03/11 West Canton by Footprints Publishing

Canton

Sixes

Waleska

Read how Atlanta Painting and Construction can improve the value of your home March is Scouting Month

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In Every Issue . . .

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Birthdays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 & 12 Community Calendar �� 14 Dr. Litrel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 School Information �� 22 Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chamber Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Elected/Appointed Officials . . 65 Local Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Community Information �� 67 Church Listings. . . . . . . . . . 68 & 69

Atlanta Painting and Construction Cover photo courtesy of PhotoJack.net

Featured Articles

Contributing

Writers

Volume 11 Issue 10

Dr. Christopher Anderson

Rep. Calvin Hill

Paul Pugliese

Angels 26 Everyday Helping Cherokee Families

Dr. Nasir Ashgar Stephanie Anderson

Eric Hill Rev. Norman Hunt

Pastor Jamey Prickett

Competition 44 Careful Caring for Sports Injuries

Dr. Kellie Baxter Michael Buckner Dr. Ted Furey Lisa Griswold Dr. Scott Harden

in West Canton 48 Scouting March is Scouting Month

WellStar Cardiovascular Medicine Know Your Heart

Michelle and Brian Meek are the co-owners of AroundAbout — West Canton magazine. Brian spent the last 15 years in sales and also owns a junior golf business. Michelle has been a stay-at-home mom for the past eight years and was a counselor at KSU prior to having their two girls, Ansley and Addison. They have lived in the Canton community for more than nine years.

Dr. Mike Litrel Melissa Llano Dr. Dawn Mason Carole May Cindy Morrow

Janet Read Sen. Chip Rogers Judy Ross Suzanne Taylor Amy Turcotte Ann Vancza

Publisher Brian Meek

West Canton 113 Mountain Brook Dr., Ste 204, Canton, GA 30115 (770) 720-7497 Fax (770) 720-1329 AroundAbout — West Canton magazine, is your monthly community magazine and a publication of Footprints Publishing, LLC. The magazine is a franchisee of AroundAbout Community Magazines, Inc. The magazine’s mission is to build a sense of community and pride in the Canton area by providing its residents with positive stories and timely information. More than 15,000 copies are distributed free by mail to Canton area residents and distributed at local businesses in the Canton area.

Summer Camp Guide

Dan Jape

Editor Michelle Meek Art Director Candice Williams Business Development Coordinator Amy Williams

AroundAbout — West Canton magazine welcomes your comments, stories, and advertisements. The deadline is the 12th of the preceding month. Subscriptions are available for $25 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. AroundAbout — West Canton magazine 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 © 2008 Advertising: admanager@aroundaboutwestcanton.com

AroundAbout — West Canton

Email the Editor: editor@aroundaboutwestcanton.com

www.aroundaboutwestcanton.com AroundAbout — West Canton is printed using soy-based inks and paper stocks that are at least 25% recycled. Our printer also recycles all paper and ink waste.

MARCH 2011

Around

The

People, The Places and The Pleasures that make West Canton.

by Michelle Meek editor@aroundaboutwestcanton.com

What’s New? Safeguard Business Services recently opened a new office at 3440 Sixes Road, Canton. Offering accounting services, new business services and more, please visit www. safeguardcpa.com or call (404) 422-8572 for complete information. Snickerdoodles Cakery and Bakery recently opened at

147 Reinhardt College Pkwy., Suite 1 in Canton. A locally owned business, they offer a variety of cakes, cheesecakes, pies, cupcakes and more. Diabetic offerings are also available as well as special orders for any occasion. Snickerdoodles is open Monday — Saturday and can be reached at (770) 345-1711.

Registration for Cherokee County School District’s 2011-12 Pre-Kindergarten Program will start Monday, March 14 and close Friday, April 1. Enrollment forms will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the following Pre-K program sites: Ball Ground ES, Canton ES, Hasty ES, Little River ES and RM Moore ES. Enrollment space is limited. Students must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2011 to be eligible. Please visit www.cherokee.k12.ga.us for compete details.

Premier Pool Enterprises, a full service pool management corporation, held their grand opening recently. Located at 3502 Sixes Road, Suite 108 in Canton, Premier offers pool services and construction, Primo BBQ Grills/Smokers, Coleman Jacuzzi tubs and much more. Please visit www. premierpoolenterprises.com or call (770) 345-9780 for more information.

PRISStine Boutique opened in the Bridgepointe Plaza at

3725 Sixes Road, Suite 107, Canton. For your retail therapy, they are open Monday — Saturday and offer jeans, tops, dresses, accessories and more. Please stop in or visit them on Facebook for more information.

The Goddard School located at 310 Prominence Point Pkwy. in Canton is now offering a private kindergarten program. Parents are encouraged to drop in for a tour or call Tom Carthron directly to arrange a personal appointment (770) 720-3003.

Community Involvement BridgeMill-Sixes Service League will award $1500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Woodstock and/ or Cherokee high schools. Requirements include active community service and an essay. This scholarship is not based on academics. Deadline April 1. Download application www.bssl.org or call (404) 822-5472.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

COMMUNITY

News Master Gardeners Have a Changing of the Guards

Local Organization Gives to Help Kids Turn Around The BridgeMill Sixes Service League (BSSL) presented TurnAround Kids with $1000 in support of their organization. Cheryl Anderson of TurnAround Kids Ministries was their special guest speaker during a recent BSSL meeting. Cheryl and her team provide a safe environment for the children while teaching them basic skills to lead a productive life Cheryl Anderson of such as hygiene, nutrition, TurnAround Kids and Kim Subacz of the BridgeMill Sixes communication, respect for Service League. authority, education and spiritual guidance. For more information, please visit www.turnaroundkids.com or email Kelly Marlow at kellymarlow@comcast.net.

Safe Kids Cherokee Receives Award Safe Kids Cherokee County recently received an award from the South Atlantic Division of the US Army Corps during the Safe Kids Georgia Awards Breakfast that was held at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The award recognizes the contribution of an individual or group that helped the Corps to achieve success in water safety. It was signed by the South Atlantic Division (ATL) Commander, Major General Todd Semonite. According to Lake Allatoona Park Ranger, Chris Purvis, the award was presented to Safe Kids Cherokee County for their help in providing Ranger Cards and supplying the lake with life jackets. Purvis said that Safe Kids Cherokee County has helped the Corps in a significant way to achieve success in water safety.

Recently, the Cherokee County Master Gardeners welcomed their new incoming President, Clara Mae Van Brink (left). Gerald Phillips (right), the outgoing President, was thanked for doing such a fantastic job in 2010.

Explorers Attend WINTERFEST 2011 The Canton Police Explorers attended the 37th annual National Competition sponsored by Boy Scouts of America and Learning for Life recently. There were 16 States in attendance and 3,250 Explorers. There are 15 events for the Law Enforcement Explorers and the Northeast Council chooses three events for each post. The Canton Police Explorer Post 221 out of the Atlanta Council was chosen for three events. The Events were as follows: bomb threat and unknown problem and warrant service. The post took home second place in the bomb threat, unknown problem and fifth place in warrant service. This took a lot of training this past year, especially the past few months and the dedication paid off. Congratulations!

From Left, 3rd Row: Samuel Snell, Coelton Snell, Eelliot Gouba, Chris Binkerd, John Brangan, Joy Lamont-Smith, Jerry Freeman, Brantley Worley; 2nd Row: Cindy Jodesty, Angie Beubrun, Cynthia Jodesty, Estan Holloway, Jorge Lopez, Candice Jesneck, Emily Shields, Dane Dawson; 1st Row: Michael Couey, Jim Copland, Sharon Hanawalt, Tracey Copland, Tori Bettis, Angelina Morgan, Cpl. Stacy Bailey, Larry Hanawalt, Randy Couey; Not Pictured: Katie Brangan.

Local Man Back on his Feet After Innovative Treatment When William Charles Chase of Cherokee County hurt his back last year, his wife thought he might be sitting around the house for the rest of his life. But thanks to an From left:Â Tim Cavender, Debi Radcliff, Ginger Bjornson, Doug Evans, Jerry Fulton, Captain Chad Arp, Chris Purvis and Sgt. Babette Davis.

AroundAbout â&#x20AC;&#x201D; West Canton

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MARCH 2011

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COMMUNITY

innovative treatment from Dr. Michele Perez at Resurgens Orthopaedics, Chase, 55, is back at work at his security business as well as at his church, Sixes United Methodist in Canton, where he is mission director and facilities manager. After injuring his lower back, Chase said, “I couldn’t bend over. Lying down didn’t help. Sitting down didn’t help. I couldn’t sleep at night because the pain was so bad. Dr. Perez first tried cortisone shots and that didn’t help. Then she did an epidural and that didn’t help. But after she did the radiofrequency — within a couple of days there was no more pain. I could sleep at night.” Dr. Perez performed a radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which is a procedure that uses an electrical current produced by a radio wave to heat up a small area of nerve tissue, thereby decreasing pain signals from that specific area. “He got almost 100 percent relief with the RFA and is back to working in his yard and going on vacation with his wife,” Dr. Perez said. In addition to his work at his firm, Chase Security, Chase was able to return to activities with his church’s youth group, including leading a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

YMCA Annual Giving Campaign Kicks Off Last year hundreds of individuals, businesses, and community volunteers came together to raise $143,000 for the YMCA Partner with Youth Annual Campaign in Cherokee County helping over 2,000 individuals participate in YMCA program. Disadvantaged youth and families in Cherokee County benefit from programs at the Cherokee Outdoor YMCA at Lake Allatoona in Woodstock and the full service G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA in Canton. The campaign goal this year is $150,000 to serve Cherokee County children and families who cannot afford summer day camp, sports programs, aquatics programs and exercise facilities. The chair of this year’s campaign is Tony Perry, long time YMCA board member and supporter who is implementing a new aspect of the campaign, called Cherokee 1000. Tony Perry believes “in a time when so many are struggling to just maintain their normal lives, we are adapting a wonderful idea from the movie ‘Pay It Forward’ for this year’s campaign.” Cherokee 1000 is about neighbors helping neighbors. If 1000 individuals gave $100 each, the Y can raise $100,000 to help children and families in need become part of the Y. For more information, please contact the YMCA at (678) 880-3501. Follow the Y and the Campaign on Facebook – search YMCA of Cherokee County.

Local Merry Maids Teach Cherokee Youth At the Malon D. Mimms Center Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) facility in Cherokee County, local youth

News

are learning to seek and master greater responsibilities while also learning the value of giving their time and energy to others in service, thanks to the Random Acts of Cleanness program, sponsored and initiated by local Merry Maids franchise owner David Lyons. The BGCMA provides young people with a positive place to go and role models to follow, as well as a safe facility for after-school programs. Working with the Malon D. Mimms Center staff, Lyons and some of the company’s “merry maids” are conducting a workshop series called, “Five things you can do to help out at home.” The program ties in the BGCMA’s “Smart Moves” enrichment program theme, where club staffers work with young people to help them make smart choices, like staying in school or being drug-free. The Random Acts of Cleanness program is a national incentive sponsored by Merry Maids, where its franchisee owners identify local causes or social needs within their community and determine ways to fulfill them. BGCMA club members often come from homes where parents or guardians are working full-time, leaving children vulnerable to negative influences, such as drugs and gangs.

Canton Women Participate in JAZZERTHON FOR THE CURE Jazzercise recently joined forces with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate for the annual Jazzerthon for the Cure. The event raised $198,121 From left: Lynn Nash, Nina Watson, Andrea to support Naliwajka, Shannon Russell, Brandie Heuer. Komen Atlanta’s mission to enable women to detect and survive breast cancer. The ninth annual Jazzerthon for the Cure was held recently at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead and included three consecutive high energy group fitness classes featuring Jazzercise instructors and customers from throughout the state of Georgia. Tim Roberts, professional dancer and choreographer, energized the room as a special guest instructor. All totaled, Jazzerthon for the Cure has raised more than $1.7 million for Komen Atlanta since 2003. Canton instructor, Andrea Naliwajka, and four of her customers participated raising $1,213.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

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Birthday, Anniversary & Wedding Announcements are Free!

Happy Birthday

Mauldin Skates

Age 2 on March 21 Happy 2nd Birthday! Son of proud parents Laura & Eric Skates Brother of Elle

Lyla McInnish

Age 2 on March 20 Happy 2nd Birthday! Daughter of Valerie & Chris Sister of Amy

Ashton Taylor Turner

Age 4 on March 12 Son of Sarina & Paul Turner Happy Birthday! We love you handsome!

Emme Davis

AroundAbout â&#x20AC;&#x201D; West Canton 113 Mountain Brook Dr., Suite 204, Canton, GA 30115 or art@aroundaboutwestcanton.com Deadline is the 12th of the preceding month.

Dylan Sloan

Age 3 on March 18 Happy 3rd Birthday! We love you, Daddy, Mommy & Tripp

Age 11 on March 6 We love you, Dylan! Mom, Dad, Zach & Angel

Peter Macaluso

Caroline Moore

Age 10 on March 5 Happy 10th Birthday, Big Guy! We love you! Mom, Dad & Brian

Age 5 on February 26 Daughter of Mandy & Chuck Sister of Natalie

Alexandra Kernea Age 10 on March 27 Happy Birthday! We love you!

Jordan Miller

Age 11 on February 9 Daughter of Phyllis & Jeff Miller Sister of Joshua

Abigail Larkins

Age 1 on January 10 Happy 1st Birthday to our dear daughter, Abby! Love, Mom & Dad

Joshua Miller

Age 7 on February 18 Son of Phyllis & Jeff Miller Brother of Jordan

Celebrate!

Tamara & Rodney King

Celebrating 9 years of marriage on February 23 Proud parents of 7 month old daughter, Tatum.

Pat & Ken Roberts

Celebrating 46 years of marriage on March 19 Happy Anniversary from your children & grandchildren!

Lorraine & Neal Murphy

Celebrating 15 years of marriage on March 9 Honey, thanks for being a great mom and my best friend! continued on page

AroundAbout â&#x20AC;&#x201D; West Canton

MARCH 2011

continued from page

Birthdays cont’d . . .

Luis Alfonso

Age 46 on February 27 Happy 46th Birthday! We love you! Love, Amy, Christian, Gabriel & Leonard

Jiri Mach

Age 60 on March 13 Happy Birthday, dedecku! Matysek & family

StorkWatch

Matthew Cournoyer

Age 1 on March 17 We love you very much! Mommy, Daddy, Roxanne, Sarah, Valerie, David, Babi & Deda, Grandma & Grandpa

Christian Ramon Alfonso

Gabriel Edward Alfonso

Reagan Celeste Rycyk

Emme Francine & Keller Paul Whitaker

Born on January 18, 2011 Son of proud parents Amy & Luis Alfonso

Born on January 1, 2011 7 lbs., 4 oz., 21 inches long Daughter of Jennifer & Matt Rycyk

Gavin Greer

Age 13 on March 20 Son of Kim Mitchell & Cory Greer Brother of Kyleigh Mitchell Happy Birthday! We love you, G!

Kyleigh Mitchell

Age 8 on February 7 Daughter of Kim Mitchell & Charles Mitchell Sister of Gavin Greer & Victoria Mitchell We love you, Ky!

Born on January 18, 2011 Son of proud parents Amy & Luis Alfonso

Born on December 29, 2010 Emme: 5 lbs., 6 oz. Keller: 4 lbs., 2 oz. Daughter and Son of Angela & Rob Whitaker Sister & Brother of Taylor & Zoey

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

MARK YOUR

March

with Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia. New friends, healthy discussions, and light refreshments.

March 19

Pet Wellness & Vaccine Clinic

Friday, 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. & Saturday, 9 a.m. — noon Location: Canton First United Methodist Church, 930 Lower Scott Mill Rd., Canton Information: Sellers please contact Whitney Amos at whitneyhome@ aol.com. Volunteers please contact Shannon Miller at hwpinkbug@aol. com.

2 — 4 p.m. Riverstone Animal Hospital, 112 Bluffs Parkway, Canton (behind post office and Sears) Information: Sponsored by Riverstone Animal Hospital and Canton Paw Park. Canine package: $59; Feline Package: $39. Cash or credit only. First come, first served basis, no appt. necessary. All pets must be on a leash or secured in a carrier. www. riverstoneanimalhospital.com

Beginning March 9

March 20

Days & Times: Location:

Time: Location:

March 4 & 5

Children’s Consignment Sale Times:

Lenten Services

vary by service Our Lady of LaSalette Catholic Church, 2941 Sam Nelson Road, Canton Information: All are invited to worship regular services as well as special services for the season. Please visit www.lasalettecanton.com or call (770) 479-8923 for complete details, times and days.

March 10 & 24

Support Group — Caring for Someone with Memory Loss or Dementia Time:

March 10, 6:30 p.m. & March 24, 6 p.m. Location: March 10 — Terrace at Riverstone, 125 Riverstone Terrace, Canton, (770) 720-9669 March 24 — Terrace at Woodstock, 756 Neese Road, Woodstock, (770) 924-2072 Information: A group of family members & Memory Care Specialists will be discussing the challenges associated with caring for a loved one

Time: Location:

Cherokee Chorale Concert

Calendars

March 22

Agriculture Expo Time: Location:

4 — 6 p.m. Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Terrace Level, 3605 Marietta Hwy., Canton Information: Sponsored by the Cherokee County Farm Bureau and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. Reservations required, (770) 479-1481 ext. 0.

March 25

Hasty Elementary School Spring Fling & Health Fair Time: Location:

5 — 8 p.m. Hasty Elementary School, 205 Brown Industrial Pkwy. Information: Games, raffles, prizes and FUN!

3 p.m. Canton First United Methodist Church, 930 Lower Scott Mill Road Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for students and may be purchased at the door Information: The 70-voice Chorale, conducted by Dr. Melissa Arasi, will sing “Chichester Psalms” by Leonard Bernstein and several other Psalms arranged for chorus. The Creekview HS Chorus, directed by Susan Wallace, will be guest performers. (678) 439-8625 www.cherokeechorale.org.

March 25 & 26

March 22

Information: Over twenty miles of running, paddling, orienteering and biking. Sponsored by GreenPrints Alliance and the YMCA. www.challengefour.org

Prostate Cancer Screening Time: Location:

6 — 8 p.m. Northside HospitalCherokee Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Building, 211 Hospital Rd., Canton Information: To help raise awareness of the disease, Northside is offering a free prostate cancer screening. Registration is required. Please call (404) 845-5555 and press “0” to schedule an appointment. www.northside.com

AroundAbout — West Canton

Kid’s Consignment Sale Times:

Location:

Friday, 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. & Saturday, 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. (closed 1:30 — 2 p.m.) River Green neighborhood in the Heritage Club — 201 Clubhouse Drive, Canton

March 26

Challenge Four Adventure Race

April 1

World Renowned Pianist Time: Location:

7 — 8:30 p.m. Waleska First Baptist Church Information: Concert by German pianist and symphony orchestra conductor Gregor Breier. (770) 4791024, www.waleskafirstbaptist.org

MARCH 2011

An Important Practice by Mike Litrel, M.D. My first experience supervising a junior surgeon through an operation took a hairraising turn. We were halfway through the surgery when my young apprentice, gaining confidence, sliced smack through a large vein. In a blood-filled instant, my patient’s life was at risk. Speechless and shocked, I grabbed

for their group phobia of winter driving. I snickered at the Nervous Nellies lining up for bread and milk at the first rumor of snow. However, after 20 years of Georgia winters, I have gained an appreciation for the challenging driving conditions here in a total absence of snowplows, sand, or salt. Now I try to be first in line at the grocery store.

This year, I finally discovered something even more stressful than giving surgery lessons to interns: teaching my son how to drive. The clumsy moments are just as life threatening. Only the lives at risk have changed: mine, my son’s, and those of a few innocent pedestrians.

The problem with giving spin-out practice to your teenage son is he may never want to stop. An hour later, Tyler was still at it, and my stomach was upset. So I got out of the car to crunch around the parking lot, enjoying the peaceful, snowy landscape. A few bundled-up folks trudged by, braving the walk to the grocery store, but there was not one other car on the road. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my son gradually gain mastery of the spinning car, shouting with joy when his rear wheels found that perfect patch of ice.

Ann and Mike Litrel and their sons, Tyler and Joseph.

the scalpel from her clumsy hand.

The good news is, giving Tyler driving lessons has deepened my prayer life. The bad news is, I’ve uttered a few expletives I can’t take back. A pick-up truck barreling down with horn blaring has a way of eliciting a few inappropriate epithets. Fortunately, Tyler is a quick student. I notice after his recent lessons my jaw is hurting less, now that I am no longer shouting or clenching my teeth. In fact, the other day I was so impressed with his improvement, I handed him the keys to my convertible sports car. He enthusiastically peppered me with questions as we drove: How fast does it go? How many horsepower? And why does the steering wheel feel different from Ann’s minivan? “The problem is, there’s a nut loose behind the wheel,” I replied in a serious tone. “Really?” he asked with concern. A moment later he caught the joke and laughed. In retrospect, I’ve realized the nut was sitting in the passenger seat. Why would I allow a 16 year-old to control a machine that can travel more than a hundred and forty miles an hour? Is this not the same adolescent who grunts and rolls his eyes when I remind him to clean up three weeks of dirty socks? How much has he really changed in six years since he shot his own hand with a BB gun? Yet, after a recent winter storm, I did something even nuttier. I took Tyler driving on the ice. Years ago, I was guilty of feeling superior to southerners

Tyler drove with appropriate caution and quickly learned to steer smartly into the skids to regain control. After an hour, I decided he was ready for the Big Time. For non-stop sliding there’s no better place than an empty, ice-covered church parking lot. Just a jerk on the steering wheel sends your car careening into a 360-degree spin. For extra excitement, pull the emergency brake while you turn to lock the rear wheels!

Once or twice it looked like Tyler was going to crash into the light pole in the middle of the parking lot. But I knew the worst outcome would be a dented car, not a hurt child. My unspoken fears, shared and understood by every parent of a child who drives, ebbed ever so slightly. Tyler was learning the skills that would help him when his environment was not so safe. Life is a lot like driving. We may be travelling comfortably along when suddenly events spin out of control: money problems, illness, or the worst – the grief of loss. Every one of us has a spiritual skill set – some call it faith – for dealing with the moments that life careens off course. But just like practicing control on a spinning car, we don’t always practice our faith very much. Life’s skids find us panicked, unprepared, and unable to steer back on course. At noon the church bells rang. As the chimes echoed across the treetops, I understood their call: it was my turn to practice. So I set myself to find the words, the beginner’s words of gratitude, for this happy moment, teaching my son to drive.

Dr. Mike Litrel practices with his fellow OB/GYNs at Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists in Canton and Woodstock. Dr. Litrel lives in Woodstock with his wife Ann and their two sons, Tyler and Joseph. Email Dr. Litrel at www.cherokeewomenshealth.com. Copyright © 2011

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

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Weathering the Dental Storm by Dr. Scott R. Harden There is no denying our winter weather this year in Woodstock and Atlanta has been a record setting experience. Atlanta official snowfall for this winter is 3 times more than average. It all started last December 15 with the unique and memorable Atlanta Ice Storm of 2010 including Towne Lake. After the surreal halt of traffic on the way home, parked for more than an hour in the middle of Towne Lake Parkway, I reluctantly joined the parade of people, also commiserating in the decision to abandon my car, and begin my three-mile trek home on foot. Thankful for the emergency blanket to wrap my head and for the umbrella to shield myself against the sleeting rain, the slippery path home instilled strategic placement of my every step. Hearing the report of over 1,000 automobile wrecks reported across metro Atlanta validated my decision that night. Who would ever have dreamed of a Christmas snow in Atlanta, GA? Well, guess what? The last time we had one was 130 years ago close to the time of the Civil War. This occurred just over a week past the ice storm. Amazement struck again, several weeks later, on Sunday, January 9 through Tuesday, January 11 with the snow blast of 2011. This major snowstorm covered our city with about five inches of snow, halted 1400 Delta flights and 400 Air Tran flights, rendering our city and it’s people homebound and stranded. Unequipped for such weather, Georgia roads, schools, businesses and personal commuting shut down and did not resume activity until Tuesday to Thursday of that week. School children stacked Martin Luther King Day onto their entire week off and surmounted a full 10-day vacation. The inclement weather we have faced brings to mind the accuracy and importance of our weather reporting. Further, it has caused me to make a parallel between the scientific monitoring and reporting of weather changes as compared to scientific monitoring and reporting of dental conditions for my patients. In both fields, the continued development of technology has allowed phenomenal improvements in the routine procedures that are performed. Our Christmas snow, snow blast of 2011 and ice storm of December were all accurately predicted many days prior to its arrival. The crazy weather in the United States that includes extreme temperature changes, thunderstorms, blizzards, hurricanes,

tornadoes, earthquakes, drought and floods, have all become much more predicable and reportable (when mother nature gives us lead time) than ever before. The use of Doppler radar allows accurate tracking of many of these with equipment that provides up-to-the-minute reporting of weather. WeatherStar technology that is still used has been upgraded to IntelliStar and permits Weatherscan on a separate channel providing weather bulletins, forecasts and advisories for regions in your specific area. Reporting is also achieved through Sirius XM Radio via satellite, newspapers, online services, transmission to cell phones via data or texting and feeds to individual websites. Our modern technological advances related to weather translate to human safety and permit people to plan their lives to avoid significant problems. This same vantage point can be held in dentistry. Dental technology has advanced to an amazing level today, permitting the dentist to work on your teeth clinically under a microscope, was never dreamed of when I started in dentistry 20 years ago. The use of enlarged images of your teeth on a monitor right in front of you by use of intra-oral cameras allows patients to clearly identify their problems. Laser/ultrasonic sensors permit decay in teeth to be measured by digital readings that provide an amazing diagnosis with actual quantitative numbers. Our tooth enamel is harder than ever due to drinking fluoridated water and large black spots from bacteria do not appear on teeth the same way they did years ago. Today, the bacteria entry points into the enamel are often smaller and harder to evaluate. The cavity that forms still occurs more under the surface than on the top (hence the latin term “little cave”) but is often less apparent than years ago. It spreads inside the soft dentin under the enamel making this area of decay difficult to assess. Thankfully, the use of digital x-rays and digital tooth scanners make all the difference in optimizing your dental diagnosis with confidence. The benefit of advanced technology in dentistry is clear in that it offers an accurate diagnosis and gives the patient the chance to plan their lives to avoid significant problems related to their teeth, just like in avoiding serious weather conditions. Scott Harden is a dentist at Fountain View Family Dentistry and Dr. has served the Towne Lake area for over 21 years. He is a Dental Advisor for two nationally renowned dental research companies. Office: (770) 926-0000. Website: FountainViewSmiles.com.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

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Before

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1816 Eagle Drive, Bldg 200 Suite A • Woodstock, GA 30189 Conveniently Located to • Towne Lake • Bridgemill • Acworth

SCHOOL

News Canton ES Students Honored for Honor Roll

Sixes Students Care for Animals Sixes Elementary celebrated Care for Animals Week recently, benefitting the Cherokee County Humane Society. Students were able to buy raffle tickets that could win them dog and cat stuffed animals. Parents and children also brought in much needed supplies like dog and cat food, treats, kitty litter, and cleaning supplies. The event was the most successful to date, raising $1485.20. Kindergarten teacher Laura Uszenski was in charge of the fundraiser, pictured with Julia Baker, Abbey Stickle, Van Fournaris, Scooby-Doo, Natalie Ferguson, and Alden Hinkelmann.

CHS Juniors and Seniors Strut Their Stuff

Canton Elementary’s PTA recently held a breakfast to honor the 3rd — 6th grade students who made the Honor Roll. These students made all A’s the entire first semester of school. Pictured with the students are Principal Gwen Lince and Assistant Principal Kimberly Gardner. Congratulations to all of the students for a job well done!

Knox Students Tip Their Hats for Charity

Recently, the seniors at Cherokee High School held their annual fundraiser, The Mr. CHS Pageant. The fundraiser is hosted by the senior class to help raise money for graduation costs and senior events such as the senior breakfast and senior day. Thirteen contestants competed in the following categories: casual wear, swim wear, and night on the town wear. The top seven finalists were each asked an interview question, and the winners were selected based on their answer. During intermission, a hilarious dance off was held for all of the contestants, giving the audience quite an entertaining show.

Teachers, staff and students at Joseph Knox Elementary School recently participated in “Hat Day” to raise money for the United Way. The school raised $500 bringing their estimated grand total for the entire year of giving to United Way to $2,240. Congratulations to all of the students and staff! Front row (L-R): Savannah Howell and Mary Dault. Back row: 4th Grade teachers Mrs. Janet Marotte and Mrs. Amie Hannon.

AroundAbout — west Canton

MARCH 2011

Come Relax & Indulge . . . Skincare Treatment designed to be both preventative and resorative Eyelash & Brow Tinting, Waxing, Laser Hair removal Permanent Make-up & Botox Cosmetic (Juvederm Ultra/Ultra Plus also available)

Massage Therapy: including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy, Hot Stone & Reflexology Natural Nail Care in totally private setting

2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 2010

Private Schools American Heritage Academy

S C H O O L

(770) 926-7779, www.ahacademy.com

Hickory Flat UMC Preschool and Kindergarten (770) 345-9354, www.hickoryflat.org

Cherokee Christian Academy and High School (678) 494-5464

Lyndon Academy (770) 926-0166, www.lyndonacademy.org

www.cherokeechristian.org

Mission Point Christian Academy

Community Christian School

(770) 479-5538, www.fbccanton.org

(770) 479-9535, www.ccscanton.org

North Cobb Christian School

Furtah Preparatory School

(770) 975-0252, www.ncchristian.org

(678) 574-6488, www.furtahprep.org

Shiloh Hills Christian School (770) 926-7729, www.shilohhills.com

Harvest Baptist School

Information

St. Joseph Catholic School

(770) 974-9091 www.harvestbaptistacworth.org

(770) 428-3328, www.stjosephschool.org

Public Schools

Cherokee County School District Website: www.cherokee.k12.ga.us (770) 479-1871 Canton Elementary School

Hasty Elementary School

R.M. Moore Elementary School

Cherokee High School

Knox Elementary School

Sixes Elementary School

Clayton Elementary School

Liberty Elementary School

712 Marietta Highway Canton, GA 30114 (770) 720-6100 Principal: Ms. Gwen Lince

930 Marietta Highway Canton, GA 30114 (770) 479-4112 Principal: Ms. Debra Murdock

221 Upper Burris Road Canton, GA 30114 (770) 479-2550 Principal: Ms. Beth Long

Freedom Middle School

10550 Bells Ferry Road Canton, GA 30114 (770) 345-4100 Principal: Ms. Karen Hawley

205 Brown Industrial Parkway Canton, GA 30114 (770) 479-1600 Principal: Mr. Izell McGruder

1375 Puckett Road Waleska, GA 30183 (770) 479-3978 Principal: Ms. Jan Adamson

151 River Bend Way Canton, GA 30114 (770) 345-4307 Principal: Dr. Kelly Jo Brooks

20 Ridge Road Canton, GA 30114 (770) 345-3070 Principal: Mr. John Hultquist

Woodstock High School

10500 Bells Ferry Road Canton, GA 30114 (770) 345-6411 Principal: Dr. Nicole Holmes

2010 Towne Lake Hills South Drive Woodstock, GA 30189 (770) 592-3500 Principal: Mr. Bill Sebring

M.A. Teasley Middle School

Woodstock Middle School

8871 Knox Bridge Road Canton, GA 30114 (770) 479-7077 Principal: Dr. Susan Zinkil

2010 — 2011 Calendar at a Glance

2000 Towne Lake Hills South Drive Woodstock, GA 30189 (770) 592-3516 Principal: Mr. Mark Smith

Local Colleges & Universities Kennesaw State University

April 4 — 8 Spring Break May 27

Last Day of School

(770) 423-6000, www.kennesaw.edu

Chattahoochee Technical College

(770) 528-4545, www.chattahoocheetech.edu Cafeteria account information: www.mealpayplus.com Parent Connect: https://pcxp.cherokee.k12.ga.us

AroundAbout — West Canton

Reinhardt University

(770) 720-5600, www.reinhardt.edu

MaRCH 2011

4,434 03/31/2011. WC

SPORTS

News

WHS’s Chuck Wilson Named Region Athletic Director of the Year Chuck Wilson (pictured right), Athletic Director at Woodstock High School, has been selected as Region 5-AAAAA Athletic Director of the Year. He was voted the honor by high school principals throughout the region and will compete against other region winners for the title of State Athletic Director of the Year this spring. Mr. Wilson began his teaching and coaching career 1989 at Etowah HS, where he coached football, tennis, baseball and basketball. In 1992, Mr. Wilson transferred to Sequoyah HS to serve as an assistant football coach, as well as the assistant girls’ soccer coach. When Woodstock HS opened in 1996, he became the Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach and remained in that position for six years. While at Woodstock, Wilson became an assistant football coach on the staff led by the renowned Head Coach Mike O’Brien. Mr. Wilson moved into his current administrative role as assistant principal at Woodstock HS in 2005 and was appointed as the Athletic Director in 2006. Under his leadership, the Wolverines have won three state championships: Softball in 2006, Individual Track in 2007 and Diving in 2008. In addition, nine teams have qualified for the state playoffs during his tenure as Athletic Director. “Coach Wilson’s passion for high school athletics is apparent in each position he has held during his 22 years as an educator in Cherokee County,” said Woodstock HS Principal Bill Sebring. “We are tremendously proud of Coach Wilson and the winning tradition he has brought to our athletic program. We wish him the best of luck in the State A.D. competition.”

Now on Sixes

A brand new court — air conditioned, heated, electronic scoreboard, bleachers Reserve fast —Limited hours Sixes Presbyterian Church, 2335 Sixes Road, Canton www.sixeschurch.org For more information, please contact Laurie Storck at (678) 822-2839 or eljbiz@gmail.com

(L-R) Marcus Fox, Amy Turcotte, Bill Queen and Diana Calvert – FCA Teammates.

For more information, visit www.cherokeefca.org.

YMCA & FCA Leadership Lock-in 2011

MUSIC, SPEAKERS & FUN!!! Where:

G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA in Canton

When:

Friday March 4th 8:30pm to 7:30am (yes — it’s an overnight lock–in!!!)

Cost:

Free with registration & the donation of a canned food item- proceeds to benefit MUST Ministries

Who is invited/mission: All Cherokee County 8th grade — high school students who have a desire to come together with other local youth to inspire and encourage each other as “Tomorrow’s Leaders” How to register:

Go to www.cherokeefca.org and click on “YMCA & FCA Leadership Lock-in”

Please contact Amy Turcotte aturcotte@fca.org or (770) 380-1432 for more information

MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWEstcanton.com

School Board News by Janet Read As a member of the Cherokee County Board of Education, I always like to see a balance of academic, athletics and extracurricular activities being recognized and rewarded. These last few weeks have been an outstanding example of that. I had the privilege to judge the county Janet Read is the Spelling Bee, along with retired Board Chairperson and educators Mary Helen Lamb and Representative for Post 4 Marty Todd. Thank you to the for the Cherokee County teachers and staff of River Ridge School Board. Janet High School who so graciously may be reached by hosted this event. Thirty students e-mail at janet.read@ from grades 4 — 8 competed for cherokee.k12.ga.us. the chance to advance to the district Spelling Bee. All of the students did an outstanding job this year. I was glad I didn’t have to spell some of those words! Congratulations to Liberty ES fifth grader Anthony Solano (1st place), Boston ES fourth grader Jamila Otieno (2nd place) and Clayton ES sixth grader Alexandra Hofstetter (3rd place). I am sure you will each do a fine job of representing our district. In February we recognized the high school juniors who excelled on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. This year 147 students from five high schools were honored. This event continues to change venues each year, as the number of students increase. I would like to say thank you to Woodstock HS for hosting and to their Varsity Singers for their outstanding musical selections. February is also the month we have one of our National Signing Days. Twenty-four athletes from four high schools committed to continue their education and sport of choice at the college level. It is always so rewarding to see these student athletes and their parents, along with high school and club level coaches and school administrators “sign their name on the dotted line.” Many of these students are already dressed in the appropriate team colors for their chosen college. Congratulations to the coaches and parents who gave their time, effort and support so these students could continue their passion for athletics. I would like to thank Ron Dunnavant and his staff for all the hard work that goes into this event. I had the privilege in February of judging the Hasty Elementary Talent Show, the first one I had ever been asked to judge. With over 25 entrants, there was a wide array of talents showcased. I was amazed at the students who performed in front of a large group of family, friends and staff . . . with poise, confidence and enthusiasm. Thank you so much to the staff and PTA of Hasty Elementary for including me in such a wonderful evening of fun! It is an honor to represent you on the School Board and a privilege to be a part of so many wonderful events!

He walked into the lobby from the coin laundry inside the local extended stay hotel, with his laundry basket and detergent in tow. He was a football player in college, earned his degree and now is middle-age with a pretty wife and two daughters — the perfect All-American family. For nine years, I have been introduced to many families who are struggling. Because Everyday Angels cannot help everyone, the qualifying process can be difficult at times. This young dad is like so many today. Despite his efforts to do everything right, he keeps getting knocked around by circumstances beyond his control. “I, like everyone else, have been hit hard with the economy,” he said. For many years, he owned a business that provided a great living for his young family, until the housing market changed. His thriving landscaping company could not sustain itself when new home construction ceased and landscaping services became a luxury. Consequently, he lost his home but was determined not to uproot his kids from their school and friends and moved his family into a local extended stay hotel. Temporarily, or so he thought. There was another setback when the Georgia floods came and all of his remaining assets of his business were ruined. Weeks turned into months, and then a year. After living on savings because he was having no luck in the job market, his wife became ill. “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another,” he said. As soon as things began looking up, they were hit with yet another traumatic situation to overcome. When I stopped by to meet him, he simply needed gas to drive his kids to school, get to his interviews and take his wife to her doctor appointments. Luckily, I had gas cards with me, along with gift cards for groceries and a week’s rent. He was anxiously awaiting a second interview with hopes that things could finally start looking up. Pride flew right out of the window and will never come back. “I will always take time and help others now – without even thinking about it. So many people have helped us during this tough time, there is no way to thank them all or explain how much it has meant to us,” he said. This nice man has a name but his situation is not uncommon. While gas, food and a mere week’s rent wasn’t much to give, it was the hope and encouragement that made the most difference. You don’t have to give much to touch someone. Sometimes it comes from simply understanding and taking the time to care. People come into our lives for a reason, season or a lifetime. I often think of this family and pray they are on a good track with no further setbacks. Thank you, readers, for assisting this family and many more behind the scenes. Everyday Angels is a nonprofit organization that provides short-term funding to those in need in our community. To contact us, please call (770) 615-3349 or email AAeverydayangels@gmail.com. The organization now has a Facebook page as well.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

LIBRARY

News

R.T. Jones l Woodstock

Story Times Special March Events

Week of March 1: “Sensible Shoes and Outrageous Hats” Week of March 7: “The Wheels on the Bus, the Car,

March 5, 12, 19 & 26 10:30 a.m.

R.T. Jones Public Library Super Saturday

“Super Saturday” story times are family story times designed with the working parent and/or school-aged child in mind. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult. These programs may be a repeat performance of that week’s story times but do not include a craft activity.

March 19, 10:30 a.m.

R.T. Jones Public Library Spanish Family Story Time

the Train, the Tractor . . .”

Week of March 14: “Scrum-didley-umptious” Week of March 21: “Slither and Slide”

R.T. Jones Memorial Library

Family Story Times — Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m. Lapsit — Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Woodstock Public Library

Lapsits — Wednesdays, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m. Family Story Times — Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.

March 26, 9 a.m.

R.T. Jones Public Library Free Tax Preparation at Your Library

March 6, 2 p.m.

Woodstock Public Library Free Tax Preparation at Your Library

Sequoyah Regional Library System R.T. Jones Memorial Library 116 Brown Industrial Parkway — (770) 479-3090

Woodstock Public Library 7735 Main Street — (770) 926-5859 Monday — Thursday: 9 a.m. — 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m. — 5 p.m. Sunday: 2 — 6 p.m.

www.sequoyahregionallibrary.org

March’s Trivia Question: Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17?

Find the hidden picture

If you know the answer or find the picture, be the first to call (770) 720-7497 or email to editor@aroundaboutwestcanton.com. Please notify us that your answer is for “West Canton.”

MaRCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWESTcanton.com

Peige Payne (hidden picture) & T. Mathers (trivia) were our winners for February’s contest corner. They received a gift card to It’s A Grind. Congratulations!

With summer quickly approaching, parents are already concerned with their children’s activities for the upcoming summer months. The 2010-2011 school year ends May 27 but knowledgeable parents know that they can’t wait until May to make a decision on where and what their children will be doing each day during their vacation. AroundAbout West Canton’s 2011 Summer Guide will help you with this important decision. There are several day camps in our community that will offer your children hours of fun in the sun, opportunities to camp overnight, and learn new swimming techniques. Also available are camps for specific activities including acting, sports broadcasting, manners, and more. Your children look forward to summer — take time to give them some great memories at summer camp.

Passport Around the World

Goddard School 310 Prominence Point Parkway, Canton, (770) 720-3003 140 Foster Road, Canton, (770) 720-1311 www.goddardschool.com Dates: Weekly May 31 — August 1 Ages: 6 weeks — 12 years

World of Kids

104 Victoria North Court www.world-of-kids.com Contact: (770) 516-6898

A Christian, outdoor adventure camp 4096 East Cherokee Drive, Canton www.HideAndSeekDayCamp.net (770) 720-0005 info@HideAndSeekDayCamp.net Dates: May 31 — July 22 Times: 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. (pre/post camp available beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m.) Ages: 5 — 11 years old

Cherokee Recreation & Parks Agency

Sportykes Camp Dates: August 1 — 4, 8 — 11 Ages: 3—4 Adventures Express Summer Day Camp Dates: May 31 — July 29 Ages: 6 — 12 Teen Adventure Camp Dates: June 20 — 24 Ages: 13 — 15

Cherokee YMCA Summer Camp 201 East Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock www.cherokeeymcaregistration.com Contact: (770) 345-9622 Dates: May — August

Summer Musical Theatre Camps

Hide and Seek Day Camp

7545 Main Street, Bldg. 200, Woodstock www.crpa.net Contact: Kate Borden (770) 924-7768

Waterlogged Camp Dates: June 6 — 10; July 18 — 22 Ages: 8 — 12

Elm Street Cultural Arts Village (formerly known as Towne Lake Arts Center) www.tlaclive.org (678) 494-4251 Dates: Weekly June 13 — July 29 Ages: 5 — 14

G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA 151 Waleska Street, Canton www.cherokeeymcaregistration.com Contact: (770) 345-9622 Dates: May — August

Kennesaw State University

College of Continuing and Professional Education 1000 Chastain Road, #3301, Kennesaw Contact: (770) 42306765 ccpe.kennesaw.edu/summeru Dates: June 6 — July 22 Ages: 1st grade — 12th grade

Next Step Ministries Day Camp

3353 Trickum Road, Suite 100, Woodstock www.nextstepministries.net Contact: Lori Baker, (770) 592-1227 Dates: May 31 — July 29 Time: 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. (additional care time between 8 — 9 a.m. & 3 — 5 p.m.)

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

Ages:

Middle school, high school, and recently transitioned with special needs

Camp Imagine

Cherokee Arts Center 94 North Street, Canton www.cherokeearts.org (770) 704-6244 Dates: Weekly June 6 — July 29 Time: 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. (before and after camp care available) Ages: 4 — 11

Sports Broadcasting Camp

Play by Play Sports Emory University Contact: (800) 319-0884 www.playbyplaycamps.com Dates: July 18 — 22 Ages: Boys and girls 10 — 18

Woodstock Volleyball Camp for Girls

Woodstock High School, Woodstock Contact: Anita Dodd, Head Volleyball Coach, anita. dodd@cherokee.k12.ga.us Dates: May 31 — June 2 Times & Ages: Rising 3rd — 5th graders, 9 a.m. — noon & Rising 6th — 9th graders, 1 — 4 p.m. Cost: $95.00 -Includes a volleyball and t-shirt

HANG TEN — Surfing the Bible

The Carpenter’s Shop Christian Preschool 367 Green Drive Canton, Ga. 30114 (770) 720-2333 Dates: throughout the summer Ages: 5 — 10 years old Daycare: 6 weeks — 4 years old Times: 6:30 a.m. — 6 p.m.

Chattahoochee Nature Center Camp Kingfisher 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell Contact: (770) 992-2055, x222 Dates: May 31 — August 12 Ages: Kindergarten — 9th grade

Camp Primrose 2011

Sixes Road, (770) 479-9500 Bells Ferry Road, (770) 928-5683 Harmony on the Lakes, (770) 704-0721 www.primroseschools.com Dates: Weekly, May 31 — August 1

The Bounce House

765 Ash Street, Canton www.thebouncehouseac.com thebouncehouse@windstream.net (770) 345-5847 Dates: Weekly June 6 — July 29. Times: Half-day camps 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. & full-day camps 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. (before and after care provided for an additional $5 per hour per child)

Rock Camp

Ponier Music Woodstock & Virtuo Sound Studios 5101 Old Highway 5, Suite 2, Canton (770) 928-8807 Dates: June 13 — 17 & July 11 — 15 Time: 9 a.m. — 3 p.m. Ages: 8 — 17 years old This camp is designed for students with at least one year playing/studying experience. Beginning to advanced students can come individually or as a band and will be grouped by playing ability.

Don’t miss being featured in our Summer Camp Guide in April! Please call (770) 720-7497 for more information!

MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWEstcanton.com

770-479-9579 In-ground Pools — Gunite & Liner Above Ground Pools

Spas

Maintenance & Repairs — Openings & Closings Big Green Egg Pool & Spa Chemicals & Supplies Professional Water Analysis

Expires 4/1/2011

AROUND ABOUT

Canton 770.345.4155

Woodstock 770.592.5554

205 Waleska Road, Suite 1-A

145 Towne Lake Pkwy, Suite 201

FREE Bleaching Trays & Whitening Gel Canton Marketplace Dentistry

(678) 880-0087

Yo’ Sista

Suzanne Speaks: Cork Creations by Cindy Morrow by Suzanne Taylor If you typically throw away your wine corks or use them in a vase as decoration, I have found some other ideas for you. Creations by Debi turns your wine cork into jewelry or into napkin rings. I absolutely love this concept as much as I love a great glass of red wine!

If you are a woman who started her own unique company or are a directselling company, please contact Suzanne Taylor by e-mail at taylor105@aol.com or visit http://suzannetaylor. willowhouse.com/.

After teaching school for 13 years, Debi wanted to have more time with her children so she started working from home. Debi is creative and taught herself how to make these unique products. Her husband named her hobby, which has now become a business. In addition to handmade cork items, she has other jewelry pieces in her line of creations. Please visit her website at http://www. creationsbydebi.com or her Facebook page, Creations by Debi.

Creations by Debi

Her most popular item is the Uncorked Line, which has the jewelry and the napkin rings. Her singles of leather mixed with freshwater pearls is taking off, and some of those pieces have vintage brooches added to them.

Debi came up with the idea by moving some corks to a different place in her house and one landed on her wrist — the concept was born. Before she began though, she wanted to make sure she was selling something that hadn’t been seen before. She wanted it to be unique and different. After research, she concluded her product was one-of-a-kind! My favorite part of this concept is using the corks from special occasions, such as an anniversary or birthday celebration. If you are sentimental at all, this Uncorked Line is for you! Debi makes all the products herself and strives to make sure the jewelry is comfortable. In addition, the Uncorked line is green, using reusable products. Her favorite Uncorked bracelet is from Sonoma Valley, where she went on her fifth anniversary. Her favorite vineyard, Viansa, is the cork she chose for her bracelet. When she goes to her BridgeMill mailbox, someone is always sending her corks from their rehearsal dinner, wedding or special get together events with old friends. My children don’t attend Liberty Elementary, but if they did, I would have to finish a bottle of Liberty School wine and continued on page

Even dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Cassaundra Dian’ee Bingaman is striking. She is manager at Shane’s and Moe’s in Canton, but if you ask for her by that name, few will know her. She goes by Yo’ Sista, the petite spoken-word artist. “I have been managing Shane’s and Moe’s since I was 20 years old,” said Yo’ Sista, now 23. “I call it ‘the other side of Cinderella’— behind a broom by day, behind a mic by night.”

YO’ SISTA’S PERFORMING NEAR YOU Every Thursday beginning summer 2011: Urban Grind in Atlanta

She always dreamed of becoming a spoken-word artist. She just didn’t know that’s what it was called until she was 15. That’s when she watched a poet named Georgia Me on a DVD in the basement of her Maryland home. Yo’ Sista was riveted. It would be seven years before her vision would become reality. *** Yo’ Sista’s parents split when she was young, then she split when she was 16. “They got married at 17 and didn’t understand,” she said. “They didn’t have a manual, ya know?” She lived the life of a vagabond for a while, living here and there, doing this and that. She ended up at her dad’s in Canton in 2004 and graduated from Sequoyah High a year later. Canton is where Cassaundra Bingaman became Yo’ Sista. “The name ‘Sista’ was given to me by a man named Johnny Willis (a Canton native), who just recently passed this year,” she said. “He and his wife gave me a place to live when I was homeless. I want to honor him.” Homelessness wasn’t her only detour. In 2008, she was arrested for driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana, charges that were expunged after she served 65 days in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. While there, a woman from Allen Temple AME Church in Woodstock visited her. Sister Dorene pressed her with the same question every time she came, “What has been one thing constant in your life?” “It was that vision,” Yo’ Sista said. “That picture of me, a microphone and a crowd. I’ve had mommas, stepmommas, dads and stepdads, stepbrothers and sisters. All that has changed. But that, that was the one constant.”

*** Her first performance was in 2009 as a featured poet at Londzell’s Martini Lounge & Restaurant in Roswell. She performed for eight weeks straight, then weekly with a live band. Later, with the same band, she was the solo spokenword artist in a show at Center Stage in Atlanta.

AroundAbout — West Canton

continued on page

MARCH 2011

Accepts All Major Insurance Plans

Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Comp

Medicare

Shad Sutherland, RPh

Accept HSA/FSA Cards Free Local Delivery Two Locations: 684 Sixes Road, Suite 105 Holly Springs, GA 30115 (678) 445-4486

Diabetic Shoes Compounding Pharmacy Home Health Equipment 402 Argonne Terrace Holly Springs, GA 30115 (770) 783-0483

Paying Less Tax — Always Appealing by Melissa Llano Melissa Llano is a REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty Select Partners and can be reached at (770) 312-4153 or melissa.llano@kw.com.

It is that time of year again in Cherokee County when the county gives us all a chance to rectify the havoc wreaked upon the real estate market by an economy going through growing pains.

If you purchased a home in 2010, or you have not appealed your tax bill in the last few years (and your value looks extraordinarily high), this article is for you. Due to falling home values, it is likely your tax bill is incorrect. We all want to and need to save money right now. For most of us, the waves of the current economy have left us with a lot more than a feeling of being washed-up; many of us feel like we have been through a Category 5 hurricane: water-logged, weary and damaged. We are all looking for a little shelter from the storm. Here are a couple of options to explore: 1)

Appeal your property tax bill.

Word has gotten ‘round that you can actually lower your property tax by filing an appeal with the Tax Commissioner. This may, indeed, be true. Please know that properties in

Cherokee Country were reassessed in 2009 and, while the assessors did the best job they could do, even still some of the current tax assessment values simply are not accurate due to continued decline in values. As an example, homes have been sold in foreclosure after the assessments were made in some instances. You could be overpaying on your taxes. Please note that just because you file an appeal, it is not guaranteed that your tax bill will be lowered. But we definitely know it WON’T be lowered if you don’t file at all. In Cherokee County, you can begin filing in January and the last date to file is April 1. This varies from county to county and for some the deadline is March 1. Go to www.cherokeega.com or go down to the county office to get the forms. You will appear in front of the Board of Equalization and Review with evidence of why your bill should be lowered. Ask a trusted Realtor to pull three sold comparables from this past year. If you just bought this past year, ask for comparables within three months of the purchase of your home. This will help to make your case.

Melissa Llano “Melissa is very dedicated and professional. She really cared about our needs and our family and made us feel like she was working just for us.” ~ Sam and Glennis W. "If it wasn't for Melissa we would not have our dream house!! She was so patient with us and listened to all our wants and expectations.” ~ Sid and Melissa W. “Contacting Melissa about selling my home as a short sale was the best thing I could have done. My home sold within 2 months.” ~ Beatrice H. “Melissa was such an asset to us in the selling of our home in a weak market. Her communication with us was constant, and her expertise was refreshing.” ~ Laure G.

www.melissallano.com

A NAME YOU CAN

TRUST

Honesty, Integrity, and just good oldfashioned Hard Work! This is the value system that makes me successful as a REALTOR®. Real estate can be risky business these days and you must hire a REALTOR® who puts your needs first. I will tell you how I can help and I will follow through. As an excellent communicator, you will find I respond quickly . . . and I will always tell you like it is. No lines, no fluff, no smoke and mirrors. Just transparent character, solid work ethic. You can count on me!!

Melissa Llano Mobile: (770) 312-4153 | Office: (678) 493-2100 2205 Riverstone Blvd., Suite 107, Canton, GA 30114

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Kicking Mold and Mildew to the Curb

Kitchen Remodels

Bathroom Remodels

pring is right around the corner and it’s time to get out of the house and take a look at your exterior to see what maintenance and renovation services your home is in need of. Pressure washing is one of the least expensive ways to freshen up your home by removing unsightly mold and mildew. Pressure washing should be done by a professional who uses the right tools and chemicals to effectively remove all mildew without harming lawn, plants or existing paint. Take a look around windows and doors, check the caulking and look for rotten wood. Missing caulking allows moisture into the home and causes wood rot. If it’s been five years since your last exterior paint job you may want to consider having it inspected by a professional. Atlanta Painting and Construction offers free home analysis for all home repairs, maintenance and improvements.

eplacement windows are one of the best investments in home improvement, providing a strong return on resale value. Not only do they look better/more updated, but they provide insulation that your existing windows do not. The savings from your utility bills could be paying you back for the investment each month. Atlanta Painting and Construction replaces with vinyl, wood and paintable/stainable PVC cellular windows. Our custom vinyl windows can be ordered in over 27 colors. Our cellular PVC windows can be painted or stained to the desired look. Our windows have a larger viewing area, detailed custom trim, invisible screen technology, foam insulation, and larger insulation power than other windows. Unlike other large home improvement companies we do not use high pressure sales tactics or require that all decision makers are at home. We will gladly provide you with an informative consultation and written quote for you to study and make your decision. Call us for a free in home, no pressure consultation.

Atlanta Painting and Construction provides siding repair and replacement utilizing premium siding products from the top manufacturers in the market, such as James Hardie, Certainteed, and Nichiha. Our professionally trained crews are experts at installing these products to manufacturer’s specifications to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty. A complete siding job enhances the entire appearance of your home, improves insulation, and adds value. Following siding installation we apply a premium exterior paint or you may choose from one of the prefinished factory painted products such as James Hardie ColorPlus Technology that has a 15 year finish warranty.

Basement Finishing

Window Replacement

Kevin Smith, owner of Atlanta Painting and Construction has sold, managed and provided home improvement services to Atlanta and surrounding areas for nearly 15 years. Beginning his career by working for several large home improvement companies, Kevin captured the necessary foundation for understanding home maintenance, improvement and renovation. He found great enjoyment in working with homeowners to improve and transform their most precious asset. In 1997, Kevin started his own business, with a focus on comprehensive services to provide customers one company to call for all their home improvement needs. In addition to having extensive knowledge of the home improvement industry, Kevin embraces technology by using Tablet PC’s and has developed a proprietary software for estimating, design and construction management. Atlanta Painting and Construction is committed to providing quality workmanship, superior customer service and fair pricing.

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MARCH 2011

Roofing – Utilizing only the best GAF, Certainteed and Owen’s Corning materials, that include 30 year and Lifetime Shingles. We are insurance specialists as well as wind and hail damage experts. Our roofing estimators and crews have thousands of roofs worth of experience under their belts. Call today for a free inspection or estimate. We provide a 10 year labor warranty. Seamless Gutters and Guards – We install 5” and 6” seamless gutters which are custom made on-site. We install gutter covers so that you never have to clean your gutters again! Our gutter covers come with a lifetime no-clog warranty.

Enjoy SPRING with a new PATIO ROOM! Outdoor patio rooms are hot! Take your patio or deck to the next level with a custom built patio cover, screen room or sun room. Patio Covers offer protection from the sun and rain and provide for a comfortable, relaxing space open to the elements of the seasons. Screen Rooms offer protection from pests and add another gathering place in your home for parties, dinners, and the like. Sun Rooms can provide fully functioning air controlled closed spaces, with operable windows and doors.

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Each enclosure is custom designed to provide all the preferences of the individual homeowner. Choice of materials available to be used in construction include wood, vinyl or aluminum. Most specifications include custom bead board ceiling (painted or stained), ceiling fan connection, cable outlet for TV or monitor, and electrical outlets. Atlanta Painting and Construction patio rooms are a high quality, beautiful addition to any home. Have your patio cover, screen room or sun room installed just in time to enjoy the beautiful spring weather!

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Licensed & Insured ~ Written Warranty ~ No Upfront Money ~ Free Estimates Atlanta Painting and Construction is a full service replacement contractor in Canton, Georgia. We offer a wide variety of services and products for home maintenance and improvement. We do not use high pressure sales techniques to our potential clients. We do not require that “both decision makers” be home during time of estimate. We believe in giving clear, written, proposals to our clients and allow them to take the time to make a decision to go with our company.

FLOORING | PATIO ROOMS | HOME THEATER | FINISHED BASEMENTS | KITCHEN & BATH REMODELS MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWEstcanton.com

Home Presets

A New Generation of Thermostats

by Michael Buckner

by Dan Jape

I often wonder, “Why do we welcome technology more in our cars than in our homes?” After all, let’s go back to the last time you approached your car. You probably pressed the button on a remote that unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm. Where’s your remote for your house that does this? As you pull back on the door Michael Buckner is in your car, the light conveniently the owner of Audio comes on for you inside and the Intersection. For questions or to set seat moves back. When you sit up an appointment, down, and either put your key in or please call press start, the seat moves forward, (770) 479-1000. the steering wheel moves down and towards you. As you take a drive down the road, your favorite music is just a single button press away on the six presets.

A new generation of thermostats has come on the market. They not only control the temperature and humidity in your home but also can act as a live weather station, act as an air quality management system and also a digital picture display. They are high definition touch screen thermostats and are far advanced over and above normal Dan Jape is the owner thermostats; they perform functions of Reliable Heating never thought of from a thermostat and Air, located at just a few months ago. They are of 13987 Highway 92 in course fully programmable seven Woodstock. You may day thermostats that can switch from contact him at (770) 594-9096. heating to cooling automatically depending on temperature swings. They also monitor and control the humidity with on board humidity sensor. If the thermostat is connected to a variable speed furnace the two pieces of equipment can be programmed to help remove up to 10 percent more moisture in the summer and the dryer it is the more comfortable one can be at a warmer temperature setting.

In our homes, thousands of products are available to give you the same experience as in your car, people just don’t know about them. For example, there are ways to install a remote on your keychain that unlocks your door and disarms the alarm. It’s also rather easy to install a 6-button keypad beside your entry door. These six buttons act as “presets” for you and your home, much like the six buttons on your car stereo. Press the #1 or “Welcome” button, and your house takes on the setting that you prefer, like having the lights illuminate the path to your bedroom closet, your thermostat change to “comfort mode,” and your favorite music to start playing throughout the house. My favorite preset is the “Good Morning” button. First, every morning at my scheduled wake up time, my thermostat raises the temperature, and easy listening music comes through my speaker system very softly for two minutes. After two minutes, the volume increases and switches to my rock playlist. After I am up and headed to the shower, I press my “Good Morning” button. This plays that rock playlist through my bathroom speakers, and the lights very slowly work their way up to 70 percent over two minutes. When I am finished getting ready, I press the “Goodbye” preset, and all of my music shuts down, my thermostat lowers if it’s winter, raises if it’s summer, the security system turns on, and all lights turn off. In the past, this was the technology for millionaires. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I am far from seven figure status, but you couldn’t tell from my smart home. Of course, the level of extravagance can increase the price exponentially, but to give you an example, a 6-button keypad is $199. It goes without saying that you have to have the other stuff like speakers and a stereo system to take full advantage, but I am constantly going into clients’ continued on page

The thermostat has a 7” LCD HD screen that can display a number of different digital pictures of your choosing. This can be much more esthetically pleasing than just looking at numbers or a blank screen that is normally displayed. It also comes with a number of different color bezels that can change the look of the thermostat to any color wall it is mounted on. Also, the background color is customizable to one of eight colors. This new thermostat can also give the user remote control of the heating and cooling system via a web enabled cell phone or a remote computer. This function could be very useful for someone who does not know when they will arrive home and needs to make sure their home is comfortable. Integrated control of a humidifier is also an added feature that eliminated the need for separate controls for the furnace and accessory humidifier. It will also alert the homeowner when it is time to change the water pad. The thermostat is also a real time weather station that will give live weather displays including forecasts, radar images, and weather alerts. A change filter program is also part of the new thermostat and it can remind you when it is time to clean or replace the air filter in your system. A program that records your system’s history of run times and energy usage is a very nice feature to help manage energy and comfort. Of course you can program four different temperature set points per day as well as programming your indoor fan to cycle on and provide air circulation and ventilation as well as air cleaning. An outdoor temperature sensor is also available as an option to let you know the outside temperature. A program that alerts you to any potential

AroundAbout — West Canton

continued on page

MARCH 2011

Home Theater

Automation

Expertise

Who’s Calling the Shots?

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

by Dawn Mason, D.V.M. Annual vaccinations are recommended by veterinarians. However, have you stopped and wondered, “What are the diseases that pets are getting vaccinated against?” “Why at such a young age are they having repeat visits and getting the same shot?” Let’s try to answer these questions over the next couple of articles and be educated on the canine and feline vaccinations.

Ecclesiastes 8: 1-17 A Commentary by Rev. Norman Hunt

Dawn Mason D.V.M. is a 1999 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and practices at BridgeMill Animal Hospital. (770) 479-2200

Puppies and kittens receive a series of vaccinations usually starting around six weeks of age and finishing at 16 weeks. These vaccinations are administered on average every three weeks. When a puppy or kitten is born, the mother gives something called maternal antibodies to their offspring in her milk. This allows her young to be protected by viruses early in life. As the offspring ages, this antibody protection starts to decline over several weeks to months. The young is now vulnerable to developing disease. Studies show that maternal antibodies start declining around six weeks old in some pets. If the young still has maternal antibodies in its system then the vaccine doesn’t stimulate a response. Repeat vaccinations are given to evoke a response when the maternal antibodies are at low levels. It varies from pet to pet. Therefore, early vaccinations are recommended for all animals. What’s in a Vaccine? •

•

Rabies is a highly feared disease given after 12 weeks of age to ensure a proper immune response. It is a highly fatal neurologic disease contracted by mammals through a bite. Skunks, raccoons and foxes are likely hosts. Rabies is the only vaccination required by law. It is consider zoonotic or transmittable to humans. The vaccine is yearly but can be given every three years. Distemper is a fatal airborne disease affecting multiple organ systems including the respiratory tract, central nervous system and gastrointestinal. Multiple vaccines are required at a young age followed by an annual vaccination. Adenovirus is an infectious hepatitis and respiratory infection that can cause liver disease and death. Parvovirus is a highly fatal gastrointestinal disease. Unvaccinated puppies are most at risk with no transmission to humans. Parvovirus persists in the environment for up to six months and is shed in feces of animals. Parainfluenza is an infectious upper respiratory disease. It can cause canine kennel cough leading to pneumonia. This disease is contagious among canines. continued on page

Solomon in his search for meaning Rev. Norman R. Hunt is and purpose in life runs into the the Pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church. www. problem of evil in the world. All hopewellbaptist.com. thinking people sooner or later in life come to grips with this enigma, this tragedy, this problem, the problem of evil in the world. Several years ago, a Jewish Rabbi wrote a book entitled “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” Now you will not agree with all the conclusions of this book, but I think you will agree that indeed bad things happen to good people. It raises the question about what kind of God God is. Solomon does not remove belief in God. Solomon understands, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” But Solomon wrestles with the question, “What kind of God is God?” You see, you are driven to certain conclusions. Either there is a God, or there is not a God. I believe all intelligent, rational thinking will cause us to believe there is a God. Then the question comes up, “Well, what kind of God is God?” God is either a loving God, or God is an unloving God. The presence of evil in the world raises the question, “If God is a God of love, then why is there evil in the world?” Let me give you an example. Here is a Christian family, and they are in the car on a journey and are hit by a drunken driver. All of the Christian family is killed and the drunk man walks away without a scratch. The presence of evil in the world raises the question, “If there is a God” and there is, “then what kind of God is He?” “If God is a loving God, why does God allow evil things to happen?” Well, the answer is either God is a loving God, or God is an unloving God who doesn’t care. Or if He is a loving God, why doesn’t He do something about it? Then that brings us to the question, “Well, if God is a loving God and there is evil in the world, is it possible that God doesn’t have the power to do anything about it?” Maybe God doesn’t have the power. Maybe He’s not strong enough, mighty enough and powerful enough. Well, if you come to that position in life, now you are faced with a God, though He is a loving God, a God who does not have all power. So you see, if God is a God who does not have all power, then that means you are dealing with a God that is limited in His power. A God who is limited is not a God at all. We are faced with the dilemma of what to believe, how to handle the enigmas and the problems of life if God is a loving God as we believe, and if God is an all powerful God as we believe He is. I think you will find it very helpful to follow the thinking of Solomon as he wrestles with some of these difficult questions in life.

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MARCH 2011

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Cataracts — Symptoms and Options by Dr. Edward J. Furey

Dr. Edward J. Furey specializes in primary eye care, glaucoma, low vision, geriatrics and is the Center Director of BridgeMill Eyecare. Located at 1409 Sixes Rd. www. bridgemilleyecare.com. (770) 852-2733.

A cataract is a film on the lens inside the eye. Cataracts can form from either prolonged trauma or simply the aging process. The fibers in the eye that grow over a period of time increase and create cloudiness. This cloudiness, or cataract, can be slow growing or grow rapidly. Once the cataract has matured or gotten thick enough to impact good vision, a surgeon removes the lens and replaces it.

Nowadays, there are various options to cataract surgery. What was once considered a major two week recovery now only takes one day of recovery. Years ago the cataract surgical procedure was much more invasive. Today it is a much more precise procedure, producing a more rapid recovery time. Any surgery does have potential for complication, so ask your eye care professional for more information on the potential issues that can arise from cataract surgery. There are 4 main types of cataracts: • Age-related cataracts • Congenital cataracts • Secondary cataracts (drug induced) • Trauma-induced The first part of the cataract procedure is getting diagnosed. A comprehensive eye examination is the first step in getting a proper diagnosis. Once it has been determined that there is a cataract, the next step is determining the severity of the cataract and whether it is slow or fast growing cataract. The severity and the speed of growth of the cataract impacts whether an insurance company will consider a cataract surgery medically necessary for removal. For many patients, the cataract can be very frustrating but the guidelines for surgical procedures have not yet been met. Therefore, the cataract surgery will not be covered or deemed medically necessary by their insurance carriers. Once the cataract has matured, then the surgery is scheduled. The actual surgery happens within a one day visit with the surgeon and then a visit with your eye care professional one day after surgery. There are the standard lens implants or the newer version of the lens implants for multifocal lenses and they have various names such as ReSTOR or ReZOOM Crystalens implants. Many insurance companies have an allotment toward the cataract surgery and will pay a portion of the multifocal lens implants but not full payment. The multifocal lenses are the newer intraocular lenses for cataract surgery. These multifocal lenses correct astigmatism, presbyopia, myopia and hyperopia because it is a brand new lens to the eye. Cataract surgery is not what it used to be. Nowadays, due to technological advancements, cataracts can be conquered in very little time with much more success. Check with your local eye care professional for more information. 42

HEART-itude Changed by the Miracle by Stephanie Anderson CPNP As you may recall from my husband’s article in April 2010 (please read, it is easily found on our website under news —- local articles), we are once again celebrating Miracle Day this month! What is Miracle Day, you may ask? We said the same to our daughter when she came up with it. She patiently explained the obvious, “Miracle Day is the day God gave us a miracle. Daddy didn’t die of cancer.” This sweet faith and honesty made an impression. Of course, I still think of that day in March 2007, almost daily, but each year as Miracle Day approaches, I am especially grateful that my husband is still with me, and that my children have a daddy.

Stephanie Anderson is a nurse practitioner in Canton. She assists her husband, Michael G Anderson MD FAAP in his practice at Children’s Pediatrics Center, 391 East Main Street, Canton (770)720.MyMD (6963) www.happyhealthy. com®

Our sweet daughter, Faith, stands next to me as I write the article this month. Remember, it was she who came up with this holiday. She wanted me to write that she would not know what to do without her daddy. She also says that she loves to laugh and play with him and catch up on the silly fun together, since he may not have been up to much play back then. Since today is Valentine’s Day, as I write this tribute to my husband, I may get a little mushy. Michael and I are on our 26th year of marriage and I have to say that our marriage seems to be getting stronger and stronger AFTER he was diagnosed with cancer. I have pondered over and over on this idea. I have come to the conclusion that it is probably because I have had the opportunity to focus much more attention on what my sweet love may need from me, and not so much on unimportant matters of life. I had incorrect perceptions of what my husband thought of me. I have also received a deeper appreciation for my husband in a very profound way. He has mentioned that having felt like he had come close to death, he had the opportunity to think deeper about his relationships with his family. This then led us to be able to communicate on a deeper level and thus understand each other better. Like my husband has shared in the past, “a heart experiencing love grows to share that love with others.” If you are one of the ones blessed to have married your one true love, cherish every moment and never take any of the moments for granted. To be forever with your best friend is a blessing I will always be grateful for! The next best thing to loving and sacrificing for your spouse is to love and help those around you. May God bless you all, and if you are someone we have been able to help at our office, we are grateful to be there for you.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

by Christopher Anderson, M.D.

articipation in any sport, whether it’s recreational football, lacrosse, soccer or simply bike riding, can teach kids to stretch their limits and learn sportsmanship and discipline. But any sport that a child participates in also carries the potential for injury. In youth sports, the rate of sports injuries today is rising due to the new super-competitive youth sports culture. Today’s youth are particularly susceptible to sports injuries for a variety of reasons. Some injuries are simply accidents. Some occur as a result of improper training or a lack of appropriate safety equipment. Other injuries in children may be a result of rapid growth during puberty. No matter what the reason, sports injuries, especially in children, are going to happen. The most common sports injuries are sprains and strains, knee injuries, swollen muscles and fractures. Dislocations, Achilles tendon injuries and shin bone pain are also very common. There are two kinds of sports injuries – acute and chronic. Acute injuries occur suddenly when playing or exercising. Examples of an acute injury are fractures, sprains, strains and lacerations. Signs of an acute injury include: zz zz zz zz zz zz

Sudden, severe pain Swelling Not being able to place weight on a leg, knee, ankle or foot Tenderness in the injured area Immobility Weakness

Chronic injuries are those that happen over a period of time. Signs of a chronic injury include pain when you play or exercise, a dull ache when you rest and swelling. If a sports injury occurs, never try to work through the pain. This will only cause more harm. Some injuries should be seen by a doctor right away. Call your physician or visit M.D. Minor Emergency & Family Medicine if the injury causes severe pain or swelling, limping or a loss of range of motion. If you don’t have any of these symptoms, it may be safe to treat the injury at home. Use the R.I.C.E. method to relieve pain, reduce swelling and speed healing. Follow these four steps right after the injury occurs and do so for at least 48 hours.

zz I-ce: Ice reduces swelling by reducing blood flow to the affected area. zz C-ompression: Wrapping the affected area with an ACE bandage limits swelling and provides minor pain relief. zz E-levate: Elevating the affected area above the heart reduces swelling. If pain or swelling does not decrease within 48 hours, seek the advice of a physician.

Information obtained from www.sportsinjuryinfo.com, www.kidshealth.org, and niams.nih.gov. This information provided by Christopher Anderson, M.D. of M.D. Minor Emergency & Family Medicine, formerly PIMC, located in the Riverstone Medical Complex. If you or your child has experienced a sports injury, please call (770) 720-7000 or visit their office at 720 Transit Avenue in Canton, next to Cracker Barrel. They are open every day from 9:00am to 9:00 pm.

zz R-est: Resting immediately after an injury protects the affected area from further injury and provides your body with the energy necessary for healing itself.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

07/30/10.

Pay Yourself First by Judy T. Ross No matter how hard you try to avoid it, sometimes it seems like your day-to-day living expenses just eat away at your entire paycheck. Before you know it, the money in your paycheck seems to vanish, and you don’t even know where it went. And while you’re focused on just making ends meet, putting money away for the future may be the last thing on your mind. Even so, you need to remember that taking care of your longer-term financial goals is just as important as meeting your current needs. Ever since the days of putting pennies in a piggybank, you’ve likely received plenty of advice on the value of saving your money. But when mom and dad aren’t taking care of the necessities any more, and you have your own bills to pay, it’s easy to lose track and forget to save. As a reminder of just how important it is to put part of your income aside — and to do it sooner, rather than later — take a look at an example of just how the numbers shake out. For this example we’ll use two investors — one who starts early and lets her savings grow and another who waits until later to begin. Let’s say the early investor puts away $5,000 per year for five years, and then allows that investment to grow for 15 years without putting in another penny. The late investor, on the other hand, waits for 10 years before he even begins his savings plan. He then invests $5,000 a year for 10 years, putting his total investment at $50,000 — exactly twice as much as the early investor.

Disciplined investment habits aren’t always easy to come by, but there are several things you can do to improve your savings routine. One of the easiest ways to establish a savings plan is by taking advantage of the convenience of electronic funds transfer (EFT). You may be familiar with this type of service if you currently receive or make electronic deposits to your bank account. This service is also available from other financial services firms, and paying yourself first by using an EFT system can help you get in the habit of saving. Direct deposit allows you the opportunity to deposit all or part of your paycheck to the account of your choice, so you could choose to set aside a certain portion to go directly to a savings account as opposed to your checking account. Another way to take advantage of EFT is to set up an automatic monthly deposit. This is a simple, disciplined way to add to your account, authorizing a specific amount to be transferred from one of your accounts to another (i.e. from checking to a savings or investment account). Regardless of which method you choose — or even if you decide on completely different investment strategy — putting aside money now will help you prepare to reach your financial goals that lie further down the road.

This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Judy T. Ross, Senior Financial Advisor, in Canton, Georgia at (770) 345-8008.

Assuming an eight percent average annual rate of return on their investments, if we jump ahead now to 20 years from the time our two investors started, the difference in their accounts is substantial. Our early investor would have accumulated a total of roughly $100,493 in her account by this time. Keep in mind she hasn’t put a penny of her own money in for the last 15 years. Meanwhile, the late investor’s account has grown to only $78,227, and he has been contributing each year for the past ten years. That means that our early investor only put in half as much of her own money, and came out well over $20,000 ahead. Now, this example is only meant to illustrate the advantages of saving regularly and starting early. This does not reflect the performance of any specific investment, nor does it take into account the eventual effects of taxes. It does, however, make the point very clear — by delaying 10 years in getting started, the late investor loses out on the benefits of compounding over a longer period of time.

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MARCH 2011

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Don’t Blink or You’ll Miss It!

Enjoying Blueberries From Your Own Backyard

by Carole May People talk, and the “talk of the town” (last year ) was that of a “round about” in Woodstock. Residents in the area were making a big fuss about this project. However, when I first heard the name I thought to myself, “Someone has been attending too many square dances. Grab your partner, do-si-do and ‘round about.’” My second thought was: “Will I have to deal with another circle!”

by Eric Hill

Carole May is a freelance writer for AroundAbout West Canton. Email her at editor@aroundabout westcanton.com.

Let’s just say you missed the first article I wrote introducing Carole May. I shared with you where I previously resided, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Pay attention now! There, every main road led to what was referred to as “a circle.” All vehicles had to merge into this circular construction and work their way around to the road they wanted to exit. It sounds dangerous and it was. My first experience felt like being on a merry-goround with about 50 cars coming at me from all directions. The recipe for success: wait for an opening and pray! I practiced both rules, survived, and eventually became an official Jerseyite! For the record, it didn’t happen overnight. After 39 years of circling, this dizzy driver was content going round and round in such a lovely little town.

So…when I heard that a “round about” was going to be in Woodstock my reaction was, “Oh no, I won’t go!” However, my husband assured me that at first he would ride shot gun, and things would be fine. So I decided to take him up on his offer. I prepared myself emotionally for what I had previously experienced back in the Garden State. I drank a nice cup of tea while reading a self help book, listened to my husband’s Knute Rockne pep talk, and left my tight jeans in the closet. I needed to let it all hang out, so to speak. What could have been more perfect, a sweat suit for the anxious driver! There I sat behind the wheel driving toward my destination with the seat belt so tight I could have driven in the Indianapolis 500. The car window was down as I drove toward town. The wind was blowing in my face. The “Round About” was in sight, but it seemed smaller than I had pictured that night. Suddenly I sneezed. Must have been my allergies! Within seconds I found myself looking in the rear view mirror at a miniature traffic circle. My mind flashed back to the summer and weeks of detouring around Woodstock. Blood raced to my face in disappointment and anger. Wa hoppin’ to the 8th wonder of the world! My heart goes out to the Woodstock taxpayers for this much-talked-about attraction. Don’t Blink or You’ll Miss It!

Don’t forget to Spring Forward on March 13! 50

I never gave much credence to, “Too much of a good thing.” However, last summer I think I finally came close. From the beginning of July to well into August, we enjoyed blueberries grown in our yard. My wife made cobbler, jam, and waffles. We ate blueberries by the bowl, sprinkled them on our cereal and mixed them in yogurt. We even rationalized eating more ice cream because we were adding blueberries. Growing our own food has become popular again. We are enjoying cost-saving benefits, comforted with the knowledge that no chemicals are being applied. Rabbiteye blueberries are native to Georgia, and especially easy to grow. There are many varieties of Rabbiteye blueberries, and you will need at least two varieties to crosspollinate to produce fruit. Here are three readily available varieties that ripen at different times of the summer, allowing you a longer harvest: • Climax ripens early July producing an abundance of very large, sweet-tasting berries. • Premier produces a medium to large fruit, and ripens mid July. Premier is also a heavy bearer. • Tifblue ripens late July into August with high berry production with fruit that is large and very sweet. Blueberries perform best given at least five hours of direct sun, and planted in soil with a pH between 4.0-5.5. Luckily most of us have soil that falls into this range, but a soil test from the extension office will determine your pH and nutrient levels. Blueberries have roots close to the surface, with very few small feeder roots. This means they benefit from consistent moisture and heavy mulching. Plant your blueberries 6’ apart to avoid overcrowding. Dig each hole about12 inches deep and 30 inches wide, amending the soil with organic compost. Install the plant so that the level of the root ball is level with the top of the ground. Back fill around the plant using your foot to firmly tamp the soil. Apply Cotton Seed Meal fertilizer following the recommended rates. Water each plant well. Apply a heavy layer of mulch, keeping the mulch pulled back from the plant’s trunk. Young plants will need supplemental watering their first year. After that, fertilize them each fall or early spring with Cotton Seed Meal, and wait for summer. Oh, I almost forgot, birds love blueberries, so plan to share. (They get out quicker in the morning than we do). Eric Hill is the co-owner of Autumn Hill Nursery & Landscaping. He can be reached at (770) 442-3901.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

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Smoking Cessation: Starting the New Year Right

Disney Dining Plans by Lisa Griswold

by Nasir Asghar M.D. Hands down the best preventive medicine one can do for oneself is to quit smoking. The best thing a doctor can do for a patient is to help them quit smoking. The list of reasons to quit cigarettes is exhausting. Everyone knows there is a significant increase risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and heart attacks, but there are a multitude of other reasons to quit that might not be as obvious. Cigarettes affect every organ system in our body.

This month I will answer a question from Laura who asks…

Dr. Nasir Asghar is an Internal Medicine physician with special focus in Heart Disease, Diabetes & Medical Weight Loss. Internal Medicine Associates can be reached at (678) 494-9669 or visit www. advancedmedcenter. com.

The largest organ in our body, our skin, becomes thicker, discolored and ages at a significantly faster rate than a non-smoker. Compare a thirty year-old who smoked ten years to a thirty year-old non-smoker and the lines of their face give away the smoker. Allergies and sinus conditions are another common condition exacerbated with use of cigarettes. Cigarette smoke paralyzes the tiny hairs in your respiratory system called cilia that move harmful particles and allergens out of your body. Once these cilia are paralyzed, significant debris builds up, leading to chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. Do not forget the harmful effects on your pets, children and your ability to have future children. It is well known that children exposed to cigarette smoke have increased risk of asthma and other respiratory issues. Regarding your ability to have children, fertility is decreased for both men and women, and specifically for men there is a decrease in testosterone, resulting in another myriad of symptoms, such as erectile dysfunction and muscle loss. Medical practices now have up to 65 percent success rate in smoking cessation. There are multiple ways to quit smoking, but currently the best method we have is a combination of an SSRI (anti-depressant) with Chantix for a three month period. Persons who smoke two packs a day have successfully quit within three months. The way Chantix works is by blocking the nicotinic receptor in the brain, so that when you smoke, nicotine effects are diminished, making the cigarettes taste like ash. In fact, when taking Chantix, you can smoke as much as you want. You can even try to smoke to your full desire, but you will be surprised to find out that the desire to smoke will vanish. The antidepressant (SSRI) is started two weeks before starting the Chantix to counter the ill effects of nicotine withdrawal (i.e. buzzing in the head). This combination for only three months is a solid method to quit and start fresh in 2011 — smoke free.

“My family is planning to go to Disney World over Fall Break. How do the Disney Dining Plans work? Will I save money by using one? Will the Free Dining offer come out again this year?”

Laura, there are three basic dining plans (and two additional dining plans that include some recreation and entertainment options). They are each based per person, per night of your reservation.

The first is Quick Service Dining. This plan includes two counter service meals (entrée, dessert, and beverage) and two snacks (box of popcorn, fountain soda, bottled water, ice cream novelty, or one of many others – some choices are not obvious, make sure to ask!). It includes a beverage mug with unlimited refills per person. This is a good option if you are not big on making reservations or keeping to a schedule. It is also good for a family of light eaters. The second option, and the most popular, is Plus Dining. This includes one table service (entrée, dessert, and beverage – kids get an appetizer too!), one quick service, and one snack. It does not include a drink mug. Plus Dining allows a lot of flexibility to your dining. You can dine with characters, see shows, or experience one of Disney’s Signature Restaurants. You can simply plan a nice sit-down meal for the family at the end of the day. Or mix it up! The third option is Deluxe Dining. This plan includes three meals (appetizer, entrée, dessert, and beverage) and two snacks. The refillable drink mug is included with this plan. This is A LOT of food, but is great for a family who wants to experience some of the dining options that require two table credits. The meal credits do not have to be used at table service restaurants; they can be used at quick service locations too (no appetizer for adults when you do this). The dining credits are put onto your Key to the World Card (room key). They are deducted each time you use one. It doesn’t matter if you use them all in one day or skip a day or two. They just come off one at a time. The dining plans can save you up to 30 percent. There are over 100 restaurants and location to use your credits. You can make reservations up to 180 days in advance. It may sound silly to reserve this early, but it can become difficult to get the restaurants and times you want if you wait.

Next month we will discuss weight-loss management through the integration of nutrition, proper exercise and correcting organic (medical) reasons of improper weight or weight gain.

Please send your questions about the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, or any of the international Disney parks to Lisa@PixieVacations.com or call (678) 815-1584.

AroundAbout — West Canton

continued on page

MARCH 2011

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American Heritage Academy 2126 Sixes Road Canton, GA 30114

(770) 926-7779

www.ahacademy.com

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Riverstone Animal Hospital 112 Bluffs Parkway • Canton, GA 30114 Located behind Sears in Riverstone

770-479-7141

fax 770-479-7170 www.riverstoneanimalhospital.com

2007 - 2010

P.O. Box 4998 3605 Marietta Hwy, Canton, GA 30114 www.CherokeeChamber.com

770-345-0400

Ribbon Cuttings

Arranged To Eat Canton (770) 842-9200 Catering Services

American Kidney Services 12186 Highway 92 Woodstock (770) 872-4260 Non-Profit Organization

AT&T Georgia Retail Store 8989 Highway 92 Woodstock (770) 591-2131 Telecommunications

Business After Hours Sponsored by Soleil Laurel Canyon Tuesday, March 15 4:30 — 6 p.m. Location: Soleil Laurel Canyon

Atlanta Dog Trainer Pet Resort 5660 Howard Road Cumming (678) 455-9199 Pet Services

There is no charge to attend. RSVP deadline is 5 p.m. on March 11.

Good Morning Cherokee! Sponsored by EdwardJones Thursday, March 3, 7 a.m. Location: Northside Hospital — Cherokee Conference Center, Cherokee Co. Administration Bldg. 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton Cost is $15. RSVP deadline is 5 p.m. on March 1.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

A God Who Hears by Pastor Jamey Prickett

Illegal Immigration

Who is Footing the Bill? by State Representative Calvin Hill

Please let me know if you have any other ideas for me to pass along to the Committee. Contact me at calvin.hill@ house.gov.ga or call (404) 656-0129.

With Georgia’s poor economic condition and unemployment rate over 10% how can our General Assembly waste their time picking on poor illegal immigrants? Don’t they realize that most of these folks are just honest, hard working individuals that want a job? Why don’t our State Representatives and Senators spend more time on improving our economy and creating more jobs? That is the way some try to approach the illegal immigration problem — change the question to something else. Well, the truth is that illegal immigration has a very direct impact on both employment and the economy, which is something many try to hide. So lets look at the facts. Depending upon which study you read, there are between 375 — 495 thousand illegal immigrants in Georgia. The Pew Hispanic Center states 425 thousand and that is probably the most accurate estimate, remembering that not all illegals are Hispanic. The cost to you, the Georgia taxpayer, is tremendous — 2.4 billion dollars! That is over 13% of the budget for the entire state this year. Roughly a third of that is the cost of K-12 education as the federal government forces the states to provide free education to illegal aliens. That is $800 — $900 million of your tax dollars! Did you ever wonder why the cost of education is so high? The other benefits that you are paying for range from free health care (another federal mandate) to printing of our permanent driver’s license test in 14 different languages. Any way you add it up you are footing the bill. And why are these folks here? The answer is simple — JOBS! Hundreds of thousands of jobs are being taken over by illegals who will work for cash — off the books — severely undercutting the wages of legitimate workers. This has driven down wages in several industries and many companies who have tried to follow the law have been forced out of business. As long as Georgia companies continue to hire illegal aliens, you will be forced to continue shouldering the costs. This includes companies and individuals who pick up “day workers.” Any way you look at it, these are jobs that should have gone to legal workers. If creating jobs and reducing taxpayer burdens are important goals of this General Assembly, then curbing illegal immigration is one of the fastest and easiest ways to achieve them. We are either a state and nation of the rule of law or not. The Legislature has a sworn duty towards its citizens, including legal immigrants, to abide by the laws of Georgia and the United States of America. Common sense illegal immigration policies and enforcement are part of that duty.

I have a simple, one-track mind. If I am focused on something it is sometimes difficult to move me away from that thought. If you don’t believe me just ask my wife. The thing that drives her crazy about me is that she will be talking to me and trying to have a conversation while all along my mind is in another world. I know that no one else has that struggle.

Jamey Prickett is the Senior Pastor of Liberty Hill Church. To contact Pastor Jamey, please call (678) 493-8920 or email Jamey@ libertyhillumc.org. http://servantontheway. blogspot.com/

Do you ever wonder if God is really listening to your prayers? Be honest. Have you ever considered why would God even want to take the time to listen to my prayers? After all, God has world hunger, war, and catastrophic disasters to pay attention to. Why listen to the prayer of a white, middle-class American huddled down on his knees in the comfortable air conditioned safe environment of a church? Sure I pray for my “daily bread.” But I can also get up from my prayer and run to the grocery store and pick it up when I run out. Does God really hear our prayers?

Ask the biblical character Daniel that question. Ask him when he was thrown into a den of lions. God must have heard or at least Daniel got lucky and the lions had lost their appetite. Daniel believed in a God who pays attention to prayer. In prayer I realize that I am coming before the one who already knows all about me. He knows what I need even before I ask him; he knows my worries, my pain, and my joy. He knows my future and has my days numbered. Prayer is a way of restoring our true state as ones who are totally dependent and in a self-reliant culture that is difficult. As an adult I was taught that you work for what you get. You don’t ask for anything. But the truth is I am totally dependent. In prayer we are reminded of our helpless state without God and it is this honesty that God is looking for in prayer. Consider the fact that God can only heal the broken pieces that we give to him. As long as we attempt to hide our brokenness from God, we will never be in a place to find healing. Do you ever wake up in the morning amazed that you are loved by God? After the angry words you spoke yesterday, after the way you lost your patience, after the dishonest thing you did to wake up and be loved by God. Now that has to be a loving God. How about spending an honest moment with God today? During the month of March we will be exploring the topic of prayer at Liberty Hill Church. We invite you to join us at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. www.libertyhillumc.org

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

Gentle Dentistry

For the Entire Family

The HOPE Scholarship by State Senator Chip Rogers The HOPE Scholarship – Georgia’s most popular government program – is in trouble. Two decades of unprecedented success is now threatened with slowing revenues and skyrocketing expenses. Since its inception, more that 1.3 million students in Georgia have received more than $5.6 billion in awards. By any reasonable measure, HOPE has been an incredible success. HOPE has helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college who may not have been able to do so otherwise. It has put thousands of four year old children on the right track with early learning. It has kept Georgia’s best and brightest students in state, which directly impacts long-term economic development. Students who graduate from a Georgia high “. . . the HOPE reserve school with a 3.0 or fund will be empty by better GPA qualify for the end of FY 2012. This the HOPE scholarship or cannot be allowed to HOPE grant to attend happen.” technical school. The lottery proceeds also allow Georgia to be the only state in the nation to offer universal pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds.

As one might imagine, the ideas for “fixing HOPE” are varied. • • • • • • • • •

Raising the eligible GPA Adding a standardized test score component from the SAT or ACT Requiring the first year of HOPE be a loan which would be paid back if a student loses HOPE during the first year De-coupling the HOPE award from tuition rates, so that future HOPE awards will not necessarily be tied to tuition increases Reducing the pre-K program from 6.5 hours to 4 hours per day Making scholarships and pre-K “means” tested based on the parent’s income Limiting the number of quarter/semester hours for which HOPE will pay Eliminating HOPE money for remedial classes and books Restricting bonuses paid the lottery officials

Some of these ideas will be accepted, some rejected, and others considered. However, it is incumbent upon the General Assembly to solve this problem now in order to save HOPE for the next generation of Georgians.

It is important to remember, HOPE awards today include funding for both pre-K and college scholarships. However, years ago HOPE money also went to fund “technology” projects for education. Since 1994, when HOPE funding started to flow, the breakdown of education expenditures has been 49 percent for postsecondary education, 35 percent for pre-kindergarten, and 16 percent for other expenditures (mainly technology spending). The HOPE program has always maintained a healthy reserve fund until recently, when expenses began to increase rapidly. The projected HOPE shortfall for fiscal year (FY) 2011 and FY 2012 is a combined $550 million. More importantly, if these numbers actually materialize, the HOPE reserve fund will be empty by the end of FY 2012. This cannot be allowed to happen. Changes must be made to save HOPE. Since there is little the legislature can do to affect the revenue side of the ledger, we are left with controlling the expense side.

Chip Rogers is the State Senator for District 21. You can call him at (404) 463-1378 or fax him at (404) 657-9887. You also can e-mail Chip at Chip@SenatorChipRogers.com. Chip also serves on the AroundAbout — West Canton Community Board.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

United States Government: President Barack Obama (D) (202) 456-1414 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue fax: (202) 456-2461 Washington, D.C. 20500 Website: www.whitehouse.gov

Senator Saxby Chambliss (R) (202) 224-3521 Senate Russell Courtyard-2 GA: (770) 763-9090 Washington, D.C. 20510 Website: http://chambliss.senate.gov

Senator Johnny Isakson (R) (202) 224-3643 1 Overton Park, Suite 970 GA: (770) 661-0999 3625 Cumberland Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30339 fax: (770) 661-0768 Website: http://isakson.senate.gov

Rep. Tom Price (R), District 6 P.O. Box 425, Roswell, GA 30077 Website: http://tom.house.gov

Rep. John Linder (R), District 7 (202) 225-4272 90 North Street, Suite 360 GA: (770) 232-3005 Canton, GA 30114-2724 fax: (770) 232-2909 Website: www.linder.house.gov

(202) 225-4501 GA: (770) 565-4990 fax: (770) 565-7570

State Government: Governor Nathan Deal (R) 203 State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 www.gov.ga.gov.com

(404) 656-1776 fax: (404) 657-7332

State Senator Jack Murphy (R) (D-27) (770) 887-1960 304-B Coverdell Legislative Bldg. fax: (770) 205-0602 Atlanta, GA 30334 e-mail: jack.murphy@senate.ga.gov

State Rep. Calvin Hill (R) (D-21) local: (678) 493-7257 511 Coverdell Legislative Bldg. business: (404) 656-0129 Atlanta, GA 30334 fax: (770) 345-2394 e-mail: chill@legis.state.ga.us

State Rep. Sean Jerguson (R) (D-22) 607 Coverdell Legislative Bldg. Atlanta, GA 30334 e-mail: sean.jerguson@house.ga.gov

State Rep. Mark Hamilton (R) (D-23) Email: mark.hamilton@house.ga.gov

1130 Bluffs Parkway (678) 493-6000 Canton, GA 30114 fax: (678) 493-6001

Commissioners: Buzz Ahrens (R), Chairperson e-mail: lbahrens@cherokeega.com

Harry Johnston (R), Post 1 e-mail: hjohnston@cherokeega.com

Jim Hubbard (R), Post 2 e-mail: jhubbard@cherokeega.com

Karen Bosch (R), Post 3 e-mail: kbosch@cherokeega.com

Jason A. Nelms (R), Post 4 e-mail: jnelms@cherokeega.com

Cherokee County Board of Education:

www.cherokee.k12.ga.us

Robert Wofford, Post 1 e-mail: robert.wofford@cherokee.k12.ga.us

Mike Chapman (R), Post 2 (Chair) (770) 704-4398, x4372 e-mail: mike.chapman@cherokee.k12.ga.us

Michael Geist, Post 3 e-mail: michael.geist@cherokee.k12.ga.us

(404) 462-4950

Janet Read (R), Post 4 e-mail: janet.read@cherokee.k12.ga.us

(770) 516-1444

Rick Steiner (R), Post 5 (770) 704-4398, x4370 e-mail: rick.steiner@cherokee.k12.ga.us

Rob Usher, Post 6 e-mail: rob.usher@cherokee.k12.ga.us

(770) 928-0341

Kim Cochran (R), Post 7 e-mail: kimcochran@gmail.com

(678) 983-9644

(404) 656-0287

Cherokee County Courts:

Superior Court: Chief Judge Frank C. Mills, III Judge N. Jackson Harris Judge Ellen McElyea

(678) 493-6270 (678) 493-6260 (678) 493-6240

State Court: Chief Judge Clyde J. Gober, Jr. Judge W. Alan Jordan

(678) 493-6480 (678) 493-6490

Juvenile/Family Court: Judge John B. Sumner Judge Tony Baker

Magistrate Court: Chief Judge James Drane III

Probate Court: Judge Keith Wood

Clerk of the Court: Patty Baker

(678) 493-6250 (678) 493-6280 (678) 493-6431

West Canton ELECTED & APPOINTED OFFICIALS

Cherokee County Board of Commissioners www.cherokeega.com

Cherokee County Coroner

Earl W. Darby 90 North Street, Suite 310 Canton, GA 30114

Cherokee County School System

Cherokee County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office

Sheriff Roger Garrison (R) (678) 493-4100 498 Chattin Drive fax: (678) 493-4228 Canton, GA 30115 Website: www.cherokeega-sheriff.org

(404) 362-1600

Superintendent, Dr. Frank Petruzielo (770) 479-1871 P.O. Box 769 fax: (770) 479-1236 110 Academy St. Canton, GA 30114 Website: www.cherokee.k12.ga.us

(770) 345-6256

Cherokee County Tax Commissioner

David Fields (R) (678) 493-6400 2780 Marietta Highway fax: (678) 493-6420 Canton, GA 30114 e-mail: dfields@cherokeega.com

City of Canton

www.canton-georgia.com Mayor Gene Hobgood

(770) 704-1500

City of Waleska

www.cityofwaleska.com Mayor Doris Ann Jones

(770) 479-2912

(678) 493-6160 (678) 493-6511

MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWEstcanton.com

West Canton CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

Business Organizations

American Business Women’s Association: (678) 493-3618, www.abwa.org Canton Cherokee Business and Professional Women’s Club: (770) 345-1750 Cherokee Area Business Connection: (770) 345-8687 Cherokee Business & Professional Women: (770) 345-1751 Cherokee Toastmasters: (770) 712-4077 www.CherokeeToastmasters.com NEW Network of Entrepreneurial Women: (678) 595-0344 PowerCore: (404) 572-1278 Towne Lake Business Association: (770) 720-6558, www.tlba.org Woodstock Business Networking Group: (770) 591-7101

Charitable & Support Organizations

AA Meetings: Canton First United Methodist: (770) 479-6961 Canton Chapter: (770) 479-5460 Adoptees and Birthmothers Support: (770) 693-1907 Adoption/Infertility Support Group: (678) 445-3131 Alzheimer/Dementia Support Group: (770) 926-0119 American Heart Assoc. — Cherokee Division: (678) 385-2013 Arts Alliance of Georgia: (678) 754-8482 Bethany Place: (770) 479-9462 www.bethanyplacehome.org Breast Cancer Support Group, Drop-In: (404) 843-1880 Canton Al-Anon: (770) 516-3502 CASA for Children, Inc.: Deidre Hollands, (770) 345-3274 www.casacherokee.org Cherokee Autism Support Group: Heidi — HCF67@comcast.net or Renee — MRJPERRELLI@yahoo.com Cherokee Child Advocacy Council: (770) 592-9779 www.cherokeechildadvocates.org Cherokee Co. Aspergers Syndrome Parents Support Group: (678) 616-6741 www.CCAspies.org Cherokee Co. Family Child Care Assoc.: Brenda Bowen, (770) 926-8055 Cherokee Co. Foster & Adoptive Parent Association of GA: (770) 378-0759 www.fosteroradopt.org Cherokee Co. Habitat for Humanity: (770) 345-1879 Cherokee Co. Senior Services: (770) 345-5312 Cherokee Co. Service League: (770) 704-5991 Cherokee Co. Special Olympics: (770) 517-7101 Cherokee County Family Violence Center: (770) 479-1804 Battered Women Hotline: (770) 479-1703 In Spanish, (770) 720-7050

Cherokee FOCUS: (770) 345-5483 www.cherokeefocus.org Drug Free Cherokee: Stacy Bailey, (770) 345-5483 www.drugfreecherokee.org Emotions Anonymous: Tonya M. (678) 648-9953 Grace to the Nations: (404) 819-5520 www.gracetothenations.com Habitat for Humanity North Central GA: (770) 345-1879, www.habitatncg.org Haiti Cheri Harvest Life Ministries: (800) 989-4248, dan@haiticheri.org Hope Center (hope for unplanned pregnancies): (770) 924-0864 www.hopectr.com Hope Center — Baby & More Thrift Store: www.babyandmorethriftstore.com Hospice Advantage: (770) 218-1997 www.hospiceadvantage.com iCOR (helping orphans): (404) 992-8155 www.iCORorphans.com Legacy Ministries International: (770) 924-0826 Meals-on-Wheels: (770) 345-7440 Miracle Mothers: www.miraclemothers.org MOMS Club of Canton (serving Canton, Ball Ground, Waleska and Holly Springs): West: http://momsclubofcantonwest.webs.com MOPS — Mothers of Preschoolers: (770) 479-4140 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waleskamops MUST Ministries: (770) 479-5397 www.mustministries.org Narcotics Anonymous: (770) 720-4032 National Alliance for Mental Illness Family Support Group: (404) 394-1229, www.nami.org North Georgia Angel House, Inc.: www.angelhousega.com Northside Hospital Cherokee Auxiliary: (770) 720-9559 Northwest Atlanta Moms of Multiples: (678) 404-0034, www.NOWAMOM.org Papa’s Pantry: (770) 591-4730 www.papaspantry.org Safe Kids of Georgia in Cherokee County: (678) 493-4343, www.cherokeesafekids.org Salvation Army: 121 Waleska St. (770) 720-4316 Volunteer Aging Council: (770) 345-7515 Young Peoples AA Meeting: (770) 479-2502

Civic Organizations BridgeMill-Sixes Service League: Kathy Fulton (770) 720-0979, www.bssl.org Canton Lions Club:

(678) 224-7878 www.lionsofcanton.org

Canton Noon Day Optimists:

(678) 454-2370

Canton Optimist Club:

www.cantonoptimist.com

Canton Rotary Club:

(770) 479-2101

Cherokee County Historical Society:

(770) 345-3288, www.rockbarn.org

Optimist Club of Laurel Canyon: (678) 493-9135 Pilot Club of Cherokee County:

Lynda Goodwin at (770) 393-1766

Lynda@edgoodwinassociates.com

Rotary Club of Cherokee County: (678) 297-0154, glopos@bellsouth.net Rotary Club of Towne Lake:

(770) 926-0105

AroundAbout — WEst Canton

Sons of the American Revolution:

Cherokee Chapter, (770) 410-0015

btemple1@bellsouth.net The Trail of Tears Association: (770) 704-6338 www.nationaltota.org United Daughters of the Confederacy, The Helen Plane Chapter 711: helenplane711@gmail.com

Political Organizations Cherokee Co. Board of Elections & Registrations: (770) 479-0407 Cherokee County Democratic Party: (770) 345-3489, www.CherokeeDems.com Cherokee Co. Municipal Planning Commission: (678) 493-6101 Cherokee County Republican Party: (770) 592-6545, www.cherokeecountygop.com Cherokee County Republican Women’s Club: (678) 520-2236, www.CCRWCGA.com Cherokee County School Board: (770) 479-1871 Cherokee County Young Republicans: (770) 926-9317, deanc@mindspring.com Cherokee/Pickens Libertarian Party: (770) 345-4678, www.lpgeorgia.com/cherokee

Recreation & Hobbies Canton Moose Family Center (Bingo): (770) 479-8300 Christian Authors Guild: (770) 928-6592 rtbwriter@bellsouth.net Cherokee Amateur Radio Society: (770) 928-8590, www.cherokee-ares.org/ccars Cherokee Amateur Radio Emergency Services (SKYWARN Storm Spotters): (770) 928-8590 www.cherokee-ares.org Cherokee Community Chorale: (770) 479-4114 www.cherokeecommunitychorale.org Cherokee County Master Gardeners: (770) 479-0418 Cherokee County Saddle Club: (770) 757-2282 www.cherokeesaddleclub.com Cherokee Fencing Club: Andy McCann, (678) 494-9750 www.cherokeefencingclub.com Cherokee Hiking Club: (770) 235-3655 hiking_fred@hotmail.com Cherokee Music Teachers Association: (770) 720-3987, www.cherokeemta.org Cherokee New Horizons Band (CNHB): (770) 479-4917, cnhbcontact@yahoo.com Cherokee Photography Club: www.cherokeephotographyclub.com Cherokee Running Club: (770) 928-4239 (770) 926-8513 Cherokee Senior Softball Association: www.cssasoftball.com Crossfit Workout of the Day Club: www.crossfitgarage.com The Funk Heritage Center Book Club: (770) 720-5969 Sewrifics, American Sewing Guild: (678) 493-3976 Southern O Scalers: Dan Mason, (770) 337-5139

MARCH 2011

AroundAbout West Canton Magazine — (770) 720-7497

Cherokee County Government: www.cherokeega.com Business Licenses (678) 493-6200 Commissioners (678) 493-6000 Clerk of Courts (678) 493-6511 Economic Development (770) 345-0600 Engineering Office (Traffic Signals) (678) 493-6077 Environmental Health (770) 479-0444 Extension Office (770) 479-0418 Jury Phone (770) 479-9011 Justice Center (Courts, Judges, etc.) (770) 479-1953 Planning & Zoning (678) 493-6101 Senior Services (770) 345-2675 Tax Assessors/Evaluation (678) 493-6120 Taxes: License Plates/Tags, Property Tax (678) 493-6400 Woodstock Office (770) 924-4099 Renewals Online https://mvd.dor.ga.gov/tags/ Voter Registration (770) 479-0407 Children and Family:

Anna Crawford Children’s Center Cherokee County Boys & Girls Club Cherokee Family Violence Center Cherokee Focus Child Support Enforcement Department of Family & Children Services Hope Center MUST Cherokee Ministries Papa’s Pantry

(770) 592-9779 (770) 720-7712 (770) 479-1804 (770) 345-5483 (770) 720-3581 (770) 720-3610 (770) 924-0864 (770) 479-5397 (770) 591-4730

City of Canton:

City Hall Fire Department Police Information

Driver’s Licenses

www.dds.ga.gov

Georgia State Patrol

(770) 704-1500 (770) 479-7287 (770) 720-4883 (404) 657-9300

(770) 720-6607

(770) 345-7371

Kennestone Hospital Northside Hospital — Cherokee

(770) 793-5000 (770) 720-5100

Health Department Hospitals:

Hotlines — 24 Hour Help lines:

Battered Women Hotline Drug Tip Line (Cherokee Co. Sheriff) Poison Control Center Poison Control Center (outside metro Atlanta) Probate Court Information Line Rite-Call (Child Medical Problems) Sexual Assault & Family Violence Center

Non-Emergency 911

(770) 479-1703 (770) 345-7920 (404) 616-9000 (800) 222-1222 (770) 704-2610 (404) 250-KIDS (770) 428-2666 (770) 479-3117

Parks and Recreation:

Barnett Park (770) 924-7768 Boling Park (770) 720-7578 BridgeMill Athletic Club (770) 345-5500 Callahan Golf Links (770) 720-1900 Cherokee County Outdoor YMCA (770) 591-5820 Cherokee County Soccer Association (770) 704-0187 www.csaimpact.com Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency (770) 924-7768 www.crpa.net

Cherokee Youth Lacrosse Assoc.: (770) 846-4843 www.cherokeelacrosse.com G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA (770) 345-9622 North Atlanta Soccer Association: (770) 926-4175 michele.fox@nasa-ga.org SCRA Park (770) 926-5672 www.scrabaseball.com Wildlife Action, Inc. (800) 753-2264

Pets:

Animal Control (678) 493-6200 Animal Shelter & Pet Adoptions (770) 345-7270 www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA460.html Cherokee County Humane Society (770) 928-5115 www.cchumanesociety.org Emergency Veterinary Clinic (770) 924-3720 Lost Pet Hotline (770) 615-3333 People4Pets (770) 516-7885 www.people4pets.com Second Chance Rescue www.secondchancedogs.org

Post Office (Canton) Recycling Center Sheriff’s Office

www.usps.com

www.cherokeega-sheriff.org

(800) 275-8777 (770) 516-4195 (678) 493-4100

Utilities: Amicalola EMC (706) 253-5200 www.amicalolaemc.com AT&T (888) 757-6500 www.att.com Ball Ground Water (770) 735-2123 www.cityofballground.com BellSouth (404) 780-2355 www.bellsouth.com Canton Water (770) 704-1500 www.canton-georgia.com Charter Communications (888) 438-2427 www.charter.com Cherokee Water & Sewerage Authority (770) 479-1813 www.ccwsa.com Cobb EMC (770) 429-2100 www.cobbemc.com Comcast (404) 266-2278 www.comcast.com DirecTV (877) 516-6276 www.directv.com Dish Network (888) 825-2557 www.dishnetwork.com ETC Communications (706) 253-2271 www.northganow.com Gas South (866) 762-6427 www.gas-south.com Georgia Natural Gas (888) 442-7489 www.georgianaturalgas.com Georgia Power (888) 660-5890 www.southernco.com/gapower Scana Energy (877) 467-2262 www.scana.com Waleska Water (770) 479-2912 Windstream (866) 971-WIND www.windstream.com

West Canton COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Emergency — 911

Urgent Care Facilities: M.D. Minor Emergency & Family Medicine Northside Cherokee Urgent Care Wellstar Urgent Care

MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWEstcanton.com

(770) 720-7000 (678) 426-5450 (678) 494-2500

West Canton RELIGIOUS SERVICES

Baptist

First Baptist Canton 1 Mission Point and Creekview H.S. Sunday Services: 9:05, 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. (770) 479-5538, www.fbccanton.org Visit website or call for details for each location

First Baptist Holly Springs 2632 Holly Springs Pkwy, (770) 345-5349 Sunday Services: 10:45 a.m. & 6 p.m. www.fbchollysprings.com

First Baptist Church of Woodstock 11905 Hwy 92, Woodstock, (770) 926-4428 Sunday Services: 9:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. www.fbcw.org

Heritage Baptist Fellowship 3615 Reinhardt College Parkway, (770) 479-9415 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.heritagebaptistfellowship.com

Hickory Log Missionary Baptist 179 Belletta Drive, (770) 479-3347 Sunday Service: 11 a.m.

Hopewell Baptist Church 75 Ridge Road, (770) 345-5723 Sunday Services: 9:30, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. www.hopewellbaptist.com

Mount Zion Baptist Church 4096 East Cherokee Drive, (770) 479-3324 Sunday Services: 8:30, 11 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. www.mtzb.org

New Victoria Baptist Church 6659 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock, (770) 926-8448 Sunday Services: 8:30 & 10:50 a.m. www.newvicbaptist.org

Oakdale Baptist 100 Oakdale Road, (770) 479-9060 Sunday Services: 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Sardis Baptist 392 Sardis Circle, (770) 345-6718 Sunday Service: 11 a.m.

Waleska First Baptist

City on a Hill: A United Methodist Church

10657 Fincher Road, (770) 479-1024 Sunday Services: 8:30 & 11 a.m. www.waleskafirstbaptist.org

Worships at Johnson Elementary School Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11 a.m. (404) 862-7850, www.coahumc.org

Episcopal Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church 6488 Hickory Flat Hwy., (404) 395-5003 Meeting at All Points Community Church Saturday Service: 5:30 p.m. www.ctrcec.com

Episcopal Church of the Annunciation 1673 Jamerson Road, Marietta (770) 928-7916 or cell (770) 490-7234 Sunday Eucharist Service: 10:30 a.m. www.annunciationepiscopal.org

Saint Clement’s Episcopal Church 2795 Ridge Road, (770) 345-6722 Sunday Eucharist Services: 8, 9 & 11 a.m. www.stclementscanton.org

Jewish Chabad Jewish Center 1635 Old Hwy 41 NW, Suites 112-265, Kennesaw Introductory Service: 1st Shabbat of each month at 11 a.m. Traditional Service: 3rd Shabbat of each month at 10:30 a.m. (678) 460-7702, www.Jewishwestcobb.com

Tikvah I’ Chaim “Hope for Life” Messianic Jewish Fellowship 132 North Medical Parkway, (678) 936-4125 Saturday Shabbat Service: 10 a.m. www.tlchaim.com

Lutheran Celebration of Grace Lutheran Church Scott Mill Chapel, 411 Scott Mill Road Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. (770) 503-5050, www.celebrationofgrace.org

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Shoal Creek Baptist 4967 Fincher Road, (770) 720-0195 Sunday Services: 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.

1208 Rose Creek Drive, Woodstock, (770) 924-7286 Sunday Services: 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m. www.goodshepherdwoodstock.org

Sutallee Baptist

Timothy Lutheran Church (LC-MS)

895 Knox Bridge Highway, (770) 479-0101 Sunday Services: 10:45 a.m. & 6 p.m www.sutalleebaptistchurch.com

556 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 928-2812 Sunday Services: 8:30 & 11 a.m. Tlcwoodstock.ctsmemberconnect.net

Toonigh Baptist Church 4999 Old Highway 5, Lebanon, (770) 928-2491 Sunday Service: 11 a.m.

Victory Baptist Church 346 Lucky Street, (770) 345-1133 Sunday Services: 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Methodist

Field’s Chapel United Methodist Church 1331 Fields Chapel Road, (770) 479-6030 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.fieldschapel.org

Hillside United Methodist Church 4474 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock Traditional Services: 8:30 & 11 a.m. Contemporary Services: 9:30 & 11 a.m. (770) 924-4777, www.hillsideumc.org

Liberty Hill Church 141 Railroad Street, (678) 493-8920 Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11 a.m. www.libertyhillumc.org

Orange United Methodist Church 220 Orange Church Circle, (770) 886-9662 Sunday Services: 8:45 & 11 a.m. www.orangeumc.org

Sixes United Methodist Church 8385 Bells Ferry Road, (770) 345-7644 Sunday Services: 9 & 11 a.m. www.sixesumc.org

Union Hill United Methodist Church 2000 A.J. Land Road, (678) 297-0550 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.unionhillumc.org

Waleska United Methodist Church 7340 Reinhardt College Parkway Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. (710) 479-4428, www.waleskaumc.org

Orthodox St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Services at Woodstock Funeral Home Chapel 8855 Main St., (770) 485-0504 Sunday Divine Liturgy 10 a.m. www.stelizabethga.org

Presbyterian Cherokee Presbyterian Church, PCA 1498 Johnson Brady Road, (770) 704-9594 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. www.cherokee-pca.org

Faith Presbyterian Church USA 3655 Reinhardt College Parkway Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. (770) 479-6193, www.faithpc.us

Canton First United Methodist Church

Grace Church, PCA

930 Lower Scott Mill Road, (770) 479-2502 Sunday Services: 8:30, 9:45, & 11 a.m. www.cantonfirstumc.org

1160 Butterworth Road, (770) 265-5811 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.gracecanton.org

AroundAbout — WEST Canton

MARCH 2011

Heritage Presbyterian Church

Christ the King Church of Greater Atlanta

Northern Hills Church of Christ

5323 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth, (770) 926-3558 Sunday Services: 9 & 11:10 a.m. www.heritagepres.com

6464 Highway 92, Acworth, (770) 924-9161 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.ctkatlanta.com

4563 Hickory Flat Highway, Canton, (404) 579-0885 Sunday Service 10 a.m.

Sixes Presbyterian Church

Christian Praise Center

2335 Sixes Road, (770) 485-1975 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.sixeschurch.org

1358 Sixes Road, (770) 924-7532 www.christianpraisecenter.com

Woodstock Presbyterian Church 345 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 926-0074 Traditional Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Roman Catholic Our Lady of LaSalette Catholic Church 2941 Sam Nelson Road, (770) 479-8923 Sunday Masses: 8 & 10:30 a.m. Sunday Spanish Mass: 5:30 p.m. www.lasalettecanton.com

St. Michael the Archangel 490 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 516-0009 Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9 & 11 a.m., 12:45 & 5:30 p.m. Sunday Spanish Mass: 2:30 p.m. www.stmichaelthearchangelwoodstock. catholicweb.com

Other Churches Allen Temple, AME Church 232 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 926-6348 Sunday Services: 8 & 11 a.m., Nursery available www.allentempleame.org

Bells Ferry Church of God 6718 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock, (770) 592-2956 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.bellsferry.com

BridgePointe Church Meeting at Woodstock Middle/High School Sunday Services: 9 & 11 a.m. (770) 517-2977, www.bridgepointechurch.org

C3 Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The Pointe (404) 557-9640, www.myfriendschurch.com Visit website or call for information.

Prayer & Praise Christian Fellowship Church

Allatoona Ward, (770) 516-5918 Canton Ward, (770) 479-1522 Woodstock Ward, (770) 928-5641

6409 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock, (770) 928-2795 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.prayerandpraise.org

Church of the Messiah

The Quest Church

415 Charles Cox Drive, (770) 479-5280 Sunday Service: 10 a.m. www.churchofthemessiah.net

Covenant Christian Center Services held at their Worship Annex 330 Adam Jenkins Memorial Blvd., Canton Sundays: 10 a.m. (770) 345-0307, www.CityOfCovenant.org

Dayspring Church

411 Scott Mill Road, Canton, (678) 687-8670 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.thequestcanton.com

Resurrection Anglican Church 231 Arnold Mill Road, (770) 591-0040 Sunday Services: 8:30 & 10:45 a.m www.resurrectionwoodstock.org

The River

6835 Victory Drive, Woodstock, (770) 516-5733 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.dayspring-online.com

Meets at Liberty Elementary School Sunday Service: 10 a.m. www.riveratlanta.org

Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Towne Lake Community Church

2799 Holly Springs Road, Marietta, (770) 578-1533 Sunday Service: 10 a.m. www.emersonuu.org

Momentum Church 110 Londonderry Court, Woodstock Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. (678) 384-4919, www.MomentumChurch.tv

Faith Community Church 659 Arnold Mill Rd., Woodstock, (770) 516-1996 Sunday Worship: 8 & 10:30 a.m. www.faithcommunitychurch.org

Faith Family Church 5744 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth, (770) 926-4560 Sunday Service: 10 a.m. www.faithagchurch.com

94 North Street, Cherokee Arts Center Sunday Service: 10 a.m. (404) 317-0345, www.c3church.tv

Greater Bethel Community Church

Christian Praise Center

Life Changers Church International

1358 Sixes Road, (770) 924-7532 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.christianpraisecenter.com

2499 Palm Street, Suite 100, (678) 384-4307 Sunday Service: 11 a.m. www.jamesbryantministries.org

Canton Adventist Church

Life Bible Church

411 Scott Mill Road, (678) 880-0106 Saturday Worship: 10 a.m. www.cantonfamiles.org

124 P. Rickman Industrial Drive, (770) 217-7494 Sunday Service: 10 a.m. www.lifebiblechurch.com

211 Arnold Mill Road, (770) 592-9900 Sunday Service: 11 a.m.

Cherokee Seventh Day Adventist

New Life Church

101 Rope Mill Road, (770) 591-7304 Saturday Worship: 11:00 a.m. http://cherokee.netadvent.org

154 Lakeside Drive, (770) 345-2660 Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. www.newlifecanton.com

MARCH 2011 www.aroundaboutWESTcanton.com

132 N. Medical Pkwy, Woodstock, (678) 445-8766 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.tlcchurch.com

Watermarke Church Meeting at American Heritage Academy 2126 Sixes Road, Canton (770) 928-8235 Sunday Services: 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. www.watermarkechurch.com

Woodstock Christian Church 7700 Highway 92, Woodstock, (770) 926-8238 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.woodstockchristian.org

Woodstock Church of Christ 219 Rope Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 926-8838 Sunday Services: 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. Servico En Espanol Domingo: 10:30 a.m. Ministro: Rafael Uzcategu,i (770) 926-8271 www.woodstockchurchofchrist.org

Woodstock Church of the Nazarene 874 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock, (770) 924-4499 Sunday Services: 10:45 a.m. & 6 p.m. www.woodstocknazarene.com

Woodstock Community Church 8534 Main Street, Woodstock, (770) 926-8990 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m. www.wcchurch.org

Waleska Church of God of Prophecy 127 Dry Pond Lane, (770) 214-8343 Sunday Service: 11 a.m & 5 p.m.

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Home Presets

physical exam. Next time, I will discuss the elements involved with feline vaccinations and some guidelines recommended. continued from page

homes and making all of their rooms talk to one another with their existing equipment. So every time you hit that keyless entry button on your car, or hit that favorite channel preset on the stereo, think of how cool that could be in your house. continued from page

A New Generation of Thermostats problems with your system is a nice feature as it will give you the name and number of your service company to contact for assistance. Soon a full featured zoning system will be available that allows the new thermostat to give you control of different rooms and create different temperature zones with one furnace and air conditioner. Call today for more information about this new comfort control and you will be very pleased with all the full features available at your fingertips. continued from page

Yo’ Sista A creative writing teacher from Redan High in Stone Mountain was in the audience and invited Yo’ Sista to perform for her students. That teacher introduced her to another spoken word artist—Georgia Me. “I was blown away,” she said. “There she was. The first artist I ever saw. I felt like I’d come full circle.” Yo’ Sista’s vision has expanded beyond a microphone and a crowd. She plans to produce a ‘Poetry in Prison’ tour. “I’ll go to any prison that will have me and uplift the inmates through my poetry,” Yo’ Sista said. “I also want to open a Yo’ Sista Foundation in Canton for children and teens, and partner with the probate courts to give an option for community service in Cherokee County.” And now you’ve met Yo’ Sista.

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Disney Dining Plans

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Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria and can be found in contaminated water infected by wildlife. Dogs will drink the water with this bacteria and develop liver and kidney disease leading to possible death. This disease is contagious to humans. There are several forms and vaccination of canines over 12 weeks of age is highly recommended. Bordetella is a bacteria causing respiratory disease. It is the primary cause for canine kennel cough. It leads to respiratory symptoms for several weeks.

Vaccines are important in keeping your pet and your family healthy and safe. Guidelines established by your veterinarian should be followed to ensure your pet will not fall to one of these diseases. If your pet is on a limited vaccine schedule remember the importance of a yearly

purchase a bracelet for a teacher! Debi loves that people can tell their special story about their cork over and over again every time their bracelet is complimented. Contact Debi at (770) 778-5685 and get your corks turned into something special. I am going to have to start saving special ones for a set of napkin rings. If you have any connections to a wine or a gift store, Debi wants to expand her business from the web into retail and would appreciate your contacts. Her website features her show schedule and store locations under her “me” tab. continued from page

Who’s Calling the Shots?

Suzanne Speaks: Cork Creations

For the past five years or so, Disney has offered Free Dining in the fall, which conveniently covers our Fall Break. There has been some scuttlebutt that since the Free Dining was already offered for this fall (back in November 2010), the offer will not be made again. We won’t know until it is (or isn’t) announced. There is a room discount available, best for Moderate and Deluxe Resorts, and the Kids Stay & Play Free offer that is best for families with children 3 — 9 years. I would advise that you don’t wait in hopes of the Free Dining coming out again. If you are sure you are going in September, secure your reservation now. You can switch to the Free Dining if it comes out!

•

Paying Less Taxes — Always Appealing 2)

File a Homestead Exemption

In addition to a property tax appeal, you may also want to ensure you have filed a Homestead Exemption. A Homestead Exemption (stating this is your primary residence) can allow a $2000 exemption off assessed value from state, county and school taxes. This can be filed with the Tax Commissioner’s office. The deadline in Cherokee is again, April 1, and may be different in surrounding counties. Finally, for those Cherokee County residents 62 years old and up, there can be substantial tax exemptions as well (up to $10,000). This is definitely worth investigating. For more information, please contact the Cherokee County Tax Commissioner. The office is located at 2780 Marietta Hwy, Canton, GA 30114, and they may be reached live for questions at (678) 493-6120.

AroundAbout — West Canton

MARCH 2011

CLASSIFIEDS HOME SERVICES Lawn and Fence Work — Free Estimate. Family Operated. Call (770) 479-1101. E.P. Pressure Wash — Reasonable rates. Free estimates. Insured. (770) 380-2325. Dance Curtain Designs — It’s all about the details! Custom window treatments and more! Call Lisa (404) 556-7481.

SERVICES The Junk Man — U-Call, I Haul. Please call (678) 983-3975.

Classifieds Work!

You’re Reading Them . . . Aren’t You?

Board Certified physicians Appointments available Monday - Friday

Same-d sick visits Same-day Physicals and Routine Medical Care We accept and file most insurance plans

Jeff Donohue, M.D.

William Porter, M.D.

Shawn Holmes, D.O.

The Concourse at BridgeMill 3755 Sixes Road, Suite 202 Canton, GA 30114 (770) 720-1880

Index

ADVERTISER Support the

Advertisers that support your Community American Heritage Academy Kennesaw State University

Automotive Services BridgeMill Auto

Jeffrey Jackson CPA Quick Accounting Solutions Safeguard CPA J. Thompson Ross Investments First Cherokee State Bank

5 13 31 33 45

Carpet Dry Tech

Chiropractors Towne Lake Family Chiropractic

Churches Red Sea Church Liberty Hill UMC

57 Inside Back

Classifieds 71 Cleaning Services Sisters Cleaning Service Molly Maid

9 33

Atlanta Painting Cover, 36 & 37 & Construction The Mad Hatter Service Company 5 Mr. Junk 17 Dr. Fixit 17 Reliable Heating & Air 39 Bam Fence 55 Bryan Plumbing Services 57

Inside Front 13 19 23 31 31 41 47 55 63

9 15 29 30

Northside Hospital — Cherokee 3 Wellstar 7 Children’s Pediatric Center East Main 11 Cherokee Women’s Health 17 M.D. Minor Emergency & 23 Family Medicine Progressive Audiology 24 Olde Time Pharmacy 33 Northside Pediatrics 35 Internal Medicine Associates 53 Northwest Oral Surgery 57 Vein Center of North Georgia 59 Plastic Surgery Center of the South 61 BridgeMill Family Medical 71

Real Estate Keller Williams

Insurance Cherokee Insurance Center

Woodstock Furniture Outlet

Landscaping/Landscape Services

Education/Instruction/Counseling The Carpenter’s Shop Christian Preschool Park View Montessori Primrose Schools The Goddard School

11 17 21 35 47

Interior Decor & Accents/Services

Dentist/Orthodontists Towne Lake Dentistry Scott Merritt, DMD Fountain View Family Dentistry Jerry Smith, P.C. Williams Orthodontics Canton Marketplace Dentistry Cherokee Family Dental Cherokee Children’s Dentistry Canton Pediatric Dentistry James A. Uhlin, DDS

Physicians & Medical Services

Hair Etc. Azure Salon and Spa Afterglow Spa Bon Vivant Salon Jyl Craven Hair Colour Studio

Home Improvement/Repair/Service

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners

Photography PhotoJack.net 59

Health & Beauty

Banking/Financial Services

54 56

Pike Nurseries Landscape Matters Autumn Hill Nursery & Landscaping A1 Landscape Calvary Landscaping

21 43 51 54 63

Optometrist/Eyewear BridgeMill Eyecare Towne Lake Eye Associates Pearle Vision

43 61 Back Cover

Pet/Veterinarian Services & Supplies A Home Away From Home BridgeMill Animal Hospital Riverstone Animal Hospital

AroundAbout — West Canton

35 41 59

Recreation & Fitness Dancentre South HMS Golf, Inc.

15 15

Restaurants/Food Services Little Caesars Pizza

Services/Retailers/Miscellaneous La Chic Boutique InfoShred of Georgia Delphi Global Technology What A Girl Wants Lusk Pools Audio Intersection Ghost Net Inc. Habitat For Humanity Pixie Vacations The Lodge at BridgeMill

5 9 11 30 30 39 41 43 53 55

Businesses listed in bold italic type denote new or returning advertisers to AroundAbout — West Canton.

MARCH 2011

Now g Acceptin

VSP

Insuranc

3/31/11.