Alpharetta-Roswell Herald, December 31, 2015 by Appen Media Group

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D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 5 | N o r t h F u l t o n . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 3 3 , N o . 5 2

Stolen Bentleys

Reward offered for pricy cars ►►page 2

CID expanding

Looks to annex businesses ►►page 6

Roswell’s Olympic hopeful

Germaine competes at luge cup ►►page 21

Looking back on 2015 Roswell and Alpharetta saw a lot of action in 2015 in the form of new construction. Two new public libraries opened their doors (and books) in downtown Alpharetta and East Roswell.

At the same time, projects such as the Alpharetta City Center mixed-use development, Roswell City Green and an Avalon conference center moved forward. See “Year in Review,” Pages 12 - 13

START YOUR NEW YEAR JUDGEMENT FREE 1570 Holcomb Bridge Road • Roswell, GA 30076 • (770) 645-2345

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Public Safety

2 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

770-442-3278 | NorthFulton.com 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta, Ga. 30009 PUBLISHER Ray Appen EDITORIAL QUESTIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell: ex. 122 Forsyth Herald: ex. 143 Johns Creek Herald: ex. 121 Milton Herald: ex. 143 Business Post: ex. 116 Northside Woman: ex. 102 TO SUBMIT EDITORIAL: News: news@appenmediagroup.com Press Releases: NewsLink.NorthFulton.com Calendar/Events: NorthFulton.com/Calendar ADVERTISING QUESTIONS: General Advertising: ex. 101 advertising@appenmediagroup.com Classified Advertising: ex. 119 classifieds@appenmediagroup.com Circulation/Subscriptions/Delivery: ex. 100 circulation@appenmediagroup.com

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High schoolers accused of holiday thefts

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A reward has been offered after someone stole several cars from a local dealership. Overnight, between Dec. 20 and 21, someone stole several Bentley vehicles from the Bentley Atlanta location on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta. Alpharetta police and representatives from Bentley Atlanta say they are working together in an effort to locate the stolen vehicles and bring those responsible for the thefts to justice. A $50,000 reward is being offered by the dealership for specific information that leads police to the physical location of the stolen Bentleys and for information that identifies those responsible for the thefts. Bentley cars are known for their price tag, between $200,000 and $300,000 each. No other information was released by police, including how many cars were taken and how thieves made off with them. If anyone has information relating to this theft incident, call the police tip line at 678-297-6307.

ALPHARETTA, GA -- Two Milton High School students are suspected of stealing packages from the front porches of residents in the week before Christmas. On Dec. 18, an officer was dispatched to the Knightsbridge Way neighborhood in Crabapple after reports of a suspicious vehicle at 4:20 p.m. Dec. 18. A witness said the people in a Silver Honda Pilot had taken a package from a neighbor’s front porch. They were then seen tossing a box out of their car window. The officer stopped the suspect vehicle at the Crabapple Government Center. The driver and passenger of the vehicle were both students at Milton High School and members of the varsity football team. Appen Media Group policy is to not identify suspects under 21 years old. The suspects are listed as 17 and 18 years old. A search of the vehicle allegedly turned up dozens of items that were reported stolen from residents in nearby neighborhoods.

DUIs & Drugs

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Reward offered for stolen Bentleys

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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.

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was arrested Dec. 8 on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI and fol-

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Police Blotter All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

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Visit AppenMediaGroup.com for more information. The Herald Newspapers are published by Appen Media Group, 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta Ga. 30009.

Ridge Walk, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 4 on Mansell Road in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

Drug arrests

DUI arrests ►► Lucia Susan Huie, 60, of Duluth,

Our Monthly Publications

lowing too close.

►► Erica Suzanne Ardis, 33, of Piney

Man suspected of multiple thefts ALPHARETTA, Ga. – An Alpharetta resident is accused of breaking into several vehicles in his neighborhood Dec. 18.

►► Andrew J. Turner, 29, of Dahlonega,

was arrested Dec. 4 on Park Plaza in Alpharetta for possession of a sched-

Police were alerted to the activity at 7 a.m. when one victim called 911 saying she saw a man in her vehicle. When police arrived to the Homestead Trail residence, they say they saw the suspect, Darren Antonio Thomas, 23, of Cotton Patch Lane, Alpharetta, arguing with two other people. The victim was one of those arguing with Thomas. She said she had seen Thomas inside her vehicle, rummaging through it. Police note Thomas was wearing several different coats and had his pockets filled with miscellaneous items,

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uled II controlled substance, giving false information to a police officer and suspended license. ►► Kimby Sue Royalty, 38, of Parkview Lane, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 4 on Park Plaza in Alpharetta for possession of a scheduled II controlled substance. ►► Raymond Sookram, 31, of Canton, was arrested Dec. 3 on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and brake light violation. including $124 in cash. He also had a backpack containing Social Security cards, electronic benefit transfer cards and medical cards all belonging to different people. While police were speaking with Thomas and the victim, two other reports came in from the same neighborhood of cars broken into. One person reported missing a long leather coat and a Mini Cooper GPS. Both items were allegedly found on Thomas. Another victim said she recognized his

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 3

What is that white spot on my eye? By Samir Vira, M.D.

Samir Vira, M.D.

Don’t Let Cataracts Keep You From Enjoying The New Year

If you wear contact lenses and you ever wake up with a painful red eye with discharge or blurred vision, you should always consider the possibility of a corneal infection. A corneal ulcer, or infectious keratitis, occurs when there is a breakdown in the cornea and microbes create an infection of the eye. The cornea is the transparent window into the eye, and it is critical for this segment to remain healthy and intact so that you can see everything clearly.

Cataract & Refractive Surgeon

A corneal ulcer is mostly commonly caused by bacteria. It can occur in anyone after sustaining direct injury to the eye. The trauma creates an entry point for bacteria or other microorganism to invade and establish an infection. Contact lens wearers have a significantly higher risk of developing a corneal ulcer. This is especially true for individuals who wear extended duration contact lenses – they are ten times more likely to develop an infection. Contact lens wearers are susceptible to microtrauma that can occur from the lens itself. With extended wear, contact lenses can develop small scratches at the edge or deposits that can lead to this microtrauma. In addition, these contact lenses can harbor bacteria on the surface over time. Lastly, these contact lenses can obstruct oxygen availability and thus make the cornea more susceptible to infection. Overnight wear of contact lenses is also associated with a higher risk of infection. Ulcers can also occur due to other microorganisms. The herpes virus, commonly associated with cold sores, can lead to recurrent corneal ulcers. Contact lens wearers are at higher risk for a fungal or parasitic infection. Acanthamoeba, a parasite found in tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs, and lakes, can lead to a severe corneal ulcer in contact lens wearers. Contact lens wearers must maintain good hygiene to reduce their risk for an infection. This includes washing hands regularly before handling contact lenses, disinfecting and disposing lenses in a timely fashion, and frequent cleaning of contact lens cases. Individuals should also avoid wearing contact lenses during swimming or showering. Patients with severe dry eyes, eyelid abnormalities leading to exposure of the cornea, and autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are especially prone to infection and should be aware of this possibility. Any individual, especially contact lens wearer, experiencing symptoms of eye pain or foreign body sensation, blurred vision, discharge, or light sensitivity should seek urgent care from an eyecare provider. Delay in attention and treatment can lead to vision loss and sometimes even blindness or loss of the eye. Contact lens wearers should immediately stop the use of their lenses. Your ophthalmologist or optometrist will obtain a detailed history and examine the extent and location of the corneal ulcer. He or she will initiate frequent use of topical antibiotics, and in certain severe or unusual circumstances, obtain cultures to determine the specific bacteria causing the infection. You will be asked to return for re-assessment of the ulcer and its response to antibiotics every 1 to 3 days. Most patients respond well to topical antibiotics with good visual prognosis. In severe cases where the central cornea is affected, treatment may be required for a duration of several weeks to months. Patients can also develop cataracts or glaucoma concurrently. Permanent vision loss may occur despite aggressive treatment due to irreversible scarring of the cornea. In these rare cases, a corneal transplant procedure followed by long visual rehabilitation may be necessary to restore the patient’s vision.

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4 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

NEWS

Roswell looks again at City Green Project to revitalize area, promote growth By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – The city is moving forward with plans to create a new City Green between City Hall and Canton Street. The city held an information meeting Dec. 14 to give an update on the project to both the public and the three newly elected council members. Right now, City Hall has woods blocking it from the hustle of Ga. 9 and Canton Street. The proposed green would be part of a revitalization project that would see those woods go from passive and natural to active use with plenty of amenities. “It has always bothered me that City Hall did not front Ga. 9,” said Mayor Jere Wood. “We want to try and open up City Hall to create a connection between the City Hall and the town.” The proposed green would stretch from Ga. 9 to City Hall, which currently faces away from the street. To spruce up the rear of the building, a fountain is suggested, which, when turned off, could become a stage. The green itself would be several feet below street level, which should help with noise reduction from traffic. Consultant John Fish, with jB+a, proposed adding specially designed tarps that would provide shade when needed on the green. These could be hoisted

onto lampposts surrounding the green during hot, sunny days. The Faces of War Memorial is still slated to move from its current location, in what would be the middle of the proposed green, to the north side of the green. Similarly, the World War II memorial will be moved to the south of the green. Fish said the new locations would help “increase access and visibility.” To the south of the green is a wooded area with pavilions, which could be used for special events such as arts fairs in a shaded, wooded environment. The idea for the whole project is to keep residents and visitors occupied with plenty to do to bring them to the site. “You need to program if not daily, then weekly,” said Fish. “It needs to be actively managed with a high level of maintenance.” He suggested having a city department such as parks and recreation manage the site and its activities. New Councilman Don Horton said he was concerned about the noise from traffic on the green, especially once the trees are cut down. Fish said having the green below street level combined with expected landscaping would help shield the noise. The total cost of the project is expected to be between $13.5 and $14.5 million and could be spread out over several phases of construction. The first phase is expected to include the green

If approved, Roswell officials hope to begin work on the City Green project in mid-2016. itself along with a path running from Ga. 9 alongside City Hall to the parking lot. Wood said work on the green needs to begin after Memorial Day 2016 and finished within a year so it won’t interfere with Memorial Day ceremonies. Roswell holds the state’s largest Memorial Day event. Fish said the hope is to use the green project to spur new development south of Canton Street, along Ga. 9. Just as the old town square anchors the southern part of the city, the hope is the City Green will do the same farther north and one day allow the development to merge. For more about the City Green, visit www.roswellgov.com/citygreen

Roswell to buy Roswell Plaza Shopping Center ROSWELL, Ga. —Roswell City Council recently voted to approve the city’s purchase of the Roswell Plaza Shopping Center, located near the intersection of Alpharetta Street and Norcross Street. Initially, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) — which coordinates public/private programs that promote the redevelopment and growth of Roswell’s central business district — was expected to purchase the property and coordinate redevelopment, but on Dec. 14, the City Council unanimously voted to accept the assignment of the contract to purchase the property directly instead. The city’s purchase will allow Roswell’s newly elected City Council members, who will take office in January, to weigh in on the best uses for the property. “Due to this property’s prominent location in downtown Roswell, near both City Hall and Canton Street, it is

The City of Roswell recently approved buying the Roswell Plaza Shopping Center for redevelopment. vital to ensure that the city, the DDA and any potential developers are on the same page regarding future development,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood. “The city’s ownership of the property will allow City Council to direct redevelopment of the property consistent

with the goal of sustainable economic growth.” The city says they and the DDA will continue to partner on the project and lead the effort to seek redevelopment proposals. “We are excited to work with the city to help transform this potentially catalytic property,” said Monica Hagewood, DDA Chairperson. “This site presents an important opportunity to showcase the kind of development that will inspire other nearby properties to redevelopment, bringing more life to the broader downtown area. It will serve to extend the vibrancy of Canton Street across Alpharetta Highway (Ga. 9) and encourage a mix of uses where residents and visitors can live, work and play.” The city expects to close on the $4.85 million property on or about Jan. 18, 2016. —Jonathan Copsey

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6 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

NEWS

North Fulton CID hopes to expand Include new Roswell, Alpharetta properties in boundaries By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – The North Fulton Community Improvement District is asking the cities of Milton, Roswell and Alpharetta to approve expanding its borders. The North Fulton CID is a self-taxing district that spans from Mansell Road north to McGinnis Ferry Road. A voluntary tax, paid by commercial property owners within the district’s boundaries, funds the CID’s efforts to improve the area. The cities of Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell fall within the CID’s boundaries, and all three cities partner with the CID on projects, planning and initiatives. Since its inception, the CID has

invested more than $17 million in the community, leveraging these dollars to create almost $85 million in new infrastructure. Projects such as portions of Westside Parkway, on- and off-ramps along Ga. 400 and landscaping improvements have all been done through the CID. Now it wishes to expand. Parcels along Ga. 9 and Mansell Road are suggested additions to the CID, which can only annex adjacent properties. Ann Hanlon, executive director of the CID, said the expansion will allow for new projects to be built. “We have already identified at least one project that could be funded in part by the CID with this expansion — the extension of Davis Drive, near Topgolf and Sam’s Club off Westside Parkway,” Hanlon said. The CID can only work on projects within its boundaries. Hanlon said those properties annexed into the CID will be able to benefit from having new projects created by the CID as well as the investment into

The North Fulton Community Improvement District hopes to expand its footprint in Alpharetta and Roswell.

the community. The expansion requires the approval of all three member cities. No properties in Milton are expected to be annexed, however the city must still

give approval. For more about the North Fulton CID and their projects, visit northfultoncid.com.

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COMMUNITY

Roswell Reads selects 2016 book ‘What Stands in A Storm’ community novel ROSWELL, Ga. – Given the weather over Christmas, readers throughout North Fulton have good reason to read the thrilling true story of the super storms that hit Alabama in 2011. The book “What Stands in a Storm” was selected as the 2016 Roswell Reads choice. Author Kim Cross will speak at a Literary Luncheon marking the 11th annual Roswell Reads event, and book discussions and community events for adults and children are set for February and March 2016. “What Stands in a Storm” chronicles the impact of the biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history, which killed at least 324 people, erased entire neighborhoods and caused $11 billion in damages. Yet from the disaster comes a redemptive message: In times of trouble, the things that tear our world apart also reveal what holds us together. The book is available for checkout at the Roswell and East Roswell Libraries and in OverDrive and hoopla formats through the AtlantaFulton Public Library System website http://www.afpls.org. Books are for sale as e-books and at the Friends of

the Roswell Library Book Store and will be on sale at the Literary Luncheon where the author will sign them. Roswell Reads promotes the value of reading, literacy, and lifelong learning through the shared community-wide experience of reading and discussing a common book. The Roswell Reads committee selects the book, and, working with the Roswell Library, Friends of the Roswell and East Roswell Libraries and the City of Roswell, develops community-wide programs, which this year will include book discussions, children’s programs and writing workshops, all centered around the theme of emergency preparedness. This year’s community outreach program will feature the American Red Cross Pillowcase Project, a preparedness program for children in grades 3–5, which teaches about local hazards and basic coping skills. They will present a program to STAR House Foundation students at Mimosa and Esther Jackson Elementary Schools and to the public at the Roswell Library. Funding for Roswell Reads is provided by the City of Roswell and the Friends of the Roswell Library. For more information, go to www.RoswellReads.com or the Roswell Reads Facebook page, or email roswellreads@gmail.com.

Feeling... Lost? Alone? Hopeless?

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 7

Roswell Reads schedule of events The Literary Luncheon Saturday, March 12, 11:30 a.m. Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road, Roswell, 770-641-3950 Author Kim Cross will discuss her personal and professional life experiences, which led her to research and write this compelling story. Luncheon tickets are $20 each. Tickets will be sold online only at Eventbrite.com, search word “Roswell Reads.” Reserved seating for groups of six or more.

Sunday Afternoon at the Library Sunday, March 6, 2:30 - 4 p.m. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell Join retired Roswell High School English teacher Nancy Gore to discuss “What Stands in a Storm” by Kim Cross.

Noonday Nosh Book Club Roswell Reads Tuesday, Feb. 16, Noon Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell The book club will discuss this year’s Roswell Reads selection. For more information, call 770-640-3075. Roswell Reads Book Discussion Thursday, March 3, 11 a.m. Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road, Roswell Led by Judy Bart. Light refreshments will be served. Open to the public. RSVP to 770-6413950. Wine, Cheese and Book Discussion Thursday, March 3, 7 - 8:30 p.m. The Arts Center on Fouts Road, 9100 Fouts Road, Roswell Enjoy wine and cheese and participate in a lively book discussion of What Stands in a Storm led by Debbie Weiss, founder of the Women’s Book Reviews website. Admission is complimentary; register online at Eventbrite. com, Search Word “Roswell Reads” or RSVP to RoswellReads@gmail.com.

Children’s Book Discussion & Red Cross Pillowcase Project Saturday, March 5, 2 - 4 p.m. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell Children and parents are invited to this two-part event led by Fulton County Public Schools Media Specialist Heidi Glenn. The group will discuss this year’s Roswell Reads children’s book selection, “I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011,” by Lauren Tarshis. Participants will also decorate and take home a special pillowcase to store their emergency supplies. Ages 7-12. Children’s Book & Tornado Science Discussion Wednesday, March 9, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. East Roswell Library, 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076 Discuss “I Survived the Joplin Tornado 2011,” by Lauren Tarshis and explore the science behind tornadoes. Ages 7-12. Writing Workshop - True Stories Well Told: Writing Narrative Nonfiction Friday, March 11, 10 a.m. to Noon Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., Room 220, Roswell Kim Cross, who teaches journalism at the University of Alabama, will lead a workshop for journalism students and professionals as well as aspiring writers. Open to the public, no charge. RSVP to RoswellReads@gmail.com.

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8 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

OPINION

A New Year’s challenge Every New Year’s, most of us think about what we’d like to resolve to change. The lists often include losing weight, getting in shape – either physically or financially Kathleen Sturgeon – landing a new job, getting married, Reporter kathleen@appenmediagroup.com etc. Unfortunately, whatever is wished for is often soon forgotten. But still we make our resolutions. The new year is a unique time when many of us feel we have a chance to start over. It’s as if we think we can almost be anyone or do anything we want. It’s pretty cool. There is usually a sense of recharged energy in the air. Come Jan. 1, most people are ready to kick off the year with a bang. So this year I would like to challenge our readers to put all of that energy to good use. Let’s be better. 2015 felt like a hard year. Granted, there are always tragedies in every year, but 2015 seemed to be one of the worst. While we had many, many good times, the bad often seemed to overshadow the good and take precedence. So, for 2016, I would love to see us all be better. Better friends, parents, significant others, workers and people. We need to be better in how we treat

So this year I would like to challenge our readers to put all of that energy to good use. each other, how we resolve issues and how we voice our differing opinions. We can start this new year off by really taking our lives, country, city and families by the reigns and going full force to make all of it better. In addition to being better, I also charge everyone reading this to be more positive. I write a lot on this topic because I honestly believe a positive outlook and mindset goes a long way toward ending negative issues and just making us better people as a whole. Being better and positive are behaviors we can easily incorporate into our daily lives. Smile at someone, hold the door for the person behind you and maybe put down your phone or device and listen and look at the world around you. It will amaze you what you miss when you’re tuned into your device all the time. So happy New Year, dear readers. Let’s make this year better and more positive by starting the change within ourselves. Happy 2016!

Letter to the Editor: Response to the Dec. 16 Letter to the Editor regarding reporter Kathleen Sturgeon’s Dec. 9 MARTA column – I read Kathleen Sturgeon’s Dec. 9 article, “MARTA moving up north, is that really smarter?” and winced at the title as, I’m sure, Ms. Taylor did, which prompted her to write her response on Dec. 16. The point of her response was that we indeed need to have a good, dependable and cost-effective form of transportation in Atlanta besides the autos we use that are expensive to maintain and fuel and, worst of all, clog the highways. I totally agree with this premise, especially as a native New Yorker who commuted by rail every day to and from work before heading South for a wonderful life in Atlanta. However, in re-reading Ms. Sturgeon’s article, I believe that the question she posed in her title was more an opportunity to get the reader’s attention than to object to the ultimate benefits derived from expanding the current MARTA rail system that effectively

goes nowhere, especially in the suburbs of North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett , Forsyth, etc. What’s more, with the growing population of millennials and their desire to utilize mass transit, such expansion would entice them to think about moving away from the city, especially when they decide to raise a family. In essence, Ms. Sturgeon and Ms. Taylor agree. Congratulations! The last comment in Ms. Sturgeon’s article reads as follows: “But giving our area the chance to flourish to its fullest capability? That is something we will all miss out on if we are held back by not having public transportation. Why wouldn’t we want to better our communities?” Thanks to you both for supporting this concept. Now we need the votes and ultimately the funds to make it happen! Bruce Kellogg, Roswell

Goodbye 2015, hello spanking-new 2016 The new year is a great time for looking back, but it is also a good time to look forward. For me, it is easy to do both. I can take those shiny new 2015 resolutions I made, HATCHER HURD wipe a mote of dust Executive Editor off them and go hatcher@appenmediagroup.com with them again. There they are, still new in the box. Let’s see, begin a regimen of exercise, check. Start my new (make that my first) novel, check. Become a contestant on “Jeopardy,” check. Yes, they’re all here, so I’ll just put them back in the box and use them for 2016. That’s OK, for me. Nobody is going to care much whether I get these things done. But it is a little different for our local governments. Each year is new and calls for new, or at least continued, efforts to get these local cities down the road. City council members will have to ask themselves, “What have I done to govern?” That makes it hard for those who pledge what they won’t do. “I won’t raise taxes. I won’t spend money frivolously. I won’t vote for this or for that project.” These are commendable goals in and of themselves. But you will find you can’t build a political career on don’ts and won’ts. At some point you are going to have to say I – or better, we – did this and thus so that the city’s economy is stronger, the quality of life is better and the future is brighter. Too often the appeal is to do nothing. But that ultimately leads to dry rot for a city. It begins to decay from within. Doing nothing is much like a cancer. It kills a business here, a neighborhood there, until the blight is unmistakable. Suddenly, you’ll look around at a picture less bright than when you took office. You’ll be asked what you supported. And you had better have an answer. But this involves a certain amount of risk. Do the wrong thing and it will backfire on you. But if you do nothing, that will backfire, too. So you work with your fellow council members to do “the right thing.” It is

not always obvious what the right thing is. That is why you have consultants, experts and fellow council members. It also takes a vision. Hard thing that, vision. But if you don’t have the vision, there can be no right thing to do, because the goal is missing. One option is to treat a city like a car. Just maintain it, change the oil every so often, rotate the tires and get a tuneup. But, like a car, a city is made to go somewhere. And in the bustling suburban communities of North Fulton, it is easy to see people are going in every direction. Cities can’t do that. They have to have direction to go where they want to end up – prosperous, full of quality of life, good infrastructure and the like. And you can’t pull in a service station and say, “Fill it up with quality of life. Oh, and check the roads.” No, this is 2016 (almost). And it is all self-service. That means we have to do the work, the planning, the decision making. What we don’t have is the luxury of status quo. That’s because a city is like an organism, perhaps it is an organism. It certainly is not a car. It lives and breathes and needs care and sustenance. If you are not growing as a city, you are dying. Often, neither happens very quickly, but one or the other is inevitable. So a city council has to decide what is going to make our city grow and be well. It takes a plan and a regimen to become stronger, livelier, more robust. You will find not everyone wants to take the medicine. They won’t want to spend the money, they won’t want to make changes, in general they don’t want change. But change is inevitable, and remaining unchanged becomes a form of change itself – and almost always it is for the worse. That does not mean all change is good, of course not. It takes a lot of planning, a lot of hard work. So a council has taken on the job of leading. And leading is making decisions. You’ll find getting elected is the easy part – yes, the easy part. Making the tough decisions? Well, that’s a job I wouldn’t have the guts to do.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 9

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‘Charley’s Aunt’

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GET aims high with madcap comedy Kicks Off 2016 with assault on funny bone By HATCHER HURD hatcher@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – Georgia Ensemble Theatre begins the New Year with a play that will ward off the post-holiday blues with a hilarious comedy and a deft cast

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that is sure to please. GET Artistic Director Robert Farley said he has always started the new year with a good laugh, and in picking “Charley’s Aunt” he has come up with a sure a winner. Over the years, GET has become a great favorite of Atlanta’s best directors and actors, and this time out of the box is no different. “Our aim is to create a lot of madcap mayhem,” Farley said. “We are very pleased to have the great Atlanta director David Crowe to stage this rollicking comedy by Brandon Thomas.” Farley has also enlisted a stellar cast headed by Hugh Adams (“The Foreigner” at GET) as Lord Babberly; Joanna Daniel as Donna Lucia (fresh from “Calendar Girls” at GET); and Scott DePoy as Colonel Chesney (“Almost Heaven, John Denver’s America” and “Swell Party” at GET). The plot is as old as Shakespeare and as fresh as “Mrs. Doubtfire” or “Tootsie.” Yes, it involves four starcrossed lovers and the cross-dressing “aunt” they enlist to save their romances. Charley’s rich aunt from Brazil

(“where the nuts come from”) cancels her trip to meet the nephews’ two loves – and their protective guardians – that would have cemented blessings for the unions all around. So the boys enlist a friend to pose as said aunt to put them over the top anyway. All would go well if things go as planned – but of course things don’t go well, do they? “I just love this story,” Farley said. “Our approach is to put Hugh Adams in a dress and let him run around for two hours. That is all you have to do with a pro like him and a part like that.” Director Crowe says “Charley” is a simple play – simply devastatingly funny. Says Crowe, “At its heart, ‘Charley’s Aunt’ is a very silly play about the very serious business of courtship. That’s one of the reasons the play has been produced so much in the past hundred or so years. “Falling in love sometimes requires us to bend and even break society’s rules in order to live happily ever after.” Crowe offers up his recipe for “Charley” this way: “Take a big helping of bawdy humor

If you go What: CHARLEY’S AUNT When: Jan. 7-Jan. 24. Where: Georgia Ensemble Theatre at Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St. Roswell. Cost: Prices start at $26 for Wednesdays, Thursdays and matinees; Friday from $30; Saturday nights from $35. (Senior/student discounts available for select performances). Tickets are available now online at www.get.org, or call the box office at 770-641-1260.

and a generous portion of dry wit with a keen eye for character, and you have Charley’s Aunt – a hilariously naughty comedy about young love.” If you are a fan of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” “Merry Wives of Windsor” (one in five of the Bard’s plays involve cross-dressing), or “Shakespeare in Love” – or TV’s “Three’s Company,” “Benny Hill,” “Bosom Buddies” etc. – this should fall in right at the top. So forget about those credit-card bills about to start cropping up in January. GET has the perfect antidote for the after-Christmas blahs.

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 11

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Each year, the editors pick out the biggest events in the past 12 months in a “look back.”

Libraries open in Roswell, Alpharetta ROSWELL, Ga. – Both Roswell and Alpharetta opened new libraries in 2015. After more than a dozen years, East Roswell finally got their own library. The East Roswell Library opened to the public Feb. 20 amid much fanfare and a packed house with the public eager to see what their new local library offered. The 15,000-square-foot library is located at the corner of Holcomb Bridge Road and Eves Road. “It’s a long time coming,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, who had fought for years to make it happen. The city even donated the land to further entice the Fulton County Library Board into opening a new location. The library came about thanks to strong support from residents. “It’s our library,” said Eileen Seidman, a founding member of People for the East Roswell Library, and a woman instrumental in the creation of the library. In the library board’s initial plan for expansion in 2008, no new library was proposed for Roswell. It was Seidman who organized residents to form PEARLS and lobby the library board to serve the eastern part of the city. Patience was the key, she said. “I was confident it would happen,” she said. “And here we are today.” Similarly, in Alpharetta, their aging library was closed and a new one opened July 30 on the campus of the new city center. The 25,000-square-foot building is two stories tall and sports meeting rooms, computer areas, teen center, auditorium and, of course, plenty of books to check out. Stephanie Moody, chairwoman of the county’s library board of trustees, said the opening-day collection encompasses 75,000 books and materials. The new Alpharetta library is located at 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta. It replaces the old Alpharetta Library, on Mayfield Road. This site was transferred to the city in exchange for the land the new library sits on. Alpharetta is contemplating turning it into an arts center.

KATHLEEN STURGEON

Rabbits bound through the pages of a book in the main staircase of the Alpharetta Library.

Election changes

Roswell debates City Green

Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart and Associates

The concept for the downtown Alpharetta City Center includes retail and restaurants as well as office space and 165 apartments. This was approved in a 5-2 vote by council.

Alpharetta approves City Center ALPHARETTA, Ga. – In a 5-2 vote, the Alpharetta City Council approved plans for a new mixed-use city center. With council chambers packed, the developer, MidCity Real Estate Partners, pitched their $80 million plan May 18. The team has worked on similar projects such as the Woodstock downtown. The development includes retail and restaurants on the ground floors of the buildings in front of City Hall, with offices and apartments on the upper floors. Plans call for 165 for-rent apartments in the development. In total, there could be as much as 50,000 square feet of retail and 30,000 square feet of office in addition to the apartments. Forty-two single-family homes are also planned for the development, across Haynes Bridge Road at the intersection with Thompson Street. A large portion of the land is set aside for open space, mostly along Ga. 9 near the town green.

ROSWELL, Ga. – Roswell’s City Green project is still being designed with the hopes of adding some extra vitality to Canton Street and Ga. 9. The $13-$14 million Roswell City Green will sit between City Hall and Ga. 9, in what is now woods where the Faces of War Memorial stands. Around this green would be an open-air amphitheater, pavilions, walking paths and meeting space, all designed to “activate” the space for public use and activities and link Canton Street with the parking at City Hall. While the green concept itself seems to have been met with general approval, many in the city have opposed plans to move the Faces of War Memorial and the World War II memorial, calling their placement “sacred” and insisting the monuments remain in place. Roswell’s Memorial Day ceremonies, held around the Faces of War Memorial, are the largest in the state. The city is still finalizing plans on the green.

NORTH FULTON, Ga. — After State Rep. Harry Geisinger died unexpectedly earlier this year, two Roswell candidates vied for his open seat. In the end, Roswell Councilwoman Betty Price won the contest but had to leave her council seat to take office. This led to three contested seats in November’s elections – her seat as well as those occupied by longtime council members Rich Dippolito and Becky Wynn. In an unexpected routing, both incumbents lost to their challengers. Marcelo Zapata defeated Dippolito, receiving 57 percent of the vote, or 4,044 votes. Wynn was defeated by Mike Palermo, receiving just 25 percent of the vote to Palermo’s 74 percent. Palermo had 5,239 people vote for him. The total voter turnout was about 7,000 residents. Both Palermo and Zapata will take their seats in the new year. Winning Price’s empty seat was newcomer Don Horton, who took his seat immediately. In Alpharetta, sitting council members D.C. Aiken and Michael Cross left; Aiken due to term limits and Cross decided not to run again. Taking their places were Dan Merkel and Jason Binder, respectively, neither of whom faced opposition in the election.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 13

JONATHAN COPSEY/Staff

Photo provided by Avalon

Alpharetta approved a new conference center and hotel to be built in Avalon. It is expected to be finished in late 2017.

Alpharetta presses forward with conference center ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Seeing the success that Avalon has brought to the city, Alpharetta moved forward to expand upon it, agreeing to a new conference center and hotel on the Avalon site. “This is going to have an enormous impact on Alpharetta,” said Jim Stormont, of Stormont Hospitality Group, the developers of the hotel and conference center. He predicted the hotel could be open in two years, in the fall of 2017. The deal gives Alpharetta what city officials have asked for — a conference center that can act as a regional draw and meet the needs of a growing city. The $107 million complex at the Avalon development includes a grand Hotel Avalon — to be part of the Marriott Autograph series of hotels — and luxury amenities. The full-service hotel will have 325 rooms. The conference center, which would be attached, would have 65,000 square feet in total space, 44,000 of which is meeting space. It would also have a 10,000-square-foot ballroom.

Alpharetta’s conference center • 65,000 square feet total • 44,000 square feet of function space – including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom • Attached to a 325-room hotel • Expected cost: Developer investment: $78.7 million • City investment: $24.9 million (capped) • Proposed completion date: Fall 2017 The project would be a part of Avalon Phase 2, which would also include more retail, office and residential space. Alpharetta will use bond monies and an increase in the hotel-motel tax levied in the city to pay for nearly $25 million of the project. The developers would pick up the rest. Mayor David Belle Isle was equally excited. “It’s going to be an amazing facility and will help Alpharetta lead the way in terms of industry and technology,” he said.

Members of the state champion Bailey Johnson basketball team gather to celebrate 50 years since their big win. Front row, from left, are Charles Grogan, Almond Martin and David Taylor. Back row are Jimmy Taylor, Melvin Peters and James Emerson.

Bailey Johnson state champs recall victory 2015 — 50 years since championships NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Feb. 27, 2015, was 50 years to the day since the boys of Bailey Johnson School won the state championship in basketball. There were 12 members of that team in 1965. Six of the surviving members gathered Feb. 18 at Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Roswell to reminisce about their shining moment five decades earlier. Opened in 1959, Bailey Johnson was the only all-black school for North Fulton students. A grade 1-12 school, it only had about 100 students who came from all of North Fulton County as far south as Dunwoody. And winning a basketball state championship was certainly one of the school’s shining moments. “This team was a machine,” said Almond Martin. “We were all sparkplugs. If one of us sputtered, it didn’t run.” For a basketball team, they were small guys. Averaging in the upper 5-foot range, they were dwarfed by their competition. But that didn’t matter. They had speed on their side. “Coach would make us run over and over for so long,” Martin said, laughing as he called it “abuse.” The team went 14-2 for 1964-65 season, eventually beating Bruce Street [DeKalb County] in the state championship, 85-49.

RHS, BT fall in state championships ROSWELL, Ga.—Both Roswell High School and Blessed Trinity football teams made it all the way to the state championships this year, although both fell in close games. The Dec. 11 loss was Blessed Trinity’s first-ever state championship appearance. They fell 38-31 in overtime to Westminster after squandering their two-touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter. Westminster, which was beaten 24-10 by Blessed Trinity on Oct. 16, captured their first state championship since 1978 with the comeback win.

After the game, BT Coach Tim McFarlin said his players, “Left everything out on the field. “I’d rather go down swinging.” McFarlin also said he was proud of his team and that he believed in his team from the outset of the season.

“I thought we should be playing in [the state championship]. These kids are pretty special. Look at the four years [the seniors] have had,” he said. The next day, the Hornets faced off against Colquitt, falling 30-13. A win would have been the second state championship in nine years for Roswell. The Colquitt Packers’ offense, which averaged 443 yards per game this season, was able to outduel Roswell’s defense and put up 30 points, the most Roswell surrendered this year, and 440 yards of total offense. Though the Hornets’ season ended bitterly, their 14-1 record will go down as their winningest season in 65 years of football.

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Since 2014, I’ve shared with our board’s executive officers that my desire was to take on a new challenge, to make the next impact while testing my skills. Tino Mantella, President and CEO of the Technology Association of Georgia

14 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015

Technology Association of Ga. leader stepping down TAG’s Tino Mantella to serve through 2016

Prior to joining TAG in 2004, Mantella had amassed 20 years of related experience leading the National Arthritis Foundation ATLANTA – After 12 years of leading and YMCA of Metropolthe Technology Association of Georgia, itan Chicago. Tino Mantella announced that he will “Tino has headed be stepping down as the organization’s TAG during a period of president and CEO at the end of 2016. MANTELLA dynamic and exciting The news was announced at a recent change within the tech industry,” said meeting of the TAG board of directors. TAG 2015 Board Chairman Barry Mc“Since 2014, I’ve shared with our Carthy. “Because of his expertise and board’s executive officers that my deguidance we’ve created a tremendously sire was to take on a new challenge, to effective association guided by industry make the next impact while testing my leaders second to none. skills. Simultaneously, I have outlined “Tino’s leadership has put us in a a plan in concert with our board of true position of strength that will only directors to build on TAG’s incredible continue to drive us forward,” McCalegacy,” Mantella said. rthy said. TAG will continue its drive to make Stacie Hagan, Georgia one of the top vice president of five states in America human resources for technology. at Dell Secure“I have asked the Works and TAG board to start the pro2016 board chaircess needed to conduct woman, thanked a national search for Manetella for his a leader who will take service and said TAG to the ’next level’ of she expects 2016 success.” Mantella said. will be a “capstone Under Mantella’s year” for him and leadership, TAG has TAG. become the largest state “The next sevtechnology trade associeral months will ation in North America provide many new with more than 30,000 exciting opportumembers, multiple nities as we roll chapters and societies, out TAG’s new and a prestigious board quantum growth made up of more than Tino Mantella President and CEO of the Technology strategy, and we 60 of Georgia’s leading Association of Georgia are fortunate to technology stakeholdhave the benefit of ers.

I have asked the board to start the process needed to conduct a national search for a leader who will take TAG to the ’next level’ of success.”

Tino’s experience and input as we do this,” she said. Mantella is a member of the boards of Venture Atlanta Coalition Inc., TAG Education Collaborative, the Midtown Alliance, the Tech College System of Georgia’s Foundation and the Chambers of Commerce in North Fulton and for Georgia. He also serves on the advisory board of the Atlanta Metropolitan Chamber. “Over the years, with the help of the T:\ADS_2015\NFAYP

TAG board and countless technology leaders, I’ve been honored to be part of a true transformation that has put Georgia’s technology industry on the map,” Mantella said. “This has been extremely exciting and rewarding and when I leave TAG at the end of next year, I can confidently do this knowing TAG has never been stronger.”

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 15

Alpharetta sees mixed development trends Homes up, stores down By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – According to numbers provided by the city of Alpharetta, the number of new construction permits in Alpharetta over the last two years contains a mixed bag of blessings, with increased residential activity, but decreased commercial activity. The number of new single-family home permits went up slightly between 2014 and 2015, from 142 permits to 166. Similarly, permits to make additions or alterations to residences went up from 130 to 194. The number of approved

permits for condos, townhomes or apartments went down from 130 to 89. There was only one permit issued for apartments. For commercial properties, the total number of new commercial construction permits issued went down from 21 in 2014 to 15 this year. These permits are for brand-new buildings, built from the ground up. For renovations of existing sites into new businesses, those numbers went down significantly, from 386 in 2014 to 283 in 2015, a decline of 103 permits. “Miscellaneous” permits, which includes pools, demolition and foundation permits, declined from 242 in 2014 to 227 in 2015. Since December’s numbers were not available for 2015, the 2014 numbers used only include January through November.

Getting off to a fast 40 under 40: start in the New Year James Carr Happy New Year! Hopefully you’ve spent the past couple of weeks celebrating your success from the previous year, and spending some quality time with your family and dick jones friends. Now that Founder & President Jones Simply Sales the new year is here, it’s time to get things in motion. Small businesses that get off to a fast start in the new year are more likely to achieve their annual goals and objectives. To get off to a fast start in the new year, you have to have a plan of action. Documenting your strategic and tactical plans will help ensure you are doing the right things early in the new

year. Whether it’s hiring new employees, rolling out new products and services, or identifying the best prospects you want to meet with, a plan of action will help you get more done. When the new year arrives each year, almost everyone has “resolutions” they make. What are yours? Based on your performance last year, what changes are you going to make to improve your results? Analyzing what was successful, and not as successful last year, will help you to identify ways to improve. Too many small-business owners waste time in the beginning of the year by not having a plan to get off to a fast start. Don’t let that happen to you. Getting off to a fast start in the new year will significantly improve the odds you’ll have a great year!

YARD SIGNS

Editor’s note: The North Atlanta Business Post, an Appen Media Group publication, recently recognized 40 individuals under the age of 40 with outstanding accomplishments in their professional or extracurricular lives. Each week for the next 40 weeks, we will publish a profile showcasing one of these individuals. Visit NorthAtlanta BusinessPost.com for more info.

Age: 26 Title/Company: Communication coordinator for Georgia Organics A sports buff, James Carr has always been interested in communications. Growing up in Australia and London, England, before settling in Alpharetta, he was editor of the Milton High School Eagle Edition and sports editor at the University of Georgia’s radio station before working for Fox Sports South. He got into the local food movement through his book, “The Jig is

Up,” which moved him to work for Georgia Organics. “Almost all of the CARR major issues faced in this country and the world can be traced back to our food system, and I am thrilled to now peruse the fight for good food in my regular waking hours,” Carr said. Curiosity and exploration are important traits, he said. “Explore your curiosity and talk to people older than yourself. Inspiration is everywhere; but you have to be open to it,” he said. Some of those older people have taught Carr important life lessons. “I am fortunate to have several mentors in my life, from writers to filmmakers to managers. All of them push me to think in different ways, more inclusive ways, more effective ways, more creative ways.”

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16 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

BUSINESSPOSTS

Sharon Springs still fights for cityhood By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The second study regarding the potential city of Sharon Springs was brought before the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Dec. 22. Originally approved Sept. 8, the study, conducted by Georgia Tech, was a contract between the BOC and GT. A more in-depth presentation will be held in January by Georgia Tech. However, before this second study was released, on Dec. 15, District 25 State Rep. Mike Dudgeon said the delegation decided House Bill 660 for creating Sharon Springs was “unconstitutional.” “The delegation has decided to withdraw House Bill 660, which would enable a referendum on the creation of Sharon Springs,” Dudgeon said. “Legal developments and opinions over 2015 have made ‘city light’ restrictions in a charter unconstitutional.” State Sen. Michael Williams said the legislature wants to regroup and find another way to go about creating Sharon Springs. The study examined the fiscal impact that the proposed city of Sharon Springs would have on Forsyth County. The report said it answers several key questions posed by the board that have not been addressed by previous studies. “This analysis was done using 2014 financial data (the last year for which complete data is available), and compares what the county actually experienced to what they would have experienced had the city of Sharon Springs existed,” the report read. “Rather than rely on simple ratios of tax digests and population, in most cases revenues and expenses were assigned to their actual geography. In the few cases

where this wasn’t possible, or in cases where the dollar amounts were relatively small, appropriate ratios were used. Further, the research staff interviewed county employees who are experts in their various service delivery areas in order to get expert knowledge related to potential cost reductions.” The proposal for Sharon Springs includes only three services — solid waste, planning and zoning, and code enforcement, deeming it a “city light.” Since the county does not currently offer curbside solid waste services, and since the existing drop-off convenience centers would continue to operate as a county enterprise fund, the study said there is no fiscal impact to the county from the city’s provision of solid waste. “However, had the city of Sharon Springs existed in 2014, the county would have saved nearly $770,000 in expenses in both code enforcement and the planning and development departments,” the study read. “These savings are primarily due to the reduction of 13-15 positions with the associated salaries, benefits and other related expenses.” With respect to operating revenue, had Sharon Springs existed in 2014, the county would have received $6.20 million less than it actually collected. The primary revenue losses would have been in alcohol licenses and excise taxes, business licenses and occupation tax, cable franchise fees, planning and zoning permits and fees and insurance premium taxes “Because the revenue loss is significantly more than the cost savings, the county would have been left with a revenue gap of approximately $5.4 million,” the study read. “Given the size of the Forsyth County net tax digest, it would have required an additional 0.623 mills to recover that amount of revenue. Given

However, had the city of Sharon Springs existed in 2014, the county would have saved nearly $770,000 in expenses in both code enforcement and the planning and development departments...These savings are primarily due to the reduction of 13-15 positions with the associated salaries, benefits and other related expenses.”

the 2014 millage rate of 4.812, that represents a 12.9 percent tax increase.” In March, a study done by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia for the Sharon Springs Alliance completed a feasibility study for the proposed city and the research released March 2 confirmed a “city light” is financially viable. To view the whole county study, visit http://bit. ly/1mgy8GW.

NEWBUSINESSSPOtlightS

Juice Bar Johns Creek opens

Sport Clips opens in Roswell

Business name: Juice Bar Johns Creek Owner(s): R.A.D Health (Retha Blackburn) Opened: November 2015 What: We are a “healthy way of life” vegetarian-style restaurant. We serve freshly made juices, smoothies and

Business: Sport Clips Opened: November 2015 Owners: Brett Gluck What: At Sport Clips, TVs everywhere are playing sports as guy-smart stylists give customers the cuts they want. No appointments needed. Address: 10779 Alpharetta Highway,

grab-and-go snack foods, which include salads, soups, muffins and more. Address: 11270 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097 Website: ilovejuicebar.com/johnscreek-2

Suite 150, Roswell Hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 770-557-0733 Website: www.haircutmenmansellshopsroswellga.com

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 17

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18 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

CALENDAR

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Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s ‘Charley’s Aunt’ Kick off the New Year with a play that’s sure to be the cure for the post-holiday doldrums, the hilarious comedy, “Charley’s Aunt.” Jan. 7-24, times vary. GET, the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell. $26 for Wednesdays, Thursdays and matinees; Friday nights start from $30, and Saturday nights start from $35; senior/student discounts available for select performances. Visit www.get.org, or call 770641-1260 for more info.

Events: Habitat for Humanity ReStore Volunteer Information Session

What: Volunteer information session/ open house for volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in in Roswell. When: Saturday, Jan. 2, at 10:30 a.m. Where: The ReStore 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell 30076 More info: Contact Vernita Gibson, assistant store manager, at vgibson@ habitat.org or 770-415-1633.

LIBRARY EVENTS: Friends of the Alpharetta Library Book Sale

What: Shop at the Friends’ book sale. When: Saturday, Jan. 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Library porch and Friends Bookstore (upper level, lobby area), Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta 30009 More info: 404-613-6735

Laughter for Wellness

What: Let laughter lighten your mood. Instructor is a certified laughter yoga leader trained by Dr. Madan Kataria. Registration required. When: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2-3 p.m. Where: Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road, Johns Creek 30022 More info: 770-360-8820

Anime and Manga Club for Teens

What: Teens meet to discuss anime and manga, share fan art and fan fiction. This program is by teens for teens. Ages 12-18. Registration required. When: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2:30 p.m. Where: Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road, Johns Creek 30022 More info: 770-360-8820

Monday Morning Movies

What: Watch a classic film on the big screen in our auditorium every Monday morning. All are welcome. When: Monday, Jan. 4, 10:30 a.m. Where: Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta 30009 More info: 404-613-6735

Beginner’s Genealogy Class

What: Bob Volz will counsel others on how to begin the search for their ancestors. This class will help you gain the research skills needed to discover your own family history. Registration required. When: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 6 p.m. Where: Milton Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Milton 30009 More info: 404-613-4402

Energy Yoga

What: Energy yoga is a combination of stretching, breathing and meditation. Please bring a yoga mat or towel and wear loose comfortable clothes. Open to ages 10 and up. When: Sundays, 4 p.m. Where: Ocee Library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek 30005 More info: 770-360-8897

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS: Lanier Islands Magical Nights of Lights and Winter Adventure What: Drive across the Lanier Islands Bridge and into a world of lights. Also, enjoy a new adventure this year with Winter Adventure, a snow-packed winter play land perfect for building a snowman, delightful tubing and thrilling sledding. When: Opens Nov. 27 Where: Lanier Islands, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford 770-945-8787 More info: lanierislands.com

Fernbank Rings in Noon Year’s Eve

What: Celebrate the new year a full 12 hours early as Fernbank hosts a dinosaur photo stop, a resolution station, dancing and games with DJ Willy Wow, and a balloon drop at the stroke of noon. The event caters to families with youngsters who may not be able to stay up until midnight. When: Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 More info: fernbankmuseum.org

Volunteers carry trout from the stocking truck to the water during the Dec. 22 “bucket brigade” volunteer-assisted stocking on the Chattahoochee at the Whitewater access.

YOUR GUIDE TO FISHING, HIKING, CAMPING AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS:

More trout for the holidays A few days before Christmas, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and an eager crew of volunteers helped stock more than 2,000 rainbow and brown trout in the STEVE HUDSON Chattahoochee Get Outside Georgia, Chattahoochee Media Group River delayed harvest water at the Whitewater access point near Mount Paran Road. Some impressive fish were stocked, including 1,500 rainbow and 500 brown trout in the 10- to 11-inch range. Larger fish were stocked, too, among them 100 browns and 100 rainbows in the 13- to 14-inch range. Those on hand to help stock included Steve Bailey and his daughters Alex, 11, and Kate, 9. This enthusiastic trio made several trips from the stocking truck to the river, carrying trout in 5-gallon buckets and then placing the fish into the river. After the stocking was completed, I had the pleasure of helping Alex and Kate each catch their very first trout on a fly rod. In fact, each of them landed and released several nice fish. The trout were big, but the smiles were even bigger! Favorite flies for the day tended to be bright and flashy streamers (minnow imitations). Using the “countdown” technique (that is, counting to two or three after the fly hits the water to give it time to sink a bit), every angler I spoke with ended up catching fish. You don’t have to be a fly fisher to pursue Hooch DH trout, however. Spinning gear works well, too. Try a Rooster Tail, Mepps spinner, or a white curly-tailed grub-and-jig. Just

remember that, on delayed harvest water, it’s artificials only and each lure can have just one single hook. One challenge this year on the Hooch DH has been ongoing high water. Extreme flows have made the river difficult to impossible to fish on many days – and those flows may wash some trout downstream, too. To deal with this, the fisheries folks at Georgia DNR have fine-tuned their stocking pattern by stocking larger numbers of fish in the upper portion of the Chattahoochee DH water. “We know that those trout may be pushed downstream [into the rest of the DH water] by the high flows,” noted Pat Markey, manager of the state’s Buford Trout Hatchery. As those fish spread out downstream it should be good news for Chattahoochee delayed harvest trout anglers later on in the season. How many fish have been put into the Chattahoochee DH water so far this season? Since the end of October, Markey notes, about 30,000 trout have been stocked in the Hooch DH water. Another 20,000 will be stocked through the first months of 2016, so there will be plenty of fish. Once conditions improve in the river, there should be trout through most or all of the Chattahoochee DH water. Steve Hudson has written numerous books on fishing, hiking, the outdoors and more. Check them out at www. chattahoochee media.com.

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 19

COMMUNITY

20 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

AHS’s Thornhill receives Univ. of Illinois Springfield scholarship ALPHARETTA. Ga. – Kaitlyn Thornhill, a senior at Alpharetta High School, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and awarded a $22,000 Capital Scholars Honors Program Scholarship covering tuition over 4 years. The scholarship is awarded based on GPA and ACT scores and can be renewed for a total of four years, if the student maintains a college GPA of 3.0 or higher. She plans to major in accountancy at UIS and will also receive a scholarship to play for the UIS Prairie Stars women’s tennis team. “I chose UIS because I enjoy the close knit community it has to offer,” she said. “I also have the opportunity to play tennis, in addition to receiving a great education in one of the top business schools.” In high school, she’s played on the varsity tennis team for four years and participated in animal rescue clubs. She is also a member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

The CAP Honors Program is a selective undergraduate program combining high standards and emphasis on excellence with a small residential college model, enrolling only about 100 first-year Thornhill students each year. The program brings together intellectually strong students with talented, dedicated faculty to create a unique academic environment within the greater UIS community. As a Capital Scholar Honors student, Thornhill will participate in an interdisciplinary core curriculum designed to prepare her for her major and provide her with leadership opportunities. For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217/206-6724 or email finaid@uis.edu. For a full list of scholarship opportunities, visit www. uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships/

Resident gets on stage with Smokey Robinson ROSWELL, Ga. – Resident Billie Leonard completed a life goal Nov. 21 when she danced onstage with her musical idol Smokey Robinson. Billie Leonard and her twin sister, Ali, grew up in Detroit during the heyday of Motown Records. They grew up surrounded by Motown music and a particular favorite for Billie was Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Robinson wrote many songs for some of Motown’s greatest groups including The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and others. Still a big fan of Smokey, Billie has been to several concerts of his this year alone throughout the country. While up dancing at the concert in Birmingham, Alabama, she caught Smokey’s eye and he called her up on stage. Spending seven minutes on stage with Smokey, she helped him get the audience singing the song “Cruisin” to end the concert. She was quite a hit with the audience and at several points they started chanting, “Go Billie, go

Resident Billie Leonard, left, had the opportunity to dance onstage with her musical idol, Smokey Robinson.

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 21

Raychel Germaine: Roswell’s Winter Olympics hopeful Germaine competing for Team USA at the Luge World Cup By JOE PARKER news@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — If you view the current roster for Team USA’s luge national team members, you will see many of the athletes were raised in cold-weather locales like Salt Lake City, Portland, Maine, Rochester, New York. Surprisingly, you will also see Roswell, Georgia. Raychel Germaine, who lived in Roswell until she moved to Lake Placid, New York, to train full time, is currently competing for the Team USA National Team at the International Luge Federation World Cup. Germaine is currently in 12th place out of 41 sliders, the term used to describe a competitor in luge, in the 12-event World Cup which began in November and will conclude in February. Germaine has two top-10 finishes so far in the World Cup, competing against some of the best women sliders in the world. And, two days after celebrating her 21st birthday, Germaine will slide for Team USA in the World Cup event in Sigulda, Latvia, on Jan. 9. Germaine is the team’s “graduating junior,” meaning she competes as a part of the national team in the World Cup but was not selected for the national “B” team this season and she exceeds the age limit to compete as a junior. This is partly due to her late start in the sport—Germaine has only been sliding for five years. Germaine said she developed an interest in luge from her father, Bob, who competed for Team USA in the two-man luge in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. Germaine said her father would show her luge on television and taught her the sport. “We would watch the Olympics and he would make us stay up really late to watch when they showed luge,” she said. However, she was not immediately hooked on following in her father’s tracks. “When I was younger I wasn’t really [into it]. I remember one day I was sitting in the car with [my father] and I asked him if I could actually try it,” she said. At that time, Germaine was 14, multiple years past the point at which the majority of sliders begin training. Yet, she was still able to make the Team USA Development Team despite her

At this point in my career I’m just worried about getting down the track with two clean runs. I really don’t try to compare myself with the other girls because experience is a huge factor. Right now I just need to focus on myself and what I can do to make myself better in the long run.” Raychel Germaine

late start. Living in Roswell, Germaine faced an extensive travel schedule that including spending weeks at a time in Lake Placid to train. She completed her schooling online to better accommodate the rigors of her luge schedule, which included weightlifting, trials and training. Though Germaine entered the sport much later than her competitors, her determination led her to move up the ladder of the development program, eventually winning the Norton Junior National Championship in 2014. This year, Germaine continued her success at nationals by finishing fourth in the Norton National Championships and earned a spot on the national team by finishing third and fourth in the two seeding races. Just six years after her introduction to the sport, it is clear that Germaine has found a passion. “The sport itself is an adrenaline rush. It’s a great feeling when you make a clean run during a race and you know you did what it takes to pick up those thousandths of a second. I love the feel of sliding. You have to be one with your body, really. It’s a lot about feel. Some people are technical and that’s when you can get yourself into trouble. You have to be able to feel out the drives and feel out where you need

to go on the track.” It’s also clear that Germaine’s small stature has not impeded in her success. “Being small, it’s hard for me to be taken seriously. The optimal size is tall and heavy because it is a gravity sport,

but I think me being small makes me unique and it makes me work that much harder to make it to the Olympics. A big part of it is heart.” She said that competing at the World Cup against some of the world’s best sliders has been extremely exciting. “It’s been a rush for sure. It’s so amazing to be competing with such good sliders,” she said. “The experience of competing against these girls who have been competing for so long and have done so well in their careers is intimidating, but just watching them compete helps me.” “At this point in my career I’m just worried about getting down the track with two clean runs. I really don’t try to compare myself with the other girls because experience is a huge factor. Right now I just need to focus on myself and what I can do to make myself better in the long run,” said Germaine. Germaine said her ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympics, but that she wouldn’t be pleased by just being a part of the team—she wants more. “I not only want to compete in the Olympics, I want to have four clean, successful runs and represent my country proudly.”

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22 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

COMMUNITY

A L P H A R E T TA C H A M B E R

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Boy Scout Cameron Webb organized the donation of 600 puzzles for sick kids at Childrens’ Healthcare of Atlanta.

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Boy Scout donates puzzles to sick kids ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- Cameron Webb, a junior at Alpharetta High School and a Boy Scout with Troop 69, created and completed his Eagle Project, called “Puzzles for Patients.” This project is to provide a fun diversion for children patients at Childrens’ Healthcare of Atlanta during their hospital stay. Webb collected 600 new puzzles and donations from family, friends, local schools, his church, troop and neighborhoods during his puzzle drive. He also stickered each puzzle with a quote for the kids so they could

be strong and get well, such as, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think,” said Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh in “Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin. Webb delivered all 600 puzzles to CHOA and presented them to Dr. Daniel Salinas, chief medical officer of CHOA. Also, he was the first one to use their new self-automated donation tablet to track and record donations. —Jonathan Copsey

New DAR chapter forms in Alpharetta Event Location:

Contact Kristen at Kristen@alpharettachamber.com for sponsorship information Sponsorship Deadline is December 31st Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce alpharettachamber.com • (404) 545-0212

ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- The newest chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is created in Alpharetta. It was organized on Dec. 6, 2015, and welcomes interested parties who may be qualified for membership to visit their meetings. The first meeting is Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Public Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. The program will discuss how to determine if you are a descendant of a Revolutionary Patriot and how to begin the process of substantiating your lineage. For more information about the meeting, questions about the new chapter, or to RSVP the meeting, e-mail PatriotsOfLibertyNSDAR@Yahoo.com. The members of the Alpharetta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are, top row from left, Eleanor Quigley, Georgia Northwest district director; Paula Osborne, Geor-

gia Organizing Secretary; Bea Fischer, Georgia State Regent; Annelle Jones, Patriots of Liberty NSDAR, organizing regent; Bottom row are Pauline McKinny, chaplain; Lynda Bush, registrar; Susan Yatsinko, corresponding secretary; Alicia King, treasurer; and Susan Youdell, vice regent. Not present is Lyn Silverthorne, recording secretary. The National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history and support better education for the nation’s children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org, —Jonathan Copsey

Elkins Point teacher awarded Japanese commendation ATLANTA -- On Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan recognized four individuals from Georgia and North Carolina with the “Foreign Minister’s Commendations in Honor of the 70th Anniversary of the End of the War with the United States of America” for their outstanding achievements in promoting friendship between Japan and the United States of America. One of the honorees is an Elkins Point Middle School teacher. At the official residence of the Consul General of Japan, Consul General Kazuo Sunaga presented the recipients with their Certificates of Commendations along with commemorative gifts of pure silk furoshiki cloths. During his remarks, Sunaga noted, “this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. Since the end of the war, Japan and the United States have come a long way to becoming friends, partners and allies.” Miyuki Johnson is a Japanese language teacher at Elkins Point Middle School. The Consul General said she has contributed much to promote and expand Japanese language education, encouraging not only students, but the whole community to take interest in Japanese culture through various educational and exchange activities. In 2014, Johnson received the “Teacher of the Year Award” for the Northwest Learning Community from the Fulton County School System for her achievements, dedication and commitment to excellence. —Jonathan Copsey

SCHOOLS

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 23

Japanese Consul General Kazuo Sunaga presents a commendation Dec. 4 to Elkins Point Middle School teacher Miyuki Johnson.

24 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

Blotter: Continued from Page 2 shoes as belonging to her brother. Because of the items on him, Thomas was linked to at least three other autos that had been entered in the area. He was arrested for entering auto and theft by receiving.

Police save OD victim JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – A 21-year old Cumming woman is alive thanks to lifesaving efforts by a Johns Creek resident and police after she overdosed on suspected heroin. The victim was at her friend’s Wentworth Downs Court house Dec. 11. When she did not return home by curfew, her mother went to investigate. What the mother found was her daughter unconscious in the basement along with her friend, who was unresponsive but not in medical distress. There was suspected heroin in the room. The mother and the friend’s mother, who is a nurse, began CPR on the young woman until police could arrive. Police immediately administered a drug to help with overdoses and the victim immediately recovered. Both she and her friend were taken to a nearby

hospital. In the room, police report finding a line of suspected heroin, pill bottles as well as a grinder and scale.

Employee accused of store thefts ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A store employee is accused of stealing a PlayStation 4 game console as well as a game, clothes and a comforter from her employer. According to store security, the employee, a 23-year-old Alpharetta resident, worked the cash register at Target on North Point Parkway. She was seen three times in December void out transactions on the items, valued in total at $750, and then hand them to a friend to carry out of the store. This happened three times between Dec. 10 and Dec. 12. The employee allegedly admitted to the thefts.

Victim loses $2K in scam MILTON, Ga. – A resident was the victim of an online scam Dec. 19, costing her $2,000. The victim told police she responded to an online job posting for a mystery shopper. She received a letter Dec. 14

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from the “employer,” which included instructions to buy four prepaid Visa cards at $500 apiece and transfer the money to the employer. The letter was accompanied by a check for $2,300. The victim deposited the check and, a few days later, was told it was fraudulent. She then checked the prepaid cards and found the funds had been spent.

Online baby buyer arrested FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Detectives with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office arrested 47-year-old Elaine Williams of Cumming on Dec. 4 for domestic-unlawful advertisement/inducement for adoption of children. Detectives received a tip from a citizen about a suspicious Craigslist advertisement out of Cumming. The advertisement was for unwanted babies and promised mothers they could drop off their babies in a “baby box.” The investigation found that Williams attempted to obtain a baby for her 14-year-old daughter. Williams stated her daughter wanted a baby and would get one with or without her help, so she decided to help. Williams’ 14-year-old daughter also faces juvenile charges.

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26 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

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Belmont University honor society NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three local residents were recently inducted into the Eta Chapter of Alpha Chi Honor Society at Belmont University, the oldest and most prestigious honor society at Belmont, and induction into the society is the university’s highest academic honor awarded. The students were: Kylee Smith and Matthew Proctor, both of Alpharetta, and Nathan Childers, Cumming,

Bob Jones University player honored GREENVILLE, S.C. — Kyle Turner, Alpharetta, was named the PlanFIRST Player of the Game for the Bob Jones University Bruins in the Dec. 8, Dec. 11 and Dec. 19 basketball games. The Dec. 11 game against Piedmont International University was Turner’s 100th game with the Bruins, and he finished with 24 points and had 12 rebounds to lead the Bruins to an 80-71 win.

Berry College fall graduates, dean’s list

ROME, Ga. — Berry College welcomed a total of 62 new graduates on Dec. 18, including the following local students: Creighton Caldwell and Krista May, both from Cumming, Robby Graham, Alpharetta, and Mack Howard of Suwanee. Also, the following students have been named to Berry College’s fall 2015 dean’s list. From Alpharetta: Amy Roberts, Samantha Moquin, Hillary Albertson, Andrea Flores Reyes, Lauren Hahn, Emily Gates, Kevin Little, Phillip Szot, Kyra Clark, Alexander Dhom, Jordan Moore, Rebecca Savage, Ashley Foreman, Kassie Howard, Meghan Dooling, Abigail Maiwald, Alexander Mitropoulos, Quentin Johnson, Reagan Pifer, Jacob Delk and Giuliana Fernandez-Deza. From Cumming: Alexa Adams, Madison James, Sarah Beckwith, Hannah Clark, Megan Hicks, Elly Wagner, Connor Wright, Mitchell Crum, Samantha Tippett, Autumn Powell, Meagan Hunter and Alexandra Beato. From Duluth: Rachel Blair, Rebecca Treadaway, Matthew Dominguez and Shelby Milton. From Roswell: Nicole Harris,

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Inside the Box

Operatio n Christma s Child pac ks happin ess in a shoebo x

Avoiding Temptation

Guilt-free indulgenc e for the Ho lidays

Abstract

The colorf ul world of Britt Bass Tur

Life

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 27

Rhoxie Ellard, Weaver Ellard, Louis Spivak, Danielle Creamer, Marc Saboura, Ellen LaHatte, Heather Wade, Emily Bruder-Mattson, Madeline Bruder-Mattson and Genna Telschow. From Suwanee: Lauren Garner, Micaela Ludwig, Siobhan Mulligan, William Wright, Kelsey Morkem, Jennifer Cortez, Daniel Parry, Kaitlyn Long and Nina Kowalke.

Lamelas, Katelyn Elizabeth Warren, Billy Ray Nolan From Suwanee: Malgorzata Anna Bastia, Makensie Leigh Lant, Paloma Marsella Pena and Praline E.V. Adam-Shelley.

Brenau University graduates

WALLINGFORD, Conn.— Ethan Wedge, son of Bernard and EveLyn Wedge, Alpharetta, was named to the dean’s list his first semester at Choate Rosemary Hall, a private coed boarding high school in Wallingford, Connecticut.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The following local students graduated from Brenau University during the university’s first winter commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 12. They included: From Alpharetta: Augustina Andoh, Nonna Gerber Horton and Alyson Paige Carroll. From Cumming: Katherine Lynn Baker, Abdoul Gadiri Diallo, Morgan Danielle Zanardo, Natalee Carol Ward, Debbie Pradillo Cashion, Corrie Rebekah Samples, Chastity Grace Shanahan From Duluth: Danielle Patricia Fleck. From Johns Creek: Truptiben Hiteshkumar Patel, Damir Hecimovic and Steven Nicholas Spry. From Milton: Jill Clifton DeCusati From Roswell: Kelly Louise

Choate Rosemary Hall dean’s list

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi BATON ROUGE, La. — The following local residents were recently inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines: Kasey Shepp, Roswell, and Carter Garrison, Alpharetta, both of whom were initiated at Auburn University; Kaylee Jacks, Johns Creek, initiated at the University of Mississippi; Brandon Soloff, Roswell, initiated at Columbus State University; and Taylor Walton, Johns Creek, initiated at Clemson University.

28 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE PH-16-AB-01

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APPLICANT Alpharetta Family Skate Center d/b/a The Cooler 10800 Davis Drive Alpharetta, Ga. 30022

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NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 29

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA

FOR

STORM PIPE LINING

BURNETT WAY STORM PIPE REPAIRS

ITB #16-008

ITB #16-009

The City of Alpharetta is accepting bids for STORM PIPE LINING including, but not limited to, cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining, pipe preparation, cleaning, grouting, sealing, mobilization, repair of any disturbed areas, traffic control, and the performance of other work related to CIPP lining. The location of the work is at various locations throughout the City of Alpharetta, Georgia. The Plans and Project Manual will be available online Thursday, December 17, 2015, at our bid posting website, https://www.ebidexchange.com/alpharetta. Interested parties are required to log in to review the ITB documents.

The City of Alpharetta (City) is accepting bids for BURNETT WAY STORM PIPE REPAIRS including, but not limited to, delivery and installation of storm sewer system materials, relining of pipe using the cured-in-place (CIPP) method with steam curing, pipe replacement, excavation/trenching, driveway replacement, milling & resurfacing, landscaping and other work related to drainage improvements. The location of the work is along Burnett Way, Alpharetta, GA 30009 --- within the City of Alpharetta, Georgia. The ITB will be available online Thursday, December 17, 2015, at our bid posting website, https://www.ebidexchange.com/alpharetta. Interested parties are required to log in to review the ITB documents.

The bid opening will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009.

The bid opening will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009.

For information, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or at 678-297-6052.

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Help Wanted

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OFFICE MANAGER/ BOOKKEEPER Alpharetta Presbyterian Church seeks a fulltime office manager to lead and coordinate the efficient running of the church office. In addition to supervising support staff and organizing all personnel records, the office manager will manage all church finances. This is a full time position with benefits. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and three references to: Office Manager Search Committee, Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 or jobs@alpharettapres.com

North Fulton Community Charities Now Hiring Full-Time: Director Of Volunteer Services. Requires excellent management and oral/written communication skills. BA & 2 yrs. experience required. NFCC is a locally supported, volunteer based nonprofit serving a diverse population in North Fulton with emergency needs. NFCC requires background check, drug screen and e-Verify. Submit resume and salary requirements or pick up application and job description at NFCC, 11270 Elkins Road, Roswell 30076 or bduffy@ nfcchelp.org

Contractor Administrator Contractor software experience preferred. Send Resume: AlpharettaConstruction@ gmail.com

Now Hiring 10 new Agents! We are the fastest growing Keller Williams Office in the 400 Corridor. Contact Robert Aiken at 706.429.8620

Customer Service Specialist Inbound call center and virtual office service. Provide receptionist services to various companies. Sell, schedule and provide virtual office services for home inspectors. Must work 1-2 nights 12:30pm-9pm. Real estate and/or inspection background a plus. $14/ hour + potential bonus in 1st 90 days. Resume: sales@wescheduleit.com

Part-time

ASSISTANT The Alpharetta Presbyterian Dayschool is looking for an assistant in their part day Parent’s Morning Out program. Classroom experience with children ages 2 and 3 is a must. If you are interested in being considered for this position, please submit a resume to nancy@ alpharettapres.com

Full-time Sr. Associate Pastor: Preach, supervise programs, & assist Sr. Pastor. Req. min MA & 4-yr exp. Mail resume to Rev. David Lee @ Johns Creek Korean Church, 7830 McGinnis Ferry Rd, Suwanee, GA 30024

CONTRACT for professional services. Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Board of Directors, for an individual or agency with a keen understanding of tourism as economic development. Serving as an official representative of the CVB, a tourism developer and marketing consultant etc. Requirements: Research, development and implementation responsibilities as approved by the CVB Board of Directors. Microsoft Office programs and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube proficiency; ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and occasional weekend and after-hours work. Independent Contractor requiring a Certificate of Insurance naming the CVB as additional insured. Resume: City Clerk Joan Jones, 12000 Findley Road, Suite 400, Johns Creek, GA 30097.

Journeymen Electricians/Foreman GA State Licensed. Night work. Resumes: butch@ brandersonelectric.com or fax 562-493-4800

HANDYMAN who can “fix almost anything”. Non-smoker, honest, dependable, good references. Must pass background check. Preferable plumbing, electrical, sometimes framing, HVAC, etc ability for any of those. $15/hour. 770-992-2469. realestatetreasure@msn. com PET SITTER/DOG WALKER FT/PT. Must have flexible schedule. www. happytailscare.com

Business Services Business Opportunity LIFE COACHES: Join our team/earn to $60-$90. P/T, F/T. Training and support. This year’s goal: 10,000 clients. Text (VAP) 770617-7092

*Some Restrictions Horses BEGINNING HORSEBACK LESSONS 4 years old-adult. Conveniently located, 400, exit 12. Gift certificates are available! info@ whitedogfarm.com 7 7 0 - 8 8 9 - 7 3 7 3 www.whitedogfarm.com

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Antiques

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European wardrobe/ armoire, single door, beveled mirror, 84”hX 21”dX37”w. $700. Photos. 678-549-6057.

INDOOR CAT: 12- yearold healthy spayed female, great with other cats. 407-619-4839

SELL your stuff today!

MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued on page 30

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Classifieds

NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 31, 2015 | 31

Classifieds

32 | December 31, 2015 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com