biggest economic catalysts was WellStar Health System’s acquisition of Tenet Healthcare in Georgia, including North Fulton Hospital in Roswell. That acquisition brought 40 new physicians and four new physician practices in Roswell. For Roswell Inc in particular, one of its biggest highlights was the announcement of a proposed Canton Place Hotel project to help the city grow as a business and tourist destination. Roswell is “the largest opportunity zone in the state,” Stroud noted. “We’re poised to continue being a top desti-

Roswell has benefited from a strong economic climate in 2016, including: • 739 new business licenses • 1,066 estimated new jobs created by new businesses • 46 ribbon cuttings and ground breakings • 1,110 construction permits • 3.8 percent unemployment rate • $109 million in tourism spending • $34+ million in food and beverage spending

nation for businesses both large and small.” For the 12th year in a row, Roswell will not see any property tax increases, but there will be a lot of new projects to look forward to, Wood said. Some of the major projects for the upcoming year for both the city and Roswell Inc include work on the new City Green, a new pedestrian street in downtown Roswell, a new fire station and creating a comprehensive retail strategy. For the mayor, some of Roswell’s major challenges in 2017 include improving the city’s transportation, retail, walkability and affordable housing. “What we’ve got to do is retrofit the apartment complexes and blighted shopping centers,” Wood said. “The people in these communities walk to where they go, but there are no sidewalks coming out of those communi-

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood speaks on the State of the City. ties. Those communities are disconnected from the city. They were built for cars, but they need to be redesigned for people.” Stroud has said that Roswell Inc is also anxious to begin its new relationship with the city’s arts fund. “There are studies upon studies that show the positive impact a strong and growing arts community has on a city’s economic and business climate, and we are excited what this partnership will mean for the city in the coming years,” Stroud said. “One thing to look for in 2017 is the launch of an Arts & Busi-

JULIA GROCHOWSKI/HERALD

ness Collaborative to connect and foster stronger relationships between those two segments of our community.” Such partnerships are what helped Roswell recently win the Georgia Municipal Association’s 2017 Live, Work, Play City Award. “We are continuing to grow our reputation for being a great place to live, work and play,” Stroud said. “That is attracting companies from all over the region to locate and do business in Roswell.” To learn about Roswell Inc, visit roswellinc.org.

BUSINESSPOSTS

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 17

Jackson Healthcare commits to Alpharetta Sweating the small stuff is a headquarters – with a Roman coliseum Jackson Healthcare is one of Georgia’s great success stories, growing in 17 years to become the state’s 18th largest privately held company. As it prepares for GEOFF SMITH perhaps its largest Assurance Financial, gsmith@lendtheway.com expansion to date, the healthcare and tech company is making a strong commitment to its Alpharetta campus - with a Roman coliseum. Sparked by the founder’s special connection to Italy, the building would be an expansion on the theme of the company’s existing and extensive onsite fitness center currently called The Coliseum. The expansion would cost $100 million and would accommodate 1,400 new employees it plans to hire over the next four years. The circular coliseum will contain a pool, gym, restaurant, spray-tanning studio and a masseuse. To compete for the future workforce, suburban office campuses are building on-site amenities that intown companies are promoting that within walking distance. More and more, today’s employees are less interested in driving and want to walk to where they want to go. They like a mass transit line also. While they don’t have mass transit, suburban cities like Alpharetta have grown to include mixed-use, walkable developments such as Avalon and the city’s new downtown, which is currently under development. Now companies like Jackson are actually building those amenities right into their campus - inside of a Roman coliseum. The investment is a huge commit-

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ment to Alpharetta, and is likely a sign that new projects like the Avalon and the downtown project are a draw for the younger workforce. It also says that Jackson believes that the northern suburbs will be able to supply it with the workforce it needs to compete in its industry. And I know they are interested in that. I sit on the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce’s Steering Committee on workforce development with Jackson Healthcare’s CTO Tim Aligheri. We are called the Talent Coalition. Tim, along with others in the corporate community of North Fulton, are working to make sure our technical colleges and universities are graduating students with the specific skill-sets to thrive at their companies. It’s an interesting committee and I’ve learned a lot from it. Technologies are evolving so fast that many fouryear universities are having trouble making their tech curriculum relevant to current industry needs. So companies are having to hire employees and then train them on specific tasks. We call this a skills gap. On the Chamber’s Talent Coalition, we’ll identify a skills gap and then take that to one of our technical colleges such as Gwinnett Tech, to see if they can offer classes specific to that job.

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They’ll either look into offering the class, or they’ll tell us that they offer it, but that there are not a lot of students singing up for it. In which case, we might go to the K-12 educators to let them know that there are high-paying tech jobs waiting for students who might only need a 2-year degree. Fulton County Schools proposed STEM campus will target just that need. If you have not read about it yet, look it up. It’s going to be a very cool project. While in-town companies will argue that they have easy access to walkable restaurants, coffee shops and mass transit, it is very hard for them to argue against some of the suburbs like Alpharetta and the rest of North Fulton as being the best places to raise a family. “It’s a great place to live, raise a family, the entertainment, everything else you want is here,” said Jackson President Shane Jackson. “The word energy really comes to mind.” Geoff Smith gsmith@lendtheway.com 770-674-1433 Personal: NMLS#104587 Business: NMLS#70876 *The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of Assurance Financial Group

NORTHSIDE CHAPEL

Are you constantly tending to one thing after another in running your small business? Do things slip through the cracks and not get done on time because you are juggling DICK JONES so many things Founder & President at once? Is your Jones Simply Sales workday getting longer and longer trying to get everything done? Determining where to focus your time, and more importantly, where not to spend time, is a critical success factor in running a successful small business. If you’re a small business owner I don’t have to tell you about the mountain of “to do’s” you are faced with every day. What I can tell you is that not all of your to do’s are equal in the value they produce for your business. Prioritizing the ones that have to get done, things that can wait for tomorrow or next week, and tasks that if they aren’t done won’t really matter, is a simple way to determine where to spend your time. Taking time each week to document your tasks, then prioritizing them based upon their importance and urgency, will help you focus your time on more important activities. Eliminating all the things that don’t have to get done right away will also free up more of your time to spend on your top priorities. Prioritizing your tasks and activities will help you spend your precious time on the right things at the right time. You’ll get more done and achieve better results. Sweating the small stuff is a waste of time!

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18 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

BUSINESSPOSTS

Tax commissioner to businesses: Collect TSPLOST or pay it yourselves By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Now that Fulton County cities have approved the Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax, it is all on the merchants’ shoulders to collect the tax at the point of sale – or get a bill from the state Department of Revenue if they fail. That was the cautionary note Georgia Tax Commissioner Lynne Riley brought to a Jan. 26 meeting of the board of Johns Creek Advantage, the public-private economic development arm of the city. Riley also is chairwoman of the JCA Board of Directors, and she pointed out that the JCA should spread the word to local businesses about collections. Should businesses fail to begin collecting the new tax, it would be her sad duty to present defaulters with a bill from the Department of Revenue. “The Revenue Department is the recipient of TSPLOST taxes just as it is for all sales tax. And it’s up to the merchant to be sure to collect that .75-cent extra tax for the TSPLOST or be responsible for paying the shortage,” Riley said. While the state tax collection system is programmed to accept voluntary compliance by merchants, spot auditors will be out there checking on

compliance. “If you as the merchant don’t collect it, you owe it,” Riley said. The .75 cent sales tax begins April 1. For North Fulton cities, those TSPLOST remittance checks directly from the Department of Revenue will begin May 20, she said. Anyone with a sales tax certificate is responsible for collecting the TSPLOST. Riley’s board members quizzed her about what to look for in the new legislative session, but she said there is no reason to get excited yet. “It’s still too early to tell what will stick,” she said. “Regulation of fantasy sports has come up very early in conversations.” The JCA directors also discussed creation of a Johns Creek development authority. City and county development authorities can tap into a state economic development fund which they can draw on to loan to businesses as an inducement to locate in their town or county. The respective taxpayers of the county or city are not liable for any loan defaults. Fulton County has such a development authority, as do many cities, but Johns Creek does not. Such authorities receive their charter from the state and economic development entity separate from city or county government. Their sole charge is to improve local economies by encouraging development. The matter has been brought up to the Johns Creek City Council before,

HATCHER HURD/HERALD

The Johns Creek Advantage Board of Directors. From left are FCS Area Superintendent Clifford Jones, Piedmont Office Realty VP Bo” Reddic, JC City Manager Warren Hutmacher, World Financial Group VP Kent Davies, State Revenue Commisioner Lynne Riley, JC Advantage CEO Courtney Bernardi, JC Assistant City Manager Eric Tucker, entrepreneur Anand Thaker and State Farm Manager Sue Cook. but there has been no action. “There is no sense of urgency on the council to get it done,” one board member said. It’s an inducement other area cities have that Johns Creek cannot offer, so from an economic development standpoint, Johns Creek is at a disadvantage, Riley said. “You can’t create [an authority] retroactively,” she said. “A project could come along that is important to

the city, but Fulton County may have higher priorities. It’s a gap in our ability to be competitive with our peer cities.” JCA CEO Courtney Bernardi agreed. “We don’t have a development authority when every other city in North Fulton does, that’s a huge hit when we are courting a business to settle in our city,” Bernardi said. “The absence of a development authority is a silent message to prospects that we are not serious.”

Forsyth finalist for economic development project Chamber to head plan By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth Chamber of Commerce is helping court a West Coast e-commerce project that could bring more than 300 jobs with it. Robert Long with the CummingForsyth County Chamber of Commerce said the metro Atlanta area is one of four locations under consideration by the company, whose name has not been disclosed. Forsyth is one of the top finalists. “Forsyth County is the finalist because of our quality of life, nationally recognized schools and existing e-commerce companies,” Long said. The chamber was contacted by a realtor in September 2016, Long said. The company is focused on acquiring 1295 Bluegrass Lakes Parkway,

a building with 117,000 square feet sitting on 12.81 acres. The building has been used as storage since its purchase in 2002, producing 12 jobs. If the company buys the property, it will invest $15 million at a minimum and will employ 342 people over four years with an average compensation and benefits of $39,517 a year, Long said. Of those jobs, 24 will exceed $78,000 a year. The expected annual payroll is $13.5 million. “In 2016, our average project invested around $5 million and produced 30 jobs,” Long said. “This project is atypical. It will produce three times the investment and 10 times the number of jobs. It has been more than five years since Forsyth County has seen a project with this level of employment.” A final decision will depend on whether the county can meet incentives the company is seeking.

First, the company is asking for a 12 year phased in tax abatement for the county portion of its property tax. Not including school and county bond millage, Forsyth County’s current tax abatement policy would allow the company Tier 3 abatement based on the number of jobs it intends to bring. This project would pay the school portion of the tax bill as normal. “Under this scenario, the county would still receive an estimated $180,452 in property taxes over the 12 years. The schools would be paid $1,007,499,” Long said. “Normal taxes would resume in year 13.” The property paid $87,324 in taxes in 2016. Once the company’s initial investment in the property is completed, any ongoing, recurring investment for maintenance and additional investment, such as replacement equipment, would be taxed at the full rate. The last “payment-in-lieu-of-taxes”

agreement the county approved was in 2011 for Scientific Games. Next, the company said it needs more land to accommodate parking. The group requested that the underdeveloped right-of-way of Jones Road, which the county owns, be donated to the company. That request gained support Jan. 24 when the County Commission unanimously voted to direct the county attorney to commence right of way abandonment of Jones Road. “Jones Road serves this building and only a short amount of it has been paved,” Long said. “The company is asking for the undeveloped, unpaved portion, approximately .8 acres, that is owned by the county. There are only two additional parcels of note that touch this right-of-way, but they already have access to McFarland Boulevard off of Ridgeland Parkway and have no need for access via Jones Road.”

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 19

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Why investing in real estate is easier than ever (NAPSI)—There is no shortage of reasons why investing in residential real estate can be a good idea: home prices declined during the recent financial crisis, the number of renters has skyrocketed, it’s often considered a stable alternative to the stock market and the list goes on and on. At the same time, residential real estate investing has shifted from a local proposition to one without geographic limitations. That’s because of developments in technology, financing, services and processes that can make it easier for investors to search for opportunities, purchase properties and manage them from afar. Meanwhile, online auction marketplaces, property management software and crowdfunding may help to make more efficient decision—making and investing. “Small investors today don’t have to rely on gut feelings about markets-they’re empowered by high-quality market intelligence and have access to

a multitude of service providers,” explains Wally Charnoff, CEO of Investability Real Estate, Inc. “Small investors can now diversify their portfolio,” he says, “because they can research, acquire, finance and manage properties from afar.” The single-family residential market can present opportunities for “mom and pop” investors, particularly those who consider five key points: 1. Understand the total costs: Operating expenses and fixed costs, such as taxes, can vary greatly from state to state. Property management fees are generally higher in less populated areas that have little scalability or no competition. Hurricane, flood or earthquake insurance can be expensive but may not be relevant in all markets. “Investors often look for turnkey properties, which can make condos appealing, but monthly association fees can severely suppress yield and additional assessments could put the property in the red at a moment’s no-

tice,” points out Dennis Cisterna, CRO of Investability Real Estate, Inc. 2. Choose your tenants wisely: If you decide to invest out of your local market (and even in your own market), consider using a property manager to identify and qualify tenants and detail exactly the criteria and standards required. Common metrics are a certain FICO score, no bankruptcy in the last few years and a minimum rent-to-income ratio. Landlord references are also important, as is understanding local laws about tenant selection and advertising for tenants. 3. Know the market as if you lived there: Talk to local brokers, read the local newspaper to understand the economy and visit the area. Identify the drivers behind the housing market and know the history. A healthy, educated workforce and population growth are generally good indicators of long-term price appreciation. Lower home ownership rates may produce strong yields as there could be a consistent demand for

your investment property, but appreciation may be lacking as the market fundamentals are not dynamic enough. 4. Choose either appreciation or yield or a little of both: Deciding which type of market you want to invest in will help with focus. Diversifying can be a reason to look beyond local opportunities. Some markets straddle yield and appreciation, and researching the long-term trend for market dynamics is especially important as these may quickly shift to only yield or appreciation. 5. Know your exit strategy: The number of owner-occupied houses is important because a higher rate of home ownership may make it easier to sell the home. The overall liquidity of the market is also important. Data now exists that can help investors understand the vibrancy of a market even without much buying and selling. Find your next single-family real estate investment at www.investability. com.

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REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 23

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Housing Market success in 2017 By Bill Rawlings Vice President/Managing Broker, North Atlanta Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty It is now 2017 and the spring real estate market is on a rise. This year the market is expected to set a few trends that are going to shape the market as a whole. In 2017, we are expecting a slight rise in interest rates, more credit, an increase in new home development and the continual rise of the foreign buyer. Rising Interest Rates: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percent between 0.50% and 0.75% in 2016, only the second interest rate rise since 2006. In 2017, we expect to see more increases to the interest rate, but it is still a favorable time to invest in real estate compared to the past. Credit: With the rise of mortgage rates reaching just over 4.15% in midDecember 2016, this allows mortgage credit to be more widely available, due to lending standards being loosened. This in turn will allow for lower fees for first-time homebuyers. New Homes: Homebuyer demands are increasing, and their wish for new construction is creating a positive impact on the market. The demand for new construction has increased in the

past year an entire 5% and is expected to continue to rise throughout 2017. Foreign Buyers: Foreign buyers are one of the United States’s strongest buying groups, due to their outstanding budgets. RAWLINGS China has a strong interest in the United States real estate market, as many believe the United States is a safe place to store their wealth. From April 2015 - March 2016, The National Association of REALTORS® reported foreign buyers purchased over $102 billion in residential real estate in the United States. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty agents deliver results. Allow one of our dedicated professionals to assist you by visiting atlantafinehomes.com or calling our office at 770.442.7300. Article is adapted from: http://fortune.com/2016/12/14/ federal-reserve-interest-rates-you/ http://fortune.com/2016/12/29/real-estate-trends-2017-2/ http://www.cnbc. com/2016/07/06/foreign-buyers-floodus-real-estate-but-buy-cheaper-homes. html

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24 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section

The next big thing for smart homes is voice technology

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Your kids may not always listen to you but soon your smart home will. A new survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and Vivint Smart Home found Americans are ready to embrace using voice control, with an increasing number already using the feature to enhance their lives at home. People who have smart home products want voice control functionality. According to the survey, 72 percent of Americans who have smart home products – controlled remotely by a smartphone, tablet, computer or by a separate automatic system within the home itself – want voice control. And of that group, 81 percent of parents who have smart home products desire to control them with voice activation. The survey also found that 48 percent of Americans with smart home products currently have voice control capability. The smart home function consumers would most like voice control for is entertainment. So what do consumers want to control using their voice? Entertainment is the clear winner. More than half (57%) of Americans who own smart home products with voice control use the feature to control smart entertainment, such as playing music, or controlling smart TVs and speaker systems. In addition to entertainment, the next three most popular functions being controlled by voice activation for smart home product owners are lighting, security products and shopping (all tied at 33%). There are many reasons why consumers want voice control functionality. The survey also looked at why consumers want voice control. It found

that most Americans believe voice control provides a more intuitive user experience and practicality: The most commonly cited benefits for using voice control among respondents were handsfree control at 30%, WEEKS increased user-friendliness at 17% and flexibility in location at 14%. It’s not surprising that so many Americans want to be able to use their voice to control smart home products, because it makes for a much more intuitive user experience. Homeowners are rapidly adapting smart home technology, and any option that makes the experience more seamless is sure to become popular. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Coldwell Banker Real Estate and Vivint Smart Home from November 14-16 and from November 18-22, 2016, among 4,108 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among which 923 have any smart home products. For the full results of the Coldwell Banker Real Estate/Vivint Smart Home consumer survey, including demographic breakdowns of Americans with smart home products, and complete survey methodology, visit blog.coldwellbanker.com. For more information about the benefits of smart home technology or if you’re interested in buying or selling a home, contact the Alpharetta/North Point office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. The affiliated sales associates are experts in the Atlanta residential real estate market and can help you achieve your goals. Call 770.642.0399 or visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com to get started today.

REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 25

ColdwellBankerHomes.com 85,000 Agents | 3,000 Ofﬁces on 6 Continents | 110-Year Legacy N

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Berkeley Lake / 4BR/4.1BA / $839,900 Michelle Healy / 678-549-6111 4245 Central River Park FMLS# 5739518 on CBHomes.com

Alpharetta / 2BR/2BA Full / $105,000 Caroline Wilson / 404-518-8669 601 Cypress Pointe Street Search FMLS# 5796544 on CBHomes.com

Kathy Weeks, Managing Broker 704-491-1113

Alpharetta/North Point 3800 Mansell Rd., Suite 100 | Alpharetta, GA 30022 | 770.642.0399

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal veriﬁcation. Real estate agents afﬁliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 12132ATL_4/16

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26 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section

Is your home ready for springtime buyers? By The Cueny Team Spring flowers bring out the buyers! Remember, how we live in a home is not necessarily how we show it to sell! Get your house in shape with The Cueny Team’s five tips below. 1. Paint. Check outside around windows and door frames for wood rot, and remove it before repainting. Inside, we recommend neutral colors such as Sherwin William’s Alabaster or Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter. 2. Landscaping. Buyers often fall in love with a home’s outdoor spaces! Make sure the grass is healthy, flowers are planted, and mulch is fresh. Brighten your extended living area with porch swings, furniture, bright cushions, and chiminea fireplaces. These special touches are welcoming and allow buyers to envision themselves in the space. 3. Appliances. Do you have dated kitchen appliances? New appliances will modernize the kitchen and help buyers get over the hump of updating countertops, tile, cabinets, and more. 4. Staging. When buyers walk into a room, they should instantly understand its selling points. Lighting, window treatments, and furniture placement are critical tools to help you highlight features and camouflage problem areas. 5. Sparkle. Cleanliness seems simple, but is often overlooked by sellers. Unfortunately, buyers notice. Hide any clutter, and make sure the bathrooms, cabinets, baseboards, carpets, and floors are spotless.

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REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section

Crye-Leike continues to grow in the Atlanta market Now open in Gainesville It’s been eleven years since Harold Crye, CEO of Crye-Leike Real Estate, expanded the company’s footprint into the Atlanta metro area. The fourth largest privately owned real estate company in the nation recently opened its eleventh office in the Atlanta Metro area at 956A Dawsonville Highway, Suite 301 in Gainesville. Crye-Leike is pleased to welcome Christy Crumbley as the new Managing Broker. Crye-Leike’s Gainesville office is currently open for business and ready to assist clients with all of their real estate buying and selling needs in Hall, Lumpkin, Dawson and surrounding counties. The office will host a grand opening ceremony this fall. “The Atlanta real estate market is strong and greatly improving like many of the markets Crye-Leike serves,” said Cofounder and CEO Harold Crye. “We see a lot of potential for the local market and are very happy to be expanding in and around the Atlanta area with additional offices opening soon in Lawrenceville, Dahlonega and Marietta.” “Being a full-service real estate brokerage firm, our goal is to make it convenient for our customers and sales

associates to utilize all of our services before, during and after a home purchase by offering reliable, efficient and convenient services for today’s busy lifestyles,” said Steve Brown, president of Crye-Leike Residential Sales. Crye-Leike Real Estate Services had a great year in 2015 achieving $5.7 billion in sales volume. Over a nine-state region, 3000 highly skilled Crye-Leike agents sold 31,400 properties. CryeLeike’s sales outperformed the national average in the real estate market. Crye-Leike Atlanta has sales offices in Alpharetta/Roswell, Norcross, Cartersville, Cumming, McDonough, Riverdale, Smyrna/Vinings, Johns Creek and Woodstock in addition to a Residential Property Management, Commercial and Relocation division. As a full service real estate company, Crye-Leike offers real estate and related services, including: relocation services; commercial business and investment real estate services; property leasing and management services; insurance services; title & closing services; mortgage services; home warranty services; home services; auction services; business brokerage services; REO services for bank-owned & foreclosed properties and real estate schools.

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 27

28 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

COMMUNITY

Boy Scouts host flag retiring ceremony

Roswell Masonic Lodge 165 installs 2017 officers

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — On Jan. 21, local Boy Scouts from Alpharetta and Roswell paid their respects while they retired American flags at the American Legion Post 201. Over 100 Scouts, leaders, military veterans, sailors, police, firefighters and families came to show their respects

The Roswell Masonic Lodge in Roswell introduced its new 2017 officers. Front row from left are Lodge Ambassador Roger Wise Jr.; Senior Deacon Michael Roman; Senior Warden David Loper; Junior Steward Lee Taylor; Junior Deacon Mark Edmondson; Senior Steward Jeremiah Mitchell; Secretary Brent Myhand; Treasurer Walt Woliver; Junior Warden Tony Fernandez and Chaplain Norman Black. Second row from left are PM District Deputy to the Grand Master Jim Mabes, elected Grand Master Roswell No. 165 David Mitchell; and PM Marshal Scott Childress.

Troop 51 helps to retire flags.

and participate. Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle spoke on the importance of patriotism. A total of seven Scout units (Troops 51, 59, 2000, 1459, 429 and Packs 4417, 266) and one Girl Scout unit, Troop 29420, took part in the flag preparations and ceremony.

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COMMUNITY

Pictured is the proposed plan for the northwest section of downtown Crabapple. The Milton Planning Commission has approved the plan and now it will move to consideration before the City Council.

Downtown Crabapple plan moves to the next step Planning commission unanimously approves plan for council’s consideration By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — The Crabapple Placemaking Plan, a proposed vision for the future development of downtown Crabapple, will move for consideration before the City Council after the Milton Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan. The Placemaking Plan, drafted by the Atlanta-based TSW architecture firm, Noelle Consulting and Toole Design, is a long-term vision for the downtown Crabapple area that conforms to current form-based code. The plan includes the addition of streets and road improvements, phased development of mixed-use, retail and living space, bike lanes, sidewalk improvements and the addition of parks. The plan states that 72,000 square feet of office space, 103,550 square feet of mixed-use and 25,200 square feet of retail space could be phased into downtown Crabapple depending on mar-

ket demand. Living spaces, including condos above retail space, townhomes, single-family homes and live-work units could also be phased in. According to TSW’s Tom Walsh, 50 attached condos and 10 detached homes could be phased in annually depending on demand. Most of this development is proposed within the northwest and northeast sections of the intersection of Crabapple Road, Birmingham Highway, Mayfield Road and Broadwell Road. Within the plan, multi-use paths and bike lanes would be added along Crabapple Road, and the width of the roadway would be downsized from GDOT’s suggested 13.5-feet wide to 11-feet wide in an effort to reduce traffic speed. Sidewalk and streetscape improvements, including the addition of roundabouts, are also within the plan along Mayfield Road and Birmingham Highway. Walsh said he thinks the connection of bike paths within the new plan

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 29

The Milton Placemaking Plan along Mayfield Road includes mixed-use space and townhomes as well as a new park.

Most of this development is proposed within the northwest and northeast sections of the intersection of Crabapple Road, Birmingham Highway, Mayfield Road and Broadwell Road. could, “set the standard for bike lane programs in metro Atlanta.” He said the plan also aims to make the entirety of the downtown Crabapple area walkable. Four new parks are also proposed within the plan, two large parks on Birmingham Highway and Mayfield Road and two smaller pocket parks. The 21-acre proposed Birmingham Highway park would consist of a dog park, two open lawns, an amphitheater, community garden, orchard and conservation of trees in the northern section. The 7-acre Crabapple park would include using the existing lake

while adding a boardwalk and an amphitheater space. A proposed trail system would connect the two parks to Northwestern Middle School and Crabapple Crossing Elementary. The elephant in the room for the proposed plan is parking. A firm decision on parking was not made in TSW’s plan. Options include the possibility of contracted valet service with valet stations set up in various locations within downtown, the construction of a parking deck or valet stands with a parking deck. Walsh said the proposed new office development could provide additional parking during nighttime peak hours as these spaces would likely be empty during these hours. The open spaces could benefit valet services, which Walsh said would likely be the most cost-effective strategy. Proposed valet stations would be set up at the Milton Public Library, a new proposed retail space along Mayfield Road, at Milton’s restaurant, Olde Blind Dog and Can’s Taqueria. On-street parking is also proposed along Birmingham Highway and Crabapple Road. The potential parking deck in the plan would be constructed between Crabapple Road and Heritage Walk. The plan will be considered for adoption at the Feb. 22 council meeting.

30 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

SPORTS

Kings Ridge boys tennis Metro 10 champs ALPHARETTA, GA: The King’s Ridge Middle School boy’s tennis team recently won the inaugural Metro 10 Championship. The boys entered the Metro 10 tournament held at Whitefield Academy as the No. 1 seed. The King’s Ridge team earned a bye in the first round, then went on to play the winner of Mt. Paran and St. Francis. King’s Ridge’s Andres Santambrogio, Harrison Livingston and Yianni Pothoulakis at 1, 2, & 3 Singles, each won their first round. Grayson Pelletier and Logan Lazzara won 1 Doubles. The players demonstrated great serves, strong forehands and were able to control net play. They were up 4-1 when their match was called with King’s Ridge getting the win. After the semifinals win, the King’s Ridge boys took on No. 2 seed Mt. Vernon. All the matches were competitive. Livingston dominated No.2 singles with a quick win of 8 - 1. Lazzara & Pelletier dominated 1 doubles and finished with a five-game advantage, winning 8-3. With two wins under their belt and in need of a third victory, pressure was placed on Santambrogio and Pothou-

lakis. Pothoulakis came through, and King’s Ridge went home with the title. Santambrogio, a sixth grade student at KRCS is ranked 14th in Georgia and ranked 328 nationally, according to the Tennis Network Recruiting list. As thrilled as the team was to end up victorious this season, coach Brenda Clinton said she is equally thrilled with the outlook for next year. There was only one eighth grade student on the team this year. “I look forward to next year as all but one player are seventh grade players. I am so proud of our young men and what they represent. It’s more than the game of tennis for us. It’s about character and great team sportsmanship. To God be the glory,” said Clinton. In early fall of 2016, 10 area private schools formed a new league for middle school athletics offering a full range of sports and followed similar Georgia High School Association guidelines. The Metro 10 was created and included St. Francis, Mt. Pisgah, Mount Vernon, Pinecrest, Fellowship, Mount Paran, Whitefield Academy, North Cobb Christian, Walker and King’s Ridge Christian

Kings Ridge Christian Middle School boys tennis team took the first-ever Metro 10 championship. Rear row from left are: Christian Yarbrough, Harrison Livingston, Lex Moreland, coach Brenda Clinton, John Robinson, Lukas Holliger and Henry Vantieghem. Front are: Yianni Pothoulakis, Greyson Pelletier, Brooks Miller, Ryan Sammons, Andres Santambrogio and Logan Lazzara.

schools. The purpose was to strengthen the league as much as possible for middle school athletics.

Transit: Continued from Page 6

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“Densities of that magnitude will never happen here,” Belle Isle said. “But any type of transit in North Fulton beyond a bus needs to be light rail.” But what Belle Isle said is needed most is a comprehensive regulatory transit entity that would provide not only the infrastructure but a seamless system with coordinated scheduling, one that was clean and efficient. Roswell’s Mayor Wood said what he liked about DART was its economic impact. Wood said only about 5 percent of Plano residents ride DART, yet the economic impact of bringing people to the city has been huge for Plano. “It’s an economic development tool. Plano’s downtown was dying, and light rail made a complete turnaround of it,” said Wood. At his State of the City address, Wood noted that two major retailers in Roswell, Kohl’s and Target, were considering moving their outlets from Roswell, which would give the city two more large empty spaces. “That is not the tip of the iceberg in Roswell, that is the iceberg,” Wood said. On the trip, Plano’s mayor said light rail is the reason it attracted the North American headquarters of Frito-Lay and

The 10 participating schools had previously participated in the North Atlanta Metro League. Toyota. The city has 18 companies that employ more than 1,000 people. Mayor Lockwood said he thought light rail was much preferable to MARTA’s heavy rail. “There are no big stations, no big parking decks and no big escalators to get to the trains,” Lockwood said. “We just walked out of an office building and stepped onto the light rail train with its tracks embedded in the street. It was almost like you would get on a streetcar.” The car would make a few more stops and then they were in the heart of downtown Plano. “It wasn’t overwhelming, it wasn’t like getting on at a big [MARTA] station at all. They’re just stops along the way. It would certainly be great to get on a car in downtown Atlanta and go all the way to Dahlonega just making a few stops in the cities along the way,” Lockwood said. It is much less impact than heavy rail, he said. Looking to the future, there may be some new ideas to improve light rail such as combining such innovations as Uber or Lyft that would fill in the routes the light rail does not go. “Who foresaw Lyft or Uber 10 years ago? We don’t know what the next 10 years will bring,” he said. “It will likely be a combination of solutions. What most people don’t realize is that it will take 15 to 20 years to get to that point.”

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 31

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SPORTS

After two bitter region losses, Hooch rolls after ‘monumental’ win Cougars down Alpharetta, blow out Centennial By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Chattahoochee Lady Cougars head coach Haaris Quraishy was visibly fired-up following his team’s 53-46 win over Alpharetta last Tuesday. He gave a high five to a member of the Chattahoochee faculty so loud it reverberated in the arena. He yelled out in excitement while pumping his fists outside his team’s locker room and smacked the walls in jubilation. After so much lately had gone wrong for the Lady Cougars, Quraishy’s excitement was justifiable. In a four day span, the Lady Cougars would face the top three teams in Region 7-AAAAAA, and entering their tilt against Alpharetta, the stretch had not gone well. Hooch was blown out by Northview, 68-43, before losing a 48-45 heartbreaker to Johns Creek the next day. However, the Cougars would respond with a huge win over Alpharetta, second in Region 7-AAAAAA, and that momentum carried through the weekend as the Cougars dominated Centennial. Things finally went right for the Lady Cougars in their win over Alpharetta, a win that Quraishy called “enormous.” “It’s so big for us because nothing was going right for us the last few games,” he said. “We deserved what happened to us in those [losses to Northview and Johns Creek] because they were better. A lot of teams would have folded, but the way we came back, I’m just so proud of the girls.” “We lose [the Alpharetta game] and you start second questioning and saying nothing is going right. We’d also be facing multiple losses heading into the region tournament. This win reenergized and restarts our whole season. Our girls were excited, our staff was excited and it was a monumental win for us.” The Lady Cougars held Alpharetta to just five points in the first quarter and to 24 points in the second half, while Marissa Gore, Siena Gore and Alayna Ford scored double digits for Hooch. Siena Gore led the Cougars offense with a 20 point performance and was consistently effective driving the ball in the paint. She shot 8-9 from the freethrow line. “[Siena] is the heartbeat of our

basketball team,” said coach Quraishy. “How she goes, we go. She is the best player I have ever coached.” Alayna Ford had a double-double for the Lady Cougars, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds, two steals and a block. Marissa Gore scored 12 with five rebounds and two steals. The Lady Cougars seem to be getting hot at just the right time with the region tournament beginning next week. After beating Alpharetta, Chattahoochee dominated Centennial 75-27 last Friday, scoring 51 points in the

first half. Siena Gore led scoring with 20 points and accounted for eight steals. Chattahoochee (17-5, 10-4) sits third in the Region 7-AAAAAA standings behind Alpharetta (16-8, 12-3). If the Lady Cougars win out, they could secure the No. 2 seed for the region tournament if Alpharetta loses against Northview. The Lady Cougars will face Dunwoody and Pope this week to finish out the regular season. After falling to Chattahoochee, Alpharetta dominated woeful North Atlanta, 62-26. The Lady Raiders close out their season against region-leading Northview.

JOE PARKER/HERALD

Chattahoochee’s Alayna Ford defends under the basket. Ford scored 14 points and gathered 11 rebounds for the Lady Cougars in their win over Alpharetta.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 33

34 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

SPORTS

North Fulton coaching carousel continues Lenny Gregory leaves Centennial program By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Centennial football head coach Lenny Gregory announced he will be leaving the Knights’ program to take over as head coach of Collins Hill. Gregory became the fourth North Fulton head football coach to depart his program after John Ford left Roswell for Buford, Matt Kemper left Johns Creek for Roswell and Northview’s Chad Davenport resigned. In taking over the Collins Hill program, Gregory will return to Gwinnett County where he spent 200814 as an assistant at Grayson. Prior to his years at Grayson, Gregory was an assistant at Northview, South Forsyth and Chattahoochee. Gregory took over as the Knights’ head coach in the 2015 season where the Knights finished 5-5. In 2016, Gregory led Centennial to an 8-3 record, the Knights winningest season since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2011. Centennial athletic director Jeff Burch said Gregory’s departure was unexpected, but he understood that Gregory’s success in 2016 would attract the attention of other programs. “We knew that coach Gregory was a sought-

after coach. We didn’t necessarily think he would be looking for jobs, but we knew that schools would be looking for him,” Burch said. “There’s always the possibility that the right job will come along and it is the right fit for him.” Burch said he wishes Gregory the best of luck at Collins Hill and that his impact on Centennial will be felt for years to come. “I think the biggest thing [Gregory] did was to lay the groundwork for years of success. For the first time in a long time we were more than a football team, we were a real program and a family and I think he helped foster that. At the end of the day, he brought the community together and that’s going to last a lot longer than any coach. That sense of community is going to make a huge impression not only on football but also for the overall community.” Burch said the future of the Knights’ program is bright, and that Gregory’s replacement will be taking over a program and community ready to win. “I think this is a ready-made situation for a coach to come in and have immediate success. Sometimes with coaching turnovers there’s a rebuild, but we are not in position where we are going to rebuild — we are in a position where we are going to bring someone in and hope to have immediate success.” Burch said Centennial has already received interest to replace Gregory from within the Knights’ program as well as from coaches from other schools. “The football acumen of all of these guys is topnotch,” Burch said. “It’s going to be about finding the right match for our school community and our team.”

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Centennial head coach Lenny Gregory has resigned to take over as head coach at Collins Hill. I’m very happy of where we are as a program and we are looking forward to the success of next season.”

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there to protest Price’s nomination or to support the ACA. “I came by to remind everyone that elections have consequences and that it’s going to be OK,” said Claire Harrison, a counter protester. “I just came back from the inaugural, and this is mostly a nice crowd in comparison… I’m glad that they’re being peaceful and mostly civil. Everyone has a right to have a voice, and I don’t care if I’m the lone voice here.” Aside from some heckling directed at Harrison, the protest remained peaceful and nonviolent. The crowd’s energy carried the protest over the original hour planned for it. “This is just the first of many. This is the resistance,” Moreno said. “Whenever [Trump] goes to take away our basic human rights and American freedoms, whenever he betrays the Constitution and lies to the American people, we are going to be there and holding our representatives accountable.” Price’s district office deferred to his Washington office for comment, and the Washington office did not respond by press time.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 35

Arrests: Continued from Page 2 ►► Keasley Tyrone Lewis, 40, of

Clairmont Road, Brookhaven, was arrested Jan. 20 on South Main Street in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and brake light requirements. ►► James Alton Vickers, 24, of Deer Park Lane, Milton, was arrested Jan. 18 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and possession of marijuana. ►► Neeraj Joshi, 38, of Deer Trail, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 16 on Highway 9 in Milton for DUI, failure to maintain lane, driving on the wrong side of the roadway and failure to yield to emergency vehicles.

I, II, III, and IV controlled substance, possession of drug-related items, and drugs not kept in original container. ►► Sharmal Derek McIntyre, 24, of Riverlake Way, Snellville, was arrested Jan. 22 on Brookside Parkway in

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE PH-17-AB-04 PLACE City Hall Two Park Plaza Council Chambers February 9, 2017 2:00 P.M. PURPOSE Convenience Store Beer & Wine – Sunday Sales

DRUG arrests ►► Robert Linley Kieckhefer, 55, of

River Farm Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 23 on Branyan Trail in Milton for possession of marijuana, failure to maintain lane and duty upon striking a fixed object. ►► Kyle Adam Micovsky, 30, of Branch View Drive, Marietta, was arrested Jan. 20 on Morris Road in Milton for possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, possession of a schedule

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR MULTIPLE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS ITB #17-006 The City of Alpharetta (City) is accepting bids for MULTIPLE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS including, but not limited to, the fabrication, delivery and installation of sidewalks, curb and gutter, excavation/trenching, backfilling for utilities, landscaping and other related work to constructing sidewalk. The location of the work is at various locations within the City of Alpharetta, Georgia. The ITB will be available online Thursday, January 19, 2017, at our bid posting website, https://www.ebidexchange.com/alpharetta. Interested parties are required to log in to review the ITB documents. The bid opening will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 10:00 AM at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. For information, please contact Stephanie Cochran at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or at 678-297-6052.

Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and expired tag. Meshach Obadiah Ledan, 22, of Duluth Highway, Lawrenceville, was ar-

rested Jan. 16 on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta for possession of cocaine, wanted person, taillight violation and no license.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, February 2, 2017 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, February 27, 2017 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. a. PH-17-05 Unified Development Code Text Amendments Consideration of amendments to Unified Development Code Section 2.6 Signs, to increase the maximum allowable wall sign area associated with Industrial and Office Parks from 156 to 240 square feet as well as revisions to Downtown Parking Regulations. Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, February 2, 2017 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, March 6, 2017 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. a. PH-17-03 Alpharetta 2035 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Consideration of an amendment to the Alpharetta 2035 Comprehensive Plan to add language to the Kimball Bridge Activity Center Character Area in order to clarify the vision for the redevelopment of the Alpha Park neighborhood. b. PH-17-05 Unified Development Code Text Amendments – Sign Code Consideration of amendments to Unified Development Code Section 2.6 Signs, to increase the maximum allowable wall sign area associated with Industrial and Office Parks from 156 to 240 square feet as well as revisions to Downtown Parking Regulations. Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

36 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

SPORTS

Both St. Francis varsity teams ranked No. 1 in state Knights, Lady Knights look to continue streaks of region titles By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — Both St. Francis varsity basketball teams will enter the final stretch of the regular season ranked No. 1 in the state by the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) power ratings. Used in Class-A, the power ratings are based on a calculation of a team’s wins, losses and their opponent’s record and are used to determine seeds for the state playoff tournament. Currently holding the No. 1 seed for the state playoffs, the St. Francis teams now focus on their remaining region games and the region tournament. The boys team will be seeking its fourth region title while the girls are in line to win five straight. Boys head coach Drew Catlett said he is pleased with his team’s power rating, but winning the region title is crucial in keeping that rating. “It’s important to have those power ratings high at the end of the season, but what’s really important is to win the region championship,” Catlett said. “You can be ranked as No. 1 in the power

ratings entering the region tournament, but if you don’t win your region you can easily fall to fifth or sixth place.” “Our focus right now is to finish strong in our last few region games and

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Members of the Lady Knights senior class have all committed to D-1 schools. (Left to R:) Kasiyahna Kushkituah (Tennessee), Taja Cummings (Georgia Tech), Maya Dodson (Stanford) and Nichel Tampa (Western Kentucky) are led by head coach Aisha Kennedy (back).

take that momentum into the region tournament.” The Knights (20-3, 12-0) outscored Region 6-A subregion-B opponents by an average of 28 points per game in their first 11 games. With just two subregion games remaining this week, the Knights have already captured the subregion title, but coach Catlett knows the competition will be stronger in the region tournament that will include subregion-A teams of North Cobb Christian and Darlington. North Cobb Christian (19-3, 11-0) is averaging 68 points while allowing just 49 points per game. Darlington (14-4,

Blotter: Continued from Page 2 of the townhome and agreed to show police what was inside the garage When officers were looking at the black Suzuki motorcycle, another resident told police that a man had run out the back door and into the woods behind the townhomes. A K-9 helped police track the man, 28-year-old Chaz Conley of Big Canoe, who was hiding under a deck of a nearby home. He was arrested for theft by receiving motor vehicle and obstruction. The motorcycle was returned to the owner.

8-2) is not only talented, but will host the region tournament. Playing Darlington at home “would definitely present a challenge” Catlett said. Lady Knights head coach Aisha Kennedy is confident her team should have no struggles in their final region games, and history is behind her confidence — the Lady Knights have had subregion wins of 86-13, 88-29, 70-17 and 80-24 already this season and are outscoring subregion opponents by an average of 54 points per game. Kennedy said she is pleased with the current power ratings because one of the goals her team had this season was to enter the state tournament with the No. 1 seed. She said a large part of her team’s ranking and success this season can be attributed to her senior class. The Lady Knights’ four seniors, Maya Dodson, Kasiyahna Kushkituah, Nichel Tampa and Taja Cummings have all committed to play at D-1 schools. On her senior class, Kennedy said, “They want to go out with a bang and are having a good time. I told them to have fun, it’s your last year. Being able to watch their dream has been fantastic.” Kennedy hopes her seniors and team will continue their success in the region tournament. Like the boys team, the Lady Knights will likely have a tough contest in Darlington should the two schools meet. “They are in the other subregion so we don’t get to see them a lot, but they always have a good program.” She said her team will focus on getting better defensively, particularly changing up defensive schemes on the fly, in the final games of the regular season.

Man fails to cash fake $750 check ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A man was caught Jan. 19 attempting to cash a fake check at the Regions Bank on North Point Parkway. The man, later identified as 60-yearold Gregory Willis of Atlanta, had tried to give a fraudulent check for $750 to the teller. The teller, however, called police instead when the check appeared to be fraudulent. When police arrived, Willis said that some young men from Atlanta promised him money if he cashed the fake check. There was no one else with Willis. Willis was arrested without incident for fourth-degree forgery.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | February 2, 2017 | 37

DEATH NOTICES Ava Abernathy, of Alpharetta, passed away January 18, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Barbara Iris Collins, 56, of Cumming, passed away January 21, 2017. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home. Susan Collins, of Roswell, passed away January 18, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Ghanshyam Balsara, of Roswell, passed away January 19, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors. Jerry Davis, of Roswell, passed away January 20, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Dr. Saeid Fatemi, 92, of Roswell, passed away January 5, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home. Linda L. Franklin, 70, of Roswell, passed away January 7, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home. Benjamin Marcelo, 69, of Roswell, passed away January 15, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home. Gwendolyn Murphy, of Alpharetta, passed away January 20, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Stephen C. Bartley, 91, of Cumming, passed away January 17, 2017. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. Richard John Sands, 87, of Cumming, passed away January 19, 2017. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Billy Joe Colee, 42, of Cumming, passed away January 22, 2017. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

William Daniel Kirk, Sr. William Daniel Kirk, Sr. of Roswell, Georgia, passed away on Jan 8, 2017. He was the son of the late Irene Crowley Kirk and David Alexander Kirk of Charlotte, N.C. He was born on July 26, 1926 in Jackson, Michigan. In his young years he resided in several northern states and attended high school at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C. At Belmont Abbey he participated in football, basketball and other sports and was a captain and sharpshooter in the ROTC. He graduated with an associate degree and transferred to Duke University. At Duke he was vice president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and participated in several campus organizations. His senior year he met his future wife, Doris Caveness and they both graduated in 1948. Bill received a BA in business administration and Doris a BA in economics. Bill was employed by International Harvester Company, farm equipment division, for thirty five years. He and Doris were married on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, in an evening ceremony in Saint Benedict’s Catholic Church in Greensboro, N.C. Bill’s football coach from Belmont Abbey, Father Walter Coggin (later Abbot) married them. Bill’s employment carried them to many locations in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Georgia. Their marriage was blessed with six children and Bill was active working with Boy Scouts and church activities, serving on church councils, financial committees and as lector at mass. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. As his advancement with International grew he encountered interesting adventures. In New Orleans he was in charge of providing

George Schroeder, of Roswell, passed away January 24, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Tristan Schupbach, of Roswell, passed away January 21, 2017. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Christine C. Simmons, 87, of Alpharetta, passed away January 20, 2017. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

In Memoriam

tractors and drivers for most of the Mardi Gras parades and was acquainted with behind the scene people. He and his dealers won a trip to Havana, Cuba, in 1951 and stayed at the National de Cuba at the same time Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner were there on their honeymoon. And then there were the years serving as manager of a company store and working with the tobacco farmers in eastern North Carolina. Bill was Southern Regional Dealer Development Manager in Atlanta, Memphis and Valdosta. He retired in 1981, and he and Doris moved to Roswell to be closer to their children. Bill was predeceased by his sister Sally M. Kirk of Charlotte, N.C. and Roswell, GA and his daughter Mary K. Hankins and her husband William F. Hankins of Greenville, NC. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Doris, and daughters Patricia Kirk of Roswell, Kathleen K. Swahn (Charles) of Johns Creek, and Erin K. New (Bert) of Watkinsville, and sons William D. Kirk, Jr. (Diane) of Johns Creek and David F. Kirk of Savannah. His seven grandchildren are Brett J. Statome (Lori) of Marietta, Kristin S. Hankins of Acworth, Shannon Swahn Bailey (Paul) of Arlington, VA, Megan Swahn of Washington, DC, Kendall Kirk Lanois (Christopher) of Carrollton, VA, Dr. Emily Kirk of Duluth, GA and Sara New of Watkinsville, GA. His five great-granddaughters are Hayden Statome and Grace Statome of Marietta, Olivia Lanois and Claire Lanois of Carrollton, VA. and Sally Bailey of Arlington, VA. His service was held at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church followed by burial at Arlington Cemetery in Sandy Springs.

38 | February 2, 2017 | Alpharetta-Roswell Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com Herald | NorthFulton.com

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ALPHARETTA 12785 Oak Falls Drive, Saturday 2/4, 8am-3pm. Huge; great bargains!

Animals Pet Training GEORGIA K9 National Training Center specializes in elite dog training and behavior modification. Call today! Located in Canton. 770-721-6959 www.gak9. com

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Cemetery GREENLAWNROSWELL Garden of Peace, Lot 36-B, Space 2, Included: 1 cremation vault, 1 memorial plaque 16”x20” engraved, 2 openings, 2nd vault needed for 2nd opening. Greenlawn will show location and handle deed transfer. $2,778 (Exact price paid in 19098, current retail $8,800). 770-605-7747

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CHERRY HUNT TABLE with mirror, $700. 404-889-3233 BARSTOOLS 30” cherry 404-889-3233

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Octagonal poker table; black/gold micro pattern sleeper sofa; black/gold stripe loveseat; black/gold rocker (vintage); ivory Queen Anne chairs (2); small bar cart; oval glass top coffee table; wood/ glass oval coffee table. 770-889-8812 DINING ROOM TABLE, glass top, cherry inlay, 6 covered roll-back chairs $800. 404-889-3233 CHILDRENS’ TABLE, cherry Delta $90. 404-889-3233 BAR STOOLS, swivel seats & backs. Two 24”, one 29”, all wood construction; great condition! $20 each. 770-888-2790

Garden/Lawn TORO WEEDEATER, heavy duty. like new. 6.5HP Lawn Boy mower, self-propelled; mulching blade. $200 both. 770-594-7825

Household FRIGIDAIRE FREEZER $125. 404-889-3233

Medical Equipment POWER WHEELCHAIR: Invacare Pronto M-91. New batteries. Like new! $1000. 404-396-7807

Miscellaneous POLARIS Kids’ 4-Wheeler $150. 404-889-3233 JOHN DEERE GATOR for kids $200. 404-889-3233 YA M A H A 4-WHEELER 404-889-3233

kids’ $150.

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Musical Instruments PIANO, Baby Grand: Elegant case, matching bench; warm, rich tone. Sacrifice $1650 obo. 678-445-3654 PIANO: Henry F. Miller Upright, matching bench $500/firm. 770-552-4034 PIANO: Kimball Upright with bench, in excellent condition! Completely refurbished and tuned. $1400. 770-861-7537

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MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued on page 39

NorthFulton.com NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell | Milton Herald | February 2, 2017 | 39

MAIN CLASSIFIEDS SERVICE DIRECTORY NATIONAL ADVERTISING continued from page 38 Recreation GOLF CLUBS: Ladies’ complete set, Lynx irons, graphite woods, ball retriever, wood covers, new bag $275. 770-740-9757

Wanted to Buy RECORDS: LP’s. Pay cash, Rock & Roll. Mojo Vinyl, Roswell 678-534-5042 Vintage Barbie and Friends, Ginny, Madame Alexander, and other dolls, clothing and accessories. (Local). Cell 214-883-8215

Business Services Business for Sale FERNANDINA BEACH, FL Retail gift shop in historic area. Inventory, fixtures, goodwill. Call Bonnie 904-491-1294

Legal Notice Regina Hamilton looking for Augusto Hamilton for divorce.

Entertainment & Event Services Weddings Tianna’s Place Creating impeccable memories, one event at a time. Full-service, special event-planning. Focusing on corporate and celebratory events. w w w. t i a n n a s p l a c e . com. 678-879-5253/ 404-903-2441

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Cleaning Services Housecleaning quality care for your home. Free Estimates and References. Martina 678-656-4492. We know clean, leave the details to us!

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Installation/Repairs: Carpet, Ceramic, Laminate, Tile, Vinyl, Wood. Free Estimates! I can remove carpet wrinkles. Restreches $35/room. 706-429-4453

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Kitchen & Bath: Yellow Ribbon Tree. Plumbing, Electrical Drywall and Other Repairs and Installations. Home Maintenance. Small Jobs Preferred. Call Mike. 404-647-1406

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Haulers Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling etc. Many local references. Call Ralph Rucker at 678-898-7237

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4190 Old Milton Pkwy, Ste 2E • Alpharetta, GA 30005 Located in the Kroger shopping center.

Elizabeth Mallcott, M.A.

CANTON / WOODSTOCK 404-400-5970 KENNESAW / MARIETTA 404-400-5950 STONE MOUNTAIN 770-415-9898 1437 Riverstone Pkwy, Ste 105 • Canton, Ga 30114 Located in the Publix shopping center.

1200 Ernest Barrett Pkwy, Ste 124 • Kennesaw Ga 30144 1227 Rockbridge Rd, Ste 112 • Stone Mtn Ga 30087 Located in the Floor and Decor shopping center. Located in the Kroger shopping center.

We accept most insurances & HMO’s We honor all hearing aid beneﬁts.

Audiologist & Industry Expert

www.SouthernMedicalHearing.com

LIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFER

Other Locations in Augusta, GA, Dalton GA, Chattanooga, TN & Cleveland, TN Phonak Q30 Offer ends May 13 Proud Provider of Phonak Hearing Instruments

Included in this Special Offer: Free Hearing

MSRP $2,600

100% Digital Open-Fit BTE (Open Fit Behind-the-Ear) Fits up to 40 db Loss

$695

Now Was - $1295