December 24, 2015 | Nor thFulton.com | An Appen Media Group Publ icat ion | 50¢ | Vo lume 19, No. 51

Happy Holidays!

Council cautious about transportation SPLOSTMembers want more details beforesupporting additional sales tax

► PAGE 4

Empty NestSponsored section

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Forging young leadersHS program prepares teens for leadership

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HATCHER HURD/STAFF

The Johns Creek City Council gives the Gladiator Co-ed cheerleaders and Coach Patrick Wright their just due for an unde-feated season and the state title. For more go to Page 28.

JCHS Co-edCheerleader champs

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Chamber BowlLocal teams have final game

► PAGE 30

2 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com PUBLIC SAFETY

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Driver had ‘plenty’to drinkALPHARETTA, Ga. – An honest driver was booked for DUI Nov. 23 after after he drove on the wrong side of the road.

According to police, a hit-and-run accident occurred on Old Milton Parkway. The suspect vehicle was seen traveling west in the eastbound lanes and hit another vehicle with extensive damage to it.

Police said the driver, Steven Mi-chael Hudock, 31, of Atlanta, smelled of alcohol when they spoke to him. When asked if he had anything to drink, he allegedly said “plenty.” He declined sobriety tests.

Hudock was arrested for DUI, hit and run, following too closely and driv-

ing on the wrong side of the road.

Sorry, you havethe wrong numberALPHARETTA, Ga. – Three young men were arrested Dec. 12 after breaking into a vehicle at a local restaurant.

Police say they were called at 7:10 p.m. to the Steak ‘n Shake at North Point Mall. The victim told police her unlocked vehicle was entered while she was inside the restaurant. Two cell phones were missing.

While on scene, witnesses said they saw three young men hiding in the bushes nearby. When found nearby by police, one of the suspects allegedly fled on foot but was caught. The three – who were between 15 and 18 years old – said they lived in Atlanta and were dropped in Alpharetta by a friend. Officers noticed several phones on the young men.

When an officer called the victim’s phone numbers, two of the phones in the boys’ possession began ringing.

None of the boys admitted to stealing the phones or said how they came to be in possession of them.

Two of the suspects were arrested for entering autos. The third was ar-rested for obstruction.

Cash, jewelrystolen from homeJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – A Park Lane Court family’s home was burgled Dec. 8, with thousands of dollars in jewelry stolen as well as a large amount of cash.

The victims told police they left their home about 2 p.m. and returned about 6 p.m. They found their back door win-dow smashed and the master bedroom ransacked.

Reported missing were an enve-lope containing $8,000, a men’s Rolex Oyster watch also valued at $8,000, a checkbook and several pieces of jewelry — a diamond ring, several gold rings and two necklaces — all valued at more than $13,000.

Road rage leads to drawn weaponJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – An Alpharetta man was arrested Dec. 8 after allegedly pointing a gun at another driver in a case of road rage.

Police report finding two trucks squaring off in the park-ing lot of the Home Depot store on State Bridge Road. The suspect, the driver of one truck, had the driver of the other held at gunpoint.

According to the suspect, the other driver had thrown something at his truck when they were driving on Peach-tree Industrial Boulevard in Duluth. Angered, the suspect

followed the driver to the Home Depot. The other driver said the suspect had been driving ag-

gressively and flashing his lights on the road. He pulled into the parking lot to escape the situation but was followed by the suspect, who then exited his truck and pulled a gun. There was cell phone footage of this.

The driver refused to answer if anything had been thrown.

The suspect, a 56-year-old Alpharetta resident, was charged with pointing a gun at another person.

POLICE BLOTTERAll crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

DUIS & DRUGSAll crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

DUI arrests ► Denise Michelle Lennon, 31, of

Snellville, was arrested Dec. 2 on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek for DUI, open container and following too close.

► Michael Andrew Burcham, 40,

of Canton, was arrested Dec. 4 on Birmingham Road in Milton for DUI and failure to maintain lane.

► Matthew Clark Hodges, 36, of Galleon Drive, Alpharetta, was arrested Dec. 5 on Bethany Bend in Milton for DUI and open container.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 3

As the weather becomes colder during this time of the year, ophthalmologists and optometrists everywhere see a rise in the number of patients who come in to their clinics for various symptoms of dry eye syndrome. These symptoms can vary from mild irritation or foreign body sensation and redness to intermittent blurry vision and eye fatigue. Regardless of the symptoms, it is important to be seen by an eyecare provider to deter-mine if there is an underlying cause for the dry eyes. In most cases, it is multifac-

torial and can be attributed to one of the following:

• Age: with increasing age, tear production slowly declines• Gender: women are susceptible due to hormonal changes during menopause• Medications: diuretics, anti-histamine pills, and anti-depressants can certainly reduce tear production• Medical conditions: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjogren syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid disease are often linked to patients with dry eyes• Environment: dry climate (especially notable during the winter) can cause early evaporation of tears• Surgery: patients who have undergone LASIK or refractive surgery are more likely to develop dry eyes

Dry eye syndrome can be accurately diagnosed during an eye exami-nation that involves looking at the eyelids, cornea, and the eye’s tear fi lm. A specifi c dye, such as fl uorescein, may be used to evaluate the pattern of dryness on the surface of the eye.

Treatment is usually initiated with the use of lubricating drops called artifi cial tears. Many drug store and brand names exist, varying from a thin watery consistency to a thicker gel form, and work well for the majority of patients. Be wary of drops that simply “get the red out” – they are not intended to lubricate the eye’s surface. Ointments are also available and are especially helpful to hydrate the eye during the course of the night.

When these options are not enough, other treatments are employed. Preservative-free artifi cial tears are especially useful in patients who have long used artifi cial tears and are more prone to irritation from the preservatives. Restasis, or cyclosporine 0.05%, is a prescription medication that helps to reduce infl ammation on the eye’s surface and also improve tear production. Punctal plugs may be recommended to block the drainage of tears into the tear ducts of the upper and lower eyelids.

Lifestyle changes can also help patients with dry eye syndrome. Ome-ga-3 fatty acids, found in fi sh and fl axseed oil, improves the oily layer of the tear fi lm and leads to better lubrication of the ocular surface. Using a humidifi er at home and work can also help alleviate dry eye symptoms. People who spend most of their workdays on a computer should take breaks throughout the day.

Patients with the most severe symptoms may require more potent anti-infl ammatory medications or other treatment modalities. These patients should seek consultation and management with a dry eye specialist.

Do Your Eyes Feel Dry? By Samir Vira, M.D.

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4 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com NEWS

By HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Johns Creek City Council is not against a transpor-tation sales tax that would be used for improvements all over Fulton County. But, before they will come out for it, they want to know what the projects would do for the city and the price tag.

Fulton County is considering a ballot initiative that would split up the proceeds from an additional penny of sales tax on the dollar that would go directly to transportation projects. But, for the Johns Creek City Council, the devil is in the details.

The idea is for Fulton County to present as much as a 1 percent addi-tional sales tax before county voters that would raise $1.2 billion over five years. Johns Creek’s share would be an estimated $110 million.

House Bill 170 came into law earlier this year that provides for new trans-portation funding:• First, the state will raise gasoline

taxes among other methods that will raise $1 billion annually for trans-portation.

• It will allow counties to place up to an additional 1 percent of sales tax. Such special local-option sales tax (SPLOST) must be approved by the voters.

• Every city in the county must pass the referendum by vote for the full 1 percent to be assessed. If so much as one city fails to pass it, then it would mean a reduction of .5 per-cent in the tax, assuming the rest of the county approved it.Each city would use the transporta-

tion dollars as it sees fit to create a list of projects. Projects will have to con-form to a list of criteria agreed upon by the cities.

Clouding the issue is a MARTA initiative that may proceed through the state Legislature. It will seek a portion of any T-SPLOST. But its authority comes from the General Assembly and therefore must get its approval there.

In cities across the metro area, increased traffic congestion is the top, or nearly the top, issue. None more so than in Johns Creek. The $100 million over five years it is estimated the city would receive would provide Johns

Creek with options it never had before.But the council was not ready to

fall in line without getting much more detail about how T-SPLOST would all play out.

City Manager Warren Hutmacher said the city has a project list it com-piled when the last T-SPLOST was defeated.

“We need to look at what are our regional needs, and what kinds of part-nerships we can develop,” he said.

But what is required first is a scope of the needs that would be addressed, he said.

Public Works Director Tom Black said he has participated in a brief-ing led by the Georgia Department of Transportation. What he suggested to the city was to explore joint-venture opportunities with the contiguous com-munities.

“It would be a good format to take all of the projects [in the area] into an acceptable form for approval by the cities,” Black said.

Time is already pressing. The proj-ects list is due June 30 to give time for public comment and final adoption during November elections.

It is a matter of getting multiju-risdictional projects into a form that GDOT will approve. What other cities are suggesting is hiring an engineering firm to create a plan for such projects and taking input from the participating jurisdictions.

Councilman Lenny Zaprowski said he did not want to approve a “plan” without knowing costs up front and what projects they will fund.

Councilman Bob Gray agreed, say-ing this is a tax increase and it is the city’s citizens’ money.

Mayor Mike Bodker said the city should look at its needs and prioritize them first.

“We might not need $100 million,” he said.

Black said part of the process is

to see what the priorities of the city’s neighbors are.

“This gives us options to work with regional partners but make sure the project has the curb appeal we want in Johns Creek,” Black said.

The council decided to wait until January to decide its course of action and how to pursue it. It also wants to know more about how MARTA would enter the mix. None of the council was optimistic of MARTA making any kind of a dent in the city’s traffic woes.

The project criteria must be set by February and projects submitted by May. A referendum vote would be in November.

The cities must come up with the criteria for dividing the sales tax, but it is not likely any criterion would must be unanimously adopted, so population is the only likely to gain unanimity. If cities opt out by vote, then they are not included and the other cities will be allowed to levy only .75 percent of sales tax.

SHOW ME THE MONEY:

JC Council leery of T-SPLOST Want to know transportation planwould do for Johns Creek first

What a T-SPLOST means to N. FultonFulton County voters may be asked to vote for a 1 percent sales tax increase devoted entirely to transportation projects. It would raise an estimated $1.2 billion. Divided on a per capita basis, this is what North Fulton cities could expect for transportation.

City Population Tax PortionALPHARETTA 63,000 $75.9MJOHNS CREEK 83,000 $100MMILTON 36,600 $44.2MSANDY SPRINGS 102,000 $122.7M

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 5

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6 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com NEWS

Mass Transit: Making the right decision for the right reasonMuch has been

written recently regarding the Johns Creek City Council’s nonbinding reso-lution to oppose a tax increase that supports the ex-pansion of MARTA into North Fulton County. Unfor-tunately, most of

the discussion leaped to the same old conclusion that heavy rail, which is a centuries-old transit solution, remains the right transit solution for our collec-tive future.

Anyone opposed to this thinking must be either backwards, elitist or simply out of touch with reality.

To be clear, the City Council and the residents of Johns Creek are in favor of mass transit. We can benefit just as much as any of our neighbors. How-ever, we firmly believe that the option be rooted in a well-thought-out solution that is in line with where the future of mass transit is heading, rather than where it has been.

The problem with rail in Atlanta is that we have many work centers that are spread out, and we do not have a rail system that connects them.

In other cities such as Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., the work centers are in a line or a rail system is in place that makes them more ac-cessible to commuters. According to a Brookings Institute study, only 3.6 per-cent of the jobs in the metro Atlanta are readily available by mass transit. Even if you have success moving commuters from the suburbs via heavy rail, they still can’t readily reach their respective

work centers. Extending rail north will not signifi-

cantly impact this problem.Our opposition to the added tax,

or SPLOST, stems from the fact that Johns Creek and unincorporated Ful-ton County has been paying a SPLOST for MARTA since its inception. Never in the history of our city has there been any direct service to the residents of Johns Creek.

I find it difficult to suggest that the $1.6 billion cost to extend rail further up Ga. 400, with the potential for neg-ligible impact on traffic congestion, is a worthwhile investment.

Every dollar that is taken away from roads projects is a dollar that is unreachable for us. We have no avail-ability for SPLOST dollars in North Fulton. Many other counties fund their major road construction projects with SPLOST money.

Also influencing our decision is the fact that the majority of the traffic in our city is not ours, and that will not change with a MARTA extension.

More than 53 percent of our traffic both originates and ends outside our borders. This trend will continue to grow as the population around us con-tinues to grow. Johns Creek will remain a pass-through community for those either looking to drive to a MARTA station or for those who choose to drive directly to work.

Regardless of whether heavy rail is extended, there remains a critical need for us to make the same road improve-ments that we currently have planned. I believe that improving our road networks will be beneficial to any final mass transit solution.

Johns Creek has a history of aggres-sively seeking out the latest technolo-gies and innovation to sustain our high quality of life: • We were the first city in Georgia to

implement the flashing yellow turn light; the first to partner with the world’s largest crowd-sourced traffic app WAZE;

• We are continually expanding and improving our Intelligent Transpor-tation System (ITS);

• We are expanding the use of round-abouts to improve safety;

• And we are exploring the ThrU-turn to improve traffic flow at key intersections.We are not afraid to challenge the

status quo and we are taking this same approach with mass transit.

Metro Atlanta is a prime candidate to implement the future of mass transit now:

Autonomous or driverless cars are here and will become mainstream;

Ridesharing will become more com-monplace;

And businesses such as Lyft, Uber and Megabus will grow in popularity among millennials and other demo-graphics.

Managed lanes, managed arterials, and high-occupancy toll lanes each contribute to reducing congestion and improving traffic flow.

Improving ITS in the metro Atlanta area and synchronizing traffic lights will aid in improving traffic flow on inte-rior roadways as well as for ingress and egress to highways and interstates.

Teleworking options should also be made more available to our workforce to help significantly reduce the number of commuters on the road each day.

There are many other transit op-tions and I think we need to have a conversation about the right way to deploy transit in metro Atlanta that can have the level of impact for which we all

strongly desire. Transit studies that are specific

to metro Atlanta such as the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s http://www.georgiapolicy.org/issues/transporta-tion/, outline innovative recommenda-tions that should be considered.

We are watching many of these technologies and innovative approaches to mass transit take hold around the country. Many communities and the federal government are taking notice. We should not be afraid to have this conversation and use what is currently available to ensure that we are on the leading edge of the future of mass transit.

While some will focus on heavy rail as the best and/or only solution, tech-nology will continue to rapidly evolve as it always does. If we are not careful, we may wind up spending our tax invest-ment on the past rather than on the future.

MIKE BODKERJohns Creek Mayor

The problem with rail in Atlanta is that we have many work centers that are spread out, and we do not have a rail system that connects them … Extending rail north will not significantly impact this problem.

Johns Creek was the first city in Georgia to partner with the world’s largest crowd-scoured traffic app WAZE.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 7

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8 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com OPINION

Around the holiday season we tend to start getting into a traditional mindset of sorts. Traditions are pretty wonderful. They’re special memories, actions or items we pass down to each other and keep up because they just feel right.

Take wedding or baby showers, for example. Have you ever thought how cool it is that, as a society, we gather around our friends and family and give them items they will need to start new journeys in life? Usually the events are not because they asked but because we understand and want them to start off this new chapter in a positive way.

In a time when we often see sadness or hatred, these traditions live on and are little sparks of happiness to keep us going and feeling warmth from our loved ones.

Around the holidays, traditions especially come alive. My family has all kinds of Yuletide traditions includ-ing when we get our Christmas tree and what type of lights go on it, what food we eat and how we spend our time. These are decisions we just don’t think about because they are traditions and we’ve done the same things every year.

If something becomes outdated, of course, we change it and move on with the new. This year’s latest tradition is not having any ornaments on our tree due to two new furry — but crazy — faces in the house. It’s unusual because we’ve always had ornaments and that was just the way it was, but now things are a little different and that’s fine, too.

One tradition I’m happy to say hasn’t changed this year, however, in-volves a house near ours in Alpharetta. Growing up, I would have sworn Santa and Mrs. Claus lived in Alpharetta rather than the North Pole. As a child, I heard all about the jolly old guy coming down the chimney to deliver toys, and I even tracked him around the world on Christmas Eve. And while there was strong evidence to suggest he lives at

the North Pole, I came to believe one of his helpers must have set up shop right here in North Fulton.

If you drive along Kimball Bridge Road, you will notice a small house just before Kimball Bridge ends at Westside Parkway. It’s a cute ranch home built maybe in the 1960s. During most of the year, it’s easy to miss.

Except when it comes to the holi-days.

This magical neighbor decorates for big days including Christmas and Easter. I’ve driven past as she decorates her yard, and you might have, too. The house is hard to miss around the holi-days as the yard is packed full of lights, adornments and inflatable figures.

I fully believe this woman is one of Santa’s elves. Santa himself probably saw her house from the North Pole and decided to ask her to help spread Christmas cheer.

Every year around Christmastime, my family and I — together, separately, with or without friends — slow down as much as traffic allows to admire our wonderful neighborhood Christmas

house in awe. And every year this lady outdoes herself.

It has become a tradition in our 20-plus years of living in Alpharetta to keep an eye out for her trans-formations. When family or friends come to town, we make sure to drive past her house to show off our special Alpharetta tradition.

Regrettably, I’ve never met this woman or any of her fam-ily. We only admire from afar. But if she happens to be reading

this column, let me offer a few words of thanks.

Thank you, dear neighbor, for keep-ing one of my favorite, if not my most favorite, Christmas traditions alive year after year. For me, it’s not really Christ-mas until I see your house lit up and decorated.

You honestly are like the tree topper on the Christmas tree – the perfect addition to an already exciting season. This is one tradition I hope lives on for years to come. Maybe one day I can start my own tradition and bring my children to see your little piece of the North Pole just down the road in Al-pharetta. Thank you again, and Merry Christmas!

So the 18-wheeler pulled up in front of the office about 5 p.m. – the beginning of rush hour, espe-cially these days on Ga. 9 going north. The traffic was heavy and getting heavier. Inside the truck were three months’

worth of newspaper bags – about 1.2 million. 

A young driver, who happened to be African-American, gets out of the truck – floppy hat, white shirt, pleasant look on his face – and we talked for a few minutes about how in the heck he is going to back up that big truck into our parking lot with all this traffic. He is not too concerned, though.

“I mean, once I am blocking all four lanes, what are they going to do? Not stop?”

He had a point and, yes, I thought that is about the drill every three months. So I stood out on the road and signaled traffic to stop while he maneuvered the truck back and forth a few times and finally got into the parking lot and to the back where we proceeded to unload the bags.

He asked me what in the heck the boxes were and I explained that we publish newspapers and those were bags to deliver the papers.

He nodded his head but I could tell he didn’t really understand exactly what I did. 

“All those boxes?” he asked. I nodded my head and he thought a minute. “You must make a lot of money,” he said with a quizzical look in his eyes.

I smiled and then told him that newspapers used to be very profitable and that a lot of newspaper owners used to make a lot of money. Then I told him that the business is still an OK business but you just have to work three times harder than ever and, unfortunately, it is not as profit-able as it used to be.

“How long you been doing this business?” he asked.

I looked at him – he was barely as old as my youngest kid. “Since before you were born,” I replied. He looked like he didn’t believe me. 

“What year?” he asked.  I replied, “1990,” and he grinned.  “Yep, you were doing it two years

before I was born,” he said. Then it looked like he had an idea and said, “You got any advice for me? I want to

buy a truck this year and then buy another one next year and hire some-one to drive it and then buy another. I want to retire by the time I am 32 – in 10 years.”

I told him I would need to think about it and we unloaded the rest of the boxes. “So, I guess I do have a couple of ideas for you,” I told him after the last pallet was unloaded. “I’ll give you two things that no one ever gave me. The first one is that every-thing goes in cycles – work, weather, the economy, friends, good times, bad times, luck, love – you name it.

“So you may be just killing it,” I told him, “and buying one truck after another one, but you need to remem-ber that the days of great business never last and at some point you will hit a downturn.” His expression said he didn’t understand what I was talk-ing about. 

“You know, like in 2008 when the world banking system collapsed and the country came within an inch or two of going into a depression worse than 1929,” I told him. “I am sure that truck owners had a hard time finding cargo to transport for a while.”

His face registered exactly zero perception of the events of 2008 – nothing. I started to tell him that a whole group of people in this coun-try had forgotten that, too, but I thought better of it.

So I just told him that he needed to trust me on this one and that the second piece of advice I had for him was that, after he bought the third truck, he needed to stop buying any more trucks until he had saved enough money to pay all his busi-ness and personal bills for at least a year.

That is, he needed to have a re-serve to fall back on in the event his business hit a down cycle – one full year.

Finally, I saw the glimmer of perception in his eyes. We con-nected. I gave him a $30 tip and wished him luck then headed back to my office. 

About halfway there I stopped, turned around and walked back to him and asked him his name. 

“Anthony,” he said with surprise. I reached back into my pocket and handed him my business card. He had a curious look. 

“I want you to call me when you buy your third truck.”

The grin on his face was instant, then confidant. He didn’t have to say anything. I got a feeling I’ll get that call.

The 18-wheeler

KATHLEEN STURGEONReporterkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

RAY APPENPublisherray@appenmediagroup.com

Keeping it traditional

This year’s latest tradition is not having any ornaments on our tree due to two new furry — but crazy — faces in the house.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 9OPINION

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First, you liked him right off. He was always very personable. He wouldn’t seek you

out at a party, but when you went up to him, he made you feel like he had been looking for you.

But as nice a guy as Jim Matoney was, he was much more. He was a good Christian man who was always trying to do more for his community. I first met Jim when he served on the Al-pharetta City Council.

Today, Alpharetta is among the leading lights of suburban Atlanta. It didn’t look like that 22 years ago when I came here. It was still a small town of 16,000 residents. Windward Park-way was mostly forest with some nice subdivisions and a golf course. North Point Parkway was still unfinished and all that was on it was a newly finished mall.

Jim believed in serving his commu-nity, and knew the gifts the community could use. He ran for council because he knew local government needs the best people it could get, and he could

do the job.So he was among those bright

men and women of the 1990s who led Alpharetta through challenging and ex-hilarating change. He was the council’s

quiet man (along with Arthur Letchas). He said what he thought and sat back. He was a steady oar for the city.

Unlike some elected officials, he rarely spoke during a meeting, and when he did you could never call it a speech. He was a man of few words but he made them count.

Sometimes, after a particularly contentious session, he would give me a call. He would ask me what my take was on the previous evening’s fire-works. His purpose was to see what I thought about the issue.

Now, I have had elected officials call me the next day before, but that was to try to get one more turn at bat – convince me of the rightness of their position. That was not Jim’s way. Usu-ally, he would just say:

“Uh-huh. I see.” That’s all. He was interested in what

others thought, not in trying to change their opinions.

Conversely, when I was asking the questions, I always got thoughtful, well-reasoned responses. Another of Jim’s qualities was he always made it about the issues. He never let politics get personal.

Jim, he never played the political

ROBERT MEYERS/SPECIAL

Jim Matoney, with his wife of 63 years, Lois, speaks at an April 28 roast given in his honor by the Windward Association of Retired Men.

A man for all seasons: Remembering Jim Matoney

HATCHER HURDExecutive Editorhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

See MATONEY, Page 10

10 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com COMMUNITY

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tit-for-tat game of retaliation. Each de-cision he was called upon to make, he let it stand or fall on the merits of what was before him. You can’t ask for better than that.

State Sen. Brandon Beach served one term with Jim on City Council. Beach summed up his colleague this way:

“Jim has that quality that lets him disagree without being disagreeable.”

That was one side of Jim Matoney. As I got to know him, I found out

Jim was a retired Shell Oil engineer and he and his wife, Lois, settled into the Windward community.

One day he told me he had gone back to law school of all things and obtained a law degree. Why on earth, I asked? He said it was to do pro bono work. And so he did, working with battered women through the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

Here he goes again, Jim giving back to his community. Certainly, Jim was a guy who enjoyed a challenge, but four years of law school? At age 65? Pro bono?

That takes a special man.Jim served 12 years on the Al-

pharetta City Council. If you thought he would slow down, you would be mistaken. At that time, there was some unflattering news coming out of the city’s Magistrate Court of all places.

So Jim ran and won the job. Now he was Judge Jim Matoney, and the court quieted down and became just a well-run arm of city government. He served two terms, and was the last elected magistrate judge for the city. It’s an appointed office now.

That was Jim. He worked 36 years for Shell, and then he gave 20 years to the city. Somewhere along the line, he and Lois found the time to raise a fine family, too.

Three words sum up the life of Jim Matoney: Family. Community. Service.

In all three causes, he willingly gave his all.

Continued from Page 9

Matoney:

Mayor thanks Green for annual toy driveJOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Mayor Mike Bod-ker was on hand Dec. 19 to welcome businessman Ron Green at Fire Station No. 61 with his annual contribution to the city’s Christmas toy drive.

“This is just something we’ve done for the last 10 years now,” said Green.

He and his sons arrived with some

100 toys to add to the hundreds already collected at Station 61 and des-tined to light up bright eyes on Christ-mas morning.

“Ron has been very generous over the years,” said Bodker. “He has made thousands of happy faces over the years.”

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Mayor Mike Bodker, left, and the firefighters of Station 61 welcome business-man Ron Green with the toys he and his employees collect for the city’s annual Toys for Tots campaign.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 11

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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. —The Student Leadership Johns Creek (SLJC) Pro-gram equips students with chances to acquire and develop leadership skills in their school and community.

The mission of SLJC is to foster the development of student leadership skills through various experiences. Applicants are now available for the upcoming class of 2018. The deadline to apply is Jan. 29, 2016. Applications are available at www.leadershipjohn-screek.com or through the schools’ sponsors at each of the four Johns Creek schools.

This is a two-year program that involves student leaders from all Johns Creek High Schools. Participants in the first year learn valuable leadership skills at the various program dates they attend and then go back to their “feeder” schools to teach these skills in creative ways to their younger peers.

Students in the second year are working more independently. They are charged with two multi-media projects; one to interview a college student and determine the unexpected pitfalls as they moved from high school student to college student.

They also came up with a 30-day plan for transitioning from high school to college. The second project is to

shadow a business professional in a field they are considering pursuing. The business leaders in Johns Creek have been extremely receptive to the stu-dents being their shadow for a day.

Graduates from the program will re-ceive prestigious graduation cords that they proudly wear during their high school graduation ceremony. It signifies their participation in this highly com-

petitive program, as well as valuable leadership skills including: An increased awareness of the com-munity outside of school and personal activities

An increased sense of self-worth, enhanced critical thinking and prob-lem solving abilities fostered through real-life application

Better equipped to take on leader-

ship roles at college and in careersBecome future leaders of Johns

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For information about Student Leadership Johns Creek go to the following website: www.leadershipjohn-screek.com.

JC Student Leadership looks for next class of leaders

The new Johns Creek Student Leadership Class is entering a two-year program that will not only give them leadership skills but live skills. It will also give them the opportunity to serve their community.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 13

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By HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Johns Creek paid tribute to the contributions of a few good men at the Dec. 14 Johns Creek City Council meeting, saluting their leadership and contributions to the community.

The Johns Creek Veterans Associ-ation’s outgoing officers – U.S. Army Capt. Wayne Kidd, U.S. Air Force Sgt. Gerry Lewis, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jim Williamson and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Robby Newton – were commended for their leadership and expertise as the charter officers of the organization.

It was under their watch that the fledgling organization undertook to or-ganize, raise funds and build the four-acre Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk at Newtown Park.

Already the memorial is known in the city and environs as a place of con-templative beauty and a tribute to the

men and women who served in all the far-flung fields of battle since 1917.

Four years ago, a group of local veterans organized the Johns Creek Veterans Association to provide a colle-gial association of ex-military personnel the opportunity to socialize and create awareness of veterans’ issues.

The JCA quickly grew in numbers to around 100 members. Then the JCA members decided they needed a community project. So they made the ambitious choice to build a veterans memorial as a gift to the city.

Mayor Mike Bodker said Kidd, Williamson, Lewis and Newtown were exemplary in their leadership and prosecution of an immense veterans memorial.

What they helped create is among the country’s top 1 percent in size of veterans memorials not associated with a cemetery.

“[These charter officers] were instru-mental in the formation of the veterans memorial along with establishing a strong foundation of leadership and commitment to veterans and deserve special recognition,” Bodker said.

They not only raised $500,000 so that no taxpayer dollars were expended, Bodker said, they supervised the entire

project and got it opened in two years.“It was an amazing piece of leader-

ship on their part and determination on the part of all the members,” Bodker said.

“I as mayor and the Council of the

City of Johns Creek recognize Wayne Kidd, Gerry Lewis, Jim Williamson and Robby Newton for their outstanding achievements and offer our sincere ap-preciation for their service to the nation and to their community.”

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Johns Creek Veteran’s Association outgoing officers are honored by the City Council. From left are Wayne Kidd, Robby Newton and Jim Williamson, JCA.

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16 | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015

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JOHN BEMONT, Johns Creek Chamber President

JC Chamber ends year on high (caroling) noteBy HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Now in its ninth year, the Johns Creek Chamber of Com-merce has made a tradition of ending the year with a holiday luncheon made all the merrier with Christmas carols performed by members.

This year was no different. Nish Patel of Gwinnett Medical Center, the luncheon sponsor, agreed to cut his 20-minute speech short by 18 minutes so that the entertainment could begin.

Peg Titus-Hall opened the festivities with “We Need a Little Christmas,” and everyone quickly switched into holiday mode.

Melissa Furbish and Mark Salcedo added their voices to the festivities. Fur-bish gave the attentive audience a medley of carols and Salcedo added the ever-pop-ular “White Christmas.”

School of Rock’s Christina Simms and Nathan Frank showed they were in the Christmas spirit. Simms gave a moving rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Frank matched it with his “O Holy Night.”

The entire chamber joined in the finale with a choreographed “12 Days of Christ-mas.”

“We have done this for several years now,” said Chamber President John Bemont. “I think it helps get us into the Christmas season, and all the members seem to love it. Anyone who wants to come up and sing is more than welcome,” he said. “They just have to be a chamber member.”

Christmas party puts jingle in members’ bells

PHOTOS BY HATCHER HURD STAFF

A bevy of talent added their voices to the festivities. From left are Peg Titus-Hall, Christine Simms, Melissa Furbish, Nathan Frank and Mark Salcedo. Here they combine on “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

Johns Creek Chamber President John Bemont is dressed in Christmas red for the party.

Peg Titus-Hall entertains with the parody, “The 12 Days After Christmas.”

Santa’s elf was checking on who was naughty or nice.

Melissa Furbish performs a medley of Christmas hits.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 17BUSINESSPOSTS

Editor’s note: The North Atlanta Busi-ness Post, an Appen Media Group publi-cation, recently recognized 40 individu-als under the age of 40 with outstanding accomplishments in their professional or extracurricular lives. Each week for the next 40 weeks, we will publish a profile showcasing one of these individuals. Visit NorthAtlanta BusinessPost.com for more info.

Age: 37Title/Company: Marketing strategist with WellStar Health System

Mandy Burton is an Atlanta native and Georgia Bulldog. She received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Georgia in 2000, and after moving away to work in the music industry in Nashville, as well as the wedding and tourism industry in Char-leston, South Carolina, she returned to Georgia in 2009, specifically Cobb County. She currently serves as the marketing strategist of WellStar Health System’s Medical Group division, which is comprised of more than 160 outpa-

tient offices and over 800 physicians.

Her free time is spent traveling, an interest she got from her parents.

“My parents wanted us to see and do as much as we could and were great about taking us on interesting trips around the U.S. during my childhood,” she said.

She also enjoys dancing and cook-ing.

Volunteering is a large part of her life, with friends saying she is tireless in her efforts and causes. With the American Heart Association, the Ameri-can Cancer Society, the Strand Theatre and the Center for Family Resources and plenty more, her days are filled with charitable work.

“At this point in my life I believe, if you have the time to give, you should get involved with the organizations around you,” she said. “I understood early on the value of investing in my community as well as my company goes hand in hand.”

BURTON

Mandy Burton40 UNDER 40:

With just a week left in the year, I hope you’re planning some well-deserved time off and enjoying the holiday season! As a small-business owner, this is a time to celebrate your success and spend a lot more time with your family and

friends. The holiday season provides you with some free time to reflect on the prior year and recharge your batteries for the upcoming new year. However, a lot of small-business owners say that the holiday season is the most stressful time of year. How are you planning on staying stress free during the holiday season?

There are a few things you can do to minimize stress during the holiday season. First and foremost is delegat-ing someone in your small business to “be in charge.” This means that if problems arise or questions need an-

swers, that no one is going to call you. Second, stop checking your emails and disconnect from technology. All of your emails and voicemails will still be there when you go back to work. Third, schedule a few check-in calls with the person you delegated to run your business while you were gone.

Just because you own and run a small business doesn’t mean you can’t have a peaceful, enjoyable and stress-free holiday season. Plan ahead, stay disconnected, delegate responsibilities and enjoy your time off! Enjoying the holiday season should be a positive experience, but you need to be the one to make it happen. Happy holidays from Jones Simply Sales.

Enjoy the holiday season stress free

DICK JONESFounder & President Jones Simply Sales

Plan ahead, stay disconnected, delegate responsibilities and enjoy your time off!

Concerns aired about Forsyth impact feesBy KATHLEEN STURGEONkathleen@appenmediagroup.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The topic of impact fees was brought up again Dec. 17 at the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting. A second public hearing was held for the commissioners and public to voice their concerns with the proposed amendments to the Forsyth County impact fee ordinance.

County Attorney Ken Jarrard said the county heard multiple concerns, both for and against, at a prior public hearing.

“One of the main topics we heard quite a bit of feedback about was the introduction of road impact

fees,” Jarrard said. “Based upon not only those comments but also upon some feedback we received from the county even before those com-ments, we have already gone back and looked, particularly at some of the assumptions with respect to the road impact fee calculations. I will tell you there have been subsequent meetings of senior staff to try and make sure our assumptions are both

as accurate and conservative as we believe the law requires.”

He said they have decided to reconvene the impact

fee advisory committee to look at the numbers again so everyone is comfortable and confident with the figures.

The plan is to continue to finalize the questions and, once Jarrard and the county are comfortable with the assumptions and have vetted them with their consultant, the impact fee advisory committee will reconvene in January.

The purpose of the impact fees is to “regulate the use and development of land so as to assure that new development bears a proportionate share of the cost of capital expenditures necessary to provide roads, parks, libraries and public safety improvements in the county.”

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18 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com BUSINESSPOSTS

By JONATHAN COPSEYjonathan@appenmediagroup.com

MILTON, Ga. – This year has seen a lot of interest in development in Milton. According to city numbers of new build-ing permits, that interest is not entirely unfounded and may be part of a good trend for the city.

According to numbers provided by the city Community Development Department, which issues permits on new construction for both commercial and residential improvements – both for new buildings and renovations – this year has seen a large uptick in new residential permits.

There were 434 new homes permit-ted in 2015 as of November. December numbers are not available yet. This number is 100 new permits over last year and a significant jump over the average increase since 2012, which was about 20 each year over the prior. The number of permits in 2014 was 342.

The city lumps all new residential construction together - both single-fam-ily homes and townhomes.

Similarly, improvements to homes also increased over past years. This year there were just over 600 renova-tions, which can be everything from

new pools to extensions. These figures include anything that requires elec-tricity or plumbing, said Community Development Director Kathleen Field.

Last year saw 535 such permits is-sued, and 2012 and 2013 had 428 and 501, respectively.

New commercial building permits have remained largely flat. This in-cludes new buildings.

Despite this, commercial renova-tions are up significantly. In the past three years, such permits have num-bered in the low- to mid-100s. This year there are 301. These permits are used in cases such as businesses moving into existing buildings and renovating interiors.

Field said the uptick in residential permits is due to one reason.

“The economy is coming back,” she said. “We’ve always had some activity going on, even during the recession.”

Field said Milton is a popular place to live.

“It’s a function of demand,” she said. “People really want to live in Mil-ton because it has such a great quality of life.”

There is one trend that may come out in next year’s permit numbers – there may be less new activity. Field

said the city approved impact fees in early October. These fees, fairly com-mon in municipalities, add charges to new development to recover the cost to the city of maintaining the new develop-ment – such as police and fire coverage, or road maintenance.

So far in 2015, there does not seem to be any impact on development. There were 20 new-home permits issued in September, 35 in October and 40 in No-vember. However, there were only two new commercial permits issued since September.

Milton sees new development uptickNew residential, business construction up in 2015

NEWBUSINESSSPOTLIGHT

LL Massage opens in Johns CreekBusiness: LL Massage Opened: October 2015Owner: Stella What: Medical stud-ies have shown adding massage to existing pain-management reg-imens provides further comfort and alleviation. Faster healing and overall better health has been reported with the use of massage. At LL Mas-sage, we hire experienced massage therapists and train them to provide our customers with the best services. Address: 9775B Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek Phone: 678-417-8786 Website: www.face-book.com/LL-Mas-sage-298777186847761/info/?tab=overview

Business: Peachtree Planning North LLC Opened: June 2015Owners: Frank Avrett, Robert E. Ma-this What: Peachtree Planning, a leading provider of comprehensive wealth planning and client management strategies, announces the addition of Peachtree Planning North LLC and

Frank Avrett as president, Peachtree Planning North. The firm specializes in providing financial knowledge and strategies to individuals, families and business owners. Address: 11300 Johns Creek Park-way, Suite 200, Johns Creek Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Phone: 678-225-6800 Website: www.peachtreeplanning.com

Peachtree Planning North LLC opens in Johns Creek

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 19

20 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com CALENDAR

Looking to get the word out about your event? You have two great options! Go to NorthFulton.com/calendar and submit online. Or email us with photo and description of your event to calendar@appenmediagroup.com.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT ONLINE

SPRUILL GALLERY HOLIDAY ARTISTS MARKETThe 22nd Annual Holiday Artists Market will feature unique and locally crafted gifts and décor. Through Dec. 23, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Spruill Gal-lery, 4681 Ashford Dun-woody Road, Dunwoody. Visit spruillarts.org for more info.

LANIER ISLANDS MAGICAL NIGHTS OF LIGHTS AND WINTER ADVENTUREDrive across the Lanier Islands Bridge and into a world of lights. Also, enjoy a new adventure this year with Winter Adventure, a snow-packed winter play land perfect for building a snowman, delightful tubing and thrilling sledding. Opens Nov. 27. Lanier Is-lands, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford770-945-8787. Visit lanieri-slands.com for more info.

CHRISTMAS AT THE ROSWELL VISITORS CENTERIt’s a “retro” Christmas as vintage snowmen and other old-fashioned touches decorate the tree at the Roswell Visitors Center, compliments of the Roswell Garden Club. Through Jan. 3, Monday through Fridays 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. -4 p.m. and Sundays noon-3 p.m. Roswell Visi-tors Center, 617 Atlanta St., Roswell. Visit visitroswellga.com for more info.

ONE-DAY BEEKEEPING COURSECourse covers all you need to know to get started in ur-ban beekeeping. This class-room course is followed up with access to several hands-on hive visits during the spring and summer months. Advanced regis-tration required. Saturday, Jan. 16, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden, Day Hall, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta GA 30309. Visit metroatlantabeekeep-ers.org for more info.

EVENTS:

WINTER BREAK ART CAMPWhat: Campers will experience a variety of artistic disciplines during each day of camp including drawing, paint-ing and mixed media. A professional artist guides campers through holi-day-themed visual arts projects ideal for holiday gifts, cards and decorations. Ages 6-10. When: Dec. 28-30 Where: Art & Beyond, 8560 Holcomb Bridge Road; Suite 102, Alpharetta More info: artandbeyondstudio.com

WINTER PERFORMING ARTS CAMPWhat: Atlanta Workshop Players will conduct a camp during three full days during winter break. Plus attendees get to audition for Atlanta’s top talent agents. When: Dec. 28-30, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Where: The Atlanta Workshop Play-ers Studio of the Arts, 8560 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 111, AlpharettaMore info: atlantaworkshopplayers.com

WILDLIFE FEEDING TIMEWhat: Join a naturalist for an in-depth look at one of Georgia’s resident ani-mals as they’re being fed. When: Tuesdays and Saturdays through Dec. 29 at 4 p.m.

Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, RoswellCost: Included with general admission and free to CNC membersMore info: chattnaturecenter.org

ROSWELL MARDI GRAS BALLWhat: The Krewe of Viola will present the inaugural Roswell Mardi Gras Ball, Bow Ties & Pearls, to benefit Emory ALS Center.When: Feb. 6, 2016, 7-11 p.m.Where: Country Club of Roswell, 2500 Club Springs Drive, RoswellMore info: facebook.com/roswellmardi-grasball

BARNES & NOBLE STORY TIMEWhat: Children’s story timeWhen: Generally Tuesdays, though some locations offer Saturdays, as wellWhere: Barnes & Noble (check website for location and hours)Cost: FreeMore info: barnesandnoble.com

BARNES & NOBLE STORY TIMEWhat: Children’s story timeWhen: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.Where: Barnes & Noble, 7660 North Point Parkway AlpharettaCost: FreeMore info: barnesandnoble.com

MUSIC, ARTS & THEATER:

CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS “PINOCCHIO!”What: The Center for Puppetry Arts presents an original one-man “tour de farce” combining found-object puppets, jokes galore, and plenty of audience participation to retell the classic story of a puppet’s journey to becoming a real, live boy.When: Dec. 29-Jan. 10Where: Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta More info: puppet.org

PET ADOPTIONS:

FORSYTH COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTERWhat: Pet adoptions When: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: The Forsyth County Animal Shelter, 4065 County Way, Forsyth CountyMore info: 678-965-7185

FULTON COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICESWhat: Pet adoptionsWhen: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Where: Fulton County Animal Services, 860 Marietta Blvd NW, AtlantaMore info: 404-613-4958

OF INTEREST ELSEWHERE:

NATURE CONNECTS: ART WITH LEGO BRICKSWhat: Marvel at 14 larger-than-life installations built from nearly 400,000 Lego bricks, including a giant praying mantis, butterfly, hummingbird, flow-ers and more.When: Through Jan. 3, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.Where: Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, GainesvilleMore info: atlantabg.org/visit/Gaines-ville

NORTH POLE LIMITED HOLIDAY TRAINWhat: Create special memories onboard the Tennessee Valley Railroad Muse-um’s iconic North Pole Limited, offering festive train rides on vintage railcars.When: Through Dec. 26Where: The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Road, Chatta-nooga, Tennessee.More info: tvrail.com

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 21CALENDAR

Looking for something to do during your holi-day time off? If you enjoy trout fishing, you’ll definitely want to check out one of Georgia’s great delayed har-vest trout streams.

Delayed harvest is a program under which selected

sections of five Georgia streams are managed under a special set of regu-lations. DH waters, as they’re known, are too warm for trout in the summer-time. But from Nov. 1 through May 14 (the delayed-harvest season) those same waters become cool enough to support trout and are managed under artificials-only, catch-and-release regulations designed to provide good trout fishing through winter and early spring.

Portions of five Georgia waterways — Amicalola Creek, Chattahoochee River, Chattooga River, Toccoa River and Smith Creek — are designated as DH water. Among them, they offer something for every angler.

If there are young anglers or be-ginners in your group, Smith Creek in Unicoi State Park is a great bet. This small and kid-friendly stream is easy to explore, thanks to trails which fol-low the creek through the DH section. Fly fishers should try egg imitations (Y2K or Sucker Spawn), worm imi-tations (Shaky Worms or San Juan Worms), or minnow imitations such as the Hudson Streamer (yep, it’s named after yours truly) or a black or olive Woolly Bugger.

Spinning enthusiasts often do well here, too. Use a light spinning rod and some Roostertails, Mepps spinners, or even white plastic curly-tail grubs on lead-headed jigs. In fact, the spin-ning rod option can be a great way to introduce young anglers to the fun of fishing.

When fishing Smith Creek in Uni-coi State Park, be sure to stop by the

lodge office to sign in and pick up the daily Smith Creek fishing permit.

At the other end of the size spec-trum is the Chattahoochee River delayed harvest water in Atlanta. The Hooch DH, as it’s called, extends from the mouth of Sope Creek down to the U.S. 41 bridge.

A favorite access point is the Paces Mill Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area off U.S. 41 just south of I-285. You’ll find addi-tional access at CRNRA’s Cochran Shoals Unit and at several other spots in between.

The Hooch DH is big water so be sure that you’re up to the challenge before taking to the river. Start with the same flies and lures suggested for Smith Creek, but don’t hesitate to try something else if everyone in the parking lot is telling you that they’re hitting such-and-such a fly or lure.

Lately, the Chattahoochee DH has been challenging to fish. Ongoing high water levels have made the river unfishable more often than not over the last few weeks, but here’s hoping that conditions will be better in late December.

By the way, there was a volun-teer-assisted “bucket brigade” trout stocking Dec. 22 at the Whitewater Unit of CRNRA. There are definitely fish in the river!

Steve Hudson has written nu-merous books on fishing, hiking, the outdoors and more, includ-ing the just-published “Georgia Delayed Har-vest Trout Guide.” It in-cludes detailed profiles and maps of all of Georgia’s DH streams. Check it out at www.chattahoocheemedia.com.

5 DH trout fishing for holidays

STEVE HUDSONGet Outside Georgia, Chattahoochee Media Group

YOUR GUIDE TO FISHING, HIKING, CAMPING AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS:

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS:

“A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS” AT SMITH PLANTATION HOMEWhat: The Roswell Garden Club deco-rates the Smith Plantation Home with the theme of “A Musical Christmas.” Each room is decorated with ideas us-ing the club’s favorite Christmas carols as inspiration.When: Through Jan. 2, 2016Where: Smith Plantation House, 935 Alpharetta St., RoswellMore info: visitroswellga.com

THE ATLANTA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”What: ASC’s holiday tradition includes some Dickens, a bit of song and a lot of holiday cheer.When: Through Dec. 23Where: The New Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. NE, AtlantaMore info: shakespearetavern.com

AURORA THEATRE’S HOLIDAY CAMPWhat: “Jingle Bell Rock” acting work-shop for elementary through high school students.When: Tuesday, Dec. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Aurora Theatre, 128 E Pike St., LawrencevilleCost: $35, includes pizza lunchMore info: auroratheatre.com

CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”What: The Center for Puppetry Arts presents an adaptation of the 1964

stop-motion animated special.When: Through Dec. 27Where: Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta More info: puppet.org

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN “Garden Lights Holiday Nights”What: The annual electrical extrava-ganza features spectacular light dis-plays throughout the garden that con-tinue to make the exhibition a must-see holiday tradition.When: Through Jan. 9, 2016, 5-10 p.m.Where: Atlanta Botanical Gardens, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, AtlantaMore info: atlantabg.org

FERNBANK MUSEUM’S WINTER WONDERLANDWhat: Fernbank’s sixth annual Win-ter Wonderland includes two floors of festive trees and displays decorated by cultural partners to reflect traditions and holidays celebrated around the world. More than 30 trees and other displays recognize cultural traditions in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.When: Through Jan. 10, 2016Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307More info: fernbankmuseum.org

FERNBANK RINGS IN NOON YEAR’S EVEWhat: Celebrate the new year a full 12 hours early as Fernbank hosts a dino-saur photo stop, a resolution station, dancing and games with DJ Willy Wow, and a balloon drop at the stroke of noon. The event caters to families with youngsters who may not be able to stay up until midnight.When: Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307More info: fernbankmuseum.org

22 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com

Celebrate the Holidays with New Friends

in Your Beautiful New Home! 770-476-4429

11190 Medlock Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA

Experience the warmth of the gracious retirement lifestyle you deserve. Make your move to Ashwood Meadows and become a part of something special ... a sense of family, friendship, and belonging that welcomes you home each day. Please call to arrange your complimentary meal and personal tour!

Celebrate the Holidays with New Friends There comes a time in

your life when you would rather spend

more time doing the things you enjoy and spend less time worrying about the upkeep of your home. A growing number of retirees prefer the active lifestyle of an independent retirement community such as Ashwood Meadows in Johns Creek. The time saved by not having to cook, clean and do yard work is now time well spent on family, friends and hobbies.

Whether it is continuing to do what you love or learning a new leisure activity, you can now have the freedom to pursue your passions without the

worry of everyday tasks. Ashwood Meadows supports our resident’s desire for a fulfilling, fun and active lifestyle. Whether it is gardening, painting, dining or dancing, we offer our residents the opportunity for fun. With hot air balloon excursions, day trips to museums and even thrill-seeking helicopter rides, our residents always have the chance to try something new and exciting. If you prefer rolling up your sleeves and working with your hands, we have jewelry

making, art classes, a resident chef club and lots of additional hands-on activities.

With free local transportation, scheduled outings and on-site daily activities, our retirees have monthly calendars brimming with things to

do. As with every excursion and activity, it is up to our residents to get involved in as little or as much as

they would like. Not to mention, our caring staff is always open to suggestions and feedback for fun new activities, outings and even meal options.

Ashwood Meadows offers studio, one bedroom and

two bedroom/two bath suites with no buy-ins or leases. We know that many older adults live on a fixed income, and that’s why Ashwood operates on

a month-to-month rental basis with no hidden costs, expenses, or add-ons. Meals, transportation, weekly housekeeping and all utilities except phone are always included in the flat monthly rental. Plus, pets are welcome too. Our residents breathe easy knowing their budget will be balanced and easy to manage every month.

Ashwood Meadows is located at 11190 Medlock Bridge Road. We invite you to drop in for a personal tour, talk with our residents and enjoy a complimentary meal with us. Please call us at 770-476-4429 to arrange your visit. We look forward to meeting you!

© 2015 HRG

22 | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 Sponsored Section

EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 23

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Retirement living should be excep-tional living. Situated in one of the most desirable spots in Johns Creek, this new 100 apartment community is within close proximity to world-class healthcare facilities, cultural venues, fine shopping and dining. Arbor Ter-race of Johns Creek is a one-of-a-kind community offering a luxurious life-style with concierge services, chef-pre-pared meals, housekeeping and more, without a large investment or long-term commitment.

“We are changing the way people live,” says Beth Richardson, Executive Director at Arbor Terrace. “Working with strong on-site partners in health-care, including 24 hour nursing staff and on site therapy, we can provide as much or as little care as our residents

need.”Arbor Terrace’s goal is to provide

the residents with comfort, security and peace of mind. This beautiful community has all the amenities you would expect including a fitness center with a variety of exercise and educa-tional offerings as well as a vibrant social calendar. As Judd Harper, President of the Arbor Company points out, “We consider it our priority to help you stay fit and healthy. Our dedi-cated staff is committed to facilitating our residents’ physical, intellectual and cultural well-being.”

For more information on Arbor Terrace of Johns Creek, please call (770)-999-9577 and visit our website at www.at-johnscreek.com. Tours are available daily.

Arbor Terrace of Johns Creek is the New Signature in Assisted Living

Q; My wife and I spent more time than usual with my parents over Thanksgiving and they need extra help. They aren’t ready for an assisted living yet but cannot be left home alone. Can Senior Helpers keep my parents safe at home?

Pam; Yes! We help many families who are in your same situation; Mom and Dad aren’t ready for a move quite yet but living at home without help isn’t safe. Often times it is best to start off with just a few hours a few times a week and adjusting this as their needs change. The wonderful thing about our care is that it is flexible and can change  with your par-ents!  Senior Helpers of Alpharetta is a Family Owned & Managed Company that has been helping families since 2006. Se-nior Helpers is your Hometown solution for Private Home Care and Transporta-tion. Pam Hodgson owns Senior Helpers

with her adult children, Elizabeth Jackson and Matt Fredenberg. Having lived in North Fulton for the past 30 years, Pam has a tremendous heart for helping families with caring for their loved ones.  Senior Helpers has specially trained Caregivers (Certified Nursing Assistants mostly) that can provide care anywhere from one hour a day to live-in and 24/7. Senior Helpers is Licensed in the State of Georgia and all employees are bonded/licensed and insured and have passed all background checks. Call Senior Helpers today to learn more about caring for an elderly parent or loved one at 770-442-2154. Or visit Senior Helpers online at Www.seniorhelpers.com/northatlanta

Ask Pam, your holiday expert in senior home care since 2006

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24 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

NORTHFULTON.com

Why community living is a good moveYou only take on the enjoyable

tasks.Why take out the trash when you

could be playing fetch with your fa-vorite pooch? Community living takes away the responsibility of keeping up with the everyday household chores, but leaves you with the freedom to do the things you love. So, say ‘no’ to mowing and ‘yes’ to gardening because when you join a community, your not-so-fun to-do list is done for you.

There’s never a dull moment. Whether you prefer a Saturday

night social event or an early morning shuttle to the local shopping center, you can enjoy a calendar full of differ-ent events and opportunities to keep you entertained and engaged with the community around you. With so many options, you can stay as busy as you like – even if “busy” means going to the spa for a relaxing massage.

Dining is delicious and hassle-free.

Imagine never having to grocery shop again – in community living, that’s a reality. You not only have meals and snacks provided for you, you have so many options to choose from that you can always find something that hits the

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Everything is right around the corner.

In community living, there’s no need to drive everywhere. Not only do you save money on gas and car expenses, you have nearly all of the resources you need right at your doorstep. You can run most of your errands on foot, or request free transportation to neigh-boring destinations. In just a few short minutes, you’ll be back home, which saves you hours of commuting time each week and gives you more time to do what you love.

You have ultimate peace of mind.When you live in a community,

there is someone nearby 24/7. Regard-less of your age or situation, this can help alleviate the stress that comes with living alone. Not only are your possessions safe from intruders, but should a medical emergency arise, someone can be by your side in sec-onds, which can greatly minimize your health risks.

It’s a whole new chapter of life.Living in a community is all about

utilizing the resources you’re given – meeting new people, trying new hob-bies, learning new skills, and having new and exciting life experiences. Sure, it’s different than some of life’s other chapters, but when you dive into a new community, you can enjoy every day more and more, while living in a home

that’s perfectly catered to you.

This community living insight is brought to you by Celebration Village, an active senior community that was dreamed, designed, and built around the idea that a person’s senior years are something to embrace and celebrate.

EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 25

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With a variety of housing options catered to eachresidents’ individual and unique needs, the fi veneighborhoods within Celebration Village include:

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Warmest wishes this holiday season, from our family at Celebration Village to yours. We hope that 2015 was your best year yet, and may your 2016 be even better.

26 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com

Religious Services

at Alpharetta Presbyterian ChurchExperience the true meaning of Christmas

Christmas Music Concerts – Sunday, Dec. 13 at9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Longest Night Service – Sunday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. For those with a heavy heart during the holidays. Christmas Eve Services – Th ursday, Dec. 24 at3:30 p.m. Children’s Service (designed for younger children)5 and 7 p.m. Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols (nursery provided)11 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service

180 Academy StreetAlpharetta, GA 30009

770-751-0033www.alpharettapres.com

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 27

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28 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com SPORTS

By HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The state cham-pion Johns Creek High School coed cheerleaders were in a peculiar position Monday, Dec. 14. It was their turn to be cheered as the Johns Creek City Council honored them with a special proclamation celebrating an undefeated season culminating in a 2015 GHSA state championship.

Twenty-nine members strong, the Gladiator cheerleaders won state the first year they competed. Of course, the Gladiators came with a strong history of success in cheering. This was their fourth state championship dating back to the opening of the school seven years ago.

However this the first year com-peting in co-ed cheering, made all the more impressive by the fact it is true state championship. There are no clas-sifications by student body size.

“You only have to have one male participant to compete in the co-ed classification. But we were fortunate to have two young men who are talented and gifted athletes join us last spring,” said JCHS Athletic Director Jason Holcomb.

“So winning cheering has been one of the long traditions in our seven-year history,” Holcomb said.

Coach Patrick Wright was a com-

petitive cheerleader himself and led the team straight to the top in their inau-gural co-ed season.

Co-ed cheering is a high-energy and athletic sport that combines gymnastic tumbling and stunts with spirit.

“It requires a high degree of ath-leticism. You do not have to have a gymnastics background, but with the tumbling and stunts involved, the more gymnastic athletes you have the stron-

ger base you have,” Holcomb said.“This is a high-impact sport. And

from the moment these cheerleaders came out at the championships in Co-lumbus Arena, they had everybody in the building up clapping and cheering,” he said.

Like gymnastics, the scores give credence to the degree of difficulty in the tumbling and stunts the Gladia-tors sporting one of the highest degree routines.

The sport involves tossing, turning and aerial acrobatics.

“And the athletes put in a tremen-dous amount of time and effort to hit

those routines,” Holcomb said. “That all paid off with an undefeated season (6-0). They got stronger and stronger as the season went on, despite the wear and tear on their bodies from the con-stant pounding that they take.”

Coming home from their triumph in Columbus the team was met with a po-lice escort and a salute from the Johns Creek Fire Department at the school.

“They represented our community and our school well,” he said.

Their final recognition came at the Dec.14 City Council meeting with a proclamation from Mayor and Council congratulating them on their success.

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

In their first year competing in the only GHSA co-ed cheerleading classification, the Gladiators won it all. The state cham-pion Gladiator co-ed cheerleaders are recognized with a proclamation in City Hall.

STATE CHAMPS:

City honors Gladiator co-ed CheerleadersFirst year co-ed teamgoes right to the top

Shelby Asbell (Class of 2018)Nina Bell (Class of 2019)Kevin Burns (Class of 2016)Kindall Carpenter (Class of 2016)Katie Cassidy (Class of 2018)Savannah Cornell (Class of 2018)Holly Delvecchio (Class of 2018)Hannah Franklin (Class of 2017)Kyla Gaddis (Class of 2017)Lauren Greenfield (Class of 2018)Taliyah Herring (Class of 2016)Ansleigh Huey (Class of 2016)Esther Kim (Class of 2017)Abbey Kochman (Class of 2019)Emily Lane (Class of 2019)

Jamie Miller (Class of 2018)Jill Moskal (Class of 2017)Kreighton Nelson (Class of 2019)Kennedi Outland (Class of 2019)Emily Polaski (Class of 2019)Ellie Pond (Class of 2016)Sammi Press (Class of 2017)Taelor Redmond (Class of 2019)Catherine Robinson (Class of 2017)Lindsey Rottner (Class of 2017)Reagan Sams (Class of 2018)Zoe Starr (Class of 2018)Tori Templet (Class of 2018)Sydney Yang (Class of 2018)

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Six Kings Ridge Christian School students will be performing in the Alpharetta Dance Theatre’s 20th annual production of the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” at the Milton Center in downtown Alpharetta .

KRCS students Lexie Teas, Frances Buchanan, Olivia Maschino, Brooke Nit-kowski, Arrington Davies, and Annalisa Farrar all have significant and beautiful roles in this year’s performance. Event tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased online at the Alpharetta Dance Theatre website; http://www.alpharet-tadancetheatre.com/purchase-event-tickets/ or before the show at the old Milton High School, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30004.

KRCS students appearing in “The Nutcracker: are from left: Annalisa Farrar, Brooke Nitkowski, Lexie Teas, Olivia Maschino, Arrington Davies and Frances Buchanan.

Six King’s Ridge Christian School students to perform in “Nutcracker”

30 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com SPORTS

By JOE PARKERnews@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The sixth install-ment of the Chamber Bowl, an all-star game for high school football seniors from the north Metro Atlanta area, took place on Dec. 19 at Alpharetta High School.

The game is sponsored by XL212 and the North Georgia Touchdown Club, of which all public and private schools in North Fulton and Forsyth counties are members.

XL212’s Mike Haynes, who played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, said the Chamber Bowl provides players with a chance to play in an all-star set-ting in their final high school game.

“The ultimate goal of the Chamber Bowl is to give these guys a chance at another game to play in as an all-star. It gives them a chance to play with guys who they may have played against but they have never played together,” said Haynes.

“We represent a lot of kids who may not get the chance to play football again. Some are going to go on and play more, but for some, this will be their final football game. And they get to play that last game as an all-star.

“The players definitely seem to en-joy being able to play one more game. I always enjoy that,” he said.

Players from Centennial, Chatta-hoochee and Mount Pisgah played for the South team while players from Forsyth Central, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Forsyth, North Forsyth, Northview and King’s Ridge suited up with the North team.

Alpharetta Head Coach Jacob Nic-hols led the North team and Chattahoo-chee Head Coach Vince Strine was at the helm for the South team.

The South team entered the game

leading the series 3-2.Both teams struggled to find their

offensive rhythm, and given they had never played together before, that should come as no surprise. After the first half, neither team had scored.

North found the scoreboard first with a 36-yard rush for a touchdown four minutes into the third quarter. Teams were required to attempt a 2-point conversion after each touch-down and North was unable to convert, giving the North team a 6-0 lead.

Alpharetta’s Amari Campbell recov-ered a fumble on South’s ensuing drive that led to a 66-yard touchdown drive. The drive was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Alpharetta’s Davis Kelly, who missed most of the season due to injury.

After North’s defense forced a punt, Centennial’s Tariq Parkings batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on a North fourth-down conversion at-tempt to force a turnover on downs.

South took advantage with three straight rushes from Chattahoochee’s Blake Hundley. Hundley ran for 35 yards before an 8-yard touchdown rush.

South converted their 2-point con-version to pull within 4 points of North with just under nine minutes remain-ing.

Centennial’s Maxwell Martin, play-ing for South, intercepted a pass with seven minutes remaining, but South’s offense was forced to a three-and-out.

North’s late-game drive was kept alive by a questionable pass inter-ference call against South. After the penalty, North would find the end zone again to lead 18-8, which was the final score.

After the game, Haynes said, “We had a great game, everyone had fun and, most importantly, no one got hurt.”

Chamber Bowl finishes out 2015 football seasonAll-stars from North Fulton and Forsythschools compete in final high school game

JOE PARKERSTAFF

South Forsyth’s Austin Harvey follows a block set up by Jeremy Disher (8) against Centennial’s Maxwell Martin.

JOE PARKERSTAFF

Chattahoochee’s Bake Hundley was named Player of the Game for the 2015 Chamber Bowl.

JOE PARKERSTAFF

Chattahoochee’s Jaylin Taylor (21) defends Jeremy Disher (8) of Johns Creek.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 31

Community CalendarJanuary 2016 - March 2016

Call 770-751-2660 for more information and to register, or visit www.nfultonhospital.com.

SUPPORT GROUPS Ostomy Support Group Third Tuesday of every month, 6:30 p.m., Classroom CThis group is open to anyone who has or will have an ostomy and any friends, family or supporters. The meeting structure is informal with group discussion and guest speakers to be scheduled at various times throughout the year. Call John Dorso at 678-694-8726 to register or to obtain more information

Look Good, Feel Better Wednesday 1/13 and 3/9 10 a.m. to noonA cosmetologist will discuss how to care for skin and hair to combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Free make-up and skin care products are provided. Call 1-800-227-2345 to register.

Epilepsy Support GroupThe third Wednesday of every month, 7-9pm Classroom A/B People with epilepsy as well as their family and care-providers are invited to attend this support group. The meetings will provide time for attendees to share helpful information and resources from their own experiences. Educational presentations by professionals will sometimes be offered. Please contact Tim for more information at 770-667-9363.

Stroke Support GroupFourth Wednesday of every month from 6:30pm to 7:30PM North Fulton Hospital; ACE DayroomPlease join Stroke survivors, caregivers, and families to share and support one another. The group is facilitated by the Stoke Program Coor-dinator and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. RSVP to Keisha C. Brown at 770-751-2631 or Keisha.Carter@tenethealth.com

Gamblers AnonymousEvery Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Classroom C Anyone interested in stopping gambling is in-vited to attend this 12 step program. Anonymity

is the foundation of fellowship in this group. For more information please call David at 770-862-2564.

Breast Cancer Support Group 1st Thursday of every month 10:30am-11:30am. Cope and connect with others who are facing the same struggles. Please call Sarah Bentley, RN, Oncology Services Manager, at 770-751-2556 for location and to register

Lupus Support GroupThird Saturday of every month, 11-1pm Classroom C. Informal meetings to share experiences and learn from others. Guest speakers occasionally present and we also participate in some Lupus Foundation of America events. Contact Julie for more info 404-626-2394, lupusgroup4roswell@gmail.com

COMMUNITY EDUCATION Babysitting Workshop Saturday 1/30 and 3/19 10:00am-3:00pmSunday 2/28 1-5:30 Teaches children ages 11-14 how to be pre-pared and responsible babysitters. Bring a doll or stuffed animal and a sack lunch and drink. $30

American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR*Saturday 1/23 and 2/27CPR course for the community. Adult and child CPR, 9 a.m. to noon; $35 Adult, child and infant CPR, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; $45

Healthcare Provider CPR*Saturday 3/5 9am-1pmCPR course for healthcare professionals. $55

Diabetes Self-Management Workshop Saturday 2/13 and 3/12 The Diabetes Association of Atlanta (DAA) offers classes at NFH to teach diabetes self-management skills. Call Anna Albritton, MS, RD, LD at 404-527-7180 for more information and to register.

Water Birth Thursdays 1/14, 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/10 and 3/247:00 p.m. For couples desiring to learn about the option of a water birth delivery. Completion of the class is required to be considered for water birth at NFH. $30.00 per couple; registration required

Maternity ToursPlease join one of our Women’s Health nurses in the hospital atrium on alternating Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for a guided tour of the Labor and Delivery suites, Mother/Baby Unit and the Neonatal ICU. The tour last approximately one hour.

SPECIAL EVENTSChicks Night OutWednesday, January 6; 6pm-8pmCoreMatters, 1144 Canton Street, Ste. 104, Roswell, GASample easy, family-friendly recipes and learn about how you can join the Take Down Challenge. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served. Space is limited- RSVP to Christina.kern@tenethealth.com

Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment November 1st- January 31, 2016North Fulton Hospital will host an Affordable Care Act education and enrollment session in the classrooms on Saturday, January 9 from 10 am – 2 PM. Certifi ed health enrollment counselors will be available to guide consumers through the various options and assist with the enrollment process. North Fulton Hospital also has certifi ed health enrollment counselors available during the week. To schedule an appointment or to receive more information, log onto the www.pathto-health.com or call 770-751-2756 to make an appointment.

LifeSouth Blood DriveTuesday February 2, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.North Fulton Hospital Classrooms

Give blood, and help save up to three lives with just one donation. LifeSouth is a community blood center, which means the blood col-lected in your community goes to local hospital patients. Personal Safety/Self-Defense Class for K-5th GradeSunday, March 6, 1:00-4:00pm. Teaches children how to recognize danger-ous people, avoid unsafe situations, and escape an attacker. Includes full-force physical self-defense practice. Parents attend with children. For more info & to register, visit http://www.revvedupkids.org/class-calendar/ or call 678.526.3335. $45 fi rst child/$35 siblings (parents attend free).

Just Yell Fire Self-Defense for Teen Girls (11+) Sunday, March 6. 4:30-7:30p.m. Teen girls face a high risk of violence from strangers, acquaintances & dating partners. This single session class will teach how to take ownership of personal safety & defend herself against an attacker. For more info & to register, www.revvedupkids.org/678-526-3335. $45 fi rst child/$35 addl.

Wear Red Day LuncheonFriday, February 5; 11:30am; Country Club of RoswellWear your fi nest red attire and join us for an educational lunch in honor of National Wear Red Day for Heart Health. This event is complimentary, but space is limited. RSVP to christina.kern@tenethealth.com

*AHA Disclaimer: The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and profi ciency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsor-ship by the AHA, and any fees charged for such a course do not represent income to the Association.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES OR TO FIND A PHYSICIAN, CALL 770.751.2660 OR VIST WWW.NFULTONHOSPITAL.COM.

We Specialize in You.Please pay by credit card at 770-751-2660 or mail check two weeks prior to the class date.

32 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com SPORTS

By JOE PARKERnews@appenmediagroup.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Johns Creek boys (9-0, 7-0) remained undefeated with a 62-53 win over Alpharetta (3-6, 3-4) on Dec. 18. With the win, the Gladia-tors are off to their best start in school history.

The matchup between the Gladia-tors and Raiders featured two teams having opposite openings to their seasons.

With their loss to Johns Creek, Alpharetta has now lost as many games this season as they lost all of last sea-son.

The Raiders were 25-6 last season and reached the Elite 8 of the state championship tournament, but lost many of their standout players from last season and have struggled to find their stride early on this season.

Though Johns Creek has made the state playoffs the past two years, they have yet to have a winning season since their program began in 2009. Starting this season 9-0, the Gladiators have set themselves up to earn their first winning season and a possible run at a region title.

Johns Creek senior Mason Henkel scored a season-high 21 points, Mark Lancaster scored 16 and Ian Joseph compiled 13 points in the win. However, scoring for both teams got off to a slow start.

After the first quarter, which fea-tured multiple missed shots under the net by both teams, the score was tied at 8-8.

The score remained tied at 16-16 with a back-and-forth opening five minutes into the second quarter before Alpharetta went on a 5-0 run.

Johns Creek ended the Alpharetta run with four made free throws from Lancaster and Joseph. Lancaster would finish the game 10-14 from the free-throw line and Joseph was 9-10.

Johns Creek would get a buzz-er-beater before the half to pull within 1, making the score 23-22 at the half.

Alpharetta opened the second half with another run, including a 3-pointer from Eric McElroy who finished the game with four 3-pointers to give the Raiders a 31-24 lead.

Johns Creek began to press Al-pharetta and began to control the tempo of the game in the process, which worked to their advantage.

Johns Creek pulled within 1, with the score at 36-35 with 1:42 left in the

third quarter, before starting a run of their own, led by Henkel.

Henkel began the run with a great defensive play in which he knocked a ball loose in Alpharetta’s offensive zone before making a diving throw off an Alpharetta player which sailed out of bounds, giving Johns Creek possession. After a field goal from Nate Zodula, Henkel intercepted a pass and was able to drive down the court for a layup. A Joseph free throw and a Henkel 2-point buzzer-beater gave the Gladiators a 43-35 lead after three quarters.

Alpharetta was able to bounce back and pull within 3 points after a 4-point play from McElroy, who was fouled while making his final 3-pointer of the game.

The Gladiators’ lead would remain within 4 points until Henkel made two free throws to give Johns Creek a 51-46 lead with 2:40 remaining in the game.

With just over one minute remain-ing in the game, both teams exchanged turnovers, which led to Lancaster mak-ing two free throws.

Alpharetta’s Rashaun Pass made a 3-pointer to cut the Gladiators’ lead to 56-51 with 55 seconds left in the game, but it proved too late for the Raiders.

The Gladiators were able to fin-

ish the game on a 7-2 run in the final minute when Alpharetta began to foul.

The Gladiators beat North Davidson, North Carolina, on Saturday to remain unbeaten.

Johns Creek boys remain undefeated with win over struggling AlpharettaTeam off to best startin school history

JOE PARKER/STAFF

Johns Creek remained unbeaten after their 62-53 win over Alpharetta Dec. 18.

JOE PARKER/STAFF

Johns Creek’s Ian Joseph blocks a shot from Alpharetta’s Ryan Jenei.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 33COMMUNITY

By HATCHER HURDhatcher@appenmediagroup.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – The Johns Creek Veterans Association had a big Christ-mas blowout Dec. 17 at Park Place Adult Center in Newtown Park to have some fun and look back on the year’s accomplishments.

The big item on that list was the dedication of the Johns Creek Veterans Walk at Newtown Park. The members raised $500,000 to finish the final con-struction and present the memorial to the city.

The evening included a splashy dinner and the chance to introduce spouses to one another. The only rule was no one could show photos of their grandchildren.

The JCVA, a nonprofit service and social organization. Is open to veterans of any branch of the U.S. military who live in or around Johns Creek.

As determined by its membership, the JCVA provides events, programs,

and activities tailored to the interests of military men and women. Although based at Park Place, the JCVA is run by its members with the city providing logistical support.

For information about the organiza-tion, email JohnsCreekVets@gmail.com, look on the city’s website under Park Place Groups or call Robby Newton with the City of Johns Creek at 678-512-3200.

JC veterans celebrate Christmas season Signature Veterans Memorial Walkhighlights 2015 accomplishments

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

JCVA members and their wives enjoy the evening.

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Cooking up something good are, from left, Ed Linsley, Marilyn Tobert and Jim Tobert.

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Karen Bogle and Keith Bogle, right, wish WW II vet John Timpe a merry Christ-mas.

HATCHER HURD/STAFF

Warren and Son Wha Gobin still hold hands.

34 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com

2016 region alignments finalizedBy JOE PARKERnews@appenmediagroup.com

NORTH FULTON, Ga.- The Georgia High School Association has finalized the region alignments after forming Class 7A, which will feature the largest schools in the state, for the 2016 sports season beginning in the fall. Seven local teams from North Fulton and Forsyth County have been placed in Class 7A.

The region alignments, which will still need to be officially ratified Jan. 13, will run from 2016-18.

The introduction of the 48-school Class 7A region reduced the number of schools in all classes except for Class A, and is comprised of the largest schools in the state based on student popula-tion.

Roswell, Forsyth Central, Lambert, Milton, North Forsyth, South Forsyth and West Forsyth will all compete in Class 7A beginning at the start of the 2016-17 school year.

In perhaps the most intriguing region alignment, all five schools from Forsyth County will now compete in Region 5 of Class 7A. Milton will also play in the six-team region.

Five of the six teams were moved up from Class 6A, while Forsyth Central will have to make the two-class jump to 7A from 5A.

According to Forsyth Central’s Ath-letic Director Dan Kaplan, the school is excited to make the jump to Class 7A and play county rivals.

“I believe, and I think all of our coaches believe, it is exciting. We’re now able to play [other Forsyth schools], which we have not been able to do in the past in some sports, and create

some rivalries and a great atmosphere at all of our games.

“Our kids are excited that they will be able to play kids they that knew and that they grew up with. Some of the kids played on the same travel teams and then dispersed throughout schools in the county,” said Kaplan.

“We’re coming out of Class 5A which had 14 teams in seven counties, so it’s kind of hard to develop rivalries. [The new region] gives us more of an opportunity to play teams that are in proximity to our county. We’ve traveled so far in distance with the large region. There’s so many teams that are not in our [current] region that are closer to us in North Fulton and Gwinnett. Now we have the opportunity to go out and see if they want to play in all of our sports.”

Roswell also moved into Class 7A and was placed in Region 4. Re-gion 4 includes six of the nine teams that comprised Region 5 of Class 6A, Roswell’s current region, including Cherokee, Etowah, Lassiter, Walton and Woodstock.

Johns Creek’s student population was just 26 students short of putting the Gladiators in Class 7A, making them the largest school in Class 6A. Johns Creek was placed in Region 7.

Region 7 will be comprised of many of the same teams from this year’s Re-gion 6 of Class 6A. Alpharetta, Chat-tahoochee, Centennial, Johns Creek and Northview will once again be region opponents. Cambridge was also placed in Region 7, making the move up from 5A to 6A. Dunwoody, North Atlanta and Pope are also in the nine-team region.

Blessed Trinity, which has captured

multiple state titles in multiple sports in recent years, will be moving up from Class 3A to Class 4A. BT was moved up a class not due to their student pop-ulation size, but rather because more than 3 percent of their students are from out-of-county, the other stipula-tion for teams moving between classes. The Titans were placed in the six-team Region 7.

In discussing the new region, Ricky Turner, BT’s athletic director, said, “We think it’s a great region and it’s going to be very competitive.

“I think [the new region is] an op-portunity to build relationships with new schools that we have not played in most of our sports. We have Marist in our region which we have competed against but we have never been in their region. It will be an opportunity for us to get to know some new people and build some rivalries.”

By being placed in Region 7, BT will have lots of traveling to do for away games. Only Marist, located in Atlanta, is within 20 miles of the school. Ches-tatee, Riverside Military Academy, West Hall and White County are all located over 40 miles away from the BT cam-pus.

For the Class A private schools in North Fulton and Forsyth counties, there are no major changes for the new region alignments.

Fellowship Christian, King’s Ridge, Mount Pisgah, Pinecrest Academy and St. Francis will all compete in Region 6 Subregion B of Class A once again.

Whitefield Academy also remains in the subregion and Mount Paran Christian and Walker were moved from Subregion A to Subregion B. Including Subregion A, Region 6 will be com-prised of 18 schools, 15 of which play football.

Multiple teams move up to newly formed Class 7ARegions for years 2016-18Class 7A Region 5

• Forsyth Central• Lambert• Milton• North Forsyth• South Forsyth• West Forsyth

Class 7A Region 4

•Cherokee •Etowah•Lassiter• Roswell•Walton • Woodstock

Class 6A Region 7

• Alpharetta• Cambridge• Chattahoochee• Centennial•Dunwoody• Johns Creek•North Atlanta• Northview•Pope

Class 4A Region 7

• Blessed Trinity•Chestatee•Riverside Military Academy•West Hall•White County

Class A Region 6 Subregion B

• Fellowship Christian• King’s Ridge Christian•Mount Paran Christian• Mount Pisgah Christian• Pinecrest Academy• St. Francis•Walker•Whitefield Academy

CUMMING, Ga. — Pinecrest Academy’s head football Coach, Todd Winter, has been named ‘Coach of the Year’ for region 6-A football, and Paladins quarterback Ryan McCarthy has been selected as re-gion 6-A ‘Co-offensive Player of the Year.’ 

Additionally, several Paladins play-ers were named to the All Region First Team. Ryan McCarthy, Greg Varghese, Stone Brown, Garrison Winter and Alan Yadav made First Team Offense, while

Wills Brown, Peter Nelson, Carson Hol-ler and Mitchell Ojeda were selected to the First Team Defense.

Pinecrest players named to the All Region Second Team include Michael Birozes, Nolan Stafford, Will Patota and Corey Downes.  Brooks Binkley was an honorable mention selection for region 6-A. These award designations come on the heels of the Paladins’ best football record since joining the GHSA in 2010.

Pinecrest has coach, co-offensive player of year

Pinecrest Quarterback Ryan McCarthy (13).

Pinecrest Paladins head Football Coach Todd Winter.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 35SCHOOLS

CITY OF ALPHARETTANOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 7, 2016 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, January 25, 2016 commencing at 7:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza Alpharetta, Georgia.

a. CU-15-13 O’Reilly Auto PartsConsideration of a request for a conditional use for an auto parts retail store. The building is located at 735 North Main Street on a vacant out parcel. The property is legally described as being located within Land Lot 1122, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

b. CLUP-15-15/Z-15-16/CU-15-14/V-15-26 Koza/Volleyball CourtConsideration of a request to rezone approximately 1.2 acres of property from R-15 to AG to permit existing commercial volleyball courts with an existing house on the property. A request to change the property from the Comprehensive Land Use Plan from “Low Density Residential” to “Parks/Recreation/Open Space” is also requested. A conditional use is also requested to allow the Athletic Facility and variances are requested for a gravel parking area, reduction of the 50 foot buffer and lot size from 5 acres to 1.2 acres. The property is located at 1720 Old Milton Parkway and legally described as being located within Land Lot 1272 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

c. PH-15-26 Update to the Downtown Master Plan MapConsideration of a map revision to the Downtown Master Plan Map to incorporate additional land along Canton Street.

d. PH-15-25 Update to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (City Council Only)A public hearing to discuss Comprehensive Land Use Plan update process and schedule.

Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fi fty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the offi ce of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Pie Wars, a stu-dent-led initiative at River Trail Middle School, raised some $1,500 for Relay for Life.

Students and staff donated money all week. Six teachers and two assistant principals agreed to take a pie in the face if they raised the most money.

The “winner” received the lesser amount of money and pied the opposing grade level teacher with a pie.

Scott Fowler is on the receiving end of a pie in the face from his eighth grade colleague Tom Wickson. Fowler and Wickson, together, raised more than $500.

Teachers pie-eyed raising money for Relay for Life

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA

FOR

DEVELOPMENT OF OLD MILTON PARKWAY PROPERTIESRFQ #16-1006

The City of Alpharetta (City) is soliciting qualifi ed Developers with experience designing, developing, and building traditional single-family residences, to submit Statements of Qualifi cations for DEVELOPMENT OF OLD MILTON PARKWAY PROPERTIES.

The RFQ will be available online Thursday, December 10, 2015, at our bid posting website, https://www.ebidexchange.com/alpharetta. Interested parties are required to log in to review and download the RFQ documents.

Statements of Qualifi cations will be due on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009.

For information, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or at 678-297-6052.

36 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com COMMUNITY

Sara Bagwell of Alpharetta, GA, passed away December 13, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Colin Ball, 66, of Cumming, passed away Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Patricia Anne Barksdale, 72, of Cumming, passed away December 14, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Richard Turner Bartenfield of Milton, GA, passed away December 11, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Edwin Ronald Beam, 54, of Murrayville, GA, passed away December 11, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Reva Mae Brown Jennings, passed away Saturday, December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Robert Lee Crook, 100, of Cumming, formerly of East Point, GA passed away Saturday, December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Rhonda Lynn Duncan, 33, of Cumming, GA., passed away December 13, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Miriam B. Garner, 91, of Atlanta, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Michael Gillis of Roswell, GA, passed away December 15, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

George Ellis Hajj, Jr. of Marietta, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Wallace Jankowski of Milton, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

James “Jimmie” Howard Jones Jr., 59, of Cumming, GA, passed away December 8, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Michael Kurilec of Roswell, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

John T. Meador Sr., 95, of Lawrenceville, GA, passed away December 9, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Anne Collins Musselman, 76, of Decatur, GA, passed away on December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Gary Nesmith of Cumming, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Georgia Patrolene (Pat) Watson, 78, of Cumming, passed away December 9, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Carmen Rush of Acworth, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sandra D. Shah, 68, of Cumming, GA, passed

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Alpharetta resident stars in ‘Coat of Many Colors’ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Dy-lan Michael Rowen, 13, of Alpharetta, recently co-stared as Den-ver Parton in the TV movie “Coat of Many Colors” which originally aired on NBC on Dec. 10 and will re-air Dec. 25 at 9 p.m.

Denver Parton is one of Dolly Par-ton’s older brothers who helped protect and look after her as they grew up in the great Smokey Mountains during the 1950’s in a loving family which was rich in love.

“What I like best about my character Denver is that although he would tease Dolly, and annoy her, he still loved her so much and always protected her,” Rowen said.

Rowen is an eighth-grade student at Taylor Road Middle School, where the staff — under Principal Ed Williamson’s direction — has been very supportive and helped him keep up with his work. Rowen was on set shooting the movie in August and September in Covington and Conyers.

“These were the best five weeks of my life,” Rowen said. “We, the cast, all became such amazing friends during the filming of the movie.” 

Rowen reunited with his fellow cast members and Dolly Parton on Dec. 2, the premiere of the movie at the Egyp-tian Theater in Hollywood, Calif. Parton took the kids out for a special cast lunch earlier in the day to celebrate the movie’s release.

“Dolly Parton is the sweetest most amazing person in the entertainment industry,” Rowen said. “She is so gen-uine and honest, and I was so honored to be a part of this project.” Rowen plans to continue developing his acting career. “I love acting so much, I will keep doing this forever if given the

opportunity” Rowen said.In addition to acting, Rowen is a

musician who plays the guitar, piano and drums. He likes to collect 1970s and 80s vinyl records and watch classic episodes of Saturday Night Live. He

also loves waterskiing, sailing and wake boarding at Lake Lanier during the summer with friends and family.

Dylan Michael Rowen

Dylan Michael Rowen meets Dolly Parton.

Alpharetta resident, Dylan Michael Rowen, starred in the TV-special “Coat of Many Colors” about Dolly Parton’s childhood.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2015 | 37SCHOOLS

Sara Bagwell of Alpharetta, GA, passed away December 13, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Colin Ball, 66, of Cumming, passed away Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Patricia Anne Barksdale, 72, of Cumming, passed away December 14, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Richard Turner Bartenfield of Milton, GA, passed away December 11, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Edwin Ronald Beam, 54, of Murrayville, GA, passed away December 11, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Reva Mae Brown Jennings, passed away Saturday, December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Robert Lee Crook, 100, of Cumming, formerly of East Point, GA passed away Saturday, December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Rhonda Lynn Duncan, 33, of Cumming, GA., passed away December 13, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Miriam B. Garner, 91, of Atlanta, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Michael Gillis of Roswell, GA, passed away December 15, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

George Ellis Hajj, Jr. of Marietta, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Wallace Jankowski of Milton, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

James “Jimmie” Howard Jones Jr., 59, of Cumming, GA, passed away December 8, 2015. Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home.

Michael Kurilec of Roswell, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

John T. Meador Sr., 95, of Lawrenceville, GA, passed away December 9, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Anne Collins Musselman, 76, of Decatur, GA, passed away on December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Gary Nesmith of Cumming, GA, passed away December 10, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Georgia Patrolene (Pat) Watson, 78, of Cumming, passed away December 9, 2015. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

Carmen Rush of Acworth, GA, passed away December 12, 2015. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sandra D. Shah, 68, of Cumming, GA, passed

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AHS Academic Team qualifies for 2 national titlesALPHARETTA, Ga. – The Alpharetta High School Academic Team has been the cham-pions in three of five tournaments and was runner-up in a fourth so far this year. That success has led to an opportunity to compete for two national titles.

The team has qualified for the most prestigious 2016 National Academic Quiz Tournament High School National Championship in Dallas this summer. NAQT provides a stan-dardized, nationwide competition format that is open to all middle schools, high schools, home school collectives, community colleges, and colleges.

The team has already qualified for another national championship with the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence in Chicago.

The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization[1] that promotes high school quiz bowl competition and runs the National Scholastic Championship, an end-of-year national tournament for high school quiz bowl teams.

PACE was founded in 1996 by a group of quiz bowl players and coaches who were dissatisfied with the quality of high school quiz bowl at the time

AHS Academic Team members are from left Susan Lee, Michael Horton, Shubhom Bhattacharya (Captain), Krishna Dwarampudi and coach Dr. G. Sowdayya.

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2016 | 37

Help Wanted

Childcare

ASSISTANTThe Alpharet ta Presbyterian Dayschool is looking for an assistant in their part day Parent’s Morning Out program. Classroom experience with children ages 2 and 3 is a must. If you are interested in being considered for this position, please submit a resume to nancy@alpharettapres.com

Full-time

EXPERIENCEDTEACHERS NEEDED

Peachtree Park Prep is growing and we are seeking experienced teachers. Please send your qualifying resume to ptreeparkprep@aol.com for immediate opportunities

Full-time

OFFICE MANAGER/BOOKKEEPER

Alpharetta Presbyterian Church seeks a full-time office manager to lead and coordinate the efficient running of the church office. In addition to supervising support staff and organizing all personnel records, the office manager will manage all church finances. This is a full time position with benefits. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and three references to:Office Manager Search Committee, Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 or jobs@alpharet tapres.com

Full-time

Customer Service Specialist

Inbound call center and virtual office service. Provide receptionist services to various companies. Sell, schedule and provide virtual office services for home inspectors. Must work 1-2 nights 12:30pm-9pm. Real estate and/or inspection background a plus. $14/hour + potential bonus in 1st 90 days. Resume: sales@wescheduleit.com

Now Hiring 10 new Agents! We are the fastest growing Keller Williams Office in the 400 Corridor. Contact Robert Aiken at 706.429.8620

Full-time

COMMERCIAL OFFICE CLEANERS

A l p h a r e t t a . Weekdays, from 8am, plus Saturdays. Experience preferred. 7 7 0 - 5 5 8 - 6 9 2 6

Receptionist/Admin.Person with a professional image to answer phones, file, mail. Good computer skills; and assist accounting team. Peachtree Corners. Email awise@gpcorp.com

ContractorAdministrator

Contractor software experience preferred. Send Resume: AlpharettaConstruction@gmail.com

Full-time

North Fulton Community Charities Now Hiring Full-Time:Director Of Volunteer Services. Requires excellent management and oral/written communication skills. BA & 2 yrs. experience required. NFCC is a locally supported, volunteer based nonprofit serving a diverse population in North Fulton with emergency needs. NFCC requires background check, drug screen and e-Verify. Submit resume and salary requirements or pick up application and job description at NFCC, 11270 Elkins Road, Roswell 30076 or bduffy@nfcchelp.org

CONTRACT for professional services. Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Board of Directors, for an individual or agency with a keen understanding of tourism as economic development. Serving as an official representative of the CVB, a tourism developer and marketing consultant etc. Requirements: Research, development and implementation responsibilities as approved by the CVB Board of Directors. Microsoft Office programs and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube proficiency; ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and occasional weekend and after-hours work. Independent Contractor requiring a Certificate of Insurance naming the CVB as additional insured. Resume: City Clerk Joan Jones, 12000 Findley Road, Suite 400, Johns Creek, GA 30097.

Full-time

Administrative AssistantFor the Accreditation Review Commission on

Educationfor the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

www.arc-pa.org, a national organization responsible for the accreditation of Physician Assistant programs. 37.5 hours/week. Organized and competent in performing administrative support services independently and collaboratively using administrative skills to assist in programmatic accreditation. Competitive salary and benefits and astarting date ASAP.Should have 5+ years professional office setting experience. Collegiate academic medical center, WordPress software for website maintenance and college degree desirable. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, expert in Microsoft Office software (Word®, Excel®), have working knowledge of Access® and PowerPoint®, ability to prioritize and multitask with limited supervision and possess strong attention todetail and organizational skills. Resume with a cover letter and salary history: employment@arc-pa.org. Johns Creek

MAIN CLASSIFIEDScontinued on page 38

Call today to place your ad • 470.222.8469 • classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216 • *Some Rest r ic t ions

» Hiring? Pay once & we’ll run your ad until your position is filled.* » Selling Something? Pay once and we’ll run your item until it’s sold!*

ONLINE INCLUDED

Fill your position today! Call 470-222-8426

to advertise

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Country Ranch

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888-663-1133 www.backwaterlanding.comOffice Hours: Mon-Fri 1-5, Sat & Sun 11-5

and always available by appointment

NorthFulton.com | Johns Creek Herald | December 24, 2016 | 39

Cleaning Services

Need a housecleaning? Call Norma Martinez for free estimate! References. 404-468-7667. “I get all your dust to earn your trust!”

CONSTRUCTION,homes , offices. houses.Work independently, professional. Punctual, responsible, detail. Great references Buckhead, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek. Rose 770-896-7500

Concrete/Asphalt

We fix UGLY driveways and patios.

$50 OFF any concrete job over $250

$250 OFF any job over $3500

New or Repair: Driveways, patios, sidewalks, walls. Res ident ia l o r Commercial. Call for FREE estimate. The Best Concrete Company-Ask for Dave McKemey. 678-648-2010.Professional, competitive, many local references.

Driveway

We fix UGLY driveways.$50 OFF any concrete job

over $250$250 OFF any job over

$3500New or Repair: Driveways, patios, sidewalks, walls. Res ident ia l o r Commercial. Call for FREE estimate. The Best Concrete Company-Ask for Dave McKemey. 678-914-2576.Professional, competitive, many local references.

Flooring

Flooring Installation & Repairs: Carpet, Ceramic, Laminate, Tile, Vinyl, Wood. Free Estimates! I can remove carpet wrinkles! Satisfaction G u a r a n t e e d ! 706-429-4453

PHILLIPS FLOORING Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs. We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes. Re-grouting is also available. Call 678-887-1868 for free estimate.

Gutters

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Repaired and Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aarons-gutters.com. Senior citizen discount! 770-934-2766

Handyman

Kitchen & Bath Remodeling

Plumbing,Electr ica l and Drywall Repair and Installation Complete home maintenance We do it all! Call Mike 678-763-2420

ALL CARPENTRY & REPAIRS: Roof Leaks, Wood Rot Repair, Siding, Deck Repairs and Refinishing, Painting, D o o r s / W i n d o w s . Excellent References. 404-895-0260

R E L I A B L E HOME REPAIRS:20 years experience. References. Electrical, plumbing, carpentry, wood rot repair, siding, painting, pressure washing. Free estimates! 7 7 0 - 6 0 5 - 0 3 4 0

Home Improvement

Finegan Home Improvements LLC: License #RBQA004932. Remodeling, handyman. 31 years experience. Basements finished, decks, screen porches, doors, drywall, painting, f looring, custom kitchens, bathrooms. All insurance. Credit cards accepted. Paul Finegan 404-353-5611

Home Improvement

Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling etc. Many local references. Call Ralph Rucker at 678-898-7237

Landscaping

404Cuttree. One of the most experienced and reliable tree companies in North Atlanta. Perfect reviews and reliable, professional, and honest service. Free quotes. Fully insured. 770Tree.com 678-506-0006

Landscape Design, Hardscape Design and Installation. 35 Years’ Experience; Retaining Walls, Flag Stone and Brick Paver Patios, Landscape Lighting, Drainage Issues, Pavilions. Outdoor kitchens, irrigation systems installation and repairs. FREE CONSULTATIONS! www.thebodigroup.com. 678-788-5656

Yellow Ribbon Tree. Near perfect reviews and award-winning service. Hands on owner. Free estimates and insured. 770Tree.com 770-744-2200 and ask for Gary.

Lawn Care

LEAVE THE MOWING TO US”A”! Weekly/Bi-weekly Father/Son team Residential/Comm Garden Tilling/Lawn Aerationwww.oldtrucklawn.com678-727-6850

Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling etc. Many local references. Call Ralph Rucker at 678-898-7237

Painters

Advantage Painting

Interior/ExteriorDecks Sealed & Stained

Carpentry Repairs

770-255-8575

Proudly use Benjamin Moore

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No Up Front Money

Pinestraw

PINESTRAW, mulch d e l i v e r y / i n s t a l l a t i o n available. Firewood $110/$200, plus delivery. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612.

Tree Services

Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts: 24 hour emergency service. Licensed, insured. Workers Comp, insurance claims. 25+ years experience. Family business. Free estimates. We Love Challenges! Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts, 770-512-8733. www.yellowribbontree.com

404Cuttree. One of the most experienced and reliable tree companies in North Atlanta. Perfect reviews and reliable, professional, and honest service. Free quotes. Fully insured. 770Tree.com 678-506-0006

JJ Tree Cutting Services. Complete Tree Removal. Call us for a Free Quote, 678-467-1325 or 770-630-6672. Licensed and insured. jjtreecutting@gmail.com

Yellow Ribbon Tree. Near perfect reviews and award-winning service. Hands on owner. Free estimates and insured. 770Tree.com 770-744-2200 and ask for Gary.

SERVICE DIRECTORYWaterfront Oustside GA

HANDYMANREMODELING

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NATIONAL ADVERTISINGAuto Donations

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

Autos Wanted

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Educational

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Health & Medical

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Medical

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Miscellaneous

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1-800-290-8321 to start your application today!

Miscellaneous

CHILDREN’S BOOK – Looking for some wholesome reading material for your young reader? Check out Richard the Donkey and His LOUD, LOUD Voice at www.RichardTheDonkey.com

CASH FOR CARS: All Cars/Trucks Wanted. Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Any Make/Model. Call For Instant Offer: 1-800-864-5960

DIRECTV Starting at $19.99/mo. FREE Installation. FREE 3 months of HBO SHOWTIME CINEMAX starz. FREE HD/DVR Upgrade! 2015 NFL Sunday Ticket Included (Select Packages) New Customers Only. CALL 1-800-614-8506

CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS! 1 DAY PAYMENT & PREPAID shipping. HIGHEST PRICES! Call 1-888-776-7771. www.Cash4DiabeticSupplies.com

HERO MILES - to find out more about how you can help our service members, veterans and their families in their time of need, visit the Fisher House website at www.fisherhouse.org

Make a Connection. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call NOW: Call 1-877-737-9447 18+

Miscellaneous

A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. CALL 1-800-217-3942

Money to Lend

ACCESS YOUR LAWSUIT CASH! In an Injury Lawsuit? Need Cash Now? Low Rates. No Credit Checks/Monthly Payments. Call Now 1-800-568-8321.

Travel

NCL CRUISE SPECIAL Pick one - FREE Unlimited Beverages / FREE Specialty Dining / FREE WIFI / Free Shore Excursions! Hurry, limited time offer. Call for full details 877-270-7260 or go to NCPtravel.com

CRUISE DEALS available for a limited time. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and Norwegian. Hurry as these offers won’t last! Call 877-270-7260 or go to NCPTRAVEL.COM to research.

Reader Advisory: The NationaTrade Association we belong to haspurchased the following classifiedsDetermining the value of their service

or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and othematerials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses ahome. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the clienyour checking, license identification or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim toguarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does businessonly over the phone it’s illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds arebased in U.S. dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

CADNET ADS

AdoptionsADOPTION - A Loving Choice for an Unplanned Pregnancy. Call Andrea 1-866-236-7638 (24/7) for adoption information/profiles, or view our loving couples at WWW.ANAAdoptions.com. Financial Assistance Provided

Autos Wanted

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Health & Fitness

VIAGRA 100mg, CIALIS 20mg. 50 tabs $90 includes FREE SHIPPING. 1-888-836-0780 or Metro-Meds.net

Health & Fitness

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Miscellaneous

AVIATION Grads work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-453-6204

AT&T U-Verse Internet starting at $15/month or TV & Internet starting at $49/month for 12 months with 1-year agreement. Call 1-800-336-4165 to learn more.

Miscellaneous

DISH TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 877-477-9659

Make a Connection. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call NOW: 1-888-909-9905 18+.

Wanted to BuyCASH PAID- up to $25/Box for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS. 1-DAYPAYMENT. 1-800-371-1136

Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201

CA$H FOR CARSALL Cars/Trucks Wanted!

Running or Not!Damaged/Wrecked...OK!

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1-888-524-9668www.cashforcars.com

AIRLINE CAREERS

Get FAA approved maintenance training at campuses coast to coast. Job placement assistance. Financial

Aid for qualifying students. Military friendly.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance800-481-7894

WANTED

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S1-250, S2-350, S3-400, KH250, KH400, SUZUKI--GS400, GT380, HONDA--CB750K(1969-1976),

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T h a n k s f o r r e a d i n g t h e c l a s s i f i e d s

40 | December 24, 2015 | Johns Creek Herald | NorthFulton.com

MAX’SBOTTLE SHOP

Jack Daniel’s Whiskey 1.75L

$39.99Jameson Whiskey 1.75L

$39.99Absolut Vodka 1.75L

$29.99

Great Prices & Great Selection with Over 6000 sq ft!

GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeion General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems. All prices subject to change without notice. WARNING: Must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol.

Bacardi Rum 1.75L

$18.99Pinnacle Vodka 1.75L

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10% OFFWine Cases Mix & Match

6395 McGinnis Ferry Rd., Ste 304 • Johns Creek, GA 30005

STORE HOURS: Mon-Thurs 10am-10pmFri-Sat 10am-11:00pmSun 12:30pm-7:00pm

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