Forsyth Herald - February 9, 2017

Fe b r u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 7 | Fo r s y t h H e r a l d . 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 2 0 , N o . 6

Forsyth names teachers of the year Every year, Forsyth County Schools narrows down the top three teachers in the district, one from elementary, middle and high school. This year’s finalists are Maggie Tompkins from Shiloh Point Elementary School, Maleah Stewart from North Forsyth Middle School and Michele Dugan from Forsyth Central High School. A finalist for the overall county teacher of the year will be named in March. Read more, Page 13.

WWII pilot’s story lives on

Ben King’s family tells tale 73 years after being shot down ►►PAGES 14 – 15

Gravitt not seeking reelection Is Cumming’s mayor stepping down after 50 years in office? ►►PAGE 4

County contemplates SPLOST 8 Could see vote in 2019 ►►PAGE 9

Health & Wellness Sponsored section ►►PAGE 24

Forsyth region roundup

Preview of the boys, girls basketball tournaments ►►PAGES 32 – 33

Sail away with Appen’s Cruise Giveaway KATHLEEN STURGEON/HERALD

Learn how to win the cruise of your dreams ►►PAGE 40

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2 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

770-442-3278 | ForsythHerald.com 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta, Ga. 30009 PUBLISHER Ray Appen

James ‘Jim’ Kubicek faces three counts

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Former Cumming-Forsyth Chamber IT provider arrested

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — After reportedly threating the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, James “Jim” Kubicek, 48, was arrested Feb. 2 for theft by extortion, computer theft and computer trespass.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office became aware in December 2016 of a possible computer crime committed against the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce by a local company, Kubicek Information Technologies,

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.

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DUI arrests ►► William Graves Bell, 45, of Mount

Vernon Cove, Atlanta, was arrested

POLICE BLOTTER 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.

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The Herald Newspapers are published by Appen Media Group, 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta Ga. 30009.

Driver steals gas from station FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man reportedly drove off from a local gas

according to Corporal Peter Sabella.

KIT was contracted to provide IT management services for the chamber during 2016.

After the contract had expired, the chamber chose to hire another company for 2017.

KUBICEK The owner of KIT reportedly was unwilling to accept that decision and took action to prevent the chamber from accessing any of its own data systems. He also reportedly made threats to delete the data he was holding unless the chamber reinstated him as the IT service provider. When the chamber did not comply with his demands,

Kubicek apparently followed through with his threats deleting many years’ worth of critical and irreplaceable data.

Kubicek was taken into custody Feb. 2 without incident and was booked into the Forsyth County Jail. He has since bonded out on a $13,550 bond.

Chamber President James McCoy said thanks to the group’s procedures in place and the quick action of staff, the chamber was able to protect its data.

“There was no breach of information or personnel files,” McCoy said. “It was all protected. It just impacted our Outlook 365 which is our email, calendars and task management system.”

Kubicek has said personal information was never at risk of being exposed and he said he did nothing wrong.

Feb. 1 on Drew Road in Cumming for DUI and open container. ►► Tiffanie Denise Flemming, 38, of Sterling Drive, Suwanee, was arrested Feb. 1 on Sterling Drive in Suwanee for DUI, following too close and hit and run. ►► Desiree Faye Riley, 51, of Dunmore Road, Decatur, was arrested Jan. 29 on Brown Bridge Road in Cumming for DUI and open container.

►► Curtis Allen Roach, 64, of Michaela

station after not paying for fuel.

An employee told a deputy the car drove up to the fuel pump and started pumping gas. She said she recognized the car as the same one that has pumped gas and left before paying several times in the past month.

The employee stopped the pump after $14 of fuel had already been dispensed. A male came into the store then but denied owning the car and said he was the passenger.

The employee walked outside to

confront the driver, but found no one.

When she came back inside, the male left and started to drive away.

Deputies requested video of the incident.

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Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 26 on Majors Road in Cumming for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Christian Steven Pappas, 23, of Rosewood Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 26 on Brookridge Trace in Cumming for DUI, possession of marijuana, possession of a schudule I & IV controlled substance and no headlights.

Fake deputy scams $200 from woman FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man pre-

See BLOTTER, Page 30

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 3

What are the pros and cons of astigmatism correcting lens implant?

By Niraj Desai, M.D.

shaped corneas, a plain IOL isn’t ideal as it does not help corneal astigmatism. Toric IOLs, hence, can be utilized to neutralize one’s astigmatism (no matter how long you’ve had to live with it) and enable excellent vision, usually without the need for glasses. Here is what a Toric

This week we return to address an old foe - astigmatism!

Astigmatism can be corrected several ways. Spectacles, which have been available for millennia, have a wonderful track record in correcting this optical irregularity. Modern day spectacles have reached an unparalleled degree of clarity and style and perform admirably in the correction of not just astigmatism but near and far sightedness as well.

IOL looks like.

If you pay close attention, you will notice a line of small dots at the edges of the circular portion where the arms meet. We call the circular portion the optic and the arms the haptics. Those marks is where there is negative astigmatic power lies (read: where the magic of the lens is). Your surgeon uses those marks to align the lens during surgery matching where your astigmatism lies in an attempt to neutralize it. You are correct if you think it cannot be that simple - your surgeon actually spends much time studying and poring over maps and calculations to arrive at precise numbers used intraoperatively.

Modern day techniques take a departure from spectacles and frames and bring us into the world of lasers and wavefront guided optics. Beyond spectacles, astigmatism can be corrected via LASIK, PRK, Arcuate Keratotomies, Limbal Relaxing Incisions and Toric Intraocular Lenses. If you have braved all those complex words and want to learn more, read on!

Niraj Desai, M.D.

Cataract & Refractive Surgeon

LASIK and PRK are cousin procedures that are performed with high performance and high precision lasers that re-shape the window the eye called the cornea. Simply put, an individual’s ‘refractive error’ or ‘eyeglass prescription’ is plugged into the laser and the laser does the rest. Along with astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness are corrected as well allowing clarity without the need for spectacles. Of course, you have to ensure a patient has the right ocular qualities and characteristics (personality counts too!) before employing this technology.

Toric IOLs have been revolutionary in the battle against our old foe, astigmatism. They have allowed many who have been burdened with significant irregularity in their optical system to see in a way they have never seen before. Imagine that person who has worn glasses for since 1st grade well into their 60s is suddenly unburdened of the need for spectacles to see clearly. What many who have astigmatism do not realize is that after cataract surgery, sometimes the only reason they are in glasses is because of their astigmatism. In other words, nearsightedness and farsightedness are often corrected completely and for someone without astigmatism, clarity without spectacles is the norm.

Arcuate Keratotomies (AKs) and Limbal Relaxing Incisions (LRIs) are precision incisions that are made with a laser or by your friendly neighborhood eye surgeon’s hands with the aim of ‘relaxing’ the cornea. Why do you need to ‘relax’ the cornea? Well, as wonderful as the cornea is in providing you vision, it can be a bit misshapen at times (see image below and notice two focus points, instead of one) and AKs/LRIs can help achieve a more spherical shape to an, otherwise, oblong cornea.

There are limitations to this technology, however, I have listed them below with a succinct explanation.

If you are struggling with astigmatism or have questions about it, please contact Milan Eye Center today!

Lastly, we have Toric IOLs. These intraocular lenses, by definition, come into play when one is having cataract surgery. Cataract surgery, for the uninitiated, is a mostly painless, 10 minute outpatient procedure that serves to clear up vision by way of removal of the natural, human lens and replacement with an artificial, permanent intraocular lens. For those of us who have egg

- Toric Multifocal IOLs are not FDA approved. Simply put, multifocal IOLs are implants that allow patients the ability to see near and far without spectacles. If you have significant astigmatism AND want the ability to see near and far, you will need to call your travel agent and book a trip to see a European ophthalmologist. We are hopeful to have this technology on our shores in the next 1-2 years.

- Toric IOLs can rotate. If you understood that Toric IOLs have to be aligned on a particular axis, you realize that should a Toric IOL rotate after surgery, the accuracy of the astigmatism correction could suffer. This is not common, thankfully, and there are good solutions should this occur.

- Toric IOL calculations are complex and because of technology constraints, sometimes an accurate assessment of total astigmatism in the patient’s optical system cannot be made.

Hence, at times, enhancements with a laser are necessary to optimize outcomes after surgery.

MILAN EYE CENTER Leaders in Eye Care Johns Creek | Cumming | Canton | Buford | Roswell | Dahlonega Learn more: milaneyecenter.com

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470-326-0330

4 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

NEWS

Commissioner: Mayor Gravitt not seeking reelection Local Service

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Mayor won’t comment until Feb. 21 meeting

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — After entering his 50th year in public service, it looks like Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt’s reign might be coming to an end.

At a Feb. 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said the county would have to “work with a new mayor” next year while developing the county’s future taxes.

Mills confirmed after the meeting that she was told by Gravitt that he would not be seeking reelection due to personal reasons.

When asked, Gravitt’s office said he would be making an official state-

ment on the topic at the city’s next council meeting Feb. 21.

Gravitt was first elected mayor in 1970, taking office in January 1971. Gravitt also served from 1967-1970 on the City Council prior to becoming mayor.

GRAVITT

Tam resigns from Ga. Judicial Qualifications Committee Former official cites conflicts as reason

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Roughly a month after being named a citizen appointee by Lt. Governor Casey Cagle to Georgia’s Judicial Qualifications Commission, former Forsyth County Commissioner Brian Tam has resigned from the post.

“It was a privilege for me to attend the first meeting of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Committee and to have the honor of meeting you and the other commission members,” Tam said in his letter to Chairman Ed Tolley. “Unfortunately, after further consideration of the meeting schedule presented and possible travel involved over the next six months, I feel it best that I not serve on this commission at this time.”

His appointment, and ultimately, resignation, didn’t come without some public scrutiny. Various local citizen advocate groups apparently sent mass emails out asking the public to contact local delegation to vote “no” on Tam’s nomination.

However, Tam said the emails didn’t tell the full story.

One of the emails accused Tam of campaign violations, claiming Tam “has been fined for late or nonexistent campaign finance disclosures. Shockingly, one of these fines remains unpaid to this day.”

But a letter dated Jan. 18 from Barbara Luth, supervisor of voter registrations and elections for the county, said Tam paid his late fee associated with his 2013 financial disclosure statement.

Additionally, she wrote, “this was the only time that (Tam was) late filing

(his) reports with our office and (he was) very prompt in paying the late fee when notified that the late fee was due.”

“The 2013 Financial Disclosure Statement was due no later than July 1, 2014,” TAM Luth said in the letter to Tam. “Your 2013 FDS was filed one day late on July 2, 2014 thus resulting in a $125 late fee which you paid in full on July 17, 2014.”

Around the same time there was a change in the law as to which division is responsible for collecting late fees: the State Ethics Commission or the county office, Luth said. To date she said her office has not received clarification from the State Ethics Commission.

The email also said state Sen. Michael Williams, “has also identified problems with Mr. Tam stating Tam was identified with ‘a laundry list of broken promises and double talk.’”

“It is time that someone stood up to Brian Tam on behalf of the Citizens of Forsyth County,” the email quoted Williams. “I will no longer remain quiet and watch as one individual bullies, intimidates, and destroys our community. He has proven time and time again that he will put his own interests above that of the community.”

But Tam said the email failed to mention Williams’ public apology to Tam on Dec. 15, 2016 at Tam’s last meeting as commissioner.

Tam was first elected in 2004 to serve as the District 2 Forsyth County Commissioner. He was re-elected in 2008 and again in 2012. His most recent term ended Dec. 31, 2016.

“When I decided not to seek a fourth term on the Forsyth County Board of

I will no longer remain quiet and watch as [Tam} bullies, intimidates, and destroys our community...”

SEN. MICHAEL WILLIAMS District 27 Commissioners, I stated that I wanted to take some time this year to be with my family, focus on my existing businesses and be more involved with my newest restaurant that opened this past June,” Tam said in his resignation letter. “This facility opened for lunch earlier this month to a terrific response and will require more of my time than I had anticipated when I accepted this nomination.”

House Bill 808, enacted by the State Legislature in 2016, established a new JQC along with guidelines for its membership and governance.

Georgia citizens overwhelmingly supported the passage of Amendment 3 to amend the state’s constitution in November 2016.

Effective Jan. 1, the commission consists of two judges of any court selected by the Supreme Court, one member of the state bar of Georgia appointed by the president of the senate, one member of the state bar of Georgia appointed by the speaker of the house, two citizen members appointed by the president of the senate and speaker of the house along with one member of the state bar of Georgia appointed by the governor, who serves as chairperson of JQC.

NEWS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 5

Commission denies zoning rescission Chairman says move is due to ‘political games’

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners denied a rescission Feb. 2 of a property for 75 residential lots and 218 attached lots on 56 acres on Brannon Road. Additionally, commercial buildings totaling 115,000 square feet are proposed.

The planning commission recommended denial of the zoning in November 2016, and the commissioners approved the zoning in December 2016.

Chairman Todd Levent provided a notice Jan. 10 of an intention to rescind the rezoning, saying he had “serious concerns” that it should not have been approved.

“I am concerned that the conditions and site plan accompanying (this zoning) do not contain various protections I thought were addressed, and that the residential component of the (Master Planned District) is only ‘senior-targeted’ as opposed to age restricted,” he said in January.

Due to this, the item was brought up again Feb. 2.County Attorney Ken

... I think I was played in this whole thing. I believe there are two developers involved who don’t like each other. I believe one had a legal law suit with the other and are playing games with this board of commissioners ...”

TODD LEVENT Forsyth County Commission Chairman Jarrard said to rescind a zoning is to “basically un-zone a piece of property.”

Recently, an application for a land disturbance permit was submitted by the applicant of the original zoning. In

PARKSIDE ON POST

Also at the meeting, commissioners: • Approved modifications to the county unified development code regarding churches • Approved revisions to the county’s code of ordinances to regulate the sale of non-traditional tobacco paraphernalia, e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine products.

• Approved possible extension, until June 2, of the moratorium adopted on Jan. 10, on the acceptance of applications for rezoning of property to the Single Family Community Residential District, Single Family Residential Districts and Master Planned District zoning districts. the wake of this action, Jarrard advised the board to not go through with the rescission.

“For a host of reasons, both under our internal rules and with respect to the law on vested rights under the zoning law, I believe at this point, taking away their ability to have their application considered, based upon the zoning that was approved, would be improper,” Jarrard said. “Therefore, I don’t believe a rescission is appropriate this evening.”

County rules state that a rescission is inappropriate and cannot be made if action has already been taken, which it was when the applicant submitted the application for the permit.

Due to this, the board voted to not

rescind the zoning, with commissioners Laura Semanson and Pete Amos against.

Levent said he felt there were “political games” being played relating to the property. Nevertheless, he felt compelled to back away from a recission based on the county attorney’s advice.

“For me, this rescission was a way to correct a zoning that wasn’t exactly what I thought it was supposed to be,” Levent said. “I think I was played in this whole thing. I believe there are two developers involved who don’t like each other. I believe one had a legal law suit with the other and are playing games with this board of commissioners.

Should it need to go to court one day, it may.”

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6 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

Brumbalow announces mayoral candidacy CUMMING, Ga. — On Jan. 31, Troy Brumbalow announced his candidacy for the mayor of Cumming.

“I want to use my business and government experience to lead my hometown of Cumming as its next mayor,” Brumbalow said in a press release. “I have been honored and humbled by the outpouring of support I have already received. Over the next several months leading up to the election in November I look forward to working hard and earning the votes of the good people who live in Cumming.”

Brumbalow is a Cumming native, a graduate of South Forsyth High School

and owns several businesses in Cumming.

“I love my hometown and want to leverage my skills, knowledge and experience to build upon the successes of the past while moving Cumming forward,” he said.

BRUMBALOW “This is the basis of my campaign’s motto, ‘Respect the Past while Moving Forward.’ I want Cumming to be a place where people want to grow their businesses and raise their families.”

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful hosts informative workshops FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Keep Forsyth County Beautiful will be hosting two workshops, Water Quality 101 and Sign 101, this month at the Post Road Library, 5010 Post Road in Cumming. The workshops are free and intended for adult residents and children ages 12 and older are welcome to attend with an adult.

Water Quality 101 will be held Feb. 12 at 2:30 p.m. This workshop is designed for citizens interested in learning more about protecting water quality. Forsyth County Adopt-A-Stream Coordinator Kevin Smith will use a hands-on, interactive model to show how daily activities can have a negative impact on county water.

Sign 101 will be held Feb. 26, at 2:30 p.m. Sign 101 is a workshop for those interested in learning about the signs seem regularly along roadways including business signs, real estate signs, yard sale signs, etc. Forsyth County Planning and Community Development and Code Enforcement staff will present an overview of the Forsyth County Sign Ordinance, explain how a permit is obtained and enforced, and discuss how the Sign Ordinance plays a role in our everyday lives.

No registration is required to attend these workshops. For information, call KFCB at 770-205-4573.

Northside Hospital offers prostate screening in Alpharetta Feb. 16

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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: Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Northside/Alpharetta Medical Campus 3400 Old Milton Parkway, Building C, Suite 100/110 Alpharetta, Ga. 30005 Free parking available.

Eligibility: • Men ages 40-75

• 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.

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 7

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8 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

OPINION

East Roswell residents What I want my daughters to know turn out for change Do you want to submit LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

I went to a public meeting in East Roswell with city officials discussing the state of their community and what could be done to reverse what they see as receding quality of life on the HATCHER HURD east side of Ga. 400 Executive Editor hatcher@appenmediagroup.com along the Holcomb Bridge corridor.

A crowd of around 240 East Roswell residents packed the East Roswell Park’s meeting room looking for answers to what was apparent to everyone in attendance: The decline of the Holcomb Bridge corridor is not only visibly apparent but it is getting worse.

Empty storefronts have been an ongoing problem for years, but with the loss of the Target store across from Horseshoe Bend community and the Kohls at the Centennial Kroger shopping center, the desertions are trending upward.

One resident rose to say he and neighbors had received letters from Kroger feeling them out whether they would shop at other Kroger stores should the Kroger most convenient to them were no longer available.

It was clear to him that Centennial Kroger’s days could be numbered as well. The Office Depot is rumored to be considering leaving.

People are clearly alarmed because the flight of business in the area is having an effect on the quality of life for residents, and if the trend continues – property values as well.

Roswell Development of Community Development told residents when anchor tenants leave a shopping center, the businesses in the entire center are hurt.

“It is called an anchor for a reason.

They bring traffic into the center and the other stores benefit from it,” Alice Wakefield said.

Mayor Jere Wood organized the meeting and brought in the people working to improve the city’s economic viability: Roswell Inc Executive Director Steve Stroud, who heads the city’s public-private partnership for economic development.

Also present were the city’s Downtown Development Authority’s Chairman Randy Schultz and Dave Schmit.

The DDA is an authority chartered by the state but separate from the city government.

It also acts as an economic develop-

ment entity for the city specializing in blighted areas needing the most help.

Schultz told the residents he has no “magic bullet.” What he did say was economic redevelopment should be an ongoing part of the city’s business.

He’s right, of course. You don’t stop in the middle of a race because you are ahead.

Soon you are no longer ahead but behind. And it is a struggle playing catch-up.

But the message to the audience was clear. East Roswell has a problem and it is not going away.

What East Roswell does not have is a plan. This meeting is a first step in that direction.

What was different about the meeting was the reaction of the residents.

Always in the past, any talk about bringing up new development of any kind in East Roswell and the residents began issuing pitchforks and torches.

Not this time.

People were listening carefully and asking the kinds of questions that showed they knew there was a problem.

And it showed they were searching for solutions.

They listened as the experts and the neighbors thrashed out some ideas.

They tried them on to see how they fit.

What I did not see – as I have in the past – was a bunch of closed minds on the subject of redevelopment.

Any new development was seen as bad and only a recipe for more traffic congestion. The reality is the cars are coming anyway. The question is how do we make it work for us and not against us?

The realization has sunk in that change cannot be stopped. It is inevitable. This is ground zero for a wave that will continue to fill out North Fulton, South Forsyth and West Gwinnett. Can we remain what we were 20 years ago when we first came?

No. The good news is we are not Flint, Mich., or Allentown, Pa. We have options to be the best we can be.

What this meeting showed was: (A.) We need a plan. And (B.) There are good options available.

Nothing is going to keep Holcomb Bridge Road from remaining one of the few major east-west arteries for Cobb, North Fulton and Gwinnett. For once, there were no cries to simply raise the drawbridge.

That option doesn’t exist.

Now it is up to the city to provide the leadership to create workable solutions with the residents.

Our country is splitting at the seams. The air is thick with accusations, protests, conflict, and hate.

You can feel the hate. Just a couple of weeks into a new presidency, the curtain of blame, allegations, and disapproval hangs thick as smog. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, regardless of whether you hoped to make America great again or if you were with Her, we can all agree on one thing: We all want – need! – an America that we’d be proud to leave for our children.

So here is a wish list, though Hanukkah is long over. As a white, Jewish woman who’s an immigrant, a mother, a wife, a daughter, and many other things, here is what I want my American-born daughters to know: You deserve a country where you will be judged solely on your skills, talents, and smarts. You should be judged only by what you bring to the table, so bring it big.

You deserve a country where you have the option of deciding what’s right for you and your family. You may be an executive; you may be a stay-athome mom; you may work part-time. You may marry, or you may not. The choice should be yours.

You deserve to have full control of your body and what happens to it at all times. No government should ever have a say over your choice to have or not to have children.

This should never mean using abortion as a means of birth control! Be smart, be responsible. But know that your body is yours; you are its only ruler.

You deserve a country where, regardless of your faith, you can worship without fear. Be proud of who you are, who we are. Be grateful that in this land, freedom of religion is one of our greatest rights.

This country is a fusion of cultures with a beautiful rainbow of people from everywhere. That is our greatest strength. Don’t ever believe otherwise!

Don’t let fear of the unknown dictate who your friends will or won’t be. Be open to all people, and you will have a wealth of experiences more valuable than anything money can buy. (For everything else, there’s MasterCard.)

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Here’s what I really want my daughters to know: kindness, not hate, is what will bring our country together.

In the end, after the protesters have marched, after the dust has settled, after this new administration has found its rhythm, the sun will continue to rise and set over our country, which is, without a doubt, the greatest in the world. I repeat this to my children time and time again – we live in the best country in the world, where we are offered all the freedoms and opportunities we could want.

Only with kindness and openness will we be able to move forward, to live with each other, to live with ourselves.

I recently had the privilege of judging a high school essay-writing contest with the topic of “Stop the Hate.”

I sat on a Sunday afternoon, reading essay after thoughtful essay, written by unknown-to-me students from an undisclosed-to-me high school somewhere in this great nation of ours. Though I didn’t know anything about these high school seniors, I clearly saw the common thread in their beautiful writing – stop the hate. These students all wrote about their personal experiences with hate and discrimination, how they faced these experiences, what they learned, and how they are moving on to make the world better. Reading these essays was a gift that could not have come at a better time.

Here is what I want my daughters to know: there will come a time in your life when you will face hate, discrimination and bigotry. It’s not a question of “if,” but “when.” I hope that when this moment comes, you will rise above, you will be strong, you will push back, but also remember that at the root of all bigotry is fear. And fear never wins; kindness always does.

– Alla Umanskiy, Johns Creek

You deserve a country where, regardless of your faith, you can worship without fear. Be proud of who you are, who we are. Be grateful that in this land, freedom of religion is one of our greatest rights.

NEWS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 9

Forsyth County considers SPLOST 8 Officials propose vote for 2018

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Although the county’s seventh Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax won’t end until June 2019, the board of commissioners is already planning for SPLOST 8.

At a special called meeting Feb. 2, the board started preparation for the next SPLOST which would run from July 2019 through June 2025.

SPLOST is a voter-approved, one-percent sales tax that has been in effect in Forsyth County since 1983.

For every dollar spent in Forsyth County that is subject to sales tax, one penny goes into a fund devoted to certain identified capital improvement projects.

Some of the projects funded through SPLOST programs throughout the years include community buildings at parks, new fire stations and road projects.

While not completely set in stone, the board said it’s looking at a county vote sometime in 2018.

County CFO Dave Gruen said the board wanted to look into the possibilities of the economy being good, average or bad, and how that would impact SPLOST. In a good economy, he predicts a total collection of $295 million; an average economy would possibly collect $274 million; a bad economy would possibly bring in $242 million.

County Manager Doug Derrer said he reached out to multiple county departments to submit lists of capital projects they’d like the board to consider if the SPLOST is renewed.

“This is certainly in its infancy,” Derrerr said. “There’s only one way to do it and that’s to ask what they think they need in the future. These are projects that just came to mind to the directors and officers on very short notice. This is subject to change a lot.”

The grand total sought from the departments for new capital projects, renovations and repairs totals $421 million. Derrerr said the approved projects will more than likely be sorted into two groups based on priority.

The various departments’ lists totaled $368 million for new capital projects. They include: • Engineering $87 million;

There’s only one way to do it and that’s to ask what [the county departments] think they need in the future. These are projects that just came to mind to the directors and officers on very short notice. This is subject to change a lot.”

DOUG DERRER County Manager • Fire $30 million; • Fleet maintenance $1 million; • Library $21 million; • Parks and recreation $211 million; • Recycling and solid waste $934,000; • Senior services $6 million; • Water and sewer $10 million Some of these projects include road widening, public safety training, new libraries, new parks, new recycling center, a new senior center, new fire hydrant services, construction of a third courtroom in the courthouse and the vehicle replacement program.

The total requested funding amount for renovations and repairs totals $52,905,000. Only a few departments asked for these funds, including $30 million from engineering, $700,000 from fleet maintenance and $22 million from parks and recreation.

Both the county’s courts and sheriff’s office do not currently have a requested amount.

The present SPLOST 7 ends June 2019. Two of the larger projects funded were the new county courthouse and jail. Additionally, multiple transportation projects were funded.

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10 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

Teen driving course assists in parental instruction

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com

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MILTON, Ga.—The P.R.I.D.E. (Parents Reducing Injury and Driver Error) teen driving course, a free program that instructs teens and their parents on safe driving, will be hosted at Milton and Cumming eight times this year. The PRIDE course presents information and instructional techniques to parents and their teens in an effort to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities among Georgia’s teen drivers.

The two-hour program, created by the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute (GTIPI), begins Feb. 16 in Milton.

The course provides information on distracted driving, the dynamics of vehicle crashes, the importance of wearing seatbelts and instructs parents on how to teach their teens safe driving habits and better supervise teens with learner’s permits. Parents also make a pact with their teens to implement safe driving habits, and the GTIPI conducts a follow-up survey after 60 days and after one year.

Milton Community Outreach Officer Andrew Noblett said he was made aware of the program through its implementation in Forsyth County and wanted to provide the program for Milton residents. He brought the program to Milton in 2015 when he was named community outreach officer, stating Milton had a high number of accidents due to inexperienced teen drivers. “[The PRIDE course] is really about getting the parents involved in developing their child into a safe driver, how to reiterate the importance of safe driving and making sure the parents

P.R.I.D.E. class dates Milton: (Held at 13000 Deerfield Pkwy, Ste. 107E) • Feb. 16, 6:30 pm • May 2, 6:30 pm • July 18, 6:30 pm • Aug. 29, 6:30 pm Cumming: (Held at 3520 Settingdown Road) • March 23 6:00 pm • April 27, 6:00 pm • June 1, 6:00 pm • June 29, 6:00 pm understand the fact that their teens are inexperienced,” Noblett said.

Though the course is geared toward teen drivers with their learner’s permit, Noblett said that teens of all ages can benefit.

“It’s very beneficial for kids who have a learning permit, but we find that there’s a lot of parents who have kids who have been driving for a year or two that benefit from the program just as much,” Noblett said. “It puts in perspective the number of fatalities due to speeding and distractions in the car.

I would say it’s equally important for kids who are learning to drive with their parents as well as kids who have been driving for just a short period of time.”

“Our goal in the police department is to reduce the number of accidents from teen drivers by providing and sharing this information. We have had nothing but positive reviews from teens and parents.”

Registration is required for the course. To register, visit www.cityofmilton.ga.us or www.ridesafega.org.

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SCHOOLS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 11

Forsyth Schools host inaugural college and career fair Over 130 businesses, colleges talk with students

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County students had the chance to explore life after high school Feb. 2 during the inaugural college and career fair.

Over 130 different businesses, clubs, colleges and high school counselors answered questions and talked with students about career pathways and volunteer opportunities.

Valery Lowe, director of College and Career Development for the district, said both eighth grade students and high schoolers attended.

The booths were organized by the different pathways offered in the district, including engineering, culinary arts and marketing. Local businesses that fall under each category set up booths in their respective area.

The county’s co-curricular organizations with leadership programs and competitive events, such as Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America and Georgia First Robotics, also set up booths.

Groups like the Forsyth County Public Library had a booth to talk with

kids about volunteering, according to Stephanie Hambson, youth services supervisor at the Hampton Park Library.

“The fair is a wonderful way to reach out to kids in the community, tell them about the services we provide and educate them about what we do in the local library,” she said. “We talked to a lot of kids. It was very successful.”

One of those students was Colin Lamons, an eighth grader at Otwell Middle School. He said he’s been trying to figure out what to do with his life and the fair helped narrow his choices.

“When I came here, I was overwhelmed with a lot of good options,” Lamons said. “I saw a lot of things that interest me. The best parts were meeting new people and seeing what you can do with your life.”

It’s currently registration season for many of the middle schools, Lowe said, making the fair perfect timing for the some 3,400 8th grade attendees.

“We tried to make it where they find out what courses they can take in high school, ask questions of teachers and find out what’s expected of them,” Lowe said. Hopefully they’ll make more educated decisions about what they want

KATHLEEN STURGEON/HERALD

Hundreds of Forsyth County Schools’ students attend the college and career fair. to do when they get to high school.”

The roughly 4,500 high school students came for the same purpose, but they were able to chat with colleges.

“We want kids to be as focused as they can when they get to high school,” Lowe said. “In these types of courses, kids are very engaged and want to go to school. If a kid can focus on what they want to do, it’ll help with completion of a pathway and high school graduation. If you come and talk to our teachers and students here, you really learn what it’s going to be like in the

program.”

Forsyth is a district that is focused on helping students find their passions, whatever and wherever that is, Lowe said.

“We have a lot of options for students, but we want to make sure they know those options,” Lowe said. “We’re getting to where we have schools of choice. So they need to know what those offer. Kids really have that choice.

We want them to find their passion and then find where they want to go to school.”

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12 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

SCHOOLS

Forsyth Schools earns highest financial efficiency rating in metro Atlanta District rates 5 stars for second year in row

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — For the second year, Forsyth County Schools has earned the highest financial efficiency rating from the Georgia Department of Education. The district won the highest and only 5-star among metro Atlanta districts and large districts, of 7,000 or more students, in Georgia.

The Financial Efficiency Star Rating provides a measure of a local school district’s per-pupil spending in relation to the academic achievements of its students. Specifically, the rating is based on a three-year average of perpupil spending, which is then associated with the district’s College and Career Ready Performance Index score.

Additionally, the state recently released the 2016 school climate star ratings.

Georgia is the first state in the nation to include school climate as an early indicator in its academic accountability system, the College and Career Ready Performance Index. State law requires the development and use of a

“star rating” to address school climate.

The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement.

The School Climate Star Rating is calculated using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0, Georgia School Personnel Survey, Georgia Parent Survey, student discipline data and attendance records for students, teachers, staff and administrators.

School Climate star ratings reflect school level data and are not applied at the district level. But Forsyth schools received between 5 stars and 2 stars.

Sharon ES, Riverwatch MS, Shiloh Point ES, Johns Creek ES, Vickery Creek ES, Vickery Creek MS, Otwell MS, Little Mill MS, Lakeside MS, Liberty MS, Piney Grove MS, North Forsyth MS and South Forsyth MS all earned 5 stars.

Kelly Mill ES was the only Forsyth school to earn a 2 star rating.

“We’re committed to providing – in a responsible fashion – information on school performance for the use of educators, parents, and communities,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “The Financial Efficiency Star Rating helps stakeholders see how

... The School Climate rating, in particular, has clear ties to student achievement – and to third grade reading, which is a major predictor of students’ later success.”

RICHARD WOODS State School Superintendent districts are using the funds they’re allotted, providing a baseline for future conversations, while the School Climate Star Rating gives a clear overview of the climate and culture within a school, which is a crucial factor for student success. The School Climate rating, in particular, has clear ties to student achievement – and to third grade reading, which is a major predictor of

students’ later success.”

Statewide, for the School Climate Star Ratings, 15 percent of schools earned a 5-star rating, an increase of 3.6 percentage points in the number of schools earning the top rating.

For the Financial Efficiency Star Rating, 1.1 percent of districts earned a 5-star rating, 4.4 percent earned 4.5 stars, 12.8 percent earned 4 stars, 19.4 percent earned 3.5 stars, 17.2 percent earned 3 stars, 20.6 percent earned 2.5 stars, 12.8 percent earned 2 stars, 6.7 percent earned 1.5 stars, 5 percent earned 1 star, and no school districts earned 0.5 stars.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, each district receives a rating ranging from one-half star to five stars.

A five-star district can be described as having strong academic outcomes and lower levels of expenditures in comparison with other districts.

This year’s ratings are based on data from the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.

Fulton County earned 2.5 stars, Hall earned 4 stars, Dawson earned 2.5 stars, Gwinnett earned 4.5 stars, Gainesville earned 3 stars and Cherokee earned 4 stars.

SCHOOLS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 13

Forsyth names teacher of the year finalists Overall winner to be named in March

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — After interviewing many of the almost 3,000 teachers in Forsyth County Schools, the district has narrowed down its qualifiers for Teacher of the Year for elementary, middle and high schools.

This year’s finalists are kindergarten teacher Maggie Tompkins from Shiloh Point Elementary School, speech language pathologist and special education teacher Maleah Stewart from North Forsyth Middle School and AP language/ American Literature and world studies teacher Michele Dugan from Forsyth Central High School. A finalist for the overall county teacher of the year will be named in March.

Every school in the county chooses a teacher of the year, and those choices are narrowed down to a group of semifinalists for district honors. From there, a community panel picks the top three and conducts an observation before choosing the winner, according to For-

syth Superintendent Jeff Bearden.

“We have so many talented teachers in Forsyth County. We are so blessed,” Bearden said. “We have almost 3,000 teachers. So to be named Teacher of the Year at the school is a huge honor, and to reach this level in an incredible honor. But to be the Forsyth County teacher of the year must be a humbling experience because you know you’re surrounded by so much talent.”

Tompkins said she went into the competition doing the best she could.

“I would hope to be an ambassador for teachers,” she said. “I would want to be a shining light for them to know they can do it and do their best so their students can do their best.”

Tompkins said being a teacher can be difficult at times, but the kids are why she does it.

“Every day I come to work and really want to teach my students to be the best citizens in our community,” Tompkins said. “Even at age 5, I want them to learn those strong character traits because I think that’s what gets them far in life. The academics will come. But knowing how to treat people, work in a group and speak kindly of others is really important.”

And the same is felt by the stu-

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dents. Two of Dugan’s students, Austin McTier and Christina LaPlaca spoke about their teacher after learning she won.

“She’s such a great teacher because every single lesson plan is tailored to the students,” McTier said. “She makes us apply what we’ve learned. I appreciate everything she’s done for us.”

LaPlaca said Dugan’s teaching is so personalized that if a student is struggling, Dugan will make a point to help the student. When LaPlaca was taking the SAT recently, she felt some questions were easier due to Dugan’s teaching.

“I am fortunate to work here because I have the opportunity to take risks and we are encouraged to do that,” Dugan said. “Teachers are empowered here.”

Stewart said she gets to be with her second family every day when she comes to work.

“My daytime family is my kids, teachers, administrators and community parents,” she said. “I am surrounded by the most amazing educators, so to be chosen is breathtaking.”

Since Stewart is a speech language pathologist, she said she isn’t seen as a teacher sometimes, so she’s proud to

KATHLEEN STURGEON/HERALD

Forsyth Superintendent Jeff Bearden explains to Maleah Stewart’s, North Forsyth Middle School class that their teacher is a finalist for the honor.

give a voice to her students and profession.

“I build relationships,” she said. “I love people. I am also driven, so when I get my mind on something, I am going to get my community together to get it done. It’s a team approach. I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I do without that. I want all of my students to feel valued as they continue to surprise and inspire me.”

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A hero’s journey The story of Air Force pilot Ben King and his family’s determination to keep his memory alive

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Last fall, Roswell resident Mary Jo Wood completed an odyssey worthy of her brother, Air Force General Benjamin H. “Ben” King, who was an air ace in World War II and led an incredible life filled with equal measures of daring and duty.

It took nearly five years for Wood to organize a trip to Mono Island, a tiny dot of land in the vast Pacific Ocean among the Solomon Islands.

She wanted to retrace the journey of her Uncle Ben who was shot down by enemy fighters in 1943 and survived a harrowing escape over water, land and sea to go on to a fabled military career.

Mono Island is a remote island of about 20 square miles that figured briefly in the Solomon Islands campaign but played the critical role in the life of Ben King.

But 73 years after King’s amazing adventure, Mono Island is as remote from the rest of the world as it was then. Around 2,000 inhabitants are almost completely cut off from the rest of the world except for an occasional mail boat and most recently cell phones.

Wood wanted to visit the island and retrace his journey that brought him back not only to civilization but a career as a combat pilot that would span three wars. Wood’s perseverance to make the trip almost matched her uncle’s.

Finally, she made it to that island where King with the help of friendly islanders would dodge Japanese soldiers and make a daring escape on a raft.

But a story is best told from the beginning. And so it began for Ben King when he was born in 1919 in Addie Lee, Oklahoma.

He entered aviation cadet training in 1942 in Texas, and came out a commissioned lieutenant in the Army Air Force.

He was 23 years old with the looks of a matinee idol. He probably had

a streak of cockiness in him. After all, being a fighter pilot in World War II was about as glamorous as it got stateside.

But all the glamour quickly disappeared when he arrived June 22 on Guadalcanal Island at Henderson Field.

He quickly settled in flying escort to U.S. bombers as a member of the 339th Squadron and had already claimed one air victory piloting his P-38 twin-engine fighter plane.

July 17, 1943, he and seven other pilots were escorting 12 B-26 bombers.

In the past the Japanese would answer these sorties without much enthusiasm and made only desultory passes without making much contact.

King left to posterity his action report of this day’s combat and he also made a recording that the Wood family has about his survival on a Japanese-held island.

Flying at about 20,000 feet while the bombers were flying at 12,000, Japanese Zeroes rose up in force, more than 40 planes, and they came directly toward the escort planes.

Four of the American pilots reported engine trouble or problems with their guns and broke off.

King’s action report relates a melee of planes diving at one another as dogfights erupted in the skies. King related he quickly shot down two enemy planes as his wingman kept Zeroes off his tail.

He damaged a third plane but could not tell if it went down. Meanwhile, his wingman had disappeared (he was later reported shot down and never found), and King was dodging two Zeroes on his tail.

In his action report, he wrote he would watch the tracers of the enemy bullets, and as they would begin to stitch down his wing, he’d slip and slide his plane to get out of the line of fire.

He described his canopy being “shot to pieces” and bullets destroying the instrument panel in front of him. “One engine was so shot out the other engine had begun to lose

COMMUNITY

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 15

A lifetime of heart to heart talks.

Ben King after his return to Guadal.

[King] described his canopy being “shot to pieces” and bullets destroying the instrument panel in front of him. “One engine was so shot out the other engine had begun to lose power” and it became difficult to dodge his determined pursuers. power” and it became difficult to dodge his determined pursuers.

The armor plating around the cockpit probably saved his life, but by now it was badly shot up as well. He radioed he would make for Vella Lavella, an Allied air base.

“But I realized I wasn’t going to make it so I had to go in the water,” he

said.

With the two Zeroes following him down, he continued to take evasive action. Then he suddenly banked right and set the plane down on the water – no easy task anytime. The Zeroes were caught unaware by the maneuver and had to circle back to the plane now floating on the water.

King jettisoned his parachute, useless now, and grabbed the inflatable life raft. He hung onto the cockpit which was beginning to sink. But he hung on anyway, because the Zeroes were coming in to strafe the parachute which had spilled on top of the water. He hung onto the plane as it began to slide under, and that saved him.

He said he was struck by a bullet in the head which knocked his helmet off but did not injure him. Bullets lose most of their energy as soon as they hit water, and the bullet that hit him was most likely spent by the time it struck him.

The Zeros flew off and he was able to inflate the raft and begin to make for the Treasury Islands that he said were just visible on the horizon. The nearest,

See JOURNEY, Page 31

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A Lifetime of Care

Being raised on Southern food inspired the vision behind the concepts going into Halcyon.

MARC TAFT, owner of Southern Fried Hospitality 16 | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017

Halcyon names first restaurants Chef set to also open spot in Avalon

By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Halcyon, Forsyth County’s 480,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development off Exit 12 on Ga. 400, will be getting a taste of Southern food.

Three leases were signed in January with Atlanta chef Marc Taft who plans to bring three restaurant concepts, including Co-Op Community Table and Bar, Feed - Fried Chicken and Such and a market hall burger concept. The restaurants are set to open in spring 2018.

“Being raised on Southern food inspired the vision behind the concepts going into Halcyon,” Taft said.

“I’ve worked hard to create these concepts and to find the perfect place for them to operate. Halcyon is such a unique, exciting development that I think will enrich these restaurants. I expect all three to do very well in Forsyth County.”

Co-op Community Table and Bar will be a full-service, farm-to-table concept with a Southern ingredient focus. Co-op is planned to be a neighborhood gathering place that will provide effusive Southern hospitality while emphasizing the importance of sustainability.

Feed - Fried Chicken and Such is a fast-casual concept that was inspired by Southern roadside restaurants Taft ate at with his family while traveling from Alabama to East Tennessee to see his grandmother. Feed’s first location will open at the Battery Atlanta, the new home of SunTrust Park and the Atlanta Braves baseball team.

For the third restaurant, Taft’s team is currently crafting more details about the burger concept.

“Chef Taft has an impressive resume and a spectacular vision for these concepts,” said Patrick Leonard, principal of RocaPoint Partners, the developers behind Halcyon. “The three new restaurants will fit in effortlessly with the overall tenant mix we have in mind for Halcyon and will be a fresh, exciting addition

Some of the food will be inspired by traditional Southern fair, such as chicken and dumplings. to the Forsyth County restaurant scene. Residents and visitors will soon be able to walk from the Big Creek Greenway into our food hall or restaurants, and we believe Taft is setting the perfect tone for the concepts we’re bringing to the area.”

Opening restaurants in metro Atlanta is not new for Taft. He said he appreciates the “lack of chefdriven concepts in the suburbs and wanted to offer diners an alternative to chain restaurants.”

He currently owns and operates Chicken and the Egg in Marietta, which opened in August 2011 and has been well received, he said.

He also recently announced a concept for Avalon, Brine Seafood Shack, a “Cape Cod meets Santa Monica”-inspired eatery, which will offer lobster rolls, tuna poke, fresh oysters and more, along with a roof-top bar. It is set to open this spring.

“Brine and Feed are two brands that we plan to grow, so it’s important to make sure guests know what they represent,” Taft said. “I firmly believe that having solid teams in place to lead these restaurants,

Chef Marc Taft has opened several Southern cooking inspired restaurants around metro Atlanta. taking care of guests and evaluating how diners respond will determine our long-term objectives.

Our restaurants reflect the experiences I have had throughout my career. Although guests will see the majority of our brands heavily influenced by Southern heritage, we will be branching out with other unique concepts.”

But Taft doesn’t just do business in Georgia. He has led restaurants in New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Miami, Nashville and Dallas. In total, he’s overseen the opening of 41 new restaurants.

Halcyon is set to include more than 480,000 square feet of office and retail, two hotels and 690 residential units once completed.

In November 2016, the first tenant was named.

CMX, a state-of-the-art cinema venue, will anchor the development. The theater will have 10 screens, 500 seats, 38,000 square feet and is slated to open April 2018.

READY... SET... EXPO! 9TH ANNUAL

BUSINESS EXPO GREATER NORTH FULTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NETWORKING WITH THE STARS MARCH 10TH 2017

Make plans now to join us on March 10, 2017 at the Alpharetta Marriott.

GNFCC is rolling out the red carpet for our businesses and the spotlight is on you! Booths will be adorned with glamorous people and the stars will be out!

This event is the mainstay for new entrepreneurs and long-established business owners with 80+ exhibitors and over 1,000 attendees Don’t Miss the Oscars of Expos! COME NETWORK WITH THE STARS

Networking • Seminars • Delicious Lunch • Business After Hours Where: Alpharetta Marriott • 5750 Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30005 Parking: On-site parking at the Marriott is available but limited. Overflow parking across the street at MARTA. Take free shuttle to Marriott.

When: Friday, March 10, 2017 Register: Pre-register by March 3 for FREE admission • $10 at door

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GNFCCEXPO.COM OR CALL 678-397-0554

BUSINESSPOSTS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 17

Supporting our schools is a great business plan IT management is important for small businesses I was lucky enough to find myself in the company of a Fortune 100 CEO 17 years ago. After a very brief chat, he took it upon himself to give me some great advice.

GEOFF SMITH He said: “You can Assurance Financial, gsmith@lendtheway.com only control what you can control.

Keep your head down, do good things and you’ll be amazed how things improve around you.”

That guy was Sy Sternberg, then CEO of New York Life. He was visiting Forsyth County from his headquarters in New York City to attend the grand opening of their new office. It was a big deal for Forsyth County because they went through a significant round of vetting and won the office over several locations from around the county. There wasn’t as much in Forsyth as there is today and this move was seen as a huge deal: If New York Life approved of the area, that would open the door to many other businesses to follow. And of course, many did.

Since then the entire Metro Atlanta area has grown to become a premier, global city for business investment. And there are so very many reasons why. Today the question is: Will we be saying the same thing in 20 years? What will be the reasons for our success in 20 years?

One thing I know for certain is it will be our constant improvement of our schools and our continuous output of a smart, hard-working and useful workforce.

Many of our community leaders here in North Fulton and Forsyth have done a really fantastic job of helping to establish the best public schools in the state and schools that are competitive with the best schools

in the country. And I say competitive because it is most certainly a competition. As our business leaders recruit businesses to move and stay in the metro area, schools are a top priority. Corporations want to move somewhere, and want to stay somewhere that guarantees a talented workforce. And good schools provide that. Good schools also provide good reasons for other talented professionals from around the world to want to move here and work for those corporations.

North Fulton, Cobb County, Gwinnett County and lately Cherokee County boast the best schools in our state – by far. And because of that, businesses are moving here and executives are living there. Just ask any real estate agent. They will tell you how important a good school is.

I currently serve as Chairman of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce’s Education Connection.

Every year we host the Partners In Education Expo. It is a high-energy event where all of our North Fulton public schools, and most of our

North Fulton Private schools, set up booths and meet with attending businesses. We invite all businesses, whether you are in North Fulton or not, to attend for free. Walk around, talk with each school’s business outreach team and see if you can find a way to help that school. In the shortterm, it’s a great marketing plan for your business brand: do good in front of your community. In the long term, you will be fueling the gift that keeps on giving by ensuring the future success of our business community. The event is this Thursday February 9 at AdancED in Alpharetta. If you are interested in attending, go to GNFCC. com and navigate to the events page to register.

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

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Are you having challenges managing your information technology?

Do computer problems or issues with software and printers take up too much of your time?

Most small business owners rely heavily on technology to run their DICK JONES business, and it is very Founder & President Jones Simply Sales important that they manage and maintain it in an efficient manner.

Here are some options you may want to consider if you’re the first person your employees contact when an IT problem arises.

Option 1: Utilize a part-time IT professional. There are plenty of IT professionals that can help you manage and maintain your information technology. They can be hired by the hour, or you can have an ongoing arrangement for them to check-in on a regular basis to make sure everything is running correctly.

Option 2: Utilize an IT Managed Services Provider. Many essential IT management tasks can be performed remotely over the Internet. Managed service providers provide many options including help desk services and on-site resources if needed. Having a “virtual” IT department is a great option if you need to be up and running 24/7.

Option 3: Hire a full-time IT resource.

Depending on the size of your small business and the significant risk of your computers, servers, printers or internet access not functioning correctly, the cost of this resource could very well pay for itself.

If you’re spending too much time on IT, and not enough time on growing your small business, these options can provide you with solutions to make sure your information technology is managed without impacting your time.

18 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

BUSINESSPOSTS

Growth presents unique challenges for North Fulton chamber Transportation, workforce head list of trials facing business group

get captured in those reports.

“But, that’s really small business working at its best, and that is really what is

By PATRICK FOX behind the economic pat@appenmediagroup.com growth in the entire country.”

NORTH FULTON, Ga.. - With the surge The two industry LUSBY in business growth over the past sevgroups identified as eral years, the North Fulton Chamber needing the most assistance are the of Commerce has worked to keep the health care sector and the technology climate ripe for economic expansion. sector, he said.

Few areas in Metro Atlanta have The Technology Committee is vital seen over the last 25 years the influx of to the 900-plus technology companies commercial interests one sees in North that are in North Fulton, Lusby said.

Fulton.

And the recent growth in health care In Alpharetta alone, the city has facilities makes training in that field filled up more than 4 million square equally important. feet of vacant office space in just the “I would say the growth of busipast few years, according to Peter nesses is expanding at such a rate that Tokar, Alpharetta director of Economic the workforce will not be able to keep Development. pace without us stepping in and doing Similar trends can be found in a better job of promoting and making neighboring North Fulton cities, where sure that that does not become an good schools, high quality of life and issue,” he said. ascending property values hold sway.

To that end, Lusby said the chamYet, with that growth, come chalber promotes expansion of post-seclenges, said Roger Lusby, chairman of ondary education in the area such the Greater North Fulton Chamber. as the new Gwinnett Tech campus in Lusby, Alpharetta office managing Alpharetta. partner for the gi“Gwinnett Tech was ant Frazier & Deeter huge,” he said. “So, accounting firm, said working with them is the chamber’s mission important. We’d love to is to gather the varied have a four-year college business interests in up here in this area if the area and focus on that were ever possible. common goals.

“Georgia State has “I think the mantra some classrooms up really is creating jobs here, and we try to get and creating business them more involved. for each of the memWe’ve tried to get North bers,” he said. “We do Georgia College to come that through a number farther south and get of different ways. We them more involved.” do that through some The high caliber ROGER LUSBY very structured comof high schools in the Greater North Fulton Chamber Board mittees, which workarea has helped, he Chairman force placement and said. technology have been Another area of fotwo of our biggest.” cus is transportation.

Workforce development focuses on Lusby said the recent appointment developing and ensuring that the area of state Sen. Brandon Beach to chair provides an adequate workforce for the the legislative Transportation Commitsignificant number of companies that tee was a major step in the direction of exist and are moving to the area, he helping solve North Fulton’s transporsaid. tation needs.

Indeed, the chamber has logged Beach is also executive director of more than 1,000 new jobs created over the Greater North Fulton Chamber. the past year by corporate expansions “Certainly everybody up here would or relocations. But, that’s only part of be in agreement that Ga. 400 and some the story. of the East-West road systems need to “I think always the untold story is be enhanced and improved immedithe number of workers added through ately,” Lusby said. expansion in existing businesses,” The passage last November of the Lusby said. “It may be only two or three .75-cent transportation special purpose or five positions, but those never really sales tax will go a long way in fixing

I think the mantra really is creating jobs and creating business for each of the members.”

Major job announcements New business locations in North Fulton over the past year.

COMPANY

FACILITY

BUSINESS

NEW JOBS

majicjack

Corporate HQ

Communications

150

Deliv

Branch office

Delivery Services

60

KQ Communications

Branch office

PR, marketing

13

VANAD Group

U.S. HQ

IT consulting, products

10

Azalea Health Innovations

Corporate HQ

Services

200

Dispersive Technologies

Corporate HQ

Software development

200

emids Technologies

Corporate HQ

Health IT/software

100

Hi-Rez Studios

Corporate HQ Dev. Center

Online video gaming

75

Muffley & Assoc.

Real Estate

Branch office

Real estate brokerage

65

Intelligrated

Corporate HQ

Automation/ software

50

Landis+Gyr

Regional HQ

Tech/software development

50

Bomgar

Branch office

Remote support/ management

25

Sword Apak

Corporate HQ

FinTech/software

25

some of the problems, he said.

“I don’t know where they are with getting the additional one-quarter of a penny, but I’m sure that will be brought back up to the voters at some point in time,” Lusby said.

In the long run, though, the chairman said North Fulton must make itself appealing not only to businesses but to residents as well.

“We’re really trying to come up with a ‘cool factor,’ in which kids coming out of college would want to live and locate up here,” he said. “Housing is an issue, because housing tends to be expensive here. Although Forsyth has done a good job in reaching price points for people, I think with Avalon and so forth we would like to have a lot of the young people locate and work in this area.”

Lusby said his firm has a big down-

town Atlanta office with about 200 people, and young employees seem to be drawn to the glamour of downtown living.

“I came out to run the Alpharetta firm which has about 26 people,” he said. “So, we encounter that same issue just within our firm.

“Most of the kids coming out of college want to come and work for the big office in downtown Atlanta and live downtown, as opposed to coming out here. Once they get married and have kids, I’ve got them all lining up to come out here.”

The same goes for other business sectors.

“The technology companies especially are concerned about this issue since their workforce tends to be younger,” he said.

BUSINESSPOSTS

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 19

Roswell Inc offers speaker series to improve your business

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@ appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Business leaders are not born, they are made through dint of hard work and experience. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a shortcut and learn from someone else’s work and experience.

Welcome to Roswell Inc’s 2017 Roswell Business Academy!

Four monthly sessions can give your business a breath of new life, said Roswell Inc Executive Director Steve Stroud.

Each expert will help business people be more successful at what they do.

This year’s seminars cover: • Overcoming barriers to business growth • Leadership development for you and your team • De-clutter the workspace – something we all need

• Crafting the perfect bio to market on social media “The sessions are designed to challenge you, inspire you, and help you achieve your business goals for 2017,” said Roswell Inc’s Communications and Partnerships Director Carisa Turner.

Roswell Inc program is designed for small business entrepreneurs to equip them with the tools to be successful.

This is the third year offering the series, and it has been well-received, Turner said.

“This is a natural fit for us as we continue to foster a positive business environment in Roswell,” she said.

Registration is open now. Seating is limited.

Parties may register for individual sessions or all five at once.

Log on to www.eventbrite.com/e/ roswell-business-academy-2017-tickets-29584373658#tickets.

Location: Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 Essy Lucas Rise-up; become a leader worth following’ Thursday Feb. 16, 7:30-9 a.m.

Beth Hermes Define: Enhance you business presence with a great bio Thursday April 27, 7:30-9 a.m.

In this session, you will learn how to strengthen the core of your leadership ability and create a culture of empowerment for your company.

Essy Lucas will share practical visual tools developed by GiANT Worldwide, a global company dedicated to leadership transformation, that will help you become a more effective and influential leader one everyone wants to follow.

A compelling bio is one of your most important marketing tools.

Beth Hermes teaches how to turn an interested audience into loyal clients by creating a clear, engaging bio that highlights your accomplishments, business philosophy, and life experiences – all while telling your unique story.

Sara Fisher De-Clutter: Create a space for success Thursday March 23, 7:30-9 a.m.

Discover the joy of a beautiful and organized workspace. Sara Fisher, owner of A Simple Space, shows simplifying, organizing, and personalizing your office can increase productivity, foster greater creativity, enhance critical thinking and problem solving.

Mallie Hart Engage: Build your brand on social media Tuesday May 23, 7:30-9 a.m.

While business cards and in-person networking will never go out of style, having an online presence is essential to reaching the right audience. This session will focus on best practices for creating, building and maintaining a Facebook presence.

share your news

She is an adjunct professor at Georgia Perimeter College and a guest lecturer at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia.

Georgian Landscape wins ‘Best of Houzz’

Left to right, Mark McNaron, Marty Holloran, Conleth O’Flynn, Ryan Carter, Kevin Jensen and Jesse Foley.

AHA celebrates 25 years of service ALPHARETTA, Ga. — AHA Consulting Engineers, Inc. recently celebrated 25 years of service with an open house at their new location on Mansell Road in Alpharetta.

Serving clients locally and nationally, their expertise is grounded in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design.

They have since expanded into the complementary arenas of advisory, energy and sustainability, and building commissioning services.

With over 140 professionals in Atlanta, Boston and D.C., they pride themselves in taking building science to a level beyond engineering.

Anita Anand joins Brady Ware as manager ATLANTA — Brady Ware & Company recently announced that Anita Anand, J.D., has joined the firm in Alpharetta as a senior manager.

Anand supports the firm’s tax practice, state and local tax ANAND practice, and serves as a firm-wide resource in the area of tax research and consulting. This includes providing taxpayer representation in matters requiring federal and state private letter rulings. She is also responsible for federal, state and local technical tax support involving a range of clients and industries, such as renewable energy, commercial real estate, affordable housing and others.

Along with these day-to-day responsibilities, Anand also contributes her expertise to a number of local government agencies, industry organizations and nonprofits.

SUWANEE, Ga. — Georgian Landscape Design has recently won “Best of Design & Customer Satisfaction” on Houzz.com. This is the fifth straight year the business has received the honor.

The 16-year-old landscape design and build firm was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that compose the Houzz community from among more than one million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: design, customer service and photography.

Customer service honors are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2016.

“We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2017 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including Georgian Landscape Design,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz.

“Each of these businesses was singled out for recognition by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts for helping to turn their home improvement dreams into reality.”

Bob McCormick joins Keller Williams ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Bob McCormick, one of the area’s real estate professionals, has left RE/MAX after 21 years to join the Keller Williams Realty team in the North Atlanta Market Center in Alpharetta.

MCCORMICK “We’re excited to welcome Bob McCormick to the Keller Williams family,” said Aubrey Baily, CEO and Team Leader of Keller Williams North Atlanta. “At Keller Williams we believe in succeeding through people and having Bob McCormick on our team is a huge win for us.”

McCormick has been recognized for over 11 million sales in 2016 and has been named on the “Top 100 Communities Realtor” list in the greater Atlanta area.

forsythherald.com

20 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

Presented by

PAID ADVERTIS

Meet Your New Commissioners

Commissioner Rick Swope

Commissioner Laura Semanson

Commissioner Rick Swope was elected in 2016 to serve as the District 2 commissioner for the 20172020 term. Swope is the co-owner of Pro Market Advisors – an education, training and consulting firm for investment companies such as E*TRADE. Swope was elected by the Board of

Commissioners to serve as vice chairman for 2017, and serves on the Social Services Committee, the Sub-Area 2 Planning Commission, Water and Sewerage Authority, the Transportation Committee and the Water and Sewer Committee. He and his wife Dani have two children – Caleb, a Specialist in the U.S. Army and cadet at the University of North Georgia, and Tori, a student at the University of North Georgia. The Swopes have lived in south Forsyth County for 17 years. Commissioner Swope is an avid hunter, licensed pilot and holds a Tae Kwon Do black belt and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt.

“I’m a strong believer in civic responsibility. Everyone who is able should offer some service either in uniform, community volunteering or public service.

With that in mind, and with a self-employed consulting business that affords me tremendous schedule flexibility, the door was open to consider this role.

Additionally, I’m a typical homeowner with concerns about traffic, schools, growth and the various qualityof-life issues,” commented Commissioner Swope.

Commissioner Laura Semanson was elected in 2016 to serve the 2017-2020 term representing Forsyth County District 5, which encompasses an eastern sweep of the county including the Lake Lanier region.

Semanson was elected by the Board of Commissioners to serve as secretary for 2017, and serves on the Water and

Sewer Committee, the Finance Committee and the Lanier Joint Development Authority. Commissioner Semanson is a graduate of the University of Florida whose prior career experience focused on marketing and corporate communications management in the information technology industry. She is also a former small business owner. Since relocating to Forsyth County in 2001, Semanson has been active in the community, volunteering for various citizen organizations, coaching youth running and serving as an officer for her homeowners association. She and her husband, David, have three children- Ethan, a student

at Kennesaw State University, Matthew, a student at Lambert High School and Natalie, a student at South Forsyth Middle School.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited about the opportunity and responsibility the voters of District 5 have given me to serve as their voice on the Board of Commissioners. I’m looking forward to helping bring the concerns of our taxpayers forward, to help shape the path for our county’s future and to implement policy that supports responsible growth,” commented Commissioner Semanson.

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Newest Way To Network

Chamber Connect is a brand new networking event for business professionals to connect in a private environment every month. Each meeting will allow Chamber members to network in a variety of ways and on a more personal level. Preregistration, is required to attend Chamber Connect as space is limited. Tickets are $15 and exclusively available to current Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce members. Lunch is provided while Chamber members engage in a variety of networking activities that help them build relationships and market their business. Don’t miss a chance to network with other local business owners! Join us at the next Chamber Connect on February 7, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at the Cumming Parks & Recreation Meeting Facility.

Catalyst for Improvement In 2011, business leaders in South Forsyth County met at the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce to discuss their shared concern about increasing traffic congestion and the need to improve the roads in the McFarland Road, McGinnis Ferry, Union Hill Road and Shiloh Road areas. This discussion led to engaging elected officials to talk about the future of this important business corridor for Forsyth County. Strong support began to grow for the idea of establishing a Community Improvement District (CID).

CIDs are important tools for businesses and commercial property owners to enhance property values, mitigate traffic congestion and take control of how the community around them will grow and develop. There are multiple CIDs in the Atlanta area with the closest being just next door – the North Fulton CID. In order to form a CID, fifty plus one of the commercial property owners must agree and execute a “yes” ballot and of those fifty plus one commercial property owners, they must represent 75 percent of the overall assessed value of total property in the proposed boundary of the South Forsyth CID. Once the CID is formed, a Board of Directors are elected comprised solely of commercial property owners in the district. The CID has the authority to tax eligible

non-residential properties in the district up to 5 mils.

These dollars are then reinvested in road widening projects, intersection improvements, new road construction and infrastructure improvement for the area. CID tax dollars are used to match state and federal funds to maximize their impact. The end result is the improved quality of the community, highly localized control by business people and a direct return on investment for commercial property owners.

In an effort to aggressively champion the formation of the South Forsyth CID, the Chamber of Commerce hired Tony Peters as its Vice President of Community Development to spearhead this important initiative. Tony spent twelve years working for two different CIDs and even expanded the footprint of an existing CID. To date, 138 property owners out of the 235 needed have executed their “yes” ballot and they represent $103,321,968 in assessed value out of the needed $237,504,733 in assessed value. The Chamber is confident that the momentum and excitement from the property owners this CID brings to this part of the county will result in the official formation of the CID this year.

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 21

SEMENT

cummingforsythchamber.org

Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

Forsyth County Schools

You are cordially invited to attend a

CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE Recognizing Partners in Education, Forsyth County Teachers of the Year and Parent Leaders

Friday

March 10, 2017 11:30 A.M.

RSVP by March 3, 2017

cfccoc@cummingforsythchamber.org or call 770-887-6461

Forsyth Conference Center

(on the campus of Lanier Technical College) 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd.

Cumming, GA 30041

22 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

CALENDAR TEEN DRIVING SAFETY CLASS

“HAVING OUR SAY”

See the story of the Delany sisters, both over 100-year-old descendants of slaves, as they recount their family history and careers in this play that celebrates history, women and men, African Americans and the human spirit. Shows are available Feb. 16-19 and 22-26, times vary. See the play at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St. in Roswell. Tickets start at $21 and can be purchased at get.org.

Looking to get the word out about your event?

Submit it to our online calendar at NorthFulton. com/Calendar.

EVENTS: ISM ATLANTA

What: ISM Atlanta will be holding their monthly meeting in Roswell, featuring Jeff Berk, COO of Client Loyalty Co., who will be speaking about procurement and supply management.

When: Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Country Club of Roswell, 2500 Club Springs Drive, Roswell Cost: $30 for members, $35 for nonmembers More info: ism-atlanta.org

MINI JOB FAIR

What: Attend the first Mini Job Fair hosted by Roswell United Methodist Church Job Networking. There will be classes and workshops prior to the job fair. The full schedule is online.

When: Monday, Feb. 13, 6:45-8:30 p.m.

Where: Roswell United Methodist Church, 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell More info: rumcjobnetworking.com

SAVE THE HORSES VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION

What: Roswell Roots will be hosting their first College and Greek Fair.

Come out to meet college recruiters and Greek letter organizations. This free event is open to all high school students.

When: Sunday, Feb. 12, 3-6 p.m.

Where: East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Road, Roswell More info and registration: roswellgov. com or 770-641-3705

DOWNTOWN ALPHARETTA PARKING DECK MEETING

What: Join the community conversation on the planned downtown parking deck as the latest ideas are presented.

Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts and impressions.

When: Monday, Feb. 13, 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta More info: alpharetta.ga.us

FREE PROSTATE SCREENING

What: Alpharetta healthcare professionals will administer free prostrate screenings, including a blood test.

Spanish interpreters will be available.

Call to schedule an appointment.

When: Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30-8 p.m.

Where: Northside Alpharetta Medical Campus, 3400 Old Milton Parkway, Building C, Alpharetta More info and registration: northside. com or 404-531-4444

GREAT DECISIONS

What: This discussion program will focus on the South China Sea and competing territorial claims, presented by the University of North Georgia and Forsyth County Public Library.

When: Thursday, Feb. 16, 7-8 p.m.

Where: Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega St., Cumming More info: libraryaware.com

FREE TAX PREP

What: Get free tax preparation assistance by trained volunteers. See website for full list of documents to bring.

Walk-ins welcome Fridays and Saturdays. Appointments available.

When: Through April 17, times vary Where: NFCC Education Center, 1125 Elkins Road, Roswell More info and registration: nfcchelp.org or vita@nfcchelp.org

What: Learn about Save the Horses Rescue’s farm, animals and how to help. Children can also volunteer, but adult supervision is required.

When: Saturday, Feb. 11, 9-11 a.m.

Where: Save the Horses Rescue, 1768 Newt Green Road, Cumming More info: savethehorses.org

ROOTS COLLEGE AND GREEK FAIR

What: Georgia Teens Ride with P.R.I.D.E. is offering a free program addressing driver’s attitude, knowledge and behavior. Students will learn about laws, crash dynamics and peer pressure.

When: Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Milton City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107 F, Milton More info and registration: cityofmiltonga.us

PARK PLACE SINGERS

What: The Park Place Social Singers will provide an opportunity for people to come together to sing for pleasure with song leaders Tom and Robin Yackley, the artistic directors of the Alpharetta Community Chorus.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 10:30 p.m.

Where: Park Place at Newtown School, 3125 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekga.gov

RADON WORKSHOP

What: The City of Alpharetta and the University of Georgia Extension - Fulton County will offer a free workshop on radon and the dangers of elevate radon in the home, presented by Gabrielle Dean.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2-3 p.m.

Where: City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta More info and registration: alpharetta. ga.us or 678-297-6200

MUSIC, ARTS & THEATER: DEB BOWMAN CONCERT

What: Celebrate Valentine’s Day early with Deb Bowman’s New York-style jazz cabaret as part of the Autrey Mill Unplugged concert series. Doors open at 7 p.m. for socializing and light refreshments.

When: Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.

Where: Warsaw Church, 9770 Autrey Mill Road, Johns Creek Cost: $20 More info and tickets: autreymill.org

“I, TOO, AM AMERICA”

What: View original works at “I, Too, Am America,” a multimedia exhibition by local artists exploring the experience of being black in America.

When: Through March 3, time vary Where: Johns Creek Art Center, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekarts.org

SPOTLIGHT ARTIST: GREG FERGUSON What: “Bearing Witness” The Photography of Greg Ferguson will showcase Ferguson’s award-winning photography of the natural world.

When: Through March 31, times vary Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell More info: gregferguson.us.com or 770594-6232

LIBRARY EVENTS: CONVERSATIONAL FRENCH

What: Learn how to speak and practice conversational French with Samyukta Rajen as part of a six-part series. Ages 15 and up are welcome. Limited to 20 participants.

When: Saturday, Feb. 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Where: Ocee Library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, Alpharetta More info and registration: afpls.org or 770-360-8897

LITTLE KNOWN BLACK HISTORY FACTS

What: Hear the journey of African-Americans in this free multi-media presentation with a hands-on learning workshop for children, presented by Israelite Nation History and Culture.

Registration required.

When: Saturday, Feb. 11, 1-2 p.m.

Where: East Roswell Library, 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell More info and registation: afpls.org or 404-613-4050

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

What: Learn about the power of super foods and how to supercharge your health for 2017. Keep your New Year’s resolution with the help of this cooking demonstration by Chef Lynn Ware.

When: Saturday, Feb. 11, noon-1 p.m.

Where: East Roswell Library, 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell More info and registration: afpls.org or 404-613-4050

MOCK SAT EXAM

What: Get prepared for the SAT with this full-length mock exam. Each participant will get a free, individual score report to target personal strengths and weaknesses.

When: Sunday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta More info and registration: afpls.org or applerouth.com

BUDDING ARTISTS COLLECTIVE

What: Children, ages 5 and up, can let their inner artists shine through with this arts workshop led by My Clayground. Registration is required.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 4-5 p.m.

Where: Milton Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Alpharetta More info and registration: info@myclayground.com or 770-998-2983

SIT-TO-STAND

What: Learn how to exercise throughout the day despite a sedentary job and understand the effects of sitting vs. movement on physiology.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

Where: Milton Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Alpharetta More info and registration: milton. branch@fultoncountyga.gov or 404613-4402

PET ADOPTIONS:

FORSYTH COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER What: Pet adoptions When: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: The Forsyth County Animal Shelter, 4065 County Way, Forsyth County More info: 678-965-7185

FULTON COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES What: Pet adoptions When: Every Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Where: PetSmart, 6370 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta Additional adoptions: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Fulton County Animal Services, 860 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta More info: 404-613-4958

OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE: FREE TAX PREP SERVICES

What: Get free tax assistance, counseling and preparation. No appointment is necessary. Bring all relevant tax forms, last year’s return, a photo ID, Social Security card and checkbook.

When: Through April 18, times vary Where: Gwinett Technical College, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 700, Busbee Center, Lawrenceville More info: aarp.org

CALENDAR

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 23

GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA:

Gold Branch – wilderness hiking close to home A few weeks ago, we looked at the new boardwalk trail through some of the wetlands areas near the Chattahoochee Nature Center. I’ve enjoyed hearing from folks several of you who STEVE HUDSON have enjoyed that Get Outside Georgia, aa4bw@comcast.net neat and easily accessible hike!

But did you know that there’s more great hiking not far from the new boardwalk? There is indeed – and one place to find it is in the Gold Branch Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

The Gold Branch Unit’s trails have a different feel than many of the other trails in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. There’s something about many of them that almost gives you a sense of being in the backcountry.

The unit’s trails crisscross and intersect to form a complex network, allowing you to combine them in a variety of ways to create just about any sort of hike you desire. We don’t have room here to describe all the great hikes offered at Gold Branch, though detailed maps of these and other CRNRA trails are included in the book “Hiking the Hooch.”

But we do have room here to take a look at the unit’s South Loop Trail.

It’s one of my personal favorite trails in all of CRNRA. In fact, if you’re looking to get away from it all without having to drive a long ways to do so, then that South Loop Trail may be the perfect trail for you.

The South Loop Trail takes you far from the beaten track, at least

by CRNRA trail standards, and that remoteness adds to its wilderness feel.

The loop features some leg-stretching elevation changes as well as relatively level hiking along ridges or along the shoreline of Bull Sluice Lake. Some parts of this loop definitely lean toward the “rugged” category, so it may not be the best hike to choose if your party includes small children. But if you’re looking for a bit of challenging hiking, this is the trail for you.

You’ll start this and all other Gold Branch Unit hikes at the trailhead located in the back corner of the Gold Branch Unit parking area off Lower Roswell Road. To reach the parking area, follow Willeo Road to its intersection with Lower Roswell Road and turn left on Lower Roswell Road. The entrance to the parking area will be on

your left about 0.7 miles beyond that intersection.

It’s worth noting that this parking area is paved with a special porous concrete that lets storm water percolate slowly through the concrete instead of running off all at once and potentially causing erosion or thermal shock to the nearby waters.

From the trailhead, you’ll enter the woods and descend to a boardwalk which carries you through a wetland area. Just beyond the boardwalk is intersection G2. These trail intersections are numbered by the National Park Service, which makes it much easier to keep track of where you are.

Turn right at G2 and continue to intersection G3; then turn right again and make your way to intersection G10. There, turn right yet again and continue to intersection G11. At last, you’ve reached the South Loop trail.

Now which way should you go?

How about clockwise? Sure!

Begin the loop proper by turning left at G11 and making the long descent to intersection G12, where you’ll turn right and begin following the shoreline of Bull Sluice. Every yard of trail seems to take you farther from the bustle of urban life, and you’ll feel yourself relaxing with every step you take.

You’ll eventually ford a small creek in a scenic little cove, reminding you of a scene that you might encounter in the mountains of Northern Georgia.

The murmur of the little creek and the whisper of wind just may be the only sounds you hear.

Beyond the ford, the trail follows the cove back toward Bull Sluice and then again turns to follow the shore-

line. For the next 500 yards or so, the hiking is fairly easy, but you’ll eventually encounter about 75 yards of rough and rocky going. Take your time as you pick your way over that more challenging section of trail.

A small wet-weather branch crosses the trail near the end of the rocky stretch, and about 150 yards beyond that, you’ll cross another small branch which rises from the deep gully to your right. A third such branch crosses the trail a few hundred yards farther on.

Beyond that third branch is a bit over 100 yards of fairly decent trail.

But then the trail undergoes a sudden change of character, turning to red clay and beginning a steep climb that continues for 150 yards or so.

After the climb, you’ll enjoy about 40 paces of fairly level hiking before the trail begins to climb again. Several hundred yards of hiking will eventually bring you a point where the trail bends right – and that’s where you may be able to spot a classic artifact of the southern woods: a rusted piece of bullet-riddled sheet metal. Exactly what that sheet metal might have been is open to interpretation, but part of an old car (or maybe a washing machine?) seems to be as good a guess as any.

The shot-up sheet metal is just one of the quirky surprises that await you along this section of trail. There are many. I could tell you what they are, but that would take the fun out of it.

Keep your eyes open as you hike, and see what you can discover on your own.

Another 500 or so yards of hiking beyond that unfortunate piece of metal will ultimately bring you back to intersection G11. From there, turn left to backtrack toward the trailhead to explore other Gold Branch Unit trails or, if you’re ready for a break, to return to your car. Or you can turn right at G11 and hike the south loop trails again!

Now is a perfect time of year to explore this and other hiking trails within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and you can learn about these trails in Steve Hudson’s book HIKING THE HOOCH. Check out HIKING THE HOOCH at local outfitters, on Amazon, or at www.chattahoocheemedia.com.

24 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

24 | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017

Sponsored Section

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 25

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26 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

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A Homecoming: Dr. Brent Taylor returns to Alpharetta and brings excellence back home Family, friends and the communities of north Atlanta are celebrating as Dr. Brent Taylor and his family have returned home to where they grew up and are starting a first-class dermatology, Mohs surgery and TAYLOR vein care practice.

Brent grew up in Roswell and attended Marist School where he was valedictorian. His wife Ashley was born and raised in Alpharetta and graduated from Milton High School. Together the Taylors are raising two rambunctious boys, Beckett 3, and Gavin 1.

After completing twelve years of higher education, Dr. Taylor and his family explored life in Florida. He practiced as the Mohs surgeon at University of Florida in Gainesville and worked in the busiest private practice in Jacksonville, Florida. The desire to be with family and friends drew Dr. Taylor and his family home to north Atlanta. They are opening a practice in Alpharetta to serve the community that has for so long supported them.

Dr. Taylor’s resume is impressive to say the least. He graduated from Harvard College in 3 years and attended Vanderbilt School of Medicine on a full, merit-based scholarship. He received his first choices for post-graduate training and was able to work with renowned Mohs surgeons during both his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina and during his ACGME accredited fellowship in procedural dermatology at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He is double-boarded, board

certified in dermatology and certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in vein care.

He is one of the first Mohs surgeons in Georgia to offer true Mohs surgery for melanoma with in-office specialized stains to detect cancer cells and maximize a patient’s chance of cure.

Melanoma patients are treated and, in most cases, repaired within a single day. Generally, no outside pathology is needed.

Training by celebrated cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Leland Housman and cosmetic and laser dermatologist Dr. Vic Ross, both of La Jolla, California, has enabled Dr. Taylor to offer truly state-of-the-art vein care for medically significant vein disease and cosmetic spider veins alike. Depending on an individual patient’s findings, a combination of endovenous laser ablation, foam or liquid sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, and light-based devices help restore patients’ veins to as good as new.

Dr. Taylor’s practice, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta, opens January 30th 2017 in the Gates at North Point development, on the corner of North Point Parkway and Webb Bridge Road. He offers comprehensive dermatology services from skin exams to Mohs surgery, advanced minimally invasive vein treatment procedures and cosmetic services including Botox and fillers. Consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta for you and your loved ones’ skin care needs.

Congratulations to Dr. Taylor and Premier Dermatology!

To learn more about Dr. Taylor, visit him online at www.premierdermatologyatlanta.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 27

Now Accepting Patients Skin Cancer & Mohs Surgery • Medical Dermatology Vein Care • Cosmetic Services

N. Atlanta Welcomes Dr. Brent Taylor Insist on the BEST Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care. His education and work experience include: • Marist School – Valedictorian • Harvard College – Bachelor of Arts in Biochemical Sciences Graduated in 3 years Magna Cum Laude • Vanderbilt School of Medicine – Doctorate of Medicine Attended on a Full, Merit-Based Scholarship • Medical University of South Carolina – Dermatology Residency; Chief Resident • ACGME-Accredited Fellowship in Mohs surgery, Procedural Dermatology, and Vein Care at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Taylor has performed thousands of Mohs surgeries and reconstructions, dermatologic surgeries and procedures while in private practice in Florida where local and even international patients have sought him out for the best care. He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables. He now brings his highly sought after expertise back home to Alpharetta with the opening of Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta! Now Accepting Patients.

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28 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Holocaust survivor returns for ‘And Then They Came for Me’ ROSWELL, Ga. – Eva Schloss is a survivor of the first order. She survived the Nazi persecution of the Jews in World War II and she lived to see the play based on her experiences growing up with Anne Frank produced at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in 1997.

Now she is returning for the 20th anniversary of the production of “And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank” by James Still.

The drama premiered at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in 1997, and is based upon Eva Schloss’ book, “Eva’s Story.”

A Holocaust survivor, Schloss will travel from London, England to be GET’s guest for this one-time only event.

Schloss will participate in a talkback with the audience after the show.

This performance is one night only, Sunday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 pm at GET’s home in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.

“And Then They Came for Me,” directed by Erin Bushko Smith, is a multi-media theater piece telling the story of two teen-age friends of Anne Frank, Eva Schloss and Ed Silverberg.

Four actors portray multiple characters on stage, while Silverberg and Schloss tell their stories via videotape. This performance is staged much like an historic newsreel brought to life.

GET has produced this play each year since 1997 as a touring production that has traveled throughout the Southeast to middle and high schools, and has been seen by more than 500,000 students, teachers and families.

This one-night performance includes a moderated discussion after the play with Artistic Director Robert Farley and Eva Schloss and will be followed by a book signing of Eva’s Story.

Artistic Director Robert Farley has maintained a friendship with Schloss during their collaboration on this production over the past 20 years.

“I am thrilled that Eva will be joining us from her home in England for this very special performance,” Farley said. “She has made many friends and deeply touched thousands of Georgians since her initial visit to our production in 1997.

“Eva’s Story of her childhood friend-

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If you go What: Georgia Ensemble Theatre presents “And Then They Came for Me” Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell 30075 When: Sunday, Feb.19, 6:30 p.m.

With Q&A after show Tickets: $10 each or ten tickets for $80. Available online at www. get.org, or Box Office at 770-6411260 ext. 236. ship with Anne Frank and her own heroism during the Holocaust is all the more moving when she is present for a performance of the play.”

This year’s school tour is scheduled for 45 performances.

To book this touring production at a school or community center near you, or for information about Georgia Ensemble Theatre & Conservatory, call Education Associate Molly Gilmartin at 770-641-1260 ext. 223.

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COMMUNITY

The regional science fair winners competed at South Forsyth High School.

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 29

The Skillet Lickers will perform at the Cumming Playhouse Feb. 11.

SFHS hosts Science Cumming Playhouse stages and Engineering Fair ‘Real Time Radio Show’ Feb. 11 CUMMING, Ga. — On Jan. 31, South Forsyth High School hosted the NW Georgia Regional Science and Engineering Fair.. South Forsyth will have 11 students’ projects advance to the state level in March. Among the students who will be honored at the state level are Amsh Kasireddy, Arjun Karanam, Abrar Ahmed, Anish Bikmal, Mary Lichtenwalner, Harish Kamath, Jessica Mitchell, Mannas Chaka, Laura Calvenes, Niveda Shanmugam and Arthur Miller. Sudan Chitgopkar, the winner of the Robotics and Intelligent Machines also received an award from Cobb EMC.

CUMMING, Ga. —The Skillet Lickers, one of North Georgia’s most well-known Country and Bluegrass bands, will join forces with local singers, dancers and actors to journey through the history of radio in the new production “Real Time Radio Show.”

“Real Time Radio” will explore a lot of history, starting with radio’s main-

stream debut in America in the 1920’s, moving all the way through modern times.

Two shows will be at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Feb. 11. Tickets are $20 or $15 for seniors age 60 and over, students 18 and under and groups of 25 or more. Go to playhousecumming.com or call (770) 781-9178 to order tickets.

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30 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

Senior advocates rally for funding Blotter: ATLANTA— Vicki Johnson, of Cumming, and Sue Burgess, Acting Aging Services Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, were among some of the 100 senior advocates present at the 2017 Be There 4 Seniors rally at the capitol on Jan. 26.

The rally brought together Georgia’s senior advocates to share their stories and the importance of funding for home and community-based services with legislators.

Speakers included Representative Tommy Benton, chair of human relations and aging committee. Advocates also heard from service providers and seniors.

The rally began by thanking Governor Nathan Deal for including $4.2 million for HCBS in his proposed budget. Currently, over 9,000 Georgians are on waiting lists for in-home services, including home-delivered meals, adult day care, respite care and more.

Continued from Page 2

Vicki Johnson and Sue Burgess participate in the Be There 4 Seniors Rally.

tending to be a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputy recently scammed a woman out of $200.

The woman, 62, said she received a voicemail from a man claiming to be a deputy. The man said the woman had a warrant out for her arrest for not appearing for a grand jury in Forsyth.

He also said she had two charges pending. The man told her to pay the fines via a prepaid card at $100 each.

She said she lives in Dawson County, and the man told her it was probably miscommunication and she needed to pay the fines immediately or would be arrested.

She made the purchase and told the man the card numbers over the phone. She then was instructed to go to the Forsyth County Jail, which she did.

Deputies there told her she had been involved in a scam because the sheriff’s office doesn’t ask for money over the phone.

She contacted the prepaid card company to begin an investigation.

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Continued from Page 15 Mono Island, was said to be uninhabited and not any troops there. Military intelligence would prove to be wrong on both counts.

He had to bail out of his bright yellow raft and flip it to expose the blue bottom when four Zeroes returned to strafe again. But the enemy was satisfied with a couple of passes at the parachute again and never saw him.

King knew he would have to paddle a long way and his emergency rations had been ruined by saltwater. After four days, he was almost spent, burned by the sun and passing out. Twice, an albatross had landed on the raft, and he killed and ate both.

But his strength was failing and he knew if he couldn’t make land by the fifth day or possibly the sixth, he would never make it.

“But that night a little storm blew up. Now the wind was with me when, before, it always blew against me,” he said.

Miraculously, the wind had taken him to Mono Island. Two enemy patrol planes did not spot him as he got to the island and waded up a freshwater estuary. Bathed and refreshed, he followed the stream and in a clearing he saw a native village and three Japanese soldiers (There turned out to be seven soldiers manning a lookout post).

King hid until he saw an “intelligent-looking large-built villager coming up the trail.

“I stood up with my gun by my side, and asked if he could help me.

He waved his hand and told me to get down.”

He left King there and soon returned with about 20 men. They led him up into the hills where he was introduced to a young man about 27 who spoke very good English having worked for the British before the war.

His name was John Oveo, and he would be his friend for many years after the war.

The first thing Oveo did was take him to a house next to a stream where he was introduced to the crew of a U.S. Navy torpedo bomber, the ensign pilot, the radioman and the bombardier. They had been shot down a month earlier.

The next day, a second crew of three sailors shot down in their torpedo bomber, brought their number to seven.

They were kept by the villagers – they hated the Japanese soldiers – but the Americans grew worried that sooner or later the Japanese would stumble upon such a large group – especially now that it appeared the small garrison was to be reinforced.

Their first attempt in two of their inflatable rafts lashed together failed. The

I stood up with my gun by my side, and asked if he could help me. He waved his hand and told me to get down.”

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 31

You’ll love February at

BEN KING WWII Air Force pilot villagers helped them make a second raft and they shoved up toward Vella Lavella. They did not fare well. They were weak, one was sick and by the third day they were exhausted.

But that day, a bomber spotted them but could not land. Later at dusk, they heard a PBY Landing Ship Boat.

King fired off his pistol because he knew one round was a tracer round which the PBY might see.

Again King’s luck was with him. The crew had been searching for them after the other plane radioed.

Now it was dark, but they lit a small lamp to guide the PBY which landed and picked them up.

“When we got aboard, the pilot told us he had radioed for permission to land and pick us up. When he didn’t get an answer, he decided to go ahead.

Just then, we heard the base radio back and order them not to pick us up, it would be too dangerous.”

So the four airmen were flown back to base and were soon up and about.

The pilot received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor in being the first pilot to land a PYY at night and in rough seas. King had been missing 65 days.

The family has both wartime telegrams, the first that said he was missing, and the second joyful one of his return.

Their comrades on Mono were rescued a few weeks later by a reconnaissance party scouting for intelligence in U.S.-Australian plan to seize the island.

King continued to fly missions from Guadalcanal and was credited with his third Zero shot down. He was wounded on a mission Nov. 1, 1943, and earned some time stateside before being sent to Europe to fly the P-51 over Germany.

His biography states he was one of the first P-51 planes over Normandy on D-Day. His service did not end there, but this story does.

Next week is the story of Mary Jo Wood’s journey to Mono Island to meet some of the people who still remember her uncle Ben. With her on the trip were her brothers Jere Wood, mayor of Roswell, and Benjamin Wood, the internationally known architect.

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“Defying Gravity”

Balance & Fall Prevention Seminar Thursday, February 23

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32 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

SPORTS

Boys region basketball tournament preview

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com

Region 6-A boys Led by a roster full of underclassmen, St. Francis looks poised to have a shot at securing its fourth straight region championship. Sophomore CJ Riley, senior Wallace Tucker and freshman Dwon Odom and Chase Ellis are all averaging double-digit scoring for the Knights, with Odom averaging 17.2 points per game.

Defensively, the Knights enter the tournament averaging 10 steals and 5 blocks per game. In addition to leading the Knights in scoring, Odom leads the team in steals and blocks.

St. Francis rolled to a 21-4 overall record this season and finished 13-1 in region play after falling to Whitefield Academy in overtime last week.

The Region 6-A tournament pits the top four teams of each sub-region.

St. Francis earned the No. 1 seed from sub-region B and will play Mt. Zion in the first round. If the Knights knock out Mt. Zion, they could likely face Darlington which is hosting the tournament. Knights’ head coach Drew Catlett said it would be challenging to play the talented team on their home court.

Catlett also said if his team can advance to the championship game, they will likely face North Cobb Christian, who has had a dominate season and enter the tournament undefeated in region play.

The Eagles (22-3, 14-0) are outscoring all opponents by an average of 20 points per game.

Before a potential game between St. Francis and North Cobb Christian, both ranked in the top-five in the state, the Eagles will have to go through King’s Ridge, their first-round opponent.

King’s Ridge secured the No. 4 seed from sub-region B. The Tigers began region play 5-1, but then encountered a difficult stretch of playing St. Francis, Mt. Paran, Mt. Pisgah and Whitefield Academy twice. King’s Ridge would lose all five games to put its hopes of a region tournament berth in jeopardy.

However, the Tigers were able to beat Fellowship Christian and Walker last week to earn the No. 4 seed.

Region 7-AAAA boys In their first season in Class 4A, Blessed Trinity will enter the Region 7-AAAA tournament as the No. 1 seed.

The Titans beat Marist last Friday in a game that decided the No. 1 seed.

The Titans have had a breakout season in their new region and classifi-

cation with depth along the bench and standouts Kyle Swade, CJ Abrams and Ben Shappard.

The Titans have already secured a spot in the state tournament this season after missing out with a region tournament semifinal loss last year.

Region 7-AAAAAA boys Former Alpharetta head coach Frederick Hurt stepped down after Alpharetta’s 11-18 2015-16 season to take over at West Forsyth. In to replace Hurt was longtime Pope assistant Jason Dasinger, and the Raiders are flourishing under their new coach.

Alpharetta (23-2, 14-2) enter the Region 7-AAAAAA tournament as the No. 1 seed and are the favorites to capture the region title.

The Raiders are led by a host of talented seniors including Ellis Merriweather, who set a personal best of 37 points against Cambridge earlier this season, David Swillum, Carlos Carriere and Garrett Davis. The Raiders have also had production from juniors Jaycee Horn and Marcus Hill as well as from sophomore Bradon Barron. The Raiders offense averaged 65 points per game in the regular season.

Teams will always have extra motivation to down the No. 1 seed, but the Raiders will have an extra target on their backs in the region tournament given their only two losses of the season came to Centennial (5-20, 4-12) and Northview (6-19, 2-14).

The Raiders will take on the winner of the Centennial/Northview play-in game. Northview downed the Raiders in Alpharetta’s last game of the regular season. Centennial ended Alpharetta’s eight game winning streak to open the season, and they will look to upset the Raiders once again if they beat Northview in the play-in game.

For No. 3 seed Cambridge, what a difference a year makes. This time last year, Cambridge’s season came to an end with a loss in the first round of the Region 7-AAAAA sub-region B, ending a 6-20 overall season.

But this season has seen the Bears’ go 18-7 overall and capture the third seed in the region tournament after moving to Class 6A this season.

The Bears’ have found offensive success behind sophomores Kamar Robertson, junior Kyler Ingram and seniors Jackson Boyea and Josh Leonce who have led the Bears to an 9-2 record against region opponents in their last 11 games. The Bears’ only two losses in that span was a four point loss to No. 2 seed Pope and a three point loss to No. 1 seed Alpharetta.

Cambridge takes on North Atlanta (7-17, 5-11) in the first round.

Much like Cambridge, Chattahoochee’s year is going far better than the 2015-16 season. The Cougars earned the No. 4 seed with a 10-6 record in region play.

The Cougars will take on Dunwoody in the first round. In the teams’ latest meeting on Jan. 31, Dunwoody beat the Cougars in a tight 48-45 win.

Seventh seed Johns Creek will take on Pope in the first round. The Gladiators had their most successful season in school history last year, but they lost seven players to graduation, including standouts Ian Joseph, Mason Henkel, Miles Clay and Garrett Anderson. They lost Nick Lancaster to transfer and went under new head coach Keenan Temple as Pete Goggin stepped down.

Johns Creek lost to Pope twice in the regular season, 77-64 and 51-38.

Region 4-AAAAAAA boys Roswell will look to play in a region championship game for the first time since its last appearance four years ago. The Hornets (20-4, 9-1) will take on the winner of Etowah/Walton in the first round.

In earning the No. 1 seed, the Hornets will have a first round bye before facing the winner of Etowah/Walton.

Roswell’s only region loss of the season was to Etowah, 51-46, on Jan 27.

With reclassification, Roswell is no longer grouped with Milton and powerhouse Wheeler.

Roswell will face stiff competition from Woodstock and Cherokee if the teams should meet. Roswell head coach Ty Phillips has said he has much respect for the Cherokee program which enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Region 5-AAAAAAA boys Lambert ran the table in Region 5-AAAAAAA, going 10-0 in region play and outscoring region opponents by an average of 16 points per game to earn the top seed in the region tournament.

The Longhorns have size and a prowess for outside shooting. Senior point guard Andrew Melms, Jordan Mcilwain, Damon Stoudamire Jr and Austin Deckard lead the Longhorns offense which averages 77 points per game.

Lambert enters the tournament having won its last two region tournament titles, both in Region 6-AAAAAA. Lambert set a school record for wins in a season (27) last season before being knocked out of the Sweet Sixteen last season in the state tournament.

With a first-round bye, Lambert will

take on the winner of Forsyth Central and North Forsyth.

After reaching the Final Four last season, it’s been a year of changes for No. 2 seed Milton.

Milton lost six of its first eight games of the season. The six opponents who beat Milton have gone on to compile a combined 126-21 record as of Feb. 3.

Just three weeks later, Milton head coach Matt Kramer stepped down, forcing the Eagles to find a new head coach midway through the season. Sean Revels, a longtime Milton assistant, took over.

Since Revels has taken over, Milton has gone 8-2 in region play behind sophomore standouts Jordan Yates and Donovan Hariston, as well as senior and Duke commit Alex O’Connell.

Milton’s only two region losses of the season came to Lambert. Lambert head coach Scott Bracco and Revels said they expect to meet once again with the region tournament at stake.

Behind Lambert and Milton, No. 3 seed South Forsyth looks to play spoiler, and with a talented core, the War Eagles could act in that role.

Senior Evan Cole and Santhosh Saravanan lead a fast-paced offense that scores well in transition. If the War Eagles are to play spoiler, they must clamp down on defense against the talented offenses of Lambert and Milton. South gave up an average of 71 points per game against Milton and Lambert this season.

In its first season in Class 7A, Forsyth Central finished 4-6 in region play and enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Bulldogs will take on South in the first round.

The results for West Forsyth’s firstyear head coach Frederick Hurt haven’t been any better than last year’s 7-20 record. West (4-21, 2-8) hasn’t found immediate success under Hurt, who led Alpharetta to two region titles and a quarterfinal and semifinal appearances in the state tournament in his tenure with the Raiders.

West will take on Forsyth Central in the opening round of the region tournament.

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ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 33

Girls region basketball tournament preview

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com

Region 6-A girls Seeking its fifth straight region championship, St. Francis seemingly cruised to the No. 1 seed from sub-region B and will enter the tournament as undoubted favorites. The Lady Knights outscored sub-region opponents by 50 points per game and went undefeated in region play.

The Lady Knights are led by the four senior D-1 commits of Kasiyahna Kushkituah, Maya Dodson, Nichel Tampa and Taja Cummings. Dodson and Kushkituah, who lead the team in points per game, are both McDonald’s All-Americans.

The Lady Knights’ (21-4, 12-0) four losses on the season all came to teams outside of Georgia. St. Francis takes on Excel Christian in the first round.

Pinecrest Academy entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed from sub-region B and will face Christian Heritage in the first round. The Paladins are in the midst of their third straight winning season after Ken Lacy took over the program.

Pinecrest was knocked out of the region tournament and state tournament contention last year by St. Francis.

The Paladins have won seven out of their last nine games.

Fellowship Christian will look to make a return to the region championship game and state playoffs after falling to St. Francis in the region title game last season.

The Lady Paladins enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed having won four of the prior five games entering the tournament. Fellowship will take on Gordon Lee, the No. 2 seed from sub-region A, in the first round.

Region 7-AAAA girls

Blessed Trinity’s Lady Titans were unable to finish the regular season with a winning record for the first time since the 2012-13 season, but BT can secure a playoff berth with a win in the region tournament.

The Lady Titans earned the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seed White County in a play-in game. With a win, the Lady Titans will earn a trip to the state tournament.

BT and White County split their regular season series, each team winning its game by a double-digit margin.

Region 7-AAAAAA girls With the departure of the Forsyth County schools to Class 7A this season, a new region-dominating team has stepped forward — Northview.

The Lady Titans (22-3, 16-0) are seeking their first region championship.

Northview went undefeated in region play this season and has already set a school record for number of wins in a season.

Northview is led by senior forward Shannon Titus who leads Northview in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. Titus is already a defensive force, averaging 5.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game.

Sophomores Ashlee Austin and Maya Richards have also contributed to the Lady Titans’ success. Austin leads the teams in rebounds and Richards is averaging 9.8 points and 2.1 blocks per game.

Last season, fifth-seeded Northview saw an unexpected run to the region 6-AAAAAA championship after upsetting Lambert in the first round, then making it to the region title game where they fell to West Forsyth.

Almost the entirety of last year’s team is back. Northview will take on the winner of Dunwoody/North Atlanta in the first round.

In contention with Northview for top spot in the region standings much of the year was Alpharetta. The Lady Raiders lost two of their last three region games against Northview and Chattahoochee, but will look to a trio of top performers to lead it to its first region title since the 2012-13 season.

Sisters Gogo and Juju Maduka and sophomore Croix Bethune have led the team.

Though lacking in size, Bethune is all over the court for the Lady Raiders, leading the team in steals and assists and setting up much of the offense.

The Maduka sisters lead the Lady

Raiders in rebounding and have strong outside shooting ability.

Alpharetta will take on Cambridge in the first round.

Cambridge began the season with multiple wins over Class 7A teams but has struggled in region play. The Bears’ only region wins have come against Dunwoody and North Atlanta, the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams.

Last year, Chattahoochee won a play-in game against Johns Creek to keep its season alive, but the outcome pitted the Lady Cougars against South Forsyth, the No. 1 seed led by Maryland-commit Sarah Myers. But as region tournaments usually go, a major upset unfolded when the Lady Cougars, who were 4-13 against region opponents entering the tournament, defeated South 49-41.

Hooch would fall the next game to Northview, but their surprising late-season surge earned the Lady Cougars a playoff berth.

This season Chattahoochee is in the running for a region title, compiling an 11-4 record in region play, and they seem to be getting hot at the right time.

After back-to-back losses to Northview and Johns Creek, the Lady Cougars bounced back with a pivotal win over Alpharetta, the first of five wins to end the regular season.

Siena Gore is averaging 20 points per game for the Lady Cougars and senior Alayna Ford is a rebounding force under the net.

Hooch will square off with Centennial in the first round.

Centennial has hovered around the .500 mark for much of the season and will enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed. The Lady Knights are led by junior Shekinah Guthrie who averages 13.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounds and steals.

The Johns Creek boys program has its most successful season in program history last year.

That distinction goes to the girls program this year.

Under first-year head coach Kirk Call the Lady Gladiators have compiled an 18-7 overall record and will enter the Region 7-AAAAAA tournament as the No. 3 seed.

Entering this season, the Lady Gladiators had not won more than 11 games in a season since the program’s inception in 2009-10.

The Lady Gladiators are led by senior standout Sydney Tanguilig who has led Johns Creek to eight wins in their last 10 games.

Region 4-AAAAAAA girls

Opening the season with a challenging non-region schedule, the Lady Hornets hovered around the .500 mark for much of the season. But in the final two weeks, Roswell has put together six wins in seven games to improve to 14-8 overall and 6-4 in the region.

The Lady Hornets lost a tiebreaker to Etowah for the No. 3 seed and will enter the tournament as the fourth seed. Roswell will take on Lassiter — a team it has trounced twice — in the first round.

If the Hornets can beat Lassiter in the first round, they will face Woodstock, who swept Roswell in the regular season, in the second round.

Region 5-AAAAAAA girls Lambert went undefeated in region play, capturing the No. 1 seed for the region tournament. The Lady Longhorns’ only two losses in the regular season came to Brookwood.

Lambert allowed just 38 points per game and outscored region opponents by 25 points per game.

The Lady Longhorns will be favorites to capture the region title this season after taking a first-round exit last season and missing out on the state tournament. The Lady Longhorns will take on the winner of West Forsyth/ Milton in the first round.

South Forsyth also took an early exit from last year’s tournament after being upset by eighth-seed Chattahoochee. However, South looks to contend with Lambert for the region title behind senior guard Emily Dreslinski, leading scorer for the Lady War Eagles.

North Forsyth, the No. 3 seed, swept West, Central and Milton, but couldn’t overcome South or Lambert in the regular season, finishing 6-4 in region play. The Lady Raiders shouldn’t have trouble dispatching Milton in the first round and should face South Forsyth in the second round. North was beaten

by South 43-22 and 47-32 in the regular season.

Fourth seed West Forsyth captured its first region championship in program history last season, but with the loss of 2016 Georgia Girls Player of the Year Jenna Staiti and the departure of Carsen Parker and Brooke Pirkle to concentrate on their soccer careers, West’s season has been lackluster this year.

However, as is typical of tourneytime, upsets are to be expected and West, behind four seniors from last year’s squad, could make a run at another region title. West will take on Forsyth Central in the first round.

34 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

SPORTS

Forsyth County soccer preview

By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com

BOYS PINECREST ACADEMY

(2016 record: 11-8, 6-2) Head Coach: Domenic Martelli What is the overall outlook for your team this year? We will be a very young team. We do have some senior leadership, but the roster will be very young and inexperienced. Our goal is to be able to play games in May. If we are playing in May we have advanced into the State tournament. We finished last season losing in the round of 16 to the eventual Class-A state champions, Paideia. Of course we would like to go further in this year’s state playoffs.

We are deeper in numbers and soccer talent.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? Last year we graduated one senior starter Lucas Perez. He was our center midfielder, and no one worked harder than Lucas. This year we will fill his role with numbers and a variety of players. Our system of play will change according to the personnel we will have on the field at any specific time.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Our key returning players will be our last season All-Region selections, Ben Rivard, Dom Piron, Gabe Villar and Stuart Jeans. Our two senior captains, Piron and Jeans, will anchor our defense as central defenders. In the midfield Gabe Villar will help the attacking play and creating opportunities for our leading scorer Ben Rivard to have another great season. In goal we return Joe Meersman giving us the best chance to shutout teams. I believe a number of young players will also have some important roles and have a huge impact on our team. Freshman Sebastian Cordoba, Brendan Kane, Matt Stone and Arturo Munguia should be able to contribute right away.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? We will want to improve every day and every game during our very difficult non -region schedule prior to the start of region play. This should prepare us for a great finish to the season.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? Our region is one of the best in Class-A. With returning state runner-up Fellowship Christian and state semi-finalists Walker leading our region, makes us have a tough road to fight. Our goal is

to compete the best we can in all our region games to gives us the best opportunity to make the state playoffs.

petitive as always but Central with Will Gifford will test everyone in region play.

LAMBERT

(2016 record: 7-7-1, 4-5) Head Coach: Tom Braun What is the overall outlook for your team this year? To continue where we left off last season on a winning note.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? Noah Byrne. We are looking at numerous players to fill his spot.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Trey Tanjuatco, Trevor Byrne, Ryan Fierle and Adrian Garcia.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Staying disciplined and working hard.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? Hoping to be a top 4 team.

(2016 record: 11-8, 6-3) Head Coach: Chris Wilson What is the overall outlook for your team this year? We will lean on a large group of upperclassmen to lead the squad to success once again this season. With a wealth of experience on each line, our aim is to consistently play at the highest level in 2017 competing for a region and state championship. Our senior group is an experienced group who have played a lot of minutes, so they’re really going to be the driving force behind our success this year. We’ve got seniors in each line and two senior captains, so we’re expecting a lot from everyone. But the success will really be about how this senior group can drive the team forward and lead the group in every aspect of competition, not just on the field but off the field to set the tone and raise the bar higher. With 13 returning letter winners and six newcomers, we bring experience and depth across the pitch to the 2017 season.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We lost five key players from 2016 of which the biggest loss is Jalen Williams and Nicholas Coward. In their absence we have a number of returning players that can fill the void.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

They are all outstanding in their own right.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? When we first started in 2010, it was the world was against us and we were fighting against everybody to try and achieve success. With that mentality we have built a culture in which brotherhood and team-first are always the focus.

Winning breeds winning, and losing breeds losing. We finally developed that culture of winning. Now the upperclassmen are instilling these things in the newcomers when they come in. Our mantra is “Win Forever!”

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? The region is tough with Milton, the 2016 state runner-up, the county rivalries that already existed, and our region coaches decided to play home and away against each opponent, thus stretching out region play and creating a more competitive season. Teams to watch out for will be Milton and Forsyth Central.

Of course South and West will be com-

SOUTH FORSYTH

WEST FORSYTH

(2016 record: 7-11, 3-6) Head Coach: Jason Bayush What is the overall outlook for your team this year? Our outlook for the boys is to get back to the playoffs. We want to compete in the region which will be tough but exciting. Playing everyone twice is exciting so we will see how it all plays out.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We had a few graduate that will be tough to fill. Freddy Hackney, outside mid, will be replaced by freshman Aiden Mienert. Matt Adams, defender, with some young talent in Preston Baker.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Defender Carlos Reyes will be a key for us anchoring the defense, as well as play from the middle in Nick Alba and Jamie Mata.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Growth as a team is our goal. We need to get better every day in all phases of the game. We need to take advantage of opportunities and not give up any big plays.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? We hope to be in the mix for a playoff spot.

This team has missed the last three years and is hungry to make a statement.

NORTH FORSYTH

(2016 record: 2-15, 0-9) Head Coach: Jared Steinberg What is the overall outlook for your team this year? The boys are

looking up. I think our fitness is much better than it has been in years past. and that is a direct result of the boys’ hard work. Practice sessions have been productive and I think the boys are on their way to a positive season.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

We have a few freshman that we hope will have an immediate impact on the team — Cam Cummings, Carson Tomassetti and Gian Dev. [We also have] some seniors we hope will rise to the occasion — Branson Willingham, Carlos Pedrazza, Dillon Askew.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Being more competitive in the region

FORSYTH CENTRAL

(2016 record: 12-6, 4-5) Head Coach: Will Gifford What is the overall outlook for your team this year? I am excited about the players that will make up the varsity roster for Forsyth Central High School this year. We have a large group of juniors and seniors who have played at the varsity level before. Our school has moved up from the AAAAA classification to the AAAAAAA, so we are looking forward to competing with the largest schools in the state. I believe that we will be competitive within our region.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We lost our three top goal scorers from last season, a total of over 30 goals scored. However, we have several younger players, including Gavin Mitchell, Jorge Garcia Vega, and Uriel Romero who I believe will be able to help carry the load offensively.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

While we lost several key starters on offense, we return a number of last year’s starters and key contributors. Seniors Connor Crocco, Jeff Muratori, Chase Miller and Will Strand, along with juniors Gavin Mitchell, Jorge Garcia Vega, Uriel Romero, Erik Gil, Aldo Trejo and Juan Gonzalez will all be important players for our program.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Our team is one that doesn’t have multiple superstars, but rather we rely on the contributions of all 18 players on the roster.

Each player serves a unique and important role within our program. We have talked a lot this season about competing with integrity, which means giving your best effort as a player regardless of the situation, opponent, or other variables outside of our control. Our

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focus is becoming the best team that we can be with the players that we have on our roster. If we can compete for each other and compete with integrity, I believe we can have a very successful season.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year We are looking forward to the opportunity to play in the highest classification. We have several very strong teams within our new region, but we believe that we can compete with these quality programs and look forward to the opportunity to play against strong competition.

GIRLS PINECREST ACADEMY

(2016 record: 10-9, 6-2) Head Coach: Domenic Martelli What is the overall outlook for your team this year? As a team, Pinecrest women’s soccer has goals to finish further in the state playoffs than we did last year. We lost to the state runner-up, Atlanta International School, in the round of 16. We want to improve throughout the non-conference schedule. Once conference play starts we want to be playing our best soccer.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We graduated three senior leaders, Caroline Brenner, Gianna Papa and Maggie Bruckner, who contributed to our program on and off the field. Caroline Brenner was an All-Region player selection. Looking forward to this year, we have a number of players who have improved and who are returning to make our roster much deeper than last year with better players. I believe our strength will be that every single player on our roster will help contribute to the success of our team for this season.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Our top returning players and All-Region selections from last year are Erin Houlihan, Mary Metz, Regina Metz and Ashley Triplett.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Our Pinecrest Paladins will be proud to represent our school and team to best we can on and off the field. We will play and work hard to make sure we give ourselves the best chance to win.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year?

Our region could be one of the best regions in Class-A in the state. Fellow-

ship Christian is the returning Class-A state champion and Walker went to the semifinals last year. Our goal is to take one region game at a time and finish the best we can in region and hopefully giving ourselves the best chance to make the state playoffs, advancing the furthest we can.

LAMBERT

(2016 record: 15-4, 7-2) Head Coach: Scott Luthart What is the overall outlook for your team this year? We will be a very young team this season. Our roster boasts four freshmen and five sophomores while carrying only three seniors.

However, our youth has quality varsity experience as we started two freshmen last year and have many juniors that filled integral roles during the 2016 season.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We graduated our biggest crop of seniors in our short history, with seven players graduating last year. We lost many multi-year starters including leading scorer Maggie Hanusek (Appalachian State), Keely Cartrett (Alabama), Brooke Endres (GCSU) and Evan Boland. We will have to reinvent the way we attack, but our current roster is full of dynamic, technical players who should evolve into immediate impact players. We will also have to plug two starting positions in our backfour as we graduated a center back and a right back among our departing seniors. Madison Eddleman is our top returning goal scorer, and the likelihood is that we will need to lean on her to continue her offensive output.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Our roster boasts four current D-1 commits in senior goalkeeper Jordyn Ebert (Mercer), senior midfielder Madison Eddleman (Vermont), junior center back M.E. Craven (Auburn), and sophomore defender Ellie Prybylski (Kansas).

We have a savvy sophomore midfielder returning in Brooke Schuyler, and I expect two of our freshmen, Madison Haugen and Sydney Hennessey, to make an immediate impact.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? With so much youth, we will work hard on building consistency in our performance and getting everyone on the same page tactically within our system.

Due to us losing two starters from last year’s back line, we will have to focus

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 35

developing our back-four and then building our attack through our midfielders and forwards.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? Every region match will be a playoff-caliber opponent. If our young roster can meld early on, I feel we can always be in the region championship discussion. That is our goal every year, so we will work hard to continue that level of competitiveness.

SOUTH FORSYTH

(2016 record: 13-4, 7-2) Head Coach: Tom Braun What is the overall outlook for your team this year? Looking to win a region title and making a good run in the playoffs.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? Alex Melnyk graduated a year early to attend Georgia State.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Regan Smith, Nikki Bario, Marissa McAfee.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? To work hard and develop team chemistry.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? With hard work, we hope to be in the top 4.

WEST FORSYTH

(2016 record: 16-5-2, 8-1) Head Coach: Jason Bayush What is the overall outlook for your team this year? The overall outlook is good. We are returning nine of 11 starters. We are still young so we look to improve on last year.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We lost midfielder Megan Moore, and we have an up-and-coming player Ivette Martinez, a sophomore, who should do a great job filling the spot.

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Brooke Pirkle, Carsen Parker, Kylie Gazza all returners set to make a tremendous impact on our team this year.

Parker and Pirkle are Arkansas commits and Gazza committing to Samford.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? Our focus to get better every day. We have much to look forward to after a great season but we need to get better in every phase of the game.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year? With

the home and away region schedule I believe we will have fierce rivalries as well as being in county rivals already.

Do you believe this squad can make another deep playoff run? After a great run I think we all want to do it again. We have a lot of competition in this area and in our classification, so nothing is a given. I told the girls to get there again or even have the opportunity. We have to have a special focus on day-to-day and never overlook any opponent. At the end of the day we believe we have the tools but cannot take anything for granted.

NORTH FORSYTH

(2016 record: 7-10-1, 1-8) Head Coach: Jared Steinberg What is the overall outlook for your team this year? The girls will be looking to build on some of the success that we had last season. The girls have a stronger bond this year than previous teams have had. Hopefully that will translate to success on the field.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? Olivia Dumphey, Ellie Johnson, Gigi Faulkerson and Alex Chesna [have graduated].

Who are some key players we should watch out for this season?

Makenna Britt, Canby Biddle, Kristina Evans, Stephanie Metzger

FORSYTH CENTRAL

(2016 record: 15-5, 6-3) Head Coach: Angela Camp What is the overall outlook for your team this year? We are looking to get better every day and be competitive in our jump from 5A to 7A. Our team was relatively young last year and had some success. We want to build from where we left off last season and establish ourselves in our new region.

Who has graduated from last year and who will step up to fill those roles? We had three key seniors graduate last season. I’m hoping in the midfield, senior Kirbi Mathews, defensively Hannah Hamilton and having our attack lead by Callie Fagan.

Is there a particular focus your team will have this year? We will focus on our team goals and getting better every chance we get.

How do you believe your team will fare in region play this year?

We had some success last year against our in-county opponents and we are looking to build on that coming into this year.

36 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

ForsythHerald.com forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 37

DEATH NOTICES Florene Kay Adduci, 74, of Cumming, passed away January 25, 2017.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Gloria Viola Badley, 81, passed away January 24, 2017.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

William R. Benson, 87, of Roswell, passed away January 21, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Edward Marion Borg, 88, of Cumming, passed away January 30, 2017.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Frankland D. Boroughs, 83, of Forsyth County, passed away January 29, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Leslie Brown, 83, of Alpharetta, passed away January 16, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Barbara Caggiano, 76, of Alpharetta, passed away January 13, 2017.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Lillian Mae Dodd, 77, of Cumming, passed away January 28, 2017. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Jane M. Gigliotti, 87, of Roswell, passed away January 19, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Mary F. Gunsten, 73, of Cumming, passed away January 19, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Rachel Hammons, 49, of Cumming, passed away January 21, 2017.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Donald A. Hyde, 73, of Roswell, passed away January 21, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Lawrence A. Jones, 72, of Roswell, passed away January 11, 2017.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Elena Y. Kurr, 36, of Cumming, passed away January 29, 2017. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Gordon Kenneth Lee, Jr., 80, of Cumming, passed away January 29, 2017. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Robert D. Means, 92, of Milton, passed away January 20, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Judith Van Horn Pett, 63, of Cumming, passed away January 24, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Nellie Thaxton, of Roswell, passed away January 28, 2017.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.

Allen Ray Thomas, 61, of Cumming, passed away January 29, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

James Tinsley, 78, of Roswell, passed away January 17, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Pat Truitt, 80, of Cumming, passed away January 24, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Ann F. Underwood, 87, of Roswell, passed away January 19, 2017.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Marie Watson, 85, of Forsyth County, passed away January 28, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Sheila Gail Wheeler, 54, of Cumming, passed away January 29, 2017.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

James C. Whitaker, 84, of Roswell, passed away January 22, 2017.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Thomas Wilson, 72, of Alpharetta, passed away January 16, 2017. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.

Richard John Wollak, 66, of Suwanee, passed away January 24, 2017.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

ONLINE INCLUDED

» Hiring? Pay once & we’ll run your ad until your position is filled.* » Selling Something? Pay once and we’ll run your item until it’s sold!*

Call today to place your ad • 770-442-3278 • classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216 •

Help Wanted

Full-time

Full-time

Now Hiring: Advertising Sales Executive Job Description & Duties: Appen Media Group is hiring sales executives for the marketing and advertising department. Primary responsibilities will be managing a book of existing business by consulting on and selling advertising campaigns, and growing the existing book of business through cold calling and networking.

Qualifications: Must be ambitious, hard working, good with people, and goal oriented.

Previous sales experience preferred, but not required.

Compensation: Base salary of $18,200/ year with aggressive monthly commission. Full medical benefits, matching 401k and PTO.

four weekly newspapers in the north Fulton and south Forsyth markets totaling 75,000 in circulation per week. In addition to its weekly coverage, AMG also publishes the monthly womens magazine, Northside Woman, as well as quarterly community guides, called Answer Books. Digitally, AMG has a vast online presences through various social media platforms and through its operation of northfulton.com and northsidewoman.com.

Email a resume and cover letter to: christina@appenmediagroup.com and CC hans@appenmediagroup.com.

About Appen Media Group: Appen Media Group is a multimedia news company with a focus on print newspapers. AMG publishes

Help p Wanted? Help Fo ound!

State Farm Agent (Johns Creek) is seeking new team members.

Full/ part time positions available. Salary plus commission.

Email resume or contact info to: rich@richsf.com SAP Systems Analysts (Johns Creek, GA openings. Travel not required, but must be willing to relocate to unanticipated locations across the country per contract demand): Perform SAP ABAP programming, testing and debugging functions related to the implementation of SAP Modules. Fax resume referencing job code ID0217SAP to HR Manager, Idhasoft, Inc. at 404 601-9171

Full-time

Full-time

Client Scheduler

ORDER ENTRY/ SALES SUPPORT: Norcross promotional product company seeks a detailoriented person for order processing.

Great computer skills required. 9am-6pm.

Email resume to awise@gpcorp.com

for premier homecare agency in Alpharetta Must have excellent communication skills and enjoy working with elderly. CNA or LPN certification desired.

Prior homecare or scheduling experience a plus.

Call 678-230-5971 PRESCHOOL TEACHER-FT/PT INFANT TEACHER. PROGRAM SUPERVISOR. Positions open immediately!

Benefits available.

E x c e l l e n t pay.

Friendly environment. Call 678-648-3175 or info@krk52.com

Fill your position today!

Call 770-442-3278

DRIVERS Class A CDL openings to run S.E. Regional. 2015 and newer trucks. Home weekly, Excellent Pay and Benefits!

Apply: www.osborntransportation.com Call 855-395-6630 x 113

*Some Restrictions Full-time

The CITY OF SUWANEE is accepting applications for full-time positions: Communications Officer ($16.92 hr.), GA. P.O.S.T Certified Police Officer (starting $18.68 hr.), and Inspections Assistant ($16.92 hr.).

Go to www. suwanee. com., send application/ resume to City of Suwanee HR, 330 Town Center Ave, Suwanee, GA 30024 or Fax; 678546-2120. E/O/E; Drug Free Workplace

MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued on page 38

38 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com forsythherald.com

MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued from page 37 Full-time

Part-time

CDL DRIVER:

CDL, D.O.T. Deliver brick & sundries (mortar, block, steel, etc.) to comml & res job sites.

Truck loaded for NGB Driver at various yards & plants; unloaded by NGB Driver at job site via Princeton (forklift). 5:45am-5pm, can be later.

Making several deliveries/day through metro Atl traffic TRUCK MECHANIC: Need valid DL, basic hand tools, strong mechanical aptitude & troubleshooting skills.

Diesel exp & ASC cert a plus. Ability to handle physical workload. Maintain/repair industrial equip. Min 40 hrs/ wk& some Sats. Perform Class A, B, & C svcs on Semi Tractors & Trailers; routine preventive maint, other duties as req’d to support operations; respond to work order requests in timely fashion; adhere to all safety policies & procedures TRUCK DISPATCHER: HS Diploma, knowledge of N. Fulton & Northside Atl roads; very good communicator; ability to organize workload efficiently; must handle itineraries of several trucks (multitasking skills important!)

Mon-Fri & Sats. CDL Class B a plus. Comprehend work orders by ensuring workload is studied thoroughly; determine most efficient routing & transportation ways for delivery & pick-up of goods; Communicate w/drivers to provide them w/route & delivery times info for direct scheduling of deliveries.

Resumes: Tina Ph 770-205-3554

Johnson,

Full-time Systems Analyst (Multiple Positions): Systems Analyst: Associate Degree or equiv. + 1 Year Application Development experience utilizing Java, Applets, SQL, Servlets, JSP, Tomcat, XML, HTML, Hibernate, Struts. Mail resume to Northstar Technologies, 3650 Mansell Rd., #225, Alpharetta, GA 30022 Part-time UPSCALE HOUSECLEANER: Wonderful company, specializing highend beautiful homes.

Monday-Friday 8:304ish. $13.00/hour (start), approximately 30-35 hours/week..

Wonderful for stay at-home mom 770-309-7335

tjohnson@ngabrick.com

Part-time Director of Youth Ministry, Alpharetta Presbyterian Church

APC is a vibrant, 900-member PC(USA) church seeking a part-time Director of Youth Ministry to work with youth in grades 6-12. Please view full job description and requirements at www. alpharettapres.com/ youth. Submit letter of interest, resume, and 3 references to office@ alpharettapres.com, 770-751-0033.

HOUSEKEEPER Experienced.

References, transportation and background check required.

English-speaking; non-smoker.

404-229-0846

#1 News Website in North Atlanta www.appenmediagroup.com

Delivery on Phone books Make extra in The Metropolitan area of Atlanta, GA Great pay and flexible hours.

Visit our Office: 3370 Panthersville Rd, Decatur, GA 30034 Or Call us: (877)-581-0555 Ext 82, or apply online: www. deliveryellow.com/ FRONT DESK Doctors office.

Computer experience. pleasant team player.

Positive attitude. Alpharetta/ Roswell.

Resume: medoffice123@gmail. com PRESCHOOL TEACHER-FT/PT INFANT TEACHER. PROGRAM SUPERVISOR. Positions open immediately!

Benefits available.

E x c e l l e n t pay.

Friendly environment. Call 678-648-3175 or info@krk52.com

Sales Moving Sale ALPHARETTA/ WINDWARD: 1911 Seven Seas Court.

Saturday 2/11, 8am-4pm.

Moving!

Competitive fisherman selling gear. Unique teen bedding set. 3’ snowmen. Furniture.

Clothes.

Ping-pong table....

ALPHARETTA/ WINDWARD 1911 Seven Seas Court. Saturday 2/11, 8am-4pm. Competitive fisherman selling gear.

Unique teen bedding set. 3’ snowmen.

Furniture.

Clothes.

Ping-pong table....

Fill your position CALL 770-442-3278 to place your ad

Animals

Furniture

Miscellaneous

Wanted to Buy

Legal Notice

Horses

CHERRY HUNT TABLE with mirror, $700. 404-889-3233

JOHN DEERE GATOR for kids $200.

404-889-3233

Regina Hamilton looking for Augusto Hamilton for divorce.

ROLLAWAY BED; Folding, single. Used once.

Mint!

Plus single-sheet set. $150.

Originally $208. $45 extra for single bed quilt. 770-343-8075

POLARIS 4-Wheeler 404-889-3233

Vintage Barbie and Friends, Ginny, Madame Alexander, and other dolls, clothing and accessories. (Local).

Cell 214-883-8215

PONIES

7 fabulous, loving, well-mannered ponies!

10 hands to 14.2.

They ride English & Western. . $1000 & up.

770-663-7565

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

Bargains Building Supplies VELUX SKYLIGHTS, used. (Eight, 21”x44”, two miscellaneous sizes). $475/all.

770-992-6848 leave message DRIVEWAY GATES; two, 10’ wide total, wrought iron. $800 both/obo.

678-492-2300

Cemetery ARLINGTON/SANDY SPRINGS Oakhill Section, #284C Space 4. Beautiful, near tree. $3500/ obo. Retail $4995.

770-564-1628, 770-695-9045 GREENLAWN ROSWELL Fountain-B Section. 4 plots. Fair market value $5000/each. Asking $4000/each OBO. C. Palmer 615-764-6170

Furniture DINING ROOM TABLE, glass top, cherry inlay, 6 covered roll-back chairs $800.

404-889-3233 SWIVEL ROCKER RECLINER, LazyBoy: Beige. New! $850. Retail $1099.

678-957-8335

CHILDRENS’ TABLE, cherry Delta $90.

404-889-3233 BARSTOOLS 30” cherry 404-889-3233

(3) $300.

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 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 F R I G I D A I R E FREEZER $125.

404-889-3233

Medical Equipment P O W E R WHEELCHAIR: Invacare Pronto M-91. New batteries.

Like new! $1000.

404-396-7807

Miscellaneous LITTLE TYKES COUPE and Fire Engine, both for kids $70. 404-889-3233 DUNE RACER (kids) $150. 404-889-3233

Kids’ $150.

JOHN DEERE KIDS’ GROUNDLOADER $150. 404-889-3233 STROLLERS 404-889-3233

$40.

YAMAHA 4-WHEELER 404-889-3233

kids’ $150.

Musical Instruments PIANO: Kimball Upright with bench, in excellent condition!

Completely refurbished and tuned. $1100.

770-861-7537 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

Recreation FITNESS ELLIPTICAL BIKE: New-Octane XR600 $1,300.00 OBO. Contact: Steve 925- 549-4733 SKIS, BOOTS, POLES, womens’ and mens’ 7/1/2 and 9-1/2. $400. 404-889-3233 GOLF CLUBS: Ladies’ complete set, Lynx irons, graphite woods, ball retriever, wood covers, new bag $275.

770-740-9757 Golf Cart: 2013 citEcar Street legal, 48-V, on-board charger,4 Pass Neighborhood Buddy. $4250; new $8000.

One Owner, 300 miles.

770-401-4097

Wanted to Buy RECORDS: LP’s. Pay cash, Rock & Roll.

Mojo Vinyl, Roswell 678-534-5042

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

Personal Services Child Care NANNY; Experienced, seeking Cumming family to work for.

Excellent references.

One or two children, infant-preschool. 804873-6956 (Cumming) Phone calls only; no texting or email.

Eldercare YOUR HOME Nights or days. 8-12 hours. $14/hour.

Verifiable references.

20+ years experience.

Transportation.

Nonsmoker/Englishspeaking. No pets.

470-779-4723/ 470-545-1910

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

BOLD TYPE

will really make your ad stand out.

Ask your sales rep about making all or part of your ad bold.

770-442-3278

Public Notice of Closure The At Home Hospice of Alpharetta, LLC dba New Century Hospice of Alpharetta hospice agency located at 290 S. Main Street, #300, Alpharetta, GA 30009-1949 announces its closure and will no longer participate in the Medicare program (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act) effective February 28, 2017. We will continue to service this area through an affiliate provider.The agreement between At Home Hospice of Alpharetta, LLC dba New Century Hospice of Alpharetta and the Secretary of Health and Human Services has terminated on February 28, 2017 in accordance with the provisions of the Social Security Act.No payment for patients whose plan of care that began on or after the date of closure will be made by the Medicare program.

For patients whose plans of care began prior to the closure effective date, payment to the agency can be made for services furnished up to 30 days following the effective date of closure.We would like to thank our staff, physicians and community for their trust and support.

Call the Experts in the

SERVICE DIRECTORY

ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | February 9, 2017 | 39

ÂŽ HANDYMAN REMODELING

678-455-2434

www.HandyHero.net

AIRLINE CAREERS Get FAA approved maintenance training at campuses coast to coast.

Job placement assistance. Financial Aid for qualifying students.

Military friendly.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance

800-481-7894

40 | February 9, 2017 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com

THE CRUISE GIVEAWAY IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! 3rd Annual

Appen Cruise Giveaway January 19th - February 23rd, 2017

ATTENTION READERS!

2016 Winners Jeff & Elise Baggett

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are kicking off 2017 by giving away a

FREE CRUISE!

$2,000 toward the cruise of your dreams!

It’s easy to enter – follow the steps below.

LOOK for the Expedia Cruise logo that looks like this, hidden throughout the papers each week.

GO to Northfulton.com CLICK “Enter to Win” icon TELL us which page number the logo is on WATCH your email on March 6th to see if you have won a Free Cruise! * Winner will be drawn March 6th 2017

“Our cruise was fantastic! We sailed on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, trans-Atlantic from New York to Southampton England in October.

We were at sea for 6 days and loved how relaxing it was. It was a jazz cruise and we enjoyed the music. We especially loved the British food and afternoon tea and met many wonderful people.”

– Jeff and Elise Baggett

10945 State Bridge Rd., Ste 105 cruiseshipcenters.com/Alpharetta (678) 712-5059

Sponsored by:

Cruise winner will be drawn and notified via email Monday March 7th.

One entry per household, per week.