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Skaters pack The Cooler for Olympics bid By TIFFANY MORGAN newsroom@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 400 figure skaters from across the country broke the ice at The Cooler in Alpharetta Nov. 16-20 for a shot to qualify for the 2022 Olympics. Alpharetta was one of eight venues where skaters could compete in the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series presented by Toyota. Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Janet Rogers said the series was set to draw 440 skaters from all over the U.S. to compete in Singles figure skating and Ice Dance. Hosting such a high-profile event showcases Alpharetta, placing the city in the minds of people worldwide, Rogers said. “We are excited to host the best figure skaters in our country and show them our Alpharetta hospitality,” Rogers said. “It is also incredibly beneficial for all of Alpharetta’s tourism and hospitality businesses.” Dylan Cain, 13, and Olivia Ilin, 12, members of the Washington Figure Skating Club out of Maryland, are one of the pairs that train year-round, practicing five days a week after school. Their training consists of on-ice instruction, spin and performance lessons, off-ice conditioning and dance classes. Cain and Ilin compete in the Novice category. Novice skaters are generally required to skate two pattern dances and one free skate. The pattern dances for the 2021-22 season were the Westminster Waltz and the Blues. Their coach, Dmytri Ilin, prepare Cain and Ilin’s free dance in the early spring.
Kingsley Estates residents petition to privatize roads By CHAMIAN CRUZ chamian@appenmedia.com
“I was proud of how we skated, and it felt great knowing that all of our hard work resulted in two gold medal performances in the Championship Series,” Cain said. “I’m looking forward to continuing training and to what the future holds for us.” Rodgers said the competition not only brings figure skaters, but their families, teams, judges and others involved in the performances, showcasing Alpharetta’s eateries, retail stores and other attractions. The Alpharetta event is a prequalifying competition prior to U.S. Figure Skating nominating athletes to the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team. After
MILTON, Ga. — The Milton City Council held the first of two public hearings Nov. 15 to consider abandoning all public rights of way for the privatization and gating of the Kingsley Estates Subdivision along Birmingham Highway. Several residents who attended the City Council meeting said they were concerned about cut-through traffic from Forsyth and Cherokee counties, where drivers often speed, fail to stop at stop signs and pass school busses. The main road, Quayside Drive, currently belongs to the City of Milton and connects Birmingham Highway to Freemanville Road. In order for the neighborhood to be able to put up a security gate, the city needs to cede its ownership of every road in the subdivision, and it would no longer be responsible for the upkeep of the roads, street lights or stormwater system. Angela Greene, a resident of the Kingsley Estates Subdivision and vice president of the homeowners association, said she is concerned about the safety of the neighborhood’s children
See SKATING, Page 24
See TRAFFIC, Page 29
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From left, Anna Sophia O’Brien, Steven Wei, Blake Gilman, Julia Epps, Dylan Cain, Olivia Ilin, Sylvia Li and Rowan Le Coq stand at the podium with their medals at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series in Alpharetta. The process starts with a concept and the selection of music. Then, choreography and costumes are designed to match. The novice level competition series starts in June and runs through November. Like all young competitors, Cain and Ilin are responsible for keeping up with their studies. Cain is in 8th grade and Ilin is in 7th. “Dylan and I worked really hard this season, and it was great that our commitment to our training paid off,” Ilin said. “It was amazing to win both the Championship Series events and earn a personal best score in Atlanta.” Cain said the training leading up to the competition was well-worth their efforts.
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