Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - March 23, 2023

The bee’s knees

Alpharetta still undecided on 2023 polling

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta remains undecided on managing its own municipal elections this fall after a March 20 City Council work session yielded no

consensus.

The City Council hosted the work session to discuss the 2024 fiscal year budget, as well as the 2023 elections. The 5:30 p.m. meeting was held in the Community Room on the first floor while the council chambers undergo renovations.

Councilmen John Hipes and Jason Binder and Mayor Pro Tem Dan Merkel said they would prefer a Fulton Countyled election.

“I would hope that we would follow

Page 4

Michael Buchanan and Deborah Eves farm, package and sell honey out of their homes on Pebble Trail in Alpharetta. The couple started Alpharetta Bee Company in 2021 as The Sunny Honey Company. Read story, Page 8.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

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Police subdue trespasser at neighborhood facility

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta police officer deployed their Taser to subdue a wanted man found trespassing in the bathroom of an Alpharetta neighborhood’s tennis court Feb. 27, police reports said.

Officers responded to the location on Park Brooke Drive in Alpharetta at 9 a.m. Feb. 27 and were told a male suspect was hiding in the tennis court’s bathroom.

Witnesses reported the man had been seen on the property for several years and had been asked not to hang around the area.

Officers located the man and identified him as a 38-year-old Dunwoody resident who was wanted on warrants by the Roswell Police Department.

The report said the man declined to respond to questioning and was not cooperative. When officers attempted to place the man in custody, he allegedly refused to comply and attempted to escape.

Fearing a physical altercation in the confined space of the bathroom, an officer deployed his Taser to subdue the man and place him under arrest. Once the man was handcuffed and in custody officers located a glass

CORRECTION

methamphetamine pipe in his pocket.

The man was transported to North Fulton Hospital to be medically cleared and was then booked into the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta. He was charged with obstruction of law enforcement and possession of drugrelated objects.

Police arrest woman for harassing behavior

ROSWELL, Ga. — A woman called Roswell Police after she said a former coworker chased her in her vehicle March 8, followed her to Garrard Landing Park and stopped behind her vehicle so she could not leave.

When police arrived on the scene, the former coworker had already left. Police said the woman was shaking and visibly scared. She told police the other woman was fired in October but kept returning to her former workplace.

The woman told police she started to leave the office earlier that day when her former coworker arrived. She said the coworker chased after her car, tailgated her and pulled up behind her at Garrard Landing Park. Once the police were called, the coworker revved her engine and left the parking lot.

A witness said he saw a lady in distress calling out for help, and watched another car pull in behind her. As the witness approach, he heard the woman say she called the police and watched the other car speed off.

The woman told police she does not know why her former coworker is fixated on her. Officers told her how to get a temporary protection order

In a March 16 story titled “Milton, Alpharetta address plans for Mayfield Farm,” Appen Media reported Old Rucker Farm is a joint program with Milton and Alpharetta. The City of Alpharetta owns Old Rucker Park & Farm exclusively and solely operates the programs there.

against her coworker and left the scene to search for the other woman.

Once officers found the former coworker, they took her into custody. As she was led to the patrol car, the woman began trying to fall to the ground, kicking and wrapping her legs around stair railings. Police took her to North Fulton Hospital because she was hyperventilating, and she was released.

The woman asked to be returned to the hospital later to receive medication. She was returned and released again, then taken to Fulton County Jail.

Vehicle fire reported on Lauren Hall Court

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — First responders were called to a neighborhood on Lauren Hall Court in Alpharetta in response to an overnight vehicle fire.

Incident reports said police and fire officials arrived at the scene at about 1 a.m., March 9, and found a 2015 Chrysler 200 fully engulfed in flames on a home’s driveway. Another vehicle in the driveway sustained some damage.

Police were told the vehicle’s check engine light came on the day before, and security camera footage from the home showed the vehicle’s engine area suddenly catching on fire.

Polling:

Continued from Page 1

the bigger cities and wait, and with the intent of moving forward in 2025,” Binder said. “But I definitely think if this council decides to move forward that we stick with three [polling sites]. I would like to keep it as smooth as possible for this election.”

City staff has projected that operating three voting locations would cost $298,532. A proposed contract with Fulton County to run elections sets the cost of 13 polling locations at $379,408.

“I think the price difference for the level of service, I cannot justify that,” Hipes said. “When it comes to voting, I don’t think we should be doing things that would inhibit voting as opposed to encouraging people to come out and vote.”

Differing views on county

Alpharetta resident Birdel Jackson, who spoke at the public hearing that followed the work session, said he was a poll worker for four election cycles, and he experienced no issues with Fulton County in previous elections.

But Mayor Jim Gilvin remained optimistic that the city could provide a better election than the county. He said the proposed contract between the county and

Alpharetta includes no guarantees that the city will not be charged more than the projected cost.

“I just wanted to make a couple of points that I don’t trust Chairman Pitts as far as I can throw him,” Gilvin said. “And our experience hasn’t been great with Fulton County.”

Fulton County placed a March 31

deadline for the city to enter an agreement for the elections. Councilmembers have until the March 27 meeting to finalize their decision.

Downtown development approved

At the public hearing that followed the work session, the City Council approved a comprehensive land use permit, rezoning, conditional use and variances for a Thompson Street development amid concerns from a neighboring homeowners association.

Earlier this month, the Alpharetta Planning Commission recommended approval of the development of 19 singlefamily detached homes at 31 and 51 Thompson Street with 25 conditions.

Scott Janke, president of the Thompson Street Flats HOA, said the group had fought the development for three years. He said the HOA invested in the project when it was proposed as a condominium development with 24 units and four buildings.

Janke said the original developer, Kairos, backed out of the remaining 12

units, and the HOA felt it did not receive its investment.

“It looked like a very good project for us to invest in,” Janke said. “The fact that you’re pulling out 12 units out of this project puts a real strain on the HOA, and we lose the economy of scale. We’ve had to raise the rates 33.3 percent in the last couple of years, well above the inflation rate.”

Janke said Kairos will be awarded with a larger project, while Thompson Street Flats will be left with a more expensive HOA and less green space.

Project attorney Kathryn Zickert said an HOA will be created for the new development, which will share responsibilities for the underground stormwater facility with Thompson Street Flats.

Councilmembers voted 6-1 to approve the development with conditions. Councilman Brian Will cast the dissenting vote.

The council also approved a two-unit subdivision on Cumming Street that will restore and preserve the historic Gardner House.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

The Alpharetta City Council hosts a work session to discuss managing its own 2023 municipal elections at City Hall March 20. Councilmembers are set to vote on the decision no later than March 27.

Two teens arrested in home shooting

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell Police Department announced March 14 they have charged two teenagers in connection with a March 3 shooting at a home on Wexford Hollow Run.

On March 3 at around 5 p.m. officers responded to reports of a person shot at their home. When they arrived on the scene, officers found a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the face. They took the victim to a local hospital where he was treated for serious injuries.

Police found that the victim was with two friends in the basement of the house, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-yearold boy. Roswell officers said the 15-year-old illegally was in possession of a handgun, which he pointed at the victim and fired. Afterward, the 15-yearold gave the handgun to the 17-yearold, who fled the scene and hid the weapon.

Officers are still investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting, but they think it was negligent misuse

of a firearm rather than the result of an argument.

The 15-year-old was arrested by Roswell Police and taken to the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center. He was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes, tampering with evidence, obstruction and possession less than an ounce of marijuana.

The 17-year-old was arrested, charged with tampering with evidence and taken to Fulton County Jail. Police are still investigating the incident.

FILE PHOTO

Roswell may amend open records policy

Councilwoman Beeson opposes new restriction

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council advanced a resolution March 14 that would require people to provide a “verifiable” name and address when submitting open records requests.

At the city’s Administration, Finance, Recreation and Parks Committee meeting, all but one of the councilmembers voted in favor of the resolution. Councilwoman Sarah Beeson cast a dissenting vote.

The resolution states that anyone requesting a public record must provide a “verifiable name and address.”

Roswell public records, like police reports and city emails are available via open records requests. Anyone can file a request for the information. Once filed, city staff must gather the records. If the records search requires time to gather, the city then charges the applicant a fee when the request is filled.

Mayor Kurt Wilson said the resolution is focused on protecting the public’ tax dollars, because the city is “inundated” with time-consuming open records requests.

Under the resolution, the city would not fill requests for “unverifiable” requestors. The council did not specify what the verification process would entail. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous would be able to go to City Hall to inspect, copy and pay for public documents.

Wilson said the policy change would not impact the city’s position that “all information inside of the city is open and accessible to all residents.”

Wilson said there have been incidents with fake requests, spurring the push for verification.

He cited a specific request in which the city clerk, Marlee Press, noticed the name of the person requesting documents did not align with the provided email address. When the clerk reached out to the resident, they denied ever filing an open records request.

City Attorney David Davidson said he spoke to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, and the city cannot make people pay in advance for the retrieval, redaction and copy of records. The resolution, Davidson said is “simply following state law.”

Councilman Mike Palermo said he supports the resolution, because it’s a “clear focus on creating more

Fact Check

efficiencies for Roswell residents, the media and any people requesting.”

Councilwoman Sarah Beeson was adamantly against the proposed change.

“I cannot be emphatic enough about how much I oppose this resolution,” Beeson said.

The councilwoman cited state law that dictates any person, corporation or entity may request access to public records.

“I’m of the frame of mind that Mickey Mouse himself can be requesting this information, and it should not change the context nor the amount of information that’s provided,” Beeson said.

Wilson argued that if he can legitimately prove he is Mickey Mouse,

OPINION

Councilwoman pens letter opposing policy changes

► PAGE 22

that’s fine, but he should not be able to pose as another person.

“Why can’t I just say I’m Kurt Wilson, and I’m asking for this information,” Wilson said. “What’s wrong with that?”

Beeson responded that the “burden of transparency does not lie on the private residents, but rather on the public entity.”

Beeson also questioned the basis of allowing anonymity if a physical presence is required in City Hall, saying it “defeats the purpose” of not giving a name.

Mayor Wilson argued that most people who come to City Hall are anonymous, because they do not have to present identification.

“Nobody has to give their name,

ever,” City Attorney Davidson said. “They can simply make a request and all the documents will be prepared, they’ll be copied and they’ll be sitting waiting when they come in to get them.”

Concerns around unverifiable names and addresses centered on the amount of work it takes to fill open records requests, especially requests that can total hundreds of documents. Councilmembers said verification will guarantee that a person cannot avoid being charged for requests.

The city clerk did not say whether there has been an instance of anybody failing to pay the costs for an open records request, but she stated that many people often say they do not want certain documents once the cost estimate is provided.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Roswell having rules in place to curb the abuses that are going on currently,” Councilman Peter Vanstrom said.

The resolution was moved forward to the next regularly scheduled Roswell City Council meeting.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson makes a point during a committee meeting with the Roswell City Council March 14. Officials discussed a plan March 14 to require “verifiable names and addresses” or in-person visits for those seeking to retrieve open records from the city.

Roswell gets fewer record requests than most nearby North Fulton cities. See story on the next page.

The City of Roswell is discussing changes to its open record policies, claiming it receives far more requests than any other city. Appen Media decided to find out if that’s true. It’s not.

Roswell gets fewer record requests than most nearby North Fulton cities

By DELANEY TARR and CARL APPEN delaney@appenmedia.com carl@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell is considering changes to its open record policies that would require people to either provide “verifiable” names and addresses or go to Roswell City Hall in person to retrieve requested records.

Some city officials say the move is an effort to address a large volume of requests, claiming Roswell receives considerably more inquiries than other North Fulton municipalities.

Appen Media decided to find out if that’s true. It’s not.

In fact, Roswell has received fewer record requests than almost all of its sister cities this year, according to documents reviewed by the news organization.

Roswell has received 406 requests since Jan. 1, according to the City Clerk’s office. The city has approximately 92,530 residents.

Sandy Springs, its neighbor to the south, received 947 requests over the same time period. Sandy Springs has approximately 14,000 more residents than Roswell.

Milton, a city less than half the size of Roswell with 41,259 residents, received 507 requests.

Only Johns Creek, a city slightly smaller than Roswell, received fewer requests. Officials there provided documents showing it had received 323 inquiries during that time.

Alpharetta, a municipality consistently compared with Roswell despite its

smaller population, takes the cake. That city received 1,336 requests, more than three times as many, during the same time window.

It’s worth noting that Roswell was one of only two cities that charged Appen Media for documents related to this analysis, despite the query being the same across jurisdictions.

Residents, including one sitting City Council member, have raised concerns about the legality of the proposed policy changes.

At a March 14 Administration, Finance, Recreation and Parks Committee meeting, Roswell Councilwoman Sarah Beeson cited state law that dictates any person, corporation or entity may request access to public records.

“I cannot be emphatic enough about how much I oppose this resolution,” Beeson said.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson assured residents that longtime City Attorney David Davidson has approved the measure after speaking with the state Attorney General’s Office. The resolution, Davidson said, is “simply following state law.”

Appen Media requested documents to vet that statement through an open records request, but the city has not yet provided them.

Among the six members of the City Council and mayor, Beeson was the only elected official to speak against the policy change.

The measure is scheduled for an official vote before the City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting March. 27.

CHART BY CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | March 23, 2023

Alpharetta Bee Company makes sweet deals

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Deborah Eves and Michael Buchanan bonded over a shared love of nature, but their passion for beekeeping and business started when they founded the Alpharetta Bee Company in 2021.

Buchanan and Eves started their backyard venture after a year of learning the ropes of beekeeping, and it first launched as The Sunny Honey Company.

“We started Sunny Honey Company, and we got into the Alpharetta Farmers Market, and we’re like wow, it was amazing how much people love honey,” Eves said. “Then the next year, which was last year before the farmers market started, we said, ‘Well, gosh, nobody realizes that we’re actually local Alpharetta beekeepers,’ so we changed our name to Alpharetta Bee Company.”

Eves and Buchanan feed, house and care for their Italian and Carniolan bees in their backyards on Pebble Trail. They also have hives at Buchanan’s cabin in Cleveland, where they produce their sourwood and mountain wildflower honey.

Buchanan said they learned best practices from a friend in Milton and from a neighbor in Cleveland with 35 years of beekeeping experience. The pair studied YouTube videos and purchased equipment in 2020, and the following year, they were ready to launch.

“It’s not something you can kind of stick your toe in the water about,” Buchanan said. “You’re either in it or you’re not.”

The process Buchanan said much of the process is common sense, but it is also hard work. He said it is important to feed the bees and keep them healthy for the period that they have no nectar, which is 60-70 percent of the year.

The two expect to have 12 or 13 hives in 2023, and Buchanan said one

good hive can produce up to 70 pounds of honey.

“They’ve been around since the time of the dinosaurs, so they know what to do,” Buchanan said.

When the honey is ready to be harvested, Eves and Buchanan filter it from their extractor into containers. The honey is raw and never heated or

pasteurized, they said, and nothing is added.

Eves also uses the beeswax from their hives in candles and lotion, which is made with coconut oil and shea butter.

Working as a duo, Eves said, allows them to bounce ideas off one

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Colorfully painted hives house a portion of the Alpharetta Bee Company’s bees in Michael Buchanan’s backyard March 15. Buchanan and co-owner Deborah Eves raise and farm honey from Italian and Carniolan bees.

See BEE, Page 9

It’s not something you can kind of stick your toe in the water about.You’re either in it or you’re not.

MICHAEL BUCHANAN, co-founder, Alpharetta Bee Co.

Bee:

Continued from Page 8

another to find the best ways to run their business, and the bees are like their coworkers, rather than their employees.

A business with a mission

Alpharetta Bee Company served the couple as more than a business venture. Buchanan is a retired teacher, and Eves works as a substitute teacher at the Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy in Alpharetta.

Eves said two of her students want to learn about beekeeping and entrepreneurship, and this summer, they will help the couple at their Alpharetta Farmers Market booth.

“We’re going to train them to work at the market with us so that when one of us is gone, the other one that’s there will have somebody to help,” Eves said. “We’re super excited about it. They’re so cute.”

The company is also passionate about “bees, trees and seas,” and they said they hope to educate others and create awareness about saving the environment.

“We have information at the booth, and we have tasters so they can taste it,” Buchanan said. “They’re not just

buying it blindly, and we let them try some of the sourwood, wildflower, whatever. We try to teach people about beekeeping and how mosquito spraying in the yard is not really good for the bees.”

Besides beekeeping, Buchanan is an artist, writer and filmmaker, and he searches the West and Southeast for fossils and shark teeth. He said he enjoys sharing his findings with children at the farmers market.

“We just like to talk to people,” Eves said. “We have pictures of us in our beekeeping suits at the market, and we found that a lot of people love to talk about bees. And if people want to bring their kids over and visit the beehives, we encourage that as well.”

Looking back and ahead

Before the success of Alpharetta Bee Company, Eves and Buchanan had to face the challenges of obtaining a license, paying sales taxes and covering expenses as new business owners.

“To me, the bumpiest thing is the fact that you’re totally dependent upon the bees to help you do this,” Buchanan said. “If we lose a couple of hives, whatever, then it cuts back on product and things like that. We do the best we can, but still the bees have the final vote on how everything’s going to work, and we cannot control that.”

While the pair are still expanding

Alpharetta Bee Company sells wildflower, sourwood and clover honey, as well as creamed and infused varieties March 15. Owner Deborah Eves also makes lotion and candles with beeswax, and co-owner Michael Buchanan painted bees that the couple sell on handcrafted note cards.

their online presence and navigating the farmers market off-season, Eves said the business allows her to do the things she loves, and she is satisfied with the size and the market of the company.

“We don’t want it to get to where it’s just a job,” Buchanan said. “We still want it to be a business that makes us happy, not one that takes over our lives.”

Buchanan and Eves hope to expand

their honey varieties in the future, and they plan to sell children’s books related to beekeeping and nature soon.

Alpharetta Bee Company is at the Alpharetta Farmers Market Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 1-Oct. 31 and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in November. The company will also set up at the Alpharetta Christmas Market in December,

The company’s online shop is at alpharettabeeco.com/.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

FROM COP TO COACH

Athletic director leaves his mark on Eagles sports

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Gary Sylvestri, a family man with a strong faith in God, is winding down after more than a decade as athletic director at Milton High School, where he oversees one of Fulton County’s largest sports departments.

Sylvestri, aka Coach Sly, started coaching football at Milton in 2010. Two years later, he was promoted to athletic director. Along the way, Sylvestri also helped brand the school.

“We made it the ‘M,’ and the empire,” he said. “Everyone knows us for that now.”

Milton’s athletics department, which has 23 varsity sports, 90 coaches and around 1,050 athletes, has racked up major milestones during Sylvestri’s tenure.

In 2018, the Eagles won their first football state championship when they defeated the Colquitt County Packers in the finals. That game was also the first time since 1995 that a team outside of South Georgia and Gwinnett County won in the state’s highest classification. Milton is a 6A school playing 7A, Sylvestri said.

But Milton has claimed a total of 20 state championships with eight runner-up finishes across multiple sports, including football, baseball and basketball, while Sylvestri has led athletics. Sylvestri also emphasized the ties he has with teams that don’t do well.

“I think people forget about that part of it,” he said. “Failure is the foundation to success, right?”

‘The grind’

With an Italian background, Sylvestri is tan, weathered from days on the field, and stocky. He sports a collection of tattoos on both arms, including one of two hands alluding to “The Creation of Adam.” A tattoo on his left hand says, “One love,” paired with Rastafarian colors.

When he retires in June, Sylvestri said he’s going to continue traveling to Jamaica and spend more time with family. Some are up North, and he has grandkids around the country he’ll get to visit. His daughter Danielle lives in

Virginia, and his son Nick lives in Utah. But he’s not going to stop working. He serves as the associate pastor at a local church, a role he had when he lived in South Florida. He also plans to start up a podcast called “Behind the Bench,” where the first guest will be James Hines, the executive director of the Georgia High School Association.

“I’m not going to sit down at 60 and just sit by a palm tree,” Sylvestri said.

Sylvestri said slowing down “the grind” is going to be a shock, considering his work routine. As athletic director, he carries a host of administrative tasks related to buses, clubs, custodians, facilities and parking at the school.

He also stays involved with coaching. Sylvestri put one hat down in 2016 when he stopped coaching football but soon picked up another, training the girls lacrosse team in CrossFit in its off seasons.

School spirit moves through his family, too. Sylvestri’s wife, and his best friend for more than 30 years, works in the football office at Milton High School. His other two children work at Milton as well.

Sylvestri’s son Vincent, affectionately “Vinny,” is the running back coach, and his daughter Dominique is a community-based instruction (CBI) teacher, working with students who have special needs. She also used to coach junior varsity soccer at Milton.

A time in uniform

Sylvestri moved to Milton from South Florida, where he worked as a police officer. After the night shift, he’d take a nap then go off to coach football at inner city schools. He first started coaching in 1983.

“My wife, God bless her…” Sylvestri said. “She put up with a lot.”

On the force, he learned to be a “chameleon,” jumping from call to call, which served him in athletics leadership.

“When you’re dealing with parents or you’re dealing with students … you’re dealing with different personalities, different cultures,” he

See COACH, Page 14

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Gary Sylvestri, Milton High School athletic director, stands by an image of the high school’s football field in his office March 15. Sylvestri is set to retire in June.

Milton High grad stars in Broadway’s ‘Wicked’

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Milton High School graduate McKenzie Kurtz has filled a childhood dream as she starts her run as Glinda in the award-winning musical “Wicked.”

Kurtz debuted in the role Feb. 14 at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway as the musical enters its 20th year.

“I have dreamt of being in this show, specifically playing Glinda since I saw it for the first time when I was 9 years old,” Kurtz said.

Watching that performance years ago was part of what spurred Kurtz to pursue musical theater. Few shows run for as long as “Wicked,” though.

“I remember being like ‘Please let this show be around when I make it to New York’ and of course it was, because it’s one of the most insane and amazing shows of all time,” Kurtz said.

“Wicked” the musical is the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history and has won over 100 international awards including a Grammy Award and three Tony Awards.

The role is a dream come true for Kurtz, who debuted on Broadway as Anna in the Tony-nominated theater adaptation of the 2013 Disney film “Frozen” in February 2020.

Kurtz only had about a month of performances at the St. James Theatre before COVID-19 shut down Broadway. The theater star had to move home to Milton and reconnect with her roots. It was hard at first, but Kurtz carries the experience with her.

“Coming back to New York, I feel like that time that I spent in Georgia, especially with my family, was so valuable, and I’m carrying all of that love and support,” Kurtz said.

The actress spent her time at home doing theater in Atlanta, like the Alliance Theatre production of the musical adaptation of 1983 film “Trading Places.”

Kurtz said she’s lucky to have grown up in Georgia with strong support from her friends, family and the theater community.

“I got so many opportunities being in the theater program at Milton,” Kurtz said.

As a part of the Milton High School theater program, the actress racked up two Shuler awards, which honor Georgia-based high school theater. Kurtz was named Best Leading Actress for Milton’s 2015 production of “Mary Poppins” and Best Leading Actress for 2012 in the program’s “Spamalot” production. She was also nominated for Best Leading Actress in 2011 and 2014.

Kurtz also performed at the Jimmy Awards, a national competition known as

“the Tonys for teenagers.”

With several awards under her belt, Kurtz received a scholarship for Carnegie Mellon University’s pre-college program and later attended the University of Michigan to study musical theater.

“My time in Milton High School was absolutely instrumental in getting me to where I am today,” Kurtz said.

In her second Broadway role, Kurtz is focused on making the iconic role of Glinda her own. Kurtz said after she was cast, people asked if she had watched bootlegs of other performances to figure out her rendition of famous songs like “Popular.”

“I really tried not to, and just tried to come up with my own bits, my own feel,” Kurtz said.

The creative team at the show welcomed her approach, and Kurtz said she can now take “creative liberties and comedic liberties” to add something new to every show.

While the actress admits she wants to pull from previous performances of Glinda, she often instead pulls from her time as Anna in “Frozen” as a source of inspiration.

“Frozen” centers on two sisters Anna and Elsa, and the complicated dynamics in their relationship. “Wicked” focuses on a pair of unlikely best friends, Glinda and Elphaba — characters from the 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”

“They both focus on this relationship between two women and that relationship evolves,” Kurtz said. “I think I carried my experience from ‘Frozen’ into this role because it is almost like a sister relationship.”

The actress said she also pulls from her own relationship with her sister to perform the dynamic between Glinda and Elphaba.

Kurtz has already set her sights on her next dream: originating a role that goes to Broadway.

“There’s nothing like that process of helping create a role and create a show,” Kurtz said. “That would be something I would really love to do next.”

MCKENZIE KURTZ / PROVIDED Milton High School graduate McKenzie Kurtz will play Glinda in the 20th year of “Wicked” the musical’s run.

Visit Roswell director to head state group

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, a resource for Georgia’s destination organizations named Visit Roswell Executive Director Andy Williams president of the trade association for 2023 at a February conference.

Williams has worked in sales, project coordinator and director positions in visitors bureaus in Dunwoody, Madison, Atlanta and Roswell. He joined the board of the association in 2019 and served as the group’s vice president in 2022.

The Visit Roswell Executive director assumed the role at the association’s annual conference

on Feb. 12-15. At the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Williams will head up a 12-member board of regional destination organization leaders and tourism professionals.

“Andy is a proven leader with a diverse background in understanding and strategically capitalizing on the many segments of the travel and convention business markets,” Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus Executive Director Jay Markwalter said.

The association aims to “maximize the impact” of visitor economy with tourism education, leadership development and legislative work.

Alive in Roswell to return with festival in downtown

ROSWELL, Ga. — Alive in Roswell, a free family-friendly festival held every third Thursday evening from April through October is set to return to downtown April 20.

From Canton Street and at the Roswell Antique and Interiors parking lot, the festival will have live music, food trucks, interactive vendors from 5-9 p.m. and access to shops and restaurants in the area.

The event is hosted by the City of Roswell and sponsored by Gate City Brewing Company and Top Job Beverage and Events. It will have a free trolley service at common parking

locations like City Hall.

Dogs on leashes are welcomed at the event but are not allowed on the trolley.

At the Roswell Antique and Interiors Lot, there will be various vendors, a beverage tent, a face painter and a balloon artist. Alongside the lot on Webb Street, there will be multiple food trucks alongside tables and portable restrooms.

The live music will be on stages in Heart of Roswell Park on Canton Street and in the back corner of the Roswell Antique and Interiors parking lot.

GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAUS / PROVIDED Visit Roswell Executive Director Andy Williams will lead the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus at a February conference.

King’s Ridge boys basketball wins first state championship

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The King’s Ridge Christian School made history March 11 in the Macon Centreplex when the boys basketball team defeated Mount Pisgah 68-58, earning the title of Georgia High School Association’s Class A Division 1 State Champions.

Led by head coach Bob Martin in his fifth year, the team returned to the championship game for the second consecutive year after finishing runner-up in 2022. The team finished the season 23-10 and faced tough competition weekly as a member of Region 6, which housed three of the final four teams in the tournament.

King’s Ridge hit the road as a No. 4 seed to face Social Circle in round one with a 69-60 final, Rabun County in round two with a 65-30 final, Woodville-Tompkins in the quarterfinals with a 62-54 final and Mount Vernon in the semifinals at 53-48 before returning to Macon.

Coach:

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said. “If you’re set in your ways, you’re not going to get very far. It’s a relational job.”

Sylvestri said he tries to “chill in life” because of what he had seen in his 20 years in police work.

“I have a lot of stuff locked up in a closet in my head, to keep there forever if I can,” he said.

Micah Hoover with 25 points and Zak Thomas with 24 points were the leading scorers March 11.

The Tigers were led all season by its four seniors Micah Hoover, Isaac Martin, Jack Thomas and Zak Thomas.

“We are grateful for the many blessings this great game has given us. We use basketball as a tool to help develop intangibles such as discipline, teamwork, friendships, commitment, attitude, and dealing with adversity,” Martin said. “While we may fail at times, the lessons learned along the way will make the biggest difference. The players bought into the team by being selfless and accomplishing a goal bigger than themselves. That is the biggest win of all. We were blessed with the opportunity to play in a state championship game and win. We thank God every day for His many blessings.”

When he retires, Sylvestri said he’s going to miss impacting the lives of Milton’s kids. He’s always had an open-door policy for anyone that needs to talk. Sylvestri believes part of God’s plan for him is being there for people.

“I’m a safe adult for them to talk to. I’m not going to judge them,” Sylvestri said. “I’m not going to condone what they’re doing sometimes. But I’m going to educate them. There’s more learning going on in the hallways, and in the sports field, than in the classrooms in this building.”

KING’S RIDGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL/PROVIDED King’s Ridge Christian School boys basketball team earn the title of Georgia High School Association’s Class A Division 1 State Champions March 11.

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Partnering with a therapist to strengthen your child’s EQ

Brought to you by – Shaquanta “Shelley” Shelley, LAPC, Staff Associate

Therapist at Summit Counseling Center

In the busyness of life, many of us grew up thinking we must keep going despite how we feel, and if symptoms of mental illness are not screaming at us, then we are “fine.” In other words, because our symptoms are not always visible, we often neglect considering therapy until things get extremely bad. In my experience, many adults who started therapy later in life had symptoms that began in childhood and would have benefitted from seeing a therapist in their youth. Statistics show that 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24, with it taking an average of 11 years after symptoms first appear for an individual to seek treatment.

Due to many common barriers surrounding mental health, parents tend to seek therapy for their child as a last resort when they experience difficulties at home and school - often after exhausting all other options. While more attention-demanding symptoms like anger issues, wishing to harm themselves or others, or crippling depression are valid reasons to consider therapy for your child, therapy can still be beneficial for children with more subtle symptoms like social withdrawal, acting out, or experiencing the impact of recent life events.

Therapy is an individualized process where kids can acknowledge their own experiences and develop coping skills to work through their emotions, also known as strengthening their EQ, or emotional intelligence. In therapy, kids build confidence, social and emotional awareness, conflict resolution, anger management, problem-solving tools,

Your Will needs a healthcare checkup

stress management skills, selfawareness, and self-discovery (Many of us could use these skills even though our lives appear normal and healthy). Although these skills can be taught at home, parents may run into roadblocks when they try to fix a child’s symptoms rather than address the root of their behavioroften unknowingly bringing in their own predispositions and biases. Alternatively, therapists are trained to put aside their beliefs and biases to hear their client’s voice and help them build healthier living habits. Throughout this process, parents can partner with their child’s therapist, ask questions, and receive advice as they support their child’s mental well-being. While therapy is a safe place for children to share their experience and find support, it is also important for parents to create this space at home. Teaching a child healthy way to identify and manage their emotions at a young age will encourage them to avoid hiding their problems and know that they never have to face them alone. Each child not only has different experiences, but they also react to those experiences in different wayseven within the same family. Validate these experiences and normalize conversations around mental health, allowing kids to feel seen, heard, and acknowledged – knowing that no problem or feeling is too small to receive support or too large to overcome.

Summit Counseling Center is offering therapy groups for students throughout the summer, teaching skills to overcome anxiety, develop social skills, prepare for college, and more. Learn more about our groups and register your child at tinyurl.com/ sccsummer23.

Brought to You by -- Geerdes & Associates

Some people may think an estate plan only includes a will or trust, but a complete estate plan should also contain supplementary documents such as a Healthcare Directive. In Georgia, a Healthcare Directive is essentially what is called a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney in other states. It is also called a medical proxy. A Healthcare Directive is important to your estate plan because it determines who gets to be your guardian if you are ever declared mentally

GEERDES

incompetent and also determines whether you want life support in an emergency situation.

Advanced Healthcare Directives ensure that your choices for life and death aren’t determined by an arbitrary third party who doesn’t have your best interests at heart, and it also prevents family members from fighting each other on whether to give you life support. By making the hard decisions yourself and letting those who care about you know what your choices are beforehand, you can have peace of mind that no one will be forced to make a difficult choice for you.

Medical ethics and dermatology

Ethical questions arise in all fields of medicine, and dermatology is no different. One of the more remarkable cases that I encountered during training was that of a woman who became pregnant while taking a medication known to cause birth defects. Despite explicit and severe warnings, she insisted that she be allowed to keep taking the medicine throughout her pregnancy. When her dermatologist refused to prescribe the medicine, the patient convinced the hospital’s ethics board to recommend that her obstetrician continue prescribing the medication during pregnancy. The woman received her prescriptions at the board’s recommendation, and the baby was tragically but not unpredictably born with birth defects.

Although I wholeheartedly disagree with the ethics board’s recommendation, I can see how ethical principles are sometimes difficult to apply in practice. The four guiding principles of medical ethics are often taught to be “autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.” Loosely translated, these principles mean: respect someone’s right to choose; do good; do no harm, and act in a fair or equitable way.

The above example is extreme. The ethics board made a mistake and prioritized “autonomy” above all other considerations (including “do no harm”). But many less dramatic ethical considerations occur almost every day in practice. When treating patients, I find that the common sense strategies of putting the patient first and asking what I would want for a family member go a long way towards making sound ethical decisions.

In Mohs surgery, a tissue removal technique for curing skin cancers, shades of grey are often encountered. Cancer is not always black and white. Sometimes, invasive cancer has been eliminated, but the edges have “in situ” cancer – cancer

confined to the top layers of the skin, or the edges exhibit “actinic keratoses,” best understood as “pre-cancers.” Severely sun-damaged individuals sometimes have cheeks or scalps that are covered with precancers and “in situ” cancers. Continuing to cut in such cases is sometimes not in the patient’s best interest. Instead, once the invasive cancer is removed, I frequently discuss switching strategies with my patients. We often treat the area around an invasive cancer with an anti-cancer cream post-operatively instead of dogmatically continuing to cut and missing the forest for the trees.

Personalized medicine is often medicine at its best. One recent patient presented to me for a second opinion regarding a melanoma on his eyelid. The first surgeon the patient saw recommended complete removal of the lower eyelid and a 3 month reconstruction process during which the patient would not be able to see from that eye. The patient and I discussed that the large margin the first surgeon recommended is the standard of care. However, the patient stated that at his age he did not want to undergo an extensive surgery. He understood the risks and chose a smaller margin. He understands that the “middle ground” option that he wanted is not in line with the official guidelines for treating cancers like his, but the smaller surgery that he chose is the option that is right for him. The standard of care is a guideline. The patient comes first.

As interesting as philosophical principles like autonomy and nonmaleficence are, I have found that the most useful principles are variations of the Golden Rule. Treat patients like you would want your family or loved ones treated. And put the patient first.

If you or a loved one has a skin cancer or other skin care needs, please consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta. It is our privilege to take care of you.

Brought to You by - Brent Taylor, MD, Premiere Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

Don’t procrastinate!

Brought to you by- Jay Looft, Senior Source Medicare

When you are approaching your signup window for Medicare, do not wait until the last minute- don’t procrastinate!

The most common reason for beginning Medicare is turning age 65. Medicare gives you a “long runway” of 3 months prior to your birthday month and 3 months after your birthday month to get Medicare Part A and Part B in place.

Use the 3 months before your birthday month effectively.

If you sign-up during the 3 months prior to your birthday month, your coverage begins the first day of your birthday month.

I can’t stress being proactive enough, because we are seeing longer and longer processing times from the federal government in processing Medicare Part A and Part B enrollments. Recently, it’s taken several of our clients 30 days to see their Medicare Part A and Part B in their online account.

Don’t leave it to memory, put it in your calendar.

Set yourself a reminder on the 1st

day of the month, 3 months before your birthday month. This will be the soonest date that Medicare will allow you to go online and sign-up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Once you are ready to signup, you can go to the Social Security website at www.ssa.gov/medicare/signup.

For those who are above the age of 65 and still on group health insurance, your sign-up window is different than the one discussed above. In many cases, your window is shorter and needs careful planning in order to execute correctly. When to sign-up for Medicare is just one of many questions you may have when turning age 65, coming off of group insurance, or just wanting a change.

Bring your questions and meet us in-person!

We will be hosting two upcoming Medicare 101 Educational Meetings:

April 20th, 10:00 AM @ The Historic Log Cabin, 200 Milton Ave, Alpharetta, GA 30009

April 26th, 10:00 AM @ Forsyth County Library-Post Road Branch, 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040

Summer Camps

Fun! Friends! Skills! Creativity! Adventure!

Brought

At Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta’s summer camps, the adventure is high and the fun is big – like, really big. Campers can spend their summer trying new activities like horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, or conducting scientific experiments in the great outdoors. They are sure to make incredible memories with awesome new friends, and much more. From camping in the mountains to an urban oasis close to home, check out our three beautiful ACA accredited camps across

Greater Atlanta.

Warning: this is not your everyday summer experience. Girl Scout Camps inspire curiosity, discovery, and problem solving. Come ready to play, explore, create and have the time of your life! Whether learning to cook over a campfire, conquering a challenge course, programming robots or developing your roping skills on horseback, campers develop courage, confidence and character. Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta has both day and overnight camps available for campers girls aged 5-17. To learn more, visit GirlScoutSummer.com

Roadblock to records impairs public access to open government

“Open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society…”

§ 50-18-70, Georgia Open Records Act

As Roswell City Council prepares for the final deliberations of a resolution that would alter the city’s Open Records Request policy on Monday, March 27, I urge my fellow councilmembers to pause and reflect on the spirit of the Georgia Open Records Act, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and our charge as lawmakers to foster an open government.

According to language in the pending resolution, the City of Roswell would require requesters to provide “verifiable” names and addresses to fulfill open records requests, or if the requester wishes to remain anonymous, to require retrieval of their request in person at City Hall. To me, this proposed change begs a lot of questions: what is “verifiable” identity? How does one remain anonymous if they are required to appear in person to retrieve public records? Why does Roswell need to implement this change while other cities do not require the “verified” identity to fulfill and collect fees for open records requests? Why does the resolution state that this change is needed in order to collect existing charges for fulfillment, yet we’ve never had a requester fail to pay in the past?

The Georgia Open Records Act makes very clear the definition of public records, the timeliness of response on behalf of agencies providing access to said records, and that public records must “be open for personal inspection and copying.” The act goes as far as

agencies the ability to reasonably charge for cumbersome requests, and even defining how much an agency can charge for such requests.

Want to know what the Georgia Open Records Act never defines? A requirement to provide identification on behalf of the requester.

In accordance with this law, the City of Roswell currently charges a reasonable fee for the preparation and fulfillment of Open Records Requests. We’ve also never had a requester stiff the bill. So, to say this change is necessary to recoup taxpayer costs is a red herring. As a public agency, the City of Roswell is legally obligated to provide non-exempt public records within a timely manner regardless of who made the request. Whether the open records request is initiated by Councilmember Sarah Beeson or Mickey Mouse, the city is equally held to the same requirements for fulfillment. The burden of transparency lies on us as a city — not on the private citizen to divulge their identity in exchange for public information which they’re legally entitled to receive.

There is a long tradition of anonymity and the role it as a concept plays throughout the shaping of the American government — going back as far as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay publishing the Federalist Papers under the thenanonymous pseudonym “Publius.” The cover of anonymity allows for private citizens or members of the press to request information duly owed to them as enshrined in law without fear of retribution. Anonymous free speech is a protected right according to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution — a document we as duly elected councilmembers are sworn to uphold. With that, I implore my fellow councilmembers to remember our shared oath and side with transparency

SARAH BEESON Roswell City Councilmember

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PRESERVING THE PAST

Sun Valley Beach Park is an oasis between two cities

When teenagers in Roswell and Alpharetta needed a place to hang out in the 1950s and 1960s, they would often congregate at the Sun Valley Beach Park on Highway 9 halfway between Roswell and Alpharetta. Today the remaining land is overgrown with weeds and beaver dams where traces of its existence are barely visible on Sun Valley Road, but in its day, it was an amazing family recreational and entertainment park popular throughout north Fulton County. Here is the story.

The park was founded in 1950 by Joe C. Mansell (1906-1997) as a fishing lake only. Joe was the principal investor and manager of the operation. The park grew and a Board of Directors was established consisting of friends and relatives of Joe including architect Jim Barker who designed the park’s bathhouse; his brother-in-law Chuck Cunningham, also an architect; Jasper Dolvin, Principal of the Roswell Elementary School; Joe’s cousin, Clarence Westbrook; Bob Patten, a builder and Terry Martin among others.

Sun Valley Park offered a wide assortment of attractions including a 14-acre swimming lake with an imported white sand beach, two boating and fishing lakes one of which had a skating rink around it. The park had a stable operated by Joe’s cousin, Harry Kaye Mansell and cousin Howard Rucker. The stable offered horseback riding and pony rides for children. Nephew Willie Mansell ran the bait shop. There were row boats for rent, train rides around the property, a pony-pulled covered wagon, picnic grounds with tables, area for Boy Scout overnighters and a snack bar. A bowling alley was added in the early 1960s. Admission for adults was 50 cents and 25 cents for children when it first opened.

Joe’s daughter, Linda Mansell Martin, has many memories of the park. She worked every summer as a teenager “behind the basket counter (for holding swimmers’ clothes) or flipping burgers at the snack bar or eventually becoming a lifeguard at the swim lake when I was a little older.” She recalls “sock hops, picnics, swimming, diving and sunning, train rides, fishing and horseback riding through the woods, egg hunts, and even a few folks who were caught

‘skinny dipping’ when they broke in at night.”

In the 1950s the rivalry between Roswell and Alpharetta teenagers was strong. The park was neutral ground where teens from all over the area would gather to enjoy the fun and sun. “I don’t know what teenagers in Alpharetta and Roswell would have done without the park. It healed some of the rivalry between the two cities,” says Linda. Up to 500 to a 1,000 people would visit the park on weekends.

Linda says her father” along with his 4 siblings, inherited land along Highway 9 from their father, Robert Henry Mansell II, a farmer, who provided his children with a house and 60 acres of land each.” Joe, Robert’s oldest son, started his career as a farmer also, but found that he preferred other ways of making a living. In 1930 he opened a filling station in Roswell, and then an ice and coal business. Subsequently he was an investigator in the Fulton County Solicitor General’s office in Atlanta where he worked for 20 years.

Joe served as Mayor of Roswell in 1941 and 1942.

He sold part of his 60 acres to Carroll Beyers for Beyers Furniture Store and land for Greenlawn Cemetery in 1961. The rest was Sun Valley Property, all along Hwy 9. When his wife, Lessie Coleman Mansell (1908-1959) became ill with cancer in 1950, he quit his Atlanta job to be home with his wife and two daughters. It was then that Joe decided to convert the property into the recreation park. After his wife died, the family moved to Florida for 8 months where Joe managed the Sharlo Manor Motel on Clearwater Beach. In October 1965 Joe sold the park to John Talbott, Jr, an Atlanta physician, who operated the park for three years before closing it.

Today there are businesses and apartments along Sun Valley Drive, and the City of Roswell owns 11 acres of the original property. A few remnants of the park’s glory days can be detected by discerning eyes, but most of the remaining park land is overgrown with vegetation.

A postcard of Sun Valley Park shows some of its features: lake, beach, walking trails and miniature pumpkin church. CIRCA MID -1950s

Joe Mansell, searching for Civil War relics with a mine detector at the site of the New Hope Church battle during the Atlanta campaign. He collected a bucket full of minie balls, a Civil War bullet.

GARDEN BUZZ

Hostas are the solution to shade

Quandary! What if you love trees but you also love flowers and gardening? Trees provide relief from the unrelenting heat of Georgia summers and create an atmosphere of tranquility, but they also block out the sun, a requirement for most annuals and perennials. When my family decided to move from the city to a rural suburban home, we fell in love with a home I described to friends and relatives as a home that looked like it was helicoptered into a hardwood forest. Within days of moving into our new home, I soon asked myself, how can I love a house in the woods and also have a flower garden? The solution was hostas!

No shade garden should be without a hosta. I now have more than 75 varieties of hostas in my garden. Hostas have been the mainstay of shade gardens for at least one hundred years. Even though their flowers are insignificant, the appeal is the diversity of their leaves. The leaves of hostas, thanks to hybridizers, come in a variety of sizes, colors, and textures.

Hosta is a diverse genus of plants native to Japan and brought to the United States in the mid-1800s. Interestingly, Dr. Philip von Siebold, the first European that wished to share hostas with the world beyond the borders of Japan, smuggled them out of Japan by boat. Unfortunately, the ship wrecked, and a forbidden map of Japanese coastline was discovered along with Siebold’s collection of hostas, resulting in his arrest and the loss of most of his precious cargo of botanical specimens. Some hostas survived and were successfully introduced beyond the borders of Japan in the 1830s.

For over 100 years, hostas have been extensively hybridized by both amateurs and professionals to produce hundreds of shade garden possibilities. For drama, try big and bold hostas with large dinner platesized leaves such as Elegans, Big Daddy or Sum and Substance or small and demure varieties such as Little Blue Mouse Ears. Color options are also available from true green to blue green to chartreuse green to yellow green. Other hosta hybrids provide more possibilities, including those with white, cream or blue borders,

About the Author

hostas with white, lavender, and purple flowers, as well as flowers with fragrance and without fragrance. Thanks to hybridizing techniques, the hosta varieties seem endless, and there are always new introductions to add to your woodland garden.

Another benefit of adding hostas to your garden: they are easy to grow! All they need is soil amended with compost, water/rain once a week, and dose of fertilizer or manure in the spring. If deer inhabit your woodland garden, you will need to purchase a deer repellent. My favorite is Liquid Fence® which I apply with a sprayer once a month.

To begin your love affair with hostas, go online, search ‘hosta’ and click on images to look at the dazzling varieties of hostas to add appeal to your woodland garden.

To learn more about how to plant, care for, fertilize, and prevent eradication from deer, hostas’ enemy number one, visit the NFMG YouTube channel and check out my Spring 2021 Gardening Lecture, “Hosta – A Perfect Addition to Your Shade Garden” at https://youtu.be/ N5vUNT1aYjw.

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.

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a 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. After retirement in 2008, she had three goals: to move from Pittsburgh to Atlanta to be near her daughter and granddaughter, to volunteer, and to become a Master Gardener. Shortly after moving, she became involved with the philanthropic mission of the Assistance League of Atlanta (ALA) and in 2012, 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. She also volunteers weekly at the ALA thrift store and acts as chair of their Links to Education scholarship program. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, hiking, biking, and reading.

For more information

• Growing Hostas - https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail. html?number=C955

• North Fulton Master Gardenershttps://www.nfmg.net/

CAROLE MACMULLAN Guest Columnist

• Rosemary Barrett, Hosta (Firefly Book, New Zealand, 2004)

Top left- Guacamola hosta - Hosta of the Year 2002, The American Hosta Growers Association

Top right - Striptease Hosta - Hosta of the Year 2005, The American Hosta Growers Association

Middle - Blue Angel Hosta, 6 Varieties of Hosta in containers

Bottom right - June Hosta - Hosta of the Year 2012, The American Hosta Growers Association