Sponsored Sections Empty Nest ►►page 20 Under The Hood ►►page 24
Ga. students lag in math Fall short in national testing ►►page 4
Better cancer testing needed Mom misdiagnosed for more than a year ►►page 10
Margaritaville in Johns Creek Jimmy Buffett cover band plays ampitheater ►►page 26
July 24, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 18, No. 30
Johns Creek wants cultural arts board No lack of good candidates By HATCHER HURD hatcher@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – You may have to go ask Howie Mandel if America’s got talent, but if you want to know if Johns Creek has talent, Mayor Mike Bodker is the man to ask. It all started when the mayor jumpstarted the Public Art Council, the Leadership Johns Creek project that sought to establish guidelines for public art and a board to advise the City Council on submissions.
HATCHER HURD/Staff
Thirteen-year-old Girl Scout Sabrina Yvellez receives a proclamation of the city’s thanks from Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker.
Girl Scout raises ‘monumental’ donation Sabrina Yvellez makes largest contribution to Veterans Memorial By HATCHER HURD hatcher@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – When the diminutive 14-year-old Girl Scout Sabrina Yvellez announced last year her inten-
tion to raise $13,000 singlehandedly to pay for the Women in Service Plaza as part of the $300,000 Veterans War Memorial in Newtown Park, many thought it was a laudable plan but perhaps a little beyond her
Make a donation To donate to the Veterans Memorial at Newtown Park, simply go the city website at johnscreek.gov and click on Johns Creek Veterans Association. You can make your tax-deductible donation online. reach. O ye of little faith. Sabrina was saluted at the July 14 Johns Creek City Council meeting with a proclamation from Mayor
See SABRINA, Page 11
At the July 14 council workshop, Bodker brought forth the suggestion for a cultural arts council. Bodker After much fanfare two years ago, the Public Art Council lay dormant because nobody on the council at that time would bring any candidates forward. After the first of the year, Bodker began lobbying for candidates for public art and this time, he got more than enough.
See ARTS, Page 9
No Johns Creek millage increase? Millage rate same, state says not really By HATCHER HURD hatcher@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – When is a tax increase not a tax increase? When is no tax increase actually a tax increase? The Johns Creek City Council adopted the city’s millage rate – unchanged since the city was incorporated – at 4.614 mills, which will generate $15 million for the $46 million 2014 budget. Yet this time it caused a
protracted discussion as to whether it constituted a tax increase because on the whole, property Raffensperger values had risen over the past year. Under state law, if property assessments show a
See MILLAGE, Page 6