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Boys home celebrates outdoor pavilion Miss Georgia 2019 joins nonprofit supporters to dedicate quiet space for displaced teens By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmedia.com CUMMING, Ga. — Victoria Hill delivered two arias to volunteers and staff of the Bald Ridge Lodge, a non-profit home in Cumming for teen boys facing adversity. But the words she spoke before the performance Oct. 28 carried a tune just as sweet. “Two of my uncles actually were adopted out of the foster care system, and I’m so proud of them and can’t imagine my life without them,” said Hill, the 2019 Miss Georgia and first runner up in the 2020 Miss America Pageant. “It’s something that has been instilled in me since I was very young, and I will continue throughout my career and my life to work within the foster care system.” The crowd of some 50 people were on hand at Alliance Academy to celebrate the dedication of the Victoria Hill Pavilion, a 384-square-foot covered shelter nestled in the woods behind the home for boys. Bald Ridge Lodge provides a safe haven and counseling in a therapeutic environment for young men in need of protection and supervision in a manner that nurtures the child, strengthens families and allows the community to care for its own. “The completion of the pavilion feels like a milestone marker to me,” said Executive Director Angela Dikes. “It reminds me of all the boys at Bald Ridge Lodge who’ve overcome challenges in their lives as well.” Plans for the pavilion were conceived two years ago when members of the board of directors began a drive to provide a quiet outdoor space for the young men to break from their daily routines. Hill, who grew up in the area and had been involved in supporting foster care as a child, was on board immediately. She was featured guest at a fundraising gala held at the Polo Golf and Country Club that launched the campaign. Board member Adam Rodes was tapped as project manager, and he immediately contacted everyone he knew who owned a hammer and knew anything about construction. All in all, Rodes said, the pavilion represents $30,000-worth of donated labor and material. Construction was funded through Jeff Mogan of Corner Farms, a private foundation that helps families and charities fund projects and receive the help they need to overcome challenges. Rodes said one of the big challenges in construction was getting the project off the ground. Lumber prices had soared, and
PATRICK FOX/APPEN MEDIA
Victoria Hill, Miss Georgia 2019, performs an aria at the formal opening celebration of a new pavilion at Bald Ridge Lodge in Cumming. Hill has lent her support to the boys home for years, and she pledged to continue working for the cause of foster care at the ceremony, held Oct. 28 at Alliance Academy.
he called on Chris Wakefield, president of The Outdoor Lights in Cumming, to scout for sources. Wakefield spent months going back and forth with suppliers, but prices for oak and cedar continued to climb. Then, out of nowhere, one of his contacts alerted him to a property owner in Edison, Ga., who was clearing cedar trees that were among damaged stock following Hurricane Michael in 2018. He rounded up a crew and headed to South Georgia to harvest what he could of the damaged trees. “These were big boys,” Wakefield said. “It took six guys to carry some of those beams up the hill. We had a big John Deere tractor pulling them out.” The building permit came soon after, and work began in October of 2020. Local businesses and the local Rotary Club helped. Everything from concrete foundation to ceiling fans to paint. The finishing touch came at the hands of Troop 457 Eagle Scout Aaron Wojtowicz, a student at Alliance Academy, who used the remainder of the lumber to build eight cedar benches.
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Forsyth County officials say upgraded website will engage more residents BY TIFFANY MORGAN newsroom@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. –– Forsyth County has enhanced its website to make it easier for residents to follow and be more involved in their local government. County Manager Kevin Tanner said the new design takes a “180 degree turn” to the website. The commissioners held their work session on Oct. 26 to view the details of the website to display how residents can engage and navigate their local government. The re-designed website went live the following day. Commission Chairwoman Cindy Jones-Mills said she’s gotten several complaints throughout the years about the website not being userfriendly, and the fresh face on the site is a welcome change, she said. “I’m happy that staff took the time to do it correctly, and I hope the citizens will be happy with the results – I look forward to hearing from [residents],” Mills said. Assistant County Manager Brandon Kenney said the timeline of the project was over a year and a half
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