Cherokee County History Center Wins Awards History Cherokee won Special Projects #2 and #4 Awards at the Georgia Association of Museums conference in January. These awards were given for the History Center’s new exhibits and for the documentary, The Way It Was: Stories of Cherokee County's Desegregation, created in partnership with Scrapbook Video Productions.Harvee White, education manager; Thomas Paterson, development and communications coordinator; Stefanie Joyner, executive director; Kaylee Johnson, exhibits and collections manager
Cherokee County School District Announcements STAR Students and Teachers AnnouncedThe STAR, or Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, student honor is awarded to the high school senior from each Georgia public and private high school with the highest score on any single test date of the SAT and who also ranks in the top 10% or top 10 students of his/her class based on grade point average. Each honored student is invited to select his or her favorite teacher to be named that school’s STAR Teacher.The overall Cherokee County winner is the school honoree with the highest eligible SAT score, which was a three-way tie between Griffen Bon, Braden Flournoy, and Avi Stein. They now advance to regional competition, and the 12 region winners will contend for the State PAGE STAR Student title. STAR Teachers continue with their students through these additional levels of recognition.The CCSD honorees are Cherokee HS’s student Griffen Bon and advanced placement (AP) chemistry teacher Mark Segall and student Braden Flournoy and AP computer science teacher Carla Thornton (tie between two students); Creekview HS’s student Kylie Buchanan and AP chemistry teacher Jason Hardin; Etowah HS’s student Avi Stein and AP English teacher Tina Parmar; River Ridge HS’s student Nandita Bipin and honors English teacher Wendy Vander Veen; Sequoyah HS’s student Taryn Mareau and AP English teacher Dr. Cathy Murphy; and Woodstock HS’s student Lydia Lord and AP English teacher Jacqueline Vance.Seven CCSD Students Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Program CandidatesAs candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, these seven students are among only 5,000 from the more than three million graduating seniors in the nation’s class of 2023 selected to participate in the prestigious recognition program. Only 173 students from Georgia were named candidates. Established in 1964 by executive order of the president, the program was designed to honor and recognize extraordinary graduating seniors. Candidates for the invitation-only recognition program are initially selected based on outstanding performance on the ACT or SAT. For the next round of competition, semifinalists will be selected based on an application that considers overall academic excellence, personal character, leadership, and service activities. Finalists will be selected based on further review of their success in these areas, with 161 Scholars to be named in the spring. Scholars receive national recognition and an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the White House. Mill Creek MS Teacher Named Georgia Science Teachers Association 2022-23 Teacher of the Year Ann-Margaret Somers has been recognized as “a distinguished teacher who exhibits ongoing excellence in the teaching of science and commitment to its improvement.” One winner at each level — elementary, middle, and high — is selected statewide. Winners are chosen based on an outstanding record of exemplary classroom instruction, demonstrated innovative teaching strategies, strong professional engagement, and recommendations by colleagues and supervisors.Liberty ES Earns Recertification as Georgia School of CharacterLiberty ES is one of only 73 schools around the world, and one of only two in Georgia, to be recognized by the nonprofit Character.org as a state 2023 School of Character. The organization advocates for all people to become “educated, inspired, and empowered to be ethical and compassionate citizens.”
Canton City Council Meeting Notes On December 15, the following occurred at the Canton City Council meeting: APPROVED • Changes to zoning conditions for 40 acres of Park Village to allow office and light industrial development • Rezoning and conditional use permits for an expansion of residential development on Marietta Road to include quadplexes, duplexes, and a renovated single family detached unit (24 in total) by Latimer • Removal of water towers on East Main Street and Brown Industrial Parkway • Relocation of the water line at State Route 140 and Avery Road • Loan financing through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for Canton Cigar Company UPDATED Councilor Will Carlan informed the Council and public of his official resignation from Canton City Council. In January, Carlan began his new role as a Cherokee County magistrate judge. As a member of the judiciary, he cannot serve as an elected official. The City Council can appoint a replacement to the seat who will serve until a new member is elected in November.
Canton Launches New SMS Notification System Want to be notified about the latest in Canton? A new SMS notification system can inform you of what is happening in the City of Canton, from event notices to road closures and park updates to changes in collection site hours. All you must do is sign up for the information that interests you. Once you’ve registered for the service, the City of Canton will send you notifications via text message, email, pager, or voicemail, based on your contact preferences. You can select the language in which you prefer to receive the communications and choose to subscribe to the following notification group options: • Downtown Canton – event updates, street closures, and traffic impacts • General Communications – general City news including links to newsletters, press releases, and special announcements • Parks and Rec – updates on new amenities, park or trail closures, and traffic and parking impacts. • Trash and Recycling – changes in collection site hours, WastePro updates, and recycling events • Utilities – water main breaks that impact large residential areas and businesses, water conservation times, and other similar notifications Visit Public.Alertsense.com/SignUp/?RegionId=2011 to sign up for notifications. Mobile apps are also available on the sign-up link. If you wish to subscribe to SMS text messages only, text your zip code to 38276. Notifications are provided free of charge; however, standard text messaging rates and other charges may apply.
County Farm Bureau Receives Award During the 85th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Convention in December, Cherokee County Farm Bureau (CCFB) received the GFB Rewarding Excellence in Ag Program (REAP) Harvester Award in the organization’s large membership division. This award honors county Farm Bureaus for their organization/membership, advocacy, leadership development, education, and outreach activities. “Our organization has thrived since 1937 because of our dedicated volunteer leaders and county staff who work to promote agriculture in their local communities by visiting schools to teach students how farmers grow our food and meeting with their elected officials,” said GFB President Tom McCall.
Office of Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration Honored The Georgia Secretary of State’s office awarded the Office of Cherokee County Election and Voter Registration with the 2023 Foundation Builders Award. “It is essential that all counties have a solid foundation of knowledge and leadership. The Foundation Builders Award recognizes the county that is dedicated to getting the little things right. They believe that no detail is too small and that successful elections are conducted on a basis of transparency and hard work,” said Georgia State Elections Director Blake Evans. For more information on Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration, please visit CherokeeGaVotes.com.
Cherokee County School District Announcements 02-23 • Three Teams Succeed at Regional Robotics Competition Cherokee County School District teams succeeded at the regional First Lego League robotics competition, with three earning trophies and one advancing to super regionals. During these competitions, elementary and middle school students, working in teams, build robots using the LEGO Mindstorms system. Teams design and program their robot to solve missions on a tabletop playing field with models made with LEGO bricks. Each team also completes a research project to analyze and solve a problem. This year’s theme was developing solutions to improve the energy journey — how energy is produced, distributed, stored, and used. Trophies are given for four categories of competition: Robot Design, Core Values, Robot Performance, and Project, with an overall Grand Champion trophy for the event’s highest score. Teams advance to super regionals based on their score and can advance further to a state championship. • Students Selected for Elite Flight Academy Cherokee HS Air Force JROTC Cadet Andrew Solano and Etowah HS Air Force JROTC Cadet Luke Foresman have won the competitive Air Force Chief of Staff 2023 Flight Academy Scholarship valued at $25,000. Cadet Sydney Watson of Cherokee HS was selected as an alternate. The Flight Academy is an eight-week summer program designed for Air Force JROTC cadets to earn private pilot certification. The program’s overall goal is to improve the recruitment, retention, and diversity of the Air Force and aviation industry. • CCSD Celebrates Its First REACH Georgia Scholars REACH Georgia is the state’s first needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program for middle and high school students. An eighth grader from each CCSD middle school has been selected as one of the District's first REACH Georgia scholars: Braxton Cox of Creekland MS, Violeta De la luz Mendoza of Dean Rusk MS, Caleb Massey of E.T. Booth MS, Patricia R. Garcia of Freedom MS, Matthew Green of Mill Creek MS, Ingrid Osorio-Carreno of Teasley MS, and Ashley Gaspar-Morales of Woodstock MS. As part of Georgia’s Complete College initiative, REACH seeks to identify rising eighth-grade students who display academic promise and provide them with the academic, social, and financial support they need to graduate from high school as well as attend and complete college. REACH Scholars who complete the program requirements receive up to $10,000 in scholarships. In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, students must meet expectations for academic achievement, attendance, behavior, and participation in academic coaching and mentorship meetings. • Sequoyah HS Teacher Wins Superintendent's Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower presented the 2022 Game Changer Award for Instructional Excellence to Career Pathways teacher Brandon Grummer, who leads the school’s engineering drafting and design program and architectural drafting and design program. Grummer designed a successful architecture and drafting Career Pathway program at Etowah HS, building it with experience from his first career working in the industry. He earned Etowah’s 2018 Teacher of the Year and Golden Apple honors and later joined the staff at Sequoyah HS, where he has crafted a successful program for future architects and engineers. • Media Specialist Wins Superintendent’s Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower presented the 2022 Game Changer Award for Instructional Support to Oak Grove ES STEAM Academy media specialist Denise Lewis. Dr. Hightower thanked Lewis for her contributions to student learning, especially her role in helping lead the school in its recent successful transition from a Fine Arts Academy to a STEAM (STEM plus the arts) Academy. Lewis, a 22-year educator and past Innovation Zone Media Specialist of the Year, also was praised by Principal Penny Valle for her leadership in developing a 21st century media center and earning Common Sense national digital citizenship certification for the school.
Canton City Hall Blood Drive Canton City Hall Blood DriveFriday, January 6, 202310:00am-3:00pmCity Hall AuditoriumTo schedule an appointment and to complete a rapid pass, please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: cantoncityhall. All presenting donors will automatically be entered for a chance to win an exciting trip for two to Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix, Arizona, which includes travel, hotel, a $500 gift card, pregame activities and more!RedCrossBlood.org | 1-800 RED CROSS | 1-800-733-2767
City of Canton News Funding for New Pedestrian Bridge Mayor Bill Grant recently accepted a check from the Appalachian Regional Commission for $607,148 that was awarded to the City of Canton to construct a pedestrian access bridge over the Etowah River, bisecting the city. Manufacturing Facility Coming to Canton Becker Robotic Equipment, a global cable and robotic machinery manufacturer specializing in individualized robotic equipment, is set to build a new manufacturing facility to house its North American headquarters in the city of Canton. The new facility will deliver more than $30 million in investment and create 137 new jobs in Cherokee County. Public Art Master Plan Community Survey The Canton Public Art Master Plan will help integrate and unite the city through defining and projecting values and unique qualities to the immediate region and beyond. The plan will create a roadmap for how the City of Canton begins to activate communities to implement and enjoy public art while also celebrating Canton’s spirit and artistic expressions. Anyone who lives, works, or invests in Canton is encouraged to be involved in shaping the Public Art Master Plan. Here’s how to share your vision for public art: • Take the Public Art Plan survey and share your vision for the future at SurveyMonkey.com/r/7N6KYNL. • Email Kristin Norton Green, project team member and theatre events and facilities director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Abeyance for Residential Public Hearing Applications In November, the City of Canton entered into a 12-month period of abeyance for public hearing applications related to residential projects. The term “abeyance” refers to a suspension of a process. In this case, the City staff will not accept applications for public hearings that occur as a course of development of residential projects that include annexations, rezonings, conditional use permits, master plan amendments, or zoning condition amendments. The City accepts applications for the three-month public hearing process on the first business day of each month. Applications that had already been filed with the City prior to the abeyance will continue through the public hearing process. “The City is quickly moving through items identified in our award-winning Roadmap for Success, and this period of pause will allow the council, staff, and residents the opportunity to review data points to determine our desired growth and development patterns in the coming years,” stated Mayor Bill Grant. “Working in step through this process of transparent discussion about development, land use, and infrastructure is exactly what we agreed to do in the second phase of projects and programs in our Roadmap.”
Cherokee Recreation & Parks Wins Outstanding Program Award The Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) presented Cherokee Recreation & Parks with the Outstanding Program Award for its Cherokee Youth Basketball program. The award highlights the steps the agency has taken to grow the program from its inaugural season in 2011 to a program that now boasts 556 teams with over 4,000 basketball players playing annually from October to March.“The athletics division of Cherokee Recreation & Parks has worked hard over the past 10 years to build and provide the residents of Cherokee County with an exceptional youth basketball program,” said Cherokee Recreation & Parks Director Jay Worley. “The participation numbers are an indicator of our success, but the real achievements lie in the individual life lessons experienced by the players, coaches, and all those involved with the program.”Cherokee Youth Basketball is a recreational basketball league open to county youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through partnerships with the Cherokee County School District, K-5th grade students play on teams representing their elementary school, while middle and high school students play on teams representing the high school in which the student is districted or currently attending. Teams are provided a space and time at their local school for practice and games. Each player is given a complete uniform along with an eight-game regular season schedule beginning the first weekend in December. Additional information and program details for Cherokee Youth Basketball can be found at PlayCherokee.org.