J a n u a r y 5 , 2 0 1 7 | N o r t h F u l t o n . 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 1 2 , N o . 1
Milton Welcome sign returns home for the holidays
Bring on 2017
Milton mayor Joe Lockwood previews city’s New Year ►►page 6
After a month-long absence, the “Welcome to the city of Milton” sign, located at Broadwell Pavilion, has been returned. Pictured: The Welcome to Milton sign frames the entryway to the city. Inset: The sign was missing for about a month. Read moe, Page 4.
Trying on virtual reality The pros and cons ►►Page 8
Blessed Trinity junior football excels Team has 29-1 record ►►Page 10
3 Milton runners make All-Metro team Cross country stars selected by Atlanta Track Club ►►Page 13
Real Estate Report KATHLEEN STURGEON/Herald
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2 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
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Employee assaulted, robbed at gunpoint MILTON, Ga. — On Dec. 27, an unknown man allegedly assaulted a local Subway employee with a gun and robbed the store of its cash before locking the employee in the cooler. An employee at the Morris Road Subway said a few minutes before 10 p.m., a man entered the kitchen with a gun. He jabbed the gun under the employee’s ribcage and forced him to take cash out of the register. The employee complied and gave the man the $270 that was in the register. The man then forced the employee to kneel between two safes and demanded that he open them. The employee could
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Verizon hit with $4K overnight theft JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Verizon store employees reported a burglary Dec. 20 when they saw that $4,000 worth of electronics was missing from the building.
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DUI arrests ►► Elizabeth A. Whitesides, 43, of
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Public Safety
Bramshill Drive, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 6 on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI and failure to maintain lane. ►► David Todd Jones, 48, of Crown Vetch Lane, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 12 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, following too close and no insurance. ►► Mark Jeffrey Modlin, 51, of Plano, Texas, was arrested Dec. 13 on Haynes
only open one safe and gave the man $620 in it. When the employee demonstrated that he could not open the second safe, the man repeatedly hit him and locked the employee in the walk-in cooler. The employee, however, was able to escape after the suspect left and immediately called police. The suspect was wearing dark clothes with a mask and gloves. He appeared to be 6 feet tall with a Hispanic accent. Police were given security footage showing the encounter to aid in the investigation.
When police arrived at the store on Old Alabama Road, they found that multiple wires had been cut from the island and wall displays. Multiple phones and tablets were taken. The security video showed a man arriving at the store at 2 a.m. in a small, silver SUV. He appeared to tamper with the glass door before shattering it with an unknown tool. The man, wearing a mask, attempted to kick down the storage room door, but was unsuccessful. He then took the display electronics and walked out. Bridge Road in Alpharetta for DUI and headlights required. ►► Sezai Bayrak, 45, of Stevens Creek Drive, Johns Creek, was arrested Dec. 16 on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, speeding and failure to obey a traffic control device. ►► Luis Ramon Cruz, 40, of Cypress Court, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 17 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI, failure to maintain lane and no license. ►► Andrew Arthur Carmichael, 51, of Hidden River Trace, Woodstock, was arrested Dec. 17 on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta for DUI. ►► Jazmyn Cherie Boulware, 26, of Vintage Oaks Drive, Loganville, was arrested Dec. 20 on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI. ►► Wesley Charles Burgner, 36, of
Potential roommate scams woman for $5K MILTON, Ga. — A woman reported a case of theft by deception Dec. 27 when a prospective roommate allegedly attempted to steal $5,000 through a fraudulent check. The woman had posted online early in December that she was seeking a roommate and got a response from an interested 27-year-old woman in California. They agreed that the suspect would
See BLOTTER, Page 4 Saratoga Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 20 on Timberstone Road in Johns Creek for DUI.
Drug arrests ►► Nehemiah Thomas, 46, of Crockett
Drive SE, Marietta, was arrested Dec. 12 on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and wanted person. ►► Hannah Dara Rubin-Burrasca, 26, of Tamarac, Florida, was arrested Dec. 18 on Rock Mill Road in Alpharetta for possession of marijuana and possession of drug-related items. ►► Todd Phillips Letcher, 35, of Milford Chase SW, Marietta, was arrested Dec. 23 on Holcomb Bridge Road in Johns Creek for heroin possession.
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 3
“Eyedentify” Diabetes Complications (part two) Diabetic patients, particularly older ones, may present with several diabetesrelated ocular complications on a daily basis. As eyecare providers, we are uniquely qualified to not only manage the disease’s ocular complications, but to also educate patients on how best to take care of themselves. Here, I discuss diabetes in the eye, the most up-to-date treatment.
Make Healthier Eyes Part of Your New Year’s Resolution
Lens
In addition to the pathological changes in the cornea epithelium caused by an increase in sorbitol, this increase also induces an escalated rate of premature cataract formation. In addition, this sorbitol increase results in refractive error shifts secondary to infusion of water into the lens matrix. Both hyperopic and myopic shifts are seen, but myopic shifts are more common. This is a frequent finding in newly diagnosed diabetic patients. To best manage these patients, re-refract them four to six weeks after their first exam when their blood sugar is (hopefully) better controlled, to provide the most accurate prescription. When co-managing cataract surgery patients, keep in mind that a long duration of post-operative anti-inflammatory therapy may be necessary to prevent complications, such as cystoid macular edema. Also, make sure the antibiotic drops are used q.i.d. for nine days post-op to prevent infections.
Vitreous and retina
Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy can be mild, moderate or severe. (See “Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy,” above.) Proliferative retinopathy is characterized by neovascularization in the retina and optic disc due to advanced capillary closure-caused ischemia. This occurs secondary to hypoxia in the posterior pole, causing an increased VEGF level. Neovascularization of the Iris (NVI), new vessels in the retina (NVE) or new vessels of the disc (NVD) are characteristic. These patients often present with decreased VA and/or floaters, secondary to vitreous hemorrhage. PRP remains the mainstay treatment for proliferative retinopathy. The procedure reduces the need for oxygen in the posterior pole and subsequently decreases VEGF levels, thus preventing neovascularization. Steroid injections and implants have been shown efficacious in treating macular edema in these patients, and anti-VEGF medications injected directly into the vitreous cavity have proven successful as well.
Optic nerve
The optic nerve is acutely at risk for damage in uncontrolled diabetes, secondary to its reliance on the microvasculature of the posterior ciliary artery. Uncontrolled diabetic patients are at a great risk for anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, worsening glaucoma and diabetic papillitis. All these complications are worse with concomitant microvascular disease, such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
Our role
In our yearly comprehensive examinations, we are able to detect and closely monitor ocular complications. This not only allows us to be the “gatekeepers” to our patients’ health, but it also enables us to be influential in their education. Motivating patients to monitor their blood sugar and maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen may be one of our most important duties. One day, we may be able to influence a change from diabetes being the leading cause of blindness in the United States to a rare complication.
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NEWS
Milton’s sign stolen, returned Apparent thief still unknown By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — After traditional efforts to recover a stolen sign at Broadwell Pavilion in Milton failed, the city turned to social media. Call it a Christmas miracle, but the welcome sign, stolen months ago, was anonymously placed back at the pavilion Dec. 21, according to city Communications Manager Shannon Ferguson. In early December, the city took to its social media pages to seek help from the community using a hashtag, #HomeForTheHolidays. “We need your help! Our ‘Welcome to the City of Milton’ gateway sign on Broadwell in front of Broadwell Pavilion was stolen a while back,” the Facebook post read. “Traditional efforts to recover it have stalled, but the investigation continues. We’re hoping you can help us bring it #HomeForTheHolidays. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post. These signs are costly and so are theft charges. We thought… while we’re all in the Christmas spirit... why not return the sign — no questions asked, just drop it off at the pavilion.” And a few weeks later, someone did just that. “Look what made it #HomeForTheHolidays. Our Broadwell Road welcome sign was returned,” another Facebook
Blotter: Continued from Page 2 pay the first month’s rent, $1,200, upfront. The suspect then sent a check for $6,200 to deposit and requested that the $5,000 difference be sent to a different account. The woman did so, but the original check bounced, while the $5,000 went through. She talked to her bank about the incident and was reimbursed for the money before filing a police report.
Man’s identity stolen, $800 taken from bank JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man reported a case of identity fraud Dec. 20 when he noticed multiple unauthorized transactions to his bank account. The man had received a letter in the mail Sept. 22 from an orthopedics prac-
post read. Installation of the sign, one of two used by the city, costs from $300 to $350. “The sign may not seem like much to everybody, but it’s our sign and this is our home,” said Milton Police Chief and City Manager Steve Krokoff. “It’s great to have it home.” And while the person who took it should never have done it in the first
place, Krokoff said, the city is happy it’s back. “This doesn’t make them a hero that they brought it back,” he said. “But we as a community are pleased we were able to appeal to someone’s kindness at this time of the season.” Because of the “no questions asked” policy in the initial plea, Krokoff said he doesn’t plan to continue the investigation.
tice saying that someone had attempted to use his personal information to open an account with them. Three months later, Dec. 20, the man received a letter from his bank saying that his savings account had been over drafted multiple times. When he looked into his account, the man found four suspicious transactions that he had not made. They were made Dec. 11-12, for about $200 each, and they all originated from California.
before leaving. She did not notice anything amiss until she returned home and failed to find her purse. During her search, she found out that the driver’s side door does not lock when using the remote. The purse included her wallet, charger, makeup and $500 cash.
Car broken into during dog walk
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man reported Dec. 24 that his motorcycle was missing. The motorcycle was being stored at Piney Ridge Walk and went missing Dec. 15. The owner, a U.S. Air Force serviceman currently stationed in North Dakota, had left the vehicle with his friend. The friend had been storing the motorcycle in his garage, but began storing it outside when he bought a new car. A few days later, it went missing, and he immediately alerted the owner.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman reported Dec. 24 that someone had stolen her belongings from her car. The woman had parked the car, her brother’s silver Acura MDX, near the playground at Ocee Park so that she could walk her dog. She had left her white Coach purse behind the driver’s seat, and locked the car using a remote
Motorcycle stolen while man stationed in N.D.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 5
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A look ahead
6 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
City of Milton ‘looks ahead’ to 2017 It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The JOE LOCKWOOD end of 2016 Milton mayor was an exciting time as we celebrated Milton’s 10year anniversary — a dream that seemed impossible just a decade ago. And yet, year after year, we seem to accomplish more and more! During 2016, we paved more than 13 lane miles of road; launched a new online vendor registry system; reopened Providence Park; launched an award-winning police explorers program; initiated a downtown placemaking plan for Crabapple; completed a fire inspection and fire pre-emergency plan on all commercial
buildings; and overwhelmingly passed our Greenspace Bond referendum. While it’s important to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments, we must always be moving forward, finding ways to better meet the needs of our residents and to improve our quality of life. Looking ahead to 2017, we have a number of projects that will be initiated or completed during the New Year including the grand opening of Milton’s new City Hall. • Conservation Efforts – Our Greenspace Bond implementation is ongoing with efforts to create the land advisory committee and lay the groundwork for the bond sale. • Public Works – With the recently passed Comprehensive Transportation Plan update and passage of the Fulton County TSPLOST referendum, our Public Works Department has a busy year ahead. • Parks & Recreation – Milton’s Parks and Recreation staff will kick off
two community planning projects in 2017 — an update to the overall Parks and Recreation Master Plan and a new Providence Park master plan to help determine future needs. • Finance – We remain focused on ways to make it easy for you to do business in Milton. Our finance team will begin exploring online payment options for business licenses. • Community Development – Staff are reviewing and enhancing our existing tree ordinance to ensure that we can continue to protect and preserve our natural resources and maintain our rural look and feel. • Police – In late January, Milton’s new Police Chief George “Rich” Austin, Jr. officially joins us. • Fire – Taking an innovative approach to addressing Milton’s future medical emergency needs, we’re launching the first in-house paramedic training program for our firefighters. In addition to these projects, our communications team plans to complete a community survey — we want to make sure we’re providing information to our residents in a variety
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Looking ahead to 2017, we have a number of projects that will be initiated or completed during the New Year including the grand opening of Milton’s new City Hall. of ways that meet the unique needs of our residents. In the meantime, we hope you’ll visit our website (www.cityofmiltonga.us), follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), sign up for our monthly newsletter or contact us via email (info@cityofmiltonga.us) to share your thoughts and suggestions. Happy New Year!
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 7
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8 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
OPINION
Virtual reality: A menace or marvel? Appen Media’s Kathleen Sturgeon and Julia Grochowski recently had the chance to experience virtual reality through Facebook’s VR tour using Samsung Gear VR. After putting on the headsets, being transported to faraway lands and taking in all that computer simulation offers, the two came out with different outlooks on virtual reality. Kathleen’s take: I’m slightly afraid for our future. I recently had the chance to try out virtual reality, which in essence is putting on a headset complete with headphones that “transport” you pretty much anywhere you’d want to go. Sounds cool, right? Well, not exactly. I had high expectations as I’d only heard good things. But I should have known that I wouldn’t have enjoyed the experience. After seeming to float weightless through space and an up-close encounter with a dinosaur, I ended the five minute journey standing in the exact same spot as I’d started, but now completely freaked out. While I enjoyed the ability to virtually tour places and see things I would never be able to in real life, I didn’t like the somewhat claustrophobic feeling of virtual reality. Multiple times I basically forgot it wasn’t real and had to remind myself I could take off the headset. Maybe that’s the thing though. Maybe it was almost too good for me to appreciate. If the whole point of virtual reality is to transport your mind and a few senses to other places, then it worked exceedingly well. But if this is the way of the future, I’m not too sure I want to be involved in it. After taking off the headset, I remembered everyone else could see and hear me, while I couldn’t see or hear anything outside of what was shown in front of me. That makes me uneasy. We are already so completely en-
grossed by our devices and the cyber world. Do we really need one more thing that will give us an excuse to shut off from the real world? The nice thing about smart phones, tablets or laptops is that you can power them down, put them away and stop looking at the world beyond the screen and immediately be back in the real world. Even while using them, you can look up and be aware of your surroundings. But with virtual reality, you are completely immersed. If this is the way of the future, I’m sure we’ll be able to smell and feel things too, pretty soon. And just imagine a movie experienced through virtual reality. I would hate to be in Jaws, The Hunger Games or Pearl Harbor. However, it would be pretty cool to travel to Paris or go deep sea diving without the associated costs or potential risks. But that’s the thing. We’d be replacing those palpable experiences with fake, intangible ones. We already seem to have enough of a problem getting people to stay off their phones and live their lives. So why add another option to avoid each other? We live in such a fascinating, captivating world already. We don’t need to experience it virtually when
it already is our reality. Julia’s take: I don’t know what I was expecting when I went to try on a virtual reality helmet for the first time. As a glasses-wearer, 3-D movies have never really worked out for me and came off as gimmicky at best. VR didn’t seem like it would be any better. The bulky headgear and headphones didn’t help much either, as far as first impressions go. When the recordings actually started to play, however, my misgivings were quickly turned on their head. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget my first glimpse at the dinosaur that came on screen. And I’m sure the attendant laughed at my loud gasp. It just looked so real and awe-inspiring. I couldn’t help but think back to some conversations I’ve had with older generations about their first time watching Jurassic Park. The special effects in those movies were a gamechanger, they said, the first dinosaur that walked across the screen took their breath away. As someone who’s grown up with amazing special effects in movies all my life, I’ve always had trouble imaging their awe. The wonder sounded so overthe-top. I think I understand now. Or at least, this is the closest I’ll get to understanding. Yes, there are still some issues I have with virtual reality as it is now. I
Read ‘Facebook, Samsung bring virtual reality to Avalon,’ Page 25. didn’t even realize how foggy my glasses had become until they took the headgear off, and it’s concerning how closed off your senses become during the experience. But the potential for this technology is incredible, if only because of how in the moment it puts you. I can already imagine its uses for teaching, communicating, record-keeping and, of course, entertainment. You could watch recordings of a family gathering, observe surgeries, travel all over the globe or get a front row seat to a coveted Broadway show as if you were actually there. If the technology would become cheap enough, it would be a boon to people who would otherwise be unable to have those experiences. This virtual reality, instead of replacing our reality, can enhance it. It’s only natural though that new technology will have its kinks and growing pains. I’m sure the first cars and computers were as scary as they were thrilling. But through some changes and use, they’ve become just another piece of mundane technology. Give VR a try, if you haven’t already. You might be surprised.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 9
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10 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
SPORTS
Blessed Trinity junior football program excels in 2016 Teams post 29-1 overall record By JOE PARKER news@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. – The Blessed Trinity junior football program, which includes teams for grades 5-8, compiled a 29-1 overall record this season, the best in program history. The 7th grade team finished the season undefeated. With the success of Blessed Trinity at the varsity level, finishing as state runner-up last season, winners of two consecutive region titles and compiling a 61-17-1 under head coach Tim McFarlin, the Titans’ success in its feeder program could spell continued success at the varsity level in the years to come. The 8th grade team, led by head coach Doug Harof, went 8-1 this season and outscored opponents by an average of 30 points per game. The 8th grade team secured a league title with a 40-22 win over Wesleyan. Harof has compiled a 23-5 record and will return to the program next season to take over the helm of the 7th grade team. Led by head coach Rusty Reed, the 7th grade team finished the season with an unblemished 10-0 record and was ranked No. 2 in Georgia by Born To Compete, a youth sports outlet. The team amassed over 4,000 yards of offense and outscored opponents by an average of over 30 points per game. Including last year, this season’s 7th grade team is 21-1 with the BT junior program. The 6th grade program, led by head coach Will Hosea, posted a perfect
The BT 8th grade team compiled an 8-1 record this season and won a league title.
BT’s 7th grade team went 10-0 this season. BT feeder program’s teams went 29-1 in 2016. 11-0 record and won the Forsyth County Youth Football Association championship, beating Wesleyan 36-8 for the title. The team’s offense av-
eraged 27 points per game while its stalwart defense allowed just 5 points per game. Registration for Blessed Trinity’s
feeder program, which includes grades 5-8, will open early spring. For more information, email btjuniortitans@ gmail.com.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 11
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SPORTS
12 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
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Milton cheer takes 3rd at state MILTON, Ga. — The Milton High School Coed Competition Cheerleading Team recently placing third in the Georgia High School State Championships. The placement was officially changed by the GHSA after recognizing
an error in the original scoring, bringing the team up to third place. This is the first time that Milton High School Competition Cheerleading has finished in the top three in the state championships.
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 13
Milton Cross Country puts 3 on All-Metro team MILTON, Ga. — Milton High School juniors Sam Bowers and Michael Malkowski along with senior Marie Repasy, have been recently selected by the Atlanta Track Club for their 53rd All-Metro Cross Country team. The All-Metro selection is a group of 21 girls and boys from the Atlanta metropolitan area who had had exemplary season in cross country. This Atlanta Track Club tradition honors the best high school cross country runners in the area with banquet and award ceremony. Bowers was additionally won the Jeff Benton Award as the Most Outstanding male runner this season. He had wins at the Early Bird Invite, Atlanta Classic and Double Dip invitationals. Malkowski was also honored for his runner-up finishes at the Fulton County and region/area meets, as well as placing sixth in the 7A state championship race. Repasy has committed to Georgia Tech and was sixth in the state 7A championship. She was also a Fulton County champion, finished third at the Furman Invitational, forth at region/ area championship, and fifth at the Coach Wood invitational.
From left is Milton coach Andy Carr, junior Michael Malkowski, junior Sam Bowers and senior Marie Repasy.
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We always get it after the fact, after it happens. The neighbor sees it, an HOA gets a complaint and we respond to it and chase the property owners down. Steve Zaring, Supervisor for Code Enforcement 14 | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017
Forsyth Commission looks into regulating home rental policy Complaints from neighbors spark examination By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The use of residential homes for rental purposes on websites such as Airbnb was recently questioned by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. At a work session Dec. 20, Director of Planning and Community Development Tom Brown said rentals are more common in the summer and around Lake Lanier. He said he was asked to look into the county’s regulations relating to rental of residential homes and living units. The examination was sparked after a homeowner on Lake Lanier complained about a neighbor renting out their home to rowdy house guests. “It appeared it was happening all the time. He lives right next door and can’t call the law,” said District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills. “He said everywhere he turns it is loud, partying and there is a big crowd of people.” Supervisor for Code Enforcement Steve Zaring said the department gets about a dozen complaints a year relating to this practice. Since the advent of websites, such as Airbnb, where users find short-term lodging in people’s homes, the issues have occurred more frequently. “Essentially the way we are running it right now, they could be renting it out for many weeks. There are no limits on it, and they’re not paying any business license. They’re not paying any hotel or motel tax,” Mills said. “They’re escaping all of the costs, and we don’t even have a
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Essentially the way we are running it right now, they could be renting it out for many weeks. There are no limits on it, and they’re not paying any business license. They’re not paying any hotel or motel tax.” Cindy Jones Mills District 4 Commissioner way for law enforcement or anyone else to track what they’re even doing. They say they’re renting it for a weekend, but their home is really a business.” County Attorney Ken Jarrard said the county’s code doesn’t address this issue specifically. Currently, the county defines a dwelling unit as, “one or more rooms connected together and constituting a separate, independent housekeeping establishment for use on a basis involving owner occupancy or rental or lease on a weekly, monthly or longer basis, with provisions for cooking, eating and sleeping, and physically set apart from
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Forsyth residents near Lake Lanier are upset with the amount of noise generated from people renting through Airbnb. any other rooms or dwelling units in the same structure.” And the violations are hard to catch, Zaring said, because staff only can go by the definition in the county code. Ultimately, the property owners are often out of town and are more interested in the money the rentals generate, Zaring said. “We make them aware that they can’t rent it for anything less than the seven-day period,” he said. “They
change it and it says it’s for seven days minimum. It’s time consuming and complicated for staff. We always get it after the fact, after it happens. The neighbor sees it, an HOA gets a complaint and we respond to it and chase the property owners down.” Brown said he would look into any more complaints and come back with suggestions in the summer. He said other counties handle these issues similarly to Forsyth.
BUSINESSPOSTS
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 15
Unwrench the housing cycle Starting fast in A recent story I just read has me looking at my 10- and 8-year-old boys in a whole new light. It turns out that the number of people still living with their parents between Geoff smith the ages of 18 to 34 Assurance Financial, gsmith@lendtheway.com rose to its highest level in recorded history last month. The story didn’t say how many of those adult children were paying rent. The story, published last week in the Wall Street Journal, based its numbers on census data analyzed by Trulia and said that almost 40 percent of all people between the ages of 18-34 still live with their parents. As a mortgage banker, that means there are a whole lot of potential customers that need to buy houses. As a father, that means I need as many of those customers as I can get or else I’m never going to be able to downsize out of my house and retire. The housing industry is an incredibly reactive industry. The amount of activity in the different market segments depends on a number of cyclical factors all playing off one another. One of the biggest factors is the cyclical movement of buyers moving up the financial ladder. As we all improve our financial lives by getting promoted at work, increasing our sales numbers or growing our small businesses, we tend to buy more expensive houses. We “move-up.” But for us to move-up, we need buyers who are also moving up from their situations into ours. So, you might have a first-time homebuyer purchasing his starter home. That enables the couple living in that starter home to move up to their new home. This enables the family in that home to move up into its new home, which enables the
the new year
empty nesters to move back down to a smaller, lower maintenance home. If one of those groups decides not to move up or down, you could see how it could clog the pipeline. My friend Steve Beecham broke for me recently. He had a much more complex science of all of this and used this cycle to explain why housing inventory is so low in Atlanta right now. He’s a long-time mortgage banker and well-known as a motivational speaker. I don’t remember all of the particulars of his science, but he clearly put a lot of deep thought into it, and after reading the Journal report a couple months later, he was clearly onto something. If these millennials are staying in their parents’ basements, then they are not relieving the couples wanting to move up out of their starter homes. But it’s not just that these millennials are staying at home, when they do move out, they are more comfortable than previous generations in renting. So clearly, they are one wrench in the gears of Mr. Beecham’s described cycle. But let’s not blame those poor millennials for everything. The financial collapse of 2008 also had a huge impact on this cycle. In one way, it kind of reversed it for many people who lost their jobs, or saw salary reductions
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at their current jobs and were forced backward – to move down into less expensive homes. Many of them are just getting back to where they were before the collapse but are still gun-shy about taking on a larger mortgage payment. These theories all help to explain why home inventories are so low. But they also show how quickly the engine of activity could switch into high-gear. Consumer confidence has jumped up and down for the last eight years. If consumers finally start to feel consistently confident in our economy, you could see millennials jump into homeownership at the same time existing homeowners are confident enough to want to move up. So far, the new administration seems to have that confidence up. It if continues, we could see a 2017 pumping heavy on all cylinders. Of course, then we’ll have to figure out where all the new houses are going to come from. But that’s another story. Geoff Smith gsmith@lendtheway.com 770-674-1433 Personal: NMLS#104587 Business: NMLS#70876 *The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of Assurance Financial Group
Are you prepared to get off to a fast start in the New Year? Now that the holiday season is over, it’s back to work for small business owners. Have you established all dick jones of your goals and Founder & President Jones Simply Sales objectives? Getting off to a fast start is very important for most small business owners to reach their annual objectives. So how do you start fast in the new year? Getting off to fast start is all about what can be done now! In other words, what are your goals for January? Do you need to contact all of your existing customers? Is it more important to schedule meetings with new prospects? Is the time right to announce new products or services you are offering? Hopefully you’ve spent the past few months putting together your plans for next year. If not, now is the time to do that! An overall plan should outline your annual objectives and strategies for achieving them, and also allows you to define what needs to get done now and what can be done later. Everyone, including you, should have very specific objectives for the first month of the year. And for every objective, there should be a list of tasks and activities to make them happen. The beginning of a new year isn’t about planning, it’s about executing. It’s about getting things done and gaining momentum that will build through the first quarter and set the tone for annual success. Getting off to a fast start in the new year is key to having a great year for your small business.
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BUSINESSBRIEFS
The Sherry and Maria Team is growing
S.J. Gorowitz celebrates 25 years ALPHARETTA, Ga. — S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services, P.C., a CPA firm that supports expanding and emerging businesses, recently announced that November 2016 was their twenty-fifth year in business. “A quarter of a century is a long time for a small business to remain operational,” said founding principal and CEO Stacey Gorowitz. “Not only have we had our doors open for 25 years, but we’ve enjoyed continued growth throughout that time and have become a firm-of-choice for many businesses and individuals in Alpharetta and the surrounding areas.” To commemorate the milestone anniversary, SJG published a list of the firm’s 25 accomplishments, an outline of the firm’s 25 service offerings and a commemoration to the 25 individuals and organizations who have contributed to the firm’s overall success. In addition, they also hosted a special ribbon cutting Nov. 3 with the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce.
Muffley & Associates Real Estate now open Business name: Muffley & Associates Real Estate Owner: Mikel Muffley About: Top Atlanta residential real estate brokerage has expanded to Alpharetta with a third office. Whether customers are in the market to buy or sell a home or custom build their
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Sherry and Maria Team of real estate sellers recently added two new members - a listing manager and a listing specialist. April Cotney, listing specialist, is the newest member of The Sherry Klisch and Maria Team. She focuses exclusively on selling homes. Anissa Klisch also recently joined the team as a listing manager. In her role, Anissa manages on-line listings and production of marketing materials for each home. The Sherry and Maria Team plans to add a buyer’s agent before the end of January. As Keller Williams Realty consultants, they serve all the North Atlanta suburbs. They can be contacted at info@ sherryandmariateam.com.
Harry Norman Realtors awards Susan Lombardo FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Harry Norman Realtors Forsyth County/ Lake Lanier recently congratulated Susan Lombardo for achieving Senior Marketing Consultant status. The Senior Marketing Consultant designation is awarded to Harry Norman agents who have demonstrated distinguished achievements in the field of resiLombardo dential real estate. To become a Senior Marketing Consultant, a
sales associate must maintain outstanding production levels, be named to their Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club and command a thorough knowledge of marketing, contract negotiations and finance. In awarding the SMC designation, Harry Norman Realtors also considers factors such as personal integrity, tireless commitment, an active company role, and involvement in the industry and the community.
Thrive co-working named national top 10 co-working space ALPHARETTA, Ga. —Thrive co-working was just named one of the top 10 co-working space in the United States by LiquidSpace. “We are flattered and honored to have been recognized. It is just so fun to see the friendships and business relationships develop here, which when it comes down to it, is what people are looking for most,” said Ramon Gonzalez, co-founder and CEO of Thrive. Co-working spaces are popping up all over the country. Unlike traditional office space or virtual offices, co-working spaces are more casual and flexible. They typically don’t require members to sign a lease to join. Like many other co-working spaces, Thrive provides a membership based community that offers a communal working environment. Members enjoy free coffee, snacks and networking events at the space. In addition, individual office rooms can be rented out for more privacy. “We are also so excited about the future and the opening of our next location in downtown Alpharetta early 2017,” Ramon said. “We have lots of great things in the works over there. People are really going to love it.”
NEWBUSINESSSPOtlight
dream home in North Fulton, their team of expert real estate sales professionals will get the job done. From providing top listings, up-to-date market data and expert advice, Muffley & Associates Real Estate delivers results. Opened: Dec. 13, 2016 Address: 217 Roswell St., Alpharetta, GA 30009 Phone: 470-509-4800 Website: www.muffleyhomes.com
Odyssey Escape Game opens in Alpharetta Business name: Odyssey Escape Game Owner: Michael Cook About: Enjoy Atlanta’s premiere Escape Game experience. Odyssey Escape Game is perfect for corporate
team-building events or some family fun with big smiles and great memories. Groups of all sizes are welcome. Opened: Nov. 21, 2016 Address: 1111 Alderman Drive, Building 200, Suite 210, Alpharetta GA 30005 Phone: 678-358-4060 Website: www.odysseyescapegame.com
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 17
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18 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
CALENDAR MOM SENSE
‘FAREWELL PERFORMANCE OF MARK TWAIN AND MR. CLEMENS’
Kurt H. Sutton will portray both the man and the myth by having Mark Twain and Samuel L. Clemens on stage at the same time in an entertaining, interactive show, featuring Twain’s hilarious tall tales and witty humor as well as music from Clemens’ time period. This one-night performance will be Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m., at the Cumming Playhouse, 101 School St., Cumming. Tickets are $15 and are available at playhousecumming.com Looking to get the word out about your event? Submit it to our online calendar at NorthFulton.com/Calendar.
CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING:
EVENTS:
MILTON
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY VOLUNTEERING
What: Milton Grows Green, with Casey Tree Experts and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, are hosting a Christmas tree recycling event. Or, for a $15 fee, Boy Scout Troop 841 will pick up your tree. When: Dec. 26-Jan. 7 Where: Scottsdale Farms, Milton High School and Home Depot, Milton More info: facebook.com/ events/1826737317602568
FORSYTH COUNTY
What: Keep Forsyth County Beautiful invites residents to recycle their Christmas trees during the annual ‘Bring One for the Chipper’ event. Wood chips from recycled trees are available first-come, first served. When: Dec. 26-Jan. 7 Where: Six locations across Forsyth County More info: keepforsythcountybeautiful. com
ROSWELL
What: Residents dropping off trees to recycle can also get free seed packets, while supplies last. The trees will be chipped into mulch, which will be available at no charge. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: The Home Depot parking lot, 870 Woodstock Road, Roswell More info: roswellgov.com
ALPHARETTA
What: Drop off a Christmas tree to recycle and get free garden seeds in exchange, while supplies last. Free mulch is also available with a filled out request form, available online. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: The Home Depot parking lot, 5300 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta More info and request form: alpharetta. ga.us
What: Find out how to volunteer at and support Habitat for Humanity during this 30-minute volunteer information session. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 10:30-11 a.m. Where: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell More info and registration: suburbanatlantarestores.org/ volunteer
RUMC JOB NETWORKING
What: Get ahead in the job market with these free workshops at 12:30 p.m., and a 5 p.m. orientation and dinner, followed by an evening keynote speaker or Mini Job Fair. Complete agenda online. When: Monday, Jan. 9, 12:30-9 p.m. Where: Roswell United Methodist Church, 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell More info: rumcjobnetworking.com
MCGINNIS FERRY ROAD WIDENING OPEN HOUSE
What: The public is invited any time to this informal open house to learn about the proposed project to widen McGinnis Ferry Road in Johns Creek and Forsyth County. When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 5-8 p.m. Where: Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming More info: johnscreekga.gov or forsythco.com
AGING WELL WORKSHOP
What: Learn how to juggle raising a family while taking care of parents in this free workshop. Topics include finances, assisted living, insurance, downsizing, moving and more. When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Renaissance on Peachtree, 3755 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta More info: gnfcc.com
What: New and seasoned mothers are invited to learn about “What Every Pediatrician Wants You to Know,” by guest speaker Dr. Margaret Boudreaux. Complementary coffee will be available. When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 8 a.m. Where: Pinecrest Academy, 951 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming More info: pinecrestacademy.org or mjboone1024@gmail.com
PRESCHOOL ADVENTURES
What: Children ages 3-6 can learn about the natural and historical environment at Autrey Mill. A brief nature hike and a hands-on activity or craft is included. Parent or guardian must accompany child. When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 10-11:30 a.m. Where: Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, 9770 Autrey Mill Road, Johns Creek Cost: $7 for members, $10 for nonmembers More info: autreymill.org
DIVORCE WORKSHOP
What: Women considering divorce or in the early stages of divorce are invited to this free workshop to provide legal, emotional and financial support during the process. When: Thursday, Jan. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: 695 Mansell Road, Suite 120, Rowell More info and registration: secondsaturday.com or 770-353-6370
AVALON ON ICE
What: Ice skate on the Rockefeller Center-sized ice skating rink in the plaza. Watch for theme nights and enjoy warm, tasty treats rink side. Enjoy special events throughout the season and sign up for ice skating lessons. When: Through Jan. 22, times vary Where: Avalon, 2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta Cost: general admission starts at $18 More info: experienceavalon.com
MUSIC, ARTS & THEATER: HOLIDAY SHOW
What: Get into the holiday spirit with great local artwork at this annual Holiday Show. View works in a variety of mediums, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, clay and more. When: Through Jan. 13, times vary Where: Roswell Visual Arts Center, 10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell More info: roswellgov.com
SPOTLIGHT ARTIST: GEORGE GRAY
What: Come see the works of lifetime artist and Johns Creek resident George Gray. Gray has spent over 40 years of photo retouching by hand. When: Jan. 2-30, times vary Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forest St., Roswell More info: behance.net/georgegray
‘GREETINGS FRIEND YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED’
What: When retired schoolteacher Rhonda Charles opens an email in her spam folder, the journey of a lifetime begins. This is the world premiere comedy from Atlanta playwright Topher Payne. When: Jan. 5-Jan. 22, times vary Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell Cost: tickets start at $20 More info and tickets: get.org
LIBRARY EVENTS: ALPHARETTA LIBRARY BOOK SALE
What: Come support the library and library programs by shopping at the Friends of the Alpharetta Library book sale on the library porch and in the Friends Bookstore. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta More info: fotal.org
THE ZOO LIBRARY
What: Learn about 3-4 different animals in a hands-on, one-on-one interaction and discussion. The interactive experiences are designed by a Georgia Certified Educator. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 11 a.m.-noon Where: Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell More info and registration: afpls.org
SPEECHCRAFT WORKSHOPS/ GAVEL CLUB
What: In a partnership with Alpharetta Toastmasters, adults and teens can learn how to improve and master the art of public speaking in this free workshop. When: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2:30-4 p.m. Where: Alpharetta Branch Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta More info: afpls.org
COLLEGE ADIMISSIONS ESSAY SEMINAR
What: Learn the ins and outs of preparing and writing for the college admissions essay portion. College Admissions Counselor Wendy Hayes will be available for help and to answer questions. When: Monday, Jan. 9, 6-8 p.m. Where: Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell More info: 770-640-3075
NORTHEAST/SPRUILL OAKS BOOK CLUB
What: Join this month’s book club for a discussion of Elizabeth Strout’s “Olive Kitteridge,” a series of interconnected short stories adapted by HBO into a miniseries. New members are welcome. When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road, Johns Creek More info: karen.swenson@ fultoncountyga.gov or 770-360-8820
CALENDAR
MEMOIR WRITING CLASS
What: Learn how to craft a memoir with Suzanne Rosenwasser, author of “Manhasset Stories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back.” When: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 6-7 p.m. Where: Milton Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Alpharetta More info and registration: milton. branch@fultoncountyga.gov
MAKING SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS WORKSHOP
What: Get a concrete plan for exploring or transitioning into a new career or lifestyle change, like having a baby, starting retirement or working with relationships. Reservations required. When: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. Where: Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road, Johns Creek More info and registration: afpls.org
PET ADOPTIONS: FORSYTH COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
What: Pet adoptions When: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: The Forsyth County Animal Shelter, 4065 County Way, Forsyth County More info: 678-965-7185
FULTON COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES What: Pet adoptions When: Every Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Where: PetSmart, 6370 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta Additional adoptions: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Fulton County Animal Services, 860 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta More info: 404-613-4958
OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE: COFFEE, CAKE AND TRUE ISLAM
What: Drop in any time at this weekly open house to have an open and informal dialogue about Islam to demystify misconceptions and build relationships. Food and drinks will be available. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 5 p.m. Where: Baitul Ata Mosque, 1800 Willow Trail Parkway NW, Norcross More info: facebook.com/Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunityGAChapter
CROSS
What: For two nights only, Act3 Productions will perform CROSS, by Jesse Cramer. A young man returns to his former camp leader to question what they shared one summer seven years ago. When: Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 8, 3 p.m. Where: 6285 Roswell Road NE, Sandy Springs Cost: $10 More info: act3productions.org
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 19
Get outside Georgia:
Big Creek Greenway offers activities for all ages By JULIA GROCHOWSKI julia@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – Seniors looking to get some fresh air or exercise need look no farther than their local parks. Forsyth and Fulton county parks offer a plethora of activities for any age, especially the Big Creek Greenway located in both counties. A greenway is a linear park with 12-foot wide paths. Visitors are welcome to walk, jog, bike or roller blade along a scenic route that meanders along the Big Creek and through woodlands. While on the trails, visitors may even catch a glimpse of local wildlife, including deer, ducks and geese. The greenway can help people keep an active lifestyle, which is important for everyone as they age, said Laura Pate, the marketing and community relations manager for the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department. Exercise for seniors doesn’t just help physically with weight control or combatting health conditions. It also helps mentally and improves overall well-being, including providing more energy, improved mood and better sleep. “Staying active, staying engaged, and looking for those adventures and opportunities to be outside really keeps seniors’ attitudes great, keeps physical fitness good and keeps motivation up,” said Amy Rickman, a spokesperson for the Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Department. “Out on the greenway, they can be on their own to explore, or they can go out with friends for some social activity. It’s great for fitness, because you don’t feel like you’re working out. You just
Big Creek Greenway Access Points Forsyth County • 5120 Bethelview Road • 4110 Carolene Way at Fowler Park • 1622 McFarland Parkway • 5259 Union Hill Road Fulton County • Alpharetta YMCA, 3655 Preston Ridge Road • Rock Mill Park, 3100 Kimball Bridge Road • Haynes Bridge Road Behind Ethan Allen, 6800 North Point Parkway • 3281 Marconi Drive
feel like you’re outside enjoying the day, enjoying nature and enjoying the weather.” Currently, the Big Creek Greenway has two trail sections split between Forsyth and Fulton counties. Future plans will eventually connect the two portions into one long path. The Fulton County section extends a little over eight miles, from Windward Parkway to Mansell Road. “The whole 8.2 mile concrete trail is very easily accessed and walkable,” said Rickman. “We also have a trail system at Wills Park that’s great for walking.” The Forsyth County Greenway additionally spans a total of 9.6 miles from McFarland Parkway and Kelly Mill Road, with future plans to extend it to approximately 15 miles. One of the easier, flatter trials to
walk includes the one at Fowler Park, according to Pate. Fowler Park additionally has an indoor walking track, for people who still want to exercise on a cold or rainy day. Anyone age 55 and older can enjoy a free access pass to the indoor walking trail at Fowler Park or at any of the other parks in Forsyth County. Forsyth and Fulton counties also have multiple fitness classes and programs specifically tailored for people 55 years and older. To explore some of the available options, visit parks. forsythco.com, roswellgov.com, johnscreekga.gov, cityofmiltonga.us or alpharetta.ga.us/community/services/ senior-activities. To learn more about the Big Creek Greenway, including maps and parking, visit bigcreekgreenway.com.
20 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
20 | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017
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Come find your ideal destination, life and home at the Ideal-LIVING Real Estate Expo Looking for the ideal location or perfect getaway for yourself and your family? Come tour the ideal places and communities from the mountains to the coast without leaving the perimeter. At the ideal-LIVING Expo, you’re invited to attend seminars and workshops led by relocation experts that can help make your next move…well, ideal. While living in Atlanta, GA, Sharon and Herb Hammond decided it was time to make a move. “You can’t take anything for granted. I want to make sure that we live our remaining years together having a fun time. We both worked hard all of our lives and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We started receiving Ideal-Living magazine and then went to the Expo. We got a Choose Your Ideal Place Guide and map, filled out the questionnaire about what we were looking for in our next community, and discovered there were different things that each of
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Real Estate Report • Sponsored Section
Crye-Leike Continues to grow in the Atlanta market Now open in Gainesville
It’s been eleven years since Harold Crye, CEO of Crye-Leike Real Estate, expanded the company’s footprint into the Atlanta metro area. The fourth largest privately owned real estate company in the nation recently opened its eleventh office in the Atlanta Metro area at 956A Dawsonville Highway, Suite 301 in Gainesville. Crye-Leike is pleased to welcome Christy Crumbley as the new Managing Broker. Crye-Leike’s Gainesville office is currently open for business and ready to assist clients with all of their real estate buying and selling needs in Hall, Lumpkin, Dawson and surrounding counties. The office will host a grand opening ceremony this fall. “The Atlanta real estate market is strong and greatly improving like many of the markets Crye-Leike serves,” said Cofounder and CEO Harold Crye. “We see a lot of potential for the local market and are very happy to be expanding in and around the Atlanta area with additional offices opening soon in Lawrenceville, Dahlonega and Marietta.” “Being a full-service real estate brokerage firm, our goal is to make it convenient for our customers and sales associates to utilize all of our services
before, during and after a home purchase by offering reliable, efficient and convenient services for today’s busy lifestyles,” said Steve Brown, president of Crye-Leike Residential Sales. Crye-Leike Real Estate Services had a great year in 2015 achieving $5.7 billion in sales volume. Over a nine-state region, 3000 highly skilled Crye-Leike agents sold 31,400 properties. Crye-Leike’s sales outperformed the national average in the real estate market. Crye-Leike Atlanta has sales offices in Alpharetta/ Roswell, Norcross, Cartersville, Cumming, McDonough, Riverdale, Smyrna/ Vinings, Johns Creek and Woodstock in addition to a Residential Property Management, Commercial and Relocation division. As a full service real estate company, Crye-Leike offers real estate and related services, including: relocation services; commercial business and investment real estate services; property leasing and management services; insurance services; title & closing services; mortgage services; home warranty services; home services; auction services; business brokerage services; REO services for bank-owned & foreclosed properties and real estate schools.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 21
22 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Real Estate Report • Sponsored Section
Four tips for enjoying your backyard year-round (NAPSI)—Here’s cool news: You can create an outdoor area that you, your family and friends can spend time in at just about any time of year. Get your yard ready with these four tips and you can defy the changing seasons. 1. For a warm welcome, build a fire pit or fireplace. A fire pit or fireplace can be a beautiful focal point in any yard and you can take advantage of its warmth and glow throughout the year. Set up your space with benches that double as storage and have blankets ready for guests as the weather gets cooler. 2. Create a private oasis. Creating a wall using a decorative fence, a divider of shrubs, or a structural enclosure not only provides a sense of privacy, it’s a great way to block chilly winds in the winter and offer shade in the summer. Take advantage of natural shade from nearby trees or bring in an umbrella depending on your space. This will make for a sense of coziness and comfort. 3. Visitors will be green with envy
when you decorate with potted plants and evergreens. Shrubs and bushes with year-round greenery can spruce up your space throughout the year and potted plants can be an easy way to add variety to your outdoor space. Place a few pots at the corners of your deck or patio to create borders and swap out with seasonal plants—pansies and crocuses in spring, daisies in summer and mums in autumn—for a changing color palette. 4. It’s a bright idea to illuminate your space. One of the easiest ways to make your backyard more accessible year-round is making sure you can see at night. For a super bright bulb that can turn a dark backyard into a well-lit area, consider the SYLVANIA ULTRA LED Night Chaser, available at Lowe’s, Menards and Amazon. It delivers 2,400 lumens far and wide, excellent for hosting late-night summer basketball games, a twilight Halloween party, winter snowman making or hockey on a backyard rink. Another benefit is that you’ll likely have to go up the ladder
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Real Estate Report • Sponsored Section
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 23
Tips for appealing to potential homebuyers With 2016 behind us, now is the time to take advantage of a fresh year and prepare your home for the the 2017 spring market. The key to this is making your home a space that is going to appeal to a potential homebuyer. Boost curb appeal The first thing that a potential homebuyer will see is the front of your home. First impressions are key -- this is what sets the standards for the home and leads the potential homebuyer to the next step of inquiring on your property. A few quick tips for boosting your curb appeal are as follows: Most importantly, the landscaping this is a great way to enhance the appearance of your home by bringing it to life. Pressure washing or painting are both great ways to brighten and refresh the overall appearance of your home as weather and change of seasons can age its appearance. Get your house sparkling clean With the new year, there is not a better time to declutter your home than now. This not only is great for a po-
With the new year, there is not a better time to declutter your home than now. This not only is great for a potential buyer but helps make the move easier when you find your new home. tential buyer but helps make the move easier when you find your new home. Cleaning out storage closets, drawers and hidden corners is the key to preparing your home for the market along with open houses and showings. Stage your home If you have already moved and your
home is vacant, or feel that you need to have an updated look to keep up with the market, then home staging could be a great option for you. This can translate to a higher sales price, fewer days on market and helps the buyer visualize their lifestyle in the
space. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty agents deliver results. Allow one of our dedicated professionals to assist you by visiting atlantafinehomes.com or calling our office at 770.442.7300.
24 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
varsity briefs Send us your news! Email to news@appenmediagroup.com More Info: 770-442-3278
Georgia College MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The following students were named on the spring 2016 dean’s list. Alpharetta: Haley Albright, Marin Becker, Bailey Beckham, Francesca Brasch, Cori Bruce, Krista Campbell, Jessica Catapano, Cecelia Christian, Joseph Davern, Amanda Demetriou, Conor Dougherty, Jessica Douglass, Caroline Dumas, Avery Falls, Alex Ferrand, Victoria Gleeson, Brett Grauss, Kaitlin Greenway, Danielle Hajjar, Darrin Haley, McKenna Hardy, Nikita Harjani, Meghan Jenei, Abby Jones, Betsy King, Conner Kocks, Katherine Knosher, Leo Mager, Parker Moss, Sarah Murray, Carly O’Saben, Gabrielle Parks, Victoria Pateuk, Dakota Reed, Alexandra Rice, Olivia Ruark, Samantha Steuer, Justin Suda, Blakeley Sutton, Evan Thomas and Michael Youngblood. Johns Creek: Maaria Cervasio, Paine Crowson, Chloe Eng, Elissa Geckeler, Blaine Grissom, Joanna Grissom, Brittany Kortokrax, Mackenzie Light, Rebecca Mayo, Joseph
SCHOOLS
Owens, Sara-Catherine Paoli, Matthew Pelli, Meredith Phillips, Jeremy Poncelet, Sydney Powers, Natalie Rames, Rachel Rice, Eve Wise and Fritz Young. Milton: Connor Bell, Stefan Bundy, Nicholas Chmura, Summer Duffy, Rachel Plate, Hannah Shirley and Joseph Sousa. Roswell: Jared Aarons, Taylor Baxley, Tiffany Bennett, Julia Crosby, Michael Hughes, Kathryn Jacobs, Rachel Jenkins, Collin Joiner, Suzanne Keim, Caroline Long, Madison Lord, Thomas McCarter, Heath McFadden, Caitlin Murray, Austin Nijenkamp, Chloe Odell, Ryan Olliffe, Chadwick O’Neal, Harrison O’Neal, Katherine Parry, Kelley Quinn, Sean Regan, Samantha Smith, Veronica Ulicny and Brent Zucker. The following students were named on the spring 2016 president’s list. Alpharetta: Alyssa Ahrens, Laura Ahrens, Jenna Allenson, Daniel Amram, Laura Campen, Chloe Clark, Courtney Conrad, Angelica Doyle, Shelby Henderson, Courtney Horne, Hannah House, Hannah Houston, James McCormick, Blake Nipper, Cailin O’Connor, Jennifer O’Neill, Cayla Orris, Catherine Parker, Kelly Rankin, Michaela Schival, Sandra Schodowski, Kristin Smith, Vivian Truong, Erica West and Nickolas Wiedemann. Johns Creek: Bridgett Armstrong, Kylie Barber, Riley Coordes, Tay-
lor Dukes, Cain Gantt, Kayla Gula, Andrew Hooper, Janae Innis, Tucker Korb, Ashley Leblanc, Alanna Turry, Melissa Waits and Kyle Witt. Milton: Morgan Carter, Madison Gamma, Emily Liebel, Nicole Mandato, Ashton Serff and Nicholas Strickland. Roswell: Jordan Ball, Kristin Baron, Savannah Bogue Madeline Bolger, Jonathan Cook, Marley Fiveash, Jennifer Gold, Jonathan Golden, Allison Jacques, Madeleine Karno, Marykate Malena, Morgan McGrane, Madison Meharg, Bailey Moran, Elise O’Neal, Madeleine Robertson, Ashley Savransky, Tierney Schippers, Whitney Sweet, Joseph Tomassi, Camille Tracy and Mara Wiseman.
University of North Carolina at Asheville ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The following students were named on the spring 2016 dean’s list. Alpharetta: Kathleen White. Roswell: Sydney Maisano.
University of Miami Spring
University of Southern Mississippi HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Ryan Campbell of Alpharetta was named on the spring 2016 dean’s list. Michaelah Wheat of Milton was named on the spring 2016 dean’s list.
Bob Jones University GREENVILLE, S. C. — Kyle Turner of Alpharetta graduated spring 2016 from Bob Jones University.
Berry College ROME, Ga. — The following students graduated spring 2016 from Berry College. Alpharetta: Abi Alade, Braham Berman, Kyra Clark, Meagan Hughes, Jordan Moore, Samantha Moquin, Ryan O’Connell and Nick Vernon. Roswell: Savannah Bleakley, Kaleigh Carpenter, Hannah Dalby, Rhoxie Ellard, Sarah Neas, Ms. Richards Richards, Louis Spivak and Heather Wade.
University of Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Robert Sterling of Milton was named on the spring 2016 dean’s list.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Robert Sterling of Milton graduated spring 2016 from the University of Miami.
Request for Qualifications
Request for Proposal
City Program Management Services
Recruitment Market Study – City of Milton RFP NUMBER 17-ED01
RFQ NUMBER 17-PW01 Sealed Proposal Due Date: January 26, 2017 at 2:00PM Local Time Milton City Hall To be publicly announced approximately 2:05PM in the Courthouse The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. The City of Milton is requesting submittals from interested parties for a public private partnership. The request for sealed proposals for City Program Management Services will be posted on the following websites the week of December 29, 2016. http://www.cityofmiltonga.us or http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp
Sealed Proposal Due Date: January 24, 2017 2:00PM Local Time Milton City Hall To be publicly opened approximately 2:05PM EST in the Courthouse The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. The City of Milton is requesting submittals from interested parties for a public private partnership. The request for sealed proposals for Recruitment Market Study will be posted on the following websites the week of December 29, 2016. http://www.cityofmiltonga.us or http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | January 5, 2017 | 25
KATHLEEN STURGEON/Herald
The headset is used to virtually transport the person to different areas of the world.
Facebook, Samsung bring virtual reality to Avalon Users get to test headsets By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Imagine you’re able to put on a headset and almost immediately be transported to Africa where you’re face to face with elephants, or in outer space dodging comets or on the basketball court facing LeBron James. Visitors at Avalon the last weeks of December were able to transport to those places through Facebook’s
VR, or virtual reality, tour using Samsung’s Gear VR, which are virtual reality headsets that use the smart phone and technology built by Facebook’s Oculus team, and which might soon become our future. The Facebook VR tour was a chance to bring the immersive experience to the public, according to Facebook spokesman Alan Cooper. “The goal is to showcase how powerful and immersive the technology is,” Cooper said. “It’s one of those types of technologies that no matter how much you talk about it or show it to people through pictures or advertisements, you really grasp it when you’re in it.”
Once placing the headset on, all sounds and sights are focused on what is playing on the screen. The experience is called “Introduction to Virtual Reality” and is a series of 360 degree vignettes of different scenes, like meeting a dinosaur face-to-face, being center stage at Cirque du Soleil or taking a ride down a river. “We’ve seen a big outpouring of support,” Cooper said. “People love the technology. We’ve had people come through ranging in age from 13 to 80 years old. It’s one of those things when you see it, you’re blown away. You’re not tethered to what you see and experience every day.”
DEATH NOTICES H.D. Bagley, of Alpharetta, passed away December 22, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Frances Beagle, of Alpharetta, passed away December 21, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Joseph DeGrazia, of Alpharetta, passed away December 24, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Helen Foyle, of Roswell, passed away December 25, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Conner Hankinson, of Alpharetta, passed away December 18, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
June McCormick, 79, of Cumming, passed away December 22, 2016. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home. JoAnn Rieger, of Roswell, passed away December 26, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Francis Matthew Ciszek, 69, of Cumming, passed away December 20, 2016. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Tambra Lynn Hall, 48, of Cumming, passed away December 23, 2016. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home.
Mildred Grace Walsh, 65, of Cumming, passed away December 25, 2016. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home. Louise Ward, of Roswell, passed away December 27, 2016. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
26 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
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Now Hiring: Advertising Sales Executive Job Description & Duties: Appen Media Group is hiring sales executives for the marketing and advertising department. Primary responsibilities will be managing a book of existing business by consulting on and selling advertising campaigns, and growing the existing book of business through cold calling and networking. Qualifications: Must be ambitious, hard working, good with people, and goal oriented. Previous sales experience preferred, but not required. Compensation: Base salary of $18,200/ year with aggressive monthly commission. Full medical benefits, matching 401k and PTO.
four weekly newspapers in the north Fulton and south Forsyth markets totaling 75,000 in circulation per week. In addition to its weekly coverage, AMG also publishes the monthly womens magazine, Northside Woman, as well as quarterly community guides, called Answer Books. Digitally, AMG has a vast online presences through various social media platforms and through its operation of northfulton.com and northsidewoman.com. Email a resume and cover letter to: christina@appenmediagroup.com and CC hans@appenmediagroup.com.
About Appen Media Group: Appen Media Group is a multimedia news company with a focus on print newspapers. AMG publishes
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Part-time
PRESCHOOL TEACHER openings available for a NAEYC accredited Alpharetta Private School. Full (9:006:00) and part time (2:30-6:30). Send your resume to resumes@ mcginniswoods.org
Sr. Quality Engineer (Johns Creek, GA; Travel not required, but must be willing to relocate to unanticipated locations across the country per contract demand): Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes. Email resume referencing job code# 1216SQE to Datasoft Technologies, Inc. at jmanyapu@ datasoft-tech.com
ADMIN ASSISTANT/ ACCOUNTING: Computer input, bank recs, time and billing, receptionist, P/R tax-S/T return prep, binding/compiling tax returns, F/S for mailing. MondayFriday, 9am-3pm. Fax: 678-957-1370
BOARDING KENNEL WORK Crabapple Beds and Bones, since 1998 F/T, P/T. 404-281-7757 John
FRAME YOUR AD
Client Scheduler
for premier homecare agency in Alpharetta. Must have excellent communication skills and enjoy working with elderly. CNA or LPN certification desired. Prior homecare or scheduling experience a plus. Call 678-230-5971
PET SITTER/DOG WALKER FT/PT. Must have flexible schedule. www.happytailscare. com Ask your classified sales rep how you can enhance your line ad with a
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Animals Horses
PONIES
Cemetery
Furniture
GREENLAWNROSWELL Garden of Peace, Lot 36-B, Space 2, Included: 1 cremation vault, 1 memorial plaque 16”x20” engraved, 2 openings, 2nd vault needed for 2nd opening. Greenlawn will show location and handle deed transfer. $2,778 (Exact price paid in 19098, current retail $8,800). 770-605-7747
SWIVEL ROCKER RECLINER, LazyBoy: Beige. New! $850. Retail $1099. 678-957-8335
GREENLAWN Five privately-owned side-by-side; exclusive, very serene Lakeside surrounded by mature pine trees, overlooking beautiful lake. Greenlawn will show location and handle deed transfers. $1500/ lot includes private granite memorial bench directly in front of lots. Sidney 504-454-3168 or senglander10@ gmail.com
7 fabulous, loving, well-mannered ponies! 10 hands to 14.2. They ride English & Western. . $1000 & up. Will hold for Christmas! 770-663-7565
GREENLAWN ROSWELL Fountain-B Section. 4 plots. Fair market value $5000/each. Asking $4000/each OBO. C. Palmer 615-764-6170
Bargains
Furniture
Building Supplies VELUX SKYLIGHTS, used. (Eight, 21”x44”, two miscellaneous sizes). $475/all. 770-992-6848 leave message
Fill your position today! Call 770-442-3278 to advertise
BEDROOM SET: Single headboard, night-stand, chest, desk with hutch and chair $200. 770-889-8209
ROLLAWAY BED; Folding, single. Used once. Mint! Plus single-sheet set. $150. Originally $208. $45 extra for single bed quilt. 770-343-8075 BARSTOOLS 30” cherry 404-889-3233
(3) $300.
SOFA: Light green. Excellent condition! Pictures on request. $450. 770-889-8209 CHERRY HUNT TABLE with mirror, $700. 404-889-3233
Medical Equipment
Musical Instruments
P O W E R WHEELCHAIR: Invacare Pronto M-91. New batteries. Like new! $1250. 404-396-7807
PIANO: Henry F. Miller Upright, matching bench $500/firm. 770-552-4034
Miscellaneous DUNE RACER (kids) $150. 404-889-3233 YAMAHA 4-WHEELER 404-889-3233
kids’ $150.
MENS’ DANCE SHOES: Black, size 10. $40 firm. 770-241-3273 STROLLERS 404-889-3233
$40.
CHILDRENS’ TABLE, cherry Delta $90. 404-889-3233
JOHN DEERE GATOR for kids $200. 404-889-3233
DINING ROOM TABLE, glass top, cherry inlay, 6 covered roll-back chairs $800. 404-889-3233
LITTLE TYKES COUPE and Fire Engine, both for kids $70. 404-889-3233
BAR STOOLS, swivel seats & backs. Two 24”, one 29”, all wood construction; great condition! $20 each. 770-888-2790
Household SEWING MACHINE, Graybar with case $200/firm. 770-241-3273 F R I G I D A I R E FREEZER $125. 404889-3233
POLARIS 4-Wheeler 404-889-3233
Kids’ $150.
JOHN DEERE KIDS’ GROUNDLOADER $150. 404-889-3233
Musical Instruments PIANO: Kimball Upright with bench, in excellent condition! Completely refurbished and tuned. $1400. 770-861-7537
CLEANING OUT AN ATTIC, GARAGE OR BASEMENT? SELL YOUR OLD STUFF!
CALL 770-442-3278 TODAY!
PIANO, BG, Yamaha. Elegant, walnut, with bench. $1850 obo. 404-455-8845 PIANO, Baby Grand: Elegant case, matching bench; warm, rich tone. Sacrifice $1650 obo. 678-445-3654
Recreation GOLF CLUBS: Ladies’ complete set, Lynx irons, graphite woods, ball retriever, wood covers, new bag $275. 770-740-9757 SKIS, BOOTS, POLES, womens’ and mens’ 7/1/2 and 9-1/2. $400. 404-889-3233
Wanted to Buy Vintage Barbie and Friends, Ginny, Madame Alexander, and other dolls, clothing and accessories. (Local). Cell 214-883-8215 RECORDS: LP’s. Pay cash, Rock & Roll. Mojo Vinyl, Roswell 678-534-5042
Entertainment & Event Services Weddings Tianna’s Place Creating impeccable memories, one event at a time. Full-service, special event-planning. Focusing on corporate and celebratory events. www. tiannasplace.com. 678-879-5253/ 404-903-2441
AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING Get FAA Technician certification. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-453-6204
® HANDYMAN REMODELING
678-455-2434
www.HandyHero.net
28 | January 5, 2017 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
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Stephanie Butler Realtor® 678.296.1774
SOLD Milton: 13102 Bethany Road 5 bd • 4 full ba • 3 half ba • 4+ acre w/ lake • designed by Norman Askins • master on main • guest house • finished basement FMLS #5736341 • $1,299,000
CHEROKEE TAXES / ALPHARETTA ADDRESS Blackberry Ridge: 118 Townsend Pass 6 bd • 6 full ba • 2 half ba • 2+ acre lot pool/spa/cabana • master up • 5-car garage FMLS #5708397 • $1,190,000
NEW CONSTRUCTION Blackberry Ridge: 126 Townsend Pass 6 bd • 5 full ba • 2+ acre lot • master up • 3 rms finished on terrace lvl FMLS #5758278 • $830,000
NEW PRICE Six Hills: 870 Owens Lake Road 10-acre waterfront lot • 5 bd • 5.5 ba Pricing based on suggested Tim Bryan plan / home built by John Willis • $2,229,000
Lisa Swayne Realtor® 770.241.9165
770.475.0505 butlerswayne.com
9+ ACRE HORSE FARM Spindlewick Farm: 2425 Birmingham Road 7 bd • 5.5 ba • garage apartment • 4 stall barn • 2 pastures • finished basement • 11’ ceilings on main FMLS #5758028 • $1,400,000
Laura Falk
Realtor® 770.715.0325
NEW PRICE Six Hills: 800 Owens Lake Road 5 bd • 6 full ba • 2 half ba • 1.6 acre lot overlooking lake • 4 car garage • guest suite on main FMLS #5660000 • $1,149,000
Gianna Whisler-Amneteg Realtor® 470.865.9887
NEW LISTING Tullamore: 15470 Thorntree Run 6 bd • 5.5 ba • master on main 4+ acre lake lot • guest house 5-car garage (total) • pool/spa FMLS #5739942 • $1,150,000
SOLD The Manor Golf & CC: 3077 Watsons Bend 6 bd • 6 full ba • 2 half ba • modern gourmet kitchen design • finished basement • 1+ acre, golf course lot • FMLS #5682423 • $1,250,000
UNDER CONTRACT Sentinel on the River: 210 Wicklawn Way 4 bd • 3 full ba • 1 half ba • master on main new carpet & paint • cul-de-sac street FMLS #5678424 • $550,000
NEW PRICE Woodstock: 2241 Jep Wheeler Road 5 bd • 5 full ba • 2 half ba • master on main • 4+ acre LAKE lot FMLS #5762210 • $750,000
Kelly Finley
Realtor® 678.468.4990
SOLD Milton: 13805 Brittle Road 6bd • 6 full ba • 2 half ba • master up custom details throughout • terrace level w/ guest suite • pool • lake view FMLS #5693388 • $1,549,000
NEW LISTING Woodland Park: 1405 Woodland Trace 4 bd • 4.5 ba • master upstairs finished terrace level • 3-car garage screened porch FMLS #5715145 • $475,000
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