Roswell will play host to the Georgia Downtown Association (GDA) Conference October 7-9 with attendees from across the State. The GDA Conference is an annual event sponsored by the Georgia Downtown Association, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

The GDA Conference brings together downtown development professionals from across the State for training, networking and workshops covering the latest in downtown development issues. GDA also presents annual awards to individuals and programs that have shown outstanding achievement in promoting, preserving and advancing development in Georgia’s downtowns.

The theme for the conference is Find It All Downtown and will focus on the very reasons tourists and natives alike are drawn to historic downtown districts - shopping, dining, art, music and more.

Roswell competed with other downtowns to host the 2009 conference. Based on past conferences, the economic impact for hosting this conference is over $50,000 with hotel/motel rooms, shopping and dining of approximately 200 attendees.

Traffic Signals on Old Alabama Road to be Upgraded

The Georgia Department of Transportation will begin work to upgrade traffic signal equipment on Old Alabama Road. Work is scheduled to begin October 1 and is funded with $766,859 in federal stimulus money.

The project includes upgrades to every signalized intersection from Riverside to Roxburgh Drive/Pine Bloom Drive, with the exception of Holcomb Bridge Road, which was improved several years ago. The project also includes improvements to the intersection of Norcross Street and Frazier Street.

In all a total of eight signalized intersections will be upgraded through this project. Depending upon the needs at each intersection, the scope of upgrades may include traffic signal heads, street name signs, steel support poles, countdown pedestrian signals, traffic signal controller, sidewalks, crosswalk ramps, refuge islands and fiber optic interconnect cable.

For more information, call 770-594-6420 or visit our web site at www.roswellgov.com.

Fire Prevention Week is October 4-10

The Roswell Fire Department (RFD) will be educating residents and students during National Fire Prevention Week October 4-10. This year’s theme is “Be Smart, Don’t Get Burned.”

The RFD will be visiting day care centers and schools with the Fire and Life Safety Center – a vehicle that allows children to learn about fire safety in a safe, but realistic environment. Fire Engines and Fire Marshal’s Office staff will be facilitating several coordinating programs to spread the word about fire safety the entire month of October.

It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent fires. Please think of Fire Prevention Week as an opportunity to have the entire family practice fire safety.

The following is a fire safety checklist:

Conduct home fire inspections; identify and eliminate hazards

Check your smoke detectors, change the batteries

Practice escape plans from your home

Purchase products to make your home safer including smoke detectors, escape ladders and fire extinguishers

The Roswell Fire Department is available to conduct Home Fire Safety Inspections. Please contact Assistant Chief Paul Piccirilli at the Fire Marshal’s Office if you have any questions or would like to schedule a Home Fire Safety Inspection, 770-641-3730.

Life Chain in Roswell

The Old Alabama Road Life Chain committee announces the fifth annual Old Alabama Road Life Chain. The Life Chain will be built on Sunday, October 4, 2009, from 2:30 – 3:30 PM. Hundreds of local citizens will line the sidewalks of Old Alabama Road, in John’s Creek, to form a “Life Chain.” Participants will stand on the sidewalks of Old Alabama Road and pray for one hour, while holding Life Chain -approved pro-life signs. During the Life Chain hour, idle chatter, frivolity, and both verbal and physical responses to motorists are strongly discouraged. Life Chain is a time for prayerful self-analysis, repentance, and serious commitment to helping end abortion in our nation.

This stand of solidarity by people of different faiths will vividly proclaim abortion to be gravely wrong. It will also confirm that local churches steadfastly oppose the killing of preborn babies, as well as the heartbreaking exploitation of their mothers by the abortion industry.

The first Life Chain was built in 1987 in Yuba City, CA. It has grown every year and the first Sunday in October is now called Life Chain Sunday. There are thousands of Life Chains being held across the country. Learn more about Life Chain at www.nationallifechain.org and www.lifechain.net.

The Old Alabama Road Life Chain welcomes all to participate. Uniform signs will be passed out at 2:15 PM, in the parking lots of St. Brigid Church at 3400 Old Alabama Road, and the Autrey Mill Middle School at 4110 Old Alabama Rd. Parking is available at each location.

Smith Plantation Plans Fall Farm Day

The Smith Plantation will hold the seventh annual Fall Farm Day on Saturday, October 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held in the pavilion and on the grounds of the Smith Plantation in Historic Roswell and is free and open to the public.

Artisan exhibits and demonstrations pertain to life on a 19th century farm which include living history exhibits, blacksmithing, square dancing, spinning and open hearth cooking. Children’s activities include period games, a petting zoo, wagon rides and gold and gem panning (for $5). Attendees will be able to take home the gold and gems.

The Smith Plantation Home will also host an Open House from noon-3 p.m. for $4 admission. The Roswell Garden Club will provide games, crafts, a plant and bulb sale and a scarecrow contest. The contest is open to the public and entries must be dropped off at the Smith Plantation pavilion by 3 p.m. on October 9. The Roswell Garden Club will install the entries around the grounds.

This event is sponsored by the City of Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department and the Roswell Garden Club. Smith Plantation is an original 1840’s plantation site built by Archibald Smith, one of Roswell’s founding fathers, featuring original family furnishings and twelve original outbuildings. It is owned by the City of Roswell and is located in Historic Roswell at 935 Alpharetta Street, adjacent to the Roswell Municipal complex.

For more information on Fall Farm Day please contact the Smith Plantation at 770-641-3978 or visit www.roswellgov.com.

Special Sanitation Pickup for Flood Damaged Items

The City of Alpharetta, through its waste contractor, Republic Services, will pick-up flood damaged carpeting, drywall, and similar items during a special collection scheduled for Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7. This service is available at no cost only to current City of Alpharetta residential sanitation customers who pre-register their collection need.

Customers who wish to pre-register may do so by completing a form on the City of Alpharetta website (www.alpharetta.ga.us) or by calling the City at 678-297-6060. The registration period will run until 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 5. Only those residents who have pre-registered before the deadline will be eligible for this service.

This special collection is limited to flood damaged cloth items (carpeting, furniture, mattresses, etc.) and drywall. Household electronics and appliances will not be accepted. Regular household garbage, food waste, and yard debris are not eligible but instead should be placed at curbside on the resident’s standard trash and recycling day according to regular rules and guidelines.

City of Alpharetta residents who have already paid for “large item” pickup involving flood damaged materials may contact Republic Services at 678-985-1753 to arrange for a credit to their account.