Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - November 30, 2023

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Neighbors fight plan for office-restaurant along Roswell Street Alpharetta City councilmembers approve variance for developer

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

Coffee and community

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

McKinley, Shawn, Kenny, Woods and Brooke Libby smile outside Warm Waves Coffee House Nov. 17 on North Main Street in Alpharetta.

The family-owned coffee shop opened its doors in 2021 after testing the waters at the Alpharetta Farmers Market. Read story, Page 8.

Cities complete plans for holiday festivals ► PAGE 4

Roswell moves ahead with bond projects ► PAGE 5

Pact may help ease jail overcrowding ► PAGE 10

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta is seeking to expand the appeal of downtown with a new restaurant and office on Roswell Street.

But, neighboring residents have pushed back against the plans to protect their property values and the safety of their subdivision.

The City Council voted 7-0 Nov. 27 to change previous zoning conditions on the 1.12 acres that encompass two lots at 75 and 91 Roswell Street.

The site will include a building with a 23,200-square-foot office to be used by the developers, a 2,500-square-foot restaurant and a two-level parking deck.

Trilogy Investment Co. CEO Jason Joseph and A BETTR Life founder Jeff Levitan proposed the project.

With successful businesses and investments in Alpharetta, they said their new office on Roswell Street will further their commitment to the city.

“We think it’s going to be nice and beautiful, and people are going to enjoy it,” Levitan said. “If I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t build it.”

The property straddles the corner of Cotton Alley and Marietta and Roswell streets.

See VARIANCE, Page 11

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2 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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Judged a newspaper of General Excellence 2023

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Phone chargers stolen off man’s front porch

no success.

An update from the Roswell Police Department on the search for the missing man came around 9 a.m. Nov. 24. Police announced that with the aid of residents and the media, the man had been located and returned to his family.

Canton man reports $5,400 identity fraud

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta man reported Nov. 15 someone stole a package containing two $25 cellphone chargers off his front porch on Lakeway Place.

The victim reported receiving a FedEx package around 1 p.m. Nov. 14, which he confirmed on his Ring Video Doorbell camera footage.

Some 10 minutes later, the footage showed a man taking the package from his porch and leaving the property, the report states.

Officers reported reviewing the footage, but the suspect’s face was not visible.

No suspects have been identified.

Resident with dementia safely returned to family ROSWELL, Ga. — After issuing a Mattie’s Call Nov. 23 for a 73-year old Roswell man with Parkinson’s dementia, Roswell police located him and returned him to his family Nov. 24.

The Georgia General Assembly established an emergency missing alert for disabled or elderly people, or Mattie’s Call, in 2006.

The missing man’s son told officers his father had left his home on Wildwood Springs Drive around 1:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Roswell Police encouraged residents in the Wildwood Springs and Mountain Park area to check their property for the missing man.

Officers checked security cameras and scoured the area with

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A Canton man reported Nov. 14 someone withdrew $5,400 from his LGE Community Credit Union account the week before.

The victim said he contacted the credit union after discovering the unauthorized transaction Nov. 8.

LGE employees reportedly told the victim a male suspect had used identification containing his driver’s license number, name and address to deposit a fraudulent check and withdraw the money.

The suspect also used the victim’s Social Security number, the report states.

The credit union closed the victim’s account and reimbursed the stolen funds.

The victim said his credit had been flagged, and he is obtaining a new driver’s license number.

Officers reported the victim wishes to press charges if the suspect is identified.

Resident reports neighbor for reckless driving habit ROSWELL, Ga. — A Roswell officer was dispatched to a residence on Barrington Landing Court Nov. 25 to document an incident of road rage between neighbors.

A resident said he wanted to document the reckless conduct of his neighbor who drove his vehicle toward him before swerving at the last second.

The responding officer said

the resident did not believe his neighbor was going to hit him with the vehicle, but he wanted to document the incident in case the issues continue.

He told police the suspect shouted at him from his vehicle and said, “I’m crazy.”

Prior to reporting the incident Nov. 25, the man said he and his neighbor had argued about speeding on Barrington Landing Court.

The responding officer was unable to contact the suspect.

The alleged victim was advised to call 911 if the neighbor continued to act recklessly or suspiciously.

Forsyth woman arrested for alleged intoxication ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police arrested a 52-year -old Forsyth County woman Nov. 14 who allegedly slept in a booth while intoxicated at Lazy Dog on Haynes Bridge Road.

Officers reported speaking with the woman at the restaurant around 10 p.m., and she was visibly intoxicated.

The restaurant manager told officers he wanted the woman to leave, and she left without argument, the report states. She reportedly struggled to walk and could not maintain her balance, and she responded to officers slowly with slurred speech.

Officers reported trying to secure a ride to get the suspect to a safe location, but she was unable to answer their questions on how they could assist or whom she could call.

Officers deemed the suspect a danger to herself and cited her for being disorderly while under the influence, a city ordinance violation.

She was transported to the North Fulton County Jail following her release from the hospital.

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NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023 | 3

UGA’s Hairy Dawg packs City Springs

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Hundreds of families and Dawgs fans from Metro Atlanta packed into the City Springs Studio Theater Nov. 19 for Cookies & Cocoa with Hairy Dawg, an annual event put on by one of the University of Georgia Alumni Association’s affinity groups — Women of UGA. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly optimistic after the Bulldogs defeated the University of Tennessee Volunteers 38-10 in their last conference game of the 2023 season.

The annual Cookies & Cocoa event has become a tradition in many Metro Atlanta households, according to Women of UGA councilmember Mandy Rodgers.

Women of UGA have put on the event every year since 2017.

While last year’s event was held at Villa Christina in Brookhaven, this year’s event was held at City Springs for the first time.

“We do try to look at the map and make it as central as possible, which is hard because we have such a big alumni group,” Rodgers said.

The UGA Alumni Association created four affinity groups to be led by 15-person leadership councils who steer the mission and programming for each distinct group.

The other three affinity groups are UGA Black Alumni, Young Alumni and Latino Alumni.

Rodgers said the entire alumni community is invited to the affinity group’s signature event.

Women of UGA selected a specific charitable organization for the first time in the annual event’s history.

The alumni group raised over $10,000 for Embark@UGA, a campus-based initiative for students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, according to a Women of UGA Facebook post Nov. 21.

Proceeds from donations, UGA bookstore purchases and admission fees for the event contributed to the charitable donation.

While the event was at a new venue this year, all the previous activities, including story corner with special guests, “Letters to Uga” activity station, cookie decorating and the Hairy Dawg Holiday Photo.

“We try to do the photos at the beginning because everyone wants to have their kids as clean and crisp as possible,” Rodgers said.

For each of the four time slots from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the City Springs Studio Theatre, story time began at the half-hour

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

The Women of UGA Leadership Council takes a photo with the team mascot, Hairy Dawg, Nov. 19. The alumni group raised over $10,000 for Embark@UGA, a campus-based initiative for students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

mark, giving everyone ample time to take a photo with Hairy Dawg.

After gathering all the young Dawg fans in the story corner, the Alumni Redcoat Pep Band performed to conclude the event.

While author and former wide receiver Malcom Mitchell has been a special guest reader in previous years, Rennie Curran and his daughter Eleana read their book, “What Does It Take To Be a Star?”

Curran is a former professional athlete, three-time All-American at the University of Georgia and the chief executive officer of Game Changer Coaching.

The Currans were asked how it felt to be able to share their motivational children’s book at an alumni event.

“For me, it’s definitely an honor because UGA is such a big part of my life and a big part of how I’m able to pass on my experiences to her,” Rennie Curran said.

“It felt good because I want to empower little kids,” Eleana Curran said. “…to tell them that there is a way to become what you want to become, as long as you put that work in.”

C. Lee Zell, president of the University of Georgia Alumni Association Board of Directors, was also in attendance.

Zell joined Miss UGA 2023 Sarah Park and Chuck Kinnebrew to serve as special guest readers at different time slots throughout the day.

“I came here with my daughter, and it was actually her first time meeting Hairy,” Alpharetta resident Dan Middleton said.

“We got some great Christmas photos… this is a great event and its local.”

4 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

NEWS

Cities gear up for festivities to celebrate the holidays

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

Roswell ROSWELL, Ga. — The annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Heart of Roswell Park will take place Dec. 1 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The event will include choral performances, hot chocolate, fire pits and s’mores, live reindeer, a special reading of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Mayor Kurt Wilson and a visit from Santa Claus.

The culminating event is the lighting of a 40-foot Christmas tree at the center of Heart of Roswell Park.

Canton Street, between Norcross Street and Magnolia Street, will be closed, creating a holiday atmosphere that extends into the downtown business district.

The event is free and open to the public.

Roswell Dance Starz will present “Frozen: A Winter Dance Spectacular,” an allages, family-friendly performance featuring ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary and tap styles Dec. 2 at the Cultural Arts Center on Forrest Street.

There are two showtimes, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 2. Performance run time is one

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

The cast of the City Springs Theatre Company’s production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” performs a song-and-dance act in 2022. The production runs Dec. 8-24, with five additional performances added so that more guests can celebrate the holiday season. hour with no intermission.

Roswell Dance Starz is the resident dance company of the Recreation, Parks, and Historic and Cultural Affairs Department.

The company is comprised of several divisions divided by both grade level and talent, from rising second grade through twelfth grade. Acceptance into Dance Starz is by audition only. Auditions for the 202425 season are May 13-15.

For more information, visit https:// www.roswell365.com/event/rds-frozen-2023/

Sandy Springs The festivities at City Springs begin with the opening of Sparkle Wonderland, Sparkle Village, Skate City Springs, and the gift market and food trucks at 4 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 3.

The holiday celebration and parade get into gear with live music by The Rupert's Orchestra and artificial snowflakes falling on City Springs at 4:30 p.m.

The Sparkle Parade steps off at 6 p.m. and concludes with a menorah and tree lighting around 6:50 p.m.

The schedule is subject to change.

Road closures begin at 3 p.m. and attractions close at 7 p.m.

Residents can also explore the Sparkle Village, a month-long display of miniature homes, decked out in decor and twinkling lights from Nov. 24 to Dec. 31 The six-foot-tall wooden houses are decorated by local businesses, schools and nonprofits. Some of this year's participants include the Abernathy Arts Center, Heards Ferry and High Point Elementary, Los Niños Primero and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber.

If residents cannot make it out to the Sparkle Sandy Springs parade and holiday celebration Dec. 3, Broadway’s holiday favorite, “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” opens Dec. 8 in the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, 1 Galambos Way. The City Springs Theatre Company brings the Christmas classic to Metro Atlanta audiences, with additional performances already in place to meet the demand for this holiday classic. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is part of the 2023-24 PNC Bank Season and is made possible by a generous individual donation from Barbara and Yardy Williams.

“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” will be performed December 8-24, 2023. Group tickets are available for companies and organizations interested in making the production part of their holiday celebrations.

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is based on the classic 1954 Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye movie of the same name.

The show features seventeen songs by the legendary songwriter Irving Berlin, including “Blue Skies,” “Happy Holidays,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” and the musical’s Oscar-winning title song.

Returning to direct and choreograph “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” is Broadway’s Sara Edwards, who previously directed and choreographed CSTC’s 2022 production of “Anything Goes.”

“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” is included in current subscriber season packages. Individual tickets range from $37$145 with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and active and retired military personnel, and are on sale now.

For more information, call 404-4774365 or visit https://www.cityspringstheatre.com/

Dunwoody The City of Dunwoody’s Brook Run Park will shine bright with 85,000 lights and an Après-ski theme throughout December.

The Parks and Recreation Department will bring Holiday Lights back for the fourth annual celebration. Opening night festivities will take place Dec. 1 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch will flip the switch on the lights at 6 p.m.

This year’s opening night coincides with the 15-year anniversary of the City of Dunwoody, which was incorporated on Dec. 1, 2008.

The first 125 guests will receive special mugs, and the light display will include an illuminated anniversary logo.

The Mega Tree will return with animated lights synched to holiday music.

Opening night festivities will include free hot cocoa and character photo-ops beginning at 4 p.m.

In addition to lights, Dunwoody Parks and Recreation will also mark the season with two letter campaigns.

Letters to Seniors will be distributed to Dunwoody assisted living communities for their residents to open and enjoy. Look for the mailbox at City Hall and Spruill Arts Center starting Dec. 1. Letters will be accepted until noon on Dec. 21.

Also, children can send messages and pictures to Santa by emailing Santa.

Claus@dunwoodyga.gov.

Santa will respond with a personalized, mailed letter all the way from the North Pole.

Messages will be accepted from Dec. 1 until Dec. 15.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023 | 5

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell’s Director of Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Steven Malone presents a contract for approval of the Big Creek Park bond project to City Council Nov. 27. Malone said the deteriorating boardwalk raised safety concerns for residents.

Roswell bond projects continue path forward

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell City Council approved a contract Nov. 27 with Osprey Management to reconstruct sections of the boardwalk at Big Creek Park at 1600 Old Alabama Road.

If Roswell residents are wondering why their city taxes increased in 2023, even though the City Council reduced the property tax rate to fund government operations, look no further than the debt service on voterapproved bonds the city issued for major municipal projects.

Steven Malone, who began his position as director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs last month, presented the bond project at the council meeting.

The boardwalk, originally constructed in 2005, has deteriorated because of a rising floodplain combined with natural wear and tear.

The boardwalk at Big Creek Park is one section of the Big Creek Greenway, which spans from Roswell north through Alpharetta and into Forsyth County.

Since 2020, Roswell has incrementally repaired more than 400 linear feet of the boardwalk using pressure-treated lumber, joist tape and Trex composite decking, “Anytime you buy pressure-treated lumber, you are always going to have repairs and maintenance that you’ll have to do long term,” Malone said.

“But, that Trex [composite decking] and that joist tape makes a world of difference.”

The recommendation from staff

is to replace the remaining original sections of the boardwalk with one project to save time and money on construction.

Malone said raising the boardwalk out of the floodplain and rebuilding the remaining sections could last 25 years.

In November 2022, Roswell voters approved just under $108 million for parks and paths; $52 million public safety projects; and $20 million for a downtown public parking deck.

At a City Council meeting April 24, officials approved a resolution to move forward with the first issuance of bond funds in the amount of $86.2 million.

In the first stage of bond projects, $53.1 million will be used toward parks and paths; $13.1 million will be used toward public safety projects; and $20 million will be used toward the downtown parking deck.

A second issuance of bond funds is expected before summer 2025.

The city celebrated completion of one of the first bond projects May 19 with replacement of two artificial turf fields at East Roswell Park.

Councilman William Morthland, who serves as liaison to the Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department, touted the city’s effort to deliver for residents.

“This was one of the ones that was highest on that list,” Morthland said.

“That’s why instead of just kind of Band-Aiding things along, fix it and fix it right.”

Morthland said the city will now move onto construction at Grimes

See PROJECTS, Page 7

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6 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

NEWS

Perimeter area jewelers mark 50th anniversary

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Although the City of Dunwoody celebrates its 15-year anniversary at Brook Run Park Dec. 1, there is a pillar of the community with its 50-year anniversary already behind them.

Jewelry Artisans, located in Ashford Lane at 4500 Olde Perimeter Way, was founded in 1973 by David Geller, a thirteenth-generation jeweler, who left his family business to strike out on his own.

Geller, with a passion for custom design, opened his first little shop on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs just north of Mount Paran Road.

After about 20 years in business, and three different locations on Roswell Road, Jamie Kresl joined the team as the store manager.

In 2000, Kresl purchased the store with aspirations to add jewelry lines and expand the showroom.

Eventually, in 2006, Jewelry Artisans moved to its current location at Ashford Lane, an outdoor mall near Perimeter Center.

The warm, inviting studio and showroom has welcomed thousands

JAMIE TUCKER/JET-IMAGING

The owner of Jewelry Artisans, Jamie Kresl, stands in the middle of the Ashford Lane showroom, with his team of designers, sales professionals and consultants. Jewelry Artisans’ 50-year anniversary sale concluded Nov. 11. of people in the past 17 years, earning Jewelry Artisans a reputation in the community.

With over 500 five-star Google reviews, the store’s reputation in Metro Atlanta is overwhelmingly positive.

Frankie Doughtie, a customer for 20 years, said she highly recommends Jewelry Artisans.

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“Wonderful people to work with and very talented and trustworthy,” she said. “I wouldn’t go anywhere else for all my jewelry needs.”

Another customer, Ronda Powell, said it only took one week to have a ring with a missing diamond repaired at the store.

“They also helped design a new ring using stones from my deceased father’s ring that I can now wear in remembrance of him,” Powell said.

“Highly recommend!”

This year, Jewelry Artisans won Appen Media’s 2023 Best of Perimeter award for best jeweler in the shopping and commerce category, beating out Camelot Jewelers, Status Jewels and Dunwoody Diamonds USA. What’s more, the store placed in the top three for the Atlanta’s Best Award for jeweler, losing to Worthmore Jewelers in midtown Atlanta and Decatur.

“As we look back over the past 50 years,” Kresl said. “We feel immense gratitude for the many friendships that have been forged, and the generations of families that we have been privileged to serve.”

Success starts at the top A large part of Jewelry Artisans’ success can be attributed to the cando attitude of owner Jamie Kresl.

Like founder David Geller, Kresl’s passion for custom design hits home with clients looking to put their own unique spin on an item or seeking an unusual, non-traditional jeweler.

“The team is so friendly and helpful,” customer Robin Adams said.

“I just bought two amazing [and] very unique rings today, and they helped with my repair needs as well.”

Kresl announced Jewelry Artisans’ once-in-a-lifetime sale Oct. 13, which

was inspired by the family-owned business’ anniversary.

The anniversary sale made half of the store 50 percent off, including discounts from 10 percent to 40 percent in other areas of the store from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4.

Kresl said he extended the 50-year anniversary sale to Nov. 11 because of the excitement it generated among his clients and employees.

Also, some of Jewelry Artisans’ loyal customers were not up to date on the store’s Instagram page, @ jewelryartisans, and requested an extension.

While the store’s showroom typically has four or five clients perusing the selection, the anniversary sale brought dozens of people to the Jewelry Artisans’ collection of unique and traditional designs.

“It was just an overwhelming success,” Kresl said. “We were very, very busy, probably busier than we’ve ever been outside of Dec. 23.”

Kresl said Saturdays were the busiest days of the sale.

The trusted jeweler is known for resizing rings, replacing watch batteries, restringing pearls and replacing necklace clasps.

They are also skilled in transforming heirloom family rings into new pieces and turning small diamonds into earrings.

The store is uniformly praised in the Metro Atlanta community for their ability to update pieces and reset diamonds, making them a reliable choice for those looking to revamp their jewelry.

Kresl was able to preview some new offerings on the horizon at Jewelry Artisans before the start of the holiday season.

As a part of Kresl’s passion to offer unique, unusual and custom items in the showroom, he has followed the growing trend of labgrown diamonds.

“Lab-grown diamonds are taking off big time,” Kresl said. “I would call us one of the leading suppliers of labgrown diamonds for... everything.”

Kresl says the possibilities for lab-grown diamonds are virtually endless, but they are primarily used for engagement rings and fashionable jewelry.

“Whether it is a simple solder, an extensive restoration, a watch repair, pearl restringing or appraisal, we treat all of your jewelry with the utmost level of care,” Kresl said. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be your personal jeweler.”

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023 | 7

Johns Creek to host Holly Jolly Block Party

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

From right, Roswell City Councilman David Johnson shares a laugh with City Attorney David Davidson and Mayor Kurt Wilson at the Nov. 27 council meeting.

Projects: Continued from Page 5 Bridge Park and Roswell Area Park.

“We have all these various pieces that we’re doing strategically, we’re not trying to close down the park as a whole,” Morthland said.

The approval of the contract with Osprey Management and the budget amendment was scheduled for the beginning of winter, so construction would be completed by spring.

Morthland said he thinks the bond initiative is a generational change and the projects throughout the city would not be possible without the voterapproved bonds.

In other action Nov. 27, Councilman David Johnson was

officially sworn in by Mayor Kurt Wilson.

Johnson defeated Jade Terreberry in the Post 4 election Nov. 7 and thanked his family for their support of his campaign.

Also, the invocation at the City Council meeting Nov. 27 was given

by Arshad Anwar, Imam of Majid Jafar; Rabbi Chaim Schwartz, director of Chabad of Downtown Roswell; and Pastor Nick Strobel, Roswell Community Church.

The interfaith invocation promoted the message of peace and unity among people of different religious traditions.

“We must stand united against any form of discrimination or prejudice based on religion,” Mayor Wilson said.

“In our city, the City of Roswell, we are blessed with a rich tapestry of religious diversity.”

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Holly Jolly Block Party is coming to Johns Creek for the second year in a row Dec. 2.

Held at City Hall from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the event will feature Santa, holiday llamas, the lighting of a 40-foot Christmas tree, a holiday market, face painting, kids’ crafts and activities from the Johns Creek Arts Center as well as a selection of food vendors.

There will also be musical

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BROOKE LIBBY, barista and manager, Warm Waves Coffee House 8 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023

Café serves community in downtown Alpharetta

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The family-owned Warm Waves Coffee House on North Main Street serves as a gathering place with an intentional and curated menu for the Alpharetta community.

Some 15 years ago, Milton resident Kenny Libby said his wife Shawn gifted him a coffee roaster for Father’s Day, and he began sampling different beans and coffees.

“It was just such a difference between what you buy at the grocery store and roasting fresh coffees,” Kenny Libby said.

“It kind of became a personal hobby of mine. I just loved it.”

Initially, Kenny Libby shared the coffee he roasted at home with friends and family. But, when his daughter Brooke needed to fundraise for a World Race gap year mission trip, she thanked those who donated with coffee.

The Libbys then set up shop at the Alpharetta Farmers Market in 2018 and soon found success.

“The next year, we signed up, and we built an espresso bar and then stepped it up and started making espresso drinks and more offerings, and it just became really popular,” Kenny Libby said.

With a proof of concept, he said the family purchased a commercial coffee roaster that year to be housed in a building he owns in Norcross.

Throughout 2019, he was trained through the Specialty Coffee Association and received his professional roasting certification.

“Our goal when we started this was to become wholesale coffee roasters,” Kenny Libby said. ”Our plan wasn’t to open a coffee shop. At the end of 2019, we felt pretty

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Menus, hours and more information can be found at warmwavescoffee.com. good about the quality of our coffee that we were roasting, and we felt comfortable starting moving past just friends and family with the coffee and start selling it to the general public.”

The new business venture hit a hurdle when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Warm Waves to close its existing accounts.

But, on the way home from the last Alpharetta Farmers Market of the season, Kenny Libby said he and daughters Brooke and McKinley spotted a former day spa for lease at 52-A N. Main St. “We signed the lease in December of 2020 and then built out the place and opened up in August of 2021,” Kenny Libby said.

Warm Waves serves the standard fare of tea and espresso in traditional sizes, but guests can also sample seasonal drinks crafted by the shop’s baristas, including bourbon butterscotch, sweet potato pie and fall spice.

“I think, in general, we are just really proud of our sauces and our syrups, and I think that sets our menu and our coffee apart in a lot of ways,” Brooke Libby said.

Brooke Libby now works as a barista and manager at the Alpharetta coffee shop.

She is also set to become manager of Warm Waves’ forthcoming second location in Suwanee.

She said the shop’s fan favorite flavor is the beehive, a combination of cinnamon, vanilla and honey, but its lavender and vanilla flavor is a popular summertime

See COFFEE, Page 9

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Warm Waves Coffee House sits along North Main Street in downtown Alpharetta. The family-owned coffee shop serves espresso, tea, seasonal drinks and fresh pastries.

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“When we opened this place up, I think, above all else, we wanted this to be a space where people could come and gather and spend time together and have good conversation,” Brooke Libby said.

The sourcing of Warm Waves’ coffee is also a priority. Kenny Libby said the shop works with small farmers to cut the middleman and maximize profits for the small-scale operations.

The coffee shop works with an eighthgeneration Honduran coffee farming family, a boutique partner in Nicaragua and a family-operated Ethiopian company.

Beyond the coffee, Shawn Libby said Warm Waves serves a variety of fresh pastries in partnership with St. Germain Bakery in Atlanta.

The shop also employs an in-house chef who prepares blueberry muffins, orange cardamom cake, quiches and egg bites.

“We try to incorporate a little bit of everything so people can have something nice to eat, excellent coffee, great atmosphere, positive vibes, good community,” Shawn Libby said. “And our goal is, really, to partner with local, family-owned businesses as well. That’s really important to us because we’re a family-owned business.”

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The Forsyth County Jail in Cumming has arranged to board up to 70 male inmates from Fulton County.

Sheriffs enter boarding pact to alleviate jail overcrowding

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is housing Fulton County Jail inmates as the Atlanta facility on Rice Street struggles to manage a 100,000-case backlog and overcrowding.

Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat signed an agreement in April that allows up to 70 male Fulton County inmates to be boarded at the Forsyth County Jail on Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

“Fulton County’s court system is suffering a 149,200-case backlog from COVID-19 induced court closures, which, at times, has caused the Fulton County Jail to reach and exceed its maximum capacity,” the agreement reads.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office pays $75 per inmate each day they are accommodated. The cost covers meals and medical services.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Stacie Miller said the Forsyth County Jail housed 23 Fulton inmates in August, 26 in September and 23 in October.

Kemp extends suspension of Georgia motor fuels tax

By DAVE WILLIAMS Capitol Beat ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp extended the temporary suspension of the state sales tax on gasoline and other motor fuels Nov. 15, citing ongoing high prices and uncertain economic conditions.

Kemp signed an executive order extending the suspension through Nov. 29, which he said will help Georgians cope with high food and travel costs during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The state can easily afford going without the tax revenue the sales tax would have brought after ending the last fiscal year in June with $5 billion in “rainy-day” reserves and $11 billion in undesignated surplus funds, according to a report released last week by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

“Thanks to our responsible approach in budgeting, we’re able to deliver relief to families fighting through the disastrous effects of Bidenomics,” Kemp

said, criticizing what he called “failed” economic policies coming out of the Biden administration.

“I’m proud this action has helped keep millions of dollars in hardworking Georgians’ pockets and look forward to continuing to see that impact with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching.”

Kemp suspended the gas tax for a second time in September.

The governor is calling on the General Assembly to ratify the suspension when lawmakers gather under the Gold Dome late this month for a special session aimed primarily at redrawing Georgia’s legislative and congressional district lines following a federal court ruling that boundaries the legislature approved two years ago violated the Voting Rights Act. This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.

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This rendering shows plans for a restaurant and office at 75 and 91 Roswell Street in downtown Alpharetta. The City Council unanimously approved the project at its Nov. 27 meeting.

Variance: Continued from Page 1 At the meeting, Alpharetta Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz acknowledged the intersection is challenging.

He said Public Works has considered multiple traffic calming measures, but most would be too large or have adverse impacts on traffic flow on Ga. 9 and downtown.

Sewczwicz said the city will continue to study the intersection to meet the qualifications to install a four-way stop sign.

But neighbors wanted no part of the variance.

“Every morning when we go to work and come home, crossing that intersection is a scary affair,” Victoria Square resident Todd Friel said. “Our concern is safety.”

To appease residents’ concern, Levitan said project staff removed the previously proposed access to the site on Cotton Alley, and staff are working to improve the safety of the dangerous intersection.

One of the conditions approved by the City Council requires project staff to partner with Public Works to improve the intersection with potential impact fee credits.

The city held community zoning information meetings Aug. 9 and Sept. 13 to field public feedback on the proposal.

At those meetings, more than 20 residents of the Victoria Square neighborhood expressed concerns about tree removal, the size of the project, construction staging on Cotton Alley,

light pollution, noise and the overall design of the building.

Cotton Alley was a recurring topic of debate at the City Council meeting.

Although one side of the street is public and managed by the city, the roadway is primarily residential.

But, Levitan owns the site of the development, including the east half of the road.

A concrete bump-out was previously added to the entrance of the road on Marietta Street to prevent through traffic from the nearby city parking lot, leaving drivers with no way to exit without using one of the private roads in the neighborhood.

While the development has only one entrance and exit point on Roswell Street, Victoria Square residents said traffic on Cotton Alley will be inevitable.

Project staff and the City Council recognized the neighbors’ concerns, but ultimately, councilmembers agreed the development would improve downtown.

Councilmen Doug DeRito and John Hipes also noted commercial projects that are less appropriate for the area could be built on the property due to its general commercial zoning.

“I do think this development has a real possibility of enhancing home values there if done properly,” DeRito said. “And I think, based upon the discussions we’ve had tonight, leading up to tonight, I do think it’s going to be a quality project for the city.”

Councilmembers unanimously approved the project with an amended condition to allow construction staging on Cotton Alley pending city approval.

“Our city is in transition, but it’s doing so with quality buildings,” Hipes said.

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State education leaders lock in legislative agenda

By ROSS WILLIAMS Georgia Recorder GEORGIA — Public schools make up the biggest portion of Georgia’s state budget, so when lawmakers head to Atlanta each January to fund the government and pass new laws, education always has a prominent role.

This January could see delivery on efforts to make students living in poverty a priority in the state’s funding formula, new pay raises and literacy training for teachers, the state taking over some of the ballooning costs of transporting students and more slots in the state’s Pre-K program, according to a list of Georgia Department of Education priorities for the coming regular session.

“The best way to invest in Georgia’s future is investing in our students, families, and educators,” Superintendent Richard Woods said in a statement.

“Our legislative priorities are guided by that underlying belief. I look forward to working with the Governor’s Office and members of the General Assembly to strengthen instruction and student opportunities, fully fund public education, elevate the teaching profession, support Georgia families, and keep our students

safe.”

The DOE is working on a bill backed

by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones that would require social media companies to verify the age of users and remove features that could be addictive to children, as well as requiring parental consent and notification for school health services.

The department is working on specifics with potential sponsors, including costs, said spokeswoman Meghan Frick.

Here are some of the education priorities laid out for 2024:

Celebrating

Raises Woods is proposing a $3,000 pay raise for teachers, which, if approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, would represent a total salary increase of $10,000 since Kemp took office in 2019. Kemp’s office has not commented publicly on the proposals.

“In the longer term, we also advocate for expanding step increases on the teacher salary scale,” Woods wrote in an op-ed with 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year Christy Todd. “As it currently stands, teachers stop receiving salary increases based on experience after 21 years in the classroom – meaning they are not recognized for continued longevity and expertise for nearly a third of their careers.”

Woods and Todd also call for establishing a study committee on pay rates for other education workers, including school nurses, bus drivers and nutrition workers.

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Literacy Woods’ proposals also include spending on support for teachers and students, such as putting a paraprofessional in every K-2 classroom – currently, the state only pays for parapros

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in kindergarten classes.

The plan also calls for new dollars to support literacy efforts statewide, including by expanding options for retired teachers with reading or dyslexia endorsements to return to the classroom and adding funding for “science of reading-based coaching and professional learning.”

Science of reading refers to a field of research into how children learn to read. Beth Haynes, legislative chair for advocacy group Decoding Dyslexia Georgia, said science of reading and an approach called structured literacy can help kids with or without dyslexia more easily develop reading skills and she’s pleased to see the state prioritizing them.

This year, Kemp signed House Bill 538, requiring teachers of kindergarteners through third graders to be instructed in the science of reading and structured literacy.

“Literacy coaches had been a part of one of the original drafts of HB 538, the Georgia Early Literacy Act, but they took it out,” Haynes said. “And there’s been a lot of discussion since then about how critical literacy coaches are to a successful implementation of science of reading and structured literacy. That’s been the case in state after state who have already done it. They all sort of report the same thing. So yes, funding is huge. And the fact that they’re talking about coaching, especially as it pertains to literacy coaches, is great to see.”

Changes to QBE Since 1985, Georgia has been funding public schools using a formula called Quality Basic Education, or QBE,

See EDUCATION, Page 14

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Education:

while we’ve gained hundreds of thousands of students, while the price of diesel, buses, labor have all gone up,” he said. “And the end result is hundreds of millions of dollars to push down the individual districts to cover the cost of something that’s required by state law, that you have to provide for your traditional school district, you have to provide transportation.”

Woods is calling on legislators to dedicate more state money to transportation costs, which could free up districts to hire more staff or make other investments.

Another change could help level the playing field for Georgia children living in poverty.

Georgia is one of only six states that does not dedicate extra state money to educating children below the poverty line. Woods is asking lawmakers to “recognize poverty as part of a larger effort

Continued from Page 12 which determines how much of the state budget should go to each student depending on factors like what grade he or she is in and whether he or she receives special education.

Lawmakers have been working to update the formula in recent years, and modernizing the way the state pays to get kids to and from classes could be a big opportunity, said Stephen Owens, education director for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

In the 1990s, the state covered more than half of all the transportation costs for districts, Owens said, but today, it’s closer to 20% or below.

“The dollar amount has stayed the same since about fiscal year 2000,

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to modernize the K-12 funding formula.”

Schools across rural and urban Georgia that teach kids from low-income families could make good use of extra state funds, Owens said.

“When I traveled around the state asking how folks would spend this money, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs showed up prominently,” he said. “We had kids in Mountain Education Charter District School that needed their clothes washed, needed transportation to and from the school. Went to a metro district, they wanted to have it used on transportation, so that kids could use it for dual enrollment. Making sure to pay for school meals for those kids who fall in the gap between the free meals and the reduced price meals is how other districts might spend that money.”

Owens said lawmakers will need to balance flexibility for districts to spend the money with reporting requirements to make sure it’s reaching the kids who need it.

If it gets done right, it could lead to the kind of education improvements Georgia hasn’t seen in decades, he said.

“This would be kind of legacy stuff, recognizing the need to fund the largest challenge we have in the schools that we have in our state, which is poverty,” he said. “You have one of the highest child poverty rates in the nation. We know that affects and see that affects student outcomes. This would be a way, if done

meaningfully, to change our funding in line with the state’s needs in a way that we haven’t seen since the 90s.”

This story comes to Appen Media through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder, a nonprofit newsroom that covers statewide issues.

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Local News Is Growing This year, even more than ever before, the news is in crisis.

More than 17,000 news media jobs were cut just by June, at national and local outlets including at some of the biggest names like NPR, The Texas Tribune and Gannett. In fact, newsroom layoffs are up 20% from last year. Some of these outlets laid off more than 10% of their staff in the last few months — even as we head into a critical election year.

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OPINION

Balancing needs, wants and stuff These times are interesting.

Sometimes – well actually, often – I catch myself feeling overwhelmed with “stuff.”

Much of the “stuff” seems out of my control which is frustrating. However, perhaps RAY APPEN an equal amount Publisher Emeritus usually is within my control because I am the one who created it.

Sometimes I try to step back and organize what all this “stuff” is really. So, we have “obligations” – like, for example, promises I have committed to like doing work or paying a bill, attending a meeting, or working in the yard etc. Then there are “needs” – stuff that might include going to the dentist or getting that 5-year colonoscopy. These differ from those “wants” though and while “wants” one would think should not be stressors, if you comingle those with the promises, obligations, and needs, collectively they usually create the big “S” – stress.

My sister’s 16-year-old daughter has recently been having health issues; she can’t hold food down and gets excruciating pain in her gut area. Like, she hasn’t really eaten in the last three weeks and has been

in the ER at least three times but possibly four times or more. They still can’t identify with any degree of confidence what the problem is. Mind you – she lives in Boston and is being treated in one of the best hospitals in the country.

So where is the connection between all “my stuff” and the health problems of my niece? Well, which connection should I throw out there?

The default “connection” is going to have to be that we all struggle with life and that today’s “life” may just be the most difficult ever. All it takes is to turn on the TV or go to your news-source online and experience a tidal wave of datapoints all converging on your brain and body simultaneously. Nothing is static. Everything is changing / evolving – continuously. You don’t know what is true. You don’t know who is honest. You don’t know who to trust.

We-are-drowning in information that we cannot process.

And this is even before that other tidal wave has arrived at scale – AI. In 1971 – over 50 years ago - social scientist Herbert Simon (who would win the Nobel prize in economics in 1978) wrote the following: “In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What informa-

tion consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."

He also observed (in 1971) this: "Even before television, we lived in an environment of information conveyed mostly by our neighbors, including some pretty tall tales. We acquired a variety of techniques for dealing with information overload. We know that there are people who can talk faster than we can and give us an argument on almost any topic. We listen patiently, because we cannot process information fast enough to refute them; that is, until the next day, when we find the hole in their argument. A relevant rule that my father taught me was, "Never sign in the presence of a salesman." By adopting such rules and their extensions, we allow ourselves the extra processing time needed to deal with the information overload. ... I think that all levels of intelligence, human beings have common sense protecting them from the worst features of their information environment. If information overload ever really gets the best of me, my last resort is to follow the advice of Gertrude Stein in the opening pages of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas: `I like a view, but I like to sit with my back turned to it.'

I wrote my niece a letter telling her how

much we loved her and how much she was on our mind. I tried to say that in a world where there was so much “stuff” that she needed to listen to her body first because so much of everything else was not trustworthy; she could, however, trust her own body and her own instincts.

I wanted to tell her that if she would put down her phone – and computer- for 30 days and avoided any and all social media during those 30 days and, at the same time, reconnected with her body through exercise, meditation, and walks in the woods and such, that I was sure that the impact could be staggering.

We need to create space for ourselves and for each other – space where context has the time to grow and be appreciated.

We need to recognize the toxic nature of unrestricted data and unrestricted access. We need to slow down and touch things and people – and feel drops of rain. Data is not people; it is not alive, nor does it nurture.

People nurture: we need each other, face to face.

“Not even the rain has such small hands” – EE Cummings, “Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond” “Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore” – Dorothy, Wizard of Oz

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023 | 19

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY PERSON This holiday season, consider giving your newspaper delivery person a tip for their weekly delivery of the free community newspaper to your driveway. These folks work hard to make sure you are informed of all the local happenings, rain or shine, week in and week out.

Importantly, at Appen Media, we have always been intentional about our desire to keep delivery of our newspapers free. That said, it would mean the world to us if you would consider tipping your newspaper delivery person so that they will have a little extra money for the holiday season.

If you can help us help these amazing people, we promise to keep delivering high quality news to your driveway, for free, every week. Free home delivery of 105,000 homes is hard work – and we couldn’t do it without our amazing delivery folks.

How you can give your delivery person a tip: 1 We have created an online portal at www.appenmedia.com/deliverytip.

100% of every dollar you contribute will be spread out evenly between the 24 newspaper delivery people that Appen Media employs. Whether you give $5 or $50, they will greatly appreciate it.

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20 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

PRESERVING THE PAST

OPINION

The history of cattle in North Georgia – a beefy business The cattle industry is possibly Georgia’s oldest agricultural pursuit dating back to the Georgia Colony established in 1732

by King George ll. The colony, the last of the original 13 American colonies, was govBOB MEYERS erned during its first Columnist 20 years by the Georgia Trustees, appointed by the king. One of its key members was General James Oglethorpe who spent ten years in Georgia. Among the inducements to attract settlers from Europe to the colony was an offer of free passage, land and cattle.

Even though agriculture is no longer the largest employer in the state, cattle have played an important role throughout the ups and downs of our agrarian history. Today the Georgia cattle industry is big business. Cattle are raised in all 159 Georgia counties. Beef cattle is the fifth largest commodity produced in Georgia after poultry, cotton, peanuts and timber.

According to the Georgia Cattleman’s Association, there are approximately 15,000 cattle producers in the State, most of which have fewer than 100 head, yet, according to the US Department of Agriculture farmers raised 478,000 head of beef cattle plus 92,000 milk cows in 2023. Cattle farm revenue, or gate value, is about $658 million according to the USDA. The North Georgia Cattleman’s As-

NOTICE CITY OF ROSWELL PUBLIC HEARING PLACE ROSWELL CITY HALL 38 HILL STREET, SUITE 215 DATE & TIME Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. PURPOSE Application for Package/ Beer & Wine/Sunday Sales APPLICANT Goutam Debnath BUSINESS NAME GC Alpharetta Mart BUSINESS ADDRESS 11720 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA 30076

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Billy Martin stands by a display of just a few of the many awards he has won for his high quality registered Hereford cows and bulls. sociation is one of 75 county and area cattlemen's associations in the state. The goal of the organization is to protect and preserve the state’s cattle heritage.

For more than ten years until his retirement last year, Billy Martin was president of the North Georgia association. At one point he was the largest cattle operator in the area with more than 200 head of Hereford beef cattle on rented land and on his 100 acre farm, or ranch, in the Free Home community where North Fulton, Cherokee and Forsyth counties come together. He calls his farm Sunset Ridge.

Like many cattlemen, Billy took to cattle raising after other successful careers. Initially he spent 20 plus years with Hewlett Packard in management and sales.

Wanting to go into business for himself, Billy bought a small company with four

employees in 1983 called Southern Staircase which he sold twelve years later with 180 employees. He started in the cattle business in 1987 with little knowledge but with the same passion to succeed that served him so well previously.

Billy is partial to Hereford cattle, a meat breed originally from Herefordshire, England because they are strong, hardy and known for their longevity. Many live and produce calves beyond the age of 15 years. They are docile and easy to raise, and their meat is tender. They are about the same weight and height as the popular Angus breed, 1200 to 1500 pounds for cows and 2000 to 2300 pounds for bulls. The breed is known for ease of calving and excellent mothering abilities, all characteristics that make them profitable to raise. They are generally red/brown

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and white with white faces. They can be horned or hornless (polled). In 2011 one of Billy’s bulls won a national championship. “I love that breed,” he says.

Billy raises only registered heifers.

(Female cattle who have yet to give birth.

Once a heifer has her first calf, she is called a cow.) Registered cattle are like cattle with pedigrees. Papers that come with registered cattle tell a great deal about the actual animal you own or are thinking of purchasing. Those papers trace the ancestry back through several generations and make it possible to breed cattle to achieve specific characteristics.

Billy became an expert in Hereford genetics, a science which has been responsible for “a lot of changes under the skin where the meat is,” says Billy. He explains that through genetic testing and artificial breeding, “we can produce bulls that can reproduce parts of the body that will carry on to generations of offspring.”

This, he explains, has resulted in a quantum leap in the amount and quality of beef under the skin. “More of the meat is marbled and graded prime,” he notes.

“Cattle genetics is the most rewarding part of my career and the most profitable part of my business.”

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.

OPINION

GARDEN BUZZ

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 30, 2023 | 21

Stop an apocalypse of invasive plants with good choices I love the fall season with the changing leaf color and crisp, blue sky, fall days, but I realize many of the beautiful plants that have filled my garden with color are soon to fade. By November and, CAROLE MACMULLAN early in some years even in Guest Columnist mid or late October, we can expect our first frost. This weather change stops growth, results in the death of the aboveground foliage and signals the perennials to go into their winter sleep and the annuals to end their splash of colorful blooms. Unfortunately, annuals last one season, die back and never return.

You might ask, what can I add to my late fall and winter garden to replace my summer beauties? As I look out my bedroom window, I can see hundreds of blossoms on one of my favorite fall blooming plants, a pink, flowering Camellia sasanqua with double blossoms and bright yellow stamen in the center. There are two species of camellia, C. sasanqua and C. japonica. Camellia sasanqua blossom in late October through November and as soon as the sasanqua stops blooming, you can extend the blooming season by planting a Camellia japonica. What a winning combination in a yard! Since Camella japonica bloom in December and January and one new cultivar series called ‘April’ into early April when most other plants are not blooming, Camellia japonica are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful additions to any winter garden.

Take a stroll through one of the area nurseries and you will be captivated by the beautiful array of camellias. Among the many varieties recently developed by horticulturists, you can select from white flowers, red flowers, orange flowers, pink flowers, and even find varieties with double blossoms and others with single blossoms.

I am happy to report they are deer resistant and immune to most plant diseases. They are also evergreen and their shiny, green leaves add year-round interest and color to your landscape.

Tour your garden and look for a partially sunny location that will be protected from winter winds. In order to flower, camellia like partial sun. Do not expose them to constant, blaring sun.

Full sun will cause the leaves to become sunburned! Check the plant tag and make sure you select the appropriate size for your garden space. Most camellias grow 6 to 8 feet tall and wide but some varieties can reach 12 feet tall.

WARNING! Do not prune camellias in the late summer or fall since camellias form flower buds in the late summer. If

Camellia sasanqua with flower buds and pink flowers they are pruned after the flower buds form, the flower buds cannot be replaced and an entire blooming season will be lost!

I went to a local nursery in Milton recently and I could not resist purchasing a Camellia japonica since I was looking for a winter blooming camellia. With so many varieties to select from, the choice was not easy! I finally selected a Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Pearl’. The photo of the flower on the plant tag and the description, “Spectacular, fully double blooms with pure white petals edged with an orchid pink blush” made this plant an irresistible choice. When I returned home, the next step was to provide it with the best possible environment for optimum growth.

Here is my 6-step planting plan for trees or shrubs: 1. Select a Location - take into account the amount of space your tree or shrub needs to occupy now and in the future.

Study the plant tag to determine the future size and amount of light needed to maximize growth.

CAROLE MACMULLAN/PROVIDED

2. Evaluate your soil - In most cases, native Georgia soil needs to be amended with soil conditioner or compost/manure.

Remove any large rocks or excessive smaller rocks. Mix the native soil with the compost/manure to create a finely textured soil mixture to allows the roots to grow and occupy space beyond its root ball. Camellias like slightly acidic, pH 6.5 soil and will benefit from being fertilized with an acidic fertilizer. Follow instructions on the package. You can submit a soil sample to your local UGA Extension office to check the current soil pH and nutrients at your planting site.

Caution-avoid fertilizing mature plants after late August since it will stimulate delicate, new growth which is vulnerable to fall and winter frost damage. Use about ½ of the recommended fertilizer when planting in the fall. A root stimulator can also be added to reduce transplant shock.

They contain beneficial soil microbes.

3. Dig a hole - the depth of the root ball and 2x or 3x its circumference. Add water to the hole and allow it to drain into

Learn more • •

https://www.southernliving.com/garden/camellias https://www.thespruce.com/camellia-flowers-1316021

About the author This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a master gardener since 2014 and a Milton resident. She taught biology for 35 years in the Pittsburgh area. In 2012 after moving to Milton, Carole completed the Master Gardener training program and joined the North Fulton Master Gardeners (NFMG) and the Milton Garden Club. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, hiking, biking, and reading. She is a volunteer for Assistance League of Atlanta and is the chair of their Links to Education scholarship program.

the subsoil before adding your new tree or shrub.

4. Detangle the Roots - If planting a large tree, remove the burlap and cut away any wire from the root ball. Gently release the roots, especially roots that are rootbound and roots that are encircling the root ball. Patience might be required if the roots are firmly contained in the root ball.

Scoring the roots with a sharp knife might be necessary.

5. Add the prepared soil around the tree or shrub, making sure the depth of the hole is correct.

6. Water your new planting and continue to check to see if it needs additional water every day for the first month after planting.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative.

Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE PH-23-AB-30 Please note that this meeting will be a virtual meeting, conducted online using Zoom meetings.

PLACE To Attend the Virtual Meeting: Using Your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone Go to: https://zoom.us Meeting ID: 897 9632 3335 Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US December 11, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. PURPOSE Change in Ownership Eating Establishment Consumption on Premises Distilled Spirits, Beer, Wine & Sunday Sales APPLICANT Jangsujang at Avalon LLC d/b/a Jangsujang 35 Milton Avenue, Suite C Alpharetta, GA 30009 Owner: Jangsujang at Avalon LLC Registered Agent: Jenny Hyun

22 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, December 1, 2023. Apply online: www.sawnee.com/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.

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1-833-370-1234 Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. Limited time, we’re waiving all installation costs! (Additional terms apply.

Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 12/31/23 Call 1-844-501-3208

It’s not just a generator.

It’s a power move.™ Receive a free 7-year warranty with qualifying purchase* – valued at $735.

Call 866-643-0438 to schedule your free quote!

®

*Terms and Conditions apply.

YOUR BATHROOM. YOUR BATHROOM. YOUR WAY. BATHROOM. YOUR WAY. INAS LITTLE AS YOUR WAY. AS IN AS LITTLE IN AS LITTLE AS

ONE DAY

ONE ONE Waiving All DAY Installation Costs DAY SPECIAL OFFER

*Addt’l terms apply. Offer subject CALL NOW to change and vary by dealer.

Ends 12/31/23.

CALL NOW

866.753.9521 CALL NOW 866.753.9521 866.753.9521

EMAIL PROOF TO:

SERVICE DIRECTORY Driveway $250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

Roofing

Tree Services

ROOF LEAKING?

Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs. A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $4,500.

Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 OFF Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell.

Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123.

Christian Brothers Roofing

Flooring PHILLIPS FLOORING Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs.

We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes. Re-grouting is also available. Call 678887-1868 for free estimate.

Deadline to place a classified ad is Thursdays by 4pm

24 hour emergency service. Licensed, insured. Workers Comp, insurance claims. 25+ years experience. Family business. Free estimates. We Love Challenges!

Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts 770-512-8733 • www.yellowribbontree.com COMPLETE TREE SERVICES Appen-Rated 98 Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment.

Tree removal, Pruning, Stump grinding, Free mulch. Fully insured. Emergency 24/7.

770-450-8188

Gutters

Cemetery

Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aaronsgutters.com. Senior citizen discount! 678-508-2432

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS

GREENLAWN ROSWELL: 2 plots on picturesque lakeview hillside. Market price, $9000 each. Bargain priced at $5000 each! 770-475-7307

Pinestraw

Bargains/Musical

PINESTRAW, MULCH DULCIMER: Delivery/installation available.

Firewood Excellent condition! $120. 678-455-7376 available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612

Bargain/Furniture

Home Improvement Heritageconstructionga.com Give the gift of: • New Deck • Wood Repair • Hardwood flooring • Window/Doors 678-906-7100

Consulting Income4u.biz We Consult On: • Life -Business • Home Repairs • How to start a side biz Affordable 678-699-8161

OFFICIAL OLYMPIC BAR STOOLS, 4, new, never used, 30” high. $75 each or best offer. 770-587-4235

Astrology MIRIA SPIRITUAL PSYCHIC READINGS helps in all problems of life. Call for your reading 407-466-2615

SPECI OFFER SPECI OFFER

Wai Wai Inst Inst Cost Cost

*Add’l term to change a *Add’l term Ends 9/30/2 to change a Ends 9/30/2

24 | November 30, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell