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4 Business & Industry Forsyth County News Thursday, April 29, 2004 Ijl Business notes lasis Health and Christian Bookstore ... owned by Frank and Suzy Treece, is now open on Freedom Parkway in Cumming. The store has a wide variety of merchandise from health food to Christian books. The health food selection includes gluten free prod ucts and Atkins Low Carb Solutions. Shoppers can find Bibles and music from all Christian denominations including Catholic resources and gifts. The store operating days and hours are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information call (770) 886- 9633. Georgia Farm Bureau ... is reminding hay producers preparing to graze or harvest winter grasses, such as fescue, that they should remember farm Service Agency regulations stipulate produc ers must report acres to be harvested for crops covered by the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program 15 days prior to harvest. The final acreage reporting date for all cool season grasses is May 1. said Wayne Dollar. Georgia Farm Bureau president. However, fescue is harvested and grazed before May 1. so it is critical that peoducers remember to report the number of acres they intend to harvest or graze as they prepare to begin harvest. Allstate Insurance Co. ... announces the opening of a new agency in Cumming. Owned and operated by Dean B. Barnard, the full-service agency offers a com plete line of products and sen ices, including auto, property, commercial and life insurance. “Our No. 1 goal at the Dean Barnard Allstate Insurance agency is to provide superior service to our customers.” says Barnard. "I and my assistant Kristie Hulsey are looking forward to helping families insure and protect the things that are impor tant to them, such as their family, home. car. boat, and more. In our commitment to provide the best cus tomer sen ice possible, we will sit down with our customers and review their insurance policies upon their renewal to insure that they are get ting the best coverage that fits their needs." After spending 25 years in the corporate world and the last four years as vice president of sales for a Fortune 500 company. Barnard decided to use his knowledge and expertise to open his own Allstate Insurance agency. The Dean Barnard Allstate Insurance agency is located at 600 Peachtree Parkway. Suite 102 in Cumming. Office hours are Monday through Friday from B:3oam to s:3opm and Saturday from 9am to noon. He and his licensed staff can be reached at (678) 455-8606 or by e-mail at Deanßarnard@ Allstate.- com. Marine Corps Cpl. Jeneva C. Coggins ... daughter of Jennifer A. Dykes of Cumming and Dayne Coggins of Brooklyn. N. Y. recently was pro moted to her current rank while serv ing with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Marine Corps Air Station. Cherry Point, N. C. Coggins was promoted based on sustained superior job performance and proficiency in her designated specialty. Coggins is a 2001 graduate of Etowah High School in Woodstock and joined the Marine Corps in July 2001. North Fulton Regional Hospital ... announced it has relocated and expanded its human resources department to better provide services for employees and job applicants. The new location is at the front entrance of the hospital just inside the main doors, providing easier access for individuals applying for positions at the hospital. The new area occupies approximately twice the area of the previous office and now houses human resources, recruiting, benefits, occupational health and related functions. “This move allows us to better serve our current employees as well as to provide a much more comfort- See NOTES, Page 2B Existing home sales rise Low interest rates help create second highest level on record WASHINGTON Existing sin gle-family home sales rose strongly in March to the second-highest level on record, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing-home sales increased 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate* of 6.48 million units in March from an upwardly revised pace of 6.13 million units in February. Last month's sales activity was 12.7 percent above the 5.75-mil lion unit level in March 2003; the record is 6.68 million in September Youth leadership program graduation ■ 11 IS I fIHI « I B MBf JM r HE I Bk K VH w - - BBE i ® w ofe - - Air ' >/7 Photos/David McGregor Above, from left, North Forsyth High School principal Bruce Wagar, Central principal Kenny Foxx, and South principal Richard Gill talk during a break as attendees mingle, below, during the Forsyth County Youth Leadership Program graduation at Polo Fields. The program, sponsored in part by the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, is a community-wide effort for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors designed to develop leadership potential and acquaint participants with community needs, problems and resources through interaction with adult lead ers and decision makers. • jjSt Oct r / Ju IB ! I B/Z • Im - ; 1M > j. in • • Whew- «... _ Jfe TBm, : | Carvel ice cream shop to open near Johns Creek By Antonia Hertwig-Benson Staff Writer Another ice cream shop is open ing in Forsyth County, though there may be a refreshing taste in the mouths of customers as they enjoy treats like “Fudgie the Whale.” and “Cookie Puss." The Atlanta area’s fifth Carvel ice cream shop is set to open in the shopping center on Peachtree Parkway next to Johns Creek Comers the first week of June. Owners Alex and Barbara Diener and Perri and Marty Kunofsky. neighbors in the Shake Rag commu nity in south Forsyth, are opening the store in the former site of a TCBY. Carvel isn't new to the two sets of neighbors. All four grew up on the brand of ice cream as children Alex and Barbara in New York City. Perri in Denver. Colo., and Marty in Connecticut. Carvel celebrated its 70th anniversary this year. “We’ve known Carvel since we were kids," said Marty Kunofsky, an applications programmer at L 3 Communications in Alpharetta. The four owners said what is going to set their Carvel store apart 2003. David Lcreah, NAR’s chief econ omist, said low interest rates get most of the credit for last month's performance, but he noted interest rates are now' rising modestly. "The housing needs of a growing popula tion timed nicely with historically low mortgage interest rates and a rebounding economy in March," Lereah said. “Although interest rates are rising modestly, an improving job market is creating a favorable back drop for home sales, but at a some- lliWtiMMii bbmctß IrT Mr ■ >3k V # ri ME Photo/David McGregor Barbara and Alex Diener stand with Marty and Perri Kunofsky out side the building where the two couples will be opening up a Carvel Ice Cream shop in south Forsyth off Hwy. 141, from ice cream shops like Brusters. Dairy Queen and Cold Stone Creamery is their ice cream is real ice cream, not ice milk. what slower pace in the months ahead." The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total num ber of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, pri marily because of differences in the Kunofsky said the store is going to have specials on Wednesdays. "Wednesdays are ‘Classic Sundae’s" he said. “You can buy one. weather and family buying patterns. According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed rate mortgage was 5.45 percent in March, the second lowest on record, down from 5.64 percent in February. It was 5.75 percent in March 2003; the record low is 5.23 percent set in June 2003. Freddie Mac started tracking interest rates in 1971. NAR President Walt McDonald, See HOME, Page 2B Rep defends opposition to ‘payday’ loan bill By Harris Blackwood Community Editor Three weeks ago. Gov. Sonny Perdue signed one of the nation's strongest laws regulating so-called "payday loans” and the highly prof itable industry has wasted no time in challenging the law in federal court. A “payday loan” is a high-inter est, short-term loan made to people in need of SIOO to SSOO in cash until the next payday. State Rep. Jack Murphy. (R- Cumming) defended his opposition to the bill during an appearance Tuesday before the Cumming- Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce during its annual post session report from the county's leg islative delegation. "I had hundreds of e-mails on payday lending.” said Murphy. "Most of them were in favor of pay day lending, and very few were against it.” Murphy said that the loans met critical needs for some people. "If a single mother has a car break down at 3 o'clock in the after noon, she still has to go to work the next day. Where does she get her money? “ He said that a “payday loan" would allow her to continue to be a productive citizen. But opponents of the loans cite the cases where the loans are rolled beyond the next payday. In that sce nario, the borrower still owes the principal and interest of the original loan and then must pay additional interest and a renewal fee. The first time fees can often reach as much as $25 per SIOO loaned. The businesses which target low income residents have flourished in many areas, including outside the gates of military installations. The cash loans are generally made in exchange for a post-dated personal check. See LOANS, Page 2B get one free.” The “buy one, get one free” is a special that was introduced by Carvel founder Tom Carvel. “We are going to be very kid friendly." said Diener. Diener’s husband. Alex, who also is president of Goods Galore Inc., a Duluth-area fragrance manufacturer, said the Johns Creek store is going to feature Atlanta’s first 9-foot sprinkle tower for children in Carvel stores. ‘ The tower will be a sprinkle machine to allow children to disperse their own sprinkles on their ice cream. Besides the sprinkle tower, the new Carvel store is going to have a cake decorating window where cus tomers can watch the employees dec orate cakes. Alex Diener said the store at Johns Creek is going to have a differ ent layout and design features than the other stores in Georgia. It will be larger 1,400 square feet than the typical 1,200-square-foot Carvel’s store. "We’re a test store for Carvel." he See CARVEL, Page 2B