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Skaters pack The Cooler for Olympics bid By TIFFANY MORGAN newsroom@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 400 figure skaters from across the country broke the ice at The Cooler in Alpharetta Nov. 16-20 for a shot to qualify for the 2022 Olympics. Alpharetta was one of eight venues where skaters could compete in the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series presented by Toyota. Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Janet Rogers said the series was set to draw 440 skaters from all over the U.S. to compete in Singles figure skating and Ice Dance. Hosting such a high-profile event showcases Alpharetta, placing the city in the minds of people worldwide, Rogers said. “We are excited to host the best figure skaters in our country and show them our Alpharetta hospitality,” Rogers said. “It is also incredibly beneficial for all of Alpharetta’s tourism and hospitality businesses.” Dylan Cain, 13, and Olivia Ilin, 12, members of the Washington Figure Skating Club out of Maryland, are one of the pairs that train year-round, practicing five days a week after school. Their training consists of on-ice instruction, spin and performance lessons, off-ice conditioning and dance classes. Cain and Ilin compete in the Novice category. Novice skaters are generally required to skate two pattern dances and one free skate. The pattern dances for the 2021-22 season were the Westminster Waltz and the Blues. Their coach, Dmytri Ilin, prepare Cain and Ilin’s free dance in the early spring.
City evaluates fees for developments ► PAGE 3
Roswell declines rezoning request for senior facility By CHAMIAN CRUZ chamian@appenmedia.com
The process starts with a concept and the selection of music. Then, choreography and costumes are designed to match. The novice level competition series starts in June and runs through November. Like all young competitors, Cain and Ilin are responsible for keeping up with their studies. Cain is in 8th grade and Ilin is in 7th. “Dylan and I worked really hard this season, and it was great that our commitment to our training paid off,” Ilin said. “It was amazing to win both the Championship Series events and earn a personal best
score in Atlanta.” Cain said the training leading up to the competition was well-worth their efforts. “I was proud of how we skated, and it felt great knowing that all of our hard work resulted in two gold medal performances in the Championship Series,” Cain said. “I’m looking forward to continuing training and to what the future holds for us.” Rodgers said the competition not only brings figure skaters, but their families, teams, judges and others involved in the
ROSWELL, Ga. — Alabama-based developer Grovont Partners has officially exhausted all its options to build a 275,000-square-foot luxury senior living facility on Arnold Mill Road in Roswell after it failed to garner support from nearby residents. The application was denied by default at the Nov. 29 City Council meeting for lack of a second motion. Roswell Planning and Zoning Director Jackie Deibel said any future rezoning requests for the property will have to wait a year. In June, Grovont submitted an application asking the city to rezone properties at 12740 and 12770 Arnold Mill Road from agriculture to neighborhood mixed-used to allow construction of an independent and assisted living facility with memory care support. The properties sit near Roswell’s boundary with Milton. Sarah Gregory, the project’s architect and director of senior living for CJMW Architecture, previously said the goal of the facility was to serve the growing population of
See SKATING, Page 28
See REZONING, Page 22
McBath sets sights on new 7th district
Alpharetta’s downtown advances to the south
TIFFANY MORGAN/APPENMEDIA
Steven Wei lifts partner Anna Sophia O’Brien as part of their routine for the Novice Dance competition at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series in Alpharetta.
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