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REAL ESTATE REPORT ►►page 28 U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP ►►page 15
Preserving Milton Greenprint options examined ►►page 6
Roswell parks ‘Happy’ Videos gain attention ►►page 10
August 6, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 9, No. 32
Bears roar onto field ‘Midnight Growl’ brings athletes out By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com
The Cambridge football teams tear onto the field Aug. 1 at the third Midnight Growl.
Photo By KIM KUYKENDALL
MILTON, Ga. – For the second year in a row, the Cambridge High School football and cheerleading teams turned out at midnight July 31 for their “Midnight Growl” only to find
a soggy field and pouring rain. Cambridge head football coach Craig Bennett said it didn’t bother him in the least. “Practice went well and we were able to play in the rain,” he said. “They came out with a lot of energy.” He was pleased with the performance of his team. “We had a solid prac-
See BEARS, Page 31
Milton High principal 3 arrested for woman’s heroin death resigns over DUI Waited 10 hours before calling 911
Incident derails promising career By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@northfulton.com MILTON, Ga. – By all accounts Nathan Buhl was on the education fast track, having ascended from an elementary teacher in a rural Georgia school to principal of one of the top high schools in the state in less than 15 years. But the fast lane ended this week with news of Buhl’s resignation as principal at Milton High School after his involvement in a motor vehicle incident on July 26 while allegedly under the influence of
alcohol. “I am humbled and ashamed, after making the worst decisions of my life,” wrote Buhl in a letter to Milton families four days later. “A night of celebration quickly turned to nightmare because of the series of poor choices that I made.” Buhl, 37, had been principal at Milton since mid-May. He has been charged with several violations related to the incident. Fulton Schools officials said Buhl “self-reported” the incident and submitted his resignation immediately. “Buhl’s actions have made it difficult for him, at this time, to serve as the leader of Milton
See BUHL, Page 36
By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Johns Creek woman overdosed on heroin March 3. But police say she didn’t have to die. Police say the friends she was with waited nearly 10 hours before calling 911, by which time she was dead. Three men are now being held on murder charges. According to Alpharetta police, Chelsea Bennett, 20, of Johns Creek, went with two friends, Cory Ben-Hanania and Sebastian Andrade, both 20, to find heroin in Marietta. They returned to Ben-Hanania’s parents’ home on Ridge Oak Place, Alpharetta. There, Bennett was coaxed
Chelsea did not deserve to die.” George Gordon Alpharetta Public Safety Spokesman
by the other two into injecting heroin. Almost immediately, police say, she showed signs of being “in distress.” She had overdosed. “They injected her with the heroin; they coaxed her,” said Detective Dave Bochniak. “They can be charged with murder if they administer a drug and she dies.” Instead of getting her medical help, Ben-Hanania and Andrade called the man from whom they bought the drugs, Kevin McCaffrey. Police say they have text messages
and phone calls between the men where they ask what they should do, organizing alibis and what to do with her bennett body. “They knew she was dying,” said George Gordon, Alpharetta Public Safety spokesman. “Had she been treated, she may have survived. Chelsea did not deserve to die.” Bennett was left on the floor for 10 hours while they dithered about what to do. Finally, at nearly 3 p.m., Bennett’s family had become worried when she could not be found. They knew she would be with Ben-Hanania.
See DEATH, Page 5
2 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
public safety
Drag racing causes road closure S. Atlanta Street closed most of day
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ROSWELL, Ga. – A pair of men who were allegedly drag racing caused enough damage July 26 that an entire portion of Ga. 9 was closed to traffic for several hours. Roswell police say two men were drag racing up Ga. 9/ South Atlanta Street at 3:30 a.m. when one of them hit a power line pole near Jones Drive, causing it to fall across the street and blocking all lanes. “It turns out they were horsing around and racing when they both lost control,” said Roswell Police Department Spokesman Zachary Frommer.
DUIs & Drugs All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
DUI arrests ►► Murtura A. Mohammed,
27, was arrested July 19 on Cogburn Road in Alpharetta for DUI, disorderly conduct, failure to maintain lane and no license. ►► William D. Jarratt, 27, of Smead Court, Roswell, was arrested July 19 on Highway 9 in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► John Paul Carranza, 38, of Pine Grove Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested July 13 on North Main Street in Alpharetta for DUI, child endangerment and license plate obstruction. ►► Charles Richard Gunning, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested July 15 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and license plate obstruction. ►► Judy P. Curry, 57, of Lawrenceville was arrested July 15 on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and
Georgia Power was called out to repair the pole, which took several hours to fix. The road was reopened at 1 p.m., nearly 10 hours later. Both drivers – Antonio Duarte-Bueno, 19, and Lionel Marron Palacios, 20, both from Atlanta – fled the scene, although one later came forward. They were driving a blue Mercury Mountaineer and a green Nissan Altima. “One driver ended up turning himself in later that day and admitted he and another vehicle were racing,” said Frommer. “He wasn’t charged with anything right then, but all the information was gathered and given to our hit-andrun investigator to follow up with charges.” impeding traffic.
►► Travis Howell Gowin, 35, of
Conway, Arizona, was arrested July 16 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and taillight violation. ►► Eduin J. Mendoza Sanchez, 30, of Warsaw Road, Alpharetta, was arrested July 6 on North Point Circle in Alpharetta for DUI. ►► Pedro Campos-Reyes, 39, of Dunwoody was arrested July 7 on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane, driving on the wrong side of the roadway and no license. ►► XXXXXXXXXX, 24, of Donehoo Court, Alpharetta, was arrested July 9 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, open container, headlight requirement and no license. ►► Meagan Elizabeth Reese, 22, of Clairborne Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested July 11 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to yield and operating a vehicle without a revalidation decal. ►► Adrienne Michele Dibrell, 21, of Concord Hall Drive, Johns Creek, was arrested July 12 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and fail-
South Atlanta Street/Ga. 9 in Roswell from Ga. 120/Marietta Highway south to the river was closed July 26 after a car crashed into a utility pole and downed power lines. Police say the drivers were racing another at the time. Both drivers were charged with driving while unlicensed
and hit-and-run. Additional charges are pending.
ure to maintain lane.
33, of Grants Pass, Oregon, was arrested July 3 on Charlotte Drive in Milton for DUI, failure to maintain lane and child endangerment. ►► Jerome A. Burley, 30, of Atlanta was arrested July 18 on Old Alabama Road in Alpharetta for DUI. ►► Matthew George Schmidt, 25, of Salem Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested July 19 on North Main Street in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► James Allen Dodds III, 36, of Monroe Way, Alpharetta, was arrested July 6 on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, speeding, suspended license and failure to maintain lane.
►► John S. Stiles, 45, of
Canton was arrested July 12 on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and open container. ►► Jacqueline A. Modlinski, 46, of Greenmont Court, Cumming, was arrested July 12 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, speeding and failure to maintain lane. ►► Preston James High, 26, of Coventry Circle, Alpharetta, was arrested June 30 on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, open container and littering. ►► Goutham Kumar Gurram, 35, of Windstone Trail, Alpharetta, was arrested July 3 on Kimball Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI, speeding and reckless driving. ►► Eugene Edward Cothren, 46, of Canton was arrested July 4 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, open container and speeding. ►► Joseph Anthony Basile, 55, of Pearson Court, Alpharetta, was arrested July 5 on Wills Road in Alpharetta for DUI, hit and run and following too closely. ►► Marjorie Rose Ryan-Santos,
Drug arrests ►► Corin Torres, 33, of Sterling
Court, Cumming, was arrested July 14 on South Main Street in Alpharetta for possession of methamphetamines and possession of drug-related items. ►► Darrien Dangelo White, 29, of Conley was arrested July 14 on North Point Circle in
See ARRESTS, Page 3
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.
Jury duty scam JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – In a twist on an old scam, a Johns Creek couple were defrauded out of $3,000 after scammers bilked them for “failing to show up” to jury duty. The victim told police she received a call from a “Lt. Blackwell,” who said that her husband had missed jury duty and that he could be arrested unless a fine was paid. The victim’s husband was out of town, but she got in
Arrests:
Continued from Page 2 Alpharetta for possession of marijuana, wanted person and shoplifting. ►► Randall Allen Guethler, 47, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was arrested July 18 on North
public safety touch with him and gave him the suspect’s phone number. The husband got a similar story and was told he had to pay $3,000 or be arrested. He then bought several Green Dot cards and loaded them with money, giving the numbers to the suspect over the phone. That is an immediate red flag that the caller is not legitimate and certainly is not calling for any bill the resident may owe. The con artist told the victims that once the money was collected they would be contacted with a new court date. The victims never received another call, and efforts to call the phone number the scammer left were unsuccessful. Public officials remind the public that police will never collect money over the phone.
northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 3
Employee dips hand in till
Shoplifter leaves purse behind
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Monroe man allegedly admitted to stealing $1,300 from cash registers while employed at a local Walmart. Police were called out to the Haynes Bridge Walmart July 21 after employees said they had a suspect in custody. They identified employee Cassiuse Letron Smith, 26, of Monroe, whose job it was to reset the cash registers at the end of each day. Video surveillance allegedly shows Smith taking $50 and $100 bills from the tills when processing them. Smith admitted to the theft and was arrested for theft by taking.
MILTON, Ga. – A suspected shoplifter at the Windward Walmart was chased away from the store July 25, leaving behind her purse and identification. According to store employees, Tanya Mings, 51, of Riverdale, was seen filling her shopping cart with $677 worth of items and then walking out of the store without paying the goods. When employees stopped her, she allegedly ran, leaving behind her cart. She evaded employees and was able to get into her car and drive away. But her handbag was left in
the shopping cart. A warrant was taken out for her arrest for felony shoplifting.
Crook makes hole in wall ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Someone broke into a local physician’s office by punching a hole in the wall. Employees of the Alderman Drive business came to work July 19 to find a hole bored into the wall. The hole came from a vacant office next door, where it appeared someone pried open the rear doors and created the hole over the weekend. Nothing was reported missing.
Point Drive in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana, open container and possession of drug-related items. ►► Fabian Andres Perdomo, 35, of Hillbrooke Trace, Johns Creek, was arrested July 6 on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and possession of drug-related items.
news
4 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
Bell Memorial Park groundbreaking Friday, Aug. 8 $9.4 million park expansion scheduled to last one year MILTON, Ga. – The city of Milton will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bell Memorial Park expansion project on Friday, Aug. 8 at 11 a.m. The public is invited. Bell Memorial Park is located at 15245 Bell Park Road in Milton. This ceremony will mark the kick-off of the $9.4 million expansion of Bell Memorial from a 12-acre park with four baseball fields to a nearly 30-acre multi-use facility with both passive and active recreation options. The new park design will have four dedicated diamond (baseball/softball) fields with centerfield dimensions of 180, 200, 200 and 280 feet. There will also be two rectangular fields lined for football, soccer and lacrosse. The second field can also be set up as a 200-foot, fifth diamond field. Programming between spring, summer and fall will vary the configuration of four diamonds and two rectangular fields versus five diamonds and one rectangular field. From April through June 2013, there were three input meetings for residents interested in the proposed Bell Memorial Park expansion project. Additionally, staff contacted representatives from 11 stakeholder groups representing sports leagues, trails enthusiasts, equestrians, local neighborhoods and more to conduct
focused research. These meetings followed a living room conversation meeting in November 2012 at Shannondale Farms in which residents learned about Milton’s purchase of 14 acres to more than double the size of the park. Milton paid $1.287 million for the land from the city’s parks acquisition budget after a unanimous City Council vote in September 2013. Council later approved
Foresite Group’s bid of $54,000 for Bell Memorial Park master plan design and construction services. In July, council awarded the $9.481 million contract to build the park to Astra Group Inc. For more information on the Bell expansion project, contact Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cregge at 678-2422489 or jim.cregge@cityofmiltonga.us. —Jonathan Copsey
Mother accuses Free trial music daughter after arrest class offered Aug. 7 Pair were pulled over with alleged pot in car ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A mother pointed the finger at her daughter July 26 after being found with a large amount of alleged marijuana in their car. Police spotted the suspect vehicle at 3 a.m. after its license plate returned with a suspended registration. Four people were inside. The driver, Tracey Lynn Scott, 39, of Atlanta, was found to have an active warrant for her arrest for probation violation for forgery. She was arrested. Her daughter, Shykil Nicole Scott, 23, of Atlanta, at first gave police a false name when asked, and later was found to also have a warrant out for probation
violation for assault. Also found in the car was a glass jar containing several plastic “dime bags.” Both Scotts and another passenger, Robert Renardo Daniel, 21, of Lithonia, allegedly had a large amount of cash on them, which officers say is consistent with dealing drugs. When asked about the drugs, Tracey Scott said, “Who was sitting where you found it? My daughter. There is your answer.” Daniel, Tracey Scott and Shykil Scott were all arrested for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. The Scotts were also arrested on their outstanding warrants.
GARAGE SALES See more garage sales in the classifieds • Page 38
ALPHARETTA, Multi family. North Farm Subdivision, Houze and Crabapple 30004. Friday 8/8, Saturday 8/9, 8am-2pm.
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To place garage sale ads: Noon Friday prior week Call 770-442-3278 or email classifieds@northfulton.com
Parent-tot through third-grade classes offered at Bethwell MILTON, Ga. – A free trial version of the city of Milton’s Sperber music education class will be offered Thursday, Aug. 7 for interested parents and children. Registration is required and space is limited, so visit www.sperbermusic.com to sign up and bring the gift of music into your child’s life. The Mini Musicians class for ages 3 to 5 will take place at Bethwell Community Center, 2695 Hopewell, from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Sign up for music classes any time by visiting Milton’s Online Activity Guide on the city website. Enjoying a partnership with Milton for more than two years, locally owned and operated Sperber Music is the lifelong dream of music education teacher Karen Cornell. Previously a music spe-
cialist at Abbotts Hill Elementary School from 2002 to 2013, Cornell holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of Georgia. She was named 20072008 Fulton County Elementary School Teacher of the Year and has presented workshops at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference, several Introduction to Orff-Schulwerk workshops to college/university students across Georgia and conducted students at the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conferences in Birmingham, Alabama, and Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information on Sperber and its programs, email info@sperbermusic. com, call 678-223-3653 or visit its website at www.sperbermusic.com. —Jonathan Copsey
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northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 5
Alpharetta approves Mayfield townhomes 19 homes on prominent corner By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The corner of Mayfield Road and Canton Street in Alpharetta will soon get a lot busier, as 19 new homes are planned to go in on the 2.3 acres. Sitting on a wooded site with a creek running along one side, a home dating to the early 1900s will be saved from demolition and incorporated into the construction, with the new townhomes being built around it. The new homes and the plan take into account architectural elements from the home to create a single theme.
Death: Continued from Page 1 They called the house, and Ben-Hanania’s brother began searching for her. He looked in Ben-Hanania’s room and saw Bennett’s body. He called 911. When emergency crews arrived, she was dead, Gordon said. Both Ben-Hanania and McCaffrey evaded arrest until
Renowned Roswell-based planner Lew Oliver gave input on the plan. He was integral to such preservation efforts as Milton’s Crabapple district and Roswell’s historic districts. Robert Forrest, the developer of Stonewalk Mayfield Corners, as the development is called, said the proposal was agreed to by staff and neighbors. “A lot of what you see here is feedback from staff and the public,” Forrest said. “It’s been a fun process to get something that looks really, really good. I think it will be a beautiful entrance into the downtown area of the city.” Key to this was preservation of the historic home on the site. Beyond that, a small park
will be on the corner along with 8-foot-wide brick sidewalks along both sides of the site. This will form the northern edge of the city’s historic district. And that’s just what the City Council wanted. At their July 28 meeting, they unanimously approved the development in a 4-0 vote. (Mayor David Belle Isle recused himself and two other councilmembers were absent.) “This is one of the most significant things we have done,” said Councilman Donald Mitchell. “It’s important for our historic preservation. We need to do more of that. And this also works with being art and environmentally friendly. This is one of the best things I have done since I have
July. Ben-Hanania was captured July 16. McCaffrey was arrested in Cherokee County. Andrade fled the state to family in Texas. He returned to his Johns Creek home July 29 to make preparations to move out of state, Gordon said. Police had his home under surveillance and arrested him before he could leave. “We were watching him. We knew he was going to flee and
move,” said Detective Jakai Braithwaite, who investigated the case. The Fulton County District Attorney’s office charged BenHanania for felony murder, heroin distribution and concealing the death of a person. McCaffrey was indicted for felony murder. Andrade was indicted for concealing the death of another. The Bennett family released a statement following their
been on council.” Also at the meeting Council dealt with a series of signage issues cropping up from the Avalon development. The city’s sign ordinance is quite strict on what is and is not allowed, and council has to approve any deviations from that ordinance. However, because Avalon is both a mall and a wholly private entity – including the streets – the city is more lenient in allowing signage that only can be seen from within the development. Regal Cinemas and Crate and Barrel both requested additional signage to their stores, which council approved with little hesitation. A third sign for Whole Foods was denied. This sign, to be placed on
ben hanania
andrade
daughter’s death. “ChelseaIvanna was a gracious gift and we cherished her – she had
an interior archway linking the anchor store to the main street, was an issue, they said, because Whole Foods did not ask for it – it was a suggestion from Avalon developer North American Properties. “I’m sure the people who live [in Avalon] will know there is a Whole Foods there,” said Councilman D.C. Aiken. “If you are not living there, you know it’s there when you drive in. Give me a reason why I should make this variance.” Councilman Mike Kennedy said he saw no reason not to grant the variance. “It’s internal to the development,” he said. The sign failed passing council in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor David Belle Isle and Kennedy in support. a full and promising life ahead of her. She loved everybody and she was loved by and impacted so many lives. This news, the MCCAFFREY news that her life was so tragically taken, is heartbreaking. We simply ask for justice for her.”
6 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
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Residents given options on ‘greenprint’ preservation Milton wants feedback By ERICA O’NEAL erica@northfulton.com MILTON, Ga. – In an effort to explain the options available for preserving the city’s green space, Milton had an open house meeting July 30 about its greenprint plan. Tom Daniels, a professor and conservation planner at the University of Pennsylvania, was hired to draft the plan and spoke about what the city could do to preserve green space. About 50 people attended the meeting to hear what Daniels had to say and to give comments about their concerns. “The turnout was a good indication about how much people care about this. I think it’s part of the city’s education to landowners that the city can give options to them,” Daniels said. During the meeting, residents were given a greenprint project questionnaire to fill out. The form asked basic questions such as in which area of Milton do residents live, would they like to see the Milton trail system improved and what role does Milton City Council play
Give your feedback Milton is accepting feedback and input from residents until Aug. 15 about what it can do for preserving the rural character in the city. Visit http://tinyurl.com/q2r7pa9 to fill out the survey on what Milton can do. in green space preservation. Preservation is tricky business. It can be difficult for a landowner to think about preservation when developers offer them a fortune to buy their land and develop all of it. “If you want to use land preservation as a growth tool, be strategic about it,” Daniels said. The issue of preservation came to a head earlier this year, when new housing developments sprang up seemingly overnight. Fearing over-construction, residents began asking the city what can be done to stem the flow of new housing and neighborhoods. The Milton City Council wants to spread the word to landowners that they have options other than selling the land outright. These options could be set-
Conservation planner Tom Daniels talks July 30 about what options Milton landowners have to preserve their land and keep what green space is left in the city. ting aside land to stay undeveloped, creating a conservation easement in perpetuity, a transfer of development rights or limiting development. All of these options have ups and downs, but they all pertain to limiting the amount of development on a property, possibly limiting its value. Daniels cautioned the group about jumping to one option over another. “These are not options to maximize the income from your land,” said Milton resi-
dent Jack Lindon. “These are for those who want to keep the land rural.” Daniels agreed, saying some of the best efforts to preserve land has come not from governments but from neighbors banding together to buy or conserve their properties. Joan Borzilleri, a member of the Preserve Rural Milton organization, said she was pleased with how the meeting proceeded. “It was informative and people had many questions.
[Daniels] had a wealth of practical experience, not just hypothetical,” Borzilleri said. “I’m pleased this is all a voluntary program. I think it’s a win-win situation.” Daniels will present his survey and results to the City Council in September. Milton residents can find the form online at cityofmiltonga.us. Just search “destination conservation,” and click on “Greenprint process.” Form submissions are due by Aug. 15.
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northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 7
National Night Out brings out families, law enforcement By KRISTINA BAK kristina@northfulton.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. - Police cars, fire trucks and K-9s, oh my! It must be the 31st annual National Night Out (NNO). Local public safety departments will be holding events from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5 in various locations. The events will include food, K-9 demonstrations and public safety vehicles and equipment for people to explore. National Association of Town Watch, NATW, is a non-
profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of various crime prevention programs, like National Night Out. “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” National Night Out began in 1984 to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. During that first year, 23 states and 400 communities took part. Now the event involves 16,124 communities from all 50 states. For more information, visit www.nationalnightout.org.
Events: What: Alpharetta Public Safety Department When: Aug. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11925 Wills Road More Info: Food, temporary tattoo booth, SWAT demo involving simulated gunfire, displays of fire engines, police cars, SWAT vehicle and air and light truck and K-9 demonstrations. What: Roswell Police Department When: Aug. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St. More Info: A rock-climbing wall, a variety of games, giveaways, prizes and food/drinks, vehicles and equipment, police K-9 demonstrations. What: Forsyth County When: Aug. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Where: Target, 1525 Market Place Boulevard and 2625 Peachtree Parkway More Info: Vehicles and equipment, police K-9 demonstrations, vendors, fire department vehicles.
KRISTINA BAK/Staff
Alpharetta Fire Department demonstrated what they do during an emergency at the 2013 National Night Out event.
KRISTINA BAK/Staff
Alpharetta SWAT officers meet with participants during National Night Out in 2013.
KRISTINA BAK/Staff
Children of all ages can explore public safety vehicles.
8 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
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School board says no to armed staff members in schools By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@northfulton.com ATLANTA – The Fulton School Board was united in their resolve to keep weapons out of school buildings, despite a new state law that gives local boards permission to arm school personnel. “The community and the public need to understand we will not be arming our administrators, our teachers, our anything else – that is not going to happen,” said board member Linda Bryant who represents South Fulton. During a July 22 board meeting, the board discussed the implications of House Bill 826 and H.B. 60, which allows local school boards to arm designated, trained personnel to carry a weapon in a school building. The law was signed last spring and went into effect July 1. Currently, only certified police officers, including school resource officers, are authorized to carry weapons inside a school building or on school property. Existing state law has always allowed people picking up students, or in transit through school safety zones to keep weapons in their cars with a valid carry permit. That provision did not change with the new laws,
Essentially this [new law] gives some additional authority that [school boards] did not have in the past.” Suzanne Wilcox Giles Attorney
explained a school system attorney. “Essentially this [new law] gives some additional authority that [school boards] did not have in the past,” said attorney Suzanne Wilcox Giles. The new law is simply enabling legislation that does not impact school systems without action taken on the part of the school board, she noted. The new laws also allow entities that screen for weapons, such as most courthouses, to continue to keep firearms out of those facilities. That provision applies to Fulton Schools’ adminis-
trative headquarters where board meetings are held, and which require everyone to pass through a metal detector. “You will not be able to come through the screening with a weapon,” said Bryant. “I don’t care if you have 16 licenses [to carry a weapon]….it does not work that way.” While the Fulton School Board will not have to change any policies in place as a result of the new law, board members agreed communication to parents, staff and stakeholders is important. Superintendent Robert Avossa said he has been approached by parents who ask if teachers will now be allowed to have a handgun in the classroom as a result of the new law. They will not. “From a communication standpoint, we need to communicate to both parents and teachers how the school system will move forward to avoid a lot of confusion,” said Avossa. Signage will likely be going up in schools noting weapons will not be allowed in any school building or on school property, unless the person is simply picking up a student or has the weapon safely secured in their car while they are visiting the school. In either case, the person would have to have a valid concealed carry permit.
Additional students named National Merit Scholars NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Several local graduates were among the final round of students named as National Merit Scholars for 2014. In addition to the National Merit Scholar distinction, these 2014 graduates earned National Merit Scholarships from participating colleges. All of the students qualified to be National Merit Scholars through exceptionally high scores on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and the SAT.
They had a record of high academic performance and were endorsed and recommended by their school principal. National Merit Scholars from local high schools include: Alpharetta High – Lisette Corbin, Mili Raina, Ryan W. Shea Chattahoochee High – Christopher G. Misenheimer, Monisha Narayanan Centennial High – Monica E. Bhatia, Nicholas S.
Summers Johns Creek High – Shamita Nagalla, Samuel C. Sheriff, Olivia Z. Song Northview High – Sophia Chen, Victoria M. Hiten, Anna L. Li, Namita E. Mathew, Sarika Sachdeva, Lindsey Whitesides, Gaeun Wie Roswell High – Carlyn R. Gilbert, Tyler M. Whitt This final group of students brings Fulton’s total to 43 National Merit Scholars in the 2014 competition.
schools
Sebastian Lara, Noah Sannes and Kyle Mann present their model of a renovated 1925 home.
Cambridge High architects place 2nd in national conference MILTON, Ga. — Noah Sannes, Kyle Mann and Sebastian Lara of Cambridge High School placed second at the 36th annual Technology Student Association National Conference held in Washington, D.C. The team participated in the architectural renovation competition, which required team members to renovate a 1925 Sears Americus Kit Home in a Washington suburb. Using Cambridge’s Stratasys 3D printer, the team presented a scaled replica of the existing home, proposed additions and the surrounding landscape. The process involved months of CAD formatting, printing and painting. “Involving such technology has certainly proved to be much more difficult and time-consuming than initially predicted,” Mann said. “Transforming the ivory colored prints into the fully painted, sided and bricked home put on display was quite a feat, but the quality of the final product is second to none,” Lara said. The team also employed CAD software to render the home’s interior spaces, including the custom chef’s kitchen, fireside family room and mas-
ter bathroom. “Interior design helps the homeowner visualize living in the space,” Sannes said. The Cambridge team was invited to tour the Americus home. They pitched their design to the couple and their two young boys, who decided to implement several elements. “I had never imagined such precision, style and quality of work from high school students,” the homeowner said. “I am eager to pass along their ideas to our architect.” —Shannon Weaver
northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 9
10 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
Parks make Roswell ‘Happy’ City makes music video By JADE RODGERS jade@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Many are familiar with the Pharrell Williams song “Happy,” but few would guess that such a chipper song would serve as a perfect marketing tool. As of late, the trendy tune has appeared in multiple marketing campaigns as well as YouTube videos, including a lively remake by none other
than the Atlanta Police Department. The Child Development Association (CDA) possesses its own rendition of the hip song in a slide show on its website. Happy-ness is spreading everywhere, it seems, including cheerful Roswell, where the Community Relations Division of the city recently took their creativity up a notch with their own “Happy” video, featuring their own version of the song, claiming Roswell’s parks “make us happy.” “We had been talking to the Recreation and Parks Department about promoting
community
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The city of Roswell created their own music video of Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy,” putting their own spin on it – Roswell’s parks make residents happy! everything they do,” said Julie Brechbill, community relations manager for the city of Roswell. Brechbill said Karen Zitomer, community relations coordinator, “came up with ‘Happy’ because Recreation and Parks makes everybody happy.” Not only does “Happy” reflect the joyful spirit of the Roswell Recreation and Parks Department, but also the overall feel of the city itself. “People really love living [in Roswell],” Brechbill said. “This
project was completed 100 percent in-house with city staff in the Community Relations Division. We worked on it over a fiveweek period off and on.” Joel Vasquez, visual media designer, mixed the music on his home equipment. The video consists of two singers and co-writers of the parody lyrics, Zitomer and Carisa Turner, public relations specialist, guiding viewers through the programs and services of the Roswell Recreation
and Parks Department. “We used a lot of residents in our video,” said Turner. “It gives a more personal touch to the video.” Residential pride is clear in the parody. “You can’t force that sort of joy. We had a blast filming. We were just happy to be a part of the video,” Zitomer said. Roswell’s heart beats to the sound of “Happy.” To view the video and find out more, visit www.roswellmakesushappy. com.
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12 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
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When companies have high taxes, there is less money for expansion, hiring, to invest in employees and pay shareholders. Mark Burkhalter
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Create jobs, attract, retain business with corporate tax reform A favorite argument among government bureaucrats is that corporations aren’t people. Tell that to the employees who put in at least 40 hours a week to keep a company profitable in hopes that there will be a raise or bonus come year end. But when government sees companies as nothing more than a name, employees suffer. Such is what is happening to American workers. Taxes on American corporations are the highest in the developed world. When companies have high taxes, there is less money for expansion, hiring, to invest in employees and pay shareholders. Now, a flood of American companies have discovered a way out of paying the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world — 39.1 percent in state and federal taxes. And that doesn’t include the burden of taxes and penalties levied by the Affordable Care Act and other regulations of the past six years. Dozens of U.S. corporations are taking their headquarters offshore or merging with foreign businesses, primarily in Europe, to reduce their tax burden. This has President Obama branding them unpatriotic. What is unpatriotic is taxing companies so much that they are forced to flee the United States. Government should not feel entitled to take so much revenue that it harms business or forces them to shop for a more welcoming place to do business. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has called on
MARK Burkhalter Guest Columnist Congress to close a loophole in federal tax law that allows these so-called “inversions” or the ability of U.S.-based, multinational companies to combine with a foreign company and reorganize in a country with a lower tax rate while still operating here. True patriotism would be for Obama to lead Congress to corporate tax reform so we can retain and attract new business to the United States. We now have a global marketplace and companies will always search for the most attractive place to conduct business, particularly when it comes to taxes. The Congressional Research Service says that about 50 American companies, many in the health care sector, have recently combined with offshore business in places such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Great Britain to save billions of dollars in corporate taxes. In recent weeks, Pfizer has attempted to purchase AstraZeneca based in the United Kingdom to reduce its tax rate to 21 percent. Walgreen Co., the nation’s largest drugstore chain, is considering the purchase of a European drugstore chain to relocate its headquar-
ters to Switzerland. KPMG reports that Switzerland, one of the most vibrant economies in Europe, has a corporate tax rate of 17.9 percent. Many European nations have slashed their corporate tax rate, some as much as 30 percentage points, over the last 20 years. The Economic Index of Freedom published annually by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal ranked the United States No. 12 in the world for economic freedom in 2014 with Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland at the top of the list. Our score has dropped
each of the past seven years, primarily due to fiscal policy and increasing regulatory burdens, according to the authors of the index. Closer to home, North Fulton has been an attractive place to do business and is fortunate to have three Fortune 500 companies headquartered here: UPS, Newell Rubbermaid and First Data Corp. Several Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in North Fulton as well. Think of how many more we could attract with corporate tax cuts. If our leaders in Washington felt as passionate about sparking the economy as they
do in taxing companies, then foreign companies would be searching for their passports – looking to move to American shores and create much-needed jobs and investment. Burkhalter is a senior strategic advisor and independent consultant in the National Government Affairs practice of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. He also leads the firm’s public affairs and economic development initiatives in the United Kingdom. Burkhalter is the former speaker of the House and speaker pro tempore who spent 18 years representing Johns Creek in the Georgia General Assembly.
NewBusinessSpotlight
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northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 13
New studio brings instructors with additional training Johns Creek Pilates to open Aug. 14 By CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON carolyn@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Pilates will open its doors with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 14 The studio is located at 4375 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 330. Pilates, a core-based workout using a specially designed machine, the Pilates Reformer, is designed to improve physical strength, flexibility and posture. “We work with all types of clients,” said Brooke Manning, the studio’s owner. “From fit men and
women to those with issues involving the back, neck, hips and the like.” Manning said instructors are all certified through Peak Pilates and have additional training to enhance the program. “One for example, has a dance background and another a master’s degree in health science,” she said. Manning brings her experience as a clinical director for a local wellness center along with hundreds of hours of Pilates instruction. “At the open house, we’ll introduce our instructors, offer our packages at a discount and give away door prizes,” Manning said. “We’re excited to see people from the community come out and learn about the benefits of a regular Pilates program.” For more information, visit www.johnscreekpilates.com.
BusinessPosts
How to handle Valuing a unique property customer complaints Are you getting a lot of complaints from your customers? Are these issues that happen over and over again? Are you responding to these complaints quickly? Have you got a process in place to help prevent future occurrences of the same complaints? Customer complaints are actually a valuable asset for helping you improve your small business. Handling customer complaints starts by providing your customers a vehicle to express their complaint, either verbally or by submitting a written complaint. Listen carefully to what your customers have to say and ask questions to ensure you are capturing the specifics about what they experienced. Act quickly to address the complaint. If it can be fixed right then and there, take action and solve the problem. Apologize for the situation and thank the customer for letting you know. Always follow up to ensure that your resolution of the
Dick Jones
Founder & President Jones Simply Sales
problem is acceptable with the customer. Logging all customer complaints and categorizing the nature of them will help you formulate solutions to prevent these types of complaints from happening in the future. Determine the root cause of the complaint and take action to prevent, or at least minimize, the problem that created the complaint. Last, but not least, train your employees to manage customer complaints. Teach them to be empathetic and encourage them to follow up with the customer to ensure the complaint has been addressed. Handling customer complaints in the right way and preventing future occurrences will help your small business be more successful.
I like to say, there are five different values on a home. What the owner thinks it is, the realtor, the buyer, the appraiser and the tax man. The truth is — the value will be defined by the bank’s appraiser. In order to determine that value, they will look at precedent. What have other similar homes sold for recently? When we prepare a market analysis for a homeowner, we look at recent sales as well. In many cases, determining that value isn’t terribly difficult. Most communities have similar homes and enough sales on a regular basis to offer more than enough comparable sales. The differences between homes are typically updates and finishes. In those cases, determining value is usually straight forward. Valuing a unique property can be far more challenging. For example, a recent property we looked at is a lovingly restored farmhouse built in 1912 on a couple of acres of land. You can bet there aren’t many homes just like that selling every day. On the property was the original smokehouse that has been converted into a potting shed and has had a greenhouse added. The barn has been converted into a
BROOKE MANNING
Debra McCauley-Wilbanks and Sylvia Hutchison during a Pilates workout session.
Robert Strader
Local Realtor Keller Williams Realty
workshop as well. Circumstances like this warrant expanding the geographical area in which you look for comparable sales. But when you do find comparable properties to work with, you’ll have to make some judgment calls on the features. Finding properties with barns or workshops would be great, but maybe it’s a detached garage and not a barn. How do you adjust value for a structure while trying to take into account things like character or scarcity in the case of the greenhouse? With character, scarcity and unique restorations, you have to make some “educated assumptions.” There will be some latitude you have with values but you still must be guided by precedent. Maybe there is a sixth value for a home — what the market will bear — but it still has to pass muster with an appraiser.
14 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
NewBusinessSpotlight
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Sandwich shop rolls into Forsyth Roly Poly sells rolled sandwiches as healthy casual dining By SHANNON WEAVER shannon@northfulton.com CUMMING, Ga. — An Atlantabased health conscious food concept – rolled sandwiches with fresh meat and cheese and locally farmed produce – has opened in Forsyth County. On July 9, Roly Poly opened their Cumming location at 425 Peachtree Parkway. “We try to make it as healthy as we can without you really knowing it,” said Linda Wolf, one of the Roly Poly founders. “It still tastes delicious.” Director of Operations
Jane Ferguson, a Johns Creek resident, opened the Cumming location. “We didn’t really have anything up here,” Ferguson said. “My friends were saying, ‘When are you going to open a Roly Poly here?’” Roly Poly offers 45 combinations, including vegetarian and gluten-free options and custom rolled sandwiches, soups and salads. “The secret of our taste is it’s just so fresh,” Wolf said. “It’s the combination of ingredients and the flavor.” Wolf and Ferguson said the restaurant has been well
received. “We’ve been very busy,” Wolf said. “We’ve had an amazing amount of families coming in.” The franchise has about 125 restaurants in the country. Cumming is the sixth metro Atlanta location, with other stores in Kennesaw, Woodstock and Duluth. “A lot of people know what it is, even though it’s a small concept,” Ferguson said. “When they see it, they’re very excited.” For more information, visit www.rolypoly.com.
Roly Poly opened July 9 in Cumming.
BusinessBriefs CELEBRATIONS »
includes tenure at establishments such as Sip Tapas and Wine Bar, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and Rainwater Restaurant. “I believe simplicity is the key to enjoyable food,” said Rose. “You have to be aware of your target market. You are not cooking for yourself; you are cooking for your guests.” Visit www.etriskitchen. com for more information.
ceeded that standard with four scoring in the 90th percentile,” said T.C. Parker, program director. Gwinnett Tech’s surgical technology students continually score above the national average on the CST examination, with the college’s pass rate among first-time exam takers consistently at 90 percent or higher. For information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu or call 770-962-7580. Rose
Chiropractic center welcomes new doctor Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and McAlister’s Deli officials during the grand re-opening of the restaurant.
McAlister’s Deli celebrates remodel ROSWELL, Ga. — McAlister’s Deli is celebrated the grand re-opening of its restaurant located at 1425 Market Boulevard in Roswell. The guest appreciation celebration featured several events including a fundraiser to benefit North Fulton Community Charities, free tea day and guest giveaways. “We are very excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the McAlister’s brand with the Roswell community,” said McAlister’s President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Paci. “We want to thank our loyal guests for 15 great years in this location.” The company has corporate offices in both Alpharetta and Ridgeland, Mississippi. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli. com or call 770-594-3220.
NEW HIRES »
New chef joins Etris Kitchen & Bar ROSWELL, Ga. — Etris Kitchen & Bar in Roswell announced the arrival of Executive Chef Boyd A. Rose. Rose’s new menu will be available at Etris Kitchen & Bar beginning in fall 2014. Rose’s experience in the restaurant industry
ROSWELL, Ga. — Care More Chiropractic Wellness Center welcomed Dr. Cristina Gomez Teran to the practice. Care More, 1580 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, has offered chiropractic care for 25 years. As the director of the office, Dr. Claire Welsh said she’s happy to announce the acquisition of a bilingual doctor to the team. Teran, TERAN originally from Madrid, Spain, recently graduated with honors from Life University in Marietta. Visit www.caremorechiro.com for more information.
EDUCATION »
Gwinnett Tech students ace surgical credentialing exam GWINNETT-NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Gwinnett Tech’s graduating class of surgical technologists have continued the program’s long-running record of 100 percent pass rates on the Certified Surgical Technologist Exam – and have raised the bar further by earning the program’s highest scores ever on the exam. The “perfect” performance of Willett the 12 graduating seniors extends the 100 percent pass rate to four years at Gwinnett Tech. The test assesses practical knowledge and skills in the field and awards the credential of CST (certified surgical technologist). “Our students have always been high-performers on the exam and our pass rate is an important hallmark of our program. This year’s graduates ex-
APPOINTMENTS » Young Lawyers’ community outreach director from Alpharetta ATLANTA – Katherine N. Willett, of the Merbaum Law Group P.C. in Alpharetta, was appointed director of community outreach for the board of directors of Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia. YLD Board of Directors President Sharri Edenfield made the appointment. Willett will assist in promoting Edenfield’s initiatives for the year, which are focused on service to military veterans, leadership development in YLD members and finding solutions to access to justice issues. The YLD has more than 25 committees that produce an array of projects and programs. Through the years, the YLD has also gained national recognition by winning several American Bar Association awards for its projects and publications.
Prince earns promotion to Arrow Exterminators manager ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Arrow Exterminators, a pest control company, announced that Phillip Prince was promoted to service center manager of Arrow Exterminators’ Alpharetta Home Service Center. Prince has been with Arrow Exterminators for 11 years. “Alpharetta is an important market for Arrow and we couldn’t be more pleased to have Phillip leading the service center,” said Kevin Van Hook, region vice president of operations for Arrow Exterminators. “The value of promoting leaders from within the organization who understand our business at all levels cannot be overstated. As a family owned and operated company, we are proud to reward success and hard work internally.” Prince has over 22 years of experience in the pest control industry where he has held a number of different positions. In his free time, Prince enjoys fishing, swimming and spending time in the great outdoors with his family.
August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
16 August 6, 2014
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
Atlanta Athletic Club features two 18-hole courses. Above, the 18th green of the Riverside Course.
U.S. Amateur comes to North Fulton Atlanta Athletic Club hosts event for first time By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK -- The most prestigious tournament in amateur golf comes to North Fulton this month, as the Atlanta Athletic Club will host the U.S. Amateur Championship. The tournament, which was first played in 1895, is scheduled for August 11-17, and is being held in the Atlanta area for just the second time ever. East Lake Golf Club, the original course of the Atlanta Athletic Club, hosted the 2001 U.S. Amateur, which began the day after the PGA Championship concluded at AAC, which moved to its current site in North Fulton in the mid-1960s. Unlike the 2001 U.S. Amateur, which also utilized the nearby Druid Hills Golf Club for stroke play qualifying, Atlanta Athletic Club will be the sole tournament site, with both its courses being used for the 36 holes of stroke play qualifying for the 312 participants. The Riverside course, which was selected as the host course for the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open, will join the Highlands course for qualifying. The top 64 players from the two rounds of qualifying will advance to match play, which will be played on Highlands, the course used for the 1976 U.S. Open and the three PGA Championships contested at AAC. The two qualifying rounds are set for Aug. 11 and 12, with match play beginning the 13th. The second and third rounds will both be played on Thursday of tournament week, with the
quarterfinals scheduled for Friday, the semifinals Saturday and the championship match Sunday. Golf Channel will broadcast the first three days of match play, with the semifinals and finals on NBC. The two finalists will receive invitations to the 2015 Masters. Tickets are $20 per day and $75 for the entire tournament, with no charge for juniors age 17 and under when accompanied by an adult. Ticket purchasers can bring at least three juniors with them to the tournament. Parking for the entire week is free, with spectators using the grass field across Medlock Bridge Rd. from Atlanta Athletic Club that was used for the PGA Championship three years ago. The tournament will feature the top amateurs from all over the globe, with 31 players from outside the U.S. among the top 50 in a recent ranking. The top 50 receive exemptions into the tournament, with approximately 250 players from the 312-man field earning their spots through qualifiers played all over the U.S. Among the exempt players is World No. 1 Ollie Schniederjans, a senior at Georgia Tech from Powder Springs. Schniederjans has been busy this Summer, competing successfully on both the Web.com and European Tours and in the Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event matching top college players from the U.S. and Europe. In his first ever appearance in a professional tournament, Schniederjans tied for 5th in a Web.com Tour event in Wichita, and made the cut several
Jimmy Beck of Kennesaw won the 2013 Georgia Amateur. weeks later in the Scottish Open, tying for 41st against a field that included a number of the top players in the game. He was in England to play in the Palmer Cup, where he was one of the few American bright spots in a loss to the European team, going 3-1 and winning both his singles matches. Schniederjans will be joined in the field by Georgia Tech teammate Seth Reeves, who is also among the top 50 amateurs in the world rankings and has won the Southeastern Amateur in Columbus twice. Schniederjans and Reeves helped lead the Yellow Jackets into the match play portion of the NCAA Championship each of the last
Kennesaw State University
two years, with Tech losing in the 2013 semifinals to eventual national champion Alabama. The top four players in the recent rankings were all Americans. Robby Shelton, a freshman member of Alabama’s 2014 championship team, is No. 2 behind Schniederjans. Scottie Scheffler, who tied for 22nd in the Byron Nelson Championship on the PGA Tour earlier this year and will be a freshman at Texas this fall, is No. 3, with Oklahoma State’s Jordan Niebrugge fourth in the rankings. . Both Scheffler and Niebrugge won
See AMATEUR, Page 17
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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
Amateur: Continued from Page 16 U.S. Golf Association championships in 2013, with Niebrugge winning the Public Links title and Scheffler the U.S. Junior champion. Shelton won the 2012 PGA Junior Championship and was Schniederjans’ teammate on the 2014 U.S. Palmer Cup team. Georgia Tech and Georgia will have four players each in the tournament. Joining Schniederjans and Reeves for the Yellow Jackets are Bo Andrews, like Reeves a recently graduated senior, and incoming freshman Jacob Joiner. The qualifiers from Georgia are current team members Lee McCoy and Duluith’s Mookie DeMoss, 2014 graduate Keith Mitchell and incoming freshman Zach Healy of Peachtree Corners. Two golfers who played at North Fulton high schools also qualified – Milton’s Zack Jaworski, a member of the golf team at Vanderbilt, and David Kleckner of Northview, who plays at Oglethorpe. Kennesaw State has two players in the field -- 2013 Georgia Amateur champion Jimmy Beck and Austin Vick – and Georgia Southern (Scott Wolfes), Mercer (Hans Reimers) and Armstrong Atlantic
University of Georgia golfer Lee McCoy. (Travis Williamson) have one each. Two mid-amateurs from Georgia also qualified – Atlanta’s Chris Waters and Butler Melnyk of St. Simons Island. The Highlands course will play to a par 71 for the championship, with the 18th hole playing as a par 5. The course has typically played as a par 70 for major events, with the 18th converted
University of Georgia
to a long par 4. Rick Anderson, Atlanta Athletic Club’s Director of Golf, says playing 18 as a par 5 will make for “some interesting possibilities in match play.” The second hole will again play as a long par 4, with Highlands capable of playing as long as 7,490 yards, although it will likely play shorter as various tees are used. “The USGA likes to use a
Georgia Tech
Duluth’s Seth Reeves, a recent Georgia Tech graduate. lot of tees, and we have a lot of tees on both courses, especially Highlands,” Anderson said. “Typically they have a drivable par 4,” with the sixth hole on Highlands a possibility. Riverside can play as long as 7,381 yards, and while it will present plenty if challenge in stroke play qualifying, Anderson says it is “a little more player-friendly than Highlands, which is probably a couple of
shots harder.” With both courses featuring ample length, greens that should be firm and fast and a healthy number of hazards, the rough on both courses will be kept at a manageable length. “With firm, fast Bermuda greens, the rough doesn’t have to be high,” Anderson said. “We want it so you can play shots out of the rough toward the green.”
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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
Past Amateur champions a diverse group Golf’s greats on list alongside lesser names By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A scan of the long list of U.S. Amateur champions will reveal some of the most famous names in the history of golf, as well as many long since forgotten. The tournament, which was played for the first time in 1895 and has taken only two breaks since due to world wars, has a diverse group of past champions, although most of the winners in the post-World War II era have been young players on their way to professional careers. The player with the most successful record in the U.S. Amateur never turned professional, but that was a different time. Atlanta’s Bobby Jones won five U.S. Amateur Championships between 1924 and 1930 before retiring as a competitive player following his “Grand Slam” in 1930, which then consisted of the U.S. and British Amateur Champion-
Far from amateur now, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Amateur Championship three times. ships and the U.S. and British Opens. The four major championships of golf are now all professional events, with the PGA Championship and Masters
replacing the two amateur tournaments. The U.S. Amateur has retained its status as the No. 1 event in golf for nonprofessionals. Although career amateurs
Steve dinberg
continued to be a major factor into the 1980s, the U.S. Amateur started to become a training ground for soon-tobe professionals in the early 1950s. Billy Maxwell (1951)
and Gene Littler (’53), both went on to successful professional careers, as did the 1954 champion (Arnold Palmer). Of the five greatest American golfers of the post Sam Snead-Byron Nelson-Ben Hogan era, four won the U.S. Amateur, beginning with Palmer. Career amateurs continued to win the event on a regular basis after Palmer’s ’54 title, but the pendulum began to swing more in the college direction beginning with victories by Jack Nicklaus in 1959 and ’61. Future PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman scored the first of his two titles in 1960, and made the finals twice more in 1963 and ’66, losing in the latter year to Canadian Gary Cowan, who joined Nicklaus and Beman as two-time champions when he won again in 1971. Cowan was one of a handful of career amateurs to make a major impact in the U.S. Amateur after the mid-1960s, with a former Georgia Bulldog standout joining him to at least briefly stem the tide of the wave of college players taking over the event. Marvin ‘Vinny’
See PAST, Page 24
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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP CO
20 August 6, 2014
Big events nothing new for Atlanta Athletic Club Bobby Jones’ home club returns focus to amateurs
both the U.S. Women’s Open and the Georgia Amateur, and will join Highlands as the site of stroke play qualifying for the U.S. Amateur. Atlanta Athletic Club is also known in golf circles for the unmatched quality of its infrastructure that makes it such a popular By MIKE BLUM tournament host, along with the news@northfulton.com accommodating, professional atmosphere surrounding the committees JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Atlanta that help run the events. Athletic Club has hosted five major As the 2001 PGA Championship professional championships over was concluding with the award certhe past four decades, but the home club of the great Bobby Jones emonies, the PGA announced that the tournament would return to the has also been a longtime supporter Atlanta Athletic Club a decade later. of amateur golf. “That was unprecedented at that The U.S. Amateur Championship comes to the Athletic Club this time to make the announcement so far in advance,” Anderson said. month, and will be the third U.S. “Hosting tournaments will always Golf Association Championship the be a fabric of the club, but we want club has hosted since moving from to spread them out so the members East Lake to its current home in can enjoy the club. the North Fulton suburbs. “It’s a balancing act when one The club also hosted the U.S. comes to town,” he said. “There is a Mid-Amateur Championship in lot of preparation work and sacri1984 and the U.S. Junior Chamfice on all account.” pionship in 2002, as well as the There is a difference between Georgia Amateur Championship in hosting a professional major like 1995 and several regional amateur the U.S. Open or PGA Championevents. ship as opposed to a U.S. Amateur. The professional majors played The USGA or PGA would set up at Atlanta Athletic Club include the staff on site for a 1976 U.S. Open, professional major 1990 U.S. Women’s and handle much Open and three PGA of the preparation Championships and merchandis(1981, 2001, 2011). ing, but most of “It’s always been the work for the part of our heritage U.S. Amateur is to host tournaments being handled by of national and the club. international sig“Even a club nificance,” said Rick like ours can’t Anderson, a PGA come close to Master Professional handling” all the and Atlanta Athletic requirements of a Club’s director of major championgolf. “It’s in our misship, Anderson sion statement. points out. “But “The club has for an amateur always hosted big event – even the tournaments, going U.S. Amateur – we back to when we Rick Anderson Atlanta Athletic Club’s Director of Golf can handle it out were at East Lake,” of our golf shop.” he said. “We had the The crowds Women’s Amateur will be signifiand a Ryder Cup. cantly smaller than they would be When we moved out here, one of for a U.S. Open or PGA Championthe first orders of business was to ship, but the Athletic Club will be ask the USGA to bring a national plenty busy, particularly early in championship to the home club of the tournament. Bobby Jones.” The field for the event is 312 Atlanta Athletic Club has esplayers, double the size for three tablished close ties with both the of the four professional majors USGA and PGA of America, hostand more than triple the number ing major championships for both of players in the Masters. Most organizations. The club is prized clubs that host the U.S. Amateur as a tournament host for a variety use a nearby course to help host of reasons, beginning with its two the practice rounds and two days exceptional courses. of stroke play qualifying, but the Although Highlands has been entire 2014 U.S. Amateur will be the primary tournament host, conducted at Atlanta Athletic Club. Riverside served as the course for
When we moved [to Johns Creek], one of the first orders of business was to ask the USGA to bring a national championship to the home club of Bobby Jones.”
A statue of Robert Tyre (Bobby) Jones stands in front of the Atlanta Athletic Club clubhouse. He in the same year. “Ken Mangum has got his work cut out for him during the two qualifying rounds,” Anderson said, referring to AAC’s highly regarded director of golf courses and grounds. Mangum has the responsibility of overseeing the work on the two courses to get them ready for the No. 1 amateur event in golf. “We’ll tee off as early as we can start, but once we get down to 64 players, things will be a little more manageable,” he said. Anderson, Mangum and the AAC’s maintenance staff will also hope for good weather to keep the
event on schedule, with the two days of stroke play qualifying typically lasting from just after sun up to almost or past sundown, especially the second day. To get down to the match play field of 64, a playoff involving multiple players is generally required late Tuesday afternoon and often is not concluded until Wednesday morning, when match play is scheduled to begin. The players competing in the two days of stroke play qualifying will experience two courses that are side-by-side and share a number
of similarities, but a cantly different styl The entire River the back nine of Hig part of the original club in the late 196 front nine of Highla few years later. All 36 holes wer Robert Trent Jones have been renovate Rees Jones. “The original 27 similar and are clos Anderson said, refe Chattahoochee, wh
OMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE
northfulton.com 21
A view of Highlands’ 8th fairway and green.
2014 U.S. Amateur fact sheet Par and yardage: Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course will be set up at 7,490 yards and will play to a par of 35-36–71. The companion stroke-play qualifying course, Atlanta Athletic Club’s Riverside Course will be set up at 7,381 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72. (All yardages subject to change) Architects: Both the Highlands and Riverside courses at the Atlanta Athletic Club opened in 1964 and were designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Jones receiving assistance on the Highlands Course from Joe Finger. Jones’ son, Rees, redesigned the Riverside Course in 2003 and three years later finished a redesign of the Highlands Course. Both courses will be used for stroke-play qualifying, with the Highlands hosting the match-play portion of the championship. Who can enter: The championship is open to amateur golfers who hold a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The USGA accepted 6,803 entries for the 2014 championship, 200 fewer than in 2013. The record number of entrants is 7,920, in 1999. Sectional qualifying: Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes is scheduled between July 7-22 at 97 sites throughout the country. Entries closed on June 25. Schedule of play: A field of 312 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 11-12 on each of the two qualifying courses, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers. Six rounds of match play begin on Aug. 13 and the championship concludes with a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 17. Here is the schedule:
Atlanta Athletic Club Scorecard
e remains the only golfer to ever complete the Grand Slam of golf — winning all four majors
are also signifilistically. rside course and ghlands were 27 holes of the 60s, with the ands following a
re designed by s Sr., and both ed by his son
7 holes are very ser to the river,” erring to the hich borders part
of the course. “The back nine on Highlands has more water in play than Riverside, and there’s a big difference with the front nine of Highlands.” Anderson said that Highlands “has been our championship course and is supposed to be tough. Riverside is a little more player friendly, and when people discover it, they like it a lot. But it can play long, too.” This will be the first time Highland’s famous 18th hole will play as a par 5 in competition, which Anderson believes will set up “some interesting possibilities for match
play.” Other than the 2017 Palmer Cup, an annual match pitting top college players from the U.S. against European counterparts, Anderson says Atlanta Athletic Club’s schedule for the near future is open. “At this stage, there’s nothing beyond that,” he said. “The majors usually operate now at about seven years out. There’s no reason to believe we won’t continue as a host, but we don’t know when it will be. It’s just the timing of the event and whether we want to have it.”
Highlands Course Hole By Hole: Hole Par Yards Hole Par Yards
1 4 454 10 4 442
2 4 512 11 4 457
3 4 475 12 5 551
4 3 219 13 4 366
5 5 565 14 4 451
6 4 425 15 3 260
7 3 180 16 4 476
8 4 467 17 3 207
9 4 426 18 5 557
Total 35 3,723 Total 36 3,767
8 3 189 17 3 219
9 4 490 18 5 569
Total 36 3,768 Total 36 3,613
Riverside Course Hole By Hole: Hole Par Yards Hole Par Yards
1 5 616 10 4 400
2 4 433 11 3 172
3 5 579 12 4 464
4 4 391 13 5 534
5 4 428 14 4 397
6 3 200 15 4 438
7 4 442 16 4 420
22 August 6, 2014
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
North Fulton clubs used to hosting big events It all started with ‘76 U.S. Open at AAC By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Golf courses in North Fulton have been hosting major professional and amateur tournaments for almost 40 years, beginning with the U.S. Open at Atlanta Athletic Club in 1976. The U.S. Golf Association returns to the Athletic Club for the fifth time this year, with the Johns Creek facility serv-
ing as host of the U.S. Amateur Championship, scheduled for Aug. 11-17. Atlanta Athletic Club is one of a sizeable number of country clubs in North Fulton that have served as a tournament site for a professional tour, the USGA or a statewide championship for the Georgia State Golf Association or Georgia PGA. The quality of golf courses in North Fulton has attracted
national professional and amateur events to the area, with Atlanta Athletic Club hosting a variety of amateur and professional events. Among the championships contested at the Athletic Club are the 1976 U.S. Open, three PGA Championships (1981, 2001, 2011), the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open, the 1984 MidAmateur Championship and 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur. The four men’s majors played at AAC featured some of the more memorable finishes in modern golf history, begin-
ning with Jerry Pate’s sensational second shot from the rough on the 18th hole in the final round of the ’76 U.S. Open for a championship-clinching birdie. The 2001 PGA Championship featured a scintillating duel between David Toms and Phil Mickelson that was decided on the 72nd hole after Toms elected to lay up short of the pond fronting the 18th green and had to scramble for a winning par. When the PGA returned to the Athletic Club a decade later, two little-known PGA Tour neophytes staged a wild finish in the final round, with Keegan Bradley prevailing in a playoff over Jason Dufner, who rebounded to win the championship in 2013. The lone women’s championship played at AAC is mostly remembered for the amount of rain that fell on the course that week, but managed to produce a worthy winner, as Betsy King edged Patty Sheehan by one stroke in the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open. The two national amateur events that have been played at Atlanta Athletic Club both had a strong local presence, which is also likely to be the case at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship. Atlanta’s Danny Yates was stroke play co-medalist in the 1984 U.S. Mid-Amateur, sharing those honors with Bob Lewis Jr., who reached the finals of match play before losing to Michael Podolak. In the U.S. Junior Championship in 2002, three Georgia teenagers who all went on to make names for themselves at the collegiate and professional level advanced to match play and won a combined six matches. Woodstock’s Chris Kirk, who helped lead the Georgia golf team to a 2005 NCAA championship and is a twotime winner on the PGA Tour, won his opening match at the Athletic Club in ’02 before losing in the second round. Alpharetta’s Roberto Castro enjoyed an outstanding college career at Georgia Tech and qualified for the Tour Championship last year in just his second season on the PGA Tour. He lost in the third round to fellow future PGA Tour member Charlie Beljan, who went on to win the Junior Championship at the Athletic Club. Beljan also ousted another Georgian in the quarterfinals, defeating Savannah’s Brian Harman, who joined Kirk in Athens and is also playing on the PGA Tour. Harman went on to win the
U.S. Junior the next year. The last North Fulton course to host a USGA championship was Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek, which served as the site of the 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur, which was won by Morgan Pressel. After turning pro later that year, Pressel won the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship, becoming the youngest player in LPGA history to win a major. Settindown Creek has also hosted a number of U.S Open qualifiers, as well as the Nike (now Web.com) Tour Championship in 1995 and ’96. Allen Doyle of LaGrange, who went on to win several majors on the Champions Tour, including the U.S. Senior Open, and Duluth’s Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open champion, won the two pro events held at Settindown Creek. Several North Fulton courses have hosted U.S. Open qualifiers over the years, among them Golf Club of Georgia, Country Club of the South and Horseshoe Bend, all of which also served as the sites of Champions Tour events in the 1980s and ‘90s. The last Champions Tour event in North Fulton was the 2000 Nationwide Championship at Golf Club of Georgia, with Hale Irwin winning the second of his back-to-back titles in the tournament. Horseshoe Bend and the Standard Club have also hosted U.S. Women’s Open qualifiers, with Brookfield Country Club the former site of an LPGA Tour tournament, which was played between 1977 and 1984. Other than the 2011 PGA Championship, the last PGA Tour event played in North Fulton was a 2003 World Golf Championship tournament at Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course, won by Tiger Woods. Capital City Crabapple was also the site of the 2013 NCAA men’s golf championship, won by Alabama. Georgia Tech reached the semifinals of that event, and three members of that team –Atlanta area residents Ollie Schniederjans and Seth Reeves along with Bo Andrews – will be in the U.S. Amateur field. The Athletic Club has also hosted the GSGA’s Amateur Championship in 1995. Other North Fulton courses to host the state’s top amateur event are the Golf Club of Georgia (1993) and Settindown Creek (2007 and ’12). Harris English, already a winner in his young PGA Tour career, won at Settindown Creek just prior to beginning his college career at Georgia in ’07.
23 August 6, 2014
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
Ex-Milton golfer Jaworski in U.S. Amateur field Looking to reach match play in second start By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The last time Atlanta Athletic Club hosted a U.S. Golf Association championship, the field included a player from Milton High School. The Athletic Club will host the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship this month, with a recent Milton golfer among the 312 players who will vie for the most prestigious amateur event in the sport. Zack Jaworski, a 2012 Milton graduate, earned his spot in the field by tying for fourth in a recent qualifier at Atlanta’s Piedmont Driving Club. Only five spots were available from a field of 130 players and Jaworski came into the qualifier off a recent stretch of play that was not up to the level he displayed last summer, when he had a string of excellent showings in national amateur tournaments. Jaworski shot back-to-back rounds of 3-under par 68 in the qualifier and earned one of the five coveted spots in the U.S. Amateur. He will look to at least match the effort of former Milton standout and current PGA Tour member Roberto Castro, who competed in the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club and reached the third round of match play before losing to eventual champion Charlie Beljan, also a current PGA Tour member. This will be Jaworski’s second appearance in the U.S. Amateur. He qualified two years ago shortly before entering Vanderbilt, and played respectably in stroke play qualifying, missing match play by a few shots. Having that experience will be invaluable for Jaworski, who will be able to play in this month’s championship in front of family and friends in more familiar surroundings. “It’s definitely really exciting,” Jaworski said of getting to play in the U.S. Amateur in his hometown. “I’ll have family and friends coming out to watch. It will definitely be a lot of fun.” Jaworski says he had a memorable experience when he competed in the Amateur two years ago, but admitted he “got a little caught up in it” and was not one of the 64 players who advanced to match play. Last year, Jaworski did not make it past sectional qualifying for the Amateur, and said
Vanderbilt University
Former Milton student Zack Jaworski will do his best to stay out of the sand traps during the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship. he “was disappointed I did not make it.” In his third attempt at qualifying this year, Jaworski made it into the event for the second time and has a definite goal in mind. “I expect to make match play,” he said. “The ‘awe’ factor is a bit lower and I should perform well. I’m comfortable with the Highlands course, but I’ve never played the other course (Riverside). I plan to play it before the tournament and familiarize myself.” Highlands will be the course for the match play Zack Jaworski portion of the Amateur golfer championship, with players competing one day on Highlands and one day on Riverside in the 36-hole qualifier. Jaworski first played Highlands in a high school tournament when he was on the Milton golf team. He helped lead the Eagles to a state championship his senior year after a runner-up finish in 2011.
“To win state was a big deal,” Jaworski said. “That was one of my goals for high school, and it was great to win after coming so close the year before.” Jaworski has played on the Vanderbilt golf team the past two seasons and has been in and out of the lineup, competing in a total of 15 events. As a freshman, Jaworski posted the team’s low score in NCAA regionals and had a career best fourth place finish during his sophomore season. After his freshman season, Jaworski played well in several national amateur events, including a tie for 10th in the Dogwood Invitational at Atlanta’s Druid Hills Golf Club. Jaworski enjoyed several solid showings during the spring portion of Vanderbilt’s schedule as a sophomore, but was not in the lineup as the Commodores qualified for the NCAA championship. Three other members of Vanderbilt’s team and an in-
It’s definitely really exciting. I’ll have family and friends coming out to watch. It will definitely be a lot of fun.”
coming freshman qualified for the U.S. Amateur along with Jaworski, and he expects to again be in a competition situation his junior season. “I could not ask for a better group of guys,” said Jaworski, whose teammates include former Mount Pisgah golfer Jordan Janico. “I love my team and my coaches.” Jaworski, who plays out of the Manor, had not been playing especially well this summer until his strong showing in the qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club. He shot 4-under on his first nine in the opening round before ending the day two off the lead at 68. “The leader was at 6-under, and I figured if I could get to the leader’s number the second day, I’d be in pretty good shape,” Jaworski said. He shot 2-under on his first nine the second day and came home in 1-under, making just two bogeys over the 36 holes. His 6-under 136 total was two shots clear of players tying for sixth at 138. “As bad as this summer has been, it was great to get things turned around,” Jaworski said of his play in the qualifier. “To play two good rounds like that headed toward the Amateur is a big deal. “It’s a real confidence boost,” he said.
Oglethorpe University
David Kleckner
N’view’s Kleckner to compete Joining Zack Jaworski in the field is former Northview golfer David Kleckner, a member of the golf team at Oglethorpe. Like Jaworski, Kleckner tied for fourth in the qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club, matching Jaworski’s scores of 6868—136. Kleckner enjoyed a successful sophomore season at Oglethorpe, winning a tournament at Callaway Gardens and recording a top 15 finish in the NCAA Division III championship. He also tied for 15th in the recent Georgia Amateur, played at Idle Hour in Macon.
24 August 6, 2014
Past: Continued from Page 18 Giles played on the Georgia golf team from 1963-66, and was a co-medalist in U.S. Amateur qualifying early in his Georgia career. Giles remained an amateur after graduating from Georgia, and was a runner-up in the championship three straight years (1967-69) during an eight-year stretch when the tournament was contested over 72 holes of stroke play. Giles broke through with a victory in 1972, the last year the tournament was played without a match play component. The runner-up that year was Ben Crenshaw, one of several future major champions to first make their marks in the U.S. Amateur in the early 1970s. Lanny Wadkins edged out Tom Kite to win in 1970, two years before Crenshaw (Kite’s Texas teammate) made it to the title match. Craig Stadler and Jerry Pate were the 1973 and ’74 champions, with Pate’s victory coming less than two years before he won the 1976 U.S. Open at Atlanta Athletic Club. Fred Ridley (1975), Jay Sigel (1982 and ’83) and future college coach Buddy Alexander (’86) all scored victories as career amateurs around titles by soon-to-be successful pros John Cook (1978), Mark O’Meara (’80) and Hal Sutton (’81). Cook defeated Scott Hoch in the championship match before losing to O’Meara in the finals the next year. Fred Couples was the qualifying medalist in ’81.
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com But for every Wadkins, Stadler, O’Meara and Sutton who went on to win a major championship as a pro, there were players who never lived up to the promise of their U.S, Amateur triumphs. Bill Sander, John Fought, Eric Meeks and Chris Patton were among the winners from 1976-89, along with Scott Verplank and Billy Mayfair, who both went on to lengthy professional careers. That stretch also included one of the unlikeliest U.S. Amateur champions of modern times – Nathaniel Crosby (son of Bing) in 1981 – and a pair of Georgians who lost in the finals, Macon’s Peter Persons in ’85 and Atlanta career amateur Danny Yates in ’88. From 1990-97, four of the best college players of the past 25 years combined for six U.S. Amateur titles, beginning with Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard and ending with Matt Kuchar, a member of the Georgia Tech golf team at the time. In between were three straight titles for Tiger Woods, who won the U.S. Junior Championship the three previous years. Of the five best American golfers post Nelson-Hogan-Snead, Tom Watson is the only who did not win the U.S. Amateur, something Palmer, Nicklaus, Mickelson and Woods all accomplished. Since Woods scored the last of his three U.S. Amateur victories in 1996, a handful of the winners have gone on to successful careers in the pros, but most have not. Kuchar and Ryan Moore (2004) have both played well on the PGA Tour, with Edoardo Molinari
Phil Mickelson took the U.S. Amateur title in 1990. (2005) and Richie Ramsay (’06) both winners on the European Tour. Ricky Barnes has enjoyed some success as a pro since his 2002 victory, but not as much as was expected. Barnes’ victory capped a brief run of victories by golfers who were highly regarded at the time, but have not achieved the success predicted for them. Hank Kuehne, David Gossett, Jeff Quinney and Bubba Dickerson, who won at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club in 2001, have all struggled as pros, as has Australia’s Nick Flanagan, the first of five international
Stuart Franklin/Getty Imaeges Sport
players to win the U.S. Amateur in a seven-year span beginning in 2003. American collegians have won three of the last four, but only 2010 champion Peter Uihlein has made any kind of a mark yet as a pro, and that has come in Europe. England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick won last year at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, but has since turned pro after a brief stint on the Northwestern golf team. The player he defeated in the title match, Oliver Goss of Australia, has also turned pro since last year’s U.S. Amateur.
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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
Tech’s Schniederjans world’s top-ranked amateur Looks to contend at AAC after summer success against pros By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK – Georgia Tech senior Ollie Schniederjans will begin the U.S. Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Rankings, but that status will not matter once the tournament begins August 11. Like the other 311 players in the field, Schniederjans will have to finish among the top 64 in stroke play qualifying to advance to match play, with those players seeded off their finish in qualifying, not their rankings. After a busy and eventful summer, Schniederjans will be among the tournament favorites, even though he has bypassed the usual routine of playing in top amateur tournaments in the country in preparation for the U.S. Amateur. Schniederjans, who grew up and still lives in the Cobb County community of Powder Springs, has spent his summer playing against the pros and competing in England, and comes into the U.S. Amateur off a string of strong showings in those events. After an outstanding junior season at Georgia Tech that earned him first team AllAmerica status, Schniederjans ascended to the No. 1 ranking in amateur golf, and was awarded a sponsor exemption into a Web.com Tour tournament in Wichita. In his first ever experience playing against tour players, Schniederjans tied for fifth place in what turned out to be his only tournament in the U.S. since the NCAA Championship, which ended in late May. He lost in a playoff for the individual NCAA title, with Georgia Tech losing in the match play quarterfinals. Schniederjans went directly from Wichita to England, where he competed in the Palmer Cup, an amateur event matching top college players from the U.S. against a team from Europe. He was the top American player in a losing effort, posting a 3-1 record including victories in both his singles matches. Schniederjans was able to extend his trip when he was offered a spot in the Scottish Open, a European Tour event played the week before the British Open. The Georgia Tech senior played solidly throughout the tournament, making the cut and tying for 41st
I’d like to contend and win some matches, but first I’ve got to make it to match play, and that’s not a given. You’ve got to play well.” Ollie Schniederjans Top-ranked amateur in the world
against many of the top players in professional golf. After returning home, Schniederjans did what most people do during the summer, and was on vacation in California a few weeks before the U.S. Amateur, participating in a media interview session at Atlanta Athletic Club on the phone from the West Coast. “I’ve been playing nonstop since January and took a break after the Scottish Open,” Schniederjans said. Although he was in California, Schniederjans’ thoughts were on an upcoming tournament a few weeks away in the Atlanta area “I’m very excited,” Schniederjans said about the prospects of playing the top event in amateur golf in his home town. “I’d like to contend and win some matches, but first I’ve got to make it to match play, and that’s not a given. You’ve got to play well. Hopefully, I’ll make a really, really long run in match play. I feel good about my chances.” As the No. 1-ranked player competing in his home town in the biggest event in amateur golf, much of the attention will be focused on Schniederjans, “It’s nothing I haven’t handled before,” he says, pointing out that the external pressure is no greater “than the pressure I put on myself.” Schniederjans said his summer of playing abroad and against professionals has been “a great experience. I learned a lot just from being around those guys. The Scottish Open was very special, playing links golf against those names. “I played pretty well in each
Georgia Tech senior Ollie Schniederjans is the top-ranked amateur in the world of them. I had one bad nine in the Web.com event, but I got back in contention.” Schniederjans shot 64 in his first tournament round in a pro event, added a 65 two days later and closed with a final round 67 to finish just five shots behind the winner. “That was pretty cool,” Schniederjans said of his opening 64, with his second round comeback after shooting 4-over on his first nine another highlight. “I went straight from Wichita to England, and that was a tough transition. I played OK in the Palmer Cup, pretty good in singles. And I got some time to re-group and rest before the Scottish Open. “I played pretty good there, but I didn’t score that good (four rounds between 70 and 72). To make the cut and play all four rounds was great. It was a great experience.”
Schniederjans has been a national caliber player since his days as a junior, and was ranked fourth in the junior rankings before enrolling at Georgia Tech. After a successful freshman season at Tech, he began to emerge as a major player his sophomore season, earning third team All-America status and helping lead the Yellow Jackets into the match play portion of the NCAA Championship, where they lost in the semifinals at North Fulton’s Capital City Club Crabapple Course. During his junior season, Schniederjans won three tournaments outright, including the U.S. Collegiate Championship at Golf Club of Georgia, and shared first place twice. His five wins broke the Georgia Tech record held by PGA Tour players David Duval, Stewart Cink and Troy Matteson.
Schniederjans has a history of playing well in Atlanta area tournaments, adding a runnerup finish in the 2013 Dogwood Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club (he was sixth the year before) to his college play at Golf Club of Georgia and the Crabapple course. He was the medalist in a 2012 U.S. Amateur qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club and reached match play before losing in the first round. Last year, Schniederjans narrowly missed qualifying for match play at the U.S. Amateur in Boston, and is looking for better results on a course he is more familiar with. “It’s special. It’s one of my favorite Atlanta area courses,” Schniederjans says of the Highlands Course, which will host one of the two qualifying rounds and all the match play portion of the event. “It’s long and it’s difficult.”
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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE VIEWER’S GUIDE northfulton.com
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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.
MUSIC»
FARMERS AND ARTISANS MARKET
WALKS IN THE GARDEN
The Roswell Farmers and Artisans Market has vendors from everywhere within a 100 mile radious and includes live music, mini-workshops, children’s programs and much more. Saturday, Aug. 9. 8 a.m. until noon. Roswell City Hall. 38 Hall St., Roswell. Please visit roswellfam.com.
OH DEER! HIKE
Come play games and interactive activities in Autrey Mill Nature Preserve that will help you understand the life of a deer. Guided hikes through the park will last about an hour. $5 members, $7 non-members. Saturday, Aug. 9 at 4 p.m. 9770 Autrey Mill Rd., Johns Creek. Please call 678-366-3511.
MATILDA’S UNDER THE PINES PRESENTS VALERIE HINES
As part of the Music Under the Pines concert series, Valerie Hines will perform on Saturday, Aug. 9. Valerie Hines plays country, folk and blues music. 8:30 p.m. Matilda’s Cottage. 377 S Main St., Alpharetta. Please call 770-754-7831 or visit matildascottage.com.
BLUEBERRY PICKING IN FORSYTH
ATLANTA PLAYS IT FORWARD PRESENTS SWING AND JAZZ
FRANK BARHAM PERFORMS AT VELVET NOTE
Come out and enjoy blues music by Frank Barham at the Velvet Note. His song list includes tunes by Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock among others. Showtimes are 7:30 and 9:30 p.m on Friday, Aug. 8. The Velvet Note. 4075 Old Milton Pkwy., Alpharetta. Please call 855583-5838.
Join the fun at the Roswell Visitors Center to be entertained and to reminisce on the big band era as you listen to the music provided by the Reflections band that began its musical journey together in 1999. Atlanta Plays It Forward founder Tom LaDow’s vision is to assist charitable and community organizations in securing musical entertainment for their events and activities at an affordable (or sometimes no) cost. Event is free of charge. Saturday, Aug. 9, from 2-3:15 p.m. Roswell Visitors Center. 617 Atlanta St., Roswell. Please call 770-640-3253.
Cregge, the Parks and Recreation Director, at 678-242-2489.
EVENTS» BELL MEMORIAL PARK GROUNDBREAKING
The City of Milton invites the community to the Bell Memorial Park expansion project groundbreaking ceremony Friday, Aug. 8 at 11 a.m. This ceremony will mark the kickoff of the $9.4 million expansion of Bell Memorial from a 12-acre park with four baseball fields to a nearly 30-acre multi-use facility with both passive and active recreation options.15245 Bell Park Rd., Milton. Please call Jim
Families and friends are invited to pick blueberries at the Blueberry Garden’s U-Pick Blueberry Farm & Nursery. Open every Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. $15 for a gallon of blueberries. U-Pick Farm and Nursery. 5455 Crow Rd., Cumming. Please call 770-8892519 or visit blueberrygarden. org.
OPEN HEARTH COOKING
Living history interpreter and open hearth cooking expert, Clarissa Clifton, will demonstrate making traditional southern food over the open flame on the historic grounds of Smith Plantation. This summer Clarissa is showcasing the versatility of the fire pit as she makes outdoor classics and even cakes over the fire. Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Smith Plantation. 935 Alpharetta St., Roswell. Please call 770-641-3978.
DANCEFX OPEN HOUSE
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Starting on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 9:30 a.m., there will be free tours of the gardens in the restored antebellum gardens of Barrington Hall. No reservations necessary. Plan to stay after for a tour of the historic Barrington Hall. Tours run Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Barrington Hall. 535 Barrington Dr., Roswell. Please call 770640-3855.
Dancefx is kicking off their 20142015 season with an open house. Dancefx is offering free classes, raffles for free tuition and more. All ages are welcome to attend. Saturday, Aug. 9 beginning at 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. 8465 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Alpharetta. Please call 770-645-0110 or visit dancefx.org.
LOCAL AUTHOR GEORGE WEINSTEIN PRESENTS HARDSCRABBLE ROAD
MILTON-WINDWARD ROTARY CLUB
The course is a fun race down Cogburn Road around Cambridge High School and ends back at the Hopewell Middle School parking lot. An after race celebration will have food trucks and an outdoor movie for all to enjoy. Friday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. Hopewell Middle School. 13060 Cogburn Rd., Milton. Please visit active.com/milton-ga.
The City of Milton now has a rotary club to call its own. The rotary club meets every Monday at noon until 1 p.m. Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood will speak at the next meeting on Aug. 11. St. Aidans Episcopal Church 13560 Cogburn Rd., Milton. Please call 678325-8050 or visit windwardrotary. com.
Roswell author, George Weinstein, will speak at the Friends of Roswell Library Atlanta Authors series on Saturday, Aug. 9. His book, “Hardscrabble Road,” is Southern historical fiction about the value of perseverance and optimism during the Great Depression. The free program is in the Roswell Library Meeting Room from 2-3 p.m. 115 Norcross St. Please call 770-640-3075 or visit georgeweinstein.com.
RACES & BENEFITS» SUPER 5K FAMILY RUN
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Staging a house for sale Tips On Organizing Your Closets Like A Pro By Pam Santoro Harry Norman Realtors
When staging a house for sale, start with one room at a time. Make sure closets are not over stuffed by removing out of season outfits and organize shoes in a neat manner. When walking in a room, Santoro pathways should be clear. Do the walls need a new coat of paint? Neutral walls will help the buyer picture their furniture in the house. If you have children, pack up excess toys. Pack nick knacks and family pictures away. Less is more. Even expensive collections are distracting to buyers if they monopolize the room. You want a prospective buyer to picture this as their new home and to remember the special features and details of your property. Pack excess linens and then neatly fold all the towels and sheets in your linen closet. Buyers will look in your closets and under your sinks. If you have a spare work room in the basement, pack your
excess there in neatly labeled boxes. This gives the appearance that you are preparing for the move. This process is going to make your house appear larger and more like a model home. Even removing the screens on nice clean windows, will give a better appearance both in and out of the house. For more information on the home selling process, feel free to contact me at 678-656-6627.
(NAPSI)—Any time of year can be the right time to give your closets the once-over. A well-organized closet space offers several benefits. For starters, you can save time when you can find the items you are looking for. That can also mean less stress and more time to enjoy with family and friends. To help, here are some tips from EasyClosets—an online provider of do-it-yourself custom organization systems for all areas of the home. • Closets can be easily overrun with clothes, shoes and jackets that you no longer wear or are out of season and are taking up valuable space. Rotating your wardrobe with the season and purging items keeps everything organized and gives your closet some space to breathe. • When it comes to the closet space itself, create dedicated areas for specific types of items so you will know where to find them—and where to put them away—every time. • Position shelves, hanging rods and drawers in a convenient location
A well-organized closet space offers several benefits. Being able to find the items you’re looking for can mean less stress and more time to enjoy with family and friends. that makes it simple to get to items that are used frequently. • Then use your closet’s top shelves
See CLOSETS, Page 29
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REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section
August 6, 2014 29
5 Reasons Hiring a Real Estate Professional is a Good Idea By Bill Rawlings Vice President/Managing Broker North Atlanta Office Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty Today, nearly 100 percent of people begin the real estate process online. With numerous real estate-focused websites offering enhanced exposure, some sellers choose the FSBO (for sale by owner) route because it seems effortless to position your home to potential buyers on popular real estate Rawlings websites. The Internet can be alluring in pursuing FSBO, but whether you are buying or selling, consider five important points in the difference between working with a REALTOR® and navigating the process on your own. 1. Paperwork. What, how and why? Contract regulations vary from state to state and are required for a successful sale. Understanding the details and keeping abreast of the ever-changing regulations is a daunting task to undertake on your own. When you hire a real estate professional, you are hiring a market expert who can help you navigate through the confusing, but necessary, paperwork. 2. You found the house of your dreams! So, now what? The Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association conducted a study and found that every successful real estate transaction has more than 230 possible required actions. A real estate professional is familiar with what each action entails and has a database of resources available, if necessary. Agents possess the knowledge and tools to help make your dream a reality. 3. Can you negotiate well? Some people are not convinced they need an agent to sell their home; however, an agent offers expertise when it comes to negotiating with the long list of individuals required for a successful transaction. The average transaction requires working with a minimum of 11 different people including the buyer, inspector, appraiser and lender, to name a few. It can be an arduous process – who wouldn’t want help with that? 4. Get the most out of your transaction. What’s your home’s real value? Real estate professionals have access to market data required to price your home correctly. Competitively pricing your home right from the start allows you to attract serious, qualified buyers and leads to a quicker sale. You will benefit from the expertise of an agent with no emotional connection to your home in identifying its truest value. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, “the typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 among agent-assisted home sales.” 5. Do you really understand what’s going on in the market? When it comes to real estate, there is a
Closets: Continued from Page 28 to store off-season or seldom-used items, including hats, luggage and extra bedding. • In the master bedroom closet, organize your belts, ties or scarves with pull-out racks that keep items separated and accessible. • In your kids’ closets, you can make it easier to keep things orderly with baskets and shelves placed within
constant flood of information about home sales, prices, mortgage rates, the right time to buy or sell – the list goes on. It is daunting to keep up with it all. How do you separate fact from fiction? Do you really know what’s happening in your area? By hiring an agent who is knowledgeable about the market and your neighborhood positions you to have a positive buying or selling experience. Agents are not just in it for the sale and are honest with their clients. Working with a real estate professional who can educate you on the process and handle the detailed aspects of writing and executing a contract will give you the best conclusion possible. Do you need any more reasons? You wouldn’t skydive without an experienced guide. You wouldn’t want to have an operation without an experienced doctor … do not make one of the biggest and most important financial decisions of your life without a real estate professional. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty agents are recognized as experts in the markets they serve. Contact me today and I can recommend an agent to assist you in the purchase or sale of your next real estate transaction or visit us at AtlantaFineHomes.com Article adapted from KeepingCurrentMatters. com.
their reach. Wire baskets will let your little ones see what’s inside. Double up on hanging rods to maximize space and make clothing items more visible. As they grow, you can move or remove the adjustable rods. • To organize your entryway closet, create zones by dedicating baskets, hooks and shelves to each family member. Use them to store jackets, shoes, hats, bags, the dog’s leash and seasonal items. • If you want to get your closets organized right away, EasyClosets offers prod-
ucts that are custom made in one business day and shipped to your home. The company even has an intuitive online design tool to make space planning quick and easy for homeowners. Complimentary design service is also available, allowing customers to have an expert review their plan or create it for them. Upgrading to a custom closet can increase the quality and value of your home. Plus, you can save up to 50 percent by designing and installing the organizers yourself. To learn more, visit www. easyclosets.com.
30 August 6, 2014
REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section
northfulton.com | Milton Herald
How landscaping can impact home values By Jody White Curb appeal is essential when selling a home. It’s the homeowner’s opportunity to make a great FIRST impression. A home with lackluster landscaping or an exterior in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint will likely be unappealing to prospective buyers and ultimately could affect the home’s potential value. Landscaping is typically associated with lawns, trees, bushes and flowers. But today, other items such as fire pits, decks, patios, waterfalls, swimming pools and outdoor lighting…are all large factors that could add to the resale value of a home. Big factors here in Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell! According to a recent study by Lawn and Landscape magazine, about two-thirds of homeowners say they’ll get less than 60 percent of their landscaping investment back when they sell the home. Thus, homeowners need to consider how long they’ll be in the home and whether to make short-term updates (for sales appeal) or plan for the long haul (enjoyment for themselves). Homeowners should ask themselves several questions when it comes to the quality of their home’s green space. Is the landscaping attractive enough to get the prospective buyer to walk through the door? Keep the design simple and contemporary. Could the landscaping provide cost savings? Landscaping that requires little or no water to maintain is very desirable here in the south. Is the landscaping energy – efficient for the home overall? For example, it’s a good idea to plant trees in a place where they block the sun while adding beauty to the home. Are trees planted a safe distance from the home and are they healthy and well maintained? Really important when we have had so much wet weather. Weak, old or damaged trees planted too close to a home need to be removed BEFORE the home goes on the market. Just one less thing a new homeowner
will have to do and shows that the present homeowner has taken steps to ensure safety around the home. Jody White’s team provides access to the best
teams in the industry to assure your home is ready to show, inside and out! Jody White, Atlanta Fine Homes, 404-966-7992.
sports
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Bears:
northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 31
Continued from Page 1 tice for the first day,” he said. “You try to keep things in perspective. You see the kids start getting tired and then you look down at your watch and see it is 2 o’clock in the morning.” After a summer-full of practice, Bennett said he had high hopes for the year. But the first game of the season is Aug. 22, a week earlier than usual. “We play in 21 days,” he said. “We’re not scared of being behind but the calendar itself gets us on the field a week earlier than we are used to.” The midnight growl began three years ago, when the high school was still being built. The team was not allowed in their facilities until Aug. 1, so they took the liberty of taking that rule at face value – they showed up at 12:01 a.m. to start practicing. Now Bennett said the kids have taken it to heart.
Photo by Katherine Covington
The many players of the Cambridge football teams practice into the night Aug. 1.
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Cambridge Head Football Coach Craig Bennett addresses his students.
“Now, our kids want to do it,” he said. “It’s become a tradition.”
The cheerleading squads join the football players for the midnight practice.
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Locally Owned Supporting Our Community Since 1968
Call today
678-682-3650
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Players from the 7th grade Jr. Bears, Macnair Pacey, Carter Carew, Matthew Schnetzka and Derrick Simmons get some Kona Ice after practice and the Pep Rally.
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The community made it family-friendly, including food trucks in the Midnight Growl.
M - F: 10am to 6pm Sat: 10am to 3pm carpetdepotroswell.com Showroom: 23-B Oak Street Roswell, GA 30075, Backside of SOCA (Oak Street Cafe)
32 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
sports
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AYBA Eagles runner up in Dizzy Dean MILTON, Ga. – The Alpharetta AYBA Eagles 8U team reached the Elite 8 and finished second in the Dizzy Dean World Series July 29 at Southhaven, Mississippi. They were undefeated until the final game. The team are, top from left, coach Jay McWhirter, coach Tim Nielsen, head coach Scott Kersey and
coach David Lakin. In the middle row are Ty Petrovich, Braydon Kersey, Ethan Babcock, Michael McCavitt, Seth Lakin and Brandon Nielsen. In front are Wesley Warren, Bennett Flach, Wesley Austin, Jackson Chappell, Asher Sabom and Jeremy McWhirter. —Jonathan Copsey
Daphne Rowse of Milton’s D&D Equestrian, with her horse Macho Man, shows off her winnings. She won the “Ride a Buck” class at the Harry Norman Ticket to Ride Benefit Horse Show, July 19 and 20.
Rowse wins a buck Local rider claims prize MILTON, Ga. – Young Daphne Rowse, of Milton-based D&D Equestrian, with her pony Macho Man, won the Capt. Herb Emory Foundation’s “Ride a Buck” class at Harry Norman’s Ticket to Ride Benefit Horse Show, July 19 and 20. There were 37 competitors in this class, including riders of all ages and local professionals. Riders rode bareback and
had to hold a $20 bill between their calf and horse while following a series of commands from the judge. Before Rowse was named the winner, riders had to gallop their horses and jump several obstacles. If their $20 bill fell to the ground, they were eliminated. At only 9 years old, Rowse said the energy of the crowd and the spectators’ kind words and encouragement, helped her to keep going during the nearly 30-minute class. —Jonathan Copsey
Raiders make Elite 8 at Dizzy Dean ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Alpharetta AYBA Raiders 8U team made the Elite 8 for the Dizzy Dean World Series July 29. Both AYBA 8U teams – the Raiders and the Eagles – made the Elite 8, a rare accomplishment. There were 38 teams total. The Raiders are, from top left, head coach Steve Davis, coach Pat Corkill, coach Matt
Cozad and coach Chris Few. In the bottom row are Brayden Chrismon, Carter Few, Grant Zimmerman, Tyler Zandstra, Connor Corkill, Cameron Clark, Brady Corkill, Brennan Cozad, Owen Falcon Andy Davis and Palmer Sperier. Not pictured is Lucas Nobles. —Jonathan Copsey
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community
northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 6, 2014 | 33
NFCC seeks help for back-to-school needs Supplies, backpacks, volunteers needed for kids By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Each year, the volunteers at North Fulton Community Charities hold a back to school event for needy families in North Fulton. They promote health and wellness as well as getting the children ready to head back into classrooms. But this year, the people at NFCC need help. “What we are seeing this year is that our in-kind donations of school supplies and backpacks are down from last year,” said Eden Purdy, director of programs at NFCC. “Last year, we were overflowing. This year, everything is down.” That includes volunteers, supplies and money to hold the back to school event. NFCC’s Back to School Fair helps prepare children to succeed academically by providing them with the tools they need. It is also a day for families to explore healthy lifestyle changes and prepare for the school year in a fun and festive environment. Purdy said this year they have 400 families coming to
the fair, with more than 1,300 children in tow. Each child is to be outfitted with a backpack filled with school supplies. “It’s important these children start school with the supplies all the other children are starting school with,” said Purdy. “We want them to have everything they need to have a good chance to succeed in school.” At the Back to School Fair, children get to enjoy fun and games while they and their parents can visit booths that promote healthy living and eating. “There are all sorts of activities that help families focus on health,” Purdy said. And not just a healthy body – a reading booth helps their minds as well. All these events are supported by volunteers, Purdy said. In past year, the event has required about 300 people to pull off – distributing the school supplies, setting the fair up and then running it. Working in two-hour shifts, the volunteers go from 7 a.m. through noon. NFCC is a leading nonprofit in the area, supplying needy
If you go What: NFCC’s Back to School Fair When: 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 9 Where: Elkins Pointe Middle School, 11290 Elkins Road, Roswell. More Info: www.nfcchelp.org
families with food, emergency money and counseling. They help hundreds of families and thousands of people each year. However, they depend on volunteers and donations. For more information or to donate, visit www.nfcchelp.org. Volunteers can contact Purdy at 678-387-4458 or epurdy@ nfcchelp.org.
North Fulton Community Charities will hold its annual Back to School Fair Aug. 9 at Elkins Pointe Middle School, 11290 Elkins Road, Roswell.
34 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
Arts & Entertainment
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Avett Brothers shake things up at Verizon Silver songbird Emmylou Harris sings for her summer By JEMILLE WILLIAMS ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Emmylou Harris, closer to 70 than not and rocking the most luxuriant silver hair in all the world of music for nearly half a century, stayed true to her folksy roots with her Wrecking Ball tour the evening of Friday, July 25. (Thankfully, it had nothing to do with Miley Cyrus. It was the title of an album she released two decades ago.) She said she felt like Minnie Pearl: “Proud to be here. It feels good to be surrounded by all the sights, smells and sounds of the South, being born a neighbor over in Alabama.” Harris’ career has been long and rife with success, winning her 13 Grammys (so far). She had an idyllic childhood, enjoying popularity as a cheerleader and valedictorian and attending college on a drama scholarship. She dropped out to pursue her musical career. When she was 16, Harris wrote Pete Seeger a six-page letter asking him if he thought she could possibly be a folk singer, having never experienced the pain and heartbreak that seemed to be its bedrock. He gently told her that time would provide enough. Townes Van Zandt has said that there are only two kinds of music – blues and Zip-A-Dee-
Doo-Dah. So, Harris decided she would just make some sad stuff up. Her plaintive soprano brings the hurt and heartache, winning fans and awards for more than 50 years now. Her melancholy “Red Dirt Girl” tells a too-common tale of the fate of many a country girl. My favorite song of the evening was the haunting “Michelangelo” with its mournful moaning chorus. She closed with Paul Kennerley’s “Born to Run,” which is a far cry from The Boss’ galvanic anthem of the same name. She gently sang of putting on her travelin’ shoes. And it’s a good thing. We’ll never tire of hearing the Silver Belle tolling out her wistful stories. I hope she keeps them on for another decade or so. Two-Hour Zumba Class A jungle beat by drummer Mike Marsh splits the dark as the Avett Brothers opened their no-holds-barred musical extravaganza with “Satan Pulls the Strings.” This newest song premiered two weeks ago at their three-night residence at Red Rocks and will be on their next album. This is only the second time they have played it for an audience. Dim spots take in Bob Crawford and Tania Elizabeth as they appear with their dueling fiddles, then cellist Joe Kwon faces off with Elizabeth, and Paul DiFiglia drags out his double bass to play with Crawford. A roar rises as brothers Scott on banjo and Seth on guitar take center stage. It. Is. On. A minimalist set with a several retro Klieg lights was
Photos by Charlie Holloway/ www.psychedlicplayground.com
all they needed. Thankfully, they only fired them up a few times, as they were all aimed at us. Although made charming by the collection of fans’ signs affixed to the rear – especially one that said, “Tae Kwon Joe!” – the band easily has the ugliest piano touring today. It looks like it has been given one streaky coat of white house paint. From the get-go, the hyper-caffeinated crew had the audience all hopped up. The joint was literally jumping. One unusual thing that I have never noticed before was that the images of the band projected on the screen were actually shaking from the harmonic vibration of five of the seven performers literally jumping up and down as they played. They
must have to retire the oriental rugs underfoot on a quarterly basis from all the stomping and scuffling they endure. Two- and three-night stands are not unusual for these pigeon-hole-defying punkgrass rockers. They literally and figuratively are all over the place musically – from rockabilly to straight-up rock and roll. They have so many songs out on so many albums, that even with three-night shows they don’t repeat any. Fiddle-player Elizabeth wore a Native American-looking dress with lots of fringe that added even more kinetic energy to her performance. Mad props to her for doing all the hopping and stomping as the guys do in high heels! Between her shoes and Kwon’s
non-ergonomic instrument position, I hope they have a chiropractor, reflexologist and massage therapist in their retinue. Kwon was born in Korea, but grew up in North Carolina. He attended boarding school in California. I’m sure classical music lessons were a part of his upbringing, and that his former teachers must be agog at the path he has taken. He blogs about food on the road, saying that they have to eat right, sleep enough and get some exercise to bear up under the strain of putting out the over-the-top energy they expend every night. One often hears of guitarists being called shredders, but Elizabeth and Kwon were literally shredding the horsehair off their bows. Kwon is especially intriguing, as I don’t believe there’s another cellist who rocks it as hard as he does, jumping and dancing with his instrument hooked on his neck. His redlining technique has earned him an endorse-
See VERIZON, Page 37
Going Green
Making a difference in your local community Milton Herald | August 6, 2014
Sustainable business practices for the new economy Charles Eisenstein, Yale University graduate and author of “Sacred Economics,” believes our society must form a “gift economy” in order to combat massive social inequality and the destruction of our environment. His work is based upon how former civilizations worked, wherein the richest person in the society was the person who did the most for society, without government meddling, when individuals instinctively supported each other without intrusive laws. This person could only gain so much by giving away the same amount. Because whatever was produced was a gift for someone else, individuals were always ensured of receiving one back. Eisenstein wrote that this type of thinking must apply to business leaders in the community. “Someday, hopefully soon, we must change the business environment to end the opposition between profit and ecological well-being,” Eisenstein wrote in the British newspaper, the Guardian. “…Herein lies a very different sort of ‘business case’ for sustainability. It comes from questions like, ‘Who are you, really?’ ‘What do you care about?’ and, ‘What do you serve?’ From a deep consideration of such questions, courage is born. “The other business case, the one based on profit, is just a tactical device, a way to give the bean counters – and our own internal bean counter – permission to say yes to what we all really want.” In this sense, Maria Fundora, owner of Casa Nuova in Alpharetta, is ahead of the game. Fundora manages a 13-acre “garden,” which is more like a farm, along with her husband, children and employees from the restaurant, to provide all the fresh veggies, herbs and fruit served in the restaurant. “It’s probably a wash,” said Fundora, describing the expenses of the business practices of maintaining and running a farm to support a restaurant. But she doesn’t do it for the bottom line. She does it to keep her customers happier and healthier — ultimately, sustaining and expanding her base of clients. Fundora even gives away her extra produce to customers after they enjoy their meal.
james carr
The Jig Is Up james@forsythherald.com
Maria Fundora with her son Pepe. “That changes everything; that you are not just making a living or making money, but you’re caring about your environment, you’re caring about your customer, you’re caring about improving your food quality even though it may cost more money,” said Fundora. “Because at the end of the day, people will appreciate what you are doing and your business will improve.” The value of Fundora’s garden isn’t quantifiable; it’s just good for the community. It brings people together. It means land that was once grass and trees is now productive and useful. And it tastes amazing. Steps like these will create waves in our free market, should we all choose to take them. I challenge business owners in the area to consider what you can do for your employees or community. Could you plant tomatoes and greens out back so your employees can make salads for lunch? Could you buy chickens so your employees could have eggs each morning? Could you save all the rainwater from your building to limit water waste? Could you let your employees work from home once a week to cut down on carbon emissions and let the workforce recover and spend time with family? There are unlimited options and almost none will help the bottom line. They will, how-
GOING GREEN: Q&A with Maria Fundora During research for my book, “The Jig is Up,” a book about sustainable living in urban environments, I interviewed Maria Fundora, owner of Casa Nuova restaurant and an avid farmer. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation. Read more of this interview at www. northfulton.com. How did the farm become a part of your restaurant? Fundora: We live on a farm, which is two blocks away. My husband bought the property in 1980, and at that time, there were no people out here (laughs). We wanted to open something closer to home. We found this little place; it was a strip mall that was going up and we were the first people to sign in 1997, and we opened in February 1998. We started slow, because the land you have to really work and if you want to be organic, you have to find natural fertilizers and that kind of thing. You have to really till depending on what kind of winter you had, too. We started out kind of small. My husband would make small batches of gelato for our family. That’s kind of how it started, and it snowballed. We did one acre, then two then three, and now we’re up to 12 acres. We don’t sell it to the public. We’ll use what we use here in the restaurant or like now, we have an abundance of cucumbers, so our customers will go home with little bags of our organic cucumbers to take with them. We try to use it as a marketing tool so people know we care about our customer, our environment and making our food better. And at this time of the year, our food is better. The recipe hasn’t changed, but what we’re using is better because we’re growing it ourselves. What do you grow in the garden, and what is the process like? Fundora: We start from organic seed in March or February, and we always plant after Easter -- we learned that lesson five or six years ago. We said, ‘Why don’t we start a little bit earlier?’ There was a major freeze, and we lost a lot of money in having to start over. If it’s an early Easter, we wait a little later. We don’t do any mushrooms, but we have parsley, cilantro, basil, corn. We have every color of pepper you can imagine; cucumbers. This year, we planted around 5,000 tomato plants. For us, tomatoes are a major key ingredient, because aside from making sauce, it makes soup, it makes our sun dried tomatoes for the year. We have cherry, heirloom, beefsteak – every kind of tomato you can imagine, we have. Eggplant, we have in the ground. We also have zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, different Caribbean squashes, ever, make the people around you happier and healthier. How much is that worth?
some potatoes, spinach, other greens – a little bit of everything that we use in the restaurant. And we have fruit trees to make our homemade gelato. We’re not doing it necessarily to make money because, as you know, using organic anything raises your price. Our pricing is very reasonable. We’re in a middle range, where you can have dinner with us on a weekly basis and not spend a fortune. We try to be sustainable. It helps our customers and our families eat healthier, which is very important. The Slow Food Movement in Italy isn’t just about food, it’s about an attitude. What are some of the differences between Italy and the United States in that regard? Fundora: We travel to Italy pretty often. One of the things we find wherever we go – whether we’re in Southern Italy on the islands of Capri or we’re in Sorrento, or Northern Italy or the Adriatic Coast of Florence – is every restaurant that we go to has a garden. And they’ll pick from that garden what they’re going to make for the day. Whether they do it as a special or as an additive – OK, we’ve got a lot of basil, let’s make a pesto sauce. And their customer base is used to that. I think it’s more of a way of life. At almost every home, you see a couple of vineyards. Not like an acre, but you’ll see a little track where they’ll harvest their own grapes and make homemade wine. You know? It’s the same kind of thing with food. We’ve been here 16 years now. In this area in Alpharetta, I see more and more of that. I see more gardens. And it’s very nice to be able to see it on my level, that people are doing it for their businesses. Does the garden supply enough food to last the entire year? Fundora: Depending how the weather is, we’ll have a fall garden, which is much smaller of course. Last year, we had maybe two acres. And you get excited about seeing those things that you plant in the fall that are different than what you planted in the spring. It keeps you talking about the garden throughout the year. We’ll talk to our customers throughout the year about what we’re doing, so there’s an excitement about what you’re doing. Our first flowers that we have every year are camellias, and when our customers see that we have camellias on the table they’re like, “Oh my god, have you started the garden?” What five items would you grow regardless of time or temperature? Fundora: Tomatoes, peppers, corn, spinach and basil. There are so many uses for all those.
James Carr is working on a book about the local, sustainable movement called “The Jig
Is Up.” For more information, visit thejigisup89.com.
36 | August 6, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com
opinion
Why we print the bad news When newspapers run the photos of breaking news items or video clips of fires, accidents or other tragedies, it is not – as some people often claim – “to sell more newspapers.” First, in our case, we sell very few newspapers. Most are delivered free to neighborhoods in our coverage areas. The few we do have in coin boxes and at grocery stores barely cover the cost of their printing and distribution. We do it as a way to provide the paper to those who want it but don’t receive it. We can’t throw newspapers to everyone; this is a business. So when we run a disturbing photo as we did of Nathan Buhl, recently appointed principal of Milton High School, it was not without more than a little thought. The arrest photo shows Buhl with a swollen and stitched face. It was suggested among the editors that we run a less graphic photo of the unfortunate Buhl. But in the end, we decided to run it because it was news and we are a newspaper. According to police reports, Buhl, 37, on the night of July 26 allegedly hit a parked car and later that evening crashed his car. The next day, he was arrested and faces charges of
Hatcher Hurd
Executive Editor hatcher@northfulton.com
DUI in Cherokee and Forsyth counties. When he crashed his car, he was apparently on his way home. The result of the crash sent him to the hospital for treatment, and he was released the next morning into police custody. He has resigned as principal and at the age of 37, the man named 2013-14 Principal of the Year has ended a promising career. So why run the photo of his swollen face? As we stated, first, it was news. It shows graphically how he suffered. While we understand the photo will add to the misery of a fine man and his family, it is also an object lesson to any who might think, “There for the grace of God go I.” It is why we publish the names of all those arrested for DUI and drugs. Yes, it is news. But it also has the effect of giving each of us pause. Everyone
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is guilty of some small act they would not like everyone to know. But some acts have dangerous consequences that can endanger others as well as the perpetrators. We believe this practice has a chilling effect on some, who then call a cab or use a designated driver rather than drive impaired. So when people who hold positions of public trust stumble, then yes we report it, warts and all. It is up to the readers to judge if our coverage overstepped the bounds of good taste.
Buhl: Continued from Page 1 High School,” said Area Superintendent Vic Shandor. “Therefore, we have accepted his decision to step down as principal. We appreciate BUHL him placing the needs of the school community first as he is dealing with this complex issue.” In the interim, former principal Ron Tesch will return to Milton until a permanent replacement is found. Tesch retired in 2010 after leading Milton High for 12 years. Since his retirement, he also served as the interim principal at Riverwood High School during a transition. Katie Reeves, the Fulton School Board member whose district includes Milton High, welcomed the news of Tesch’s return during the interim. “This [situation] is sad for everyone involved, but we are fortunate to have Milton in the hands of a highly experienced principal, Ron Tesch, to be in place for the first day of school,” said Reeves. Buhl’s education career had been on an upward trajectory. After his first teaching assignment in 1999 in Coweta County, he moved on to Cherokee County Schools and was an assistant middle school principal by 2005. In May 2011, he became the principal at Crabapple Middle School in Roswell where he remained until this May when he moved to Milton High. Last year, Buhl was named the Principal of the Year by the North Fulton PTA, and in 2012 received the Achievement Award from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. For the past few weeks, Buhl had been hosting “meet and greets” throughout the Milton
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Principal’s actions deprive Milton High School As an elementary school teacher getting ready to begin my 14th year, I was very disappointed to read that the Milton principal has just resigned due to DUI/hit and run arrests that occurred over the weekend. Nathan Buhl had an opportunity to join an amazing school community and it is disappointing to read that he will no longer be able to do that. I feel badly for the families who have now lost a second principal. Hopefully Milton High School will find a super qualified principal who can help the school year begin on a positive note. (Name withheld by request)
What happened to Nathan Buhl? FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Nathan Buhl, the newly installed principal of Milton High School, was arrested July 26 and charged by Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputies for DUI. Buhl, 37, of Canton, came to law enforcement’s attention about 9:15 p.m. when he allegedly sideswiped a vehicle at Ga. 400 and Pilgrim Mill Road, said Robin Regan, spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Buhl then went to a home on Pointe Vecchio Circle in north Forsyth County about 9:42 p.m. when he allegedly hit a parked car with his own vehicle. He left the scene of the accident, but not before the owner of the damaged car was able to get his tag number. Law enforcement contacted the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for information on Buhl’s car, since Buhl lives in that county. Officers found the vehicle had crashed with Buhl inside near the intersection of Cumming Highway and Old Mill Road. His car was wedged between two trees and emergency crews had to break through his windshield to get Buhl out. He was given a field test for alcohol on his breath and tested positive, with 0.193 grams found. The legal limit is 0.08 grams. Buhl was taken to North Fulton Hospital for his injuries and there, Forsyth deputies took him through sobriety tests. “Based on their investigation, the deputies believed he was under the influence,” said Regan. Blood was drawn and is being processed for bloodalcohol content. Buhl was charged with DUI along with hit and run, failure to report striking an object and failure to maintain lane.
community to get to know the parents and to introduce himself. One parent who attended was impressed with his commitment to his job. “He seemed very much a family man who loved his job and loved what he was doing,” said Carolyn Lauterbach. “He told us he was living his dream and made you feel good that we always put the kids first.” In his parting statement to families, Buhl said he is taking time to focus on himself and his family. “I need to reflect on what led me to make a series of disastrous decisions this past weekend, and I need to reflect with gratitude on the realization that it could have been even worse,” he wrote. School system leaders confirmed a search for Buhl’s replacement will be far reach-
ing. “We will immediately conduct a national search for exceptional candidates,” said Shandor. “We will also be conducting focus groups with parents and staff to gather valuable input into the selection process. “ Shandor added a survey will be distributed to obtain “stakeholder input” to determine what the community wants in a leader. Buhl’s resignation is the second one in the past year for the Milton community attributed to lapses of judgment. In January, the principal of Crabapple Crossing Elementary, George Freiberger, stepped down after it was discovered he had violated school system policies in regards to personnel. Unlike Buhl’s situation, the issue with Freiberger was not criminal in nature.
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Verizon: Continued from Page 34 ment from a string company. He must go through a whole orchestra section’s worth every week. Kwon admits that it is pretty hard on his back and neck, but it is apparent he is so into it that it’s worth it to him. He developed his unique style after his first 30 seconds of sitting on stage with the two blood brothers. With them carrying on as they do, it didn’t seem fitting for him to sit there like he was playing in a symphony. It looked like some were off their Ritalin, but it’s all to the good for their devotees. After seeing these boys (and Elizabeth) bouncing for the better part of two hours through two dozen songs, I can only imagine the challenges their mother had when they were in their hyperactive years of puberty. I’m sure she thanked God when they became interested in music as an outlet for their monumental energy. They played two nights in a row at Verizon, with no duplications
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“Magpie and the Dandelion” album. The crowd went wild. “Die! Die! Die!” was noteworthy for its refrain of what usually is a monosyllable nonsense sound, but in this case it was actually about dying. But they’re so Photos by Charlie Holloway/ www.psychedlicplayground.com cute and upbeat, with Kwon holding his instrusimilar need. on the set list. ment, strumming it like a guiAt one point, after playing While only two of the group tar and then do-si-doing with in front of the proverbial plain are actually brothers, it’s apit, it sounds like just another white T of backdrops, they reparent that the non-Avetts good-time song. leased the featureless sheet to feel like brothers from other “Live or Die” is such a reveal a complex rendering of mothers. Bassist Crawford has plucky little ditty, it could be the art from the cover of their had much need of that fraternal support as his family deals with their little 7-year-old daughter’s five-year fight with a brain tumor. He had to take some time off from touring to take her to St. Jude’s Hospital, where they were grateful to discover it is 100 percent without charge, after they were told their insurance would not cover her treatment. Through various drives, Avetts and Co. have raised over $150,000 to help Hallie Crawford and other families in
the theme song for a kids’ movie like “The Fox and the Hound.” It was used in the film “This is 40,” and they have had many other songs picked up for television series, shows and a documentary. A highlight was when they brought Emmylou Harris out to sing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” with them. The Carter Family couldn’t have sung it better. “Salvation Song” has some noble lyrics, especially stirring when they sang the final refrain a cappella: “We came to break the bad. We came to cheer the sad. We came to leave the world a better way.” Mission already accomplished, gentleman and lady.
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