Dunwoody Crier - February 15, 2024

PAST TENSE Area children pitched in to help local war effort ► PAGE 16

Fe b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 2 4 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | S e r v i n g t h e c o m m u n i t y s i n c e 1 9 7 6

City recognized for managing its urban forest DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody residents are invited to a ceremonial tree planting 10 a.m. Feb. 16 at Windwood Hollow Park to celebrate Georgia Arbor Day. The celebration follows an announcement from the Arbor Day Foundation Feb. 1 recognizing Dunwoody as a Tree City USA for the 12th year in a row.

“Tree City USA communities see the positive effects of an urban forest firsthand,” Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe said. “The trees being planted and cared for by Dunwoody are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life.”

The Tree City USA program is also in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

To show its commitment to effective urban forest management, Dunwoody met the program’s four requirements by maintaining a tree specialist, having a tree care ordinance, dedicating a budget toward community forests and hosting an Arbor Day observance.

Dave Long, a specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission, will join city officials to celebrate the designation with a ceremonial tree planting Feb. 16 in Windwood Hollow Park at Lakeside

See FOREST, Page 11

GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE/PROVIDED

Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan, center, stands with state legislators and Dunwoody officials Jan. 31 at the Georgia State Capitol. Grogan was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly as the state’s 2023-24 Outstanding Police Chief of the Year.

Police Chief Grogan receives state honor

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly honored Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan Jan. 31, two weeks after the city announced his retirement.

Grogan, Dunwoody’s first and only police chief, will step down June 1. He has more than 41 years in law enforcement.

Both houses of the General

Assembly adopted resolutions in January recognizing Grogan as Georgia’s 2023-24 Outstanding Police Chief of the Year Another resolution recognized Jan. 31 as Police Chiefs and Heads of Law Enforcement Agencies Recognition Day at the state capitol.

Grogan was joined by state representatives and senators, Dunwoody Deputy Chief Mike Carlson, Mayor L ynn Deutsch and City Manager Eric Linton.

“The support from the Mayor and City Council has been equally commendable, fostering an environment conducive to the success of our officers and professional staff,” Grogan wrote in his retirement letter to Linton. “While I eagerly anticipate the prospect of retirement and the increased time with my family, bidding farewell to this chapter is undeniably

See GROGAN, Page 12

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SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department has arrested four male suspects who were allegedly involved in carjackings throughout the city.

The first incident involved a reported theft of a vehicle Dec. 20 around 9 p.m. The owner of the vehicle was able to track its location to west Atlanta using an app on his phone.

The Sandy Springs Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, with the assistance of the Atlanta Police Department’s Auto Crime Enforcement and Air units, quickly located the vehicle off Camp Creek Parkway.

Officers said the male suspect abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot off Fulton Street and entered another vehicle driven by a second male suspect.

As the pair fled the parking lot, their vehicle collided with a Sandy

Springs detective’s patrol car.

Officers said the driver was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. The other suspect was later apprehended attempting to carjack a nearby vehicle, officers said.

Sgt. Leon Millholland, public information officer for Sandy Springs Police, said the department conducted a response-to-resistance investigation before publicly releasing information about the incident.

The second incident began with a Jan. 23 report of five suspicious individuals dressed in all black wearing masks at Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

When officers arrived, the two suspects fled in a stolen Hyundai Sonata before crashing at Perimeter Center Parkway and Lake Hearn Drive.

Officers said the two male suspects, ages 14 and 17, were apprehended after fleeing the scene of

the crash.

An investigation found that the two teenagers met at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center on Constitution Road in Atlanta.

On the evening of Jan. 23, the suspects traveled to Sandy Springs on MARTA, broke into several cars and stole two vehicles, officers said.

The other stolen vehicle, a silver Kia Optima, was later used in a Gwinnett County burglary and has not been recovered.

The two suspects apprehended Jan. 23 were also linked to two smash-and-grab burglaries Jan. 22.

“Outstanding work by the men and women of the Sandy Springs Police Department to interrupt the crime spree these youths were engaged in,” a department Facebook post said.

“Criminal activity will not be tolerated and those who commit such acts will be dealt with accordingly.”

POLICE BLOTTER

of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office for a theft by taking.

The passenger, a 20-year-old Sandy Springs man, told police the marijuana in the vehicle belonged to him.

Because less than 1 ounce of marijuana was discovered in the vehicle, the passenger was cited and released from custody.

The driver was transported to DeKalb County Jail.

Kia Optima had an active warrant out of the Cherokee County Sherrif’s Office for a probation violation regarding the possession of amphetamine.

The sheriff’s office later confirmed the warrant with Dunwoody officers.

When the officer approached the vehicle, he confirmed the identity of the registered owner and detained him.

The officer said he found more than 15 grams of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Because the suspect said he had suicidal ideations, a license clinician with the Dekalb County co-responder program responded to the scene.

The man, who complained of arm pain, was cleared by a doctor at Northside Hospital, then transported to DeKalb County Jail.

Police obtained warrants for possession of drug-related objects and methamphetamine.

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

Police arrest Atlanta man on Carroll County warrant

Judged a newspaper of General Excellence 2023

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 23-year-old Atlanta man Jan. 30 after Deputy Chief Mike Carlson called for backup at the QuikTrip on Ashwood Parkway.

When an officer arrived at the gas station, he found Carlson standing with two suspects and holding their identification cards.

The officer ran a check on the suspects and discovered the driver, a 23-year-old Atlanta man, had an active warrant out

Dunwoody man charged with possession of meth DUNWOODY, Ga. — Police arrested a 43-year-old Dunwoody man Jan. 31 after a license plate check at the North Peachtree Road Dunkin’ Donuts revealed an active warrant.

While an officer was conducting license plate checks, he was notified that the registered owner of a black 2012

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 3

MELODY KELLEY/PROVIDED

Sandy Springs City Councilwoman Melody Kelley smiles for a portrait at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College in Dunwoody.

Sandy Springs Councilwoman receives training certificate ATLANTA — Sandy Springs City Councilwoman Melody Kelley received the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute Certificate of Recognition Jan. 28 during the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual Cities United Summit.

The Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute provides a nationally recognized series of training opportunities for city officials through the Georgia Municipal Association and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

Larry Hanson, CEO and executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association, called Kelley’s certification “a remarkable achievement.”

“We commend Dr. Kelley for this accomplishment and for the dedication shown in using this valuable resource to become a more effective city official,” Hanson said.

To receive a Certificate of Recognition, city officials must complete a minimum of 42 credits,

including at least 18 hours from a list of required classes. The program consists of more than 70 courses.

“I’m convinced that the Municipal Training Institute is one of the most valuable resources our state offers to support locally elected officials,” Kelley said. “I have completed 51 hours of in-person municipal training, and I look forward to sustaining this level of engagement as a service to my constituency.”

Kelley, who holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Alabama, is an associate professor of chemistry at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College in Dunwoody.

Before being elected to the District 2 seat in 2021, Kelley graduated from the Sandy Springs Police Department’s Citizen Academy and the Leadership Sandy Springs program.

She has also served on the Parent Teacher Organization boards for Sandy Springs Charter Middle School and North Springs High School.

Powered By: Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson www.CommissionerLorraineCochranJohnson.com

DEKALB COUNTY WEEKLY NEWS Keeping You In The Know

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4 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

City Springs unveils exhibit that chronicles social diversity

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SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — To celebrate the beginning of Black History Month, painter Dakoro Edwards hosted a live art performance Feb. 1 for his exhibit, “CONNECT: Youth, Community, Diversity,” in the Gallery at City Springs.

During the two-hour event, Edwards answered questions and discussed his love of the community.

The success of Dakoro Art Gallery at City Walk Sandy Springs, the city’s first Blackowned exhibition room, weathered the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Edwards is also the first Black artist to have a solo exhibit at the Gallery at City Springs.

Art Sandy Springs and The Empowerment Workshop partnered for the special exhibit, which pays homage to Sandy Springs businesses, organizations and schools that have impacted the community.

While Black History Month officially ends March 1, the exhibit runs through March 31.

All artwork on exhibit is for sale.

Edwards, a native of Syracuse, New York, said he discovered his passion for drawing after his parents introduced him to the medium as a 4-year-old.

“I’m known for creating thoughtprovoking visuals that inspire and promote diversity in perception,” Edwards told Art

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ART SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

The image shows an abstract expressionist painting from Dakoro Edwards, whose solo exhibit, “CONNECT: Youth, Community, Diversity,” is on display in the Gallery at City Springs. Edwards became the first Black artist to have a solo exhibit in City Springs.

Sandy Springs before the exhibit.

Edwards refined his artistic skills with his middle and high school art instructors, allowing him to explore non-traditional art techniques.

Today, he is described as an abstract expressionist painter, a style popularized by Jackson Pollack, William de Kooning and Norman Lewis in the 1940s and 1950s.

“This exhibit is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the rich history and diversity of Sandy Springs,” Mayor Rusty Paul said.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | FebruaryPuzzleJunction.com 15, 2024 | 5

Dunwoody Crier 2/15/24 Crossword Across

Georgia Politics Podcast Season 5 – Episode 145 & 147

Julian Bond – Father, Leader and Renaissance Man, Parts 1 & 2 This week on The Georgia Politics Podcast, Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond joins Craig to talk about the legacy of his late father, civil rights leader Julian Bond.

Julian Bond was a prominent American civil rights activist, scholar, and politician. Bond became a key figure in the struggle for civil rights during the 1960s. He co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and played a crucial role in organizing protests against segregation and discrimination.

Bond’s commitment to justice extended beyond activism; he served in the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate for over two decades, making history as the first African American to be nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party in 1968.

As a professor, Bond taught at various institutions, including the University of Virginia and Harvard University. Throughout his life, Julian Bond remained a tireless advocate for equality, leaving an indelible mark on the civil rights movement and American history. His legacy continues to inspire future generations in the ongoing pursuit of social justice.

Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod or email gapoliticspod@appenmedia.com

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6 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

New Mimosa Hall driveway could threaten stately trees

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Gus Hadorn, board member of Friends of Mimosa Hall and Gardens, pointed out several large specimen trees along the historic property’s driveway, trees threatened by an oncoming city project.

Their root systems lay in the path of a new, wider driveway at Mimosa Hall, intended to accommodate firetrucks.

Hadorn said the Friends group hired an independent arborist who said if the root system of any tree is damaged by at least 30 percent, it will be lost.

Friends of Mimosa Hall and Gardens was formed in 2017, the same year the city purchased the 9-acre property, with the mission to champion the sustainable preservation of the grounds.

“Those firetrucks are pretty big, and I think the width and the weight of the vehicle is their issue,” Hadorn said. “We understand that. We’re just wanting it to be done in a way that’s as least AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA destructive as possible. I mean, some The root systems of several large specimen trees, lining the driveway at Mimosa Hall, may likely be impacted due to an things are going to be lost for sure.” oncoming city project to install a new driveway. The project is intended to allow fire trucks onto the property, widening the Some say that one tree embellishing driveway from 8 to 16 feet with concrete. the drive is likely the biggest of its kind in the country.

The historic Mimosa Hall and Gardens close March 1.

Hadorn has other concerns for the A 49-foot saucer magnolia, known for boasts over 200 trees, both native and The project includes realigning the property, part of the “bigger picture.” its fragrant pink and white flowers that exotic. Around 20 were valued at more driveway, widening it from 8 to 16 feet, According to the city’s 2018 tree survey, blossom in the early spring, sits close to than $25,000 in the city’s 2018 tree and resurfacing with permeable pavers, some of the trees need structural Mimosa Hall, leaning over and twisted, survey. Another remarkable tree, and the sidewalk additions, concrete and brick assistance, lightning protection and reaching toward the sky. Its figure the fifth most expensive, is the property’s lone stair installation. pruning. result of a lightning strike. dawn redwood, also situated close to the But, Hadorn suggested the city use “The city has been guilty in the past 12-28-2016_HindsonMelton_01-19-11_HindsonMelton.qxp -2016_HindsonMelton_01-19-11_HindsonMelton.qxp 12/15/16 11:22 PageAM 1 Page 1 It has been named a “Georgia gravel12/15/16 drive. AM11:22 Geoweb material, made from high-density of having consultants create reports, and Champion Tree” by the Georgia Forestry Steven Malone, Roswell’s director of polyethylene. It’s more expensive, he then shelving them and not using them,” Commission, meeting several criteria, Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural said, but the fiber would have less impact Hadorn said. including having a stem or trunk at least Affairs, said once a contractor is selected, and have the same strength. Rather There are also a lot of invasive plants 9.5 inches in circumference. Qualifying the project will begin as soon as the than digging down and preparing a base, in the area, like English ivy, privet and trees must also be native or naturalized in contract is signed, and the vendor can Hadorn said the material would be raised. bamboo, that need to be removed to allow the continental United States. mobilize. The city’s invitation to bid will City plans also call for a tree root natives to grow.

12-28-2016_HindsonMelton_01-19-11_HindsonMelton.qxp 12/15/16 11:22 AM Page 1 barrier, used to redirect and guide tree “If this area was cleared … We’ve got roots down and away from hardscape a lot of really, really magnificent trees in ourand clients and community with integrity, honesty, integrity, and courage.” ving “Serving our clients community with honesty, and courage.” surfaces. Malone said the city plans to here that right now nobody has access to,” hire a third-party arborist to provide Hadorn said, while walking on the newly specific protection plans for trees that may acquired Holly Hill property, adjacent to Mimosa Hall.

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 7

Sandy Springs mayor addresses mistake, council discusses projects

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Before calling the Feb. 6 City Council meeting to order, Mayor Rusty Paul apologized for cutting off a woman from speaking Feb. 1 during the kick-off for Black History Month.

The city, in partnership with Art Sandy Springs and The Empowerment Workshop, hosted a two-hour reception at City Hall for Dakoro Edwards and his exhibit, “CONNECT: Youth, Community, Diversity.” Edwards is the first Black artist to have a solo exhibit in the Gallery at City Springs.

The woman the mayor prevented from speaking was Le’Dor Milteer, founder of The Empowerment Workshop.

“My mom and dad always told me when you make a mistake in private, you deal with it in private,” Paul said. “When you make a mistake in public, you deal with it publicly.”

The reception included a live art performance and Q&A by Edwards, a performance from the Namari Dance Studios and live music.

On the opening night of Edward’s exhibit, Paul said he was provided with talking points and a run of show from city staff. His mistake occurred when he prevented a woman from speaking about the success of the Namari Dance Center.

“By not following the instructions of staff and the information that I received, I messed up,” Paul said. “I apologize to all the participants, particularly the young lady I interrupted.”

Milteer attended the Feb. 6 City Council meeting and spoke during public comment.

In addition to her work with The Empowerment Workshop, Milteer is a former candidate for the District 4 seat on the City Council and a community organizer.

“I think I might be the young lady that you are referring to,” Milteer said.

“But I don’t know, my name was not called.”

An opportunity to finish Because she was unable to speak at the reception, Milteer used her time during public comment to finish her presentation about the Namari Dance Company.

The company moved from Johns Creek to Sandy Springs in summer 2019.

Antwan Sessions, a North Springs High School graduate, is the owner and artistic director for Namari Dance Studios.

Along with co-director Shervoski Moreland, Sessions has formed a premier-level team, which won Showstoppers Nationals in Orlando last summer.

PHOTOS BY HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Pictured left, Le’Dor Milteer, a Sandy Springs community organizer and business woman, speaks to Mayor Rusty Paul Feb. 6 about the kick-off for Black History Month. During public comment, Milteer discussed the success of Namari Dance Center and questioned the mayor’s actions during the reception at City Hall.

Milteer explained how excited the students were to perform at the Black History Month kick-off, particularly in front of the mayor and other elected officials.

She also explained her role in the event, which included funding live music and organizing the event with sponsors.

“And while I was cut off, I had a lot of guests come up to me saying, ‘Is everything okay? What was that?’”

Milteer said. “I think that is the question, why?”

When friends reached out to the city about the incident the next day, they were told only the mayor and the artist were authorized to speak at the event, Milteer said.

“We’re not talking about that amazing event,” Milteer said. “We are talking about how you hurt people with your actions.”

Following Milteer’s remarks, Mayor Paul apologized again for interrupting her and upsetting those at the reception.

“If I mess up, I’m going to confess,” Paul said. “I acknowledge that I did not live up to my standards, so for that thank you.”

Council advances projects After formally adopting the 2024 Sandy Springs priorities at the Feb. 6 meeting, the City Council voted to move forward with several projects.

A $487,246 contract with Holt Consulting Construction was approved unanimously for design of the Glenridge Drive multi-use path.

The project, between Hammond Drive and Wellington Place, will construct

Transportation and Traffic Manager Kristen Wescott provides a background Feb. 6 on the North Springs MARTA Station transit-oriented development plan and Peachtree Dunwoody corridor study. The Atlanta Regional Commission awarded the city a $200,000 grant for design of both transportation projects. a 12-foot-wide multi-use path on the east side of Glenridge Drive with ADA compliant ramps and standard streetscape elements. The Fulton County division of the Perimeter Community Improvement District will pay 50 percent of project costs.

“There’s probably about a year of design,” Public Works Director Marty Martin said. “There’s significant rightof-way acquisition that will have to take place to achieve the side path.”

Through the Livable Centers Initiative, the Atlanta Regional Commission awarded a $200,000 grant to develop the North Springs MARTA Station transit-oriented development plan and a Peachtree Dunwoody corridor

study.

The city is required to contribute $50,000 to the study, which is estimated to take nine months.

The City Council approved a contract with Nelson and Nygaard Consulting Associates for the development plan and corridor study.

“Ultimately, this helps us with the plan to continue to this PATH 400 through Perimeter and beyond,” Martin said.

In other business Feb. 6, the City Council approved a contract for renovation around the basketball court at Hammond Park and purchased a transport-capable medical response unit for the Fire Department.

8 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 9

Poets frame ‘afrofuture’ at Roswell Roots’ Lyrics and Lyre

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Complimented by the sounds of cello, bass and violin, Atlantabased poet Ashlee Haze opened Lyrics and Lyre Feb. 2 with a spoken word performance describing an “afrofuture” of liberation and Black love.

For Haze, an afrofuture is where Black girls get to be themselves, where “abundance is the norm” and the “playing field is fair.” It also carries artists like rapper Missy Elliot, whom Haze aspired to be growing up.

At the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, more than 200 guests watched Haze and other featured poets, Ninel Nekay and Jon Goode, build around “Art of the Afrofuture,” this year’s theme for Lyrics and Lyre. The returning Roswell Roots Festival event had accompaniments from cellist Okorie “OK Cello” Johnson, bassist Téja Veal and violinist Carey Durham.

“It is my theory, my belief that as poets, we are servants of people from our communities,” Haze said. “It’s my job to reflect their experiences and emotions as much as my own, but our shared experiences and emotions.”

Haze’s writing process varies, whether it be the result of something that had happened, like a breakup, or a stream of consciousness, or what she calls a “gumbo” poem, created from singular lines stored on her Google Drive.

Many times, Haze said she tries to channel a specific set of emotions or theme. At Lyrics and Lyre, she asked people to imagine a future, who and what will be there.

“I hope in our future, our collective future, we wish, and we dream and think beyond what we see in the present,” Haze said, as she introduced her poem that takes after a ghazal, an Arabic sonnet.

She said the work was “very simply about giving yourself permission to want what you want.”

Haze said she first writes for Black women, Black millennial femmes, placed in the American South, expanding her audience to all African Americans, all people of color and other marginalized groups, including queer folks. Using bell hooks’ definition, she said “queer” is resistance to everything around her.

But, her work becomes universal.

“I do think that all of us, at some point, have at least some shared experience,” Haze said.

As someone living in an intersection, Haze said it’s important for her to write with complexity.

“I don’t wake up only woman. I don’t wake up only African American, only plus size, only raised in the American South,” Haze said. “I wake up with all

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Poet Ashlee Haze opens Lyrics and Lyre Feb. 2 with spoken word performance, accompanied by cellist Okorie “OK Cello” Johnson, bassist Téja Veal and violinist Carey Durham. Held at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Lyrics and Lyre was centered around the theme “Art of the Afrofuture.” of those things happening at once, and so many people wake up with all these identities happening at once and what they mean, which each one carries and which ones protect you and which don’t.”

And, poets who are effective at reflecting her shared experience inspire Haze, like Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovani as well as Patricia Smith, from Haze’s hometown of Chicago, and Jericho Brown, a local Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.

Haze also carries around Maggie Nelson’s book of prose poetry titled “Bluets,” a meditation on the color blue, because of its technique — a combination of philosophy, color theory and a “masterful” use of language.

Haze is slated to lead a poetry performance and slam workshop Feb. 24, ahead of the public slam competition co-hosted by herself and poet Adán Bean. Roswell Cultural Arts Supervisor Corinne Sutherlin said the city has worked with Haze for three years now to bring performance spotlights to the festival, producing and selecting the artists to showcase through Haze Inc.

“Listen more than you speak, read more than you write,” Haze suggests to developing poets. “I came to the art — I had so much to say, I was so young.

When I started writing, I wanted to say everything. I wanted to write everything.

But, really … part of my job description is to fill in the void or fill in the gaps.”

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10 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artists offer perspectives on Blackness in new exhibit

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The still life images that fiber artist Aisha Lumumba was assigned as a young art student weren’t relatable.

“For me as an African American person, that was not what I saw in my house,” Lumumba said.

Growing up in McDonough, Georgia, Lumumba said if she wanted fruit, she’d pick it off the tree and eat it right there.

She said her “answer” to a still life was her grandmother sitting on her front porch.

“Those kinds of things are gonna have to be validated,” she said. “I want to be one of those artists who help validate us.”

Lumumba is one of 17 artists in “No More Hidden Figures,” the Johns Creek Art Center’s 10th annual recognition of Black History Month. Winning honorable mention, her quilt titled “Just Between Us” shows two girls running through a field catching butterflies, wearing their Sunday best.

Coming to terms When she began quilting full time more than 20 years ago, Lumumba started to incorporate scenes from her own life, though she had subconsciously tried to

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Althea Foster, program director and curator for the Johns Creek Arts Center, describes a mixed media piece titled “Leap” by Karen Phillips, one of 17 artists featured in “No More Hidden Figures,” the center’s 10th annual recognition of Black History Month. bury those images.

“In your mind, when you turn on TV, when you do something else, it’s the city, it’s the bright lights, and that’s what you’re striving for, not this red dirt road that I was running up,” Lumumba said. “I had to come to terms with that and know that that was okay.”

Lumumba’s quilts are intricate, taking anywhere from six months to two years to make. The quilt itself is sewn with a machine, but embellishments are handstitched. On one quilt depicting Aretha Franklin, seen on her website obaquilts. com, she said the sequins alone took eight months to sew.

She thought she’d never use the techniques her aunt taught her growing up, but she uses them all. Lumumba started with traditional patchwork quilts as a young woman, revisiting the craft when she had her third child, looking to fill the two-hour wait time of her maternity appointments.

Over the years, Lumumba has sewn at least 200 quilts, once filling one room but eventually taking over her whole basement.

“I just found that love spot, and it just takes over,” Lumumba said. “I’m always thinking about a quilt. I’m always looking, and saying, ‘Oh, that’s how the shadow hits that.’”

Black art Althea Foster, program director and curator at the Johns Creek Arts Center, created the exhibit out of a desire to feature a diverse group of artists “whose work spoke to the essence, spirit and soul of Blackness but approached the topic from different perspectives determined by their individual experiences and personal aesthetics.”

Diyah Najah’s “Divided Woman Series” is featured in the Johns Creek Art Center’s “No More Hidden Figures” exhibit. The series shows linocut images of women, whose bodies are halved, depicting the ways women must contort and overextend themselves throughout life.

In a tour of the exhibit, Foster emphasized that Black art is not all the same. There’s different mediums, styles and subject matter throughout, from classical painting to abstract sculpture.

“Not everyone is doing a jazz musician,” Foster said. “Not everyone has a lady with a big church hat.”

She also intentionally featured artists of all backgrounds, including White photographer Marla Puzis who works internationally.

“I think that people can appreciate a culture without necessarily being part of the culture,” Foster said.

‘Divided Woman’ For a different perspective, the exhibit also features Diyah Najah’s “Divided Woman Series,” linocut images of women, whose bodies are halved.

“What you’ll notice in that series is that the women are separated because we have to use so many different pieces of ourselves and so many different areas of life,” Najah said. “It’s just kind of like walking through the world not fully whole because of the way we have to contort sometimes and overextend or manage so many sectors that we kind of lose a centering.”

As a woman standing 6-foot-2, Najah often creates images of larger women.

“In my work, I’m trying to fight against all the names I’ve been called when I was young,” Najah said. “I’m making a larger testament to people finding beauty and determining beauty in themselves, despite any stories you’ve been told that were meant to diminish you.”

Her work generally centers around invisible disabilities, mental health and wellness of people of color. As someone with ADHD, Najah said she is an advocate

Fiber artist Aisha Lumumba’s quilt titled “Just Between Us” shows two girls running through a field catching butterflies, wearing their Sunday best.

The quilt earned Lumumba honorable mention. of neurodiversity and often incorporates images of hands, which speak to how she interprets communication.

“I don’t often always understand what people say, you know, social constructs … I’m really direct,” Najah said. “I’d rather look at what people do than what they say.”

Her diagnosis is why she became immersed in the printmaking process — it’s kinesthetic, process- and routineoriented. She picked it up in 2018, a “calling.”

“It gives me structure,” Najah said.

“It’s also, a lot of times, monochromatic, so there’s not a lot of distraction in printmaking.”

But, she also works in mixed-media, to engage her more natural state that sifts through the many open tabs in her mind.

“I have two sides, or three or four,” Najah said.

COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 11

CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED

Volunteers plant native trees at Brook Run Park Jan. 15 during Dunwoody’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The Arbor Day Foundation recognized the city as a Tree City USA for the 12th year in a row.

Forest: Continued from Page 1 Drive and Peeler Road.

Because wintertime is ideal for tree planting in Georgia, the third Friday in February is recognized as Arbor Day throughout the state.

“We remain committed to protecting our tree canopy and finding new ways to enhance it,” City Arborist Amy Bledsoe said. “Trees benefit our community by

improving air quality, increasing property values, reducing stress levels and providing wildlife with important habitats.” Since 2013, Dunwoody has worked with Trees Atlanta and community volunteers to plant more than 2,000 trees, including 125 at Brook Run Park in January.

The city is also participating in Trees Atlanta’s Front Yard Tree Planting Program for the second year. The program gives residents an opportunity to have a shade tree planted in their front yard at no cost.

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Join Us For

Meals with Meaning March 21, 2024, 6 – 9 pm The Roswell Mill: Ivy Hall 85 Mill Street | Suite B-103 | Roswell, GA 30009

We are excited to announce Meals with Meaning 2024. This beautiful evening unites members of the community, local businesses, and organizations together through their interest in transforming the lives of homeless families.

About Family Promise: Our organization is built on the belief that every child deserves a stable home, and we are committed to providing the resources and assistance necessary to make this vision a reality.

Meals with Meaning 2024: This year, the event promises to be even more impactful as we celebrate in a new location, while continuing to offer a beautiful outdoor cocktail reception, seated dinner, and special speaker presentation.

Why Attend: By attending Meals with Meaning 2024, you will be aligning with a cause that resonates with our local community. Your support will contribute to the success of our programs, ensuring that we can continue providing essential services to the families in greatest need.

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12 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Grogan: Continued from Page 1 bittersweet.”

Grogan started his career in law enforcement in 1981 with the Marietta Police Department where he rose to the rank of deputy police chief.

“I’m grateful for the high standards he set and the leadership and commitment he showed every day,” Linton said. “I will miss Chief Grogan professionally and personally, but I’m confident that he has set the department on a course for continued excellence.”

State Sen. Sally Harrell, representing Dunwoody in District 40, spoke about the resolution.

“I have never heard a bad word about Chief Grogan because he has served with care, courage and selfless dedication,” Harrell said.

Career in law enforcement The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police presented Grogan with the Louis M. Dekmar Chief of the Year Award in July.

Grogan served as the 52nd president of the association in 2016-

NEWS

17.

In 2023, he served as co-chair of the Legislative Committee and as a member of the Alarm Management and State Certification Committees.

Grogan has been credited with teaching the Chief Executive Training Course for newly appointed police chiefs and command staff.

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and Dunwoody have recognized Grogan for community programs including Coffee with a Cop, Polar Plunge, National Night Out and Read Across America.

“Throughout his career, Chief Grogan has been an inspiration to law enforcement officers across the United States,” a GACP spokesman wrote.

Grogan has published numerous law enforcement articles and two books on law enforcement’s use of social media.

His website, “Top Cop Leadership,” provides informational resources and consulting for those preparing for and serving as a police chief.

Some local backlash When the city announced his retirement on LinkedIn, 37 of the 39 comments were congratulatory. Most came from law enforcement officials

I have never heard a bad word about Chief Grogan because he has served with care, courage and selfless dedication.”

SALLY HARRELL State Senator, Dunwoody District 40 from around the state.

Former Officer Austin Handle commented on the post, alluding to more than 30 articles “documenting police misconduct, sexual harassment, corruption and whistleblower retaliation” at the Dunwoody Police Department.

A 2020 internal investigation revealed misconduct and sexual harassment within the department.

A petition on change.org has garnered more than 640 signatures opposing the legislative resolution honoring Grogan “as Georgia's 2023-

2024 Outstanding Police Chief of the Year.”

The petition also alludes to the more than 30 articles about Grogan’s department. It calls for reconsideration of the honor given to Grogan and is the latest in a yearslong campaign against the Dunwoody Police Department by former officers and some residents.

Grogan’s retirement letter to City Manager Linton provides personal reasons for his retirement, leaving conspiracy theories in the community little ground to work with.

Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher said there is no basis for questioning Grogan’s retirement.

She pointed to the Oct. 30 Dunwoody Police Department Operations and Management Assessment from the consulting firm BerryDunn.

“This assessment is an encouraging endorsement of current leadership, practices, and policies, but it also provides a road map for improvement,” City Manager Linton said. “I was particularly pleased that BerryDunn described Dunwoody Police as one of the most well-run organizations its team has studied, giving significant credit to Chief Grogan as the primary architect.”

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 13

2023 2024

Best Of Perimeter Dunwoody • Sandy Springs Brookhaven Dunwoody • Sandy Springs Brookhaven Presented By

Presented By

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14 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Calendar

FEB. 15 — FEB. 25

BLACK IN THE BOX

What: Through movement, music, and mask work, actor/creator Marlon Burnley and composer/cellist Okorie Johnson take audiences on an abstract and panoramic journey through years of Black oppression, seen through the eyes of those who lived it.

When: Friday & Saturday, Feb. 16-17, 7:30-9 p.m.

Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell Cost: $18-20 More info: roswell365.com

LOVE SONG THROUGH THE DECADES

What: Singer and actress Hannah Craton is coming back to Stage Door with a whole new set list of love ballads and romantic hits from the 1930s to today.

When: Friday-Sunday, Feb. 16-18, times vary Where: Stage Door Theater, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody Cost: $15-28 More info: stagedoortheatrega.org

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY

What: This immersive concert-style theater show chronicles the journey of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, from their humble beginnings as Tom and Jerry to their success and dramatic split, culminating with the famous “Concert in Central Park” reunion in 1981 with more than half a million fans in attendance.

When: Saturday, Feb. 17, 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs Cost: $56.70-86.65 More info: sandyspringsga.gov

EURYDICE

What: Produced in partnership by Act1 Theater and the City of Alpharetta, “Eurydice” reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine.

When: Until Feb. 18, times vary Where: Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton Street, Alpharetta Cost: $18-20 More info: act1theater.org

NANCY JACKSON: THE STORY OF AN ENSLAVED WOMAN WHO SUED FOR HER FREEDOM

What: Nancy Jackson’s true story is of

NO MORE HIDDEN FIGURES: VISUAL ARTISTS ON BLACKNESS

What: The Johns Creek Arts Center will have an exhibit on display in recognition of Black History Month through the end of February.

When: Until Feb. 23, business hours Where: Johns Creek Arts Center, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekarts.org

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

At right: Fiber artist Aisha Lumumba’s quilt titled “Just Between Us.” a woman who gave up her family and everything she knew to fight for her freedom. Join for an in-depth look at the circumstances of her life and see documents that show the course of events and how she thrived into the 20th century. The event is free and open to the public.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.

Where: Mimosa Hall & Gardens, 127 Bulloch Avenue, Roswell More info: roswell365.com

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH AFRO-LATIN SOUNDS CONCERT

What: Join the KT Collaborative in celebrating Black History Month with a night of Afro Latin sounds.

The evening will consist of a crossgenre presentation of Afro-Latin, Brazilian music and vocals, using percussive and various rhythmic styles. The event is free and open to the public.

When: Friday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.

Where: Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton Street, Alpharetta More Info: alpharetta.ga.us

GIRLS ON FIRE

FEATURE YOUR EVENT ONLINE AND IN PRINT! It’s even easier now than ever to promote your event to hundreds of thousands of people, whether online, through our newsletters or in the Crier and Herald newspapers.

What: The Alpharetta Symphony will feature the first symphony composed by an American woman, Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony and a work by a living composer August Read Thomas, who often writes for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The group will also feature a violin concerto, written by Florence Price, former head of music at Clark Atlanta University, performed by Helen Kim, Atlanta Opera violinist.

When: Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.

Where: Alpharetta Methodist Church, 69 North Main Street, Alpharetta Cost: $12-25 More info: alpharettasymphony.org

NO MORE HIDDEN FIGURES: VISUAL ARTISTS ON BLACKNESS

What: The Johns Creek Arts Center will have an exhibit on display in recognition of Black History Month through the end of February.

When: Until Feb. 23, business hours Where: Johns Creek Arts Center, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekarts.org

What: Karla Harris and the Joe Alterman Trio, longtime creative collaborators, will perform for an evening of jazz standards and original music, as part of the Center Stage Series.

When: Saturday, Feb. 24, 7-9 p.m.

Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell Cost: $29.25 to $32.50 More info: roswell365.com

ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 2024

What: This year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival features a diverse array of 48 feature films and 15 shorts from 20 countries, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, two U.S. premieres, and 13 Southeast premieres. The festival, hosted across five Metro Atlanta venues including the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, caters to both in-person and online audiences.

When: Until Feb. 26, times vary Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs Cost: Prices vary More info: sandyspringsga.gov

KARLA HARRIS AND THE JOE ALTERMAN TRIO To promote your event, follow these easy steps:

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Visit AppenMedia.com/Calendar Provide the details for your event including title, description, location and date Click the red button that reads “Create event” That’s it! Submissions are free, though there are paid opportunities to promote your event in print and online.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 15

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OPINION

PAST TENSE

Children on the home front during World War II The June 11, 1942, edition of the Atlanta Constitution shared an announcement from Washington, D.C., “Scrap salvage campaign will begin shortly.”

War Production VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF The Board asked that Columnist everyone across the country collect metal, rubber, fats and oils.

The following day, President Roosevelt addressed the nation by radio announcing, “We have an immediate need for huge quantities of rubber. We have asked the filling station operators to help, and they have generously and patriotically agreed to help, they and the oil companies which serve them.”

In addition to tires, citizens were encouraged to bring in rubber articles from around the house, including shoes, gloves, hot water bottles, bathing caps and raincoats.

A short film, “Salvage,” was produced by the War Production Board and shown at movie theaters across the country. “Every home, every business, every farm is in that war. Every man, woman and child,” the film proclaimed, is asked to help.

Later that year, the Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution offered cash prizes to local schools with the highest collection of metal.

The prize was $250 to the school with the largest collection by weight, and prizes to four schools with the highest average metal collection by weight, per student. The categories were one winner for Fulton County schools, DeKalb County schools, Decatur Schools and Atlanta schools.

Fulton County winners of the contest, announced in November of 1942, were Roswell School with 323 pounds of metal per pupil and a total 134,350 pounds of metal. Milton Grammar School won second place, collecting an average of 230 pounds per pupil and 77,095 pounds overall.

(Atlanta Journal, Nov.18, 1942, “Roswell School Winner of Scrap Metal Contest”) Other schools reported from the north part of Fulton County included Morgan Falls School with 5,070 pounds of metal and Hammond School with 35,700 pounds.

The winning school in DeKalb County was Rock Chapel School.

Clairemont School won for the city of Decatur, and Smillie School won

PHOTOS FROM AUSTIN FAMILY COLLECTION/PROVIDED

Children in Dunwoody collected rubber and metal during World War II. From left are: Robert Dale Long, Melvin Warbington, Edwin Spruill, Archie Marchman, Travis Eidson and Raymond Gunning. among City of Atlanta schools.

The newspaper also reported that Sheltonville School collected the most metal among Black schools in Fulton County with 2,097 pounds.

No prize is mentioned.

Those who attended Dunwoody Grammar School in the 1940s, including Carlton Renfroe, Jeff Porter, Ken Anderson, Jane Autry and Carolyn Parker; all shared stories of war bond books which were filled with stamps purchased to help the war effort.

Jane Autry recalled the celebration when every student in a grade completed their WW II stamp books. The students would ring the school bell, which was in the attic.

Sometimes it took two or three students to pull the rope and ring the heavy bell. Principal Elizabeth Davis believed the ceremony of ringing the bell encouraged the children to fill their stamp books.

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.

Children of Dunwoody School during World War II collected scrap metal as requested by the War Production Board.

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 17

PRESERVING THE PAST

The Broadwell Building – tracking the history of owners, tenants I recently wrote a column about cotton farmer John B. Broadwell (18551953) and the dry goods store he built in the Crabapple five-way junction where he sold fertilizer and other BOB MEYERS farm products.

Columnist The building, constructed at the turn of the last century, still contributes to the charm and uniqueness of the Crabapple community. Today I will put some bones on the building’s story.

B.Y. Coleman is one of the few local residents who knew John Broadwell who was the half-brother of B.Y.’s grandfather Sim Broadwell. B.Y. recalls that John B. (often called J.B.) and his half-brother Newport ran the store together, although J.B. did not come into the store very often because he was getting on in years. At the corner of the building and Mid-Broadwell Road was a wagon wheel with neighborhood mailboxes on it.

“Every day I saw J.B. walk from his house where the Jehovah’s Witnesses Church is today to get his mail,” B.Y. says.

Newport’s wife Nancy (known as Nanny) was a schoolteacher who organized plays on the second floor of the building with local residents as actors. There was a stage with dressing rooms at each end of the stage. The plays ran from the early 1900s until the 1920s. Square dances were also held upstairs and were held in T. Allen’s cabinet shop across the street where a bicycle shop stood until recently.

“Every day farmers played checkers in the back of the store from late afternoon until the store closed,” B.Y. says. “There was a stove to keep warm and a sandbox where players could spit tobacco juice. I remember the games from about age 6 until I was drafted at age 18.”

T.R. Dinsmore, who lived where the Milton Library is today, bought the building from J.B. Dinsmore operated a grocery store and sold hardware and farm implements, horse collars, overalls, boots and shoes. He sold the building to Matt Perkins, editor of the Northside News in Buckhead. The Statham family bought the building from Perkins circa 1965. The building had been vacant for about 10 years .

Ben Statham Sr. worked for Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company as a traveling salesman during and after the Great Depression. He earned $20 per month but had an expense account and

FIND A GRAVE/PROVIDED

John B. Broadwell (1855-1953) was a farmer, merchant, inventor and developer of new cotton strains. A leading citizen of Crabapple he is most noted for his award winning Double Jointed Cotton and the building that bears his name.

GARY NYLAND/PROVIDED

The Broadwell Building in 1976. Sign on the building that says “Morgan,” refers to John Morgan’s antique and lighting business which was in the building for several years. a car. He visited stores from Monday through Friday and drove back to his home in Buckhead for the weekend.

There were no paved roads, so it took a day to travel from Buckhead to Alpharetta.

His son Tom says “Dad knew the Broadwell’s and all the grocery store owners who were rich compared to farmers. When he learned that the Broadwell Building was for sale he was immediately interested.”

Tom Statham says the family rented

the 2,700-square-foot ground floor to John Morgan who operated an antique and lighting store. Tom’s brother Ben and wife Linda Statham lived briefly upstairs until the space was rented out.

Tom and Ben’s mother Pearl (known as Pat) ran the Crabapple Penthouse Antique Shop upstairs from 1965 until 1988 when she passed away. She sold mainly furniture and some local products such as baskets.

“I spent many, many days with my parents looking for things to sell,

rocking chairs, store fixtures, anything old,” Tom says. “Mom liked old things, especially hand made with a saw and plane on farms, items such as grain bins and primitive tools.”

Pearl also created the Crabapple Antique Fair in 1967 which evolved into the annual Crabapple Fest.

Linda Statham says “To me best part of the building is that our daughters Anna and Sarah were able to walk to grandmothers shop every afternoon from the Northwestern Elementary School. Grandma would give each child a quarter to buy candy at a little country store nearby. It was a special bonding time for the three of them.”

J.B.’s building has had a number of tenants over the years, each added something to its history and vibe. The most extended stay was the Berry Design graphic agency. Bob Berry opened his one-man business in 1989 and moved into a small portion of the second floor at the suggestion of his friend and part owner of the building Floyd Statham. Bob hired a few young freelance designers as needed, and the business grew quickly until he had 10 full-time employees. Floyd ran a real estate business and a log house kit business upstairs. His brother Tom helped buyers construct their houses.

As Berry Design grew, it was able to utilize the entire second floor.

Bob remembers a succession of businesses on the first floor. Craig Eddy owned Eddy West, which sold antique style furniture manufactured by his company in Habersham County. The business was followed by various other retail shops through the years.

Bob says, “Berry Design clients loved to come to our office for meetings because of its unique and creative environment,” Bob says.

He remembers spending an entire day working on an annual report with the CEO of Duncan Donuts, who flew in from Boston. Bob chaired many meetings with executives of Popeye’s, one of his largest clients over many years.

After 32 years in the building, Bob sold the agency in 2021, and the name and legacy continues. Bob enjoys retirement as a drummer in three local bands and as a board member of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

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.

18 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

AIKENOMICS

OPINION

Waiting on rates to decline could cost you

D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com

Last week, Fannie Mae came out with their projections that 30-year fixed rates would fall below the magical 6% mark later in 2024. Their projections pretty much validated my projections of rates breaching below 6% this year and heading into the mid5% mark or lower by

year’s end.

While I believe we will continue to see a gradual slide to lower mortgage rates throughout the year, waiting for rates to fall .50%-1% lower may cost you in the long run. I have run these figures

before and will use the home price increase figure I projected for 2024 in last week’s Weekend Update/Aikenomics of roughly 5% for the Metro ATL. Using a 5% housing increase, which could be even more if we get to below 6%, we could see the price of a $600,000 home rise to $630,000 by year-end.

Let's look at two comparisons. Below is a breakdown of sample scenarios using the national average of 6.75% for scenario 1 and predicting a 5.875% national average in August 2024 for scenario 2. Rates and payments are not advertisements of available offerings.

Payments do not include taxes and insurance.

Sample Scenario 1: Purchase January 2024 • $570,000 30-year fixed rate

mortgage, 5% down payment at 6.75% = $3,700 principal and interest payment Sample Scenario 2: Wait until August 2024, when rates are expected to fall • $598,500 30-year fixed rate mortgage, 5% down payment at 5.875% = $,3540 principal and interest payment On the surface, you save about $160 per month (whoo-hoo!). But do you? Your home price rose by $30,000, or a breakeven of roughly 150 months without compounding interest. If you buy now, you don’t run the risk of prices moving 5% higher or more this year. If I am correct in my forecast, you will most likely refinance to a rate below 6% by the end of the year, which will get you the best of both worlds! The only way you should wait is if you believe house prices and mortgage rates will fall this

year.

Remember, the best rate is a locked rate… with a float-down option! Ensure you're ready to make an offer by getting pre-approved.

Thank you for reading my column.

D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790.

For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.

BankSouth Mortgage Company, LLC, NMLS #690971, is not a bank or other depository institution and is not FDICinsured. Equal Housing Lender.

A long hospital stay is force-fed humility

MIKE TASOS Columnist

Having been “incarcerated” since January 5th, I have experienced being hospitalized for the majority of 2024.

My outside time has been limited, and even with the chilly weather, being outside is a rare gift.

Ditto for a decent

meal.

It looks like I’ll walk through my own door, be in my own house, sit in my own chair and watch the Super Bowl from the friendly surroundings of my beloved Man Cave, in a week.

I’d like to jump for joy if I wasn’t constantly being reminded to not put any weight on what used to be my right foot. Even before the surgery that removed all my toes, my foot was no Michelangelo. From my perch, feet seldom are. Now I’ve adopted a “dance with the one that brung you” perspective.

Never a John Travolta when it came to busting a move on the dance floor,

ROI

matters.

being mobile we be an adventure I’m ready to launch.

With all this alone time, looking at a foot that looks resembles a 2-iron, we’ve made an agreement that we both must stick with: -No more infections.

-Daily foot inspections -Clean socks -Regular walks -Good shoes -No singing the blues (unless I’m in a Mississippi roadhouse) I am firmly ensconced at Encompass in Cumming, an acute rehab facility that is top-notch. The physical and occupational therapists work me for three hours every day, forcing me to unearth muscles I’d relegated to hibernation for decades. These sessions have often been one of the highlights of what can be a long and lonely day.

With all this time for self-reflection, I have formulated a few observations and hints that might prevent your friends and family members experiencing something similar from going completely bonkers.

-A visit means so much: I know.

I know. We’re all so busy. But a short pop-in to talk and listen will mean so much. My brother Matt surprised me all the way from Idaho, walking through the door during a phone conversation.

He spent a few days with Vicki and the boys. I was humbled at the love demonstrated by his gesture, as well as being grateful at being able to tell him I loved him from a hospital bed.

-It could always be worse: The other day, the therapist gathered a group of elderly patients for some impromptu memory care, asking the assembled if they knew what day it was. There was no consensus among the members of the quintet. There wasn’t a correct answer as well. Looks of consternation all around. It reminded me of trying to do high school algebra.

-Hospital food is bad food: There’s no way to sugarcoat it. I harkened back to days when Mom would dole out a concoction when I was ill. There is no way to make something prepared in bulk to taste as good as anything consumed on the “outside.” There’s also no way that mystery meat I consumed last night was even a distant cousin to Salisbury

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Steak.

-Hospital workers are quirky, bless their hearts: A doctor comes in every morning and asks me if I’m in pain. He also asks me if I want the blinds raised.

I’ve taken to telling him how much I love the darkness. Shortly thereafter, I had a session with a psychiatrist, who asked me questions with the blinds raised all the way to the top. I was rousted like a park bench bum this morning and asked if I wanted some ice water.

It was 4:45am. She was so sweet and hailed from some place other than here.

I couldn’t be mean. It’s hard to curb someone with that kind of enthusiasm after she stayed up all night.

I’m learning to cope, to appreciate having a shower while sitting on a bench. So far nothing has been better.

Then again, with a week to go, I hear we might be having prime rib for dinner.

My question is: Prime Rib of what?

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

Partner with Appen Local Media: Local: Print | Websites | Email Newsletters | Podcasts Use the power of trusted local to grow your business.

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OPINION

THE INVESTMENT COACH

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 19

Will Social Security be there when you retire?

If you query the Internet as to when the Social Security Trust Fund will run out of money, you get a variety of answers.

Estimates range 2033 to LEWIS J. WALKER, CFP from 2041.

Columnist Consider a The Investment Coach current posting on the Social Security website, ssa. gov.

“The Social Security Board of Trustees now estimates that based on current law, in 2041 the Trust Funds will be depleted.”

That’s only 17 short years away and the oldest Gen Xer will be age 61, and most likely deep into retirement planning. So what happens to Social Security benefits if Congress keeps kicking the can down the road?

The Social Security Administration notes that “people are living longer, and the birth rate is low, (and) the ratio of workers to beneficiaries is falling. Therefore, the taxes that are paid by workers will not be enough to pay the full benefit amounts scheduled. However, this does not mean that Social Security benefit payments would disappear. Even if modifications to the program are not made, there would still be enough funds in 2041 from taxes paid by workers to pay about $780 for every $1,000 in benefits scheduled.”

That’s a 22% cut in benefits.

Data shows that about half of the American population aged 65 or older lives in households that receive at least 50% of their family income from Social Security benefits. About 25% of senior households rely on Social Security for at least 90% of their

family income. Any cut in benefits will hurt! Even now, for a person who worked for his or her entire adult life at average earnings and retires at age 65, Social Security benefits replace only about 37% of past earnings.

Social Security was never intended to be a living!

Many people do not understand the workings of the Social Security Trust Fund. They think that their payroll taxes are held “in trust” for them in real assets and then the funds are used to pay them income when they retire.

Actually, the funds that you pay in are paid out to current retirees and what is held for you is essentially an “IOU,” a promise to pay you a future income stream based on a variety of variables. Here’s how the Tax Policy Center, sponsored by the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution, explains it, objecting to suggestions that the trust funds are “not real.”

“Social Security trust funds are real and hold real Treasury securities for which the federal government has an obligation to pay. They reflect any accumulated excess of Social Security taxes plus other revenues, such as interest received, over expenditures.

At the same time, the trust funds ‘fund’ only a portion of outstanding obligations. The trust funds are invested in special-issue Treasury securities backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government.”

But here’s the rub, where the cat gets let out of the bag.

Continues the Tax Policy Center: “The trust funds are not a free lunch for taxpayers. Money from the general fund used to repay debts to the trust funds cannot be used for other purposes, like building roads or providing for national defense.

And as an additional outlay for the

ASK APPEN

Opinions Appen Media aims to present a variety of views in its opinion pages. Send your thoughts, questions and letters to pat@ appenmedia.com. government, those general fund payments increase the Treasury’s need to borrow from the public, increasing federal deficits and adding burdens on future taxpayers.”

So, do we continue to run up gargantuan deficits ad nauseam, raise Social Security taxes, increase the age for full retirement benefits to say, age 70, currently pegged at age 66 t0 67 depending on your date of birth, or all of the above? No matter what, somehow you will help to pay the piper as a taxpayer, beneficiary, or both.

From a financial planning standpoint, a better solution is to work toward financial independence and self-sufficiency so that Social Security, when you get it, regardless of the monthly benefit, is a “high side plus.” The money can be used for travel, taking grandchildren on trips, hobbies, and increased donations to your house of worship, charities and other philanthropic endeavors.

Starting early in life with consistent investments in wealthbuilding channels like an IRA, a 401(k), or other retirement planning tools, as well as a growing investment portfolio outside of your retirement plans, will set you on the road to wealth and selfsufficiency. Invest in assets likely to grow over time in excess of inflation and taxation, in diversified stock

portfolios and real assets such as real estate, private equity, etc.

Understand risk/reward tradeoffs and use a professional financial adviser to help create a road map.

Own a home versus renting. Have a budget, and do not pay interest on credit card debt. Use all debt prudently. Build your own business with growing value if you have entrepreneurial aptitudes. Pay your taxes on time, but use a CPA in sync with your financial adviser to limit tax liabilities using lawful strategies.

Carry adequate levels of insurance – life, health, disability and umbrella liability − so that life’s setbacks don’t result in financial ruin.

When married and retired, you get two Social Security checks. When your spouse dies, you only get one check, but it will be for the higher amount of the two checks received prior to the passing of your loved one. But you would like for that to make no difference in your lifestyle or options as a survivor. No widow or widower wants to be a burden on the children. You want to be able to afford the best when you or your loved one needs care, a nursing or senior living facility, for example.

Comprehensive financial planning starting early in life is the best approach to “senior security” and the blessings of choice!

Lewis Walker, CFP®, is a life centered financial planning strategist with Capital Insight Group (CIG); 770441-3553; lewis@capitalinsightgrp. com. Securities & advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA), which is otherwise unaffiliated with CIG. Lewis a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).

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20 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

DEATH NOTICES ALPHARETTA-ROSWELL HERALD | FORSYTH HERALD | JOHNS CREEK HERALD MILTON HERALD | DUNWOODY CRIER | SANDY SPRINGS CRIER Serving Metro Atlanta Since 1977 | Hello@AppenMedia.com | 770.442.3278

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Robert Danuser, 75, of Roswell, passed away on January 30, 2024. Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jancy Reavis, 55, of Roswell, passed away on January 28, 2024. Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Donald Gerthing, Jr., 83, of Milton, passed away on January 30, 2024. Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

William Shea, 83, of Alpharetta, passed away on February 3, 2024. Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | February 15, 2024 | 21

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24 | February 15, 2024 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

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