County by county news for Friday

The session will begin with an executive session that will last at least until 3:30 p.m. before the public meeting will start on the rest of the agenda, City Clerk Dawn Davis said. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Smyrna to hold New Year’s party for kids

Smyrna will hold a New Year’s Eve dance party for kids 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village. Radio Disney AM 590 and the city are sponsoring the annual party with games, contests, prizes and a balloon drop at noon.

Information: www.smyrnacity.com. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Tree recycling sites open in Cobb

Christmas tree recycling locations are open at five Cobb parks 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan. 4 and Cobb Home Depot stores on Jan. 4 only.

Trees can be dropped at Lost Mountain, Noonday Creek, Fullers, Harrison and Sewell parks.

Smyrna’s Bring One for the Chipper program will be at Home Depot 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 4, 2450 Cumberland Pkwy.

Information: www.cobbcounty.org or www.smyrnacity.com. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Input wanted for shopping center

Cobb District 4 Commissioner Lisa Cupid is requesting suggestions for possible businesses for the unfinished shopping center at Anderson Farm and Powder Springs Roads across from Wal-Mart and RaceTrac.

Contact: lisa.cupid@cobbcounty.org. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Marietta taking school Choice applications

The Marietta city schools are accepting applications through Jan. 17 from its elementary school students who are interested in the Choice Academy Program.

The program at the district’s eight elementary schools offers a different area of learning at each school.

Students can choose a school that fits their interests, including communications, arts, science and math, literacy and leadership.

Information: www.marietta-city.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Austell Museum looking for annuals

Austell Museum is in need of school annuals for Austell Elementary, Garrett Middle and South Cobb High.

Bring donations to Threadmill Complex, 5000 Austell Powder Springs Road, the museum or the Community Affairs Department.

Museum hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment weekends.

Information: 770-944-4309 Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Sugar Hill seeks public input for city’s future

Sugar Hill is conducting a public opinion survey to help the city with plans for the future.

Log onto www.cityofsugarhill.com/survey to weigh in on the types of events to be held at the City Hall Amphitheater and what items should be included in the Sugar Hill 75th Anniversary Time Capsule.

Survey also wants to know if residents would like to have free WiFi service at the City Hall Town Lawn or Amphitheater. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Suwanee wants photos with community focus

Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit their best community photos for the annual Snap Suwanee Photo Contest.

Winning photos will be displayed at City Hall.

Deadline is Tuesday. Submit digital photos to Suwanee City Hall, 330 Town Center Ave., or email to SnapSuwanee@suwanee.com. Information: www.suwanee.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Free model train on display for the holidays

George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center is displaying O scale model trains in a winter 1940s village scene now through Tuesday at 55 Buford Highway in Suwanee.

This free event closes early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Times and information: 678-277-0910. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Bridge classes offered starting in January

Learn to play bridge 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays at George Pierce Park, 55 Buford Hwy NE, Suwanee.

Classes begin Jan. 11 and run for six weeks.

Information: 678-277-0910. Arlinda Smith Broady

Peachtree Corners offers business guide

Peachtree Corners offers a guide to licensing, permitting and other information for businesses interested in locating in the city.

Information: www.cityofpeachtreecornersga.com to print the guide. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Christmas tree reuse to benefit parks

Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, in partnership with Gwinnett County, will host the annual Bring One for the Chipper event Dec. 26 to Jan. 18 at various locations, for trees to be chipped into mulch and used for county parks and facilities.

After the holidays, residents can drop off their live, undecorated Christmas trees at locations listed at www.gwinnettcounty.com.

Fire stations will accept trees 24 hours a day, with other facilities accepting them during normal business hours.

Information: www.sustainablegwinnett.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Foundation grants money to Cherokee schools

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation awarded $6,000 in grants to the school district during its annual meeting last week.

The grants include a $3,000 award to the Office of School Operations for credit recovery scholarships for students who otherwise couldn’t afford the classes.

The group also honored 2014 district teacher of the year Lindsay Bowley and other instructors. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Senior center hosts New Year’s Eve event

The Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Complex, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive, Sandy Springs will host a News Year’s Eve celebration 3 - 5 p.m. Dec. 30.

The afternoon will include refreshments and live entertainment. Information: 404-613-4900. Arlinda Smith Broady

Woodstock hosts tree recyling event

The city of Woodstock has set Christmas tree recycling from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 4 at Olde Rope Mill Park, 690 Rope Mill Road. Residents can bring their old trees and receive seedlings or a seed packet.

Kids will be able to watch the tree chipper in action. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth library will expand hours in 2014

The Forsyth County Public Library will expanding operating hours effective Jan. 5 after the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners provide an additional $67,000 in funding.

The changes mean the Cumming, Post Road, Hampton Park and Sharon Forks branches will be open until 8:30 p.m. one additional night weekly.

Hampton Park will also open earlier on Tuesdays, at 10 a.m.

Information on hours: forsyth.public.lib.ga.us  Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Woodstock trail completion delayed

Woodstock Parks and Recreation Director Preston Pooser says construction on the multi-use Noonday Creek trail, originally set for the fall, has been pushed back to January or February.

Pooser says the 1.5-mile, $1 million trail from downtown Woodstock to Ga. 92 near I-575 was held up by bad weather earlier this year.

He says one stretch has yet to be finished. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Cherokee says budget year ending well

Cherokee County’s Chief Financial Officer is painting an upbeat picture of fiscal year 2013 preliminary budget results.

Janelle Funk says revenues totaled $153.3 million, $8.2 million above the projected $145.1 She also told the Board of Commissioners recently that expenses totaled $174.5 million, well below the budgeted $191 million.

She said among reasons for higher revenue were better than expected tax collections, court fines and building permits. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Students earn Posse scholarships

Twenty-three Atlanta Public School seniors have earned college scholarships worth an average of $100,000 each from The Posse Foundation, which pays for teams of students who have demonstrated leadership potential to attend prestigious colleges.

The scholarships provide full tuition over four years to schools including Syracuse University, Boston University, Texas A&M University, Brandeis University, Bard College and The College of Wooster.

Five of the scholarship winners come from the first graduating classes of Atlanta’s single-gender schools, Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy and B.E.S.T. Academy. Mark Niesse

Atlanta lawyer tapped for UGA legal post

Atlanta lawyer Mike Raeber, a partner at the firm King & Spalding, has been named the new executive director of legal affairs for the University of Georgia.

Raeber has specialized in complex business litigation and is a 1993 cum laude graduate at the UGA School of Law. But one of his most noteworthy cases involved James “Country” Parkerson, a Hawkinsville man sentenced to life in prison for murder. Raeber, arguing Parkerson did not commit the crime, gained Parkerson’s release from custody in 2010 after Parkerson spent more than 15 years in prison. Bill Rankin

Paperless water bill is now available

The city of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management now offers e-billing for customers who wish to discontinue receiving paper bills.

Payments may still be made on the first floor of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. S.W., or by phone at 404-658-6500. Arlinda Smith Broady

Senior center hosts New Year’s Eve event

The Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave., SE will host a New Year’s Eve Celebration noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday with food, fellowship and entertainment. Information: 404-523-3353. Arlinda Smith Broady

DEKALB

Clarkston to update sign ordinance

Clarkston is in the process of updating its sign ordinance to ensure more uniformly sized and located business signs.

The city is setting up a team to review best practices elsewhere and solicit input from residents and businesses as it develops the new law. It should be ready for a vote next year.

Those interested in participating can contact Planning Director Jason Gaines at jgaines@cityofclarkston.com. April Hunt

Edwards: Annexation a ‘game changer’

Decatur Schools Superintendent Phyllis Edwards described the city’s potential annexation of areas northeast and northwest of its current boundary “a game changer” as it relates to city schools. The city recently released a preliminary annexation map which includes a series of apartment complexes along DeKalb Industrial Way. Decatur Schools has projected enrollment over 6,000 by 2018, but those figures don’t include annexation and several planned retail/residential developments. Bill Banks for the AJC

Twist on Peter Pan tale offered in January

MJCCA Arts & Culture presents Peter Pan and Wendy a co-production with Synchronicity Theatre, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9 and 16; 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 12 and 19 at the MJCCA’s Morris & Rae Frank Theatre, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Although based on the classic, this swashbuckling musical includes opportunities for audience participation and the heroes must decide if growing up is really all that bad. Information: www.atlantajcc.org/boxoffice or 678-812-4002. ARLINDA SMITH BROADY

Improvements planned for Buford Highway

Brookhaven recently hired a design firm to help lead its efforts to plan improvements along Buford Highway.

The city will pay Jaeger Co. about $100,000 to help develop a redevelopment plan that includes safe housing and workforce programs.

The plan also will focus on pedestrian accessibility and streetscapes.

The work will be done alongside the year-long comprehensive plan for the city, which launches this month. April Hunt

Holiday pet adoption program underway

DeKalb County Animal Services has launched its “Home for the Pawlidays” promotion. Through Jan. 1, dogs can be adopted for $20 and cats for $10.

All adopted pets will be spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, heartworm or combo tested and dewormed — services with a retail value of more than $200.

Standard adoption screening criteria still apply.

Information: www.dekalbanimalservices.com. Arlinda Smith Broady

Nonprofit earns accreditation

The non-profit group that supports behavioral health and developmental disability services in DeKalb County recently received a three-year accreditation for services.

The decision by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International gave the DeKalb Community Service Board its highest level of accreditation for meeting organizational and industrial standards.

Information: www.dekcsb.org. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette OKs 2014-16 school calendar

The Fayette County Board of Education essentially split the difference between two draft calendars to come up with a two-year school schedule last week.

The 2014-15 school year will begin on Aug. 7 and end May 22. The calendar includes a four-day weekend for students in October but shortens the February break.

The same general format will remain for 2015-16 as well. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Recycle Christmas trees in Peachtree City

Peachtree City will offer three locations for recycling Christmas trees on Jan. 4. Trees free of lights and decorations can be brought to the Peachtree City Recycling Center, the Kedron Kroger store and the Home Depot between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The McIntosh Boys’ Lacrosse Team will pick up trees from homes or businesses in exchange for a donation Dec. 26-Feb. 16; call 770-487-8877. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Stockbridge chosen for Main Street Start-up

Stockbridge is one of 19 cities in Georgia selected recently by the Department of Community Affairs to join the Main Street Start-up Program, which provides technical assistance to cities looking to improve their downtowns.

These cities will vie for $1.8 million in available local downtown program funding, according to city officials.

Information: www.cityofstockbridge.com. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Senior center hosts Kwanzaa celebration

The H.J.C. Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility, 2885 Church St., East Point will hold a Kwanzaa Celebration 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday. Participants will learn the history of Kwanzaa and the principles behind the celebration. The presentation will include a dance performance.

Information: 404-762-4821. Arlinda Smith Broady

Fayette ethics board looking to fill 2 posts

Fayette County Ethics Board is looking to fill two alternate positions on the volunteer panel. The appointments have terms that end Dec. 31, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2016.

Fayette Commissioners are accepting applications with resumes for the two positions.

Applications can be obtained by contacting Floyd Jones at 770-305-5102 or at fjones@fayettecountyga.gov.

All applications must be returned to Jones at 140 Stonewall Ave. West, Suite 100, Fayetteville by 5 p.m. on Friday Tammy Joyner

Registration open for babysitting course

Piedmont Fayette Hospital will offer a babysitting training course 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at its Medical Building at 1279 Hwy. 54 West in Fayetteville.

The registered program is for teens age 11 and up, offering instruction in CPR, first aid, child safety and more. The $45 fee includes materials.

Information: 770-719-5815 or maria.lepage@piedmont.org. Jill Howard Church for the AJC