THE
LIFE 400 NORTH
FINDING A PLACE TO CALL HOME
North Atlanta groups work together to curb homelessness Inside: Causey’s days with Duke Basketball | Two weeks in Nigeria
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his is it — our one-year anniversary issue. We made it a full circle around the sun, telling you the stories from up and down Ga. 400. First of all, I just want to say thank you on behalf of everyone associated with The Life. Whenever I am out in the community and mention The Life, the feedback has been tremendous, and that’s super encouraging. We have worked to bring you stories that are inspiring and maybe a little off-the-beaten path, and this issue is no different. Homelessness might not be top-of-mind in your day-to-day life, but there has been a big homeless spike in recent years along 400 North. Luckily for the ones affected the most, there are people and organizations working hard to keep the less fortunate off of the streets. Also, with March Madness just around the corner, we talk to Mark Causey, a local orthodontist who once played basketball for Duke under Coach K. Finally, I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Nigeria for two weeks. I took a bunch of photos and gained a lot of perspective that I will try to share inside these pages. So take a second, get comfortable and check out the stories happening all around you. — Micah Green
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Duke Days
Seeing Hope
Former Duke basketball player and Forsyth County resident Mark Causey takes us back to his brief stint under Coach K.
Over 1 million Africans are affected by some form of cleft lip or palate, and in a place like Nigeria, the social stigma alone can be enough to kill you. We spent two weeks in the Kwara State with a group of humanitarians fighting to change that.
Up on Cherry Street
A Continuum of Care
Nick Tanner’s Cherry Street Brewing Co-Op has brought micro brewing to Forsyth County, along with a flavor for every palate.
Meet the people and the organizations that live in this corridor of wealth to help the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population: women and children.
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Things To Do...
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On the cover: Photo illustration by Micah Green.
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Contributors Content Director
Micah Green mgreen@forsythnews.com 770-887-3126
Advertising
Ryan Garmon - Director rgarmon@forsythnews.com 770-205-8960 Cheri Boghos cboghos@forsythnews.com Connor Kelly ckelly@forsythnews.com
Graphic Design Angie Decker
Copy Editor/Paginator Tracie Pike
Contributing Writers Kelly Whitmire Kayla Robins Brian Paglia Michael Foster
Executive Staff
Publisher Vince Johnson vjohnson@forsythnews.com Editor Kevin Atwill katwill@forysthnews.com Circulation Director Lisa Salinas lsalinas@forsythnews.com Online Editor Jim Dean jdean@forsythnews.com
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Duke Days Story by Michael Foster
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F
or those who live off the east banks of Lake Lanier, the name Mark Causey is still whispered every once in a while with a legendary inflection. Once upon a time, Causey was a budding superstar basketball player in Georgia. The lanky, athletic wing led East Hall High School to a Class AA state championship at the turn of the century and was used to receiving hand-fulls of letters from colleges in the mail on a weekly basis. His name was also familiar around the country in the basketball circuits. Mark’s older brother, Michael, was once a top-five prospect with NBA expectations set as publications touted his name. But Mark made a name of his own, and in his senior season was named the Class AA player of the year in the state.
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He was a wanted man — even by Mike Krzyzewski, the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, who were just coming their third national championship in team history. Krzyzewski wanted Causey as a preffered walk-on, which meant that, as long as his family could foot the bill of out-of-state tuition, Causey could play for the heralded program. So in 2001, Causey packed his bags to join the Duke Blue Devils. He’d wear No. 45. The legend would begin.
Fifteen years have passed since Causey became a college basketball player.
Now, he wakes up each morning to put on a tightly-pressed pastel button up, brushes his inexplicably white teeth, and heads to work—at the intersection of state roads 306 and 369 in Cumming, Ga., just off the west banks of Lanier. There, he can make a run to the Publix next to his office to grab lunch without being stopped. He’s tall, but not tall enough for folks to immediately assume he played hoops. He’ll return to his office and scarf down his lunch with numerous degrees behind him. His office doesn’t have a single piece of memorabilia that has anything to do with basketball. Causey is now in his third year of owning Causey Orthodontics. He’s even opened up two more locations in the Ga. 400 area, and hopes to see his business continue to flourish. He’s entered a new challenge in his life, but with profound humility and focus. He’ll actually get on tangents about “perfecting his practice.” But if you ask him about his greatest
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life accomplishment, he’ll pull up a kindergarten yearbook photo he has saved on his computer and point at two faces. One is him. The other is his current wife, Danielle, who clearly had trouble staying still for her photo. “I call her my kindergarten sweetheart,” Causey says. “I’ve been blessed. I’ve pretty much known my wife for my whole life.” Even though so much has changed for Causey, he still likes to recollect about his days at Duke. Hanging on the wall in the reception area of his primary office is his actual No. 45 jersey he wore during his freshman season — his only season as a Blue Devil. For patients, the anxiety of having their teeth linked is remedied with SportsCenter playing on a big TV In the work room, and signed posters of Duke
greats — Mike Dunleavy, Jay Williams and Carlos Boozer, to name a few — hang on the walls.
If you ask him about it, he’ll tell you all about his time at Duke.
Causey remembers being pranked, being in on pranks, and becoming a fan favorite at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He remembers his first time ever stepping onto that hallowed floor. “It was actually an exhibition game, if that counts,” Causey said. “I remember being out there and it being overwhelming. Cameron is so loud, it can almost make you nauseous at times. It took me a few minutes to get the jitters out. It’s a different level of loud. But, I got settled in and threw an alley oop to Casey Sanders and the place erupted. “That was the night they nicknamed me Kami-Causey, so they’d chant that to get Coach K to put me into games. Whenever he did the place would go bonkers.” Causey never became more than that beloved bench player, but the stories are fruitful. He takes away so many moments he shared with Coach K, and praises the lessons learned from the legendary coach. He’ll even use himself as an example, in retrospect. “I remember I got put in a game against Portland, and I wasn’t getting used to getting into games in the first half,” Causey said. “It was on national television, I was a little anxious, and coach kept having to call my name to get my attention. The next day we watched film, and he ran a clip of me checking February • March 2016
into the game with my shirt untucked. It was kind of embarrassing. “But it was all about attention to detail and preparation. We spent as much time in the film room as we did on the court a lot of times. Not only studying our opponents, but studying ourselves. We’d have to constantly reasses how we were doing. I’m constantly trying to evaulate what I do every day as an orthodontist, and how I can do better. When you play for Coach K, attention to detail is everything.” Causey played 12 games for the Blue Devils, logging 47 total minutes and scoring 13 points. Duke, heavily favored all season, ended up losing in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to Indiana. Their nemesis, Maryland, ended up winning the whole thing. After that, Causey made the business decision to return home and play for North Georgia College and State University (now simply known as North Georgia). He would have ankle surgery, but eventually finish his career with the Saints as one of their top players. His younger brother, Matt, also made a surprising move to North Georgia to play with him after logging minutes at Georgetown. Matt would then transfer out of North Georgia to Georgia Tech to finish his career. When Causey returned home to play with his brother, he also reconnected with Danielle, saved some money, had a significant role in the game he loved and was focused on his life after basketball. He regrets nothing. “You tend not to think about it when you’re in the moment and playing. It’s later that you realize basketball might not be something you get to do for the rest of your life, so appreciate it while you can,” Causey said. “What I miss is the camaraderie you get with your teammates, the brotherhood you build. You get accustomed to so much about basketball. It’s your lifestyle. But I try to mentor young people as much as I can, to think about life outside of basketball. It won’t last forever.” When Causey decided to open his orthodontics office, he decided to make a call to Coach K — it was a shot-inthe-dark phone call: he was looking for his old jersey. Soon after, the jersey was delivered to his office. Coach K makes a point to keep a jersey of every single player. Even the preferred walk-ons. Even the goofy ones. “If you’ve heard weird stories about me at Duke, they’re probably true,” Causey laughed. As professional as he is, there’s a history of being the notorious prankster of the Duke team in 2001 — ambitious, for a freshman. Causey’s reputation caught up with him on a bus ride back from Charlotte. He says, through word-of-mouth, that he missed one of Coach K’s all-time best speeches as the team prepared to get off the bus back in Durham, N.C. Causey missed the entire speech because he was stuck in the bus bathroom, on the toilet. “That’s a true story,” Causey said. “I went to the bathroom in our charter bus, and Carlos Boozer was sitting by the door. We were about 45 minutes away and he put his foot out and jammed the door shut, so I sat with the seat down for the rest of the ride. Coach gave this amazing, compelling speech and he had no idea I was missing the whole thing. “When you’re a freshman anywhere, it’s hard, but Boozer and I were good friends.”
February • March 2016
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Rick Tanner and his son Nick, at Nick’s Cherry Street Brewing Co-Op
Up On Cherry Street In recent years, the craft beer industry has exploded in Georgia, attracting a following of connoisseurs that have rejected the larger breweries that have traditionally been the cornerstone of the beer industry. Craft breweries typically offer a wider selection and more flexibility than traditional breweries and have been popping up across the state, even in our own backyard. Nestled in between the storefronts of Forsyth County’s Vickery Village is the Cherry Street Brewing Cooperative, the county’s only brewery. Though it lacks the resources of some of the state’s bigger brewers, the small brewery is looking to make a big impact on craft beer in Georgia. Though now making waves in Georgia, founder Nick Tanner said that Cherry Street’s beginnings can be traced to Fort Collins, Co., where he started brewing beer while attending Colorado State University. “We would go to the local homebrew club meeting with the local homebrew club, and they were, at the time, a bunch of stereotypical homebrewers and were not really accepting of the new generation of young brewers coming into their hobby,” Nick Tanner said.
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Even the name comes from the road in Fort Collins where he and friends would meet to discuss and practice their hobby, and the culture of the town. “We started our own homebrew club that’s geared towards college-aged students, that’s why we call it a cooperative,” Tanner said. “We set it up as a cooperative, because there was a bike co-op, a food co-op and an agriculture co-op in Fort Collins, so we said let there be a beer co-op.” In 2009, Tanner came back to Georgia to help his dad’s with his newest venture, Rick Tanner’s Grille and Bar, which currently sits beside the brewery.
Story by Kelly Whitmire
Rick Tanner said he would help his son open a brewery if he doubled sales, which Nick did a little more than a year later. After months of permitting, Cherry Street opened on Dec. 12, 2012, or 12/12/12. “Originally, the first probably six months or so we brewed all of our beers for in-house consumption,” Nick said. “Then we started producing more beers than were being sold in glasses and pints in-house, so we started distribution.” Nick said that in Georgia, beer producers can either be a brewery — which can’t sell beer directly, but can brew greater quantities — or a brewpub, which must get at least 50 percent of sales. “We chose to go the brewpub route,” he said. “The brewpub allows us to have better interaction and more regular customer base, having that direct contact with our customers is much more satisfying in the long run.” As the number of sales rose, so too did the number of beers. The Cherry Street Taproom opened on the brewery’s second anniversary, and its larger selection of 25 beers and more adult setting give it a more tradition-
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al bar feel than the family-friendly restaurant. “When we first started brewing beer, we had four styles of beer. As time went on, we worked our way from four to six beers,” Nick said. “Then six months after opening we had up to 12 different beers that we were brewing on draft. We maintained that 12 number in the restaurant for two years, then we opened the taproom.” After a few years in business Nick said that the business is starting to show signs of growth. “We started out at beer festivals, primarily to begin with,” he said. “Now three years later, I’ve officially hired a sales rep to go out and to continue our sales growth in the market. Now, after three years, we’ve kind of reached maximum sales internally, and now we have the opportunity to sell a lot more beer externally.” The brewery has a few established mainstays, but also branches out with a variety of new recipes. “In the taproom we have about 12 yearround beers, then we focus on monthly seasonals, charity seasonals, fruit seasonals,” he said. “We also have a great barrel-aged selection. So we focus on whiskey, bourbon,
rye, wine barrels, tequila barrels, rum barrels. At any given time, we will have beers on draft that will be aging in barrels all over the world.” The variety keeps things fresh at Cherry Street and allows for more experimentation that a larger brewery. Johnny Bradley, brewery operations manager, has been brewing beer with Tanner since before the opening of Cherry Street and said that it takes research and team work to develop a new beer. “We’ll decide that we want to do research, plug it into a formula and then we just go ahead and go for it,” Bradley said. “It’s more of a collaborative thing, we like to sit around and talk about what we’d like to do next.” Nick likened the knowledge of ingredients and the process to that of a chef, and said that knowledge can turn those rare missteps into something special. “We tried to brew a beer as one of our big yearly beers, and we had some sort of failure in the process; for whatever reason that particular batch didn’t work out like we wanted it to,” he said. “The brew team ended up coming together, and coming up with a random different idea to save that beer.” Nick said that a 2015 rule change for
breweries means that Cherry Street will soon begin bottling its beer for the first time, rather than relying on restaurant and growler sales. “Our next step, this year, is to start bottling up some of our popular styles of beer to get them into local liquor stores and beer stores, even to get into restaurants that don’t sell draft beer.” After he began working with his father, his sister, Alisa, also joined the family business and is now a manager of Rick Tanner’s Grille and Bar. Rick said it’s interesting to see his children develop in a changing industry. “It’s a fun thing just to see the development of the people,” Rick said. “The industry has changed, with social media, with everything that›s going on with the craft brewing business. Whoever would have thought that the craft beer industry would be what it is today.” Rick, who previously ran a successful chain of restaurants, said that he prefers working with family. “It is the best experience I have ever had in the industry that I’ve been in for over 50 years,” he said. “I don’t have to tell them what to do. I sit back and just offer advice and help them anyway I can; let them spread their wings and fly.”
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February • March 2016
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Nick (and Co)
on their beers’ backgrounds “Dylan’s Dubbel uses authentic Belgian Trappist Yeast. We put current raisins, and Belgian candy sugar into the beer. This beer has a lot of plum, caramel and raisin notes to it. It’s a little bit meltier, sweet beer.” “I named it after my first dog. The dog passed away way too young. The day after he passed away, I went to brew a batch of beer with some friends to get my mind off him dying, and that recipe won the local homebrew competition straight out.” “Two years ago I got a new one, a German short-haired type of dog, and his name is Mash, so the saying for it is, ‘It was so good, I had to have another.’”
“West L.A. Hopaway is a west coaststyle IPA that uses Mosaic hops. Mosaic hops are a newer hop variety that have a lot of tropical fruit flavor, mango, papaya, passion fruit, which is quite different than the other American IPAs that are on the market that are very piney or grapefruity.”
“One of our beers was called the Sawnee Mountain Porter, so we took the Sawnee Mountain Porter and added organic toasted coconut flakes, dates and vanilla bean to it to spruce it up a little bit, and now it’s our top selling beer.”
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December 2015 • January 2016
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SEEING HOPE
Story and photos by Micah Green
Over 1 million Africans are affected by some form of cleft lip or palate, and in a place like Nigeria, the social stigma alone can be enough to kill you. We spent two weeks in the Kwara State with a group of humanitarians fighting to change that. 18
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December 2015 • January 2016
December 2015 • January 2016
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Clockwise from top: Portrait of an Arms Commander with the Civil Defense of Kwara State. Suleman with Ramatalia. Nigerian Police Officer in between Ilorin and Lagos. Aminat Jimoh and her son Faruk.
I
sauntered toward the front of the plane, groggy and with a slight headache. As I turned the corner to exit, past the center galley of the plane, the humidity slapped me in the chest. When I left Atlanta it was cold, something like 50 degrees, and raining. So this was different. To be expected though, right? This was Africa, after all. Nigeria to be exact. Lagos, the 11th largest city in the world, to be even more exact. The jetway, looked like any jetway. A
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hall. Bright red walls and blue tube lighting running the length of where the ceiling and these walls met. Still, it was really humid, and not really getting any better as I continued down the hall. Walking into one of the main courses of Murtala Muhammed International Airport I realized why I hadn’t cooled down. Across the room, there was a large, refrigerator sized object humming away. Even in a room full of people mumbling and shuffling, I could hear it. This was the air conditioner. There was no central air in
this international airport. At least this portion. So this was different, too. After making it through customs, I met up with members of my team, the Alliance for Smiles team, a nonprofit organization that goes on missions throughout the world, with the main objective of operating on cleft lips and palates. This mission was to Ilorin, Nigeria, in the Kwara State. I was along to document. As we waited for others’ flights to land, the spectacle was palpable, and the spectacle was us. A group of mostly caucasian
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Americans, even in an international airport, was obviously quite the sight. Lots of stares and polite head nods, but some people even asked for a photo. You know, to prove they saw a white man. Again, very different. It took a while for the 17-person team to assemble completely, but we eventually corralled everyone. “Herding cats,” would be the saying throughout the next two weeks. We gathered our things, five
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6-foot-tall luggage carts full, and started outside to our vans. It was dark by this point. Guards, armed with AK-47s and other rifles, met us at the door of the airport and escorted us; they were agitated immediately. By the time we made it to the vans they were yelling back and forth at each other, pointing at us and then back to the vans. Technically, English is the national language of Nigeria, due to that whole British colonization thing, but they were speaking
Clockwise from top left: A woman and some children work on laundry in downtown Ilorin. A small boy, held by his mother, awaits screening at Ilorin General Hospital. A young girl poses for a portrait on the side of the road. With the youngest on the front, a family of four drive past on a motorcycle.
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Yoruba, another widely accepted language. Nigerians can be bombastic and demonstrative, even in normal conversation, but this was the first exchange of this nature I had witnessed. So to me, things were tense. We eventually got everything loaded and were on our way to our hotel in Lagos. But we kept stopping. Pulling over for five, 10 minutes at a time to seemingly just let the guards walk the circumference of the cars, rifles at the ready. Our drivers were ‌ impressive. Weaving in and out of lanes, pulling out in front of oncoming traffic, forcing it to stop. The flow of traffic was more like a river, and besides the endless honking and hand motions, none of our new local comrades seemed bothered by it. We dealt with a lot of that the next day during our six hour drive to Ilorin. The roads heading out of Lagos, a sprawling, modern, yet poverty-stricken, city, were bad. For more than half the journey, we were on dirt. Overturned 18-wheelers, mostly tankers, stripped of their wheels and other important pieces, dotted the sides of the roads, abandoned forever. This was also different. The small villages we passed were stunning. Beautiful, brightly colored cloth hung outside brown and grey dirt, tin roofed houses. Men, women and children hung around outside as well, going about their daily activities. Playing with each
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Clockwise from top: Dr. Gagan Sabharwal operates on a patient, whose reflection is in his glasses. A father holds his son following a successful palate surgery. A small child’s vitals are checked after his surgery.
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other, washing clothes, fetching water, some just sitting around watching it all. The poverty was nearly all I could see to begin with, but they were blind to it. This was different. When we arrived in Ilorin, we were told that the local government had changed our accommodations to somewhere they felt we would be more safe. Our driver pulled up to the Kwara Hotel, through the guarded gates, and as we are coming to a stop a large group of locals in traditional dress came flooding out of doors of the hotel and began singing and dancing. There was a television crew and a drum circle. This was all very exciting, but different too. The next two weeks were, for lack of a better cliche, a blur. We went to the hospital every day at 7 a.m. and left at 7 p.m. After it was all said and done, our small team of 17, with only two surgeons (and the help), operated on 72 patients, many of them children. In most cases having a cleft lip or cleft palate alone, isn’t enough to kill you, but in places like Nigeria, being different is. Many of the mothers we talked to had been banished from their villages because of their child’s deformity. Some told by friends and family their child was a curse, a demon. Some even had other children taken from them and murdered. All this because they are different. Cleft lip and palate surgeries are not extensive. In many respects they are simple, quick and effective, if done right. But these people simply don’t have access to them. With each operation over those two weeks a life was literally changed. For the babies who won’t remember us, they will never have to deal with the social stigma that comes along with a lip deformity or a speech problem. For the older ones, they get a fresh start, a new confidence. Despite everything that was different about the culture, the people and the landscape in Nigeria, I knew when I was leaving that it was all the same. We are all the same. In many ways, I am still digesting everything I experienced in Nigeria, and maybe I always will be. But one thing I am sure of: I saw hope, and I am determined to see it again.
Clockwise from top: Micah Green stands with two Nigerian Police officers prior to a six-hour journey back to Lagos. A mother shows her excitedment following surgery. A mother sees her daughter for the first time after her procedure.
BEFORE
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AFTER
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A CONTINUUM OF CARE Meet the people and the organizations along this corridor of wealth that help the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population: women and children. Story by Kayla Robins
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hat pictures come to County Schools. Rates at the county’s mind when you think two long-term hotels run about $250 of the suburbs? Homes a week, leaving little room to save up lined up in a row? toward something more permanent. Families driving to baseball practice Neither Fulton nor Forsyth County or the grocery store? Parents coming allows mobile homes to be built anyNumber of families served by home from work to make dinner? more. The Drake House since 2006 Yes. That exists. More often than Mothers who get into The Drake not, in fact, families in the metro sub- House tend to spend 60 percent of urban sprawl have what they need to their income on housing, Swahn said. get by. More than get by, seemingly, It should be about 30 percent. employment at a day center, where as you get into the Ga. 400 corridor “There’s just such a small amount and head north. of affordable housing that whatever is young children are cared for and families can do laundry and shower. Many may like to think that just available is grabbed up so quickly,” A main difference between the two because places like Forsyth County she said. organizations is that Family Promise and north Fulton are the richest areas accepts families with fathers. in the state that everyone has it just A transition to permanency Family Promise operates in 40 as good as the next neighbor. But The nonprofit houses single mothwhat happens when that neighbor ers and their minor children in one of states and has programs in north Fulton and Hall County, as well as loses their job and gets evicted? Or the apartments for 90-180 days. when the mother of three is abanDuring the day, children go to school two in Gwinnett County. A branch in Forsyth County has the funding they doned by her husband and his — wherever they were originally need to open and the facility for the income? What about the identity zoned — while parents attend life day center but still needs a few more theft victim? Or the family of a child skills classes and young children churches to commit. with an illness that racks up medical attend day care at the headquarters The stigma of homelessness and a bills? — The Drake Center. They can do misconstrued idea of the people who Those families are everywhere. laundry. There’s a library. A playSome trends point to them being ground. A teen room for high school- suffer from it is one of the main barriers, many involved in these groups more prevalent in the suburbs than ers. Tutoring rooms for elementary have said. The idea ever before. and middle school stuthat everyone who is In 2011, there were 780,000 people dents. They meet with homeless did somein the Atlanta suburbs living below a career coach and a thing they shouldn’t the poverty line — a 159 percent social worker to have to get themselves increase from 2000, according to the address any medical, there or that they’re all Brookings Institute. educational and drug addicts or menBut just as there are people who employment needs. Success rate of tally unstable. can’t seem to make it in any city or “There’s a gap that’s The Drake House “It is appalling to see suburb, there are people who are growing between povthe conditions these making it and who want to help. erty and the middle families are living in,” said Jerry “It’s so much about building their class,” Swahn said. “We get 180-200 confidence. They’re so run down,” calls a month. We interview about 15 Dupree, interim chairman of the nonprofit. “These are good families said Kathy Swahn, executive director families a month, and we place 25 that are working hard trying to make of The Drake House. percent of that.” it, and they just need some help in Since 2006, The Drake House has The Drake House is not the only getting there.” served about 360 families – single organization helping homeless famimothers and their children – from lies north of Atlanta along Ga. 400. Family Promise and The Drake north Fulton, Forsyth County, House provide the middle of the road Dunwoody and east Cobb County A community of support in a continuum of homeless services. through its emergency housing and Family Promise is a nationwide Mary Drake, for whom The Drake financial planning program. Its head- faith-based sustainability program House is named after, helped create quarters in Roswell sits across a culthat houses up to 14 individuals at a North Fulton Community Charities, de-sac from 15 one- and two-bedtime in 13 churches on a weekly which is most similar to The Place of room apartments that rented to each rotating basis. The main idea resemForsyth County. family at no cost. bles The Drake House — kids go to The Place provides emergency “They can have been evicted, they school while adults work with people can live in a hotel, or in their car, or from the organization toward gaining assistance, including food distribution and funding to help pay for on some family member or bills, to anyone inneed, not friend’s couch,” Swahn said. necessarily women with chilBeing homeless is a reality dren. for most American families “I see everyone from lowwithin about six months after educated people with troubled their income stops, according People in the Atlanta surburbs living below the pasts who are timid to even to Kim Bolivar, homeless poverty line; 159 percent increase since 2000 education liaison for Forsyth come in to people with a
78%
780,000
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degree but maybe they’re fleeing a husband and left Partner families are required to put 200-300 hours of everything behind, and they don’t have any self-esteem,” construction “sweat equity” into the house and attend said Lynn Sennett, a life and career coach at The Place. educational classes. From buying someone a suit to mentoring them on Since its inception in 1995, the local chapter has interview questions, Sennett’s role — a relatively new one completed more than 270 homes serving an estimated at The Place — aims to build on emergency assistance by 1,000 families in Forsyth, Cherokee, Dawson and promoting self-sustainability. northern Fulton counties. This blending of roles and goals between nonprofits However, some groups are still underserved. Single bodes well for the people they are serving because they fathers with children, seniors and single men and may be less likely to fall between the cracks. women get even less help than families with women In fact, The Drake House’s Swahn said the executive and children. directors for many of these Being in an affluent comnonprofits meet quarterly to munity does have its perks in align their goals and root out this realm — there are people unmet needs. who have the resources to Ideally, people can reach out help. All it takes is for the to North Fulton Community word to spread. Youth in transition or homeless in Charities or The Place on an “We have kids who come to as-needed basis. If they cannot school and say, ‘I didn’t eat Fulton County Schools in 2014-15 get out of the cycle, they can last night.’ So we try to contemporarily save money and nect them with resources, and receive financial guidance while being housed by The I’m so thankful to be living in the county we live in Drake House or Family Promise. because I feel like we have such a huge support sysAn end result may even be their participation in tem,” said Amy Gamez, a social worker for Forsyth Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia. County Schools and a leader in the push for Family The nonprofit Christian housing ministry builds Promise. “Thankfully, we have such a community that’s affordable homes available to families who earn 30-60 giving and caring, and so many agencies that are willing percent of the Atlanta area median income. Families to help these families.” purchase the homes at or near appraised value using a 30-year, no-interest financing provided by the organization. Statistics provided by The Drake House.
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Things to do... Would you like to submit an event to be considered for The Life 400 North Things To Do? Email us at: events@forsythnews.com. Please type “Things To Do...” in the subject line.
March is National Nutrition Month
March
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Cumming First UMC Kids Consignment Sale | 8:30am
Cumming First United Methodist Church in Cumming, Georgia hosts a Kid’s Consignment Sale twice a year in the spring and fall. This women’s ministry raises funds for women’s and children’s outreach programs both locally and globally. 770 Canton Highway | Cumming, GA 30040 Thurs. 8:30am-1 & 5-8pm | Fri. & Sat. 8:30am-1pm
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March “Art” Madness Free Admission | 10am-8pm
Fine Art Show & Sale. Paintings, Photography, Wood, Glass, Pottery, Jewelry & much more! 2202 Canton Highway | Cumming, GA 30040 Thursday 10am-8pm | Friday 10am-6pm
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Home Depot Kids Workshop | 9am-Noon
1000 Market Pl. Blvd | Cumming, GA 30041
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Yard Sale: First Baptist Church | 8am-3pm
Annual Yard Sale for Missions. Homemade breakfast available & Bake sale. Bring your donations beginning Monday, Feb 29th to Rooms 209 & 211. For Assistance with large items of furniture, contact Pat Ford at 404-483-5155. 1597 Sawnee Drive | Cumming, GA 30040
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Home Improvement on a Budget: Chip Wade Free Admission | 7pm
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Taking charge of your health contributes to overall wellbeing; as well as losing weight or staying at your ideal weight, which reduces risks of chronic illness such as heart disease and diabetes.
Cooking & Crafts Ages 6-11 | 4:30pm
This creative program is a fun way to experience history through simple recipes and heritage crafts enjoyed in the past. Each class will include a cooking activity and a craft! Taught by Ms. Alison. Abbotts Hill Elementary | 5575 Abbotts Bridge Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 | 770-667-2860
Cost: $10 | www.autreymill.org/classes
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Intro to Painting Workshop | 10am
Learn the basics of painting with local artists, Jeanne Matey & Mary Negron from Soulful Art Studios. Come create a simple still-life painting that you can take home with you at the end of the workshop. All supplies included. Advance registration is required. Cumming Library | 585 Dahlonega Street Cumming, GA 30040 | 678-513-9393
Cost: FREE | www.forsythpl.org
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ShamRockin’ for a Cure | 7pm
ShamRockin’ for a Cure returns to Alpharetta to rock your night with great food, amazing bands, and of course dancing. Come eat, drink and help cure Cystic Fibrosis with a night filled with music that will rock the Verizon stage while attendees dance the night away. Regular tickets include food, beer, wine, cocktails and giveaways. The exciting live and silent auctions will be packed with something for everyone: trips, dining, adventure, jewelry, gift certificates and a raffle. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre 2200 Encore Parkway | Alpharetta, GA www.shamrockinforacure.com
Hear expert craftsman and television star Chip Wade discuss budget-friendly home improvements. Following his presentation, he’ll offer a meet and greet with fans.
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Chip has been featured on several HGTV shows and is the owner and lead designer of Wade Works LLC, a design, staging, inspection, and custom construction firm. Chip’s career is devoted to using his expertise to help people make educated home improvement decisions.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with The Luck of Avalon. Enjoy Irish music, dancing and green beer at Avalon. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, enjoy an evening of Irish music, dancing and of course green beer. One of the most requested bands of the year, Az Izz, will transform Avalon’s plaza into a dance floor for a special Motown performance.
Forsyth Conference Center 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd. | Cumming, GA 30041 www.forsythpl.org
2200 Avalon Blvd. | Alpharetta, GA 30009 www.experienceavalon.com
Luck of Avalon 4pm-10pm
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Queen of Hearts Spring Fling Garden Party | 10am-6pm
Celebrate the first day of Spring at the Queen! Dealer booths will be decorated with garden accessories and unique furniture and accents for your home and garden. Refreshments served and special demos throughout the event. Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors 670 N. Main St. | Alpharetta, GA 30009 www.queenofheartsantiques-interiors.com
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Midway UMC Consignment Sale
Thursday, March 17, 2016 3:00pm to 8:00pm Friday, March 18, 2016 8:30am to 1:00pm Saturday, March 19, 2016 8:30am to 1pm Most items are 1/2 off on Saturday!!! 5025 Atlanta Highway | Alpharetta, GA 30004 www.midwayumc.org
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Suwanee American Craft Beer Fest
Suwanee Town Center | Suwanee, GA Starts at Noon | www.suwaneebeerfest.com
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The Magic of Stars in Starlab | 1pm-2pm
See nature like you’ve never seen it before inside the CNC’s inflatable planetarium! You’ll have the stunning view of space right before your eyes. In the STARLAB, you and your family will take a journey through the night sky viewing stars and locating constellations. Ages 5 – Adult. Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd www.chattnaturecenter.org
March 26 The Taste of Forsyth event is a chance for local eateries and businesses to connect with the community. There will also be will egg hunts, trucks, inflatables and live music.
FREE Community Easter Egg Hunt with over 25,000 Eggs! Ages 3 & Under - 11:30am Ages 4-7 - 12:30pm Ages 8-10 - 1:30pm
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Spring is in the air and that can only mean one thing in Atlanta: the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is back! The Dogwoods are in full bloom, and hundreds of artists from around the country will set up their tents for the 80th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Friday Noon - 11:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m Piedmont Park | Atlanta, GA www.dogwood.org
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Cooking & Crafts Ages 6-11 | 4:30pm
Home Depot Kids Workshop | 9am-Noon
Community Yard Sale Central Park | 9am-1pm
www.parks.forsythco.com | 678-455-8540
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Spring Break Camp Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center
A week long camp that features indoor and outdoor activities and a different summer camp theme each day! 9770 Autrey Mill Road | Johns Creek, GA 30022 www.autreymill.org/daycamp | 678-455-8540 Cost: $220 | Ages 6-11
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Spring Break Camp Forsyth County Parks & Recreation
Forsyth County Parks and Recreation is offering partial and full-week spring break camps this April. The programs vary in location and theme. www.parks.forsythco.com | Ages 6-15
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Bear on the Square Mountain Music & Folk Art Festival
Dahlonega Downtown Square - The 20th annual Bear on the Square Mountain a highly entertaining and lively weekend of music and art held in and around the town’s Historic Public Square. www.bearonthesquare.org
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Van Morrison 8:00pm
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre 2200 Encore Parkway | Alpharetta, GA www.vzamp.com
This creative program is a fun way to experience history through simple recipes and heritage crafts enjoyed in the past. Each class will include a cooking activity and a craft! Taught by Ms. Alison.
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Abbotts Hill Elementary | 5575 Abbotts Bridge Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 | 770-667-2860
Friday, April 22nd 4:20pm – 11:00pm Gates open at 3:00pm
Cost: $10 | www.autreymill.org/classes
1000 Market Pl. Blvd | Cumming, GA 30041
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Atlanta Dogwood Festival
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Bryan Adams: Get Up 8:00pm
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre 2200 Encore Parkway | Alpharetta, GA www.vzamp.com
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Paint Recycling and Disposal Event
We will accept latex and oil based paints in their original containers at the pricing scale described below. Cash and check only. Latex 5 Gallon Bucket $10.00 2 Gallon Bucket $5.00 1 Gallon Can $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 1 Quart Can or smaller $1.00 Oil 5 Gallon Bucket $15.00 1 Gallon Can $4.00 each or 2 for $6.00 1 Quart Can $2.00 1 Pint Can $1.00 Any type of Spray Can $1.00 City of Cumming Fairgrounds www.keepforsythcountybeautiful.org
Sweetwater Festival
Saturday, April 23rd Noon – 11:00pm Gates open at 11:30am Sunday, April 24th Noon – 10:00pm Gates open at 11:00am Alcohol served after 12:30pm* *Due to State and local regulations Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Ave W Northwest | Atlanta, GA 30313 www.sweetwater420fest.com
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Roswell Beer Festival
Over 250 beers, great bands and much more. Held in historic Town Square, proceeds benefit Star House Foundation a non-profit that works to foster academic success and empowering life-long achievement for at risk youth. www.roswellbeerfestival.com
April is National Autism Awareness Month
Autism is a complex brain disorder that often inhibits a persons ability to communicate, respond to surroundings, and form relationships with others. Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Do You Have a Record? While most people reading this article will confidentially answer “no” to this question, knowing whether you have a record is a bit more involved than you might expect. In Georgia, there are three main sources of records, and depending on the type, you may have more exposure than you imagine. This article will briefly discuss the three main sources of records in Georgia: (1) your official crimi- Evan Watson nal history, (2) your official driving record, and (3) court records and third party sources. Georgia Criminal Record Your official criminal record in Georgia is known as your GCIC (Georgia Crime Information Center) record, and is the authoritative source for background information. A GCIC check will reveal any arrest, the severity of and the exact charge, relevant dates, as well as the final outcome or sentence of the court. A GCIC record is forever, and unless you have a legal basis for having it restricted or expunged, it will remain available indefinitely. While most offenses that go on your GCIC are more serious misdemeanors or felonies, there are some seemingly minor charges that can end up on your GCIC. Always consult with an attorney before entering any plea or even paying a fine. You have far more remedies to protect your record if your case is handled properly from the beginning. Georgia Driving Record The Georgia Department of Driver Services keeps track of the driving history of all Georgia drivers. Your Motor Vehicle Report kept by DDS contains the exact charges you have pleaded guilty or no contest to, as well as the points associated with the offenses. While most moving violations will put 3 points on your MVR, certain offenses like passing a school bus, DUI, and high speeding tickets will put up to 6 points on your record. Unlike your GCIC record (where charges are immediately visible), your driving record is not impacted until your case is closed. So, it’s all the more important to have an attorney secure the best result from the beginning, rather than try to undo an ignorant mistake. Driving records are stored forever, though insurance companies and employers typically pull a shorter (3-7 year) history when making decisions. Court Records and Third Party Sources The third main source of records is court and jail websites, which in turn share information with the world, including the mugshot publication underworld. While Georgia law did not govern these sites and databases for years, there is a relatively new process to request jail and court records be sealed from the public eye under certain circumstances. Even if you closed a case with assurances it was expunged and removed from your record, it’s a good idea to go back and verify the record is not visible on a court or jail database. While local and state agencies in Georgia have been quick to follow the law and restrict and erase records where appropriate, private sites are more of a free-for-all. If you have questions about a situation you are facing, or whether or not your record is truly clean, give our office a call anytime to discuss. We can be reached at (770) 887-3720.
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We’re honored to serve you It’s an honor to be recognized as the nation’s leading hospital for maternity and newborn care. Look a little closer and you’ll discover that Northside performs more surgeries and diagnoses and treats more breast and gynecologic cancer than any other hospital in Georgia. While people choose Northside for our expertise, they also know us for our exceptional compassionate care. Visit us online at www.northside.com
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