36 | October 8, 2014 | Forsyth Herald | forsythherald.com
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Teens collect, disperse books throughout community Change 4 Georgia nonprofit heads 100K book collection By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com DULUTH, Ga. — The 18-wheeler rolled in Sept. 8, filled with 100,000 books from Better World Books in Indiana. They were delivered to Change 4 Georgia, an organization started by Remington Youngblood, a 13-year-old Forsyth County resident who has been collecting thousands of books for Title I schools. “The teachers are excited to have them to build their classroom libraries,” Youngblood said. Youngblood started collecting food, supplies and books to send overseas to troops, getting the community to pitch in as well. To date, C4G has raised about $1 million for the troops in cash and in-kind donations including on Sept. 20, when C4G members helped with Old Navy’s Kids’ Safety Day, selling oatmeal for troops overseas and giving out hundreds of free books to the young people at the event. Youngblood had also wanted to gift books.
He contacted Better World Books, who collects books from book donation bins around the country. The company agreed to donate 100,000 books. There was only one snag – how to transport 100,000 books from Indiana to Georgia? Well, by truck. But that costs a lot of money. A shipping company agreed to waive half the $4,000 cost, but Youngblood still needed to raise the rest. That’s where Carl Black Roswell, a GMC dealership, stepped up. The dealership agreed to pick up the rest of the tab. And he still needed somewhere to store all the books. As it turns out, Greg Dockter, who is the father of C4G member Drew Dockter, is the senior vice president of PBD Worldwide, a distribution, storage and fulfillment warehouse. When asked if he would help C4G store the books, Greg Dockter did not hesitate. “Absolutely,” he said. Dockter was there to meet Youngblood as the truck filled with books pulled into the 175,000-square-foot warehouse in Duluth. Dockter’s dad
is also a veteran. Now it was time to distribute. After reaching out to Atlanta Public Schools, Dr. Steven Lee of District 5 said his school district was “in desperate need of books” and would be “honored to participate.” Lee picked up 12 pallets of books for the Atlanta Public Schools. Lee said there are 14 elementary schools in his district, but he also picked up adult books for seniors downtown. Youngblood, with the help of his mother, Rebecca Youngblood, have also already taken thousands of books to the Forsyth County Title I schools, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, U.S. Army National Guard and Georgia Perimeter Military Outreach Center. In addition, C4G has been able to provide books to Gwinnett County’s Title I schools and several nonprofit organizations. “The community has been so supportive of Remington, Change 4 Georgia, the members and their mission to assist the troops overseas, veterans and their families and
Change 4 Georgia member Drew Dockter, Greg Dockter, senior vice president for PBD Worldwide, and Remington Youngblood, Change 4 Georgia founder. any other organization that will let them help,” said Rebecca Youngblood.
For more information, email Change4Georgia@gmail.com or visit www.change4georgia.org.
West Forsyth feeder team heads to final tournament CUMMING, Ga. — The West Forsyth feeder softball team ended the 2014 North Fulton/Forsyth league in first place with an 11-0-1 record. The girls will face off against the winner of the Johns Creek versus Roswell game at 11 a.m. on Oct. 11 for the tournament championship final. The final game will take place at Fowler Park, 4110 Carolene Way in Cumming. The 2014 West Forsyth feeder soft-
Tree: Continued from Page 30 age to kill them, it may be a year or more before they actually dry up and die. This is why a tree may die due to drought or flooding that happened long ago. Shade tree decline weakens trees making them more susceptible to pests. I have noticed dying trees with beetles in them. Weak trees can also have problems like slime flux (an oozing liquid from the stem), cankers or leaf spots. However, the main problem is tree decline. This must be
addressed to solve the problem. The key is preventing shade tree decline. Keep the tree vigorous throughout its life. When planting, pick a site that is suitable to the tree you are planting. For instance, do not plant dogwoods in full sun, they like partial shade. Prepare the site well before planting — digging a planting hole at least two to three times wider than the root-ball. It is best to till up a large area to plant the tree in. Till the area 8 to 12 inches deep and if plants are grown in a container, loosen roots in the root-ball before planting.
For balled and burlapped trees, remove the burlap from the top of the ball being careful not to damage the ball. Plant the tree at the same level it was originally growing. Never plant trees deeper that they were growing before transplanting. Before planting, read the Extension Service publication on planting shrubs and trees. For established trees, stay away from trees with mowers, trimmers and heavy equipment. Even if equipment has not hit the tree, driving over the roots compacts the soil and can kill roots. Digging deeply around trees or filling around trees also kills roots and weak-
ball team, in back from left, includes assistant coach Mitch Cohen, Ashley Schell, Lindsey Noernberg, Kelsey Schell, head coach John Erb, Helena Holbrook, Maria Luce, Lindsey Andrews and assistant coach Jason Holbrook. In the middle row are Caraline Bryant, Gracie Smith, Gracie Martin, Kaylee Hamilton, Emily Kraft and Hannah Guthrie. In front are Avery Wassilchak, Reece Holbrook, Brena Mudd and Caroline Hayes.
ens trees. When filling around trees, remember the general rule that states that placing six inches of soil over the roots of a tree has a 50 percent chance of killing the tree. One the most important things you can do for your tree is water it. During dry times, water the soil to a depth of 7 inches every four days. To do this will require 3/4 to 1 inch of water each time. If using a sprinkler, place a pan under it when watering and time how long it takes to put out enough water. Then you can water this long each time. Do not water lightly each day. This causes problems by
encouraging a shallow root system making the tree susceptible to drought and cold weather. Proper watering is extremely important and may have saved many trees if done during the drought. Once trees show signs of stress, it may be too late to help them. However if the tree has green leaves on it, continue to care for it. It may recover. Garden and lawn advice is provided by Rolando Orellano, your UGA/ Fulton County Cooperative Extension agent. For your specific gardening questions, call the North Fulton Extension office at 404-613-7670.