A New Park for Hickory Flat The Cherokee Board of Commissioners recently voted to purchase 40.7 acres on East Cherokee Drive in Hickory Flat for $3.2 million. Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley told commissioners in April that the park’s planning process could start as early as this summer. The planning process, which includes hiring a consultant with expertise in master planning, engineering, and landscape architecture, will be similar to the steps followed in the development of the Southwest Cherokee Parks and Trails Plan and the Northeast Cherokee Parks Master Plan. The Recreation and Parks team, along with the consultant, will engage the public for wish lists and input.Once planning is completed and funding sources have been identified, construction can begin. County officials estimate that construction could start in about two years.
Cherokee County School District Announcements (2) • CCSD Schools Earn Top AP HonorsFor the 12th consecutive year, CCSD high schools have earned top honors for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs and performance. All CCSD high schools have been named Georgia 2022 AP Honor Schools for exceptional student performance and participation on AP exams, which offer students more challenging coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit. Overall, CCSD students who took the exams earned passing scores of 3 or higher on 73% of the 5,028 tests administered last school year, exceeding the Georgia rate of 60% and the national rate of 54%. This passing rate ranks CCSD 10th in the state and 2nd among metro Atlanta counties. Students who achieve a 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) can qualify for college credit at most state colleges and universities, thereby avoiding tuition for those classes. CCSD students earned approximately $3,731,520 of Georgia in-state college tuition, assuming each exam equals just one college course, with their 2021 AP exam results. CCSD high schools offer more than 30 different AP courses.• Etowah HS Student Selected for Prestigious Art Exhibit A sculpture by senior Amelia Ganues was featured in the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition at Piedmont Park during last month’s Atlanta Dogwood Festival. More than 700 students from metro Atlanta high schools submitted work for consideration. Only the top 194 pieces were selected by a jury of professional artists to be included in the exhibit.• 2022 Counselor of the Year NamedRiver Ridge HS counselor Kati Kong has helped hold students together during their most challenging moments for the past 16 years. This year, she was selected by colleagues as the River Ridge Innovation Zone’s Counselor of the Year in recognition of her outstanding service, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower recently surprised her with the CCSD 2022 Counselor of the Year award. Kong now advances to the statewide Counselor of the Year competition.“Kati has many strengths, but her main strength, from my observation, is her ability to relate to students and staff. Her ability to make people feel comfortable and safe has earned her the respect of many,” River Ridge HS Principal Todd Miller said. • Indian Knoll ES Teacher Honored With Statewide AwardState Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods recently visited 5th grade teacher Chelsea Leming to congratulate her on being named one of Georgia’s 10 Teacher of the Year finalists. “There are 110,000 teachers in Georgia — and she’s in the top .009%!” Woods explained to the class. Leming began her education career in 2009 as an 8th grade teacher at E.T. Booth MS before coming to Indian Knoll ES where she now teaches 5th grade English language arts and social studies. • Cherokee HS Students Advance to National Career Skills CompetitionCherokee HS students placed in welding and healthcare science events at the Georgia Skills USA competition.The Cherokee HS welding fabrication team is made up of Carter Goodrow, Brayden Iovino, Cole Jackson and Michael Pugachow and coached by welding teacher Darryl Jones. The team earned first place at state in its contest and qualified for the national Skills USA competition to be held this summer. Also, welding students Marco Portillo and Stella Starziak earned second place in the metals display competition for a handmade table. Additionally, the school’s healthcare science program earned state honors at the Georgia Skills USA competition. Aerianna Avrit earned first place in the nursing assistant contest, and Haley Kelley won first place in basic healthcare. They are coached by healthcare science teacher Dianne Argonis-Basto.• Sequoyah HS Student Selected for Prestigious Art ExhibitA graphite pencil drawing by junior Paige Wolosiewicz was featured in the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition at Piedmont Park during last month’s Atlanta Dogwood Festival. More than 700 students from metro Atlanta high schools submitted work for consideration. Only the top 194 pieces were selected by a jury of professional artists to be included in the exhibit. • Freedom MS Team Wins Statewide Academic BowlFor the second consecutive year, the Freedom MS team earned first place at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site History Bowl. The competition for middle and high school students focuses on U.S. history including presidential history, world history, geography, and economics. The team competed against 13 middle schools from across the state and went undefeated in all five rounds.Team members are Jacob Duncan, Sophia Facchini, Rachel Haynes, Andrew Lawrence, Grayson McClelland, Landon Powell, Aidan Searcy, Jackson Standish, Alex Watkins, and Sofia Yadav. The team is coached by teachers Anna Trull, Brooke Knight, and Allison Cook.
Cherokee HS Student To Attend National Conference as State Delegate Cherokee HS junior Laney Cline represented Georgia at the National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C., last month. She also earned the elite title of Master 4-H’er — the highest award offered in 4-H — by achieving selection to the national conference. To earn the title, students must demonstrate the core 4-H concepts of belonging, mastery of learning, generosity, and independence. Cline and five other Georgia delegates from across the state earned the opportunity through completion of specific requirements set by 4-H, an extra-curricular program sponsored locally by the UGA Cooperative Extension Office. During the national conference, students from across the country participated in leadership, team building, and communications activities. They also attended roundtable discussions, briefings with government officials, and visits with national legislators.
Veterinary Science Students Named State Champions Creekview HS and Creekland MS students competed in the Georgia FFA Veterinary Science Career Development Event where they earned first place in the junior division with a 21-point lead. The competition is designed to “promote college and career readiness by providing opportunities to develop technical knowledge and demonstrate practical skills in the field of veterinary science.” In addition to the team’s success, Searlait Frey placed second in the state for her individual score, Jameson Brooks placed third, and Abigail Moore placed fifth. The students are coached by Creekview HS teacher Pauline Benton.
Creekview HS Senior Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Candidate As a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, Ty Hubert is among only 5,000 students from the more than 3 million graduating seniors in the nation’s Class of 2022 selected to participate in the prestigious recognition program. Only 156 students from Georgia were named candidates. This program was established in 1964, by a presidential executive order, to honor and recognize extraordinary graduating seniors. Candidates for the invitation-only recognition program are initially selected based on outstanding performance on the ACT or SAT. After reviewing numerous other candidate qualifications, only 161 finalists will be chosen to receive national recognition and an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the White House.
Reinhardt University Inaugurates Its 21st President Mark A. Roberts, Ph.D., is the 21st president of Reinhardt University. He brings 25 years of private higher education experience to his new role. A native of Maryville, Tennessee, Roberts attended Middle Tennessee State University where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature and language. He went on to earn a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies in the humanities at the Union Institute and University. He came to Reinhardt in 2013 as the vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of faculty. Since then, he has also served Reinhardt in the roles of provost, executive vice president, and interim president, in addition to being a professor and the writing center director.
City of Canton Update Mayor Bill Grant recapped the City of Canton’s essential achievements in each of the eight tenets of the Roadmap for Success in his State of the City Address. A link to his speech can be found at CantonGa.gov. Mayor Grant, Canton City Council, and the city manager also recently went on an intensive three-day retreat to review the Roadmap, discuss each tenet, and prioritize initiatives for 2022 and beyond. During the retreat, plans and objectives were solidified for a joint “meeting of the minds” among the mayor and council, key city staff, and all of Canton’s citizen boards, committees, and commissions. At this meeting, the goal will be to review the City’s Roadmap for Success as a team, discuss opportunities to collaborate more effectively, and better communicate ideas for the future.The vision for the “Coolest Small Town in America” includes a lot of new opportunities and priorities. From art and diversity to youth engagement and downtown development, the City relies on its citizen boards and commissions to manage and attain many goals for Canton and its residents. Without these volunteer groups, there would not be First Fridays, public art, historic preservation standards in downtown, new and exciting development opportunities on the horizon for the Jones Building, a thriving environment for tourism, and building and signage standards. Mayor Grant believes that policies and plans that help guide Canton’s future can be controlled at the local level, but true positive change does not happen without citizen engagement.Other Project Progress Around Canton: - Water Pollution Control Plant — This $65+ million project is currently on schedule and budget. Letters of capacity availability and timelines are going out to developers and many of the 2,000+ residential units waiting for the greenlight will be moving dirt in the coming months.- Old Ball Ground Sewer/Heritage to Boling Parks Trail Connector — This project is in the last phase of sewer connections, and the trail projects will begin with crossings/bridge work as the first steps. The expected completion date is late August. - Archer Street Parking Deck — Work continues on the retaining walls and underground structures. The expected completion date is August.- Teasley MS Traffic Light — Construction documents have been completed, and the project has gone to bid. It is expected to be completed this summer.
A Night of Fundraising Success and Alumni Winners This year’s Cherokee County Educational Foundation (CCEF) Gala raised more than $175,000 for Classroom Impact Grants for Cherokee County School District schools. The community supported the CCEF with donations for the silent auction as well as through the purchase of tables to attend the event. The highlight of the evening was the surprise presentation of the prestigious Alumni of the Year Awards. This year’s winners were Blue Ridge Superior Court Judge Tony Baker and president and CEO of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, Misti Martin. Both winners are graduates of Cherokee HS who have made significant contributions to the Cherokee County community, making it a better place for all to live, work, and play.
Victim Advocate Receives Statewide Award During the recent Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia’s annual Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) conference, Kayla Cleveland was named the 2022 VWAP Director of the Year. Cleveland is director of the Victim/Witness Unit for the Office of the Cherokee County Solicitor-General. She joined the office in April 2014, as the sole victim advocate. In less than five years, she was promoted to director, and grew the Victim/Witness Unit to add three more advocates. “Nowhere in the entire state will you find an advocate who devotes herself to the service of victims’ rights and needs more completely. Without hesitation, she tirelessly goes the extra mile to see that their voices are heard, and that they are not left out of the process, as the wheels of justice turn around them,” said Solicitor-General Todd Hayes during the awards presentation.
Frank Reynolds Charities Celebrates Successful Golf Tournament Fundraiser Frank Reynolds Charities recently made donations to two local organizations with proceeds from its annual charity Golf Tournament, which was held last October at Hawks Ridge Golf Club. The first donation of $15,000 was made to the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. For more information on the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, visit CherokeeChildAdvocates.org. The second donation of $15,000 was made to The Children’s Haven, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes the health and happiness of children impacted by abuse. For more information on The Children’s Haven, visit CherokeeChildrensHaven.org. “I want to thank everyone who helped organize and sponsor the golf tournament, as well as all the people who played in the annual event. Your involvement helped us make a huge impact on these two wonderful organizations here in Cherokee County,” said Sheriff Frank Reynolds.
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