ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION WANTS TO FIX NORTH FULTON TRANSPORTATION NIGHTMARE

The Atlanta Regional Commission has invited the public to a series of meetings as it develops a comprehensive transportation plan for North Fulton.

The meetings are called charrettes --interactive get-togethers open to the public- involving all "stakeholders."

Each of North Fulton's six cities—even Mountain Park—will be hosting meetings to both inform and involve the public about solving the Northside's traffic woes, says project manager Faye DiMassimo.

The public information exchange is part of an ongoing effort, known as the North Fulton Transportation Resource Implementation Program, to find solutions for the burgeoning North Fulton traffic debacle.

Eric Graves, Alpharetta's senior Traffic engineer and that city's top gun on the project, says all concerned residents are encouraged to attend and give input. The project is designed to tie together all facets of transportation into one master plan, that includes pedestrian, bicycling, public transit and cars, he added.

Sixth District DOT Board member Brandon Beach, who represents North Fulton, called the new initiative his top priority for 2010. "It is imperative that we bring our communities, our residents and the best minds available together to solve our traffic challenges on the Northside," Beach said. "Our ability to get solid citizen engagement is critical. Among all else, efficient transportation is an important  quality of life issue for our North Fulton residents, and its paramount that we have the best plan in place that all residents have a stake in," Beach explained.

Beach is CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a republican candidate for State Senate (D-56) in 2010.

Charrettes will be held Jan. 12 in Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500; Jan. 13 in Alpharetta City Hall, 2 South Main St.; Jan. 14 at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., and Johns Creek City Hall, 12000 Findley Road; Jan. 19 at Milton City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway; and Jan. 21 at Mountain Park City Hall, 102 Russell Road.

All charrettes will be 6-8 p.m. except in Alpharetta, which will be 7-9 p.m.

Final recommendations are expected in August or September. A second round of public meetings is tentatively scheduled for May.

Visit: www.atlantaregional.com/nfctp

MILTON GROWS GREEN COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES ADOPT-A-ROAD KICKOFF

The Milton Grows Green Committee, a volunteer committee of the City of Milton, announced the kick-off of a reinvigorated Adopt-A-Road program encouraging citizens and civic groups to participate in removing roadside litter.

The Milton Adopt-A-Road Program is a litter-removal campaign coordinated by the Milton Grows Green Committee. It is designed to remove debris from city roads and improve the quality of the environment.

Thanks to the program, 17 road segments will be kept clean by citizen volunteers, including several adopters from the previous incarnation who renewed their commitments.

The refocused Adopt-A-Road program involves new signage specifically designed for Milton incorporating the committee logo and a customized recognition sign for the "sponsor" of a designated stretch of road.

Citizens can help keep the community beautiful by volunteering to help keep clean a 1-mile stretch of road in the city of Milton, with a commitment to clean the road a least four times a year.

Program information, instructions and forms for sign-up are available at http://www.cityofmiltonga.us/forms/adopt-a-road.html. Citizens may also contact Gina Schwendel, MGG's program coordinator, at 678-242-2500 for more details.

MGG coordinates the efforts of individual volunteers and community-based organizations through the efforts of its own members, including Milton residents, business partners and those with an interest in the environment. For more information, e-mail miltongrowsgreen@earthlink.net.

COUNTRY CLUB OF THE SOUTH NEEDS A BAILOUT

Country Club of the South, a private north Fulton country club with a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, is scheduled to be sold at a foreclosure auction on Jan. 5, operations manager Michael Ryan said Friday. The property scheduled to be sold is owned by Country Club of the South Inc., and includes the golf course, clubhouse and other club facilities.  The Bank of North Georgia is the club's secured lender.   "Like everybody else, the economy is a factor," Ryan said.   The scheduled auction does not include the more than 700 homes that make up the affluent Country Club of the South neighborhood, which is separate from the operation of the club.

GIRL SCOUTS MAKE KUDZU FUN

Girl Scout Daisy Troop #3052 from Lake Windward Elementary attended the play for "The Littlest Elf" at the Kudzu Playhouse in Roswell on December 19, 2009.

Left to Right are Sydney Bennett (future girl scout), Sarah Bennett, Santa Claus, Javiera Buzeta, Kate Pitzel and Samantha Paauwe.

DOJ BACKS GA VOTER INITIATIVE

The U.S. Department of Justice has signed off on a Georgia program designed to keep the voter records of domestic violence victims confidential.

Under the VoteSafe program, the residence address of a registered voter in Georgia can remain under wraps if the voter is under either a protective order, a restraining order, or is a resident of a family violence shelter.

Secretary of State Karen Handel, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, said the new law allows domestic violence victims to cast a ballot without fearing for their safety.

The VoteSafe Program was sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey, a Rome Republican.

The Justice Department must sign off on voting law changes in Georgia under the Voting Rights Act.

DROUGHT DROWNS

After three years of drought conditions, 2009 drenched northern and central Georgia with above-average rainfall, causing epic flooding in metro Atlanta and giving Columbus its wettest year on record.

The National Weather Service reports that the rainfall total in North Fulton topped 80.7 inches, more than 30 inches above average. Atlanta had its second wettest year with 60.3 inches, or nearly 20 inches above average, and Macon its third wettest with 61.5 inches, almost 17 inches above average.

Gov. Sonny Perdue declared the three-year-long drought over on June 10 and Lake Lanier, Atlanta's main source of drinking water, on Oct. 14 reached full pool for the first time since September 2005. The Keetch-Byram drought index showed that the whole state was drought-free at year's end.

Georgia also saw some weather anomalies in 2009.

A severe weather outbreak in February pelted some parts of north and central Georgia with 5-inch hailstones. And March 1 brought the state's first heavy snowfall in seven years, with a 6-and-a-half-inch blanket setting records for the date in Athens and Columbus.

In September, a persistent low pressure system settled over the Mississippi Valley, causing eight days of heavy rain that dumped more than 10 inches across north and central Georgia, including about 13.2 inches in northeast Atlanta.

The resulting floods broke several high water marks that dated back to 1919. The Chattahoochee River experienced a record 100-year flood, while the Sweetwater Creek Basin, just west of Atlanta, rose to the 500-year-flood level, the weather service reported.

COLD AND GETTING COLDER IN NORTH FULTON

Sunday morning was cold but Monday will be even chillier. Expect single digits. North Fulton is going into a hard freeze.

According to the National Weather Service, temperature readings dropped to 24 degrees Saturday morning in Roswell. Monday could be 15 degrees when you wake up.

By Monday night and Tuesday morning, the suburbs around Atlanta will have temperature readings in the single digits -- the low is expected to be 8 degrees. In Atlanta it will be much warmer, 17 degrees, as the city holds onto the heat more than the outer areas.

All the while, the high winds over the next few days -- 20 to 25 mph -- will make it feel colder.