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Sells wins spot on City Council in Roswell runoff

Innovation Academy fencers take other programs by storm

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Innovation Academy fencing club is dominating state rankings at a school dominated by academics.

Opened in 2021, Innovation Academy on Milton Avenue in Alpharetta is a STEM magnet school where students can hone their skills in engineering, health sciences and information technology. The school only has one Georgia High School Association sport: eSports.

Despite the lack of a strong athletic presence, the school joined the Georgia High School Fencing League on behalf of its growing fencing club.

Now, Innovation Academy is ranked number one in both the men and the women categories of the league’s 19 member schools, and its team boasts more than 80 members, compared to the average high school team of 25 to 35.

The club is led by head coach Bill Donges, a retired Navy captain who started his own fencing career at Newfield High School in Selden, New York. There, he fenced under famed Coach Tom Cakouros and went on to become captain.

In addition to his career at Newfield, Donges served as fencing captain at the U.S. Naval Academy.

“I was on gifted teams and did really well,” he said. “We did really well.”

But, Donges said he went many years without thinking about fencing until seeing a local tournament in the Dunwoody Crier. There, he said people asked him to take up coaching, and soon Donges found himself heading the team at North Springs High School.

ROSWELL, Ga. — Allen Sells was elected to the Post 2 seat on the Roswell City Council, defeating Michael Dal Cerro by 540 votes in a special runoff election Dec. 5.

A total of 7,874 Roswell residents voted.

Sells received the endorsement of three councilmembers: Christine Hall, Lee Hills and Mike Palermo.

SELLS In the Nov. 7 municipal election, three candidates qualified to run for the Post 2 seat currently held by Palermo who is stepping down after two terms.

Sells is a 28-year DAL CERRO Roswell resident, certified public accountant and financial executive. Councilwoman Sarah Beeson defeated him in a runoff election for the Post 1 seat in 2022.

Dal Cerro is a lifelong city resident, graduate of Roswell High School and the owner of a small

See FENCING, Page 18

Alpharetta post offices collect letters to Santa ► PAGE 6

Big Creek Greenway, bridge plans advance ► PAGE 7

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Innovation Academy fencers practice lunges during warmups before practice Dec. 7. Practice begins every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. with head coach Bill Donges’ favorite song, “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I.

Elves prepare ‘Santa-ready’ bikes through program ► PAGE 14

See RUNOFF, Page 28

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Gear reported stolen from officer’s vehicle ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta police officer reported Nov. 29 someone stole $3,770 worth of gear from his vehicle.

The officer reported leaving the gas pumps at the Public Works Department at 1790 Hembree Road around 6:45 p.m. He said he went to Hibachi Express on Haynes Bridge Road, but when he arrived, he noticed the tailgate of his truck was open, and the plastic tote containing the gear was missing.

Upon retracing his route, he found pieces of the plastic tote in the roadway at Hembree Road and Cooperative Way, the report states. The lid of the tote and a duty-issued flashlight holder were also located.

The officer reported the tote contained a bulletproof vest, a Krydex quick release belt, a holstered Glock 45 equipped with a red dot sight and light, two Glock magazines, three AR15 magazines, a holstered Taser 7 and handcuffs.

No suspects have been identified.

Four men trespassed from Truck and Tap

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police trespassed four men from Truck and Tap on Milton Avenue following a fight on the restaurant patio Dec. 2.

Officers reported the fight was between a man and four others who were “allegedly boisterous and causing a disturbance” on the rear patio of the restaurant.

The man asked the four to leave, and after an exchange, he allegedly punched one of the other men, the report states.

One man reportedly hit the suspect, causing him to bleed from the left side of his head, and the other three restrained the suspect to prevent the fight from escalating further.

Officers reported finding the four men at a neighboring bar, and all five accounts of the fight matched.

All declined to press charges, the report states.

The victim and his companions were criminally trespassed from Truck and Tap.

Conyers woman wanted for alleged $20,000 theft ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police are searching for a 26-year-old Conyers woman who allegedly stole $20,000 from her employer Nov. 16.

Employees at a payroll company on North Point Parkway reported Dec. 1 that the suspect, the company’s payroll specialist, never came to the office Nov. 16.

They said the suspect texted an employee she was on her way in an Uber but never arrived, the report states.

Later that day, employees discovered $20,000 had been processed from the company to the suspect’s direct deposit account. The suspect allegedly used her log-in information to transfer the money coded as unused vacation, the report states.

Officers reported the company was able to have the transaction reversed, but employees still want to press charges.

Owner of car reported stolen declines to press charges ROSWELL, Ga. — Police converged on a white Ford Fusion reported stolen out of Cobb County Dec. 5.

Roswell police located the vehicle at the Publix on Rucker Road, and backup arrived on scene to assist with the potentially high-risk traffic stop, which usually involves a suspected felon or an armed individual.

The officers on scene drew their

handguns and gave verbal commands to the vehicle’s driver.

Officers said the driver responded to all commands, exited the vehicle and was detained.

The registered owner of the vehicle, a 56-year-old Rockmart man, declined to press charges against the suspect, officers said.

The suspect was then released from detention and allowed to collect his personal belongings from the vehicle, which was later towed for recovery by the owner, officers said.

Stone Mountain man arrested for trailer theft ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell officers arrested a 39-year-old Stone Mountain man for towing a reportedly stolen trailer on Ga. 140 Dec. 4.

The trailer, which belongs to a 45-year-old Marietta man, had been reported stolen out of Cobb County.

Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop on the suspect who was driving a blue Chevrolet Silverado.

Officers said the suspect complied with orders, exited the vehicle and was read his Miranda rights.

Upon questioning, the suspect told officers he was instructed by his employer to pick up the trailer from an apartment complex on Roberts Road. He also said the trailer was being transported to Forsyth County. He later changed his story, saying he purchased the trailer at the instruction of his employer for $1,000.

Officers said the suspect was headed eastbound on Ga. 140 toward Gwinnett County, which conflicted with his story.

Because of the conflicts in the suspect’s story and the $5,000 market value of the trailer, officers said the suspect either knew or should have known the trailer was stolen.

An occupant in the vehicle denied they knew anything about the theft.

The driver was transported to Alpharetta Jail on a state warrant for felony theft.

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The Alpharetta Cultural Arts Commission recognizes the North Fulton Rotary Club and nine local students at a special called meeting Dec. 5. The students were honored for their work on the Rotary Club’s Alpharetta Greenway Mural Trail.

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Cultural Arts Commission recognized nine Alpharetta and Milton high school students for their work on the North Fulton Rotary Club’s Greenway Mural Trail Dec. 5.

Proposed by Rotarian Richard Matherly, the Alpharetta Greenway Mural Trail advocates “Clean Water for All” and celebrates wildlife and plant life along the Big Creek Greenway.

Painting was originally scheduled for Nov. 11 but was postponed because of rainy weather. The students gathered at the Haynes Bridge Road trailhead the following morning to beautify eight raised manhole covers along the pathway to Kimball Bridge Road.

The Rotary Club hopes for all 60

raised manhole covers on 12 miles of the Greenway to be painted over the next five years.

Rotarian Thomas Nolfa facilitated the approval process between Alpharetta, Fulton County Public Works and the Alpharetta Cultural Arts Commission. The Arts Commission formally approved the murals Oct. 24.

Nolfa presented the project at the Dec. 5 special called meeting.

“I have been blessed to be in this community since 1988, and this is the first real project that, since I joined the Rotary, I got involved in,” he said.

Students Abby Allen, Olivia Taylor, Jordan Bride, Pia Saraswat, Isabel Neely, Komal Chugh and Eden Kiewiet were recognized at the meeting.

See ART, Page 12

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — It’s the busiest time of the year for Alpharetta Postmaster Teara Smith and for the carriers she oversees across three locations.

While the numbers haven’t been finalized, Smith said postal workers are “really feeling it” this year with a significant increase in parcels to push for zip codes that cover Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton.

Among Smith’s personal duties are collecting letters to Santa, written by hopeful kids looking forward to filled requests. She recently had a stand-up talk with her employees to ensure all the letters have the names, addresses and stamps.

For those letters that don’t have a stamp, Smith pulls from her personal stamp collection.

“Technically, we’re supposed to give it back,” she said. “But, it’s a child, and I’m a softy.”

So far, Smith has sent more than 30 to Santa’s workshop. The program, Operation Santa, has been around for 110 years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that anyone in the country could adopt a letter online and respond to the writer.

“It’s sweet, it’s thoughtful,” Smith

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta Postmaster Teara Smith sits at her desk at the Webb Bridge Post Office. Smith, so far, has collected around 30 letters to Santa as part of a program that started more than 100 years ago. As of 2019, people from all over the country have been adopting these letters online and responding. said. “Christmas should be like that.”

She said many of the carriers will dress up for the holiday, like one of her employees who drives a 2-ton delivery truck. He becomes Santa.

Smith, who drives more than an hour from her Jefferson home to her Webb Bridge office, began her career

with the U.S. Postal Service as a carrier almost 26 years ago.

“My husband probably says, ‘You love that job too much’” Smith said.

“But I do. I get joy out of it, and this time of year, I really do — the customers, their kids. We connect them to their parcels, to their items. It’s a joy you get out of it … I almost feel like Santa Claus.”

Deliveries have increased since Smith joined the Postal Service, a time when Amazon wasn’t around.

“Now, it’s a lot, but we enjoy delivering it,” she said. “This is our season. We look forward to it.”

Around 70 million packages are expected to be processed each day across the country this holiday season, according to a U.S. Postal Service Nov. 21 press release, up from 60 million the year before.

To accomplish the feat, the Postal Service also announced a goal to hire 10,000 seasonal employees in addition to the 150,000 employees who have converted to full-time positions in the past two years.

In Alpharetta, Smith said schedules begin earlier to tackle holiday output.

“Even though it may be a lot, we’re pushing,” she said. “We’re getting it to them the same day.”

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A map of the Big Creek Parkway project shows a Ga. 400 bridge connecting Old Alabama Road to Warsaw Road, which was approved by the Roswell City Council Dec. 11. Coordination between the Georgia Department of Transportation and the city in 2023 led to reconsideration of the project’s 2019 realignment and the adoption of the 2016 design.

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Roswell revives plans for more direct route on Big Creek Parkway Project would add east-west access over Ga. 400

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell residents will get what they voted for in 2016’s original transportation sales tax referendum – a streamlined east-west connector over Ga. 400.

It’s one of the city’s largest transportation projects to date, estimated for about $60 million when the project was proposed in 2016.

The City Council voted unanimously Dec. 11 to modify the current alignment of the Big Creek Parkway back to the original design that voters saw when the sales tax was proposed.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will construct a bridge over Ga. 400 for the new parkway about halfway between Holcomb Bridge Road and Mansell Road.

When the Roswell City Council voted for a realignment of the project in 2019, residents criticized the longer, less-direct path and the departure from the plans presented to voters.

The revised 2019 alignment called for a loop ramp on the west side of the Ga. 400 overpass that would connect to

Old Holcomb Bridge Road. It would have placed the east-west parkway farther south to run parallel to Holcomb Bridge Road.

The original proposal in 2016 called for a direct connection between Warsaw Road and Old Alabama Road via the proposed Big Creek Parkway bridge over Ga. 400. The original proposal’s design is a more direct east-west connector than the revised 2019 alignment’s zig-zag path.

Funding is an issue.

The city entered into an agreement with GDOT in 2020 to commit $15 million to the Ga. 400 Express Lanes project, specifically for a diverging diamond interchange at Holcomb Bridge Road.

The Ga. 400 Express Lanes project calls for adding express lanes in each direction from the North Springs MARTA station in Sandy Springs to north of McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County.

When GDOT approached the city last year for approval of the parkway bridge, the state committed to constructing the bridge as a part of its Managed Lanes project with roughly $14 million from the city.

See ROSWELL, Page 14

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Milton grades performance in its first self-run election

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MILTON, Ga. — By almost all measures, Milton’s first self-run municipal election was a success – saving local taxpayers in the neighborhood of $100,000, with only a couple of hiccups.

By the end of Election Day, the paper ballots were counted and reconciled, and the results were called.

But, others say cost just doesn’t measure up. Compared to the 2021 contest administered by Fulton County, the November election had a lower voter turnout, fewer polling locations and confusion among some voters who weren’t sure where to cast their ballot.

Cost was one of two key elements that provided the city with momentum to give it a shot — the other was election integrity, a residual concern of the 2020 presidential election and what prompted a preference for hand-counted paper ballots.

Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff, who also served as the election superintendent, said the “actual dollars spent” for the election parked at around $115,000 which included some onetime costs.

A large chunk of the cost was attorney fees — about 15 percent of it. City Attorney Ken Jarrard dedicated one of his lawyers to the election. City staff had her cell phone number on hand when they had difficulty parsing state code.

“There’s so much ambiguity,” Krokoff said in an interview Dec. 5. “And, you know, elections aren’t like horseshoes and hand grenades. You gotta be exact.”

Krokoff’s overall cost estimate is significantly lower than what the city would have paid had it opted to stick with Fulton County. In August, a Fulton County official told Appen Media that

the county would have charged more than $217,000 for the general election, and that likely would have increased.

Because Alpharetta later canceled its municipal election due to no contested races, the new county-created, percentage-based formula that determined what to charge would have placed a greater share of the administrative cost on the other cities.

Opportunity cost One camp assesses the election success based on actual dollars spent, calling Appen Media’s effort to quantify the city time dedicated to Milton’s election “absurd” — as one Milton resident put it. One Republican Party-appointed State Election Board member told Appen Media during tabulation that city staff are working “anyway.”

But others disagree, saying extra staff time devoted to the election should be factored into the cost.

The fact is that the election gobbled up hours of employee time.

Appen Media has calculated the city has spent close to $192,000 in staff time from January to November. The figure comes from records and interviews with City Manager Krokoff.

In addition to Krokoff, the staff time figures include Deputy City Manager Stacey Inglis and City Clerk Tammy Lowit, the absentee ballot clerk.

Inglis, who also served as the deputy election superintendent and the chief manager of tabulation, began dedicating 100 percent of her time to the election starting in August. Krokoff said she even worked Saturdays and Sundays.

“The only way to expand our capacity, our bandwidth, was for it to cannibalize our time, our private lives,” Krokoff said. “That was significant, overwhelming, especially as we got toward the end.”

See MILTON, Page 9

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Milton: Continued from Page 8 On Election Day, several of Milton’s election workers checked out after 21 hours.

Because of the election, other city projects were put on the backburner.

Most recently, Krokoff told the City Council Dec. 4 that he had been unable to pull multiple city committees together to review land inventory for an active park because of the election.

Krokoff also said Inglis had to put a halt to a performance management project and that Lowit had her share of postponed projects as well.

“There were other projects and things that didn’t necessarily rise that you hear about at the council level that had to be deferred,” he said.

Krokoff said it wasn’t “dragging boulders,” though. There was excitement in such an undertaking.

Lowit chimed in, saying that firsttime moment will never happen again.

“We’re only going to birth that baby once,” Krokoff added. “The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming … I think Council will have to decide whether or not in the future the opportunity cost is worth it.”

Voter turnout Another factor that weighs on the election’s success was voter turnout — it dropped by more than 10 percent from the 2021 municipal election conducted by Fulton County. There were also at least 2,000 more registered voters this year.

But, Inglis noted that Precinct 3’s share of the citywide votes increased in this election, a precinct Milton originally did not intend to have. But, it was added after outcry over the city disenfranchising the area which

NEWS has the highest number of voters of color, as well as the highest number of Democrats.

Milton resident Andrea Nugent, a Democratic candidate for the Georgia House in 2018, attributed the decrease in overall voter turnout to the number of polling locations during advance voting and on Election Day. It couldn’t have been the weather, she said, because it was beautiful that day.

For advance voting, residents of cities who voted through Fulton County had more than a dozen polling locations to choose from. Milton had one – at City Hall. There were also around quadruple the amount of voting locations on Election Day in other North Fulton cities like Johns Creek and Roswell whose elections were conducted

by Fulton County.

“For all residents, the ability to have all of the locations in Fulton County … is far superior, unless Milton is willing to offer 14 voting locations throughout Fulton County,” Nugent said. “That would be the only way that I would consider it being an equal alternative, and I don’t know how you put any money on that. For me … it’s voter access.”

Nugent, who has lived in Milton since 2013, said she never cast a ballot during advance voting at a Milton location. It was always in another city because of the convenience to or from work.

But, this time around, Nugent voted on Election Day because the hours Milton provided during advance voting weren’t suitable to her work schedule.

And, that day was a confusing one for her — she showed up to the Public Safety Complex on Ga. 9, about five minutes away from her home, but her assigned location was City Hall, 10 more minutes out of the way.

Nugent said she didn’t check over her voter registration card sent by

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 9

Fulton County which had her assigned polling location. But, she added, she didn’t know of many who did check it, and that election officials at the Public Safety Complex said it was a common issue.

Fulton County sent out two voter registration cards. The first had inaccurate information. The second corrected the mistake.

After hearing of the distrust of voting machines, Nugent said she found it interesting that the hand-marked, handcounted ballot process didn’t result in a greater number of people voting. She also said she received texts from Milton Families First, an independent expenditure committee, that would have theoretically gotten more people to vote.

“I didn’t see that in prior years … getting text campaigns for a municipal election,” Nugent said.

‘Well-oiled machine’ Milton resident Francia Lindon had a change of heart toward the city’s election project once she took part in the process as a tabulator. It became something she enjoyed, whereas before she had her doubts.

“I was skeptical of the process that had preceded it, and I felt I needed to be involved to trust the results. I had to see it myself,” Lindon said, Referencing the Milton Election Feasibility Committee’s months-long effort

to get a self-run election on track, Lindon said the group had “incredible bias” and shut out the Democratic Party.

The Milton municipal election was nonpartisan, but some residents said partisanship had a major influence, nonetheless.

Lindon described the training session for her role as a “good step in the right direction,” leading her to believe the election would be a well-planned, secure and stable process. The session was led by Inglis, whose positive attitude contributed to dispelling some of her doubts.

Lindon described tabulation as a “well-oiled machine,” a checked and double-checked reporting process that was “absolutely above board.”

While Lindon had a positive experience and said the experiment was worth running, she said Fulton County is the better option because of the number of polling locations as well as the time and manpower needed to get the job done.

“If any more people voted … I mean, it’s very labor intensive, and I think that’s cost-prohibitive,” Lindon said.

Four people handled every ballot during tabulation, and there were more than 3,660 of them. “... You can’t sell us that labor cost, against a machine doing it in a matter of an hour or two,” she said. “There’s just no way to compare that.”

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HEATHER MOORE, PetCentric Health CEO 10 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023

Vet offers preventative plans to Metro Atlanta pet owners

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — As more people look for cost-effective alternatives to traditional veterinary visits, Peach Vet Pet Wellness and PetCentric Health aim to make care accessible to Metro Atlanta pet owners.

Dr. Juliette Van Galder opened Peach Vet Pet Wellness, a boutique clinic in Suite 900 at 601 Houze Way in Roswell, in March 2022.

Peach Vet offers the standard array of veterinary care, including microchipping; spaying and neutering; wellness exams; surgeries; and diagnostics, as well as dental care.

But, Van Galder said the clinic is dedicated to making visits as fearless as possible for patients.

After opening, she said she offered her own primary care plans to help customers until partnering with PetCentric in June.

“I saw the value in what they could offer as a support system,” she said. “I feel like since we’re a small team, I just didn’t want to have too many caveats with managing the ‘what ifs’ with the care plan.”

Peach Vet’s partnership with PetCentric enables owners to come in sooner, so needed visits are not postponed because of cost barriers. The primary care plans allow owners to budget and save up to 45 percent on annual wellness exams, preventative tests and vaccines.

“That’s always important to me to give someone an option, if they don’t have the budget to pay,” Van Galder said.

Peach Vet is the first Georgia and flagship Atlanta partner of PetCentric Health, a primary care and digital database manager for pet owners and veterinary clinics.

CEO Heather Moore founded

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Dr. Juliette Van Galder owns Peach Vet Pet Wellness in Roswell. The boutique clinic opened at 601 Houze Way in March 2022 and offers primary care plans to help pet owners avoid large bills through preventative care.

PetCentric in mid-2022 to provide pet owners with plans that offer financial predictability, ensuring they can follow their vet’s recommendations without the concern of cost.

“PetCentric Health was founded to be an innovative solution as to traditional wellness,” Moore said. “So, we consider ourselves a subscription-based primary care company. So, we work with clinics to custom design an in-house health plan, primary health plan, for their patients that they can offer through a subscriptionbased method.”

Typically, owners visit the vet when

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their pet is sick, and vets charge owners on a traditional fee-based model. If owners cannot afford treatment their vet recommends, it is often deferred, which can escalate into more expensive and lifethreatening conditions.

“That model no longer meets pet parents or vets where they need to be,” Moore said. “Anything around health, human through pet, you see that the movement of our society, you know, we’re not a strong cash-based society. We’re a subscription-based society.”

Owners can pay monthly or annually for primary care plans, which are geared

toward preventative care to stop costs from becoming overwhelming if illnesses progress.

At Peach Vet, customers can choose between puppy, adult and senior dog plans based on their pet’s age and needs. The clinic also offers one feline primary care plan.

PetCentric’s plans differ from pet insurance, which often covers large, unexpected bills or compensates clients retroactively through reimbursement.

Although primary care plans do not cover emergency visits like insurance, PetCentric’s plans provide a pet flexible spend allowance that reserves money to be used on exams and expenses outside of routine wellness.

“It’s kind of a catch-all for minor issues for which pet insurance is still not really appropriate,” Moore said. “In fact, it might be below their deductible, or they don’t really need pet insurance, but it’s kind of that bucket that pet parents can use for whatever the individual needs are for their pet.”

Van Galder said she still recommends enrolling in pet insurance as early as possible. As primary care plans focus on preventative and routine check-ups, insurance can help owners navigate large emergency bills.

“I’ve had some situations where even young dogs are diagnosed with this rare disease, and they’re already on insurance, and it has covered and helped them get the treatment they need,” she said.

Moore also said inflation and rising medical costs put downward pressure on local vets, as raising the cost of services would make them inaccessible to many customers.

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Continued from Page 10 The primary care plans offered

by PetCentric help owners afford the services their pets need, while helping local vets retain their customers and remain competitive against big industry players like Chewy, which can undercut local operations with lower costs.

As primary care alternatives bring customers back to their local clinics, Moore said pets win by receiving important care, and veterinarians win by seeing the support of their local community.

PetCentric also offers local vet clinics digital services that would otherwise be managed in-house and place a heavy burden on clinic staff.

“We manage the pet parent subscriptions,” Moore said. “We manage all of the administrative items for the vet, and then we also create the digital experience for the pet parent.”

The digital experience is like the patient portal or virtual chart that a human would have. Owners can track their pet’s last vaccination dates, view real-time health data and see what is included in their health plan.

Van Galder said her main drive for offering the plans is to enable her customers to not wait until their pets

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Peach Vet Pet Wellness offers primary care plans for Metro Atlanta pets in Suite 900 at 601 Houze Way in Roswell. The clinic partnered with PetCentric Health in June to make preventative care more accessible to the community. are sick.

Above all, PetCentric’s plans ensure owners can get their pets the care they need.

“Health care for our pets is moving much more, more and more [to the] human health care arena,” Moore said. “We need to have better solutions for how people pay for their care than what’s out there or what has traditionally been available.”

To learn more about Peach Vet and its services, visit peachvet.com.

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12 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald

COMMUNITY

CITY OF ROSWELL/PROVIDED

A look down Canton Street during the 2023 season of Alive in Roswell shows hundreds of patrons enjoying the family-friendly festival. Alive in Roswell is held every third Thursday evening from April through October.

Alive in Roswell honored by business publication ROSWELL, Ga. — The Georgia Business Journal’s readers and editors have named Alive in Roswell as a 2023 Best of Georgia winner.

The monthly festival from April through October joins Helen Oktoberfest, Dahlonega Arts & Wine Festival and four other Best of Georgia winners in the festivals section of the arts and entertainment category.

The Georgia Business Journal awards seek out gems in communities across the state, which are determined after voting concludes Oct. 31.

The awards include more than 25 categories and three levels — Best of Georgia, Regional Winner and Honorable Mention.

The process begins with an online nomination, involves a review of consumer reports and concludes by recognizing up to 30 percent of nominees.

Art: Continued from Page 4 Arts commissioners also recognized Fiona MacKay and Tessa Warren, who were unable to attend.

The Arts Commission presented Rotary Club professional mural adviser AnnaL ysa Kimball with a certificate of appreciation from Mayor Jim Gilvin.

Kimball hosted a mural painting workshop for the students and guided their work on the Greenway.

She also painted her own piece, “Water Pups,” which portrays five dogs licking water on an invisible barrier.

Nolfa said the mural trail reflects

According to the Georgia Business Journal, hundreds of thousands of votes are received each year.

The highest designations go to the businesses that rake in the highest number of votes. The lesser-known places still receive publicity in the Best of Georgia Annual, a print edition covering all the winners.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the monthly street party’s success is due to the community’s love of gathering and the hard work of the Special Events Division.

“Each month more than 7,000 residents and visitors gather to enjoy all that our historic downtown has to offer,” Wilson said. “This award is testament to the hard work of city staff and the support of Council in bringing familyfriendly events that everyone can enjoy to our community.” the Rotary Club’s mission of fellowship through service.

“We are so blessed to have been a part of this and look forward to years to come to bring the beautification project along the Alpharetta Greenway,” Nolfa said.

In other matters at the meeting, the Arts Commission approved a metal sculpture by Crabapple artist Michael Dillon at the Manning on the Square subdivision on Cumming Street.

The 8-foot stainless steel sculpture will feature three monarch butterflies, recognizing subdivision developer Taylor Morrison’s monarch butterfly pledge to the National Wildlife Federation.

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AppenMedia.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 13

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14 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

DOMESTIQUE DAY

Elves prepare ‘Santa-ready’ bikes at volunteer workshop

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — More than 100 volunteers, working with Bike Alpharetta and North Fulton Community Charities, assembled and repaired hundreds of bikes collected since September to be distributed to kids in need for Christmas.

For 14 years, North Fulton Community Charities has benefited from Domestique Day – the culmination of Bike Alpharetta’s “Bikes for Kids” program.

Held at the Milton City Park and Preserve Dec. 9, volunteers served as domestiques — meaning “helpers” in French — to provide Santa-ready bikes to kids through North Fulton Community Charities’ Toyland Shop. “Domestique” is a word often used in pro cycling, referring to the team members who work to support the team leader.

Elves, both children and adults, arrived at 8 a.m. sharp and stayed busy at their stations preparing nearly 530 bikes. Accompanying the bikes were 325 new helmets and another 75 that were donated.

One room in the Community Center was dedicated to assembling new, snap-together bikes. After donated bikes were power washed outside, they were wheeled to the basement for detailing, then another room where they were repaired by mechanics and later inspected.

Jackie Tyson, founder of Bike Alpharetta, said bikes that were too rusty to be salvaged would later be recycled.

“We’ve made a huge effort in the past four or five years [to] not put any metal or rubber in a landfill,” Tyson said.

Bikes For Kids was started in 2007 by the Mullenbach family, who had collected 65 bikes in their Johns Creek neighborhood. Since then, Bikes For Kids has provided more than 4,700 bicycles and tricycles as well as nearly 1,900 new youth helmets all free of charge to North Fulton Community Charities.

Due to rising costs in food, rent and other essentials this year, NFCC Community Events Manager Janet Dahlstrom said the nonprofit has seen a 20-to-30 percent increase in all its programs, including Toyland.

Dahlstrom said there is a record number of families signed up this year, about 630 families which includes

Roswell: Continued from Page 7 During the approval of the 2023 agreement, GDOT pushed for a reconsideration of the 2019 alignment.

While the 2019 realignment is cheaper to construct, Transportation Director Jeffrey Littlefield said the original alignment provides superior east-west connectivity for Roswell residents.

Littlefield said the financial impacts of modifying the project’s alignment include the escalation of construction prices since 2016 and the $15 million committed to GDOT for the Holcomb Bridge Road interchange.

Funding comes from the transportation sales tax passed by voters in 2016.

According to city documents, there is roughly $443,668 available in a

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Volunteers repair donated bikes at the Milton City Park and Preserve Dec. 9, or on Domestique Day, as part of Bike Alpharetta’s “Bikes For Kids” program, which provides Santa-ready bikes to North Fulton Community Charities’ Toyland Shop. “Domestique,” meaning helpers in French, is a word often used in pro cycling, referring to the team members who work to support the team leader. around 1,500 children.

Tyson said the No. 1 requested items are bikes.

Before Bike Alpharetta took over the program a decade ago, Tyson had volunteered. She said her drive to provide bikes to children stems from the feeling of riding on her

TSPLOST 1 account and over $32 million available in the Big Creek Parkway TSPLOST 1 account.

Because construction costs have ballooned since 2016, the city requested $40 million from the local delegation of the Georgia General Assembly to assist with the project.

The city also requested appropriations from the local delegation because of the $15 million committed to GDOT in the 2020 intergovernmental agreement.

The 2023 intergovernmental agreement states the city must begin constructing their portion of the Big Creek Parkway, connecting Warsaw Road and Old Alabama Road to the Ga. 400 bridge, within 12 months of GDOT’s completion of the bridge.

Littlefield said GDOT will go into procurement for the project sometime in spring 2024.

“Our work is highly dependent on

first bike that her father had bought at 8 years old.

“It felt like wonderful freedom to go out and have the wind in my face and do something on my own,” Tyson said. “I don't want [children] to miss that opportunity to have their own bicycle.”

their project,” Littlefield said.

After the modification passed, Roswell’s Department of Transportation brought a contract amendment before the council to allow Gresham Smith to develop the construction plans and for Atkins to manage the design process of the project.

The amendment authorizes no more than $2.5 million for the Big Creek Parkway project and will begin the design and permitting process, Littlefield said.

Some residents said the 2019 realignment would reduce wetland disruption and residential displacement.

During public comment at the Dec. 11 meeting, Lauren Fields of the Liberty Square subdivision said she has concerns about the environmental impact of the project’s construction.

Another Roswell resident ,Charles Krieger, said he wanted to understand the “thought process” behind the back-

and-forth nature of the project’s design.

Ultimately, the environmental concerns about construction over Big Creek were assuaged by GDOT’s commitment to environmental protections.

“Because of topography it sits significantly higher than the other surrounding areas, so it doesn’t delve into the lowlands where the creek bed is,” Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said.

There are significant requirements that GDOT and the city must meet for construction of the project to begin, she said.

Councilman Mike Palermo spoke about the progress of the Big Creek Parkway throughout his eight years on the council.

“In the last year, I’ve seen more progress with this mayor and council urgently wanting to bring enhancements to improve our quality of life,” Palermo said. “As well as follow through with what voters asked for.”

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16 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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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Join your neighbors in support of local journalism CHARTER MEMBER Big Sky Franchise Team David & Michelle Bertany Amour & Duane Carthy

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18 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

Fencing: Continued from Page 1 Donges began at the newly opened Innovation Academy in 2021. His granddaughter Anna Donges, who had fenced under his guidance at North Springs, now studies and fences at Innovation Academy.

Another former fencer at North Springs, Tyler McCubbins, also joined Donges at Innovation Academy to serve as assistant coach.

Every Thursday, Donges clears the tables and chairs from the cafeteria just before the final bell rings. Innovation Academy lacks a gym, so the 15 strips for practice are laid out in the cafeteria.

Practice begins at 4:30 p.m. when Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey” begins playing from a large speaker. After warm-ups, Donges and the team’s eight captains deliver remarks to prepare the fencers before tournaments.

Senior captain Rebecca Hahn said she was new to fencing when she joined the team as a sophomore, but she immediately found friends and a community through the sport.

Hahn said fencing with the team taught her self confidence and how to value herself.

“I value myself more because fencing helps you kind of figure out who you are as a person, because it makes you confront how you would react under pressure,” she said.

Now in her third year on the team, Hahn is ranked sixth in the Fencing League’s womens individual standings and second in the Innovation club.

“I wanted to teach new people how to fence so they could become confident and find friends and a community like I did because I love this team,” Hahn said. “I love the effort they put in. I love their team spirit.”

Donges emphasized fencing is more than a physical sport. It combines strategy with quick thinking. The Innovation club’s discipline, epee, opens the entirety of an opponent’s body to strikes, which forces fencers to consider their opponent’s moves to land the first one.

Donges’ granddaughter Anna is the highest ranked female fencer on the team and second overall in the High School Fencing League. She is also a senior captain.

She said she always longed for a fencing team experience, but she was not certain she could start a team at Innovation Academy because of its lack of sports.

After the school approved fencing as a club, she found the experience she was looking for, and she said she has loved watching her fellow fencers grow.

“One of the aspects that I really wanted was a team part of it,” Anna Donges said.

“So, as an individual fencer, even outside the league, you have teams, but it’s very

Innovation Academy head fencing coach Bill Donges gives a lesson to a fencer at practice Dec. 7. While Donges oversees fencers during their warm-ups and practice bouts, he also provides one-on-one coaching to refine his students’ skills.

individual. You don’t always have people

Weekend win

The Innovation Academy fencing team placed first in the fourth tournament of the season against Milton, Dunwoody, Decatur, Lambert and North Springs high schools Dec. 9.

Senior team captain Anna Donges received the gold medal for women.

Junior team captain Eric Zhang placed first for men, and Krishiv Patel won the silver medal.

Innovation Academy retains its number one ranking in the Georgia High School Fencing League. behind your back and stuff. So, I wanted the team experience, and this team has really delivered with that.”

Anna Donges said one of the most rewarding aspects of her experience is seeing fencers who had never touched a sword be awarded medals beside her.

Bill Donges expressed a similar sentiment. Although he loves watching his team win, he said the real joy is seeing his students grow. He hopes for his fencers to be confident in themselves and become leaders on and off the strip.

“I want them to be leaders in everything they do,” he said.

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Innovation Academy fencing club head coach Bill Donges addresses his women athletes at the start of practice Dec. 7. Donges’ granddaughter Anna Donges, at right, is the highest ranked female fencer on the team and second overall in the Georgia High School Fencing League.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 19

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20 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist

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Fourteen-year-old wins science award for soap that treats skin cancer

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He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.

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Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.

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Young innovator Heman Bekele recently won 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge by creating a bar of soap that might be able to treat skin cancer. Starting out, he wanted to invent a treatment for skin cancer that could be used in developing countries. Such a treatment would need to be inexpensive and stable outside of air-conditioned environments.

He wondered if medicated soap could fit the bill.

Heman’s soap combines four ingredients: salicylic acid, glycolic acid, tretinoin and a medication called imidazoquinoline. Tretinoin is commonly known as Retin-A® and is the main ingredient in many anti-acne and anti-wrinkle creams. Salicyclic acid and glycolic acid are common anti-wart treatments.

Together, tretinoin, salicyclic acid and glycolic acid can disrupt a person’s skin barrier so that other medicines can better penetrate the skin. This strategy could allow imidazoquinoline to better enter the skin and perform its job.

Imidazoquinoline is an activator or “agonist” of toll like receptor (TLR) number 7. TLR’s are a family of proteins on the surface of many cells of our immune system. When these proteins are activated, the immune system becomes more active.

TLR7, the protein targeted by Heman Bekele’s soap, is normally activated by certain viruses. TLR7 stimulates a part of the immune system that is important for fighting infections and cancer. Given that some skin diseases such as HPVrelated squamous cell carcinoma are both an infection and a cancer, targeting TLR7 has been a winning strategy for fighting certain cancers. In fact, Aldara®

(generic name “imiquimod”) is a toll like receptor 7 agonist (activator) that has been FDA approved since 1997 and is used for the treatment of superficial basal cell skin cancers, certain types of warts, and pre-cancers called actinic keratoses. Aldara®’s clearance rates for superficial basal cell carcinoma are reasonable at approximately 75%.

Unfortunately, Aldara® is known to be a relatively fragile cream. It is supplied in boxes of 12 or 24 single-use packets. Common wisdom is that a partially used packet may be refrigerated overnight and used the next day. However, the package insert says that they are single use and must be stored at 39 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and should not be frozen. These restrictions are reasonable in the United States but are not conducive to use in developing countries without access to refrigeration and temperature-controlled transportation.

Heman Bekele’s soap could be ground-breaking if clinical trials take place and if they prove that imidazoquinoline can stand up to acids, heat, cold, water and repetitive use. Furthermore, potency with short application time might be an issue – how long would someone need to leave the soap on their skin for it to work? If successful, a hardy soap could be a useful vehicle as a topical cancer treatment.

His research is likely at an early stage, but regardless, it is encouraging to read about young innovators problem-solving, thinking globally and trying to make the world a better place. Congratulations Heman!

We hope that you enjoyed this article.

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 23

Look your best for the holidays Brought to you by – Dr. Bradley Hepler, Atlanta Center for Dental Health The holiday season is a great time to take steps to look and feel your best. One way to accomplish this is to improve your dental health and your beautiful smile.

Surveys show that your smile and your teeth are one of the first things that people notice about you. A smile with balanced proportions makes you look young and healthy and feel confident meeting new people and talking and laughing with friends and family. As dentists, we can offer many options to improve your smile which are conservative, non-invasive, and affordable in one simple and comfortable visit.

Modern dentistry gives you so many options to improve your smile with the advances in materials and technology.

Tooth Whitening – Years of stain and discoloration can be reversed with our inoffice and take home prescription whitening procedures.

Cosmetic Recontouring - A simple process of re-shaping the teeth to eliminate chips and broken teeth can make them look healthier and much straighter.

Teeth Straightening - Creating straighter teeth and a healthier bite is a minimally invasive choice. With the latest

advances in clear aligner therapy, Invisalign gives you an attractive smile in a very short amount of time, without having unsightly metal braces and wires on your teeth. The latest materials allow the teeth to be gently and comfortably repositioned in just a matter of months.

Cosmetic Bonding - With the use of tooth-colored materials, we can repair chips and cracks and make your teeth appear normal, natural and vibrant again.

Porcelain Veneers - A minimally invasive procedure which allows us to use thin shells of porcelain. These act like new enamel for your teeth. Porcelain veneers

allow you to change the color, size, shape, and position of your teeth. They are your teeth, only better. Porcelain veneers are bonded to the front of your teeth to change your smile and give you the smile of your dreams.

Botox and Juvéderm - These are safe and proven materials for therapeutic and cosmetic improvements to your lips and face. They can rejuvenate your smile in a matter of days.

Dr. Bradley Hepler and the experienced team at the Atlanta Center for Dental Health provide all the modern advances that contemporary aesthetic dentistry offers. You will realize immediate results with non-invasive and often inexpensive procedures to enhance your smile. If you would like a complementary consultation to discover your smile enhancing options, please call the Atlanta Center for Dental Health at 770-992-2236. Dr. Bradley Hepler has spent many hours dedicated to perfecting and updating the latest and best techniques in dentistry. It is with this breadth of knowledge that they provide each patient with the perfect solution to their situation, their life, and their goals. It is our great pleasure to serve this community and help as many people as possible live their best life.

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Thank You for Voting for Us 9 Years in a Row! WINNER

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Dedicated to providing exceptional dentistry and creating beautiful, healthy smiles for over 31 years.

Our services include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Crowns and Bridges in a few days • Custom Baked Cookies Daily Porcelain Veneers • FREE Nitrous Oxide and Oral Conscious Sedation Tooth Colored Composite Fillings • Facial Aesthetic Enhancements Teeth Whitening- no sensitivity including BOTOX and Dermal Fillers Oral Cancer Screenings on all patients Teeth Cleanings, Digital X-Rays and Comprehensive Oral Exams on all new patients Cosmetic Smile Makeovers and Full Mouth Digital X-Rays Reconstruction (Complimentary Consultation) $100 Value Occlusal Guards and Bite Adjustments New patients only.

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A traditional Japanese custom and its reflections in modern dentistry Brought to you by - By Destinee Hood, DMD, Roswell Dental Care Ohaguro, the practice of blackening one's teeth, holds a significant place in Japanese cultural history.

Historically, ohaguro was a symbol of beauty, status, and marital eligibility. While the tradition has faded over time, its impact is still visible in various cultural remnants and even resonates in modern dentistry. This article explores the roots of ohaguro and delves into its connection with contemporary dental practices.

Ohaguro dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), where it was initially practiced by the aristocracy and later adopted by commoners. The custom involved blackening the teeth using a solution made from iron filings and vinegar, resulting in a distinctive lacquered appearance. Ohaguro was particularly prevalent among married women, symbolizing their commitment and marital status.

As Japan modernized during the Meiji era (1868-1912), ohaguro gradually lost its significance. Influences from the Western world, changes in fashion, and evolving societal norms contributed to the decline of this centuries-old tradition. By the end of the Meiji era, ohaguro was largely abandoned, although some elderly individuals continued the practice well into the 20th century.

Ohaguro's Influence on Modern Dentistry: While ohaguro itself may be a relic of the past, its impact on modern dentistry is noteworthy. The quest for aesthetically pleasing smiles has always been a constant, and this is where the historical custom finds resonance in contemporary dental practices.

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Teeth Whitening Technologies: The desire for whiter teeth in modern society is the antithesis of ohaguro. Teeth whitening procedures, ranging from over-thecounter products to professional treatments offered by dentists, reflect society's current beauty standards. These treatments use safe and effective methods to remove stains and discoloration, enhancing the natural whiteness of teeth.

Orthodontics and Cosmetic Dentistry: Ohaguro was not only about color but also about the shape and arrangement of teeth.

In modern dentistry, orthodontic treatments, such as braces and clear aligners, address issues

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related to tooth alignment and structure. Cosmetic dentistry procedures, like veneers, bonding, and contouring, allow individuals to achieve the perfect smile they desire.

Dental Implants and Prosthetics: For those who have lost teeth due to various reasons, dental implants and prosthetics provide functional and aesthetic solutions.

These technologies mimic the appearance and function of natural teeth, helping individuals regain confidence in their smiles.

Ohaguro may be a thing of the past, but its influence on modern dentistry is undeniable. From a symbol of status and beauty to a relic of history, ohaguro has evolved, leaving a lasting impression on Japan's cultural landscape. Today, as advancements in dentistry continue to flourish, individuals have a range of options to achieve healthy, functional, and aesthetically pleasing smiles—embracing a new era that values the preservation and enhancement of natural dental beauty.

Roswell Dental Care is nominated to win “BEST OF THE BEST” Dental Practice in North Atlanta by Appen Newspaper for the 8th year. We’ve been serving patients in the area for over 40 years.

As your cosmetic dentists, Drs. Hood, Remaley, and Urvi give your comfort and trust top priority. We assure you feel confident in any dental solution before beginning treatment.

For enhanced comfort, we offer FREE conscious sedation, including nitrous oxide. Rest assured that your experience will be positive, relaxing, and rewarding. Take the first step in feeling great about your smile. Schedule your COMPLIMENTARY smile makeover consultation by calling 770-9986736.

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Bring joy home for the holidays Brought to you by - Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta Suburbs The holidays are fast approaching and it’s easy to get lost in the wonders, gift giving and traditions of the season.

For the older loved ones in our lives, this can be a difficult time. Over 25% of seniors experience depression at this time of year. Whether it’s suddenly feeling physical limitations, loneliness or social isolation, the best gift you can give to older family and friends is making a concerted effort to bring joy home for their holidays.

Spreading holiday cheer starts with a thoughtful assessment of what realistic expectations now are and how to help navigate the holiday with grace. Something as simple as decorating a tree may pose a physical challenge. Have a decorating event - help with unpacking, setting up the tree and unwrapping treasured ornaments. Make sure decorating is done safely, with clear walkways and access. Share a cookie baking session and listen to favorite carols. Take a drive to visit lighting displays. Preparations for holiday dinner can be exhausting, so help with the cooking and table setting. Whether it’s reviving traditions or creating new ones, make sure to take holiday events at their pace. Perhaps they’ll actively engage and participate or just enjoy observing.

Shopping can be very difficult and stressful. You can help put together their shopping list, assist with online shopping that may be confusing, have

a “wrap party” and make sure you help keep the gift giving budget reasonable for seniors on a fixed income. A wonderful gift for your older loved one may be one that helps them continue to enjoy their home. Consider a bath chair or grab bars for their bath that provide safety and continued comfort.

As you think of the perfect gift, it may be time for the gift of care. The companionship and skills of a Home Helpers Caregiver can make a beautiful difference in their life. Caregivers can assist with all personal care, help around the house and provide specialized care for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc. Our carefully matched and talented caregivers not only bring skills, but a heart centered approach and positive spirit that boosts confidence and provides the best possible quality of life for our clients and their families. Whether it’s a few days a week, helping with recovery after surgery or coming home from a rehabilitation center, we’re here to help.

Don’t forget to bring some joy to the family caregiver on your list. A skilled caregiver can help provide some private time, lend balance and relieve some of the stress and burnout that comes with caring for a loved one.

For a free consultation and exceptional care management by a team with depth and skill from six hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 and live-in care, please call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta Suburbs at (770) 681-0323

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26 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

Your youthful smile Brought to you by – North Fulton Smiles

In order to understand a youthful smile, one needs to know the look of aging teeth.

An aging smile can occur as a person gets older, however, they can be influenced by various factors such as oral habits, lifestyle choices, and dental hygiene care…at any age!

Some of the most common features of an aging smile are: 1. Teeth yellowing: Over time, and many coffee/tea, chocolate, wine and tobacco indulgences later, teeth can lose their natural brightness and present more yellow.

2. Tooth wear and tear: Years of grinding, taking out one’s stress on one’s teeth, and misaligned teeth can contribute to excessive and uneven tooth wear and flatter and shorter surfaces.

3. Gum recession: gum recession exposes the darker root surfaces and makes teeth look longer and less esthetic.

4. Tooth loss: missing teeth can impact the appearance of one’s smile and contribute to decreased lip and cheek support and fullness causing facial changes.

5. Teeth crowding: As we age our teeth have a tendency to shift in a forward direction, causing the front teeth to become more crowded.

To maintain a youthful smile here are a few tips:

1. Avoid staining: Avoid tobacco and limit stain causing and enamel eroding acidic foods and drinks.

2. Whitening: professional dental whitening can remove most stains and bring back the luster and brightness to one’s teeth.

3. Resin bonding: Tooth colored fillings do a beautiful job of masking exposed root surfaces and restoring the beautiful shape of the teeth, and thus enhance one’s smile.

4. Tooth replacement: In today’s world, replacing a tooth with implant therapy is the gold standard of dentistry and has long lasting benefits in maintaining the longevity of one’s dentition.

5. Orthodontics: Crooked and misaligned teeth can be corrected using braces or aligners and immediately restore the “wellness” of the smile. It is amazing what a straight smile does to restore youthfulness and confidence! 6. Occlusal guard: A bite guard can shield the teeth from the harmful effects of clenching and grinding.

Maintaining a youthful smile is a lifelong commitment to YOURSELF! Regularly consulting with a good dentist who is committed to your optimal dental health and smile will help ensure personalized advice and appropriate care and methods keep your smile healthy and youthful.

Call us for a free consultation (upon mention of this article) on how we can help you rejuvenate your smile! 

Feel good about your teeth.

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20-minute workout perfect for holidays Brought to you by - The Exercise Coach Get into the holiday spirit and give yourself the gift of health and wellness this season with The Exercise Coach!

This holiday season, we're excited to offer a special deal to all new customers.

When you step into The Exercise Coach, you'll receive not one, but TWO free sessions of our revolutionary 20-minute whole body workout. Plus, as our gift to you, enjoy a fantastic $100 off any package or membership! It's our way of saying 'Happy Holidays' and welcoming you to a healthier lifestyle.

At The Exercise Coach, we understand that the holiday season can be hectic, with endless parties and tempting treats. That's why our 20-minute whole body workout is perfect for busy schedules. Our innovative Exerbotics equipment takes efficiency to a whole new level, ensuring that every minute counts and every muscle group is targeted.

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Cancer fighting drugs in your medicine cabinet Brought to you by Jonathan Stegall, MD, The Center for Advanced Medicine

Cancer Treatments Including: Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Nutrition Supplementation

FDA approved to treat cancer, their use is considered “off-label.” Interestingly, there are now dozens of medications we can repurpose to treat cancer better and more thoroughly. I routinely in-

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clude these repurposed medications as part of my integrative cancer treatment protocols.

Have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!

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When we think of cancer treatments, we typically think of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. But did STEGALL you know that you might already have some cancer-fighting drugs in your medicine cabinet at home which complement these treatments very well?

It turns out that many drugs which are approved for non-cancer indications have been found in subsequent research to have an anticancer effect.

The most well-known of these is the diabetes drug metformin. In addition to its blood sugar lowering effects, metformin has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, a key in cancer’s spread.

The cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have also been found to have an anticancer effect, by affecting the way cancer cells use fat and carbohydrates for fuel. Even baby aspirin, taken by millions of Americans each day for its cardiovascular benefits, has anticancer activity by reducing inflammation.

Since these medications are not

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Winter wellness Navigating seasonal depression with strength and support Brought to you by- Summit Counseling Center As the winter chill settles in, December not only brings holiday festivities, but it also sheds light on Seasonal Depression Awareness Month. Amidst the joy, it's crucial to acknowledge and address the challenges many face during this season.

Here are some helpful ways to combat seasonal depression if you find yourself struggling this winter: •Establish a routine: Keep a consistent schedule of restful sleep, healthy eating, and regular exercise to ease depression symptoms.

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ing the daytime.

• Connect with loved ones: Social support can be a powerful antidote to the winter blues. Plan regular gatherings, whether virtually or in-person, with family and friends - not only for emotional support, but also to ease isolation during the colder months.

• Consider therapy: Explore the benefits of therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as professional counseling can provide valuable tools and coping strategies to navigate the challenges of the season.

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business specializing in real estate and recruiting services. He had previously lost a bid for the council in 2021 when Councilman William Morthland defeated him in a runoff election for the Post 5 seat.

Dal Cerro had received the endorsement of new Post 4 City Councilman David Johnson.

Marisa Periera received 22 percent of the vote Nov. 7, which failed to qualify her for the runoff.

While Periera said she campaigned for Sells in 2022, she endorsed Dal Cerro for the Dec. 5 runoff.

“In Georgia, municipal level elections are supposed to be nonpartisan,” Periera wrote in her endorsement. “Secret dark money was used to lie about one of my opponents, Michael Dal Cerro, referring to him as an extreme liberal with a progressive agenda.”

While the platforms of both candidates are similar, Dal Cerro and Sells criticized each other throughout the lead up to the Dec. 5 runoff.

“This runoff was particularly contentious because the general political atmosphere in Roswell has turned up several levels over the past few years in particular,” Dal Cerro said after the runoff.

Specifically, Dal Cerro took issue with “at least five mailers and several texts that were funded by an unknown source,” which he attributes to Sells’ campaign.

While Dal Cerro supported an increase in housing options for young professionals, Sells used the hashtag #DontAtlantaMyRoswell throughout his campaign to convey his stand against high density residential.

Both candidates advocated for attracting mixed-use development,

increasing walkability and balancing lower property taxes with the expense of city projects.

The main difference between the candidates’ platforms is the degree to which they support density in the city.

In 2022, the Roswell City Council made a significant update to the development code, eliminating standalone apartments.

While Dal Cerro pledged Nov. 18 to oppose standalone apartments, Sells pointed to his opponent’s opposition to the 2022 update to Roswell’s development code.

Sells said Dal Cerro spoke in opposition to development code updates at two public hearings in 2022, which Dal Cerro confirmed he did at least once.

While the updates eliminated stand-alone apartments, Dal Cerro said he did not advocate for more stand-alone apartments. Instead, Dal Cerro said he advocated against changes to the development code.

Both candidates claimed one another spread misinformation about their platforms.

“I hope all the candidates and their supporters can set aside divisive rhetoric questioning opponent’s motives… assuming they act with evil intent,” Sells said Dec. 6.

“And that we can remain friends and neighbors, dedicated to improving our city.”

Councilwoman Sarah Beeson, who did not endorse a candidate in the 2023 municipal election, held her Nov. 7 election night party at Sunny & Ranney on Oak Street with the supporters of L yndsey Coates and Dal Cerro.

“Although Allen and I obviously disagree on some perspectives,” Beeson said. “I have congratulated him on his win last night and hope that we can find commonalities to work together to best serve Roswell.”

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30 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

OPINION

Publix is doing fine just the way it is I heard about a new CEO at Publix this week – on the news somewhere.

Normally, something like that would not catch my attention; there are lots of corporate CEO changes all the time. This RAY APPEN was not, however, Publisher Emeritus just any company; it ray@appenmedia.com was Publix, and that is one company that I care about – a lot.

Often a new CEO means something is not working at a company, and the board of directors brings in a fix-it person who usually slashes expenses, lays off staff, and in general, changes a ton of stuff. The same thing often happens when a company acquires another company. Kroger buying Albertsons comes to mind. That “merger” will make the combined company a stronger no. 2 grocer (behind WalMart), but it will also probably mean that many stores will be closed if they overlap markets, and a ton of administrative personal will get the axe.

Elon Musk buying Twitter and then basically destroying it also came

to mind, but that particular one is an extreme case.

This is what I was worried about when I heard about a new CEO at Publix. I googled it and found out that essentially what appears to have happened is that there were a number of internal promotions including the current CEO moving to “executive chairman” and the existing president was moving to the CEO slot. Several other changes/promotions also occurred – all internal promotions for long-time employees. No one from the outside was involved. Most importantly – to me –it appears that what happened may not have been in response to something within Publix being broken. I hope I am right.

I love Publix. I don’t see anything broken about it. In fact, what I see when I contemplate Publix is a company that is still grounded in the core values of the founder – George Jenkins – and that those values are serving Publix well. When I go into a Publix, it feels like I am going home. I see employees who genuinely care about my shopping experience and about me. I see happy employees who have pride in their store and in their contribution to their store.

When I go into a Publix – and they are

all the same in these aspects – I feel comfortable; I feel welcomed; and I actually feel like part of the experience, instead of like a customer being sold a commodity that is driven only by pricepoints and nothing else.

When I shop in the other grocery stores – which I seldom do – I never feel like I have any sort of relationship with anything or anyone at the store.

They feel sterile and without any trace of humanity – all business, nameless, faceless, commodity-driven business.

That is the way of today in most businesses, especially service businesses. They are dehumanized, and the customer is no longer considered a priority, at least the way they used to be considered. Calls are answered by recordings instead of a person. Cashiers have given way to self-checkout with scanner machines. Customer service is routed to India instead of to someone who actually cares and will actually listen and try to fix what was broken for a customer. Cutting expenses at any cost is what tends to drive business today, even when it means alienating customers and employees. This results in companies painting themselves into a corner where their only competitive advantage is reduced to only one vari-

able – price. This approach also destroys brand, something that often has taken decades to create and sustain.

The Publix motto is: “Where shopping is a pleasure,” and guess what! This is actually what Publix still believes and what drives everything. It is what sets Publix apart from every other competitor and what, in this commodity-driven culture, this “only price” mantra business environment that we know today, drives its success.

A few other businesses continue to operate like Publix, but not many.

Chick-fil-A comes to mind, as does Costco. Both are uber-successful. Both companies treat employees and customers differently, and you can see it and feel it the instant you enter their store.

I sometimes shop at the competitor’s stores, but that is because I am in a hurry and must, not because I want to.

Shopping with them is never a pleasure.

They are destinations that offer the least they possibly can and expect you to like that and be a loyal customer – not.

Thank you, Publix. Stay the course.

Note: Publix is an advertiser with Appen Media.

GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!

Bucket brigade time at Whitewater Creek “Daddy, where do trout come from?”

It was almost exactly a year ago, and the question came from a child of 6 or 7 years. She was standing in a line of wader-clad trout enthusiasts about 3 STEVE HUDSON yards from the back Columnist left corner of the Department of Natural Resources stocking truck –- the “trout truck,” as it’s called.

She was wearing a bright pink Barbie sweater and electric pink rubber boots, a visual exclamation point in a winding line of drab olive-and-tan waders, and she was holding (securely, with both hands) an equally electric orange fivegallon bucket from the big-box hardware store out on the main road.

The dad considered the question.

“Well,” he said at last, “they come from a place called the hatchery. At the hatchery they put ‘em in the truck, and the truck brings them here.”

“Oh!” said the child. “Do they enjoy

the ride?”

“I’m sure they do,” said the dad.

“What happens then?” asked the child.

“Well,” said the dad again, “then we get to take them to the river!”

The line moved a yard closer to the truck, and the fellow in front of her set his own plastic bucket up on the truck’s platform. The bucket was half full of river water, and it was heavy. Then the DNR man dipped a long-handled net into one of the truck’s holding tanks and pulled out a load of wiggly, splashy trout. Deftly he dumped the trout into the waiting bucket, and in a moment, it was on its way to the nearby waters of the Chattahoochee River.

Then it was the child’s turn.

“Got your bucket ready?” said the man on the truck.

“Daddy, we need our bucket!” said the child.

“It’s ready!” the dad answered, setting it in place. Then the net went into action, and out came the trout. They were wiggling even more than the last ones, and they sent water flying every-

where as they were expertly dumped into the waiting bucket. The child squealed in delight as she and dad and everyone within range got showered with a flying deluge of icy cold water.

Then…

“Let’s go!” said the dad. He picked up the bucket, holding most of the weight as good dads are prone to do, and the child grabbed the handle too to help.

“Off to the river!” announced the dad, and the two of them headed for the water, where (with great ceremony) the trout were carefully poured from the bucket into the cold, crisp flow of the nearby river.

“Bye-bye, trout!” said the child, and then she asked, “Daddy, is it time to go fishing?”

That’s what it’s like to stock trout on Bucket Brigade Day at the Chattahoochee River!

What’s Bucket Brigade Day? It’s a chance to have fun (especially with your kids!) as you help stock trout into the Chattahoochee’s Delayed Harvest section near Cumberland Mall. The trout come from the state hatchery up off Highway

20, and folks like you and me get to lend a hand by transporting them from the hatchery truck to the river.

“We need your help to stock trout in the delayed harvest section of the Chattahoochee River!” says the DNR website.

Well, as good fortune would have it, the next Bucket Brigade Day is coming up in just a few days – on Dec. 18, to be precise, at Whitewater Creek (East Palisades) on the Chattahoochee not far from Cumberland Mall. The GPS address is 4058 Whitewater Creek Road NW. The stocking truck should show up between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. But when should you arrive? I’d say plan on being early, not only to find a place to park but also to say hi to the other trout enthusiasts who will be there too. I’ll be among them, tying and sharing some flies (my favorite secret trout fly!), and I’ll be glad to share one with you too (at least until I run out of hooks).

What will you need to bring in order to get in on the stocking fun? Volunteers should bring a clean 5-gallon bucket and

See HUDSON, Page 36

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 31

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.

2 If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to “Appen Media Group C/O Newspaper Delivery Tip” to 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

32 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

OPINION

PRESERVING THE PAST

Artist Clayton Pond shows the power of vibrant color Clayton Pond was a well-known artist in New York City’s Soho artist neighborhood when he and his family moved to what would become the City of Milton in 1955. His wife Marjorie, a vice president for Neenah Paper a former division of Kimberly Clark, was relocated to this area. Clayton was a pioneering resident of the Soho art district for some BOB MEYERS 30 years.

Columnist Once in Milton, he installed his studio on the lower level of his home and continued to produce his distinctively personal paintings in oil and acrylic on canvas and other surfaces. He is known for his very large colorful canvases and his limited-edition silkscreen prints. He was an early adopter of silkscreen printing, or serigraphy. His limited-edition prints often highlight his larger works. Pond has developed a unique and easily recognizable style focusing on everyday items.

Clayton Pond is best known for his use of color to create emotional responses. His paintings feature unique color harmonies that generate excitement. He focuses on manmade subjects, not landscapes.

“I think of color as a fourth dimension,” he says. “No single color by itself means very much. Putting the right colors together can create visual stimulation and energy. I like to see how colors vibrate when next to each other.”

Clayton was born in Bayside, New York, and raised in Port Washington on Long Island. He attended Hiram College near Cleveland, Ohio, where he took some art courses and then transferred to Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1964. He entered graduate school at Pratt Institute in New York City where he began to develop his unique interest in the use of bright, intense (he calls them happy) color relationships. While earning his graduate degree he also taught himself the serigraph (silkscreen) process and began to exhibit in national exhibitions.

In 1966, his silkscreen prints were shown in the Brooklyn Museum’s National Print Exhibition and in the Boston Printmakers Annual Show. The following year, he participated in a group exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. After his graduation from Pratt, he joined the Martha Jackson Gallery, one of the most prominent New York galleries at the time where he remained throughout his New York career.

Immediately after grad school, Clayton traveled to Africa under State Department auspices to lecture about American art and to host silkscreen workshops for local artists in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

He was an early pioneer in the Soho area of lower Manhattan. He occupied his first studio on Broome Street for three years before moving to a studio on Greene Street, where he stayed for 26 years. The interior and exterior of the artist lofts were often his subject material during that period of his life. His Columns series, for example, focused on buildings in Soho that had cast iron facades and columns, inspired by ancient Greece. He says his works are a kind of historic documentation of NYC at that time. Other series include his Shuttle Craft series and a commission for NASA which hangs in the visitor center at Kennedy Space Center.

Over the years, Pond’s work has been exhibited in many important venues. He has had more than 50 solo exhibitions, and his art is in the collections of more than 60

FAMILY/PROVIDED

Clayton Pond, “The Crusher,” 2021, 48 x 72”, acrylic on canvas, Quarry Series .

FAMILY/PROVIDED

Clayton Pond hangs his painting, “Cables with Catwalk and Cables,” at the Marathon Performing Arts Center in Findlay, Ohio, in May 2023. This 2020 acrylic on canvas painting from his Quarry Series measures 48 x 60”.

museums and public collections. At least two dozen leading corporations include his work in their collections. He has participated in countless group exhibitions and has lectured widely.

Pond continues his work in his Milton studio making paintings, collages and more recently small painted relief sculptures made of Styrofoam packing blocks. He devotes many hours, days and sometimes months to a single large painting because of its multiple layers of color and intricate designs. Some of his paintings are 7 x 9 feet. A commissioned painting for the NASA Air and Space Museum illustrating Halley’s Comet was 9 x 11 feet.

His most recent project was a show earlier this year of 50 paintings in his Quarry Series on display in the Marathon Performing Arts Center in Findlay, Ohio, sponsored by the National Lime and Stone Company in honor of its 120th anniversary.

For further information on Clayton Pond, visit his website at claytonpond.com.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Clayton Pond, “Halley’s Comet” 1985, 109 x 132 x 5”, Acrylic on birch wood and Formica. Painted in 1985 for a National Air and Space Museum special exhibition on the return of Halley’s Comet. Halley will next visit our solar system in 2061.

Clayton Pond, left, and astronaut John Young at National Air and Space Museum with a painting commissioned

by NASA, November 1982.

FAMILY/PROVIDED

GARDEN BUZZ

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 33

Fabulous fairy gardens offer a world of possibilities The mythical world of fairies is found throughout folklore, and related stories have been passed down through generations. A fairy garden is itself a story-telling scene that can include small plants, tiny MARTY THOMAS structures, miniature Guest Columnist furniture, tiny animals, rocks, fairies and gnomes. It can be in a container or a small, cultivated space in your yard, such as a flower bed, near a tree or retaining wall or in a raised bed.

Fairy gardens can have different themes, such as tea parties, a farmyard, the beach, a camping site, the forest, all holidays and seasonal gardens. Use your imagination and be creative!

Containers can be large or small. Some examples of large containers would be birdbaths, wheelbarrows, old wagons, old tires, half barrels and large pots. Smaller containers could be baskets, clay pots, clay saucers, pots and pans, and even teacups. A suggested miniature scale of 1:12 is recommended; a foot-tall plant in the real world would be an inch in the world of fairies. Supplies you might use could be buttons, beads, pebbles and stones, seeds and seed pods, silk flowers, miniature jewelry pieces, wooden craft birdhouses, wooden clothespins and pegs, twigs and leaves, pieces of pinecones and acorns, gourds, and plants, both live and artificial.

Miniature fairies, gnomes and furniture can be found at the local dollar store and craft stores. Amazon even has fairy garden sets you can purchase online. Use your imagination by adding things to your fairy garden. A mini clothesline can be made from twine and twigs. You can embellish a fairy house by gluing on twigs, moss, pebbles and dried or silk flowers. You can turn a clay flowerpot into a gnome house by painting it or gluing on a purchased fairy door surrounded by pebbles. Then plant some pretty flowers in the pot. I always use E600 glue, found at craft stores, for these projects.

Creating a fairy garden is a great project to do with children. Let them create some of their own fairies using wooden clothespins or pegs they’ve painted, then attach silk flower petals for the wings. A mason jar can be painted a solid color, then paint on a door and windows. Or a clear jar can be filled with moss, artificial plants, fairies and twinkly lights. You can also coat a jar with Mod Podge, sprinkle on Epsom Salt to create a snowy look, and then put fairies and lights inside the jar for a wintery fairy nightlight.

Another creative design could be using a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with potting soil, then adding a plant and some fairy items for a fall fairy garden. You could even paint the outside of your pumpkin to look

Fall container fairy garden

About the author This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Marty Thomas, a Master Gardener since 2018 and a resident of Johns Creek. A former teacher, she continues working with children through substitute teaching and children’s art camps. Marty is on the board of directors for the Johns Creek Beautification Committee and a member of the American Hydrangea Society.

She leads a Bible study discussion group at her church and loves spending time with her grandchildren.

Learn more

PHOTOS BY MARTY THOMAS/PROVIDED

• https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/homelifestyle/gardening/g32599106/fairy-gardenideas/ • https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/100best-fairy-garden-ideas/ • https://www.pinterest.com/ melissapeterson/fabulous-fairy-gardens/

One of many fairy gardens along a trail at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve’s Butterfly Garden. like a fairy house and glue moss and flowers on the top. A cute, beach-themed fairy garden can be made by filling a large clay saucer with sand, adding blue gemstones (found at the Dollar Store) for water, then adding beach-themed fairy items. A tea party fairy garden can be made by lining a basket with dried moss, then adding a teacup and saucer with a plant in it and purchased fairy houses and fairies. Even a miniature teapot would be cute to add.

Mini fairy gardens can be put inside teacups. Gourds can be painted to look like a fairy house and then added to a container.

The possibilities are endless, especially if you let your children use their imagination

to create their own design!

A fun activity for children would be to visit the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and walk through their butterfly garden filled with fairy houses. Some of their fairy houses were created from old tree stumps, adding a homemade roof to the top and adding a door and windows. The fairies and gnomes have been busy building fairy houses and whimsical gnome houses along the Chattahoochee Nature Center forested trails.

CNC’s Enchanted Woodland Trail opens Dec. 10 through Feb. 29.

For more ideas about fairy gardening, you can check out the links I shared in Resources or you can watch my presentation

"Fabulous Fall Fairy Gardens" on the North Fulton Master Gardener YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xD1NEIdktuM?si=y_ fJ1Xl-yVmbBZVn. Happy Fairy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/.

34 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

CITY OF ALPHARETTA ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX (TSPLOST-II) This report provides information on the city’s TSPLOST-II projects for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. For detailed project information, please visit Fulton County’s interactive TSPLOST Capital Project Dashboard at https://tsplost.fultoncountyga.gov/projects.

As of June 30, 2023, the City of Alpharetta had $13.5 million in unexpended TSPLOST-II proceeds. These unexpended proceeds coupled with forecasted TSPLOST-II collections will fund the open contracts and estimated costs of the Tier-1 projects identified above. Tier 2-3 projects will be funded to the extent that revenue collections and/or existing project reprioritizations allow. Projects completed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 include mid-block crosswalks at Alpharetta Elementary School, Cogburn Road Park, and Mid Broadwell Road at Charlotte Drive.

Revenue forecasts contained within the TSPLOST-II Intergovernmental Agreement are based on three tiers: (1) 85% of forecasted TSPLOST-II collections (Tier 1); 100% of forecasted TSPLOST-II collections (Tiers 1-2); and 115% of forecasted TSPLOST-II collections (Tiers 1-3). TSPLOST-II collections started in April 2022 and are trending in excess of 115% of the original revenue forecasts.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 35

CITY OF ALPHARETTA ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX (TSPLOST-I) This report provides information on the city’s TSPLOST-I projects for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. For detailed project information, please visit Fulton County’s interactive TSPLOST Capital Project Dashboard at https://tsplost.fultoncountyga.gov/projects.

As of June 30, 2023, the City of Alpharetta had $35.3 million in unexpended TSPLOST-I proceeds. These unexpended proceeds coupled with forecasted investment earnings will fund the open contracts and estimated costs of the projects identified above. Projects completed during the fiscal year ending June 30,2023 include Windward Pkwy East/West Capacity Improvements (reflective of scope revisions as detailed below) and Milling/Resurfacing.

Revenue forecasts contained within the TSPLOST-I Intergovernmental Agreement were based on three tiers: (1) 85% of forecasted TSPLOST-I collections (Tier 1); 100% of forecasted TSPLOST-I collections (Tiers 1-2); and 115% of forecasted TSPLOST-I collections (Tiers 1-3). TSPLOST-I collections (not including interest earnings) ended on March 31, 2022, and totaled 92% of the original revenue forecast for Tiers 1-2 (i.e., the 100% forecast).

Reduced TSPLOST-I collections necessitated project adjustments and reprioritizations that can be categorized as follows: (1) Projects determined not feasible (those projects excluding a current estimate cost); (2) Projects placed on hold given funding constraints (e.g. Haynes Bridge Rd Capacity Improvements, Academy St Operational and Pedestrian/ Bicycle Improvements, etc.); and (3) Projects that underwent scope revisions including increases/decreases in cost estimates (Windward Pkwy Business District/Union Hill Rd Capacity Improvements, Kimball Bridge Rd Operational and Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements, McGinnis Ferry Rd Capacity Improvements, Webb Bridge Rd Operational and Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements, GA400 Bridge Aesthetics, Encore Greenway Gateway Park, AlphaLoop, etc.).

36 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 4, 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, January 29, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. a. MP-23-05/CLUP-23-04/Z-23-12/V-23-20 Brand Properties/3650 Brookside Parkway Consideration of a master plan amendment, comprehensive land use plan amendment, rezoning and variances to allow for the redevelopment of a 129,238 square foot office building with 299 ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Rent’ units and 1 st floor active uses on 8.76 acres. A master plan amendment is requested to the Brookside Master Plan Pod A to add ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Rent’ and to modify development regulations. 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 the definition of neighborhood grocery and to reduce parking. The property is located at 3650 Brookside Parkway and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 43 and 44, 1 st District, 1 st Section, Fulton County, Georgia. b. CU-24-01 Terra Nova Skin Clinic/5755 North Point Parkway Consideration of a conditional use to allow a ‘Spa Services’ business to operate in a 1,115 square foot suite within an office condominium development. A conditional use is requested to allow ‘Spa Services’ for Terra Nova Skin Clinic.

The property is located at 5755 North Point Parkway, Suite 62 and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 797, 798, 807 & 808, 1 st District, 2 nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia. c. PH-24-01 Unified Development Code Text Amendments – Golf Course Tree Removal Consideration of text amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC).

Amend Subsection 3.2.3 Exemptions, to exempt golf courses from the tree conservation, landscape, and buffer requirements.

The following items will be considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday, January 18, 2024 commencing at 5:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. a. V-23-16 265 Dania Drive Consideration of a variance to allow for a tear down and rebuild of a single-family detached home on 1.02 acres. A variance is requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 2.2.1(D) AG agriculture, District Regulations to reduce the side setback from 25’ to 12.5’ and to reduce the front setback from 100’ to 50’. The property is located at 265 Dania Drive and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1177, 2 nd District, 2 nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia. b. V-23-25 Busch/212 Brook Drive Consideration of a variance to reduce a front setback from 35’ to 20’ and side setback from 10’ to 8’ to allow for a garage addition. The property is located at 212 Brook Drive and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1251, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

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.

Hudson: Continued from Page 30 some waders (or other attire that you won’t mind getting wet). If you’ve got kids in tow, a dry change of clothes might not be a bad idea either.

Feel free to bring a fishing rod, too, for some post-stocking fun. Just remember that this is Delayed Harvest water and that it’s catch-and-release and artificials-only fishing. Lures can have only a single hook (no treble hooks or multiple hooks, in other words). Remember that you cannot use things like live bait or powerbait, but spinning lures (as long as they only have a single hook) or flies are fine.

And by all means, bring the kids or grandkids! These events offer a

great opportunity for young folks to get involved in the out-of-doors in a truly hands-on kind of way, helping to get trout in the water and maybe even catch a few fish once they are stocked.

The child in the pink boots had stood patiently while we talked about all of this, but finally she decided that enough was enough. She turned to her dad and tugged on his hand and said, “Daddy, WHEN can we go FISHING?!!”

So enough of this. Let’s head for the water.

I hope to see you there!

For more info on Bucket Brigade Day at Whitewater, visit gofishgeorgia.com.

Scroll down to the “Events” section, and look for “Whitewater Bucket Brigade.”

You can also reach out to the Department of Natural Resources’ Hunter Roop at hunter.roop@dnr.ga.gov or call (770) 535-5498.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following items will be considered by the Design Review Board on Friday, January 19, 2024 with a workshop commencing at 8:30 a.m. and regular meeting commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

1. DRB240001 La Parrilla Consideration of exterior changes for the business. The property is located at 865 North Main St #101 and is legally described as being in Land Lot 1112 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

2. DRB240002 Toriano Young and Associates Consideration of a new construction residence. The property is located at 235 Cricket Lane and is legally described as being in Land Lot 1253 & 1254, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

3. DRB240003 Chick-fil-a Consideration of new construction on an existing site. The property is located at 4285 State Bridge Rd and is legally described as being in Land Lot 0120, 1st District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

4. DRB240004 F45 Training Consideration of signage in the Downtown Overlay District. The property is located at 11740 Haynes Bridge Rd and is legally described as being in Land Lot 0696, 1st District 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

5. DRB240005 Eddie V’s Prime Seafood Consideration of new construction. The property is located at 11405 Haynes Bridge Rd and is legally described as being in Land Lot 0752, 1st District 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

6. DRB240006 Original Chop Shop Consideration of new exterior construction. The property is located at 10920 Haynes Bridge Rd and is legally described as being in Land Lot 0754, 1st District 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

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.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 37

Office Space for Lease Close to Downtown Alpharetta Small private office space (unfurnished) available in Appen Media Office close to Downtown Alpharetta (319 North Main Street, Alpharetta). All utilities included, Internet included (within reason), 24/7 access. Space is upstairs in area of Appen Newsroom. Private, quiet, and open. Approximately 200 sq. ft. (14’ x 14’). $/600 per month, first/ last/security deposit required as well as solid reliable references.

Space would be perfect for a bookkeeper or a self-employed person.

Contact via text or email: Ray Appen at 770-527-4042 or RayAppen@Gmail.com

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE PH-23-AB-31 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: 892 8618 2315 Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US December 28, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. PURPOSE Change in Ownership Eating Establishment Consumption on Premises Distilled Spirits, Beer, Wine & Sunday Sales APPLICANT JG Group LLC d/b/a Secreto Kitchen and Bar 6195 Windward Parkway Suite 102 Alpharetta, GA 30005

Locally Owned and Operated

• Pre-planning • Grief Support • Funeral Services • Veteran Services • Cremation Services

Owner: JG Group LLC Registered Agent: Glenda Mata

Is Your Company Hiring?

Submit your opening at appenmedia.com/hire

770-645-1414

info@northsidechapel.com www.northsidechapel.com

North Fulton’s Only On-Site Crematory 12050 Crabapple Road • Roswell, GA 30075

DEATH NOTICES Joseph Bowen, 89, of Roswell, passed away on November 28, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Dianne Hauser, 74, of Roswell, passed away on November 26, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Janet Nichols, 88, of Roswell, passed away on November 26, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Donnie Renfro, 89, of Roswell, passed away on December 1, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Dorothy Croom, 101, of Roswell, passed away on December 3, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Johannes Kiemes, 32, of Alpharetta, passed away on November 30, 2023. Arrangements

by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Michael Peters, 72, of Roswell, passed away on December 3, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Roger Rodden, 73, of Roswell, passed away on November 29, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Susan Daw, 54, of Alpharetta, passed away on November 26, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Stephen Mitchell, 74, of Alpharetta, passed away on November 30, 2023. Arrangements

by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jane Divosevic, 71, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 2, 2023. Arrangements

by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Spencer Morrison, 82, Roswell, passed away on November 27, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Ouraiwan Phejlada, 91, of Alpharetta, passed away on November 28, 2023.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Raymond Young, 101, of Roswell, passed away on November 23, 2023.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

38 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

ONLINE INCLUDED C a l l t o d a y t o p l a c e y o u r a d 4 7 0 . 2 2 2 . 8 4 6 9 o r e m a i l c l a s s i f i e d s @ a p p e n m e d i a g r o u p . c o m • FA X : 7 7 0 - 4 7 5 - 1 2 1 6

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Full-time

North Fulton Community Charities Mission has been serving individuals and families in the North Fulton area for over 40 years. Our Mission to ease hardship and foster financial stability in our community and our purpose is to provide opportunities for the whole community to thrive. Full Time employees receive benefits on the 1st day following working 30 days.

Benefits include: Medical, dental and vision insurance after 30 days of employment. 403b retirement plan matching offered, Paid Time Off. Short and Long Term insurance and life insurance are provided by employer.

Full Time Donor Operations Lead NFCC is looking for a Donor Operations Lead is a key team member who oversees the donation door process. They may delegate to other staff, volunteers and community service at the Donation Door. This position is the face of NFCC so they are expected provide excellent customer service and treat each donor with a professional and friendly demeanor. The Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and then sorts the merchandise in a designated area.

They are responsible for keeping the merchandise secure, all areas free of debris and the donor door area neat and clean For a complete job description visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/ Control Systems Engineer – Mangan, Inc. – Alpharetta, GA. Resp for PLC/HMI prgrm’g, sys dcmtn, factory accpt tst’g, & fldstrt-up & comsn’g actvts. Reqs bach deg (or FDE) in Electrical Engnr‘g, Ctrl Systems Engnr‘g, or rltd fld. Mst hv 3 yrs engnr‘gexp in a rltd occ, incl dmstrd exp in: prgrm‘g PLCs & HMIs; Modbus, Ethrnt/IP, CtrlNet, & OPC comncts configs & prtcls; intprt‘g pwr sys sgl ln dgrms; rd‘g elec schmtcs in supp of elecdsgn, fld comsn‘g, & sys trblsht‘g; & ctrl pnl & fld wrg dgrms. Emplr will acpt a mstr deg in one of the abv-lstd flds + 1 yr of the abv-lstd exp in lieu of a bach deg + 3 yrs exp. Up to 25% U.S. dmstc trvl is reqd.

Mst hv lgl auth to wrk in the U.S. EEOE.Mail resumes to Michael Hammond, HR & Safety Director, Mangan, Inc., 3901 Via Oro Ave., Long Beach, CA 90810, or email to mhammond@manganinc.com. Ref job title + PU23 in cvr ltr/subj ln.

Lead QA Engineer: lead software products QA team in cloud & mobile service-based. Bachelor’s degree (US or foreign equiv.) in CS/IT/Eng + 5 yrs. work exp.

CV to Scott.Bracewell@OnSolve.com; OnSolve, LLC (Alpharetta, GA)

OFFICE HELP Crabapple/Crossville. Answering phones, setting appointments for sales crew, scheduling work, applying for permits, phone interfacing with customers; must know DropBox and social media. Accounting & bookkeeping skills a plus. $17-$22/hour based on skills/experience.

Robertbcoombs@gmail.com Business System Consultant (Alpharetta, GA): Form & dsgn automated sys scope & objctvs based on user needs & understanding of applicable biz sys & ind reqs. Plan & execute biz dsgn, assist in integration & acceptance tstng; & create specs for sys to meet biz reqs. Incl anlss of biz & user needs, documentation of reqs, & translation into proper sys requirement specs.

Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. Ref #BD933985 TECHNOLOGY HP Inc. is accepting resumes for the position of Data Performance and Analytics Lead in Alpharetta, GA (Ref. #7176676). Leads a team of data tool developers to provide data driven business analytics for the HP Indigo Americas Region Service Organization. Telecommuting permitted. Annual Salary: $131,602.00/year to $161,602.00/year. Email resume to HP USA Jobs, jobshpusa@hp.com. Resume must include Ref. #, full name, email address & mailing address. No phone calls. Must be legally authorized to work in U.S. without sponsorship. EOE. Software Developers – Multiple Openings Alpharetta, GA Josh Pros LLC, needs professionals: Work on CI/CD, Splunk, AWS, Dynatrace, Docker, Kubernetes, Puppet, Ansible, Maven & Jenkins. Req. – bachelor’s with 2 yr. exp. Comp. salary, Relocation within USA possible. Please mail resume to Ref: HR, 1740 Grassland Parkway, Ste 403, Alpharetta, GA, USA, 30004.

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 678-887-1868 for free estimate.

Gutters AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS

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

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

Pinestraw

Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts 770-512-8733 • www.yellowribbontree.com

PINESTRAW, MULCH Delivery/installation available.

Firewood available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612

Bargains/Musical DULCIMER: Excellent condition! $120. 678-455-7376

Home Improvement

Consulting

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

Stop giving your $ to your kids/grandkids!

Let us teach your children how to start a small side biz.

Income4u.biz 678-699-8161

Office Space for Lease Close to Downtown Alpharetta

Part-time REAL ESTATE ASSISTING: Healthy, hard-working, very tech-savvy lady, good organizing skills. 1-5 or 6pm. 2-3 days/week. My Johns Creek home. Also willing to help with home organization. Salary approx. $15+/hour based on performance & work accomplished. Have own reliable transportation. 678-524-3881 & send resume: realestatetreasure@msn.com

Tree Services

Small private office space (unfurnished) available in Appen Media Office close to Downtown Alpharetta (319 North Main Street, Alpharetta). All utilities included, Internet included (within reason), 24/7 access. Space is upstairs in area of Appen Newsroom. Private, quiet, and open. Approximately 200 sq. ft. (14’ x 14’). $/600 per month, first/last/security deposit required as well as solid reliable references.

Space would be perfect for a bookkeeper or a self-employed person.

Contact via text or email: Ray Appen at 770-527-4042 or RayAppen@Gmail.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

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

Driveway

Roofing

$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

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

Deadline to place a classified ad is Thursdays by 4pm

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 14, 2023 | 39

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Garage Sales ALPHARETTA Christ The Shepherd Lutheran Church, 4655 Webb Bridge Road 30005. Saturday 12/16, 8am-12pm. HUGE! Used electronics: Computers, laptops, monitors, office color copiers, microphones, iphones, ipads, ipods, Keurig, TV’s, household appliances, etc.

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40 | December 14, 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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