Susan is the Managing Editor of The TowneLaker magazine. She lives in southwest Cherokee with her husband William and their two daughters, Molly and Samantha. Feel free to send your comments or questions to editor@townelaker.com.

Around Towne
by Susan Kyle

April Fool's! Gotcha! We had a tremendous response to our two April Fool's jokes in last month's issue. The first joke was "Skara Kyler" located on the Around Towne page. "Skara" was created as a combination of the Managing Editor, Susan Kyle and the Editor, Kara Kiefer. The second joke was the History of Allatoona Lake Revealed. While some big carp do indeed exist in Allatoona Lake, they are not there as a result of a flood, and they certainly aren't the size of a Volkswagon bus. We hope you enjoyed our April Fool's fun as much as we did!

May is the month of mothers, Mother's Day, that is. To all the mothers in the Towne Lake area, we hope you have a wonderful day being honored by your children. To the children of the Towne Lake area, we hope you succeed in making your mothers feel special and loved, and to the fathers, we hope you have the wisdom to take over her chores for the day and cook her a fabulous dinner - or at least pick up the take out!

What's New?

Knitting is not just for your grandmother anymore! People, young and old, are discovering the ease and beauty of hand knit items. And just in time to satisfy the new generation of knitting needle warriors, The Whole Nine Yarns recently opened in Olde Town Woodstock at 105 E. Main Street (park side). Debi Light, the shop's owner, offers a variety of classes for beginning to advanced knitters or crocheters. For more information, please call Debi at (678) 494-5242.

Cookies By Design recently opened and is eager to create special and unique gift arrangements of fresh baked cookies for you for a variety of occasions. The shop is located in the Colonnade at Towne Lake on Towne Lake Parkway (adjacent to Wendy's) and is owned by Kathleen McClogin and Debbie Riepe. You can place an order online at www.cookiesbydesign.com or call the shop at (770) 928-9595.

Tuesday Morning is coming to Towne Lake! The retail shop offers first quality, famous maker closeouts and is scheduled to hold its Grand Opening on May 3. Tuesday Morning is located in the South Pointe shopping center in the space formerly occupied by Towne Lake Fitness.

King Pollo Latin Grill is scheduled to open in mid-May. They have obtained their certificate of occupancy and have begun furnishing the restaurant. King Pollo is located in the Publix Shopping Center on Towne Lake Parkway.

Steve DeFrench, owner of Salon DeFrench, is happy to announce that he is "back behind the chair" providing cuts, color and chemical treatments for his clients. Salon DeFrench is located adjacent to Starbucks on Towne Lake Parkway and can be reached at (770) 928-5700.

What's Gone?

After five years, we're sad to report Tailored Tots is closing its doors. According to the owner, Kelly Peterson, the lease was up and the timing was right to pursue other ventures. Tailored Tots was located in the Colonnade at Towne Lake on Towne Lake Parkway, adjacent to Wendy's.

Towne Lake Diner
Featherstone's at BridgeMill
by Kara Kiefer

Featherstone's at BridgeMill has a motto: "There are many places to eat, but only one place to dine." This motto perfectly describes Featherstone's, which is located at the BridgeMill Golf Club, to a tee (no pun intended!)

Featherstone's at BridgeMill has been open for six years and is the second of three restaurants for chef Andrew Featherstone. His others include Featherstone's Grille at Towne Lake Hills and Winchester's Woodfire Grill in Canton. There are three things that make this restaurant fabulous: outstanding service, a menu varied in selection and price, and atmosphere. The restaurant is perfect for almost any occasion, whether it's for a bite after a round of golf or tennis match, brunch with the family or a quiet dinner for two. Chef Andrew said they really try to "cover all the bases" between great food, reasonable prices and casual yet cozy atmosphere.

I am not new to Featherstone's at BridgeMill. In fact, I love all of Andrew's restaurants because each one is unique. BridgeMill is only minutes from Towne Lake, making the drive a non-issue. For lunch, they have a wide variety of appetizers, salads and sandwiches, along with daily specials. The housemade root chips with Maytag blue cheese dip and the B&B salad are a must try! Each time I go, I find something new and totally delicious to have. Andrew said the restaurant specializes in seafood as well as steaks, but there also are chicken and vegetarian selections. Each Thursday evening every month, Featherstone's at BridgeMill features a "theme" night with outrageous specials such as $10 prime rib. During the month of May, the theme is Music and Margaritas. These specials are available from 5 - 7 p.m. only.

Andrew also noted that the bar is a happening spot as well in the evenings. They have a full bar with premium beers, wine and liquors and something that piqued my interest - $5 martinis, including his own creation, the Key Lime Martini, complete with a graham cracker crust rim.

The next time you're scratching your head, wondering where to go for brunch, lunch or dinner, try Featherstone's at BridgeMill - you won't be disappointed!

Towne Lake Kudos!

Congratulations are in order for Towne Lake resident and CNN journalist J. Mark Powell, who co-authored a novel with a colleague. The book is titled The Curse of Cain and is an historical thriller set amidst the backdrop of President Lincoln's assasination. The book is available at Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapter 11 and Amazon.com.