A u g u s t 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 | 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 3 , N o . 3 3
Pr o SP vIS IK IO PA E IN NAL GE E B s LEC AL 8 L – 9 TIO OT N s
Fulton commissioner challenges millage rate
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Milton mulls greenspace purchase
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Cambridge swimmers complete 10,000-yard swim Cambridge’s swim team took to the water for an exhausting, 10,000-yard swim during the Bears’ fundraising event on Aug. 4 at Crooked Creek. Each swimmer completed 100, 100-yard laps in under four hours. The fundraising initiative will pay for the team’s membership at Core Physique where the team plans to conduct strength training for the 2018-19 season.
Safety a focus in new school year
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Public Safety
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LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Aug. 8 that an Alpharetta man was arrested after an investigation involving threats made to a university professor. On Aug. 1, the University of North Georgia Police Department contacted the GBI asking for assistance into alleged threats of violence against one of the professors. The threats, made over emails and letters, alluded to gun violence not only to the professor, but also to other staff and students if the professor did not resign.
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All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
6 catalytic converters stolen from parked cars ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Six people discovered someone had stolen the catalytic converter from their vehicles. All of the victims had parked their cars at the Marta Park and Ride on Dryden Road the morning of Aug. 1. When they returned at 6 p.m., they discovered the theft when they attempted to start their cars. All were greeted with loud noises from under the hood. The affected cars included a gold 2002 Honda Odyssey, blue 2004 Honda CR-V, a silver 2003 Toyota Sequoia, a Toyota Tundra, a Lexus LX450 and a silver 2001 Honda Odyssey.
Thief steals truck parked in driveway ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A man reported July 31 that someone had stolen his red 2007 Toyota Tundra. The truck had been parked on the man’s driveway at Kilminton Square overnight. At 8:15 a.m. the next morning, the truck was gone, even though the man still had both sets of keys to the truck. A neighbor did have security footage from that night, but the footage stopped at 9:30 p.m. and did not show the truck.
Animal hospital employee reports overnight break-in JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — An employee reported July 31 that someone had broken into the Windward Animal Hospital on Jones Bridge Road, but no money or animal medication was missing. The employee had arrived at work at 7:20 a.m. that morning and saw that several drawers and cabinets were
After an “extensive investigation,” Jose Gomez, 23, of Alpharetta was arrested Aug. 4 in his home by the Alpharetta Police Department. Gomez is charged with terroristic threats and acts. He was transported to Lumpkin County Jail where he will face the charge in Lumpkin County Superior Court.
opened. She also noticed someone had pried open the front door. Police reviewed security footage with the employee and were alerted that the motion detection camera was activated twice that night. The activation at 1:20 a.m. showed two suspects enter the business. Several snacks were missing from the cabinets.
Man simply hangs up on fake IRS collector thwarted by man ROSWELL, Ga. — A man called police July 27 after two unknown people impersonating IRS officials attempted to scam him out of $40,000. The man received a call from a woman at 7:15 p.m. that day in reference to a past tax debt. The woman said she was from the IRS criminal investigations unit and that the man had incurred multiple infractions totaling $40,000. She then told him that he had to make a $3,950 payment or she was going to issue a warrant for his arrest. The man was then transferred to a man who claimed he was from the finance department. The unknown man then began screaming and cursing demanding that the man pay the money. The man hung up and called police instead.
Car window smashed in City Hall parking deck ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A man called police Aug. 1 after her car was damaged and iPad stolen from his parked car at the Alpharetta City Hall parking deck. The man had parked his 2010 Dodge Ram in that area at 2:30 p.m. that day and returned 15 minutes later. When he came back, the back passenger window was shattered and the iPad he had left on the center console was gone.
— Julia Grochowski
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iPad taken from car in owner’s driveway JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man reported Aug. 1 that someone had stolen his iPad Air from his car overnight. The man said that his car was left unlocked in his driveway at Eton Court. The iPad was left in the car. He was able to locate the iPad, using the find the device feature online, to a nearby neighborhood. Police, however, were unable to discern exactly which house it was due to rain and poor coverage.
Woman tracks phone to address in Lilburn JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman called police July 30 after she lost her phone at a gas station and later was able to locate it with an unknown person in Lilburn. The woman had pulled into the BP gas station on Medlock Bridge Road at 6:20 p.m. that day to get gas. After fueling up, she went inside, with her cell phone in hand, to pay for the gas before leaving. A few miles later, the woman realized she could not locate her phone and returned. Employees were unable to locate the phone either. The woman was able to track the phone to an unknown address in Lilburn.
License plate stolen, tail light smashed ROSWELL, Ga. — Police responded July 25 to Holcomb Bridge Road after a man reported that his license plate had been stolen. The man parked his 2001 black Mazda between Pawn Express and Better Homes store at 10 a.m. and returned at 1 p.m. When he came back, the license plate was gone and the passenger side tail light was smashed.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 3
4 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
NEWS
Ellis challenges county millage rate By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis has called on Chairman Robb Pitts to revoke the general fund millage rate, or property tax rate, which was set at 10.2 mills in a 4-3 vote on Aug. 1. The vote was split along partisan and geographic lines, with commissioners Ellis, Liz Hausmann and Lee Morris, who represent the three northern districts, opposed to the measure. The three voiced support for a rate of 9.77 mills, the lowest rate recommended by county staff that would generate the $478 million called for in this year’s budget Ellis argues that the 10.2 rate, which is projected to generate $20 million more than the target revenue, violates a resolution passed by the board on June 20. That resolution states that it was the intent of the board to set the millage rate at a level only to generate revenue for the 2018 budget. “We lied to the public. It’s a blatant misrepresentation of what we said we were going to do on June 20,” Ellis said. By law, the county must advertise a rate and hold three public hearing in advance of setting the millage rate. When the decision to advertise was made June 20, the tax assessors were still accepting appeals. The county financial advisers had insufficient information to calculate what millage rate would be needed to generate the $478 million needed to fund the 2018 budget and therefore recommended that the county advertise the 2017 rate of 10.38 mills, knowing that it was an upper limit. At that time, Morris moved for an amendment to the resolution that stated it was the intent of the board to set a millage rate at a level only to generate the budgeted revenue.
This amendment was seconded by Chairman Robb Pitts and passed 5-0 with commissioners Marvin Arrington and Emma Darnell abstaining, and the resolution passed 6-0 with Arrington abstaining. A press release published by the county advertised a rate of 10.38 mills, higher than the rate that eventually passed, but the second line stated “Legislation adopted by the Board of Commissioners also expresses its intention to set a millage rate calculated to generate only enough revenue sufficient to cover the 2018 Budget.” Ellis argues that this statement is what the public understood when they engaged in public hearings. Because the board passed a rate different than what was advertised, he has asked Pitts to revoke the decision. “If we were going to entertain something different than what was in that June 20 resolution, there would need to be additional public hearings on that, and we would need to re-advertise,” Ellis said. Commissioner Morris said he agreed “wholeheartedly” with Ellis. The purpose of the June 20 amendment was to reassure the public that there would not be a windfall, but in effect it misled the public, he said. “We misled the public and suppressed the turnout at the public hearings, and that’s just wrong. It’s morally wrong, and I think it’s legally challengeable,” Morris said. Hausmann sided with Ellis and Morris, agreeing that the public was misled, but she questioned the legality of Ellis’s claims. “The law that applies to public hearings, we followed that. We did hold three public hearings,” Hausmann said At the Aug. 1 meeting when the millage rate was set, County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore presented
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still be on track to have a reserve fund three five-year projections on funding of about $140 million, $33 million more future budgets. She said the 10.2 mill than required. Ellis also pointed out that rate – which ultimately passed – prethe county has historically spent less sented the smoothest financial route than it budgets. that would allow the county to continue “To make the argument that the lowering the millage rate, as it has for the past four years, while still preserving county is under some great hardship or its reserves are shrinking and we need to a reserve fund. have a higher millage rate so that we’re “Part of the premise for setting it at capturing excessive funds from the citithe 10.2 mills was this 5-year plan the zens at this point in time is ridiculous, CFO put forth showing a descending and it’s never been discussed by the millage rate over the next four years if commission at all,” Ellis said. we start high,” Morris said. “Well, that Morris and Hausmann both said they won’t happen if the commission spends have been contacted by constituents all this windfall, and I’m afraid they unhappy with the vote. will.” “They’re very angry. They feel like Commissioners Ellis, Morris and they were misled. Several of them told Hausmann said the 5-year projections me that they would have come to the were not something the commissioners public hearing,” Morris said. requested and they were only given the Johns Creek City Councilwoman figures the day before the vote. Stephanie Endres said she agrees with “I have no idea why that was brought Ellis. forth at that point in time,” Ellis said. “They were honest about what they The documents were not published wanted the money for — they want to online along with the agenda and other increase government spending — but documents released to the public before they were not honest with what they had the meeting. They have been published agreed to initially,” Endres said. since the meeting, but the public had no Milton City Counopportunity to review cilman Matt Kunz the 5-year plan or comalso had concerns ment on them before about the decision. the vote. “To advertise one “The notion of 5-year thing and do another projections and planthat is outside the ning is a fine exercise bounds of the intent to engage in, but what does border on an should have been called ethical issue,” Kunz for at that meeting was said. what was expressly Other citizens, stated in our June 20 like Johns Creek meeting,” Ellis said. resident Royce Morris took it a Reinecke, think this step further, arguing may be much ado that the whole premise about very little. of looking five year into “Regarding colthe future was unrealecting more revenue sonable in the political than expected, the arena. $20 million differ“Nobody knows Lee Morris ence is very small, what we’re going to be Fulton County commissioner making the differspending in three years ence between the or four years. Nobody Democrat millage rate and the Republiknows what the economy is going to do. can millage rate less than a fraction of 1 Nobody knows what the needs are going percent,” Reinecke said. to be, but more importantly, nobody The Board of Commissioners will knows what politicians are going to be in meet on Aug. 15. Morris expects the office to make those decisions,” Morris rate is unlikely to be changed, but legal said. action may be taken against the county He added that the makeup of the board is likely to change with an election down the line. Hausmann expressed concerns that in two years, and he guaranteed that the if the vote is revoked, it will delay tax plan won’t be followed five years from bills and negatively affect the school now. district and cities that rely on the county Ellis questioned a number of the asfor tax collection. sumptions used to calculate the 5-year“If in fact, to do a re-do means that plan, including the rate of projected spending. He argued that if a 9.98 millage rate was adopted the county would See MILLAGE, Page 5
We misled the public and suppressed the turnout at the public hearings, and that’s just wrong. It’s morally wrong, and I think it’s legally challengeable.”
NEWS
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 5
Milton eyes another large greenspace purchase City looks to purchase 110 acres off Lackey Road By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — The city is looking to preserve its undeveloped areas in what could be Milton’s second major land acquisition this year. The City Council voted Aug. 6 to enter the initial stages to purchase 110 acres of land in the southwestern portion of the city off Lackey Road. The site, dubbed the Wolff property, includes four parcels of land near or on Lackey Road near the intersection of Ebenezer Road. The 110-acres features 6,000 square feet of tributary on Little River and a natural pond.
Millage: Continued from Page 4 bills don’t go out until the end of October and we find ourselves in a situation like we were in last year with putting other entities at risk, our school systems
The city entered a land acquisition agreement with the owners at the council meeting. According to a city official, a land survey and environmental analysis will be conducted as the 90-day due diligence period begins. A single family home is located on the property, and the agreement stipulates that the owners can continue to reside on the property for up to 12 months. The owners are retaining a three-acre parcel for a new home to be built near Lackey Road, but the location of the new home has not been finalized. The land acquisition contract sets the per-acre price at $35,000 for a total purchase price of $3,835,600. The
potential acquisition will be funded by the city’s $25 million Greenspace Bond which residents passed overwhelmingly in 2016. Earlier this year, the city used bond funds to finalize a $5 million deal for 140 acres which made up the former Milton Country Club. If the city elects to purchase the Wolff property, it will have acquired 250 acres of greenspace since the passage of the bond referendum and the creation of the Milton Greenspace Advisory Committee last summer. In other action at the meeting, the city held the second of three public hearings regarding its property tax rate, which will remain unchanged despite a sharp increase in the assessed values of many homes in the area.
The council continued its discussions on incentivizing residential lots of three acres or more and passed updates to its regulations on sidewalks, driveways and plat approval process. A request by Police Chief Rich Austin to defer a vote on a reworked monitored alarm systems ordinance was also approved. The chief requested the item be tabled after hearing concerns from residents and to clear up language in the ordinance. The item was deferred to the Sept. 24 council meeting. The council also elected to extend the period from which developers can chose between the regulations of the city’s prior tree ordinance or updated regulations passed earlier this year as it works to revise the updated parameters.
especially, I’m going to have a hard time with that as well,” Hausmann said. If the millage rate can’t be changed, Hausmann said she plans to push for a freeze on any revenue collected in excess of the 2018 budget. Ellis said he plans to continue to push for more credibility in property assessments, with a market-based model
and better customer service. “I think the number of people who vocalized that they’re going to be experiencing potential financial hardship because of how much values went up for folks and the fact that it was our inept tax assessors operation, which is part of the underlying reason for that, that should make us even more resolute in bringing
down the millage rate,” Ellis said. Ellis also encouraged his constituents to reach out to the chairman and urge him to honor what he voted for on June 20. Chairman Pitts did not respond to repeated requests for comment. He has previously stated that he thinks the vote on the mill levy was legal.
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6 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
NEWS
Johns Creek representative heads to state race By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — With the primary runoff victory behind him, Johns Creek resident and former City Councilman Brad Raffensperger is looking ahead to his bid for Georgia Secretary of State in the General Election this November. Carrying 61.7 percent of the votes, Raffensperger defeated former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle to secure the GOP nomination in the runoff election July 24. Raffensperger will face Democrat John Barrow and Libertarian Smythe DuVal in November. Raffensperger said his strategy won’t change. “I think we had a very positive message that resonates with all Georgians,” he said. Raffensperger’s political experience began when he ran for the Johns Creek City Council in 2011. He served for three years before running for the Georgia House of Representatives. Raffensperger has served as the representative of District 50, which includes
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most of Johns Creek, since 2015. He sits on the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; Insurance; Intragovernmental Coordination and Juvenile Justice committees. Though the problems he addresses have changed, Raffensperger said he learned important lessons during his time as a city council member. “I think no matter where you are situated as an elected public servant, people want to be heard,” he said. “Keeping your ear close to the ground and listening to taxpayers, listening to your constituents. That’s the number one thing I took into the state House, and that’s what I would bring to the Secretary of State’s office.” A focus of his campaign is election security. Raffensperger supports Georgia’s voter ID laws. Georgia is one of eight states where voters cannot cast a valid ballot without a photo ID. Raffensperger also said he would prioritize strengthening the requirements for casting an absentee ballot and update voting machines to include paper
ballot verification. “The current voting machines were put into service in 2002, and that was well before the iPhone was even in service. Now they’re up to the iPhone X and we’re still using the same voting machines,” Raffensperger said. Raffensperger said he thinks the right improvements could decrease long lines on voting day. “You really have to take your hats off that people want to vote, but we need to see what we can do to increase the efficiency. Are there systems out there with updated technology that move voters through the line quicker?” The Georgia Secretary of State oversees licensing and corporations, which Raffensperger said relates to his experience in the business world. “It touches into key areas of my interest,” he said. “One is licensing because I’m a licensed professional engineer and a licensed contractor and then also a corporation owner.” Raffensperger is the CEO and owner of Tendon Systems LLC, a specialty contracting and engineering design firm, and the owner of several steel manufacturing plants. Raffensperger said he would continue the work he started as a state representative to process licensing and corporation renewals more efficiently. In the spring of 2017, he sponsored a bill to allow multiyear registrations for corporations.
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SCHOOLS
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 7
Fulton Schools open doors for 2018-19 school year District leaders make school safety a priority By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON, Ga. – A projected 95,000+ students in the Fulton County School System returned to class on Aug. 6 with many finding newly renovated and spruced-up buildings, and a greater emphasis on student safety. Fulton Schools continues to be the fourth largest school district in Georgia – behind only Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb school systems – although its projected 2018-2019 enrollment of 95,215 is roughly the same as last year’s numbers. Nearly 700 new teachers were hired over the summer, bringing the total teaching force to about 6,800 across Fulton’s 106 schools. Ronnie Wade, Fulton’s Talent director, said a handful of vacancies remain in some schools, primarily in those “hard to staff” positions including special education. Nearly one-quarter of all schools will open under new leadership this year, with system officials citing retirements and promotions driving the changes in principals and leadership. Three of the four area superintendents also changed from last year. Highlights of the 2017-28 school year include: Quick Tip safety hotline The “Quick Tip” app allowing students to report any safety matter quickly and anonymously is now loaded on all district-issued student devices, such as tablets and laptops. School officials note this app encourages students to support the concept of “If you see something, say something.” Safety Committee The newly-established Safety Advisory Committee will provide insight and perspectives to Superintendent Jeff Rose as the district looks to enhance school security. The committee is composed of school system staff, along with school leaders, partners, public safety personnel and parent representatives. The committee’s goal is to use a “research-based approach” to review current processes and identify any additional approaches to improve school safety. New police vehicles, body cameras and officers The Fulton School Police Department
added six new officers, as well as 19 vehicles to its fleet. The new staff and cars will improve the efficiency in patrolling schools, as well as provide a quicker response during emergencies. Officers are being outfitted, for the first time, with body cameras as part of each officer’s standard uniform. Report management system Fulton Schools Police implemented a new report management system that allows better sharing of information among metro police departments. Information includes access to criminal records, videos and photos so the departments can collaborate on cases with similarities and combine resources. New video surveillance systems Fulton Schools is upgrading camera systems in every school to Avigilon, similar to systems used at major airports and other highly secured environments. This system allows staff to monitor activities with greater accuracy, and allows users to find targets within a building based on a tagged “appearance search.” The district has partnered with the Sandy Springs and Johns Creek emergency call centers and Fulton County 911 Dispatch allowing direct access to view the Avigilon cameras in schools. Discussions are underway to share this capability with other municipalities’ police departments. CrisisGo communications tool CrisisGo is being phased into schools during the 2018-2019 school year. The program quickly distributes emergency operations plans to staff, via mobile devices, during emergency situations. Over a three-year cycle, this technology will replace the traditional paper emergency plans.
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Construction and maintenance projects Through the SPLOST, the one-penny education sales tax, hundreds of large and small maintenance projects were completed over the summer including finish work, flooring, site work, roofing and fire alarm replacements. In North Fulton, turf and/or tracks were replaced at Alpharetta, Centennial, Chattahoochee and Roswell high schools, with major renovation work completed at Cogburn Woods, Lake Windward, Manning Oaks elementary schools and Holcomb Bridge Middle. WIN Appen Milton.indd 1
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8 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com/Black_Box
BLACK BOX special report:
Registration shuffle rattles By JULIA GROCHOWSKI julia@appenmediagroup.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — When Alpharetta resident Ollie Wagner went to vote in the July 24 runoff election, he wasn’t expecting trouble. He’s lived at the same address and been registered to vote for more than 10 years, after all. Nothing had changed. But when he went to the Alpharetta Library at 9 a.m. to cast his ballot, he was told he would have to vote provisionally. Provisional ballots are usually issued when a voter’s eligibility comes into question, and the voter is later informed whether their vote was counted or not. There are several reasons why a person might be handed a provisional ballot — such as outdated or inaccurate information — but one of the most common reasons is that the voter’s name does not appear on the electoral roll for that precinct. But Wagner’s information, his address, hadn’t changed in years. The poll workers that morning didn’t fully understand what was going on, but they told Wagner that he had been placed on a list and flagged for some reason. “The word that I got was simply that I had to do a provisional ballot,” Wagner said. “Somewhere along the line, they said that this happened to somebody else this morning already, a longtime resident.” Wagner did end up voting provisionally, but he was not the only one who ran into trouble on Election Day. Roswell resident Shirley Filardi, likewise, was told that she had been flagged for some reason and would have to vote provisionally despite having lived in the same place for years. The poll workers Filardi spoke to were able to give her some more information: there had been some sort of glitch, they told her, and anyone who had renewed their driver’s license recently or changed their address had to vote provisionally. “I just felt very discouraged,” Filardi said. “They were all polite, they were apologizing. But, it just seems that there was something going on.”
Kathleen Sturgeon/Herald
Despite having lived in the same place for years, or even decades, hundreds of registered voters in Fulton County were forced to fill out provisional ballots in the July 24 runoff. Complying with a federal judge order Wagner’s and Filardi’s accounts were echoed across several North Atlanta counties that day. Almost 1,000 provisional ballots were cast in the July 24 elections in Fulton County alone — a sizable spike compared to past elections. In the past 10 elections prior to the July 24 runoff, provisional ballots made up anywhere between .02 percent and .28 percent of the total votes cast. That number shot up to 1.46 percent in the July 24 race, which featured GOP gubernatorial candidates Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp. The spike can be tracked to a 2017 ruling made by a federal judge, said Candice Broce, press secretary and staff attorney for the Georgia Secretary of State. Last year, during the heated 6th District congressional race between Karen
Handel and Jon Ossoff, U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten ruled in favor of civil rights advocacy groups by ordering Georgia to reopen voter registration that spring. The state complied with the order, Broce said. But its impact was felt July 24, 2018 when five counties – Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton and Gwinett – all held their first federal runoff election since Handel vs. Ossoff. To comply with the judge’s ruling extending voter registration, Broce said these counties used supplemental voter lists to show those who registered for the first time or changed their voter record between what would have been the “regular” April 24, 2018 registration deadline and the “new” June 25, 2018 deadline. Those who did were flagged for provisional voting. This measure would ensure that voters were only casting a ballot in races they were eligible to participate in, Broce said. “There was no issue with the voter registration database,” she added. “We worked together to find a way to accommodate this judicially imposed deadline,
and we agreed that this system would comply with the ruling.” An extra wrinkle “We knew that we were going to have more provisional ballots than normal,” said Richard Barron, Fulton County director of Registration and Elections. But the department wasn’t expecting an additional snarl in the process that arose that morning. Almost 20,000 people in Fulton County were placed on the supplemental voter list. It was the first time the county had ever been given such a list, and in order to deal with the unusual circumstances, Barron said that poll workers were trained before the election to be aware of the issue. But come Tuesday morning, poll workers were flooded with hundreds of cases like Wagner and Filardi – residents who lived at the same address for years, some for decades, were suddenly being flagged as someone who had recently moved. After some digging, election officials finally worked out a common denominator. These voters had renewed or applied for a driver’s license earlier this year at
NorthFulton.com/Black_Box | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 9
long-time voters the Department of Driver Services. If their plus-four digit ZIP code changed or was added to the license, the Secretary of State’s voter database flagged it. “It was flagged as a move because it was technically a change in address,” Barron said. “So all of those people were put on the green supplemental list as well.” Barron said the ZIP code issue was in part a “byproduct” of last year’s court order. “I don’t think anyone saw it coming,” he said. “None of the counties knew that was coming. The Secretary of State’s Office didn’t know either. No one knew.” So someone could have been living at the same address for decades with only the plus-four digit change, but for the computers, that was enough to count as an address change. The supplemental voters list the counties were given did not explain why people had been placed on the list. Election officials and poll workers only knew that a person’s name was on the list for moving recently and that they would have to vote provisionally. “We had a total of 978 provisional ballots in this election, 659 of them were because of voters that had moved,” Barron said. “How many of those 659 were affected because of the plus-four in the ZIP code? I don’t know. We’d have to research every voter’s registration history to figure that out. We do know that if it was a ZIP plus-four change, the database put them onto that supplemental list, and we processed everyone the same across the county so that no one would be treated differently…. “There’s nothing voters could have done about this.” Future elections For the immediate future, at least, voters need not worry. The supplemental voter list will not come into play in the November elections. The only time it could become an issue again, Barron said, is if there was another primary and primary runoff in two years. “I don’t know what the remedy is going to be for it,” he said. “If there’s a ZIP code plus-four change next time — I don’t think the DDS or the state or the county could have known that a ZIP plus-four was going to throw people onto the supplemental list.” The state’s old voting system technology contributed to the issue, Barron said. Making any changes to a voter’s information is “not an easy thing to do.” And when the judge ordered that voter
Race Fulton County elections July 2016 General Primary Runoff Election - Fulton Superior Court Judge - Shoob July 2016 General Primary Runoff Election - Fulton Superior Court Judge - Lane November 2016 General Election - US President Trump, Hillary, Johnson March 21 2017 Special Election - Roswell Council P4 - Henry, Sears, Willsey, Wright March 21 2017 Special Election - South Fulton Mayor - 9 candidates April 2017 Special Election - US House 6 - 18 candidates incl. Handel and Ossoff May 2017 Special Election - State Senate 32 Kirkpatrick (R) vs. Triebsch (D) June 2017 Special Runoff Election - US House 6 Handel vs. Ossoff November 2017 General Elections - Alpharetta Council P2 - Burnett, Easterling November 2017 General Elections - Atlanta Mayor 11 candidates incl. K. Bottoms November 2017 General Elections - Johns Creek Mayor - Bodker November 2017 General Elections - Milton Mayor Lockwood, Rencher November 2017 General Elections - Roswell Mayor Henry, Horton, Jenkins, Litten December 2017 Special Runoff Election - Atlanta Mayor - Bottoms, Norwood December 2017 Special Runoff Election - Roswell Mayor - Henry, Jenkins May 2018 General Primary - Governor R - Cagle, Hill, Kemp, Tippins, Williams May 2018 General Primary - Governor D - Abrams, Evans July 2018 Runoff - Governor R - Cagle, Kemp Statewide elections Statewide July 2018 Runoff - Governor R - Cagle, Kemp Statewide November 2016 General Election President - Trump, Hillary, Johnson registration be extended, several updates to voter information had to be made in that system before that primary runoff. “It’s just an inflexible system, because it’s old,” he said. “We bought it in 2002 – who knows when it was designed?” But, Barron predicts that it won’t be an issue again in two years if a new voting system is installed by then. “[It] would make this problem go
Total votes cast
Provisional votes
Percent provisional
34,579
53
0.15%
35,148
50
0.14%
438,751
1,201
0.27%
5,855
3
0.05%
11,630
9
0.08%
87,060
243
0.28%
2,461
1
0.04%
123,469
149
0.12%
3,731
3
0.08%
87,102
194
0.22%
4,229
1
0.02%
4,463
3
0.07%
13,626
5
0.04%
83,555
192
0.23%
12,024
5
0.04%
35,155
53
0.15%
91,095
234
0.26%
35,081
512
1.46%
588,307
2,650
0.45%
4,092,373
7,646
0.19%
away as well,” Barron said. “The technology is going to make it easier to make changes if it’s with a short-term issue. It won’t be so labor intensive to make a change on the fly. I fully expect that by the next primary that we’re going to have a new voting system in place that would render this a one-time thing as well.” Voters will be relieved to hear that all of the provisional ballots cast by people affect-
ed by the ZIP code change were counted. Only 39 provisional ballots from the July 24 election in Fulton County were rejected, an “extraordinarily low number,” Barron said. On average, around 50 percent of provisional ballots are counted. That was good news for Ollie Wagner. When he later checked, his ballot was among those counted.
10 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
My vacation show & tell I have always wanted for our readers to send us their vacation travel stories — especially when they are fun, interesting or special in some way. This column is my example of a “vacaRay appen tion show & tell” for Publisher ray@appenmediagroup.com you! Next, you write one and send it to us! Send to RayAppen@Gmail.com and in the subject line put: “show & tell.” Where: Every few years, Christina and I go to Washington D.C., to do the museums. We’ve gone a number of times and it never gets old. We stayed a week, and that was just about the right amount of time. How: We have started taking Amtrak out of Atlanta to D.C. We get a sleeper car. It’s not cheap and our tickets cost around $350 each — one way — because we are both traveling to other separate destinations after D.C. I am flying back to Atlanta and then out to California for a hike. Christina is continuing on to Charlottesville to visit an old college roommate. The train leaves Atlanta – or is supposed to leave — around 8 p.m. and arrive at Union Station in D.C., around 10 a.m. the next day. Amtrak was late and didn’t depart Atlanta until around 10 p.m. That is unfortunately not unusual. So we missed having dinner in the dining car that night, which has always been one of the coolest aspects of the trip. We were, however, able to eat in the dining car for breakfast, which we loved. The food is good, and the scenery out the window as the train rolls through the small towns in Virginia is better than a movie. The sleeper room we had was tiny but it just added to the sense of adventure, and it was comfortable enough and fun. Accommodations & Dining: We stayed at the Hydeaway Bed N Breakfast owned by Gary Hyde (202-462-1886) in the Logan Circle area of D.C. Gary has renovated an old brownstone-like, brick building and filled it with antiques, jazz, great light, white-tablecloth-dining for continental breakfasts and topped it off with a pool in the back courtyard surrounded by exotic foliage, fountains, statuettes and comfortable rockers. After breakfast each morning, we quietly drank our coffee, read and chatted poolside in no hurry to leave for the museums. Most nights we simply walked a few blocks in the vicinity of the B&B and had a wide selection of restaurants, bars and crowded sidewalks that provided the experience and engaging vibe of city
life. The environs reminded me of places I have known from the past — Chicago, Miami and Berlin. Travel in D.C. was so easy. You can get anywhere using the Metro, The U station was 3 blocks from our B&B. When we got tired, we just took Uber. One night we caught Tad Benoit performing at The Hamilton. Google this amazing Cajun guitarist who easily plays as well as Clapton and has the sex appeal of any leading man out there. We’ve seen him in New Orleans, Atlanta and a few other places, and we always go out of our way to see one of his shows. Another early evening, we spent a few hours at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, listening to free live jazz while we dipped our feet into the park’s great fountain with 500 other concertgoers. Sandwiched into our sightseeing, we managed to meet with Sen. Johnny Isakson and Rep. Karen Handel in their offices to encourage them to help defeat the imported newsprint tariff that our president has initiated and which threatens the entire industry. The tariff protects the jobs in a single newsprint mill in Seattle owned by a hedge fund — roughly 250 jobs — and threatens literally thousands of jobs in every newspaper in the country. Sen. Isakson is a co-sponsor of “The Print Act” which is working its way through Congress and can potentially help. Favorites: Our new favorite museum has to be the Portrait Gallery, which we finally managed to visit on our last day. Many of the portraits were immediately recognizable. Each image, each portrait was accompanied by three or four paragraphs detailing the person’s contribution. The subjects ranged from presidents to musicians to inventors to athletes to writers and conductors. Of note, there were hundreds of portraits in this museum and it was crowded with hundreds of people — maybe several thousand — but we almost never saw a single instance where there were more than four or five people in front of any one image —with two exceptions. There were lines for Michelle Obama’s portrait and an even longer queue with folks waiting to take their picture in front of the portrait of President Obama. With quiet wonder, Christina and I watched young girls approach Michelle’s portrait, then their mother leaning over to speak quietly to their daughter when they were close. We watched a really old African American man posing with glee in front of President Obama’s portrait as his grandson recorded the frozen moment for posterity on his iPhone. Watching these visitors in the Portrait Gallery alone would have made the entire trip worthwhile, however, earlier
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 11
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in the week we also stumbled upon a live audience participation play being performed in the Smithsonian American History Museum. It was a reenactment of the 1963 sit-ins in the Greensboro, N.C., Woolworths which eventually led the company to end its policy of racial segregation in the South. What made the performance so special was that a large percentage of the audience were kindergarten-aged African American children whose live unscripted participation in the exchanges and questions from the two actors reminded
everyone in that large room that racial bias and prejudice is something learned — not something we are born with — as these children were such testaments to. Our host at the B&B threw a goingaway dinner for us the last day, and we joined a friendly group of local residents exchanging stories, testaments and simply “time” with each other a lovely dinner. It was the first time Gary had done something like that, but I have a feeling it will not be the last. D.C. can bring out the best in people sometimes I think. Try it.
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12 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
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ROSWELL, Ga. — Ranging from shorts films featuring post-apocalyptic bunkers, the history of southern sharecropping, a pregnant transgender teen in the south and Taiwanese food superheroes, this year’s Southern Shorts Awards were diverse and inclusive. Presented at Aurora Cineplex in Roswell, Stephen P. Sherwood set up the short film festival because of his frustration with the lack of constructive feedback he had seen at other film fests. Each film at the Southern Shorts Awards is seen by at least three of their 10 judges, and each gives feedback on the film’s strength and weaknesses. More than 180 films were submitted for the spring season and only those scoring a 7.5 or higher from the judges were shown, leaving 24 up on the big screen on Aug. 4. Films were submitted from around the world including a science fiction short from Australia, a thriller from Germany and an animated short from Taiwan, “Food Man,” with heroes shaped like different snacks, including one named “Tactful Omelette.” The audience was mostly composed of filmmakers, who would offer a brief question and answer session after their short. Directors traveled from Tennessee, Virginia and California to answer questions and accept their awards. Though there were many films with political subject matter, social commentary or unexpected twists, the night was owned by two men: Derek Sitter, director, writer and star of “Tutu Grande,” and David Maddox, director and co-writer of “Alternative Math.” Sitter’s passion for filmmaking showed in his comments and questions for other directors. He also took his opportunity to tell the backstory of his own short, which won four awards including Best Thriller and Best Actor.
“Tutu Grande,” begins with a young man in a dark room strapped to a torture device, forced to face a man in a cowboy hat who begins to tell the young man how he wants to punish the young man for sexually assaulting his daughter. The short ends with a twist, as after the cowboy threatens the young man, he hits a light, revealing that this whole speech and the young man’s halfconfession took place in front of his own mother, sister and the victim. Sitter said certain lines in the film were taken from Kevin Spacey’s statements after he denied his sexual assault allegations. “The monologue just came to me during a long drive,” Sitter said. “I’m bi-polar so there’s always dark thoughts going and my brain never stops.” Maddox’s film also dealt with a hotbutton issue, but with an entirely different approach. “Alternative Math” won awards for Best Comedy, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture, taking home the bulk of the evening’s most precious hardware. The comedic short showed a teacher distraught with how a student, and everyone else in town, refuses to believe that “two plus two equals four.” Everyone, including parents, administration and the national media, berates the teacher for not having an open mind and forcing her views on the child, referencing the recent political practice of “alternative facts” and the increasing willingness of parents to side with their children over teachers. “You all are probably sick of hearing me talk up here,” Maddox said after receiving his fifth award and the top prize of the night. “I couldn’t have done it all without my wonderful cast and crew. With comedy you don’t even know if your script is really funny until you get good actors to read your lines.” “Alternative Math” was the last short of the festival, and its screening drew the largest audience.
COMMUNITY
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 13
Ice Cream Crankin’ takes over Roswell Square Park By CONNER EVANS interns@appenmedaigroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The Drake House’s biggest, and tastiest fundraiser is set for 2-4 p.m. on August 26 at Roswell Square Park. Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ features more than 50 different ice cream booths sponsored by local businesses and community members. The Drake House Executive Director Kathy Swahn expects around 3,500 people in attendance this year, almost five times the number as their first attempt 14 years ago. The event has become so big that people begin reaching out to Swahn in January for details, and “Crankin’ Teams” will begin testing their product weeks or months in advance. “It’s like an old fashioned ice cream gathering,” Swahn said. “Very wholesome, very family-oriented, four-legged pets and strollers welcome, people literally will wander around the park for two hours eating ice cream.” The ice cream comes in all kinds of flavors including an avocado bacon flavor from last year and a Guinness beer flavor in the past. Local celebrity judges, usually leaders from local churches or state repre-
Paulina Osenenko/Herald
Children participate in the popular ice cream stacking contest during last year’s Ice Cream Crankin’. sentatives, take the competition seriously, Swahn said. U.S. Rep. Karen Handel
will return to judge this year as well. There are multiple, messy activities
for children at the kid’s corner, including a bouncy house, face painting, and an ice cream eating contest and ice cream stacking contest. “Picture 40 kids standing along two or three long tables,” Swahn said. “They have to put their hands behind their backs and eat ice cream out of a bowl.” The contest is also adding a prize for the most creative booth design in addition to its typical prizes for specific flavors like chocolate, vanilla and fruitbased flavors. At just $6 per ticket, the Drake House expects to make around $50,000, which constitutes a big portion of the charity’s budget. The Drake House helps provide housing, mentoring and education programs for single mother families in the North Fulton area, and this year’s Ice Cream Crankin’ is crucial for their recent expansion. “We just bought a new apartment complex at Drake House, which doubled our capacity,” Swahn said. “We have growing programs especially with youth and alumni programming.” The showrunners will hope that the rain stays away, but Swahn is confident people will show up regardless. “Weather can be a problem, but folks still come,” she said.
If you don’t have a business (in Forsyth County), you ought to. Carlos Cantu, director of Chamber Councils 14 | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018
FoCo Expo unites community with businesses By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The community gathered for networking, food and fun Aug. 9 at the annual FoCo Expo where nearly 70 local business representatives talked to the public about services they offer. The event was held at the Lanier Technical College Forsyth Conference Center and was hosted by the CummingForsyth County Chamber of Commerce. Carlos Cantu, director of Chamber Councils, said businesses come together to showcase what they do. “We want to make this a community event,” Cantu said. “We want all the families to come together with the business owners to come out and enjoy themselves. We wanted to bring businesses together, connect them to our chamber members and see what can come out of it. It’s a beautiful relationship that’s in the works.” This is the first year the event hosted nonprofits in the crowd, including
Jesse’s House, The Place of Forsyth and No Longer Bound. Cantu said the event is a good place families who are looking for a local business can come, learn who runs the businesses and potentially work with them in the future. “These types of events are a place for somebody to have a face-to-face conversation to say ‘what can I do? How can I help? I don’t have to charge you to have a conversation with you. I just want to come out and see what we can do,’” he said. “Forsyth County is a very tight community. Why not bring everyone together for an event?” The consistent growth in Forsyth County is one reason many businesses choose to operate in the community, Cantu said. “If you don’t have a business here, you ought to,” he said. One of those businesses, and the drink sponsor of the Expo, is Cherry Street Brewing, which had a table manned by owner Nick Tanner. Tanner said he wanted to be part of
The community mingled with business owners at the FoCo Expo to learn more about local trades.
Photos by KATHLEEN STURGEON/Herald
Cherry Street Brewing owners Nick and Alisa Tanner talk to the public about their business. the community because it exemplifies Cherry Street’s mission statement of “community.” “We are here for the community just as the community is here for us,” he said. “Everything we do is to enhance that. Being able to network with the local businesses is what it’s really about. If we can get together, it brings the local community together.” Cherry Street opened its first location at Vickery Village, 5817 S Vickery, in 2014, and next year they will open a second brewpub at Halcyon off Exit 12 on Ga. 400. “We believe in the project that Halcyon is,” Tanner said. “The project will do something really beneficial to our community, especially on that south side corridor.” The idea of staying close to home for
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the second location appealed to Tanner. “Atlanta is so big and there are so many communities in and around it,” he said. “For this opportunity to arise is comfortable for us. We feel good about this. We aren’t nervous, at least not yet. It’s because we have the support. Everyone in this community is so excited to see that. As time passes, the excitement is getting more. It makes us feel good and proud of what we’ve done.” He likes doing business in the county because the people look out for each other, including the chamber that always believed in Cherry Street, Tanner said. “The community here is kind of a family,” he said. “It’s very tight. It’s nice to be a part of a community where everyone wants to see it better and only do things to make it better. We’re proud of that.”
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 15
Tennis facility, mall makeover signal evolutionary changes The evolution of economic development is on display right now in North Fulton with two major announcements in Roswell and Alpharetta. Roswell has been given a huge gift in Geoff smith what would become Assurance Financial, gsmith@lendtheway.com the largest clay tennis center in the nation. The facility is being backed entirely by Roswell residents Vernon and Marie Krause and their foundation, The Krause Family Foundation, in honor of their daughter Angela Krause who passed away at 29 years old after a bought with cancer. The facility would include 135-courts both for tennis and pickleball and is said to attract national tournaments at all levels, as well as major tennis stars who would come to the center to train. Roswell’s economic development arm, Roswell Inc, said the economic impact to Roswell could be between $30 million and $50 million in the way of hotel stays and money being spent in local restaurants and retail outlets. Just up the road in Alpharetta, North Point Mall released plans to redevelop the mall by removing the vacant Sears store and adding 328 apartments, 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a 2.5-acre plaza with Spanish steps, a new multi-use trail system, and community gardens and bicycle rental stations. The development would transform the indoor mall to more of a mixed-use entity where the uses can play off of each other to help sustain the uses on the property. The mall’s owners, General Growth Properties, had already converted some of its retail spaces into co-working offices and was searching for ways to make the mall successful in today’s retail environment. It’s a massive redevelopment of a high-end mall that was smarting in the shadow of the newly built Avalon.
The facility would include 135-courts both for tennis and pickleball and is said to attract national tournaments at all levels, as well as major tennis stars who would come to the center to train. As someone who grew up in North Fulton, it has been interesting to watch this cascade of development and redevelopment up Ga. 400. I grew up in the Martins Landing neighborhood just east of Ga. 400 in Roswell, and just south from where the new tennis facility would go. When I was growing up there, the strip centers along Holcomb Bridge Road were kind of “the place” to be. All of the new retail development was there and folks in North Fulton went there to shop. Then in the 1990s, North Point Mall was built one exit up Ga. 400 and became the darling, drawing in not just North Fulton residents, but residents from all over the north metro area. It took away the customers and then many of the retail outlets from the east side of Roswell. It lived a good life right up until consumers’ tastes changed and indoor malls fell out of fashion. Then Avalon was built one exit up Ga. 400 from the mall and pulled away many of its customers and thus, many of its retail outlets including Apple, Gap Inc., Banana Republic and J. Crew. It’s an evolutionary tale that highlights the survival of the fittest nature of economic development and redevelopment. It highlights the fluid nature of things in that it’s impossible to maintain success without change — an economic area is either growing or dying. The mall is doing what is has to do to survive and could again become relevant as a successful ecosystem all to its own. The tennis facility in Roswell could very well be a catalyst for re-growth in an area that everyone seems to agree
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Staying current on what is available to you is a first step. There is an abundance of information online or in printed journals that discuss new technologies and the pros and cons of implementing them. It wasn’t very long ago where you had to hire a professional to build a website for your small business. Now this can easily be done with numerous website design systems. Hiring an information technology professional can also help. Let’s face it; if you want to utilize technology in your small business and don’t know how, hire someone who does! Training is also very important for you and your employees. You can’t expect everyone to learn how to use new technology unless you invest in educating them. Adapting to new technology is critical for long-term small business success, and it won’t happen unless you make this a top priority in your business.
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desperately needs it. The tennis facility would go in Big Creek Park along Old Alabama Road and supplant a portion of the mountain biking trails that are used by bikers all over the metro area. I use them, and as a child, actually helped to make some of those trails before the
land was purchased by the city and anyone knew we were back there. Plans are to “replace” those trails by building more on undeveloped land farther east along Holcomb Bridge Road purchased by the city last year.
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16 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
CALENDAR CANASTA
Taste of Johns Creek
Sample more than 20 local restaurants Saturday, Aug. 18, 4-9 p.m., for only $1 to $4 on the campus of Chattahoochee High School. There will be an Art Walk with shopping, live music, local entertainment, kid’s activities and taste some of the best food the Johns Creek-area has to offer. Join the fun at 5230 Taylor Road in Johns Creek. For more information, visit tasteofjohnscreek.fun. Looking to get the word out about your event? Submit it to our online calendar at ForsythHerald.com/Calendar.
EVENTS: ALPHARETTA FARM AND GARDENS
SMART RECOVERY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
What: Join to add your input to the vision, design and development for the future City of Alpharetta Park, which is expected to open in 2019. Access to the site is off of Rucker Road. When: Saturday, Aug. 18, 9-10 a.m. Where: 860 Rucker Road, Alpharetta More info: alpharetta.ga.us
What: This program uses science-based tools to provide support for those who are affected by the addictive behavior of someone close to them. Not a twelve step program. When: Monday, Aug. 20, 7-8 p.m. Where: DecisionPoint Wellness Center, 10700 State Bridge Road Suite 6, Johns Creek More info: smartrecovery.org
ESTATE JEWELRY GARAGE SALE
‘PIES, OH MY!’ COOKING NIGHT
What: Join for an exclusive estate jewelry sale and a Self-Serve Silver Station, where you pay for what your jewelry weighs. When: Saturday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Where: Brilliant Atlanta, 1144 Canton St., Suite 103, Roswell More info: facebook.com/brilliantatlanta
ROSWELL AUTHOR DONNIE KANTER WINOKUR
What: Donnie Kanter Winokur will be available to answer questions about her works and sign copies of “Chancer – How One Good Boy Saved Another.” When: Sunday, Aug. 19, 3-5 p.m. Where: Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation and Management, 1230 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta More info: thechancerchronicles.com
MS. SENIOR GEORGIA PAGEANT
What: Celebrate and crown a new queen for 2018! This pageant showcases the excellence of age, experience and achievements. When: Sunday, Aug. 19, 2-5 p.m. Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell Cost: $15 for adults, $7 for children More info and tickets: roswellgov.com or 404-394-4200
What: Learn how to cook chicken pot pie, strawberry rhubarb pie and lemon meringue pie. Complimentary wine. Free mini-tour of Barrington Hall is included. When: Tuesday, Aug. 21, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Drive, Roswell Cost: $50 More info and registration: roswellgov.com
NAVIGATORS TOASTMASTERS PATHWAYS
What: Reach your personal and professional goals through Pathways, Toastmasters’ new education program. When: Tuesday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m. Where: Club House, 6300 Polo Club Drive, Cumming More info: navigators.toastmastersclubs. org
WEDNESDAY MORNING NETWORKING
What: Join for networking every Wednesday morning. When: Wednesday, Aug. 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Where: Perimeter Church, 9500 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek Cost: $5 for members, $10 for guests More info: johnscreekga.gov or 770-495-0545
What: Canasta is a rummy-like game enjoying a resurgence today. Learn to play and join a game. New players welcome. When: Tuesday, Aug. 21, 12:30 p.m. Where: Park Place at Newtown School, 3125 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekga.gov/parkplace
5 KEYS TO A LEADERSHIP LOOK
What: Two nationally known Executive Image Consultants will be working with you to give you that polished professional edge without breaking the budget. When: Thursday, Aug. 23, 6:45-8:30 a.m. Where: Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, 10950 Bell Road, Duluth More info: atlantamastercrafters.com
GARDEN TOUR MONDAYS
What: Enjoy a free 30-minute tour of the gardens and historic plants on the grounds of Barrington Hall. When: Every Monday, through Sept. 24, 9:30 a.m. Where: Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Drive, Roswell More info: roswellgov.com
MOSAIC OF MARY
What: An interfaith dialogue and panel discussion with Father Ray, Rabbi Slomovitz, Ann Marie Martin and Kemal Budak to consider Mary as a woman of great faith in Judaism, Islam and Catholicism. When: Wednesday, Aug. 22, 7-8:30 p.m. Where: La Salette Hall, Catholic Church of St. Ann, 3905 Roswell Road, Marietta More infotheatlanticinstitute.org
HEALTH AND FITNESS: ZUMBA GOLD (FLEX)
What: This program combines international beats with strength training techniques to create an easyto-follow, health-boosting dance fitness program. When: Friday, Aug. 17, 10:30 a.m. Where: Park Place at Newtown School, 3125 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekga.gov/parkplace
ALPHARETTA MAYOR’S CORPORATE CHALLENGE 5K AND BLOCK PARTY
What: Food trucks and live music begin at 5 p.m., followed by a free kids’ run and the 5K run. Funds will go to local and international charities supported by Alpharetta Rotary. When: Thursday, Aug. 23, 5 p.m. Where: Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta Cost: $30 More info and registration: mayorschallenge.com
FREE FITNESS IN THE PARK: ZUMBA
What: There will be a free group exercise class. All classes are weather-permitting and open to the public. Check the City of Roswell’s Facebook page for any cancellations. When: Saturday, Aug. 11, 9-10 a.m. Where: Town Square, 610 Atlanta St., Roswell More info: roswellgov.com
FREE OUTDOOR FITNESS – YOGA
What: Yoga moves at a slower pace, improving flexibility, muscle tone, strength and stress management through stretches, poses and relaxation techniques. When: Sunday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m. Where: Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekga.gov
FARMERS MARKETS, FOOD TRUCKS: ALPHARETTA FOOD TRUCK ALLEY
What: Alpharetta’s weekly gathering returns with rotating food trucks and music each week. Six to eight food trucks from the Atlanta area will come out to help kick off the weekend early. When: Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., through Oct. 11 Where: Old Roswell Street in Alpharetta’s historic district More info: awesomealpharetta.com
ALPHARETTA FARMERS MARKET
What: The Alpharetta Farmers Market features fruits, vegetables, natural meats, fresh flowers and herbs, and a variety of home goods. When: Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., through October Where: Old Canton Street in downtown Alpharetta More info: alpharetta.ga.us
ROSWELL FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET
What: Don’t miss the opening day of the Roswell Farmers & Artisans Market. Mix and mingle with friends, shop for fresh items and enjoy talking to the vendors. When: Saturday, April 14, 8 a.m. – noon Where: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., Roswell More info: roswellfam.com
MUSIC, ARTS & THEATER: “OCEE ROCKS”
What: Join for a free, after-hours, live concert, featuring a special musical guest. When: Friday, Aug. 17, 6 p.m. Where: Ocee Library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek More info: afpls.org or 770-360-8897
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 17
Your Local Sports Podcast! Listen at NorthFulton.com/podcasts
18 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
COMMUNITY
Local boxer wins bronze medal MILTON, Ga. — Chandler Academy boxer and Cambridge High student Mike Hudson recently won a bronze medal at the National Youth Open Championships in West Virginia. Hudson placed third in the nation for the heavyweight division (178-201 lbs.). The 16-year old’s title adds to his long list of accolades. Hudson began boxing at the age of four and has won 22 Georgia state titles, four southeast regional titles, three national titles and a World Ringside titles. His won his most recent state title at the 2018 Georgia State Golden Gloves competition in the light heavyweight division. Hudson trains out of Chandler Academy, a local private elementary school with a boxing program. Hudson also plays football and runs the high hurdles for Cambridge and has a 3.5 GPA.
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Alpharetta City Band seeks musicians ALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Alpharetta City Band, a traditional concert band under the direction of Nicole Fallin, is seeking adult and high school musicians in Alpharetta and surrounding communities to join the group. The community band, which welcomes those of all skill levels, is seeking instrumentalists across the ensemble, but particularly in the percussion and trombone sections. No audition is required, though band members should be able to play at the high school level. Instrumentalists from across the region are invited to participate, even those who are just reuniting with their instruments after a brief or extended break. There is no fee to perform in the band. “The Alpharetta City Band has been entertaining audiences for nearly 30
years,” said Program Supervisor Don Nahser, who has managed the band for its entire history. “We are currently in the process of acquiring new percussion equipment to more effectively feature this important voice in the band.” Rehearsals are held on most Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Crabapple Government Center, 12624 Broadwell Road, Alpharetta, Ga. 30004, and performances take place throughout the year. Founded in 1989, the band is sponsored by the Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Department. It welcomes members from throughout the region. For more information about the ensemble, visit https://www.facebook. com/AlpharettaCityBand/ or call Don Nahser at (770) 475-9684.
COMMUNITY
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 19
North Fulton announces latest Eagle Scouts NORTH FULTON, Ga. – The Northern Ridge Boy Scouts District, which includes Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton, recently announced its newest Eagle Scouts who passed their Board of Review on July 26. These are Scouts who passed their Eagle Board of Reviews, held at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church: • Isaiah Eberhardt, of Troop 2206, sponsored by St. James United Methodist Church, whose project was constructing two benches for the playground and painting a shed for Temple Beth Tikvah; • Daniel Richards, of Troop 2206, sponsored by St. James, whose project was rehabilitating a 1.2 mile trail that goes around the church, with trail markers and activity signs; • Noah Berman, of Troop 2000, sponsored by Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, whose project was constructing three picnic tables for Temple Dor Tamid; • Lucas Sloman, of Troop 9962, sponsored by Ed Isaackson YMCA, whose project was creating four benches for the summer camp area of the YMCA; • Joseph Brunner, of Troop 7153, sponsored by St. Brigid Catholic Church, whose project creating activity sets for Autrey Mill Nature
From top left, Isaiah Eberhardt, Daniel Richards and Noah Berman, and from bottom left, Lucas Sloman, Joseph Brunner and Connor Moland, were announced as Northern Ridge Boy Scout District’s newest Eagle Scouts on July 26. Preserve and Heritage Center; • Connor Moland, of Troop 87,
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20 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
COMMUNITY
Packed crowd celebrates Old Soldiers’ Day in Alpharetta By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Thousands packed downtown Alpharetta Aug. 4 for the 66th annual Old Soldiers’ Day Parade. Temperatures climbed to the low 80s by mid-morning, chasing most of the crowd along the parade route to the shady east side of Roswell Street. Still, no one complained after nearly a week of rain had threatened turnout for one of the city’s biggest annual celebrations. Mayor Jim Gilvin opened the formal ceremony by welcoming the thousands in attendance for assembling to honor those who shed their blood for the cause of freedom. He recounted the history of the event and what the day has come to symbolize. “It really is a historic tradition that began about 150 years ago when veterans started gathering in Alpharetta to commiserate, and a spirit of brotherhood brought them together when this was just a small farm town,” he said. “About 66 years ago, some other great veterans came together and said we need to have a celebration of veterans from all wars, and that’s when Old Soldiers’ Day formally began.” The annual event is sponsored by
The colorful Ed Isakson Alpharetta YMCA float captured first prize in this year’s Old Soldiers’ Day parade. American Legion Post 201. Keynote speaker for the 10 a.m. ceremony was Brig. Gen. Reginald Neal, director of the Joint Staff, Georgia Army National Guard, who spoke on the event’s 2018 theme: courage and valor. Neal began by recognizing the city for a tradition that honors all branches of
the military and service members. “It makes me feel good that the city and this Post see fit to honor our nation’s veterans in this manner, a tradition that started back when the 42nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment started this parade following the Civil War,” he said. “Not only have you invested the time and
effort to continue this fine tradition to recognize our country’s veterans, you’ve also given additional acknowledgement to the bravery and sacrifice of those special operations soldiers, airmen and marines who were the first to answer our nation’s call over 17 years ago following the worst attack ever on American soil.” Neal pointed out that events like Old Soldiers’ Day recognize those who served in America’s “forgotten war” in Korea. “Sixty-eight years ago, America began its campaign to assist South Korea to repel the vicious and wanton invasion from North Korea,” he said. “Once again in our nation’s history, the American fighting soldier was called upon and, in short order, held the line against tyranny.” Looking out on the hundreds and hundreds of veterans in the crowd, Neal said he is proud of his family’s history of military service to America. His grandfather served in World War I, his uncle served in World War II and Korea, and his father is a Vietnam War veteran. “As an old soldier myself, with 31 years of service, I want to reiterate that the purpose of ceremonies such as this is so much more than simply acknowledging that some nameless, faceless person or group of people served our coun-
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NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 21
Photos by Patrick Fox/Herald
Thousands line Roswell Street near downtown Alpharetta for the annual parade that stretched for close to a mile. try,” Neal said. “It is about taking the time and the effort to fully understand that those who volunteered to serve our country – and yes, they all volunteered – are real people. They are the sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. They are our neighbors.” Following the formal grandstand ceremony, visitors cleared the streets for
the mile-long procession that has grown with each year. Children amassed near the curb to pick up candy thrown from passing celebrants. In all, there were more than 100 entries in the procession, including some 20 floats, according to Sandra Johnson, chairwoman of the Float Judging Committee. Johnson said floats were judged
based on their originality, patriotism and recognition of service members. This year’s float winner was the Ed Isakson Alpharetta YMCA, which featured a fruit tree, bright yellow bunting and flowers with young women in aprons. Second place went to U.S. Submarine Veterans – Grayback Base, a perennial finalist. Third prize was awarded
to Alpharetta Youth Softball Association. Cars honked, people waved, and high school marching bands paced the route that wound all the way from Milton Avenue down Roswell Street, then onto Old Milton Parkway to the Legion Post on Wills Road. As in past years, the Legion treated visitors to free drinks and hotdogs to cap the morning’s festivities.
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Please join us on August 16th form 4–7pm. Tour the community, eat, drink & listen to live music. RSVP at 678-740-3499 or information@villageparkseniorliving.com
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22 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
SPORTS
Johns Creek graduate competes in international golf competition CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Janet Mao, a 2015 graduate of Johns Creek High School, recently competed at the U.S. Woman’s Amateur, held at the Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston Springs, Tenn. Mao tied for 8th place in the 36-hole stroke play portion of the competition to advance to match play. Mao lost to Kristen Gillman from Austin, Texas in the round of 32 on Aug. 9. Mao is a rising senior at Northwestern University in Chicago. This is her fourth consecutive trip to the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which along with the British Ladies Amateur, is considered the most prestigious event in women’s amateur golf. Mao advanced to the round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif. She said her past experience at other U.S. Woman’s Amateur events helped her in the competition. “You don’t really get to play a USGA [United States Golf Association] event every day, and having that experience kind of helps,” Mao said. Mao opened the competition with a 3-under 68, followed by a 1-under 70 on
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Johns Creek native Janet Mao competed at the round of 32 at the US Woman’s Amateur on Aug. 9. Tuesday. The cut for match play came at 3-over 145, the lowest in the history of the championship. The previous low was 147 in 2016. “I think that’s probably one of the best ball-striking rounds I’ve had maybe ever,” Mao said following her first round. “It makes it a little less stressful when
you can trust your shots and be confident in that and hit it to a distance where you’re not having terrible putts.” Mao qualified for the U.S. Woman’s Amateur after finishing in the top four at Calumet Country Club in Homewood, Ill. While she was a student at Johns Creek, Mao had three appearances in
the state tournament, placing in the top five in Georgia. She was also the 2014 Georgia State Golf Association Women’s Match Play champion and 2014 Georgia Junior PGA champion. Another Georgia native, Bailey Tardy of Peachtree Corners, advanced to the Round of 16.
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 23
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Let Us Connect You Alpharetta-Roswell Herald Delivers to 28,000 households every Thursday Zip Codes: 30005, 30009, 30022, 30075, 30076. Alpharetta & Roswell’s primary news source. Est. 1983. Alpharetta’s paper of record.
Johns Creek Herald Delivers to 20,000 households every Thursday Zip Codes: 30022, 30097. Johns Creek’s primary news source. Est. 1997. Johns Creek’s paper of record.
Northside Woman 18,000 copies distributed monthly to subdivisions and business in North Fulton and South Forsyth with home delivery to 40+ of the most exclusive gated and estate communities in North Atlanta.
Forsyth Herald Delivers to 17,000 households every Thursday Zip Codes: 30040, 30041. Forsyth County’s largest circulation newspaper. Est. 1998
Milton Herald Delivers to 10,000 households every Thursday Zip Code: 30004. Community news for and about the City of Milton. Est. 2006. Milton’s paper of record.
Answer Books 40,000 copies distributed quarterly to local real estate agents, doctors, chambers of commerce, visitor’s bureaus as well as personal homes. Each quarter has a different focus including education, relocation, medical and seniors
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24 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
COMMUNITY
Public feedback spurs clarification to Wills Park planning procedure By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Patrons will get another crack at helping draft a master plan for Alpharetta’s green jewel, Wills Park, and its Equestrian Center. That’s good news to a large segment of residents who were not happy with what they thought the city was proposing. After months of workshops and online surveys, the city’s website had presented three options for upgrades that drew more than a little criticism. At an Aug. 6 City Council workshop on the subject, Parks and Recreation Director Morgan Rodgers said he wants to clarify where the process is at. “With only three options available online to choose from, I can understand
how many people reasoned those proposals presented were the final design choices,” Rodgers said. “That simply was not true.” The parks director said he should have done a better job explaining the proposals and how they fit in with the ongoing process. Residents in attendance at the workshop said they were disappointed by the choices presented on the website which have subsequently been removed. Several residents spoke in favor of increasing the size of the dog park. “This is a great dog park. It’s a huge area,” said eight-year resident Kim Waitz, a dog owner who has helped form a citizens group to advocate for the amenity. Waitz thanked Rodgers for the clarifi-
CITY OF MILTON Request for Proposal ~ REISSUANCE Investment Services and Administration for 401 & 457 Plans RFP NUMBER 18-HR01(R) Sealed Proposals Due Date: September 11, 2018, 2018 2:00PM Local Time Milton City Hall To be publicly opened approximately 2:05PM in the Council Chambers 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 Investment Services and Administration for 401 & 457 Plans will be posted on the following websites the week of August 16, 2018. http://www.cityofmiltonga.us or http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp
The overriding response was that Wills Park is a great park, let’s just make it better.” Morgan Rodgers Alpharetta Parks and Recreation Director cation on the planning process and told council members she has had more than 400 people who have come forward to join their group in the past 10 days. She said the business community has also been supportive of the effort. She said she would like to see the dog park expanded, and she and her group were adamantly opposed to any effort to reduce its size. Rodgers said the park plan options were drawn up by project consultant Jacobs, and they included information garnered from a series of public input sessions and online surveys. The plan was begun, he said, because the park lacked a sense of cohesion with no set order to the many facilities sprinkled within its expansive confines. In addition, Rodgers said bathrooms are too small to meet current demand, the infrastructure is aging, wooded areas are not being used to their potential, the Equestrian Center is in need of major upgrades and both the recreation center on Wills Road and the Community Center are too small and limited for demand. The three proposals presented by Jacobs were intended to be a starting point for discussion, Rodgers said. They also didn’t consider costs or the feasibility of moving some facilities to other parks. “As I’m sure you’re aware, a great
deal of feedback has been generated by this process,” Rodgers said. “Well over 1,000 persons responded to the survey online, and there were a total 1,625 comments online about those proposals.” There weren’t many who liked the three drafts. “The overriding response was that Wills Park is a great park, let’s just make it better,” Rodgers said. “Let’s don’t necessarily move things around. Let’s don’t lose any of the things, like the dog park.” The Parks Department has set up a new schedule to refine the master plan to include the latest flurry of public sentiment. The next step will be for Jacobs to read the comments and use them to craft another draft plan that will be available in early September, Rodgers said. Residents will be able to post comments about the new plan for a minimum of two weeks. The plan will then go before the Alpharetta Recreation Commission for review on Sept. 13. A public hearing will be held on the document at 6 p.m., Sept. 20 at City Hall. Then, the Recreation Commission will formally consider the plan Oct. 9, and it will be brought before the City Council probably later that same month. “The staff has met with Jacobs and made sure they heard the citizens from this input,” Rodgers said. “I want to make sure that the citizens understand that there’s plenty of opportunity as we move forward for input.” Outside of the upcoming public meetings on the subject, Rodgers invited residents to contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 678-2976103 with their thoughts or concerns on Wills Park or email him at mrodgers@ alpharetta.ga.us.
Request foR PRoPosal ComPRehensive managed seRviCes foR it and gis
Request foR PRoPosal on-Call PluMBInG seRvICes – CIty of MIlton
RfP numBeR 18-IT01 sealed Proposals due date:
RfP nuMBeR 18-FM02 sealed Proposals Due Date:
august 28, 2018 2:00Pm local time Milton City Hall To be publicly announced at approximately 2:05PM in the Council Chambers. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.
august 30, 2018 2:00PM local time Milton City Hall To be publicly opened approximately 2:05PM in the Council Chambers 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 the Comprehensive Managed Services for IT and GIS will be posted on the following websites the week of August 9, 2018.
The City of Milton is requesting submittals from interested parties for a public private partnership. The request for sealed proposals for the City of Milton OnCall Plumbing Services will be posted on the following websites the week of August 9, 2018.
http://www.cityofmiltonga.us or http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp
http://www.cityofmiltonga.us or http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp
NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 25
DEATH NOTICES Suk Ha Baek, 72, of Suwanee, passed away July 30, 2018. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.
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Scott Bell, 49, passed away July 27, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
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Ewout Cassee, 55, of Roswell, passed away August 4, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
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Sandra Hunter, 72, of Roswell, passed away August 6, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Ronald Richardson, 59, of Alpharetta, passed away July 29, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Clara Nalls, 87, of Roswell, passed away July 25, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors.
Behzad Rozei, 55, of Alpharetta, passed away July 25, 2018. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.
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Ernst Schuckmann, 89, of Roswell, passed away July 30, 2018. Arrangements by Roswell Funeral Home.
Willard Stone, 56, of Cumming, passed away July 31, 2018. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home. Clara Watson, 83, of Cumming, passed away July 27, 2018. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors. Lester Miles Wolfe, 82, of Cumming, passed away August 8, 2018. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home.
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Communications/Marketing Manager: Implement comprehensive communications and public relations plan including outreach opportunities, electronic, print and branded materials; social media; speakers bureau. Requires strong oral and written skills. NFCC is a locally supported, volunteer based organization serving a diverse population in North Fulton with emergency needs. Background check, drug screen and e-Verify required. Job description and application available or submit resume, cover letter, writing sample and salary history to info@ nfcchelp.org. Donation Door Supervisor: Supervise Thrift Shop donation intake and back door volunteers. Requires heavy lifting. NFCC is a locally supported nonprofit organization serving the community of North Fulton. Background check, drug screen and e-Verify required. Job description and application available at 11270 Elkins Road, Roswell 30076 or submit resume to Tina Adams tadams@nfcchelp.org
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15-hour per week position with flexible hours. A H/S diploma or GED equivalent is required. A degree from an accredited 2 year college is preferred. Competence in building maintenance and grounds keeping are essential. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, have good interpersonal, computer and organizational skills. The job requires successful completion of a criminal records and child abuse background check, a valid driver’s license and the ability to perform physical tasks that include climbing ladders, lifting and carrying supplies and moving tables/chairs. Please send resume or letter with qualifications to: alpharettajobopening@gmail.com. Part-time TEACHERS APC Dayschool in Alpharetta is currently seeking dedicated 18-month teacher & music teacher for part-day classes of children 2-4 years of age. Interested applicants, please contact Wendy Curl, wendy@ alpharettapres.com. FRAME YOUR AD Do you want your ad to stand out? Ask your classified sales rep how you can enhance your in-column line ad with a
BORDER.
Appen Media Group 770-442-3278
Part-time
Now Hiring
Grant Writer: Part-time. Grant Writer will research, prepare, submit and manage grant proposals to fund NFCC programs and operations. Requires excellent writing and communication skills and proven track record securing grant awards. BA and 3 years’ experience nonprofit environment. . NFCC is a locally supported, volunteer based organization serving a diverse population in North Fulton with emergency needs. Drug free workplace, eVerify. Job description available or submit resume, cover letter, writing sample and salary history to info@nfcchelp.org
*Some Restrictions
Situations Wanted
Garage Sale
Furniture
Telecommuting Staff Attorney/GC (Part or full-time) 40 years experience in 54 countries. Save your company $$! Arrangement TBD. 706-760-6800 (leave message)
Huge Garage Sale Friday August 17 & Sat 18 8-4. 2665 Hopewell Plantation Dr. Alpharetta
HAMMOCK STAND, 15’, good condition. $50. 770-640-6250
Sales Garage Sale JOHNS CREEK Multi family; Silver Ridge Subdivision; Corner of Jones Bridge and Taylor Road 30022. Saturday, 8/18, 8am-1pm. Multi-Family Yard Sale Aug. 17-18 8AM-3PM Longlake Subdivision 1060 Ballington Dr. 30041
CUMMING/30040 Multi-church! Cumming Methodist, 770 Canton Highway. Friday 8/17, 9am-8pm, Saturday 8/18, 8am-12pm.
Bargains Building Supplies A L U M I N U M LADDER, 28’, 2 parts $100. 404-312-8719 Collectibles C H R I S T M A S DECOR: White bear 23”wX36”h, $125. 770-855-9772
MAPLE DINING ROOM HUTCH, $200. 770-753-4367 BEDROOM SUITE: Exquisite ash contemporary modern. Tallboy dresser, mirrored dresser (60” wide), headboard with side drawers, double bed $5000. 404-750-3329 CHERRY HUNT TABLE with mirror, $700. 404-889-3233 VANITY DESK: Dark oak, mirror, 3 drawers, new $50. 678-663-5953 BARSTOOLS (3) 30” cherry $300. 404-889-3233
MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued on page 26
Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com 26 | August 16, 2018 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com
MAIN CLASSIFIEDS continued from page 25 Furniture
Household
Recreation
FREE-Sofa bed, queen size, good mattress. Royal blue. You haul. 812-243-1575
Refrigerator/Freezer: White GE Profile side-by-side, $125. 678-428-4157
R A D I O CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT: 8-scale PT-17 Stearman $225. AT-6 North American Trainer, retractable landing gear & flaps $225. Amphibian float plane $125. Quarter-scale aircraft Piper J-3, fuel classic aircraft scale $900. Carbon Cub quarter-scalefuel $900. Quarterscale Champion Citbra, flaps $1150. Many many more! All mint, uncrashed condition; as new. 770-354-7340
Medical Equipment
POTTERY BARN SUMNER TABLE 6 WYNN CHAIRS-2 LEAVES Overall E L E C T R I C 76”x40” Extends to MOTORIZED LIFT CHAIR: Gently used, 120” $900 black leather. $300. BEIGE LEATHER 216-789-4422 CHAIR with footstool, good condition $100. R E C L I N I N G WHEELCHAIR: 770-640-6250 Navy leather. W I N G B A C K Hardly used. $300. CHAIRS-2: wooden 470-695-7072 frame, need to be recovered $50/both. Miscellaneous 770-640-6250 BrandTEAK DINING- CROCS: new aqua Dansko ROOM SUITE: 7-1/2/8, Danish modern, womans (Originally 6-table setting, 80” $75 wide hutch, 32” wide $128). 678-663-5953 bar on rollers $5000. F R I G I D A I R E 404-750-3329. FREEZER $125.
MAPLE DINING 404-889-3233 ROOM HUTCH, DINING ROOM $200. 770-753-4367 TABLE, glass DINING ROOM top, cherry inlay, covered rollTABLE, glass 6 top, cherry inlay, back chairs $800. 6 covered roll- 404-889-3233 back chairs $800. YAMAHA kids’ 404-889-3233 4-WHEELER $100. OPEN HUTCH, solid 404-889-3233 cherry/brass. $400. POLARIS Kids’ 770-753-4367 4-Wheeler $100. SLEIGH BED, 404-889-3233 cherry/mahogany queen, Downsizing. STROLLERS $40. Excellent condition! 404-889-3233 Pictures on request. Musical $575. 404-788-4676 Instruments Garden/Lawn PIANO, Baby Grand: case, ‘99 John Deere Gator Elegant bench; 6x4! Automatic, matching Curtis Hard Cab warm, rich tone. Top, $1,020. Call Sacrifice $1650 obo. 678-445-3654 7706485804
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BOSE RADIO, good condition $75. 770-640-6250 12ft Gheenoe, good condition, great for fishing, $500 OBO, 404-374-9063
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SKIS, BOOTS, POLES, womens’ INVESTORS and mens’ 7/1/2 WANTED and 9-1/2. $400. Used car dealer with 404-889-3233 8 years experience looking for investors. Cemetery Great return! Many references. G R E E N L A W N - Call/text William ROSWELL garden 404-446-6146 of Fountains, Lots 24C, 3 and 4. $7500. Instruction both negotiable. 770-475-7624 Classes Greenlawn/Roswell 2 lots, Garden of M AT H E M AT I C S : Prayers Section. Many students $5000 each. 641- advanced to 799-5529 or email Ivy league. 20 b e v e r l y L 0 6 0 2 @ years advanced yahoo.com e x p e r i e n c e , especially SAT. GREENLAWN KAIST Mathematics CEMETERY Purdue 2 great lots, Fountain B.S. Mathematics M.S. Side. Open and close graves being Your home $35/ paid for. Price $8000. hour. 404-933-7094. Email: jake4228@ pauljkim1@yahoo. com att.net
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Concrete/Asphalt
Driveway
Gutters
Heating, Air, Plumbing servicing and install. Insured Certification #859293363150. 678-756-2059 manthonyhvac@ gmail.com
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REPAIR or REPLACEMENT Driveways, patios, sidewalks, walls. $150 off any job over $1500. Residential or Commercial. For a FREE estimate call Dave of McKemey Concrete and Hardscapes 678-914-2576. Competitive pricing. Many local references
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Air Conditioning Air Plus Co Inc. 24/7 Service Service / Installation Affordable Rates Residential / Commercial Will Beat all written estimates 30 yrs. exp. Licensed and Insured Call Steve 678-270-8108 (cell) Cleaning Services ESTATE HOME CLEAN UP Divorcing? Loved one going into senior care? Specialized detailed cleaning, packing boxes with list of items. Debris clean-up, charity donation, interior/ exterior window cleaning, pressure washing. Loving Hands by JW and Company Inc. 678463-4577. jennifer@ jwcompanyinc.com
Home Improvement
Finegan Home Improvements LLC: License $150 OFF any job # R B Q A 0 0 4932. over $1500 Remodeling, New or Repair: handyman. 31 Driveways, patios, years experience. sidewalks, walls. Basements finished, Residential or Handyman decks, screen Commercial. porches, doors, Call for FREE Kitchen, Bath: drywall, painting, estimate. Plumbing, Electrical flooring, custom Ask for Dave Drywall; Other kitchens, bathrooms. McKemey. Repairs/Installations. All insurance. 678-648-2010. Home Maintenance. Paul Finegan Professional, Senior discounts and 404-353-5611 competitive, many affordable rates! 20 local references. Electricians years experience. Pinestraw Mike 678-986-4833 RETAINING WALLS ELECTRICAL, & CONCRETE ALL CARPENTRY PINESTRAW, mulch CEILING FANS WORK & REPAIRS: Roof delivery/installation and OUTLETS. We build retaining Leaks, Wood Rot available. Firewood Michael at walls. Local, reliable, Call Repair, Siding, available. Licensed, honest, experienced. 6 7 8 - 7 5 6 - 2 0 5 9 . Deck Repairs insured. Angels of Pinestraw Call Ralph at m a n t h o n y h v a c @ and Refinishing, Earth gmail.com a n d Mulch. 678-898-7237 Painting, Doors/ 770-831-3612. Anything electrical Windows. Excellent Deck including new R e f e r e n c e s . Tree Services installs, repairs, 404-895-0260 OUTBACK DECK designs, consulting, RELIABLE HOME Yellow Ribbon INC troubleshooting & REPAIRS: Tree. Near perfect Composite decks/ wi-fi cameras for 22 years reviews and awardHardwood decks/ all your security experience. winning service. Porches by design. needs. Terry @ R e f e r e n c e s . Hands on owner. Life Happens- 770-449-4959 E l ec tri c al , Free estimates and Outback! p l u m b i n g , insured. 770Tree. Flooring If you can dream carpentry, wood com 770-744-2200 it,we can build it! rot repair, siding, and ask for Gary. I n s t a l l / 678-262-4113 painting, pressure Repairs: Carpet, OutBackDeck.net 404Cuttree. One of washing. Free Laminate, Tile, e s t i m a t e s ! the most experienced Vinyl Wood floors, 770-605-0340 and reliable tree Backsplashes, companies in North and Shower Atlanta. Perfect Home surrounds. Carpet reviews and reliable, Improvement wrinkles removed! professional, and Call today for estimate! honest service. Phillips Home Free quotes. Fully 706-429-4453 Improvement 770Tree. P H I L L I P S We offer drywall, insured. com 678-506-0006 F L O O R I N G painting, carpentry, H a r d w o o d , plumbing and Thanks for laminate, carpet & electrical. Basements tile installation and finished, kitchen and Reading The repairs. We do tile bath rehabs. All Classifieds! floors, showers, tub types flooring. Also surrounds and kitchen total home rehab Check us b a c k - s p l a s h e s . for those who have out online: Re-grouting is a rental house or also available. Call one to sell. Call 678appenmedia 678-887-1868 for 887-1868 for a free group.com free estimate. estimate
CALL 770-442-3278 TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SERVICE DIRECTORY TODAY!
NorthFulton.com | Alpharetta-Roswell NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 27
CADNET ADS
Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license identification or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it’s illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in U.S. dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.
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28 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
2018 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW
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August 16, 2018 | Nor thFulton.com An Appen Media Group Publication
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ON THE COVER: Ridge Polk, Cambridge, Wide Receiver, Senior Photo by Beja Barnett
2 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Three new coaches to lead local teams By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON/FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — There are far fewer new head coaches in North Fulton and Forsyth County for the 2018 season compared to last year, when seven coaches took over programs. But new faces will be on the sidelines for three area schools. None of the new program leaders are new to head coach positions, and one is not new to his program. Jeff Pickren returns to lead King’s Ridge after leading the Tigers from 2008-2015. After stepping down following the 2015 season, he soon returned to fill a void left at offensive line coach. He replaces Jimmy Chupp who went 6-14 in his two years at the helm. In Pickren’s first tenure the Tigers went 23-43. Pickren also began the Mount Pisgah program. One of the state’s most experienced coaches, Frank Barden, has taken over at St. Francis. Barden has held a head coach position in the state since 1994 and has led his teams to 189 combined wins, seven region championships and a state title. After leading Pickens for two seasons,
Tenures for head coaches at current schools for 2018 season Coach School No. of seasons Jeff Pickren King’s Ridge 9 seasons (2008 – 2015, 2018) Jeff Arnette South Forsyth 9th season Tim McFarlin Blessed Trinity 8th season Craig Bennett Cambridge 7th season Al Morrell Fellowship Christian 6th season Mike Forrester Mount Pisgah 6th season Jacob Nichols Alpharetta 5th season Vince Strine Chattahoochee 5th season Louis Daniel Lambert 5th season Frank Hepler Forsyth Central 3rd season Robert Craft North Forsyth 3rd season Terence Mathis Pinecrest Academy 2nd season Michael Perry Centennial 2nd season Matt Helmerich Johns Creek 2nd season James Thomson Northview 2nd season Adam Clack Milton 2nd season Matt Kemper Roswell 2nd season Shawn Cahill West Forsyth 2nd season Terry Crowder Denmark 1st season Frank Barden St. Francis 1st season Barden took the head coach position at Cartersville and spent the next 18 seasons leading the Canes. Cartersville captured seven region titles and the 1999 state championship under Barden
and made the playoffs 11 times. In 2014 Barden left the Canes to lead Stephens County to a 29-15 overall record and three playoff appearances in four seasons.
Denmark High will be under the guidance of Terry Crowder in its inaugural season. Crowder led the Chattahoochee program for nine seasons beginning in 2004. Under his direction, the Cougars compiled a 60-40 record, captured two region championships and went 15-0 in 2010 and won the program’s only state championship. In 2013, Crowder was named the head coach at Creekview. In his five years at the helm, the Grizzlies went 31-22 and earned three trips to the state playoffs. Several new coaches from 2017 have settled in for their second year. Milton head coach Adam Clack, Centennial’s Michael Perry and Shawn Cahill of West Forsyth all led their programs to winning seasons last year. Matt Helmerich of Johns Creek, Northview’s James Thomson, Roswell’s Matt Kemper and Pinecrest Academy’s Terence Mathis will look to build off their initial seasons with their respective programs. Robert Craft and Frank Hepler, with North Forsyth and Foryth Central, will be in the third year of their tenures this year.
Two local region schedules altered for 2018 season By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com NORTH FULTON/FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Region 7-AAAA and Region 7-AAAAAA teams will face updated schedules this year after playing the same string of region opponents the past two years. Two new teams will square off against Blessed Trinity in Region 7-AAAA, including Forsyth County’s Denmark High in its inaugural season. Also added to the fray is Flowery Branch which joins after playing in Class 5A for the past six seasons and is coming off a 9-3 mark in 2017. Blessed Trinity and Denmark will meet for the first time on Oct. 15. BT will start its region slate of games against West Hall. In 2016 and 2017, the two teams met in the regular season finale. No new teams have been added to Region 7-AAAAAA, but when each meets is different from the past two seasons. Alpharetta and Centennial, who placed first and second in the region last season, will face off in the midseason, a departure from the past two years when they opened against each other in region play. It’s the same story for Cambridge and Chattahoochee who will now face off in late September. Hooch begins its region
Daniel Gladwell
Chattahoochee and Cambridge will now square off in the midseason with updates to the Region 7-AAAAAA schedule. schedule against its two crosstown rivals, Northview and Johns Creek. Northview and Centennial will close out their regular seasons against each other after having squared off in the midseason for the past two years. They
faced off in the final week of play in 2014 and 2015. In Region 4-AAAAAAA, Roswell faces a minor alteration to its schedule and now opens region play against Cherokee. The two teams have met in the latter
part of the season for the past seven seasons, including the regular season finale from 2016-17. Only minor changes were in store for Region 6-A teams and no changes were made to the 5-AAAAAAA slate.
Football Preview 2018
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 3
WE ARE TH E
Home TEAM
Wis h i n g a l l th e Te a ms a Su cces sfu l Fo otb a l l Se a s o n! RUSSO & ASSOCIATES 770-712-0622 c. | 678-461-8700 o. Annemarie.Russo@HarryNorman.com SellingLuxuryLifeStyles.com
4 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Milton raises expectations after 2017 campaign Eagles hope to build on last year’s success By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — While Milton enters the season on the back of one its most successful runs in program history, secondyear head coach Adam Clack said this season will serve as indication as to whether the program is headed in the right direction. “The measure of success for last season is how we do this year,” Clack said. “It will show if we established the culture of the program that these guys can pick up and run with. We’re challenging the guys more and more each day to improve on what they’ve shown us they can do.” Clack said the team’s transition under his leadership, and multiple assistant coaches, led to a somewhat slow start last year though the Eagles won five of their first six games. But near the end of the regular season, Clack said the team began to click, and he hopes to see that momentum will continue in year two. Along with the hype surrounding one of the best season’s in Milton’s 68-year history comes a host of opportunities. For the Eagles, that includes opening the season against Archer in the Corky Kell Classic and hosting Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.) and the Freedom Bowl, which will bring together 12 top-tier programs from around the country. Their non-region schedule also includes rivalry contests with Roswell and Alpharetta and a trip to Parkview. “No game should be bigger than the next, but we want to use those nonregion games to test our guys and put them in different environments with more exposure to big games and big rivalries,” Clack said. “No matter what the win/loss column says, we will use those games to motivate us and it should make us better prepared for region games.” Milton placed second to South Forsyth in last year’s Region 5-AAAAAAA race in what Clack called one the most talented and best-coached regions in the state. “We’ll never take our region opponents for granted,” Clack said. “South Forsyth has shown they can go toe-totoe with anybody. West and Lambert have a long history of good programs, and I think North Forsyth and Central are on the rise. I think this region is getting better and better and you never know who is going to take that next step.” The next step for the Eagles is to
Photo by Joe Parker/Herald
Wide receiver and cornerback Syaire Waters returns for his senior campaign with the Eagles this year. As a junior, he had 20 receptions for 348 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for 74 yards with a touchdown. He also had 19 total tackles and an interception. continue to build off the 2017 campaign, Clack said. “This group’s task is going to be to pick up where they left off, not just to get to that line but to improve on it,” he said. “We have extremely high expectations for this squad.” Hoping to continue his standout career is returning quarterback Jordan Yates, who recently committed to Georgia Tech. The three-year starter passed for over 2,000 yards last season and rushed for 893 with 29 total touchdowns. “He can threaten defenses with the run and pass, and his numbers show he is a dynamic player,” Clack said. “But his biggest attribute is his leadership and work ethic. He is constantly pushing himself and his teammates to get better.” While Yates will be a familiar face behind center, Milton will look for new talent to emerge for the rushing attack with the graduation of last year’s leading rusher, Solomon Vanhorse.
“Right now we are trying a bunch of guys out there,” Clack said. “Josh Edwards has really stepped up and shown promise this summer. Ahmad Echols is a guy we can depend on, and we may have some guys from the defense like Jordan Davis or Joseph Charleston in. We may not have that one guy that gets a lot of the carries, but we are developing a lot of guys for our offense.” Milton’s top 2017 receiver also graduated, leaving more opportunities for Holden Shaw, Jordan Cox and Dylan Leonard. The offensive line will return just one starter from last year’s squad, but 6-foot-5, 330 lb. junior guard Paul Tchio is already fielding multiple Division 1 offers after a stellar sophomore campaign. Clack said Tchio will be a leader for the entire team and his humility and enthusiasm to play is not typical of a Power 5 recruit. Another highly touted recruit will line up defensively for the Eagles at safety,
Clemson commit Joseph Charleston. The senior is recovering from a torn labrum that kept him on the sidelines most of the offseason, but Clack said the safety gives the defense a “spark.” Offseason competition is still filling the rest of the secondary, Clack said. At linebacker, Jordan Davis returns after averaging nearly eight tackles a game last season. Milton’s front four will sport a mostly new look and also a new strategy making more substitutions on the defensive line to keep fresh bodies on the field. Clack said juniors Zander Barnett and Marcus Rangel have stood out in the offseason, but many more players will see time in the trenches. With a new season on the horizon to measure the program’s true successes, Clack said the Eagles enter 2018 with high expectations and confidence. “With that, we also know to get where we want to be we really have to bear down,” he said.
Football Preview 2018
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Football Preview 2018
Cambridge will remain under the direction of head coach Craig Bennett this season. Bennett has led the Bears since their program started in 2012.
PHOTO BY JOE PARKER
Cambridge to reestablish culture after disappointing season Bears somewhat inexperienced but ‘tough,’ coach says By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — Cambridge head coach Craig Bennett said a strong culture had been established for the Bears program prior to last year. But that waned in the 2017 campaign with the Bears dropping their first five games and ending the season with a 4-6 record. “I hang a lot of what happened last season on my shoulders,” Bennett said. “We had a good culture, and I just kind of assumed we’d have that coming back.” With that lesson learned, the Bears look to rebound this season with a relatively inexperienced roster. “We are going to look for improvement and look to gain experience,” Bennett said. “We are still going to be a little young, but that’s okay.” The Bears will have a new starting quarterback under center with graduation of Hogan Dykes. Bennett said the
spot has been up for competition in the summer with Statton Tripp earning the nod. “We’re hoping he can do some really big things, for us,” Bennett said. “He’s an accurate quarterback, and he can do some things with his feet, too.” New starters will join Tripp in the backfield, with Phillip Michael Collins and Mike Hudson leading the rushing attack. Bennett said Collins is reminiscent of Kaelin Byrd, a 2016 graduate who was a force for the Bears’ running game. While the offensive line has a good foundation, Bennett said the front five unit is somewhat inexperienced. “You can’t coach experience,” he said. “But I’m excited about the group gelling again.” The line will have experience in Kasra Bojnordi, a four-year starter. He will also line up on the defensive front. “We’re building a good offensive and defensive line group,” Bojnordi said. “Our region has a good amount of pretty stellar D-lineman, so it’s good to have a gelled unit up front.” A key for the Bears’ offensive success returns with receiver Ridge Polk. The senior had over 970 yards receiving, over
900 kick and punt return yards and anchored the defensive backs unit. “He does about as much for the team as you possibly can,” Bennett said. “There were a lot of games last year where he played every snap offensive and defense and returned every kick. We’re trying to squeeze out all we can get from him.” Bennett said while his defense does return some talent, their experience is still limited. Josh Bodunrin will start at inside linebacker after getting reps since his freshman season. He will be joined by fellow junior linebacker TJ Mowery and senior Andrew Longo. Three-year starter Daniel Graham returns to the defensive front. “We’re going to try and grow through our scrimmages and those non-region games and see if we can get better,” the head coach said. Those non-region games include Creekview and Woodstock. Creekview downed the Bears 41-28 in last year’s season opener and Woodstock is coming off a trip to the second round of the 7A playoffs. “When you cross those lines, of course you want to win those games,”
Bennett said. “But you also want to compete and build confidence against really good football teams. We are going to prepare to do what we can against them and determine where we stand.” Despite winning four of their last five Region 7-AAAAAA games in 2017, the Bears were shut out of the playoffs after losing the head to head tiebreaker with Pope. It is a region that has been hotly contested and Bennett expects no less this season. “There’s not a week you can take off,” he said. “I think there are a lot of teams right in the pack together and that’s when you get good football. I don’t think there’s anyone that will really run away with it.” As the culture is reestablished for the Bears, Bennett said this year’s squad can be summed up succinctly — they are tough. “A lot of coaches say that and it’s kind of a buzzword, but we put our kids through a lot, and we demand they are tough,” he said. “That’s what you’re going to get when you play us. We’re going to play hard, be tough-minded and let the chips fall where they may.”
Football Preview 2018
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8 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Raiders left with holes to fill Alpharetta’s youth leaves questions for team’s outlook
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By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta is coming off perhaps its best season in program history, but with the graduation of almost 30 seniors, the Raiders will look to ride the momentum of last season with a host of new faces on the sidelines. It’s a situation not unfamiliar to the Raiders. The 2014 and 2017 seasons share an uncanny amount of similarities. In both campaigns, the Raiders were seniorladen. The regular season began with a loss to Milton but included an undefeated region record and championship. Also in both seasons, the Raiders reached the second round of the playoffs. The major difference between the seasons is the Raiders bested that playoff mark with the program’s first trip to the quarterfinals last year. But with the graduation of the 2014 senior class, Alpharetta was forced to start a number of underclassmen the following year, resulting in a disappointing 5-5 season, a record the Raiders hope to avoid this year. “It was not a great season but we were highly competitive and we were in every game,” head coach Jacob Nichols said. “A few bad plays and circumstances cost us to go 5-5 instead of 7-3 or 8-2. But we’ve been here before, and our seniors were freshman at the time.” Many of those seniors will focus on maintaining Alpharetta’s defensive success of last year where the Raiders allowed an average of just 16 points per game. Returning in the trenches are senior defensive ends Jack Stanton and Jackson Michaels. Stanton compiled 48 total tackles last season and was second on the team in tackles for loss (14.5) and sacks (8.5) while Michaels had 41 tackles with five sacks. “I feel like we have the best tandem of defensive ends in this area,” Nichols said. “Both guys are trustworthy and three-year starters. I think our pass rush and our edge should be about as strong as it can be.” Another three-year starter, Reid Schulz, will lead the Raiders’ linebacker core. Schulz was third on the team in total tackles last season. While Schulz should be a mainstay at linebacker, Nichols said the Raiders have been rotating in multiple players to find
their starters but said he is “excited” about his linebacker prospects. “I think we have the most athleticism at that position as we’ve ever had,” he said. “We are also going to have them be more active than the past and more versatile.” Senior Division 1 prospect Dane Motley could also make an impact for the Raiders at linebacker, but Nichols said Motley can play just about anywhere on the defense. “He is one of the more versatile players I’ve seen in high school football in a long time,” Nichols said. “He can play in the box, he can get out of the box and cover space in the flat and he can drop back and play safety. He is a critical piece on defense.” Some of Alpharetta’s offensive firepower returns this year, but the Raiders will still look to first-year starters to make an impact. With the graduation of three-year starting quarterback Matthew Downing, offseason competition between senior Bailey Stahl and junior Will Gerdes will decide who leads the Raiders offense. “Both are pocket passers and bring great leadership,” Nichols said. “Gerdes has a little more of an ideal frame at 6-foot-3, and Bailey is new to the game having just started high school football last year. But the distance he has come from last summer to now is remarkable. The stakes are definitely high but the competition is good and keeps them on edge.” Much of the offensive line will also be fresh faces, with center William Wagner serving as the only returning starter. However, Nichols said the rest of the line has played a “considerable amount of time” and has made huge strides in the offseason. He also said the line has perhaps the most size the program has seen. The line will open gaps for returning running back Kevin Watkins who had a strong showing in 2017 while sharing carries with graduated senior Nolan Edmonds. “He’s a substantial part of our offense,” Nichols said. “He’s a strong runner, a great receiver out of the backfield and makes an impact with his blocking.” Alpharetta lost its four top receivers to graduation, but senior Robbie Ruppel returns after making key receptions for the Raiders last year. “[Ruppel] is an explosive player and we expect big things from him this year,” Nichols said. Senior Josh Grant, whom Nichols said is one of the most athletic players on the team, should also serve as a go-to receiver. With a host of emerging talent, Al-
Football Preview 2018
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 9
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Wide receiver Robbie Ruppel will complete his senior season with the Raiders this year. He made 17 receptions for 198 yards with two touchdowns last season. pharetta will sport some new schemes in 2018, including an emphasis on players competing on both sides of the ball, more personnel changes throughout the game on offense and a more pressureoriented defense. As it is every season, the goal is another region title and trip to the playoffs, Nichols said.
“The outlook is unsure because we are so young, and we really don’t know a lot about our region opponents, but I expect us to go out and compete every game and stay right where we are as far as on top of the region and in the playoffs,” Nichols said. “It is going to take hard work every week, but I think we are capable.”
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(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
JOHNS CREEK
8-17 Riverwood 8-24 @Lambert 9-7 Northview* 9-14 @Johns Creek* 9-21 Pope* 9-28 @Cambridge* 10-5 Centennial* 10-12 @Alpharetta* 10-26 @Dunwoody* 11-3 North Atlanta*
(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
CHATTAHOOCHEE
8-24 Milton 8-31 @Lanier 9-14 @Pope* 9-21 @Dunwoody* 9-28 Centennial* 10-5 @North Atlanta* 10-12 Chattahoochee* 10-19 @Northview* 10-26 Johns Creek* 11-2 Cambridge*
(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
ALPHARETTA
(Reg. 6-A Subregion B)
KING’S RIDGE
8-24 Cherokee Bluff 8-31 @North Springs 9-7 @Forsyth Central 9-14 Dawson County 9-21 @Chestatee* 9-28 West Hall* 10-5 Blessed Trinity* 10-12 @Marist* 10-19 White County* 11-2 @Flowery Branch*
(Reg. 7-AAAA)
Denmark
8-17 @St. Pius X 8-24 South Forsyth 8-31 @Woodward Academy 9-7 Benedictine 9-21 West Hall* 10-5 @Denmark* 10-12 @Flowery Branch* 10-19 @Chestatee 10-26 Marist* 11-2 White County*
(Reg. 7-AAAA)
BLESSED TRINITY
LAMBERT
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
8-17 @North Springs 8-24 @Pinecrest Academy* 9-7 Walker* 9-14 Stratford Academy 9-21 @Mount Paran* 10-5 St. Francis* 10-12 King’s Ridge* 10-19 Mount Pisgah* 10-26 @Whitefield Academy* 11-2 TBD (Region 6-A crossover)
(Reg. 6-A Subregion B)
FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN
8-17 @Creekview 8-31 Woodstock 9-7 @Dunwoody* 9-14 Centennial* 9-21 @North Atlanta* 9-28 Chattahoochee* 10-5 @Northview* 10-12 Johns Creek* 10-19 Pope* 11-2 @Alpharetta*
(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
CAMBRIDGE
MILTON
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
8-17 Chamblee 8-31 Cass 9-7 Denmark 9-14 @Lakeside, Atlanta 9-21 @Clarkston 10-5 @North Forsyth* 10-12 West Forsyth* 10-19 @Milton* 10-26 South Forsyth* 11-2 @Lambert*
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
FORSYTH CENTRAL
8-17 Northside, Warner Robins 8-31 @Roswell 9-7 Pope* 9-14 @Cambridge* 9-28 @Alpharetta* 10-5 @Chattahoochee* 10-12 Dunwoody* 10-19 @Johns Creek* 10-26 North Atlanta* 11-2 Northview*
(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
CENTENNIAL
10 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
(Reg. 4-AAAAAAA) 8-24 Campbell 8-31 Centennial 9-7 @West Forsyth 9-14 @Milton 9-21 @Wheeler 10-5 Cherokee* 10-12 Lassiter* 10-19 @Walton 10-26 Woodstock* 11-2 @Etowah
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
8-17 @Sprayberry 8-24 @Blessed Trinity 8-31 Etowah 9-7 South Gwinnett 9-21 @Hillgrove 10-5 @Lambert* 10-12 Milton* 10-19 North Forsyth* 10-26 @Forsyth Central* 11-2 West Forsyth*
SOUTH FORSYTH
8-17 Cherokee 8-24 @Gainesville 8-31 Northview 9-14 @Kennesaw Mountain 9-21 @Woodstock 10-5 Forsyth Central* 10-12 Lambert* 10-19 @South Forsyth* 10-26 @West Forsyth* 11-2 Milton*
NORTH FORSYTH
8-17 @Riverside Military Academy 8-24 Providence Christian 9-14 Mount Paran* 9-21 @Mount Pisgah* 9-28 Whitefield Academy* 10-5 @Walker* 10-12 @Fellowship Christian* 10-19 Pinecrest Academy* 10-26 @St. Francis* 11-2 TBD (Region crossover game)
(Reg. 7-AAAAAA)
(Reg. 6-A Subregion B) 8-24 North Cobb Christian 8-31 Mount Pisgah* 9-7 @Lakeview Academy 9-21 @Whitefield Academy* 9-28 Walker* 10-5 @Fellowship Christian* 10-12 @Pinecrest Academy* 10-19 @Mount Paran* 10-26 King’s Ridge* 11-2 TBD (Region crossover game)
St. Francis
8-24 Lakeside, Atlanta 8-31 @North Forsyth 9-7 @Chattahoochee* 9-14 Dunwoody* 9-21 @Johns Creek* 9-28 North Atlanta* 10-5 Cambridge* 10-19 Alpharetta* 10-26 @Pope* 11-2 @Centennial*
NORTHVIEW
8-17 Wheeler 8-24 Chattahoochee 8-31 @Gainesville 9-7 @Peachtree Ridge 9-21 Lanier 10-5 South Forsyth* 10-12 @North Forsyth* 10-19 @West Forsyth* 10-26 @Milton* 11-2 Forsyth Central*
(Reg. 6-A Subregion B)
(Reg. 5-AAAAAAA)
8-17 @Camden County 8-31 Hewitt-Trussville (AL) 9-7 Roswell 9-14 @Peachtree Ridge 9-21 @McCallie (TN) 10-5 @Milton* 10-12 @Forsyth Central* 10-19 Lambert* 10-26 North Forsyth* 11-2 @South Forsyth
WEST FORSYTH
8-24 Fellowship Christian* 8-31 Mount de Sales 9-7 @Athens Christian 9-14 @Whitefield Academy* 9-21 @Walker* 10-5 Mount Pisgah* 10-12 St. Francis* 10-19 @King’s Ridge* 10-26 Mount Paran* 11-2 TBD (Region crossover game)
Pinecrest Academy
8-17 Archer (Corky Kell Classic) 8-24 @Alpharetta 8-31 Cardinal Gibbons (FL) (Freedom Bowl) 9-14 Roswell 9-21 @Parkview 10-5 West Forsyth* 10-12 @South Forsyth* 10-19 Forsyth Central* 10-26 Lambert* 11-2 @North Forsyth*
Football Preview 2018
ROSWELL
8-17 Holy Innocents’ 8-24 @Mount Vernon Presbyterian 8-31 @St. Francis* 9-7 Whitefield Academy* 9-21 King’s Ridge* 9-28 @Mount Paran* 10-5 @Pinecrest Academy* 10-19 @Fellowship Christian* 10-26 Walker* 11-2 TBD (Region crossover game)
(Reg. 6-A Subregion B)
Mt. Pisgah Christian
8-17 Fairfield Central (SC) 8-25 @St. Johns Prep (DC) 9-7 @North Atlanta* 9-14 Chattahoochee* 9-21 Northview* 10-5 Pope* 10-12 @Cambridge* 10-19 Centennial* 10-26 @Alpharetta* 11-3 @Dunwoody* NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 11
12 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Blessed Trinity captured its first football state championship in 2017, defeating region rivals Marist 16-7 in the finals.
PHOTO BY JOE PARKER
Blessed Trinity poised for another state title run Titans return standouts from last year’s roster By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — A wall within Blessed Trinity’s gym is almost completely covered with state championship banners from baseball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. This year, there will be less open space on the wall thanks to Blessed Trinity’s first football state championship in 2017. The championship came after an incredible playoff run that saw the Titans down the top-three teams in the state in Class 4A before sealing the title with a win over region rivals and previously undefeated Marist. While a popular sports adage says it is often harder to repeat a title than to win the first, BT will be loaded with much of the same talent that led them to the top last year. The offense returns almost all skilled positions, and the defense, instrumental to the Titans’ state title last year, will also feature multiple returning standouts. Three-year starting quarterback Jake Smith returns to lead the offense after passing for over 2,100 yards last season with 18 touchdowns. While he puts up big numbers offensively, head coach Tim McFarlin said the senior perhaps makes even more of an impact on defense. “He has been an excellent football player and an outstanding QB, but he’s
probably an even better safety,” McFarlin said. “One of the really incredible occurrences of last season was when we got to the playoff and had to play the top-three ranked teams in the state and, between playing safety and quarterback, he never came off the field. He was a real difference maker and one of the key reasons we were able to win the Cartersville game.” The offense also returns perhaps the state’s best running back tandem in senior Steele Chambers and junior Elijah Green. Both racked up over 1,300 yards last season and combined for 33 rushing scores. “We’re extremely fortunate to have two guys like that for us,” McFarlin said. “They really embrace [sharing carries].” McFarlin said utilizing two running backs is also beneficial for the defense with Chambers starting at linebacker. He was third on the team in tackles last season. Another two-way player, Ryan Davis, returns for his senior campaign after being the go-to receiver last season and compiling four interceptions and 32 tackles in BT’s secondary. While Davis had the lion’s share of receptions last year, junior Quinton Reese could provide more balance in BT’s passing game, McFarlin said. “Reese has really developed nicely, and his top-end speed allows us to stretch the field,” McFarlin said. “That will take a little pressure off [Davis] by having another good receiver.” The defense will continue to be under the purview of coordinator John Thompson who brought his three decades of collegiate coaching experience to the
Titans last year. “He brings a level of knowledge and intensity that is a little beyond what you see on most high school staffs and we’re very grateful to have him,” McFarlin said. The head coach is pleased with how his defense is shaping up in the offseason. “The fact is, the defense set the pace for our football program,” McFarlin said. “They were outstanding in our playoff run, and we look forward to more of that this year.” The defense’s strong suit should be the linebacker core and secondary, McFarlin said, led by UGA commit JD Bertrand at inside linebacker along with Chambers. Defensive end JR Bivens also returns after leading the team in tackles (89) and sacks (10) in his junior season. Jake Lyons joins him on the defensive line. One area where the Titans will be untested is the offensive line where just two starters return. That’s nothing new for the Titans who fielded an entirely new starting five last season. Center Jack Filipowicz and right guard Jack Jacobs return to anchor the offense with Dom Maroccio and Tad Furnish stepping in at tackle. McFalin said the starting left guard position is still open to competition. Despite dropping just one contest in their challenging non-region schedule last year (that was later deemed a Marietta forfeit due to ineligible players), McFarlin said his state title team didn’t truly begin to click until later in the season, and their tough opponents
highlighted the team’s weaknesses. The Titans will again use their non-region slate of games as a proving ground as they face four teams who had a combined record of 40-11 last season. “We’re not going to get caught up on winning or losing those games,” McFarlin said. “No one likes to lose, but we learned a lot from our two losses last year and those really paid dividends for us.” BT then faces off in a reworked Region 7-AAAA that now includes Denmark, which will field former West Forsyth and South Forsyth players, and Flowery Branch who went 9-3 last year. Of course there is also the challenge of Marist who denied BT last year’s region title before the Titans won a rematch in the state championship game. “We like the expansion,” McFarlin said. “It’s definitely growing our region in talent.” If the Titans can stay healthy and continue their strong play of last season, they could be poised for another title run. While McFarlin said last year’s state title raised expectations for this year’s squad, he and his staff will work to ensure the team is grounded and understands the effort it took to win the 2017 state trophy. McFarlin added there are too many variables to say whether or not BT can repeat last year’s success. “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “In our way of thinking, we only have one game, and that is the next game. Our goal at the end of this season is to be able to look back and say we went as far as we could with what we had.”
Football Preview 2018
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 13
Centennial looks to build off of historic season Offensive firepower returns with QB Max Brosmer By CONNER EVANS interns@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Second-year coach Michael Perry looks to improve every day after Centennial High School had one of its most successful seasons in program history and won their first playoff game in 15 years. Centennial started slow last season, dropping their first three games, but won seven straight heading into the playoffs. After their first postseason win since 2002, the Knights fell in the to Mays in a 48-41 shootout. A big part of Centennial’s success last season was a potent passing offense headlined by returning senior Max Brosmer, who has offers from Ivy League schools going into the fall. “(Brosmer) made mistakes early on but got better and better as the season progressed,” Perry said. “We had to get on him all the time at first, but now he could teach the offense to someone off the street.”
Brosmer was top five in the state in passing yards last fall and will look to continue that success with a receiving core starring sophomore Julian Nixon, who already has D1 offers. They will lean heavily on him and Cal Dickie to make plays in wide receiver Blane Mason’s absence this season, Perry said. On the other side of the ball, Jack Barton and Max Able return to help lead a defense that was leaky early last year. Able led the team in tackles as a freshman, and now in his junior year, Perry says, he is a leader by example on and off the field. “Barton led the team in sacks last season, and I expect him to do the same this year,” Perry said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him do great things.” The football team has also seen success in bringing on two-sport athletes in the past few seasons, particularly from the school’s talent-rich lacrosse team, which reached the state semi-finals in each of the past two seasons. Nicky Solomon, who will play lacrosse and football
PHOTO BY JOE PARKER
Defensive tackle Mark Mason compiled 45 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks in his junior season with the Knights. at the University of North Carolina, gave the team a spark as one of the best kickers in the state last year, a position Perry said the team still needs to fill. “I miss the heck out of Nicky Solomon,” he said. “Awesome in every way, and I’ve never seen the kid without a smile on his face.” This season, lacrosse attackman Ryan Siracusa, will try varsity football for the first time as a slot receiver. The team returns most of its offensive linemen, including Will Edwards, Matt Willbanks and Brandon McGinnis, whom Perry said will improve on their
success last season. Centennial has a tough schedule early on opening against Northside Warner Robins, then traveling to rival Roswell High School. There are “no cupcakes” this year, Perry said, and that should prepare them for region play. In his second year as a head coach, Perry is more at ease, and not as much surprises him now, he said. “The expectation is to be in the present and asking ‘what are we doing right now to get better,’” he said. After last season, expectations for Centennial football will be higher than ever.
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14 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
New head coach looks to build St. Francis program By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — St. Francis’ football will look to new leadership in 2018 after hiring one of the state’s most experienced coaches to build the still fledgling program. Frank Barden was named the Knights’ new head coach earlier this year, bringing with him decades of coaching experience. Barden has held a head coach position in the state since 1994 and has led his teams to 189 combined wins, seven region championships and the 1999 state championship. While St. Francis’ athletics programs have found success in other sports, including multiple boys and girls basketball state titles, the football team has won just nine games in the last three seasons and has yet to earn a berth in the state playoffs. It is Barden’s goal to build the Knights into a winning program. “We would love to be good this year and next year, but we really are trying to build a program that has a strong foundation,” Barden said. “We have great kids, great parents, a great school and administration, we are hoping to feed off
PHOTO BY Bill Brown/whitelakestudio.com
St. Francis will be under new leadership in 2018 with experienced head coach Frank Barden tapped to lead to Knights. that and build this program.” In order to do so, Barden said a key will be increasing participation. The Knights will field just 25 players this year. Barden said conditioning has been a top priority in the offense with most of his team playing both ways. One player lost from last year’s squad is 2017 starting quarterback, Sam Hines, who is focusing on his basketball career.
Josh Harps-Zhu will lead the Knights’ two-back offense. Barden said the senior has done well in the offseason and has strong leadership abilities. Sean Paradise will return to the backfield after rushing for 1,533 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. “He has a lot of God-given talent and he is maturing and learning how to take that to the next level,” Barden said. Harps-Zhu will look to go-to receivers
in junior Zay Wadsworth, Jai Smith and Hunter Jones. Leading the offensive push is a more experienced unit this year that includes two of the Knights’ five seniors, center Kevin Harper and tackle Cole Reynolds. “I’m very pleased with how the offensive line is shaping up,” Barden said. “They were young last year and had to learn by going through the fire, but they have that experience coming back.” Many of the offensive lineman will also start on the defensive front, including Troy Beasley, Darron Willis and Jakwan Everson. Josh Gil and Ayden Prigoff will lead the linebackers with Harps-Zhu, Smith and Wadsworth in the secondary. Though he has yet to see much of the Knights’ region competition in action, Barden said he knows the strength of teams in Region 6-A, and it is his goal to put St. Francis in the talks of the region’s top teams. “It’s going to be a huge challenge to step up to the level those teams are,” he said. “But we want to put a good product on the field, control us, let the season play out and we’ll see what happens. We’ll give a great effort and see if we can attain some of our goals.”
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Football Preview 2018
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 15
Pickren to lead King’s Ridge in return stint By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. — King’s Ridge will have a familiar face leading the program this season with Jeff Pickren back at the helm. Pickren has served on the Tigers’ coaching staff since the program began and was named the first head coach. After leading King’s Ridge from 2008-2015, Pickren stepped down but soon rejoined the team as offensive line coach. He is looking forward to his second tenure as head coach this season. “It’s been a seamless transition, and right now I’m enjoying coaching football as I ever have,” Pickren said. The Tigers are still searching for their first winning season and first playoff appearance in their ninth full season. Pickren said his seniors are hungry and motivated to succeed. “Our seniors have been through a lot,” he said. “They were 1-9, 4-6 and then 2-8. They really want to have some success.” The goal this season is to erase the team’s streak of losing seasons and finally take the next step into the postseason. “I feel like we have a great group of kids, and I think that is a legitimate goal
PHOTO From King’s Ridge
Linebacker and running back Kaleb Harris returns to the Tigers for his senior season after having an impressive showing on both sides of the ball in 2017. for this season,” Pickren said. In order to reach those marks, the Tigers’ offense will again run the triple option after implementing the scheme ahead of the 2017 season.
Pickren said there were some growing pains with the new system, but with a year of experience under their belts, the Tigers should be more efficient this season. “It’s one thing to tell the kids how to do something but it’s another to do it and see it firsthand,” Pickren said. “And because not a lot of teams we play see the triple option, last year we didn’t quite know what to expect from other teams in how they were going to try and stop it. Now we have a year behind us and we have a feel for how other teams will try and stop us.” Leading the offense at quarterback is Braxton Chadwick who split starting reps at the position last year. His father, Hunter, is the offensive coordinator and has implemented the triple option at other schools, giving Braxton a bevy of knowledge of the scheme. “He’s well-disciplined and is like a coach on the field,” Pickren said. Multiple rushers will get carries this season, and Pickren is looking to Julian Joseph, Evan Dyer and junior Nick Smith to lead the ground attack. Opening the running game will be an offensive line with “decent size,” Pickren said.
“One of the biggest things about the triple option is we don’t have to be the biggest or strongest up front, but we need five guys willing to play under a card table,” he said. “We want them that low.” The Tigers defense return multiple starters from the 2017 campaign, including 6-foot-2, 195 lb. senior defensive end Kaleb Harris. “He a big kid, very fast and an excellent tackler,” Pickren said. “He is one of those special athletes that you don’t really have to coach tons.” Jack Harrell also returns to the defensive front with seniors Christian Smith and William Kurtz at linebacker. Dyer will play both ways and anchor the secondary at free safety. “We will base out of a four-man front but you will see multiple looks,” Pickren said. “We are going to see a lot of teams who like to spread it out, and we have to have the ability to get in and out of multiple fronts and coverages.” The objective to begin the King’s Ridge turnaround will include formidable Region 6-A slate of games. “We’ve got to compete and do our best,” Pickren said. “I feel like we have a great group of kids and I’m excited to see how they match up.”
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16 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Mount Pisgah looks to fill offensive void Norwood to lead Patriots’ new attack By CONNER EVANS interns@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — After graduating star quarterback Jacob Cendoya, Mount Pisgah will have some big shoes to fill following an impressive 2017 campaign. Coach Mike Forester is confident his team will still put points on the board, even after losing one of his division’s most prolific offensive players. Cendoya’s favorite targets, Kai Williams and Trey Murphy, also graduated in 2018. Mount Pisgah lost one region game last year and made it to the second round of the playoffs before getting stymied by Savannah Country Day. The offense will have to move on without Cendoya, and Forester says the game plan will have to shift without such a great playmaker in the backfield. Pisgah will transition to a more conservative, deliberate attack, with fewer empty backfield sets like they ran last year. Forester is looking to Connor Norwood to step up under center, even though he’s spent his time as a starting safety the past three seasons.
PHOTO BY Bill Brown/whitelakestudio.com
Mount Pisgah Head Coach Mike Forester is confident his team will find success again this season, after reaching the second round of the playoffs last year. “It’s tough because we lost some good players,” Forester said. “Our focus is to fit the talent we have. Connor (Norwood) doesn’t have to be Jacob (Cendoya).” He also noted that the team no longer has the deep threat wide receiver they had last year in Williams. Instead the offense will focus more on its running game, screens and short passing, while leaning more on its seasoned defense. Forester expects wide receivers Chase Grande and Will Pascucci will provide some offensive firepower along-
side Norwood. Pisgah returns many of its key defenders from last season, including senior corner Jakob Wooten, whom Forester says will be used as their lockdown man against other teams’ top receiving threats. Three defensive lineman return and two linebackers return, which will help Pisgah shift into a true 4-3 going forward. “We’re going to try to be an attack front and not get beat deep,” he said. “We’ll be alright if we don’t give up the big play.”
Even the younger defenders might provide a spark, like sophomore lineman Nick Jackson, who Forester expects to be a leader even as an underclassman. In the past, Pisgah has struggled with a tough late season schedule, leading to some heartbreakers going into the playoffs. This season, Forester thinks the region has gotten even better and their bruises may come early in the fall against out-of-region opponents, which include Holy Innocents’ and Mount Vernon Presbyterian. “I’m worried we may have bitten off a little more than we can chew out of conference,” he said. “And it’s always going to be a war with Mount Paran and Fellowship (Christian Academy).” Forester’s goal is to have a bye going into the first round of playoffs again, something he said was a big advantage for them, even if it didn’t result in a second-round victory. There will be some extra motivation with so many key spots open this season, and Forester says he’s already seen hard work in the weight room. With Cendoya and Williams gone, repeating on last season’s success will take improvement in other areas and an offensive overhaul.
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Football Preview 2018
PHOTO BY Maura Roberts
Ryan Pike compiled over 200 all-purpose yards in his junior season with the Hornets.
Hornets focusing on future Roswell coach seeks change to team culture
By CONNER EVANS interns@appenmediagroup.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Coach Matt Kemper returns for his second season after a disappointing 3-8 campaign, where everything that could go wrong, did. Last season saw the implementation of 10 new coaches, only four returning varsity starters, a slew of injuries to key players and one of the toughest schedules in the state. A 3-8 record with a first-round playoff exit is never satisfying, but there were many factors at play in their struggles. Kemper says the progress begins with a change in culture that he’s already seen in the offseason. “At the end of last season the guys locked arms,” he said. “New leaders emerged from day one of the offseason. It was very, very tough.” His players have bought into offseason workouts more than last year, he said, as Roswell focuses on injury prevention and becoming a stronger, tougher team. Last season only 11 players could power clean 225 pounds. This year Kemper expects that number to rise to more than 40 players capable of that threshold. “We have a greater system of accountability,” he said. “They’re doing more than what’s asked, not just the minimum.”
Tripp Cooper returns from an ACL injury this year to help fill out the wide receiver core that also features Jeremy Slaughter and returning senior Ryan Pike. Kemper hopes to run a balanced offense this season, keeping the spread look and implementing more option reads, especially in the red zone. It’s still unknown who will come out on top in the quarterback race between juniors Riley Easterly and Ethan Roberts. The last three seasons, Roswell had a senior transfer starting at quarterback, but Kemper says those days are over. He is looking forward to setting a new culture and getting key players back from injury. “Easterly had just a horrible, horrible injury last year,” Kemper said. “He’s worked his way back and in some ways is even stronger than before, which is a testament to what kind of kid he is.” In the backfield, Kamonty Jett looks to be a big part of Roswell’s running game going forward as well as Sam Antona, who emerged as a leader in the offseason. Roswell brings back an offensive line with more experience, including Alek Nikolich at center. Hitting the weight room will be a top priority, Kemper said. “We never had a game last year where the offensive line said they were stronger than the other guys,” he said. Roswell’s defense still has a few gaps to fill with linebacker depth and quality cornerbacks set as top priorities going into the season. Roswell will stick with the 3-4 front, which was part of Kemper’s defensive change last year.
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18 | August 16, 2018 | Milton Herald | NorthFulton.com
Football Preview 2018
Pinecrest has ‘nowhere to go but up’ Paladins hungry after winless 2017 campaign By JOE PARKER joe@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Second-year Pinecrest head coach Terence Mathis said there is nowhere to go but up for the Paladins after their winless 2017 season. With just five seniors on last season’s roster, a new head coach and completely new offensive and defensive schemes, the Paladins struggled through their first eight games, dropping each of the first five by over 21 points (South Forsyth’s 56-10 win was later deemed a forfeit due to an ineligible player). “We knew we had to very patient and know that we were going to grow,” Mathis said. “In the final two games of the year we lost in the last two minutes. We are going to build on that, we are not satisfied with moral victories. These guys are hungry. We have to find a way to get that winning feeling.” Mathis saw this summer the Paladins are ready to put the last campaign behind them. “We’ve had a really good off-season, and the guys are flying around and having fun,” the head coach said. “You can kind of tell when we are all on the
same page when guys are excited to go to practice.” He said there were also those who were skeptical of the changes last season, but this squad is “all in.” Senior quarterback Ryan DiFazio will continue to lead Pinecrest’s pro-style offense after starting the final two games of last season. “He has started right back where he left off last year,” Mathis said. “His football IQ is amazing and he is going to be careful with the ball.” Senior Patrick Sutherland will lead the rushing attack behind an experienced offensive line which replaces just one starter. Sutherland also lines up defensively at inside linebacker. Much of last year’s talent returns defensively, including 6-foot-2, 230 lb. defensive end Stone Brown. “He is one of those guys that causes havoc in the backfield,” Mathis said. The defensive unit will be led by a new coordinator and Mathis said his players are “playing without thinking.” “That’s what you want,” he said. “You see a defense that is sure of themselves, they fly around the field and are physical. Hopefully we can create some turn-
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David Stubbs returns to the Paladins for his senior season. overs with it this year.” The Paladins will be tested early while seeking their first on-field win since November of 2016. The season opens with a region game against Region 6-A foe Fellowship Christian and a nonregion contest against Mount de Sales. Both programs reached the playoffs last season. “We won’t be taking those first two games as a guide,” Mathis said. “We have to come out of the gate fast. The
first impression is lasting.” Pinecrest will also focus on reaching the top of the 6-A standings and a return to the postseason. Mathis believes his seniors can lead the team to those goals. “This group has bought in from day one,” he said. “We have strong leadership in our seniors, they have been playing together for a long time, and I think that will play out well for us because they know and trust each other.”
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Football Preview 2018
NorthFulton.com | Milton Herald | August 16, 2018 | 19
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Football Preview 2018
GAME ON. Wishing our players a safe season and a successful 2018 - 2019 school year. As a resident of this community, I am dedicated to providing you, your family and friends, with an exceptional real estate experience. If you are thinking of buying or selling this fall, please contact me. Let’s position you to win in this competitive real estate market.
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M I C H E LE G A LLAG H E R c. 678.910.4310 o. 770.442.7300 michele@atlantafinehomes.com atlantafinehomes.com | sothebysrealty.com ©MMXVIII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.