Cherokee Tribune Progress 2011

PROGRESS 2011 PUBLISHED BY THE CHEROKEE TRIBUNE

PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 2E

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

Cherokee continues to welcome new faces From staff reports

Cherokee County’s growth has slowed, but it’s still the fourth-fastest in the 10-county metro area, according to a report from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

According to the report, the 10-county region added 31,500 new residents between April 2009 and April 2010, a rate “dramatically slower” than historic levels.

Since the recession began more than two years ago, the region has added approximately 56,000 people, the slowest growth period in the region since the 1950s.

The ARC attributes the slowdown to the national economy, which it blames for slim job opportunities and the difficulty homeowners are having selling their houses.

Cherokee did see its population increase during the one- Buzz Ahrens year time period from 205,900 to 209,100, a total increase of 3,200. That total was the fourth highest in the region, behind Fulton (12,300), DeKalb (6,900) and Gwinnett (4,500).

The average yearly change in the county from 2000-09 was 6,720 people, according to the report.

Buzz Ahrens, chairman of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners and member

of the ARC board, said that the percentage of growth for the county has been at about 1.5 percent the last two years.

“I think we have hit the bottom on the percentage,” he said. “Or it may hold for another year. I don’t think it will go down to one.”

Ahrens said the growth could increase as a result of business opportunities in the county such as the Cherokee Commerce Center in southwest Cherokee and the Airport area. He said the Cherokee Office of Economic Development has a lot of prospects it is considering for the county. “(Cherokee County) is a good place to be looking,” he said. “That is a really positive direction.”

ARC Board Member Dennis Burnette of Canton said some of the growth is natural, adding that Cherokee is having babies faster than people are dying. Outside of natural growth, he said, Cherokee is still attractive to outsiders.

“We have the most affordable housing within the closest commuting distance to major Dennis employment centers,” he said.

Burnette “Cherokee is still very attractive from a housing standpoint.”

Waleska Mayor Doris Jones, a member of the ARC board, said she feels that the economy is turning around, which could free up

some more job and housing opportunities.

“I have that feeling that when you go out, you see more people shopping,” she said.

“There is a different atmosphere now.”

Cherokee is welcoming a dozen residents a day, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau report, and a growing percentage of them are minorities.

The county had a population of a little more than 215,000 people as of July 2009, which is up from 210,000 in July of 2008 and a significant jump from 143,783 people 10 years ago.

“It is quality of life, it is schools, it is proximity to Atlanta (that attracts newcomers),” said Doug Bachtel, a demographer and University of Georgia professor. “It is going to continue.”

Bachtel said the diversity should grow as the county’s population soars.

“There are more job opportunities, and housing opportunities are growing,” he said.

“It has got a bit of everything.”

The Hispanic population in Cherokee has boomed from 7,880 people in 2000 to 19,149 people in 2008 and 20,221 as of July 2009.

The black population was up to 13,402 people in July 2009, an increase from 12,681 in July 2008 and up about four times from 3,717 in July 2000.

The local Asian population increased from 1,204 people in July 2000 to slightly more

than 4,000 in July 2008 and 4,246 July 2009.

The new Census report also shows increases in certain age populations.

The number of children ages 5 to 13 increased from 29,667 in 2008 to 30,632 as of July 2009, a leap from 20,937 in July 2000.

The number of teens ages 14 to 17 also has climbed: from 7,839 in 2000 to 11,872 in 2008 and 12,233 in July 2009.

The number of children ages 5 and younger in the county grew from 11,808 at the beginning of the decade to 17,812 in 2008 to 18,052 in July 2009.

Cherokee’s senior population also is booming, jumping from 9,486 in 2000 to 15,828 in 2008 and 16,425 in July 2009.

Nathan Brandon, director of Cherokee County Senior Services, said his department is seeing more demand.

“There is a steady increase in all the numbers,” he said.

Nathan The agency offers activity Brandon and lunch programs, home meal delivery, assistance with government programs and other services.

Participation in the daily lunch program increased from 9,750 meals in 2006 to 11,194 in 2008. The case management department’s workload jumped from 2,500 to 4,000 cases during the same period.

Home building, sales picking up pace in county From staff reports

Signs of life are creeping back into the home-building industry in Cherokee County.

Housing start numbers saw a boost at the start of the new year: 34 single-family residential permits were issued countywide in January, up from 19 in December and 30 in January 2010.

The numbers don’t come as a surprise to those in the market.

Jacquie Tracy, a licensed sales professional with John Wieland Homes, said builders are starting to find work again.

John Wieland Homes last year partnered with First Cherokee State Bank to start building 107 single-family houses and townhomes in the Woodstock Downtown development. The development was left unfinished when Hedgewood Properties went into foreclosure.

Ms. Tracy said the company has two single-family houses and three townhomes under construction in the development, three of which are in the pre-sell phase. All of this activity happened with the last three months, she added.

“Our company feels the momentum and are getting positioned for a really good spring,” she added.

Realtor Rob Muller with Re/Max Town and Country in BridgeMill said builders who specialize in homes priced at about $200,000 or less are seeing interest.

“Everyone had been sitting on the fence for a long time,” he said of residential builders.

Muller said many neighborhoods also have been on hold due to banks not lending.

But along with Woodstock Downtown, residential activity now also is starting to pick up in River Green in Canton, Harmony on the Lakes in Holly Springs and Woodmont in Macedonia.

The county building department, which serves unincorporated Cherokee and Waleska, filled 17 single-family residential requests in January, up from seven in December and 10 in January of last year.

Holly Springs’ building department issued six permits in January, up from two in December and two in January 2010.

Woodstock’s building department saw nine requests in January, the same as in December, but down from 11 issued in January of last year.

Canton’s building department approved two requests in January, up from one in December, but down from seven issued in January 2010.

Local companies that supply materials to builders said they also feel optimistic about the market.

Kelly Whitley, who does sales and marketing for Pace Drywall in Canton, said builders are beginning to

Cherokee Tribune/File

John Wieland Homes and First Cherokee State Bank have partnered to build 107 single-family houses and townhomes to complete the Woodstock Downtown development. Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques, center, cuts the ribbon at the celebration of the start of construction on the project in downtown Woodstock. purchase land to build residential homes, a sign she has been waiting to see.

“I would like to think things are better,” she said, adding she thinks 2011 will be a better year for builders.

“We’re cautiously optimistic.”

New home construction in Cherokee County stumbled last year.

There were 18 singlefamily housing permits issued throughout the county in December, a drop from 27 in November and 25 in December 2009. For the year, Cherokee County had 423 permits, down from 530 in 2009.

Steve Romeyn, managing partner at Windsong Properties in Woodstock, said his company did start construction on a new model home in its Somerset neighborhood Steve near WoodRomeyn stock in December.

Romeyn said between 75 to 100 different people work on a job site for a new home, not including the people involved in manufacturing items that go into that home.

“The impact of one home is far-reaching,” he said, adding that the scarcity of work for contractors and suppliers is having some positive impact. “Our contractors and suppliers are extremely responsive because everybody needs the work. Everyone is very anxious to do more than they are doing.”

This spring, Romeyn said the company, which builds home communities designed for those ages 55 and older, plans to begin a new commu-

nity in Woodstock. Garden Street will include 32 homes.

The company’s Somerset development will have a total of 57 houses upon completion. There are just four vacant lots left.

John Thacker, vice president of J.P. Haynes Lumber Company near Canton, said the supply side of the industry has picked up some, but “nothing to brag about.”

Thacker said the company each week only is seeing one or two people coming in with designs on starting a new home, which is not much.

“It is still mostly remodeling,” he said, adding that the builders he speaks to don’t expect new construction to start any time soon.

The county building department, which serves unincorporated Cherokee and Waleska, approved 239 permits in 2010, a drop from 275 the previous year.

Woodstock’s building department had 66 requests for permits last year, down from 87 in 2009.

Canton’s building department issued 68 permits last year, an increase of one over the previous year.

Canton Building Official Mark Crosby said housing starts recently were slowed by the weather.

“December was nasty,” he said, adding that people in the real estate industry tell him homebuyers still are having problems qualifying

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to buy a new home.

He said the city still has activity in the Summer Walk neighborhood near the Bluffs and the Soleil community in Laurel Canyon.

“Those two pull the most permits,” he said.

The building department in Holly Springs approved 49 permits in 2010, down from 75 the previous year.

The city of Ball Ground issued one permit last year, down from 26 in 2009.

Realtors have high hopes for homes sales in Cherokee this year.

Overall last year, there were 2,326 sales, down from 2,410 in 2009, according to the First Multiple Listing Service, a data services

provider for real estate professionals. The total may increase as not all sales are reported immediately.

There were 6,269 new listings last year, down from 6,501 in 2009.

Tom O’Rourke, executive for the Cherokee Association of Realtors, said this year will likely be a better one for home sales.

“It looks like that slow, gradual recovery is beginning,” he said, adding that the housing market should Tom make “small O’Rourke g a i n s ” throughout the year. “There are positive signs in the economy which, in turn, is a positive sign for Cherokee County.”

Judy Bishop, associate broker for Prudential Georgia Realty and president-elect for the Cherokee Association of Realtors, said pent-up demand among potential homebuyers is turning to sales.

“They have been waiting for two years to make a purchase. They are ready to buy now,” she said.

She said that 2010 sales in her office were up about 13 percent from the previous year. This year’s numbers already are besting the numbers from 2010, she added.

These positive signs, she said, are having a noticeable impact on people who have been trying to move houses Judy Bishop for the last couple of years.

“The mood of the Realtors is better,” she said. “They are much more encouraged.”

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PROGRESS 2011

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PAGE 3E

Health care services expanding locally From staff reports

Cherokee County health care providers are seeing growth and expanding services to meet those demands.

Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton is completing an expansion of its emergency department, which will add seven exam and treatment rooms, bringing the total to 27.

Also included in the expansion project is a new covered entrance, expanded ambulance access and parking, an expanded waiting room and new dedicated triage rooms.

The project is on schedule to be completed in March.

Russ Davis, director of marketing and public relations for Northside, said growth spurred the project. “(The emergency department) was close enough to capacity that it was necessary to expand,” he said.

NH-C saw 135,287 patient visits last year, an increase from 124,065 in 2009.

The number of inpatient surgeries at the hospital climbed from 940 in 2009 to 970 last year. The hospital delivered 964 babies, down from 996 in 2009.

Outpatient surgeries rose from 3,778 in 2009 to 4,096 last year.

Davis said NH-C will begin offering angioplasty procedures at its catheterization laboratory housed at the hospital in the spring.

“This is a big enhancement to the cath lab,” he said. “It is great for the community to have this access instead of leaving the county.”

The Sleep Disorders Center operated by NH-C on Reinhardt College Parkway in Canton is planning to open a on-site clinic in March.

Patients can be evaluated at the clinic by a board-certified sleep specialist, treated and followed-up on — all in one location.

Kaiser Permanente arrived in Cherokee County last summer with the opening of offices in the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Medical Office Building on Sixes Road.

The 6,405-square-foot office includes exam and procedure rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy and basic radiology services.

Last year, Kaiser was serving 1,500 members, and that total now is up to 3,000, according to Dan Styf, vice president of regional and marketing strategy for Georgia.

“We are thrilled with the response we have gotten,” Styf said.

This year, he said the company is sponsoring an Everybody Walk campaign, aimed at getting people walking more actively.

“We believe it keeps people healthier and happier,” Styf said.

WellStar’s Towne Lake Urgent Care facility served 12,448 patient visits last year, dropping slightly from 12,985 reported in 2009.

Last year, the company added a state-of-

the-art Breath Alcohol Testing machine to the urgent care center. The machine is used for yearly physicals for government employees.

A doctor with Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists in Canton is receiving international attention for his pioneering of a procedure.

Dr. Jorge Lense recently traveled to Australia and New Zealand to instruct doctors on single-incision laparoscopic surgery.

Last March, Lense performed one of the first SILS hysterectomies in the state at NHC. Dr. Mike Litrel, CEO of Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists, said having Lense at the practice is a “blessing.”

Before coming to Cherokee, Lense was in private practice in Florida and served on the faculty at Florida Hospital Residency Program. While there, Lense did extensive training in minimally invasive surgery.

“Jorge is a very prominent surgeon,” Litrel said. “One of the reasons we brought him here is that he is so renowned in laparoscopic Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull surgery.”

In a SILS procedure, a small incision in the Jody Bruning of Batson-Cook Construction installs examination equipment in the newly belly button is created for insertion of surgical renovated emergency wing of Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton. instruments. The entire procedure is performed through the incision.

“It has amazing results,” Lense said.

“There is a lot less recovery time and no scar.”

Lense’s reputation has won him the attention of doctors worldwide.

He has traveled across the United States, giving conferences and demonstrating the surgical technique in cities including Chicago, Las Vegas, Dr. Jorge Houston and Tampa and Lense Orlando, Fla. While in Australia and New Zealand, he performed in operating rooms (or “theaters,” as Lense said they are referred to in Australia) in Melbourne and Adelaide. He demonstrated on a sheep model since a sheep uterus closely approximates that of a human.

“The doctors there were very interested,” he said, adding the procedure is gaining in popularity in the U.S. and now Australia and New Zealand. “They definitely saw the merits to it.”

The procedure, he said, originally was designed for bariatric, or weight loss, surgery.

Since the procedure left a small scar and women were concerned about scarring from procedures, Lense wondered if the technique could be expanded.

“I thought, ‘Let’s see if it works for (gynecological) surgery,’” he said, noting the procedure also allows patients to recover faster, leads to less pain and has a smaller chance of bleeding and infection. “It works very well.”

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PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 4E

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

New high school opens, more schools planned From staff reports

More students and fewer teachers filled Cherokee County schools when classes began in August.

The Cherokee County School District welcomed more than 400 additional students to bring its total 20thday enrollment to 38,636, up from last school year’s 38,225.

While more students arrived, the district had to accommodate them with fewer teachers because of budget shortfalls: 2,451 teachers — down from 2,581 last school year.

The district expanded class sizes to compensate, with regular education classes growing by as many as three students. The new larger classes range from as many as 23 kindergarteners to 35 high school students.

More students were also added to smaller classes, such as gifted and English as a second language.

To address growth, the district opened two new facilities this year.

The new River Ridge High School in southeast Cherokee opened in August for ninthand 10th-grade students, and R.M. Moore Elementary’s new addition also made its debut.

River Ridge, which is similar to the Creekview High School prototype, is 318,851 square feet and has 103 classrooms. The $55.3 million building on Arnold Mill Road at Mill Creek Road also includes a drama room, a band practice room, a chorus room, a video production room, two art rooms, a media center, an auditorium, computer labs, a cafeteria, a gym featuring the school’s blue and gold colors, a nurse’s station and a career center.

The media center is equipped with between 30 and 40 computers and, like all classrooms, has a SMARTboard and LCD projector and

Cherokee Tribune/Staff

Students fill the halls during an open house for River Ridge High School, the Cherokee County School District’s newest facility, which opened this school year. is equipped with MediaCAST, an on-demand learning platform that centralizes media storage and distribution on school servers for teachers to access for instructional lessons.

Along with traditional classrooms, the school comes complete with a special education classroom, a health/occupational classroom, a marketing education classroom, a family/consumer sciences classroom and a public safety classroom, complete with a setup to conduct mock trials.

R.M. Moore Elementary’s 24,052-square-foot addition contains 26 classrooms. The $3.5 million expansion to the Waleska school also includes a guided reading room and a science room for teachers to

store material.

The addition features a teacher work room, two sets of restrooms, a Promethean interactive whiteboard in each classroom and room for five desktop computers in each classroom.

The addition accommodates about 250 fourth through sixth-graders.

“It alleviates any crowding issues,” R.M. Moore Principal Jan Adamson said, noting the school has more room to grow and, in the interim, the extra classrooms will be used for storage.

The recently named Indian Knoll Elementary School on Univeter Road is in its final stage of completion.

The $17.6 million school, which will have a capacity of 1,250, is being built by Ever-

Canton welcomes campus of Chattahoochee Tech College From staff reports

The state’s largest technical college opened its new campus in Canton in January.

Chattahoochee Technical College built the $12 million campus in the Bluffs of Technology Park behind RiverStone Plaza.

The college is expecting about 500 students to enroll in the spring, said Jennifer Nelson, executive director for external affairs for the college.

The campus at 1645 Bluffs Parkway is 62,500 square feet and sits on a 25-acre site.

The two-story facility, which has earthtoned colors throughout, contains nine traditional classrooms, a library, four computer labs, two science labs with 15 stations, a book store, three technology labs, an allied health lab with two classrooms, a student center and a 68seat tiered lecture hall.

A lab area used by continuing education classes such as CPR and certified nursing assistant courses includes storage space and floors coated with an anti-slip finish. The medical suite houses outlets students can use to set up a mock hospital.

Faculty and staff offices, a business office and a student financial aid center are also included in the facility.

Classes in English, sociology, math, history, biology and psychology are offered at the campus.

Courses eventually will be added in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning; accounting, business administrative technology, management, supervisory development and marketing

management.

The Canton campus is in a unique position to attract businesses and industries to the area, Mrs. Nelson said.

“We can work hand-in-hand with economic development,” she said.

David Simmons, the college’s assistant vice president for facilities, said the entire facility has wireless Internet capabilities, and each classroom comes equipped with a SMARTboard.

Each classroom seast between 32 and 36 students, and the four computer labs each contain 30 computers.

The Canton campus is the first Chattahoochee has opened since merging with Appalachian Technical College and North Metro Technical College in July 2009.

Its eight campuses serve students in Cherokee, Bartow, Cobb, Gilmer, Paulding and Pickens counties. The Canton campus is the second in Cherokee County for the college, which also operates a site in downtown Woodstock.

The college, which is the largest technical college in the state, has about 13,005 students enrolled, which is an estimated 25 percent increase since the merger, Mrs. Nelson added.

Lex Rainey, associate provost for the Canton, Woodstock and Jasper campuses, said he’s excited about the Canton location becoming a reality.

The campus, he said, will serve students’ demands for proximity and practicality.

“It provides enormous opportunity for students in Cherokee County and the surrounding areas,” he said.

Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull

Cole Hansen of Ball Ground attends class at the recently completed Canton campus of Chattahoochee Technical College, which opened in January.

green Construction and is set to open in August.

Indian Knoll will relieve overcrowding at Hickory Flat, Johnston and Holly Springs Elementary schools.

Its design is similar to the one used for Knox Elementary in Canton. It will have 77 instructional units, a media center, cafetorium, two art rooms, two music rooms, two computer labs, a gym, a mechanical mezzanine in a corridor above the hallways and a family living center for special-needs students.

The campus will also include a basketball court, two playgrounds and open green field space.

The same design is being used for the school under construction on Hunt Road off Highway 92. It’s sched-

uled to open August 2012.

The 134,824-square-foot building on 43 acres will have the capacity to hold 1,250 students.

The building, designed to relieve overcrowding at Oak Grove Elementary School, will house 77 instructional units, a mechanical mezzanine above the ceiling and will have a media center, computer labs, a gymnasium and art/music rooms.

Work is under way to build replacement schools for Ball Ground Elementary and E.T. Booth Middle in Woodstock and new schools on Univeter Road east of Canton and on Hunt Road in southwest Cherokee.

The Ball Ground Elementary replacement school site on Valley Street near City

Hall downtown is on track to open in August 2012.

The Cherokee County school board in January approved an $18.7-million contract with Hardin Construction Company to build facility.

The school, which is in the city limits, will have a 1,200student capacity and use the same design as the replacement Little River and Canton Elementary Schools. A new school was needed as the current facility is to small and without room for expansion.

The 146,403-square-foot building on 25 acres will house 74 classrooms, a media center, computer labs, a gymnasium and art and music rooms.

The new facility is being welcomed with open arms by the community. Principal Doug Knott said students, parents, faculty and staff are closely watching as the new facility take its shape.

“There’s definitely a lot of excitement, especially among the adults,” he said.

A replacement E.T. Booth Middle School, which is adjacent to the current school’s location on Putnam Ford Road off Eagle Drive, is nearing construction In November, the school board voted to accept a proposal from Manhattan Construction Company to build the replacement school for $28 million.

The building uses a new prototype and will accommodate 1,500 students, a first for the district, which usually builds its middle school to serve 1,250 students.

The 223,856-square-foot building on 46 acres will include 95 classrooms complete with the latest technology, a gym, art and music rooms, cafeteria, separate entrances for buses and cars and computer labs.

Construction should begin this summer, and the school has an expected opening date of August 2013.

PROGRESS 2011

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PAGE 5E

Business growth posting stronger numbers From staff reports

Business growth in Cherokee County was slower in 2010, but the year ended on a positive note with the momentum continuing so far in 2011.

In 2010, 1,746 new business licenses were issued in Cherokee County, dropping from 1,991 issued the previous year.

There were 178 business licenses issued throughout the county in January, a slightly faster start than the 170 in January 2010.

According to Brad Nix of Maxsell Real Estate in Woodstock, now is the time for people to find affordable space to open a new business in Cherokee.

Brad Nix “From a real estate standpoint, it is absolutely a good time to grow a business” as prices are dropping in the market, he said.

Commercial property owners, he said, are also being more aggressive about attracting tenants to their spaces.

“When they start negotiating, they are more willing to accommodate the buyer or the tenant than in past years,” he said.

Thomas Crumpton of Commercial Experts in Canton, a company that provides commercial real estate assistance, said more people are looking to take over existing commercial space or build on available land.

“The last few months, there has been nothing going on. There is more activity now,” he said. “People do want to list and sell properties more now than in the last 12 months.”

Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ben Looper said 2010 ended on an upswing for business, noting that holiday spending increased over the previous two years.

“For me, that is a positive sign,” said Looper, CEO and president of Southeast Restoration Group in Holly Springs. “At least it shows that we are on the right track.”

Cherokee County’s business license office approved 1,127 licenses last year, down from 1282 the previous year. It issued 130 new business licenses in January, up from 117 in January last year.

Woodstock’s business license office filled requests for 285 licenses last year, down from 353 the previous year. It issued 21 new licenses in January down from 26 in January 2010.

Melissa Meacham recently received her license from the city to open Rogue Hair Studio on Highway 92. Despite the state of the economy on a national level, she said now is the right time for her to open the salon, which celebrated its grand opening earlier this month.

“I am opening a business with no debt,” she said, adding she already has paid for the salon’s equipment. “That takes a lot of the weight off.”

Annette Esposito, owner of Holly Springs Jewelers, said she decided to move her business from Hickory Flat to downtown Woodstock, attracted by how the area has been revitalized.

Billy Peppers “I think (downtown Woodstock) is going to grow even more,” she said.

Billy Peppers, economic services director for Woodstock, said the city also is receiving a “considerable amount” of attention from

businesses already open in north Fulton County looking to either relocate or open a second location.

“There is a lot of interest from out of the county,” he said. “We have a lot of open space in negotiation for leases.”

Canton’s business license office issued 194 licenses last year, down from 218 the previous year. It approved seven new business licenses in January down from nine in January 2010.

The City of Holly Springs issued 129 new licenses last year, up from 110 the previous year. It filled requests for 17 new business licenses in January — an increase from 14 in January 2010.

The City of Ball Ground filled requests for 29 new licenses this year, up from 26 in 2009.

It granted three new business licenses in January, slightly down from four in January last year.

The City of Waleska approved two new licenses last year, equal to the amount it had in 2009. The City of Nelson has not issued any new licenses in the county in the past two years.

Chamber of Commerce celebrates 40 years From staff reports

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 40-year history and the woman who has led it for the past two decades.

A crowd of more than 300 business, community and elected leaders gathered at the Northside HospitalCherokee Conference Center in Canton for the organization’s annual meeting in January.

“It takes a strong group of volunteers, not only on the board, but in the membership (to stay successful),” outgoing board Chairman Mark Goddard, manager of commercial marketing of Cobb EMC, told the crowd.

To celebrate the chamber’s history, the luncheon included the recognition of businesses that have been members for all 40 years.

The businesses, some of which have changed names over the years, are: Atlanta Gas Light, Bagwell & Spears Inc., Cobb EMC, Georgia Power Company, Pilgrim’s Pride, Regions Bank, Wells Fargo and Windstream Communications Inc. Another addition to the program was a surprise to the honoree: The board thanked chamber President and CEO Pam Carnes for her 20 years of service leading the organization’s staff and supporting the members and volunteers.

“For the past 20 years, we have been very fortunate to have her leadership. She calls this chamber her second home,” board member and past chairman Randy Gravley of WLJA 101.1 FM said before a slideshow of photos from Mrs. Carnes’ tenure and the award presentation.

The meeting also included the passing of the gavel by Goddard to new board Chairman Ben Looper, 35, of Canton, president and CEO of Southeast Restoration Group.

Looper thanked the chamber members, leader and staff, his company, his family and “his heavenly Father” for their support.

“The economy hasn’t done us any favors in the past year,” he said. “It will take all of us as a group to turn this around locally and nationally.”

In addition to his service with the chamber, he is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes board of Ben Looper directors.

Looper is a past member of Lanier Joint Development Authority’s board of directors, United Way of Cherokee County board, Crawford & Co. contactor board and contractor panel, Cherokee County YMCA board of directors, Hawks Ridge Golf Club steering committee and 2010 A Day for Reinhardt University executive committee.

Looper received his associate’s degree in business from Kennesaw State University. He and his wife, Brandy, have three children, Kennedy, 10, Holden, 7, and Mabry, 4, and attend First Baptist Church of Canton.

Goddard said 2010 was a year of successes for the

Above: Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Pam Carnes is recognized at the organization’s Annual Meeting for her 20 years of service to the group. Left: Outgoing chamber board Chairman Mark Goddard, left, passes the gavel to new Chairman Ben Looper during the meeting at the Northside HospitalCherokee Conference Center in Canton.

Cherokee Tribune/ Todd Hull

chamber.

The chamber added 196 new members, an increase from 177 added in 2009. Its rolls now include more than 974 members.

Goddard said he’s proud of the roster growth, which he attributes to businesses’ understanding of how important the chamber is.

“It’s an opportunity for people to network,” he said.

The chamber offers members services such as networking breakfasts and “after hours” events; ribbon cuttings and ground breakings; business expo and holiday market events; professional development programs; and job listing, business referral and promotional opportunities.

It held 74 ribbon cuttings in 2010, up by one from 2009, and broke ground for one business, down from three in 2009.

Looper highlighted goals for 2011, such as expanding the ways the chamber communicates with members and the community and building on the successes of programs like the Going Green initiative.

To recruit new and keep current members, Looper said he will interact with local businesses by using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. He also wants to further enhance the chamber’s website at www.cherokeechamber.com.

Continuing the promotion of the chamber’s Going Green initiative, which

encourages and recognizes local companies for accomplishments in conservation, is also on Looper’s agenda for 2011.

The program started under the leadership of Goddard, who said the Chamber so far has received signed commitments to participate from 33 businesses.

“Thirty-three is a great

number” for the first year of the new initiative, Goddard said.

Looper and the chamber board have started on an application to participate in the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ Georgia Certified Chamber Program.

The state accreditation, he said, shows the public the

chamber is committed to doing everything it can to be effective for its members.

The program gives local chambers an opportunity to review internal operations to ensure proper mechanisms are in place to manage finances, adhere to bylaws and to “flourish as an organization,” Mrs. Carnes said.

The application is due in June, and the chamber could hear back from the state association as early as late summer or early fall, according to Mrs. Carnes.

As board chairman, Looper said he’s not only honored to serve the chamber members, but also all of Cherokee County.

“It’s also an opportunity to promote the community throughout the state of Georgia,” he said.

Looper also spoke about the board of directors he will work with this year, noting six of them are past board chairmen — the most experienced line-up in the organization’s history.

Looper compared it to being a football coach with legends like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno as your assistant coaches.

“Please pray for me,” he joked at the luncheon.

The executive committee of the board is made up of Looper, Goddard and board Chairman-elect Tom Heard, Cherokee County Water & Sewerage Authority; board Vice Chairwoman of Community Relations Renee Cavan, Wells Fargo; board Vice Chairman of Chamber Services Jey Willis, State Farm Insurance; and board Vice Chairwoman of Economic and Small Business Relations JoEllen Wilson, Reinhardt University (past chamber board chairman, 2000).

The rest of the board is made up of: Gravley; Mandy Sykes Chapman, Roytec Industries; Lewis Cline, Bank of North Georgia; Earl Darby, Darby Funeral Home; Rod Drake, Georgia Power Company (board chairman, 2007); Phil Eberly, W.K. Dickson & Co.; Rick Ingram,

Community & Southern Bank; Rick Kononen, First Cherokee State Bank (board chairman, 2003 and 1992); Karen Lance, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers; Jimmy Mayo, Nationwide Insurance - The Mayo Agency; Joan McFather, retired educator; Cherokee County Commissioner Jason Nelms, Everlast Synthetic Products; Mike Owen, Lusk Architecture & Construction, Inc. (board chairman, 2001); David Simmons, Chattahoochee Technical College; John West, Express Impressions; Susan White, Sequoyah Regional Library System; Kevin Williams, Chick-fil-A of Canton; The annual meeting also was a time for awards, and four were presented.

The First Citizen award, which is considered the county’s highest honor for community service, was presented to Marge Grossman of Woodstock. The honor recognized her volunteer work as co-manager of Timothy’s Cupboard food pantry at Timothy Lutheran Church in Woodstock with her husband, Norm.

The Chairman’s Council Volunteer of the Year, which honors the most outstanding chamber volunteer, was won

by Ms. McFather.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Jay Wright, who with his wife, Susan, owns It’s a Grind Coffee House in Canton.

The chamber also introduced a new award: the Superior Customer Service Award. As part of the vetting, chamber members conduct on-site visits and interview owners, mana g e r s , employees and customers.

Kevin The winWilliams ner of the inaugural award was Williams, operator of the two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Canton at Canton Marketplace and Riverstone.

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PAGE 6E

PROGRESS 2011

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 7E

PAGE 8E

PROGRESS 2011

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

County sets sights on airport, parks expansion From staff reports

The expansion of the Cherokee County Airport and parks are top goals for county leaders in the coming year.

The $34 million airport expansion, which includes $15 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds committed by the county government, includes extending the 3,414-foot runway and parallel taxiway to 5,000 feet to accommodate corporate jets.

It also increases the hangar space to up the number of planes that can be based at the airport from 100 to 300.

Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Buzz Ahrens said the airport could be done by April.

“That can’t help but attract business,” Commissioner Karen Bosch said.

The airport’s new terminal opened for business in April. The $1.4 million dollar building includes a lobby, conference room and a pilot’s lounge. The terminal also includes four offices that are for rent.

Construction of the terminal took longer than expected, but has been worth the extra time, according to Don Stevens, chairman of the airport authority.

“We had some construction delays like everybody does,” he said. “We love it. I think it is one of the nicest buildings in Cherokee County.”

S&S Aviation, the airport’s fixed base operator, is operating the building for the airport authority and has a representative on site.

WK Dickson & Co., the manager of the expansion project, was the first tenant of the new terminal building.

“It makes sense for us to be here and have a plane here,” said Phil Eberly of WK Dickson, adding the company has clients all over the Southeast and being at the airport shows the company’s commitment to the project.

Mrs. Bosch said she also is hoping to steer some business into the Bells Ferry Road/Highway 92 corridor this year.

“We want to encourage business to move into that area,” she said, adding that she champions the corridor wherever she goes and to anyone she talks to.

Commissioner Jason Nelms said a committee of residents in the Bells Ferry/Highway 92 has been formed to assist the county in improving the area.

“We want to create a brand and encourage some things to get going there,” he said.

Ahrens said the county getting an Opportunity Zone last year for Highway 92 from Interstate 75 to Woodstock Road will help for economic development. An Opportunity Zone is a developmental tool created in 2004 that allows local governments to provide tax incentives for economic development and revitalization of pockets of poverty.

The opening of Patriots Park, the Highway 20 East Park and the Wellness Center are the top parks and recreation priorities for the board.

Patriots Park is a 38-acre park planned at Kellogg Creek Road and Victory Drive near Towne Lake. The Highway 20 East Park is a 154-acre park in Macedonia.

The board has not yet set a concrete timeline

Cherokee Tribune/File

Keena Pope of Woodstock, customer service representative at the new terminal building at the Cherokee County Airport, stands outside the new facility. for the development of the parks, Ahrens said, but officials hope to start construction this year.

The Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency’s preliminary plan for Patriots Park calls for two multi-use fields and two baseball/softball fields as well as the county’s first Miracle League baseball field for special needs children and the county park system’s first dog park.

Lower on the priority list are planned parks including a 42-acre park on Kellogg Creek Road in southwest Cherokee and the expansion of Kenney Askew Park on Univeter Road in Canton.

The chairman added the board also “doesn’t have much right now” of a timeline for Cherokee Veterans Park, which is planned on 141 acres near the Cherokee County Airport north of Canton. The park, he said, could be used for playing Buzz Ahrens fields.

“We know what we can do, and we know what we can’t do” with the funding available, Ahrens said.

The board also is focused on joint park projects with Canton and Woodstock.

In Canton, the county is working with the city government to build a park at the end of Brown Industrial Parkway off Highway 20 near Interstate 575 exit 19 in Canton. The $7 million park will include baseball and softball fields, multi-use fields and tennis and basketball courts and a pedestrian bridge to Heritage Park.

The county has agreed to give Woodstock city leaders as much as $5 million for its Greenprints Initiative to build new trails, parks and

greenspace to create a network connecting city and county trails and parks. The board at the retreat also reviewed estimated costs to open its planned Wellness Center in the former City Club of Canton on Marietta Highway.

County Manager Jerry Cooper said it could cost about $1.2 million to build out and renovate the club. That money could come from revenue from the parks bond and SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds designated for recreation.

The swimming pool, which “isn’t in good shape,” could cost about $360,000 to renovate.

“We knew that will be a challenge going in,” he said of renovating the pool. Cooper Jerry Cooper said the center, which would be manned by existing county staff, would only be open to county senior citizens and county government employees.

Seniors and employees would pay a low fee to use the center, such as $19.95 per family per month.

Cooper said the county could possibly enter into a contract with corporations that would like to use the center for wellness programs.

The center also will include a medical office that can be used by county employees.

Maintenance and operations costs are expected to run a few thousand dollars a month, Cooper said, adding he thinks user fees would cover the expenses. If all goes as planned, the center could open as soon as July.

County leaders also balanced the 2011 budget without layoffs or furloughs of county government staff or reductions in county govern-

ment-provided services The fiscal year 2011 budget, which began on Jan. 1, was set at $179.2 million. The total is a $16.9-million decrease from the 2010 budget of $196.1 million.

Outside agencies that receive county funding, such as the Sequoyah Regional Library System, did see funding reductions.

Increasing property taxes to cover the difference wasn’t an option, as the board in July set the property tax millage rate. The general fund rate was set at 4.72 mills, a “revenue neutral” increase from 4.381, but still lower than what the county staff had recommended to maintain service levels.

Cooper said he challenged the county government’s departments and agencies to each find 8-percent cuts to bridge the gap.

“All the agencies stepped forward,” he said.

Nathan Brandon, director of senior services for the county, is one of those department heads who met with Cooper and Finance Director Janelle Funk to pore over their budgets.

Brandon said his department ultimately had to trim some hours from its part-time positions but was able to avoid affecting services.

“I’m glad we were able to come up with the number. It wasn’t necessary to cut any programs, which we were grateful for,” he said.

“That is the last thing you want to do.”

Commissioner Harry Johnston said the county also identified some one-time revenue injections to knock down the rest of the deficit.

The county will transfer $2 million from its employee pension fund, which Johnston said was overfunded, into the general fund. Pension payouts will not be affected by the move.

Another $1.4 million will be moved from the parks bond fund to the general fund. The amount is what the county had earmarked to spend on land for a soccer complex. As the county instead is building it on land it already owned on Blalock Road, the transfer was justifiable Johnston said.

The county also is moving $900,000 from reserves into the general fund, Johnston said.

The reserves fund is expected to be left with several million dollars, a fraction of the amount available just a few years ago, which has officials worried.

Johnston said balancing 2012’s budget would be “equally challenging,” and work already is under way to prepare for it.

Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens said the trick for the county is to anticipate problems “sooner rather than after they hit you.”

“Some of these one-time (revenues) will not be there next year,” he said.

Johnston said the county staff is reviewing possible new revenue sources.

One possibility for the 2012 budget, he said, is the sale of the Jones Building on the square in downtown Canton, which previously housed county administrative offices.

The building has been under contract to Cherokee Landmarks, a Canton-based real estate rehabilitation and management company since March 2008 when it announced plans to buy the $2.7 million property. The closing has twice been postponed, but the company has been managing the property for the county in the interim.

Fire department focused on training

Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull

Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison, left, and Detective Jeff Donley use the agency’s electronic warrants system at the county Public Safety Complex in Canton.

Sheriff uses technology to fight crime From staff reports

Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison said approval of the agency’s participation in a federal immigration enforcement program and making technology improvements are his priorities for the coming year.

The sheriff said he thinks 2011 is the year his office will gain approval of its application for the 287(g) program.

Garrison said he is “optimistic” the sheriff’s office will secure approval from Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a two-year wait since filing its application in fall 2008.

“That is a top priority,” he said.

The program trains and authorizes local law enforcement officers to identify, process and detain immigration offenders. Agencies that use the program also receive funding to jail detainees.

Major Karen Johnson, jail administrator for the sheriff’s office, said having deputies trained on the program would streamline the process of verifying legal residency.

“It would move a little faster,” she said. “It would be an assist to ICE because it would cut out a lot of the research they have to do.”

Garrison said technological improvements for the agency also are on his radar.

He said a big accomplishment from last

year was implementing an electronic warrant system. The system allows law enforcement officers to communicate with a judge from a laptop computer in their patrol car or at their precinct to obtain search and arrest warrants.

“We think that can be expanded to arraignments,” Garrison said of the program.

Sheriff’s office Capt. Bert Love said the agency has just received equipment for video conferencing. The equipment will allow some court hearings to be held remotely with inmates remaining in the Adult Detention Center instead of being transported to the Justice Center.

“It would decrease the potential for accident or injury to the inmate, and it would decrease the liability of the department by having an inmate out of the Adult Detention Center,” Love said.

Garrison also wants to update his office’s presence on the Internet. During the first quarter of the year, he plans to unveil a new website for the agency.

“It will be more user-friendly and provide more access to the agency,” he said. The website “hasn’t been updated in several years.”

The agency also will work on improving its traffic management after vehicle crashes and weather-related events in an effort to reroute traffic as quickly as possible.

Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Chief of Training Eddie Robinson, left, and Deputy Glenn Hoover survey the future site of the agency’s training complex.

From staff reports

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services could be operating out of its new training facility as soon as this year.

Chief Raymond Gunnin said the new facility, which will be on the site of the old Pike Nursery property on Highway 5 near Holly Springs, could have offices open and classes under way by the fall.

“That is our major goal,” he said.

The facility will be phased in over a few years with the first step being an administrative building with classrooms. Once completed, the campus will Raymond also be home to a burn buildGunnin ing, a multi-floor training tower, an outdoor classroom, a driving course and a rescue pad.

Eddie Robinson, division chief of training for the department, said an existing building on the property can be used right away for classrooms. He said a request for proposals from companies interested in designing the facility is being advertised.

The multi-tower training facility, Robinson noted, will prepare the department for the construction of four- and five-story buildings in the county.

“It will be a big plus for the ISO (Insurance

Services Office) rating,” he added.

The ISO rating is used to rate how well fire departments serve their area. The scale runs from one to 10, with one being the best fire service. The ratings are used to calculate homeowners’ insurance costs.

Gunnin said a central training facility also will be more efficient for the agency’s operations.

“We don’t have to move our equipment from spot to spot,” he said.

Another top priority this year for Gunnin is to add five newer ambulances to the department’s fleet.

Gunnin said some of the current vehicles need to be retired from daily use and set aside as reserves.

“They have a lot of miles, and they are costing us a lot to maintain,” he said of the older ambulances. “We have got to get a rotation going to keep the miles down.”

Danny West, chief of emergency medical services for the agency, said the four of its original ambulances purchased in 2003 still are in the fleet.

“We have overextended the service life, he said. “We were trying to make them last as long as possible.”

A request for proposals from companies interested in providing the new ambulances will be advertised soon, with the goal of ordering the new vehicles by the fall.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 9E

Traffic, recreation improvements top cities’ goals From staff reports

WOODSTOCK Traffic improvements and enhancing Woodstock’s recreational offerings are on the horizon for its city leaders.

City officials said they want to see significant progress made this year on the new Interstate 575 interchange at Rope Mill Road.

The city had a groundbreaking in October to celebrate the approval and funding of the diamond-shaped interchange.

The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded Marietta-based C.W. Matthews a $17 million contract last spring to build the interchange.

“This is the biggest thing we could have achieved and done in Woodstock,” Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques said of the interchange.

Another goal is to begin phase one of the proposed Arnold Mill Donnie bypass project.

Henriques This phase would install a left-turn lane onto Main Street from Towne Lake Parkway.

The complete bypass would create a turn lane stretching along Towne Lake Parkway from Woodstock Parkway to near the community center on Arnold Mill Road.

City Manager Jeff Moon said the city doesn’t have funds yet for the entire project, so it decided that the left-turn lane onto Main Street would have the most “immediate impact” on traffic flow throughout the city.

Moon said the city won’t need to acquire any right-ofway as it already has purchased the Woodstock Community Church and the Wayne Lester building and altered plans to save the Hot Dog Heaven building from destruction.

The start of construction of the first phase of trails funded through Cherokee County’s $90 million parks bond initiative is also anticipated for this year.

The trails, Henriques said, in addition to recreation, also would provide another mechanism for people to get around in the city.

The formal design of the city’s proposed amphitheater in its expanded Woodstock City Park should be completed this year as well. The mayor noted if the city wins its bid to relocate the Georgia Music Hall of Fame from Macon to the city, work would begin to prepare the area. The city wants to open the museum on the current site of the Parkside shops adjacent to the park.

For Councilman Chris Casdia, seeing the city government return to downtown is his top priority this year.

Casdia, a Woodstock Downtown resident, said he wants the city to sell the City Hall Annex building on Highway 92 and begin using the former Woodstock Community Church building downtown it has purchased for offices.

Since he’s been on the council, Casdia said the council has consistently talked about making downtown the “heart of the city,” and they need to get “back on track.”

The start and near completion of the Livable Communities Initiative streetscapes project, which puts in new, wider sidewalks along Main Street, is one of the biggest accomplishments in Woodstock last year, leaders said.

Along with new sidewalks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the project is installing new streetlights and trees along Main Street between Towne Lake Parkway and Oak Street.

The new sidewalks are being extended into the intersections, and parking is being converted from parallel to angled spots.

Moon said other successes of 2010 include winning funding for the interchange, making renovations to and installing bathrooms at Dupree Park and partnering with Southern OffRoad Bicycle Association to build the Taylor Randahl Memorial bike trails at Olde Rope Mill Park.

Both Henriques and Casdia mentioned the completion of the roundabout on Main Street at Haney Road as a success, noting installing another traffic light on Main Street would

have caused more delays.

“The roundabout is more aesthetically pleasing than a traffic light,” Casdia added.

Henriques said he also was proud to see the city meet its financial goals without having to cut services or layoff employees, which “was the last thing I wanted to do.”

“To me, that was huge,” he added.

Completing requirements to obtain national accreditation is the top priority for the Woodstock Police Department, said Chief David Bores.

Bores said he hopes to complete the requirements this year, so an on-site assessment by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies can happen in 2012.

The Woodstock Fire Department has outfitted its trucks with laptop computers, which enables those in the field to file reports wirelessly from the scene of an incident.

The GPS-guided program also assists rescuers in locating addresses and fire hydrant locations.

Woodstock Fire Chief Dave Soumas said he now wants to use technology to create a grid network of all the city’s streets and obtain the ability to change traffic lights during emergency calls.

CANTON Improving recreation options, local streets and the city government’s economic health are top goals for Canton officials in 2011.

Members of the Canton City Council are anxious to see the opening of the new city park on Brown Industrial Drive off Highway 20/Cumming Highway. The park will include baseball and softball fields, multi-use fields and tennis and basketball courts.

Councilman Jack Goodwin said he thinks the park could be completed by the end of the year.

“People have waited a long time for that,” he said about the new park.

Councilman John Beresford said he wants to see the city pursue building a trail to connect Heritage Park at Riverstone Parkway and Waleska Street and Boling Park on Marietta Highway near Cherokee High School.

Councilman Bill Bryan said he would like the city to also install kayak launches at the two parks and get started on at least one of them this year.

“Quite a few people ask about that. We have a good bit if interest in kayaking in this area of the river,” Bryan said.

Beresford said road repairs are high on the agenda for 2011.

“We can get some beat up, sorry streets repaired and up to standard,” he said.

The council recently agreed to go ahead with putting the worst six of the city’s 13 worst streets out for bid for repair estimates from contractors.

Those six include Lightfoot Drive, Archer Street, Winooki Drive, Birch Street, Breeze Hill Court and Breeze Hill Lane. These streets all have visible or suspected voids in them.

“That project benefits everybody,” Councilwoman Amelia Rose said. “We want to move as quick as we possibly can.”

Council members also are focused on building up some reserves to help with the city government’s financial stability.

“If we were a family, we would be living paycheck to paycheck,” Councilman Bob Rush said. “That is dangerous.”

Councilwoman Pat Tanner said the council needs to develop ideas to lower its debt service and attract new businesses to improve the tax base.

“We want to generate more revenue so we can provide more services,” she said.

Mayor Gene Hobgood said he’s dedicated to pursuing new businesses for the city and the completion of the update to Canton’s development regulations.

“They have Gene needed to be Hobgood updated for some time,” he said.

Successes for the city in the last year cited by leaders included the progress made on

the new city park, completing a lease agreement with Next Generation Golf to operate the Fairways of Canton course in Laurel Canyon, not increasing taxes and extending the alcohol serving hours from midnight to 2 a.m.

The Canton Police Department upgraded its radios from an analog to a digital system and installed laptop computers in its patrol cars in the past year.

The laptops, Assistant Chief Todd VandeZande said, have allowed officers more time to patrol their zones. Officers are using the computers to file reports remotely and to run tag information and gather other data they previously had to call dispatch to gain.

The department now is looking at a software program that would map crime in city neighborhoods and allow residents to see what has happened near them.

The Canton Fire Department has expanded its community education program.

The 23-employee department taught 3,000 children last year through fire safety programs, Fire Chief Dean Floyd said.

The program already was offered in Cherokee County schools, and last year expanded to Pickens County, where many of the department’s firefighters live.

Floyd said a community education goal for this year is to promote weather safety information in neighborhoods.

HOLLY SPRINGS The Holly Springs City Council’s top priority this year is tending to the city’s financial health, which has led to the delay of some projects and hires.

“With the economic situation, the budget is the No. 1 thing we have to work on,” Councilman Jeremy Smith said.

The economy’s impact on funding for the city has meant the indefinite postponement of its downtown project, which includes the construction of a new Holly Springs City Hall, a retail area and a town green.

Also on hold: the city government taking over fire protection in Holly Springs from Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.

Councilwoman Karen Barnett said she would still like to see the city open its own fire department.

“With the economy the way it is, we have been unable to do that at this time,” she said.

The council will also continue operating the city government without a full-time city manager, as that position will remain open. Mayor Tim Downing is handling the duties of the position at a smaller salary than the full-time post.

“Once the economy trends more upward, that Tim Downing will be reevaluated,” Councilwoman Jacqueline Archer said of hiring a city manager.

Downing said the city would look inward to find additional cuts within the budget and may be able to set aside enough monies for a new park.

The council wants to develop about 33 acres near the Harmony on the Lakes neighborhood that was purchased for a park last year.

Councilwoman Dee Phillips said of the successes for 2010 included making

progress on the city’s branding to attract more businesses. The council approved a logo for the city late last year.

The city did have a few new businesses open last year, according to Mrs. Archer, most notably Northside HospitalCherokee’s Northside-Holly Springs Medical Office Building and Kaiser Permanente.

Holly Springs Police Department Chief Ken Ball said his biggest priority is upgrading the video camera system installed in patrol cars.

The new system, which will be installed in the next two weeks, will allow video from an incident or a traffic stop to be automatically downloaded into the department’s database once an officer gets within a certain distance of the station.

The system will also allow the county district attorney’s and solicitor general’s offices to log into the system and view video evidence as well.

Ball said not only is it more convenient, it’s also a cost-saving program, as employees won’t need to make physical copies of videos.

BALL GROUND Improving infrastructure and attracting new businesses are top goals for members of the Ball Ground City Council this year.

Mayor Rick Roberts said as part of his focus on economic development, he wants to make Rick Roberts the Downtown Development Authority a more active organization.

“We have fixed up the downtown. Now we need to promote it,” he said. “I believe an active DDA is part of the secret to success for any downtown.”

Councilman Lee Prettyman said the city is ready to work with new businesses interested in opening up in town.

“We are as flexible as we can be with everyone. It is just the economy that has got everyone tied up,” he said.

Roberts said the city this year also will be improving amenities such as sidewalks and possibly a new fire station.

City Manager Eric Wilmarth said projects to extend sidewalks from City

Hall south on Valley Street to the site of the new elementary school under construction and on Old Dawsonville Road from downtown to Calvin Farmer Park are in the engineering phase. Construction could begin as soon as in the spring.

The city government also is waiting to hear back on applications for two other sidewalk projects.

It has applied for a grant from the state Department of Transportation to add sidewalks on Old Canton Road and Coy Holcomb Road and one for sidewalks on Civic Drive, Old Dawsonville Road and Valley Street. Wilmarth said the city should hear by late March on the first application and May or June on the second.

Roberts also wants to begin the pursuit of a new fire station for the city.

“We have pretty nice facilities in Ball Ground except the fire station,” he said.

Councilwoman Andrenia Stoner said her priorities for 2011 are for the city to maintain its budget and “meet all our obligations.”

“I’m just hoping the economy will grow,” she said.

Council members said completing the downtown streetscape project was the big success in 2010.

Councilman Mickey O’Malley said he also was pleased with some improvements made to the ball fields next to the Community Center in downtown such as construction of a new concession stand, meeting room and dugouts.

WALESKA A new traffic light and water system improvements are projects the Waleska City Council plans to work on this year.

Mayor Doris Jones said the city is in need of a traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 140/Reinhardt College Parkway and Highway 108/Fincher Road and is working with the state Department of Transportation on making that a reality.

The intersection, which is the main four-way stop in the city, is marked by stop signs and a red stop light.

“We are hoping that will be successful,” she said of

efforts to install a full traffic signal. “That intersection is getting more c r o w d e d daily.

(The DOT) is really looking into it now.”

Council members said they also are Doris Jones looking forward to the completion of the city’s water line improvement project on Highway 140. The city is replacing the current 6-inch line on Highway 140 from Lower Burris Road north to Reinhardt University with a 10-inch line.

“If we need it, it will give us a bigger supply,” Councilman Floyd Puckett said about the water service benefits of the line replacement. “We are replacing an old 6-inch line that gives us trouble with breaks.”

Puckett said the project could be completed as soon as this spring.

Ms. Jones said bringing a library for the city also is on the council’s agenda for 2011.

Councilwoman Mary Helen Lamb, a member of the Cherokee County Libraries Board of Trustees, said the city is 26th on the state’s list for new library construction.

Mrs. Lamb said the city has acquired some land for a library in the past year. The city now owns five acres adjacent to Waleska City Hall on Fincher Road to be used for a library site. She said she doesn’t anticipate work on the library to begin soon.

“It is going to be a while,” she said. “That one is always on our back burner.”

Councilwoman Edna Cook said she is focused on making sure the city government remains economically sound for the year.

“With the state of the economy, everybody is just trying to take care of what they have,” she said.

Accomplishments for last year cited by city leaders include acquiring land for the library, hiring Aimee Abernathy as the new city clerk and installing a recycling bin for residents behind Waleska City Hall.

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Our FBC Volunteer Pew Crew (50 members strong) has faithfully met to prep Eppie the pew baby dolls to send to children in orphanages and hospitals in Haiti and around the world. We have already sent 300 Eppies, with another 1000+ dolls in the warehouse ready to go.

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All donations will be combined with all profits from all sales of any products on our website. Visit our website www.thingsofjoy.com and go to the "Eppie Everywhere" pages. Enjoy the video called "Project Judy" which will explain this mission project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDI_K74UzH4 You can donate or make a purchase online, call 770-479-9569, or mail it to: EEF, Inc., 110 Pueblo Ct., Unit #1014, Waleska, GA 30183. Please make checks payable to Eppie Everywhere Foundation, Inc. You will receive a tax deductible receipt for 2011.

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Thank you so much for your every consideration of this mission. We covet your prayers for our volunteers and those who make trips to Haiti and around the world to serve orphanages and hospitals and hand-deliver each doll in the name of Jesus. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have so graciously joined us in support of this mission and so many times in the past.

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PAGE 10E

PROGRESS 2011

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 11E

Local arts scene brightening in Cherokee From staff reports

Despite the economic recession hurting art venues in neighboring counties, Cherokee County’s arts leaders see 2011 as a year of growth.

Efforts are under way to increase contributions to the endowment supporting the Falany Performing Arts Center at Reinhardt University in Waleska.

Director Dr. Ric Sanchez said he hopes to generate $100,000 each year to have at least $2 million in the center’s endowment account. The current balance is about $70,000.

Since the center has established an expectation of Ric Sanchez quality artists, Sanchez said it needs to raise revenue to live up to that reputation.

Falany generated about $88,000 last season in ticket sales, and Sanchez said the center is on track to generate more than $100,000 by the time this season ends.

The increase in attendance, he said, “has been very gratifying.” About 6,300 people have come through Falany’s doors so far this season.

Renewing membership also climbed from 57 to 98 people.

“We’ve never grown that fast,” he said.

Sanchez also said the center most likely will increase the number of shows next season, which follows the school year, from the 55 being offered this season.

The Cherokee Arts Center this year started an open mic night in its facility on North Street in downtown Canton.

The free events are designed to attract Cherokee’s younger crowd and give them an outlet to express themselves through music, poetry and spoken word.

“We really are trying to find a way to reach out to that younger group,” said Dianne

Langston, executive director of the arts center.

Mrs. Langston said she hopes to bring Americolor Opera Alliance, an Atlantabased music group that croons opera stories based on American and Afro-centric cultures and experiences, to the center this year.

The arts center also plans to offer new classes this year such as Zumba dance fitness, a couples’ cooking class and classes led by local artists Scott McIntyre and Kip Rogers.

It’s also scheduled its Canton Festival of the Arts for May 21 and 22 at Brown Park in downtown Canton, which Bill Grant, president of the arts center board, said will be “bigger and better” than in the past.

About 200 artists have applied for the show, and the children’s area will be expanded.

Grant said this year is one of transition for the center as the new board of directors has plans to reach out to other arts organizations and possibly create a master calendar of all local arts events.

The center has about 150 members, and Grant said he wants to expand that number by reaching out to young adults and senior citizens.

Along with Grant serving as president, executive committee members are Judy Bishop, past president; Farris Yawn, vice president of development; Mandi Ballinger, treasurer; and Peggy Moore, vice president of support.

Board members include Kim Bates, William Carlan, Carol Carr, T.J. Cochran, Deborah Fincher, Pat Gold, Gay Grooms, David Harrison, Steve Jones, Ann Litrel, Barbara Manous, Dawn Marr, Linda Martin, George McClure, Scott McIntyre and Allen Dee Morris.

The Towne Lake Arts Center is in the midst of a smooth transition to its new name, Elm Street Cultural Arts Village, as part of the city of Woodstocksupported new project to create a visual and performing arts center downtown.

Mrs. Grooms, the artistic director, said the name change is now official, and the main goal this year is to complete the theater company’s move into the sanctuary of the Woodstock Community Church.

The group late last year entered into an agreement with the city government, which purchased the church in 2009, to lease the sanctuary to use it for office space and for performances.

Mrs. Grooms also said she and other active members of the Elm Street nonprofit also will spend 2011 raising money to renovate and restore the Reeves home. It is the centerpiece of the planned visual and performing arts center, which will include a theater, gallery, classrooms and an outdoor area.

The effort has gained support and funding from the city and county governments.

The county Board of Commissioners last year closed with Ameris Bank on the property and during its Jan. 4 meeting, transferred the property over to the city of Woodstock.

The Elm Street nonprofit now has more than 5,000 members, and Mrs. Grooms said that will increase as more people learn about plans to make downtown Woodstock a cultural arts center.

Elm Street had $63,331 in ticket sales in 2010 and more than 20,000 attendees for its various shows and performances.

Mrs. Grooms said last year’s Big Read program in Cherokee County led by Elm Street also reached closed to 15,000 people through performances, books and audio guides.

The Big Read, funded through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, is a

nationwide initiative to encourage communities to read the same book together and funds distribution of free copies of the book and programs related to the book.

Despite arts venues closing in other communities, Mrs. Grooms said Elm Street has been able to manage its finances and keep ticket prices at a reasonable cost to weather the recession.

The Cherokee Theatre Company plans to reach out to middle and high school students this year.

President Ed Palombo said the community theater group also is focused on keeping ticket prices affordable to “be able to maintain our audiences and entertain the community.”

Palombo, who retired in May as a theater teacher at Woodstock High School, said the company has had $15,000 in ticket sales, which he said

was “pretty good.” He noted the company has about 30 paid members, but has about 60 people who regularly participate in productions. “We are real pleased with that,” he said.

Palombo added the company in 2010 was able to sustain its audience and funding level, obtain its 501c3 nonprofit status and increase the number of shows it offers each season to five from four.

Georgia Clay Council leaders say they want to provide more workshop and opportunities for artists to share their love for their craft.

Phoebe Maze, president of the council, she hopes to further increase the 35-member organization’s visibility in the community.

Ms. Maze said the council in December had a successful Holiday Clay Market at the Lodge at BridgeMill with 23 vendors and “good” sales.

PROGRESS 2011

PAGE 12E

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

Technology improving county courts’ efficiency From staff reports

Cherokee County’s court system has implemented more technological updates to further increase efficiency.

The county’s Magistrate Court last fall went live with a brand new case management system.

Patty Baker, clerk of courts for the county, said the new system uses a state-of-the-art computer software program.

“Any report that any of the judges want, they can get,” she said of the new system, adding the old system is limited in that capacity.

The upgrades will also allow for orders to be Patty Baker printed out and signed in the courtroom.

Magistrate Judge James Drane said the new program allows judges to track the progress of each case.

“We will be able to know how much time we have spent on a case in the courtroom,” something judges can sometimes lose track of, Drane said. “It will be a measure for our efficiency.”

The software for the case management system was free since the clerk’s office helped design it for all courts in Georgia, according to Ms. Baker. There is a monthly maintenance fee.

Also last year, the magistrate court also implemented an electronic warrant system. It allows law enforcement officers to communicate with a judge from a laptop computer in their patrol car or at their precinct to obtain both search and arrest warrants.

Drane said the system keeps officers in their patrol area rather than on the road to and from the court at the Justice Center in downtown Canton.

“It has been well-received by the officers,” he said. “We can allocate resources back to precincts where they are needed most.”

Between September when it was implemented and the end of the year, 492 warrants have been obtained through the system and $61,500 has been saved.

Between January and February, 222 warrants have been obtained through the system, which James Drane saved the court about $28,000.

Chief Associate Judge Gregory Douds said the court wants to expand the system to judges who are available after-hours in case an officer needs to get a warrant in the middle of the night.

The $75,000 electronic warrant system was funded using part of a $326,000 grant.

The grant is also covering a $46,200 video conferencing system the clerk’s office is setting up. The system will save time and money by reducing the need to transport inmates back and forth from the Adult Detention Center to the Justice Center.

Ms. Baker said the Justice Center, within the past couple of weeks, also has been outfitted with flat-screen monitors that are updated with information to help people doing business at the courthouse.

The magistrate court also recently implemented a new case management system that allows the staff and attorneys to track cases.

A new check citation procedure also is in place, which gives the accused the opportunity to pay a bounced check to another party or merchant before the case goes to court.

Douds added the court also has updated its standard forms to help people better understand what’s being asked of them.

Cherokee County Probate Court Judge Keith Wood wants to increase the court’s presence online in the coming year.

Wood said he’s working to create a database for estates on the court’s website (click on the departments and agencies link at www.cherokeega.com).

The court saw 1,195 estate filings last year, more than the 1,125 in 2009. Making the information about estates available online long has been a goal for Wood.

“It is on the top of my list,” he said. “It would be nice for people to check here so they know if there is something they need.”

The success of Cherokee County’s DUI/Drug Court intervention program has judges eyeing expansion to other crimes.

The court’s three judges are in talks with the county solicitor general’s office to create a similar program for repeat marijuana possession offenders.

“We have a ton of marijuana repeat offenders,” State Court Judge Alan Jordan said.

The DUI/Drug Court, created by Chief Judge C.J. Gober, is credited with reducing DUI cases in the county.

There are about 100 people participating in the program, which coordinates substance-abuse intervention for repeat DUI offenders with judicial support through sanctions and incentives.

Last year was a big year for the court as it finally received its long-awaited third judge: Dee Morris, and created a separate court for domestic violence incidents.

Cherokee County History Museum opens its doors From staff reports

Canton is now home to its first museum and second visitor’s center. The Cherokee County Historical Society on Feb. 5 opened the Cherokee County History Museum and Visitors Center, which is housed on the first floor of the Historic Courthouse in downtown Canton.

Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is free to the public.

The 850-square-foot museum houses artifacts, mannequins dressed in historical clothing, photographs and informational displays, said historical society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner.

“We hope it’ll give us a chance to interact with the community,” Ms. Joyner said, adding she hopes to attract about 3,000 visitors each year.

There are five interactive kiosks containing Apple iPads. Each iPad offers visitors access to historical information on a different Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull subject, historical society Education Director Meghan Nepper Cherokee County History Museum Education Director said. Videos are also part of the museum’s multimedia offerings.

Megan Nepper, left, and Executive Director Stefanie JoynSome of the displays include a map that shows the county’s er put the finishing touches on one of the period clothing communities, bridges, mills and where Gold Rush activity took displays at the new museum in downtown Canton. place.

Artifacts from the Canton Cotton Mill, schools including Reinhardt College, the poultry industry and desegregation are on exhibit. Some of the artifacts include a moonshine still, ration cards from World War II, a World War I helmet and post cards and letters that belonged to Magnolia Thomas, a prominent African American teacher who taught during segregation.

A gift shop area offers merchandise including books and DVDs. The historical society is partnering with the Canton Downtown Development Authority on the museum, as it doubles as a visitor’s center to promote the city and surrounding area.

Wanda Roach of Canton, chairwoman of the DDA, said she’s excited about what a visitor’s center can do for downtown.

Both the museum and the visitor’s center, she said, not only will “showcase the history of our county,” but also bring people into downtown to visit the shops and restaurants,.

“It’s going to be a pretty good economic engine for us,” she added.

It took about $14,000 to get the museum up and running, but that doesn’t include the cost to staff the facility, Ms. Joyner said.

The society is seeking volunteers to act as docents and will hold orientation sessions at 1 p.m. on Sunday and Wednesday at the museum.

R.T. Jones Memorial Library expansion, renovation complete From staff reports

R.T. Jones Memorial Library’s renovation and expansion is winning raves from patrons.

The public library in Canton has undergone a $1.4 million facelift, which includes a small addition and renovation work.

The upgrades at the facility at 116 Brown Industrial Parkway were officially celebrated in December with an open house for the community.

With the 1,100 square feet of additional space, the library is now slightly larger than 31,000 square feet. The project created a teen room, a story-time room and a training lab and added more space for bookshelves.

Paint, carpet and furniture upholstery were all updated, and a new floor was installed for the atrium.

The changes represent a “tremendously better use of space,” said Susan White, director of the Sequoyah Regional Library System.

Cherokee Tribune/file “It is more inviting. It looks like we have so much more Sequoyah Regional Library System Director Susan White room,” she said about the library’s new look. “We have had points out additional space created by the expansion and a few comments about the quiet room and how much we renovation of R.T. Jones Memorial Library. needed it.”

More room for staff offices was permitted as a result of “We had offices in storage rooms. It was the only place we the project.

had to put them,” Mrs. White said of operations before the expansion.

The training lab, which can be used by the public if scheduled ahead of time, will open for public use in January.

The construction was funded mostly through the state government with some monies coming from Cherokee County’s SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and impact fees Library patron Alene Padgett of Canton was exploring the improvements while there recently.

“It excites me just to be around to see it,” she said.

Gil Lofye of Canton said while he likes the renovations, the library still needs more new books.

“They did a beautiful job,” he said. “The physical layout is very nice.”

During the construction, 469 books were damaged during a rainstorm due to inadequate covering by a subcontractor on the project. The library was paid about $11,000 by Hagan Construction, the lead contractor on the project, to replace the books.

The next construction project in Cherokee for the library system is a new library in the northeast portion of the county on Highway 20 in the Macedonia community.

Mrs. White said she hopes to see the new library completed by the fall of 2013.

Football kickoff, more graduate degrees tops at Reinhardt University From staff reports

Two major developments are on the horizon for Reinhardt University in 2011: The start of football and the addition of two more graduate programs.

Dr. J. Thomas Isherwood, president of the Waleska-based private college, said the football exploratory team formed last year will present its feasibility study to the school’s Board of Trustees in May. The 21-person committee is evaluating whether to add intercollegiate football to the school’s athletic programs.

J. Thomas If the trustees give football Isherwood the green light, Isherwood said the university will begin the process of hiring a coach and recruiting players with the first football season possible in September 2013.

The university offers 15 sports programs — eight for women and seven for men — plus a coed cheerleading squad. Most of the teams compete as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

Dr. Roger Lee, vice president of student affairs and dean of students for Reinhardt, said the idea of football is “gaining momentum” in the community.

The exploratory committee’s feasibility study, he said, will serve as a guide on how the university should proceed with pursuing football.

Lee said the school wants to make sure starting football wouldn’t detract from the character of Reinhardt or Waleska.

“We want it to fit like a glove,” he said.

The university plans to roll out two more master’s degrees within the next year: in education and Spanish.

And enrollment has grown to 1,224 — the highest ever for the university affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Ten percent of those students are enrolled in graduate programs at the main Waleska campus and its North Fulton Center in Alpharetta.

On March 1, the university will launch a four-year capital campaign to raise $24 million for campus renovations to keep up with the growth.

The money would be used to construct an addition to the science building, a new residence hall and a field house for athletic programs and for renovating Jones Hall to make it the permanent home of the Price School of Education.

Growth areas of study, officials said, include the master of business administration degree program, which makes up 30 percent of the university’s graduate studies enrollment.

Also popular are the Master of Arts in Teaching program, which allows students certified to teach to earn their master’s degree at Reinhardt; and Working Adults in Teaching (WAIT) program, which provides evening classes to working adults studying for a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

There are about 325 students enrolled in Reinhardt’s various working adult programs, said Peg O’Connor, associate vice president for academic affairs.

WAIT, she said, is “very much in demand” for students, as are the university’s programs geared toward adults working in the public safety arena.

The university, she added, is exploring possible new areas of study in corporate and homeland security and health and business fields.

Lee said this year the college also will finalize installation of the online job search tool College Central Network in its career services department. The portal provides students with tools to prepare them for the job market, from

resume building to mock interviews.

Isherwood said Reinhardt in 2011 will build on the successes of the past year, which include the roll out of revamped curriculum, re-accreditation by the Southern Association on Colleges and Schools and accreditation of its education

programs by the Georgia Professionals Standards Commission.

The coming year, he said, will be noteworthy in the school’s quest to establish a stronger foothold in athletics and academics. “It’s going to be a really exciting year,” he said.

PROGRESS 2011

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011/Cherokee Tribune

PAGE 13E

County ministerial association growing its flock From staff reports

The new Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association’s president is building on the group’s success to expand its role in the community.

The Rev. Fred Goodwin, 57, of Canton is the 2011 president of the organization. He previously served as vice president of the association for the past two years and was very active for the past five years.

He said he wants to continue the work of past president Larry Baker, pastor of Prayer and Praise Christian Fellowship in southwest Cherokee, which is to build a “church without walls.”

“The goal is to not see churches as competing with each other,” Goodwin said. “We are doing the same work.”

Goodwin, pastor of Church of the Messiah in Hickory Flat, said the association’s leadership is developing ideas to expand on the resources and programs it can make available to local church leaders.

Other officers for 2011 include the Rev. Lucas Pina of Sixes Presbyterian Church as vice president, Lynn Eynon of Woodstock Community Church as treasurer and Sean Allen of Gideons International as secretary.

Goodwin said he also wants to bring back the Revive Cherokee program the association held two years ago in Heritage Park in Can-

Cherokee Tribune/Todd Hull

The Rev. Fred Goodwin, pastor for Church of the Messiah in Hickory Flat, is the 2011 president of the Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association. ton. Revive Cherokee was a weeklong event for high school students and adults that included music and sharing the Gospel.

“One thing it did for the hundreds that participated was that it got back to the idea of one church,” Goodwin said. “We are all in this

together.”

Eynon said he would like to see the association’s membership increase from the 20 members it has

now. He said the membership now just operates on membership dues, which are $20 a year.

“That would allow us to have a more practical outreach in the community,” he said about an increased membership.

Eynon said the association was able to raise more than $10,000 last year through special collections for its Haiti Missions project. The association works with Pastor Jean Paul, who operates a church and orphanage in that country.

Baker said the support work the association did for the Haiti mission Larry Baker was a top accomplishment from last year.

During his three years in the president position, Baker said he was happy to see churches working together through the association. He said he wanted to create an emphasis not on the church, but one more concerned with “reaching people and helping people.”

He said some of the organizations member churches have worked together with included The HOPE Center and Papa’s Pantry.

He said the current group of officers will serve the community well.

“I think they will take [the association] further than we’ve gone,” he said. “They will do a good job.”

Come Worship With Us! Waleska United Methodist Church Pastor: Sam Hamby

Worship: 10:30 AM Weekday Preschool Available Service Times Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Worship Service 11:00am Wednesday Bible Study & Youth 7:00pm

7340 Reinhardt College Pkwy P.O. Box 8 Waleska, GA 30183

770-479-4428 wum1@reinhardt.edu

137 Hightower Road • Ball Ground • Georgia • 770.887.6982 www.calvarybaptistweb.org

www.waleskaumc.com

BASCOMB UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2295 Bascomb Carmel Road, Woodstock, GA 30189

770-926-9755 Bascomb United Methodist Preschool

770-926-0397 9:00AM - Contemporary Service 11:00AM - Traditional Service 10:00AM - Sunday School 4:00PM - Kids in Praise 6 : 0 0 P M - Yo u t h G r o u p

w w w. b a s c o m b u m c . o r g

Canton First United Methodist Church

490 Arnold Mill Road • Woodstock • 770-516-0009 www.stmichaelthearchangelwoodstock.catholicweb.com Father Larry Niese, Pastor

Weekend Mass Schedule

Invites you to worship with us.

Saturday Vigil - 5:30 pm Sunday - 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:45 pm, 5:30 pm 2:30 pm (Spanish)

Sundays at 8:30am, 9:45am, and 11am

Daily Mass Schedule Wednesday - 6:30 am Monday through Saturday - 9:00 am

Located on Lower Scott Mill Road near Hwy 140 East and I-575 exit 16

Confession: Wednesday - 5 pm • Saturday - 9:30 am Adoration: Monday - 9:30 am, Saturday - 8:30 am

770-479-2502 cantonfirstumc.org

Preschool Office - 678-213-1517 Religious Education Office - 770-516-9699

2795 Ridge Road, Canton

Presbyterian Church, PCA Now meeting at a new location and time!

1498 Johnson Brady Rd. Canton, GA 30115

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School 9:15 a.m. www.cherokee-pca.org

(1/4 mi. from Hwy 5, just off exit 14, I-575)

770-345-6722 www.stclementscanton.org

Sunday Services 8 a.m. - Early Holy Eucharist, Rite II 9 a.m. - Family Holy Eucharist 10:15 a.m. - Sunday School/Rector's Forum 11 a.m. - Choral Holy Eucharist, Rite II

St. Paul AME Church

YOU’RE INVITED TO WORSHIP WITH US

390 Crisler Street • Canton, GA

770-479-9691 www.stpaulame-canton.org Rev. Lemora B. Dobbs, Pastor AWANA Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30 PM Adult Bible Study Wednesdays, 7:00-8:00 PM Intercessory Prayer Wednesdays, 6:30-7:00 PM Teen Bible Study 4th Sunday, 5:00-7:00 PM

WOODSTOCK CHRISTIAN CHURCH 7700 Highway 92 Woodstock, GA 30189 (Located on Hwy 92, between Bells Ferry & I-575)

www.woodstockchristian.org 770-926-8238 Mr. Lynn T. Eynon - Sr. Minister Roger Brooks - Minister of Music & Youth Chip Ward - Minister of Children & Adults

WALESKA FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Herman T. Williams, Pastor

Loving God, Growing in Faith, Serving Others

Traditional Worship Services Sunday Mornings

Sunday Worship 11:00 am Sunday School 9:45 AM Wednesday Activities 6:15 PM

Team Kids & Youth Activities 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Church School - 9:30 AM Sunday Service - 11:00 AM

3615 Reinhardt College Parkway • Canton, GA 30114

Our Mission: Saving Souls and Building Stronger Christian Lives, One Person at a Time.

www.heritagebaptistfellowship.com

770-479-9415

8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Night Worship 7:00 p.m.

A CHURCH ALIVE IN CHRIST (770) 479-1024 www.waleskafirstbaptist.org New Worship Center located at 10657 Fincher Rd in Waleska

PAGE 14E

PROGRESS 2011

Cherokee Tribune/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011