J a n u a r y 2 8 , 2 0 2 1 | Fo r s y t h H e r a l d . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 4 , N o . 4
Schools lower weight for end-of-year tests
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FORMER FORSYTH COUNTY MANAGER LAMBASTS LEADERS
Woman leads charge to erase medical debt
► PAGE 7
► BLACK BOX INVESTIGATES: READ MORE, PAGE 4
Small businesses seek second round of relief
► PAGE 8
Spring sports athletes ready to return to play
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2 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
POLICE BLOTTER 770-442-3278 | ForsythHerald.com 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Ray Appen PUBLISHER: Hans Appen MANAGING EDITOR: Patrick Fox EDITORIAL QUESTIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: Alpharetta: ext. 118, Roswell ext. 122 Dunwoody Crier: ext. 143 Forsyth Herald: ext. 118 Johns Creek Herald: ext. 123 Milton Herald: ext. 139 Calendar: ext. 122 TO SUBMIT EDITORIAL: News/Press Releases: NorthFulton.com/Sponsored Calendar/Events: NorthFulton.com/Calendar ADVERTISING QUESTIONS: General Advertising: ext. 100 advertising@appenmediagroup.com Classified Advertising: ext. 119 classifieds@appenmediagroup.com Circulation/Subscriptions/Delivery: ext. 100 circulation@appenmediagroup.com OUR PUBLICATIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: 28,000 circulation Johns Creek Herald: 20,000 circulation Dunwoody Crier: 18,000 circulation Forsyth Herald: 17,000 circulation Milton Herald: 10,000 circulation Answer Book: 40,000 circulation
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Deputies arrest S.C. man linked to stolen vehicle FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies responded to a BP Gas Station on Matt Highway for reports of a suspicious man Jan. 14. While on scene, investigators made contact with an employee who pointed out a suspicious vehicle parked in the lot. Deputies quickly learned that the car had been reported stolen out of Atlanta earlier that day. A search of the car turned up a firearm under the passenger seat along with heroin, Oxycodone pills, digital scales and plastic baggies. Chantz Joshua Galloway, a 26-yearold Easley, South Carolina, man, was
DUI & Drug arrests Miguel Bautista-Bernabe, born 1997, of Academy Street, Canton, was arrested Jan. 11 on Samaritan Drive for DUI, possession of open alcohol container and failure to maintain lane. Neil Harrison Dempsey, born 1966, of Pearl Industrial Avenue, Hoschton, was arrested Jan. 12 on Pilgrim Road for DUI, failure to maintain lane and improper backing. Donald Wayne Sullivan, born 1970, of Fowler Hill Road, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 12 on Fowler Hill Road for four counts of possession, purchase, manufacture, distribution or sale of controlled substance, two counts of manufacture/ deliver/distribution of a controlled substance, possession/manufacture/ distribution of controlled substance and possession of drug-related objects. CDAR Member SWIFT Code: GMCBUS3A
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subsequently arrested. Deputies charged him with theft by receiving stolen vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of drug-related objects.
Social Security phone scam Gainesville man arrested fails to fool intended target following fight at residence FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies found a heavily intoxicated man in the Trailmaster Circle area after responding to a suspicious person report. That man was identified as James E. Combs Jr., 32, of Gainesville. Combs told deputies he was at a party and got into a fight so he left. He took deputies to the residence where the alleged fight occurred. Deputies questioned a woman who told them Combs struck her when she tried to calm him down. She asked to press
Eric Eugene Kendrick, born 1983, of Coan Drive, Locust Grove, was arrested Jan. 12 on Driftwood Circle for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of Schedule IV controlled substance, attempting to misrepresent tag, driving while license suspended or revoked and failure to maintain lane. Clark Kenneth Smith, born 1964, of East 4th Street, Rome, was arrested Jan. 12 on Ga. 400 for DUI. Carrie Jane Jenkins, born 1991, of Huntington Circle, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 12 on McFarland Parkway for DUI and failure to maintain lane. Michael Dwight Gilbert, born 1995, of Spring Ridge Drive, Dawsonville, was arrested Jan. 13 on Atlanta Highway for DUI, failure to maintain lane, unlawful use of wireless device, violation of conditions on limited driving permit and probation violation. Vanessa Lynn Motley, born 1982, of Boulder Gate Way, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 13 on Broadwater Trail for DUI, striking unattended vehicle and driving wrong side of undivided street.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A woman received several phone calls Jan. 12 from someone purporting to be from the Social Security Administration. The caller claimed someone was using the victim’s identity to open accounts and told her she needed to send him $400 to stop the fraudulent activity, according to deputies. The victim quickly recognized the call was a scam and notified the Sheriff’s Office. She did not send any money to the caller.
Eric Antonio Genzale, born 1964, of Dolphin Drive SW, Atlanta, was arrested Jan. 13 on Buford Highway for DUI, possession of open alcohol container and failure to maintain lane. Austin O’Bryan Davis, born 1995, of Kittery Drive, Snellville, was arrested Jan. 13 on Ga. 400 for DUI and illegal stop/stand/park where prohibited. Christopher Jamal Morris, born 1995, of Herrington Road, Lawrenceville, was arrested Jan. 14 on Ga. 400 for DUI, speeding and failure to maintain lane. Sunnya Petre Gore, born 1968, of Buford Highway, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 14 on Trammel Road for DUI, failure to maintain lane, and unlawful use of wireless device. Noah Samuel Copeland, born 1998, of Fairlane Drive, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 14 on Atlanta Highway for DUI and failure to maintain lane. Sharone Nicole Teasley, born 1984, of Windstone Trail, Alpharetta, was arrested Jan. 14 on Atlanta Highway DUI, impeding traffic flow and failure to obey See ARRESTS, Page 13
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charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office. While taking Combs into custody, officers found a clear pipe and a baggie of methamphetamine in his pocket. Deputies charged him with battery, probation violation, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug-related objects.
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4 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
BLACK BOX SPECIAL REPORT:
Former Forsyth County manager says secrecy prevails in local government Leaders deny charges of deliberate misdirection in conducting business By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The man who led Forsyth County’s day-to-day operations for the past three years says elected leaders prefer operating in secret, extend their authority over individual departments and use the county attorney as a surrogate for their own policy goals. Former County Manager Eric Johnson charges that county commissioners are intentionally cryptic in the picture they present to the public. They often give the county attorney excessive power and JOHNSON are unwilling to change the way they do business, he says, even when alternatives would introduce greater efficiency. Johnson’s revelations come just as his replacement in the post, Kevin Tanner, comes on board this month. County commissioners voted not to renew Johnson’s contract in August. Johnson said that, from the outset, one member on the commission led a crusade to oust him. He said the commissioner orchestrated a failed attempt to compile negative comments against him with an “amateurish” performance review that was later buried because it was generally positive. Johnson expressed relief at being away from the job. “It was a tough challenge to hang in there for the three years I agreed to,” Johnson said. Laura Semanson, who served as chair of the Board of Commissioners for the final period of Johnson’s employment, dismissed the accusations. “To me, what I’m hearing is a former, disgruntled employee that, for some reason many months down the road, does not want to let things go,” Semanson said. Johnson argues his concerns are valid because he is a “resident and taxpayer” of Forsyth County.
Backroom discussions Johnson said the five-member County Commission prefers to conduct much of its business out of the public eye. “I think they like to do things behind closed doors, they try to be cryptic in describing some of the discussions behind closed doors,” he said. “Here, they routinely have meets of two commissioners, and one of [those] two will go have a discussion with another, and magically you have a quorum of the board having a discussion out of the public eye. Now, proving it is difficult, but it happens constantly.” Viewing a commission meeting can give tell-tale signs, though, Johnson said. Commissioners will often talk about having discussions with several parties on an agenda item, he said. “That suggests that they were deciding what their issues were, and I’m not saying they take votes necessarily, but they know where they are before they walk into a public forum and actually have a public discussion,” Johnson said. Often, commissioners would go into a “true” executive session, Johnson said, a closed-door meeting which can only include commissioners, the county clerk, county attorney and county manager. However, even as the county’s chief administrator, Johnson said he was not invited to most executive sessions, and he wasn’t even privy to their subject matter. County Attorney Ken Jarrard balked at the accusations. “I believe Forsyth County is extremely transparent,” Jarrard said. “I reject entirely the notion that Forsyth County is not complying fully with the Open Meetings Act, both the letter and the intent.” Semanson called Johnson’s descriptions a “complete fabrication” that could “not be farther from the truth.” She said emails and text messages of the board are subject to the Open Records Act, and all public meetings, aside from executive sessions, are livestreamed and archived. “I really take issue with the comment that we do any type of inappropriate business behind closed doors, because it just doesn’t happen,” Semanson said. Residents limited in details Though officials tout the county’s adherence to open meeting laws, residents are still mostly left in the dark when commissioners take up an issue in public. That’s because access to background
information on commission agenda items — information that guides discussions and decisions made by elected leaders — is not provided with the online agenda. All of Forsyth’s neighbors — Cherokee, Dawson, Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties — provide background information online for residents to review before meetings, and the packets are digitally archived. Gwinnett County has provided the service for more than 12 years. County officials announced in 2019 they would make the move to provide the background information online, but that hasn’t happened. Job survey obscured at meeting Johnson said one example of the board’s enigmatic dealings was his performance review that county officials only discussed in cryptic terms during a public work session. During two board meetings in 2019, commissioners approved an agenda item titled, “Board authorization to implement the action discussed at the June 20, 2019 Executive Session,” without providing any details of what “the action discussed” related to. The county did eventually clarify the agenda item, but only after it was flagged by a Herald reporter. The county introduced the item at a formal meeting later, describing it as an evaluation to “continually assess County Manager job performance.” Even then, the item was placed on the meeting’s consent agenda and passed without discussion or explanation. The issue stayed entombed after the review was complete. “After they did that survey, they didn’t even bother to do my annual evaluation, the [commission] chair never sent it out,” Johnson said. “They sort of covered up what they did by having [County Attorney Ken Jarrard] talk very generically about continuous improvement, but they never actually talked to me about it.” Johnson said the survey was an attempt to assemble negative comments from county staff in a crusade led by one county commissioner. At least one county commissioner had it out for him, Johnson said, and she apparently convinced her peers to not to renew his contract. Johnson would not name the commissioner, only that it was a female. He said this commissioner wanted the authority to direct Johnson’s dealings,
and she was manipulative in trying to orchestrate county dealings. This commissioner looked “for any angle to blame me for anything,” Johnson said. This situation was particularly challenging, he said, because she wanted to give direction to Johnson’s staff without his knowledge. Johnson said he found himself outnumbered when he raised the issue. “And then magically the chair got reelected chair, and at that point I kind of knew I wouldn’t get an extension,” he said. He had previously suspected someone wanted him out the door when he heard rumblings of former county manager Doug Derrer might return to his former role. “I sent a text to [Derrer], and he suggested he was interested in coming back on an interim basis,” Johnson said. “The only reason for that is someone suggested I may be gone.” Semanson said she did “not have it out” for Johnson and tried to work with him for months to cultivate a better working relationship between him and the board. Survey buried after positive responses The unplanned performance review of Johnson’s performance, including a survey of 35 county employees, shows most of his coworkers viewed him in a positive light. Many used the survey to criticize county commissioners. In the report, Johnson scored between “good” and “excellent” on 17 of 19 categories and was marked “fair” to “good” in the others, the report shows. The survey also included an openended portion, and some responses back Johnson’s claim that the commissioners held Johnson in a negative light. “I doubt this appraisal process was in the best interest of Forsyth County,” one respondent said. “The clear message is that Mr. Johnson does not have the support of one or more BOC members.” Another respondent said they believed the board was “the most significant impedance” to Johnson’s progress. The employee also criticized commissioners for publicly admonishing staff, including the county manager, and called out the complacency of other commissioners during these on-the-record criticisms. A particularly positive review of
See BLACKBOX, Page 12
SCHOOLS
ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | January 28, 2021 | 5
Forsyth Schools balances impact of high stakes testing Board of Education votes to lower exam’s influence on students’ final grades By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — High stakes testing in Forsyth County Schools will have a much lower bar for students to scale this year as the impact of a global pandemic continues to disrupt. Grades on the state’s mandatory End of Course tests traditionally count for 20 percent of a student’s final grade in the course. This year because of the impacts of COVID-19, the state is allowing districts to drop the weight to as low as 0.01 percent. The Forsyth School Board last week voted to allow EOC scores to count for 10 percent of the final grade only if the EOC score increases the final grade. If the EOC score harms the overall grade, it will count a nearly negligible 0.01 percent of the final grade. “We want to show compassion and understanding for different situations families are going through,” said Lee Ann Rice, associate superintendent. “We also feel we have to give the tests [be-
cause] the federal government requires it, and we want it to be worth our time and meaningful to students.” EOC tests are given each spring in four high school subjects, algebra 1, biology, American literature and American history, as part of the state’s Milestones Assessments. An annual state assessment is required by the federal government to provide a measure of student achievement. Rice said the decision to raise the weight above the state’s stance balanced the needs of parents and students. She noted Forsyth Schools is in a unique position compared to most of the state’s 180 school systems. It was among the handful of districts opening classrooms in August and has had students learning in person almost continuously since then. “We want to use the [EOC] data as we go into the next school year to show where students are academically and allow teachers to adjust their curriculum see where the gaps are,” Rice said. She said Forsyth students have also scored higher on the EOCs than their statewide peers, with many students using those scores to improve their grades. On the other hand, Rice recognizes the pressure high stake testing causes,
and recommended the “hold harmless” provision for those who may not do well on the EOCs. “Some families feel very strongly the [EOC grade] should not count because their student is anxious and worried about all the things going on in their life,” Rice said. The testing window for the EOCs is May 3-7 and students will take the tests in school because a remote version is not available. The days will be online learning days for students not taking the test. Last spring Georgia received a waiver for the 2020 EOC as the pandemic shutdown occurred during the testing season. This year a second waiver was rejected by the federal government. However, the Georgia Department of Education has submitted it again under the new administration. If the waiver is approved, Rice said it will be up to the state to determine the EOC testing – if any. But until then, she noted, the district will assume the tests will be given. “We have to rely on the state whether they are administering the tests or not [if the waiver is received].” Rice said. “I would assume not…but that’s a state level decision.”
School Board elects new officers The Forsyth County Board of Education re-elected Kristin Morrissey MORRISSEY (District 2) as the chairwoman of the board and Wes McCall (District 1) as vice chairman during its Jan. 19 board meeting. Morrissey was first elected to the Forsyth Board of Education in 2011 McCALL and has served as board chairwoman for three terms. McCall was first elected in 2018 and is serving in his first term as a board officer. Other committee assignments approved include Chamber of Commerce (McCall); Georgia School Board Association (Darla Light); Drug Council (Tom Cleveland); Attendance Protocol (Lindsay Adams) Homeless Youth (McCall).
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Dunwoody Crier 1/28/21 Crossword 6 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
COMMUNITY Across
This would be a good time to show some leadership For months now, my wife and I have walked the perimeter of Fowler Park and have observed from a distance the sports activities on the athletic fields every weekend. I say “from a distance” because we have become shadow people. We are elderly with preexisting conditions, so we attempt to avoid close contact with everybody. We are the people in the Walmart parking lot getting a grocery pickup. We are the people who have canceled appointments for months for fear of contracting COVID. We are the people who have been driven to the fringes of society and who have endured months of isolation. This stark reality is difficult to accept when we observe athletic events at Fowler Park where there is close contact and little mask-wearing. It seems that many people had decided months ago to return to “normal life” and pretend that the pandemic doesn’t exist even now when cases in Georgia have increased dramatically. About two months ago, Fowler park hosted a weekend soccer tournament that had non-stop games dawn-till-dusk with thousands of spec-
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tators. The Sunday game weather was windless and humid. Here you have players huddling up and joining hands for a cheer prior to playing and hundreds of spectators without masks on the sideline. This certainly had all the earmarks of a super spreader event that would be nearly impossible to trace. I am sure that these type of events are going on all over Georgia, and not just unique to Fowler Park. For people like me, this situation is extremely frustrating because it enables COVID to be easily transmitted and extends the duration of this terrible disease. So, while these people carry on life as usual, the rest of us endure fear, frustration and isolation! It is quite the double standard. The Forsyth County Recreation Department hosts these events. My feeling in regard to COVID is you are either part of the problem or part of the solution, and Forsyth County Recreation is part of the problem! John Fontana Forsyth County
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ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | January 28, 2021 | 7
Woman works to eliminate Georgia’s medical debt Bills cripple families already in trouble By TIFFANY GRIFFITH newsroom@appenmediagroup.com NORTH ATLANTA METRO, Ga. — When Elizabeth Beck was 13, her mother became disabled with a rare condition. While most teens spent spring break running wild, Beck traveled to Washington D.C., so her mother could undergo experimental surgeries. Despite her family’s hardships and sacrifices, Beck knows how fortunate they are. “I’ve been very painfully aware for the last 20 years just how horrible a position we’d be in if she didn’t get to keep her insurance,” Beck said. “My family would be hundreds of thousands of dollars — at minimum — in the red.” BECK Beck is grateful her mother’s colleagues at Emory were determined to take care of her, even when she could no longer work. Her gratitude eventually turned to curiosity and concern for those who aren’t as lucky. “How many other people are going through this, but they don’t have the resources we do?” she wondered. She began doing her homework on medical debt. It’s more expensive for hospitals and providers to pursue the debt, so it’s sold to collectors for pennies on the dollar. The more it’s traded, the less value it has. And over time, it’s less likely that a person who owes will pay their debt. But the bill doesn’t diminish for the patient. It could even grow with penalties and interest. Not good news for someone whose bank account has been wiped out to pay for treatments like chemotherapy. Families forgo treatment Beck said the growing debt has become a paralyzing burden for families statewide, and some choose to forgo expensive, but needed medical treatment to afford basic necessities. “Just seeing the scope of how ruinous it is, and how it impacts people’s credit, and it makes it harder for them to obtain any social mobility,” Beck said. “You get stuck in this hamster wheel. It’s really expensive to be poor.” Data from the United Health Foundation shows 17.8-percent of Georgia adults avoided medical care due to the cost in 2020, and 13.4-percent were uninsured. In 2018, Georgia was above
the national average for overdue medical bills, with 30 percent falling behind, according to ARC Research. Further studies by the Urban Institute found 13 percent of households in DeKalb County owe an average of $619 with 16 percent uninsured. In Forsyth County, 8 percent of households have an average of $637 in collections, with 9 percent uninsured. As for Fulton County, 12 percent of households owe an average of $554 in medical debt with 12 percent living without insurance coverage. The debt is significantly higher for communities of color. Throw in a recession and a once-ina-century pandemic, and Beck figures the pipeline of medical debt could be devastating for Georgia families. So, in August, she launched a campaign to eliminate Georgia’s medical debt. She partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a 501(C)(3) founded by two former debt collectors. “When people just can’t afford to be sick during a pandemic, I thought this just might give people some breathing room,” Beck said. RIP Medical Debt uses the diminishing cost of debt to their advantage. By purchasing it from collectors, the charity is able to pay off medical bills at a cheaper price. Every $1 raised can eliminate $180 worth of medical debt in the Peach State, Beck said. As of mid-January, she surpassed her fundraising goal of $25,000. That could eliminate more than $3.5 million in debt, based on the varying averages of each county. Campaign gains strength Beck’s campaign continues to gain momentum as she reaches out for grants and support from friends, business owners, elected officials and colleagues. Although her main line of work is with Cushman & Wakefield as an associate appraiser, she is now making it her mission to eliminate Georgia’s
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Data from the United Health Foundation shows 17.8-percent of Georgia adults avoided medical care due to the cost in 2020, and 13.4-percent were uninsured. medical debt, which currently stands at close to $214 million — and that’s just the amount RIP Medical Debt has access to. “I can’t not do something knowing how far a single dollar could go,” Beck said. “This could restore someone’s credit.” She’s even had the support of complete strangers who donated more than just a dollar. “A couple anonymous donations came in, too,” Beck said. “One for $1,700 and another for $1,200. And I
said, ‘Who did this? I want to kiss you, and I’m so mad that I can never know who you are!’” There’s an even greater good Beck hopes to accomplish. She sees her campaign as a way to open up the economy and erase the belief that medical debt is a moral failure. “Healthcare costs being stressfully high is such a ubiquitous American experience,” Beck said. “It just meant the world to me that people who had gone through medical debt and were now in a position to help, were willing to hold the door open so that somebody else doesn’t have to go through this.” Beck has rallied people from across the state, calling her campaign incredibly meaningful and impactful work. Her next goal is to raise an additional $1 million to wipe out over $180 million in medical debt. She said an eager fundraiser is backing her cause. “I’m still in absolute shock. All I can say is, whillikers!” Beck said. “I’m really proud of my community and I’m just humbled by the support. I’m going to go as hard as I can for this.” Beck is grateful for any dollar amount. To support her mission and for more information, visit secure.qgiv.com/ event/cwva-loves-atlanta
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SBA Second Draw loans gather momentum Hardest hit businesses line up for second wave of government support By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com METRO ATLANTA, Ga. — Small businesses are rushing to get a share of another round of SBA loans being offered through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Access to the loans rolled out in stages this month, with minority and community development depository institutions eligible first. Institutions with a billion dollars or less in assets were given access to the process Jan. 15, and all financial institutions came on board Jan. 19. The new wave of loans is available to first-time applicants and to those businesses that received PPP loans during the first two rounds of the program last year. The first round of SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program loans, issued in mid-April 2020, totaled some $350 billion and were gone in less than two weeks. A second round for $310 billion was made available April 27, and half the money had been awarded within the first week. But the rush cooled quickly, leaving more than $130 billion unallocated when applications ended in August. Overall, Georgia’s roughly 235 chartered lending institutions provided more than $14.7 billion in loans to nearly 175,000 small businesses through the 2020 PPP program, said David Oliver, senior vice president of the Georgia
Bankers Association. The average loan was for $84,306. Nationally, the program is credited with helping 5.2 million small businesses keep 51 million American workers employed. Demand is high Applications for the current wave of PPP loans is backed with about $284 billion in funding and runs through March 31. “We are seeing a lot of demand,” said Joe Brannen, Georgia Bankers Association president and CEO. “We are seeing more demand for Second Draw loans, more so than we are First Draw loans.” Brannen said when the application deadline for First Draw loans closed last August, demand appeared to have been met. “But, the Second Draw, because that wasn’t available before, we’ve got a fair number of borrowers taking advantage of that,” he said. Brannen said it’s too early to track which business sectors are applying for the new loans, but logically, it would be those that were the hardest hit. “That’s what the Second Draw program is for, those businesses that can show they had a 25 percent drop in revenues in comparable quarters between 2019 and 2020,” Brannen said. “That’s going to be hospitality, it’s going to be restaurants, it’s going to be the businesses that didn’t fully reopen.” Guidelines for the 2021 PPP are generally the same as before for first-time applicants. Second Draw PPP Loans are for eligible small businesses with 300 or fewer employees, that previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will use or have used the full amount only
The new wave of loans is available to firsttime applicants and to those businesses that received PPP loans during the first two rounds of the program last year. for authorized uses, and that can demonstrate at least a 25 percent decline in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. The maximum amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is $2 million. Brannen said that in general, the loan process this time will be easier. Many businesses have been through the application process before, and the government is using an upgraded platform that is far simpler for banks to navigate. Brannen said he hopes small businesses will make use of the program. “We had a lot of people who just didn’t bother to try last time, and I think that’s why we had a lot of money left over,” he said. Loans to benefit local economy Kali Boatright, president and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, said she has heard from a number of area bankers reporting interest in the Second Draw is brisk. “We encourage anyone seeking funds to contact their banker or accountant as
soon as possible,” she said. “As always, if there are any questions, the Greater North Fulton Chamber is happy to assist any business in North Fulton.” Alan Najjar, director of Business Development at Smith & Howard accounting firm in Atlanta, said the new round of PPP loans will benefit the U.S. economy and especially the businesses in North Fulton. It will allow big and small financial institutions to continue assisting those businesses who did not request sufficient funds last year to get another bite out of the apple, he said. “This second draw PPP allocation of $284 billion targets employers with less than 300 employees vs. 500 in round one,” Najjar said. “Round Two also specifically mentions the allowable use of proceeds for property damage, supplier costs, personal protection equipment, and it is significant that this new round allows news organizations, destination marketing organizations and 501c(6) nonprofit organizations like chambers of commerce to apply.”
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What happens when I need care? What happens when i need care? Many people wait until they need care and services to choose their senior living community; however, planning ahead and asking the right questions provides peace of mind, added control, and a smoother transition. Exploring communities before you need assisted living gives you time to identify what you are seeking in a senior living residence and thoroughly evaluate your options . Village Park Senior Living consultants recommend asking these questions while searching for your next home. Understand the care programs and finances You’ve planned well for everything else. Now is the time to plan for care. Many communities separate independent living from assisted living, skilled nursing, and/or memory care. However, Village Park Senior Living offers an adaptive care model that discreetly adds assisted living care services without requiring you to move from your independent home. Additionally, our Memory Enrichment Program enables residents with early stages of memory loss to continue to live in their existing residence before transitioning to our memory care neighborhood. Every senior living community is different, so it is important to ask the following when exploring your options: • Do I have to move when my level of care changes?
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10 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
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Can bumping your leg cause skin cancer? Brought to you by — Dr. Brent Taylor Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta Multiple times over the last ten years, patients have told me that a skin cancer popped up DR. TAYLOR right where they banged their leg. Initially, I was skeptical of whether such mild trauma could cause skin cancer. One of my teachers speculated that patients were developing skin cancers first and then later noticed them when they bumped the area. However, patient were certain about the timeline and insisted that the bump caused the skin cancer. Who is right? Can mild trauma cause skin cancer? The medical literature is rife with examples of chronic trauma indirectly leading to skin cancer. For example, a “Marjolin’s ulcer” is a squamous cell carcinoma (squamous cell skin cancer) that arises from a chronic wound. While Marjolin’s ulcers are not common, they are an important diagnosis for doctors to avoid missing. Their danger is often due to delayed diagnosis. For example, a patient with an ulcer from bad veins on his or her leg may go to a wound care clinic and receive dressing changes intended to allow the wound to heal on its own. When the ulcer fails to heal, everyone involved assumes it is still “just a venous ulcer.” Unfortunately, chronic ulcers can sometimes give rise to skin cancers – usually squamous cell carcinoma. The ulcer is no longer just a broken down area of skin from bad circulation. Instead, it is a skin cancer AND a broken down area from bad circulation. But the two conditions can look nearly identical in ulcerated form, and a biopsy is needed to make the diagnosis. Delays in diagnosis of the skin cancer can give it a chance to spread to other organs and lead to death. The stakes are high. Why would a chronic wound give rise to skin cancer? The explanation is usually “cell turnover.” Areas of healthy skin usually have cells undergoing cell division (mitosis) at a very slow rate. Skin cells are quoted as replacing themselves every 28 days. Where skin is cut, injured or otherwise wounded, the replication rate goes up. Growth factors are released at sites of tissue damage to spur tissue regrowth and renewal. If you cut your skin or have a wound, cells need to grow and divide rapidly to replace the cells that were lost and to heal. Increased cell division means increased opportunity for error. Cell division is a vulnerable time. When a cell is dividing, its DNA is more
susceptible to mutations and to making mistakes. Such mutations can increase cell growth rate and otherwise allow them to grow in an uncontrolled manner. Mutations cause cancer. So chronic wounds not unexpectedly generate skin cancers. If chronic wounds can yield cancers, what about minor/short term wounds? Or even a bump on the leg? There is not a lot of medical literature about skin cancers arising from small traumatic events such as a bump on the leg. However, it stands to reason that a similar phenomenon exists for small injuries as for chronic wounds. Both involve healing tissue, growth factors, and stimulus for cell division. In my experience, the small bumps that were blamed for causing skin cancers almost always occurred in patients with severe amounts of background sun damage. Patients with severe sun damage already have mutations in their cells from the sun’s UV rays. Accordingly, the combination of sun damage and a banged shin is like a one-two punch. One of the first successful explanations for the cause of any cancer was the “two-hit hypothesis.” It explains why retinoblastoma, an eye tumor, develops in children. The two hit hypothesis states that you need two copies of the same gene to go bad for certain cancers like retinoblastoma to develop. Children with retinoblastoma are born with one bad (mutated) copy in every single cell in their eyes, either inherited from a parent or from a mutation acquired early in fetal development. Additional spontaneous mutations are common enough that the chance that the second copy of the gene mutates in at least one cell is high. That cell now has two bad copies of the retinoblastoma gene. That single cell will then grow uncontrollably and develop into a cancer. Like retinoblastoma’s second mutation, the “bump on the leg” might be the second hit a squamous cell needs in some individuals’ legs. The first hit is the years of sun damage introducing mutations into many cells in a patient’s skin. Then, the second hit can take many forms – sometimes an additional sun burn, sometimes a chronic wound, and sometimes a literal hit -- a small bump on the leg. So yes, in my opinion, my patients are probably right. Sometimes a skin cancer really does pop up from a simple bump on the leg. We hope that you found this article interesting and informative. Please know that if you or a loved one has a skin cancer or any skin care need, we at Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta are here for you and are honored to help. Dr. Brent Taylor and Kathryn Filipek, PA-C would like to be your partners to achieve your skin health goals.
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12 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
Blackbox: Continued from Page 4 Johnson also called out commissioners for their public criticism. Another said commissioners’ expectations of Johnson were inconsistent, and the board needs one voice for county staff to “do a good job.” “It is commendable that the county manager has remained with the county while dealing with some of the most difficult board members in quite some time,” one respondent said. Johnson said there were criticisms he “took to heart” from the survey, but commissioners ignored the favorable results. An ‘amateurish’ exercise When commissioners arranged Johnson’s evaluation, they called on the county attorney to draw up the review. Johnson said the entire exercise was “amateurish.” Many of those who were sent the survey did not directly report to Johnson, he said, and the results did not separate his peers from subordinates. Johnson said a better approach would have been to ask the relatively local Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia to design professional, state-of-the-art performance reviews. “[Jarrard is] a very good attorney,
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he’s very successful…but having him do an evaluation when he didn’t really know how to do one properly was just an example of [commissioners] leaning on him for anything, whether it really has anything to do with legal advice or not,” Johnson said. It is not the only example, he indicated. Johnson said board members often use Jarrard to place items on meeting agendas or have him present an item to commissioners that should have come from a department head. He said this is especially the case for agenda items that are “non-routine.” It also keeps residents in the dark about potential legislation or policy changes. “Rather than discuss a new financial policy at a Finance Committee meeting and have it prepared and [its] impacts described by finance staff, a commissioner has [Jarrard] prepare a resolution, skip any financial discussion, and he presents it on behalf of a commissioner for approval by the board,” Johnson said. In other instances, Johnson said the county attorney, not a department head, presents an ordinance update. He charged that such presentations should be given by those in charge of overseeing the changes, not the county attorney. Commissioners also have Jarrard place other items on the agenda for them, sometimes right before a meeting, without anyone else seeing it, Johnson said. “It’s not anything that’s terribly nefarious, it’s simply this mindset that they have that the attorney controls much of what goes on, and they rely heavily on him to make sure they are doing things right,” Johnson said. “And to some extent, that’s the role of the [commission] chair in running the agenda or the clerk in ensuring they are following proper procedures. The attorney ought to be the last resort.” Jarrard, he said, will tell commissioners what he wants, but his role should be to weigh legal risks in certain policy decisions and letting board members decide which route they want to take. Johnson said he fears Jarrard’s influence has onlySolution increased since he left. A U D I T
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BLACK BOX SPECIAL REPORT Jarrard fires back The county attorney countered that any item he places on the agenda either pertains to legal issues, or it is simply a convenience of communication. He said any discussion topics for a commission work session or regular meeting must be approved by at least two board members. “To the extent they ask me to add [an agenda item] for them, that’s just a function of efficiency,” Jarrard said. “We might have been on the phone and they said, ‘[One commissioner] is agreeable to adding this item on the agenda and I want to sponsor it, Ken, would you add it to the agenda?’” In those situations, Jarrard said he will add the agenda item if it has the backing of at least two commissioners, but “it’s still the board members’ item,” he said. The county attorney said whether his office or a department head presents an agenda item is determined by the “size, scope and work allocation.” In situations where his office has had a heavy role in drafting an ordinance or update, it is not unusual for those involved to have him present it to commissioners. Jarrard said he gave a recent presentation on a parks and recreation ordinance because it was almost a complete rewrite, and he and his staff worked on its redraft. He also took issue with Johnson’s claim the board relies too heavily on his comments. He said policy and law are intertwined, and he bristled at the suggestion he acts as anything other than a counselor, adviser and advocate for the county in a courtroom. “I am very quick to say I am not a replacement, I am not another board member, I don’t have a vote, I don’t want a vote and I’m not a policy maker,” Jarrard said. “What I am is [the board’s] adviser, I will provide you guidance and counseling and advocacy, but I will certainly not make up your mind for you, nor do I believe that any of the board that existed in 2020 or any of the board that exists in 2021 are looking to me to do that.” Semanson dismisses charge Semanson acknowledged the board often defers to Jarrard, but in certain cases it was because the former county manager was lacking in his duties. “We rely a lot on our county attorney, and we rely a lot on our county manager, and in the absence of leadership, we will look for it where we will find it,” Semanson said. She also said there was “not any validity” to Johnson’s claims his perfor-
mance review was obscured when the results turned out mostly positive. Johnson came to Forsyth County after serving in a similar role in Florida, where transparency laws are more stringent, and that spurred many of his issues, Semanson said. Semanson said there were “multiple junctures” during Johnson’s term where he attempted to apply a different set of standards that don’t apply under Georgia law. “But I flat out reject the idea that we are conducting business behind closed doors or in any manner that is not kosher with Georgia law,” she said. Despite his positive review, the county chose not to renew Johnson’s contract, and Semanson pinned the issue on his inability “to resolve some of the issues that made him unsuccessful in working with this board.” She did not provide details. “I think it’s pretty standard practice these days people don’t really do much beyond confirming employment, even when it’s positive,” Semanson said. “So out of respect to Mr. Johnson, I’d really rather not get too detailed on the reasons it did not work out.” ‘Resistance to change’ Johnson said Forsyth County leadership is not unique in adhering to past practices, but in some cases, the board’s reluctance to change can hurt taxpayers. Under Johnson’s watch, there was a proposal to change the way the county issues its debt. Johnson said the strategy he presented is consistent with the procedures of AAA-rated government, but it was not with a preferred banker. “There wasn’t any under-the-tables issues, it was simply they were used to doing business with a particular guy at CitiBank, and a couple of [commissioners] wanted nothing to do with a more sophisticated way to save us a lot of money,” Johnson said. Johnson would not speculate on whether bringing back Doug Derrer as interim county manager was a means of preserving the past. He did note that one comment from Johnson’s performance survey noted Derrer just “kind of sat there” during meetings and he did not engage or support staff on issues. Johnson fears the board’s way of doing business will continue under new County Manager Kevin Tanner. Johnson said Tanner is likely to face the same challenges he experienced, including a board set in its ways and deference to the county attorney on issues that should be directed to the county manager. “They have the opportunity to move forward and do well,” he said. “I just don’t know that pattern has shown up here yet.”
Arrests: Continued from Page 2 traffic control device. Nicholas Martin Shaver, born 1990, of Piney Grove Drive, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 14 on Canton Road for DUI and order of judge to arrest. Robert Leon White III, born 1955, of Ivey Pine Pointe, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 14 on Ivey Pine Pointe for DUI and driving while license suspended or revoked. Chantz Joshua Galloway, born 1994, of Easley, South Carolina, was arrested Jan. 15 on Matt Highway for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute, theft by receiving stolen vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of drug related objects. Braden Grant Hocker, born 1995, of
PUBLIC SAFETY Riverwalk Court, Gainesville, was arrested Jan. 15 on Ga. 400 for DUI and failure to maintain lane. Stephen Leon Tiedemann, born 1979, of High Point Road, Atlanta, was arrested Jan. 15 on Atlanta Highway for DUI, failure to maintain lane and lane violation. Austin Joseph Olsen, born 1997, of Sawgrass Drive, Dawsonville, was arrested Jan. 15 on Atlanta Highway for DUI, failure to maintain lane and speeding. Corey Shayne Johns, born 1972, of Timber Lake Drive, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 15 on Timber Lake Drive for DUI, fleeing/attempting to elude for a felony offense, failure to maintain lane, failure to obey traffic control device and driving while license suspended or revoked. Douglas Ray Pugh, born 1981, of Trailside Way, Gainesville, was arrested Jan. 15 on Keith Bridge Road for DUI, three counts of endangering child by DUI and failure to maintain lane. Marc Allan Sublette, born 1970, of Baywood Run, Cumming, was arrested
ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | January 28, 2021 | 13
Jan. 15 on Keith Bridge Road for DUI, possession of open alcohol container and improper passing of emergency vehicle. Nicholas Timothy McNeill, born 1985, of Overlook Lane, Monroe, was arrested Jan. 16 on Atlanta Highway for DUI, giving false name, address or birthdate to law enforcement, failure to dim lights and driving while license suspended or revoked. Jose L. Aguilar Zschoche, born 1984, of Antioch Road, Cumming, was arrested Jan. 16 on Ga. 400 for DUI, expired or no license plate or decal and failure to maintain lane. Cole Logan Smith, born 1991, of Norwalk Road, Dunwoody, was arrested Jan. 17 on Ga. 400 for DUI and failure to maintain lane. James E. Combs Jr., born 1988, of Grant Ford Road, Gainesville, was arrested Jan. 17 on Trailmaster Circle for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug-related objects, battery and probation violation.
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DEATH NOTICES James Allen, 76, of Alpharetta, passed away January 16, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.
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Marilyn Bartman, 89, of Cumming, passed away January 18, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Helen Brown, 97, of Johns Creek, passed away January 13, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
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Nathan Lynn Collins, 54, passed away Green Lawn Cemetary January 13, 2021. Arrangements by McDonald & Son Funeral Home.
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Lawn Cemetery.
Roswell Funeral Home Deanna Lea Dean, 57, of Suwanee, passed Green Lawn Cemetary away January 19, 2021. Arrangements by McDonald & Son Funeral Home. Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839
Brenda Densmore, 69, Cumming, passed away January 6, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home &
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Crematory.
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Roswell Funeral HomeSarah Conwell, 75, of Roswell, Green Lawn Cemetarypassed away January 15, 2021.
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Joan Dalton, 88, of Milton, passed away January 13, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.
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June Davies, 94, of Roswell, passed away January 14, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
Dorothy Davis, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away January 13, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
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Ronald Douglass, 76, of Roswell, passed away January 19, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green Rose Ellenzweig, 97, of Roswell, passed away January 14, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
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of Alpharetta, passed away January 12, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Crematory. Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839
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Jeanne Goldman, 99, of Roswell, passed away January 15, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory. John Q. Hall Jr., 79, of Cumming, passed away January 18, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory. Margie Clyde Hyder, 90, of Cumming, passed away January 18, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.
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Jerome Lampe, 70, of Roswell, passed away January 20, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
Roswell Funeral Home Janet Lees, 95, of Roswell, Green Lawn Cemetary
passed away January 14, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Roswell Funeral Home Crematory.
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John Mark Mathes, 93, of Alpharetta, passed January 16, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.
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Scarlett Rose McCoid, passed away January 16, 2021. Arrangements by McDonald & Son Funeral Home.
Bernice O’Bryant, 87, of Cumming, passed away January 17, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory. Nancy Jean O’Tinger, 64, of Cumming, passed away January 15, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory. Ivette Ortiz, 75, of Alpharetta, passed away January 13, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory. Phillip Wayne Pirkle, 64, of Cumming, passed away January 19, 2021. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory. Beverlie Reilman, 95, of Roswell, passed away January 14, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory. David Studtmann, 77, of Roswell, passed away January 13, 2021. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Director & Crematory.
Roswell Funeral Home Green Lawn Cemetary Faithfully Serving Families Since 1839
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Gordon Young, 83, of Roswell, passed away January 14, 2021. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home and Green
14 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
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Help Wanted Full-time McAllister Tree Service Wants YOU Crew Leaders, Trimmers & Ground Crew Members Great Pay & Great Benefits Previous tree experience preferred but not required Email Resumes with Experience details to Sarah HudelsonJobs@TheTownsendCorp.com SEEKING WORKERS for our cleanroom manufacturing facility. Duties include operating equipment and various manufacturing tasks. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. Visit aesclean.com/ production-jobs to apply
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Business Analyst Design, develop, Test & Implement s/w applcs utilizing SDLC methodologies like waterfall, Agile, .Net, TFS, JIRA, Bugzilla, UML, STLC, Axure, Balsamiq, Subversion, Visual SourceSafe, MS project and MS Office Suite, Functional & Smoke testing. Must be willing to travel & reloc to unanticipated client locations throughout the US. Reqs MS in Sci, Comp Sci or rel w/ 1 yr of exp. Mail Resumes to HexaCorp LLC, 2450 Atlanta Hwy, Unit 1902, Cumming, GA 30040
General Clerk III Sawnee EMC is seeking a General Clerk III Customer Service to assist in a high-volume call center. Requires high school diploma or equivalency, computer, communication and general office skills. Two years of related experience preferred. Position is full-time; must be flexible to work irregular hours, to include evenings, weekends and holidays. Applicants must complete an application form prior to 5 PM February 5, 2021. Apply online: www.sawnee.com/My Cooperative/Careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format,please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568. Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
Announcements
Musical Instruments
Brookhaven Eye Care’s Alpharetta location, located inside the Alpharetta Costco, is closing effective January 30, 2021. Contact the office at 2855 Jordan Ct Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-8234954 no later than January 30, 2021 to obtain your prescription/medical records. After January 30, 2021, you may obtain a copy of your prescription/medical records at Brookhaven Eye Care--Brookhaven 500 Brookhaven Ave Atlanta, GA 30319 404-4601928 ext 1. A reasonable cost based fee will be associated with the copying or transfer.
PIANO COLLECTOR Several beautiful Baby Grands & uprights. Quality pianos at sacrifice prices. 770-633-4151
Legal Notices PUBLICATION NOTICE Thomas B. Stanford of Alpharetta, GA is being sued in Wayne County 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Detroit, Michigan, Case No.: 20-0115-116 CH, for A Complaint to Quiet Title on a Subject Property with an address of 1574-76 Ash Street, Detroit, Michigan 48208, Property Identification No.: 08000842.. 002L. This Legal Notice is being provided as required by an Order of Wayne County Circuit Court for Substitute/Alternate Service, January 5th, 2021. Attorneys of record, McCoy & Associates PLLC, 2381 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, (734) 769-0001.
Wanted to Buy GOT COINS? Father and son looking to buy. Matt 404-723-3737
Transportation Vans DODGE HANDICAP CARAVAN 2008: Braun enter-van conversion. $9950. 47,330 miles. 312-718-3359
Business Services Refinance North Atlanta’s Smartest Online Refi Analysis Tool Grab your mortgage statement and complete the easy questions at www. RefiBenefitQuiz.com to see – clearly and with details –if it’s wise for you to refi given the historically low rates in the market. * No SSN * No Phone Number * No Credit Check BankSouth Mortgage Company LLC NMLS 690971 Subject to credit and collateral approval.
Classes
ADVERTISE HERE! CALL 770-442-3278 OR EMAIL US AT CLASSIFIEDS@APPEN MEDIAGROUP.COM
MATHEMATICS: Many students advanced to Ivy league/20 years advanced experience, especially SAT. KAIST Mathematics B.S. Purdue Mathematics M.S. Your home-$35/ hour. 404-933-7094/ pauljkim1@yahoo.com
NATIONAL CLASSIFIEDS Autos Wanted
Miscellaneous
Get cash for your used or junk car today. We buy all cars, trucks, and SUVs. Free pick up. Call. 1-888-985-1806 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330.
Education & Training Train online to do medical billing! Become a Medical Office Professional at CTI! Get trained & certified to work in months! 888-572-6790. (M-F 8-6 ET)
Health & Fitness Dental insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www. dental50plus.com/58 #6258 GENERIC VIAGRA and CIALIS! 100 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-889-5515
Medical Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587
Miscellaneous Viagra – Premium Generic Viagra(100mg) or Cialis (20mg) 100 Tablets for $99 Asthma Inhalers as low as $13 per inhaler FREE SHIPPING Satisfaction Guaranteed. (888)424-4908 or Visit: www. USAStayHealthy.com The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-855-270-3785 CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-800-864-5960. GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule FREE in-home assessment. 1-844-334-8353 special financing if qualified.
Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator
®
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
844-334-8353
Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! FREE 7-Year
Offer valid December 15, 2020 – March 1, 2021
Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval.
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions. HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-863-4478 Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-855-534-6198 or visit www. walkintubquote.com/news New authors wanted! Page Publishing will help selfpublish your book. Free author submission kit! Limited offer! 866-951-7214 Directv Now. No Satellite. $40/ mo 65 Channels. Stream news, live events, sports & on demand titles. No contract/commitment. 1-866-825-6523
Thinking about installing a new shower? American Standard makes it easy. Free design consult.1-888-674-3005 today to see how to save $1,000 on installation or visit www. newshowerdeal.com/display Hearing aids! Bogo free! Highquality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 833-669-5806 DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 7/21/21.1833-872-2545 !!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, most advanced debris-blocking protection. Schedule free estimate. 15% off Purchase. 10% Senior & Military
Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557
Discounts. Call 1-855-995-2490
Denver, Co. 80201
Wanted to Buy
SERVICE DIRECTORY Art/Wallpaper
Flooring
Home Improvement
Picture Hanging: Reasonable pricing. Satisfied customers. Call or text Troy Smith 404-990-7506
PHILLIPS FLOORING Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs. We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes. Re-grouting is also available. Call 678-8871868 for free estimate.
Phillips Home
Concrete/Asphalt
We fix ugly
DRIVEWAYS & PATIOS $150 OFF
Any job over $1500. Driveways Patios Sidewalks Walls & Steps Slabs NEW or REPAIR Residential Or Commercial FREE ESTIMATES
Call 678-648-2010 Many local references. Competitive rates. McKemey Concrete
Retaining Walls Brick or Wood
Contact Ralph Rucker. Many local references. Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices!
offer
painting,
drywall, carpentry,
plumbing and electrical. Basements
finished,
kitchen and bath rehabs. All types flooring. Also total home rehab for
AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Repaired and Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aarons-gutters. com. Senior citizen discount! 770-934-2766
house or one to sell.
Handyman Wood Rot Repair, Deck Repair and Staining. Roof Leaks, Carpentry, Painting, Siding and Soffits. Flooring, Tile, Electrical and Plumbing. 770-262-6272.
Haulers
those who have a rental
Many local references-
Call Ralph Rucker
Driveway
Home Improvement Finegan Home Improvements LLC: License #RBQA004932. Remodeling, handyman. 34 years experience. Basements finished, decks, screen porches, doors, drywall, painting, flooring, custom kitchens, bathrooms. All insurance. Paul Finegan 404-353-5611
Residential & Commercial. Best service and most reasonable prices since 1999. Appen-Rated 99. Home: Driveways, Fences, Decks, Home exteriors, more. Commercial: Offices, Restaurants, Tennis Courts, Pools, Apt. Complexes, more. All Pro Pressurewash call 770-766-5566 for Mark. Roofing
free estimate
Landscaping
Full Service LANDSCAPING Company Capable of doing your job – grading, hauling and tree service.
Ralph Rucker
678-898-7237
PINESTRAW, mulch
Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling, Etc.
PRESSURE WASHING
Call 678-887-1868 for a
Pinestraw
678-898-7237
Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs. A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $4,500.
We
Gutters
678-898-7237
$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!
Improvement
Pressure Wash
delivery/installation available. Firewood available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612
ForsythHerald.com | Forsyth Herald | January 28, 2021 | 15
BUY IT, SELL IT, FIND IT!
In the HERALD CLASSIFIEDS
ROOF LEAKING? Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123. Christian Brothers Roofing
Help Wanted Services
Part-Time Full-Time
Gutters Plumbers
Autos Tree Services COMPLETE TREE SERVICES Appen-Rated 98 Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment. Tree removal, Pruning, Stump grinding, Free mulch, Fully insured, Emergency 24/7 770-450-8188
and More!
CPA
Services Handyman Roofs
Bargins
Homes Collectibles Furniture
Tree Services
24 hour emergency service. Licensed, insured. Workers Comp, insurance claims. 25+ years experience. Family business. Free estimates. We Love Challenges! Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts 770-512-8733 • www.yellowribbontree.com
COVERING NORTH ATLANTA... IN PRINT AND ONLINE! Alpharetta-Roswell Herald • Milton Herald • Johns Creek Herald Forsyth Herald • NorthFulton.com
CONTACT US AT 770-442-3278
16 | January 28, 2021 | Forsyth Herald | ForsythHerald.com
WE BUY ALL JEWELRY! Your estate jewelry & diamond specialists for 60 years. Paying Premiums for Vintage Rolex and Omega Watches
770-751-7222 Call or Text
3960 Old Milton Pkwy #300 (1.5 miles East of 400)
Gold is at a 7 year high!
www.iroff.com
You get the best price in town, and immediate payment! Over 75% of Our Business Comes from Satisfied Customer Referrals! Jewelry
Gold
Silver
Diamonds
Gemstones
Coins
Watches
Estate jewelry Fine Jewelry Platinum Jewelry Diamond Jewelry Gemstone Jewelry Designer Jewelry David Yurman Tiffany & Co. Cartier
Gold Jewelry Broken Jewelry Gold Watches Dental Gold Gold Coins Gold Bars Gold Nuggets
Sterling Silver Silverware Flatware Bowls Silver Jewelry Silver Bars
All Sizes All Shapes All Cuts All Qualities Loose or Set Chipped/Broken
Sapphires Rubies Emeralds All Precious Semi-Precious Loose or Set
All Gold Coins All Silver Coins All Platinum Coins Silver Dollars Collectable Coins Foreign Coins Paper Money
Rolex Cartier Omega Patek Audemars Piguet and other brands
2008-2019 00
FREE CASH EVALUATION
GA 4
Webb Br id g e
Rd
Must Present Coupon. FH
Monday – Friday: 10AM – 5PM Saturday: 10AM – 4PM • Sunday: Closed Closed Christmas Day, New Years Eve & New Years Day *Appointments may be available outside of traditional store hours.
Paying up to $150,000
Old M
ilton Pkw k P y t Kim oin P ball dge Rd th Bri Nor
00 GA 4
wy
WINNER
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
Brian Iroff GIA Graduate Gemologist