4 18 townelaker webfinal by Aroundabout Local Media, Inc.

Make your tax refund work as hard as you do. Are you considering buying a home?

MORTGAGE

Your tax refund could make all the difference. Evolve will help you make the right choices to get you the home you want.

How will my tax refund help? Pay off debt & credit cards to raise your credit score

Make an offer on a home without a financing contingency

Increase your reserve funds by keeping it in your bank account

Andrea Meador Senior Loan Officer NMLS# 167990

ameador@getevolved.com O 770.924.2451 | M 770.714.9227

Use it as earnest money when making an offer

Contact me today to learn about Evolveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HomeReadyÂŽ program, with down payments as low as 3%.

andreameador.evolve.mortgage 250 Creekstone Ridge Woodstock, GA 30188 Evolve Bank & Trust Loan Production and Representative Offices are not full service branch locations of Evolve Bank & Trust. These offices do not engage in general banking transactions, such as deposits or payments, and only provide Residential Mortgage Loans. Equal Housing Lender. All loans subject to credit approval. Corporate NMLS# 509256.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Contents

48 & 49 On the Cover Never Alone

April 2018

photo by Rebekah Gregg

In Every Issue

Features 14 And the Winners Are …

4 Around Towne

The Readers’ Choice votes have been tallied and the list of winners is ready! Our comprehensive guide to county and city parks is sure to get you and your family outdoors.

26 Going Green - Recycling Made Easy

We’re proving Kermit the Frog wrong! It is easy being green with these tips from the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.

28 No More Waiting at the Bus Stop

New technology lets parents track the progress of their child’s school bus.

16 Birthdays & Celebrations 34 Community Calendar

20 Parks and Recreation

Community News

42 Rob’s Rescues

Contributors 30 Don Akridge 80 Kyle Bennett 81 Christopher Brazelton 46 Michael Caldwell

44 TLBA

82 Leigh Cutrone

50 Everyday Angels

68 Briana Delvasto

54 Library Events

75 Barbara P. Jacoby

72 School News

40 Dan Jape

78 Towne Lake Dining Guide 79 Home Sales 83 Downtown Woodstock Dining Guide 88 Church Listings 90 Clubs & Orgs 94 Directory of Advertisers

38 Kurt & Sheila Johnson 58 Dr. Ambre Kragor 70 Joseph Lemmo 59 Dr. Michael Litrel 66 Matt Neal 60 Dr. Christa Nelms 62 Cindy Nelson 26 Jessica Porter

Advertising

67 Bill Ratliff

Patty Ponder, ALM President 770-615-3322 Patty@AroundAboutMagazines.com www.townelaker.com TowneLakerMagazine

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

@Townelaker

45 Lynne Saunders 64 Susan Schulz 52 Tim Timmons townelakermagazine

62 Shelley Winter

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

AROUND TOWNE

The

People, The Places and The Pleasures that make Towne Lake

From the Editor

Kudos!

I have a confession that I’m about to make to you, 16,400 of my closest friends. I don’t recycle. There, I’ve said it and lightning hasn’t struck me … yet. I don’t know why recycling hasn’t caught on in our house. It’s not for a lack of effort by our daughter, Becca, who graduated almost two years ago from the University of the South with a degree in natural resources. Out of respect for her inclinations, we have made many efforts over the years. I think we had her convinced for awhile. Whenever Becca would come home from college, we’d grab the plastic bin and place it under the sink in an effort to convince her we were composting. We were very diligent about it then; not an eggshell or banana peel, much less coffee grounds, could escape our pretend bin. As soon as she packed up her car and headed back to school, guess what we packed up? At one point, we managed to build a decent compost pile in the backyard. But eventually, that heap met the same fate as my exercise and dieting efforts: abandonment. My lack of sticktoitiveness is unparalleled, but now I am convinced that I need to keep trying. After reading the chamber’s article on recycling, (page 26), I’m determined to make it stick this time. But composting? No thanks. That bin was lost in our move a few years ago. (Sorry, Becca, the secret is out now. I hope you won’t hold it against us. In fact, I think it just shows you how much we love and respect you!) It’s not a secret that the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is committed to guiding us in our efforts to Go Green. On April 18, the chamber’s Earth Day event runs 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (more details on pages 26-27). Greenstock Day in Woodstock is April 21 (www.woodstockga.gov), and includes recycling and a citywide yard sale. Canton hosts Dumpster Days, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month (www.cantonga.gov). Now pardon me while I get busy sorting…..

Woodstock City Council has honored Pastor Carl Moore, retired minister of Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, by naming a one-mile stretch of Arnold Mill Road, beginning at Main Street and heading east, Pastor Carl A. Moore Sr. Parkway. “It's a well deserved honor that some of the congregation asked us to do and we were more than willing to,” Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques said.

Pastor Moore and wife Gloria with the street sign.

What’s New MasterMind Neurotherapy has opened at 1501 Regency Way, Suite 203, in Woodstock. The center is dedicated to helping children and adults reach their optimal potential by identifying and addressing issues such as ADHD, learning challenges, behavioral problems, memory and sleep disorders and unstable emotions caused by dysregulation in the brain. 770-857-3434. www.mastermindneurocenter.com. Basements and Backyards has opened at 9040 Highway 92, Suite 120, in Woodstock. The store sells spas and hot tubs, above-ground pools, pool tables, saunas and related products. 678-726-8777. www.basementsandbackyards.com. The Holiday Inn Express and Suites, an 81-room hotel, has opened at 1470 Woodstock Parkway, Woodstock, close to The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta. 770-592-4438. Fairfield Inn and Suites, an 85-room hotel, has opened at 455 Parkway 575 in Woodstock. 770-926-4669. The Cherokee County Tax Commissioner has opened kiosks in two area Krogers, where drivers can renew their tags. Kroger in Woodstock at 2295 Towne Lake Parkway and Canton at 6766 Hickory Flat Parkway, will have kiosks. To renew, bring a valid driver’s license or tag number. The process takes as little as 60 seconds and decals are printed instantly. For more details, visit taxcommissioner. cherokeega.com.

What’s Changed

The Rite Aid at Rose Creek and Towne Lake Parkway has been converted to Walgreens. According to a report at Forbes.com, 625 Rite Aid stores were transferred to Walgreens Boots Alliance as Rite Aid works toward a financial turnaround. Rite Aid maintains 2,500 stores in eight states: California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon.

What’s Coming Candi Hannigan is the executive editor of TowneLaker. She has lived in Cherokee County since 1987. Send your comments or questions to Candi@AroundAboutMagazines.com.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

PLAE, a local sports flooring manufacturer, has gotten approval to build their corporate headquarters at 108 Arnold Mill Road, the current site of the Magnolia Thomas House. PLAE’s owner Brett Waits has offered to donate the Thomas House to anyone willing to relocate the building.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

COMMUNITY BOARD The TowneLaker Community Board consists of well-respected community leaders from different walks of life. Our board members assist us in many ways, including contributing to our magazine and providing valuable feedback.

Kurt Johnson, co-founder of the Kurt and

Sheila real estate team, has been involved in real estate most of his adult life. He and his wife have lived in Cherokee County for more than 13 years, their three children have attended county schools since the oldest started first grade at Bascomb Elementary. Kurt and Sheila work hard to promote Cherokee County and all it has to offer.

Ann Litrel is an artist and writer whose nationally published work includes decorative art, paintings for private and corporate collections, and writing and illustration for a range of publications. Ann lives in Towne Lake with her husband and co-author Dr. Mike Litrel and their two sons. Ann can be reached at Ann@annlitrel.com. Dee Locklin is a Georgia State University retiree who moved to Towne Lake in 1998 with her beloved husband Lewis, now deceased, and their only son Taylor, who now lives and works in Sandy Springs. Dee joined the TowneLaker as a contributing writer in 2011 and spends much of her time catering to two pampered American Eskimo dogs, Lea and Gidget.

Joe Lemmo is an English teacher and comedian who has taught in Cherokee County since 2000. He performs improv comedy in and around Atlanta. He lives in Woodstock with his wife Justine, his son Beethoven and his cat, Wasabi.

Lynne Saunders is the founder and executive director of Papa’s Pantry and The Master’s Training Center. Her employment classes are based on a book she wrote, “21st Century Keys to Employment.” Lynne has been married to Bill for 33 years and has three grown daughters and five grandchildren.

Publisher Aroundabout Local Media, Inc. ALM President Patty Ponder 770-615-3322 Patty@AroundAboutMagazines.com Executive Editor Candi Hannigan 770-615-3309 Candi@AroundAboutMagazines.com Managing Editor Jackie Loudin 770-615-3318 Jackie@AroundAboutMagazines.com Art Director Michelle McCulloch 770-615-3307 Michelle@AroundAboutMagazines.com Page Designer Laura Latchford Laura@AroundAboutMagazines.com Controller Denise Griffin 770-615-3315 Denise@AroundAboutMagazines.com Market Support Associate Christie Deese Christie@AroundAboutMagazines.com Copy Editors Bill King, Eliza Somers

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 and surrounding area by providing its residents with positive stories and timely information. It distributes a total of 16,400 free copies. Approximately 15,100 are direct mailed to homes and businesses and an additional 1,300 are placed in racks around the community. It also has 2,000+ digital viewers of the magazine online each month. TowneLaker welcomes your comments, stories, and advertisements. Editorial deadline is the 1st and advertising deadline is the 5th of the previous month. Subscriptions are available for $24 per year. Send check or money order to the address below. 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. 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. All rights reserved. © Copyright 2018. TowneLaker PMB 380 1025 Rose Creek Drive, Suite 620, Woodstock, GA 30189 For Advertising: Patty Ponder, 770-615-3322 Website: www.townelaker.com Volume 23, Issue 12

America’s Community Magazine TOWNELAKER | April 2018

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

COMMUNITY

YOUR LOCAL NEWS

Elm Street Has New Associate Artistic Director Elm Street Cultural Arts Village (ESCAV) has promoted Siobhan Brumbelow to associate artistic director, a position in which she will focus on the quality of productions at ESCAV, helping the organization grow artistically. Brumbelow began working with the organization when it was the Towne Lake Arts Center. In 2015, she was named education manager. The goal of this new position is to bring the productions at Elm Street to the next level, acquiring a nearly professional level of performance within the community, ultimately contributing to Elm Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall artistic growth. Siobhan Brumbelow Elm Street Cultural Arts Village was established in 2010, when the Towne Lake Arts Center relocated from Bells Ferry Road to downtown Woodstock after acquiring a fouracre lot that houses the historic Reeves House. The city of Woodstock bought the former site of Woodstock First Baptist Church and asked Elm Street to continue its role as a performing arts center within the space. Elm Street currently incorporates culinary arts, visual arts and accommodates local performance groups and special events with their expanding facilities. www.elmstreetarts.org.

Meet the Candidates, Enjoy Homemade Ice Cream The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a candidate forum at 6 p.m. May 1 at Cagleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Farm, 5267 Conns Creek Road in Ball Ground. All local, state and national candidates running for office in 2018 are invited. Each candidate with opposition will have a chance to speak. Candidates with no opposition will be introduced. Questions from the audience will follow. Homemade ice cream will be served by Boy Scout Troop 465. Soft drinks, water and peanuts will be provided by the Cherokee County Farm Bureau. www.cherokeechamber.com.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Foundation Names Woodstock Tree City USA For the 18th year, Woodstock was named a 2017 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. Woodstock earned the recognition by meeting the program's four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. "Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community firsthand," said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it's through volunteer engagement or public education." For more information, visit www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

YOUR LOCAL NEWS Woodstock Employee Earns Notable Certification Woodstock Special Events Coordinator Marybeth Stockdale is now a certified park and recreation professional (CPRP), ranking her among 5,000 other CPRPs in the field today. The certification process is done through the National Recreation and Park Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated Marybeth Stockdale to the advancement of public parks, recreation and conversation. “The CPRP certification is the national standard for all parks and recreation professionals who want to be at the forefront of their profession. Attaining the CPRP designation shows that Marybeth has met education and experience qualifications, and illustrates her commitment to the profession as well as her knowledge and understanding of key concepts within the field of parks and recreation” said Preston Pooser, Woodstock’s parks and recreation director. Pooser also is a certified park and recreation executive. Woodstock’s Parks and Recreation Department hosts a variety of special events year-round. From concerts in Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater, to ceremonies in the Park at City Center, to holiday parades and festivals, there's always something happening for the entire family. For more information, visit www.woodstockparksandrec.com.

Music Mondays In May There’s a fun musical opportunity in Woodstock each Monday in May, thanks to the Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department. The idea is to offer a cure for the Monday blues. "Woodstock has demonstrated its love for music any time of day or year," Director of Parks and Recreation Preston Pooser said. "We already have a beautiful venue and we felt like a spring picnic with great music would be just the thing for Woodstock." Every Monday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., residents are invited to come to the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater, bring a picnic lunch, and enjoy the music. A DJ will play music from different decades: April 30, At the Hop! (1950s); May 7, Peace, Man (1960s); May 14, Rock is Dead? (1970s), and May 21, Questionable Hairstyles (1980s). For more details, contact Jamey Snyder at jsnyder@woodstockga.gov.

Rock Concert Benefits Homeless Veteran Organizations An April 7 rock concert at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater gives local residents a chance to enjoy a show and help homeless veterans. The Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program and the Veterans Empowerment Organization (VEO) are hosting the 4-8 p.m. event, which also will feature food trucks, concessions and adult beverages. Three local bands playing at the event are Misty Eyed, Roadside Silhouettes and Abide by Lies. “The concert has been named the Ghost Army Fest by the organizations that represent the over 3,000 homeless veterans that exist in the state of Georgia, that you know are there but you do not see”, said Dan Valentine, director of development and communications for VEO of Georgia. At the concert, a pivotal scene of the feature film “Charlie’s Christmas Wish” will be filmed. The film stars Dirk Benedict, Richard Tyson and Toni Hudson. The movie is being filmed in and around Canton, Woodstock, Jasper and Newnan, and will be released to 1,000 theaters in time for Veterans Day 2018. The film is produced by Blue Heron Films and Jill Frost Films of Canton. Producers are Sue Ann Taylor and Toni Hudson; the story was written by Sue Ann Taylor. For tickets, visit https://ghostarmyfest.eventbrite.com. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors over age 60 and veterans, and $7 for children.

A Touch of France in July: Host a French Student for 20 Days Cherokee County families can host a teen student from France July 6-26. Twenty French teens, ages 14-18, who speak English and are from professional French families, need American host families who will provide room and board, hospitality and friendship (host families are compensated). The teens, who come from Paris to Provence, want to experience American life firsthand, and they will have spending money for expenses outside of the home. Linda Farmer, a retired French teacher, and a French chaperone oversee the program, which is sponsored by Paris-based Loisirs Culturels à l'étranger. For more information, contact Linda Farmer at lgfarmer@aol.com or 770-973-2452. www.lec-usa.com. 2016 host mother Jennifer Fisher and her children Kate and Cole meeting French teen Clémence at the airport. 10

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

HEART ATTACK AT 50. 10K AT 51.

When you come into the ER at Northside Hospital Cherokee with a heart problem, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be treated three times faster than the national average. We built a hospital for you with a seamless team of board certified cardiologists, nurses and staff. Whatever it takes, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make you better and get you back in the race. For information visit Northside.com/Cherokee-Heart. TOWNELAKER | April 2018

YOUR LOCAL NEWS Gunter Becomes First to Receive Degree Firefighter Jacob Gunter is the first Cherokee County Fire paramedic to earn an associate degree from Chattahoochee Technical College through a partnership agreement with the school and the county. Gunter works at the Oak Grove Fire Station and lives in the Canton-Holly Springs area with his wife of two years. Gunter enrolled in the 2017 fall semester and graduated in January. He has plans to continue his education by earning a bachelor’s degree. Cherokee County Fire Chief Tim Prather congratulated Gunter for taking advantage of the credits the paramedic training program is receiving from the college. Tim Prather presents Jacob Gunter with a letter of commendation.

Centennial Farm Award Available to Farmers Most Georgians are several generations removed from their family farm, but many can trace their family history back to a farm and may have relatives still farming the family home place. The Cherokee County Farm Bureau encourages owners of farms continuously operating for 100 years or more to apply to be recognized by the Georgia Centennial Farm Program. “Farms play an important role in Georgia history, as they formed the economic, family and cultural foundation for many Georgia communities,” Cherokee County Farm Bureau President William Grizzle said. “Since farmers make up only about 1 percent of our country’s population, a farm that has been in operation for at least 100 years deserves the recognition the Georgia Centennial Farm Program offers. It represents the sustainability and continued growth of some of Georgia’s oldest farms.” Applications must be postmarked by May 1. To apply, visit http://georgiashpo.org/ centennialfarms or contact Sara Love at 770-389-7856 or sara.love@dnr.ga.gov.

Offer Your Opinion on Woodstock’s 2018 Plan Local residents will have the opportunity to give their opinions on Woodstock’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan during the last of a series of three community meetings, set for 6-8 p.m. April 12. The gathering will be held at the Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main St. Participants will be able to review the draft recommendations and offer comments before the plan is finalized.

Local Scout Presents Report to Georgia’s Governor During the 16th annual Boy Scout Day at the Georgia State Capitol, Henry Fornuto of Woodstock presented “The State of Scouting in Georgia” to Gov. Nathan Deal in a private meeting in the governor’s office. Henry was chosen by the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America for his service to his troop and community. Here are a few key points from the report: • The state of scouting in Georgia and in the Atlanta area in particular is very strong. • There were 50,438 Cub Scouts in Georgia (19,853 in the Atlanta Area Council) in 2017. • There were 21,720 Boy Scouts in Georgia (9,328 in the Atlanta Area Council) in 2017. • 1,550 Georgia Boy Scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2017; 644 of these Eagle Scouts (42 percent) came from the Atlanta Area Council. • Eagle projects accounted for 216,291 service hours to the community across the state of Georgia. After the presentation, the two joked about the fact that Gov. Deal's scouting career ended at Cub Scouts. Henry is a Life Scout in Troop 641 in Woodstock, which is chartered through the Bascomb-Carmel Gov. Nathan Deal with Henry Fornuto and Trey Rhodes, the governor’s floor leader. United Methodist Church. 12

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

s Readers’ Choice Awards Readers’ Ch ards Readers’ Choice Awards Readers’

And the winners are… Congratulations to our 2018 Reader’s Choice winners! We are excited to celebrate you, and the contributions you make to our community. We know you’re proud and ready to announce your success.

We have prepared a few items to help you celebrate:

1. Window cling. 2. PDF certificate you can print and display. 3. A digital image to celebrate your win on your website, Facebook page or other social media outlets. If you’d like to receive these items, send the following information to readerschoice@aroundaboutmagazines.com: • Business name and mailing address. • Contact person’s email address and phone number. It’s essential for us to have your contact information. We need your mailing address to send you the window cling. We will email the certificate when you send us your email address. If we don’t hear from you, we won’t be able to contact you. Another way to share your good news - and thank the community for voting for you - is through a Thank You ad. For more information about a Thank You ad in TowneLaker, please contact Patty@aroundaboutmagazines.com.

Restaurants

Retailers

American: Century House Tavern

Animal/Pet Supplies: PetSmart, Woodstock

Asian: Izumi Asian Bistro

Bicycle Sales: Sixes Pit

Barbecue: J.D.'s Bar-B-Que

Boutique: Branches

Breakfast: J. Christopher's

Consignment Store: Urban Renewal, Woodstock

Coffee Shop: Copper Coin

Florist: Brenda's House of Flowers

Dessert: TIE: Alpine Bakery and Smallcakes a Cupcakery

Garden Center/Nursery: Pike Nurseries, Towne Lake

Fine Dining: Century House Tavern

Gifts/Home Décor: Woodstock Market

Italian: TIE: Ipp's Pastaria and Bar and Tuscany Italian

Jeweler: Art Jewelers

Restaurant

Liquor Store: Bullock's Wine and Spirits

Kid Friendly: Chick-fil-A, Towne Lake

Pharmacy: Kroger Pharmacy, Towne Lake

Mexican: La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant

Specialty Foods: Sprouts Farmers Market

Pizzeria: Mellow Mushroom

Thrift Store: No Longer Bound Thrift Store

Seafood: Reel

Tires: Kauffman Tire, Eagle Drive

Readers’ Choice Awards Readers’ Ch 14

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

oice Awards Readers’ Choice Awards Choice Awards Readers’ Choice Awar Services Accountant: Paragon Accounting and Tax Solutions

Home Improvement/Repair: Three Brothers Painting, Inc.

Adult Day Care/Respite: Lotus Adult Day Care

Insurance: Insurance Group of the Southeast

Attorney: Limbocker Law Firm

Interior Design: Pineapple Park

Audiologist: North Georgia Audiology and Hearing Aide Center

Landscaping/Lawn Care: Red Oak Design and Landscape

Automotive: Mike the Mechanic, Towne Lake

Mortgage Lending: Credit Union of Georgia

Bakery: Alpine Bakery

Music Lessons: Ken Stanton Music, Woodstock

Bank/Credit Union: Credit Union of Georgia

Nail Salon: Big Apple Nails

Barber Shop: Dave's

Obstetrician/Gynecologist: Cherokee Women's Health

Business Support: Big Blue Z Cardiology: WellStar Medical Group Cardiovascular Medicine Carwash: Towne Lake's Car Wash and Detail Chiropractor: Ribley Chiropractic

Specialists

Optometrist/Ophthalmologist: Thomas Eye Group Orthodontist: Williams Orthodontics Orthopedics/Sports Medicine: Resurgens Orthopaedics, Towne Lake Parkway

Counseling: Hillside Counseling Center

Pediatric Dentist: Park Pediatric Dentistry

Day Care/Preschool: Hillside United Methodist Church Preschool

Pediatrician: Northside Pediatrics

Day Spa: Salon and Spa Venéssa

Pest Control: Dyno Pest Service

Dentist: Baird and Baird Family Dentistry

Pet Grooming/Boarding: Animal Hospital of Towne Lake

Dog Training: Ironclad K9 Academy

Photographer: Brittany Weir Photography

ENT/Allergy Center: Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy Specialist, Canton

Physical Therapist: Rebound Physical Therapy

Financial Adviser: J. Thompson Ross Investments

Plastic Surgery: Marietta Plastic Surgery

Funeral Home: Woodstock Funeral Home Gastroenterologist: Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates General Practitioner: TIE: Towne Lake Primary Care and Wellstar Medical Group, Towne Lake Hair Salon: Salon Gloss and Spa Health/Fitness: LA Fitness, Towne Lake Home Cleaning: Molly Maid of Cherokee County, Kennesaw and

Acworth

Podiatry: Village Podiatry Centers, Buckhead Crossing Private School: Hillside Preschool and Academy Realtor: Ursula and Associates, Keller Williams Senior Living Facility: Camellia Place Surgeon: Northside Cherokee Surgical Associates Travel Agency: Katie Rosser Cruises Inc. Veterinarian: Animal Hospital of Towne Lake

Recreation and Entertainment Dance Studio: Steps Dance Center

Music Venue: MadLife Stage and Studios

Equestrian: Falcon Ridge Stables

Swim Lessons: Cherokee County Aquatic Center

Golf Course/Club: Eagle Watch Golf Club

Theater: Elm Street Cultural Arts Village

Gymnastics Center: World of Gymnastics and Cheer

hoice Awards Readers’ Choice Awards TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Celebrations!

Enrique Torres

Birthday No.15 on April 1 Happy birthday for our big man, we are so proud of you and God bless you always! Mom, Dad, Valerie and Nataly

Stella Fesperman

Age 3 on April 29 Happy birthday to our little Stella Bella! We love you to pieces! Mommy, Daddy, Emma, and Hannah

Cerise Richard

Happy Birthday, Colton!

Giulia

Becky Goforth

Age 10 on April 18 Happy Birthday Sister! Love Mom, Dad and Mister!

Age 13 on April 4 Happy birthday to our talented artist! We love you! Dad, Mom, Sophia and Stella

Age 3 on April 3 With lots of love from Mommy and Daddy.

Saanvi Lamba

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Cadence Palm

April 26 Celebrating 39, plus shipping and handling! You look mahvalous!

Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet granddaughter! We love you so much! Grandma & Grandpa Nystrom

Happy 10th birthday to our sunshine, Savannah.

Happy first birthday Hudson!

We love you. Love, Mama and Daddy. Age 7 on April 26 You make every day of every week so deliciously sweet, as only you can! Happy birthday, our dearest Saanvi! From: Papa, Mummy, Dada, Dadi, Veer and Baby.

Alden Hinkelmann

Happiest 13th Birthday Wishes! We love you bunches!

We love you SO MUCH! Mommy and Daddy

Paige Henney

ONE on April 14 Happy First Birthday to our beautiful, wonderful, perfect little girl! Mommy and Daddy love you so much sweet pea!

ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE FREE! E-mail to: Jackie@AroundaboutMagazines.com May deadline is April 10. Please specify TowneLaker.

A difference you can see. TOTAL EYE CARE

Specializing in: Cataracts, Retina, Glaucoma, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Cornea, LASIK and Cosmetic Services Eyewear and contact lenses for all ages

Mark Berman, M.D. Jerry Berland, M.D. Paul Kaufman, M.D. Glaucoma and Pediatric Ophthalmology Retina and Cataract Surgery and Strabismus Vitreous Surgery

Lakhvir Singh, O.D. Comprehensive Optometry

Woodstock

149 Towne Lake Pkwy., Suite 102 - Woodstock, GA 30188

770.928.4544

www.thomaseye.com TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Dr. Larissa Chismar graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University. Dr. Chismar attended and graduated from medical school and completed her dermatology residency at the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She subsequently completed a dermatopathology fellowship at the same school, and practiced in that dermatologic field for two years at one of the largest dermatopathology practices in Atlanta, prior to joining Atlanta North Dermatology. Dr. Chismar is fully board certified by the American Board of Dermatology in both dermatology and dermatopathology. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and is a member of the Atlanta Association for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery and the Georgia Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. She is the author of multiple publications and has given presentations at local and national conferences. She specializes in general dermatology with an interest in medical dermatology. Dr. Chismar resides in metro-Atlanta with her husband, a professional musician with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and their son.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Sponsored Content

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Helpful tips so your family can make a difference. BY JESSICA PORTER

Earth Day 2018 is almost here. Fun fact: “Going green” doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some tips to help your family get started on its way to feeling good about its small carbon footprint before Earth Day arrives. All it takes are several minor changes to make a really big difference.

Inside the home.

• Recycle curbside: clean plastics, paper/cardboards and aluminum/tin cans. • Turn off your computer/monitor at the end of the day. • Clean your refrigerator coils. Vacuum out the dust and wipe with a damp cloth. • Use cloth napkins at dinner. • Run the clothes washer/dishwasher with full loads. • Keep your freezer full. A full freezer runs more efficiently than an empty one. Fill milk jugs with water and freeze them to take up empty freezer space, then use the frozen jugs for coolers instead of having to buy ice in bulk for parties. • Pay your bills online and opt for paperless billing. • Upgrade to a programmable thermostat, so you don’t heat or cool your home while you’re not there, and wear an extra sweater or use a blanket before you resort to turning on (or up) the heat. These thermostats can pay for themselves in less than three years, and you can program them from your phone when you’re away from home.

Outside the home.

• Support green businesses. • Rent a hybrid car on a road trip. • Purchase cloth or canvas grocery bags and return all plastic bags to the store. • Get the junk out of your trunk. Extra weight in your car decreases fuel efficiency.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

• Take your own mug to the coffee shop. Some shops offer discounts when you do. • Invest in an insulated lunch bag and food containers for work or school. • Make a habit of carrying a reusable water bottle. Buy one with a built-in filter to avoid tap water, if that's important to you. • Get out your rake and leave your leaf blower in the garage. This will cut down on emissions (not to mention give you a good workout). The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce will host an Earth Day recycling event on April 20, 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m., at 3605 Marietta Highway, Canton, rain or shine. This event is held in partnership with Cobb EMC, and is supported by Next Step Ministries, Autumn Hill Nursery, Safe Kids- Cherokee County, Premier Surplus and Georgia Document Destruction. Collections will include: aluminum/tin cans, used gardening pots/containers, car seats and electronics. Document destruction will be available; however, shredding is limited to six archivesize boxes. All recycling is free except for a nominal charge for televisions and monitors. Flat screen televisions and flat screen monitors will be recycled at no charge. For more information on this event, and other green tips, please visit CherokeeChamber.com or call 770-345-0400. The mission of the Cherokee County Chamber, a Georgia certified chamber of commerce, is to promote business and the community while expanding the economy and enhancing the quality of life.

Jessica Porter is a business and consumer services specialist with the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. She is responsible for newcomer assistance, community data and events, and the Going Green program. Jessica@cherokeechamber.com.

The 3 “Rs” • Reduce. Limit the amount of waste

you dispose of by being conscious and aware of what happens with the item after you use it. Implement good habits by using reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags and email documents to yourself or save them to your hard drive instead of printing.

• Reuse. Items can be used for other

Recycling Guide The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce provided this information to help get your family started on the green path. For more information or support, call 770-345-0400 or visit www.CherokeeChamber.com.

Reduce

Chadwick Landfill

purposes. Have a yard sale. It’s not all trash. Donate clothes, furniture, cookware, book, etc., to thrift stores. Each of these examples cut back the amount of material in the waste stream.

13700 Chadwick Farm Blvd., Roswell 770-475-9868

• Recycle. Divert items away from

Dixie Landfill

Cherokee C & D Landfill

6285 Ball Ground Highway, Ball Ground 770-479-1083

NLB Thrift Store

1910 Eagle Drive, Woodstock 678-679-1172

Salvation Army Thrift Store and Service Center 121 Waleska St., Canton 770-720-4316

C.C. Humane Society Thrift Store

landfills and make them available to manufacturers who can produce new products out of them. This process saves energy, raw materials, water and reduces the amount of pollution in the air.

150 Dixie Drive, Woodstock 770-924-6110

Recycle

Be a part of the cycle. Buy products made of recycled materials because you know they have conserved resources. All of this contributes to a better quality of life.

8880 Old Federal Road, Ball Ground 770-781-2721

L & H Inert Landfill

520 Fairview Road, Ball Ground

100 Pea Ridge Road, Canton 770-442-3901

Pine Bluff Landfill

Cherokee Recycling Center

Whitestone Valley Landfill C & D

City of Canton

Reuse

City of Holly Springs Fire Station

Green Facts • Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic

bottles every hour. • Each square mile of ocean is estimated to have 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it. • Turning down your thermostat by one degree can cut 8 percent off your fuel bill. • Every three months, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the nation’s commercial air fleet. • Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours. • Aluminum cans are able to be recycled using less than 5 percent of the energy used to make the original product. • The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. • Recycling a glass bottle also causes 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials. • The amount of wood and paper Americans throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.

Eagle Point Landfill

13809 E. Cherokee Drive, Ball Ground 770-479-2936 1714 Old Whitestone Road, E., Talking Rock 706-253-3300

Goodwill Store

1750 Marietta Hwy., Canton

Goodwill Store

2850 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton 770-479-6300

Goodwill Store

9425 Hwy. 92, Woodstock

Goodwill Donation Site

5900 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth 770-592-8072

Autumn Hill Nursery, Inc.

470 Blalock Road, Canton 770-516-4195 151 Elizabeth St., Canton Household recyclables

100 Hickory Circle, Canton Household recyclables

Hobgood Park

6688 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock 770-516-4195

Georgia Document Destruction, Inc.

Goodwill Donation Site

606 Industrial Court, Woodstock, 770-516-6500 GADocumentDestruction.com

Goodwill Donation Site

Call2Recycle.org 877-273-2925

150 Prominence Point Pkwy, Canton Bells Ferry Road at Hobgood Park, Woodstock 8014 Cumming Hwy., Canton

Bethany Boutique

Merismos Ministries Inc. 8024 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton 700-479-9462

M.U.S.T. Ministries

Call2Recycle

Premier Surplus

12 Asset Recycling Way, Dawsonville 706-403-0886

Woodstock Recycling

111 Dixie Drive, Woodstock 678-494-0325

111 Brown Industrial Pkwy., Canton 770-479-5397 TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Bus Tracking System Gives Parents Peace of Mind PROVIDED BY THE CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Earlier this school year, the transportation department of the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) began testing the Versatrans My Stop system with selected parents. On March 5, the system was expanded to include Arnold Mill Elementary, Johnston Elementary and Mill Creek Middle schools. The goal is to expand access to the system to all parents of Cherokee County students at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. My Stop offers parents the ability to track their child’s school bus through the school district’s website or the Versatrans My Stop mobile app. The GPS-based system shows parents the location of their child’s bus on a map of its route for 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival at the bus stop, both in the morning and in the afternoon. The system also alerts parents as to how many minutes away the bus is from the stop, which provides an even more accurate report than the map image. “Providing real-time bus information to parents is an important service we have worked toward for the past two years,” Superintendent of Schools Brian V. Hightower said. “Knowing whether a bus is on schedule gives parents the option of keeping their children indoors as long as possible on cold mornings and eliminates the worry that comes with not knowing where the bus is when it’s running late. We appreciate the work our transportation department and office of school operations have put into this project to better serve our students and families.” Schools will have access to an “arrival board” online, similar to screens at airports, so staff members will have complete and accurate information about all buses. The My Stop system will improve efficiency by providing parents with the most timely information possible, and by eliminating the need for school staff to prepare and send notifications to parents if a bus is delayed. Only parents will have access to the route for their child’s home address, and access to the system’s tracking information is limited to the 15-minute window before their child is scheduled to be picked up from the stop in the morning or dropped off at the stop in the afternoon. Access to accounts only can be set up by parents who have their child’s student ID number. Only parents with children at one of the three pilot schools were given access to the system beginning March 1, and they are able to see information for their children’s routes at those schools. Parents of children who attend the pilot schools have been given additional information and can contact the office of their child’s school with questions. More information will be shared with all parents prior to the start of next school year. 28

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

What parents have to say about the new system: “We especially appreciate the My Stop app on cold or rainy mornings, so that we are not outside for too long in poor weather. Also, since we have young children, the app helps us to know when the bus will arrive in the afternoon, so we can be outside.” — Chris Saxon CCSD Supervisor of Technology Field Services “As a parent of a special needs middle school student, I find it can be difficult to keep them (or any middle school student, for that matter) focused and on task to get them to the bus stop in a timely fashion. This app is a visual reminder for them to keep on track and get them out the door. This has helped my child develop the skills to manage their time more effectively.” — Eric Garland CCSD Transportation Specialist “We are unable to see the bus stop from our house. My son has been testing this application since the beginning of the school year, and he has never missed the bus. My Stop was able to cut his wait time on a day when there was a substitute bus driver. We were able to see the number of the substitute bus and get an estimated time of arrival to our bus stop. Having the ability to get this information is especially good on rainy and cold school days.” — Chris Blalock CCSD Transportation Specialist

New Boutique

Left, Brittney with mom Betsy. Brittney and Remi at the boutique.

a Stepping Stone to Recovery

PHOTOS BY REBEKAH GREGG

he newest boutique to open in Woodstock is a labor of love and a legacy for a very special woman. Brittney Bond founded Queen B’s Boutique and Studio to showcase her jewelry creations, a skill she honed while coming to terms with the death of her mother, Betsy Blevins. It has been three years since Brittney’s mother was diagnosed with ALS. Brittney’s initial reaction was to dive into fundraising, creating a walk team called Betsy Rocks to participate in the annual ALS Association of Atlanta’s fundraiser. Her dad, Brett, began researching alternative medicines around the world, from Egypt to China. It was the only way the two knew to cope with the devastating diagnosis they knew would claim the life of their beloved mother and wife. Betsy fought a valiant battle, rallying strength to participate with Team Betsy Rocks during a fundraiser in 2016. She had lost her ability to speak at that point, but sheer willpower helped her cross the finish line. In February 2017, Betsy passed away and Brittney was crushed. “Being an only child, my mother was everything to me. Although I knew her death was coming, it was devastating. I couldn’t get my act together to do any fundraising or even think about the disease for months. In October 2017, the kids were out of school and bored, so we decided to make some bracelets and necklaces for their teachers,” Brittney said. “Then my stepdaughter said I really think you could sell this, I said ‘No way’ ... She put a photo on instagram and it sold in 15 minutes. I started making more pieces honestly as therapy. Then it came to me one night, Mom LOVED jewelry, so what if this is my fundraiser? My way of keeping her memory alive and raising money and awareness at the same time? With that, Betsy Rocks was born, and it has been full steam ahead ever since!” A portion of each purchase will be given to the ALS Association of Georgia in memory of Betsy. Queen B jewelry is handmade with materials that range from leather and wine corks to semi-precious stones, and everything in between. Brittney takes custom orders based on a description or a photo of something the client has in mind. She has created jewelry for wedding parties to sports teams. Her latest venture was dressing a fashion show in Florida last month. Prices range from $20 to a couple hundred dollars, depending on materials. Brittney will offer a studio for other artists to display their works, if they also are donating a portion of proceeds to a charity. Other plans include hosting jewelry-making classes for adults and children, and adding clothing items to the boutique. During the 18-month period following Betsy’s diagnosis, Team Betsy Rocks raised more than $80,000 with the help of family, friends and the community.

Queen B’s Boutique & Studio 8950 Main St., Suite 100, Woodstock 30188 • 770-380-6794 www.BetsyRocks.jewelry Queen B’s Boutique - Home of Betsy Rocks Jewelry shopbetsyrocks Sponsored Content

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Benefits of an Online Social Security Account DON AKRIDGE, MBA, CFP®, CPA/PFS U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN – EMORY UNIVERSITY ALUMNUS

Could your personal information soon be stolen? The possibility cannot be dismissed. Sensitive financial and medical data pertaining to your life may not be as safe as you think, and thieves may turn to a vast resource to try and mine it — the Social Security Administration. By monitoring your Social Security profile, you may help to thwart fraud. Consider three facts, which, in combination, seem especially troubling. One, Social Security’s databases contain sensitive personal information on hundreds of millions of Americans, both living and dead. Two, more than 34 million Americans interact with the SSA online. Three, nearly 100 percent of Social Security benefits are disbursed electronically.1 The more you reflect on all this, the more you realize that cybercrooks could take advantage of you by creating a bogus online Social Security account in your name, in order to steal your benefits and/or your personal data. Creating and maintaining a MySSA account may lessen the threat. Last year, Social Security advised all current and future benefit recipients to set up and actively use an online profile. The agency’s blog noted that this simple move could “take away the risk of someone else trying to create [an account] in your name, even if they obtain your Social Security number.” This is a case where you want to be first rather than second.1 Setting up a MySSA account is easy; the first step is to visit ssa.gov. Whether you have an existing account or not, you will want to review your mailing address, date of birth and other essential pieces of information. If they are not correct, they demand attention. Are you working full time in your late 60s? Then, be vigilant. If you have reached full retirement age (66 or 67) without filing for retirement benefits, your Social Security profile may be especially tantalizing to a cyberthief. In this circumstance,

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

you are eligible to receive up to six months of benefits retroactively, as a lump sum. That could mean a payday of more than $10,000 for a criminal who assumes your identity.2 Make no mistake, cybercrooks have exploited Social Security accounts. While the SSA told Reuters this year that the incidence of fraud is “very rare,” a 2016 audit by the Office of the Inspector General found that, during 2013, around $20 million in Social Security payments were directed to the wrong parties. That swindling involved about 12,200 MySSA accounts — less than 2 percent of the total in 2013, but certainly enough to raise eyebrows.1, 2 The SSA tightened authentication standards in 2017. It added security codes to help certify the legitimacy of MySSA account users. It regularly analyzes MySSA transactions for fraud.1 What should you do if you suspect fraud? If you log in and it appears your monthly benefit has not been sent to you, contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or call your local SSA field office. In addition, you can activate the “Block Electronic Access” option on your MySSA account; that will prevent anyone, you included, from accessing your Social Security records via computer or phone. Electronic access is only restored when you get in touch with Social Security to confirm your identity.1 Establish an online Social Security account and keep checking it. In logging on regularly, you may do your part to help the SSA detect and ward off criminals who could use your identity to collect or file for benefits.

continued on page 92

Don Akridge is president of Citadel Professional Services, LLC, an independent firm, founded in 1994 and conveniently located off Chastain Road between I-575 & I-75 in Kennesaw. 770-952-6707.

From the Simplest to the Most Complex Vascular Care. Northside Vascular Surgery is a full-service vascular surgery and endovascular therapy practice that specifically focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the veins and arteries.

Northside Vascular Surgery offers state-of-the-art care in providing the full-spectrum of vascular and endovascular services for:

Our compassionate, board-certified physicians, Dr. Catalin Harbuzariu, Dr. Siddharth Patel, and Dr. Edward Kang bring years of experience working at some of the leading institutions in the field, and offer minimally-invasive, state-of-the-art procedures to treat the entire scope of vascular diseases, from the simplest to the most complex. We offer three convenient locations to serve the communities throughout Greater Atlanta and North Georgia.

• Carotid Disease

• Aortic Aneurysms • Peripheral Artery Disease • Renal and Mesenteric Disease • Venous Disease • Dialysis Access • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

(770) 292-3490 • NVS-GA.com 980 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 1040 Atlanta, GA 30342

460 Northside Cherokee Blvd., Suite 100 Canton, GA 30115

1505 Northside Blvd., Suite 2400 Cumming, GA 30041

www.northside.com

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Guide to Cherokee County

Races & More

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that time of year! Time to lace up your running shoes and hit the road. May 12 Whether you want to challenge yourself with your first 5K or you are training for Sixth annual SuperHero 5K and Fun Run at Etowah River Park in Canton. Every the Peachtree Road Race, this guide to local runs will help you meet your goal.

April 14

Battle of Blankets Creek Trail Run (5- and 10-mile run) and Dirty 15/30 Mile Mountain Bike Race (15- and

30-mile tracks). Benefiting SORBA Woodstock on the Blankets Creek Trail System. Rolling terrain along Lake Allatoona at a family friendly venue. Postrace snacks, music, and medals to the top three in each age group. Free race for ages 10 and under. mountaingoatadventures.com.

Street Dog Dash 5K at Etowah River Park in Canton. Race day registration and packet pickup begins at 7 a.m. Race starts at 8 a.m. Participants are invited to bring their dogs to walk/run with them as long as the animals are vaccinated, leashed, non-aggressive and in good physical condition. There is a $5 fee for dogs to participate. Proceeds go to funding educational programs and law changes fighting the dog meat trade in Asia. Part of the proceeds will be given to local animal shelters. For more information, visit www.streetdogdash5K.com.

April 21

Third annual Love Peru Fun Run and 5K at Etowah River Park in Canton. Race day registration and packet pickup begins at 7 a.m., fun run starts at 8 a.m. and 5K at 8:30 a.m. Awards will be given in standard age groups beginning with 10 and younger to 70 and older. Refreshments provided. The race is part of the 2018 Black Bag Race Series. www.active.com. 32

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

April 21

Butcher to Butcher 5K is an evening race beginning at Liberty Elementary School and ending at the Butcher and the Bottle restaurant in Canton. The event includes a postrace festival with food, beer and live music. Walk-up registrations are welcomed during early packet pickup April 20 at the Corner Butcher Shop, or on race day at Liberty Elementary School from 5-6 p.m. Race begins at 6:30 p.m. Each registration includes BBQ sandwich and beer (21 and older only; must show ID), or soft drink. For more information email kbishop@ csaimpact.com or visit www.butcher2butcher5k.org or www.active.com.

April 27

March of Dimes March for Babies.

Registration 5:30 p.m., walk begins at 7 p.m. at 113 Elm St. in downtown Woodstock. www.marchforbabies.org/ EventInfo/?EventID=18980.

May 5

The Second annual Three-Toed Trot will be held at the Etowah River Park in Canton with all proceeds benefiting the Etowah Valley Humane Society. Runners are encouraged to bring their dogs (must be on a leash). Race day packet pickup is 7-7:45 a.m. 5K starts at 8 a.m. with awards at 8:45 a.m. Etowah Valley Humane Society was founded in 1996 as an adoption outlet for animals found by animal control, and exists to prevent cruelty and provide humane treatment to animals. The societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main goal is to find permanent homes for deserving animals. www.active.com.

child needs a hero, but abused kids need superheros, so put on your cape and run, walk, fly, hop, skip, crawl or cartwheel across the finish line. Race day registration and packet pickup begins at 7 a.m., Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. and 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. The course starts and finishes at Etowah River Park, and races will be on the paved trails of Etowah River Park and Heritage Park. The school with the most participation receives $1,000 and the school with second most participation receives $500. Refreshments and an afterparty with food, entertainment, face painters and bounce house, as well as awards for the best traditional costume, most original, and best family/team costumes. www.active.com.

May 26

The annual Holly Springs Memorial Day 5K and 1K Fun Run will start at Holly Springs Elementary School, 1965 Hickory Road, continue on paved streets in nearby neighborhoods then finish at Barrett Park, 120 Park Lane. Race day registration and packet pickup begins at 7 a.m. at Holly Springs Elementary School. 5K starts at 8 a.m. at the school and the fun run, for ages 12 and younger, starts at 9 a.m. in Barrett Park. Afterrace awards and refreshments. Each year, the city chooses to donate race proceeds to a local charity. This year, all proceeds will go to the L.R. Tippens Education Center. For more information, contact Erin Honea at 770-3455536, ehonea@hollyspringsga.us or visit www.hollyspringsga.us/memorialday5k.

Sutallee Trace Trail Challenge Trail Run.

4.5- and 10.5-mile trail runs on the Boling Park Etowah Trail System benefiting Boy Scout Troop 241. Postrace snacks, music and medals to the top three finishers in each age group. Kids 10 and younger race for free. http:// mountaingoatadventures.com/sutallee.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Around & About APRIL

Cutting Gardens 101 starts at 10 a.m.

at Hickory Flat Library, 2740 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton. Presented by the UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteers of Cherokee County, the seminar will include information on what to grow to have a steady supply of blooms for multiple seasons. To register, call 770-721-7803 or email uge1057@uga.edu.

Ghost Army Fest is set for 4-8 p.m. at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater in Woodstock. The rock concert fundraiser benefits Veterans Empowerment Organization and the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program. Tickets are $7-$15 for the four-hour event. Food and beer trucks will be on-site. Attendees have a chance to be part of a movie being produced locally about a rescue dog and a homeless veteran, which will be filmed during the concert. Register at www.eventbrite.com.

Multi-Station Charity Sporting Clay Shoot at Garland Mountain,

2618 Garland Mountain Trail, Waleska. Fundraiser for Bend Your Knees, a pediatric brain tumor awareness nonprofit. 8 a.m. arrival and practice time, shooting begins at 9, followed by lunch and awards at 1 p.m. Carts and shells included with registration. Cost is $150 for an individual shooter; includes 100 rounds of sporting clay targets, four boxes of ammunition, golf cart rental, 10 warm-up targets and lunch. For information, contact bdixon@bendyourknees.org.

Speakers Barrett and Jennifer Johnson of I.N.F.O. for Families will discuss the negative effects of pornography in marriage and how parents can help their children navigate our hyper-sexualized culture, 7-9 p.m. Childcare will be provided. Open to the community. More details at www.bpc.life.

Bog Gardening, 10 a.m. at the Senior 28 Services Center at 1001 Univeter

Road, Canton. A seminar presented by the UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteers of Cherokee County, covering which plants will thrive in this unique type of garden and add character and beauty to your landscape. To register, call 770-721-7803 or email uge1057@uga.edu.

The 12th annual Senior Extravaganza

in Cherokee, 10 a.m. 14 Gardening at the Hickory Flat Library, 2740 E.

Cherokee Drive, Canton. This is a seminar for folks new to gardening in this area. Presented by the UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteers of Cherokee County. To register, call 770-721-7803 or email uge1057@uga.edu.

Scouting for Food, 9 a.m.-noon, Wyngate

Subdivision. Troop 641 in Woodstock will be collecting donations of nonperishable food and personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, diapers, etc.) to help fill the shelves of a local food pantry. Scouts will be going door-to-door asking for donations, or residents can leave a bag of items outside their front door and identify it for the SFF program. 34

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

will run 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at First Baptist Church Woodstockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference Center, 11905 Highway 92. The free event is presented by Cherokee Triad S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together). More than 75 vendors will be on hand, representing assisted living and memory care facilities, hospitals, Cherokee 911, police and fire agencies and elder care attorneys. There will be health screenings; law enforcement canine demonstrations; and seminars on living prepared (peace of mind) legal planning, the ins and outs of Medicare, and how to protect your identity and recognize scam alerts. www.saltcherokee.com.

Gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plant Sale will run 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Senior Services Center, 1001 Univeter Road, Canton. Presented by the UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteers of Cherokee County. Plants include sun/shade plants, succulents, herbs and vegetables, plus bee homes, garden art and more.

COED @ THE CIRCUIT 1 Innovation Way, Woodstock 770.345.0600 www.cherokeega.org

1 Million Cups Cherokee (1MC CHK)

First and third Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m. First Wednesdays are held at The Circuit, third Wednesdays are held in different Cherokee County cities. The free, biweekly coffee gathering helps build startup communities on a grassroots level. Perfect for entrepreneurs looking to practice their pitch skills, gain valuable feedback, or belong to a community.

The Lunch Circuit

April 11, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at The Circuit. A monthly exclusive lunch gathering of both aspiring and current entrepreneurs to eat, build community and learn the stories behind successful Cherokee entrepreneurs. An event powered by Fresh Start Cherokee, hosted by Cherokee Office of Economic Development.

Woodstock WordPress Meet-Up

First and third Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at The Circuit. Local WordPress developers, designers and publishers get together to share knowledge and experience, and to meet other WordPress users in the area. Open to all who love WordPress.

Creative Problem Solvers Meet-Up

First and third Tuesdays, 7-8:30 a.m., at The Circuit. Join an innovative, diverse community of creative problem-solvers, entrepreneurs, wantrepreneurs and innovators dedicated to helping one another work through business challenges. Every other Tuesday, this group meets over doughnuts and coffee to dive deep into real issues from the community and give constructive, supportive feedback and actionable advice.

UNEXPECTED REPAIR BILLS NO MORE!

Get your next system from Reliable and NEVER pay for another heating or cooling repair again.

COOLING SYSTEM SPECIAL!

Doing it great since ‘78!

UP TO 5 TON HEATING & COOLING SYSTEM $99/MONTH

TRANE COOLING SYSTEM SPECIAL $69/MONTH

• Up to 5 TON TRANE complete system • No money down • No payments for 90 days • Lifetime repairs & maintenance included • Wifi thermostat included

• Up to 5 TON TRANE system • No money down • No payments for 90 days • Lifetime repairs & maintenance included • Wifi thermostat included

Call for details.

COMPLETE HEATING & COOLING SYSTEM

COMPLETE SYSTEM TUNE-UP

$3995 installed

$89 1ST SYSTEM $59 2ND SYSTEM

TRANE 2 ton A/C, cooling coil, 80% AFUE 60K furnace and programmable thermostat. 10 year parts warranty. Standard installation. Call for details. Cannot be combined with other offers. Cash, check, or credit card only. Expires 5/1/18.

24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE LICENSED, BONDED AND INSURED

INCLUDES 2 TON TRANE A/C AND COOLING COIL. 10 year parts warranty. Standard installation. Call for details. Cannot be combined with other offers. Cash, check or credit card only. Expires 5/1/18.

WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR FAIR PRICES 100% FINANCING AVAILABLE AND BAD CREDIT OK

$2895

INSTALLED

COMPLETE AIR DUCT CLEANING

WATER HEATER SPECIAL

$25 OFF

$1395 INSTALLED

Keep your home safe each season and save energy! Includes 1” pleated filter.

Camera inspection, high power vacuum, power whip all duct work, wash & scrub all HVAC grills & registers, blower & drain pan, 1” pleated filter, indoor evaporator coil, deodorize system.

Call for details. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 5/1/18.

Includes up to 5 ft. of flue & thermal expansion tank. Call for details. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 5/1/18.

RELIABLEAIR.COM

CALL/TEXT (770) 594-9969 TOWNELAKER | April 2018

MAY

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 3605 Marietta Highway, Canton 770-345-0400 www.cherokeechamber.com

2 at the Historic Train Depot, 164 Hickory Road. Bring

Holly Springs Job Fair is a free event, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.,

copies of your résumé, meet with potential employers and network with fellow job-seekers. Local businesses interested in participating in the fair should contact Donna Sanders at dsanders@hollyspringsga.us.

the Fourth Be With You, 7 p.m. at the 4 May Recreation Center, 7545 Main St., Building 200,

Woodstock. Bounce houses, photo booth, food trucks and a movie at dusk. Wear your costume! www.crpa.net.

W. Evans Memorial Golf Tournament at 5 Deane Bradshaw Farms. Proceeds go to a scholarship fund

April 5, May 3

Good Morning Cherokee Breakfast: 7 a.m. April sponsor is State Farm Jey Willis Insurance Agency, Inc., Synovus and LGE Community Credit Union. May sponsor is Northside Hospital Cherokee. Breakfast meetings offer current and future chamber members the opportunity to conduct business and network with more than 200 fellow business leaders. Held at the Cherokee County Conference Center, 1130 Bluffs Parkway in Canton. Register by emailing gini@cherokeechamber.com or online.

April 10

for one or more graduating seniors who plan to pursue a career in public safety or do other charitable work in his memory. For more information, visit www.deanememorial.com.

Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at BB&T, 936 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock. Cost: members, $5; future members, $10. Registration due April 6. Register online or email brandy@cherokeechamber.com.

The Cherokee Family Violence Center is sponsoring a polo fundraiser, Galloping Against Violence, at Chukkar Farms in Alpharetta. The afternoon includes food, drinks, polo and a silent auction. Individual event tickets are $50, tables for $400. For more details, visit www.cfvc.org.

Power Hour, 10-11 a.m., for fast-paced networking with fellow business

Cherokee County's Relay for Life will be held 6 p.m.-midnight at Woodstock High School.

“Angel Street,” a 11-13, 18-20 psychological thriller directed by Christi Whitney. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. All performances will be held at the Downtown Canton Theatre, 171 E. Main St., Canton.

April 12

leaders, takes place in the chamber board room. $5 for members, $10 future members, payable at the door, no advance registration required. Sponsor is Cobb EMC.

April 18

B.L.A.S.T.T. Workshop, "Grow Your Business Online with Google,” presented by Demming Bass; chamber marketing makeover. 9-11 p.m. at the chamber office. Cost: chamber members, $30; future members, $45. Register online or email brandy@cherokeechamber.com.

April 20

Earth Day Recycling Event, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The free event includes

electronic recycling, aluminum drink can collection and on-site document/ file destruction at the chamber office.

Sunrise kayak, 6:30–9 a.m. at Rope Mill Park, 18 690 Olde Rope Mill Park Road, Woodstock. Price

April 24

p.m. Featuring a program, lunch and door prizes to show appreciation to support staff members at the chamber office. Guest speaker is Taylor Scott of 104.7 The Fish. Sponsor is Woodstock Furniture Outlet.

includes a paddle followed by light refreshments. $35 per person. $15 if you bring your own equipment.

Bacon & Banjos: A Bluegrass & Bacon Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in downtown Woodstock

at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater. Admission is $5 at the gate. A portion of the funds will benefit the Woodstock Public Safety Foundation. There will be bluegrass music on the main stage all day, a bacon food festival, with items presented for judging, and a craftsman alley with rustic creations for sale. For more information on the event, sponsorships or vendor applications, contact Jamey Snyder at jsnyder@ woodstockga.gov. https://baconandbanjosga.com.

annual Canton Festival of the 19-20 15th Arts, 10 a.m.-5 p.m each day in Brown

Park, 270 E. Marietta St., Canton. The festival features the artist market, serenity garden, Jack Fincher rising artist area, kids zone, food court, beer, wine and entertainment. Admission is free, although a $5 donation per family is suggested. Free on-street parking is available or in the Cherokee County Courthouse parking deck located at 94 N. Main St. For more information, contact Festival Director Carolyn Morris, 404-966-8497 or cmorrisga@gmail.com. 36

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Administrative Professionals Appreciation Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1

April 26

Community Outreach Program: CPR/AED and First Aid Training. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Taught by a representative from the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. Must be 14 or older to receive certification. At the chamber office. Cost is $70.

April 27

Community Outreach Program: CPR/AED Training. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Taught by a representative from the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. Must be 14 or older to receive certification. At the chamber office. Cost is $45.

May 1

Candidate Forum and Meet & Greet. 6 p.m. at Cagle’s Family Farm, 5267 Conns Creek Road in Ball Ground. All local, state and national candidates running for office in 2018 are invited. Each candidate with opposition will have a chance to speak. Candidates with no opposition will be introduced. Questions from the audience will follow. Homemade ice cream served by Boy Scout Troop 465. Soft drinks, water and peanuts provided by the Cherokee County Farm Bureau.

Expert Surgical Care for the Cherokee Community

Northside Cherokee Surgical Associates is a full-service practice specializing in general surgery. Our board-certified physician, Dr. Grant Wolfe, uses the latest minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic techniques to treat the full spectrum of abdominal, thyroid, and soft tissue disorders. Grant Wolfe, M.D.

Treatments offered for: • Hernias

• Skin and soft tissue lesions

• Gallstones and gallbladder problems

• Thyroid and parathyroid disease

• Breast masses and cancer

• Diverticulitis and colon cancer

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernias

• Stomach, adrenal gland, pancreas and spleen disorders

(770) 924-9656 • ncsurgicalassociates.com 900 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 412, Woodstock, GA 30189

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Options for the Home After a Divorce BY KURT & SHEILA JOHNSON

It may not be the best decision for either spouse to keep the home after a divorce. When considering options, it’s important that a thorough analysis is done that considers what a single parent can afford, based on income (or spousal support), and whether the home has sufficient equity. The person keeping the house may not be be able to cover the property’s utilities and ongoing repairs. Here are some possibilities to consider when making these decisions.

Sell the home (normal or short sale). PRO

• Both spouses can move on with their lives and make a fresh start, with no lingering financial ties to their ex.

CON

• The children may have benefited from the stability of remaining in the home.

Refinance the home. If both spouses are obligated to the mortgage on the home, it may be possible for one spouse to convey ownership to the other and have them refinance the home. Even without equity, there are some lenders willing to accommodate qualifying borrowers.

PROS

• Both spouses can make a clean break, with no lingering financial ties to their ex. • The family can remain in the property and possibly lower the house payment.

CON

• This can be a lengthy process if the property doesn’t have equity, and the lender may refuse to modify the loan, especially if the remaining borrower lacks sufficient income after the divorce.

Exclusive use. Under this scenario, one spouse remains in the home, but both spouses have a shared responsibility for the mortgage and ongoing repairs.

PROS

Stay in the home together. Some couples can’t afford to maintain two households and choose to share the home.

PRO

• Saves money and keeps both parents in the home.

CON

• Does not allow for a break from one another and makes moving on difficult.

Bird nesting. This is a form of child custody in which the child/children remain in the home and the parents spend their visitation time with the children in the children’s home.

• This allows the children to remain in the home without much disruption. • Provides more time for the home’s value to improve, so that both spouses may share in the net proceeds of the sale.

PROS

CONS

• Difficult for the spouses to establish new relationships after the divorce.

• This can keep the “non-use” spouse from qualifying for a mortgage on their own home, and keep them financially tied to their ex. • Either spouse could refuse to contribute to repairs and improvements, making the home nearly impossible to sell and unpleasant to live in.

• Stability for the children. • Limited interaction between the spouses.

CON

Kurt and Sheila are a top-producing real estate team that lives in Towne Lake and has served Cherokee County for more than 15 years. www. KurtandSheilaTeam.com

T H E R E ’ S N O T H I N G R U N - O F -T H E - M I L L A B O U T L I F E AT T H E A R B O R AT B R I D G E M I L L .

Leave the worries. Live the life. The Arbor at BridgeMill offers a beautiful, carefree retirement lifestyle filled with comfortable living spaces, great amenities and plenty of opportunities for visiting with friends, old and new. Join us for lunch and a tour, and get a taste of the wonderful lifestyle we offer.

NOW OPEN! Call (770) 285-1475 and ask about our move-in specials.

700 Freedom Boulevard, Canton, GA 30114 (770) 285-1475 | ArborBridgeMill.com

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

It’s Time to Change Your Furnace Filter The fan blades that provide the airflow are in your furnace and they are protected and kept clean by changing the furnace filter regularly. If your furnace blower or your As spring weather arrives, homeowners frequently ask cooling coil becomes clogged with dirt, a professional repair what they can do to get their cooling system ready for person must be called. This cleaning requires the removal of summer. The first and most important step in summer components and is costly. cooling preparation is to make sure to properly change the Also, it is important to use the correct furnace air filter. This should be done size filter so the incoming air is directed every month when the central heat or The job of a through the surface area of the filter. Do air is operating. At less than $3 a filter, not bend or fold a filter that is too large, properly designed it’s the best investment you can make in and make sure your filter is properly your home’s heating and air conditioning and installed held in place by a wire retainer or clip. system. Remember, there is up to 2,000 cubic feet furnace air filter Many people believe the job of the of air blowing through your filter, and it furnace filter is to remove airborne dust, is to keep the will be pulled out of place unless firmly dirt and pollens from the air their family cooling coil/radiator held by a filter retainer clip. breathes. Others believe it is supposed If you are using inexpensive fiberglass to remove pet dander, bird feathers, fish clean and working throwaway filters, STOP RIGHT NOW. tank smell, cat pan stinks, small toys Those filters are designed to stop dirt efficiently ... that junior threw down the floor vents particles the size of hat Junior toys the and smoke from Uncle Harry’s cigar at throws down the vents and they do a darn Christmas. good job of it. But, anything smaller flies right through them They are all wrong! The job of a properly designed and and builds up on the surface of your cooling coil where it joins installed furnace air filter is to keep the cooling coil/radiator with condensation to form something called coil scrounge. clean and working efficiently during the life of the system. Invest in the MERV 8 1″ pleated filters, which cost about $3 Inside the duct work above your furnace is a cooling coil/ a piece at your local home improvement store. Buy a dozen at radiator called the evaporator coil, and outside of your a time, and you won’t have to go to the store every month. home is a device called the compressor/condenser. The coil/ radiator removes the moisture and heat from the air in your home. Like the coil/radiator in your car, your home’s cooling coil needs the right amount of airflow through its tightly packed fins. Just as your car will overheat if your fan belt Dan Jape is the owner of Reliable Heating & Air. He can be breaks, your air conditioner will overheat and stop working if reached at 770-594-9969. the coil becomes clogged with dirt. BY DAN JAPE

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Rob’s Rescues This dog's name is Jasper. She is a pretty small dog but looks big in the picture. Jasper is an owner surrender and about 9 years old, she looks really healthy. She is a Manchester terrier mix, black color with white toes. She listens well to her name. She is a good dog, not too demanding, and she is interested in things around her. Tiger from last month is still in the shelter and needs to get out of there, but I want to tell you about a cat in Cobb County Animal Services that is 16 years old and is an owner surrender and really needs a home, too. This cat is Parcheesi (tag 602592). He is a nice cat, but is scared in his cage and needs to be adopted. He is a gray tabby. Cobb County Animal Services is at 1060 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta.

Rob and Jasper the dog. Right, Parcheesi the cat.

I visited Dr. Laura Molony at the Georgia Equine Veterinary Hospital. It is the only private practice surgical equine hospital in Georgia and does a lot of work with local horse rescues. I enjoyed looking at the operating rooms for the horses and hearing how they are anaesthetized.

What is a story you like to tell about your job? We see all sorts of situations, but one that was quite a challenge was a horse that fell into an empty swimming pool. The pool had a ladder but no steps. We had to build steps with hay bales and guide the horse up and out.

What do you like about horses and when did you know you wanted to work with them? I have loved horses since I was 5 years old. They are magnificent, noble, friendly creatures and fun to ride. I was allowed to take riding lessons when I was in seventh grade on the condition I kept my grades up.

What problems do you see with rescue horses? Most of the time we help with weight issues, also chronic pain. Horse rescues take horses from abusive situations. Also, horses that have been dumped, or are owner surrenders or just can’t do their jobs anymore.

What do horses usually come to you for or do you usually go out to them? We go out to the horses for routine work, regular checkups, dental work and vaccines. Horses come to us for surgery, especially colic. We are the only private equine surgical hospital in the state and many critical cases come to us for treatment that would not survive a two-plus hour trip to the UGA facility. What is the most difficult problem you face with horses? The hardest thing is euthanizing an animal. I have been in practice for more than 20 years and believe me, it does not get easier over time.

What is the best part of your job? Developing relationships with our clients and being a part of their passion for horses.

Rob and Dr. Laura Molony with a rescue donkey in her care.

Follow Rob on Facebook! @robsrescues 42

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

What would you like people to know about you? We have a wonderful group of caring people and specialists that no other practice has in Georgia other than at UGA. We help local vets, rescues and other people.

I also interviewed Christy Reeves who works with Dr. Laura Molony and is a wildlife rehabilitator. Her interview will be in next month with good information about what to do if you find an injured small animal. If you find one before the column comes out, get in touch with me.

I’m Rob Macmillan and I’m on a mission to help shelter dogs and cats. These animals are at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter at 1015 Univeter Road, Canton. Contact me at robsrescues@gmail.com.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

your business. • Describe Modern Dermatology Atlanta LLC was founded by Dr. Naga Meduri, MD, FAAD.

Our mission is to deliver individualized care using evidence-based therapies to restore, maintain and enhance the health of skin, hair and nails. We believe in empowering you to make informed decisions about your care with a thorough discussion of your diagnosis and treatment options.

makes your business unique from others? • What Dr. Meduri is a board-certified dermatologist in her 12th year of practicing medical,

surgical and cosmetic dermatology. One of our goals is to introduce innovative treatments, such as platelet rich plasma therapy for hair loss and micro-needling for acne scarring, after taking the time to carefully consider the benefits and risks to our patients. We also strive to create a safe and friendly atmosphere in which you feel confident that your questions and concerns will be addressed by your physician.

South Cherokee Medical Center 120 Stonebridge Pkwy, Ste 440 Woodstock, GA 30189

770-250-7199 Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

moderndermatl www.moderndermatl.com

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Towne Lake Business Association April brings a renewed excitement for business growth as we enter the second quarter of the year. We invite you to join the Towne Lake Business Association for $75 and take advantage of the business experts who present at our monthly luncheons. PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT LUNCH-N-LEARN WHEN:

Tues., April 17, 2018 12:15 - 2 p.m.

WHERE:

The Tavern at Towne Lake Hills E.

COST:

$14 (includes lunch)

SPEAKERS: Lee Martin - owner of BIG BLUE Z TOPIC:

Computers, get all your questions answered about functions, repairs and protecting your information

Thank you to everyone who helped make our golf tournament a huge success. A special thanks to Christian Brothers Automotive for being our title sponsor. The July issue will give a complete list of scholarship winners and our many sponsors. Thank you for supporting our community by " Keeping Towne Lake Dollars in Cherokee"

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Kathleen McGillick, an attorney of 24 years, is the principal attorney at the McGillick Family Law Firm in Woodstock. She represents clients throughout metro Atlanta in matters of family law. These issues include and are not limited to divorce, modification actions of child custody and child support, as well as enforcement of existing orders and grandparent visitation. Her experience also extends to domesticating judgments from other states so they can be enforced in Georgia. Her background as a registered nurse of 20 years gives her a unique insight into the individual emotional challenges of her clients and how those challenges affect their family dynamic. Clients know McGillick by the way she zealously and diligently represents them. This is clearly evidenced through her attention to detail, availability, and the constant attention she gives to each client's evolving needs and challenges presented by their legal matter. In addition to being a trial attorney, she is trained as a mediator and arbitrator. As a Towne Lake resident for more than 28 years, her family remains Cherokee centered and active in the community. Kathleen is a published author who writes thriller, suspense and mystery novels under the name K.J. McGillick. The first in the trilogy, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Path of Deception and Betrayal,â&#x20AC;? is available on Amazon. For more information, visit kathleenmcgillick.com or call 770-591-5956 for a free telephone consultation. She accepts emails at kmcgillick@aol.com and promises a rapid response.

Who Stole Your Dream? BY LYNNE SAUNDERS

This may seem like a funny question at first. Generally, with a few minutes to ponder, an answer may come quickly, but it may not be the right one. When I was a child, I dreamed of having a horse farm on acres of land. We would visit relatives in upstate New York where there were farms, orchards and wide-open spaces. And what’s not to love about the beautiful and majestic creatures we watched cowboys ride in the movies and on TV? That dream is still unfulfilled and may never happen. What dreams did you once have that have slipped away, unfulfilled? Are there still dreams that you hope will come true? What do you plan to do about it? It starts with writing it down. Then, it takes a plan and a timetable. That sounds like a goal. Right? A dream is simply a wish or a hope, most times without momentum. Goal setting or success setting is one of the Impact Life Skills workshops we teach at The Master’s Training Center. A simple phrase to remember It starts with is “MRS Goal has a PLAN.” The MRS represents those things writing it that a true goal must be: (M) Measurable, (R) Realistic and (S) down. Then, Specific. Without each of these, it takes a a goal is just a wish. Write down your goal clearly and succinctly. plan and a Begin by stating the desired timetable. outcome. Do you want to own a house? That is an ambitious (S) specific thought, but it is not a goal without defining the M and R aspects. If you want to close the deal in a (M) measurable one-year time frame, you must look at your financial resources and income to determine if that is (R) realistic. If not, simply adjust the timetable or the financial resources. Write it all down, carefully and thoughtfully. Will you need to save $500 per month to build a down payment? Perhaps you can tweak your budget to reallocate $125 per week or get a side job to put money toward that savings. Finish calculating the details, the baby steps, that need to take place. Then it’s time to work the PLAN: (P) Prioritize the goal! (L) Look at your written goals often and tweak as necessary. (A) Take Action; Implement the first step. (N) The best time to start is NOW. Keep making progress!

Lynne Saunders is director of Papa’s Pantry (www.papaspantry.org) and the Master’s Training Center. She can be reached at 770-591-4730.

Hey Towne Lake,

You Can Join!

LIVE WORK WORSHIP PLAY

Start Enjoying All The Exclusive Benefits of Credit Union Membership! • Wide Range of Account Solutions • Convenient Account Access • Low Loan Rates • Friendly, Knowledgeable Staﬀ • Locally Made Lending & Operating Decisions

Towne Lake 3048 Eagle Dr.

Canton 140 Riverstone Pkwy.

Learn More At: www.CUofGA.org | 678-486-1111

#DoYouCU TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Paper Ballots and Faith in Elections BY STATE REP. MICHAEL CALDWELL

The format of our elections has changed dramatically over the past 300 years, and, with change, comes both good and bad. Prior to the Revolutionary War, our American forefathers voted for their elected officials by voice vote at carnival-like events. This was an extremely public manner of expressing your preference for a candidate, and, combined with the questionable sobriety of those often in attendance, was not necessarily a positive method of choosing our leaders. During much of the 1800s, the standard became a single public ballot. Candidates’ names were presented, and Given the citizens would sign their name constant underneath the candidate of choice. This had the added change we’ve their benefit of security against seen in this falsification of results (the public was always immediately able format over to audit the results by counting the years, we the names), but it remained an extremely public method for the always should electors, and did not scale well be striving to as elections grew. Just imagine a massive scroll on which 11 improve. million Georgians voted for our next Governor. The process continued to evolve as voters began prizing anonymity and, by the early 1900s, secret, written ballots became a fundamental part of our elections. This evolved into lever machines, punch cards (think: “hanging chad”) and, ultimately, the computer interfaces we choose our candidates with today. Given the constant change we’ve seen in this format over the years, we always should be striving to improve. The

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

media has been hammering us with questions about the integrity of our elections, and, regardless of which side we each fall on, we must recognize that a system that leaves 40 percent to 50 percent of our citizens in doubt about the legitimacy of our election results (depending on which poll you’re reading) is a system that needs improvement. It is not only the integrity of our elections that matters, but also our citizens’ faith in the integrity of our elections. One of the major benefits of the American electoral system is that each state determines its own methods, processes and laws regarding elections. This sets up 50 different voting experiences throughout the country, which, naturally, makes for a nationwide system that is much more difficult to corrupt effectively. Here in Georgia, in 2002, we began using a paperless system for elections. To date, we are one of only five states to continue doing so. Although I don’t question the integrity of our elections to date, I do believe this presents us with an inherent risk. In our current system, we make our selections via computer screen. Those selections are then tabulated, sent from county elections offices to the secretary of state and certified. One of the immediately obvious downsides is an inability to audit and verify the results. Want a computer to solve an equation? Press enter. Want it solved again? Press again? That doesn’t feel like much of a recount. My fellow Cherokee County representative in the House, Scot Turner, has introduced legislation that I am proud to cosponsor. It would replace our current machines with a system that includes a paper ballot and an optical scanner to read continued on page 92 Michael Caldwell is the state representative for District 20, which includes Towne Lake and Woodstock. He can be reached at 678-523-8570 or email him at Michael. Caldwell@house.ga.gov.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

When You Encounter Life’s S of food really shocked us! It was a huge struggle to keep our food pantry shelves stocked when we began. God continued to be faithful, in that we never had to turn a family away because of our lack of food to give.

By LAMAR GREEN Never Alone founder

Never Alone opened its doors on Oct. 1, 2013, to serve our community by offering food and clothing assistance. The large number of families who were in need

One Dollar Becomes Eight In 2014, we applied to become an agency partner with the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), which had several requirements: We needed to show a two-year outreach history of serving at least 40 families a week, and our food pantry needed to operate full time. We prayed over our application and then submitted it to the Food Bank. After a week had passed, we received a phone call telling us they wanted to visit our food pantry. The next week, they approved our application and we became an ACFB agency partner. Our partnership with the Food Bank allows us to pay a sharing cost for our food inventory. For every $1 we spend with the ACFB, we receive $8 in food inventory from them. This wonderful partnership allows our volunteers to provide a large amount of food to our guests, instead of the small bags we had been giving. We’ve come a long way since our humble start. Currently, we have 30 volunteers who distributed 376,823 pounds of food to 5,228 families in 2017. God has remained faithful by moving PHOTOS BY REBEKAH GREGG

Above, Never Alone’s original volunteer Mike Timmons with founder Lamar Green. Below, Catrina Bingham in the clothing center.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Mike Timmons stocks infant supplies.

This wagon filled with 150 lb. of food is an example of w

through the hearts of local families who support Never Alone financially and make it possible for our team to reach out six days a week. More than a Food Pantry Sixty percent of our guests are singlemom-led households and 20 percent are senior citizens. Providing food to those who are hungry is important, but it’s not our main focus. We use our food distribution process to open

Struggles,

You Are Never Alone How You Can Help Never Alone’s Food Pantry is funded by local families who commit to making a monthly financial donation. Here are examples of the effectiveness of the donated dollars that we receive.

Your $25 Donation Will feed a family of 4 for one week Your $50 Donation Will feed a family of 6 for one week Your $100 Donation Will feed a family of 4 for a month Your $250 Donation Will feed 5 families of 6 for a week

what a $25 donation will provide for a family.

conversations with our guests, who also are hurting emotionally. Through love, acceptance and dignity, our Never Alone team strives to build relationships with everyone who comes through our doors. Our guests can return for assistance every 30 days if needed. We have been blessed to get to know many of our returning guests, and they have opened up about what they are going though. Our volunteers offer prayer with all of our guests, which is why we’re really here.

Our goal is to rally 250 partners who will commit to $25 a month, which would cover our monthly food budget. If support exceeds that number, the funds will go toward housing, transportation and utility assistance for those who receive help with food. Visit our website, NeverAlone.org, to find out how you can be a partner. If you would like to donate by check, make it payable to: Never Alone, and mail to P.O. Box 1904, Woodstock, GA 30188. Financial donations are tax deductible since we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and you’ll get a detailed giving statement at the end of the year by mail.

Other Items Are Needed In addition to food, we also distribute and currently have huge needs for: • New underwear for men and women. • Socks for children and adults: used but clean and without holes are welcomed. • Bath towels and washcloths, bed sheets, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and diapers for babies and adults. Donations can be dropped off to Never Alone between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, at 291 Rope Mill Road in Woodstock (near The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta). Millie Hughes is available to speak to church and civic groups to share the mission of Never Alone. Contact her at millie@neveralone.org or 770-289-6722. Sponsored Content

“Never Alone’s Community

Food Pantry provides free food to Cherokee County families who are struggling financially. The panty opened in Woodstock in 2013 with only $82 in the bank, inside a building that needed much work. The family who owns the building offered it to be used as a community outreach center free of any cost to Never Alone Outreach. “God continued to work by sending several volunteer groups to clean, paint and get the building operational and, after all that work was done, they still had $82 in the bank. A local church hosted our very first food drive that stocked our pantry shelves and we still had $82 in the bank. — Lamar Green

”

Millie Hughes sorts donations received from local partners.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

EVERYDAY Since 2000, Everyday Angels has enjoyed the relationships we have developed with school counselors and social workers, as well as other community nonprofit organizations, as local needs are identified and qualified. Today, we share a request from another nonprofit:

Ceondre, 15

Janyiah, 2

Jeremiah, 3

Dontarius, 8

Dear Everyday Angels: I live in Woodstock and was hoping you could share a story near and dear to my heart. I work for a nonprofit organization, Cobb Safety Village, whose mission is to build a safer community through advocacy and education. A small part of what we do is provide car seats to parents who cannot afford them. With the nature of my job, we come across Felicia Miller many people who need help, but one family has really touched our hearts. It is my hope that by sharing her story with our compassionate community, collectively we can come together to offer support and encouragement to this sweet family. A grandmother, Gloria Blalock, was recently referred to the Cobb Safety Village in need of three car seats for her grandkids. If you follow the news, her story may sound familiar. On Nov. 19, 2017, Gloriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter, Felicia Miller (34), was fatally shot multiple times in the presence of Gloria and two of her five children. With no time to grieve the loss of her precious daughter or the funds to provide the funeral service that she deserved, Gloria is now faced with raising her five grandchildren on her own. Feliciaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five children, ages 15, 8, 4, 3 and 2 years old, have already been through enough. Gloria lives on a fixed income and is determined to keep the children together no matter what it takes. She has limited funds to support the basic needs they require. Two of the children are in diapers and providing the necessary food and clothing has already been a challenge. It is my wish to rally surrounding communities to help this sweet family through this difficult transition until they find their new normal without their mother. Administration and qualification for programs is underway but takes more time than she has. I would be so grateful if you could share her story with our compassionate community in hopes to give them assistance through this difficult transition. Brei Everyday Angels is always eager to work with fellow nonprofits when needs are identified and qualified. We will accept gift cards for food and clothing for the children. If you would like more detailed info about clothing sizes and other needs, please send an email to aaeverydayangles@gmail.com. We thank you, Brei for sharing their story and for all your efforts in support of this family.

Everyday Angels is a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving Cherokee County since 2000. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please visit www.everydayangels. info to donate via Paypal or send your donations to: Everyday Angels, PMB 380, 1025 Rose Creek Drive, Suite 620, Woodstock GA, 30189. One hundred percent of your funds will go to the family you specify. Also, if you know of a special need within your community that you would like to share, please send an e-mail to aaeverydayangels@gmail.com for consideration and qualification.

Jay, 4 TOWNELAKER | April 2018

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

When moving toward the light:

1. Decide wisely.

This is a big change you're about to make. Imagine yourself as a blonde, think it over, and be sure that this step is one you truly want to take.

2. Take it slow.

Don't assume you can jump right into being a blonde. Going blonde overnight or even over the period of a week or month can seriously damage your hair. If your hair becomes brittle, those tresses you've been lusting after won't have their signature shine.

3. Get professional help.

You don’t want hair that looks green or orange, and certainly hair that breaks or frays isn't ideal. Getting your hair carefully done by a professional stylist is the best call.

go two to three shades 4. Only lighter per appointment.

Make the Switch From Brunette to Blonde BY TIM TIMMONS

There are a few things to keep in mind when transitioning your hair color from dark to light. The best way to go lighter is gradually, with lots of conditioning treatments in between each service to help maintain healthy hair. Can you imagine how fried your hair would be if you bleached it instantly to go blonde overnight? It would be killer − in the worst way. Also bear in mind, the transition can be expensive and time consuming, so if you're not willing to shell out the cash or wait for hours, don't do it. Ask yourself how much time and money are you willing to invest in order to sustain the desired color, both in the salon and at home. Going from dark to light requires patience, time, money and maintenance.

Tim Timmons is the owner of Salon Gloss Woodstock. Tim’s industry experience includes positions as trainer/educator, celebrity stylist and beauty consultant for the Grammys and MTV video music awards.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

It is vitally important when trying to get the Khloe Kardashian brown to the Khloe Kardashian blonde, that you only move between two to three shades at a time. This helps to avoid the hair getting overwhelmed and zapping the moisture in your hair.

5. Invest in hair care.

Maintenance is of ultra importance once you've reached the blonde stage. Shampoos for blonde, highlighted or colortreated hair is key, and be sure to condition daily to retain moisture and health.

6. Be wary of heat styling.

Always use a heat protectant, and if possible cut back on styling with heatbased tools. A lower heat setting is a great idea to maintain your color.

7. Now, rock it like Khloe!

Khloe is easily my favorite Kardashian so I'm biased here, but no one rocks blonde like this gorgeous lady. Making a change is all about confidence, and Khloe has it in spades. If you're looking to copy a Kardashian transformation, be patient, confident and know you look great!

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

@ the Library ROSE CREEK 4476 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock, 770-591-1491

Tuesdays

Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m. Designed for families with

children of all ages. Storytime is followed by a craft activity. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult.

Knit & Crochet, 1 p.m. Let Ms. Darlene help you get started

Lap-Sit Storytime, 10:30 a.m. Designed for the needs of 1- to

116 Brown Industrial Parkway • Canton, GA 30114 770-479-3090 • www.SequoyahRegionalLibrary.org

April 16

Maker Monday, 3:30 p.m. Get creative in a pop-up maker space

with self-directed making, tinkering and STEAM activities. For ages 7-12; children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

April 24

Teen “Star Wars” Trivia Night, 4:30 p.m. Join fellow “Star Wars”

fans for “Star Wars”-based trivia and compete against one another for a fandom prize. Snacks provided.

on a knitting or crocheting project. Bring your needles and yarn and be prepared to have fun. No prior knowledge is required.

Wednesdays

Sequoyah Regional Library System

WOODSTOCK 7735 Main St., Woodstock, 770-926-5859

Mondays

3-year-olds. These fun programs are a time for children to learn about the storytime experience, and encourage early literacy by including books, songs, rhymes and physical activity. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult.

Coloring Group, 10 a.m. This coloring group has been meeting every Monday for more than a year. Come make new friends. All materials are provided. For ages 16 and older.

Crayons and Conversation, 1 p.m. Drop in to destress and

MahJongg Meetup, 10 a.m. Learn to play American MahJongg,

get your creative juices flowing. Socialize over a tabletop game (such as Scrabble or MahJongg) or color a picture. Players and colorers of all skill levels are welcome.

Tuesdays

based on the ancient Chinese tile game. Whether you’re just starting out, honing your skills, or are an advanced player, this is the group for you.

Reading Dogs, 4:30 p.m. Children 6 and older can read to a nonjudgmental, furry listener who won’t laugh if the reader stumbles or makes a mistake. Children are asked to select their own reading material before their scheduled session. Parents can register their child (two weeks in advance) for a 10-15 minute reading session by calling 770-591-1491.

April 8-14

Library Fine Forgiveness. To celebrate National Library Week, the Sequoyah Regional Library System will offer a fine forgiveness program. Visit any Sequoyah library branch during National Library Week to be forgiven for up to $15 in fines per library card. Some fees may be excluded. Call 770-479-3090 or ask library staff for details.

April 14

Lego Club, 3 p.m. There is a different

theme each month. Children may work alone or in teams to build Lego masterpieces, which will be displayed in the library until next month’s meeting. Lego and Duplo provided. Children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. 54

Tuesday Night Tutors, 6 p.m. Join

Tax Aide

Tax Aide is being hosted at the following library branches. Attendees are served on a walk-in basis only; no reservations may be made. Tax Aide is merely being hosted at our libraries. Sequoyah Regional Library System staff are unable to answer specific tax questions, including detailed questions about tax forms or their preparation.

R.T. Jones Memorial Library VITA Tax Aide March 31, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. April 4, 1-7 p.m.

Woodstock Public Library

AARP Tax Aide Thursdays through April 12, 1-5 p.m. The Sequoyah Regional Library System provides limited quantities of certain tax forms as a public service. While Georgia forms will not be available to pick up within our branches, copies of some publications can be printed at the library for 15 cents per page. Availability of certain tax forms is not guaranteed. Please call your local library branch for details.

teachers and volunteers from Woodstock Elementary School in our youth department as they help children struggling with homework, projects and assignments.

Tuesday Night Tutors (Parent ESL), 6 p.m. Parents with children participating in Tuesday Night Tutors may take part in this ESL class provided by teachers and volunteers from Woodstock Elementary School.

Wednesdays

Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m. Designed for families with children of all ages. Storytime is followed by a craft activity. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult.

Thursdays

Sit and Stitch, 10 a.m. Be crafty every

Thursday, and enjoy the friendship of other creative people.

Thursdays

Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m. and 3:30

p.m. Designed for families with children of all ages. Storytime is followed by a craft activity. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult. continued on page 56

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

@ the Library continued from page 54

Fridays

April 13

MahJongg Meetup, 1 p.m. Learn

Paranormal Georgia Presents: Friday the 13th Fun, 6:30 p.m. Visit

to play American MahJongg, based on the ancient Chinese tile game. Whether you’re just starting out, honing your skills, or are an advanced player, this is the group for you.

after-hours and spend an evening at the library learning about cryptids. What are they? Are they real? You won’t want to miss this paranormal Georgia experience! For all ages; children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

April 2

Wild About Reptiles, 10:30 a.m.

A naturalist from Red Top Mountain State Park will talk about the wildlife that can be found in Georgia. You’ll even get to meet some. For all ages; children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

April 14

Inklings Writers Critique Group, 11 a.m. Love to write, but need some feedback? All writers interested in joining a group to share writings, ideas and feedback are invited to attend.

April 5

The Art of Feminine Presence and Women Energy Healing, 6 p.m.

April 15

Presented by Adele Wang, this seminar covers how to instantly increase your magnetic presence, how to attract better relationships, and how to avoid being drained by other people’s Readers Kira, Elliott, and Serella hold up their favorite energy. Registration is required; call books of the week following the Woodstock Public 770-926-5859 to sign up. Library’s family storytime.

April 8

Introduction to Acrylic Painting, 3 p.m. This program

provides an introduction to painting with acrylics for anyone interested in starting a new hobby. All materials provided. For ages 16 and older. Registration is required; call 770-9265859 to sign up.

April 8-14

April 9

Toddler STEAM: Colors, 10:30 a.m. Toddlers can

experiment with color by making colors “appear” in a pan and hop from color to color in a fun game. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult.

April 11

Quilting Club Block-of-the-Month Project, 10 a.m. This program is designed for those interested in trying a new craft, and provides instruction in sewing a different 12-inch block each month. For ages 16 and older. Registration is required; call 770-926-5859 to sign up. 56

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Lego Club, 3 p.m. There’s a different theme each month. Children may work alone or in teams to build Lego masterpieces, which will be displayed in the library until next month’s meeting. Lego and Duplo provided. Children 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Project Pinterest, 3 p.m. Explore Pinterest-inspired creative projects. For ages 16 and older. Registration is required and opens April 1; call 770-926-5859 to sign up.

April 17

Book Discussion Group, noon. Enjoy coffee, conversation

and a book discussion with new friends. This month’s selection is “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. All ages are welcome; new members are encouraged.

April 19

Marvel Mania, 4 p.m. Teens can enjoy an overview of the Marvel franchise. There will be a comic book craft, with superhero games. Teens are encouraged to wear their favorite Marvel superhero swag! Snacks provided.

April 20

Crafternoon, 4:30 p.m. Join a fun afternoon craft class

making bracelets. Learn beading and make some fun woven bracelets that are great to wear or give as gifts! Children must be accompanied by a participating adult.

April 28

Inklings Writers Critique Group, 11 a.m. Love to write,

but need some feedback? All writers interested in joining a group to share writings, ideas and feedback are invited to attend.

ELECTION DAY IS MAY 22

ELECT STEVE

DIVINE

• 30-year Cherokee County resident • Strong history of community service • Dedicated to responsible growth • Committed to public safety and education

#ITSTIMEFORDIVINE

DISTRICT 4 CHEROKEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

ELECTSTEVEDIVINE.COM TOWNELAKER | April 2018

HEALTH & WELLNESS

A Personal Journey Through Orthodontics BY DR. AMBRE KRAGOR

When I was a child, I grew up with two hard-working parents who barely could make ends meet financially. They could not afford to own a home, and struggled putting food on our table. Orthodontics was not a luxury my parents could afford, and something I never could ask of them. They never really knew how having straight teeth could affect my self-esteem. Payment plans were not as popular back then. I had incredibly crooked teeth, due to a very small mouth, and large teeth. The crowding was so severe, that I had teeth on the roof of my mouth and canines that looked like fangs. When I was 18, and had a part-time job in college, I was able to afford orthodontic treatment independently from my parents. During my consultation, I learned I would need to have teeth removed and to wear braces to correct my crowding. Having teeth removed might have been preventable if my parents had brought me to an orthodontist sooner. However, it was still something that was correctable. After two years of traditional braces, I honestly can say I was transformed, inside and out. In fact, my orthodontic treatment is what inspired me to become an orthodontist. I went from rarely smiling to showing off my pearly whites any chance I could. I received compliments all the time from friends and family members. It was a transformation that was invaluable.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

The investment to have a proper bite, and be able to smile, was something I can never describe in words. I remember hugging my orthodontist and all of his assistants the day I got my braces off. It sounds cheesy, but this day is as memorable as the day I got married, had my first child, or graduated from residency. When people ask me why orthodontics is important, I can give a multitude of examples from research and literature about how having proper form and function of your bite is important. These reasons are important, of course, but one of the most important reasons cannot be measured. It is the transformation of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-esteem and self-worth when they can smile, and are proud to do so. One tip someone told me is, when interviewing for a job, no matter how nervous you are, smile as much as possible. A smile is worth a thousand words. Your smile has the ability to light up a room and to connect with people without saying a single word. The transformation of a crooked smile to a straight one is something I live for and am proud to provide every day.

Dr. Ambre Kragor, and her husband Andy, are orthodontists who practice in the Towne Lake/Woodstock area. 770-485-8827. www.KragorOrtho.com.

Holistic Approach to Women’s Health

SAVE $15 Promo Code: RegCamp15

me Two R

S-O

ades K–6

Women suffer from a variety of physical ailments unique to the female anatomy - so much so that an entire branch of medicine, gynecology, is devoted to these issues. Urinary incontinence, painful intercourse, decreased desire and vaginal dryness are only a few of the problems women experience. Although medicinal and surgical intervention is always available, many women prefer a gentler and more natural approach. Holistic approaches are available for the many problems that have plagued women since the beginning of time. One of these holistic solutions is the O-Shot. The O-Shot has been known to alleviate or entirely correct many of these problems in a less invasive, natural and extremely effective way. The O-Shot is a non-surgical injectable procedure administered in-office, using your own processed growth factor cells harvested from your blood. It is then re-injected into the vaginal area, resulting in healing Holistic regeneration of the orgasmic approaches zone, triggering the power of your own body’s natural healing are available properties. for the many The O-Shot uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is not a problems that novelty or fad. This technique has have plagued been used for many years to heal treat sports and other women since wounds, injuries, and has even proven the beginning effective in dentistry. A vial of your own blood is centrifuged, of time. separating concentrated plasma and platelets from the rest of the blood. The PRP is reintroduced into your body by injection after swabbing the area with a numbing anesthetic. Platelets normally swim around in your blood vessels, always on guard for any disruption or damage. When they sense one, they rush to the injury site and start repairs in the form of collagen production. The O-Shot mimics this sequence by introducing a multitude of platelets into the body. Stem cells, recognizing so many of your own platelets in one place, are fooled into thinking there’s an injury and immediately respond by producing collagen and new tissue, replenishing vital elasticity, skin cells, moisture, plumpness, sensitivity and strength to the area. The healing that results leads to a wide range of functional improvements, thus making the O-Shot an effective treatment that benefits women a great deal.

Visit CAMPINVENTION.ORG by MAY 4 to secure your spot and

BY MICHAEL LITREL, MD, FACOG, FPMRS

N STEM

Led by local educators Over 15 locations throughout the greater Chicago area! In Partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Dr. Michael Litrel, a board-certified OB-GYN and Urogynecologist at Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists, writes books and essays on faith, family and health. www.cherokeewomenshealth.com TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Common Myths About Hearing Loss BY DR. CHRISTA NELMS

Just like your fingerprint, every individual’s hearing loss is different. The type, configuration and degree of hearing loss can dictate what type of treatment is right for you. As audiologists, we frequently encounter questions pertaining to hearing loss that we would like to address. Myth: Deaf people cannot drive. Fact: It is a common misconception that being deaf or hard of hearing means that you are not allowed to drive. The Department of Motor Vehicles does not consider hearing loss an exclusion for obtaining a driver’s license. There are even assistive devices such as panoramic mirrors to provide a wider view of your surroundings when driving. Myth: I can wear my friend’s/spouse’s/relative’s hearing aid and it will work just fine. Fact: Hearing loss varies from person to person. By wearing someone else’s hearing aids, you run the risk of over-amplifying your ears because each hearing aid is programmed for the user’s hearing loss. In addition, custom hearing aids are specific to the patient’s ear canal. Similar to wearing another person’s teeth retainer, you do not want to use a hearing aid that is not shaped for your ear. Myth: Hearing loss affects only older people. Fact: Hearing loss can occur at any age, even at birth. There are

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

many causes of hearing loss ranging from infections like meningitis to genetic factors. Newborn hearing screenings are mandatory for every infant to verify that their ears are responding to sound properly; typically, this occurs before hospital discharge. Myth: Hearing aids are like glasses. Fact: Unlike glasses, hearing aids are not an immediate fix. It takes time to adjust to new sounds in your environment. Treating permanent hearing loss relies on amplifying sound through a damaged system (including hair cell loss and nerve damage). So, sound in your environment may be louder but not always clearer. With glasses, typically the optic nerve is functioning properly so if the visual input is correctly transmitted, vision can be restored to near perfect levels. Myth: My hearing is mostly fine, so I do not need treatment. Fact: Even with mild hearing loss, studies indicate that listening effort is increased and social activities can be reduced. If you are not attending events that you used to due to hearing loss, that can reduce your quality of life. Treating the matter sooner rather than later is the best measure.

Christa Nelms, Au.D. is a Doctor of Audiology and provider at North Georgia Audiology in Woodstock. She has been practicing since 2000.

Two Locations Quality Pediatric Care, Close to Home Northside Cherokee Pediatrics provides compassionate, comprehensive medical care for patients from birth to 18 years of age. Dr. Jamie Rollins, Dr. Shalini Shah, and Dr. Nancy Doelling, offer the quality one-on-one care you demand to keep your child happy and healthy including, short wait times, same-day appointments and personalized care at a location convenient for your busy lifestyle.

Northside Cherokee Pediatrics Offers: • Exceptional Care: Board-certified physicians. Attentive & complete care for children birth - 18. • Timely Access: Same-day appointments available. Shorter wait times. • Efficient Follow-up: Timely feedback and reports. Next day test results available.

Holly Springs 684 Sixes Road, Suite 220 Holly Springs, GA 30115

Call for an appointment (678) 388-5485

Towne Lake 900 Towne Lake Pkwy, Suite 306 Woodstock, GA 30189

Northsid Ima

Call for an appointment (770) 852-7720

Visit Us at NorthsideCherokeePediatrics.com Exit 11 (Sixes Road)

HOLLY SPRINGS TOWNE LAKE

Jamie Rollins, MD

Shalini Shah, MD Ros wel l Rd .

Nancy Doelling, MD

TOWNELAKER | April 2018 oh ns on F

Understanding Trusts and the Process of Probate BY CINDY NELSON

Too often, people aren’t sure about their legal plan, and they don’t know or understand what that plan includes. In my experience, the most common area for this is trusts. Many people follow the advice of friends, family or advisers, and end up unsure of what they did or why. This can be worse than doing nothing, because you have the confidence of thinking you planned ahead, but it may not do what you hoped. There are many types of trusts that are designed to do different things. I find that living trusts, or family trusts, seem to cause people the most confusion. These types of trusts are usually suggested by a lawyer or financial planner as a way to help avoid the hassles of probate. Most people aren’t sure what probate is, but they have heard horror stories about the state taking someone’s assets or the process causing otherwise loving family members no longer to speak to one another. Probate is the legal process that occurs when someone dies. Often, it is the only process to properly transfer ownership of a person’s things after they pass, if they didn’t plan ahead or were under the misconception that a will avoids probate. The majority of people who create a trust are doing so as a strategy to avoid probate of their estate plan, and it can be a very effective one, if done properly.

Unfortunately, I regularly meet people who think they have a trust when, in fact, they don’t. If you have a trust that is created by your will (called a testamentary trust), your assets will not avoid probate. The will and your assets will have to go through probate before the trust can go into effect. This is a horrible scenario, because families often don’t realize it until after a loved one has passed, and it is too late to change. Making sure the trust is funded, or titling assets in your trust, is also an important part of the process. Any assets you leave out of your trust that you own solely in your name without a beneficiary designation probably will have to go through probate. An easy way around this for many financial accounts is a payable-on-death designation that names your trust as the beneficiary. For real estate, you likely need to have your property deeded into the trust; just make sure your trust preserves your homestead and other tax exemptions, if you are eligible.

Cindy Nelson is an Elder Care Law Attorney with Nelson Elder Care Law, LLC, 2230 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 900-200, Woodstock, GA 30189, www.NelsonElderCareLaw.com.

Getting Past the Guilt BY SHELLEY WINTER

Often, we make verbal promises about not moving our parents into “a home.” Later, we find ourselves in situations where caring for our loved one is difficult, or more than we can handle. Guilty feelings can surround us, and we let our own health or lives take second place. Feeling a sense of guilt is natural for the adult child. Moving is a stressful time for anyone; however, moving your parents An aging into a nursing home or assisted living parent may community can present even greater stresses. Parents may protest the idea require of moving out of their home into a specialized senior living environment, but, no care and matter how desperately you may want to keep your parents in their home attention or find a way to provide the care they that you are need in your home, this is not always an option. An aging parent may require not able to specialized care and attention that provide. you are not able to provide. Making decisions about that care can bring on feelings of confusion and helplessness. I often encounter family members who are holding onto these self-destructive feelings. My best advice is to remember that the decision to move an aging parent into senior living is the best 62

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

choice for their loved one. Also, once the move has occurred, the benefits of senior living become more evident. When your parent gets more socialization, proper nutrition and a daily routine, you can relax and enjoy your parent and son/daughter relationship again. Another way to help alleviate the stress of making this decision is to ask your parents to be part of the decision-making process. Involve them by inviting them to come along on visits to senior living communities. This allows you to make the decision with them, not for them. Making the decision to move a loved one into a senior living community is never easy; however, making the decision early can lead to better care and health for aging seniors. Often, it feels like the parent and child roles are reversed, and knowing that the decision is for the best doesn’t always alleviate feelings of guilt and remorse. Your parents made decisions for you when you were younger, based on the information they had and the options available. Now may be the time to make the best possible senior care decision for your parents.

Shelley Winter, community relations director at Oaks at Towne Lake, has worked in assisted living/memory care communities since 2008. 770-592-2195. shelley@oaksseniorliving.com.

WellStar and Mayo Clinic. Working together. Working for you. Achieving our vision of world-class healthcare is even closer now that we are a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, an innovative collaboration which brings the expertise of Mayo to our patients. As the first and only member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in metro Atlanta, our depth of specialty care is enhanced with new resources and tools while keeping patient care right here at home. Innovation. World-class care. WellStar. For more information, please visit wellstar.org/mayo. For physician referral, please call 770-956-STAR (7827).

WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 inpatient hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-forprofit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments.

We believe in life well-lived.

Phantom and Friends Champions for the Disabled

Big celebrations are ahead as Phantom turns 30 on May 29. He has earned his share of accolades: he was the PATH (Professional Someone once said, “A great horse will change your life. The Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) horse of the year in truly special ones define it.” When Phantom, a quarter horse with 2015 and inducted into the United States Equestrian Federation’s a storied show career, came to board at Bethany Nugent’s barn, Hall of Fame. As the poster-horse of BEATS, Phantom works hard, he was destined to change many lives and define her life’s work. but now that he is older he requires more care, as do several of his Phantom has been a part of Nugent’s therapy team since she pals who have served BEATS for years. Horse care, especially for the founded BEATS (Bethany’s Equine & Aquatic Therapy Services, Inc.) aging, is expensive. The horses deserve the utmost care even when in 2003 in Canton. they bring in less income as their loads are lessened. One of Phantom’s first clients was a teenage boy, who had “We hope that Phantom’s birthday celebration fundraising will suffered a brain injury in a car accident. He wasn’t progressing in help cover our older horses ongoing care needs so that these bills rehab, but took one look at Phantom, raised his head, reached won’t affect our scholarship fund,” Nugent said. out his arm and made a sound. Phantom is accustomed to such BEATS’ mission is to increase awareness of the benefits of using greetings, but since the young man had been horse movement (hippotherapy) to help people unresponsive for a while, this caused his mom with various disabilities, as well as raise funds for to burst into tears. The boy rode with a great big those who cannot afford services. smile on the incredibly predictable and steady “Hippotherapy refers to the movement of Phantom five more times. Then one day the boy’s the horse and is a strategy used as part of a lesson was canceled. Nugent learned he had died comprehensive therapy plan by licensed physical, from a shunt blockage. occupational and speech therapists. Hippotherapy Returning to the barn a few days later to rewind positively affects strength, balance, coordination, after the funeral, Nugent saw Phantom’s owners postural control, motor planning, and sensory taking pictures of him to post him for sale. She organization in order to improve functional skills bought Phantom on the spot, and Phantom in people with disabilities,” said Nugent, a licensed has been serving faithfully for 15 years now. He physical therapist since 1995. works with 16 other therapy horses, helping build “Adaptive Riding, also called therapeutic strength, confidence and achievement in the Kessley Hales on Razmataz with riding, is a recreational and educational activity sidewalker Kathy Jean Sheesley. special needs children of our community. led by instructors who have further knowledge in BY SUSAN BROWNING SCHULZ

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Special Olympics athlete Adam Quarles on Hamlet with helper Madison Beaver. Left, Cindy King, PATH International Region 5 Instructor of the Year in 2015, with Phantom. Far left, Special Olympics Unified team - Macayla Butler on Dillon and Emmalia Sebusch on Shiloh (Unified riders), Marylynn Collins (athlete), helpers - Kate D'addamio, Jackie Griffin, Kristen McCook and Harrison Taht, and Avery Garvin (athlete) - they performed an Elvis Presley number

teaching people with special needs. One of the hallmarks of BEATS is that we have highly qualified therapists and instructors providing both of these programs with excellence. We’ve had a team at the Special Olympics every year since 2008,” she said. Marcia Nickels, a volunteer shared, “In the over five years I have been volunteering at BEATS, it has done more for me that I could ever do for any of the patients and families. It is an amazing affirmation of how strong these children and their families are during their everyday struggles and still remain smiling and happy.” BEATS also offers aquatic therapy at a pool in Roswell that has unique qualities like buoyancy, resistance, and sensory stimulation, providing treatment than can’t be accomplished in a clinical setting. If you would like to be part of this meaningful work, you are welcome to help. All sessions require three volunteers, making this a huge ongoing need for BEATS. No experience is necessary for sidewalkers (those there to keep riders safe). Not a horse person? There are work days and fundraisers throughout the year. BEATS also has a booth at the Verizon Amphitheatre that must be staffed for every concert. The season runs March-November. Keep in mind volunteers need to be 14, and 21 to work at the concerts. To volunteer, celebrate Phantom’s big 3-0, or sponsor horse care, contact BEATS at 678-494-6616 or visit www.beats-inc.org.

Susan Browning Schulz is a Bible teacher, author, wife, and mom of three grown children. She lives and plays along the Etowah River and loves serving at Woodstock City Church. TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Tomato Time sprout right out of the stem and make them grow stronger and faster. Also, place several pulverized eggshells in each planting hole to prevent blossom end rot. One thing gardeners in North Georgia are familiar with is We’ve grown several types in the past. Some people the lack of a level, sunny spot in the yard. With hills and tall like the meaty, fleshy beefsteak variety such as Big Boy. trees, the average yard has only one or two spots with good But an obscure variety is the German Queen, which has sun, and that’s where you want to put a swing set or play low acidity. It’s fun to try at least one oddball ball with the kids. tomato plant every year, because they come in You’d better find that sweet spot fast, because It takes 50 so many strange and wonderful shapes, sizes right now, as you’re reading this, it’s time to and colors. plant tomatoes. Everyone says don’t plant before to 90 days My kids always loved the cherry and grape tax day, in case of a late frost. But I always for plants tomatoes. They would take a break from playing risk it. It takes 50 to 90 days for plants to start to start to pick a few right off the bush and pop them in producing tomatoes, so if you wait too long, it their mouths. will be almost fall before you start picking them. producing In the fall, before the frost comes and There are a few good roadside places around tomatoes ... kills them all, we pick the remaining green Southern Cherokee County to find homegrown tomatoes, which can be several dozen, and tomatoes. I’ve probably tried most of them. have a big fried green tomato party. Invite some But there’s nothing quite like growing your relatives over, cut them thick, and use our family’s secret own. There is simply no comparison between homegrown recipe for frying them up (flour, bread crumbs, egg, salt, tomatoes and those beautiful, yet tasteless, tomatoes you pepper). Whoops, I gave it away. find in the grocery store. Even if you don’t have room in As Lewis Grizzard once said, “It’s difficult to think your yard, a large patio pot can hold a good sized plant. anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown My wife has the green thumb in our family. She starts tomato.” tomato plants from seeds in our basement under grow lights. She has a variety of heirlooms scavenged from various sources. Once, we had tomato plants more than 12 feet tall, and tomatoes that nearly covered a plate. I can tell you the secret, if you want … if you promise not Matt Neal is a freelance writer who has lived in Woodstock with his wife since 1999. He can be reached to spread this around. The secret is to plant them deep, at mattnealwriter@outlook.com. including several inches of the stem. The roots will actually BY MATT NEAL

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

FAITH

Marriage Moments

How to Make Your Marriage Stronger BY BILL RATLIFF

Many couples believe marital remedies take too long. It takes too long to get away for a second honeymoon. It takes too long to make marriage more exciting. It takes too long to improve communication skills in order to develop a deeper level of intimacy. It takes too long to become more Christlike to be on the same page spiritually. However, there is help from scripture for those of us who are impatient. That help is found in Ephesians 4:32, which says: “and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, So, change forgiving each other as God in your marriage Christ has forgiven you.” This today. Be kind verse encourages us to work on our marriages now. to each other I’m reminded of a couple in Cherokee County who seem today. to follow this teaching in their marriage. Every time I see them, whether at church or in the community, they are always together. They are good-looking seniors, who are always well dressed. Every time I see them, I think of a handsome prince and beautiful princess. What I have noticed most during the

past 20 years of knowing them is the kindness they show toward each other. So, change your marriage today. Be kind to each other today. Be tenderhearted today. Forgive each other today. If you do these things, your marriage will change today.

Date Your Mate Take your mate to an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet. Have someone take your picture or do a selfie while you kiss wearing your lobster bibs. Please note that the kiss needs to be with your mate! I don’t know of a lobster buffet in our immediate area, so you may have to travel to Orlando to find one. I think it’s worth the trip.

Bill Ratliff is a pastoral counselor, certified John Maxwell Life Coach and pastor emeritus of Towne Lake community Church. bratliff@tlcchurch.com.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

SCHOOL & SPORTS

Preparing for College BY BRIANA DELVASTO

The college search is always a stressful and time consuming process. It was not long ago that I was going through it myself. I grew up in Towne Lake and attended Carmel Elementary, Woodstock Middle and Woodstock High schools. I graduated in 2017, and I am a first-year student at Emory University in Atlanta. I am majoring in neuroscience following a pre-med track. I have become involved on campus and as a member of Emory Student Ambassadors, I have been trained as a tour guide, but I also enjoy speaking to prospective students and families. I hope to share some of my experiences to help ease this roller-coaster of a ride for students and parents.

For students:

Once the applications are sent, the acceptance letters come rolling in, and after you have decided on your future home, the next hurdle is adjusting to college life. This process is different for everyone, but from my experience, the biggest difference between high school and college is being accountable for yourself, not only

Briana Delvasto is a first-year student at Emory University. 68

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Briana with some of her sorority sisters.

academically, but socially as well. The time flexibility was a huge shift for me because I no longer go from bell to bell. When I was enrolling for classes, I forgot that time for lunch was not automatically built into my schedule, so I had to rearrange classes so I had time to eat! Time management is one of the most important skills you can have in college. Your class syllabus is a useful tool for managing your time because it has all of your class assignment due dates and exam dates. Since the syllabus has all this information, professors do not send reminders for when quizzes are or when assignments are due, and everything is online. If you have questions about the syllabus or class material, visit professors during office hours and take advantage of the resources they give you and build relationships with them. They might be able to help you at the end of the semester, if it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the first time they have seen your face. Aside from the academic side of college, living away from home can be another adjustment factor. Whether you have a good or bad experience with your roommate, you learn a lot from living with someone else. I have really enjoyed living in a dorm this year. The residence life staff puts on a lot of events that often involve free food and resources to support your college career. Greek life is something that many people ask about. Greek life can be drastically different at every school. I was unsure if I wanted to join a sorority when I arrived on

campus. As I got a better feel for what Greek life meant at Emory, I decided that it was something that I wanted to be part of. Greek life is not necessarily for everyone, but if it is something you are interested in, you will find your fit. The greatest part of college is the relationships you make with your professors, the people you live with, and the network you build with extracurricular activities.

For parents:

I was the second (and last) child in my family to go off to college. My brother is a junior at Georgia Southern University and has done amazing things during the last three years. Every family dynamic is unique, but from speaking with my parents, they say that letting go as much as possible and letting us learn is the best thing to do. I know some people who went home almost every weekend and they missed out on campus events and meeting new people. The biggest difference I have had with my parents is the higher level of trust. They have faith in my decisions as a young adult and allow me to grow. Being an adult is not enjoyable as I have learned, but I love the security in knowing I have my familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support. Some parents worry that their student isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t making friends or the right kinds of friends. The good thing about college is that we all chose to be here, and that means we all have at least one thing in common. Everyone brings something unique to the table and we are united by the values that attracted us to the same school. I feel lucky to be surrounded by like-minded people and have met many amazing people.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Learning About Charity Recently, students in my class worked with a partner to research charities. Once they selected a charity, they had to prepare a short, persuasive presentation in order to convince their classmates to donate to their chosen charity. They had about one minute to deliver their pitch, and could not use anything other than their words. Afterward, each student in the class selected a charity to which to donate. They could choose only one charity, and they could not donate to their own. These are the charities that received the highest donations, along with comments from their classmates. Although my students were dealing with imaginary money, we invite you to participate in our project by making real donations. If you do decide to give, please email me; this will allow my students to see the connection between what they do in school and how it can affect the community. - Joe Lemmo, joseph.lemmo@cherokee.k12.ga.us

Ava Banko, Talia Estrada and Kareigh Gammon

Autism Speaks

https://www.autismspeaks.org Amount raised: $140 “I picked the Autism Speaks because my brother has autism and I always try and donate. Their speech was really convincing and provided a lot of details needed to know about the organization.”

Woodstock Public Safety Foundation

https://www.woodstockga.gov/494/ Ways-to-Give Amount raised: $120

Madison Kutschke and Abigail Johnson

“I will give my money to Woodstock Public Safety Foundation because not many people think about donating to police officers in our community. I think it’s a great foundation, and the presentation was amazing!”

Society for Prevention of Teen Suicide

Rheagan Murtadi and Amelia Marshall

Foster Kids Charity

https://fosterkidscharity.org Amount raised: $120 “They did an excellent job stating their main points, and the charity is actually very special to me, since I am in foster care myself.”

http://www.sptsusa.org Amount raised: $140

Lana Fischer and Madison Martin

“I would donate to Society for Prevention of Teen Suicide because their key points really persuaded me. I also think that teen suicide prevention is something I am wanting to help with.”

American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org Amount raised: $100

“I chose American Cancer Society because Katie and Bella did the best. Also, I think they gave really good explanations of their charity.” Bella Banuelos and Katie Jamison 70

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Sophia Kutz, Gracye Lamb and Ava Scott

Autism Speaks

https://www.autismspeaks.org Amount raised: $140 “I chose this charity because it is so important. Many people take autism as a joke, but it is a major cause. Over 1 percent of the world’s population has this disease, and I just think that people need to step forward and donate!”

Keep on dancing. Amenity-Rich Resort Living for Active Adults Live the way you feel and continue experiencing all the things that give you pleasure. Just north of Atlanta, Soleil is the place to be. Award-winning resort style 55+ community only minutes from shopping, dining, hospitals, culture and Blue Ridge.

New Homes from the Low $300s Find Your New Home at SoleilLaurelCanyon.com Call Today for Your Personal Tour 678.710.9134 102 High Mountain Trace Âˇ Canton, Georgia 30114 ÂŠ2018 Lifestyles at Laurel Canyon, LLC. Special offers, prices, home designs and other information subject to errors, changes, omissions, deletions, availability, prior sale and withdrawal at any time without notice. Not an offering to CT, NJ or NY residents. Void where prohibited.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

YOUR SCHOOL NEWS Skyping With The Fonz

A Disney Dream Come True

Bascomb Elementary School students enjoyed a special Skype videoconference session with actor and children’s book author Henry Winkler, known by many for his years as the character The Fonz or Fonzie, on the TV show “Happy Days.” The third- through fifthgrade students were part of an international audience Fourth-grader Kennedy Morris-Gibbs with talking with Winkler and her Fonzie doll. his co-author. Bascomb received special attention, when Winkler noticed one of the students, Kennedy Morris-Gibbs (a fourth-grader in Suzy Gebhart’s class) had brought a The Fonz doll to school.

Sarah Oburu, a freshman at Etowah High School, has been selected for the Disney Dreamers Academy class of 2018. Only 100 high school students from across the country are selected annually for the program, which includes a four-day conference at Walt Disney World. The conference includes interactive career sessions focusing on fields that include animation, culinary arts, entertainment, entrepreneurship, journalism, medicine and zoology, and the opportunity to develop networking and interviewing skills. Sarah Oburu

Students Join Cobb EMC for Career Day Recently, 70 local fifth-graders visited Cobb EMC for the electric cooperative’s 27th annual Career Day event. Elementary students spent the morning job-shadowing employees across the company before joining their teachers and parents for a luncheon hosted by Cobb EMC. Prior to the event, students gained job search skills by filling out job applications. Top candidates were selected and given ID badges for their first day on the job. Their positions ranged from customer service to marketing, and line and system operations. Over the past 26 years, Cobb EMC has hosted more than 1,800 local students for career days to help prepare them for future career opportunities. This year’s attendees included students from Bascomb, Boston and Clark Creek elementary schools.

Above, Allen Berry, from Boston Elementary, and Arden Bankston, from Clark Creek Elementary, spent the day with Angela Kelley from Cobb EMC’s member care team.

Savannah Pullen, second from left, and Anna Wolf, second from right, fifth-graders at Bascomb Elementary, spent the day jobshadowing Jennifer Peinado, left, and Krista Zalewski, right, from Cobb EMC’s marketing team. 72

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Superhero STEM Night Woodstock Middle School recently welcomed families for a Superhero STEM Night, with fun learning activities in the media center led by a student Maker Crew. The Superhero STEM Night Maker Crew included, from left, Media Specialist Wendy Cope, Conner Behret, Elijah Jordan, Isaiah Knox, Gabe Klimowicz, James Sow, Austin Kramer, Zach Gerard, Vanessa Mejia Fragoso, Mariana Mejia Fragoso, Landon Pope, Ryker Puent, Jackson Rodriguez, Josh Schwartz, Katelyn Sonntag, Sam Harper, Lea Harrington, Luke Borrusch and Madison Watson. Not pictured: Matthew Jaramillo.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

YOUR SCHOOL NEWS Fundraiser Supports Ongoing Hurricane Relief Efforts Cherokee Christian Schools recently hosted a fundraising event called Gulf States Night and raised $2,532.15 to assist with ongoing hurricane relief. The funds will go to assist two churches in Texas, where Hurricane Harvey was particularly destructive. These churches continue to provide a home base for ongoing relief efforts, organized by Samaritanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Purse, whose primary goal is to facilitate the rebuilding process for families who were victims of the destruction. From left, Avery Peacock, Adeline Carley, Olivia Ward and Brannen Blackburn celebrate Gulf States Night at Cherokee Christian Schools.

Bookmobile Gets Cherokee Students Reading Retired Cherokee County School District media specialist Rebecca Amerson recently drove her custom-painted bookmobile camper, loaded down with books provided by the school districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curriculum and instruction division, to local elementary schools. The visits were part of a month-long reading initiative called Get Cherokee Reading. "Our Get Cherokee Reading campaign aligns with the Georgia initiative going on across the state," Chief Academic Officer Dr. Nicole Holmes said. "Inviting Ms. Amerson back to visit our schools and offer books to children, while sharing her love of reading, was a creative way to launch our initiative. We want to see everyone reading in Cherokee County."

Amerson invited students into her bookmobile to select a book, and she told them about her reading and camping adventures. Her custom-painted camper includes some of her favorite book titles, as well as a quote from Thomas Jefferson: "I cannot live without books." The curriculum and instruction division has multiple literacy initiatives planned and this school year has brought a new focus on reading in the primary grades, with the adoption of a balanced literacy approach to reading and more classroom instructional blocks focused on reading. For information on the Get Georgia Reading initiative, visit http://getgeorgiareading.org. Below, from left, Aubrey Lee, Marlee Stoeckl, Paris Manzano, Autumn Jenkins, Sara Matthews and Isabella Hardman, students at Oaks Grove Elementary, look through the books they have chosen.

Above, retired media specialist Rebecca Amerson peeks out of her customized bookmobile camper, which has been painted to reflect her love of books and the outdoors. 74

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Focusing on Improved Safety and Security BY BARBARA P. JACOBY

We know sending your children to school each morning may be harder on your heart than it was last year. School shootings push us through a terrible gauntlet: heartbreak, fear, doubt, anger. The educators who make up your Cherokee County School District (CCSD) feel the same way, which is why Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower communicated with all parents after the tragedy in Parkland, Fla. If you’re a parent, then you know his message (posted on www.cherokeek12.net) not only shared that he’s praying for Parkland and our country, but also that he’s taking action. Following the Sandy Hook school shooting, CCSD established the Superintendent’s Ad Hoc Safety and Security Committee. This group, made up of CCSD police and school leaders, parents, and our community’s sheriff and police chiefs, made recommendations for changes that have been implemented in the years since. Changes such as adding more P.O.S.T.-certified officers to our CCSD school police department and installing front-door camera and buzzer systems and security foyers. Dr. Hightower called on this committee to begin meeting again following the Parkland shooting, and the group is preparing new recommendations. We also invited parents and students to share suggestions, and received more than 250 proposed ideas, ranging from further securing entrances to increasing code red drills (the drills we conduct at all schools every year to prepare for the worst). You may be wondering what you can do to help. Here are some suggestions. Talk with your children. The National Association of School Psychologists (www.nasponline.org) offers resources online to help you talk with your children about violence at school. Also, please talk with them about the importance of fully participating in code red drills and taking the exercise seriously in order to be prepared for a real emergency. “See something, say something.” If you or your children become aware of suspicious activity or behavior, tell a school administrator or call our CCSD school police tip line (770-7204061). If one of your child’s classmates appears to be struggling with emotional or mental health issues, let an administrator or a school counselor know that, too. Support your school board. Some improvements to safety and security can be made through changing practices, but many require significant financial investment … and our school board needs your support in raising more funds for our schools. CCSD receives no state or federal dollars for safety and security, so we must rely on local tax dollars to fund new strategies.

The Downtown Buzz is held at the Chambers at City Center (8534 Main Street) on the last Friday of the month and begins at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Meeting April 27 Milton Overton, KSU Athletic Director For more information on the Downtown Buzz program or to suggest a topic for consideration, please contact Mitzi at 770-592-6056 mainstreetwoodstock.org/connect/#buzz Business, individual and non-profit memberships are available

Barbara P. Jacoby serves as chief communications officer for the Cherokee County School District, and is a CCSD parent with four children. TOWNELAKER | April 2018

The store’s original Lance cookie jar.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DARLEEN PREM

The Big Reveal

Fountain replica.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

For 111 years, Dean’s Store has been a fixture on Main Street, serving as the city’s visitors center since 2001. A recent renovation brought the interior up to date while maintaining memorabilia that reflects the store’s history. Dean’s Store opened in April 1906. A local physician, Dr. William Dean, and his oldest son, Linton, who had graduated from business school in Atlanta, intended to operate a doctor’s office and pharmacy at that location. After Dr. Dean passed away in the store’s first year, Linton turned it into a patent drug store and general store. It was the home of the area’s first Coca-Cola fountain, and it served as a Trailways bus station until 1975. At different times, the store served as the collection agency for telephone, electricity and water, in addition to some city services, such as payment of taxes and applications for business licenses. With the attractions of the soda fountain and the abundance of Coca-Cola products, and the welcoming atmosphere, Dean’s Store has served as a meeting place for decades. Woodstock’s retired gentlemen have gathered in the store throughout its history. Today, Dean’s Store is a home for Preservation Woodstock and the Woodstock Visitors Center, which serves more than 14,000 visitors each year. It’s one of Georgia’s regional visitor information centers, and is staffed by two Georgia-certified travel planners, Woodstock Tourism Manager Kyle Bennett and Marketing Manager Stacy Brown. www.visitwoodstockga.com

Hubbard family memorabilia.

Display cases hold samples of medicines that would have been purchased in the store, as well as cigar and tobacco products.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

RESTAURANT

CUISINE

Casual and Upscale Restaurants

BKFST LUNCH DINNER SUNDAYS SPIRITS

RESERV.

Cancun Mexican Grill, 4430 Towne Lake Parkway 770-693-4680

Mexican

open

full bar

Cheeseburger Bobby’s, 2295 Towne Lake Parkway 678-494-3200, cheeseburgerbobbys.com

American

open

Chinese

$-$$

open

Soup/Salad/ Sandwiches

open

American Irish

open

full bar

Mexican

$-$$

open

full bar

Family Tradition, 4379 Towne Lake Parkway 770-852-2885, familytradition.net

Homestyle Cooking

closed

GameDay Fresh Grill, 2990 Eagle Drive 770-693-6754, gamedayfresh.com

American/Burgers

open

full bar

yes

Thai/Sushi/ Chinese

open

full bar

JD’s Barbeque, 6557 Bells Ferry Road 678-445-7730, jdsbbq.com

Barbeque

$-$$

open

Jersey’s Sports Bar, 6426 Bells Ferry Road 770-790-5740

American

open

full bar

yes

Johnny’s Pizza, 1105 Parkside Lane 770-928-9494, johnnyspizza.com

Pizza/Pasta/ Salad

$-$$

open

full bar

Kani House, 2455 Towne Lake Parkway 770-592-5264, kanihouse.com

Japanese Steak/Sushi

$-$$

$$-$$$

open

full bar

yes

Keegan’s Public House, 1085 Buckhead Crossing #140 770-627-4393, keegansirishpub.net

Irish/Pub

Sunday Brunch

$$-$$$

open

full bar

La Parrilla, 1065 Buckhead Crossing 770-928-3606, laparrilla.com

Mexican

open

full bar

Steakhouse

open

full bar

call ahead seating

Southern

closed

Mellow Mushroom, 2370 Towne Lake Parkway 770-591-3331, mellowmushroom.com

Pizza/Pasta/

$-$$

open

beer/wine

NY Style Deli & Pizza, 2340 Towne Lake Parkway, 678-426-7004

Pizza/Subs/ Bakery

$-$$

open

Bakery/Soups/ Sandwiches

$-$$

open

Chinese/Japanese

$-$$

open

beer/wine

Chinese

$-$$

open

China Fun, 1075 Buckhead Crossing 770-926-2671, chinafun88.com Corner Bistro, 2360 Towne Lake Parkway 770-924-1202, cornerbistrotl.com Donovan’s Irish Cobbler, 1025 Rose Creek Drive 770-693-8763, donovansirishcobbler.com El Ranchero, 1025 Rose Creek Drive 770-516-6616

Izumi Asian Bistro, 2035 Townelake Parkway 678-238-1899, iloveizumi.com

LongHorn, 1420 Towne Lake Parkway 770-924-5494, longhornsteakhouse.com Maple Street Biscuit Co., 2295 Towne Lake Pkwy #160 678-903-2161, maplestreetbiscuits.com

Panera Bread, 2625 Towne Lake Parkway 678-813-4809, panerabread.com Peking & Tokyo, 200 Parkbrooke Drive 770-591-8858, pekingandtokyo.com Song’s Garden, 4451 Towne Lake Parkway 770-928-8387, songsgarden.com

Tavern at Towne Lake, 1003 Towne Lake Hills Dr., American see ad on pg 31 770-592-9969 The Place, 1105 Parkside Lane 770-928-8901, theplacebargrill.com

Sunday $ $$ open full bar Brunch

Bar/Grill

$-$$

open

full bar

Tuscany, 250 Cinema View Drive 678-453-0888, mytuscanyrestaurant.com

Italian

$-$$

$$-$$$

open

full bar

10+

Volcano Steak & Sushi, 2990 Eagle Drive 678-498-7888, volcanowoodstock.com

Asian

$-$$

$$-$$$

open

full bar

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

$ = most entrees under $10 • $$ = most entrees $10 - $15 • $$$ = most entrees $15 - $20 • $$$$ = most entrees over $20

TOWNE LAKE AREA DINING

TOWNE LAKE AREA HOMES SOLD IN FEBRUARY

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Farm Fresh Market Ready for 10th Season BY KYLE BENNETT

The Woodstock Farm Fresh Market kicks off its 10th year in Woodstock on April 21 on Market Street. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the market will close in December. The market requires produce vendors to grow at least 85 percent of the product they bring to the market. Vendors are subject to inspection to make sure they are growing the required amount of produce. These rules were implemented to guarantee that shoppers know for sure that the produce is locally grown. In addition to locally grown produce, vendors will be selling jams and jellies, honey, baked bread, pastries, bath and beauty products, and much more. Synovus Bank returns this year as a sponsor, and a continuing partnership with the Cherokee County Farm Bureau brings great events to the market, such as a pie baking and eating contest, a watermelon eating contest, and other fun and educational events. For more information on the market, call 770-924-0406 or check out VisitWoodstockGA.com.

Kyle Bennett is the director of tourism for the Woodstock Downtown Development Authority. He can be reached at kbennett@woodstockga.gov.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Elm Street

A Season of Journey is Headed your Way BY CHRISTOPHER BRAZELTON

I want to reach out and invite you on a journey. Journeys are so rare these days. When we journey, we often are seeking and searching for something — sometimes an escape, sometimes a moment. Here’s a definition of journey for you: a passage from one stage to another. In the end, no matter what we are looking for, we are hoping for authenticity. Authenticity is one of the major values of our time. It is visible everywhere, from clothing to food to self-help books. We are all trying to find ourselves in a real moment when so much around us has little depth. While it is such a prevalent phenomenon, it also is very evasive. In a recent study, Daniel Schulz argues that authenticity is sought out and marked by the individual, and springs from a culture that is perceived as inherently fake and lacking depth. I’m not sure about you, but, for me, authenticity is hard to find. Sometimes, our culture does make me feel that, if I want to go anywhere, I need to run faster on the hamster wheel. Work harder, exercise faster, learn more at school, whatever it may be — that search gets away from us. It turns into the “next” thing before we even get time to be satisfied with where we are now. Elm Street couldn’t be more excited about the 20182019 Season of Journey. In some ways, it is our journey, as we turn from a theater into an art center. In others, we don’t want to run on the hamster wheel and just do more, but to seek and search with you to find those authentic moments. Once we find authenticity, the journey stops for a brief moment, and we find those moments of satisfaction quite fulfilling. Maybe, as a community, we can take a journey collectively, and find those real moments together? We invite you to join us for our Season Reveal Party, where we will talk about our 2018-2019 Season of Journey, which is for ALL of Elm Street Cultural Arts Village. Not only will we talk about the theater shows, but we will reveal what we have planned for the Reeves House. We also will be announcing the world-renowned artists and musicians we are bringing to our community for the Lantern Series. And, to top that, we have a few more surprises about our growth that we know you will be excited about and want to hear. The party is 7 p.m. April 14 in the Elm Street Theatre. Come join the journey with us!

Christopher Brazelton, a Florida State University graduate, is the executive director of Elm Street Cultural Arts Village.

DOWNTOWN WOODSTOCK

MAY 4-20

MAY 4, 5, 11, 18, 19 AT 7:30PM MAY 6, 12, 13, 20 AT 2:00PM Call or visit us on the web to learn about our

SUMMER CAMPS Registration Now Open

ELMSTREETARTS.ORG 678.494.4251

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Our Woodstock Neighbors Marita, always independent with a sense of purpose, has always had a love of traveling and adventures.

Marita, always independent with a sense of purpose, has Once in a while we meet always had a love of traveling someone with whom we just and adventures. She has click. That was the case when been to 19 or 20 countries. I met this dear woman. We With each move came a new just happened to be next door adventure, and she mentioned neighbors when I moved to that she has met Woody Allen downtown Woodstock. and Woody Harrelson. With Simply put, I was fascinated a bit of wistfulness, Marita by her. She is quite a lovely mentioned she may not have lady. She has the most actually worked FOR Andy gorgeous blue eyes that are Warhol but she was close full of life, along with a sense enough to "touch his robe." of humor that would make Marita and her husband anyone smile. moved to downtown Her full name is Marita Woodstock about 6 ½ years Hallberg Walsh. She’s an ago and she has had no only child, born in Sweden regrets. Woodstock suits her in 1943. She remembers the lifestyle and she has no plans food shortages resulting from to move anytime soon, if ever. the German blockades. Her Today she paints and speaks parents came to the United humbly about her work as she States looking for a better life, points to a painting she was which they found in Brooklyn, working on in the corner of N.Y., where Marita was raised her living room. The easel was and found her love of art. beautiful, as was the painting. Her father was a fresco artist; I asked Marita if she had any perhaps she inherited that flair advice for the younger people early on. starting out in their careers. Parsons School of Design She was quick to answer. Marita enjoys painting in her Woodstock home. accepted Marita and she "Work hard and put down the graduated with a graphic arts phones!" degree. This is impressive since today only about 35 percent "Any regrets?" I asked. "Anything on your bucket list?" of applicants are accepted. Graphic arts led Marita into the Marita had to think. Maybe not a regret but a wish. She advertising world. Her first job was in an advertising firm in still wishes she had landed that job with Lou Dorfsman. She New York City in the 1960s. Remember the television series explained that Dorfsman was a graphic designer who was hired “Madmen”? I asked Marita if the show was an accurate as the director of design for all of CBS in New York City. Marita depiction of life then. Actually, she said the men were portrayed said Dorfsman was responsible for everything that had to do accurately; the women, not so much. Women were typists and with design (print advertising, marketing communications, etc.) stenographers. There was no room for a Peggy to become an for CBS, "down to the design of even the pencils." We agreed advertising executive or for a Joan Holloway to become part she may not have had half the adventures in her life if she had owner of the firm. landed that job! Marita and her husband lived in the city’s West Village. She As Marita enjoys everything Woodstock, we all should be described her neighborhood as an area where the aspiring happy to have her living among us. Cheers to her! musicians, actors and young artists lived and socialized. She knew Bob Dylan's girlfriend, Suze Rotolo; Rotolo and Dylan lived around the corner. Rotolo was pictured on Dylan's 1963 album, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.” It must have been fascinating living there then. I can picture a young blonde, blue-eyed Leigh Cutrone and her husband live in Woodstock. Leigh’s blog, The Senior Class: Navigating the Golden Years, is geared to Marita walking along Bleecker Street and running into the retired seniors. seniorclass@yahoo.com. famous couple. BY LEIGH CUTRONE

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Casual and Upscale Restaurants

RESTAURANT CUISINE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SUNDAY Canyons American no $ $ open 335 Chambers St. 678-494-8868 canyonsburgercompany.com Century House Tavern 125 E Main St. 770-693-4552 centuryhousetavern.com Fire Stone see ad on pg 7 120 Chambers St. 770-926-6778 firestonerestaurants.com Freight Kitchen & Tap 251 E Main St. 770-924-0144 freightkitchen.com Habanero’s Taqueria 9550 Main St. 678-498-8243 Ice Martini & Sushi Bar 380 Chambers St. 770-672-6334 icemartinibar.com Ipps Pastaria & Bar 8496 Main St. 770-517-7305 ippspastaria.com

SPIRITS RESERV. Beer/Wine no

Modern American

$$$

open

Full bar

8 persons +

Wood-fired Pizza & Grill

$$$

open

Full bar

yes

Southern

Sat./Sun. Brunch 10:30-3

$$$

open

Full bar

Mexican Tapas/Sushi

Sat./Sun. Brunch 11-1:30 no

$-$$

open

Full bar

yes

Fri./Sat. only

open

Full bar

yes

Italian

open

Full bar

J Christopher’s Diner $-$$ $-$$ no open no Weekends 315 Chambers St. 770-592-5990 only jchristophers.com J Miller’s Smokehouse 150 Towne Lake Pkwy. 770-592-8295 jmillerssmokehouse.com Mad Life Studios 8722 Main St madlifestageandstudios.com

BBQ & Southern Sandwiches

$-$$

open

Beer

Southern

$-$$

$$-$$$$

open

Full bar

Southern

Sunday Brunch 10:30-2:30

$$$$

open

Beer/Wine

yes

Pure Taqueria Mexican Sat./Sun. 405 Chambers St. 770-952-7873 Brunch puretaqueria.com/woodstock 11-3

open

Full bar

6 persons+

Reel Seafood Seafood Sunday 8670 Main St. Brunch 770-627-3006 10:30-3:30

$$-$$$

open

Full bar

yes

Magnolia Thomas 108 Arnold Mill Rd. 678-445-5789 magnoliathomas.com

Rootstock and Vine 8558 Main St. 770 -544-9009 www.rootstockandvine.com

Wine bar Tapas

$-$$

$$-$$$

open

Full bar

yes

Salt Factory Pub 8690 Main St. 678-903-6225

Gastropub

Sat./Sun. Brunch 11-3

$$-$$$

open

Full bar

Semper Fi Bar and Grille 9770 Main St. 770-672-0026 Tea Leaves & Thyme 8990 Main St. 770-516-2609 tealeavesandthyme.com

American

open

Full bar

English Tea room

closed

yes

Truck & Tap 8640 Main St. 770-702-1670 truckandtap.com

Variety of Food trucks

$-$$

open

Craft Beer

Vingenzo’s 105 E Main St. 770-924-9133 vingenzos.com

Italian

$$$

open

Full bar

yes

Sunday Brunch 10-2

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

$ = most entrees under $10 • $$ = most entrees $10 - $15 • $$$ = most entrees $15 - $20 • $$$$ = most entrees over $20 * denotes advertiser

DOWNTOWN WOODSTOCK DINING

C herokee P hotography C lub Congratulations to the winners in the February competition "Vintage"

Monochromatic:

1st Becky Sapp "Hernando"

2nd Kim Bates "Little Red Corvette"

3rd Vickie Sellers "Chief Vann Writing Desk"

Color Prints:

1st David Ferguson "Fender Classic"

3rd Russ Miller "Amen" 84

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

2nd Martin Longstaff "Mrs. B."

HM Dean Kelley "The Bench"

The Cherokee Photography Club meets on the fourth Monday of the month, and for those participating in the monthly contest, that meeting is held on the second Monday of the month. Both meetings are from 7-9 p.m. and held at the Cherokee County Arts Center, 94 North Street, Canton. For more information, please contact Kim Bates at 770-617-7595 or email him at kbphotoart@comcast.net.

HM Russ Miller "Bang, Bang, Boom"

Digital Projection:

1st Peter Kilpo "Oldie"

2nd David Ferguson "Studebaker"

Above, HM Rick Sapp "The Test of Time" Left, 3rd Martin Longstaff "Martha's Plymouth" TOWNELAKER | April 2018

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

REFERENCE

COMMUNITY OF FAITH ADVENTIST

Cherokee 101 Rope Mill Road, Woodstock 770-591-7304 http://cherokee.netadvent.org/ Canton 411 Scott Mill Road, Canton 678-880-0106 www.cantonadventist.org

AME

Rising Hills Church 615 Mountain Road, Woodstock www.gorhc.org River Church 2335 Sixes Road, Canton 770-485-1975 www.riveratlanta.org

Allen Temple AME 232 N. Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-926-6348 www.allentempleame.org

Shallowford Free Will Baptist Church 1686 Shallowford Road, Marietta 770-926-1163 www.shallowfordchurch.com

St. Paul 390 Crisler St., Canton 770-479-9691 www.stpaulame-canton.org

South Cherokee 7504 Highway 92, Woodstock 770-926-0422

Carmel 2001 Bascomb Carmel Road

Sutallee 895 Knox Bridge Highway, White 770-479-0101 www.sutalleebaptistchurch.com

Cherokee 7770 Hickory Flat Highway, Woodstock 770-720-3399 www.cherokeebaptistchurch.org

CHURCH OF GOD

BAPTIST

Cornerstone Community 4206 North Arnold Mill Rd, Woodstock 678-439-5108 www.ccchurchonline.org Crossroads Community Church 2317 Bascomb-Carmel Road, Woodstock 770-592-7007 Crossroads Primitive Baptist Church 3100 Trickum Road, Woodstock 770-710-1068 Faith Community Office: 110 Village Trail, Suite 110, Woodstock Sunday Services: 3075 Trickum Road, Woodstock 770-516-1996 www.faithcommunitychurch.org First Baptist of Woodstock 11905 Highway 92, Woodstock 770-926-4428 www.fbcw.org First Baptist Canton One Mission Point 770-479-5538 www.fbccanton.org First Baptist Holly Springs 2632 Holly Springs Parkway 770-345-5349 www.fbchollysprings.com Harvest Baptist Church 3460 Kellogg Creek Road, Acworth www.hbcga.org Heritage Fellowship 3615 Reinhardt College Parkway, Canton 770-479-9415 www.HeritageCanton.com Hillcrest 6069 Woodstock Road, Acworth 770-917-9100 www.hbcacworth.org

New Victoria 6659 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock 770-926-8448, www.newvicbaptist.org

Toonigh 4999 Old Highway 5, Lebanon www.toonightbaptistchurch.com Bells Ferry 6718 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock 770-592-2956 www.bellsferry.com Canton Church 110 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 678-285-3288 www.cantonchurch.com New Life Church 154 Lakeside Drive, Canton 770-345-2660 www.newlifecanton.com Sunnyside 2510 East Cherokee Drive, Woodstock 770-693-1018 www.sunnysidecog.org Toonigh 4775 Holly Springs Parkway, Canton 770-926-3096 www.toonighcog.org

EPISCOPAL

Christ the Redeemer Charismatic 6488 Hickory Flat Highway, Canton 404-395-5003 www.ctrcec.com Episcopal Church-Annunciation 1673 Jamerson Road, Marietta 770-928-7916 www.ecamarietta.org Saint Clementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2795 Ridge Road, Canton 770-345-6722 www.stclementscanton.org

JEWISH

Chabad Jewish Center 1480 Shiloh Road, NW, Kennesaw 770-400-9255 www.jewishwestcobb.com

Hopewell 78 Ridge Road, Canton 770-345-5723 www.hopewellbaptist.com

Congregation Ner Tamid Reform Jewish Congregation 1349 Old 41 Highway NW, Suite 220, Marietta 678-264-8575 www.mynertamid.org

Mt. Zion 4096 East Cherokee Drive, Canton 770-479-3324 www.mtzb.org

Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills, Marietta 770-973-0137 www.etzchaim.net

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell 770-642-0434 www.bethtikvah.com Temple Kehillat Chaim 1145 Green St., Roswell 770-641-8630 www.kehillatchaim.org Temple Kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Road, Marietta 770-973-3533 www.kolemeth.net

MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATIONS Congregation Beth Hallel 950 Pine Grove Road, Roswell 770-641-3000 www.bethhallel.org

LUTHERAN

Celebration of Grace 411 Scott Mill Road, Canton 770-503-5050 www.celebrationofgrace.org Good Shepherd 1208 Rose Creek Drive, Woodstock 770-924-7286 www.gslutheran.org Timothy 556 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-928-2812 www.tlcwoodstock.org

ORTHODOX

St. Elizabeth 2263 East Cherokee Drive, Woodstock 770-485-0504 www.stelizabethga.org

PRESBYTERIAN

Cherokee 1498 Johnson Brady Road, Canton 770-704-9564, www.cherokee-pca.org. Covenant South Annex Rec Center 7545 Main St., Bldg. 200, Woodstock www.cc-pca.org Faith 3655 Reinhardt College Parkway, Canton www.faithpc.us Grace Church 1160 Butterworth Road, Canton 678-493-9869, www.gracecanton.org Heritage 5323 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth 770-926-3558 , www.heritagepres.com Trinity 1136 Trinity Church Road www.trinity-presbyterian-church.org Woodstock 345 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-926-0074, www.woodstockpcusa.com

ROMAN CATHOLIC Our Lady of LaSalette 12941 Sam Nelson Road, Canton 770-479-8923 www.lasalettecanton.com

St. Michael the Archangel 490 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-516-0009 www.saintmichaelcc.org Transfiguration Catholic Church 1815 Blackwell Road NE., Marietta 770-977-1442 www.transfiguration.com

UNITED METHODIST

Bascomb 2295 Bascomb-Carmel Road, Woodstock 770-926-9755 www.bascombumc.org Big Springs United Methodist Church 2066 Sugar Pike Road, Woodstock Canton First 930 Lower Scott Mill Road 770-479-2502 www.cantonfirstumc.org CITY ON A HILL 7745 Main St., Woodstock 678-445-3480 www.coahumc.org Fields Chapel 1331 Fields Chapel Road, Canton 770-479-6030 www.fieldschapel.org Hickory Flat 4056 East Cherokee Drive, Canton 770-345.5969 www.hickoryflat.org Hillside 4474 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock 770-924-4777 www.hillsideumc.org Holly Springs 2464 Holly Springs Parkway 770-345-2883 www.hollyspringsumc.com Liberty Hill 141 Railroad St., Canton 678-493-8920 www.libertyhillumc.org Little River 12455 Highway 92, Woodstock 770-926-2495 www.littleriverumc.info Mt. Gilead 889 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-591- 0837 www.mtgilead-umc.org Sixes 8385 Bells Ferry Road, Canton 770-345-7644 www.sixesumc.org Woodstock 109 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock 770-516-0371

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

Emerson 4010 Canton Road, Marietta 770-578-1533 www.emersonuu.org Unity North Atlanta 4255 Sandy Plains Rd. Marietta, GA 30066 678-819-9100 www.unitynorth.org

OTHERS

Action Church 271 Marietta Road, Canton 770-345-3030 www.actionchurch.tv Antioch Christian Church 3595 Sugar Pike Road Canton, GA 30115 770-475-9628 www.antiochcanton.org Antioch Church 9876 Main St., Suite 250, Woodstock 678-494-2193 www.antiochchurch.life

Awakening 180 Parkway 575, Suite 140, Woodstock 770-924-4150 www.awakeningwoodstock.com Branches of Christ 5946 Jacobs Road, Acworth 770-917-4964 www.branchesofchrist.com BridgePointe 233 Arnold Mill Road, Suite 400, Woodstock 770-517-2977 www.bridgepointechurch.org Christian Praise Center 1358 Sixes Road, Canton 770-924-7532 www.christianpraisecenter.com Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2205 Bascomb-Carmel Road, Woodstock 770-529-9572 www.mormon.org Church of the Messiah 4115 Charles Cox Drive, Canton 770-479-5280 www.churchofthemessiah.net Dayspring 6835 Victory Drive, Acworth 770-516-5733 www.dayspring-online.com Dwelling Place Church 110 Londonderry Court #130, Woodstock www.dwellingplacemovement.org Empowerment Tabernacle 507 Industrial Drive, Woodstock 770-928-7478 www.EmpowermentTabernacle.com The Factory 9872 Main St., Woodstock, 770-517-7265 www.thefactoryministries.org Faith Family 5744 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth 770-926-4560 www.ffcacworth.com Fivestones Church 155 P Rickman Industrial Drive, Canton 770-720-2227 www.fivestonesga.com Fresh Springs Worship Center 1910 Eagle Drive, Suite 100, Woodstock 678-557-9841 www.freshspringsworship.com Fuente de Vida (Fountain of Life) 205 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 678-880-3135 www.fdvida.org God’s Rolling Thunder Latimer Hall, 103 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock www.godsrollingthunder.org His Hands 550 Molly Lane, Woodstock 770-405-2500 www.hishandschurch.com Hope Church 6576 Commerce Parkway, Woodstock www.HopeChurchAtl.com Iglesia Mana Para Siempre, Inc. Bilingual church Spanish & English 452 Milton Drive, Canton 678-880-8750 www.iglesiamanaparasiempre.com

Life Church 300 Adam Jenkins Memorial Drive, Suite 108, Canton 770-847-0170 www.lifechurchcanton.com Love Community Church 5598 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth Ministry House 347 Holly St., Canton 678-459-2347 http://MinistryHouse.org Momentum 659 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 678-384-4919 www.MomentumChurch.tv New Covenant Bible 1095 Scott Road, Canton 770-479-6412 www.newcovenantcanton.org North Atlanta Church 6233 Old Alabama Road, Acworth 770-975-3001 www.northatlantachurch.org Oak Leaf 151 East Marietta St., Canton 678-653-4652 www.oakleafcanton.com Prayer & Praise Christian Fellowship 6409 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock 770-928-2795 www.prayerandpraise.org Resurrection Anglican 231 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-591-0040 www.rezwoodstock.org Revolution 125 Union Hill Trail, Canton 770-345-2737 www.therevolution.tv Sojourn Woodstock 8534 Main Street, Woodstock 770-769-7495 www.sojournwoodstock.com Sovereign Grace 471 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 678-494-2100 www.sgcatlanta.org Thrive Chapel 11303 Highway 92, Woodstock 770-835-5795 www.thrivechapel.com Towne Lake Community 132 North Medical Parkway, Woodstock 678-445-8766 www.tlcchurch.com Victory 4625 Highway 92, Acworth 770-794-7366 www.victoryga.com Woodstock City Church 150 Ridgewalk Parkway, Woodstock 678-880-9092 www.woodstockcity.org Woodstock Christian 7700 Highway 92, Woodstock 770-926-8238 www.woodstockchristian.org Woodstock Church of Christ 219 Rope Mill Road, Woodstock 770-926-8838 www.woodstockchurchofchrist.org Woodstock Church of the Nazarene 874 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock 770-366-7515 www.wcnga.com Woodstock Community Church 237 Rope Mill Road, Woodstock 770-926-8990 www.wcchurch.org TOWNELAKER | April 2018

TOWNE LAKE AREA CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS

Ahimsa House helps domestic violence victims 24-hours a day get their pets to safety. 404-452-6248. www.ahimsahouse.org.

Georgia Animal Project, based in Ball Ground, offers high quality, low cost spay/neuter services for dogs and cats. 770-704-PAWS (7297). www.theanimalproject.org.

Pet Buddies Food Pantry provides pet food, supplies, spaying and neutering, and education through community outreach programs to families in need. 678-310-9858. www.petbuddiesfoodpantry.org.

Angel House Girls Home, residential facility to help girls ages 12-18 learn self-sufficiency. 770-479-9555. www.angelhousega.com.

Give a Kid a Chance – Cherokee sponsors a yearly back-to-school bash, giving children in need filled backpacks to free haircuts. www.giveakidachance.org.

Safe Kids Cherokee County offers free child safety seat inspections by appointment. 770-721-7808. www.cherokeesafekidscherokeecounty.org.

Anna Crawford Children’s Center, dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect through prevention and intervention services. 678-504-6388. www.cherokeechildadvocates.org.

Goshen Valley Boys Ranch offers a home, care and counsel to young men in the DFCS system. 770-796-4618. www.goshenvalley.org

Bend Your Knees, Inc. raises awareness, helps children with pediatric brain tumors. Bob Dixon, 678-922-1560.

Green Shelters America animal rescue group. 770-712-4077. GreenSheltersAmerica@gmail.com. www.GreenSheltersAmerica.com.

CASA for Children has programs to increase safety and improve educational, social and emotional functioning of children impacted by abuse. 770-345-3274. www.casacherokee.org. CCHS Thrift Store accepts donations, sells used household items to raise money for Cherokee County Humane Society. 5900 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth. 770-592-8072. Cherokee Family Violence Center offers emergency shelter and crisis intervention, affordable housing, education, support services. 770-479-1703. Spanish 770-720-7050 or 800-334-2836 option 2. www.cfvc.org. Cherokee Fellowship of Christian Athletes challenges professional, college, high school, junior high and youth level coaches and athletes to use athletics to impact the world for Christ. Bill Queen 404-441-3508. www.cherokeefca.org. Cherokee County Humane Society (CCHS) 770-928-5115. admin@cchumanesociety.org. www.cchumanesociety.org.

Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia, 770-587-9697. www.habitat-ncg.org Healing Hands Youth Ranch offers safe, peaceful environment where abused and at-risk children are paired with rescue horses for hope and healing. 770-633-4451. www.hhyr.org. HopeQuest Ministry Group helps people with life dominating issues related to alcohol abuse, substance abuse and/or sexual brokenness. 678-391-5950. www.hqmg.org. HOPE Center offers support for unplanned pregnancy. 770-924-0864. info@hopectr.com. www.hopectr.com. HOPE Center — Seeds Thrift Store offers men, women & children’s clothing, furniture & other home goods. 770-517-4450. www.seedsthriftstore.com.

Cherokee FOCUS works to improve lives of children and families through collaborative programs and initiatives. 770-345-5483. www.cherokeefocus.org.

Life Connection Ministries provides humanitarian relief in the form of wells and greenhouses to impoverished communities. Mission trips offered. 678-234-1798. www.lcm-ga.com.

Cherokee County Senior Services offers educational, social, leisure and recreational activities for senior citizens. 770-345-5312. 770-345-5320. www.cherokeega.com/senior-services.

Matthew E. Russell Foundation establishes literacy and libraries in rural areas worldwide. 678-234-1798. www.mattrussell.org.

Cherokee Young Life for high school students, meets Monday nights at Bradshaw Farm clubhouse, 7853 Hickory Flat Highway, Suite 104, Woodstock 30188. 678 653-5707. www.cherokeecounty.younglife.org. Community Veterinary Care provides professional veterinary care for pets whose owners have limited financial means. 678-640-3512 www.communityveterinarycare.com. Companion Animal Connection 678-493-9847. www.adoptapet.com.

MUST Ministries provides groceries, hot meals, emergency shelter, supportive housing, clothing, employment services, summer lunch and more from five locations in eight counties, including the Canton office at 111 Brown Industrial Pkwy. www.mustministries.org. National Alliance for Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots organization in America working to build better lives for the millions affected by mental illness. www.nami.org.

Everyday Angels offers financial assistance for local families in need. aaeverydayangels@gmail.com.

Never Alone provides food and clothing assistance to Cherokee families in need. www.neveralone.org.

Feed My Lambs, Inc. provides free Christian preschools in the U.S. and around the world. 770-795-9348. office@feedmylambs.net. www.feedmylambs.net.

Next Step Ministries offers a therapeutic day program, Saturday respite, camps and special events for people with special needs. 770-592-1227. www.nextstepministries.net.

Forever Fed is a mobile food ministry that addresses physical hunger and hopelessness by providing meals and sharing the gospel. www.foreverfed.org.

North Georgia Pregnancy Center offers help and care to young girls and women with an unplanned pregnancy or who need counseling. 706-253-6303. www.ngapregnancy.org.

Funds 4 Furry Friends helps those in need with food, spay/neuter and medical attention for their pets. 770-842-8893. www.funds4furryfriends.com.

Papa’s Pantry, a year-round food ministry that includes the Masters Training Center to help individuals and families in crisis get back on their feet. 770-591-4730. www.papaspantry.org.

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

SERV International operates the House of Hope orphanage in Africa, sponsors a clean water program in Dominican Republic and meal distributions worldwide. Offers mission trips. 770-516-1108. www.servone.org The Blue Ribbon Foundation fosters a national dialog toward finding the cause, cure and prevention of ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. 478-397-5542. www.theblueribbonfoundation.org. Volunteer Aging Council helps raise funds for seniors in Cherokee County. A list of current needs is available. 770-310-3474. www.vac-cherokeega.org.

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

AA Meetings Canton: 9:30 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 7 p.m. Mondays at Canton First United Methodist, 930 Lower Scott Mill Road. Woodstock: 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Hillside United Methodist, 4474 Towne Lake Parkway. www.aageorgia.org/14c-meetings.html. Abortion Recovery Helping those who have been impacted by abortion. 678-223-3519. Al-Anon and Al-A-Teen Canton: 8 p.m. Thursdays at St Clements Episcopal Church, 2795 Ridge Road. Woodstock: 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays Al-anon at Hillside United Methodist Church, Room 2208, 4474 Towne Lake Pkwy. 770-516-3502. American Heart Assoc. - Cherokee Div. 678-385-2013. American Red Cross metro chapter 770-428-2695. A-Typical Parkinson’s Education and Support Group Meets 2-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month at Resurrection Anglican Church, 231 Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock. 954-830-7274. sbr4psp@gmail.com. Caregivers Alzheimers Spousal Support Group Meets: 12:30 p.m. first Tuesday of every month for lunch at Benton House of Woodstock, 3385 Trickum Road. 678-494-4500. woodstockinfo@bentonhouse.com. Celebrate Recovery, Christ-centered recovery program for all types of habits, hurts and hangups. Meets: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at Woodstock Church of the Nazarene. 770-366-7515. Meets: 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Sixes United Methodist. 770-345-7644. www.sixesumc.org. Meets: 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Ministry House, 678-459-2347. www.MinistryHouse.org. Meets: 6:15 p.m. Thursdays at 411 Scott Mill Road, Canton. 678-764-8660. www.celebraterecovery.com. Cherokee County Support Group for people with autoimmune conditions. Meets: 6:30 - 8 pm second Thursday at New Light Baptist Church, 1716 New Light Road, Holly Springs. 404-402-0571, 770-337-0294, jhmom88@comcast.net or christystephenson@msn.com. Cherokee County Special Olympics provides yearround sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. www.cherokeecountyspecialolympics.org. Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association for pastors and ministry leaders. Meets: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. last Wednesday at Dayspring Church, 6835 Victory Drive, Woodstock. www.cherokeeministers.org.

Diabetes Support Group Meets: 9:30 and 11 a.m. third Tuesday at Emeritus Assisted Living, 756 Neese Road, Woodstock. 770-793-7818. Georgia Canines for Independence. 404-824-4637. gcidogs@aol.com. www.gcidogs.org. Grace Valley Ministries connects pastors through small group meetings, free counseling and a place to retreat. 727-251-7690. info@gracevalleyministries.org. www.gracevalleyministries.org. Grandparents Raising GRANDchildren Meets: 7:15 p.m. second Tuesdays Transfiguration Catholic Church, Marietta (nursery available). 770-919-9275 Hearing Loss Association of America NW Metro Atlanta Chapter for people with hearing loss looking for support and resources, holds free and informative quarterly meetings at the Senior Center on Arnold Mill Road. nwmetroatlantahlaa@gmail.com. La Leche League of South Cherokee Meets: 10 a.m. first Tuesday and 7 p.m. third Tuesday at Bascomb United Methodist Church. 678-315-7686. 770-517-0191. MOMS Club of Woodstock-Towne Lake momsclubofwoodstocktl@gmail.com www.sites.google.com/site/ momscluboftownelakewoodstock. MOPS — Mothers of Preschoolers (birth — K) Meets: 9:30 a.m. second and fourth Mondays at Hillside UMC, 4474 Towne Lake Pkwy. 770-924-4777. Unlimited Possibilities, support group for stroke and brain injury survivors. Meets: 7 p.m. first Tuesday of each month at Kennestone Outpatient Rehab Center. 678-677-2589.

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

American Business Women’s Association, Cherokee Eagles Charter Chapter. Meets: 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesdays at Dynastic Buffet at the intersection of Canton Highway and Piedmont. 678-493-3618. Cherokee Business Network Meets: 7:45 a.m. Wednesdays at Chick-fil-A, 9728 Highway 92, Woodstock. 770-345-8687. Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Meets: Various times during the year. Schedule at www.cherokeechamber.com. 770-345-0400. Gini@CherokeeChamber.com. Cherokee Toastmasters Club Meets: Noon-1:15 p.m. Wednesdays at the Bank of North Georgia, 200 Parkway 575, Woodstock. www.cherokeetoastmasters.com. The Joy of Connecting Networking for Women Meets: Various times and locations. 678-7896158. www.xperienceconnections.com/spotlight/ woodstock/.

VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS American Legion Post 316 Meets: 7 p.m. third Thursdays at William G. Long Senior Center, 223 Arnold Mill Road. 678-662-2366.

Cherokee County Libertarians Meets: 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday at the Cherokee County Board of Realtors Training Center, 1600 River Park Blvd., Suite 104, Woodstock. www.cherokeelp.org.

Cherokee County Homeless Veteran Program Contact Jim Lindenmayer at Jlindenmayer80@gmail. com or 678-983-7590, or Mike Satterly at 404-680-2412.

Cherokee County Republican Party Meets: 9 a.m. third Saturday at Jump Kitchen & Saloon, 1085 Buckhead Crossing, Woodstock 678-882-0915. www.cherokeecounty.gop.

Woodstock VFW Post 10683 Meets: 7 p.m. second Tuesday at Woodstock Senior Center, 223 Arnold Mill Road. 404-663-4663.

Cherokee County Republican Women affiliated with The Georgia Federation of Republican Women. Meets: Monthly in Woodstock/Canton. 770-592-7811. jkconkey@gmail.com.

CIVIC, COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS

AARP Woodstock Chapter is for anyone age 50 and older. Meets: 11:30 a.m. second Tuesdays at Tuscany. Lunch is $15. 770-926-1944. Canton-Cherokee TRIAD/S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Meets: 8:30 a.m. first Tuesday at G.Cecil Pruitt YMCA in Canton (Hall of Fame Room). www.saltcherokee.com Cherokee County Historical Society 770-345-3288. www.rockbarn.org. Citizen Oversight and Education 678-520-2236. citizenoversighteducation@yahoo.com. Jewish Havurah (Friends) A group of Jewish people who meet for Jewish holidays, special Jewish events and Shabbat dinners. 770-345-8687. Kiwanis Club of Greater Cherokee Meets: 8 a.m. first Monday, at Hillside United Methodist Church, Room 2107, 4474 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock. 678-468-9900 www.greatercherokeekiwanis.org Pilot Club of Cherokee County Meet: 6: 30 p.m. second Mondays at IHOP on Hwy. 20. 770-393-1766. Lynda@edgoodwinassociates.com, www.pilotinternational.com. Rotary Club of Cherokee County Meets: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at IHOP on Highway 92. 770-480-4179. Rotary Club of Towne Lake Meets: Noon Thursdays at Tavern at Towne Lake, 1003 Towne Lake Hills E., Woodstock. www.townelakerotary.com. Rotary Club of Woodstock Meets: 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at IHOP on Highway 92. 678-428-6514.

Grassroots Conservatives of Cherokee Meets: 7- 9 a.m. Fridays at Chick-fil-A, 951 Ridgewalk Parkway, Woodstock by the Outlet Mall. 770-294-0922. Republican Women of Cherokee County 678-520-2236. www.rwccga.com.

RECREATION & HOBBIES

Allatoona Gold Panners. Periodic events, outings. rrkelly@bellsouth.net. Cherokee Amateur Radio Society Meets: 10 a.m. on the second Saturday at William G. Long Senior Center, 223 Arnold Mill Road. www.cherokeehams.com. Cherokee Community Chorale 678-439-8625. www.cherokeechorale.org. Cherokee County Arts Center 94 North St., Canton. 770-704-6244 www.CherokeeArts.org. Cherokee County Master Gardeners 770-721-7803. www.caes.uga.edu/extension/ cherokee/mastergardeners. Cherokee Photography Club www.cherokeepc.org. Cherokee County Saddle Club hosts monthly meetings and group rides. www.cherokeesaddleclub.com. Cherokee Hockey In Line League (CHILL) roller hockey. www.cherokeehockey.org. Cherokee Music Teachers Association 770-720-1701. www.cherokeemta.org. Cherokee Soccer Association 770-704-0187. www.csaimpact.com.

Service League of Cherokee County 770-704-5991. www.serviceleague.net.

Cherokee Youth Lacrosse Association www.cherokeelacrosse.com.

South Cherokee Optimist Club Meets: 7:30 a.m. every Friday at Tavern at Towne Lake. 770-926-3522.

Christian Authors Guild Meets: 7-9 p.m. first and third Monday at Prayer and Praise Christian Fellowship, 6409 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock. www.christianauthorsguild.org.

Towne Lake Optimist Club Meets: 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Tavern at Towne Lake. 770-715-3375. www.townelakeoptimists.com. Woodstock Jaycees Meets: 7 p.m. first Tuesday and third Thursday at 216 Rope Mill Road. 770-926-8336.

Kingdom Riders, a chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association in Canton. Meets: 8 a.m. fourth Saturdays at Family Tradition restaurant in Hickory Flat.

Woodstock Junior Woman’s Club www.woodstockjwc.org.

Les Marmitons, for men interested in culinary arts. www.lesmarmitons.org.

Towne Lake PowerCore Team Meets: 7-8:30 a.m. Fridays at Freight Kitchen & Tap, 251 E. Main St., Woodstock. 404-816-3377. www.powercore.net.

Woodstock Lions Club Meets: 7 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. 770-906-2958.

Neighbors and Newcomers of Towne Lake (NNTL) is a social club for residents of 30189 area code. 770-855-9623. www.nntlclub.com.

Women of Woodstock Meets: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. first and third Wednesday at Tavern at Towne Lake. info@womenofwoodstock.com. www.womenofwoodstock.com.

Woodstock Preservation Group 770-924-0406. http://preservationwoodstock.com/.

Sons of the American Revolution - Cherokee Meets: 7 p.m. second Tuesdays at the Rock Barn, 638 Marietta Hwy., Canton. www.cherokeechapter.com.

Towne Lake Business Association Meets: 12:30 p.m. third Tuesdays at Tavern at Towne Lake. 678-389-3887. www.tlba.org.

Woodstock PowerCore Team Meets: 7 a.m. on Thursdays at Tavern at Towne Lake. 770-952-5000 ext. 20.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS

Cherokee County Democratic Party Meets: 7 p.m. second Thursday at Holly Springs Train Depot, 164 Hickory Road, Holly Springs. 770-345-3489. www.cherokeedemocrats.com.

William G. Long Senior Center offers activities for seniors at 223 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock. 678-445-6518. TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Online Social Security Account

Paper Ballots and Faith in Elections

Securities offered through registered representatives of Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc., a registered investment adviser. Cambridge is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Peter Montoya Inc. or MarketingPro Inc. This material was prepared by MarketingPro Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note: Investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. Citations. 1 - reuters.com/article/us-column-miller-socialsecurity/socialsecurity-online-accounts-safe-from-identity-theft-idUSKBN1FE296 [1/25/18] 2 - tinyurl.com/yb4wqgka [2/8/18]

and report the results. This would provide us with the same speedy results we’ve become accustomed to with electronic elections, but also grant us an ability to verify the result by a paper ballot recount in the future. The technology isn’t new; it’s similar to the scantron standardized tests our students have used for decades. Why do they use it? It’s simple, verifiable and nearly impossible to cheat. Rep. Turner and the House Science and Technology committee have held numerous hearings on the issue and will continue to do so. Sen. Bruce Thompson, another Cherokee delegation member, has a sister piece of legislation that had been passed by the Senate at the time of writing this article. Election integrity forms the foundation of our republic, and I look forward to continuing to explore ways to increase our faith in Georgia’s elections. As always, If you ever have any questions for me, please feel free to reach out to me on my cellphone at 678-523-8570, or email me at Michael@ caldwellforhouse.com. You also can meet me at one of my Weekly Coffees With District 20 nearly every Saturday at Copper Coin Coffee in downtown Woodstock. Thank you again for allowing me the honor of representing our families in Georgia’s General Assembly!

continued from page 30

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

continued from page 46

Since 1996, we have brought relevant, uplifting and reader-driven content to readers. We publish Around Acworth, Around Canton, Around Woodstock and TowneLaker. We look forward to serving you, our readers and advertisers, every month. Thank you for your continued support and participation in making this truly your community magazine.

Patty Ponder

Katherine Amick

Christie Deese

Candi Hannigan

Jackie Loudin

Carla Caldwell

Michelle McCulloch

Laura Latchford

Denise Griffin

At Aroundabout Local Media, we believe the world functions at the community level: diverse groups of people living in close proximity, sharing commonality of culture, values and local pride, developing safety nets for those in need, and helping each other to live richer lives. It is our heartfelt desire to contribute to the fabric that helps make a community happen. Through our magazines, we aim to provide everyone in the communities we serve with uplifting, interesting information about the community they are proud to call home. We encourage you to send us your photos, ideas, stories or anything else you think the community would like to know about. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your community. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your magazine. Look on page 6 for our contact information. Photos by J King Images.

Karen and Jon Flaig TowneLaker Distribution Map Circulation: 16,400

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Advertisers

For advertising rates and information Patty Ponder 770-615-3322 Patty@AroundaboutMagazines.com

April 2018

ANIMAL/PET SERVICES & SUPPLIES Animal Atlanta 770-591-0007 www.AnimalAtlanta.com

Cherokee County Animal Shelter www.cherokeega-animals.org

Merry Mac Dog Training 770-579-3865 www.MerryMacDogTraining.com

Towne Lake Pet Care 404-907-9778

ATTORNEYS/LEGAL SERVICES

Imbriale Injury Law 678-445-7423 www.imbrialeinjury.com Limbocker Law 678-401-6836 www.limbockerlawfirm.com

Nelson Elder Care Law, LLC Inside front 678-250-9355 www.NelsonElderCareLaw.com AUTOMOTIVE Aspen Falls Auto Spa 770-591-3630

C & T Auto Service 770-928-5940 and 770-926-4276 www.CandTAutoService.com

Christian Brothers Automotive 770-926-4500 www.cbac.com

Towne Lake’s Carwash and Detail 58 770-592-8102 www.townelakescarwashanddetail.com 59

BEAUTY SALON & SPA élon Salon 770-427-8698 www.elonsalon.com 94

TOWNELAKER | April 2018

Salon Gloss and Spa 770-693-6968 www.salongloss.biz

24, 25

Gentle Dental Care and Georgia Dental Implant Center 770-926-2784 www.georgiadic.com Kragor Orthodontics 770-485-8827 www.kragorortho.com

Downtown Buzz 75 770-592-6056 www.mainstreetwoodstock.org/connect/#buzz

Park Pediatric Dentistry of Woodstock 57 770-926-9260 www.PediatricWoodstockDentist.com

Towne Lake Business Association www.TLBA.org

Towne Lake Family Dentistry Inside Back 770-591-7929 www.TowneLakeFamilyDentistry.com

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS

Williams Orthodontics 770-592-5554 and 770-345-4155 www.DrWilliamsOrthodontics.com

Never Alone 770-289-6722 www.NeverAlone.org

Cover, 48, 49

Papa’s Pantry 770-591-4730 www.PapasPantry.org

Furtah Preparatory School 678-574-6488 www.furtahprep.org

Joint Chiropractic, The 678-214-4449 www.thejoint.com

Citadel Professional Services, LLC 770-952-6707

67 61

Ribley Chiropractic 770-592-2505 www.ribleychiro.com

Cynthia Cline, CPA 404-748-1082

Towne Lake Family Chiropractic 770-592-1877 www.townelakechiro.com

CHIROPRACTIC

Credit Union of Georgia 678-486-1111 www.CUofGA.org

(Cosmetic, Family, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics & Pediatric)

Canton Dental Town 770-622-1515 www.dentaltownsmiles.com

FUNERAL SERVICES Woodstock Funeral Home and Cremations 770-926-3107 www.woodstockfuneralhome.com

HEALTH & FITNESS R2 Total Fitness 678-809-7833 www.r2totalfitness.com

DENTAL

Baird & Baird Family Dentistry 770-517-0444 www.BairdFamilyDentistry.com

Evolve Bank & Trust Inside Front Andrea Meador, Senior Mortgage Loan Officer Office 770-924-2451, Cell 770-714-9227 www.getevolved.com Hill & Hill Financial, LLC 770-672-0402 www.hillandhillfinancial.com

COMPUTERS Cherokee Computer Guys 678-889-5900 www.ccrguys.com

EDUCATION

FINANCIAL SERVICES

CREDIT UNION

Frankfurt Foreign Automotive 23 678-505-8907 www.FrankfurtForeignAutomotive.com

Woodstock Quality Paint & Body 770-926-3898

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Sassy Paws Pet Boutique 678-275-2126 www.sassypawspb.com

Debranski & Associates, LLC 770-926-1957, ext 306 www.Debranski.com

Pink Iris Boutique Salon 678-581-9966

HOME IMPROVEMENT & REPAIR 41

Bryan Plumbing Services 770-826-5277

Casey's Painting 678-445-9661 www.caseyspainting.com

CFM Electrical Services 678-614-9661

ClearView window cleaning & pressure washing 770-926-1960 www.ClearViewAtl.com Coleman Home Services 770-294-9667 www.colemanhomeservices.com

Dr. Fixit, Ph.D. 770-974-2390 www.DrFixitPHD.com

Enhance Floors & More 770-565-3808 www.enhancefloors.com

Handy Handyman, The 404-316-1490 www.thhmga.com

Mr. Junk 678-Mr-Junk1 www.MrJunk1.com

PDI Kitchen, Bath & Lighting 770-924-2730 www.relyonpdi.com

Pike’s Professional Painting 770-516-0045

Precision Painting & Remodeling 678-234-9668 www.precisionpaintingatlanta.com

Reliable Heating & Air 770-594-9969 www.ReliableAir.com

LANDSCAPING & PEST CONTROL

Rebekah Gregg Photography 60 678-637-7518 www.rebekahgreggphotography.com PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL SERVICES Atlanta North Dermatology & Skin Care 770-516-5199 www.atlantanorthdermatology.com

Cherokee Internal Medicine 678-238-0301 www.cherokeeim.com

Mastermind Neurotherapy Center 770-857-3434 www.mastermindneurocenter.com

Modern Dermatology Atlanta 770-250-7199 www.moderndermatl.com

39, 43

Northside Hospital Cherokee www.NorthsideCherokee.com

Northside Cherokee Surgical Assoc. 770-924-9656 www.ncsurgicalassociates.com

Northside Cherokee Pediatrics 678-388-5485 northsidecherokeepediatrics.com

Northside Vascular Surgery 770-292-3490 www.NVS-GA.com

North Georgia Audiology & Hearing Aid Center 770-726-8948 www.YourHearingLink.com

Calvary Landscaping & Irrigation 770-720-1727 or 770-827-0346

Landscape Matters 770-403-5813 www.LandscapeMattersInc.com

Plastic Surgery Center of the South 40 770-421-1242 www.plasticsurgerycenterofthesouth.net

Mosquito Authority 678-212-1451 www.BugsBITE.com

Rebound Physical Therapy 678-445-9799 www.ReboundPTClinic.com

Overstreet Lawn Care 770-861-7272 www.overstreetlawncare.com

WellStar Health System 770-956-7827 www.wellstar.org/mayo

RPM Landscape & Pavers 770-597-5175 www.rpmlandscapeandpavers.com

Steve Divine www.ElectSteveDivine.com

OPTOMETRIST Eyes on Towne Lake 770-702-5996 www.eyesontownelake.com

Thomas Eye Group 770-928-4544 ww.thomaseye.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Darleen Prem Photography 770-354-0675 www.darleenprem.com

POLITICAL

REAL ESTATE & RELATED SERVICES Atlanta Communities, Tara Daigle 404-925-6351 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Tomlinson Team, The 770-365-6193 www.thetomlinsonteam.com

Kurt & Sheila Team, Keller Williams Back Cvr 404-954-2486, 678-494-0644 www.kurtandsheilateam.com

Magnolia Cottages by the Sea www.magnoliadreamcottage.com

Soliel Laurel Canyon 678-710-9134 www.SolielLaurelCanyon.com

Southeast Mortgage 770-279-0222, ext. 719 Todd Littlejohn: 678-662-3451

RECREATION AND ENTERTAINMENT Acworth Dragon Boat Festival 65 678-956-0062 www.AcworthDragonBoatFestival.com American Cancer Society Relay for Life 5K 800-227-2345 www.RelayForLife.org/cherokeega

Basements & Backyards 678-726-8777 www.BasementsandBackyards.com

Camp Invention www.CampInvention.org

Cruise Planners, Kathy Faisal 678-445-5235

Elm Street Cultural Arts Village 678-494-4251 www.elmstreetarts.org

RESTAURANTS/FOOD Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza & Grill 770-926-6778 www.FireStoneRestaurants.com

Smallcakes — A Cupcakery 678-324-1910 smallcakeswoodstock.myshopify.com

Tavern at Towne Lake 770-592-9969 www.tavernattownelake.com

RETAILERS/ SHOPPING Queen B's Boutique 770-380-6794 www.BetsyRocks.jewelry

Wild Birds Unlimited 770-928-3014

SENIOR LIVING/ SERVICES Arbor at BridgeMill, The 770-285-1475 www.ArborBridgeMill.com

Cherokee Triad S.A.L.T. Senior Extravaganza www.SALTCherokee.com

Oaks at Towne Lake 770-592-2195 www.oaksseniorliving.com

TAX SERVICES Cherokee Co. Tax Commissioner 55 www.TaxCommissioner.cherokeega.com TOWNELAKER | April 2018

TOWNELAKER | April 2018