The Life 400 North ~ June / July 2015

THE

LIFE 400 NORTH

MAJORAreaPLAYERS leaders weigh in on the sectors that have shaped 400 North

Cooking up success Local teacher leads culinary team to national stage

Growing pedigree Baseball talent abounds in the ’burbs of Metro Atlanta

Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children in the mid-1900s

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© 2015 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. All rights reserved.

June•July 2015

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THE LIFE 400 NORTH

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E ditor

from the

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here are so many factors that have contributed to the development of the 400 North corridor, that it’s hard to pinpoint just one. But we think we’ve picked out three that have had and will continue to have an enormous impact on that growth, and we asked some area leaders what they thought about them. We also looked at some smaller signs of growth. South Forsyth High School’s culinary program is picking up steam and quickly becoming a national contender, and it’s almost exclusively thanks to one woman. Food trucks are invading 400 North with weekly events in Dunwoody, Alpharetta and Roswell (and sometimes making more money than they do in Atlanta). And Therapyland is the result of two parents, their autistic daughter and a void in treatment that they remedied themselves, while at the same time opening the doors of a state-of-the-art facility to help others. So sit down for a minute, crank up the air conditioner and read about the stories happening all around you in this, our summer issue, of The Life — 400 North.

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June•July 2015

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Contents 9

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On The Cover: Brett Tallant, Sawnee EMC; Niti Patel, Northside Hospital- Forsyth; and Grant Schmeelk, Community & Southern Bank

Teeing off in the Metro

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Recipe for Success The selfless force behind South Forsyth High’s ever growing culinary program

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A Growing Pedigree In the heart of football country, the 400 North corridor is producing high-level baseball talent

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Loving Therapy Parents create state-of-the-art center for daughter, open doors for many

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Cover Story: Players of Growth Industry, Healthcare, and Business are winning North Georgia

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Lessons on Lanier The Life hits the Lake with pro angler, Eric Aldrich

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Food Trucks 400 North proves profitable for food vendors Sipping Summer

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Summer Reading

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Events

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June•July 2015

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Contributors Content Director

Micah Green mgreen@forsythnews.com 770-887-3126

Advertising

Ryan Garmon - Director rgarmon@forsythnews.com 770-205-8960 Cheri Boghos cboghos@forsythnews.com Connor Kelly ckelly@forsythnews.com

Thank You for voting us #1 in Forsyth!

A proud supporter of Forsyth County Schools.

Graphic Design Angie Decker

Copy Editor/Paginator Tracie Pike

Contributing Writers Kelly Whitmire Kayla Robins Brian Paglia

Executive Staff

Publisher Vince Johnson vjohnson@forsythnews.com Editor Kevin Atwill katwill@forysthnews.com Circulation Director Lisa Salinas lsalinas@forsythnews.com Online Editor Jim Dean jdean@forsythnews.com

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June•July 2015

TEEING OFF IN THE METRO

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THE LIFE 400 NORTH

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A growing pedigree In the heart of football country, the 400 North corridor has become a fastgrowing haven for breeding elite baseball players

Tyler Flowers

Keenan Innis

Story by Brian Paglia Jake Skole Dakota Chalmers

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his past high school baseball season, two teams (King’s Ridge Academy and Blessed Trinity) from north Fulton County won state championships in the Georgia High School Association, and six more teams made the state playoffs when including Forsyth County. Last week, six players from the area were selected in the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In the spring, 97 players were on college baseball rosters. Nine are playing in the professional ranks this summer.

All of which is to say baseball along the 400 North corridor is booming, and it’s doing so because it has all the classic

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ingredients of a baseball talent epicenter: good weather, population growth, affluence and strong baseball infrastructure.

As South Forsyth High School baseball head coach Russ Bayer puts it: “It’s really kind of a perfect storm.”

Weather: Perhaps the biggest thing going in the 400 North corridor baseball scene is the one it has the least control over: Mother Nature.

It’s no coincidence that the top seven states with the most players selected in the 2015 MLB Draft all came from warm-weather areas of the country.

California had the most players selected with 192, followed by Florida (137), Texas (107), North Carolina (57),

Georgia (51), Tennessee (39) and Arizona (37).

It means local baseball players have little – if any – offseason.

Population growth: What else do those states have in common? Five of the seven are in the top 10 in population in the United States.

Baseball’s growth along the 400 North corridor has coincided with the area’s population explosion since 2000. Forsyth County’s population has more than doubled since 1999, from 93,244 to 195,405 in 2013. So has Milton’s, from 15,599 to 35,907. Alpharetta’s has almost tripled, from 27,302 to 62,298.

“Anytime you have a high population, June•July 2015

Jason Delay

Tyler Carpenter

you’re increasing the likelihood of not just people being interested in baseball but people being dedicated to baseball,” said Nathan Rode, national director of Prep Baseball Report.

Affluence: Within the recent debate about baseball’s popularity struggles has been a fact the sport’s brightest minds are tackling: baseball is an expensive sport. It takes money to get started (all those bats, gloves, uniforms, sunglasses, eye-black, wristbands, etc.). It takes even more to get private instruction or play on a travel team.

“Whether we like to admit it or not, there is something about baseball. It costs money, unfortunately, to be June•July 2015

involved at a young age,” Rode said.

No problem for places like Forsyth County, where the median household income is $87,585. Or Johns Creek, where the average household makes over $130,000.

Travel programs: Speaking of travel programs.

The best baseball players don’t stop competing once the high school season is over, but the search for a competitive travel team to play with during the summer and fall seasons used to be quick – it was East Cobb Baseball and then everybody else.

The ECB (as it’s known colloquially) opened in 1983 in Marietta and became

Jake Drehoff

the standard for youth baseball operations across the country, winning 207 national titles and featuring former players like current pros Brian McCann (Yankees), Jeff Franceour (Phillies), Dexter Fowler (Cubs) and Jason Heyward (Cardinals).

But as the metro Atlanta population has spread throughout the region, there are now more baseball travel teams than ever before. Organizations like Team Georgia Baseball Academy (2004), Team Elite Baseball (2005) and 6-4-3 Athletics (2007) have opened within the last decade, meaning more and more players are receiving the kind of coaching it takes to become the best.

THE LIFE 400 NORTH

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THE PLAYERS OF GROWTH

Industry, healthcare and business are winning North Georgia. Area leaders weigh in on the past and future of the continued success.

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t’s the fastest-growing, most affulent 20-mile radius in the country. Evolving from rural farmland to the prize of north Georgia, the 400 North corridor continues its nearly unprecedented climb. Some of the area’s movers and shakers discuss the ascension.

What, in your eyes, has played the biggest role in the growth on 400 North?

At the most basic level, companies and residents get more value for a lower cost to live and operate in our community compared to other communities in the region and the nation. People and businesses are shopping for the greatest value to call home. If we compare public school performance, home values, quality of amenities, tax rates, business regulation, quality of employees, cost of living and overall quality of life, Forsyth County outperforms other communities in the region.

- James McCoy, Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

As far as Lanier Tech is concerned, what are the steps you guys are taking to continue that growth?

Lanier Tech’s mission is workforce development. We work closely with the Forsyth County School System, business and industry leaders, The Cumming-Forsyth

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Chamber of Commerce, government officials to assure that we have programs in place that meet the workforce needs of today as well as the needs of the foreseeable future. We have partnered with the Forsyth County Schools and businesses such as Siemens to create an apprenticeship program designed to attract young people into rewarding careers in manufacturing. We have plans to develop an Associate Degree in Nursing program designed to lead graduates to licensure as registered nurses to assure that the ever-growing healthcare workforce needs are met.

- Ray Perren, Lanier Tech

What do you feel is Sawnee EMC’s place in that growth?

We are continuously making long-range plans to meet the needs of our members, both current and future members. In our industry, you cannot be reactive; We must be proactive.

This includes building electrical facilities years in advance and securing power generation needs for many years into the future. Electricity is a commodity that everyone needs, whether it be a home, or business, or farm… so, we must stay ahead of the game and recognize the areas that are yet to be developed and make sure that we have adequate facilities in those areas when they eventually do start to grow.

-Blake House, Sawnee EMC

June•July 2015

Do you have a vision for how What do you feel is Northside’s Northside will affect growth on place in this growth?

Northside’s role continues to be one of 400 North?

As the largest private employer in the community we have a significant positive influence on the economic vitality of the county and its businesses. Northside is a leading supporter in the community for local investment in nonprofit organizations. As an example, Northside is a Partner in Education with our nationally recognized school system. Our employees provide an extensive volunteer base for community activities while building relationships which form the foundation of our promising future together.

-Lynn Jackson, Northside Hospital

assuring that we are providing the services and facilities that are commensurate with the health care needs of the region today and in the future. We plan years ahead in order to be ready when the community needs us. Our forecasting horizon extends at least a decade ahead through certificate of need planning, statistical study and healthcare trend analysis. The evolution of healthcare along a continuum assists Northside and our community in being prepared at a public health and primary care level all the way to tertiary and popu-

lation specific care.

-Lynn Jackson, Northside Hospital

Lynn Jackson is the hospital administrator for Northside Forsyth Ray Perren is the president of Lanier Technical College James McCoy is the president of the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce Blake House is the vice president of member services at Sawnee EMC

Your Home for

What could be some of the things that hinder growth, and what are some of the things that could facilitate that growth?

Better Health.

There are always factors that could hinder growth- some totally out of the control of the local community. But the most positive factors that will facilitate growth is the presence of a highly-skilled workforce that can support advanced manufacturing, healthcare services, technical skills, and professional services. Training this workforce through providing hands-on instruction at a regionally accredited institute of higher education is exactly what Lanier Tech does.

- Ray Perren, Lanier Tech

What have been some of the difficulties in maintaining or cultivating the growth in a proper way?

Every growing business organization and community struggles with building the infrastructure fast enough to keep pace withgrowth. Roads and schools take a very long time to build. State and federal regulations tack on years to what could be a much shorter process. Thankfully, we have thoughtful leaders who have been working on new schools and new road improvements for many years in preparation for the needs of today. Now, with the approval of recent school and transportation bond referendums by voters, the community will enjoy the benefits of new schools and roads. We will also see similar investments in our public parks and public libraries.

- James McCoy, Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce June•July 2015

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www.ghms-inc.org | info@ghms-inc.org THE LIFE 400 NORTH

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Lessons on Lanier Story by Kelly Whitmire

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ornings on Ga. 400 are not typically anyone’s idea of a good time, but just off the highway on Lake Lanier, serene mornings can feel a world away.

With Buford Dam’s competition in 1956, what had formerly been valleys along the Chattahoochee River slowly filled to become Lake Lanier. Officially Lake Sidney Lanier, named after the 19th century poet, the lake has become one of the predominant outdoor spots in metroAtlanta and northeast Georgia.

Skiing, tubing and sailing are all popular on the Lake, but fishing is where people get serious.

Eric Aldrich, a semi-professional angler who contributes fishing reports to the Forsyth County News, has been fishing on Lake Lanier since he was 7 years old, and said there is one fish in particular on the lake that gets the attention of serious anglers; striped bass or stripers as they’re commonly referred to.

“Lanier has actually got an at least national, if not international, reputation for being one of the best striper fisheries in America,” Aldrich said. “They’re huge and give up a good fight. They generate a lot of income for the local business.”

While stripers are the star of the show, other bass, including largemouth and spotted, are abundant on the lake — Aldrich said he more or less only fishes for bass

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— but several other species can be caught.

“There’s more types of fish in Lake Lanier, for sure, than just bass — crappie, brim and everything else,” Aldrich said. “There’s also walleye. Walleye are northern fish and they’re really good to eat.”

Aldrich said some fish that aren’t typically eaten or prized by sport fishermen can be still fun to catch, especially for those new to fishing and children.

“First of all I’d figure out what species they should target,” he said. “If they’ve got kids and they’re not really, really interested, believe it or not I’d recommend they go carp fishing.

“Carp are really fun to catch, they’re big. You can fish them catching them with corn and a bobber, so they’re fairly easy to catch, and carp unlike most fish are more active during the day.”

Getting to know the lake is a good way to know what you’re getting into, Aldrich said. And there is quite a lot of lake to get to know with 59 square miles of water and 692 miles of shoreline.

“You can break the lake down into two or three kind of categories,” he said. “I break it down into three. You’ve got the main lake which is anything below Browns Bridge — the huge Lake Lanier, looks like the ocean.

“Then you’ve got the mid-lake which I would call anything from Browns Bridge up to Hwy. 53. And then you’ve got the creeks and the rivers, I’d include the Chattahoochee below the lake too.”

With all the room, the lake easily accommodates several types of fishing.

“If you like to fish shallow there’s areas you can do that year-round, if you like to fish deep, same thing year-round,” Aldrich said.” It also confuses a lot of people too, I think they think the lake is too big and it overwhelms them.

For those who can’t get out in a boat, shore fishing is extremely pop-

June•July 2015

ular and trees and other artificial objects have been placed near the shoreline to attract fish.

For Aldrich, when to get out on the lake is just as important as what to catch and where to go. Like many anglers, he prefers to get out on the lake early since the fish are biting and lower lake traffic.

“To beat the crowds, early in the morning is the best, you usually don’t get the crazy crowds for anglers until 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.,” he said. “Afternoon starts to get rocking with the sport fishermen and if anybody waterskies.”

Just as the hour can be an issue, the day fishers go out can have an impact on what they catch and how long they’ll be able to enjoy the lake.

“Weekends do get very busy; you have to practice patience at the ramp.

You’ve got people putting in the boats, some of them come out one time or two times a year, some of them, like me, do it two or three times a week. So, you’ll have a variable of people who don’t launch their boats fast.”

Aldrich said that seasons should also be taken into account on the lake, but not necessarily because of the fish.

“Summer is great. Spring and fall to me are the best time, after the school gets in,” he said. “Kids are out here a lot when school gets out and it makes it busier, but when school starts it kind of calms down. Fall is beautiful out there.

“Winter is great for

me. If you’re an angler, fish are pretty easy to catch in the winter. A lot of people think it’s harder to catch fish, but a lot of times it’s easier to do than what we do now.”

While fishing is his main reason to be on Lanier, Aldrich sees way more than just fish while out on the lake, as non-aquatic animals and the parks surrounding the lake add to the experience.

“The whole area within sight of [Buford Dam] is all an interlinking bunch of parks and trails. The wildlife is incredible,” Aldrich said. “Deer; I mean you walk up on them and they’ll be eating and look at you, like ‘What do you want? Leave me alone.’ They won’t run from you.

“Hawks, eagles, osprey, the amount of animals you run into here is really cool… all these things are parts of nature that interlink.”

And every so often Aldrich gets to experience some special things that people may never or only rarely see.

“You get to see a lot of really cool stuff on the lake.

I ask

people a lot of the time, ‘When’s the last time you saw a shooting star?’” he said. “When you’re an angler and you’re out here all the time, you see them every night. It’s really cool. You can see the Milky Way.” Aldrich, who often goes out fishing on a bass boat fast enough to get ticketed on the highway, with all the sonar which he uses for what he calls “video game fishing” and all the other bells and whistles, acknowledges that it might be considered overkill to an outsider.

“It’s just the allure of all of it is kind of cool,” he said. “You’ve got all these hi-tech electronics, you’ve got stuff to go target, a boat that runs 75 miles an hour or a trolling motor that runs 3 or 4 [miles per hour] all to go catch a beast with the brain the size of a pea.

“You can never tell what’s going to happen on any given day, but with some education and some experience you can figure it out.”

‘[Lanier] also confuses a lot of people too, I think they think the lake is too big and it overwhelms them.’

-Eric Aldrich

June•July 2015

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SIPPING SUMMER

Let our wine expert introduce you to some bottles to help you show off your sophisticated palet.

Chalk Hill Chardonnay

Meiomi Pinot Noir Offers an exciting interplay of berry, oak, earth and spice notes. This is rich yet medium-weight, with subtle edges to the blueberry, raspberry, mocha and fresh-turned earth flavors, ending with a tasty melted black licorice aftertaste. The wine is crafted, lush, balanced and luxurious. Three of the California’s most sought after coastal growing regions brilliantly meld together in this deeply flavored, stylish and truly balanced Pinot Noir; at its most fundamental core, it is an approachable, food friendly wine with a style and place all its own.

The 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is light golden in color and displays expressive fruit aromas of yellow apple, lemon curd and a nice minerality. The bouquet is further complexed by toasted bread, marzipan, and crème brulee with an oak finish. This Chardonnay is quite elegant with its mineral style, akin to a White Burgundy on steroids. Fruit forward and a rich textural body make this complex wine a real crowd pleaser and the fruit is reined in by good acidity and lemon zest.

Sonoma Cutrer Ideal for sharing with friends as a chill returns to the air, this wine is richly textured with a lovely creamy richness and bright acidity that leads to a long, flavorful, crisp finish. Aromas of Golden Delicious Apple, white peach, and nectarine are accented with nougat, honeydew, and brown sugar. Flavors of peach, apple, and crème brûlée meld with hints of butterscotch, caramel, warm pie crust, and baked apple.

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hopping for a bottle of wine to have at dinner should be the easiest task you execute during your day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t ever seem that way. When I first started buying wine I was overwhelmed with all the options. I would simply choose from a cache of assorted wines and I would always leave with a bottle of wine that had a “trendy” label.

Then I started working at Jax Fine Wine & Spirits and discovered not only my palate, but gained excessive knowledge about wine. How did I conquer finding my palate? By simply tasting a lot of wine.

So try each one of these selections, learn a little about them and show off that knowledge to your friends. Don’t worry, we won’t tell them who filled you in.

- Rachel Justis, Jax Fine Wine & Spirits 16

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June•July 2015

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June•July 2015

Recipe for Success The selfless force behind South Forsyth High’s evergrowing culinary program

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hef. Teacher. Dietician. One woman wears all of these hats plus more. Mother of two, motherfigure to countless. Role model.

Leader. Coach. She never puts herself first, never thinks twice if it’s for her students’ benefit.

But every now and then, even those who hold the spotlight for everyone else needs to shine.

Story by Kayla Robins June•July 2015

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orsyth County is growing. It’s a no-brainer. But what may be less obvious is where some of those expansive roots began, and one of those paths can be traced to a woman in a white coat and hat.

Dawn Martin, the instructor for South Forsyth High School’s culinary program and career pathway, has always been interested in “what makes food.”

Besides a good knife and keen taste.

As a registered dietician and experienced in the realm of hospital food service management, Martin is always examining the chemistry and science behind a meal.

“And I’m as southern as they come.

Fatback, chicken after church; that’s my definition of Sunday,” Martin said.

Around 20 years ago, Martin worked as a diabetes educator at a children’s camp in Savannah while her husband went through medical school.

She left the hospital food service industry when she saw too many people with Type 2 diabetes in middle and high school.

“I wanted to make a difference,” she said. “Both my husband and I switched careers to come back home to Forsyth.

You’re never too young to start giving back.”

And that’s what she’s been doing ever since.

“She’s like our second mom” Martin started teaching food and

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nutrition science at South in 2001, the same year the culinary program was initiated.

Even when she took the lead in 2003, the program was more of a home economics class. Five units, a fridge, one dishwasher and an oven.

South was one of the first public schools in Georgia to get a kitchen in 2005.

“We were blessed because people kept coming into the picture who I didn’t even know, giving us secondhand equipment,” Martin said.

Since then, West Forsyth and Lambert high schools opened culinary programs, and Martin said she wants North Forsyth to start one, too.

“We’re fierce competitors, but it is service oriented and we want everyone to succeed. We would, if you will, give the chef coats off our backs to help each other,” she said.

South has gone from hiring a second part-time instructor in 2008 to retaining two full-time chefs.

Martin started with three classes of 24 students. Now more than 200 teens pass through her kitchen each year, and the “other schools are also bursting at the seams.”

“We have students going to top culinary schools, but the program isn’t just for people to become chefs. There’s Culinology and dieticians. They can go into hospitality and management,” she said.

While there are many pathways students are introduced to in Martin’s program, Olivia Fissé will be attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York’s Hyde Park this fall, one of the most prestigious culinary colleges in the country.

Fissé was on a five-girl team that took second place in the nation at this spring’s ProStart Invitational in California. It was the highest a Georgia team had ever placed.

“We couldn’t have done it without her at all, honestly,” Fissé said. “She is a recipe book and knows all of the technical things. She kept everyone and everything in line. At the end of the day, if the food tasted right, that’s OK, but the menu and the small details have to be perfect.

“She’s like our second mom. For us on the team, we were [at school practicing] more than we were with our own families.”

Real-world experiences across the world

Of course, some students take the introductory class as a fun elective, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If they want to get more serious, they can enter the career pathway as a sophomore and take those classes for two years.

“Every class is taught in this program,” Martin said. “We have foreign languages when we learn about French and Italian food, recipe

June•July 2015

conversions for math. Technical writing for ordering equipment is for English.

We study geography when we learn about food regions. And we teach soft skills when we have them interact in work situations and do catering events.”

When construction that began this summer is completed in two years, Martin will have a second kitchen.

She said she wants to open a restaurant to serve the community.

“After they finish the program in 11th grade, they need a place to get work experience every day,” she said.

“How can you teach them without showing them?”

In the meantime, she’s taking 38 students on a 10-day trip to Italy next summer (there are still a few spots open). They’ll learn regional food variations, meet chefs, visit olive gardens and attend a cheese tasting.

“As we learn about the food, I want to visit where it came from,” Martin said. “South is an IB [International Baccalaureate] school, so we should

strive for internationalism.”

“The ideal, not the norm”

Martin strives for excellence in every class.

The success of the program is undeniable, but you’d be hard-pressed to hear her take credit for it. It’s her administration. The community. Her students.

“It’s like our own family in here, so I’m going to push you. I’m 100 percent go big or go home. I’m here before and after you, so you can try your hardest during your hour-and-a-half in here each day,” she said. “I love it when the light bulb goes off when they make something and say, ‘Look what I did!’”

Laura Wilson, South’s new principal – she’s been an assistant principal there for three years – said Martin won’t ask her students to do something without offering to be “in there doing it with them.”

“It’s relatively rare to get someone as engaged and involved and who believes

in what she does,” Wilson said. “It’s part of who she is. She goes above and beyond, not just to educate but to make good job decisions.

“She’s constantly promoting her program and our students and never takes credit for it but spends countless hours here.”

Teachers can be proactive and seek out growth or be asked to grow, Wilson said. Both can be successful.

“But she’s the ideal. Not the norm,” she said. “It’s not just a clinical experience. She makes everything personal. She can be firm, but she is always looking out for their best interests. That’s when you truly get students buying in.”

Though she won’t shine a spotlight on herself, Wilson said, Martin is an “anchor for all the [culinary] programs in the county.

“She’s a teacher by nature, not by profession. We’re just limited because we can’t clone her.”

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E V LO THERAPY Story by Kayla Robins

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ny loving parents do whatever it takes to help their children. But what if whatever it takes means changing professions, creating a business, building a state-of-the-art facility and opening the doors to help others in the process? The Brooks family is up to the task.

June•July 2015

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A

7-year-old girl with long brown hair sits in a yellow chair in a green-walled art room.

There’s more purple paint on her hand and arm than the piece of paper on the table, but she doesn’t mind. Nor does she talk.

Jaslyn Brooks doesn’t talk because she has autism. She is surrounded by other kids with developmental disabilities in a state-of-the-art therapy center and school because of her parents. Not because they enrolled her in Therapyland.

Because they made it.

Thane and Cheri Brooks were not happy with the services available to their daughter, which were adequate but often too white-walled and clinical.

“This isn’t like a doctor’s office.

They can work to earn stuffed animals and play dress up to learn how to button clothes in the occupational therapy room,” said Thane Brooks as he toured the brand-new center. “There’s a sensory room where there are lighted LED strips and fountains that project a picture while saying the color.”

They wanted to find a place that interlaced education with therapy and community.

“So they can learn through play and they don’t realize they’re work-

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ing,” he said.

At other clinics, they noticed parents would wait in their cars or on their laptops, disengaged. Detached.

They wouldn’t talk to each other or share experiences.

“Your life is your kid, and I was Jaslyn’s manager,” Cheri Brooks said. “I felt like a taxi driver. I didn’t have a life other than my kids. We can do this because she’ll be here.”

Life before Therapyland

The couple worked with each other for 10 years before moving the business (running Avalon Mortgage and building luxury houses) home when they had their first child, 8-year-old Branson.

“She doesn’t let me talk to [Thane]. We have to get creative,” Cheri Brooks said. “We went through a big phase of just texting each other around her.

The last time we went on a family vacation – to the beach – she was stealing toys from the other kids.

“We can’t go out to dinner or take her to social func-

tions. She would be pumping soap onto the counter.”

In-home therapists would be at the house when they weren’t at a session.

“Up until we had our daughter, I didn’t really know what autism was,” Cheri Brooks said. “She couldn’t brush her teeth when they started coming in; she would be kicking and screaming, and I thought that was so unusual. She would be tiptoe walking. She had no desire to play with other kids and wouldn’t talk.”

Therapy has to continue at home, at any time.

“Branson tries to implement her therapy. We’ll ask him to get her some food, and he’ll lay out goldfish

June•July 2015

and tell her to count them, making her start over if she messes up,” she said. “But it’s not balanced attention, since she needs more. He’s in gifted classes in school, plays tennis, swims, plays football. It’s odd what can happen 16 months apart.”

“The whole child approach”

A bill called Ava’s Law passed in Georgia this year to mandate insurance for families with autistic children ages 6 and under. Before, coverage was voluntary, and caring for an autistic child can cost thousands of dollars a year.

There are 14 students enrolled in summer school at Therapyland, with a growing waiting list. And they only opened at the beginning of June.

“The gym is the most popular, for sure,” Thane Brooks said.

There’s a ball pit and climbing space. Kids – the center is open for anyone younger than 18 – can span a rock wall while moving magnetic words. There are four flat swings so therapists can implement lessons at the same time, surrounding an interactive floor that moves to the touch.

“I came from a public school system, and as soon as I saw it I fell in love,” said Lauren VanZuiden, lead June•July 2015

teacher. “The collaboration of the disciplines working together, the resources and the technology. They can go to school while working on therapy skills in an actual environment.”

VanZuiden has 11 years of experience in behavioral clinics and disorders and moved from California for the job.

“These types of places do exist, but they’re infrequent,” said Amy Wagner, Therapyland’s director of education. “I’m not aware of one in the state.”

Wagner, who has spent more than 20 years working around autism, sometimes brings in her twin 3-year-olds.

Arye and Lana are developing typically, so they pose as peer models for the kids who have social and skills deficits.

“They can teach them how to take turns and share, and they have language,” Wagner said. “[Branson Brooks] is that model, too.”

Kids don’t have to have autism to attend Therapyland. In fact, they don’t have to have any diagnosis.

“They take the whole child approach, and they have the parental view and discipline,” said Sandi Rivers, the clinical director.

Rivers, who has 20 years of experience and is board certified in

behavioral analysis, has been with Jaslyn since she was 2.

“Over the summer she didn’t work with her, and we saw a regression,” Cheri Brooks said.

Since Therapyland opened, she said, Jaslyn started doing physical therapy for the first time in years.

She walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes, when before she wasn’t even standing.

And that’s within the first week.

“Nothing but a gift”

Ya’el Yisrael has three children enrolled in therapy.

Two-year-old Zion has “been disabled pretty much since he was born.” He has developmental disabilities, has had heart failure, lived temporarily in the cardiac ICU and isn’t reaching milestones. Doctors recently found a small brain tumor and diagnosed him with autism.

“His therapist in Atlanta told me about [Therapyland]. It was love before I even got there,” Yisrael said. “We’ve been through a lot of doctors and a lot of therapists.

We’re right where we’re supposed to be.”

Her daughter, Seraiyah, 4, has ADHD and Pica, a disorder characterized by an appetite for nonnutritive substances, like paper or dirt.

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“I took some pictures of the place and showed her some from the website, and that was the greatest thing for her. She started crying because she wanted to play more and more,” she said. “No one goes to therapy and cries because they want to go more.”

Zan, 7, is her oldest child. He was diagnosed as selectively mute four years ago, but Yisrael said they’ve been aware of his silence for six.

Doctors have not reached Zan in four years.

He’s been bullied at school to the point of it ending up in the emergency room.

“He most recently had to go to an oral surgeon because he had a tooth knocked out. He won’t tell them stop, or don’t hit me, or that hurts,” Yisrael said.

She drives from Henry County to Therapyland,

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often commuting two hours each way.

“I don’t even think about it. It’s nothing but a gift,” she said. “We’re dealing with people who actually care. You wouldn’t realize until you experience it that a lot of doctors don’t have a bedside manner at all.

“They have a heart for what they do. They’re excited, and that helps the kids be excited. It wasn’t just a nice place with cool stuff,” she said.

Zan’s first day was on June 8.

“He’s been going to therapists for four years.

He’s never talked to them.

To any of them,” Yisrael said. “Thane’s son came in and was playing on a gaming system, and Zan was sitting with him. [Zan] leaned over to him and said, ‘Thank you.’”

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MOVIN’ ON UP Story by Micah Green

T

Food trucks head North, find success on 400

he city of Atlanta has not exactly made it easy for food nience factor. trucks to operate on its streets. That’s not necessarily So Smith has been organizing events since 2012, up to 12 anyone’s fault, though. events a week, where several trucks will meet up and hock their Sure, there could be some streamlining of the daunt- food together. ing permitting processes potenBut Katy Young, who works with tial food truckers have to endure, but even Yumbii, the first food truck to grace so, no amount of streamlining is going to Atlanta’s streets, says even when the trucks suddenly turn Atlanta into a place where meet up for a lunch rush, the huge sales just the old fashioned way of running these aren’t always there. mobile meal machines is going to work.

“People are just popping down at lunch“We have found in Atlanta, because of time to grab a burrito or taco, or something traffic and how people live and work, it was light like that,” she said. “You might think hard for vendors to set up on a street, send we would always do big sales around out a tweet and say, ‘hey guys I‘m at the Buckhead, Midtown, the Piedmont Park corner of Peachtree and Lenox, come get area, but that’s not always the case.” it’,” said Greg Smith, president of the Smith, Young and so many others have Atlanta Street Food Coalition, whose over had to find a different path to grow their arching goal is to improve the business success. And that path is taking them north environment for mobile food vendors of all on Interstate 400.

-Katy Young, Yumbii kind throughout metro Atlanta.

The suburbs have embraced the convoy.

In other cities, trying to compete with another food truck on the “The cities have made efforts to change policies to make it eassame corner might be seen as a poor business etiquette, but in ier for the trucks to get business licenses,” Smith said. “Atlanta is Atlanta, the more trucks, the more sales. You get more options. a mess of red tape, it takes forever, and it’s expensive.”

You don’t have to drive several different places. There’s a conveAnd simply from a logistics standpoint, permitting in the sub-

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‘When the trucks come into the suburbs they become a destination rather than that convenience factor.’

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June•July 2015

urbs is much easier for the vendors, “by virtue of their city halls being smaller, fewer decision makers and departments.”

“If you look at Atlanta’s requirements and their permitting process, it all makes sense if you take it piece by piece,” Smith, who is also an attorney, said. “But when you group it all together it creates this absurd bouncing in between city hall and the police department and then over to the health department then back to city hall.”

You just don’t have to deal with that in Alpharetta, Dunwoody or Roswell. These cities have also sponsored weekly events for the food truck vendors.

It’s at these events that the vendors are thriving.

Dunwoody’s Food Truck Thursdays and Alpharetta’s Food Truck Alley both take place on Thursday nights, and Roswell has a food truck park that is open from Thursday to Sunday every week, in addition to a more entertainment oriented event on the third Thursday of every month dubbed Alive After Five.

These events are usually marketed as family outings. And that’s where the key to their lucrativeness lies. It’s not just lunch.

It’s not just dinner. It’s an experience.

“The novelty of food trucks has been around in the city for longer than it has in the suburbs,” Young said. “So when the trucks come into the suburbs they become a destination rather than that convenience factor.”

And because these events include live music, usually some kind of activity for children, things of that nature, they have

some staying power. People spend more time at these events. They bring their whole family, some chairs, maybe even a cooler, and they are there to hang out for a couple hours. Not just coming by to grab food. So, naturally, more product is sold.

What seems unnatural to people like Smith and Young is how much more product.

“Our midtown lot for example … right in the middle of midtown, I don’t think except for maybe in the middle of the winter, I don’t feel like we have had a bad day out there,” Smith said. “But I don’t think anyone has ever gone out there and sold $5,000 worth of food, which does happen in places like Roswell and Alpharetta sometimes.”

Young says for Yumbii, it’s definitely not always the case that a suburban location is outselling a city location, but “people would definitely be surprised to hear the numbers.”

Despite the success, there are no concrete plans to start any new events, though Smith and the ASFC are working to get policies in Sandy Springs and Johns Creek more food truck friendly.

“We don’t have this well developed expansion plan,” he said. “But we are always open to new opportunities and always looking for new spots for our vendors to go.”

So don’t be surprised when a park pops up near you. And when it does, stop on by, and stay a while. You certainly won’t be alone.

Check out these trucks and some of their signature items in the ‘burbs.

Yumbii Sliders or the Yumbii Philly June•July 2015

Grilled chicken & green chile quesadillas

Collard Greens Quesadilla

Surrito (sushi in a burrito)

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

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SUMMER READING LIST Here are some books to keep you busy by the pool, on the beach or in the car this summer.

“The Girl on the Train”

By Paula Hawkins Publishes in January and already garnering praise as the next “Gone Girl,” “The Girl on the Train” follows protagonist Rachel on a psychological thrill ride. After a divorce between with her husband, Rachel begins commuting by trail from her home outside London into town where she starts making up lives to those the train passes.

When one of the people she creates a life for turns up missing, Rachel takes it upon herself to find what has happened to the woman. Like “Gone Girl,” the novel is making is being adapted to film, and this summer is a good chance to finish the novel before seeing it on the big screen.

“Go Set a Watchman”

By Harper Lee Though not released until July 14, the sequel to 1960’s classic “To Kill a

Mockingbird” is sure to be one of the most talked about books of the summer, and is one of Amazon’s top sellers based just on presale figures.

The book is set 20 years after the events of Mockingbird and follows an adult Scout Finch on the way to visit her father Atticus. The sequel was actually written before Mockingbird in the mid-1950s, which coincidently is the time period where “Watchman” is set.

“When to Rob a Bank...”

By Steven D. Levitt and

Stephen J. Dubner From the authors of “Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything”, “When to Rob a Bank” once again features the duo’s take on economic issues. Following the success of Freakonomics, the pair started the blog Freakonomics.com, which was the origin of many of “When to Rob a Trains’” articles.

Covered at various points in the books are answers to questions like, why don’t flight attendants get tipped, why does KFC always run out of fried chicken and ,of course, when to

rob a bank.

“All the Light We Cannot Sea”

By Anthony Doerr Set in France in the time before and during World War II, “All the Light We Cannot Sea,” has been regarded as one of the best fiction books in years, winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

As the invasion of France approaches Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a French girl who loses her sight at age six, and her father flee Paris with a rare and magical stone in their possession.

On the other side, a German boy named Werner Pfennig begins repairing a broken radio he finds and in time develops his skill until he gets the attention of the Nazi Army where he creates a transceiver to that can locate illegal radio waves.

Without spoiling the ending, “All the Light We Cannot See,” gives insight into two young people who just want personal peace while the world around them is fighting.

The transparency of the Forsyth County justice system is proudly being proclaimed in the new five-story, courthouse, modern jail facility and new town green completed in March 2015. First of its kind in a Georgia urban area, this project designed by Wakefield Beasley & Associates has reshaped downtown Forsyth County because of the multiple components that have impacted the whole area. Creative use of glass, open space and natural light has transformed the new courthouse into the centerpiece for the county.

A Practical Building for Modern Use

create a central space where all the community could gather.”

As the design took shape on the 160,000 SF courthouse, 175,000 SF jail and 700 vehicle parking deck, special emphasis was placed on creating a modern, secure, full-service courthouse. The new facility, unlike its predecessor has more courts so that operations’ stay on track and alleviate backlog. The project includes 6 courtrooms, a jury assembly room and a bridge connection between the court and jail facilities to allow for safe transportation of inmates. The clerk of court, jury assembly, and the court-support offices are housed on the first level while the second level houses the solicitor general and district attorney’s offices. These components are the foundation and support network to the court system.

The upper levels of the building are ordered and balanced, dedicated to the Superior and State Courts.

Larger courtrooms on the 4th and 5th level are available to host higherprofile cases.

Design Achievement

Response to Site

Wakefield Beasley took great care in the site organization and entry procession of the courthouse visitors and Forsyth County community.

“The location of the courthouse distinguished it from the neighboring jail, and created a living room like setting allowing the courthouse and jail to be placed on two city blocks

and utilizing a bridge connector, said Doug Shaw, Director of the Justice Studio. “It was very important to

As part of the initial planning session for the Forsyth County Courthouse, Wakefield Beasley helped define goals and key expectations rooted in the expression of the courthouse as a representation of democracy and a place of importance in the local community. The unique rural history, set among an urban setting and natural topography was also a source of inspiration. All of this and detailed conversations with numerous Forsyth County residents and officials’ became an integral par t of how the design team began to think about the building.

In orientation, form, materials and details, the facility is layered with elements of the past, and the dignity and honor associated with courthouses.

“Forsyth County’s new courthouse and jail are without question critical components of the county’s judicial and public safety infrastructure,” said Forsyth County Manager Doug Derrer. “The buildings were designed with staff efficiency and the county’s future growth in mind.

Both include enhanced security features, one example of which is the connectivity of the courthouse and jail via a bridge to allow for the secure transport of inmates to court.

The two parking decks constructed

as part of the courthouse and jail project have added convenient and much-needed parking in downtown Cumming. Together, these new structures enhance the level of service the county is able to provide to the community and will serve our citizens well for many years to come.”

Interiors

The interior is organized around a great hall. This two-story space not only provides a referential interior space, but links the users to the outside with views through the building and beyond. The firsttime visitor can easily navigate between floors and departments.

The pedestrian nature of the interior circulation supports principles of sustainability and personal wellbeing. This connection between the outdoors and nature was an important design goal that is reflected in both public and private office areas.

Of all the priorities Wakefield Beasley had to consider for the Forsyth County Courthouse and Jail project, the most important was to design a facility that showed how much the County had moved ahead from where they were. The idea of progress throughout the area was the overriding theme which was the main element incorporated in the Wakefield Beasley design.

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• ATLANTA STREET FOOD FESTIVAL­ — JULY 11

For the fourth year, Atlanta’s food truck fanatics will experience a day dedicated to the city’s finest food truck fare as the Atlanta Street Food Festival rolls into Piedmont Park on Saturday, July 11, from noon to 10 p.m. Renowned as Atlanta’s first and only event dedicated to street cuisine, the Festival is proud to announce that, once again, a portion of event proceeds will support the Giving Kitchen. www.atlantastreetfoodfestival.com

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Dr. Camilo is fluent in Spanish and will see patients at our Cumming and Roswell locations.

Cumming 1505 Northside Boulevard Suite 2000 770.781.4010 Roswell 1340 Upper Hembree Road Suite A 770.569.0777 www.atlantagastro.com AGA is a participating provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia.

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•

SunTrust Co n c e r t s i n the Garden at Gainesville The annual SunTrust Concerts in the Garden summer series expands with a new stage at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville. The Ivester Amphitheater is a new venue where people can spread out on cool grass, relax and take in a great show surrounded by woodland beauty.

EVENTS

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Check out the line up:

The Temptations Saturday, July 11 $39.50

Scotty McCreery Friday, July 17 $43.50

Serving Forsyth and the surrounding community for 30 years

Available 7 days a week

Dr. McGruder • Dr. Sewell Dr. Vavilapalli • Dr. Haezebrouck • Dr. Sutphin

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The Beach Boys Friday, July 24 $65.50 Gates open at 7 p.m. shows start at 8 p.m.

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We’re honored to serve you It’s an honor to be recognized as the nation’s leading hospital for maternity and newborn care.

Look a little closer and you’ll discover that Northside performs more surgeries and diagnoses and treats more breast and gynecologic cancer than any other hospital in Georgia. While people choose Northside for our expertise, they also know us for our exceptional compassionate care.

Visit us online at www.northside.com

June•July 2015

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