A: Fulton County Schools let out just as the snow began, leaving students stranded on buses and in classrooms due to heavy traffic. B: Jim Cregge, Milton’s parks and recreation direc-tor, explains the changes coming to Bell Memorial

Park.C: Police reopen ‘Monkey Man’ death. D: The new $600 million mixed-use Avalon development opened in Alpharetta.E. Damage was reported at the Mayfield Place sub-

A look back on 2014Each year, our editors comb through the year’s archives of stories to select the most talked about and impactful articles.

This year’s selections look at stories at the local level that are helping to shape Fulton County and the city of Milton.

While there were more stories that didn’t make this year’s “look back,” a brief compilation and review will help to quickly remind our read-ers of stories we presented this year and some that we’ll continue to follow in the New Year.

See “Year in Review,” Pages 8 - 9

E

DC

B

division, which is off Mayfield Road in Alpharetta. This area was hit by a tornado.

Cumming investigationMayor, councilman under fire

► PAGE 4

Georgia students laggingBarely passingCCRPI

► PAGE 5

Real EstateReportSponsoredsection

► PAGE 18

Former Eagles soarContinue careersat university

► PAGE 11

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Roswell man suspected of snatching a cell phone Dec. 17 and running away did not get far.

He was hauled down by another shopper. The victim told police he sat down in the North Point Mall food court

about 8 p.m. and set his phone on the table. As he was seated, a man sneaked up behind him, reached around and grabbed the phone from the table and ran.

The victim followed, shouting, “Stop. Grab him.” As the suspect neared the

mall entrance, a nearby shopper heard the cries and tackled the suspect to the ground and held him until security showed up.

Cyril Laumer Teal, 19, of Old Hol-comb Bridge Road, Roswell was arrest-ed for robbery by sudden snatching.

Mall thief tackled by shoppers

DUI arrests ► Mahamudul Haq, 51, of Loganville

was arrested Dec. 9 on Jones Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI and fail-ure to maintain lane.

► Patricia Ann Camden, 58, of Norcross was arrested Dec. 12 on Barnwell Road in Johns Creek for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► Choi Sung Chul, 47, of Joybrook Road, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 13 on Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI, following too closely and leaving the scene of an accident.

► Michael Anthony Jones, 56, was

arrested Dec. 7 on Providence Road in Milton for DUI, speeding, failure to maintain lane and impeding traffic.

► Sophie Katherine Smith, 28, was arrested Dec. 13 on Hopewell Road in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► William Terry Land, 51, was arrest-ed Dec. 14 on Deerfield Parkway in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► Carol A. Scheerer, 68, was arrested Dec. 14 on Birmingham Road in Milton for DUI, open container, failure to maintain lane and expired tag.

► Natasha Stinson-Badjan, 39, of Sterling Court, Roswell, was arrested Dec. 14 on Crabapple Road in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► Brianna Chantel Anderson, 22, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was arrested Dec. 14 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell for DUI and failure to maintain

lane. ► Daniele Donicko Ross, 39, of

Woodstock was arrested Dec. 14 on Wood Creek Court in Roswell for DUI.

Drug arrests ► Taras V. Korotchenko, 21, was

arrested Dec. 13 on Windward Parkway in Milton for possession of marijuana, possession of drug-related items, tire requirements and expired tag.

► Loudy Price Monplaisir, 23, of Vero Beach, Florida, was arrested Dec. 13 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell for possession of marijuana.

► Jose Gallegos, 41, of Lowe Lane, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 14 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell for possession of marijuana, stop sign vio-lation and expired license.

DUIS & DRUGSAll 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.

Victim recognizesfake checkMILTON, Ga. – A savvy Craigslist seller avoided heartburn Dec. 9 when he saw he was being scammed.

The victim told police he put a piece of art up for sale on Craigslist for $600. He was contacted by a buyer who gave him the name Daniel Donald.

Donald sent the victim a check to pay for the art. When the seller received a check in the mail for $1,985, far more than the sale price, he became suspi-cious.

The man went to his bank and asked if the check was genuine. They confirmed it was bogus, printed on normal printer paper and cut to look

like a check.

Shoplifter found with multiple warrantsALPHARETTA, Ga. – Several stores in North Point Mall called police Dec. 15 about a man suspected of stealing doz-ens of items.

Police were unable to locate the sus-pect who apparently had left the mall.

However a man matching the description was spotted at a nearby MARTA bus stop.

Officers followed the bus and caught up to it at the Mansell Road Park and Ride. There, they approached Marlo Unicholas Gay, 34, of Atlanta.

A check of his background turned up numerous warrants, police say.

Gay denied having any warrants.Police found a bag with Gay con-

taining jackets, shirts and shoes, all of which are suspected stolen.

In total, the Gay is suspected of stealing items worth nearly $400. He

was arrested for shoplifting.

Tip lands wantedman in jailMILTON, Ga. – An anonymous tip Dec. 15 landed a man with numerous war-rants in jail.

Police received the tip about 4:20 p.m. that two men were “smoking illegal drugs” on the back deck of a residence.

When police arrived, they found no one on the deck, but a man was get-ting out of a vehicle in the driveway. He initially identified himself as “Lewis Spencer.”

A check of that name turned up a man with six traffic tickets. The suspect denied ever having a ticket. Police called his work who said the man’s name was Samuel Smith, 34, of Milton.

A check of Smith’s record showed active warrants for his arrest out of Arkansas and Tennessee.

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.

See BLOTTER, Page 3

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Smith eventually admitted that was his real name and that he lied to the police.

Police searched Smith’s vehicle and found suspected marijuana.

He was arrested for posses-sion of marijuana and giving a false name to police.

Victim tackles thief to groundCUMMING, Ga. — A woman saw a man walk out of her home carrying her personal items, so she jumped on him, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.

A woman in a home in the 5000 block of Hendrix Road told deputies she pulled into her driveway at about 1 p.m. Dec. 16 and saw blue van parked along the roadside.

When the woman got out of her car, a man got out of the van.

She asked him what he was doing by her house, and the man said he wanted to know where the highway was.

She said the man got back into the van and drove to the neighboring driveway.

Then another man walked out of her house carrying a cedar box that her father had made her.

As the second man tried to walk by her with the box, the woman tackled him to the ground.

He got back up and ran to the man waiting in the van in the next driveway.

The two suspects sped off toward Matt Highway, but the woman said she was able to take a picture of the van.The woman said nothing else seemed to be missing from her home.

‘Grinches’ swipe packages from doorways

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — On-line shoppers beware, because thieves are making off with presents and packages left un-attended after delivery, accord-ing to Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Eight victims so far have reported to deputies about $1,200 in packages stolen off their property after confirma-tion of delivery.

One woman in the 6000 block of Warminister Green told deputies she was working in her home office at about 2 p.m. Dec. 19 when she saw a red Chevrolet pickup truck pull into her driveway.

No one rang her doorbell, so she looked out the window again.

She then saw a woman running from the porch back to the truck with a package in hand.

The woman said she tried to follow the suspects in her car but was not able to keep up.

The woman said she saw several packages fall out of the truck, and they were ad-dressed to a home off Olde At-lanta Parkway and The Twelfth Fairway.

Another woman in the 4000 block of Wilshire Crossing told deputies she watched a woman

steal two packages from her neighbor’s front steps at about 5 p.m. Dec. 10.

The woman said she yelled at the suspect as she ran back to a silver Infiniti sedan.

A man was waiting in the driver’s seat, and the two sus-pects sped off.

Burglar hitsstrip mallCUMMING, Ga. — Someone broke into a shoe repair store, stole cash and then repeated the act at a neighboring busi-ness, according to Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 8 a.m. Dec. 14, deputies were dispatched to Simply U Beauty Salon, 655 Atlanta Highway, after a busi-ness alarm went off.

When deputies arrived, they talked to the owner who said about $150 in cash was miss-ing from the cash register.

Deputies reviewed video surveillance and saw a man in a dark hoodie pull up to the store in a white Ford pickup.

He was wearing white gloves with black fingertips and used a tool to push open the front door.

The video showed he went straight to the cash register, stole the money and left out

the front door.Deputies said the neighbor-

ing business, Cumming Shoe Repairs, was burglarized the same way a few minutes before the suspect went to the salon.

The owner of the store said he was unaware of the bur-glary until he saw $28 in cash missing from the drawer.

Deputies said there was no forced entry into the busi-nesses, because the tool the suspect used pushes the lock in far enough for entry without damage.

Deputies said the front door relocked after the suspect left the shoe repair store, so it ap-peared nothing happened.

Continued from Page 2

Blotter:

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4 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com NEWS

By KATHLEEN STURGEONKathleen@appenmediagroup.com

CUMMING, Ga. — In a 4-1 decision, the Cumming City Council voted Dec. 23 to consider impeachment of longstanding Councilmember Rupert Sexton for releasing personal information of city employees. Sexton contends he is instead accused of airing skeletons from the city’s closet.

Sexton is accused of releas-ing a document disclosing personal financial and health insurance information for the city of Cumming employees on social media, including long-time Mayor H. Ford Gravitt’s supposed girlfriend, Angela Mullinax.

The document caused many to question why Mullinax was listed as receiving health insurance paid for by the city of Cumming. Mullinax is not a city employee and the insur-ance is paid for by taxpayers.

“I was trying to save the taxpayers in the city of Cum-ming money,” said Sexton, de-fending himself. “I discovered things that they didn’t want me to know. Somehow these people got on the list and have been getting benefits the entire time.”

When questioned about the accusations, Mullinax declined

to comment.“She does a lot of work for

the city of Cumming,” said Gravitt. “I put her on [the list]. I think the city pays $663 a month for her insurance — that’s it. I think we got a good bargain.”

Sexton says Mullinax’s health and dental policies have cost Cumming taxpay-ers roughly $75,000 over the years, which could amount to theft.

This all unfolded after the council voted on whether to proceed with the possible im-peachment of Sexton.

Before Gravitt entered the council meeting room, Sexton shook hands and chatted with the other councilmen. Once Gravitt called the meeting to order, City Attorney Dana Miles discussed the facts the city knows today.

“A week ago, on Dec. 16, Councilman Sexton made a motion to go into executive ses-sion to discuss employee ben-efits,” said Miles. “After that executive session, Councilman Sexton requested a proposal for councilmembers’ wives as employees with no designated job duties, but for the pur-

pose of getting paid city health benefits. That was not a proper purpose for an executive ses-sion and the executive session was immediately adjourned.”

Miles said Sexton did not seek to add this proposal to the regular meeting agenda.

“But instead Sexton re-marked twice that he was now going to, ‘do what he had to do,’” said Miles. “In that same evening, an Excel spreadsheet containing the financial and health insurance information on the city’s 139 employees was posted on social media. That Excel spreadsheet was created by our Human Re-sources Director, Phil Higgins,

Leaked documents show nonemployees receiving benefitsCouncilman investigated to get impeached

KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF

The City of Cumming City Council listens to Dana Miles as he speaks about the procedure for a possible impeachment.

What we know about Angela Mullinax: According to media reports, Mullinax began receiving health benefits in August 2005 when she was named the city’s sponsor procurement specialist. Phil Higgins, city human resources manager, said Mullinax recruits sponsorships for city events but does not receive a paycheck and is the only person who has ever held the position. The job description indicated holding the position does not constitute employment with the city.

See SCANDAL, Page 21

ATLANTA – Just in time for the holidays, Bank of North Georgia, a division of Synovus Bank, concluded its annual Feed the Hungry food box campaign raising more than $45,200 in donations – enough to provide more than 270,000 meals to families in the Bank of North Georgia service area.

This far exceeded the goal of $35,000, and nearly doubled last year’s $28,000 in cus-tomer and corporate partner donations.

Bank of North Georgia partnered with Action Min-istries for a second year, in support of the nonprofit’s Feed the Hungry Food Box program. Customers and friends visited any of the 40 Bank of North Georgia locations and donated $5 to sponsor a food box that will feed a family of four for up to five days.

“At Bank of North Geor-gia, we don’t just work in the markets we serve, we strive to be active community par-ticipants,” said Rob Garcia,

President and Chief Execu-tive Officer of Bank of North Georgia. “We live here, we raise our children here, and we work hard to make our communities better.” We encourage our team members to be hands-on with the organizations that they support.”

“We chose Action Ministries because they are a 50-year-old, well-respected nonprofit with an excellent track record of success,” continued Garcia. “Last year alone, they served nearly 144,000 individuals in need across North Georgia, but the need is much greater. Their service footprint mimics ours perfectly, so it’s a great fit.”

said John R. Moeller Jr., president and CEO of Action Ministries. said the support of Bank of North Georgia and its customers helps Georgia which has the third highest poverty rate in the country and ranks second in the nation for home-less children and veterans.

“The need for our services continues to grow at a rapid pace,” said Moeller. “By meet-ing the basic needs of hunger relief, housing and education, Action Ministries removes bar-

riers that prevent thousands of Georgians from breaking the cycle of poverty and realizing their potential.”

Action Ministries, Inc. is a

nonprofit that provides an ex-tensive network of community partners and volunteers with the tools and expertise to lead fellow Georgians out of poverty.

Bank of North Georgia presents its check for its Feed the Hun-gry Campaign to Action Ministries for its fight against poverty in Georgia. From left are BNG Tallapoosa Branch Manager Marcelle Robinson, Chief Community Banking Executive Allen Barker, BNG President and CEO Rob Garcia and John Moeller, president and CEO of Action Ministries.

Bank of North Georgia helps Feed the Hungry CampaignCollects $45Kin Donations

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 5Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com SCHOOLSGeorgia students barely passing under new performance standards

By CANDY WAYLOCKcandy@appenmediagroup.com

NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Re-cently released data from the Georgia Department of Educa-tion (GDOE) for the 2013-2014 school year show overall gains in achievement made the previ-ous year by Georgia students have declined across all levels.

In the third year of report-ing the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) for public schools across Georgia, the numbers have dipped even below the first year of implementation in 2012 across all grade levels.

Similar declines were seen for the Fulton County School System (FCSS), which falls behind Gwinnett and Cobb county school systems in over-all performance on the CCRPI.

Georgia’s elementary schools saw a decrease in scores from 77.8 to 72.6 (-5.2). Middle schools saw a drop from 74.6 to 73.2 (-1.4), and high schools saw a one-year decrease in scores from 71.8 to 68.4 (-3.4). The scores are based on a 100-point scale,

meaning elementary and middle schools received a C-minus, and high schools a failing grade.

“While decreasing CCRPI scores are disappointing, they are not unexpected,” said State School Superintendent John Barge. “This index is still relatively new and demands different areas of focus for our schools. Improvements will not happen overnight, but the CCRPI is giving them a road-map to…ensure [students] are college and career ready.”

Scores among Fulton stu-dents dropped from last year, however the averages were

still slightly above the state score for elementary and high schools. Middle schools scored below the state average. Indi-vidual scores for area schools have not yet been released by the GDOE.

The CCRPI is Georgia’s statewide accountability system. It was implemented in 2012 to replace mandates under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to evaluate academic achievement. Georgia devel-oped the CCRPI as part of the waiver it received from NCLB from the U.S. Department of Education.

Schools are graded in three

parts: achievement (60 points maximum), academic prog-ress (25 points maximum) and closing the achievement gap between groups of students (15 point maximum).

Schools can also receive a “bonus” of 10 points by enroll-ing more students in aca-demically rigorous courses and getting high achievement from certain groups of students like poverty, special education and English language learners.

It was designed to provide a more holistic look at perfor-

mance for individual schools and school systems, rather than a simple snapshot of achievement based on a single assessment under NCLB. The CCRPI measures schools and school districts on a 100-point scale, looking at a variety of results.

State leaders say it helps parents and the public better understand how schools are performing in a more complete way, rather than the pass/fail system previously in place under NCLB.

CCRPI results also show Fulton falling behind 2012 2013 2014

Elementary 74.5 77.8 72.6

Middle 73.8 74.6 73.2

High 72.8 71.8 68.4

All Schools 73.7 74.7 71.4

State CCRPI Performance

2012 2013 2014

Elementary 77.0 78.4 74.1

Middle 73.6 75.2 72.7

High 69.3 77.8 72.2

All Schools 73.9 77.5 73.2

Fulton Schools CCRPI Performance

This index is still relatively new and demands different areas of focus for our schools. Improvements will not happen overnight, but the CCRPI is giving them a roadmap to…ensure [students] are college and career ready.” JOHN BARGEState School Superintendent

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6 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.comSCHOOLS

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MILTON, Ga. – The atrium at Birmingham Falls Elementary is now full of trees, “snow” and great stories. Students and teachers converted the atrium into a winter storybook forest, decorating the walls with trees of storybook themes and laying out a white carpet of “snow.”

Within this storybook forest, students have listened to stories read by local celebrities, including former NFL player Jim Lester, Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood and state Sen. John Albers.

– Joe Parker

Birmingham Falls creates fairy-tale forest

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood reads to Birmingham Falls students in the storybook forest.

ROSWELL, Ga. – Fellowship Christian’s Emma Grace Hurley competed at the National Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego on Dec. 13. Hurley finished 24th out of the 40 top girls’ cross country runners in the nation and was an integral part in secur-ing the South team’s first-ever victory in team competition. The national championships culminated an outstanding season for Hurley in which she captured the state championship and competed in the South regional champion-ships in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Running in a field of so many great run-ners was surreal,” Hurley said. “I remember looking around during the race and seeing girls ranked in the top spots in the nation that I had been hearing about all season, and hardly being able to believe I was running with them.”

Hurley praised coaches Bill Chapman and Tom Harrison for her success this season, say-ing they pushed her to succeed and gave her a new perspective on running.

“I am so thankful for their support and encouragement throughout the season,” she said.

In November, Hurley captured the cross country state championship for Fellowship Christian in division 1-A, becoming the first FCS athlete to win a state championship.

Hurley was selected to the 2014 All-Metro cross country team and was appointed Fulton Athlete of the Month on Dec. 3.

“I love to run,” she said. “I feel God has given me a gift, and it’s also my passion. I want to do everything I can to use that gift to the best of my ability.”

— Joe Parker

Fellowship Christian’s Hurley competes at national championships

Emma Grace Hurley shows off her state championship ring. Hurley became the first FCS athlete to win a state championship.

Share your opinions

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 7Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com COMMUNITY

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MILTON, Ga. – Get those lights off and stock up on tie downs, because Saturday, Jan. 3 the City of Milton and Milton Grows Green (MGG) will once again offer Christ-mas tree recycling as part of Georgia’s “Bring One For The Chipper” program.

This year residents may take Christmas trees to mul-tiple locations:

•Scottsdale Farms, 15639 Birmingham Highway, Milton;

•Milton High School, 13025 Birmingham Highway, Milton;

•Home Depot: All local locations

Dogwood saplings will be handed out Jan. 4 to residents as quantities last and are

donated by the Rotary Club of Alpharetta.

Volunteers from the Milton Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League and the Al-pharetta Rotary Club will offer assisted drop-off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 3. Tree chip-ping services are provided by Casey Tree Experts. Please note flocked/ frosted trees will only be accepted at Scottsdale Farms.

Additionally, Milton Boy Scout Troop 841 will pick up trees and recycle them for a donation of $15. To schedule a pick-up, e-mail treepick-up841@yahoo.com.

Organizers are hoping to see growth similar to last year’s Chipper effort. In 2014, Milton residents brought more

than 700 trees to be chipped. They were used for mulch at local schools and in animal and fish habitats.

With more than 24 years of “treecycling” in Georgia, Bring one For the Chipper is the largest event of its kind in the nation. Since 1991, more than 6 million Christmas trees have been diverted from landfills and put to a greater use.

For more information, please e-mail Milton Grows Green at mgg@cityofmiltonga.us.

—Jonathan Copsey

‘Bring One for The Chipper’ set for Jan. 3Volunteers will take trees at MHS, Home Depot, Scottsdale Farms

AppenMediaGroup.comShare your opinions

Clemson University

CLEMSON, S.C. – The follow-ing local students were among the graduates of Clemson University at the school’s May 9 commencement ceremony.Alpharetta:

Brady Patrick Brown, bachelor’s degree in market-ing; Matthew Scott Campbell, bachelor’s degree in parks, rec-

reation and tourism manage-ment; Lacey Michelle Crisler, bachelor’s degree in history; Kyle Alexander Kipping, bachelor’s degree in marketing; and Candice Leigh Sinisgalli, bachelor’s degree in manage-ment.Cumming:

Matthew Irby Cureton, bachelor’s degree in civil engineering; Robert Michael Gagliano, bachelor’s degree in marketing; and Taylor Alex-andra Godfrey, bachelor’s degree in construction science and management, summa cum laude.

VARSITY BRIEFSSend us your news!

Email to news@northfulton.comMore Info: 770-442-3278

See VARSITY NEWS, Page 21

8 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.comYEAR IN REVIEWMilton grapples with new constructionMILTON, Ga. – With a rebounding economy and a housing industry back on track, Milton is becoming a victim of its own success.

Many residents moved to the area seeking a more “rural” area that was still close to the city. Milton has received numerous awards for its quality of life. However, that reputation only drew more residents. Many established residents balked at the idea that, as the city admitted, nearly 1,000 new homes were on the table to be built this year, bringing with them thousands of new residents and traffic.

Managing that growth became an issue, which the city tackled head-on. The city hired a consultant specializing in land conservation to create a

“green print” of the city. The green print provides details on green space throughout Milton and gave

options for future community development planning focused on land conserva-tion. A moratorium was placed on new rezonings. The citizen volunteer group Preserve Rural Milton gained traction, and its head, Laura Rencher, has worked with the city to craft policies that diminish the effect new construction has on the city’s quality of life.

Milton gets new county commissionerMILTON, Ga. – Milton will have a new Fulton County Commis-sion representative.

District 2, part of House Bill 171 signed by Gov. Nathan Deal in May 2013, was created and lobbied for by North Fulton Re-publicans concerned about the underrepresentation of the north in county politics.

The addition of the district changed the county map, elimi-nating one of two at-large districts – including the chair. It ex-tended the Buckhead district and divided North Fulton into two separate districts, giving the north end of the county a better-sized piece of the pie.

District 2 now represents both Milton and Roswell along with a small section of Alpharetta.

The man who won the job was Bob Ellis, who pledged to “correct the under-representation of taxpayers in North Fulton and improve business practices to refine the functionality of Fulton County government.”

Snow, ice freeze cities

Bell Park to expandMILTON, Ga. – The dirt was tossed on home plate Aug. 8 to officially mark the expansion of Bell Memorial Park, off Thompson Road.

Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cregge said the park will be closed for a full year. When it opens it will have more field space as well as many amenities the current park does not have.

The city has cobbled together acres of land around the park for the past sev-eral years, piece by piece.

The $9.4 million new park design will see the park expand from a 12-acre park to nearly 30 acres and have four dedicated baseball/softball fields. There will also be two rectangular fields lined for football, soccer and lacrosse. The second field can also be set up as a 200-foot, fifth diamond field. Trails will also be created. The park will reopen in mid-2015.

The move comes as the city is more aggressively pursuing parkland. In recent years, the city has completed a parks master plan, and struck deals with the Fulton County School system to rent their sports fields and greenspace. Free-dom Park and Friendship Community Park were also opened.

ELLIS

MILTON, Ga. – Twice in 2014 – Jan. 28 and a week later, Feb. 12 – the state was effectively shut down due to wintry weather.

The worst offender was Jan. 28, when snow and freezing conditions came to town midday. Schools, businesses and governments all shut down at the same time, turning workers out onto the streets all at once.

The result was chaotic gridlock.Variously called “Snowmageddon,” “Snowpocalypse” or “SnOMG,” local govern-

ments were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of motorists on the road and the worsening conditions throughout the day. A commute that would normally take 20 minutes turned into a 10-, 14- or 20-hour drive. Many students were stranded at school.

City work crews were overwhelmed by the traffic, with road clearing crews un-able to clear the streets, which resulted in even more trouble as ice set in.

As the day turned into night with no stop to the storm or traffic, people began opening their doors to the trapped motorists. Local Home Depot stores, schools and businesses provided shelter, as people began walking along the streets offer-ing food or water. Local government buildings, such as fire stations, also provided shelter from the storm.

The following week, the snows came at night and everyone stayed home, keep-ing the roads clear.

Crews were able to salt and sand the roads, keeping ice from becoming a major problem.

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 9Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com YEAR IN REVIEWMilton starts plans for City HallMILTON, Ga. – The day is nearing when Milton will have its own city hall build-ing. The city took steps this past year to make it happen in downtown Crabap-ple.

The city has made no secret of wanting a permanent City Hall to house gov-ernment offices and hold community events. Since the city’s creation in 2006, City Hall has been in rented offices on Deerfield Parkway.

By shifting rent payments to debt payments, eventually a City Hall building would be completely paid off.

The city bought several acres of land behind the Olde Blind Dog in the empty parcels of land in Crabapple. In May, the council agreed to take out a $10 mil-lion bond to pay for the design and construction of the City Hall and officials have said taxes will not have to go up to pay for the debt service.

The new building is slated to include offices, council chambers, meeting ar-eas for residents and a town green for expansion of special events in Crabapple. It is being designed in-house to save money.

The new City Hall could open as soon as 2017.

Riopelle death re-opened after similar caseSANTA CRUZ, Calif. – A former Northview High School student was implicated in two deaths – the September 2013 death of Milton resident Dean Riopelle, and the November 2013 death of a Google executive in California.

Alix Tichelman, 27, is charged with manslaughter, drug and prostitution charges. She faces 15 years in prison if convicted.

Tichelman was dating Riopelle – Milton’s “Monkey Man” – when he was found dead in his Hopewell Road home of an apparent heroin overdose. Tichelman was with him at the time and was the one who called 911. Police ruled his death an accidental overdose.

Only a few weeks later, Tichelman was implicated in the death of Google executive Forrest Hayes. Hayes had allegedly arranged to meet Tichelman through an online dating service. They were to go on his boat for sex. Video surveillance footage from the boat showed Hayes and Tichelman doing heroin. Hayes overdosed and Tichel-man was seen allegedly gathering her clothing, finishing her wine and step-ping over his body to leave the boat. She never called police.

She is charged with manslaughter.Given the similarities in the deaths

of both men with Tichelman’s involve-ment, Milton police reopened the inves-tigation into Riopelle’s death.

Tichelman has pled not guilty and will appear in court in early 2015.

Riopelle came to the public eye when he tried to expand his exotic animal preserve on Hopewell Road. He had dozens of animals, especially monkeys on his land. Nearby residents opposed to move which was ultimately approved. Riopelle died before he could make the

improvements.

Tornado touches down in North FultonMILTON, Ga. – Residents had a rough night Oct. 14, when an F-1 tornado touched down in the area just south of Milton, along Rucker Road.

Trees and power lines were felled by hurtling winds and debris. Emergency sirens did not go off in Alpharetta due to being offline, but also

because the area was not under a tornado watch by the National Weather Ser-vice. It was only under a severe thunderstorm warning.

An F-1 tornado has top winds of 112 miles per hour and is considered a rela-tively weak tornado by NWS standards.

In Milton, the Code Red emergency messaging system worked as intended, with 11,000 phones ringing to receive an emergency message about the storms. A “reverse 911,” the system targets only land lines.

Just in the last month, Milton’s own tornado siren system went online, with ten sirens placed throughout the city. They will alert residents to emergency weather situations.

TICHELMAN

Avalon opens for businessALPHARETTA, Ga. – Oct. 30 saw the grand opening of the newest commercial retail devel-opment in Atlanta – Avalon.

Offering “experiential” shopping, Avalon is a $600 million mixed-use project at the corner of Old Milton Parkway and Ga. 400. Phase 1 opened just in time for the holiday shopping season, with much of the retail open. Some of-fice space and apartments above the retail were also open. Single family housing will open next year.

The city of Alpharetta approved Phase 2 of Avalon – more retail, apartments and a confer-ence center, complete with hotel.

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A Holy Cause

Sibley at her Sweet Apple Cabin in 1997.

By KIMBERLY BROCK

ATLANTA, Ga — “Being a reporter is one of the noblest things you can do in life. Letting the people know. It’s really a holy cause. Time after time after time, in the middle of corruption and disgrace and bad politics, I’ve seen people come through and do for people. I write about someone in trouble and someone else rallies to help them. Through reporting, things can change.”

– Celestine Sibley, April 1999This quote from Celestine Sibley

came from the last year of her life and opens the book, “The Reporter,” a col-lection of many of her best newspaper stories, edited by reporter Richard El-dridge. One of the first female editors, Sibley reported for the Atlanta Consti-tution from 1941 to 1999. She wrote more than 10,000 columns, covering state politics, courtroom drama and cultural affairs. Sibley was also the author of nearly 30 books of different genres published between 1958 and 1997, including her memoir, “Turned Funny” (1988) and “Children, My Chil-dren,” which won the first Townsend Prize for children’s fiction. Firm in her convictions about her labors, Sibley continued working until the final weeks before her death, with her last regular Constitution column appearing on July 25, 1999. She died of cancer at the age of 85 on Aug. 15, 1999. 

Celestine Sibley’s many accomplish-ments have long been celebrated. In 1990, she received the Ralph McGill Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism. A few months before her death, Sibley was awarded the Na-tional Society of Newspaper Columnists Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, in appreciation for her years of political reporting, the Georgia House of Rep-resentatives named its Capitol press gallery in Sibley’s honor.

But she is perhaps best remem-bered for her writing about Southern culture, poignant essays that made her

an icon of her beloved South. She held dear a belief in the value of home as a place of refuge from the ever-changing world, a sanctuary from the encroach-ing developments swallowing up the countryside outside her window. In 1961, Sibley created her own haven, purchasing and renovating a dilapi-dated log cabin in Roswell, Georgia, for just $1,000. She named her home Sweet Apple Cabin. From there, she enjoyed a simple life and proclaimed the benefits of such an existence in such a prolific and convincing way that for many of her readers, it became an idyllic imaginary home for them, as well.

Last month, four journalists with Atlanta connections were enshrined into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame during a reception ceremony. Celestine Sibley was included amongst the likes of Tom Brokaw, Claude Sitton and Brenda Wood. Bestselling South-ern author Kathy Trocheck, better known by her pen name Mary Kay Andrews, inducted Sibley.

Sibley’s grandson, Jason Bazemore, accepted the award.

“The old show business saying, ‘Don’t follow kids or animals,’ could be changed to don’t follow Tom Brokaw or Monica Pearson,” he joked.

But Bazemore is humbled by the experience, well aware of his grand-mother’s holy cause and her long-reaching influence.

“She would have been thrilled and proud to be included with so many old friends and colleagues like her former boss and mentor Ralph McGill,” he said. “Standing up in front of all those people who make a living talking was a little scary, but it was an honor to stand in for Tine.”

Remembered and revered for her true, unflinching accounting of life, standing in for Celestine Sibley seems impossible to her readers, but it might be exactly what she intended.

Celebrating renowned Southern author, journalist and syndicated columnist Celestine Sibley

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 11Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com SPORTS

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By MIKE BLUM news@appenmediagroup.com

MILTON – All nine players who started for the Milton basketball teams during the Eagles’ four consecutive state championship appearances from 2009-12 are currently playing college basketball, with the majority no longer at the schools where they started their college careers.

The Eagles won two state ti-tles during their four-year run, which began in 2008 with the transfer of three high profile sophomores into the program, and ended when David Boyd was removed as head coach after the 2012 season in the aftermath of alleged recruiting violations.

All nine starters from those four teams received college scholarships, eight to Division 1 schools. The ninth signed a Division 1 scholarship after playing two years in junior college, with two of the players from Milton’s first state cham-pionship team now playing at the Division II level.

Milton had the same start-ing five for its first three teams to make the state champion-ship game, with all five receiv-ing Division 1 scholarships. Of that group, only two are at the same school they initially signed with.

Shannon Scott, one of the three players who transferred to Milton prior his sophomore year, has played at Ohio State since he was a freshman, and is a full-time starter for the first time as a senior.

After playing as a reserve for two years, Scott made 21 starts as a junior and aver-aged 7.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2 steals per game, and was selected to the all-Big 10

defensive team for the second straight year. This season, Scott is averaging 8 points, 8 assists and 3 steals for the Buckeyes, who won 10 of their first 12 games.

Julian Royal, one of two non-transfers on the first three Milton state finalists, signed with Georgia Tech out of high school. He played as a top reserve as a freshman, but saw limited action as a sophomore and transferred to George Mason with coach Paul Hewitt, who took the job there after be-ing replaced as Georgia Tech’s head coach.

After sitting out last season, the 6’8” Royal played in the first five games for George Ma-son this season, but after mak-ing his first start in the fifth game, has not played since. He is averaging 3.5 points and 3 rebounds per game.

Evan Nolte, the other non-transfer starter on the first three Milton teams to reach the state finals, started as a fresh-man in 2008-09 and graduated with four state championship appearances and two state titles. He signed with Virginia and is in his junior season with the Cavaliers, who started the season 11-0.

The 6’8” Nolte made eight starts as a freshman, but has played in a strictly reserve role the past two seasons. He made some big plays for Virginia in last year’s NCAA tourna-ment, but is averaging just 15 minutes a game this season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds, down from his num-bers as a freshman.

The other two of Milton’s original “Fab Five” both trans-ferred to the school from Mari-etta and are teammates again at Division II Indianapolis.

Dai-Jon Parker played three seasons at Vanderbilt and made 45 starts during his sophomore and junior seasons, but was not invited back for his senior season and transferred to Indianapolis, where former Milton teammate Jordan Loyd had transferred to the year before. Parker aver-aged 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a junior at Vanderbilt, but had some off-court problems during his career there.

The 6’3” senior from Baton Rouge, La., is averaging 11 points as a starter at Indianap-olis, which opened the season with a 9-0 record and was ranked 9th nationally going into a holiday break. Parker scored 26 and 19 points in re-cent back-to-back wins for the

Greyhounds. Loyd began his college

career at Furman and made 13 starts as a freshman, averag-ing 6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He played only one game as a sophomore and re-ceived a medical redshirt, and transferred to Indianapolis the next season.

After joining the team at mid-season, Loyd moved into the starting lineup in the NCAA Division II tournament, ands has remained a starter. Loyd, a 6’4” guard, is averaging 14 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3 assists per game, and shooting 58 percent from the field, and was recently named the Player of the Week in his conference.

Shaquille Johnson, who became an internet sensation with his high-flying dunks dur-ing his two seasons at Milton, is playing for his third college in three years after initially signing with Auburn. John-son played as the Eagles’ sixth man as a junior after transfer-ring from Salem in Rockdale County, and was a senior starter on the 2012 state championship team.

Johnson made 21 starts as a freshman at Auburn but was dismissed from the team fol-lowing a marijuana arrest. He spent his sophomore season at Northwest Florida Junior College with one of his 2011-12 Milton teammates, and signed with Division 1 Long-wood (Va.) after the 2013-14 season. Johnson, a 6’5” junior, is averaging 13.3 points and 4 rebounds for the Lancers, and leads the team in assists with 3.5 per game.

Tevin Glass was the lone Milton starter who did not sign with a Division I school after high school, playing his first two seasons at Northwest Flor-ida JC. Glass is playing this season at Wichita State, where he was reunited with a Wichita assistant who was the head coach at Northwest Florida when Glass was a freshman.

The 6’8” Glass transferred to Milton from Meadowcreek in Gwinnett County prior to his senior season and was the starting center on the Eagles’ 2012 championship team. He made the all-tournament team at the junior college nationals as a freshman, twice pulling down 15 rebounds in a game, and was an all-conference selection as a sophomore, averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds. Glass has played sparingly as a junior at Wichita State, which was ranked No. 11 in the country after a 9-1 start. He had 10 points and six rebounds in three games.

Charles Mann also trans-ferred to Milton for his senior season from Union Grove in McDonough, and is a junior at Georgia. Mann has been a full-time starter the past two seasons after making the SEC all-freshman team.

Mann, a 6-5 guard, led the Bulldogs in scoring (14) and assists (3) per game last season, and is averaging 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4 assists this season, with the Bulldogs off to a 6-3 start and a possible NCAA berth.

Of the six players to transfer to Milton, Mann and Scott are

the only two listing Milton or Alpharetta as their residence.

Like Royal and Nolte, Ja-lyn Patterson began his high school career at Milton, and was a sophomore starter at guard on the 2012 champion-ship team. But after Boyd was dismissed as head coach and the Eagles were barred from post-season play in 2013, Pat-terson transferred to Mont-verde Academy, a basketball power in Florida that was voted the country’s top team during both seasons Patterson spent there.

Patterson is playing as a freshman at LSU, and is the team’s sixth man, averaging 3.3 points and 2 assists for the Tigers, who started the season 9-2.

Former Eagles continuing careers in basketball at collegiate level

ROBYN GUY/STAFF

Milton Eagle Charles Mann [5] is now a junior at Georgia.

Evan Nolte from Milton.

12 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com | Recycled paper

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 13Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com

JOIN TODAY! www.AlpharettaChamber.com

Wishing you and yours a

from the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce

Happy Holidays

GEORGE GORDON, Alpharetta Public Safety Department spokesman JOIN TODAY: 770-993-8806 • WWW.GNFCC.COM

14 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | appenmediagroup.com

We want to take a logical evaluation and thought process because we serve

the public, we’re transparent and we have to be mindful of taxpayer money.

Sponsored by

By SHANNON WEAVERshannon@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Private investigator Michael Con-nell, of Alpharettta, travels all over the state to take photographs, interview wit-nesses, collect police reports and other evidence. With an online records application, all of the data can be stored in one place.

“Chasing down open records has always proved a little difficult,” Connell said. “We decided to create a streamlined location where insurance companies or attorneys can track down evi-dence from any law enforce-ment agency.”

RiskJockey compiles police reports and other evidence in one database for people to submit open records requests to law en-forcement for a convenience fee. Connell also subsidizes body-worn cameras for de-partments who participate in the program.

Connell began the pro-gram three years ago. He had started subsidizing body worn cameras for police de-partments in Norcross, Alma and Tybee Island, but he said the high-profile Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner cases this year raised interest in the cameras and his ap-plication.

“[Police] weren’t really sold on body worn cameras a cou-ple years ago,” he said. “Once Ferguson hit, the barriers to

entry soon fell, because these departments realized they re-ally needed this equipment.”

Now, Connell provides cameras to 12 departments, including Snellville, Milled-geville and Bainbridge.

“Every day I get somebody else enquiring about it,” he said.

The cameras, supplied by Vievu, are three inches long, about the size of a pager, and worn on the front of an officer’s uniform. They record “pretty much what the officer can see,” said Roy Whitehead, Snellville Chief of Police.

Whitehead said Connell has provided 42 cameras to his department, one for each officer.

RiskJockey cameras are part of the department’s plan to gradually update equip-ment beginning five years ago, he said.

He said the cameras help them collect evidence as well as address complaints.

“So far, when we’ve had complaints, the officer’s been vindicated each time,” White-head said.

In the North Fulton area, many departments are con-sidering body-worn cameras as an upgrade to the equip-ment officers already use.

The Alpharetta public safety department is con-sidering such cameras, said spokesman George Gordon.

“We’re in the very initial steps,” Gordon said. “We want to take a logical evalu-ation and thought process

because we serve the public, we’re transparent and we have to be mindful of taxpay-er money.”

The cameras were un-der consideration prior to Ferguson, but the events in Missouri and New York “sharpened our focus and awareness,” Gordon said.

“If it is something that will help us deliver better service to our citizens, by all means we should evaluate it,” he said.

Roswell police are in the process of testing for body cameras compatible with their in-car camera system, which automatically uploads video to a server, said Lisa Holland, a Roswell police spokeswoman.

“This way they can’t be tampered with,” Holland said.

Holland said the videos can help settle disputes and protect police officers.

“Often times, people complain on officers and after reviewing the video, there’s a whole different account of what really happened,” Hol-land said. “You can’t dispute what is said and heard on a video. And when the public knows they’re being video-taped they’re less likely to commit a crime in front of the camera.”

Milton has ordered cam-eras and is developing city policy for them, addressing issues such as privacy con-cerns.

“It’s just another tool,” said Capt. Shawn McCarty,

Milton Police public informa-tion officer. “It’s not going to solve all of the problems that we encounter, but it’s some-thing we feel provides a great benefit.”

Connell said that more police departments will adopt this technology.

“Every police officer in the United States is going to have these at some point,” he said.

Chad Henderson, Chief of Bu-chanan Police, wears a Vievu camera.

After Ferguson, Garner cases, local business subsidizes police body cameras

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 15Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@northfulton.com BusinessPosts

Happy New Year! Hopefully, you’ve spent the past couple of weeks celebrating your success from the previous year and spending some quality time with your family and friends. Now that the new year is here, it’s time to get things in mo-tion.

Small businesses that get off to a fast start in the new year are more likely to achieve their annual goals and objec-tives.

To get off to a fast start in the new year, you have to have a plan of action.

Documenting your strate-gic and tactical plans will help ensure you are doing the right

things early in the new year. Whether it’s hiring new em-ployees, rolling out new prod-ucts and services or identifying the best prospects you want to meet with, a plan of action will help you get more done.

When the new year arrives each year, almost everyone has

“resolutions” they make. What are yours?

Based on your performance last year, what changes are you going to make to improve your results?

Analyzing what was suc-cessful and not as successful last year will help you to iden-tify ways to improve.

Too many small business owners waste time in the be-ginning of the year by not hav-ing a plan to get off to a fast start. Don’t let that happen to you.

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Getting off to a fast start in the new year

DICKJONESFounder & PresidentJones Simply Sales

Local leaders graduate from economic development academyNORTH FULTON, Ga. – Eight local business and government leaders took part recently in the 2014 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program sponsored by the Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Devel-opment. Class participants represented a number of pro-fessional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, pub-lic servants, business leaders, educators and social service providers from 10 counties in metro Atlanta.

The academy provided an understanding of the complexi-ties of economic and commu-nity development on the local, regional and state levels.

Fulton County graduates at the Dec. 4 ceremony include: Hans Appen, Alpharetta Cham-ber of Commerce; Jason Bind-er, Acolyte Advisors; Beckie Hawkins, Roswell Inc.; Deana Holiday Ingraham, East Point City Council; Charles Knud-sen, Georgia Power Company; Donald Mitchell; Alpharetta City Council; Al Nash, Prog-ress Partners of North Fulton

Atlanta and Doreen Scascitelli, Roswell Inc.

Since its organization in 1993, the academy has pro-vided training for thousands of professional and non-professional economic devel-opers around the state, and since 1998, it has been offered annually. Georgia EMC and Georgia Power provide facilita-tors for the program, and the Georgia Department of Com-munity Affairs provides staff support.

The academy’s multi-day program, taught one day a month over four months, includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruit-ment and retention, tourism product development, down-town development, planning and other essentials for com-munity success. Local elected officials may receive certifica-tion training credits through the Association County Com-missioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program.

Fulton County business and government leaders attended a graduation ceremony earlier this month for completing the 2014 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program sponsored by the Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.

16 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your business news & photos to businessnews@northfulton.comBusinessBriefs

REAL ESTATE »

Chambers Street Propertiessells Deerfield Commons

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Deerfield Commons I and II in Alpharetta was one of four multi-tenant office com-plexes sold recently by Chambers Street Properties. The Princeton, New Jersey-based real estate invest-ment trust sold the four-story building along with a 10-acre lot for $19.4 million.

The properties involved in the sale represented 534,849 square feet of office space.

NEW PRODUCT »

Roswell company announces new hearing productROSWELL, Ga. — Zounds Hearing, with locations in Roswell, has added the Enza in-the-ear hearing aid to its product line.

“The Enza is a comfortable and affordable solution for those who want a more discreet hear-ing aid,” said Sam Thomasson, founder of Zounds Hearing. “It’s unique on the market today, as it em-ploys 20 programmable channels and adjusts the level of hearing in real time to distinguish changes in the environment.”

Free hearing evaluations are available at both metro Atlanta locations: 580 E. Crossville Road, Suite 340 in Roswell and 440 Ernest Barrett Park-way, Suite 43 in Kennesaw.

For more information, visit www.zoundshearin-gatl.com.

PEOPLE »

Rozier joinsLedlie GroupROSWELL, Ga. — Rand Rozier, of Roswell, was recently named by the Ledlie Group to serve as an associ-ate in strategic messaging, crisis response, media monitoring and re-

search. Rozier graduated from Georgia College and State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in political science.

KeyWorth Bank adds new associatesJOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Neil Stevens, president and chief operating officer of KeyWorth Bank, 11655 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek, announced the addition of new associates.

Jessica McGukin has been named credit sup-port specialist at the Johns Creek location. Jessica Wiley has been named a financial services represen-tative at Johns Creek.

Lisa Whitney has been named a financial ser-vices representative at Haynes Bridge.

Weston Noles was named a financial services representative at Dunwoody.

MDnetSolutionsfounder retiresALPHARETTA, Ga. — MDnetSolutions, a fully in-tegrated patient engagement company, announced the retirement of its founder Rich Rosenzweig.

Rosenzweig will remain a consultant with the company during the next 12 months and work closely with MDnetSolutions CEO Alan Creighton.

“Our employees and customers are very im-portant to me, and I want you to know that I am a better person today, having met you along the way,” Rosenzweig said. “At the end of your work day, all of your efforts were directed toward helping people get healthy and to live a better life…What you do is noble and selfless amid a world that is not quite anywhere near that level of caring for people.”

Agilysys promotes Jaddito senior vice presidentALPHARETTA, Ga. — Agilysys, a provider of infor-mation technology and hospitality software and services, announced the promotion of Rehan Jaddi to senior vice president of customer support and service solutions.

Jaddi previously served as vice president of product development engineering at Agilysys. In his new role, his primary responsibilities will be to oversee product support, customer relations and professional services.

“Rehan’s technological and managerial experi-ence makes him an ideal fit for his new role as se-nior vice president of customer support and service solutions,” said Jim Dennedy, Agilysys president and chief executive officer. “His strong focus on how technology can improve customers’ business per-formance as well as the guest experience will drive significant growth for our company and our people.”

For more information, visit www.agilysys.com.

TECH »

Intelliverse experiences record growth in 2014ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Intelliverse, a sales acceler-ated solutions company, announced that it had record revenue and employee growth in 2014. Dur-ing 2014, sales acceleration software and lead gen-eration managed services experienced a five-time increase in revenue and were responsible for a 200 percent increase in Intelliverse’s workforce.

“I am genuinely thrilled with our achievements and customer growth this year and I am even more excited as we move into 2015,” said CEO Sean Gordon. “Intelliverse Labs is already at work on several major product enhancements generated by customer feedback.”

For more information, visit www.intelliverse.com.

Bluefin, Priorityannounce partnershipALPHARETTA, Ga. — Bluefin Payment Systems has announced a partnership with Priority Payment Systems to provide Bluefin’s PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) Solution to Priority Pay-ment clients. Bluefin’s PCI-validated P2PE solution secures card transactions by encrypting all data within a PCI-approved point of entry swipe or key-pad device, preventing clear-text cardholder data from being available in the device or the merchant’s system where it could be exposed to malware.

“With constantly evolving payment solutions, the one thing that the payment industry cannot lose sight of is security,” said John V. Priore, Prior-ity president and CEO. “Priority is dedicated to ensuring that our clients have the best options for securing cardholder information, which is why we are excited to offer Bluefin’s P2PE solution to our existing and new customers.”

Under the agreement, Priority will provide Blue-fin’s PayConex P2PE through Priority’s current sales channels. Bluefin will fulfill, manage and support all P2PE orders, including device shipping, chain of custody and device monitoring.

“Bluefin’s PCI-validated solution applies to all verticals and companies of every size – because fraudsters do not discriminate,” said John Perry, Bluefin CEO. “PayConex P2PE protects the mer-chant and the consumer, while preserving reputa-tion and brand. We are very much looking forward to working with Priority and their clients on en-hancing the security of their cardholder data.”

NEW BUSINESS »

Sprouts Farmers Marketopens Cumming store Jan. 14CUMMING, Ga. —Sprouts Farmers Market will open its first store in Cumming on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 a.m. The location, 530 Lakeland Plaza, is the fifth Sprouts in Georgia and comprises 31,448 square feet. Sprouts will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with special events and giveaways for shoppers, including muffin and coffee samples, coupons and shopping bags. Special coupon offers will continue Jan. 17 and 18.

For more information, visit www.sprouts.com.

Dentist expands patientbase to Johns CreekJOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Dr. Randolph Moore is now accepting new patients from Johns Creek without a referral for dental implants with the help of 3D cone beam imaging.

The cone beam dental imaging system provides Moore with a more accurate facial x-ray, assisting in the placement of implants.

For more, visit www.smilemooredentistry.com.

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northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 17CALENDARSubmit your event online at northfulton.com28 | May 15, 2013 | Forsyth Herald | forsytherald.com Submit your event online at forsythherald.comCALENDAR

EVENTS:

PEOPLE ON CANTON ART GALLERYWhat: An art exhibit from local artist Jane Haessler titled “People on Canton Street.”Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., RoswellWhen: Daily Wednesday, Dec. 31 through Thursday, Jan. 29Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.Cost: FreeContact: 770-594-6232

2ND ANNUAL ‘TASTE OF SAINT BRIGID’What: Ministries at the Saint Brigid Catholic Church will be offering favorite recipes and tastings for an evening.

Where: Saint Brigid Catholic Church, 3400 Old Alabama Rd., Johns CreekWhen: Friday, Jan. 9Hours: 6-8 p.m.Cost: $10 for adults and $5 for childrenOnline: saintbrigid.org

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE OPEN HOUSEWhat: Alliance Francaise at the Roswell location welcomes the public to enjoy French wine and cheese, learn about French classes, take a tour of the Alliance Francaise of Atlanta.Where: Alliance Francaise Roswell, 435 Jones Dr., RoswellWhen: Tuesday, Jan. 6Hours: 6-8 p.m.Cost: FreeOnline: afatl.comInfo: Register online at afatl.com/live-french/events/winter-session-open-house-roswell/

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTYWhat: A New Year’s Eve party at Park Place with games starting at 8 p.m.Where: Park Place at Newtown School, 3125 Old Alabama Rd., Johns Creek

When: Wednesday, Dec. 31Hours: Celebration begins at 8 p.m.Cost: FreeContact: 678-512-3430Info: Everyone is invited to bring an appetizer to share. Make reservations by contacting Park Place.

ROOMS OF CHRISTMAS PAST AND MOREWhat: The Roswell Garden Club gives tours of nine rooms at the Smith Plantation decorated with unique Christmas trees and past themes as well as new future themes.Where: Smith Plantation, 935 Alpharetta St., RoswellWhen: Daily Wednesday, Dec. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 4Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-3 p.m. SundayCost: $8 for adult tickets, $7 for seniors and $6 for childrenOnline: roswellgov.com

MUSIC:AUDIOWOLF AT THE VELVET NOTEWhat: A local high school band performs at The Velvet NoteWhere: The Velvet Note, 4075 Old Milton Pkwy., AlpharettaWhen: Friday, Jan. 2Hours: Performances at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.Cost: Tickets are $22Online: thevelvetnote.com

RACES & BENEFITS:ANNUAL FLASHLIGHT 5KWhat: A 5K run on New Year’s Eve benefitting Family Promise of Gwinnett County.Where: 1st United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, 395 West Crogan St., LawrencevilleWhen: Wednesday, Dec. 31

Hours: Registraion begins at 4 p.m. and the 5K race begins at 6 p.m.Cost: $35 per personOnline: fumclv.org

THEATER:

ONE SLIGHT HITCHWhat: A theatre play about a wedding plan gone wrong by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre.Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Rd., RoswellWhen: Thursday, Jan. 8 through Sunday, Jan. 25Hours: Showtimes varyCost: Ticket costs range from $22 to $35 Online: get.org

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

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WINTER FAMILY CARNIVALForsyth County Public Library invites the community to learn about what the library has to offer with special events scheduled. Events include a chance to win a Kindle, a costume contest, storytime with Badkitty and more. Lanier Tech Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming. Saturday, Jan. 10, 1-5 p.m. Free. Visit forsythconferencecenter.laniertech.edu for more info.

STARLAB WINTER STARSFind out myths behind constellations inside the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s (CNC) inflatable planetarium., 9135 Willeo Rd., Roswell. Monday, Jan. 5. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost included with general admission and free to CNC members. Visit chattnaturecenter.org for more info.

DRIVIN’ N CRYINA performance by the band Drivin’ N Cryin at 37 Main Johns Creek, 6000 Medlock Bridge Pkwy., Johns Creek. Saturday, Jan. 3, doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Visit 37main-store.com for more info.

BRING ONE FOR THE CHIPPERChristmas tree recycling offered by the City of Milton. Three different drop off locations: Scottsdale Farms Garden Center, 15639 Birmingham Hwy., Alpharetta, Milton High School, 13025 Birmingham Hwy. (Freemanville Rd. entrance), Alpharetta, Home Depot, all area Home Depots are drop-off points. Saturday, Jan. 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.Free. Visit cityofmiltonga.us for more info.

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In the Atlanta division, on accepted purchase agreements signed between November 1, 2014 and November 30, 2014 are eligible to receive $15,000 in Flex Cash; can be used towards MyStyle® Design Center Options and/or closing costs when using RMC Mortgage® and/or lot premiums, finished basement, etc. Incentive offer does not apply to contracts written prior to November 1, 2014. The following communities are excluded from the $15,000 incentive, Bethany Crossing, Bridleton, ManorView and Marketplace Commons. Individual promotions may vary by community. Certain included features may not be available on all plans. Value of package, and products, may vary by community and plan. Homes already under contract prior to this offer are not eligible. Plus for New to-be built homes, buyer eligible to receive up to $5,000 toward closing costs. Individual incentives may vary by community. Closing cost assistance available from Ryland Homes to those financing through RMC Mortgage® Corporation and closing with a closing attorney selected by Ryland. Amount of closing cost assistance may vary by product and community, and is subject to applicable contribution limitations. For all financing promotions, see a RMC Mortgage® Corporation Loan Officer for details. RMC Mortgage® Corporation is located at 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA 30022 and is a Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, license number 24225 and NMLS number 203897. Buyers also eligible to receive Waived 1% Origination Fee through RMC Mortgage®; average value of $4,000 which is based on a $400,000 loan amount. The waived origination fee through RMC Mortgage® Corporation is subject to cancellation or change without notice. Buyers must make a loan application by November 30, 2014 with RMC Mortgage® Corporation (NMLS# 203897) a Georgia Residential Mortgage Lender Licensee #24225. *Buyers must also close with RMC Mortgage® Corporation. Please contact your RMC Mortgage® Corporation Representative for exact quotes. Prices, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Ryland reserves the right to modify or cancel these offers at any time. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. Offer may not be combined with any other promotion or incentives. Information shown believed to be accurate but not warranted. See a Sales Counselor for details on available promotions, restrictions and offer limitations. © 2014 The Ryland Group, Inc.

Fulton CountyCedar Park(Milton) 678-867-6782 Homes From the High $500’s

ManorView - Now Selling! (Milton) 678-672-0862Homes From the High $500’s

Forsyth CountyArbors at LakeView(Cumming) 470-297-8190 Homes From the $310’s

Bethany Crossing (Alpharetta) 770-569-2004 Homes From the Low $400’s

Briarcrest(Alpharetta) 470-253-8825 Homes From the $330’s

Bridleton(Suwanee) 470-385-6616 Homes From the Mid $400’s

Madison(Cumming) 678-672-0862 Homes From the High $400’s

Shiloh Pointe - Coming Soon!(Cumming) 470-297-8006

Marketplace Commons -Now Selling!(Cumming) 678-513-1481 Homes From the Low $300’s

The Summit at Shiloh(Alpharetta) 470-253-8825 Homes From the High $300’s

Seneca (Cumming) 470-297-8006Homes From the Low $400’s

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Real InsightsFrom Realtors(NAPSI)—For many people, buying a home is a goal they aspire to achieve and often the most significant financial deci-sion they'll make in their life. If you're among them, consider this advice: Given the mass amounts of information, data and tools available, it's criti-cal to work with a professional who can help you make sense of it all. During the home buy-ing or selling process, it's wise to follow these tips:

•Workwithalocalexpert.Realtors are the most trusted resources for up-to-date, comprehensive and accurate real estate information when it comes to navigating each step of the complex home buyers process. More than four out of five recent home buyers and sellers used a real estate professional, according to the National Association of Real-tors.

•Learnaboutthearea.Looking to move to a new neighborhood? Chances are you're unfamiliar with some characteristics of the area, such as traffic patterns on busy streets and the best schools within the district. Realtors have a finger on the pulse of each market where they do business. They're responsible for knowing the nuances to consider before buying a home and can lever-age that expertise to help you.

•Seekaccurateinforma-tion. Many websites offer to help potential home owners find the perfect house. Some people have even suggested the Internet will eventually make buying a home as easy as buy-ing an airline ticket or a stock certificate.

However, consumers often complain that some of the information provided on these

sites is either out of date or inaccurate, creating confusion and frustration.

A Realtor, on the other hand, can provide valuable

counsel, discuss listings, show you homes in person, negotiate on your behalf and help you stay focused on the emotional and financial issues that are

most important. That may be one reason 88 percent of buy-ers in 2013 used a real estate agent, up from 69 percent in 2001.

Sponsored Section • Milton Herald | December 31, 2014North Atlanta’sNews and advertising for new homes, realtors, developers, commercial properties and more.

Milton Herald | northfulton.com REAL ESTATE REPORT • Sponsored Section December 31, 2014 19

If you are considering sell-ing your home in 2015, you should know that a lot has probably changed in the real estate market since you last sold. Knowing what works to-day — and resolving to put the tips and advice of the past to rest — will position your home for a quick and profitable sale.

Appeal to mobile buyers. Nearly all home searches now begin on a smartphone or tablet — not on the web, and

not using the newspaper. Failing to opti-mize your list-ing and your photos for mobile devices can result in missed op-portunities with today’s generation of buyers.

Separate your home from your investment. Selling a

home can be an emotional time, but not letting emotions get the best of you is crucial to your sale. If you are too sentimentally attached to your home, you may reject a good price or fail to negotiate with a serious buyer. Be ready to change your homeowner hat to your investor hat.

Only list your home once you are serious about sell-ing. Do you have a place to go if you sell? Have you fully

cleaned and de-cluttered your home?

Have you taken your agent’s advice on staging and pricing? These are necessary steps that guarantee that you present your home in its best possible light.

Hire the best agent for the job. The agent you used to purchase the home 15 years ago may seem like the logical choice for listing your home this time around. But are

they really the best option? Research different agents and shop around. If you have any doubt about an agents abili-ties, hold off on establishing a relationship.

Make the best impres-sion online. Today, buyer first impressions are on the Inter-net. Listing your home without complete information — in-cluding photos, description and accurate data — can be detrimental to your sale.

Resolutions for Success: 5 Tips for Selling Your Home in 2015

RAWLINGS

Understanding Escheatment And How To Keep Your Property SafeBy Cynthia Nisley

(NAPSI)—If you have a bank account, are holding uncashed checks, own stock, are heir to an insurance policy or have property in a safe-deposit box, there are steps you can take to help protect your property from escheatment.

“Escheatment” is the term that describes how “aban-doned,” “unclaimed” or “lost” property is turned over to the state. If the property owner cannot be found or hasn’t demonstrated an interest in the asset, the U.S. state where the holder lives can take custody of those belongings. If the owner or heir comes forward, he or she can claim it back from the state but early withdrawal penalties or market losses may significantly affect the asset’s value and the funds may not be immediately avail-able.

You may say, “But I haven’t abandoned my property. I don’t have anything to worry about.” That’s not necessarily so.

Consider the case of an employee of a fast-growing technology company who held stock certificates with a face

value of nearly $500,000. He kept the certificates in a safe and intended to use the funds for his kids’ college education. Unknown to him, his stock had been escheated due to returned mail and lack of con-tact. His nest egg was ruined and he was able to claim just under $20,000, the amount the state sold his stock for at the time of escheatment.Here are a few similar sce-narios that can happen to anyone:

•Ifyoudon’tcashdividendchecks, those checks and asso-ciated stock may be escheated unless you have made contact with the transfer agent. Since most states sell shares im-mediately, you will lose out on any market gains, dividends or stock splits that occur after the shares are sold.

•Ifyoumoveanddonotupdate your address with your financial institution (such as a bank), it will mark your ac-count as “lost” once it receives two pieces of undeliverable mail from the post office. After three to five years, depending on the state, your assets will be escheated unless you make contact with the institution.

•Ifyouhaveasafe-depositbox and never access it or make contact with your bank, the contents of the box may be turned over to the state and sold at auction. You could claim back the cash value—but not the valuables themselves.So how can you protect your assets? Staying in contact with your financial institu-tions is the key to protecting your property. To actively show interest in all your as-sets:

1. Keep a list of all the financial institutions you deal with, such as a bank or trans-fer agent, and contact them at least once per year. This can be as simple as accessing your account online, calling in to the customer service center, cashing a check, updating your address, changing a benefi-ciary or voting a proxy.

2. Keep your address up-dated with all your financial institutions if you move.

3. Consolidate accounts, to make it easier to maintain contact and keep track of your assets.

4. If you receive a notice alerting you to the fact that your account is considered

“inactive” or “abandoned,” respond immediately. Note that service providers such as Georgeson may contact you, offering to provide assistance in helping prevent escheatment of an inactive or abandoned account. You have the option to use the service or handle it yourself directly with your fi-nancial institution—the service provider should disclose all options.

5. Make sure that your heirs know which stocks you own and where you have financial accounts. To find out if any of your property has been escheated, visit www.missingmoney.com and search participating states’ records by the property owner’s name, or for contact information for nonparticipating states.

Ms. Nisley is Senior Vice President, Georgeson Inc.

Take steps to prevent the state from taking custody of your property.Artwork by Jill Steenhuis

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20 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your opinions to news@northfulton.comOPINION

Santa knows a child shall lead usNOTES FROM SANTA’S DESK:

If anyone had told me six weeks ago that I would be Santa Claus at the Roswell Christmas Tree Lighting, I probably would have laughed. The res-ervations for my work as Santa Claus in the New York area were made for my mother and I, the contracts signed, the plane tickets in hand and the airport limousine booked.

But all that was scrapped when the morning of our departure, my 92-year-old mother broke one of her hips. Of course, I opted to stay in Roswell.

My plans were changing as rapidly as the weather forecast, and I kept repeating Maria Von Trapp’s famous line in “The Sound of Music” –“When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.”

One of those windows was to be the Roswell Christmas Tree Lighting, held on the square – same place where my daddy owned and operated the Roswell Discount Store. It’s the same space where they re-opened the popular upscale restaurant The Public House on Roswell Square. Across the street is the old gazebo where I used to sit and do my homework, and play after school, waiting for my parents to close their store and take me home.

I paused going up the steps of the gazebo and looked across at the row of old stores. I could still see in my mind Joe Mansell, Guy Tolbert, J.C. Smith, Doral David and my dad sitting out front. Some were in rocking chairs, some in straight back chairs leaned against the wall and some perched precariously on Coca-Cola crates turned on their ends.

Occasionally they napped, but most times they talked – about any and everything. Eavesdrop for an hour or two and you would have no need for a newspaper. (And, they say women are the gossips.)

This Saturday evening though, I could see there was already a line of children. Soon a steady stream of youngsters were reciting to me their Christmas wish-lists, which included virtually every toy advertised on televi-sion stations in the past few weeks.

Bright eyes and excited voices – can so many years have passed since I was in their places imagining what the next Christmas morning would be like?

One of the volunteers whispered in my ear, “Santa, hurry up we have a long line.”

I smiled and kept talking to every child. I vowed long ago – actually when I started being Santa Claus – I was NEVER going to rush a child to say what they wanted or needed to say.

Some are shy, others are nervous and some have trouble expressing what is in their little hearts. Unfortu-nately, we tend to outgrow the inno-cent honesty of childhood, but luckily I can remember it.

Next up was a couple of “tween” girls, one blonde with sparkly eyes and the other dark-haired with an almost distant look in her dark eyes. The little blonde was not the least bit hesitant. She was a “Frozen” fan and had her heart set on a doll from that

movie. Sure, she wanted other things, but “Frozen” ruled.

Then, I asked the other little girl, the one with the dark hair, what she wanted for Christmas. Her smile vanished and she looked down at the plank floor of the gazebo. She said something, but it was so soft I could not hear her; so I asked her to repeat it.

She said with tears in her eyes, “I want my Mama and Daddy back.”

I ask the blonde “tween” to please excuse us while I spoke with her friend. I found out that they were friends, and that she was brought to the tree-lighting by neighbors. She started to cry, and tears filled my eyes.

I could not help it, and I guess I did not want to help it. This young girl needed to see that someone really cared. We talked for around 10 min-utes about her life and her parents.

I explained to her that Santa is not granted the power by God to make all wishes come true, but I would definitely pray that her wish would be granted. She nodded. I was so touched by her simple, heartfelt wish that I suddenly asked her to come back.

You see, I understand not only wanting your parents back, but anyone else you had loved and lost for whatever reason. We all want to re-capture the feelings of love, safety and home that we, as innocent children, too often take for granted.

I wanted to reassure her that I had heard her wish and would do every-thing in my power to make her wish come true – if not this Christmas, sometime in the near future. I told her that I wanted the same thing too.

Secretly, I wished my mother could be home for Christmas, rather than in physical rehabilitation. I wished that simple wish more than anything I had ever wished for before. She nodded again, thanked me and left the gazebo smiling.

Her image stayed in my mind as real as when it happened. It made me remember my own daddy and how much Christmas had meant to him and how he had passed on that special feeling to his children, grandchildren and virtually everyone he knew.

I miss him and would love to have him back for one more Christmas – and in my memories and dreams, I will. That little girl taught me a very important lesson: Who is around the tree on Christmas morning will always be much more important than “what” is under the tree. Not all gifts come wrapped in bright paper with bows.

THOMAS TOLBERT

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It was after the first few months of battle in World War I that on Dec. 25, 1914 – Christmas Day – both Ger-man and Allied forces paused in their trenches and bloodshed. They lay aside their weapons for one day and met in the no-man’s land between the two sides, exchanging gifts and well-wishes. They even reportedly played a game of soccer.

The next day they were back on the job, but for one day, something bigger than armies, nations or ideals ruled those men – thankfulness.

To a cynic, the world is often (read: always) filled with bloodshed and battle. Somewhere, someone is harm-ing someone else. For fun, retribution, war, ideals, ethnicity, what-have-you. There are as many reasons for harm as there are people in the world to commit harm.

But sometimes, the people of the world take a moment to pause, take stock of what they have and be happy for it. Family, friends, work, health. There are many reasons to be thank-ful.

During the holiday season, Chris-tians focus on Christmas as their mo-ment to reflect. It’s not just a time to be thankful of gifts received, but also of gifts given and of what you have.

For those men in the trenches of France one hundred years ago, they didn’t care about the gifts. They didn’t

care they didn’t know those men around them. They all knew they were a long way from home and thankful to have a lull in the horrendous fighting.

As I write this there is a lot of fight-ing in the world. Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Israel and so many more. Who knows what more 2015 will bring?

Don’t focus on that. The trick is to focus on what you have, not what you don’t have. Focus on where you are, not where you want to be. Focus on who you are with, not who you want to be with. Be thankful, because, hey; it could be worse. It could always be a lot worse.

After all, if at the height of the First World War, two opposed armies can come together and be thankful for what they have in peace, even for a short time, can’t anyone?

Here’s to a New Year, with new hopes and promises of a better future.

Be thankful for a New Year

JONATHANCOPSEYRevue & News Editorjonathan@appenmediagroup.com

northfulton.com | Milton Herald | December 31, 2014 | 21Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com

Duluth:Kimberly Michelle Bandy,

master’s degree in architec-ture; Matthew Carter Camp-bell, bachelor’s degree in man-agement; Laura Anne Hayes, master’s degree in teaching middle-level education; and Katherine Thayer Winfrey, bachelor’s degree in political science.Johns Creek:

Ross Cannon Beppler, bachelor’s degree in electri-cal engineering, summa cum laude.Milton:

Herbert Noel Carpenter, doctorate in planning, design and the built environment. Roswell:

Patrick James Bailey, bachelor’s degree in bio-systems engineering; Brett Hayden Beidel, bachelor’s

degree in economics; Robert Andrew Finney Jr., bachelor’s degree in financial manage-ment; Darcy Olivia Hannon, bachelor’s degree in market-ing, cum laude; Garrett Edwin Hurst, bachelor’s degree in financial management; Ga-briella Marie Ide, bachelor’s degree in production studies in performing arts; and Stephen Beaty Wilkerson, bachelor’s degree in communication stud-ies.Suwanee:

Katharine Marie Johnson, master’s degree in architec-ture; Abigail Claire Lee, bach-elor’s degree in psychology; and Howard Clay Martin III, bachelor’s degree in electri-cal engineering, summa cum laude.

Loyola Marymount UniversityLOS ANGELES – Jessie Gar-rett Black of Milton gradu-

ated cum laude from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Black is a 2011 graduate of Milton High School and earned her college diploma in three years.

AppalachianState UniversityBOONE, N.C. – James Koehler of Roswell made the Chancel-lor’s List in the Honors College at Appalachian State Univer-sity by attaining a 3.88 grade point average. An appropriate technology and entrepreneur-ship major, Koehler just com-pleted his junior year.

Eastern New Mexico UniversityPORTALES, N.M. – Stefanie Fugarino of Suwanee was named to Eastern New Mexico University’s Dean’s List for the

spring 2014 semester. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must complete a mini-mum of 15 credit hours with a GPA between 3.25 and 4.0.

Wofford CollegeSPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College senior Logan Mack-enzie Morris was recognized during Honors Day ceremonies when she received the Senior Order of Gnomes recognition. Morris majored in English with a program in secondary teacher education and received a bachelor’s degree on May 18, 2014.

The daughter of Jeffrey and Kelly Morris, she will teach English at Chapman High School in Inman, South Caro-lina, this fall.

Pratt Institute BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Pratt Institute congratulated three local students who graduated

following the spring 2014 term. Sunju Hwang of Cumming, Lisa Lee of Duluth and Aditi Tolia-Pande of Alpharetta were each awarded degrees at Pratt’s 125th annual com-mencement ceremony, held at iconic New York City venue Radio City Music Hall on May 16.

Southeast Missouri State UniversityCAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Kelli Mitchell of Cumming and Abigail Reed of Suwanee each earned Dean’s List recogni-tion at Southeast Missouri State University for academic achievement during the spring 2014 session.

Students named to the list earned at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and completed at least 12 degree credit hours during the spring session.

Continued from Page 7

Varsity News:

North Fulton’s Only On-Site Crematory

Rex T. Grizzle, OwnerLocally Owned and Operated12050 Crabapple Rd. Roswell, GA 30075770-645-1414info@northsidechapel.comwww.northsidechapel.com

NORTHSIDECHAPEL

FUNERAL DIRECTORSand CREMATORY

Edward Charles Barnes, 50, of Forsyth County, passed away December 17, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Katharine Rhodes Brown, 94, of Atlanta, passed away December 15, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Yingliang Chen, 82, of Johns Creek, passed away December 21, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Josh Charles Gordon, 20, of Cumming, passed away December 19, 2014. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Ruby Ethel Martin, 97, of Cumming, passed away December 16, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Kathleen A. Meetze, 68, of Cleveland, passed away December 14, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.

Walter E. Okenica, 68, of Cumming, passed away December 23, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Richard Eugene Phillips, 59, of Blue Ridge, passed away December 20, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Era Bell Buice Rickles, 96, of Gainesville, passed away December 21, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Thomas Anthony Rogers, 64, of Cumming, passed away December 18, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

Marsha Ann Salter, 57, of Cumming, passed away December 17, 2014. Arrangements by McDonald and Son.

Marilyn Ann Schroer, 79, passed away December 20, 2014. Arrangements by McDonalds and Son Funeral Home.

Jackie Williams, 74, of Cumming, passed away December 21, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.

DEATH NOTICES

and was only given to Sexton upon his request.”

“I requested it be changed to a spousal benefit program, which is perfectly legal,” said Sexton. “It was nothing out of the ordinary. Our insurance benefits do not have a spousal benefit section for the coun-cil and I wanted to add one group.”

Sexton said that apparently didn’t sit well.

“The attitude is that you can’t talk about the mayor’s girlfriend.”

Miles discussed the proce-dure for potentially impeaching Sexton, which is outlined in Cumming’s charter, the city code and state law.

“The council will be asked to appoint an investigatory panel,” said Miles. “The panel will conduct an investigation of these facts and other facts they can obtain, interview witnesses, look at documents, do whatever they feel like is in their scope to investigate this matter.”

The panel, which was se-lected by Miles, will be com-prised of Miles, former Forsyth County Commissioner Patrick Bell and Steve Page, a local businessman.

“They are members of our community,” said Miles. “I think they’re people of very high integrity. Our goal is to make this process as transpar-ent as possible.”

The next step is coming up with a report, Miles said, that will then be returned to the city council at a subsequent meeting.

“If based on that report,” said Miles, “the city council votes to impeach Councilman

Sexton, then a trial will be set for the city council on specific charges and Sexton will have all the due process rights to respond to those charges with whatever evidence he’d like to use in that trial. If the city council votes not to impeach Sexton, then the process is at an end.”

If Sexton is impeached and convicted of the charges, then he is automatically removed from his office as a council-member.

Sexton then stood up to give a rebuttal.

“I’ve served the citizens of Cumming the last 44 years with utmost integrity,” said Sexton. “I’ve done nothing il-legal, immoral or unethical. I have not released to any media source any list or records. I

respectfully ask the mayor and my fellow councilmen to provide me with proof of the contrary.”

Sexton said that he believes this information can be ob-tained by any citizen through the Open Records Act, and that he emailed the document to Gravitt, Councilman Lewis Ledbetter and Councilman Ralph Perry.

“If you want to impeach me because of some list that went out on social news media,” said Sexton, “then my question is why aren’t Mayor Gravitt, Councilman Ledbetter and Councilman Perry not getting impeached? They got the same list I got and it is public record. I’m going to ask the Georgia Whistleblowers Act be invoked immediately.”

Continued from Page 4

Scandal:

CITY OF MILTONPUBLIC NOTICE

PH-15-AB-02

PLACE13000 Deerfi eld Pkwy

Bldg 100 Ste 107EMilton, GA 30004

DATE & TIME1/5/15 6:00 PM

PURPOSEConsumption on PremisesWine, Malt Beverages, &

Distilled Spirits

APPLICANT Article of Faith Enterprises, LLC

d/b/a Ricco’s14155 Highway 9,

Suite 500David Lupica, Contact

404-285-6041

CITY OF MILTONPUBLIC NOTICE

PH-15-AB-03

PLACE13000 Deerfi eld Pkwy

Bldg 100 Ste 107EMilton, GA 30004

DATE & TIME1/5/15 6:00 PM

PURPOSE Consumption on PremisesWine, Malt Beverages, &

Distilled Spirits

APPLICANTWindward Parkway

Restaurant, LLCd/b/a Ray’s New York Pizza5230 Windward Parkway,

Suite 105Joseph Karam, Contact

404-245-8034

Advantage Painting

Interior/ExteriorDecks Sealed &

Stained Carpentry Repairs

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& Sherwin Williams paintsPrompt Professional Service

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24 | December 31, 2014 | Milton Herald | northfulton.com Submit your news & photos to news@northfulton.com | Recycled paper

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