Check Out Canton’s New Park Playground and Public Art The City of Canton recently celebrated the grand opening of Heritage Park’s new playground as well as a new mural on the basketball court at Boling Park entitled UNITE. Heritage Park covers 48 acres, which, in addition to its new turf-based playground, also features a one-mile concrete walking trail connecting to Etowah River Trail and Etowah River Park as well as recreational field space used for soccer. At the ribbon cutting for UNITE, artist Rob Walker-Bunda shared his vision and design for the mural, as well as the work and collaboration that went into painting on the challenging surface of a basketball court. Canton City Councilor Brooke Schmidt also detailed the importance of public art in communities. "A collaboration between CHS student Emily Hamilton, a nonprofit called Art in the Paint, and the expertise of talented local artist Rob Walker-Bunda, this large artwork represents unity in Canton and serves to create connection and inspire happiness,” said Schmidt.
Rotary Club of Canton Celebrates Year, New President, and Public Service Award Winners During its recent “changing of the guard” dinner, outgoing President Nicole Lawson Doll shared highlights of the club’s accomplishments over the past year, including achieving the prestigious Rotary Gold Club Award, and passed the gavel to the club’s new president, Francisco Lozano. Rotary District Governor Brandy Swanson administered the presidential oath to Lozano. Lozano will be joined in leadership over the next year by President-Elect Marcie Smith, Secretary Rebekah Gibson, Treasurer Shane Burr, Sergeant-at-Arms: Marianne Butler and Nicole Lawson Doll, as past president. Also serving on the Club’s Board of Directors for this year: Lynn Epps, Rebecca Johnston, Billy Peppers, Rommel RitaRita, Joe Smith, and JoEllen Wilson. Additionally, the Rotarian of the Year Award, also known as the Coxe Award, was presented to Rebecca Johnston. She was recognized for her longtime dedication to the club including her roles during the past Rotary year as program chair, House of Friendship chair, and Women in Leadership panel moderator. Past District Governor Kay Miller, a former Canton Rotarian and past president, who in 2001 was the first woman to serve in the regional role for north Georgia, was also honored. In a separate meeting, the club also announced its annual Public Service Award winners. This year’s winner of the Lamar Haley Award, which honors exceptional community service, is Lori Baker, founder and executive director of Next Step Ministries. This year’s Jean Harris Award, which honors a non-Rotarian for outstanding “Service Above Self,” was presented to Kendall Jones, community liaison for MUST Ministries. Canton Rotary Club meets at noon on Tuesdays at the Cherokee Conference Center at The Bluffs or at offsite locations for community service projects, and residents interested in joining the club are invited to visit. For more information, visit TheRotaryClubOfCantonGa.org.
Skilled Professions Signing Day Celebration Be Pro Be Proud Georgia and the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative, an initiative of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development that includes Cherokee County School District (CCSD), local businesses, and industries and colleges, recently presented the annual Skilled Professions Signing Day event. During the event, 36 graduating CCSD seniors with plans to pursue skilled professions careers signed those plans with employers or colleges and were celebrated by family, friends, teachers, and community leaders. “Congratulations to each of these students on making the choice to build a better future for our community through skilled professions,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “We’re proud of these students and grateful for our Career Pathways educators who have prepared them for this next step. Thank you to Be Pro Be Proud Georgia and the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative for your partnership and support of our students.” The school district offers a wide catalog of Career Pathway programs at every high school, which provide CCSD students opportunities to not only master specific job skills as well as soft skills helpful to all careers, but also to earn industry certifications. For more information, visit Cherokeek12net.finalsite.com. Congratulations to the following students: Cherokee HS Henry Alcon – Construction, Alcon Remodeling Jacob Anderson – Welding Blake Byess – Welding, Georgia Trade School Christian Cagle – Welding, Northwest Mississippi Community College Lucas Juan Cristobal – Welding, Georgia Trade School Kahseim Fisher – Audio & Video Technology & Film Carter Goodrow – Welding, Raydeo Braden Iovino – Welding Keaton Kimball – Welding Ethan Mann – Welding Kyarah Maxey – Nursing, Reinhardt University Joseph O’Kon – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College Michael Pugachow – Welding Edi Ramirez – Construction, heavy equipment Ismael Carrillo Raymundo – Welding Bryan Sanchez – Welding, Tulsa Welding School Skyler Woodward – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College Creekview HS Kevin Abarca – Machinery/line press, Universal Alloy Corporation Norman Alexander Ball – Welding, Georgia Trade School Connor Billish – Electrician, International Electrotechnical Commission Noah Brooks – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College and Mr. Clean Drain Plumbing Co. Hayden Eberhardt-Salinas – Welding, Universal Alloy Corporation Cesar Garcia – Electrician, H&H Electrical Brody Jones – Plumbing, Chattahoochee Technical College Gabriel Peterman – Welding Emma Sailors – Cosmetology, Gwinnett Technical College Jarrett McArthur – Diesel tech training (advanced manufacturing), Chattahoochee Technical College Milon Lee McCleskey – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College Etowah HS Amy Carol Castro – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College Alondra Porcayo – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College Sarah Vanvoorhis – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College River Ridge HS Ethan Barrentine – Welding, Chattahoochee Technical College Billy Culberg – Wrecker driver/recovery specialist, Ryder Towing & Transport Sequoyah HS Will Scott – Electrical line worker, North Georgia Technical College Woodstock HS Kristian Colina – HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration), Chattahoochee Technical College Laila Hutchinson – Health care, Chattahoochee Technical College
City of Canton Awarded $4.4M in ARPA Grants The Office of the Governor Brian P. Kemp recently announced recipients of, “preliminary grant awards totaling more than $225 million for 142 qualified projects that improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access in communities all across the state disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Awarded American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds go to eligible nonprofits and local governments to utilize in improving or maintaining recreational facilities in Qualified Census Tracts or for repair or maintenance needs due to significantly greater use of public facilities during the pandemic. The City of Canton was awarded $4.4M for two projects that include pedestrian bridge/sidewalk improvements at Canton Creek and funds for assisting with the development of South Canton Park — specifically its accessible playground equipment and a much-anticipated dog park. The maximum grant award was $2.2M, and the City of Canton was one of only three municipal governments to receive multiple maximum grant awards. These state grants coincide with other recent grant awards including over $600,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a pedestrian bridge connecting the current expansion of the Etowah River Trail System back to the award-winning Mill on Etowah and Atlanta Regional Commission transportation funding for improvements on State Route 140 from Riverstone Parkway to Reinhardt College Parkway.
Congrats to Cherokee County School District’s 2023 Valedictorians and Salutatorians! Cherokee • Valedictorian Braden Reece Flournoy will attend Georgia Tech to study computer science and plans to work in computer devices and artificial intelligence. • Salutatorian Riley Oliver will attend Georgia Tech to study computer science and plans to work in programming or hardware development. Creekview • Valedictorian Kylie Buchanan will attend the University of Alabama to study science and business. • Salutatorian Carson Heath will attend Georgia Tech to study mechanical engineering and plans to work as a biomechanical engineer focused on designing prosthetics. Etowah • Valedictorian Gracye Lamb will attend Georgia Tech to study aerospace engineering. • Salutatorian Ty Phillips will attend the University of Georgia to study biology and then plans to apply to medical school. i-Grad Virtual Academy • Valedictorian Jackson Wesley Deas plans to enter the workforce. • Salutatorian Elijah J. Jordan will attend Chattahoochee Technical College to study electrical engineering. River Ridge • Co-Valedictorian Sofia Guadalupe de Lira will attend Notre Dame University to study political science and prelaw. • Co-Valedictorian Emily Anna Paulson will attend the University of Georgia to study economics. • Salutatorian Karla Monserrat Cortes will attend Yale University to study ethics, politics, and economics. Sequoyah • Valedictorian Julia Allene Sick will attend the University of Alabama to study accounting. • Salutatorian Paige Lee Falcomata will attend the University of Alabama to study accounting and statistics. Woodstock • Valedictorian Casen Stiber will spend a gap year teaching in El Salvador, after which he will attend the University of Georgia to study pure mathematics and philosophy. After college, he plans to serve in the Peace Corps and then teach and conduct math research. • Salutatorian Salman Aziz will attend Georgia Tech to study neuroscience and then plans to apply to medical school.
Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services Announcements Award Named for Longtime Fire Safety Pioneer At this year’s Georgia Fire Safety Symposium, the Georgia Public Safety Educators Association (GPSEA) named their Educator of the Year award after longtime Cherokee County firefighter and fire safety educator, Captain Ann Segers. Segers began working for the fire department on August 22, 1988, and was also one of the original Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department members when they started in the early 70s. She was the first person in Georgia to obtain the credentials as an NPQ Fire Safety Educator and received her Basic Firefighting Certification in 1990. After retiring from CCFES in 2005, she continued to volunteer with the department at prevention and education events until her passing in May of 2022. The first Ann Segers Educator of the Year Award will be awarded at the 2024 Georgia Fire Safety Symposium. For more information about the GPSEA or the Georgia Safety Educators Association, visit GPSEACRR.com. EMS Wing Dedicated to Retired Medical Director For more than 20 years, Dr. Jill Mabley has dedicated her time to the growth and success of emergency services for Cherokee County. Her name will forever live on at the Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) Training Center, since the EMS Wing has been dedicated as the Jill Ann Mabley, M.D., FACEP EMS Wing. Dr. Mabley joined Cherokee County in 2000, a time when the fire department was continuing its transition from a volunteer model to a career organization, and when ambulance transports were handled by a third-party vendor. An invitation to join a safety committee turned into more than two decades of training personnel, developing policy, building programs, and being a source for well-researched advice for those who needed it. In her years as medical director for CCFES, Dr. Mabley, at 57 years old, became the first (and only at the time) medical director to earn firefighter certification in Georgia. “She earned a National Professional Qualification as a firefighter, and she earned state certification as a firefighter in the state of Georgia,” Chief Eddie Robinson said, adding that she also was responsible for implementing the Narcan program with law enforcement, allowing public safety to better combat the opioid epidemic and save lives. Earlier this year, Dr. Mabley was honored with the Dr. Paul Nassour Lifetime Achievement Award at the Northwest Georgia – Region 1 EMS Awards Banquet. Fire Station 7 Dedicated to Retired Fire Chief For more than 40 years, Ret. Fire Chief and District 2 Commissioner Raymond Gunnin has served the public with integrity, honesty, and a desire to improve the lives of Cherokee County citizens. His legacy will forever be remembered, as Fire Station 7 has been dedicated in his honor. In December 2020, a resolution and proclamation were signed by Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Harry Johnston, recognizing Chief Gunnin’s dedication by naming Cherokee County Fire Station 7 in his honor. Now, a plaque memorializing this honor has been unveiled at the station. Gunnin joined Cherokee County as a volunteer firefighter in 1977 and became a full-time firefighter in 1980. Working his way through the ranks, he became fire chief in 2005 and continued to serve in that role until his retirement in 2011.
Cheer on Cherokee's Semipro Football Team! On Saturday, July 8, at 7:00pm, the Cherokee County Bruins Semipro Football organization will kick off its inaugural season at Veteran’s Park in Canton. Admission is free. The team is owned by John Little of Woodstock, Randy Fowler of Canton, and Patrick Kellaher of Dothan, Alabama. This group is excited to bring action-packed football to Cherokee County and hopes to be a resource for local youth, middle school, and high school football players to gain knowledge and skills as well as a platform for former high school and college athletes to pursue their playing careers in an impactful way. In addition to playing games, the Bruins also hold youth camps. More than 50 children attended the team’s first camp, which was held in May. The Bruins plan to continue making meaningful contributions to the community while growing its fan base and gaining local support throughout its inaugural season and beyond, as they seek to put a championship caliber team on the field to represent Cherokee County. To view their game schedule or for additional information about the Cherokee County Bruins, please follow them on Facebook or visit CherokeeBruins.com.
Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is honored to announce the 2023 Cherokee County Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. This recognition program focuses on Cherokee County residents under age 40 who are considered to be the area’s up and coming leaders over the next 10 years. Judging criteria include past professional achievements and awards, five- to 10-year professional goals, and the nominee’s volunteer and community activities. Besides being recognized during the Chamber’s June Good Morning Cherokee breakfast meeting, the recipients will also be featured in the July/August issue of Enjoy Cherokee Magazine. The honorees who will be under the age of 40 on October 1 have also been nominated for the prestigious GeorgiaTrend Magazine 40 Under 40 recognition. Cherokee County’s next generation of community leaders include Madison Beaulieu, economic development operations manager, City of Woodstock; Ashley Witcher, county extension coordinator/4-H and youth agent, University of Georgia Extension-Cherokee County; Kristin Norton Green, theatre events and facilities director, City of Canton; Ashley Polito, principal, Holly Springs ES STEM Academy; Lindsay Harris, intelligence unit manager, Multi-Agency Criminal Intelligence Unit, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office. Thomas Trawick, zoning division manager, Cherokee County; Michael Sims, lieutenant, Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services; Joshua Cole, lead district executive, Atlanta Area Council - Boy Scouts of America; Zack Bobo, owner, Zack Bobo Real Estate; Justin Lamb, director of metallurgy and R&D, Universal Alloy Corporation.
New District Attorney Sworn In On June 1, 2023, Governor Brian P. Kemp swore in Susan K. Treadaway as district attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, Cherokee County. Treadaway fills the role vacated by former District Attorney Shannon Wallace, who became Superior Court judge for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit in February 2023. Treadaway has served as acting district attorney since April 10, 2023, when she was appointed to the role by Gov. Kemp. She was previously Cherokee County’s chief assistant district attorney. For nearly 20 years, Treadaway has served the citizens of Georgia as a felony prosecutor. She began her career as an assistant district attorney for Cherokee County in 2004. She then worked as a prosecutor for 11 years in Cobb County, ultimately serving as the chief assistant district attorney of the Cobb Judicial Circuit before her return to Cherokee County in 2019, where she held the same title. “I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve this community as its next district attorney,” said District Attorney Treadaway. “My mission is to pursue justice, work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, and ensure that Cherokee County remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.”
City of Canton Hosts Succeeding as a Supervisor Training Program Leaders from across the county joined together at the City of Canton to participate in a leadership training class. Over the course of five weeks, Carrie T. Hamilton, from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, instructed students in the “Succeeding as a Supervisor” course. Twenty-nine participants attended on behalf of the City of Canton, the City of Woodstock, and Cherokee County. The introductory five-day program was developed to provide the knowledge and skills one would need to be effective in their role as a supervisor. The ideal participant for the training is a supervisor who has been in his or her job two years or less, someone who is not currently a supervisor but is interested in developing those skills, or a long-term supervisor with no formal supervisor training. Course topics include building trust, performance evaluation, leading teams, handling conflict, and planning and delegating. Participants are provided with a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the training program and leave with the foundational knowledge and skills to succeed as a supervisor. The City of Canton plans to host another opportunity to complete the program in fall 2023.