Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - December 29, 2022

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Alpharetta adopts plan to cultivate agriculture

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — After nearly a year of community meetings and planning, the Alpharetta City Council has approved a comprehensive plan to guide and encourage agricultural development in the city over the next five years.

The plan was unanimously approved at the city council’s Dec. 12 meeting, making Alpharetta the second Metro Atlanta community to adopt an agricultural plan through the Atlanta Regional Commission and Food Well Alliance.

City leaders and hundreds of residents held six meetings between March and April to generate ideas and create the plan, which includes four main priorities, supporting local growers, cultivating a sense of place, sustainable stewardship and city initiatives and partnerships.

“The community worked hard, alongside Food Well Alliance, the ARC and city staff, to get to the point where we have an official plan in place for our agriculture program. We look forward to implementing the Plan and bringing the great ideas the community brought forth to life in our parks, streetscapes, and developments,” Director of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Services Morgan Rodgers said. “We like to have fun in

Clockwise from top left: A pitcher for Alabama Impact faces off with an Atlanta Vipers batter on July 14; Carsell Sapp drives a MARTA bus in Alpharetta; Alpharetta City Councilman Dan Merkel thanks Fulton County officials for their work renovating the Alpharetta Jail on Oct. 26; and the Cody Matlock band performs on the Town Green Stage Oct. 8.

JAKE DRUKMAN/APPEN MEDIA

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

JAKE DRUKMAN/APPEN MEDIA

ALEX POPP/APPEN

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Truck tailgates stolen from Alpharetta hotel

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta Police said that someone stole the tailgates off two parked trucks at an Alpharetta hotel parking lot Dec. 14.

According to police reports, the theft happened between 8 p.m. Dec. 14 and 6 a.m. Dec. 15 at the Extended Stay America hotel on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta. Tailgates were stolen from a 2012 Ford F-150 and a 2017 Dodge Ram 2500.

Reports said the vehicles were parked next to each other on the west side of the building, but no cameras were able to cover the incident.

No suspects were identified at the time of the report.

glary on Chads Ford Way. While the homeowner wasn’t home, two rocks had been thrown through the home’s window and the rear glass door had been forced open.

The officers then found a man, matching the description of the hit-and-run driver, smelling of alcohol. He was taken into custody and moved to a temporary holding cell. In the cell, police reports said the man “offered violence.”

Police then tased the man and put him in handcuffs. He was later taken to Fulton County jail and charged with two counts of hit and run, driving under the influence, simple assault, burglary, felony obstruction and following too closely.

Loganville man jailed for filing false report

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta Police arrested a Loganville man for filing a false police report after he allegedly called 911 and falsely claimed he had been assaulted and shot at by an unknown suspect.

and a nearby vehicle that confirmed the man’s story. Footage showed the two men meeting at the bank and did not show any altercation, the report said.

The caller, who was also located at the scene, was arrested for false report of a crime and was transported to the Alpharetta City Jail.

Police recover vehicle stolen in

Dawson County

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A vehicle found near Ga. 400’s wood line has been identified as stolen and was returned to Dawson County, police reports said.

Alpharetta Police officers located the grey pickup truck at about 7 a.m. Dec. 15, just north of the Ga. 400 Mansell Road onramp. Reports said the vehicle was parked in the woods off the highway and there was no sign of a driver.

McDonough

man

cited for hit and run, burglary

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police arrested a McDonough man on counts of hitand-run, assault and burglary on Dec. 10.

Officers were first dispatched to the area of Dogwood Road and Old Holcomb Bridge Road in response to an accident. A woman reported that a silver Mercedes ran into the back of her vehicle three times and then fled.

The woman said she had followed the car after it hit her, and at a stop sign the driver exited his vehicle and stumbled to hers, asking why she was following him. She reported he said he was “too drunk to drive.”

The man got back in his car and then crashed into a gate at the end of the road. He got out and began walking toward the woman’s car, at which point she drove off in fear. Police attempted to find the man but could not locate him at the time.

Around an hour and a half later, police responded to a report of a residential bur -

Police reports said multiple officers were called to the LGE Credit Union on Old Milton Parkway Dec. 13, after receiving reports that a man had a firearm and had fired 10 shots during an altercation in the bank parking lot.

The caller told 911 he had been attacked by an unknown individual wearing all black as he exited the bank at about noon. Police were told the attacker threatened to shoot the caller and the man fired into the air multiple times during the altercation.

However, when police arrived on scene and located a man matching the caller’s description, they were not able to locate any weapons and were told a vastly different story about what had occurred.

At the scene, the suspect told police that he and the caller had met at the bank to exchange $13,000 for a vehicle sale and had been in contact for several days prior to the sale. The suspect said there had not been a physical altercation and the two men had only met to exchange money.

Police searched the man’s vehicle and belongings and were not able to find a firearm. After the search, they also observed security camera footage from the bank

Officers learned the 2019 Toyota Tacoma truck had been reported stolen by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and it was removed from the scene. The report did not say whether anyone had been identified as a suspect in the theft.

Stolen credit cards used in Alpharetta

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta Police said credit cards stolen from a Milton man were used to steal nearly $1,000 in ATM withdrawals and charge items at an Alpharetta QuikTrip store Dec. 10.

The victim told police that he was drinking at an Atlanta bar close to midnight when he blacked out and woke up at his home in Milton. He said he discovered several of his credit cards and debit card were missing.

Later, the man learned his debit card was used to withdraw $800 from accounts, and his credit cards were used to make nearly $200 in purchases at the QuikTrip store on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.

Reports said video from the store showed a female suspect using the cards at about 3:40 a.m. on Dec. 10.

The report did not say whether any suspect had been identified or arrested.

Roswell Transportation Advisory Commission clashes with mayor

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Tensions between Mayor Kurt Wilson and the Transportation Advisory Commission over issues with the Oxbo Road project and the Gateway project came to a head at the committee’s Dec. 20 meeting.

Before the assembly began the agenda, Jason Hudson, Transportation Advisory Commission chair, announced he had received a call earlier that day from the city’s new transportation director, Jeff Littlefield, who wasn’t present at the meeting, and Dave Cox, the city’s transportation planning manager.

Hudson said in the call he was told the commission could only discuss topics related to the agenda. If someone strayed from the topic, the meeting would be adjourned, and the person would be escorted out.

At that claim, Mayor Wilson took to the microphone to respond.

“It sounds like the receiving of the call sounds singular and hostile,” Wilson said. “I don’t want to weigh too much into it but our listening sounds like it was received as a very personal shot against the Transportation Commission.”

Hudson denied that the conversation

was hostile, and said he only shared the information so the public could have clear expectations about the night.

Before leaving the microphone, Wilson addressed the existing tension between the commission and the City Council. Members of the commission have previously shown frustration with the agenda, specifically with what fails to make the list.

“There is an understanding, a practical understanding that you are doing the business underneath the purview of the Mayor and Council,” Wilson said. “I think there’s a constant tension.”

The City Council appointed seven residents to the Transportation Advisory Commission in May to report directly to the mayor and City Council with recommendations on transportation projects. The commission was created to rectify the controversial issues associated with cost overruns and management of the Oxbo Road realignment project proposed more than a decade ago.

The project’s purpose is to solve safety and mobility problems by eliminating the staggered intersection at Ga. 9 and converting the portion of Oxbo Road near Mimosa Boulevard to a twoway street, among other changes.

The project was supposed to be completed in July 2021 but has been de-

layed to December 2023. It’s also more than doubled in estimated cost since it first began construction, and now has an $18 million price tag.

In September 2021, an independent investigation found there was extreme mismanagement by city staff and the city attorney, which led to significant delays and cash settlements.

City leadership has since changed, and Transportation Commission members have repeatedly stated their support for the mayor and council. At the same time, the members have expressed frustration with the lack of action taken on their repeated recommendations for Oxbo Road and other projects.

“If we’re going to be window dressing, you know, to tell you what to hear as opposed to what are real concerns of the people then I want no part in this,” Transportation Advisory Commissioner Richard Arena said.

In response, Wilson said the commission thinks the council doesn’t understand the seriousness of Gateway or Oxbo Road.

“We in fact, have been working on it, and we say we need some help on some other issues,” Wilson said.

The mayor specified that the commission’s role is to advise on items presented by the City Council, but that does

not mean all their recommendations will necessarily be implemented. Even still, the City Council is writing another letter to Georgia Department of Transportation.

Mayor Wilson sent a letter in July asking the Georgia Department of Transportation to work with the city to address concerns about the Grimes Bridge Road corridor. The new letter, Wilson said, will tackle three pieces the council thinks they may have a shot at.

“You see this is this is a thing that’s missing,” Arena replied. “We need this two-way communication; we need to know when we make a recommendation what happens to it.”

Arena brought up the Historic Gateway Project, a highly controversial $50 million project to widen Atlanta Street and remove the reversible lanes that run along the road, with a middle lane that is reversed each day to carry rush-hour traffic.

The project began in 2011 and is scheduled to begin construction in 2023. Residents have publicly spoken out against the project, fearful that if not redesigned, it’ll face the same issues as the Oxbo Road realignment project. They also worry it will shut down local busi-

Accomplishments abound in Roswell, with more work ahead

Last year I wrote to you as incoming Mayor of Roswell that our priority was to inspire confidence that we, as a city, can work together to accomplish our community’s best interests. I can report to you that because of the outstanding leadership of the City Council and the Roswell city staff, this past year’s accomplishments have been staggering. In fact, I would submit to you that this City Council and city staff have accomplished more in the past 12 months than has been accomplished in the past 12 years.

A year ago, we couldn’t even dream of some of the following items we have brought to fruition. Just one year later, they are a reality and are actively being

A LOOK AHEAD

funded and carried out.

1. River Master Plan 2. Oxbo Action Plan 3. Full-Time Fire Department 4. Roswell Police pay, Best-in-Class 5. Creating four economic pods and master planning with a 20-Year Outlook 6. Zero-based budgeting 7. Review all past city plans from 2010 through 2021

8. Economic strategy aligned across all functions of Roswell government 9. Long-term tax and revenue strategy 10. Expedite amendments to the Comp Plan

11. Remove standalone apartments from UDC 12. Creation of a Transportation Commission 13. Shut down dens of inequity 14. General obligation bond for Recre-

New year, new beginnings

With a new year before us, we are inclined to take pause and reflect on where we have been and what is to come. As a person, we ponder: How can we be kinder, healthier, or happier? As a parent, we reflect on how our children have grown — both physically and mentally — over the year and

consider if we are meeting their needs. As a leader, we ask whether we have served our team to the best of our abilities. Ultimately, the underlying theme throughout is: How can I be better?

As I assume office as Roswell’s newly elected councilmember, the time for contemplation, self-improvement, and goal setting could not be more serendipitous. But in preparation to represent the people of our great city — regardless of geography, income, political affiliation, or the duration of their residency — the bigger question remains: How can Roswell

ation and Parks for $107.6 Million

15. General obligation bond for Police and Fire for $52 Million

16. General obligation bond for Downtown Parking Garage for $20 Million 17. The successful negotiation of LOST with our sister cities, resulting in no loss of revenue to our cities

18. Working with our sister cities in a very positive and unprecedented manner 19. Highly functioning City Council and staff working together in a very positive and unprecedented manner

20. Moving the Christmas Tree Lighting to The Heart of Roswell Park, resulting in nearly 4,000 Roswell residents attending

Your city leadership has taken the responsibility of “getting things done” with urgency and a seriousness that will avail itself for the future of Roswell.

We welcomed a new part of the team, Councilwoman Sarah Beeson, who joined

after a special election in November. We ask for the community to continue to send well wishes and prayers to former Councilman Marcelo Zapata, who resigned earlier this year.

Looking forward to 2023, your leadership team, led by City councilmembers Mike Palermo, Christine Hall, Lee Hills, Peter Vanstrom, Will Morthland, and Sarah Beeson, along with our fantastic City Administrator Randy Knighton, and the incredible Roswell city staff will be releasing the full-fledged plan for 2023 in early January.

One thing I can promise you is this: If you thought 2022 was something – just watch and see what your Roswell City leadership team will deliver with God’s help for us in 2023.

Thank you for entrusting us with the sacred responsibility of representing you. We still have a tremendous amount of work to do!

be better?

I have had the honor of calling Roswell home for most of my life. I went to elementary school here, I played in the parks here, I learned how to drive here, and I had my first job here. It is now an absolute privilege to raise my children in the very same city where I grew up. In some ways it’s the same, but in many ways it’s different. A lot has changed in the 25 years since I first moved to Roswell — and much like me, the city has grown and evolved in many ways. Our city has become more diverse, more vi-

brant, and more cultured because of the contributions of residents like you.

Much like the people in my life have helped shape me in positive ways as I grew, the people of Roswell have helped shape our city into what it is today. Change is inevitable, but how we adapt to change is what defines us as a people. As Roswell continues to evolve, how do we continue to improve? Roswell isn’t just my home, it’s your home as well. Let’s reflect on our resolutions as a community and channel those goals into constant improvement — together.

SARAH BEESON Roswell City Councilmember

KURT WILSON Mayor of Roswell

A decade filled with improvement bodes well for Alpharetta’s future

JIM GILVIN Mayor of Alpharetta

Over the last 10 years, Alpharetta has become a remarkable place. For those of us who lived through Alpharetta’s recent evolution, it can be hard to fully appreciate the uniquely attractive environment we have created until we reflect on the Alpharetta of 2012.

Even then, Alpharetta was a safe community with great schools, wonderful neighborhoods and an extraordinary fiber optic network connecting local data centers to our 20 million square feet of Class A office space. All of those things helped attract more than 600 technology companies and other businesses that brought tens of thousands of employees into our city every day.

In 2012, Alpharetta also had one of Georgia’s most successful retail corridors along North Point Parkway. It included one of the largest indoor malls in the United States, surrounded by scores of large and small retailers in big shopping centers.

Yes, the Alpharetta of 10 years ago was a pretty great place to live, and those of us here were proud to call it home. But many of the places and things we enjoy today did not exist back then, and the people of Alpharetta aspired to be even better.

Back then there was no Avalon. Instead of Avalon at the entrance to downtown Alpharetta, there was nothing but 86 acres of Georgia red clay and a half-built, crumbling parking deck as the sad remains of a development that had fallen victim to the 2008 recession. The Avalon project had just been approved by our City Council in 2012.

And when Avalon was approved, Downtown Alpharetta was nearly a ghost town. Only a handful of businesses survived downtown at the time, and most Alpharetta residents had to drive to Roswell or Buckhead for a nice restaurant and night on the town.

Yes, the Alpharetta of today is a very different place than it was 10 years ago, and it didn’t happen by chance. The remarkable evolution of our city has been the result of a consistent vision, dedicated public and private sector leaders, a lot of hard work by our city’s staff, and the overwhelming support of residents who aspired to live in a better community.

In 2022, it is that vision, leadership, and support that continues to inspire

our City Council and me to provide the clear direction and resources needed for dedicated city employees to create the future we know is possible.

In 2022, that meant investing millions of dollars in park improvements, expanding the Alpha Loop and improving our roads and stormwater system. That vision also drives our plans to create more connections between major office parks and nearby amenities like the Big Creek Geenway, residential developments and restaurants for the workforce of the future. And the amazing support of our residents inspires the work of all city employees, from our Public Safety professionals who save lives and keep our city safe to the employees of our Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Department who create great events and fun experiences for all to enjoy.

The Alpharetta of today is a better city than it was 10 years ago, and the consistent vision, leadership, and support from you that made 2022 a great year will continue to serve us well into the future.

2023 message from Chris Lagerbloom

Chris Lagerbloom City Administrator Alpharetta, Georgia

I am looking forward to celebrating the Holiday Season while preparing for an exciting and productive 2023 in Alpharetta. It was a privilege returning to Alpharetta earlier this year, and I have joined a staff that is driven by a common theme. We recognize just how special Alpharetta is, we recognize it did not happen by chance, and most importantly we recognize the importance of protecting it.

As we move into next year, we will remain deliberate in how we do that. Our city, and the people who live and play in

it, are very driven.

Protecting the safety of our city is job number one. We will not lose focus; we will remain purposeful and very deliberate in our actions regarding public safety. As a city, we value and support our police officers and firefighters, and that will not change.

Through a professional planning staff, we will protect how Alpharetta grows with appropriate land use. We are mindful of what is built and how it looks. Through a dedicated staff in our Department of Public Works, we will protect our public assets and will maintain our infrastructure in a condition which matches the Alpharetta quality of life.

Through our Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services, we will protect your ability to have fun and grow opportunities for you to engage with your community.

Our financial position as a city is strong. I look forward to working with Mayor Gilvin and the City Council in 2023, committing to a road map that will make sure we stand the test of today’s financial environment, that we make wise investment decisions, that we budget appropriately, and that we remember the value in every dollar.

Tremendous opportunity exists in 2023 for the City of Alpharetta. The possibilities are limited only by our creativity and imagination. I look forward every day to seeing the vibrancy in our downtown, and that energy exists in all corners of our city. As we move into a new year, we can’t take our eye off what matters. Collectively, we

Commission:

Continued from Page 3

nesses and turn Roswell into a “commuter cut-through.”

“You haven’t asked for our insight,” Transportation Advisory Commissioner Jason Yowell said.

Another commission member said the mayor heard the recommendations but isn’t taking them to heart.

Wilson disagreed, saying he listens to the recommendations, but the commission is only happy if he follows them verbatim.

“The last couple months with the council, you guys have missed an opportunity to be involved, because you guys quite frankly throw temper tantrums,”

Plan:

Continued from Page 1

Alpharetta, and it’s fun to grow in ways that will benefit the community well into the future.”

The plan includes short, medium and long-term recommendations that are expected to be implemented over the next five years.

Recommendations include items like creating a Home Growers’ Cooperative, expanding farmers market partnerships, creation of community garden space in parks, establishment of a community seed library and tool bank and supporting exist-

must remain laser focused on protecting everything we know to be special about Alpharetta.

In 2023, I pray for the safety of our Department of Public Safety and all of our first responders. May they find calm in chaos and always lend a helping hand.

Our team is prepared and ready to meet next year’s challenges. There are things that will find us that none of us expect. In those moments we will find a way. With the steady and visionary leadership of elected officials, department heads driven to protect this tremendous place, and a staff of genuine public servants ready to deliver, we will go far. If you are in the neighborhood of City Hall, please stop by and say hello.

Let’s enjoy the next couple weeks –2023 is knocking on our door, and as a team, we are ready to open it and get started.

Wilson said. “The council has gotten to a point where you’re too hard to deal with.”

After Wilson asked the commission to submit to the purview of the mayor and council, Arena said the commission was grateful to hear from Wilson about the projects, and that he appreciated the mayor’s presence.

After over an hour of speaking with the mayor, the commission moved on to the agenda topics which included the location of a multi-use trail, and the possibility of moving the trail limit from Grimes Bridge Landing to Oxbo Road.

After short discussion, the commissioners agreed to recommend the city move forward with the multi-use trail extension, with the added recommendation of sidewalk lights and narrowed road lanes.

ing local farms.

With these initiatives, community stakeholders believe they can strengthen the relationships between local food producers, distributors and consumers, and increase access to healthy food in the local community.

“Residents made it clear over the past year that they are passionate about growing, sharing, and supporting local food,” Food Well Alliance Policy and Planning Manager Sarah Brown said. “This plan will integrate those priorities into to Alpharetta’s existing policies, programs and future development.”

Alpharetta has been awarded a $75,000 grant to kickstart the plan, Rodgers said.

Residents approve $180 million in bonds to fund major projects

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga.— The city of Roswell adjusted to new leadership in 2022, with a new mayor and four new City Council members. With major funding boosts and plans for increased multi-use development, the city continues development growth — but not in every area.

New mayor and council

On Jan.11, Kurt Wilson was sworn in as Roswell’s new mayor. Wilson outpaced Lori Henry, the incumbent candidate, in the November 2021 municipal election with 60 percent of the vote.

Roswell also welcomed four new City Council members, Peter Vanstrom, Will Morthland, Lee Hills and Sarah Beeson.

Beeson ran for the Post 1 City Council seat after Councilman Marcelo Zapata resigned in June for medical reasons, leaving the seat vacant. She ran in a Nov. 8 special election for the seat, but with no clear victor the race went to a Dec. 6 runoff. Beeson won the runoff and was sworn in on Dec. 12. She is the first Iranian American on the City Council.

Apartments banned

In May, the City Council unanimously approved a ban on new standalone apartments in Roswell. The vote drew

criticism from some residents who opposed the ban on concerns that it would aggravate the housing shortage and disproportionately impact low-income residents.

The City Council passed the ban without any updates on the racial impact assessment it began updating in 2020 to include an examination process that staves off racial inequalities.

City documents from 2020 showed that zoning and land use regulations have historically been areas where discriminatory practices flourished.

Shortly after the council voted to ban standalone apartments, work on the $101 million luxury apartment and townhome development on Holcomb Bridge Road began.

The council had previously said it planned to focus on growing Roswell with mixed-use development. In 2019, councilmembers approved a request to convert the vacant former SuperTarget to a multi-use development.

The project, known as Averly East Village, began construction in June and is expected to be completed in 2024. Averly East Village will include 335 apartments and 74 townhomes, a large public green space and 75,000 square feet of retail.

Alpha Loop, North Point lead list of big successes in

Alpharetta’s

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

With dozens of new projects approved or started, officials retiring and appointed, as well as the countless other things that happen in a city each year, Alpharetta had a busy 2022.

Here’s a brief recap of some of the biggest Alpharetta stories over the last year.

Alpha Loop advances

Progress on Alpharetta’s multi-use trail, Alpha Loop, is progressing at a breakneck pace, thanks to approvals by city officials and work completed in 2022.

The Alpha Loop trail system, launched in 2016, will connect the city’s most active areas — Downtown Alpharetta, Avalon, Northwinds and North Point. When completed, the trail system will include an approximately 4-mile inner loop and a 7-mile outer loop.

State and local officials broke ground on the newest $15 million phase of the project Oct. 24, which will connect trails at Old Milton Parkway to Northwinds Parkway.

Officials also approved the Alpha Link multi-purpose trail, which will connect the two loop systems off Haynes Bridge Road and Encore Parkway with a 1.2-mile, 12-foot-wide, lighted path. Officials said that eventually the Loop will tap into the Big Creek Greenway’s larger trail system, which extends from Roswell north into Forsyth County.

past year

Due to the city’s aggressive timeline for the project, ribbon cuttings for the newest trail sections are expected for late 2023.

City administrator retires

After serving 23 years of service, Alpharetta City Administrator Bob Regus officially retired in August, leaving behind what officials call an unrivaled legacy of professionalism and stewardship during some of the most important moments in Alpharetta’s history.

Regus’s family, friends and colleagues, past and present, gathered at City Hall Aug. 1 to celebrate his service. The crowd heard from all four mayors Regus served under, along with several friends and past council members.

Officials said Regus was instrumental in creating Westside Parkway, the Big Creek Greenway, revitalization of Alpharetta’s downtown and creation of the Avalon Development.

Under Regus’s leadership, Alpharetta became Georgia’s 15th most populous municipality, with more than 5,800 businesses and 180,000 jobs, and has grown to become one of Georgia’s most prosperous communities.

“This city bears your fingerprints, not just one but all 10,” Former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle said. “And we're grateful to you for that.”

Regus was succeeded as city administrator by Chris Lagerbloom, a longtime

Pontoon pours Sandy Springs relaxed craft brews

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Craft beer can often be seen as pretentious, snooty and unapproachable.

And it’s no wonder why – how is a normal person supposed to know the differences between an IPA, Double IPA and a Hazy IPA, or what the term “barrel aged” could possibly mean in the context of taste and flavor?

But according to Pontoon Brewing CoFounder and CEO Sean O’Keefe, enjoying well-made craft beer should be as a day spent floating on the lake. And with the right help, anyone can find a beer that’s right for them.

At Pontoon Brewing, whether you’re a complete beer novice or a certified brewmaster, O’Keefe said you’ll be able to kick back and enjoy a good beer, in a relaxed environment.

“Craft beer is oftentimes thought of in this pretentious way … So, we wanted to have this laid-back approach, because it allows us to be more approachable,” O’Keefe said.

Pontoon Brewing opened in Sandy Springs in 2017 after years of homebrewing by the business’s four founders, O’Keefe, Marcus Powers, Eric Lemus and Eddie Sarrine, who met at the University of Florida and became friends over a shared love of craft beer.

But O’Keefe said their dream really took off around 2013, when they thought it might be fun to put their recipes to the test by venturing into the world of contract brewing, where a commercial brewery makes batches of beer using the recipes of small brewers.

When their contract brewing venture

turned into a success in 2015, O’Keefe and Powers knew it was time to buckle down and bring their beer to the world. O’Keefe said they took a huge risk, and he personally turned down several job opportunities to focus on the brewery and the dream of making it real.

“When Marcus and I moved to Georgia and decided to take on full time, then we started brewing like every weekend, for

about two years,” he said. “It was a big risk.”

But as risky as it was, Pontoon’s founders came to the Atlanta area at the exact right time when the local beer scene, especially the world of homebrewing, was making big waves, as Georgia prepared to change it’s brewery laws.

O’Keefe said that when they first came to Atlanta, Georgia still had restrictive

laws that didn’t allow breweries to sell beer directly to customers, which he said stifled innovation in the craft beer market.

He said that without the ability to sell beer directly to people, breweries had less of an incentive to try new things and take risks on strange-sounding recipes.

The proof for that, he said, was seen

But the biggest tool is the knowledge that we have.

RICK COURSEY, employee, Trader Golf

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Located off Dunwoody Place in Sandy Springs, Pontoon Brewing has been entertaining the north Fulton County community with laid-back craft brews since 2017.

Brews:

in the months leading up to when Georgia’s brewery laws were changed, when homebrewers and professional breweries went into overdrive and started tinkering with many of the beers that are popular today.

“What you saw was people homebrewing and making a lot of beers that exist now, the big crazy overly hot New England IPAs and the big, overly fruited sours and the barrel aged beer thing,” he said. “You started seeing breweries put out higher class beer, barrel aged beers, you know, bigger IPAs with more hops in it.”

“You’re starting to see that now in the market, because people can put a price tag on it and people will pay.”

Pontoon finally found its permanent home in Sandy Springs in 2018 after a ton of hard work by O’Keefe and his team. And while it wasn’t exactly where they initially expected to be located, he said that locating the brewery in Sandy Springs turned into one of the best decisions they made.

“The plan for Pontoon was never to be where we are right now,” he said. “So, it’s been cool to prove our projections wrong and to have this awesome program that was supported by the City of Sandy Springs.”

As the first brewery in Sandy Springs,

O’Keefe and his team had to help the city rewrite its laws to make sure that they reflected state laws regarding breweries, and after that process, they found they had made a true partner out of city leaders.

“It’s been a symbiotic relationship since then,” he said.

Being the city’s first brewery, Pontoon Brewing was also able to lay groundwork for what “Sandy Springs beer” is, cultivating a personality and following that O’Keefe and his team hope will inspire others. Just like they were inspired by Mon-

day Night Brewing in Atlanta and Creature Comforts Brewing in Athens.

Recently, Pontoon Brewing opened a new location, The Lodge in Tucker, that O’Keefe said was the product of years of blood, sweat and hard work. Right now, customers can visit the location’s new taproom, and in the coming years, the brewery will move all of its production to the larger Tucker location.

But no matter where they’re located, or how busy they get, O’Keefe said Pontoon Brewing will always hold onto its love of

trying new things and the idea there’s a beer out there for everyone.

“My favorite thing is when people come in, like family members or friends and are like, ‘So happy for you, I’m just not a big beer person,’” he said. “Every single time, I’m like, alright bet. Let’s find you a beer that you like.”

To find a Pontoon Brewing beer you might like, visit their Sandy Springs Taproom at 8601 Dunwoody Place or their new location at 4720 Stone Drive in Tucker.

Frank

Tara Tucker

PHOTOS BY ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

As the first brewery in Sandy Springs, the team at Pontoon Brewing had to work closely with city leaders to ensure local brewery rules reflected updated state laws. After going through that process, Pontoon Brewing formed a true partnership with their city, founders said.

Nonprofit director marvels at heightened charity during holidays

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga.—In November, North Fulton Community Charities welcomed Sandra Holiday as the nonprofit’s new executive director, where she dove into the nonprofit’s several seasonal events.

Holiday came from Atlanta Children’s Shelter, where she worked as executive director for 13 years. She’s spent over 25 years in the field of advocacy.

Holiday said she enjoyed the work she did at the urban core of Atlanta but wanted to help people before they struggled with homelessness.

“I wanted to get into prevention, poverty prevention, hunger prevention,” Holiday said.

NFCC serves more than 8,500 individuals each year with emergency financial assistance, food assistance, life skills & workforce readiness classes and holiday programs.

Holiday joined NFCC at the onset of multiple seasonal programs, including Giving Tuesday, a worldwide event that encourages people to donate time and money to charities the day after Thanksgiving.

She also joined weeks before the start of NFCC’s Toyland Shop, where people donate new, unwrapped toys for families to

“shop” for gifts.

Holiday said she was shocked by the turnout for this year’s Toyland, especially given high price tags that are impacting most Americans.

“Whether you’re a single person, a parent, a five-person family, a recent college graduate, everybody is feeling that current climate,” Holiday said. “Food prices go up for everybody. The cost of goods goes up for everybody.

In September, The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that food costs had spiked 11.4 percent in the past year, and people

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nationwide face rising inflation.

“I can tell you I was quite surprised by the level of giving from the community,” Holiday said.

In her few weeks on the job, Holiday said she’s learned that despite rising costs, people are still able to step up for families in need.

NFCC has multiple programs that are “high barrier,” in which people must show proof of financial hardship to participate, like financial assistance classes or longterm programs.

They serve the most people, though, through the food pantry and thrift store across the street from their office. The food pantry is what Holiday calls “low barrier,” where all someone must do is prove they live in the area.

“People are going through hardship, you don’t have to give them more barriers,” Holiday said.

People in need simply visit the food pantry, where they type their grocery lists on a kiosk. The list is sent to the stock room, where volunteers fill a shopping cart with their requests.

On average, the pantry serves 200 people a day.

The stock room is packed with donations from major grocery stores like Publix and Whole Foods and is staffed by many

long-term volunteers. Holiday said the volunteers trained her in how to work the pantry.

The thrift store is connected to the food pantry, and it’s open to the public.

Marten Jallad, NFCC thrift store director, said the charitability from the programs and pantry carry over to the store. The store receives more than 100 donations a day, enough to keep the shelves filled.

“A donation could be a bag of items, or it could be a U-Haul,” Jallad said.

Some donations come from stores. There are bins of new Walmart blankets next to stacks of unworn Target clothing mixed in with personal donations.

“It’s amazing throughout the year how much stuff we get,” Jallad said. “We’re able to present quality items at such an affordable price for people.”

Jallad said Holiday arrived just in time to see the seasonal operation in full swing, and he thinks she appreciates the drive and energy.

“She’s come in with an attitude of let me learn and let me see, while she has plenty of ideas, she’ll be able to share and implement,” Jallad said.

Holiday said her time at NFCC so far

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DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Sandra Holiday stands outside of the North Fulton Community Charities offices on Dec. 19 in the middle of the big season drive to deliver hope to the needy. Holiday joined the organization as executive director in November.

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Stand-Alone Gloss

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-todate 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.

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 perprescription 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.

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

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 brand-name drug cost. This is your annual deductible on prescriptions.

Roswell, Johns Creek take 21st century approach to policing

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. —

Roswell and Johns Creek police officials say they’re taking special steps to get to know the people they protect and serve.

Roswell Chief James Conroy and Johns Creek Chief Mark Mitchell say it’s a core value of their guiding principles, called 21st century policing.

Introduced by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015, 21st century policing consists of six pillars focused on reducing crime and building trust with the public.

The pillars include: building trust and legitimacy; policy and oversight; technology and social media; community policing and crime reduction; training and education; and officer wellness.

Chief Mitchell said he understands the pillars sound like buzzwords, but he wants people to understand how they’re carried through into the police department’s everyday operations. Boiled down, the goal of 21st century policing combines the six pillars into two pieces: reducing crime and building trust with the public.

The work comes internally and externally.

Both cities have focused on taking care of their officers physically and mentally in hopes of retaining employees. The police chiefs say they hope that by creating a positive culture with accountability, the benefits will trickle down into the communities they serve.

On the public side, the police departments each have several initiatives, like citizen’s police academies, coffee with a cop and meetings dedicated to each part of the community.

For the police chiefs, everything must come out of a department-wide commitment to 21st century policing on every level.

A new way to work

In Roswell, Conroy has been on board since the initiatives began. While he was working at the DeKalb County Police Department, his boss started working on a committee to develop a national initiative — 21st century policing. When he joined Roswell in 2019, he brought the initiative with him.

Each of the departments is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Only about 4 percent of police departments nationwide are accredited. It’s a point of pride for the police chiefs.

Mitchell has focused on this goal since he joined the Johns Creek Police Department in 2021, after the city held a

nationwide search for a new police chief.

He brought his commitment to 21st century policing to Johns Creek. Mitchell read the initial 2015 report while he was the police chief in Canton, Ga., and was immediately interested.

“Man, we’re doing some of it, let’s do all of it,” Mitchell said. “Then we realized this stuff works.”

He said he wants to emphasize that 21st century policing isn’t anything to brag about.

“This is how you have to police,” Mitchell said.

That’s the baseline he carried through when he joined Johns Creek. One of his first steps was to change the department’s mission statement to fall in line with the six pillars of policing, with a focus on “partnering with the community to solve problems.”

For Roswell, Chief Conroy focuses on how the police department can fit into the city’s needs.

“We have a small-town feel, but big city problems,” Conroy said.

Conroy said Roswell needs high service, with house checks and smalltown interactions. The department must balance those needs with their “big city” crime problems, he said.

A “trickle down” approach

When Chief Conroy joined the Roswell Police Department, there were 29 officer vacancies. After the protests following George Floyd’s death in 2020, even more officers left.

Conroy had the department participate in the Black Lives Matter protests that summer and doubled down on methods for officer retention and care. He wanted to keep them accountable while encouraging them to stay in the department long term.

The first action was a 20 percent pay increase for police across the board, putting Roswell at the top in the area for police pay. The department also

increased training requirements and started offering advanced specialized trainings.

Mental health was a key focus for officer wellness. Roswell hired a behavioral health specialist to be on call.

Johns Creek established a peer support team, as well as counseling for officers and family members of officers at no cost. Chief Mitchell created a “quiet room” in the department and pushed for improved uniforms and exercise opportunities.

“It’s a holistic approach to physical and mental wellness,” Mitchell said.

Both chiefs said they hope the mental wellness focus will help break down stigmas for officers, especially when dealing with traumatic events. Conroy said officers have always had PTSD, but the prevailing culture to “suck it up” was unhealthy for police and the public.

“If you develop a good running culture, it really helps impact retention and recruitment,” Mitchell said.

The chiefs hope that by breaking down that stigma, the officer health can trickle down into a better relationship with the public.

Mitchell said he wants to attack the “us vs. them” mentality between the police and the pubic, emphasizing that “it’s we” instead.

To do this, Mitchell incorporated opportunities for the public to speak with officers. He’s specifically proud of “coffee with a cop,” the first 21st century policing initiative he launched. He said he’s seen people learn, conflicts get resolved and even helped people with non-police-related issues.

“It’s a chance to talk about it, to ask questions and let them know the ‘why’ of policing,” Mitchell said.

Roswell also employs “coffee with a cop,” and Conroy said the education component of the event is crucial for

residents.

“Learn what your department is doing,” Conroy said. “Find out their policies and procedures and find out if they’re following them.”

Roswell and Johns Creek both offer community policing academies, where residents can learn the details of policing. They also have community ambassadors, who will answer questions from other residents about the police.

Mitchell said when he first started doing community outreach in Johns Creek, he could feel the hesitation.

When he visited a school with primarily Hispanic students, they hid under their desks when he came in. He spent weeks visiting the school and trying to improve that relationship, and eventually the kids grew more comfortable with the cops.

Conroy and his officers go out to diverse communities with popsicles, also hoping to make kids more comfortable with police in uniform.

“We want kids to run towards us, not away from us,” Conroy said.

Looking to the new year

While both departments have been recognized nationally and on a state level, the work is far from over.

“Are we where we need to be? No. Do we need to keep working? Yes,” Mitchell said.

In the new year, both departments plan to continue community outreach. Roswell received multiple microgrants to expand its community policing initiatives and will hold a citizen’s police academy in early 2023.

The department also has a big change in store: Roswell residents approved a $52 million public safety bond in November, and $23 million will go to a new public safety headquarters.

The department has been in the same building on Hill Street since 1991, when they only had 88 officers. That number has almost doubled in the past 30 years to 160 officers.

“We’ve tremendously outgrown the facility,” Conroy said. “This is bringing it all under one roof.”

In Johns Creek, Mitchell is focused on consistent accountability. The city sent out its annual citizen survey, asking residents five questions about their feelings about the Police Department. From there, Mitchell chooses where the department can improve. The city will also host a citizen’s police academy in February, as well as various classes and “coffee with a cop.”

Mitchell reassured that the work to maintain 21st century policing doesn’t stop anytime soon.

“It’s not just a flavor of the month, it’s genuine,” Mitchell said.

FILE PHOTO

Johns Creek Chief Mark Mitchell says he has followed the tenets of 21st century policing since it was introduced in 2015.

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY PERSON

This holiday season, consider giving your newspaper delivery person a tip for their weekly delivery of the free community newspaper to your driveway. These folks work hard to make sure you are informed of all the local happenings, rain or shine, week in and week out. Importantly, at Appen Media, we have always been intentional about our desire to keep delivery of our newspapers free. That said, it would mean the world to us if you would consider tipping your newspaper delivery person so that they will have a little extra money for the holiday season.

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

How you can give your delivery person a tip:

We have created an online portal at www.appenmedia.com/deliverytip.

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

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

The realizations that come with age

The big news from me in 2022 is that I’m getting old. It’s bad enough that journalists fresh out of J-School at UGA have been calling me “Mr. Appen,” but now my oldest child, Phoebe, has started to call me “Hans” when she gets mad at me. If she grows any more like her mother in 2023 I’m in big trouble.

Speaking of, outside of dear June in our Classifieds department, I am now the most tenured employee on my own staff. How did that happen? This year, I hired someone for the first time whose birth year doesn’t begin with a 19. What?!

Recently, my middle child, Leo, got the call instead.

Yep, I’m getting old.

The thing is, I’m more than OK with this stage in life, and I quite like it, actually.

HANS APPEN Publisher hans@appenmedia.com

Said oldest child is also quick to point out the influx of gray hairs on my head and pat my big belly in mock concern.

“Wait, do you have grays in your beard, too?!”

I am officially out of touch and behind the times with the latest advancements in technology, and frankly, I give up. I never jumped on TikTok and I am not going to even try with BeReal. I’m sure the fact that I’m even mentioning these two social platforms is causing some snickers amongst the whipper snappers in my office.

I am middle of the rung now when someone on staff needs help with a computer program, and I am rarely called upon to represent the “younger generation” in a meeting involving diversifying for an evolving media environment and younger readers.

Just tell me what to do and when to do it, folks.

Recently, I joined a group of about 15 of my uncles, male cousins, and husbands of female cousins for 48 hours in Vegas. We caught the IU/Arizona basketball game at the MGM and walked up and down the strip for hours. At about hour 30, I patted a few on the back, told them to have fun, and me and my sore hips made their way back to the hotel for a nap. I slept like a baby.

Lastly, it used to be that elderly neighbors would call me to help them lift something heavy or keep an eye on their house while they were out of town.

While Mom and Dad inch closer to retirement and further away from Appen Media, I still have brother Carl on staff with me to continue the tradition of multiple Appen family members working – and coming to blows – in the company that bears their name. He is the ying to my yang at the office, and we do a good job of covering for each other. He’s got my back and I’ve got his.

At home, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my kids. We are neck deep in baseball, soccer, karate, piano, playdates, fishing – you name it, we’re doing it.

The highlight of my day is making my way to each child’s room for their bedtime story. Phoebe and I are on Book 6 of the Harry Potter series, Leo and I are on Book 3 of the Little House on the Prairie Series, and youngest child, Annie, refuses to read anything other than Peppa Pig.

For me, I love to be outside and have

my hands in the dirt. I recognize and enjoy moments in life I used to ignore, or take for granted. Blooming flowers, the art of and joy of building something with your own hands, the laughter of a child, a good sermon, good people and the gift of another day.

Life is good, and I am good with it.

So, from Alpharetta’s newest old geezer, I hope you have a wonderful New Year filled with good friends, good health and happy memories.

But first, get off my lawn.

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An array of topics: What do you think?

So, this column is sort of like a mini “house-cleaning.”

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

There have been a number of things that have occurred recently that are either solid potential “column topics: or at least semi column-worthy.”

One item has to do with one of my recent columns about social media. Another has to do with a longer article that our reporter Amber wrote about drag theater, and another consists of a few things that happened, or I observed when we were in New York to see a Broadway show this past week (“Music Man”).

Don’t know where I live

Every week we deliver just over 100,000 local newspapers (Heralds and Criers) to homes. These are free, non-subscription-based, so every week we usually receive a few requests to stop delivery – for whatever reason. However, it is not that unusual that when we ask the caller their address and the name of the subdivision in which they live, so we can stop delivery, they give us the address but cannot give us the name of their subdivision because they don’t know it.

They don’t know the name of the subdivision in which they live?

I am not sure what the opposite of “woke” is but is it possibly “comatose” or “oblivious to anything but their own field of vision, sensibilities, and values.” “Myopic,” but with a more negative twist, comes to mind. Yes, they might have just moved in last week, but my guess is that is only the case in a few instances.

Not all social media is bad

A reader took the time to correct me about a recent column in which I focused on all the negative/toxic aspects of social media without acknowledging the positive ones. My bad. He was right to call me on that. While I did consider it when I wrote the column, I think in my mind I was thinking that the positives are obvious – just as are the negative aspects. Again, I should have addressed that aspect.

NYC/Broadway/honking

We walked a lot on Broadway as

well as took Ubers and Lyfts. One thing was constant – thousands of cars and trucks and honking –honking, honking, and more honking. So, at some point one sort of just stops hearing those honks; but, at another point I had an epiphany about them. Those honks in NYC were not personal; they are not road-rage like they very often are in Georgia. It felt like – opinion here – like those NYC honks were saying “move on,” “quit holding everyone up”, “wake up.” That’s in contrast to the toxic, often threatening, name-calling personal outrage that is honking in Georgia and specifically in North Fulton. The volume of honks in NYC surely would have resulted in – how many? – people pulling out their guns and … in Georgia?

Tik Tok and Elon

Another reader pointed out to me that in my column about social media, I should have been defending First Amendment rights of free speech instead of trashing social media. I get his point of view. But I also believe that free speech is not absolute; that you cannot shout “fire” in a crowded theater. I also pointed out to him in my reply that, in my opinion, that an un-regulated, unencumbered Internet – which is the main conduit of “free speech” is incompatible with all forms of government. I have not heard back from him yet, but I am sure he will not agree.

Of note, I noted that Congress just passed a bill banning TikTok from being loaded onto any computer belonging to the U.S. federal government; free speech vs what?

The story about theater and drag actors

So, we have received a lot of “feedback” about a recent story about a drag show in Forsyth County.

One reader who had previously emailed me to complement us on how much progress we had made in our Forsyth coverage expressed his disappointment in our story choice –“you digressed.”

A good friend – who I respect and like – reached out to me about how sad he was that we reported/promoted anything to do with the topic

So here is a poignant local example of choices that must be made and the impact of those choices for a

Thank You!

Our local news is free to read but not to produce. Alpharetta-Roswell Herald relies on advertisers to keep the lights on, pay our reporters and publish your news. That’s why we want to say thank you to all the advertisers, large and small, who have stuck by us through thick and thin. Consider giving them your business, just as they have done with us.

Buy local, eat local, read local.

HOME Real Estate secures major gift to tuition-free school

ATLANTA — HOME Real Estate announced its gift Dec. 12 to The Boyce L. Ansley School, a private school for children experiencing homelessness in downtown Atlanta, alongside that of matching donors Todd and Kim Snell, totaling $60,000.

The matched donation will enable the kindergarten through third grade school to add a fourth grade to their program starting in the fall of 2023. The school currently serves 60 children, and the donation allows it to increase that number to 75.

Roswell:

The Boyce L. Ansley School opened Aug. 1, 2018, on the ground floor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in the heart of Atlanta with a pre-kindergarten class. Within two years, the school had outgrown its generously donated space and moved across the street to a larger, more permanent home on Ralph McGill Boulevard.

The parents and scholars of The Boyce L. Ansley School thrive within a framework of structure and support that

bond will fund recreation and parks, bike and pedestrian improvements and sidewalks. Residents also supported a $52 million public safety bond. Part of the bond will fund new fire stations, and $23 million will go to a new public safety headquarters.

provides two meals daily year-round, uniforms, transportation, trauma therapy, assistance with finding permanent housing, financial training for parents and other services on a case-by-case basis. They have employed one full-time therapist, two interventionists, 15 staff members and 20 regular volunteers.

“HOME is very proud of our involvement with The Boyce L. Ansley School. Their work is having a major effect on

erty taxes by about $342 per year.

these families’ lives and helping to break the cycle of homelessness plaguing our city. Their passionate commitment to these children and their parents makes me want to work harder, so I can give them more money,” said Travis Reed, president of HOME Real Estate.

HOME agents have donated over $1 million to Atlanta charitable institutions since opening in February of 2021.

For more information, visit: homegeorgia.com and theansleyschool.org.

$180 million in bonds

Roswell residents approved three bond referendums in November totaling $180 million. The bonds will fund upgrades to parks, public safety and downtown parking.

The $107.6 million recreation and parks bond garnered major support. The

Alpharetta:

civil servant who previously served as the City of Milton’s first police and fire chief, its city manager and the city manager for Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

North Point upgrades

With all the advancements and upgrades made to Alpharetta in recent years, the North Point Parkway area is overdue for a little bit of love.

And in 2022, city officials took several steps forward on plans to revitalize the area. However, some projects were sent back to the drawing board.

The Alpharetta City Council approved plans for the North Point Streetscape Project in October, setting in motion plans that will redesign the roadway from six to four lanes, promoting pedestrian-friendly amenities and ties to the Big Creek Greenway and Alpha Loop.

Alpharetta is expected to seek bids for the project in fall 2025.

Councilmembers also rejected a $550

Appen:

Continued from Page 16

newspaper or media of any sort – and for the audience served. None of the choices are easy. Where does one draw the line? Ban TikTok? Ban reporters

There was more of a division around the $20 million downtown parking bond, but the measure was still approved at 57 percent. The bond will fund a new parking deck for Historic Downtown Roswell. The location of the parking deck has not been revealed.

In total, the bonds will increase prop-

million proposal by national developer Trademark Properties to redevelop North Point Mall into an 84-acre, mixed-use village. City officials cited concerns about how the project would unfold and questioned whether it would be enough to rescue the aging district.

The redeveloped North Point Mall would have included 315,00 feet of new retail and restaurant space, a hotel, and nearly 1,000 rental and for-sale units. To make those additions work, Trademark would have demolished large sections of the existing mall space to construct an “outdoor walkable village” on half of the property.

But some councilmembers rejected claims North Point Mall is on the precipice of collapse and Trademark’s proposal was the only way to save it.

Trademark’s proposal was rejected in a 2-5 vote, with councilmembers Donald Mitchell and Brian Will voting in favor and all others opposed. Officials said the project can return to the City Council with a new proposal in six months.

City judge faces ethics probe

Alpharetta Municipal Judge Barry Zimmerman announced his retirement June

because they write true stories about you (Elon Musk)? Ban politicians because they shout “fire” in a crowded theater? Who gets to define “fire?”

Is all we (the media) have to do is make sure that what we write is objectively the truth - (yes)? But, what about story selection? If we write about crime, does that mean we are

Grove Way residents relocate Months after Appen Media broke news of an ongoing housing crisis at 199 Grove Way, most residents have found new homes.

In July, the 33 tenants at the public housing development were told they had until August to vacate the property because the city had found the building structurally unsound, with settling and cracks, problems with drainage and deteriorating steel supports.

9, after the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission began investigating whether he had violated the state’s code of judicial conduct.

A report filed with the Supreme Court of Georgia alleges the commission’s investigative panel found “reasonable cause” to believe Zimmerman had been “improperly involved” in several of his cases within the city court, and that he had worked on cases that he should have recused himself from.

An investigative report, compiled by Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Randolph G. Rich later cited six cases from Alpharetta Municipal Court in which Zimmerman is alleged to have represented criminal defendants, using another attorney’s name and signature as a “straw man” defense attorney to file pleas with another Alpharetta judge.

Zimmerman has a long judicial history in Fulton County, having served on the municipal courts of Roswell, Milton and Alpharetta, as well as the Fulton County Magistrate Court. He was appointed chief judge of the Alpharetta Municipal Court in 2014, after

promoting crime? Do all people have a fundamental right to live their lives as they choose so long as they do not harm others – and more. Are some lifestyles more important than others? Is someone “woke” if they think people should be treated the same? Are people “comatose” if they attack others as being woke because they are

The resident had few options, though, due to the housing shortage and landlords’ unwillingness to take Section 8 vouchers. Many had to relocate to other areas of Georgia, or even out of state.

The Roswell Housing Authority announced in July plans to submit a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit application to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to renovate about 150 existing units.

If the project is approved, the residents forced out of the condemned development would have priority and right to return to the new space.

having served as Milton’s chief judge. Alpharetta officials later forwarded Rich’s report to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State Bar Association for further investigation.

Plane crashes on Greenway

Two people were killed Oct. 31 when a Beech BE58 aircraft crashed in a wooded area of the Big Creek Greenway near Rock Mill Park in Alpharetta.

Officials said the crash occurred at about 1:15 p.m., when the plane descended on approach to DekalbPeachtree Airport and went off radar.

“A preliminary review of air traffic control recording shows the pilot made no distress calls,” a report from the National Transportation Safety Board said. “Investigators are also reviewing radar and weather conditions at the time of the accident.”

Wreckage of the plane has been transported to a separate facility for further investigation, but NTSB officials have not released any further details yet. A final report with the probable cause of the crash will not be completed for one to two years, NTSB officials said.

different than they are? And on and on.

Respect, honesty, the truth, and common sense are some of the markers that should lead a media –and individuals – to the best middle ground I think.

Peace on Earth, good will to everyone.

NFCC:

has been a whirlwind, but a good one. She’s watched the holiday events and sat in on English as a Second Language classes, and even attended a class graduation ceremony.

While she’s still learning and observing, Holiday has started working out her goals for the future of the charity. Economic stability and events are key, but Holiday wants to spotlight mental health and dis-

mantling stigmas in the coming year.

“I think, for as many people that have the courage to come to our food pantry and our thrift shop and come here and ask for emergency assistance with rent or mortgage, there’s probably three more people that don’t,” Holiday said. “And that’s really critical.”

Holiday hopes to destigmatize the need for help in North Fulton, especially as rent and food costs continue to rise.

“You don’t know when you’ll be in need,” Holiday said. “It’s important that as a community we remain aware and openminded.”

Holiday said North Fulton has an “out of sight, out of mind” perception that creates a stigma. It’s the responsibility of her organization to educate the community that people in need are their neighbors, not strangers.

As executive director, Holiday said she sees herself as a link between the community and North Fulton Community Charities.

“I really see myself as this conduit of maybe a better understanding of a more open mindset, just a conduit, where all these great things can flow in between,” Holiday said.

NOTICE

CITY OF ROSWELL PUBLIC HEARING PLACE

ROSWELL CITY HALL 38 HILL STREET, SUITE 215

DATE & TIME

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

PURPOSE

APPLICATION FOR: Limited Pouring with Sunday Sales APPLICANT Kavshal Desai

BUSINESS NAME Your Pie Roswell

BUSINESS ADDRESS 625 W Crossing Road Roswell, GA 30075

CITY OF ALPHARETTA PUBLIC NOTICE

PH-22-AB-37

Please note that this meeting will be a virtual meeting, conducted online using Zoom meetings.

PLACE

To Attend the Virtual Meeting: Using Your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone Go to: https://zoom.us Meeting ID: 871 9350 3757 Dial In: +1 646 558 8656 US January 5, 2023 at 2:00 P.M.

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APPLICANT

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Owners La Abuela LLC Registered Agent Catalina Adkinson

DEATH NOTICES

Donald Kjenstad, 75, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 19, 2022.

Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Solomon McDaniel, 87, of Roswell, passed away on December 16, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Florrie Silvers, 78, of Roswell, passed away on December 19, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jeanette Sullivan, 93, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 21, 2022. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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