Milton’s Fire Chief Gets Fitting Send-Off Robert Edgar, the first and only fire chief in Milton’s history, spent 41 years in firefighting, including the last 12 as Milton’s chief. Edgar recently received a special send-off, with many hailing his impressive work ethic, even-keeled demeanor, and sincere commitment to his department and the Milton community. People gathered in the bay of Milton’s Fire Station 44 to celebrate the retirement of the man who built the City’s Fire-Rescue Department from the ground up. For 29 years, Edgar worked in firefighting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, rising to the position of deputy chief. In 2008, he came to Milton to lead the City’s new fire department. At the time, Milton’s Fire-Rescue Department was 18 months old with three fire engines, one ladder truck, and a regular reliance on neighbors to get by.Step-by-step, Edgar spearheaded changes that made the department stronger and better, such as purchasing new equipment, setting up a special training facility behind Fire Station 43, developing an extensive employee wellness program, and supporting community outreach efforts like a CERT program. His most lasting achievement may be the building of Fire Station 44, along with the rebuilding of Fire Station 42 off Thompson Road next year.
Mobile Career Center Comes to Roswell Fulton residents looking for employment may now access innovative career support services through Fulton County’s Mobile Career Center bus. A service of WorkSource Fulton, the Mobile Career Center assists unemployed and underemployed residents by providing services such as assistance with job searches, resumes, and interview skills. The Mobile Career Center is available to help residents from 9:00am-4:30pm at the following Roswell locations on the dates listed: Wednesday, December 2City Hall38 Hill Street Wednesday, December 9East Roswell Park9000 Fouts Road Tuesday, December 15Hembree Park850 Hembree Road The Mobile Career Center offers Wi-Fi, computer stations, and printing capabilities to provide workforce services remotely, and in adherence with social distance guidelines. For more information, visit ATLWorks.org.
City of Roswell Launches Volunteer Roswell Site Roswell is a community that cares. When we see a need or a challenge, we want to meet it by giving our time, talent, and energy to good causes that have real impact on our neighbors’ lives. To help connect community members with meaningful service opportunities, the City of Roswell has established the Volunteer Roswell site, a one-stop, central location for volunteer opportunities throughout the city. By visiting RoswellGov.com/volunteer, community members can access a volunteer portal that lists a variety of service opportunities available through local nonprofits. All participating organizations are members of the City of Roswell’s Nonprofit Partnership Program and have gone through an extensive application process to ensure their services directly benefit our community.Nonprofit organizations interested in joining the City of Roswell’s Nonprofit Partnership Program (NPP) to participate in Volunteer Roswell and other NPP programs and services can learn more by visiting RoswellGov.com/NPP.
Milton Wall of Fame’s New Inductees The City of Milton recently held an outdoor ceremony to formally unveil the seven new members of Milton’s Wall of Fame — a place to honor standout athletes, coaches, and parks and recreation contributors. The New 2020 Honorees Jack Dunn — After getting his start with Hopewell Baseball, Dunn became a star shortstop at Northwestern University before being drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2019. He's now playing in the minor leagues. Ron Hill — A beloved coach and teacher, Hill spent the last part of his career at the Mount Vernon School as well as eight years as an instrumental member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) in Milton. Van Kottis — A longtime PRAB member, Kottis helped guide the transformation of Bell Memorial Park and was key in making the Milton Steelers football program free to residents. Amanda Marshall — A four-year softball starter at Milton High School, Marshall went on to play for Division I Nicholls State University and travelled the world as a member of Great Britain’s national softball team. Ryan Stachler — Stachler not only played golf in the 2016 U.S. Open and 2018 U.S. Amateur, he also holds the distinction of winning state titles for Milton HS (2012) and Cambridge HS (2015). Stachler played college golf for the University of South Carolina. Todd Michael Strada — A four-time Georgia State Boy’s Gymnastics Champ while in high school, Strada moved onto what was, at the time, one of the NCAA’s top programs at the University of Iowa. At one point, he ranked #2 among all male NCAA gymnasts. Tessa Whittington (Lynam) — A Milton HS softball standout, Tessa Lynam went on to play at Louisiana State University and later at Baylor where she finished in the top 10 in 20 (pitching and hitting) categories for the school. She’s now an accomplished coach. For more information about Milton’s Wall of Fame, contact Interim Parks and Recreation Manager Tom McKlveen at 678-242-2519 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
North Fulton Schools Awards and Honors Two Centennial HS choirs, Bella Voce and Cavatina, have been selected to be part of the world premiere of Grammy-nominated, Denver-based composer and conductor Chris Maunu’s new work, “Remember,” set to the famous Victorian poem by Christina Rosetti. Led by Centennial Choral Director Chelsea Burney, the choir will join 36 other ensembles, selected from a pool of 200 high school choirs, to sing in the consortium premiere ensemble. The honor of being selected gives the choirs access to the music, performance, and recording rights and enables them to work closely with the composer in the piece’s preparation. Bella Voce is Centennial’s auditioned Mastery Women’s Chorus class, and Cavatina is the Intermediate Women’s Chorus class. Both are comprised of 9th-12th-grade students.Manning Oaks ES was awarded a $1,000 grant by the Pi Beta Phi Alpharetta Alumnae Club for classroom books from the First Book Grant Initiative. The award provided funding for the purchase of 300 books.Each year, the Georgia Art Education Association, in partnership with the National Art Education Association, presents outstanding art educators awards for their work in the field. North Fulton art educators received state awards in the following categories:Georgia Art Educator of the YearDrew Brown, Milton HSGeorgia Administration/Supervision Art Educator of the YearBetsy Eppes, visual and performing art coordinatorOutstanding Jr. National Art Honor Society Sponsor (NJAHS)Amanda Marbry, Holcomb Bridge MS
Vineyard Johns Creek Announces Information Center Opening and Recent Hires Vineyard Johns Creek, an assisted living and memory care community, recently opened a new information center for COVID-19 safe visits. In addition, the community hired two new executive leadership team members. The information center is located at 10475 Medlock Bridge Road, Suite 410. “As we welcome visitors to the Vineyard Johns Creek Information Center, the health and safety of our guests and employees remains our biggest priority,” said Kevin Suite, president and chief operating officer of Valeo Senior. “We are implementing daily practices and procedures that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, have been reviewing daily the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and are complying with local, state, and federal guidelines.” From a personnel standpoint, Vineyard Johns Creek is thrilled to announce Annette Fields has taken the position of executive director. With over 10 years of industry experience, she is nationally certified as a Director of Assisted Living (CDAL) and has experience in both social services and education. Jennifer Farine joins the team as sales director. She has extensive knowledge and experience in the senior living community in Johns Creek and the surrounding areas. Valeo Senior has two new communities set to open this fall, with four more in development for 2020 and five to commence in 2021, including Vineyard Johns Creek. For more information, visit VineyardJohnsCreek.com.
Get Ready for InCommunity’s Thanksgiving Food Drive 2020! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and friends of InCommunity are already asking how they can help with meals this year. Due to the pandemic, the organization is collecting items to compile 43 Thanksgiving boxes, which will be delivered to each home. Individuals and staff will share the meal in their homes on Thanksgiving Day, thanks to your support. Each box will feed a group of four and include the following: brownie mix, cornbread mix, gravy, canned fruit, green beans, yams, corn, boxed stuffing, macaroni and cheese, hot chocolate, instant potatoes, muffin mix, and a gift card for turkey. If you’d like to donate items or fill a box, please visit InCommunityGa.org for more information. You may deliver items to InCommunity’s main office by Thursday, November 12, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule a pickup from your nearby home.
Director Martin, Chief Gianfala Sworn In Law enforcement officials and family recently celebrated the swearing-in ceremonies for new Public Services Director Dana Martin and Chief Marshal Jamie Gianfala. Superior Court Judge Tony Baker swore in both leaders at the Cherokee County Justice Center. Martin, who served the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office for 23 years, said she appreciates the educational opportunities afforded to her by former Sheriff Roger Garrison and Sheriff Frank Reynolds. Martin plans to take that knowledge and her experience and use it to lead the Public Services Agency. Gianfala joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1993, serving in many capacities including Uniform Patrol, Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, Traffic Unit, and Criminal Investigations. Many in attendance were fellow law enforcement officers with whom Gianfala had worked over the years. He shared his gratitude for the support of family, coworkers, and friends. For more information about Director Martin and Chief Gianfala, visit Bit.ly/2GuULHM.
New Adaptive Playground Equipment for Children With Special Needs It is common for city governments to work with schools to engage children in recreation and after-school programs. It is less common for a city to partner with an elementary school to overhaul its playground to benefit both the schoolchildren and the entire community. This is exactly what happened with Alpharetta Elementary School and the City of Alpharetta. Alpharetta ES is unique in that students with mental and physical disabilities make up approximately 24% of the population. In the past, the students had an outdoor area that didn’t meet their physical needs and was in great need of repair. After discussing the matter with a teacher and a local nonprofit organization, North Metro Miracle League’s Executive Director Morgan Rodgers had an idea that would result in a successful collaboration. “The partnership between the City, the Fulton County Board of Education, Resurgens Foundation, North Metro Miracle League, and Northside Hospital is a model in how corporations, nonprofits, and local government can work together to improve the lives of everyone in the community,” said Rodgers. The City of Alpharetta’s parks team has created a new accessible playground that provides a safer and more inclusive experience for the children. The playground includes a wheelchair adaptive swing and upgraded trail surface as well as sensory environments and improved landscaping. The school and the City entered into a 10-year agreement that permits the community to use the playground when school is not in session. Alpharetta ES’s playground is open to the public starting at 4:00pm on school days and through the weekend, with full access to the park’s amenities.
Roswell North Elementary Foundation’s Successful Inaugural Golf Tournament The Roswell North Elementary Foundation (RNEF) recently hosted its inaugural Golf Fore Science Classic, raising approximately $11,000 to provide funding for the school’s Licata Science Lab, Life Science Extension, RNE Garden, and other initiatives. “We are so grateful to the Roswell North community for their unwavering support at this unprecedented time," said Allison Hegarty, vice president of business fundraising. “The success of our Golf Fore Science Classic could not have been achieved without everyone’s help and commitment to the Licata Science Lab and RNEF.” The Roswell North Elementary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 2009 to enrich and support the academic experience of the students at Roswell North Elementary School. The Foundation annually funds all the costs of the Licata Science Lab, one of only two elementary school-level science labs in North Fulton County, as well as additional programs, improvements, or initiatives consistent with the school’s strategic plan. For more information, visit RNEFoundation.com