Senior Softball League Donates Glasses Recently, the CSSA (Cherokee Senior Softball League) made a donation of over 200 pairs of sunglasses to the Lions Club of Canton. The glasses were collected from over 300 members of the softball league as part of an effort to help the Lions Club provide vision wear to those in low- and middle-income communities. This year, the league has committed to providing the Lions Club with over 1000 pairs of glasses for those in need. If you would like to make a donation, please visit CSSA.TeamPages.com.
Service League of Cherokee County Holds 7th Annual Dancing for the Children Local celebrities put on their dancing shoes and committed to raising a minimum of $3,000 each in sponsorship dollars, while also training and partnering with professional dance instructors who donated their time and expertise to the event. Winning over the judges and taking home the mirror ball trophies this year were Todd Hayes of the Cherokee County Solicitor-Generals Office and his professional partner, Lydia Carlile. Through sponsorships, donations and ticket purchases, this years event helped raise over $30,000, which will be used to meet the needs of the children of Cherokee County. This includes providing necessities such as medical care, dental and vision care, clothing, scholarships, camps and much more.
Laurel Canyon Optimist Club Donate 12 Laptops to the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch Bob and Cheri Colby of Soleil Charities donated half of the laptops along with the Optimist ClubGoshen Valley is committed to creating environments of safety, love and stability for youth in foster care. With the ongoing need of foster families in Georgia, Goshen Valley meets that need with a family-based model of care for children, youth and young adults. They partner with leaders in the community to help shape the lives of the youth they serve.The Goshen Valley Foundation was established in 1998 when the Blend family to donated their ranch property to care for foster children. Through the leadership of founder John Blend, in 2001, the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch was created to care for young men in foster care. Over the past sixteen years, Goshen Valley has expanded and now has three programs: Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, Goshen New Beginnings and Goshen Homes. Each program has a unique focus and ministry to foster children in Georgia.
Green Prints Alliance Announces Partnership with Zagster to Bring Bike Share to Woodstock Ten cruiser bikes will be available at three stations for members to use for on -demand, local trips. Riders join the program by signing up for a membership. Rides for members who must be eighteen or older are free for the first hour, then $3 per hour after. Funding for the initial investment of the bike share program was provided by Rezide Properties. Riding the Woodstock bike share is easy. Bikes can be found via the free Zagster Mobile App, available for iPhone and Android, or online at Zagster.com/woodstockga. Each bike has a unique number, which riders enter into the app to obtain a single-use code to open the lockbox on the back of the bike. Alternatively, riders can obtain unlock codes via text message. A key, stored inside and tethered to the lockbox, allows the bike to be locked and unlocked throughout a ride, so users can plan their trips around their needs rather than around the locations of stations. After a rider returns the bike to a designated Zagster bike station, the rental ends.
Woodstock, Canton and Holly Springs Named in Top 20 of Georgias Safest Cities To come up with its list, The National Council for Home Safety and Security reviews the most recent statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Report (January-June 2016), along with its own population data and internal research. Cities with populations under 5,000 and those that failed to submit complete crime reports to the FBI were eliminated from consideration. Those remaining municipalities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) per 100,000 people. These variables were then weighted, with violent crimes accounting for seventy percent of the total (due to their severity) and property crimes accounting for thirty percent. Finally, the Council shifted the decimal point over a few spots to show rates per 1,000 people. Cities in the Top 20 1. Johns Creek2. Milton3. Braselton4. Perry5. Tyrone6. Peachtree City7. Port Wentworth8. Flowery Branch9. Grovetown10. Holly Springs11. Roswell12. Alpharetta13. Kennesaw14. Hampton15. Jefferson16. Canton17. Woodstock18. McRae19. Richmond Hill20. Auburn The National Council for Home Safety and Security is a national trade group that provides education and knowledge about the home safety and security industry to consumers.
Cherokee Strives to be a Leader in Talent Development Recently, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) unveiled a multiyear plan to enhance Cherokees workforce. The Cherokee Workforce Collaborative (CWFC) brought vested parties together to build upon current efforts and success and look toward the future. The Workforce Cherokee Strategy was developed by industry leaders of Cherokees growing corporations, Cherokee County School District, Cherokee Office of Economic Development, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Labor, Atlanta Regional Commission, Chattahoochee Technical College, Reinhardt University, Kennesaw State University, entrepreneurs, and local non-profits, said Mark Goddard, COED board member and chair of the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative. The plan will put into action years of research. Combined with other ongoing initiatives, COED is on a mission to keep and grow jobs in Cherokee County. The CWFC created strategic goals and action items to ensure Cherokee continues to be a destination for new and expanding companies.
Chamber Names Volunteer of the Quarter The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Dana Callan, with Bank of North Georgia, has been named the Chairmans Council Volunteer of the Quarter for first quarter of 2017. Members of the Chairmans Council are accepted by invitation only from the Chambers chairman of the board. In determining the Volunteer of the Quarter, attendance at Chamber events is evaluated for all members of the Chairmans Council. There was no doubt when naming this quarters honoree, as Dana has attended many Chamber events since the first of the year, said Bryan Reynolds, Chamber chairman and director of Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency.
Woodstock Earns Tree City USA Designation For the 17th time, Woodstock was named a 2016 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. Woodstock achieved the recognition by meeting the programs four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand, said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether its through volunteer engagement or public education.
Cherokee County Educational Foundation Presents 3rd Annual Celebration of Education Gala The Cherokee County Educational Foundation will build upon the success of its past two events, benefitting the Cherokee County School District on March 11th. The black-tie-optional event at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Conference Center in Canton begins with a cocktail hour and silent auction at 6:30pm and dinner, awards and entertainment at 7:30pm. The events presenting sponsor is Northside Hospital-Cherokee. Since its establishment in 2012, CCEF has awarded more than $205,000 in grants to students, teachers and schools. The nonprofit, charitable foundation seeks funding and resources to enrich schools in areas not fully funded in the regular school program. Guests will enjoy hors doeuvres, a cash bar, raffle with cash prizes and silent auction during the cocktail hour reception, followed by dinner, dessert and the program. The entertainment will be the third annual CCSDs Got Talent student talent show, featuring the best act from each of CCSDs six high schools in competition for a $1,000 grand prize and $500 runner-up prize. A presentation of the Alumni of the Year Awards will honor one alumnus and one alumna of CCSD high schools for outstanding professional and civic contributions.
First Citizen of Cherokee County Named The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Byron L. Dobbs has been named the 42nd recipient of the First Citizen of Cherokee County Award. A native of Woodstock, and a lifelong resident of Cherokee County (82 years), Mr. Dobbs retired from radio station WCHK in 1998 after forty years and currently works at WLJA 101.1 FM, which he and business associate Randy Gravley own their corporation, Tri-State Communications. Throughout the years, Mr. Dobbs has been involved with many local organizations, and being recognized for his commitment to his community and profession is nothing new for Mr. Dobbs who has been honored by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters as Broadcaster of the Year, inducted into the University of Georgias Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in Community Service, Cherokee County Proclamation for Byron Dobbs Day, Byron Dobbs Day in the City of Canton, Georgia House of Representatives Resolution for Distinguished Career, Georgia Senate Bill commending his community leadership and the Georgia State School Boards Beacon Award.