By Jacari Brooks

• Many juvenile delinquents have been admitted to the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice detention centers for committing, armed robbery over the past 20 years.
• The most dominant race among these delinquents are African-American males.
• Advisers work with juveniles in order to help change their lives and limit recidivism.

            NEWNAN, Ga-When it comes to youth incarceration, it is known that African-Americans make up the majority of juveniles incarcerated in the Department of Juvenile Justice not only in Newnan, Georgia, but throughout the entire state of Georgia.

In fact, the latest nationwide data was recorded in 2015 by the Sentencing Project and shows that African American juveniles were five times more likely to be detained or placed in a juvenile facility as opposed to other races; whites in particular.

            Samantha Boykin, a juvenile justice counselor in Newnan, suggested races are not prosecuted the same in court.

            “My personal opinion is whites don’t get prosecuted the same because of white privilege,” Boykin said. “They may get the opportunity to receive treatment such as other rehabilitation, drug and prevention programs.”

            Boykin also says another reason for more blacks being admitted in juvenile facilities than whites is because there is more of an amount of policing in neighborhoods of color.

“More often than not, there tends to be more police present in black communities which gives blacks more chances to be arrested when crimes are committed,” Boykin said.

From being in the juvenile justice system for 20 years, Boykin says she has learned that there is heavy police enforcement in the communities of color and is one of the top reasons for the disparity of incarceration being as high as it is.

Racial Breakdown

According to the Department of Justice, the youth rate of incarceration projected to be 152 per 100,000 offenders. The Sentencing Project study also shows a significant disparity between blacks and whites. Black juveniles were placed in a facility 433 per 100,000 offenders, compared to the placement rate of whites which tallied 86 per 100,000. As for Georgia, the placement rate for blacks were 235 per 100,000 as opposed to whites which were only 42 per 100,000. The reason for that has much to do with where the offenders were living prior to being incarcerated.

The Sentencing Project says, most of the black offenders resided in the inner city. Black offenders in the urban areas are typically more exposed to violent crimes and have family issues. Those issues such as the lack of love, affection, and parenting creates a negative impact on them. Also, many of those offenders came from families that live in poverty. Counselors of the DJJ say they have learned that blacks who lived in poverty were more exposed to risks associated with crimes such as armed robbery. The many blacks who currently reside in the juvenile facilities were in unfavorable environments from the most part prior to being placed in the justice system.

“It is unfortunate that those neighborhoods have such a negative impact on those young black men,” Kim Wood, a DJJ counselor in Newnan, Ga said. “Most of them feel as if they have to survive, so they act violently and rob for survival.”

This also answers the question why there are more black juveniles incarcerated than other races; whites in particular.

Wood says the majority of white offenders live in suburban areas, in which most do not come from poverty. Suburban juveniles are more often insured under their parent’s private insurance which allows them to receive treatment other than incarceration. Also, many whites are able to have private attorneys which enables them to be able to get into other programs as opposed to blacks.

“That’s one reason whites are able to get a chance to pursue other treatment,” Wood says.             There is a lack of insurance and the ability to receive different treatment other than incarceration when it comes to blacks. Most black offenders who live in the inner city are likely to have public defenders. Blacks from the inner city are usually uninsured. Therefore, they are not able to receive the same treatment because they can’t afford it. As a result, they are likely to be incarcerated. 

Correctional Officers and Juveniles

            Correctional officers of the DJJ have come in contact with more blacks than any other race in the facility. The job of the correctional officer is to monitor their behavior, get to know the kid, and make sure there is no self-harm committed amongst themselves. Bobby Gale, a juvenile correctional officer in Newnan, Ga, says juveniles mostly of color have purposes and reasons for committing crimes.

            “There is a major difference in the number of blacks than whites and other races in the facility,” said Gale. “Those kids have a survivor’s mentality which is why they committed those crimes or act out in the facility.”

Gale also says when a kid will do good for a month or two, they’ll begin to act out and ruin everything that they have achieved.

            “Once their mind is made up, it’s made up,” Gale said.

            Gale says some of the black juveniles want to stay in the facility because they feel as if they have nothing to go back to if or when they are released. He also says the blacks feel like they have a better support system and are guaranteed a better living in the facility as opposed to their home. There are staff member including officers who become parental figures to the juveniles. As officers, Gale says the most important thing when dealing with juveniles, is to build trust rather than being verbally directive to the point where they “turn on you.” Once they turn on you, Gale says they begin to revert back to their bad behavior.

            In one case, a black juvenile recidivated which caused him to be put in prison for life. The delinquent was 18 when he was released. After two months of being removed from the facility, he committed a home invasion, shot the homeowner twice which almost resulted in being a murder. As a result, the juvenile received life and will not be granted parole until the age of 65. Officers say this was a case of reverting back to gang activity.

Solution?

            Within the urban area, African-American juveniles are exposed to the streets on a daily basis. There is a great amount of street exposure and peer pressure which draws those juveniles into situations that gets them in trouble with the law. Retired Clayton County Police Chief Greg Porter says the environment that these young men are in causes them to adapt a behavior.

            “The exposures of the street, gear a person to a certain behavior,” Porter said. “They feel that self-empowerment that come through the gang philosophy… acting in a criminal manner.”

            Porter says in order to take on the challenges such as reducing the number of juveniles putting themselves in dangerous situations such as joining the gang lifestyle, there needs to be a collective effort within the entire community these juveniles reside in.

            “As society, the parents, the school system, the church, the village in general need to come together to have a common goal to try to combat these challenges,” Porter said.

            Porter says there are a number of steps to combat these challenges in the urban area but there are two that should be a priority. First, school systems can insert recreational activities and after-school programs. Second, there can also more church and youth volunteer groups. With implementing these programs in the community, that will be the first step to reduce juvenile delinquency among African-Americans in the urban areas.

Basma Abrugrara embarked on a long journey at the start of the Libyan civil war that led her to Kennesaw State University.

By: Amecia Matlock

Basma’s Life in Libya

Basma Abrugrara is 26-years-old and attends Kennesaw State University, but she is not your average student. She reminessed on stories of her childhood from the other side of the globe in Libya.

Basma Abrugrarara moved to four different countries while fleeing the Libyian civil war and pursuing an education. She recounted the dangers of her country and the resilience she possessed to finish school.

 She was the fifth daughter born in a family of six girls. Her father started with a one floor household and continued to build floors atop it as her family grew. The house grew into a modest manor with a full library and a plethora of rooms for the family. The third floor of the house included a fountain and was so spectacular that many people used it for weddings and events. The bigger the house got, the more the family closeness was strained, but each daughter had a close confidant in one of their sisters. Mela was Basma’s. Basma said that, “Sometimes it’s like im talking to myself, she’s my other half. Sometimes we are holding hands and not even conscious [of it].” 

Her family had hired help ie. maids and drivers that lived with them and assisted the family. They took trips locally and globally. Basma is of mixed Italian and Libyian descent and had the freedom to visit her family in these countries as well as travel to other countries such as Turkey and Egypt. Growing up Basma didn’t want for much, but this was before the war.  

Trouble in Paradise

In 2011 a civil war was sparked in Libya. It arose due to conflict between the Libyian government and rebel forces under the leadership of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Protests in Benghazi were catalysts to the war. Basma recounted that on February 20, 2011 she was out camping in Gedam Forest with her fellow scouts. She remembers “hearing bombs and gunshots, but we didn’t know what was happening.” Being in isolation from the news Basma had no idea of the chaos that was ensuing around her. Going back home Basma recollects not seeing any cars on the road and wondering what was wrong. 

Escaping the War

On Tuesday, August 23, 2011 the Battle Moved to Tripoli, Libya where Basma and her family resided. Basma was a student of a university at this time, and she struggled to balance her schoolwork and the dangerous conditions of the war. Upon learning of the dangers that were prevalent in their war torn country, Basma’s father feared for the safety of his five young girls, so he had them pack up to travel with their uncle and his family to Tunisia. Basma and her sisters were confused she recollects wondering “What’s happening? Why aren’t my parents coming? Is everything going to be okay?” Basma’s parents stayed behind so that their home wasn’t left vacant and vulnerable to being overtaken. Mela said “It was hard to leave my friends, but I knew with Basma by my side I’d never be alone.” Meanwhile with the war was in full force, Basma became used to waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of bombs, and calling friends and family to give her possible last words. With Mela never far from her side they embarked on their first journey. 

Journey to Tunisia – August 2011

On the way to Tunisia Basma was approached by individuals on both sides of the war. They interrogated her on her allegiance to their leader, however Basma and her family were unaware what side anyone was on and unsure how to answer for fear of their lives. “Are you with him or are you not with him!” Basma remembers fasting because it was Ramadon and stated “I wasn’t even 1% hungry because I was so scared.” Terrified she and her sisters witnessed soldiers jumping from buildings, cars exploding around them, houses that were abandoned and ransacked, and several other horrors. At the time Basma was merely 17-years-old. Border patrol soldiers tried to stop Basma and her family upon their arrival to Tunisia, and ordered them to turn around. However, there was no way they could return from which they came, so they surpassed the guards. 

Basma and her sisters stayed in Tunisia for a month while things calmed down in Libya. They returned home to gather their things and move away permanently. Her father thought it would be safer to study abroad, because there were still remnants of conflict and danger. Basma and her sisters returned to Tunisia and did paperwork to legally travel abroad for school. Basma didn’t want to let the war stop her from gaining her education. 

Journey to Canada- January 1st, 2012

One of Basma’s sisters, Nuha, moved to America before the war and spent her honeymoon in Canada. Upon returning home she was told that her husband was granted entry but she wasn’t. This is because they did not recognize Libyian marriages in America. Basma recounted that, heartbroken, they resigned to staying in Canada. 

Basma, four of her sisters, and her brother in law traveled to Canada to stay with them. Her father traveled with them to make sure they settled in a good place and found a good school. Basma said that she was lucky that her family had Italian passports so it was easier for them to gain access to papers to allow them to flee to Canada. However, when she and her family arrived and it was discovered in the system that they were leaving Libya, they were told that they would not be allowed to enter the country due to their war at home rendering them refugees.  Her father said that if they only intended to seek refuge they would’ve gone to Italy because they have Italian passports. This was enough to convince border patrol to grant them entry.

Basma, her sisters and her brother in law got an apartment in Edmonton, CA and studied at the University of Alberta for one year. Basma was required to take several extra classes to support her English because it was her second language.  Kennesaw State also offers assistant services to immigrant students through the education abroad department. A representative of this department, Taron Reagan explained that they also help students obtain necessary documents required to study here as well as their visas. “We have different departments that specialize in different aspects of the program.” he explained. They also aid with study abroad and transfer students.

After a year and a few months of waiting Basma’s sister Nuha got her green card, and they were all allowed to travel with her back to America as long as they were to continue attending school.

Journey to America Pt.1 Texas – August 2013

“There are so many beautiful places in America, and so many things to explore,” Basma recounted. Basma and her sister Mela were residing in Dallas, TX and attending Richland College, while her older sister attended Southern Methodist University for law school. Before finishing school she met her husband who was living in Georgia at the time. 

Journey to America Pt. 2 Georgia 

They got married and moved to Georgia together where basma enrolled in Kennesaw State University to continue her education. Basma through it all has been able to quickly adapt to new environments. She sums this up saying,

“In less than eight years I traveled between four different countries, and attended schools taught in two different languages. I got married and watched my family be broken up into different pieces, and even got a full time job. You could say I’m a fast learner”

By Jessica Baker

On the side of Shallowford Rd., just past an intersection, there is a small house that is home to a multitude of rabbits. The small balls of fluff not only vary in coat colors, but also in conditions: some have damaged ears, others are sick and even more have rescued from unsanitary conditions. But all of them have one thing in common: they have fallen into the caring hands of the Georgia Chapter of the House Rabbit Society (GHRS.)

GHRS? Never Hare-d of Them!

The Rabbit House Society is a non-profit that relies on funding from adopter donations, fundraising, boarding and sales from its personal store. Having formed in 1996, it has rescued over 3,500 domesticated rabbits and in 2010, it opened the only stand-alone domestic rabbit shelter in Georgia. The GHRS not only rescues rabbits, but also educates the public on how to take care of them and then re-home and adopt out the rabbits. At the time of this article’s publication, the shelter was taking care of rabbits of which had been dumped outside.

Rabbits are actually the third most popular pet in America and the third most abandoned. The reason for this is that people mistakenly believe rabbits to be ‘low-maintenance’ animals that only live for about a year or so. Because of their popularity, a lot of baby bunnies are sold before or around Easter time, these rabbits being appropriately dubbed ‘Easter Bunnies,’ according to the National Geographic article “Why Easter is Bad for Bunnies.”

Within six weeks after Easter, the GHRS receives three to four calls, the reality of the rabbits’ needs finally setting in for owners. Despite the popular belief, rabbits can live up to 10 to 12 years and can make great companion animals, but require a lot of care and exercise. Luckily for the abandoned bunnies, the GHRS is ready to step in and help out.

The shelter also takes care of the rabbits’ medical needs as well.

“We’re having to get them all spayed and neutered, get rid of any fleas, ticks, or bot flies, and we help them get used to a lot of the sounds and smells that they would hear and smell in a normal house environment,” said Alyssa Smith, the shelter’s assistant manager.

Recently, the GHRS caught 22 rabbits, eleven full-grown and eleven juvenile, all of which were kept in a penned area in the shelter’s Hop Shop up front.

The Daily Routine

The shelter’s duties are no different from any other animal rescue organization. The rabbits get a quarter to a third of a cup of pellets (the juveniles get an unlimited amount.) The water bowls are refilled and fresh hay is placed in the pens. According to Smith, the process is a lot like room service: fresh blankets and towels are put in as well as cardboard boxes that the rabbits use for covering.

The rabbits of which require medicines receive what they need and the rest of the day’s activities involves doing laundry, cleaning the floors and surrounding area and caring for the rabbits. The staff at the GHRS consists mainly of volunteers who perform the daily responsibilities. The shelter has about 30 active volunteers coming and going, who also help with events that the shelter organizes.

Courtney Gurley, a volunteer who mainly works over at the GHRS’ annex building across the street, says that the organization currently has 130 rabbits in their care, not including the ones the shelter is fostering, which is another 50 or 75.  According to Gurley, the best part about working at the shelter is the people.

“A lot of places that you work and volunteer, the people are a little rude or a little not necessarily focused on their tomorrow, right? So, it’s like, people really do love the bunnies and love the animals and love helping each other, too,” said Gurley.

Currently, the GHRS has over 3,000 rabbits in its database, a system of which is also managed by volunteers. Sarah Holbrook, the volunteer who helps maintain the database, says a lot of information is categorized for each rabbit.

“[I] make sure their medical records are up to date, make sure their status has been updated when they’re ready for adoption  and if they go out to fostering, make sure they’re updated, that they’re in the foster home that they’re in,” said Holbrook, who has ten years of accounting experience.

Education H-opportunities

Along with adoptions, the GHRS provides numerous other services to the community. It also fosters rabbits and even boards them while their owners are out of town. The biggest service the shelter offers are education courses on rabbit care: Bunny 101 and Bunny 201.

Bunny 101 is the starter course for anyone looking to adopt a rabbit or who already have one in their home. It covers everything from basic care to the importance of their rabbit’s waste. Bunny 201 picks up where the first course left off by going into detail about preparing for any medical issues. Such things this course covers include: way to handle common ailments including stasis and bloat and how to give your rabbit an at-home health exam, such as taking their temperature and giving injections and administering fluids and oral medication.

Stasis (more often referred to as Gastrointestinal stasis or GI) is a potentially deadly condition in which a rabbit’s digestive system will slow down or stop completely. According to My House Rabbit, stasis occurs when harmful bacteria build up in the intestines and releases gas into the rabbit’s system, causing severely painful bloating and reduce the animal’s desire to eat and drink. This leads to dehydration and starvation as the rabbit’s intestinal tract becomes more compact; bacteria may also release toxins which overwhelm the liver and can lead to organ failure.

Gastric bloat (of just bloat) is another life-threatening condition in which the rabbit’s stomach fills with gas and fluids that causes any number of system issues that can quickly lead to death. The condition usually begins with symptoms of gastrointestinal hypomotility and gastric stasis which will eventually lead to bloat. The condition is more common in rabbits than any other species because rabbits lack the ability to vomit, according to PetPlace. They have a strong valve closer to the stomach which prevents vomiting.

As these conditions can be fatal to any rabbit, regardless of age, sex or breed, the fact that the GHRS offers these informative courses helps rabbit owners recognize any distressful signs in their pet and gives them the know-how to save the animal’s life.

Big Events

As with a lot of shelter organizations the GHRS plans events to promote their cause and get their animals adopted out. The two most prominent events the shelter puts together every year are the Hare Ball and BunnyFest.

The Hare Ball is the single largest community fundraiser held annually that benefits the GHRS. Unlike a more ‘traditional’ ball, participants aren’t required to get dressed up, but are encouraged to “wig-out” by making their hairstyles as unique and creative as possible. Activities include a silent auction, door prizes, the “Best of the Ball” hair contest and more; participants have to be 21-years-old and over to attend.

BunnyFest is the bigger of the two and caters to people of all ages. The benefit not only includes activities, such as raffles, for the humans, but also personal care services for the bunnies. The rabbits can get massages, mani/pedis and health check ups.

BunnyFest is also home to an activity called ‘Hoppy Hour,’ where rabbit owners can place their bunnies in a carpeted area filled with tunnels and toys so they can play and interact with other bunnies. Special staff members called ‘Bouncers’ are put in place to ensure there is no fighting amongst the rabbits.

To learn how you can get involved, check out the Georgia House Rabbit Society website or look them up on Facebook. Hop to it!

By: Ian Milliken

• Choosing a unique and attention-grabbing name for a new restaurant is a major priority for most business owners.
• The growing restaurant market in and around Atlanta has allowed for greater opportunity as well as much greater competition.
• With competition for restaurant names so stiff, many feuds over names have bled into the courts.

MARIETTA, Ga. – Dirk Tendick first decided he was going to open up a pizza restaurant in early 2016. Boasting gigantic 30” wide New York-style pizzas, he needed a name that would stick in the minds of those that heard it. A name that said both “Sunday dinner” and “You will always have leftovers when you leave.”

“It’s really tough to make that sort of decision,” said Tendick. “It’s not the most important thing, but it is the first thing. It is what they’ll remember about your business.”

New restaurant owners constantly struggle with finding the right name for their business. It needs to be unique, but easily understandable. It needs to stay with their customers while getting the right ideas across.

Inspiration finally found Tendick one night while he was watching The Food Network, a few beers deep and desperately looking for any sort of idea. While leaning back in his sofa, the phrase “Pie in the Sky” suddenly popped into his head. Dirk quickly grabbed a pen and wrote down what he would finalize to be the name: Big Pie in the Sky.

“It just made sense to me,” says Tendick. “It was a phrase people already knew. It definitely got the “big” concept across. And even though it’s long, I feel like people won’t have any trouble remembering the name.”

With the restaurant, and the name, made concrete in his mind, Tendick moved forward to open his first location in Kennesaw, only to open a second location in Roswell just five years later.

Fierce competition in Atlanta

Atlanta has worked hard to earn it’s reputation as the foodie capital of the South. Boasting thousands of restaurants, citizens of the city have their pick of any sort of cuisine they may desire. This makes it particularly difficult to create a restaurant that can stand out among the massive crowd.

Conventional wisdom would have you believe that 9 out of 10 restaurants fail before their first year. This, however, has been shown to be untrue, with only about 17 percent of full-service restaurants fail in their first year, with a median lifespan of about 4.5 years. This is actually lower than all other service-providing businesses, in which 19 percent fail in their first year.

However, most restaurant owners are not interested in simply surviving past their first year.

“Of course I wanted the restaurant to succeed, but I also wanted it to become a community staple,” says Dirk Tendick. “I wanted to be able to expand all around the state, if possible.”

Disputes over names lead to legal battles

The issue of fierce competition is true outside of downtown Atlanta as well. Historic Marietta Square fits more than 30 restaurants together into about a 3-block radius. With so many options around, it can be difficult for a business owner to make his/her mark on the district. Frequently, these attempts to stick out from the crowd can lead to tension and feuds.

Local breakfast and lunch hot-spot The Marietta Local is dealing with one such feud right now. The restaurant, started by owner Jim Tidwell, first ran into trouble when it was revealed that another restaurant, named Local On North, would be opening in a storefront directly across the Square from them. For Tidwell, this was clearly going to be confusing to his patrons and quite possibly hurt his business.

“We already have people asking questions about it,” says Aaron Peterson, a manager at The Marietta Local who has worked there for over three years. “I honestly think it’ll be bad for everyone if they use the name.”

In response to the news, Tidwell filed for a restraining order against G.G. and Salem Rose, the couple behind Local On North, preventing them from using the term “Local” to refer to their new restaurant. The couple have previously opened other restaurants in Canton, Roswell and Duluth under the same name.

“The existence of a second restaurant named ‘Local’ so close to the existing restaurant called ‘Local’ causes confusion and damage to the Local, LLC,” says Senior Judge Adele Grubbs in her brief on the matter.

The Roses have stated that they plan to fight the restraining order, stating that the term “Local” is a generic name which cannot apply to a specific restaurant or business.

Sex sells in Atlanta

Starting a new restaurant in a city like Atlanta can be an incredibly daunting experience. The mere idea of competing in such a crowded market can turn many prospective business owners off the idea entirely.

For Pinky Cole, this was not a problem. It was a challenge. Having run multiple restaurants in the past, as well as working as a casting director for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network and producing a television show with Maury Povich, Cole knew that she had what it took to make her mark on the overflowing food scene.

With that in mind, The Slutty Vegan was born. Made to connect with a young, more aware audience, the restaurant serves vegan burgers and fries; massive, sloppy sandwiches which have gathered an audience willing to wait in line for hours on end. And the name is just another part of the experience.

“At the end of the day, it has nothing to do with sex,” says Cole. “I know that sex sells, so I though how can I positively manipulate this. We want you to have an orgasmic experience and the ultimate feeling of euphoria that comes after having a vegan burger.”

The restaurant has been a massive success for Cole, with nearly 1,200 people showing up for the opening of the restaurant, just five months after the opening of her famous food truck.

“How can you not eat at a place with that name?” says Julie Newport, an Atlanta native who took time off on Tuesday afternoon to wait in line for a burger. “It’s honestly what made me first look into this place, and I have never looked back.”

Cole plans to open another location in Jonesboro sometime next year.

The future of the restaurant business

As the restaurant business continues to grow in the United States, it becomes harder and harder for new business owners to break into the industry. It has become absolutely imperative for any successful restaurant to market itself correctly and grow its brand.

For Dirk Tendick, however, the future continues to look positive.

“I hope to open a third location soon, somewhere with heavier foot traffic,” says Tendick. “I really think Big Pie will continue to grow around Atlanta.”

By: Rebekah Ozbun

SMYRNA, Ga.—Smyrna residents request that the city do something about unsafe driving on Matthews Street Monday at the Smyrna City Council Meeting.

“I come before you as a concerned father and citizen here in Smyrna,” said resident David Luke. “My kids and I used to practice lacrosse in the front yard, but recently while we were throwing the ball, it went into the street. Before the truck had a chance to even swerve, it hit the ball in the road and broke it, and we all know how tough a lacrosse ball is. My kids are scared.”

The major concerns presented by resident Cedric Lumston included the safety of families with children and pets walking on Matthews Street and Whitfield Street, the noise pollution caused by speeding cars and the fear of hitting a car when backing out of the driveway.

“Because of the increase in population in our city, the placement of the SunTrust Stadium and the constant construction projects in the area, people have been cutting through our neighborhood at ridiculous speeds,” said Smyrna resident Cedric Lumpston. “These factors make sense, but I don’t understand why the city won’t do anything about it.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Smyrna has grown by about 1.1% since the opening of the SunTrust park in March of 2017. This population change has also shifted the demographic to a heavily young population, with the majority of Smyrna residents being under the age of 35.

“This change in population, along with the extended construction projects around the city affects the flow of traffic,” said Smyrna resident Forest Answorth.

“I have sent two letters to Smyrna city board, and I have had no response,” said Lumston. “I asked for the city to install stop signs, but I have heard nothing.”

“I have a 4-year-old daughter,” said Answorth. “If she is in the yard playing, there is no telling what could happen when a car comes racing down the street at 60 mph. Nothing is being down about this problem.”

These three residents living on Matthew’s street are requesting that the city do something to make their neighborhood a safe place again. Because of state law, the speed limit cannot be dropped to 25 mph, which was the initial request.

“I would like to see something happen,” said Answorth. “I don’t know what the answer is, but I want to see something done—patrols or stops signs or something.”

The Smyrna City Council will take time to discuss the greivances brought forward at the meeting Monday and will discuss a solution at the next Council meeting, which will be held July 11 in Down Town Smyrna.

By Jessica Baker

KENNESAW, Ga.-The Kennesaw City Council conducted its first of the month meeting Monday.

The meeting began at 6:30 p.m. with two items on the agenda for the evening. The first item was the purchase of cemetery lots at the Kennesaw City Cemetery; the second item was for approval of a Revised Final Plat correcting addressing in Phase I and the Final Plat Phase II in Villas at Hickory Grove.

Item No. 1 consisted of authorization of purchase of lots in the Kennesaw City Cemetery, in which the mayor had to sign the supporting deeds for those lots. Three cemetery lots were purchased by Patricia and Gene Henssler, who own and operate Henssler Financial, on June 13th and located in Section III, Plot 44 Lot D, Plots A and B. Another lot was purchased by another Kennesaw woman, located the same section, Plot 62 Lot A.

According to Councilman David Blinkhorn, it doesn’t matter if the person is local or not, anyone can buy a plot in the cemetery and the process is very simple. “Initially, they [buyers] would contact the city clerk and then they would discuss the options as to what part of the cemetery they want to be in,” Blinkhorn said. “There are some options they can choose from and then the city clerk would make all those arrangements and then ultimately, they are basically buying city property…she would do the paperwork and then it would come to us and we vote.”

Item No. 2 involved the approval of the revised Final Plat of correcting the address of Phase I in Villas at Hickory Grove, of which had been approved January 22^nd earlier this year. The form was submitted by Kerley Family Homes for property along Hickory Grove Rd.; the property spans 16.67+/- acres and was annexed and rezoned into the City Limits back in 2006. Kerley Family Homes was seeking approval of its request to finalize the correction of the property address of lot 69 as 4565 Grenadine Circle.

The process for purchasing land for a living development has a few steps. The council does not get involved in the actual purchase, as it is a person-to-person negotiation of the price for the lot.

“Once you have a plan in place and are going through the permit process, it’s mostly the planning and zoning side where we define whether it’s the appropriate use for that land or not,” Mayor Pro Tem Chris Henderson said. “[You would] get to a final presentation that would come to mayor and council where we would approve the concepts before you do any engineering design.”

The company was also seeking approval for its Final Plat Phase II of the project consisting of 62 out of the 82 total lots.

Also present at the meeting were six scouts from the Boy Scouts of America, who had come to observe the meeting and went to the mayor’s office afterwards with their parents to get a brief tour of the council building. The mayor spoke to them about government and how it should be run, let them ask questions and so on. “The mayor was a Boy Scout,” Henderson said. “He really knows the details of the merit badges, so if they’re here for community development things, etc., he tailors it to what their badges are for.”