AMERICAN LEGION POST 201/PROVIDED
Cambridge High School graduate John Cody Watkins and Alpharetta High School graduate Madison Elizabeth Ashe receive their scholarship certificates from Immediate Past Post Commander Tom Billings.
Alpharetta American Legion presents student scholarships
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Four area high school graduates received $1,500 scholarships from Alpharetta American Legion Post 201.
Scholarships were awarded based on a student’s academic performance and a themed essay on “Patriotism and Citizenship – What America means to me.”
This year’s winners also received a certificate recognizing their accomplishments.
The recipients are:
• Madison Elizabeth Ashe , Alpharetta High School, who will be majoring in psychology premed track at the University of North Carolina.
• John Cody Watkins , Cambridge High School,
who will be majoring in industrial engineering at Mississippi State University.
• Alexa Boada , Denmark High School, who will be majoring in business management and marketing at Georgia State University.
• Her brother Sergei Boada , Denmark High School, who is preparing for a career in veterinary medicine at Berry College.
The Alpharetta American Legion Post 201 was formed over 75 years ago to honor the contributions of our Nation’s veterans, their families and the local community.
— Hannah Frazer
By BEECHER TUTTLE newsroom@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in April signed a bill to limit large annual property tax increases that have plagued homeowners in Metro Atlanta suburbs for the better part of a decade.
While the legislation should help property owners in counties like Fulton, DeKalb and Forsyth, it will also quietly remove what some deem a loophole that has benefitted taxpayers who know the ins and outs of the property assessment process. The coming days and weeks will likely represent the last chance homeowners have to lock in their property values without much of a fight.
Set to be enacted prior to the 2025 tax season, House Bill 581 will enable counties to limit the appreciation of property values to no more than the current rate of inflation. The new law comes on the heels of significant annual surges in taxable
Alpharetta pushes back Wacky World timeline
► PAGE 4
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Officers investigate burglary at Stonemoor Circle home
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a residential burglary on Stonemoor Circle June 22 after a real estate agent called about a shattered window.
The caller said his client who owns the home, New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor, was out of town.
Earlier this month, regional news outlets reported Taylor listed his home
POLICE BLOTTER
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
Burglars take $30,000 in sports memorabilia
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a burglary June 25 at Hot Hands Sports Cards on Canton Street after employees reported an estimated $30,000 in stolen merchandise.
An employee said he arrived at 10 a.m. to open the store and discovered an open window near the front register with merchandise scattered throughout the store.
The employee estimates the stolen merchandise totals between $25,000 and $35,000.
Officers said they did not observe forced entry into the store and didn’t know if the window had been locked overnight. Officers also said large amounts of sports trading cards, empty boxes and the cash register were spread across the floor.
The owner said he was the last person at the store.
Because the store is closed Sunday and Monday, employees
for $5 million.
The real estate agent said the house manager contacted him June 21 about an open window activating the security system around 10:30 p.m.
The agent said he went to the residence June 22 around 2:30 p.m. the next day and found a planter on the ground, presumably used to shatter the window.
The officer said the agent found drawers rummaged through in the main bedroom with empty jewelry and watch
closed at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 22.
When employees closed shop, they wiped down the display cases, removing any fingerprints.
Officers said they located fingerprints on glass cases and other surfaces throughout the store. Officers said they discovered the building’s power had been shut off.
Police said cameras went dark between 1:05 a.m. and 11:12 June 25.
Officers said the store’s power box does not appear to be broken into, but they believe the perpetrator shut it off manually.
The Criminal Investigations Division responded and lifted additional fingerprints.
Later, an officer said the store’s landlord contacted him with security footage from the exterior of the building.
Officers said they contacted surrounding businesses for access to their security cameras, including video of cars driving on Canton Street around the time of the incident.
Woman cited for battery in road rage altercation
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 28-year-old Alpharetta woman after she allegedly followed a Roswell woman home and punched
boxes on the floor.
The house manager said the suspect cut wires to the old security system, leaving the new system still intact.
The officer said footage would be sent to a detective.
Because Taylor is out of state, the officer said it is unknown what exactly was stolen from the residence. He said at this point, only the shattered window could be listed.
Two detectives at the Roswell Police Department took over the investigation.
her in the face.
Officers said they spoke with the victim, suspect and witnesses at a residence on Canyon Point Circle.
The witnesses, two nearby residents, said they saw both women struggling on the ground.
One witness said she did not see who instigated the fight but called police.
Another witness said she saw the suspect pull down the victim and get on top of her.
Police spoke to both women involved in the incident separately.
The 20-year-old Roswell woman said the suspect followed her home, jumped out of her car and beat her up.
The officer said he confirmed the victim threw a coffee cup at the suspect once at her residence.
The suspect said she followed the victim after she threw something at her vehicle during a road rage incident on Holcomb Bridge Road.
The officer said he confirmed the fight began when the Alpharetta woman struck the victim with her fist. She was arrested for battery and transported to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.
The victim’s injuries include a forehead contusion and cuts to her ears, neck and knees. An officer said he left the victim with paramedics.
THE PICTURE FRAMER
Alpharetta moves timeline for Wacky World upgrade
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The City of Alpharetta has rescheduled the construction of the Wacky World playground and its amenities at Wills Park to begin in 2025.
The project was scheduled to open this October.
The intent is to approach all the improvements planned for Wills Park under a single contract rather than as smaller, individual projects. The City Council decided on the plan at its meeting June 24.
The current $3.8 million bid received for the construction of the Wacky World playground, an adjacent restroom facility and other amenities will be set aside. Instead, city staff will prepare
a procurement package covering all components of the planned improvements to Wills Park.
“Looking at the entire project in totality and having a single construction manager overseeing all phases of the Wills Park improvements may help to achieve economies of scale and achieve a better deal for Alpharetta taxpayers,” Alpharetta Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz said. “We will also know all of the costs associated with the improvements sooner and be able to complete the full menu of improvements sooner than if we treat each phase or component as a separate project.”
There are no plans to change the
Wacky World Playground’s design, which was greatly influenced by local children and students who participated in a series of input sessions focused exclusively on collecting ideas from the kids who will be playing there.
“Adjusting our timeline has brought a silver lining, giving families extra moments to enjoy the playground during its liveliest seasons,” said Morgan Rodgers, director of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services. “As an added benefit, the revised construction schedule minimizes the challenges of weather-related delays while preventing overlap with school holidays and summer breaks.”
The construction of a new and improved Wacky World is one of the projects funded by the $29.5 million parks bond approved by Alpharetta voters in November 2021.
With an eye toward making the playground even better, a citizens’ committee is raising funds to enhance the facility and provide additional features. So far, $495,000 in contributions have been received, advancing toward the $750,000 target.
For more information, opportunities to contribute, or to stay informed on the project’s progress, follow official updates via social media @WackyWorldPlayground or visit www.wackyworld.org.
Area fire departments prepare for July 4 amid dry conditions
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — As Independence Day rolls around, fire officials across Metro Atlanta have shared the game plan for fireworks displays.
According to the National Drought Information System, parts of Fulton County and all of Forsyth County are “abnormally dry,” meaning the region is going into or coming out of a drought.
Because of the conditions, Alpharetta Fire Marshal Ethan Talbot said the risk of fire has significantly increased.
“Recent fire incidents like the brush fire earlier this week on Westside Parkway show how easily fires can start, posing a threat to property and disrupting community life,” Talbot said.
Alpharetta, Talbot said, is strongly urging all residents to consider the potential dangers of using consumer fireworks this year. While
Enjoy
it has been legal in Georgia to use fireworks for some time now, he said the risk of starting a fire is exceptionally high under the drier-than-normal conditions.
“Instead, we encourage everyone to enjoy professional fireworks events like the Alpharetta July 4th celebration at Wills Park,” Talbot said. “This event is organized with the utmost attention to safety and provides a spectacular and secure way to enjoy the holiday with friends and neighbors.”
Alpharetta division chiefs said staffing for the Fourth of July is currently planned to be the same as in previous years, though they would reevaluate as the holiday draws near in case adjustments become warranted.
In Johns Creek, Fire Chief Chris Coons said the Fire Department will continue to house a fire truck at each professional firework display, permitted and inspected by the city’s fire marshal.
“We’ve been doing that now for several
This Independence Day!
years,” Coons said. “We kind of put that in place just because this time of year is the dry time of year, and you never know what may happen if some of those beautiful sparks fall in somebody’s pine straw … So, we’re there to get on it quick.”
This year, there are six professional firework displays scheduled, three on July 3 and three on July 4.
Coons said the city has seen some fires because of consumer-level fireworks, citing an example of a firework landing in a gutter with leaf litter.
“Be mindful of where [the firework] is intended to go and where it could potentially go and what that may look like,” Coons said. “Fireworks can be very, very dangerous outside of just the fire side of it. Obviously, they cause fires, but they can cause just incredible injuries.”
Coons also cautioned parents against allowing children to handle fireworks, or a lighter to set them off.
Depending on the size of the event, Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers said a fire engine, a brush truck, ambulances as well as on-foot personnel and the bicycle team will be on-site, such as the celebration at the Cumming Fairgrounds July 4.
“We always have a very large presence there for that event, and it’s from both a fire prevention and fire response [perspective] but also because of the large crowd,” Shivers said, adding that the Sheriff’s Office and the Cumming Police Department will be there as well to ensure safety.
In the past two to three weeks, Shivers said the Fire Department has handled small brush fires, which he said are not uncommon for this time of year.
“Anytime you’ve got a period of dry weather, a grass fire on the side of Ga. 400 or in someone’s backyard or from a campfire, those are going to get worse quicker because of the dryness … and the wind,” Shivers said.
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Sandy Springs Police Foundation blurs meeting records
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Tracking the Sandy Springs Police Foundation, the chief entity behind the city’s police training complex, just got a little more difficult.
In the process of requesting meeting records from the nonprofit, Appen Media and its newsroom has hit a snag.
In April, Appen Media reported the city intends for the foundation to be the primary funding source for the training facility, which would sit next to the new police headquarters and municipal court currently under construction at 620 Morgan Falls Road.
Cost estimates for the training facility sit at between $37-$45 million.
The Sandy Springs Police Foundation supports the city’s Police Department in acquiring the resources to maintain an elite standard of safety and efficiency, its website says. It differs from the Sandy Springs Police Benevolent Fund, a nonprofit formed in 2010 to support law enforcement in times of crisis.
Georgia’s Law Enforcement Strategic Support Act, passed in 2022, allows individuals and businesses to donate to
the foundation and receive dollar-fordollar tax credit.
It’s a win-win for residents and corporations looking to bolster public safety in Sandy Springs.
Through community support and donations, the foundation looks to provide improved recruitment, training, police equipment and technology.
Specifically, the foundation’s website explains it’s focused on constructing a firearms training facility in Sandy Springs to provide a convenient location for local law enforcement qualifications.
During the 2025 budgeting process, city officials decided to split the cost of a $100,000 scoping study for the shooting range between city tax dollars and the Police Foundation.
Appen Media first learned of the foundation from June 2023 emails obtained through the Open Records Act. The emails contained messages in which local police officials thanked members of the Atlanta Police Foundation for guidance about “starting up a non-profit fund.”
After two attempts through open records channels, Appen Media received the agenda and draft minutes from the March 4 Sandy Springs Police
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
A January 2023 map shows the site of a proposed firing range and training center behind the Sandy Springs Police headquarters.
Foundation meeting.
or where the funds come from.
The open records request returned the nonprofit’s bylaws, the agenda and an account of motions made, votes taken and topics discussed.
Subsequent requests for meeting minutes have been denied, and information about the Police Foundation’s actions has dried up.
After repeated requests for an explanation, city spokespeople told Appen Media the foundation is a separate nonprofit from the city and is not subject to the Georgia Open Records Act.
When asked why the city provided the first set of documents and then stopped, Communications Director Carter Long issued a reply.
“City email accounts were initially used,” she wrote. “Because of that, the city clerk provided the documents requested that were on file in the city’s email archive. Since then, the foundation has maintained its own records, including agendas, minutes and other documents.”
Agendas typically show what items will be discussed, and meeting minutes summarize those talks.
The foundation’s website offers the minutes and agenda of the March meeting, along with the agenda for a June meeting. The June document mentions approval of minutes from a May meeting, but that event is not mentioned on the site.
In the city’s initial June 27 response to Appen Media, it did not address how much money the foundation has raised
Shortly after, City Manager Eden Freeman who serves as the foundation’s treasurer sent an email saying the nonprofit has received $75,330, none of which came from the city.
Of note, the initial email was sent to Freeman’s @ sandyspringsga.gov domain. Her response came from a @ sspdfoundation.org domain.
The remaining six members of the Executive Committee include Mayor Rusty Paul, chair; Councilman John Paulson, vice chair; Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone; Maj. Nable, secretary; police Sgt. Leon Millholland, director; and local businesswoman Gail Early Jokerst, director.
Because the city says the Sandy Springs Police Foundation is separate from the government, it is not subject to the Georgia’s open records and meetings laws, cornerstones of the First Amendment and the state’s sunshine laws.
However, Freeman did answer Appen Media’s questions through her role as treasurer of the foundation.
All but one person on the Executive Committee are city employees or elected officials.
For now, the foundation says its plan is to release agendas and minutes on its website.
It’s still unclear when documents from the May 23 meeting, or other meetings of the Sandy Springs Police Foundation’s Executive Committee, will be shared with the public.
CHART CREATED BY CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA
Limited to personnel directly involved in law enforcement. Excludes organizational roles like executive assistant. Senior officers include sergeants, lietenants, majors, chiefs, and deputy chiefs; officers include peace officers and detectives; administrative includes roles like crime scene analysts and jailors.
Dunwoody playing catch-up with police
Analysis shows understaffing while Perimeter crime grows
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. —Since taking the oath of office two months ago, Police Chief Mike Carlson has ushered in a new era at the Police Department.
After longtime Police Chief Billy Grogan announced his retirement in January, city leaders opted to recruit from within and promote the former deputy chief to the top job.
Appen Media sat down with Carlson to discuss the department under his leadership, recent crime trends and what residents can expect ahead.
Carlson said the biggest change is now the decision lies with him.
“When I make those careful decisions, I have to use my 26 years of experience and the individuals that surround me,” Carlson said. “What’s going to be best, not only for the department, but how are we going to make sure we represent citizens and their issues.”
The new chief said he has been meeting with residents since his swearing-in because it’s important to stay connected to the community.
Before Carlson took the helm, consulting firm BerryDunn returned a two-year study of the Dunwoody Police Department,
commending its practices but showing understaffing and inexperience.
During the 2024 planning retreat, city officials emphasized recruiting, retention and the implementation of recommendations from BerryDunn.
Even with the swearing-in of officers Sebastian Wright and Alvin Slocum since May, there remain six vacant officer positions, the same number discussed at Dunwoody’s March retreat.
“They’re usually here a few weeks in advance before we can get them on the City Council’s roster,” Carlson said, referencing swearing-in ceremonies at City Hall. “As of July 1, we have been approved for an additional sergeant and three officers.”
If there are no new hires, the Dunwoody Police Department will have 58 sworn officers with 10 vacancies as of July 1.
A swinging pendulum
Summer 2020 was difficult for many Americans, especially law enforcement officers, with a global pandemic and nationwide calls to defund policing.
Recruitment for sworn positions became difficult, with experienced officers leaving the profession, less candidates signing up and turnover rates increasing.
If someone struggles to categorize my work as one thing or another, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
SUSAN JAMES, founder, Passerina Press
Printmaker enters time machine with photogravure
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga. — When someone shows you their basement, you might expect to find a mess of cardboard boxes, a pool table, exercise machines, lost things.
But, downstairs at Susan James’ home is a 2,500-square-foot printmaking studio, filled with mostly used and discontinued equipment collected over the years.
The space is the heart of her business Passerina Press which she operates alongside her husband Ken Wilkens, who acts as the “sherpa,” helping with logistics and loading the van for juried artist fairs.
Both are photographers, and their work is used in James’ printmaking process — specifically photogravure, a technique that dates to the 19th century.
It involves exposing a lightsensitive gelatin tissue to a film positive, then using a wet process to adhere the tissue to a polished copper plate. Across from James’ “dream press,” the one she regularly uses and takes to workshops at universities, is a metal shear used for cutting.
James mixes up potassium dichromate in a solution, where she floats the tissue, leaves it in for more than a minute, then adheres it to a piece of plexiglass that she places on a Lazy Susan to dry for around three hours.
“It’s a real slow drying process,” James said. “Humidity in the room should be between 60 and 65 percent, so it’s really, really finicky.”
The result is an engraved plate that captures the detail and continuous tones of a photograph, which is printed using a traditional etching press. The ink is deposited below the surface, like banknotes, a style called “intaglio.”
A rare medium
James said there’s maybe 100 people in the United States who engage in photogravure. The craft is more popular in Europe, she said.
“I knew there was a way that photography and printmaking collided back in the past, and so I did some
research,” James said.
She found a guy who worked in photogravure, a former instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design named Paul Taylor. When Taylor helped James set up her studio in Nashville in 2018, the year she founded Passerina Press, she took copious notes which became her go-to manual.
“This tells me everything I need to know,” James said, holding the tattered and stained booklet of stapled paper. “It stresses how much you have to clean everything before you get started…”
Starting with a love of drawing in pen and ink, James found printmaking when she was 22, a contestant in her first art fair in Florida.
“I set up my little panels. I was so proud of my work and was getting some positive feedback, but I didn’t win first of show, and of course, I was kind of disappointed…” James said.
She met the first-place winner, David Hunter, a printmaker based in Winter Park whose hand-etched entry hangs on James’ living room wall,a sailboat riding painstakingly crosshatched ocean waves.
James said on that day, Hunter explained to her the difference between a reproduction and an “edition,” an original in its own right that uses an antique process of inking, wiping and printing by hand. Not long after that, James was in Hunter’s studio learning his process, sometimes staying until 2 o’clock in the morning, eventually getting her own key.
“I was just totally addicted to it, and from then on, it’s just been printmaking, printmaking, printmaking,” James said.
An appetite to learn more
Since then, she has taken workshops at a number of schools in the United States, including Parsons School of Design in New York City, and one in Florence, Italy, studying intaglio printmaking at Santa Reparata International School of Art. Through Passerina Press, James
PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Susan James, a Cumming-based printmaker, unveils a newly printed image on her etching press using the 19th-century technique of photogravure in her basement studio. James sells her work under her business Passerina Press, a joint venture with her husband Ken Wilkens.
Susan James, owner of printmaking business Passerina Press, rummages through a drawer of photogravure films.
Print:
Continued from Page 8
offers photogravure plates and limited edition prints from personal digital photographs. But, her dream is to one day establish a cooperative printmaking studio in the area. James has also talked about loaning out her printing presses, acknowledging the barrier to entry.
The goal is to be self-supporting, she said. Last year was James’ first as a full-time printmaker, retiring after a career in systems engineering and cybersecurity, similarly processoriented.
One area in the couple’s basement is James’ digital dark room. She often combines digital photography, photocompositing and digital illustration to produce her printed images.
“If someone struggles to categorize my work as one thing or another, I don’t think that’s a bad thing: I want the observer to feel a little discombobulated, and to seek more information about how my work is created,” James said.
Right now, she’s working on an image that uses a photo taken from her and her husband’s trip to White Sands National Park. A group of nine individually drawn horses gallop through the scenery, and an AIgenerated steampunk carousel is in the background.
“This is kind of the story of my post-retirement life, how I feel like I’m free of the carousel now, you know, and my horses are all my ideas, and they’re just running away from the routine,” James said.
Susan James and her husband Ken Wilkens, owners of printmaking business Passerina Press, stand inside their basement studio. On the wall is a photogravure print made by James, using a photograph taken by Wilkens.
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Governor celebrates Campus 244 growth
Logistics industries grow in Dunwoody
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp stopped by Dunwoody June 26 to celebrate Transportation Insight and Nolan Transportation Group’s new headquarters at Campus 244.
Employees started moving into the 174,000-square-foot space on the third and fourth floor a couple weeks ago.
The 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use development just north of I-285 includes a hotel, restaurants and a five-story, 405,000-square-foot Class-A office building.
The state’s chief executive, back from an economic development trip to South Korea, helped cut the ribbon at the new headquarters along with Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch.
“We have such a special thing going on in Georgia with the state and local partnerships, working on economic development issues and supporting companies like this,” Kemps said. “I appreciate Mayor Deutsch and her colleagues for what they’re doing to make
Georgia a great place for business.”
The governor touted investments into the University System of Georgia, the Savannah port and transportation infrastructure that spur business throughout the state.
More than 300 people attended the ribbon-cutting, including clients and employees, Dunwoody officials, state officials and Campus 244 developers
Georgetown Company and RocaPoint Partners.
Ken Beyer, CEO of Transportation Insight Holding Company, recapped the business’s pre-pandemic growth and its drive to become the fourth largest domestically managed transportation company in the United States.
“This new office represents the beginning of the next stage of our growth,” Beyer said.
and major highways.
Previously, employees were spread out between five different offices in Metro Atlanta.
Fry said now that all employees are in a shared space, increased collaboration has been nice.
He also mentioned some amenities he’s enjoyed since moving into the offices two weeks ago, like outdoor terraces on each floor of the building and the gym with a locker room and showers.
The 174,400-square-foot space on the third and fourth floor of the former Goldkist building underwent a transformation after developers acquired 13 acres surrounding the 1970s-style office building.
Architects kept the building footprint but added two additional floors with a timber overbuild, a more sustainable alternative to demolition and starting from scratch.
Prior to developers acquiring the property, the building sat empty for years as an eyesore to commuters on I-285.
Matthew Phillips, vice president of development at RocaPoint Partners, said phase one of Campus 244 will wrap up by the end of year. He also said permits for phase two’s office building next door are more than six months out.
San Francisco-based private equity firm Gryphon Investors acquired Transportation Insight and Nolan Transportation Group in 2018, operating both companies under a holding company structure.
“We’re helping get that package delivered to your home,” Beyer said. “Every day, what our professional men and women do keeps this economy moving.”
Among the company’s 14,000 customers and 80,000 carriers, household names in Georgia like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, UPS and Delta use Transportation Insights Holding Company for logistics.
Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling said he remembers walking through the vacant building years ago with all the old furniture from Goldkist still there.
Starling said it’s great to see the building modernized with all the amenities that tenants and employees want.
Since Hapag-Lloyd announced its move to Dunwoody in December 2021, Starling said the city is becoming a hub for transportation and logistics companies from around the world.
The German shipping company invested $18 million into its 125,00-square-foot regional headquarters at Three Ravina Drive.
Looking ahead, Beyer discussed the Beon platform.
“This year, we launched Beon as a holding company brand … think about Meta with Facebook,” Beyer said. “Beon is our future, it’s not only a tech platform, but it will drive our future growth.”
Beon is an AI-enabled digital logistics platform that powers both brands and seamlessly connects shippers and carriers within one ecosystem.
Today, Transportation Insights Holding Company employs 2,000 people in 12 offices across the country with 500 workers at Campus 244, Meyer said.
“They stuck with us through probably the worst freight economy in history,” Meyer said. “This building, to me, represents our comeback.”
Harrison Fry, senior supply chain consultant at TIHC, said he’s enjoyed having the corporate and brokerage teams at the same location closer to downtown Atlanta
Swisslog Logistics, a warehouse automation and software company, is another example of a transportation-based company moving its regional headquarters to the city.
Starling and City Manager Eric Linton said Dunwoody will make a focused effort to market itself at trade shows as a transportation hub.
As Dunwoody commits itself to marketing the city as a logistics hub, the Beon platform and CEO Ken Beyer are committing themselves to Metro Atlanta. Transportation Insights and Nolan Transportation Group have hired more than 180 new employees since the start of the year.
“This office is designed to hold 1,250 people, so we have lots of space to grow” Beyer said. “We also want to build the next great brand in Atlanta alongside Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Delta.”
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Georgia’s first lady Marty Kemp; Gov. Brian Kemp; Ken Beyer, CEO of Transportation Insights Holding Company; Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch; and Richard Hicks, CEO of Inspiredu, cut the ribbon on TIHC’s new headquarters June 26 at Campus 244.
Police:
Continued from Page 7
Dunwoody officials adopted a restrictive 2021 budget across all departments, cutting 9 percent from the Police Department amid larger cuts to others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the city has increased pay for police seven separate times through cost of living and market adjustments.
An officer with a high school degree and no experience making $44,567 at the end of 2020 is now earning $59,391.
Other benefits include a $15,000 signing bonus, $800 a month housing stipend for living in Dunwoody, extensive medical coverage and bonuses for unit-specific work.
“My goal here is to attract the best and brightest officers,” Carlson said. “We never lowered our standards to get more individuals through the door.”
The chief said recruiting is competitive with other Metro Atlanta agencies and officers looking for where they can make more, like the private sector.
“Between our mayor, city manager and the council, they wholeheartedly support the Police Department,” Carlson said. “They’re just trying to keep up with our surrounding agencies.”
Sandy Springs, just to the west across Ga. 400, has a population of around 108,000, more than double the population of Dunwoody.
Both cities reported their index crime counts – or total crimes – were just under 2,000 in 2023.
mended minimum staffing level.
Sandy Springs Police Department has 171 sworn officers, almost three times Dunwoody’s 58.
Another revealing comparison is the number of sworn officers per 1,000 people.
Roswell and Alpharetta, larger cities than Dunwoody but slightly smaller than Sandy Springs, each have 2.3 sworn officers per 1,000 residents.
Dunwoody, at 1.1, comes out ahead of only Johns Creek when compared with neighboring North Fulton cities.
Milton, with 10,000 fewer residents than Dunwoody, has 51 sworn officers who delt with an index crime count of 265 in 2023.
That same year, Dunwoody’s 58 sworn officers delt with a crime index count of 1,985.
Recruiting and retaining
The BerryDunn study recommends an increase in the authorized staffing level of the Police Department from 64 to 78, accounting for attrition to achieve the minimum staffing level of 73.
The City Council funded some recommendations this year, like adding a fourmember unit focused on street crimes and civilian positions intended to free up officers.
The additional positions, if filled along with other vacancies, still leave the department five sworn officers below the recom-
Meanwhile, the Police Department has been looking to fill those positions.
Recruits come from a variety of backgrounds, Carlson said.
He recently swore in an officer from Emory University Police Department and interviewed a retired Chicago officer in midJune.
A non-sworn candidate heads to the Georgia Police Academy in July.
Carlson said the mindset of an ideal recruit is someone who is communityoriented, which is why he requires the postacademy Police Officer Training program.
“I’ve got more plans for the department, I’m going to ask for more personnel next year,” Carlson said. “I’m asking for seven more personnel, whether I get it or not, we’ll see.”
As Dunwoody continues to grow, Carlson said he wants to ensure he has the staffing to make it safe.
Policing in Perimeter
It is clear Dunwoody officials are helping the Police Department recruit sworn personnel through pay increases, incentives to stay and additional positions for promotion.
But, it’s an uphill battle because crime in the city and throughout Perimeter has increased since 2019.
With residents speaking at public meetings about increased homelessness and crime in Perimeter, it’s not clear if taxpayers are feeling or seeing their investment.
After reporting annual increases to violent crime from 2019-2022, the department reported a 7 percent decrease last year.
The number of homicides, assaults and robberies decreased between 2022 and 2023, but residential burglaries, entering autos and larcenies increased.
The Perimeter Center Improvement Districts, covering Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, reported a 35 percent increase in crime from 2022 to 2023.
The challenges of policing in Dunwoody boils down to traffic, vacancies and crime.
Tens of thousands pour into the city from I-285 and Ga. 400 every day, often leaving officers sitting in traffic with everyone else.
With increasing crime and persistent vacancies, it’s not clear whether one factor can be singled out or if a myriad of explanations fit.
Potential explanations include labor shortages and wage competition, and fallout from the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis in 2020.
Around that same time, the Dunwoody Police Department endured public humiliation when an internal probe revealed serious misconduct – including allegations of sexual harassment – by Police Lt. Fidel Espinoza, a high-ranking supervisor. Amid the controversy, Espinoza resigned in May 2020
Amid the turbulence of the nation’s recent history, some police agencies have reported increased hiring since 2023, but the Dunwoody Police Department has not.
For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”
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Summer home sales
Expert advice for listing success and top dollar offers
Brought to you by
– Allison Kloster, Associate Broker, Home Real Estate
As a listing agent, I love it when my clients ask me to come talk with them well in advance of them wanting to sell their home. In fact, a year is not too far out. That of course is in a perfect world. As with many businesses, real estate has its “high” seasons and its “low” seasons. In reality, people buy and sell homes all year long with the spring usually being “high season”. If you missed that window, don’t despair, when properly prepared you can sell your home for top price in any season. Its summer now, what should you do if you have decided to sell now? School is out, people are busy with kids and vacations and we’ve got four holidays between May and September. Don’t despair, buyers buy all year long, but in certain seasons, like summer and through the winter holidays, there are fewer buyers and they can be picky. This doesn’t mean you won’t sell your home. What it does mean is you have to make sure your home offers a
great first impression to every buyer that sees it. A great first impression means pricing is critical, condition is paramount and full-service marketing is an absolute necessity.
It is important to call your Realtor as soon as you know that you will be moving. A great agent doesn’t just sell, he or she can counsel you on how best to prepare and position your home for any market. For instance, in the summertime, your agent may advise more outdoor staging, lighter colors in the home, colorful flowers at the front door and clean landscape. That may mean paint, power washing, outdoor lighting and other ideas to help the buyer see what the exterior and yard will offer them during the summer months when they may be outside grilling and entertaining more.
Condition is always a key component to being a successful seller in any market. Nobody wants to buy a project to live in, especially at top dollar. Clean sells, tastefully decorated sells, move-in ready sells and well maintained interior and exterior sells. Again, your agent can help you by being an objective observer helping you to see what needs to be done. This is especially important if this has been your home for several years, you’ve gotten used it and may not be
the best judge of how other people might see it. Trust your agent to guide you in preparing your home, the agent has a vested interest in you selling for top dollar also.
Starting at the right listing price is an important part of making sure to get strong, top dollar offers and reasonable terms. A lot goes into arriving at the listing price, including community factors, schools, pricing trends for the area and specific comparable properties that a buyer (or appraiser) will use to gauge your relative value. Summer is usually not the season to push the market for the highest price possible. Summer offers fewer buyers and you will have competition from other sellers. A great house at a fair price will bring you the highest quality offers. Frequently, it may not be the highest priced offer that is the best offer. The terms of sale are super important and once you agree to accept a contract, you want to be confident it is going to stay together and close on time. Your agent is the best source of information on what is customary, acceptable and desirable in the terms of an offer on your specific home for your specific needs. A strong contract for a seller will have a great sales price, more than 1% earnest money, a short due diligence
period and reasonable contingencies for financing and appraisal. Your agent can also negotiate a closing date and possession terms that best meet your needs.
Once you’re ready to hit the market, make sure your agent is able to offer you the best marketing plan to make every buyer aware of your home. This may include listing in multiple MLS’s, professional HD photography, video, maybe drone photos and certainly professionally printed materials for onsite collateral. In addition to putting all that out there on social media for the public, your agent should also have a network of other highly qualified agents that they work with.
With the right team of professionals, you can sell your home for top dollar any time of the year. HOME Real Estate and The Kloster Group will gladly help you evaluate your home to best meet your selling goals. We wish you a wonderful summer selling season!
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 Allison at 404-784-5287 or email allison@homegeorgia.com and get a response within 24 hours.
KLOSTER
How to transform your porch
Bill Rawlings
Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty
With the warm, sunny days of summer drawing us outside, it’s the perfect time to tap into the appeal of your front porch. Here are two compelling reasons to revitalize this space:
1. The front porch is one of the first things visitors notice.
2. Budget-wise, it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) cost a fortune to take things up a notch or two. With some creative ideas and a few practical tips, a porch transformation is possible for any budget and style.
Whether you envision a cozy nook for reading, a vibrant area for entertaining guests or a lush garden sanctuary, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few places to start:
1. Refinish and/or repaint. Refinishing wooden decking and chairs or opting for a fresh coat of paint is a transformative first step. Sanding down dull, weathered surfaces and applying a new stain or paint can restore their original beauty and protect them from future damage. The benefits are threefold: it brings out the wood’s natural grain and texture, lets you customize the finish to align with your design vision and creates a stylish and inviting outdoor
space that sets the stage for additional decor.
2. Add plants.
Planters, hanging baskets or window boxes turn any size porch into a lush, inviting oasis. Planters allow you to introduce a variety of flowers and herbs that can be easily changed with the seasons. Hanging planters or baskets maximize vertical space while bringing a touch of whimsy, while window boxes add charm and integrate the porch with the rest of your home’s exterior.
3. Light on purpose.
Start by considering a mix of overhead fixtures, wall sconces and portable lamps to create a layered lighting scheme. Then, turn on the charm with string lights or lanterns—a cozy touch perfect for evening gatherings or quiet nights.
4. Upgrade your furniture.
If your budget allows and your porch is large enough, adding weather-resistant outdoor furniture is always a nice touch. Cushions in vibrant colors or patterns can punch it up further and make your porch a true extension of your living area.
A stylish and inviting outdoor space is rewarding and can enhance both your home’s curb appeal and your personal enjoyment. 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
PEXELS
Tony Bennett’s legal battle
Brought to you by – Estates Law
Center USA
Singer Tony Bennett’s family’s legal battle over his trust is one example of why it’s important to set up a clear and detailed estate plan. Although it is our hope that our loved ones can settle any inheritance disputes with grace, when a large amount of assets are involved, it’s unfortunately common for predatory spouses, children, and other beneficiaries to fight over who gets what.
Let’s look at the lawsuits involving Bennett’s trust. Prior to his death, Tony Bennett set up a trust with one of his sons, D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett and himself as the Trustee. Following Tony’s death, Danny became the sole Trustee of the trust and was thus tasked with distributing the assets that were in the trust - the singer’s music and business ventures, his tangible personal property, and accounts - to the beneficiaries, which were his siblings and Bennett’s widow. But not everyone in the family was happy with Danny being the sole Trustee. Bennett’s daughters, Johanna and Antonia Bennett alleged that Danny mishandled Bennett’s trust and kept the beneficiaries in the dark about the singer’s actual finances and transactions involving the trust assets, including Bennett’s business interests. In their lawsuit against Danny, the two daughters are demanding that he provide complete inventories of all of Bennett’s personal property and full details of all financial activity regarding
the family trust.
Danny himself, along with his brother Dae Bennett, have filed a lawsuit against Susan Benedetto, Bennett’s widow. The two alleged that Susan manipulated Bennett to secure a significant portion of his assets for herself, and that she had taken advantage of his deterioration from Alzheimer’s to make changes to his estate plan. Susan in turn has denied those allegations and stated that she only acted in accordance with Bennett’s wishes.
Although it has been nearly a year since Bennett passed away in July 2023, the legal battles among the family have continued, signifying how important it is to not just have a generic trust, but one that’s carefully tailored to be as clear, concise, and transparent to all parties as possible, to prevent the chances of family disputes. We may not be highprofile figures like Tony Bennett, but that doesn’t mean our assets aren’t worth protecting, especially when family members don’t get along and when our legacy is at stake. When setting up a trust, always make sure you have a list of assets so the Trustee and beneficiaries know what’s being distributed, and make sure that you have documents like Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives so that no third party can take advantage of any potential legal incompetencies. More importantly, make sure you have an attorney specialized in estate planning and licensed in your state to oversee the creation of your estate plan.
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Find your homestead
Brought to you by – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division
Nestled in the picturesque rolling hills of Milton, Georgia, The Homestead at Milton represents the pinnacle of luxury living. Situated on what was formerly a meticulously maintained 180-acre golf course, The Homestead at Milton is a community rich in history and natural beauty. This luxurious neighborhood is perfect for buyers looking to own substantial land in one of the most sought-after areas north of Atlanta.
The pristine landscape and serene environment provide a perfect backdrop for these magnificent homes.
The Homestead at Milton offers estate-sized homesites within a gated community, providing residents with privacy and tranquility. The opportunity to own a home in this rare collection is limited, with only 13 homesites remaining. These prime homesites range in price from the $900s to over $1 million, while custom homes are available from $4 million to $11 million. Each home is a blend of inspiration and tradition and
defines the new southern lifestyle. Located just a short distance from downtown Crabapple and only three miles from Historic Downtown Alpharetta, The Homestead at Milton combines rural charm with urban convenience. Residents enjoy easy access to a variety of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. The Avalon and GA 400 are also within close reach, making commuting and travel convenient. The community is part of a toprated school district, and children will attend Cambridge High School, Hopewell Middle School, and Summit
Hill Elementary.
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Newell Brands signs lease at Queen tower
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs announced Newell Brands signed a 180,000-square-foot lease June 24 at the iconic Queen tower at Concourse Office Park for its new global headquarters.
With the national office vacancy rate around 18 percent in the second quarter of 2024, a new major tenant in the Queen tower signifies a jump in the regional competitiveness of Perimeter.
Newell Brands, a global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products, is known for products like Coleman, Rubbermaid and Sharpie.
The Fortune 500 company moved its global headquarters less than 2 miles south from 6655 Peachtree Dunwoody in Sandy Springs.
Newell Brands is one of six
Deadline:
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property values in most every county in North Georgia and parts of Metro Atlanta.
However, the bill will also soon prevent homeowners from taking advantage of the current system where simply appealing a property tax assessment will freeze the appraisal value for the current and two succeeding years, no matter if they actually win their case. Starting in 2025, property owners will need an appeal to be successful and result in a reduction in the value of their property to lock in the threeyear assessment – something easier said than done.
The numbers tell the story
An eye-popping number of property assessment appeals are filed in Metro Atlanta counties every year. In DeKalb County, roughly 19,000 appeals were filed for 2023, according to the Assessor’s Office. More than 16,000 of those were for residential properties. Meanwhile, Fulton County saw more than 30,000 appeals in 2023. Forsyth provided a list of around 4,000 unnamed appeals for last year.
The legislation “should cut down on the number of people that appeal things without even knowing if the value is wrong,” according to one assessor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The same property owners have been appealing every three years no matter what, he said, noting that there are neighbors in his county with similar properties who have significantly different tax assessments, all because one homeowner pauses the process through appeals while the other cuts a check without asking questions. In theory, the assessments should even
Fortune 500 companies in Sandy Springs, home to the most in Atlanta’s Perimeter market.
The Queen Building at 5 Concourse Parkway lies in the heart of Perimeter and stands 31 stories with almost 700,000 square feet of Class A office space.
The property is a part of the Concourse Office Park, a 2.2 millionsquare-foot development just north of I-285 and immediately east of Ga. 400.
Mayor Rusty Paul said the city is thrilled to keep Newell Brands headquarters in Sandy Springs.
“We have several programs designed to encourage the retention and expansion of existing businesses, and the incentives we have put in place to foster a pro-business community are clearly working,” Paul said. “We are excited that Newell decided to stay
out after the freeze is over, but that rarely happens, he said.
District 3 Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett offered a similar perspective late last year, suggesting that the powers that be have been wary to implement multi-year increases in a single assessment, especially considering another appeal would surely be waiting.
Data shows 5 to 10 percent of residential appeals have resulted in a reduced assessment in a given year, the assessor said. That is no accident.
Jody Campbell, a partner at law firm Blum & Campbell which specializes in real estate law says that due to the sheer volume they’re facing, appeals committees haven’t the bandwidth or time to critically react to the evidence put before them, or the ability to dive deep on comparable sales
“It’s easier to rubber stamp what the assessor tells them,” Campbell said.
The Board of Equalization, the panel that hears most property assessment appeals, is not always made up of real estate professionals or those who work in tangential industries. In fact, committee members are only required to be property owners who have completed 40 hours of certified training and earned their high school diploma. Property visits occur but anecdotal evidence suggests they’re more of a rarity, according to Campbell. Hearings in front of Boards of Equalization run roughly 5 to 7 minutes, and live testimony – like that from a third-party appraiser – is typically not allowed or considered, he said.
“You can walk in with the most scientific presentation – a lockdown case – and they may just arbitrarily agree with the assessors,” he said. The end result is that 2024 is absolutely the year to appeal if you simply want two additional
Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Sandy Springs
• UPS
• WestRock
• Veritiv Corp.
• Newell Brands
• Intercontinental Exchange
• Graphic Packaging
home and look forward to the positive impact of retaining 890 jobs and adding 165 new jobs to Sandy Springs’ economy.”
Sandy Springs offers economic incentives to attract new business and encourage growth of existing ones.
Benefits of this program include an expedited permitting process, a waiver of permit fees and a waiver of business
Property tax appeal deadlines, contacts
• Fulton County: Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, fultonassessor.org/ property-appeals/
• Forsyth County: Monday, July 8, 2024, forsythco.com/ Departments-Offices/Board-ofAssessors/Assessments
• DeKalb County: Monday, July 15, 2024, dekalbcountyga.gov/ property-appraisal/appeal-process
years with no changes to your appraisal, Campbell said. Otherwise, come next year, you’ll have to convince a committee to approve a reduced assessment to earn those two extra years.
Realities to consider
When deciding whether to move forward with an appeal, it’s important to understand the benefits – or maybe lack thereof – beyond the two-year freeze on assessment increases. The financial ramifications can be much less impactful than most people assume for typical homeowners. A $50,000 reduction in property value results in roughly $450 in tax savings in a given year, according to Campbell.
The 2023 numbers provided by Forsyth County show that a “successful” appeal can often result in no more than pocket change. One unidentified property that was originally assessed at more than $1.7 million saw its valuation drop by exactly $100 following the appeals process, meaning the property owner saved just pennies in taxes. However, another Forsyth property initially valued at roughly $2.88 million fell to less than $1.3 million
and occupational taxes.
In March 2024, the Sandy Springs City Council approved the request from Newell Brands to waive building permit fees and business occupational taxes for three years. The estimated value of the fees waived totals $281,883.
The relocation, brokered by Cushman & Wakefield, increases the square footage of Newell Brands’ headquarters by 20 percent.
“We are pleased to call Sandy Springs home to our global headquarters and to continue our strong partnership with the city,” a Newell Brands spokesperson said. “We look forward to bringing our Atlantabased employees together in a single space that will foster performance, innovation and inclusion.”
after an appeal, resulting in an enormous tax savings.
The appeals process is also lengthy, even if it isn’t necessarily arduous. Appeals are usually finalized between four and 10 months from the initial paperwork. The board of tax assessors can also increase the value of a property if an on-site inspection reveals significant additions or improvements to the property of which the board wasn’t already aware.
That said, you can choose to be billed at 85 percent of the initial assessment while your appeal is being resolved, which can be a major benefit for property owners with extremely large initial assessments, particularly owners of commercial properties.
The time to act is now
While each county has slightly different rules, the main pillars of the appeals process are the same across the state. You’ll have 45 days from the date on the Notice of Assessment to file an appeal. DeKalb County said its notices were mailed at the end of May, suggesting a mid-July deadline. Forsyth County sent notices out on May 24. Appeals for Fulton County must be postmarked on or before the last date to file, which is clearly marked on every individual notice of assessment.
While you don’t need to see a reduction in property value under the current law to lock in property values, you do need to complete the appeals process. That means attending the Board of Equalization hearing or having someone else attend on your behalf.
But come next year, you’ll need to actually find a way to convince a committee or arbiter to approve a reduction to your assessment to see any benefits.
— Hayden Sumlin
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Admission $12 per person Cash or Credit
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Disabled graduate inspires Johns Creek students to push forward
Eggleston follows a football game as an assistant coach at Johns Creek High School in 2023. Eggleston, who has muscular dystrophy, was a featured speaker at the 2024 high school commencement ceremony where he encouraged students to “roll on.”
By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga.— Confined to a wheelchair by muscular dystrophy, Kyle Eggleston drew a standing ovation for the words of inspiration he gave in his commencement address to Johns Creek High School graduates.
At age 4, Eggleston was diagnosed with the genetic condition that gradually weakens and breaks down the skeletal muscles. By age 11, he transitioned from crutches to a wheelchair.
“Emotionally, it had me anxious about my independence,” he said, “but by accepting being in a wheelchair it had allowed me to become more independent than ever before.”
To begin his address to seniors, Eggleston confessed to using the high school hallways as his own personal Daytona 500.
“Consequently because of this, a lot of feet were ran over these past four years,” Eggleston admitted. “I need to say something, I am sorry.”
He then continued to express two important lessons he has learned: speaking up for himself and knowing when to listen to others.
“It is incredibly important to speak
up, but if we don’t take the time to listen to others and to try and see things from different points of view, we will never learn,” told the assembly.
His mindset of “learning to adapt makes you stronger, not weaker” caused him to challenge the students “to get something you never had, you have to do something that you’ve never done.”
Everyday tasks can be difficult. Eggleston sometimes struggles to brush his teeth.
Even so, he says he views the obstacles as opportunities for growth, enhancing his ability to overcome life’s tougher challenges.
Eggleston exemplifies adaptability in athletics. His competitive drive was instilled from his family, but finding sports that matched his abilities and energy was difficult. Most disabled sports focused on participation, but Eggleston wanted more –to compete in an intense environment.
Luckily, his mother found the Atlanta Sting Power Wheelchair Soccer Team. The sport allows physically disabled participants to use a specialized powered wheelchair to navigate a basketball court and strike an oversized soccer ball.
Although Eggleston never imagined he would receive an offer to play at the college level, he was given the first offer to play power collegiate soccer at Auburn University.
“It’s something I didn’t think was a possibility,” Eggleston said. “I only thought that was for able-bodied athletes.”
Eggleston is no one-trick pony. He took on the role of serving as an assistant football coach for Johns Creek High School. He’d always dreamed of playing football, but that wasn’t realistic. So, his dad suggested coaching, and Eggleston fell in love with that aspect of the game.
As a devoted Florida State Seminoles fan, Eggleston models his coaching style after Bobby Bowden, the former head coach. Faced with a new decision, Eggleston claims he will cheer for Auburn if the school ever has to play the Seminoles.
Eggleston also draws inspiration from former Johns Creek High football coach Matt Helmerich who taught him the importance of connecting with players. Through this experience, Eggleston built a relationship with the players, sometimes giving them advice, other times receiving it.
Johns Creek High School Principal Chris Shearer says he was also taken by Eggleston’s commencement address.
“I speak so often about growth mindset and maintaining a positive attitude. Kyle articulated both masterfully,” Shearer said. “As he said, you just gotta keep rolling through life. I loved it!”
Sandy Springs youth program encourages civic participation
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Youth Leadership Sandy Springs announced June 24 the graduates of its Class of 2024, 39 sophomore, junior and senior students from eight local high schools.
The students took part in a sevenmonth immersive program to train the next generation of community leaders.
Leadership Perimeter, a nonprofit specializing in leadership development and civic engagement, runs the youth-focused program.
Participating high school students this year attend Pace Academy, Cottage (TCS), North Springs, Riverwood, Mount Vernon, Innovation Academy and Weber.
Graduating seniors receive custom honor cords to wear at their commencement ceremonies.
Lori Peljovich is the program director of Youth Leadership Sandy Springs and a 2022 graduate.
“It’s been such a rewarding opportunity to help navigate these outstanding students as they learn more about their community,” Peljovich said. “What a privilege to see how they’re seeking out their next steps as leaders, both here in Sandy Springs and for the seniors preparing to make an impact at their respective colleges and universities in the fall.”
Throughout the program, students
YOUTH LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
The 39 graduates of Youth Leadership Sandy Springs Class of 2024 gather for a group photo at the end of the seven-week program. Programming covers everything from municipal budgets to nonprofit engagement.
explore Sandy Springs, seeing first-hand how government, environmental groups, social service agencies, public safety and businesses come together to shape a community.
Each year, students attend monthly programming to cultivate leadership skills, learn how a community works and discover pathways for community engagement.
Some examples include how resources, such as the Community Assistance
Center, help low-income families overcome challenges.
“Through these and other development days, graduates were exposed to an incredible variety of experiences and development opportunities,” a statement from the program says. “This transformative program provides the Class of 2024 with the tools to propel positive change, engage and promote others in their roles as leaders, and ensure a brighter
future for Sandy Springs.”
While the tuition-based program costs $900 per student, scholarships through Leadership Perimeter are available.
North Springs High School students who graduated include Jack Baylin, Charlie Berss, Kamilly Da Silva, Lauren Drake, Chris Drake, Ethan Liddell, Henry Lott, Kate Lott, Leighton McIntosh, Clara Peres, Arianna Schultz and Aurora Seesink.
Riverwood’s graduates are Daron Beldick, Elyse Chen, Aidan Colker, Trey Daniels, Tal Elkounovitch, Lila Fleisig, Noah Glenn, Heather Grant, RJ Houseman, Chloe Kentor, Andrew Lapes, Alan Marhic, Thomas Mason, Laila Patel, Alex Royal, Kyra Russotto and Zack Siegel.
The remining graduates come from smaller, private schools in Sandy Springs and surrounding areas.
Harper Auchincloss, Dhru Lalaji and Audrey Welch are graduates from Pace Academy.
Graduates also include the Weber School’s Levi Gordon and Amy Nowitz and the Mount Vernon School’s Kate Duncan and Ernest Gephardt
The Cottage School’s Jackson Barnes, Innovation Academy’s Cameron Boswell and Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s Charlie Muntz round out the Youth Leadership Sandy Springs’ Class of 2024.
ANDREW REDMAN/SPECIAL Kyle
FOOD & BEVERAGE:
Best All Around Restaurant
Best Asian Food
Best Bakery
Best BBQ
Best Beer (LOCAL)
Best Breakfast/Brunch
Best Brewery/Brewpub
Best Burger
Best Cajun/Creole Food
Best Coffee Shop (LOCAL)
Best Dessert
Best Family Dining
Best Fine Dining
Best German Food
Best Happy Hour
Best Indian Food
Best Italian Food
Best Local Flair Restaurant
Best Lunch Spot
Best Mexican Food
Best Patio Dining
Best Pizza
Best Smoothie/Juicery
Best Takeout Food
Best Audiologist Best Chiropractor Best Cosmetic Surgery
Best Counseling Services
Best Dentist
Best Dermatologist
Best ENT
Family Practice
Gastroenterologist
Coming Soon!
Ophthalmology
Best Of North Atlanta 2024
Presented By
Speech Therapy
Substance Abuse/Addiction Treatment
Urgent Care Best Urology
Vein Specialist
Veterinarian
RECREATION:
Art Lessons/Studio
Community Event
Dance Lessons/Studio
Best Date Night Hotspot Best Day Spa / Massage
Farmers Market
Golf Course Best Group/Corporate Activity
Giving registered investment advisers a fair shake
The first and most important principle supporting Georgia’s economic engine is access to free markets for goods and services with minimal restraint from the government — a fundamental policy shared among many of my colleagues and me under the Gold Dome. Free markets drive innovation, keep costs low, or even reduce costs, create wealth and support consumer choice. With the solid conservative majority leading the state’s policymaking, it’s no surprise Georgia has been ranked as the
“Number One State to do Business” for over 10 years now.
With that said, when the opportunity came to remove unnecessary costs and burdens on small businesses, I jumped at the opportunity.
As the lead sponsor on a bill, HB 461, I enjoyed the chance to work with local business leaders to reduce regulatory and tax burdens on small businesses. The aim of this bill is straightforward: to protect small business owners from the burden of excessively high regulatory fees imposed by local governments. Under this legislation, local governments will only be allowed to charge fees that directly cover the cost of issuing permits, without adding extra charges to fund
their operational expenses. Passage of the bill meant saving small businesses and, ultimately, their consumers untold amounts of money.
I have spent my legislative career focusing on several areas, but it’s always been underpinned by fighting for the quality of life for every Georgian. This includes helping them plan for retirement. So, one of the many industries supported in HB 461 was investment adviser firms, which, with this bill, will be treated the same as other state-licensed businesses and be exempt from paying an occupational tax.
As my friend Tony Palazzo, president of Berkeley Capital, said “There are hundreds of registered investment advisers across north Atlanta that will
greatly benefit from this tax reduction, help this critical industry grow, and build on Georgia’s status as the best state to do business in.”
Tony Palazzo was instrumental in helping to get this legislation passed, and I thank him for his efforts.
With Mr. Palazzo’s help, investment adviser firms will find Georgia a more appealing place to establish their businesses, helping our Georgians plan for their retirement while continuing to create jobs and grow our local tax bases. This is a prime example of when business and government work together, Georgians win!
Brad Thomas represents District 21 in the Georgia House of Representatives.
The City of Sandy Springs quacks like a duck
CARL APPEN Director of Content and Development
Allow me to paint for you a duck.
The Sandy Springs mayor, city manager and police chief form a club. They invite a city councilman, two high-ranking members of the police department and one private citizen to join them.
The gang meets in a City Hall conference room on a Monday afternoon with two of the city’s staff attorneys.
Their topic of discussion is how to build a $45 million police training facility on city property.
At the end of the meeting, they agree on some rules for the group. The mayor will act as the chairperson, the city manager the treasurer and the Police Department’s third-in-command will be the secretary. They set a schedule for the year, planning when they will come back to this room and continue working on their project.
Would you describe this entity as
“totally separate” from the city? Me neither. But that’s the justification the city is now using to withhold records about the Sandy Springs Police Foundation.
When I talk to folks about Sandy Springs’ disregard for the Open Records Act, I am quick to point out it reaches far beyond police records.
Our company and newsroom are supporters of law enforcement. I sing praises of Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman and staff at the Roswell Police Department. I remember fondly dozens of hours I spent in our recording studio producing a podcast which stars Alpharetta Police Officer Phil Ritchey and K9 Officer Raider. Appen reporters have covered public safety fundraisers in Alpharetta, Dunwoody Chief Emeritus Billy Grogan’s honors from the state capitol and the coronation of Milton’s new Chief Jason Griffin.
We’re fans of police, and they should have every resource they need to ensure the highest quality training and equipment to protect and serve the public.
Our gripe is aimed higher, at those with more purview.
City of Sandy Springs staff and officials’ apparent disregard for the public’s right to know doesn’t make fine distinctions. They’ll withhold a police report one day and stop a reporter from attending a budget workshop the next. Equal opportunity obfuscation, if you will.
I am accustomed to the city trying to avoid accountability. What gets me red hot is when they make their efforts so obvious.
In Georgia, there are specific conditions for when a non-government body is subject to open meetings and records laws.
One is that if a third of their funding comes from taxes. Another is whether it is performing a duty on behalf of a public agency.
The City of Sandy Springs used to hand over materials related to the Sandy Springs Police Foundation. Appen Media would request agendas, minutes and other documents through the open records portal, and the City Clerk’s Office would send them over.
Then staff reporter Hayden Sumlin used some of those materials in a story about the proposed Sandy Springs
police training center, including the discovery that the project had quietly been in the works since at least 2021. It was a surprise to most –including some on the City Council. After Hayden’s reporting, one councilmember formally requested the city manager give them regular updates on the project going forward. That story came out April 1. The city started denying our requests for foundation materials on April 2. They justified the change by claiming the City of Sandy Springs is entirely uninvolved with the Sandy Springs Police Foundation and, as a result, the gang is not subject to the Open Records Act.
See above duck.
Now the city manager has a new email address, dedicated to discussing foundation business. Coincidence? Of course not.
“An agency may not transfer records to a private entity to avoid disclosure,” writes Attorney General Chris Carr in his guide to open government.
Or, as they say at Sandy Springs City Hall, “quack quack quack.”
BRAD THOMAS GA State Representative
OPINION
When telephone service arrived in North Fulton
In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented his first telephone device. A year later, he founded the Bell Telephone Company. Bell eventually held more than 18 patents. Both his mother and wife were deaf, which helps explain his interest in sound technology.
Bell created the first telephone line in Atlanta in 1877. It was one of several point-to-point private lines that Bell and his associates were setting up around the United States. The Atlanta line connected the Western and Atlantic Freight Depot with Durand’s Restaurant in the Union train station.
The phones were called box phones and consisted of a wooden box with a hole in one end. The caller yelled into the hole, and the person at the other end with a similar box yelled back to respond. Because there was no bell or buzzer, the person at the other end had to be near a box to hear the call.
Atlanta’s first telephone exchange for multiple telephone users was opened in 1879 as the Atlanta Telephonic Exchange. It occupied one room on the top floor of the Kimball House Hotel at Wall and Pryor streets. Exchanges were usually built on the top floors of buildings so wires could be strung out to telephone poles.
The new communications industry grew rapidly, and Bell bought out many of his competitors. Following a series of mergers, the American Telephone and Telegraph Co was created in 1880. Because Bell controlled the intellectual property and patents behind the telephone, the new company controlled the growing industry. It maintained control until 1984 when the Justice Department forced the break-up of AT&T.
Growth in smaller communities came more slowly. Alpharetta’s first telephone was installed in 1925, connecting the Alpharetta Free Press to three Roswell locations, the Roswell Railroad depot, Laurel Woolen Mills company and Seaborn Crowley’s store. Mr. Crowley was also president of Laurel Mills.
Alpharetta’s first telephone exchange was in the home of Etta Nesbit on Old Canton Street where the Hamilton Hotel is today. Another early adopter was Patsy Dinsmore, wife of a cotton farmer on Redd Road in today’s Milton. Exchanges consisted of a switchboard either manned by multiple operators or by an individual such as Patsy Dinsmore. In rural areas the Universal Switchboard was often used in the first half of the 19th century.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
In 1941, Southern Bell opened an automated call center in a 120-square-foot brick building off Main Street in Alpharetta. The center closed in 1948 when a larger center was required. After it closed local men played board games in the building, and it became known as the domino house. It is still being used today by a beauty salon for some of its services.
The system consisted of a panel, or switchboard, with rows of quarter inch jacks, each of which was the termination of a subscriber’s telephone line. When a caller on an exchange lifted a receiver and turned a crank, a buzzer would sound on the switchboard. Patsy or an operator would plug a cord into a caller’s jack and say “number please.“ Then she would plug another cord into the called party’s jack. Prior to World War ll, party lines were the rule in the South with up to eight subscribers on a line. After a few minutes of conversation, it was common for another subscriber to ask a caller to yield the line. There was no privacy.
Telephone service came to Roswell in 1901 when Southern Bell Telephone Company opened an exchange in a wooden building across from Roswell Square, a facility it shared with the Roswell Post Office. All phone numbers were single digit. Sometime between 1910 and 1920 the telephone exchange moved to the Perry Building on Main Street to accommodate more equipment.
In 1941, Southern Bell opened an automated call center in a 120-square-foot brick building off Main Street in Alpharetta. It was one of the first exchanges to provide dial service. All calls to and from Alpharetta were routed through the center. The telephone company magazine Southern Telephone News had a photo of Mayor E.T. Lively making the first call with his new dial phone at his grocery store. The center
closed in 1948 when a larger center was required. When it closed, local men played board games in the building, and it became known as the domino house.
Several businesses have occupied the tiny historic building over the years after the phone company left, including Clayton Camera store owned by Clark Savage for about 10 years, and for the past 15 years RYR Properties owned by Robin Rosenberg. A portion of the adjacent building is rented from Robin and operated by the District Hair Salon which also uses the domino building for certain services. Another portion of the adjacent building was occupied at one time by the Post Office and is available for rent today. Robin says “I love being part of Alpharetta’s amazing history.”
I want to give special recognition to the volunteer Archival Team at the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. They work diligently to preserve the history of our area and they deserve a lot of credit. They are Marie Andersson, archival chair on the Board of Directors, Kimberly Woods, archival administrator, Pat Miller, society board president, Janice Cronan, Kim Roddy, Laura Best, Sheila Pennebaker, Nancy Boldin, Ed Malowney, Connie Mashburn, Kathy Beck and Maggie Curl, intern. And a tip of the hat to Elaine DeNiro, archivist for the City of Roswell/ Roswell Historical Society. All these dedicated people help make my fun job even more fun.
ALPHARETTA AND OLD MILTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
This is a cover shot of Southern Telephone News, an employee magazine for the southern group of Bell Telephone Companies. This edition of March 1941 featured the adoption of dial phone service by small Georgia telephone exchanges.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
SOUTHERN TELEPHONE NEWS
Alpharetta Mayor E. Toy Lively is shown making the first call through the new dial phone at his grocery store at the corner of South Main Street and Milton Avenue in January 1941. Southern telephone companies undertook an intense program of dial and rural line construction. Alpharetta was one of the first exchanges to switch to a dial system.
The wild, wonderful world of worms
Yucky! Slimy! Gross! These are the adjectives used to describe the unsung hero of the garden, the lowly worm. Yet worms do so much, from building healthy soil to helping us lead more sustainable lifestyles.
Using their grinding mouthparts, worms break down fallen leaves, twigs and even tiny pebbles. They create small tunnels in the ground, allowing air and water to get to the roots of plants. As worms tunnel through the ground, they loosen the soil, enabling the plant roots to spread more readily and take up nutrients from the soil. This is especially important when trying to grow plants in our famously hard, red clay. Best of all, they poop. It is this poop, also called worm castings (if you are in polite company) that is some of the best fertilizer around. No chemicals needed!
How can I get some of this fertilizer you may ask? Well, you can buy it, or you can grow your own with little time and effort. In so doing, you are also helping to lower your carbon footprint.
To get started, you need a large plastic tote (18” wide by 22” long by 14” deep) with a lid, some shredded newspaper, newsprint, or coconut coir and a bunch of red wiggler worms. The earthworms found in the garden will not survive in the tote, but the red wigglers will do just fine. Red wigglers can be purchased online.
About 9 inches from the bottom of the tote, drill holes all around the top of the tote and all over the lid. The holes should be about the diameter of a Sharpie pen. This allows the worms to breathe and the worm bin to ventilate. Don’t worry, the worms will not crawl out of the holes. They don’t like light. My bin is kept in a dark spot in the basement. The bin doesn’t get too cold in the winter and not too warm in the summer.
Shred your newspaper or newsprint. Avoid using colored newspaper, such as comics or ads. The finer the shred, the
About the Author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Sabine Savoie, a Master Gardener and Sandy Springs resident. Her favorite plants are natives and perennials. Sabine’s gardening goal is to make her property a place where wildlife and people can coexist in an urban setting. She delights in seeing fireflies in the summer and the return of Monarch butterflies in the fall.
better. Moisten the shredded paper or coconut coir. You are trying to create the consistency of good garden soil. This will be used for the worm bedding. Do not soak your bedding material. The worms will drown. Make enough bedding so that it is about 4 inches deep once placed into the bin. Keep in mind that, as food scraps are added and decompose, they will also keep the bedding moist. If your bin is too wet, add more paper or torn up cardboard egg cartons. This will help soak up excessive moisture. Your worm bin should not smell bad. It may smell earthy, or if you are adding lots of coffee grounds, it may even smell a little like coffee, but there should never be a foul odor. A foul odor is usually an indicator of too much moisture. If your worm bedding is too dry, spritz it with a spray bottle.
Add the worms to your bin and give them something good to eat. They like fruit, such as banana peels, apple cores,
strawberry hulls, melon rinds and coffee grounds, including the coffee filter. They like most any vegetable scraps. The food scraps to avoid are those high in acid, such as citrus, onions, garlic and tomatoes. DO NOT add meat, fats or seasonings. Chop up the food scraps. The finer the food scraps, the finer your worm castings will be. I like to add eggshells. The worms like to nestle up inside the shells. Occasionally I’ll finely grind eggshells into a powder and add it into the worm bin. The eggshell grounds help to keep the worms’ gizzards sharp. I feed my worms once a week and check up on them to see if they are thriving.
About every three to four months, it will be time to harvest the worm castings. To prepare for the harvesting, stop feeding the worms about a month in advance. This allows the worms to eat up any of the remaining food scraps. There are several methods of harvesting which can be found online. I like using a simple
mesh sieve. The openings are large enough for the castings to fall through but not big enough for the worms or remaining eggshells to fall through. I prepare a fresh batch of bedding and transfer the worms and remaining eggshells to the fresh bedding as they are sifted out from the castings. The castings are bagged up and ready to be applied to the plants in your garden. The plants will grow and get harvested. Parts of the plants will become kitchen scraps. The kitchen scraps will become worm food, and the cycle starts all over again. Not a thing in this process makes it into a landfill. Now that is sustainability. It’s a beautiful thing!
Happy Gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/.
SABINE SAVOIE Guest Columnist
SABINE SAVOIE/PROVIDED
Pictured above is a worm bin, worms in bedding, a sieve, kitchen scraps, and garden gold (worm castings).
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 Mayor and City Council on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 7:00 PM in the Roswell City Hall Council Chambers, 38 Hill St. Roswell, Georgia.
a. PV 20240505 – 55 West Crossville Road
The applicant, Bradley Riffell/AEC, Inc., is requesting Parkway Village Small Tract status; land lot 393.
b. CU 20242304 – 1570 Warsaw Road
The applicant, Charlotte Godbee, is requesting a Conditional Use for a Massage Establishment; land lot 523.
c. UDC Text Amendment
An ordinance to amend the Unified Development Code by modifying Article 13, Administration, Section 13.12, Administrative Appeal. (Second reading)
d. UDC Text Amendment
An ordinance to amend the Unified Development Code by modifying Article 10, Administration, Section 10.3.7, Application Content. (Second reading)
e. CWP and CIE – Annual Update
Adoption of the Annual Update to the Community Work Program and Capital Improvement Element.
f. CU 20242805 – 203 Bombay Lane
The applicant, Ginny Green/Gin Wellness, LLC, is requesting a Conditional Use for a Massage Establishment; land lot 509.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), within two (2) years, file a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law is available in the office of the City Attorney.
The complete file is available for public view at the Roswell Planning & Zoning Division, 38 Hill Street, Suite G-30, Roswell, Georgia (770) 817-6720, or planningandzoning@roswellgov.com. Refer to www.roswellgov.com.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
DEATH NOTICES
Santo Caruso, 92, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 16, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Betty Maugans, 96, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 23, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
CITY OF ROSWELL SURPLUS AUCTION SALE
The City of Roswell will sell at auction a variety of vehicles.
The auction will be held on-line through GovDeals at www.govdeals.com .
The sale of the surplus vehicles will begin Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 7:00 am and end Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 7:00 am.
Payments are made directly on GovDeals site. All sales will be final to the highest bidder and sold “as is” and “where is” with no warranty expressed or implied.
Randy Knighton
Kurt
Wilson City Administrator Mayor
PH-24-AB-12
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: 885 6131 2378
Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US July 8, 2024 at 1:00 P.M.
PURPOSE
Change in Business Ownership Hotel
Specialty Gift Shop Consumption on Premises Beer, Wine & Sunday Sales
APPLICANT
Merritt Hospitality, LLC
d/b/a Home2 Suites Alpharetta 12075 Morris Road Alpharetta, GA 30005
Owner: Merritt Hospitality, LLC
Registered Agent: Michael Sard
Donald Wilson, 89, of Roswell, passed away on June 24, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
CITY OF ROSWELL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Place: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
Date & Time: 10:00a.m. Thursday, July 11, 2024
Purpose: Application for Package/ Beer/Wine/Sunday Sales
Applicant: Saleem Vadsariya
Business Name: Best Convenience Store /1275 Alpharetta inc
Business Address: 1275 Alpharetta Street, Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ROSWELL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10AM, Thursday, July 11, 2024
PURPOSE: Application for Package/ Beer/Wine/No Sunday Sales
APPLICANT: Jeany J. Elie
BUSINESS NAME: Heart & Seoul Cafe
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 161 Norcross St., Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ROSWELL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10:00 A.M., Thursday, July 11, 2024
PURPOSE: Application for Full Pouring/Liquor/Beer/Wine/Sunday Sales
APPLICANT: Young C. Chon
BUSINESS NAME: Amico Trading Inc dba Cafe Amico
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 1540 Alabama Road, Ste 450, Roswell, GA 30076
CITY OF ROSWELL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10 A.M. Thursday, July 11, 2024
PURPOSE: Application for Package/ Liquor/Beer/Wine/w Sunday Sales
APPLICANT: Sherryl Joshi
BUSINESS NAME: Cherry’s Liquor
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 880 Marietta Hwy, Suite 650, Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ROSWELL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10:00 am, Thursday, July 11, 2024
PURPOSE: Application For Full Pouring/Liquor/Beer/Wine/Sunday Sales
APPLICANT: Isabel Mora Castro
BUSINESS NAME: Arepa Grill, Kitchen & Wine/CP Gourmet LLC
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 45 Oak Street, Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ROSWELL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10:00AM Thursday, July 11, 2024
PURPOSE: Application for Full Pouring License/Liquor/Beer/Wine/ Sunday Sales
APPLICANT: John Bradford Hancock
BUSINESS NAME: Rock 'N' Taco / Rock 'N' Taco Holdings
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 928 Canton Street Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE
PH-24-AB-13
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: 885 6131 2378
Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US July 8, 2024 at 1:00 P.M.
PURPOSE
Eating Establishment Consumption on Premises Distilled Spirits, Beer, Wine & Sunday Sales
APPLICANT
Chow One North Point, LLC d/b/a Chow Won Korean Steakhouse 950 North Point Drive Alpharetta, GA 30022
Owner: Chow One North Point, LLC Registered Agent: Xiu Qing Chen
CITY OF ROSWELL PUBLIC NOTICE
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St Suite 215
DATE & TIME: Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 10:00 am.
PURPOSE: Package Beer & Wine with Sunday sales
APPLICANT: Carolyn Robinson
BUSINESS NAME: The Savory Gourmet LLC
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 1002 Canton Street Roswell GA 30075
ADVERTISEMENT FOR INVITATION TO BID CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR FY
2025 MILLING & RESURFACING ITB #25-001
The City of Alpharetta is inviting bidders to bid for FY 2025 MILLING & RESURFACING. The work to be done includes, but is not limited to, maintaining traffic control measures, milling existing pavement, installing tack coat, installing asphaltic concrete surface course, applying high density mineral bond, installing soil cement, seal coating, crack sealing, performing cleanup, and related work. The location of the work is at various locations within the City of Alpharetta, Georgia. A bid bond in the amount of 5% of the bid pricing is required with each bid submitted.
All construction shall conform to the State of Georgia Standard Specifications for the Construction of Transportation Systems, latest Edition. Only contractors that have been pre-qualified with the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform this class of work shall be allowed to submit bids. Please submit your Georgia Department of Transportation qualification specification letter with the package.
The ITB will be available online Thursday, June 20, 2024, at our bid posting website, http://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/. Interested parties are required to log in to review the ITB documents. All bids must be received before closing at http://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/, webpage for this project. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, facsimile, or e-mail will not be accepted. Responses received after the closing time will not be considered.
This procurement is issued under the authority of the City of Alpharetta Procurement Policy and applicable law. The city has the authority to reject all proposals or any proposal that is non- responsive or not responsible, and to waive technicalities and informalities to award a contract that is in the best interest of the City.
The bid opening will be held on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 10:00 AM online using Microsoft Teams. Meeting ID: 223 170 769 113. Passcode: 95UJas.
For information, please contact Beth Rucker at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or at 678-297-6052.
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Software Engineer Consultant (Alpharetta, GA):
Provide SME anlss, modification, & dvlpmt of cmplx code/unit tstng in order to dvlp concise app documentation. Evaluate, dvlp & implmnt tstng, valdtn reqs, & corrective measures for highly cmplx code deficiencies & provide systemic proposals. Furnish SME advice for estimates on highly cmplx initiatives, projs & issues. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus, GA, 31901. #VA294867
Software Engineer Specialist (Alpharetta, GA):
Dvlp moderately cmplx code using both front and/ or backend prgmng langs within mltpl pltfrms as needed in collaboration w/ biz & tech teams for internal & external client s/w solutions. Prfrm & advise on tstng, valdtn reqs, & corrective measures for cmplx code deficiencies & provide systemic proposals. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Assoc Director, HR Risk & Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus, GA, 31901. #SR483056
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS: Cumming, GA & Various Unanticipated locations throughout the U.S: Invol in all phs of SDLC. Dsgn, dvlp, anlyz, code, montr, mntn & modify var multi-tier sw apps u/Java, Python, JavaScript & C#. Create cmplx tech solns & dsgns. Create sw dvlpmnt frmwrks such as Spring, Django or React & use them to build cmplx apps. Master’s in Sci, Tech or Engg (any); or Comp Apps is req’d. Mail resume: HR, Infinito Solutions, LLC; 101 Colony Park Dr, Ste 300B, Cumming, GA 30040
Sawnee EMC is seeking a Cyber Security and Compliance Specialist to monitor and ensure security and integrity of the network(s), computers systems, install/maintain security software, and establish baseline configurations. Requires: Bachelor’s degree Cyber Security, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Systems. Must have a minimum of three (3) years of overall security experience and three (3) years of direct experience in technical information security. Proficiency in Next-Gen firewalls, SIEM, vulnerability management, web, and email security, WAF, NAC, EDR/XDR, IPS/IDS, DLP, MFA, SSO, SAML, OAuth, FIDO, security frameworks, NIST, CIS, PCI, DNS, DHCP, VPN, TCP/IP, Ethernet, ITSM systems, Active Directory, Azure AD (Entra ID), Group Policy, PowerShell, SQL, KQL.
Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, July 12, 2024. Apply online: www.sawnee.coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.
Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
Midway Preschool is hiring lead and assistant teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. Please call Beth @ 770-752-0440 or email beth@midwayumc.org
Part-time
North Fulton Community Charities, a non-profit in Roswell, Georgia, is seeking a Part Time Donor Operations Associate I.
This entry level hourly position is available now, averages 28 hours per week, and requires the ability to lift up to 75 pounds and work outside during the day.
NFCC have been serving individuals and families in the North Fulton area for 40+ years. Our Mission “To Ease Hardship and Foster Financial Stability in our Community”. We provide opportunities for the whole community to thrive. NFCC is committed to provide professional development and pathways for advancement to all members of the NFCC team. To view the complete job descriptions, please visit our website at https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/ If you wish to apply, please send your resume to mjallad@nfcchelp.org
EEO Statement: NFCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NFCC does not discriminate based on race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disabilities, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis protected by the law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.
