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| FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNéws.com
Library offering summer reading programs
Theme focused on health and sports
By Kayla Robins
krobins@forsythnews.com
A traditional assumption about
libraries may be that they serve
as homework resources and plac
es to check out books that no one
really uses anymore, but in
Forsyth County that is anything
but the truth.
Forsyth County Public Library.
a four-branch system that boasts
the busiest library in Georgia,
does much more than offer free
books. such as engage children,
teens and adults throughout the
summer with programs and
activities.
Registration for the Summer
Reading Program opened on the
last day of school at the end of
May. and more than 4,000
patrons have already signed up
and set a summer reading goal,
said Laura Bradley, program
manager for the library system.
“This year’s Summer Reading
Fun theme is focused on health
and sports.” Bradley said, “so
patrons will see programs and
storytime activities that they may
not usually associate with the
library.”
The theme was selected by the
Collaborative Summer Reading
Program, a consortium of states
working together to provide
high-quality summer reading
program materials for children,
The Place of Forsyth County opens community garden market
By Rachel Pittman
intern@forsythnews.com
The Place of Forsyth County opened
its marketplace garden for the first time
during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the
newly planted garden on June 10.
The garden, the result of a collabora
tion between the nonprofit, University of
Georgia Forsyth County Extension and
the Master Gardener class of 2016, will
stock The Place food pantry with fresh,
local produce.
The Place is a nonprofit that provides
emergency food and bill assistance and
has recently expanded into a workforce
development and sustainability program.
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Paul Dybas Forsyth County News
Senior first K-12 graduate from HCA
Name: Kamie Markle
School: Horizon Christiap Academy
Grade: Graduated Class of 2016
GPA: 3.89
Classes: AP classes include biology,
U.S. history and language and compo
sition: dual enrollment classes at
University of North Georgia and
Truett McConnell include psychology,
sociology. political science, microeco
nomics. English 1101, English 1102,
algebra and statistics
Next steps: Attending Georgia
College and State University to major
in biology with a premed track
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teens and adults at the lowest
cost possible to public libraries.
“In addition to traditional sum
mer reading programs like pup
pet shows, animal visits and
music and magic performers,
we'll be offering programs that
educate patrons of all ages about
health and wellness,” Bradley
said.
More than 2,300 patrons
attended the Summer Reading
Kick-Off Carnivals held at the
Lanier Technical College Forsyth
Conference Center and at the
Cumming and Hampton Park
libraries just after Memorial Day.
The library is working with
University of Georgia Extension
to present programs for adults on
cooking with fresh herbs, healthy
earing on a budget. preserving
foods from the garden and ideas
for packing healthy lunches.
Kaiser Permanente
Educational Theatre will present
programs on safety and nutrition
for kids, and a local chef will
also host two workshops for
teens in July con preparing
healthy no-bake meals.
A change this summer will be
seen in the library’s popular
STEAM (science, technology.
engineering, arts and mathemat
ics) programs, which have been
adapted to include sporting
events and sports science. Young
patrons studied the physics of
“We have scheduled work days, and
then if it’s a big group we can work
around their schedule to get them in here
to learn and to work in the garden.” said
Joni Smith, executive director of The
Place. “We're working with an Eagle
Scout to make an outdoor classroom so
that we can get more kids involved and
help that younger generation be able to
provide healthy foods.”
The garden has a total of 42 beds pre
pared according to UGA Extension
guidelines, providing not only room for
produce for the food pantry. but also a
few private family beds. select beds for
the culinary arts class. a sandbox and a
children’s garden bed.
In school: Varsity basketball
(played on the girls team. managed the
boys team when they won the GICAA
state championship in 2016): two-time
GICAA state volleyball championship
team: soccer; student council: senior
class president; National Honor
Society; Y-Club; teacher’s aide; first
K-12 graduate of Horizon Christian
Academy
Out of school: Worked at Brusters
and Browns Bridge Preschool
Future goals: Plans to become a
pediatric physician’s assistant
Lennar Atlanta congratulates this week's
' scholastic standout student.
Building where you want to live in Forsyth County.
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drag racing, constructed their
own racecars and tested them on
a ramp to see what designs and
materials made the fastest cars.
recently at the Cumming Library.
Later this month. STEAM pro
grams at the Post Road library
will explore the effects of motion
and force in athletic activities and
answer the question. “What did
you eat”” with a study of human
and animal digestive systems.
A full schedule of STEAM
programs is planned for each
library branch, with students in
grades 3-5 invited to attend.
Patrons can register for sum
The initial idea for the garden came
about last year, with work actually begin
ning in the chosen space in February.
The garden area was cleared by The
Place volunteers, garden beds were built
and donated by Browns Bridge Church
volunteers and Master Gardeners orga
nized the planting, bed arrangement and
irrigation.
“We had so many volunteers and
groups,” Smith said. “'lt was truly a com
munity effort.”
Patrons will eventually be trained to be
in control of sections of the garden,
allowing them to decide what is planted
and take more ownership over their food
<ources. Fresh food is often lacking from
food pantry programs, Smith said, mak
ing this garden a unique foodbank addi
uon.
“This garden is going to pull the com
munity together. It's a community gar
den,” said Louise Estabrook, a local
Extension agent. “Community is first,
and that’s the most important part. There
are a lot of people that have and will join
forces with us and this garden.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony was
attended by a number of Master
Gardeners, The Place volunteers and
members of the community and featured
speeches by Estabrook, Smith and Alan
Grote, a garden irrigation designer.
Boy Scout Will Shulstad was also
introduced at the event. Shulstad is build
ing the outdoor classroom for the garden
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LENNARATLANTA.COM
mer reading programming online
or in-person at any library branch
through July 31.
Participants have until August
6 to record books toward their
summer reading goal.
Children and teens who set
and reach a summer reading goal
will be rewarded with a free
paperback book.
All registered participants who
meet their reading goal will also
be entered in a raffle drawing for
several grand prizes. Readers up
to grade 5 will be entered to win
a Family Fun Pack donated by
Stars & Strikes.
for his Eagle Scout project.
Refreshments made by a culinary arts
class being held at The Place this sum
mer were provided to guests.
“Our goal is fresh, local, nutritional
food that we want to make available to
all citizens of Forsyth County,”
Estabrook said in her speech. “Beyond
that, youth education, cultural opportuni
ties, increasing oxygen, decreasing ero
sion, filtering rainwater, exercise, mental
health, horticultural therapy and so many
other things are our focus and will bene
fit us”
The garden will focus on teaching as
well as stocking The Place food pantry.
Master Gardeners will teach patrons and
community volunteers gardening skills,
and the outdoor classroom will be the
site of children’s learning opportunities.
This inclusion of all ages and back
grounds in the marketplace garden’s
operation is perhaps the most valuable
aspect, those involved said.
“The garden will be very helpful for
Forsyth County because they want to
learn how to plant and enjoy it and it will
actually help them to get to know each
other,” said Master Gardener Orlando
Beltran, who attended the ribbon cutting.
“It will become like a big family, just
like we are in the Master Gardeners. It
will be a wonderful family.”
For more information on the market
place garden, visit theplaceofforsyth.org.
NNARATLANTA
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
A bi-monthly
series in which the
Forsyth County News
spotlights local students
and their scholastic
achievements and
future goals
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016
Readers in grades 6-12 will
have the chance to win a gift card
and basket from AMC Theaters.
Adult readers will be eligible
to win an Apple iPad Mini.
For more information about
summer reading events for chil
dren, teens and adults check the
library’s online event calendar at
forsythpl.org, where programs
can be viewed by age group or
by location.
Printed summer program
guides are also available at each
branch.