🌱 Canton Is A City Of Civility + Funding Combats Homelessness

Hello, hello. I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through the most important things happening these days in town. Today you'll read about these stories and more...

• The city of Canton is very kind, officially.
• Funding approved for homelessness initiatives.
• The issue of passport fees may head to the Senate.

But first, today's weather:

A couple of morning showers. High: 79 Low: 60.

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Here are the top three stories today in Canton-Sixes:

1. The Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) named Canton a "City of Civility" after the Canton City Council committed to a "civility resolution" during the GMA's "Embrace Civility" program earlier this month. The resolution is a stated effort to create a more civil exchange between the city and residents in city meetings. The goal is to embrace differences of opinion and experience between the two groups, while keeping meeting communication civil, honest and held with mutual respect. Canton is one of only three cities that have earned the designation. (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News | Free: Canton City News)
2. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved the issuance of a second round of federal funding to put towards the issue of homelessness. The approved $2.5 million will go to local non-profits and comes out of the $6 million in funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act last year. The projects that will receive the funds include the redevelopment of the old Tippens Elementary School site in Canton, through MUST Ministries, the construction of six two-story homes for use as transitional housing for homeless people in six-month increments, redevelopment and/or improvements to Canton's Oakside public housing project and more. (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
3. The rules may change regarding the legal practice of Superior Court Clerks in Georgia keeping passport processing fees as compensation. Prior to a related GBI investigation shedding light on the matter, it was not widely known that it was happening, nor was the excessive amount of that compensation - some clerks took hundreds of thousands each year in addition to their salary. Senator Kay Kirkpatrick's bill went through some changes and was ultimately approved by a state Senate committee on Wednesday. The bill as it stands now states that the clerks will receive a personal supplement of $7,500, using the processing fees that they take in. Half of anything over that amount would go into the county's general fund and the other half would go to the clerks' office for operating and maintenance costs. The rules committee will decide if the bill moves forward to the Senate. (Atlanta News First)

Today in Canton-Sixes:

• Get Rid of Junk Email: hear some tips on cleaning up your email inbox and getting rid of spam. You can register here for the talk at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Open Gym: for ages 11 and under at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway. (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• Open Pickleball Play: head over to The Buzz for some open pickleball time. (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• LEGO Lab: for all ages and skill levels, create and build with LEGOs. Children must be accompanied by an adult for the fun today at the Woodstock Library, 7735 Main Street in Woodstock. (4:30 - 6 p.m.)
• Black Superhero Showcase Party: for all ages, though children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Head over for a celebration of Black History Month with games, crafts and more at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock. (5 - 6 p.m.)
• Retire Ready: register here for this free retirement course at the Chattahoochee Tech Canton campus, in Lecture Hall Room A101, 1645 Bluffs Parkway. (6 - 8 p.m.)
• Eric Thomas: the artist will be playing live at Riverstone Corner Bistro, 151 Reinhardt College Parkway, Unit 103. (6 - 8 p.m.)
• Open Gym: for ages 50 and over at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway. (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.)
• Team Trivia: every Thursday at Sidelines Grille - Hickory Flat, 6199 Hickory Flat Highway. (7 p.m.)
• History in Woodstock - Desegregation: a discussion on desegregation and integration in Cherokee County in the 1960s. Harvee White, education manager at History Cherokee and committee chair of History Cherokee's Black History Committee, will be leading the discussion at the William G. Long Senior Center Activity Center Expansion, at 223 Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock. Please register at the link. (7 - 8 p.m.)
• Trivia Night: head over for trivia with Lights Up! Entertainment at Reformation Brewery, 225 Reformation Parkway. Prizes for the top three winners. (7 - 9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Want to get some rock climbing in at The Buzz? The Rock Climbing Zone is open this Saturday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 - 4 p.m., and you can find The Buzz at 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks)
• Cherokee Chamber of Commerce: "Join us for the first 2023 in-person LABS for Learning workshop! Carl Nicpon of Brio Business Academy will share valuable knowledge how to grow your business! Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3XUdqOQ" (Cherokee Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Cherokee County, Georgia: "Have you filed your real estate exemptions? The deadline is April 1. Visit https://www.cherokeega.com/Tax... for more information. #Cherokeega #CherokeeCounty" (Cherokee County, Georgia via Facebook)
• YMCA of Cherokee County: "Today on the Pathways Segment of the (Y)Connect podcast, Jill Moore, Group Vice President for the Y, and Kristel Tanzo, STEAM & Esports Coordinator share how they became connected to the Y and why they are perfectly qualified for the positions..." (YMCA of Cherokee County via Facebook)
• Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News: "Sheriff Frank Reynolds bestowed awards to several Cherokee Sheriff's Office employees and citizens Tuesday." (Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News via Facebook)

Here are some events coming up this week that require a ticket purchase or registration in advance:

• Friday: Dive In Movie - registration appears to have been extended until Friday at 6 p.m. for this event. Watch "Moana" on the inflatable screen while you relax in the water. You can bring your own float, but it must have a diameter of 40 inches or less. Everyone must be able to swim, and children in life jackets must be with arm's reach of a parent. For more information, call 678-880-4760. (6 - 8 p.m.)
• Saturday: Decoupage Tray Workshop - the workshop is instructed by M&M Mercantile owner Monica Mercer. Tickets include all materials for the workshop at The Mill on Etowah, 225 Reformation Parkway. (1 - 3:30 p.m.)
• Saturday: GlowBand Presents, Experience the Eagles - catch the Eagles tribute show at the Canton Theatre, 171 E. Main Street. (2:30 - 4:30 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m.)
• Saturday: 1900s Murder Mystery Dinner Party - enjoy a delicious dinner and a mystery, grab your tickets by Wednesday for the event at Paula's Zzerts, 140 Keith Drive. (7 p.m.)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you soon.

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter? Contact me at Canton-GA@Patch.com