Bryan Adams & Pals Coming To Alpharetta

Jun 30, 2008 3:06AM

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams will spend his summer on the road in North America with a series of co-headlining dates with Foreigner and then Rod Stewart. The singer will also hit select cities during the run with his acoustic show, "A Very Special Solo Performance." Stops with Foreigner include Augusta, Maine (July 15), Norfolk, Va. (July 18), Alpharetta, Ga.(July 20), Houston and Dallas. Dates with Stewart kick off July 30 in Paso Robles, Calif. and run through August 9 in Cleveland, Ohio, with additional stops including Las Vegas, Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati. Adams' acoustic sets will take place in Wilmington, Del. (July 17), Charleston, S.C. (July 21), New Orleans (July 23), Milwaukee (August 3), St. Louis (August 4) and Pittsburgh (August 7). Tickets for all three lineups are available at Ticketmaster.com. Adams' latest release, 11, is available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.

Textron Financial Vendor Fiance Names William Carney Sales Manager For Southeastern Region.

Alpharetta, GA, USA – June 30, 2008 -

Textron Financial Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that its Vendor Finance Division has added William Carney as a regional sales manager. In this role, Carney will assume responsibility for building vendor relationships within the construction industry throughout the Southeastern United States.

“Bill is a well-respected industry veteran who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our growing team of professionals,” said Troy Murray, vice president and national sales manager, Vendor Finance. “Our goal is to place top sales talent in strategic regions across the country in order to better serve our customers.”

“Bill is a leader in the construction equipment finance market,” said Vincent Faino, president, Vendor Finance. “He is known for successfully identifying and satisfying the needs of large multi-line dealers and distributors. He places the customer first in all that he does, making him an excellent fit for Textron Financial.”

Carney joins Textron Financial from GE Capital where he grew the Southeast territory into one of the company’s largest volume-producing regions, originating over $50 million in new business. He has also worked for CitiCapital, where he originated loans and leases to the construction industry.

The Vendor Finance Division develops and manages vendor-based equipment leasing relationships across multiple industries, oversees Textron Financial’s golf equipment financing business, and pursues construction and agricultural equipment financing opportunities in the United States and Canada.

The division is based in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA. About Textron Financial Textron Financial is a diversified commercial finance company with more than $11 billion in managed receivables. It has core businesses in Aviation Finance, Asset-Based Lending, Distribution Finance, Golf Finance, Resort Finance, and Structured Capital. Textron Financial also provides financing programs for products manufactured by its parent company, Textron Inc. Additional information about the company is available at www.textronfinancial.com. About Textron Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees.

The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.

New Law Protects Pipeline Infrastructure From Underground Blasting

Tennessee Lawmakers, Governor Praised for New Safety Measure

ALPHARETTA, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The president of Colonial Pipeline Company today praised the Tennessee Legislature and Gov. Phil Bredesen for adopting a new law that protects petroleum pipelines from underground blasting.

During the 2008 session, legislators tightened blasting laws to add new limits that protect Colonial Pipeline as well as other underground petroleum pipelines.

“Developing a state’s infrastructure is an important job for any government official,” said Norm Szydlowski, the president and CEO of Colonial, which has its headquarters in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta.

“But it’s just as important to safeguard the infrastructure that you have, and for that the Governor and Legislature deserve our deep appreciation,” Szydlowski said.

The pipeline safety bill was sponsored by Sen. Tim Burchett, a Knoxville Republican and Deputy Speaker of the Senate, and by Rep. Curt Cobb, a Democrat from Shelbyville. The bipartisan support resulted in unanimous passage, 32-0 in the Senate and 93-0 in the House. Gov. Bredesen signed the new law on March 10 and it becomes effective July 1.

Without this new legislation, Colonial was forced to negotiate with construction crews and others doing blasting to ensure their work did not threaten the pipeline.

“While there has been a spirit of cooperation in these negotiations, the proper thing to do was ensure the safety of these pipeline operations. They are too vital to our citizens and our state’s economy to leave anything at risk,” said Rep. Cobb.

Tennessee receives a significant portion of its gasoline and other liquid fuels via Colonial’s network of underground pipelines. Colonial’s 5,500 miles of pipe stretch from the refineries of the Gulf Coast to the New York harbor, serving Tennesseans along the way. Products carried on the Colonial Pipeline include diesel fuel, home heating oil, jet fuel and fuels for the U.S. military as well as gasoline.

Despite Lower Rate, Alpharetta Officially Raising Taxes

By DOUG NURSE www.ajc.com

Only in the "Alice in Wonderland" world of government and law could a city cut taxes and still be said to be raising taxes.
The city of Alpharetta is cutting its property tax rate, but it legally has to advertise that it's increasing taxes.

Because of rising property reassessments and growth, the city will take in more money than it did last year even if it doesn't touch its property tax rates. In fact, if the city takes in $1 more than it did the previous year from reassessments, it has to advertise that it's raising taxes.
Alpharetta is cutting its millage from $6.24 to $5.75 per $1,000 in taxable property value, or a cut of .498 cents. But that's not enough to be revenue-neutral, so it's raising taxes.

Property reassessments for 2009 are generating about 7.06 percent more in tax revenue to the city than it collected in 2008.
To be revenue-neutral, the city would have to cut the rate to $5.47 per $1,000 in taxable values.
The city is concerned that many people are challenging the new reassessments, which could reduce the value of the property being taxed. The city must adopt the 2009 millage by June 30, well before the challenges are settled.

If the City Council were to roll back the millage to be revenue-neutral and if the amount of taxable property shrinks, the city could suddenly find itself with less money than it had last year.

Public hearings on the property tax rate will be conducted at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 S. Main St., at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. June 12, and again at 7:30 p.m. June 19.

Alpharetta Students Raise Money For Uganda Schools

By CHRISTOPHER QUINN www.ajc.com

Images of poverty and man-made disaster in a documentary caught Mick Chaudhary's attention last year.

While he was attending the Georgia Governor's Honors Program, the Alpharetta High School student saw "Invisible Children," a film about the devastating effects of civil war in Uganda.
Chaudhary is a pushover for a good cause. He was already involved in Alpharetta High's Junior Civitan Club, raising money for refugees in Darfur, Africa, and survivors of the Christmas 2004 tsunami that swallowed tens of thousands of lives along Indian Ocean shores.

There is a reason for the soft spot in his heart. Mick lived six years of his childhood in Bombay, India. His father is a telecommunications executive. He has seen with his own eyes the kind of hopelessness that afflicts so much of the world's population.

He is one of the lucky ones, with the family connections and education that brought him when he was in the 8th grade to a better place in life, but he hasn't forgotten the scenes he has seen.
"I realized I can help people who live in this kind of grinding condition on a daily basis," he said.
And when he saw the Uganda documentary, it became his next cause.

Three young, idealistic Americans made the film on a shoestring budget when they visited Africa in 2003. It documents a phenomenon foreign to civilized thinking, but too common in areas of the world suffering from the chaos of civil wars. It shows the plight of children kidnapped and turned into soldiers and of those the pre-adolescent killers prey on, the refugees.

The filmmakers started a nonprofit organization to support a series of schools in northern Uganda, places of hope and human values, where children can be educated or reeducated. They started a program called Schools for Schools for students who want to help raise money for the schools.

Chaudhary contacted the Invisible Children organization and asked them to screen the film at Alpharetta High School. After they did, Mick and about 75 students started a local chapter of Schools for Schools, promising to raise money for kids in Uganda.

They pulled together concerts with local bands, candy sales, spare change drives and dodgeball tournaments. Students attending a homecoming dance paid $2 more per ticket, earmarked for the program.

"It didn't take a lot of up front money to start, and it touched a lot of people's compassion," said Paul McKown, a social studies teacher who had helped lead the Junior Civitans.

And the pennies, nickels, quarters and dollars began to add up over seven months.
Alpharetta High has given $10,700 to Aware Secondary School in Gulu Province through the program. The money buys books, generators, furniture and other necessities for the boarding school of 700 students.

"I was definitely surprised," Mick said of the amount.
"People were as touched as I was and were willing to help," he said.
The Schools for Schools group will continue when Mick begins college at Vanderbilt University next fall. He expects to start a new chapter there.

Roswell, Alpharetta Host Tourism Week Events

By DAVID PENDERED www.ajc.com

Two cities in North Fulton are hosting events for National Tourism Week, which starts Saturday.
Events are scheduled in Roswell and Alpharetta from Saturday through May 17.

Tourism week was designated by Congress and created by presidential proclamation in 1983 to recognize the nation's tourism industry, according to a joint statement by the convention and visitors bureaus of each city.

Both cities promote their arts and cultural attractions as part of their effort to boost the local economy. Roswell is conducting a study of the value of its tourism industry, which preliminary estimates show pumps about $7 million a year into hotels, restaurants, venues and other destinations.

Here's a schedule of upcoming events:

May 10 and 17:
Downtown Alpharetta Farmer's Market. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Roswell Street, off Milton Avenue. Free admission.

May 10 and 11
18th Annual Colors Festival of Arts. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Roswell's Historic Town Square. Free admission.

May 10
The inaugural concert of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 8 p.m., 2200 Encore Parkway. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs under conductor Robert Spano. A grand opening reception begins at 5:15 p.m. Tickets: $21 to $75 (reception an additional $25). For information, call 404-249-6400.

May 11
Mother's Day Open House at historic Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation in Roswell. 1-3 p.m. Admission is a can of food for the North Fulton Food Bank at each house.

May 12
Alpharetta's annual Mayor's Challenge Road Race. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event features a 10K that is a Peachtree qualifier and a 1 mile fun run. For information go to alpharetta.ga.us.

May 14, 16, 17 and 20
Eagles "Long Road Out of Eden World Tour." 8 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. Tickets: $65 lawn; $185 reserved. For information, call 404-249-6400

May 15
18th Annual Taste of Alpharetta. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wills Park, Old Milton Parkway. Food samples: 50 cents each and participating restaurants will charge from $1 to $3 for larger servings. Free admission.

May 15
Alive After Five. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Roswell's Historic District. Free admission. For information, go to www.aliveafterfiveroswell.com.

May 17
Local authors' book signing party. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Roswell Visitors Center, 617 Atlanta St. All books will be available for purchase.

May 18
Sundays On The Square in Historic Roswell. Free concert featuring the Atlanta Wind Symphony from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For information, go to wwww.roswellgov.com.

Document Shred Fest Headed To Alpharetta This Weekend Better Business Bureau Offers Free On- The - Spot Shredding And Advice At Wal Mart Supercenter

By S.A. REID www.ajc.com

The rise in identity theft makes safeguarding personal information from old bills to canceled checks essential in keeping it out of the hands of thieves.

The local Better Business Bureau is offering free, on-the-spot document shredding and expert advice Saturday to metro Atlantans interested in making a clean sweep this spring.

SECURE YOUR ID DAY Bring any documents that include personal information, such as bank account, credit card and social security numbers. The list includes:• Tax records• Bills• Bank statements • Checks• Medical records• Credit card pre-approvals Source BBB

The services are being offered as part of the inaugural BBB Secure Your ID Day, a national collaboration involving BBB's coast-to-coast, Equifax and the National Association for Information Destruction.
Metro Atlanta residents and businesses can drop off paper documents for shredding from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 5455 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta. Up to three bags or boxes will be accepted per car.

Five Star Shredding, a document management company in Alpharetta, will have on site a truck equipped with a mobile shredder that can handle about 6,000 pounds per hour. All destroyed documents will be recycled.

"We are giving [residents] a way to take a large amount of the personal information that they want to have responsibly shredded and have the confidence in knowing that anything that has their personal information is being shredded right in front of their eyes," said Dottie Callina, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau serving metro Atlanta, Athens and northeast Georgia.

BBB and other officials will be on hand at the drop-off to pass out information on how to prevent ID theft and what victims should do.
Experts consider identity theft a "crime of access." Last year, more than 8 million Americans fell victim to the crime for a total loss of $45 billion, according to a Javelin Strategy and Research report, a California-based financial services research firm.
The Federal Trade Commission puts the number of Georgia victims at 8,744 in 2007, nearly 700 more than the previous year.

"Identity theft can have far-reaching consequences and hamper a person's ability to do everyday things," said Jennifer Costello, an Equifax spokeswoman. "It can cost a consumer up to hundreds of dollars to resolve these issues."

Saturday's event is the first of two planned for this year. A second one is set for Sept. 20. The success of Saturday's event will determine the location.
Other partners of Secure Your ID Day in Georgia are the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs and the Southeast Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission.
Tips on preventing ID theft:
• Check your credit report regularly, at least 3-4 times a year.
• Pay attention to billing cycles. Missing or late bills could signal a problem.
• Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet
• Sign on with a credit monitoring service that can alert you to significant changes in your credit file.
Source: Equifax