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Orchestra names Cheng as new music director By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
BELLMERE GARDEN CLUB/PROVIDED
Bellmere Garden Club members and city officials stand with new markers honoring veterans and fallen heroes at Newtown Park May 27.
Newtown Park memorials honor armed service heroes By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Newly installed memorial markers at Newtown Park honor those who answered the nation’s call. A May 27 ceremony marked the installation and was attended by residents and city officials, including Mayor John Bradberry. A gold star memorial honors families with military service members who died while defending the United States. A blue star memorial pays tribute to all veterans. North Atlanta’s Bellmere Garden Club raised funds and coordinated the installation. Most of the club’s members live in Johns Creek. Past President Barbara Taylor said she got the idea for the markers while attending a dedication for a veterans highway marker in Douglasville decades ago. “It was a project I was wanting to do for 20
years,” Taylor said. “They are just so special, and they only get one day a year. I wanted this to be permanent for them.” After setting a goal of $3,000, the garden club expanded its vision by adding another marker after raising $8,000 during a fundraising bazaar. Club members sold baked goods, plants, holiday decorations, toys and home goods. The installation will join thousands of other veterans markers erected by garden clubs throughout the nation. Gold star markers make up a small portion of those, with 17 in Georgia. The gold stars serve to let the families of deceased veterans know “they are remembered and appreciated,” the Bellmere Garden Club said. The stars also have a personal importance with Bellmere Garden Club members, almost all of whom have a service member in their family, Taylor said. Her father served in the 1950s as a Navy supply officer in Guam.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra welcomes a new musical director with an international resume. Henry Cheng was selected to lead the ensemble, which can include as many as 60 musicians on stage, Executive Director Linda Brill said. Cheng said he is grateful to join the orchestra and looks forward to becoming a part of the Johns Creek
community. “This isn’t about making music. It’s about building something meaningful and lasting, and serving a community that truly values innovation, education and the arts,” Cheng said. “Orchestras grow when they serve, and my vision is for JCSO to become a place where people feel connected, inspired and proud of what we create together, not just on stage, but throughout the city.”
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JOHNS CREEK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/PROVIDED
The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra welcomes new Musical Director Henry Cheng to lead the ensemble.
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