Dunwoody Crier - February 20, 2025

Page 1


Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returning to metro theaters

► PAGE 7

City says paving plan remains on schedule

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Elected officials discussed this summer’s paving plan and progress toward resurfacing 100 percent of city-owned streets by the end of the decade.

The city’s founders promised to achieve a 20-year paving cycle in December 2008, and Dunwoody is more than 80 percent of the way there.

In 2023, the city used a special vehicle, called a “Scan Van,” to evaluate roadway surfaces and develop a pavement condition index for each segment.

The citywide assessment found overall pavement condition index of 75 out of 100, a steady improvement from index ratings in 2009, 2013 and 2018. The 2023 assessment informs the city’s five-year paving plan through the end of 2028.

See PAVING, Page 18

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPPEN MEDIA

Public Works Director Michael Smith discusses a contract for the city’s 2025 paving plan to resurface just over 10 miles of roadway segments around Dunwoody. Smith said the Public Works Department is on track to complete its goal to repave all streets by 2029.

Brook Run Park prepares for Arbor Day observance

DUNWOODY, Ga. — To celebrate Georgia Arbor Day and its 13th consecutive Tree City USA honor, Dunwoody is inviting the public Feb. 21 to a planting near the Brook Run Arboretum Pavillion.

The city’s elected officials, Sustainability Committee members and city department heads are hosting a special tree planting at 11 a.m. near DeKalb Drive and Georgia Way South inside the park.

With Georgia’s ideal winter planting conditions, the state observes Arbor Day on the third Friday in February.

Dunwoody Arborist Amy Bledsoe said her team

remains committed to protecting tree canopy and finding new ways to enhance it.

“Trees provide immense benefits to our community — improving air quality, increasing property values, reducing stress and creating habitats for wildlife.”

The city says its designation from the Arbor Day Foundation showcases its dedication to preserving and enhancing its tree canopy, a vital part of the city’s sustainability efforts.

See ARBOR, Page 19
CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED
Dunwoody residents plant trees Feb. 1 during the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The city is inviting resident to the Brook Run Arboretum Pavillion Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. for a ceremonial tree planting to celebrate Georgia Arbor Day.

NEWS TIPS

770-442-3278

AppenMedia.com

319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009

HANS APPEN Publisher

DICK WILLIAMS Publisher Emeritus CONTACT

Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com.

LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance.

ADVERTISING

For information about advertising in the Dunwoody Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

CIRCULATION

To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

POLICE BLOTTER

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 neighbor for alleged break-in

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 40-year-old resident Feb. 2 after she allegedly demanded money and broke into a neighbor’s home.

An officer said he spoke with the victim, a 62-year-old resident, about the incident hours after it occurred.

The victim said her neighbor was banging on her door and asking for money and cigarettes around 6 a.m. When the homeowner explained she didn’t have anything, she said the neighbor kept banging on the door and trying to enter the residence.

Eventually, the neighbor broke the inside latch to the front door and briefly wedged her way into the home before the homeowner was able to push her out and lock it back.

Officers said security footage corroborated the victim’s testimony. When they went to speak with the neighbor, officers said she denied the incident took place.

Officers transported the neighbor to DeKalb County Jail on disorderly conduct and vandalism charges. Jail records show she was released Feb. 4

Police reward honesty of DeKalb County teen

DUNWOODY, Ga. — After pulling over a 16-year-old from DeKalb County Feb. 5 and finding a THC vape pen in his vehicle, a Dunwoody officer released him with a warning.

The officer said he was

conducting school zone speed enforcement around 2:45 p.m. when he clocked a Chevrolet Malibu going 44 mph in a 25-mph zone and initiated a traffic stop.

The driver told the officer that he was just driving around.

Because the teenager was unusually nervous and shaking, the officer said he called a K9 unit to search the car.

When asked about what was in the car, the officer said the teenage driver told him there was something illegal.

The search allegedly turned up a partially smoked THC pen, but officers said they gave him a verbal warning because of “his cooperation and truthfulness.”

After citing the teenager for speeding, the officer said he released him and destroyed the illicit drugs.

Man reports items stolen at Windward gym locker

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 72-year-old Johns Creek man reported a theft after items were allegedly stolen from his gym locker Feb. 4.

The man said his lock and belongings were missing after he returned from playing racquetball at a Windward Parkway gym, according to an Alpharetta police report. He returned to find the lock missing from the locker.

His bag was opened and appeared to have been rummaged through. A wallet containing numerous credit and identification cards and cash was missing.

A gym employee said they would review camera footage of the locker room’s entrance.

The stolen items included a Social Security card, driver’s license, five credit cards, $700, an insurance card and a lock.

The incident was classified as a

misdemeanor theft by taking, less than $1,500.

— Jon Wilcox

Candles

stolen from display at North Point Mall store

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A shoplifting of dozens of candles was reported at a North Point Mall store Feb. 4.

A store manager told officers she noticed the candles were missing after checking inventory while closing the store, according to an Alpharetta police report.

At least 38 three-wick candles were missing from a display.

The manager said she had no idea when the theft might have occurred or who the suspects might be.

The candles were on a display facing the mall.

The manager said she would contact loss prevention staff to review camera footage.

The candles were valued at a total of $26.95.

— Jon Wilcox

Phone charged to card in alleged identity theft case

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 73-year-old Alpharetta man reported an identity fraud Feb. 4 after his debit card was allegedly fraudulently charged.

The man told police his American Express card had been charged by a website for an iPhone and vacation, according to an Alpharetta police report.

He contacted his bank, which advised him to file a police report.

The phone was shipped to an address in Stone Mountain. The website is registered in Florida.

The man suspected someone had gained access to his card through his email account.

The incident was classified as a felony identity fraud of a person.

ASK APPEN

Time, development swallowed little gray house

Before Perimeter Expo was developed in 1993, there was a farmhouse on the corner of Hammond Drive and Ashford Dunwoody Road. The driveway that led to the home was on Ashford Dunwoody Road. I remember seeing the house on my trips down that road.

Beth Saxe shared more about the property, which was owned by her parents, Hugh Stephen Spruill and Ollie Geraldine (Gerry) Jameson Spruill. The couple married September 17, 1948, in the chapel of Dunwoody United Methodist Church. They lived in Chamblee with Gerry’s parents, Claude and Florence Jameson, while they built their home.

Hugh Spruill had returned to his studies at Georgia Tech after serving in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He was aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. Gerry attended Bessie Tift College and was employed with the Life Insurance Company of Georgia.

The little gray house was built on 20 acres. As Gerry Spruill told it in “The Story of Dunwoody,” Hugh took two quarters off from Georgia Tech and “cut the timber, took the timber up to the sawmill, and he and another man built the house.”

Hugh was the son of Carey Thomas and Florence Warnock Spruill of Dunwoody, the last owners of the Cheek Spruill Farmhouse at the corner of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Mt. Vernon Road.

Hugh and Gerry Spruill were always involved in the community. Hugh was the first Boy Scout Leader for troop 266 in Dunwoody, out of Dunwoody United Methodist Church. Gerry Spruill was a leader of arts in Dunwoody, which began in the basement of Dunwoody Methodist Church. She was chairperson of the first Dunwoody Fourth of July parade, held in 1976.

In 1956, the couple moved to a

brick house further north on Ashford Dunwoody Road. It was across the street from Dunwoody Baptist Church. The couple had two children, Beth and Sam.

Beth remembers her parents talking about their older home, including her dad commenting on how much granite there was on the property. Beth says he “always laughed that God had intended to make all of Georgia Stone Mountain but dark caught him. They had to drill

three times before they struck water in order to have a well.”

When Hugh and Gerry Spruill moved out of the house, Hugh’s newly married brother Edwin and his wife Nelda moved in. They lived there until the farmhouse and the last 20 acres of the farm were sold.

When Hugh and Gerry Spruill moved to their first home in Dunwoody, Gerry described the community as a place with unpaved roads and no lights anywhere. They

could not see their neighbors. She said her hometown of Chamblee seemed like a city compared to Dunwoody. (Story of Dunwoody, by Elizabeth L. Davis, Ethel W. Spruill, Lynne Byrd, Joyce Amacher)

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.

JIM COWARD/SPECIAL
An aerial view of I-285 at Ashford Dunwoody Road shows the home Hugh and Gerry Spruill lived in before Perimeter Expo Shopping Center was built.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm

Alpharetta native Sarah Coyne joins Appen reporting team

ALPHARETTA, Ga —

Appen Media Group announced Feb. 14 that Sarah Coyne will join its staff as a reporter. Coyne will immediately begin covering local government and business in North Fulton. She will report to Carl Appen, director of content

and development, and will be based in Alpharetta.

“Having an Alpharetta native come home to cover her community is a special gift for us,” Appen said. “Sarah hit the ground running this week already covering some heavy topics, like the tragic death of Roswell Police Officer Jeremy Labonte. For a hometown news group, connecting to the reporting is key. We’re lucky to have someone with

the reporting and photo chops Sarah brings. The fact that already has roots here just makes it that much better.”

Coyne grew up in Alpharetta and graduated from the University of Georgia in Dec. 2024 with a degree in journalism. During her time at Georgia, Coyne took courses in investigative reporting, international affairs and photojournalism. Alongside her coursework, Coyne served as the

city and county beat reporter for The Oglethorpe Echo.

“I’m so excited to be able to write for the newspaper that I grew up reading,” Coyne said. “I have a passion to inform my audience and through my writing and photography, which I crafted at Grady College.”

To contact Coyne with news tips or story ideas, email sarah@appenmedia. com.

Atlanta Regional Commission launches transportation survey

METRO ATLANTA — For the first time in 14 years, the Atlanta Regional Commission has launched the Regional Household Travel Survey, in efforts to see how metro Atlanta residents travel around the region. In partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation, the commission is one of the first in the nation to administer a survey of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Orr, Senior Managing Director of Transportation Planning at the Atlanta Regional Commission

said that the survey is “one of the most important tools we have to understand how people in metro Atlanta travel.”

Data gathered will be given to researchers, policy makers and transportation planners to help provide improvements to the quality and availability of transportation.

“The findings will shed light on how travel patterns have changed since the pandemic, which caused a sharp rise in teleworking,” Orr said.

More Information: You can find more details about the survey at https://atlantaregional.org/news/uncategorized/ arc-launches-regional-household-travelsurvey-to-shed-light-on-transportationpatterns-in-metro-atlanta/

The commission aims to aid the Atlanta region through “transportation planning, aging services, community development, water resources management, workforce development and homeland security.”

The 19-county Atlanta region wide survey will consist of two phases, with the first that will be administered through Dec. 2025. This phase will

include 3,000 households.

A “statistically significant” sample size that will consist of 6,500 households will be provided through the second phase, planned for 2026.

Households are defined as people who live together in one residence with a shared kitchen.

Counties that will be surveyed include Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Coweta, Hall, Newton, Paulding, Spalding and Walton.

See SURVEY, Page 19

COYNE

A look at the 23rd annual Closing Night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival shows American film composer Charles Fox seated at a piano and surrounded by local Atlanta musicians and festival organizers. The 25th anniversary edition runs Feb. 19 through March 16.

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns to metro theaters

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is bringing 50 feature-length movies to local theaters Feb. 19-March 5 for its 25th anniversary celebrating the community’s diverse experiences.

The films include 22 documentaries and 28 narrative works with an online opportunity to stream some of this year’s selections March 7-16.

The anniversary edition features official film selections from 22 countries, including the United States, Brazil and Israel. There are 88 intheatre screenings scheduled across six venues over two weeks.

The annual festival kicks off with the regional premier of “Bad Shabbos,” a winner at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Feb. 19. Tickets to opening night start at $25 with the stars and creators of the film slated for special guest appearances.

Film screenings are across Metro Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Springs Cinema & Taphouse, Merchants Walk Cinemas in East Cobb, the historic Plaza Theatre in midtown Atlanta, the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and the Tara Theatre off Cheshire Bridge Road.

Other festival highlights include “Young Professionals Night” Feb. 22 at the Plaza Theatre off Ponce De Leon Avenue; “Field Trip Screening” Feb. 27 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center for the Metro Atlanta premier of “Ellie Wiesel: Soul on Fire;” and two films celebrating comedian Jerry Lewis.

The closing night March 5 is at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center with the Jury Awards presentation and the Metro Atlanta premier of “Cheers to Life” with director Chris D’Amato and producer Julio Uchoa.

An all-access streaming pass is available March 7-16 to Georgians who want to follow along from home with 21 feature films and 14 short films from the festival. Some are only available for exclusive in-theater presentation.

The anniversary edition also marks the launch of the Kenny Blank Vision Initiative, an expansion that transforms the festival into a yearround hub for film, education and industry leadership. The initiative looks to launch a filmmaker fund to empower storytellers.

Kenny Blank, executive and artistic director of the AJFF, said the nonprofit is proud to unite film lovers from all walks of life to the festival that is welcoming and reflective of people’s shared humanity.

“Our 25th anniversary represents a quarter-century of fostering connections and understanding through the transformative power of cinema,” Blank said. “This year’s lineup not only highlights stories that resonate deeply with Jewish life but also redefines what it means to be a 'Jewish' film. It’s about the intersection of Jewish experiences with the broader world, creating space for meaningful dialogue and connection between communities.”

ERIC BUKARD/PROVIDED

Cumming barbecue eatery draws devoted clientele

CUMMING, Ga. — When Stephen Hartsock opened his barbecue restaurant in 2018, he brought a meticulous eye for detail honed over 15 years in home construction.

At face value, there’s little difference between the menu at Socks’ Love Barbecue and the thousands of other barbecue spots in the nation.

They serve brisket, sausage, ribs, pulled pork, turkey and all the traditional sides.

But there’s something special going on behind the scenes.

“It’s kind of like the ongoing question. ‘What sets you apart from other barbecue joints?’” Hartsock said. “And I just kind of smile and say, ‘Come with me into our kitchen for a day, and you’ll see.”

In pursuing his culinary passions, Hartsock said he has applied lessons learned while mentoring under the owner of a construction company he worked at for over a decade. It was sometimes a frustrating experience, but he learned the value of perfection over “good enough.”

That approach has made Socks’ barbecue a truly exceptional experience.

“I promise you, once you figure us out and try it, it’s unforgettable,” he said.

That attention to detail hasn’t just won over locals. It’s turned heads in the barbecue world, too.

In 2024, Daniel Vaughn, the mind behind “Texas Monthly’s” Top 50 barbecue list, included Socks’ as an honorable mention for barbecues outside Texas and in a list of his favorites outside the state.

The magazine’s list of top barbecues is considered a Holy Grail for the latest and greatest meat smokers in the nation.

Among locals, the menu has won equally impressive praise and earned a steady stream of repeat customers who just can’t get enough. On Socks’ website, comments ooze with praise.

“I never write reviews, but I just finished the absolutely best barbecue I’ve ever had,” one reviewer writes. “That’s saying a lot because I lived in Texas.”

Hartsock began his professional foray into barbecue with a custom rub he gave out to guests at his wedding. Now dubbed Socks’ Love Rub, the mixture of molasses sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne and onion and garlic powder is sold by the restaurant along with other custom condiments and seasonings.

After entering competitions and dabbling in catering, he realized he wanted to open a restaurant.

Pursuing that dream has been an exciting opportunity, but it’s also a lot of work, he said.

The brisket spends 14 hours in a J&R Manufacturing smoker, which

See SOCKS, Page 19

Feb. 27

PHOTOS BY: STEVEN HARTSOCK/PROVIDED
Owner Stephen Hartsock applies to barbecuing a meticulous eye for detail he honed working in the home building industry. This rack of ribs is one of many traditional barbecued meats offered at the restaurant.
Sides like macaroni and cheese receive the same care from cooks at Socks’ Love Barbecue.

DC Aiken

Big Sky Franchise Team

David & Michelle Bertany

Amour & Duane Carthy

Adam Corder

Barbara Anderson

Kerry Arias

Scott Baynton

Joseph Bell

James Bennett

Join today for

Support Local News Join Appen Press Club

CHARTER MEMBER

Patrick Cressaty

Robert Flint

Robin Fricton

Zachary Hahn

Allison January

Rita Brown

Mark Casas

David Conti

Theodore Davis III

Maureen Drumm

Carl Abernathy

Bruce Ackley

Salpi Adrouny

Alpharetta Lions Club

Omar Altalib

Dave Altman

Ron Altman

Joel Alvis

American Legion Post 201

Alice & Dr. Richard Appen

Gaye Armstrong

Mary Asbury

Bangkok Boxing LLC

Shannon Banna

Beth Barnes

Janet Bass

Caitlin Bates

Jannet Bauer

Barbara Bauschka

Miriam Beattie

Kathy Beck

Laura Bentley

William Bentley

Leslie Berry

Tom Billings

Tochie Blan

Ron Boddicker

Jodi Bogen

Sherri Bolles-Rogers

Helen Borland

Debra Bowen

Joe Bowen

Ryan Brainard

Mark Brandus

Mel Brannen

Carol Bright

Linda Brill

Dorothy Brouhard

Erendira Brumley

Bernhard Burgener

Alvin Burrell

Mike & Theresa Buscher

Mary Busman

Clea Calloway

Kirk Canaday

James Carr

Bridgette Carter

William Cartwright

Frank Catroppa

Pat Check

Virginia Christman

Christopher Cleary

Ann Coaloa

Kim Coggins

Evelyn Collazo

Michael Mackenzie

Communications

Joan Compton

Carol Cookerly

Terri Coons

Rhonda Cude

Connie Cunningham

Christopher Cupit

David Davis

Duane DeBruler

Marilyn DeCusati

Rebecca Donlan

Tom Driscoll

Michael Dudgeon

Jeanette Dummer

DutchCrafters Amish Furniture

Thomas Edmonds

Mim Eisenberg

Danny Elkins

Su Ellis

Martha Fasse

Nell & Doug Fernandez

Daniel Fleck

Lee Fleck

Laura Floyd

Cathy Flynn

Adrienne Fontaine

Mary Ford

Nanci Foster

Amy Frederick

Kelly Frommer

Carol Fry

Tracey Ganesh

Daniel Gay

John Gibbs

John Gilberto

Leslie Gilliam

Michael Kenig

Roderick Liptrot

Bob Meyers

Claude Nardy

Cliff Oxford

MEMBER+

Charlcie Forehand

Aileen Horton

Deborah Jackson

Ali Mahbod

Richard Matherly

MEMBER

Bailey & Ryan Gladysz

Michelle Glotzbach

Harvey Goldberg

Christopher Goodrich

Phyllis Goodrich

Ralph Griffin

Marilee Hamilton

Susan Hanna

Marion Hannah

Roxanne Hazen

Joe Hirsch

Penn Hodge

Dianne & Steffan Holmquist

Joan Hostetter

Austin Hughes

Jacqueline Hursh

Lynn Johnson

Tyler Jones

Arthur Kebanli

Laura Keck

Mark Kelly

Nancy Kennell

Randall Kent

Carol Kerr

Allison Kloster

Dyna Kohler

Larry Krueger

Jess & Chris Kysar

Malinda Lackey

Dennis Lee

Ken Leffingwell

Carol Lehan

Bonnie Lind

Francia Lindon

Harlan Little

Ross Long

Kyser Lough

Rita Loventhal

Brenda Lundy

Rita Loventhal

Karen Magill

Kyile Marshall

Julie Martin

Carla Masecar

Valerie Matthews

William Maxwell

Ross & Lori Ramsey

Sarah Reiter

Mark Rundle

Lynn Thomas Kim Truett Roger Wise Jr. Colt Whittall

Mountain Park council names Appen Media its official legal organ

MOUNTAIN PARK, Ga. — The Mountain Park City Council named Appen Media Group its legal organ Jan. 27, joining other Metro Atlanta governments who place their public notices in the company’s newspapers.

Evan McElroy

Vickie McElroy

Patricia Miller

Anne Peer

Robert Popp

Sergey Savin

Helen Scherrer Kate Seng

Kimberly Verska Carol Williams

State law requires cities to advertise certain announcements in a paper of record, ensuring public knowledge of official meetings, budgets and other municipal business.

With a population of fewer than a thousand, the half-square-mile City of Mountain Park is no different.

Rachel McCord

Austin McCully

Diane McDonald

Karen McEnerny

Lynn McIntyre

Mike McLoughlin

Jennifer Mendoza

Al Merrill

Chris Miller

Christine Miller

Joe Modica

Fred Moeller

Sarah Moen

Catherine Moore

Carol Morgan

Kathy Morgan

Stu Moring

Leslie Mullis

Donna Murphy

Jack Murphy

Cindy Nolan

North Fulton Master Gardners, Inc.

Tricia Novarro

Bob O’Brien

Anne Pappas

Lynn Pennington

Jonathan Peters

Kurt & Leslie Phillips

Mary & Jan Phillips

Debra Powell

Joyce Provissiero

Chuck Pugh

Robert Radloff

Raj Rajagopalan

Ashwin Ramaswami

Cheryl Rand

Jean Rearick

Joseph Reed

Righteous PR

Angie Rigney

Neil Robertson

Kimberly Robinson

Matt Rohs

Kelly Sarmiento

Stephanie Schniederjan

The Schoenblum Family

To join go to appenmedia.com/join and follow the prompts to select your membership level and select your t-shirt size! Questions? Email Hans Appen at hans@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

Robert Scholz

Stephanie Schuette

Susan Searles

Tina Shelton

Lisa Shippel

Joanne Simmons

Tom Simon

Cindy Simpson

Robert Singleton

Faye Sklar

Judith Slaughter

Andy Smith

Marcia Smith

Gena Spears

Donald Spencer

Gloria Stathos

Robert Stevens

Wesley Stewart

Cathryn Stovall

Celeste Strohl

Diana Sullivan

Andy Sumlin

Mike Tasos

Candice Teichert

The Small Business Advisor

William Tietjen

Lisa Tilt

Michael Townes

Trunnion LLC

Matthew Tyser

Ollie Wagner

Lewis Walker

Jonathan Washburn

Michael Watson

Michael Weiss

Herbert Wells

Sally White

Thom White

Umpika White

Christine Williams

Jamie Wimberly

Jonathan Winkie

Nancy & Dave Wistrand

Carla York

Jonathan Young

Scan QR code to join the Appen Press Club

Last year Mountain Park ran ads in the Alpharetta-Roswell Herald notifying the public about property transfers and the fiscal year 2025 budget. The city placed a bulletin about upcoming municipal elections in the paper’s Jan. 23 edition.

The City Council's unanimous vote ensures these placements for the future. By designating an official legal organ, the city will secure cost savings while providing residents clear, reliable access to public notices.

Appen Media Group Publisher Hans Appen wrote that the company’s goal is to engage and inform the community.

“We are looking forward to the partnership with Mountain Park. Recognizing a paper of record ensures legal compliance, cost savings, and transparent communication of public notice,” Appen said.

Appen Media Group newspapers are also the legal organs for the cities of Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton.

Pre-Nuptial Agreements

Their essential role in empowering couples through estate planning

Pre-nuptial agreements represent one of life’s most significant milestones as couples enter marriage, symbolizing love, commitment, and partnership. While the emotional elements of marriage often take center stage, practical considerations inevitably accompany this profound union, particularly regarding finances and asset management. Pre-nuptial agreements can play a crucial role in addressing these important aspects, providing a structured framework for navigating potential complexities that may arise during the course of a marriage. One of the primary benefits of a prenup is its ability to alleviate potential financial disputes in the future. By addressing issues such as property division, spousal support, and debt allocation in advance, couples can minimize misunderstandings and conflicts that may arise later. This level of foresight is particularly valuable for

individuals entering a marriage with significant assets, business interests, or children from previous relationships. In such cases, pre-nuptial agreements can ensure that these existing responsibilities and assets are safeguarded. If you own any assets prior to marriage or remarriage you should also establish a trust to keep assets separate instead of commingling the assets during marriage. Sometimes without the trust your assets get commingled and therefore you may waive some or all of your rights in the prenuptial agreement. Therefore, we always recommend a trust with a prenuptial agreement. Worst case if prenuptial agreement is not possible then at least do a trust to keep your assets separate during the marriage.

Come to one of our weekly workshops to learn how to protect your assets in all different circumstances during your life and for your beneficiaries after your death.

• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)

• Should I upgrade my Will to a Trust?

• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?

• How do Irrevocable Trusts work?

• How do I protect my assets for my family and legacy?

• How do I remain in control?

• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?

• How can my family avoid probate? March Workshops:

• Medicaid. What’s true and what’s not? Attend our FREE Educational Workshops. Reserve your Spot and Get a FREE Consultation for attending the Workshop (a $500 Value) CODE: herald2023

Brought to you by - Estates Law Center

9AM

Summer Camps

Brought to you by – Dunwoody Preservation Trust

This summer, let your kids “flashback” to a simpler time of good old-fashioned fun and learning at the 1870 Donaldson-Bannister Farm in the heart of Dunwoody!

This summer, we are expanding our programming to enrich the experience for all our new and returning campers. Now your kids have more choices and more reasons to return to camp for multiple weeks.

We are offering six one-week sessions and four ways to Flashback! We’ll have a petting zoo each week and Fridays are always “Water Day!”

Ages 6-12

$380/week/child for camp (9 am to 3 pm)

$150/week/child for extended care (8 am to 5 pm)

For more information go to www. campflashback.org or email kristin@ dunwoodypt.org. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Sponsored Section February 20, 2025 | Dunwoody Crier | 12

Spend your summer at Marist School

Brought to you by – Marist School

This summer, make memories that will last a lifetime at Marist School! With a wide variety of engaging and enriching camps, Marist offers something for everyone, whether your child is looking to learn new skills, develop a passion, or simply have fun.

Our summer camp lineup includes a dynamic mix of options:

• Sports Camps: Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, diving, flag football, football, lacrosse, running, soccer, softball, sports camp, sprint training, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.

• Specialty Camps: Theater, music technology and production, sports medicine, Entertainment

Tonight broadcasting, Sports Center broadcasting, and FCA Sports & Leadership.

• Academic Enrichment: SAT/ACT Boot Camp and Personal Essay StartUp.

• General Fun: Fun Camp designed for a variety of interests.

With full- and half-day sessions offered weekly from June 2 to August 1 , Marist’s camps are open to children ages 5 to 17. Plus, our convenient after-camp care is available until 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, to fit busy schedules.

Don’t wait—visit //marist.com/ summer camps today for more details and to register. Make this summer unforgettable at Marist School!

Atlanta International School

Offering an enriching summer experience full of fun, new friends, and adventures!

Brought to you by – Atlanta International School

Summer means just one thing at Atlanta International School (AIS) – and that’s fun! With a fantastic variety of unique camps for children from 4K to Grade 10, beating boredom is guaranteed! Designed to exercise both young minds and bodies during the summer months, we have a camp to suit everyone.

The school hosts over 90 camps, across its Buckhead Campus, and now for the second year, at its new Sandy Springs location.

AIS Sandy Springs is the perfect place to enjoy friendship and fun. Set in 25 acres of beautiful natural woodland on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, campers get to experience the outdoors and enjoy the newly renovated campus facilities.

Depending on the age of the student, the camps offered at Sandy Springs are:

Art Meets Science, Bulls and Bears Camp, Chess, Chicos on Stage, Cosplay – Character Fashion, Digital Creators Academy, Dungeons and Dragons Camp, Filmmaking, Islandmon, LEGO Robotics: Power Machines, LEGO Robotics – Remote Control Mania, Model UN Camp, No-Sew Design Camp, Read All About It,

Slimetopia 2, Sports Play, Sports Play Party, STEAMtank Entrepreneurs, STEAMWarts, Stop Motion Camp, Sustainable Eco-Fashion Design Camp, Video Game Design and Coding Camp, and an awesome Wilderness Survival Camp!

And at the school’s Buckhead Campus, students can explore language camps - in Chinese, French, German, Spanish, and English. Or how about Tinkering, Engineering, Multi Sports, Music Video Production, Basketball, or Cheerleading? There is a vast range of camps which means there is truly something for everyone!

AIS Camps run from June 2nd - July 25th, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Free early drop-off is available from 8 a.m., and we also have Stay and Play from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for $25 a day.

Find detailed descriptions of each camp and register at www.aischool.org/ summercamps.

AIS Sandy Springs Campus: 1701 Brandon Hall Drive, Sandy Springs, GA. 30350

AIS Buckhead Campus: 2890 North Fulton Drive, Atlanta, GA. 30305

If you have any questions, please contact adriana.quispe-mesia@aischool.org. We look forward to making your child’s summer special!

A Place to Thrive this

Sandy Springs Campus | Grade 3 - 10

Enjoy over 90 fun camps including arts, science, coding, drones, chess, and more.

Buckhead Campus | 4K - Grade 10 Register for camps today!

Verizon FanFest parties at State Farm Arena

ATLANTA — This year for the Super Bowl, Verizon replaced a nationwide commercial with expanding into local markets and emphasizing providing a Super Bowl experience to their customers.

With the help of several of their partners, including the NFL, Verizon joined their sponsors to provide a new and unique experience in 30 cities across the country.

Verizon’s Atlantic South retail vice president Shawn Alexander said they wanted to do something different this year.

“This is really about the experience and connecting with our customer base and fans that love the NFL,” she said. “We wanted to get as close to a big Super Bowl party that you could get.”

Three-time Pro Bowler, former Falcons running back and current Falcons minority owner Warrick Dunn took pictures with dozens of attendees at the party.

What meant the most to him was

Jahi

being there to help create memories for fans.

“It’s the relationships that we build in life that really impact us,” Dunn said.

“To me, you’ve gotta meet [people] where they’re at, and this is a great opportunity to actually do that and create memories today.”

Falcons linebacker Matt Judon said he was happy to get the call asking him to attend Fan Fest. He also complimented the Falcons’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, Grady Jarrett.

“It’s a cool award to have around the league,” he said. “It makes us be competitive in giving, how much we can not think about ourselves.”

Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III explained how the city’s support has been vital to his first year with the Falcons. He said he was excited to give back to a community that’s embraced him.

“This is a fan-driven league,” he said. “Being involved with the fans, being involved with the community is big for me. When our kids can touch, feel and see what their dreams look like I think it’s big for them.”

Fellow wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge agreed that being there for the fans has been a highlight of his time in Atlanta.

“The love they have for me, I love them just as much,” he said. “I love the fan base, all the people. Love when they come out and have a good time.”

Innovation Academy girls win fencing championship for second straight year

ALPHARETTA, Ga — FCS Innovation Academy hosted the Georgia High School Fencing League Championship Feb. 8 and took home gold in girls team play for the second year in a row.

The final was a rematch of the previous year but this time on the academy’s home turf. Lambert High School was runner-up for the second straight season after taking first in 2023.

Boasting 97 fencers, Innovation Academy’s team is one of the biggest in the nation.

League Chairman Kathy Vail said Georgia ranks third in the nation with about 400 fencers in their 20th season.

“It’s a lifetime sport,” she said. “One of the things I like about the high school league is it gives more kids a chance to be a high school athlete.”

Innovation Academy Head Coach Bill Donges said 40-50 fencers join the team each year.

“(About) 90% of new participants have not fenced before. It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “It gives kids on my team a chance to succeed in a sport, and it’s huge for the community here.”

Team Captain Yuchen Fan said fencing “is IA culture.”

Assistant Coach Becca Han agreed.

Han said she returns to Alpharetta from Georgia Tech in order to stay

connected with an organization that has added immense value to her life.

“I gained almost all my best friends through the team,” Han said. “Coach Bill recognizes every small achievement. It really makes you feel accomplished.”

Innovation Academy took third in the boys final. The championship saw Pope High School triumph over Johns Creek High School.

Pope Head Coach David Eichler said seeing his team rise to the occasion

was the best way to close out his career before retiring this year.

“They fenced better than I have ever seen them fence before,” he said. “I could not be more proud of my team. They worked so hard this year.”

ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
“Deuce” Fields Jr. plays with a football aiming game before the big game starts at the Verizon Fan Fest at State Farm Arena Feb. 9
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
From left, FCS Innovation Academy fencers Claire Wang, Anna Donges, Catherine Rafferty and Emma Cheng celebrate taking first place at the Georgia High School Fencing League championship held at FCS Innovation Academy Feb. 8. The quartet beat Lambert High School 45-31 for the title.

Community, law enforcement mourn fallen Roswell officer

ROSWELL, Ga. — Crowds gathered along the road to watch the vehicle processional and remember the life of Roswell Police Officer Jeremy Labonte during the afternoon of Feb. 12.

Despite the cold rain, community members rallied with their umbrellas and American flags to pay their respects for Labonte.

Police cars from cities across the state drove along the route. Cities as far as Milledgeville to Ellijay were included, as well as vehicles from the United States Customs and Border Protection, National Parks Service and the Georgia State Patrol.

The processional lasted a little under an hour and consisted of over 100 vehicles, beginning their journey at Lebanon Baptist Church. They made their way down Crabapple Road, Canton Street, Atlanta Street and Mimosa Boulevard, with community members watching from the sidewalks. The processional ended at Roswell United Methodist Church, where the funeral service was held at 3 p.m.

Paving:

Continued from Page 1

A livestream of the funeral was provided to the public on www.roswellgov.com/ FuneralService.

Roswell Police Chief James Conroy spoke at the funeral where he provided words to those in attendance about the impact Ofc. Labonte made.

“If you look around you are surrounded by love,” Conroy said.

Community members, which have “overwhelmed” the police department with support, are encouraged to donate to the Labonte family on the Friends of Roswell Police Foundation PayPal.

At a press briefing on Monday, Feb. 10, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson addressed the public about the city’s efforts to honor Ofc. Labonte.

“Officer Labonte dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of Roswell, and now we come together to honor him,” Wilson said.

A private burial service for friends and family will take place on Thursday, Feb. 13.

“What we’re doing, I think is small really, in comparison to the sacrifice that this young man made for our city,” Wilson said.

The plan this year is to resurface just over 10 miles of pavement on 28 streets and to perform crack sealing and patching on another other five previously paved streets. Most of the scheduled patchwork is along the city’s busier corridors throughout neighborhoods and Central Perimeter.

Work crews start repaving over the summer, typically in mid-May, because higher temperatures make laying asphalt more efficient.

Last year, the city spent just over $3 million, with more than $1 million from the Georgia Department of Transportation, to resurface 13 miles and the Dunwoody Cultural Arts Center parking lot.

In a memo, city staff said Stewart Brothers submitted the lowest bid for the work this year at around $2,490,000 with a 10 percent contingency. Staff said the total funding in the program is just under $3.3 million, including a $500,000 grant from the state.

There may be around $450,000

A procession of more than 100 vehicles roll past crowds lining streets in Roswell to honor Police Officer Jeremy Labonte Feb. 12. Residents braved rain and cold temperatures to pay their respects to the officer who was shot and killed while responding to a suspicious person Feb. 7 at a Market Boulevard shopping center.

left over once the scope of work is complete.

Public Works Director Michael Smith said the funds could be spent on additional segments but will mostly likely be rolled over into future years. Because of the city’s five-year plan, Smith said the department wants to make sure streets scheduled in future years are completed with residents and property owners expecting a resurfacing.

“It’s been a few years, but [Stewart Brothers] have done paving for us before,” he said. “They did a good job, and we’re familiar with them.”

The city received eight proposals on its request for a contractor. Smith said it’s the most the city has received in a while, and project costs have come down. That may be explanation for the city’s excess project funding.

By the end of 2029, Dunwoody plans to complete resurfacing all streets to fulfill its founders’ commitment.

“This is the second year of that plan, and right now we’re on track,” Smith said.

Mayor Lynn Deutsch asked if the city could finish the plan early after hearing this year’s paving plan will

have the city’s paving goal 87 percent complete.

“This year, say roughly 10 lane miles at $2.5 million, so that’s $250,000 a lane mile,” Smith said. “We could maybe do two more lane miles.”

When the city received extra funding from the state’s paving program last year, Smith said his team paved Perimeter Center Parkway.

Smith said some of the city’s main corridors, like North Shallowford Road, are paved more than once over a 20year period. As those repaving come up in the next couple of years, progress toward the goal will slow down.

The city is publishing the street segments scheduled for repaving, sending out fliers before work begins and posting signs notifying the public.

City Councilman Joe Seconder emphasized the importance of keeping the public informed about scheduled work.

After Seconder lobbied for bicycle lanes and reduced lane widths during repaving along North Peachtree Road, City Councilman John Heneghan said he opposed any reductions in front of apartment complexes or Dunwoody Baptist Church.

Heneghan said also the city and

its contractor need to be mindful of students around Peachtree Middle School and cars parked near the Dunwoody North tennis and swim facilities during paving.

In other business, Mayor Deutsch swore in Officer John Rose, who joins the Dunwoody Police Department after serving across Central Perimeter in Sandy Springs. With the recent hire, the Dunwoody Police Department has seven openings for sworn officers as of Feb. 11.

Dunwoody Police Sgt. Michael Cheek, who serves as public information officer, said the department is allotted for 68 sworn officers and it now has 61 on staff.

This summer, the police department had 58 officers.

The good news for the community is that violent crimes and thefts are declining from a pandemic-era high.

While armed robberies and motor vehicle thefts have increased some, the 2023-24 crime comparison shows others like burglary, shoplifting and aggravated assault are down.

Arrests related to narcotics, driving while under the influence, wanted persons and sexual assault have declined as well.

SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA

Committee recommends no taxes on tips, firearms sales tax holiday

ATLANTA — A Georgia Senate committee unanimously recommended approval of a bill that would remove the taxes on tips for the state's service workers.

Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, told the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday that Senate Bill 2 would return $65 million to $95 million a year to taxpayers.

President Donald Trump said during his campaign that he would remove the tax on tips at the federal level. A

Socks:

Continued from Page 8

he specially picked because of its ability to handle large quantities without skimping on flavor. The smoker is unique because the meat is cooked solely by hickory smoke rather than relying on an extra boost of heat from gas.

Trimmed and smoked daily, the certified Angus beef takes on a rich, juicy texture in the J&R, which also renders the beef’s fat into the butter-like consistency of tallow.

“When you achieve that, you know you’ve done it correctly,” Hartsock said.

The sausage is another source of pride at Socks’. Made in-house, staff make a point of respecting the cows by wasting as little of their meat as possible.

Natural hog casings are filled with brisket trimmings, and Hartsock applies a mathematical precision to their preparation, combining of 30-to-70 ratio of fat to lean beef. The mixture is ground several times and seasoned throughout the process.

Arbor:

Continued from Page 1

To receive recognition, the city must allocate at least $2 per capita for community forestry, host an Arbor

Survey:

Continued from Page 6

Households randomly selected to participate in the survey will receive details in the mail, along with the

bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill that would do so in the U.S. Senate.

Other states, including Arizona and North Carolina, are also considering similar bills.

The committee approved a bill 8-3 that would give an 11-day sales tax holiday for firearms, ammunition, gun safes and related accessories.

Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, proposed the bill last year, but it was not passed.

Some questioned why Anavitarte wanted a sales tax holiday on firearm-

Extra fat is rendered to tallow and saved for sale.

“We’re not wasting money,” he said. “We’re not wasting meat. We’re not wasting this animal’s life.”

After the sausages are stuffed, they are dried and then smoked.

Hartsock said he has applied that same attention to detail to the menu’s sides, which include macaroni and cheese, collard greens, Frito chili pie, beans and creamed corn.

For example, the collards are made with Korean gochujang, fish sauce, soy sauce and other ingredients to impart a rich savoriness. The mac and cheese has an “ultra creamy” and “ultra cheesy” flavor and texture that makes it simply the “best mac and cheese you’ve ever had,” he said.

While many places do barbecue well, it’s entirely different to do it with excellence, Hartsock said. That guiding principle has led Hartsock to critical acclaim, a healthy business and personal satisfaction.

“It’s a ton of work,” Hartsock said. “But it’s why we can exist and be successful with a competitor just a half a mile down the road.”

related items and not other products, such as baby care items.

Anavitarte said the bill is about weapons used by sportsmen.

"This doesn't proactively promote, you know, people to go carry weapons," Anavitarte said. "The bigger picture picture, being stewards of the outdoors is why I care about it."

Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, said the same argument about doing it for those who love the outdoors could be made for removing taxes on fishing or mountain climbing equipment.

"It's an insubstantial argument, if

you'll pardon my language, that makes this stand out other than if you want to send some sort of atta-boy to people that have very strong reactions when we do anything about gun safety around here," Orrock said.

"If it gets you to 'yes' to vote for this bill then we do want to add fishing items or anything like that," Anavitarte replied.

The committee agreed to sunset the sales tax holiday after five years.

The bill would return $1.3 million on the "low end" and $3 million on the "high end" to the taxpayers, Anavitarte said.

Brisket is smoked for 14 hours at Socks’ Love Barbecue in Cumming. Owner Stephen Hartsock opened the establishment on Buford Road in 2018.

Socks’ Love Barbecue is open at 1050 Buford Highway in Cumming 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

To browse their products, visit socksloverub.com. To learn more about the restaurant, visit sockslovebrands.com.

Day observance, enforce a tree-care ordinance and maintain a city board focused on canopy.

“Tree City USA communities experience firsthand the benefits of a thriving urban forest,” Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe said. “Dunwoody’s commitment ensures

incentive to earn a gift card of $20 or more, based on household size, if chosen to opt-in.

The survey will ask the household to document travel for household members on an assigned day given by the Federal Highway Administration. Documentation should include time

that future generations will continue to enjoy these benefits for years to come.”

Since 2013, the city has partnered with Trees Atlanta and local volunteers to plant more than 2,000 trees, including 100 trees during this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of

of day, mode of transportation, purpose of the trip and who they were traveling with. It is also important to note whether those who travelled were driving, walking, jogging, bicycling or using the transit.

A second survey, consisting of 9,000 households is planned to be

Service.

Also, for the third consecutive year, Dunwoody is participating in the front yard tree planting Program, a Trees Atlanta initiative that offers free shade tree plantings to residents.

conducted in 2025 through 2026, to provide an additional set of data for planning efforts.

“This survey will inform regional transportation planning efforts for years to come,” Orr said.

STEVEN HARTSOCK/PROVIDED

Corn shucking (separating the husk from the ear of corn) was labor intensive task requiring a group effort. In this 1932 photo the extended Bell family and neighboring farmers are gathered at the Albert Bell farm on Rogers Bridge Road. For generations the Bells farmed the land that includes today’s Cauley Creek Park.

PRESERVING THE PAST

Shakerag – A delightful community with a curious name

Shakerag is a historic community in Johns Creek dating back to the early 1800s. Parts of the community are in Forsyth County and parts are in Fulton County. It was originally called Sheltonville in honor of the pioneer family of Vardy Shelton. It changed its name to Shakerag sometime in the 1880s. The other most noteworthy historic communities in Johns Creek are Ocee, Warsaw, and Newtown.

Shakerag has many claims to fame, like its gold rush. After the famous Dahlonega gold rush in the 1830s gold was discovered in Sheltonville in the early 1840s when a resident, Mrs. Campbell, found a shiny yellow object in the dirt. A new small-scale gold rush was the result. Shafts were dug and a stamp mill was set up to crush ore. Later, surface, or placer gold mining took place especially along Cowpen Creek where a gold-rich vein of milky quartz existed. About 1849 when the gold was hard to find many miners left the area for California. Some remained and became permanent residents. There are several stories about how Shakerag got its odd name. One claims that in the old days people would shake white cloths, or rags, in the air

to stop trains when they wanted to ride. The problem with that tale is that there were no trains in Shakerag says noted historian Charlie Boyd a lifelong resident of the community.

More likely the name derives from a fistfight described in a booklet written by the Sheltonville-Shakerag Community Club in 1962. According that that story, two disheveled miners got into a fight in a local store. Their ragged clothes flapped wildly as they fought. Observers broke up the scuffle. The store owner told the brawlers to leave and shake their rags elsewhere and a town name was born.

Charlie Boyd believes the fight story is the most credible and that a fight most likely occurred on a Saturday afternoon when people gathered to buy essentials such as coffee, tea, tobacco, corn meal and shortening. “Most of the stores I went to in my youth had one wall of canned goods, sometimes some bartered goods from local farms, but mostly just the essentials,” says Boyd.

As in most communities farming was the main economic activity. Cotton, as they say, was king. Charlie was raised on small farm near a 1700-acre farm owned by the Findley brothers. Charlie’s father was a sharecropper who, like many others, had a small plot of land and worked part time for a large farmer. “The large farms sustained the small farmers,” Charlie says. In the 1980s a technology park was developed

where the Findleys farmed.

“My parents lacked education but required all their children to get an education. If we got in trouble at school we got a good whipping at home,” Charlie recalls.

At the time, Shakerag consisted of a few large farms and no more than 40 small sharecropper houses. Charlie says that when harvesting came, information was posted at the local store and sharecroppers and the entire community would work. “If you arrived early, you could get the most productive rows of cotton, butterbeans or whatever was being harvested and make more money since workers were paid by the pound.”

The gold rush stimulated the local economy. A post office was opened in Sheltonville in 1848 and remained in operation until 1907 when rural free mail delivery began. Over time several general stores, a sawmill, a cotton gin, a grist mill, a blacksmith shop and a shoemaker were started. Ferry service across the Chattahoochee River was fairly common in the early 1800’s. The first bridge in across the Chattahoochee River was completed in 1907 near the McGinnis Ferry operation. The bridge ended the need for the McGinnis Ferry after 80 years of service. In the 19th century schools and churches were built, however, by the early 1960s there were still only two paved roads in the community.

In 1864, Shakerag was the site of a brief Civil War skirmish when eight Confederate soldiers of the 8th Texas Calvery were in the area to scout river crossings. They were spotted by a strong group of Federal Calvery riding down McGinnis Ferry Road. Two Texans were shot while the rest escaped. Sam Street, a blacksmith, was killed and buried in Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. George Zimpelman was shot in the chest but was nursed back to health at the home of Henry and Luisa Rogers. He later became a successful businessman in Austin, Texas.

The Shakerag Hounds fox hunt, the oldest recognized hunt in Georgia, played a significant role in Shakerag’s history. Founded in 1943 it has had several homes. From 1948 to the to the late1980s it was located near McGinnis Ferry and Medlock Bridge roads in Shakerag. Charlie remembers the excitement the hunts generated among the children of the community.

Special thanks to Joan Compton, President of the Johns Creek Historical Society for her help and for connecting me with Charlie Boyd.

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.

BOB MEYERS Columnist
JOHNS CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHIVES COURTESY OF JAN BELL WEBSTER AND WOODY BELL

Don’t be hoodwinked by sloppy headlines

A reader emailed recently to point out a couple of grammatical errors in an article we published.

We are always on guard to ensure that what we publish is correct, and correctly presented. That includes grammar.

Another thing we do is write headlines. You don’t hear much about that. It’s not as simple as snatching a few words from the story and slapping them across the top.

A good headline should encase the “news” of the story. The headline writer must read the story, understand its essence.

It is an art I strive to master. Not long ago, there were rules for writing headlines, practices refined over centuries. The skills were born through a collaboration between writers and printers, a shotgun marriage of intellect and artisanship.

Back in the day, we were taught that if a headline has more than one line, each line should extend roughly the same length, filling the entire column. Printers understood that lines of equal length lines in a headline created a visually pleasing symmetry.

We had to learn character measures for each letter of the alphabet. For example, an “a” counted as 1, an “f” was ½, a “w” counted as 1½. Each column of a newspaper page allowed only so many characters of a certain type size. Large headlines allowed fewer characters than small headlines.

The goal was to make the words on each line fill the available width.

You had to calculate it in your head. Over time, you got good at it – not always perfect, but close.

That was decades before pagination software. Now, you can look at a computer screen to see how well your words fit each line.

DEATH NOTICES

David Byrd, 46, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 20, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

William Corder, 74, of Roswell, passed away on January 31, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Attracting the eye and mind

I learned rules governing newspaper presentation by reading books on typography and attending seminars on page design. My best teacher, though, was watching seasoned printers, mostly old timers who approached their work as the craft that it is.

From hot lead to the advent of photocopy cold type in the 1970s, these artisans took their profession seriously. A certified printer had to complete an apprenticeship – sometimes up to seven years.

Editors are not printers, but they should acquaint themselves with the craft.

Before computers allowed them to assemble pages on a screen, editors depended on printers. Editors drew a mockup – called a “dummy” – on a sheet of graph paper, which told the printer where to paste strips of type onto a full-scale cardboard sheet. The mockup told the printer where to place everything, including the dimensions of a photo, the space to allow for a headline and such.

If a story ran too long, the editor stepped forward with a blue highlighter to mark cuts – maybe the last sentence in a paragraph or a paragraph at the bottom.

Using a blade, the printer sliced out the highlighted portions, then adjusted the remaining pieces. If the story came up a line or two short, the printer would slice between the last few paragraphs and arrange the pieces evenly to make the gaps uniform. Only printers were allowed to touch the type and the board.

Smart editors marked cuts, kept their mouths shut and let printers do their job.

Smart editors had college degrees and wore ties, but they knew who the boss was during page production. Ideally, each respected the other.

The computer age and cheating Computer pagination has replaced

Brian Pressnall, 54, of Roswell, passed away on January 25, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Cheryl Reese, 77, of Roswell, passed away on January 31, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

many printers. You don’t see them anymore. I married one, so there is that. And yes, I often keep my mouth shut around her, too.

But, it is sad to see the craftsmanship involved in newspapering fade.

I blame sloppy online news services for much of this, mainly because the people running them never learned the basics of what printers knew – how to appreciate readers, how the eye moves across a page, the perfect width for a line of type before the reader’s eyes tire.

(There’s an old printer’s formula for the proper length of a line of type: It’s roughly 1½ times the point size of the type, expressed in picas. A pica equals about 1/6 of an inch. So, if you’re using standard 10-point body type, you should limit the line length to 15 picas – about 2 ¼ inches.)

Sloppy online news services also cheat. They deceive in content and presentation.

They steal stories from television interviews. They also cheat when writing headlines.

Whether through incompetence or deliberate deception, their headlines do the opposite of what they’re supposed to do – tell the “news” of the story.

One telltale sign that you’re being had is when you see the words “this” or “these” in a headline.

Here's one from a broadcast news organization’s website:

“If you’re not doing this, experts say your pipes could burst during winter storm”

Click on the story, and five paragraphs in, you’ll find that the ”this” referred to in the headline is to leave a faucet dripping overnight.

Shocker!

A decent editor, one who respects readers, would have written: Plumbing experts say leave faucet dripping to avoid frozen pipes Not rocket science. It tells the story

James Robertson, 43, of Roswell, passed away on January 20, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Charles Stoyer, 92, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 24, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

in a nutshell – and all three lines are roughly the same length.

Remember, when you see the word “this” in a headline, you’ll hit a paywall that charges you valuable time.

Another scurrilous practice is to make outrageous claims in a headline without specifics. Many sports websites do this.

“College football world outraged at late-game penalty”

I follow college football. I’m in the world. Why am I not already outraged? Did East Carolina get robbed by Temple?

Dear readers, these phony news websites are a sham. They are the stranger standing on your doorstep with both hands behind his back. Do you open the door?

Be smart. Good headlines tell you that the writer appreciates your time.

RE:

Parcel ID 18 349 05 002 125 Perimeter Center West Atlanta, GA 30346

To Whom It May Concern:

Zaxby’s Properties LLC is seeking a Special Land Use Permit from the City of Dunwoody to construct a Zaxby’s restaurant with drive-through.

Please accept this written notice of an applicant-initiated meeting scheduled Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Ashford Lane to discuss the scope of project.

4530 Olde Perimeter Way Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30346

Should you have any questions, please contact Jessica Hood at <jessica@carterengineering.com>.

Edward Wegener, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 23, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

PAT FOX Managing Editor pat@appenmedia.com

Communications and Marketing Manager NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Communications and Marketing Manager position. The Communications and Marketing Manager is responsible for helping raise awareness of North Fulton Community Charities and its programs and services. One of the primary responsibilities of this role is to create internal and external communications and marketing materials to promote NFCC’s overall mission.

The Manager will manage and update multiple channels including social media, email, websites, newsletters, presentations, and video. Proficiency in WordPress, Microsoft Office, and Canva are required and experience with Salesforce or other CRM and Pardot/Account Engagement a plus.

If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org

To place a classified ad, email classifieds@appenmedia.com

Deadline is Thursdays by 4pm

Newspaper Delivery Route Openings with Appen Media Group

have

For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.