November 5, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 44

Bulldog connectionArea student-athletes lead the way for UGA

► PAGE 20

Real Estate ReportSponsored section

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Avalon opensGrand opening draws hundreds

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‘Girls night out’Charity event helps ailing child

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Forsyth inmate walks off during work detail

By KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

CUMMING, Ga. — A Forsyth County Detention Center in-mate who was working at the Cumming Police Department Friday, Oct. 24 went missing around 1:50 p.m., sending local and state law enforce-ment officials on a search for two days until he turned himself in.

Koby Blanchard, 39, of Cumming was doing daily tasks, including taking out the trash, when he walked off his work detail and was allegedly picked up by his mother-in-law in the back parking lot.

His mother-in-law, Marga-ret Cheryl Broome, 57, is now facing charges of aiding es-cape, hindering apprehension and possession of schedule III controlled substances, ac-cording to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Blanchard had origi-nally been charged with theft, burglary, arson, tampering with evidence and filing false statements. He was awaiting his trial and now has an ad-ditional charge of escape.

At no time during the escape or investigation was Blanchard considered a threat, said Robin Regan, Forsyth County Sheriff’s public information officer. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office did, however, notify the public through multiple social media websites, Regan

said. Schools nearby were one concern, but Regan said this wasn’t an issue.

“We notified everybody through our Facebook page and we also had Cumming Police Department send out a press release to notify media outlets,” Regan said. “We contacted the school safety departments so they could coordinate with the school system to make sure the schools were also aware. The schools had closed around the time that we had begun our investigation and search, so there wasn’t any immedi-ate threat to our schools.”

Forsyth County depu-ties conducted the two-day investigation into Blanchard’s whereabouts with assistance from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol.

Just before noon on Sunday, Oct. 26, Blanchard turned himself in to the Forsyth County Detention Center.

This was due to continu-ous pressure and the officers

Escapee returns 48 hours later

BLANCHARD BROOME

See INMATE, Page 4

Forsyth residents at odds over $200M transportation bondBy KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — On Nov. 4, Forsyth County resi-dents had the chance to either approve or deny a proposed $200 million general obligation bond that would be used to finance a variety of transporta-tion projects in the county.

Of the up to $200 mil-

lion, $81 million is proposed for projects in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation to leverage state and federal funding with the remaining $119 million proposed for county projects.

Many residents are con-cerned that if approved, the impact on a tax bill for a home valued at $250,000 will be $121 per year for 20 years.

Carter Patterson is the chairman of Taxpayers United to Reduce Forsyth Traffic, a limited liability company formed to promote the trans-portation bond.

He said he moved to the county in 1997 and noticed that Peachtree Parkway/Ga. 141 needed to be widened even

See BOND, Page 6

CUMMING, Ga. – Lambert High School raised $1,727 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and crowned Katie Chapman as Miss LHS last week in the Miss LHS Pageant sponsored by the school’s DECA club. During the pageant, Lambert junior Megan Rippe shared how she deals with juvenile diabetes on a daily basis.

Lambert DECA provided scholarships

to Chapman, center left, as well Miss LHS runner-up Malvika Chaudhary, second from right, Miss Junior LHS Katherine Clarke, center right, and Miss LHS Princess Riley Patrick, second from left.

Also pictured: People’s Choice winner Sara Cunningham, left, and Miss Conge-niality/Best Essay winner Haley Naylor, right.

Lambert crowns Miss LHS

2 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com PUBLIC SAFETY

Multiple cars broken into during celebrationFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — While a group of women were in a home for a meeting, a thief took the opportunity to break into their cars, according to For-syth County Sheriff’s incident reports.

A woman told deputies her small women’s group met up at her home in the 1000 block of Thunder Cutch Pass from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 23.

After the meeting, one woman said she got into her 2008 Ford Edge and saw the passenger window smashed. She said the thief took her $500 purse and about $500 in cash and other items.

The thief left behind the woman’s smartphone that was out in plain sight.

Another victim told deputies her 2012 Toyota Prius was also entered, though it was left unlocked.

She said the thief took her purse and $400 in gift cards.

Deputies were unable to identify any suspects, because numerous people were in the street setting off fireworks and celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festi-val of light.

Burglar enters house through ‘doggy’ doorCUMMING, Ga. — Someone broke into a vacant home for sale and played a game of pool before leaving, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.

A real estate agent for a home in the 3000 block of Chattahoochee Road told deputies he got a call Oct. 15 from an interested buyer who said the garage door was left open.

The agent said he stopped by the home to check for suspicious activity and saw it had been broken into.

The agent said the suspects had used the pool table in the basement but did not disturb any other part of the home.

Deputies said they saw a few win-dows punched out, but they gained entry by using the doggy door hole on the side of the home.

Deputies also found drug-related evidence left behind by the trespassers.

Rowing machines stolen from gymFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Someone broke into a gym and stole $3,000 in equipment, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.

The owner of PPF Crossfit, 4415

DUI arrests ► Michael Thomas Smith, 25, of

Brandywine Circle, Alpharetta, was arrested Oct. 21 on Atlanta Highway in Cumming for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► Maria Goretti Sexton, 53, of Nature View Place, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 21 on Post Road in

► Cumming for DUI. ► Samir Chetan Gala, 25, of

Douglasville was arrested Oct. 25 on Ga. 400 in Cumming for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► William John Sidders, 66, of Rolling Oaks Court, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 22 on Rolling Oaks Court in Cumming for DUI.

► Erin Nichole Ramsdell, 34, of Hiram was arrested Oct. 18 on Mansell Road in Alpharetta for DUI and improper left turn.

Drug arrests ► Jonathan Charles House, 25,

of Sugar Hill was arrested Oct. 24 on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Cumming for possession of heroin and failure to maintain lane.

POLICE BLOTTERAll crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

DUIS & DRUGSAll crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Nei-ther the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

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Cumming Police offers free firearms safety training Nov. 12CUMMING, Ga. — The Cumming Police Department will offer a free firearms safety seminar from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Castleberry Building, 301 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

Lt. Bryan Zimbardi said this is the third time the police department has offered the seminar, which covers topics such as home defense, Georgia gun laws and how to properly select and handle firearms.

Zimbardi said the seminar is always popular, and both previous sessions quickly filled to maximum capacity.

“This is a really good opportunity to interface with your local law enforcement folks and to learn about basic gun safety, Georgia gun laws and to find resources if firearms or the firearms hobby is something your family has an interest in,” Zimbardi said. “It’s also a great opportunity to introduce a new shooter, such as a teenager or a spouse who is new to the hobby, to the safety and legal aspects of firearms owner-ship.”

Due to space limitations, the maximum capacity of the event is 75 people. Those spots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in attending need to fill out a registration form on the Cumming Police Department’s website, www.cummingpd.net.

—Kathleen Sturgeon

If you goWhat: Cumming Police Department Firearms Safety SeminarWhen: 6:30 – 9 p.m. Nov. 12Where: Castleberry Building, 301 Veterans Memorial Blvd. (next door to the PD)Cost: Free; but space is limited to first 75 registrants More info: www.cummingpd.net

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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 3PUBLIC SAFETY

Front Nine Drive, told deputies she came into work on Oct. 24 and saw three row machines missing.

She said the last employee left the gym at about 7 p.m. the night before.

Deputies said they saw no sign of forced entry, but the owner said the back door can be easily opened even when locked.

Deputies are checking a neighboring business’s video surveillance for suspects.

Scammer can’t dupe Ga. LotteryCUMMING, Ga. — After servic-ing a kiosk, the Georgia Lottery found someone was trying to scam money from the machine, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.

The store manager of Texaco, 1295 Canton Highway, told deputies the Georgia Lot-tery representatives came out to service the machine on Oct. 21.

The representatives said there was a deficit in winnings and payment of over $120. They said someone must be coming in to play the kiosk games and slipping bills into the machine attached to a string for payment. Then, the scammer pulls the bill back out after receiving their pur-chases.

The manager said she checked her video footage and did not see anyone performing the scam. However, the camera only keeps records from two weeks prior.

$6K in windows stolen from siteFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Someone stole $6,000 in windows that were delivered to a home under construction, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.

An employee working on homes in the Bridleton subdi-vision told deputies 35 win-dows were delivered at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 to a site in the 5000 block of Pasture Court.

At 8 a.m. the next morn-ing, the employee said he saw someone had taken all 35

windows. The employee said he has no idea who could have taken them.

Pay for some, steal others?ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Roswell woman was arrested Oct. 21 after allegedly trying to steal $50 in groceries.

The suspect allegedly walked through the Publix supermarket on Haynes Bridge Road, placing items in her bas-ket, but allegedly placed other items in her handbag.

When it came time to check out, she paid for many of the items, nearly $100 worth. However the items in the

handbag were worth a further $50. She then allegedly walked out of the store without pay-ing for the extra items. She was stopped at the door and charged with shoplifting.

Scam technique terrifies victimFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — No scam leaves a victim with a feeling of comfort, but one scam artist used methods that terrified a woman.

According to a Cum-ming Police incident report, a woman in the 300 block of Kelly Mill Road told officers she got a call from a man named “Peter Johnson” at about noon

Oct. 22.The caller said she won

$100,000 and a new black Mercedes from Metro PCS.

The caller said in order for her to collect her reward, she needed to meet him at the Kroger on Bethelview Road.

She said he told her to go to the customer service counter in the store and pick up a green and white phone. She was to immediately hang up the phone to confirm it was her.

The woman said the caller told her to go alone without her cellphone and to drive there in her Lincoln Town Car.

The woman said she was “terrified” and had no idea how “Johnson” knew her name, phone number and car.

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4 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com NEWS

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — For the second year, Forsyth County has the highest high school graduation rate in the state, with nine out of 10 se-niors earning diplomas during the 2013-2014 school year.

According to Forsyth County Schools, 90.3 percent

of the class of 2014 graduated on time, a 0.8 percent increase over the class of 2013’s rate. Every Forsyth County high school had a graduation rate well above the state average of 72.5 percent.

“We are excited to see our overall graduation rate in-

crease to above 90 percent,” said Jeff Bearden, Forsyth County Schools superinten-dent, in a statement. “I am thankful to our teachers, staff members, parents and business partners that have worked with us to ensure that more students are receiving high school diplomas. We are committed to reaching our district goal that all Forsyth County students will leave our schools with a high school diploma.”

Individually, all high schools in Forsyth County had graduate rates higher than the state average. Lambert High School’s graduation rate is the highest among the state’s largest high schools at 97.7 percent. South Forsyth and West Forsyth also broke 90 percent, with graduation rates of 94.0 percent for South and 90.1 percent for West. North Forsyth and Forsyth Central followed with 87.4 and 82.5, respectively.

Among all Forsyth County high schools, North Forsyth had the highest percent in-crease (4.9 percent) in one year.

“We are so pleased with the increase in our gradua-tion rate,” said Beth Hebert, North Forsyth HS principal, in a statement. “This is a result of a united effort between our teachers, counselors, gradua-tion coach, administrators and community to make sure all of our students stay on track and graduate.”

For more information, visit www.forsyth.k12.ga.us.

–Shannon Weaver

investigating people who were suspected of having contact with him, said Regan.

“Over the weekend, we continued to investigate his whereabouts and we were putting a lot of emphasis on

anyone that we believed may have contact with him or knew about his whereabouts,” Regan said. “It seems that due to the pressure, he had nowhere else to turn and at that point he turned himself in.”

Blanchard will face ad-ditional charges and deputies will also be investigating any additional people who helped Blanchard.

Continued from Page 1

Inmate:

Forsyth deputy struck directing school trafficBy KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

CUMMING, Ga. — At 7:30 a.m. Oct. 27, Anthony Hodgkins, a Forsyth County dep-uty, was directing traffic at Coal Mountain Elementary School, 3455 Coal Mountain Drive, when he was hit by a vehicle.

Hodgkins was transported to an area hospital and later released.

“The deputy had surgery and has been released from the hospital,” said Robin Regan, public information officer. “He does have serious injuries, but they are not life-threatening. He’s definitely going to have a long recovery.”

Jeffrey Herb, the 39-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck Hodgkins, was on his way to work when his car collided with Hodgkins in the highway’s travel lane, said Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Tim Meyer, who worked the accident.

“He just didn’t see the officer for what-ever reason,” Meyer said. “Herb was not im-paired, but possibly was distracted. I don’t think he used the caution that he should

have in a school zone, and he could have and should have seen the officer.”

Meyer said that Hodgkins was wear-ing his reflective gear at the time of the accident.

“We have witnesses that said they saw the officer flagging westbound traffic to stop,” Meyer said. “So the officer assumed he had been seen and when he turned his back to let the left turn go, that’s when he was struck.”

No student actually witnessed the ac-cident, even though they were inside cars entering the school, said Doug Rainwater, Forsyth County public information officer.

“It was still dark so you couldn’t see much, even if you were in the area,” Rainwater said. “We also shut down the road.”

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, and the accident is being inves-tigated by the Georgia State Patrol.

As for Regan and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, he said, “We’re very thank-ful for the support, thoughts and prayers from the community.”

Tips for approaching a deputy who is directing traffic• If you see a patrol vehicle in the

road, please remember that a deputy is nearby, possibly in the roadway.

• If you do see a deputy direct-ing traffic, drive at a speed slow enough that you can come to a complete stop if you need to.

• If you are having trouble seeing a deputy due to sunlight glare or darkness, drive slower so you can come to a complete stop if needed when you do see them.

• A deputy will generally point at you or make eye contact with you when he is ready for your line of cars to move.

• If you are confused about whether it is your turn to go, wait for further direction.

GARAGE SALESSee more garage sales in the classifieds • Page 26

ALPHARETTA/JOHNS CREEK: Haynes Manor Subdivision, 3023 Haynes Cove 30022, off Haynes Bridge. Estate sale. Friday 11/7 and Saturday 11/8, 9am-1pm. Upscale furni-ture, and household itemsCUMMING/S. FORSYTH, Creekstone Estates; Highway 141/Peachtree Parkway (Exit 13 off GA 400). at South Clement Road. Friday 11/7, 8am-2pm and Saturday 11/8, 8am-1pm. 25+ homes! Lots of something for everyoneJOHNS CREEK: Exciting Estate Sale! Farmbrook Subdivi-sion, 10005 Farmbrook Lane 30022. Friday 11/7- Sunday 11/9, 9am-5pm. Beautiful furniture, lots of custom pottery, much more. For more info. visit: http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/GA/Alpharetta/30022/752442JOHNS CREEK: Cambridge Holiday Shopping Craft Show, 5650 Millwick Drive 30005. Sunday 11/16, 12pm-6pm. FREE! Jewelry, Home decor , womens’ & childrens’ cloth-ing, soaps, Holiday shopping , food & live music.MILTON: Entire neighborhood yard sale; The Court at Windward Village. Cogburn near Webb Road, across from Hopewell Middle School. Saturday 11/8, 8am till everything is gone!ROSWELL: Multi family. Wildwood Springs Subdivision, 11970 Wildwood Springs Drive 30075. Friday 11/7, Satur-day 11/8, 8am-4pm.

DEADLINETo place garage sale ads: Noon Friday prior week

Call 770-442-3278 or email classifieds@northfulton.com

Forsyth Schools tops Ga. highest graduation rate Lambert’s rate highest among Georgia’s largest schools

We are committed to reaching our district goal that all Forsyth County students will leave our schools with a high school diploma.”JEFF BEARDENForsyth County Schools superintendent

forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 5Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com NEWS

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Public hearing to discuss limiting residential zoning applicationsFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hear-ing to consider an amendment to Chapter 8 of the Unified Development Code on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.

The public hearing will allow for public review and comment concerning a proposed amendment that could impose limitations on the number of monthly residential zoning applica-tions that will be accepted for processing by the Planning and Community Development Depart-ment in Commission Districts 2, 3 and 5, to re-peal conflicting language and for other purposes.

All Forsyth County residents and any other affected and/or interested people are invited

and encouraged to attend. This hearing will be held in the Forsyth

County Administration Building, 110 E. Main St., Suite 220 (commissioners meeting room on second floor).

All Forsyth County residents and any other affected and/or interested people are invited and encouraged to attend.

Roswell officer attacked, slashed by assailantsROSWELL, Ga. – A Roswell Police officer was attacked Oct. 29 after investigating two sus-picious men.

According to police, at 10:40 a.m., Officer John Lathem, a 15-year veteran with RPD, was patrolling the parking lot of Champions Green Apartments, located off of Holcomb Bridge Road. This area was the site of a shoot-ing earlier in the month, and police have stepped up their patrols there.

Lathem noticed two men acting suspiciously near the 600 building of Belmont Drive. He exited his patrol car and at-tempted to speak with the men when a struggle ensued.

Lathem was attacked and cut on his face and forearm with a knife as the men at-tempted to grab his gun. Lathem continued to fight with the men for the weapon and it discharged. Both men then fled on foot.

A perimeter was quickly established around the apart-ment complex. Alpharetta and Johns Creek police depart-ments responded with their K9 units, and officers from Milton and Dunwoody Police also as-sisted in a search of the area.

However, the suspects were not found.

“We have exhausted all leads in the search of the area, but the investigation still continues,” said Roswell Police Spokeswoman Officer Lisa Hol-land.

The only descriptions of the suspects are they are two black men wearing black hooded sweatshirts. One man had a question mark graphic on the front of his sweatshirt. The other male is heavy-set with dreadlocks.

Lathem was taken to hos-pital where he received numer-ous stitches on his face and forearm. He is doing well and will make a full recovery.

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6 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.comNEWS

back then.“We could not get any-

where,” Patterson said. “There are citizens who live with the pain that our residents did off of 141. Many of my neighbors travel on Ga. 400 and they still bear the pain of roads that need improving.”

Patterson said that the projects on the list are good plans that need to be done.

“This bond gives the voters of Forsyth County the oppor-tunity to spend $200 million and accept an additional $93 million for our roads,” Pat-terson said. “It will increase our millage rate to pay for the bond, but if we want our roads fixed, we will have to pay to get them fixed.”

Commissioner Brian Tam is the chair of the county’s trans-portation committee. He said if the bond is passed, it will bring quick relief and an investment in the future.

“The quick relief meaning a widening of Ga. 400 from McFarland Road to Bald Ridge Marina Road that will start next year,” Tam said. “That’ll bring some instant relief to our commuters.”

Forsyth is in a position where it is able to take $81 million of county money to leverage $93 million of state

and federal funding to get some state roads in the county improved, Tam said.

Many people are upset that they will be footing the bill for these improvements, but Pat-terson said that Gov. Nathan Deal told him until the voters are willing to raise taxes and fees, there’s little that the state can do to correct the problem.

“All of the projects are in Forsyth County,” Patterson said. “Should the state be paying more? Absolutely — but waiting for them to do so would be a painful option for too many residents.”

Linda Thompson is a For-syth resident who early voted no, reluctantly.

“I believe the biggest issue people have with the bond is that they were not properly consulted on projects on the list and have been told match-ing funds will come from federal/state dollars if we vote yes, giving the county money to complete projects,” Thompson said. “Of course the funds from outside the county cannot be promised, and so the county will go much further into debt to support what many feel is uncontrolled growth.”

Residents are also opposed to the bill because they claim it is centered on the need to slow

down residential development, Patterson said.

“Widening the roads in our county will help attract qual-ity commercial enterprises,” Patterson said. “Our residents want more upscale shop-ping and quality restaurants. Four-lane roads attract busi-ness — two-lane roads attract residential. This bond will help promote quality commercial and retail and help alleviate the pain of many residents.”

If the bond does not pass, Tam said this opportunity may not come again – and he doesn’t believe there is a Plan B.

“If you look at Georgia De-partment of Transportation’s plan on some of these roads,

Ga. 400 in particular, they don’t have plans to make im-provements for 10 years,” Tam said. “Right now, we have an opportunity to leverage some of their money by investing some of our own, and it’s a minimal investment compared to the return. If we decline to invest in improving that area to pro-mote some quality commercial development, then we will run the risk of it being converted to residential properties and putting more pressure on our schools and our infrastruc-ture.”

Dwight Klovstad is a For-syth resident who was on the fence about voting.

“In the future, I think it would be much more effi-

cient to max out the impact fees charged to developers for infrastructure and then rely on SPLOST and/or bond funds to close the gap in funding is-sues,” Klovstad said.

He said he can see why residents would vote either way.

“If a voter wants to get the needed improvements done as fast as possible, they should vote yes,” Klovstad said. “If a voter wants to send a message to the Board of Commission-ers that they aren’t listening to what the residents want, they should vote no.”

There are many reasons as to why Klovstad, and other residents, are still deciding.

“I’m on the fence because the improvements need to be done, but I don’t feel the Board of Commissioners have made smart decisions in the past regarding infrastructure improvements,” Klovstad said. “The bond is probably the most economical way to fix the immediate issues, but I think they should have put out an overall growth management plan out ahead of the bond vote.”

At the time of publication, election results were not avail-able.

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Bond: Residents divided on how to fund road improvement

I’m on the fence because the improvements need to be done, but I don’t feel the Board of Commissioners have made smart decisions in the past regarding infrastructure improvements.”

DWIGHT KLOVSTAD Forsyth resident

forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 7Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com

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8 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.comSCHOOLS

Lanier Technical College hosts career fair OAKWOOD, Ga. — Lanier Technical College will host Career Fair 2014 on the college’s Oakwood campus at the Building 300 lecture hall on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This event is free and open to Lanier Technical College students and the community.

Nearly 60 employers will be present and accepting applica-tions for immediate openings.

Employers attending include Carter’s Oshkosh, Kubota, Hall County government, Impulse Manufacturing, IMS Gear, Northeast Georgia Healthcare System and Target.

For more information about Lanier Technical College, visit http://www.laniertech.edu or phone 770-531-6300.

—Kathleen Sturgeon

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Local elementary school students recently put their math skills to the test to earn prizes and money for their schools in the Mathnasium of Johns Creek and South Forsyth 2014 TriMathlon contest, earning money for local schools and winning prizes.

In the U.S. and Canada, Mathnasium TriMathlon par-ticipants raised about $40,000 for local schools. Participants earned money for local schools just by participating in Tri-Mathlon.

“[The TriMathlon] was a

big success with students and parents alike this year, dem-onstrating clearly that math can be fun. The fact that the children raised money for local schools just for participating added a level of community service to the contest,” said Chris Lee, Mathnasium of Johns Creek and South For-syth franchisee. “Everyone who participated should be proud of what they’ve accomplished for their schools, their commu-nity and themselves.”

The TriMathlon winners were:

Grade 5: Wilson Fisher,

Medlock Bridge Elemen-tary, first place; Neel Sarkar, Creekview Elementary, first place; Aubrey Lee, Bridgeway Christian Academy, second place; Alexander Lee, Notre Dame Academy, third place.

Grade 4: Mason Yu, New Prospect Elementary, first place; Grace Boerner, New Prospect Elementary, second place; Thomas Xiao, New Prospect Elementary, third place.

Grade 3: Rick Sarkar, Creekview Elementary, first place; Raymond Wang, New Prospect Elementary, second

place; Laine Gregory, New Prospect Elementary, third place.

Grade 2: Anthony He, Dol-vin Elementary, first place; Ad-vait Vedant, ABC Montessori, second place; Nidhi Gadekar, New Prospect Elementary, third place.

Fisher, Sarkar and He finished with perfect scores and will be competing in the national tiebreaker competi-tion.

For more information, visit www.mathnasium.com/john-screek or www.mathnasium.com/southforsyth.

Local students compete in 2014 TriMathlon

2 grade (from left): Catherine Xiao, Advent Vedant, Nidhi Gadekar, Anthony He

3 grade (from left): Parker Ferrer, Rick Sarkar, Laine Gregory, Raymond Wang

4th grade (from left): Grace Boerner, Thomas Xiao, Mason Yu

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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 9Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com COMMUNITY

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10 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.comAVALON

EFFORTLESS, MEANINGFUL, MEMORABLE:

Avalon celebrates opening – with further ado

By HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga – The wait is over. The buzz is over. It is here. Avalon, the “Next Big Thing,” has flung open its doors, and within are the beck-oning calls of its 54 Aladdin-like stores, restaurants, up-scale houses and apartments, entertainment and more. And just in time for Christmas, too.

Another 18 stores will open after the first of the year for a full complement of 72.

The Oct. 30 VIP breakfast kicked off the grand opening of the $300 million Phase I of the 86-acre mixed-use devel-opment from North American Properties at Ga. 400 and Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta.

There were smiles all around as the grand opening went off as scheduled and on a bright sunny morning for good measure.

From the time residents and visitors drive onto the property, they can expect an experience unlike any other shopping and dining foray, said North American Properties Managing Partner Mark Toro.

“Their experience will be effortless, meaningful and memorable,” Toro told the

gathered dignitaries.“When people come here,

they will find that there are stores here, but it is not a shopping mall,” he said. “They will find apartments here, but it is not an apartment complex. They will find homes here, but it not a subdivision.”

Avalon, Toro said, “is an experience.”

When the property was first assembled by its former owners, it was called Prospect Park. In terms of design, Pros-pect Park would have looked much like what had come before it – retail here, Class A office there and some residen-tial attached.

When that project was swallowed up in the Great Recession, the property sat for several years while the banks dithered about what to do with it.

Then, the property came under the scrutiny of North American Properties. NAP had recently acquired the troubled Atlantic Station mixed-use development and was in the midst of turning it around, when the company became aware that Wells Fargo owned Prospect Park and would listen to a serious offer for it.

NAP President and Chief

Executive Officer Tom Williams saw the potential it had as the economy emerged from the doldrums of 2008-11.

“We came here and saw the opportunity the property pre-sented. We saw how strong the demographics were,” Williams said. “We had become involved with Atlantic Station, so we were here; we had learned a lot about the Atlanta market. We saw it was a very unique property. So we decided to take on the challenge.”

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Presi-dent Brandon Beach said when NAP first presented the Avalon plan that it was “iconic, trans-formational and a game-chang-er” for the entire region.

At the grand opening, he said he sees nothing that would make him change that statement.

“I mean how many $600 million projects [with Phase II] are getting built in the United States today?” Beach said. “Not only will this be the first gigabyte community in Geor-gia – streaming data 100 times faster than anything today – it offers company CEOs and regional directors a place to

Much-ballyhooed ‘Next Big Thing’ debuts with live concerts, chef tastings, fashion shows in four-day event blitz

See AVALON, Page 11ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

Children enjoy the festivities at Avalon’s grand opening.

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Avalon opens on time Oct. 30 with the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and NAP Managing Partner Mark Toro wielding the scissors.

forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 11Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com AVALONHotel, conference center OK’d for AvalonBy JONATHAN COPSEY

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Just days before the 86-acre Avalon mixed-use project by North American Properties opened to rave reviews in Alpharetta, the city approved NAP’s Phase II, including an additional 250 apartments.

With a 6-1 vote, Avalon’s second phase was approved by the Alpharetta City Coun-cil Oct. 27, paving the way for a 4-star hotel and confer-ence center, along with the new apartments.

Mark Toro, of North American Properties, Ava-lon’s developer, asked coun-cil to approve 276 addition-al luxury rent apartments as well as increase building heights for a parking deck, Class A office building and hotel.

Phase II for Avalon will also feature a proposed conference center if the city and NAP can agree to terms for a public-private partner-ship.

There are already 250 for-rent apartments in the first phase of Avalon, along with 101 single-family homes. Rather than add more park space, Toro of-fered $1 million to the city to put toward any public spaces within 3 miles of Avalon. That covers much of downtown Alpharetta.

As well as the office space and hotel, the plan will include plenty of apart-ments above retail space.

“There is an overwhelm-ing demand for all three aspects [of Avalon] – con-vention, retail and office,” said Peter Tokar, Alpharet-ta’s economic development director. “There is also an absolute need for Class

A office space. Alpharetta has 10 percent vacancy now, which is the low-est in metro Atlanta.”

The city and Avalon are still discuss-ing details of a public-private partnership on the conven-tion center. As such, Coun-cilmember Jim Gilvin sug-gested it was premature to come to council with plans for one if the deal could never materialize.

His fellow members of council disagreed.

“It’s very different from what we have done in Al-pharetta,” said Councilmem-ber Mike Kennedy. “This is a great project for Alpharet-ta and is exciting.”

Kennedy said Avalon has met the city’s requirements for public spaces, which do not have to be green spaces – plazas, fountains and other gathering spaces count.

Councilmember D.C. Aiken said homeownership across the nation is falling continuously, as baby boom-ers and millennials are shifting priorities away from owning homes.

“I don’t like the idea [of apartments],” he said, “but perhaps we have found a mix where it makes sense.”

Mayor David Belle Isle, in his comment of approval, said Avalon and Alpharetta are in a close partnership.

“Our future is inextrica-bly linked to Avalon,” Belle Isle said. “Whether you like it or not, it just is. We need Avalon to be a home run.”

live and enjoy the lifestyle they want to have.”

Beach has returned from a recent tour of Google head-quarters. He said they inter-viewed all of their employees under 30. The survey showed:

100 percent of them no lon-ger owned a landline phone.

80 percent did not want to own a home.

50 percent didn’t own a car.“They don’t want the has-

sles of insurance and mainte-nance of car. They bike or take local transit. They don’t want to be tied down by a mortgage, and they live, breathe and sleep with their mobile phone in their hand,” Beach said.

Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle said Avalon is a per-fect fit for Alpharetta. With its

600 technology companies en-camped in greater Alpharetta, the new $25 million Gwinnett Technical College campus go-ing up across the street, the lifestyle and the great public and private schools in the city, it is easy to see why Avalon wanted to be here as well, the

mayor said.“This will be a springboard

for future development as well,” Belle Isle said.

He pointed to the Alpharet-ta City Center already under construction downtown with the new City Hall rising as just one example of more things on

the way. There is one technol-ogy company in Alpharetta for every 100 residents, the dens-est ratio in the country.

There are also new resi-dential developments going up downtown and the city has a shortlist of three developers for

the City Center project.On opening day, no one

was happier than Toro, who has nurtured the project from the neighborhood meetings through rezoning and con-struction.

“I’m elated,” Toro said. “Avalon has exceeded all of my expectations. Now, I will start

BELLE ISLE

Continued from Page 10

Avalon:

ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle.

ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

Shoppers take a stroll around Avalon.

ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

A visitor at Avalon’s grand opening stops by concierge for more information.

JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

JONATHAN COPSEY/STAFF

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Shoppers eagerly await stores to open at Avalon.

ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerace CEO Brandon Beach .

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

North American Properties President & CEO Tom Williams.

ABBY BREAUX/STAFF

Mark Toro of North America Properties.

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Chili cook-off showcases local artistsBy KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Originally started as a way to get people interested in the Roswell Arts Center West, the Roswell Chili Cook-Off has been spicing up the community for four years now, and not just with chili.

A.J. Argentina, the facil-ity supervisor for Roswell Arts Center West, said the chili cook-off, which takes place this year on Nov. 8, began with a movement within the ceram-ics community called Empty Bowls.

“Empty Bowls is a simple, grassroots concept of potters making bowls and donating the work to a host group that offers a meal to patrons for a donation,” Argentina said. “The patrons are then allowed to keep the bowl as a memory of their experience, and the dona-tions are used to help feed the hungry.”

Argentina said the cook-off was also built around the idea of getting a group of locals involved in outdoor cooking and family-friendly activities that would create a buzz about the bowls, the clay programs offered on the property and the competitive spirit of the cook-off.

The Empty Bowls concept was a great fit for their cook-off, he said, because Leita Thompson Park houses the Arts Center West, a facility dedicated entirely to the ce-ramic arts and managed by the city of Roswell’s Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department. 

“We love the idea of donat-ing the proceeds to the hungry, but in the past have chosen to donate to North Fulton Charities and to the city of Ro-swell’s Play It Forward program to keep our humble donation more local,” Argentina said.

Making people aware of all

that goes on in Arts Center West is one of the major rea-sons for having the cook-off, said Allison Comer, a student at the arts center.

“People don’t realize what goes on in that white house on the hill, and we want people to know there is a great art center here that is actually part of the Roswell Parks and Recreation Department,” she said.

Comer said that the bowls at the event are made by a variety of people.

“The bowls are made by students, apprentices and teachers at Arts Center West,” Comer said. “We need

many bowls for the cook-off so we welcome anyone in our studio who is willing to make a bowl, or multiple bowls, for this event. Usually the bowls for this event are left unsigned, and it’s fun if you have favorite artists to guess which bowl they might have made.”

After taking a year off, Ar-gentina said they hope to have more of the same competitive community spirit at this year’s event.

“We have an incredible variety of talented people, in many aspects of life and art, who participate in our pro-

grams at Arts Center West,” Argentina said. “We love the opportunity to share those talents with those who know little about what we do here and to have a good time doing so.”

For more information, visit http://roswellgov.com/forms.aspx?fid=59.

If you goWhat: 4th annual Roswell Chili Cook-Off Where: Leita Thompson Memorial Park When: Saturday, Nov. 8 1 – 3 p.m. Cost: $20. This includes: • A beautiful handmade

ceramic bowl of your choice

• All you can eat chili• A ballot to vote for your

favorite chili• $5 worth of tickets that

can be used to pur-chase additional items such as drinks, ice cream, games and clay activities

• Additional $5 tickets are available for ad-ditional “family mem-bers” once the initial $20 donation is made.

The Roswell Arts Center West is housed at 1355 Woodstock Road.

VANESSA SCHEPIS, owner of The Red Hound Gifts JOIN TODAY: 770-993-8806 • WWW.GNFCC.COM

13 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | northfulton.com

It provides local merchants the opportunity to enter into a world-class retail environment and sell products alongside national and international brands.

Sponsored by

By PATRICK FOXpat@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Along the avenues of Avalon, amid the stately, chic retail shops, Vanessa Schepis surveys the passing crowds. The giant fountain in front of her small outdoor kiosk reflects the morning sunlight, forcing her to squint sometimes.

But she never misses a chance to greet a cus-tomer.

Schepis’ store, The Red Hound Gifts, is one of eight kiosks sprinkled strategically on the upscale sidewalks of Avalon.

“We knew Avalon would bring a lot of people to the area, and we just wanted to say we’re a local store that supports the community,” Schepis said. “We’re a ‘mom-and-pop’ operation.”

Schepis’ main store on Jones Bridge Road in Al-pharetta carries an array of home and personal items, from dinnerware to body lotions to clothing. No way could she represent everything from her large store within the confines of the Avalon unit, but she does make use of every inch.

Seven other businesses are doing the same thing.North American Properties, which operates Avalon,

decided to add the kiosks to its upscale development as a gesture to the community that it supports local businesses, spokeswoman Suong Nguyen said.

“It provides local merchants the opportunity to enter into a world-class retail environment and sell products alongside national and international brands,” she said.

Larger tenants appear to have accepted the idea, Nguyen said, because the small shops offer mer-chandise that supplements the retail mix and further enhances guests’ shopping experience.

While large tenants pay from the high $20s-$60 per square foot for their retail space, each kiosk, or “merchandise unit,” rents for between $2,000-$4,000 per month.

Tenants may not duplicate products or services of-fered at other kiosks, and they must adhere to guide-

lines to ensure their display is consistent with the surrounding environment. There are also guidelines in place regarding dress code and employee conduct to maintain a professional environment.

Avalon has a “visual merchandiser” available to guide the process, Nguyen said.

The restrictions are no problem for Holly Jones, studio director for New York-based Exhale Spa, which operates a facil-ity in Midtown Atlanta.

Jones said Avalon man-agement has assisted every step of the way in the set-up leading to the opening.

“I think it’s a great opportu-nity to experi-ence the growth here,” she said. “We’re having a good time.”

Small businesses find home among giant retailers

Vanessa Schepis, owner of The Red Hound Gifts.

Nancy McMinn cuts the ribbon at her new Avalon merchandising unit.

14 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@forsythherald.comBusinessPosts

RBM of Alpharetta 345 McFarland Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30004 678.825.6337

rbmofalpharetta.com

7 Great Reasons to Celebrate:• “Fun Drives” in the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA or C-Class with no sales-pressure—guaranteed! • Registrations to Win Prizes – up to $200 value• A Special Gift from RBM of Alpharetta• An appearance by “The Kimmer”, 106.7’s own Kim Peterson 1pm-3pm • Specialty Coffee Drinks brewed by Mugs on Milton 11am-3pm• Scrumptious Pastries – freshly baked by Mugs on Milton• New dealership features for an even better customer experience

AnniversaryHelp Us Celebrate Our

EventJoin us on Saturday, November 15th from 10am-5pmas we celebrate 7 great years serving our customers and the community.

Mercedes-Benz 2015 C-Class

DICKJONESFounder & PresidentJones Simply Sales

Home prices have slowed the dramatic rise we’ve seen over the past 18 months, but the good news is that they are still going up, just at a more reasonable pace. We have seen a drop in buyer demand this year due to the rise in prices and low inventory, but the good news is that inven-tory is rising as well.

While this is all basically good news, there are still homeowners who purchased at the peak of the market and aren’t quite where they need to be in order to sell comfort-ably. There are zip codes in

Atlanta that are still down 20 percent to 50 percent from the peak. In our area on the north side, the picture is far better, with 10 percent to 15 percent of homes under their peak value. Add to that a new trend in corporate relocation strategies where

companies are opting for shorter-term and more flex-ible assignments, resulting in a homeowner who may be anticipating coming back to their home. These factors are adding up to more and more homeowners becoming accidental landlords. Need-ing to rent their property because they either can’t sell or intend to return is putting them into this situation. But there is still a strong market for renters and a large pool of people who haven’t quite moved their credit back to a purchasing position or don’t

know where they ultimately want to be so they are opting to rent for a year or more.

However, becoming a landlord – especially a long distance landlord – could be risky if you don’t cover all the bases. I recommend using a rental management company that will perform all the necessary financial and background checks. They will help you determine the most you can ask for rent, find the right and reputable tenants, collect rent for you, man-age repairs and, in the worst cases, handle evictions.

Becoming an accidental landlordROBERTSTRADERLocal RealtorKeller Williams Realty

How much time are you spending coaching your sales team? Has your coach-ing been effective in helping them generate more busi-ness? Are you facilitating this process by telling your sales professionals what to do, and also showing and demonstrating how to do it? Coaching your sales team the right way can help them help you by generating more sales. Coaching your sales team starts with motivating them. Let them know that what you are telling, showing and demonstrating will actu-ally help them to increase their sales. In other words, if they listen to you and fol-low your guidance, they will actually close more business.

Once you have them mo-tivated, you have to engage them in a conversation about the current approach they are using to identify oppor-tunities, build relationships and close business. Under-standing their current pro-cess will allow you to make improvement suggestions, or recommend something they aren’t doing that will be helpful. Coaching your sales team to be more effective is important. Equally important is getting them to be more efficient. Join your sales reps during client meetings so you can observe their behav-ior and offer feedback right after the meeting. Help them to develop a business devel-opment plan and teach them how to use the technology you’ve provided them more effectively.Spending time coaching your sales team will help you to do more busi-ness, and your sales team will like that because they will make more money!

Coaching your sales team

... If they listen to you and follow your guidance, they will actually close more business.

forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 15Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@forsythherald.com BusinessPosts

RBM of Alpharetta 345 McFarland Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30004 678.825.6337

rbmofalpharetta.com

7 Great Reasons to Celebrate:• “Fun Drives” in the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA or C-Class with no sales-pressure—guaranteed! • Registrations to Win Prizes – up to $200 value• A Special Gift from RBM of Alpharetta• An appearance by “The Kimmer”, 106.7’s own Kim Peterson 1pm-3pm • Specialty Coffee Drinks brewed by Mugs on Milton 11am-3pm• Scrumptious Pastries – freshly baked by Mugs on Milton• New dealership features for an even better customer experience

AnniversaryHelp Us Celebrate Our

EventJoin us on Saturday, November 15th from 10am-5pmas we celebrate 7 great years serving our customers and the community.

Mercedes-Benz 2015 C-Class

Business: Lift Yoga StudioOpened: August 2014Owners: Kim Saunders,Irina BurlackWhat: “A full-service yoga and barre studio offering a variety of empowering classes.”Where: 501 S. Main St., AlpharettaHours: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a weekCall: 470-268-4362Web: liftyogastudiol.com

Lift Yoga opens in Alpharetta

Business: The Mansions at Sandy SpringsOpened: October 2014Owner: Mansions Senior CommunitiesWhat: Providing quality, independent living for senior citizens.Where: 3175 River Exchange Dr., NorcrossHours: Seven days a weekCall: 678-995-0900Web: www.mansionssenior-living.com

The Mansions opens in Norcross

NetSecure launches check deposit serviceALPHARETTA, Ga. — Mobile technology company NetSe-cure Payments has unveiled a mobile check deposit service for iOS and Android phones and tablets. The company’s system allows merchants to deposit checks by snapping a picture of a check using a mobile phone or tablet, eliminating the need for trips to the bank. The check is processed im-mediately, so a merchant knows whether the check is good before the customer leaves.

 “We want to eliminate the hassle of bounced checks,” said NetSecure President Daniel McCann. The service can deposit checks without requiring access to a bank or other personal information, and, for a nominal fee, merchants can choose to guarantee their check deposits.

16 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@forsythherald.comBusinessBriefs

NEW HIRES »

SouthCrest Bankadds three vice presidentsFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Kenneth H. Maloy, president and chief executive officer of SouthCrest Bank, announced that the bank has added three vice presidents to its staff in Georgia. Deidre (Dee Dee) McIntyre has joined the company as vice president, SBA lending. Claudia Wilson has joined as vice president, SBA lending, and Dottie Williams has joined as vice president, commercial relation-ship manager.

Williams will work out of the bank’s Cumming loan production office, where she will be responsible for delivering banking and credit services to busi-nesses, professionals and individuals.

McIntyre will work with small businesses to tailor solutions to meet business banking needs. She uses the Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 loan programs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s B&I program to equip her toolbox with the credit facilities that help small businesses advance to the next level.

Wilson will be dedicated to serving businesses in the state of Georgia and beyond, concentrating on SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 lending programs for small businesses.

EMPLOYMENT »

Alpharetta lawyer joinsfamily law practiceATLANTA — Ashley Sawyer of Al-pharetta has joined the family law firm of Hedgepeth, Heredia, Crum-rine & Morrison as an associate.

Sawyer, a Marietta native, currently serves on the board of directors for the Family Law sec-tion of the Atlanta Bar Association.in Atlanta. She is a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, the Geor-gia Association of Women Lawyers and the Family Law Council of Younger Lawyers and Women in the Profession sections of the Atlanta Bar Association.

Before joining HHCM, she was an associate at Waggoner Hastings LLC and Levine Smith Snider & Wilson. She received her juris doctorate from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

TECHNOLOGY »

Area schools employcareer-mapping serviceROSWELL, Ga. — Fellowship Christian School in Roswell and Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw are partnering with ed-tech start-up YouScience to help students forge a clearer career path. The company’s College Success Profile uses research from The Ball Foundation, HumRRO and government organizations to create a scien-tific online profile directed to individual students’ strengths and interests. It is designed to help students graduate on time and improve career readiness. Fellowship Christian has distributed the College Success Profile to approximately 75 juniors and seniors and will require it as part of its 2014-2015 junior class curriculum.

“In addition to helping students understand their aptitudes and interests for a potential college major, the profile offers our students a leg up – an advantage – in the competitive application process,

because they better know who they are and can speak about themselves in an intelligent way,” said Fellowship Christian School counselor Beth Bu-chweitz. “We are using it to teach students to see themselves in their best light and to ultimately sell themselves when applying for college or a job.”

CHARITY »

Results Realty raises fundsto benefit Easter SealsCUMMING, Ga. — Century 21 Results Realty Ser-vices raised more than $17,000 to benefit Easter Seals at a recent charity fundraiser at the Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College in Cumming. The Party with a Purpose was a benefit for Easter Seals North Georgia, a local charity that helps disabled children, as well as children with other challenges, and their families. The organi-zation’s primary goal is to help them have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

The themed event was called “Denim and Dia-monds,” and organizers said the fundraiser will become an annual tradition.

Guests of honor included McKenzie Fishback, her parents Clint and Christina and younger sister Meadow. McKenzie was born prematurely at 24 weeks. Speaking to a crowd of more than 150 at-tendees, Christina applauded the assistance that her daughter and family have received from Easter Seals.

Results Realty managing broker Terry Swan-son said the testimonial from the Fishback family strengthened the general impression of the differ-ence Easter Seals makes in the lives of families.

“To be a part of such a wonderful organization is important to us as individuals and as a company as we strive to give back to our community,” he said.

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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 17CALENDARSubmit your event online at forsythherald.com

ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE: THE BLOCK BETWEEN HWY. 9 AND OLD ROSWELL ST. WILL BE CLOSED FROM 5:30 TO 10:00 P.M. ON SATURDAY, NOV. 8 FOR THE RACE TO RALLY HOPE 5K.

EVENTS:2ND ANNUAL TEAM KATE HOLIDAY BAZAARWhat: A fundraiser in support of six year old, Kate Service, who had a life-saving liver transplant.Where: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 13560 Cogburn Rd., AlpharettaWhen: Friday, Nov. 7Hours: 6-10 p.m.Cost: Admission is $10Info: More than 20 vendors will be featured. Admission includes refreshments and a ticket to win door prizes. Online: facebook.com/COTAforKateS

YOGA BLOCK PARTYWhat: Yoga exercises and a canned food drive for the North Fulton Charities Food Bank

Where: Lift Yoga, 501 S Main St. #101, AlpharettaWhen: Thursday, Nov. 6Hours: Begins at 6 p.m.Cost: $10 Info: Bring two or more canned or non-perishable food items in support of the North Fulton Charities Food Bank. Beverages and appetizers will be provided. Must RSVP online prior to the event.Online: ww.liftyogastudio.com/

CREEKSIDE UMC’S KICKIN’ CHICKEN BBQWhat: A barbecue and holiday showcase hosted by the Creekside United Methodist Church Where: Creekside campus, 673 Peachtree Pkwy., CummingWhen: Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. Cost: $8 per ticketInfo: Over 70 vendors will be there. The event raises money for the Women’s Ministry.Online: creekside.net

MUSIC: ATLANTA FLUTE ENSEMBLE FALL CONCERTWhat: A fall concert by the Atlanta Flute Ensemble directed by Kathy FarmerWhere: Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Rd., Johns CreekWhen: Wednesday, Nov. 12Hours: 10:30-11

a.m. Cost: FreeInfo: Reservations are required. Call 770-360-8820 to make reservations. Online: afpls.org

RACES & BENEFITS:RACE TO RALLY HOPEWhat: A 5k race fundraiser in support of Kiddos’ Clubhouse FoundationWhere: Historic Downtown Alpharetta, corner of Academy St. and Roswell St., AlpharettaWhen: Saturday, Nov. 8Hours: 6:30-10 p.m.Cost: Kid’s Fun Run is $10, 5k is $30, and phantom runner is $25Info: Kid’s Fun Run begins at 7 p.m. and the 5k race begins at 7:30 p.m. Event includes a post-race block party with food trucks, a mobile video game truck, inflatables and more. Online: racetorallyhope.com

THEATER:

THE ELEPHANT MANWhat: A theatre play presented by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre about the struggles of a deformed man in London during the later part of the 19th century. Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., RoswellWhen: Wednesday, Nov. 5 through Sunday, Nov. 16

Hours: Showtimes vary. Cost: Varies from $20 to $22 per ticketOnline: get.org

GYPSY THE MUSICALWhat: A musical theatre play presented by The Cumming Playhouse loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist and focuses on her mother Rose.Where: The Cumming PLayhouse, 101 School St., CummingWhen: Thursday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 9Hours: Showtimes varyCost: $27.50 for adult tickets, $25 for seniors, veterans and anyone 18 years old or youngerOnline: playhousecumming.com

100 YEARS OF BROADWAYWhat: Roswell High School Chorus performing music from Broadway. Where: Roswell High School, 11595 King Rd., Roswell When: Thursday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 8 Hours: Show begins at 7 p.m.Cost: Tickets are $8Phone: 770-552-4500

ERICA O’NEALCalendar Editorerica@northfulton.com

Submit your event to northfulton.com or email with photo to calendar@northfulton.com. For a more complete list of local events including support groups, volunteer opportunities and business meetings visit the calendar on northfulton.com. ED

ITOR

’S P

ICKS

Send me your event...

FRIENDS OF THE ROSWELL LIBRARY FALL BOOK SALEBook sale at Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell.Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 2 - 5:30 p.m. Free admission, book costs vary. Visit afpls.org/roswell-branch6 for more info.

DONE TO DEATH Johns Creek High School Theatre Department presents Done to Death at Johns Creek High School, 5575 State Bridge Rd., Johns Creek. Thursday, Nov. 6 through Saturday, Nov. 8. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Visit johnscreektheatre.com for more info.

CHILI COOK OFF4th annual Chili Cook-off hosted by the Art Center West at the Roswell Art Center West, 1355 Woodstock Rd., Roswell. Saturday, Nov. 8 from 1-3 p.m.$20 gets you a ceramic bowl, all the chili you can eat, and $5 worth of tickets for drinks, hot dogs, hay rides, inflatables and more. Visit roswellgov.com/chili for more info.

FALL STUDENT SHOW & HOLIDAY SALE OPENING RECEPTIONJohns Creek Arts Center students showcase their artwork at the Johns Creek Arts Center, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Rd. #700, Johns Creek. Saturday, Nov. 8 from 6-8 p.m. Free. This is the opening reception for the Holiday Sale and Show which will run from Nov. 10 to Dec. 15. Visit johnscreekarts.org for more info.

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Get a return on your kitchen remodel investmentRemodeling projects always

bring up a certain question: is this going to increase the value of the home? No one wants to jeopardize the value of their home, especially when the potential for resale is in the air. On a list of remodeling projects that bring a high return on in-vestment (ROI), kitchens come in near the top.

So, with that being said… why are kitchen remodels so dang popular? Well, we believe it’s because it’s the center of attention and life happens there.

Newer model homes incorporate the kitchen and living space with one as an extension of the other. This can usually be referred to as an “open floorplan.” Kitchen nooks with tables and over-hang counters with enough space to eat a meal are popular as new kitchen formats bring the cook back into the party. Instead of being relegated to another part of the house and separated by a wall, the

cook gets the chance to interact with people while preparing meals. Having enough space so that the party never has to leave the kitchen

is what people are interested in when looking at new home designs, and many people are capitalizing on that trend by creating a similar space in their existing homes.

Given the size and scope of pretty much any kitchen, re-modeling can be a costly affair. Countertops, appliances, floor-ing—all of these things add up. Especially when considering any additions that might be included, such as an island. While the cost to renovate the kitchen is higher than some other rooms in the house, the potential to recover it as part of the sale is high, too. The national average cost for

a kitchen remodel is around $65,000, but that’s also not taking into consideration the variation of costs of living from region to region. Luckily, the average cost for a kitchen remodel in Georgia is just shy of $25,000.

Ok, so now you’re ready to remodel your kitchen… a popular question among many is, “what aspects should I consider?”

Well, that’s an easy ques-tion. Keep it simple! Think about what people want (for resale purposes). There’s no

point in spending money to re-model something that potential buyers don’t care about. Real estate agents say that kitch-ens are one of the first rooms people look at, and when they do, they want to see if the countertops and appliances are updated.

A more modern look shows well with potential buyers, so upgrading for both functionality and aesthetics is a viable consideration. Yes, you have to live in the house now and, of course, want to enjoy your new kitchen, but instead

of personalizing every detail, perhaps consider choosing more neutral items such as the countertop, cabinets, and appliances that everyone would love.

You can still bring your per-sonality into your kitchen with the color of paint you use on the walls and accessories such as chair covers, hand towels, mats, placemats, and more!

That turquoise stove and lime green backsplash may be the best thing since sliced bread to you, but the older couple who is looking to buy your home may not be so thrilled about the vibrant mod-ern feel of the most popular room in the house.

Another aspect to consider when remodeling your home is to be careful not to spend so much on your kitchen remodel that the price of the house skyrockets. Potential buyers will love the kitchen, but may not make an offer if the house

PANTER

See REMODEL, Page 19

You can still bring your personality into your kitchen with the color of paint you use on the walls and accessories such as chair covers, hand towels, mats, placemats, and more!

Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section November 5, 2014 19

Selling your home quicklyBy BILL RAWLINGSVice President/Managing Broker Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

When it comes to selling your home quickly and for its highest value, it is not just about “location, location, loca-tion” ... it is also about curb appeal. Once you get a poten-tial buyer through the front door, the mission then turns to keeping their attention.

You want to be cautious about the amount of money you put into getting your home ready to sell because not every project ensures you will see a return on your investment. Now is not the time to start on projects that you have always wanted to tackle. You are look-ing to sell, so instead, think about what will be universally appealing to today’s buyer. Take some time to attend an open house in your neighbor-

hood and look at homes similar to yours. Clean. De-clutter. These cost little money and go a long way to create a positive first impression.

Paint everything with neutral tones, including the walls, ceil-ings, front door and mailbox. New paint will immediately freshen things up any place where your home looks tired. Do some landscaping. Update you fixtures. Gold and brass are out now. It is amazing how the smallest of details can in-stantly modernize your home. Help buyers see the potential of each room.

If you have an odd space, staging it will help a buyer visualize its best use. Remove your curtains and window

treatments, unless they are modern or high-end. The more light you can let into the room, the better. Lastly, de-person-alize. It is not easy, especially if you have lived there a long time and you are more at-tached than you would like

for this process. A buyer can image themselves in the home once you remove family photos, and your magnets from the refrigerator.

If you follow these sugges-tions, you will potentially boost your home’s selling price and

decrease the amount of time it stays on the market.

As always, my team and I are always available to assist you in any way we can. We are dedicated to providing you with an exceptional real estate experience.

RAWLINGS

is priced way over the others in the area... especially if the rest of the house doesn’t match the new and improved kitchen. Make sure you keep renova-tion costs moderate so that the house can remain at a com-petitive price.

Sometimes, less is more, and not everything in the space needs to be replaced. Some things qualify: if the kitchen has older applianc-es, replacing them is a smart decision.

Likewise, if the countertops show wear and should be replaced, do so. But if the kitchen is in good working order, nothing else really needs to be done aside from changing the lighting or paint for a new look. A little bit goes a long way.

For some people, a budget

of $25,000 is just out of the question for a kitchen renova-tion.

If that’s the case for you, there are several things you can do yourself that will give your kitchen a fresh design and a more updated feel. For instance: replace the knobs on the cabinets, paint the cabinets, add a backsplash, change the wall paint, install lights under the cabinets, or even add an island can make a huge difference in the feel of the room.

If your budget can stand a little more renovation, some other minor kitchen remodel-ing items you could consider are: refacing cabinets and hardware, replacing older lami-nate countertops with newer laminate styles and adding energy-efficient technology. These renovations will cost about $15,000 to $20,000. It may seem like a lot, but the ROI hovers at around 70%. 

These numbers make kitch-

ens the best room to remodel in the entire house from a ROI perspective.

People like the look of new things, and while potential buyers don’t necessarily want flashy… sleek and streamlined is always a good aesthetic to aim for.

Model homes are full of fancy kitchens, so a resale kitchen has to be appealing, or else the home might be passed over. Upgrading the kitchen is a great way to give the whole home a lift.

For more information about remodeling returns on invest-ments for resale, contact Harry Norman, REALTORS Forsyth/Lake Lanier Office and speak to one of our highly trained real estate professionals… or feel free to stop by! We can be reached via phone at (770) 497-2000 or you can visit our website at www.harrynorman-lakelanier.com for even more DIY and home improvement tips and tricks!

Continued from Page 18

Remodel:

20 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.comSPORTS

Area athlete’s UGA Bulldog connection

By HATCHER HURDhatcher@northfulton.com

NORTH FULTON, Ga. – As usual, the University of Geor-gia Bulldogs began the season with designs on champion-ships – the much ballyhooed Southeastern Conference and the ever elusive National Championship.

Two senior leaders on that Bulldog team not named Gurley who are playing major roles in that quest have deep North Fulton connections. Michael Bennett (Alpharetta High School) and David An-drews (Wesleyan School) are four-year lettermen who still have their eyes on the National Championship despite their current No. 8 ranking in the polls.

They point out their future is still in their hands. Four of the teams ranked ahead of the Dawgs are in the SEC. If the Bulldogs keep winning, they will come out of the SEC championship with one of the four coveted bids for this new NCAA playoff system.

Meanwhile, Andrews and Bennett still have their eyes on

the prize, and are working to stay focused on those Univer-sity of Florida Gators in their annual set-to in Jacksonville. The two players took time out from their books and practice to talk about their careers and plans for after college.

David Andrews – Dream season at dream school

Among the prep school rat-ing services, center David An-drews was highly touted com-ing out of Wesleyan School in 2010. He was the No. 6 or the No. 9 player in the country at his position, depending which recruiting service you looked at. And he was the 2010 Gwin-nett County Offensive Lineman of the Year.

After a redshirt year, he has played a key part in the

Bulldog offense, anchoring as the starter the last two years. As he looks back in his final season, he says it has been a good decision to come to UGA.

“Georgia was my dream school. It’s where I always wanted to go. It felt like home to me,” Andrews said. “There was no thinking when it came to me to decide. Georgia was the place for me.”

Looking back at playing in the SEC in nationally impor-

tant games with the likes of Aaron Murray (last year) and Todd Gurley, Andrews says he’s “been blessed.”

“I’ve got to experience a lot, and done a lot in my career,” he said. “I’ve played a lot on some highly touted teams with a lot of talent. These are good teammates I’ve shared a lot with and will never forget.”

Teams lose players to inju-ries and sometimes when they neglect their grades, but the

Bulldogs were blindsided when Gurley was suspended. Many sports pundits wondered if the team would fold without their star halfback.

Of course in the two games that followed, the team showed they were not just the Todd Gurley show and won twice on the road against SEC op-ponents – never an easy task. Andrews said he was not sur-

Seniors Bennett, Andrews leadteam with championship goals

BENNETTANDREWS

UGA SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

David Andrews surveys the defense against Troy State before calling the blocking signals.

UGA SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

Michael Bennett has been a go-to-guy for Georgia QBs, with steady hands and a knack for getting open.

See UGA, Page 25

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Annual ride for Will Davison returns

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – The eighth annual Ride for Will is set to take place on Nov. 8. Registration will start at 9 a.m. at Lambert High School, 805 Nichols Road in Suwanee. Kick stands will go up at 11 a.m. and the police-escorted ride to Paul’s Margarita Deck in Helen for lunch will begin.

William Clay Davison passed away on the afternoon of July 25, 2007, only a few months old, due to Sud-den Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The ride is organized in Will’s honor and to keep his memory alive.

It costs $25 per motor-cycle, $35 per antique car and $10 per passenger to participate.

Free T-shirts or patches will be given to the first 125 entries.

All proceeds will go the “Will Davison Memorial Scholarship Fund,” which aims to give young students the opportunity to further their education.

To register online, visit willdavisonmemorial.com.

For more information, contact Cathy Bentley at 770-889-7829 or cathybentley@bellsouth.net.

–Vallari Bhave

Honoring Will, raising funds for memorial scholarship fund Nov. 8

To register online, visit willdavisonmemorial.com

Cat of the week: Storm

Dog of the week: SnowballCUMMING, Ga. — Snowball has a personality that shines, and she is absolutely amazing with children. She melts when she sees them. She is hoping to find her deserving family today. Af-fectionate, yet playful, she would be a great therapy dog or family pet. Snowball will melt your heart and warm your home.

Snowball is a female Ameri-can Staffordshire Terrier/Lab mix with an estimated date of birth of May 3, 2011.

She had a rough start to life. She was found wandering around a store parking lot and was heartworm positive. She has since been treated and is negative for heartworms. She was also at a vet clinic for over a week after she ate a towel. She is now healthy and ready for her forever home.

CUMMING, Ga. — Do you have extra time and love to give to helping a sweet kitty have the home she so deserves? If you do, please meet Storm! She is very shy around people, but she is slowly beginning to come out of her shell in the cat room. We think in a loving home, with a kind, patient and loving person, she will bloom. Though Storm is shy, she is never aggressive. But she would do best in a quiet home as an only pet or with another kitty that’s non-aggressive. You can meet Storm in the cat room at the Humane Society of Forsyth County, 4440 Keith Bridge Road. New hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

22 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.comCOMMUNITY

By KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The

Forsyth County Technology Fair has been getting students excited about learning since its founding in 2001.

Karen Daughtery, the fair director, said every year, the numbers for the fair grow.

“The technology fair is

an event that allows third- through 12th-grade students to show off their technology skills,” Daughtery said.

The fair is held at Whit-low Elementary School, 3655 Castleberry Road, every year during the last weekend in January, Daughtery said. Students will be divided by grade-level divisions, which are grouped as grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.

“Winners from each cat-egory go on to the state fair held in Macon in March 2015,” Daughtery said. “Students can work alone or with a partner and each category is divided into age groups. Then stu-dents show off their skills in front of judges.”

All Forsyth County stu-dents can participate and help is always accepted, Daughtery said.

“Home schooled, private

schooled and public school children can participate,” Daughtery said. “A lot of times, teachers at schools help with the projects or parents get involved.”

Even with some adult help, Daughtery said the competi-tion is tough.

There will be a change to this year’s competition, however.

“This year, we are adding a new category,” Daughtery said. “We have added digital audio production and are excited to see what this year holds.”

Registration online opened Nov. 1 and will run until Jan. 8, 2015.

There’s a $10 registration fee for each child, but schools, businesses and others can sponsor an entire school for a flat fee of $200.

For more information, visit http://techfair.forsyth.k12.ga.us/.

By SHANNON WEAVERshannon@appenmediagroup.com

CUMMING, Ga. – Kate Service, 6, is a soft-spoken first-grader at Kelly Mill Elementary School. You wouldn’t know it to look at her, but she battled with liver failure almost a year ago.

Last November, family and friends launched a holiday ba-zaar to keep up with the costs of a liver transplant that saved her life. On Nov. 7, the second annual Team Kate Holiday Ba-zaar will be held at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 13560 Cog-burn Road in Alpharetta from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“We hold a kickoff to the holiday season,” said Kate’s mother, Lisa Service. “At the same time, we get to raise money for Kate.”

With admission at $10, the event will have raffles and other prizes, and all of the pro-ceeds go toward Kate’s medical expenses. “It’s a ‘girls’ night out,’ so we’re making it a night out party with hors d’oeuvres and mocktails,” said Michelle Hall, a family friend and volunteer at Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) for Kate S., Kate’s fundraising organiza-

tion.Last month, Kate cel-

ebrated a second birthday, the anniversary of her liver trans-plant, with her class at Kelly Mill Elementary and with her family in Cumming.

“If you didn’t know Kate got sick, you wouldn’t know anything about it,” said Owen, 9, her brother.

In the beginning of 2013, her parents noticed unusual symptoms in Kate and took her to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston.

“A couple of times she got sick with normal viruses, and her liver just shut down,” Lisa said. “The doctors told us that for whatever reason, her liver was working as hard as it could regularly, and when she got sick there was nothing left for it to give. He said, ‘You’re dodging bullets at this point.’”

It was recommended that she get a new liver.

“Most people aren’t aware,” said William Service, Kate’s father. “They don’t associate

transplants with children. It’s something that happens to older people, not to kids.”

Kate’s parents waited for a donor. It was four months and a few more hospital visits later before they received one. She was in the hospital preparing to be discharged when they got the news she would receive a new liver.

She had her transplant about 24 hours later.

“It felt like it was a long time between getting the call and actually getting the sur-gery,” William said.

The immediate need for a new liver is over, but Kate will have extensive medical bills for the rest of her life.

“We still get bloodwork at the hospital,” Kate said.

Anticipating more blood tests, anti-rejection medicine, steroids and other expenses, the family has created a fund for Kate to use throughout her life with COTA.

The family set an ambi-tious goal in the first year of $50,000, which they exceeded, and reached $54,761 (as of Oct. 30). They haven’t stopped since the liver transplant, and donations continue to arrive.

“We don’t want her to have to struggle if she doesn’t have to just to pay her medical bills,” Lisa said.

Lisa and Kate’s grand-mother have an ongoing craft project, which will be featured at the bazaar.

William said that their ef-forts have brought out support from family and friends, and even strangers. One woman saw their Team Kate sticker on the car in a parking lot and reached out to them.

“She looked at [Kate], and – this was someone we didn’t know – and she said, ‘Is that Kate that I follow on Face-book?’ And she sat and talked to us for a couple of minutes,” he said. “We must be having some kind of an impact if other people know about her.”

“It restores your faith in humanity,” Lisa said. “There

really are good people in the world.”

In the meantime, the family is still adjusting to what Lisa called “a new normal.”

“It’s still a big change in our lives,” Lisa said. “You put on a good front and a strong front, but it’s still there. The scari-ness is still there.”

“We feel very blessed to have come through it,” William said.

For more information, visit www.cotaforkates.com.

To follow Kate’s story on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/COTAforKateS.

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‘Girls night out’ for a causeEvent helps ailing child

If you goWhat: Team Kate Holiday BazaarWhere: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 13560 Cogburn Road in AlpharettaWhen: Nov. 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.Cost: $10 admission

Kate Service with her family.

Forsyth Tech Fair adds digital audio production category

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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 23Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com COMMUNITY

CUMMING, Ga. – For those who have been around long enough to remember the down-town Atlanta Rich’s depart-ment store, the holiday season has always held a special kind of magic. Now, historian and author Jeff Clemmons will bring some of that magic back to life on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road in Cumming.

Clemmons is the author of “Rich’s: A Southern Institu-tion” and played an integral role in creating the Atlanta Preservation Center’s walking tours of the Midtown and SoNo districts.

His book begins with the story of Morris Rich, a Hun-garian Jewish immigrant that opened a small dry goods store in downtown Atlanta less than three years after the Civil War left the city in ruins. Then, Clemmons follows the growth and traditions of the Rich’s retailing dynasty over the next century, detailing the secrets and history behind some of Atlanta’s best-loved tradi-tions, from riding the Pink Pig

and the lighting of The Great Tree to why native Atlanta residents get misty-eyed when someone mentions coconut cake. Clemmons also discusses how events at the downtown Atlanta store helped John F. Kennedy become the country’s 35th president, as well as what Penelope Penn is and what it had to do with books and libraries.

Patrons are also encour-aged to bring their own Rich’s-related questions for the author.

Copies of Clemmons’ book will be available for sale, and the program will conclude with a book-signing. Participa-tion is free, but registration is requested.

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Local author explains history of Rich’s holiday traditions

By JONATHAN COPSEYjonathan@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – With the holiday season fast approach-ing, Vesta Smith is filled to the brim with a generous spirit. In fact, she has so much spirit, she wants to share it with the entire community.

Smith heads the American Heritage Society of Georgia, a group that dedicates itself to preserving the spirit of the country’s founding fathers while educating the communi-ties of North Fulton, Forsyth and beyond about the nation’s melting pot of Christmas tradi-tions that built the country.

For the Christmas season, Smith and her group are host-ing a Christmas Traditions Bazaar and Fair and a singing Christmas tree Nov. 15 and 16 at the historic Old Milton High School in downtown Alpharetta.

“This all evolved from the mission of the American Heri-tage Society of Georgia,” Smith said.

She said the bazaar and singing tree are an opportu-nity to bring the community

together to enjoy each other’s company and make new memories.

“We anticipate it being an annual event where families and the community can come together and get more people involved,” she said.

The vendors in the bazaar will be arranged in “villages.” Santa’s Village will have arti-sans and craftsmen; Frosty’s Snow Village will feature non-profits; Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, Bakery and Candy Shoppe; and North Pole Village with commercial retail vendors.

So far, Smith said there are more than 45 vendors offering hundreds of unique items for sale.

Along with the sales, live Christmas music provided by local dulcimer bands the Hill-top Stummers of Canton and an Alpharetta group will fill the air, adding to the Christ-mas spirit. Christmas movie matinees are both days, as well as a visit from the char-acters from the movie “Frozen” and Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Toy Shoppe

A Christmas petting farm from Little Red Barn will pro-vide animals for children’s en-tertainment, as well as for the live animal Nativity. Pony rides and a Polar Express track-less train will run through

the event. Children’s art s and crafts will be provided by Scoop-Itz.

Bring an appetite for Ger-man food, funnel cake, chick-en, fish, candy and cakes, coasted corn and potatoes. Hot chocolate, apple cider and cof-fee are also available.

For the singing Christmas tree, Smith said families can bring lawn chairs, blankets and flashlights to sit in the school stadium to hear cho-ruses perform yuletide hymns and carols under the stars. Families can also take part.

“It’s going to be a sing-along,” Smith said.

This Annual Celebration is one of America’s Melting Pot of “Christmas Traditions” that contributed in building com-munities and strengthening American families.

The Christmas story will be told between songs.

“This will be Christmas under the stars,” Smith said. “I hope this will be an inspiration to other people.

“This is an opportunity to get away from the cares of the world for a few hours,” she said. “We want to make it a lot of fun for everyone.”

Harvesting Hope Ministries, Inc. will join the American Her-itage Society of Georgia, Inc. this year with such sponsors

as the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Appen Media Group and St. Nicho-las Anglican Church for this foot-stomping, crowd-pleasing, historical educational celebra-tion reminiscent of the way life used to be when communities came together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company sharing & exchanging wisdom, ideas and knowledge.

In lieu of a $5 donation at the door, families and com-munities are asked to con-sider as an option to bring a new unwrapped toy, game, book, truck, doll or puzzle for “Christmas Care Packets of Hope,” for children and fami-lies of the Atlanta Ronald Mc-Donald House who are not able to be home with their families at Christmas this year.

Additionally, canned goods and gently used coats, scarves, sweaters, gloves or hats may also be brought for the North Fulton Community Charities.

The American Heritage Society of Georgia’s mission and motto is “United we stand to repair, rebuild, restore and preserve the foundation of America as one for all, all for one nation under god . . . living the golden rule of our ameri-can ancestors’ faith, life & family values, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Both the Heritage Christ-mas Bazaar and the Live Christmas Tree will be at the historic Old Milton High School, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta 30009, just off Hospitality Highway Ga. 400 where there is a “Smile in Ev-ery Mile.”

For more information, visit www.americanheritagesoci-etyofgeorgia.com or call 770-653-6821.

Christmas heritage on displayCommunity event honors holidays

If you goWhat: Christmas Tradi-tions Bazaar and Fair

When: Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Milton Center, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta

Cost: Adults – $5; seniors and children – $3greek

If you goWhat: Christmas Tradi-tions Bazaar and Fair

When: Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Milton Center, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta

24 | November 5, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com | Recycled paper

Going Green Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014

Making a difference in your local community

Where’s the Beef?When you pick up that

plastic-wrapped container of beef, do you really know what’s in there?

I’ve written in previous articles about knowing your farmer, and that would apply to your meat as well as your produce. Did you know you can easily get top quality, 100 percent grass-fed beef while at the same time supporting local farmers and the ethical treat-ment of animals?

But first, let’s talk about why you would want to. One hundred percent grass-raised beef – or it may also be called grass-finished – is different than what you would nor-mally find in the store. What it means is the cow is allowed to roam in the pasture eat-ing grasses its entire life. It is never sent to a feed lot where it is fattened up quickly with grains and soy. This becomes an issue because cows are grazing animals by nature and cannot easily digest grains, so they tend to develop ill-nesses and issues. This in turn requires the use of antibiotics; this widespread use of antibi-otics is creating super bacte-ria that may one day become untreatable – both in humans and animals.

There are also the sanita-tion issues of thousands of cows squeezed together for an extended length of time and environmental issues with so much manure being in one place. I’ll spare you all the gory details, but if you’d like to know more about how these feed lots work, I would recom-mend watching the documen-tary “Frankensteer.”

Here in North Georgia, we are fortunate to have smaller,

independently owned farms that can provide us with top quality meats at a competi-tive price. So when you hear, “Where’s the beef,” the answer is right here, at home, in our own wonderful state of Geor-gia.

Go to www.eatwild.com to find farms near you that sell pastured quality meats.

Q&A with Laura McCook from Indian Creek Angus

Why is 100 percent grass-fed better then conventionally raised beef?

McCook: In the U.S., the majority of conventionally raised cattle live the last sever-al months of their lives on feed lots and are exclusively fed grain to fatten them up faster; that is when their nutritional value plummets. Cattle are not designed to eat grain, therefore they get sick and are given antibiotics to stay alive.

It completely changes the nutritional makeup of the beef, and this is why red meat has been considered unhealthy. Cattle raised on grass alone produce beef that is higher in vitamins, minerals and ome-gas. It is also four to six times lower in fat, and the fat that you are getting is good, healthy

fat. Our cattle at Indian Creek are never given antibiotics, hormones or steroids like feed lot cattle.

What type of cattle do you raise?

McCook: We started with a herd of Black Angus, but over the last several years, we have shifted to Murray Grey. They are an Australian breed that gains weight well on grass alone. That is because they are a heritage breed that hasn’t changed over the years like other breeds that are used for feed lot beef. They are still bred to live like the healthy cattle did 100 years ago.

How are the cattle raised?

McCook: Our cattle are raised on our farm. They are born here, and we treat them humanely their whole lives. We are very hands-on with our cattle and are out in the pastures checking them daily. They are moved from pasture to pasture daily so that they

eat fresh grass and minerals and water all the time. They eat grass that has never been treated with fertilizers or pesti-cides of any kind.

Does 100 percent grass-fed beef taste different?

McCook: Yes, it has a flavor to it unlike grocery store beef, which is very bland. It is very robust and once you taste the difference, I believe you will never be able to eat conven-tional beef again.

Can the meat be bought in bulk?

McCook: Yes, we sell wholes, halves and quarters. This gives you the biggest bang for your buck. A lot of our customers buy wholes and/or halves and they do what’s called cow-pooling. They split a half-cow between several families, so they all get the discounted price.

Where can your meat be purchased?

McCook: Our beef is sold

through our website at www.indiancreekangus.com and at several retail locations. You can buy individual cuts or bulk orders. Once you have placed your order, we will contact you to arrange pick-up. You may pick up at the farm or we meet customers off Exit 14 in Cumming. You can purchase our beef through Cumming Harvest, which is a fabu-lous online farmers market that is located in Cumming. Please visit their website at cumming.locallygrow.net for more information. Our beef is also sold at Roswell Farmers Market, which is a GMO-free grocery store and organic café in Roswell. Their website is roswellfarmersmarket.com.

Can people visit your farm?

McCook: Absolutely! We love for our customers to come to the farm. You are family to us and we know that once you become a customer, you will keep coming back. We do farm tours by appointment. We also do a lot of field trips. So if you would like to see the farm or are part of a school or home-school organization, call us at 706-384-2648 to book a tour today.

PASCALE CHAMBERSGuest Columnist

Benefits of 100% grass-fed beef • Less total fat • More heart-healthy

omega-3 fatty acids • More conjugated lin-

oleic acid, a type of fat that’s thought to reduce heart disease and can-cer risks

• More antioxidant vita-mins, such as vitamin ESource: Martha Grogan

MD - Mayoclinic.org

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County Parks and Recreation’s Outdoor Program Coordinator Joseph Daugherty was recognized Oct. 22 at a banquet in Norcross, held by the Georgia Recre-ation and Park Association. Daugherty won the District 7 Parks and Outdoor Professional Award.

The award recognizes individuals who are involved with community, civic and professional organizations and who

have made contributions to promote the field of recreation. During his sev-eral years of work with Forsyth County, Daugherty has worked on a variety of projects including land, building and grounds management, volunteer coordi-nation and development of environmen-tal and outdoor education programs.

GRPA District 7 is comprised of more than 30 parks and recreation agencies across north Georgia.

Forsyth outdoor program coordinator receives professional award

JODI GARDNER

Georgia Recreation and Park Association District 7 Commissioner Colt Green presented Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Outdoor Program Coordinator Joseph Daugherty, left, with the District 7 Parks and Outdoor Professional Award during an Oct. 22 banquet in Norcross.

forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | November 5, 2014 | 25Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to news@forsythherald.com

University of North GeorgiaDAHLONEGA, Ga. – Univer-sity of North Georgia’s spring graduating cadets were award-ed commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army or Georgia National Guard.

Justin M. Stephens earned a bachelor’s of busi-ness administration degree and will be stationed with the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Stephens, of Cumming, is the son of Michael and Debbie Stephens and a 2009 graduate of South Forsyth High School. Stephens served his senior year as the president of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and was inducted into the ROTC honor society Scabbard and Blade.

Stephen C. Mulhern, son of Leslie Mulhern and John Tumblin, received a Certifi-cate of Commendation and his first set of “gold bars” during

ceremonies at the University of North Georgia, and was com-missioned into the U.S. Army following graduation.

Brooke E. Mazur, daughter of Kirsten Rappa and Brendan Mazur, received a Certificate of Commendation and her first set of “gold bars” at the University of North Georgia, and was com-missioned into the U.S. Army following graduation.

Clemson UniversityCLEMSON, S.C. – Bridget Johnson of Roswell was named to the President’s List for the 2014 spring semester, earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the semester.

Pomfret SchoolPOMFRET, Conn. – Lucas Jenkins of Milton, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2015, earned high honor roll distinction at Pomfret School for the 2014 spring term. High honors are earned with a grade point average of at least 3.5. Jenkins also performed Catherine Rollins’ “Fire Dance” on the piano in an end-of-term recital for the school commu-nity, parents and friends.

prised at the team’s resilience.“We’re a very close team,

and we all care and love Todd,” he said. “And when we found out, we were upset about it. But it is what it is. And there’s 11 other people playing out on that football field, not just one.

“We just rallied around each other and did it for him, and did it for each other,” he said.

Georgia has been a great experience, said the agribusi-ness major. He’s found lifelong friends here and experienced things most college students don’t have a chance to do.

“I’ve been very blessed with my time here,” Andrews said.

Andrews’ dad grew up on a farm, and he likes to do a lot of hunting and the outdoors. He said majoring in agribusiness would give him the chance to be outdoors a lot and be suc-cessful in the business world too.

Andrews said a pro football career has always been in the back of his mind, but coming to Georgia has been everything he wanted. Running out of the tunnel into Sanford Stadium to the cheers of 90,000 fans is an indescribable feeling.

“Playing at Georgia has been an unforgettable experi-ence. Everything now is just extra,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve lived out my dream.”

Michael Bennett – He wants to play against the best

Michael Bennett came out of Alpharetta High School with a lot of accolades – he played in the North – South All-Star Game as a senior, he made the SuperPrep All-Dixie Team and got offers to schools to play football.

But Georgia was the only SEC team to offer him a schol-arship. His sister had gone to Georgia so he knew a lot about the university. He also wanted to play with the best, and to Bennett, that meant playing in the SEC.

He said he thought it was the right decision for him. Coach Mark Richt would tell you it was definitely the right decision for UGA. Bennett is a sure-handed receiver who al-ways appears to make catches when the team really needs one. He’s a go-to guy who makes a play in traffic.

Injured last year, Bennett is keen to make this year a great one, with or without Gurley.

“I think we can go all the way. I think we can win the National Championship if we continue to play at a high level,” Bennett said. “We can do it if we continue to play at a high level, continue to trust one another and the coaches and just play together.

“I know that sounds cliché, but that’s what it is really all about,” he said.

Asked if he gives any thought to professional football, Bennett says playing in the NFL has been a dream of his.

“I hope I get blessed with that opportunity. I really have to just focus on what I’m doing right now. You really just have to trust in God that whatever

happens, happens. I can be OK with that as long as I’m giving my best effort,” Bennett said.

“Football has been rough on my body my whole career, so hopefully it can pay me down the road,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, it’s no big deal.”

Bennett is majoring in sports management, so he won’t be far from the sports world.

“I just want to be around sports; it’s my passion,” he said.

Looking ahead to playing Florida this week, Bennett said

he is expecting a tough game because Florida always plays hard against the Bulldogs.

“It will take a lot of focus,” he said. “Jacksonville is always an awesome stage. This is my favorite game to play in, it really is. No matter what their record is, no matter what our record is, it is always a dogfight.”

If Georgia continues to win, Bennett says he doesn’t care who they play in SEC cham-pionship. He knows whatever team comes out of the West will be tough.

As a senior, he looks back on his time at UGA fondly.

“It’s been great experience at Georgia. There’s a great social life here, and I met my girlfriend here,” he said. “It’s awesome here. You’ve got to love it here. You have to love the community and their pas-sion for football.

“It’s been a great experience here, but I am working on my fifth year here,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to leave, but it is time for a new season in life.”

Randall G. Bledsoe, 81, of Cumming, passed away October 23, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Lawrence Ciulla, 79, of Cumming, passed away October 25, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Madeline Cox, 76, of Cumming, passed away October 22, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Almon William Garner, 82, of Cumming, passed away October 27, 2014. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Barry Andrew Harness, 58, of Dawsonville, passed away October 24, 2014. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Dr. Virginia Hughes, 98, of Athens, passed away October 23, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Elizabeth Little Johnson, 85, of Cumming, passed away October 28, 2014. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Mark William Johnson, 43, of Suwanee, passed away October 24, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Melvin Earl Lard, 58, of Tucker, passed away October 27, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Danny Cecil Lummus, 67, of Powder Springs, passed away October 25, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Betty Reid Martin, 80, of Cumming, passed away October 20, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Juanita McGinnis, 83, of Cumming, passed away October 27, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Lou Ella Popham, 90, of Cumming, passed away October 24, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

William G. Stevens II, 67 of Alpharetta, passed away October 14, 2014. Arrangements by Southcare Cremation & Funeral Society

Carl Eugene Swafford, 70, of Cumming, passed away October 28, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Willis M. Thrasher, 86, of Dawsonville, passed away, October 21, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

DEATH NOTICES

Continued from Page 20

UGA:

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful holds electronics recycling eventFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Keep Forsyth County Beautiful sponsored an electronics recycling event Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot No. 3 off of Castleberry Road. Residents were invited to make a positive impact on the environment by recycling their old, unused electronics.

Accepted items for recycling include lap-tops, stereos, CD players, cellphones, micro-waves and cameras.

The minimum donation per carload drop-off was $5 while an additional $20 fee was applied for each television.

Tammy Wright is the environmental pro-gram manager for KFCB.

“We had another great turnout for our electronics recycling event,” said Tammy Wright, environmental program manager for KFCB. “When residents recycle their unused electronics, they can make a positive impact on the environment while removing clutter from their homes.”

For a complete list of acceptable and non-acceptable items, visit www.keepforsythcoun-tybeautiful.org and click on the recycling/dis-posal tab, or call KFCB at 770-205-4573.

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