Marchers carry a banner during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day walk through Alpharetta Jan. 20.
Hundreds brave cold to observe MLK Day
By JON WILCOX
jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Hundreds marched through Alpharetta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in memory of the civil rights activist.
Carrying banners and chanting through the megaphones, the crowd braved temperatures in the teens, walking from the St. James United Methodist Church on Webb Bridge Road about 1 mile to Alpharetta City Hall, then to nearby
First Baptist Church of Alpharetta for a reception.
Like many in the crowd, Duluth resident Flora Bennett said she was pondering the significance of the day and the man it is named after.
“Today, I’m thinking about the sacrifice that was made for our freedoms and all the things that Martin Luther King Jr. did to give us an opportunity to live a better life,” Bennett said during the walk.
MARCH, Page 10
The Rev. Tavares Stephens, of St. James UMC, recites his poem, “We Can Be,” on the steps of the Alpharetta City Hall after a Martin Luther King Jr. Day walk Jan. 20.
Roswell mayor cites bold steps to advance city
By AMRITHA JOSEPH newsroom@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson credits his administration and City Council for reversing a culture of complacency, making Roswell the envy of other municipalities.
In his Jan. 17 State of the City address at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Wilson said that by using the latest technology, investing in economic development and applying an innovative approach to city leadership, Roswell has realized initiatives that were previously a dream.
Wilson said that for 20 years, Roswell faced a state of paralysis, knowing what needed to be done but unable to act.
“From 2022 to 2024, however, this City Council shattered that cycle of inaction,” he said.
Investing in technology for instance, the Roswell Fire Department has implemented automatic vehicle location and fire station placement analysis using GIS processes, resulting in significantly reduced response times, he said. Roswell is also one of the few fire departments selected for the Department of Homeland Security’s $5 million dollar partnership with Qwake Technologies to test see-through and augmented reality imaging systems for firefighter safety and tracking.
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
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GBI called in to investigate SWAT shooting in Roswell
ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell Police Department requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after an officer and a suspect exchanged gunfire the afternoon of Jan. 17.
The Roswell Police Department’s statement says its detectives and members of North Fulton SWAT were deployed to a residence within the 500 block of Ansley Drive to serve search and arrest warrants.
Officers said the warrants stem from a criminal investigation into a Dec. 31 incident where a male suspect allegedly fired a handgun into the air when asked to leave a party.
POLICE BLOTTER
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
Woman cited for drugs following traffic stop
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 39-year-old Stone Mountain woman was arrested on drug charges Jan. 7.
Officers stopped a vehicle about 11 p.m. on Westside Parkway at Kimball Bridge Road after noticing a headlight was out, according to a report from Alpharetta Police.
Police reported smelling marijuana while speaking with the driver, who appeared nervous, according to the report.
Officers searched the woman’s vehicle and found marijuana, THC gummies and pills, which they suspected contained ecstasy.
The woman was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, co-disorderly conduct and driving while license expired.
— Jon Wilcox
AAPPEN PRESSCLU
Police make drug bust during hotel stakeout
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 23-year-old Alpharetta women Jan. 14 after she allegedly purchased illegal drugs at the Economy Hotel off Old Holcomb Bridge Road.
An officer said he spotted a Dodge Journey at the hotel parking lot during his patrol of the area “known for high narcotic activity.”
After observing the vehicle make multiple 15-minute stops at the hotel, the officer said he followed it onto northbound Ga. 400 and conducted
Roswell Police detectives say they identified the suspect and secured arrest warrants for reckless conduct, discharge of firearms on the property of another and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The department’s statement says the suspect had an extensive and violent criminal history including multiple weapons offenses, which prompted North Fulton SWAT to lead the operation to apprehend the suspect.
During the operation, the statement says one suspect ran out the back of the residence and fired shots at police, striking one SWAT officer in the chest. The same officer returned fire, striking
a traffic stop after the driver made an abrupt lane change.
Because of a previous arrest for marijuana possession, officers asked the driver if she had any illegal drugs in her vehicle. After she surrendered a gram of marijuana, officers searched the vehicle and found a gram of cocaine and opioid pills.
The woman allegedly told officers that she purchased the illegal drugs near the Economy Hotel but refused to provide a room number or the name of a dealer.
Officers secured warrants for failure to signal lane change, possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana and two counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance before transporting her to Fulton County Jail.
Hayden Sumlin
Rideshare passenger cited for possession of drugs
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 31-year-old Cumming man was arrested on drug possession charges Jan. 12.
Police stopped a vehicle on northbound Ga. 400 at Windward Parkway after it failed to slow or move over for a passing officer, according to an Alpharetta Police.
Officers smelled marijuana while speaking with the driver, who was transporting a passenger for a rideshare company. The driver declined smoking marijuana and said a passenger may have.
Police determined the passenger was wanted out of Morgan County on a drug possession charge.
Police searched the vehicle and passenger, finding a small baggie containing heroin, marijuana cigar and THC vape.
The passenger was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
— Jon Wilcox
the suspect, who was pronounced deceased on scene.
The statement says the officer is expected to make a full recovery from shrapnel wounds after his ballistic vest absorbed most of the impact.
In accordance with Roswell Police Department policy, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to handle the independent investigation into the shooting.
All additional information moving forward will be released by the GBI.
This is a developing story. For updates, check www.appenmedia.com/.
— Hayden Sumlin
Police probe porch thefts in Roswell neighborhoods
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating two cases of porch piracy after a Spring Drive resident reported the theft of a FedEx package Jan. 15.
The victim, a 41-year-old Roswell man, said someone dressed as an Amazon delivery driver took a package containing $1,200 worth of lighting equipment from his front porch a couple hours after it was delivered.
Officers said security footage showed a man approach the house with an Amazon package, pick up a FedEx package and walk back to his Acura RDX with both.
Using the department’s crime center, officers said they identified the suspect’s vehicle, but the registered owner did not fit the suspect’s description.
Later, officers said neighborhood security cameras caught the same man stealing FedEx packages from residences within the Holcomb’s Crossings townhomes community.
While Roswell Police were able to track the vehicle throughout the city, officers have not identified a suspect.
— Hayden Sumlin
Driver admits to speeding to watch football game
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 37 year-old Johns Creek man was arrested on a reckless driving charge on Ga. 400 Jan. 11.
Officers stopped a BMW X4 after estimating its speed exceeded 100 mph in a 55-mph zone on southbound Ga. 400, according to Alpharetta Police.
The driver told police he was speeding to catch the end of a Baltimore Ravens football game.
The man was arrested on misdemeanor charges of first offense reckless driving, speeding and failure to maintain lane.
— Jon Wilcox
Alpharetta city officials consider tax districts to fund improvements
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta city officials are considering the creation of special service districts to provide improvements for some neighborhoods.
City officials discussed the districts on Jan. 17 at a weekend retreat at Adairsville. Attended by Alpharetta’s City Council and city staff, the retreat reviewed 2024’s accomplishments and looked forward to the city’s plans for 2025.
A special service district would use property taxes to reinvest in neighborhoods with landscaping and other improvements, Alpharetta Community Development Director Kathi Cook said. Examples include tax allocation and central business
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
improvement districts. The districts have been used in the Atlanta Beltline and Brookhaven.
Established in 2021, Brookhaven’s special service district was created with an initial tax rate of 4 mills and funded capital projects and services.
Collected funds would directly benefit parts of the city where they were collected from by making them more attractive, Cook said.
As an example, a rate of 1 mill imposed on the downtown district would generate $173,336 for improvements to the area.
The Georgia Constitution allows for the creation of special districts to provide services within them. Taxes could be collected from residential or commercial properties.
Roswell takes wrong turn on downtown parking issue
You’ll recognize this familiar scene: It’s 7:20 on a Saturday night, and you’re already late for a 7:30 reservation at your favorite Canton Street restaurant. You trawl the streets of downtown Roswell searching for an open parking spot but come up short. Finally, you give up, huffing in exasperation as you resign yourself to paying $10 to park in a private valet lot with a 10-minute walk to your destination. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.
Roswell, we deserve better!
In 2022, voters approved a bond to “provide funds to acquire, construct, and install a public parking deck” downtown. This investment in public infrastructure
would help us keep pace with similar developments in neighboring cities, including Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Woodstock and Norcross. Those cities have free parking decks, strategically generating more visitors and sales taxes, not parking fees. And it’s working. But instead of capitalizing on similar economic vitality here, Roswell still has no parking deck and plans to implement new parking fees throughout our downtown. Doesn’t that feel like moving backwards?
The approved 2025 budget projects $2.2 million of parking revenue, up 4,904 percent over 2024’s actual $43,962 parking revenue.
Yet in a recent Atlanta News First report, City Councilman Allen Sells says that no paid parking plan is “set in stone.” How did we get to that $2.2 million number? It seems counterintuitive that the city should “get into the parking business” and make money off its citizens and citizenbusinesses who already pay taxes.
As a citizen and business owner, the path forward seems clear. The city must build the approved parking deck to add more spaces and scuttle plans to charge for parking throughout downtown, especially in the parking deck we already paid for. Mayor and council also need to stop surprising their constituents
with projects and ideas without prior communication. Downtown’s small business owners have decades of experience struggling with infrastructure needs. Talk with us, not at us. We’re committed stakeholders who’ve invested lots of time and resources in our hometown, and we’ve worked hard to support Roswell’s growth and success. We’d rather collaborate than fight with City Hall. That’s not happening now.
Ryan Pernice Roswell resident and owner of Table & Main, Osteria Mattone restaurants on Canton Street
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
The Alpharetta City Council and city staff discuss plans for 2025 at a weekend retreat in Adairsville Jan. 17.
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HEMPELMAN FAMILY/PROVIDED Eric Hempelman is the 2024 recipient of the Windward Association of Retired Men’s Founder’s Award. The honor was bestowed for Hempelman’s many years of service to the organization and to his community. He attended the annual WARM Holiday Dinner at the St Ives Country Club with his wife Linda.
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Windward group celebrates member for years of service
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Windward Association of Retired Men presented its annual Founder’s Award to a man who has served as the organization’s coordinator for the past seven years.
Eric Hempelman was recognized for his “exceptional leadership in WARM and commitment to the organization,” according to the association. Former award recipient Wayne Smith presented the award during the organization’s annual Holiday Dinner Celebration at the St. Ives Country Club.
“For the past seven years, Eric has served as coordinator — or bell ringer — at our weekly breakfast meetings and adds content to the meetings,” Smith said. “Eric’s commitment to WARM and his enthusiasm are contagious.”
Hempelman writes a monthly article for the neighborhood’s publication “The Windward Breeze,” serves as coplanner of the annual holiday party with the Women of Windward, and is instrumental in arranging the annual Veterans Day celebration.
Hempelman said the association has provided enormous benefits to its members through its events.
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“WARM is an ideal organization for men who are retired or still in the work world,” he said. “At WARM, we enjoy working together on community programs and appreciate the fellowship at our breakfasts, which usually feature interesting speakers on a wide range of subjects.”
Area governments consider adopting new state homestead exemption
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
NORTH
METRO ATLANTA — Georgia
counties, cities and school districts have a month to decide whether to participate in the statewide floating homestead exemption established in House Bill 581.
The bill’s aim is to protect owner-occupied homeowners from wild fluctuations in property tax assessments.
Voters across Georgia approved a referendum in November that puts HB 581 into practice. The bill caps annual property assessments at the inflation rate, which is based on the consumer price index. The law went into effect this month.
A floating homestead exemption generally offsets or softens increases in the taxable value of property.
“The intent is to protect those homeowners. It does slow the growth of the digest for your residential homestead properties,” said Dante Handel, associate director of governmental affairs at Association County Commissioners of Georgia, which lobbies for and advises all 159 counties in the state.
Under the new law, residential property assessments — or the taxable value placed on a home – cannot increase more than the inflation rate each year. Only residential, homesteaded properties are eligible. The tax break does not apply to commercial, industrial or non-homesteaded properties, such as rentals.
Under Georgia law, a home with a fair market value of $750,000 has a taxable value of $300,000 – or 40 percent. The new law would not allow the taxable value of the property to increase more than the inflation rate each year, no matter how much the home gains in real value.
For example, if a home’s real value appreciates by 10 percent over the course of a year, its taxable value would not reflect the same increase. Instead, its taxable – or assessed – value would increase only by the inflation rate, which right now stands at 2.7 percent.
Cities, counties and school districts can opt out of the new state exemption. But, they must first hold three public hearings and notify the Secretary of State’s office by March 1. This is the only time a local government can opt out.
If a local government takes no action, it will be automatically “opt in,” and owner-occupied homeowners would receive the floating exemption.
If a city or county already has a floating exemption, like Fulton County’s 3 percent floating homestead exemption, then homeowners would receive whichever is more beneficial
if the local government has opted in on the new state law, Ryan Bowersox, assistant general counsel for the Georgia Municipal Association said.
In cities or school districts that offer a flat-rate homestead exemption, the floating exemption would be added on top of that.
The floating homestead exemption would provide some predictability regarding property taxes if a local government participates, according to Latisha Gray, director of communications for GMA.
“As a homeowner stays in their home, over time, they can come to expect consistent change/increase in their home’s taxable value,” Gray said. “This helps avoid the possibility of a rapid increase in a given year, which can possibly result in a greatly increased property tax bill compared to the previous year.”
She added that the exemption will impact cities differently depending on the makeup of their tax digest and how often homes sell.
“If a city was required down the road to raise their millage rate to maintain the same level of revenue due to the exemption, the tax burden would shift more to the non-homesteaded portion of the digest,” Gray said.
Non-homestead properties, such as commercial, industrial, agricultural, and multifamily residential, will continue to be taxed based on their fair market value.
Renters will not see the benefit of the homestead exemption, because they are treated as commercial properties,
exemption.
“The City of Dunwoody already has a property assessment freeze in place that is actually more restrictive than the new state freeze in that it doesn’t allow for inflation,” Dunwoody Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher said. “‘Opting out’ regarding HB581 only applies to the new statewide freeze, not the one currently on the books in Dunwoody.
• Fulton County has a 3 percent floating homestead exemption. The County Commission decided to opt into the statewide exemption.
“We want to be clear that Fulton County is committed to property tax relief for homeowners,” County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said in a statement. “Our action today [Jan. 8] will ensure that they get the best deal possible.”
according to GMA General Council Bowersox.
Here’s a look at what area cities, schools and counties are planning to do:
• Alpharetta does not intend to opt out of the statewide exemption, as the city already has a floating exemption in place.
“As the new law allows both to exist simultaneously, and the proper exemption will be applied to the benefit of the property owner, I do not see any reason to make a recommendation to the mayor and City Council that we opt out,” City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said.
Finance Director Tom Harris added that Alpharetta, Roswell and Milton brought legislation forward to the state legislators to create a floating homestead exemption to “be based on the difference between the current assessed value and an adjusted base value of the homesteaded property” within those three cities. The exemption was approved in 2018.
“The adjusted base value is the initial assessed value at 2018 or at time of homestead, if later, adjusted annually at the lesser of 3 percent or CPI (Consumer Price Index),” Harris said. “In essence, this exemption will cap the annual growth in value to which the millage rate applies to the lesser of 3 percent or CPI.”
• Dunwoody has a property assessment freeze in place and does not plan to opt out of HB 581. The freeze would remain no matter what the city decides regarding the statewide floating
All homeowners who have a Fulton County homestead exemption in place automatically receive a floating homestead exemption. For those receiving the new floating exemption in the 2025 tax year, the property’s assessed value in 2024 will determine the exemption’s base value, the county says.
• Fulton County School District plans to opt out of the exemption and will hold hearings Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. at the South Learning Center, 4025 Flat Shoals Road in Union City.
According to a Fulton County Schools presentation, the district has an exemption that’s capped at 3 percent or the CPI, and HB 581 is only capped at inflation.
“Exemptions will perform identically until inflation goes over 3 percent, then the FCS exemption is more beneficial to the taxpayer,” the presentation says.
• Forsyth County has not made a final decision, but the county commission will receive a recommendation from staff to not opt out of the statewide exemption.
“Any board decision on the matter will determine that, however,” Forsyth Communications Director Russell Brown said.
• Forsyth County Schools intends to opt out of HB 581 and will hold hearings on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m., Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. at 1120 Dahlonega Highway in Cumming.
“Our primary goal is to provide a safe, connected, and thriving learning experience for every student in our district,” Mike Valdes, Forsyth County Board of Education chairman, said in a press release. “We want to ensure that any decision we make reflects the values and priorities of our community, which is why hearing from our stakeholders is so crucial.”
GRAPHIC BY ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA
A lot of pop-up bars will give you a martini with a candy cane. We try to go above and beyond that.
JONATHAN PHILLIPS, co-owner, Mercantile Social
8 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | January 23, 2025
Alpharetta’s Mercantile Social provides creative escape
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The owners of permanent pop-up bar Mercantile Social know when they’ve done their job.
“I call it the wow factor,” co-owner Jonathan Phillips said. “[Customers] take out their phone and take a picture. Their mouths drop open.”
For the past four years, Phillips and his brother Mark have worked hard to make Mercantile Social much more than just another Alpharetta watering hole. Every season, the bar, at 20 N. Main St., selects a theme, reinventing its look and menu.
“It’s all about something unique and different,” he said.
This spring, the bar will allow patrons to raise their wands and glasses with a Harry Potter theme that will have them wondering whether they’ve enrolled at a school of witchcraft and wizardry.
“You’ll really feel like you’re in the Hogwarts dining hall, in a magical environment,” Jonathan Phillips said.
Floating candles will hang from a ceiling filled with clouds and lightning. A smoke machine will create an air of enchantment, and characters from Dobby to the Whomping Willow will adorn the walls of the cozy 1,800 square-foot space.
The bar will be sectioned into Hogwarts’ four houses — Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. After taking a sorting hat quiz, customers can hang in their house’s area, which will be appropriately decorated to make them feel at home, and side-eye rival students.
Guests are welcome to wear Harry
Potter costumes to get into the spirit, Phillips said.
he said.
A “Goblet of Fire” cocktail is one of many thematically inspired drinks at year-round pop-up concept bar Mercantile Social in Alpharetta.
As with previous themes, Mercantile Social partnered with an interior decorator to bring the Harry Potter universe alive. Phillips said they prefer to work with local designers to support the Alpharetta economy and community.
An astonishing amount of preparation and detail go into decorating because it’s critical for guests to have their socks knocked off,
Mercantile Social takes its themes seriously, and feeding patrons’ imaginations is a central part of the experience.
Previous concepts include “Indiana Jones,” “Mean Girls,” the 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” and the crowd-favorite Grinchmas holiday theme.
When the Phillips brothers purchased the bar, it reinvented itself with the Christmas pop-up theme only once a year.
The brothers, whose day jobs are in real estate, decided they loved the idea so much they wanted to make it a regular thing.
“When the opportunity came, we jumped on it,” he said.
Guests are sure to get a kick out of Mercantile Social’s dedication to the pop-up concept, but the bar is no slouch when it comes to the fundamentals.
See MERCANTILE, Page 9
PHOTOS BY: MERCANTILE SOCIAL/PROVIDED
Mercantile Social features an in-house kitchen to serve gourmet eats.
Mercantile:
Continued from Page 8
Drinks are served by bartenders whose skills make them closer to mixologists, Phillips said. Cocktails lean heavily into the wow factor, but they also are well balanced and tasty.
“A lot of pop-up bars will give you a martini with a candy cane,” he said. “We try to go above and beyond that.”
A “Hocus Pocus” inspired drink called the Black Flame Candle was built around tequila with blueberry and sage accents. Flaming cocktails are a recurring theme at the bar, and the Black Flame Candle was served ablaze with dark fire.
Other drinks, like those inspired by Hogwarts potions, change colors before the cutomer’s eyes. The “Harry Potter” theme also promises a butter beer inspired beverage.
The bar offers a full range of options for wallets big and small from cheap drinks for the college crowd to high-end Scotch whiskies and other aged premium liquors. They also can make any cocktail nonalcoholic.
An in-house kitchen also serves up delicious eats from mozzarella balls in homemade sauce to something Phillips calls an “Amish grilled cheese,” toasted bread with candied bacon, Brie, Amish apple butter and Granny Smith apples. When possible, the bar opts for ingredients from local distributors rather than big box brands.
“Everything is higher end quality,” Phillips said.
Mercantile Social partners with local designers to
Steps:
Continued from Page 1
Apart from safety measures, the mayor seeks to make Roswell a more appealing destination. Officials have rewritten the city code to create a more walkable community. Thanks to a 2022 voter-approved bond, the city has also purchased land for a downtown parking deck.
Such improvements are needed as the city grows and attracts visitors, according to resident Andre Molina, who works at Roswell Provisions on Canton Street. He is happy to see a number of new businesses sprouting up, but agreed that finding parking in downtown Roswell can be difficult.
True transformation calls for more than investing in physical spaces; it requires supporting the employees who serve the community as well, Wilson said.
“The city of Roswell is becoming the place to go, and honestly, other local governments are finding it out,”
March:
Continued from Page 1
AMRITHA JOSEPH/APPEN MEDIA
City Council members take the stage at Roswell’s State of the City address Jan. 17. Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, center, applauded Roswell’s leadership team and council members for reversing a trend of inaction, which he said had plagued the city for years.
Wilson said. To maintain a standard of excellence, the city will be investing $4 million on merit-based pay increases this year.
“We are doing the unthinkable in government: we’re creating a meritocracy.”
One of the employees recognized for her contributions on Friday was
“We can have a better world and a better community. And it’s just a pleasure and a blessing to be able to get up and be out here and walk.”
The march was preceded by a service at St. James that included prayer, interpretive dance, live music, speeches and a spirited sermon by the Rev. Trunell D. Felder, senior pastor of New Faith Baptist in Matteson, Il.
In the warm sanctuary of St. James, about 400 people gathered to honor King, who was assassinated in 1968 after dedicating his life to advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience.
“He gave his life to transform this country,” said the Rev. Gregory S. Williams, kicking off the service. “One of the quotes that I love is from him. ‘We must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters in Christ, or we will perish together as fools.’”
Organized in 1867 as the Alpharetta Colored Methodist Church, St. James has since grown dramatically and relocated to 3000 Webb Bridge Road.
Pastors from churches across North Metro Atlanta spoke and attended the collaborative event, which has been held annually for at least 10 years. Also in attendance were elected officials including Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin and Councilman John Hipes and Commissioner Bridget Thorne.
The service saw awards given to local activists for their work in the community and numerous musical performances that included soloists, band and choir.
Afterward, attendees donned jackets and scarves, warmed up with cups of coffee and mentally prepared themselves to make the walk to City Hall.
An escort of police motorcycles led the procession down Academy Street through the city as other officers stopped traffic. All along the way, drivers waved in support, and passersby offered
Environmental Public Works Department employee Patti Weathersbee, who earned 2024 Employee of the Year.
Among others commended for their contributions, Peter Sorckoff, founder of consulting firm Seer World, was lauded for helping city officials approach management differently. Seer World has been awarded a multi-year contract for
encouragement.
One of the marchers, Alpharetta resident Lawrence Carver, said he has participated for at least 10 years.
Carver said he remembers watching King on television when he was a teenager.
“He just kept pushing on in trying to be inclusive to anyone who would come into the movement,” he said. “I was impressed with that.”
Stationed in Turkey as a member of the U.S. Air Force, Carver said he was shocked to learn of King’s death. Decades later, he thinks the man’s messages are now more important than ever.
“It’s still a challenge,” he said. “You know, as everybody knows, we’re living in a very kind of divisive society, and I think it helps to be inspired by him.”
Another marcher, Alpharetta resident Shirely Martin, agreed.
“We still have a long ways to go,” she said. “We all need to work at becoming more unified because there’s too much division right now, so that’s the reason why I’m here, why I’m walking.”
four scopes of work with the city, each with a limited budget that together fall under an annual $2 million cap.
“The return on investment spent with this consultant is literally the best deal the City of Roswell has ever gotten financially,” Wilson said.
Not everyone representing the city agrees.
Councilwoman Sarah Beeson has previously disapproved of the sizeable paycheck to Seer World and Roswell’s overreliance on consultants, particularly given that some work has not been delivered.
In the case of Seer World, it has also played a role in staffing the city’s leadership team, such as selecting aviation industry executive Don Stephens to be Roswell’s chief operating officer.
Roswell’s “C-suite” focuses on big-picture strategy rather than daily operations. With the help of his C-suite, Wilson anticipates Roswell will realize his vision to deploy a shared services model whereby the city would provide services to other municipalities as an additional source of revenue.
On the steps of City Hall, marchers meditated further on the meaning of the day with speeches from pastors and city officials.
The Rev. Tavares Stephens, of St. James, read “We Can Be,” a poem he had written that was inspired by difference-makers.
“We can be the light that perishes, or we can be holy born,” Stephens said, reciting his poem. “We can even be the love and wisdom of God, walking this earth in human form. For being is becoming what we choose. Choosing is becoming what we are.”
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA Walkers sing and chant during a march through Alpharetta in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20.
The Rev. Trunell D. Felder, senior pastor of New Faith Baptist Church International in Matteson, Ill., speaks to an assembly observing Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 20 at St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta.
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Great news in Pediatric Melanoma
Brought to you by –
Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta
Isn’t it wonderful to hear that you are making a difference? Well, you are! All that hard work that you put in with children or grandchildren getting them to protect themselves from the Sun and wear sunscreen is making a difference!
A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) of more than 76,000 pediatric melanomas confirmed a decline in melanoma incidence over the last ten years in children ages five and older. That decrease in melanoma is likely due to the measures you and your family members have taken during those years and during the prior ten to fifteen years when you worked so hard to protect them from the Sun.
And it is hard work. I have personally braved and endured myself. We all know what it’s like: The child in question seems to morph into a wet fish wriggling out of your grasp. Your slippery sunscreen hands don’t make it any easier! The rascal gets free, and you chase him or her down. Your drink gets knocked over. Sand gets on chairs, in bags and in other places you don’t want sand to get. It’s a task somewhere between roping a calf and getting a cat to take a bath. Grueling, grasping, groaning, finally it’s complete! The child may go and play. And in an hour and a half, you get to repeat the process all over again!
We know sun safety isn’t easy. What dermatologists ask of parents and grandparents is not a simple task. Is it really all worth it?
Yes! The results are in, and they are inspiring. This very encouraging study in the JAAD strongly suggests that all our hard work is paying off.
For children ages 10-14, there was a greater than 30% drop in melanoma between 2002 and 2020.
For children ages 5-9, there was a greater than 60% drop in melanoma between 2014 and 2020.
Interestingly, a small increase in pediatric melanoma cases for children ages four and younger supports that what we are doing is making a difference. Older children who develop melanoma are much more likely to have developed skin cancer from sunburns and sun exposure. Babies and children under 4 years old who develop melanoma are NOT likely to have developed melanoma from sun exposure. (But they still need to be protected from the Sun). Instead, genetics, a chance unlucky mutation or non-sun related environmental factors are more likely to be responsible for
melanoma in the extremely young. They simply haven’t had much time to be damaged by the Sun. The fact that melanoma in those ages four and under slightly increased but melanoma in those five and older dramatically decreased makes the claim even more credible that our efforts at sun protection are working.
Good news in pediatric melanoma is likely great news for these individuals’ entire lives. Our bodies have proteins called “mismatch repair enzymes” whose job it is to fix DNA that has been damaged by ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Unfortunately, these enzymes don’t do a perfect job, and many mutations in our DNA are with us for life. Our entire lives, these mutations increase the chance that we develop skin cancer. Dermatologists have tools including prescription creams and in office treatments that kill pre-cancers and reduce one’s sun damage, but some of the Sun damage from childhood and adulthood is always with us. The fact that pediatric melanoma has plummeted in the last ten years gives us great hope that these same individuals will develop far fewer cancers as adults as well.
When you protect your loved one as a child, you are likely helping protect him or her for life.
The next time you wonder, “is it worth it?...Should I really use that sunscreen, that UPF 50 sun shirt or take on the herculean task of wrangling a kiddo channeling his or her inner feral cat?,” the answer is YES. You are making a difference. And we only see these wonderful results at the population level in a published study because of many, many daily actions at the individual level – through the genuine care and love of many, many parents and grandparents who love their family and showed it through their actions. Keep up the great work!
Insist
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
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The new law (part of the Inflation Reduction Act), affecting Medicare Prescription Coverage, went into effect on January 1st, 2025.
The new law states that no Medicare beneficiary that has Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage will pay more than $2,000 for covered prescription drugs in 2025. Also, with this “cap” of $2,000, the doughnut hole has now gone away.
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Milton looks for ideas for athletic amenities at Deerfield Park site
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — The City of Milton is asking residents to help with ideas to furnish a proposed athletic complex on Deerfield Parkway.
City officials invited the public to the Milton Municipal Court Jan. 14 for an open house, asking residents to place stickers on poster boards marking the amenities of their choice.
The 24-acre park at 300 Deerfield Parkway will include turf multi-use rectangle fields to accommodate a variety of sports and diamonds for softball and baseball.
The fields would help fill a considerable need for athletic facilities expressed by the community’s sizeable sports community, Parks & Recreation Director Tom McKlveen said. The city’s 2017 comprehensive master plan called for additional fields, and the facility’s fields have been in need for years.
The city is asking residents to help them decide how the remaining space should be used.
Possible uses include pickleball and tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, picnic shelters and pavilions, a walking trail, small outdoor event space, splash pad, greenspace, fishing area, playground and an off-leash dog park.
City officials also included space on the posters to allow residents to write in use options of their choice. Written-in choices included an outdoor pool, all-inclusive playground, more multi-use fields, equestrian facility, biking trails, sensory playground and zip line.
A walking trail, dog park and multi-use fields led the choices in votes.
Residents who were unable to attend the meeting will still be able to have their voices heard through an online poll, McKlveen said.
The polls and responses from the meeting will drive the decision-making process before the City Council makes a final determination.
Milton resident Jonathan Lundstedt said the city should prioritize multi-use rectangle fields to provide ample space for youth athletes.
A Milton family examines options for new facilities at the Deerfield Parkway athletic facility during an open house Jan. 14.
Like many other young athletes, his daughter, a senior at Cambridge High School and lacrosse player, has struggled to find space for practices and competitions.
“We’re out of fields,” he said. “In other words, even if we add two additional rectangles, we’re still short because of the amount of soccer, lacrosse and football that we have.”
Reservations for rectangle fields are in such high demand that she has sometimes found herself on the field as late as 9 p.m., he said. Other times, players split fields horizontally, exposing them to a heightened risk for injuries.
“She finishes at 9:45 p.m. sometimes,” he said.
Chelsea Blevins, a Milton resident whose daughter
plays lacrosse, agreed. She said her daughter, like many players, practices or plays almost every day.
“I just dropped my daughter off before I came here,” she said.
Candy and Kevin Muldowney, a Milton couple whose children are now adults, said they would prefer the space to be allotted for other uses.
While Milton already has numerous pickle ball courts, they think additional spaces would be used by numerous players in the city.
The Muldowneys also said they would love to see green spaces and pavilions for outdoor recreation.
A pavilion could allow the city to host outdoor concerts like Alpharetta.
“They are a lot of fun,” Kevin Muldowney said.
Respiratory diseases hit seasonal heights, health agency says
By ALLEN SIEGLER Healthbeat Georgia
ATLANTA — As the new year begins, Atlanta and Georgia respiratory disease spread has accelerated to some of the highest levels seen this winter.
Over the last week of 2024, flu cases hospitalized 220 residents in the metro Atlanta area, according to the latest report from the Georgia Department of Public Health. That week alone makes up over a third of the region’s count since October.
Statewide cases appear to be paralleling that trend. Preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that Georgia’s hospitalization rate for the
virus also rose at the end of 2024 to its highest level in recent months. Additionally, the state percentage of health care visits for suspected flu cases has continued to increase and outpace the national average.
Respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, and Covid-19 are infecting many Georgians as well. Wastewater surveillance sites detect high levels of the viruses in communities across the state. RSV levels appear to have remained at the new heights they reached last month.
These state benchmarks show yearly rises in the three viruses, but many also indicate a less severe season so far relative to recent winters. In the last three months of 2023, metro Atlanta
area health care centers hospitalized about 1,000 more people for the flu than they did at the end of 2024.
And while CDC numbers indicate that December’s final week was a recent peak for Georgia hospitalizations related to any of the three viruses, that rate is significantly lower than it was any of the past four years at the same time.
Still, there are other respiratory diseases that have outpaced recent Georgia recordings. One of them is pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The bacterial disease, most common in children, can compromise babies’ breathing and cause coughing strong enough to break ribs. For 2024, the CDC has recorded 280 Georgia cases — nearly three times the count of 2023.
The system used to detect whooping cough is updated frequently, and the 2023 and 2024 counts could continue to change. But in a health advisory last month, the state health department warned providers to be on the lookout for any patients presenting with severe coughs.
The CDC recommends five doses of vaccines throughout a child’s first six years that helps protect against whooping cough. The organization says besides some groups like pregnant people and seniors, most adults don’t need to seek additional immunizations.
Healthbeat (Healthbeat.org) is a nonprofit news organization covering public health.
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
PRESERVING THE PAST
A bell tolls in Georgia for Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter was our 39th president. His funeral motorcade stopped at his boyhood farm in Plains, Ga., on Jan. 4 at the start of a three-day remembrance of his life. There, an old farm bell was rung 39 times in his honor. That prompted me to write about the history of farm bells.
Many kinds of bells have played important roles throughout history. They were made in different sizes and different metals for various uses: farms, churches, fire departments, schoolhouses, factories, carillon bells, marine bells and more. Farm bells were typically 10 to 20 inches in diameter and weighed between 25 to 100 pounds. Most farm bells were made of cast iron.
Farm bell manufacturing was big business in the 1800s and early 1900s. Several large foundries manufactured bells but stopped production when they became less popular once telephones became available or during wartime when raw materials were scarce.
Farm bells were used primarily for notifying farm workers in the fields that it was time to gather for dinner. After all, they had no other means of communication. The bells were typically mounted on posts near the farmhouse and rung by pulling a chain or rope. They also served to alert farmhands of tragedies such as fires.
There is a famous scene in the 1985 award-winning movie “Witness,” starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis where the young boy Samuel secretly rings the family’s farm bell to alert the neighbors working in the fields about a criminal threatening the family. The neighbors dramatically rush to the farm and confront the criminal who is forced to surrender.
According to the authoritative website Tower Bells, more than 300 bell foundries have existed in the United States in the past three centuries. Some 200 of them produced traditional cast bronze bells while others worked with cast iron, cast steel or a combination of metals. Very few of the old companies still exist.
One notable exception is Bevin Bells, the oldest bell producer in the United States, founded in 1832 in East Hampton, Connecticut. At one point there were 30 bell companies in the town. Bevin Bells is the town’s sole survivor and the only company remaining in the U.S. exclusively
A worker at the White House gardens rings a bell in this historic photo dated September 12, 1922. The bell notified workers of important daily activities such as meals. mer people gather from Cherokee, Fulton, Forsyth and other counties for 10 days of “prayer, preaching, hymn singing, and fellowship.”
devoted to making bells. Although today, the company’s largest bell is 8” in diameter, at one time they forged large bells up 21” or greater that were likely also used on farms, in addition to ships, trains and other places.
Another pioneer company was C.S. Bell Company founded by Charles Singleton Bell in Hillsboro, Ohio, in 1875. One of the greatest and longest-lasting bell foundries, known as “America’s Original Farm Bell Manufacturer,” its bells were used on many of the 6,000 Allied vessels that took part in the invasion of Normandy. The company still exists but makes other products today. Many of its original bell molds and patterns were purchased in the 1990s by Prindle Station Bells a company that today casts bells using the C.S. Bell molds.
Yet another example is the American Casting Company in Birmingham, Alabama, founded by Dan B. Dimick in 1903. It produced a range of cast iron products including farm bells. The company no longer exists, but its farm bells are highly collectable.
The most famous bell in the U.S. is the Liberty Bell which weighed 2,080
FOX 5 ATLANTA/PROVIDED
The historic farm bell at former President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood farm in Plains, Georgia, is rung 39 times by the National Park Service to honor the former president. Randy Dillard and Karen Barry, the NPS’s longest-serving members in Plains, rang the bell.
NATIONAL BELL FESTIVAL/PROVIDED
A Sears, Roebuck and Co. spring 1912 catalog lists farm bell options for bells ranging from 35 to 90 pounds. Bells were mounted on posts or attached to porch railings and used to summon farm workers for dinner. The bells cost about $2 each. The ad says “Every farm, no matter how small, should have a good bell.”
pounds when cast in England in 1752. It was transported by boat to Philadelphia. The bell cracked the first time it was rung during its initial test ring. A substitute bell, known as the Centennial Bell, was cast in 1876 and hangs in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It did not replace the original bell because the original had by then become a powerful symbol of our freedom.
Many presidents were known for the gardens they or their wives kept on the White House grounds. Plants were grown in greenhouses or in glass conservatories adjacent to the White House. An article published in several newspapers in September 1922 had titles such as “Bell Calls President’s Gardeners to Daily Task.” The article says “In the heat of Washington hangs this old-fashioned bell…located in the ‘Propagating Gardens’ where all flowers and plants for the White House gardens are grown…. It is rung at 7:30 a.m., 12 m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The bell originally hung in the State, War and Navy Building” which is today’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House.
Paul Ashe is director of the National Bell Festival, a charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of bells. He says that the Propagating Gardens are long gone, and one of the most historic bells of the U.S. has disappeared. His organization is dedicated to finding the bell if that is possible.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND NATIONAL BELL FESTIVAL
The changing face of eastern U.S. forests
In March 2020, Americans became keenly aware of a fastspreading, globally transmitted disease called COVID-19.
Soon pandemic became a household word, and everyone became concerned about its transmission and possible deadly consequences.
Most Americans in 2020 never encountered a disease that had spread so rapidly and had such dark consequences. Going back in history, in 1952 there was an epidemic of polio, a viral disease that attacks the human nervous system. As a result of donations to the March of Dimes and the discovery of the Salk and Sabin vaccines, the risk of a polio pandemic in the U.S. is now zero!
Reaching further back into history, you probably remember studying about the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 and the Bubonic Plague that rapidly spread throughout Europe, killing an estimated 50 million people, or 50 percent, of the European population in the 1300s and 1400s.
Pandemics are not isolated to humans. Pandemics have ravaged the population of a wide variety of plants and animals as well. I would like to concentrate on three tree pandemics.
American Chestnut
As a child, I lived near a mountain range in western Pennsylvania called Chestnut Ridge. Even though we hiked in the forests near our house, I never saw a chestnut tree. Soon, I became curious about the catastrophic loss of the American chestnut tree in the wild. Before 1930, an estimated 4 billion American chestnut trees existed in the forests of the eastern U.S. These trees were the dominant hardwood species, and their large, high energy content chestnuts provided a food source for a wide variety of insects, microorganisms, birds and mammals.
The chestnut forests were rapidly changed by a microscopic package of bad news! A dying American chestnut tree was first observed in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in 1904. It promptly was determined to have been infected by a foreign invader, a fungal disease that was given the common name American chestnut blight.
Fungal diseases can spread rapidly because they reproduce by microscopic spores. The wind spreads these species-specific, microscopic messengers of death quickly. In three short decades, the wind carried the chestnut blight spores throughout the entire eastern U.S., causing an American chestnut pandemic. By 1930, so many American chestnuts died from blight that the logging industry began to clearcut all the remaining healthy American chestnuts, devastating Appalachian forest ecosystems from Maine to north Georgia and Alabama. By 1940, they were declared extinct in the wild. This event has been described as the “most devastating forest event ever!”
Today if you walk in any eastern U.S. forest, you will find that oak trees now occupy the habitats once populated by the life-sustaining
American chestnuts. Nutritious, high-energy acorns produced by over 70 species of oak trees, 28 of which inhabit the forests of Georgia, now sustain a diversity of microorganisms, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. As a result, oak trees are now the dominant or keystone trees of eastern U.S. forests.
American Elm
There are more than 30,000 Elm Streets in the United States and many town and city parks, such as Central Park in New York City, that enjoy the beauty and cascading form of the American elm tree. These highly desirable urban trees also encountered a deadly fungal disease, Dutch elm blight. As the name suggests, the disease was first detected in the Netherlands in 1921 and was introduced to the U.S. for the first time in the 1970s. Many towns were forced to cut their streetscape trees. Currently, my hometown of Westmont, Pennsylvania, has the longest continuous tree-lined street of American elms in the United States. Luzerne Street is home to approximately 195 well-tended American elm trees.
Through the efforts of selective breeding for resistance to Dutch elm blight, two new, disease-resistant elm hybrids are now available. Additionally, the American Chestnut Society is engaged in a two-pronged approach using both selective breeding and bioengineering with the goal
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a Milton resident and Master Gardener since 2012. Carole describes herself as a born biologist. Since childhood, she loved to explore the out-of-doors and garden with her mother. When she entered college, she selected biology as her major and made teaching high school biology her career for 35 years. Shortly after moving from Pittsburgh, she became involved with the philanthropic mission of the Assistance League of Atlanta (ALA), and in 2014, completed the Master Gardener program and joined the North Fulton Master Gardeners (NFMG) and the Milton Garden Club. Carole uses her teaching skills to create a variety of presentations on gardening topics for the NFMG Lecture Series and Speakers Bureau.
of creating a healthy, viable and disease-resistant American Chestnut. The hope is to create hybrids of both species that will grow and thrive in their former habitats.
Southern pine beetle
One of the most common forest diseases facing Georgia landowners and foresters is the Southern pine beetle. Pine beetles bore through the bark of pine trees and create tunnels as they consume the xylem tissue that makes up the annual rings. Without the xylem tissue needed to transport water throughout the tree, the tree will die. Since I moved to Milton in 2008, I have witnessed the death of hundreds of young, venerable pine trees in the forest behind my house. If you see a pine tree with peeling bark and exposed tunnels made by the pine beetles, please consult an arborist to confirm the extent of the beetle infestation. If confirmed, please take action to destroy and remove the tree or trees from your yard to prevent the spread of this disease that is devastating our southern pine forests,
Let me end with this quote, “We are all interconnected - people, animals, our environment. When nature suffers, we suffer. And when nature flourishes, we all flourish.” Dr. Jane Goodall
Happy gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https://appenmedia.com/opinion/ columists/garden buzz/.
Save the dates for NFMG’s 2025 signature events: Garden Faire on April 12 and Garden Tour on June 7. Learn more at nfmg.net.
CAROLE MACMULLAN Guest Columnist
CAROLE MACMULLAN/PROVIDED
American Chestnut Tree with disease canker caused by the American Chestnut Blight at Berry College
Being a grandparent opens opportunities for gift-giving
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
For at least the past 40 years or more, I have written a long – most times, very long – Christmas letter, at times more than 3,000 words. All this time the “target audience” of my letter has primarily been the adult friends of my parents, the ones I’ve known for decades and who watched us grow up.
So, the Christmas letter has been an update every year on how we are and what we have been doing. They actually knew us all, and generally, I believe, were interested in updates. It has almost always included a 1–3-page collage of pictures from that year.
Increasingly, however, I have a problem continuing this annual effort because well over half of the people on my Christmas card mailing list have died, and many of those remaining have never met my kids or my sisters. So, getting this indulgent, long missive from me probably annoys them or, at a minimum, it is not something that
gets read very well. I don’t blame them.
Most of the Christmas presents I bought this year were analog. I bought books; I always buy books. I have never been able to read a single digital book, although I am increasingly listening to audio books when I drive on long trips.
I bought a wall map for my grandchildren, a large world map that has all the countries. I hope that Hans will find a wall somewhere, perhaps in the basement, to mount it – or maybe the kitchen! Maps, the knowledge that there are other countries is important. A kid needs to know that they are not the center of the universe. In my dreams, I see my son Hans reading current events to his kids at the breakfast or dinner table and asking them to go find the country on the map that he has just reported some news on.
One thing I wanted to buy but could not find a satisfactory version of was history flash cards, like the ones I had when I was growing up. Two things in my youth helped me understand context and my place in the world – my history flash cards and my stamp collecting. If you
know your stamps, you know U.S. history, or at least the most important events and people.
I did find and buy two items. One was a package of lots of small single topic books. The topics included: Steve Jobs, Jules Verne, Steve Irwin, Galileo, NASA, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie and more. There were 25 of these books in the package that I bought from Costco (which is no longer going to sell books).
The other thing I bought (also at Costco) in lieu of the flash cards was a rather large “illustrated history of the world,” from the pyramids to the Apollo space missions. Lots of maps, lots of images, and a ton of information. That one is for my eldest grandchild, Phoebe (11), but it may be a little of a stretch at her age. Maybe she will grow into it.
It reminded me of my copy of a large coffee table book “History of the World” by Arnold Toynbee that I think I bought at least 50 years ago, and still have. I actually read all of it and highlighted half of it. And it was also from my encounter with this book that I started my “word collection.” Since every page in Toynbee’s book had at
least a dozen words that I did not know or understand, I started writing them down, looking up the definitions, and ended up with my “word collection” journal. Unfortunately, years ago I left my word collection in Chile, but that is another story.
I bought each of the grandchildren journals in which they can start their own word collections. Only Leo knows about this idea at this point. His first word, something we stumbled across when reading together, was “archipelago” – a chain of islands. I am sure if anyone asks Leo what that that word means now, or 50 years from now, he will for sure be able to tell them. He was excited about the idea of a word collection.
Being a grandparent can be fun. You sort of get the opportunity – especially if you live close – to work on “molding” or influencing another human being after you have had the benefit of already having raised children. You definitely see the possibilities, and every Christmas, you get to buy them stuff that you think will help them grow, become wiser, or just generally benefit them.
There’s a big difference between ‘selling’ and ‘educating’
This week’s music inspiration is “Things That Make You Go Hmmm,” the 1991 hit from C+C Music Factory.
As we all know, rates have been moving notably higher and have reached a point that we have not seen since last spring. With this recent surge in rates, I am seeing loan programs and “start” rates which are well below the market.
The lenders are trying to sell that they are offering an exclusive program that only they have. One example is a lender showing a start rate of 4.99 percent. On the surface, this sounds good given that 30-year fixed rate mortgages are running about 7.25 percent as of this report.
However, what they are not telling you is that this is known as a 2/1 buydown, where the first-year rate is 4.99 percent, then goes to 5.99 percent in year 2, and then caps at 6.99 percent in years 3-30.
They promote this as a newfound program that only they have in some cases. However, the truth is that a 2/1 buydown has existed since I got in the business in 1984. It is not new, it cost about 2.25+ points, and the buyer cannot pay those points.
Don’t get me wrong…starting at 4.99 percent the first year is very attractive, but if you spent the same points on a straight 30-year fixed you would have a fixed rate close to 6.125 percent in some cases. Therefore, the real benefit is really only in year 1. After that, you are basically where you would be on a straight 30-year fixed with the seller paying the 2.25+ points and you would not have to worry about year 3 when your rate would hit 6.99 percent.
You will be told that you should not worry about year 3 as rates will certainly come back down, and you will refinance anyway. But what if they don’t come back down? The average 30-year fixed rate from 1971 to present is 7.73%.
While I do believe rates will go back down over the next 12-24 months, I’m not sure we will see 5 percent again anytime soon…maybe 6 percent by years end, but probably not much lower.
Now, if you intend to only own the home for 24-36 months, and the seller is willing to pay 2.25+ points so you can do a 2/1 buydown, this may be the program for you. My guess is that is not the case with most folks purchasing a new home, but it is certainly an option in that scenario.
The bottom line is you need to ask questions and have your lender thoroughly go through your options. Rates have gone up significantly over the past 24 months, mortgage originations are down sharply,
and there is 50 percent less mortgage originators than there were just 12-24 months ago. These things lead to folks “selling” you on an idea as opposed to educating you on your options….and there is a difference.
A 2/1 buydown may be your best choice depending on your situation, but do not buy into a particular lender is offering you something that is indigenous to just them and or their company. Ask questions. In most cases, you are making the largest purchase of your life and there are no dumb questions.
D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.
The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.
OPINION
Volunteers sprucing up Stephen Martin Cemetery
Between Perimeter Expo shopping center on Hammond Drive and Campus 244 at 244 Perimeter Center Parkway in Dunwoody lies the historic Stephen Martin Cemetery.
Recent work at the cemetery and maintenance plus special projects over the last 10 years have made it a peaceful spot to sit and reflect or remember those who are laid to rest in the cemetery.
Back in 2015, members of Boy Scout Troop 434 out of All Saints Catholic Church began projects to improve the cemetery. David Savini built benches and a kiosk for the cemetery to display history and information for visitors. The two endeavors were his Eagle Scout project. Daniel Montgomery’s Eagle Scout Project was clearing out overgrowth of weeds and small trees along the gravel path leading to the cemetery.
Glen Fuse volunteered his time for over 10 years maintaining the cemetery by cutting the grass and trimming the surrounding hedges. He also kept the kiosk up to date with current information and placed a visitor sign-in book at the kiosk.
The kiosk was updated recently with documents and photos which tell the history of the people and the land where the cemetery is located. Chryse Wayman and Journey Bradham of Dunwoody Preservation Trust joined me to complete this project.
Sam McEntyre of DPT organized the repair of cairn graves and broken headstones at the cemetery. Cairn graves are constructed from pieces of stone arranged to form a box indicating the location of a grave.
The three large cairn graves belong to Stephen Martin (1798-1866), his first wife, Frances Elizabeth Garrett (1800-1847) and his second wife, Sarah Crowley (1812-1878). It is believed Stephen Martin’s grave site is the middle cairn. A smaller cairn grave may have been for a child.
Stephen and Sarah’s daughter Naomi married Thomas F. Spruill. Stephen Spruill, who grew up and lived in the home that is now Spruill Gallery, was one of the children of Naomi and Thomas F. Spruill. Another daughter, Sophia, married Joseph Spruill.
The cemetery is the final resting place for members of the Martin,
The cairn grave markers of Stephen Martin Cemetery were recently repaired. The buildings in the background are the Perimeter Expo shopping center.
Spruill, Reeves and Hardigree families, among others. During World War I, John Hardigree trained at Chamblee’s Camp Gordon, then served as a Prisoner of War escort.
Homer Morgan (1900-1902), son of Luvader Spruill Morgan and Joseph Tilman Morgan, grandson of Sophia and Joseph Spruill, was buried near his great-grandparents’ graves. His stone marker was recently repaired. Campus 244 includes the former
three-story office building that opened in 1975 as headquarters to Gold Kist Inc. and the Cotton States Insurance Group. (Atlanta Journal, June 4, 1974, “Gold Kist starts new building”)
The building has been repurposed into a five-story Class A office building, according to dunwoodyga.gov. The campus also includes Element Hotel by Westin and two restaurants scheduled to open in 2025.
The City of Dunwoody Trail Master
The repaired headstone of Homer Morgan, who lived from 1900 until 1902.
Plan includes the new concrete path that leads to Stephen Martin Cemetery. Until the trail opens, park on the Nordstrom Rack side of Perimeter Expo and walk toward the back of the parking lot. When you see Campus 244, turn left and follow the path to Stephen Martin Cemetery.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
PHOTOS BY: VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/APPEN MEDIA
The updated kiosk of Stephen Martin Cemetery provides additional history. Campus 244 is visible in the background.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
Exemption:
Continued from Page 7
• The Johns Creek City Council decided to not opt out of the statewide exemption, meaning it would go into effect in the city.
“Essentially, [the] council was in consensus to take no action as a homestead exemption is already in
place,” Johns Creek Communications Director Bob Mullen said.
The city has a local floating homestead exemption that was approved in 2018.
“The council discussed and decided not to ‘opt-out’ to ensure residential homeowners will receive the floating homestead exemption that would be most beneficial to them (either the existing one that was already in place or the one created by HB-581),” Mullen said.
CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
• Milton also doesn’t plan to opt out of the statewide exemption, “resulting in the City of Milton taxpayers receiving the best possible tax exemption,” Milton City Manager Steven Krokoff said.
The city has a floating exemption in place that caps property assessments at 3 percent or the CPI, whichever is less, Krokoff added.
• Roswell has not responded to Appen
The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, February 6, 2025 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, February 24, 2025 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. CLUP-24-05/Z-24-17/PH-24-20 Mayfair on Haynes Bridge
Consideration of a comprehensive land use plan amendment, rezoning, change of conditions, and public hearing to allow for a 2 nd phase of a residential development including 10 single-family detached homes on 1.53 acres in the Downtown. A comprehensive land use plan amendment is requested from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential and a rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to DT-R (Downtown Residential). Changes to conditions of zoning is requested for the adjoining 2.83-acre property (Phase 1) approved for a single-family residential subdivision. A public hearing is requested to bring the subject property into the Downtown Overlay. The property is located at 0 Norcross Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 747, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
b. MP-25-02/CU-25-04 Lotus Animal Hospital/Oxford Green MP
Consideration of a master plan amendment and conditional use to allow a ‘Animal Hospital, Small Animals (Veterinarian)’ business in the Windward Square shopping center. A master plan amendment is requested to add ‘Animal Hospital, Small Animal (Veterinarian)’ to the Oxford Green Master Plan Tract A and a conditional use is requested to allow ‘Animal Hospital, Small Animal (Veterinarian)’ for Lotus Animal Hospital. The property is located at 5215 Windward Parkway, Suite B2 and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1120 & 1121, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
c. MP-25-01/CU-25-05 Fulton Science Academy/Cousins Westside MP Pod R
Consideration of a master plan amendment and conditional use to allow a ‘School, Academic’ to re-use an existing office building on a 4.48-acre property in the North Point Overlay. A master plan amendment is requested to add ‘School, Academic’ to the Cousins Westside Master Plan Pod R and a conditional use is requested to allow ‘School, Academic’ for Fulton Science Academy. The property is located at 8995 Westside Parkway and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 691, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
d. CU-25-06 Activate Games Alpharetta/Windward MP Pod 4
Consideration of a conditional use to allow an interactive gaming business in an existing building. A conditional use is requested to allow ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ for Activate Games Alpharetta. The property is located at 3020 Windward Plaza and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1107 & 1108, 2nd District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
e. Z-24-09/E-24-03/V-24-14 Wells Fargo Redevelopment/21 North Main Street
Consideration of a rezoning, parking special exception, exception and variance to allow a 5-story mixed-use building on 1 acre in Downtown. A rezoning is requested from C-2 (General Commercial) to DT-C (Downtown Core) and a parking special exception is requested to allow off-site parking An exception is requested from Unified Development Code (UDC) Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 3.5.5(A) to increase the building height from 4 to 5 stories and variances are requested to UDC Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 3.5.5 to increase the maximum building footprint and UDC Subsection 3.2.8(D) Landscape Strips to eliminate the landscape strip on the east and north sides of the property. The property is located at 21 North Main Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1268, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Media’s requests for a comment and does not have information available, but the city does have a local floating homestead exemption in place.
• Sandy Springs is in the same situation as the other North Fulton cities and plans to take no action regarding the statewide exemption.
“We have had a floating homestead similar to HB 581 for many years, so we have no plan to opt out,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said.
Honor:
Continued from Page 6
Hempelman served in the U.S. Army in Korea. He received degrees in finance, management, accounting and law from the University of Nebraska, University of Arizona, Duck University and Columbia University.
After college, Hempelman devoted his career to the insurance business, retiring in 2011. He has been married to Linda Sheffield for 54 years. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Previous Founder’s Award recipients include Don Blaine, Marty Blickstein, Tom Evans, Bob Francis, Ron Keipper, Bill McKnight, Honorable Jim Matoney, Bob Meyers, Travis Mills, Bob O’Hagan, Geoff Rausch, Tom Rice, Rich Sickeler, Tom Trace, Gary Wingo, Chuck Zetterstrom, Wayne Smith, Jim Rausch, Paul Yosic and Leland Carawan.
The association is an organization of current or past residents of Windward in Alpharetta who are retired or contemplating retirement. The group organizes a wide range of activities for interested members throughout the year. There are no dues, officers or age requirements.
For further information, contact Eric Hempelman at 470-514-7877 or Leland Carawan at 813-545-0501.
— Jon Wilcox
In Memoriam
Randall McAuley
January 30, 1962 - December 29, 2024
Randall Joseph McAuley passed away suddenly due to natural causes on Dec. 29, 2024 in Atlanta, GA. Randy was born in Pittsburgh, PA on Jan. 30,1962 to the late Bernard Joseph McAuley and Judith McAuley. He is survived by his sister Amy Kerns (Kelly), brother Douglas (Fran), sister Kathleen Gaus (Jeff), 8 nieces and nephews, 2 Aunts, and 9 cousins. All of whom were a big part of his life. Randy grew up in Pittsburgh, PA where he attended Mount Lebanon High School, graduating in 1980 and took pride in establishing enduring and lifelong friendships with his high school classmates. He went on to Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1984 with a BA in Criminal Justice. He was also a lifelong member of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity Alumni Association. Randy spent the next 35 years in Atlanta, GA working as a private investigator for various companies throughout the area and most recently EcoShredding. However, being a Peach Bowl volunteer for 34 years was the job he really loved. He was the Transportation Chairman from 2001 until the present. He spoke often about the wonderful
people with whom he interacted every day during the annual Peach Bowl. They were his extended family. He was also involved in The Battle of Atlanta each year since 1986 where he served as the Security and Operations Manager from 1993 - present and spent time with other organizers who became lifelong friends. In addition to his volunteer work and day jobs, he spent weekends at a friend’s place he referred to as “the farm” where he spent many happy hours with friends enjoying life. Randy was a lifelong and passionate fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His love of football led him to assist the Wheeler Junior Football program for 6th, 7th & 8th graders for several years. His other interests included photography and fishing. He will be forever remembered for his renowned use of flip phones. He will be missed by family, longtime friends and passionate volunteers he worked with throughout the years. A celebration of life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers contributions in his honor may be made to: Peach Bowl LegACy Fund at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for Childhood Cancer.
Newspaper Delivery Route Openings
with Appen Media Group
We are looking for one person or couple interested in delivering weekly newspapers in South Forsyth, Alpharetta and the Johns Creek areas.
Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.
For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”
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During these turbulent times, we would like to highlight the continued courage and commitment of everyone who works in the health care, law enforcement, childcare, food service and utility sectors. We are extremely grateful.
Roswell, GA 30075 • Cremation Services
CITY OF ALPHARETTA
NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION AND QUALIFICATION FEES
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on the 4th day of November 2025, a nonpartisan general election will be held in the City of Alpharetta, Georgia to elect three (3) Members of the City Council (Posts 1, 2, and 3).
Pursuant to Georgia Code § 21-2-131(a)(1)(A), the qualifying fees are as follows:
City Council Member $450
Election qualifying will be held in the City Clerk’s Office on the third floor of Alpharetta City Hall, which is located at 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. The qualification dates and times are as follows:
Monday, August 18, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lauren Shapiro City Clerk for the City of Alpharetta, Georgia
CITY OF MOUNTAIN PARK
NOTICE OF 2025 GENERAL ELECTION QUALIFICATION FEES AND DATES
Notice is hereby given that a non-partisan, General Election for the City of Mountain Park, Georgia will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to elect three City Council Member seats. Pursuant to Georgia Code § 21-2-131(a)(1)(B) the qualifying fees are as follows:
City Council Member - $35
Election qualifying will be held at Mountain Park City Hall, which is located at 118 Lakeshore Drive, Mountain Park, GA 30075. Those residents who wish to qualify as a candidate in the election shall file a Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit during the following dates and times pursuant to Georgia Code § 21-2-132(d)(4):
Monday, August 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 19, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 20, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact the City Clerk by phone at 770-993-4231 or email at city.clerk@mountainparkgov.com.
Donor Operations Supervisor
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The Supervisor must be able to lift up to 75lb frequently and be on their feet most of their shift. They must enjoy staying busy, training and influencing other to work as a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Must have the ability to work Tuesday through Saturday 9am – 5pm. An extraordinary Total Rewards Package is included with this opportunity!
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
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