City of Woodstock News New Parks and Recreation Director Hired Brian Borden, CPRP, is the new director of Woodstock Parks and Recreation Department. Borden has 24 years of experience in parks and recreation, serving most recently as the director of the Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Department. In his previous role, he oversaw the maintenance of 19 existing parks and over 300 acres of green space and trails. City Council Approves Construction for City Center Phase One Woodstock City Council members unanimously approved a $3.5 million contract with Winter Construction for the first phase of public infrastructure for the Woodstock City Center project. The project includes an extension of Chambers Street from Wheeler Street to Arnold Mill Road, the associated closure of East Main Street, and grading for greenspace. “This portion of the project would be constructed whether the future private development moves forward or not. It will modernize the entrance to the commercial district on Chambers Street by replacing the current East Main Street interchange,” City Manager Jeff Moon told City Council. “The contractor provided us an option to save time and money on the project by allowing them to close East Main Street, and staff recommends that you consider approving that option that will shorten construction time and reduce the cost by $300,000.” The closure would reduce the contract to $3.2 million and is anticipated to reduce the project time to around five months. After consideration, City Council voted to move forward with the allowed closure, breaking ground in March 2023 with anticipated completion in September 2023. The development team initiated design activities for the parking deck, which will be phase two of public infrastructure for Woodstock City Center, anticipated to begin in late 2023.
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
Cherokee Recreation & Parks Wins Outstanding Program Award (2) 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.
Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Offers Scholarships The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is offering $70,000 in scholarships to Georgia students pursuing a degree in agriculture, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences, or a related field.Visit GaFoundationAg.org/scholarships for a list of eligible majors/schools for all available scholarships, applications, and instructions to apply. All applications must be submitted online by March 1, 2023. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be submitted online with the application. Scholarship recipients will be announced in the spring.Additionally, Cherokee County Farm Bureau will award two Cheyenne Heard College Scholarships of $1,000 each to two seniors in Cherokee County who are pursuing a degree in agriculture. Each student who applies will receive a check for $50. Please email Shirley Pahl at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about these scholarships.
Cherokee’s Brantley Day Selected for National Task Force Community Development Agency Director Brantley E. Day has been appointed to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Housing Task Force, comprised of 30 county leaders from across the United States. Day is the sole representative from Georgia. The Housing Task Force will explore intergovernmental partnerships that support housing solutions among federal, state, and local officials, along with private, nonprofit, and homeownership and rental partners. Group members will also examine comprehensive solutions to address the complex conditions that undermine workforce housing availability including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, land costs, institutional investors, and government regulations. The Task Force will host in-person and virtual meetings, as well as produce original research, to examine the role of county governments in providing residents with more housing, greater variety of housing, and better housing affordability and value. Day joined Cherokee County as the Community Development director in October 2021. He has more than 20 years of municipal planning and community development management experience including with the cities of Woodstock, Holly Springs, and Riverdale, as well as the Cumberland Community Improvement District.
Cherokee County School District Announcements • Two CCSD Leaders Named Region Athletic Directors of the Year Jeremy Adams, athletic director and a Cherokee HS assistant principal, was selected as the Region 5-7A Athletic Director of the Year, and David Dyer, athletic director and a River Ridge HS assistant principal, was named Region 6-6A Athletic Director of the Year. Both are in the running for the state title in their divisions, which will be announced at the 2023 Georgia Athletic Directors Association State Conference in March. • Physical Education Teacher Wins Top State Honor In November, Amy Aenchbacher, a CCSD adaptive PE specialist, was presented with the Georgia Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (GAHPERD) Kim Thompson Honor Award. The highest honor bestowed by the Association, this award is presented when a member’s contributions have been “exemplary, sustaining, and far-reaching.” Recipients additionally must be considered by their colleagues as a positive role model and have held leadership positions in the association, presented at state conferences, and/or been published in state publications. • Cherokee HS Principal Receives Game Changer Award Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower presented the 2022 Game Changer Award for Instructional Leadership to Cherokee HS Principal Rodney Larrotta. “When you talk about leadership, when you talk about this leader, you think passion, you think care,” Dr. Hightower said as he revealed Principal Larrotta as the winner by describing his character. “You think accountability balanced with grace. You think vision and being able to get into the weeds and work on the details. Rodney has done everything we’ve asked him to do and so much more. I’ve been amazed by the type of person he is.” • Sequoyah HS’s Performance in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade The Sequoyah HS Band of Chiefs has traveled extensively, including New York City, Washington D.C., and Orlando, Florida. On Thanksgiving, the band performed at the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, Illinois. • Clark Creek ES Teachers Named Georgia STEM Scholars Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers recognized Teresa Bailey and Kimberly Harrison, both of Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, as 2023 Don Cargill STEM Scholar Award winners. Honored educators are selected for their excellence in teaching students about science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as their innovation in integrating STEM lessons in elementary and middle school education. Each honoree receives a $500 award to purchase classroom STEM supplies • Student Wins First Place at State Career Competition Etowah HS senior Avery DiGirolamo won the top prize in the mental health education in action event at the Georgia HOSA Future Health Professionals fall leadership conference. She competed against other health care science students at the statewide conference, which offered five competitive events. DiGirolamo is a student in Etowah’s Career Pathway health care science program, which focuses on therapeutic services, sports medicine, and exercise physiology.
Cherokee County Wins Prestigious Financial Award Cherokee County is now a Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Triple Crown Winner. This designation recognizes governments who have received GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for a fiscal year. Cherokee County earned the prestigious designation for the 2020 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2019-Sept. 30, 2020).The county Finance Department provides financial reporting, advice, and performance measurement to manage Cherokee County’s financial resources while facilitating the cost-effective funding of agencies, departments, and elected officials. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Marquis said the recognition is reflective of the staff’s time, effort, and knowledge in managing county finances.
Local Earns Spot on National Women’s USA Bobsled Team Woodstock resident Macy Tarlton recently earned a position on the National Women’s Team USA Bobsled team. After completing her training with her teammates at the Olympic Training Facility in Lake Placid, New York, she will begin this 2022-2023 season with a World Cup tour in Canada, Germany, Austria, Latvia, Norway, Switzerland, Utah, and New York to earn qualifying points to participate in the next Winter Olympics. Tarlton previously competed as a USA Olympic weightlifter. This background provided the strength needed for a successful transition to bobsled.Team USA athletes are not totally government-funded, and they are not paid a salary to compete in the Olympics or other qualifying competitions. Training up to 50 hours each week only leaves enough time for part-time employment. If you would like to donate to Tarlton’s Olympic pursuits, please visit GoFund.me/8f046ebf. In addition, Tarlton designed T-shirts as a fundraiser that can be purchased at Tee.pub/lic/yfr_X4mxNr0.
Service League Raises Over $15K for Cherokee County Children The Service League of Cherokee County raised more than $15K in this year’s Fore the Children Golf Tournament. All proceeds benefit the League’s work for children in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County Unveils Georgia's First Propane-Powered Public Transit Buses Cherokee Area Transportation Service (CATS) has purchased three propane-powered buses from Coach and Equipment Bus Sales, Inc. The total cost was $307,553 with $261,420 paid for with a Federal Transportation Authority grant and $46,132 from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The new vehicles replace three aging CATS buses that provide fixed route service, which ensures that those in need of transportation can schedule a regular route for a small fee. CATS also provides a demand response service, so residents can schedule rides for things such as doctor’s appointments.“We are excited to bring in three new vehicles that use a cleaner fuel source and have expected lower maintenance costs,” said Community Services Agency Director Bryan Reynolds. “With the purchase, we were able to secure increased federal transportation support and a Federal Transit Authority fuel subsidy, saving our taxpayers money.”