🌱 New Fire Chief In Town + Fire Hydrant Maintenance + Recycling Event

Hey, everybody! It's Wednesday in Woodstock-Towne Lake and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town, including news on:

• Woodstock welcomes a new Fire Chief.
• Fire hydrant maintenance is underway.
• There's an upcoming recycling event at the Chamber.

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 66 Low: 39.

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Here are the top eight stories in Woodstock-Towne Lake today:

1. A new Fire Chief has been chosen to lead Woodstock Fire & Rescue. Shane Dobson will start his work as Fire Chief on April 24, but this isn't his first time in our city. Chief Dobson began his career here in Woodstock in 1993, and since then has risen through the ranks at the Roswell Fire Department and Dekalb Fire and Rescue. His latest position was as the Deputy Fire Chief for Administration over in Roswell, and in Dekalb, he held positions as a Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief of Operations and Deputy Fire Chief for Professional Services & Training. The new Chief has a long resume filled with certifications, degrees and achievements. Welcome back! (Woodstock News Post)
2. The City of Woodstock is performing their annual fire hydrant maintenance. Signs will be placed where maintenance is being done, and you will likely see the city's third-party testing company around the city testing, painting and greasing hydrants. The city advises that the testing shouldn't cause any disturbance to us, but sediment may be kicked up during the process, leading to slightly discolored water. The discoloration is said to cause no safety or health risk, and it should only show up briefly, if at all. If you have questions, please reach out to the Utility Billing Department at 770-592-6006. (City of Woodstock via Facebook)
3. Start gathering up your unused items around the house, there's a huge recycling event happening on April 21 at the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce building. The Earth Day Recycling Event will run from 1 - 4 p.m. and it is free and open to the public. Accepted items include electronics, car seats, gardening containers, gently used athletic shoes, paper and aluminum cans. There are charges of $10 for CRT monitors, $20 for flat screen TVs and a $40 fee for console or projection TVs. Cash and credit cards are welcome, and the Chamber is located at 3605 Marietta Highway in Canton. Please see the full listing of items accepted at the link. (Cherokee Chamber of Commerce)
4. Six county high school seniors have been named as Georgia Scholars. The Georgia Department of Education program recognizes seniors for their academic success, participation in school events and involvement in extracurricular activities. The six students are all from Creekview and Etowah high schools. Georgia's 2023 graduating class includes 154 seniors across the state honored with the Georgia Scholar designation and each will receive a seal for their diploma. The students will also be recognized at a school board meeting in the near future. Congratulations on your hard work, students, very impressive! (Free: CCSD News and Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
5. A home care nurse was arrested in Holly Springs this week, suspected of stealing money from the family of the person she was caring for. The alleged incident took place in early October. Charged with two felonies, one count of theft by taking and one count of exploitation and intimidation of an elderly person, Holland Marie Emra of Acworth is being held at the Cherokee County jail. (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
6. Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and Cherokee Triad - S.A.L.T. are partnering to bring the community the Salty Dog Academy. The free classes will feature discussions and training sessions focused on emergency preparedness and ways senior citizens can protect themselves from danger and fraud. The first class will be held on April 5 at the Woodstock Senior Center, and following classes will be held at the Cherokee County Public Safety Facility in Canton and the Cherokee County Animal Shelter. You can sign up here for the class series. Cherokee Triad - S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) works to empower seniors through work and training with law enforcement and community groups to reduce crimes against the elderly. (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
7. Great news out of the Cherokee County Animal Shelter, the shelter currently has very few animals up for adoption! You can always check out available pets here, and even though the shelter holds Saturday adoption events, you can adopt any day they're open. Wait until you see Toeny, he's such a distinguished gentleman! Every Friday at 5:30 p.m., the shelter makes an update to the available adoptee page on Adopt a Pet to get ready for their regular Saturday event, but they also update the page throughout the week. (Cherokee County Animal Shelter via Facebook)
8. Don't forget, the Georgia Pre-K lottery drawing for the 2023-24 school year ends on March 31 at noon. Wait lists to tend to form, so be sure to check out private facilities that offer the Georgia Lottery Pre-K program as well. Incoming students must be 4 on or before September 1, 2023. Schools that offer the pre-k program are Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy, Johnston ES Preschool, Oak Grove ES Fine Arts Academy and RM Moore ES STEM Academy. You can find a list of required documents, application instructions and a search tool to find lottery-funded Pre-K classes at private schools and daycares in the area at the link. (Cherokee County School District)

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Today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

• Open Pickleball Play: open to county residents at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. There is a nominal fee to play. (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• Jewelry 101 with bamabelle: learn basic wire wrapping skills and create two pairs of gemstone earrings, you'll go home with a six-piece set of professional jeweler's tools, a jeweler's mat and tray and a take-home project. Made Mercantile is located at 8636 Main Street. (9:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Open Gym: open to county residents at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. There is a nominal fee to play. (1 - 8 p.m.)
• Reading Dog: for children of all ages. Sign up here for a 15-minute spot for your child to read to Zoey the Reading Dog at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.)
• Teen Writing Group: for teen creatives, ages 12 - 18. Meet up with other teen writers, help each other with your work and get some writing done in a nice, peaceful environment. The group will meet at the Woodstock Library, 7735 Main Street. (4:30 - 6 p.m.)
• Tween Book Club: for ages 10 and up or those at a 5th grade reading level, those under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. This month, the group will go over "Lalani of the Distant Sea" by Erin Entrada Kelly using discussion, games and more. You can register here. The group meets on the last Tuesday of every month at the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton. (5 - 6:30 p.m.)
• Spring Egg Spoon Planter: for the adults in town, head over to the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, at 116 Brown Industrial Parkway in Canton, to create a spring planter using painted spoons. You can register here. (5 - 7 p.m.)
• Ladies Night, Live Music: enjoy live music every Wednesday, The Radio Show starts playing at 7:30 p.m. at Guston's Grille, 12195 Highway 92, Suite 156. (5 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Team Trivia: every Wednesday at Sidelines Grille - Woodstock, 300 Village Center Drive. (7 p.m.)
• Music Bingo: every Wednesday at Sidelines Grille - Hickory Flat, 6199 Hickory Flat Highway in Canton. (7 p.m.)
• Trivia Night with Lights Up! Entertainment: prizes for first, second and third place teams every Wednesday at Reformation Brewery, 105 Elm Street. (7 - 9 p.m.)
• Fight Club Wednesdays: the top three winners in tonight's Mortal Kombat 11 tournament will win prizes at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. (8 - 10:30 p.m.)
• Senior Center Programs - most events are held at the William G. Long Senior Center (WGLSC), 223 Arnold Mill Road
  • Walking Club - every Monday and Wednesday at the Dupree Park walking/running track, 513 Neese Road. (8 - 9 a.m.)
  • Fit Over 50 - stretch and exercise with chair yoga, balance, bands, weights and core strength work every Wednesday and Friday at the WGLSC Activity Center Expansion. (9:30 - 10:30 a.m.)
• MadLife Grill Patio Stage - free shows, no ticket needed
  • Top Artists Extended Sets (6 - 9 p.m.)
• MadLife Stage & Studios
  • Sy Chadwick with Special Guest Leesa Biddy Lyons - Modern Classic Country (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Blue Ghost Arcade has chess! The new Chess Club will meet at the arcade every other Sunday, from 4 - 6 p.m. The club is for all ages and skill levels, and chess boards are available to use. If you do have your own board, you can bring it in if you'd like. The staff is also ready to help beginners learn the basics. (The Blue Ghost Arcade via Facebook)
• The City of Woodstock is hiring firefighters and EMTs. If you have a career in firefighting and you're looking for a department to call home, please check out the details on the positions here. If you're not a firefighter, there are also several other positions listed with the City of Woodstock. (Woodstock News Post)
• We all know Kilwins for their amazing chocolate, sweet treats and ice cream, but did you know they can also help you put together unique Easter baskets? You can make your own basket with help from the team at Kilwins to give your family a unique treat, they even have Easter themed gifts. You can contact the shop for more information or to get your basket started at 678-310-0241. (Downtown Woodstock via Facebook)
• Gone seem the days of brick and mortar toy stores, but not in Woodstock. We are lucky to have Learning Express Toys, located at 2295 Towne Lake Parkway, for all our toy, game and crafting needs. They also have great Easter gifts and basket fillers, head over to pick up some goodies this holiday season. (Learning Express Toys of Woodstock via Facebook)
• Reminder: this Friday is the Flashlight Egg Hunt, hosted by Cherokee Recreation & Parks. Bring the kids over to Cherokee Veterans Park in Canton to meet the Easter Bunny, have fun in the Kid Zone, make crafts, dance and get their face painted, and there will also be craft and food vendors. Flashlights will be provided, but please bring your own basket. The egg hunt starts at 8:30 p.m., and there is a $10-per-child entry fee. Registration closes on Thursday at 10 p.m. (6 - 9 p.m.)
• Reminder: the deadline to sign your kids up for the Cherokee Recreation & Parks' Spring Break Camp is Thursday at 5 p.m. The camp is for ages 9 - 13, and they'll be doing things like hiking, kayaking and fishing. You can sign up here, the camp will run from April 3 - 7. If you have questions, please reach out to Adam Fussell by email at cafussell@cherokeega.com or by phone at 770-924-7768. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you around.

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter? Contact me at Woodstock@Patch.com