Revue and News, December 11, 2014

Health and Wellness Sponsored section ►►PAGE 20

Fulton examines ‘school choice’ District looks at customization ►►PAGE 34

&

Metered parking?

Alpharetta mulls change ►►PAGE 4

Knights, Cougars open strong Basketball season off to good start ►►PAGE 31

Alpharetta-Roswell

REVUE NEWS

December 11, 2014 | revueandnews.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 32, No. 49

Roswell to allow golf carts on streets Permitted on 25 mph or less roads

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – In a unanimous vote Dec. 8, the Roswell City Council approved allowing golf carts and other personal transportation vehicles (PTVs) on city streets with speeds up to 25 mph.

The council can designate

which roads the carts can be allowed on as well as where they can cross streets.

While the council approved the ordinance, carts will not be allowed on streets until signage can be created and placed at the city entrances as well as roads where they are allowed.

This will take several months.

City staff will also draw up brochures to alert resi-

See COUNCIL, Page 4

Fulton radio net costs swell Rise 92% over last year Children take pictures with everyone’s favorite jolly old elf, Santa Claus, at Milton’s Christmas in Crabapple.

North Fulton celebrates the holidays Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton holds events

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – The weekend of Dec. 5 was a busy one for holiday events around North Fulton.

Downtown Alpharetta was packed Friday, Dec. 5, for the

37th annual Christmas tree lighting.

Thousands of people crammed Milton Avenue for the lighting as well as food trucks, live musical performances, a trolley train and the farmers market.

Students from King’s Ridge

Christian School, Alpharetta Christian Academy, Alpharetta High School and the city of Alpharetta Rhythm n’ Shoes dance program performed on the stage on Milton Avenue.

In Milton, despite the rainy weather, the annual Christmas in Crabapple had Santa Claus and Disney’s Olaf the snow-

See HOLIDAYS, Page 38

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – The cost for staying on Fulton County’s emergency radio system has gone up nearly 100 percent for next year.

In the Dec.1 Alpharetta City Council meeting, the council approved a contract for the first quarter of 2015 for $35,000.

“Hopefully this is our last approval of the Fulton County fee to use their system,” said Gary George, the public safety director.

He said North Fulton’s

One of reasons we chose to do our own system was because we couldn’t predict the cost [of Fulton County’s].”

BOB REGUS, Alpharetta City Manager

own replacement radio net

See RADIO, Page 41

PUBLIC SAFETY

2 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

Slow suspect runs from cops on walker

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Alleged thief repeat offender MILTON, Ga. – A slow speed chase erupted Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving, when a man with a walker attempted to steal dozens of items from a local store and threatened a worker with a knife.

Employees of the

Walmart on Windward Parkway said they saw Michael Edward Durkin, 57, of Decatur, enter the store on a DURKIN motorized shopping cart. He was recognized as a serial shoplifter at the store. They say Durkin

POLICE BLOTTER

CORRECTIONS The date for the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Reindeer Day was incorrectly listed.

The correct day is Sunday, Dec. 14, 1-4 p.m.

Reindeer Day is a CNC winter tradition that is all about winter animals and holiday cheer including live reindeer.

The fourth annual Reindeer Day will feature live reindeer and the other animals at CNC to get people in the holiday spirit.

Guests are invited to bring a picnic and plan to enjoy the fun all day.

Other fun activities include crafts, roasting marshmallows at the bonfire with Camp Kingfisher staff and learning about winter animal survival.

Other family winter activities include: Trail Hike: 1 p.m.

Creature Feature: 2 p.m.

Story Time with Miss Julia: 3 p.m.

Costume Parade: 4 p.m.

In the article “Roswell fire chief went years without credentials” (Dec. 3), Roswell Fire Chief Ricky Burnette only went four years without a high school diploma or GED, from 2000-2005.

For the last 10 years, he has met all of the Fire Council credentials and requirements.

A small list of really good tree services.

picked out a pair of sneakers, two bottles of eggnog, a Leatherman multipurpose knife, a Drimmel power tool, several bottles of condiments and small items. He placed all the items into store shopping bags in his scooter and then tried to leave the store through the garden center.

When he was stopped, he got up out of the scooter, took up his walker and began to walk away. When

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.

Mom in DUI accident with child in car MILTON, Ga. – A Milton mother was arrested for DUI Nov. 28 after allegedly getting into a car accident with her young child in the car.

Police arrived at the entrance to the Atlanta National neighborhood on New Providence Road about 4 p.m. and found that an SUV had struck the guard shack. The driver, Katherine Podrahansky, 46, of Milton, said she was having trouble driving and hit the guard shack post. The officer at the scene said her words were slurred and her breath smelled of alcohol. She was put through sobriety evaluations and failed them.

Podrahansky was arrested for DUI and endangering the life of a child. The child was turned over to a relative.

Speeding, no license lead to arrest ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Buford resident was arrested Nov. 23 after allegedly speeding with a suspended license and using a car with the wrong tags.

Police say an officer was on patrol at 1:30 a.m. on Ga. 400 when they spotted a BMW driving about 90 mph in the posted 65 mph speed limit. When the officer pulled the vehicle over, the driver, Sagar Rijal, 27, of Buford, said

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employees tried to stop him, Durkin allegedly pulled out a knife and brandished it, yelling racial slurs. He also threatened to use a Taser on the workers and attempted to “run them over” with his walker.

Police arrived and subdued Durkin. He was found to have a warrant out of Fulton County for shoplifting.

He was arrested for shoplifting and aggravated assault.

he did not have a license but he was headed to the hospital for an emergency. The officer noted Rijal’s car smelled heavily of marijuana.

When asked why he did not have a license, he said instead that he was driving to pick up his car that had been towed. Rijal said his car was impounded a few days prior when he was stopped and arrested for marijuana possession. A check of Rijal’s license showed it was suspended for DUI. A search of Rijal turned up a baggie of suspected marijuana.

When his BMW was impounded, it was discovered he had placed another tag on the car. Rijal was charged with driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana, speeding, failure to maintain lane, driving with a cracked windshield and having an improper license plate.

Employee suspected in theft MILTON, Ga. – A possibly unhappy employee is suspected in stealing about $3,000 in company electronics when he quit.

According to the owner of the business, he went out of town Nov. 1 and returned Nov. 17. During this time, an employee was left to tend to the business. This employee had been on the job for several months.

When the victim returned, he said he found a note from the employee stating simply, “I quit.” Missing along with the employee were a fold up tent, two folding tables, an Apple iPad tablet, Dell laptop, USB speed dialer and miscella-

See BLOTTER, Page 41

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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 ►► Kenneth Norman Wacker, 54, was

arrested Nov. 21 on Webb Road in Milton for DUI and speeding. ►► Jacob Lee Henderson, 23, of Tidwell Road, Alpharetta, was arrested Nov. 6 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, possession of marijuana, open container, expired tag and possession of drug-related items. ►► Lacy Nicole Ford, 32, of Churchill Downs, Cumming, was arrested Nov. 16 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Andrea Fletcher, 32, of Riverwood Lane, Roswell, was arrested Nov. 10 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, possession of marijuana and failure to maintain lane. ►► Janet Anne Drake, 59, of Old Woodland Entry, Johns Creek, was arrested Nov. 15 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to obey a traffic control device.

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 3

►► Wesley Murphy, 27, of Henderson

Lane, Alpharetta, was arrested Nov. 9 on Vaughn Drive in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► Jill Marie Zahm, 35, of Waterside Drive, Milton, was arrested Nov. 20 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, following too closely and failure to exchange insurance information. ►► James Campbell Wharton III, 53, of Burruss Mill Road, Cumming, was arrested Nov. 19 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and failure to exchange insurance information. ►► Hirakkumar S. Amin, 42, of Calypso Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Nov. 22 on Old Roswell Road in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to obey a traffic control device. ►► Jonathon Lane Miller, 24, of Fedorite Walk, Cumming, was arrested Nov. 16 on Ga. 400 in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

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NEWS

4 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

Alpharetta mulls parking meters ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Residents may have to start paying to park in downtown Alpharetta.

The city is considering using parking meters to force parking turnover in the parking spaces on Main Street and around the historic district.

At their Dec. 1 meeting, the City Council heard a report from Eric Bosman, of KimleyHorn and Associates, about the use of parking meters and whether more parking decks are needed in the downtown area.

“One of the key issues we face is addressing the parking situation in downtown Al-

pharetta,” Bosman said.

He said the parking available on the west side of Main Street is two parking spaces per 1,000 people. A typical retail area commits four or five spaces per 1,000.

“When you lack sufficient quantity, you have to start looking at parking management strategy,” he said.

One such strategy is the use of parking meters.

Bosman’s initial recommendation calls for meters on the left side of Main Street and along Milton Avenue. He also suggested using the parking on either side of the new town green.

In total, there would be 60 spaces.

Wood

Orlans

Price

Igleheart

Wynn

Dippolito

Diamond

Roswell City Council Recap

who do not have metered spaces.

“This is not a moneymaking venture,” Bosman warned.

“There will not be a windfall.

This is simply parking management.”

Parking decks are also a solution, albeit an expensive one.

Bosman said if parking decks are used, they could accommodate up to 150 spaces if used behind Main Street. It would cost between $3-3.5 million to build a parking deck.

The city already has a 450-space parking deck scheduled to open before the end of the year with the new City Hall.

Bosman suggested against considering any parking decks until the City Hall deck comes online to see how it will affect the parking situation.

Approval of a contract with Provectus for the Wellness Program and related services project for $128,000.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of a contract with North Fulton Hospital for occupational health services for $16,000.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Deferral of Barrington Place development on Marietta Highway.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of Creekview Village development at 285 Atlanta St. for 31 townhomes.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of Creekview mixed use at 285 Atlanta St.

Y

N

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Deferral of a self-storage facility at 1240 Alpharetta St. to Jan. 12.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of a Metropolitan River Protection Act certificate for Willeo Trail Phase 4.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Initiation of a text amendment to the Unified Development Code for outdoor amenity space.

Y

Y

*

N

*

Y

Y

Approval of a text amendment to the UDC for boutique hotels (first reading).

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Deferral of a text amendment to the UDC for development impact fee computation.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of a contract with the North Fulton Regional Radio System Authority for $5,120,000.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of permitting golf carts on city roads with speeds of 25 mph (second reading).

Y

Y

*

Y

*

Y

Y

Approval of an intergovernmental agreement with Cobb and Fulton counties for the Willeo Road bridge replacement project.

Y

Y

*

Y

*

N

Y

December 8, 2014

FAILED

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com

“The idea is to start small and build as it goes,” he said.

“If [the parking meters] start to address the problem but the problem is still there, we could expand it.”

Paying to park forces a turnover of the parking spaces faster than a free spot. A driver is less likely to park all day in a coveted space if they have to pay for it.

It also stops employees or business owners taking spots best used by customers.

There are about eight restaurants in the downtown Alpharetta district. If each one requires five to 10 employees to operate, that could mean 50-80 spaces needed simply for restaurant employees.

Employees are likely to find the nearest free parking, which may affect other businesses

PASSED

Would force Main St., Milton Ave. turnover

VOTE KEY: Y = yes; N = no; A = abstain; R = recused; * = absent

Council: Continued from Page 1 dents of the change as well as a licensing process to register

the carts. This is required by state law because the carts are considered vehicles.

“The golf cart has to act like a vehicle,” said Clyde Stricklin, with Roswell Transportation.

“It can’t race or drive parallel

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in a single lane. You have to drive it like a vehicle.”

Any driver of a golf cart must have a driver’s license, Stricklin said. State law forbids driving by anyone without a license.

“Just as bicycles have helped connectivity and created a different culture in Roswell, so will golf carts,” said Mayor Jere Wood. “It will make Roswell a better place to live in the long run.”

Alpharetta moves into new City Hall Dec. 16

Warns of service interruptions during week ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The city of Alpharetta will begin moving employees into the community’s new City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The move will continue through Saturday, Dec. 20, and some changes and inter-

ruptions will impact customer service during that period.

Alpharetta citizens and those seeking to do business with the city of Alpharetta are encouraged to note the follow-

See MOVE, Page 44

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6 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

NEWS

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Alpharetta implements local rewards program Shopping program first of its kind in the nation

By JOE PARKER news@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The city of Alpharetta has implemented a rewards program for shoppers that visit shops and restaurants in the Alpharetta area.

Dubbed the “Alpharetta Visitor Rewards Program,” it will utilize a smartphone app developed in Alpharetta along with Bluetooth-enabled iBeacons to log consumers’ visits to local retailers. The retailers will then give rewards in the form of coupons, chances to win free items and free products to users.

The first of its kind in the nation, this program will utilize the Rately smartphone app developed by Digital Scientists, a digital business company based in Alpharetta.

The iBeacons, which are Bluetoothpowered devices, will be able to track when a shopper enters a participating retailer or restaurant in Alpharetta, provided the shopper has downloaded the Rately app. This will earn the shopper credit for a “visit,” which will go toward their visit total. If a shopper earns enough visits, the companies reward the shopper with free or discounted products. There is no cost to either consumer or retailer in the program, as the Rately app is free of charge for consumers and the cost of the iBeacons is covered by the city of Alpharetta.

Alpharetta is the first city in the nation to sponsor the use of iBeacons in such a program.

Elizabeth Pruett of Digital Scientists said the city of Alpharetta approached Digital Scientists to implement the technology needed for the rewards program. After three months of development, the program went live Nov. 20.

Pruett said the program stressed the importance of visiting physical retailers instead of solely shopping online and is a way to connect “e-commerce and brick and mortar stores.”

“We are really excited about the program,” she said. “It’s a way to promote local shopping and keep people shopping in Alpharetta.”

Peter Tokar, the economic development director of Alpharetta, said, “The Alpharetta Visitor Rewards program gives retailers the technology tools they need to engage with local residents and make holiday shopping in Alpharetta more rewarding than ever.”

Some of the retailers participating in the Alpharetta Visitor Rewards Program include Karen’s Fabrics, Mugs on Milton, Da Vinci’s Donuts, Endurance House, Hop Alley, Tin Roof Kitchen and Alpharetta Outfitters as well as retailers within Avalon and the North Point Mall retail district.

The program will run through the holidays and continue indefinitely.

The Rately app is available on iTunes and Google Play. To view the full list of participating retailers and their visit rewards, go to www.rately.com/ alpharetta.

The Alpharetta restaurant app – Rately – is used to give discounts and deals at local businesses.

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8 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

OPINION

Submit your opinions to news@appenmediagroup.com

Driving in circles: Step-by-step instructions on how to use roundabouts NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Lately, it seems like local transportation gurus with North Fulton’s cities have caught roundabout fever. Not to be left behind on any trend, North Fulton’s cities are plowing ahead with roundabouts. Roswell finished the first one in the region several years ago, with more to come. Milton has a new one at Hopewell and Francis roads with another upcoming at Birmingham Highway and Providence Road. Alpharetta already has one near the new city hall.

There are so many new roundabouts, I get the chance to dust off my column on navigating them.

Given the novelty of the circular traffic devices, many people are not familiar with the correct way to use them.

So here’s a quick guide on the proper use of a roundabout.

JONATHAN COPSEY

Revue & News Editor jonathan@appenmedia group.com

For those unfamiliar with the term, a roundabout is a circular intersection, where traffic goes in the same counter-clockwise direction around a center island.

Roundabouts can be a good alternative to traffic signals and stop signs to control traffic. In many cases, they have several advantages over traditional controls. They have fewer accidents, injuries, severe crashes and fatalities.

They increase pedestrian safety and produce less vehicle delay

and pollution because traffic actually moves faster through a roundabout intersection.

Most of these bonuses are the result of traffic going at reduced – but continuous – speeds in the same direction.

Despite their relative novelty in the States, roundabouts enjoy common status in Europe, notably the British Isles, as a cheap and reliable alternative to the traditional traffic signal.

They slow down and regulate traffic without stopping it.

With all these new roundabouts popping up like mushrooms, the big question remains – how do you drive through it?

Here’s a step-by-step guide.

When approaching the roundabout, slow down and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Approach the yield line, look to the left and yield to

traffic already in the roundabout. Traffic in the roundabout has the right-of-way.

Enter the roundabout when there is an adequate gap in circulating traffic. If another car is waiting at the yield line ahead of you, do not stop in the crosswalk. Keep the crosswalk clear for pedestrians.

Bicyclists are permitted to ride within the roundabout.

Please do not pass a bicycle in the roundabout.

Once you have entered the

roundabout, you always have the right-of-way. Keep your speed low within the roundabout and proceed counterclockwise (to the right).

As you approach your exit, turn on your right turn signal.

Exit the roundabout, yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Breathe a sigh of relief and be on your merry way.

See? How hard is that? It’s so easy, it should be a Geico commercial.

Christmas in Kennesaw, or happiness still a Warm Gun I enjoy reading the AJC [yes, I do] especially the Jim Galloway column as the Political Insider. Why? Because Mr. Galloway’s job is to take what politicians say, and then does the research to determine their veracity.

It is interesting to see the self-inflated with their feet held to the fire, and on the other hand to discover that indeed they did have the facts right and can say Na-Na-Naa-Naa. Galloway plays no favorites and calls them as he sees them.

Last Friday he turned his sights on the Kennesaw City Council and its reluctance to allow an Islamic storefront mosque in a half-empty strip center on busy Ga. 41.

At a public hearing goodhearted Christians came out to object to a “cult” that as one misguided resident claimed to have rituals in which members cut themselves in some sort of blood rite.

Other wild assertions were passed off as sound reasoning.

Outside, Galloway reported a number of opponents of the mosque with placards and even one person passing out copies of the Constitution. I wonder if he read it?

Kennesaw, you will remember, was the Cobb County city that drew national attention when its council members passed a city ordinance requiring every homeowner to possess a firearm. Now it seems while they are sweet on the Second Amendment, they want to keep the First Amendment at arm’s length.

Galloway reports the shopping center in question is coming out of foreclosure with many storefronts vacant, yet they were so concerned about parking for the strip center, they did not want any Islamic visitors to park any closer than two rows to the proposed mosque.

But in the end the council

HATCHER HURD

Executive Editor hatcher@appenmedia group.com

decided to obviate the whole matter and deny the Muslims the use of the building. At first the mayor had claimed the city had never authorized religious uses in commercial center.

But an embarrassing Marietta Daily Journal article came out that same day as the council’s denial to point out the mayor had a rather short memory. In July the selfsame mayor and his council had approved a Christian church use in a similar situation to use a storefront for its services.

I recall a similar – yet not so similar – contretemps in Alpharetta. Big difference though. Here the existing

mosque – that was surrounded by neighborhoods – wanted to do a significant expansion.

The residents objected, and reminded the applicants that in the original approval the applicants had agreed not to expand. The two sides were resolute but both sides were cordial. There was no circus of protesters making wild claims about pagan rites and the possibility of fomenting terrorism.

It was the usual fight of residents opposing more intense development in their area.

Alpharetta did deny the use, and it was headed to court. Both sides gave a little and a settlement was reached that allowed more modest expansion of the mosque – which had seen a large growth in its congregation since it first opened. And they agreed to a specified time limit before being allowed to request further expansion.

In my time I have seen similar bouts between resi-

dents and all denominations – Catholic, Protest and Jewish as well as Islamic – over development. And often it tests the tolerances of all sides.

Each time it is different.

Most neighborhoods are resistant to any kind of change.

That’s the natural reaction.

Sometimes the neighborhoods seem right, sometimes not.

And sometimes it takes the Wisdom of Solomon.

What is shameful is when the politicians bow to the shouting and ignore the rights of all people including those who ask for the right to be different. These are the types who will dodge the right decision and let a judge be “the fall guy.” It does make re-election easier, but it says nothing about one’s leadership.

The right that we cherish above all is the right to worship as we see fit. And we only guarantee our rights when we give that right to all.

Merry Christmas to all.

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‘Second mile service’ at Chick-fil-A turns transactions into relationships

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com JOHN CREEK, Ga. – Service with a smile can set you and your business apart from the competition.

Such was the advice from Dan Cathy, president of local mega-food chain Chick-fil-A. He spoke to the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Dec. 3 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek.

Cathy calls his brand of service, “second mile service.”

“If someone asks you to go with them for a mile, go two instead,” Cathy said, referring to the Biblical verse Matthew 5:41.

The “first mile” is serving the customer quality goods. Cathy said that is the bare minimum expectation.

Everything beyond that – the “second mile” – leaves a lasting impression on the customer.

“Then a transaction turns into a relationship,” he said. “If you don’t go that extra mile, all you have is a transaction. To build brand loyalty, you need to go that extra mile.”

Working this mindset into the company culture is part of Cathy’s business plan. Every employee is asked to live and breathe the concept of “second mile service” This starts with saying “my pleasure” when told “thank you” from a customer. Because serving the customer should be a pleasure.

He called this service a “sustainable competitive advantage.”

Selling cheaper goods or giving discounts is not sustainable for a business, and customers realize this. But consistently offering good customer service will build that brand loyalty at no cost.

“We have a greater hunger for a generous helping of honesty, respect and dignity,” Cathy said. “We are starved for it.”

Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy outlined his company’s “second mile service” to members of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Dec. 3.

The results are a successful company despite being closed on Sundays and Chick-fil-A calendars that sell more than the Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar.

As president of one of the nation’s largest family-owned businesses, Cathy represents the next generation of leadership for the Atlanta-based quick-service chicken restaurant chain founded by his father, the late S. Truett Cathy.

Eager to incorporate his own skills and talents into the business, Dan Cathy has taken an unconventional yet personally and professionally rewarding approach to Chick-fil-A leadership.

He said he has personally challenged himself with upholding Chickfil-A’s efforts to provide genuine, heartfelt hospitality and ensuring that customers chain-wide have an exceptional dining experience when visiting a Chick-fil-A restaurant.

For more on the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, visit them online at www.gnfcc.com.

Rainwater receives ‘lifetime service’ award ALPHARETTA, Ga. —Sue Rainwater, a former Alpharetta city clerk, received the Lifetime Service Award from the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) in recognition of nearly 50 years of service to the city. The award was presented to Rainwater at the City Council meeting Monday, Dec. 1.

Before becoming city clerk, Rainwater was a volunteer on the Alpharetta Planning Commission for 17 years.

As city clerk, she played an integral part in helping the city with increased responsibility due to the growth in that time.

“Sue demonstrated her love of her city through her many years of generous service to its citizens,” said Lamar Norton, GMA’s executive director.

“Alpharetta is fortunate to have that kind of dedicated leadership, and GMA and Georgia’s cities are also grateful to have seen the example she set for all

Sue Rainwater received a lifetime service award for almost 50 years of service to the city of Alpharetta. city leaders.”

—Shannon Weaver

COMMUNITY

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 11

RUMC holds holiday Service of Remembrance ROSWELL, Ga. – The joy of the Christmas season is sometimes overshadowed by personal losses or grief.

Those who have lost a loved one and are dreading the holidays are invited to attend Roswell United Methodist Church’s annual Service of Remembrance Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. in the chapel.

This service provides an opportunity to focus on cherished memories to those

Living Nativity at Northbrook United Methodist ROSWELL, Ga. – Northbrook United Methodist Church will host a Living Nativity on the evenings of Dec. 19, 20 and 21 between 6 and 8 p.m.

This family event for the entire community will feature live animals and unique cos-

tumes. Find the holiday spirit by celebrating the Christmas story on the church’s front lawn at 11225 Crabapple Road in Roswell.

For more information, visit them online at http://www. northbrookumc.com.

Burglars caught on camera Police seek ID ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A group of men may be burglarizing Alpharetta neighborhoods.

Video of two men breaking into an apartment was captured Dec. 1.

Recently, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety worked a daytime call at the Alara apartment complex near North Point Mall.

Police said at least two men would walk around the apartment complex knocking on doors in an effort to determine if the apartments were occupied.

If they discovered an apartment was occupied, they would apologize and state they had the wrong apartment.

The suspects would look for unoccupied apartments and then attempt to commit property thefts by breaking into the apartment.

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The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety is seeking the identity of two Hispanic men who were caught on camera Dec. 1 breaking into a home at the Alara apartments and stealing items.

“We believe they may be responsible for burglaries in the past,” said George Gordon, spokesman for the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety.

He said these burglaries are in both Alpharetta and surrounding communities.

Tips may also be submitted online by: • Go the City of Alpharetta website at www.alpharetta. ga.us • Click “City Departments” • Click “Public Safety” • The Submit Crime Tips link will be located in the left banner.

Video inline: https://www. dropcam.com/c/251b02e63e2f 4eb788bf52ff49ca4723.mp4

grieving while prayers, scripture, music and a candlelighting can bring comfort and peace.

Fred Sawyers will provide the music. Afterward, light refreshments will be served in the church parlor.

Roswell United Methodist Church is located at 814 Mimosa Blvd. in the heart of historic Roswell. For more information, call the main church office at 770-993-218, or visit the website at rumc.

THE ART OF TASTE. PREPARED BY AWARD-WINNING CHEF,

DANIEL CHONG. Over his many years as a chef, Daniel Chong, Kickshaw’s owner and chef, has developed an eye for freshness and presentation, and a unique talent for combining flavors. But what truly distinguishes Chong as a chef is more than an eye for ingredients and smart presentation; he intuitively understands the art of taste.

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Birmingham Hwy, Providence roundabout due Feb. ‘15 Delayed months for design, weather

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. – A combination of design alterations, utility relocation and bad weather have pushed the completion of the construction at Birmingham Highway and Providence Road back nearly six months – to February 2015.

As of Nov. 14, the project was 56 percent complete, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

project status. It was initially supposed to be finished in September of this year. Delays pushed that date back.

“We are working closely with the contractor on these matters and have approved their requests for a supplemental contract due to these issues,” said Natalie Dale, a spokeswoman for GDOT. The intersection was a troubled one for Milton. Both Birmingham Highway and Providence Road are main arteries in the city. However, they meet at a 25 degree angle with only stop signs at Providence. Birmingham drivers do not have to stop. Add to this

that there is a hill on one side, blocking drivers northbound on Birmingham from drivers trying to merge or cross it.

There are no turn lanes.

To fix this, the intersection has been moved north to mitigate the hill sight distance and a roundabout has replaced the partial stop signs. It is expected to cost about $2.6 million.

To mitigate traffic issues during construction, the project is built in phases.

This is a project of the GDOT, the state transportation body. Improvements to the intersection have been in the works since 2009.

There are more than 120

The intersection of Providence Road and Birmingham Highway/ Ga. 372 is renowned as one of Milton’s most dangerous. To fix that, a roundabout is in the works along with road straightening.

The project is expected to be finished in February of next year. roundabouts either proposed or being constructed in Georgia, according to GDOT numbers. In North Fulton alone, three have been built and several more will be finished in coming years. Residents have frequently expressed concern that roundabouts are dangerous and that drivers do not know how to navigate them safely. GDOT maintains roundabouts are much safer than traditional signalized intersections. Traffic must slow down to navigate the roundabout and all traffic goes in the same

directions – counter-clockwise.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, roundabouts “offer up to a 90 percent reduction in crash fatalities, a 76 percent reduction in injury crashes and a 30 to 40 percent reduction in crashes involving pedestrians.”

They also keep traffic moving, which eases congestion.

For more information on these projects, the city has set up a special website.

Visit www.miltonintersectionprojects.com for information and updates.

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revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 13

McCall named new Public Safety Deputy Director

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Alpharetta has a new deputy public safety director.

Wesley McCall, 36, has steadily and quickly worked his way up through the ranks of the fire department. “I know Alpharetta is a great place to work. I hope not to let anyone down,� said McCall of his new position.

A Roswell native, McCall began his career in the fire services occupation in 1997 by joining the Roswell Fire Department, whereupon he obtained the National Professional Qualification Firefighter certifications I and II and the Emergency Medical Technician certification as recorded by the National Reg-

istry. In 1998, Firefighter/ EMT McCall joined the Alpharetta Fire Department.

Due to McCall’s professionalism, professional accomplishments, work ethic and skills, he has steadily been promoted through the ranks of Alpharetta Fire Services, culminating in his current appointment. Prior to his appointment, McCall has served in a variety of positions including public information officer, emergency manager and as acting deputy director of public safety. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Christian leadership from Grand Canyon University and a master’s degree in public safety administration from Columbus State University. McCall is active in his community and serves on several local governing boards, as well

as his son’s school as the vice president of education for the PTA. He also serves the Forsyth County community as a Scout leader for a troop.

When not working, he spends time with his family, wife Jakima and son Ian, and enjoys camping activities and playing golf. McCall replaces former Deputy Director Keith Sanders, who moved to the Sandy Springs Fire Department. When the time came to choose a successor to Sanders, Public Safety Director Gary George turned to his fire battalion chiefs for a recommendation. “Every one of the battalion chiefs came and said Wes should be the guy,� Veteran Firefighter Wes McCall was George said. “He was very young, but promoted to the position of Deputy he has accomplished so much.�

Public Safety Director Dec. 2.

Former school principal convicted of attempting to entice a minor ATLANTA – John Harold McGill, the former principal of Mount Carmel Elementary School in Douglas County, Georgia, was convicted Dec. 3 after a jury trial, of using emails and text messages to attempt to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. A Johns Creek man, Choon Hong David Tan, 52, was also caught in the sting. His case is still pending. He is out on bail.

On Saturday, March 1, 2014, McGill responded to

an Internet advertisement named “casual encounters� purportedly posted by a mother who was seeking a man to introduce her MCGILL 13-year-old daughter to sexual intercourse.

McGill communicated with who he thought was the girl’s mother by email and texts throughout the evening and

into early Sunday morning, March 2.

With his wife out of town at a conference, McGill put his children to bed, and then drove more than 50 miles from Douglasville to Lithonia, Georgia. He arrived at the “mother’s� house at 1:45 a.m., with a condom in his pants pocket.

However, the “mother� was a Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force officer, and McGill was arrested.

McGill, 57, of Douglasville, was the principal of Mount

 � �� ��

Carmel Elementary School until he was arrested. He was convicted after a two-day trial. “The idea that an elementary school principal would attempt to have sex with a 13-year-old girl is disgraceful,� said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “McGill violated a public trust and all sense of common decency, and a jury has held him criminally responsible.�

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, which was

launched by the attorney general in February 2006. Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse, is led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country and marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood. gov.

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Nonprofits using thrift store sales to help more people Fostering Hope Resale Shop raises funds in new location

By PASCALE CHAMBERS pascale@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Thrift stores have become a popular and growing trend in recent years and an increasing number of nonprofits are now using sales from these second-hand stores to help raise funds for their causes.

The Fostering Hope Foundation opened their thrift store three years ago, when they found that many people were

donating items that the foster children could not use. These unusable items were being sent to other thrift stores to be sold. That’s when founder and Executive Director Rachel Ewald saw an opportunity to raise additional funds for her charity by selling the extra donations.

“We are not government funded, so we have to look to other resources to raise money,” said Ewald. “If we get too much of something or can’t

use it, then it’s sent to the resale shop where it is sold to the public. Profits made from the sales go directly to help support our programs.”

Fostering Hope provides approximately $8 million worth of goods to foster families, including free clothing, infant equipment and developmental toys to thousands of children in foster care.

It opened the Fostering Hope Resale Shop on Old Alabama Road three years ago,

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but moved earlier this year to 608 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell.

The new location offers greater visibility and has brought in higher revenue for the store.

“People know we’re here, and we get better foot traffic than before,” said Ewald.

With the help of the new location, the thrift store generates about $60,000 annually that is used to help cover the costs of running the charity.

Ewald explained that

children arrive at a new foster home typically with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Many potential foster families were unable to step up because of the costs involved in buying clothing, furniture and other necessities.

Fostering Hope enables more families to be able to take in a child in by providing for some of these material needs.

“The more visibility we can get and traffic in the shop, the more kids we can help,” Ewald said. “Every donation and purchase helps a foster child.”

For more information, go to http://www.fostercares.org/.

Local purchases power nonprofit work NORTH FULTON/FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Like Fostering Hope, other nonprofit organizations in North Fulton and Forsyth operate thrift shops and use funds from their sales to support their charitable work.

• The Drake Closet Proceeds benefit the Drake House, a nonprofit organization providing short-term crisis housing and enrichment programs for homeless mothers and their children in North Fulton.

With two locations: 26 Old Roswell St., Alpharetta 825 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell • North Fulton Community Charities Thrift Store The NFCC provides emergency assistance and enrichment programs that help build self-sufficiency and prevent homelessness and hunger. When you donate and shop at the thrift store, you are helping neighbors in need.

Location: 11270 Elkins

Road, Roswell • Humane Society of Forsyth County Thrift Store Nonprofit store operating to help care for and enhance the lives of animals housed at the no-kill animal shelter.

Location: 168 Tri-County Plaza, Cumming • No Longer Bound Thrift Store Helping individuals who are dealing with drug addictions by offering a residential recovery program, job training and assistance transitioning back into society.

Location: 315 Dahlonega St., Cumming • Hope Store Donated items are resold with a portion of sales going to support the Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center, whose mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for severely abused and neglected children.

Location: 9850 Nesbit Ferry Road, Alpharetta

Russ Hayes, CEO of Habitat North Central Georgia, is presented with a check for $50,000 by Sarah Cutright and Ed Davis of Publix supermarkets.

Roswell Publix presents check to Habitat for Humanity ROSWELL, Ga. – A check for $50,000 was presented to Habitat for Humanity at the Publix on King Road in Roswell.

The donation, given by Publix Charities, will be used toward building a Habitat for Humanity home in 2015 in

north-central Georgia. This is the ninth consecutive year Publix Charities has made the $50,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity.

Since 1995, Habitat for Humanity has built 259 homes in North Fulton, Cherokee and Forsyth counties.

Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 15

Experience

the true meaning of Christmas

at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church Christmas Music Concerts – Sunday, Dec. 14 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Longest Night Service – Sunday, Dec. 21

For those with a heavy heart during the holidays.

Christmas Eve Services – Thursday, Dec. 25

3:30 p.m. Children’s Service (designed for younger children) 180 Academy Street 5 and 7 p.m. Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols Alpharetta, GA 30009 (nursery provided) 770-751-0033 www.alpharettapres.com 11 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service

Religious Services

16 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | appenmediagroup.com

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ATLANTA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FORECAST Numbers for 2014-16 are forecasted rates

By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – By his own admission, Rajeev Dhawan, the economic forecaster from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, is an optimist.

In his latest forecast for the state Dhawan sees a growing economy on nearly all fronts for the state. Especially pleasing is the growth in construction jobs.

The Atlanta area is equally poised for a modest degree of prosperity, said Dhawan.

After adding 22,500 jobs in the first six months of 2014, Dhawan said the Atlanta economy gained more momentum adding an additional 22,500 jobs in the third quarter alone.

However, wage growth still lags and is a concern for the region and the nation as a whole.

This lack of wage growth works against an expanding economy, he said.

Items people need to live on, they will buy.

“They will go out to eat, but they are not about to go out and buy a $10,000 coat,” he said. “Income growth is needed for that.”

The drop in the price of gasoline has not given spending a shot in the arm either.

“A lot of people talking about the oil prices going down will give a boost to spending,” he said. “We haven’t seen that in the data. It’s not there.”

Nevertheless, metro Atlanta has plenty to brag about.

• After consistently shedding jobs since the recession, construction jobs turned the corner in 2013, gaining 7,300 jobs. Another 5,300 new jobs are expected to be added this year, Dhawan said.

• Professional and business services were also improved.

Since 2010, the sector has gained an average of 15,500 jobs each year, and the pace is expected to gain momentum. The DHAWAN GSU Center estimates that by the end of the year, employment in the industry will rise by an annual 3.5 percent, resulting in 17,800 new positions. Firms in the sector are expected to expand payrolls by 4.7 percent in 2016, translating into another 20,700 jobs.

• The information and financial activities sector is expected to recoup all the jobs lost during the recession this year, while financial activities employment is likely to remain slightly below pre-recession levels.

Combined, the two sectors are expected to add 6,300 new jobs this year.

• Trade, transportation and utilities payrolls increased by 8,800 positions through September of 2014.

By the end of the year, employers are expected to add 11,400 traderelated jobs, another 6,000 in 2015 and 7,000 in 2016. Dhawan said he expects an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent, or 3,400 jobs, in transportation, with similar growth next year.

• Education and health care were two sectors lagging behind overall Atlanta area figures, with fewer than 100 jobs created this year. However, payrolls in hospitality gained 4,800 new jobs through September. Dhawan said he expects education and

2008 6.2

2009 9.7

2010 10.1

2011 9.8

2012 8.8

2013 7.9

2014 7.1

2015 6.3

2016 5.6

SOURCE: GSU ECONOMIC FORECASTING CENTER

health care to increase their share of jobs gains, adding close to 5,000 positions in 2015.

Dhawan spent much of his time dispelling myths about the economy that flood the daily newscasts.

“Do not, do not, do not look at the unemployment rate as an indicator of the health of the economy,” he said.

While the overall unemployment rate in Georgia rose slightly in the third quarter, Dhawan attributed the numbers to a flawed system of tracking vital economic statistics.

Georgia is doing better than the nation. The nation’s job growth is at 1.8 to 1.9 percent over last year. Georgia is at 2.1 percent.

“I never, ever put weight on the unemployment rate as a measure of looking at the health of the economy,” Dhawan said.

The unemployment rate nationally is going down. The rate in Georgia has been on the rise since April, with a slight downturn in September.

He said states that have a higher proportion of manufacturing have the highest rise in this unemployment rate.

South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina all showed slight jumps in unemployment from April through September, but Florida, with a low manufacturing economy, had a flat rate.

“Remember, your job numbers come from a different survey than the unemployment statistics,” he said.

Job numbers come from a survey called the Non-Farm Payroll Survey, but unemployment figures come from

another source called the Household Survey, where people are asked over the phone.

“And they don’t call your cellphone but your landline.” Dhawan said.

What happens, he said, is there are eight panels. Every month for four months, people on the first panel will be interviewed. Then, they are not questioned for another eight months before they are contacted again.

“What happens is that in the early part of the sample, your unemployment rate looks a little bit higher because everybody’s responding, and then they drop out, and it looks a little bit less,” he said.

The same survey is used for job creation. The Household Survey shows Georgia lost 52,000 jobs in the past five months.

“That’s a bona fide recession if you go by that number,” Dhawan said. “But the Non-Farm Survey says we have gained 43,400 jobs in that same time.”

Dhawan says a more accurate measure of the economy is in tax collections. Georgia tax collections have increased every year since 2010. This year, they’re up 5.2 percent over last year, and they’re anticipated to grow another 5 percent next year.

“The only method that never gets revised is the tax collections at the state level,” Dhawan said. “And we have seen that in good times, job growth is correlated with the high-tax growth, and in bad times, it’s the reverse. You can’t be having job losses with positive tax bills.”

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NewBusinessSpotlights

Roswell’s Good Friend Mortgage celebrates 10 years Business: Good Friend Mortgage Opened: 2004 Owner: Deborah Lee Switts What: Good Friend Mortgage is a mortgage consulting and financing firm celebrating 10 years in business. We built a business that gives back to my community.

As a resident of Roswell with over 15 years in the real estate industry, I’ve seen how a community becomes stronger, more vibrant and economically sound when its residents are committed to long-term growth and development.

Homeowners are invested in the well-being of their local communities.

Good Friend Mortgage has been dedi-

cated to helping our Georgia neighbors achieve their lifestyle goals through affordable real estate financing by offering a variety of loan types including conventional, FHA, VA, reverse, rural and construction loans.

It has provided significant income savings, which infused much-needed capital into our local economy and community, helping in the recovery we all benefit from.

Where: 1500 Abbey Court, Alpharetta Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call for weekend appointments.

Call: 678-762-0127 Web: www.goodfriendmortgage.biz

Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 17

Makeover charity brings ‘sunshine’ to sick children Business: Sunshine on a Ranney Day Opened: November 2014 Owner: Holly Ranney and Peter Ranney What: Sunshine on a Ranney Day is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that creates dream room and home makeovers for children with long-term illness and tragic accidents. Sunshine on a Ranney Day has quickly become a leading children’s charity in Atlanta with expertise in resi-

dential ADA modifications, therapy rooms and unique children’s room design. Our hope is that each family who receives a makeover has a renewed sense of hope knowing their child has a fun and safe environment to live in. We don’t just make rooms, we make room for hope!

Where: 42-C Oak St., Roswell Hours: Appointments preferred Call: 770-990-2434 Web: www.sunshineonaranneyday.com

BusinessPost

Selecting the best sales strategy What sales strategies are you using to win new business? Are your strategies successful in beating your competition? Is your sales team equipped with a portfolio of strategies they can use? Using the right sales strategy can help improve your win rates and allow you to close more business. In order to select the best sales strategy, you have to assess the specific opportunity you are trying to win. This assessment will guide you to utilizing the best strategy for

DICK JONES

Founder & President Jones Simply Sales

each specific opportunity you are pursuing. Your assessment needs to take into account the relationships you have, the competition, the uniqueness

of your product or service and the price you will charge.

A direct approach is best when you have strong relationships, limited competition and a unique product or service.

If a potential customer needs what you have, has a strong relationship with you and not with your competitors, you’re pretty much in the driver’s seat to win their business.

Conversely, if your relationship with the customer is no better than your competitors and you are both offering something

similar, you need to change the buying criteria to reflect other factors of the decision-making process. Out-flanking your competitor will help you to win in these scenarios.

And finally, if you just want a “foot in the door” to establish your potential as a long-term product or service provider, going after just a “piece of the business” may be the best choice. Selecting the best sales strategy for each opportunity will increase the odds that you will win.

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18 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News

BusinessBriefs

DEBUTS »

WORKPLACE »

Halyard Health spins off from Kimberly-Clark

First Data earns perfect mark in workplace equality survey

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Halyard Health. a company with $1.7 billion in sales, has completed its spinoff from Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Halyard shares (HYH) now trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Halyard Heath is a global medical technology company focused on preventing infection, eliminating pain and speeding recovery.

Halyard issued one share of common stock for every eight shares of Kimberly-Clark common stock held as of the close of business Oct. 23, the record date for the distribution.

The new company reported 2013 net sales of $1.7 billion across its surgical and infection prevention products and medical devices business. Halyard has 16,500 employees and markets products in more than 100 countries worldwide.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – First Data has received a perfect score on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index.

The Index is a national benchmarking survey on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

“We are proud to be designated as a best place to work for LGBT equality by achieving a perfect score on the 2015 CEI, a significant increase from our score last year,” said Cindy Armine-Klein, chief control officer at First Data.In achieving the perfect score, the company took a number of actions, including extending benefits coverage to domestic partners’ children, adding supplemental life insurance for domestic partners and providing unique medical coverage for transgendered individuals.

INVESTMENT »

PEOPLE »

Newell Rubbermaid expands share repurchase program SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – The board of directors of Newell Rubbermaid has approved an extension and expansion to the company’s ongoing share repurchase program.

The updated plan authorizes Newell Rubbermaid to repurchase up to $500 million of its outstanding shares through the end of 2017. This $500 million is in addition to the $37 million remaining to be repurchased under its previous $300 million share repurchase program authorized earlier this year.

“We’re very pleased with the board’s decision to approve the expansion of our existing stock repurchase program, as a demonstration of its ongoing confidence in the company’s growth game plan and long-term growth outlook,” said Michael Polk, president and chief executive officer of Newell Rubbermaid. Under the program, the company’s common shares may be purchased through a combination of a 10b5-1 automatic trading plan and discretionary purchases on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.

BUSINESS COMPUTER PROBLEMS? “Carmichael manages our IT. I have never worked with a more client-centric business before – ever. They return calls fast.

They listen exceedingly well. They know what they are doing. They are honest, professional, and local. They are partners with Appen Newspapers / Appen Media Group in the truest sense of the word.”

– Ray Appen, Publisher Appen Media Group Appen Newspapers

Allconnect names consultant as new chief executive officer SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – Allconnect has named Sam Howe as its new CEO. Howe, a corporate consultant specializing in business transformation, enhancing consumer experience and product innovation, replaces Mark Miller, who headed Allconnect for 10 years.

Miller will remain with the company during the transition.

HOWE Prior to his work as a consultant, Howe served as chief marketing officer at Time Warner Cable for six years. He has also held positions with Cox Communications and Turner Broadcasting. Howe said he intends to continue leading the company to make investments in technology, product development and people to maximize growth. Founded in 1998, Allconnect has offices in Atlanta; Houston, Texas; Lexington, Kentucky; and St. George, Utah.

Financial adviser receives Series 24 designation CUMMING, Ga. – Robin Toms Grier, founder and president of the independent financial advisory firm Wealth and Retirement Partners, has earned the General Securities Principals License.

Known within the securities industry as the “Series 24,” the designation is administered by the U.S. Financial Industry RegulaGRIER tory Authority. With 15 years of financial-advisory experience, Grier, a registered financial consultant, built her career largely serving individuals with comprehensive retirement planning and insurance coverage.

The General Securities Principals License qualifies registered individuals to supervise or manage branch activities, such as corporate securities, real estate investment trusts, variable contracts and venture capital and approve communications regarding municipal securities.

REAL ESTATE » Call today for your free IT assesment.

– Tyler Jones, Principal

678-224-8000 • www.CarmichaelConsulting.net

Providence Group launches Bellmoore Park website JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Providence Group has

Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@appenmediagroup.com launched a community website for its 600-home Bellmoore Park development in Johns Creek.

“Due to the size and anticipation of Bellmoore Park, we felt it necessary to build a community website that serves as a central online location for interested buyers to learn more about the home designs and lifestyle available at the Johns Creek community,” said Warren Jolly, president of The Providence Group of Georgia LLC. “Additionally, the website features an interactive site plan that will allow buyers to view home designs and available homes on specific home sites.”

Visitors can learn more about new home designs available in the Artisan, Carriage, Heritage and Vintage collection. Priced from the $400,000s to the $1 million. Visitors can also tour the interactive site plan that shows which collection will be built on which home site using a color coding system.

Pincheon joins Move Team as Realtor associate, agent JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Mitch Falkin, managing member of Move Team Real Estate LLC, a top producing residential real estate team at RE/MAX Prestige in North Fulton, announced Christy Pincheon has joined the staff as a Realtor associate and buyer’s agent.

Pincheon will work in the Old Alabama Road office where she PINCHEON will focus on helping buyers in the north metro suburban Atlanta market.

Pincheon is a board member of National Charity League Inc., and received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in education from Fordham University.

Before joining Move Team Real Estate LLC, she was a sales associate at Keller Williams Realty in Alpharetta.

DATA MANAGEMENT »

Firm adds Ebix system to streamline services ATLANTA – Security Life Insurance Company of America, a leader in the ancillary benefits market, has successfully begun use of the EbixEnterprise Health Exchange and insurance administration solution.

EbixEnterprise is an on-demand insurance exchange service from Johns Creek-based Ebix, a leading international supplier of software and e-commerce services to the insurance, financial and health care industries.

The system allows Security Life to quickly deliver an integrated solution that facilitates the entire electronic sales process.

UNC Health Care renews contract with MedAssets ALPHARETTA, Ga. – MedAssets has announced that UNC Health Care, a not-for-profit health system based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has renewed its agreement with the company to build upon its long-standing relationship to drive down costs and optimize clinical, operational and financial performance.

Plans call for UNC Health Care to continue to use MedAssets Advisory Solutions, which combine best-in-class operational and clinical data with consulting expertise for margin improvement MedAssets offers guidance in strategic sourcing, clinical resource management, procure-to-pay solutions, as well as cost and operational analytics to help optimize cost management and maintain a defensible pricing strategy.

CALENDAR

EDITOR’S PICKS

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Submit your&event at forsythherald.com Revue Newsonline | December 11, 2014 | 19

Send

me your event...

ERICA O’NEAL

Calendar Editor erica@northfulton.com

Submit your event to northfulton.com or email with photo to calendar@northfulton.com.

For a more complete list of local events including support groups, volunteer opportunities and business meetings visit the calendar on northfulton.com.

EVENTS:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A classic holiday play hosted by Bulloch Hall in the Osage Terrace Room, 180 Bulloch Ave., Roswell.

Friday, Dec. 12 through Tuesday, Dec. 23. Showtimes are 3 p.m. matinee, 8 p.m. evening. Tickets are $15. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Visit bullochhall.org for more info.

SL’HAY RIDE

What: A hayride around the East Roswell Park with cookie decorating and hot chocolate Where: East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Rd., Roswell When: Friday, Dec. 12 Hours: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $12 for Roswell residents, $18 for non-residents Online: visitroswellga.com

BLUE CHRISTMAS

A holiday concert presented by the Atlanta Wind Symphony at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell.

Tuesday, Dec. 16. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Visit atlantawindsymphony. org for more info.

CANDY CANE HUNT

What: A treasure hunt for candy canes by the East Roswell Recreation Center Where: East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Rd., Roswell When: Saturday, Dec. 13 Hours: 5:30-7 p.m.

Cost: $12 for residents, $18 for nonresidents Online: roswellgov.com Info: Pizza dinner will be provided.

Bring a flashlight and something to carry collected candy canes in.

Parents and children must register prior to the event.

MOVIE NIGHT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR KENYA

What: Need a break from “Frozen?”

Sonlight for Kenya is a Lambert High School club that’s hosting its fifth annual movie night featuring “Home Alone” When: Dec. 12 at 7 p.m Where: Lambert High School auditorium, 805 Nichols Road Cost: $5 at the door, all proceeds will fund relief projects in Ngaamba, Kenya

A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL CONCERT

A concert presented by the Roswell United Methodist Church and conducted by Michael O’Neal. 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell. Friday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 14. Show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are free. Visit rumc.com for more info.

HOLIDAY JAZZ CONCERT

What: An afternoon of Holiday swing and jazz by the Reflections band Where: Roswell Visitors Center, 617 Atlanta St., Roswell When: Sunday, Dec. 14 Hours: 1-2:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Online: visitroswellga.com Info: No reservations needed.

THEATER:

What: A Christmas concert hosted by the Dunwoody United Methodist Church Where: Dunwoody United Methodist Church, 1548 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody When: Sunday, Dec. 14 Hours: 4-5 p.m.

Cost: Free Online: dunwoodyumc.org Info: The concert features the Chancel Choir and a guest orchestra.

RACES & BENEFITS:

THE MESSIAH CONCERT

What: Christ the King Lutheran Church hosts the Gwinnett Symphony Chorus and Orchestra’s performance of The Messiah.

Where: Christ the King Lutheran Church, 5575 Peachtree Pkwy., Peachtree Corners When: Saturday, Dec. 13 Hours: Performance begins at 8 p.m.

Cost: Free Online: ctklutheran.org Info: Music director and conductor,

Hours: Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. and race begins at 8 a.m.

Cost: Pre-registration is $25, race day registration is $30 Online: rungeorgia.com/ santasleigh5k.html

“A NEW JOY” CHRISTMAS CONCERT

MUSIC:

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT AT

Visit live reindeer while making crafts, and meeting Santa Turtle at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Rd., Roswell.

Sunday, Dec. 14. 1-4 p.m. $10 for adults, $6 for children, $7 for seniors 65+ and students 13-18 Visit chattnaturecenter.org for more info.

Rick Smith will be leading the performance.

TOPGOLF UGLY SWEATER PARTY

What: Topgolf’s Ugly Sweater holiday party with a best costume contest Where: Topgolf, 10900 Westside Pkwy., Alpharetta When: Saturday, Dec. 13 Hours: 9 p.m. to close Cost: Free?

Online: topgolf.com/us/alpharetta Info: $100 in Topgolf gameplay awarded to the ‘All Around Ugliest,’ ‘Most Festive’ and ‘Best Duo costume.

REINDEER DAY

SANTA’S SLEIGH 5K

What: A 5k race to show support for the Enduring Hearts Organization Where: Olde Rope Mill Park, 690 Rope Mill Rd., Woodstock When: Saturday, Dec. 13

ANNIE

What: A play production of Annie, presented by the Christian Youth Theater (CYT) Atlanta Where: The Milton Center, 86 School Dr., Alpharetta When: Thursday, Dec. 11 through Sunday, Dec. 14 Hours: Evening showtimes are 7 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, and matinee showings are Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $8 to $15 Online: cytatlanta.com Info: CYT Atlanta will be collecting items on behalf of the Atlanta Humane Society.

20 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

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Revue & News | December 11, 2014

Tonsils.. Liability or Asset?

By Bryant T. Conger, M.D. The tonsils and adenoids are the body’s first line of defense as part of the immune system. They sample bacteria and viruses that enter the body through the mouth and nose, but they sometimes become infected and at times, DR. CONGER they become more of a liability than an asset.

The two most common problems affecting the tonsils and adenoids are recurrent infections of the nose and throat and significant enlargement that causes nasal obstruction and/or breathing, swallowing, and sleep problems. Chronic tonsillitis and infections within the tonsils that produce foul-smelling white deposits can also affect the tonsils and adenoids, making them sore and swollen.

Cancers of the tonsil require early diagnosis and aggressive treatment.

You should see your doctor when you or your child experiences the common symptoms of infected or enlarged tonsils or adenoids, including: • Swelling of the tonsils • A white or yellow coating on the tonsils • Sore throat, sometimes accompanied by ear pain.

• Uncomfortable or painful swallowing • Swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the neck • Fever • Bad breath Signs of adenoid and tonsil enlargement are: • Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose most of the time • Nose sounds “blocked” when the person speaks • Chronic runny nose • Recurrent ear infections • Snoring at night • Restlessness during sleep or pauses in breathing during sleep At North Fulton Ear, Nose & Throat, our physicians are well-equipped to handle all forms of tonsil and adenoid disease. Call (770) 343-8675 for an appointment today.

Alpha Family Medicine Care is provided by Shyla Reddy, MD, and her medical team. Dr. Reddy has more than 15 years of primary care experience. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She completed Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology fellowship from Emory University.

Our goal is to establish an ongoing, personal patientphysician relationship focusing on integrated care. We advocate for our patients in a complex health care system.

We provide a range of medical care services in a person centered medical home. We also provide healthrisk assessments, screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

We manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other subspecialists. From heart disease, stroke and hypertension, to diabetes, cancer, and asthma, we provide ongoing, personal care.

We specialize in helping older adults live healthy, productive lives. Whether

you or a loved one is elderly and dealing with complex health care needs, dementia, frailty, falls, or simply having trouble with a new transition of life, you can turn to our Geriatrics team to provide you with the help you need.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

December 11, 2014 21

22 December 11, 2014

Sponsored Section • HEALTH & WELLNESS

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FAQ – Bladeless cataract surgery What is a cataract and what is cataract surgery?

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over 40 and today cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans age 40 and older. At some point in our life, we will all develop a cataract.

The natural lens of the eye yellows and becomes cloudy with age as a result of biological changes of the proteins inside the lens. The function of the human lens is to focus incoming light onto the back of the eye. As your lens ages, light from the outside worlds

becomes more and more distorted as it enters your eye.

Difficulty reading, needing more light to read, experiencing glare and haloes at night and, even poor sleep patterns can be explained by cataract formation.

The treatment for cataracts involves an almost painless, 10 minute surgery to remove the “clouded lens” or “cataract” and replace it with a man made intraocular lens implant. It is the most common surgical procedure in the US and around the world and is considered to be an extremely

Improve Your Vision

And Enjoy Those Special Moments This Holiday

Milan R. Patel, M.D. Niraj Desai, M.D. Cataract & Refractive Cataract & Refractive Surgeon Surgeon

Kiran Sajja, M.D. Oculoplastic Surgeon

Anjum Cheema, M.D. Glaucoma & Cataract Surgeon

Don’t Let Cataracts Hold You Back.

Milan Eye Center is excited to announce that we have been chosen to be the first practice in the United States to use the Ziemer Z6 Laser for bladeless laser cataract surgery.

2013 and 2014

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successful and safe procedure with a success rate approaching 99.5%.

What is laser cataract surgery?

With traditional cataract surgery, all the steps of the surgery are customarily performed “manually” by the surgeon using handheld tools. Laser cataract surgerythe next evolution of cataract surgery with the Ziemer Z6 laser generally offers a greater amount of precision, predictability and safety to these steps leading to potentially improve visual outcomes and more precise targets. With the Ziemer Z6 Laser System, your surgeon has the potential to offer you unmatched accuracy and a more predictable and customized cataract procedure.

Based on your medical history and pre-operative evaluation, you and your surgeon will discuss the options available for your desired visual result.

Together you can discuss a treatment plan which may include using the LDV Z6 to create the laser incisions in the cornea along with an advanced lens implant that may allow for improved near, intermediate or distance vision. This tailored treatment may reduce your need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery.

How is laser cataract surgery different from traditional cataract surgery?

In traditional cataract surgery, incisions in the cornea are made using handheld instruments including blades to access the cataract. Your surgeon will then use a surgical device to manually create a circular opening in the lens capsule of the eye that holds the cataract. The Ziemer Z6 laser can be used to make the corneal incisions precise and the opening in the lens capsule as circular as possible, in the right location, and sized to fit the replacement lens.

Your surgeon can also use the laser to break up and soften the hard cataract. Softening the lens with the laser enables your surgeon to then remove the cataract more gently and with significantly less ultrasound energy than is used in traditional manual cataract surgery.

What are the benefits of laser cataract surgery?

• A highly customized treatment • A treatment with little or no discomfort • A potentially more precise and predictable treatment • By and large, a gentler and easier cataract removal • Generally, a more rapid

visual recovery due to reduced inflammation • The opportunity to receive tailored treatment with advanced technology multifocal lenses, which may reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery Am I a suitable candidate for laser cataract surgery?

Your surgeon and you will decide whether you are a suitable candidate based on your eye anatomy, type of cataract and type of lens implant that you desire. Most patients are candidates for having some of the steps of cataract surgery performed with the Ziemer Z6 laser.

How long has the procedure been performed?

Thousands of cataract procedures have been successfully performed using femtosecond laser systems, and femtosecond lasers have been used in eye procedures for decades.

The most familiar use of femtosecond laser technology is LASIK. Femtosecond lasers represent an advanced standard in precision laser cataract surgery and the Ziemer Z6 platform was FDA cleared in 2013.

What should I expect on the day of surgery?

Your day in surgery should be no different than a routine cataract case. The Ziemer Z6 laser is positioned next to the surgeon and is utilized seamlessly during the cataract surgery process. You will be given mild IV sedation that will likely keep you pleasantly unaware of the goings on in surgery. Not only is it potentially painless, there are no needles or stitches as part of the procedure.

What should I expect after surgery?

After surgery, you can generally expect your vision to be improved within 24 hours.

Generally, patients experience no pain after surgery.

Slight scratchiness of the eye is common and they prescribed eye drops will help with any of these symptoms. Many patients return to work or normal activities the next day and even drive themselves to their post-op day one appointment!

How long does the procedure take?

You can expect to be at our center for about 2 hours, and you will be in the procedure room for only 20-25 minutes.

Please call 678-688-4575 or visit our website at milaneyecenter.com for more information on how to schedule your Cataract evaluation at Milan Eye Center where compassion meets excellence in eye care.

Share your opinions AppenMediaGroup.com

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

December 11, 2014 23

Wearing a fitness tracker can help you understand your day-to-day activity levels and provide information to help you make smarter lifestyle decisions.

Stylish, Smart—And Healthful—Holiday Gifting (NAPSI)—Once limited to the superathletic or fantastically techy, fitness tracking is going mainstream—and just in time for the holidays.

Now available in a rainbow of colors, variety of styles, and multiple different shapes and sizes, there is a fitness band for almost everyone on your list. And with companies like Pivotal Corporation continuing to innovate and reduce costs (the Pivotal Tracker 1 band and mobile app cost only $12!), there is also a tracker available for almost every budget.

About 3.3 million fitness bands and activity trackers were sold between April 2013 and March 2014 in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, and sales are expected to continue to grow at a rate of 500 percent each year! So what’s all the fuss about?

There are many reasons for wearing a fitness tracker. They help you better understand your day-to-day activity levels, arming you with the information you need to make smarter lifestyle decisions. Perhaps that means remembering to take stairs instead of the elevator, or setting a reminder to get up and walk around the office to shorten the length of time you stay sedentary at work.

Many trackers also monitor steps, distance traveled during the day, as well as sleep quantity and quality, and have software or mobile apps that track hydration and weight. They can also motivate you to become more active, drink more water or get more sleep by allowing you to set personalized goals.

Some insurance companies are even offering both employers and employees discounts for participation in programs that utilize the goal-setting and day-to-day tracking capabilities of these trackers.

Keeping tabs on your activity level is also incredibly rewarding and fun. Take, for exam-

ple, the Pivotal Living app and Pivotal Tracker 1 (www.pivotalliving.com), a great $12 stocking stuffer for all ages this holiday season. Widely available for both iOS and Android devices, the app has a colorful and easy-to-read dashboard that provides a quick snapshot of your daily progress. Fully interactive, a tap on the sleep icon, for instance, provides you with a more indepth analysis of your sleep patterns, and the app’s gentle reminders will encourage you to log activities, track your water intake and regularly sync the data collected from the Pivotal Tracker 1 band.

The most exciting feature of this app, however, is the social functionality. You can share your goals or progress levels with friends, family and other members of the community, all of whom are easily discoverable in the “Network” tab of the app. You can even build a special team with custom goals, working together and cheering each other on to achieve success. Both teams and individual accounts can be public or private, so data from the app is only shared with the people you choose.

Available in basic black as well as a navy and lime-green option, the Pivotal Tracker 1 band has a built-in screen displaying the time, distance traveled, number of steps or the percentage met of your daily goal with a push of the button. This is a huge advantage to those who like to check their stats while on the move without also having to carry around their mobile phone.

Whether you opt for an expensive tracker with all the bells and whistles or for a more stylish and team-oriented offering like Pivotal Tracker 1, the gift of a fitness tracker this holiday is sure to put a smile on recipients’ faces and a little more pep in their step—especially if they’re tracking them!

Share your opinions www.NorthFulton.com

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24 December 11, 2014

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When red and green make you blue Tools to minimize depression and stress this holiday season

By Nikeisha Whatley, LPC, Manager of Behavioral Health Services, Northside Hospital Christmas cards. Tension.

Gifts. Frustration. Shopping.

Disappointment. Families.

Parties. Sadness. Travel.

Tiredness. Ho, Ho, Ho… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, again!

The holiday season is a time of joy for many people.

However, the 30 days from Thanksgiving to Christmas also can be a winding road of self-evaluation, loneliness, overindulgence, extra financial burdens and anxiety. Coupled with demands of the holidays, these worries can lead to greater holiday stress or severe depression, otherwise known as seasonal depression or “the holiday blues.”

Although these thoughts,

feelings and responses may be unsettling, it is important to recognize them as part of being human. It’s also important to know there are steps to cope with the added stress and stay healthy and content.

Structure your time (social media, too). Keep your life as normal as possible. Holidays mean more chores – from shopping to cleaning and cooking. Delegate among family members who is going to do what. Try to do things ahead of time and don’t overbook yourself. People only show you what they want online. Don’t

waste time on Facebook and Twitter, comparing your life to others’ as they appear. Everything that glitters isn’t gold.

Learn to say “No.” The holidays bring extra demands on your time. Saying no to some things may lessen stress.

It doesn’t make you rude if you say it nicely. Protect your time and use it wisely to make funfilled memories.

Set goals. Step back and think about what is important to you, whether it’s time with your family or making a special holiday treat. Use those goals to guide you through the holidays like a compass. Don’t

overspend; set a budget and stick to it.

Be flexible. Expect change and choose humor over harm.

Cars break down, traffic is bad, some people just don’t give good gifts (ever), people get sick and stores run out of the “must-have” toy. Remember the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Replenish yourself. Taking care of yourself during a

See BLUE, Page 25

Dermatology and Family Medicine Family M F Medicine Geriatrics Diagnosis & Treatment Of Adult ADHD

In an emergency, experience matters Emergencies happen. And when they do, rest assured that you’ll get the best care close to home. Northside’s board-certified emergency medicine physicians and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified nurses are just right up the road. We hope we don’t have to see you, but if we do, you’ll be in the best possible hands.

Visit us online at www.northside.com.

Dr. Zack Charkawi

Johns Creek Family Medicine for the Extra Level of Care

• Comprehensive medical care for the entire family for pediatric adult and geriatric patients • Caring, thorough, and individualized philosophy • Well trained warm and efficient staff • Accepting new patients and sick walk in • Office welcomes most insurances including Medicare

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6300 Hospital Parkway, Suite 100 Johns Creek, GA 30097 770.771.6591 www.johnscreekdermatology.com

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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section

December 11, 2014 25

Yoga Tips To Help You Keep Calm And Stress-Free (NAPSI)—Life can be stressful.

Whether it’s our jobs, family, relationships, holiday craziness, mishaps or finances— stress can be there. But we CAN manage it.

Whether it’s simple measures you take daily to reduce your stress levels in a matter of minutes or voluntary insurance to help provide cash benefits when you experience an illness or injury, there are ways to keep calm and stressfree.

The Aflac Duck partnered with celebrity yoga instructor and expert Kristin McGee to share simple ways to relieve stress this season: • Be present. Yoga helps you stay present and in the moment, and that is the best present you can give yourself or anyone during the holidays.

• Preventative. The more range of motion you have in your joints, the easier it is to

Blue: Continued from Page 24 stressful holiday season is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those around you. Eat healthy, avoid too much alcohol, try to

move freely and stay injuryfree. Yoga keeps you flexible and helps prevent injuries.

• Just breathe. Breathing is essential to yoga. Breathe in and out of your nose using slow, deep, steady breaths.

Inhale on a count of four then exhale on a count of four. This calms the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers cortisol levels and stress.

• Beat the blues. Backbends open the heart and keep our spirits lifted. Try opening up your chest and taking a deep full breath to boost your mood.

• You and only you. Never compare yourself to anyone else or compete with anyone during yoga class. In yoga, you can learn to stand on your own two feet, which makes you more confident and helps you stress less about the choices you make.

• Focus. Focusing helps

you de-stress. When the mind is scattered in a million directions, it’s hard to stay calm, centered and stress-free. Find a spot to focus on or balance in a tree pose as you watch your breath and notice the mind and body releasing stress.

• Fitness. One of the best ways to stay fit all year long is yoga. All you need is your body, breath and a yoga mat or towel.

• Strength. Yoga helps build strength in the muscles and the bones.

• Flexibility. Yoga opens up the body like no other form of exercise. Between the postures themselves and the emphasis on the breath, your flexibility and mobility will get better and better with yoga.

• Sleep. Yoga can help you rest easier by letting go of excess tension in the mind and body. Lie on your back with feet together and knees open to

the sides like a butterfly shape, place your hands on your belly, watch your breath and let your body relax into a deep state of rest.

• Circulation. Yoga stimulates the lymphatic system, which keeps the fluids moving throughout the body, which can help you fight off colds and the flu.

• Go “Om.” The next time you’re feeling frazzled, let out a giant “Om.” The sound stabilizes your nervous system and centers you.

• Stretch it out. When you’re tense, your body stiffens and makes you uptight. Lift your arms above you and stretch your fingers to the ceiling.

• Twist and shout. Twists release tension whether you’re standing, seated or lying down.

• Hang upside down. Doing a standing-forward bend or downward dog lets the blood

flow to your brain to help you think better and stress less.

• Moving meditation. Take a walk outside and watch your steps or link your breath to your movement with a few sun salutations.

There are many relaxing postures in yoga that open up the body and release tension and stress. McGee likes to say, “A downward dog a day keeps the doctor away” because practicing yoga keeps you strong, flexible, focused, relaxed and more open in your body and mind.

McGee recently partnered with Aflac, the leading provider of voluntary insurance in the United States, to help people understand that like yoga, voluntary insurance helps provide peace of mind.

To see the entertaining Aflac Duck try yoga, visit Aflac’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/aflac.

get enough sleep and exercise regularly. Gift yourself with downtime so that you’re rested and able to enjoy simple holiday pleasures. Allow yourself to be distracted. Take in the scenery and enjoy the holiday festivities (lights, decorations, music, movies). This will help ease tension and feel-

ings of helplessness. Go look at Christmas lights, decorate your home/office, volunteer to help others, read stories to your children. Take part in unstructured spontaneous events.Spend time with supportive and caring people.

Surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you

and who enjoy doing the things you do. Family togetherness is important during the holiday season, but sometimes friends are closer and healthier than family. Balance your time with both. Choose to create new memories for yourself this holiday season by being the best you that you know how to be.

Seek help. Northside Hospital would like to wish you a happy, stress free, holiday season. If you begin to feel the holiday blues setting in, seek help from a trained professional and learn about constructive ways you can cope. For more information, call 404-851-8960 or visit northside.com.

ADHD – not just in children anymore Adult ADHD is associated with multiple comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other personality disorders. Adult ADHD is a valid psychiatric disorder of adulthood distinct from these other conditions.

Adult attention deficit disorder differs from the childhood variant because the hyperactivity in adults may be replaced by other symptoms such as anxiety, impulsivity and inattentiveness. In fact, prior to 2002 there were no diagnostic guidelines, but there have been great advances since. Some of the symptoms that characterize Adult ADHD are:

ADHD is a relatively common psychiatric disorder among adults. The prevalence is thought to be 3.5%-5.3%, which accounts for more than 11 million cases in the United States alone. With increased public awareness, adult ADHD became a topic of great interest so clinicians should be able to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with this disorder.

Etiology is still uncertain. Genetics however is believed to play a prominent role, followed in importance by acquired injuries to the brain.

ADHD was widely thought to be strictly a disorder of childhood. Now there are numerous scientific papers and clinical trials that acknowledge the existence of an adult version of this disorder, which can be traced back to the younger years.

Before this time ADHD in adults was known as Minimal Brain Damage or Dysfunction (MBD).

1. Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in school-work, work or other activities.

2. Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.

3. Often does not seem to listen when spoke to directly.

4. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand directions) 5. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.

6. Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (eg.

School assignments, pencils, keys) 7. Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.

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8. Is often forgetful in daily activities.

Some children with ADHD continue to have it as adults. And many adults who have the disorder don’t know it. They may feel that it is impossible to get organized, keep a job, or remember and keep appointments. Daily tasks such as getting up in the morning, preparing to leave the house for work, arriving at work on time, and being productive on the job can be especially challenging for adults with ADHD. These adults may have a history of failure at school, problems at work, failed relationships and traffic accidents. Like teens, adults with ADHD may seem restless and may try to complete several tasks as once, most of them unsuccessfully. They also tend to prefer “quick fixes,” rather than taking the steps needed to achieve greater rewards.

Treatment is very rewarding. The first medications to be approved by the FDA belonged to a non-stimulant group of medications: Atomoxetine. The FDA later approved stimulants such as methylphenidate and mixed amphetamine salts. Group delivered cognitive behavioral therapy is recommended in some cases as a supportive treatment.

If you or someone you know may have Adult ADHD, call Johns Creek Family Medicine at 770-771-6591 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Zack Charkawi.

26 December 11, 2014

Sponsored Section • HEALTH & WELLNESS

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It’s A Question Of Balance

So Big Deal, a Little Inflammation

Ann Marie Giglio, Core Matters

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ferences. Ideally, you should be able to stand on either leg as long as you’d like. Next, try balancing one leg at a time with your knees bent a little.

Again, you should be able to do that for as long as you like.

One reason I started kettle bell training was to improve my strength and balance. But you can easily start by practicing—often—like when you’re standing on line somewhere or maybe at your kitchen counter.

See how long you can stand on each side. Get up from the couch during commercials and challenge yourself for a minute. If you need help with your training, hire a coach. You’ll be glad you did.

Exactly,….. BIG DEAL! Inflammation is not something to take lightly. Let’s put it this way, if you came across a smoldering fire in your house, you wouldn’t just walk away...would you? I suspect that you would consider this an important matter to tend to, because you know that even a small smoldering fire could quickly become a big rip roaring fire that could burn your house down. Your thought process might be something like, “don’t panic, just put the fire out; and put the fire out fast.!”

You might even say “Whew, I am glad I caught that fire while it was small, and thank God that I just happened to walk in here and see this.”

Yeh, it would be an emotional and financial disaster to lose your home. So what if we were talking about your life? All it takes is ONE fire to cause an event i.e heart attack and stroke.

There are many causes of inflammation that can ultimately cause your arteries to be fragile.

The arteries can suddenly rupture as plaque pushes through the wall like a volcano.

A clot is formed, blocking the flow and BOOM. You have a heart attack or stroke. What causes inflammation?

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Share your opinions

I’m not talking about balancing life with work.

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Falling hapGIGLIO pens to folks young and old. But according to the World Health Organization, “falls account for more than 50% of injury-related hospitalizations among people 65 years and older. “ That’s because falls can result in hip fracture, traumatic brain injuries, and upper limb injuries. These injuries produce depression, immobilization, surgeries, and loss of independence. Perhaps you know of someone who has slipped into this spiral.

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We also utilize functional/naturopathic medicine in addition to traditional Western medicine to successfully treat a large number of illnesses, including chronic fatigue, pulmonary disorders, food and chemical sensitivities, irritable bowel syndrome, ADD, obesity, migraines, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin disorders, anxiety, depression & insomnia. www.drlesliegaskill.com and www.plaquebusters.net Leslie S. Gaskill, M.D., LLC 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Ste 201 Johns Creek, Georgia 30097 770-495-9995

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Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 27 Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

Alpharetta Outfitters gives to local deserving people and groups $1,000 a day for 31 days

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – For 31 days, Alpharetta Outfitters is giving away $1,000 to needy people and groups in the area.

The entire month of December will have day after day of giving, said C.J. Palmer, one of the owners.

“We asked ourselves, ‘what can we do to get more people involved?’” Palmer asked.

The answer was to solicit suggestions from the community. So far, more than 300 submissions have been received, with more coming in daily.

“We did not expect this response,” Palmer said. “We didn’t realize just how many people are doing such great work of so many different types. There are so many small organizations in our backyard who do such meaningful work.

“It’s been a blessing,” Palmer said.

The first seven days of December saw the following groups donated to by Alpharetta Outfitters.

Dec. 1 - Wandering to Nourish Wandering to Nourish’s purpose is to provide Atlanta’s homeless with food, clothing and hygiene products. At the same time, they give them love and hope for a prosperous future.

Dec. 2 - Garret Law Garret Law serves as a cross-cultural worker throughout parts of the Middle East and Asia through Pioneers. Garret empowers local leaders as they reach out to serve and disciple those in their communities.

Dec. 3 - Will to Live Rob Bentley, a local student at Cambridge High School, recently lost a close friend to suicide. He is now raising funds for the Will to Live Foundation in honor of the friend he lost. Will to Live actively engages in teen suicide prevention.

Dec. 4 - The Saleb Family A family of six, the Salebs moved to Alpharetta a year ago from Egypt, following unrest in the region. With no prior experience with the English language, no car and little

The business itself operates as a charitable venture, giving away all its profits to the needy.

“December is a big month

for any retail business and we want to help,” Palmer said.

The owners and management look at each day’s submissions and ask which speak

knowledge of the area, the Salebs are currently struggling to afford food for four children (ages 2-18).

Dec. 5 - Habitat Aid Initiative Habitat Aid is a local organization working in Kenya to bring long-term solutions to those living in poverty. Habitat Aid works with community leaders as they improve health, education, agriculture and water systems.

Dec. 6 - The Jones Family Jeff Jones has had a tough year as a single parent of two teenage boys. In May, one son was involved in a car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Then in October, his second son was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

Dec. 7 – Mary’s Merry Christmas Mary’s Merry Christmas Foundation serves children (and their families) that are fighting cancer in the hospital during the Christmas season. MMCF delivers toys, meals and joy as families navigate having to spend the holidays in the hospital.

to them as a group.

“We look for which ones get our attention and capture our hearts,” he said.

Alpharetta Outfitters is giv-

ing away $1,000 each day for the month of December. For more information or to submit an application, visit www. alpharettaoutfitters.com/join.

LifeLine Animal Project end-of-year gifts doubled by Anisa International

Fellowship Christian School seniors Sara Emily Kasdin and Shane Young helped lead a Stop Hunger Now event, where students packaged over 60,000 meals for children in Zambia.

Fellowship Christian School students rise up to Stop Hunger Now ROSWELL, Ga. — Fellowship Christian School students joined together on Oct. 31 to pack over 60,000 meals that will be delivered to school children in Zambia with Stop Hunger Now.Students packaged a special combination of fortified rice-soy grains into individual meals. In conjunction with the school’s GO service program, the senior class provided leadership during the planning stages and logistical support during the actual event.“On a day when our culture celebrates trick or treat, we had the opportunity to pack meals so that others could eat,” said Ari Durham, GO program sponsor.

Fellowship’s school year theme, Rise Up and Do Something, compels students to step out and take action.

“Events like this are just another reminder of the many ways students, families and so many others can come together and make a difference in the lives of people far away,” said Kathy Teston, FCS head of school.

“I am proud to be a part of a school family that models and teaches what service is really all about – locally and globally.”

For more about Fellowship Christian School, visit www.fellowshipchristianschool.org.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – As residents wrap up presents, LifeLine Animal Project, the leading metro Atlanta nonprofit providing lifesaving animal welfare solutions, is wrapping up the year and asking for support to help homeless pets and struggling pet owners. Through Dec. 31, Atlanta-based Anisa International, a global cosmetic brush and accessory solutions innovator, is issuing its Challenge Grant and doubling donations – up to $25,000 – to LifeLine.

Through donations and grants from supporters, LifeLine has consistently expanded its outreach over the last 12 years. LifeLine is in its second year managing Fulton County Animal Services (FCAS) and DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS), where it has increased adoptions and decreased the euthanasia rate by more than half. This year alone, LifeLine has already saved the lives of more than 10,000 dogs and cats. Operating both counties’ animal services is fundamental in leading the way to making Atlanta no-kill, shifting policy to a lifesaving mindset and reducing euthanasia rates to less than 10 percent.

“Support like the Challenge Grant enables us to look forward, to imagine what else we can do, and to further help the 17,000 animals in our care,” said Rebecca Guinn, chief executive officer of LifeLine Animal Project. “Leading a community transformation is a dedicated process, and we are grateful to those who are central in making this happen.”

LifeLine’s other services include the LifeLine spay and neuter clinics, its rehabilitative private shelter in Avondale Estates, the Catlanta trap-neuter-return

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFELINE ANIMAL PROJECT

Matilda is one of the many adoptable animals at Fulton County Animal Services, which is managed by LifeLine Animal Project.

program and community outreach initiatives to promote responsible pet ownership. The organization is Georgia’s largest spay/neuter provider, having performed 80,000 surgeries to date and 11,000 just this year.

“As an Atlanta business, it’s our duty to support organizations that are passionately and successfully addressing key issues,” said Anisa Telwar Kaicker, founder and president of Anisa International. “By doubling donations, we are helping thousands of dogs and cats in our community find forever homes and empowering their owners.”

For more information, visit www. lifelineanimal.org. To donate, visit www. lifelineanimal.org/double-impact or send a check by mail to LifeLine Animal Project, P.O. Box 15466, Atlanta, Ga. 30333.

—Jonathan Copsey

28 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News

COMMUNITY

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Horses help youths build self esteem

By JADE RODGERS jade@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. - Can a horse be a therapist? Not necessarily, but Cheryl Flanagan, founder of SaveTheHorses, works every day with equines who possess therapeutic qualities.

Flanagan spearheads SaveTheHorses, a horse rescue relief and retirement fund, established in 1998.

SaveTheHorses is committed to rescuing abused, abandoned and neglected horses and other animals. A sub program of SaveTheHorses is Barn Buddies, a platform for uniting equines with foster or adopted children who can benefit from animal interaction.

“We are open to anyone interested in interacting with horses,” said Flanagan, “But we specifically focus on foster and adopted kids. There is a strong connection between horses and people. We see that all the time, especially with foster kids.”

Interacting with the displaced and sometimes abused horses helps many children who have experienced similar circumstances. “Some of the kids have gone through serious detachment,” said Flanagan.

Barn Buddies allows foster and adopted children to plant roots and create a relationship with an animal that will not harm or judge them.

“Horses are big animals,” stated Flanagan. “They require a lot of responsibility, but because they are so big, the movement or grooming or walking of a

horse is focused work that helps kids forget some of their troubles they may be having at home.”

Barn Buddies has been able to help children and foster parents from all walks of life.

“We work with kids from Gwinnett, Cherokee, and all over, so long as foster parents and guardians are willing to bring them,” said Flanagan. “While the kids work with the horses, parents are able to run errands or take a little break by themselves.”

The horses of Barn Buddies have sparked a myriad of emotional benefits for the children involved in the program.

“We had one girl in particular with violent tendencies at school,” said Flanagan. “One day, she came up to me during Barn Buddies and said that she had behaved at school all week in order to attend the program. Barn Buddies gives the kids something to look forward to, something that will help them grow and see a bigger picture.”

Barn Buddies is entirely volunteerbased. The adult “barn buddies” go through a training program before they can participate; they learn how to interact with the animals and the children in order to create a soothing learning environment for kids and horses alike.

“We are always in need of volunteers,” said Flanagan.

To get involved as a volunteer or make a donation to Barn Buddies, visit www.SaveTheHorse.org or email Cheryl at Horseinc@aol.com.

The horses at Barn Buddies help youths build self-esteem.

COMMUNITY

Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 29 Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

Women find they enjoy a good cigar too Cigar shops sponsor ladies’ nights; show women finer points

By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Another traditionally male bastion is being challenged by women who don’t believe in stereotypes.

This time, it’s the cigar shop, where men often meet to discuss the finer points of tobacco or watch a sports event while they enjoy their cigars.

The trend is to open these male-dominated emporiums to women smokers, and it is the cigar purveyors who are leading the way.

Michelle Enter is the area representative for A.J. Fernandez Cigars. She recently sponsored a ladies’ night at Cutters Cigars on Windward Parkway, where along with wine and cigars, she was offering pointers in cutting cigars and lighting them.

Enter has been talking to women’s groups about having cigar events and learning more about it.

Some women say they took it up because their spouses or boyfriends smoke cigars, and they were intrigued by them.

Enter said she has already

established women’s cigar clubs in Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“We’re almost ready to get our website up,” she said. “In January, we will launch La Femme Cigar Society.”

Cutters has always been a women-friendly establishment and welcomes ladies there, said Lou Ann Steffens, a Cutters manager.

“We’re trying to expose women to the pleasures of a good cigar. They can come in here and join other women in a pleasant atmosphere,” said Steffens.

A number of women were at the Cutters event and were enjoying their cigars.

Gena Landstrom said she has been smoking cigars “off and on” for about a year.

“It’s a social thing. I’m usually here with my husband,” Landstrom said. “I came tonight because it was ladies’ night. I found more women smoke cigars than I thought.”

She said she doesn’t smoke cigars to be “one of the guys.”

“But it’s something we can do with friends as couples. A lot of men like to have their

After 10 Years We Are CLOSING TO REMODEL

Everything Must Go!

Enjoying their cigars, from left, are Linda Tolbert, Cameel Ross and Karmen Sims. wives come with them [to the cigar store] whether their wives smoke or not,” Landstrom said.

Karmen Sims, Cameel Ross and Linda Tolbert came to the ladies’ night also. They said they enjoy an evening together where they can smoke.

Sims said she began like many people do, by sneaking

Sale

a cigar from her grandfather.

She doesn’t like cigarettes, she said.

“I like going to a ladies’ night. It’s my getaway spot. It’s always homey and friendly,” Sims said.

Tolbert said she started about five years ago. A male friend of hers – not a romantic

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

friend – smoked, and she decided she liked the aroma and began smoking them.

The men who are regulars at Cutters come to watch sports events or sit outside.

They said they did not mind the ladies’ presence. In fact, they seemed to enjoy their presence.

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30 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

SCHOOLS

Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

Fellowship Christian earns triple accreditation ROSWELL, Ga.- Fellowship Christian School has earned the distinction of triple accreditation. The school is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Association of Christian School International, and is now accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools.

Kathy Teston, Head of School, stated, “We are proud to be one of the first schools in the nation to be accredited by these three major accrediting organizations.”

“This accreditation process started with over 150 board members, parents, teachers, administrators and alumni getting together and formalizing a strategic plan. This introspective look at who we are and how we got here…is priceless” said Joey Morecraft, Assistant Director of Academics.

The accreditation stems from a March

visit by educational leaders from institutions located around the southeast to review Fellowship Christian School.

—Joe Parker

Local tennis player signs with Presbyterian College ALPHARETTA, Ga. —Presbyterian College signed Tracy Johnson, of Alpharetta, to join the women’s tennis team for its 2015-16 season.

“I am really excited that Tracy will be joining our program next year. She is a fabulous tennis player and extremely athletic,” said head coach Catherine Dunagan. “I have no doubt that she will reach her full potential here at PC. With both her academic and athletic success, she is

everything that we look for in a student-athlete. I look forward to watching her grow into a strong leader for the future of our program.”

Johnson, a 5-foot-11, righthanded 4-star recruit out of Rivers Academy, trains at the Windward Tennis Academy and is currently ranked 14th in Georgia by TennisRecruiting.net. Johnson has been ranked in the Top 30 in the South and has reached in the Top 100 nationally.

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SPORTS

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 31

Balanced Lady Knights off to fast start Team effort sparks Centennial success

By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – The Centennial Lady Knights opened the 2014-15 season with four straight victories, built on some aggressive defensive play and a balanced offense that has as many as seven players capable of leading the team in scoring any night.

Seven players scored in double figures at least once in the Knights’ first six games.

The team’s leading scorer averaged 10.5 points a game and seven others scored between four and 9.5 points per contest.

Only one Centennial player has scored more than 16 points, a 22-point effort by senior Jilla Moede in a seasonopening 80-57 victory over Dunwoody.

Two other Centennial players scored in double figures that night. Two others joined Moede with 10 or more points in a 52-37 win over Northview in the Knights’ Region 6-AAAAAA opener, led by Jada Triplett with 13.

Freshman Shekinah Guthrie, at 5-foot-8 one of the team’s taller players, had 10 points in a 46-41 win over Salem, and led the Knights in both scoring (16) and rebounding (10) in a decisive 57-22 victory at home last week against

Chattahoochee.

Naomi Holloway scored 15 points in a 69-54 loss last Friday at South Forsyth, one of the region’s top teams. Triplett led the way with 15, and 6-foot-2 junior Grace Morrow added 13 the next night in a 49-39 victory at Duluth.

Six Centennial players scored between four and eight points against Salem, and six had between five and seven points against Chattahoochee.

“We go eight deep, sometimes nine deep, and our guards are pretty interchangeable,” first-year Centennial coach Don Padgett said. “We have a lot of quick guards, but not a lot of post players.”

Centennial’s roster lists eight of 11 players as guards, with only one regular (Guthrie) designated as a forward and Morrow the lone post player.

“They play hard and they play bigger than they are,” Padgett said of the Knights’ deep but not particularly tall group of guards. “They know they’re challenged to rebound.”

One way the team compensates for its lack of height is by playing an aggressive manto-man press that produces plenty of steals and can lead to fast break baskets.

With so many guards, most of the Knights’ shots come from outside or on drives to the basket. Five Centennial

players are capable of hitting three-pointers, with Guthrie and Morrow doing their scoring on the inside.

Junior Brianna Perry led last year’s team in scoring, averaging almost 15 points a game, but is averaging just 5.4 points this season. Padgett said, “Our different style of play has taken her some time to get used to.”

Perry and senior Elizabeth Veringa, the team’s most accurate three-point shooter, are averaging just four and five field goal attempts per game, but both have already had double-figure scoring efforts in the Knights’ share-the-wealth offense.

“Nobody on this team is going to score 30 a night,” Padgett observed. “We’re going to have seven or eight scoring every game, with maybe two or three in double figures and several others with seven or eight points.”

Much of the Centennial scoring is predicated on the defensive pressure. The Knights came up with 16 steals against Chattahoochee, five by Veringa and three each by sisters Audrey and Naomi Holloway, who help key the team’s backcourt pressure.

Padgett said the Knights have not shot as well as they can, which has led him to rely more on the press to generate some offense.

“What we want to do is get in other teams’ faces and use

SOL SIMS/ SOLARVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY

Chattahoochee’s Siena Gore (21) attempts to block Centennial’s Naomi Holloway’s (24) shot. our quickness to force a lot of mistakes,” he said.

Padgett came to Centennial after three years as an assistant at perennial state power Norcross, and assessed several head coaching opportunities before moving across the Chattahoochee River.

“One of the things that appealed to me was that this team got to the first round of state last year and had good players coming back,” he said.

Centennial went 18-10 last season, placed third in

See KNIGHTS, Page 32

Sheffield again the driving force for Cougars Standout senior does more than just score

By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – For teams playing the Chattahoochee Cougars this season, the strategy is pretty simple.

Try to contain Markus Sheffield.

The 6-foot-5 senior is one of just a few returning regulars from last season, and he is the Cougars’ primary offensive weapon after averaging 27 points a game in 2013-14.

Sheffield accounted for a sizeable percentage of the team’s scoring last year, but had at least one teammate capable

of shouldering some of the offensive load.

Avery Ward, who is playing football at Mercer, gave the Cougars a second offensive threat. But he graduated along with several other starters, leaving coach Kacey Martin to search for a scoring complement for Sheffield this season.

The Cougars split their first four games, going 1-2 in Region 6-AAAAAA. The Cougars suffered four-point losses to both North Forsyth and Johns Creek on their home court, and pulled out a 54-53 victory last week at Centennial.

Sheffield exploded for 47 points in a season-opening 95-78 victory over non-region opponent North Springs, but got plenty of help from his teammates. Sheffield scored 34 points against North Forsyth,

but his teammates managed just 22 points and the Cougars lost.

Against Centennial, Sheffield went for 25 points in an off-and-on night. It did not exactly match his 40-point display in the Cougars’ upset victory over the Knights last year in the region playoffs that earned Chattahoochee a spot in the state playoffs despite a 9-16 regular season record.

“We rely on him a lot,” Martin said of Sheffield, who will play at Stanford on a basketball scholarship. “But he’s the type of player who wants to get his teammates involved. He has confidence in his teammates and knows he’s going to get double-teamed.

“As long as we believe in each other, I think we’ll be OK, but we’ve still got a ways to

go,” he said.

The win over the Knights was a confidence-builder for the Cougars, who hung in the game with Sheffield on the bench with three fouls in the third quarter. The Knights hit Chattahoochee with a barrage of three-pointers to take a seven-point lead to the final period. But Sheffield returned and started a Chattahoochee comeback with a three-point play to open the fourth quarter.

The Cougars outscored Centennial 16-8 in the final period, with Sheffield having a hand in every Chattahoochee score. He floated a jumper over tight coverage and fed sophomore guard Isaac Kinsey for a

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32 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

SPORTS

Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

Basketball Scoreboard – Dec. 2 - 6 Boys’ games

Cambridge 61, Kell 46 Blessed Trinity 50, South Atlanta 47 Mount Pisgah 58, Fellowship 43 Pinecrest 55, King’s Ridge 54 St. Francis 56, Whitefield 48

Tuesday: Alpharetta 65, South Forsyth 48 Chattahoochee 54, Centennial 53 Johns Creek 68, Northview 56 Pope 54, Milton 49 Etowah 66, Roswell 53 Cambridge 71, Lassiter 66 Blessed Trinity 56, McNair 42 Mount Pisgah 60, Pinecrest 50 King’s Ridge 26, Fellowship 23 St. Francis 84, Walker 42

Saturday: Johns Creek 71, Creekview 59 Chattahoochee 56, Forsyth Central 51 Duluth 71, Centennial 39 Lambert 67, Roswell 54 Blessed Trinity 53, Decatur 41 Whitefield 58, King’s Ridge 49 Miller Grove 66, St. Francis 43 Galloway 56, Mount Pisgah 32

Friday: Alpharetta 78, Habersham 35 Centennial 57, South Forsyth 54 Johns Creek 54, Chattahoochee 50 Lambert 70, Northview 47 Milton 72, Woodstock 39 Cherokee 44, Roswell 36

Cougars: Continued from Page 31 three-pointer to tie the game two minutes into the quarter.

Sheffield scored 10 of his 25 points in the final period

Girls’ games Tuesday: Centennial 57, Chattahoochee 22 Johns Creek 44, Northview 34

to keep the Cougars close, but it was his passing skills that made the difference.

After Centennial regained the lead, Sheffield again found an open teammate behind the arc, with Ja’von Douglas connecting on a three-pointer with 2:30 to play for what turned out to be the game’s final

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South Forsyth 56, Alpharetta 36 Pope 47, Milton 25 Etowah 63, Roswell 33 Cambridge 36, Lassiter 31 Blessed Trinity 55, McNair 17 Mount Pisgah 39, Pinecrest 29 Fellowship 44, King’s Ridge 26 St. Francis 64, Walker 17

Saturday: Centennial 49, Duluth 38 Chattahoochee 57, Forsyth Central 36 North Springs 42, Milton 39 Lambert 57, Roswell 26 Decatur 58, Blessed Trinity 45 Mount Pisgah 44, Galloway 26 Whitefield 62, King’s Ridge 13

Friday: Chattahoochee 44, Johns Creek 33 South Forsyth 67, Centennial 54 Habersham 32, Alpharetta 30 Lambert 35, Northview 27 Woodstock 64, Milton 44 Cherokee 57, Roswell 36 Kell 59, Cambridge 57 South Atlanta 65, Blessed Trinity 35 Mount Pisgah 37, Fellowship 32 St. Francis 69, Whitefield 43 Pinecrest 75, King’s Ridge 35

Team records – Boys; Girls Alpharetta – 3-0, 3-1; 0-3, 1-5 Centennial – 2-1, 3-3; 2-1, 5-1 Chattahoochee – 1-2, 3-2; 1-2, 3-2 Johns Creek – 3-0, 4-3; 2-1; 5-2 Northview – 0-3, 0-7; 0-3, 2-5 Milton – 2-1, 2-4; 1-2, 1-7 Cambridge – 1-0, 4-4; 0-1, 1-7 Blessed Trinity – 1-0, 7-2; 0-1, 2-7 St. Francis – 2-0, 5-1; 2-0, 6-0 Mount Pisgah – 2-0, 2-2; 2-0, 4-0 Fellowship – 0-2, 2-4; 1-1, 4-2 King’s Ridge – 1-2, 3-6; 0-3, 0-9

points.

Turnovers and missed free throws kept the two teams from scoring after that, with the loss preventing the Knights from getting off to a 3-0 start in region play.

Centennial, which has been playing with a depleted roster, was 2-1 in the region and 3-3 overall coming into this week.

Martin is not expecting one player to step into Ward’s complementary scoring role from last year, but is looking for “a collective effort from the other guys. If it’s a different guy every night, I can live with that.”

Besides lacking a proven second scorer, the Cougars are not an especially tall team.

At 6-foot-5, Sheffield is the tallest Cougar, but is a perimeter player on offense and his slender frame is not exactly ideal for battling stronger players under the basket on defense.

“We don’t have a lot of size,” Martin said, “but you can play bigger than you are.”

6-AAAAAA is not among the stronger basketball regions in AAAAAA, and even with a mostly unproven team, Martin believes the Cougars can contend for one of four spots in the state playoffs.

Martin points to Alpharetta and Lambert as the likely favorites, with Johns Creek also off to a fast start. Centennial is a likely contender once the Knights are at full strength.

“We have a shot to be there at the end,” Martin observed.

“But we have to get better.”

Knights: Continued from Page 31 the region and put up a good fight in the first round of state against Parkview. Padgett praised the work former coach Robert White did in building a program that had not enjoyed

SOL SIMS/ SOLARVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY

Centennial’s Grayson Dent (25) and Chattahoochee’s Marcus Sheffield (14) try to control the tip-off. much success.

“I thought this was a pretty good opportunity with a pretty good team to coach,” Padgett said.

Padgett points to North Forsyth and South Forsyth as top-10 caliber teams, but he expects the Knights to again challenge for a top-4 finish in the region and another state

tournament berth.

The Knights shot well from outside against South Forsyth (six of 14 on three-pointers), but were only 12 of 40 on twopointers.

Centennial jumped out to a 27-8 halftime lead the following night, with Naomi Holloway and Morrow turning in strong all-around showings.

Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

SPORTS

Patrick Cusick, seated, signs his letter of intent with the University of North Carolina surrounded by family and friends.

Alpharetta’s Cusick to swim for UNC ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Patrick Cusick, a senior at Alpharetta High School and a member of the Alpharetta swim and dive team, has signed a national letter of intent with the University of North Carolina for the 2015-16 season.

Cusick, who swims the backstroke, took sec-

ond in the 100-meter backstroke and 400-meter free relay and fifth place in the 100-meter individual medley at last year’s GHSA 6A state championship meet. Cusick also placed in the Top 20 at the 2014 Speedo Summer Junior Nationals in Irvine, California.

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 33

The 8U Pink Pirates, from left, are Ashley Rea, Grace Williams, Amy Stefanowicz, Brooke Samuels, Lauren Daniels, Mackenzie Marks, Rylan Cross, Lauren Andrews, Arrington Davies, Payton Daniels and coaches Shawn Samuels and Jon Marks. Not pictured: Kendall Petrovich.

Pink Pirates crowned tournament champs ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The 8U Pink Pirates won the North Park Championship. The team

won four consecutive games in the double elimination tournament to capture the title.

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34 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News | revueandnews.com

SCHOOLS

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Fulton Schools exploring ‘school choice’ for students

By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA – “Customization” of education is the focus of Fulton School System leaders looking to expand school choice options for students beyond their mandated attendance zones.

Options on the horizon for Fulton students could be more magnet schools, charter schools, language immersion schools, STEM schools or other programs tailored to the needs of the communities they serve.

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“This is a natural evolution of the charter system,” said Ken Zeff, director of strategy and innovation for Fulton Schools. “We want to make our neighborhood schools reflect the interest and needs of their communities.”

The Fulton County School System (FCSS) became the state’s largest charter system in July 2012, which opened the doors for program flexibility across the system. In exchange for the promise of higher academic achievement, the charter exempts Fulton from many state education mandates, allowing local schools to determine what works best for them.

The school choice initiative, said Zeff, adds the next level of flexibility for local schools. But he recognizes that even with flexibility and strategic plans in place, the needs of some students will never be met within the confines of their assigned schools.

“The next stage – school choice – is the continuum in the process of providing opportunities to meet the students’ needs,” said Zeff.

Currently, school choice is limited, especially in North Fulton where capacity issues limit student movement. The only magnet programs of-

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fered are in Sandy Springs and South Fulton, although Alpharetta and Centennial high schools could have the International Baccalaureate program as early as 2017.

Hardship transfers and open enrollment are also offered system-wide, but, again, are limited to available seats and set criteria.

Katie Reeves, a Fulton School Board member from

Community forums for school choice input (North Fulton locations) Jan. 28, 2015 – 7 p.m. at Centennial HS Feb. 2, 2015 – 7 p.m. at Milton Center (old Milton HS) North Fulton, says she is encouraged school leaders are finally pursuing a viable school choice option that benefits all students.

“For many years, North Fulton has been focused on just getting enough classroom space,” said Reeves. “It is a welcome change that we are now ready to start looking at choice options not only for North Fulton but for the rest of the county as well.”

FCSS has been working on a school choice plan for several months. Last year, members of the school board visited the Charlotte (N.C.) – Mecklenburg School System to see their plan in action, and directed school staff to begin implementing a similar program for Fulton.

There are challenges in the FCSS with a true choice option, acknowledges Zeff. School choice does not necessarily mean a student gets to decide which school he or she wants to attend, because attendance will always be prioritized for students within the attendance zones.

“Real estate is a challenge, especially in North Fulton, so we want to be strategic in our plans,” said Zeff. “We have to be creative. If you develop the right choices, you can get the attendance right.”

But that is putting the cart before the horse. Next month, a series of open forums will be held to gather information from the community on what options they want in their schools.

Preliminary information shows the needs vary across the county, with North Fulton focused on math, while South Fulton is looking for language arts options.

The irony that the school board recently terminated a charter with the Fulton Science Academy is not lost on Zeff. But he said people “vote with their feet,” and the fact the school never attracted a viable enrollment meant that school did not meet the needs of the entire community.

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SCHOOLS

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 35

From left, seventh-graders Marley Rusden, Bea Lee and Summer Stockard share their public awareness poster on Ebola.

Holcomb Bridge students learn about Ebola at CDC Part of seventh-graders’ integrative study ROSWELL, Ga. – The Holcomb Bridge Middle School seventh-grade class recently concluded an integrative study on the Ebola virus with a field trip to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Museum and Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta.

Teachers delivered a relevant and rigorous set of cross-curricular lessons for the students, using the current events around Ebola as a platform to make it real.

The students were led by a teaching team of Pam Wright (language arts), Dwayne Gregory (social studies), Melanie McCollum (science) and Alexis Farmer (math).

The students engaged in an intense and carefully coordinated set of lessons. For example, in language arts, students read the non-fiction book “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston.

And in social studies, students explored Africa and wrote a position paper on the history of health issues and the influence of government and politics on diseases such as AIDS and Ebola.

The segment concluded with a field trip to the museum at the CDC, where several students tried on hazmat suits, learned the steps for preventing contamination and explored the history of the CDC and the role it plays in today’s world. In parallel, students were also able to visit the Fernbank Natural History Museum.

“People of any age learn better when the subject is relevant to their lives, and they understand how it affects them personally,” said Wright. “By weaving the topic through all core courses, we hoped to provide a learning opportunity that will have a lasting impact on our students.”

Jaeden Amiri-Owens received news that he won an essay contest Nov. 14 while traveling with other FSAPS students to compete in the State Model United Nations Tournament in Savannah.

Amiri-Owens wins essay contest ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Jaeden Amiri-Owens, a sixth-grade student at Fulton Science Academy Private School, won the 2014 Middle School Water Essay Contest. An awards reception will be held in Atlanta Dec. 4.

The contest is one of many

Holcomb Bridge student Will McCall gets an up close look at the hazmat suit of student Elijah Kirby.

Principal Chris Shearer agreed.

“Since coming to HBMS this year, I have been very impressed with the passion, creativity and enthusiasm of our teachers,” Shearer said. “Our teaching team led this cross-curricular segment from ideation through execution.

I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.”

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Next year looks good for Titans BT to return strong junior class

By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com

ROSWELL, Ga. – After reaching the Class AAA quarterfinals and semifinals the past two seasons before losing to Washington County, the Blessed Trinity Titans appear to be positioned to make another deep playoff run next year.

Although the Titans will graduate some key seniors – most notably linebacker/ tight end Pat Jasinski, a Central Florida commit – they return an even larger group of starters, including three of the team’s key offensive skill position players and most of the linemen and defensive regulars.

“We’re excited about what we have coming back,” Blessed Trinity coach Tim McFarlin said minutes after the Titans’ 28-17 loss in Sandersville last Friday night.

“But you’ve got to approach it the right way,” he said. “You can’t afford to let up.”

McFarlin experienced a similar situation at Roswell in 2007 and ’08, with the Hornets sharing a state title in ’07 with a standout junior class. The Hornets reached the quarterfinals the next year before losing to the eventual state champions in what was effectively the state championship game.

But the overall impression was that the ’08 Hornets did not achieve to the level of the previous team.

“We’ve had a pretty good run with a strong junior class,” McFarlin said, comparing the current situation at Blessed Trinity with the one he experienced at Roswell. “We had a good group of seniors, and character had a lot to do with it.”

The Titans enjoyed the most successful football season in school history, finishing with a 13-1 record against an ambitious schedule.

The Titans opened with a 42-20 victory at St. Pius, which plays this weekend for the AAAA title. BT won by a combined 7214 in consecutive weeks at AAAAAA opponents Sequoyah and Creekview, both of whom made the state playoffs, with Sequoyah defeating an unbeaten team in the first round.

Blessed Trinity defeated Westminster 23-11 to finish first in the sub-region, with the Wildcats also reaching the state semifinals before losing to unbeaten Calhoun.

The Titans then took the Region 4-AAA title with a 28-21 win over a talented Cedar Grove team, followed by two romps against outmatched teams in the first two rounds of state.

The Titans reached the semifinals thanks to a 28-21 overtime win at Jefferson, which also came into the game undefeated.

Washington County, which lost in the AAA championship game last year to Buford, was ranked No. 1 this entire season (Buford has moved up to AAAA). For the second straight year, they proved to be the better of the two teams in their game against the Titans.

“We have nothing to hang our heads about,” McFarlin said. “There’s a difference between losing and getting beat, and Washington County was just better than us. They were the best offensive team we saw this year, and they’re a really good defensive team.

“We’re a really good tackling team, but we couldn’t stop their quarterback.”

The Titans return quarterback Conor Davis, tailback Milton Shelton and receiver/defensive back Matthew Higgins, along with most of the offensive line and a large contingent of defensive regulars.

Along with Jasinski, the Titans graduate offensive starters Cameron Nolan and Will Janousek, as well as key defenders Joe Camacho, Bailey Grady and Travis Green and kicker Mitchell Rostowsky.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY 28, BLESSED TRINITY 17 »

Titans fall to Hawks (again) in AAA semifinals BT unable to slow down standout quarterback

By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com SANDERSVILLE, Ga. – If Blessed Trinity meets up with Washington County for a third straight time next year in the state Class AAA football playoffs, the Titans will have at least one thing on their side.

They won’t have to face A.J. Gray.

The Washington County quarterback almost singlehandedly lifted the Golden Hawks to a 28-17 victory in the AAA semifinals last Friday night. It was the second year in a row they eliminated Blessed Trinity from the playoffs.

Last year’s score was considerably more decisive, as Washington County won 46-17 in Roswell in the quarterfinals.

Gray was abetted in 2013 by more talent at the skill positions on offense. He got most of his help this time from an effective offensive line that created running space for the strong, fast Washington County quarterback.

Gray carried 30 times for 280 yards and three touchdowns and completed eight of 13 passes for 88 yards. His numbers were not as impressive as the 442 yards and eight rushing touchdowns he put up the previous week, and Blessed Trinity was the first team to make the Hawks play all the way to the final minutes.

The Hawks (14-0) broke a state single season scoring record and will play for a state title Friday in the Georgia Dome against Calhoun, also 14-0.

“They are deservedly the best team in the state with the best offensive player,” Blessed Trinity coach Tim McFarlin said of the Hawks and Gray.

“I thought we needed to score 28 points at a minimum, but they are a really good defensive team.

“When you play a great football team, you need to bring your A game from a playing and coaching standpoint, and we didn’t,” he said. “We did not run the ball the way we needed to run it, and our offense left the defense on the field for too long.”

The Titans (13-1) closed within 28-17 late in the third period on a 70-yard pass from Conor Davis to Pat Jasinski. They got the ball back in Washington County territory midway through the final period after Matthew Higgins’ 50yard interception return ended

a scoring threat by the Hawks.

But after attempting just a handful of passes previously in the game, the Titans threw deep on consecutive plays, neither of them intended for Jasinski or Higgins, the team’s top receivers.

The first fell incomplete and the second was intercepted by Gray, who is headed to Georgia Tech, reportedly to play in the secondary.

The Hawks ran out the clock, holding the ball for 12 plays and gaining 73 yards, one of six Washington County drives that covered more than 60 yards.

Washington County had the ball almost the entire second half, running 39 plays from scrimmage to nine for the Titans, who had the ball for just two plays and less than 20 seconds the final 14-plus minutes.

The Titans had control of the game for the first seven minutes, leading 10-0 before Gray took over.

Blessed Trinity started the game from its 2-yard line after a mistake on the opening kickoff. But led by tailback Milton Shelton, BT drove to the Hawks’ 11 before settling for Mitchell Rostowsky’s 28-yard field goal.

Shelton carried on the first five plays for 54 yards, and Higgins gained 15 on a speed sweep before the Hawks’ defense stopped Shelton on consecutive plays and forced an incomplete pass on third down.

The BT defense forced a punt after one Washington County first down, and got the ball at the Hawks’ 3 after the snap from center sailed well over the punter’s head. Shelton scored on the next play, but it took less than 45 seconds for Gray to get the Hawks back in the game.

On the second play after the kickoff, he broke free for 81 yards on the read option, charging through a sizeable hole and sprinting past the BT defense into the end zone.

The Hawks again stopped Shelton on back-to-back plays to force a punt, and put together a 17-play drive, converting five third downs and twice overcoming penalties that nullified touchdowns. A 29yard pass from Gray converted a third-and-28, and he put the Hawks ahead 14-10 on a 2-yard run.

Aided by one of nine Washington County penalties that totaled 99 yards, the Titans

reached the Hawks’ 28, but Shelton was tackled for a loss on third-and-1 and Davis was sacked on fourth down.

Washington County scored with just over one minute left in the half, with a 22-yard pass from Gray preceding a 14-yard touchdown run by Ethan Ray. After forcing a punt to start the third quarter, the Titans crossed midfield on three carries by Shelton for 27 yards.

Davis then hit Higgins behind the Hawks’ secondary for 48 yards and an apparent touchdown. But BT was penalized for an ineligible receiver downfield, wiping out both the TD and a holding penalty against Washington County.

A 15-yard penalty against the Titans put them in a second-and-28 hole, but Davis hit Jasinski for 21 yards. Facing fourth-and-5 from the Hawks’ 43, the Titans attempted a quick kick rather than go for the first down, and the punt traveled just 6 yards.

On fourth-and-3 from the BT 35, Gray broke tackle attempts at the line of scrimmage and scored to make the score 28-10. Davis and Jasinski hooked up for an answer on the Titans’ next play, with BT’s tight end just making it to the end zone after being pursued for most of the 70 yards by a defender.

The Hawks then kept the ball for 16 plays, but the Titans’ defense stiffened inside the 10.

Higgins picked off a pass on fourth-and-goal from the 24, returning it across midfield to give the Titans hope of a late comeback.

The stats were one-sided, with the Hawks having huge advantages in first downs (23-9), offensive plays (69-32) and yards gained (471-219).

Shelton carried 22 times for 111 yards, but did not have an official carry after BT’s first three plays of the second half.

Davis was two-of-five for 91 yards, with penalties erasing three other pass attempts, including the nullified touchdown to Higgins.

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SPORTS

revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 37

Georgia signs top Roswell golfer Rinko Mitsunaga joins top flight class of 2015 ATHENS, Ga. – The future of University of Georgia women’s golf got a whole lot brighter when three of the nation’s Top 12 golfers in the class of 2015 inked letters of intent the first day of the NCAA’s weeklong early signing period.

Among them is Roswell’s Rinko Mitsunaga whose extensive junior career is headlined by an appearance in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open as a 15-year-old.

The Roswell native earned the spot by placing third at a qualifier.

Mitsunaga’s 2013 season featured four victories – at the Golfweek Junior Invitational, the Big I National Championship, the AJGA Arrowhead Junior and the Georgia Girls Championship – as well as three more Top 5 finishes.

She also finished third at the 2014 Kathy Whitworth Invitational.

Jillian Hollis and Bailey Tardy also signed with Georgia and will join the Bulldogs next fall.

Hollis and Tardy were recently named first-team Rolex Junior All-Americans by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) for 2014.

Mitsunaga was a secondteam choice. Hollis is currently listed at No. 3 and No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index and AJGA/Polo rankings, respectively. Tardy is ranked No. 6 by the AJGA and No. 7 by Golfweek, while Mitsunaga is No. 12 by both.

“When we started here almost three years ago, it’s the class we focused on,” said third-year head coach Josh Brewer. “It was when we had the most scholarship money and spaces available.

“It’s obviously great for us for it to fall into place where we get two first-team All-Americans and a second-team AllAmerican. I think it’s the best

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class in the country,” he said.

“I’m a little biased, but going by the rankings – signing three out of the Top 12 – no other school can say that.

“Rinko was the No. 1 player for her class when I took the job at Georgia,” Brewer said.

“She had just played the U.S. Open and competed on a high, high level nationally. I followed her for about three straight months, watching her and trying to get her to come to Georgia.

“She’s continued that success,” he said. “She’s been an All-American three of the past four years now and brought a very valuable big-name splash for us when we were putting

this class together. We expect her to continue her success here at Georgia.”

With only one senior – Rocio Sanchez Lobato – on this year’s roster, the Bulldogs should be among the deepest teams in the nation in 201516.

“We have a great nucleus in place right now and players who we know are going to continue to contribute next year with the seniors, juniors and sophomore we will have back next season,” Brewer said.

“You add the three signees and we’re going to have a lot of depth. It’s exciting and will be fun to see how they adapt to college golf.”

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Rinko Mitsunaga signs her letter of intent to play golf for the University of Georgia.

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Children create crafts at the Alpharetta tree lighting.

SUZANNEPACEY/STAFF

JONATHANCOPSEY/STAFF

The 50-foot-tall Christmas Tree is lit Dec. 5 at the 37th annual lighting ceremony. Crowds filled downtown Alpharetta.

Revelers rolled around in giant snow globes.

Holidays: Continued from Page 1 man visit the Blencoe & Co. Photographic Arts studio for a dry and cozy visit.

In Roswell, the Town Square was lit Dec. 6. This family event included carolers from local schools, a reading of “’Twas the Night before Christmas,” and a special visit

SUZANNEPACEY/STAFF

from Santa Claus. Christmas festivities in Alpharetta do not end with the tree lighting. Participating Alpharetta merchants will allow Elfaretta and his friends to hide in their stores, through Dec. 18.

Customers will attempt to find the mischievous little sprites in order to qualify to win one of five prizes. Winners will be contacted and scheduled for a photo op at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2015 at State Bank and Trust. For more informa-

SUZANNEPACEY/STAFF

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COMMUNITY

Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 39 Submit your news & photos to news@appenmediagroup.com

Proper Christmas tree care prevents fires ALPHARETTA, Ga. – According to the National Fire Protection Association, each year, fire departments respond to an average of 210 structure fires caused by Christmas trees. Carefully decorating Christmas trees can help make the holidays safer.

“By adhering to these recommendations, you greatly increase your chances of having a safe and enjoyable holiday season,” said Alpharetta Public Safety Fire Marshal David Morris.

The National Fire Protective Association offers the following safety advice: If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as being fire retardant.

Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1 to 2 inches from the base of the trunk. Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights and make sure the tree is not blocking an exit. You should add water to the tree

stand and water the tree daily.

When placing lights on your tree, use lights that have a label affixed issued by an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections and connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of LED strands to connect. Never use lit candles to decorate the tree, and remember always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After the holidays, get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Remember to bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

—Jonathan Copsey

North Point Mall hosts ‘Adventure to Santa’ through Dec. 24 ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North Point Mall is hosting Adventure to Santa, a DreamWorks DreamPlace Santa adventure that embodies DreamWorks’ distinctive blend of worldclass technology and storytelling for a next generation holiday experience. DreamWorks Animation chose North Point Mall as one of eight locations around the country during the 2014 holiday season to feature Adventure to Santa.

“We are always looking for unique opportunities to engage our guests. Adventure to Santa seamlessly showcases North Point Mall’s commit-

ment to provide an unparalleled experience with DreamWorks’ unmatched storytelling and technology,” said Nick Nicolosi, North Point Mall’s general manager. “It’s without a doubt a must-visit destination this holiday season.”

The magical journey starts with Shrek, ends with Santa and features a 2,000-squarefoot immersive experience to be enjoyed by family members of all ages. The attraction is free to guests and features an online reservation system.

“DreamPlace turns the traditional mall holiday visit on its head with an immer-

sive, interactive approach that draws on our signature brand of technology, storytelling and of course, humor,” said Michael Francis, DreamWorks Animation’s chief global brand officer. “We are continually looking for new ways to bring our characters to life, and DreamPlace will deliver an unparalleled experience which fans will absolutely love.”

Santa’s home is also protected by ADT, a provider of home security and automation solutions. For more information, visit http://www. northpointmall.com.

—Shannon Weaver

Denise Carleton, Mary Nix and Jan Haarhoff from The Hartford.

Local orthodontist supports nonprofits through candy buy-back ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Jacqueline M. Malone of Malone Orthodontics, 5755 North Point Parkway, wanted to give back to local nonprofits this year through a candy buyback program sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontics. They partnered with nonprofits Friends of Tony and Reaping Nature by pledging to donate $1 per pound collected to their organizations.

Collected candy was given by these organizations to another nonprofit, Sawnee Woman’s Club to pack Treat the Troops boxes at the VFW Post 9143, 1045 Dahlonega Highway, on Nov. 20. Sawnee Woman’s Club members also baked several dozen cookies to pack in the boxes, collected toiletries and organized handwritten notes from children and club members for the packing.

“When you have so much of a good thing, it always makes you feel even better to share it,” said Malone. “Our troops sacrifice so much for us, and letting them know how much they are appreciated — with even the smallest gestures, just seems right. My team and I are honored to have been a part of this great effort.”

Word spread to other businesses who got involved in the program as well. Residents of the Windermere community collected 46 pounds of candy.

The Hartford in Alpharetta collected 25 pounds of candy, while Malone’s office collected 35 pounds from patients and the Alpharetta Police Department delivered 70 pounds to

Staff from Dr. Jacqueline Malone’s office, Jocelyn Shaw, Jade Casey, Ashley Jones, pose with candy.

Malone’s office in Alpharetta.

Vickery Creek Elementary in Forsyth County collected 119 pounds, and received a $30 gift card to Pike Nurseries and a $50 gift certificate to the Cottage Garden Center for being the Forsyth County school that collected the most candy.

A grand total of 295 pounds of candy was collected in two weeks following Halloween.

“It was a rewarding experience to be involved with this program,” said Denise Carleton, executive director of Reaping Nature. “Dr. Malone’s single idea benefitted four organizations’ efforts and hundreds of our military men and women serving our country overseas this holiday season.

That’s something remarkable.”

To learn more about this program, visit http://www. reapingnature.org/CandyGive-Back.html.

—Kathleen Sturgeon

40 | December 11, 2014 | Revue & News

COMMUNITY

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JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

The Okie family found a tree they love at Hunter’s Christmas Tree Farm in Milton. Janelle Gordon, far left, helps Aida Okie, mom Kelly, Eliza and Benjamin.

Saturdays are filled with events – from ornament crafting to pony rides and visits from Santa. And the hot chocolate is always available.

PICKING THE RIGHT TREE »

Christmas tree farm does quick business Local farm revels in holiday spirit

By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. – There is nothing quite like the smell of a real Christmas tree in the house around the holidays. While fake ones may be easier to clean up at the end of the season, they just don’t have the same memorable qualities of a real fir or pine.

Milton is home to one of the few cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in the north metro area, Hunter’s Christmas Tree Farm, on Wood Road.

Kelly Okie and her three children came to the farm and found the perfect tree for their home.

“We wanted to go to a farm and cut down a tree,” said Okie. “Here, we found a tree we really liked.”

Owner Gordon Hunter and his family started the farm 24 years ago when they were looking for a use for the 25-acre property. The family had a debate over whether to open a horse farm or a Christmas tree farm.

“When I first moved here, I thought we would have a horse

farm,” said Hunter. “But I saw an article about Christmas tree farms. You don’t have to feed anything; they pretty much take care of themselves.”

Five acres of woods and brush were cleared and rows of trees were planted, staggered so a new batch is ready every five years.

“The first year we sold trees was a fun experience,” Hunter said. “People came out here and were happy. I enjoy the Christmas spirit.”

The farm moves about 1,200 trees a year, with Leyland Cypress trees as well as Carolina Sapphires that can both be chopped down. Hunter’s farm imports Fraser firs from North Carolina for those who don’t feel like getting dirty.

While the farm is only open from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas, Hunter’s does brisk business.

Teams of Milton High School athletes help out as fundraising efforts. Santa frequently visits. “There is a special feeling than comes from the farm,” said Janine Hunter, one of Gordon’s daughters who manages the farm. “It wouldn’t

JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

Teams of high school students and local kids help tend the trees at the farm and bale the trees for transport. be Christmas without it. We love the Christmas season and connecting with people.”

Hunter’s Christmas Tree Farm is located at 14680 Wood Road in Milton. For more

information, visit them online at www.hunterschristmastreefarm.com.

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Radio: Continued from Page 1 should begin testing in January 2015 and be operational by April.

For the first quarter of 2014, Alpharetta will pay just over $35,000 to the county for the use of their radio system, they very one North Fulton wants to leave.

This amount is a dramatic increase over previous pay-

Blotter: Continued from Page 2 neous company items. In total, about $3,000 worth of items were missing.

All attempts to contact the employee failed – his phone was disconnected and the address he gave the employer was fake.

Shoplifters escape police

MILTON, Ga. – Three young men suspected of shoplifting dozens of electronics Nov. 29 managed to outrun police in a chase at Ga. 9 and Windward Parkway.

The suspects allegedly attempted to steal hard drives from Fry’s Electronics. As they tried to leave the store, employees stopped them. They dropped a duffle bag containing the items and fled into a gold car.

As it happens, a police officer was in the parking lot when the emergency call

ments – 92 percent over what the city paid previously. The rate went up from $172.58 to $330 per radio. This is, in part, to help pay for Fulton’s own replacement radio network.

“This is an across-theboard increase,” said Carl Hall, Alpharetta’s deputy public safety administrator for fire and emergency services. “This is a cost for all users, not just Alpharetta.”

“One of reasons we chose to do our own system was because we couldn’t predict

the cost [of Fulton County’s],” said Alpharetta City Manager Bob Regus. “We knew it was going up and had no control over that.”

The move to create a North Fulton emergency radio system stems from a need to have a reliable radio network for public safety personnel.

Established July 1, 2013, the North Fulton Regional Radio System Authority (NFRRSA) was created by state House Bill 526.

It exists to provide a reli-

able and locally funded public safety radio system for eight police and fire agencies serving more than 280,000 residents.

Included in the consortium are the cities of Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell and Sandy Springs. The move to break away from the county radio system came after federal regulations demanded all agencies in the country to meet certain requirements. As of 2013 the county had no concrete plans for upgrades while the current system was failing consistent-

ly. So the North Fulton cities chose to go it alone. Johns Creek pulled out of the deal and has since announced its intent to join Fulton County’s new system.

As part of the new system, new radio towers had to be put up throughout the region.

Milton, Sandy Springs, Roswell and Alpharetta have all had to erect new towers.

Hall said the North Fulton net is on schedule to go live and will be installed about the middle of December.

came in. He spotted a suspect car turn south on Ga. 9 from Webb Road, where there is an entrance to the store. When the officer turned on his lights to pull the suspects over, they sped up, driving into oncoming traffic as they fled.

The car turned westbound on Windward Parkway and the officer lost sight of them.

get something to eat at the Kroger three-quarters of a mile away.

The man was seen wearing a lanyard holding his car keys and, when prompted, it was found that car the man was

arrested in prior was parked outside the court. The man contended his wife actually walked to the Kroger in the cold temperature.

The officer called the man’s wife, who said she was indeed

having lunch; however, she said she had taken a separate car than her husband. He drove himself.

The man was arrested for DUI, driving without a license on him and contempt of court.

Fake alibi leads to arrest ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A man gave a court bailiff one story when he arrived at the courthouse, but his alibi did not get the memo. She told police a differing account, which led to the man’s arrest for DUI. A man turned up to Alpharetta court at 9 a.m. Nov. 20 after getting a DUI charge.

He came to the attention of the bailiff after he swayed when walking and allegedly stank of alcohol.

When asked how he got to the courthouse, he claimed his wife had dropped him off.

When asked where she was, the man claimed she went to

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A young dancer’s dream come true Two Alpharetta girls to dance in Atlanta Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’

By KATIE VANBRACKLE katie@northsidewoman.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – This year, Atlanta Ballet will raise the curtain at the Fox Theatre on its 55th production of “Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker,” and among the cast of more than 200 students that dance alongside the 23-member professional company will be two residents from Alpharetta.

Simone Harris, age 10 and a student at River Trail Middle School, will return for her third year, but in a new role. After dancing the role of “snow fairy” for the past two seasons, she will now get to experience what it’s like to be a “party child.”

Eleven-year-old Sophia Egolf, a student at Johns Creek’s Autrey Mill Middle School, will make her Atlanta Ballet debut this year, also as a “party child.” She joined Atlanta Ballet’s enrollment division this fall after training for seven years at Perimeter Ballet, where she performed in such productions as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Coppelia” and “Cinderella.”

Sophia, who has been dancing since the age of 4, has had stage experience, but nothing to compare to being on stage at the Fabulous Fox in Atlanta.

“I’m so excited!” said Sophia. “I’ve been there once before and it’s so beautiful and all of the dancers are so amazing. I can’t wait to dance at the Fox.” Sophia’s father drives her

PHOTO BY KIM KENNEY

Student dancers in this year’s “Nutcracker” include Simone Harris, third from left in top row, and Sophia Egolf, second from the left in bottom row. to Atlanta once a week for “Nutcracker” rehearsals in addition to her regular ballet classes three times per week.

For her, dancing is more than just a hobby. She takes it as seriously as she would a profession, and hopes to be dancing for as long as she can.

In their roles as party children, Simone and Sophia will step into the beautiful living room of the Petrov household in St. Petersburg, Russia, where a Christmas party is in full swing and Drosselmeyer, a mysterious toymaker, presents gifts to all the children, including a magical nutcracker doll for the Petrov’s young daughter, Marya.

Set in the elaborate Moorish décor of the historic Fox Theatre, this unique production takes 20 pounds of snow, eight tons of scenery, lighting and props and a 38-foot-tall Christmas tree to make the magic of Marya’s unbelievable story come to life.

Every year, Atlanta Ballet’s

Marya dances with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

artistic director John McFall adds a special touch to the production in an effort to keep it fresh and vibrant.

“For five decades now, Atlanta Ballet has been presenting ‘Nutcracker,’ and we’ve become a holiday tradition for many families in Atlanta,” said McFall. “It’s an honor, but also a great responsibility. Each year, we want to make sure we preserve the tradition, but also keep the magic and mystery alive. We are thoughtful about each change we make and confident that it will ultimately make for a more enchanting experience.”

Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker returns to the Fox Theatre Dec. 11 through Dec. 28 with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and the Georgia Youth Choir live for all 20 performances.

Tickets start as low as $20 and are available by phone at 855-ATL-TIXX, in person at the Fox Theatre Box Office and the Atlanta Ballet Box Office or online at www.atlantaballet.com.

Sophia Egolf of Johns Creek will make her “Nutcracker” debut this year.

Drosselmeyer with his dancing dolls.

Going Green

Making a difference in your local community Revue & News | December 11, 2014

Green giving – Making sustainable choices this holiday season There are many things I love about the holidays; spending time with family, homecooked feasts and the pretty holiday decorations that cheer up a dreary winter backdrop. What I don’t love about the holidays is the massive amounts of waste and excessive consumerism.

The holidays have become more and more about shopping and gift giving and less about the truly important things. Depending on your spiritual beliefs, the holidays mean different things to different people. However, across the board, there is generally a meaning to this time.

There are traditions to be observed and ceremonies to be performed. Family and friends get together.

We celebrate and give thanks for our blessings. We share and give to others and help those less fortunate than us.

Wouldn’t it be great to combine all of these aspects of the holidays? Gift-giving, sharing and helping others. With this in mind, I’ve put together a list of sustainable gift ideas to help inspire you to think outside the box this year and give a gift that is thoughtful, memorable and also good for the planet.

• Give a CSA share – Local farms all over the country offer CSA programs (community sustained agriculture). By joining a CSA, you are supporting smaller farmers who are organic or certified naturally grown.

You can purchase a share for someone as a gift and they would get to enjoy healthy, fresh foods for many months to come.

Many CSAs also offer gift certificates.

• Give an animal – Heifer

seeds helps perpetuate a variety of foods that are diminishing, resulting in a narrowing diversity in our food systems. If you know a gardener, a gift certificate to an heirloom seed catalog where they can select seeds of their choosing would make a thoughtful and useful gift.

• For a unique gift, consider shopping on Etsy, a website that provides a marketplace for handmade and vintage items from individual artists. Etsy is also a certified B corporation, a certification process that evaluates companies on social and environmental performance.

• Harry and David offers an organic fruit basket that also features environmentally friendly packaging.

PASCALE CHAMBERS Guest Columnist

International is an organization that seeks to end hunger while empowering people to become self-reliant. Supporters finance the purchase of livestock for families in developing countries. These animals provide food and income. Honor someone on your shopping list by buying an animal in their name. The animal will go to a needy family and a gift card is sent to your recipient telling them about the gift you donated for them.

• Adopt an animal – Through the National Wildlife Federation, you can symbolically adopt an animal as a gift for someone. They will receive a certificate and a plush toy of the animal adopted. This makes a great gift for kids. The NWF also sells other nature-themed gifts and holiday cards.

Proceeds from adoptions and sales go to support the protection of wildlife and connecting people to nature.

• A subscription to a magazine focusing on environmental stewardship and sustainable living. “Mother Earth News” and “Natural Home” are good choices offering earth friendly solutions and tips.

• Give the gift of a garden – Planting and saving heirloom vegetable and fruit

Suggestions for reducing holiday waste: • When buying wrapping paper, look for items that are made with recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable. Also, look for soy or vegetable-based inks.

• Consider holiday e-cards.

Some sites offer yearly memberships so you can send all the cards you want for one nominal fee, which adds up to big cost savings as well as reducing waste.

• Recycle or reuse wrapping paper and gift bags.

Holidays are also a great time to support local charities with monetary gifts or the gift of your time by volunteering during this busiest of seasons.

This year, give some extra thought to your purchases and consider more sustainable choices. Encourage others to do the same and help protect the planet we share.

Helpful Websites: To find CSAs: www.locallygrown.net/ Heifer international: www.heifer.org/ Heirloom seeds: www.seedsavers.org/ www.bountifulgardens.org/

E-cards: www.jacquielawson.com Unique gifts: www.etsy.com National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org/

Find your paper online at issuu.com/appen-inc History lesson

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

| forsythherald.com August 28, 2013

Legionnaires

Post See this year's Auxiliary 307 Legion and members ► PAGE 11

Ssssnake bites on the rise bitten Area pets being at alarming rates ► PAGE 7

Real Estate Report

Special section ► PAGE 16

'We own the mistakes'

Schools take blame for jam ► PAGE 4

Good samaritans

Residents open hearts, homes ► PAGE 6

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Symbol of welcome for congregation ► PAGE 10

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13, No. 35 | 50¢ | Volume Herald combined Herald & Forsyth Herald, Milton

ley Forsyth mulls Cauon Creek sewer opti

closed g facility Fulton Looking at reopenin State law prohib-

sewerage its pumping to from one basin Etowah another. The most of Basin serves Ga. – but JOHNS CREEK, needs to Forsyth County,n porForsyth County the southeaster capacity in Johns add sewerage and tion is in the southeast Forsyth, Creek Basin. owns County one option the looking The county is as Commission 300 acres known Cauley AMOS at is reopening and the Threatt property.

Creek opCreek Reclamation as an As for the Cauley Reuse Facility it was too early building a facility tion, Amos said alternative to to say anything. the process of from scratch.

Reclamation “We’re still in Cauley Creek nsplants to see 5 million-gallo comparing sewer Facility is a us best,” Amos that had suit facility will in which per-day (mgd) discuss that County in east said. “We will 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, Environmen As plans come own Johns Creek be cheaper county will have would Amos said the discussions” tal Campus in the long “full and open and as effective Creek and ALDO NAHED/STAFF with both Johnsabout Cauley run. to expand its Fulton County Forsyth needs at Fowler. in the Shakerag enjoys skating Creek. sewer capacity has been at that point Elementary student, it “But we’re not a Vickery Creek area, because growth area.

Samuel Cushman, yet,” he said. er tapped as a are Forsyth Commission Forsyth officials on represents who commenting Brian Tam, are guarded about said it is just negotiations Shakerag, also about where the idea since bids for building too soon to talk ongoing and ns-perForsyth is at. a new 2.5 million-gallo situation. opened only “It’s a delicate is a numday facility were there county has $27 to Somewhere, last week. The sense for us for construcber that makes to say we are million budgeted facility. do this. It’s fair tion of the ShakeragChairby 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. man Pete Amos is in a good re-foot with Cauley California, who “Forsyth County look at these Park’s 23,000-squa to draw county has talkedbut it is still county skaters can with about 40 final design position. We we have budskate park continues CEO Ron Green, the to help craft bids for which million. And enthusiasts. who very much preliminary.our opfor the park. to skaters, geted up to $27Cauley Creek.

For Mark Cushman, “We are evaluatingare still he was at we addition when In now, a we can look had skated have joined tions. Right need to keep a great opbids we have other enthusiasts and BMX So all of them younger, it was comparing the new plant to hang out with the in. Stunt scooters the numerALDO NAHED/STAFF Page 6 portunity to received for 10, and See SEWER, of that basin,” bikers now share needs Cumming, of the two sons, Samuel, serve Conor McKeon, ous ramps.

Benjamin, 7. are really to have a place said Amos.

—Aldo Nahed said it’s nice “The lights US TO ARRANGE said. “You to BMX. HERE NOW! CONTACT good,” Cushman on page 24 A TEST DRIVE TODAY dark.”

More photos can stay until skate park The county’s HURD

By HATCHER hatcher@northfulton.com

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Creek

inessPost.com

No joking around

Property values slowly

rise Real estate shows growth north of Atlanta. PAGE 16 – 17

igns Figueroa res .1 effective Feb Councilman

Volume I, Issue 3 • Part of Appen Media Group • Cherokee • Cobb • Forsyth • Fulton • Gwinnett • Hall

South Georgia relocating to

hold a place Ga. – Johns in our JOHNS CREEK, Ivan hearts. We Creek City Councilman Jan. 9 are relocatFigueroa announced his City Council ing to South he will resign Feb. 1.

Georgia, Post 4 seat effectivehe said, “I closer to In a statement citizens for our my sales wish to thank serve seven to territory in allowing me as a City Georgia and FIGUEROA wonderful years in Johns Florida. The Council memberKaren and I move will alCreek. My wife daughters in both markets low me to be have raised our by wondertime on the and spend less time at home here, surrounded by supported and road and more ful friends we could with my family.” the finest schools Page 4 imagine. and all it See COUNCIL, “Johns Creek, forever s, will encompasse

Healthy workers

Alpharetta company own garden. PAGE grows 13

Building a legacy

Zachary Henderson looks back at career. PAGE 21

lls JC Council mu back 1 mil tax roll reduction urges Raffensperger windfall sales tax made up with

Mattress."

"Once upon a the cast from rehearses with as Winnifred Simone Bosch

orm Broadway’s JCHS to perf Mattress’ ‘Once Upon a Ga. – Once JOHNS CREEK, (1959), a fairy upon a time and the tale (“The Princesson Broadlife Pea”) came to going strong. way and is still

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By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@northfulton.com 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 “Snowmageddon ,” “Snowpocalypse,” or “SnOMG,” local governments were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume 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 intersectionsit once.” and bridges were hit first, however, 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 traffic aside. hot nor could they return spots quickly; Conditions became to those already treated. The trucks cal police departments so bad, lobecame as stuck 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 with the you cannot get your Roswell Police Department. vehicles there to treat roads again,” 911 call centers were he said, “and where busy with people are stopped endless calls for help in snow and rain, and police. you get ice. There’s “We had to save our 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 Fulton County Schools See GRIDLOCK, Page let out just as the snow 4 on buses and in classrooms began, leaving students LOU HABLAS due to heavy traffic. stranded

September, 2014

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High School musical will fun, entertainingthe Johns by be presented Performing Creek High SchoolJan. 30 to Arts Department Feb. 1.

1

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by Mary Rodgers, composer Richard of legendary Rodgers. upon a “We chose ‘Oncefor several year Mattress’ this

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By HATCHER hatcher@northfulton.com GA. – City JOHNS CREEK, RaffensBrad Councilmen Figueroa perger and Ivan Year with a started the New city millage the call to reduce STEWART Fellow councilGER rate by 1 mill.

RAFFENSPER they were willmembers said proposal, but based on the tax it will receive ing to study numbers. effect such a 2010 Census is time to wanted see what on the city’s have “I believe it move would rate. The reduce the millage budget. is flush, and cited the reserve fund Raffensperger city windfall the 9 $1.85 million beginning in See TAX, Page will experience sales 2014 from additional

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR FY 2015 BRIDGE MAINTENANCE BID #15-007 The City of Alpharetta is accepting bids for FY 2015 BRIDGE MAINTENANCE including, but not limited to, cleaning and sealing deck joints, constructing and extending concrete encasements, cleaning and painting piles, repairing concrete spalling, installing sway bracing, and related work. The location of the work is at multiple bridges within the City of Alpharetta, Georgia.

All construction shall conform to the State of Georgia Standard Specifications for the Construction of Transportation Systems, 2013 Edition. Only contractors that have been pre-qualified with the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform this class of work shall be allowed to submit bids. Please submit your Georgia Department of Transportation qualification specification letter with the package.

The Plans and Project Manual will be available online Thursday, December 11, 2014, under the tab “Bids Online” on our website, www.alpharetta.ga.us. Georgia Standard Specifications for the Construction of Transportation Systems, 2013 Edition, are available from the Georgia Department of Transportation website, http://www.dot.ga.gov/doingbusiness/thesource/Pages/home.aspx.

The bid opening will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 10:00 AM at the City of Alpharetta Public Works Department, 1790 Hembree Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. All bids must be delivered to the front desk at this address before the opening date and time.

For information, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department at 678-297-6052 or via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR RUCKER ROAD AT BROADWELL ROAD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS BID #15-008 The City of Alpharetta is accepting bids for RUCKER ROAD AT BROADWELL ROAD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS including, but not limited to, maintenance of traffic, asphalt pavement, curb & gutter, signalization, striping and signage, erosion and sediment control, cleanup and restoration. The location of the work is at the intersection of Rucker Road and Broadwell Road --- within the City of Alpharetta, Georgia.

All construction shall conform to the State of Georgia Standard Specifications for the Construction of Transportation Systems, 2013 Edition. Only contractors that have been pre-qualified with the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform this class of work shall be allowed to submit bids. Please submit your Georgia Department of Transportation qualification specification letter with the package.

The Plans and Project Manual will be available online Thursday, December 11, 2014, under the tab “Bids Online” on our website, www.alpharetta.ga.us. Georgia Standard Specifications for the Construction of Transportation Systems, 2013 Edition, are available from the Georgia Department of Transportation website, http://www.dot.ga.gov/doingbusiness/thesource/Pages/home.aspx.

The bid opening will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM at the City of Alpharetta Department of Public Works, 1790 Hembree Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009.

All bids must be delivered to the front desk at this address before the opening date and time.

For information, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department at 678-297-6052 or via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us.

Move: Continued from Page 4 ing service impacts: Wednesday, Dec.17 – City Hall will not be available to accept payments for utility bills or property taxes.

Customers are encouraged to make online payments via the city website or to make face-to-face transactions at the city’s Finance Department, located at 2790 Webb Bridge Road, behind Fire Station 1.

Services provided through the city administrator’s office, the city clerk, economic development, human resources and special events will not be available.

Thursday, Dec. 18 – An-

ticipate temporary interruptions to Finance Department services such as purchasing, accounts receivable and some tax-related processes.

Friday, Dec. 19 – The Department of Community Development will be closed beginning at noon.

Customers seeking business licenses or permits for land development, building construction, signs or tree removal should visit the city website for forms or information.

All of these services will be available after the dates referenced above at the new Alpharetta City Hall, which is located behind the current location at 2 South Main St. in downtown Alpharetta.

—Jonathan Copsey

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revueandnews.com | Revue & News | December 11, 2014 | 45

DEATH NOTICES Darrell Bacon, 69, of Cleveland, passed away December 2, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Louise Lona Bennett, 85, of Cumming, passed away December 2, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Hugh Howell Brannon, 77, of Cumming, passed away November 28, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Gloria Brantley, 87, of Alpharetta, passed away November 20, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Dolores Brunette, 67, of Cumming, passed away November 25, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Eva Ernestine Cline, 86, of Dunwoody, passed away November 4, 2014.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Brenda C. Cochran, 70, of Suwanee, passed away December 3, 2014.

Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

James Chinigo, 70, of Marietta, passed away November 3, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Ronald Wayne Cowart, 63, of Johns Creek, passed away November 20, 2014.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Guy E. Davis, Jr., 72, of Sandy Springs, passed away December 1, 2014.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Michael DiGeronimo, 72, of Dunwoody, passed away November 9, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

William Dishman, 87, of Clarkston, passed away November 7, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Howard Holley, 61, of Lawrenceville, passed away November 2, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Miguel Dimayuga, 7, of Johns Creek, passed away November 13, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Ross Howe, 67, of Cumming, passed away November 20, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Donald Dorner, 88, of Alpharetta, passed away November 1, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

William Huffmaster, 76, of Sandy Springs, passed away October 30, 2014. Arrangements

by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Paul Estevez, 61, of Johns Creek, passed away November 20, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Thomas Steven Fisher, 61, of Roswell, passed away November 9, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Rita Fiumara, 81, of Alpharetta, passed away October 30, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Carroll Austin Floyd, 89, of Gainesville, passed away November 27, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Lillian Cora Morgan Henderson, 90, of Canton, passed away November 25, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Lisa Henderson, 53, of Gainesville, passed away November 4, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

JoAnn Hill, 90, of Cumming, passed away November 13, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Patsy Ann Jones, 76, of Roswell, passed away November 22, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Helen Kirby, 75, of Johns Creek, passed away November 15, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Beverly Jo Kirtley, 62, of Atlanta, passed away November 28, 2014.

Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Jean Koerner, 89, of Cumming, passed away November 13, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Jean C. Liao, 102, of Alpharetta, passed away November 8, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Patti Arnold Long, 78, of Roswell, passed away November 14, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Susan Yapp Marshall, 42, of Alpharetta, passed away November 24, 2014.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Sandra Matthews, 67, of Milton, passed away November 17, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

James Merrifield, 90, of Alto, passed away October 30, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Angela Denise Earley Newton, 59, of Jasper, passed away November 24, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Marie Praven, 91, of Alpharetta, passed away November 19, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

William Douglas Pugh, 88, of Commerce, passed away November 24, 2014.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

James Radford Sr., 90, of Norcross, passed away November 18, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Daniel Rado, 92, of Gainesville, passed away November 12, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Sydney Makayla Ridings, 14, of Cumming, passed away November 28, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Michael Ripma, 25, of Buckhead, passed away November 15, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Janice Mosher Rippcondi, 79, of Cumming, passed away November 25, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Oneil Robertson Jr., 65, of Alpharetta, passed away November 5, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

Francesca Pennone Ruhl, 67, of Marietta, passed away November 16, 2014.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Christopher David Smith, 39, of Atlanta, passed away November 21, 2014.

Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

William Cody Smith, 24, of Cumming, passed away November 29, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Lester Sobelson, 93, of Roswell, passed away November 21, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Vernice I. Sweatman, 91, of Carnesville, passed away November 24, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Marcus Dean Townsend, 65, of Cumming, passed away November 30, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Michael Trump, Jr., 26, of Atlanta, passed away November 29, 2014.

Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Thomas Valentine, 79, of Roswell, passed away November 17, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Kathleen Mynatt Ward, 88, of Cumming, passed away November 29, 2014.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Brandon Weaver, 37, of Dawsonville, passed away.

Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Rebecca Jaynes Weber, 61, of Cumming, passed away on November 10, 2014.

Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.

Peggy Weldy, 82, of Cumming, passed away November 26, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Ann Witte, 81, of Decatur, passed away November 3, 2014.

Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.

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