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July 1, 2015 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 19, No. 27
Commissioners talk litter, cleanup By KATHLEEN STURGEON Kathleen@appenmediagroup.com
Fireworks are allowed, as of July 1, to be used and sold in Georgia, including Forsyth County.
Fireworks light up Forsyth By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Georgians will no longer have to drive across state lines to buy and bring back fireworks, even if it was illegal. Georgia house bill 110 allows the sale and use of fireworks in the state, and it went into effect July 1. At their regular work session, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners discussed how this would impact the county. The bill revised several parts of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, updating it to reflect the new law. Among the changes included not allowing fireworks usage indoors or within 100 yards of a nuclear power facility. It also limited the hours of use
Safety tips when using fireworks from the Forsyth County Fire Department: • Never allow young children to handle fireworks • Light fireworks outdoors in a clear area away from onlookers, houses and combustible materials • Light only one device at a time; maintain a safe distance after lighting • Never try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks • Don’t try to combine or alter fireworks • Wear eye protection • Always keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire • Keep your pets indoors • In the event of an emergency call 911 • 62 percent of all fireworks-related injuries were burns, 36 percent injuries to hands and fingers and 31 percent caused by sparklers to 10 a.m. to midnight, except on Jan. 1, July 3 and 4 and Dec. 31 where the hours are extended to 2 a.m. Buyers, us-
ers and sellers also have to be at least 18-years-old.
See FIREWORKS, Page 24
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Litter is a common problem in Forsyth County, but the issue will soon be resolved. Tammy Wright, manager of environmental programs, gave a presentation on a litter management plan proposed by Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB). The plan includes components for litter removal, education, marketing and enforcement. KFCB’s core areas are litter, solid waste reduction and recycling, community greening and beautification and water quality. “Historically, KFCB has taken a lead role in combatting litter in our community because it is one of the four core areas of Keep America Beautiful affiliates,” Wright said. “As a whole, the county doesn’t have a litter problem.” Currently KFCB has an annual litter index, holds the Great American Cleanup in spring, holds monthly high school cleanups and has a litter hotline. Wright said the county has a relatively low litter index score, which rates litter’s severity. As part of its continued efforts, KFCB works with students to initiate long term marketing and education campaigns, as well as working with law enforcement to enforce litter ordinances. Although the county has a low litter index score, Wright said the group wants to focus on keeping problem areas clean that consistently have a high score, including State
Route 369 west from Ga. 400 to the county line, about 22 miles. KFCB has adopted over 100 miles of roads, WRIGHT Wright said. They are cleaned quarterly by volunteer groups and in 2014 that resulted in over 450 bags of trash removed from the community. “We work with law enforcement, but we want to prevent it and not just catch someone throwing it out,” Wright said. Wright said they want to focus on the areas with higher index numbers and it’s been proven people are less likely to litter on a clean road. Wright recommended the board consider for the next six months to do monthly maintenance pick up on Hwy. 369. She also recommended doing Ga. 400 once a month but only stretches identified as having a high level littering problem. “I don’t anticipate there being any local roads in this clean up because we are normally able to clean those up in a timely manner,” Wright said. “This will send a strong message that the county is interested and wants to do their part.” Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) does clean up litter when they cut the grass, Wright said, but they can only do so much. “There are other things in the works to do more clean up ourselves,” Wright said.
PUBLIC SAFETY
2 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
Suspect arrested in hit and run FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit arrested Stephanie Anderson, 28, of Cumming June 23. Anderson was booked into the Forsyth County Detention Center on various charges that include felony hit and run, serious injury by motor vehicle, failure to maintain lane and failure to stop and render aid. These charges stemmed from an incident that occurred
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.
Man conducts ‘social experiment’ in Ingles CUMMING, Ga. — A man claimed he was conducting a ‘social experiment’ June 10 by talking to people as they walk by Ingles, 436 Canton Road, to get their reactions. When police pulled up, the 24-yearold man was sitting while drinking a beer and told officers he had just finished another beer. Officers said the man was not making sense as he seemed intoxicated and admitted to being on anti-psychotic drugs along with drinking beer and wine. The man refused a Blood Alcohol Content test and was arrested for public intoxication and drinking in public.
at 4:10 a.m. on June 21. The investigation found Anderson struck a pedestrian on Canton Hwy (State Route 20) and left the scene without rendering aid or reporting the crash. The victim of this incident was left ANDERSON on the side of the road with serious injuries until a passerby found her in a ditch around 5:45 a.m.
house off Canton Road. The man told officers he entered his house and found three males inside who later ran west-bound on Highway 20. Officers searched the home and surrounding areas but did not find anyone. The man told officers he insisted he could see the men run into the woods behind his house, but changed his story from one to three men. Officers found no evidence of a break in and no items missing. There also were no foot prints in the dirt area outside the house. The man came into the police station reporting a second incident claiming 12 men climbed on top of his roof. The man’s brother confirmed the man was seeing things, but is not sure if he is using methamphetamine or is just not sleeping. The man refused medical treatment.
CUMMING, Ga. — On June 10, a man called the Cumming Police Department claiming multiple males broke into his
DUIS & DRUGS
for DUI and following to close.
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
DUI arrests
►► Brian Earl Burdette, 42, of S.
Audobon Drive, Albany, was arrested June 21 on Atlanta Road for DUI. ►► Michele DeKalb Schaeffer, 53, of Duluth was arrested June 9 on Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek
Angry girlfriend breaks car with machete JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – A Starfire Lane resident was arrested June 5 after allegedly writing on her boyfriend’s car and then attacking both him and it with a machete. According to police, they were called out for a domestic dispute. The suspect said she was angry with her boyfriend and took a pen and began writing on his car. She wrote about his infidelity. When the boyfriend tried to stop her, she stabbed him with the pen. She then allegedly retrieved a machete and took it to the car, causing extensive damage. She was arrested for aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.
Daughter drugs mother CUMMING, Ga. — A woman told officers June 11 her daughter drugged her before she went out to drive her car. The woman was at Northside Hospital – Forsyth seeking treatment for being drugged. When a trooper asked the woman where she had been, the woman said she has memory loss from the time she hit Hwy. 53 out of Gainesville, traveling
House break in made-up
in the direction of Dahlonega. She also said the only thing she remembers is someone yelling at her, just as she was about to run up an embankment. There was fresh damage to the woman’s vehicle and it appeared to have been made by a mailbox or post. There was dirt on the vehicle as if she had possibly run up an embankment or off the shoulder of the road. A report was completed in case it turns out the woman did hit something.
of marijuana and improper lane change. ►► Kenneth Howard Schatten, 58, of Atlanta was arrested June 8 on Deerfield Parkway in Milton for possession of marijuana, speeding and headlights requirement. ►► Shepherd Joseph Wilson, 25, of Stone Mountain was arrested June 6 on Mansell Road in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and possession of drug related items. ►► Yolanda Guan Jeter-King, 42, of McDonough was arrested June 1 on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana.
Drug arrests ►► Samantha Wong, 24, of Manor Park
Drive, Cumming, was arrested June 16 for false statements, possession of controlled substances and possession of drug-related objects. ►► Daniel Gavrielov, 23, of Creek Way, Roswell, was arrested May 25 on Holcomb Bridge Road for possession of marijuana. ►► Timothy Levelle Williams, 36, of Woodstock was arrested May 28 on Old Dogwood Road in Roswell for possession
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 3
Alpharetta man convicted of defrauding NASA Business scammed government out of $800,000 ATLANTA – Craig D. Near and Genziko, Inc., of Alpharetta, Georgia, were convicted by a federal jury Friday, June 19, on seven counts of wire fraud and two counts of filing false claims against the United States. The charges came from a procurement fraud scheme targeting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). “For years this defendant supported himself and his family in a suburban lifestyle, with practically his only earnings being the fruits of his scheme defrauding the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John Horn. “The Small Business Innovation Research Program, which Near defrauded, supports technological innovation
by investing federal research funds in critical priorities. Near’s scheme diverted funds that should have been used for these NEAR important goals.” The Small Business Innovation Research Program sets aside funds to support small companies that conduct innovative research. From June 2008 to June 2014, Near submitted numerous fraudulent grant and contract proposals to federal agencies seeking funds for scientific research. Near submitted all of the proposals through
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his company, Genziko. All of the proposals falsely stated that Genziko had multiple employees. The proposals also listed the credentials of an apparently impressive management team with many years of experience in the relevant scientific and engineering specialties, without the knowledge or consent of several of those individuals. Some of the proposals also contained fraudulent
budgets and salaries for fake employees. Near pocketed the salaries for these “phantom employees” and also collected inflated overhead and general and administrative costs from the government based on their fictitious wages. Near and Genziko, Inc. concealed the fact that they were making profits ranging from 79 to 197 percent on the three proposals that were actually granted by the government. These profits were far in excess of the 7 percent maximum that was allowed for these contracts
by the NSF and NASA. In sum, Near and Genziko, Inc., received almost $800,000 in funds on the three granted proposals. Rather than using the money for the scientific research for which it was intended, Near spent it almost entirely on personal expenses such as mortgage payments, private school tuition for his children, vacations, shopping and large money wires to family and friends overseas. Near will be sentenced in September. —Jonathan Copsey
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NEWS
4 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
Forsyth enacts temporary moratorium on signs FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — In light of a June 18 decision of the United States Supreme Court (Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 2015 WL 2373374), the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners has enacted a 30 day temporary moratorium prohibiting applications for and erection of signs effective as of 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26. The moratorium means that no further sign applications will be accepted by the Forsyth County Planning and Community Development Department until such time as the moratorium is lifted. The moratorium also bars the erection of signs for 30 days. The only exemptions to this prohibition are signs that are erected pursuant to permits applied for prior to the moratorium becoming effective and for expression
signs. For purposes of this moratorium, an expression sign shall be considered “a type of sign, not otherwise specifically defined and permitted in this sign ordinance, and which involve the expression of any idea.” Any reference in the existing Forsyth County Sign Ordinance suggesting that an expression sign is “not related to a particular use of land,” is hereby declared subject to this moratorium and rendered not enforceable. It is the express and declared intention of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners that an expression sign is a content-neutral sign device for the expression of an idea and the only regulations or restrictions regarding same are those found in Sec. 66-105 of the Performance Standards of the Forsyth
County Sign Code. These will continue to be allowed without the necessity of obtaining a permit. Forsyth County’s moratorium was enacted in order to allow the county’s legal counsel time to thoroughly review the county sign ordinance to ensure nothing within it is inconsistent with the court’s holding in Reed v. Gilbert. At their regular meeting July 2 at 5 p.m., the Board of Commissioners plans to hear an update from legal counsel on this matter and could possibly take action regarding the moratorium. Any sign application received in the Forsyth County Planning and Community Development Department by Friday, June 26 at 5 p.m. will be processed in the ordinary course.
Forsyth Board of Ed. holds public Forsyth County announces hearings on millage rate adoption proposed property tax increase FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Education has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 11.70 percent. This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 17.30 mills, an increase of 1.812 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 15.488 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately $166.70 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $250,000 is approximately $181.20. All citizens are invited to the public hearings to be held at the Forsyth County Board of Education Professional Development Center, 1120 Dahlonega Highway on July 1 at 6 p.m., and July 16 at 9 a.m. and at 5 p.m. For three years Forsyth County Schools has maintained a millage rate of 16.30 mills, which has been the lowest in metro-Atlanta. While the millage rates for surrounding district have not been established for FY16, even with an increase to 17.30 mills if other millage rates remain/are not
All citizens are invited to the public hearings to be held at the Forsyth County Board of Education Professional Development Center. decreased, Forsyth County Schools will still maintain the lowest millage rate in metroAtlanta. Each year, the Board of Assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trends of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the Board of Assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners announced June 24 the county’s tentatively adopted millage rates and its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year over the rollback millage rate. The proposed county maintenance and operations rate remains unchanged at 4.812 mills. The proposed fire rate remains unchanged at 1.975 mills. The proposed bond rate is 1.419 mills, up from 0.869 mills in 2014. This represents a total county millage increase of 0.55 mills. Prior to setting the final millage rates, the commissioners will hold three public hearings to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Forsyth County Administration Building, 110 E. Main Street, Suite 220, on Thursday, July 2 at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Thursday, July 16 at 6 p.m. The Board of Commissioners will consider adoption of the millage rate at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 16. When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be
computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. Due to an increase of 9.90 percent in Forsyth County’s tax digest, the property taxes that will be levied this year for maintenance and operations and fire will tentatively increase by 3.66 percent over the rollback millage rate, and anticipated total collections will increase. Of the 9.90 percent increase in the tax digest, new construction in 2014 has added 6.02 percent to the tax digest. The remaining 3.88 percent comes from increased values from reassessments. For bond property taxes, the increase will be 68.73 percent over the rollback millage rate, reflecting the debt service requirements for the Forsyth County Transportation Bond approved by county voters in November 2014 to fund a variety of transportation projects. The proposed bond property tax increase would raise taxes on a home assessed at $250,000 (with homestead exemption) by approximately $50.60. Changes in an individual tax bill will depend upon the change in assessed valuation for that property.
NEWS
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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 5
Woodall speaks on local, national politics By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — After spending the day throughout Forsyth County, U.S. Representative Rob Woodall (GA-07) hosted a town hall meeting June 22 at the Forsyth Conference Center. Woodall represents the seventh congressional district of Georgia, which includes the majority of Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, and currently serves as chairman of the rules subcommittee on legislative and budget process, as well as serving on the transportation and infrastructure committee and budget committee. Woodall spoke about issues on the local and national level. He focused often on Georgia and Forsyth County, including transportation. “Georgia is, in terms of dollars invested in transportation per vehicle mile traveled, at the bottom,” Woodall said. “That’s because we’re doing more with less.” The transportation trust fund is funded by user fees by the 18.4 cents a gallon everyone pays with a gallon of gas they buy, Woodall said. “Over the last 30 years, the government has required cars be more fuel efficient,” Woodall said. “The fuel efficient trust fund is going to be down 40 percent because folks are getting more miles to the gallon and are buying fewer gallons of gas and bringing less money into the trust fund. We haven’t raised the gas taxes since the 1993 Clinton tax increase. So the value of the tax has gone down from 18 cents down to 11. We haven’t had less of a need to invest in roads, this just means folks are taking on more of this at the local level.”
I don’t need you to agree with me, I need you to look me in the eye, know that I love America and I need to be able to cooperate with you on whatever that sliver of things is that we might have in common.” ROB WOODALL U.S. Representative GA-07 Relating to the Transportation Bond Forsyth County passed in 2014, Woodall said he did not need to tell the crowd the previous information because they’re $200 million into a bond initiative to widen Ga. 400. “The state didn’t have the money to do it, you didn’t trust the feds to get it done on time and under budget, so you said you’re going to do it,” Woodall said. “It’s amazing. It will be 12 months from the vote for when they break ground on it. That is unheard of it in federal cycles. That is an amazing testimony as to how great leaving power where the people are can be.” Woodall said he tells the Forsyth Transportation Bond story countless times. “In this case, doing nothing to the transportation tax has devolved this responsibility out of Washington and down into locality,” Woodall said. “I argue that gives us more bang for our buck. We can’t build submarines or defeat ISIS out of Forsyth County. There are those things Washington needs to do that only they can do. There are so many other things
Washington is not very good at, doesn’t need to do and simply by doing nothing on some of these tax programs we are moving back.” Working with democrats was another topic Woodall spoke on, saying he needs their votes on his items and has to work together. “I don’t need you to agree with me, I need you to look me in the eye, know that I love America and I need to be able to cooperate with you on whatever that sliver of things is that we might have in common,” Woodall said. “I can’t negotiate the big deals without trust.” One of those topics is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or as it is commonly referred to, Obamacare. “Our district has more folks receiving Obamacare subsidies than another other district in the state of Georgia,” Woodall said. “We have about 45,000 people on it. We have to offer an alternative, saying no is not enough. I’m not bailing out the President, I’m bailing out families that got stomped on by the president. The damage from the ACA hasn’t even begun
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
U.S. Representative Rob Woodall speaks on local and national issues at the town hall June 22. yet. We have to put individuals back in charge of their own healthcare.” Immigration was also
brought up with Woodall saying 25 percent of the district is made of first generation Americans.
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6 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
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Jail/Courthouse project under budget By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Although builders had to deal with rock, flooding and public dispute, the jail and courthouse project came in under budget by $203K in the last budget update given at the SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team meeting June 23. The Sheriff’s Office will move in early July, the Courthouse Annex July 28 and the material completion for the fourth floor will be the end of June, said Joe Lee, project manager. Part of the final budget numbers update was an explanation by Lee of the disputed extended overhead line on the third change order in the budget because it is still in dispute. Lee said they took two parts of the project, the annex and sheriff’s office as well as the fourth floor build out, into a non-SPLOST project budget totaling $1.2 million. “It’s still a good economic decision, it just didn’t fit into SPLOST,” Lee said. Lee said the timing in this construction was good in terms of saving money. He said if they started the project today, they would need about $40 million more. There was discussion regarding funding of those non-SPLOST items, and Lee confirmed the security plan for the Annex is contained in the SPLOST part of the budget. Lee said the $1,290,135 non-SPLOST costs were included in a budget previously approved by the Board of Commissioners and is
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
Construction continues on the new county courthouse and jail. suggesting it should now come out of that budget and the new updated budget should be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval. The team unanimously voted to recommend the Board of Commissioners accept the updated budget along with the additional funding for the fourth floor build-out
and Annex to come out of the Capital Projects Fund. The team also discussed a previous issue of jury and attorney-client rooms not being sound proof. Chief Judge Jeffrey Bagley said they installed sound seals around the doors which improved a lot of the issues, but not all. Soft
sound panels for the walls have been ordered and once installed should help absorb the sound. The sound of the water chillers above a courtroom were also taken care of. The unveiling of the Lady Justice statue is currently scheduled for November 6.
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8 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
OPINION
Rockets red scare The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Mainly because I love that this one day a year brings the entire country together, no matter our differences. It is one day we are able to stop fighting and all agree on one thing — we love America. I also love fireworks, a must for July Fourth. Growing up, I always made sure we had a good spot at whatever fireworks show we went to see. When driving home after, my family and I would watch the various shows going on around us. I was always, and still am, fascinated and highly entertained by fireworks. This year’s holiday will bring a new level to the fireworks game. Georgians are now legally able to buy and shoot fireworks. Previously, it was against Georgia law to purchase or set off fireworks, except for small items such as sparklers or snaps. This could go very wrong, very quickly. Instead of going
KATHLEEN STURGEON Forsyth Herald Reporter kathleen@appen mediagroup.com
over state lines and buying fireworks to bring back for their personal backyard displays, Georgians will now be able to buy as many fireworks as they can afford, with a few exceptions (can’t shoot indoors, must be at least 18-years-old,etc.). But these limitations will not deter consumers from potentially misusing the fireworks and accidently hurting others. The new law allows consumers to legally purchase, set off and potentially do major damage with explosives. I’m all for a great fireworks display in the hands of trained professionals, but
I think putting fireworks in the hands of untrained and ill-informed customers has the potential to cause many issues. The Forsyth County Fire Department cites statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission saying 62 percent of all fireworks-related injuries were burns, 36 percent injuries to hands and fingers and 31 percent caused by sparklers. I’ve heard of many fireworks horror stories including little kids amputating their fingers or hands because they got hold of fireworks. I also know someone personally who lost his vision in one eye after someone set off a bottle rocket incorrectly and it flew straight at his face. Another issue many may not think of is the fact local communities, like Forsyth and North Fulton, can’t handle an influx of calls to the fire department or police because they’ve hurt themselves or others while playing with fireworks. Fireworks are fun, beautiful and exciting, but handlers need to realize how much explosive power they have in their hands. Go out and buy fireworks if you desire, at the least it’ll boost our economy. But please, be sure to use them responsibly. Alcohol and explosives don’t go together. Children should never handle fireworks or explosives. Or, as they say in “A Christmas Story” (granted, they’re talking about a BB gun, but you get the picture), “you’ll shoot your eye out!”
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When are you right now? Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone you like or care about, and realize that you’ve been “listening,” but you’ve barely heard a single thing they said? Your intention is to spend quality time and bond with that person. Yet you find yourself thinking about what you have to make for dinner tonight, that crappy meal you had last night, your stressful day at work or that book you’ve been reading? We’ve seen this in others as well. Eyes glaze over or dart away momentarily, revealing that in their mind you/they are somewhere or “some-when” else. As a society I would venture to say that we spend most of our time in the past or the future. We are scolding ourselves for saying the wrong thing, rehashing this situation or that, and many times we end up adding negative energy to our present moment over something we no longer have control over. On the flip side, we also spend much of our time planning where we have to be next, who will be there, what we have to do to when we get there, how we want to present ourselves and what we want the outcome to look like. When these expectations are not met (Goals are positive and valuable, expectations are destructive), again we are adding negative energy to something we could not control, and now we are reliving the disappointment. This is exhausting, and when I notice myself falling into the trap (daily) it breaks my heart a little bit. In truth, the only place we can be is in the present. Think
CIARA M. RUBIN Guest Columnist ciaramrubin11@ gmail.com
about that for a moment. The past has already occurred, and the future has yet to pass. The present is the place where everything happens; the present is where your life lives. This will go on whether you pay attention to it or not, so don’t miss it. I implore you to try something. Start small, and for a mere 60 seconds try to train your mind to focus on nothing but what is going on in the present moment. Wherever you are, breathe deeply and notice the sights, sounds and smells around you, both the obvious and the subtle. If your mind starts to wander, forgive yourself and gently bring your awareness back to the present. How do you feel? Perhaps bored, admittedly this is a possibility the first few times you try the exercise if you’re used to a “go go go” lifestyle. I promise if you stick with it you will begin to see something profound. The people and animals in your life will notice that you seem to be much more invested in them, and will feel more fulfilled by their relationship with you. You will notice that you feel peaceful and ready to handle situations that arise out of your control, and you will find that you have less expectations of what will be. Now is all we have. Don’t let your present moments pass you by.
Manually curbing texting and driving If there is one admission that I have never heard from a mature adult it is, “I’m a bad driver.” However, if you have driven on any street in the state of Georgia for upwards of three minutes, you know that there are plenty of people lying by omission. And now that everyone has a cell phone, some treat roads as places to text where you occasionally, about every three minutes or so, have to look up and wipe bits of pedestrian off your windshield. My commute time to the Appen office is about five minutes. My commute to my other job is about 20 minutes. Basically, for living in the metro Atlanta area, my commute is nothing. However, it is plenty enough time for me to worry for my life on multiple occasions every day that I venture out of my house. This is due
JOE PARKER
Appen Intern news@appenmedia group.com
to the fact I am sharing the roads with people who are far more interested in sending an incomprehensible text along the lines of “BRB 4 lyke weasel lederhosen” than realizing that they are, in fact, driving into oncoming traffic. Texting while driving is dangerous, it is stupid and it needs to be stopped. So, what do we do? Well, we have already made it illegal to text and drive, but if you travel down Ga. 400
you will see that the shoulder seems to not be meant for moving off the road, but rather a convenient place to swerve into while you send a text. No, changes to the law will not curb texting while driving. But I know of something that will. My car has a manual transmission, a.k.a. a stick shift. If you want to stop people from texting while driving (and I certainly do), eliminate the automatic transmission. If you think texting while driving is difficult, try doing it driving a manual along Ga. 9 while hitting every red light. Try and text in that situation and your cell phone will end up flying out of your hand and ending up in that space between your center console and seat, also known as French-fry and loose change purgatory. Well, I would like to think
that eliminating the automatic transmission would solve the problem of texting and driving, but truthfully, people would still find a way to do so and mailboxes everywhere will tremble in terror of being mowed down. And if you happen to be one of those people that thinks texting and driving is no big
deal, I leave you with this I once did the responsible thing and used a designated driver to take me home after drinking my weight in beer at a wedding. I, the heavily intoxicated, had to jerk the wheel to the left as my DD, while texting, was driving straight into a ditch. According to her, she “isn’t a bad driver.”
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SCHOOLS
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Local teen wins PSA scholarship contest Central HS alum creates video against drinking and driving By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Most teens hear and know the warnings against underage drinking and drunk driving and choose to ignore or listen to the messages. One teen in Forsyth County took it a step further and entered a contest to try and help get the message out and leave a lasting impact on people. Grace McHan, an alumna of Forsyth Central High School, entered the contest in hopes of not only receiving a scholarship, but to really get people to think about their actions. She heard about it through her school. “I always want to make a difference in people’s lives no matter what I do,” McHan said. “I’ve lost some friends or people I know from drinking and driving or who have been in a car accident from another driver being drunk. I wanted to take a different approach to it and put the message out there.” By not making her video the stereotypical party with a car accident, McHan hoped she would pull at people’s
Jacob Littlefield is the main character in Grace McHan’s video against underage drinking. heart strings and make it more realistic. “I wanted people’s reaction to be ‘wow, that’s intense,’” McHan said. “I want it to have a mark on them to actually do something about the issue.” McHan teamed up with her friends and their father, Sarah, Jacob and Steven Littlefield to film the video. She also recruited local EMTs for help and filmed at fire station 1. “They were really gracious
with us and let us come in and climb all over their equipment,” McHan said. “The EMTs are really great. I heard about them through the EMS explorers program I do with Forsyth County. They were all extremely helpful with everything.” In the end, McHan was the first place winner of a $2,000 scholarship, as well as the honorable mention of a $500 scholarship for the social voting winner because her video garnered the highest number of social votes. She had 160 first place votes. The contest was open to seniors in the class of 2015 at Georgia high schools, as well as rising college freshmen in four-year universities in Georgia, like McHan who will be attending the University of North Georgia. On their website, Millar & Mixon said they see firsthand the harm caused by traffic accidents involving underage drinking in Georgia. “Many teens don’t understand the potentially very serious consequences of underage drinking until it’s too late,” was written on the website. “We hope these clever messages created by teens for teens will
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Grace McHan, middle, won $2,000 in scholarship money for her public service announcement video against drinking and driving. On either side of her are Bruce R. Millar and Christin Calloway. resonate with young people and communicate the dangers of underage drinking. We are proud to provide scholarships to assist the winners in furthering their educations in Georgia.” The ultimate goal for McHan was for people to realize it’s not worth it to drink and drive. “Accidents can happen to
anyone,” McHan said. “If they don’t think it can happen to them, it can. I want everyone to be safe and even if they’re not drinking and driving, they still need to watch out for other people.” To watch McHan’s video or to learn more, visit http:// www.millarandmixon.com/ videos/underage-drinkingawareness-video/.
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SCHOOLS
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 11
STRIVING FOR THE BEST:
Showcasing Forsyth County’s valedictorians, part three By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Among the high school students in Forsyth County sit the best of their classes, the valedictorians. These students worked hard to earn the prestigious title and are bound to be destined for great things. The Forsyth Herald reached out to the county’s whiz kids and asked them questions about their life, school and future. This is the final installment showcasing these talented students. Over the past few weeks we showcased South Forsyth High School, Forsyth Central High School, North Forsyth High School, Lambert High School and West Forsyth High School. This week will be Pinecrest Academy.
Ave Fouriezos Pinecrest Academy What activities did you do in high school? I played varsity basketball for three years and was a member of the history club, pro-life club, and student government. I was also a team leader for Challenge, a faith-
to share it with. There were so many different people, whether teachers, administrators, families or classmates who contributed to my experience at Pinecrest and made it fun and meaningful. That being said, I think the girls in my class played the biggest role in making my high school experience great. The laughs, support and friendship given by these girls meant the whole world to me.
Ave Fouriezos based club for middle school girls, for four years. Where will you be going to college? Major? Minor? I will attend the University of Georgia to major in either psychology or international affairs with a minor in Spanish. What was the best part of your high school experience? Or a favorite memory? The best part of high school was definitely the people I got
What does it mean to you to be the valedictorian for your school? I think that being valedictorian has strengthened my conviction in the importance of community along with hard work. Achieving the title of ‘valedictorian’ cost me many long nights and lots of stress. There is no doubt that I had to push myself and work extremely hard, but, as I look back on my high school experience, I see that my hard work could not have been enough by itself. Without my outstanding teachers and supportive family, I know I could not have achieved what I have. So basically, being valedictorian to me testifies to the importance of hard work but also to how
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essential teachers, friends and family are to success. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Ten years from now I hope to have good friends, a family and a career that allows me to serve people. Anything else? Just want to say that my experience at Pinecrest would not have been possible if it were not for the sacrifices made by my parents and my Meme. I can never thank you guys enough.
Andy Rodrigues – Pinecrest Academy What activities did you do in high school? Mock trial, math club, varsity soccer, student government and Spanish club. Where will you be going to college? Major? Minor? MIT and majoring in chemical engineering. What was the best part of your high school experience? Or a favorite memory? Senior prom.
Andy Rodriguez What does it mean to you to be the valedictorian for your school? It means a tremendous amount to represent my high school and it is a testament to the quality of education that I received from Pinecrest. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years I see myself living in the city, working long hours and climbing the executive ladder.
COMMUNITY
12 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald
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REMEMBER AND RIDE ON:
Cycling community airs worries Awareness key to safety of drivers, cyclists By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – When 42-year-old Jason Young got on his bicycle April 29 in Milton, he never could have known he would not return home. He was hit and killed by a driver head-on and a fellow rider was injured in the crash. The driver was charged with vehicular homicide. The bicycling community takes such news seriously. Since May, several cyclists have been killed on Georgia roads. Jason Young’s case is unique in that motorists are rarely charged in bike-related accidents, say advocates. “If you want to get away with murder, kill a cyclist,” said Michael Horowitz, of Alpha Bikes. “Few drivers are ever charged in a bike crime. What are the consequences of killing or maiming us?” As cycling becomes an ever-popular hobby and sport, more cyclists take to the roads, mingling with motor vehicles and sharing roadways. Still, the danger is always there. For cyclists, it’s not a question of if they will be hit in traffic, but when. To deal with these issues, local bike advocacy groups held a forum June 25 at Roswell City Hall to air grief and
come up with solutions. The event was sponsored by several cycling advocacy groups in the north metro area, including Georgia Bikes, Bike Roswell and Bike Alpharetta. “This gives people an opportunity to talk and be listened to,” said Tom Erdmanczyk, president of Bike Roswell, about the forum. “There is some frustration. There was an obvious need for a forum because people feel this is important.” Roswell is the first city in the state to be designated a Bike Friendly community for its efforts in making cycling safer for residents. Mayor Jere Wood is himself an avid cyclist. “I can remember when Roswell was a safe place to ride a bike,” said Wood. “The best present I ever had was a bicycle. It gave me freedom. I’ve biked ever since.” While Roswell makes a point of including bike lanes in new roadways, not every community is as accepting of cyclists. Because of this, state law has the “Three-foot rule.” This law dictates drivers must give a minimum distance of three feet to a cyclist when they pass. This is to create a safe area between the cyclist and a vehicle. State law also classifies bicycles as vehicles, which must be used on a road, if possible. They are not allowed on sidewalks. “A lot of drivers don’t know about the three-foot law,” said Wayne Utz, of Bike Alpharetta. “We need to raise awareness.”
A bicycle memorial stands where Jason Young was killed in Milton. A driver hit him April 29 while he biked on a local road. Local cyclists are concerned about their own safety on roads. Awareness is key, said many of those who spoke. This includes awareness from the cycling community as well as from motorists. The law also dictates that cyclists must follow traffic rules, such as stopping at stop signs and lights, as well as riding only two abreast when in groups. The consequences of ignorant drivers, as well as cyclists, can be deadly. Several speakers told of their loved ones – brothers and husbands – who have died while cycling. “Buzzing” is a term the cycling community uses to describe a motorist who gets too close to a rider, often intentionally. Nearly everyone in the room described being “buzzed” at least once. Some described
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extensive surgeries and rehabilitation after their brush with death. One woman, “Val,” said she was struck while waiting on her motorcycle at a red light. She said she nearly lost her life and had “rods and screws” put in her. “To be standing here is amazing,” she said. She said the other driver was turning left and did not see Val or her bike. To hit a stationary vehicle implies the driver crossed into the wrong lane. That same driver later pleaded “not guilty” to traffic violations. David Matthews, founder of bikefriendlyatl.com, said he makes “ghost bikes” in honor of those killed while cycling. These bikes are white and placed as markers where the cyclist died. “It’s all tragic,” he said. “Our roads need to get safer. I’ve built five ghost bikes since the first of May. Every time I
A lot of drivers don’t know about the threefoot law. We need to raise awareness.” WAYNE UTZ Bike Alpharetta put one out, another person has died.” He said that when he was hit by a vehicle, the other driver was never charged with anything. “They were on the wrong side of the road,” he said. “If I am hit by a car, they automatically broke the three foot rule. “It’s never an accident. That implies both parties did something. Not paying attention is not an accident,” he said.
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SCHOOLS
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 13
Renderings show featured sites within the proposed plan, including a media center, updated cafeteria and café/lounge area.
RENDERINGS COURTESY CLARK PATTERSON LEE
Forsyth Central HS gets major face lift By MALIK JONES news@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County School System recently approved a plan to renovate and retool Forsyth Central High School. The plans call for two phases of construction with notable additions to the entire high school’s campus. The project is funded through the 2014 Bond Referendum, which gives Forsyth County residents the opportunity to vote on where the $195 million bond should allocate its funds for the coming year. Forsyth Central High School is comprised of two schools: the original high school, known as East Campus, and the original Otwell Middle School. When the new Otwell was built across the street, the old middle school became Forsyth Central’s West Campus. These two buildings are not physically connected, thus forcing students to walk about 150 yards between the two each day across practice fields, rain or shine. Phase 1 of the construction project will connect both campuses through the all-new “Core Functions Building”. This structure will house the new cafeteria, media center, café, lounge common area and health center. In addition
to the student amenities, faculty and staff will benefit from the new administrative office suite. The “Core Functions Building” will alleviate the need for two cafeterias and provide a more centralized facility and safer route for students who commute between buildings. Also included in Phase 1 of the plans are new parking spaces located in front of the main entrance, choral and drama additions to the Performing Arts Center and a new field house for sports equipment storage. Phase 1 began in June and will continue until its completion in July 2016. Phase 2 of the project will focus primarily on repairing the school’s current facilities and utilities. Renovations to classrooms, business labs and special education suites in the West Campus will be included, along with modifications to science and STEM labs in the East Campus. “The facilities we are in have always been greatly maintained,” said Mitch Young, principal of Forsyth Central High School. “However, they are, in parts of our campus, 60 years old. More importantly, with the growth in our population, which is projected to be over 2100 next year and rising, it was determined we needed additional instructional units. These will come
both from the new facilities and the renovation of the former media centers and cafeterias.” Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment has also been replaced to provide more suitable conditions for students, faculty and staff. Phase 2 will not commence its renovations and re-roofing until June 1, 2016. The final construction for the entire project is to be completed by June 1, 2017. “We know that there will be lots
of dust and grime while the project ensues,” Young said. “But amazingly, based on the way our campus is laid out, there will be minimal disruption to our students during the year. Perhaps the biggest challenge will come as a temporary result of lost parking. However, when all is complete, we will have an actual net-gain in parking, which is fantastic.” Consultants for the project include Clark Patterson Lee-Design Essentials, Camacho Associates and Allegion Hardware Specialists.
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is designed for business owners, managers and supervisors who deal with workplace issues that have real legal consequences. The series of seminars covers everything from audits, OSHA requirements, lawful recruiting to effectively dealing with inefficient employees. A strong knowledge of all of these subjects is crucial to maintaining a safe and comfortable work environment for your employees, yet training in these areas can be costly. The HR Academy is designed to provide local businesses with an economical opportunity to become certified
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On April 30th, the BAR association hosted the 2015 Small Business Awards. The Small Business Awards program is designed to offer welldeserved recognition to small businesses for their achievements and contributions to our community by providing the opportunity to showcase their company, share their story and be rewarded for their efforts. The Business of the Year award is given to three organizations, each organization representing a bracket based on number of employees.
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Colletta: Indigo Road’s newest venture in Avalon Follows streak of successful restaurants in South Carolina By JOE PARKER news@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Open since February in Avalon, Colletta combines all regional Italian cuisines, adding modern flavors to rustic dishes with a focus on in-house made fresh pasta. Colletta is the sister restaurant to Indigo Road Hospitality Group’s Indaco, both of which fall under the command of Executive Chef Michael Perez. Colletta will be Indigo Road Hospitality Group’s second Atlanta restaurant, the first being Oak Steakhouse. Indigo Road is based in Charleston, South Carolina. Colletta’s General Manager Kevin Krapp said that Indigo Road chose Avalon for its newest location because of Avalon developer Mark Toro’s “commitment to hospitality and service.” “Toro really made us want to come and join him [in Avalon],” Krapp said. “Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to open a restaurant in the wintertime with zero advertising,” he said. “We had to get back to some grassroots marketing and start taking lunch to people every day.” Since then, Colletta teamed up with marketing firm The Reynolds Group Inc., and Krapp said the response has been fantastic. “[Business] has been going
great for us, and it’s getting better every month,” said Krapp. Some of that success, Krapp said, can be attributed to Indigo Road’s emphasis on being chef-driven and providing top-notch hospitality. Colletta’s chef-driven attitude is apparent on the menu, featuring classic Italian fare such as fried calamari and four-cheese ravioli but, as Krapp said, Perez has put his personal twists on the classics as well as modern Italian fare. “Some people come in here looking for veal scallopini or lasagna and that is not what we’re about,” Krapp said. “[Chef Perez] said if I’m going to put calamari on the menu, it’s going to be the best calamari they’ve had.” Krapp called Perez vital to the success of Colletta. “He’s the reason why we are out here,” he said. “He’s the only one who adds or deletes things off the menu. I’ve worked in Atlanta for a long time and a lot of restaurants are corporate and are driven on the ownership, whereas [Indigo Road] has chef-driven restaurants.” For Indigo Road, success has become the norm for their group of restaurants. Oak Steakhouse in Charleston was named one of the best steakhouses in the United States in 2013 by Travel + Leisure, and Esquire named O-Ku one of the best new restaurants in the
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Taking a risk-based approach Trends differ for multiDo you evaluate and measure the associated risks you and your small business are taking? Are you putting plans together to mitigate any potential risks associated with your strategies, new products and services, or other initiatives you are implementing? Taking a risk-based approach will help ensure that you get the best outcome and minimize surprises that could derail your plans. Risk management is a key component in the corporate world but often overlooked with small businesses. Chief Risk officers in the corporate world are tasked with the responsibility of developing plans to identify, manage and mitigate all potential risks to their enterprise. In small businesses, this is yet another “hat” that a small business owner has to wear. You should start by identifying all the potential risks you have and the likelihood
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of them happening. Prioritizing each risk will allow you to focus more time and energy on ones that could cause the most harm. Assigning resources in your business to monitor each risk, and “raise a red flag” when they are about to occur, will help your reaction time in responding to risks. Developing a specific mitigation plan is also critical. Being prepared for when a specific risk happens, including the specific steps your business will take to mitigate the damage, will help you save time, energy and money. Taking a risk-based approach in running your small business will not only help you
Being prepared for when a specific risk happens, including the specific steps your business will take to mitigate the damage, will help you save time, energy and money. be more successful, it will also minimize getting blindsided when something does happen. And it will!
NewBusinessSpotlights
Business: Virtual Properties Realty Owners: Steve Wagner and Karen Burks Opened: January, 2015 What: Virtual Properties Realty, an awardwinning firm, and recently voted one of the top companies for three years in a row by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, makes its agents and clients No. 1 in the business. The company
strives to do what is right and whatever level of success that we achieve, at the end of the day, it will be our honesty and integrity that matters most. We owe our clients no less. Address: 11340 Lake Field Drive, Suite 100, Johns Creek Phone: 770-495-5050 x76 Web: www.virtualpropertiesrealty.net
family, office markets Editor’s note: This is part of a series of excerpts from Frank Norton Jr.’s “Norton Native Intelligence Report for 2015.” Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are mindful of our current conundrum. A lack of available new multifamily product places upward pressure on rents, which in turn affects the costs of subsidized housing. With more than five times as many tenant vouchers compared to project-based Section 8 units under contract – both totaling more than 300,000 units nationwide according to HUD.gov – most projects are receiving some level of governmentbacked rental payment. The multi-family market activity has slowed in the larger institutional sector due to compressing cap rates, as well as new construction and rehabilitation in most markets. However, smaller assets under 50 units are now recovering and provide the small investor a value-added opportunity. At the same time, a recessional mindset is squeezing the office market. The National Registry’s local office leasing market that came out of the recession is vastly different than the existing market prior to 2008. Corporate tenants have redefined their use of space. According to CoreNet Global Research, the average square foot per person dropped from 225 square feet to 176 square feet between 2010 and 2012. They further believe it will contract again to 100 square feet by 2017. The office market has been essentially flat on real rent growth in most domestic markets. The office investment class stands alone as the primary asset class with sufficient scale for major oneoff investments. Let us take one other observation from our interviewees that points to a trend that is bound to set off controversy. In a word, the drive toward space compression in office use is about at its end, and in the coming years the quality of the office environment will be used as
FRANK NORTON JR. CEO and Chairman The Norton Agency
... The average square foot per person dropped from 225 square feet to 176 square feet between 2010 and 2012. They further believe it will contract again to 100 square feet by 2017. a marketing tool to recruit talent. The millennial generation will not put up with the space cram-down much longer, especially as it gains seniority in the workforce. “We space” is going to have to accommodate “me space.” Greater flexibility – and variety – in office space design will be superseding cost cutting as a prime imperative. “The collaborative aspect of open space is overdone,” one interviewee noted. “I don’t think people need to talk to their coworkers all day long.” As an investment, office transaction volume was up 35 percent in the nation’s downturns and 25 percent in suburban markets in 2014 compared to the same year to date figures for 2013, according to Real Capital Analytics. That investment interest is projected for 2015 as well.
BusinessPosts
18 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald
Mr. Swiss reopens in Cumming
Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@appenmediagroup.com
By HILLARY HUNNINGS news@appenmediagroup.com PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
CUMMING, Ga. – Breakfast bistro Mr. Swiss held its grand opening June 16, two years after a fire damaged its original location on Jan. 22, 2013. “Local fire department officials determined that it was an electrical fire that broke out during the early morning when an employee was beginning the preparations for the day,” said company representative Amy Crusselle.
Mr. Swiss closed its original location (left) in 2013 after a fire. It reopened in a new location (right) earlier this year in Central Plaza. Mr. Swiss now stands in a new location at 230 Elm Street in the Central Plaza shopping center, suite 800. Despite the move, its history stands still. “Charles and Lunell Robbs bought it in 1971,” said Crusselle. “We paid homage to that fact by encas-
ing a 1971 dollar coin into our front counter.” The restaurant is considered a staple among many locals. “Mr. Swiss is back baby! What a true Forsyth County icon! So glad they’ve got a new home,” said Facebook user Mark Fouts via the Mr. Swiss Facebook page.
The page has a strong following. Several posts charting renovation to reopening received about 80 likes each. A photo posted of the Mr. Swiss sign on April 23 garnered 404 likes and 303 shares. Currently the restaurant has a limited menu and is without a phone number.
According to the Mr. Swiss Facebook page they are working to reacquire their original phone number and will post it as soon as possible. “We have been truly blessed by the community’s response to Mr. Swiss reopening. Our grand opening was a record day for biscuits,” Crusselle said.
BusinessBriefs TECH:
Sanuwave receives hydraulic fracturing patent ALPHARETTA, Ga. —Sanuwave Health announced the receipt of U.S. Pat. No. 9,057,232 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled, “Apparatuses and Methods for Generating Shock Waves for Use in the Energy Industry” that has a patent life to April 2033. The patent includes twenty claims relating to the use of shock waves, generated with laser systems, for hydraulic fracturing of rock formations, which can be employed in both secondary and tertiary oil recovery. “This new patent continues to extend the reach of our technology beyond regenerative medicine and fits with our long term strategy to maximize the value of our shock wave technology in non-medical fields,” said Kevin Richardson, chairman of the board of directors of Sanuwave. “Our new system can potentially replace the high pressure water fracking technology which could result in significant cost reductions and water usage decrease that can have major environmental impact.” For more information, visit www.sanuwave.com.
FINANCE:
SouthCrest Bank plans Forsyth County branch CUMMING, Ga. — SouthCrest Bank is expanding its operations in Cumming by opening a new branch/ business center in late July. A grand opening and ribbon cutting is planned for Aug. 5 at the branch, which is at 3275 Market Place Blvd., Suite 100 in Cumming. “This new Cumming business center represents the first of many we plan to open in metro areas,” said Kenneth H. Maloy, SouthCrest president and CEO. “It demonstrates our continuing commitment to provide quality service and build strong, collaborative relationships with local business customers.” SouthCrest Bank has had an office in the Cumming area for the past two years, but this move will exhibit a substantial increase in office size, employees and services offered. The new Cumming business center will specialize in retail and commercial banking services, mortgage banking and small business loan processing.
Bridge2 Solutions secures $5 million venture loan ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Bridge2 Solutions has secured a $5 million venture loan from Horizon Technology Finance. The company plans to use the proceeds for general working capital purposes. Founded in 2006, Bridge2 Solutions provides marketing and fulfillment solutions for companies’ loyalty rewards programs. Company President and CEO Craig McLaughlin said Horizon’s venture loan provides the company with meaningful liquidity that enhances its financial position and future growth prospects. “As Bridge2 Solutions continues to attract new clients and integrate its unique platform across a wide-range of businesses, we appreciate Horizon’s confidence in the long-term outlook of our company,” he said.
PEOPLE:
Keller Williams agent selected for Leadership Forsyth FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. —Christy Scally, Kelly Williams realtor and Alpharetta native, has been selected to participate in the Leadership Forsyth Class of 2016. The purpose of this program is to provide a master’s level leadership training and inspire a network of emerging leaders through an educational experience that increases particiSCALLY pants’ knowledge and involvement with community leaders, volunteers and business community. After the yearlong program, participants end with a culminating service project for the residents of Forsyth County. For more information on Leadership Forsyth visit www.leadershipforsyth.org.
Cynthia Frisina named executive director of BlazeSports America ALPHARETTA, Ga. — BlazeSports America welcomes Cynthia Frisina as executive director. Frisina comes to BlazeSports America with more than 25 years as an award-winning marketing professional.
As executive director, she will be responsible for the strategic direction, growth and overall operations of BlazeSports America as well as coordinating US and international activities through the 2016 Paralympics Games in Brazil and beyond. Frisina is the founder of nonprofit foundation “Reaching for the FRISINA Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy.” She has co-authored numerous articles, publications and curriculum content, and has presented courses, conferences and workshops for clinicians and families impacted by physical disabilities.
Keller Williams adds new agent ATLANTA - Kathy Schmidt has joined Keller Williams Community Partners in Cumming. Schmidt comes to the firm after serving as executive assistant to Atlanta FalSCHMIDT cons’ owner and chairman, Arthur Blank. She also served as Falcons Game Day Coordinator. Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty is the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, with approximately 700 offices and more than 110,000 associates in more than a dozen countries around the world. Schmidt can be reached at 678-527-6074 or at KathySchmidt@kw.com.
HEALTH:
MedAssets names Twomey to board of directors ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Kevin M. Twomey has joined MedAssets’ Board of Directors, and will also serve as an independent member of the compensation committee as well as the governance and nominating committee. From 1999 to 2006, Twomey was president of the St. Joe Company. He served as vice chairman and chief financial officer of H.F. Ahmanson & Company and its principal subsidiary, Home Savings of America, from1993 to 1998.
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JULY FOURTH EVENTS
CALENDAR
Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 19
FAIRGROUND FOURTH FESTIVITIES
What: Come see a dance contest, food, vendors and children’s activities When: July 3 from 6 - 11 p.m. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Where: Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Road. Cost: There will be free admission and parking. Web: www.cummingfair.net
STEAM ENGINE PARADE
What: See the ThomasMashburn Memorial Parade, a Cumming July Fourth tradition. When: July 4 from 10 a.m. 12 p.m. Where: Cumming City Square, 100 W Court House Square Cost: Free Web: www.cummingfair.net
CRABAPPLE PARADE
What: Decorate your tricycles, bicycles, strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, pets and yourself at Crabapple Community Association’s annual Fourth of July Parade. To participate in the parade register online. When: July 4 at 10 a.m.
Where: The parade starts at Alpharetta Government Center parking lot and will conclude at Broadwell Pavilion in Milton. Cost: Free Web: www.crabapple communityassociation.org
JULY FOURTH FIREWORKS AT WILLS PARK
What: Celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, music and food in Wills Park. When: July 4 from 6 - 10 p.m. Food vendors will be located throughout the park until 9 p.m. Where: Wills Park, 408 Wills Lane in Alpharetta. Cost: The celebration is free, with fees for inflatables and other children’s activities. Web: www. awesomealpharetta.com
BBQ AND BLUEGRASS
What: Barrington Hall revives an old patriotic tradition at this inaugural event. Music entertainment provided by Smokerise Bluegrass Band. When: July 4 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: 535 Barrington Drive in Roswell Cost: Free admission with barbeque, beverages and desserts available for purchase from the Mill Kitchen Bar and Grill. Web: www.roswellgov.com
WE THE RUNNERS
What: A half marathon, 10K and 5K races along Big Creek Greenway and the Sparkler Trot, a half mile for children ages 10 and under. Benefits the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Foundation. When: July 4 at 7:30 a.m.
Rain or shine. Where: Fowler Park, 4110 Carolene Way in Cumming. Cost: $40 to $65. Web: www.rungeorgia.com
FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA What: The city of Roswell and Roswell Rotary host a community celebration of Independence Day. Enjoy giant inflatables, carnival games, food trucks and more. Live music from the Last Call Band and Banks and Shane. When: July 4 at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at dark. Where: Sweet Apple Elementary School, 12025 Etris Road in Roswell. Cost: Free. Web: www.roswellrotary.club
BBQ AND TURTLE RACE
What: Head to the Foster House for their 11th annual
BBQ and Turtle Race. When: Barbeque will be sold from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Turtle Race starts at 1 p.m. Where: The Foster House, 305 West Main Street in Cumming. Cost: No fee to enter the race. Web: www.foster-house.com
GIBBS GARDENS
What: Enjoy music at Gibbs Gardens. When: July 4 the Gardens will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. From 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. flutists, harpists and violinists will play. From 6 - 9 p.m. Bill Pound returns to play both rock-n-roll and soft country. Where: 1987 Gibbs Drive, Ball Ground, Georgia 30107 Cost: See website or call 770-893-1881 for ticket cost. Wine, beer and food will be available for purchase. Web: www.gibbsgardens.com
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CALENDAR
EDITOR’S PICKS
20 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald
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OUTDOOR SUMMER MOVIE FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK
Walk through the Art District in Historic Roswell, touring eight downtown galleries, Downtown Roswell, 1065 Canton Street. Friday, July 3, all day. Visit roswellartdistrict. com for more info.
PUNCHLINE COMEDY AT AVALON
A stand-up comedy routine performed by Dan Menghini at Palmer Plaza, 2200 Avalon Boulevard in Alpharetta. Monday, July 6, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free.
MUSIC:
JESSE TERRY AND BETH WOOD
What: Jesse Terry and Beth Wood perform at Chukkar Farms as part of the Home by Dark concert series. Where: Chukkar Farms, 1140 Liberty Grove Road in Alpharetta When: Friday, July 3 at 8 p.m. Cost: General admission $19.07 Web: www.homebydark.com
Northside Hospital Healthcare System will show Disney’s Maleficent at The Chill Hill in Vickery Village, 58060 South Vickery Street in Cumming. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and bug spray. July 1, around 8:30. Free. Visit www.cumminglocal.com for more info.
be available. When: July 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Avalon Plaza at 2200 Avalon Boulevard in Alpharetta. Web: http://www. experienceavalon.com
WIMBLETON VIEWING PARTY
What: Avalon is hosting a Wimbledon tennis tournament viewing party. The Avalon Plaza will have a Prince Sport Court complete with racquets and balls. Complimentary strawberries and cream will
What: Meet painters, sketchers and pastelists while they create scenes en plein air (in the fresh air.) Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road in Roswell When: Tuesday, July 7 at 10
Calendar Editor calendar@appenmediagroup.com
Submit your event to northfulton. com or email with photo to calendar@northfulton.com. For a more complete list of local events including support groups, volunteer opportunities and business meetings visit the calendar on northfulton.com.
Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street When: Friday, July 3 Hours: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Cost: $5 Web: www.roswellgov.com
RIVER WHYLESS
What: Riverside Sounds Concert Series continues with River Whyless from Asheville, N.C. Where: Riverside Park, 575 Riverside Road in Roswell When: Saturday July 11 Hours: 7 p.m. 9 p.m. Cost: Free
DIRTY SPOKES SAWNEE MTN What: 4 mile trail run at the Sawnee Mountain Nature Preserve. Where: Sawnee Mountain Preserve, 4075 Spot Road in Cumming When: Saturday, July 18 Cost: $30 through July 5 Web: dirtyspokes.com
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
ARTISTS IN THE WILD
SHANNON WEAVER
When: July 11 at 6 p.m. Where: Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek Web: johnscreekga.gov
What: Food trucks, music and children’s activities return to Old Roswell Street. Six to eight food trucks will be there. When: July 2 at 5 p.m. Where: Old Roswell Street in Alpharetta Web: http://www.alpharetta. ga.us
What: Atlanta jazz artist Gwen Hughes will perform at the Velvet Note. When: Friday, July 3 Hours: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Where: The Velvet Note at 4075 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta. Cost: Admission $22 Web: www.thevelvetnote.com
EVENTS:
Community Fun Day inviting people to try out circus apparatuses, primarily Aerial Silks at Akrosphere, 5910 Gateway Drive in Alpharetta. Sunday, July 5, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Visit www.akrosphere. com for more info.
a.m. Cost: $10 or free to CNC members Web: www.chattnaturecenter. org
FOOD TRUCK ALLEY
GWEN HUGHES
AKROSPHERE FUN DAY
What: This musical is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860– 1926), a sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and her romance with sharpshooter Frank Butler. When: Thursday, July 9 at 8 p.m. Where: The Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St in Cumming Cost: Call 770-781-9178 for tickets Web: playhousecumming.com
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
What: Movies at Newtown Park continues with ‘Penguins of Madagascar.’
THEATRE:
PRINCESS AND THE PEA, Y’ALL
What: This play adds a little southern charm to a classic fairy tale. That Puppet Guy, Lee Bryan returns for a hilarious and fun story.
ANIMALIA
What: Animalia explores the world of animals through movement, music and visually stunning puppetry. When: July 6 through July 11. Various show times. Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street in Roswell Cost: $5 dollars for an individual ticket or $30 dollars for the summer pass (seven shows) Web: www.roswellgov.com
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North Atlanta’s
Sponsored Section • Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015
News and advertising for new homes, realtors, developers, commercial properties and more.
Crye-Leike celebrates opening of ninth office in Georgia JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – It’s been ten years since Harold Crye, CEO of Crye-Leike Real Estate, expanded the company’s footprint into the Atlanta metro area. Today, the third largest privately owned real estate company in the nation opens its ninth office in Georgia at 9945 Jones Bridge Road located in Johns Creek. Crye-Leike is pleased to welcome Tammie Carter as the new Managing Broker. The office has the capacity currently for approximately 50 agents with room to grow as needed. Its agents will serve buyers and sellers in Atlanta and the surrounding North Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Dawson, Hall and Cherokee counties. “The Atlanta real estate market is strong and greatly improving like many of the markets Crye-Leike serves,” said Cofounder and CEO Harold Crye. “We see a lot of
potential for the local market like Johns Creek and are very happy to be expanding in and around the Atlanta area.” Crye-Leike’s Johns Creek office is currently open for business and ready to assist clients with all of their real estate buying and selling needs. The office is also in the process of recruiting and interviewing agents to grow its team. It will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony this summer. Crye-Leike Real Estate Services had a great year in 2014 achieving $5.3 billion in sales volume. Over a nine-state region, 3000 highly skilled CryeLeike agents sold over 30,000 properties. Crye-Leike’s sales outperformed the national average in the real estate market. Crye-Leike Atlanta has sales offices in Alpharetta/Roswell, Cartersville, Cumming, McDonough Norcross, Smyrna/ Vinings, and Woodstock in ad-
dition to a Residential Property Management, Commercial and Relocation division. Crye-Leike is a full service company offering a wide variety of financial services such as home mortgages, insurance, and title insur-
ance. Crye-Leike made several advances in technology support including new personalized mobile apps for agents. The company also upgraded its appointment center system to be more intuitive for home owners and agents. In 2014,
Crye-Leike’s Appointment Center scheduled 183,000 showings. Crye-Leike’s website, www.crye-leike.com, received an award from Leading Real Estate Companies in the world for its innovation with property listings.
22 July 1, 2015
Sponsored Section • REAL ESTATE REPORT
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald
Why to sell with a Realtor Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings BILL RAWLINGS, Vice President/Managing Broker, North Atlanta; Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty There are many reasons why homeowners attempt to sell their home on their own. Some sellers are tempted to try a ‘For Sale by Owner’ (FSBO) transaction because their local community is in the midst of a seller’s market and they think they can sell easily without help. Others try it because they want to maximize their profits and think they do not need a real estate professional to sell their home. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, less than 10 percent of FSBOs actually sell. Choosing to sell with a professional rather than on your own makes sense for a variety of reasons: It is fairly common that FSBOs price their home too high, which can significantly hinder the chances the home sells. Studies show that homes priced right when they are first listed sell more quickly and for a higher price than those that linger on the market. A REALTOR® has access to market data about recent sales and other homes on the market that can be used to price your home appropriately. A REALTOR® can show your home when you are not available, can respond to inquiries from potential buyers and offer valuable feedback – all things that save you time. A REALTOR® can screen visitors to your home, which provides a measure of safety that FSBO sellers do not have.
In addition, by checking to see if the buyers are legitimate and can afford to purchase your home, a REALTOR® can help you avoid wasting time showing your home to unrealistic buyers. REALTORS® have RAWLINGS the tools to provide exposure that FSBOs do not. REALTORS® have professional marketing expertise, contacts with other REALTORS® who work with buyers and the support of a brokerage that can market your home more widely than you can as an individual. Real estate contracts are loaded with lots of clauses, timelines and also many common contract contingencies, such as mortgages and inspections. A REALTOR® can help you negotiate a contract that not only brings in an appropriate price for your home, but also negotiate specific parts of the contract, if needed. Before you decide to sell your own home, remember the chance you will be successful is less than 10 percent. Not only could you end up selling your home for less money, you could leave yourself open to potential legal problems. The majority of homeowners prefer to work with a professional rather than risk an unsatisfactory selling experience. Article adapted from USRealty.com.
ryland.com
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In the Atlanta division, on accepted purchase agreements on homes that are signed between January 1, 2015 and January 31, 2015 are eligible to receive $15,000 in Flex Cash; can be used towards MyStyle® Design Center Options and/or closing costs when using RMC Mortgage® and/or lot premiums, finished basement, etc. Incentive offer does not apply to contracts written prior to January 1, 2015. The following communities are excluded from the $15,000 incentive, Bethany Crossing, Bridleton, ManorView and Marketplace Commons. Individual promotions may vary by community. Certain included features may not be available on all plans. Value of package, and products, may vary by community and plan. Homes already under contract prior to this offer are not eligible. Plus for New to-be built homes, buyer eligible to receive up to $5,000 toward closing costs. Individual incentives may vary by community. Closing cost assistance available from Ryland Homes to those financing through RMC Mortgage® Corporation and closing with a closing attorney selected by Ryland. Amount of closing cost assistance may vary by product and community, and is subject to applicable contribution limitations. For all financing promotions, see a RMC Mortgage® Corporation Loan Officer for details. RMC Mortgage® Corporation is located at 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA 30022 and is a Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, license number 24225 and NMLS number 203897. Buyers also eligible to receive Waived 1% Origination Fee through RMC Mortgage®; average value of $4,000 which is based on a $400,000 loan amount. The waived origination fee through RMC Mortgage® Corporation is subject to cancellation or change without notice. Buyers must make a loan application by January 31, 2014 with RMC Mortgage® Corporation (NMLS# 203897) a Georgia Residential Mortgage Lender Licensee #24225. *Buyers must also close with RMC Mortgage® Corporation. Please contact your RMC Mortgage® Corporation Representative for exact quotes. Prices, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Ryland reserves the right to modify or cancel these offers at any time. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. Offer may not be combined with any other promotion or incentives. Information shown believed to be accurate but not warranted. See a Sales Counselor for details on available promotions, restrictions and offer limitations. © 2015 The Ryland Group, Inc.
COMMUNITY
Forsyth Herald | July 1, 2015 | 23 Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com
Will’s Wag Wish gives sick children four-legged support FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Will’s Wag Wish was founded after 5-year-old Will Abernathy passed away from battling stage IV neuroblastoma and treatment related to acute myeloid leukemia. During his treatment, Will drew a lot of support from his beloved dog, Shelby. Will’s Wag Wish gives children nearing the end of cancer treatment a dog from which they can draw support like Will. On June 18, Cameron Jackson and his twin brother James both received puppies from the same litter for Wag Wish. After suffering from neuroblastoma for a number of years, Cameron is now in remission. He is currently undergoing experimental therapy and treatment to help prevent a relapse. For more information on Will’s Wag Wish, please visit www.willswagwish.com. —Jim Lichtenwalter
Eighth-graders accept Good Citizenship awards at middle school awards ceremony. They are, from left, Ed Rigel, Jr., Charlie Rose Czajkoski, Jamal Camp, Tom Davis, Dr. Pamela Walker and Allen Greenly.
Lakeside Middle School students awarded for good citizenship James, left, and Cameron Jackson stand with Will’s Wag Wish founder Melody Abernathy and their new dogs Cupcake and Hot Dog.
From left, Kaitlyn Abercrombie, Jisun Ham, Olivia Fisse, Makenzi Petrin and Tiffany Flatman.
Culinary students win 2nd place at nationals FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Five South Forsyth High School students competed in the 14th annual National ProStart Invitational competition. After winning the state competition in March, the team journeyed to Anaheim, Calif. in April where they went on to win second place for their culinary skills. The competition is sponsored by the NRAEF (National Restaurant Association Education Foundation). Forty-eight culinary teams competed, including a team from Guam and two teams from the Department of Defense. The National ProStart Invitational is the country’s premier high school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts. At nationals, Kaitlyn Abercrombie, Jisun
Ham, Olivia Fisse, Makenzi Petrin, and Tiffany Flatman produced a three-course meal in one hour using only two butane burners. Demonstration of knife skills, poultry fabrication, safety and sanitation, teamwork and recipe costing were also judged. Despite some injuries that occurred before and during the competition itself, the team was able to complete their meal with 10 seconds to spare. For their excellent performance, each student was awarded $85,500 in scholarship money and an extensive knife kit. For more information on the ProStart Invitational competitions, visit their website at www. nraef.org. —Malik Jones
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga — Two eighth-grade students received Good Citizenship awards at Lakeside Middle School honors day May 21. Jamal Camp and Charlie Rose Czajkoski received the awards from the Robert For-
syth Chapter of the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution (GASSAR). This award recognized each student’s commitment to his or her community and to their academics. —Kathleen Sturgeon
24 | July 1, 2015 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
Cumming offers high-efficiency toilet rebate
DEATH NOTICES Rose Conti, of Roswell, passed away June 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
John D. Litras, 57, of Cumming, passed away June 18, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. Byron Moore, of Alpharetta, passed away June 21, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Dorothy Cooksey passed away June 23, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors. Carl Ralston Morgan, 83, of Alpharetta, passed away June 23, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home. Kimberly Alpharetta, 17, 2015. Northside Directors.
Cristofanelli, of passed away June Arrangements by Chapel Funeral
Randall Stewart Filby, passed away June 16, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home. Jack Ford, of Cumming, passed away June 20, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Patricia Ellen Huggins, of Cumming, passed away June 21, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. Jacqueline Jakobsen, of Roswell, passed away June 23, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Craig Johnson, of Roswell, passed away June 22, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
James Lackey, of Roswell, passed away June 15, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
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Janie Bell Nichols, 77, of Cumming, passed away June 19, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. John Nordstrom, of Milton, passed away June 24, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Clyde Price, of Alpharetta, passed away June 18, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Daniel Riggs, of Milton, passed away June 17, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Ernest Dale Scheffey, 75, of Cumming, passed away June 23, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home. Nelda Spruill, of Roswell, passed away June 21, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Doris Watkins, 83, of Cumming, passed away June 16, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. Harry Ford Williams, 80, of Cumming, passed away June 21, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
CUMMING, Ga. – Beginning Aug. 1, the Cumming Utilities Department will extend its high-efficiency toilet rebate program to include multifamily customers, such as apartment, condominium and townhome communities. “We have offered our highefficiency toilet rebate program to individual homeowners for several years now,” said Jon Heard, director of the department. “We believe that offering this rebate to larger communities will be a great benefit to our entire service area, which includes about one-third of Forsyth County.” When property owners or managers switch out those less efficient toilets for new Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense toilets those that use 1.28 gallons or less per flush - and certain other criteria are met, they can qualify to receive a $100 rebate per toilet. The department was recently recognized by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District for its efforts in the toilet rebate program. Since beginning the program for individual homeowners in 2010, the City of Cumming has provided more than $15,000 in rebates, which are applied to customers’ utility bills. The new, multi-family residence program will apply to communities constructed in 1993 or earlier. Property own-
COURTESY OF CITY OF CUMMING
Jon Heard, director of the Cumming Utilities Department, and Barbara Pitts, Utility Billing Manager, center, accept recognition from Laura Amedu for the department’s success with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s toilet rebate program. ers or managers will need to first agree to a pre-installation toilet inspection by the City of Cumming to verify that toilets currently utilized at the property use more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. “We hope this will be a good incentive for property owners of some of our older multifamily residences to upgrade to more environmentally-friendly toilets,” Heard added. “Any time we can help our customers change to products that
Fireworks: Continued from Page 1 Ken Jarrard, county attorney, explained the new law limits what the county can do to limit the usage and selling of fireworks. He said it created a subcategory called consumer fireworks. The law reads, “The governing authority of a county or municipal corporation shall not prohibit the sale or use or explosion of consumer fireworks or products or services which are lawful under subsection (b) of Code Section 25-10-1, unless such prohibition is expressly authorized by the general law of the state.” Jarrard said they wrote the law like that so it would be a ‘one size fits all’ and it is language of preemption. Commissioner Todd Levent somewhat jokingly said Jarrard and the fire department will need to double their staffs for all the calls they’re going to get. “It has a major impact on our fire department and parks and recreation,” Jarrard said. “Fireworks can be used almost anywhere. Not indoors, but anywhere you are lawfully able to be and otherwise used except where specially prohibited. That would suggest we can impose regulations where to use. There is language saying we can’t limit their usage, say in county parks.” Using fireworks in the county’s parks is a major issue, Jarrard said. They can fine or cite people based on reckless conduct or anything that deteriorates how others are using the park. “It may not be a prohibition on using these
use less water, we’re happy to do so since lower water usage benefits everyone.” The program rebate amount will be capped at 50 toilets per service address per calendar year. Rebates will be applied to the water account(s) for the property. For more information, contact Barbara Pitts, Utilities Billing Manager, at (770) 7812020 or barbara@cityofcumming.net. –Cameron Osburn
in county parks, but you can’t go in a county park and make others miserable or in danger,” Jarrard said. “We’ll have to figure out a way if people put others in harm’s way.” There could be an exception to the rule, Jarrard said. Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said fireworks often leave behind a tremendous amount of litter. “It doesn’t talk about littering,” Jarrard said. “We have the ability to fine if they litter in our parks, even leaving behind firework debris.” There will be permanent structures where fireworks will be sold, only permitted by the state, not county, Jarrard said. If the sellers have the correct license, they can have temporary stands as well. Beginning January 2016, the county begins to regulate those facilities, Jarrard said. It will be a fire department function. The county and fire department will come up with licensing protocols together. “We are looking out for the safety of children’s hands and eyes,” said Fire Chief Danny Bowman. “These are small pieces of dynamite. An M80 will amputate the finger of a child.” Levent asked if they are anticipating the calls rising and thus impacting the fire fighters helping others. Bowman said they will have to use something called Modified Assignment Protocol (MAP). “We will send one firetruck instead of three because we may run out,” Bowman said. “I only have 12 firetrucks.” There is already an ordinance not allowing fireworks in county parks, Jarrard said. Since it was created prior to this law, Jarrard said they think it will be OK to keep it. The sheriff’s office will also be able to enforce the noise ordinance.
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Lambert’s Lightfritz wins GSGA state championship By JOE PARKER news@northfulton.com ROME, Ga. – Rising Lambert High senior Lauren Lightfritz won the 2015 Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) state championship June 24 at Coosa Country Club in Rome. Lightfritz shot rounds of 69, 70 and 73 to finish 4-under par for the tournament, two strokes ahead of second-place finishing Payton Schanen of Milton. “I feel honored. It shows that I can accomplish my goals. It was a big goal of mine to win this tournament and I am happy that all the hard work has paid off,” Lightfritz said. “It was the best I had ever played for two days, but I wasn’t really nervous on the first tee. I got off to a good start with a par on my first hole and then the birdie on the second hole really settled me down.” At the turn of the final round, Lightfritz was poised to best the all-time scoring record of 210, however, a 39 on the back nine led to a 212 for the tournament.
Canine flu spreading in region Virus can be deadly By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com
GSGA.ORG
Lauren Lightfritz won the GSGA state championship June 24.
As a member of the Lambert Longhorns golf team, Lightfritz has won three straight class AAAAAA state championships, the most recent in May. Lightfritz is entering her senior year at Lambert. She has committed to Mercer University.
NORTH FULTON – Just as humans can catch the flu and all the associated nasty symptoms, so too can our canine companions catch a potentially deadly new strain making the rounds in the dog population. The Canine Influenza – dog flu – has popped up in Georgia recently, with at least one known case in Alpharetta, with many other potential cases nearby. Dr. Beatriz M. Segarra, with The Village Animal Hospital in Johns Creek, said the dog flu is extremely contagious to dogs, with nearly a 100 percent infection rate. It can be easily spread simply by dogs being in contact with an infected dog – this can include public spaces such as dog parks or kennels. Symptoms can include a runny nose, potentially low grade fever, lack of appetite, lethargy and coughing. “It’s very similar to human flu,” Segarra said. The CDC reports dogs can die from the virus, although
that number is small. These dogs die from catching pneumonia. Given how easily the virus can spread and the potential for death, the veterinary community is being careful. “We are being very cautious, trying to prevent anything from spreading,” Segarra said. Precautions Segarra said include disinfecting rooms and keeping dogs separate from each other. “Right now people are aware,” she said. “If they board their pets, or go to the dog park or the groomers, where dogs play and share germs, they will be much easier to get the virus.” Some dog kennels have already halted boarding as a precaution to stop the spread of the flu, and others have stopped group play times, keeping the dogs separated. “It’s good to be as cautious as you can be,” she said. Treatment includes plenty of fluids and support, including antibiotics, while the virus runs its course. There is a vaccine, Segarra said. However this vaccine works on a previous strain of the virus and it is unknown how effective it will
If they board their pets, or go to the dog park or the groomers, where dogs play and share germs, they will be much easier to get the virus.” DR. BEATRIZ M. SEGARRA The Village Animal Hospital
be on the current strain. “All veterinarians are vaccinating with that vaccine but we don’t know if there is cross protection,” she said. “But some protection is better than none.” For basic information on the Canine Influenza, the CDC has a fact sheet at http:// www.cdc.gov/flu/canineflu. If you suspect your dog has the flu, call your veterinarian.
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