February 2011 Volume 16, Issue 10
54 49-52
On the Cover Nelson Painting: Daniel Allen, Chris Saulinskas, Lazaro Rodriguez, and Scott Nelson. Liberty Roofing: Vic Rosati. Zachos Construction: Shane Zachos. Atlanta Architectural Cabinets: Brian Barie. BCF Home Services: Frank Dunning. Efficiency Energy Solutions: Jon LaMonte.
Featured Articles
14 Readers’ Choice
Time is running out to vote for your favorite local businesses!
Vote Today!
35 Race Series Kicking off
A great opportunity for local runners.
46 Model Trains
See what Dr. Carl P. Levitt model train enthusiast has created.
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Tournament of Roses
14
Dot and John Daly — married 62 years!
64 High School Basketball
Highlights from the Etowah vs. Woodstock game.
Keep up-to-date with our community! www.townelaker.com Follow us on Patty Ponder is the General Sales Manager for AroundAbout — TowneLaker. She can be reached at (770) 615-3322 or patty@townelaker.com. 2
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February 2011
36 Moms and Kids
Community
16 Investor Alert — The New IRS Reporting Rules
— Don Akridge
39 The Rise & Fall of the Young Pitcher
17 A Buyer’s Market in Towne Lake? — Sheila & Kurt Johnson
— Joe Katafi
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40 Snow-Pocalypse
— Kara Kiefer
Reisling
18 May I See Your Drivers License Please? — Sgt. William Rownd
When an Emergency Happens — Alison Wiebe, RN
20 Good People = Good Government — Chip Rogers
— Colin Morris
— David Hecklemoser
Schools & Sports
42 Gum Recession, Discomfort and You — Dr. Scott Harden
44 Goose Eggs
62 You Can Make a Difference — E.T. Booth Students
63 Unfortunate Loss
— Dee Locklin
— Jason Fleeman
Faith Lifestyle 74 Staying Connected
27 Help a Child in Need
— Candi Hannigan
76 Marriage Moments
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28 All in the Family
— Dr. Mike Litrel
29 Author Jack Walters
47 Couponing — Is it Worth my Time
— Susan Cannizzaro
30 Supermarket Lines
— Lauri Wischner
33 Do We Really Want More in Life?
— Diana Baker
— Lisa Huffman
48 Counting My Blessings Instead of Sheep
— Robyn Hohensee
56 National Bird Feeding Month and the Great Backyard Bird Count
34 Balancing Your Rooms
— Shelley Herod
— Scott Lemmon
58 Post Holiday Care of Gift Plants
— Paul Pugliese
60 Winter Pet Care
— Dr. Sherry Weaver
35 February 2011
— Doug Thrasher
— Rev. Bill Ratliff
In Every Issue Around Towne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Birthdays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Product Recalls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Community Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . 26 Everyday Angels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 TLBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 School Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Senior News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Church Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Local Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Community Numbers . . . . . . . . . . 84 Elected Officials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Real Deals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Community Coupons. . . . . . . . . . . 93 Advertisers Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 94
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Community Kara is the Editor of AroundAbout — Townelaker magazine. She lives in Towne Lake with her husband Mike and their two sons Brandon and Garrett. Feel free to send your comments or questions to editor@townelaker.com.
Around Towne The People, The Places and The Pleasures that make Towne Lake by Kara Kiefer The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I always thought I would like to work from home. I wouldn’t have to dress up. Heck, I wouldn’t even need to get dressed if I didn’t want to. I could take a break and throw some laundry in or catch 30 minutes of Food Network. It all sounded ideal until I actually did it in the aftermath of the most recent snowfall. It was too quiet! Not once did a phone ring. Not once did someone come into my office and not once did I talk to my co-workers about what they did last night. I actually missed the chaos that is part of our daily work life! And while I was extremely productive because I was never interrupted, I was bored and lonely. Working at home works for some, but for me, I’m glad to head to 1025 Rose Creek Drive every Monday – Friday!
What’s Coming? Menchies Frozen Yogurt is coming soon. The shop will be located at 2265 Towne Lake Parkway (near Blockbuster). The shop offers a multitude of flavors and toppings, and customers pay by weight rather than toppings! For more information, visit www.menchies.com
What’s New? Pizza Pilot recently reopened, next to WOW fitness, 200 Parkbrooke Drive. The eatery offers delivery and carryout service and serves pizza, calzones, salads, lasagna and soon, smoothies. Visit www.townlakepizza.com or call (770) 9241150. Maximum Nutrition recently opened in the Towne Lake Village shopping center in the space formerly occupied by the Picture Framer. “The Max” is the second location for co-owners/ partners Rhianna Bailey and her father Steve, who have owned the Rome location for 10 years. For more information, call (678) 324-6245, e-mail maxnutrish@gmail.com or visit www. maximum-nutrition.com. Holdheide Academy, serving children from 6 weeks through Kindergarten, is proud to announce it is now SACS accredited. The school also has a new Mother’s Morning Out program, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Call (770) 516-2292 or visit www.holdheideeducation.com. Our two local libraries will have new hours starting February 1. Rose Creek Library will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., 4
Mondays – Thursdays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. Woodstock Public Library will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mondays- Fridays and 2 – 6 p.m. on Sundays. It will be closed on Saturdays. These changes are due to funding reductions. Caring Man in a Van is serving the Towne Lake, Woodstock, Canton, Kennesaw and Marietta areas. Caring Man in a Van is committed to providing prompt, courteous, dependable, and affordable non-emergency transportation service. It is owned and operated by several Woodstock residents with day-today management by Cale Collins. The vans accommodate wheelchairs, stretchers and ambulatory passengers. Family members and staff always ride free and same day service is available. For more information, visit www.caringmaninavan. com or call (678) 683-0162.
What’s Moving? Sequels Boutique soon will relocate from the Kroger shopping center to 95 Grove Park Lane, off Rose Creek Drive. The new location will be open February 15.
What’s the Story? “What is going on with the Food Lion?” We’ve had several phone calls and inquiries on Facebook and Twitter regarding this project. As of press date, Food Lion corporate communications has not confirmed the future of this particular location, which is on Bells Ferry Road. But here is what we do know: while Food Lion has stated it has not made any formal decision regarding pulling out or going forward with the project, all the buildings currently are for lease. We will continue to update this situation as we receive current information.
Who’s New? Last month, we had a call to action for contributing writers, and we were so pleased with the response! This month, please welcome our newest contributors: Robyn Hohensee, Lauri Wischner, Diana Baker and Lisa Huffman. We will welcome more new contributors in the coming months! If you have a particular interest that you enjoy writing about, email editor@ townelaker.com and include a sample. Who knows? We could be welcoming you next!
AroundAbout — TowneLaker
February 2011
February 2011
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Community
BREAKING TOWNELAKER NEWS: Introducing . . .
Publisher AroundAbout Local Media, Inc. Owners Karen and Jon Flaig Sales Manager Patty Ponder
patty@townelaker.com, (770) 615-3322
Executive Editor Kara Kiefer
editor@townelaker.com, (770) 615-3309
Advertising Director Leslie Proctor
admanager@townelaker.com, (770) 615-3304
Art Director Michelle McCulloch
art@townelaker.com, (770) 615-3307
Digital Marketing Director James Ball
james@aroundaboutmagazines.com, (770) 615-3310
We will be launching a new product designed to deliver remarkable local (and therefore highly relevant) deals to your email inbox! We’ve all heard of group coupon sites like Groupon, Living Social and others. These sites deliver daily emails that offer savings that are often 50 percent or more off of goods and services. Unfortunately, one of the downfalls of these deal sites is that they are more often than not, too far away to make them truly worthwhile for us.
Video Correspondent Brandon Schultze Community Board Sen. Chip Rogers, Colin Morris, Debi Radcliff, Bill Ratliff, Doug Thrasher
We’ve decided to go one step further and keep our site truly local. We will only present offers and promotions from businesses in our own community.
AroundAbout — TowneLaker, a publication of AroundAbout Local Media, Inc., is a monthly community magazine. The magazine’s goal is to build a sense of community and pride in the Towne Lake area by providing its residents with positive stories and timely information. It is distributed free to approximately 12,500 homes by mail to all Towne Lakers. An additional 2,200 are placed in racks around the community.
We are in the final stages of development on the site itself, but you don’t have to wait to participate or opt in to receive these offers!
AroundAbout — TowneLaker welcomes your comments, stories, and advertisements. The deadline is the 10th of the previous month.
IT’S ALREADY LIVE!
Subscriptions are available for $24 per year. Send check or money order to the address below.
There won’t be any live deals promoted until the middle of this month, but please visit
The viewpoints of the advertisers, columnists and submissions are not necessarily those of the Editor/Publisher and the Publisher makes no claims as to the validity of any charitable organizations mentioned. AroundAbout — TowneLaker is not responsible for errors or omissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Publisher.
WWW.THEDAILYVALUE.COM . . . and sign up! This will insure that you are notified on the very first day that we run a live offer. Business owners are excited; we’re very excited, and we hope that you will join us in our excitement and help us to spread the word. The Daily Value is coming soon! Business Owners: Contact Denise Griffin at denise@aroundaboutmagazines.com if you are interested in running an offer for your business. 6
AroundAbout — TowneLaker
All rights reserved. © Copyright 2011. AroundAbout — TowneLaker 1025 Rose Creek Drive, Ste. 340, Woodstock, GA 30189 Website: www.townelaker.com Franchise Opportunities Available: www.AroundAboutMagazines.com
Volume 16, Issue 10 February 2011
February 2011
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Community
Local News Timothy Lutheran to Hold Registration Registration begins February 14 at Timothy Lutheran School for the 2011-12 school year. Classes are available for children ages 18 months – 5 years, from 9 a.m. until noon or 1 p.m. A transitional Kindergarten has been added this year, for five year olds whose families wish to postpone Kindergarten or for children turning five between August 1 and December 1. For more information, please contact director Barbara Bowler at (770) 924-7995.
Local Student Raises Funds for Charity
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Donates to Local Charities Good Shepherd Lutheran Church recently donated proceeds from its annual Fall Fair to two Cherokee County charities. The church gave $1,450 to Papa’s Pantry and $1,450 to the Cherokee Family Violence Center. According to Meg Rogers, Violence Center Executive Director, the money came just in time to replace a broken washing machine. Lynn Saunders, founder and director of Papa’s Pantry, hopes the donation will help fund a part-time position at the pantry.
Eagle Scout
Samantha McCannon spends part of her time outside the classroom at Bowen’s Tiger Rock Academy, where she is required to perform a random act of kindness. Samantha decided to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital and collected more than $400. Samantha is the daughter of Darlene McCannon.
Left to right: Meg Rogers accepts donation from Molly Maher, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Fall Fair committee member.
Congratulations to Ernie Brown, a member of Boy Scout Troop 641, who recently earned his Eagle rank. Left to right: Gai Lynn McCarthy, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Fall Fair Director and Lynne Saunders.
Don’t Forget to Vote Online for Your Favorite Local Businesses in our Readers’ Choice Contest See page 14 for information. 8
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February 2011
February 2011
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Community
Local News Salon and Spa Venessa Assists My House
Fire Recruits Graduate
Each year, Salon and Spa Venessa raises money and accepts donations for My House, a nonprofit organization that provides a home-like environment for medically fragile babies who are ready to leave the hospital but have nowhere to go. This year, more than $1,000 was raised and an abundance of needed items was collected. “Our quest is not only to raise money, but to raise awareness for this need in our community. Our clients were so giving and generous that we met and exceeded our goal for this year!” said Venessa Lanier.
Fifteen new fire recruits recently graduated from recruit school. The graduates include Hamed Aziz, Nicole Bawol, Shane Bedwell, Chance Champion, Cheri Collett, Tim Crossland, Ethan Garner, Harold Harp, Craig Henderson, Roger Jarrard, Jacob Kenney, Jeffrey Roberts, Michael Roberts, Jordon Seda and Jeremy Simmoms. Several recruits received special awards. Jeffrey Roberts and Jordon Seda both received the Academic Award. Cheri Collett was also the recipient of the Pinnacle Award for striving to “reach the top” due to dedication and hard-work in the Firefighter Recruit School Class. The W. Clark Waters’ Jr. Honor Graduate Award was presented to Jeffrey Roberts. The award was named on behalf of Clark Waters, a Cherokee County firefighter, who passed away in 2004. Roberts was given the award in recognition of excellence in academics and leadership.
Young Local Actor Gets Principle Role Chandler Riggs, age 11, landed a principle role in the AMC series, The Walking Dead. The filming was done last summer, and according to his mom, Chandler loved every minute of it. The show became such a hit that a second season has been confirmed. The show was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama Season. Chandler is the son of Gina Ann and William Riggs. For more information on Chandler, please visit http:// chandlerriggs.com. On behalf of the family of Mike Hunter, we would like to thank the Towne Lake community, our friends and family for all the support, concern and caring gestures extended to us during this time of loss. God bless each of you. Sincerely, Kim, Colton and Autumn Hunter
Left to right: Sergeant Wesley Densmore, Jeffrey Roberts and Lieutenant Robbie Kennedy.
Contest Corner Congratulations to Betty Hendrix for being the first to find our hidden picture on page 22 of the January issue. Congratulations also to Peter Moller (right) for being the first to spot the phrase “2 year Anniversary Bash” it was on page 87. Betty won a gift certificate to the Corner Bistro and Peter won a gift certificate to Bar-BCutie. Which advertisement includes the phrase “Pressed for time?”
Find the hidden picture:
If you know the answer to the trivia contest or find the hidden picture, be the first to call (770) 615-3325 or e-mail editor@townelaker.com. Contest rules: A player is eligible to win once every 12 months.
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AroundAbout — TowneLaker
February 2011
February 2011
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Community
Happy Birthday! Wedding, Birthday and Anniversary Announcements are Free! E-mail to: editor@townelaker.com • March deadline is February 10.
Brandon Kiefer
Eduardo Farrier
Julia Farrier
Emily Mang
Age 19 on February 24 Son of Kara & Mike Kiefer Brother of Garrett
Age 6 on February 14 Son of Carolina & Damian Farrier Brother of Julia
Age 9 on February 8 Daughter of Carolina & Damian Farrier Sister of Eduardo
Age 10 on January 12 Daughter of Rochelle & Rick Mang Sister of Sam & Chloe
Chelsea Marie Cooper
Savana Church
Rachel Hugenberg
Nicholas J. Anastasi
Age 22 on February 14 Daughter of Cecelia & Brian Cooper
Age 4 on February 11 Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Daughter of Brooke & Jason Church
Age 9 on February 5 Daughter of Missy & Adam Hugenberg Sister of Elizabeth
Age 9 on February 14 Happy Birthday Valentine! We Love You, Mom & Dad
y p p Ha rsary! ve i n An
Ethan & Andrew Harris Age 4 on December 5 Sons of Katie & Craig Harris Clyde & Audrey Mason Celebrating their 50th Anniversary on February 18
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AroundAbout — TowneLaker
February 2011
February 2011
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Feature
Readers’ Choice Awards It’s time to let your voice be heard! Vote for your favorite local businesses today It’s that time of the year again! Time to vote for your favorite businesses in the North Cobb/South Cherokee areas! We’re doing things a little differently this year so please refer to the Question and Answer section below. Q: How do I vote for my favorite businesses? A: Go to www.townelaker.com. Click on the “Readers’ Choice 2011” button. You will be directed to the online ballot. Q: How many times can I vote? A: You may vote four times from the same IP address, which allows additional members of your household to cast their votes. Q: Why are some businesses listed? What if the business I want to vote for is not listed? A: The ballot is populated with businesses that have received more than one vote in past Readers’ Choice contests. The population of these businesses is done strictly for the convenience of the voters and does not indicate endorsement or preference by AroundAbout – TowneLaker. If you don’t see your business listed, enter the name of the business in the place marked “other,” and the vote will be counted. Q: Do I have to vote online? A: If you don’t wish to vote online or don’t have access to the Internet, we will have paper ballots available at our office, 1025 Rose Creek Drive. One ballot per person will be issued. Q: Are any photocopies of the ballots permitted? A: No photocopies of blank or completed ballots will be accepted. Q: How long do I have to vote? A: Voting will end on February 10, 5 p.m.
Look for this button: AroundAbout Community Magazines
Readers’Choice
Vote Here 14
It’s easy! Just log on to www.townelaker.com and choose your favorites Today! Submit your votes by Thursday, February 10 at 5 p.m.
AroundAbout — TowneLaker
February 2011
Readers’ Choice Categories Restaurants
Home Improvement/Repair
Hardware Store
All-Around Restaurant
Insurance Agent (specify agent)
Home Improvement Store
Bakery
Lawn Care
Jeweler
Barbecue Place
Medical Doctor
Liquor Store
Breakfast Place
Nail Salon
Music Store
Coffee Shop
Optometrist/Ophthalmologist
Pet Supply Store
Dessert Place
Orthodontist
Shoe Store
Ethnic Restaurant
Painter
Specialty Foods
Fast Food Restaurant
Pediatrician
Sporting Goods
Fine Dining Restaurant
Pest Control
Tire Shop
Italian Restaurant
Pet Groomer
Toy Store
Kid-Friendly Restaurant
Plumber
Lunch Place
Photographer
Mexican Restaurant
Physical Therapist
Recreation and Entertainment
New Restaurant
Print Shop/Copy Center
Dance Studio
Oriental Restaurant
Travel Agency
Fitness/Health Club
Pizzeria
Tutoring
Golf Course
Seafood Restaurant
Veterinarian
Gymnastics Center Movie Theater
Sports Bar
Retailers Services
Boutique
Auto Repair
Children’s Clothing
Residential Development
Car Wash
Convenience/Gas Station
Apartment Community
Caterer
Custom Automotive
Subdivision
Chiropractor
Drug Store
C.P.A.
Electronics/Appliance Store
Day Care/Preschool
Florist
Day Spa
Frame Shop
Dentist
Furniture Store
Electrician
Garden Center
Financial Institution/Bank
Gift/Home Décor Store
Hair Salon
Grocery Store
February 2011
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Community
Investor Alert – The New IRS Reporting Rules They affect anyone with a brokerage account. by Don Akridge, MBA, CPA, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ U.S. Marine Corps Veteran – Emory University Alumnus Are you going to purchase stocks in 2011? If your answer to that question is yes, there’s an important IRS rule change you should know about.
many investors favor the specific ID method, in which they identify specific shares they want to sell. Using this method enables you to sell your highest-cost shares first, which can be tax-wise.
If you buy a stock in 2011, your broker must report the gain or loss when you sell it. In fact, this will be true for the following investment classes as of the following dates:
More details worth noting. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new reporting rules will also apply to REITs, foreign stocks and foreign ETFs classified as stock in 2011. In 2012, the
Individual stocks you buy after January 1, 2011 Mutual fund shares you buy after January 1, 2012 l Bonds, options and other securities you buy after January 1, 2013 l l
Prior to 2011, reporting the gain or loss triggered by the sale of an investment was your responsibility – but the IRS wasn’t satisfied with that. It’s all about the cost basis. To properly tax your investment when it is sold, the IRS has to know what you initially paid for it. In financial jargon, this acquisition price is known as the cost basis. It isn’t always easy to figure the cost basis – factors like splits, mergers, reinvestment of dividends and inherited or gifted investments can make things hazy. The IRS simply doesn’t want to rely on your math anymore – federal government studies estimate that the agency loses up to $25 billion in tax revenue each year because of cost basis errors. Your broker will send Form 1099-B to the IRS. Each sale of a stock bought in 2011 will generate a 1099-B. You will get a copy; the IRS will get a copy. On that 1099-B form, the gain or loss will be characterized as long-term or short-term. The key here is to make sure your broker uses the accounting method you prefer as gains or losses are reported. Most brokerages report individual securities using the FIFO method, as that is the IRS default method.3 FIFO is an acronym for “first in, first out” – that is, the shares bought first are the shares sold first. With the FIFO method, you end up selling your cheapest shares first. In a down market, that’s okay – but in a rising market,
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reporting rules will apply to most ETFs and DRIPs in addition to mutual funds. In 2013, the reporting requirements may also apply to derivatives and partnerships. Remember, this does not apply to shares and investments bought before 2011. You will still have to personally track the cost basis of these investments and report the realized gains and losses to the IRS. By the way, these new IRS reporting rules do not apply to taxsheltered investment accounts such as 529 plans and IRAs. Don Akridge is President of Citadel CPA, Financial Planning & Investment Services founded in 1994 and conveniently located off Chastain Road between I-575 & I-75 in Kennesaw. Phone 770-9526707. Securities offered through 1st Global Capital Corp. Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc. Created by 1st Global or Peter Montoya, Inc. for use by our financial advisors.
AroundAbout — TowneLaker
February 2011