Innovation Academy astronomy instructor attends rocket launch
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones was awestruck watching the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket ascend the skies atop a pillar of flame recently at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
“The feeling of when that soundwave, that shockwave, hits you in the chest is like nothing else,” said Jones, who teaches astronomy and research classes to juniors and seniors in Alpharetta.
On Sept. 28, Jones was the only teacher in a group of about a dozen social media influencers treated by NASA to watch the rocket launch. At the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, they viewed the launch from about 2.5 miles in a special area not accessible to the public.
STEVE JONES/PROVIDED Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones stands in front of a restricted access sign at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Jones watched the launch of a rocket that took astronauts to the International Space Station.
“I’ve never been that close to a launch before,” he
See LAUNCH, Page 30
Food hall set to open PAGE 4
Club buys defibrillators PAGE 5
Raiders win tournament PAGE 27
Crowd presses jail upgrades at commissioner’s town hall
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Plans to renovate the Fulton County Jail took center stage at an Oct. 8 town hall where about 40 residents heard directly from a commissioner.
“We got to have community engagement,” said Matt Rowenczak, a Roswell resident.
Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne and other officials spent almost two hours updating residents and answering their questions at the Fulton
County Customer Service Center. Topics of discussion included renovations to the aging county jail, local nonprofits, a veteran support initiative and the Fulton County Youth Commission.
“It’s important to be informed about where your money’s going and how it’s being spent,” Thorne said.
Most residents’ questions focused on the county’s approach to criminal justice, its jail and aging facilities and plans to
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
About 40 Fulton County residents gathered to hear a presentation by Commissioner Bridget Thorne and other officials Oct. 8 at the Fulton County Customer Service Center. Residents asked questions and met with Thorne during the event.
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iPhones reported stolen from home’s front porch
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 71-year-old Alpharetta woman reported a man wearing an Amazon uniform stole an item from her porch Sept. 30
The woman said FedEx delivered packages containing two Apple iPhones to the front door of her home on Loxford Lane, according to an Alpharetta Police report.
About 3 p.m., a man wearing an Amazon delivery uniform approached her front door, picked up the packages and left, she said.
A Ring home security camera recorded the incident.
The woman contacted FedEx, AT&T and her community’s management to find out additional information. AT&T told her they would replace her phones.
A Forsyth County woman reported a similar theft on Sept. 14.
The woman told deputies an Amazon delivery driver had stolen a package containing a pasta maker from her front porch.
She said the package was returned later in the day, but it appeared to have been opened and resealed.
Police arrest suspect seen entering vehicles
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 26-year-old homeless man Oct. 8 after he allegedly stole credit cards from a vehicle around Riverwood Lane and Dogwood Road.
After two witnesses provided a description of a suspect, an officer said he located the man fleeing south toward Grimes Bridge Road. The officer said he lost sight of the man after crossing between two apartment buildings off
Hemingway Lane.
Witnesses said the suspect was wearing a blue shirt and walking with a limp.
A Johns Creek Police K9 unit searched the area and attempted to track the man without success, the officer said.
One of the victims said three credit cards had been taken from her Jeep Grand Cherokee, which had been left unlocked. The owner of a Chevrolet Silverado parked nearby said nothing was missing from her vehicle, but the door was left open.
Shortly after, the officer said he met a witness who provided video footage of a suspect opening the Silverado’s door and fleeing after its alarm went off.
The Grand Cherokee owner said one of her credit cards declined for a $24 charge around 5 a.m. at the Exxon gas station on the north side of Holcomb Bridge Road (Ga. 140).
Officers said gas station security footage showed the same man from the car break-ins attempting to use one of the victim’s credit cards.
Sometime later, officers said they spotted and detained the suspect, walking with a limp and wearing the same clothes, near an apartment complex off Old Holcomb Bridge Road.
Officers secured four felony warrants for the suspect, including two counts of entering vehicles, financial transaction card theft and fraud.
After clearance at North Fulton Medical Center, the man was transported to Fulton County Jail.
Man cited after attempt to open fake account
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 71-year-old Greensboro man was arrested on fraud charges after allegedly attempting to open a bank account with a fake ID Sept. 30.
Police were dispatched to a bank on Mansell Road about 4 p.m. after a fraud was reported, according to an Alpharetta Police.
A bank employee told police a man
was attempting to open an account with a fake driver’s license after having attempted the same scam at another bank location in Kennesaw, prompting a company-wide notification.
The man accused of fraud provided the license to officers, who searched the ID in a database. Information on the database did not match the driver’s license.
Officers noted the photo, height and weight were different, according to the report.
When police asked the man for his birth date, he took “an unreasonable amount of time to think” and stuttered. Officers attempted to identify the man with a fingerprint machine but were unsuccessful.
The man was arrested on misdemeanor obstruction or resisting an officer and knowingly manufacturing a false identification document and a felony fraud charge.
At the jail, the man provided his correct identity.
Thief flees Verizon store with three new phones
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police are searching for a man suspected of stealing more than $3,600 in merchandise Oct. 8 from the Verizon store off Rucker Road.
An officer said he met with two Verizon employees around 4:30 p.m.
One employee said the suspect came into the store around 3:30 p.m. looking to buy a new phone and placed his own phone on a store charger.
The employee said she laid out multiple boxes containing new phones but left the counter to assist another customer.
When she came back to the counter, the employee said she saw the man take the boxes off the counter and leave the store.
Both employees told officers that the suspect returned to the store around 4 p.m. to retrieve his phone from the charger.
After receiving a description of a possible suspect, officer said they took no further action.
THE PICTURE FRAMER
Gratitude
Brought to you by - Lara Dolan, The Craft Dolan Team, Ansley Real Estate
I commiserated with my hairdresser the day before starting this short article that there are few parts of my career more anxiety provoking than a blank page when an article is due.
But this issue and this month it’s easy, because it’s all about Gratitude. Once again, we’ve been blessed to be chosen as “Best Of” in both the Real Estate Team and Individual Realtor categories. There are dozens of fantastic Realtors and teams in our market with whom we regularly partner and are equally as deserving, so we sincerely appreciate the votes, and votes of confidence, that this recognition reflects.
At the beginning of my real estate journey, I heard a mentor talk about creating “Raving Fans.” Raving Fans are developed by delivering exceptional client services. They become the people
who attend all your events, refer you to friends, family, and strangers in the grocery store; they are the ones you call when you need a great testimonial or some advice handling a challenging client relationship.
No matter where you are in your business journey Raving Fans are perhaps your best business asset. If you’re a fledging entrepreneur, seasoned business owner, working at your first hourly job, or a C-level executive running a large organization, developing customer, client and employee Raving Fans can only make your job more enjoyable, career more fulfilling and success more assured.
As we reflect on this lovely recognition as “Best of North Atlanta” we want to thank everyone who voted, congratulate the nominees, runners-up, and winners in each category, and give a virtual fist pump to our Raving Fans.
We Live Here, We Work Here, We Love What We Do.
Roswell Junction food hall plans for success
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Construction crews are adding the finishing touches to Roswell Junction, a new food hall coming to South Atlanta Street.
Pat Garza, CEO of the project’s management company National Food Hall Solutions, shared his excitement over the project. City leaders broke ground in late January, marking the start of renovations to the former site of Atlanta Street Baptist Church.
“We’re planning this to be a community gathering center, where you can come watch sports, come hang out with friends and family, come watch a band or just come out and chill,” Garza said.
Roswell Junction will feature Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, relocating from next door to accommodate the city’s Historic Gateway transportation project, and a number of other local favorites. The Roswell staple is expanding its menu with gelato and salads under a new concept.
In a tour of the 12,000-square-foot space, General Manager Tim Fussell said he anticipates opening Oct. 21, pending necessary inspections. Only a few of the food vendor signs were hanging up, like Pretty Little Tacos, Shawarma Shack and Cleaver & Co., a burger joint.
Others slated for Roswell Junction include Mad Dad Philly’s, Across the Coast Seafood and Flying Fish, which is currently housed in Chattahoochee Food Works.
A line of tables will go through the center of the room, Fussell said, with the main bar, liquor display and TVs to one side.
Named “The Trailer Park,” the patio area will consist of outdoor seating, several TVs and a patio bar serving drinks out of an Airstream trailer.
“This is the greatest patio in all of Roswell,” Fussell said.
Garage doors lead inside to the bandstand and event area, which includes a third bar. The room will be open for rentals.
Nearby is the doorway to the arcade room, through a wall covered with a colorful mural.
Roswell Junction General Manager Tim Fussell and Events Manager Jordan Hallmark finish off a tour of the new food hall on South Atlanta Street in the event room, as construction work takes place. Opening is slated for late October.
Out back, there’s greenspace that will have cornhole and other yard games, filling out the 350-person capacity. There’s also free parking, about 100 spaces, a hot commodity in Roswell.
In his three-plus decades of experience, the Junction will be Fussell’s first food hall, and he said it’ll be different from the standard.
“This place is going to be kind of more of an event space that just happens to have a food hall,” Fussell said.
Events Manager Jordan Hallmark shared the schedule of nightly events throughout the week, starring boozy bingo, a ladies’ night and karaoke, trivia, margarita and arcade specials. Hallmark said live music is booked through the rest of the year, and football will be playing on the big screens.
Roswell Junction is pet friendly, and adoption events are planned.
“It’s kind of a place for everyone,” Hallmark said.
Roswell Junction, a 12,000-square-foot food hall, will feature seven food vendors and three bars, one on the patio.
Roswell Junction is located at 340 South Atlanta Street, the site of the former Atlanta Street Baptist Church.
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Rotary Club of North Fulton pushes for lifesaving devices
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Kennesaw resident Dave Beck thinks he probably would have died if there hadn’t been an AED nearby.
“I think about it a lot. I think to myself, I am so blessed that I got the opportunity to tell my daughter, ‘That was a close one, and I love you a bunch,” he said. “I wouldn't have got to do it if that AED was not there. I'd be dead.”
On Aug. 25, 2023, Beck was playing tennis at a charity tournament when he collapsed on the court after suffering a cardiac arrest. Apart from feeling tired, there was no warning that his life would suddenly hang in the balance.
“I picked up a ball, and I started walking off the court, and I said, ‘Give me a minute,’” he said. “And I collapsed just like a ton of bricks, right down. That is all I remember.”
Friends and strangers leapt into action. A man began CPR on him. A nurse, whom he’d never met, yelled orders to others to call 911 and continue the chest compressions. Someone got the AED, or automated external defibrillator, and restarted Beck’s heart.
“They had all lined up in kind of a little circle, and they gave me a quick prayer,” Beck said. “And a couple seconds later, I spit some blood out … and I vaguely recall laying on the ground saying, ‘Gosh, you know, guys, I'm really embarrassed.’”
About a year later, Beck’s health has recovered, which he credits to the device and quick decision to perform CPR. Now, he is working with members of the Rotary Club of North Fulton on an ambitious project to bring 20 AEDs to North Metro Atlanta gyms and teach 1,000 people CPR.
Unlike a heart attack, a cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating completely or at the right speed and is often caused by an electrical malfunction within the heart.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 436,000 people die of cardiac arrests in the nation each year.
During a cardiac arrest, whether there is an AED nearby can make all the difference.
The probability of survival decreases by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes, according to the FDA.
An AED is a computerized defibrillator that automatically analyzes the heartbeat in people who are experiencing cardiac arrest and delivers a shock at a precise moment to restore its rhythm. The devices come in small emergency-colored boxes and often guide users through their function with an automated voice recording.
Club member Steve Cory and others plan to use $5,000 from Rotary International to subsidize AEDs at local gyms. They also are speaking with local gyms, asking whether
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Dave Beck, left, and Richard Matherly meet Oct. 8 at the Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center in Roswell to visit with medical staff who helped save their lives. Both men suffered cardiac arrests but were brought back by AEDs and CPR.
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Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama Road Connector Alpharetta, GA 30022 (near Northpoint Mall)
CITY OF ALPHARETTA/PROVIDED
Alpharetta’s Recreation, Parks & Culture Department is working to bring more native plants to public sites like the Alpha Loop.
How are cities incorporating native plants in landscaping?
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
Community engagement is an essential part of Appen Media’s newsroom strategy.
That’s why reporters for the Herald and Crier newspapers seek out all sorts of reader questions. Sometimes those inquiries don’t lead to standalone stories because of time restraints or, more simply, the answers can be short.
Here are a few questions Appen has received and the answers your reporter has dug up.
What are local governments doing to incorporate native plants in landscapes?
In Alpharetta, city officials are working to bring native plants to public spaces to create natural habitats for animals.
They also work to remove invasive species, said Morgan Rodgers, director of Alpharetta’s Recreation, Parks & Culture Department
Plants native to Georgia have been incorporated in the Alpha Loop’s landscaping design, said Amanda Musilli, community services manager.
In the next couple of weeks, they will be planted for a redesign at the Wills Park Recreation Center. A landscaping redesign at the Alpharetta Adult Activity Center will also receive native plants.
Some of the plants include beautyberry, rabbiteye blueberry, milkweed, mountain mint, black eyed Susan, southern beardtongue, whorled coreopsis and oak leaf hydrangea.
“They provide food and habitat for our native pollinators and insects and birds,” Musilli said. “If we don’t create the habitat for the lowest part of the food
Have a question? Send it to newsroom@appenmedia.com or go to appenmedia.com/ask.
chain, we don't have anything higher up.”
The native plants are visually beautiful but also sonically, she said. They attract animals like crickets, frogs and birds, which contribute a natural symphony to local communities.
“It’s essential to our life,” she said. Anyone interested in getting involved with planting or donating local plants is encouraged to reach out to the City of Alpharetta at amusilli@alpharetta.ga.us.
What are the standards for marking bike lanes?
The Georgia Department of Transportation provides guidelines for the marking of bike lanes in the state. Bike lanes can be indicated with an arrow or cyclist symbol on the far side of the intersection six feet beyond a crosswalk, according to the department. They also can be placed on long uninterrupted sections of roadway based on the judgment of engineers.
Lines markings define the boundaries of the lane, which are recommended to be 5 feet wide. The width can increase to 6 feet when adjacent to structures like guardrails.
I haven’t gotten a newspaper in the past several weeks. Will it return?
Yes! If you have not received a paper, send an email to the circulation desk at circulation@appenmedia.com with your name and address. Our delivery folks try their best, but with 105,000 copies going out each week it’s a tough task. Let us know if you are having delivery issues and we will take care of it.
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Early voting begins for November election
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Early voting is underway and runs through Nov. 1 for the general election.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
In addition to local county elections, the race for president and vice president will be on the ballot. All U.S. House and state legislators are up for election as well, and the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page will show voters who their representatives are.
Voters can check their registration status, see their sample ballot and Election Day voting precinct on the state’s My Voter Page by visiting mvp. sos.ga.gov.
Voting absentee
The last day to submit an application for an absentee ballot is Oct. 25. Absentee ballots must be returned to a ballot box by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the latest, to a drop box or a county registrar’s office. Absentee ballots can be returned at any time before Nov. 5.
Voters are now required to provide either a Georgia driver’s license or Georgia ID card number or a copy of another form of ID when applying for an absentee ballot.
Other forms of acceptable identification are a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows a voter’s name and address.
Forsyth County
Local Forsyth County races on the ballot are Forsyth Board of Commissioners Districts 2, 4 and 5 as well as Forsyth County Board of Education Districts 2, 3 and 4. Other uncontested county officials are also on the ballot.
In Forsyth County, advanced voting is taking place Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 8 to 5 p.m.
Absentee ballot applications can be emailed to absentee@forsythco.com. To submit absentee ballot applications by mail or by personal delivery, send them
A voter shows off her “I voted” sticker after casting a ballot.
to Forsyth County Voter Registrations and Elections, 1201 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040. Applications may also be faxed to 770-886-2825, or requested online.
Forsyth County has one drop box location at the Voter Registrations & Elections Office, 1201 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 15-18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19-20, and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 28-Nov. 1.
Visit forsythco.com/vote for more information about the early voting locations and to see the sample ballot.
Fulton County
Local Fulton County races on the ballot are the District Attorney, Fulton County Board of Commissioners District 2, 4 and 6 as well as several other uncontested county officials.
In Fulton County, advance voting is
open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Absentee ballot applications, attached as a .pdf or .jpg, can be emailed to elections.absentee@fultoncountyga. gov or mailed to Fulton County Registrations and Elections, 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Road, Union City, GA 30213. They can also be requested online.
Visit fultoncountyga.gov/vote for more information about the early voting and absentee drop box locations, and to see the sample ballot.
DeKalb County
Local DeKalb County races on the ballot are the DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer, DeKalb Board of Commissioners Districts 1 and 3-7, as well as several other uncontested county
officials. Decaturish’s voters guide has more information about the DeKalb County candidates. Visit decaturish.com for more information.
In DeKalb County, advance voting is held Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Absentee ballot applications can be emailed to absenteeballot@ dekalbcountyga.gov or mailed to DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections, 4380 Memorial Drive, suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032. They can also be requested online.
Visit dekalbvotes.com for more information about the early voting and absentee drop box locations, and to see the sample ballot.
Reporters Amber Perry and Jon Wilcox contributed to this story.
North Fulton Community Charities to host job fair Oct. 18
ROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton
Community Charities will host a multiemployer job fair Oct. 18, featuring hiring managers from more than 20 local and national businesses covering a broad range of available positions.
It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the NFCC Barbara Duffy Center at
11275 Elkins Road in Roswell. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Employers include Arrow Exterminators, the City of Alpharetta, Docufree Corporation, Emory Healthcare, the Gwinnett County Police Department, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Locum Tenens, MARTA, Morgan Stanley,
Renasant Bank and Wellstar Health System.
There will also be several temporary agencies and executive search firms at the fair.
For those who plan to attend, the nonprofit encourages bringing multiple copies of your resume and to wear
professional attire.
Parking at The Barbara Duffy Center is limited. If you cannot find a space at that lot, park in the available lot next door, across the street from the Thrift Shop.
For information or to register, visit https://nfcchelp.org/job-fair.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
I named it Flowerfolk for a reason … [it] is the community. That’s what I’m hoping to create.
KATE AUSTIN, owner, Flowerfolk
| Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | October 17, 2024
Flowering community opens shop at Crabapple Market
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Just four days after receiving its certificate of occupancy, Flowerfolk opened its suite doors Oct. 5 at Crabapple Market to thousands of patrons at Milton’s annual arts and antiques festival.
Flowerfolk is not just a neighborhood bouquet shop, it sports garden goods, home décor, baby gifts, plants and natural beauty products.
Kate Austin, owner of Flowerfolk, promises her customers a few things they may not find elsewhere in North Fulton County.
The shop partners with sustainable farmers, seeks out local providers, does not use any foam products or chemicals and strives to match its offerings with each season. It delivers flowers and arrangements to Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell and parts of Johns Creek, Canton and Woodstock.
“There’s an entire movement called the slow flower movement,” Austin said. “It’s locally grown flowers, not only are they rare and heirloom in style, but they’re grown in more of a single-batch style rather than mass produced.”
One of her favorite local partners, Little Flora Farm in Woodstock, is committed to the movement and Flowerfolk’s primary partner.
Austin loves dahlias, and her North Georgia partners make sure she has everyone’s favorites.
If Milton residents are looking for a floral greeting card, tea towel or some
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Kate Austin, the entrepreneur behind Crabapple Market’s Flowerfolk, works on an arrangement behind the shop’s front desk. Flowerfolk, a name chosen to reflect Austin’s desire to grow a community centered on flowers, opened Oct. 5 during Milton’s annual Crabapple Fest.
seeds to jump start their backyard garden, Flowerfolk has them all.
The shop’s specialties are custom flower creations. It asks customers to tell them which designs speak to them and how long they want it to last.
noses immediately.
husband and I moved to San Diego, California and we were there for 15 years.”
She said they moved right after the Great Recession hit in the late 2000s, and ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic brought Austin and her family back east.
Austin said she ended up using her college degree in communications and marketing to work for New York Times best-selling author Tony Robbins.
Robbins, internationally known as a life and business strategist, gave Austin the experience and confidence she needed as a young professional far away from home.
Robbins has his detractors, skeptics and controversies, but the millions of people who say he’s changed their lives are a testament to the impact one person can make.
One of those millions is Kate Austin.
“Year after year, I would get thrown these different things in the content space,” she said. “I really got propelled into this fast-paced career traveling the world.”
What’s more, patrons have the option to schedule deliveries throughout the year.
Anyone with limited vision would still have no trouble knowing they are in a flower shop after walking into Suite 103 at 12620 Crabapple Road. The aromas throughout the shop hit
Someone with perfect vision may think they’re in an interior design studio or an antique store, which only complements the room’s flowerfocused atmosphere.
Austin, the entrepreneur behind downtown Milton’s new specialty flower shop, is an Atlanta native.
“We moved when I was like three or four years old, so Atlanta is technically home, and I have a lot of family here,” Austin said. “I went to college in Ohio, and shortly after, my
Robbins connects with his audiences, and Austin wants to create a community in her new home.
One of Austin’s projects for Robbins was his Business Mastery program, which sparked the desire to have her own entrepreneurial pursuit.
“It’s funny how life works … fast forward to COVID … I grow this garden and am still working for Tony,” Austin said. “My son and I would be in
See FLOWER, Page 11
a part of a nearly 100-year legacy of serving Georgia’s most vulnerable children.
12TH ANNUAL
5K RUN & WALK
Benefitting:
FLOWERFOLK/PROVIDED
A floral arrangement hangs over the entrance to Flowerfolk at 12620 Crabapple Road, Suite 103. Flowerfolk, downtown Milton’s newest addition, sports flowerinspired gifts, gardening accessories and different flower arrangements, wraps and sage bundles.
www.murphyharpst.org
Flower:
Continued from Page 10
the garden all the time.”
Registration
• www.active.com
She said she’s always been a flower person after growing up in her grandmother’s garden, but the pandemic allowed her slow down, get intentional and look for wholesome connections.
• At the MUMC church office
• In person on race day
The mother of three said she reassessed. After a couple visits to North Fulton County, the couple moved across the country. Her kids attend Summit Hill Elementary and Northwestern Middle schools just a couple blocks north of the shop on Ga. 372.
Location
SATURDAY
12TH ANNUAL
NOV. 2 2024
Saturday Oct. 5 2019
All proceeds benefit Murphy- Harpst
Flowerfolk has coolers for preserving fresh flowers, but also focuses on its dried and silk products, which have only grown in popularity since 2020.
“I think they all serve different purposes and are beautiful,” Austin said.
• Search “Midway Mission Possible 12”
All proceeds benefit Murphy- Harpst
Murphy-Harpst provides hope and healing to severely abused and neglected children and youth through residential treatment, foster care, and creative therapeutic approaches. Over 1/3 of their annual support comes from United Methodist Churches! Please give generously today and be a part of a nearly 100-year legacy of serving Georgia’s most vulnerable children.
Starting a new business is no small feat, but Flowerfolk has great partnerships.
www.murphyharpst.org
Midway United Methodist Church 5025 Atlanta Hwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004 www.midwayumc.org 770-475-5230
REGISTRATION
• www.active.com — Search “Midway Mission Possible 8”
www.murphyharpst.org
LOCATION
The next steps are the rollout of workshops for the community to get a taste of the shop’s expertise.
Fees Register by Oct. 31 Register on Race Day
• Totally Running (Forsyth), 405 Peachtree Pkwy.
• At the MUMC church office
“It’s been a year of just insane catapulting into your dreams,” Austin said. “When I think back to my childhood, there were flowers everywhere all the time.”
5K RUN &
WALK
Transforming the lives of homeless families. Because every child deserves a home.
Benefitting:
All proceeds benefit Murphy-Harpst
12
SATURDAY
Murphy-Harpst provides hope and healing to severely abused and neglected children and youth through residential treatment, foster care, and creative therapeutic approaches. Over 1/3 of their annual support comes from United Methodist Churches! Please give generously today and be a part of a nearly 100-year legacy of serving Georgia’s most vulnerable children.
TO LEARN MORE: www.familypromise.org www.fpforsyth.org
Event Schedule
7:00 am
SATURDAY NOV. 2 2024
NOV. 2 2024
Murphy-Harpst provides hope and healing to severely abused and neglected children and youth through residential treatment, foster care, and creative therapeutic approaches. Over 1/3 of their annual support comes from United Methodist Churches! Please give generously today and bea part of a nearly 100-year legacy of serving Georgia’s most vulnerable children.
Registration
5K Run/Walk $30 per person $35 per person
There are lots of new things that go along with running a flower shop, like buying flowers on mass scale, scheduling orders almost daily and juggling supply and demand.
• At the
• In person on race day
• www.active.com Search “Midway Mission Possible 12”
Midway United Methodist Church 5025 Atlanta Hwy, Alpharetta, GA 30004 www.midwayumc.org 770-475-5230
5K Teams of 4+ $25 per person $30 per person
Kid’s Fun Run $20 per person $25 per person
“We haven’t had any real challenges in the process, but I think that’s partly following the path and knowing what you’re getting into,” she said. “It’s just taking baby steps every single day.”
(Cash/Check ONLY accepted on race day)
The love for nature is intergenerational in the family.
FEES Register by 10/3 Register on Race Day
Short-sleeved microfiber race shirt included in race fee; be sure to register by 10/22/24 to guarantee your shirt!
5K Run/Walk $25 per person $30 per person
5K Teams of 4+ $20 per person $25 per person
The pandemic had a silver lining for Austin and her family. While it uprooted American life, the pandemic also brought with some developments in flower technology.
Kid’s Fun Run $15 per person $20 per person (Cash/Check ONLY accepted on race day)
Austin said the process of picking out furniture, designing the shop, working with the city of Milton and the building’s owners Orkin and Associates went smoothly.
Short-sleeved microfiber race shirt included in race fee — register by 9/25/19 to guarantee your shirt.
“I named it Flowerfolk for a reason … [it] is the community,” she said. “That’s what I’m hoping to create.”
Registration and bib pick up 8:30 am
www.murphyharpst.org
TO LEARN MORE: www.familypromise.org www.fpforsyth.org
EVENT SCHEDULE
5K Run/Walk begins
Event Schedule
7:00 am
Event Schedule
Event Schedule
Registration and bib pick up 8:30 am 5K Run/Walk begins 9:00 am Kid’s Fun Run (ages 5-12) 9:45 am Awards Ceremony
Short-sleeved microfiber race shirt included in race fee; be sure to register by 10/22/24 to guarantee your shirt!
7:00 am – Registration and bib pick up 8:30 am – 5K Run/Walk begins 9:00 am – Kid’s Fun Run (ages 5-12) 9:45 am – Awards Ceremony
Sponsored Section October 17, 2024 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | 13
The “Dead Hand”
Brought to you by - Estates Law Center USA
This is often a topic of debate in estate planning, as overly restrictive conditions can be legally challenged or ignored. The term “dead hand” captures the idea of a deceased individual exerting control over their assets and their heirs long after their death. In the realm of estate planning, this concept is often debated as it involves setting conditions that govern how one’s estate is handled and how heirs should behave. While the intention behind such conditions may be to ensure that the estate is managed in a way that aligns with the deceased’s wishes, these stipulations can sometimes be deemed overly restrictive or impractical. This can lead to legal challenges or outright disregard by heirs, as courts often grapple with the balance between honoring the deceased’s wishes and
maintaining reasonable freedom for the living. Ultimately, the concept of the “dead hand” underscores the complex interplay between legacy, control, and the evolving needs of future generations. This underscores why you need expert attorney to balance your wishes with the need to set certain conditions and restrictions that you feel are necessary for the welfare of your beneficiaries to ensure compliance after your death.
We understand you might have numerous questions about Estate Planning, and we address EVERY single one during our live workshops!
• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)
• Should I upgrade my Will to a Trust?
• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?
• How do I protect my assets for my family and legacy?
• How do I remain in control?
• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?
• How can my family avoid probate?
Attend our FREE Educational Workshops. Reserve your Spot and Get a FREE Consultation for attending the Workshop (a $500 Value) CODE: herald2023
770.209.2346 | esther@gklawgroup.com
*Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of print date, and is subject to change without notice. Minimum deposit of $1,000 is required to open and obtain APY. You may not make deposits into your account until maturity. Early withdrawl penalty may apply. Limited time offer.
Touchmark National Bank would like to introduce
community, Beth Dombroski
Beth joined Touchmark National Bank in 2017 as a Customer Service Representative and now is the Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager. She grew up in the Roswell area and is a graduate of Crestwood High School. She has been a member of the community since 1977 and has seen the transformation that the community has gone through over the years. With over 15 years of banking experience, Beth is dedicated of taking care of customer’s financial banking needs. She has
shown exceptional commitment to Touchmark National Bank’s values and mission. Beth and her branch team continue to drive success and contribute positively to the community.
Touchmark National Bank was established in 2007 and is located in Alpharetta. We offer a variety of banking products that fit our client’s needs. Touchmark National Bank is known for their competitive Certificate of Deposit and Money Market rates. We are committed to offering personalized assistance to our clients. We strive to continue to grow our relationship in the community and surrounding counties. Please reach out to us for further information about our products and services by calling 770407-6700 or visit our website at www. touchmarknb.com.
DOMBROSKI
Brought to you by -
The Davis Academy
Be Amazed. Be Amazed.
Brought to you by - The Davis Academy
From Kindergarten Prep - Eighth Grade, The Davis Academy teaches to the whole child, creating compassionate leaders and equipping them with skills they will use for the entirety of their academic careers and beyond. Davis graduates attend the most prestigious public and private high schools in Atlanta, they know who they are and continuously make a difference in their communities and the world.
From Kindergarten Prep - Eighth Grade, The Davis Academy teaches to the whole child, creating compassionate leaders and equipping them with skills they will use for the entirety of their academic careers and beyond. Davis graduates attend the most prestigious public and private high schools in Atlanta, they know who they are and continuously make a difference in their communities and the world.
Students learn amongst a warm and supportive community that shares common values and visions. We teach life skills, instill Jewish values, and provide diverse experiences so that our students become well-rounded and selfconfident individuals. We celebrate both the ways our diversity makes our school vibrant and the individual differences that make our school community so unique. With a retention rate of 97%, The Davis Academy community is comprised of families from across the globe, nation, and 31 metro Atlanta zip codes.
Students learn amongst a warm and supportive community that shares common values and visions. We teach life skills, instill Jewish values, and provide diverse experiences so that our students become well-rounded and selfconfident individuals. We celebrate both the ways our diversity makes our school vibrant and the individual differences that make our school community so unique. With a retention rate of 97%, The Davis Academy community is comprised of families from across the
The school offers many options for prospective families to learn about the school and community. Parents can schedule a personal tour. In addition, families can engage in wonderful Cub Club events that are free and open to the community.
To learn more or schedule a tour go to www.davisacademy.org/admissions/ visit or call 678-527-3300.
Nurture events that are free and open to the community.
To learn more or schedule a tour go
Nurturing curiosity and growth: summer enrichment
Brought to you by – Woodward Academy
Summer is a wonderful time for relaxation and fun, but it also offers countless opportunities for students to engage in activities that stimulate their minds, foster creativity, and build essential skills. It’s essential to consider how summer can continue the educational journey. Here are some enriching summer activities for students from pre-K through 12th grade that support whole child education and make the most of the private school experience.
The Benefits of Private Schools: A Summer Perspective
Private schools are renowned for their robust and well-rounded curriculums, which can extend into the summer months through carefully selected activities. By aligning summer enrichment with the private school curriculum, students can seamlessly transition from one school year to the next while maintaining their intellectual and creative growth.
Exploring Private School Resources Over the Summer
Many private schools offer exceptional resources that families can tap into during the summer. Even if your child’s school does not provide formal summer programs, the same principles and resources can be applied to at-home activities. Here are a few ideas:
• STEM Exploration: Utilize online resources, local science museums, and DIY kits to delve into science, technology, engineering, and math projects. Engaging in hands-on experiments and problemsolving tasks can ignite a passion for STEM subjects.
• Creative Arts: Encourage participation in arts and crafts, music lessons, or drama workshops. Local community centers and online platforms often offer summer classes that can help nurture creativity and artistic skills.
• Athletics: Summer sports camps and clinics are perfect for keeping children active. Look for programs that not only focus on skill development but also emphasize teamwork, leadership, and healthy competition.
Nurturing Curiosity and Growth During the Summer
Whole child education emphasizes the importance of nurturing every aspect of a child’s development. Summer is an ideal time to focus on this holistic approach by engaging in activities that promote social, emotional, and physical growth. Here are some suggestions:
• Leadership Camps: Many organizations offer leadership programs for young
students. These camps can help build confidence, communication skills, and a sense of responsibility. tion skills, and a sense of responsibility.
• Community Service: Volunteering is a great way for students to give back and develop empathy. Look for local community service opportunities or create family projects that involve helping others.
• Mindfulness and Wellness: Introduce activities that promote mental and emotional well-being. Yoga classes, mindfulness workshops, and even family nature walks can be excellent for reducing stress and fostering a positive mindset.
Tailored Programs for
Every Age Group
Choosing age-appropriate activities is crucial for maximizing summer enrichment. Here are some tailored suggestions for different age groups:
• Pre-K to 2nd Grade: Young learners thrive on playful and exploratory activities. Organize story time sessions, simple science experiments, and interactive games that build foundational skills.
• 3rd to 5th Grade: This age group benefits from more structured exploration. Consider enrolling them in coding camps, art workshops, or nature exploration programs that encourage curiosity and skill development.
• Middle School: Middle schoolers can start to dive deeper into specific interests. Look for academic enrichment programs, sports clinics, and creative arts camps that cater to their growing passions and talents.
• High School: High school students can use summer to prepare for their future. Encourage participation in college prep courses, internships, or advanced subject camps that align with their career interests. These experiences not only enhance their resumes but also provide valuable insights into potential career paths.
Conclusion
Enriching summer activities are a vital part of the educational journey, particularly for families who value the benefits of private schools. By focusing on whole child education, parents can ensure that their children make the most of their summer break. Whether through academic enrichment, creative exploration, physical development, or community involvement, there are countless opportunities for students of all ages to learn, grow, and thrive during the summer months.
Make this summer an enriching and memorable experience for your child by exploring the many activities available that support their overall development. Encourage your child’s growth with enriching summer activities and watch them thrive in every aspect of their life.
The importance of “mattering” to teens
Brought to you by
- Bailey Smith, M.Ed, LPC at Summit Counseling Center
I recently read the book “Never Enough” by Jennifer Breheny Wallace, which dives into achievement culture among adolescents and how it contributes to mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Through my own school-based counseling work with high school students, I have seen many of the principles in the book in real time.
Students define themselves by the grades they make, the classes they take, or the clubs they join. Each assignment is viewed as “make it or break it” and students constantly feel like they could be messing up their futures with one mistake.
Wallace’s research showed that parents tend to underestimate their children’s stress significantly, and many students report feeling that their parents add pressure to the already-intense school environment. Parents often don’t even realize they are adding to the pressure, and they certainly aren’t doing so intentionally! Several of the noted “stress adders” in the book are interactions I’ve had with my own students at times. Things as simple as asking how others in the class did on a test, or even seemingly positive actions like praising a child for their good grades, can all add to this feeling that teenagers are only valued based on their academic achievements.
In her book, Wallace posits that the antidote to toxic achievement culture comes in the form of mattering. When a teen knows that they matter, regardless of their grades, sports accolades, or social status, they can
be truly healthy even in the midst of today’s achievement culture.
So, how can we increase feelings of mattering among adolescents? For parents or other adults, highlight your teen’s interests, efforts, and displays of character over academic or athletic achievements. Think of the things you want most for your teen. Most parents I meet with tell me they want their children to be happy, to treat others well, and to feel confident in themselves. Gear your praise and encouragement toward these things.
For teens, plug into places that you will be missed. Whether this be a club at school, a faith community, or even just your lunch table, having a space where others know and value you adds to the feeling of belonging. While you can always celebrate your achievements, the goal is to get to a place where you value yourself even apart from your achievements. You matter just because you’re you.
The need to belong doesn’t disappear after adolescence. We can all foster these feelings of mattering in the way we interact with others and help counteract the toxicity of achievement culture.
Top 10 Things You Need to Know About AIS Sandy Springs
A place where world-class education meets global citizenship.
Brought to you by - Atlanta International School Sandy Springs
1. Premier International Baccalaureate World School
We offer the full continuum of the renowned International Baccalaureate (IB):
• Middle Years Program for Grades 9-10.
• Diploma Program and Careerrelated Program for Grades 11-12
For students on a pre-professional pathway, we offer the AISx flexible academic schedule.
2. Exclusive Tennis Partnership with Mouratoglou Academy Atlanta (MAA)
Tennis loving students can take advantage of our partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou (legendary coach of Serena Williams.)
3. Day and Boarding Options
• Day: Enjoy school, returning
home each day.
• 5- and 7-Day Boarding: Stay in comfortable dormitories, fostering global friendships.Co-ed boarding for 70 students with:
• On-Site Residential Life Director: Ensuring well-being and personal growth.
• 24/7 Security and Support: A safe and nurturing environment.
• Personalized Planning: Tailored to each student’s goals.
• Test Prep and Application Assistance: Resources and guidance for every step.
• Leveraging Partnerships: Connections with colleges, including athletic programs.
9. Inclusive Community
Our unique, community includes our:
• Parent Organization: Creating belonging and engagement for families.
• Alumni Network: Nearly 2,000 alumni worldwide
• Community Service: Students participate in service, locally and globally.
10. Urban and Natural Attractions
Best of both worlds:
• Serene Setting: 25 acres of woodland
• Proximity to Atlanta: Just 30 minutes away from this vibrant city
• Thriving Local Community: access to shops, restaurants, and entertainment.
Discover how AIS Sandy Springs can be the stepping stone to your child’s bright future.
“If a student can’t learn the way we teach… we should teach the way a student can learn.”
Brought to you by - Mill
Springs Academy
Those are the words of Mill Springs Academy’s founder, Tweetie L. Moore, and the words that Mill Springs administration, faculty, and staff continue to live by today. Founded in 1981, Mill Springs provides a valuesbased college preparatory program for students with ADHD and learning differences. Mill Springs’ school-wide Community Structure encourages students to participate in their own education by teaching self-advocacy, social problem-solving skills, and how to forge their own path. Small class sizes allow teachers to provide each student with individualized instruction. Highly skilled faculty, specialists, and counselors provide academic and social support on all levels, from kindergarten through 12, in a supportive, nurturing environment.
Mill Springs Academy also offers students a wide variety of opportunities outside the core curriculum. Mill Springs’ fine arts program encourages students to explore their creativity through painting, sculpture, set design, music, performance, and more. Our
robust athletic programs allow students to play at a competitive level while building teamwork and confidence. Mill Springs’ 85-acre Alpharetta campus includes indoor and outdoor classroom space, athletic facilities, and visual and performing arts facilities. We serve students from over 50 different zip codes in the Metro Atlanta area and provide four bus routes with ten stops in the morning and afternoon. To learn more about Mill Springs Academy, visit us at www.millsprings.org/visit.
Atlanta Academy earns prestigious 2024 National Blue-Ribbon School Award
Brought to you by - Atlanta Academy
Atlanta Academy, a private Preschool-8th grade school in Roswell, GA, has been named a recipient of the 2024 National Blue Ribbon School Award, a recognition that highlights the school’s excellence in education. This achievement is particularly noteworthy, as Atlanta Academy is one of only two private schools in Georgia to receive this year’s prestigious honor.
encouraging students to make connections between disciplines and apply their knowledge in real-world situations. Whether through hands-on science projects, creative arts, or problem-solving in mathematics, students are consistently challenged to think deeply and approach learning with enthusiasm.
Founded in 2000, Atlanta Academy serves 395 students from preschool through 8th grade and provides a holistic educational experience. The school’s mission centers around academic excellence, character development, and fostering a nurturing environment where students thrive. Small class sizes and personalized learning approaches enable teachers to understand each student’s strengths and help them unlock their full potential. At Atlanta Academy, education is about more than academic achievement— it’s about shaping well-rounded individuals prepared to succeed.
The heart of Atlanta Academy lies in its strong, supportive community. The school places a high value on collaboration between families, teachers, and students. Parents are actively involved in school life, and this close-knit environment creates a sense of belonging that extends beyond the classroom. This partnership plays a significant role in shaping the school’s success, ensuring that students receive the support they need to thrive, both academically and socially.
Atlanta Academy’s faculty is another significant component of its success. The school takes great pride in its educators, who bring a passion for teaching and a commitment to inspiring young minds. Supported by ongoing professional development, teachers continuously refine their methods to ensure they are providing the best possible education. They are dedicated to fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, preparing students to face the challenges of an ever-changing world.
One of the hallmarks of Atlanta Academy is its forward-thinking curriculum. The school’s approach integrates a variety of subjects,
Atlanta Academy’s emphasis on small class sizes further enhances its educational model. By carefully observing student performance, teachers tailor their instruction to meet the unique needs of each student. This individualized approach ensures that students receive the attention and resources necessary to thrive, helping them build confidence in their abilities and prepare for future academic success.
The school’s dedication to educating the whole child extends beyond academics. Atlanta Academy fosters a nurturing culture that emphasizes character development, well-being, and happiness. Students are encouraged to practice values such as empathy, resilience, integrity, and honesty, equipping them with the emotional and social skills they will need in high school and beyond.
This commitment to excellence has culminated in the school’s recognition as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, awarded in the Exemplary High Performing category. This designation is given to schools where students consistently perform at the highest levels in state and national assessments, particularly in reading and mathematics. The award is a testament to the hard work of Atlanta Academy’s students, teachers, and families, reflecting the collective effort that makes the school a standout in Georgia and beyond.
Atlanta Academy is incredibly proud of this achievement and invites families to see what makes the school unique. To schedule a tour and learn more about Atlanta Academy’s programs, visit www. atlantaacademy.com.
PROVIDED
Providing an exceptional college preparatory program since 1976
Brought to you by -
Saint Francis School
Saint Francis School is a SACS/SAIS accredited, independent, non-profit, nonsectarian college preparatory school founded in 1976. The mission of Saint Francis School is to provide a college preparatory program to students with diverse academic abilities in a structured environment that is challenging and supportive. Kindergarten – 8th grades are located on the 24-acre gated Roswell Campus while the High School is located on the 47-acre gated Alpharetta campus.
The school’s commitment to small class sizes, low pupil-to-teacher ratio, and a strong emphasis on structure and organization allows students to enjoy success in academic areas and develop the self-confidence necessary to be successful in college. Curriculum offerings include AP, Honors, Traditional, and Support classes.
With a 100% acceptance rate to college and with the majority of graduates qualifying for the Hope Scholarship, Saint Francis alumni attend a wide variety of programs ranging from Ivy League schools to small private colleges to prestigious Art Institutes. Saint Francis is a Google Apps for Education Classroom, utilizing laptops in grades
4 – 12. Structured Literacy programs offered include Fundations®, Wilson Reading System®, Just Words®, and supplemental support from Cars® and Stars® Reading Comprehension.
Sports are offered at the middle and high school (GHSA) including football, soccer, baseball, track, swimming, wrestling, softball, volleyball, and equestrian.
For more information call 770.641.8257 Ext. 156 (Grades K – 8) and 678.339.9989 Ext. 33 (Grades 9 – 12) or visit our website: www. saintfrancisschools.com.
Mount Pisgah Christian School is educating with intention
Brought to you by - Mount Pisgah Christian School
Mount Pisgah Christian School is a leading preschool through 12th grade independent Christian school located in the heart of north metro Atlanta. MPCS is educating with intention by engaging students through student-centered learning with small class sizes brought to life in academics, athletics and spiritual life.
Through purposeful education, Mount Pisgah prepares critical thinkers ready to succeed in an increasingly complex world. For nearly 40 years, Mount Pisgah has offered an educational experience that invests in children and changes lives.
At Mount Pisgah, students are encouraged and guided to know Jesus and follow Him with their whole heart, soul, strength and mind. Faithfully and joyfully delivering a Christ-honoring curriculum supports students’ well-being, fosters innovative thinking, encourages the love of learning and is the foundation for college preparation and life readiness. With a curriculum that integrates
theatre and visual arts.
The newly opened Murray Academy facility is a state-of-the-art preschool with 10 new classrooms, a chapel and theatre space, innovation center,
The Fine Arts program at Mount Pisgah develops each student’s creativity as a form of intelligence that empowers them to investigate, interpret and respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world. Programs include band, orchestra, glee club,
Mount Pisgah athletics is competitive and Christ-centered, ready to challenge student-athletes spiritually, mentally and physically across 16 sports with 54 athletic teams.
To learn more and schedule a tour, visit mountpisgahschool.org
STEAM from Preschool to 12th grade, Mount Pisgah is on the cutting edge of preparing students for opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
indoor interactive play space, and a nature-inspired outdoor playscape.
Great minds think differently
Brought to you by - The Cottage School
Since 1985, The Cottage School (TCS) has provided a comprehensive program for students with learning differences grades 3-12. TCS offers a business-based model that promotes self-advocacy and fosters selfconfidence, preparing them for life after graduation to pursue post-secondary educational paths or vocational opportunities. Our accredited college preparatory curriculum meets all Georgia standards and HOPE scholarship requirements to take students to graduation and beyond.
Our students, in all grades, enjoy unique experiential learning with electives based on their interests and clubs including archery, drama, forensics, robotics, horticulture and amazing off-campus experiences throughout the year.
The school’s beautiful 23-acre Roswell campus is a hidden gem in North Fulton, with small class sizes our students develop meaningful connections to our teaching staff. Our cottages are unique and warm learning environments that include computer and science labs, art studios, a multipurpose athletic and performing arts facility, indoor and outdoor classrooms, comprehensive music program and trails for mountain biking and cross-country. TCS encourages students of all abilities to participate in athletics by offering sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, crosscountry, tennis, and golf.
The Cottage School has built a oneof-a-kind learning environment perfect for students who learn differently. TCS offers 12-month rolling admissions for all grade levels. Visit our website or call for a campus tour today.
Sowing the seeds of organic learning
Maria Montessori, Italy’s first woman doctor, invented a system of early childhood education based on her scientific observations of how the child constructs himself through interaction with his environment.
Her emphasis on the importance of the “prepared” environment created by the teacher offers the child the freedom to choose his work. This freedom - which is given when the child demonstrates the responsibility to use it wisely - allows him to remain with an activity until its purpose is accomplished. Working without artificial timelines allows him to engage in the spontaneous repetition of a skill so that it is refined; this freedom also creates in him the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and to feel the satisfaction of mastery.
In a Montessori environment, the teacher serves as a guide rather than as a traditional instructor. She continually observes the child, using these observations to give the next lesson so that he steadily progresses.
The multi-aged classroom gives every child regular opportunities to be the learner as well as the leader in the security of a home-like environment which is cared
for by everyone in it, teacher and student alike. The Montessori classroom is ordered and beautiful, filled with materials that are
academic and social development.
Montessori develops children who are responsible, creative, innovative, respectful and kind. Montessori children are truly the citizens of the future, equipped to face challenges with confidence and competence.
Located near the intersection of 141 and McGinnis Ferry Road in Johns Creek, Johns Creek Montessori School of Georgia provides excellence in Montessori education for infants, toddlers and children to six years old. JCMSOG provides an authentic Montessori environment, where each individual’s needs are respected, and everyone works together for the good of the community. The focus is always on helping the children to develop themselves in a caring, peaceful environment. By helping children to develop independence, we assist them in their physical and emotional development. As their sense of security in their ability to care for themselves and their environment grows, their brains have more energy or "bandwidth" for increased academic learning. Additionally, this focus on the development of muscular control is a first step in developing self-discipline. The JCMSOG Difference is best experienced in person. Please schedule a visit with your child to observe our “Montessori Magic” - www.JCMSOG.org 770-814-8001
• All Day, year-round, authentic Montessori Program with rolling admissions
• School Administration Team with Advanced Academic Degrees
• Montessori Trained Lead Teachers in every classroom providing individual customized lessons
• Scientifically designed, hands on, multisensory learning materials in all our beautifully organized classrooms
• Designated School Personnel only allowed in the school building
• Thorough handwashing/hygiene practices consistently taught and enforced
• Healthy, nutritious lunch and snacks provided daily and included in tuition fees
Limited Openings Available – The JCMSOG difference is best experienced in person, schedule a tour or visit with your child and observe our “Montessori Magic.”
aesthetically pleasing, materials which capture the imagination and assist in physical,
Change lives, change the world
Brought to you by - Wesleyan School
Wesleyan School believes faith and intellect are great partners with each other. At Wesleyan, it’s not a matter of choosing faith or intellect, but rather using both to create the best possible education for your child. Our leadership and faculty work to provide students with an atmosphere that is challenging, reinforces the value of hard work, and emphasizes character and integrity above accomplishment. Wesleyan prepares students for each stage of life and provides them with the opportunity to see all the possibilities that lie before them. Wesleyan’s school motto is JOY-Jesus, Others, Yourself, and every aspect of school life is oriented to reinforce this philosophy of putting Jesus first and others ahead of ourselves.
A college preparatory environment,
students have access to a wide range of academic opportunities along with athletics, arts, service and other extracurricular activities. Wesleyan’s 85-acre campus provides state-ofthe-art academic facilities along with on-campus practice space for athletics and arts.
Located just outside of I-285 in Peachtree Corners, Wesleyan enrolled 1,206 students in grades K-12 for the 2023-2024 school year. Wesleyan offers bus routes throughout the metro Atlanta area. Supervised care before school is included in the cost of tuition and after care is available (K-8) until 6 p.m. at an affordable rate.
Wesleyan School 5405 Spalding Drive, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 770-448-7640
https://www.wesleyanschool.org/
SPORTS
Alpharetta volleyball wins regional championship
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga — The Raiders’ hopes for back-to-back state titles are alive and thriving after winning the regional tournament Oct. 9 and 10.
Game one was against Denmark High School, three relatively quick sets without allowing the Danes to score even 15 points. Junior outside hitter Kennedi White got the Raiders off to a hot start with two aces to start the match, followed by numerous kills each from senior Brooke Boyles and junior Audrey Simpson.
The first set ended with a score of 13-25, the Danes’ highest score of the night.
Denmark’s only all-region first team member, sophomore opposite hitter Azaria Ehima, led the team with three kills on the match. Junior libero Annika Ojert made dig after dig, ending with 11 total on the night in addition to an ace on serving.
The Danes struggled in set two, with a final score 9-25. Raiders setter Abigail Li even got in on the action with a kill.
Raiders senior middle hitter Madison McLin started set three ablaze with back-to-back kills. Brooke Boyles heated up as well, and an ace from Abigail Li helped Alpharetta to win their first match of the tournament, ending set three 10-25.
Thursday’s game had the Raiders taking on West Forsyth High School who had beaten North 3-2 on Wednesday to advance. All-region team announcements took place before the Raiders and Wolverines took the court. Alpharetta setter Abigail Li took home the Player of the Year award for the region.
The Raiders went 3-0 again against the Wolverines. Freshman outside hitter Samantha Fields started West Forsyth off with a kill, followed by another by junior right side Piper Duckworth. Duckworth was a consistent force battling the Raiders, with multiple kills in each set.
Wolverines senior middle hitter Audrey Farbotko was hot from the first set, coming in with kills that kept West Forsyth in a position to fight for a win. But, it seemed liked anytime a spectator thought West was going on a streak and would get another point, enter Audrey Simpson or Brooke Boyles with the kill. Set one final score was 15-25. Set two had Raiders setter
Alpharetta senior setter Abigail Li wins the 2024 Player of the Year award for region 6 of the Georgia 6A division Oct. 10. She ended the match against the Wolverines with 41 assists
Abigail Li, who doesn’t often get many kills as her position demands, seeing back-to-back kills near the beginning of the set that got Alpharetta’s momentum rolling. The Wolverines’ Piper Duckworth and Audrey Farbotko fought back with a block, then senior outside hitter Shea Murray made the game interesting by heating up to three kills in the
second set.
The set point of the second set went on for more than 60 seconds, Alpharetta senior libero Kailey Leonard was on fire with seven digs. After the game she told Appen Media that last year’s loss to Pope before the state title reignited the team, “we really wanted the regional championship this year.” Well,
Volleyball lingo
Ace – a serve that the opposing team does not successfully return Dig – passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball very close to the floor
Kill – a hit delivered that the opposing team does not successfully return
Set – hitting the volleyball with hands outstretched, typically “sets” up another player for a spike
Setter – position who is setting the ball on most plays
Hitter – positions that typically do the spiking and blocking aspects of play
Libero – the primary defensive ball handler
when the Raiders are stuck in an incredibly tough rally, you can count Madison McLin to come through with a powerful kill to end the set. Final score of set two 13-25. Set three ended 11-25, with the Raiders’ Madison McLin seeing back-to-back kills and Brooke Boyles seeing three kills in a row, totaling 16 for the match and leading both teams in kills. Aside from the first points of the game, Alpharetta trailed West for a moment 5-7 until a Kailey Leonard ace, Kennedi White kill, and a Wolverines miscommunication righted the Raiders back on top.
PHOTOS BY: ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Azaria Ehima, Piper Duckworth, Adeline Wieler, Shea Murray, Hannah Hagen, Jayda Reece, Ava Husted, Brooke Boyles, Madison McLin, Kennedi White, Laila Amos, Francesca Popescu, and Abigail Li hold first-team honors for region 6 of the Georgia 6A division Oct. 10.
Businesswoman Jenny Pruitt was ‘a leader worth following’
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — Jenny Sanford Pruitt made her mark as a local business leader and mentor to others during her five decades as a Realtor.
She founded two real estate firms involved with billions of dollars of deals and guided countless young professionals. Her success in a male-dominated industry made an impression on the women who followed her lead.
“It was really amazing to work with someone in the business world. One of the first female business owners in real estate in Atlanta was Jenny Pruitt,” Realtor and Pruitt protégé Jennifer Pino said. “She broke all kinds of glass ceilings in Atlanta.”
Pruitt passed away on Sept. 27, at age 85, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
She founded Jenny Pruitt and Associates in 1988, which she sold to a company owned by Warren Buffett. In 2007, she founded Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Buffett sued her, but the lawsuit was eventually dismissed, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
“She won. She was just a badass,” Atlanta Fine Homes Realtor Christine Croce said. “She’s still an inspiration to me, even though I never really got to know her one-on-one.”
Pruitt’s colleagues said she made friends quickly and gained a reputation for putting people first, while maintaining her status as a formidable businesswoman.
“She had never met a stranger,”
host classes.
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an AED is on the premises, and challenging them to get one if they don’t.
The club will provide a $250 rebate to ease the financial burden of purchasing the devices.
Already local fire departments, like the Milton Fire Department, have agreed, increasing the number and capacity of CPR classes they offer, Cory said.
With 1,000 more community members trained for CPR, that’s that many more chances of saving someone’s life, he said.
The Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center in Roswell also has agreed to
Beck and another Rotary member, Richard Matherly, met at Wellstar on Oct. 8 to visit some of the medical staff who had helped save their lives.
Matherly had just finished a game of pickleball on May 17, when he suddenly fell over.
“All of a sudden, my heart quit,” Matherly said. “I stopped breathing, and I fell over and smacked my head on the concrete floor.”
A nurse playing at an adjacent court grabbed the AED, which was a mere 30 feet away, and brought him back.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90% of people who suffer cardiac arrests outside a hospital do not survive.
It’s a sobering statistic, Matherly
Realtor and colleague Kay Quigley said. “She was probably the best dinner companion you could get, and she was also a great speaker.”
Quigley worked with Pruitt for 18 years and considered her a personal and professional mentor. She was a shrewd negotiator and a fair, if stern, entrepreneur. Quigley noted Pruitt could answer questions effortlessly after she’d finished making a speech.
“It was like he had rehearsed to reply to the crowd,” Quigley said. “She was very polished.”
Pruitt was known as a woman of steadfast Christian faith. It guided everything she did, Pino said. She began working for Pruitt at Atlanta Fine Homes in 2011.
“She was a very bold leader with incredible faith and she really epitomized the phrase, ‘servant leader.’ That was written about Jenny. She could’ve coined that phrase,” Pino said. “Everything that
and Beck said. It’s also why they believe so strongly in the importance of having AEDs at gyms, which where many community members, particularly senior residents, may need them.
“It's just dumb not to have it because gyms are to promote health,” Matherly said. “But people can get carried away (with exercise), and their hearts can disagree with that.”
Matherly, 79, had never had heart trouble before. Bright-eyed and energetic, the Alpharetta resident said he regularly walks, lifts weights and takes care of his health.
“I think my heart incident was just a quirk,” he said. “I didn't have heart disease. I had an electrical issue that once solved, my body was good to go.”
The combination of classes and AEDs Rotary plans to provide in north
she did was about serving others, even when it came to her mentoring our management team. She would say, ‘Focus on supporting the agents and the bottom line will come.’”
Pruitt would send inspirational emails weekly to her friends and colleagues. Pino said she kept the emails and turned to them when she struggled.
“She showed it was possible to be in the workplace, and be a part of the business community and live out your faith, boldly and out loud,” Pino said.
Pino said she was incredible at selling real estate, but her authenticity made her special.
“That authenticity of caring for people first made her a leader worth following,” Pino said.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 21 at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church with a reception afterward.
Atlanta could save lives in the near future, Cory said.
The nurse who helped save Beck’s life, Lindsay Melcher, said she believes having AEDs in public places is “absolutely crucial.”
On Oct. 6, she once again helped save a woman who suffered a cardiac arrest at Lifetime Fitness in Alpharetta.
Chest compressions can help keep oxygenated blood pumping through a person’s body, preventing brain cells from dying, but AEDs go beyond that by restarting the heart.
“That AED is what brought her back to life,” Melcher said.
For Beck and Matherly, the second chance they received through CPR and AEDs is priceless.
“I have five grandchildren that I love, and I want to live,” Matherly said.
PRUITT
The Power of Preventive Care.
Launch:
Continued from Page 1
said, adding, “It’s the loudest, deepest rumbling you’ve ever felt. Then, you hear the crackle of flames.”
The 229-foot, 600-ton rocket accelerated to 17,500 mph in about 8 minutes, carrying two astronauts in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Then, he witnessed the return of the rocket’s booster, which fell back to Earth amid the crack of three sharp sonic booms.
Before viewing the launch, Jones toured facilities, met officials and learned about the mission during a two-day visit hosted by NASA. Jones was finally accepted this year to participate after applying numerous times before.
When he returned to school the following Monday, he showed his students a photo
Thorne:
Continued from Page 1
renovate it.
A plan to refurbish the jail’s facilities would update all housing units, replace cell lights, repair cell doors, apply a protective coating to showers and cell walls and fix plumbing fixtures, said Joseph Davis, director of real estate and asset management.
The plan comes after a January feasibility study assessed deficiencies in the jail’s structure, technology, programs and services.
“It was well understood that something had to address the housing conditions of the detainees of the Fulton County Jail,” Davis said.
The Justice Department launched a probe last July into the jail, exploring whether or not its conditions violated the constitutional rights of its inmates. That report is not yet finished.
The county’s original plan to address the situation, supported by Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, was to replace the facility entirely. The Board of Commissioners reversed course in July, voting 4-3 to deny the $1.7 billion build. Instead, the county will spend up to $300 million to make renovations to the existing property.
Alpharetta resident Gary Reed said he was glad the commissioner was not supporting the creation of a new jail.
“I like that my commissioner is not in favor of spending $2 billion on a new jail,” Reed said. “But you can do the math pretty quickly and come up with what each of us gets to write a check for to house the
slideshow and video of his experience.
“I really wish my students could have been there with me,” he said. “It is an amazing feat of engineering and technology.”
He also talked to them about careers in NASA, which doesn’t just need astronauts and engineers, he said.
“They need everybody,” Jones said.
He met a NASA seamstress who had sewn thermal quilts on parts of the space shuttle’s skin. Astronauts’ lives depend on her skills, he said.
Jones has long been fascinated by space travel, and attending the launch was a unique experience. But he said he believes space travel represents an opportunity to inspire his students and humanity as a whole.
“I love to see us as society continue to grow and reach beyond ourselves, to see the world as bigger than whatever is going on in Milton, Roswell or Alpharetta,” he said. “It’s bigger than us … It’s about dreaming about what we can do next.”
bad actors in the county … I have not seen a money tree out here in the county that we can go pick off of during harvest.”
Sandy Springs resident Ginger Bradshaw agreed.
“I want our taxes to be as low as possible, but I want the taxes that we do pay to be well spent,” Bradshaw said.
Thorne said she does not support an increase in taxes to rebuild the jail and instead thinks refurbishing is the best approach. She said she also is looking into other criminal justice issues in the county like reducing the time inmates spend there and mental health.
“I would love it if we could afford it, but I simply think we can’t afford it,” she said.
A Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket sits on the launchpad before takeoff Sept. 28. Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones was invited by NASA to view the launch as part of a special two-day event.
STEVE JONES/ PROVIDED
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Alpharetta resident Gary Reed asks Fulton County officials a question at an Oct. 8 town hall meeting.
Commissioner Bridget Thorne speaks to residents at an Oct. 8 town hall event at the Fulton County Customer Service Center. Topics of discussion included the county jail, nonprofits, veterans and the youth commission.
OPINION
Another fall has arrived. My backyard patch of old growth trees is starting to shed leaves already –turning yellow and preparing for winter. Summer’s heat is dissipating into coolish temperatures. The hurricane has come and gone. We got lucky here in Atlanta – at least compared to a number of South Georgia, North Florida, and other Southern cities. The wind didn’t do the damage; the water did. Water is as destructive as any bomb; nothing can withstand the hydraulics of water. The battle in Ukraine continues as well as the one just ramping up in Lebanon. The election race of course
continues – as ugly, intrusive and disruptive as it can be. Who wants to have to deal with the white noise day in and day out?
I feel like a worn-out traveler – a hiker – walking down a trail that is nothing but gaps and summits – and with no knowledge of how far in front I still have to go. It seems like we’ve all been on this trail longer than we can remember and that somehow it is now becoming a reality replacing what we knew before – if we can actually remember “before.’’
I didn’t used to think like that. Before, I saw and understood the cyclical nature of life. It didn’t matter how dark the time became, because I knew that it was temporary and that better times were somewhere down the road – around the corner. Just wait for it. But somehow that has changed. What, why? How?
We do best with order and certainty in our lives. We like to feel that we have control. We crave security, a roof over our heads, food, and order. And of course, love from others. So, what’s up? Where are we going? What does that summit look like? Or will it be a gap instead.
I plan to drive down to my beach place in Florida soon. Hurricane Helena was pointed directly at my front door – literally until about 5 hours prior to land fall. It was, we knew, probably going to be a Cat 3 or 4 storm accompanied by a tidal surge that would most likely destroy everything in its path – including my house. Instead, it veered just a few degrees to the east and destroyed other people’s homes and lives instead of mine. It’s difficult to reconcile that scenario. How can one feel relieved when someone else had to pay?
A zero-sum proposition I guess; someone has to lose for someone else to win. There is something about that idea that seems to me to cut to the chase of life perhaps – zero sum or something else. If you believe the zero-sum scenario, then you don’t think about that other side too much; you just focus on me/mine. I get mine; your get your own. But what does the alternative mean?
In that question lies the rub. It may mean that not accepting the zero-sum enlarges our own world and opens new doors for ourselves and those around us. It may mean that there is a better way out of the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds us all. It may mean that we all count, and we all lose when just one of us suffers. It may mean that we see a sunrise more clearly and feel the warmth in an otherwise chillingly cold world.
Specific units a potential relief for housing crisis
By Kathy Swahn, Nancy Diamond, Jack Murphy
Zero sum or something with more empathy GUEST COLUMN
North Fulton County, Georgia, is one of the most vibrant areas in the Atlanta metro region, known for its excellent schools, job opportunities, and high quality of life. However, the escalating housing crisis is creating a barrier for recent graduates and young adults, forcing them to seek homes out-side of the community. The scarcity of affordable housing, paired with restrictive zoning regula-tions, is exacerbating this issue. Introducing auxiliary dwelling units (ADUs) could help retain younger generations and provide a more flexible housing market.
Community at a crossroads
Our cities have seen rapid growth in population and development over the past decade, driven by the area’s economic strength and desirable living conditions. But this growth has come at a price: rising home prices and limited affordable housing options. Many families who have lived here for years are now faced with the reality that their children, upon graduating from high school or college, are unable to afford to live nearby. The median home price in North Fulton is significantly higher than in surrounding areas, pushing young people out of the market. Apartment rents are also rising, and new developments often tar-get higher-income earners. For recent graduates or young professionals just starting their careers, the costs are simply too high, forcing them to relocate to more affordable areas farther from
their families, workplaces, and support networks.
This exodus of young people can have a lasting impact on the community. As these young adults leave, they take with them potential contributions to the local economy, culture, and workforce. Moreover, families are fragmented, with parents and grandparents no longer able to enjoy close proximity to their children and grandchildren.
Potential relief
One possible solution to this issue is the development of ADUs, which are smaller, self-contained housing units that exist on the same lot as a larger primary residence. These units, also referred to as in-law suites, granny flats, or carriage houses, and can offer a more affordable housing option for recent graduates or young professionals while staying close to home.
ADUs can take many forms—such as converted garages, basement apartments, or standalone small houses in a backyard. These units could help address the housing crisis by increasing the housing supply without requiring new, large-scale developments. Here’s how they could be part of the solution:
1. Affordability: ADUs are typically more affordable to build and rent than larger homes or new apartment complexes. They offer an opportunity for younger residents to live independent-ly but within their financial means, especially in
Affordable housing continues to be a serious issue across North Metro Atlanta. Groups like the North Fulton Improvement Network are trying to help, and Appen Media is dedicated to covering the process. Send ideas, questions and feedback to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
expensive areas like North Fulton.
2. Multigenerational Living: ADUs allow for multigenerational living, where recent graduates can live near or with their families without crowding the main household. This can help maintain family bonds while providing younger adults with the independence they seek.
3. Efficient Use of Space: In areas where zoning laws restrict high-density housing, ADUs pro-vide a way to increase the housing supply without changing the character of the neighbor-hood. Many suburban areas in North Fulton have the land available to accommodate ADUs, making them a practical solution.
4. Sustainability: Because ADUs are smaller and often share utilities with the main house, they tend to be more energyefficient and environmentally friendly than building new, large single-family homes or sprawling apartment complexes.
Barriers
While ADUs present an intriguing solution, they are not without their challenges. Zoning laws in North Fulton County can be restrictive, often limiting or prohibiting the construction of ADUs.
Many neighborhoods and local governments are resistant to changes that could increase density, citing concerns over parking, traffic, or altering the neighborhood’s character. Additionally, financing and construction costs can still be prohibitive for some homeowners looking to add ADUs to their property.
To make ADUs a viable part of the solution to North Fulton’s housing crisis, local governments would need to consider revising zoning ordinances, providing incentives for homeowners to build ADUs, and developing clear guidelines to address community concerns.
Moving forward
As North Fulton County continues to grow, finding solutions to the housing crisis will be critical to keeping communities intact and vibrant. Auxiliary dwelling units, if properly supported, could offer one way to bridge the gap between high housing costs and the needs of young adults entering the housing market or grandparents wanting to downsize. By allowing our children to live nearby after graduation, ADUs could help maintain family connections, support the local economy, and provide a more sustainable, inclusive community for everyone.
It’s time for North Fulton to explore creative solutions like ADUs to ensure that future generations can continue to call this area home.
Kathy Swahn, Nancy Diamond and Jack Murphy are members of North Fulton Improvement Network. Learn more at www.improvenorthfulton.org.
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
The exciting history of horses in North Fulton
The origin of horses in North America has been the subject of much research by experts. A common view has been that horses were here more than 50 million years ago evolving from small dog-size equines.
A detailed analysis is contained in the journal Science in March, 2023. It holds that the ancestors of Indians arrived in North America during the ice age and found wild horses already here. The Indian ancestors hunted the horses and did not domesticate them. They used their bones as tools. Horses became extinct and did not return to North American until Columbus brought some to America in 1492.
According to The American Horse Council, a trade association in Washington DC, in 2023, there were an estimated 6.65 million horses in the United States with 2.2 million jobs created in the various horse industry sectors. According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture the total economic impact in Georgia, with its 74,000 horses, is more than $750 million.
An estimated 82,000 wild horses exist mostly in western states. Cumberland Island in Georgia is home to 150 to 200 feral horses probably descended from horses brought to the island by English settlers in the 18th century.
Some residents in North Fulton raise or have raised horses commercially. Legendary businessman and farmer Jake Hughes raised registered American Quarter Horses on his farm in Crabapple in the 1950s and 1960s. He auctioned his horses in a large circular ring to buyers who came from all over the world. He often had 30 champion-quality horses at any given time.
Elizabeth Mateo owner of Premier Thoroughbreds divides her time between her home in Milton and her training center in Ocala, Florida. She keeps Thoroughbreds – a horse breed developed for horse racing -- in both locations. Elizabeth buys yearlings in Kentucky every year and gets them ready for sale in March through May. She races some of her horses at Saratoga Racetrack in NY, Belmont Racetrack in NY and Gulfstream Park Racecourse near Miami. She usually
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
This bronzed horse standing in a roundabout next to the Milton Library reminds passersby of Milton’s equestrian heritage. The Milton Arts Council raised funds for the statue which was installed in 2020.
has some 30 horses on hand.
Specialized organizations are devoted to the welfare of horses and riders. The non-profit Pony Club in Milton focuses on education and management training. Membership is open to adults and children of all ages and includes English and Western riding disciplines. The club meets regularly at different farms in North Fulton. The United States Pony Club has 600 individual clubs in the US and Virgin Islands. Lydia Eilinger is District Commissioner. Club contact: www.ponyclub.org.
Iron Horse Therapy in Milton is a 501c3 non-profit that offers therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional difficulties. This includes autism, PTSD, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome and other conditions. Established nine years ago by Christine Johnston the center has helped hundreds of people. Certified instructors work with individuals or small groups.
For information on how to donate to Iron Horse call Christine at 678 2315038.
The authority on horses in Milton is the Milton Equestrian Committee, an official commission of the city government. Chairman Tony Rich says there are more than 200 active horse farms in Milton based on an extensive year-long census the Committee published early in 2024. For more information about the census go to www.miltonga.gov/ MiltonHorseFarms.
Milton Equestrian Committee board member Julie Shannon says that Birmingham Park is the main location in Milton for equestrians. “People come from all over north Georgia to ride there,” she says. Julie and her husband Dave own and operate the 65-acre Shannondale Farm, designated an “Elite Training Center” by the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
One facility with a unique business approach to horses is The
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/PROVIDED Equus scotti is an extinct species of horse dating back to the ice age, more than 7 feet long and about 4.5 feet tall at the shoulder.
Farm at Pamelot which is also a winery and an outdoor entertainment venue. Pamelot offers lessons, equine boarding, summer camp, birthday parties, vineyard visits and live music. Owner Pamela Borgel founded the farm in 1991. She and her husband David and daughter Juliette Johnson operate the business. Contact information: 770 846-1559; info@pamelotfarm.com.
Jeff Dufresne, President of the Milton Historical Society, an admirer of the equine history of North Fulton, has written articles and given public presentations on the subject. Jeff says, “Milton has the largest concentration of horses between Lexington, KY and Ocala, FL.” Jeff notes that dressage is important in Milton. Contact: info@ miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org
The Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta is a major horse venue with eight large barns with almost 300 stalls. It boasts several covered and uncovered rings. Shows and special events are regularly scheduled in this fine park.
A little farther away is the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. Some 600,000 spectators attended events during the Olympics and the economic boost continues with a wide range of scheduled events, both equine and other.
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
OPINION
Chamber’s trip north a lesson for region
One of the most important things we do as a regional Chamber is bring together public and private sector leaders from across North Fulton to visit a similar, aspirational location that aligns with the strategic vision of our region. This year, that Strategic Leadership Visit was to Carmel and Fishers, Indiana and included a special conversation with IndyGo and MARTA in Indianapolis.
IndyGo is the premier Bus Rapid Transit provider of Indianapolis and considered world class. The opportunity for our 30 leaders to travel with MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood to spend a day hearing from IndyGo executives about lessons learned from BRT and also to ride an electric bus, spend time at the stations and discuss the economic halo effect of BRT was impactful and unparalleled.
One of our attendees, Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said, “As North Fulton moves forward into the BRT arena in the coming years, hearing regional leaders from another metro
share their successes, challenges and opportunities was incredibly helpful. I believe this experience will significantly impact how we partner together across our region in the years to come.”
During the visit, the group discussed other important topics for
North Fulton, including public-private partnerships, sports, trails and arts as economic drivers, downtown redevelopment, and cultivating a thriving region for talent attraction. These meetings were led by local government, business, and industry leaders and featured several key
venues, including Carmel’s City Center, Monon Trail, and Palladium, and the soon-to-be-open sports development, Fishers Event Center.
“The entire trip experience was excellent, especially the focus on downtown redevelopment and community placemaking,” said Peyton Jamison, Mayor of Milton. “Their region has achieved great success in creating a vibrant sense of place and community identity within each of the region’s, much of which is tied to downtown districts and community gathering spots. It was exciting to think about ways to incorporate what we learned in our cities and across the region in the future.”
In addition to lessons learned while in Indiana, top regional leaders were also able to forge lasting relationships that will remain long after the trip ends. Those relationships will be the key to driving forward a successful region that benefits all six of our cities and its businesses and residents, and we are proud to be able to produce an annual event that successfully accomplishes both goals of education and bridge building.
Kali Boatright is President & CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
Dawson County event helps jump start Christmas
MIKE TASOS Columnist
That chill in the air, coupled with being part of something so very worthwhile, trumped sleeping in on a recent Saturday morning.
I ignored the alarm a few times, hoping the “snooze” feature would malfunction and I could return to the land of sweet dreams. But it was my duty to be rational.
The kids needed their Christmas presents.
Before you worry and say: “Maxine, the boy’s done lost it. He’s talking about Christmas presents in October. His kids are grown, and he’ll not go near Walmart’s toy display.”
All that would be correct, except I did do something, albeit miniscule, to help some well-deserving kids have some Christmas magic materialize where there might be none.
Upon hearing the term “Shop
With A Cop,” I supposed that a buying spree with Buford T. Justice and a Diablo sandwich/Dr. Pepper condo would be a terrible way to get a little Christmas. But the folks from the Dawson County Sherriff’s Department did their part to see to it that holiday despair and angst will give way to visions of sugar plums dancing around in some youngsters’ heads.
As one who has made it a point to steer clear of motorcycle rides that include more than six bikes, I found myself in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame parking lot with a seemingly endless sea of motorcycles, trikes and even a motorcycle that looked like a jet ski.
The final tally of participating vehicles was 147 and the event raised $6,100 that will make some magic for some Dawson County students who will experience an early Christmas.
According to Sandra Evans, who oversaw this wonderful event, school resource officers will help provide names of potential children
who will get a pizza lunch and a trip to Walmart where, at least for an afternoon, money is no object. Imagine having carte blanche and no one saying “I can’t afford that. Put it back.”
When describing the joy that comes from this endeavor, Evans becomes a bit weepy. Inevitably the kids won’t want to buy only for themselves, instead choosing to share the wealth and buy gifts for family members. Evans said it could be a small thing like a bottle of Mountain Dew, but the kids get in the spirit of the season.
I thoroughly enjoyed the nearly two hours on the road. The scenery was breathtaking, the weather perfect, the camaraderie contagious. It was well worth the $25 entry fee. I forked over $100 for raffle tickets.
I heard one guy mutter “I didn’t win a damn thing.” I wanted to tell him that even though he didn’t win a prize, there was lots of good that came out of this Saturday sojourn through north Georgia.
It was mesmerizing to spy the
train of all those participants. Residents along the route were on their porches, making sure to wave and further warm the hearts of riders and passengers, driving home the point that everyone was doing something truly good. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling and waving.
Evans says there are plans to build on this year’s success by getting a corporate sponsor to increase the reality of more funds. I sure hope it grows. I can’t wait to do it again.
There’s something that made me feel all “biker” at being able to blow through stop signs and red lights with the blessing of law enforcement personnel. It was the only time in my life where seeing flashing blue lights in my rear-view mirror and hearing a siren didn’t ruin my day.
Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
KALI BOATRIGHT Guest Columnist
KALI BOATRIGHT/SPECIAL
The Palladium is a 1500-seat venue in Carmel, Indiana, one of the sites visited during this year’s Strategic Leadership Visit.
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So it’s about 9 a.m., and I’m up at Unicoi State Park getting ready to hike from the park to Helen. I’ll be walking the Unicoi-to-Helen trail, a trail I’ve hiked many times before. I don’t know why I chose it again on this particular day, but I did – maybe because there’s that certain pre-fall whisper of “cool” in the air. After the scorching days of summer, that’s about all it takes.
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My plan is to hike all the way to town, get a little snack or something there, and then hike back to the park. Round trip, it will be about six miles. I can do it!
Parts of the trail can be challenging, largely due to ascents and descents. For that reason, many hikers here don’t go quite as fast as they’re used to. But I’ve allowed plenty of time. Even if I spend an hour or two in town, I’ll still get back to the car before the shadows start getting long. In fact, I’ll be back in plenty of time to take her to dinner.
Yes, it’s nice to have the clock on your side. She reminds me of that sometimes.
And she’s right, I tell myself, though
it’s hard for us free-spirit, forgetthe-clock outdoor types to admit it. Sometimes it’s a good thing to mind that clock and get out the door on time.
I choose to start at the graveled day use parking area not far from Unicoi Lodge, making my way toward Smith Creek. I walk down the grassy slope, traversing the big field before crossing the creek on a little footbridge and then turning left. I’m on my way to Helen.
At first, my hike is solitary. I like that sometimes. Hiking by yourself, you fall into a cadence. Your paces set the tempo, your stride defines the rhythm, and as your mind settles in the distance just seems to melt away.
And that’s how it goes for the first mile or so. My hiking stick, the one my friend Wayne gave me years ago, swings back and forth, back and forth, as my step count rises. I slip into that hiker’s trance you hear about sometimes. It’s soothing. It’s good for the soul.
I push the pace a little. The trails slip by faster.
But all at once, as if I’m standing still, I am passed by a red and yellow blur.
“Mikey!” calls a voice from somewhere behind me. “Wait up!”
The sound jars me back to reality,
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STEVE HUDSON Columnist
COMBINED NOTICE
NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
(Name of Responsible Entity)
60 Executive Park South, NE Atlanta, GA 30329-2231 (404) 596-2626
(Address, Zip Code and Telephone Number of Responsible Entity)
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These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by Pennrose LLC
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At least one day after the end of the comment period the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will submit a request to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds (Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990) for the following project:
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The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) received an application in January 2024 for the award of federal HOME funding for the development of this project. DCA has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) prepared by DCA. This ERR is on file at DCA at 60 Executive Park South, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30329 by appointment only and may be examined or copied weekdays from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
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Outside:
Continued from Page 34
and as the blur fades into the near distance I see that it’s not a blur at all but instead a young lad of about seven or eight. Wow. I’d thought I was walking fast. But, by golly, that kid is making some seriously good time.
“Wait up, Mikey! Wait up!” the voice shouts again, this time a little more definite.
Ahead of me, Mikey slows and then stops. I stop too. Turning to look back and see from whence came the call, I spy three figures headed my way. One, I decide, must be the mom. Another is a girl of about 12 or 13. The third is presumably dad. All look happy. All are clearly having a good time. And all are
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wearing some serious hiking boots. They catch up to me in less than 20 seconds.
“Morning!” I say, adding the nearuniversal greeting of one hiker to another: “It’s a fine day for a walk!”
“It is indeed!” says the mom. “Y’all going all the way to Helen?” “Probably,” the dad says. “But either way, it’s just good day to hike!” That it is.
The dad continues, “I used to hike like this with my own dad. We’d go out and just walk. It didn’t really matter if we actually went anywhere. It was just the getting out that I remember.”
“It’s way better than just doing this,” adds the girl, working her fingers like she’s punching buttons on an invisible cellphone. “It’s healthier too!”
I ask how often they get out like this, hiking together and all.
“We’ve been hiking since Emma was about a year old,” the mom adds. “Now we try to get out at least once a week.”
The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, November 7, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, November 18, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. MP-24-09/CU-24-12 Alpharetta Hotel Holdings LLC/Hybrid Hotel
Consideration of a master plan amendment and conditional use to allow ‘Hotel, Hybrid’ on 9.89 acres in the Preston Ridge Master Plan. A master plan amendment is requested to the Preston Ridge Master Plan Pod H to add ‘Hotel, Hybrid’ as a conditional use and a conditional use is requested to allow a ‘Hotel, Hybrid’ for a dual brand Marriott hotel. The property is located at 12140 Morris Road and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1262, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
b. CLUP-24-03/MP-24-06/Z-24-11/V-24-18 TPG/Brookside Master Plan Pod B
Consideration of a comprehensive land use plan amendment, master plan amendment, rezoning and variance to allow 160 ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’, Attached’ units on 9.89 acres. A master plan amendment is requested to the Brookside Master Plan Pod B to add ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’, Attached’ as a permitted use. A comprehensive land use plan amendment is requested from ‘Corporate Office’ to ‘High Density Residential’ and a rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to R-10M (Dwelling, ‘For-Rent’ or ‘For-Sale’, Residential). Variances are requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 2.2.10(D) R-10M, District Regulations to reduce the setback along Old Milton Parkway, UDC Section 2.5 Parking and Loading to reduce parking and allow uncovered/unenclosed parking, UDC Subsection 3.2.8 Tree Replanting, Buffer, and Landscape standards to reduce the undisturbed buffer requirements, and UDC Subsection 2.2.10(D) to increase building height and reduce setbacks. The property is located at 3750 Brookside Parkway and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 43, 44, 49 & 50, 1st District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
c. MP-24-10/CU-24-14 Lava Island/Regency Park Master Plan Pod 3
Consideration of a master plan amendment and conditional use to allow a ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ business within an existing shopping center in the North Point Overlay. A master plan amendment is request to the Regency Park Master Plan Pod 3 to add ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ and a conditional use is requested to allow ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ for Lava Island. The property is located at 7121 North Point Parkway and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 687 & 688, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
d. Z-24-14/V-24-22 Pinnacle Pg LLC/Karen Drive
Consideration of a rezoning and variances to allow for the construction of 14 ‘For-Sale’ single-family detached homes on 2.68 acres in the Downtown. A rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) and C-2 (General Commercial) to DT-MU (Downtown Mixed-Use). Variances are requested from Unified Development Code (UDC) Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 2.3.3(G) to modify local street residential streetscape standards, UDC Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 2.4.6(C) to allow a street-facing garage without the required 20’ setback from the front façade of the home, and UDC Subsection 3.2.8(D) to reduce the landscape strip requirement along a new local street. The property is located at 0, 297 & 315 Karen Drive and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 693 & 696, 1st District, 2 nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
e. PH-24-17 Unified Development Code (UDC) Text Amendments – Short Term Rentals
Consideration of text amendments to Section 1.4 Definitions of Article I, Table 2.2 List of Permissible and Conditional Uses of Article II, Section 2.7 Miscellaneous Regulations of Article II, and Section 4.5.5 Exceptions of Article IV of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to add regulations pertaining to Short Term Rentals.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
She continues, “You know, it’s a shame. Most of their friends have never hiked at all. But these two, well, they’ve been doing it a while now. We want them to love it as much as we do.”
I’m betting that they will, and I say so.
“That’s the plan,” says the dad, and the mom adds, “It really is good to get ‘em outside.”
We chat for a minute more, but I can see that Mikey is chomping at the bit. Given the opportunity, I’ll bet he’d hike all the way to Macon.
They continue on down the trail, around a bend and out of sight, Helenbound.
I wait a moment so as not to crowd them. Then I resume hiking too.
After a while, the trail leaves the woods and goes on and off pavement for the last short downhill run down to Main Street and Helen proper.
I have all the time in the world, so I make my way downtown and stop at my favorite fudge shop for a little box of chocolate heaven. I stow it in my daypack.
Then I just wander, walking and watching people. I stroll through town to the bridge over the Chattahoochee, pausing to watch some kids drift by below me, carried by vivid green inner tubes. Aren’t they cold? Nah, I guess not, I tell myself. They’re tough. They’re kids. They’re young.
After watching the river for a while, I turn round and make my way back through town. Backtracking now, I come at last to the point where the trail once more takes to the woods.
Stepping off the asphalt feels good. It’s nice to feel honest, unadorned earth underfoot once again.
As I do, I hear a voice behind me – “Mikey! Wait up!” And then here he comes, passing me in another red and yellow blur.
I stop then and rummage in the daypack and dig out a piece of fudge. As I savor it, the rest of Mikey’s crew passes me too.
Sure, the fudge is mostly sugar. But it’s tasty sugar, and I’ll work it off. Besides, I need the energy for the hike back – especially if I am to have a prayer of a chance of keeping up with Mikey. He’s already out of sight, moving fast, heading on down the trail.
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Sawnee EMC is seeking an Accounts Receivable Clerk to reconcile consumer accounts and process members’ transactions (i.e., Cash, Check, Credit Card, or Money Order). Will supply information to customers and resolve customer inquiries through faceto-face communication. Requires: high school diploma or equivalency, proficiency in mathematics, monetary, and general office skills. A minimum of two years of related experience preferred. Position is full-time; must be flexible to work irregular hours, to include evenings and weekends.
Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, October 25, 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 accommodation(s) may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
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