Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - December 22, 2022

Food historian revives ethnic cuisine

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga.— Clarissa Clifton spends her Saturdays over a roaring fire, stirring pots in historical attire. For the past five years, she’s been a food historian at Smith Plantation, where she volunteers twice a month to cook her specialty— historical Southern poverty food.

“I cook all year because this is my passion,” Clifton said. “I love doing this.”

Clifton, a Brookhaven resident,

practices open-hearth cooking, a method of preparing food over an open fire, with cooking pots suspended over the flame. The setup is simple, but the pots can produce everything from stews to biscuits.

It’s Clifton’s preferred way to cook.

Clifton’s food background began in South Georgia, where she was born and raised. She grew up watching her family cook traditional recipes and later came to love their significance.

“The area that I’m from is South

Georgia, it’s probably why we’re so high in Nigerian,” Clifton said. “We probably came over very late in the slave trade.”

The food she makes is traditional, often pulling from recipes from slaves and poor people in the South. Much of it is familiar, though, as traditional Black American cooking has risen in popularity – colored greens and shrimp and grits are recipes Clifton specifically acknowledges.

On Dec. 17, Clifton prepared a meal

See CUISINE, Page 3

County, city leaders approve tax splits

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — After months of turbulent negotiations, threats and conflict, Fulton County and it’s 15 cities have finalized an agreement over the $3 billion local option sales tax.

The LOST one-penny sales tax is used by local governments to fund services like public safety, parks and recreation and libraries, and by county governments to fund state-mandated services like county courts, jails, health departments and elections.

Signed by city and county representatives at an event held at the Central Library in Atlanta Dec. 14, this agreement will grant about 10 percent of total revenues generated over the 10-year life of LOST to Fulton County and the

FULTON COUNTY/PROVIDED Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks at a signing event for the 2023 local option sales tax agreement held at the Central Library in Atlanta Dec. 14.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Clarissa Clifton leads an open-hearth cooking demonstration Dec. 17 at Smith Plantation in Roswell, where she’s volunteered for the past five years.

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POLICE BLOTTER

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Items stolen from car at Webb Bridge Park

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta woman reported multiple credit cards stolen from her vehicle at Webb Bridge Park, police reports said.

Alpharetta police said the woman’s vehicle was burglarized Nov. 30, while parked at the park’s soccer fields for about one hour.

The victim told police she had placed her purse and wallet in the vehicle’s trunk before entering the park and didn’t notice the theft until her husband called to ask if she was trying to make purchases at the Apple Store.

The woman later learned that five of her credit cards were missing from her wallet, but no transactions were fully processed.

No suspect was identified.

Police identify suspect in $10,000 robbery

ROSWELL, Ga. — Police have named a suspect in the Dec. 8 robbery outside of the Honda dealership on Alpharetta Highway. Police reports said the suspect stole $10,000 cash from an individual during a car purchase.

The suspect met Okwar Benedict, a non-resident, at Stroker Lounge in Atlanta on Dec. 7. The suspect said his cousin worked at the Alpharetta dealership, and he could get Benedict a car at an affordable rate.

Benedict withdrew $10,000 cash from his bank account, and the pair met with the suspect’s supposed “cousin” at the dealership. Once there, Benedict told police the suspect started acting “weird,” so he

decided not to buy the car.

Benedict told police that when he went to the parking lot, the suspect brandished a firearm and took the cash.

Police spoke to the dealership employee, who said he is not related to the suspect, but he did take a photo of his face. Police used the photo to identify the suspect, who has a current address in Marietta.

Vandals hit townhome under construction

ALPHARETTA, Ga. —A townhome under construction on Olmstead Way in Alpharetta was damaged by unknown vandals overnight Dec. 2, police reports said.

Vandals used bricks and asphalt to damage two large windows, siding and gutters on the backside of the home, causing more than $2,000 in damage.

Police officers found rocks, bricks and other projectiles inside and outside the home, reports said.

Police were told the home had been damaged at least two times prior. The townhome’s buyer is currently overseas in India.

No suspect was identified at the time of the report.

Police arrest suspect in failed tire theft

ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a Cumming man after accessing video footage showing him attempting to steal the tires off a vehicle Dec. 12 at a Nissan dealership on Holcomb Bridge Road.

Roswell officers responded to the property’s alarm company, who said a man in an orange hoodie was stealing tires from a car. When police arrived on the scene, the alarm company said the man ran on foot in the opposite direction.

Police encountered a man who matched the alarm company’s description walking along the sidewalk and arrested him. They later found video footage of the man removing a tire from a car and trying to

take it. The tire remained on the property. The suspect was transported to Fulton County Jail.

Construction materials stolen from worksite

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police are investigating the theft of 32 bundles of shingles from a local construction site.

Police said the shingles, valued at $2,500, were stolen overnight from a job site at 315 Hook Street in Alpharetta. The owner and builder of the home discovered the theft Dec. 5 and was told by a neighbor that a suspect vehicle had been spotted committing the theft.

According to a witness, a white Dodge Ram truck was seen backing up to the bundles at the time of the theft.

Witnesses were able to get a partial photo of the truck’s license plate. But no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.

Officer rescues dog from trash compactor

ROSWELL, Ga. — On Dec. 15 a Roswell police officer rescued a small dog stuck in a garbage compactor on Sarasota Drive.

The officer stopped by a compactor on the way to work and noticed a small dog inside trapped between two heavy boxes. The officer went inside the compactor to rescue the dog, but the heavy boxes pushed the dog farther down.

A property maintenance employee helped the officer get the dog out. The dog was shaking, but appeared fine, and had a collar around its neck that listed a phone number.

When the officer called the number, a person answered and said the dog was his, but he didn’t know it was in a compactor because he had left the pet with his parents. The owner then hung up and stopped responding.

The fire department came and checked the dog for injuries, and the officer took the dog to a veterinarian for further observation.

Cuisine:

of Hoppin’ John, whiskey ham and spiced cider. As she stirred the pot of Hoppin’ John, a dish of black-eyed peas, rice and pork, she detailed the history behind the rice.

“Rice is one of the first things that slaves were brought over for,” Clifton said. The rice she uses is Carolina Gold, a crop Clifton said was a big push for slavery.

“It’s one of those things that was a cash crop before cotton took over,” Clifton said. “After that, the only people who continued to grow the rice were slaves and descendants of slaves.”

Clifton has always been passionate in this kind of history. She’s interested in the Revolutionary War and has participated in many reenactments and events. At first, though, she didn’t know food history was an option.

The combination of her love for food and history came when she watched a television show in the ’90s and saw a guest who called herself a “food historian.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my God… that’s what I want to do,’” Clifton said.

That’s when she started working at the Atlanta History Center. She’s since worked in Atlanta, Virginia and North

Carolina, relocating with her day job in information technology.

Clifton makes it clear that her real passion is the volunteer work she does in open-hearth cooking. She hopes to retire from her career soon and take on more cooking in her free time.

Before the onset of COVID-19, Clifton also taught open-hearth cooking classes, often instructing professional chefs and food enthusiasts in food ways they weren’t familiar with.

Clifton recalls teaching a chef her recipe for vinegar pie, a traditional Southern dessert with sugar, butter, vinegar. When the chef began cooking, he exclaimed “This is chess pie!”

Of course, Clifton said she knew

that. Chess pie is simply another name for vinegar pie. The name sprung from a misunderstanding of “just pie” as “chess pie.”

Education is essential to Clifton’s passion for food history. As much as she loves cooking, she loves teaching people about the techniques and dishes. She also loves feeding people the meals.

“When people come, they want to eat all the time, but we can’t feed the public, because I’m not a chef, I’m a cook,” Clifton said.

When Clifton teaches classes, people can eat what they cook, and possibly pick up a new favorite recipe. They can also learn the history behind meals they may already know.

The history Clifton teaches is complicated. She’s volunteered at multiple plantations, places that used to house slaves. Despite that difficult past, Clifton sees the sites as valuable destinations.

“Only about 10 percent of the people were actually plantation owners,” Clifton said.

Instead of focusing on the plantation owners, Clifton points her spotlights toward most of the population on a plantation: enslaved people. For Clifton, the sites are a key part of Black history.

It’s why Clifton plans to host a cooking event for Black History Month she calls “A Taste of Struggle,” in which she will join a chef to make traditional meals like chicken feet, to emphasize the fare that came out of difficult times.

She also spotlights poverty cooking and emphasizes that many poor White people were mistreated as well.

“The 90 percent of poor Whites and slaves were basically eating the same thing,” Clifton said.

For Clifton, remembering the history is vital to bringing traditional food into the modern day, and doing it authentically — not the trendy, expensive Southern food.

“We’ve been taught to be ashamed of our food for so long that we don’t like to push our things through,” Clifton said. “That’s how you end up with people buying collard greens for $75.”

PRESENTED BY Creative Foundation for Arts & Technology, Inc.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Clarissa Clifton puts the finished dishes, whiskey ham, Hoppin’ John and a cake she bought from a friend, on display at Smith Plantation in Roswell Dec. 17.

North Fulton Community Charities welcomes new executive director

ROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton Community Charities welcomed Sandy Holiday as the new Executive Director of the nonprofit organization at the end of November. Two weeks later, Holiday says the work has been a whirlwind.

Holiday takes over the role from Mary Good, who served as Interim Executive Director from June to November. Holiday comes to NFCC from Atlanta Children’s Shelter, where she served as the Executive Director for 13 years.

As director, Sandy will lead the nonprofit organization in its goal to aid individuals and families in need. NFCC serves over 8,500 residents every year in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park and Roswell.

The organization has multiple programs to assist residents, including care management and financial assistance, food pantry, education, clothing assistance and seasonal aid.

During her first week, Holiday worked with the organization’s Giving Tuesday initiative. Volunteers assembled hundreds of senior baskets and received donations for a future Toyland event.

“I must say the highlight for me has been meeting the individuals and families that we impact,” Holiday said.

Prior to Holiday’s role with Atlanta Children’s Shelter, she worked as the State Operations Director with the State Office of Child Support. She has a doctorate from Emory Law.

Safe Kids North Fulton group shares holiday safety tips

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Christmas is approaching fast, which means that local roads and highways will soon be packed with people traveling to see friends or family, enjoying the holiday season.

But to make sure that everyone really does enjoy the holidays, and everyone gets home safely, the Roswell Fire Department and Safe Kids North Fulton have released a set of holiday travel tips and recommendations.

“For many families, the holiday season usually means traveling to visit friends or relatives, so we want every family to know the simple things they can do to stay safe in and around cars,” Roswell Fire and Life Safety Educator Chad Miller said. “Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Meanwhile, correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent; however, half of the car seats are installed incorrectly.”

Safe Kids North Fulton recommends the following holiday travel tips:

• Everybody needs their own restraint. Make it a rule: Everyone buckled—every ride, every time—whether it’s the long trip to visit family or around the block to the mall.

• If you are flying, take your car seat with you and use it on the plane. It will be a benefit to have it with you at

your destination and when you travel to and from the airport. Let car rental companies know in advance if you need to rent a car seat or booster seat.

• Watch out for small kids and distracted drivers in parking lots that are busier than usual during the holidays.

• Remind your inexperienced teen driver to be extra alert during the holidays when people are more distracted, and the weather can be tricky.

• Avoid distractions while driving. No text message or playlist is worth the risk of taking your eyes off the road. Set your GPS to voice-activated so you can concentrate on driving without having to look at your phone.

• Plan to use a designated driver or car service to make sure you get home safely if you drink alcohol.

• Keep car exhaust pipes clear of packed snow to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Secure loose objects. Put hot foods, large gifts, and anything that could fly around in a crash in the trunk.

• Prepare for weather emergencies by packing extra blankets, food, and diapers. Keep your phone charged and make sure someone at your destination knows the route you are planning to take.

To learn more holiday safety tips, visit: www.safekids.org/holidays.

Retiring drama teacher calls theater a ‘rehearsal for life’

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Across a conference table at Autrey Mill Middle School, it is clear that Shelly McCook is a thespian by the animated way she speaks. The energy and zest for life of the soon-to-retire drama teacher in Johns Creek could pull anyone in.

Set to exit the school system in June, McCook has been in theater education for 25 years. She said teaching has allowed her to have a direct relationship to all of America.

“I have taught at all kinds of different schools with different populations. I’m in a relationship with people that are very, very different from me,” McCook said. “I don’t think that everybody has that opportunity. I don’t think that they get to see America, who we are, for better, for worse.”

McCook had 10 years of theater experience before entering education. An introvert growing up, she sought comfort in characters. She was initially scared to teach — she lost her first husband in 1999 and had a little boy to raise and needed to fashion a schedule that matched his.

She already had a theater degree but obtained an emergency certificate and went back to school for a secondary English education degree. At the time, she worked, directed, went to school and performed at night, all while raising her son.

“But it was great because I had some other actors move into my house with me and help me. It was like this village of people.”

Getting comfortable

McCook has been at Autrey Mill for five years and before that, Crabapple Middle School in Roswell. She also spent many years working at the high school level, where students choose to take drama, rather than being assigned.

Teaching middle school is more of a balancing act, McCook said, where classes aren’t a homogenous group with the same levels of development or comfort.

“[Middle school] is the age where [students] are most uncomfortable with themselves,” she said. “Some of them still have childlike imaginations. And some of them you would think are 30. And then some of them are in those teenage years where they hate everyone, including themselves.”

Students must be comfortable with being silly, McCook said. In middle school, games are an important tool for classes. And McCook is not off to the side when students play them — she

participates.

“My favorite thing about my job is when I have kids that have major social anxiety, and when they get in my class or my rehearsals, they are set free,” McCook said.

Forming bonds

Mimi Gamel, assistant principal at Autrey Mill, sat in the room Dec. 9 and asked that McCook share about her improv classes. Gamel said McCook can see kids with a different eye, knowing the way they are.

“I’ve seen some of my seventh grade, my eighth graders who do not speak, become somebody else because of what she’s been able to do with the improv,” Gamel said.

McCook said that with improv, the kids have permission to be uninhibited.

“With social media and all that, they’re so scared of being criticized by their peers or being made fun of that it can just be crippling,” McCook said.

Improv also allows the students to bond, she said. They applaud each other after scenes and take a dramatic bow when they mess up.

Debbie Prost is in her 13th year as a drama teacher at Johns Creek High School, a feeder school for Autrey Mill.

Students from Autrey Mill who go to Johns Creek High already have advanced theater knowledge, skills and a strong work ethic, Prost said. McCook’s kindness and inclusivity has also materialized within Prost’s students.

“They fully understand what is needed to put on high-level work while always lifting up those around them,” Prost said.

Learning styles

Because students today consume story snapshots, rather than television shows or movies, they have a hard time following a narrative and determining character intention, McCook said.

Some of the joy for McCook is giving students the opportunity to consult their imaginations.

“They’ll read something on the face of the dialogue,” she said. “And I’ll be like, ‘but that’s not really their intention. What are they saying when they’re doing that?’”

She also said she asks that students think like artists, rather than products.

Sometimes everything becomes about the show, McCook said, where kids are seen as commodities — like having the longest legs or best voice.

“They need to be developed as humans,” she said.

McCook said metacognition, or

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Shelly McCook is a drama teacher at Autrey Mill Middle School in Johns Creek, set to retire in June. McCook talked about her career and relationship to students Dec. 9.

RESOURCEFUL AND TENACIOUS

Sandy Springs woman invents recovery tool

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — When Dawn Clements was 23 years old and pregnant with her first child, she herniated five discs in her back. It’s a pain Clements remembers vividly decades later, and it’s what inspired her to invent the Fit Buddy.

The Fit Buddy looks unassuming. It’s curved, with a pointed edge on one side. Despite its simplicity, the fitness tool has over 20 applications for muscle tension, recovery, mobility and flexibility.

The packaging shows a few of the uses, like standing on the curved wood to stretch calf muscles or putting the point of the tool into the palm of the hand. Clements uses the Fit Buddy every day to massage her body.

After Clements herniated the discs in her back, she spent years looking for a solution. Surgery at the time was too high risk, and she got dismissed from physical therapy for not making progress. Clements then started looking at alternatives to traditional medicine.

It was years before Clements really improved. She credits her chiropractor, swimming and massage as helping her improve. Yet at 46 and 47, Clements reherniated her back.

“I went to see this chiropractor, and he said, ‘You need to take a rock or as a stick that has a rounded end, and you need to just press it into you,” Clements said.

She also started going to Korean yoga, where she used a wooden tool in class to stretch out her muscles.

“I just thought it would be so cool if it was well designed because I would use it

in classes, and I just loved it,” Clements said. “I thought I could design one that’s better, with a point to get into that area myself.”

Once she had the idea, Clements dove into meetings with chiropractors, physical therapists, personal trainers and doctors to figure out the best design and use for

the tool. She wanted it to be as functional as possible

“It was going in finding more ways to use it, finding what they liked and didn’t like,” Clements said.

She would create prototypes with Styrofoam and shape it using a hot knife, going through numerous iterations of the

tool before she settled on her favorite. She created the first official model in 2016 with a woodworker.

The result was lightweight wooden tool called the Fit Buddy, an easy to transport companion for any moment.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Dawn Clements invented the Fit Buddy to help with muscle tension, recovery, mobility and flexibility. The Sandy Springs woman developed the device to address her own ailments and now markets it as a recovery tool.

“I’m an extrovert, and I love to talk to people...I love to learn.”

DAWN CLEMENTS, Fit Buddy Inventor

Tool:

Creating the product was one thing, with multiple roadblocks and three different manufacturers. Clements had to learn how to manage production, quality control and the work of a new business.

Selling the product was a new challenge entirely.

Clements sold one of her first Fit Buddies to a friend on her tennis team, Alyson Rogers. They’ve been playing tennis together for close to 15 years, and Rogers went to the yoga classes where Clements got her inspiration.

“I mean it’s pretty amazing, honestly,” Rogers said. “I was proud of her and kind of admired her tenacity.”

Clements started taking her product anywhere she could, targeting people she knew dealt with pain and muscle tension.

“Before COVID-19, I would go into gyms and studios and I would have a banner and a mat,” Clements said. “I would also go to Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and corporate events.”

Clements said flight attendants were a major focus when she designed the product. She knew they dealt with stiff and sore muscles and wanted to ensure the Fit Buddy could fit easily in a carryon.

She also wanted it to be accessible in

exercise spaces. Clements eventually got her product into a gym used by players from the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. Soon enough, they started using her products. Before the onset of COVID-19, Clements taught classes where she would demonstrate how to use the tool.

“It’s pretty awesome watching her get out there and telling people about it,”

Rogers said.

Clements said even in casual interactions, she can tell when someone is an athlete or deals with chronic pain. She’ll strike up conversation to introduce the Fit Buddy to them.

“If people are professional athletes, a lot of it is in the way they carry their body and make eye contact,” Clements said.

With one athlete, after a brief

conversation, he showed her even more ways to use the tool — something Clements said is a frequent occurrence.

“I’m an extrovert, and I love to talk to people,” Clements said. “I love to learn.”

Clements patented the design for the Fit Buddy in 2019, but she still works on the product.

“She’s still tweaking it along the way,” Rogers said.

Clements said she’s open to learning about new uses for the Fit Buddy. She’s also had to learn a lot about running a business. With a degree in communications, a lot of her education happened as she began her business, or with a women entrepreneur program she joined.

Now, decades after her herniated discs and years from the idea for the Fit Buddy, Clements said she has at least 1,000 Fit Buddies in circulation. It’s a number she only hopes will grow over time.

“I would love to get it into the gyms where the Atlanta Falcons or Hawks or working out,” Clements said, “to actually do a workshop with the athletes.”

Sitting in her office, Fit Buddy in hand, Clements reflected on what’s motivated her through the years of work.

“My father always said I was resourceful and tenacious,” Clements said. “I think that’s benefitted me because it’s ingrained in my mind that I’m resourceful and tenacious, and you have to be in business.”

Frank Paras Home Depot Installation Services Local Team Leader

Tara Tucker

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Dawn Clements demonstrates how to use the Fit Buddy to help with hand pain, rotating her palm on the rounded point of the tool.

Unhitch the itch!

Surgery of Atlanta

A revolution has been taking place in dermatology in recent years.

Previously incurable diseases are being cured.

Previously uncontrollable diseases are being controlled.

Previously itchy conditions are now being…de-itched. Un-itched? Unhitched? Scratched?

No, definitely not scratched. You should cure a disease, but you should not scratch an itch. It feels so gratifying in the moment but scratching just leads to more itching later and usually to more suffering, scratching, itching and before you know it, your skin either has chronically itchy spots, bumps, nodules, thickened areas or worse: areas that are now painful and itchy.

You see, fixing itching is so new that there isn’t even a good word for it yet. But de-itchifying the itchy is exactly what some of the newest, latest and greatest medications are doing.

One of the most recent examples of this exciting forward march of medical progress is the use of Dupixent to treat eczema and prurigo nodularis.

Dupixent is a medicine that works by blocking a pathway in our body that involves interleukin 4 (IL-4) and immunoglobulin E. These proteins are involved in conditions that itch such as eczema and many allergic reactions. By blocking the IL-4 pathway, Dupixent stops these proteins from activating cells such as eosinophils that are responsible for inflammation and itching in many cases. Many dermatologists were not surprised that a medication like Dupixent would help eczema. But the exciting news is that Dupixent appears to be effective in many other itchy conditions. It recently gained approval for treating “prurigo nodularis” – a condition characterized by itchy bumps or nodules that previously would often persist for years with little hope of resolving.

Even more remarkable, a clinical trial is underway because Dupixent has shown potential for causing keloids to improve.

Keloids are scars that grow with time and often are larger than the size of the wound that caused the scar. Keloids are often itchy and painful.

A new treatment for prurigo nodularis and possibly keloids may not seem like a medical breakthrough, but there is such a deficit of other effective treatments for these conditions that this is actually very exciting news.

What’s the catch? Don’t we need IL-4 and immunoglobulin E? Is it safe to block them from working? Don’t most pathways in our body exist for a reason? These are reasonable questions to ask before going on a new medication – especially one that someone might be on for years.

The fascinating background to why modern Americans suffer from many skin diseases is that our ancestors likely developed weaponized immune responses against parasites that used to be a problem and are now rarely encountered in the United States. Many medications that treat psoriasis block a protein called TNF-alpha that is important in fighting off tuberculosis. Medications such as Dupixent that block IL-4 likely impair our ability to fight off certain types of parasitic worms such as hookworm. Remember from above that IL-4 activates eosinophils. Well, eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that is important in fighting off “helminth” or parasitic worm infections. Likewise, many believe that keloid scars developed as an ability to wall off parasites with scar tissue.

The package insert for Dupixent mentions that this medicine may interfere with our body’s ability to fight off these parasitic worms. If you regularly come in contact with parasitic worms, Dupixent might not be right for you!

If you avoid parasitic worms and suffer from atopic dermatitis or prurigo nodules and are interested in learning about treatment options including Dupixent, contact Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta.

Brought to you by - Brent Taylor, MD, Premiere Dermatology and Mohs

And a Mindful New Year

Written by Bailey Little, Licensed Associate Professional Counselor at Summit Counseling Center

We all have different pictures that come to mind when we hear the word “mindfulness.” Some of us may think of sitting cross-legged deep in meditation, while others of us may think of sitting outside near a flowing stream. Some of us may have little or no experience with mindfulness at all. Let’s break down exactly what mindfulness is and look at some ways to incorporate this useful practice into the stressful and exciting first days of 2023.

Mindfulness can be defined as “paying attention on purpose.” In our busy, hectic lives, we often find ourselves going through the motions, moving from one thing to the next without truly being present. Mindfulness is a way of practicing being present in each moment by taking back control of our attention from the multitude of distractions in our daily lives. This mindset shift takes practice and may feel frustrating or boring at first, but mindfulness has been proven to have many benefits to our physical and mental health.

If being more present in everyday moments with friends and family isn’t benefit enough, check out these other benefits of mindfulness:

• Reduces stress and anxiety

• Improves focus

• Reduces symptoms of depression

• Improves sleep and energy levels

• Increases overall well-being Maybe you’re not the type to

sit for extended periods of time in meditation (if you want to give it a try, I recommend starting with a guided meditation mobile app like “Stop, Breathe, Think” or “Calm”). Luckily, there are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, including some that you may be already doing! Here are a few simple ways to practice mindfulness during this busy season:

• Complete a puzzle. Here’s the key to making it mindful: turn off the background music or tv show and give the puzzle your full attention.

• Go for a walk, alone or with a friend, and point out things you see along the way.

• Listen to music and reflect on the meaning of the lyrics or the emotions it evokes.

• Sit outside with your eyes closed for 2 minutes and identify as many sounds as you can.

• And finally, single-tasking. Yes, we live in a world that praises and seems to require multi-tasking, but slowing things down and giving all your attention to one thing at a time is a great, effortless way to incorporate mindfulness in all your daily activities!

This is a great time of year to practice slowing down, being present, and paying attention on purpose. Therapists at The Summit Counseling Center incorporate many tools, such as mindfulness, in their practice to help those in need. To learn more about our services and find a therapist, visit our website at summitcounseling.org. Here’s to a mindful 2023!

Five signs your parents might need assisted living

When a child is growing up, it is parents who must care for them and ensure their well-being is protected. However, when parents become elderly, the relationship is reversed. Aging is inevitable and it is important to be prepared.

The Need for Senior Living

If you are the child of parents who are deep into their senior years, it is incumbent on you to know the signs your aging parents can no longer live on their own. At some point, it may become necessary for your parents to move into assisted living.

Unfortunately, aging individuals are not always able to recognize when they are in need of help. Some may resist facing up to reality. Losing independence, after all, is extremely difficult for anyone. This means that it is important to remain aware of indicators that your parents may need assisted living. Here are five major signs of mental and physical decline you must watch out for.

Loss of Mobility: Loss of mobility means a loss of independence. It’s a sad reality that an older adult who cannot move around as they once did is probably no longer fully capable of caring for themselves.

Isolation: As an older person becomes less physically capable, it may become steadily harder for them to maintain social connections. Isolation is often the result.

Not Remembering to Take Medications:

This, of course, is a very serious sign that your aging mother or father can no longer be relied on to care for themselves. Failing to take vital medications can have dire consequences. If this happens more than once or twice, it’s almost certainly time for assisted living.

Neglecting Hygiene: As an older adult ages, they may become less and less capable of even completing such basic tasks as bathing, shaving, and other elements of hygiene. This is a strong sign they should no longer be living on their own.

Weight Change: Both weight loss and weight gain can be caused by aging. Weight loss or gain can contribute to mental and physical decline as well.

Even if your parents are still in good mental and physical shape, it still makes

Brought to you by - Inspired Living at Alpharetta

Getting Ready For The New Year!

your insurance carrier or contacting us for help. We can easily get a new ID card ordered for you.

With the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period behind us, you have already chosen to either stay on your current plan and allow it to auto-renew, or you are about to embark on a new chosen plan. Either way, we want to offer up a few recommendations before the 2023 plan year arrives!

Get a New Insurance ID Card:

Every November or early December, you should receive a new plan ID card. It is important that you have the most up-to-date ID card for the upcoming year. Why, you ask?

Doctor copay dollar amounts (Primary Care and Specialist) are listed on your Insurance ID card, if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan. For many 2023 Medicare Advantage plans, these flat-dollar copays have lowered. I’ve seen too often where Medicare Advantage clients hold onto their previous year’s ID cards and end up paying too much when showing older ID cards to the front desk at a doctor’s office.

Save more money by having the most up-to-date ID card!

If you need help getting a new ID card for your plan, I recommend either calling

Don’t Be Surprised With Deductibles:

Every January, I receive at least a few phone calls asking, “Why are my brandname prescription drugs so expensive?!”

Whether you are on a Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan, many insurance companies will require you to pay up to the first $505 (for 2023) of your brandname drug cost. This is your annual deductible on prescriptions.

Remember, this is usually only for higher-cost prescription drugs (brandname medicines) and is a one-time per year dollar amount. It accounts for all your brand-name medicines and is not a per-prescription deductible.

The information above gives you a few things to think about, but you may have questions when your Medicare plan starts fresh in 2023. We are here to help!

SeniorSource Medicare Solutions is an independent insurance agency representing most insurance carriers for Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Stand-Alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. Call us at (770) 913-6464 or visit our website at www. SeniorSourceMedicare.com.

Brought to you by - Jay Looft, Medicare Insurance Broker, SeniorSource Medicare Solutions

Metro Atlanta players earn All-Region 6-AAAAA honors

ATLANTA — Football players from Milton, Denmark, West Forsyth, South Forsyth, Forsyth Central and Lambert high schools were first-team and second-team selections, and honorable mentions, on the All-Region 6-AAAAA Football Team voted on by the region’s coaches.

Some players were individually distinguished. Quarterback James Tyre from Lambert High School was recognized as Region Player of the Year. Quarterback Ty Watkins from South Forsyth High School was Offensive Player of the Year. Defensive line Owen Phillips from Milton High School (MHS) was recognized as Defensive Player of the Year. Rob Billings, also from MHS, was recognized as Athlete of the Year, serving as defensive back, running back and wide receiver.

Region coaches also voted Marc Beach from Lambert High School as Coach of the Year.

MILTON HIGH SCHOOL

Defensive Player of the Year: defensive line Owen Phillips.

Athlete of the Year: Rob Billings as defensive back, running back and wide receiver.

First-team offense: quarterback Luke Nickel, running back Scott Moskowitz,

wide receivers Debron Gatling and Marc Essley, and offensive lineman Evan Zapata.

First-team defense: defensive lineman Wyatt Smalley, linebackers Will Parton and Caleb Moran, and defensive back Bryce Thornton.

Second-team offense: wide receiver Wyatt Nave, tight end Ryan Ghea, fullback Hayden Tumminia and offensive lineman Brody Benotti.

Second-team defense: defensive linemen Drew Cohen and Terence Spencer, linebacker Jack Lawson and defensive backs Dylan Lewis and Brayden Holmes.

Second-team special teams: kicker Felipe Mota, punter Chase Traubel and long snapper Ben Lowery.

Honorable mention: linebackers Jacorey Stewart and Cole Werthman, wide receiver Garrett Spooner and offensive linemen Riley Rushing, Tim Schindler and Garrett Heinecke.

DENMARK HIGH SCHOOL

First-team offense: offensive lineman Sham Umarov.

First-team defense: defensive lineman William Hodges, linebacker Dee Crayton and defensive back Che Ojarikre.

Second-team offense: quarterback Jacob Nelson, running back Amon Williams,

wide receivers Lake Thoman and Kohl Yearwood, tight end Brandon Hester and offensive lineman Kobe Jones.

Second-team defense: defensive linemen Evan Floyd and Charley Cronier, linebacker Austin DeCarlo, defensive back EJ Adams.

Second-team special teams: kicker Hamilton DiBoyan and long snapper Joe Hibbard.

Honorable mention: wide receiver Aidan Brozena, defensive lineman Jacob Smith, defensive back Sean Patterson and linebacker Ryan McDaniel.

WEST FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL

First-team offense: running back Peyton Streko.

First-team defense: defensive lineman Brady Gillis, linebacker Raleigh Herbert, defensive back Grey Brockman.

First-team special teams: return Aiden Cook.

Second-team offense: offensive lineman Peyton Wall and athlete Ryder Stewart.

Second-team defense: linebacker Riley McKee and defensive back William Orris.

Honorable mention: punter Luke Anderson, offensive lineman Jace Kile, defensive back Brody Sanderson, quarterback Jack Tomlinson, wide receiver Brian Tawuo, defensive linemen Ryder Smith and Carson Taylor.

SOUTH FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL

Offensive Player of the Year: quarterback Ty Watkins.

First-team offense: tight end Cade Jacchia, fullback Baylor Duncan, offensive linemen Kristian Dawson and Nathan Efobi.

First-team defense: defensive lineman CJ Kemper, defensive back James Margiotta.

First-team special teams: punter Tyler Simpson and line snapper Ben Blanton.

Second-team offense: right back Maverick Schippmann, wide receiver Chris Nelson and offensive lineman Josh Felton.

Second-team defense: defensive

lineman Chris Brown, linebacker Conner Futch, defensive back Cole Yeager.

Honorable mention: defensive back Kai Fernandes, defensive lineman Brady Fogarty, offensive lineman Cooper Lowe, linebackers Hayden Mock and Cole Williams, wide receiver Dash Moore and defensive lineman Christian Wehman.

FORSYTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

First-team offense: wide receiver Camden Yeager and offensive lineman Luke Sacchetti.

First-team defense: defensive lineman Aiden White.

First-team special teams: line snapper Koby Balthazor.

Second-team offense: offensive lineman Braden Carter.

Second-team defense: defensive lineman Andrew Carrizo, linebacker Aiden Meehan and defensive back Aiden Manalastas.

Honorable mention: linebackers Brandon Carver and Kole McGlumphy, running backs Justin Taylor and Jayce Todaro, and defensive back Ramon Smith.

LAMBERT HIGH SCHOOL

Coach of the Year: Marc Beach.

First-team offense: wide receiver Brandon Jones, tight end Luke Logan, offensive lineman Jackson DeLoach and athlete Cam Bland.

First-team defense: defensive lineman Finn Braeuer, linebacker Joseph Tripp and defensive back Bradley Gabriel.

First-team special teams: kicker Ryan Degyansky.

Second-team offense: offensive linemen Daniel Uwakwe and Luke Stephens.

Second-team defense: linebacker Branson Brooks.

Second-team special teams: return Christian Smith.

Honorable mention: running backs Tommy Lafayette and Ethan Terry, offensive linemen Riley Mitchamore and Tyler Van Treek, defensive linemen Steven Aguilar and Jack Racki, and linebacker Carson Knowles.

Roswell hires new Director of Transportation

ROSWELL, Ga. — On Dec. 13, Roswell announced Jeffrey S. Littlefield has been hired as the city’s new Director of Transportation. He took over the role from the city’s interim transportation director, Dan Skalsky. Littlefield will oversee all components of traffic and transportation in Roswell.

Previously, Littlefield worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation as a deputy division engineer. He has more than 18 years of experience in the field as an engineer and public manager, with experience

in right-of-way management, roadway design, construction management and transportation improvement.

Littlefield earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Carolina State University and served in the United States Marines for eight years. He also worked as the construction services manager for A Morton Thomas and Associates.

“I am excited to execute the city’s transportation master plan and see the vision for this department unfold,” Littlefield said.

Town Center vision moves one step closer to reality

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — In the words of Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, the City Council completed a “historic milestone” when councilmembers unanimously approved zoning plans for Medley.

The 42-acre Medley development at the intersection of McGinnis Ferry Road and Johns Creek Parkway will anchor the city’s future 192-acre Town Center, an initiative identified in the city’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan. The town center plan was adopted in October 2021 and integrated into the comprehensive plan the following January.

At the Dec. 12 City Council meeting, Medley received the city’s new TC-X zoning classification (Town Center Mixed Use District) with more than 20 conditions. Medley’s 56-acre parent parcel, a defunct State Farm campus, will also house Boston Scientific.

As an “eatertainment” destination and “third place” beyond work and home, Medley will consist of 200,000 square-feet of commercial space, which includes 80,000 square-feet of retail, 60,000 square-feet of restaurants and up to 60,000 squarefeet of entertainment use. The site will also feature 110,000 square-feet of office space, 137 fee-simple townhomes and 750 luxury multifamily units.

Plans call for two multifamily parking decks, more than 12 acres of civic space (plazas, pocket parks, squares and landscaped areas) and nearly 3 acres of amenity space (a clubhouse, swimming pools, amenity courtyards, patios, porches, balconies and lawns).

Mark Toro, known for his work on Alpharetta’s Avalon, said the new development will create a “halo effect” not just for the Town Center but for the entire city. With the Alpharetta project, Toro said he observed a paradigm shift in Alpharetta from, “a cul-de-sac gated mindset to an urban lifestyle that was attractive to many people who didn’t know what they didn’t know.”

But he said there was a distinct difference between Avalon and Medley.

“I believe that the success of Medley will be based on the fact that people are tired of driving 20 minutes to Avalon,” Toro said.

The Wilbert Group, public relations for Toro Development Company, would not disclose financial information for the Medley project at the current time.

Density, approval time

During public comment, several residents voiced concerns about Medley’s density, including Kristin McCabe, a recently sworn in Fulton County School Board member.

“The density concerns me — 750 apartments you are proposing,” McCabe said. “That’s 225 more than are already at Avalon, and yet, it’s less acreage.”

The Town Center’s zoning ordinance was adopted in August 2022, which, in part, tackles density. Medley is set to have 21.27 units per acre, which is less than the density requirements within Town Center Code at 30 units per acre.

With Medley’s future neighbor Boston Scientific in mind, McCabe noted aspects of the development that should be considered, like traffic and garbage. But Toro said Medley would calm traffic, using various mechanisms proposed by his staff, such as additional access points.

McCabe also thought the City Council should have more time to decide on the project. The first meeting between Toro and city staff was in March. The Johns Creek Planning Commission approved the application, which was filed in September, Dec. 6.

Councilman Bob Erramilli echoed McCabe and said he wished he had more time to discuss the project with counterparts in other cities. Current councilmembers will probably not see something of this size on their dockets again, he said.

But Councilman Chris Coughlin said, “I understand something of this magnitude feels rushed, but we’ve had tons of public participation meetings. We have had ample opportunities for review.”

After a nearly two-hour discussion on the agenda item and the City Council’s vote, the audience applauded. Councilmembers made their last remarks as well as Mayor Bradberry.

“Make it the best damn development ever,” Bradberry said. “Make us the best Town Center ever.”

Groundbreaking is scheduled for late 2023, according to Toro Development Company’s website.

The Legacy Center

At its Dec. 12 work session, the City Council also agreed to purchase land for the Legacy Center, an anticipated “arts park.”

For the discussion, councilmembers were given a 12-page report created by the mayor-appointed Legacy Center Working Group, which was tasked with determining the size, scope and scale of the Legacy Center project. The group consulted the Legacy Center Task Force, a separate organization that has been led by Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Conductor J. Wayne Baughman for the past seven

years.

42-acre

The Legacy Center would sit on about 6 acres, with two buildings — the Johns Creek Art Center and a performance hall that would include multi-use space with a commercial kitchen.

The report also gave an estimate for land costs in Johns Creek, which could be in excess $500,000 per acre. It also listed other key issues, like fundraising efforts.

Later in the evening, after the City Council’s vote on Medley, Johns Creek Cricket Association Founder Shafiq Jadavji said Dec. 12 would be a memorable date.

“You did a ‘one, two punch’ tonight,” Jadavji said, alluding to the City Council decision to acquire land for the Legacy Center and the vote on Medley.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Mark Toro, principal and chief visionary officer of Toro Development Company, presents plans Dec. 12 for Medley, a

mixed-use development to exist within the future Johns Creek Town Center. The Johns Creek City Council unanimously granted approval for the project. Toro was the architect behind Alpharetta’s Avalon.

Senators pitch more help for disabled Georgians

By JILL NOLIN Georgia Recorder

ATLANTA — A bipartisan Senate panel has proposed funding services for an additional 2,400 people with disabilities next year, putting the state on track to eliminate Georgia’s waitlist in three years.

And those state senators are also pushing for a wage increase for the workforce providing direct care for people with disabilities so they can live in their homes and communities.

The Senate study committee has proposed funding the jump in new waiver slots and the wage increase in the new state budget that would take effect next summer. The shortage of direct-support professionals has hamstrung recent efforts to serve more of the 7,000 people waiting for Medicaid services.

Increasing funding to provide services for 2,400 more people would cost about $66 million, according to one estimate. That would be a significant increase, and it would follow a year where lawmakers covered an additional 513 people.

“It’s critically needed,” said D’Arcy Robb, executive director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities who also served on the study committee.

“As a state, we have under invested in this population for a long time. I think we’ve heard very clearly in the testimonies: people are breaking. And these are Georgians, these are folks with disabilities who can live lives and thrive and contribute. These are families.”

The committee drew a crowd at the series of meetings held across the state this year, with the attendees in Tifton spilling into an overflow room. More than 100 people also submitted written testimony.

In the longer term, the study committee has proposed creating a commission like the one established in 2019 to overhaul the state’s behavioral health system and that was the driving force behind last session’s parity bill.

Sen. Sally Harrell, an Atlanta Democrat who pushed for the examination of the

Drama:

waitlist, and her Republican co-chair Sen. John Albers share the vision of creating a reform-minded commission this coming legislative session that will take a comprehensive look at Georgia’s system for caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and identify solutions. The new session starts next month.

“This is the beginning. This is the kickoff of a process of solving these issues, which are deep and complex,” Harrell said.

Kevin Tanner, who started and led the behavioral health reform commission, became the commissioner of the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities on Friday.

‘A crisis in the care economy’

The state agency responsible for Georgia’s safety net system for people with disabilities is in the middle of reviewing the pay of direct-support professionals.

But the lawmakers behind the Dec. 14 committee report said they are frustrated by preliminary findings that would justify raising the hourly rate in Georgia to about $15, up from about $10.

“I personally was disappointed in the amount they came up with which was like $15.18 an hour,” Harrell said.

“We certainly heard testimony that there were organizations that had done enough fundraising and had gone up to that and it didn’t make a difference.”

The rate study is being conducted at a time of steep inflation, which is compounding a long-standing workforce problem nationally. Even before inflation strained the pocketbooks of direct-support professionals, provider groups in Georgia were warning the workforce shortage had already reached crisis levels.

“I’m disappointed too,” Albers said. “But you know what, there’s too much other good things happening – this is advancing the ball – to walk away disappointed over one out of all the other issues.”

Albers committed to revisiting the wage issue later if inflation does not ease and if the proposed rate increase does not help

learned over the course of one unit. They groan, McCook said, but there’s no right or wrong answer.

address the shortage.

The cost to the state to fund what the rate study ultimately recommends was not available Wednesday because the study is still ongoing. The state is seeking public comment on the study’s initial findings through Jan. 13.

Dom Kelly, president and CEO of a new advocacy group called New Disabled South that is focused on a 14-state region, said he had not seen the study’s results but struggled to see how a $15 hourly rate would help grow and preserve this important workforce.

“Overall, $15 an hour is not a livable wage for really anybody, especially today with inflation and even without inflation,” Kelly said Wednesday. “Fifteen dollars an hour is not a livable wage, and especially in a vital role like that where this is actually people’s lives that we’re dealing with.”

Kelly said there is an urgent need to shore up this workforce.

“There is a crisis in the care economy right now, and there aren’t enough people willing to do the work,” he said.

Robb with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities said her organization’s position is for lawmakers to raise the rate to $15 an hour at a minimum in the near term. It would still be a jump from the current rate, she said.

She said she’s encouraged by talk of forming a commission.

Menagerie” with Dunwoody’s Stage Door Players where she played the lead, Amanda Wingfield — her dream role.

“I think what’s come out is that this problem is deeper and wider than was really realized before,” Robb said. “So, I think the commission is going to be really key going forward to keep these issues in the limelight and address this on an ongoing basis because ‘waivers and wages,’ to my mind, that’s the start.”

Managed care model

The panel also wants to task the new commission, if created this session, with exploring the prospect of delivering services for people with disabilities through managed care, which has prompted concerns.

If deemed a viable option, the panel recommends limiting the approach to a small number of people and only those who are newly enrolled in NOW and COMP waiver services.

Albers said after the meeting that he’s aware of the concerns that moving to the managed care model for these services might diminish the quality of care.

“The reality is we don’t know,” he said. “The fear of the unknown is a healthy fear. But we also should do our homework, we should study it and see if it could work, and if it could, how would we pilot that to make sure.”

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

and quizzed her on the material.

knowing the way you think, is part of that development. For example, students have to know what their best process is for memorizing lines.

“Sadly, the best one is when Ms. McCook offers them sweets,” she said with a boisterous laugh. “It’s amazing how quickly they can memorize something if there’s a cookie behind it.”

Advanced students are asked to write reflections about what they

“The whole thing about learning in the arts, and I think this is kind of true with all performing arts, is you’re learning yourself,” she said.

Returning to the stage

McCook plans to get new headshots done and get her old agent back when she retires. She talked with adoration for her teaching career, but she said she’s ready for day-time rehearsals. Her last show, before the pandemic, was Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass

McCook said the Katherine Hepburn movie adaption of “The Glass Menagerie” was what inspired her to become an actress.

Hearing a woman that sounded like her grandmother, with an old Southern accent, caught her attention. Then, it became about the story.

It took about six hours a day over the course of Thanksgiving and Christmas break 2019 to prepare for the role. McCook recalled practicing with her mother, who ran lines with her

Kate Arthur, drama teacher at the Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence, has known McCook for three years and helped with the last Autrey Mill production — Disney’s “Moana, Jr.”

Arthur saw McCook in “The Glass Menagerie,” and said she was phenomenal.

“The fact that she is such a talented actress — that’s why she knows what plays so well on the stage,” Arthur said. “Like she just has a knack and understanding for what it means to be a professional actor because she is one.”

JILL NOLIN/GEORGIA RECORDER Sen. Sally Harrell and Sen. John Albers (center) react Dec. 14 after their study committee passed recommendations for how to improve access to services for people with disabilities. Harrell, a Democrat, and Albers, a Republican, co-chaired the panel.

Alpharetta Jail to house City of Milton detainees

Police say agreement will save city $14,000

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The Milton City Council signed an agreement with the City of Alpharetta and Fulton County officials allowing its police department to hold local prisoners at the newly reopened Alpharetta Jail.

The action could save Milton thousands of dollars and hundreds of manhours.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Alpharetta Jail, forcing Milton police officers to transport detainees 30 miles away to the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, eating up valuable time and leaving the city with one less officer for more than an hour.

During the pandemic, transportation time for Milton officers almost doubled— from 73 minutes to 135 minutes, Milton Police Capt. Shawn McCarty said.

To boot, Milton officers couldn’t process all detainees at the Fulton County Jail. McCarty said police had to develop workarounds for anyone with local charges, such as releasing violators on a copy of charges, fingerprinting them when they appeared in court and increasing community supervision in lieu of jail time.

But, the City Council unanimously reinstated a 10-year agreement with Alpharetta, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and Fulton County to allow sheriff’s deputies to provide for the booking and housing of inmates at the Alpharetta Jail. The only major difference between the old and new agreement is the cost for booking and housing of inmates on local charges, McCarty said.

Under the new agreement, Milton Police will see almost $14,000 in savings a year, McCarty said.

Other police agencies in North Fulton have received the same intergovernmental offer, he said, and they are evaluating what to do next.

The Alpharetta-owned jail on Old Milton Parkway, also called Fulton County’s north jail annex, reopened Nov. 9

and can house roughly 70 inmates.

In May, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved $517,000 to reopen the Alpharetta facility. In addition to refurbishing the jail, the plan called on cities to pay a daily rate for holding detainees in the jail.

Under terms of the agreement, Milton will pay an inmate holding fee of $60 per day. The overall cost for the city is estimated to be around $45,000 a year for booking, lodging and medical costs for up to 12 inmates held concurrently.

School emergencies

Also at the Dec. 5 meeting, Capt. McCarty sought approval for an intergovernmental agreement permitting a collaboration between Milton Police and the Fulton County School District. The agreement comes after a state-wide shooting hoax that included Cambridge High School on Bethany Road .

The agreement, which was unanimously approved by the City Council, outlines jurisdiction, emergency response protocol and encourages routine school visits from Milton police. It also mandates regular training and efforts to acquire grants or programs that support safe school environments.

While Milton police have had access to recorded surveillance footage at schools, they will now have access to real-time footage during crisis situations.

Also at the meeting, Milton Community Development Director Bob Buscemi introduced a new development project in the Mayfield District. Representatives from TSW, the design firm responsible for the project, were present to expound on objectives in a high-level overview.

The project will encompass 22 parcels, totaling almost 18 acres.

TSW planner Ryan Snodgrass said the first meeting between city staff and stakeholders will be in late January. There, TSW will present preliminary concepts. The timeline beginning with the initial analysis to plan adoption is eight months, Snodgrass said.

Tax:

from Page 1

remainder to its cities.

“What I witnessed is something that I know to be true from my decades of representing public entities: addressing contentious matters, sincere, conscientious political leaders find solutions,” Andy Welch, an attorney representing 13 of Fulton County’s cities, told Appen Media after the signing. “The leaders of the 15 Fulton Cities and Fulton County found a solution despite the unnecessary conflict the LOST statute encourages. They all have served their citizens well.”

Prior to this agreement, city and county officials spent several months in official and unofficial negotiation and mediation sessions, debating whether Fulton County should receive a much larger portion of the tax revenues than it has received in recent years.

County negotiators initially argued for returning to a pre-2000 LOST distribution rate split of 35 percent to

the county and 65 percent the cities, which raised an immediate outcry from city officials and residents.

However, after months of negotiating, county officials relented and approved the final 90/10 sales tax split at a meeting Nov. 2.

Over the last month, the agreement was ratified by council members in each of Fulton County’s 15 cities.

Per the agreement, cities in Fulton County would see a staggered decrease in LOST distribution percentages over the 10 years, so that the county share can increase from 4.9 to 9.9 percent.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry said the agreement provides a “softer landing.” The city gets the same tax cut next year, he said, but over time the city’s percentage will decrease and the county’s will increase.

Even though cities will see losses in the short run, officials said expected economic growth in the coming decade will make up for any losses cities might experience at first.

Now that the agreement has been signed by all parties, it will be filed with the state of Georgia before the deadline on Dec. 31.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA

NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF CITY CODE AMENDMENTS

The following item will be considered by the City Council on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 and Tuesday, January 17, 2023 during the Alpharetta City Council Meeting and Public Hearing, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers located at 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

a. The Code of the City of Alpharetta, Georgia Text Amendments –Failing to appear and answer summons; arrest.

Consideration of an ordinance to amend Article I of Chapter 30 of The Code of the City of Alpharetta, Georgia, to add a provision related to failure to appear; to assign that provision to section 30-8 (currently reserved); to provide an effective date; and for other purposes.

FILE PHOTO

FULTON COUNTY/PROVIDED

District 2 Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis speaks at a signing event for the 2023 local option sales tax agreement held at the Central Library in Atlanta Dec. 14.

Christmas trees and heroes

In honor of the holiday season this week’s column will explore the transition of one man from combat pilot to successful Christmas tree farmer.

military service.

“The evergreen tree symbolizes eternal life and the spirit of Christ,” Gordon said.

BOB MEYERS Columnist bobmey@bellsouth.net

Born in San Jose, California, Gordon Hunter attended UCLA on a Naval ROTC scholarship. After graduation in 1964 he was sent to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, where two years later he earned his wings. He soon found himself in the middle of the Vietnam War aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin. There he piloted an A4 Skyhawk, a nimble deltawing single pilot attack bomber. Skyhawks logged more missions in Vietnam than any other naval aircraft, and 195 carrier based Skyhawks were shot down during the war with their hero pilots either killed or taken captive.

Gordon served three deployments in Vietnam, flying nearly 300 combat missions. Gordon said during one of his deployments they lost nearly one-third of their pilots, including the future U.S. Senator John McCain who spent five years in a North Vietnamese prison.

The day he was shot down started off like any other daily bombing run with a breakfast of bacon and eggs to be followed by a 90-minute mission over Hanoi. A formation of 20 A-4 bombers from Hunter’s squadron, VA-163, known as the “Saints,” supported by two fighter planes squadrons of F-8 Crusader aircraft made the run. Pilots knew that the target area was well defended by missiles and 50 and 57mm heavy machine guns, any one of which could bring down a plane.

“You could usually avoid the surfaceto-air missiles if you could see them, but sadly, many did not,” Gordon said.

During his entire tour of duty his plane was hit only once by machine gun ground fire when a bullet lodged in the plane’s instrument panel.

After his Vietnam service, Gordon was assigned to be a Naval flight instructor at Lemoore Naval Air Station in California. One day he received a call from Delta Airlines. They needed pilots. Gordon accepted their offer and spent the next 30 years as a Delta pilot.

Gordon and his wife Brooke lived in Stone Mountain which was convenient to the Atlanta airport. Having been a competitive sailor all his life, while in Stone Mountain Gordon operated a part-time sailboat business. He also served in a Naval Reserve squadron based at Naval

Air Station Atlanta (now closed) which was co-based with Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta.

In 1983, Gordon and Brooke bought a piece of property and moved to Milton where they considered various ways of using the property. After reading an article about Christmas tree farming, Gordon did research and concluded that growing trees would be a good family business and a way to generate income to pay for their four daughters’ college expenses. He and Brooke planted some 200-300 Virginia Pine trees and nurtured them during their 4-5 year growing cycle and opened for business the day after Thanksgiving in 1990.

DEATH NOTICES

Suzanne Blazovich, 81, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 11, 2022.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Helen Cox, 93, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 13, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sara Fagundes, 87, of Roswell, passed away on December 11, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

They bought an additional 100 Frazier fir trees, known for their fragrance, from North Carolina, trucking them to Georgia themselves. After experimenting with Virginia pine trees for several years, they switched to the naturally shaped and sturdy Leyland cypress trees. The current mix is about 200-300 Leyland cypress trees grown on the property and about 1,000 Frazier firs every year. The business is open to the public from Thanksgiving to mid-December.

For the Hunters, Christmas trees bring hope and light into the world and symbolize giving service to others, such as

Brooke’s background is also unusual for a Christmas tree farmer. She attended Brigham Young University for a year, spent a year of study abroad in Vienna, Austria, and then attended UCLA where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Modern Dance, the first degree of its kind in America. She taught dance at Fresno State University in California and Spellman College in Atlanta. She did choreography in local schools in north Georgia, and of course, she trimmed many trees. The business is now run by their daughters while Gordon and Brooke divide their time between Georgia and Florida.

The tradition of modern Christmas trees is often traced back to 16th-century Germany, although evergreens were used in pre-Christian times at the winter solstice to remind people of the coming spring. The winter solstice, the first day of winter, is also the shortest day of the year. This year, it falls on Wednesday, Dec. 21, when the North Pole is tilted furthest from the sun. On that date we will have eight hours and 46 minutes of daylight.

Christmas trees were generally restricted to Europe until the use of decorated trees by Queen Victoria and her German born husband Prince Albert was popularized in the American press in the mid-1850s. We can thank the Victorian era for several important Christmas traditions such as Christmas cards and the decorated Christmas tree.

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.

Veronica Genito, 60, of Milton, passed away on December 6, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Catherine Lindsey, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 11, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Rosalie MacLaren, 98, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 8, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Michael Pannell, 42, of Roswell, passed away on December 7, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Linda Varni, 73, of Milton, passed away on December 7, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Betsy Whitley, 92, of Sandy Springs, passed away on December 10, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

LESLIE WATSON/PROVIDED

People attending the events at the Hunter Christmas Tree Farm can donate gifts to North Fulton Charities. The farm sells trees from Thanksgiving to midDecember.

FAMILY/PROVIDED Lt. Commander Gordon Hunter is pictured standing on his Navy A-4 Skyhawk light bomber aboard the aircraft carrier Oriskany off the coast of Viet Nam. Hunter flew nearly 300 combat missions in Viet Nam. 1967.

Take a trip to Brittany in two books

I was fortunate enough to visit Normandy in 2014 but the closest I got to Brittany was having a tour guide on my cycling trip whose family owned a farm there. It’s long been my practice to find and read works of fiction—especially mysteries—set in the locales I plan to visit, and that’s how I stumbled across this author years ago. I’ve read the earlier books in the series and was tickled to find the most recent one at the library.

“The Granite Coast” by Jean-Luc Bannalec

When I stumbled across Book seven in the series, I brought it home and immediately logged onto the library website to reserve this one— Book six. I prefer to read a series in order when I can.

This one was a delight. Who knew there were so many very different locales in Brittany? The author splits his time between Germany and

France and someone else translates his books into English. Every book is like a virtual vacation. In this one, Commissaire Dupin is taking a forced vacation with his girlfriend and is trying mightily to relax. Of course, his boredom is relieved by a murder and several lesser mysteries in the picturesque village on the Granite Coast. Read it for the descriptions of the pink granite. Read it for the murder mystery. Read it for the evolving relationships. You won’t be disappointed.

“The King Arthur Case” by JeanLuc Bannalec

OMG. As a King Arthur addict and Bannalec fan, how could I go wrong with this book? Arthurian legend and a murder mystery all in one made this an entertaining page-turner for me.

Visit yet another locale in Brittany when Commissaire Dupin and his team take a field trip to the Forest of Broceliande, the setting for “the legend of all legends,” that of King Arthur as told by Chretien de Troyes. When Dupin discovers the body of a scholar on their first stop, the field

trip quickly turns to the business of finding the murderer, and just as quickly, the body count grows.

Woven throughout the modern-day mystery are tales of the Knights of the Round Table. As are all Bannalec’s mysteries, this one is filled with twists and turns, good food, and good wine. Read it for the intrigue and the fairy tale legend and come away hungry! I also came away with the urge to visit Brittany--as I always do when I read this series.

If you’re intrigued, I suggest you start with Book one—“Death in Brittany.” I recall being fascinated by the descriptions of the shoreline and the famous painters who visited the locale in the days of old. I love learning things when I read fiction, and in these books, I always do.

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries locally at The Enchanted Forest in Dunwoody and Bookmiser in East Cobb or on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.

HEARING

NOTICE CITY OF ROSWELL PUBLIC

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Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 10:00 A.M.

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BUSINESS ADDRESS 2622 Holcomb Bridge Road Alpharetta, GA 30022

KATHY MANOS PENN

The Ink Penn, inkpenn119@gmail.com

Signs: SPONSORED CADILLAC JACK MY SECOND ACT

Continued from Page 12

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