Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - April 27, 2023

Roswell hears funding pitches from partner groups

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. —The Roswell City Council began the process of refining its 2024 spending plan April 24, first at a work session and later at a formal meeting.

The council work session featured funding requests from partner organizations operating outside the core city bureaucracy – organizations representing cultural arts, economic development, beautification and historic preservation.

The council also set in motion the first round of the $179.6 million general obligation bonds that will fund projects for parking, public safety and parks and recreation.

At the work session, the council heard presentations from five of the city’s partner organizations.

Roswell Inc, the city’s accredited economic development organization, highlighted opportunities for continued growth in the coming year.

Steve Stroud, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the focus in 2024 is to collaborate with the City Council and mayor to foster business growth.

The organization proposed city funding of $315,000 for operations and for a leadership trip to visit sister cities to glean ideas for smart economic growth.

Roswell Inc also expects to receive an additional $499,000 in funding from private sources.

The $315,000 budget request is bro-

► PAGE 3

School budget spending details draw comments at Milton forum

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Fulton County District 2 School Board member Lillie Pozatek held a community meeting on April 18 where educators and community members gathered at Hopewell Middle School in Milton to hear details on the school district’s proposed 2023-2024 budget.

Pozatek, who represents areas of Alpharetta and Milton said the meeting was also an opportunity to get feedback from her district on the proposed 2023-24 budget, rounding out at about $1.1 billion.

“I know this is a team effort, I am here to represent you,” Pozatek said.

ken down into operations and staffing costs, economics and business development, industry support and communications.

The leadership retreat, projected to cost $36,000, is a structured trip to one of Roswell’s sister cities, like Asheville, North Carolina. Roswell Inc members meet with city staff and department heads to determine best practices.

Following the presentation, Roswell

► PAGE 4

Mayor Kurt Wilson asked Stroud, “What does success look like for Roswell Inc?”

Stroud said success is helping grow existing businesses and welcoming new businesses, using the economic strategy created by the mayor and council. Roswell Inc is primarily targeting information technology and medical companies.

Visit Roswell, the city’s destination marketing organization, presented a

See PITCHES, Page 20

Fulton County Schools Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef presented the budget, which is scheduled to be adopted on June 6. The budget has been discussed at previous school board meetings, and it calls for employees to receive a 7 percent salary increase for the 20232024 school year.

Dereef said the compensation increase is the highlight to the budget, because “we’re in a competitive market” with neighboring school districts in DeKalb and Cobb County.

“We have 10 school districts that border us, that’s our competition,” Dereef said.

► PAGE 9

See BUDGET, Page 9

100-acre development pitched for Union Hill

River Eves principal abruptly quits post

North Point, Windward mixed-use waved ahead

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA Roswell City Council members Lee Hills and William Morthland chat with residents between the April 24 budget work session and City Council meeting at Roswell City Hall.

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Car burglaries reported to Alpharetta Police

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Between March 31 and April 8, Alpharetta police investigated multiple vehicle burglaries that occurred throughout the city.

Reports said the first burglary was investigated at the Benihana restaurant on Mansell Road March 31 at about 11 p.m., after a restaurant patron discovered their vehicle’s rear passenger window had been shattered.

From security camera footage at the restaurant, officers were able to see a grey Kia Optima pulling up next to the victim’s vehicle and suspects breaking in.

On April 8 and 9, vehicles were burglarized at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Kimball Bridge Road and the Passador Brazilian Steakhouse on Mansell Road. In both cases, the vehicles’ windows were shattered, but no items were stolen.

In the later incidents, no security cameras were available to capture the burglaries.

At the time of the report, no suspects had been identified.

Police subdue suspect sought in disturbance

ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 31-year-old Thomasville man on terroristic threats and obstruction of a law enforcement officer after an altercation on April 13 at the Shell gas station on Holcomb Bridge Road. Police responded to a public disturbance at the gas station and found a man that officers believed had a mental health defect. The gas station

employee asked the officers to issue a trespass warning and escort him off the property.

When police explained the trespass warning, the man told officers “Not to threaten him.” The officers said the man then threatened to kill them. When they began to place the man under arrest, he did not follow commands and told the police to keep their hands to themselves.

Police warned the man he would be tased if he did not comply, but he continued to resist and an officer tased him in the back and thigh. The officer then fired a second volley of tasers at closer range and officers took the man to the ground and put him in handcuffs.

The officers took the man to North Fulton Hospital for a medical evaluation and took out a felony warrant for terroristic threats and a misdemeanor warrant for obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

New Mercedes Benz stolen using fake ID

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A thief used a fake ID and a forged check to drive a $160,000 Mercedes Benz SUV off an Alpharetta car lot April 7.

Police were called to a Lincoln dealership on Mansell Road April 13, after it was reported that a man using a North Carolina driver’s license and a $35,000 check written out in the same name had stolen a 2021 Mercedes G-Class SUV from the dealership April 7.

Police were told the suspect completed all paperwork online before coming to the dealership and nothing seemed out of place for almost a week, until the dealership received a phone call from a North Carolina man, who said his identity had been fraudulently used to buy the car.

When the theft was discovered April 13, the dealership hadn’t deposited the $35,000 down payment check yet and learned from PNC Bank that it was fraudulent. A police database check

for the driver’s license used in the transaction also showed the ID card provided to the dealership was fake.

Staff at the dealership identified the suspect as a 60-year-old White man with gray hair and brown eyes.

Roswell man arrested for assault with bottle

ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 22-year-old Roswell man for aggravated assault outside a Mexican restaurant on Holcomb Bridge Road April 16 after witnesses said he struck and injured someone with a glass bottle.

Officers arrived on the scene to find the victim with wounds to the face and chest. The police treated the victim and transported him to North Fulton Hospital, then spoke to witnesses. One witness stated that the suspect struck the other person in the head with a glass bottle. Police took the suspect into custody. He told police that he had been in a verbal altercation that got physical. The man told police he hit the other person with a glass bottle.

With a witness statement and admission from the suspect, officers took the man into custody on aggravated assault charges and transported him to Fulton County Jail.

Alpharetta officials give approval to North Point mixed-use project

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — After 35 years of reimagined use, Alpharetta city leaders voted to revamp 47 acres at North Point and Windward parkways to allow a mixed-use development.

The Alpharetta City Council voted 6-0 at an April 24 meeting to approve an amendment to the Windward Park Master Plan for the development, which project staff say will feature townhomes, condominiums and office and retail space.

City Planning and Development Services Manager Michael Woodman said the project was recommended for approval by the Alpharetta Planning Commission April 13 with 18 conditions. The project allows for up to 100 for-sale townhomes, 130 for-sale condominiums, 500,000 square feet of office space and 31,400 square feet of commercial space.

The conditions include a concurrency requirement that states the first 50 must be built on site five of the plan which is located close to Dryden Road. The remainder of the townhomes will be constructed along with retail spaces and restaurants.

The concurrency clause further requires the developer to construct or be substantially underway with construction of a minimum of 31,400 square feet of retail/restaurant use before certificates of occupancy are issued beginning with the 51st townhome.

Project developers said the changed plans for the property resulted from shifting economic trends and the market. Smith, Gambrell & Russell attorney Kathryn Zickert, who represents the project, said the development was first zoned in 1988 as an office park.

Zickert said as years passed, demand for designated office spaces shifted toward residential and mixed-use purposes.

“This application has done nothing but improve along the way,” Zickert said. “We think that we have done a good job in trying to respond to whatever concerns have been basically expressed by anyone.”

The Windward Master Plan was amended in 2015 to allow for the mixeduse development on the site. The 2023 amendment will modify the residential housing mix but will not change the overall density.

Addressing concerns

With the concurrency clause, Councilman Doug DeRito expressed concerns that a portion of the property could be left unfinished if developers did not complete the project.

DeRito and Councilman Donald Mitchell also agreed the appearance of the townhomes was unappealing, and Mitchell requested varied masonry on the final product.

Speaker Elnajjar Munther Hassan, a homeowners association board member of the neighboring Caravelle development at Windward Park, asked the council to table the matter to allow more time for discussion with the developers, META Real Estate Partners and Empire Communities.

“This is the first time that the residents at Caravelle actually have a say in the community and in the META association,” Hassan said. “Because we’re paying $50,000 a year in HOA fees to this development … Do we have a sayso as voting members?”

Councilmembers unanimously approved the amendment with an additional condition to require 30 percent varied brick and stone shingles, siding and ceiling heights on front setbacks, as well as an adjustment to

a condition’s language to better ensure preservation of trees on the lot.

Councilman Jason Binder was absent from the vote.

Alpharetta Jail agreement

In other action at the April 24 meeting, the City Council approved an agreement with the City of Roswell to allow Roswell law enforcement to house inmates at the Fulton County-operated Alpharetta Jail.

Public Safety Director John Robison said the partnership follows similar agreements with Johns Creek and Milton, and the facility is equipped to house inmates from each jurisdiction.

Councilmembers also approved a memorandum of understanding with Fulton County Schools, which Robison said formalizes practices the city already uses with the school system.

He said the agreement clarifies jurisdictional powers, as well as emergency response and communication. The agreement also gives the city Public Safety Department access to the district’s camera system.

In other matters, Mayor Jim Gilvin proclaimed May as Building Safety Month to recognize city planning and building staff for their efforts.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

The Alpharetta City Council approves an amendment to the Windward Park Master Plan at an April 24 meeting. Councilman Donald Mitchell requested varied materials to make the townhomes on the property more appealing.

New Roswell website expands list of events

ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell launched Roswell365, a community calendar resource for all events and activities across Roswell on April 19.

Similar to the city’s official website, Roswell365 will feature events hosted by the city and also include events from local non-profits, businesses, civic groups and anyone organizing a community event in Roswell.

The free website allows residents to search events with keywords and categories. Days after launch, the calendar is populated with events like

a concert series, a soap-making class and an “open streets” day.

“This is a wonderful tool that highlights all the activities occurring in our vibrant City,” Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said. “Everyone wins — the community knows what’s happening in our city, and organizations have a place to call home for listing their events.”

Residents can access the community calendar at Roswell365. com and register a free account to add and edit calendar items.

Developer unveils plans for 100-acre social venue

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A North Georgia businessman has announced plans for a 100-acre mixed-use entertainment, dining and social venue.

Plans for The Gathering at South Forsyth, a proposed entertainment hub at Union Hill Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, were on tap for discussion at an April 25 work session of the Forsyth County Commission. Public hearings on the project are scheduled for May.

County Commission Chairman Alfred John said The Gathering at South Forsyth will generate thousands of jobs and serve as an economic driver.

“It will enhance what our county currently offers with an added focal point for world-class events, shopping and dining,” John said. “And it will generate thousands of jobs both during, and after construction.”

The 100-acre project is the dream of Vernon Krause, CEO of Krause Auto Group, which operates a collection of

family-owned dealerships across four states in the Southeast.

Forsyth County Commissioner

Laura Semanson said road projects in the area, like the widening of McGinnis Ferry Road, the Ga. 400 McGinnis Ferry interchange and the Ronald Reagan Boulevard extension will mitigate traffic impacts from the new development.

“This project will be of a similar caliber to other successfully executed mixed-use developments like Avalon and Halcyon,” Semanson said. “Finally, it will provide the county with significant added tax revenue that will benefit every resident with long-term economic viability.”

The development plan includes 1.6 million square feet of commercial and retail space, an arena, a community center, a fire station, 450 hotel rooms with meeting spaces and residential units.

GARAGE SALES

See more garage sales in the classifieds

SUWANEE 30024 Multi family. Glencree Subdivision; Glencree Drive & Old Atlanta Road. Look for signs. FRIDAY 5/5 AND SATURDAY 5/6, 8AM-2PM. ROSWELL (WEXFORD SUBDIVISION NEIGHBORHOOD SALE) at Etris and Hardscrabble Roads. Saturday, 4/29, 9am-4pm. Over 20 homes participating! Look for entrance signs with a QR code of a map showing homes that are participating and balloons and signs to direct you to sellers.

CUMMING-30040: HUGE! Entire Bethelview Downs community; off Bennett Parkway, exit 13. See balloons. Friday 10/21 Saturday 10/22, 8:30AM1:30PM. Bargains galore; everything goes!

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To place garage sale ads: Noon Friday. Call 770-442-3278 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com

— Shelby Israel

THE GATHERING AT SOUTH FORSYTH/PROVIDED

This rendering shows The Gathering at South Forsyth, a mixed-use and walkable entertainment hub on 100 acres at Union Hill Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard.

Neighbor proves quiet champion for Providence Park

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — A little contamination wasn’t going to stop Charlie Lancelot from doing his daily run throughout Providence Park and maintaining its trails.

Lancelot moved to a house within a stone’s throw of Providence Park in 1995. When he relocated for work, he wanted a place nearby where he could run every day.

The 42-acre park was more active at that time, and all the trails were wooded. There was a picnic ground where families could rent space. Boy Scouts would camp at the park — Lancelot’s dog used to go into their tents on Sunday morning and rattle them. There was canoeing, and like today, fishing on Providence Lake.

Rappelers would also climb the quarry’s tall sides, the same quarry once used as a dumping ground for General Motors. The company had an automotive painting facility in Doraville, Lancelot said, and its waste lay at the bottom of the quarry.

The dumping stopped some years before Fulton County took over the park, Lancelot said. But remnants, like paint cans, were still visible and were a cause for concern. Lancelot and neighbors finally

got a hold of county officials to address the issue.

“Largely, there wasn’t much they could do, and there was nothing that they did do,” Lancelot said.

Thus, “Friends of Providence Park” was formed — a group of volunteers that included Lancelot and his wife — who took it upon themselves to clean up the

mess. Lancelot recalled how a rusty paint can once left a nasty gash on his neighbor’s dog.

Eventually, a whistleblower flagged the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, he said. Chemical cleanup began around 2001, which closed the park. The area was covered in sampling stations. While the City of Milton incorporated

in 2006, it had to wait nine years to acquire the property. All that time, the park remained closed — but not to Lancelot.

He and his gardener, alone, would trespass into the park wielding a chainsaw, to cut down dead trees infested with pine borers and keep the trails clear. Lancelot even made his own trail in one section of the park, which still exists and connects to the paved .05-mile loop.

“I must have spent thousands and 14 years keeping these trails clear,” Lancelot said.

But he also read over the shoulder of the folks doing the clean-up. The EPD flushed the soil for a number of years, he said, but the department had a tough time getting rid of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons — a carcinogen that tends to hang onto the dirt.

Holding a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton, Lancelot would check chemical levels, an EPD page of numbers detailing substances in milligrams per milliliter.

Running for life

“Are you a runner?” Lancelot asked. He thought about making a run through the park trails as a prerequisite for an

See PARK, Page 7

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Charlie Lancelot, 82, leans against the Providence Park pier, which jets out onto Providence Lake. Lancelot, deemed the “keeper of Providence Park,” spent more than a decade maintaining the 42-acre park on his own to continue his daily running routine.

Johns Creek students host exhibit chronicling area’s COVID history

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Student

Leadership Johns Creek showcased the experience of COVID-19 through a community lens in a student-led “Same Storm, Different Boats” exhibit at Northview High School April 19. Students from four area schools demonstrated their August 2022-March 2023 research through photos, interviews and collaborative projects in the Northview High School food court on Parsons Road.

Guests toured the exhibit, which featured interviews with first responders and community public servants, COVID in the local media and firsthand experiences on colorcoordinated poster boards.

Students from Northview High School Katie Bernard, Hasini Bollampalli, Neha Gurram, Riya Havanur, Irene Huang, Rohan Mistry and Yatihya Sahoo were responsible for audio visual evidence of the project.

Johns Creek High School students

Olivia Bernard, Maggie Dowd, Reagan Forkey, Yoseop Han, Heather Hutmacher, Grace McGehee and McKeith McIlhinney provided the written evidence in the exhibit.

Secretary of State ambassadors Brady Carnsesale, Neha Gurram, Alisha Kohli, Varsha Nirmal, Tiffany Obasohan, Lakshana Ramanan, Aria Smith, Nicholas Stone and Shruthi Balachander contributed to the project’s oral history evidence.

Obasohan, whose group was

responsible for interviews with judicial and public officials, as well as education and government leaders, said working on the exhibit changed her perspective on the pandemic.

“Being an opportunity to meet some people I never thought I would before really showed me what it means to have a pandemic in my community,” Obasohan said. “It truly just takes a little bit of care from everybody to get out of things like this.”

Innovation Academy students Sana Fatima, Rebecca Gottlieb, Nyneishia Janarthanan, Chloe Lee, Aabha Muley, Tanmaya Muvva, Lakshana Ramanan, Aditi Satghare and Ananya Tadepalli also contributed photographic evidence to the exhibit.

Funded by a Humanities Seed Grant from the Mercer University Office of the Provost and a Teaching with Primary Sources Grant from the Library of Congress, the students reflected on their experiences, questions and feelings to craft a diverse retelling of COVID in the community.

“I’m really grateful to have the privilege to be able to do this because we live in a privileged community where some of us had better experiences than places that are more underprivileged or not developed,” Balachander said. “Overall, I’m really grateful and happy for this project.”

The full exhibit can be viewed online at studentleadershipjohnscreek.com/ same-storm-different-boats.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA Secretary of State Ambassador Tiffany Obasohan displays her team’s work at the “Same Storm, Different Boats” exhibit at Northview High School April 19. Obasohan and fellow ambassadors handled interviews with judicial and public officials, as well as education and government leaders.

Park:

Continued from Page 5

interview.

He turned 82 years old that day, April 20. He just finished a 10K at Notre Dame the Saturday before, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1962. He was the oldest participant in the race, by 18 years, and was stuck inside the 60-64 age bracket because brackets didn’t go higher than that.

When he’s not running, Lancelot plays the piano and organ for a Hispanic ministry in Cumming. He’s also the director of music there. “Bilingual since birth,” Lancelot was born in New York City to a Spanish mom. He caught a flight the same day as the race to make it back in time to 2 p.m. Sunday mass.

He’s a busy guy, and it keeps him young.

Now and then, at the races, a younger participant will pass him and say he’s an inspiration — which is a little frustrating.

“I don’t want to be an inspiration,” Lancelot griped. “I wanna win!”

He placed fourth in the Notre Dame race but was placing first and second up until he hit his 80s.

Lancelot started running when he was 47. He was in bad health, with blood pressure and cholesterol through the roof, and he certainly didn’t want to take medication known to destroy the liver. He kept the pill bottles on the shelf. Running and some changes to his diet were all he needed.

He’s been an avid runner ever since. Lancelot goes for a run every day at Providence Park, sometimes taking one to two of his three dogs with him. The brooks cool them off afterward. Before Milton opened the park in 2016, Lancelot said he and his gardener would construct dams on some of the streams to create a pool for his dogs.

Today’s Providence Park

In a nearly two-hour tour, Lancelot described what the park used to be like

and would occasionally pause to admire some of its natural beauty.

Since Milton bought the park from the county, it has made major improvements. The city planned to spend more than $3.5 million in its Phase I of upgrades, according to the park’s master plan drafted in 2018.

The phase involved demolishing existing structures. Other items included necessary infrastructure, like parking and stormwater management, wetland improvement and an updated trail system.

Lancelot described how the city moved the earth to raise the ground for the ADAaccessible, paved trail. After noticing a toddler walking down the trail all on her own, Lancelot remarked on its value.

“That’s what you couldn’t see back before [the city] built a paved trail,” he said.

Other features in Phase I included a lake deck. Today, visitors can walk onto a pier, spacious and modern and sturdy. Bathrooms were recently installed as well, a feature Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison proclaimed in his State of the City Address — “no more porta-potties.”

Some features have not yet been implemented. The master plan’s Phase II includes expanded parking, a quarry overlook and a performance space, a nature center and lawn area, lake dredging, a wetland boardwalk and a camping area. Lancelot said there will also be more trail resurfacing.

Lancelot, of course, doesn’t do maintenance anymore. But he stays in touch with Milton Parks and Recreation Director Tom McKlveen. Lancelot said he talks to McKlveen at least every couple of weeks, keeping him updated on where the trees fall.

Lancelot is involved in other ways, or will be. In February, he was Mayor Jamison’s appointment to the new Milton Sustainability Advisory Committee, a group tasked with advising city staff on sustainability-related strategies.

During the public appointment process, Jamison accurately named Charlie Lancelot the “keeper of Providence Park.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Charlie Lancelot stands next to a trail he and his gardener cut himself, while Providence Park was closed. Fulton County closed the park around 2001 for chemical clean-up, he said. The City of Milton acquired the park in 2015 and opened it the following year.

Blank Family Foundation giving surpasses $1 billion

By MARIA SAPORTA SaportaReport

ATLANTA – What a milestone – $1 billion!

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation just passed the $1 billion threshold in grants made and committed.

Arthur Blank, co-founder of the Home Depot and majority owner of the Atlanta Falcons, began giving away money through his foundation in 1995 – donating a little more than $5 million that first year.

Over the decades, Blank has become a prominent philanthropist primarily in Georgia and Montana, investing in a myriad of charitable causes.

“I feel so blessed that our family is fortunate enough to reach this milestone,” Blank responded in an email. “I’m incredibly proud and grateful, but I also know that there’s more to be done. We couldn’t have reached a billion in giving without the partnership of so many nonprofit organizations doing the work in our communities, and we’ll continue working together to address some of our society’s most important challenges.”

The $1 billion investment has supported early childhood education, parks and green space, the arts, health and wellness, college and career preparation, the environment as well the ongoing revitalization of Atlanta’s Westside neighborhoods.

In the past two years, under

Blank Family Foundation giving

Here is a list of recent grants the Blank Foundation has made to put it over the $1 billion mark:

• $3 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta to support its Rising Together campaign to serve more children, more often, with greater impact.

• $1 million to CARE USA for its Humanitarian Surge Fund, which enables the rapid deployment of staff, equipment and resources when emergencies strike, delivering aid that saves lives while paving the way for long-term recovery.

the leadership of Fay Twersky, the foundation’s giving has accelerated to about $100 million a year. The family foundation currently has five priority areas: democracy, youth development, climate change and the environment, mental health and Atlanta’s Westside. It also has identified team members to lead each of those priority areas.

“It’s been a fantastic two years and two months,” Twersky said in an exclusive interview with SaportaReport. “I love being in Atlanta, and I love the opportunity to get to know this community and develop relationships with nonprofits and work with a remarkable family in order to really fulfill the aspirations of the family. I feel great about where things are.”

In addition to the priority areas, Blank is giving money away through his “founder initiatives” – including his commitment in 2020 to donate

• $500,000 from the AMB West Community Fund, a committee funded by the foundation and led by associates at Blank’s ranches in Paradise Valley, Mont., that invests in the local community.

• $1 million from the Molly Blank Fund to support the PJ Library, which provides free books to more than 600,000 Jewish children.

• $500,000 to The Carter Center to support its Georgia mental health program, as part of the foundation’s new Mental Health & Well-Being giving area.

$200 million to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for the new $1.5 billion Arthur M. Blank Hospital.

“One of Arthur’s sayings is that there is no finish line,” Twersky said. “But there are mile markers along the way. This is a huge milestone for Arthur, for the foundation and for the communities we serve. It’s important to celebrate important milestones. Arthur has given so much, and there’s so much more to be done.”

Twersky said the $1 billion marker is an opportune time to take stock of what the foundation has accomplished and to strategize on how it can have the greatest impact going forward.

“We are committed to accelerating our philanthropy, and while we don’t know exactly when we’ll reach the next billion, I remain committed to my pledge to direct 95 percent of my wealth to our family foundation,” Blank said. “The last 25-plus years

•$9.25 million to the Energy Foundation to inform policymakers about the benefits of clean energy markets and commitments across regions, as part of the foundation’s new Environment giving area.

• $1.04 million to the Westside Future Fund to support the production of permanently affordable rental housing as part of the foundation’s recent $2.4 million in grants to increase financial security and affordable housing for legacy residents in Atlanta’s historic Westside.

have been a blessing, and I’m looking forward to what the future brings.”

Twersky expects the foundation to continue giving at a pace of at least $100 million a year – which means it would reach its $2 billion mark in the next decade.

Blank also has intentionally been sharing his love of philanthropy with his six children.

“Our entire family shares the core value of giving back,” Blank said in his email response. “Many of my children already have their own philanthropic endeavors, and we’ll continue to have family members sit on the board of our family foundation. My children all have their own interests, and when we’re not working together to address our shared interests through our family foundation, they’re giving to their own

Georgia National Guard to advertise at north Metro Atlanta high schools

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The Georgia Army National Guard is mounting an advertising effort to increase recruitment and awareness at 67 Georgia public high schools, including some in north Metro Atlanta.

Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton and Johns Creek high schools are among dozens of schools throughout the state whose students will be targeted with location-based advertising.

The National Guard will use geofencing, which serves ads to social media users based on their location data, with the “intent of generating qualified leads of potential applicants for enlistment” from the 17 to 24-yearold demographic, according to contract

documents obtained by Appen Media.

In addition to high school juniors, seniors and recent graduates, documents said the campaign will target parents who visit school locations and “centers of influence” at the schools, like coaches and school counselors.

The proposed contract, which closed bidding in February but has not yet been publicly awarded, stipulates concentrating on a 1-mile radius around each school through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and others. The infamous video-sharing social network, TikTok, which is banned for official United States Department of Defense use, will not be included in the campaign, despite its enormous popularity among young people.

Other schools included in the

advertising campaign include Cambridge High School in Milton and Centennial High School in Roswell. However, within a mile radius of nearly all the schools listed, there are middle and elementary schools that could also be targeted.

An Associated Press report from February said the U.S. Army fell about 15,000 soldiers, or 25 percent short of its recruitment goals in 2022. Officials said this may be due to a declining perception of army life among young people.

Army officials told the Associated Press that, based on information gathered through surveys, they believe young people do not see the Army as a safe place or a good career path, as previous generations might have.

Representatives from the Georgia Army National Guard could not

be reached for comment on the advertising campaign.

In an email to Appen Media, Fulton County Schools Media Relations Manager Anne Boatwright said the school system is not involved with the Georgia National Guard’s advertising plans but does supply student directory information to aid in military recruitment, as required by Georgia law.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, local schools are required to release the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students when requested by military recruiters, unless students or parents request that the information not be made available.

Attempts to reach representatives at the DeKalb County School System for comment were unsuccessful.

School officials set tight timeline to replace River Eves principal

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Fulton County Schools is searching for a replacement after River Eves Elementary School

Principal Matthew Donahoe abruptly resigned for “personal reasons” on April 13. School Zone 5

Superintendent Angela Parham notified River Eves Elementary parents in Roswell on April 13 announcing his departure “effective immediately.”

In the email, Parham laid out the plan and calendar to fill the role, with a final candidate recommendation on May 16.

Fulton County Schools Chief Communications Officer Brian Noyes said the goal is to announce a new principal “before the end of the school year so they can work over the summer.”

Noyes said the resignation was solely for personal reasons and not any administrative action. He stated the details of personnel decisions are private, but supervisors “obviously” had conversations with the principal before his resignation.

Noyes stressed that the decision is

Budget:

Continued from Page 1

The financial officer said the budget has seen some other financial boosts for the upcoming year.

“Another element to this year that’s different than the past is planning for a transition of federal funds,” Dereef said.

The funds, largely used to help the schools with COVID-19 impacts, total about $200 million. Those come alongside an increase in the area’s tax digest, estimated at around 4.5 percent.

Dereef said it’s not “just a plan with dollar signs,” and that the budget is also about showing support to students, schools and employees. It’s a message that was echoed at previous school board meetings.

Part of that support comes in the form of a 7.1 percent salary increase for the 2024 year. Dereef said the School Board ideally would have wanted employees to receive the raise permanently but knew it would not be feasible in the long term.

As a compromise, the school board decided on a permanent 5.1 percent salary increase, with a 2 percent payout in the coming school year.

not out of any specific threat or security concern, although he understands parents’ anxiety around school safety.

“We know this is an inopportune time for a community leader to leave,” Noyes said.

In her email to parents, Parham said the first step toward replacing the principal is to “build a school profile” and obtain input through a survey and focus groups. The survey is open to all River Eves Elementary School parents, teachers and staff until Friday, April 28.

Next, Parham said there will be focus group sessions with select staff and parents starting May 1 and candidate interviews starting May 4. The top candidate will be interviewed by Fulton County Schools Chief Academic Officer Cliff Jones on May 8.

“Candidates will be interviewed on the competencies identified as the most critical to meeting the specific needs of your school,” Parham said in the email.

The candidate will continue to interview with multiple Fulton County Schools officials before a final recommendation to the Board of Education on May 16.

Communications officer Noyes said the school district officials will have an “open and transparent conversation about selecting a new leader.”

“We want to ensure that we create the best environment for students and our employees, and that’s reflected in his budget,” Dereef said.

Board members and employees expressed some concerns over the maintenance budget, which an attendee of the community meeting took issue with.

“I’m not sure the capital planning improvements are keeping up with some of the maintenance we’re seeing,” the speaker said.

Dereef responded that part of the challenge with maintenance funding is planning and procurement, but School Board members have asked for an increase in the maintenance budget previously.

After Dereef’s presentation, Pozatek took over the meeting to announce some Fulton County Schools developments, including the purchase of 55 propanepowered school buses.

Pozatek stressed that the community should reach out with questions and feedback.

“I don’t want you to think twice just shoot me an email, hopefully before the (School Board) meeting,” Pozatek said. “I can find time for conversation or maybe even ask my fellow board members for some clarification.”

DONAHOE

Herald | March 23, 2023

Cumming’s Kapow Comics builds one-stop nerd shop

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — While comic book and hobby shops have sprung up in Metro Atlanta in recent years, Kapow Comics focuses on the interests of its customers in a unique way.

“Atlanta area is probably the mecca of the nerd world,” store owner Andy Diehl said. “And if you do research and look it up, you’ll see how many stores fail, open and closed, that are like this ... And at the end of the day, it’s the ones who take care of their customers that keep their stores open.”

After a career in retail, Diehl said he realized he disliked working for others, which spurred his decision to expand his collection from the home into his own business.

Kapow, located in the Westlake Terrace plaza off Lake Center Parkway in Cumming, offers comic books, manga, figurines and an open space for trading card and tabletop games.

Beyond its official offerings, the shop serves as a place of community and fun for hobbyists and collectors.

“Everybody’s welcome to come here,” Diehl said. “Everybody, we don’t care. There’s no discrimination, there’s no judgment, there’s nothing.”

A niche offering

Customers are greeted with packed shelves of figures, comic books and graphic novels. To the right of the main sales floor is a sprawling space dedicated to a Pokémon league, tabletop games and an upcoming corner for retro video games.

Diehl said he targeted comic books when he opened the shop, and the

neighboring expansion was added for games to maintain a quiet reading and browsing space.

Each week, Kapow hosts Dungeons and Dragons, Werewolf and Warhammer games. The first Sunday of the month is reserved for painting and building miniatures, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays mark comic book release days.

Diehl said the shop’s busiest days are Saturdays, which are dedicated to its Pokémon league of over 100 members.

“It is whole families coming in here, mom, dad, their kids, their nephews,” Diehl said. “They’ve created a community to themselves to come in here and play Pokémon … It’s not like any Pokémon league anybody goes to.”

Diehl said Kapow does not charge for its card and tabletop games as much as other stores in the industry, and the shop aims for price to not be an obstacle to participation.

Adults are asked to purchase a $5 store gift card to play Dungeons and Dragons, and Magic the Gathering Commander players aged 13 and older contribute $5 to a prize pool.

“We just prefer you to come in and have a good time,” Diehl said.

The Kapow comeback

When Kapow opened in 2012, Diehl said he had less than $200 in the cash register and $1 in the store bank account.

“It was kind of spooky,” Diehl said. “The store was packed full of product. I had $172 in the cash register, and I said, ‘Well, we’ll see if this works.’ I had zero working capital, and I was doing it by myself.”

See

COMICS, Page 11

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Andy Diehl owns Kapow Comics on Lake Center Parkway in Cumming. Diehl, who co-owns the shop with his wife, departed a career in retail to pursue his passions in the business.

A Batman figure adorns a table of comic books at Kapow Comics April 19. Owner Andy Diehl said he hopes for the Cumming business to be a “one-stop nerd shop.”

“I had zero working capital, and I was doing it by myself.”

ANDY DIEHL, owner of

Kapow Comics

Comics:

Continued from Page 10

The shop’s niche product offerings and loyal community kept the business growing. But in 2017, Diehl said a fire had destroyed $300,000 in inventory in the shop’s back room at a previous location.

After recouping losses from the fire, the shop closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Diehl said he had no intentions of reopening.

“Then we saw a void in the community that said they wanted the store here, somebody’s store, so I looked at it again,” Diehl said. “We started the same way again over here. We started off a little smaller space to see what the community would bear, and it was just huge.”

Moving forward, Diehl said he plans to dedicate the back wall of the shop to anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. He also hopes to expand the store’s selection of T-shirts.

Now, the shop has four employees, and its success has enabled Diehl to open its dedicated space for games.

“We’re trying to make this the one-stop nerd shop,” Diehl said.

Kapow Comics is located in Suite 108 at 540 Lake Center Parkway in Cumming. The shop is open from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. SundayThursday and from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Kapow Comics sells comic books, collectible figures and storage boxes. The shop, owned by Andy Diehl, offers an array of merchandise and games for hobbyists and fans.

Discover the smart choice for fitness

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Not tan? Labrador overweight? POMC might be the answer!

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

Are you pale? Is your labrador overweight? Then this is the article for you! Proopiomelanocortin (POMC for short) is a remarkable hormone that your brain makes and that may unlock our ability to regulate body weight and even help us get a tan without going in the sun.

If we break apart POMC’s name, pro-“opio”-“melano”-“cortin” comes from the fact that POMC is cut apart by enzymes into three main smaller proteins. First, POMC is broken into opioid hormones that regulate pain, satiety (feeling full after eating) and response to exercise. Second, POMC is broken down into melanocyte stimulating hormones that affect skin pigmentation, sexual behavior and satiety. Third, POMC is broken down into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a cortisol-regulating hormone that affects blood sugar, responses to stress and the immune system.

To think like a doctor, imagine what could go wrong if any one of these proteins isn’t working due to a disease. In fact, a mutation in POMC has been linked to increased interest in food and obesity in labrador retrievers and might explain why your labrador is overweight. Many labradors have been found to have a mutation in beta-endorphin, which is one of the opioid hormones that POMC is broken down to form. Beta-endorphin is also famous as a protein that contributes to the “runner’s high” – the feeling of wellbeing that we get with exercise. Similarly, low POMC has been found to make affected humans constantly hungry.

To think like a pharmaceutical scientist, imagine the medical (or cosmetic) potential of developing medicines that affect our responses to pain, our sense of well-being, whether we feel hungry, blood sugar levels, immune system health, sex drive and how tan our skin is. Just one of these functions has incredible pharmaceutical potential. University of Arizona researchers got to work on the tanning applications of POMC in the 1980s and developed a synthetic form of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) which became known as “Melanotan” (aka afamelanotide, aka Scenesse) and now is best identified as “Melanotan I.” As an aside, Melanotan II is another synthetic hormone similar to MSH, but it is not FDA approved for any use, has more sexual and satiety effects and has periodically received

coverage in the popular press as the “Barbie Drug.”

Melanotan I causes the pigment producing cells in your skin – the melanocytes – to produce more melanin. Melanin is an important defense against ultraviolet radiation. The problem is that we normally make melanin in response to ultraviolet light exposure after a lot of damage is already done. Increasing melanin before sun exposure sounds very appealing.

Is Melanotan I ready for the masses?

Not yet…

The package insert for Melanotan I points out that carcinogenicity studies have not been performed. These studies are often required for FDA approval. Melanotan I gained approval under special circumstances for a very specific condition called erythropoietic protoporphyria – a skin disease in which people are so sensitive to sunlight that their quality of life is severely affected. The FDA sometimes issues special approval of medications used for “Orphan” diseases when no other treatments are available and when the number of patients affected is so small that the cost of fully testing a medicine would stop it from coming to market.

We do not have enough data on Melanotan I to help us know if it is appropriate for sunless tanning. Carcinogenicity studies have not been published. Long term safety studies have not been published. Melanotan increases blood pressure, and long term effects on cardiovascular health would likely not be known for decades. Case reports of individuals who developed melanoma while using Melanotan cannot know whether Melanotan had a role in causing the melanoma because they are simply case reports and not case-controlled or placebo-controlled.

So where do things stand? Some individuals are purchasing Melanotan I and II illegally, as these chemicals are part of the steroid and tanning-bed using weightlifting community. They are purchased at great personal risk because of all the above unknowns in addition to the problems with purity and safety when illegal substances are procured. For the rest of us, the pharmaceutical companies are still hard at work. They are actively testing similar compounds to identify medicines with fewer side effects. There is reason to hope that in the future a pill may allow us to develop a tan before going on vacation and better protect ourselves from the sun. In the meantime, traditional sun safety measures are best… and our labradors will remain fat and happy!

Connection Café: What’s that?

Brought to You by - Roswell Senior Center

It wasn’t long after Virginia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that her husband, Anthony, started having trouble finding meaningful ways to engage with her. Anthony’s days were lived by a checklist – Making breakfast – check. Morning medications –check. Help with bathing – check. Getting dressed for the day – check… check…check. As Virginia progressed through her disease it became more difficult to accomplish tasks on the list - Virginia would insist she already took her medications that day, or that she didn’t need a shower. Frustration would kick in for both and the whole day would become a battle. They’d go to sleep, wake up the next morning and attempt the checklist all over again.

Caring for a loved one with dementia can trigger significant relationship changes. The new caregiver morphs from a loving family member into a role that is task

and service oriented. It’s easy for a caregiver to become burned out, leaving little energy to engage in fun and meaningful time together. Or, as in the case of Virginia’s changing abilities, how to have fun together. This is where Connection Café comes in!

Connection Café is a no-cost social gathering which allows people experiencing memory loss and their loved ones to connect with each other through activities, socialize, and build a new support network. Care partners can witness trained staff and volunteers model effective ways to communicate and interact with their family members, and they learn new activities and techniques that can be used at home. The group meets twice a month at the Roswell Senior Center and provides a break in the day-today and an opportunity to meet other families who are walking the same path.

Alyss Amster is the Associate Executive Director of the Dementia Spotlight Foundation, the organization

that runs the Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center. “Alzheimer’s and the many related dementias are misunderstood in our society. Our attendees can be themselves in a safe environment where everyone understands”, Amster said.

For our May 5th Connection Café, Perfect Harmony Health will be leading the group in music therapy exercises. Research shows that rhythm and music affect multiple areas of the human brain on a subconscious level. Because of this, rhythm can be used to help build

new connections in the brain thus improving brain function.

If you are caring for a loved one with dementia and would like more information on attending an upcoming Connection Café, contact Alyss Amster at 678-332-1711 or alyss@ dementiaspotlightfoundation.org

Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center 1250 Warsaw Road – Roswell, GA 1st and 3rd Friday of the month 1:30PM – 3:30PM RSVP is required to attend.

How does Medicare work when I travel?

Brought to you by- Senior Source Medicare Solutions

With spring in full swing and the summer travel months upon us, many of us will be traveling stateside or to a foreign country. An important part of planning is understanding how your Medicare insurance coverage works outside of where you live. This will vary depending on your type of plan.

If you have Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Supplement Plan, you may see any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare, either for emergency or nonemergency care. Coverage outside of the United States is not covered by Traditional Medicare; however, your Medicare Supplement plan will provide emergency coverage outside of the United States.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your coverage will depend on your network type, typically a PPO or an HMO. A PPO style network will give you national coverage for emergency, urgent care and nonemergency services. An HMO style

network would only provide for emergency and urgent care services outside of your plan’s service area (typically the county or a group of counties around where you live). For foreign travel, the Medicare Advantage plan will provide emergency coverage only while outside of the United States.

When traveling internationally, we recommend acquiring additional Trip Insurance. This will typically give you additional health insurance protection when traveling. Most Trip Insurance policies will bundle other protections into the policy, such as lost baggage and last-minute cancellation coverage. Also, when planning international travel, it is a good idea to touch base with your Medicare insurance carrier to fully understand coverage outside of the United States.

If you have questions about your Medicare insurance coverage when you travel, give us a call today! Call us at (770) 913-6464 or visit our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com.

Reconnecting with your adult child: A guide to healing broken relationships

Broken relationships between parents and their grown children are, sadly, very common. Whether actions were simply misunderstood or serious emotional injury was inflicted, it’s a painful situation for everyone involved. While you may not be entirely responsible, initiating reconciliation may be up to you. Here are some points to keep in mind as you seek to reconnect:

• Remember your child is an adult. While you may feel that just yesterday they were children, they are grown and should be treated with the respect they deserve.

• Acknowledge your contribution. There are two sides to every story

- harmless actions in your eyes may have been seen as hurtful to your child. Try to understand their perspective and apologize for your part.

• Be fair. This doesn’t mean you accept all blame and overlook their wrongdoings, but criticizing everything you see wrong may do more harm than good - try to stick to the current issue.

• Get support. By reaching out to a friend or therapist, you can gain a neutral perspective that can help you be more objective and empathetic. Navigating relationships with adult children can be tricky, but the reward of a healthy connection is worth it. Visit summitcounseling.org to view our services and see how we can help you in your journey!

Brought

Spruill Center students tour Atlanta street art

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Since moving to Virginia Highlands in 1981, Taylor Daly said she has watched the “march of gentrification” throughout Atlanta.

“This city was built on a really strong African American economy,” Daly said, “and we have not honored it.”

Daly had just finished the introductory class on street art at the Spruill Center for the Arts, part of a six-week curriculum developed by Brave Nu Ventures. In it, Leigh Elion, an academic who examines street art in the context of urban development, lectured about the rhetoric of the medium as a response to gentrification in Atlanta’s historically Black communities.

“Street art is so important because it’s still people’s voices,” Daly said. “It’s people’s voices, and I want to be able to listen to it.”

Daly, alongside her sister and longtime friend, are among about a dozen of the course’s students. “Exploring Street Art in Atlanta” was designed over a year, with the help of local artists and scholars. Rachel Griner, founder of Brave Nu Ventures, says it’s one of only a handful out there.

“If we looked at street art with that same kind of lens of educational validity, intellectual validity, creative validity, we would have courses,” Griner said.

Griner, who lived in Atlanta 20 years ago and has recently returned, noticed how street art had grown to be a defining part of Atlanta.

“It really hit me how much of a cultural asset it is,” Griner said. “It’s everywhere.”

Griner is expected to lead one class about the merits of street art. Other instructors will be Malcom Turpin, who teaches graffiti, and Aysha Pennerman, a muralist. The course will culminate in a student-produced chalk mural on one of the Spruill Center’s walls, using insights and techniques provided by Pennerman.

As one student pointed out — the class had exclusively White women, late to middle-aged. Before the class, students shared why they decided to sign up for a course on street art.

Answers varied — whether it be the love for its aesthetic or the story, which is often political. Some also shared how they’re “illiterate” in street art and simply wanted to know more about a medium that permeates the City of Atlanta.

“One thing that I love about it is the message comes from the people and not from the media,” said one student

who had been a fan of street art for 20 years.

Street art rhetoric

Elion, director of Emory’s Writing Center, described the uniqueness of street art in how it is an active, transformative process that tells viewers something about what artists, or communities want the city to look like and how they want people to relate with one another.

“Street art, to me, offers us a powerful tool for understanding how other people want to be able to exist and live their lives in a city,” Elion said. “It’s a really powerful tool for understanding the experiences of other people, even those who might be different from us.”

Elion said Atlanta’s street art tends to deepen ties to community roots, revise narratives about belonging to include the marginalized as well as model an ethics of community engagement.

One of Elion’s objectives with her presentation was to provide students a set of questions they could use to approach or interpret street art, despite abstract qualities or personal unfamiliarity.

When viewing street art, Elion recommended that students ask themselves questions about elements of the mural, what they notice, where the mural is located — how a neighborhood might explain what is seen, and vice versa.

She also recommended students look at themselves when they look at street art.

“We might not always like an artist’s stylistic choices. We might not always get a reference. We might not agree if something is overtly political,” Elion said. “We might not agree with it. We might not understand it.”

But Elion said the art might prompt students to take up its argument and to take action like meeting their neighbors, advocating for historical preservation or affordable housing, challenging racial and gender stereotypes, or by learning about the histories important to other people.

“Street art really invites us to look at the city, so that we might, with our communities, develop a shared vision for the future,” Elion said.

To the streets

The following week, students took Elion’s instruction to the streets of the Castleberry Hills and South Downtown in Atlanta April 22, under the guidance of Claudia Hart, founder of ATL Street Art Tours.

Calling the tour an “open air gallery,” Hart used a Maya Angelou quote to define its premise: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” She said her objective was to create a shared experience with a diverse group of people.

Starting on Peters Street, Hart highlighted around 10 murals across a 2-mile walk, describing their history

and connection to the neighborhood as well as through her own perspective. Most of the murals offered social commentary, which Hart and Griner would ask the students about.

Some murals on the tour had been around for years, like Faatimah Stevens’ on Peters Street which has “Hey Brown Girl You’re Beautiful” in bold, black letters and an outline of a Black woman wearing a cultural headdress.

Hart said street artists in Atlanta are good at preserving murals, whereas artists in other cities might be less respectful. But walls easily become a free-for-all, she said, once someone breaks into frame with their own tag.

One mural sparked Hart to recall a conversation she had with her mother.

“She’ll say, ‘Kids are so resilient,’” Hart said. “And I’m like, ‘Please stop saying that. I understand that may be the case, but kids shouldn’t have to be resilient.”

Painted by New Orleans-based Brandan Odums, Walker Street featured a black-and-white image of a Black child with his arms raised and fists clenched. The child, genderless, appeared as though they hadn’t slept. Their eyes had a haunted look. Ribs were pronounced.

But the backdrop was bright yellow, and flowers burst forth from behind the child’s head. The words, “God is Love” were painted to the far right. Hart said the contrast could represent the need to protect innocence.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

ATL Street Art Tours founder Claudia Hart, at right, leads students from the Spruill Center for the Arts through the Castleberry Hill neighborhood in Atlanta April 22. Behind the group is a mural by Faatimah Stevens with “Hey, Brown Girl You’re Beautiful” painted in bold black lettering and an outline of a Black woman wearing a cultural headdress.

Rachel Griner, founder of Brave Nu Ventures, introduces the first class of a street art course offered at The Spruill Center of the Arts April 15. Leigh Elion, on right, taught around a dozen students about the rhetoric of street art within the context of urban development.

Northern Ridge District announces March Eagle Scouts

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Northern Ridge Boy Scout District (Cities of Roswell, Alpharetta, John’s Creek, Milton) is proud to announce its newest Eagle Scouts, who completed their Eagle Board of Review on March 23, at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church.

Pictured, from left:

Nolan Sims, of Troop 1459, sponsored by St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, whose project was removing a set of lockers that are currently in the boys locker room at Milton High School and building an 18-foot-long shelving system with 6 feet of shelves separated by 6 feet of a double hanging racks for uniforms, and then another 6 feet of shelves to line the wall.

Timothy Schindler, of Troop 3000, sponsored by Birmingham United Methodist Church whose project was design and construction of a Gaga Pit for Crabapple Crossing Elementary School.

Joshua Justifus, of Troop 2000, sponsored by Johns Creek Presbyterian Church whose project was the design and Construction of three wooden picnic tables for the parking lot of Johns Creek High School.

Nathaniel Sonmez, of Troop 429, sponsored by Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, whose project was the design and creation of Hammock areas, with mulching, for the Brookwood Elementary School’s Victory Garden.

Jack McCammon, of Troop 3000,

sponsored by Birmingham United Methodist Church whose project was design and construction of a community garden for the East DeKalb Boys and Girls Club and the Redan Recreation Center. This project included the design and construction of six raised garden

beds and a storage shed.

Siddhartha Sai Yalavarthi, of Troop 27, sponsored by the Johns Creek Christian Church, whose project was the design and construction of a retention wall behind the outdoor pavilion at Johns Creek Christian Church.

Youth theater marks 20 years with ‘SpongeBob the Musical’

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Christian Youth Theater Atlanta, a nonprofit youth development and arts organization, celebrated its 20th anniversary with its 50th main stage production, “SpongeBob the Musical,” April 20-23.

Held at Valor Christian Academy, the production was a family-friendly musical based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series. It had higher stakes than ever as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom faced the total annihilation of their undersea world.

Christian Youth Theater (CYT) Atlanta was founded in 2003 with a mission to provide arts education and community theater productions for North Fulton and surrounding areas. Since then, the organization has served more than 10,000 students and produced over 50 main stage shows.

“It is hard to believe that we are celebrating this milestone,” said Connie Matthews, CYT Atlanta executive director. “We have had the joy of watching students enter this program as early as 5 years old and graduate high school at 18. Many of our alumni are working actors locally, on cruise ships, off Broadway and on.”

In addition to providing students

theater’s 20th anniversary.

with the opportunity to perform, CYT Atlanta also offers a variety of educational programs, including classes in acting, singing, dancing and music. The organization’s mission is to build character on and off stage,

and Matthews says that she is most proud of the growth she has seen in many of the students she has worked with.

“Several of our students pursue music, dance, or musical theater and

have received generous scholarships at renowned universities,” said Matthews. “Many have graduated from college and are working and living their dreams, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.”

CYT ATLANTA/PROVIDED

The cast of Christian Youth Theatre’s “Spongebob the Musical” will perform at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center April 20-23 in celebration of the

Spruill Center kicks off $2.7 million expansion

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody has broken ground on a $2.7 million expansion at the Spruill Center for the Arts, adding new classrooms, studio space and capacity to the facility.

Local officials kicked off the project at a ceremony held at the arts center on Chamblee Dunwoody Road April 3.

“This day is a long time coming, Spruill has been in existence for 48 years now, we started in a church basement at Dunwoody Methodist,” Spruill Center CEO Alan Mothner said. “And in those 48 years, we have grown a lot … So today marks the beginning of a new era.”

The Spruill Center expansion project will add seven studio spaces, which Mothner said are especially needed due to the surge in popularity the center has experienced over the past three years.

Previously, Mothner told the Dunwoody City Council that 2022 was the center’s “best year ever” after it held more than 700 classes for nearly 6,000 students and hosted thousands of visitors and participants at special

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budget request of $694,060. The largest piece of the budget request, $401,950, is allocated to payroll. The rest is expected to fund marketing and advertising, administrative, promotional and mobile visitor services.

The request is based on 43.75 percent of the expected $1.5 million that will be collected in lodging tax revenues. The city receives the remainder of lodging revenues.

Representatives from Visit Roswell clarified that the “mobile visitor services” costs will fund the organization’s van, which is brought to many major Roswell events. The van was paid for with various sponsorships but needs funds for operating costs.

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personal passions.”

In addition to running the family foundation, Twersky sits on the leadership team of Blank’s various for-profit businesses, which include

events during the year. The city has pledged $1 million from its general fund to match the Spruill Center’s own contribution to the project.

“The Spruill Center for Arts is an integral part of service delivery in Dunwoody to our residents. Without a strong partner we would not have the many art courses and art camps available for residents in our community,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said at the groundbreaking. “Not only do you serve people from Dunwoody, but we also attract people into our community who then invest, as well.”

In addition to the seven new classrooms, Mothner said plans call for a community room in the center’s main courtyard, which will allow them to “activate” the space and open up the opportunity to hold large classes and lectures.

“This is a beautiful courtyard space and we’re looking forward to having this open to the community as we celebrate the arts and continue to grow arts and culture here in our city,” he said.

To learn more about the Spruill Center for the Arts, visit spruillarts.org.

Funding the arts

The Roswell Arts Fund presented a budget request of $465,000 to fund public art projects across the city. In 2022, the organization created a “public art master plan” to be executed in the next four years.

Roswell Arts Fund Program Director Elan Buchen said the first year focused on building from the past. In the coming year, she said, the group hopes to refine and expand on the master plan. The most expensive project is ArtAround Roswell, a series of art activations across the city. Artist stipends and installation costs total $120,000.

The Arts Fund also proposed a $30,000 project centered in the Roswell trail systems called “Discovery of the Hidden,” which would create a series of temporary installations embedded into Roswell’s nature. Along with various other projects and an operations cost of $75,000 the organization requested just under half

the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Montana, PGA TOUR Superstore and AMBSE Ventures.

In her role, Twersky has been impressed with the corporate, civic and philanthropic communities in Atlanta.

“There’s a lot of terrific corporate

Dunwoody City Council Members and local leaders break ground for an expansion project at the Spruill Center for the Arts in Dunwoody April 3. Officials said the expansion project will add seven new classrooms and a large community space to the growing arts center.

a million dollars.

Two other groups, the Roswell Historical Society and the Historic Roswell Beautification Project also presented their budget requests for 2024. The Roswell Historical Society, with a newly opened museum in the Cultural Arts Center is seeking $69,500 in archivist, guest services coordinator and assistant salaries.

Historic Roswell Beautification requested budget allocations for two components: $39,259 in flower installation and maintenance and $26,000 in general maintenance around downtown Roswell. The group also asked for general “assistance from the city” on maintaining the city’s landscape.

Bond issuance

At the City Council meeting that followed the work session, Roswell Finance Director Ryan Luckett presented a resolution to declare the city’s intent to move for -

giving in Atlanta,” she said. “It’s quite stunning to me. It’s different than any other city I’ve ever lived in. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s an important part of the tapestry of Atlanta.”

And Blank has been among Atlanta’s top philanthropic leaders for decades.

“The act of giving itself brings so much purpose to my life,” Blank said.

ward with the first issuance of the $179.6 million general obligation bonds voters approved in November 2022.

The bonds include three parts, $20 million for a downtown public parking deck, a $52 million bond for public safety capital projects and a $107.6 million bond for recreation and parks.

“The voters have unanimously voted for these projects, and we’re excited to get these rolling and the staff has been working so hard on it,” Councilman Peter Vanstrom said.

The first issuance of bond funds totals $86.2 million. Once the first bond issuance is completed, the city’s debt payments will begin in February 2024. Once the amount of money issued is determined, the city will also decide on the estimated millage rate increase to cover the debt.

The actual sale of bonds will occur on May 22 and the sale will close by June 8.

“You always get more than you give, and it’s infectious. I’m inspired when others around me join in, and when I see our businesses and foundation coming together to bring more value to philanthropy and community service.”

This story originally appeared on SaportaReport.com.

CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED

PRESERVING THE PAST

Rest Haven Cemetery is part of Alpharetta’s history

Rest Haven Cemetery in Alpharetta is unusual for several reasons.

First, it is one of the few cemeteries in Georgia owned by a municipality. Second, it is in the heart of the city across Milton Avenue from Innovation Academy, a new STEM high school. Third, even though it is not full, it does not sell any new plots as explained below. Finally, it is closely associated with the early history of Alpharetta.

A farmer and prominent local citizen Arthur Tarpley Camp (1800-1868) purchased several 40-acre parcels of land distributed in the 19th century Georgia land lotteries. He paid $108, $100 and $350 for three lots from different sellers between 1836 and 1841. He and his sister Mary Camp Manning (1811-1900) sold 60 acres of land to Milton County in 1858. He donated two additional acres circa 1860 to the town of Alpharetta for the creation of a cemetery. Arthur is buried in the small, private Martin Cemetery in Alpharetta together with several other members of the Camp family. Mary is buried in Rest Haven along with nearly two dozen Manning family members.

Arthur Camp’s daughter Susan Camp Garrison (1822-1861) was the first person to be buried in Rest Haven. Her husband, Russell Davis Garrison (1818-1862), a blacksmith, joined the Confederate Army in March 1862 and was a second lieutenant in Company C of the Georgia 42nd Infantry Regiment. He died near Nashville of an illness in October 1862 and was buried in Rest Haven.

According to Find a Grave website, there are 1569 memorials, or grave markers, in the cemetery. The number is not precise because over the years many records have been lost or destroyed. There are numerous unidentified graves, some of which have a simple fieldstone. In times past the care of the cemetery was sometimes haphazard. A large, sloped area in the middle of the cemetery has very few markers which has led to some speculation over the years that African Americans may have been buried there in unmarked graves.

The cemetery is historically significant in part because some of Alpharetta’s prominent early citizens are buried there. Pat Miller, President Emeritus of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society, who has some ancestors in Rest Haven, says there are eleven former Alpharetta

mayors and 109 veterans from the Civil War through Vietnam interred there.

While it is not possible to mention all the pioneer families represented in the cemetery, a list would include Broadwell, Manning, Maxwell, Mayfield, Mosteller, Rucker, Skelton, Teasley, Webb and Wills.

Oliver Perry Skelton (1817-1896) was a physician who played an important role combatting smallpox during an outbreak in the 1860’s. He helped save Milton County records during the Civil War by hiding them in Elberton, Georgia. When he built his Greek-Revival house with a masonry foundation and 12 inch thick walls in 1856, Alpharetta was still called New Prospect Campground. When the name changed to Alpharetta two years later, Skelton was named the town’s first postmaster. In 1869 he was elected Milton County’s first Ordinary, a position similar to today’s county commissioner, according to local historian Connie Mashburn’s book Alpharetta, Milton County, the Early Years.

Connie tells fascinating stories of some of the early families. Isham Oliver Teasley, Jr. (1917-1944) loved airplanes and learned to fly at a young age. To impress the girls, he once landed a

plane in front of the courthouse on Main Street in Alpharetta. He had a serious side as well and joined the 15th Airforce, a special unit established in 1943 by the Army Air Forces, headed initially by famed General Jimmy Doolittle. Oliver was a B-17 pilot and was shot down and killed in Italy in August, 1944. He was brought to his final resting place in Rest Haven in March, 1949. His great grandfather Isham HailyTeasley, Jr (1807-1883) owned a cotton gin and grist mill in Farm House, a predecessor community to Alpharetta. He donated property to build the First United Methodist Church in downtown Alpharetta. He and his wife Mary Maxwell Teasley (1803-1851) are buried in the Maxwell Family Cemetery in Alpharetta.

Someone once said that when graves are in disrepair, we lose a part of our history. In spite of the cemetery’s somewhat confusing past ownership, the city of Alpharetta has taken responsibility for maintaining the facilities. Today Rest Haven, sometimes called Alpharetta Cemetery, contains 6 ½ acres, of which the city owns four. A private company owned the cemetery but quit the cemetery business circa 1970s and transferred ownership to the city.

It appears to have been a handshake agreement. Thanks to a substantial gift from a now-deceased resident, the city created a special budget account for maintenance of the cemetery. Plots are no longer available, but individuals who already own plots can be buried in Rest Haven. From time to time funerals do take place. The city established a special committee consisting of the City Clerk, Director of Public Works and the Director of Parks and Recreation, supported by the City Attorney and Finance Director to oversee maintenance of the public areas of Rest Haven. Individual plot owners are responsible for the maintenance of their plots.

For information on cemetery maintenance, contact Lauren Shapiro, Alpharetta City Clerk, at LShapiro@ alpharetta.ga.us. To become involved in voluntary efforts to support the cemetery contact Pat Miller at ptatummiller@ gmail.com.

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

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Rest Haven Cemetery in downtown Alpharetta is closely linked to the history of Alpharetta. It is the final resting place of some of the city’s early pioneering families, yet it has an unusual story to tell.

Grasping a new perspective on time as we grow older

So, I am closing in on 70 – 68 to be exact. That is old, or at least it sounds really old – seventy years old. Huh? No way, no? Yep.

I can probably attribute that to my ADD or perhaps to a lack of “brain exercise” –stuff like learning, problem solving, and intentional reading. That is, I feel like I can improve on my mental state to some degree – still. And I do try to do this.

Christina a long time ago while she was sitting outside a theater in Columbus, GA as a chaperone for the Milton HS theater program. I wasn’t there, but I will probably remember that comment forever, and I can so visualize that brief exchange.

will it ever be. But, at the same time, there is a constant that is akin to “free will” – that we do control how we react to “unfair life.” The unfairness is that huge boulder that we must push up the hill every day and it either makes us or breaks us.

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus

Of course, that is in chronological years. In no way, shape, or form do I actually relate to that. I can still play tennis relatively well – singles of course. With a little more practice, my serve would still be maybe 80 percent of what it was almost 50 years ago. I can still get in the pool and swim a mile. I can still run. I still shoot a decent game of pool although my bridge is no longer possible because of the arthritis in my hands and I can still fit into my 32 x 32 size Levis – same as high school – although at times that button is a bit difficult to get into the hole, I must admit.

And I will say that I know – 100 percent for sure – that I still have another Appalachian Trail hike in me still (the whole enchilada) – were I to get the time off to entertain that project!

While I have noticed that I seem to be a bit more distracted these days and maybe forget things more frequently, I have not panicked about that and feel like

GARDEN BUZZ

With “older age” I have discovered many things that make me thankful, and which frequently do surprise me in a good way. In fact, thankfulness, may be one of the highlights of getting older.

I am especially and increasingly thankful for those few good friends I have kept – priceless.

I think I understand people better now – all people. I have more empathy I think, probably because I know more, and I have seen more. I see context better these days. And that generally is a positive thing, but not always.

Having more experiences and context to process what I see these days allows me to also see how and why we collectively stumble and struggle with life all too often. People die. People get sick. Bad things happen to good people. Children get hurt; that one is the hardest.

Life doesn’t always end well and that fact, as I age, becomes all too obvious and in my face. “My life didn’t turn out how I thought it would,” was something that a complete stranger commented to my wife

“Just let me end well,” is probably the only thing on my bucket list I think and it’s not a morbid thought; it is a task – a proactive life goal – and not an unreasonable one. But that is something for tomorrow and not something I worry about generally.

Time, ah yes, time becomes more and more something more concrete and less ephemeral as I age. It is something – time – when you are young that almost doesn’t exist. Life just feels like a downhill ski run or a day at a amusement park or a spring day out in the deep woods exploring with a friend. Yes, we still do those things now – or similar things – but they are colored now by the knowledge that you graduated from high school over 50 years ago, or that 15% of your senior class are not alive, or that girlfriend or boyfriend that so attracted you so long ago, has changed – a lot. That, is “time” and it becomes more impossible to not see or to ignore as one ages.

Part of getting old – and it is a hard part – is realizing that life all too often isn’t very “fair” – that it isn’t and never was nor

With age we start seeing the cycles in all walks of life. Everything has its own season and – over time – we see and experience the changes and revolutions.

I have noticed with age, I am almost never in a hurry anymore; I take my time –no matter how much in a hurry the person is behind me. I just don’t care – or care enough – to change how fast I go anymore. In hindsight, I think I realize that very little in life merits being in a hurry and that being in a hurry all too often has a cost or costs.

In my “old age” I find I crave great books even more. I appreciate art more. I appreciate just being alive more. And I know that if in my mind I still believe that I have plenty of time left to learn how to play the piano and play it well, then I am still young.

And, one of the most endearing aspects of growing old I have found is that each day I find that I am more in love with my wife than I was the day before.

So, that’s my story and I am sticking to it – another character flaw that I have discovered in myself in my old age –stubbornness!

Growing dwarf heirloom tomatoes in Georgia

Late September sees the last of homegrown tomatoes and the beginning of reliance on grocery store product. We have all winter to think about flavorful summer tomatoes. By June it becomes a craving.

solution to the space requirement is to plant dwarf tomato varieties.

BEN WHITLEY

Guest Columnist

In Metro Atlanta, mid-April is the time to plant tomatoes and begin the countdown to ripe tomatoes from the backyard or patio. April 15th is typically the last day of freezing here. Some gardeners plant earlier with success, but a late frost can kill a tomato plant. In my experience, planting earlier or later seems to make little difference in first fruit. Tomato plants grow little until they get enough sun and the soil warms.

Tomatoes need at least 6 hours of full sun and 8 hours for best success. A limitation to growing tomatoes is finding a spot with enough sun and the space for mature plants, which can top out at 6 feet. Some people grow tomatoes in containers or bales of hay, even putting them on their driveway to get enough sun. One

Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been grown without crossbreeding for 40 or more years. This contrasts with typical supermarket tomatoes, which are hybrids that have been carefully crossbred to have particular characteristics like color and size. Flavor is often not at the top of the list of characteristics for hybrids planted commercially. Heirlooms are not resistance to disease, which is important in commercial gardens, and they do not have the shelf life of hybrid tomatoes. These factors are often less important to home gardeners seeking taste.

Dwarf tomatoes have been bred to have fruit similar in size and flavor to full-sized plants but on compact plants topping out at 5 feet or less. They can be grown in 5-gallon containers placed on a sunny patio or apartment balcony. A larger container provides more space for root development and requires less attention to watering. Staking or caging may be needed as fruit becomes heavy. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, require fertilization and need water.

The Dwarf Tomato Project came into being when tomato enthusiast, author

and educator Craig LeHoullier of Raleigh, North Carolina and Patrina Nuske Small of Australia discussed a frequent request from people wanting to grow tomatoes in small spaces. Over 120 varieties have been developed including varieties bred from heirloom tomatoes known for their excellent taste and variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Dwarf tomato plants have become more available in the last couple of years but are still difficult to find in big-box stores. That’s why I start mine from seed. For a complete list of dwarf tomato varieties and more information about the Dwarf Tomato Project, check out www.dwarftomatoproject.net.

Heirloom tomato seeds and plants can be found at big-box stores and online. It may be a few years before dwarf tomatoes are as widely available as hybrid tomatoes.

The North Fulton Master Gardeners will offer heirloom and dwarf tomatoes for sale at our 22nd annual Garden Faire at Wills Park in Alpharetta on Saturday, April 29 from 9 AM to 3 PM. More details are available on the NFMG website at https://nfmg.net/garden-faire.html.

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.

About the Author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest Master Gardener columnist is Ben Whitley. Ben, a Sandy Springs resident, has been a Master Gardener since 2017. Along with being a manufacturer’s representative, Ben enjoys growing heirloom tomatoes from seed. Ben will share his knowledge of tomatoes at the North Fulton Master Gardeners’ annual Garden Faire at Wills Park in Alpharetta on April 29th from 9 AM to 3 PM.

The Proud. The Few. Always a fit

Shame on me for not seeing the big picture a lot sooner.

As a coach of a 12-year-old baseball team, Jud Howard was a kid who could part the clouds on a bad day.

There was an assistant coach so infuriating he could’ve made any preacher cuss like a Marine. With a comment and some encouragement, Jud offered perspective that was wise beyond his years. Sitting on a bucket between innings, often it was difficult for me to appreciate who was doing the coaching.

Of course, without exception, I always walked away giggling at the perspective of a 6th-grader well on his way to being able to invent curse words that were both creative and appropriate. It’s also germane that Jud could do a spot-on imitation of me as a third-base coach, complete with signs, arm-waving and facial expressions.

No fear from a 12-year-old. It was a preview of what would be his life five years later. Tack on another five years and Jud, last week, left California and his life as Sgt. Howard USMC, behind. Prior to hopping on a bus and heading for legendary Parris Island in South Carolina,

I joined The Order of The Restless Nights (Jon Howard, Cheech Milano and Papa Kenny Cagle) sat around his dad’s pool, smoking cigars and trying to find the words to express our feelings.

We guys aren’t the best at that type of thing, so we wished him the best, handed him a little spending money and saw him off. Kenny has since died. Rest assured he would have been about to pop when Jud came home.

It’s hard to fathom the terror going through Jud’s mind on that bus ride headed for the low country swamps. A stop at a gas station before passing through the base gates resulted in his last purchase for a while.

“I drank a Yoo-Hoo. Don’t know why, but that’s what I wanted.”

He probably would have opted for something stronger, had Jud known what awaited him. And the fact that he was 17 and about to meet his drill instructor precluded any cutting up.

We’ve all seen the movies about what occurs when you meet your drill instructor for the first time. It was sobering seeing his boss, inside the gates, arms crossed and looking like he was in the foulest of moods. From that moment on, until it got better, the instructors wreaked havoc on the recruits. The molding into Marines started at that moment.

“They broke us down, then built us up.

We were the lowest scum on earth. They stripped us down. They knew what they were doing. It was controlled chaos.”

After three months, he had become a Marine. He had accomplished something most couldn’t survive, with the peace of mind that he would never have to go through it again. But it didn’t stop there.

After distinguishing himself while going through infantry school, Jud was chosen as a member of FAST (Fleet Antiterror Strike Team), an elite unit that is deployed whenever things will probably get messy.

In deference to Jud as he tried to

decompress from his five-year hitch, we didn’t talk much about specific missions, except for being on a ship somewhere “over there,” with Jud as a leader of 18 teammates who were ready to hit the ground and fight.

Luckily there was no Chinese invasion, but Jud was ready. He had trained his team to be outstanding.

“It’s like football, training all day like it’s a scrimmage. Being the first Marines on the ground was going to be like the Super Bowl.”

It was heartwarming to read on Facebook the comments from the men who Jud led. He was like a father figure to men some 10 years his senior. He thought about staying in but says “The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.”

His dad is thrilled to have Jud home. No more wondering what part of the world his son is in. Not much traveling when you embark on a career as an Atlanta fire inspector.

As a youth coach, you want to be a hero to your players. Jud is now my hero. “The Few. The Proud” has never been more appropriate.

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

Morrison Farms on Osborne Road in Brookhaven

Mary Elaine Kolberg. When he was transferred again, this time to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in 1944, he asked Mary to move there so they could get married.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist

Morrison Farms, a nursery business which began in 1970, once operated at 3086 Osborne Road in Brookhaven. Today, 3086, 3068 and 3064 Osborne Road are on the market and under contract, according to advertising. The three addresses total 7.1 acres.

William Morrison was born on a farm in Utica, Mississippi, in 1920. Growing up on a farm, raising vegetables and flowers was part of everyday life, and he put that knowledge to use later in life.

Morrison first entered the military in 1942 in Biloxi, Mississippi. When selected for aviation school he was sent to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Walla Walla, Washington, to continue training to fly B-24 bombers.

In Walla Walla, Morrison met

Morrison participated in the Berlin Airlift after World War II. He attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and served 25 years in the military, both in the U.S. and overseas. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1966. Four years later, he opened Morrison Farms in Brookhaven, which he continued to operate until 2006.

Mary Elaine worked along with him as bookkeeper for the business.

When The Atlanta Constitution recommended six metro Atlanta nurseries to visit for an enjoyable weekend outing, they included Morrison Farms. The 1991 article advises, “You might miss it because the sign was small with red letters and pointed the way.” Morrison Farms was the only nursery on the list located inside I-285. (The Atlanta Constitution,

May 12, 1991, “A weekend escape: Hop in the car and find these 6 nurseries”)

Morrison Farms had 40,000 square feet of greenhouse space and offered vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, houseplants, hanging baskets and clay pots. It was described as a farm with shade trees and level terrain, making it a fun place to walk around and explore.

In 1994, suggestions of Morrison as Father Christmas or Colonel Christmas are made. Poinsettias, which are native to Mexico, became the popular plant at the farm.

“William Morrison doesn’t live at the North Pole. But a visit to his Morrison Farms in northeast Atlanta, near Oglethorpe University, will almost make you believe this engagingly energetic 74-year-old nursery owner is the real thing.” (The Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 23, 1994, “Colonel Christmas: Nurseryman’s knack begets a wonderland of poinsettias”)

The farm’s October 1996 newspaper advertisement announced, “Poinsettias

are growing.”

In November of 2000, the nursery was featured in an article about poinsettias. The greenhouses were filled with various varieties of poinsettias and other holiday flowers. Colors included the Freedom variety featuring red, white, and pink, Monet poinsettia with speckled red and cream color flowers, and the Red Velvet variety. (Atlanta Constitution, Nov. 23, 2000, “Welcome holidays with poinsettias from Morrison Farms”)

Morrison Farms also advertised their poinsettias and other plant offerings on a regular basis in the Dunwoody Crier newspaper. I don’t remember ever visiting there, but if you have memories to share of Morrison Farms, please send me an e-mail.

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Sandy Springs. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

MIKE TASOS Columnist

JUD HOWARD/SPECIAL TO APPEN MEDIA

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

It’s astounding the places trout can take you

Spring’s here. I know that for sure. The pear trees are starting to bloom, and the nose is starting to itch. Pear trees and pollen are the sure harbingers of spring.

Trout are a sure harbinger of spring too. It’s fun to fish for them, and it’s fun to just go see them too.

There are some neat places to see trout in northern Georgia, too, and one that’s near and dear to my heart is Rolater Park in the town of Cave Spring. You may remember Cave Spring as the site of Southern Flavor, that wonderful restaurant with the all-you-can-eat catfish. We’ve talked about that before, and thinking about it is making me hungry again. How long till lunchtime?

The cave part of Cave Spring, which is the centerpiece of Rolater Park, is not large as caves go. You can explore it in just a few minutes. But the spring part makes up for it. A flowing spring yields about 2 million gallons of cold, cold water a day. It’s been described as “the purest, best-tasting water you’re likely to find anywhere,” and folks come from far and wide with plastic milk jugs

THE INK PENN

and even big glass mayonnaise jars to take some of that water home. The water eventually flows into the park’s swimming lake, an understandably popular spot, especially as the days grow warmer. The temperatures are not there yet, but it won’t be long.

But today we’re looking at what happens between the cave and the swimming lake. After exiting the cave, the water flows into a nice little reflecting pond.

And said pond is usually the home to trout.

“Do people catch them?” she asked. We were waiting to go across the street to lunch, so we had a little time.

“No,” I said, “but we can feed them. Would you like to?”

“Yes,” she said. “That sounds like fun!”

I moseyed over to the cave entrance, where trout chow is for sale. For the cost of a cup of coffee, I bought three or four little plastic bags of food-for-trout – enough, I figured, to keep us and the trout entertained for a while.

I walked back to where she waited for me, there on the little walkway by the pond. The trout seemed to know that something good was about to happen. It was like the word had gone out, and just like that they all somehow congregated in the water

near where we stood.

“Watch this,” I said, and tossed a half dozen of the trout chow pellets into the water. The fish were on ‘em in a flash.

“Well!” she said.

“Now it’s your turn!” I said.

I poured some of the trout chow into her hand, and she tossed it into the water, and the trout were all over it, and water was flying everywhere, and she laughed out loud.

“This is neat!” she said.

The feeding continued, and the splashing and the laughter did too. We used up one bag of food, and then started on a second, stopping to show two young children how to feed the fish too.

“I think I need more trout food,” she said, laughing, and again I poured some into her hand.

More laughter. More splashes. Smiles all around.

She was having fun. I was too.

And then…

You know that feeling you get sometimes when someone is looking at you? I got it then.

For some reason I turned around, and looked, and I saw a lady standing there near the two of us. I remember how in that instant something funny happened to the light and how it was all bright and clear and crystalline blue all of a

sudden. And then the lady looked at us – at her, at me – and then pointed at the two of us –

-- and said, “You two are perfect together” –

-- and then turned and walked away.

And then everything kind of stopped. It does that, sometimes, when something really significant is happening.

In that instant out-of-time moment, in that moment by the cool, clear water with the trout and the sky, there we were. Just the two of us, it seemed, there on the little walkway near the pond at Rolater Park in Cave Spring, Ga., zip code 30124. Nearby, the children were still feeding trout. But the scene had refocused. The center of the image had changed.

There was silence, hushed, expectant.

“Did you hear that?” she asked, her voice a little low.

“I did,” replied.

We stood there for a moment. She leaned on the railing. I looked at her, and she looked at me.

Time out of time -

And then time returned to normal. And we went and had catfish for lunch.

You never know where trout are going to take you.

Hitting the book jackpot at the local library

Receiving emails that say, “Materials you have on hold are now available at your pick-up library” brings a huge smile to my face. The message informs me I have seven days to pick up my book(s), and if I already have a few on my nightstand, I often delay pick up until the last possible moment.

The other time I delay is when I see the little truck icon on my “Hold” list on the library website. That means my selection is in transit, and I can anticipate it arriving in a few days. It’s a rare occasion when I have plenty of books on my nightstand, several waiting for me at the library, and suddenly, several more in transit.

Imagine me humming Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” as I finally made my trip to the library to pick up—wait for it—five books! I told the librarian I felt as though I’d hit the jackpot, and she wished me happy reading. I often pick up several at a time, but I think five may be a record.

Three were part of some of the series that I return to time and time again—the latest and, hopefully, not last book in the Clare Ferguson / Russ Van Alstyne series, another from The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, and one Ruth Galloway mystery. I suspect I’ve written about all of these before, but chances are you’ll get an update soon.

Which book did I immediately dive into? It was “Killers of a Certain Age” because it was a two-week checkout. The others were good for a month. Who knows where I read about this book? Maybe I stumbled across it on Amazon where it’s labeled an Editor’s

Pick and one of the Best Books of 2022. Maybe there was a review in the AJC or the WSJ. Buzzfeed’s one-liner says it all: “This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of.” As I write this, I’m halfway through after one night and loving it.

The final book in the stack was recommended to me by one of my newsletter subscribers when I asked what everyone’s favorite Christmas read was. She wrote me that she rereads Rosamunde Pilcher’s “A Winter Solstice” every December. That seemed to be quite a testament to the book, so I added it to my library hold list. I read Pilcher’s “The Shell Seekers” years ago and I recall enjoying it, but somehow never picked up any of her other books. The blurb inside the cover has me eagerly anticipating this one. “Once again, Rosamund Pilcher reminds us all that

friendship, compassion, loyalty, and love can come together and renew us all—even when the days seem darkest.”

If you’re an avid reader like I am, you won’t have any difficulty with the idea of me finishing five books in a month. If you’re not, you may think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Either way, I’ll be smiling as I work my way through the stack night after night. Oh! Did I mention I have many more books on hold at the library? I hope to hit the jackpot again soon!

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries locally at The Enchanted Forest in Dunwoody and Bookmiser in East Cobb or on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.

KATHY MANOS PENN

Columnist

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

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DEATH NOTICES

David Arthur, 74, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 14, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Marc Caruso, 42, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 17, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Michael Dougherty, 67, of Roswell, passed away on April 14, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Judith Hill, 82, of Milton, passed away on April 17, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Daniel Lazzaroni, 34, of Roswell, passed away on April 16, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Anne McShane, 90, of Milton, passed away on April 15, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Richard Merkel, 88, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 14, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Valeria Nagel, 87, of Johns Creek, passed away on April 16, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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