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October 29, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 43
Greek FestAnnual event sets record attendance
► PAGE 16
Going GreenHow to plant an edible garden
► PAGE 18
Fear in Forsyth5 haunted spots around the county
► PAGE 10
Courthouse updateStatue and fountain in works
► PAGE 4
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
The Siemens’ all-electric Ford Transit Connect van donation will assist the school’s engineering team.
Residents enraged by new animal shelter’s policiesBy KATHLEEN [email protected]
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Animal lovers became rabidly passionate at Forsyth County’s Animal Control and Shelter advisory committee meeting Oct. 22.
But what got people re-ally upset was that the new shelter’s kill rate for the first month in operation exceeded 43 percent.
The spay and neuter policy at the new Forsyth County Animal Shelter, 4065 County Way, states animals are spayed and neutered at 12 weeks of age or older.
The committee members debated about whether to spay or neuter the animals prior to adoption or after.
The committee decided that new owners must sign an agreement that they will get their animal spayed or neu-
tered, if it isn’t already, and will come back to confirm they completed this task within 30 days.
This is much better than the original policy of waiting until 5-to-6 months of age, said Cyndi Eversole, foster co-ordinator for Humane Society of Forsyth County, 4440 Keith Bridge Road.
“We are a big fan of spaying
September 2014 statisticsINTAKE •63 owner surrender•0 return•5 seized in custody•118 stray
OUTGOING •40 adopted•5 died in shelter
•81 euthanized: 41 sick, 21 feral, 11 aggres-sive/bit, 2 FIV+, 5 feline leukemia, 1 heart worm positive
•19 return to owner•30 transfer out-rescue•43.5 percent euthanasia
for first month open (Sep-tember)
See SHELTER, Page 21
Van donation will drive Lambert’s future engineers
By ALDO [email protected]
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Charge ‘em Horns.
Siemens Industry donated an all-
electric van to Lambert High School last week.
The fully electric van bolsters Sie-mens’ relationship with the school’s engineering pathways, including robot-ics and the science department, and
prepares the school for the future.“We need to retrofit our campus
a little bit,” said Lambert Principal Dr. Gary Davison. “We have to put a charging station in the location where it’s going to be. We found out that we weren’t fully prepared for that, and it’s helping us as a school to be
prepared.”Davison said staff and students
are driving electric cars to campus more and more each year.
“It’s brought an issue to light that we need to be more understanding
Siemens partnership with school boosts programs
See VAN, Page 7
2 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com PUBLIC SAFETY
Halloween decorations stolen from yardCUMMING, Ga. — Some ghoul stole an 8-foot inflatable pumpkin from a man’s front yard, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.
A man in the 3000 block of Maple Valley Drive told deputies he last saw his $125 decoration on the night of Oct. 15.
He said as he was taking his morn-ing walk at about 6 a.m. the next day, he discovered the pumpkin was gone.
Burglars break into jewelry storeFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Someone prepared to take off with jewelry worth thousands of dollars, but left the crime scene in a “hurry.”
Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputies were called to RK & Co. Jewelers, 5188 McGinnis Ferry Road, after the alarm went off, about 11:45 p.m. Oct. 17.
When deputies arrived, they cleared the building, but the suspects had already fled.
Deputies went to the roof and saw multiple wires cut and two drop ceiling tiles knocked out and lying beside the safe.
The owner was able to ensure the safe still held all valuables.
Deputies determined the suspects made two entry holes through the roof-ing’s metal sheet and a second entry point above the safe. The suspects cut
all the wire to the alarm system.Deputies said the suspects left in a
hurry, because a crow bar, wire cutters, rope and other tools were left on the roof.
Thieves break into donation boxesCUMMING, Ga. — Someone pried into two donation structures kept in parking places by Walmart, according to a Cum-ming Police incident report.
An employee of MAC Recycling told officers he found the damaged dona-tion boxes off 24751 Marketplace Blvd. around 1 p.m. Oct. 13.
The employee said the alarm acti-vated on Oct. 11, but he found no sign of disturbance.
He said the quarter panel from the boxes had pry marks from a possible flat edge tool. He said the doors were pulled open, but not damaged.
He said the suspects may have gone through the opening where the dona-tions are dropped in.
The employee was unable to ac-count for any possible missing items.
Pedestrians hit by driverCUMMING, Ga. — A couple of pedes-trians were walking along the corner of an intersection and were struck and thrown into the air by an oncoming car, according to a Cumming Police incident report.
Daniel Blackstone was later charged with three traffic violations for serious injury by motor vehicle and failing to stop for pedestrians.
Blackstone was taken to Forsyth County Detention Center.
At 8:30 a.m. Oct. 14, officers found the victims, a man and his fiancée, ly-ing on the roadway off Main Street and
Veterans Boulevard.EMS personnel cleared the victims
and took them to North Fulton Hospi-tal’s Trauma Center in Roswell.
Blackstone told deputies he stopped at the intersection and never saw anyone on the road when he turned.
Officers said they saw a heavy amount of fog obstruct the view out of Blackstone’s 1998 Pontiac Firebird front windows.
Several witness said they did not see the incident, but saw the victims being “thrown into the air.”
Officers later checked on the vic-tims, who suffered moderate injuries from the accident and were released from the hospital.
Officers said both victims had a series of minor cuts and bruises. The woman had a large cut on her left knee, and her fiancé had a broken knee and fractured ankles.
‘Boys’ vandalize home under constructionCUMMING, Ga. — Someone, allegedly a group of boys, broke into a home under construction and threw paint on the walls, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident report.
A sales agent for the Bridgetowne subdivision told deputies the vandalism occurred sometime between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Oct. 18.
Deputies went to the home and saw paint thrown on the walls. There were things scrawled on the walls, door and inside cabinet drawers.
Deputies said throughout the home there were writings. “We are the water boys” was written in the foyer.
The vandals also dumped a large paint bucket on the staircase where the paint dripped down the stairs.
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.
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man went to a store and stole $2,850 in speakers on four occasions over the course of a few days, according to Forsyth County Sheriff’s incident reports.
The loss prevention officer at Target, 2625 Peachtree Parkway, told deputies he has video footage showing the same suspect stealing speakers in the same manner on Aug. 31, Sept. 2 and Sept. 10.
The employee said the video showed the suspect grabbed a shopping cart and strolled through different departments. The suspect put a few items in the cart and ended up in the
electronics department.There, the suspect selected several speakers, continued
out of the camera’s range and then reappeared with the speakers in large plastic Target bags.
The suspect pushed the cart out of the store without pay-ing and took off in a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Video footage showed the suspect repeat the crime, some-times with a female accomplice.
On Aug. 31, the suspect was seen pulling the plas-tic bags out of his pockets and putting speakers into them.
Repeat shoplifter caught on camera
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 3PUBLIC SAFETY
DUI arrests ► Crystal Lynn Smyrnios, 48,
of Buford was arrested Oct. 15 on Highway 20 in Cumming for DUI.
► Justin Erickson Graves, 24, of Dawsonville was arrest-ed Oct. 14 on Ga. 400 in Cumming for DUI and speed-ing.
► Jeremy Brad McGee, 35, of Ashewoode Downs Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Oct. 16 on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Cumming for DUI and speeding.
► James Gabriel Vaughan, 38, of Pinecone Way, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 8 on Bethelview Road in Cumming for DUI, failure to maintain lane and failure to exercise due care.
► David M. Taylor, 36, of Canton Highway, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 8 on Bethelview Road in Cumming
for DUI and reckless driving. ► Janice Mae James, 42, of
Bond Street, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 7 on Bond Street in Cumming for DUI.
► Stephanie Michelle Boyd, 41, of Conyers was arrested Oct. 4 on Little Mill Road in Cumming for DUI and failure to maintain lane.
► Charles Zebulon Mozley, 37, of Chamblee was arrested Oct. 4 on Ga. 400 in Cumming for DUI, failure to maintain lane and suspended license.
► Elizabeth Anne, D’Errico, 34, of North Pond Trail in Roswell, was arrested Oct. 18 on Abbotts Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI.
Drug arrests ► Shannon Perry Major, 43,
of Flowery Branch was arrest-ed Oct. 16 on Windermere Parkway in Cumming for pos-session of methamphetamines.
► Karra Renea Morgan, 26, of Emerald Drive, Cumming, was arrested Oct. 7 on Ga. 400 in Cumming for possession of heroin and expired tag.
► Connal Vedo Denson, 55, was arrested Oct. 15 on Highway 9 in Milton for pos-session of marijuana.
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.
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Forsyth County employee recognized for 25 years of serviceFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — At the Oct. 16 meeting, the Forsyth County Board of Commis-sioners recognized an employee for her years of service with the county govern-ment. Indigent De-fense Administrator Connie Brooker was recognized for reaching 25 years of service with the county.
Pictured from left are District 5 Commissioner Jim Boff, Commission Chairman R.J. (Pete) Amos, Connie Brooker, District 2 Commissioner Brian R. Tam and District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills.
4 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com NEWS
By KATHLEEN STURGEON and ALDO [email protected]
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The team in charge of overseeing the new jail and courthouse project in Cumming is mov-ing forward with plans to add a fountain and a Lady Justice sculpture.
The team is also discussing ways to beef up security at the courthouse after an incident
earlier this year when a man tried to storm the existing courthouse.
Although the fountain is not funded, the team suggest-ed soliciting donations from private groups.
The basic groundwork for the fountain is in place, said Forsyth County Commission Chairman Pete Amos.
At their Oct. 16 regular meeting, the Board of Commis-sioners authorized $5,000 for the design of the fountain to be installed in front of the new courthouse. The money will be transferred from the county’s capital projects fund, said Fi-nance Director David Gruen.
Cleaning and maintaining
the fountain would cost about $5,000 per year, county staff said.
At first, the fountain idea could not move forward be-cause a percolation test found the area was unsuitable. In place of the fountain, the team decided to install a Lady Justice statue instead. When a drainage system later made it possible to place the foun-tain on the grounds, the team chose to construct both the fountain and the statue.
The statue will be made by renowned local sculptor Greg Johnson.
Johnson said the base of the statue will be about 5 feet and the statue itself will be about 8 feet tall and feature the traditional blindfolded Lady Justice, holding balanced scales, a sword, snake and a book.
Johnson said the everlast-ing bronze statue will stand on a Dakota Mahogany granite base and will take about nine months to complete. Johnson recommended a warm amber lighting for the statue.
The Rotary Clubs of For-syth County along with the De-velopment Authority of Forsyth County will assist in funding the statue and fountain con-struction at the Town Green.
Superior Court Judge David L. Dickinson will also approach private organizations for foun-tain funding, which could cost about $150,000 to complete.
The team also discussed at their Oct. 23 meeting en-hancing security at the new courthouse, which would cost $315,476.
Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper suggested the jail’s name be “Forsyth County Jail,” and the rest of the proj-ect team agreed.
In addition, the team chose lettering for the courthouse and jail. The choices were between putting lettering on the lighter surface or on brick, and the team chose the lighter surface.
The font will be “Book Antique” and it will be finished in aluminum with dark bronze colors to match windows on both building.
The courthouse’s rotunda will have the inscription “Equal Justice Under Law,” the same as the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.
The opening date of the new courthouse is mid-February 2015, and the jail is anticipat-ed to open in March.
For more information, visit www.forsythco.com.
GARAGE SALESSee more garage sales in the classifieds • Page 22
CUMMING: Wade Valley Subdivision, 4976 Wade Valley Way 30040. Saturday 11/1, 7:30am-1:30pm. Clothes, tools and some furniture.JOHNS CREEK: Cambridge Holiday Shopping Craft Show, 5650 Millwick Drive 30005. Sunday 11/16, 12pm-6pm. FREE! Jewelry, Home decor , womens’ & childrens’ cloth-ing, soaps, Holiday shopping , food & live music.JOHNS CREEK: The Forest Subdivision, 11745 Red Maple Forest Drive 30005. Friday 10/31 and Saturday 11/1, 9am-4pm. Christmas decorations, office supplies, womens’ clothing and miscellaneous.CUMMING: Stonebrooke Commons, off Route 9 and 400, exit 13. Community yard sale. Saturday 11/1, 9am-2pm. (Rain date Saturday 11/8)
DEADLINETo place garage sale ads: Noon Friday prior week
Call 770-442-3278 or email [email protected]
Courthouse project spruces up outsideTown Green to feature statue, fountain
A rendering of the new courthouse and jail.
The statue itself will be about 8 feet tall and feature the traditional blindfolded Lady Justice, holding balanced scales, a sword, snake and a book.
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 5NEWS
Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate falls to 7.3% SeptemberATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced Oct. 23 that metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate for Sep-tember was 7.3 percent, down seven-tenths of a percentage point from 8.0 percent in August.
The rate in September of last year was 7.6 percent.
The rate dropped because there were 19,374 fewer unemployed people in the Atlanta area in September, ac-cording to the federal government’s monthly household survey, and there were fewer new layoffs.
While the rate decreased, metro Atlanta lost 4,000 jobs in September, as the total number of jobs declined to 2,468,600, down from 2,472,600, or 0.2 percent, from August.
Much of the job loss came in pro-fessional and business services, as well as in leisure and hospitality, as stu-dents who worked during the summer returned to school.
However, four sectors gained jobs during the month: government, educa-tion and health services, construc-tion, which has increased for the third straight month, and trade and trans-portation.
There was an over-the-year gain of 51,900 jobs, or 2.2 percent, from Sep-tember 2013’s 2,416,700.
This was the second largest Sep-tember-to-September growth since 2007. The job gains were in trade,
transportation and warehousing, 14,400; professional and business services, 13,200; leisure and hospi-tality, 8,600; manufacturing, 4,600; construction, 3,900; financial services, 3,500; education and health services, 2,700; government, 2,000; and infor-mation services, 1,300. Other services, including repair and maintenance and personal and laundry services, lost 2,300 jobs.
Also, there were 14,232 new claims for unemployment insurance filed in September, a decrease of 630, or 4.2 percent, from 14,862 in August.
Most of the decrease in claims came in retail trade, accommoda-tions and food services and manu-facturing and construction. Over the year, claims were down 14.9 percent from the 16,717 filed in September 2013.
Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.7 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Sep-tember was 7.9 percent, down from 8.1 percent in August. It was 8.0 percent in September 2013.
Local area unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.gdol.ga.gov.
—Jonathan Copsey
6 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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ATLANTA – More of the popular rush-hour flexible shoulder lanes have been implemented on Ga. 400, Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia Department of Transportation announced.
The lanes allow rush-hour commuters to drive on rein-forced outside (right) roadway shoulders for limited time peri-ods. Currently, such lanes are in morning use southbound between Holcomb Bridge Road and Northridge Road and between Northridge and the North Springs MARTA Station exit. Beginning this week, af-ternoon flexible shoulder lanes will be available northbound as well between the MARTA station and Northridge and far-ther north between State Route 120/Old Milton Parkway and
Windward Parkway, officials said.
“Access to an additional lane during the busiest hours on Ga. 400 is not only benefi-cial to commuters, but it will maximize the use of our exist-ing infrastructure,” said Deal. “We will continue our efforts – big and small – to improve travel conditions on Ga. 400 and all of the freeways serving metro Atlanta.”
GDOT began allowing travel in the current southbound shoulder lanes in 2012 after Deal asked the department to examine and pursue easy-to-implement and inexpensive steps that could offer immedi-ate relief to commuters. The lanes were well-received and provided some congestion relief
during Ga. 400’s most heavy southbound traffic periods; thus, Georgia DOT is expand-ing the program to other Ga. 400 segments.
Driving on the new north-bound flexible shoulder lanes will be permissible between the hours of 4 – 6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. As with the current southbound shoul-der lanes, a 45 mph advisory speed limit will be posted for shoulder lane traffic. Accident or disabled vehicle pull-off sites will be available adjacent to each of the new shoulder lanes.
GDOT will open an addi-tional southbound shoulder lane between North Springs MARTA and Abernathy Road later this month or in early
November and expects to open another southbound lane between Mansell Road and Holcomb Bridge and a north-bound lane between Abernathy and North Springs MARTA in the months to come.
Driving in southbound flex-
ible shoulder lanes is permis-sible only between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on weekdays.
GDOT urges motorists on this busy corridor – and all Georgia roads – to always drive cautiously, courteously, undis-tracted and unimpaired.
More flexible shoulder lanes coming to Ga. 400Access to an additional lane during the busiest hours on Ga. 400 is not only beneficial to commuters, but it will maximize the use of our existing infrastructure.”
NATHAN DEALGovernor Georgia
ATLANTA — The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) was hon-ored with the Institute of Transporta-tion Engineers’ (ITE) Transportation Achievement Award for Operations for the planning and communications as-sociated with the ending of tolls on Ga. 400.
The ITE Transportation Achieve-ment Awards recognize excellence in
the concepts, programs or projects that have a significant positive impact on transportation planning, design or operations.
SRTA received accolades for meet-ing safety goals and communicating the demolition process in advance of and during the Ga. 400 toll closure project.
Since the Ga. 400 toll plaza closure and end of toll collection on Nov. 22,
2013, construction crews have rein-forced and filled in the plaza tunnel stairwells and removed the toll booths and plaza canopy.
The Georgia Department of Trans-portation (GDOT) has announced Ga. 400 traffic will shift to its final and permanent configuration, signaling the completion of the project and the unob-structed opening of the roadway.
The shift occurred over Sept. 5 for northbound traffic and Sept. 6 for southbound traffic.
In June 2014, the project also won the Public Relations Society of Ameri-ca’s Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for media observances in government.
For more information, visit www.dot.ga.gov.
–Rachael Dier
Ga. 400 toll closure project wins awards
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 7Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
about that,” Davison said.Electric charging through-
out the campus can also present an issue when so many students are encouraged to “bring your own technol-ogy” (BYOT). Forsyth County Schools encourages students to bring personal mobile technology — including iPads, Kindle Fires, netbooks and even gaming devices — to use during class. On average, 46 percent of classrooms in each school are fully engaged in us-ing BYOT on a regular basis.
Siemens’ all-electric Ford Transit Connect van donation will assist the school’s engi-neering team, Davison said.
The 2011 van features Sie-mens ELFA technology, which drives the van and transfers braking energy back into the battery through the all-electric power train. The van was previously being used for intra-office mail delivery throughout the company’s 31 locations in metro Atlanta.
But at Lambert, the van will be used by the engineering students.
“The uses will be for the robotics team when they travel to competition,” Davison said. “Oftentimes, we will have things that occur on campus and off campus, and being able to move materials and raw items that they have is going to
help us a lot.” There are about 50 students
enrolled in the first-year engi-neering program and 33 stu-dents in second-year engineer-ing at Lambert High School.
Siemens was involved in creating the school’s program, which included coming up with projects for the students in the classroom, said Shujath Ali, Ga. 400 plant manager for Siemens in Alpharetta.
Some of the courses in the program include introduction to manufacturing, robotics and automated systems.
“Next is a work study,” said Ali. “Our goal is by June 30, 2015, the students will be able to translate their education into the workplace. In addition, we’re offering internships.”
Siemens’ Ga. 400 plant
in Alpharetta employs about 700 workers. It manufactures traction drives for the rail and mining industries, low voltage drives for the water, wastewa-ter, paper and metals indus-tries and more than 100 differ-ent types of control panels.
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Parking for early voters added behind City HallFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Advance voting for the Nov. 4 general election/special election is underway and will run through Friday, Oct. 31.
In addition to public parking areas at and near the Forsyth County Administration Build-ing, those taking advantage of advance vot-ing at the County Administration Building in
downtown Cumming can look for designated voter parking spaces behind Cumming City Hall.
For more information about voting locations, dates and times, visit http://www.forsythco.com/ or call 770-781-2118
–Rachael Dier
Continued from Page 1
Van: Seimens donates electric vehicle to Lambert
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
The school plans on installing a charging station for the van.
The van was previously being used for intra-office mail delivery throughout the company’s 31 locations in metro Atlanta.
8 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
CUMMING, Ga. — Luck shined upon a Dahlonega Highway resident as the 2014 edition of the Cumming Country Fair and Festival began to wind down.
The Cumming chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America conducted a raffle during the fair, and the grand prize was a SCCY Industries 9-mm handgun.
It was the second year for the firearm raffle, with proceeds going the chapter’s
activities including support for the Fisher House, a national organization providing housing and other support for families of those hospitalized at military and veterans hospitals across the country.
Additionally, the chapter supports programs for families with a member afflicted with childhood cancer at Camp Blue Skies in Port St. Joe, Florida.
The winner of the raffle was 48-year-old Danny McLaugh-lin.
His winning raffle ticket was drawn by a young fairgoer, 14-year-old Damien Waller, a freshman at South Forsyth High School.
Cumming VVA President Billy Darby congratulated the winner and said he was most appreciative of the participa-tion in the raffle by fair at-tendees.
“Their participation helps our organization to fund programs that are in keeping with our motto – ‘Never again
will one generation of veterans abandon another’ – and the proceeds will ensure we can do that,” said Darby.
For more information, con-tact Marty Farrell at 770-500-7234
–Rachael Dier
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Come for chili, stay for UGA-Florida football
By KATHLEEN [email protected]
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police officers, firefighters and other public safety staff will swap out their uniforms for aprons on Nov. 1 for the Alpharetta Chili Cook-Off. Guests are in-vited to join the fun starting at 2:30 p.m. by sampling the chili and watching the University of Georgia versus the University of Florida football game.
In its fifth year, the cook-off will offer a different way of awarding a winner, said Bat-talion Chief Scott Hefner.
“This year, each team will present their chili to guest
judges for scoring,” Hefner said. “Awards will be presented to first, second and third plac-es and people’s choice award.”
Tickets are being sold for $10 for adults and $5 for chil-dren.
All funds will go toward the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation.
“The foundation helps pub-lic safety employees in their time of need,” Hefner said. “The foundation also pur-chases public safety equipment that the city’s budget would not allow for purchase.”
Visit http://www.alpharet-ta.ga.us/ for more information on the event.
Public safety staff to compete at Alpharetta Chili Cook-Off Nov. 1
New look for Georgia DOT HEROsATLANTA — In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s enormously popular Highway Emergency Response Operators program, the 93 current HERO operators and supervisors wore new uniforms on Oct. 14.
This event was to familiarize the media and the public with the new HERO look. It is impor-
tant that motorists traveling the 320 miles of metro Atlanta interstates and freeways pa-trolled by HEROs easily recognize the operators and know that a HERO will always be driving one of their iconic vehicles, be willing to present their state identification card and cannot solicit or accept any payment or gratuity.
–Rachael Dier
Cumming man wins Vietnam veterans raffle
Damien Waller, 14, presents the winning raffle ticket to Cum-ming Vietnam Veterans President Billy Darby.
Cultivating the Desire to Learn
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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 9Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SPORTS
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LAMBERT 3, NORTHVIEW 0:
First quarter field goal enough for Lambert in winJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – A field goal scored in the first quar-ter was all the Lambert Longhorns needed, as they squeaked out a win against the Northview Titans Friday, Oct. 17.
In the end, the defense shined for the Longhorns.
Lambert’s pass rush re-peatedly pressured Northview quarterback D.J. Pearson, making it difficult for the Titans to move the ball on the ground or establish a consis-tent passing game.
Sophomore Brian Wright led Lambert with eight tackles and middle linebacker A.J. Schimmelpfennig contributed seven, including three tackles for a loss.
Justyn JeanFelix and Trevon McSwain each had an interception to help Lambert’s effort.
On offense, senior Drew
Cole was under center for the Longhorns. Cole went six-for-15 with 51 yards, no touchdowns and one intercep-tion.
Sophomore Eric Kohlins was Cole’s favorite target, totaling 31 receiving yards, averaging 15.5 yards per re-ception.
Running back Trevor O’Brien nearly hit the century mark for rushing, gaining 97 yards on 28 carries, including one run for 20 yards.
Lambert played at West Forsyth on Oct. 24 (scores were not available by press time) and will face Chat-tahoochee on Oct. 31 at home.
– A.J. McNaughton
By KATIE [email protected]
MILTON, Ga. – Eleven-year-old Jake Peacock of Milton was in kindergarten the first time he visited the world-famous Augusta National Golf Club to watch a practice round for the Masters Tour-nament. Little did he know, a mere six years later, he would return to Augusta National not as a spectator, but as a competitive golfer.
On April 5, 2015, the Sun-day before the Masters com-mences, Peacock will compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship, a skills competition for 80 junior golfers from 30 states and three Canadian prov-inces. The competition will be held in Augusta National’s 18th green area.
To secure his spot as a finalist, Peacock joined 50,000 kids from all across the country through three stages of intense qualifying competitions. Each stage had
the same skills: three drives, three putts and three chips, each worth 25 points. Only one player in each age group from each of 10 regions quali-fied for the national finals.
Jake’s parents, Stacey and Terry Peacock, said their son had a love for the game “since the time he could stand,” playing with plastic balls and clubs in his backyard.
Since he began competing at age 7, Peacock has accu-mulated 87 trophies in com-petitive golf, including finish-ing 17th in the world this year at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina, coming in second at the Future Masters in Dothan, Alabama last year, and winning the title “Best Pee Wee Golf Swing in North America” when he was 8.
Terry Peacock remembers watching a PGA event on television a few years ago with his son.
“Jake asked if Tiger Woods had another job. I answered no,” he said. “He then said,
‘So all he does for work is play golf and practice golf? Would it be okay if I did golf for my work?’ I said yes!”
Peacock is well on the way to making that dream come true. Those wishing to cheer him on can tune in to the Golf Channel on Sunday morning, April 5, for live coverage of the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship at Augusta National Golf Club.
Milton junior golfer to compete at Augusta NationalJake Peacock, 11, earns spot in Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship
Jake Peacock is all smiles after securing his finalist spot at Augusta National.
10 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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Be afraid — 5 haunted places in Forsyth
By CAITLIN [email protected]
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Fear and thrill continue to pro-vide goosebumps and haunt Forsyth County residents.
Tragic deaths and disturb-ing occurrences in the county’s beloved Foster House restau-rant add a touch of mystery to the Southern charm already ingrained in its historic hearth.
Then there’s the legend of Booger Mountain, known by many local families for its late-night thrills and child-hood scares. And nearly every longtime Forsyth resident has a tale of its looming illusion (or actual occurrence) that causes cars to be “pushed” uphill by alleged “slave spirits.”
Cemeteries also adorn the long list of hauntings reported in Forsyth County. Concord Baptist and Cumming Historic Cemetery each share a little girl ghost, though the latter also hosts another apparition.
But perhaps the most un-known haunting can be found where hundreds of Forsyth County children spend their days, Coal Mountain Elemen-tary School.
Booger MountainOverhanging Bettis-Tribble
Gap Road, two large oak trees mark the site of an alleged double hanging of two slaves accused of murdering a little girl in the 1850s.
Others say the area con-tains a slave burial ground.
Though no solid evidence exists, Booger Mountain is a local legend that sparks fear in everyone who tries a hand at its potential hauntings.
Thrill-seekers are instruct-ed to align their right car tire with a telephone pole that forms a 90 degree angle with
Tribble Gap Road, past Dr. Dunn Road.
They are told to put the car in neutral. Assuming no cars are approaching, and it’s nighttime (of course), the car will be pushed up the hill.
The local lore also suggests thrill-seekers should powder the hood of their car with baby powder or flour.
Handprints supposedly mark where the said slaves have touched the car to get it away.
Coal Mountain Elementary School
The story goes that an old maid’s home once stood where Coal Mountain Elementary now sits, and several sightings of an elderly woman in a long lace white dress have been reported crossing the corridors of the school.
A milkman and a former principal have reported on sep-arate occasions an eerie feeling when no one was around.
Constant tapping noises, along with doors continuously opening and closing would also interrupt people at the school when they were alone.
Cumming Historic Cemetery Roffe, the paranormal
investigator, has heard many a tale of the apparitions spotted in Cumming Historic Cem-etery.
“The stories I’ve heard about the apparitions in the cemetery usually center around a man,” she said.
Roffe describes this man as tall, wearing a dark suit and hat and sporting a long white beard and a Bible. He’s usually seen around the middle of the cemetery.
The man walks through the cemetery and disappears.
There have also been re-
ports of apparitions of a little girl in a pink dress.
The paranormal investi-gator points out that area of the cemetery mainly contains graves marked only with a cross that were relocated from other cemeteries during the construction of Lake Lanier.
Concord Baptist Church Cemetery
Amidst the remnants of eroded stone slabs that lie propped against air in the Con-cord Baptist Church Cemetery, a woman one day saw a little girl.
The girl was playing in the cemetery among the oldest of tombstones and the most chill-ing epitaphs.
The woman began heading toward the little girl, into the
oldest section of the cemetery. She feared the child was alone and lost in such a large ex-panse of graves.
But as she approached, the little girl turned and looked at her.
Then the little one disap-peared.
The Foster HouseThe soft, content murmur
of hungry customers provides the Foster House outside Cum-ming Square with a hospitable atmosphere.
The circulating sound of scraping forks and served plat-ters brings life to the 127-year-old residency, built in 1887.
But other happenings have provided evidence that people much older than the Sunday brunch crowd are
lurking around the creaking floorboards of this historically tragic building.
Patricia Hamby, one of the restaurant’s owners, said most happenings occur in the Gold Room, though they are dis-persed throughout the house.
Hamby reports having smelled pipe smoke when the house was empty; as does her daughter Amanda Davis and Amanda’s husband, Jeff, both of whom also work at the restaurant.
Denise Roffe, paranormal investigator out of Atlanta, said a fork levitated over the edge of the table and then fell to the floor and an empty chair skid-ded over to the general vicinity of a dining couple one night.
The Davises have witnessed a broom standing up on its own in the doorway of a room in the kitchen.
The two also heard what sounded like a music box play-ing, only to have the sound stop after their attempt to investigate.
Amanda Davis has herself heard a whooshing of wind by her in the hallway, as well as her name being whispered in the empty kitchen.
Martha McConnell reports hearing with her husband Jimmy McConnell the sound of a slamming book in the Gold Room when it was empty.
She also has heard ac-counts of people seeing pic-tures straighten themselves on the wall.
But the Foster House isn’t complaining.
“If the ghosts are here, and it sure seems they are at times, then I believe they are happy with us being here in their house,” Amanda Davis said. “We always try to respect the house and the memories of the past people who lived here. We want to keep the ghosts happy if they are here.”
Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared in 2012.
From restaurants to elementary schools, hauntings have happened all around
CAITLIN SHELBY/STAFF
A headless headstone in Old Middle Section at Concord Baptist Church Cemetery.
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 11Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Mo-tivation and leadership coach Jackie Martin will present a seminar for women entitled “Dressing for Success: Put-ting Your Best Self Forward” on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Li-brary, 2820 Old Atlanta Road in Cumming.
The seminar aims to explain how career-minded women, including teens and college-bound young women, can put their best selves forward by presenting an ap-propriate image during job interviews, college admission interviews and any time it’s necessary to make a good first impression.
“The biggest mistakes wom-en make when dressing for interviews or other important events are to wear clothing that fits poorly or is too reveal-ing, wearing too much jewelry or ignoring the appearance of their feet,” said Martin.
There are plenty of strate-gies that women can use to dress professionally, even on a small budget, said Martin.
“First, take stock of what you already own and know which pieces are appropriate
for interviews and business events,” she said. “Then when you’re shopping, search online for great deals and then supplement with pieces
from outlet malls, consignment shops and discount retailers.”
Part of the seminar will focus on stretching your wardrobe dollars by purchas-ing classic pieces that can be used several seasons and then accessorized to look on-trend. Style Fashions, a local con-signment store, will stage a fashion show demonstrating how to find complete outfits on a small budget.
Dressing to be your best professional self doesn’t end with the proper clothing for women. It is also important to accessorize properly, maintain a well-groomed hairstyle and apply makeup appropriately for a business setting.
Another portion of the seminar will include presenta-tions from Jodi Bond, a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant, and
tips on wearing just the right accessories from Park Lane Jewelry.
“Good grooming, includ-ing hair, makeup and even fingernails are like icing on the cake. They give us a polished and finished appearance. Not to mention how it makes a woman feel when she knows she’s having a good hair day,” stressed Martin.
After dressing for success, women need to be able to com-municate effectively during interviews and business meet-ings. In another segment of the seminar, Martin will address
verbal and nonverbal commu-nication strategies to help par-ticipants communicate their strengths and appear calm and confident in any professional situation.
“We’ll have fun exploring the ways to make the best first impression,” said Martin of the seminar. “We’ll also discuss how looking good on the out-side can make you feel more confident on the inside. Stand-ing tall, making eye contact and giving a firm handshake will help you start off on the right foot.”
Martin is the founder,
coach and chief motivational officer of A Matter of Motiva-tion. In addition to hosting seminars for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce and teaching continuing education courses on leadership at the University of North Georgia, she is also a John Maxwell certified coach, teacher and speaker.
Participation in “Dressing for Success: Putting Your Best Self Forward” is free, but regis-tration is requested.
For more information or to register, please visit www.forsythpl.org.
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12 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
Being involved in the gala last year was great exposure for us.We feel it helped us launch a successful business in Alpharetta.
Sponsored by
By JADE [email protected]
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — In a time when the economy has been so unpredictable, it means a lot to a hometown news hub like Appen Media Group to support local businesses.
November 2013 marked the first Best of the Best Gala for Appen Media Group. Local businesses from all over North Fulton and South Forsyth gathered at The Metropolitan Club on Windward Parkway to be honored as the Best of the Best that the area has to offer.
As with many of the proj-ects at Appen, Best of the Best started in print.
Appen readers go online each year to vote for the very best businesses in all of North Fulton and South Forsyth.
Now, readers and residents can see the results not just in print, but also in person at The Best of the Best Awards Gala, where there will be food, live music and a myriad of well-deserved recognition.
“We look forward to recog-nizing the very best businesses that our community has to offer at this year’s gala,” said Hans Appen, general manager of Appen Media Group. “Appen is anticipating quite the turn out, including a seven piece band from Atlanta Plays it For-ward. Best of the Best is about to have its biggest year yet.”
The Best of the Best Gala not only honors current,
established businesses, but also sheds light on blossoming businesses that are new to the area.
“As a new business, we looked for many ways to get in front of the community,” said Melissa Rudd, owner of DaVinci’s Donuts. “Being in-volved in the gala last year was great exposure for us. We feel it helped us launch a success-ful business in Alpharetta.
“DaVinci’s being named Runner Up in the Best Bakery category this year, consider-ing we have only been officially open for six months, is icing on the donut.”
The first Best of the Best Gala kicked off with a bang; there were over 250 attendees. This year promises to be even bigger and better.
“It’s an honor to win a Best of the Best Award from one of
the most respected newspapers in the North Fulton area,” said Janet Rodgers, president and CEO of the Alpharetta Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau. “We appreciate Appen for initiat-ing a contest that allows the
community to vote on who they think are the Best of the Best. We thank the community for voting us Best Information Ser-vices for two years running.”
Sponsorships and tick-ets are still available for this much anticipated event. Please
contact Jade Rodgers at 770-442-3278 ext. 126 or [email protected] for more information.
Voting is still going on for Best Restaurants and Best Retail. Visit www.northfulton.com to vote.
Best of the Best Awards Gala to be bigger, better2014 event Nov. 20, awards businesses
Appen Media Group staff gathers for a group photo at last year’s gala. From left: AJ McNaughton, Suzanne Pacey, Jonathan Copsey, Aldo Nahed, Ray Appen, Jade Rodgers, Linda Cohen, Abby Breaux, Christina Appen, Mike Dorman, Wendy Goddard, Hans Appen and Becky Nelson.
If you goWhat: Best of the Best Awards Gala
When: Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Where: The Metropolitan Club, 5895 Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta Ga. 30005
More Info: Call Jade Rod-gers to purchase tickets 770-442-3278 ext. 126
Business owners and representatives gathered from North Ful-ton/South Forsyth to be honored at The Metropolitan Club.
Caitlyn Blizzard of the Al-pharetta Convention and Visi-tors Bureau emphasizes the important roles played by local businesses.
Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 13Submit your business news & photos to [email protected] NewBusinessSpotlight
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BusinessPostsClosing out the year on a high note
We are officially into the fourth quarter of the year, a time when most small busi-ness owners have a lot on their plate.
Achieving revenue and growth goals for this year, planning and preparing for next year and dozens of other activities consume a small business owner’s time.
With all this going on, how do you close out the year on a high note?
First and foremost, make sure you allocate enough time to making things happen this year. While planning for next year is certainly important, making sure you achieve your revenue, growth and profit objectives comes first.
A close second is thanking your customers for doing busi-ness with you.
With the upcoming holiday season, it’s a perfect oppor-tunity to thank them for their business.
Additionally, make sure your employees know how important they are to your small business. Recognizing top performers, hosting holiday
events and handing out bonus dollars always goes a long way to making your employees feel special.
Once you have a plan to make things happen, thank your customers and recognize your employees, it’s time to plan for next year.
Most small business own-ers defer their planning for next year to the beginning of the year.
The year starts and they get busy, and they don’t even have time to put their plans together.
Make sure you allocate time for this so that when the New Year is here, you’re ready to go.
Focusing on all of these things will help you to close out the year on a high note!
DICKJONESFounder & PresidentJones Simply Sales
Is it me or does it seem like there is a new subdivision being built around every cor-ner? Travel nearly any road in Forsyth County and if you don’t see homes sprouting up, it’s probably because you’re stuck in traffic behind the trucks carrying the lumber, moving the dirt or turning the load of concrete on the way to one of those communities.
I had a client comment that it seemed like we are building more homes now than we did in the heat of the market before the housing bubble burst. My client asked me if that were the case.
It’s hard for me to answer that question because not all new homes get entered in the MLS (multiple listing system).
Many new homes are pre-sold, or contracts get put on new homes while they are at a stage prior to being “listed.”
These factors make it hard to find accurate numbers of new versus resale transac-tions.
So I decided to look at lot permits for Forsyth County. As you can see by the trend, not only are permits up, but they have surpassed pre-re-
cession levels — significantly.This is truly a double-
edged sword of growth. The more we build, the
more the tax base increases for the county. The more durable goods are sold, the more money we put into the community for goods and services. But along with that growth comes traffic conges-tions, school overcrowding and more load on county resources.
I’m inclined to think the good outweighs the bad – certainly, if that growth is managed and planned for.
The question is, can the county keep up with the fast pace that builders and devel-opers are capable of main-taining?
Has the pendulum swung too far?ROBERTSTRADERLocal RealtorKeller Williams Realty
Business: Humble Pie Pizza CompanyOpened: August 2014Owner: Andrew AdamsWhat: “Local neighbor-hood pizza joint”Where: 869 N. Main St. in AlpharettaHours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Sat-urday, noon to 9 p.m. SundayCall: 678-867-6773Web: www.humblepiepiz-zaco.net
Humble Pie now open in AlpharettaBusiness: Tropical Joes SmoothiesWhat: Daily smoothies brimming with real fruits will help improve your im-mune system, boost your energy, strengthen your bones, clear your skin and lower your risk of disease. Good health is closer than you think. Try a free shot of Vonnie’s Greens wheat-grass during October.Where: McGinnis Ferry Road, Suite 200, Johns Creek, Ga 30005Call: 770-324-6395
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14 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your business news & photos to [email protected]
NEW HIRES »
New orthopedic trauma surgeon joins North Fulton HospitalROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton Hospital has announced the ap-pointment of Dr. Michael Quacken-bush to its medical staff.
Quackenbush is board certified in orthopedic surgery with areas of interest in orthopedic trauma sur-gery, fracture and fracture recon-structive surgery and repair of slow healing/non-healing fractures. He is also an AO International Fellow through Charité, Humboldt Univer-sität in Berlin, Germany.
Quackenbush received his medical degree from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glen-dale, Arizona. He then completed his residency at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Stratford, New Jersey, followed by a fellowship in orthopedic trauma at University of California – Davis in Sacramento, California.
For more information, visit www.nfultonhospital.com.
Wade joins RenasantBank’s Forsyth lending teamCUMMING, Ga. — The Georgia Division of Renasant Bank an-nounced that Donna Wade has joined Renasant Bank as a senior commercial relationship manager in Renasant’s Forsyth locations. Wade will serve the Forsyth County locations based at 500 Canton Road and 5395 Atlanta Highway in Cumming.
She has over 30 years of bank-ing experience in diverse roles that include extensive experience in business develop-ment, credit administration, management and leadership. Wade is a graduate of Georgia South-ern University. She contributes to her community through leadership roles such as Rotary Club of Forsyth County, Cumming/Forsyth Chamber of Commerce and North Forsyth Local School Council. She and her husband, Jim, have two children, Mor-gan and Blake. The Wades attend Browns Bridge Church in Cumming.
For more information, contact Wade by calling 678-513-5357 or 770-827-9470, or email [email protected].
RECOGNITION »
Harry Norman, Forsyth honors two agentsCUMMING, Ga. — Harry Norman, Realtors con-gratulated Pete Clay and Christina Abunassar for achieving senior marketing consultant status.
The SMC designation is awarded to Harry Nor-man sales associates who distinguish themselves through exemplary achievements in the field of real estate. Senior marketing consultants must maintain outstanding production levels and command a thor-ough knowledge of marketing, contract negotiations and finance. In awarding the SMC designation, Harry Norman considers such factors as personal integrity, tireless commitment and enthusiastic ef-fort on behalf of clients.
“Christina and Pete are both exemplary agents in the Forsyth/Lake Lanier office,” said Robert Aiken, senior vice president and managing broker. “It takes a special type of agent to not only excel in their field, but to also possess the type of personal integrity to be considered a role model to other agents in the company.”
For more, call 770-497-2000 or visit www.har-rynormanforsyth.com.
Loving Hands’ Judi Baileyearns CVPM accreditationALPHARETTA, Ga. — Loving Hands Animal Clinic
and Pet Resort congratulated Judi Bailey on achieving the national accreditation of certified veterinary practice manager.
In addition to passing a rigor-ous examination, the CVPM pro-gram requires a minimum of three years of practice management ex-perience, 18 college semester hours of business management courses, a yearly fulfillment of approved continuing education courses and a minimum of four professional recommendation letters. It is accredited by the Institute for Creden-tialing Excellence. Bailey is now one of only nine CVPMs in the state of Georgia.
Bailey is the founder and president of BG South-east, a veterinary management consulting company, and the Georgia Veterinary Managers Association, where she mentors veterinary managers all over the state. She joined Loving Hands Animal Clinic in 2011.
COMMUNITY »
Bank of North Georgia partners with Action MinistriesATLANTA — Bank of North Georgia, a division of Synovus Bank, has chosen to partner with Action Ministries for a second year in support of the non-profit’s Feed the Hungry Food Box program. Now through Nov. 7, customers and supporters can visit any of Bank of North Georgia’s 41 locations and donate $5 for a food box that will feed a family for up to five days.
Last year, Bank of North Georgia raised $28,000 to provide 100,000 meals to hungry families. This year’s goal is $35,000, or 120,000 meals for families in need. “At Bank of North Georgia, we don’t just work in the communities we serve, we strive to be active participants,” said Rob Garcia, president and CEO 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.”
Georgia has the third highest poverty rate in the country, said John R. Moeller Jr., president and CEO of Action Ministries.
“The need for our services continues to grow at a rapid pace,” Moeller said. “By meeting the basic needs of hunger relief, housing and education, Action Ministries removes barriers that prevent thousands of Georgians from breaking the cycle of poverty and realizing their potential.”
Anyone can participate in the program by visit-ing a Bank of North Georgia branch or by donating online at www.actionministries.net/donate or www.bankofnorthgeorgia.com or texting FOODBOX to 41444.
For more information, visit www.actionminis-tries.net.
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forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 15CALENDARSubmit your event online at forsythherald.com
EVENTS:
KIDGITS HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONWhat: A mall-wide trick or treat for kidsWhere: Sugarloaf Mills Mall, 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy., LawrencevilleWhen: Thursday, Oct. 30Hours: 5-7 p.m.Cost: FreeOnline: simon.com/mall/sugarloaf-mills
PRISMARKET FIRST ANNUAL FALL FESTIVALWhat: A fall festival sponsored by PRISM, Where Special People Thrive, celebrating the flea market’s one year anniversary.Where: PRISM at Willow Springs,
2500 Old Alabama Rd., RoswellWhen: Saturday, Nov. 1Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Cost: FreeOnline: prismga.org
AN AFTERNOON WITH ANGELA THOMASWhat: A meeting with Angela Thomas, a best-selling author and teacher of Bible studies.Where: Roswell United Methodist Church, 814 Mimosa Blvd., RoswellWhen: Saturday, Nov. 1Hours: Meeting begins at 1 p.m.Cost: Admission is $15Info: Tickets can be purchased in the church office in the “B” Chapel building, Sundays in the main lobby of the “A” Sanctuary building or by calling 770-261-1705.Online: rumc.com/women
MUSIC:MUSIC AND MAGICWhat: A musical event for families and kids presented by Jason’s Music Party and Opus One Music.Where: Off Broadway Theater, 12315 Crabapple Rd. #122, Alpharetta.When: Saturday, Nov. 1Hours: Begins at 10 a.m.Cost: Admission is $7Info: Free admission for children three years old or younger. Online: jasonsmusicparty.com
RACES & BENEFITS:XTERRA GEORGIA BATTLE AT BIG CREEK 5.5 OR 10 MILE TRAIL RUNWhat: The 6th annual XTERRA Georgia Battle at Big Creek 5.5 or 10 mile trail runWhere: Big Creek Trails, 1600 Old Alabama Rd., RoswellWhen: Saturday, Nov. 1Hours: Races begin at 8:30 a.m.Cost: $35 for 5.5 mile run, $40 for 10 mile run
Info: The cap on the number of participants is 375 people.Online: dirtyspokes.com/battle-at-big-creek/
SPECIAL OLYMPICS FORSYTH COUNTY FALL BACK DECADE DASHWhat: A 5K/fun run hosted by Special Olympics Forsyth CountyWhere: Lanier Tech-Forsyth Campus, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., CummingWhen: Saturday, Nov. 1Hours: Begins at 7 a.m.Cost: 5K is $30 per person on race day, fun run is $15 per person on race dayInfo: Register online at active.com Online: rungeorgia.com/soforsyth5k.html
THEATER:
GYPSY THE MUSICALWhat: A musical theatre play presented by The Cumming Playhouse loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist and focuses on her mother Rose.Where: The Cumming PLayhouse, 101 School St., CummingWhen: Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 9Hours: Showtimes varyCost: $27.50 for adult tickets, $25 for seniors, veterans and anyone 18 years old or youngerOnline: playhousecumming.com
THE ELEPHANT MANWhat: A theatre play presented by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre about the struggles of a deformed man in London during the later part of the 19th century. Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., RoswellWhen: Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 16Hours: Showtimes vary. Cost: Varies from $20 to $22 per ticketOnline: get.org
ERICA O’NEALCalendar [email protected]
Submit your event to northfulton.com or email with photo to [email protected]. For a more complete list of local events including support groups, volunteer opportunities and business meetings visit the calendar on northfulton.com. ED
ITOR
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ICKS
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LUDWIG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA A concert by the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra opening their 18th season at the Gwinnett Center - Performing Arts Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Duluth. Sunday, Nov. 2. Concert begins at 4 p.m. $22 for adult tickets, $19 for seniors and $12 for student tickets. The concert will be featuring local composer Andrew Wang, who is 12 years old and from Johns Creek. Visit ludwigsymphony.org for more info
FALL FESTIVAL BOOK SALEA fall book sale hosted by the Alpharetta Library, 238 Canton St., Alpharetta. Saturday, Nov. 1from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, books cost anywhere from $0.25 to $1. Visit fotal.org for more info.
HOWLPHARETTA GHOST TOURA narrated walking tour through Historic Alpharetta in Downtown Alpharetta, exact meeting locations are given at purchase of tickets. Saturday, Nov. 1. Tour begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 each. Tickets must be bought in advance online at zerve.com/AlphaTours/Howl. Visit alpharettatours.com for more info.
ALPHARETTA CHILI COOK-OFFChili cook-off featuring the Georgia vs. Florida football game in Downtown Alpharetta, 2 South Main St. Saturday, Nov. 1 begining at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Visit apsfoundation.org/Events.html for more info.
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT AT
16 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
CUMMING, Ga. — Culture, faith and traditional food were some of the main reasons people flocked to the Cumming Greek Festival Oct. 17-19. Setting a new personal best, the festival had over 8,000 in attendance.
“Every year, it gets bigger and bigger,” said Stamatia Ha-gen, a festival attendee.
The festival gave guests a taste of unique Greek food, entertainment and shopping. Ticket sales go partially to charity.
A portion will also go to the building of a new Vasilika, or Greek church.
—Kathleen Sturgeon
Cumming Greek Festival draws over 8,000
PHOTOS BY STAMATIA HAGEN
Anna Miller enjoyed a Greek doughnut, also known as a loukoumades.Lorelei Willis leading one of the Greek dances.
Beginner youth group dancers Nikolia Hagen and Harris Leventis. Nicholas Levantis enjoys the Greek food.
Abigail Miller dressed in a traditional Greek costume. George roasted lamb on a spit. Jacob and Jimmy Atkinson perform the sailor dance.
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 17Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SCHOOLS
Georgia Southern UniversitySTATESBORO, Ga. – Lilly Norris completed her fresh-man year at Georgia South-ern University by making the Dean’s List both semesters. To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average each semester. A member of the Phi Mu sorority at GSU, Nor-ris lives in Johns Creek and graduated from Chattahoochee High School.
Berry CollegeMOUNT BERRY, Ga. – Berry College recently celebrated 425 new graduates May 10, including the following local students.
Hannah Ausband, Su-wanee, bachelor’s degree in music; Tommy Edgeworth, Suwanee, bachelor’s degree in marketing; Michaela Grass, Suwanee, bachelor’s degree in communication/public relations; Drew Kratzer, Suwanee, bachelor’s degree in economics; Jackson Milway, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in finance; Ansley Reich, Duluth, bachelor’s degree in psychology; Radu Rodila, Suwanee, bachelor’s degree in finance/Spanish; Robert Stonaker, Alpharetta, bach-elor’s degree in visual com-munication; and Cari Voutila, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in visual communication.
Brynn Barber, Cum-ming, bachelor’s degree in government; Hannah Bentley, Roswell, bachelor’s degree in early childhood education; Hilary Caldwell, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in early
childhood education; Alyson Childers, Cumming, bachelor’s degree in psychology; Bekah Ingram, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in psychology; Mer-edith Kagy, Roswell, bach-elor’s degree in biochemistry; and Eric Latimer, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in manage-ment/marketing.
Kayla Palmer, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in psycholo-gy; Marcella Putri, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in chemistry; Kseniya Shakhova, Cumming, bachelor’s degree in account-ing/finance; and Cal Supik, Cumming, bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Rice UniversityHOUSTON, Texas – The follow-ing local students graduated from Rice University May 17.
Daniel Cohen, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in political science/economics; Angela Guo, Duluth, bachelor’s de-gree in history/policy stud-ies; Erica Johns, Alpharetta, bachelor’s degree in cognitive sciences; and Connor Mason, Suwanee, bachelor’s degree in mathematical economic analysis.
University of DelawareNEWARK, Del. – Jason Derene recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in finance and sport management. Derene was a student athlete in tennis at Delaware and was on Dean’s List in the fall 2013 and spring 2014. He graduated from Milton High School in 2010. Since graduation, he has moved to Chicago to begin his career with ZS Associates, one of the world’s largest business services firms specializing in transforming sales and mar-keting from an art to a science.
The CitadelCHARLESTON, S.C. – Joseph Van Dyke of Cumming, Samu-el Cowart of Roswell and Mark Smith of Roswell were among the cadets who earned Gold Stars and Dean’s List at The Citadel for the spring semester 2014. The honor signifies aca-demic excellence for earning a 3.7 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale.
In addition, Cadets George Turner of Alpharetta, John Brunson of Alpharetta and Robert Jackson of Roswell earned Dean’s List recognition for achieving at least at 3.2 GPA.
Members of The Citadel class of 2014 were recognized for excellence in leadership, service and academics at commencement ceremonies following the spring semester. The following local students graduated: Eric Joseph Buel-tel of Cumming, Brian Eu-gene Dopson of Roswell and Connor Macquire Reasoner Blasch of Alpharetta.
Ga. Southwestern State UniversityAMERICUS, Ga. – Amber Bah-ri, a resident of Suwanee, was among 165 students who made the spring 2014 President’s List for scholastic achievement at Georgia Southwestern State University. To be eligible for the President’s List, a student must earn a semester grade point average of 4.0 and take a minimum of 12 credit hours.
Brigham Young UniversityPROVO, Utah – Three local students recently graduated from Brigham Young University following the spring 2014 term.
Mitchell Mills, son of Bart and Joanne Mills of Milton,
graduated magna cum laude. A 2008 Milton High School graduate, Mills was selected Outstanding Student for General Business at the Mar-riott School of Business and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Megan Hirschi, daughter of Ken and Linda Hirschi of Milton, graduated magna cum laude with University Honors with a bachelor’s degree in bio-chemistry and two minors in English and music. The 2007 Milton High School graduate was chosen to be the com-mencement speaker for the Brigham Young Student Body.
Kathleen Smith, daughter of Michael and Julie Smith, graduated with a degree in physics and a double minor in math and ballroom dance. She performed on the BYU Ball-room Dance Company earning high honors on her Interna-tional Medals Exam and plac-ing several times at Amateur Dancesport Nationals.
Colgate UniversityHAMILTON, N.Y. – Mela-nie Lockard, a graduate of Alpharetta High School from Alpharetta, is a member of the Colgate University graduat-ing class of 2014. Lockard, who majored in international relations and Middle Eastern/Islamic studies, is one of 750 students to graduate from Col-gate in 2014.
Connecticut CollegeNEW LONDON, Conn. – Adam Patel, a member of the class of 2015 at Connecticut College and a resident of Alpharetta, has been named to the Dean’s Honors List for the 2014 spring semester. At Connecticut Col-lege, Dean’s Honors is a recog-nition for students who have
earned a grade point average of at least 3.65.
University of San DiegoSAN DIEGO, Calif. – Annelyse Barker of Milton graduated from the University of San Di-ego on May 25. Barker earned a bachelor’s degree in interna-tional business.
Dordt CollegeSIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Ever-ett Hill of Duluth was awarded football and honors scholar-ships from Dordt College as an incoming freshman for the fall 2014 semester.
University of GeorgiaATHENS, Ga. – Lorin Janae Crear has enrolled at the Uni-versity of Georgia as a Stamps Foundation Fellow. The value of the Stamps Foundation Fel-lowship for four years at UGA is worth up to approximately $84,000, including enrichment funds for international travel, research internships and out-door leadership experiences. Chosen for her leadership, scholarship, perseverance, service and creativity, Crear plans to study biology at UGA. She graduated summa cum laude from Chattahoochee High School, where she served as yearbook copy editor and president of the Books for Af-rica Club. She is a first-degree black belt in American Karate and has volunteered as small group leader at North Point Community Church.
Also at the University of Georgia, Madelyn Teel of Milton was recently recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, the national leader-ship and honors organization.
DAR honors local student with Community Service AwardCUMMING, Ga. — The Chestatee River chapter of the Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution honored local student Remington Youngblood with their Com-munity Service Award at their October meeting.
Youngblood is a seventh-grade stu-dent at Riverwatch Middle School and is the founder of Change4Georgia.
Change4Georgia is a community service program that is inclusive to stu-dents and provides them with opportu-nities to thank soldiers and veterans for their service, dedication and sacrifice in protecting the nation’s freedom and keeping it secure.
The organization benefits troops overseas by collecting items from their “wish lists” and also benefits veterans and their families by providing food,
clothing and diapers to those in need. Youngblood gave a presentation ti-
tled “Why Patriotism Is Important” and collected donations of new and gently used books for troops overseas, veter-ans, their families and Title I schools.
He was presented with the DAR Community Service Award by the Chestatee River chapter’s regent, Joyce Mortison, and Community Service Chairperson Lynn Briggs.
To learn more about Youngblood’s organization, visit http://change4geor-gia.org/.
DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations.
To learn more about DAR, visit www.DAR.org or contact Mortison at [email protected].
–Rachael Dier
From left are Community Service Award recipient Remington Youngblood, Ches-tatee River Daughters of the American Revolution regent Joyce Mortison and Lynn Briggs, Chestatee River DAR community service chairperson.
VARSITY BRIEFSSend us your news!
Email to [email protected] Info: 770-442-3278
18 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected] | Recycled paper
I watched a video a while back about a community in California where all the shared green spaces were planted with fruit bushes and trees. Anyone in the commu-nity could pick these fruits and enjoy them.
When kids in the neighbor-hood needed a snack, they could run over to the nearest fruit bush and enjoy some berries.
Community members with an interest in gardening could volunteer to care for the shared orchards and fruit bushes. I thought this was an amazing idea and wondered why all neighborhoods didn’t do this; so simple and so ben-eficial to all.
As I drive around town or through local neighborhoods, I am always surprised to see the lack of edibles planted. We are fortunate here in northern Georgia to be able to grow all kinds of fruits and other edi-bles easily and in most cases without the use of chemicals. These plants and trees would also provide food and shelter for animals native to our area who have become endangered due to a lack of habitat.
Residents’ yards could have attractive native bushes bursting with colorful, ripe berries. Neighborhoods could have shared green areas cov-ered in beautiful local trees with delectable fruits hanging from their branches for the entire neighborhood to share and enjoy.
There is no better way to know what you are eating than if you are fully invested in the growing process. In ad-dition to an annual vegetable garden, I believe edible peren-nials are a key component to a healthy lifestyle and vibrant ecosystem.
Since edible perennials are a topic I am very interested in, I was excited to hear that my local library was offering a class about this. The class was presented by Heather Kolich from the UGA Forsyth County Extension Office and was called “Edible Landscap-ing with Perennials.” The class was both informative and interesting and was well timed for fall planting. Fall is a great time to plant berry bushes and fruit trees.
I spoke with Kolich more about this topic:
Q & A with Heather Kol-
ich from the UGA Extension Office:
Why plant edible peren-nials?
They are aesthetically pleasing, providing seasonal interest with flowers appear-ing spring through fall and blazing autumn colors. They provide a reliable output of food with less maintenance than an annual vegetable garden. By growing your own, you know what you are eating and can harvest when ripe so it tastes better.
What types of plants are considered edible pe-rennials?
There are lots of types of edible perennials; there are trees, shrubs, vines, fruits, nuts, berries, herbs and more.
Can you share some of the best growers for our areas?
Good tree examples would be apple, fig, pear and native trees such as serviceberry, pawpaw, southern crabapple and American persimmon.
Shrub examples would be blueberry, fig, rosemary, pine-apple sage, erect thornless
blackberry and native shrubs such as chickasaw plum and elderberry.
Vine examples would be muscadine, bunch grape and trailing blackberries and rasp-berries.
Groundcover examples would be strawberries, creep-ing thyme, oregano and creep-ing raspberry.
What would you recom-mend as easy starters?
Rabbiteye blueberries, figs, thornless blackberries, heri-tage raspberry, muscadines and herbs. These plants are well adapted to our growing conditions and have few dis-ease or pest problems.
Can you tell me more about the Rabbiteye blue-berries?
These are a great choice as they are native to Geor-gia, have few pests or disease problems and you can harvest over several weeks.
You will need at least two
varieties for berry production.
Kolich and the UGA Exten-sion Office are great resources for residents living in Forsyth County.
In addition to putting on the fall series of educational classes, they are also hosting a fall plant sale.
Many of the edibles recom-mended are available for pur-chase at reasonable prices.
Visit their website at www.ugaextension.com/forsyth for more information about the plant sale and other classes offered.
The extension office also offers soil testing for a small fee, which is important to do before you begin planting any-thing, especially edibles.
If you are considered planting some new bushes, groundcovers or trees, consid-er edible landscaping – good for you and for the environ-ment.
Going Green Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014
Making a difference in your local community
PASCALE CHAMBERSGuest Columnist
Creating an edible landscape with perennials
Local nonprofit raffles garden towerFORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Reaping Nature Educational Outreach Foundation is raf-fling a garden tower, which is a vertical garden and compost containers, from the Garden Tower Project. Each tower can hold more than 50 plants, providing a space-saving, almost maintenance free and affordable way to grow veg-gies and compost organic food scraps. Several Forsyth County schools have purchased garden towers for their outdoor learn-ing and gardening areas.
“We’re excited about bring garden towers to schools and others in Forsyth County,” said Denise Carleton, Reaping Na-ture’s executive director. “We also have compost red wigglers to donate for the compost tube which runs through the center of tower.”
Compost plays a signifi-cant role both in keeping the tower hydrated and reducing evaporative loss. The exposure of the soil column to an empty compost tube also accelerates drainage.
Raffle tickets are $10, and the value of the tower is $300. A winner will be drawn on Nov. 10. A portion of the tickets will cover the organization’s cost to purchase the tower.
To purchase tickets or for additional information, contact [email protected].
We are fortunate here in northern Georgia to be able to grow all kinds of fruits and other edibles easily and in most cases without the use of chemicals.
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 19Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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Every time you use 770Tree.com to request an estimate, Appen-Rated makes a donation to
North Fulton Community Charities or The Drake House. Do good & get great tree work too!
Pre-Screened Local Tree services.We do all the homework, so you don’t have to.
Screened and vetted local servicesFrom
You’re never more than 2 clicks away on your smart phone, tablet or desktop.
20 | October 29, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com Submit your opinions to [email protected]
Fall is that time of year that people seem to have the most announcements they would like to get in the newspaper. So I am going to tell you how easy it can be if you know the shortcuts.
First, understand we receive hundreds of emails a week, many of them with mes-sages people want to get into the newspaper.
They are from schools, par-ents, sports teams, historical societies, libraries, Scouts and a host of others.
We pull out all of the stuff that is not local, because after all, we are the local newspaper. The rest we try to fit in, if at all possible.
Many events are suitable for Calendar, and you may submit them directly by email-ing to: [email protected]. There, you can create account (it’s free) and then download the event. Once the account is set up, you can upload copy and up to five photos.
For the others who would like to get us their articles, notices, stories or other items of news interest, simply email them to [email protected] and we will evaluate them and place them in the news queue to run.
Notes on emailing us these items
As noted, we receive many, many items. Some people simply email us an e-flyer with good graphics and dates and times of events. We cannot run these flyers as is, because they take up to much space.
So they must converted from flyer-speak into news copy.
This takes time. Time is a luxury around here we don’t have. So flyers go to the “Wait-Pile.”
Other emails come to us in crisp, full sentences that tell us concisely who and what they are about. Maybe a Dizzy Dean team has won a tourna-ment, and they include a few sentences and a photo of the team with IDs of the players.
This goes into the “Ready-Pile.” If you are smart, you will send us items that will go straight to the Ready-Pile. These items usually get in the newspaper first.
We don’t have the eyes and ears to be everywhere.
But we can give space to people who act as our eyes and ears. So we really want to hear from you.
A word about photos.
They are worth 1,000 words and even more if you cut the photos out and send them to Grandma. So we love photos emailed to us. But it takes some savvy on the sender’s part.
They must be sent in high resolution. The Internet likes small compacted photos that don’t take up much space.
But we have to blow those photos up many, many times so that they will large enough for the newspaper. So if you want your photos to look crisp, clear and in focus, you should send them in high resolution of 300 dpi or greater.
Two things. Photos that are not crisp and clear will not be in the newspaper.
Second thing. Bigger is not always better. Simply big is better.
So if it is a huge file, it will probably bounce back. If you are not sure, send it twice (we will know not run it twice) big and a little bigger. If you are not sure, just ask us in the email to answer that the photo is OK.
We want you to be in the newspaper. A good local news-paper reflects the people who read it. So help us get your news in and everybody should be happy.
Help us help you get your news in the newspaper
HATCHER HURDExecutive [email protected]
We don’t have the eyes and ears to be everywhere. But we can give space to people who act as our eyes and ears. So we really want to hear from you.
How are things at Appen Media?For quite a while, I have
been wanting to write a periodic column about our business – sort of an update. I don’t think that my business is any more important than other businesses but I do get asked fairly frequently how things are going at the paper.
Usually, the questioner is someone being polite, but they’re also asking if we are surviving, given how difficult the industry has been for newspapers lately.
In short, we are doing fine; but a slightly longer ver-sion is that we are doing fine despite a very long four years of economic recovery, and things are still tough. Being in business for yourself the past few years has not been for the faint of heart. I don’t neces-sarily recommend it.
That being said, we have a lot of new good stuff going on at Appen Media so I wanted to share some of it with you. While none of our current projects are huge break-throughs, some are interest-ing and collectively, they will all help keep our business on the right path.
New website: Our new website is probably the big-gest of the new endeavors. With NorthFulton.com, Appen was one of the first newspa-pers online in Georgia – arriv-ing in cyberspace only slightly after AJC.com. That was around 1992.
My son and Appen General Manager Hans Appen initi-ated the development of the new site, teaming up with our Managing Editor Aldo Nahed and Production Manager A.J. McNaughton to manage the construction and launch. The site looks great and while it seems fairly simple, it has a number of features that most news sites do not have. Some of the more interesting features include “Newslink” – a press release management component that actually al-lows public relations agen-cies to subscribe and post their own content to the site; a “Shop Local” section that substantially increases the ex-posure of our advertisers; and individual sites for each paper that should help the internet find us more effectively.
Look for the site to be fine-tuned as well roll out a number of additional func-tionalities over the next six months or so.
New app: Our new (and second) app for Apple and An-droid went live in October so you can now download it and have easy, fast and conve-nient access to all our papers as well as Northside Woman and North Atlanta Business Post. If you go the app store and search for “Appen News Stand,” you can download the free app. We like the devel-opers of the new apps and have expanded functionalities planned.
Right now the app is free, but we may convert it into a subscription service at some point – so get it now if you want it free.
North Atlanta Business Post: Hans launched our monthly business publication in June of this year to wide-spread favorable reviews and feedback. The new business publication is the only one in the market that focuses on the north Atlanta region be-tween I-75 and I-85 and north of I-285. The coverage area includes North Fulton, For-syth, Hall, Gwinnett, Chero-kee and Cobb counties. With a 20,000 circulation, look for the Business Post to provide key coverage of important business news and business people.
Northside Woman: Our very successful monthly woman’s magazine has been given a new cover upgrade and continues to deliver the most affluent female audience in the state – all with some of the lowest advertising rates of any publication of its kind. We have great plans for new fea-tures and new editorial slants. We love NSW and while work on it is intense, it is also fun.
Editor Katie VanBrackle, senior writer Candy Waylock and head designer Suzanne Pacey continue to improve the publication with each issue.
Events: We have also started moving into the events business slowly. In November, we will hold our second annu-al “Best of the Best” Gala for local businesses, which will feature a great dance band and awards for the best busi-nesses in the North Fulton/South Forsyth area. We have also conducted a few health-related events and women-related ones as well.
Appen-Rated: Just re-cently, we released the first of a number of service-related websites. The umbrella for the new sites is called “Appen-Rated,” which refers to the business model in which we essentially vet services – much like Angie’s List does – and offer pre-screened, vetted local services for our readers. The first site offering “Appen-Rated” is for tree services.
The website is 770Tree.com.
Look for many more of the Appen-Rated sites in the months to come. Of note, one very exciting aspect of Appen-Rated is that every time our readers use Appen-Rated to contact a pre-screened service provider, Appen Media Group makes a $5 donation to either the Drake House or North Fulton Community Charities.
Not only that, but some vendors will commit to also donate a percentage from each job that they do that was the result of a call from the Appen-Rated directory (770Tree.com in this case).
In this case, Yellow Ribbon Tree Service has committed to donate 5 percent of the cost of any job they get as a result of a call a through their phone number or their email listed on 770Tree.com. So, get a great screened tree service and help the community at the same time.
We have more ideas and more projects in process.
The current staff is doing great and we are so proud of everyone.
That’s my story, and I am happy to report it!
forsythherald.com | Forsyth Herald | October 29, 2014 | 21Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
Zena Belousova, 93, of Cumming, passed away October 21, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Gareth Bevard, 64, of Roswell, passed away October 15, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Anthony Blackwell, 54, of Snellville, passed away October 17, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
David Brooks, 66, of Cumming passed away October 14, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Ruby Brooks, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away October 13, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Myra Sorrells Busbey, 72, passed away on September 2, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Edwin Couch, 65, of Cumming, passed away October 14, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Ralph Cowart, 86, of Atlanta, passed away October 16, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Queenie Dayton, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away October 6, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Albert Golden Dege, Jr., 87, of Cumming, passed away October 19, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Patricia Dickerson, 56, of Cumming, passed away October 11, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Francis M. Dodys, 87, of Alpharetta, passed away October 21, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Curtis S. Elliott, 83, of Alpharetta, passed away September 25, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Barry Ferguson, 49, of Roswell, passed away October 7, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
John Fisher, 88, of Blairsville, passed away October 7, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Eileen Griffin, 67, of Roswell, passed away October 6, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Wilma Griffin, 92, of Marietta, passed away October 15, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Kristina Grimes, 45, of Suwanee, passed away October 12, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Jacob Haan, 85, of Alpharetta, passed away October 11, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Mary Hagan, 84, of Roswell, passed away September 24, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Mable Alice Harley, 89, of Cumming, passed away October 17, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Annie Mae Haygood, 69, of Canton, passed away September 25, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Robert P. Haley, 92, of Alpharetta, passed away September 28, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
David Edward Holcomb, 63, of Forsyth County, passed away October 14, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Virginia Jones, 92, of Dunwoody, passed away September 29, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
John William Klingner, 94, of Roswell, passed away September 30, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Thomas Richard Laymac, 71, of Cumming, passed away October 2, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Genevieve May Lockwood, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away October 3, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Charles Edward Lord, Sr., 77, of Woodstock, passed away September 27, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Betty McVary, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away October 9, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Mary Myers, 54, of Dawsonville, passed away October 11, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
James Allen Neisler, 75, of Cumming, passed away October 20, 2014. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Wallace Pence, 91, of Alpharetta, passed away October 16, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Margaret Ramsay, 82, of Sandy Springs, passed away September 28, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
Margaret M. Rose, 77, of Cumming, passed away October 15, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Shirley Ann Shannon, 78, of Cumming, passed away October 17, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Marvin Strickland, 68, of Roswell, passed away October 20, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Marlena Stults, 89, of Peachtree City, passed away October 14, 2014. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Peter Thompson, 73, of Alpharetta, passed away October 13, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Mary Frances Burgess Turner, 93, of Atlanta, passed away October 16, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Ann Urian, 78, of Roswell, passed away October 10, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Mark Waldrop, 51, of Mareitta, passed away October 18, 2014. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Hazel Wilson, 92, of Roswell, passed away October 7, 2014. Arrangements by SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society.
Rustien Yeh, 26, of Johns Creek, passed away October 2, 2014. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery.
DEATH NOTICES
and neutering as soon as pos-sible,” Eversole said. “I don’t like to leave that to the public to get it done; people are busy. I love the idea that they will be trying to get them spayed or neutered within three months to get them out the door.”
Having animals spayed or neutered is a key way to reduce the number of animals getting euthanized, said Ever-
sole.“Don’t let the public be
accountable for getting their animals fixed,” Eversole said. “Let the shelter be account-able for it; that way, we know it’s done. Obviously, if people spay and neuter, then it won’t lead to an overpopulation problem, which leads to the animals coming here and too many to control.”
The euthanasia policy was the heated topic of the night, with many audience members speaking out. Since the county shelter opened in August, it
has seen a 43.5 percent eutha-nasia rate.
Todd Levent, a member of the Forsyth County Animal Shelter committee, said be-cause it’s a government facil-ity, they are required to accept all animals.
Levent said while every effort is made, euthanasia may be the responsible option sometimes.
The shelter policy states they may euthanize for health, behavior and avail-able space in shelter, all with conditions.
The committee updated the policy “as presented, with authority for the deputy county manager to add additional verbiage to address classified animals that are turned in to the shelter.”
The update was unani-mously approved, but will still go to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Eversole said that the Humane Society wants to work with the shelter to help more animals get ad-opted.
“We’d like to not tackle that, but work hand-in-hand,” Eversole said. “We would love to pull healthy animals, and also if we have the funds, sick animals and get them ad-opted.”
She said the biggest thing is to let the community know the shelter is there.
“Our tax dollars pay for an animal to be put to sleep,” Eversole said. “We would love to work with the shelter to get the animals adopted and get them a chance.”
Continued from Page 1
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