Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - June 6, 2024

Roswell reaffirms decision allowing church expansion

Cochran Farms neighborhood loses appeal

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council upheld a Design Review Board decision that would allow St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Hardscrabble Road to expand.

The council meeting May 28 involved a quasi-judicial hearing, where the Cochran Farms Homeowners Association sought to appeal the board’s approval of plans to add a 14,000-square-foot sanctuary building, 78 additional parking spaces and a new paved access road off Coleman Drive with a gate, lighting and landscaping.

City Attorney David Davidson advised elected officials that they must uphold the Design Review Board’s decision if there was any evidence to support it.

Attorney Adam Rozen, speaking on behalf of Cochran Farms, told the council the “substandard” access road is the primary concern among homeowners because of increased traffic and the potential safety issues posed to families who ride their bikes and walk down the road.

Rozen said an internal traffic circulation plan could be created instead.

“When you’re considering the conditions that can be imposed, and balancing how that impacts these two sides, you’re dealing with convenience versus safety and enjoyment concerns,” Rozen said.

Several homeowners in Cochran Farms took a turn to

Legionnaire of the Year Ralph Fike, left, is honored by Alpharetta American Legion Post 201 Commander

Alpharetta post announces Legionnaire of Year

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta American Legion Post 201 Commander Tom Billings has chosen a Cumming resident and Operation Desert Storm veteran as Legionnaire of the Year.

Alpharetta gives approval to downtown development

► PAGE 4 NEWS

The honor goes to U.S. Army veteran Ralph Fike. Legionnaire of the Year is the highest recognition bestowed on an individual at the local post level by the outgoing post commander.

Billings said that Fike is committed to the post and his fellow legionnaires.

“Fike, in his role as chairman of the House

Committee ensures that both routine and more challenging task are accomplished quietly and efficiently,” Billings said. “Ralph is one of those rare individuals who just gets things done. His calm, quiet demeanor, and common-sense approach in dealing with situations is valued and appreciated.”

Fike was also unanimously elected at the same May general membership meeting to the position of Junior Vice Commander of the more than 700-member organization.

Tom Billings.

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Man reports car stolen from townhome driveway

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police met with a 40-year-old resident of a townhome development off Old Roswell Road May 19 after the man reported his vehicle as stolen.

The victim said he last saw his 2020 Audi SQ8, valued at $50,000, in his driveway around 11 p.m. the night before it went missing.

An officer said the vehicle was gone when the victim checked his driveway around 10 a.m.

He said he was unable to contact his homeowners association to check if his car had been towed.

Dispatch told the officer at the scene that they did not have a notification of the vehicle being towed.

The officer said he was unable to locate any cameras facing the victim’s driveway but listed the vehicle as stolen in the Georgia Crime Information Center.

Suspect in shoplifting escapes police pursuit

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a shoplifting incident May 29 after an alleged repeat offender evaded officers at the Target on Woodstock Road.

Police said the male suspect was inside the store when an officer arrived to speak with loss prevention employees.

Later, employees said the suspect concealed around $1,000 in merchandise in a black bin.

When loss prevention pointed out the suspect, the unidentified

man began running toward the exit, knocking over items to block the officer’s pursuit.

Employees said the damaged items total around $200.

The officer said he chased the suspect through the parking lot to his vehicle, a black Nissan Rogue. When the officer drew his weapon and ordered the suspect to stop, the man reversed and drove away.

Another officer began to chase the suspect on Ga. 92 toward Cherokee County.

Because the suspect was driving at excessive speeds while weaving through traffic, officers canceled the chase due to department policy.

A loss prevention employee said they recognized the suspect because he has worn the same outfit during similar incidents at Target stores in Woodstock and Acworth.

Officers said records show both incidents are classified as felony offenses.

The suspect faces misdemeanor charges for reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic control device, obstruction and criminal trespass, as well as felony charges for shoplifting and fleeing an officer.

Officers said no warrants have been obtained but a court order was sent to Avis Budget Group, a rental car holding company, to help identify the suspect.

Knife-wielding suspect identified by witnesses

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 43-year-old Powder Springs man May 29 after he wielded a knife while attempting to enter vehicles at the Roswell Creek apartments.

Dispatch told officers that a male suspect approached a family with a knife in a parking lot.

An officer said witnesses pointed out the suspect when he arrived.

After detaining the suspect in handcuffs without incident, the

officer removed a knife from his front pocket.

Witnesses showed officers footage of the suspect peering into vehicles. One witness said the man appeared from behind a vehicle, brandished a knife and caused them to flee the area.

An officer said the suspect had no reasonable explanation for the eyewitness accounts.

After deciding to arrest the suspect, an officer found multiple packets containing a white powdery substance in his possession, which were submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for testing.

Officers issued criminal trespass warnings from the location to the Powder Springs man and another male suspect who was thought to be involved.

Officers secured warrants for loitering and prowling, criminal attempt, possession of a weapon during an attempted felony and a controlled substances violation.

Officers investigate concert ticket swindle

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating the theft of $800 after a Roswell woman reported May 26 she was scammed out of Taylor Swift tickets.

An officer said he spoke with the victim who described an interaction with an Alpharetta woman through a neighborhood Facebook group. The victim said the suspect ceased communications with her and did not return her money after she paid for the two tickets.

When the officer went to the suspect’s home, he received no answer at the door or from phone calls.

The victim then said she wished to press charges.

When the officer went to a Fulton County judge for a warrant, the request was denied because of concerns about a potential identity theft.

THE PICTURE FRAMER

Place Maker Design has received approval for a four-story, mixed-use development on Canton Street in downtown Alpharetta. The building will include commercial space and 36 condominiums on 1 acre.

Alpharetta approves development for Canton Street shops, condos

By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta City Council unanimously approved a new downtown mixed-use development at its June 3 meeting.

accommodate two cars. However, because the tandem spaces cause one of the two cars to be blocked in by the other, the council rejected a request that each tandem be counted as two parking spaces to fulfill the city’s minimum parking requirements.

The four-story project will include 36 for-sale condominiums and 7,000 square feet of commercial space. It is slated to be built on the 1-acre parcel at 55 Canton St.

In his motion to approve the project, Councilman John Hipes stipulated that the development’s commercial space must be occupied by only specific types of businesses: coffee shops, clothing boutiques, bakeries, florists and grocery stores are all acceptable. The approval will also require the developers, Atlantabased firm Place Maker Design, to plant ornamental vegetation along Canton Street and Old Canton Street.

According to a city staff report, the project will be the densest residential development approved in the downtown central business district, just beating out Alpharetta Lofts across the street, which contains 36 condominiums and about 6,000 feet of commercial space on 1.16 acres.

Tim Vaccaro, Place Maker Design’s founder, told councilmembers that the majority of the condominiums in the development — 25 of the 36 — will be two-bedroom units, eight will be three-bedroom units and three will be one-bedroom units. The city’s approval conditions require that no more than 10 percent of the condominiums will be allowed to be rented out.

The development’s below-ground parking structure is set to include nine tandem parking spaces long enough to

Because the development does not meet the city’s required parking minimum, developers will pay a parking in-lieu fee of $94,500. The city may use the money to develop new public parking accommodations.

Hipes said he was proud to support the project.

“It just seems like every project that comes along, each success of the applicant is raising the bar, raising the standard for Alpharetta,” Hipes said. “To me, this is yet another one.”

The City Council also held the first of three public hearings regarding the city’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget at Monday’s meeting. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

The city will hold the other two public hearings on June 24, the first at 11:30 a.m. and the last at 6:30 p.m. Council members are set to vote on the proposed budget immediately following the final public hearing.

The current budget proposal would hold the city’s millage rate steady, though a slight decrease in the debt service levy may save homeowners money despite an estimated $10 million increase in expenses. The proposal also calls for seven new full-time city staff members to be hired after the 2025 budget takes effect on July 1, 2024.

The full budget proposal is available to view on the city’s website, alpharetta. ga.us/.

June 13 | Darby Wilcox

June 27 | Foster Greene

July 11 | Rocco

July 25 | Topo Freako

August 8 | Marcella Jones and Brown Liquor Band

August 22 | Café au Lait

September 12 | Pussywillows

September 26 | Niles Rivers Band

Former Roswell Mayor Jere Wood speaks at a Save Roswell’s History Committee meeting May 23 at Coastal Bar and Grill. The group has been advocating that the historic Masonic Lodge No. 165/Old Methodist Church on Alpharetta Street be preserved after the City Council voted to exercise eminent domain to install a pedestrian plaza for a public parking deck.

Grassroots group continues rally to save historic Roswell building

ROSWELL, Ga. — More than 100 people turned out May 23 for the second meeting of a group seeking to preserve the historic Masonic Lodge No. 165 targeted for demolition in favor of a pedestrian plaza.

The structure, built in 1859, stands in the middle of Roswell’s downtown at 1054 Alpharetta Street. It served as the first permanent home for the Methodist Church in Roswell and has been designated as historically important by federal, state and local authorities.

The Roswell City Council voted to exercise eminent domain on the property in April. The city’s Green Street Activation Plan calls for a pedestrian plaza on the site, adjacent to a new public parking deck.

“We know parking is an issue in Roswell, and we are not against a parking garage,” Sarah Post, the committee’s marketing chair, wrote in an email. “However, we do want to save and preserve important parts of history.”

At the meeting, held at Coastal Bar and Grill, the group distributed more than 100 yard signs that advocate the

group’s cause.

The Save Roswell’s History Committee has also been active at Alive in Roswell, a monthly street event. Former Roswell City Council candidate Michael Dal Cerro and three volunteers set up a canopy on Canton Street May 16, speaking to more than 200 people, handing out fliers and raising donations.

“Very few citizens knew of the city’s plans to tear down a historic building, and those that did thought that the parking deck was going where the 1859 building is now,” Post wrote.

“Virtually all were unhappy with the city’s plans once they learned about them.”

Post said the building’s brick walls and heart pine roof rafters can be saved and used for an open-air pavilion, similar to the Wyche Pavilion in Greenville, South Carolina, one of the city’s oldest commercial structures built in the early 1900s. It is now used for weddings, dinner parties and other large social gatherings.

— Amber Perry

PUBLIC NOTICE – ROAD CLOSURES

Notice is hereby given that portions of the following roads will be closed on Sunday, June 16, from 7 am - 9:30 am due to the run4DAD 5K: Wills Rd, Milton Ave, Roswell St., Old Milton Hwy (between Wills Rd and Roswell St).

SARAH POST/PROVIDED

Gen Z wins day in Atlanta area primary races

By ALESSANDRO MARAZZI SASSOON Atlanta Civic Circle

ATLANTA — It was Gen Z’s night on Georgia’s May 21 Election Day: All but one of the youngest cohort of statehouse candidates cruised to victories in metroAtlanta.

One big upset stood out in particular, sending shockwaves through the political establishment. That was Gabriel Sanchez’s victory over State Rep. Teri Anulewicz in the Democratic primary for her Cobb County legislative district, which covers parts of Smyrna and Marietta. Sanchez won with 56.8 percent or 2,249 votes – compared with 43.2 percent or 1,711 votes for Anulewicz.

Anulewicz, who has represented District 42 since 2017, rose through party ranks to become deputy whip for Georgia’s House Democrats, while serving on key House committees, such as Appropriations and Transportation. Her reputation for working across the aisle earned her a broad base of support, even among Republicans. She won endorsements from a long list of state and local officials, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath and the AFL-CIO of Georgia.

Her unexpected loss to a 27-year-old waiter and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) may signal a shift in local politics — one where young, organized progressives running to the left of the establishment can win elections.

By all accounts, Sanchez ran an impressive campaign. Anulewicz outraised him more than two-to-one, bringing in $123,648 in donations, compared with Sanchez’s $50,097, according to campaign finance disclosures. But nearly half the contributions to Anulewicz came from political action committees, while Sanchez’s contributions were overwhelmingly smaller-dollar, individual donations.

That reflects the grassroots get-outthe-vote mobilization that Sanchez’s campaign has undertaken since last November to win. About 100 volunteers knocked on 17,000 doors, with the target of swaying 2,500 voters to defeat Anulewicz, according to Sanchez campaign manager and DSA-Atlanta co-chair Kelsea Bond.

“Our main takeaway from this campaign — and it’s something that we already knew in our gut — is that there’s a huge disconnect between what the average voter or American actually believes in, and what politicians are doing,” Bond said.

Consequently, the Sanchez campaign’s approach was to go out and talk to constituents about their topline issues — housing, healthcare, a green economy — and connect them to DSA ideals.

“This win just really validates what we’ve

ATLANTA DSA/PROVIDED

Gabriel Sanchez, center, in a blazer and tie, celebrates with his supporters May 21.

been saying all along, which is that our ideas are actually popular. It’s just that a lot of politicians are afraid to champion them,” Bond said.

Anulewicz did not respond to a request for comment.

Even for Cobb Republicans, her loss is a wake-up call. Skylar Akins, the Atlanta Young Republicans’ executive vice president and a resident of District 42, said it was completely unexpected.

If anyone had foreseen it, he added, a number of Republican voters in Anulewicz’s district would have chosen a Democratic primary ballot just so they could vote for her. “They definitely would have [picked a Democratic ballot]. The only thing we were deciding on the Republican side in Cobb County was the sheriff’s race,” he said.

Akins acknowledged the “sweat equity” Sanchez’s campaign put in. “I know they flooded this district with people because I was personally canvassed by his campaign three or four times,” he said.

Sanchez will face off against Republican Diane Jackson for the House legislative seat in November. Jackson ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Other Gen Z wins

The other Gen Z candidates to win Democratic primaries for state legislative seats include Bryce Berry and Ashwin Ramaswami in Metro Atlanta and Madeline Ryan Smith in a Middle Georgia district.

Berry bested a crowded field to win the Democratic primary for House District 56, which runs from Ansley Park, through Midtown, all the way southwest to Beecher Hills. The district’s two-term incumbent, Rep. Mesha Mainor, caused a stir last July when she switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party – attracting Berry and four other Democratic challengers.

If Berry wins against Mainor in November, he could be the first public school teacher in the Georgia House of Representatives. The 2023 Morehouse College graduate teaches 7th grade math

More information

Here’s a rundown of run-off elections expected for the five-county, metroAtlanta area based on preliminary election returns:

Fulton County

• Democratic primary for Fulton County Commissioner, District 4: Incumbent Natalie Hall v. Mo Ivory. Clayton County

• Democratic primary for Clayton Sheriff: Incumbent Levon Allen v. Jeffrey E. Turner.

• Democratic primary for Clayton County Commission Chair: Alieka Anderson v. Terry L. Baskin

• Democratic primary for Clayton County Commissioner, District 3: Tashe’ Allen v. Attania Jean-Funny. DeKalb County

• Democratic primary for DeKalb CEO: Larry Johnson v. Lorraine Cochran Johnson.

• Democratic primary for DeKalb County Commissioner, District 4:

for Atlanta Public Schools. He told Atlanta Civic Circle last month that education reform, including greater teacher pay, along with affordable housing and accessible healthcare are his top issues.

Ramaswami ran unopposed to win the Democratic primary for Senate District 48 in Johns Creek, where he grew up. Ramaswami, a software engineer who just graduated from Georgetown Law School, will face off against Republican incumbent Sen. Shawn Still in November. The Democrat has said he decided to challenge Still after the latter’s indictment in the sprawling Fulton RICO case against former president Donald Trump.

In Middle Georgia, Smith also ran unopposed to win the Democratic primary for House District 158, located between Macon and Savannah. Smith is challenging longtime incumbent Rep. Larry “Butch” Parrish, who just completed his 20th term. This will be her second bid for the seat, after losing to Parrish in 2022.

A Gen Z challenger in Albany, Joshua Anthony, wasn’t able to unseat first-term Rep. David Sampson in the Democratic primary for House District 153. Sampson won a resounding 58 percent of the vote.

Incumbents fare well

Outside of Sanchez’s upset, incumbents fared well in the primary.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson staved off a competitive challenge from former Democratic Congressman John Barrow, winning 55 percent of the vote in the closely watched nonpartisan primary. Pinson was ap-

Lance Hammonds v. Chakira Johnson.

• Judicial runoff for State Court Judge Division A-3: Yolanda Mack v. Dionne McGee.

Gwinnett County

• School Board District 1: Karen Watkins v. Rachel Stone

• School Board District 3: Steve Gasper v. Shana White State Legislature

• Democratic primary for State Senate District 55: Iris Knight-Hamilton v Randal Mangham (DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties)

• Democratic primary for State Senate District 38: RaShaun Kemp v. Ralph Long III. (Fulton County)

• Democratic primary for State Senate District 34: Valencia Stovall v. Kenya Wicks. (Clayton and Valencia Counties)

• Democratic primary for State House District 96: Arlene Beckles v. Sonia Lopez (Gwinnett County)

pointed to the state Supreme Court in 2022 by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, so now he’ll serve a 6-year term.

In another nonpartisan judicial race, incumbent Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee also won with a commanding 83 percent of the vote. McAfee is overseeing the historic case alleging election interference against Trump and 14 co-conspirators.

Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat and District Attorney Fani Willis, the prosecutor for the Trump election-interference case, both cruised to victory in their Democratic primaries. Another Democratic incumbent, Clerk of Courts Che’ Alexander, also attracted primary challengers, but won 52 percent of the vote to narrowly avoid a runoff. These primary victories all but assure their wins in November in the heavily Democratic county.

Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor trounced three fellow Democrats, winning 67.8 percent of the vote in their primary. He’ll face off against Republican primary winner Mike Baker, a former Gwinnett deputy, in the Nov. 5 general election.

Run-offs to watch

Several other elections will head to a runoff on June 18. In contests with more than two candidates, if no candidate secures over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election between the top two votegetters is held within four weeks.

Claire Becknell contributed to this story. This article was originally published on atlantaciviccircle.org.

8 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | June 6, 2024

Home farmer shines light on mushroom as superfood

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

CUMMING, Ga. — Shannon Williams probably fits in with other mushroom enthusiasts, wearing one of several mushroom T-shirts and advocating for a holistic healthy lifestyle, skeptical of silver bullets.

He’s the type to notice a kinship with all things around us.

“Mushrooms are very close to us, not too far from us in the genetic pool,” he said.

Before news of the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Williams said he came down with a sickness that resulted in a stick up his nose and hushed tones from medical professionals in the hall of the hospital, keeping away from whatever he had.

During his recovery, his son Shannon, the second, turned him onto turkey tail mushrooms. It was off to the races from there, carrying over some of the same equipment he used to brew his own ale.

“I remember I still was in pain when I decided I wanted to sell mushrooms to the public, so I decided I want to feed and heal my public,” Williams said.

Out of the basement in his Cumming home, he grows more than a dozen varieties of (legal) mushrooms. The 10-by-20 Gorilla tent is the last of three size upgrades for his burgeoning business Noble Fungi Farm.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been born again, but it felt like that but without the politics,” Williams said. “It was my choice, right? It was like, ‘Hey, this is a good thing, and I benefited from it personally, like I am

a witness. Have you ever met Mushroom Jesus?’”

Williams fetched a box of mushrooms from his car — pink and blue oysters, which he identified by their Latin names.

He said they were the backbone to his farm as well as elm oysters and lion’s mane, though he also grows chestnuts, reishi, shitake. Cordyceps get their own room, and so would hen-of-the-wood if he chooses to add it to the bunch.

“Hen-of-the-wood, I believe, knows the difference between its spores and other spores,” Williams said. “If there’s too many other spores in the environment, it’ll grow, but it’ll be underwhelmed. It won’t be like, ‘Life!’ It’ll be like, ‘Life…’”

He sells whole mushrooms, mushroom jerky and mushroom tinctures at local markets, also listing mushroom-based recipes on his website like one concocted by his eldest daughter Rena for vegan rainbow mushroom stroganoff.

Soon, Williams will introduce chaga soap. Chaga is sclerotia, a byproduct of birch trees attacking the locale of a fungal parasite, similar to a mold. Like reishi, Williams said it is an immunomodulator and an adaptogen, nourishing organs to provide chemical stability.

“It’s taking all the good stuff that the tree is throwing at it and making it grow,” Williams said.

Products or “value-adds,” as he likes to call them, are a third of his business. Another third is education, and another is having fun.

See MUSHROOM, Page 9

at his home-based farm in Cumming. They

2021 after Williams used mushrooms to heal

pass that power to the community.

SHANNON WILLIAMS, founder, Noble Fungi Farm

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Shannon Williams and his wife Valerie stand next to a box of oyster mushrooms he grew

started Noble Fungi Farm in

himself of illness and felt a need to

Pink and blue oysters are part of the backbone of Shannon Williams’ home-based farm in addition to shitake and lion’s mane. He grows more than a dozen varieties.

Mushroom:

Continued from Page 8

Williams said his wife Valerie gives his mind direction, one that sometimes takes him down into the grow room at 3 a.m., still finding it miraculous to see his mushrooms grow.

“I bring the purpose, and I bring the dreams, and she helps me make it make sense,” Williams said.

Valerie, responsible for marketing Noble Fungi Farm, chuckled every now and then from across the outside breezeway at Starbucks as Williams’ excitableness over mushrooms pulled him into tangents.

He dove into the weeds of mycology, a meticulous process helped by a skillset he developed working in finance and accounting for UPS before he retired.

“My grandmother used to say, ‘There’s a place for everything, and everything has its place,’ and that’s kind of my vibe,” Williams said.

He also shared insights he accrued while taking his health into his own hands, with a hope that people do the same.

“We shouldn’t lean so much on other things,” Williams said. “They all have their place, but people don’t know how to grow anything. They don’t know how to fix anything. Like it breaks, they just go buy a new one.”

PHOTOS BY SHANNON WILLIAMS/PROVIDED Shannon Williams, owner of Noble Fungi Farm, holds a lion’s mane mushroom he grew in his basement farm.

Shannon Williams’ son Shannon tends to mushrooms in the basement grow room.

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Facts About Me

This is Dawson!

Breed: Yorkie/Chinese Crested Mix

Color: Tan/Grey (Shorthair)

Age: 5 years old

Weight: (Current) 8 lbs

Fully Grown: Small (10 lbs)

Sex: Female

My Info

Healthy, All Shots current

Chipped, Spayed

Loves squeaky toys

No family with large dogs or cats

My name is Dawson!

It’s been a wild ride…. want to hear my story?

First, I was lost, then I was hit by a car, then a wonderful family who I didn’t know helped get me to a vet to take care of me. After a week at the vet’s office (I’m ok, just a few scratches) they picked me up and took me to this nice shelter so I could find a new home!

I’m a little anxious and scared after all this as you might imagine but with the right family and a little patience, I’ll know I found my forever home.

All BCAR dogs are placed as indoor family pets. No electric fences, please. Visit pets every Saturday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (706-268-1346) or visit our website for adoption information at www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org

Refurbished athletic fields enhance area high schools

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Sports Turf Company announced competition of phase one of the athletic facility renovations May 29 at high schools in the Fulton County district.

Phase one includes the renovation of high school practice fields at Alpharetta, Milton, Westlake in Atlanta and Langston Hughes and Creekside in Fairburn.

Sports Turf turned the existing natural grass practice fields at all five high schools into an artificial turf system, providing more durability and better shock absorbency.

The school district awarded a $13.6 million contract last November to the sports construction and surfacing company to renovate 11 practice fields, one stadium field and two shot put and discus sectors.

Phase two, already scheduled to be underway, calls for a new practice field,

stadium field replacement and track resurface at Cambridge High School.

The second slate of projects also includes construction of a track surface at Langston Hughes and Johns Creek high schools, a practice field at Tri-Cities High School in East Point and a practice field with shot put and discus sector at Banneker High School in unincorporated Fulton County.

The third phase will install new practice fields at Roswell, Centennial and Chattahoochee high schools.

Todd Higgins, president of Sports Turf, said his team is excited to see phase one completed.

“It is a privilege to work for a school system that places such a high importance on their athletic facilities,” Higgins said. “We’re excited to keep working on the next two phases to give them the facilities their athletes deserve.”

PHOTOS BY SPORTS TURF COMPANY/PROVIDED

A bird’s eye shot of Milton High School shows its new practice field with artificial turf. Sports Turf Company announced May 29 the competition of phase one of its track and turf replacement project with Fulton County Schools.

A new AstroTurf practice field stands ready for use behind Alpharetta High School. The athletic facility renovation is one of 15 projects scheduled to be completed this year across Fulton County Schools.

What do realtors really do to help sell a home?

Brought to you by – Lara Dolan - Craft Dolan Team at Ansley Real Estate | Christie’s International

What do Realtors really do to help clients sell a home?

It’s so much more than opening doors.

The depth of market, community, contractual and real estate knowledge is critical. We are in it every day, while the average person may but only 2-3 homes in their lifetime. Even a “frequent mover” is unlikely to know the specifics of local markets, customs and laws from state to state, or have resources to tackle all aspects of the transaction.

• Preparation: Paint, landscaping, repairing windows, removing pet smells, staging, de-cluttering, coordinating estate sales, proper surveys, roof repairs, HVAC techs, prelisting inspections or appraisals… we help clients do everything from picking out new lighting and carpet to get a home updated for sale, to spreading mulch and walking dogs during showings. Last month we replaced a battery in a dead truck that was in the driveway (client had already moved out of state). In short: whatever it takes to get the property “show ready”.

• The Price is Right: Accurately pricing your home is crucial. Without the expertise of a realtor who knows

the local market and recent sales data, you risk overpricing and scaring away buyers, or underpricing and leaving money on the table. Properly comparing your home to recent sales, taking active competition into consideration, and having an objective opinion of the good and the bad of your property are some of the most important things an experienced agent brings to the party.

• Marketing Muscle: Real estate agents have access to Multiple Listing Services (MLS) which broadcast your listing to a wide network of potential buyers and agents. Depending on the listing and the brokerage we also have access to networks that feature luxury listings, specialized types of listings (farms, wineries, land, etc.), local social media groups, and our own closed networks of experienced agents who operate constantly behind the scenes sharing information about buyers and sellers in our area, scouring for opportunities.

• Time is Money: Setting up showings, answering countless phone calls, following up on showings for feedback, screening prospective buyers, attending showings, watching out for fraudsters and bad actors, preparing marketing information, hiring photographers and stagers, finding maintenance resources… these are all part of a normal day.

• Negotiation Ninja: Negotiating a good deal involves skill, strategy and intimate knowledge of the market.

Most serious buyers are using an agent and the relationship between listing agents and buyers’ agents can be invaluable. We will even hear in competitive situations that our offer got the nod because all things being equal, we have a reputation of professionalism – these cooperative relationships are very important in local markets. An experienced agent knows how to handle offers, counteroffers, contingencies, and inspections to get you the best possible outcome.

• Teamwork: Experienced agents have spent years building a team of experts: photographers, stagers, cleaners, maintenance people, landscapers, attorneys, surveyors, engineers, inspectors and more. These resources are invaluable, and you never know who you may need to call on short notice to save a deal... we do it every day.

• Paperwork Maze: The real estate transaction involves important paperwork, legal documents, and disclosures. Understanding these documents and navigating the process can be overwhelming and what you don’t know can seriously hurt you.

• Emotional Rollercoaster: Selling your home can be an emotional experience. A realtor is the buffer between you and potential buyers, protecting you from getting emotionally attached to the negotiation process. It is our job to help clients keep the end-goal in mind and not derail a

transaction over small or emotional issues that will soon be forgotten.

• Finding Qualified Buyers: Not all buyers will be pre-approved for a mortgage or are serious about purchasing. Real estate agents have experience vetting potential buyers to ensure they’re qualified and serious about the home buying process.

• Legal Protection: A realtor helps protect you by advising you on properly disclosing things about your property, abiding by fair housing rules, ensuring paperwork is properly completed and generally providing you a layer of protection in the sales process.

• Managing Inspections and Repairs: Buyers will likely have a home inspection, which can reveal necessary repairs. Experienced realtors are accustomed to reading inspection reports and know when to be concerned, when to call in other experts, and when to negotiate.

• Closing Complications: The closing process can be complex, emotional and involve unexpected hurdles. A good real estate agent can guide you through the closing process and ensure a smooth transaction.

You should expect a high level of service from your Realtor and the other professionals, throughout the transaction. A true professional will turn one of life’s most stressful experiences (moving) into something that is enjoyable, manageable, and profitable.

DOLAN

How does a School District impact home values?

Brought to you by –Sam DiVito, REALTOR® HOME Real Estate, The Kloster Group

We all know the age-old saying location, location, location. When it comes to school districts, this reigns even more true. Even if you never plan to have school-aged children, buying in a good school district brings a multitude

of benefits to your home’s value. A good school district typically means safer neighborhoods, access to sidewalks, restaurants and shops, better parks and recreation departments and active communities. All of this leads to the higher price points for homes located in these areas. The link between school districts and property value is so strong that there has been a recent trend of foreign real estate investors buying property in certain school districts without ever seeing the house. That’s how sure they are that the value of the property will increase.

When a market starts to correct itself or has a downturn, the schools can significantly impact how much the pricing fluctuates in those areas. People will always pay more to invest in their children’s future, so it is a great strategy to buy in an area that will likely maintain stable and rising home values.

It’s not just important to find a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about houses. They should also have extensive knowledge of the house’s surrounding area to best guide each buyer on school districts and the areas in which each school excels

to best fit their specific needs. Homebuyers are encouraged to gather information and research from various sources and tour each school to find the right one for their family!

Investing in your home is one of the hardest and most important decisions you will make for your family. You don’t have to do it alone! Call or email Sam today and we’ll evaluate your needs and get your family into the best schools the area has to offer. Call 404-803-5999 or email sam@homegeorgia.com and get a response within 24 hours.

Open the door to what’s next.

Scan to view this month’s collection of featured properties exclusively represented by our firm.

Top in-demand amenities for luxury homes in 2024

Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

As 2024 opens with limited inventory in high demand coupled with investors who have become accustomed to new interest rates, the luxury market can safely be termed ‘healthy.’ However, sellers need to stay informed about evolving buyer trends. According to a new Luxury Outlook Report from Sotheby’s International Realty, the market is experiencing a shift toward properties that integrate a few key elements well.

Here are a few highlights of what’s next in luxury homes. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current residence or invest in a new property, these features are set to reshape not only homes themselves but the lifestyles they represent.

1. Sustainable features.

The demand for renewable energy and a reduction in carbon footprint has generated an unprecedented market for eco-conscious building and development practices. In addition, many governments offer tax credits for sustainable construction. E-vehicle charging points, solar energy, eco materials and eco amenities are becoming important considerations for buyers. Sustainability is extending into community development as well, with walkability, electric-vehicle charging station availability and LEED-certified designs factoring largely in planned neighborhoods.

2. Hospitality elements.

In Hotel-Style, At Home, Jim Tinson, AIA, says that his clientele “…no longer draws a distinction between their vacation accommodations, private clubs, or primary residences…. ‘There’s a focus on elevated amenities and hospitality experiences baked into private homes.’” Some examples of this trend are:

• hotel-style suites that incorporate en suite bathrooms, closets and blackout shades into secondary bedrooms,

• in-room kitchenettes,

• spa-inspired bathrooms,

• family entertainment destinations,

• high-end mudrooms that mimic the boot rooms of five-star ski resorts (complete with headed lockers, boot warmers and full equipment storage), and

• hotel-worthy cocktail bars

3. Resort-like attributes.

The seamless integration of indoor and outdoor living spaces has become a hallmark of luxury design. This feature emphasizes a harmonious connection with nature and blurs the boundaries between the interior and exterior through expansive glass walls, retractable doors and covered outdoor rooms.

As we navigate through 2024, the landscape of luxury real estate continues to transform, marked by amenities that offer a comprehensive, elevated living experience. For sellers and developers, staying attuned to these trends is crucial in catering to the sophisticated tastes of today’s market. If you need assistance renovating your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!

Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/ Copyeditor

Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad

PEXELS

Protect your property

Brought to you by –

Law Center USA

Estate planning is essential if you don’t want your property to end up in the costly probate court, but how do you make sure your beneficiaries can inherit without the headache of additional costs? You can put “right of survivorship” language on the deed, which ensures that the remaining joint owner of the property inherits 100% upon your death, but that’s only a temporary stop-gap measure as the property will still end up going into the probate court upon the remaining owner’s death. You can’t sign the property over to your children during your lifetime, since that triggers capital gains tax, and you certainly can’t just leave the property be, as the right of survivorship isn’t automatic in the state of Georgia - not even a spouse would be able to inherit your interest in a property.

That’s where trusts come in, and there are a variety of trusts that you can choose to set up depending on your situation. For instance, a generationskipping trust allows trust assets to

be inherited by nonspouse beneficiaries two or more generations younger than you, which is perfect if you want your greatgrandchildren to inherit. This trust can also be drafted so assets are transferred without incurring generation-skipping tax. Then there’s the 2503(c) trust, which is a special trust created specifically for children under the age of 21. It allows you to control the trust assets and properties until the child reaches maturity. Or you can always go with a basic or enhanced revocable trust, which protects the properties after your death and ensures the beneficiaries inherit without capital gains tax - thanks to something called the “step-up basis,” they would only need to pay taxes based on the current value of the property, not on the value that the property has accumulated over the years.

Regardless of your situation, there is likely a trust that is perfect for you. So don’t wait to begin protecting your property. Start today by contacting a local estate planning attorney and start your estate plan now.

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LAKE LANIER

Lakeside at River Green

an active adult community in Canton

Brought to you by – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division

John Wieland and his JW Collection team, with more than 50 years of experience, present Lakeside at River Green, a gated, active-adult neighborhood in Canton, GA, just north of Atlanta in Cherokee County. The JW Collection is John’s legacy business and represents his half century commitment to building better homes.

Lakeside at River Green is a neighborhood without comparison. An elevated experience that has no equal. And homes as unique as you are because you help design them. Our luxury single-family homes range from 1,800 to 3,600+ sq. ft. and over one to three stories of spacious living, finished terrace levels with media rooms, sky terraces, luxury owner’s suites with spa-inspired

baths, and elevator capability, along with spacious rear and bonus yards.

It’s what’s next in active adult home design – there is no need to be tied to one-level living or compromise on space for entertaining or the luxury upgrades you desire. Once you’ve chosen from a spectrum of home styles and plans that only a John Wieland neighborhood can over, you join our design team at our new home design studio. Collaborating with the team, you’ll help curate a home that becomes the very image of your personal sense of style and taste.

Lakeside is redefining what an active adult neighborhood is all about. As part of the overall master-planned River Green community, you’ll enjoy a country-club atmosphere rich with resort-style activities and amenities – all just steps away from your front door. Soak in the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take your furry best

friend on a scenic stroll. Make new friends lakeside, poolside or at Evermore, Lakeside’s brand-new 10,000+ sq. ft. clubhouse featuring an elegant club room, veranda, fitness center, yoga room, lounge, meeting rooms and boardroom, covered outdoor terrace with lake views, pickleball courts, fire pit and lake pier. Other amenities in River Green include a resort and lap pool, waterpark, tennis courts, playground, miles of walking/ biking/nature trails, and more than 200 acres of green space.

Lakeside is as far away from expected as possible, yet it’s close to everything you want, need and love. Here you’ll experience a setting of true privacy woven into the fabric of a flourishing master-planned community. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the arts, culture, and charm of the historic town of Canton, GA. Canton and the surrounding scenic area have become a mecca for wineries,

golf, gourmet dining, and eclectic shops and art studios. If that weren’t enough, everything from cheering on your hometown heroes like the Braves and Falcons to world class music and art is nearby in Atlanta.

Every John Wieland home is built with purpose, and everyone on the JW Collection team is committed to the company’s mission: To conceive and build homes and neighborhoods that will stand the test of time in value and beauty and enhance the lives of their owners. Come experience the John Wieland difference at Lakeside at River Green.

To schedule a tour, please contact Carla or Calvin at 678-321-4211 or visit us online at lakesideatrivergreen.com.

Lakeside is represented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties New Homes Division. An equal housing opportunity.

Roberts Barn on Freemanville Road. Dufresne said it’s important to preserve the city’s past and make local history relevant to all.

Historical Society president continues his passion project to discover Milton’s identity

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — For Milton Historical Society President Jeff Dufresne, storytelling is an essential component of any community. He has one of his own to tell.

That’s why he decided to interview around 90 residents during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic to track the city’s sense of community through an upending and emotional time.

Dufresne, born on a dairy farm in Massachusetts, moved to Atlanta with his wife, Josephine, after graduate school in the 1980s.

Dufresne served as executive director of the Urban Land Institute in Atlanta before moving to Milton around 2017. He now serves as principal for Dufresne Projects as a real estate investor and consultant specializing in placemaking.

He’s a former member of the city’s Design Review Board, highlighting his commitment to his community.

“When I moved to Milton, I liked the buildings,” Dufresne said. “I saw there was a need for recognizing the places of historical value.”

His favorite is the Reese House at

A map of 28 historical markers with information about each site is available on the city’s website, miltonga.gov

12680 Crabapple Road, a Queen Anne style home built in 1912. He said it’s a beautiful gateway and something all travelers can spot entering the city.

The president of a city’s historical society is sometimes expected to have deep ties to the community. While Dufresne grew up a thousand miles from Milton, he has spent the past four years leading the effort to promote its past through education, preservation and exploration.

“I’ve always had a passion for preserving the past,” Dufresne said. “Learning from it and appreciating what went on at the time.”

He credited former Milton City Councilman Bill Lusk, one of the 35 founding members of the nonprofit, for his support getting the organization off the ground.

“It grew out of a group of history lovers in Milton,” Dufresne said. “Not all of us are from this town, but just people who have

We are looking for one person or couple interested in delivering

Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.

For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”

Johns Creek to host Juneteenth celebration

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The City of Johns Creek will host a Juneteenth celebration June 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Newtown

Juneteenth, dated as June 19, honors the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday. Other common names for Juneteenth are Freedom Day and Emancipation Day.

In its second year, the free event will include more than a dozen food vendors from primarily local and Black-owned businesses, and two entertainment headliners. Local poet Ashlee Haze will perform as well as jazz musician and saxophone player Richard Shaw Jr. and his band.

The celebration will also introduce a new feature — a series of informational banners showcasing the origin of Juneteenth and its national celebrations.

Olivia Gazda, Johns Creek assistant to the city manager, and members of the Event Planning Committee are leading the city’s effort to organize the

A saxophone player performs at the Johns Creek Juneteenth celebration last year. The 2024 event has been scheduled for June 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Newtown Park.

celebration.

Gazda said she thinks it is important for Johns Creek to host a Juneteenth event due to the city’s cultural diversity and emphasized that celebrating the many different cultures in Johns Creek is essential to its identity.

– Hannah Frazer

Rotary’s Cars for Causes benefits Johns Creek kids

By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Dozens of vintage trucks and cars filled the parking lot at City Hall June 1 for the annual Cars for Causes to benefit local children.

The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton as a fundraiser to send kids to summer camps.

Rotary Club members said the aim is to sponsor 16 or more deserving children to weeklong summer camps at the Johns Creek Arts Center or the Autry Mill Nature Center.

The fundraiser featured some 63 vehicles, including vintage automobiles and custom-made transportation. It was a bit more than organizers had planned, so they extended the display area.

“We went into overflow,” said Ron Jones, former Johns Creek Rotary president who served as chairman for this year’s event.

Final figures from the fundraiser have yet to be tallied, but Jones said that outside of expenses, every penny raised will go toward the summer camp scholarships.

About 300 visitors got a glimpse under the hoods of many of the vehicles.

BY HANNAH FRAZER/APPEN

cars line the lot at Johns Creek City Hall June 1 for the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton’s annual Cars for Causes. Car enthusiasts glimpsed some 60 classic vehicles at the event that raised money for summer camp scholarships for children.

In addition to the car show, there was a 50/50 raffle, music and food.

Rotary is one of the largest nonprofit organizations with a global network of around 1.4 million members.

“These events are very special to us,” Jones said, adding that getting people out and about following the pandemic is important for the community.

Those interested in joining Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton can visit: rotary.org/en/get-involved/join.

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED

Press Club

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Women’s Veterans Day Ceremony Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. Veterans Walk, Newtown Park 3150 Old Alabama Rd., Johns Creek Summer Baseball Schedule at Post Visit www.legion201.org/events Open the “Baseball” Drop Down Link

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Backlash:

Continued from Page 1

state their case.

One resident, who said he is the most impacted because he lives nearest Coleman Drive, described the road, which has no sidewalks, as too narrow for cars to pass one another. He said dozens of Roswell High School students walk the road in the morning and in the afternoon.

“This road is so narrow that there is no way to walk safely when there are two cars there,” the resident said.

Ethan Underwood, representing St. Michael’s, emphasized that the appellants cited no procedural or substantive error on the part of the city, the board or the applicant. Instead, he said they allege damage caused by the church’s plan and without proof.

He also pointed out that some of Rozen’s arguments, such as the substandard nature of Coleman Drive, could not be weighed by the City Council because it did not go before the Design Review Board, nor was it mentioned in the appeal.

The City Council voted unanimously to uphold the board’s decision.

East Roswell development

In other action that night, the City Council initiated a text amendment, dealing with Section 13.4.3 of the Unified Development Code titled “Who Can Submit an Application,” that would bar mixed-used development along Ga. 9 and Holcomb Bridge Road from having more than 49 percent residential.

Jackie Deibel, deputy director of Community Development, said the item will go before the Planning Commission, then the city will schedule two readings.

City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson, who cast the lone dissenting vote,

Discover:

Continued from Page 19

an appreciation for the history of where they live.”

Dufresne identified one hurdle with preserving and sharing the multifaceted story of Milton: its little-known history.

As more Americans began settling the interior of Georgia in the early 19th century, tensions increased between the Cherokee Nation and White farmers. The state took over Cherokee lands in 1830 and divided it during the 1832 land lottery.

A couple decades later in 1857, the state established Milton County from parts of Cherokee, Forsyth and Cobb counties.

The McConnell-Chadwick Homestead, built in the late 1830s on Arnold Mill

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Adam Rozen, attorney on behalf of the Cochran Farms Homeowners Association, argues an appeal of a Design Review Board decision to allow the expansion of St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Hardscrabble Road at the City Council meeting May 28. The council voted unanimously to uphold the board’s decision, as part of a quasi-judicial hearing.

reiterated the concerns she shared at the Administration and Finance and Recreation and Park Committee meeting May 14, like limiting missing middle housing options.

Beeson also said residential within a mixed-use development is typically defined by number of units to prevent issues with broad interpretation. She listed several mixed-use developments whose number of units translate to at least 60 percent of the development, including Halcyon.

“I think mixed-use developments are the way that we can rectify some of the larger issues in suburbs which … impede our ability to move around the city,” Beeson said. “It allows us to be able to have like live, work and play spaces.”

She said the city doesn’t need more

Road, predates the creation of Milton County.

Former state senator and Brig. Gen. Eli McConnell was authorized to mediate conflict between Native Americans and White settlers in the area and to sell property after the Cherokee removal in 1938.

Without the effort from the Milton Historical Society to work with the city and property owner, the historical site would have likely been destroyed.

“The building was in disrepair, and the owner didn’t really have the money to restore it,” Dufresne said. “Ultimately, we got the owner to donate the building to the city, and the city will preserve it.”

The primarily cotton-producing county merged into Fulton County during the Great Depression amid boll weevil infestations and droughts that upended its one-crop economy.

Peter Korman, a longtime resident of Horseshoe Bend in East Roswell and Republican candidate for the 2022 Georgia House race in District 51, recalled when his wife got the pitch that East Roswell marry the city. The area was previously unincorporated Fulton County.

“When this code was written, it was convenient that we neglected East Roswell,” Korman said. “... Those of us who live in East Roswell have seen years of neglect, neglect as an impact on our schools, as an impact on our traffic, as an impact on our quality of life.”

He advised the City Council to bring East Roswell up to the standards of the west, as promised to those who once lived in unincorporated Fulton County, or allow the same styles of development everywhere.

Roswell Planning Commission member Jim Walsh spoke to the City Council as a resident of East Roswell for more than two decades.

“It’s been so long that it’s been the ‘east side’ or the ‘west side,’” Walsh said. “It needs to be ‘One Roswell.’”

blighted shopping centers in East Roswell that host temporary stores like Spirit Halloween because the city cannot fill them throughout the year.

While Beeson called the percentage “arbitrary,” City Councilwoman Christine Hall said the percentage stems from the need to define commercial corridor (CC) zoning districts and commercial heavy (CH) districts as “primarily” commercial.

“So, in primarily commercial, what we were getting is 99 percent residential and 1 percent commercial because there was no number defining what ‘primarily’ was,” Hall said.

‘One Roswell’

Several East Roswell residents lauded the council for its decision to match development on their side of town to West Roswell.

Dufresne identified 1932 as his favorite moment in the history of Milton, as a community, county and city.

The collapse of the national economy, coupled with the destruction of the county’s mainstay crop, could have spelled decades of disaster for Milton.

“That old saying, ‘when one door closes, another one opens, but it can be hell in the hallway,’” Dufresne said. “It went from worst to on the road to what it is today.”

Instead, the area continued to grow and prosper throughout the 20th century as paved roads bridges and new buildings began to urbanize North Fulton County.

“We have two seasonal events because Milton was an agricultural town and community 100 years ago,” Dufresne said. “You’d plant seeds in the spring and harvest in the fall.”

The Historical Society’s Spring

He also recalled promises made to those who lived in the area, like for “every dollar spent on the west side, there would be a dollar spent on the east side,” but that the previous administration did not uphold the promise.

Walsh also emphasized that developers could seek a conditional use permit, making the percentage of residential versus commercial space less important.

After Walsh thanked the council for their effort to unify the east and west side, Mayor Kurt Wilson said the city spends a lot of time on economic development strategy in East Roswell, recognizing the need to address the city’s failure over the past several decades.

“I can’t wait for some of this stuff to start manifesting itself…” Wilson said.

Fling May 18 at the Roberts Barn on Freemanville Road drew around 130, the organization’s highest attended event to date.

Dufresne said many who attended were not members of the Milton Historical Society and some were new residents. The nonprofit, with more than 100 members less than seven years into its existence, shows promise for the growing city, he said.

The Historical Society’s slate of fall programs includes two lectures at the Milton Public Library Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

The Autumn Shindig at Wildberry Creek Farm Sept. 22 wraps up the organization’s list of upcoming programs and events for the year.

To get involved with the Milton Historical Society, visit miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org.

The Pitts Road bridge is one of two in Sandy Springs that are part of Ga. 400 bridge replacements project.

Pitts Road bridge reopens

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The last of the three bridges over Ga. 400 was set to reopen to traffic May 31 in preparation for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Express Lanes project.

The GDOT pulled forward the Ga. 400 Bridge Replacements project as a part of the phased delivery of the planned Express Lanes project, which will add two lanes in each direction from the North Springs MARTA Station to McGinnis Ferry Road.

One express lane is also planned in each direction from McGinnis Ferry Road to McFarland Parkway, or exit 12, in Forsyth County.

Because the three bridges were more than 50 years old, the state needed to replace them with taller, wider structures to fit the planned expansion of Ga. 400.

Metro Atlanta commuters may have noticed the construction of three bridges over Ga. 400, starting in early 2023, at Kimball Bridge Road, Pitts Road and Roberts Drive.

The Ga. 400 overpass on Kimball Bridge Road opened to traffic May 8 after a 365-day closure.

Contractors with C.W. Matthews Contracting Company added two lanes with a raised median, a multi-use

path on the north side and a sidewalk on the south side of the Alpharetta bridge.

A May 1 statement from Alpharetta said some additional work is required for installation of decorative fencing and pavers, as well as general cleanup.

A part of the GDOT’s project includes local agreements with municipalities for bridge aesthetics.

The Pitts Road overpass features a 12-foot-wide path on the south side and a sidewalk on the north side, which are separated from vehicular lanes with barrier walls.

The other Ga. 400 overpass in Sandy Springs, the Roberts Drive bridge, remained open as a new structure was built adjacent to the old bridge.

The new bridge, with the same design as the Pitts Road overpass, opened to traffic last December.

A statement from the GDOT’s project page said motorists and pedestrians may see some construction crews as punch list work concludes on the three bridges.

Kyle Collins, a communications and marketing strategist for the GDOT, said all work on the bridges should be finished by late August.

Collins said work also continues on the Mount Vernon Highway bridge over I-285, specifically opening the pedestrian components.

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International birthday parties and valuable life lessons

Recently, my daughter celebrated her birthday at the beach with five of her closest friends, while I stayed at her place in Ellijay, babysitting her husky. Although I don’t mind housesitting, taking care of that husky was another story. I was struck by the diversity among my daughter’s friends – their eclectic nature —so unlike the typical groups from my generation. These friends are difficult to categorize or stereotype, and their varied backgrounds made me wonder just how typical they are of their generation, many of whom are now in their mid to late 30s.

All except one friend met my daughter while she lived in California in a big house over a decade ago on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. The outlier is a friend she met in Berlin. Despite geographical distances and time, these friendships have remained strong and vital.

The friend from NYC, a computer programmer from India who grew up in Dubai, recently quit her job in the Bay Area to move to and experience New York City – by herself. When I asked her how the birthday party was at the beach, she replied that it was like a “five-day slumber party,” which brought a smile to my face and made my heart flutter.

The friend from upstate New York is originally from a small village in Bangladesh. He moved to the United States at 5 and became a successful computer programmer. While living at the house on Haight, he began developing Crowdcast, a website for video conferencing, just before COVID-19, which eventually became a popular app and platform used worldwide. Talk about timing.

Two of my daughter’s friends still live in the Bay Area. One is an architect. I would call her an “art connoisseur/ entrepreneur.” When I first met her, she was running a converted warehouse in Oakland that she had converted into

a live/work art collective to address affordable housing and work space for Bay Area artists. Think consignment store, except instead of booths for stuff to sell, there were spaces for artists to create their work. Wandering through the warehouse was mystical, almost like exploring some far-away land. You never knew what you would run into around any corner you turned.

The other friend still living in the Bay Area is much of the time, literally living “in the bay.” His story is remarkable. He is from the Midwest and dropped out of college and that traditional career track thing, and moved to California where he started working as a computer coder – selftaught. He found his place in one or several of the Silicon Valley tech

companies and lives with his long-time partner who was one of the first, say 20, employees of one of the huge tech companies – think like a Google or similar. Most of his time today is split between his new job at yet another tech company and working on the large sailboat he bought and learned to sail in San Francisco Bay – hence “living literally in the Bay.”

The odd-man-out, the one she did not meet in California, is probably the most interesting of them all. Think a modern-day Indiana Jones or similar. Whether it was hiking across much of eastern Europe and the Middle East, to moving to Israel to learn Hebrew (just because), to moving to Indonesia to live in a orangutang-rescue preserve camp for six months to who knows how many

other adventures, he is the poster-child Peter-Pan. He is German and, like the others, a coder/tech guy. Think crazy smart, tech guy. His last “formal” job was rewriting the code for the French unemployment system – seriously. My daughter met him a week or two after she had moved herself to Germany to audition for ballet companies in Europe. She needed a place to live, and through a distant Appen cousin, connected with Stef who held the lease on a large multi-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor above the German headquarters of the Hells Angels in Berlin. Amelia lived there for the better part of two years.

Stephen flew in from Berlin for my daughter’s birthday. That alone touches me deeply, that my kid would have a friend who cared enough to do that. But on top of that, he recently raised money to buy an aging, rundown German resort “in the country” – think like a small Grove Park Inn – so he took the time out from his start-up hotel and resort business to spend time with my daughter and celebrate her birthday. And note to self, he had zero experience in running a business, or managing lots of people, or operating something, like a resort, that had to make a profit yet wrote a business plan that impressed a German bank and a few other investors enough to lend him the money (millions of euros). Who would-a thought!

Take-aways

Anyway, my daughters’ friends teach me lots of worthy life lessons by example. They do not bind themselves to accepted norms and expectations. They live lives that are driven to a significant degree by curiosity, by a desire to experience and explore. They embrace the unknown which I am sure produces just as much anxiety for them as it does for you and me, but they seem to thrive on it instead of fearing it. They don’t let “you can’t do this or that” stop them from trying. They are loyal friends, the kind you can count on. They are the kind of companions you strive for. Those kinds of friends are priceless.

And the last lesson? Well, it might be to “never own a husky,” but don’t get me started on that one.

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

SPECIAL

Amelia Appen, crouched in center, stands on the beach this April with an international group of friends.

OPINION

Fulton County Jail – Band-Aid or build?

Something needs to be done about the Fulton County Jail. It’s a critical part of the public safety ecosystem and its failing. We’ve seen horrific deaths and conditions so shocking that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation which is still ongoing. What you might not know is that a cycle of incidents, investigations and Band-Aid repairs has been going on for decades.

In 2015, the AJC reported on the county’s successful response to a lawsuit after 11 years that included addressing issues of jail overcrowding that had inmates sleeping on the floor, and conditions “so unsafe that inmates could wander about because of faulty locks.”

The article noted that “conditions would improve and then deteriorate again” over the 11-year period but were now fixed and that the “cost to taxpayers [had been] about $1 billion in renovations, repairs and ongoing programs.”

I don’t know how long those fixes lasted but I do know that by 2021, the Board of Commissioners were

PAST TENSE

acknowledging that the same problems were occurring and started looking for solutions.

We spent almost a billion dollars between 2004 and 2015 and it bought us a few years, at best.

In January, 2023, shortly after I took office as a Fulton County Commissioner, I toured the jail at 901 Rice Street and saw firsthand how deteriorated and overcrowded it is. I saw pallets on the floor where men were bunking because there weren’t enough beds, and I saw how small the cells built for one man looked with two men living in them. I saw the handmade weapons the inmates were able to make with pieces of the building they could pull apart with their bare hands, and I talked with the sheriff about how challenging it is to hire and retain frontline law enforcement folks to work there. This year the stories of broken locks and doors sounded like a repeat of the 2015 story.

It was clear to me that something had to be done, and I was glad to learn that a year before I took office, the Board of Commissioners had contracted with a group of industry experts to conduct a Jail Feasibility Study for $1.2 million so that they could address the issues in a more holistic way than had been done in the past.

The study, presented to the board on Feb. 1, 2024, concluded that the “existing jail is obsolete,” “creates public safety concerns” and is “adversely affecting employee retention.” It also stated that the “current buildings are deteriorated” and that the Fulton County Jail, which opened in 1989, exceeded the 30 year “average useful life of comparable jails.” The study came with a data analysis of the projected inmate population growth for the next 25 years, and a recommendation for a new jail at the 901 Rice Street location, with the lowest cost option estimated at $1.68 billion. After much debate that day and over the weeks and months that followed, it was clear all six of the district commissioners agreed that a new building was necessary. Only the chairman felt otherwise.

For the six of us, the debate was not about whether we should build a jail, but about how big it should be, how much we should spend, and where we would get the money. While that debate continued, we agreed that moving forward with at least the next two phases would not preclude us from working to improve inefficiencies in the justice system which might allow us to build a smaller building, or pursuing the option of a sales tax to help cover the cost and reduce the burden on property taxpayers.

With that in mind, we went ahead with Phase 2 of the Jail Feasibility Study at a cost of approximately $800,000, and approved bond funding and the issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for the next phase of planning.

But now, the project is at a standstill. At the May 15 Board of Commissioners meeting, an unexpected vote was called to rescind the RFP for the next phase. It passed.

So, what changed? We were not able to get help from the state on the sales tax front, we were able to make improvements to the justice system, make more use of ankle monitoring which has lowered our current jail population, and the idea of renovation has reemerged for some as a viable solution.

To be clear we spent $2 million on experts who gave us their best advice and we didn’t like the advice.

Something has to be done about the Fulton County Jail. But what? Will we spend another decade in a cycle of incident, investigation and Band-Aid response to the tune of $1 billion+ or will we invest in a long-term strategy that is humane, safe and improves public safety countywide?

Dana Barrett is the Fulton County Commissioner representing District 3.

Chamblee’s Sexton family ran area grocery stores

James Tolbert Sexton (18641941) was born in Gwinnett County.

He married Nancy Myria Robinson (1864-1954) of Chamblee in 1888.

The couple lived and farmed in Chamblee.

They had three children, Florence, Grover T. and William Robert Sexton, Sr.

The Sexton family were members of the Chamblee Baptist Church, first known as Corinth Baptist. Most of the family is buried at the old church cemetery at the corner of New Peachtree Road and Hood Avenue.

Grover Tolbert Sexton (1891-1951), sometimes listed in military records as T. Grove or Tolie Grove Sexton, reported to Camp Gordon, Chamblee, in July of 1918. Sexton began his service in the 157th Depot Brigade,

later becoming part of the Replacement Draft in Company D of the 11th Infantry.

On July 21, 1918, he left the U.S. aboard the ship Plattsburg. The Army Transport Service list of passengers indicates his hometown of Chamblee and his nearest relative as his mother, Nancy Sexton. T. Grove Sexton remained overseas until July 11, 1919, when he left France, once again aboard the Plattsburg, headed for Hoboken, New Jersey.

After he returned to Chamblee, he married Maggie Caldwell, and they ran a grocery store. They lived on Elliot Street in the 1930s and on Peachtree Dunwoody Road in 1950, according to the U.S. Census. After T. Grove died in 1951, Maggie lived at 3471 Chamblee Dunwoody Way until her death in 1980. (City/suburban directories, DeKalb History Center archives; Atlanta Constitution obituary)

William Sexton, Sr. (1893-1971) and Jessie Ethel Sexton (1891-1956)

had two sons and three daughters, including William Robert Jr., Eugene Grover, Earlene S., Elizabeth, and Dorothy.

William Robert Sexton Jr. (19162000) went by the name Robert. His first job was working at his Aunt Maggie and Uncle T. Grove’s grocery store in Chamblee.

According to the 1940 census records, Robert lived with his grandparents on Sexton Road and was driving a truck for a dairy. The dairy was likely Irvindale Dairies, because Sexton worked there for 30 years, beginning at age 19.

After working at Irvindale and advancing through the company, he helped reform the seven-day work schedule of employees. This led to fewer employees quitting.

Sexton used his grocery store knowledge and opened several grocery stores in Loganville and Acworth following his retirement from Irvindale. He and wife Doris Brown Sexton

had five children. (Atlanta Journal obituary, September 9, 2000)

Clint Daniel grew up in Chamblee and recalls that his dad went to Chamblee High School with Robert Sexton. He remembers their house was on what is now Harts Mill Road close to Ashford Dunwoody Road.

Robert’s brother, Eugene Grover Sexton (1919-1948) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, from 1944 through 1946. Sexton sadly died two years after his military service ended. He was operating a farm in the Pine Mountain Valley community of Georgia. Florence Sexton, the daughter of James and Nancy Sexton, continued to live with them and worked as a seamstress.

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

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist

DANA BARRETT Fulton County Commissioner

Shirley family tracks from Europe to North Fulton

BOB

The history of the Shirley family can be traced back to the 11th century in Europe. Since I am related to the Shirley family and was vaguely aware of my Irish and English roots and have a fondness for Irish pubs, I tracked down the Shirley Pub in the small Irish town of Kells near Kilkenny a few years back. I spent a delightful time with the owners in their nearby home.

The Shirley Arms boutique hotel in the heart of Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, is another worthwhile location to visit. The Shirley estate just outside Carrickmacross was the largest estate in the county in the 17th century, covering some 26,000 acres, about the size of Disneyworld. At the end of the 19th century the lands had to be sold due to the Irish Land Acts. The estate now has fewer than 1,000 acres.

English Protestant migration to Ireland took place over several centuries. Ireland was a very Catholic country dating back to St. Patrick’s trip to Ireland in the 5th century to convert the population to Christianity. In 1649 the English Parliament sent General Oliver Cromwell to quell a Catholic uprising in Ireland. Cromwell devastated several Irish cities and was preparing to attack Kilkenny when the city capitulated. One of the Kilkenny residents was Thomas Shirley who had immigrated to Northumberland County, Virginia in 1643. DNA tests have shown that the Kilkenny DNA matches the DNA of at least some of the Shirleys of North Fulton, so it is safe to conclude that at least some local Shirleys are descendants of both Ireland and England.

The Shirley family history is detailed in an 1841 book “Stemmata Shirleiana” by Evelyn Phillip Shirley. It records the lineage of the Shirleys through the oldest sons from 1066 to the late 1800s. It dates the Shirley lineage to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, who invaded England with his army from Northern France, an attack which earned him the name William the Conqueror. After becoming King of England, William seized the estates of families who did not support him and gave them to those who did support him. Among those who came with William from Normandy was Sir Henry de Ferrières (1036-1101).

According to a book written by Fred Shirley of Alpharetta (1935-2017) “The

Shirleys of Northumberland, VA,” King William rewarded Ferrières with vast lands seized from six landowners who had opposed the king.

The Shirley lineage began as the surname of several parishes, the first being in Derbyshire in the English midlands. There are several other Shirley towns in England. Shirley is a Saxon word, signifying “a clear place or pasture.” The charming Shirley village and civil parish still exist today in Derbyshire which had a population of 270 in 2011. In the 14th century the Church of St. Michaels was built in the town and the local Saracen's Head pub built in 1791.

Fred Shirley’s book is a great resource about the history of the Shirleys in America. Fred tells the story of Thomas Shirley, who was probably the first, or certainly among the first, Shirley immigrants in 1643 as a very young man. He became a successful tobacco farmer and was a leader in his community. He passed on to future generations of Shirleys his qualities of “wisdom, ambition and an adventurous spirit,” wrote Fred Shirley. Thomas married Francis Snatt Shirley (1633-

1690) in 1665. He died in 1696.

In 1784 descendants of Thomas, John and Elizabeth Shirley, loaded their wagon with their seven children and, together with their six horses and 13 cattle, left Northumberland and traveled to Abbeville County, South Carolina, where John purchased 200 acres on the Savannah River. John constructed a sawmill and grain mill, and the family grew and prospered. Other relatives followed them to Abbeville or settled in Honea Path about 19 miles from Abbeville.

In the mid-1800s, some Shirley families left South Carolina and moved to north Georgia, attracted by reports of good land available at cheap prices. They were also aware of newspaper reports of the Gold Land Lottery of 1832 and that some owners of the 40-acre land lots were selling their lots at low prices since anything they received represented a profit.

John Franklin Shirley (18411906) was born in South Carolina and moved with his wife Mary Catherine Shirley (1846-1915) and children to North Fulton in 1846. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, 56th Infantry

Regiment, Company 1, 3rd Regiment GA State Troops. After the Civil War, John became a successful farmer with more than 1,000 acres with two sawmills and several houses in the Union Hill, Ocee and Stono communities about 3 miles from Alpharetta.

John and Mary’s son, James Wright Shirley (1868-1960), and his wife Dora Josephine Strickland (1870-1931), lived on a farm that includes what is today Lake Windward in Alpharetta. Just below the house was a large building housing the Stono Post Office, store and grain mill owned by Mr. Shirley. He also owned a general store in Ocee, the Farm Merchandise Store in downtown Alpharetta and a 500-acre farm with five tenant houses. James and Dora had 10 children most of whom were farmers. Fred Shirley and his sister Sally David, who lives in Hiawassee, were grandchildren of James Wright.

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

MEYERS Columnist

FAMILY PROVIDED

James Wright Shirley, far left, and his sons and sons in law in the 1950s. They ae sitting on the front stoop of James’s farmhouse near to where Lake Windward in Alpharetta is today.

OPINION

It’s the end of the world as we know it

D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist

This week’s “rock” pick as it relates to current economics is the 1987 hit from R.E.M… “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It…and I feel fine.”

This song could relate to many aspects of our current economy and even many of our Federal Reserve folks who believe everything is fine and we need to hold rates where they are. So, let’s see what they obviously are not seeing and why they should possibly be looking at cuts sooner than later…

1. U.S. Leading Economic Indicators have been down 21 out of 22 months.

2. The average debt to income ratios for mortgage applicants nationwide has risen to 40 percent, which is the highest level in history. This means, before taxes, 40 percent of a potential homebuyer’s gross income is going to paying housing, credit cards, car payments and other installment debts.

3. The New York Fed reports that

THE INK PENN

delinquencies on credit cards has now risen to 7 percent, from 3 percent at the beginning of the year.

4. Housing prices have risen by over 47 percent since 2020, and mortgage rates have climbed from the high 2 percent range to their current levels of around 7 percent, which is creating severe affordability issues nationwide.

5. Companies with household names are facing declining sales which is forcing them to reduce stores, create “specials” or file for bankruptcy. Red Lobster is filing for bankruptcy, and Cracker Barrel is considering closing some of their stores. When have you ever seen a Cracker Barrel close a store? McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Krystal and Burger King are all offering “special meal deals” to bring traffic back.

6. Retail sales are showing signs of slowing.

These examples are clear reasons that our economy is not “chugging” along as our Federal Reserve folks might think. The reason for these decreases is that the average American is either “tapped out” on their credit lines or they can no longer afford the things they once could, due

to the “restrictive” Fed policies that are currently in place.

They simply don’t understand that they are part of the problem as to why inflation is at its current levels. Did they think that these companies who are contemplating shutting down or reducing their stores did not pass on their increases in loan payments for their businesses? Of course not, they are simply focused on trying to get the inflation rate back down to 2 percent.

We will see prices fall soon, but it will be because of people not spending money and businesses shutting down, which will lead to higher unemployment and even fewer purchases.

Wow…what a great solution. Funny… in the Federal Reserve minutes from their April meeting, several of the members alluded to possibly tightening some more.

The bottom line is perhaps they should get out and go to a Cracker Barrel or a Red Lobster and see what is going on in America. I think, if they did, they would see that things are not as “rosy” as they might have thought, and avoiding a recession should be their biggest concern. I have talked before about John Q

Public’s debt problem. Holding rates higher will not solve that problem, which will ultimately hurt U.S. businesses and send us into a deep recession.

Is there any “good news?”

Yes, I do believe that the Federal Reserve will wake up soon and realize that their “restrictive” policies went too far once again, and they will begin making their cuts sooner than many believe. Rising unemployment, stagnant wages (unless you work at a McDonald’s in California), increased delinquencies on overall consumer debt will push them in the right direction. This will push mortgage rates back down sooner than we may think. I hate to be negative, but perhaps our Federal Reserve folks need to get to know who our average citizen really is and the pain they have caused them.

D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.

Selecting the books to fit your mood

What are you in the mood to read?

Genteel mysteries set in 1920s England or a fast-paced modernday mystery set in small-town Maine?

These three books are equally entertaining, but the third is quite different from the first two.

“Murder at Millar’s Hotel” by Kelly Mason

I'm hooked. This cozy mystery set in 1920s England has an inspirational main character. Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall is staying at Millar's Hotel in a seaside town while her family home is being refurbished.

A war widow, she turned her home into a convalescent home for WWI vets, and now in 1924, is ready to move forward. This is a cozy mystery, so of course, her plans are disrupted when she runs into an unpleasant character from her past.

But she also runs into a charming

man who spent time convalescing at Ashcombe Hall, and the game is soon afoot. Lady Ellen is a caring main character who looks out for others. Some might label her a rescuer, but that's part of her charm. I can't wait to dive into book II to see what develops next for her.

“Murder at Archly Manor” by Sara Rosett

I enjoy the author's contemporary Murder on Location series set in a Cotswolds village, so I wanted to try this historical cozy series set in 1920s England. What a delight. Olive Belgrave is just my kind of heroine--down-to-earth, able to fend for herself and not terribly impressed by the moneyed upper class. She holds her own no matter the surroundings, and the witty dialogue grabs your attention. It's the first in the 8-book High Society Lady Detective series, and I highly recommend you pick it up.

Now, hold on to your hats, fast forward 100 years, and skip across the pond to the U.S.

“The Busy Body” by Kemper Donovan What fun! Two smart women are on

the trail of a killer. One is a ghostwriter who pens memoirs and autobiographies for celebrities and politicians, and the other is a losing candidate in a recent presidential election. One is accustomed to being front and center. The other is a woman who makes a living being invisible.

You're bound to note the similarities to Hilary Clinton in former Senator Dorothy Gibson, who has sequestered herself in her Maine home to lick her wounds.

It occurred to me only as I sat down to write this review that I couldn’t recall the ghostwriter's name. I'm betting it was never mentioned, which is in keeping with her occupation. How clever! When a neighbor dies, the two "involve" themselves in the investigation, and as befits a mystery with amateur sleuths, solve the case. Other than the cursing, this is very much a cozy mystery. Plenty of clever clues, red herrings, and twists and turns abound. The phrase "Musk adjacent" to describe an entrepreneur is an example of the author's way with words. A few times, I had to stop and think before I got the

meaning.

The ghostwriter's life story is never fully revealed, though there are hints. That means there's more to come. Plus the subtitle is "A Ghostwriter Mystery," which is a clue that this will be a series.

The witty dialogue, complete with plenty of snark, will keep you entertained, and you'll be tempted to read nonstop, much as you would with an Agatha Christie story. It's no surprise to learn that the author hosts an Agatha Christie podcast. I await the announcement that book 2 is on the way.

I enjoy having a variety of books on my nightstand so that I’m sure of finding one that fits my mood. After the calm ones set in England, “The Busybody” was a nice change.

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee and a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail. com, and follow her on Facebook, www. facebook.com/KathyManosPennAuthor/.

KATHY MANOS PENN

Columnist

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the City of Mountain Park proposes to exchange Lot 34 of Block 32 as shown on O.I. Freeman plat of the City of Mountain Park dated March of 1925 for Lot 39 of Block 32 as shown on the same plat. Said swap is being made pursuant to the provision of O.C.G.A. § 36-37-6(c), it having been determined by competent appraiser that the lots are of equal value.

Randy Knighton City of Roswell Kurt Wilson City Administrator Notice of Public Hearing Mayor

The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM in the Roswell City Hall Council Chambers, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia.

1. BZA 20241841 – 13085 Overlook Pass

The applicant, John Cacavias, is requesting a variance to reduce side setbacks; land lot 1013.

2. BZA 20242222 – 330 Shelli Lane

The applicant, Mosaic Design Build, is requesting a variance for lot coverage approval; land lot 391.

The complete file is available for public view at the Roswell Planning & Zoning Office, 38 Hill Street, Suite G-30, Roswell, GA, 770.817.6720 or planningandzoning@roswellgov.com. Refer to www.roswellgov.com.

Eugene Langston, 78, of Cumming passed away on Monday, May 27, 2024. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE

PH-24-AB-11

Please note that this meeting will be a virtual meeting, conducted online using Zoom meetings.

PLACE

To Attend the Virtual Meeting: Using Your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone Go to: https://zoom.us Meeting ID: 845 8112 0799 Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US June 17, 2024 at 3:00 P.M.

PURPOSE

Change in Business Ownership

Restaurant Consumption on Premises

Distilled Spirits, Beer, Wine & Sunday Sales

APPLICANT

Vybez, LLC

d/b/a Zazza Restaurant and Lounge 124 Devore Road Alpharetta, GA 30009

Owner: Vybez, LLC

Registered Agent: Arinze Iheme

In Memoriam

Helen Adeale McMurtray Owens

Helen Adeale McMurtray Owens, daughter of late Inez Ross McMurtray and Oscar McMurtray, was born in Yazoo County, Mississippi on June 14, 1929. Her family lived in Sataria, Mississippi and later moved to Terry, Mississippi where Helen graduated from Byram High School in 1947. After high school, Helen attended Ole Miss where she studied under William Faulkner, igniting a lifelong love for Southern literature. She received degrees in early childhood education and public health. Helen then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she worked at the CDC to help eliminate malaria as a major health problem in the United States. Helen met Carl Owens, Jr. while sailing with a friend and the two married in 1955. They had two sons, Carl Owens III and Thomas Owens, while living in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. The family

moved to Roswell, Georgia in 1963. In Roswell, Helen worked in public relations for Roswell Bank. She was also an active member of the Roswell Women’s Club, Roswell Garden Club, Roswell Historical Society, and Atlanta Yacht Club. After retirement, she volunteered extensively for the Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell Cultural Arts Board, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, and more. Helen is survived by her son Carl Owens III, granddaughter Emily Owens Amin and grandson-in-law Danish Amin, niece Jan McMurtray Burris, nephew Ken McMurtray, nephew Bill McMurtray, and godson Jim Wilson. Memorial service was held at St. David’s Episcopal Church (1015 Old Roswell Road, Roswell, Georgia 30076) at 11:30 a.m. on June 1, 2024. Reception followed at Jeffords Hall.

ALPHARETTA-ROSWELL HERALD | FORSYTH

Delivering Readers Award-Winning Newspapers

During these turbulent

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Alpharetta To Hold

A Location and Design Public Information Open House For P.I. No. 0019211

Fulton County

The City of Alpharetta in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) request review and feedback on the proposed project. We appreciate your participation in this process.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at Alpharetta City Hall, the City of Alpharetta will hold a Public Information Open House concerning the project listed above.

This project proposes to create the North Point Alpha Link Trail, a 12-foot-wide concrete shared use path located on new location to the northwest of and adjacent to State Route (SR) 400 between Encore Parkway and Haynes Bridge Road within the City of Alpharetta, Fulton County, GA. The proposed shared use path will be approximately 6,900 linear feet (1.3 miles). An existing stream which falls within the proposed shared use path alignment will be bridged to minimize impacts to the existing natural feature providing context sensitive solutions.

The purpose of this Location and Public Information Open House is to provide the public with an opportunity to view the project, ask questions, and comment on the project.

The Open House will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. It will be informal, and the public is invited to attend anytime during these hours. There will be no formal presentation. A court reporter will be available to allow the public an opportunity to make verbal comments about the project.

Georgia DOT has placed information about the proposed project at https://www. dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/PublicOutreach.aspx From the menu, select Fulton County, click Submit, then select 0019211, North Point Alpha Link Trail, to review the project material. The information on the website is provided in addition to the in-person meeting allowing the public to review the proposed project, provide feedback, or write in with questions.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information: The meeting site is accessible to persons with disabilities. Accommodations for people with disabilities can be arranged with advance notice by contacting the District Planning and Programming Liaison , Joshua Higgins, at johiggins@dot.ga.gov.

Written statements will be accepted concerning this project until Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Written statements may be submitted to:

Mr. Eric Duff

State Environmental Administrator

Georgia Department of Transportation 600 West Peachtree Street, NW – 16th Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Crabapple Road

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Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics or a related field (or its foreign degree equivalent) and five years of experience in: automation systems engineering and testing, including cloud architectural development, programming, and network integration of cloud services.

Please submit in duplicate your resume and cover letter referencing position #0730 to: Stonebranch, Inc., Attn. Anabelle Aybar, Human Resources Generalist, 4550 North Point Parkway, Suite 400, Alpharetta, GA 30022. Stonebranch, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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