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evening who are state champion gymnast from the city of Smyrna. And uh no,

there's no school gymnastics here in Smyrna um or Smyrna gymnastics team. So, these girls take it upon themselves to train at at gyms around the metro area. Um, and they all uh two of them are the level nine and level 10 uh state gymnastics champions, which is pretty crazy. One of them is going to uh North Carolina State. Um, and then the other one happens to be my daughter Sam Norton, who was the XL Silver state champion. I'm going to read a little bit about them and then I'm going to ask them to come up and and get recognized and have a photo. So, the first um is Samantha Norton. She's a rising fourth grader and trains at Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta where she recently finished a a successful season at the XL Silver level. She finished first place all around at every meet during the 2024 2025 competition season. And that didn't end at state. She she finished first place in the state meet on vault balance beam and was the all-around state champion. She's moved up to the gold level where she's currently having a great time training on new skills and learning her new routine. And when she's not at gymnastics practice, she likes to read Harry Potter with her dad, yours truly, do creative arts projects, swim and practice gymnastics at home. And I don't I can't tell you how many um routines in the living room and in the kitchen and whatever that I've judged. I think I could be a certified uh judge at some of these things now. But she she did a great job. And please give it up for our state champion, Excel Silver. And I know she's proud to have her grandparents here. Uh my wife Laura is here. Uh Tony and Karen Goss are here. And my dad Dave Norton came all the way from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to be here.

And if you ever watch our city council meeting online and you see that there's one other person watching it, he's the one. Yeah, there he is. All right. Next is Margot Celinger. She's a rising sophomore at Campbell High School. Trains also at the Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta. And I and as a side note, Sam really looks up to Margot. Um she's been super nice to her when they they pass in in the hall and at practice and uh has been a good example for for Sam to follow. So, thank you Margot for that. So, she recently finished her successful season at level nine, overcoming injuries and scoring first place all-around at every single meet. This follows followed an exciting season at level eight where she also scored first place all around at every meet, won first all-around at the state championship and represented Georgia on the level eight team at US regionals. She's currently training level 10 and is excited for next season. And if I'm right, she'll probably be standing in front of you all next year at this time as the level 10 state champion. Give it up for Margot. Next is Christina Shelton. She's a remarkable student athlete and proud member of the Campbell High School community. She began gymnastics at the age of six and has risen through the ranks from Excel to the junior Olympic program and ultimately to the prestigious elite pathway. Christina's accomplishments are numerous and inspiring. A multi-time state champion, 2025 regional vault champion, and two-time national qualifier representing region 8. Among her most notable achievements, she was first on bars and third all-around at the American Classic and competing competed as a junior elite at the US Classics and in the US Developmental Program. She recently completed her junior year and is verbally committed to North Carolina State University on a full athletic scholarship. There's more. She is also in addition to her athletic successes has uh has her she's an entrepreneur. She founded Tina's Treats which is a lollipop business she launched to to help defay the cost of all that she's doing with training and travel and competitions. So her creativity, work ethic, and entrepreneurial spirit have made Tina's Treats a local favorite and a symbol of her determination both on and off the mat. Let's have one more round of applause for our state champions. Oh, okay. Where do we want to be? Right here. One, two, three. [Applause]

We have so many awesome young athletes in Smyrna. It's incredible. Uh, next, you might have noticed this team sitting up in the front here.

This is the Campbell High School boys varsity soccer GSHA class 6A soccer state champions. [Applause] Coaches, y'all come up too. Coach Connelly, I'm going to I'm going to have you um I'm going to read a little bit about um how this came to be and then I want you can you can uh speak and introduce your players if you like. On May 15th, 2025, this is the summary I was given of the game. Junior Gavin Banks scored the game's only goal with 1418 remaining in the second half to give Campbell a onez victory over Grayson in the in the class 6A boys soccer state championship game at Mckichen High School in Powder Springs. The victory gave Campbell its first state championship in soccer and its first in any sport in six years. Campbell, who finished 15-6 overall, started the season with two wins and five losses. loss with losses to Pope, North Atlanta, North Cobb, Sprayberry, and Carolton, but then got hot when region play began March 10th. They went 13 and one the rest of the way, losing only to Pebble Brook in a game that determined region three champion. They beat Heritage, Conjurs, Lambert, Discovery, and Duth to reach the final and won the state championship. Give them a round of applause. rows. Hey, second row. All right, tell me when you're ready. You ready? One, two, three. Got it. Thank you. Coach, you want to come up and talk about a little more about the season and and maybe talk about some of your players and and how this ride has been for you? No, you just you just you just speak. Yeah. You can do however you want. All right. Um yeah, I'll keep it short, sweet. Um thanks SPA City Council and supporting SPA in general.

um the support we've gotten from y'all, the community, the school, the booster club, my coaches, the hard work these boys have put in over it's not just this year, wasn't just last year. This has been something that's been building for the last several um this is five years in a row now we've made it to the at least the elite eight. Um three years, sorry, three of the last four years made it to the final four. Two years in a row made it to the state finals. It's I think we surprised a lot of people uh because outside of this bubble people didn't realize what we we've been able to do do what's been building. Um so it surprised a lot of people outside of people here. Um I don't think any of these boys were surprised. I don't think any of the parents, any of the booster club, anyone at Campbell was surprised. Um but again, so proud of the boys, so proud of the program we've built. Um just looking forward to continuing on. I I coach a girl side as well. the girls has some some really good things going as well. So, uh really good things happening at Campbell High School soccer program. Getting across the line is a perfect example of that. Uh again, thank you guys. [Applause] So, this is the point where we say congratulations and so glad that you were here to be recognized and you can stay for the whole council meeting, but you don't have to. And then we give you a minute to make that decision. And if you decide to leave, then we'll then we'll wait just a second to continue with the rest of our agenda. Great job, boys. Thank you. Thank you, folks. And girls,

All right. Next, we're going to go on to proclamations and presentations. Um, the first is item 6A, proclamation in recognition of Junth, June 19th, 2025.

And I'm going to turn it over to Representative or Councilman Ricky Oglesby. I almost promoted you to the legislature. I don't want you don't even want I promise you. Councilman Ricky Osby. Thank you. We'll wait for the the door to close. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. A proclamation by the mayor of the city of Smyrna in recognition of Juneth, June 19th, 2025. Whereas Junth also known as freedom day or emancipation day is celebrated each year on June 19th in the United States to commemorate the end of slavery and whereas through whereas Junth I'm sorry whereas through the emancipation proclamation had been issued on September 22nd 1862 with an effective date of January the born, 1863. It had minimal immediate effect on most slaves day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas, which was almost entirely under Confederate control. And whereas Junth commemorates June 19th, 1865, the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of his slaves. And whereas Junth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery, the celebration of June 19th was coined Junth and grew with more participation from descendants. Junth today celebrates African-American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. And whereas on June 17th, 2021, the Junth National Independence Day Act was signed into law, which established Junth as an official federal holiday. And whereas the city of Smyrna approved the observance of Junth as an official city holiday in 2022. In recognizing the holiday of Junth in the city of Smyrna, we acknowledge the challenges, successes, tribulations, and perseverance of all those who lived during these periods in history. And whereas the city of Smyrna will host its inaugural Junth festival on June 19th, 2025, a communitywide celebration that honors the significance of this day through fellowship, education, music, and cultural expression.

Now therefore, I, Derek Norton, mayor of the city of Smyrna, Georgia, do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2025 as Junth in the city of Smyrnner and encourage the community to join the commitment for anti-racism, racial, and social justice by encouraging a day of reflection, recognition, acknowledgement, and healing. In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand and caused to seal the city of Smyrna to be a fixed upon this the 16th day of June in the year of our Lord 2025. Derek Norton, mayor. Thank you, Ricky. And I want to say, you know, we we made Junth a city holiday a few years ago. Um, there have been many Junth celebrations around Cobb County in the last several years and and Ricky came to me and said, "We want to I really want to do one in Smyrna, Georgia. Can we if I take it on and organize it and and put in the work, can can we do that?" And this council said, "Absolutely." And you have put in the work, you have devoted, I know, a ton of time and energy into what's about to happen here on Thursday in our city. and we just are all appreciative for your efforts and we look forward to an awesome awesome celebration on Thursday. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. I look forward to seeing everyone there. It's going to be a great time. We're going to celebrate vesta for all. This is a familyfriendly event. Thank you. All right, we're going to move now to item B in proclamations and presentations. Proclamation in recognition of LGBTQ and Pride Month.

This is June 2025 and I will turn it over to Mr. Tim Gould. Thank you, Mr.

Mayor. My uh pleasure to be part of this uh proclamation. And I think we have some folks from Spurn of Pride. Would you all like to come on up and I'll read the proclamation and you can say a few words. I know you work you likewise worked hard to put together another great weekend activities. We're excited. We're almost there. Can I say a couple words before? Perfect. So, we're glad to be back for our fifth year of Pride here in Smyrna. We're grateful uh to the city for continuing to work with us to for us to host this festival. Um this has been a big year for us. We started off with a rebrand as you can see. Smyrna Pride, new logo, same motto, live where you're loved. Um other changes, the festival footprint has expanded into King Street. Uh we have over 50 vendors this year. So we're really excited about um additional area. We're encouraging people to come bring a chair, blanket, hang out with us for the day. Um and a lot of new faces will be there at the festival as well. We've received more sponsorship requests this year than any of our past years, which we're thrilled about. We're happy to bring back some old faces, and we have a lot of new faces and Smyrna businesses that are partnering with us this year as well. Smyrna Pride is honored to be a recipient of the Pride across the Peach State grant for the second year in a row that was given to us by the Atlanta Pride Committee. This is a big deal. Um, a lot of people have applied for this. We've gotten it two years in a row. These funds enable us, we're a small nonprofit to put on this festival as well as host a couple other events throughout the year as well.

We're going to be kicking off Pride weekend with yet another soldout kickoff party next Friday night at the wine market. If you don't have your tickets, sorry, but we do invite all of you to join us for the Pride Festival which is next Saturday the 28th from 12 to 6. Um, it is a great day. We have fun every year. Very familyfriendly. We just encourage you all to kind of check out, see why we do what we do. Uh we really just want to bring people together whether you're a member of the LGBTQ community or you have a neighbor or family member that is it is just a day to belong be in community with one another. So thank you for reading the proclamation. Thank you for having this matters. Yeah. Thanks thanks we just uh how much hard work you all put in to get it. I mean our businesses appreciate it right. People come from all across the across the metropolitan area to be here and uh and then you all you know put on a great a great festival itself. So, and was this fourth year, third, fifth year, fifth year, right? Pretty remarkable, right? And I think for both, it's just another symbol of how uh uh welcoming our community is. We want to make sure absolutely, you know, it stays that way and everything we can do to make you all make help make that happen. So, thank you. So, I'd like to read a proclamation um by the mayor, city of Smyrna in recognition of LGBTQ and Pride Month, June 2025. Whereas for more than 50 years, June has been celebrated as LGBTQ plus pride month nationwide in honor of the LGBTQ citizens that rose up and fought discriminatory laws at Stonewall Stonewall. And whereas the historical riot at Stonewall in New York City on June 28th, 1969 is considered a turning point for the LGBTQ liberation in the United States.