Cherokee Ledger Monthly - May 2025

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Busy times for Cherokee

Spring is well underway here in Cherokee County, and the end of the school year and high school graduations are just around the corner.

We recently celebrated our Best of Cherokee contest winners at our annual showcase event in Canton, and I enjoyed meeting some of you there, and seeing several hundred people show up to celebrate their favorite local businesses. I’m grateful to all the members of our team who worked hard to make this event a success, as well as to everyone who sponsored it.

I hope we’ll see some of you at our event next year, and hopefully it will be even bigger and better.

In our cover story for this issue, step inside Gibbs Gardens in north Cherokee County, get to know founder Jim Gibbs and learn what goes into building and maintaining a nationally recognized botanical garden.

Also in this issue, see what Cherokee County school board members approved in their annual budget, and candidates who have announced for Georgia State Senate.

In Community, hear from Woodstock’s Ethan Senger about his experience competing on ‘American Idol.’ And check out a local veteran who was recently recognized for his WWII service — his 103rd birthday is July 10!

In our sports section, get to know two sets of brothers who play for the River Ridge

soccer team and how their bonds contribute to the success of the state championshipwinning program. And, we’re recognizing our All-Cherokee County Boys and Girls Swim Teams, Boys Swimmer of the Year, Girls Swimmer of the Year, and Coaches of the Year for boys and girls swimming. There are all kinds of fun things to do this May here in Cherokee, including History Cherokee’s annual Derby Day celebration at the Mill on Etowah in Canton. You can see that and more community events in our calendar on Page 19.

In the Social Scene, check out scenes from our very own Best of Cherokee Showcase (winners from the contest are online at www.tribuneledgernews. com and in Cherokee Life Magazine’s Best of Cherokee issue), BBQ & Brews in Ball Ground, the Northside Hospital Foundation’s Easter egg hunt in Canton, and more.

Thanks again for reading the Cherokee Ledger.

As always, for even more local news, you can check out the Cherokee Tribune, our website www.tribuneledgernews.com, and the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger podcast.

Shannon Ballew

Managing Editor

Publisher

Lee B. garreTT

Managing Editor

Shannon BaLLeW

VP of Content Jk MUrPhy

Writers

Shannon BaLLeW

grIFFIn CaLL aghan

Sara hagen

eThan JohnSon ISaBeLLe ManderS

VP of Advertising

BoB MCCray

Circulation Director daVe goSSeTT

VP of Production doUg CroW

Photographers

L arry BL aSe

Sara hagen

roBIn rayne

anThony STaLCUP

Layout & Design

JUSTIn grIFFIn, JennIFer BroWn, PhILIP CLeMenTS

On the Cover

Sara hagen tells the story of gibbs gardens through words and photos in this issue of the Cherokee Ledger Monthly.

Volume 2, Issue 5

Community News

♦ School budget approved, 4

♦ Candidates announce intentions to run, 6

♦ News in brief, 16

Cover Story

♦ Gibbs Gardens: A national treasure, 7 Opinion

♦ Perspectives, 10

♦ Letters to the Editor, 11

♦ Soapbox, 12

Dining

♦ New coffee shops are on their way to Cherokee, 13

Entertainment & Community Events

♦ Woodstock’s Ethan Senger performs on ‘American Idol’, 17

♦ Woodstock WWII veteran honored by fellow vets ahead of 103rd birthday 18

♦ Community events 19

Sports

♦ River Ridge High’s own band of brothers, 21

♦ High school swimming honors, 22

Health

♦ Reinhardt to move nursing school to main campus, 26

♦ River Ridge earns industry certification for pathway program, 26

♦ Cervical cancer: Prevention through awareness, screening, 27

Cherokee Social Scene

♦ BBQ and Brews Festival, 29

♦ Best of Cherokee celebration, 30

Gardening

♦ All about herbs, 32

Puzzles

♦ Crossword and Sudoku, 33

Business

♦ Service Directory, 34

Ballew

NEWS School board adopts

By Ethan Johnson ejohnson@ledgernews.com

The Cherokee County Board of Education has approved an $843.8 million budget for fiscal year 2026, which includes pay raises for teachers and support staff.

The school board unanimously voted April 17 to approve Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis’ recommended budget for the next fiscal year.

The overall budget is about 8.6% down from the CCSD 2024-25 budget approved last year, which was $923.4 million.

That’s driven largely by reduced spending planned next school year for capital projects, like the construction of the new Cherokee High School. CCSD’s building fund for FY26 is $79 million lower than in the current year’s budget.

CCSD’s approved general fund is $606.3 million, up by a little over 1%, and includes a 3% pay raise for all teachers and support staff, in addition to their longevity step increases. This raise will not be extended to central office administrators.

It also includes funding to hire over 20 additional teachers, which are expected to lower class sizes in fourth and fifth grade.

The millage rate will stay the same as last year at 17.95 mills (16.45 mills for maintenance and operations plus 1.5 mills for bond debt service). This is expected to bring CCSD 1.78% more property tax revenue than the rollback M&O rate of 16.163 mills.

According to CCSD, the combined millage rate of 17.95 mills is the lowest the district has had in over 30 years.

Kelly Poole

The school board held three public hearings prior to the approval of the budget: one on April 9 and two on April 17.

Canton resident Thomas Weaver spoke to the board about homeowners’ upcoming property tax bills, saying he had hoped the board could have produced a revenue-neutral millage rate. He also thanked the board for being fiscally responsible in paying off debts.

CCSD’s budget calls for about $225.1 million for classroom teacher salaries, up $9 million from the 2024-25 budget.

The budget allots $8.3 million for comprehensive K-12 English language and math instructional resources (textbooks, workbooks like digital resources).

“At the beginning of the year when we are all asked what our budget priorities are, that the board was pretty united that we wanted to consistently cut dis -

trict office expenses and redundant programs to put that into quality teachers,” School Board Member Kelly Poole said. “You get quality teachers by paying a compensation equal to all of our peers around us.”

According to CCSD, the budget cuts operating costs across all central office divisions by 5%, or $2.4 million, and ends district contracts for redundant, duplicate and/or resources not aligned with learning standards.

It additionally shifts $1.4 million from central office funds to school-based funds to improve funding for fine arts, STEM and other classroom materials.

The budget will add one campus security monitor to support school police at three high school campuses that have multiple buildings: Cherokee, Etowah and Sequoyah. It also includes funds for body cameras for all school police officers.

“I really appreciate everything that’s been done as far as hiring new police officers. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t see on CCSD social media about the impact that they have on the school buildings by reading to kids, being there to open doors and just being a visible presence,” Poole said.

The school district’s projected enroll -

ment for September 2025 is 42,178, up 0.7% from this school year.

Next school year, CCSD is expected to have 5,564 employees, 2,936 certified teachers, 1,415 non-instructional support staff, 1,012 instructional support staff and 201 school administrators.

Of the $606.3 million in CCSD’s general fund expenditures, a little over $417 million, or 68.7%, will be appropriated directly to school instruction, per the budget. The remaining $189 million is expected to be allocated to departments having a direct impact on students, such as pupil services, instructional improvement, instructional staff training, educational media services, school administration and maintenance and operation.

In the next fiscal year, CCSD is projecting $61.8 million in revenues from the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. A little over half of that will go toward districtwide repairs and renovations, as well as network and cybersecurity enhancements. The remaining will be for debt service.

The district’s total building fund is about $132.8 million, which is made up of $99.4 million in bond proceeds and $32.9 million in Ed-SPLOST.

Beach tapped as U.S. treasurer, candidates announce campaigns for Ga. State Senate

Staff reports

At least three candidates have announced their intent to run for Georgia Senate District 21.

The District 21 Senate seat will be vacated as state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, was recently appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as Treasurer of the United States.

The district includes areas in north, east and central Cherokee and parts of north Fulton County.

The first to announce his campaign was local business owner and Republican Jason Dickerson, a lifelong Cherokee County resident. Dickerson is the co-founder of Quest Trucking and the chair of the Jason T. Dickerson Family Foundation.

Also running for the seat is Cherokee County Commissioner Steve West, a Republican businessman who has served as Cherokee County’s District One commissioner since 2014.

And, firefighter Brice Futch has announced he’s entering the race. Futch is the leader of Stand for Georgia Values, a conservative advocacy group, and a leader in the firefighter fraternity 575 F.O.O.L.S.

In his announcement, Dickerson’s campaign described him as a “political outsider” stepping up to serve the community rather than lobbyists or special interests.

“I don’t have all the answers and I’m not a typical politician. But I know how to listen, how to work hard, and how to get results,”

Dickerson said. “I’m asking for the trust of my neighbors in Cherokee County and across District 21 to stand with me and protect our conservative way of life.”

West said in his announcement that if elected, he will support Gov. Brian Kemp’s efforts to lower taxes, crack down on illegal immigration and block the “radical Left’s dangerous agenda” in Georgia.

“I’m not afraid to tell folks the truth, and I’m fine with not being a typical politician,” West said. “I’m running to be the next State Senator for Cherokee and Fulton Counties because I think straight-forward, unfiltered representation is what voters are looking for these days. While some other candidates in this race will try to buy the election, I plan to put in the work hard work to talk to voters and earn the job.”

Futch’s campaign says it promises to focus on “eliminating the state income tax, expanding school choice, protecting children from radical agendas, defending life, and securing the southern border.”

“Georgia is facing real battles — from the

classroom to the border to the economy — and we need true conservatives who don’t run from the fight,” Futch said in his announcement. “I’ve spent my career running toward danger as a firefighter. Now I’m ready to do the same under the Gold Dome to protect our values and defend Georgia families.”

Details about the special election were not available by press time.

For more about Dickerson, visit www. dickersonforgeorgia.com.

For more about West, visit www.gostevewest.com.

For more about Futch, visit visit www. ElectBrice.com.

Check www.tribuneledgernews.com for updates about the Georgia Senate District 21 race and more Cherokee County election coverage.

Lawmakers pass bill establishing internal auditor for CCSD

By Shannon Ballew sballew@ledgernews.com

A bill establishing the role of an internal auditor for the Cherokee County Board of Education passed both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly this legislative session.

As of press time, the bill was awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.

“I deeply appreciate my Senate colleagues for pushing HB 845 forward,” said state Rep. Jordan Ridley, R-Woodstock, the bill’s chief sponsor. “This legislation is a powerful step toward greater transparency in our school district budgets. Our community deserves accountability, and this bill would help ensure that every dollar is

tracked and spent where it matters most.”

Under HB 845, the auditor would be required to be a certified internal auditor or certified public accountant with at least five years of experience and would be nominated by members of the Georgia General Assembly who represent all or parts of the school district. They would have access to all school system records necessary for audits and conduct one and five-year performance and financial audits of the school system. Ridley told the Ledger the bill seeks to go beyond the Cherokee County School District’s normal annual financial audits to increase voter confidence in the school district.

“Their regular audit is a financial state-

ments audit. This audit will do a comprehensive audit of everything, including operations,” he said.

Representatives of CCSD did not respond to a request for comment.

The bill’s passage comes after the school board has taken steps to pursue an audit focused on projected impacts of the state’s floating homestead property tax exemption.

The state law that created the exemption provided for local governments and school districts to opt out, and in February the Cherokee County school board opted out of the measure.

On March 20, School Board Member Chance Beam proposed, and school board members voted 5-2 to approve, a third-party forensic audit of CCSD’s

finances. A week later, the board met to rescind its initial vote and voted to approve another audit, this time clarifying that the audit would be focused on CCSD’s projection calculations for the state’s floating homestead exemption’s impact on the district’s general fund, and to “identify any discrepancies and define all future funding options to maintain current operations.” The second vote passed unanimously.

CCSD has reported that if the school board had not opted out, it would expect to lose out on $7.8 million in revenue for next school year and almost $50 million over the next three years.

To read the full text of the bill, visit https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71647.

Special — Joshua Jeanmarie

Steve West

J. king Images/Courtesy of dickerson for georgia

Jason Dickerson

Brandon Beach

Jordan Ridley

Courtesy of Brice Futch for State Senate

Brice Futch

Gibbs Gardens a nationally-recognized treasure

By Sara Hagen

For the Cherokee Ledger Monthly

Fifty-two years ago, Jim Gibbs had an idea for a garden. He grew up learning gardening practices from his grandfather and generational knowledge of flower gardening from the matriarchs in his family. Later, at the age of 14, he started his own landscaping company.

Gibbs’ goal was to find a space for a world-class botanical garden that would be accessible from Atlanta but far enough away to be free of the city’s noise and bustle. With his artistic vision in mind, he set out in search of the perfect location for his idea — what would eventually become his life’s work.

Waterfalls, ponds, and streams were necessary to attract birds and other wildlife to the gardens. His first inspiration for Gibbs Gardens came from Butchart Gardens in Canada, which he visited while working at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. Further inspiration came from Gibbs’ visits to traditional gardens in Japan and Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, California.

Gibbs Gardens opened on March 1, 2012 — a strategic time chosen for the daffodils to be on full display. It has since received accolades such as one of Flower Magazine’s Best Places to See Daffodils This Spring, Best Summer Garden by Southern Living magazine, and, most recently, USA Today’s Best Flower Festival for its Daffodil Gardens.

The gardens were chosen to represent

Sara hagen

Sara hagen

GIBBS

From 7

heaven in the 2015 film “Miracles From Heaven” starring Jennifer Garner. Many other movies and TV shows have used Gibbs Gardens as the backdrop to their productions.

The gardens aren’t just a haven for visitors. Jim Gibbs and his wife live there in the Manor House, the highest point in

the gardens. Mount Oglethorpe can be seen from the Manor House Gardens on a clear day. Visitors can get a feeling of how sprawling Gibbs Gardens is by walking down from the Manor House. Verandas and benches line the path so visitors can take their time.

Botanical gardens, especially Gibbs, are created with pedestrians in mind. When Gibbs was planning the gardens, the time to design walking paths, parking, and the café area came after the landscape design.

Many visitors purchase season pass -

es for daily or weekly walks through the grounds. The visual interest from the garden’s diversity of life and color makes a multi-mile tour feel like a casual stroll. After experiencing the Japanese Gardens and surrounding areas, visitors can stop at the Arbor Café for a bite to eat before walking up to the Manor House. Maps provided by the gardens offer various walking paths with red arrows easily directing visitors in the right direction. However, there is purposefully no “wrong” direction at Gibbs Gardens.

Gibbs’ vision is always evolving. In 2023, Hurricane Idalia hit North Georgia, and over 100 trees were torn down at the garden. The destruction gave him the idea of the Inspiration Gardens. In this place, home gardeners can take inspiration to create something similar to Gibbs Gardens in their own spaces.

The latest addition is the “Le Jardin” Color Gardens, which opened in 2023. From color to composition, Gibb’s creativity is on full

Sara hagen

Sara hagen

Sara hagen

See GIBBS, 9

GIBBS

From 8

display here. The beds aren’t composed in straight lines like many other gardens. They are serpentine to emphasize their natural beauty and movement.

“Le Jardin” features over 40,000 tulips. Georgia’s winter climate doesn’t reach cool enough temperatures to facilitate new blooms, so the tulip beds are planted with new bulbs each December. Gibbs’ favorite color combination is the large patch with reds, yellows, and purples. The tulips bloom all throughout the season. The gardens never look exactly the same. Gibbs designed the gardens to always be freshly blooming.

With eight months left in 2025, Gibbs Gardens has only begun to show its colors this year. In early April, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The gardens’ 26 varieties and colors of Japanese Maples are vibrant in spring, summer, and fall.

Located near “Le Jardin,” the Japanese Gardens feature an exact replica of the Japanese bridge from Monet’s famous painting, “Water Lilies.” In June, the Gibbs team plants the lilies surrounding the bridge. Visitors can view them in full bloom in the summer months.

Bil on Business

A weekly column addressing small-business, answered by Henssler Financial’s business experts. Submit your questions to businessexperts@henssler.com or call 770-422-6180.

William G. Lako Jr., CFP®

PRINCIPAL AND MANAGING DIRECTOR

10 Years, 10 Percent Returns: The Strategy That Outlasts Most Market Cycles

The Ten Year Rule enables investors to stay invested in the stock market for the long term, even through periods of depressed prices and high volatlity.

Gibbs Gardens is a tribute to Jim Gibbs’ lifelong passions for horticulture and landscape design. Much like The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” or La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Gibbs Gardens is big, ambitious, and beautiful in no small part because of its creator’s passion.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit gibbsgardens.com. You can follow them on Instagram @gibbsgardens for frequent updates on the latest events and happenings at the gardens.

To begin, any funds needed from an investor’s portolio within the next 10 years for living expenses should be allocated to fxed-income investments that mature in the year the liquidity is needed to supplement other sources of income. For retrees, this may be the diference between their annual spending and what they receive from Social Security and pensions. For those stll working, the money may be earmarked for a signifcant purchase, such as a vacaton home or a child’s educaton.

I recommend placing this money in individual U.S. Treasury bonds, Government Agency Bonds, AA- or AAA-rated municipal bonds, and FDICinsured CDs to protect principal. These bonds should be purchased with the intent to hold them untl maturity, aligning maturity dates with the investor’s liquidity needs. Holding to maturity helps to combat interest rate risk since the investor should receive the bond’s face value at the end of its term, barring a default by the issuer of the bond, even though its price may fuctuate in the interim. While default risk can never be fully mitgated, using U.S. Government-backed securites or very high-quality municipal bonds provides a substantal amount of protecton against this risk. Buying bonds that mature each year creates a bond ladder, ensuring that 2035’s spending is covered by a 10-year Treasury bond purchased in 2025, for example. I recommend purchasing fxed-income investments to cover rolling 10-year periods—securing 2036 liquidity in 2026, and so on. Each year the market is up, an investor should sell equites to fund liquidity needs 10 years into the future. This structured approach protects spending for at least a decade.

Should the market experience a pullback, the investor can wait for a recovery before selling

equites to replenish their fxed-income holdings. In most cases, the Ten Year Rule helps investors avoid selling equites during poor market conditons, as recessions typically last about 10 months. Even the Great Recession from 2008–2009 lasted only 18 months, with the market taking 48 months to reach new all-tme highs. A 10-year horizon also outlasts two presidental terms and most economic cycles, which average about fve and a half years.

Furthermore, over rolling 10-year periods, the stock market tends to be higher. Since 1931, there have been only two periods of negatve rolling 10-year returns: 1999–2008 and 2000–2009. However, during these periods, the market was down only an annualized 1.38 percent and 0.95 percent, respectvely, while the average annual return for large-cap stocks has been 10.2 percent.

With a high degree of certainty, investors can assume their equity investments will contnue to grow over the long term. This strategy also allows them to stay invested and perhaps even contnue dollar-cost averaging into the market during downturns. Avoiding the market’s declines may mean missing its upswings, as 78 percent of the stock market’s best days occur during bear markets or within the frst two months of a bull market. Missing the market’s 10 best days over the past 30 years would have cut returns in half, while missing the best 30 days would have reduced returns by an astonishing 83 percent.

While history doesn’t ofen repeat itself, it frequently rhymes.

If you have questions on how your business can navigate these tough economic times, contact Henssler Financial at 770-422-6180, businessexperts@ henssler.com, or Henssler.com/ businessexperts.

Sara hagen

Few of us enjoys asking for help: even admitting a need for assistance can be challenging, thanks to entrenched beliefs that others will see us as moaners, ‘not quite up to the role’ or just plain unable to cope. The fear that asking for help will reflect badly on us, leads many, especially women, to soldier on alone long after we’ve reached the edge of our own capability, whether practically or emotionally. So why is asking for help so hard? The primary reason is fear. We fear that we’ll be turned down, laughed at, or presumed weak. Though these fears are usually unfounded, we are loathe to ask for help because this seemingly simple act carries a number of high social risks: rejection, vulnerability, diminished status, and the inherent relinquishing of control. In the face of these threats, fear overrides reason and, as studies in neuroscience show, this risk of emotional pain activates the same regions of the brain as physical pain.

Another fear is being perceived as

Asking for help

People are hardwired to want to do things on their own and be independentminded. asking for help often makes people feel uneasy because it requires surrendering control to someone else.

needy. We don’t want to be ashamed of our situation, or come across as incompetent, so we work really hard to make sure people don’t see us that way. You may feel that people have their own worries to take care of, so yours aren’t significant.

People are hardwired to want to do things on their own and be independentminded. Asking for help often makes people feel uneasy because it requires surrendering control to someone else. Some people really have a tough time with that.

If you have ever helped someone out

for any reason, you no doubt know how good that made you feel. The reality is that giving is really better than receiving sometimes. In life, however, there are times when each of us might need to ask someone for help but keep in mind that when they help you, it actually makes them feel good like it does for you.

Knowing when and how to ask for help can reduce the uneasiness you might have when you are in such a situation. According to Psychology Today, here are some simple tips to empower you to effectively ask for the help you need and ensure that you get a yes in response to your thoughtful request.

Be concise and specific. Asking for and offering help can only be productive under one crucial condition: clear communication. Try to communicate your request as clearly and concisely as possible. There is no need to overexplain: simply describe what the task is, why it matters, and how the person you’re asking can contribute. Try to be as specific as possible so they know exactly what it is they will need to do and can accurately judge how much time and energy the task will take.

Don’t apologize. Don’t apologize for

asking for help. No one gets excited about a task that the asker feels the need to apologize for. We all need help sometimes and it’s nothing to be ashamed of — but apologizing makes it seem like you’re doing something wrong by asking and casts the task at hand in a negative light.

Make it personal. Make your request personal by explaining why the person’s skills or expertise make them uniquely suited to this task. This casts them as a helpful person and not just another person you can resort to for help.

Follow up with results. Beyond expressing your gratitude, you should follow up with the helper to share the tangible results of their aid. As much as we’d like to think that acts of generosity are their own reward, the reality is that people long to feel effective. We want to feel that the work we do and the help we give matters. Take the time to show the people who help you why their support matters with a simple phone call or thank-you card.

COLUMNIST|LYNN GENDUSA

The same beautiful message

In the spring of 1976, I was a young interior designer working in a large store in Macon, Georgia. One early afternoon, an elegant, impeccably dressed woman entered my office.

“Hello,” she began, “I would like to make an appointment for someone to come to my home to design new window treatments for my living room area.”

“I will be happy to help you,” I replied. After briefly describing what she desired, she quietly said, “However, if you could be on time at 11:30, I would appreciate your promptness. Please don’t ring the doorbell; I will await you, but be as quiet as possible.”

I must have looked a bit puzzled, so she explained. “My daughter is staying with us and doesn’t awaken until noon. She is recovering from brain surgery and needs rest. Her husband is a pilot, so she stays with us when he is away.”

I assured her I understood and said, “I pray your daughter will recover soon and all will be well.”

She responded with a stoic, startling sentence. “No, she will not recover. Her tumor is malignant, and they could not

fully remove it during surgery. She has been given limited time.”

Her home was nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac in a serene, well-established area of town. The brick ranch was surrounded by a profusion of blooming pink, white, and fuchsia azaleas, creating a picturesque scene.

I was on time when she met me at the door and escorted me around the corner to her living room.

The large bow-front window framed the spectacle of Southern springtime outside. Two large wing chairs, upholstered in a stunning shade of yellow, were positioned beside the fireplace, facing a sofa. She sat on the couch while I occupied one of the beautiful chairs. We discussed, just above a whisper, the décor and fabrics for the window.

When a door opened behind me, I knew her daughter was joining us. Her mother was surprised she was awake, but she introduced us when the young woman sat in the yellow chair beside me.

I could not take my eyes off her. Her beauty was indescribable. The scars within her shorn hair were unmistakable but did not distract from her exquisiteness.

At first, I thought I saw a shadow of color off the yellow chair or maybe from the sun’s rays streaming through

the window. I shifted slightly to adjust my vision, but the light around her remained. Until then, I had never seen anything close to a halo or aura, but I will go to my grave knowing I did that spring day.

Mary Ann must have sensed my awe when she said, “Would you like to hear my story?” Little did I know that her words would change my perspective on life and death forever.

After nodding positively, she began.

“I am 27, and I am dying, yet I have no fear. During my surgery, my heart stopped, and when it did, I left my body. I floated above my body and watched the team working to revive me. Just before exiting the operating room, I noticed a large clock on the wall showing it was 11:05 am.

Suddenly, I left the hospital, entering a space I didn’t comprehend, but soon, I recognized an old friend approaching me who was killed in an accident when we were thirteen. I was so happy to see she was well and beaming.”

Mary Ann continued, “She took my hand as we entered a peaceful freedom I cannot describe because no one experiences it here. My friend introduced me to a man who was waiting for us. His eyes were captivating, and his voice so

calming that I knew who he was. Just as I took his hand, I felt a pull that forcefully pushed me away from him.

I drifted further and further away until blackness set in. My serenity was gone. I woke up in the recovery area, fighting and yelling to be let go, to go back.

Initially, the nurses couldn’t comprehend my agitation, but when my surgeon arrived, I told him my story, and he seemed to understand.

“Do you recall the time it was on the clock?” He questioned.

I quickly answered, “It was exactly a few seconds past 11:05 am.”

He looked at his notes and realized that was when they recorded my life stopped.

In her final months, Mary Ann shared her story countless times with churches, groups, and anyone willing to listen. She wanted to address our greatest fear: death and the unknown we all must face. She returned to remind us that paradise and peace wait for those who believe.

Christ lived 33 years and died on the cross to send us the same beautiful message.

Lynn Gendusa’s latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com.

Mary Migliaro is an educator, parenting mentor and consultant who lives in Cherokee County.

LOCAL COLUMNIST|MARY MIGLIARO

Migliaro Gendusa

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The media wants Trump and America to fail

DEAR EDITOR:

Don’t believe the lies about the tariffs! Trump was right, the mainstream media is the enemy of the people! They’re hoping Trump’s tariffs will fail. To accomplish that failure, no lie about tariffs is off limits for them to tell!

The media doesn’t tell people that foreign nations make far more money from trade with us than we do with them and the REASON is THEIR high tariffs! Canada has a 250% tariff on US dairy products, our tariff on Canadian goods is now 25%. As a result of high tariffs around the world, you won’t see American cars in Japan and Europe. Can you imagine not seeing any

Japanese cars here in America? All you see in Japan are Toyotas.

The media doesn’t inform people that Trump’s current tariffs will generate income. From our founding till 1913, our government’s bills were paid by tariffs. The media is also not reporting that we’ll have some short term pain, but long term, Trump’s tariffs will benefit Americans because they’ll either force foreign companies to build their factories in the US to avoid the tariffs, thereby providing jobs for Americans, or force their countries to reduce their tariffs, which will increase our exports and provide even more jobs for Americans.

All Trump has done is tell the countries

of the world that; until now, you have placed a 30% tariff on our goods and we have placed a 5% tariff on your goods, if you don’t reduce your tariff to 5%, we’ll raise ours to 30% April 2nd. And for that, the media and the Democrats (who want to see him fail) claim he’s starting a trade war that will crash our markets. And at the same time they say Trump will crash the markets, the media is spreading fear and lies, to ensure they’ll crash.

What the Democrats and media are doing reminds me of what the Left did in the Vietnam war. The Left undermined the war at home, encouraging the Viet Cong military to fight on longer, increasing our dead. Trump is raising our tariffs in the hope

Musk see TV

DEAR EDITOR:

Whether listening while commuting or watching at home, spending an hour with Bret Baier’s Special Report will help make you or keep you an informed citizen. Known unofficially to many as “America’s Newsman”, his professionalism and credibility is impeccable. If you have been getting your news elsewhere watch or listen for a week, and then every week.

On March 26 and 27 Baier interviewed Elon Musk and several members of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team. This was, and is (see link below), “Must See TV”. The misinformation about DOGE is everywhere. Liberal broadcasts describe 20 something year old IT geeks as those who are being let loose to destroy America’s democracy. The Baier interview revealed serious, successful, caring, and patriotic business executives volunteering for DOGE. They are concerned about the financial future of America. The overall objective is to identify and eliminate fraud and inefficiency.

Without evidence, and commitments from the White House to the contrary, Democrat leadership, and both legacy and social media are claiming that Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid benefits will be cut. The truth is a 12% reduction in Social Security staff is taking place, not a reduction in benefits. DOGE has also discovered that 40% of calls to Social Security are fraudulent. Further, $84 billion in improper/fraudulent Medicaid payments are made annually due to

antiquated computer systems.

Prior to the purchase of Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk was admired by most everyone, even considered a hero to liberals as the CEO of Tesla — the most successful electric vehicle manufacturer in America. Now he is vilified by many liberals. His purchase of Twitter helped defend free speech, countering liberal censorship, and now his leadership of DOGE, threatens their very being. Remember that for many of them the government is sacred. Might it also be that there is much fraud, and many Democrats who are benefiting from it?

The radical liberals have a plan. They will persecute Musk until he resigns as the DOGE leader. Rep. Crockett (D-Tx) has even stated that she wants “Elon to be taken down”. They will and have firebombed Teslas throughout the country. They have damaged dealerships. They are wasting their time, and their efforts are counterproductive, and unlike in the past, criminals will be going to jail. 3 firebombers have already been arrested — with sentences up to 20 years to be imposed.

The Tesla Takedown Initiative (they claim is a grass roots organization) proposes that everyone sell their Teslas and sell their Tesla stock. There must be buyers, right? These radicals have a right to their freedom of speech, as long as it is peaceful. What they say doesn’t have to make sense.

https://www.foxnews.com/shows/special-report

Bruce Purvis Hickory Flat

Tell Cherokee what you think

Letters to the editor may be submitted by email to editor@ledgernews.com, or by mail to 521 e. Main St., Canton, ga 30114. all letters must be typed and include a phone number to verify authenticity. We reserve the right to reject publication. We reserve the right to edit for libel and brevity. The editor and publisher reserve the right to publish a sampling of letters that reflect an accurate representation of those submitted on the same subject. The content and accuracy of all information contained in a letter to the editor is the responsibility of the letter-writer. Letters must not exceed 450 words.

that other countries will QUICKLY lower theirs. But with the Democrats undermining Trump, other countries will hold out longer, PROLONGING OUR PAIN, in the hope the Democrats will wear Trump down. Trump’s playing a game of high stakes poker with the rest of the world, if he fails, America fails. The bottom line is, the media, spreading fear and lies in the hope of taking Trump down, will actually destroy the opportunity for jobs and prosperity for Americans if they succeed. I wish the Democrats and the media would stop, not just hoping, but working for him to fail.

Conrad Quagliaroli Woodstock

Our economy is not

DEAR EDITOR:

We’re in a serious pickle, entirely of President Trump’s own making. It’s not just a historic stock crash and people’s 401(k)s being hurt. There’s also the likelihood of a recession, with some on Wall Street (Goldman Sachs and Jaime Dimon) even saying we are already in one.

Anybody who lived through 20082009 knows that a recession would hurt everyone in Cherokee and surrounding counties of the 11th District — poor and working class families, middle class families, small business owners, farmers, students and retirees — with rising prices on food, rent, cars, houses and every product we buy, along with the double whammy of rising unemployment at the same time.

a casino

Congress has the power to stop this catastrophe in its tracks by simply reasserting a tariff authority it already has. There is currently a Resolution in the U.S. Senate to do just that. Seven Senate Republicans and all Senate Democrats already support this bill. It can pass with a simple majority in the Senate and House. For specifics about Senate Resolution 1272, you can visit https:// thehill.com/homenews/5236226-trumpwhite-house-threatens-veto/amp/ Please call your 11th House District Representative, Barry Loudermilk, and ask him to vote for S. 1272, The Trade Review Act of 2025, to protect us against President Trump’s misguided, high-risk gamble with our futures.

Jenny Sutton Woodstock

Profound sadness

DEAR EDITOR:

A few weeks ago, I submitted an editorial on aggressive drivers and the importance of being considerate to others that share our roadways. Sadly, during the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 2nd, a dear and beloved friend of our family lost his life in a collision on Riverstone Parkway. We remain overwhelmed with loss and sadness. I can only imagine what his family must be going through. While we have lost our beloved friend, they have lost their beloved father, son and brother. While we continue to offer prayers for all who knew him, the pain of loss persists. As time goes by, may we all cherish the memories of our time spent with him and trust that, as Christ promised, there will eventually be a glorious reuniting with those of us who love and believe

in Him. Our friend did. As I have always preached to my family members, never, ever, ever take your eyes off of the road in front of you while driving. It only takes a second, or a fraction of a second, to result in disaster. Always anticipate that other drivers are not paying attention and may at any moment cross the center line, pull out in front of you, or change lanes upon you. Resist distractions while driving, be they the cell phone or any other number of electronic gadgetry found in our cars these days.

God Bless you all during this Easter Season as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Pray for all who mourn as we pray for His comforting presence.

Randy Wilt Canton

SOAPBOX

♦ At least during the old car and gravel road repair days it was good for a while. I don’t know what’s wrong with Cherokee County. Go out on Toonigh Road toward Hickory Flat and catch those two places they repaired about a month ago. It’s a lot like a rollercoaster at Six Flags.

♦ To the person lamenting the salaries of the school superintendent and others- these people are looking after our most cherished children. The number of schools in our system is overwhelming so each person has an enormous responsibility to make sure our children have the best education and are safe in our schools. Compare this with the jobs and salaries of the football coaches and quarterbacks at our universities. Really- who is doing the most important job here and requires the best support for all they do?

♦ Kudos to DOGE for permanently removing millions of monthly Social Security payments to illegals and dead people. Without you, this would have continued to drain Social Security funds indefinitely.

♦ In addition to being a racist, a sexual predator and a pathological liar, Trump has proven once again he is a hypocrite. His dismissal of the implications of Signalgate flies in the face of his speeches on the importance of national security.

♦ I never realized how hard it is to give money to local government and schools. I left voicemails and sent emails. Nobody got back to me. So, quit letting them tell you that the citizens need to pay more taxes. Or should I just have my money cremated with me? Only one school thanked me. Poor parenting and teaching.

♦ Just curious, how many of you who voted for him would vote for him again, if he was able to seek a third term? Ridiculous.

♦ I recently heard Bernie Sanders claim that “Trump is cutting Social Security and Medicaid to give the money to his billionaire friends.” Truth is: DOGE is seeking to eliminate fraud and abuse in these agencies so that there will be money there to sustain them beyond 2033. On Sanders’ course the government will be insolvent and will not be able to pay for these programs beyond that date. If Sanders’ assumption is true it is billionaires who build factories where poor workers can earn enough to support a family. Capitalism works best when there are billionaires who invest in factories. Send Bernie back to Russia where his ideology belongs.

♦ Keep voting Republican. The rich billionaires need all the tax breaks they can get.

♦ Do any of you people know what a stop sign is anymore? It doesn’t mean slow down, it doesn’t mean fly through it. It’s a stop sign and you have young adult people, with children in your car, and you just whiz on by. Wake up, people. It’s a stop sign. S.T.O.P. means STOP.

♦ I’m calling for a 5-year moratorium on any new building permits in Cherokee County. This is absolutely asinine to

continue issuing permits. I’m sitting on Mill Creek Road, it’s backed up a half a mile. This has been going on for years and years and years, and our county commission and county manager don’t seem to be able to get it figured out. Well, no more taxes, no more building permits, it’s time to use common sense. Where is Elon Musk? We need Elon Musk in Cherokee County.

♦ Barely 6 months have passed since the CCSD School Board won an award for its stellar financial reporting, yet its newest member just called for a costly, duplicative & unnecessary forensic audit with no planned timeline, quality controls, vendors or stated expectations. This is performative nonsense and poor governance.

♦ Congress, all parties, get to work!! Do your first job and create a budget and a funding model for that budget. No other committee meetings, rantings, ravings, or wasted effort till the budget is completed.

♦ One has to wonder. Many loyal Democrats followed their progressive leaders’ guidance and purchased Teslas to support the ideology and preserve the planet. Ironically, it appears that their peers have turned on them and the brand as a result of Mr. Musk’s efforts to reduce wasteful and/or fraudulent government spending. It is well known that some animals will “eat their own”. Seems like that is what is happening here. Maybe you Tesla owners should consider changing your allegiance. Just saying...

♦ You put the tariff in… you take the tariff out. You put the tariff in and you shake it all about. Manipulate the market so the Billionaires can shout, “That’s what it’s all about.”

♦ I made kind of a stupid move tonight. I went to pick up our dinner at a local restaurant and parked in front of the door to grab my meal. I sincerely thought I could run in and run out without my car being parked there for more than a minute, but it took longer than that. If the people who got angry with me for doing that read this column, I’d like to apologize to you. You should have been angry with me.

♦ Blalock Road is filled with holes, and they’re getting bigger and bigger. It’s easy to see that the drainage on

Blalock in south Holly Springs hasn’t been kept up and it’s deteriorating the side of the pavement. Let’s see how long these holes get before we get material in them.

♦ DEI. Everyone in Trump’s cabinet is a DEI appointment. None of them have any knowledge of the positions they hold. Costco is being boycotted because of DEI. We should be boycotting all of Trump’s Cabinet positions because they have absolutely no knowledge of the departments that they are heading. It’s very, very dangerous.

♦ Did you see the new version of Pigs in Space?

♦ Refresh my memory MAGAts, was it an immigrant, DEI or a trans athlete that caused the stock market to crash?

Editor’s note: The Soapbox is a forum for residents to sound off about topics of interest. a ll comments are those of the callers and do not reflect the views of the newspaper. We welcome the contributions of our readers and encourage respectful and lively debate. The Ledger- n ews reserves the right not to publish Soapbox items based on libel or other considerations the editor and publisher deem valid. Comments may be edited for brevity. Please keep comments as brief as possible. Lengthy opinions should be addressed in a letter to the editor. To submit a Soapbox, call 770- 928-1055 or email editor@ledgernews.com.

Caribou Coffee announces new location coming to Woodstock

By Shannon Ballew sballew@ledgernews.com

Caribou Coffee is opening multiple new Georgia locations, including one in Woodstock, planned to open by this summer.

The company announced plans to open up to eight new coffeehouses coming to Georgia.

The Woodstock location is planned to open at 9500 Highway 92, which was formerly a Checkers.

Caribou says the locations are being added to meet consumer demand and in response to interest from developers, partners and local communities.

“We grow our footprint of coffeehouses and drive-thrus with two smart, strategic considerations. First, for the benefit to the local community and then the business opportunity for our brand,” said Matthew Walls, chief development officer of Caribou Coffee. “Georgia offers a great deal of both. Our nine current locations across Georgia continue to outperform and guests love the Cari-

bou brand. These new locations will start opening by spring with the potential of more to come.”

The new locations in development in the Atlanta metro area include Griffin, Athens, Woodstock, Smyrna, Lawrenceville, Snellville, Augusta and Covington.

Caribou Coffee, headquartered in Minneapolis, first opened in Georgia in 1995, and opened four stores in the state last year.

In February, work began on construction of the first of the coffeehouse locations; all are expected to open by summer 2025.

“Growth isn’t just about more stores in more places,” Walls said. “Our criteria includes the positive impact we can make on a community, offering places for friends, families and coworkers to gather. We also ask are we able to create jobs and contribute to the local economy. And as ever, we try, wherever possible to open where guests, developers and business owners ask us to be.”

For more information, visit www. cariboucoffee.com.

A historic store in east Cherokee will be home to a coffee shop

Legacy use approval means building will not need to rezone

By Ethan Johnson ejohnson@ledgernews.com

A historic building in east Cherokee will be transformed into a coffeehouse and gift shop.

On April 15, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a legacy use for We2Friends Coffeehouse to operate a coffeehouse and gift shop at 4651 Union Hill Road near Alpharetta.

Per the county zoning ordinance, a legacy use is associated with the lives or works of people contributing to the history of the Cherokee County; includes structures and spaces associated with historical events or national, state or local trends; or includes structures and spaces associated with a cultural pattern or social, economic or ethnic group in the history of the county, according to county documents.

The legacy use, which exclusively applies to We2Friends Coffeehouse, will allow the coffeehouse to be established without needing to rezone.

The applicant will open a neighborhood coffeehouse and gift shop in a familyowned historical general store building. The J.B. Mathis General Store was built and opened in 1950 and closed in the 1960s. It was one of the four original stores in the Union Hill area, according to the county.

Mathis was the principal of Union Hill Community School.

“I am thrilled to death that they are able to save that historic building,” Commissioner Richard Weatherby said. “The county has

been working on doing this for a lot of the other general stores in this county. We don’t want to see those fall into disrepair.”

Commissioner Steve West added that “maybe this will entice other people to go out and restore these old buildings back to life.”

Chairman Harry Johnston said this request was the catalyst for commissioners and county staff to create a legacy use provision in the county’s zoning ordinance.

The one-story building is 1,200 square feet. It received a Historic Preservation Award from History Cherokee last year.

Commissioners also approved variances to allow nine parking spaces rather

than 12 in addition to one ADA-accessible space, and to eliminate a required deceleration lane due to low traffic volume in the area and limited hours of operation, according to county documents.

“We envision the revitalized store as a place that embodies the spirit of our community, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere where residents and visitors alike can come together to enjoy expertly brewed coffee,” the applicant’s letter of intent reads in part.

Coffee beans are planned to be sourced from local roastery Alma Coffee.

For more information about We2Friends, visit www.we2friends.com.

Special

We2Friends will transform the historic J.B. Mathis General Store into a neighborhood coffeehouse and gift shop.

Special

The J.B. Mathis General Store was built and opened in 1950 and closed in the 1960s.

Caribou Coffee

Caribou Coffee on Highway 9 in Milton.

Caribou Coffee

Caribou Coffee is planning an expansion in Georgia that includes Woodstock.

Woodstock’s Ethan Senger performs on ‘American Idol’

By Ethan Johnson ejohnson@ledgernews.com

Ethan Senger says he learned a lot from his recent experience on “American Idol,” and it’s helped him grow as a musician.

Senger, who grew up in Woodstock and now lives in Kennesaw, appeared on the March 30 episode of “American Idol” during the audition stage. He made it through this stage to the first round of “Hollywood Week,” where he was cut from the singing competition.

Although his time in the competition is over, Senger said he learned valuable tips from the show’s judges.

“They taught me to always take your time with your performance, that way people can receive you in the best way possible,” he said. “They also taught me to always be ready for anything because you never know when the opportunity will present itself to showcase your abilities.”

Senger said he was had wanted to show the judges and the world more of what he can do.

“They separated us into four different rooms. The judges came to each room to let us know that we were either going through to the next round, or that this was the end of the road for us in ‘American Idol.’ The room I was in was one of the rooms that was cut,” he said. “I was sad to receive that news because I was really looking forward to making it to the ‘Showstopper’ round.”

Had he advanced to the “Showstopper” round, Senger would have performed with a live band, he said.

“It’s a full band performance where you get to perform in front of a sold-out Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. I have a lot of experience playing in bands since I was a little kid,” he said. “I was really looking forward to showing the world and judges that playing in a band is a strength of mine, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

In his audition, Senger performed one of his original songs, “Something to Write About,” followed by Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You.” He then performed “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard, as a duet with this mother, Julie Senger.

“To share that moment with my mom and family was very cool and something I won’t forget because they’ve supported me and believed me,” he said. “I was very thrilled to receive that golden ticket from the judges to advance to ‘Hollywood Week.’”

During “Hollywood Week,” Senger performed “Falling” by Harry Styles.

Over the course of these two episodes, Senger said he was more nervous waiting to be called to perform than actually performing.

“I found myself not as nervous as I thought I would be walking out there in front of the judges — the most nervous I was during all of this was when I did my sitdown interview. It was the first time I had been in front of a camera for a long time and especially on this big of a platform,” he said. “Overall, I am proud of what I was able to do.”

Shortly after leaving the show, Senger returned to his hometown to perform at Rootstock in downtown Woodstock April 12.

He said he had a great time performing at Rootstock, where there were about 40-50 people. Some of them recognized him from the show.

“It was one of my best shows yet,” he said. “It was a really good night.”

Senger said he is working on new music, and that he will perform throughout metro Atlanta in the coming months.

He has another performance set for May 24 at Ace’s Place in Brookhaven. The time was not yet determined by press time.

For more information about Senger and his music, visit ethansengermusic.com.

eric McCandless/Courtesy of aBC Ethan Senger auditions for ‘American Idol.’

Courtesy of aBC/Joanne ducot

Ethan Senger holds the golden ticket that he received indicating that he is moving on to “Hollywood Week.” Special

Ethan Senger performs at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta.

COMMUNITY

Woodstock WWII veteran honored by fellow vets ahead of 103rd birthday

By Isabelle Manders Marietta Daily Journal

KENNESAW — More than 60 members of the Veterans for Lunch Bunch recently met to honor one of their own.

The Veterans for Lunch Bunch is a group of veterans who served in wars and conflicts ranging from WWII to Korea and Vietnam that meet weekly for food and fellowship.

During their luncheon April 14 at the Golden Corral on Barrett Parkway, the veterans recognized retired Army Corps veteran Russell Vaudrey of Woodstock for his service in World War II.

Vaudrey will celebrate his 103rd birthday on July 10.

There are currently four WWII veterans in the group, according to group coordinator T.D. Jorgensen.

Jorgensen joked that Vaudrey was trying to catch up with U.S. Army engineer bridge builder and fellow member Charlie Duncan, who will turn 106 on May 27.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that less than 0.5%, around 66,000, of the 16.4 million Americans who served in WWII are alive today.

In 2024, there were 1,359 WWII veterans living in Georgia, according to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

“One of my Greatest Generation heroes of World War II in the Army Air Corps, thank you for being an active member of our Veterans for Lunch Bunch,” Jorgensen said. “Russell, you make us all so proud to have you with us.”

Born in 1922, Vaudrey grew up on a ranch in Glendo, Wyoming, the fourth of six boys.

At the age of 20, Vaudrey said he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, about 10 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He served in WWII from 1942 to 1945 as a flight engineer and side and tail gunner in the 5th Air Force on a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific Campaign.

During his service, he was awarded five Bronze Star Medals and one Silver Star Medal.

In April 1945, Vaudrey was one of three men, out of 10, to survive after an anti-aircraft attack and violent monsoon caused their bomber plane to crash into a jungle in the Philippines.

He and two crew members were able to climb out of the wreckage and escape. They were rescued three days later by Filipino guerrillas, but, for the next three weeks, had to evade the Japanese troops searching for them.

When the men finally reached the coast, they were put into canoes and covered with bananas and other fruit, while their rescuers paddled for five hours, fortunately ignored by passing Japanese planes.

Upon returning home, he worked in sales in California for 23 years, before relocating to Woodstock just over three decades ago.

He and his wife, Shirley Vaudrey, had two children, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The couple was married for over 70 years before Shirley Vaudrey died in 2021. She was 98.

Vaudrey’s story was recorded and written by Navy veteran Hal Burke for the group’s first book of short WWII and Vietnam War stories and varied experiences.

The first volume included about 54 veterans from the lunch bunch, according to Jorgensen.

During the luncheon, Jorgensen presented Vaudrey with a copy of the recently released second volume, which includes additional stories from 56 veterans in the group, about nine of whom had been featured in the first book. Both books, Jorgensen said, were published by Roswellbased Publish Authority.

“(Vaudrey’s) been through a lot in WWII, and he’s here to tell us what he did,” Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said the idea for the first book came from a woman they met in that very Golden Corral three-and-a-half years earlier.

According to Jorgensen, the woman encouraged the veterans to put their stories into a book for their families and loved ones to appreciate.

“Because most people that have been

to war, they don’t like to talk about what they did in the war. Sometimes it’s too painful,” Jorgensen said. “But to write it down, sometimes that transfer from the brain to the written word relieves a lot of that pain.”

Eventually, Jorgensen took it upon himself to begin soliciting stories, asking members to give him their “best story while in the military” — either “humorous, adventuresome, thrilling or heroic” — or a “really impactful” moment from serving in wartime.

“After we did one book, there were so many new guys over a year and a half that joined our luncheon group,” Jorgensen said, adding there were now about 381 members. “Many of them (would ask), ‘Is there any chance that we can do another book so I can share my story.’”

In addition to the book, Vaudrey was also given a leather unit patch for the 5th Air Corps to sew onto his flight jacket, joining his Jolly Roger patch.

“He’s our celebrity of the hour,” Burke said. “Every day’s a blessing.”

Burke said a nearly 12-pound WWII book, featuring more than 2500 photographs and maps, was recently donated by one of the members, whose father was a combat photographer in the war.

Burke said he plans on taking the book to the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum in honor of Vaudrey.

Vaudrey thanked the veterans in at tendance.

“I consider each and every one of you my friend. Thank you so much,” Vaudrey said. When asked the secret to his age, Vaudrey told the MDJ, “If I knew it, I’d sell it.”

Isabelle Manders photos

WWII U.S. Army Corps veteran Russell Vaudrey holds up the unit patch for his flight jacket given to him at the Veterans for Lunch Bunch’s luncheon at Golden Corral in Kennesaw.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CHEROKEE IN MAY

MAY 2-18

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

Woodstock Arts is presenting ‘Once on This Island’ May 2-18.

In musical adaptation of a fable as old as time, Ti Moune, a peasant girl, rescues a wealthy boy from the other side of the island, Daniel, and promptly falls in love. The gods and goddesses who preside over the island meddle with Ti Moune and make a bet with one another over which is stronger — love or death. She bargains with the gods for his life, but to do so she must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Performances will be held at the Woodstock Arts Theatre, 8534 Main St. in Woodstock.

Tickets are $20-22 online and $23-25 at the door.

For tickets and more information visit https://woodstockarts.org/events/onceon-this-island.

MAY 3

HISTORY CHEROKEE DERBY DAY

History Cherokee’s 22nd annual Kentucky Derby Day event is returning May 3 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Mill on Etowah, 225 Reformation Parkway in Canton.

Tickets are available for purchase: $100 per person or $185 per couple. Bourbon tasting will also be offered for $10 per person.

Proceeds support the mission of History Cherokee and the operation of the Cherokee County History Center.

This event features a live screening of the 151st Kentucky Derby, food from Riverstone Corner Bistro, mint juleps and bourbon tastings. There will also be a pony pull and silent auction.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in classic Derby Day fashion.

For tickets and more information, visit www.historycherokee.org/derby-day.

MAY 9-10

FALANY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

The Falany Bluegrass Festival is 5:309 p.m. May 9 and 4:30-9 p.m. May 10 at the Falany Performing Arts Center, 199 Fine Arts Drive in Waleska.

Hear from bluegrass artists Charlie McKinney, Into the Fog, Nu Blu, New Apostles of Bluegrass, Rachel Baiman, Euharlee Creek Bluegrass Band and Damn Tall Buildings.

Festivalgoers for these two nights of music will also enjoy food trucks and unique vendors, as well as activities for kids.

Two-day passes are $25, or you can get a single-day pass for $15. Admission is free for kids 15 and under.

For tickets and more information, including a full schedule, visit https://thefalany.com.

MAY 9-18

THE ODD COUPLE

Cherokee Theatre Company is presenting “The Odd Couple (Female Version)” by Neil Simon two weekends, May 9-18, at the Canton Theatre, 171 E Main St. in Canton.

Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple (Female Version)” is a comedic play that reimagines the original male version with female leads. The story revolves around two mismatched roommates: Olive Madison, a messy and carefree divorcée, and Florence Unger, a neurotic and fastidious woman freshly separated from her husband. The humor arises from their contrasting personalities and lifestyles as they navigate living together in Olive’s New York City apartment.

This production is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Tickets are $15- 18 and can be purchased online at www.cherokeetheatre.org, or by contacting the box office at boxoffice@ cherokeetheatre.org or 770-591-0282.

MAY 10

BALL GROUND GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE AND FESTIVAL

The Ball Ground Garden Club is hosting its Plant Sale and Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 10 at the Ball Ground Botanical Garden, 215 Valley St.

Shop a huge selection of plants while enjoying an amazing lineup of vendors, artisans and local businesses. From handcrafted pottery to sweet treats, garden décor, and unique gifts, there’s something for everyone.

For more information, visit https:// www.ballgroundgardenclub.com/plantsale.

MAY 10

ETOWAH BAND CAR SHOW

The Etowah Band Car Show is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10 at Etowah High School, 6565 Putnam Ford Drive in Woodstock.

See a spectacular display of wheels, each with its own story and history. There will be a special Performance by the Etowah Marching Eagles at 10 a.m.

All money raised will be used to benefit the Etowah High School Band students.

Vehicle registration is $20 before the day of the event. Same day registration is $25 per vehicle.

The event is free for the public to attend.

To register a vehicle, visit https://tinyurl.com/32jvbkpt.

MAY 10-11

CHEROKEE COUNTY INDIAN FESTIVAL & MOTHER’S DAY POWWOW

The Cherokee County Indian Festival & Mother’s Day Powwow returns to Canton May 10-11 at Boling Park 1200 Marietta Parkway.

Produced by Rolling Thunder Enterprises, this event celebrates Native American culture and history. Activities include wildlife displays, bungee jumps, train rides, Native American cuisine and much more.

Tickets will be on sale at the gate; $15 for adults, $5 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5. Weekend passes are $20.

For more information and updates, follow Rolling Thunder Enterprises on Facebook.

MAY 10

WOODSTOCK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

The Woodstock Summer Concert Series kicks off May 10 with Let’s Sing Taylor, a Taylor Swift tribute band, at 7:30 p.m. at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Amphitheater, 101 Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock.

The series features a free concert once a month in the amphitheater from May to September.

For rules and more information about the concert series, visit https://www. woodstockconcertseries.com.

MAY 24

BALL GROUND CONCERT IN THE PARK

The city of Ball Ground is hosting Concert in the Park 7-11 p.m. May 24 at City Park, 177 Old Dawsonville Rd. in Ball Ground.

This free outdoor concert will feature the ’80s tribute band Guardians of the Juke Box.

For more information, visit https:// cityofballground.com/community-events.

MAY 29

WOODSTOCK WALKING TOUR

Visit Woodstock GA is hosting May 29 in downtown Woodstock. Part of the Walking Tour Series, this event’s theme is The History of Woodstock. Tours start at 6 p.m. and last last 3045 minutes, running every half hour until the last tour starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person. Tickets go on sale two weeks before the tour date and can be purchased at the Woodstock Visitors Center or online at https://wdstkbrandstore.square.site.

For more information, visit www. VisitWoodstockGA.com/walking-tours

to give the public a first look at recommendations for the for the multi-jurisdic-

Wildcat Sixes area plan unveiled

By Ethan Johnson ejohnson@ledgernews.com

Representatives of Cherokee County, Holly Springs, and Woodstock have given a first look at recommendations for the multi-jurisdictional Wildcat Sixes Area Plan.

Recommendations were at an open house March 27 in Woodstock and are posted online. Representatives of the project consultant, engineering firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, were also in attendance.

The recommendations include:

♦ Realigning Holly Springs Parkway/ Main Street and Sixes Road to a 90-degree intersection to reduce time spent waiting at the intersection.

♦ Widen Holly Springs Parkway from Sixes Road to East Cherokee Drive from two lanes with a two-way left turn lane to four lanes with a median and dedicated left turn lanes where appropriate.

♦ Widen Holly Springs Parkway/Main Street from East Cherokee Drive to Ridgewalk Parkway from two lanes with a twoway left turn lane to four lanes with a median and dedicated left turn lanes where appropriate.

♦ Widen, reinforce, and stripe the commercial drive at the Sixes Road and North Rope Mill Road intersection to be four lanes, including a potential roundabout

at the Home Depot driveway.

♦ Reconstruct North Rope Mill Road to be a four-lane road with fewer curves. Realign near Sixes Road to reduce the skew and curve near the intersection.

♦ Widen and reinforce Wellstar Way to be a four-lane public road.

♦ Construct a connection between Wellstar Way at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center and North Rope Mill Road, including a new bridge over I-575.

♦ Create a potential connection between North Rope Mill Road and Wellstar Way bridge to Georgia Way (only if the neighborhood desires).

♦ One-way “slip” lanes between I-575 near Ridgewalk Parkway and the Wellstar Way bridge.

♦ A pair of one-way access lanes between Ridgewalk Parkway and Wellstar Way bridge.

♦ Expand the side path network on Sixes Road, Holly Springs Parkway, and Main Street where possible, and build sidewalks along Wellstar Way, the Wellstar Way bridge, and North Rope Mill Road.

“These projects are the ultimate vision of what we would like to see — the county and the community are excited about the idea of realigning Holly Springs Parkway and Sixes Road especially,” said Cristina Pastore, project manager for Kimley-Horn.

Boards were on display showing recommendations for the

projects for the local roadway network.

“These projects will take a lot of planning and partnership, including partnering with GDOT for the potential I-575 projects.”

Potential new development in this interchange could include medical office use along Wellstar Way near the aquatic center and Wellstar Cherokee Health

Park, industrial space near the aquatic center, and an office park (including hotel and retail) along both sides of North Rope Mill Road.

The plan is available online at www. cherokeecountyga.gov/planning/Wildcat-Sixes-Road.

ethan Johnson

Representatives of Cherokee County, Holly Springs, and Woodstock held an open house March 27

tional Wildcat Sixes Area Plan.

ethan Johnson

Wildcat Sixes area, including

Knights know value of brotherly bonds

By Jeff Gable Ledger Sports Correspondent

Playing a team sport can help cement friendships that last a lifetime, while an extremely close-knit team is often described as a family.

For the River Ridge boys’ soccer team, the brotherly bond isn’t just a metaphor — it’s quite literal — with two sets of brothers on the squad. Those players said the closeness they’ve experienced as teammates has made the team’s recent success even more enjoyable.

Senior brothers Reed and Nolan McLure, along with senior Gracen Vangilder and junior Bennett Vangilder, are in the unique position of getting to play soccer together on the same high school team.

But they haven’t just been part of an average program — they helped build one of the most dominant teams in the nation. Over three seasons from 2022-24, the Knights went 52-13-1, made the state semifinals, then the state finals, and then won the Class AAAAAA championship last spring.

So far this season, the Knights have been even more bullish. Ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAA in Georgia and No. 7 nationally by Maxpreps, they started 13-0 and outscored their opponents 46-3 heading into the final week of the regular season.

All the success in recent years can be attributed to the culture that head coach Phil Thomas created, according to Bennett Vangilder.

“We’re always taught to not focus on who our opponent is, but to just focus on our game and how we expect to play,” Bennett said. “I think everyone (on the team) is really encouraging and we just try to keep a positive mindset. I remember my freshman year, seeing how disappointed our

team was (losing in the state championship game to Lassiter), and I think last season, the guys were all eager to get back to that level and try to win it. I think our players had some extra motivation. The great thing is that this year, we’ve got so many guys that have gotten a lot of experience in big games over the years that it helps us play well under pressure.”

Bennett said he started to get more playing time last year as a sophomore, and he has been a regular starter this season as a junior. He said it’s been a fun experience having his older brother Gracen — the Knights’ starting goalkeeper — on the field with him during his high school career.

“We’ve always been competitive, and I think we help each other try to be at our best,” Bennett said. “He’s been somebody I can look up to, and we can talk about game situations on the ride home or over dinner. He’s taught me a lot.”

Before reaching high school, the Vangilder brothers played club soccer together on various teams for the Georgia Impact and NASA Tophat programs. Reed and Nolan McLure also grew up playing youth soccer, from recreation leagues to the YMCA Strikers and the NASA and Concord Fire club teams. Upon reaching River Ridge, they spent time on the junior varsity team as freshmen before working their way up to some varsity experience as sophomores.

Last year, both McLures made an impact on the state championship-winning team, with Reed helping anchor a rock-solid defensive unit and Nolan becoming a force for the offense. In fact, Nolan scored the first goal in last year’s 3-0 state title game win over Sprayberry.

“Going from having hardly any playing time as a sophomore to scoring in the state championship game last season, it was

the most amazing feeling,” Nolan said. “I think having to work my way up like that helped me grow as a player. I wanted to work up to where I could produce for the team. And it was great to see Reed and the defense play so well in that championship game despite being a man down for most of the match. It’s been a great experience to play together with him.”

The McLure brothers said they played some baseball and basketball as kids growing up, but soccer became their preferred sport early on. They said being part of high-level teams at the club level and now in high school has pushed them to get better each year.

“I think we’ve always been competitive at whatever we’ve done, always trying to see who can be better,” Reed said with a smile. “But I think that has definitely pushed us to always work harder and it’s helped us realize what we’re capable of. And playing here at River Ridge, we’re part of a program where our players always have confidence and we’ve had pressure almost every game, because we know that each team we face makes us their biggest game and we know we’ll get their best effort. But it’s been great to see so many guys step up for us and make an impact, and last year’s championship was so rewarding because we know how hard we’d worked to get back there.”

Gracen Vangilder has had a great view of the Knights’ success in recent years. As the team’s starting goalkeeper since his freshman season, he saw all of River Ridge’s big wins play out right in front of him. He also had a front-row seat to the growth and development of his younger brother Bennett.

“We’ve grown up playing together on a lot of the same teams, and it’s been great to experience the success (at River Ridge) together,” Gracen said. “Sometimes this

season, he would be the only non-senior out on the field. It’s a lot of fun having your brother out there, but he’s also my best friend.

“That’s kind of the way our whole team is,” Gracen added. “It’s become like a family. We still have lots of fun out there, and we hang out all the time off the field. This team doesn’t get nervous about playing — we are excited to play. We have such competitive practices and we’ve been in a lot of high-pressure games, but we still have a lot of fun. We don’t really have any weak links, and we just want to stay focused on winning another championship this year. We know we’re always going to be challenged and that we can’t take anyone lightly.”

As coach of the Knights, Thomas said he’s had the unique advantage of seeing several sets of brothers come through his program. He said the closeness of the brothers — and of the team as a whole — has created good chemistry on the field and a good locker room environment, where egos take a back seat to team success.

“The McLure brothers may be kind of quiet and unassuming off the field, but when they are on the field, they flip a switch and they are great competitors,” Thomas said with a laugh. “A lot of times, when we build from the back, Reed will find Nolan and connect with him. They are good at knowing where each other is on the field. With the Vangilders, Gracen has been tremendous as our starter in goal since his freshman year, and Bennett worked his way into the lineup a lot as a sophomore. He’s become a more mature player, and I think he’s grown up a lot. You can see the brothers all support each other when they’re out there, and it’s fun to watch.”

anthony Stalcup

River Ridge’s Bennett and Gracen Vangilder along with twin bothers Nolan and Reed McLure (left to right) are a part of the core Knight’s soccer team eyeing a repeat state championship this year.

SPORTS

Thomas anchors success for Sequoyah inside pool

By Griffin Callaghan gcallaghan@ledgernews.com

For the second consecutive season, Sequoyah standout Mason Thomas was voted the Cherokee County Boys Swimmer of the Year.

Thomas, a junior, led the Chiefs to a 15th-place showing at the Class AAAAA state championships, along with a county championship and third-place performance at the Region 6AAAAA meet.

“Mason was an absolute cornerstone of our team’s success this year,” Sequoyah coach Cora Hodgins said. “He not only set a great example for his teammates but also pushed himself to new heights by breaking the county record for the backstroke.”

Thomas stole the show for Sequoyah at the region meet, accounting for a teamhigh 45 points. Teammates Grant Harrison and Caden Alingdogan each scored 37 points, while Henry Yon added 35 to complement Thomas.

Thomas secured a victory in the 100yard backstroke, finishing in 54.27 seconds,

while also playing a key role in the Chiefs’ first-place 200 medley relay alongside Alindogan, Harrison and Yon (2:04.29).

At the Cherokee County meet, Thomas broke the county meet’s 100 backstroke record, reaching the finish line in 51.15 seconds.

“The feeling of breaking the record was amazing,” Thomas said. “I have been staring at that record and dreaming of it since freshman year. I knew I was going to get it, it was just a matter of when.”

He again headlined the Chiefs at the Class AAAAA state championships, finishing fourth in the 100 backstroke (51.30) after taking third in the preliminary race.

“His dedication to refining his technique and building his endurance really paid off and he was able to break his own personal records, as well as contribute to several relay victories,” Hodgins said. “Without a doubt, Mason is a huge asset to the team and we saw his hard work translate into consistent results throughout the season.”

It was a worthy follow-up to last season, when Thomas rewrote records again

BOYS SWIMMER OF YEAR GIRLS SWIMMER OF YEAR

Saylor vital to River Ridge’s success

By Griffin Callaghan gcallaghan@ledgernews.com

Jersey Saylor was a vital piece in River Ridge’s county-best finish at the Class AAAAA state meet, along with its fourth consecutive Cherokee County swim title.

Saylor won both the 50 and 100 freestyle races at the county championship meet while finishing fourth in the 100 at state. She was an all-county first-teamer last season as a freshman, and now as a sophomore, she earns recognition as the county’s best.

Countless hours in the pool, both with River Ridge and the Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club, helped Saylor reach her peak in 2024-25.

“I definitely took it to the next level, training-wise,” Saylor said. “I swam for Chattahoochee Gold, and I really focused on sprinting, and that’s where I had a lot of my success this season. I definitely couldn’t do it without all the practices and hours I put in during club.”

Saylor, with a team-high 32 points at the county meet, swam two of her best races this season as River Ridge secured its win.

She finished the 100 freestyle in 54.32 seconds, winning the race by over three seconds as teammate Laura Butler came in second (57.56). Saylor’s 50 freestyle, thorough, was the real head-turner as she swam a 24.65 to beat a program record and pick up crucial points.

The winner was decided by .09 seconds.

“I expected to win the 100 free, but the 50 free, that was a tight race,” Saylor said. “I was racing a really good swimmer, Lainey Blase, and I really wanted to get first. I had a 25-second 50 free, but I really wanted a sub-25. I knew that if I went sub-25, that would be the school record. That was the goal. Then I did it, and that was an amazing feeling.”

At state, Saylor accounted for 35 points, second-best only to 2023-24 Swimmer of the Year Addison Hodgins. Saylor’s best race was 100 freestyle, where she finished in 53.4 seconds, an improvement from her county time.

She was also part of River Ridge’s 400 and 200 freestyle relay teams, which took fifth and seventh place, respectively. She found success both individually and in re-

and led the Chiefs with 34 points at the Class AAAAAA state championships and 32 points at the county meet.

“The way to my success was the hours I spent at the pool every week,” Thomas

said. “Without Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club and Sequoyah swim I would not have been able to do it. The support from my coaches and teammates kept me motivated even on the hard days.”

lays, providing 2024-25 Coach of the Year Tracye Bulger plenty of flexibility.

“Jersey was incredibly valuable to our team this year as we could use her in a variety of positions with the knowledge that she would earn needed points for the team,” Bulger said. “She is one of the most versatile swimmers on the team, and there really are no limits on what she can accomplish

in the future.”

With Saylor set to return next season, she has eyes on the state podium.

“Our girls team was really good this season,” Saylor said. “At state, we were the highest-finishing team from the county. The next thing I think is big for River Ridge is get on the podium at state, and I think that is 100% possible.”

Special — Larry Blase Mason Thomas was voted the 2024-25 Cherokee County Boys Swimmer of the Year.

Larry Blase

Jersey Saylor helped River Ridge win the Cherokee County championship.

First Team

2024-25 aLL-Cherokee

Payton Reyes, Creekview

Sabrina Moran, Creekview

Emma Reed, Etowah

Luiza Carvalho, Etowah

Kate Dallas, Etowah

Olivia Dwyer, Etowah

Macie Portis, River Ridge

Jersey Saylor, River Ridge

Addison Hodgins, River Ridge

Sofia Valenzuela, River Ridge

Laura Butler, River Ridge

Ava Hoynowski, River Ridge

Maja Brooker, River Ridge

Lainey Blase, Sequoyah

Gracelee Lowry, Sequoyah

Olivia Parks, Sequoyah

Shannyn Lambert, Woodstock

Emmy Mims, Woodstock

Leia Lankford, Woodstock

Second Team

Ximena Zapata, Cherokee

Kiersten Connell, Cherokee

Shaye McDonald, Creekview

Courtney Cumberbatch, Creekview

CoUnT y

gIrLS SWIM TeaM

Ella Rae Hames, Creekview

Ellie Portis, River Ridge

Shayne Wiley, River Ridge

Cassedy Griffin, Sequoyah

Isabel Harper, Sequoyah

Evie Testa-Neal, Woodstock

Kaylee Folk, Woodstock

Caroline Cannon, Woodstock

Honorable Mention

Carolyn Chen, Cherokee

Peyton Dick, Cherokee

Weslynn Donahue, Cherokee

Saoirse Stewart, Cherokee

Hannah Petzinger, Creekview

Brianna Gutierrez, Etowah

Hayden Langton, Etowah

Blaire Sherrer, Etowah

Emma Ray, River Ridge

Leilah Huynh, River Ridge

Gloria Leite, River Ridge

Emily McGhehey Becker, Sequoyah

Evelyn Battle, Woodstock

Shannon Power, Woodstock

2024-25 aLL-Cherokee CoUnT y BoyS SWIM TeaM

First Team

Hudson Evans, Cherokee

Myles Merges, Creekview

Mason Reed, Etowah

Caden Alindogan, Sequoyah

Grant Harrison, Sequoyah

Mason Thomas, Sequoyah

Second Team

Marcus Kjaerulff, Creekview

Dane Ferrero, Etowah

Jacob Howell, Etowah

Julian Brooker, River Ridge

Skyler Cook, River Ridge

Logan Dunn, River Ridge

Henry Yon, Sequoyah

Honorable Mention

Connor Williams, Cherokee

Charley Dahlen, Cherokee

Isaac Arthur, Cherokee

Jake Gurlanick, Cherokee

Caleb Miller, Creekview

Micah Owens, Creekview

Adam Berwald, Etowah

Jarrof Dobson, Etowah

John Schilling, River Ridge

Logan Nielsen, River Ridge

Gabriel Espelid, Sequoyah

Hunter Sample, Sequoyah

Ian Sweazey, Sequoyah

Ryan Thomas, Sequoyah

Lainey Blase, Sequoyah

By Larry Blase

Hudson Evans, Cherokee

SPORTS

BOYS SWIMMING COACH OF YEAR

Hodgins helms Sequoyah’s county title

By Griffin Callaghan gcallaghan@ledgernews.com

After finishing second at last season’s Cherokee County championships, Cora Hodgins led Sequoyah to the top in 2024-25.

Hodgins was voted the Cherokee County Boys Swimming Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. The Chiefs reset records and consistently competed for meet titles, leading to a 15th-place overall finish at the Class AAAAA state championships.

“This season has been nothing short of remarkable for our boys team,” Hodgins said. “They’ve truly exceeded expectations and showcased incredible talent and determination. From start to finish, our team displayed a level of performance that was both inspiring and dominant in the pool.”

Cherokee County Boys Swimmer of the Year Mason Thomas had a substantial hand in Sequoyah’s success, though he was not alone. Grant Harrison and Caden Alindogan joined Thomas on the all-county first team, while Henry Yon made the second team and four more

were honorable mentions.

“Every member of the team worked hard and it showed in both their individual and relay achievements,” Hodgins said.

The Sequoyah boys scored 317 points to win the county title, beating out Etowah (308) and River Ridge (228).

Individually, Alindogan won the 100yard breaststroke in 1 minutes, 4.14 seconds, while Harrison won the 100 butterfly (54.53). Thomas secured two victories in the 100 backstroke (51.15) and 200 freestyle (1:45.00), while the Chiefs were the top 200 medley team behind Alindogan, Harrison, Thomas and Yon.

That success carried over to the state championships, where Alindogan, Harrison, Thomas and Yon scored. Sequoyah’s 200 medley relay finished sixth in Class AAAAA.

“The boys demonstrated remarkable teamwork and competitive spirit, especially in relays,” Hodgins said. “Notable individual performances also came from athletes like Mason Thomas, who had some phenomenal swims in both freestyle and backstroke events, earning several first-place finishes through -

out the season.”

At the Region 6AAAAA meet, Sequoyah finished third with 388 points, behind only Lassiter (749) and Pope (652). Thomas secured a victory in the 100 backstroke (54.27) and played a key role in the Chiefs’ first-place 200 medley relay alongside Alindogan, Harrison and Yon (2:04.29).

Individually, Harrison was the fourth in the 100 backstroke (59.97), fifth in the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 200 freestyle relay with Yon, Ian Sweazey and Ryan Thomas. Alindogan’s best individual event was the 100 breaststroke (fourth, 1:04.93).

In a season filled with high expectations, Sequoyah delivered and saw progression from up and down the lineup.

“While we had high hopes for the season, there were definitely some unexpected moments that made the journey even more exciting,” Hodgins said. “For instance, some of our younger swimmers really stepped up to the challenge, surprising us all with their growth and resilience. Their performances exceeded our expectations and were a major factor in our success.”

GIRLS SWIMMING COACH OF YEAR

Bulger leads River Ridge to program-record finish

By Griffin Callaghan gcallaghan@ledgernews.com

Following a program-record finish at state and a fourth consecutive Cherokee County championship, River Ridge girls swim coach Tracye Bulger returns as the county’s back-to-back Coach of the Year.

The Knights led Cherokee County at the Class AAAAA state championship meet as their girls took fourth overall with 234 points. Sequoyah’s girls finished ninth with 157 total points. Talented swimmers populated the River Ridge roster, while its depth helped push it over the top.

“Our girls had an amazing season this year both at the county and state level,” Bulger said. “Our successes came not only because of our top tier swimmers but also from our B and C swimmers who gave us the depth we needed to win the county championship for the fourth consecutive year and have our highest finish ever at the GHSA state meet.”

With 389 points at the county championship, the River Ridge girls beat out Sequoyah (218) and Etowah (207). The Knights shined in relays, winning both the 200 freestyle and 200 medley races — with two separate units between the two events. Ava Hoynowski, Maja Brooker, Macie Portis and Addison Hodgins were the first-place 200 medley group.

At state, River Ridge’s girls broke five school records and excelled especially in backstroke events. Four backstroke swimmers scored between Ava Hoynowski, Addison Hodgins, Macie Portis and Sofia Valenzuela.

The 200 and 400 freestyle relays were among the Knights’ broken records, with Hodgins, Laura Butler, Maja Brooker and Jersey Saylor finishing the 200 in

Tracye Bulger

1:41.62. Hodgins, Hoynowski, Portis and Saylor secured a time of 3:39.55.

“Our highlights included the strong performances by our girls at both county and state,” Bulger said. “It was this strength that helped us garner record points at the state championship, securing a fourth place finish in AAAAA competition.”

River Ridge’s veteran swimmers improved throughout the year, and they lived up to lofty expectations set

“

our successes came not only because of our top tier swimmers but also from our B and C swimmers who gave us the depth we needed to win the county championship for the fourth consecutive year and have our highest finish ever at the ghSa state meet.”

River Ridge girls swim coach Tracye Bulger

at the beginning of 2024-25. Bulger said the contributions from freshman swimmers like Ellie Portis and Shayne Wiley also helped push the Knights over the top.

The Knights have many of their key contributors returning next season, including Swimmer of the Year Jersey Saylor.

“We started this year with high expectations for our girls, but they exceeded them,” Bulger said. “Jersey Saylor, Ava Hoynowski, and Addison Hodgins had stellar years as anticipated, and Macie Portis exceeded expectations having one of her best seasons her senior year, posting numerous personal best times and garnering high finishes at county and state.”

Cora Hodgins

New roundabout coming to Ball Ground

By Ethan Johnson ejohnson@ledgernews.com

A roundabout is coming to the intersection Ball Ground Highway and Howell Bridge Road.

On April 1, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to award a $3.2 million construction services agreement to Wilson Construction Management,

LLC, to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Ball Ground Highway and Howell Bridge Road.

Wilson Construction Management was the lowest bidder for the project.

This intersection is controlled by a four-way stop and is experiencing safety and congestion issues, according to county documents.

The proposed roundabout project, in conjunction with the city of

Georgia’s REAL ID deadline is May 7

Staff reports

Soon, your driver’s license may not be an acceptable form of identification for boarding a domestic flight. That is unless your license is REAL ID compliant.

Beginning May 7, U.S. travelers will be required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification to board domestic flights.

“This may not be a widespread issue for Georgians, as the state began issuing REAL ID-compliant identifications back in 2012,” said Montrae Waiters, spokeswoman for AAA — The Auto Club Group. “However, if you recently moved to Georgia from another state or haven’t renewed your license in a while, you should take a close look at your identification cards. If your license does not have the proper markings, schedule an appointment with the Department of Driver Services. The closer we get to the REAL ID deadline, the longer DDS lines are likely to be.”

WHAT IS REAL ID?

In 2005, Congress passed the REAL

BUDGET

From 4

This provides funding for the replacement Cherokee High School (opening August 2026), classroom addition and HVAC upgrades at Creekland Middle School, classroom addition and auxiliary gym at Creekview High School and River Ridge High School and the first phase of renovations to facilities at Sequoyah High School. It also provides funding for driveway improvements at Teasley Middle School, classroom ad -

ID Act to combat terrorism and reduce identity fraud by enhancing the integrity and security of State-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards. REAL ID is a driver’s license or other form of state-issued identification that meets the minimumsecurity standards set forth by the federal government.

IS MY LICENSE REAL ID COMPLIANT?

REAL ID-compliant cards will feature either a gold or black star in the upper right corner of the card. If your Georgia driver’s license or ID does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity to board a commercial aircraft.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A REAL ID

To become REAL ID compliant for the first time, you must visit a state-approved office in person. Visit https://dds.georgia.gov/location to find a location near you. A Class E driver’s license can be renewed up to 18 months before the card’s expiration date.

dition at Woodstock High School and roof replacements/repairs at multiple schools.

Additionally, the budget allocates funding for new and replacement computers, devices and peripherals for students and staff, network and technology and repairs and enhancements district wide, re-purposing the Cherokee High School North Campus and other repair, maintenance and upgrades.

The budget will go into effect July 1.

The full budget is available online at https://tinyurl.com/CCSDbudget26. For a summarized version, visit https:// tinyurl.com/29upbcv7.

Ball Ground, will help to address both of these problems, as well as serve as the first phase of the Ball Ground Bypass project.

Construction on the roundabout is anticipated to start in May. The project is expected to take about a year to complete, according to the county. The intersection will remain open during that time, with intermittent lane closures.

“This is a pretty big project and much needed,” Cherokee County Commission Chairman Harry Johnston said.

This project is funded through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding and $500,000 from Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant funding, according to county documents.

Harry Johnston

Special

Sample of Current GA Driver’s License Design.

HEALTH

Reinhardt to move nursing school to main campus

Staff reports

Reinhardt University is moving its Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences from Jasper to its main campus in Waleska, the university announced.

The move will be effective for the start of the fall 2025 semester.

The program launched in 2017 and was accredited in 2019.

According to the university, the move allows for additional program growth, greater student engagement on campus, enhanced academic connections and support for students and faculty, and campus community development. The Cauble School will be located in the lower level of the George M. Lawson Academic Center.

Funding for the move and the renovation were made possible through a generous contribution by Dr. John A. Cauble and Sally Forest.

In a news release, the university said it remains committed to serving Pickens County and educating students for the health sciences workforce.

“Reinhardt’s entire campus community is grateful to Pickens County Schools and the Pickens County Development Authority for supporting the Cauble School of Nursing while we worked to establish a place on the University’s main campus,” Reinhardt University President Mark Roberts said. “It is bittersweet for us to make this decision, but the opportunity to create a place on campus through the support of Dr. Cauble and Ms. Forest coupled with data trends in the program suggest this is the right time.”

“ It

is bittersweet for us to make this decision, but the opportunity to create a place on campus through the support of dr. Cauble and Ms. Forest coupled with data trends in the program suggest this is the right time.”

Reinhardt University President Mark Roberts

In 2017, when the nursing school was established, Reinhardt was experiencing its highest enrollment, so there wasn’t room for the program on campus. It found a home in the Appalachian Campus of Chattahoochee Technical College in Jasper and RU had a lease arrangement with CTC to use their equipment.

In 2018, Reinhardt received a significant gift from Dr. John A. Cauble and his daughter, Sally Forest, to support operations, scholarships, growth, and development. In honor of their generous contribution, Reinhardt officially named the School the Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

In 2018, the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBN) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved Reinhardt’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. In 2019, Reinhardt

University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing was accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Several years later, Georgia Community College (including CTC) shifted its position on relationships with private institutions like Reinhardt, prompting the university to find a new home for the Cauble School. Reinhardt forged an agreement with the Pickens County School District to use two unoccupied buildings in Jasper, where the program thrived.

Like most colleges an universities, traditional student enrollment at Reinhardt declined during the COVID-19 pandemic,

and the university took the opportunity to assess goals, strategies for enrollment recovery, and space allocations.

Renovating and reallocating space will allow the Cauble School to be located on campus.

This year, the nursing school saw its third consecutive cohort achieve a 100% pass rate on their National Council Licensure Examination exam. The NCLEX is a requirement to become a licensed registered nurse (RN). The group graduated in December 2024. This is the sixth time the program had a 100% pass rate, and its average first-time pass rate is 94%.

River Ridge earns industry certification for pathway program

Staff reports

River Ridge High School has earned state industry certification for its career education program focused on healthcare.

In March, the school’s Career Pathway Healthcare Science program for Diagnostics: Clinical Laboratory Science, led by teacher Callie Davis, earned the distinguished Healthcare Industry Certification, which recognizes high school programs that meet standards set by industry experts.

“This certification validates the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, and industry partners,” Principal Todd Miller said. “We remain committed to preparing our students for the future of healthcare with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.”

To earn the certification, programs must demonstrate the use of project-based instruction, qualified educators, and up-to-date technologies, all while ensuring

students gain real-world experience through career development activities and hands-on training.

The recognition additionally confirms the school’s healthcare science program is aligned with state standards, including OSHA 10-hour Certification, HIPAA Training, and patient

safety protocols.

Davis is a former medical technologist now in her 19th year as an educator. In addition to leading the school’s healthcare science program, she also serves as teacher advisor for the school’s HOSA Future Health Professionals student organization.

The Georgia Department of Education and Hometown Health University conducted the certification review.

Local healthcare professionals including Daniel Mackie of BenchMark Physical Therapy; Janet Read Welch of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; April Freeman, Natasha

Melbourne and Amy Wheeler of Northside Hospital; and Kristi Wigington of Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services supported the school’s preparation to earn industry certification. For more information about the program, visit tinyurl. com/2wywcmfk.

reinhardt University

The George M. Lawson Academic Center will be the new home of Reinhardt University’s Dr. John A. Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Cherokee County School district

River Ridge High School has earned state industry certification for its Diagnostics: Clinical Laboratory Science Career Pathway program.

Cervical cancer: Prevention through awareness, screening

Cervical cancer affects over 14,000 women in the U.S. annually, with about 4,300 succumbing to the disease. The impact is even more profound in low-income regions, where women often lack access to health care. However, it is vital to remember that cervical cancer is largely preventable. Vaccines and regular screenings, including Pap smears and HPV screenings, are critical in prevention.

According to experts in women’s health, addressing cervical cancer requires more than just health care access; it necessitates comfort and confidence in discussing sexual and reproductive health with health care providers. Women should feel empowered to converse about their health, seeking preventive measures to reduce their risks significantly.

closest to where you are looking.

♦ Endocervical canal: space between both openings in the donut (where they cut out the donut holes)

♦ Ectocervix: outside portion of cervix — think of the top portion of the donut where the icing and sprinkles are. This is the area that is mainly sampled by pap smears.

Before delving deeper into cervical health awareness, it’s important to understand the basic anatomy of the cervix. The cervix is located in the pelvic cavity, anywhere from 3 to 6 inches inside the vaginal canal, connecting the uterus to the vagina. Think of the cervix as a donut with four main parts:

♦ Internal os: hole on the bottom of the donut, further away from where you are looking

♦ External os: hole on top of the donut

The cervix plays several critical roles in reproductive health, including allowing menstrual fluid to exit, serving as the birth canal during delivery, and protecting the uterus from infections. It is imperative that women consistently engage in conversations about their health, emphasizing the importance of regular screenings and vaccinations.

The conversation around cervical health needs to be amplified. Sharing experiences, understanding the statistics that surround cervical cancer, and recognizing the importance of preventative measures can save lives.

Let us work together to ensure that cervical health is openly discussed and more women are informed and empowered regarding their health choices. The goal is a world where cervical cancer is significantly reduced, if not eradicated, through awareness and proactive health care practices.

Vaccines and regular screenings, including Pap smears and HPV screenings, are critical in preventing cervical cancer.

All women should begin cervical cancer screenings at the age of 21. If you are age 30 or older, talk with your provider about your personal risk and what testing options are right for you.

Dr. Melissa Vogt of North Georgia OB/GYN

Specialists is a board-certified obstetriciangynecologist with expertise in various specialties, including bilateral tubal ligation, surgical treatment for endometriosis, LEEP/ colposcopy for abnormal pap smears, hysteroscopy for abnormal or post-menopausal bleeding and endometrial ablation.

Dr. Melissa Vogt

Where To Find

THE

CHEROKEE LEDGER MONTHLY

CANTON

h Texaco, 180 Butterworth Rd, Canton 30114

h Shell, 3550 Marietta Hwy, Canton 30114

h Chevron, 4129 Marietta Hwy, Canton, 30114

h Exxon, 2619 Holly Springs Pkwy, Canton, 30114

h Union 76, 900 Waleska Rd, Canton, 30114

h Marathon,14 Mill St, Canton, 30114

h Chevron, 111 Mountain Vista Blvd, Canton, 30114

h Johnny’s New York Style Pizza, 559 Riverstone Pkwy, Canton, 30114

h Cotton Mill Exchange, 225 Reformation Pkwy, Ste 100, Canton, 30114

h Bedoe’s Bar & Grille, 6115 Hickory Flat Hwy, Ste 101, Canton, 30115

h Kroger, 4045 Marietta Hwy, Canton, 30114

h Kroger, 6766 Hickory Flat Hwy, Canton, 30115

h Publix, 15 Laurel Canyon Village, Canton, 30114

h Publix, 1451 Riverstone Pkwy, Canton, 30114

h Publix, 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy, Canton, 30115

h YMCA, 151 Waleska St, Canton, 30114

h Bojangles, 1665 Ball Ground Hwy, Canton, 30114

h Georgian Hills Restaurant, 69 Waleska St, Canton, 30114

h Cherokee Courthouse, 90 North Street, Canton 30114

h Cherokee Tribune, 521 E Main St, Canton, 30114

h RT Jones Library, 116 Brown Industrial Pkwy, Canton, 30114

h Northside Hospital Women’s Center, 450 Northside Cherokee Blvd, Canton, 30114

h Northside Hospital Main Entrance, 450 Northside Cherokee Blvd, Canton, 30114

h Post Office, 2400 Riverstone Pkwy, Canton, 30114

WOODSTOCK

h JD’s Bar-B-Que, 6426 Bells Ferry Rd, Woodstock, 30189

h Family Tradition Restaurant, 4379 Towne Lake Pkwy, Woodstock, 30189

h Family Tradition Restaurant, 7830 Hickory Flatt Hwy, Woodstock, 30188

h Circle K, 12155 Hwy 92, Woodstock, 30188

Pick up your free copy of The Cherokee Ledger Monthly at these convenient locations:

h Family Tradition Restaurant, 4379 Towne Lake Pkwy, Woodstock, 30189

h Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Pkwy, Woodstock, 30189

h Kroger, 12050 Hwy 92, Woodstock, 30188

h Citgo, 6790 Bells Ferry Rd, Woodstock, 30189

h Kia, 630 Olde Rope Mill Park Rd, Woodstock, 30188

h Texaco, 6790 Bells Ferry, Woodstock, 30189

h Texaco, 6511 Bells Ferry, Woodstock, 30189

h Village Burger, 9550 Main St, Woodstock, 30188

h Bizarre Coffee, 440 Chambers St, Woodstock, 30188

h Woodstock Library, 7735 Main Street, Woodstock, 30188

h Woodstock Visitors Center, 8588 Main St, Woodstock, 30188

HOLLY SPRINGS

h Hop In, 2204 Holly Springs Pkwy, Holly Springs, 30115

h Kroger, 5341 Old Hwy 5, Holly Springs, 30188

ACWORTH

h Food Depot, 5530 Bells Ferry Rd, Acworth, 30102

h Mapco, 1530 Kellogg Creek Rd, Acworth, 30102

BBQ and Brews in Ball Ground

Families enjoyed a day of barbecue, music and more at the annual BBQ and Brews event in downtown Ball Ground April 5.

The festival, which saw hundreds in attendance, hosted restaurants offering a wide variety of barbecue flavors, craft vendors and other local businesses, and activities for kids including bounce houses. Musicians performed at the City Park Amphitheater.

The event is hosted by Black Sheep Promotions, and another BBQ and Brews event is set for April 12 in Cartersville. For more information, visit https:// www.facebook.com/bbqandbrews.

CHEROKEE SCENE

anthony Stalcup

Ten-year-old William Spawn from Canton eats a wing at the BBQ and Brews Festival in downtown Ball Ground April 5.

anthony Stalcup

The BBQ and Brews Festival was held in Downtown Ball Ground April 5.

anthony Stalcup

There were plenty of styles of barbecue to choose from, like Pho Cue, a Vietnamese Texas fusion restaurant, at the BBQ and Brews Festival held in downtown Ball Ground on April 5.

anthony Stalcup

The City Park Amphitheater hosted musicians for visitors at the BBQ and Brews Festival held in Downtown Ball Ground April 5.

anthony Stalcup

Greco Styles, owner of Styles BBQ, cuts ribs at the BBQ and Brews Festival held in Downtown Ball Ground April 5.

CHEROKEE SCENE

Community celebrates Best of Cherokee 2025 winners

Staff reports

Close to 500 people gathered at the Cherokee Tribune and Ledger’s Best of Cherokee Showcase event April 17, celebrating the best of Cherokee County’s local businesses.

The event, held at Thrive Canton at the historic Jones Building, recognized the winners of the Cherokee Tribune and Ledger’s annual Best of Cherokee contest, in which readers vote for their

favorite businesses and service providers. This year’s Best of Cherokee contest garnered over 112,000 votes, more than doubling last year’s total.

Winners are announced in Cherokee Life Magazine’s Best of Cherokee issue and online at www.tribuneledgernews. com.

For the Best of Cherokee 2026, nominations and voting are planned for winter, with the event tentatively planned for late April 2026.

anthony Stalcup

Hundreds of people gathered April 17 to celebrate the reader-decided winners of the Best of Cherokee 2025 contest.

anthony Stalcup

Cindy Simmons from Center Cut Catering hands out samples at the Best of Cherokee celebration event at Thrive Canton at the Jones Building.

anthony Stalcup

Representatives of Anytime Fitness Macedonia, which won Best Fitness Center/Gym, celebrated with other local businesses and community members at the Best of Cherokee Showcase.

anthony Stalcup

South Canton Florist was recognized as Best Florist.

anthony Stalcup

Dr. Fahrenheit HVAC was recognized as Best Heating & A/C Service.

anthony Stalcup

Jéa Salon and Spa, which was recognized as Best Hair Salon, raffled gift certificates and bundles at the Best of Cherokee Showcase.

Community enjoys chicken wings and music at Wing & Rock Fest

Festivalgoers gathered at Etowah River Park in Canton March 22 and 23 to enjoy chicken wings, rock music and more.

The annual Wing & Rock Fest brought over two dozen vendors with a wide variety of wing flavors, and rock music performed throughout the weekend.

The event also featured a Best Wing Competition and a chicken wing eating contest.

Next year’s Wing & Rock Fest is set for March 21-22, 2026.

Families enjoy Northside Hospital Foundation’s Easter Eggstravaganza

Hundreds of families were at the Northside Hospital Foundation’s Easter Eggstravaganza April 12 at Etowah River Park in Canton, where kids hunted for eggs, met the Easter Bunny and enjoyed other activities.

Over 3,000 people attended the event, the foundation reported.

Donations were collected for babies in the Northside Hospital Cherokee NICU, as well as diapers and baby wipes for MUST Ministries.

Families meet farmers at Cherokee County Ag Expo

Cherokee County residents met local farmers March 22 at the annual Agriculture Exposition in Canton.

The event at River Church was hosted by the Cherokee County Farm Bureau and Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.

Visitors met animals at a petting zoo and learned from Georgia farmers about their businesses. Representatives of Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services also gave a demonstration of how the department rescues large animals, like horses.

anthony Stalcup Pat and Andre Bulluck owners of Dre’s Place took home first place in the People’s Choice category and second place for Best BBQ Wings at the Wing & Rock Fest in Canton.

anthony Stalcup

Asian spicy wings from Dawgs Smoking Hawgs at Wing & Rock Fest at Etowah River Park in Canton.

northside hospital Foundation

Kids collect eggs at the Northside Hospital Foundation’s Easter Eggstravaganza.

northside hospital Foundation Children met the Easter Bunny at the Northside Hospital Foundation’s Easter Eggstravaganza in Canton.

robin rayne

Henry Clark, 2, makes friends with a chicken named Kiwi at the Cherokee County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Expo.

robin rayne

Georgia Clark pets Jester the goat at the Cherokee County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Expo.

GARDENING

Herbs — the most versatile plant in the garden

When most people think of planting a garden, they think of flowers or vegetables, which are one-dimensional plants. An herb is a multi-dimensional plant — meaning it offers the gardener more diversity in its uses than just a food source or a pretty display.

There are a multitude of different herbs to grow, so decide what herbs would fit your needs. How are you going to use your herbs? What herbs do you use now in cooking? What birds or insects are attracted to the herb? Is the herb an annual or a perennial plant? Is the herb invasive? Research the herb and you will have more success after planting.

Many herbs are not the prettiest plant in the garden, and you may even mistake it for a weed. To avoid this mistake, please label all your herbs. Labeling is particularly important for the perennial herbs which return each spring.

Herbs can draw beneficial insects to the garden. Yes, there are good bugs! These herbs help bring good bugs to your garden: Oregano, fennel, dill, cilantro, sage, thyme, mint (container only!). Love butterflies? Try planting these herbs to attract butterflies and bees: Bee Balm, sage, dill, parsley, fennel, basil, borage, catnip, lemon balm, mint, savory, thyme, and chamomile.

Pests are a big problem in the garden. Herbs can also function as a deterrent to many of those pests that invade your garden. Some of the herbs listed below may help you in this area:

♦ Basil can keep flies away. Put leaves in a muslin bag by the door or on a porch to help keep flies and mosquitos away. Spray a tea mixture to keep beetles away. Dust basil powder on tomato plants to discourage horn worms.

NOTE: To make a tea from herbs, pour 2 cups boiling water over 2 cups of leaves — cover for 3-4 hours strain and add 4 cups of water. Put in a spray bottle and spray plants.

♦ Garlic can discourage deer. Sprinkle dried powdered garlic on plants and around perimeter of your garden. Combine with other teas as a spray.

♦ Lemon Balm — Rub a handful of lemon balm on a picnic table to dis -

the distinct lemony fragrance, it is the lower part of the stem which is most used in

release its flavor, before adding to many curry dishes, or sliced before being pounded

herbs can draw beneficial insects to the garden and also function as a deterrent to many of the pests that invade your garden.

courage bugs. Powder dried leaves and sprinkle freely on veggies to confuse would-be pests in the garden.

♦ Lavender — a sprig in the bird bath may keep mosquito larvae from hatching. It also repeals moths, ticks and flies.

♦ Mint — scatter dried leaves of mint in kitchen cupboards to repel mice. Also put some dried leaves around cabbage and arugula to repeal flea beetles.

♦ Lemon Grass contains citronella. Make a tea and spray it as a natural mosquito repellant.

♦ Chamomile — Dry flowers discourage flies.

♦ Cayenne Peppers — grind peppers to

Many herbs are not the prettiest plant in the garden, and you may even mistake it for a weed. To avoid this mistake, please label all your herbs. Labeling is particularly important for the perennial herbs which return each spring.

a fine powder and sprinkle around doors and windows to repel ants. A fresh coat of the powder on veggies in the morning with dew will discourage rabbits. If you have never planted herbs before, now is the time to start. Once you start using your herbs in cooking and other areas to attract beneficial insects and for pest control you will be hooked just as I am. For more information on herb growing download the free UGA Extension publication “Herbs in Southern Gardens” at https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail. html?number=B1170

Enjoy and Happy Gardening!!!

Diane Walton is one of many UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteers of Cherokee County. For more information or questions contact the Cherokee County Extension Office at 770-721-7803 or for upcoming seminars follow us at www. facebook.com/cherokeemastergardeners or at cherokeemastergardeners.com.

The

GARDENING WITH THE MASTERS|DIANE WALTON

Walton

Wikimedia Commons/Mokkie Lemongrass grows in large, dense clumps and is rarely seen to flower. Its long slender leaves are hairy and sharp. While leaves have

cooking.

bulbous stem is usually bruised to

to a paste.

Wikimedia Commons/Lauren 240

A variety of herbs are visible in this garden, including mint.

CROSSWORD ANSWER

CROSSWORD

• Fractures, Sprains, Strains and Dislocations

• Painful, Swollen or Injured Joints

• Back and Neck Pain Urgent Care: Woodstock 1505 Stone Bridge Pkwy. Suite 200 Woodstock, GA 30189

(Marietta).

Monday – Friday, 8am - 4pm

Marietta, GA 30060 Monday – Friday, 8am - 4:30pm