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January 22, 2015 | johnscreekherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 19, No. 4
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New state school chief ready to workBy CANDY [email protected]
ATLANTA – Just days away from as-suming his position as the state’s top school chief, Superintendent-elect Richard Woods shared his thoughts on education in Georgia and said he was eager to get to work.
“It’s been a month and a half [since the election], and I feel like I’ve been riding in the backseat of someone else’s car. I finally get to take the wheel come Monday [Jan. 12] and see what the car can do,” said Woods, who spoke at a media forum Jan. 9 hosted by the
Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Edu-cation.
Emerging as the primary election win-ner from a group of nine Republican can-didates, Woods faced a strong Democratic candidate in Valerie Wilson before riding
the Republican wave in the general election.
As the state school superintendent, his goal is to open up lines of commu-nication between his office – the Geor-
gia Department of Education (GDOE) – and top elected leaders after months of strained relationships.
Wood’s predecessor, John Barge, rocked the education boat when he announced a run for governor halfway into his four-year term. That decision created tensions that lasted through the re-election of Gov. Nathan Deal, and stalled or slowed many initiatives championed by Barge.
Woods said it is time now for a peri-od of collaboration between the entities that control the direction of education in Georgia.
“We’re in the process of repairing
relationships and building new rela-tionships again,” said Woods, a former teacher and small business owner from Tifton. “Since winning the election, I’ve reached out to the governor’s office, the members of the General Assembly and our educational partners throughout the state, and I think we’ve had some good dialogue.”
Woods noted the “bridge” also has to be extended to everyone involved in education across the state, from school system superintendents and school boards to teachers, parents and stu-
WOODS
See WOODS, Page 10
Fulton rethinking Cauley Creek closing
By HATCHER [email protected]
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Two years ago, Fulton County severed its contract with Johns Creek’s Cauley Creek Water Reclamation, saying the county would save millions. Now, it doesn’t seem to be such a good idea.
Fulton authorities and Cau-ley Creek Water Reclamation owner Ron Green have begun discussions about reopening the 40-acre facility that had provided reuse water for irriga-tion in Johns Creek until the county declined to renew the annual contract.
Fulton is rethinking its position now that the Georgia Environmental Protection Divi-sion is holding up expansion
plans for the Big Creek and Little Creek wastewater treat-ment plants. Why? Because of the repercussions of severing its ties with Cauley Creek.
Severing those ties meant Fulton County had to honor irrigation contracts with some 25 commercial customers with potable water. This is in direct conflict with the EPD and Met-
2 water plant expansions on hold by EPD linked to closure
See CLOSING, Page 6
HAUSMANN GREEN
Increased funding for schoolsGov. Deal announces budget plans
► PAGE 36
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Historic Preservation Center Executive Director Wade Chandler wants to make the park and center more appeal-ing. Find out how, Page 40.
HATCHER HURD/STAFF
Autrey Mill Nature Center reaching out
2 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com PUBLIC SAFETY
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ROSWELL, Ga. – Roswell PD has a new officer – police dog Saar.
She is the department’s new-est K-9 in training. Saar is a female Belgian Malinois born on June 15, 2013. Her appearance is quite different from the tradition-al tan coat Malinois. She has a completely black coat. Saar came from Holland and arrived in the United States in November 2014.
She immediately started class in December with her handler,
Officer Davis Gardner. The K-9 certification course includes tracking, substance detection, criminal apprehension (bite work) and article and evidence search. They both graduated from the intense, six-week program Friday, Jan. 17, 2015 as a full service police K-9 team. There are now three K-9 teams in the Roswell Police Department. Another will shortly be joining the department through a grant.
Roswell dog newest police recruit
Meet Roswell’s newest officer – K-9 cop Saar.
DUI arrests ► Julie Anne Wolf, 46, of Arlington
Point, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 21 on Kimball Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI, open container and failure to maintain lane.
► John David Gehrhardt, 53, of Kettering Court, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 19 on Mansell Road in
Alpharetta for DUI. ► Dawan Katrell Johnson, 42, of
Phoenix, Arizona, was arrested Jan. 3 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, no license and failure to obey a traffic control device.
► James Caston Ford, 22, of Dunwoody was arrested Dec. 29 on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI.
► Richard A. Brown was arrested Jan. 1 on Deerfield Parkway in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane.
► Stephanie M. Sweat, 30, was arrest-ed Jan. 2 on Bethany Bend in Milton for DUI, failure to maintain lane and impeding traffic.
Drug arrests ► Devin Tara Landeweer, 21, of
Singing Hills Court, Roswell, was arrested Dec. 29 on Nesbit Ferry Road in Johns Creek for possession of mari-juana.
► Phillip Andrew Raywood, 27, of Holcomb Pond Court, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 30 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana.
► Roderick C. Strickland, 31, of Decatur was arrested Jan. 1 on Mansell Road in Alpharetta for pos-session of marijuana and suspended 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.
He’s not even trying to hide
MILTON, Ga. – A brazen would-be thief was caught after allegedly trying to leave a store without even hiding the goods he was trying to steal.
Police received calls of a fight from the Windward Walmart about 3 p.m. Jan. 5. When they arrived, they found the loss prevention officer engaged with a suspect, Spencer Lee Gregory, 28. According to the employee, Gregory was seen walking into the store and headed for the electronics aisle. He picked up
two speaker sets, valued at $60 and $90, and tried to walk out of the store without buying or hiding the items.
He was arrested for shoplifting.
Driver, passengers on drugs with kid in carROSWELL, Ga. – Two days before Christmas, several people were arrested for drugs and had a young teen in the car. The vehicle driver was also arrested for driving under the influence.
Police say they saw the Jeep driven by Avery Brooks Simmons, 21, of Peachtree Corners, on Holcomb Bridge Road was driving erratically at 11:20 p.m. Other callers confirmed this. When police stopped the vehicle, they discovered Simmons and the passen-gers were all allegedly under the influ-ence of drugs. The youngest passenger
was 14.Simmons was arrested for DUI, en-
dangering the life of a child and failure to maintain lane.
The passengers, Dorothy Marie Peyton, 23, of Pooler and Brandon Michael Jefferson, 21, of Glen Holly Drive, Roswell, were also charged with possession of drugs. Peyton also had an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
$20K in jewels takenJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Someone broke into an Abbotts Bridge Road apartment over the holidays and made off with more than $20,000 in jewelry.
The victim told police she suspects someone entered her apartment be-tween Nov. 27, 2014 and Jan. 7, 2015. She said she was missing a platinum
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
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 3PUBLIC SAFETY
diamond ring ($12,000), gold platinum band ($4,000), David Yurman necklace ($700), gold wedding band ($200), a pair of diamond earrings ($2,000), a diamond tennis bracelet ($3,000) and two dresses ($10 and $30).
There are no suspects.
Hit and run leads to DUI arrestALPHARETTA, Ga. – A man suspected of driving drunk Jan. 2 fled from the scene of an accident because he has a history of drunk driving.
Police responded to a hit-and-run at 6:26 p.m. near the McDonald’s restaurant at Ga. 9 and Maxwell Road. The victim said a driver in a truck hit her at the entrance and fled the scene. She was able to get the license plate, which re-turned Charles Edward Kramig II, 29, of Jayne Ellen Way, Alpharetta.
Police went to the suspect’s home and allegedly found the damaged truck. Police say Kramig admitted to fleeing be-cause he has a history of DUIs and was driving with a limited permit. He said his brakes failed, which caused him to hit
the victim’s vehicle. Kramig was arrested for
DUI, hit and run, improperly working brakes and violating the conditions of a license.
Taking the clotheson his backALPHARETTA, Ga. – An em-ployee was caught stealing from a clothing store Nov. 13 and was wearing the stolen clothing as he was arrested.
Store employees said they suspected Devin Christopher Stuart, 21, of Cumming, of taking clothing from the store. He would allegedly take the clothing into the back of the store, cut off the security tags and leave with the items.
He allegedly further ad-mitted to taking items on five different occasions as well as stealing money from other em-ployees’ wallets and purses.
At the time of his arrest for shoplifting, Stuart was wearing some of the stolen clothing.
‘Caveat emptor’ on CraigslistMILTON, Ga. – A Milton man learned a life lesson Sept. 2, 2014, when he bought a tablet computer that may be stolen.
The victim told police he found an iPad mini on Craig-slist. He met the suspect at the
Windward Walmart to buy the device for $300. The victim did a cursory check on the device before buying it and it seemed fine. However, when he got home and tried to register it, it was locked by a username and password. Repeated calls and texts to the seller were not returned.
The victim suspects the computer was stolen and that he would turn over the device as a “$300 life lesson.”
Police have a 19-year-old suspect in the case.
Employee suspected of theftALPHARETTA, Ga. – A Big Lots
employee is in big trouble after allegedly stealing more than $1,600 from the store over several months.
Officials from the store told police Jan. 7 that they noticed irregularities in the registers. Investigating, they found one employee, Canice Lynn Matlock, 29, of Roberts Drive, Alpharetta, allegedly would handle customer exchanges – only she would print out two receipts.
After the customer left the store, Matlock would then use the second receipt to return the item herself and keep the money.
She allegedly admitted to doing this since November and is suspected of taking as much
as $1,674 from the store.She was arrested for theft.
iPads stolen from storeCUMMING, Ga. — Cumming Police were notified that two iPads had been alleg-edly stolen from Game Stop, 1060 Marketplace Blvd. on Jan. 6.
The manager said that the devices were taken from the back counter behind the registers.
She said the iPads were for store use and used mainly for inventory.
There was no video footage of the event.
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4 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com NEWS
By HATCHER [email protected]
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – A personal care facility totaling almost 258,000 square feet is planned for the Johns Creek side of Nesbit Ferry Road, but nearby residents are leery of such a large project in front of their subdivisions.
Cornerstone Design & Development Inc. has filed plans with the city requesting a change of zoning from Resi-dential to Office-Institutional. It will contain some assisted living units and memory care, but most of the facility will be for independent living adults.
Around 20 Nesbit Ferry Road residents, mostly from the Mayfair and St. Clair com-munities, attended the Jan. 13 Johns Creek Community Association preview with the engineer of the property to hear a presentation and ask questions.
Residents’ main concerns were the sheer size of the proj-ect and its seven cottages. One woman said she bought her home 25 years ago in a resi-dentially zoned district only to have a “three-story monstros-ity” looming in her backyard.
She said she wanted $100,000 in reparations for the loss she will suffer for the devaluation of her property.
Other concerns were perim-eter landscaping and security and parking lot lights.
Cornerstone will have an undisturbed buffer and hooded lighting that will direct light down, said Robert Bond, the project engineer.
“The building will have a
maximum height of 35 feet from ground level, according to code. There will be an under-ground parking area dug into the ground,” Bond said.
Areas where the undis-turbed buffer is thin in vegeta-tion will have more plantings to fill them out, he said. The back of the property will have a 50-foot buffer and buffers of 25 feet on either side.
Residents also wanted the builder to put sidewalks in that would enhance the entrances of the neighboring subdivisions.
A lot of the concerns were about the street improvements and the entrance to the prop-erty, because the plat of the property showed the entrance on a curve.
“We will have accel and de-cel lanes and sidewalks for St. Clair and Mayfair,” Bond said.
“The traffic improvements to the road will be whatever the city of Roswell tells us to make. Roswell owns the road.”
That surprised many resi-dents. When Johns Creek was incorporated, the city limits was designated as Nesbit Ferry Road, but both cities stipulated the road and its maintenance would be Roswell’s.
The facility should have 15 employees on the property. Price points for the facility have not been determined, Bond said.
Neighbors were concerned that so many residents would add to peak hour traffic. But Bond said the residents are retiree age at these facilities.
“So they don’t have to go out during rush hours. They will wait for off-peak times,” he said.
Bond also noted there is an old dump on the property that the company will remove entirely according to Envi-ronmental Protection Agency regulations.
The project is scheduled to be presented first at the March 3 Planning Commis-sion meeting. The commission will make its recommendation, along with city staff. Then, it will go before the City Council for a final decision, along with any conditions council deems necessary.
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Nesbit Ferry residents wary of personal care facility3-story facility, 7 cottages planned on 8 acres
Nesbit Ferry Personal Care ProposalThe property at 9435 Nesbit Ferry Road in Johns Creek is proposed for:•Total 258,000 square
feet on 8.6 acres•Main building is three
stories, 244,928 square feet
•Building to contain 121 independent living, 40 assisted living, 30 memory care units
•Seven cottages: five duplexes and two single units of 1,825 square feet each. All will have enclosed garages.
•74 parking spaces for main building (all under-ground).
•Current zoning: Resi-dential
•Zoning sought: Office/Institutional
HATCHER HURD/STAFF
Nesbit Ferry Road residents attend a Johns Creek Community Association-sponsored meeting with a representative of the developer at Newtown Park.
The personal care facility is proposed to be between the Mayfair and St. Clair subdivi-sions off off of Nesbit Ferry Rd (outlined in black).
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 5Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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6 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com NEWS
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ropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District conservation plan. The state wants to encourage wastewater reuse, and discourage the use of drinking water for irrigation.
The EPD is making its displea-sure known by withholding permits to expand the Big Creek and Little River water treatment plants on the western end of North Fulton.
Green has taken the opportunity offer the county the outright purchase of Cauley Creek for $15 million or to re-enter into a contract to once again provide irrigation water with water his plant treats for the county.
“It would be cheaper than [the county] could do it, getting its plant fitted to do it. And I would like to see Cauley Creek used as it was intended, whether I do it or Fulton County oper-ates it,” Green said. “I am getting calls all the time from developers who are interested in the property.”
Green said he can offer the county a better deal for Cauley Creek in large part because at the severance of the contract, Fulton had been required to pay off the $11 million in bonded indebtedness.
“Now that Fulton County has paid off the bond debt, I don’t need to recoup that money in reselling it. Or I can operate it for the county under a new agreement,” he said.
Fulton can’t supply reuse water from its own Johns Creek Environmen-tal Campus, which treats water well enough but does not have the reuse water lines that Cauley Creek has.
Fulton Commissioner Liz Haus-mann, one of the members who op-posed cutting loose Cauley Creek, said the county should have remained in compliance with EPD. She said with a new County Commission makeup there is reason to think there could be move-ment on the issue.
“I opposed closing it before,” Haus-mann said. “When we did it, we should have complied as outlined by the Water Planning District, so that we would not be out of compliance.”
The county needs to come back into EPD’s good graces, and Cauley Creek would certainly be an alternative to get back into compliance.
“We have been fortunate in that we have had a lot of rain and have not had to use potable water for irrigation. That would have a huge negative impact with the EPD,” Hausmann said.
It would have a disastrous economic development predicament if there was a drought and the EPD banned using potable water for irrigation, she said.
“If [the county] were still using potable water and were now allowed to irrigate because of the restrictions, that could have a huge negative impact. Property values and jobs could dry up with the grass,” Hausmann said. “I feel like it is worth another look. Certainly, we have to make the numbers work. We have to make sure it is not only the best interest of the [reuse] water cus-tomers, but the county. It would have to make financial sense.”
But she says she has not seen an actual proposal. From what she has seen and heard, restoring Cauley Creek should be far more economically viable than expanding the Johns Creek Envi-
ronmental Campus, which handles the Johns Creek Water Basin.
“We do need to ensure that we have the capacity to continue our growth,” she said. “Cauley Creek was a state-of-the-art treatment plant. It was award-winning, and provided us an accept-able way to provide a service.”
In in the fall of 2012, county of-ficials had become dissatisfied with the Cauley Creek contract. When the County Commission announced the contract would not be renewed, there were protests from the state then.
But members of the commission such as Bill Edwards dismissed Cauley Creek as a prop for North Fulton golf courses and the other commercial customers.
Hausmann said that was not the case at all. Rather, it was an economic development issue that also had the county taking on a money-making project for its water system. Now that the debt service has been paid off, the county water system could reap $500,000 to $700,000 annually.
One of the reasons county officials said it made sense to cut loose Cau-ley Creek was that there would not be enough new development in North Ful-ton to keep the Cauley Creek contract.
Since then, the first half of a $600 million development at Avalon has opened. Johns Creek has announced plans to redevelop its city center, a $500 million redevelopment in Roswell at Ga. 400 and Holcomb Bridge Road has been announced and plans for turning Roswell’s Groveway District call for a Canton Street-like renovation in its historic downtown.
The County Commission has changed dramatically since that vote was taken in 2012. Three commis-sioners who voted for dumping Cauley Creek – Edwards, Robb Pitts and Tom Lowe – are no longer serving. Edwards lost to Commissioner Emma Darnell when they were redistricted into the same district. Pitts lost to Chairman John Eaves, and Lowe retired.
“Fulton County has got to re-estab-lish a good relationship with the county [on water issues]. It is something we just have to,” said Hausmann. “And water is such a precious resource, we have to plan for the next drought. We know it’s coming.”
Continued from Page 1
Closing: Beach supports working for EPD complianceBy HATCHER [email protected]
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Greater North Fulton Chamber of Com-merce President Brandon Beach said as an eco-nomic developer in North Fulton, he would like to see Fulton County and the Cauley Creek Water Reclamation Facility join forces again.
“Right now, we’re getting a lot of rain, so it is not on anybody’s radar screen. But water is a pre-cious resource for Fulton County,
BEACH
See BEACH, Page 42
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8 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your opinions to [email protected] RAY TO PHOEBE:
Passing a grandfather’s wisdom to a new generation
Waiting in a hospital is something I haven’t done in a long time. Many years ago, I would visit the local hospital where I grew up with my phy-sician father in the emergency room during his 24-hour shift.
I would typically go in the middle of the night, drink cof-fee with him and talk about nothing significant. We just enjoyed passing that time together. For that and many other reasons, the hospital is hard-wired into me.
Right now, I am in another hospital waiting on my first grandchild to be delivered – the first child of her genera-tion in the extended family.
It’s the same hospital in which my youngest child was delivered just over 18 years ago (North Fulton Hospital). The same physician who delivered my youngest child is also delivering my first grandchild. As Yogi Berra used to say, it’s “Deja vu all over again.”
I can see time not just passing by in front of me, but riding a jet at Mach 2.
So what kind of world will my granddaughter encounter?
The world that I see her encountering has many faces, but the one I see best is the one of staggering opportunity, wonder and startling beauty.
She will grow up in a world more accessible and more enabling than any time in history. Her access to knowledge, art, music and her peers will be immeasurably greater than previous genera-tions. She will know more, feel
more and be more aware of the world around her.
She will live in a world of mobility and connectivity. She may listen to the same music that kids her age are listening to in China, Tibet or Finland.
She might create her own music because she can. She will understand that kids her age in other countries have more in common with her than differences. She will not be aware of a time when the world was different.
She will not follow so eas-ily the paths that we want her to walk. In fact, we may not be able to see or understand many of the paths that will seem so obvious, accessible and relevant to her.
She will understand intui-tively that her decisions and those of her peers do make a difference – in her school, her country, her world.
And she will have far less knowledge of what “can-not be done” and “cannot be changed” or “will not work” than her parents or grandpar-ents.
Change for her will be the norm. This will drive her parents crazy. She will find it curious when her parents and grandparents become
stressed out about stuff that she considers routine. The life and priorities she establishes for herself will often not make sense to us.
She will have vast amounts of knowledge, but will she have wisdom? Will she understand the context of her world? Will she appreciate history? It is my fear that she will not.
Will she realize that the change that is a norm for her was not the norm for older generations? Will she have enough patience to listen? I do hope so.
If she were listening, what advice would I have for her? Phoebe, if you ask me one day, this is what I will tell you: • Write letters to those you
want to remain close to – ink on paper. This will not make sense to you, but do it anyway.
• Keep a journal – again, ink on paper. It will help you think through challenging issues and make sense of things around you.
• Realize that emails, texts, Facebook posts, Insta-grams or whatever else takes their place are no substitute for face-to-face conversations, holding hands, touching or actu-ally asking someone if they are OK. As the world be-comes less personal, you need to make it your prior-ity to keep it personal.
• Art feeds your soul, keeps you happy and sane and will bring joy into your life. Make it a big part of your life.
• Listen much more than you talk. Do not miss the opportunity to learn from others.
• Be the friend you want others to be for you.
• Never, ever doubt your-self because of something someone else says or does – especially if they do it in a digital format.
• Beware of the Internet. The Internet is wonderful, but don’t forget that it is also the greatest thief of your most valuable pos-session – your time. Guard your time wisely.
• Set goals, and make sure that one of those goals is to make this world a better place than how you found it.
I am excited, pleased and proud to have you as my granddaughter. Welcome to my world, which is now your world.
–Grandpa Ray
Grandpa Ray and Phoebe.
This new Johns Creek City Council has just flubbed one of its first big tests in leader-ship. Instead of calling for a special election to replace not one but two vacant seats on the City Council, it has chosen to “spare the tired electorate” and leave those seats vacant for a year.
It didn’t have to happen. The council could have done the right thing straight out of the block and no one would have said a word. They only had to do what was expected. But they didn’t.
It was disconcerting when the two most experienced members resigned immediately after council elections to go fish in a bigger pond. Actually, they were the only experienced members on council.
Put aside the fact these two who created the situation put their own political ambitions above their duty to the citizens who elected them to the coun-cil. There is the issue of what council should do now?
What was expected of the remaining councilmembers was to immediately call a spe-
cial election in early Novem-ber. That would have given prospective candidates almost five months to decide if they wanted to make a run at one of the two open seats.
The kindest thing that can be said is they dithered. Of course the mayor muddied the waters by bringing in the is-sue of the expense right away. That was never an issue with previous vacancies. Was that a smoke screen? Well, I am not a mind reader. Yes, $200,000 is a lot of money. But good gov-ernment costs money.
That does not mean the city should be extravagant. But it should do what is necessary to be effective.
Full City Council needed now more than ever
HATCHER HURDExecutive [email protected]
See COUNCIL, Page 45
Differences of opinion are what make a democracy work and make our community strong.
I am happy to have this op-portunity to explain further the City Council’s decision to wait until November to hold the special election.
Council knew we would be criticized, whatever decision we made. As elected officials, we must fully consider each side of every issue and ultimately make the decisions we feel are in the best interest of the citi-zens of Johns Creek. We do not take this responsibility lightly.
The charter established that the mayor and council be elected at large, which means that each of us represents the entire city.
In much of the public discourse on this matter, this important fact seems to get dismissed. There is no neigh-borhood, individual or busi-ness in Johns Creek that is not represented by this council – whether we have seven mem-bers or five.
While it is always better to have our full complement of councilmembers, we have fallen below that level on at least three separate occasions
in our brief eight-year history. Each time it has occurred, the remaining councilmembers have stepped up to ensure that governing continues without missing a beat. In fact, most of 2014, we had two vacant seats. Yet, council moved ahead ef-ficiently and diligently. Nothing was held back because of only having five votes.
Immediately following the mid-November resignations of Councilmembers Raffensperger and Stewart, we made a strate-gic choice to seek public input on when to hold a special election to fill their seats. We wanted this feedback, as we considered the costs involved, our historically low voter turnout, the turnaround time required for any candidates to qualify and the logistical challenges posed by unexpired,
JC made best decision for difficult situation
MIKE BODKER
Mayor of Johns Creek
See DECISION, Page 42
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 9OPINION
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Fulton County is changing. The last 10 years have seen the
cities of Sandy Springs, Milton, Johns Creek and Chattahoochee Hills come into existence.
Each was an area where Fulton County government previously pro-vided municipal services. Voters in those areas wanted more localized control and received it. Now voters in the remaining unincorporated area of southern Fulton County are asking for the opportunity to choose between a similar future of having their own city, allowing themselves to join an existing city or to remain unincorporated. I be-lieve they should have the opportunity to make that decision.
The Fulton County Board of Com-missioners has already spoken on this issue. The BOC agreed that residents of the unincorporated areas should be allowed to make the decision at the ballot box regarding cityhood for South Fulton.
State legislation (House Bill 27) calling for cityhood will be reintroduced this upcoming session. It is under-standable that there is a desire for much more localized decision-making regarding how tax dollars are spent and how resources are allocated. How-
ever, if the will of residents remains the same as 2007, when citizens voted to remain unincorporated, Fulton County will continue to provide those services and will do so at the highest levels pos-sible.
Currently, residents of the unincor-porated areas of South Fulton pay a separate tax that other Fulton County residents do not. That tax goes into our special services district fund and pays for municipal services such as zoning, parks, police and fire protec-tion (Countywide taxes go into Fulton’s general fund).
If a referendum were success-
Fulton changes but still serves
JOHNEAVES Fulton County Chairman
See CHANGES, Page 44
New year bodes well with new county representation
Happy New Year! It is indeed a new era in Fulton County Government. For the first time in history, there is geographic equality in the representa-tion on the Fulton County Board of Commission. Along with my return to the commission, we have the addi-tion of Commissioner Bob Ellis from Milton and Commissioner Lee Morris from Buckhead. Today there is a much stronger North Fulton voice.
The new Board of Commission is comprised of six districts – three north and three south – and one countywide at-large district of the chairman. This represents three North Fulton commis-sioners of the seven, and brings long overdue balance in representation to Fulton County.
The change is significant, and has long been a goal of North Fulton residents who have often felt neglected by the county government that collects their taxes and serves them. This frus-tration led to the creation of new cities in recent years throughout the county.
The story is familiar. The distribu-tion of county services are far more vis-ible in the southern areas of the county while the majority of the tax collection comes from the northern areas of the county.
So, what will this new dynamic mean for you? It is a unique opportu-nity to bring much needed changes and improvements to county government.
There is also a new voice for South Fulton in new Commissioner Marvin Arrington. His fresh outlook will also certainly have some different ideas on the future structure of county service delivery.
How do we do it? The first thing we
must do is hire a permanent county manager and bring stability to county government.
Then by working together, we can improve the services we provide for the citizens of Fulton County, while mak-ing them more cost efficient to save taxpayer dollars. We must modernize and adjust our internal administra-tive expenses to instead focus on the actual services that are needed in our community. We must find new ways to partner with our community agencies, and our cities, to leverage our limited dollars to reach as many as possible.
Some services act as a safety net and some enhance our quality of life. We must work to keep our people out of our justice system, utilizing innovative programs that promote a return to pro-ductive society instead of a return to jail. We must create and foster an envi-ronment that is attractive to business, bringing good jobs to Fulton County.
And most importantly, we must re-establish a positive working relation-ship with all levels of state government. Including the state Legislature.
LIZ HAUSMANN
Fulton County Vice Chairwoman
See COUNTY, Page 34
10 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com NEWS
dents. One of Woods’ early initiatives is to have focus groups, town hall meet-ings and listening sessions throughout the state.
“We have to listen to the concerns, and we have to make sure the individu-als in the field have everything they need to teach our kids,” said Woods.
Woods backed off from his hints on the campaign trail to do away with the Common Core standards, taking a more neutral stance on the state’s cur-riculum base.
“My views are well-known on the is-sue, but we are going to move forward,” said Woods. “I think [Deal], the state board and myself are committed to the very best education system and the best standards to follow.”
He said he will never support “education fads” and will ensure all
standards will be “Georgia grown and Georgia owned.”
“We will control our standards in this state,” said Woods.
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Schools:
Woods supports Fulton math curriculumBy CANDY [email protected]
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Richards Woods’ election as state school superintendent may be good news for the Fulton County School System (FCSS) in its battle to take local con-trol of their math curriculum.
During a meeting with media prior to his swearing-in, Woods stressed a need to revisit the state’s math curriculum and repair damage done after years of tinker-ing.
“Math is something we’ve done for thousands of years, but we’ve messed it up in a relatively short period of time and we’ve got to get it right,” said Woods.
That stance is music to the ears of North Fulton parents who have fought the state’s math curriculum for a decade, demanding a return to traditional ways of teaching math in high school.
The state has pushed an integrated math curriculum – blend-ing concepts in each year of high school – whereas the FCSS wants a return to traditional, or discrete, math that isolates math by subject each year.
Fulton received a waiver from the state to teach traditional
math, however the state has only developed an integrated assess-ment. This forces Fulton to teach enough integrated concepts so that students can pass the mandated annual tests.
Woods said he has reached out to the governor’s office and the state board to find solutions to help school systems.
“We talked about if we are going to allow two separate offer-ings – discrete and integrated – we have to have two separate tests,” said Woods. “To test [students] on something they have not learned is not fair to our students and our teachers.”
In his first week in office, Woods asked the State Board of Education to post, for a 30-day public com-ment period, new math courses that offer a traditional/discrete course option to Georgia high schools, in addition to the integrated course option already available.
If approved, high schools would be able to offer either integrated or traditional/discrete courses to students with waivers.
“Surveys conducted by the State Board of Education found that many educators desired a choice between integrated and traditional/discrete math,” said Woods.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – North Fulton voters are encouraged to cast their ballots early for the Feb. 3 special election runoff for State House District 50.
Voters can cast their ballot at the Johns Creek Environmental Campus
at 8100 Holcomb Bridge Road from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 through Friday, Jan. 30, including Saturday, Jan. 24.
The sample ballot is posted online at www.fultonelections.com under the Early Voting link.
For information about the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections, call 404-730-7072.
Saturday voting Jan. 24
Early voting underway for District 50 runoff
I think [Deal], the state board and myself are committed to the very best education system and the best standards to follow.”RICHARD WOODSSuperintendent-elect
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 11Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
Parents’ Morning Out and Preschool
Registration 2015-2016
Johns Creek United Methodist Church • 11180 Medlock Bridge Rd • Johns Creek, GA 30097
Registration information and application available on the website. For additional information contact the Preschool Offi ce at 770-418-1730
12 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
By CANDY [email protected]
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Linda McCain began her second term on the Fulton County School Board seated at the center of the table, following her unanimous election as board president. She replaces Linda Schultz of Roswell who stepped down as board president after
four years.McCain
represents District 5 in North Fulton, comprised primarily of schools in the Johns Creek area. She was first elected to
the school board in 2010 and re-elected to a second term in 2014.
Linda Bryant of South Ful-ton, who is the senior mem-ber of the school board, was elected vice president, continu-
ing the longstanding tradition of board officers from both the north and south ends of the county.
As board president, Mc-Cain said her focus is on continuing the progress made on the district’s five-year strategic plan, as well as initiatives that provide greater flexibility for schools and students.
“Some of the immediate priorities for the board have already begun, [including] ex-panding school choice options for students,” said McCain. “At the end of January, we will
conduct district wide forums to identify and strategically expand school choice in Fulton County.”
She noted the implementa-tion of personalized learning and the roll out of student technology devices starts this month as well.
“Lastly, we are anxiously waiting to return our students to traditional math courses,” said McCain, referencing the district’s ongoing battle against the state math cur-riculum.
In addition to her position as board president, McCain is a board member on the Fulton Education Foundation and was recently appointed to serve on Gov. Nathan Deal’s Education Advisory Board.
In addition to the officer elections at the Jan. 13 board meeting, three members began new four-year terms of office. Julia Bernath (District 7) and Katie Reeves (District 2) both begin their fifth terms, while Catherine Maddox (District 6) begins her third term.
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McCain elected president of Fulton School BoardJohns Creek rep begins second term in office
MCCAIN
At the end of January, we will conduct district wide forums to identify and strategically expand school choice in Fulton County.”LINDA MCCAINFulton County School Board president
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 13Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SCHOOLS
By SHANNON [email protected]
ATLANTA — With the Jan. 6 announcement that Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College will be con-solidating next year, many are wondering what the merger will mean for students and com-munities such as Alpharetta, which is home to campuses for both schools.
The presidents from Geor-gia State and Perimeter hosted a Jan. 13 town hall meeting to answer questions concern-ing their consolidation, which was approved by the University System of Georgia Board of Re-gents. The new institution will have the Georgia State name and is scheduled to go into ef-fect in the fall of 2016.
This will be the sixth merger in Georgia in three years, the most recent of which involved Kennesaw State Uni-versity and Southern Polytech-nic State University.
Georgia Perimeter Interim President Rob Watts said GPC has historically been the larg-est feeder to Georgia State. Approximately 1,300 GPC students transfer to GSU every year.
“Georgia Perimeter College
and Georgia State University have had a close relationship that goes back decades,” Watts said. “The two institutions know one another very well, which will certainly be help-ful during the consolidation process.”
The GSU campus in Alpharetta, 3775 Brookside Parkway, is adjacent to one of GPC’s that has been shared by both institutions. The area has about 600 GSU students and 2,000 GPC students enrolled this semester. The future of these campuses is yet to be determined.
“As part of the consolida-tion process, both institutions will be reviewing their opera-tions and academic offerings in Alpharetta to determine how best to meet the needs of students and the Alpharetta community in the future,” Watts said.
The Alpharetta GSU cam-pus offers courses in busi-ness, criminal justice and social work as well as graduate programs for a professional MBA and the Executive Master of Science degree in managing information technology. The GPC campus next door offers a wide variety of day and eve-ning classes including social
sciences, humanities, science, mathematics, computer sci-ence, business and physical education.
“This consolidation, though it is not the first one in the his-
tory of the university system, actually is somewhat unique from some of the others, in that it’s based on two institu-tions with a very long, very productive history of working
together,” said Georgia State President Mark Becker at the town hall meeting.
Decisions over specific de-tails, such as facilities, staffing and finances have not been made, but Becker said that the mission of the campuses will remain unchanged, with tuitions based on the degree program.
“The model we’re looking at is one university, multiple campuses,” Becker said. “Geor-
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GSU-PERIMETER CONSOLIDATION:
Merger leaves future of campuses in Alpharetta up in air
See FUTURE, Page 38
14 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
By JONATHAN [email protected]
ATLANTA – The flu is now an epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The CDC says this year’s virus is strong enough and wide-spread enough to affect hundreds of thousands of people around the country.
Influenza, also called “flu,” is a viral illness that causes fever, sore throat, muscle aches and cough. Influenza can weaken the body’s defens-es and lead to complications like bacterial pneumonia. It can also worsen existing chronic health prob-lems like heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. David Smith, of Betha-ny Bend Urgent Care in Milton, said this year’s flu is a problem not so much because of sever-ity but rather of the ease with which is spreads.
“It’s bad that a lot of people are getting it, but it’s not much more severe,” Smith said.
When people get the flu, they will typically stay at home until their symptoms sub-side, Smith said. With this flu
strain, symp-toms manifest themselves for a few hours and then go away for a few hours. Then it repeats itself. This causes the ill to think they are not sick with the flu and to go about their daily lives, thus spreading the virus.
“People are going out and doing things and exposing people to it,”
Smith said.The flu season can start as
early as October and last as late as May. In Georgia, it is
most prevalent in January and February.
During an average flu season, 36,000 Americans die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized because of compli-cations from influenza.
Some people, such as young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with certain chronic health conditions are more likely to have complications related to influenza. While most deaths occur among the elderly and people with chronic health conditions, deaths can also oc-cur among younger adults and children.
In Georgia, there have been 13 confirmed deaths due to flu. Of those, eight were in people 65 or older. One was a child under the age of 4.
The very young and adults older than 60 are encouraged to get the flu shot or nasal spray. While the flu vaccine may not work as well as usual against some flu viruses, Smith is still recommending getting the vaccine. Vaccina-tion can still protect some people and reduce symptoms, hospitalizations and deaths and will protect against other flu viruses.
Smith urged those who feel ill to stay at home, to not touch
their face and be sure to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, as this spreads the flu. Anything a person touches could carry the virus. Smith said the average adult touches their face 18 times an hour. A child touches their face over 80
times. The CDC reports the week
of Jan. 3 saw a slight reduc-tion in the overall numbers of people seeking treatment for flu symptoms. The overall number of people ill is still far above the baseline amount.
Flu widespread this year What are the emergency warning signs of flu sickness?In children•Fast breathing or trouble
breathing•Bluish skin color•Not drinking enough fluids•Not waking up or not
interacting•Being so irritable that the
child does not want to be held
•Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
•Fever with a rashIn adults•Difficulty breathing or
shortness of breath•Pain or pressure in the
chest or abdomen•Sudden dizziness•Confusion•Severe or persistent
vomiting•Flu-like symptoms that im-
prove but then return with fever and worse cough
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these signs:•Being unable to eat•Has trouble breathing•Has no tears when crying•Significantly fewer wet
diapers than normal
Spreads quickly, easily
How long should you stay home if you’re sick?The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol. You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, so-cial events and public gatherings.
In Georgia, there have been 13 confirmed deaths due to flu. Of those, eight were in people 65 or older. One was a child under the age of 4.
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 15Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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16 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com
The foreclosures are over. We have licked our wounds, missed numerous opportunities in the interim, but it’s time – no, over time – to move forward.
Sponsored by
By PATRICK [email protected]
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – With all signs pointing to a full-scale recovery in the real estate market, now is not the time to coast into prosperity, said Frank Norton Jr., chief ex-ecutive officer of The Norton Agency, headquartered in Gainesville.
In his 28th annual Norton Native Intelligence Forecast, presented to a crowd of about 300 people at the Gainesville Civic Center last week, Norton said all of north Georgia must realize the potential it has to provide an ideal environment to a growing market.
“The foreclosures are over,” Norton said. “We have licked our wounds, missed numerous opportunities in the interim, but it’s time – no, over time – to move forward.”
The Norton Agency is one of north Georgia’s leading real es-tate and insurance firms with offices blanketing a tier of nine counties just north of Atlanta, including Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb. The company is an institution for market informa-tion gathering and charting trends.
Data shows that not only are property foreclosures down, Norton said, but so are home inventories. From 2006-2009, developers overbuilt the marketplace, but the inventory has stabilized.
In December 2006, home supply was 8.9 months of sup-ply, compared to the current 4.8 months.
At the same time, more building is going on. Since 2012, the number of new house building permits has doubled in the 22-county region of metro Atlanta, Norton said. Figures show just over 8,000 permits issued in 2012. Last year, the number grew to over 16,000. And Norton said he expects that number to climb to 20,000 this year.
The best way for north Georgia to tap into this grow-ing trend, he said, is to unify as an ideal environment for second homes.
“We’re not just talking about the occasional second home purchase or moun-tain cabin construction,” he said. “We’re talking about an ‘all out/all in’ second home marketing promotion mindset mecca. Our geography is too compelling for us not to better capitalize on our geographic position.”
As small industry moves into the region, so will the need for more housing, Norton said. But, on top of that, north Geor-gia will also attract the growing Baby Boom population as well as the young people who are flooding into the region.
“A million people in north-east Georgia are younger than us Baby Boomers,” he said. “That’s the market, and that’s the opportunity.”
To act on the opportunity, he said, governments – cit-ies and counties – will have to learn to consolidate and cooperate in service delivery. Communities – all residents and businesses – must pursue
smart ways to preserve the country charm that makes northeast Georgia so unique, he said.
“North Georgia, with its rolling mountains, forested ridges and settled valleys, sits directly on top of 6 million people, projected to grow to 12 million people by the year 2050,” he said.
Add to that, the area is within 90 minutes of the larg-est potential home-buying demographic in the South, he said.
Norton’s talk drew several rounds of applause from the
audience, com-posed chiefly of real estate agents and mortgage lenders.
“Frank is spot-on with his predictions,” said Wharton Smith, vice president of South-east Mortgage in Lawrenceville. “For years, his research has been spot on. You just have to figure out how to apply that to your business model.”
Kimberly Bradley, branch manager for America’s Choice Home Loans in Dawsonville, said she was energized by the talk.
“It got me emotionally involved to the thought that
we need to pull together,” she said. “We can start in our own subdivisions, joining with our neighbors.”
Editor’s note: Beginning next week, Appen Newspapers will run serialized excerpts from Frank Norton Jr.’s “Norton Native Intelligence Report for 2015.”
The report is replete with facts, figures, charts and com-mentary from one of the state’s premier market experts focusing on the north Georgia economy and real estate.
North Ga. housing market ripe for growthFRANK NORTON JR. »
Frank Norton Jr., far right, speaks with several of the nearly 300 attendees following his Nor-ton Native Intelligence report at the Gainesville Civic Center Wednesday evening.
Frank Norton Jr. presents his Norton Native Intelligence report to a crowd of close to 300 people Wednesday evening in Gainesville.
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 17Submit your business news & photos to [email protected] NewBusinessSpotlight
BRING IT ON!There has never been a better time to become a member of the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce.
www.AlpharettaChamber.com
BUSINESSACADEMY
ALPHARETTA CHAMBER’SH URSUUUUURRRRSSSAFTER Gala2015
January 24
A L P H A R E T T A C H A M B E R
Start the new year right by considering a membership to the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce. It is a great way to network, learn, and grow your business. For more information, visit alpharettachamber.com or contact Ciara Rubin [email protected] or 404-277-4930.
BusinessPost
When you meet with poten-tial customers to present your product or service, are you hearing objections from them? Are they raising questions about the value or price of what you are offering? Do they “push back” on your proposal, using excuses that they don’t have resources to implement what you have? If you are not prepared to respond to these objections, good luck winning
their business. If you can over-come objections, however, you can win more business.
There are many differ-ent types of objections you may hear during a customer meeting. While price is typi-cally at the top of any buyer’s list, there are a number of other reasons a customer may object. Some of the top rea-sons are complacency, fear of change, their trust of you and your business, personal rea-sons or the timing of making a decision. You’ve got to identify
what the reasons are, then ad-dress them.
First and foremost in this process is to identify and better understand the objection. This requires you to ask good ques-tions and be a good listener. Confirm with your customer that you understand their ob-jection. Once you understand what is keeping your customer from making a decision to buy from you, you need to address
the objection. Referencing oth-er customers who had similar objections, and what was done to address it, will help convince your customer.
Overcoming objections isn’t easy, because customers can come up with all sorts of reasons for not doing business with you. However, if you’re good at overcoming objections, you most certainly will win more business.
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Overcoming objections can win you more business
New pediatric dentistry practice opens in RoswellBusiness: Wonderland Pediat-ric Dentistry Opened: Fall 2014Owner: Dr. Karina Bogdasa-rova (DDS MS)What: Wonderland Pediatric Dentistry specializes in treat-
ment from birth to 18 years of age, including special needs patients. Dr. Bogdasarova is affiliated with the Surgical Center of Children’s Health-care of Atlanta. Location: 1570 Old Alabama
Road, Suites 103-104, Roswell Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. SaturdayPhone: 678-878-3711 Website: wonderlandpediatric-dentistry.com
New Mexican restaurant, El Don, features live musicBusiness: El Don Barand GrillOpened: Fall 2014Owner: Edgar ColinWhat: El Don is a modern, Mexican restaurant with live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: 6320 Alpharetta Highway, Suite 1, Alpharetta 30004Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through SundayCall: 678-404-5473Web: www.eldonalpharetta.com
Mount Pisgah cuts ribbon on Geier HallFacility: Mount Pisgah Christian School’s Geier Hall Upper SchoolOpened: January 2015What: Officials celebrated the opening of the new 49,000-square-foot build-ing that features 18 new classrooms, three science labs, a common area and collaborative spaces, a drama and classroom stage.Location: 9875 Nesbit Ferry Road, Johns CreekPhone: 678-336-3443Website: experiencepisgah.org
18 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your business news & photos to [email protected]
AWARDS »
Salon 1580 named‘Best of 2014’ by Kudzu.comROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell’s Salon 1580 was named a Best of 2014 winner for Atlanta beauty salons and hair care on Kudzu.com, a leading source for local business information and consumer reviews.
“We are very appreciative that our customers and the community voted us as one of the best beauty salons and hair care businesses in the metro Atlanta area,” said Pat Alessi, owner and operator of Salon 1580. “It is such an honor to have received this honor two years in a row.”
Please visit www.kudzu.com for more informa-tion.
Oriental Rug Shop getsBest of Atlanta awardATLANTA, Ga. — Oriental Rug Shop, has been selected for the 2014 Best of Atlanta Award in the carpet and rug dealers category by the Atlanta Award Program. The award recognizes companies that have shown the ability to use their best prac-tices and who have implemented programs to gener-ate competitive advantages and long-term value. Owner and general manager Alex Baghshahi brings generations of experience to the home décor field. Baghshahi is also a respected appraiser and inspec-tor for oriental rugs. The Oriental Rug Shop is at 5548 Peachtree Blvd., Atlanta. Information: 404-995-8400/770-452-0430, [email protected]; www.PersianRugParadise.net.
EVENTS »
SarahCare to sponsorfree events for seniorsCUMMING, Ga. — Dinner will be on SarahCare at Johns Creek and Marietta for seniors or family members who attend informational seminars over the next two months.
Kristy Lott, a CPA from Dime Accounting, will provide families and seniors with information on senior-related taxes and retirement strategies in free dinner consultations at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at
Abbotts Grill, 10900 Medlock Bridge Road, in Johns Creek and 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Norman’s Landing Restaurant, 365 Peachtree Parkway, in Cumming.
Brannon and Black, an elder law firm, will offer consultations on how to avoid senior scams and the pitfalls of not planning properly for the elder years. The free dinner consultations are at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Abbotts Grill and at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Nor-man’s Landing Restaurant.
JC Chamber holdsannual awards galaJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – More than 300 business and community leaders are expected to attend this year’s Johns Creek Chamber Gala Jan. 23 at the Atlanta Athletic Club, 1930 Bobby Jones Drive.
The gala celebrates the chamber’s membership and accomplishments by recognizing people who have shown leadership and enthusiasm for the community. The evening includes dining, entertain-ment by the Infinity Show Band and an awards ceremony. Individual tickets are $150, with spon-sorships ranging from $1,500 – $4,000.
NEW BUSINESS »
Stan and Sharon Kurnett.jpg
Sid’s Pizza and Grill announces nationwide franchiseALPHARETTA, Ga. — Stan Kurnett, owner of Sid’s Pizza and Grill and an Alpharetta resident, an-nounced today the company is launching a national franchise program. Sid’s Pizza offers authentic Sicil-ian pizza in a vintage California surfer atmosphere, and has earned accolades including Best Pizza on the Northside by Atlanta Journal Constitution read-ers, Editor’s Choice for Best Pizza on the Northside by Points North Magazine and Atlanta’s Best Kept Secret by radio station DaveFM.
“I’m truly not interested in being the biggest – just the best. I’m looking for people who share our passion for serving better food,” Kurnett said.
Sid’s Pizza is located at 2631 Peachtree Park-way in Suwanee. For more information, visit www.SidsPizza.com.
McCalla Raymer addsJohns Creek officeJOHNS CREEK, Ga. — McCalla Raymer, a national leader in the residential mortgage default industry, has announced the expansion of its residential clos-ing department with the opening of four new offices, including one in Johns Creek. The Johns Creek office is located at 11340 Lakefield Drive, Suite 100. In addition to the new offices, McCalla Raymer an-nounced that Pilar Gigante, Heather Ison and Deb Kalish have joined the firm as partners.
HEALTH »
Emory names new CEOsJOHNS CREEK, Ga. — After an extensive search
and interview process, Emory Healthcare has appointed new chief executive officers to oversee two of its top hospitals. Marilyn Margolis has been named CEO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital, and Daniel Owens has been appointed CEO of Emory University Hospital Midtown.
Margolis began her career at Emory Healthcare as a nurse more than 30 years ago. In 2011, Margolis was named CNO of Emory Johns Creek Hospital and in 2013, she was promoted to CNO and vice president of operations at the hospital. Most recently, she was named interim CEO in September 2014.
Margolis is the recipient of Georgia Hospital Association’s 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award. Owens began his tenure at Emory in 1994 and was named interim CEO of Emory Uni-versity Hospital Midtown in September 2014.
Margolis and Owens assumed their new posts on Jan. 4. They will begin the search for replacements of their former positions in the coming weeks.
Cartiva announcesclearance for ProxiFuseALPHARETTA, Ga. — Cartiva has announced that it has received clearance for its ProxiFuse Ham-mertoe Correction System. The ProxiFuse system, specifically developed for hammertoe fusion, is used in procedures that fix bone deformities and recon-struct lesser toes following correction procedures for hammertoe, claw toe and mallet toe.
Cartiva is a solutions developer for the treat-ment of cartilage damage, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. For information, visit www.cartiva.net.
PUBLISHING »
Johns Creek author releases new children’s bookJOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Author Kelly Korneski an-nounces the nationwide release of her new book, “Compassionate Chipmunk,” in which she shares kindness and friendship with young readers.
In “Compassionate Chipmunk,” Chipmunk real-ly wants to play, instead of helping a turtle in need. However, he reluctantly does the right thing and shows compassion. What happens next changes his life forever.
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nation-wide, by visiting the Barnes and Noble and Amazon websites and from the publisher at www.tatepub-lishing.com/bookstore.
Roswell author shares relationship adviceROSWELL, Ga. — Author Audrey Blake hopes to inspire love and self-worth to women of all ages with the nationwide release of her new book, “Falling in Love with Me.”
“Falling in Love with Me” is for women who want to have more fulfilling relationships, learn how to really love and value who they are and figure out how to select the right man for them. Blake holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in public health.
She is the CEO of Fostering Leadership in You and is also a motivational speaker and a certified professional life coach. Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com.
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Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 19CALENDARSubmit your event online at johnscreekherald.com
EVENTS:
“ART AND SOUL” PRESENTED BY THE BRAND BANKWhat: Guests will have the opportunity to meet with local artists as they walk through the ballroom lined with an array of paintings, jewelry, sculptures, and unique pieces of art. Where: Country Club of Roswell, 2500 Club Spring Drive in RoswellWhen: Saturday, Jan. 24Hours: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.Cost: $100Online: gatransplant.orgContact: 678-514-1173
BRAVES COUNTRY CARAVAN AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGWhat: The Braves Country Caravan gives fans the opportunity to interact with Braves players, coaches and broadcasters before the new season kicks off in April.Where: Academy Sports + Outdoors, 320 Peachtree Parkway in CummingWhen: Friday, Jan. 23Hours: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
SALUD! VIETNAMESE FAVORITESWhat: Cooking class offering Vietnamese recipes.Where: Whole Foods Market Avalon, 2800 Old Milton Pkwy in AlpharettaWhen: Thursday, Jan. 22Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Cost: $39Online: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/service/salud-cooking-school-4Info: MENU: Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup); Fresh Summer Rolls; Bahn Mi with Viet Fries (Traditional sandwiches); Fish in Caramel Sauce with Jasmine Rice; Vietnamese Coffee; and Bonus Recipe (Coconut Yucca Cake).
MEAL & MEMORIES WITH MOMWhat: It’s time for a girls’ day out—just you and your daughter! You’ll enjoy a delicious meal, giggle over fun dice games that you can play over and over—like Story Switch-off, Roll-of-the-Dice Charades, and more—and make a colorful keepsake picture frame craft together.Where: American Girl at North Point Mall, 1202 North Point Circle in AlpharettaWhen: Bistro hoursCost: $38Contact: 877-247-5223 for reservationsInfo: For girls ages 8 and up.
MUSIC:
THE VELVET NOTE: TYRONE JACKSONWhat: Mr. Jackson toured Italy and Austria with the UNO Jazz Band and Brazil with Michael Ward. He is a Jazz Composition Competition winner and a member of the Rialto
Jazz Artist Foundation. His teaching experience ranges from private piano instruction, jazz piano, jazz theory and improvisation. This show will feature a set of jazz standards with fresh, new arrangements composed by Jackson. Where: The Velvet Note, 4075 Old Milton Parkway in AlpharettaWhen: Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24Hours: 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.Cost: $22Online: thevelvetnote.com
JOHNS CREEK HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRAWhat: JCHS Orchestra’s concert before they leave for the Georgia Music Educators Association conference in Savannah, Ga. Tim Anderson, Director of the Autrey Mill Middle School Orchestra, will be the guest conductor.Where: Johns Creek High School auditorium, 5575 State Bridge Road in Johns Creek.When: Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.Cost: Free admission
RACES & BENEFITS:RACE FOR THE GOAL 5K AND FUN RUNWhat: Inaugural run from the United Futbol Academy benefiting the UFA scholarship fund.Where: Polo Fields, 6050 Majors Road in CummingWhen: Sunday, Feb. 8, registration deadline Feb. 1 Hours: 2 p.m. Cost: $25 for 5k, $15 for 1k Fun RunOnline: www.unitedfa.org
EDIT
OR’S
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‘OUT OF THE RAIN’ AT AUTREY MILL UNPLUGGEDFirst concert of the “Autrey Mill Unplugged” series featuring folk duo Out of the Rain, Ron Hipp and Carol Statella at Warsaw Church, 9770 Autrey Mill Road in Johns Creek. Saturday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. gathering, 8 p.m. concert. Tickets are $20, $14 for Johns Creek residents and Autrey Mill members. Visit www.autreymill.org for more info
ICEFEST 2015Ice slides, food trucks, live music, bonfires and s’mores snow ball fight forts, and ice carving demonstrations. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road in Roswell. Saturday Jan. 24 and Sunday Jan. 25, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10. Visit chattnaturecenter.org for more info.
CARDIO YOGAClass combining traditional yoga with cardio moves at Lift Yoga Studio, 501 South Main Street in Alpharetta. Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6:45 a.m. Cost is donation-based. Contact Leann, [email protected] for more info
RFAA HIGH SCHOOL JURIED ART SHOW28th Annual High School Juried Art Show opening reception featuring the best high school artists in the area at Roswell Visual Art Center at Roswell Park, 10495 Woodstock Road. Friday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; showing through Feb. Free. Visit www.rfaa.org for more info
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT AT
SHANNON WEAVERCalendar Editorshannon@ appenmediagroup.com
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.
Send me your event...
20 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected] | Recycled paper
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Now offering in office Balloon SinuplastyBy LISA JONESPractice Manager
It is estimated that more than 37 million Americans suffer from sinus-itis every year, making it one of the most common health conditions in the country. In the past, patients who suf-fered from sinusitis had two options: medication or sinus surgery.
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Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section January 22, 2015 21
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Three things not to do in 2015(NAPSI)—It is not surprising that most New Year’s resolu-tions revolve around health and financial matters, two areas that emerged as key priorities for Americans in Northwestern Mutual’s 2014 Planning and Progress Study.
The study underscored the need for better decision making, with 60 percent of Americans stating that their financial planning needs im-provement and more than half admitting that they do not feel financially secure.
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can workers have no retire-ment savings whatsoever.
However, as the saying goes, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray,” and New Year’s resolutions seem to prove the point. A recent Forbes magazine poll found that only 8 percent of Americans actually succeed in keeping their resolutions. In fact, a different survey showed that more than 10 percent of New Year’s resolutions don’t even make it to the Super Bowl.
“While the new year is a logical starting point for new endeavors, resolutions likely have a high fail rate because people tend to set lofty,
See RESOLUTION, Page 22
22 January 22, 2015 Sponsored Section • EMPTY NEST johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald
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Exactly,….. BIG DEAL! Inflammation is not something to take lightly. Let’s put it this way, if you came across a smoldering fire in your house, you wouldn’t just walk away...would you?
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There are many causes of inflammation that can ulti-mately cause your arteries to be fragile. The arteries can suddenly rupture as plaque pushes through the wall like a volcano. A clot is formed,
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unrealistic expectations or view change as a short-term goal,” said Rebekah Barsch, vice president of planning at Northwestern Mutual. “Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and people would be better served to change their mind-set from New Year’s resolutions to solutions for a lifetime.”
According to Barsch, building solid financial habits that last requires broadly changing overall attitudes, which will then shape ongo-ing decision making across a broad range of financial matters.
To that end, instead of a “to do” list, Barsch suggests the following “don’t” list as a foundation for improving long-term financial well-being:
Don’t put off important conversations
Northwestern Mutual re-search shows that Americans would rather discuss death and intimacy than money. Overcoming this discomfort is essential, as open dialogue with partners, loved ones and professionals is the founda-tion for effective financial planning.
And the benefits of plan-ning are clear. According to Northwestern Mutual’s
2014 Planning and Progress Study, disciplined financial planners feel substantially more financially secure than those who consider them-selves informal or nonplan-ners.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
While Northwestern Mutual research shows that most Americans over 25 (67 percent) have a savings ac-count, just a fraction own stocks, bonds and real estate. Considering a wide range of solutions to meet financial and lifestyle objectives can play an important role in strengthening overall finan-cial security.
Don’t pass poor financial habits to your children
A strong motivation to improve your own financial behaviors is to set a positive example for your kids as early as possible.
Good and bad habits have one thing in common-the earlier they start, the harder they are to break.
Themint.org and themint-grad.org have information, tools and resources to help younger children and millen-nials, respectively, enhance their money smarts.
For more information on financial planning, please visit NM.com.
Continued from Page 21Resolution:
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 23Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
24 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
By KATHLEEN [email protected]
CUMMING, Ga. — A city of Cumming investigatory panel met Jan. 13 to assess im-peachment allegations against Councilman Rupert Sexton.
Sexton is facing impeach-ment after allegedly releasing personal financial and health insurance information for Cumming city employees on Facebook. He has denied this.
The panel, comprised of City Attorney Dana Miles who also appointed Forsyth County Commissioner Patrick Bell and Steve Page, a local business-man, were to conduct an inves-tigation of Sexton.
He has been accused by fellow council members of directly or indirectly publishing a list put together by the city’s human resources manager that contained confidential in-surance and financial informa-tion of the city’s employees.
The list of employees who are covered by health insur-ance was introduced. as evidence in the investigatory panel and was provided to the media on request.
“It apparently is open records [document] because they passed out a packet with it in there,” said Sexton later.
“If it’s not public record then it should never have been passed out.”
Miles said that he received a letter from Sexton’s attorney, which said Sexton rejected the process and would not be at the hearing. When asked, Sexton said the hearing was unconstitutional.
Cumming Human Resourc-es Director Phil Higgins said he provided the document to Sexton at his request in July 2014.
“In and around that time period, we had been discuss-ing insurance and the annual renew rate we get from Georgia Municipal Association,” said Higgins. “I felt it was OK to give him this information.”
Months went by after the exchange, and Higgins didn’t hear anything about his document until Dec. 16, 2014, when his wife told him it had been released on Facebook.
“The minute I saw it, I said to my wife, my exact words were, ‘Oh my God, that’s my spreadsheet,’” said Higgins. “Needless to say, I was ex-tremely concerned how my spreadsheet had gotten onto this social media site. I had not shared it with anyone else.”
Resident David Milum was asked to attend the hearing
because he was the person who supposedly posted the document on Facebook. He did not attend , but told media he did not know who sent him the email.
Sexton said that he be-lieves the document is an open record and therefore he did nothing wrong.
Sexton has also denied releasing the information.
At the hearing Miles said the issue came up about a week after Sexton first brought up insurance coverage of spouses at Dec. 16, 2014 ex-ecutive session.
At that meeting Sexton proposed to go into executive session to discuss employee benefits, said Miles.
At that executive session,
Councilman Sexton requested a proposal to put councilmem-bers’ wives on the county em-ployee rolls with no designated job duties, but for the purpose of getting paid city health ben-efits’ Miles said.
“That was not a proper purpose for an executive ses-sion, and the executive session was immediately adjourned,” he said
Sexton did not seek to add this proposal to the regular meeting agenda, Miles said.
“Instead, Sexton remarked twice that he was now going to ‘do what he had to do,’” said Miles. “In that same evening, an Excel spreadsheet contain-ing the financial and health insurance information on
the city’s 139 employees was posted on social media.”
Sexton defended himself saying he had previously
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Panel investigates leaked documents
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
Councilman Ralph Perry testifies to the panel while Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, Angela Mullinax, Councilman Lewis Ledbetter and Councilman John Pugh watch.
See LEAKED, Page 25
Timeline of events•Dec. 16, 2014: Council-
men have City Council meeting, discuss insur-ance policies. Later on that night, city employ-ees’ health insurance document is leaked on social media.
•Dec. 23, 2014: City holds special called meeting regarding leaked document and possible impeachment of Councilman Rupert Sexton. Votes to create investigatory panel.
•Jan. 13: Investigatory panel interviews Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, Council-man Lewis Ledbetter, Councilman Ralph Perry and Human Resources Director Phil Higgins. The panel decides to bring findings to City Council Jan. 20.
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 25Submit your news & photos to [email protected] NEWS
emailed the document to May-or H. Ford Gravitt, Councilman Lewis Ledbetter and Council-man Ralph Perry.
All three admitted having received the insurance lists before the executive session.
Ledbetter said Sexton brought a copy of the insur-ance document to his office.
“I was so interested in it I didn’t even look at it,” said Ledbetter.
Perry said that Sexton came to his house with a copy, but he never understood what Sex-ton was trying to do with it.
Both councilmen, along with Gravitt, said they do not use computers or Face-book and the copies of the documents they were given by Sexton are still in the original places they were received.
Gravitt said that Sexton wanted to get councilmen’s spouses on city-paid health and retirement pension policy for lifetime, and that’s why Sexton brought it up in the ex-ecutive session Dec. 16, 2014.
“All this is about is insur-ance,” said Gravitt. “I’d like to clarify one thing. Council-man Sexton has insurance on his spouse, so it’s no different from any other city employee or elected official. He has the same insurance as everybody
else does. Nobody has [life-time insurance.] Nobody has questioned about that until Mr. Sexton brought it up.”
Sexton said that Gravitt’s statement was not correct and was way off base.
“They do have lifetime in-surance, all employees do. You have to serve a minimum of 10 years,” said Sexton. “I offered [another] option to the council and that’s where everything went haywire.”
Sexton referenced the policy which states, “the city of Cumming will pay 100 percent of the cost of the retiree’s Medi-care Supplement Policy for the retiree’s lifetime unless earlier terminated by the retiree.”
Higgins said he had done some math about the proposal that Sexton requested.
“This amendment to the retirement policy would have
cost the city about $1.8 million to fund that,” said
Higgins. “$1.5 million of that would have been used solely to fund Councilman Sexton’s wife.”
Higgins said the reason for the disparity was that Sexton’s wife was much younger than the other councilmen’s wives.
Sexton said it won’t cost that much and that Higgins was untruthful when he made that statement.
The panel at the hearing voted to bring a report to the City Council Jan. 20 to deter-mine the next step.
If Sexton is impeached, the city charter states “the mayor and council shall appoint a qualified person to fill such vacancy until a special election is held.”
For information or to reserve your seat or table, contact Carol Anderson-Wood, (404) 402-5389
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Pay online at: www.alpharettabusinessassociation.com
Mail checks to: 11770 Haynes Bridge Road • Suite 205, Box 264 • Alpharetta, GA 30009
Phoebe Leigh Appen was born at 10:36 p.m. Jan. 8, 2015 at North Fulton Hospital to parents Hans and Kristina Appen of Alpharetta. She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. Grand-parents are Ray and Christina Appen of Alpharetta, GA and Mike and Rita Brown of Alpharetta, GA. Both baby and mother are doing well.
Phoebe Leigh Appen
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
The investigatory panel is comprised of City Attorney Dana Miles, former Forsyth County Commis-sioner Patrick Bell and Steve Page, a local businessman.
Continued from Page 24
Leaked:
26 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
By JONATHAN [email protected]
ROSWELL, Ga. – It is just as important to remember the Civil Rights era today as it was 50 years ago – and 50 years from now.
That was the message from Doug Shipman, chief executive officer of the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, as he spoke to the Roswell Rotary Club Jan. 15.
The Civil Rights era, 50 years ago, is at the perfect age to have a museum. Fifty years is enough time for the events to be remembered but not forgot-ten, and for several generations
to have their own stories.On the 50th anniversary of
World War II – 1995 – Shipman said a flurry of movies, books, TV shows and the Washington WW II memorial came out.
“World War II wasn’t just about events in the 1940s, but about everything that came after,” he said.
Similarly, the Civil Rights movement has shaped the past 50 years and successive generations.
“It’s not an accident that people are trying to figure out what [the Civil Rights move-ment] means today,” Shipman said.
People born after 1970
make up the majority of the American population. They have no memories of the events of the 1960s. Everything they know about the era is either through stories or school. Yet, the actions of those people in the 60s shaped not just the American perception of rights and revolution, but the global images.
When the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989, the revelers chanted “We Shall Overcome,” a prominent Civil Rights song. When the Egyptian Revolution during the Arab Spring toppled its government, protesters waved signs that said, “I am a man,” a famous sign held up by black Americans in the face of oppression.
“The whole world looks at
this history as inspiration,” Shipman said.
The museum makes an ef-fort to connect the very human issues of the Civil Rights era and Martin Luther King Jr., to the events of today as human rights – slavery, human traf-ficking and economic develop-ment of the Third World.
“There are freedom move-ments around the world and
people fighting for their free-dom,” he said. “These stories are alive.”
For more on the stories the Center for Civil and Hu-man Rights has to show, visit them online at http://www.civilandhumanrights.org/. The center is located at 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Atlanta, be-tween the World of Coca Cola and the Georgia Aquarium.
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around the world and people fighting for their freedom. These stories are alive.”DOUG SHIPMANCEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 27Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Puneet Singh, 14, earned the highest award the Boy Scouts of America of-fers to scouts, the Eagle Scout Award. He is the son of Kiran and Anju Singh of Alpharetta.
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28 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Johns Creek Arts Center recently received a grant from the city of Johns Creek to host a February festival, “Celebrating the Afri-can American Presence.”
This series of four events marks the first major recognition of Black His-tory Month in Johns Creek. Taking place each Febru-ary, Black His-tory Month is the annual celebration of the important contributions of African Americans to the fabric of American life, and the rich tapestry of African American folk culture and traditions.
“Johns Creek Celebrates the African American Presence” includes activities for all age groups. Sev-eral activities are family-friendly and encourage multi-generational participation.
The cornerstone of the festival is a
visual arts exhibition “Re-Imagining: Female Artists from the Permanent Col-lection of Hammonds House Museum.”
Hammonds House Museum in Atlanta is one of the premier museums of African American art and culture in the Southeast. Artists include Renee Stout, Elizabeth Catlett and Lois Mailou
Jones. This exhibition
will be available for viewing through Feb. 28. This event is free and open to the public.
This exhibition of work by promi-nent black female artists opened Jan. 17 with a gala reception featur-ing classic jazz standards and ap-petizer samplings of classic African American soul food.
The Johns Creek Arts Center will host a Sunday afternoon ladies event Feb. 15, featur-ing an art talk and presentation on
African American visual artists. To add an additional festive element to this activity, par-ticipants will be encouraged to sport their most lavish mil-linery creations. Extravagant hats have long been a signifi-cant part of African American culture. There will be a People’s Choice Award for the most spec-tacular hat.
Appetizers of traditional desserts such as coconut cake, peach cobbler, banana pud-ding and sweet potato pie and beverages will be served at this function. This event is free and open to the public.
The culminating event of the festival is an evening activity for high school students Satur-day, Feb. 28. Working closely with leaders of the various clubs at the three Johns Creek high schools, arts center staff developed activities of inter-est to teens and relevant to the celebration of African American history.
Proposed activities include an open mic night, poetry slam, a screen printing /T-shirt making activity, trivia contest, collaborative art project and refreshments. This event is free and open to the public, but preregistration
via phone or www.johncreekarts.org is required.
Johns Creek Arts Center hosts Black History eventsArts grant makes possible Hammonds House paintings of black female artists
The cornerstone of the festival is a visual arts exhibition “Re-Imagining: Female Artists from the Permanent Collection of Hammonds House Museum.”
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 29Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
By JONATHAN [email protected]
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – As the nation remembered the life and message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 19, the congregations of North Fulton communities gathered together in a single service, culminat-ing with the area’s first “unity march.”
Beginning at the St. James United Methodist Church on Webb Bridge Road, hundreds of people marched along Academy Street to the tune of “We shall overcome,” ending at Alpharetta City Hall and the Alpharetta Presbyterian Church.
Pastors of St. James UMC, Alpharetta Presbyterian Church and St. Aidan’s Epis-copal Church addressed the congregation during a service beforehand on the message of peace, love and brotherhood for which King was known.
“Today is not just a day where we celebrate his life, but celebrate his dream,” said the Rev. Doug Thrasher, the district superintendent of the North Georgia United Method-ist Churches. “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me today.”
The words of Micah, in the Old Testament, were repeated often during the sermons – Chapter 6, verse 8 – “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly.”
The sermon was given by the Rev. Gerald L. Durley, for-merly of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King used to serve. Durley told the congregation how he met King and became a youth in King’s growing civil rights movement of the 1960s.
He grew up in California and Colorado, becoming a star basketball player. He then went to Tennessee State Uni-versity to play and was imme-diately met with the segregated South. He suddenly had to sit in the back of buses and drink from certain water fountains. He was about to quit and go back west when he attended a function with MLK and other leaders of the era that changed his mind.
“He believed in making things right, not just for black people, but for America,” Dur-ley said. “Today we remember, today we celebrate and today we act.”
King was 39 years old when he was killed, April 4, 1968.
He cautioned about the country dividing and people allowing it. With recent events
in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York prompting rioting and unrest, Durley said the nation needs to come together and ad-dress its problems openly, honestly and humbly.
“We are marching against Ferguson, but not for the 400 kids killing each other in Chicago?” he said. “We need to stop blaming other people and look at what we are doing.
“If you stay with God, you don’t have a divided mind,” he said.
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Hundreds of people take part in a unity march in Alpharetta Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
30 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com COMMUNITY
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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – It took two days to whittle down the 70 contestants in River Trail Middle School’s annual spelling bee. In the final showdown, Jessica Lao, left, correctly spelled “officious,” eliminating Yumin Shivadasani, the second-place finisher. Lao will now move to the county spelling bee.
River Trail MS crowns school spelling champ
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 31Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
By KATHLEEN [email protected]
UGANDA, Africa — Seventeen-year-old Abi David read the book “Kisses from Kate” three years ago. From that moment, she knew she wanted to help others, particularly those in developing nations in Africa.
“My mom got me a book about a girl who went to Afri-ca,” said David. “I just wanted to go check it out. I was 14 when I read it.”
The Hiawassee, Georgia, native was so inspired by the book, she began raising the money to travel to Africa. Now, with two trips under her belt, she is sharing those stories of struggles and success with au-diences in her hometown and in North Fulton and Forsyth County. Her grandfather lives in Cumming, and David travels to the area frequently to visit him and speak to local groups about helping others.
“I asked a lot of people if I could do anything for them,” said David. “I hosted a few exercise classes for the ladies at church. I did a lot of random stuff to raise money.”
Through Zumba classes and doing chores, David was able to raise enough money to travel to Uganda.
Once there, she made several stops to learn what was going on and help wherever she could, including in the villages of Pallisa, Nsenga and Nakodo, Uganda.
“I went to a couple of or-phanages,” said David. “The first one we went to showed us what the situation was like. After our first trip, we decided we wanted to go as a family.”
On her first trip to Africa, David visited six orphanages.
“I played games with them like duck duck goose and did crafts,” said David. “I never really tried to teach them the Bible because I realized these children knew as much or more than I did about the Bible and how to live a Godly life.”
David said she was really inspired by the children, even with their bad living condi-tions.
“Without the abundance we live with every day,” said Da-
vid, “they live abundant lives in their hearts and in their experiences with others. It was amazing to see their faith and love for the Lord in such impoverished conditions.”
After her first trip, David realized she and her family needed to go back. They were able to raise enough money to build a 50-bed orphanage that was finished just as they arrived.
“I’m grateful I was able to be a part of their moving-in ceremony and see the laugh-ter and happy dancing as the beds’ furnishings were deliv-ered,” said David.
David and her family helped the Ugandan people dig a clean water well for the vil-lage, delivered fresh food and helped at a local nursery.
“What I missed last year is how tiring and hard it is to care for 21 babies without the resources we have in the United States,” said David
David said she would like continue to visit Uganda.
“I don’t know if it’d be a full-time thing or not,” said David, “but I definitely want to keep going there.”
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To donate to Abi David’s cause, checks can be mailed to: Fishers of Men Inc.148 Whippoorwill Terrace Alto, Ga. 30510 Abi David, center, stands at the village well installation.
32 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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Basketball scoreboard; Jan. 13 – 17BoysTuesday •Centennial 67, Chattahoochee 60 •Johns Creek 87, Northview 64 •Alpharetta 68,
South Forsyth 45 •Woodstock 47,
Roswell 42 •Sprayberry 71,
Cambridge 57 •Cedar Grove 46,
Blessed Trinity 20•St. Francis 77,
Mount Pisgah 54 •Whitefield Academy 55, Fellowship
24 Friday •Chattahoochee 61,
Johns Creek 58 •Alpharetta 80,
Habersham Central 35 •Centennial 65,
South Forsyth 27 •Lambert 89, Northview 53 •Roswell 58, Etowah 51 •Pope 47, Milton 36 •Blessed Trinity 62,
North Clayton 49 •King’s Ridge 43, Fellowship 34 •Mount Pisgah 58, Pinecrest 56 •St. Francis 68,
Whitefield 63 Saturday •Chattahoochee 47, •Forsyth Central 35•Collins Hill 50, Centennial 38 •Cambridge 82, W.D. Mohammed
77 (2 OT) •St. Pius 43, Blessed Trinity 38
•Pace Academy 76, King’s Ridge 34
GirlsTuesday •Centennial 48, Chattahoochee 19 •Johns Creek 62, Northview 60 •South Forsyth 70, Alpharetta 29 •Woodstock 45,
Roswell 28 •Sprayberry 45,
Cambridge 28 •Blessed Trinity 38,
Cedar Grove 24 •St. Francis 69,
Mount Pisgah 38•Fellowship 54,
Whitefield Academy 41 Friday •Johns Creek 52,
Chattahoochee 31 •Lambert 45, Northview 42 •South Forsyth 67, Centennial 48 •Habersham Central 51,
Alpharetta 36 •Etowah 48, Roswell 47 •Pope 61, Milton 20 •Blessed Trinity 66,
North Clayton 43 •Fellowship 58,
King’s Ridge 20 •St. Francis 75, Whitefield 41•Pinecrest 49, Mount Pisgah 43 Saturday •Cambridge 56, Milton 44 •St. Pius 43, Blessed Trinity 38 •Pace Academy 59, King’s Ridge 21 •Wenonah, Ala. 67,
St. Francis 61 (2 OT)
Centennial Lady Knights in playoff position after big win over ‘Hooch By MIKE BLUM [email protected]
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Three of the four girls’ state tournament berths from 6-AAAAAA will be filled (barring a huge region tournament upset) by South For-syth, North Forsyth and West Forsyth.
With three weeks left in the regular season, the Centennial Lady Knights appear headed for a fourth place finish and look to be in good position to take the region’s fourth spot in the state tournament.
Centennial defeated Chattahoochee 48-19 last week, the Lady Knights’ sec-ond decisive win over the region’s fifth place team this season. Centennial won the first meeting between the two teams 57-22.
Jillah Moede had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Knights, who led 23-6 at the half and shot 55 percent from the field on two-point attempts. Centennial is 7-5 in the region and 11-8 overall, and has rebounded from an upset loss to Northview the previous week.
The Nos. 4 and 5 teams in 6-AAAAAA will meet in the tournament quarterfinals, with the winner advanc-ing to the state tournament. Chatta-hoochee is 5-6 in the region (11-7 over-all) and holds a slim lead over Johns Creek (5-7, 10-9), which defeated the
Lady Cougars 52-31 Friday night. Johns Creek also defeated North-
view (2-10, 6-13) last week, and has a chance to move into the fifth spot and avoid a quarterfinal matchup against one of the region’s three top teams.
Three of the four North Fulton girls’ teams in Region 6-A South are in line for state tournament berths, which will be determined by power rankings and
With three weeks left in the regular season, the Centennial Lady Knights appear headed for a fourth place finish and look to be in good position to take the region’s fourth spot in the state tournament.
See KNIGHTS, Page 44
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP:
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 33Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SPORTS
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BT still state ranked despite tough week
By MIKE BLUM [email protected]
ROSWELL, Ga. – After gradu-ating six seniors from last sea-son’s 23-7 team that reached the second round of the state Class AAA playoffs, the 2014-15 Blessed Trinity Titans seemed headed for a rebuilding effort.
Adding to the heavy graduation losses, the Titans were playing their first season without Brian Marks, the team’s head coach since the program began in the early 2000s.
Patrick Hughes, who played under Marks and was cap-tain of the Titans’ first state playoff team in 2004, took over for Marks after serving as an assistant the previous five seasons.
Despite two losses last week to teams ranked third and fourth in their state clas-sifications, the Titans came into this week 15-4 on the season and ranked eighth in AAA. Blessed Trinity leads their 4-AAA sub-region with a
5-0 record. Even with the loss of six se-
niors, Hughes inherited some talent. He said he “had a lot of faith” in his players, due in large part to their “workman-like mentality. We’re not just one guy. We talked about being a family.”
Until third-ranked Cedar Grove smothered the Titans with a suffocating man-to-man defense last week, BT was working on an 11-game win-ning streak.
The Titans got back on track with a 62-49 victory Friday over potential region tournament opponent North Clayton. BT outscored the Eagles 30-12 in the fourth quarter, but lost to St. Pius, the No. 4 team in AAAA, 43-38 Saturday.
“All credit to St. Pius,” Marks said after the Golden Lions limited BT to 22 points through three quarters with a tough defensive effort. St. Pius hit enough three-pointers to build a 10-point lead before holding off a spirited fourth quarter comeback by the Titans.
Blessed Trinity struggled offensively before finding the range in the final period. Ju-nior Jackson Svete, the team’s leading scorer, sparked the late rally, hitting a trio of three-
pointers and finishing with 11 points. Svete connected on six three-pointers the night before, scoring 20 points in the come-from-behind win over North Clayton.
“He’s our sharpshooter,” Hughes said of Svete, who is making over 40 percent of his three-point attempts. He is averaging around 14 points a game, with a high of 32 against Chapel Hill early in the season.
The Titans start three seniors, including returning starter Cameron Johnson, the team’s point guard, and burly 6-foot-6 center Keishawn Binion, a four-year letterman. Johnson is not a major scoring threat but does a capable job of running the BT offense.
Binion averages around eight points a game, as does fellow post player Cody Peli-
tera. At 6-foot-7, Pelitera, along with Binion, gives the Titans some size up front. They are the team’s only players taller than 6-foot-3, but the Titans have had some success utiliz-ing a smaller lineup.
In the fourth quarter rally against North Clayton, sophomore starter Kyle Swade scored 10 of his 12 points. Johnson scored five of his seven, and sixth man John Michael Bertrand scored all nine of his points. Swade is second on the team, averaging 10 points a game.
The Titans are a fundamen-tally sound team, especially at the defensive end, allow-ing more than 60 points just twice this season. One of those occurred in a double overtime loss.
“We make teams beat us. That’s definitely our calling
card,” Hughes said. The Titans have enjoyed
eight straight winning seasons, but missed the state play-offs three consecutive times between 2011 and ’13, despite winning at least 15 games each time.
They advanced to the sec-ond round of the playoffs the last four times they qualified since 2008, making it to the finals in ’09.
Making the playoffs out of 4-AAA is no easy task with two state-ranked teams in the op-posite sub-region and a strong Westminster squad battling the Titans for first in the sub-region.
BT won the first meeting 50-35 and the teams meet again Feb. 3 at Blessed Trinity. A victory then almost certainly gives the Titans a sub-region title.
‘Rebuilding’ team 15-4 under new coach
The Titans are a fundamentally sound team, especially at the defensive end, allowing more than 60 points just twice this season. One of those occurred in a double overtime loss.
34 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com SPORTS
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WRESTLING:
Cougars, St. Franciswin matches at stateMACON, Ga. – Chattahoochee and St. Francis both competed in the state team dual wres-tling championships last week-end, and both won matches before losing in the consolation round.
Chattahoochee won its opening match 34-30 over Rockdale in AAAAAA be-fore losing to eventual state champion Archer 66-14 in the quarterfinals. Archer defeated Etowah 66-3 in the champion-ship match.
The Cougars won their first match in the consolation round 38-32 to Brookwood before losing 46-30 to Pope in the next round. Chattahoochee
and North Forsyth, which edged the Cougars in the finals of the area meet the previous week, finished seventh at state.
St. Francis lost its open-ing match in Class A to Mount Zion of Carrollton 48-27 before defeating Pacelli 65-14 in the first round of the consolation bracket. The Knights then lost to Trion 42-33 in the consola-tion semifinals.
Mount Zion placed second in the meet and Trion was fourth, with Commerce easily winning the state title. Com-merce defeated St. Francis in the area finals the previous week.
– Mike Blum
These things can be done with common goal of providing high quality services and sup-port to the citizens of Fulton County. If we are successful, then we can begin to restore our reserve funds and lower our property tax rates.
We live and work in a won-derful county. When people look for a great place to live, to work or to play, Fulton is where they come.
This does not happen by accident. It happens because Fulton County is like no place else.
We are very unique. No-where else in Georgia is there a county with as many cities, with as many people, with as diverse a people with every
demographic, economic status and lifestyle represented. And they must all be respected.
We of North Fulton now has the opportunity to have our voice heard – and bring our perspective as county govern-ment works to meet the needs of Fulton County’s citizens.
I welcome our new com-missioners, congratulate my returning colleagues and look forward to working together to address our many challenges. It is a very positive step to have the vice chairman position held by a North Fulton com-missioner, and I pledge to do my best on behalf of the entire county to find common ground and solid solutions we can all accept.
These are serious and excit-ing days for Fulton County. By working together, we can make our county even better than it already is.
Continued from Page 9
County:
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 35Submit your news & photos to [email protected] COMMUNITY
Please join North Fulton Hospital and don your most fabulous red attire as we celebrate National Wear Red Day with an informative and fun complimentary breakfast event featuring NFH cardiologist Dr. Ayushi Ahuja speaking on heart health.
This event is limited to the fi rst 100 people to RSVP.
Place Country Club of the South 4100 Old Alabama Road Johns Creek, GA 30022
Time 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Date Friday, February 6
RSVP 770.751.2660
2015 North Fulton Hospital
Heart Healthy Breakfastcelebrating National Wear Red Day!
FSA Science Olympiad takes home firstALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Ful-ton Science Academy Private School Science Olympiad team traveled to its first out of state tournament of the season, competing in the Friendship Christian Invitational in Leba-non, Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 10.
Fulton Science Academy students were called up for honors in 21 of the 23 events, and FSA was awarded the first place team trophy. Teams from three states, including nation-ally ranked teams, competed in the event. Head coaches Pam Walsh and Gloria Stathos said they were thrilled with the team’s performance.
“Out of state tournaments are always a challenge,” Walsh said. “Students and coaches really have to work hard to prepare. All in all, our kids did great and had a wonderful time.”
Individual awards were earned by the following students: Air trajectory • Third place – Simon Wang
and Andre Hamelberg• Fourth place – Christina
Wang and Soleil Moffitt
Anatomy • Second place –Araneesh
Pratap and Sanjeev Up-paluri
• Fifth place – Prajwal Vedula and Sruthi Chatrathi
• Sixth place – Meghana Raj and Krishna Kumar
Bio process lab • First place – Sanjeev Uppal-
uri and Araneesh Pratap• Fourth place – Sparsh
Kudrimoti and Ameiya Pednekar
Bottle rockets • First place – Prajwal Vedula
and Akash Bhatt• Second place – Faris Unal
and Karen Pederson
Bridges • First place – Faith Lucas
and Sophie Richardson• Third place – Ameya Reka-
palli and Madeline Dressel• Fourth place – Sparsh Kudri-
moti and Ameiya Pednekar Can’t Judge a Powder
• First place – Anjali Botcha and Shivani Naraharishetty
• Sixth place – Soleil Moffitt and Christina Wang
Crave the Wave • Fourth place – Simon Wang
and Brian Shoffeitt
Crime Busters • First place – Sarah Lucas
and Hasan Unal• Third place – Maryam Unal
and Meghana Raj
Disease Detectives • Second place – Akash Bhatt
and Prajwal Vedula• Third place – Brian Shof-
feitt and Sarah Lucas• Fifth place – Neha Maru-
pudi and Bella Sims
Dynamic Planet • First place – Mira Mutnick
and Sophie Richardson• Third place – Akash Bhatt
and Chance Crigler
Elastic launch glider • First place – Karuna Kumar
and Sophie Richardson• Third place – Ameya Reka-
palli and Christina Wang
Entomology • First place – Faith Lucas
and Elaine Wen• Fifth place – Soleil Moffitt
and Madeline Dressel• Sixth place – Bella Sims
Experimental design • Third place – Simon Wang,
Mira Mutnick and Ananya Terala
Fossils • Third place – Sanjeev Up-
paluri and Faith Lucas• Fifth place – Karen Peder-
son and Bella Sims
Green Generation • Fifth place – Soleil Moffitt
and Christina Wang• Sixth place – Faith Lucas
and Elaine Wen
Meteorology • Fourth place – Sanjeev Up-
paluri and Ananya Terala
Picture This • Second place – Christina
Wang, Soleil Moffitt and Avinash Pratap
• Sixth place – Elaine Wen, Ananya Terala and Sarah Lucas
Robo-Cross • Fourth place – Mira Mut-
nick and Andre Hamelberg
Simple machines • First place – Karuna Kumar
and Araneesh Pratap• Second place – Ananya
Pottabhathini and Avinash Pratap
Solar system • First place –Brian Shoffeitt
and Araneesh Pratap• Fourth place – Karthikeya
Sriamagiri and Rithvik Konda• Sixth place – Chance Cri-
gler and Akash Bhatt
Wheeled vehicle • Fifth place – Andre Hamel-
berg and Elaine Wen• Sixth place – Akash Bhatt
and Sruthi Chatrathi
Fulton Science’s Olympiad team takes the gold.
36 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
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Gov. Deal proposes increase in state school funding By CANDY [email protected]
ATLANTA – Only in politics is holding back less money heralded as a budget increase.
But in the world of education fund-ing, that is good news for schools, which should be seeing more state money flowing into their budgets this year.
In announcing his budget plans for fiscal year 2016, Gov. Nathan Deal last week said much of the increase in state revenues and spending will go into education, with the intent of help-ing systems restore a 180-day school calendar, end furloughs for staff and provide staff raises.
A significant portion of the revenue increase will come from a reduction in “austerity” cuts, which will be at the lowest level in nearly a decade.
Beginning in 2003, with the eco-nomic downturn following the 2001 terrorist attacks, the state began with-holding a portion of state funds earned by school systems, labeling them as “temporary austerity cuts.”
In 2010, the cuts became perma-nent. The end result is more than $7.5 billion in state funds earned by school systems has been withheld by the state since 2003.
“[This year] the austerity cuts
totaled $746 million, which would have gone into our schools – an average of $439 per student,” said Claire Suggs, senior educa-tion policy analyst with the non-partisan Geor-gia Budget and Policy Institute. “But that is actually an improve-
ment over the past five years.”She noted the austerity cuts totaled
$1 billion each year beginning in 2010.“That is simply a lot of money that
is not going into the school systems,” said Suggs, who spoke at a Jan. 9 fo-rum hosted by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.
Since 2002, state funding per stu-dent has fallen an average of 12 percent each year, shifting more and more funding responsibility to local govern-ments.
“In 2002, the state provided 56 percent of education funding in local school systems. In 2013, that number had fallen to 51 percent,” said Suggs.
In the Fulton County School Sys-tem, less than 40 percent of the budget comes from state sources, with the rest coming from local taxpayers. The fed-eral government contributes less than 1 percent.
The austerity cuts have hit the
system hard, with more than $330 million withheld since 2003. This is in addition to the ongoing $150 million reduction as part of the “fair share” requirement, which redirects state funds from wealthier districts to less wealthy ones.
Still, Fulton Schools is financially robust, thanks to conservative spend-ing practices and targeted cuts during lean years.
According to financial staff, Fulton Schools has been spending 97 cents of each dollar budgeted, resulting in a healthy reserve fund.
During a school board meeting last week, board members approved new spending as a result of an ad-ditional $16 million to the FY15 budget.
The increase in mid-year revenue
comes primarily from local tax rev-enues, with a small increase in state revenues.
Local schools will see much of the new funds, receiving an additional $50 per pupil in flexible spending, which can be spent this year or carried over to next year.
High schools will also be sharing in $4.5 million for upgrades to their media centers.
Other mid-term expenditures in-clude musical instrument replacement ($4M), building assessments in antici-pation of SPLOST V ($3M), increase in school-based security budgets ($100K), additional day for high school assistant principals ($60K), additional day for data clerks ($211K), communications department interns ($10K) and other expenses.
Reduced ‘austerity’ cuts fuel much of increase
DEAL
[This year] the austerity cuts totaled $746 million, which would have gone into our schools – an average of $439 per student. But that is actually an improvement over the past five years.”CLAIRE SUGGSSenior education policy analyst with the non-partisan Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 37Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
38 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
gia State University will not be the first major research university to have multiple campuses, and many of those campuses as two-year or ac-cess institutions.”
Becker listed Emory’s Oxford campus, Pennsylvania State University and University of South Carolina as examples of similar institutions.
“The downtown campus will continue to be a premiere urban research university, with highly selective, bacca-laureate, master’s and doctoral programs,” Becker said. “With
this consolidation with GPC, we pick up additional sites – sites that historically have an access mission, that provide mostly associate and certificate programs, and we intend for that to continue.”
At the town hall meeting, the future of undocumented students who attend GPC campuses was brought up.
GPC admits undocumented students, but they are explic-itly not eligible for admission at GSU.
“Undocumented students do enroll at the GPC campus-es, and they will continue to do so,” said Shelley Nickel, the head of the consolidation effort and the university system’s vice chancellor for planning and implementation. “They do not enroll at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and we anticipate that will remain the same.”
On its website regard-ing the consolidation, the University System of Georgia
explains, “Georgia State will continue to admit students into its bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs under its current standards as a na-tional research university. The Georgia Perimeter campuses of the proposed consolidated institution will continue to fulfill their access mission and admit students to associate’s and certificate programs.”
As such, they “anticipate the policy [regarding un-documented students] for the respective campuses will not change.”
For more information, visit consolidation.gsu.edu.
The Delta Flight Museum is a can’t-miss experience for any aviation buff, but it has some-thing for almost everyone.
Although Delta is a famil-iar name to everyone here in its hometown, even my Navy pilot son did not realize it had started out as a crop-dusting operation.
Old-timers will enjoy seeing the first DC-3 that flew her maiden voyage Christmas Eve 1940.
Young flight fans will be amazed at the 21-passenger aircraft considered state-of-the-art by their grandparents. Check their website for dates they hold tours of the DC-3 and sales of posters and sur-plus in-flight items and other cool stuff.
After surrendering ID to security, you are greeted in the forecourt by an awning held up with retired nose gear, complete with four powerful landing lights.
Those of us of a certain age will well remember standing on the tarmac, subjected to all the exciting sights, sounds and smells of an aircraft’s arrival.
Today’s kids have been insulated from the full-bore airport experience by jetways, so it kicks off this hands-on museum’s appeal from the get-go.
The huge hangar houses the 767 Dreamliner, with space to spare for four other full-size aircraft and the fuse-lage of an L-1011, which has been the set of several movies, television shows and commer-cials.
“Passenger 57” was one movie of note you may remem-ber. It is an intriguing venue for special events, with tables set up all around the enor-mous aircraft.
It’s a great activity for wet, hot or cold weather. Little ones can run around to their heart’s content while grown-ups read
the display copy. It was even fairly exciting
for this middle-ager to walk under The Spirit of Delta to ac-tually see how big those “little” red lights you see in the sky are and how huge those little tires are up close and personal.
The most fun for me were the displays of campy flight at-tendant uniforms and memo-rabilia inside the L-1011.
But the gift shop is enter-taining in and of itself. It hosts a wide range of offerings that will greatly appeal to flyboys and flygirls from aspirees to retirees.
Note: The museum is closed on Wednesday, but they will cheerfully accept your money for purchases in the gift shop if you’ve made the drive down there. The gift shop has a generous assortment of items in all price points, so you can pick up things for under $5 to keep the kids happy.
The simulator is not in-cluded with admission. You’ll need to make an appointment and prepay $395 if you want to take advantage of it.
Also good to know: they of-fer free admission to those with military ID.
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BLURRED REN FROM STONE MOUNTAIN, USA - THE SPIRIT OF DELTA
The Spirit of Delta in restoration hangar.
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If you goWhat: Delta Flight MuseumWhere: 1060 Delta Blvd. B-914 Atlanta, Ga. 30354 404-715-7886Hours: Monday – Saturday (closed Wednesday) 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Sunday noon – 4:30 p.m.Gift shop open till 5 p.m. Tickets: $12; free to those with military IDMore info: deltamuseum.org.
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Continued from Page 13
Future:
Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 39Submit your news to [email protected] NORTHSIDE WOMAN
North Fulton resident ‘gratified’ to help stem Ebola outbreak
By CANDY [email protected]
NORTH FULTON, Ga. – While most of the world watched from afar as the Ebola virus took hold in western Africa, North Fulton resident Susan McBreairty packed her bags and headed directly into the eye of the storm.
The communications staffer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta spent a month in Liberia, returning in mid-No-vember and then spending the following three weeks monitor-ing for any symptoms of Ebola. Although many with the CDC were sent to West Africa to help monitor and control the Ebola outbreak, McBreairty volun-teered her service and was thrilled when she was selected.
“I was totally excited and felt so fortunate to be able to go. I also felt very confident in that I was a part of something very large and historic. I think my exterior looked calm but inside I was dancing around with glee and happiness [when I learned I was heading to Libe-ria,]” said McBreairty, who has been with the CDC since 2006.
After a three-month approv-al process, McBreairty left At-lanta on Oct. 14 for the nearly 20-hour flight that would take her through Paris, Casablanca and finally to Liberia. In Mon-rovia, the capital, McBreairty would spend the next month serving on the Liberia Minis-try of Health and Social Work (MOHSW) subcommittee.
“I was a member of the health promotion team pro-viding technical assistance in health communication and promotion, [and] worked on a variety of projects,” said Mc-Breairty.
In Liberia, McBreairty’s du-ties included training staff at the Liberia National Ebola Call Center in data entry and infor-mation management, updating messaging on infection pre-vention measures, addressing misconceptions and encourag-ing acceptance and support for Ebola survivors.
McBreairty also compiled reports from the counties hardest hit by Ebola, distribut-ing them to other CDC staff in the country and forwarding them to the headquarters in Atlanta for situation reports.
McBreairty was well aware of the Ebola risks in Liberia, and underwent a series of training sessions in safety and security prior to her depar-ture. Several staffers who had returned from the country provided insight into what
to expect, and what to bring. (“The one thing I didn’t pack and sorely missed were my flip-flops!” she said, laughing.)
Still, what waited for her in Liberia was daunting. Since Ebola broke out in West Africa over the past 12 months, Li-beria has been the hardest hit of the three countries where the viral disease has reached epidemic proportions. As of mid-December, nearly 8,000 Liberians have contracted Ebola, with a death rate top-ping 3,300.
But McBreairty never feared for her own safety, tak-ing all necessary precautions to keep herself safe. She noted she was in a safe area, and took all prevention measures.
“I never came in contact with Ebola patients or anyone with Ebola symptoms,” said McBreairty. “Our pre-depar-ture training did suggest we keep in mind that everyone we met potentially was carry-ing the virus. Therefore, there was no hand-shaking and no friendly hugs at greeting. There was, however, lots and lots of hand washing and using hand sanitizers.”
McBreairty is no stranger to world travel. She lived for a time in Sweden, and worked for the Peace Corps for two years before coming to the CDC, spending time in Ro-mania, Antigua, Guatemala and South Africa. She said her exposure to other cultures helped her during her time in Liberia.
“Because of my Peace Corps experience and having been exposed to other cultures, I was mentally prepared to be respectful of Liberians and their efforts to stop the spread of Ebola, as well as supporting and being a part of CDC’s mis-sion there,” she said.
Her two grown children were surprised, but supportive, of her plans to go to Liberia, while response from friends and other family members var-ied from “extreme alarm” to ac-ceptance. McBreairty was able to keep in contact with loved ones throughout her stay, which helped tremendously.
“I sent weekly updates and gave them details of where I was and what I was doing. I
think everyone rested easier while I was away because they had ‘word pictures’ and thought it was pretty cool. Plus, they were all praying for me,” said McBreairty, whose daughter lives and works in At-lanta, while her son lives and works in South Korea.
Once home, McBreairty self-monitored for 21 days for any symptoms of Ebola, but was not isolated since she was considered low risk.
“Other than going to work, I limited my comings and go-ings considerably for the first 10 days,” said McBreairty. “I self-quarantined myself from my grandchildren because I didn’t want to cause them any problems at school. I didn’t return to church or Bible study until the full 21 days were over because I didn’t want to worry anyone.”
Ironically, she hails from the same hometown as the
nurse from Maine who was the center of recent controversy when she refused to quaran-tine herself after returning from West Africa. Kaci Hickox successfully challenged the quarantine order – a decision McBreairty supports.
“I think the publicity gen-erated by [Hickox] helped to shape guidance for asymptom-atic returnees such as myself. She took a strong stand that has benefited other people; particularly those who are con-sidering going to West Africa to help,” said McBreairty. “Quar-antine/isolation of asymp-
tomatic people is simply not necessary.”
Although the CDC will likely be a presence in West Af-rica for months, if not years, to come, McBreairty has no cur-rent plans to return…although she is leaving the door open to that possibility.
“I would be willing to go again…depending on my work load here,” said McBreairty. “The Liberian nationals I worked with and my CDC colleagues continue to inspire me. I remain gratified that I was able to serve and to travel there and back safely.”
Susan McBreairty spends 30 daysas part of CDC team in Liberia
Susan McBreairty.
40 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve kicking off 2015Autrey Mill’s ‘Unplugged’ concerts start Saturday, Jan. 24Series creates new path to bring residents to park
By HATCHER [email protected]
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Au-trey Mill Nature Preserve and Historic Preservation Center Executive Director Wade Chandler says one of his duties is to bring people to Autrey Mill who have never been before.
That led to the idea of Autrey Mill Unplugged, a series of eight con-certs throughout the year designed to bring small intimate gatherings to the property.
“We were putting our heads together because we get two or three people a week who drive onto the grounds and tell us they just wanted to see what was here,” said Chandler. “So we thought, how can we attract more folks who haven’t been here before? Then we said, why not an arts venue?”
It’s a different way to attract visitors. Autrey Mill is already a favorite haunt of classroom field trips with its 46 acres of natural woods, creeks and animals. Scouting activities and weddings also attract people.
“Unplugged” will debut the folk-country sounds of Out of Rain with Ron Hipp and Carol Statella.
Hipp is a talented acoustic finger-style guitarist as well as a singer/songwriter.
Statella is also a talented singer and guitarist.They are really noted for innovative arrangements and
unusual expressive power, said Chandler. Then for seven successive fourth Saturdays, a new
band or group will perform.Each evening will begin at 7 p.m. with a pre-concert
gathering at the Summerour Victorian farmhouse, followed at 8 p.m. with a concert in the historic Warsaw Church.
By HATCHER [email protected]
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Wade Chandler has a business de-gree and a love of the outdoors. So when the opportunity to become the next executive director of Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Historic Preser-vation Center came along, he took it.
The 26-year-old came from the Len Foote Hike Inn, where he managed the Amica-lola Falls State Park bed and breakfast that only a hiker could love. That’s because Len Foote is 5 miles from the nearest road at 1,000 feet of elevation, and the only way in or out is by foot.
“You hike in and stay the night and hike down. It was a great job, living on top of a mountain, for a guy like me who has always liked hunting, fishing and hiking the Appala-chian Trail,” said Chandler.
And yes, he took off several months to hike the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail that stretch-es from Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to Maine.
“But then I got engaged and decided it was time to come down off the mountain,” he said.
The job of running Autrey Mill Nature Preserve had a lot of appeal for him. He could put both his love of the outdoors and his business degree to work.
“The job had a lot of appeal for me. A friend told me about the job, and it is one filled with opportunities I like,” Chandler said.
Of course, it has 46 acres of pristine wilderness coupled with many historic buildings from Johns Creek and its environs.
“I liked that it has a big education component. Here we have the opportunity to impact a large number of kids and adults and introduce them to the outdoors,” he said.
By “we,” Chandler means himself and new Education Director Mary Alston.
Alston previously worked as a conservation educator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks at the department’s State
Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, Mississippi.
“Mary is full of ideas for programs, especially for the kids,” Chandler said. “She makes everything hands-on and interesting.”
Autrey Mill now offers programs for preschool, home school and after-school stu-dents.
Topics range from native flora and fauna to the Native Americans who first settled here. Whether it is ants or archeology, the innovative edu-cation programs make learning exciting and fun.
Hikes through the park teach a lot about native plants such as mountain laurel and lady slippers, which are rare at this elevation. And a tour of the historic buildings is a step back in time.
Each season brings new programming for adults and families.
For information, contact Alston at 678-366-3511 or visit the Autrey Mill Nature Pre-serve’s website at autreymill.org.
PHOTOSHOP BY A.J. MCNAUGHTON
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Historic Preservation Center Executive Director Wade Chandler aims to increase opportunities for people to see what the 46-acre city park has to offer.
Appearing at the inaugural Autrey Mill Unplugged con-cert series will be Out of the Rain with Ron Hipp and Carol Statella.
If you goWhat: Out of the Rain When: Saturday, Jan. 24 7 p.m. gathering; 8 p.m. concert Tickets: $20, $14 for Johns Creek residents and Autrey Mill members Complimentary light refreshments during gathering. Wine, beer, coffee, tea available for purchase (cash please).Go to autreymill.org/performances or purchase at door.
HATCHER HURD/STAFF
Pebbles, Autrey Mill’s rescued tortoise, is always a favorite of the kids, and he is always ready for a race.
New staff, new ideas should makeAutrey a must-see city attraction
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 41Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SCHOOLS
Marist CollegePOUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Nancy Harrison of Alpharetta and Gerri Valentin Cruz of Al-pharetta both graduated from Marist College the weekend of May 23. Harrison received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Cruz received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communication.
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBEREA, Ohio – Kerri Chitale, an organizational leadership major from Cumming, has been named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester 2014 at Baldwin Wallace University. Students who receive at least a 3.6 grade point average are named to the Dean’s List.
Virginia Military InstituteLEXINGTON, Va. – Robert L. Danielson of Duluth was among the 317 cadets who graduated May 16 from the Virginia Military Institute. Danielson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert L. Danielson, received a bachelor’s degree in economics and business.
Ga. Southwestern State UniversityAMERICUS, Ga. – The follow-ing area residents were among 300 students who graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University during the spring 2014 commencement ceremony held on Saturday, May 10.
Viral Darji of Cumming earned a bachelor’s of busi-ness administration degree in accounting.
Kimberly Gonzalez of Milton earned a bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting.
Yujia Wang of Alpharetta earned a master’s degree in computer science.
Amber Bahri of Suwanee earned a bachelor’s degree exercise science/wellness education.
Tucker Martin of Suwanee graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree of business administration in manage-ment.
Wofford CollegeSPARTANBURG, S.C. – Joseph McCarroll Banks of Johns Creek, Lindel Reagan Barber of Cumming, David Malone Blum of Roswell and Logan Mackenzie Morris of Su-wanee each received bachelor’s degrees from Wofford College in May.
Banks, whose parents are David and Nancy Banks, re-ceived a degree in government. Morris, whose parents are Jef-frey and Kelly Morris, received a degree in English with a concentration in the teacher education program.
Barber, whose parents are Gary and Cheryl Bar-ber, received a degree in art history and English. Blum graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history and a concentration in the teacher education program. He is the son of Mike Blum and Brenda Malone.
University of ScrantonSCRANTON, Pa. – Kevin Ed-ward Robbins of Cumming was among the recipients of 48 doctor of physical therapy de-grees and 668 master’s degrees conferred by the University of Scranton at its post-baccalau-reate commencement on May 31. Robbins earned a master’s of business administration degree with a major in general business administration.
Lenoir-Rhyne UniversityHICKORY, N.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne University congratulated Ran-dolph Carroll of Alpharetta
for being named to the spring 2014 semester Dean’s List. Students on the Dean’s List have demonstrated their aca-demic abilities by receiving a grade point average of 3.5 to 3.89 on a 4.0 scale. In addition to making Dean’s List, Carroll graduate from Lenoir-Rhyne following the spring semester with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast and electronic media with a minor in business.
Butler UniversityINDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Kate Trinkle, an international studies major and a resident of Alpharetta, is on Butler University’s Dean’s List for the spring 2014 semester. Recipi-ents range from freshman to sixth-year pharmacy students.
James Madison UniversityHARRISONBURG, Va. – Dalton Duriez of Duluth and Greg-ory Glasgow of Alpharetta qualified for the Dean’s List at James Madison University dur-ing the spring 2014 semester. Students who earn Dean’s List honors must carry at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a GPA of between 3.5 and 3.899.
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.
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 gradu-ated 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.
Brigham Young UniversityPROVO, Utah – Three local students recently graduated from Brigham Young Univer-sity 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 biochemistry and two minors in English and music.
The 2007 Milton High School graduate was chosen to be the commencement 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.
CUMMING, Ga. — Three Pinecrest Academy seniors were recognized at the 16th Annual Atlanta Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards at Georgia Tech on Nov. 18 by The Hispanic Heritage Foundation.
Honored for their accomplishments in the classroom and in their commu-nity, Andres Rodriguez won the gold award in the business and entrepre-neurship category, Natalie Mata won
the silver and Viviana Munguia won the bronze, also in the business and entre-preneurship category.
A total of 21 Latino high school seniors from Atlanta were recognized at the annual event.
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit established in 1987 to inspire, prepare and connect minority leaders in the classroom, community and workforce.
Pinecrest seniors honored by Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The honored seniors are, pictured from left to right, Natalie Mata, Andres Rodri-guez and Viviana Munguia.
VARSITY BRIEFSSend us your news!
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42 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected] | Recycled paper
and we need to make sure that we have water in the fu-
ture,” said Beach. “And from an economic development standpoint, it is critical.”
He noted Alcon, a mul-tinational corporation that manufactures contact lenses in Johns Creek, is expand-
ing. Water is mission critical to what Alcon does. There-fore, Fulton County needs to do everything it can to pre-serve and conserve its water capabilities.
“So reuse water is an is-sue we need to be planning for, because there will come a time when we don’t see any rain for a long period of time,” he said.
“Step one, we need to be in compliance with EPD [Georgia Environmental Pro-tection Division],” he said. “We need to be using reuse water. The state is pushing that, so we should be out front in that. We also need to be able to tell new com-panies looking to come here and our existing companies that are thinking about re-newing a lease that we have the resources to serve them, and water is at the top of the list.”
For those reasons and more, Beach said the busi-ness community would sup-port bringing the county into EPD compliance as quickly as possible.
“We need to be on top of all our infrastructure needs for our residents,” he said. “We need power transmission lines so when you turn the switch, the lights come on; or when you turn on the tap, good, clean water comes out.”
staggered terms. On Nov. 25, we sent an
online survey to our 11,000 e-news subscribers.
Three weeks later when we closed the poll, 82 percent of the 774 responders (after duplicate responses had been removed) had asked us to wait until November.
Although this was not a scientific poll, it did give us a sense of what the community thought, and the overwhelming response in favor of waiting is not to be discounted.
That result, when combined with our own interactions with residents, helped the council conclude that waiting was the better choice.
Spending $200,000 on an election is a lot of money. That money could instead go to pay for many needed improvements in our city.
There are plenty of places for that money to go and not enough of it to go around.
On average, our special elections draw under 10 per-cent of the registered voters. We wanted the opportunity to try and do better. We believe that we can use this time to help our citizens become more aware and involved with their
city government. A more aware and involved
citizenry will lead to greater voter turnout. Having more citizens choosing their repre-sentative will lead to a stronger council.
Waiting to hold a special election is a somewhat com-mon practice.
Many cities have also made the same decision. They base it on dates of convenience, not necessarily the earliest date unless it is dictated in their charter.
Our charter and the as-sociated state election laws give council the authority to call elections on established election days. It does not say we must hold elections on the closest election day available. The council acted within its legal mandate, as confirmed by not only our city attorney, but other legal advisors, as well.
The majority of council felt it was the right and proper decision for our city.
I remain proud to join this council in having honest debates on issues and work-ing toward solutions that we earnestly believe will improve our quality of life and continue to make Johns Creek the best city in Georgia.
We are honored to repre-sent you and look forward to serving you in 2015.
CITY OF ALPHARETTAPUBLIC NOTICE
PH -15-AB-02
PLACECity Hall
Two Park PlazaCouncil ChambersJanuary 22, 2015
3:00 P.M.
PURPOSEConsumption on Premises
Liquor, Beer & WineSunday Sales
APPLICANTColletta, LLCd/b/a Colletta900 3rd Street
Alpharetta, Ga. 30009
OwnerColletta, LLC
Registered AgentKevin T. Krapp
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK
ITB #15-047-1
NEIGHBORHOOD PAVING-AREA 1
The City of Johns Creek is accepting sealed Invitations to Bid (ITB) from qualifi ed construction fi rms for the Neighborhood Paving Project-Area 1. Sealed ITB’s will be received no later than 11:00AM. on February 16, 2015 in the City of Johns Creek Purchasing Offi ce, 12000 Findley Rd., Suite-400, Johns Creek, Georgia, 30097. ITB’s received after the above time or in any other location other than the Purchasing Offi ce will not be accepted. Deadline for submission of questions is February 1, 2015.
The City of Johns Creek, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d—42 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Offi ce of the Secretary, part 21, Nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifi es all bidders that it will affi rmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award.
ITB packages are available on the City of Johns Creek website (www.johnscreekga.gov). Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Offi ce at (678) 512-3233. ITB’s shall be presented in a sealed opaque envelope with the ITB number and name clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. The name of the company or fi rm submitting an ITB response should also be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. TWO (2) ORIGINALS AND ONE (1) COPY OF THE ITB ON CD MUST BE SUBMITTED. ITB’s will not be accepted verbally or by fax or email. All offerors must comply with all general and special requirements of the ITB information and instructions enclosed herein.
The City of Johns Creek reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities, and to make award in the best interest of the City of Johns Creek.
Warren Hutmacher Mike Bodker City Manager Mayor
Continued from Page 8Continued from Page 6
Decision:Beach:
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK
RFP NUMBER #15-049
RECREATION & PARKS COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
The City of Johns Creek, Georgia Recreation and Parks Division is now accepting proposals for qualifi ed professional services providers to develop a comprehensive Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan for its park system. Sealed RFP’s will be received no later than 2:00 P.M. on February 18, 2015 in the City of Johns Creek Purchasing Offi ce, 12000 Findley Rd., Suite-400, Johns Creek, Georgia, 30097. RFP’s received after the above time or in any other location other than the Purchasing Offi ce will not be accepted. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on February 2, 2015 at 10:00AM at the City Hall location Chattahoochee Conference Room.
RFP packages and plans are available on the City of Johns Creek website (www.johnscreekga.gov) . Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Offi ce at (678) 512-3233. RFP’s shall be presented in a sealed opaque envelope with the RFP number and name clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. The name of the company or fi rm submitting an RFP response should also be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. FIVE (5) ORIGINALS AND ONE (1) COPY OF THE RFP ON CD MUST BE SUBMITTED. RFP’s will not be accepted verbally or by fax or email. All offerors must comply with all general and special requirements of the RFP information and instructions enclosed herein.
The City of Johns Creek reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities, and to make award in the best interest of the City of Johns Creek.
Warren Hutmacher Mike BodkerCity Manager Mayor
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johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 43Submit your news & photos to [email protected] SCHOOLS
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 College, Dean’s Honors is a recognition 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.
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 AlabamaTUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Sydney Nicole Korshak made Dean’s List at the University of Ala-bama spring semester 2014.
Belmont University NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Haley Smith of Roswell was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2013 semester.
Georgia TechATLANTA – Local students received academic honors from Georgia Tech, earning Faculty Honors for their 4.0 grade point average and Dean’s List for achieving at least at 3.0 GPA for spring 2014 semester.
Faculty HonorsAlpharetta:Rabeea Ahmad, Brennen
Bukovics, Kelli Capshaw, Nathan Corbin, Dylan Gar-rett, Rachel Isaac, Namrata Kolla, Wilson Lauerman, Lauren Levinson, Jerry Lung, Jennifer Ma, Michele Mandula, John Mastran-gelo, Mary Mayfield, Meagan Elizabeth Morrow, Matthew O’Shaughnessy, Leah Purdy, Rebecca Raffaele, Holly Richer, Mark Sennett, Dal-ton Sherwood, Mary Shin-ners, Mark Solarski, Mark Stathos, Ellesse Wilten and David Zisek.
Cumming:Hannah Earle, Mary Kath-
ryn Elliott, Ricardo Garcia Rulfo, Casey Hirschmann, Jared Kleinwaechter, James Nelson, Justin Reichling, Alexander Roe, Thomas Ross, Mackenzie Sloan, Max Stockslager, Rachel Witt and Graham Wright.
Duluth:Jaya Janadhyala and Mi-
chael Roberts.Johns Creek:Sara Billings, Angela
Choung, Austin Delk, Miraj Desai, Alan Dong, Ethan Everett, Prachi Fulay, Shane Gizzi, Taylor Kelly, Anna Malcom, Philip Mal-lory, Christine Park, Akash Patil, Bharat Sanders, Parth Sehgal, Priyanga Srinivasan, Kathleen Sweeney, Somya Tirath, Amy Voytek, Wil-liam Wagenseil and Mitchell Webster.
Milton:Kelly Albano, Evan An-
derson, Zachary Bailey and Julie Bu.
Roswell:Angela Berry, William
Clark, Morgan Cox, Gerald Demeunynck, Rachel Engle, Kiley Fagan, Anna Gwalt-ney, Rachel Hudgins, Kevin Mahmoudi, James Martinek, Laura Morgan, Christopher Sweat, Shreyyas Vanarase and Sarah Wilson.
Suwanee:Emily Benjamin, Allison
Dell, Ryan Hawks, Jordan Leroux and Craig Owenby.
Dean’s ListAlpharetta: Madeline Baker, Para-
stoo Baradaran-Mashinchi, Catherine Bullock, Zachary Campbell, Blake Carson, Selina Chan, William Cherry, Elizabeth Coco, Matthew Connors, Poonam Dalwadi, Emily Davidson, Adam De-bruler, Taylor Earley, Miguel Flores, Steven Fullerton, Caridad Fundora, Daniel Furman, Daryl Halima, Sara
Hojjatie, Katherine Hor-ton, Lauren Jarrett, Ashley Jennings, Seongyu Jung, Shibani Kansara, Mihir Kumar, Brian Lee, Vincent Lugli, Jun Ma, Nima Madani, Deron Mai, Nairita Nandy, Aroon Narayanan, Azka Niaz, James Nugent, Richard Papantonis, Matthew Prince, Rachel Puechner, Alexander Raabe, Jonathan Radivoj, Mark Richer, Stephen Roeg-ge, Sanchari Roy, Nicholas Russell, Nicholas Savage, Kaleigh Sawyer, Kirsten Schulz, Alexander Sierota, Carrie Simpson, Tanya Su, Gueorgui Tzintzarov, Rohan Verma, Mitchell Williams and Ashley Zuniga.
Cumming:Heidi Bonilla, Madi-
son Chilton, George Cook-sey, Chloe Cooper, Nathan Echols, Soheil Faghihi, Matthew Farkas, Jacqueline Howard, Zachary Jordan, Jessica Kline, Lily Long, Zachary McGill, Alexis McLeod, Jay Michal, Aida Mokube, Andrew Na, Jacob Newman, Dana Ochs, Taylor Pruitt, Grace Purdy, David Rojo, Sarah Rueger, Ryan Simpson, Ethan Smith, Ruby Smith, John Taylor, Ben-jamin Thomas, Alexandra Underwood, Natasha Va-sandani, Lauren Wilder and Derek Zittrauer.
Duluth:April Ahn, Samir Jain,
Sophia Rashid, Emma Sieg-fried and Rebecca Yoo.
Johns Creek:Nicole Alampi, Sara Allen,
Shelby Apps, Diego Carvallo, Casey Chae, Esther Chang, William Coons, Shinjini Das, Alex Eplan, Andrea Fletcher, Meagan Gadreault, Nicholas George, Hareen Godthi, Ans-ley Grantham, Eliza Hanson, Miki Hayashi, Kathryn Het-tinger, Kelly In, Katherine Kardomateas, Kartikay Kini, Sai Kondabattula, Stefan Koshy, Shannon Kratz, Arshiya Lal, Arush Lal, Tri-An Le, Meghna Mahade-van, Erinn Manby, Mason Marceau, Jenna McConnico, Mark Miller, Davis Mitchell, Kevin Muench, Alexander Newton, William Padget, Michael Parque, Binita Patel, Madison Raese, Jay Reyn-olds, Priyadharshini Sam-pathkumar, Kristen Schaaf, Monica Shum, Kunwar Singh, Katherine Sledjeski, Ann Suh, Divya Vedula and David Zhou.
Milton:Bryan Bates, Quinn
Campbell, Peter Giglia, Ma-ria-Sylvia Gonzalez, Amelia Goydich, Rachel Lee, Lauren Lewis, Kathleen Murphy, Vaughan Nickerson, Lauren Parisian, Andrea Schodorf, Kaitlan Stott and Gaurav Tamhan.
Roswell:Hollis Barton, Scott
Berry, Alec Blenis, Jennifer Blyth, Brian Bradley, Jacky Cheng, David Conner, Mat-thew Cribb, Ariana Daftar-ian, Brian Edmonds, Justin Eisenberg, Ryan Gant, Tay-lor Green, Kathryn Maloy, Kelly Meyer, Anisha Naidu, Sarah Poole, Jordan Senken, Elizabeth Shaw, Domingo Uceda, Andrew Warren and Marnie Williams.
Suwanee:Tameem Badwan, Bran-
don Dudgeon, Christopher Harwell, Rohan Iyer, Kath-erine Kenna, Ryan Kerns, Jimin Kim, Alice Lee, Kelli-ann Morrisey, Bridget Nabb, Dalton Nechanicky, Jillian Nivilinszky, Kate Overstreet, Shiv Patel, Chad Pollitt, Katie Poynter, Kyle Scott, Carly Smith, Suzanne Solis, Samantha Stadmiller, Ikenna Uzoije, Jonathan Vallecillo and David Williams.
Pomfret SchoolPOMFRET, Conn. – Lucas Jenkins of Milton, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2015, earned high honor roll distinction at Pomfret School for the 2014 spring term. High honors are earned with a grade point average of at least 3.5. Jenkins also performed Catherine Rollins’ “Fire Dance” on the piano in an end-of-term recital for the school commu-nity, parents and friends.
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK
ITB #15-047-2
NEIGHBORHOOD PAVING-AREA 2
The City of Johns Creek is accepting sealed Invitations to Bid (ITB) from qualifi ed construction fi rms for the Neighborhood Paving Project-Area 2. Sealed ITB’s will be received no later than 11:00AM. on February 16, 2015 in the City of Johns Creek Purchasing Offi ce, 12000 Findley Rd., Suite-400, Johns Creek, Georgia, 30097. ITB’s received after the above time or in any other location other than the Purchasing Offi ce will not be accepted. Deadline for submission of questions is February 1, 2015.
The City of Johns Creek, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d—42 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Offi ce of the Secretary, part 21, Nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifi es all bidders that it will affi rmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award.
ITB packages are available on the City of Johns Creek website (www.johnscreekga.gov). Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Offi ce at (678) 512-3233. ITB’s shall be presented in a sealed opaque envelope with the ITB number and name clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. The name of the company or fi rm submitting an ITB response should also be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. TWO (2) ORIGINALS AND ONE (1) COPY OF THE ITB ON CD MUST BE SUBMITTED. ITB’s will not be accepted verbally or by fax or email. All offerors must comply with all general and special requirements of the ITB information and instructions enclosed herein.
The City of Johns Creek reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities, and to make award in the best interest of the City of Johns Creek.
Warren Hutmacher Mike Bodker City Manager Mayor
Continued from Page 41
Varsity:
44 | January 22, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | johnscreekherald.com Submit your news & photos to [email protected] | Recycled paper
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK
ITB #15-047-3
NEIGHBORHOOD PAVING-AREA 3
The City of Johns Creek is accepting sealed Invitations to Bid (ITB) from qualifi ed construction fi rms for the Neighborhood Paving Project-Area 3. Sealed ITB’s will be received no later than 11:00AM. on February 16, 2015 in the City of Johns Creek Purchasing Offi ce, 12000 Findley Rd., Suite-400, Johns Creek, Georgia, 30097. ITB’s received after the above time or in any other location other than the Purchasing Offi ce will not be accepted. Deadline for submission of questions is February 1, 2015.
The City of Johns Creek, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d—42 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Offi ce of the Secretary, part 21, Nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifi es all bidders that it will affi rmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award.
ITB packages are available on the City of Johns Creek website (www.johnscreekga.gov). Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Offi ce at (678) 512-3233. ITB’s shall be presented in a sealed opaque envelope with the ITB number and name clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. The name of the company or fi rm submitting an ITB response should also be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. TWO (2) ORIGINALS AND ONE (1) COPY OF THE ITB ON CD MUST BE SUBMITTED. ITB’s will not be accepted verbally or by fax or email. All offerors must comply with all general and special requirements of the ITB information and instructions enclosed herein.
The City of Johns Creek reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities, and to make award in the best interest of the City of Johns Creek.
Warren Hutmacher Mike Bodker City Manager Mayor
ful, those taxes don’t just go away, but instead those dollars would be put into a city’s cof-fers.
Regardless of the outcome of a possible cityhood vote, in the upcoming year we have every intention of improving on the services our residents receive. We are currently in the midst of our budget process and reviewing how we can provide services to our resi-dents more efficiently and with customer service in mind.
As I travel from Palmetto to Alpharetta and talk to people all over this great county, many are not aware of the ex-tent of the services the county provides to all residents. This question became especially vexing as we asked for more from all county residents last year when the Board of Com-missioners raised the property tax millage rate. As I explained to residents at the time (and still continue to), Fulton County government is respon-sible for a wide array of func-tions ranging from libraries to animal control to emergency management.
We make sure the emer-gency room at Grady Hospital is available to our residents in the most critical of moments. Our county health depart-
ment monitors potential public health crises.
The county senior centers are available to meet the needs of an increasingly aging popu-lation. A vote for or against cityhood won’t change any of these things.
I am proud of the work that county employees have done providing municipal services (such as police and fire) to our unincorporated areas. Some south Fulton County resi-dents have praised the efforts of our police and fire as they served these communities. The municipal services provided to these areas have been lauded for their quality, efficiency and relative value to our taxpayers. We are doing a good job in that area.
Still, I am not offended that some residents in those areas remain interested about having more localized control. I see this moment as an opportu-nity, regardless of the legisla-tion’s fate or a referendum’s outcome, to double down and show our residents that Fulton County doesn’t just take your tax dollars, but in exchange we provide a high level of service to constituents demanding as much.
I want constituents all over this county to understand that we are working for them and will continue to do so, regard-less of what happens on the floor of the State Capitol and potentially, at the ballot box.
Continued from Page 9
Changes:
not by region tournaments. St. Francis is No. 1 in Class
A girls at 14-2 after a 67-61 loss in overtime Friday against Wenonah, the top-ranked Alabama team in AAAAA. The game was part of the Krossover Classic at Gwinnett’s Archer High School, which matched seven top teams from Georgia and three from Alabama.
St. Francis trailed 16-6 after one quarter before out-scoring Wenonah 22-3 in the second period to take a 28-19 halftime lead. Wenonah took the third quarter 24-15 to tie the game 43-43 heading to the final period. The Lady Knights won two sub-region games earlier last week and are 6-0 in 6-A South.
Mount Pisgah (4-3, 10-6) was seventh in the power rankings before losing twice in sub-region play, with Fellow-ship Christian (4-2, 11-5) likely to move up from 16th after two wins last week. The top 16 teams qualify for the Class A private school playoffs.
The Centennial boys moved into a tie for third in 6-AAAAAA with two region wins last week, one coming against Chattahoochee 67-60. Adam Saeed had 24 points and 11
rebounds for the Knights (8-4, 11-8). The Cougars led 23-6 af-ter one quarter, but Centennial closed within five at the half after outscoring Chattahoochee 20-8 in the second period. The Cougars led by four heading to fourth quarter, but were outscored 26-15.
Chattahoochee (5-6, 11-7) pulled off a comeback last Friday night to defeat Johns Creek 61-58. The Gladiators (8-4, 10-9) led 28-13 after one quarter, but the Cougars cut their deficit to six points after
three periods. Chattahoochee outscored Johns Creek 20-11 in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory.
Johns Creek defeated Northview 87-64 earlier last week after trailing 18-14 after one quarter. Chase Camp-bell had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Gladiators. Ian Joseph scored 19 points and Mark Lancaster added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brown scored 22 for Northview (2-10, 2-17).
Alpharetta, ranked ninth in
the state, remained unbeaten in 6-AAAAAA after two easy wins last week. The Raiders (12-0, 15-3) play at home Fri-day against Lambert, which is second in the region at 11-1.
Milton missed a chance to move into second place in 5-AAAAAA, losing 47-36 at home last Friday night against Pope. The Eagles (7-3, 9-8) trailed for three quarters before taking a 33-32 lead one minute into the final period.
The Greyhounds (9-2 in the region) then scored the next 15
points, holding the Eagles score-less for more than six and a half minutes. Milton has a key home game Friday against Etowah.
Roswell won 58-51 last Friday at Etowah and is one of four teams in 5-AAAAAA with either five or six region losses. The Hornets are 4-6 in the re-gion and 8-11 overall and have home games Saturday against Walton and Tuesday against state No. 1 Wheeler.
Emerson McClung had 35 points and 18 rebounds for Cambridge in an 82-77 double overtime victory at home last Saturday night over non-region opponent W.D. Mohammed. McClung connected on 18 of 20 free throws for the Bears, who also got 20 points from Jordan Sloter. Cambridge is 8-11, 4-2 in Region 7-AAAAA South.
St. Francis remained unbeaten in 6-A South with a second win this season over Whitefield Academy, which is second in the sub-region at 5-2. The Knights (6-0, 16-3) were second in the state after the first power rankings.
King’s Ridge (4-3, 9-11) was 15th in the power rankings, and moved into a tie for third in the region with a win Friday over Fellowship Christian (0-6, 4-14). Mount Pisgah is 3-4, 8-8 after a victory Friday over Pinecrest and was 18th in the first power rankings.
Continued from Page 32
Knights:
SOL SIMS/SOLARVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY
Centennial’s Elizabeth Veringa (2) passes to an open player.
johnscreekherald.com | Johns Creek Herald | January 22, 2015 | 45Recycled paper | Submit your news & photos to [email protected]
Maria Grazia Albo, 62, of Cumming, passed away January 10, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
William E. Anastasio,Sr. , 78, of Roswell, passed away January 9, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Irmgard Appel, 86, of Cumming, passed away January 13, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Evelyn Crawford Cochran, 91, of Cumming, passed away January 7, 2015. Arrangements by
James Tanner Conrad, 25, of Cumming, passed away January 7, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Frank Lester Danchetz, 66, of Gainesville, passed away January 6, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.
Jacquelin Gary, 68, of Cumming, passed away January 7, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Dennis Gibson, 64, of Cumming, passed away January 9, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
James Washburn Harrison, 78, of Cumming, passed away January 10, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Helen Haynes, 94, of Cumming, passed away January 13, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Charles Wesley Holbrook, 65, of Cumming, passed January 13, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.
Richard Hunt, 57, of Cumming, passed away January 5, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Walter Glenn Kernel, 82, of Roswell, passed away January 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Betty Jane Moore, 88, of Cumming, passed away January 10, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.
Josephine Quin, 85, of Cumming, passed away January 8, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.
Ronald Sharer, 66, of Alpharetta, passed away January 12, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
Dorothy Jean Smith, 70, of Cumming, passed away January 6, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Dorothy Vallance, 71, of Alpharetta, passed away January 9, 2015. Arrangements
by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Carolyn Jo West, 79, of Roswell, passed away January 8, 2015. Arrangements by
Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Edna Grace McBrayer Wheeler, 91, of Cumming, passed away January 7, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Frank Culpepper Wood, 76, of Atlanta, passed away January 7, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
DEATH NOTICES
Instead, we have a shaky quorum of just five members on the council. Yes, they have all pledged to do the right thing and get perfect attendance certificates at council meet-ings. But who knows what the future holds? A bad traffic accident, a medical emergency, a stubbed toe and raising a quorum could easily become a tenuous business indeed.
If two miss a meeting, no business can be done – no zonings decided, no budgets passed. It’s why a special elec-tions clause is in every city charter.
The councilmembers are gambling with the house’s money. If, God forbid, the mayor goes down, then we have zero experience for the arcane and tricky business of running a city. Just look what happened with the last lot who sat in those seats.
Council made the right noises. It is only for a few more months – well a year – and the situation will right itself in November. And yes, there
may well be “voter fatigue” for another special election.
But then that would be the voters’ decision. Now they don’t have that decision. It has been taken from them.
That was wrong.The council has also de-
prived the two future council-members of needed months to acquire the knowledge and ex-pertise to learn their new jobs. Instead of seating them sooner, they will be further behind the experience curve than their colleagues.
Crafting budgets, weighing important zoning decisions, getting their hands around creating a new and vibrant city center and a myriad of other decisions takes more than just a good head on one’s shoulders and good business sense.
Political decision-making – contrary to popular myth – is not the same as running a business. By definition, political decisions are entirely different from business ones. They may often intersect, but not always, and maybe only seldom.
The job is mostly about the willingness to make the un-popular decision. It is easy to vote for parks and roads. But
along with the dessert, elected officials have to make the pub-lic eat their vegetables too.
For example, there is the issue of the public safety radio tower. It may well require a tower in the Shakerag com-munity. Currently, the last best alternative site is being explored. But if that fails to answer, Shakerag will have the tower. Somebody is going to have to summon the political courage to tell a lot of constitu-
ents something they don’t want to hear. Because it is the right thing to do.
Look at the billboard situ-ation. There, the City Council had that courage – and the good sense – to accept the best decision they could make in a bad situation. They could have pursued a quixotic lawsuit, but in the end, they would have lost.
In the billboard case, they did the right thing. A legal fight at that point would have been useless and cost far more than any special election.
This time it was differ-ent. Clinging to that frivolous online “poll” of whether to have an election or save the cost by postponing elections was just a device to provide some cover. If the important questions of the city are going to be left up to the 700 or so people who bothered to answer, why do we need a council at all? The question was crudely designed to elicit the desired response. It did nothing to balance the need for the election but touted only the monetary cost of the election.
The cynic would say they got exactly the response they wanted.
It gets worse. Arguments were also made that a delay would save prospective can-didates more time to prepare the expense of running two campaigns, one in March and another in November.
So who are we protecting here? What is more important, the campaign or the office?
Besides, even a short incumbency would be a huge advantage in November, possi-bly scaring off any competition in the fall, having beaten all comers in the spring.
Delaying the elections creates more of an experi-ence gap that could be closed more quickly than if they came aboard sooner.
Kudos go to Councilman Lenny Zaprowski for defend-ing the intent – if not the letter – of the city charter. He alone argued for special elections to fill the seats immediately. It took guts to stand alone to call for elections when he knew support would be hard to find on council.
Leadership is about doing the right thing, not the popular thing. And in this instance, it was to defend the charter – which calls for a council of seven.
Continued from Page 8
Council: Somebody is going to have to summon the political courage to tell a lot of constituents something they don’t want to hear. Because it is the right thing to do.
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