DeKalb County School Board member Andrew
speaks to the Dunwoody City Council about the school district’s commitment to fund part of the costs for a turf field at Peachtree Middle School. Dunwoody budgeted $1 million for the project, but early estimates have come in a little higher.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody officials are stymied by the city’s lack of funding to turf an athletic field at Peachtree Middle School which the city leases from DeKalb County Schools.
The city budgeted $1 million for the project some 18 months ago.
At the Feb. 24 City Council meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Rachel Waldron presented two informal bids to refurbish what’s left of the grass field at the middle school.
“We spoke about this last year,
so what I’m bringing in front of me tonight is a slightly updated pricing structure,” Waldron said. “Again, everything has been very informal.”
The city’s 25-year lease on the field was part of a land swap with the school district in 2016 for the construction of Austin Elementary School. The post-closing agreement requires the installation of sod and field house – which the city has done – and the maintenance of the field, which is in question.
The sandy rectangle between Peachtree Middle School and Brook Run Park has deteriorated to the point it is more suited for beach volleyball
than authorized school sports.
The city received estimates from Advanced Sports Surfaces and Advanced Sports Group at $1.09 million and $1.23 million, but staff said a formal solicitation may change the price. A turf field is expected to last eight to 10 years, or about $100,000 a year.
City Councilman John Heneghan, the only elected official who advocated for funding construction of the turf field, had the item added to the agenda after it was last discussed in August during the 2025 budget process.
See TURF, Page 16
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga.
—Tim Brown is the new president of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, replacing Bob Fiscella after his four years at the helm.
He joined the DHA’s executive board earlier this year, and the nominating committee named him president for at least the next 12 months.
Brown, who spoke with Appen Media after he was announced as president in late February, said there is little he wishes to change at the homeowner’s association.
“It’s not a complicated process, but it’s certainly an important one for the leadership to carry on from year to year,” Brown said. “I’m humbled and honored that they’ve given me the opportunity to take the reins for a year.”
The Dunwoody Homeowners Association represents a sizeable
See DHA, Page 8
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DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police
arrested a 21-year-old Lawrenceville man Feb. 16 after a Perimeter Mall security guard caught him fleeing with a jewelry box.
Dunwoody officers said the security guard showed footage of the incident, which occurred earlier in the morning while the mall was closed.
Footage shows the suspect walked up to a Jewelry Galore kiosk, took a box full of merchandise and attempted to conceal it in his pants.
Police said the man was unable to conceal the box under his pants because it was too big.
Eventually, the security guard detained the suspect after he was unable to exit the mall through locked doors.
The officer said he would confirm the value of the jewelry box with the store later. The valued amount was omitted from the report.
The officer said he placed the suspect under arrest and transported him to DeKalb County Jail on a charge of second degree burglary.
Jail records show the man remains in jail. He spent two months incarcerated late last year on several charges out of the Doraville Police Department.
— Hayden Sumlin
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police
arrested a 21-year-old Texas man and a 29-year Dunwoody man Feb. 14 after they damaged and fled a vacant apartment off Dunwoody Crossing.
An officer said he met with a property
maintenance supervisor who told him that he found the two men in an apartment, which was supposed to be vacant, while he was installing a water heater next door.
The maintenance supervisor said the front door was locked from the inside, so he entered through an open window. When he saw the two squatters, he said they quickly got dressed, broke through a window to get around him and left in a white Nissan Sentra with a Texas tag.
Later, the officer said he spoke with the property manager who told him that the apartment was being prepared for a new resident Feb. 10 and repairs would total $2,000.
The apartment contained an air mattress, several clothing items, extensive damage to the dry wall, two broken windows and some garbage, the officer said.
Less than an hour later, police pulled over the suspects’ vehicle off Mount Vernon Road where the maintenance supervisor later confirmed their identities.
Both suspects were charged with criminal trespass, loitering and prowling, second degree criminal damage to property and possession of marijuana.
The 29-year-old Dunwoody man received an additional charge of obstruction.
— Hayden Sumlin
DUNWOODY, Ga. — A Dunwoody Police officer said he found three shell casings in the wooded area off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Feb. 15 after receiving reports of gunfire.
The officer said he received a Flock Safety notification about a gunshot near the Dunwoody Villa and Glen apartments and began searching the area.
He said he found three shell casings in a grassy area near Building C of the Dunwoody Glenn apartments after following a trail through the wooded area.
After finding no damage or victims in the area, the officer said he collected the casings for evidence.
— Hayden Sumlin
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 46-year-old man Feb. 7 for trafficking illegal drugs after catching him receiving a 20-pound shipment of marijuana from Josephine County, Oregon.
A Roswell Police narcotics detective said a sergeant with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office contacted him Jan. 31 about a large shipment of marijuana headed to an address in Roswell.
The detective said he contacted a local United States Postal Service security team, which held the package at its Old Ellis Road facility when it arrived Feb. 7.
The narcotics unit reported the box had been damaged, and marijuana was visible. The contents were later confirmed by a Sandy Springs K9 unit.
After securing a search warrant, officers documented the contents and repackaged them to be delivered to the intended address for an undercover operation.
A detective, dressed up as a USPS delivery driver, placed the box on the front porch of a vacant residence along Park Avenue while plain clothes officers conducted surveillance.
Eventually, a man driving white Jeep drove past the residence slowly after circling the area for some time. The detective said the driver parked in a garage one street over and approached the home.
After the man grabbed the box, authorities detained him as he was approaching his vehicle.
The detective said the man was identified with his Delaware driver’s license.
During a search of the man’s Roswell residence, officers said they found eight pistols and one rifle, which were “clean” and properly stored.
In the man’s Jeep, the detective said they found a Glock pistol and two THC vape pens.
Police transported the man to the North Fulton County Jail on an arrest warrant for drug trafficking.
Jail records show the man was released Feb. 9 on a $4,000 surety bond.
— Hayden Sumlin
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County officials have approved water and sewer rate increase that will see monthly bills rise 20 percent by Jan. 1.
The first rate kike begins July 1. After that, there will be an annual 10 percent hike on Jan. 1 up to 2034.
In a 5-2 vote at its Feb. 25 regular meeting, the DeKalb County Commission said the measure will fund the county’s capital program to finance some water and sewer operations and maintenance and debt service.
The rate increase will apply to residential and commercial customers.
Commissioners Michelle Long Spears and Nicole Massiah cast the two votes in opposition.
Massiah had reservations about having increases in July and then January.
“The idea of having two increases in a short period of time is just concerning for myself coming in as a new commissioner,” she said.
She added that doing nothing to address the water and sewer infrastructure isn’t an option, but she’s concerned that nothing prevents the administration for asking for another future rate increase.
“With that, I also realize that based on some of the suggestions that were made and some of what the administration had shared, there's no absolute that what's being voted on today would actually resolve the issue,” Massiah said.
Spears also voted no, citing concerns about the 10-year time frame.
“I feel that with 10 years, we'll be committing future leadership, a future administration, future board members to this decision,” Spears said. “I would have preferred a shorter period of time, perhaps five years, three years, but not something quite [like] 10 years.”
Currently, residents receive a monthly water bill of about $70. With a 10 percent rate hike, the monthly bill will increase to $76 in 2025, $84 in 2026, and upward of $112 by 2029
and $180 by 2034, according to the rate presentation.
The capital program totals about $4.3 billion, and the county needs about $427 million a year to fulfill the plan. The commission also approved a bond issuance of $450 million for 2025.
Commissioner Ted Terry said the longer the county waits to invest in infrastructure, the more expensive it will be.
“At some point you're going to have to pay for it,” Terry said.
He said he felt comfortable the County Commission and staff would work together to ensure that funding for these projects “get out the door onto the street repairing those pipes, fixing those leaks, and ensuring that our water and sewer system is functional and will be functional as we move forward through the remainder of the goals of the consent decree.”
Terry added that some issues take long-term investments over multiple years to address.
“The cost savings of folding those in over longer contracts to do these big projects, I believe, will save us money,
and in some cases, maybe lock in some prices,” Terry said.
Some commissioners said investing in the water and sewer system could encourage economic development, especially in south DeKalb.
“The significance of these investments in DeKalb County cannot be overstated,” Commissioner Robert Patrick said. “This right here is $4.5 billion, and it has the potential effect of kicking off economic development throughout the rest of the county."
The lack of investment in the system essentially created a 10-year moratorium on economic development, particularly in south DeKalb,
Commissioner Dr. LaDena Bolton added. She also said that residents want transparency and accountability.
“I also believe that all of us, if I can speak for the Board of Commissioners, are committed to holding ourselves accountable, the administration accountable, all stakeholders accountable, so that together, we can conquer this as one DeKalb,” Bolton said.
Commissioners Mereda DavisJohnson and Chakira Johnson said
the county has been kicking the can for years on raising rates and fixing the water and sewer system.
“We have to show that we’re willing to make the investment, not only for future development, but so our current residents can continue to get good service for both water and sewer,” Chakira Johnson said.
In other water infrastructure news:
The County Commission approved the Watershed Management Capital Improvement Plan for 2025 through 2034.
The plan includes projects throughout Watershed Management’s systems, including at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant, the water distribution system, wastewater collection system (including projects associated with the Consent Decree), at the Snapfinger and Pole Bridge Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plants. It also covers costs such as intergovernmental agreements, emergency and annual contracts.
County CEO Lorraine CochranJohnson said in a press release that the county can’t afford to continue putting this off.
"This is our moment to secure a better future for DeKalb County. I am prepared to make the tough decisions necessary to protect our residents, create economic opportunities, and ensure we leave a legacy of strong infrastructure for the next generation,” Cochran-Johnson said.
Commissioners also unanimously approved additional measures related to affordability, customer service, and other items and the issuing of bonds to pay for capital projects.
Those additional measures include establishing shut-off protections, creating an income-based water affordability plan, developing a water customer advocacy office and ensuring water service isn't cut off for residents in a dispute.
“I think it was very important for us to do the protection vote first to show our support and our commitment to protecting our citizens and understanding that anything that we do at this moment has a direct impact on their lives,” Johnson said.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Cuddlefish, under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Jason Liang, is joining a wave of openings at the new mixed-use High Street in southeast Dunwoody.
The Atlanta-based sushi restaurant opened its doors March 1 at 290 High Street in the heart of Central Perimeter.
The mixed-use destination also has more than 400 residents living on site and is actively leasing the Class A office space overlooking the event plaza, according to commercial real estate company JLL.
Cuddlefish joins recent retail openings at High Street, including The NOW Massage, offering signature Swedish-inspired massages; SkinSpirit, a leading medical skincare provider; and Sugarcoat, an elevated nail care treatment destination.
Cuddlefish is the latest concept from the James Beard-nominated team behind acclaimed Atlanta restaurants Brush and Momonoki.
The restaurant brings together the best of Japanese and Taiwanese flavors, specializing in handcrafted sushi-style rolls made with the fresh ingredients. Guests can also indulge in a unique temaki tasting menu at the chef’s counter, offering an interactive and personalized dining experience.
The specialty coffee and bakery section, led by ChingYao Wang, features artisanal pastries and brewed coffee crafted daily.
The beverage program at Cuddlefish showcases beers, wines and original sake creations, designed to enhance the
culinary offerings.
Co-owner John Chen said High Street’s prime location and vibrant mixed-use environment make it the perfect space for the team’s newest restaurant.
“The community’s growing foot traffic and energy will create an ideal atmosphere for success,” Chen said. “Guests can look forward to an immersive Japanese dining experience unlike anything Atlanta has seen before.”
Last year, High Street welcomed a variety of shopping and dining concepts, including South African fast-casual restaurant Nando’s; ice cream spot Ben & Jerry’s; globally inspired taco restaurant Velvet Taco; luxury menswear store Allen Edmonds; and tech-infused mini golf experience Puttshack.
Other exciting concepts coming to High Street include Rosetta the Italian Bakery and coastal-inspired The Hampton Social.
“High Street is designed to be more than a shopping district — it’s a place where shopping, dining and community seamlessly come together,” said Shaneika Haskins, High Street’s marketing manager. “We are dedicated to curating an exceptional experience for our residents and guests and look forward to welcoming our new retailers and restaurants to High Street, as well as hosting memorable events throughout the year.”
Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
1. Eagle’s home. Base on balls. Destiny
2. Round-tripper, in brief. Chess piece. Nothing at all.
3. Short fly. Bee’s residence. It’s on the front of the house, usually
4. Music genre. Unfeeling. One way to get your uniform dirty.
5. Diva’s solo. Food fish. It’s on the sideline.
6. Chubby plus. Umpire’s call. Cowboy’s rope.
7. Margarita fruit. Poe’s bird. It could lead to an unearned run.
1 Eagle’s home. Base on balls. Destiny
2. Round-tripper, in brief. Chess piece. Nothing at all.
How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
3. Short fly. Bee’s residence. It’s on the front of the house, usually.
4. Music genre. Unfeeling. One way to get your uniform dirty
5. Diva’s solo. Food fish. It’s on the sideline
6. Chubby plus. Umpire’s call. Cowboy’s rope
7. Margarita fruit. Poe’s bird. It could lead to
How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — To celebrate six decades as one of Metro Atlanta’s leading providers of affordable housing for seniors, Campbell-Stone held a grand reveal Jan. 16 for its renovated Buckhead campus.
The nonprofit, which calls itself an affordable living community with heart, serves nearly 600 residents across two facilities in Buckhead and Sandy Springs.
Affordability isn’t Campbell-Stone’s only priority, the nonprofit has used decades of community support to provide high-quality, safe and caring community for seniors.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock contributed remarks for the 60th anniversary ceremony, while the Fulton County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Jan. 16 “Campbell-Stone Senior Living Appreciation Day.”
Dickens, who has made housing a priority in his first term, said CampbellStone is a trusted partner for legacy residents that enhances their quality of life.
The celebration, including a tour of
CAMPBELL-STONE/PROVIDED
State legislators and county commissioners join Campbell-Stone CEO Maria Manahan, front left, for the nonprofit’s 60th anniversary celebration Jan. 16. With facilities in Sandy Springs and Buckhead, Campbell-Stone specializes in affordable communities for nearly 600 seniors.
its newly renovated lobby and bistro at its Buckhead campus, centered around Campbell-Stone’s dedication to the wellbeing of aging adults and its role as a champion for subsidized senior living in Metro Atlanta.
Fulton County commissioners Dana Barrett and Bob Ellis joined state Sens.
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Josh McLaurin and Jason Esteves to celebrate the nonprofit’s impact since 1964.
Its other facility is just outside of I-285 off Carpenter Drive in Sandy Springs.
At Campbell-Stone Sandy Springs, the nonprofit has a dedicated floor of licensed professional care with staff available 24/7 to work with patients and their families on a plan tailored to their needs. Its Sandy Springs operation provides seniors with the option to “age in place,” allowing residents to start in residential living and then transition to personal care if necessary.
The Sandy Springs facility has 197 residential apartments, including 22 for licensed personal care. The facility off Pharr Court South in Buckhead has 342 apartments.
Campbell-Stone CEO Maria Manahan said the nonprofit is proud of the progress it has made over the past 60 years, but the work is far from over.
“Providing senior housing is more critical than ever, and our mission is to ensure that all seniors in Atlanta not only have a place to live, but a place to thrive,” Manahan said. “We are excited about the future and the ongoing impact we can make in our community.”
While the Christian Church in Georgia sponsors Campbell-Stone entities, housing and services are offered to all.
An applicant for occupancy must be at least 62 years old or qualify as mobility-impaired. Applicants also must meet the eligibility requirements of the Section 8 rental assistance program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and satisfy the admission criteria for Campbell-Stone Sandy Springs.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA Campbell-Stone Sandy Springs, an affordable-living senior facility just north of I-285, has residential apartments and licensed personal care. The nonprofit celebrated its 60th anniversary in January with remarks from local and state leaders.
Some residents, detailing their experiences at both facilities online, compare the apartment community to being on a cruise ship surrounded by friends and fun.
HUD subsidizes fees for qualified residents, making the personal care facilities among the few in Georgia with rental assistance.
Housing affordability has become a national issue in the United States.
According to a 2023 report from Harvard University, fewer than 15 percent of single adults aged 75 or older can afford both the costs of housing and long-term care services, such as in-home medical care, household support or assisted living facilities.
As the population of older adults is increasing at historic rates, CampbellStone says it remains dedicated to ensuring that Metro Atlanta’s aging adults never have to chose between affordable housing and a safe, caring community.
During the Sandy Springs City Council’s annual retreat in early February, elected officials discussed high housing costs and the aging homeowners occupying homes with limited downsizing options in the city.
With a limited stock, consisting mostly of single-family residences, alternative or missing middle housing can alleviate pressures on existing and prospective homebuyers in Metro Atlanta.
Looking ahead, Campbell-Stone wants to grow its philanthropic support from individuals and the corporate community.
While HUD subsidies go a long way, the nonprofit says the surge in need for affordable senior communities intensifies its need for supplemental funding.
To learn more about Campbell-Stone, visit www.campbellstone.org.
Education has always been part of the mission of Dunwoody Preservation Trust. Co-founders Lynne Byrd and Joyce Amacher gave history presentations and held Founder’s Days, where long-time residents of Dunwoody shared their memories.
In 2013, Monica McGurk, the organization’s co-president, and husband Tom McGurk, introduced the History Alive program. Speakers on topics including Sacred Harp Singing, Civil War, genealogy, women’s history and antiques shared their knowledge at various locations around Dunwoody.
History Alive events today are held at the historic Donaldson-Bannister Farm. In 2013 the house and outbuildings had deteriorated and were unsafe for events. Events were relocated to Dunwoody Methodist Church, Stage Door Players Theater, St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church and Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church.
By 2016, after years of planning and fundraising by DPT and with help from the City of Dunwoody, rehabilitation of Donaldson-Bannister Farm was far enough along for its first History Alive event. Clarke Otten shared history, maps and photos of the Roswell Railroad.
The farm opened as a City of Dunwoody Park, managed by DPT in 2018. That same year, History Alive went from an occasional program to a bi-monthly program under Dr. Jim Walker, Ed.D., Director of Educational Programming for DPT. Today, Vanessa Blanks, Curator and Director of Education plans History Alive programs.
PRIVATE COLLECTION
Boxing was just one of the sports that took place at Chamblee’s World War I Camp Gordon.
The next History Alive will be March 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Donaldson-Bannister Farm. I will be sharing photos, postcards and the history of World War I encampment Camp Gordon, which was located in and around where DeKalb Peachtree Airport stands today.
Camp Gordon has been the subject of the Past Tense column several times. The first column I wrote for the Dunwoody Crier in 2006 was about Camp Gordon, a topic suggested by my Past Tense predecessor, Jim Perkins.
After the U.S. entered World War I on April 6, 1917, military encampments were quickly constructed across the country, including Camp Gordon. The gates of Camp Gordon opened Sept. 5, 1917.
The first recruits were from Georgia, but as time passed, recruits came from all over the country. Many were young
men who had only recently come to the U.S. In addition to military training, postcards and photographs help tell the story of the role religion and sports played at Camp Gordon. The camp was hit hard in 1918 by Spanish Influenza.
Plan to attend this and other upcoming History Alive presentations scheduled for 2025, all taking place at Donaldson-Bannister Farm.
Award-winning author and naturalist Mark Warren presents “Native American Medicines of the Southeast” on May 17. Warren owns and operates Medicine Bow Wilderness School in Dahlonega, Georgia.
On July 19, Todd DeFeo presents “The Unexpected Local Railroad.” DeFeo will tell stories of railroads in the Atlanta area. “Whether it’s the lines that passed through an area or the ones that were proposed but never built, railroads are the story of the region’s transportation.”
DPT’s Vanessa Blanks will share “History of the Donaldson-Bannister Farmhouse” on Sept. 20. As curator for DPT, Blanks catalogs and preserves the documents, photos and other historical items in the archives to make them accessible for research.
Author of adventuresincemeteryhopping.com and DPT volunteer Traci Rylands will share her knowledge of historic local cemeteries on Nov. 15. Rylands has researched both local cemeteries and cemeteries across the U.S. Her cemetery research has also included Canada and the U.K.
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.
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portion of the community. It’s voice resonates through all corners of the city, including City Hall.
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In addition, the group organizes the state’s largest 4th of July parade, throws the city’s weekly farmer’s market at Brook Run Park, co-sponsors Food Truck Thursdays and celebrates the Village in November with Light Up Dunwoody.
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Besides increasing the DHA’s presence on social media and attracting the next generation of residents, Brown said little will change. He said the association’s community programs are running exceptionally well.
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“Bob Fiscella has laid an excellent foundation for success for me, or whoever it was who stepped into the position,” Brown said. “If there’s anything I don’t need to do, it’s to insert myself into things that are running very well, so I think my changes are about getting the message out to the community.”
Brown moved with his family to Dunwoody in 1998. He sent two children through Vanderlyn Elementary and DeKalb County schools, while working in the land development industry.
Brown got his start in local affairs working on a planning and zoning committee during the city’s incorporation.
The Dunwoody Homeowners Association formed in 1970, decades before the city incorporated in 2008. As the de facto local government before incorporation, the DHA played a primary role in lobbying the Georgia General Assembly for a resident vote on cityhood.
The city’s first mayor, Ken Wright, was president of the Dunwoody Homeowner’s Association.
Former presidents include City Councilwoman Stacey Harris and inaugural City Councilman Robert Wittenstein.
Fiscella’s stint as president, which began in March 2021, follows a trend of four-year terms for presidents of the homeowner’s association since the formation of the city.
“Tim brings 30 years of Dunwoody experience, he’s been involved and active in the community for most of that time,” Fiscella said. “He’s got a great social network, I think he’s really going to upgrade our standing on social media sites, and I do think he’s going to get a lot more people involved.”
The resident-led group meets once a month on Sundays at 4470 North Shallowford Road.
For more information, visit dunwoodyga.org.
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Sen. Jon Ossoff's employees showed up to Decatur City Hall on Feb. 25, offering to answer questions about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, taxes and more.
Even though Ossoff was not scheduled to appear at the constituent services event, the roughly two dozen attendees were left wondering why he wasn't there personally to address the community's concerns.
Ossoff's office declined to comment for this story or identify the staffers who attended the meeting. A representative for his office noted that the event was billed as a constituent services event and not a town hall. The announcement did not say Ossoff would be there. Staffers who hosted the event also declined to comment. Even so, many of the attendees were left wanting.
"It was pretty much a waste of time," attendee Wardell Castles said. He noted three staffers there who specialized in handing constituent complaints to various federal agencies. "I couldn’t have cared less. There were ... citizens there who had little or no interest in what these three [staffers] specialized in. Most of the comments and questions circled around what Ossoff is doing regarding what’s going on in D.C. today."
He added, "A lot of people are really unhappy."
Attendees Decaturish interviewed wanted to know the senator's thoughts on the recent firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at other government agencies, the flurry of executive orders from President Donald Trump, and his controversial cabinet appointments. That last point was a source of contention when attendees asked why Ossoff did not vote on some cabinet nominations. His record shows he opposed most of the nominations and voted yes on others. A New York Times article listing the vote tally found that Ossoff did not cast a vote on four cabinet nominations, more than any
other senator.
"Could you tell us what his stance is?" one attendee asked Ossoff's staffers. "Honestly, I thought I knew what he stood for, but now I don't know. I'm very confused if he didn't vote."
Ossoff has been sending out press releases regularly, often emphasizing bipartisanship. He sent one on Feb. 25, the day of the constituents' meeting, noting he introduced a bipartisan bill to protect Georgia's poultry industry from avian flu outbreaks. He sent another, stating that he pressured the Trump administration to restore scholarship funding for students studying agriculture at historically Black colleges and universities. And in another press release sent the same day, he announced he was introducing a bill to protect pregnant women in Georgia's prisons and jails.
But his constituents who attended the Feb. 25 meeting don't want to read press releases. They wanted
to hear Sen. Ossoff speak to them directly.
Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore attended, hoping to make contact with Ossoff's staff. He knew Ossoff wouldn't be there, but he wanted to hear what people had to say.
"I think probably four or five are here for actual constituent service questions, and everybody else is, like, freaked out," Elmore said. "What do we do?"
One attendee, a CDC employee who didn't want their name used, offered to provide the senator with documentation depicting the chaos behind the scenes at the agency.
"I'm not hearing from him at all," the CDC employee said. "I'm hearing him from his office. I want to hear from him."
Decaturish asked Fran Bauer about why she went to the meeting. She said, "I'm here about this s***," and pointed to a sign she was carrying that said, "Stop dismantling our
government."
Bauer's daughter and son-in-law are both federal employees, and she and her husband depend on federal retirement benefits, too.
"We're f***ing worried," she said. "Because those monies, I have no trust that they're going to be around. My entire family has built a world upon this, but they're doing important work."
Like other attendees, she was unsatisfied with Ossoff's response to their concerns about the Trump administration.
"I've made phone calls and also emails, and then I've also had some responses that were not pertinent to what I brought up," Bauer said. "So I'm not really getting any clear idea of what his plan is."
Another constituent, Lisa Strube, was initially afraid to give her name as she voiced her frustration at Ossoff's absence.
"I came here to voice my concerns, and I was expecting Jon Ossoff to be here, and I'm very disappointed that he is not, especially during a time like this," Strube said.
She wanted to talk to him about women's rights, diversity and issues affecting disabled people like herself. Strube noted that being in the minority didn't impede Republicans from exercising their power when Democrats controlled the Senate.
"I want to know what he's going to do, because Mitch McConnell did a lot of stuff when they had a minority," she said. "So what do you do when we have a minority in Congress? Like, why can't we get dirty like the Republicans?"
As she listened to a reporter work to get other attendees to go on record, Strube said, "You know what? Throw my name on there."
"I do represent people with disabilities," Strube said. "I represent women's rights. I am concerned about human rights."
Many people at the constituent services event shared those concerns and after the meeting, a group of attendees stayed behind to share names and contact information.
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• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)
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By AMRITHA JOSEPH newsroom@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — An overflow of District 7 residents stretched down the steps of Roswell’s City Hall Thursday, eager to challenge U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., about the Trump administration’s policies.
They came armed with queries on foreign policy, federal employee cuts and how presidential powers will be restrained.
McCormick, a decorated Marine and physician, shared where his views veered from that of the commander-in-chief and other Republicans, but he was met throughout the 90-minute session with booing and cries of “Shame!” when he advocated for bipartisan solutions that would require Democrats’ cooperation.
Cumming resident Claudia Gamlien-Castro asked McCormick his stance on President Trump’s most recent declaration that Ukraine is responsible for the war that has ravaged its people. McCormick said the Trump administration wants to investigate how Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has used the $175 million in aid that the U.S. has provided Ukraine. About 67 percent of the congressionally approved funds were for defense-related priorities and 33 percent for nondefense priorities, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
The congressman said the war could have ended sooner if the European Union and U.S. had been more forceful. Given the cumulative European-U.S. GDP of roughly $47 trillion versus Russia’s GDP of $2 trillion, he said a Russian defeat could be realized rapidly through sanctions, undermining Russia’s energy production, and by overwhelming weapon systems.
“I want Ukraine to win, and President Trump says he wants Ukraine to win… and by the way, this splits the Republican party down the middle,” McCormick said. “I voted for Ukraine support every single time.”
Given his ties to healthcare, the congressman fielded several questions about recent cuts executed by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has eliminated thousands of federal employee jobs since Trump’s inauguration. Specifically, the Associated Press reported the jobs of more than 5,000 probationary employees will be nixed at the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. HHS has not released a final number.
“Why is a supposedly conservative party taking such a radical and extremist and sloppy approach to this?” one Canton resident asked.
McCormick said 10 percent of the CDC’s employees are probationary, and recent developments in AI will handle healthcare administrative tasks more efficiently at several health departments.
“The fact of the matter is there's going to be a downsizing of government,” he said.
Just as the Biden administration made dramatic cuts to other aspects of federal spending, so too, the Trump administration is slicing through the budget, McCormick said.
No question garnered more audience applause than one posed by a Roswell resident, who said she was shocked when President Trump declared himself “king” in a recent social media post.
A Roswell resident asks U.S. Representative Rich McCormick how he plans to check the power of Donald Trump, after the president recently declared himself “king” in a social media post. The congressman hosted a town hall at Roswell City Hall Feb. 20 to answer constituents’ questions.
U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. fields constituents’ questions during a gathering at Roswell City Hall Feb. 20. McCormick was asked about his stance on foreign policy, healthcare and recent workforce cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Tyranny is rising in the White House, and a man has declared himself our king. So, I would like to know, rather, the people would like to know what you, congressmen, and your fellow congressmen are going to do to rein in the megalomaniac in the White House?”
The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act would check presidential power by mandating Congressional approval of any new rule
Congressional District 7 constituents applaud an attendee during a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., at Roswell City Hall Feb. 20. The resident had asked whether McCormick had a strategy to check Trump’s power after the president recently declared himself “king” in a social media post.
that impacts the economy by at least $100 million. However, it has yet to be passed, even by the previous Biden administration, McCormick said.
McCormick said he doesn’t think executive privilege should be as strong as it is, and he serves as the district’s direct representation in Congress.
“I don't want to see the president make all the decisions I don't. I don't want to see any president be too powerful,” he said.
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“I think it’s an important item; it’s been on the budget for several years, and we really haven’t had much discussion,” Heneghan said. “I thought it was time to bring this forward again.”
The city set aside $1 million for the project in its 2024 budget. The item remains in the 2025 budget within the capital projects fund.
The funding came after several meetings of a Citizens Advisory Capital Improvements Committee chaired by City Councilman Tom Lambert as a non-voting member.
From spring 2022-23, the ninemember committee narrowed down 21 priority projects by category, including parks, transportation and trails, from a list of more than 100. Its final recommendation was announced in May 2023.
While the committee did not rank the projects, the turf field received the highest score in the park category and the third highest score overall. Two proposals related to Chamblee Dunwoody Road corridor projects garnered higher scores.
Lambert said that as a longtime youth sports coach, he thinks fields are essential, but the city is faced with financial constraints that change the conversation.
During the Feb. 24 meeting, city officials also discussed a green building
certification for the Brook Run Park maintenance facility, an estimated $3 million construction project, now in the design phase, with just $1.5 million in the project’s budget. The citizen’s advisory committee scored the maintenance project lower than the field replacement.
Lambert cited failure of the November 2023 bond referendum as a key reason the turf field cannot be funded. The bond, which would have generated $60 million over 20 years, set aside half the money for parks and greenspace and the rest for trails.
While some in the community continue to advocate for trails, investments in parks have widespread community support.
Lambert said the 21 projects the committee selected total nearly $75 million in estimated costs, and without funding from the failed bond, the city’s hands are tied.
DeKalb County School Board member Andrew Ziffer, representing Dunwoody in District 1, told city officials that he spoke with Superintendent Devon Horton before the meeting about the turf field project. Ziffer said the school district wants to work with the city to get the project done and expressed optimism for a path forward.
“For us to not look at this as generosity that the city of Dunwoody is offering would be irresponsible of us,” Ziffer said.
If the city is short, the School Board could vote to help cover the excess cost, he said.
Following the meeting, Ziffer said any expenditure more than $100,000 would
require School Board approval, but he reaffirmed his commitment with the superintendent.
Nina Arnold, Peachtree Middle School parent and president of the Junior Wildcats football program, said 1,100 students use the field daily for physical education. Arnold said that because of the condition of the grass field, it cannot be used for official competitions.
“This is a topic that is very important to so many parents for the safety of our children,” she said. “We are out of space … I feel like it’s a need.”
When parents tour the school with the Parent Teacher Student Organization Board, Arnold said they are concerned and always ask if the field is safe for their children.
In text messages and emails obtained by Appen Media, Mayor Lynn Deutsch told community members that the school district was holding up the turf field and acknowledged the importance of providing a playable field at the school.
“The fact that the bond failed, we’re now in a really big period of uncertainty because we don’t have any idea if there will be federal funding for infrastructure,” Deutsch said, adding that the city does not own the field and has no control over it.
Deutsch says Dunwoody is constrained, and its resources could best be spent elsewhere on city-owned property. She criticized the school district, saying it has not been the best partner.
“I want to be clear that when this deal
was made in November 2016, there was no anticipation that we would turf the field,” Deutsch said. “That wasn’t a part of the deal.”
Some residents say the taxpayers of Dunwoody will lease the field until 2041, and the Citizens Advisory Capital Improvements Committee scored the project as its top park priority during the 2023 project selection process.
Eric Oliver, coach of the sixth grade Junior Wildcats football team, said he was pleasantly surprised to see the turf field back on the City Council agenda.
“The reason there is a city of Dunwoody and y’all have seats up there is we could not depend on DeKalb County to do the things we needed done for our community,” Oliver said. “Well, I think it’s time for you guys to show up; the interesting thing about facts and truth is it has a nasty tendency to not go away.”
Oliver used the same wording when addressing the City Council nearly a decade ago about funding turf fields at Dunwoody High School. He said the truth is that the project would have a sizable and positive impact on the city’s youth sports and recreation opportunities for the public.
“Y’all have had this in the budget for two years, and you’ve been messing around,” Oliver said. “You’ve been deceiving us for two years; it’s time to put up or shut up … y’all can do better.”
Following discussion, council members said they would consider funding for the turf field at their March retreat.
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RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful… Nope.
That may be how it feels, but, well, nope. Ain’t no heart for the lion, nor brains for the scarecrow, just smoke and mirrors and a distant, vague memory of a better time, and then, perhaps, the giant con.
Tariffs and trade, tariffs and trade, oh my. Make us great again, make us great again, oh my. And who doesn’t long for that – those times? Anybody? Bueller?
Off to find the wizard.
As kids, we used to look forward to seeing “The Wizard of Oz.” Back then, it only came on occasionally, maybe once or twice a year. The same was true for “Snoopy’s Christmas” or “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” around Halloween. “Gone with the Wind” was often aired once a year.
Now they are available 24/7, everywhere – no longer something to look forward to – something lost. It was a great time to remember; it was a good time to know – and a giant raw-nerve sucking sound, mostly inaudible – for those who don’t know it, never knew it. And that is
somewhere close to where the reality of our dilemma is found today.
Back then, we all enjoyed the fruits of the greatest generation – single household incomes, a car in every driveway, and driveways as far as the eye could see, thousands of affordable homes in all those subdivisions, courtesy of Levitt & Sons (Levittown) and the like.
And jobs everywhere. They weren’t sexy or transitory like the high-paying tech and health jobs we see today; think working for Ma Bell (AT&T), P&G, the Deere Company, General Motors or even the local bank. They paid a living wage that afforded those homes, a family with three or four kids, and their education – along with two weeks’ vacation at Disney, Silver Springs or “out west” with the camper trailer in tow.
Yes, those jobs are around today, but the affordable homes, that affordable family, the careers, the affordable trip to Disneyworld and Yosemite aren’t to most. Ditto for that stability, security and predictability of the past. And we really, really don’t like living in an unsecure, unpredictable world. No one does. It is hyper-toxic. Hence, “find the wizard.”
Life really was arguably “great” before. You went to college and got a degree. You went out and found a job that became a career; you stayed with that company for about 30 years, and
then you (mandatorily) retired at 65. You were able to buy that affordable home you purchased shortly after starting your career, the one you raised your young family in that you grew out of, and which led to that larger one with a pool perhaps – the one you then sold to downsize and retire to the condo in Sarasota.
Do you remember?
Of course, you don’t remember if you were born say after about 1970 or so, a little bit after the last of the boomers were born. And if you can remember those times, you … well … you are old, like I am. My generation has the benefit of those experiences being part and parcel to our frame of reference, our world view, our perspective.
So what?
So, we are obviously in a period of change – perhaps a massive one –socially, politically and geo-politically. Expectations and past experience (the driver of expectations) surges across the country in a seemingly random pattern or no pattern at all. Those expectations – and perhaps that missing frame of reference – are in large part responsible for what is going on today, right now. Meanwhile, one of the 800-pound gorillas in the room – technology – is evolving at a blinding pace while our social evolution – our ability to understand, manage, and deal with technology – is
evolving at a snail’s pace.
Roughly half the country, about 170 million people born after 1970, have not known and have no concept of that “car in every driveway, three kids and retire to Florida” experience. The lack of “stability” and “predictability” is probably that other 800-pound gorilla in the room today.
All those born after 1970 know is that, generally, they are not very happy about “now,” and they are not really sure why or what is causing that unhappiness.* They want something better. And all that most of them see is a train leaving the station, and they are not on it.
So, they are off to find the “wizard” for solutions. I don’t blame them. I would too. But I hope when they find that solution – when they find that wizard – it’s not just some con man hiding behind a curtain in Oz, but it may well be. Time will tell. Be careful what you ask for; you might just get it.
Bueller? Bueller?
*Bob Dylan - as usual - nailed our current dilemma in his song “Ballad of a Thin Man,” written in 1965. If you are interested, Google “lyrics Ballad of a Thin Man Dylan.”
PS: The current Bob Dylan movie (“A Complete Unknown” is fabulous! Well scripted, well-acted, and very entertaining!
PAT FOX Managing Editor pat@appenmedia.com
I addressed my local school board in Dawson County last Tuesday. Turns out, I was the second person in two years to speak during the public comment portion of a school board meeting or work session. That doesn’t include public hearings about the budget, setting the tax rate or the new statewide home-stead exemption. Those hearings were all advertised well in advance.
As it happens, our school district has a policy requiring anyone wishing to address the board during the public comment portion of a meeting to file a 24-hour no-tice. The notice must include your name and the topic you wish to discuss.
Problem is that the school district does not post the meeting agenda until around noon the day of the meeting. The agenda lists items the board will discuss that evening.
“As I understand it,” I told the School Board, “district policy requires patrons to submit a request to speak on a topic 16 hours before they can possibly know what they want to talk about.”
I recounted a couple of recent measures the board approved – one involving $5 million in expenditures – that the public did not know about until the day of the meeting. Even then, according to the policy, they wouldn’t have been allowed to comment.
To their credit, the board and superintendent tacitly agreed the setup was absurd. The superintendent immediately recognized the problem when I spoke to her be-fore the meeting. She told me it would be fixed.
One School Board member thanked me for bringing the issue to light. She said it’s simply the way things had always been done.
So often, government officials have no idea what it’s like to be on the outside, how difficult it is for the average Joe to be heard.
Late last year, astronomers at the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile detected a small asteroid moving away from Earth. Further observations calculated that the object is on a path that may bring it on a collision course with our planet on Dec. 22, 2032.
Latest studies estimate the asteroid, dubbed 2024 YR4, is between 130 and 295 feet wide, and its chances of striking Earth are close to 2 percent.
Tracking the object will continue through May. After that, it won’t be visible again for another three years.
This is a real deal.
Don’t confuse it with a similar sighting announcement Jan. 2 from the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Cambridge, Mass. That object was tracked as having come within 150,000 miles of Earth. That’s closer than the moon.
But, within a day, the Planet Center deleted the warning when the object turned out to be a car – Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster launched in 2018.
Yes, it’s still up there, with a dummy astronaut behind the wheel and roughly 4 million miles on its odometer. The tires are still good, though.
Suppose for a moment that as it approaches in 2032, the YR4 asteroid strikes the Tesla Roadster, diverting it just enough to miss Earth. Musk will again have saved the planet.
And, yes, I checked. The Roadster is equipped with airbags.
Few readers will be unaware of the legendary Aubrey Morris. Local folks either read his articles in the Atlanta Journal or heard his gravelly voice on WSB Radio. But Aubrey Morris achieved and retained throughout his career the status of beloved and friend to all. One might consider Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow and Barbara Walters as some of the greatest journalists and broadcasters. Morris played in that league, yet he was a humble and considerate man.
Aubrey Richard Morris (1922-2010) was born and raised in Roswell.
“Since Roswell did not have a high school, he took a school bus every day to Milton High School in Alpharetta graduating in 1940,” says local historian Connie Mashburn.
While in high school, he worked for the Atlanta Journal as a community reporter for Roswell. Reportedly, his first article was “What is the best pet, a cat or dog?”
Morris was trying to figure out what he wanted to do after graduating from high school. A friend, local farmer Earl Mansell, knew that about Aubrey and invited him to attend a meeting of the Agricultural Extension Service at the University of Georgia in Athens. Morris attended and according to Earl Mansell’s son Barry, “Aubrey decided then and there to major in journalism at UGA” where he held leadership positions in numerous campus organizations and programs.
On the day of his graduation in 1945 Morris joined the Atlanta Journal, where he spent 13 years as a police reporter covering city hall and many major stories including desegregation, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 1946 Winecoff Hotel Fire.
In 1957, WSB Radio program director Elmo Ellis hired Morris away from the Atlanta Journal and made him Atlanta’s first radio newsman. He worked as a news and editorial director at WSB for 30 years before retiring from his remarkable career in 1987.
Tom Brokaw was a news anchor at WSB-TV in 1966 before he joined NBC. He was 25 years old. He and Aubrey became good friends. Brokaw published a lovely remembrance of Aubrey when he died titled “Thank God for newsman Aubrey Morris.”
Carl Jackson, retired educator and board member of the Milton Historical
with Barry and Suzanne Mansell. Barry recalls that Aubrey did carpentry work at the church and that he knew landscaping, trees, plants and how to fix things since he grew up on a farm. “He was proud of his country heritage,” says Barry.
Aubry and Tera lived in a house built in 1895 by Aubrey’s grandfather Richard Perkins located in Roswell where Greenlawn Cemetery is today. The house is known as the Perkins House.
In 1976, Aubrey purchased some land from his sister Neal Moss’s husband Adel, a chicken farmer who owned approximately 20 acres on Francis Road in Milton. Aubrey bought the Perkins House and moved it to Francis Road because he wanted to retire in the country in the house where his mother had lived. He gave some of the property to his daughter Rebecca so she could build a house. Daughter Susan lives in the original Perkins House. Rhoda lives in Cumming.
The Perkins House had been vacant for several years when Aubrey acquired it in 1985. The kitchen, dining room and living room have heart pine walls and ceilings. The mantels, lighting fixtures and other valuables had been removed, so “Mom and Daddy lovingly restored the house. Daddy refinished all the doors. One replacement door had a hole in it, supposedly a bullet hole from the Civil War,” Susan says.
Rhoda says “family was the top priority” for her parents. She described “My Daddy” as pugnacious when she spoke at the 2017 posthumous induction of Aubrey into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame.
Rhoda notes that Aubrey enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He burst an eardrum during training, became permanently deaf in one ear and was disqualified from further service.
Society, was an intern at WSB Radio in 1974 while he was a high school senior. On his first day when he was “scared to death,” he met Morris “who took one look at me and told me to clear the news wire machines and sort the stories and updates. I knew then I was part of something special, and Aubrey Morris made me feel at home. I will never forget the day I met a legend.”
In 1949, Aubrey married Tera Travlis Griffin (1927-2021), a student
at the Grady Hospital School of Nursing where she was president of the Student Council and treasurer of the senior class. They met when Aubrey was covering a beauty pageant for student nurses, which Tera won. Aubrey and Tera had three daughters, Rebecca Fricton and Susan Moe, who live in Alpharetta, and Rhoda Owens who lives in Cumming.
Aubrey and Tera attended St Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Milton where they renewed their friendship
According to Rebecca, her father was a perfect “girl-dad.” He wrote weekly letters to his daughters when they entered college. “He was in love with the dictionary,” says Rebecca, “and he wanted us to write the right way.”
Carl Jackson put it best: “Aubrey Morris was a common man who did uncommon things.”
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.
Public Notice: Create Dunwoody's Holi in Dunwoody will take place at the Brook Run Park Great Lawn on Sunday, March 9, 2025 from 2:30-5:30pm. An increase in traffic may occur on North Peachtree Rd, Peeler Rd, and Barclay Drive with minimal interruption. For more information, visit: www.createdunwoody.org/holi
NOTICE OF COMMUNITY
64 PERIMETER CENTER EAST & 66 PERIMETER CENTER EAST
Applicant: WSPT Perimeter GA LP
Reason for Meeting: Applicant is proposing to file a zoning application to rezone from O-I, Office-Institutional, to PD, Planned Development, to allow the conversion of 64 Perimeter Center East into residential condominiums and 66 Perimeter Center East into an age-restricted rental residential use, and develop additional for-sale residences on the properties.
Location: 64 Perimeter Center East, Atlanta, GA, 30346
Date: March 19, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM
