Milton Herald, August 13, 2014 by Appen Media Group

Sponsored Sections HEALTH & WELLNESS ►►PAGE 34 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ►►PAGE 17

Bell Park groundbreaking City begins construction ►►PAGE 4

National Night Out Cops, fire, EMS draw crowds ►►PAGE 40

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Schools prepare for football season ►►PAGE 17

August 13, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 9, No. 32

Residents oppose ‘smelly’ development

Garbage facility to expand

If you go What: Advanced Disposal expansion public meeting

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14

MILTON, Ga. – Christine Laglands and her family moved to Milton’s Crooked Creek neighborhood this past November for all the right reasons – good schools, safe neighborhoods and proximity to the city. Unfortunately, for her and some of her neighbors, her home also has proximity to something else – a waste recycling facility. That facility is slated to double in size if it meets Forsyth County’s

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

The riders pf the Milton Saddle Club bring their country spirit at the Old Soldiers Day Parade.

Where: Midway Warehouse, 4820 Atlanta Highway in Alpharetta Board of Commissioners approval. This is what upsets Laglands and other residents on both sides of the county line.

See SMELLY, Page 41

PROPOSED SITE

Alpharetta honors Old Soldiers Annual parade draws crowds By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – For the 62nd year, soldiers from nearly every recent war paraded down Main Street in Alpharetta for the annual Old Soldiers Day Parade. Organizers called it the largest parade yet. This year’s theme was “Teach our chil-

dren: God, flag, honor and country.” “The values most people my age learned at home are only vague concepts today,” said Marty Farrell, past commander of the American Legion Post 201. “Who better to teach these values than our military veterans?” The keynote speaker was Don Giles, a retired U.S. Navy captain from Marietta. He highlighted the need for a strong military in an uncertain

world and equally strong young people to staff that military. “I’m delighted to see so many young people today,” he said. “You are the next generation of soldiers. You are the ones who must step forward to defend our freedoms. I believe you will do it.” Alpharetta Rotary was the winner of the best float, holding most closely to the parade’s theme.

More PHOTOS, Page 42

The proposed site of the Advanced Disposal expansion sits on the border of Forsyth County and Milton.

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COPSEY NAHED HURD NEWSROOM Revue & News • Jonathan Copsey jonathan@northfulton.com Forsyth Herald • Aldo Nahed aldo@forsythherald.com Johns Creek Herald • Hatcher Hurd hatcher@northfulton.com Milton Herald • Jonathan Copsey jonathan@northfulton.com

Driver runs up on sidewalk

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ROSWELL, Ga. – A man suspected of driving impaired July 22 was arrested after he allegedly ran his car on a sidewalk, nearly hitting pedestrians. A witness called police claiming they saw a black Volvo in Cobb County drive on the sidewalk near Marietta Highway (Ga. 120). The witness followed the car and eventually boxed it in on Magnolia Street and was able to take the keys from the driver, Matthew Henry Perrick, 25, of Atlanta. Police note in their report Perrick was “noticeably incoherent” and “highly intoxicated.” He was arrested on charges of DUI drugs and a habitual impaired driver.

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A case of road rage landed a Lawrenceville man in jail after he allegedly brandished a gun at a driver July 31. A truck driver told Forsyth County deputies a driver in

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Superintendent of the year among Buster Evans finalists for honor ► PAGE 14

August 28, 2013

Legionnaires

History lesso

hold Courthouse to donated American artifacts l Society by the Historica ► PAGE 4

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Real Estate Report

Ssssnake bites on the rise

Special section ► PAGE 16

bitten Area pets being at alarming rates ► PAGE 7

'We own the mistakes'

Schools take blame for jam ► PAGE 4

Good samaritans

Residents open hearts, homes ► PAGE 6

a white sport utility vehicle threatened him with a handgun on Ga. 400 about midnight, in a case of road rage. Police caught up to the SUV near Northridge Road and spoke to the driver, Abdulrasheed Adeola Yusuf, 26, of Lawrenceville, who allegedly admitted to taking out his pistol after the truck had nearly run him off the road twice. He denied pointing it at the driver, merely showing it to him. Yusuf’s license was found to be suspended and he admitted to drinking earlier that night. He was arrested for DUI and driving on a suspended license.

Moving man takes cash MILTON, Ga. – A moving man is suspected in stealing more than $2,000 in cash from his partner July 30. The two men had driven up to Milton from Texas as part of a moving contract. The lead driver said he kept an envelope of cash with him, since the company only takes cash for direct moving jobs. The money was kept beneath the seat in the truck’s cab, which was kept locked. According to the driver, they were working on the moving job when his partner, Alex Kristopher Kirksey, 27, of Mobile, Alabama, asked for

New Birmingham Cross raised

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them, a grinder and Ziploc baggies. A fully loaded handgun was found in the glove box. In the trunk was a pressure cooker, cooking utensils and plastic bag sealer. In all, he had 1.23 pounds of pot, a felony amount. Pham was charged with loitering, possession of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during a crime, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of tools for a crime.

to investigate, the suspect inside noticed the officer and tried to drive away. The officer pulled the driver over. Anthony The Pham, 29, of Willow Meadow Circle, Alpharetta, allegedly seemed nervous when the officer spoke to him. He admitted smoking marijuana to cool down after having a fight with his wife. The officer found $614 in cash on him and a search of Pham’s car turned up a container with hash oil, a digital scale, several containers with marijuana in

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – An Alpharetta man was arrested July 28 after he was allegedly found in possession of more than a pound of marijuana, a handgun, a large amount of cash and marijuana processing equipment. According to police, an officer was on patrol at 2:21 a.m. near the La Quinta hotel on North Point Drive when he saw a car parked in the rear of the parking lot. Someone was inside with the interior light on. As the officer attempted to drive closer

770-442-3278 northfulton.com

A first for students to stay home ► PAGE 6

Star principal resigns Cites ‘poor decisions’ ► PAGE 24

the truck’s keys to charge his phone. An hour later, the partner had not returned. The driver checked and saw items in the cab were strewn about and the money gone, along with his partner. Warrants for theft by taking more than $1,500 were issued for Kirksey.

Fancy ring goes missing MILTON, Ga. – A wedding ring valued at nearly $12,000 was reported stolen Aug. 1 from a Henderson Heights Drive home. The victim told police she had taken the ring off July 30 and placed it on a table. Contractors came into the home to do improvements that day and, the victim believes, may have taken the ring. The police report describes the ring simply as a white gold ring valued at $11,690.

Shots fired in bad drug deal ROSWELL, Ga. – A police officer on patrol Aug. 2 was put on alert when he heard gunshots fired nearby. According to police, the officer was near the intersection of Mansell Road and Crossville Road when they heard about five shots nearby. Shortly after, a white sedan

P Ashley MVP Bowl in Chamberrayer player Chattahoochee ad in win leads South squad ► PAGE 14

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| Volume 13,

No. 35

uley Forsyth mulls Caion Creek sewer opt

Milton Herald

n closed ning facility Fulto Looking at reope State law prohib- e

sewerag its pumping to from one basin Etowah another. The most of Basin serves Ga. – but JOHNS CREEK, needs to Forsyth County, porForsyth County the southeastern e capacity in Johns add sewerag and tion is in the southeast Forsyth, Creek Basin. owns County the option one The county is looking as Commission 300 acres known g Cauley . AMOS property at is reopenin tion and Threatt the Creek opCreek Reclama an as As for the Cauley Reuse Facility it was too early a facility said building Amos to tion, alternative . to say anything the process of from scratch. Reclamation “We’re still in Cauley Creek plants to see 5 million-gallonscomparing sewer Facility is a us best,” Amos facility that had which will suit that in per-day (mgd) east in discuss will County said. “We served Fulton but we haven’t Last fall, Fulton the near future, on Cauley Johns Creek. contract with made any decision bought out its saying Fulton’s Creek.” Cauley Creek, into focus, EnvironmenAs plans come own Johns Creek be cheaper county will have would Amos said the discussions” tal Campus in the long “full and open Creek and F and as effective ALDO NAHED/STAF with both Johnsabout Cauley run. to expand its Forsyth needs g Fulton County at Fowler. in the Shakera enjoys skating Creek. capacity student, ary sewer at that point Element it has been “But we’re not n, a Vickery Creek area, because growth area. Samuel Cushma yet,” he said. sioner tapped as a are Forsyth Commis Forsyth officials on represents commenting Brian Tam, whosaid it is just are guarded about negotiations Shakerag, also about where the idea since bids for building too soon to talk ongoing and allons-perForsyth is at. a new 2.5 million-g situation. only opened “It’s a delicate is a numday facility werecounty has $27 there Somewhere, for us to last week. The sense construcfor makes ber that million budgeted g facility. to say we are do this. It’s fair tion of the Shakera Chairby renowned options includwas designed Hollyday, of assessing our Forsyth County rmed the Tam said. – Fowler confi architect Wally in 2008 met ing Cauley Creek,” CUMMING, Ga. quare-foot man Pete Amos is in a good with Cauley California, who “Forsyth County look at these Park’s 23,000-s county has talkedbut it is still county skaters s to draw can with about 40 final design position. We we have budskate park continue CEO Ron Green, ary. the to help craft bids for which million. And enthusiasts. very much prelimin g our opn, who $27 park. Cushma to the up evaluatin Mark for geted For “We are skaters, still he was at Cauley Creek. In addition to have joined now, we are a we can look had skated when tions. Right sts need to keep a great opbids we have other enthusia So all of them younger, it was and BMX comparing the new plant to F hang out with the in. Stunt scooters the numerALDO NAHED/STAF Page 6 portunity to received for 10, and See SEWER, of that basin,” bikers now share , of Cumming, two sons, Samuel, serve the needs Conor McKeon a place ous ramps. Benjamin, 7. are really said Amos. —Aldo Nahed said it’s nice to have “The lights US TO ARRANGE n said. “You to BMX. HERE NOW! CONTACT good,” Cushma on page 24 A TEST DRIVE TODAY dark.” More photos can stay until skate park The county’s HURD By HATCHER n.com hatcher@northfulto

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February 5, 2014 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 9, No. 6

Cities grapple with gridlock, snow

Frustrated’ crews respond to clogged

| northfulton.com January 16, 2014

Johns on Revue & News, | 73,500 circulati

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By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com

18, No. 3 d | 50¢ | Volume Herald combine Herald & Forsyth

igns Figueroa res 1 effective Feb. ia Councilman

NORTH FULTON, Ga. wanted to know what – If you ever looked like with every Atlanta’s roads resident driving on them, Tuesday, Jan. 28 should give a glimpse. Schools, businesses and governments all shut same time, turning down about the workers out onto the streets at the same time. Variously called “Snowmage ddon,” “Snowpocalypse,” or “SnOMG,” local governments were quickly overwhelme by the sheer volume d of motorists on the road and the worsening conditions throughout the day. A would normally take commute that 20 minutes turned into a 10-, 14- or 20-hour drive. Alpharetta had 50 Department employeesPublic Works begin salting the roads as the snow began on Tuesday, said Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz. Over the course of Tuesday and the following day, Sewczwicz said hundreds of tons of sand and salt were put down by workers working 12-hour shifts. Unfortunately, as traffic grew, so did Above, in Milton, the problems. Hopewell was like so many others Road “We had all our trucks – clogged with traffic and abandoned ready to go,” he said. “Our problem vehicles. is we couldn’t get anywhere once we treated The worst intersection it once.” were hit first, however, s and bridges day as the salt trucks with the slugbegan using gish lines of traffi police cruisers as c, the salt trucks escorts to move could not get to the traffi c aside. hot nor could they return spots quickly; Conditions became to those already treated. The trucks cal police department so bad, lobecame as stuck s as the traffic. help stranded motoristsrefused to or come to It’s a problem a frustrated fender-benders. Sewczwicz said was unavoidable “People didn’t know “When cars are backed . turn,” said Lisa Holland,where to up and you cannot get your Roswell Police Departmenwith the vehicles there to treat roads again,” 911 call centers were t. he said, “and where busy with people are stopped endless calls for help in and you get ice. There’s snow and rain, “We had to save our police. nothing we can do resources with that. We were for the most serious frustrated. Because calls,” Holland of the saturation said. “In 30 years, of traffic, we couldn’t I’ve never seen do more.” anything like this.” A solution showed itself later in the

See GRIDLOCK, Page 4

South Georg relocating to

hold a place Ga. – Johns in our JOHNS CREEK, an Ivan hearts. We Creek City Councilm ed Jan. 9 Figueroa announcCity Council are relocathis ing to South he will resign Feb. 1. Georgia, Post 4 seat effective t he said, “I closer to In a statemen citizens for our my sales wish to thank serve seven to territory in allowing me City a as years Georgia and FIGUEROA wonderful in Johns Florida. The Council memberKaren and I wife My move will alCreek. in both markets daughters low me to be have raised our by wondertime on the ded and spend less time at home here, surroun supported by road and more ful friends and we could with my family.” the ﬁnest schools Page 4 imagine. and all it See COUNCIL, “Johns Creek, forever will encompasses,

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” upon a Mattress Today, “Once musical for remains a popular all ages. audiences of s” has been Now, “Mattres Johns Creek chosen as the This winter play. High School will ing musical fun, entertain the Johns by be presented Performing Creek High SchoolJan. 30 to ent Arts Departm Feb. 1.

ered as the veBest rememb d the career hicle that launche n actress named of an unknow it was created Carol Burnett, , the daughter by Mary Rodgers composer Richard of legendary Rodgers. upon a “We chose ‘Oncefor several year Mattress’ this

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GA. – City JOHNS CREEK, RaffensBrad Councilmen Figueroa perger and Ivan Year with a started the New city millage the call to reduce STEWART Fellow councilrate by 1 mill. RAFFENSPERGER they were willmembers said proposal, but based on the tax it will receive ing to study numbers. effect such a wanted see what on the city’s 2010 Censusit is time to have “I believe move would rate. The reduce the millage and budget. cited the fund is ﬂush, Raffensperger city reserve windfall the 9 $1.85 million beginning in See TAX, Page ce will experien al sales 2014 from addition

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drove quickly by, running a red light and speeding. Police pulled over the car and found four people inside, as well as an HK MP5 submachine gun on the floorboard. The men said they had been robbed at a BP in Alpharetta, allegedly after a drug deal, and were being chased by their assailants. The officer did not see another vehicle. One of the men allegedly admitted to firing the gun out the car window at the robbers. Jordin Alan Lee Ward, 20, of Kennesaw, was arrested for riotous conduct and firing a weapon.

Scammer takes child on spree CUMMING, Ga. — A store employee watched a man shoplift while he carried a small child, according to a Cumming Police incident report. On July 28, the loss prevention officer of Home Depot, 1000 Market Place Boulevard, told officers he saw a man alter the price tag from an item and exchange it with another to pay a lower price. After the man paid the altered price for the item, he came back in and completed a refund for the item. When the loss prevention officer confronted the man, he tried to use the child as a barrier while he ran across the parking lot toward Walmart.

PUBLIC SAFETY

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

►► Martin Peter Cox, 45, of

Lakeway Place, Alpharetta, was arrested July 24 on Jones Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Vandana Aggarwal, 27, of Ascott Valley Drive, Johns Creek, was arrested July 26 on Wilson Road in Johns Creek for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Stacey Ann Corell, 46, of Crestbrook Drive, Cumming, was arrested July 26 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, open container and failure to maintain lane. ►► Alfredo Jose Williams, 55, of Whittington Way, Cumming, was arrested July 20 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to obey a traffic control device. ►► Paulo Henrique Borges, 28, of Marietta was arrested

July 20 on Old Roswell Road in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Jeremy Boone Farlow, 38, of Morris Road, Alpharetta, was arrested July 24 on Morris Road in Alpharetta for DUI and no license. ►► Rebecca Annie Katz, 23, of Landings Chase, Alpharetta, was arrested July 25 on Morris Road in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Akshay Arab, 32, of Weycroft Circle, Alpharetta, was arrested July 26 on Highway 9 in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Shafiq Virani, 41, of Marietta was arrested July 27 on Morris Road in Milton for DUI and stop sign violation. ►► Julio Jaramillo, 27, of Atlanta was arrested July 10 on Riverside Road in Roswell for DUI, failure to maintain lane and motor vehicle off road. ►► Michelle Hope Metzger, 40, of Loblolly Lane, Roswell, was arrested July 12 on Coleman Road in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Prashant Bansilal Waykar, 39, of Gardner Drive,

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Alpharetta, was arrested July 12 on Ga. 9 in Roswell for DUI and improper stopping on roadway. ►► Angela Marie Williams, 25, of Sandy Springs was arrested July 12 on Crossville Road in Roswell for DUI, open container and failure to maintain lane. ►► Harry Gould Barrett, 56, of Braxton Way, Roswell, was arrested July 12 on Woodstock Road in Roswell for DUI. ►► Artashes Gukasyan, 33, of Hunters Cove, Roswell, was arrested July 12 on Holcomb Woods Parkway in Roswell for DUI, failure to maintain lane and open container. ►► Sarah Neale Williams, 29,

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 13, 2014 | 3

of Atlanta was arrested July 13 on Mimosa Boulevard in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Matthew Thomas Porter, 29, of Ashley Forest Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested July 13 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell for DUI, failure to maintain lane and failure to obey a traffic control device. ►► Victoria Elizabeth Shakar, 24, of Marietta was arrested July 13 on Atlanta Street in Roswell for DUI, open container and speeding. ►► Ali Moradi, 38, of Marietta was arrested July 13 on Alpharetta Street in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

►► Hugo Polycarpe, 45, of

Calibre Creek Parkway, Roswell, was arrested July 13 on Dogwood Road in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Drug arrests ►► Jason Harley Bump, 43, of

Kilmington Court, Alpharetta, was arrested July 23 on South Main Street in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and pedestrian under the influence of alcohol. ►► Robert Renardo Daniel,

See ARRESTS, Page 45

Saturday, Aug. 16th 9 am - 2 pm

Shop for items and enjoy homemade sweets & refreshments. All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

(770) 993-8040 5 5 0 B a r r i n g to n D r R o s we l l

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NEWS

4 | August 13, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com

Bell Memorial Park expansion underway Groundbreaking Aug. 8 By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com

JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

Milton’s elected officials as well as Parks and Recreation staff tossed the dirt on home plate at Bell Memorial Park to mark the groundbreaking of the park’s redevelopment.

Mohrig

FAILED

Longoria

“This park area is another classroom for our kids,” said Milton Councilman Matt Kunz. “They will learn life lessons they cannot get anywhere else.” The park will re-open a year from now.

PASSED

Hewitt

Establishing the ad valorem tax rate of the city of Milton for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes.

Lusk

August 4, 2014

Kunz

Milton City Council Recap

Thurman

Programming between spring, summer and fall will vary the configuration of four diamonds and two rectangular fields versus five diamonds and one rectangular field. Lockwood

MILTON, Ga. – The dirt was tossed onto home plate Aug. 8 to mark the official expansion of Milton’s Bell Memorial Park, off Thompson Road. For the next year, the park will be closed to the public as it is bulldozed and then rebuilt. “About three years ago, we tried to assemble Bell Park to expand the recreation programs,” said City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom. “Now, we have successfully almost doubled the size.” The $9.4 million expansion will see Bell Memorial expand 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 baseball/ softball fields. 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.

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State reps sue Fulton County for tax hike Say it violates state law ATLANTA — Six Fulton County state representatives and one former state representative announced Aug. 7 that they have filed legal suit to seek a preliminary and permanent injunction against the Fulton County Commission to stop a 17 percent property tax rate increase. The legislators said that the increase violates

measures outlined in House Bill 604, which they sponsored during the 2013 legislative session. “We regret having to take this action, but the Fulton County Commission voted to increase property taxes contrary to state law and property taxpayers’ best interests. We’re committed to upholding state law and the Georgia Constitution and protecting Fulton County taxpayers,” said Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones,

primary author of H.B. 604. Plaintiffs of the suit are Reps. Jan Jones (R-Milton), Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell), Lynne Riley (R-Johns Creek), Joe Wilkinson (R-Atlanta), Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) and Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs) and former state Rep. Edward Lindsey. H.B. 604, which went into effect May 6, 2013, limits Fulton County’s authority to increase the county property tax rate prior to January 2015.

The bill also required a super majority vote to increase the property tax rate after January 2015 (five of seven commissioners must vote affirmatively). Fulton approved the tax hike Aug. 6 in a 4-3 vote. Jones said she researched legislative history before writing H.B. 604. The legislation was based upon a 1951 local constitutional amendment that

See TAXES, Page 45

GARAGE SALES See more garage sales in the classifieds • Page 46

ALPHARETTA, Park Brooke Subdivision, 5045 Park Brooke Walk Way 30022. Friday 8/15, Saturday 8/16, 8am-3pm. Moving! Furniture, decorating accessories; entire household!. ALPHARETTA, Multi-family. Windward Subdivision, corner of Clipper Bay Drive and Southlake Drive 30005. Thursday 8/14, Frday 8/15, 8am-4pm. Saturday 8/16, 8am-2pm. Lots of stuff!. CUMMING, Polo Golf and Country Club, 6720 Polo Drive 30040. Friday 8/15 and Saturday 8/16, 9am-3pm. Household items, antiques, furniture, pre-lit 12’ Christmas tree and Christmas items, miscellaneous.. CUMMING, Creekstone Estates Subdivision, 2915 Spindletop Drive 30041. Saturday 8/16, 9am-3pm. Moving! Something for everyone! JOHNS CREEK, Indian Village Subdivision, 11055 Spotted

Pony Trail 30022. Friday 8/15, Saturday 8/16, 9am-5pm. Local honey, folk art, small kitchen applicances, crib, boys’/ womens’ clothes, books, vintage memorabilia, collectibles; something for everyone! ROSWELL, Estate sale, Litchfield Hundred off Cox, 310 Buckingham Forest Court 30075. Friday 8/15-Sunday 8/17, 9am-4pm. Consolidating houses; baby, exercise, kitchen, household, linens, furniture etc ROSWELL, 225 Roswell Farms Drive 30075. Friday 8/15-Sunday 8/17, 8am-4pm. Toys, tools, rock t-shirts, households, glassware, pillows, 45 records; etc!!!!! ROSWELL, Willow Springs Subdivision, 9945 Bankside Drive 30076. Friday 8/15 and Saturday 8/16, 8:30am-4pm. Moving! LOTS of furniture (complete bedroom sets, dressers, antique dining room table, glass-front hutch and chairs,) strollers, lots of artwork, kitchenware, tools, sporting goods, etc.

DEADLINE

To place garage sale ads: Noon Friday prior week • Call 770-442-3278 or email classifieds@northfulton.com

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45 roads to be improved this year Cell tower moratorium extended By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – With a cost of $2.4 million, dozens of Alpharetta streets will be resurfaced and milled, improving worn down streets. The City Council unanimously approved the roadwork at their Aug. 4 meeting. Alpharetta maintains over 500 lane miles of roadway and each year, the city budgets money for the milling and resurfacing of these roads. Accomplishing this task extends the roads’ useful life and increases the roads’ ability to handle traffic volumes. Alpharetta Director of Public Works Pete Sewczwicz said the city initially budgeted about $80,000 less than the final amount, with the increased price being attributed to the rise in the cost of asphalt. Sewczwicz said he would need about 26,000 tons of asphalt for all the roads. “There are some big streets and a lot of small streets,” Sewczwicz said. The city grades each street on a scale from 1 to 100. Those roads with lower scores require more work. This year, the city plans to improve 45 roads. Some of the roads will be worked on at night. Those roads are Haynes Bridge Road, Mansell Road, Mayfield Road Extension and Milton Avenue

from Old Canton Street to School Drive. Sewczwicz said all the work should be finished by June 30, 2015. Also at the meeting: The City Council unanimously approved extending a moratorium on telecommunication towers until January 2015. City Attorney Sam Thomas told the council the moratorium was initially put in place in May of this year for the city to put together a plan on where to allow cell towers. The request for proposals (RFP) to get a company to study where the towers should go has taken longer than anticipated. “We need to extend the moratorium to get the study completed,” Thomas said. As well as extending the moratorium, Thomas said there was an unintended consequence of the original moratorium that barred telecom companies from fixing, upgrading or modifying their existing towers. The new moratorium includes language to remedy this. “We want to make sure our infrastructure technology is where it needed to be,” said Mayor David Belle Isle, explaining why the moratorium was put in place. “There are some issues in general of coverage and capacity [of cell service]. We felt strongly with the economic development role Alpharetta plays is to make sure we have coverage covered in our commercial corridors. There is a real interest we stay not just with the curve but ahead of the curve.”

NEWS

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 13, 2014 | 5

Forty-five roads were included in the Alpharetta report of roads needing repairs. These roads include: • Aylesworth Cove from Cranchester Way to cul-de-sac • Pinewalk Drive from Buice Road to Pinewalk Forest Circle • Lantern Ridge Drive from Providence Road to Lantern Ridge Court • Piney Hill Court from Pinewalk Forest Circle to cul-de-sac • Southbridge Parkway from Old Milton Parkway to Park Brooke Trace • North Pine Drive from South Kimball Bridge Crossing to cul-de-sac • Tammany Pointe from Traywick Chase to cul-de-sac • Birkdale Court from Cranchester Way to cul-de-sac • Redmond Ridge Circle from Fairleaf Court to cul-de-sac • Ladbroke Lane from Carrara Cove to cul-de-sac • Pine Rise Court from Pine Vista Boulevard to cul-de-sac • Haynes Bridge Road from Ga. 400 to Nottaway Lane • Webley Lane from Cranchester Way to cul-de-sac • Blackwatch Lane from Haynes Bridge Road to Summerfield Drive • Summerfield Drive from Blackwatch Lane to Blackwatch Lane • Summer Hill Place from Summerfield Drive to cul-de-sac • Traywick Chase from Traywick Chase to 2455 Traywick Chase

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SCHOOLS

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Schools gear up for influx of ‘undocumented minors’ BOE keeping eye on new enrollment numbers By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@northfulton.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – As the flood of unaccompanied minors from Central America are relocated to communities across the country, Fulton County School System (FCSS) officials are keeping an eye on increased numbers of new enrollments for the coming school year. While it appears most of the 1,100 Central American minors sent to Georgia have been relocated into rural Georgia towns, FCSS officials say they are not aware of any influx into local schools – yet. “The highest number of

unaccompanied minors is expected to be from Honduras, Nicaragua or Guatemala,” said Susan Hale, spokesperson for the FCSS. “We’ve run a report to see if there have been any new enrollees listing those as a birth country, and so far there is only a handful—perhaps five – but those children were enrolled by parents.” She added there is no way to tell if any new students are “unaccompanied minors” – since reporting only indicates country of birth, not reason for enrolling. “Even so, federal law protects a student’s refugee status, so even if we did have unaccompanied minors, it

not only would be difficult to identify them, but it would be unlawful to do so – even indirectly,” she cautioned. Hale said registration for the school year often ramps up at or near the start of the school year, so enrollment numbers generally fluctuate during the month of August. As of July 7, about 30,000 of the more than 50,000 unaccompanied children here in the United States have been relocated to cities across the country. Georgia has so far received 1,154 – the ninth most among the 50 states. One factor is evident as local systems prepare for an influx of unaccompanied minors. Most speak little or no English and will require extensive services to prepare them for

schooling. In Whitfield County in north Georgia, a separate “academy” has been created to teach immigrants, many of them older teenagers, the skills typically taught in the elementary grades. While the federal government mandates public school systems provide an education to all students, regardless of status, the federal government does not provide any funding to do so, outside of school nutrition programs and Title I funding, if applicable. This year, less than 1 percent of the entire FCSS revenue stream will come from the federal government. Nine years ago after Hurricane Katrina, the FCSS enrolled more than 1,000 displaced students who were

considered refugees from the storm. In that case, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursed the FCSS nearly $4 million for their education needs. That will not likely be the case for immigrant children coming over as unaccompanied minors, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHR). “The Unaccompanied Alien Children program pays for all services while a minor is in our custody, however once a minor is discharged from our program, we no longer have jurisdiction. “Sponsors are responsible for all costs,” said Kenneth J. Wolfe, a public affairs officer for HHR.

Fulton Schools bumps up pay rate for high school principals Move necessary, say officials, to retain top performers By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@northfulton.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – School leaders who can make an impact in their schools are a hot commodity, especially in high schools where the stakes for performance have never been higher.

For that reason, the Fulton County School System (FCSS) recently bumped the pay up for high school principals in an effort to keep them from jumping ship for higher-paying positions. “Staffing a high school principal position is becoming more and more difficult

due to the demands of that job and the complexity of managing thousands of students and hundreds of teachers and staff,” said Ron Wade, chief talent officer for the FCSS. “In addition, competition for sourcing/retaining high potentials is stiff, and we need experienced, high-skilled candidates.”

Principals in the system’s 15 regular high schools received an average pay increase of $7,500. Whether these principals will also be eligible for the one-time, 3 percent bonus for all employees in December has yet to be decided, said Wade. “The adjustments to the salaries are an investment and help how we market future

opportunities, providing us an edge in the Atlanta metro/ Southeast education markets,” said Wade. The pay range for high school principals is now $77,537 to $132,431 annually, depending on years of service and degrees earned. In comparison, teachers in Fulton range from $40,308 to $86,196 annually.

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SCHOOLS

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Students continue to struggle on end of year math tests Majority of students across state fail expectations on high stakes EOCTs By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@northfulton.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – End of Course Tests (EOCTs) for spring 2014 revealed more than 60 percent of Georgia high school freshmen and sophomores failed to meet the minimum standards for algebra and geometry. The two math tests are among eight subject tests given to high school students each year, and which count for 20 percent of the student’s grade. In the other six tests, Georgia students performed above expectations. On the EOCT for Coordinate Algebra taught in ninth grade, only 23 of 182 school systems had averages above 69 percent. On the test for Analytic Geometry in 10th grade, the numbers were even bleaker. Only 15 school systems posted averages above 69, with a number of systems reporting a

near 100 percent fail rate. Students in the Fulton County School System (FCSS) posted a system average of 73 for Coordinate Algebra and 72 in Analytic Geometry. Nearly 50 percent of students in Fulton’s high schools did not meet the benchmark standards on either test, while just under 20 percent exceeded standards. School level results have not yet been released. The subpar results provide even more ammunition for FCSS leaders who are engaged in a long-running battle with state education officials over how math is taught in Georgia. The FCSS has tried for years to bring back a traditional math path to its high school curriculum to allow subjects be taught in a “discrete” manner with each year dedicated to one math concept, such as algebra, geometry and so on. The state, however, moved to

an integrated approach nearly a decade ago with all math concepts put into each year, with “strands” of each concept at each level with advancing depth each year. While Fulton has the state’s permission to teach traditional math, the EOCTs remain integrated. The 2013-14 school year was only the second year for the Coordinate Algebra EOCT, the first for Analytic Geometry and the last for both. Next year, Georgia is dropping all EOCTs, along with the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCTs) in elementary and middle school, in favor of the new Georgia Milestones assessment in grades 3-12. Georgia Milestones will be aligned to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) in English/ language arts and mathematics and Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in science and social studies. The GPS was the state curriculum prior to the adoption of the Common Core. State education officials

warned the results from the first Milestones offering next year will likely be lower than this year until students become accustomed to the higher rigor. “The Analytic Geometry and Coordinate Algebra results [this year] give us another look at the new level of increased expectation for student achievement that is coming with Georgia Milestones. The expectations to meet standards are significantly increasing so we have a new and more realistic baseline of student performance,” said State Schools Superintendent John Barge. When asked how much lower math scores can go when a significant number of students are failing the current tests, Barge said students must rise to the expectations at the national level. “While [this year’s] results seem low and different from what we are used to seeing, they are in line with what many national assessments say Georgia’s students [are at]. We must address this head-

on so our students leave our schools with the best preparation possible to succeed in life after high school,” said Barge. Summary of 2014 EOCT results among Georgia students: • 93 percent met or exceeded the standard for American Literature and Composition. (+2) • 88 percent met or exceeded the standard for Ninth Grade Literature and Composition. (+2) • 85 percent met or exceeded the standard for Physical Science. (+2) • 81 percent met or exceeded the standard for Economics/Business/Free Enterprise. (+2) • 75 percent met or exceeded the standard for Biology. (+1) • 73 percent met or exceeded the standard for U.S. History. (n/c) • 40 percent met or exceeded the standard for Coordinate Algebra. (+3) • 35 percent met or exceeded the standard for Analytic Geometry. (n/a)

Thaker named New homeschool opens Sept. 2 Teacher of Year JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Pintu Thaker, a teacher at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, was named the Georgia Teacher of the Year July 16 by the Georgia Business Education Association. Designed to help fight childhood obesity in Georgia, GoGo Health included links to videos, recipes and information to help users get in shape and lose weight. Her Web design and accounting programs have been Gwinnett County’s most successful programs over the last nine years. After regular school hours, she can be found working with students conducting FBLA activities, preparing students for competitions or working with students on classwork assign-

ments. The GBEA Teacher of the Year award recognizes a dedicated business or computer science teacher who demTHAKER onstrates a strong ability to foster excellence in education through the improvement of student learning and the learning environment. The GBEA Teacher of the Year possesses a strong content area expertise and is able to deliver content in a meaningful and engaging manner, as well as incorporating innovative instructional materials, curriculum or strategies.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Rising High Homeschool Academy (RH) is a new homeschool in the Cumming, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Roswell area founded by a recently retired teacher. The school’s opening date is Sept. 2. Students will have assigned independent work to complete at home. RH will mainly focus on language arts and math, and students will receive report cards four times a year showing progress in those areas of study. Founder and Director Sondra Anderson also consults with parents who are homeschooling their children.

Rising High Homeschool Academy differs from the traditional public school in that instructional time will be maximized and students can complete assignments as their personal schedule permits. The monthly tuition fee is comparable to other homeschools in the area. At RH, students will receive personal attention and have easy access to instructors. An information meeting will be held Saturday, July 26. For more information, visit www.rh-homeschool.com. —Shannon Weaver

8 | August 13, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com

COMMUNITY

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Golf tourney to attract 3,000 to Alpharetta Collegiate championship event prepares for 9th year By CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON carolyn@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The ninth annual U.S. Collegiate Golf Championship, scheduled for Oct. 16-19, is on target to be their biggest and best event yet. “We’re expecting to have over 3,000 people attend the event,” said Rich Dennis, the event’s co-chairman. “Not including of course, the participants.” The event, held at the Golf Club of Georgia located at 1 Golf Club Drive off Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, will showcase top golfers from 15 colleges across the country including the event sponsor, Georgia Tech. “This year, we’ll have some of the top college teams and players from across the country,” said Tori Pisciotta,

co-chair. “We’ve had to turn down schools that wanted to participate because it’s getting so big.” Participating universities include Auburn, Clemson, East Tennessee State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kent State, Louisiana State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Virginia, Wake Forest and Washington. “The event features some of the nation’s top collegiate players, and we view it as an opportunity to watch the future of the PGA Tour,” Dennis said. Pisciotta said No. 1 worldranked amateur Ollie Schniederjans of Georgia Tech and No. 4, Oklahoma State’s Jordan Niebrugge, will play the course. The three-day event is free to the public, with viewing up-close and personal to the players. “We do have skyboxes that

can be purchased and we’ll also have a large hospitality booth on the course,” Pisciotta said. The program is managed by the nonprofit Friends of Georgia Cup. The event supports various scholarship programs. “The Folds of Honor Foundation is our primary charity,” Dennis said. “With the money we raise from the event, we’re able to help them provide scholarships to family members of our military who’ve been injured or killed.” Dennis said funds are raised through sponsorships and skybox purchases. “We’ve kept the bulk of tickets for the event, free,” he said. “Because we want to draw in a large crowd.” Pisciotta said people from all over the country come to the event, and many corporations like his employer, UPS, bring in executives and clients. “We’ve got arrangements with several hotels in the area, and the rooms book quickly,” Dennis said. “The local restaurants see a surge in business during the event, too.” Dennis said the area is the perfect location for the event, and he’d like to see it grow. “The course is excellent and the area is easily acces-

Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans, ranked No. 1 amateur in the world, will play the United States Collegiate Classic.

sible from the airport, as well as the surrounding states,” Dennis said. “The community has always been extremely supportive and welcoming, so we’d really like to see the attendance grow, as it can have such a positive impact on the

businesses in the area.” Tickets for the event are available at www.theuscc. org and will soon be available through Lifetime Fitness. For sponsorship opportunities, visit www.theuscc.org/ sponsorship.

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northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 13, 2014 | 9

Cambridge girl wins Miss Teen Georgia Held by Indian American Cultural Association MILTON, Ga. – Cambridge High School student Diya Sharma won the title of the Indian American Cultural Association’s (IACA) Miss Teen Georgia at the annual IACA beauty pageant held at the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech on July 19. The beauty pageant, in its 27th year, is held annually by the IACA and prides itself in providing a platform for young women to empower, enhance and enrich their persona and showcase them in the public arena. For more information on IACA and the pageant, visit www.iacaatl.org. —Jonathan Copsey

Alpharetta YMCA competes for world swimming title ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Juan Carlos Sanchez, member of the Ed Isakson/Alpharetta YMCA, is competing for the Masters World Swimming Championship in Montreal. Sanchez wants to make himself and his family proud, while setting a good example for his 13-yearold son. “Placing top 10 would be super wild,” said Sanchez. Sanchez began competing in events on Aug. 2 and will finish Aug. 9 against projected Olympians at the event, with about 10,000 competitors expected to race. He is racing in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle as well as the 200-meter individual medley. The swimmer, born in

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Faiths unite at Iftar Dinner program ALPHARETTA, Ga. —The evening of Sunday, July 20 saw more than 120 people of many faiths gather at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church in a joint Iftar Dinner program arranged between Neshama Interfaith Center and the Atlantic Institute. Presenters Kemal Korucu, of the Atlantic Institute and Rabbi Michael Bernstein, of Congregation Gesher L’Torah, engaged in inspiring conversation about the spiritual meaning of fasting seeing as the event took place during Ramadan – the holy month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The purpose of the event was to share an Iftar, or fastbreaking, dinner. This is the first meal Muslims partake in after abstaining from eating and drinking all day. However, Ramadan is about more than just fasting. It’s a time of compassion, generosity, inner reflection of one’s spirituality and seeking oneness with God. It’s about gathering family, friends and neighbors together to strengthen friendships and enjoying the company of others. It’s about opening the home and mind to people who have differing faiths and beliefs.

Bernstein pointed out how all but two fast days in the Jewish calendar begin at sunrise and end with the appearance of the first stars of evening, appreciating how this is similar to Ramadan. In fact, Bernstein shared that one of the fast days, the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, fell during Ramadan this year. He added that in Israel, even with the hostilities going on between Hamas and Israel, that Jews from Israel and Muslims in the West Bank gathered together, “to fast together and then to feast together, showing the world that Jews and Muslims can and must live together.” The format was not a formal discussion, rather a true conversation, allowing the sharing of similarities as well as what makes fasting so vital and even welcomed in each tradition. This shared conversation allowed those in attendance to better understand the many facets of Islamic and Jewish fasting and ritual practice; spiritual growth, patience with others and with circumstances, and community. Korucu’s engaging and enlightening stories were a highlight of the evening.

More than 120 people of many faiths gather at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church in a joint Iftar Dinner program. The most impactful part of the discussion between Korucu and Bernstein was not even about fasting. At the very beginning of the program, both took turns praying for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Given the horror going on between both combatants, it truly set the stage for the evening. This sense of connection,

was truly one way to create the peace we all want and for all participants to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” For more on the work of the Atlantic Institute and Neshama Interfaith Center, their programs and outreach, please visit their websites: www.theatlanticinstitute.org and www.neshamainterfaithcenter.org.

understanding and acceptance of “The Other” continued to manifest itself when all participants shared the Iftar meal together. As directed by the Neshama and Atlantic leaders, no one table could be comprised of members of the same faith. Getting to know one another, “feasting after fasting”

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Youth collects 100K books Seeks to give to soldiers By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – As any parent will tell you, it’s difficult to get teens active in their community, let alone to do it voluntarily. But one 13-year-old has jumped at the chance to help others. Remington Youngblood, of Forsyth County, has started his own nonprofit group to help not only his community, but greater Georgia. Called “Change 4 Georgia” (C4G), he started out supplying goods for soldiers overseas and his endeavors have grown ever since. It started when Remington was 10 years old. “I was looking for volunteer opportunities,” he said. He called several places in the area, but each one turned him down, largely due to his young age. Undeterred, Remington chose to start his own nonprofit. “For all the troops are doing for us – not seeing their families, and missing holidays

and important dates – they are missing out because of their duty,” Remington said. “I had to do something.” He started collecting food, supplies and books overseas to troops, getting the community to pitch in as well. It has proven successful. To date, C4G has raised over $1 million for the troops in cash and in-kind donations. As part of this program, Remington wanted to gift books. He contacted Better World Books, an Indiana-based book donation company that collects books from book donation bins around the country. The company agreed to donate his books – 100,000 of them. There was only one snag – how do you ship 100,000 books from Indiana to Georgia? Well, by truck. But that costs a lot of money. A shipping company agreed to waive half the $4,000 cost, but Remington still needed to raise the rest. That’s where Carl Black Roswell, a GMC dealership, stepped up. The dealership agreed to pick up the rest of the tab. “It’s impressive what a

COMMUNITY

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | August 13, 2014 | 11

Remington Youngblood, 13 (center) has gathered 100,000 books to be donated to children in the state. Roswell’s Carl Black GMC dealership made a generous donation to help get the books to Georgia. From left are, Roswell City Councilwoman Betty Price, Roswell Judge Brian Hansford, Youngblood, Tod Smiley Baker of GMC, and Roger Wise, Jr. bunch of children can do when they get together,” said Tod Smiley Baker, general manager of Carl Black Roswell. “I thought, ‘whatever they need, let’s take care of it.’ What they are doing is amazing.” Roswell Councilwoman Betty Price agreed. “He’s a remarkable young man to show the drive and

Congratulations to

wisdom to support this kind of effort,” Price said. “This sort of thing is important to the country.” With the question of the books taken care of, Remington still has one problem left to solve – he needs a 2,000-square-foot warehouse to house the books for several months until they are deliv-

ered. Maybe someone else in the community will have the same reaction Baker did; how can I help? If readers have new or gently used books, warehouse space or monetary donations to C4G, email Change4Georgia@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.change4georgia.org.

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Fred Swyters, left, is presented his Legionnaire of the Year award from immediate past Commander Marty Farrell of American Legion Post 201.

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Swyters named Legionnaire of Year ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A Sandy Springs veteran was chosen as the Alpharetta American Legion Post 201’s “Legionnaire of the Year” during the post’s annual installation ceremonies July 15. Chicago native Fred Swyters, a 33-year Georgia resident, was selected by outgoing Commander Marty Farrell, who described Swyters as a key member of the Post 201 leadership team. “Fred’s work as finance chairman, club room manager and the point man on the recent extensive Home Depotsponsored makeover of the

Wills Road facility singled him out for this special recognition,” said Farrell. Swyters served nine years in the U.S. Air Force and has been a member of American Legion Post 201 for six years. The Legionnaire of the Year is chosen from among the 825 wartime veterans who are members. It is the highest honor at the post level, bestowed on a member who is singled out for exceptional service to the organization, veterans and the Alpharetta community. A member can be honored with the award only once. —Jonathan Copsey

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Georgia Piedmont Youth Orchestra auditions

ATLANTA – The Georgia Piedmont Youth Orchestra, a competitive orchestra for high school students, will hold auditions on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon at Centennial High School in Roswell. Students interested in auditioning should go to www.GPYOA. org to fill out an audition form online. They will be contacted with further information about their audition time and excerpts required for each section. The orchestra will be conducted by Rolando Salazar, former assistant conductor of the GPYO and currently assistant chorus master and conductor of the Atlanta Opera. Students involved with the orchestra have said they feel the orchestra helped them to create a stronger sense of discipline, confidence, self-esteem and a deeper sense of appreciation for the music they play. The GPYO will begin its season on Sept. 8. For more information about Georgia Piedmont Youth Orchestra or auditions, please visit www.GPYOA.org. —Jonathan Copsey

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Revitalization in Roswell’s future DaVinci’s fills needed vacancy

of an old shopping center getting new life, he said. “Redevelopment is the way of the future,” Stroud said. For DaVinci’s, Roswell was a new step for them. With other locations dotted around Atlanta, they are more “ITP” than “OTP.” To leap from Midtown to Roswell takes some rethinking – both of the menu and business – but it also takes the right location. “There is nowhere for the residents [of Roswell Country Club] to go eat and drink,” said David Hearn, vice president of operations for DaVinci’s. “We fell in love with the opportunity to establish in a community so eager for a place to call home.” Judging from the opening night, July 26, Roswell residents have taken DaVinci’s up on their offer to be the neighborhood restaurant, welcoming the new neighbor with their feet. The restaurant is located right next to the main entrance to the neighborhood. “We really see this location becoming a neighborhood destination spot that offers a menu full of delicious fresh ingredient alternatives that seems to be getting harder to find,” said General Manager

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – If there is one thing that annoys an economic development team, it’s empty storefronts. At the height of the recession, it seemed the number of empty storefronts outnumbered occupied ones. Now that the economy is picking itself back up, those empty buildings are making way for new tenants and some new thinking to fill them. One of the newest businesses in Roswell is DaVinci’s Pizzeria, described as “upscale casual dining,” in front of the Country Club of Roswell on Old Alabama Road. It offers homemade, locally sourced Italian fare. The restaurant occupies 6,000 square feet of space that sat vacant for two years, an eyesore for the residents who drive past every day but also for Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc., the economic development arm of the city. DaVinci’s is a great example

COMMUNITY

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From left are DaVinci’s Pizza Vice President of Operations David Hearn, Roswell Councilwoman Becky Wynn, General Manager Rick Coscia, Joe Piontek, Robin Martin, Sen. John Albers, former Secretary of State Karen Handel and Frank Hasty. Rick Coscia. “We truly are passionate about food and I guess you could say we are the antifast food restaurant establishment.” This is all good news for Stroud and part of a new, evolving trend in business. “There are a lot of old shopping centers, the typical retail from the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Stroud said. “All the parking is up front and they are aging. We are trying to clean things up and bring these buildings up to the street.” Part of that puzzle is Roswell’s newest zoning code,

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the Unified Development Code (UDC), which aims to simplify zoning and be more flexible to allow mixed use zoning. Stroud said many of the empty shopping centers could be repurposed for many uses, including office space or residential. “There are more options now,” he said. “The new retail today is not the big box. It’s a lot of little small boxes clustered together.” He is seeing a trend toward more walkable communities in the metro area, where people want to live, work and play all

close together. “In some areas you want to put some residential combined with retail and commercial,” he said. “The UDC is a great tool to be able to put together and clean up properties. It helps the redevelopment process tremendously. It gives the developer and the property owner up front what their expectation is for that piece of property.” DaVinci’s is located at the Terraces at Willow Springs, 2500 Old Alabama Road, Roswell. For more information, find them online at www. davincisdelivers.com.

14 | August 13, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com

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2014 high school football preview Raiders, Eagles, BT, Mt. Pisgah look to duplicate strong showings By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com

20: BLESSED TRINITY PREVIEW 24 – 25: TEAM SCHEDULES 25: FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PREVIEW 26: ALPHARETTA PREVIEW 27: ROSWELL PREVIEW 28: CHATTAHOOCHEE PREVIEW 29: NORTH FULTON’S TOP PLAYERS AND KING’S RIDGE PREVIEW 30: NORTHVIEW AND ST. FRANCIS PREVIEWS 31: CENTENNIAL PREVIEW

NORTH FULTON — The 2014 high school football season gets under way August 22, with a few changes for teams in North Fulton regarding classification and region alignment. Northview returns to AAAAAA and will play in Region 6 with Alpharetta, Centennial and nearby schools Johns Creek and Chattahoochee. Blessed Trinity remains in AAA, but will now play in Region 4, which puts the Titans in the South Georgia playoff bracket. St. Francis will play its first season in a region, joining 6-A, which also includes North Fulton schools Mount Pisgah, King’s Ridge and Fellowship Christian. In AAAAAA, Alpharetta is one of two co-favorites in Region 6 along with West Forsyth. Alpharetta, which has a new

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head coach – former offensive coordinator Josh Nichols — was the only North Fulton team to make the playoffs from that region last year, as the four Forsyth schools finished in the four spots behind the Raiders. Lambert is likely to again challenge for one of four playoff berths, with North Forsyth and South Forsyth facing tough challenges to match last year’s 7-3 records. Chattahoochee went 4-6 with a team loaded with talent at the skill positions, and the Cougars will try to bounce back with an almost all-new offensive cast and a third head coach in three years, as Mike Owens was forced to step down due to health concerns. Vince Strine, the team’s defensive coordinator last year, takes over as head coach. Centennial, which went 1-9 last year but could have had a winning record, returns some

talent, but the Knights have to figure out how to hang on to leads, something they were unable to do in 2013. After two playoff berths and a 17-3 record in its second and third seasons of varsity football, Johns Creek was winless last year, but veteran coach Mike Cloy says the Gladiators’ sophomore class has some similarities to the outstanding group that led the team to success in 2011 and ’12. Northview has never made the playoffs in football, but could challenge for a post-season spot despite moving up in classification. The Titans have one of the state’s best passcatch combos in D.J. Pearson and Matty Biondich, and some new arrivals could significantly improve a defense that has been porous in recent seasons. In Region 5-AAAAAA, Milton looks likely to make the playoffs for a fourth straight season, and hopes to contend for a title in a region that may have a different look at the top

See PREVIEW, Page 19

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Preview: Continued from Page 18 than in the recent past. Traditional power Walton has a new coach and some question marks, and 2013 region champion Lassiter suffered heavy graduation losses. Etowah, which made the playoffs last year, will be among the teams to beat, with Cherokee a possible contender. Pope has returned to the rea team, and after a respectgion after several years at the able showing last year, a top-3 AAAAA level. finish in the sub-region and Roswell, a long time playa shot at a state playoff berth off contender in the region, may be a realistic goal. has struggled the last three Blessed Trinseasons, but the ity made it to the Hornets appear to AAA quarterfibe on the comeThe first nals last season back trail and full week of in what was could make a supposed to be a playoff run with a the season transitional year. talented returning group of skill includes two of The Titans have a shot to make position players the area’s top another playoff on offense. run, although Cambridge they will have remains in Region rivalry games to get through 7-AAAAA, which – Milton at a very difficult had several teams move up to Alpharetta and sub-region after beginning with AAAAAA and has a tough group added teams from Centennial at of non-region northwest GeorRoswell. games. gia that will play After going in the opposite undefeated in sub-region from the Bears. This is just the third the regular season and reaching the private school state season Cambridge has fielded

semifinals, Mount Pisgah will again the be the favorite in Region 6-A, with the Patriots returning talent on both offense and defense. Fellowship Christian and King’s Ridge are both hoping to move up in the region standings, with St. Francis joining the region after going 8-2 last year against a non-region schedule. Five of the local schools – Roswell, Chattahoochee, Cambridge, Fellowship and Mt. Pisgah -- play the first week of the season, with Roswell traveling to Valdosta to play Lowndes in a rematch of the 2007 state quarterfinal playoff game. The first full week of the season includes two of the area’s top rivalry games – Milton at Alpharetta and Centennial at Roswell – with Alpharetta playing at West Forsyth the following week in a game that could decide the region title. Other early season games

of note are Blessed Trinity at former region rival St. Pius (Aug. 29), Eagle’s Landing Christian at Mt. Pisgah (Sept. 12), and Roswell at long-time

rival Walton in a 5-AAAAAA opener (Sept. 12). The Hornets play at Milton the following week in a game that could have playoff implications.

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BLESSED TRINITY PREVIEW:

BT looks to make another deep playoff run Hopes to ‘max out’ ability after 2013 ‘surprise’ By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – In his three seasons as head coach of the Blessed Trinity Titans, Tim McFarlin has helped raise the expectation level for the school’s fan base. The Titans have made the state playoffs each season, advancing to the second round in 2011 and ’12 and reaching the quarterfinals last year before losing to a talented team from Washington County. With a number of young players filling key roles, the Titans went 7-3 against a schedule loaded with playoff qualifiers, sweeping their three main sub-region opponents. “Last year was a surprise,” McFarlin said. “The class before them was so strong. This group of juniors we saw coming, but a rebuilding year turned into the quarterfinals and a No. 5 ranking in the state.”

The Titans graduated their two best offensive linemen, several top defenders, an allstar kicker and an 1,100-yard rusher, but have plenty of returning talent and will again be expected to make a deep playoff run. “We overachieved last year,” McFarlin said. “This year, we just want to max out our ability.” Leading the way for Blessed Trinity will be senior linebacker Pat Jasinski, who has started since midway through his freshman season. Jasinski, who has committed to Central Florida, “has been our best defensive player for a couple of years,” said McFarlin. Jasinski will not have Carter McManes and Zach Mitchler along side him, but the Titans have a deep group of linemen in front of him, including tackle Joe Camacho, who gives the team some size in the middle. Ends Logan Craighead, Matthew Castner and Shane Parton make that position one of the team’s deepest, with Camacho and Ted Cato part of a four-man rotation at tackle. Junior Jake Bogosian is among a group of players look-

ing to move into the lineup at the Titans “to be just as linebacker along with Jasinski. good” on the defensive side Regarding the secondary, of the ball. McFarlin said the Titans “have Blessed Trinity has plenty a little work to of returndo back there.” ing talent on Corner Francis offense, beSugrue and ginning with safety Travis Shelton and Green return, quarterback and to help fill Conor Davis, one of the other who took over spots, McFarlin as the fullis turning to time starter standout runearly in the ning back Milseason and ton Shelton. played well. Shelton Davis rushed for passed for 1,130 yards as 1,129 yards a sophomore and nine despite missing touchdowns. time with inDavis has juries, but his size, a strong offensive duties arm and may be reduced smarts, Mcsomewhat to Farlin said, TIM MCFARLIN enable him to “and played Blessed Trinity Coach play defense. well in big “Milton games. He played well gives us an when we added dimenneeded it.” sion to the secondary we Shelton was capably haven’t had,” McFarlin said. backed up last year by “Speed.” graduated senior Chad Even with some key lossManthey, who rushed for es at linebacker and in the 1,100 yards. secondary, McFarlin expects

Last year was a surprise. The class before them was so strong. This group of juniors we saw coming, but a rebuilding year turned into the quarterfinals and a No. 5 ranking in the state.”

This year, a pair of promising juniors – Elijah Hamilton and Garrett Dupuis – will spell Shelton as he sees extensive action on defense. Bogosian and Cameron Nolan return at fullback, a key position in McFarlin’s offense, with the Titans also returning receiver Chris Siebert and tight ends Jasinski and Craighead. Other than quarter back, the Titans are deep at the skill positions, and also have three returning starters in the line – Adam Makuck, Will Janousek and Castner. “We have good size,” McFarlin said. “We lost two very good offensive linemen, but the kids coming up have done some good things.” Mitch Rostowski takes over the kicking duties, which has typically been one of BT’s strengths. The Titans will again be in a strong sub-region with Westminster, Decatur and Washington, and will face some different opponents if they reach the playoffs. They have moved into Region 4-AAA, which is in the South Georgia half of the playoff bracket.

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CAMBRIDGE PREVIEW:

Bears expect to continue gradual improvement Return lots of starters for third varsity season By MIKE BLUM news@northfutlon.com MILTON, Ga. – The Cambridge Bears begin their third season of varsity football, and with a large group of returning starters, expect to again improve their record and possibly make a run as a playoff spot. Cambridge went 3-7 last year, highlighted by a 41-32 victory over Pope, an occasional playoff participant that has moved up to AAAAAA this season. “That was a signature win,” said Cambridge head coach Craig Bennett. “It’s one we can hang our hat on. It was a validation that what we’re doing is paying off.” The Bears lost a handful of key players from last year, but among the sizeable group of returnees are 12 players who are starting for the third year, beginning with their freshman seasons. “You can’t coach experience,” Bennett said. “The kids are ahead of where we’re used to being.” The Bears remain in Region 7-AAAAA, but several teams from last year have moved up to AAAAAA, with four teams from northwest Georgia joining the sub-divided region. Cambridge will not be in the stronger of the two sub-regions, and Bennett believes the Bears have a chance to finish in the top three and get into the region play-

offs with a shot at a state playoff berth. “You never want to predict, but we’re going to be better, and hopefully we make a run at the playoffs,” he said. The Bears’ playoff hopes start with senior quarterback Brian Moore, who passed for 2,168 yards and 13 touchdowns last year and added 515 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Moore accomplished those numbers after the Bears made a major offensive adjustment early in the season, switching from a run-oriented offense to more of a wide-open attack with an emphasis on passing. Moore was a starter on defense as a sophomore before taking over at quarterback late in the season. Bennett credited Moore with doing “a tremendous job” in 2013, and is hoping to make even greater use of his quarterback’s athleticism this year. The Bears return all their key skill position players, including receivers John Hurst and Hunter Smith, who combined to catch 90 passes for 1,308 yards and six touchdowns. They will get some help from speedy 5-foot-6 sophomore Kaelin Byrd. Running back Brock Nielson is back, with J.D. White, who played a lot at the position his first two seasons, slated to play more on defense, as well as a slot receiver on offense. Branch Morley and Matthew Burr,

JOHN HURST

Senior quarterback Brian Moore passed for 2,168 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. a pair of juniors starting for their third seasons, lead the way in the offensive line, which Bennett said “has made tremendous progress.” Even with the early season shift in emphasis, the Bears were effective

on offense in most of their games last season. Bennett expects Cambridge “to be better on offense this season. Absolutely.” Defensively, the Bears will be led by end Josh Kania, who is coming off a very strong junior season. “Josh is a staple for us,” said Bennett, who will have to find replacements for two graduated senior linemen who gave the Bears some size up front. “Those are our biggest spots to fill,” Bennett said. “We have several young kids and some of our offensive guys.” The Bears will have an experienced group of linebackers, with middle linebacker Trey Wolfe earning all-region honors as both a freshman and sophomore. Nielson also started last year, as did fellow senior Charles Mills. Two-year starter Nathan Kish is back for a third season at cornerback, and will be joined by White, who will also continue as a kick returner after taking back four kickoffs for touchdowns in his first two seasons. Craig Carter, Devin Kane and Garrett Walton will divide time at safety. Bennett said the Bears “have dropped a little bit of size,” on defense, “but we’ve gained a little speed. We’re definitely ahead of where we were last year.” One of the team’s strengths will be its kicking game, with Smith a pre-season all-state punter, Clayton Hammer back as the kicker and White giving the Bears a dangerous return threat.

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MILTON PREVIEW:

Eagles look to improve on 2013 success Standouts Wilson, Sapp to lead effort By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com MILTON, Ga. – After back-toback winning seasons and three straight state playoff berths, the Milton Eagles are looking to improve on last year’s eight-win season The Eagles return a sizeable number of starters from a team that tied for second in Region 5-AAAAAA and went 8-2 during the regular season. Leading the returnees are offensive lineman Nick Wilson, a Stanford commit, and linebacker Quarte Sapp, who is listed among the state’s top defensive players. Wilson, a first team allstate selection last year at guard, is one of three starters back in the offensive line, joining tackles Ernest Dye and Leighton Weatherby. Howie DeCristofaro, who has had some strong offensive lines in his first three seasons as the Eagles’ head coach, believes this group will measure up to its predecessors. In addition to the three veterans, DeCristofaro said, “we have some big, young kids, too. I think we’ll be a more balanced offense, but we’re still going to be a power football team.” Running backs Mikko Brisker and Chris Turner both saw plenty of action last season, as graduated standout Treyvon Paulk went down early with an injury. Brisker, a strong inside runner, had several games with 100-plus yards rushing, while Turner scored three touchdowns in a game. The Eagles also lost speedster Chad Toliver (780 yards rushing, nine TDs), but have A.J. Beach, who DeCristofaro said “has some wiggle” to help

out in the running game, and transfer Obe Fortune, who will give Milton a dangerous deep threat. “He’s like Toliver, but bigger,” said DeCristofaro, who will also make use of both Fortune and Beach in the return game, as well as the defensive backfield. Toliver was exceptional as a kick returner last year, and the Eagles should again be dangerous in that category. Austin McLeod is back at quarterback after completing almost 69 percent of his passes in 2013 and passing for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. DeCristofaro expects to throw more this season “to make defenses be honest,” with McLeod likely to have more of a role in the offense. Wide receiver Will Bond and returning tight end Jake English will join Fortune as McLeod’s primary targets, with the Eagles again expected to field a productive offense. Milton averaged almost 40 points a game last year in its eight victories. The Eagles also have a strong defensive nucleus returning, led by Sapp, who is attracting plenty of attention from major Division I schools. Sapp, who has added some weight after taking a break from summer basketball, will roam the field from his strong side linebacker position, with middle linebacker Charlie Fault, last year’s leading tackler, giving the Eagles a strong presence on the inside. Junior Ryan Wilson is looking to join Sapp and Fault at linebacker, with Christian Kenney also in the mix. Nick Steinhaus and Mike Collins give Milton “two good defensive ends,” DeCristofaro said, with Collins looking to

The Eagles will miss the production of Chad Toliver, (3), who rushed for 780 yards and nine TDs last season. stay on the field more after an injury-hampered 2013 season. The Milton coach “is looking for some inside guys,” with returning regular Marty Horan among those competing for jobs. DeCristofaro is searching for eight players to see action in the defensive line, with Roswell transfer Isaiah Hawkins vying for one of those spots along with Ryan Kanso

and juniors Tyler Watson and Austin Mitchell. Cornerbacks Lucas Nedza and Devyn Wilkins return along with safety Jordan Parisian, who played well as a junior. Nedza will move to safety when Beach plays defense, with Fortune and Lane Allison, who will handle the punting duties, also expected to see significant playing time.

The Eagles graduated both kickers, including all-state punter Matt Moskowitz, but DeCristofaro is confident there won’t be a drop-off in kickoffs and field goals, with several talented candidates for the jobs. “We want to make the playoffs,” DeCristofaro said. “You hate to be too optimistic, but these kids work harder than any group I’ve had.”

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ALPHARETTA PREVIEW:

Raiders after third region title in last 4 years Second round playoff loss provides motivation By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA – After losing in the first round of the state playoffs in 2010, ’11 and ’12, the Alpharetta Raiders scored their first playoff victory last year, defeating South Gwinnett 41-23 in the opening round. The thrill of victory, however, quickly gave way to the agony of defeat, as the Raiders were pillaged by Collins Hill 48-0 the next week, with the drubbing occurring on Alpharetta’s home field. Reminders of that game are scattered about the Raiders’ football office and training area, with the numbers 48-0 tacked onto walls in various spots. “We’re trying to use that as motivation,” says Jacob Nichols, the Raiders’ first-year head coach. “The Milton game (Alpharetta’s season opener) will tell us a lot how motivated the kids are.” Alpharetta has gone 24-6 in the regular season the last three years, winning region championships in 2011 and ’13. The Raiders suffered a pair

of tough first round playoff losses in 2011 and ’12, but their state title hopes ended in much different fashion last season. The decisiveness of the defeat was a surprise, as the Raiders had outplayed state power Lovejoy early in the season, losing by one point due primarily to turnovers. The Raiders have gone 9-1, 7-3 and 8-2 the last three seasons, and Nichols said his team “is looking to continue in the same manner and direction.” Nichols is in his sixth season at Alpharetta, and served as offensive coordinator the last two years for Jason Dukes, who took a head coaching position in Alabama after the 2013 season. “We want to take the program to the next level. It took us two or three years of getting to the playoffs for us to realize we could compete at that level. We finally got over that hurdle last year and got to the second round,” Nichols said, before things snowballed in the loss to Collins Hill. The Raiders, who are the consensus team to beat in

Lem Cobbs dives into the end zone during a game against Milton last year. Region 6-AAAAAA along with West Forsyth, come into the 2014 season with a strong nucleus of veterans on both offense and defense. The offense will again be led by North Carolina State commit Austin King, who passed for more than 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. King missed two games and shared time with two other Raiders, but has the stage to himself this year as the latest in a string of standout quarterbacks to play for Alpharetta.

King’s two top targets from 2013 have graduated, but the Raiders return starters Rustin Suter and James Marbaugh along with reserve Ryan Kupec, who is also expected to handle all the team’s kicking. Nick Carlton will give King a big, physical target, with Suter expected to be the main deep threat among the group. The Raiders have struggled to run the football effectively in recent seasons, but the top two running backs return along with both offensive tackles. Lem Cobbs rushed for almost 600 yards last season, and will divide time at running back with Miles Smith, a more physical inside runner who also played extensively in 2013. Nick Torrance and Cary Shirley return at tackle, with Nichols looking at “some big body juniors” to take over at guard and center. “Our running game got better last year,” Nichols said. “We’re trying to develop more of a physical attitude.” The Alpharetta defense will be led by end Andrew Butcher, who has committed to Tennessee. Butcher is considered one of the state’s top defensive linemen and can create havoc

for opposing offenses with his relentless efforts. Austin Hoffman also returns at defensive end, with Khari Cobbs and Ralph Johnson at tackle. “We’ll try to have six or eight players rotate,” Nichols said, with Tyler Hayward and Malua Young also in the mix. The Raiders will have to replace linebacker Bryce Grauss, the North Fulton Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, with Jake Behrend taking over as one of the team’s defensive leaders from his middle linebacker position. Nichols said the Raiders could play a number of players on the outside depending on personnel and schemes, Dorian Lee among those expected to see plenty of action. Devin Mayers and Dejon Rowe return at cornerback, with Rowe already drawing a lot of attention as a junior. The Raiders have to replace an excellent pair of safeties, with senior Matt Moore moving into a vital role as the secondary’s center fielder, Nichols said. “I feel like our defense will be very strong,” says Nichols. “They’re fun to watch, but frustrating to play against in practice.”

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ROSWELL PREVIEW:

Hornets expect to end losing streak Retuning offensive talent keys hopes for 2014 By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ROSWELL – From 1981 to 2010, the Roswell Hornets had exactly one losing season in football – a 4-6 record in 1994. The Hornets were frequent state playoff participants during that 30-year stretch, scoring at least 10 wins four times between 2001 and ’09, highlighted by a co-state championship in 2006 and a quarterfinal berth the next year. But since the Hornets went 7-5 in 2010 and won a state playoff game for the fifth time in six years, Roswell’s football fortunes have taken a sharp turn in a negative direction. Roswell suffered through the first winless season in team history in 2011. While the Hornets have improved the last two seasons, they went 3-7 and 4-6, not exactly what players, coaches and fans of the team expect. The Hornets enter the 2014 season with realistic hopes of ending their three-year run of losing records, but they will need to survive a demanding

opening stretch of games. Roswell plays its first game at Lowndes in Valdosta, and after a home game against cross-town rival Centennial, the Hornets start Region 5-AAAAAA play against longtime rivals Walton and Milton. When Roswell coach John Ford told his player they were playing their opener in Valdosta against Lowndes, “They looked at me like I was crazy,” he laughed. “But I’ve got a lot of confidence in these kids and coaches. I feel more confident than I have in a couple of years.” The players on this year’s team have experienced the Hornets’ recent decline, and Ford believes that has had an impact on the squad. “This group is pretty unique in that regard. They have a chip on their shoulders and that’s their right.” Roswell’s 4-6 record last year, Ford’s first as head coach, could have been considerably better. The Hornets lost their last three games and let several opportunities for victory slip away.

Most of last season’s key players return, and the Hornets enter 2014 with a shot at making a playoff run in a region that does not appear to be as strong at the top as it has been in recent seasons. The Hornets could be particularly potent on offense, with a large number of skill position players returning. Quarterback James Whitaker completed almost 70 percent of his passes for more than 1,000 yards, and Ford compares him favorably to some of the more highly-touted quarterbacks in the area. Hunter Coleman, who caught 48 passes for 612 yards and 5 touchdowns before being injured midway through the season, heads up an excellent group of receivers that includes returning regulars Kendrick Jackson and Reggie White. Mechane Slade (762 yards rushing, 5 TDs) will key a ground game that includes Shelton Evans, who contributed at the varsity level as a freshman. Cole Ramaekers and Cameron Whiteman, who

Expect to see Shakur Jackson as part of Roswell’s receiving corps and in the defensive secondary. started in the offensive line as sophomore, are back, but are

switching positions as Ford looks “to get the best five on the field. I’m pretty happy with the young kids we have.” One area where the Hornets were hit hard by graduation is the defensive line. Whitman, a two-way player, returns along with Leroy Wilson. Sam Vanede and junior Trey Lamar are back at linebacker, and Ford expects Lamar “to get some big offers” before his Roswell career ends. The Hornets return most of the secondary other than 2013 standout Josh Selembo, including corners Rodney Dorcemont and Justin Victorian and free safety Shakur Jackson, who also made an impact on offense last season. Marcelino Bell takes over at strong safety, and Ford sees a bright future for the junior. Ford welcomes one of the most prominent names in Roswell sports history back to the program, as former Tampa Bay Bucs safety Jermaine Phillips has joined the staff as an assistant working with the defensive backs. “I can’t say enough about him as a person,” Ford says of Phillips. “He’s come in ready to work.”

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CHATTAHOOCHEE PREVIEW:

New Cougar coach fields untested squad Strine hopes to re-establish winning tradition By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK – The Chattahoochee Cougars begin the 2014 football season with a new head coach and a mostly new group of players. Vince Strine, who has been at Chattahoochee for six years and served as defensive coordinator last season, takes over from Mike Owens, who resigned after his first season as head coach due to health concerns. Strine inherits a team that went 4-6 last season with a senior-laden roster that included a talented group of skill position players, as well as most of the starters from both lines of scrimmage. On paper, it appears the Cougars are headed for a rebuilding year, but Strine doesn’t exactly agree with that description. “We’re playing to win now,” Strine says. “We have a tradition at Chattahoochee, and we want to re-establish ourselves as a winning team.” The Cougars went 25-2 their last two seasons in the next-to-highest classification, winning a state title and going 15-0 in 2010. Chattahoochee qualified for the AAAAAA playoffs in 2012, the last of nine seasons Terry Crowder spent as the team’s head coach, but last year did not turn out as well as expected. Among last year’s senior class was a quarterback who passed for 2,000 yards, a four-year starter at running back, two receivers who combined for 1,770 yards and 14 TDs and one of the area’s top kickers. Heading the list of returning starters for the Cougars is inside linebacker Josh Weisberg, the team’s

Josh Weisberg makes a tackel during a game against Forest Park last year. leading tackler. Strine expects Weisberg to be “the quarterback of the defense.” Sean Hoffman is back at one outside linebacker, with Hall Lauer a leading candidate for the other outside spot. Strine is looking for end Christian Hansen to have a strong season, but the rest of the defensive line was not set a few weeks before the Cougars were scheduled to play their season opener. There was also uncertainty in the secondary, which also suffered heavy graduation losses. Caleb Miles saw a decent amount of action at corner, while Jalen Taylor played some in the defensive backfield as a sophomore. “We’re young, but we’ll be flying around the foot-

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ball,” says Strine, with the Cougars known for quick defensive units that are able to overcome lack of overall size. Strine says Chattahoochee “has some size up front. But speed and defense go hand in hand, and I feel really good about our defense.” Junior David Nicoletta takes over at quarterback for Taz Wilson, and while he is untested, the Cougars have a history of replacing talented QBs with players able to overcome their lack of experience. “David is a good athlete and a very smart kid. It’s like having an assistant on the field,” Strine observed. The Cougars will need a new primary running back after the loss of four-year starter Chase Nelson, with junior Blake Hundley heading up the competition. Strine says Hundley “is a big, strong kid,” with Xavier Tharpe and Jordan Hillman bringing quickness to the position. Standout wide receivers Colin Lisa and Avery Ward are both gone, with sophomore Isaac Kinsey, Isaiah Sayles and tight end Brandon Ware among the players vying for spots in the lineup. The Cougars have some experience in the offensive line. Perry Benson started at guard and Aaron Rosenthal saw action last season. Bryce Folsom returns to the lineup after being injured in 2013, with Kenny Garrett and Anthony Alanis also in the mix for starting roles. The kicking game has almost always been one of the Cougars’ strengths, with Andrew Gray heading the list of contenders to take over for Adam Abdellaoui, who enjoyed an excellent senior season. With the perception that the Cougars are in a rebuilding phase, Strine says, “I don’t believe we could be in a better position. When they doubt you, that helps to catch people by surprise.”

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Top North Fulton teams feature dynamic duos Local players make major college commitments By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com NORTH FULTON – For several of North Fulton’s strongest football programs heading into the 2014 season, their hopes hinge in large part on a pair of standout players. Class AAAAAA teams Milton, Alpharetta and Northview all feature dynamic duos, as do AAA Blessed Trinity and Class A Mount Pisgah, the two local teams that enjoyed the most success in the 2013 playoffs. Milton is the lone team of the five without an offensive skill position player among its two most prominent talents. Northview is the only one with a pair of players from the offensive backfield, with the other four schools all featuring at least one defensive ace. The five standout duos include offensive lineman Nick Wilson and linebacker Quarte Sapp from Milton, defensive end Andrew Butcher and quarterback Austin King of Alpharetta, quarterback D.J. Pearson and wide receiver Matt Biondich of Northview, linebacker Pat Jasinski and running back Milton Shelton of Blessed Trinity, and quarterback Aaron Winchester and defensive lineman Shingi Chigwere of Mount Pisgah. Wilson, who has committed to Stanford, is the latest in Milton’s recent string of Division 1-caliber offensive linemen. “Nick is the strongest offensive lineman I’ve ever coached,” Milton coach Howie DeCristofaro offered. “He has good feet from playing lacrosse, and runs like a deer for someone who weighs 285 pounds.”

WILSON

SAPP

In addition to his physical ability, Wilson excels academically and was attracted to Stanford, one of the country’s top universities and one of the very few in that category that is also a power in football. Wilson was a first team allstate selection as a junior, and is the key offensive returnee for a Milton team looking for a fourth straight state playoff berth. Sapp is the leader of the Milton defense, and is being actively recruited by many of country’s top teams. He is a three-year starter for the Eagles, and DeCristofaro said, “You could tell he was the real deal from the start. “Quarte is athletic, physical and smart. He can go where he wants.” Sapp, who also plays on the Milton basketball team, has taken the summer off from AAU ball, and has spent his time adding weight for his college future. The 6-3 Sapp is up to 215 pounds, and according to DeCrostofaro, “he runs as well as he ever has.” Like Wilson, Alpharetta’s Butcher was first team allstate in 2013, and has committed to Tennessee. “He’s as tough a player as there is in the state,” Alpharetta coach Josh Nichols says. “I

expect a lot of the same from him this season – sacks and quarterback pressures and contributing as a run stopper. He’s going to see more attention from offenses, not that it matters.” King is the latest in a seemingly unending string of college-caliber quarterbacks at Alpharetta, and has committed to North Carolina State after passing for more than 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. “He’s a prototypical pocket quarterback,” Nichols says. “He’s big, is a very accurate passer and has the ability to throw the ball down the field and run our offense.” King does not possess the running skills of predecessor Josh Dobbs, who started as a freshman last year at Tennessee, but Nichols says, “We still run a lot of the same stuff on offense.” Pearson and Biondich make up one of the state’s best passcatch duos for Northview, with both coming off huge junior seasons, Pearson passed for 2,531 yards and 19 touchdowns, with Biondich among the state’s leading receivers with 75 catches for 1,225 yards and 13 TDs. While Biondich will play lacrosse in college at West Point, Pearson has committed to Arkansas State. Biondich was the North Fulton Offensive Player of the Year in 2013, making one sensational catch after another. “He’s unbelievable,” Northview coach Chad Davenport says. “He knows how to get where he’s got to get to to get open, and I’ve never seen any-

body get a clean shot on him. That’s because of lacrosse.” At 5-7 and 160 pounds, Biondich looks too small to be a top-caliber football player, but his skills as a receiver more than compensate for his lack of size. “He’s so good with his feet and so quick,” Davenport points out. “He can make moves and cut on a dime. He just doesn’t drop the football. And people forget how fast he is.” Pearson has directed an offense that has averaged more than 33 points per game the last two seasons, primarily using his arm and decisionmaking ability to put points on the scoreboard. Pearson is not a runner like predecessor Evan Jacks, who played extensively as a quarterback last season as a redshirt freshman at Wofford, using his athleticism to buy time to find a receiver. “He’s got a good arm and can make plays,” Davenport says of Pearson. “He’s learning to be a great leader and not try to do too much.” Both Blessed Trinity standouts will see action on offense and defense, with Shelton scheduled to play a much greater role in the secondary. Shelton, a junior, has rushed for 2,000 yards his first two seasons with the Titans, despite missing time with injuries in both 2012 and ’13. He has shown exceptional skill as a running back, but BT coach Tim McFarlin believes the team needs him in the defensive backfield this season, and with two other capable tailbacks on the squad, Shelton may not be the workhorse he has been at times. “He’s excited,” McFarlin says of Shelton. “He knows

he’s going to carry the ball 20 times a game. He wants to play every play of every game if we’d let him. He just loves to play football.” Jasinski, who has committed to Central Florida and former Georgia Tech coach George O’Leary, is primarily a linebacker, but has also contributed at tight end. “He’s been our best defensive player for a couple of years,” McFarlin says. “He started his last five games a a freshman and has been a starter ever since. He’s one of those kids, that when he graduates, I might leave with him. “He’s a guy everybody looks to. He doesn’t say much, but he has the respect of every player and every coach on the team.” Winchester, a Georgia State signee, led Mount Pisgah to the private school semifinals last season, passing for 2,272 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushing for 982 yards, giving him more than 3,250 yards of total offense. Both Winchester and Chigwere, a defensive lineman, were honorable mention allstate last year, with Chigwere making the team despite missing a good deal of playing time with an injury. They will be a big part of the Patriots’ efforts to match the success of last season’s team. Other top local players include junior RB/WR Caden Herring and DE/LB Chris Calhoun, a Wake Forest commit, of Centennial; linebacker Josh Weisberg of Chattahoochee; junior linebacker Trey Lamar of Roswell; wide receiver Penny Hart of King’s Ridge, a Georgia State commit; and wide receiver Nathan Waller of St. Francis.

KING’S RIDGE PREVIEW:

Tigers add 2 veteran coaches to staff Parkview’s Flowe in charge of defense By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA – The big off-season news for the King’s Ridge Tigers was the addition of two new coaches with long track records in football at the high school and college levels. Cecil Flowe, who coached Parkview to four state championships during his 21 years as head coach there, will be the defensive coordinator for the Tigers. Todd Mooney, a college coach for 26 years including a stint as head coach at LaGrange, will take over as the King’s Ridge offensive coordinator.

“We’re excited to be associated with guys like Todd and Cecil,” King’s Ridge coach Jeff Pickren said. “They have so much experience and knowledge. Having guys like that in the program is exciting for the kids.” The Tigers are coming off a 4-6 season, the first time in their four seasons of varsity football in the GHSA that they did not finish with a 5-5 mark. Pickren described it as a “tough, disappointing season,” with a pair of late season 3-point losses keeping King’s Ridge from a .500 or winning record. The key returning player for the Tigers is versatile two-way starter Penny

Hart, who has committed to Georgia State. Hart is primarily a wide receiver, but Pickren says the senior “will play all over on offense and defense.” Hart caught 44 passes last season for 974 yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging right at 22 yards per reception. Pickren said Hart will line up in a variety of spots on offense, including the backfield, “wherever we can get him in a match-up we like.” Also returning is quarterback Henry Jones, who had several 200-yard passing games last year as a junior. Pickren said the King’s Ridge QB “is a better passer than runner, but he will run some. We’ll run some zone read options and I’m confident with him.” The Tigers lost their primary run-

ning back, and Pickren says “it’s a big mystery who will play running back for us.” Joining Hart at wide receiver will be Will Janofsky and Remy Lazarus, with Austyn Hennings back at tight end. The Tigers’ group of receivers will be one of the team’s strengths, giving the team some experience and speed on the outside. The Tigers lost most of their offensive linemen to graduation, and Pickren says “linemen are at a minimum” this season. Zach Pitts started some at center as a sophomore, with Kyle Brown also getting some starts in the line as a freshman. “We graduated

See TIGERS, Page 30

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NORTHVIEW PREIVEW:

Titans have chance for best ever season Northview to contend despite move to AAAAAA By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Northview Titans have been playing varsity football since 2002, and have never had a winning record. For just the second time in team history, Northview went 5-5 last season, coming close to a victory over Riverwood in the Titans’ last game that would have given them a winning record and a first-ever state playoff berth. The Titans have returned to the state’s highest classification this year after two years at the AAAAA level, but are well-positioned to achieve both aims the 2013 team narrowly missed. “I’m a little hesitant about the beginning of the season, but I know we’re better than we’ve been before,” Northview head coach Chad Davenport said. “This is the best team I’ve had.” The Titans have gradually improved in Davenport’s four years at the helm, and are poised to make its biggest leap this season thanks to a talented group of returning starters and some help from transfers, something the Titans are familiar with from the opposite standpoint. Northview returns to AAAAAA with an explosive offense led by two of the area’s top returnees – quarterback D.J. Pearson and 2013 North Fulton Offensive Player of the Year Matty Biondich. The big question this season for the Titans is how improved the defense will be. Northview has featured highscoring offenses for several years, but the team’s defense has yielded more points than the offense could score. “For the first time, I think we’ll be pretty good on defense,” Davenport said. “That’s always been the thing holding us back. “I think we’ll be vastly improved,” he said. “We have two transfers who will start on defense, and we have some depth for the first time, which has enabled us to have some competition in practice.” One of the two transfers is Turner Fortin, who played well last year for nearby neighbor Johns Creek and will also contribute on offense. Fortin will move from linebacker to end, and will team

Plan on seeing Nathan Phillips (7) playing on both sides of the ball next season slotted to play both running back and safety. with two-year starter Connor Owen to give the Titans a pair of quality bookends in the defensive line. Davenport said Fortin “is a tremendous leader. He’s a physical player and a great pick-up.” Also back in the line is Keewan Williams, described by Davenport as “an undersized tackle with a lot of speed. The other spot is up for grabs.” Devan Johnson, who has played several positions, will be an outside linebacker, and Davenport considers him “the best athlete on the team.” Converted safety Clay French will be the other outside linebacker, with Joseph Macrina back in the middle, giving the Titans what should be a strong group of linebackers. The secondary will be bolstered by the return of Josh Moran, who was at Northview as a ninth-grader, transferred to Buford and is back with the Titans. Nathan Phillips, the team’s starting running back, will also play at safety, with Davenport awaiting word whether two talented out-ofstate transfers will be eligible for the season. Pearson, who has committed to Arkansas State, is back for his third season after passing for 2,531 yards and 19 touchdowns. His favorite target is Biondich, who was

among the state’s top receivers with 75 catches for 1,225 yards and 13 TDs. Phillips rushed for 778 yards and nine scores, but was slowed in the pre-season by a foot injury. Speedy sophomore Michael Cole was slated to also get plenty of time at running back, but has been sidelined by a broken collarbone. Johnson, who played in the backfield last season in the Titans’ “heavy” package, may also see time in the rotation this season given the uncertain status of Phillips and Cole. Davenport also plans to make use of Fortin’s skills on offense in an H-back role. Biondich, who will attend West Point and play lacrosse, will be the No. 1 receiver, with Justin Westbrook and Ricci Nuckles also playing key roles in the Titans’ passing game. The offensive line was the position hit hardest by graduation, with Brice Percynski the lone returning starter. Juniors Ben Everett and Michael Dries will move into starting roles, and Davenport said the Titans “have some good size,” but lack experience. “I think we’re going to be pretty good if we can get over the injury bug,” Davenport said. “I think we’re coming back into 6A at the right time, but we’ve got to go out and play.”

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ST. FRANCIS PREVIEW:

St. Francis to make debut in region play By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA – The St. Frances Knights begin their first season of playing varsity football in a region, and will field a senior-dominated lineup with a large number of returning starters. The Knights went 8-2 last year against a non-region schedule, just the second varsity season for the team. The schedule wasn’t especially difficult, but the team’s roster included just a handful of front line senior players, giving the Knights an experienced group as they move into Region 6-A. “I feel pretty good,” St. Francis coach Brennan Booth says. “We have a big senior class and I think we can compete. Mount Pisgah and Mount Paran are definitely the top dogs, but for everybody else it will be week in and week out battles.” St. Francis returns eight offensive starters and nine defensive starters, and has enough depth to keep the number of two-way starters to a reasonable level and give those players necessary breaks. Leading the way offensively is speedy wide receiver Nathan Waller, who caught 41 passes for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and was an honorable mention all-state selection. Joey Roche, who teamed with Waller to give the Knights a dangerous pass-catch duo, has graduated, leaving a competitive situation at quarterback. A.J. Cummings, who played running back last season, is vying with Knox Edenfield, a running back and receiver, and sophomore Matthew Davis. Booth says Cummings and Knox are more runners, with Davis more of a pass-oriented quarterback. “It’s important for us to establish a running game, which will make things easier for the

Tigers: Continued from Page 29 three seniors, but I’m confident in the guys we’ve got,” Pickren said. The defense will consist largely of the same group of players who will see extensive action on offense. Lazarus will join Hart in the secondary, with Hennings playing outside linebacker and Bowen McGill

quarterbacks. Cummings will be at running back if he isn’t playing quarterback, with Edenfield also in the backfield somewhere. With all five offensive linemen returning, the Knights are positioned to get the running game going, with Brent Terry and Seth Cecil heading up the group. Both players will also be key contributors on the defensive line. “Those five will be a strength, plus we have some speed and talent in the backfield,” Booth says. The Knights return nine starters on defense, and Booth expects improvement on that side of the ball this season. “We’ve got seniors across the board and we’re bigger and stronger,” Booth said. “The kids have played for four years now and know what they’re supposed to do.” Among the returnees are Beau Sunday and J.R. Lewis, who will anchor the line at end. Middle linebackers Lake McClure and Sam Franke were the two leading tacklers last year and are both back for their senior seasons. Knox will start at free safety on defense, and is described by Booth “as the general of the defensive backfield.” Waller, who scored several touchdowns on defense in limited action, will again play on that side of the ball. Booth says the Knights will have five or six players who will play extensively on both offense and defense, but the St. Francis coach believes the team has sufficient depth to give the two-way regulars sufficient breaks. With a large majority of this season’s senior class going through the challenges of getting a football program started, Booth believes the Knights are ready to make the move into playing a region schedule and will be competitive against the teams on their schedule. in the middle. The Tigers held unbeaten region champion Mount Pisgah to just 14 points last season, but yielded 39 or more points in three of the team’s other six losses. King’s Ridge will get a later start to the season than almost every other team in the state. The Tigers’ off week is the first week of the season, with the team playing 10 straight weeks after that beginning with the season opener at home Sept. 5 against Walker.

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August 13, 2014 31

CENTENNIAL PREVIEW:

Knights on rebound after frustrating 2013 By MIKE BLUM news@northfulton.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Few high school football teams had as frustrating a 2013 season as the Centennial Knights. The Knights went 1-9, with their only victory against winless Johns Creek. That record, however, did not tell the story of Centennial’s season. In all but a handful of the team’s nine losses, the Knights held the lead well into the game, but were unable to hold on after repeated strong starts. Jeff Carlberg, who is in his third year as Centennial’s head coach, hopes to rectify that situation, but will have to do so without the Knights’ top offensive and defensive players from last season. Star wide receiver Christian Robinson has graduated along with linebacker Alex Estes, but the Knights do have some talent returning on both sides of the ball. The top offensive returnee is versatile Caden Herring, who had almost 1,300 yards rushing and receiving last year. “Caden will play slot receiver and running back. He’s a dual threat.” Carlberg said. “Plus, he’s going to play some

defense. He’s not going to be coming off the field a whole lot.” With Robinson gone, Herring will be the main target for quarterback Luke Able, who had some productive games last season after starter Matthew Harries was injured. Able also had his “trials and tribulations” at the position, Carlberg said, but the Centennial coach is expecting improvement from Able after a season of experience. Tee Holland, who took over at quarterback late in the season and had a 300-yard game passing, is moving to receiver, while still serving as the emergency quarterback. “We needed to get Tee a position on the field,” Carlberg said. “He’s a really good athlete.” Even with the loss of Robinson, the Knights appear to be strong at the receiver positions. Along with Herring and Holland, the Knights have deep threat James Kelly, defensive starter Aaron Turk, Marcus Beck and Malik Muhammad, who Carlberg said has had “a great summer.” Herring will share the running back duties in the Knights’ one-back offense with Luther Martinez, an undersized “but

Centennial will try to avoid being sacked by the competition in 2014 after posting a 1-9 record in 2013. very shifty and strong” runner, according to his coach. Centennial lost four of its five offensive linemen, but returns four-year starter Alex Yankey, whose older brother David was a first-team 2013 All-American at Stanford and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.

A few of the team’s expected starters in the line have been battling recent illness, and Carlberg said the offensive line “is all a mystery. We’re still figuring out who the guys are.” Junior Dalton Moore and sophomore Brian Dejarnette are looking to join Yankey as

starters if they can get well, with the Knights not very deep up front. The key defensive returnee is linebacker/end Chris Calhoun, who has committed to Wake Forest. Also back is nose guard Jimmie Walton, who gives the Knights some size in the middle, and ends Jake Dahm and Max Martin. Turk will be a key performer on defense, playing both linebacker and safety, and will be joined in the secondary by Thomas Dreesman, Torre Hutchins and Herring, who Carlberg describes as “our best ball hawk.” “I think we’ll be better on defense. I feel good about our defensive front,” said Carlberg, with recent Centennial teams scoring plenty of points but yielding too many. “We’ll be an aggressive team.” The Knights have had some quality kickers over the years, and Carlberg expects that trend to continue, with standout soccer goalie Michael Samnik joining the team. “We have a lot of untested guys and a lot of uncertainty,” said Carlberg, who feels good about the team’s talent and effort, but has concerns about the Knights’ depth.

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MUSIC

ALE YEAH BEER TASTING

STORY SLAM

Roswell craft beer merchant Ale Yeah continues its series of beer tastings at Barrington Hall. The tasting will feature the beers of Blue Tarp Brewing Company from Decatur. The cost of the tasting, including food, is $20 per person. Saturday, Aug. 16 from 7-9 p.m. Barrington Hall. 535 Barrington Dr., Roswell. Please call at 770-640-3855.

SUMMER BOOK SALE

The summer book sale hosted by the Friends of the Roswell Library has 10,000 plus books ready. The sale is free and open to the public. All book sale proceeds are directly applied to the library. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. Wednesday, Aug. 3-17. Sale hours vary. Please call 770640-3075 or visit www.forl.net.

REQUIEM BY JOHN RUTTER

The Rutter “Requiem” is recognized as a mainstay in the choral/instrumental repertoire of the late 20th century. The 190-voice Michael O’Neal Singers combine with a chamber ensemble composed of professional instrumentalists and Soprano Sherri Seiden. Sunday, Aug. 17. 3-4:30 p.m. Roswell United Methodist Church. 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell. Please call 770-5947974 or visit mosingers.com.

CREEKSIDE FALL CONSIGNMENT SALE

EVENTS ALPHARETTA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: BUSINESS EXPO

BOB RUSSELL SINGERS & JAZZ BAND

Enjoy an afternoon and night out dancing to music from the Bob Russell Singers and Jazz Band. The dance is presented by The Cumming Playhouse. Saturday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. The Cumming Playhouse. 101 School St., Cumming. Please call 770-781-9178 or visit playhousecumming.com.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT AT

Step up to the microphone and share a tale in the Story Slam series. Each event in the series has a theme and offers 10 storytellers the opportunity to tell their truths in 5 minutes or less. The event will be about school ties on Monday, Aug. 18 starting at 7 p.m. $10 cash at the door. Roswell Cultural Arts Center. 950 Forrest St., Roswell. Please call 770-594-6232.

Come out to see over 100 exhibitors on Friday, Aug. 22, between 12:305:00 p.m. Food exhibitors will be on hand to share their delicious culinary skills, a speakers series is in place with Doug Grady and Mayor Belle Isle and there will be networking opportunities for everyone. Sponsorships and exhibitor registrations are now available. Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta. 5750 Windward Pkwy., Alpharetta. Please call 678-865-6608.

CHUCK LEAVELL AT ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN

Rock legend Chuck Leavell of Rolling Stones is a respected authority on forestry and conservation. Leavell will give a lecture about the future of forest stewardship. Proceeds benefit the Garden’s conservation program. Monday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. Atlanta Botanical Garden. 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. Please call 404-876-5859 or visit atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

FORSYTH COUNTY DRUG AWARENESS SUMMIT

Come visit Creekside UMC for the consignment sale. There will be bargains on clothing, baby furniture, toys and more. A $5 donation is appreciated. Friday, Aug.15 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 16, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Creekside United Methodist Church. 673 Peachtree Pkwy., Cumming. Please call 404-4038764 or visit www.creekside.net spend time in the park. Visitors will enjoy a wide variety of arts and crafts from over 250 local and regional artisans and craftsman. SaturdaySunday, Aug. 16-17. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Piedmont Park. 1071 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. Please call 404-873-1222 or visit piedmontparkartsfestival.com.

BENEFITS & RACES

Join Forsyth County in an event to raise awareness of drug overdose in the community. The public is invited to attend this free event. Tuesday, Aug. 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Lanier Tech Forsyth Conference Center. 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming. Please call 770-887-2461 or visit forsythcountydrugawarenesscouncil.org.

BAUBLES & BLING FASHION SHOW

Come out and watch the Baubles & Bling 2nd annual Atlanta Fashion Show on Saturday, Aug. 16. The fashion show event includes jewelry giveaways, raffles and door prizes. $12 to pre-register and $15 at the door. Saturday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. Atlanta Mariott Perimeter. 246 Perimeter Center Pkwy. NE, Atlanta. To register, please call Jackie Martin, Division Manager at 678-457-4778.

LAMBERT LONGHORN 5K & FUN RUN

PIEDMONT PARK ARTS FESTIVAL

Come out and enjoy the 4th annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival. It’s a free summer festival to enjoy the outdoors, browse for art and crafts as well as

The Lambert Cross Country team will be hosting the 6th Annual Longhorn 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, August 16 at Lambert High School. 8:30-10 a.m. Lambert High School. 805 Nichols Rd., Suwanee. Please call 404932-8821. Registration information is on Active.com and www.LambertXC. com.

34 | August 13, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com

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