Dunwoody officials consider public feedback on land use
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council got a taste of the city’s approach to land use Jan. 27 from the perspectives of the people in charge.
While the Community Development Department manages
planning, land development, construction and code compliance, the Economic Development Department works to attract new and retain existing companies and promote favorable business policies. The departments’ priorities overlap with emphases on improving quality of life for residents, generating community engagement and investing
City adds defibrillators to its four busiest parks
DUNWOODY, Ga. —Dunwoody has installed SaveStations, public-facing cabinets equipped with life-saving Automated External Defibrillators, at four locations around the city.
In the Jan. 28 announcement, the city says it’s the first in Metro Atlanta to set up the AED housing stations in public parks.
The SaveStations are in the city’s busiest parks like Two Bridges, Pernoshal and Brook Run, which has one at the multi-use fields and another by the playground.
The devices are designed to provide immediate assistance in the event of cardiac emergencies.
When the cabinet is opened, an alarm sounds, and while
emergency dispatchers are notified, it’s also critical to call 911 immediately.
Dunwoody Police Chief Mike Carlson said it’s best to call 911 first, start CPR and then send someone to retrieve an AED from a nearby SaveStation. He said the steps can make all the difference in an emergency.
The AED provides clear, audible instructions and includes visual diagrams to guide users through the process, so no training is needed. Once the pads are applied, the AED evaluates the patient’s heart rhythm and administers a shock only if necessary, ensuring safe and
in infrastructure.
Every five years, Dunwoody must update its vision for the future, or comprehensive plan, to guide decisions about land use, transportation, housing and infrastructure.
Dunwoody kicked off the twoyear process to develop a new Comprehensive Plan and Unified
Development Ordinance, or code rewrite, last summer with consultants from TSW, Kimley-Horn and Code Studio.
The city says it is working on both at the same time because the processes, dubbed “Direction Dunwoody,” are complimentary.
See FEEDBACK, Page 8
Dunwoody Police Sgt. Michael Cheek tests out a SaveStation, designed to provide immediate assistance in the event of cardiac emergencies, at the Brook Run Park playground. The recently installed SaveStations are also at Two Bridges Park, Pernoshal Park and the Brook Run multi-use fields.
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Officers arrest driver in reported stolen vehicle
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Police arrested a 41-year-old Dunwoody man Jan. 26 after stopping his vehicle along Ashford Dunwoody Road and discovering it was reported stolen out of Sandy Springs.
An officer said he noticed a Dodge Durango with what appeared to be a faux license plate, then confirmed it was not valid. After initiating a traffic stop, he said the driver was unable to provide documentation showing his ownership of the vehicle.
Officers said there were two passengers in the car, a 41-year-old man and 33-year-old woman. The female passenger was later found with 6 grams of marijuana and issued a citation.
The driver and male suspect said the vehicle belonged to his friend and provided a sale document with its identification number.
After officers were unable to confirm the vehicle identification number with stickers inside the car, they checked crime databases and discovered the vehicle was stolen out of Sandy Springs.
The male driver had no active warrants, but a record of him driving a stolen vehicle in Dunwoody before the incident led officers to call for backup.
After being detained, the suspect gave officers the name of his friend and a phone number.
Officers said they found multiple identification numbers on stickers throughout the car, which either traced back to random vehicles or the one reported stolen out of Sandy Springs.
Officers secured warrants for theft by receiving stolen property and two charges for misidentifying a vehicle, then transported the male suspect to DeKalb County Jail.
Later, officers said they discovered that the key fob was a skeleton key programmed to break into vehicles.
— Hayden Sumlin Mableton man arrested for using fake ID at bank
DUNWOODY,
Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 27-year-old Mableton man Jan. 23 after he was detained for using a fake identification at the Synovus Bank off Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
Bank employees said the suspect came in to open a bank account with a Texas driver’s license and proof of an address in Atlanta, but they were unable to proceed without his Social Security card.
A bank employee said he verified the license was invalid with authorities in Texas.
Officers questioned the suspect, who said he purchased the fake documents from a friend and wished to speak to a lawyer. Officers said the suspect told them he doesn’t have good credit and knew what he did as wrong.
Later, an officer said a search of the Texas driver’s license returned to a deceased female, and the other information on the card did not match.
After finding a handgun and 6 grams of marijuana in the suspect’s possession, officers charged him with identity fraud, forgery of a financial transaction card, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of marijuana, less 1 ounce.
Officers transported him to DeKalb County Jail where he was bonded out Jan. 26.
— Hayden Sumlin
Police search for thief who stole woman’s wallet
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police helped a 32-year-old Woodstock woman confirm that a thief stole her wallet Jan. 25 inside the Windsor Store at Perimeter Mall.
The victim said she attempted to have store employees check security footage, but they told her she would have to call police to review the recording.
When mall security reviewed the footage, they said there was no evidence anyone removed her wallet from her purse.
An officer said he reviewed a video of the incident and saw an elderly woman watching the victim, following her throughout the store and clearly removing the victim’s $1,300 Louis Vuitton wallet.
The victim told the officer that her wallet contained multiple credit cards and identification cards, and she would like to prosecute if the suspect is identified and caught.
— Hayden Sumlin
Haim Haviv Owner
Movie theater made splash at Perimeter Mall in 1973
If you lived anywhere near Perimeter Mall before 2000, you may recall that there was a movie theater in the parking lot of the mall. It was a separate building adjacent to Ashford Dunwoody Road. I-285 was completed in 1969, Perimeter Mall opened Aug. 11, 1971, and the Perimeter Mall General Cinema triplex opened in December 1973. The theater held 1,700 people. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 23, 1973, “Perimeter Mall Gets 3 Theaters”)
The first movies shown were “The Way We Were” with Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford, “The Laughing Policeman” starring Walter Matthau and “The Seven-Ups” with Roy Scheider.
Ned Hastings, who grew up in Sandy Springs, shared his memories of the Perimeter Mall theater. Hastings went to North Springs High School and remembers Perimeter Mall theater showed first-run movies. It was the place to go for high school kids, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
“On Friday and Saturday nights, that theater would be packed, and we’d always bump into packs of kids from school,” Hastings recalled. “If you were there on a date, the whole school would know about it by Monday morning. The lobby was all glass, so you could drive by and see if it was crowded or not.”
He also remembers during this time going to theaters in Roswell and
in Sandy Springs at North Springs Shopping Center and at Cinema 285 at Roswell Road and Hammond Drive. North Springs was a dollar theater. Cinema 285 opened in 1971
in the Grant City Shopping Center. The shopping center later became Hammond Square, and the theater was Hammond Square Cinema before closing in 1977.
Hastings graduated from North Springs in 1984 but continued to go the Perimeter Mall Theater during college. He also worked at the mall between 1985 and 1988.
He remembers seeing “The Right Stuff” two times at Perimeter Mall Theater and the film “Platoon.”
Hastings does not think “Star Wars” played at Perimeter Mall Theater in 1977. ‘“Star Wars’ didn’t make its way to the Atlanta market until late June or July of 1977.” The film was intended to show only in theaters that could accommodate Dolby sound. “Star Wars” played at the Weis Doraville Theater on Buford Highway and three other Atlanta theaters in July 1977, although “None of the four theaters showing ‘Star Wars’ is equipped with Dolby paraphernalia.” (Atlanta Journal and Constitution, July 24, 1977, “Star Wars doing heavenly”)
Ned remembers Perimeter Mall
Theater started out with three screens and was later converted to four screens. According to cinematreasures. org, the middle of the three theaters was divided into two by General Cinema, resulting in four small theaters.
Perimeter Mall Theater also had midnight movies showing in the 1980s. In May 1984, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” was on the bill for midnight along with “Ziggy Stardust,” “Risky Business” and “Kentucky Fried Movie.” (Atlanta Constitution, May 11, 1984)
General Cinema filed for bankruptcy in 2000, and Perimeter Mall Theater closed that same year. The opening of United Artists Perimeter Pointe 10 in 1995 likely contributed to the downfall of Perimeter Mall Theater. Eight, 10, 12 and 14 multiplex theaters were opening all around Atlanta.
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.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
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Enjoy the crossword? Help Stretch
Stan James, 84, has made the crossword puzzles of the Herald and Crier papers for years. Recently one of his dachshunds tragically passed away following a minor surgery. Now Stan’s other dachshund, Stretch, is facing a medical challenge of his own. Stan and his wife Kathi, 77, are trying to raise funds to pay for treatment. If you have enjoyed this paper’s puzzles or simply want to share some kindness, consider lending a hand during the James’ time of need. Visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-stretch-get-urgent-dental-care or, for a shorter web address, www.shorturl.at/wf1fG.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Performing Arts Center redesigns online platform
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — As a part of its ongoing efforts to enhance its brand and offerings, the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center launched a new website Jan. 28.
The redesigned website, SandySpringsPAC.com, is a one-stop shop for information about the Performing Arts Center’s facilities, including Byers Theatre, Studio Theatre, Conference Center and CityBar & Café.
It also serves as the exclusive authorized platform for purchasing tickets to presented performances. Previously, the website for the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center was CitySprings.com with more focus on the mixed-use district surrounding the city’s downtown.
Bill Haggett, executive director of the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, said the website represents months of hard work and dedication to elevate patron experiences.
“Our goal is to attract new audiences, increase visibility and further distinguish our venue,” Haggett said. “We invite the community to explore the site, consider becoming a PAC member and stay tuned for announcements about the upcoming season of incredible performances.”
Upcoming performances include stand-up comedian Matt Rife Feb.
The Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center is launching a redesigned website, SandySpringsPAC.com, and transferring over all account information from the previous site, CitySprings.com. There’s no need for a password reset, simply log in and enjoy access to your account.
15 and 22, Season 25 of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Feb. 19-March 6 and “Swan Lake” by the State Ballet of Ukraine Feb. 21.
The website also offers an easy way for residents to purchase a Performing Arts Center membership, which includes exclusive early access to
tickets, special perks and a vibrant arts community. Those interested in booking a venue can also find detailed information on available spaces for weddings, parties, meetings and conferences.
The city says visitors will soon be able to pre-order breakfast or lunch
from CityBar & Café and enjoy engaging content on the website’s blog.
To view the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center on social media, visit facebook.com/sandysprings.pac or instagram.com/sandysprings.pac
— Hayden Sumlin
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While comprehensive plans set a city’s vision and policy, the code implements it. Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan is set for this summer, while the major code write is expected to wrap in fall 2026.
Community Development Director Richard McLeod introduced TSW consultant and community planner Anna Baggett, who reviewed community feedback on the creation of the 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan and code rewrite.
Baggett said her team is currently focused on land use and drafting the new plan after receiving more than 1,000 survey responses and holding several in-person gatherings.
“Residents really love their local centers like Dunwoody Village and Georgetown, and they want to see them grow and thrive,” she said. “But on the same note, they are concerned about retail vacancies, as well as office vacancies, and how that might impact Dunwoody’s local economy.”
Elected officials did not comment on the TSW presentation.
To kick off his fourth quarter update, Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling said the presentations were created separately but go together.
He said economic activity, especially in commercial real estate, is typically slower in the fourth quarter at year’s end. Amid a presidential election, people usually subscribe to the wait-andsee approach.
“We expect our activity both in recruitment and retention meetings to increase in 2025,” Starling said. “We did a presentation to state project managers, that’s the first time we’ve done one since COVID … these are the folks that go out and recruit businesses to the state.”
Starling’s presentation on retail is part of a series of economic development updates related to the city’s commercial real estate stock. Dunwoody’s 4.7 million square feet of retail is 20 percent of the city’s commercial valuation.
The city is focused on commercial real estate because of its concentration in Central Perimeter and potential for tax revenue. Last year, Dunwoody lost some retail tenants like the Walmart at the Perimeter Village Shopping Center.
“I do think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding about our retail market; we have very little vacancy [2.3 percent],” Starling said. “We just have some retail that has been vacant for a very long time, and I think it looks like retail is in trouble … but it’s basically full.”
Retail space in the city is growing a bit because of mixed-use developments like High Street and Campus 244, which attract tenants with walkability, greenspaces and restaurants.
“Perimeter is one of the premier retail markets in the region,” Starling said. “Retail is changing; food and beverage is the new anchor tenant for retail because they want great restaurants that bring people to the centers.”
With shopping moving online, experiences get people out of the house and into the community.
Other market trends indicate that future retail development will be a fraction of the past and centered around mixed-use projects and redeveloping strip centers.
Anna Baggett, community planning associate with consulting firm TSW, walks through community feedback on the city’s 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan and code rewrite last fall. Baggett said residents wanted to invest in the growth of Central Perimeter, create more walkable areas around smaller commercial districts and preserve family-friendly neighborhoods.
“It’s interesting that people talked about walkability,” Starling said. “Pedestrian-oriented, walkable centers are where people want to spend their time.”
The city’s portion of the Perimeter office market is struggling along with the rest of Metro Atlanta. Around a quarter of the space is vacant, Starling said. Around 18 percent of the city’s older stock off Perimeter Center East and Ashwood Parkway may need to be torn down or converted into a mixed-use purpose.
Most of the market trends and growth options in Dunwoody’s Central Perimeter come from the Edge City 2.0 study, representing a crossover between the city’s Community and Economic Development departments.
“As land prices increase and infill continues, we’re going to see a need for more structured parking,” Starling said. “We’re going to start seeing see more and more of our strip shopping centers probably move to a more dense format, so we’re going to lose some of our surface parking.”
Starling said he thinks that is a good thing for the city and its homeowners.
With a looming deficit in the city’s operating budget, more taxpaying commercial properties could help offset revenue coming from residential property owners.
The Edge City 2.0 study identifies community and political pushback to increased density and multi-family housing.
During a May 2022 stakeholder meeting, Mayor Lynn Deutsch told the Advisory Committee that she does not want to close the door on rentals and multi-family like some north Metro Atlanta cities.
Because more than 50 percent of the city already rents, Deutsch said she’s supportive of more ownership opportunities and questioned whether
Economic Development
, front left, gives a quarterly update on commercial real estate in Central Perimeter and the state of the city’s retail stock. Starling told the Dunwoody City Council Jan. 27 that the retail market is strong with a vacancy rate below 3 percent, despite Walmart’s closure at the Perimeter Village Shopping Center.
the city can handle the growth.
Dunwoody residents said the same thing when asked for feedback on the 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan. They are generally onboard with missing middle housing, or less dense multiunit buildings, like cottage courts and townhouses, between commercial areas and residential neighborhoods.
From feedback on economic and community development plans, most elected officials and residents agree the focus should be on neighborhood preservation, community walkability and green space.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED
Director Michael Starling
SaveStations:
Continued from Page 1
effective use.
“SaveStations are essential for saving lives by providing public access to AEDs,” Carlson said. “When it comes to cardiac arrest, every second counts.”
Dunwoody Parks and Recreation
Director Rachel Waldron said she wants the public to be become more aware of AEDs and more comfortable with the idea of using one in an emergency.
City leaders and staff are set to officially unveil the first SaveStation at the Brook Run Park playground Feb. 6 at 11 a.m.
Mayor Lynn Deutsch said she and several council members saw a Save Station demonstration at a conference last year, and they were impressed.
“I’m thrilled that our city manager and staff made it a priority to provide public access to this life-saving technology,” Deutsch said.
To check out a demonstration from Dunwoody Police Sgt. Michael Cheek, visit www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MWdQPsJcYNU.
— Hayden Sumlin
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Beyond the remarkable interiors, Hillandale boasts an array of additional features that enhance the living experience. Homes come with irrigation systems, tankless water heaters, and freestanding tubs, along with charming gas lanterns adorning front patios. The community’s pebbled driveways and sidewalks add to its overall appeal, while the HOA provides front and rear lawn maintenance, allowing residents to enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle.
A convenient location
Hillandale’s location is key and offers unparalleled convenience. Homeowners can easily access a variety of local dining and shopping options. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the nearby Chattahoochee River and its pristine parks, which offer an abundance of recreational activities, from kayaking to biking and walking trails. The Chattahoochee River Nature Preserve, just a short drive away, hosts summer music series and various outdoor events. Roswell is in the top 100 livable cities in the U.S. and ranks among the top 4 safest
places to live in the metro Atlanta area. Families will also benefit from being part of Roswell’s highly acclaimed school system, making Hillandale an ideal choice for any lifestyle.
An award-winning builder
Founded in 1994 by Patrick Malloy, Patrick Malloy Communities brings a wealth of experience and excellence to Metro Atlanta, having developed over 11,000 homesites and sold more than 7,000 homes. The company has received numerous accolades, consistently ranking on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 20 Homebuilder list and winning several Community of the Year awards.
Learn more
If you’re interested in learning more about the final homes available at Hillandale, visit www. PMCommunities.com or call 770-254-5372 to schedule a personal appointment. Patrick Malloy Communities is proudly represented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division. An Equal Housing Opportunity.
PROVIDED
Jodi Halpert #2 Jodi Mekyten
Claudia Huff
Katerina Quinterno
navigate life’s big transitions—buying, selling, or finding your dream home—is an honor. Here’s to another year of connections, achievements, and making dreams come true in 2025!
#6 Mary Ellen Harris #7 Shelley Margulies Gordon #8 Karen Meagher #9 Bob Cleary #10 Casey Riddle
Importance of Trust and one’s health
Reality: Estate planning isn’t just about what happens after you pass away; it’s also crucial for managing your affairs if you become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself. In such cases, documents like a durable power of attorney allow someone you trust to handle your financial matters, while a health care directive or medical power of attorney ensures that your medical decisions are made according to your wishes. A living will further guide decisions on lifesustaining treatment. These tools give you control over your finances, health care, and overall well-being, ensuring that someone you trust steps in when needed, without the need for court intervention. A recent example is Jay
Leno who had to get appointed as a guardian and conservator in probate court over half of his assets in his wife’s name due to her dementia.
Now, Jay Leno must go back to court every year to give a full accounting of their assets and expenditures until his wife passes away so the
court can supervise his expenditures on behalf of his wife. For most this is a nightmare scenario that they never anticipate and complete loss of privacy. Jay Leno and his wife didn’t have a trust, Power of Attorney or Healthcare Directive. If Jay Leno had their assets in a Trust and sufficient Power of Attorney for his wife, he could have avoided the probate process for the rest of his wife’s life. Thus, estate planning helps protect not only your assets after death but also your choices, dignity, and privacy during your lifetime. By dispelling these myths, people can approach estate planning with a clearer understanding of its importance and take the necessary steps to protect their assets and loved ones.
If you’re ready to take control of your future and ensure your wishes are respected in any circumstance, join me for an upcoming workshop on estate planning. We’ll cover the essentials of preparing for both incapacity and the distribution of your assets, so you can make informed decisions today.
• 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?
• Medicaid. What’s true and what’s not?
• 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?
HOLLY GEERDES
PROVIDED
Summer Camps
Camp Flashback
Brought to you by – Dunwoody
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.
Preservation Trust
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!
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!
Where the magic of summer begins
Brought
to you by
– MJCCA Summer Day Camps
At MJCCA Day Camps, campers make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever! The possibilities are endless with our theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for kids in rising Pre-K through 9th grade. Exciting outdoor adventures happen every day at Camp Isidore Alterman, the MJCCA’s traditional camp. In addition to daily swim in our brandnew aquatic center, campers take aim on our archery range, climb to the top of our rock wall, fly on our exhilarating high-ropes course, and canoe on our lake or zip line across it.
Sports camp options include everything from Flag Football, Gymnastics, and Basketball to Tennis, Baseball, Pickleball, and our Sports Adventure Travel Camp. Sports camps span our 52-acre campus, complete with basketball courts; soccer, football, and baseball fields; a gymnastics pavilion; tennis courts; and brand-new 15-court pickleball complex! Plus, we’ve got theme camps for all interests, including magic, cooking, science, art, technology, and even American Ninja Warrior.
Aspiring stars can shine in our dance and performing arts camps, including our drama camps, where campers can experience stagecraft or perform in a full-scale musical production at the MJCCA or our new location at The Weber School.
We also offer a multi-week discount, before-camp and after-camp care, and bus transportation. See all our incredible camp options and register at mjccadaycamps.org!
Visiting the places you don’t want to go
Last time, I asked the all-important outdoor adventurer the question they must ask as the new year comes up to speed: Have you figured out yet where you’re going? We started our year in Germany. I’d always wanted to make that trip. Ever since those first high school German lessons (with … who was it? Fraulein Ballard, maybe?) I’d wanted to visit the Land of Wiener Schnitzel and Eins-Zwei-Drei.
What I had not wanted to do was visit a German concentration camp. I’ve always been pretty definite about that. It was something I had always said that those were places I absolutely did not want to go.
And yet somehow, in just a little while, I will be doing that thing I do not want to do. In less than 20 minutes, I’ll be getting on a bus to Dachau.
History doesn’t go away just because we don’t want to look at it, of course, and I knew that visiting Dachau would surely provide an historical experience like no other. But the prospect of that visit was not without stress. Because of it, I’d been surprisingly distracted the day before, much like one might be distracted on the day before a medical procedure that you know is gonna hurt but that will be worth it in the end. Now, the faint sense of dread ate away at the morning and made me prone to snap at those around me. Anticipatory stress will do that, you know.
Dachau, I’d learned, was the first of the Nazi concentration camps and a model for others to come. Located just outside a village by the same name, the Dachau camp was a project of Heinrich Himmler. It opened in March 1933 as a place to dump Hitler’s political opponents and, eventually, members of other despised groups as well.
Records suggest that over the camp’s 12 years of operation, more than 206,000 prisoners were processed into Dachau. According to the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Holocaust Encyclopedia, historians believe that the death total there was at least 40,000.
It was a terrible thing to be sent to Dachau.
I enter Dachau through the main gate, and my eye catches a bit of German worked into the gate’s metal grating. It reads, “Arbeit macht frei” – roughly, “Work will set you free.” What an empty promise that turned out to be.
I pause to photograph those words.
The main gate at Dachau concentration camp.
Did they offer hope to some of those imprisoned there? And I wonder about the artisan who crafted that gate, shaping the words from pieces of cold, raw iron. Did he wonder about them too? Did he give them even a thought?
We think what we want to believe, don’t we?
Yeah. Right. Or maybe, when it’s expedient, we’re prone not to think at all.
I walk on, stepping through a door that brings me face to face with Dachau reality. There are exhibits in German and in English, clean and concise and chillingly direct. There are panels of text. One explains how prisoners were hung from the ceiling by their wrists as punishment for the least little thing…or sometimes just because.
There are photos, some showing way more detail that I want, but I am there and see them I must.
There is a bench upon which prisoners were beaten with rods, along with one of the rods used to administer those beatings.
There are accounts of medical experiments, some illustrated with realtime photos. What kind of person would take such photos? Maybe a regular person who had gotten caught up in things and somehow quit asking “why?” but instead just went along?
There are personal effects which were once held dear. One, a photo of someone’s sweetheart, haunts me still.
There are whispers in the corners, and the words they mutter are not sweet. Who were the prisoners who ended up here, and what had they done? Their crimes, it seems, were to voice opinion, to bear a certain ethnicity, or to hold to a certain belief. There were among them some Jehovah’s Witnesses, arrested and sent to Dachau simply because they would not salute. Like the others, they
had been declared undesirable. That was all it took.
Soon, I walk through one of the barracks buildings where those prisoners would have been housed. I imagine hundreds of people squeezed in, wanting out, hopeless in that hope. Soon enough, they would have come to realize that work was not going to help them, no matter what the sign on the gate had to say.
What became of the prisoners? Some simply died. Some were killed by guards, while others simply took their own lives one way or another. Some would dash into the forbidden zones, seeing a quick way out, knowing they would draw rifle fire from the towers and that in the storm of bullets they would surely die. That is horrible to consider, but for some, it was better than even one more day of Dachau status quo.
The towers still stand, but the guards are gone. It’s safe now to step into the killing lane, and I do. The wind blows. I hear more echoes. They are mournful.
I move on. It’s cold, and I snug up my scarf. I do not like the biting wind.
But the part of it all that I dread the most – the part that I was so determined to avoid at all costs – still awaits ahead.
As if acting on their own, my feet carry me through the barracks area, past old foundations (they seem to go on forever) and then onto a gravel path which angles away to the left. The path crosses a fast-flowing stream. Incredibly, a voice from some corner of my mind asks if there might be fish there. But that voice is immediately hushed by others. Pay attention, they say. Pay attention to what you are seeing. So you don’t forget…
The camp’s gas chamber is now just ahead.
Just as I’d said I’d never visit a concentration camp, I’d always said I would never walk through one of those
chambers. But I’m drawn by an odd compulsion that says I must see now so I will remember later, a voice that says I –we – must not forget.
The Dachau gas chamber, constructed in 1942, is located in a long, narrow building at the far back corner of the public portion of the site. According to the audio, official reports suggest that it was never used.
“But of course,” adds the anonymous voice, “that doesn’t say that it was not tested.” No one seems to know for sure.
The killing chamber itself was near the middle of the building. Prisoners would have entered from the left, passing eventually into a prep room where they would strip naked. Then they would have entered what appeared to be a shower. Fake shower heads in the ceiling were designed to assuage doubts and overcome reluctance.
Once the room was full, the doors would have been closed.
I spend a moment looking at one of those doors. It is strong, and the seal and latching mechanisms seem solid. Somewhere, some engineer was no doubt proud of his design. After all, he had been told it was okay. Could he have known?
Standing there, it is not hard to imagine what it would have been like, waiting for a long-anticipated shower. How eager we are to believe! But the water would have never come. Instead, portals in the outside walls would have opened, and buckets of pelletized Zyklon B, a cyanide-based pesticide, would have been poured in. The deadly pellets would have then begun their work, releasing hydrogen cyanide. Within 20 minutes, everyone in the room would have been dead.
Exiting the chamber brings me into another room, this one longer than the last. Along one side are red brick ovens – crematories – where bodies could be reduced to ash. They are solid, workmanlike, efficient.
I walk past the ovens, but I shy away and edge toward the outside wall.
And then, there is the door, and the outside, and sun and sky. The worst is over.
I make my way back to the bus, walking slowly. I pause now and then to take a photo.
And I ask myself a question: Why preserve a place like Dachau? Why not erase it from the face of the earth?
Writers can ask questions, and so I ask that one. The answer I get is this:
“We do not preserve it so we can remember,” I was told in in accented English. “We preserve it to make sure you don’t forget.”
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
How is your appetite for local news?
Research is vital part of Appen Media reporting
Most of the stories from our newsroom are not just regurgitations of press releases and conferences.
When covering city council meetings, Appen reporters parse through agenda packets that can number hundreds of pages. While writing about the sale of a commercial office building, staff may pull vacancy data from the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Most of these documents are not directly cited. They serve to inform our reporters about the topic at hand or to fact check a quote. A 500-word story may be built upon hundreds of pages of text or thousands of datapoints in a spreadsheet.
Smart newsrooms expect only a short window of attention from readers. Successful ones make it count. It’s our job to distill volumes of information and present to you a summary of the most important morsels.
During that process, reporters gather a lot of documents, and most don’t
see the light of day. I’m interested in changing that percentage.
Making source material more accessible to readers serves a few purposes.
It reinforces trust with our audience by backing up reporting. That one is the classic “cite your sources” motivation.
It encourages a more informed public. During a city budgeting process, reporters sift through audits and expenditures and revenue reports. They’ll take the hundred-page budget document and bring you an answer to the most important question: “Will this mean more or less turkey for me?”
Some residents may want to dive further, investigating for themselves why a deficit in the parks department appeared this year, or how many transportation projects went in the red. Making the underlying budget document more accessible, as reporters bubble up the topline information into the story, would make that exploration easier. Should the cities themselves do a better job of sharing those documents? Of course. I just wouldn’t hold your breath or bet next year’s tax bill on it.
There’s a third, less obvious purpose that I think about often. Sometimes our newsroom is simply the only place where all these documents exist in the same
I can see which Metro Atlanta cities are tracking residents at community events and the vendors they use to do it.”
CARL APPEN Director of Content and Development
place.
As an example, I keep a spreadsheet of electronic surveillance technology used by our cities. The list includes everything from license plate readers and facial recognition software to fiber-optic cabling and Bluetooth beacons. I can see which Metro Atlanta cities are tracking residents at community events and the vendors they use to do it. I’ve assembled the document over years and supported each detail with records, meeting minutes, marketing materials and other sources.
I don’t seek out the data. I just flag relevant documents when I see them coming through our newsroom during the regular course of business and file it away.
The surveillance tech is a heavy
example of the third purpose. There are many others with perhaps brighter undertones.
Simply put, I think we come across a lot of useful information that doesn’t always make it to your eyes.
I want to share more of it with you. We can do a better job of pointing you toward public information cited in our stories. That one is easy.
I want to hear what other kinds of documents we should make available.
If a reporter cites census data in a story about your city council approving a senior living facility, should we include a link to the population figures? Or would you prefer we keep highlighting only the most important and relevant data?
Imagine there was a data tab on appenmedia.com. Would you want us to share raw figures, or only the ones we’ve analyzed and contextualized?
Folks in the Appen Media newsroom are great at taking mundane materials, trimming the fat and serving you a nutrient-dense bite of your local government’s most important actions. My question is whether you’d also be interested in a side of burnt ends.
Email thoughts, questions and requests to carl@appenmedia.com. We can cook a little more if you’ve got the appetite
Feeling the need for some feel-good books
What prompted the need for some feel-good books? It was an exceptional book, but one that left me with a feeling of distress. Perhaps that’s the mark of a good thriller. Whatever it was, I followed it with two feel-good books to put me back on an even keel.
“The Fury” by Alex
Michaelides
This plot was particularly twisted. That’s something I should have remembered from reading “The Silent Patient,” several years ago. This acclaim from author David Baldacci is the first line in the Amazon description. “Alex Michaelides hits the trifecta with his third novel, ‘The Fury’. The highly original story presents the reader with the king of all unreliable narrators, enough twists and turns to power two novels, and a
host of characters that bleed right on the page.”
It starts in London and moves to a private Greek island — I loved the setting. The characters? Not so much. And the twist? I never saw it coming until very, very close to the end. The roller coaster of emotions evoked by this tale sent me in search of something happy to read.
“The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” by Abbi Waxman
Nina Hill, as you might guess from the title, loves books. “The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.”
She’s not a total introvert. After all, she regularly visits a bar to play trivia, and she leads the children’s book club at the shop. But beyond that, she avoids speaking
to strangers. Just not her cup of tea. What disrupts her life is the unwelcome discovery that the father she never knew about has died. Now, she has a family she also never knew about. And that means talking to strangers.
How she works through this turmoil makes for a delightfully witty tale that includes romance and, of course, books. The dialogue made me laugh aloud, and the happy ending warmed my heart. It was a welcome
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
relief from murder and manipulation.
“Counting Miracles” by Nicholas Sparks
Before returning to my usual fare of murder mysteries, I read a review of Sparks’s latest books and couldn’t resist checking it out. I smiled at the reviewer’s admission that he didn’t usually read romance novels, but it was just what he needed after the
See FEEL, Page 23
The City of Dunwoody Planning Commission will meet Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Dunwoody City Hall, which is located at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338 for the purpose of due process of the following: RZ 25-01, 56 Perimeter Center East: The Providence Group of Georgia, LLC requests a rezoning from O-I (Office-Institution) to PD (Planned Development) to allow the construction of a new condominium development. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact the City of Dunwoody Community Development Department at 678-382-6800. Staff is available to answer questions, discuss the decision-making process, and receive comments and concerns.
CARL APPEN
Director of Content and Development
carl@appenmedia.com
THE INK PENN
KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist
Client Services Manager – Food Pantry
NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Client Services Manager – Food Pantry position. The Client Services Manager is responsible for creating, managing and implementing client centered intake policies and procedures. This includes maintaining the reception area of the Food Pantry; the end-to-end application processes; follow up on applications and resolving complex client matters. Additionally, the Manager trains and manages the Client Services Team members and volunteers while maintaining positive employee relations and talent development of the intake staff. A history of exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills and a knowledge of MS Office are required. Working some evening and weekend work hours is also required.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
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
Client Services Specialist – Pantry
The Client Services Specialist (Part-time) serves as the first point of contact at NFCC, welcoming clients and managing the intake process. This role connects clients with NFCC’s programs and services while maintaining accurate records through data entry and application updates. The Specialist also keeps clients informed about program enhancements and available services.
The Specialist must be proficient in Spanish and have the ability to work with a team in a professional manner within a fast paced environment. Microsoft office skills are required and Salesforce experience is a plus. Must have the ability to work evenings & weekends.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
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Continued from Page 21
unpleasantness of the presidential campaign. You may wish to replace “unpleasantness” with a more fitting adjective.
This book has everything you could want in a well-written romance: intriguing subplots that come together in a comforting way; interesting historical context for life in a reallife small town —Asheboro, North Carolina; and a chance encounter between a small-town doctor and a former army ranger who now travels the world on aid missions. And, yes, it includes the must-have in a romance novel — a happy ending. It was exactly what I needed.
Now, I’m trying to decide what genre to dive into next. Time will tell.
Happy reading!
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her Dickens & Christie cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.
