Dunwoody Crier - February 16, 2023

Tempers flare at ‘unsuccessful’ trail meeting

► PAGE 3

‘The Earth needs more Rosemarys’

Friends, family celebrate memory of longtime dog rescue volunteer

By ALEXANDER POPP | alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. —

To nearly all who knew or met her, Dunwoody resident Rosemary Rutland was an unrelenting force of selflessness, generosity and positivity.

Friends and family said Rutland dedicated herself to supporting and caring for animals in the community for decades, helping countless dogs find forever homes with loving families in the process.

Rutland died Jan. 23 at the age of 64 after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer, but those who knew her best said her legacy will live on through the lives of people and animals her work affected.

“She is going to be a tremendous loss,” Rutland’s longtime friend Lisa Johnson said.

Johnson, who founded Ruff Dog Rescue in Milton, said Rutland was a master at seeing, “the extraordinary out of the ordinary” and loved helping the most difficult dogs, no matter what type of care they needed.

See RUTLAND, Page 4

HANNAH WILDNER/PROVIDED

Friends and family of longtime Dunwoody resident and volunteer, Rosemary Rutland, say she was utterly dedicated to helping both people and animals.

BUSINESS

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

General Manager Britney “BK” Keane holds a freshly tapped pint of Guinness behind the bar at the King George Tavern with Dunwoody Restaurant Group founder Huw Thomas.

King George Tavern offers British charm

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — On a dreary, rainy day, what could be better than a nice pint of lager or stout in a cozy pub?

You needn’t get on a plane or travel thousands of miles to feel the charms of a British-style pub when the King George Tavern in Dunwoody offers meals, drinks and atmosphere to anyone who graces its doorstep.

Located just north of I-285 on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, adjacent to a nail salon, massage parlor and Subway, the King George Tavern is a hidden gem

See TAVERN, Page 7

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DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police reported a home on Madison Drive was burglarized Jan. 30.

Officers arrived at 2103 Madison Drive at about 8 p.m. after receiving reports of a burglary and were told someone entered the residence while the homeowner was upstairs. The burglar allegedly stole two sets of keys and a Nintendo Switch game system.

The back door had been forced open and officers found a pair of black disposable gloves in a trashcan outside the home, which was likely worn by the suspect, the report said.

Officers noted in the report that when they arrived on the scene, they witnessed a vehicle speeding out of the neighborhood.

No suspects were identified at the time of the report, but officers are searching for the suspect vehicle’s owner.

Wanted man arrested following traffic stop

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police arrested a 39-year-old local man for fraud and multiple other charges after a traffic stop was conducted on Ashford Dunwoody Road Jan. 30.

Officers stopped a white Jeep Grand Cherokee at the intersection with Hammond Drive at about 3 a.m. after an investigation of the vehicle’s tag showed a suspended registration, no insurance and an arrest warrant for the driver.

The driver was placed under arrest and when officers searched the vehicle, they located stolen mail from many different victims, a crowbar, four pairs of bolt cutters, a ski mask and stacks of credit and debit cards under different names. In total, stolen items from 18 different victims were recovered from the vehicle.

The suspect allegedly told police

POLICE BLOTTER

he found the mail in the trash.

The driver was charged with financial transaction card theft, driving with a suspended registration and driving without insurance. He was taken to the DeKalb County Jail.

The report said more warrants are pending in the case.

Woodstock man arrested for threat at gas station

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Charges have been filed against a Woodstock man who allegedly threatened to burn down a Dunwoody gas station Feb. 2.

Dunwoody police officers responded to the Exxon gas station on Perimeter Center at about 5 p.m. after receiving reports a man was threatening to burn down the station.

An employee said the 30-yearold Woodstock man entered the gas station, bought a cigarillo, and stole a lighter and a Red Bull energy drink. When the employee told him to come back and pay for the items, the suspect asked, “how would he feel if the gas station burned down” and walked toward the pumps with the lighter.

The man pulled a bag of items out of his car, placed it on the ground, and began pouring gasoline.

“At that time officers arrived on scene and detained him,” the report said.

When officers asked for the suspect’s name, he gave the false name, “Mike Lucifer.” He was placed under arrest for making terroristic threats and giving false information to a police officer. He was taken to the DeKalb County Jail. ‘

Snellville man arrested for Dunwoody robbery

DUNWOODY, Ga. — A 24-year-old Snellville man was arrested in connection with a strongarm robbery that occurred in Dunwoody in September.

Police reports and jail records show the man was arrested by Dunwoody police on Jan. 30 on charges of robbery and sale of methamphetamine. However, records did not indicate how the man was identified or apprehended.

A report filed Sept. 9, 2022, said a victim was attacked and robbed while leaving a Dunwoody Chevron gas station at about 5 p.m. During the incident, two suspects grabbed the man, punched him in the face and stole his wallet and car key.

Security camera video was obtained at the scene, but no suspects were identified at the time of the report.

The arrested man is held in custody at the DeKalb County Jail without bond.

Dental office reports stolen insurance checks

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Several checks mailed to Johns Creek Dental Associates have been reported stolen, some altered and all cashed.

The five checks totaled $2,560.90, according to a Jan. 31 police report, and were from various dental insurance companies to settle claims.

The office manager told Johns Creek Police that she discovered the checks, dated November and December of last year, were missing in mid-January when the clients’ accounts had been 30 days past due.

The woman said she called the insurance companies when she saw the checks were missing.

The officer manager told police she suspects that checks may have been stolen from the free-standing mailbox just outside the business.

There are no cameras filming the mailbox, the report said, but the business has upgraded its mailbox to include a lock.

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.

Tempers flare at ‘unsuccessful’ Dunwoody trail meeting

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Scores of angry residents derailed a Feb. 8 meeting meant to gather feedback on how the city might initiate a multi-use trail system throughout Dunwoody.

The meeting, held at Dunwoody City Hall by design group the PATH Foundation, was conducted to weigh public sentiment about a map of proposed trail opportunities which would connect major city attractions and neighborhoods with surrounding communities.

However, PATH Foundation officials and city leaders heard very little real feedback from the standing-room-only crowd. Instead, they received mostly angry comments and questions about the plan.

“My goal for tonight, which I don't think we reached, was to figure out where people would like to see [trails],” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said. “Not where you don't want to see it. It doesn't help me if we're going to pick one part to pilot.”

Master plan draft

Presented by PATH Foundation Executive Director Greta deMayo, the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan will be a framework mapping the trail and street improvement opportunities that could be completed over the next three decades.

Over the last 32 years, the PATH Foundation has been responsible for more than 350 miles of trails, including the Silver Comet and multiple paths throughout North Georgia, deMayo said.

During that time, deMayo said they’ve been able to gauge economic and environmental impacts of city trail systems firsthand, like Atlanta’s BeltLine which connects communities throughout the city.

“Over time, the areas that really were kind of rundown, became revitalized,” she said. “It also brought in tree canopy which was needed, and just really became a linear kind of park condition with destinations where people would want to live, work and play.”

Through a series of meetings with stakeholders and the community, the PATH Foundation identified several major points of interest that could be connected with trails, like the Dunwoody Nature Center, Dunwoody Village, Perimeter Center, Georgia State University and Brook Run Park.

Future Dunwoody trails would also provide vital connections to trail systems in other communities, like Sandy Springs and Chamblee.

“It's hard to plan Dunwoody without looking at your neighbors,” deMayo said.

Proposed trails would include sections of greenway, which become “linear park spaces,” but deMayo said the plan would also involve stretches with buffered bike paths, calmed existing streets and side paths adjacent to the roadway.

“If we could find a greenway trail everywhere, we would do that,” she said. “In a built environment, you're not going to always find greenway trails, so we have to have other trail types when within our arsenal to plan.”

With the draft plan, PATH Foundation

Mortgage professionals open boutique brokerage

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A family with more than 20 years of mortgage industry experience has opened their own mortgaging company, Ardent Loans in Alpharetta.

The small, “boutique” mortgage broker offers various loans and has a lender network for clients to choose from. The company also offers refinancing options and assistance in the home-buying process.

“We are excited to bring our expertise

and personalized service to the Alpharetta community,” Ardent Loans President Max Kallos said. “Our goal is to help our clients achieve their dream of home ownership, and we will work tirelessly to make that happen.”

The broker is available in person by appointment only at 8000 Avalon Blvd., Suite 100. For a free consultation, call 404-277-5884 or visit ardentloans.com.

officials are confident 71 percent of the community would be within a 10 min walk of a trail, and 94 percent of the community would be a 10 min bike ride away.

But to move forward with the plan, deMayo said they need to know which projects the community would want to see started first. After a model project is selected, a draft of the plan will be presented to the Dunwoody City Council in April and would be considered for approval in May. If a model project starts going into design this summer, deMayo said, construction could begin this time next year.

Community feedback

Following deMayo’s presentation, community members spent an hour commenting on the proposed master plan.

Despite being asked specifically for ideas on where to start the project, most

residents only shared concerns about specific areas of the project, like the proposed trail that would follow Nancy Creek in southeast Dunwoody, trails proposed near Tilly Mill Road, the possible removal of deceleration lanes to make room for other trail options and the effect the plan would have on local trees.

PATH Foundation staff continued to answer questions about the plan and address community members’ concerns, but leaders also tried to guide the conversation back to more positive constructive comments.

“For this meeting to have value to the community, it would be really helpful if you would give input on where you think there is an opportunity for us to make a difference in our trail and path system for people who are interested in using them,” Deutsch said, trying to calm the crowd.

The mayor’s plea did little to change the mood.

One resident launched into a monologue on his fears about the project, with none of the feedback city officials were hoping for.

Of those who spoke at the meeting, only a few comments could be considered constructive, including one woman who said many Dunwoody streets listed in the plan are already calm enough to be considered trails. One man suggested starting the plan on Dunwoody’s west side by adding connections to the Nature Center and Dunwoody Village.

“Those are the destinations that we on the western side of the city are always trying to walk to, bike to, just go to generally,” he said, adding that the Dunwoody Village connection would dovetail with what the city is trying to do to reinvigorate the area.

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Dunwoody residents watch as representatives from the PATH Foundation answer questions and present information about the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan at a meeting Feb. 8.

See TRAIL, Page 14

Rutland:

Continued from Page 1

Rutland made a habit of rescuing dogs who had truly been left behind, Johnson said.

“She never went for the easy dogs,” she said. “She didn't go for the little cute little fluffy dog that everyone ponders over, she would literally go and look at the longest residents there.”

Dunwoody Idol auditions scheduled for March 18

DUNWOODY, Ga. — For the seventh year in a row, the Dunwoody Preservation Trust will host the hugely popular Dunwoody Idol singing competition as part of the annual Lemonade Days Festival.

Dunwoody Idol is a showcase for middle and high school-aged singers, and acceptance in the show is by audition only, said Hope Follmer, director of community events for Dunwoody Preservation Trust.

Auditions will be held from 2-4 p.m. March 18 at the Dunwoody Nature Center during the Battle of the Bands Concert in the Park. Ten singing finalists will be chosen for the competition, Follmer said.

Contestants auditioning for Dunwoody Idol must be between 8 and 19 years old and can pre-register by emailing mark@dunwoodymusic.com. The audition is free.

Dunwoody Idol finalists will compete during the Lemonade Days Festival on Saturday, April 22, and a panel of judges will select the 2023 Dunwoody Idol winner and runner-up.

A crowd favorite will also be chosen by audience vote.

The Dunwoody Idol frontrunner will win a full-service session of professional recording time to produce one finished track, a featured appearance at a young artist’s musical review at a local venue in the fall, a spot in the Dunwoody Homeowners July 4th parade and will sing the national anthem at the end of the parade.

“The Dunwoody Idol winner will also be invited to return as a featured performer at the 2024 Lemonade Days Festival,” Follmer said. “The Dunwoody Idol runner-up will also perform at a fall musical review.”

For more information about the upcoming Dunwoody Idol Auditions and the Battle of the Bands event, visit dunwoodynature.org/event/ battle/.

For more information about the Dunwoody Preservation Trust Lemonade Days, which will be held between Wednesday, April 19 and Sunday, April 23, visit dunwoodypreservationtrust. org/lemonade-days/.

But throughout her years working at animal shelters and rescue programs in the community, Rutland’s husband Tracy said his wife’s greatest gift was her ability to engage with people and help them find the right dog.

“So many people in dog rescue are more focused on getting the dogs treated and healthy and everything else, but they don't necessarily know how to do the people part of it,” Tracy Rutland said. And she was really good at that.”

Rosemary would often continue checking in with families for years after they adopted a dog, he said, sometimes getting them to adopt another animal years later.

In some cases, like with Johnson, those check-ins turned into a lifelong friendship.

“Our first encounter was at one of the local county animal shelters, and I was looking at dogs to rescue,” Johnson said. “She could obviously tell what I was doing and she goes, ‘take that one’ and that’s just kind of how she was, she always put herself out there to engage and get to know people.”

In time, Rutland even became one of Johnson’s best volunteers at Ruff Dog Rescue.

“Having a pet rescue, a lot of volunteers come and go throughout the years,” she said. “But there was a period of time that Rosemary was what I would consider the heart and soul of the rescue.”

Rosemary and Tracy Rutland got involved in the north Georgia dog

rescue community when they moved back to Dunwoody from overseas in 2001. Over the years, the couple did everything from pulling dogs out of kill shelters to running adoption events in the community.

Eventually, Rosemary became known as the “dog lady” in their area of Dunwoody, Tracy Rutland said.

In recent years, she focused her work on the Georgia Jack Russell Terrier Rescue and the BarkVille Dog Rescue in Jasper. She also was heavily involved in efforts to improve the conditions of rural dogs in winter, visiting rural communities and talking to dog owners about bringing their pets inside when the weather gets cold.

Another longtime friend, Jody Joyce, said she was inspired to get involved with the rescue community after meeting Rutland at an adoption event back in 2012.

“She taught me so much, about not just about rescuing dogs, but rehabbing and rehoming,” Joyce said. “She really was one of the kindest and most generous and amazing women I've ever come across in my entire life.”

Joyce, who now serves as the adult dog coordinator for Ruff Dog Rescue, said it was easy to see Rutland’s impact on the community by the sheer number of people who came to visit her in hospice.

On some days, as many as 68 people visited her, Joyce said.

“The Earth needs more Rosemarys,” she said. “It would definitely be a better place if we had more people like Rosemary.”

A celebration of life ceremony for Rutland has been scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26. It will be held at Buckhead Church, 3336 Peachtree Road NE in Atlanta, with a greeting and gathering from 1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m. and a celebration of life from 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, Rutland has asked for donations to go to her favorite nonprofits, the Georgia Jack Russell Rescue & Adoption, and the BarkVille Dog Rescue.

DUNWOODY PRESERVATION TRUST/PROVIDED Dunwoody Idol finalists perform at the 2022 Lemonade Days Festival at Brook Run Park on April 23.

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Performer evokes the spirit of Tubman in one-woman show

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The stage at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center was sparsely decorated, with only a few trunks and boxes as decoration for the one-woman show, “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman,” Feb. 4. The set was all writer and star Leslie McCurdy needed to put on the play, which she has performed for 26 years.

As a dancer-turned-actor, McCurdy portrayed abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s life from childhood to old age using only her movement and strategic costumes. The show was a part of the city’s month-long Roswell Roots festival celebrating Black History Month.

Harriet Tubman is best known for her time as an activist working the Underground Railroad, a network of activists and safe houses used by slaves searching for freedom. Tubman was born into slavery and escaped through the Underground Railroad, then returned to rescue 70 more slaves across 13 missions.

Throughout the hour-long family friendly show, McCurdy explored the life and “spirit” of the famous abolitionist in depth, talking about Tubman’s, childhood, family and romantic interests.

As 7-year-old Tubman, McCurdy bounded across the stage and gestured wildly. As Tubman aged, McCurdy crept through the seats to hide from slave catchers, and later in life, McCurdy’s Tubman trembled and croaked with the wisdom of an elderly woman.

For McCurdy, the performance was an ode to her “personal hero.” McCurdy has always studied Harriet Tubman, but it wasn’t until a friend told her about a play about Tubman that she considered playing her hero.

Once she was cast, McCurdy started performing the play, but she wasn’t comfortable with the script.

“(My friend) actually told me to take that other person’s play and edit it and then I could still use it,” McCurdy said. “He did not tell the playwright that.”

When McCurdy got a cease-and-desist order from the playwright, she wrote her own play and performed it.

“I wrote it in three weeks and memorized it in two days,” McCurdy said. “Twenty-six years later, I’m still doing it.”

After the Feb. 4 performance, McCurdy hosted a Q&A with the audience. She said she does it after every show to help people engage with the material. She also told the audience that not everything in the show is truthful, because it was based off the “legend” of Harriet Tubman.

When a child asked what McCurdy learned creating the show, she said “all of this stuff you saw.”

McCurdy has left the script the

same since she created it, even though the information available on Tubman has shifted over that time. McCurdy has changed, though, and so has her performance.

“Every year, I’m a little different, and I bring that perspective,” McCurdy said.

When asked why she keeps performing the piece year after year, McCurdy’s answer was simple.

“Audiences keep requesting it, and I love it.” McCurdy said. “Performing, it gives me life.”

She came to Roswell after the city’s Cultural Arts Center requested she put on two shows for the annual Roswell Roots festival, a month-long celebration of Black History Month with various educational and cultural events. McCurdy performed the play on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4.

“We programmed this show because we wanted to include a strong youth and family event in our Roots line-up,” Cultural Arts Coordinator David Crowe said. “One that was educational, theatrical and showcased the way arts and culture can bring a community together through history and storytelling.”

Roswell City Councilwoman Christine Hall attended the show, and said it was a great moment for the Roswell Roots 2023 festival.

“This year really rocks,” Hall said. Families lined up after the show to meet McCurdy and take photos with the performer. One woman tearfully hugged McCurdy and thanked her for her work. Another woman from Tucker said the show was “awesome.”

“Through the arts you can touch people emotionally, even if it might make them uncomfortable,” McCurdy said.

DELANEY TARR / APPEN MEDIA Writer and performer Leslie McCurdy answers questions from the audience after a performance of her one-woman show “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman” on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.

Tavern:

Continued from Page 1

that might be overlooked by a careless passerby. But considering its charms and reputation, to pass it by out of hand would be a mistake.

Opened in 2015 by local restaurateur Huw Thomas, who in the 1990s pioneered the Dunwoody Tavern as one of the state’s first British-style pubs, the King George Tavern has earned a loyal following of both locals and travelers coming off I-285.

“We get a lot of travelers, and it’s something unique for them that they haven’t really seen before,” said Britney “BK” Keane, King George Tavern general manager. “We have a lot of chains around here. So, it’s nice to have something a little bit more aesthetic and homey.”

That aesthetic is what Thomas and Keane agree makes a good British pub and fosters a loyal customer base. But none of that would happen without the right people in place, they said.

“You can hire waitresses, you can hire cooks, but anybody that goes behind the bar has to come in front of me because they are the ones that drive the business,” Thomas said. “When you put a drab person behind the bar, it just destroys the bar.”

“You can go anywhere for $9 Tito’s … they come to specific bars for the people

behind the bar,” Keane said.

When Thomas opened the Dunwoody Tavern in 1996, after a previous restaurant in California and a foray into the real estate world, he said the concept of a British pub was basically unheard of in the Atlanta area.

In the years since, with an onslaught of new pub experiences, people have become almost desensitized to the aesthetic. But Thomas said for a little while it felt like they were doing something truly unique, that everyone wanted to be involved with.

“It was great because no one was trying to duplicate me, now everybody does fish and chips and we used to be the only ones doing it,” he said. “Years ago, it was like, ‘what’s fish and chips?’ Now you go into swanky restaurants and get it.”

At the King George Tavern, you can still get authentic fish and chips, along with

other pub food staples like bangers and mash, cottage pie and a selection of British beers.

But they’ve also adopted their menu for the American palate, discarding classic British pub items that didn’t sell well, like pub curries or scotch eggs (deepfried hardboiled eggs wrapped in ground sausage and breading).

“If you did a real English pub in America, it would go out of business,” Thomas said. “We do what Disneyland does; we give you what you perceive is a [British] pub, but it’s not.”

But whenever they can, Keane said they still try to offer as many authentic touches as they can to their menu and aesthetic, because there is a surprisingly large British population in the Dunwoody community.

“They want to come in and this is like their home,” she said. “Everyone who walks in here, I know what they drink as soon as they sit down. They don’t even have to talk to me if they don’t want to.”

Visit the King George Tavern at 4511 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody. Learn more about the Dunwoody Restaurant Group’s other locations at www.dunwoodyrestaurantgroup.com.

KING GEORGE TAVERN/PROVIDED Operators of the King George Tavern in Dunwoody say customers can expect a cozy, authentic experience at the pub, whether they’re loyal regulars or first-time visitors.

Eagles Nest Church plans new facility

he hopes to have a general vision for the property in three months. In the next year and a half, he said there should be some major changes.

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. —Eagles Nest Church in Roswell is moving forward with a multi-use development plan after purchasing the vacant Kohl’s lot on Holcomb Bridge Road for $13 million in December.

The 15.5-acre site was once home to Kohl’s, a Rite-Aid, Petco and Moe’s – all now shuttered. The Kohl’s lot has been vacant since 2016.

Details of the development are private for now, but Lee Jenkins, the founder and Senior Pastor of Eagles Nest Church said

Jenkins said they’re trying to do something “unique” for a church. Many churches use their property for religious services and daycares and leave them empty the rest of the time.

“I always thought that was a poor use of such a valuable asset,” said Jenkins, who has experience working in the financial sector.

That experience, he said, helped him focus on “return on asset” for the church property and spurred him to explore a multi-use development, rather than a traditional space.

Since its creation in 2012, Eagles Nest

Church has bounced around temporary homes for its services. The church started with 20 people, but as its membership has grown to almost 3,000 people, so has the need for a permanent location.

“We were vigorously looking for a permanent facility, but we could not find a place zoned for us,” Jenkins said.

Traditional church buildings were too expensive and not conducive to multi-use development.

Jenkins wanted “a destination spot that could spur economic and social activity.” It was essential to Jenkins that the property would be in East Roswell, where he has lived for 20 years.

City Councilman and economic development liaison Peter Vanstrom said he’s excited to have Jenkins develop the property.

“It seems like he’s planning something exciting, something destination oriented,” Vanstrom said.

Vanstrom has not seen plans for the property yet because the project is still in early development, but he looks forward to working with the pastor.

“We needed something positive to happen on this side of Roswell because we have seen many major projects over here fail,” Jenkins said, referencing the closed SuperTarget, Taco Mac and Kohl’s as examples.

Jenkins said many residents want more development and economic activity in the area.

“We have been extremely disappointed with the failures of those businesses and the lack of choices that we have as a consumer,” Jenkins said. “I would like to see that change.”

East Roswell is seeing some spark of life recently with a $101 million luxury apartment and townhome development taking over the former SuperTarget, which closed six years ago. The project began construction in June 2022 and is expected to be completed in late 2024.

Vanstrom said the development on shuttered businesses must be done carefully.

“What’s important is the vacancies be

filled with something progressive and positive for the city,” Vanstrom said.

Jenkins said he had been eyeing the old Kohl’s property ever since it closed seven years ago. The lot is a mile away from his home.

“When Kohl’s closed down, I immediately identified that property as our promised land,” Jenkins said.

The church was still relatively new at the time and could not afford the pricey property, so Jenkins looked for a partner to help fund and develop the site.

In 2020, he found a partner in developer Competitive Social Venture. The group planned to open a pickleball sports and recreation facility called Pickle and Social. Eagles Nest would develop an event center on the property as well.

The pickleball developers backed out of the property in March 2022 after they deemed the property “too cost-prohibitive,” and Jenkins had to start over.

“If we got another opportunity to purchase this property we would seize it,” Jenkins said.

The opportunity came last year, when the church found new partners. Jenkins cannot divulge who the partners are but called them “real estate experts.”

With the new partners on board, Jenkins said he hopes to create the “way of the future” with Eagles Nest Church. The details are still private, but the church is dedicated to a multi-use development. The property will likely include an auditorium or event center facility for church services.

The planned auditorium development will likely seat somewhere between 750 and 1,000 people to encourage “hybrid,” online and in-person attendance, he said.

Many of the Eagles Nest Church members attend entirely online, and with almost 3,000 members Jenkins said the services will continue to be hybrid.

Meanwhile, Eagles Nest Church meets at the auditorium in Centennial High School, right across the street from the Kohl’s site. Jenkins wanted to be close to the future development to get his membership used to the area.

Eagles Nest rents the auditorium from Fulton County Schools for a fee, and the church has invested more than $150,000 in upgrading the space, including improvements to the audio, video and lighting equipment. But, the auditorium still is not big enough for the church. It seats about 450 people, so Eagles Nest holds two services. Soon, the church may have to hold three services to accommodate the large membership.

The tight fit at Centennial creates urgency for the development, but Jenkins said the church must be patient.

“Things are going to change, not overnight, but things are going to change,” Jenkins said.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA Eagles Nest Church plans to turn the vacant Kohl’s property on Holcomb Bridge Road into a multi-use development with an auditorium space for church services.

Multi-use development to occupy old Kohl’s site

Artist pulls from days in Jim Crow South for mixed media exhibit

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Gerald Burch, an actualized renaissance man, is compelled to create art. It’s a gift from God, he said, that he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night with visions of what to create next. One time, Burch said he woke up, took the shirt off his back and used it for a painting.

“My work is not for everybody because it’s not pretty,” Burch said. “Some of the stuff that I do, I don’t even like, but I’m compelled to do it.”

Burch’s tagline, “the Artist is the conscience of a society,” speaks to his overall objective to create a dialogue through art, seeking to ask questions and propose answers on equality and social justice.

His pieces, on display in the Johns Creek Arts Center “Souls Grown Deep” exhibition, have a cohesive theme in how they speak to his experience as a person of color, witnessing a world constructed in oppressive ways.

Born in Albany in 1955, Burch knows the Jim Crow South. He remembers standing in front of two fountains, puzzled. His experience led him to create “Why,” a large mixed-media painting of a girl in a

’50s style dress looking at a “White Only” water fountain in dismay.

“Does it taste different?” a young Burch asked himself.

‘Souls Grown Deep’

Althea Foster, program director and curator at the Johns Creek Arts Center, said the title for the exhibition comes from a Langston Hughes poem.

“My soul has grown deep like the rivers,” Hughes writes in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”

Burch is one of two artists in the exhibition, on display until Feb. 25. Accompanying Burch’s less refined folk style are Ronald Sullivan’s sleek, polished, sophisticated sculptures made of wood and stone.

Sullivan is keen on incorporating themes like spirituality, family, nurture, completeness and balance in his work, according to his artist biography. He believes there to be a “natural warmth and beauty” to carved raw materials.

Foster thinks the two artists complement one another well and speak to two different Black experiences.

On one hand, Burch’s family had worked in the cotton fields and on another, Sullivan immigrated to the United States by way of Guyana and England. Burch

went to art school, while Sullivan started creating after a career in engineering.

“I think it’s a tendency among all people to lump people together and say, ‘the Black experience,’” Foster said. “But the Black experience for people is very, very different … Not all Black people think alike …”

‘Bits and pieces’

Burch’s work, often visceral, spans different periods of time — from the era of cotton fields, where viewers might see a weary woman in the foreground carrying a satchel of white fluff, to police brutality in the modern day.

In “Suffocating Walls, Closed Windows and Silent Cries” Burch painted the words “I can’t breathe” on a mouth covered by the American flag, harkening back to the 2014 death of Eric Garner at the hands of a New York City Police officer who used a prohibited chokehold. The utterance became a slogan for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The background is busy with 3D white crosses marked “Unknown,” but still, there are many named victims listed across the piece. A miniature Skittles box was created that references Trayvon Martin’s murder in 2012.

Most of Burch’s work is mixed media and incorporates found objects. He’ll go

for a walk, look for bottle caps, or cans flattened by cars, pieces of wire, tree bark, leaves, “some of everything.” Burch went to art school, where he was taught a more traditional style. But as he got older, he began to see life as “bits and pieces,” familiar things that everyone can associate with.

“These are the things life is composed of,” Burch said.

In “A Not So Random Act of Violence,” caution tape is strewn across the body of a man that lay sprawled on the ground in a bird’s eye view. His body is covered in script reminiscent of the U.S. Constitution. An old razor cell phone jets out from the painting in the bottom right corner, indicating that the subject may have called loved ones with his last breath. Bullets are scattered about.

Burch described a piece that he was working on, which had little bits and pieces of stuff all over it. He couldn’t find a name for it.

“Eventually, the artwork itself will tell me what it wants to do, or what it wants to be. It’s almost like a little child. And I’m looking at it now, and I ask, ‘What do you want from me?’” Burch said. “Eventually, it’ll tell me. Forgive me for being cryptic, I’m sorry…”

MEET THE NEWSROOM

Amber Perry

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Going to a music show, roller skating or taking my spritely, old dog for a walk

On a long weekend you could find me…

Somewhere far enough into Appalachia to feel like I’m not in a society

Something I want to do but am just not very good at: Playing an instrument

Delaney Tarr

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Thrift shopping, walking the Atlanta BeltLine or eating oysters.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Visiting my family in Florida or driving out to Athens.

Something I want to do but am just not very good at: Running

amber@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

When folks come to town, I know I’ll take them to eat at...

Restaurant Cafeteria Tia Roseta or Lucky’s

A movie I could quote start to finish…

None, I think I have diagnosable memory loss

Alex Popp

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Working on my house or on the couch with a good book.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Up in the North Carolina mountains hiking or relaxing in my hammock.

Something I want to do but am just not very good at: Flyfishing.

delaney@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl? Night owl

When folks come to town, I know I'll take them to eat at...

Jerusalem Bakery & Grill or Roswell Provisions.

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”

Shelby Israel

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Unwinding and watching movies with my boyfriend Jimmy.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Trying out new restaurants with friends.

Something I want to do but am just not very good at:

Going to the gym and maintaining a self-care routine.

Dionna Williams Jacob Tomberlin

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Relaxing at home either drawing, writing stories or watching YouTube videos.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Riding around the North Atlanta area or walking at the Roswell Riverwalk.

Something I want to do but am just not very good at: Painting

dionna@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

When folks come to town, I know I’ll take them to eat at... Flatlands. My family is Creole, so we love that there is a great place to get Cajun food in the area.

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“Spider-Man 2.” It’s my favorite childhood movie that I used to watch all the time with my dad.

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Visiting any record shop or indie bookstore in Metro ATL.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Getting out in the sun, visiting friends and family or blasting records.

Something I want to do but am just not very good at:

DJ-ing

alex@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl? Night owl.

When folks come to town, I know I’ll take them to eat at...

Shri Krishna Villa in Cumming or LA Sushi in Johns Creek (The best sushi in the metro Atlanta area.)

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“The Usual Suspects” or “Return of the Jedi.”

shelby@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

When folks come to town I know I’ll take them to eat at...

Butcher & Brew

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“Pride & Prejudice” (2005)

A dish I’m known for making is...

Creamy pumpkin chorizo pasta.

jacob@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird

When folks come to town I know I’ll take them to eat at...

Circle Sushi, Bawarchi Biryanis and of course Waffle House.

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“The Princess Bride”

A dish I’m known for making is...

Sweet and spicy chili

Reporter Reporter

Reporter Reporter Designer Designer

NEWSROOM

Pat Fox

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Outside, working in my garden.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Hiking up Amicalola Falls

Something I want to do but am just not very good at:

Play piano

Early bird or night owl? Early bird

Carl Appen Hans Appen

of Content & Development Publisher

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Taking my Frenchie to the park or strolling through Lenox Mall.

On a long weekend you could find me…

Camping, visiting friends or in Athens

Something I want to do but am just not very good at:

Skateboarding

pat@appenmedia.com

When folks come to town, I know I'll take them to eat at...

Café Efendi

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“Miller’s Crossing”

A dish I'm known for making is...

Goulash with red, yellow, orange and green peppers

One thing that can instantly make my day…

A Steven Wright joke

carl@appenmedia.com

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl

When folks come to town, I know I’ll take them to eat at...

The Rusty Nail, Hibachi Express or Café Intermezzo

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“Troy”

Six Flags or White Water?

Six Flags

These days the Appen Media newsroom is looking a little different. First and foremost, it’s growing. This winter we added two new positions. Our Perimeter reporter will lead coverage of two new city councils. A second news designer will help our reporters’ stories get the presentation they deserve. Together the additions will help our newest publicationthe Sandy Springs Crier - get off the ground. Hopefully, there are more to come.

Pat Fox continues to helm our editorial staff, but most faces are new. So, we all wanted to take a moment and introduce - or reintroduce - ourselves.

If you’re out and about and see someone with a red Appen Media press pass around their neck, say hello. You can also come by July Moon Bakery in Alpharetta on Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. for the first Appen Press Club event of 2023. It’s free to attend and open for everyone.

Hope to see you around town.

— Carl Appen

On a normal weekend you could find me...

Playing taxi driver for my 3 children and their various activities.

On a long weekend you could find me…

At Saint Simons Island

Something I want to do but am just not very good at:

Fishing

Early bird or night owl?

Aspiring early bird

hans@appenmedia.com

When folks come to town I know I’ll take them to eat at...

Anywhere in downtown Alpharetta

A movie I could quote start to finish…

“The Departed”

A dish I’m known for making is...

Cereal with milk

One thing that can instantly make my day…

Coffee

Managing Editor

Director

What happens in Opelika comes home to Roswell

are scant. Last year Roswell went to Greenville for five days and came home with a plan to revise the city’s charter.

The meeting minutes – the official record of what took place that week –was 34 words long. If you’ve ever been to a Roswell City Council meeting, you know they speak more than one word every four hours.

Appen Press Club

Support local news that follows the story. Join the Appen Press Club today at appenmedia.com/join.

CARL APPEN

Here’s a bit of news trivia for you: The locations at the start of articles (you know, the ones that look like this: SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — ) are called datelines. They’re used to show readers where the story is taking place. Some newsrooms use them to indicate a reporter had boots on the ground.

The last few weeks Appen Media has had some special datelines. We’ve published stories that start with GREENVILLE, S.C.; CHATTAHOOCHEE HILLS, Ga.; ATLANTA, and now OPELIKA, Al.

Using them means Appen Media had boots on the ground in all those places.

Most of our city governments go on “strategic retreats” every year. The whole city council and administrative staff will pack up and head out of town for a few days. They offer a range of reasons – to visit a downtown they want to model, team building or really buckling down to focus on the issues.

The meetings aren’t recorded or streamed online, and most city “notes”

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

Of course, by law these meetings are open to the public. Any time a quorum – or voting majority – of elected officials gather for city business, discussion, research or action, you’re allowed to be there.

But if the meeting is in Greenville, who is going to drive three hours just to go along and be in the room?

Well, us, I suppose.

When the Johns Creek City Council traveled to Greenville, S.C. for the weekend, Amber Perry went along too. Shelby Israel woke up at dawn on a Sunday to be in Chattahoochee Hills for the Alpharetta retreat. Then she did it again the following day.

Alex Popp had it easy. Sandy Springs held their retreat in Sandy Springs.

Delaney Tarr is spending the weekend in Opelika, Alabama, to cover the Roswell City Council retreat.

She really got the short end of the

Prostitution stings require more data

I read the article about the practice of the Dunwoody police reporting the City Hall address for suspected cases of prostitution and the resulting question about public transparency. I understand the business interest in protecting the reputation of the hotels in our area.

Whether the address of the actual hotel is published is less of a question for me than asking if the Police Department or other city authorities track data about the arrests and work with those hotels to improve their security or prevention practices. For example, are any hotels used more than others? Are there hotels that have an ongoing problem with human trafficking and prostitution? How does the location of the hotel affect the number of suspected instances of this behavior? Are minors involved? Are there particular days or times when suspected instances occur?

Mapping of the data about these arrests along with other person or time analyses

Talk back

Where do you stand on the story, and the department's practices? Write to Appen Media and the Crier at newsroom@appenmedia.com.

could tell a story and provide better insight into why particular hotels are ongoing locations for these particular arrests. As a member of the public, I don’t have to know the particular hotels involved, but I think the Dunwoody Police, the city authorities and the hotel management would want to answer these questions – and plan for better public prevention and hotel staff awareness.

HELEN PERRY DUNWOODY

stick. The City Council is staying at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National. I tried to get her a room there too, but the entire place was booked. So, each day Delaney is making a quick drive over from Opelika’s Hampton Inn. Imagine that.

On behalf of city officials and staff, taxpayers are footing the bill for these excursions.

For the reporters in the room – and I assure you, we’re the only ones – that bill falls squarely on our shoulders. Your local newsroom. (So maybe after all, it’s a good thing every room was taken at the Grand National.)

We’re glad to do it.

In fact, Managing Editor Pat Fox and I think it’s pretty special that you can open up the local newspaper and see a dateline from South Carolina

Trail:

Continued from Page 3

A change of tactics

After the meeting, Deutsch said it probably could have gone better, and it showed the community has a lot of confusion and frustration about the project.

The problem, she said, is residents are wrongly assuming that trail master plan projects are set in stone and coming soon. This couldn’t be more wrong though, she said, because most of the proposed trails won’t be started for decades and the plan could change in the intervening years.

“I think there's a lot of frustration because the perception is we're not listening,” she said. “But we are listening. We're just not making final decisions yet … People see these plans, and they presume that we are starting tomorrow.”

One problem is engaging people who typically don’t participate in public meetings, but who actually need the trails in the project.

“The areas of town where people have to walk are always woefully underrepresented with our meetings,” Deutsch said. “How do you convince people that are working two jobs or have three children at home, to come out on a random Wednes-

because there’s a newsroom willing to follow local officials there.

We have problems getting metropolitan dailies to show up at city council meetings to cover the city council.

Local news is not always local. Just because Roswell is strategizing in Opelika doesn’t mean what they do there happens in a vacuum.

Chattahoochee Hills is not Las Vegas. What happens there comes home.

Shelby was in the room when Alpharetta approved requests for funding increases.

Amber got to walk along the Reedy River with the Johns Creek City Council as they took notes on Greenville’s public art, civic partnerships and cohesive branding. Now those are all lessons the city will hope to implement as the Johns Creek Town Center moves forward.

I can tell you this much, Delaney’s report from Opelika is going to be a lot more comprehensive than the one that comes from the city.

So, we think it’s important to go. If the Johns Creek City Council is meeting, the Johns Creek Herald should be in the room. Even if we have to pay our own way.

day night and join in?”

The city hasn’t scheduled any more participation meetings on the trail master plan, but Deutsch said officials are going back to the drawing board to see if there are different methods to get more feedback from underrepresented community members.

Despite calling the meeting “unsuccessful,” Deutsch said the city probably has enough information to identify their main priority for the initial project.

“Dunwoody Village is a big priority of ours, but in full transparency, I think Perimeter is where the need is the greatest,” she said.

If they work on connecting the Perimeter area to other southwestern areas like Georgetown and Winters Chapel Road with trails, she said they will bring vital new connections to areas where many families don’t have vehicles and rely on public transportation.

“Just because you may not think you'll ever walk to the grocery store doesn't mean that other people won't,” she said. “We're not building for today or tomorrow. We're building for the next 20 years.”

For more information about the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan, visit the city’s website, dunwoodyga.gov/, and look under the “Government” header.

Columnist

PAST TENSE

DeWald’s Alley, a community of Black families on Barfield Road

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist

A small community of Black families lived along Barfield Road in Sandy Springs from the 1920s until commercial development in the 1960s. The area was known as DeWald’s Alley, likely named for property owner George DeWald and his family. DeWald was a stockbroker with a home on Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Christine Burdett Melton and her brother Lee H. Burdett, known as Jimmy, recalled DeWald’s Alley in a 1993 oral history. They described the road as an unpaved street off Barfield Road. Most of the residents worked at nearby homes and businesses. (Sandy Springs Historic Community Foundation, 1993 oral history of Lee H. Burdett and Christine Burdett Melton)

Willie and Pearl Jones and several other families are listed on Barfield Road in the census of 1940. Willie Jones did landscape work to support his family. Lucius and Dorothy Mae Spivey, Melvin and Willa Mae Peters, and DeLee Morehead and Katherine Morehead lived along DeWald’s Alley. DeLee Morehead was a laborer in the building industry, and Katherine Morehead worked as a servant in a private home.

Other families listed include the Brown, Blonson and Harris families. Henry Harris worked as a cook at a tearoom, and Moses Harris worked as a yardman at various homes.

One of the categories on the 1940 census listed whether the individual was in school and how many years of school were completed. Some of the children are listed as having attended school in 1940. Schools were segregated, so unfortunately the children would either have traveled to a Fulton County school for Black children some distance away, or the community may have operated their own school.

Several families appear in the 1950 census, living on Barfield Road between Mt. Vernon Highway and Hammond Drive. Tommy and Maggie Bains and Douglas and Flora Bacon are listed. Tommy did landscape work and Douglas worked in a local drug store.

The family of Jessie and Grace Pruitt are recorded on the census, with Jessie working at a steel plant and Grace working as a house cleaner. The Austin family included William and Marilyn. William worked as a cook at a college, most likely Oglethorpe University. The Moon, Jones, Heard, and Lloyd families were also living in DeWald’s Alley in 1950.

Melvin Pender recalls that his parents moved from Dalton, Georgia, to his grandparents’ Sandy Springs home temporarily in 1937 in anticipation of his birth. He was born

From left, Dorothy

,

Olympics, winning a Gold Medal in 1968 for the 4 x100 relay. (“Expression of Hope: the Mel Pender Story,” by Melvin and Deborah Pender)

Captain Pender moved into the home of his grandparents in 1949. They had moved to Lynwood Park in Brookhaven. According to “Stories of Lynwood Park” by Veronica Menenez Holmes, some residents of DeWald’s Alley, including Pender’s grandparents, relocated to Lynwood Park. Pender’s mother helped bring a church from the Sandy Springs community to Lynwood Park. That church was Mt. Mary Baptist Church.

Riding along Barfield Road today, one would never know that the community of DeWald’s Alley existed. The people who lived there and their efforts in difficult times to provide for their families should be remembered.

Oct. 31 at a segregated Grady Hospital. Pender went on to become a captain in the 82nd Airborne, serving two tours during the Vietnam War. He also represented the U.S. in the 1964 and 1968

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Sandy Springs. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

HERITAGE SANDY SPRINGS 2017 ISSUE OF THE SANDY SPRINGS GAZETTE

From left, Clarence Pruitt and A.C. Peters at DeWald’s Alley, date unknown.

Garrison

Gwin Loyd and Hazel Lloyd play along DeWald’s Alley in the 1960s.

PRESERVING THE PAST

Collecting old radios brings history back to life

BOB MEYERS

Columnist

WSB’s 100th anniversary celebration last year reminds us how much the extraordinary invention of the radio has contributed to society. The South’s first radio station, WSB, began operations in 1922 with 100 watts of power, about the same as an average light bulb, versus 50,000 watts today.

In today’s column I will discuss radio’s history and how some local people, members of the Southeastern Antique Radio Society, help keep alive one aspect of the amazing history of this medium.

In 1893, Nikola Tesla, a Serbian immigrant, demonstrated a wireless radio to audiences in St Louis. He later developed and marketed the first successful long distance wireless telegraph. In 1894, Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian engineer, received the first wireless telegraph patent in England where he spent most of his working life. In 1901, Marconi broadcast the first transatlantic radio signal. More than 700 people survived the Titanic disaster in 1912 thanks to his wireless telegraphy device.

While men such as Tesla and Marconi were responsible for the practical application of radio waves, their highly recognized achievements were based on theoretical work by many uncrowned pioneers, such as the physicist Heinrich Hertz whose experiments in 1877-1888 in Frankfurt, Germany, paved the way forward.

Broadcasting voice signals to general audiences by combining sound and radio waves, as opposed to point-to-point wireless transmissions using dots and dashes, had its start in the early 1900s. The next 50 years were marked by amazing and rapid achievements. By 1915, telephone conversations were broadcast across the Atlantic. In 1920, America’s first commercial radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh, broadcast live election returns and the news that Warren G. Harding had won that year’s presidential election. Subsequently, the station also broadcast sporting events, baseball scores, time signals and market reports. Grand Ole Opry began broadcasting in 1925 and is the longest running radio broadcast in the world. By that year, there were 1,400 commercial radio stations in the U.S. Today there are more than 15,000.

The first radio receivers were sold with headsets because loudspeakers had not been invented yet. Radio sets were battery operated. In the early 1920’s modifications and improvements came in rapid order. Constant improvements in tube design in the 1920s improved reception, volume and sound quality.

Radio News, published from 1919 to 1971, began as a magazine for amateur radio enthusiasts but gradually became focused on the technical aspects of radios and electronics. Looking at the ads and articles in old technical magazines is a good way to track developments in the fast-changing radio and related industries.

This peacetime research and development by communications equipment manufacturers contributed mightily to the success of our fighting forces in World War II. Portable communications systems and switchboards, field telephones and shipbased communications systems helped change the nature of the battlefield. The precursor to today’s cell phones occurred in 1946 when Bell Laboratories launched the country’s first mobile radio telephone system.

Collecting antique radios is a popular hobby with dozens of clubs in 35 states. The Southeastern Antique Radio Society is a Georgia example. The organization publishes a quarterly newsletter and holds monthly dinner meetings. Their annual winter swap meet and radio show

will be held on Saturday, March 4, at the American Legion Post, 201 Wills Road in Alpharetta, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is their website for further information: https:// www.sarsradio.com. Free to the public. Everyone is welcome.

Collectors tend to specialize in specific aspects of the radio industry: attractive radios of old, technological breakthrough models, colorful transistor radios from the 1950s and 1960s, advertising, even tubes and the artistic boxes they came in.

Jim Del Principe, past president and current vice president of the Southeastern Antique Radio Society, said he thinks the club is “a way to reach back to a simpler time. Musical styles were limited, and families would gather to listen to music. There were daytime programs for house-

“Genuine Plastic Radios of the Mid-Century,” published by Schiffer Publishing in 1998, provides 219 pages and hundreds of photos of collectable plastic radios. Early models were by Bakelite and Catalin. Following WW II, many electronic companies produced inexpensive plastic radios. Companies such as Emerson, Motorola and Zenith turned out beautiful, colorful and imaginative designs. Catalin radios are generally the most valuable today because the colorful plastic used in their manufacture tended to shrink and crack from the heat generated by the radios.

wives such as the ‘Lux Radio Theater’ and ‘Queen for a Day,’ evening programs for the kids like ‘The Shadow’ and ‘Tarzan’ and adventure programs at night.” Most radio operators were amateurs who made it possible for Artic and Antarctic explorers to maintain contact with people back home before commercial services were available.

Another former president of the Georgia club is Milton resident Gordon Hunter who is the proud owner of 450 antique (at least 100 years old) and vintage (at least 50 years old) radios dating from the 1920s to the 1970s. He notes that early radios often had beautiful wood cabinets, creative designs and in the 1930s colorful Bakelite and Catalin plastic cases. Bakelite “the material of a thousand uses” and Catalin plastics were used in a wide variety of consumer products. Because of the way Catalin plastic was produced, over time radios developed cracks due to the heat they generated, making surviving radios rare, highly collectible and very expensive. According to Hunter, “collecting old radios, especially small ones, is addictive. There is usually something at a swap meet that fits perfectly in one’s collection.”

By the way, WSB, has a meaning, Welcome South Brother. The station is owned by Cox Media Group.

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.

PHOTOS BY BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

APPEN MEDIA’S FIRST EVER

Shopping Spree Giveaway

Start the year off right with a chance to win a $1,000 Shopping Spree courtesy of Appen Media and the Crier Newspapers.

Each week, our newsroom will hide this shopping cart image in the newspaper. Once you find it, visit appenmedia.com/shoppingspree and enter

1) Your name

2) Your email

3) The page number you found the image That’s it!

The contest will run for 13 consecutive weeks, so submit an entry each week to maximize your chances of winning.

The winner will be randomly drawn, notified on Monday, April 3rd and announced in the April 13th Crier publications. HAPPY SHOPPING …and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The evolution of the NFMG Lecture Series through the pandemic

The title of this column really sums up the transformation of our horticultural education over the past three years. Prior to the pandemic shut down in March 2020, we presented each of our seven gardening classes in person at three different locations in North Fulton County (Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, and Roswell). We typically attracted about 300 attendees to all 21 classes.

During the spring 2020 Lecture Series, life as we knew it came to a standstill. On March 13, in response to COVID-19, we announced the cancellation of the remainder of our in-person classes.

Our team quickly pivoted and learned how to record classes using Zoom. We created a YouTube channel. We recorded one of our cancelled classes using Zoom and uploaded this first video in May 2020. This Hydrangea lecture has 1402 views to date.

In 2020, we Zoom pre-recorded and posted 13 gardening lectures to our YouTube channel. To date these classes have been viewed more than 5,600 times.

In the spring of 2021, feeling brave, we transitioned to live Zoom webinars. Our team executed an extensive marketing and social media campaign. We held 10 live webinars – streaming live to both Zoom and Facebook and afterward, we posted the recordings to those same sites. The Spring Gardening Lecture Series has had over 11,000 views, of which 2,500 were viewed live on Zoom and Facebook.

The 2021 David Gibby International Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards recognized the North Fulton Master Gardeners for our efforts in the face of a global pandemic in successfully providing horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through virtual webinar technology. The First Place

“Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Lee Tanenbaum, a master gardener since 2011. Lee is NFMG’s Communications co-chair for Publicity and Marketing as well as the current interim chair of the NFMG Gardening Education Team. Lee is a retired speech-language pathologist and public health professional, a mother of three, and a grandmother of nine. Lee loves to garden and travel, especially with her grandchildren.

Award in the Workshops/Presentations category was made on Sept. 15, 2021, during the virtual International Master Gardener Conference. View our video at https://youtu. be/_1hSJfpsFS0.

We are pleased that more than 5,800 people have attended one or more of the 43 free NFMG Garden Lectures live-streamed on Zoom or Facebook since May 2020. An additional 25,000 people have viewed the videos on the NFMG YouTube video library at youtube.com/northfultonmastergardeners.

Our class registrants hail not only from North Fulton County but also from throughout Georgia and the United States, Canada and a smattering of other countries! Thirty to 40 percent of each class are Master Gardeners from throughout Georgia and neighboring Southeastern states.

As society opened after the early months of the pandemic, we surveyed our class attendees to determine whether they were ready to transition back to in-person gardening classes. We learned that 90 percent of the 355 people who responded to our spring 2022 survey at the end of each class prefer viewing our classes through Zoom and Facebook Live streaming, while an additional 6 percent of respondents prefer to view the classes later at their leisure through our YouTube channel. Amazingly, only 4 percent of respondents tell us that they prefer to attend in-person classes in North Fulton.

The decision is clear! Post pandemic learners prefer virtual learning. So, the North Fulton Master Gardeners in collaboration with UGA Extension in Fulton County will continue to provide horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through free virtual gardening education programming.

The Spring 2023 Gardening Lecture Series begins Sunday, March 5, and will again be available through live Zoom webinars and Facebook Live as well as viewable for later viewing several days later through our You -

Learn more about the North Fulton Master Gardeners

• linktr.ee/NFMG

• http://nfmg.net/communityclasses.htm

• facebook.com/northfultonmastergardeners

• twitter.com/NFMGardeners

• youtube.com/northfultonmastergardeners

• instagram.com/northfultonmastergardeners

Tube channel. Each class emphasizes practical gardening activities at the time of year that is best suited for that activity. You may register for all five classes or just pick specific classes. Please register in advance at https://bit.ly/ Spring2023NFMG-GardeningLectureSeries to assure your place. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar. If you cannot attend the live webinar, you can register anyway so you will receive a recorded link to the class.

Don’t miss these incredible opportunities to learn more about gardening in metro Atlanta.

• Walk in the Woods with Spring Wildflowers - Observing the Beauty of Nature, Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 2 p.m.

• Figs at Home: An Introduction to Growing Figs in the Southeast for the Home Gardener, Sunday, March 12,

2023, at 2 p.m.

• Insect Allies: Predators and Parasitoids in the Garden, Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 2 p.m.

• Ferns of the Southeast, Sunday, March 26, 2023, at 2 p.m.

• Annual and Perennial Plants for Water Gardens, Sunday, April 2, 2023, at 2 p.m.

For more details, visit https:// mailchi.mp/nfmg/nfmg-februaryupdate.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

LEE TANENBAUM

Guest Columnist

NFCC is looking for a full-time executive assistant to support the Executive Director and leadership team.  This person will play a vital role in help keep the NFCC leadership team organized and productive and will interact with the board of directors and other important stakeholder groups. Sensitivity, discretion and attention to detail are a must. Candidate must have a two-year degree, bachelor’s degree preferred and should have at least 2-3 years of relevant experience. For a complete job description visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

Client Services Specialist

The full-time Client Services Specialist greets visitors to NFCC and assists them with obtaining services. In addition, this person conducts followup interviews, enters data and may participate in additional follow-up activities.  A high school degree or equivalent is required along with at least one year in customer service or other relevant experience. Discretion and strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish are also required. For a complete job description, please visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

Truck Driver

NFCC needs a reliable driver to work part-time picking up scheduled donations. The person in this role may also assist with facility maintenance and must maintain accurate vehicle maintenance records. It is crucial that they represent NFCC with a professional and friendly demeanor. 1-2 years of box truck delivery experience is preferred. Candidate must maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license and be free of any traffic violations for the past three years.  Work on Saturdays or Sundays may be required occasionally. For a complete job description, please visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

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