Longtime Martin’s Landing residents Michael Litten and Scott Crawford edge toward the Chattahoochee River while questioning proposed plans to renovate the adjacent pool at their neighborhood club house. The project is at the center of a lawsuit filed against individual members of their homeowners association board, which alleges misconduct over a vote on a related $1.1 million special assessment.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — The owner of the Lake House at Martin’s Landing is suing more than a dozen homeowners association board directors over how they allegedly conducted a vote on a $1.1 million special assessment.
The assessment, for renovations to the 50-yearold neighborhood pool, will charge nearly $600 to each of the community’s some 1,900 homeowners, according to documents provided to Appen Media.
Critics of the proposed project say it poses an
environmental issue, as the pool lies just a few feet away from the Chattahoochee River. They also urge the importance of staying privy to association dealings within your neighborhood.
The Nov. 1 filing to the Fulton County Superior Court alleges board directors, as well as the property manager, “aimed to mislead and to ensure their favored outcome on what was supposed to be a community association vote by members.”
The firm 29th Street Capital filed the suit “on behalf of” Martin’s Landing Foundation, Inc., the
See LAWSUIT, Page 15
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs Police arrested a 40-year-old Atlanta man Dec. 16 after a high-speed chase on Ga. 400 and I-285, ending with a road intervention known as a PIT maneuver.
A PIT, or precision immobilization technique, is a method used by law enforcement to stop a vehicle by forcing it to abruptly turn 180 degrees and stall.
It’s a police procedure with a controversial reputation. Sandy Springs Police allows officers with the right training to use it under certain circumstances. The department has not said how they came to the decision to pursue the suspect coming out of Roswell or execute the PIT maneuver to immobilize the suspect’s vehicle.
Appen Media first found out about the Dec. 16 incident through a Sandy Springs Police Department Facebook post. Early Monday morning on Dec. 16, Roswell police attempted to pull over a vehicle for failing to use a turn signal,
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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Officers investigated a report of shoplifting at North Point Mall department store Dec. 15.
Video surveillance footage showed a 55-year-old Woodstock woman stealing underwear and jewelry, according to an Alpharetta police report.
The woman made a purchase and attempted to leave the store without paying for other items, according to the report.
A loss prevention officer stopped the woman and found the stolen items in her bags.
The stolen items were valued at a total of $688.43.
The woman was arrested on a felony theft by shoplifting of more than $500 charge.
Jon Wilcox
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 37-yearold Roswell man Dec. 13 after finding 2 ounces of marijuana in his vehicle, which crashed at a Holcomb Bridge Road intersection.
Nissan, the driver told them he had smoked and had a small amount to drink hours before the collision.
After conducting a field sobriety test, officers said they did not find the driver to be under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.
After initially denying there was marijuana in his vehicle, the driver allegedly told officers he had 2 ounces in his vehicle.
Officers said they found three bags of marijuana, ranging between 12 and 27 grams, in the driver’s backpack with a digital scale and a legally owned handgun. The marijuana totaled 2.12 ounces.
A Fulton County judged signed warrants for felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of drug paraphernalia and following too closely.
Officers transported the suspect to the North Fulton County Jail after he was cleared at the Wellstar Medical Center.
Fulton County Jail records show that the court released the suspect Dec. 15 on a 10 percent bond.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 55-year-old Alpharetta woman reported an online extortion Dec. 14.
The woman, who spoke through a translator, said in Spanish she had met a man on the messaging app WhatsApp and exchanged explicit photos, according to an Alpharetta police report.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested two 19-year-olds from Marietta Dec. 12 after allegedly finding them with illegal drugs in the parking lot of a shuttered Red Lobster.
An officer said he was patrolling Holcomb Bridge Road near the restaurant’s parking lot after 10 p.m. when he located an idling vehicle.
The officer said he found the male driver asleep holding a cut straw with burnt tin foil and a clear baggy in his lap. The officer said the vehicle’s sole passenger was also asleep.
Police used patrol cars to box in the vehicle so the driver would not wake up, panic and flee.
Shortly after, the driver began to wake up and was immediately detained. Officers then told the suspect what they saw and searched him, finding five Xanax bars and two ecstasy pills.
After the female passenger woke up, officers said they searched the vehicle, locating various prescription pills, 10 grams of marijuana and more than 4.5 grams of fentanyl in the center console and bags underneath the front passenger seat.
Officers also said they found additional cut straws and a digital scale.
Because of the location of the contraband, officers said they also arrested the female passenger.
The Roswell Police Department secured warrants for both around 2 a.m. Dec. 13.
A Roswell officer said a Sandy Springs lieutenant reported a two-car accident at Holcomb Bridge Road and South Holcomb Bridge Way.
The driver of the Nissan Rogue involved in the crash told police a black SUV slammed on its brakes in front of him, and he was unable to stop in time.
The officer said the other vehicles involved in the crash were not present. The driver of the Nissan Rogue said his vehicle was inoperable.
After an officer smelled marijuana in the
The man requested money, and she sent him amounts totaling $1,550. The woman sent the money via Western Union to a person in the Dominican Republic.
When the woman stopped sending money, the man threatened her, saying he would release the explicit photos she had sent. He also said she would “pay with blood” and sent graphic photos of dismembered body parts.
The incident was classified as a felony theft by extortion.
Jon Wilcox
The driver was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, possession of Schedule I and IV controlled substances and trafficking fentanyl.
The female passenger received the same charges with an additional count for possession of a Schedule V controlled substance.
Officers said they transported the female to the North Fulton County Jail. The male suspect was taken to Rice Street in Atlanta after he was denied in Alpharetta.
Fulton County Jail records show that the court dropped the male suspect’s drug trafficking charge. He was released Dec. 22 with a $5,000 surety bond.
— Hayden Sumlin
Continued from Page 1
according to the agency. When the driver instead accelerated and began weaving through traffic on Holcomb Bridge Road, the officer turned off their blue lights.
A second Roswell Police officer saw the vehicle shortly after and tried to pull it over. The driver allegedly chose to speed up and flee from law enforcement once more.
At this point police dispatch gave the vehicle’s description to neighboring agencies.
The suspect then headed southbound on Ga. 400 towards Sandy Springs.
Hearing the exchange from dispatch, Sandy Springs Police officers responded to Ga. 400, according to the agency’s social media post and spokesperson. After spotting and attempting to pull the vehicle over, officers pursued it onto I-285.
It was on that highway that officers “were able to perform a PIT maneuver” on the car and take the driver into custody.
As of Dec. 19, the Sandy Springs Police post has more than 850 likes and 120 comments.
Most commenters expressed appreciation to local law enforcement, with one person writing they witnessed the vehicle “flying” in the emergency lane said were thankful after the “wild and pretty scary” incident.
Another person said the department should leave PIT maneuvering to the Georgia State Patrol.
Law enforcement agencies around the county have different policies for when vehicle pursuits and intervention maneuvers can be performed.
Typically, those directives weigh the potential danger of the action compared to the possible harm of not interfering.
A look at the aftermath of an interjurisdictional police pursuit along Ga. 400 and I-285 Dec. 16 shows a Sandy Springs Police Department patrol car pinning a suspect’s Volkswagen against the median barrier. The suspect, a 40-year-old Atlanta man, was booked at Fulton County Jail after a high-speed pursuit along Ga. 400 and I-285.
In a 2023 report, the U.S. Department of Justice recommended pursuits, “should take place only when two very specific standards are met: (1) A violent crime has been committed and (2) the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime.” It says that the potential danger caused by fleeing from police is not reason enough to pursue. The example offered in the report is, “if a suspect begins driving more recklessly after police intervention, it is important to discontinue the pursuit.”
Sandy Springs Police Department’s chase policy says officers must “continually balance the need to pursue against all known or apparent risk” to public safety.
The directive states that officers should not assume a driver is involved in something more serious, “just because he or she is fleeing,” and must
instead rely on the other factors such as the nature of the offense committed, the immediate danger to the public if they are not apprehended and traffic conditions.
It adds that termination actions, such as the PIT maneuver, “are authorized only when the initial pursuit is justified.”
Records provided by the agency do
not identify the suspect or any charges other than fleeing from police. The incident report, meant to be a record of everything the responding officer observes while responding to a scene, is one sentence, that the officer “was involved in a vehicle pursuit on Ga. 400.”
Later, the first Roswell Police officer would find out the driver’s identity. Through that agency’s incident report and documents obtained from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Appen Media learned that the suspect is a 40-yearold Atlanta man. He is charged with misdemeanor counts of traffic violations and fleeing from police, along with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and fleeing from police.
Sandy Springs charged fleeing from police with the higher felony degree, while Roswell cited it as a misdemeanor.
The subject is a convicted felon. He is currently booked at Fulton County Jail with bonds totaling $38,750.
Sandy Springs’ policy mandates certain reporting obligations after pursuit and intervention incidents. It lays out a number of reports and reviews the department must make, including recording all involved subjects’ actions and observations during the events, ending with a final justification determination from the police chief. Appen Media has requested those documents from the city.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — This may be the time for prospective homebuyers to call an agent.
John Hunt, chief analyst and principal of MarketNsight, says current mortgage rates at around 6.5 percent are keeping home sales below pre-pandemic levels, despite a chance that rates will climb next year.
Because of a drop-off in economic activity amid an uncertain election cycle, pending home sales are increasing with mortgage rates. Hunt calls this “opposite world,” because home sales should decrease as mortgage rates increase, which was the case in 2022-23.
Economists generally consider a balanced housing market as having six months of supply. Hunt said Atlanta has about three and a-half months today, up from less than 30 days in December 2021.
Speaking at the virtual Dec. 12 MarketWatch with industry professionals and economic forecasters Hunt said that while mortgage rates have dipped slightly, a shortage of housing supply is keeping costs high for buying a home.
“Less inventory is going to equal higher prices; it’s just like 2020 all over again, the pandemic housing boom,” he said. “It’s the definition of insanity; we did not address the right problem, which is the supply side.”
Hunt said he can sound like a broken record while harping on the lack of housing affordability across the country.
“It is an indisputable fact that we have a housing shortage of epic proportions in this country,” he said. “Attainable housing is the defining issue of our time.”
He offers prospective buyers valuable insight into market trends and industry professionals advice on how to get sales done.
When 30-year fixed mortgage rates breached 5.25 percent in June 2022, the short-lived pandemic housing boom turned into a 20-month wait for inventory to recover.
While higher mortgage rates kept homeowners on their lots, prospective buyers left the market because of inflationary pressure on home prices, less inventory and the declining value of their dollars.
Since 2019, Atlanta home prices in November are up 62 percent, hitting a record-high of $540,000 in June.
Americans who own a home saw their investment create wealth, while prospective buyers saw their chances of doing the same diminish.
Unlike the Great Recession’s housing bubble, analysists say there is no lack of demand or oversupply in the market.
It’s good news for the health of the U.S. economy and homeowners, but prospective buyers are largely unable to afford the homes available in the market, Hunt said. He encourages people to drive until they qualify.
The problem is lower rates lead to higher demand for homes, which keeps their already historically low supply at a high price point.
“Zoning and land use regulations are the crux of the problem,” Hunt said. “We’ve been underbuilding for decades in this country.”
In April 2020, Hunt and his team were the first in the nation to call the bottoming out of housing demand in the U.S. economy.
By May 2021, MarketNSight’s weekly analysis was reporting builders intentionally slowing sales of new homes as the housing supply hit a nationwide low.
The purpose of the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes between March 2022 and July 2023 was to squash demand in the U.S. economy, but Hunt said price points for homes
MARKETNSIGHT/PROVIDED
A graph from MarketNSight shows the relationship between the 30-year fixed mortgage rate and pending home sales from 2022-now, which analysts say will not close any time soon. MarketNSight Principal John Hunt said pending sales went negative as soon as rates breached the 5.25 percent threshold, showing a negative correlation between the two when there is not a presidential election.
did not come down as a result.
When the Fed cut its primary interest rate from a 20year high in September, mortgage rates started climbing, which means more Americans cannot qualify for a mortgage and down payment.
Hunt pointed to comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell in September, echoing his analysis and saying the Fed cannot fix high prices in the U.S. housing market, which are due to a lack of supply.
“There’s a correlation between 2020 and 2024 that I want to make note of … we saw a downward track all the way to first week of November,” Hunt said. “Before every election, activity and investment of all types tends to fall off because uncertainty kills it.”
Following both elections, MarketNSight data shows spikes in home resales, seemingly confirming an election season has its impacts on the national housing market.
From 2022-23, Hunt said rate dips saw jumps in pending sales, but the trend reversed itself in 2024 amid the presidential election.
“We live in opposite world in 2024 because when we peaked the fourth week in April at 7.22 percent, rates fell very nicely, and over that same period, pending sales collapsed,” Hunt said. “That’s not what should have happened.”
When mortgage rates began to climb in September, pending sales went up along with them.
“It makes no sense, it defies logic,” Hunt said. “But it’s happened.”
There are two factors prospective homebuyers can monitor that influence mortgage rates, the Fed’s prime rate and 10-year Treasury bond yield.
Professor Rajeev Dhawan, holder of the Zwerner Chair of Economic Forecasting and director at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at GSU, also spoke about the impact of Fed policy on the housing market.
Dhawan, an award-winning economic forecaster, said he anticipates a 25 basis point cut in December, but also sees no economic signals that would lead the Fed to rush lower rates.
He said tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump will damage the 10-year Treasury bond yield, which may spike mortgage rates. Dhawan said the strength of the U.S. dollar and its role as the world’s reserve currency makes him doubt tariffs will cause meaningful inflation.
His regional concerns include workforce participation, job quality and his forecast of rising mortgage rates taking prospective buyers out of the market.
Dhawan was largely optimistic throughout the December MarketWatch, which he has been a part of for more than eight years.
In terms of consumption and consumer behavior, he said year-over-year inflation data is showing higher confidence and a declining rate of price increases.
Lori Lane, president and managing broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ New Homes Division, said 2024 started out stronger than years past, but things have only recently picked up after the election.
“A common trend was that [the election] kept people on the fence waiting to see what would happen,” she said. “We’ve seen an increase in traffic and more serious buyers getting back into the market, and I think people are realizing they will never see rates that low again.”
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry and public safety officials led a groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuild of Fire Station 63, the city’s oldest fire station.
The new 14,675-square-foot facility, to house the Police Substation, will be located at 9880 Brumbelow Road. The 2.11-acre site is a half-mile from the existing Station 63 on Old Alabama Road.
The replacement will include a 13,891-square foot station house and a
766-square-foot storage facility as well as two double-depth bays for trucks, spacious work areas, a kitchen and dining room, day room facilities, bunk rooms and an apparatus bay.
Built in 1983, Station 63 is the oldest fire station serving Johns Creek and surrounding neighborhoods. It was inherited by the city when it took over fire services in 2007.
Completion for the rebuild is slated for summer 2026.
— Amber Perry
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Art Center was one of 10 members of the arts community in the state honored with the Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities.
The award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations who have significantly contributed to Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality through excellence and service to the arts and humanities.
On Dec. 5, Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp announced the awards, presented in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Humanities. The program is in its 13th year.
Amid a competitive nomination process, the community’s collective effort placed The Art Center on the list.
"We are deeply humbled and honored
to receive the Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities,” The Art Center Executive Director Stephanie Donaldson said. “This recognition is not only a celebration of our 28-year journey but a testament to the power of creativity, culture, and human expression.”
Donaldson said the award shows the importance of supporting and amplifying the voices of artists who contribute to the “rich fabric of our society.”
“We express our sincere appreciation to the Georgia Council for the Arts as their support has enhanced our ability to serve our growing community,” she said. “Thank you to all of those who have inspired us along the way and continue to nurture our creative spirit.”
— Amber Perry
The Art Center
Executive Director Stephanie Donaldson and Curator/ Program Director Althea Foster stand under the nonprofit’s newly rebranded sign. Formerly known as the Johns Creek Arts Center, The Art Center was honored with the Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities this year.
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — The Milton Eagles shattered the record for a state finals game with 671 total yards, leaving the Langston Hughes Panthers in the dust.
The 56-35 win for the Eagles wraps an undefeated season and back-toback state titles. The Eagles defense had a second-half shutout for the third straight playoff matchup, shutting down the Panthers’ passing attack.
Senior running back TJ Lester led the Eagles’ offensive effort, with 211 allpurpose yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Lester faced one of the toughest defenses he’s seen this season, but the Panthers couldn’t stop his dominance.
“We had the chance to overcome adversity or let it overcome us,” he said. “We chose to overcome adversity and shut them out in the second half. All glory to God, it’s not possible without him.”
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with the Eagles taking an early 21-7 lead after the first of tight end Ethan Barbour’s two touchdowns.
Langston Hughes wide receiver Maurice Gleaton Jr. went for 128 yards and two touchdowns, prompting a change in coverage from the Eagles. Milton brought in Georgia commit CJ Wiley, star wide receiver for the Eagles, and later switched to senior Dylan Lewis to contain Gleaton.
The Panthers came back to tie the game at 21 points with the help of back-to-back touchdowns from Gleaton and junior running back Carsyn Baker, after a fumble by the Eagles in the second quarter.
From there, the first half was a nailbiter. Both teams scored each time they touched the ball, but the clock fell to the Eagles’ favor.
Wiley caught a 23-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining before halftime, giving the Eagles two straight offensive possessions. Milton went into the locker room at halftime up by a touchdown, set to receive the secondhalf kickoff.
After the break, the Eagles came in with a renewed perspective. Langston Hughes did not score another point while Milton notched another fourteen in the second half.
Senior cornerback Ty Redmond discussed the Eagles’ defensive intensity and what allowed them to hold the Panthers scoreless in the second half.
“I’ve been with these guys all my life since little league, it was really special to go out with a bang with them” he said. “We came in confident. I knew if we could get two stops our offense was gonna get what they had to get. At halftime, we talked about limiting their big plays, containing the QB and forcing them to drive. They didn’t score
See CHAMPIONS, Page 14
RING
BINGO - 2 p.m.
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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Four retailers, one restaurant and a neighborhood grocer have signed on to Medley, the 43-acre mixed-use site coming to the Johns Creek Town Center.
Medley will encompass 150,000 square feet of walkable retail, restaurant and entertainment space, a 175-key boutique hotel, 110,000 square feet of lifestyle office, 750 multifamily residences, 133 townhomes and an activated 25,000-squarefoot plaza.
The development also features a four-story office building that is being renovated and incorporated into the master plan to create a workplace.
The newest additions bring the retail mix up to 25 brands and the project to almost 75-percent leased.
New retailers include:
• Sephora, a leader in prestige omni-retail with the purpose of creating an inviting beauty shopping experience featuring more 400 brands and expertly trained beauty advisors.
• Rena’s Italian Fishery & Grill, a locally owned restaurant designed as a warm, neighborhood meeting place, known for its meat, seafood and pasta fare and award-winning wine. This will be the second location for the executive chef and founder Darren Henderson, with his first in downtown Alpharetta.
• High Country Outfitters, an Atlanta-based outdoor apparel retailer with almost 50 years of experience carrying more than 100 top brands such as Patagonia, Free Fly, On Running, Vuori and YETI.
rendering of the proposed Hotel at
permit, approved alongside a rezoning,
24/7 virtual support.
allow
• A yet-to-be-named neighborhood grocer with more details to come next year.
• BODYROK, a fitness studio featuring 45-minute Pilates-inspired, full-body, strength training group classes on the custom BODYROK reformer. This will be the second location for local owner, Anne Brandenburg, following her first at Southern Post in Roswell.
• Petfolk, a modern veterinary practice offering urgent care, wellness visits, surgery, dental and
Previously announced tenants for Medley include Ford Fry’s Little Rey, CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, Fadó Irish Pub, Summit Coffee, Lily Sushi Bar, Knuckies Hoagies, Cookie Fix, Sugarcoat Beauty, BODY20, AYA Medical Spa, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, Five Daughters Bakery, Drybar Shops, Minnie Olivia, Burdlife, Amorino, Pause Studio, Fogón and Lions and Clean Your Dirty Face.
Toro Development Company also recently announced it secured financing for the project, paving the way for Medley’s groundbreaking in January 2025. Already, TDC has razed an existing 350,000-square-foot office building to prepare the site for construction.
Medley’s grand opening is planned for late 2026.
To learn more about the project, visit medleyjohnscreek.com and follow along Instagram and Facebook.
—
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA Milton sophomore guard Devya Davis dimes a pass to junior forward Caroline Young on the fast break during the Sandy Spiel Tournament at Grayson High School Dec. 14. Davis had four steals against the Knights.
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
GRAYSON, Ga — Milton girls
basketball’s six-game winning streak came to an end Dec. 13 at Grayson High School during the sixth annual Sandy Spiel Tournament. Ranked no. 1 in all of Georgia 5A, the River Ridge Knights took an early lead and did not relinquish despite the Eagles’ best efforts. The final score was 62-52.
Milton’s two leading scorers of the season combined for 26 points in the loss with 13 apiece for senior guard Londyn Walker and junior forward Caroline Young. Walker had six rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Young contributed seven rebounds, two steals and a block.
Young discussed what went well for the Eagles against River Ridge.
“We knew it was gonna be a tough game,” she said. “Our goal was to play great defense and then offense will come with it. I’m really proud of how we all gave it our all.”
Sophomore Devya Davis came up big for the Eagles with six points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Getting out in the fastbreak allowed
Milton to match their opponent’s pace and tire them out even more.
The score was 19-8 after the first quarter, and the Eagles started to sink their shots slowly as the game went on. Each quarter they scored more points than the last, culminating in an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that cut the Knights’ lead in half.
Milton’s frontcourt anchored their defense and got to work on the other end. Freshman Aaleanna Milord was a big piece of the Eagles’ effort, with seven points, seven rebounds and two steals in her second start for Milton. Seniors Chassity McCammon and Zana Justice had solid games as well, with six and seven points, respectively.
Eagles head coach Julian Barfield reflected on the team’s first loss of the season.
“I’m pleased with our effort,” he said. “You hate to lose, but I think you learn more in the loss sometimes than you learn in a win. We got gassed in the fourth quarter, but tonight we played really good defense and I’m proud that we’re better than we were yesterday.”
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
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.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
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.
Isn’t it wonderful to hear that you are making a difference? Well, you are! All that hard work that you put in with children or grandchildren getting them to protect themselves from the Sun and wear sunscreen is making a difference!
A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) of more than 76,000 pediatric melanomas confirmed a decline in melanoma incidence over the last ten years in children ages five and older. That decrease in melanoma is likely due to the measures you and your family members have taken during those years and during the prior ten to fifteen years when you worked so hard to protect them from the Sun. And it is hard work. I have personally braved and endured myself. We all know what it’s like: The child in question seems to morph into a wet fish wriggling out of your grasp. Your slippery sunscreen hands don’t make it any easier! The rascal gets free, and you chase him or her down. Your drink gets knocked over. Sand gets on chairs, in bags and in other places you don’t want sand to get. It’s a task somewhere between roping a calf and getting a cat to take a bath. Grueling, grasping, groaning, finally it’s complete! The child may go and play. And in an hour and a half, you get to repeat the process all over again!
We know sun safety isn’t easy. What dermatologists ask of parents and grandparents is not a simple task. Is it really all worth it?
Yes! The results are in, and they are inspiring. This very encouraging study in the JAAD strongly suggests that all our hard work is paying off.
For children ages 10-14, there was a greater than 30% drop in melanoma between 2002 and 2020.
For children ages 5-9, there was a greater than 60% drop in melanoma between 2014 and 2020.
Interestingly, a small increase in pediatric melanoma cases for children ages four and younger supports that what we are doing is making a difference. Older children who develop melanoma are much
more likely to have developed skin cancer from sunburns and sun exposure. Babies and children under 4 years old who develop melanoma are NOT likely to have developed melanoma from sun exposure. (But they still need to be protected from the Sun). Instead, genetics, a chance unlucky mutation or non-sun related environmental factors are more likely to be responsible for melanoma in the extremely young. They simply haven’t had much time to be damaged by the Sun. The fact that melanoma in those ages four and under slightly increased but melanoma in those five and older dramatically decreased makes the claim even more credible that our efforts at sun protection are working. Good news in pediatric melanoma is likely great news for these individuals’ entire lives. Our bodies have proteins called “mismatch repair enzymes” whose job it is to fix DNA that has been damaged by ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Unfortunately, these enzymes don’t do a perfect job, and many mutations in our DNA are with us for life. Our entire lives, these mutations increase the chance that we develop skin cancer. Dermatologists have tools including prescription creams and in office treatments that kill pre-cancers and reduce one’s sun damage, but some of the Sun damage from childhood and adulthood is always with us. The fact that pediatric melanoma has plummeted in the last ten years gives us great hope that these same individuals will develop far fewer cancers as adults as well.
When you protect your loved one as a child, you are likely helping protect him or her for life.
The next time you wonder, “is it worth it?...Should I really use that sunscreen, that UPF 50 sun shirt or take on the herculean task of wrangling a kiddo channeling his or her inner feral cat?,” the answer is YES. You are making a difference. And we only see these wonderful results at the population level in a published study because of many, many daily actions at the individual level – through the genuine care and love of many, many parents and grandparents who love their family and showed it through their actions. Keep up the great work!
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Most years your Medicare Insurance (Medicare Advantage Plans or Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans) will auto-renew and look very much the same as the previous year, and for some of you that is true this year.
But, we have run across a lot of Medicare beneficiaries this Annual Enrollment Period, which just ended on December 7th, who have plans that are ending (non-renewing) on December 31st or going up substantially in monthly premium next year (mostly for Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans).
For the Atlanta area, we’ve had more Medicare plan changes announced for this next year than any other year in the past decade. Inflation, and several other factors, are causing many of the insurance companies to “pull back” their benefit levels.
If you are with one of the larger carriers, they have new plans that are sometimes better than your nonrenewing plan, but it doesn’t happen
automatically- a new enrollment must be submitted in this case.
We also see newer companies emerging to offer more competitive plans than the larger carriers, but with lesser brand recognition. It’s a trade-off, but one that many have decided to try out for 2025. Even the smaller carriers have strong doctor and hospital networks, so don’t assume your doctor doesn’t take the lesser-known plan. It takes a little bit of research, but one that could yield a “healthy portion” of dental, vision, and grocery allowance.
Whether it’s a larger insurance company, or smaller one, you wish to have for your coverage in 2025, review your medical and prescription drug copays and your level of other benefits like dental, vision, and other allowances.
If you are not sure what your plan changes will be, or if your plan will continue, please get in touch with us by calling (770) 913-6464 or by sending us a message on our contact page at SeniorSourceMedicare.com.
We wish you the happiest and healthiest new year in 2025!
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Milton quarterback Luke Nickel looks for the open man at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Dec. 17. The U-Miami commit threw for 408 yards, going 21 for 22 with four touchdowns.
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again after that.”
Both quarterbacks protected the ball well with zero interceptions. Milton quarterback Luke Nickel threw for 408 yards and four touchdowns, going 21for-22 against the Panthers. The Eagles’ offensive line was a big part of Nickel’s success with no sacks allowed.
Nickel reflected on his second state title with the Eagles, saying it’s a dream come true to win two state championships.
“We knew we had the better team, just had to go out there and execute,” he said. “We believed in each other, [and] the defense knew we had their back, so they played hard.”
The Eagles’ defense had three sacks, coming from Caleb Bell, AJ Benton and Gage Lawrence. Two came during the second half when Milton locked in on their gameplan.
Senior tight end Ethan Barbour, who transferred from Alpharetta this season, celebrated his first state title before attending the University of Georgia next season.
“Tonight is very, very special,” he said. “We overcame so much adversity, I’m proud that we went out the right way.”
Certainly, it was the right way, any way you look at it. The Eagles secured the first 15-0 record in school history, since the program’s inception in the 1950s.
Eagles head coach Ben Reaves reflected on a hard-fought season and making history.
“These seniors have elevated Milton immensely, they attacked and went 15-0 which is really tough,” he said. “This is their story forever, what they accomplished can never be taken away from them.”
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managing nonprofit of the neighborhood.
The suit alleges the group distributed a notice of the special assessment that “misrepresented” the terms in the association’s documents. It also says they abolished members’ proxy voting, failed to establish a quorum and “unlawfully” handed uncast member votes to board representatives.
The board did not respond to requests for comment from Appen Media. Their position here comes from documents provided to the newspaper by residents.
Scott Crawford, who attended the October meeting where the special assessment had been passed, said the defendants were attempting to combine two different types of voting, and one type, member voting, requires proxies.
“We told them many times that what they were doing was against the bylaws,” Crawford said.
The bylaws, reviewed by Appen Media , outline voting types, however it’s unclear whether a combination is acceptable.
The notice, which had been sent out to homeowners in August, explained the vote was by representative s, rather than individual homeowners, and that proxy voting would not be permitted.
It also said homeowners could attend the in-person meeting to cast ballots as a “courtesy.”
Martin’s Landing is an mix of housing, featuring single-family detached homes, townhomes and apartments. It has a dozen sub-associations, and each is allotted two representatives.
According to the Notice of Approved Assessment, the board said the 2/3 quorum was established with more than 1,400 votes in favor of the project and 455 votes against it.
The issue at hand, for the plaintiffs, is whether those votes are valid.
Of the some 1,400 in favor of the special assessment, more than 1,100 were cast by representatives.
If voting directly by member, the association bylaws say that proposed action requires the approval of 2/3 of all members in good standing, and that day, 435 homeowners voted directly.
“It was kind of like a political move,” Crawford said. “‘We’re voting to approve this special assessment. We’re going to give you a member vote just to say we’ve got your input, but it really doesn’t matter because we’re voting by representatives to pass this anyway.”
Technically, the board could have moved forward without any vote at all, considering the $1.1 million special assessment is less than the combined total of fees due each year.
But, Crawford said that would have been “political suicide.”
“They could have passed this special assessment by themselves in the boardroom, and we would have just had to lump it,” he said. “But, the fact that they did give us a vote, well, that means you got to follow the rules of a vote, right?”
While litigation is pending, the board intends to move forward with the repair and collect the fees as planned, according to an email signed by the board.
“There is no current court order in place prohibiting the Association from collecting the special assessment,”
the board writes. “You will be happy to know that many Owners have already paid the assessment in full, and others are paying in accordance with the approved payment schedule or an acceptable payment plan.”
The board said Martin’s Landing Foundation is under contract to perform the “necessary” repairs as soon as possible and is “working closely” with the City of Roswell on the permitting process.
The city had previously denied the plans, and as of press time, has not responded to an Appen Media request for a status update.
In an email forwarded to Appen Media, city staff said a land disturbance permit would be required before a building permit could be issued, as well as a variance due to its proximity to the river and the need for undisturbed stream buffers.
Crawford, and another Martin’s Landing resident Michael Litten, former Roswell mayoral candidate known for suing former Mayor Jere Wood over term limits, met with Appen Media on site at the pool.
A corner of the deck appears like it’s sinking, and there’s a crack.
But, Crawford said the board intends to move beyond the problem area and dig up half the pool, with engineering plans that consider installing foundation piers and steel reinforcement.
Contractors have told the board that large-scale soil remediation or stabilization would not be required due to the “apparent minimal distress,” according to documents.
Crawford and Litten say there’s a viable alternative solution, like polymer foam.
Litten compared the choice to open heart surgery versus a less expensive, noninvasive procedure that would require just a few days of recovery.
“We believed … that this alternative was worthy of at least exploring because of the cost, because of our passion for our drinking water, the environment down there,” he said.
As of press time, the defendants have not responded to requests for comment.
Jack Tabor, vice president of asset management at
29th Street Capital, the petitioner, told Appen Media the company remains committed to supporting its fellow homeowners in Martin’s Landing Foundation and to “ensuring that every one of the homeowner Members in MLF have a voice — and a vote — as established for them by law under Georgia’s statutes, the MLF Declaration, and the MLF Bylaws.”
The court hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 6.
Getting involved
The issue at stake moves beyond the special assessment.
“The main thing that we’re trying to re-establish here in Martin’s Landing is that board members have taken advantage of the homeowners’ apathy,” Crawford said.
He said that apathy has led to other forms of misconduct, such as improperly announcing annual meetings and voting for subdivision representatives.
“They don’t have proper votes for them,” Crawford said. “So when they end up going to the board, they’re not valid. They haven’t been chosen by their community. Basically, it’s like an inside click.”
Crawford said “bullies” run the show. He and Litten have described various forms of what they allege is retaliation as well as censorship.
Michael Crew , an HOA expert unrelated to the case who oversees more than 240 associations with his firm Homeowner Management Services, said it’s important to get involved. In his 30-year tenure, Crew has seen his fair share of litigation against HOA boards.
“For almost everybody, their house is the most important asset they’ll ever purchase … and the way your neighborhood is run can have a tremendous, tremendous impact,” Crew said.
He cited one incident where a board couldn’t pass a special assessment for repairs to a condominium because there wasn’t a quorum. More than 100 people lost their lives as a result.
Plus, Crew said curb appeal affects home values.
“It’s also important that homeowners pay attention because they might have knowledge or experience which could help their community out,” he said.
There is a house in Alpharetta, or better a chimney where a house used to be, that has been visited by a Secret Santa every Christmas season for the past 30 years. Here is the amazing and heartwarming story.
The chimney is located on what once was a 26-acre parcel on Mid Broadwell Road. It was owned by Clinton Webb, a member of one of the most celebrated families in North Fulton. Probably the first Webb to settle in Georgia was Clinton Toliver Webb, born in North Carolina in 1778. He moved to Georgia, raised a family, died and was buried in the Old Big Creek Cemetery in Alpharetta.
The Webbs intermarried with several leading families including the Mansell and Dorris families. Seven of the acres across the road were handed down to family member Jerry Mansell (1932-2018) in the early 1970s. The City of Alpharetta later purchased the land intending to put a fire station there. Eventually the city built the fire station at another location and sold the land to a developer who built homes on the parcel.
The house burned down in 1941 and I was unable to locate a photo of it. According to Alan Dorris, who grew up in the neighborhood, “it was not a fancy house. It was an old board construction, probably a tenant house from the late 1800s.” He says the charred remains of the house remained for years until the road, then made of dirt, was widened, at which time the remains of the house were removed. The red brick chimney with flagstone around the base ended up closer to the road. Dorris believes the land could have been the Webb family farm.
In 1983 Jon Niemeyer purchased the property. “When I bought the property, it was so overgrown that we didn’t see the chimney until our third visit.” The Niemeyers built a home some 1000 feet behind the chimney.
In 1991 Jon and his wife Eleanor started decorating the chimney with a wreath and stockings. Eleanor realized that since their house was so far from the road no-one would know that they were decorated for Christmas, so the couple put decorations on the chimney. “Two years later Santa found the chimney and stockings and started delivering candy and small stocking stuffers along with a beautiful inspirational card,” says Niemeyer. “The following year we started leaving cookies and a card for Santa,” he says. “Santa brought great joy to our six grandchildren with the miracle chimney,”.
One year Santa left a letter saying that he and Mrs. Clause were going to retire to Florida but that their elves would continue the Christmas tradition.
Five years ago Eric and Ali Abercrombie purchased the property. “After we bought the house, Jon told us about the Christmas tradition. We wrote a note introducing ourselves to Santa and left something there for him. On Christmas morning the stockings were full of little gifts. Our kids love it. Santa always leaves a lovely handwritten letter about the true meaning of Christmas.”
The Abercrombie’s found a well on the property which they filled in for safety reasons. The chimney was starting to lean, so they have stabilized it. They decorate the chimney on December 1 and take the decorations down on New Year’s Day.
The Niemeyers and the Abercrombies agree that the Mystery Santa and his elves meant to bring joy into their lives, and they succeeded. The joy is shared with people passing by in their cars.
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.
I write a very long Christmas letter every year - like typically 3000 words or so. Like for the past 45 years-ish.
Mainly for family friends who at one point were interested in how Appens and Appen kids were doing. - But now most of those family friends - mostly my parent’s friend’shave died so my list is down by half - at least.
Earlier this month I decided not to write one this year - maybe not again. So, maybe this end-of-year column can replace my Christmas letter - but 500 words instead of 3,000.
Lots of words about being thankful - grateful.
I am thankful for friends in their late 80’s - now sola - who are busy redoing their kitchen or signing up for physical therapy because she wants to improve her core. I am thankful both still play a mean game of Rummikub and get angry when they lose. I like their grit; they set good examples for all.
I think I will be thankful for those teachers at Alpharetta Elementary who were there when my now adult kids - Hans, Amelia, and Carl went there - and are now volunteering or substituting back at Alpharetta Elementary after all those years …. So now my grandchildren Phoebe, Leo, and Annie Moon get to know them toosomething about continuity and people who simply care. Thank you and, while AE is on my mind, I miss Principal Jackie Littlefield, still. Why do the good die so young?
I think I want to say thank you for
anyone and everyone who brings light to other people’s lives - in any way. And an extra big hug to folks who have grace - like, any kind of grace. I am a huge fan of grace. I don’t have a bucket list but if I did, one of the top ones on the list would be to find more grace. 2024, hummm. It is a good year for re-programming your brain to find positive thoughts about somethinglike this year - that surely had a deficit of healthy positive activity / events - like working crossword puzzles or Wordle in order to improve your mind / memory. Finding positive stuff about 2024 - quite the brain tease / exercise. Come on Ray, you can do it. Grandchildren - young ones at least - can make any year a good year; they made mine. Most children live in a state of grace - and spread it just by their presence alone. Same deal with petsespecially our dogs.
Taylor Swift - sure, I’ll find grace in Taylor. Not exactly sure why but I think it’s there.
Roger and Rafael - sure, both of them as well. Grace, class, integritylight in the darkness. Bravo for them.
All those neighbors and emergency folks who acted when the chips were down for all those who were in harm’s way from this year’s weather disasters. Hard to not see the grace in their actions - and in their hearts.
The light is there if one is able to tune out the distractions - the noisethe selfishness - the fear.
Family, friends, community. Family, friends, community. Maybe 2024 has taught us where to look - where to live more. Maybe a “bad” year has a silver lining, and we just need to focus and breath, and believe in each other more.
Maybe that’s it. I think I’ll go with that thought. How about you?
PAT FOX Managing Editor pat@appenmedia.com
Early this year, I recounted an experience with my cardiologist in which I was made to wait nearly an hour beyond my appointment time to see the doctor.
It was a 25-mile drive, and I’d arrived 10 minutes early to unravel any snags in paperwork which had already been completed and verified online.
My frustration made the visit almost worthless. There is no medical device that adjusts to accurately record my vitals after I’ve endured a long wait. With limited time on earth, must we spend it reading Field and Stream on office furniture?
Airlines are required by law to report delays, and they are rated each year on their performance. Doctors are not.
There is no authoritative database anywhere that tracks a doctor’s
adherence to seeing patients on time. Healthcare surveys suggest some practices double-book appointments or slice visit times so thin that any in-depth consultation creates a glacial turnover rate in waiting rooms.
And it extends beyond that.
A 2022 study by Merritt Hawkins, a division of staffing firm AMN Healthcare, showed that simply scheduling an appointment with a doctor averages 26 days – up 8 percent from its last survey in 2017. The survey covered 15 major U.S. cities and included physicians in family medicine, dermatology, obstetrics/ gynecology, orthopedic surgery and cardiology.
A more recent study by the Consumer Choice Center reported the average wait for a GP appointment in the United States in 2023 was around 21 days. That’s 2 to 10 times longer than in many European countries.
So, I took my cardiologist’s advice from last year and booked a morning appointment for this year. It didn’t work – 40 minutes in the waiting
room, then, after a tech took my weight, blood pressure and heart rate, another 15 minutes of isolation in the examination room.
At that point, I walked out, went to the checkout and asked to see a different doctor. The receptionist was happy to comply, except I’d have to wait till January for an appointment.
A nurse standing nearby caught my attention. I turned to her and expressed my frustration, drawing on every ounce of civility left in my body.
And, immediately, we connected. It was not love. It was empathy. It was shared frustration. It was…OK, love – “filling the heart so full of radiance that it overflows upon the outward world.”
“For heaven’s sake,” I said, “if I have to spend all this time sitting around, the least you can do is give me an EKG while I’m waiting.”
“Come with me,” she said.
And so, I got an EKG. I never knew a patient could order an EKG. Who knew?
When the doctor finally entered,
he apologized profusely for my wait, looked at the EKG and declared my heart as strong as an ox. He then checked all the major veins and arteries for any blockages. He went over my medications and wrote an order for a heart CT scan.
He really is a nice guy, this cardiologist, and I always regret my impatience.
“Sorry for my attitude, but my wife has a doctor’s appointment in a couple of hours, and I didn’t want to be late for that,” I said. “I don’t want to lose you,”
“I promise you, I get here at 7 every morning,” he said. “And, it just gets away from you.”
This is a conundrum. Doctors are not lazy. They’re just stretched thin. My GP says he stays up until midnight most days filling out paperwork.
The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts the United States could face a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033. About half of those will be for primary care.
Stay healthy, my friends.
According to census records, Z.W. (Zack Willis) and Margaret Jones were living in LaFayette, Georgia, in 1920, along with their daughters Marguerite and Ora Sue. Zack was working as a merchant. He was also LaFayette’s superintendent of schools and Margaret was principal of a girls’ school.
They both taught at the Georgia Baptist Home for children in Hapeville in 1921, before moving to Brookhaven. (Walker Messenger, October 7, 1921)
In 1922, the couple purchased building lots along University Drive in a new development in Brookhaven. The lots were surveyed before World War I, but not offered for sale until after the war ended. The Joneses realized there was not a school close to their new home, but since they both had experience teaching, they taught their daughters at home. (History of Brookhaven School, Margaret Jones)
As other families bought lots and built homes in what was known as Fernwood Heights, they asked the Joneses if they would instruct their children. The Joneses moved from teaching in their own house to teaching in a separate house. Another teacher was hired to help.
A PTA was formed for Brookhaven School, and efforts to build a permanent school facility began. The group was told by DeKalb County School Superintendent E R. Carroll funds were not available to build the school.
The only option was to raise funds through a bond. Z.W. and Margaret organized the citizens to fight for school bonds. While the community waited for the $30,000 bond to pass, the school moved again to a four-room house on Pine Grove Avenue. Parents shared the rental cost of the house.
The permanent school building for Brookhaven opened after Thanksgiving in 1924. It was built on
a less expensive piece of land, near the railroad tracks. The children each brought a chair from home, and Margaret Jones used a crate as her desk. More teachers were added, but Jones was the only trained teacher. Each teacher was paid between $50 and $60 per month.
Z.W. continued to be active in the community and efforts towards the education of Brookhaven children, but he no longer worked as a teacher. He began to work as an office clerk and tax accountant for the government.
When a new school building opened in 1948, a garden was installed, dedicated to Jones. That school was located at 1330 North Druid Hills Road.
When interviewed in 1958, Margaret Jones said, “I was asked to be principal by the county board. We had about 300 pupils who are served by Brookhaven,
Jim Cherry, and Ashford Park. Most of this section then was woods and cow pasture.”
She recalled that school was first through ninth grade, taught by five teachers. (North DeKalb Record, Feb. 20, 1958, “Brookhaven School Founder Proud of 26 Years Growth”)
Margaret Jones was principal of Brookhaven School from the early days when students met at the Jones home through multiple moves, when the school building opened in 1924, and through 1938 when she retired.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
Twice this year, I’ve reviewed books by Jonathan Santlofer. I read a review of his second Luke Perrone suspense novel, “The Lost Van Gogh” and decided to begin with the first in the series, “The Last Mona Lisa.”
Both are intriguing mysteries that mix in art history and the modern world of art. The main character, Luke Perrone, is an art history professor and an artist who sets out to learn more about his French grandfather. The tale is based on the true story of the theft of the Mona Lisa by a Louvre museum guard in 1911, but the grandson and today’s art world are all fiction.
Next, I picked up the Van Gogh mystery, described as “another thrilling
story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery.” It was every bit as good as the first one, and I found myself hoping for a third Luke Perrone outing.
Imagine how surprised I was to get a message from Jonathan Santlofer himself thanking me for my review of his book. It’s not often that a bestselling author takes the time to personally thank a reviewer. He also said he’d look for my books. May I just say, wow? We messaged back and forth a few times, and I found out that he has started a third Luke Perrone book. When I indicated I planned to read some of his earlier books, he suggested “Anatomy of Fear,” and that’s the subject of this week’s review.
“Anatomy of Fear” by Jonathan Santlofer
Written in 2007, this novel has nothing to do with art history or art theft. Instead, the main character is a
talented NYPD sketch artist who’s more comfortable with pencil and paper than he is with people.
When Nate Rodriguez is called in to sketch a killer who leaves behind a drawing of his victim at each crime scene, he also analyzes the killer’s artwork. Combining what he sees in the killer’s sketches with the details from a handful of witnesses, he goes beyond creating an image of the killer. He also develops insight into the killer’s mind, the mind of a fellow artist. What do the brushstrokes tell him? Why does the killer draw his victims?
What sets this book apart is the inclusion of sketches drawn by the author, who is also an artist. We see how Nate’s composite image of the killer evolves. We see the evolution of the killer’s drawings. It’s easy to see why “Anatomy of Fear” won the Nero Award for Best Novel.
I admit I was hesitant to read this book, as I long ago stopped reading novels focused on serial killers. Jeffrey Deaver was one of my favorites, but I gave him up along with all the others whose plots were just too dark for me. What can I say? Tastes change. And change again. Yes, this book is about the hunt for a serial killer, but somehow, there’s more to it. Maybe it’s Nate’s back story and his relationship with his abuela. Whatever it is, I plan to get the second Nate Rodriguez book. Can you tell I’m a fan? Happy reading!
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her Dickens & Christie cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail. com, and follow her on Facebook, www. facebook.com/KathyManosPennAuthor/.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
It was some years ago, give or take a decade or three or four, but I can still remember it as clearly as yesterday morning.
Thanksgiving had come and gone, and Christmas was on the way. It was time to go to the woods to look for a Christmas tree.
So we loaded up the car, the family and me. We made our way out to the country to tour favorite tree farm. We put the baby in the stroller and warm clothes on the little girl. And then, with saw in hand, we set off through the pines.
There were some pretty trees, to be sure. But all fell just a little short of perfection. This one had a nice shape, but it wasn’t quite tall enough. And that tall one there had some skimpy branches right in the middle, right where everybody would see them, and that just would not do. And that one –
“Dad-d-d-d-d-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!”
“What is it?”
“Daddy! I found it! It’s the perfect tree! Come quick and see!”
I followed the sound and found her standing next to what was, by any measure, a truly grand tree for Christmas. It was just the right size, just tall enough to fit there by the fireplace, and it was shaped like something
straight off a Hallmark card.
Yep, she had found it all right. We walked around it, much as you might walk around a new truck in the dealership’s lot, admiring it from all angles just be sure. There was no doubt. This really was the perfect tree.
Then –
“Daddy, what’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“That,” she replied, pointing toward a blob of something lodged between two of the tree’s branches. I looked and saw a mass of twigs and moss and soft grassy stuff. It was a bird’s nest from the look of it, a relic from the previous spring.
“That’s a bird’s nest,” I said. “Want to get a better look?”
“Uh huh.”
I picked her up and held her where she could see. She studied the nest for a moment. I put her down. She turned to me immediately and said, “Daddy, we cannot cut down this tree.”
“We can’t?”
“No, Daddy. We cannot.”
“But I thought this was the prettiest tree in the forest.”
“It is, Daddy. But we can’t cut it down. We will have to find another one.”
“Why?” I asked.
She scrunched up her forehead, looking off earnestly into the sky so her mental processes would not be disturbed the something so mundane as another dumb question from Daddy. I had seen that look before: “I must explain this
to him,” she was thinking, “but I must do so delicately and in terms he will understand.”
She turned her brown eyes back towards mine.
“Daddy,” she said, “we cannot cut down this tree because the birds might come home.”
“The birds?”
“Yes, Daddy. The birds that built the nest. That’s where the mommy bird and the daddy bird and the child birds lived, isn’t it?”
“Yes – ”
“And that’s where the birds grew up, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but –“
“Then this is the birds’ house,” she proclaimed. “And it’s almost Christmas Eve, and this is their Christmas tree, and Santa is going to come here too, and I don’t know what kind of presents child birds get for Christmas, but we just can’t cut down their house!”
She stopped then, kind of suddenlike. She was breathing faster than usual.
“So, we can’t cut down this tree, Daddy,” she continued more slowly, so I would understand. “We will just have to find another one.”
Another one. Well, yeah.
But the birds don’t do things that way, I thought. The birds won’t come back. They’ve gone south or west or wherever it is they go for the holidays, and now that nest up there is just so many sticks and
things.
That’s what I was thinking.
But to my immense credit, it’s not what I said. Instead –
“Why, you’re right!” I declared. “Of course we’ll have to find another tree!”
“I think there’s one over here, Daddy!” she called over her shoulder, dancing down the row of trees and stopping every few seconds to peruse this one or that one. I followed, saw in hand.
After a moment I slowed and let her run ahead. Then I stopped and looked back over my shoulder, reconsidering.
Nest or no, I said to myself, that one back there is a pretty good tree. Maybe if…
“Dad-d-d-d-d-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!”
“What is it?”
“Daddy! Come quick! I found it! It’s another perfect tree!”
I went, and it was, and it held not a single bird’s nest. We cut it down and took it home, where Santa outdid himself a few nights later. I guess he liked our choice.
Among my gifts was a hand-drawn Christmas card, created on a folded piece of tan construction paper. On it was a carefully crafted crayon portrait of a bird in a Santa Claus cap.
I read the inscription. “To Daddy,” it said, and it was surrounded by a cloud of tiny little pink hearts.
The child may not remember, but I do. I guess I always will.
The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 9, 2025 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 27, 2025 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. CU-25-02 Kids Avenue/Stonewood Village
Consideration of a conditional use to allow a children’s event venue business in an existing shopping center. A conditional use is requested to allow ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ for Kids Avenue. The property is located at 670 North Main Street, Suite 115B and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1110 & 1123, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
b. Z-25-01/CU-25-01 The Shipping Post/312 North Main Street
Consideration of a rezoning and conditional use to allow for the re-use of an existing structure for a shipping and printing store on a 0.59-acre property in the Downtown. A rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to DT-LW (Downtown Live-Work) and a conditional use is requested to allow ‘Print Shop’ for The Shipping Post. The property is located at 312 North Main Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1197, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
c. CLUP-24-05/Z-24-17/PH-24-20 Mayfair on Haynes Bridge
Consideration of a comprehensive land use plan amendment, rezoning, change of conditions, and public hearing to allow for a 2 nd phase of a residential development including 10 single-family detached homes on 1.53 acres in the Downtown. A comprehensive land use plan amendment is requested from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential and a rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to DT-R (Downtown Residential). Changes to conditions of zoning is requested for the adjoining 2.83-acre property (Phase 1) approved for a single-family residential subdivision. A public hearing is requested to bring the subject property into the Downtown Overlay. The property is located at 0 Norcross Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 747, 1 st District, 2 nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
d. PH-25-02 Unified Development Code Text Amendments – Third Party Inspections and Plan Review
Consideration of text amendments to Section 4.4 Development Permitting and Construction of Article IV of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to add regulations pertaining to third party inspections and plan review.
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.
CITY OF ROSWELL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLACE: Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Suite 215
DATE & TIME: 10 A.M. Thursday, January 2, 2025
PURPOSE: Package License
APPLICANT: Bhavinkumar Patel
BUSINESS NAME: Spark by Hilton Alpharetta - Roswell
BUSINESS ADDRESS: 3000 Mansell Rd, Alpharetta, GA 30022
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The following items will be considered by the City Council on Monday, January 6, 2025 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. PH-24-17 Unified Development Code (UDC) Text Amendments – Short Term Rentals
Consideration of text amendments to Section 1.4 Definitions of Article I, Table 2.2 List of Permissible and Conditional Uses of Article II, Section 2.7 Miscellaneous Regulations of Article II, and Section 4.5.5 Exceptions of Article IV of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to add regulations pertaining to Short Term Rentals.
b. Code of Ordinances Text Amendments – Short Term Rentals
Consideration of text amendments to the Alpharetta Code of Ordinances to establish a Short-term Rental Ordinance. The proposed Short-term Rental Ordinance will regulate properties otherwise authorized for short-term rental, to include appointment of a registered agent; to impose certain requirements and restrictions regarding the use of properties for short-term rental; to establish an annual licensing system and a fee for same; to provide for enforcement and penalties for violations; to repeal conflicting ordinances; and for other purposes.
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.
The following item will be considered by the City Council on Monday, January 27, 2025 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a.
Consideration of an exception to allow an additional wall sign and increase the size of the wall sign. The property is located at 1565 Mansell Road and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 560, 561, 589 & 590, 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.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS: Roswell, GA & Various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S.: Invol in SDLC, form concept, archt, dsgn, implmntn & tstng. Undrstnd rqmts & write tech archt docs. Pln End to End tech scope of proj & engmnt areas incl plng sprint & Delivrbls. Est effrts, idntfy risks & provide tech suprt. Enforce code rvw & dvlpmnt processes. Master’s in Sci, Tech, or Engg (any)w/6 mnths exp in job off’d or rltd occup is req’d. Mail resume: HR, Workforce Ecosystems, LLC. 900 Old Roswell lakes Pkwy, Ste 100C, Roswell, GA 30076
Nexwave Talent Management Solutions LLC, an Alpharetta, GA-based IT Services, Manage Services and Resource Management Firm has multiple openings for JOB ID 11478: Software Developer. Education and Experience requirements along with remuneration as provided on the website. Travel/relocation may be required. Details at https://nexwaveinc.com. Send resume to: Info@nexwaveinc.com, including the JOB ID. Equal Opportunity Employer.
Sawnee EMC is seeking an Electrical Distribution System Engineer. Requires a bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, civil engineering or similar engineering discipline. Preferred experience in design, modeling and maintenance of distribution power systems. Must have strong computer, mathematical and communication skills.
Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, December 27, 2024. Apply online: www. sawnee.coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.
Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
Diamond Glass Co of Alpharetta is seeking an Admin Assistant. Must have the ability to multitask, excellent written/verbal communication skills, as well computer skills. Knowledge of QuickBooks a plus. Send resumes to nikki@diamondglasscompany.com
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The Client Services Specialist (Part-time) serves as the first point of contact at NFCC, welcoming clients and managing the intake process. This role connects clients with NFCC’s programs and services while maintaining accurate records through data entry and application updates. The Specialist also keeps clients informed about program enhancements and available services.
The Food Pantry Supervisor supports all aspects of the Food Pantry including inventory control, receiving products, client orders, supervising and managing volunteers, entering data and creating reports and supporting client intake. The Supervisor is the primary backup support to the Food Pantry Manager.
The Supervisor must be proficient in Spanish and have the ability to work with a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Good interpersonal communications skills are required and MS Office (Excel) experience is a plus. Must have the ability to work evenings & weekends, lift up to 42lbs, use a pallet jack, push and pull items, and be on your feet for several hours.
The Specialist must be proficient in Spanish and have the ability to work with a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Microsoft office skills are required and Salesforce experience is a plus. Must have the ability to work evenings & weekends.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Your local community newspaper lands in your driveway every week—rain or shine—bringing you the stories, events, and updates that matter most. But did you know that the person delivering it is often a dedicated individual who goes the extra mile (literally) to ensure you stay connected?
Why Tip?
• Show Appreciation: Your delivery person is out there early in the morning or late at night, navigating all kinds of weather, so you can enjoy the news with your morning coffee.
• Support Local Efforts: While the paper might be free, the effort behind it isn’t. Tipping helps reward those who keep this vital community service running smoothly.
• Brighten Their Day: A small tip can make a big difference in someone’s day, showing gratitude for their hard work and dedication.
If you enjoy receiving your free community newspaper, consider giving a small token of appreciation to the person who brings it to your driveway. A little kindness can go a long way!
Thank you for supporting your local delivery heroes!
How to give your delivery person a tip:
Give via the online portal at appenmedia.com/deliverytip or scan this QR Code
If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to Appen Media Group and mail it to Newspaper Delivery Tip C/O Appen Media Group, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009
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.