Health and Wellness Sponsored Section ►►PAGE 20
It's a habitat!
Milton gets wildlife foundation title ►►PAGE 4
Mosque approved
Rucker Rd. center expansion passed ►►PAGE 7
Football kicks off
Milton beats Alpharetta in OT ►►PAGE 12
September 11, 2013 | northfulton.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 6, No. 37
Large credits city council for success By CAROLYN ASPENSON carolyn@northfulton.com
Max Woods practices with his model rocket at Mill Springs Academy Sept. 4.
CAITLIN WAGENSEIL/STAFF
Rockets blast off at Mill Springs Students contact astronaut with ham radio By CAITLIN WAGENSEIL caitlin@northfulton.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – After a successful radio transmission to outer space, students at Mill Springs Academy had the opportunity to speak with astronaut Christopher Cassidy as he traveled in the International Space Station on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Following a few failed attempts to contact Cassidy, students broke out into a roar of cheering after finally hearing
the astronaut respond back loud and clear. The station was approaching the coast of Mexico and was 414 miles up in the sky traveling at 17,000 miles an hour when contact was made. “Good morning to everyone at Mill Springs Academy,” Cassidy said. “Great to hear everyone from [the] International Space Station.” Cassidy, who is on his second space flight, took time to answer questions from students ranging from, “What’s the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen in space?” to “What happens when you cry in space?” He answered as many questions in the allotted time until the signal was ultimately lost.
John Kludt, president of North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL), was in charge of initiating the contact to Cassidy. KK4OVR, the school’s club call sign, was used to make all the radio exchanges. “It’s always anxious at the start until you get the contact. We had a little trouble there, but once we got it, it was fun to watch the kids get so excited – that’s what makes this so neat,” Kludt said. Science teacher Martha Muir made the event possible. After starting the school’s amateur radio club at Mill Springs Academy, Muir submitted an application to NASA
See ROCKETS, Page 24
MILTON, Ga. — City Councilmember Lance Large won’t take any individual credit for his impact on Milton during his time on council, but other councilmembers say otherwise. He’s leaving his post to move to Virginia with his wife, where their primary business is located. Councilmember Matt Kunz said Large believed in the talents of Milton citizens and wanted to see entrepreneurs be successful. He put in a lot of initial effort and worked with the Milton Business Alliance to start an economic development department within the city and that resulted in the hiring of Bill O’Connor as economic development coordinator. Large said the council worked together to structure a smart economic development plan for the city. “Yes, it was important to me, but it’s not something I did on my own,” Large said. “The city is as successful as it is today because of everyone, and my efforts are just a small portion of a collection of efforts to make Milton such a wonderful place to live.” Large based his campaign on building a strong economic foundation for the city and creating more green space, both of which are part of Milton’s current strategy. “Lance was instrumental in smart business development for Milton along with
the infrastructure of the city itself,” said Mayor Joe Lockwood. Lockwood also said Large worked tirelessly to LARGE find solutions for creating green space throughout Milton. Councilmember Bill Lusk, who nicknamed Large “Gramps,” said his professional experience as a civil engineer and insight was a great asset to the city. “He will be missed on both a personal and professional level,” Lusk said. Large leaves his post later this year, but not before the Crabapple Fest scheduled for Oct. 4 and 5. Large worked hard to expand the festival throughout the Crabapple area and make it more of a family event. “The joining of the two festivals along with the ability to sell alcohol will make the event something for residents to enjoy for years to come,” Large said. “Living and working for the city of Milton has been a wonderful experience,” Large said. “I truly believe, as does my wife, this is the best place to live.” Large offered this bit of advice to Rick Morhig, who will take his seat on council. “Keep things in perspective, but be firm in your conviction,” Large said. “Don’t try to be a crusader, and work as a team member.”