Woodstock Swimmer Selected to USA Junior National Swim Team Lauren Case of the Chattahoochee Gold swim team has been chosen for the USA Junior National Swim Team. Lauren, age 16 and a junior at Woodstock High School, has been a swimmer for Chattahoochee Gold for nine years. She is a USA Swimming Junior National (18 and under) Top 3 finisher and competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials. She is the first Chattahoochee Gold swimmer ever chosen for the USA Junior National Swim Team. Chattahoochee Gold swim club is based in Woodstock, with athletes from Cherokee County and surrounding communities.
Cub Scouts Participate in Lake Allatoona Cleanup Woodstock Cub Scout Pack 2010 is doing its part to help keep Cherokee County clean. The scouts joined other groups and individuals on a recent fall morning for the Great Lake Allatoona Cleanup. The project involved carefully cleaning up trash from the north shore of Little River Marina on both sides of Bells Ferry Road, as well as hands-on demonstrations on water safety and water conservation. Cub Scout Pack 2010 joined American Heritage Girl Troop 2012 in the service project. Armed with garbage bags and gloves, the kids removed bottles, cans, and more from the lake shore. They discovered all types of trash and lost treasures, including microwaves, a pacifier, tires, boat anchors, abandoned DVDs, and plastic tricycles. "The event was a great success," says Chandler Coe, assistant cub master for Cub Scout Pack 2010. "We learned as Scouts not to look at others' irresponsibility with trash as 'not my trash,' but instead always see trash as 'my opportunity to serve.' Not a single complaint was heard," says Coe. "Instead, positive attitudes abounded throughout. By the many numerous bags filled with trash, Cub Pack 2010 could very easily see that they had truly made a big difference." The Leaders of the Great Lake Allatoona Cleanup rewarded all those who attended with a free lunch and after-party at the Lake Allatoona Dam in Cartersville. The party featured bounce houses, a DJ, and lots of freebies, thanks to event sponsor Yamaha, as well as Academy Sports, Cheeseburger Bobby's, and other area vendors.
Fire Prevention Week Reminds Families to Play it Safe Does your family have a fire safety plan? October 5-11 is Fire Prevention Week, and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.org) offers a variety of resources to educate you about safety precautions for prevention or in the case of fire. One simple step to help keep your home and family safe is to install a smoke alarm in every room. Test each smoke alarm once a month to ensure it is working properly. A working smoke alarm could be your family's only warning signal of smoke or fire. NFPA also advises families to practice exit drills during the day and night. Designate a central place outside where your family will meet. Take a tour of every room in your home and determine if each one is fire-safe. Check the condition of electrical and extension cords, for flammable items near heat sources, and where candles are being used. Also, unplug electronic devices not in use. Look for anything that could be a source of fire ignition. Sparky.org includes a fire-safety checklist for the home, as well as games and activities to help educate kids about fire safety. In addition, keep an ABC-rated fire extinguisher handy in the kitchen and garage. Remember "PASS" pull, aim, squeeze and sweep to help you use the extinguisher safely and effectively. Store all flammable liquids, chemicals, and cleaners outside of the home as an extra precaution against fire. Taking time to provide your family with extra measures necessary to remain fire-safe is a smart investment. For additional information on fire-safety education, contact Woodstock Fire Dept. at (770) 926-2302. In a fire emergency, call 911. Carolyn Ann Larkin, Cherokee County's First Lady Firefighter
Greenprints Alliance Announces Premier Energy Partnership Greenprints Alliance has established a 10-year Foundation Funding Partnership with Premier Energy. The Foundation Funding will allow Greenprints Alliance to hire an executive director and begin marketing and soliciting public and private funding to help complete the award-winning Greenprints Master Plan, an extensive study commissioned by the Woodstock City Council in 2006. Upon completion, the Greenprints Master Plan will provide a network of multi-use trails, mountain bike trails, connections to public parks, alternative transit along 60-plus miles in and around Woodstock, and will connect area neighborhoods and public parks. "Across the nation, cities are promoting healthy lifestyles through public access to parks and trails, while also stimulating economic development," said Randy Davis, president/CEO of Premier Energy. "The Greenprints Master Plan of trails is a great example of what can happen when public and private sectors work together. My business partner, Skip Noll, and I selected Woodstock as the international headquarters for our business and our homes because of the healthy, walkable lifestyle. We are thrilled to see this visionary project come to life. The completed trail segments are transforming Woodstock and connecting people with nature. Our Foundation Partnership will help build the structural organization needed to guide the completion of the Master Plan." The completed trails, along with upcoming funded trail segments, will soon be home to outdoor recreational groups, trail programming, and community themed events and festivals. "Randy and Skip are among the early believers who want to help the Greenprints Master Plan of trails begin to transform Woodstock," said Greenprints Alliance Board of Directors Chair David Potts. "This partnership will hopefully inspire other private corporate and individual donors, both new and returning, because while state and federal grants may be available, communities often struggle to come up with the required local match, and that is where our private sector partners, such as Premier Energy, can make the pivotal difference in making these trails happen." This Foundation Partnership joins previous funding totaling more than $5.5 million, received from the Cherokee County Parks Bond, the City of Woodstock, WellStar Health System, and numerous individual private donations, all to support the realization of the Greenprints Master Plan.
Miracle League Cherokee Finalizes New Park Plans Miracle League Cherokee has announced plans for a new Miracle League field and adapted playground. Representatives with Miracle League Cherokee met with Cherokee Recreation and Parks recently to discuss plans for the proposed handicapped-accessible field at Patriots Park. The Miracle League field will be built using state-of-the-art surfacing, which will allow for a more "game-like" field instead of the typical hard mondo surface. The facility also will include an air-conditioned area next to the field where players can cool down and an area that will provide clean water adjacent to the field. In addition, ADA-approved bathrooms will be positioned between the special-needs playground and Miracle League Baseball field. The new Miracle League field and adapted playground are being funded through recent approval of $22.8 million in park bonds through Wells Fargo, according to previous reports.
Scavenger Hunt Invites Residents to Discover Woodstock Woodstock residents are encouraged to discover Woodstock in the 2nd annual Discover Woodstock Scavenger Hunt, which runs August 22-September 6. The Discover Woodstock Scavenger Hunt is a free activity that will take participants on a journey through Woodstock as they attempt to complete 100 challenges around local businesses, parks and landmarks. Participants are not required to complete all 100 challenges; however, the challenges are scored on level of difficulty. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. For complete contest rules, call 770-924-0406, or visit WhatsUpWoodstock.com.
Kick Off Football Season at Friday Night Lives Downtown Tailgate Main Street Woodstocks Friday Night Live event will celebrate the kickoff of the fall football season with a football-themed The Great Downtown Tailgate, 6:00-9:00 p.m., September 5. Come out to Downtown Woodstock and wear your favorite teams colors to show your team spirit! Enjoy live music, contests, games and fun and extended hours at downtown merchants. Also, every $10 purchase made at a downtown business during Friday Night Live automatically will register you into a drawing for a $100 Downtown Dollars Gift Certificate. Just bring your receipt for any purchase made at a Downtown business during the event to the Woodstock Visitors Center to enter the contest.
Canton Resident Wins National Award for Child Advocacy CASA for Children presented Millie Bush of Canton with its 2014 G.F. Bettineski Child Advocate of the Year award during its National CASA Annual Conference, held recently in Grapevine, Texas. Bush was selected from more than 75,000 CASA volunteers nationwide. In 11 years of volunteer service with CASA for Children of Canton, she has worked with 49 children and 30 families. The majority of her work has involved helping children find a loving home with family members. In one case, her unwavering support of a struggling mother helped the mother realize that she needed to turn her life around for her children; after moving into safe, stable housing and getting a job, the mother and children were reunified. Millie Bush embodies the attributes needed in juvenile court: a dedicated professional who works hard and knows the families and children; is dedicated to the goal of a safe and permanent home; respects the opinions of others; and ensures her thoughts are known, says Judge John Sumner, presiding judge of the Juvenile Court of Cherokee County. She has been a blessing to our court for more than a decade, and I can only hope that she will continue to help the judges in the difficult decisions we make on a daily basis. In recognition of her award, Bush was honored with a special celebration in July at the Cherokee County Courthouse in downtown Canton.
Service League of Cherokee County Awards Local Scholarships The Service League of Cherokee County awarded $24,000 in scholarships to 19 deserving seniors who graduated recently from local Cherokee County high schools. Students receiving the scholarships included: Emily Huffman, Henry (Luke) Neese and John Bowling, River Ridge High School; and Evan Ezell, James (J.F.) Harris and Devon Higgins, Sequoyah High School. The Service League also made a $1,000 contribution to the High School Credit Recovery Class Scholarship program administered by the Cherokee County School District (CCSD). In addition, last fall the Service League awarded $1,000 in scholarship funds to Reinhardt University student Virginia Hutton as part of Reinhardt University's "A DAY for Reinhardt" program. Sherry Wallace, who serves as chair of the Service League's 2014 Scholarship Committee, said, "As parents, we want our children to receive the message: 'You have worth.' The Service League scholarship program is one of many venues we use to support and invest in local teens. Scholarship recipients represent an array of talents and accomplishments, and we want to champion them on to greater achievements. Then, hopefully someday, when given the opportunity, they will be conscientious about offering a helping hand and serving others in need."
Winners Selected in Farm Bureau Contests Cherokee County Farm Bureau sponsored a coloring contest for first-grade students and an art contest for high school students recently. More than 3,000 students from 22 elementary schools participated in the contest by coloring a picture of "My Plate is Georgia Grown," which included facts about healthy eating. The 1st and 2nd place winners from each school, and their families, were invited to Cagle's Family Farm to enjoy a free day on the farm that included a hayride tour, a plant to take home, and pizza and cupcakes. Leigh Ruff from Cherokee High School was among the 33 entries for Cherokee County Farm Bureau's high school art contest, designed to promote agriculture. Also selected as the overall winner for the county, Ruff received a check and certificate at Cherokee High School Awards Night.