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'Great wall' in Milton falls
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Curiosity or eyesore? Longtime fixture torn down ►►PAGE 28
August 20, 2015 | johnscreekherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 19, No. 34
The District may look at plan B Cost of water feature may cause 2nd thoughts By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com
HATCHER HURD/STAFF
An Indian girl in traditional costume leads her state’s delegation in the opening parade of the Freedom Mela. This is the Indian community’s celebration of independence from Great Britain in 1947.
JAI HIND; 2015 FREEDOM MELA »
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Johns Creek City Council has been asked by staff to consider asking The District’s consultants to come up with an alternate plan for The District’s center core that was to have focused on a water feature using the existing creek. CH2M Hill was preparing a feasibility study when it ran into some severe constraints based on preserving the existing creek. They have come back asking for direction on whether to pursue it based on expected higher costs. So has The District — the
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city’s plan for a new, vibrant city center — hit a bump in the road, or has it run into a ditch? The consensus from the city is it is closer to a bump in the road. The city has to decide, however, if it should look at alternatives to The District being designed around a water feature such as a canal or lake. “What we have done is take a step back,” said Assistant City Manager Eric Taylor, who
See DISTRICT, Page 33
Celebrating Indian independence Schools opens year with fewer students, teachers at Johns Creek's Newtown Park Atlanta’s Indian community meets at Newtown Park for celebration By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The colors of the day Saturday, Aug. 15, at Johns Creek’s Newtown Park were orange, white and green, the colors of the Indian flag. The reason: to celebrate Aug. 15, the 69th anniversary
of Indian Independence Day, commemorating the nation’s independence from the British Empire. This was the first time the entire Atlanta Indian community decided to celebrate together in one place and host a huge celebration from 3 to 9 p.m. The Freedom Mela (Cel-
ebration) event was sponsored by several of Atlanta’s IndianAmerican organizations. India is composed of 29 states, each with its own language. Yet in 1947, all of these diverse cultures banded together to form one nation. This past weekend, American Indians gathered to celebrate their diversity and their unity with a nod to the United
See CELEBRATION, Page 25
Student numbers expected to increase through Labor Day By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmediagroup.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The 2015-16 school year started for Fulton Schools with more than 2,500 students less than expected and more than 100 teachers still to hire to reach full strength.
During a meeting of the Fulton School Board on Aug. 12, Deputy Superintendent Rob Anderson noted the 100plus teacher vacancies are in the typical “hard to staff” areas of special education, foreign languages, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “We’ve [already] hired close to 800 teachers, 14 principals and 20 assistant principals,” said Anderson. “The remain-
See SCHOOLS, Page 7
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