Forsyth Herald - January 26, 2023

very heavily…’

tor Abby Otwell said Megan was nonverbal and struggled to communicate her wants and needs.

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Megan Frix loved watching music videos and coffee.

“Megan was so funny,” said Lisa Bennett, manager of the Forsyth and Dawson campuses of Creative Enterprises, a nonprofit community rehabilitation program that teaches life and social skills to adults with disabilities. “And so, she loved Conway Twitty, and she loved looking at Kohl's ads and, you know, showing you what she wanted to buy.”

On Jan. 8, Megan, 26, was found dead in her Cumming home, the victim of an apparent murder-suicide. While the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the State Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the official cause of death, Sheriff Ron Freeman announced Jan. 11 that Megan was apparently killed by her father, Jerry, 58, who then killed himself.

Bennett, who had known Megan since she was 3 years old, said she was on the autism spectrum. Bennett and Coordina-

“She also was just very easily put into sensory overload, like tags on her shirts and things like that bothered her,” Otwell said. “And if we couldn't figure that out quick enough, you know, that would be a problem.”

Megan began attending Creative Enterprises in January 2019, but she left six months later due to behavioral issues.

Under Medicaid funding, Bennett said Creative Enterprises must maintain a ratio of one instructor to 10 clients. Otwell said Megan could not have one staff member assigned to her like she needed.

“So, it weighs on us very heavily, I think, with Megan, especially because we couldn't serve her,” Bennett said. She continued communicating with Megan’s father after Megan left the program, she said, but one day he stopped calling.

Bennett said Megan’s primary caretaker was her mother, who died three years ago. Despite receiving support, Megan’s father couldn’t see any way out, she said.

“Her dad had a lot of help,” Bennett

County approves industrial park amid cries from neighborhood

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County commissioners heard a chorus of disappointed cries and remarks from residents after approving an industrial space on about 37 acres near the Hampton Golf Village subdivision.

More than 10 residents of the neigh-

borhood attended the Jan. 19 meeting requesting the board not rezone the lot from an A1 agricultural district to an M1 industrial district.

The board approved the rezoning project 4-1.

Commissioner Laura Semanson cast the lone dissenting vote.

So, who’s the new guy with the hat?

hold summit on human trafficking

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Resident Brian Estes addresses the Board of Commissioners Jan. 19 about his concerns with rezoning that allows for industrial use of property currently zoned agricultural.

Murder victim honored by those who knew her

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Vehicle found burned after hit and run wreck

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A vehicle involved a hit and run wreck in north Forsyth County was found engulfed in flames in Dawson County Jan. 15, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office reported.

A sheriff’s office deputy responded to the Shell Gas Station at Jot Em Down Road and Ga. 400 Jan. 14, after receiving a report that a truck was struck from behind on the highway by a driver who fled the scene.

The truck’s driver reported that he was stopped in traffic, waiting to turn left onto Ga. 400 southbound when he was struck by a Chrysler PT Cruiser at high speed. After the wreck the suspect driver, a white female in her 40s, continued northbound on Dahlonega Highway into Dawson County.

The next day, investigators were notified by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office the suspect vehicle had been located but had been set on fire.

Due to the extent of the damage, fire investigators reported the vehicle would need to be transported for further investigation and to obtain the VIN number.

No suspect has been identified.

Cumming woman arrested for part in home burglary

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Forsyth County woman has been arrested in connection with multiple crimes that took place in late 2022, including a residential burglary, shoplifting at Home Depot and the sale of methamphetamine.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the 33-year-old Cumming woman on warrants at an address on Mountain View Trail Jan. 13. Reports said she was charged with sale of methamphetamine and theft by receiving stolen property.

Deputies responded to a home off Waldrip Road in October 2022 after the owner reported the residence had been burglarized and more than $4,100 in tools and electronics were missing.

The burglary reportedly occurred between Sept. 26 and Oct. 27, 2022, while the homeowner was out of the country. Police found that doors and drawers in the home had been pried open. The woman was listed as a suspect in the crime.

Upon her arrest, the report says the woman was also found in possession of methamphetamine and admitted to having shoplifted at Home Depot in Dec. 2022. The woman accompanied detectives to her residence and helped them recover the items she shoplifted.

The woman was also found in possession of methamphetamine at the time of her arrest.

Reports said a male suspect was listed in all of the cases but was not taken into custody at the time of the arrest.

Woman falls victim to online extortion

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 19-yearold woman from Forsyth County reported to authorities that scammers recently stole $6,000 from her through an online fraud scheme.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted Jan. 13 by the victim who said scammers had stolen thousands of dollars from her after she was contacted by an individual online, who asked to “use one of her paintings.”

During the conversation, scammers reportedly told the woman to send them money trough PayPal and Apple Pay for art materials. The victim said the scammers contacted her numerous

times threatening to call the FBI if she didn’t send them the money.

In total the victim sent the extortionists approximately $6,000, the report said.

No suspect was identified by police at the time of the report.

Business owner says worker embezzled nearly $2 million

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The owner of a logistics company alleges that one of his managers has stolen $1.8 million over eight years.

The owner told Johns Creek Police Jan. 13 that his manager has access to all of his financial accounts to pay for expenses and work-related items. The owner provided police with multiple documents that reflected money had been removed from the business accounts at Metro City Bank, the police report said, as well as a thumb drive filled with transactions the manager had made.

The owner said he thinks his manager and his manager’s wife created a small business, Asiana Export, to move the money. The business was started in 2013, the owner said. Because the owner does a lot of business with the similarly named Asiana Airlines, the transactions were not noticed until recently.

The owner found out about the theft because Asiana Airlines contacted him about payment. He then verified that payment had been made Dec. 22, but also found two additional payments dated the same day to Asiana Export.

The owner contacted the manager’s wife about the payments, and she apologized and returned the money. Out of suspicion, the owner went to Metro City Bank and found that all passcodes had been changed on his accounts, and only his employee had access.

The owner told police he locked all business accounts, except Metro City Bank, and was working on getting financial records from the bank.

Forsyth County Board of Education plans to update participation policy

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

CUMMING, Ga. — At the advice of legal counsel, the Forsyth County Board of Education plans to revise its current public participation policy for addressing the board at meetings.

The move comes in the wake of the recent procession of community members reading excerpts from books available on school shelves during the public comment portion of meetings.

A draft proposal was brought before the board Jan. 17 and made available the following morning for a 30-day public feedback period. Comments will be collected, and the draft will come back before the board in February, said Jennifer Caracciolo, chief communications officer for Forsyth County Schools.

Caracciolo said the current policy was updated in September based on new state laws that went into effect late July. Because attorney-client information is confidential, Caracciolo would not provide reasons as to why an additional revision has been proposed.

In the updated draft, participants whose comments call for action are now clearly referred to a rule that urges speakers to follow the resolution processes set forth in board policy or available at individual schools.

The rules have also been reordered, and some reworked. On the nature of prohibited remarks, “hateful racial epithets” have now been specified. This rule states that the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office can provide law enforcement services, whereas the current policy shoves law enforcement to the bottom.

Angry moms return

Policy changes follow litigation filed in July when two members from Mama Bears, an unincorporated association intent on “protecting the innocence of Forsyth County’s children,” filed a federal lawsuit claiming that their First Amendment rights have been violated.

The ongoing lawsuit stems from a March 2022 meeting in which Board of Education Chairman Wes McCall called for a recess after repeatedly asking a parent, Alison Hair, to stop reading sexually explicit excerpts from school library books. The board’s policy prohibits profane remarks.

Hair, a member of Mama Bears, had since refrained from attending

meetings out of fear of retaliation. However, she returned in December and again at the Jan. 17 board meeting.

Hair’s comments were more subdued Tuesday evening than those of Mama Bears Chairwoman Cindy Martin, who enunciated a lengthy sexually explicit passage out of a library book, then turned around and silently stared down some audience members who laughed for several seconds.

Other Forsyth County residents also expressed a distaste for the graphic material contained within some books still on library shelves.

But several comments held an opposing view.

Trusting educators

Catherine Nunziata, who wore a shirt branded with the “real” Mama Bears — a national organization that stands for the LGBTQ+ community — referenced a law that Gov. Brian Kemp signed.

Senate Bill 226 outlines a protocol, which requires that any complaints about material that is considered “harmful to minors” be addressed to the school principal. Once the complaint is received, the law states that an investigation into the material should be conducted within seven business days.

“Asking the Board of Education to unilaterally ban books or censor books is asking them to break the law,” Nunziata said. “Any people coming up here to read brief pieces from literature are doing it for political theater and for attention.”

Danielle Hartsfield, a professor in the Elementary & Special Education Department at North Georgia College, called out the assumption that underlies what is considered obscene.

“In the years that I have written and published about this topic myself, I have never encountered any empirical evidence collected in a scientifically sound manner suggesting that children are harmed by reading books about sex or sexual orientations or gender identities,” she said.

After citing one 2014 study that suggested a positive correlation between reading sexual content and pro-social behavior, Hartsfield sought to validate the years-long training and experience of teachers and librarians.

“Please trust the judgment of our educators,” Hartsfield said.

Dunwoody police obscure arrest locations

City Hall stands in as reported location of prostitution stings

By CARL APPEN and ALEXANDER POPP carl@appenmedia.com alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — This summer, a series of prostitution arrests in Dunwoody had a peculiar similarity – the police reports all said they took place at City Hall.

It wasn’t the only occurrence. In the past three years there have been at least 51 police reports involving prostitution using the location ID of 4800 Ashford Dunwoody.

It turns out, there was no underground brothel operating out of City Hall. Instead, officers follow an “informal policy” meant to preserve the department’s ability to conduct sting operations at local hotels.

When arrests are made in stings, Dunwoody officers use the address of Dunwoody City Hall in police reports because Chief Billy Grogan says hotels wouldn’t let them use their space otherwise.

“I think if we had to put the exact address, then we might as well stop trying to enforce human trafficking,” Grogan said. “If we started saying, ‘Okay, we made 15 arrests here at the Crowne Plaza today.’ Well, then, the Crowne Plaza could get bad publicity from that, and then say, ‘Hey, y’all, this is hurting our business. We’re not gonna allow you to do this.’”

Instead, the Police Department treats the hotels they operate out of for these stings the same as a confidential informant.

“The crime would never have been committed if the police had not been proactive,” Dunwoody Assistant City Manager Jay Vinicki said. “So therefore, do not penalize the property owner by saying a crime was committed.”

Open Records law

However, Georgia First Amendment Foundation spokesman Richard T. Griffiths said the practice that Grogan and Vinicki describe basically amounts to filing a false police report and violates Georgia’s Open Records law.

“There are minimal reporting requirements for the Open Records Act,” Griffiths said. “It doesn’t get into the investigative files, but it does require accurate information to be published in incident reports that are available to the public for inspection.”

He said he thinks the practice is, “a deliberate attempt to mislead the public about what’s happening in their commu-

For the last 10 years, the Dunwoody Police Department has held an informal policy to obscure the location of where undercover sex trafficking operations occur in published documents, using the address of Dunwoody City Hall.

Behind the story

For this reporting Appen Media filed 28 Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests and inspected 271 pages of documents. Two reporters, two editors and a number of other staff members contributed to

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nity,” which isn’t mitigated by the fact that it may, or may not, protect the identity of a local business.

“The public has a right to know what is happening in their community, and for police departments to deliberately falsify their incident reports for an alleged protection of the investigation doesn’t serve the public very well,” he said. “It doesn’t build trusted institutions.”

The practice also goes against the department’s own Standard Operating Procedure, which states that incident reports will include, among other information, the “location of the incident.”

Grogan said it was a longstanding informal policy, but one he believes is justified given the city’s history with sex trafficking crimes and the efforts they’ve taken to combat it over the past decade.

When the Dunwoody Police Department began targeting human trafficking

and sex trafficking about 10 years ago, Grogan said the city was dealing with an influx of what amounted to “open air” prostitution markets at local hotels.

In interviews with those arrested for orchestrating sex trafficking operations, Grogan said police learned over the years that Dunwoody is viewed as the perfect place for sex workers and sex traffickers because it’s a gateway between the north, south, east and west, with easy access to Gwinnett and Cobb counties on I-285, and on Ga. 400 into north Fulton cities and into the heart of Atlanta.

Crackdown has worked

Through operations and educational events, Grogan said police have been able to slow sex trafficking in the Dunwoody area down to a trickle. So now they’ve taken the fight online, setting up stings for people coming into Dunwoody from other

areas to buy or sell sex, using sting operations targeting suspects online.

“Because we’re being proactive and addressing this, even now, it’s sometimes difficult for us to attract people to come to them,” Grogan said.

Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said she wasn’t aware of the Police Department’s informal policy to obscure confidential crime locations using the address of City Hall. She said she has no authority over the Police Department’s policies.

“In a city manager-council form of government, the layers of authority as it relates to police are very clearly defined … So those are decisions that aren’t made by myself and are not reviewed by myself or the council either,” Deutsch said.

However, Deutsch said she stood by the policies and decisions made by the Police Department and city leaders and believes they have “good reasons” for everything they do.

“I have a lot of confidence in those types of decisions being made by the people who do it for a living, or for the city manager who has worked in local government for decades,” she said.

Grogan later told Appen Media that the department’s informal policy to obscure locations where crimes occur is very limited, and by necessity only.

“Everything can’t be a policy. You’d have a book that big,” he said, holding his hands about a foot apart.

He said that even with the sex trafficking cases they do value the importance of accuracy at some point along the line. Some cases, like those with attached felony drug charges, must be bound over to DeKalb County Court. In those scenarios the obscured address goes away and the real address of where the crime occurred is entered into the public record.

“It’s one thing for us to put it on our system,” he said. “But if they had taken a warrant out, they should put the actual address where it happened.”

But Grogan said that nearly 100 percent of cases generated from their sex trafficking sting operations are settled in municipal court, either for a plea deal or other type of negotiation, so often cases don’t ever reach the DeKalb County Court.

Grogan said “maybe” it’s a double standard to obscure information in local reports and the municipal court, and not in county court documents, but he believes it’s worth it if it allows them to continue fighting human trafficking.

“Because if none of the hotels will cooperate … it just wouldn’t happen,” he said.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

Pinecrest Academy students donate food items to pantry

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

CUMMING, Ga. — Pinecrest Academy students donated nearly 11,000 food items to the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry November through December 2022.

Students and their families, faculty

County:

Continued from Page 1

The industrial park, called Project Easy Wind in materials prepared by the Forsyth County Development Authority, is at 4730 Settingdown Road. The site is just over a mile away from Hampton Golf Village, the center of the Hampton subdivision.

“Settingdown Road east of [Ga.] 400 is not part of your commercial usage plan,” Hampton homeowner Drew Wade said. “It is not it. You’re going against what you voted for in Oct. 20, 2022.”

The board officially rejected a planned unit development rezoning for a 20,000-square-foot, mixed-use development at the Oct. 20, 2022, regular meeting and public hearing. The proposal was unanimously rejected Oct. 11, 2022, at a work session because the rezoning called for a higher density than the original land use plan.

Chamber of Commerce President and CEO James McCoy said commercial space in the county is 94.9 percent occupied. The Easy Wind rezoning project would create three buildings totaling 383,281 square feet and is estimated to employ 220.

Development Authority Chairwoman Joanne Tolleson told commissioners the project would increase the commercial tax digest, and she said the authority fully supports the project.

Hampton neighborhood resident Brian Estes said the tax benefits of the project are speculative, and all opposing residents agreed real safety concerns would arise

and staff collected food items through door-to-door engagement. The “Elves for Shelves” drive, a friendly competition between lower, middle and high school students, began in 2017. Students also create sculptures to donate along with the food items.

High school volunteers deliver the donations during the drive. Accord -

in the neighborhood if the motion was carried.

Hampton resident Andy Coleman said the Development Authority presented “grossly incorrect information.” He said there is an “ample amount” of vacant commercial space in Forsyth County, and the rezoning is unnecessary.

Coleman said Settingdown Road is being misrepresented. Residents of the area who publicly commented noted the road is narrow and winding, making it unsuitable for large trucks.

Hampton resident Sarah Coleman said there is a daycare, senior living, school bus stops and a library in the area, and she said increased traffic would raise safety concerns for children and the elderly.

“We’ll do anything to prevent those trucks going up and down that road that are unsafe for our children and our development,” Linda May told commissioners. “Help us out, people. We elected you guys for a reason: to support us.”

Developers at the Pacific Group agreed to provide an onsite traffic coordinator, signage and notices to truck drivers at the site to avert traffic from the neighborhood.

At its morning Jan. 19 meeting the Development Authority unanimously approved presenting the item to the County Commission. The industrial park comes after several tourism developments in the county last year, including the 10.6-acre Passport Springs and Spa and the SoFoSports Park.

According to an economic analysis report by the Pacific Group, the Easy Wind project will have $5.1 million in economic impact for the county over the following decade.

ing to Director of Campus Ministry Emily Roman, students delivered 11 truckloads of goods to the pantry at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church.

“Food donations we receive from Pinecrest’s drive will help provide free food assistance for families in need until next summer,” Barbara Gordon,

Frix:

Continued from Page 1

said. “I don't really blame the state for this one because they were doing everything they could to get her services.”

Clients at Creative Enterprises are supported by the Medicaid Waiver Program. Clients are also referred to the program by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.

While she was able to receive at-home care under state waivers, Megan was ineligible to receive care in a residential facility. Bennett said there are also host homes, individuals who volunteer to take in adults with disabilities, but there are none in Forsyth County.

director of the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, said in a Jan. 13 statement.

Roman said the academy is blessed to be a part of the effort, and the drive teaches students the importance of serving others.

The academy’s mission is to provide students “the opportunity to put Christian service into action.”

If Megan’s father had the opportunity to place Megan in a residential care facility, Otwell said she believes he would have accepted.

Megan’s situation is not unique to the Forsyth program. Bennett said a client with Down syndrome was killed while receiving at-home care. Bennett found another client alone in the hotel room he and his sister were staying in. His sister had died, she said, and he did not know what to do.

Bennett said Megan’s death and those before hers made Creative Enterprises act to inform others about the reality of caring for an adult with special needs.

“The community has really stepped up, too, and I'm sure a lot of them are wishing that they had helped Jerry when he kept asking for help,” Bennett said. A GoFundMe created for Megan’s funeral expenses raised over $10,000.

Experts hold summit on human trafficking scourge

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Faith, a human trafficking survivor, was 4 years old when someone first put a price tag on her. Her mother would not hand her over to her relatives unless she was given something in return, whether it was a car or payment for utility bills.

“That was the only way that she would allow me to be free from her abuse, from her neglect, from her addiction, and from all of her unhealthy cycles and patterns,” Faith said.

Faith’s story concluded the Jan. 21 Human Trafficking Summit at the Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy, hosted by the Alpharetta Rotary. Preceding Faith, two panels consisting of experts in human trafficking spoke from varying angles on the subject.

Because she was sexually assaulted at a young age, Faith said she had a skewed version of what love was.

“I learned then that I had no voice, that I had no value, that I had no worth, and that I had no purpose, and that I certainly didn’t have a destiny anymore,” she said.

Faith’s turbulent beginnings followed her until her late 30s, when she finally escaped the cycle of human trafficking. She now works at Street Grace, a faithdriven organization whose mission is to eradicate the sexual exploitation of minors and become one of the founding members for its Survivor Advisory Council.

“Please get involved,” Faith said. “Because there are people out there who depend on you …they need someone to help them through breaking the cycles that they get wrapped up in, in the patterns that they get wrapped up in because it’s not easy.”

Defining human trafficking

Moderated by Dave McCleary, founding member of the anti-human trafficking organization Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, the first panel consisted of Susan Coppedge, former ambassador to the Trafficking in Persons Office; Alia El-Sawi, victim assistance specialist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Hannah Palmquist, human trafficking section chief for the Georgia Attorney General’s Office; and Jonathan Leach, special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit.

Human trafficking is rarely kidnapping by physical force, Palmquist said, but rather victims are lured in by promises to fill basic needs that aren’t being met.

“Sex trafficking is the exploitation of the most vulnerable victims in society,”

Palmquist said.

There are three types of human trafficking, Leach said, labor trafficking, sexual servitude and benefits trafficking. Benefits trafficking, which targets older people or people with disabilities, doesn’t see a lot of discussion, Leach said.

Most trafficking, 60 percent, comes in the form of labor. El-Sawi commented on some of her case work that found domestic servitude within multimillion-dollar homes.

“It can happen anywhere,” El-Sawi said. “It could happen in an affluent neighborhood … So this is an issue that really affects all of us — all communities, all populations.”

According to data provided by Alpharetta Rotary, it’s estimated that 43 percent of johns live in North Fulton.

Coppedge asked the audience to be conscious consumers, directing visitors to slaveryfootprint.org. The website allows users to answer a series of questions informing them of how purchasing habits contribute to the global labor trafficking problem.

“Sex trafficking is horrific — it’s a bodily assault,” Coppedge said. “But labor trafficking can be a bodily assault, too, and we are all contributing to that with our consumer purchasing.”

Prevention efforts

The summit’s second panel focused on prevention within the transportation industry, health care field and the school system.

Moderated by Ashlie Bryant, CEO of the anti-human trafficking organization 3Strands Global Foundation, the second panel included FCS Innovation Academy students Sejal Whitaker, Lakshana Ramanan and Sree Hariharan; Joe McDermot, vice president of Operations and Training at Delta Airlines; and Freda Lyon, vice president for Emergency Services at Wellstar Health System.

Bryant’s organization developed a human trafficking prevention program that can be implemented in schools at all grade levels. Starting in kindergarten, students are taught to listen to their inner voice.

“A really important part of prevention is being able to meet people where they’re at,” Bryant said.

Lyon said hospital staff are trained to ask all patients if they feel safe at home in a way that makes patients feel comfortable. She also described some of the signs of human trafficking that health care workers should look for,

like tattoos.

But Lyon said trafficking victims don’t always look like they’ve been trafficked.

“We have to worry about our bias, making sure that we’re aware of our bias.”

McDermot said all 95,000 Delta Airlines employees are trained to spot signs of human trafficking. He shared a success story about two aircraft mechanics in Florida who were able to observe the signs and act as a result of the training.

“Don’t underestimate the awareness that everybody has in this room,” McDermot said, alluding to the packed auditorium.

He also said that Delta uses frequent flier miles to help evacuate trafficking victims back to their families, which has been done 326 times.

Hariharan, a junior at FCS Innovation Academy, evoked applause after giving a call to action to the parents in the room.

“What we need to do is reduce the stigma of talking about sexuality — good touch, bad touch — because you’d rather be the one to tell your children.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Freda Lyon, vice president for Emergency Services at Wellstar Health System, talks about spotting signs of trafficking in the health care field at the Jan. 21 Human Trafficking Summit.

American Legion Post 201 commemorates 75 years

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — American Legion Post 201 celebrated its 75th anniversary at Carl Black Buick GMC Roswell Jan. 21 with a cakecutting ceremony.

Post 201, founded in 1946 by World War I veteran and Alpharetta resident Abijah B. Adams, provides a place for veterans to connect and to engage with the community through service. It is headquartered on 13 acres at 201 Wills Road, Alpharetta.

“Because when we’re out in the community, people get to see us,” said Legion member Frederick Mahony. “And that’s a positive image of the military that they get to think about.”

After the presentation of colors, Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame Ambassador Roger Wise cut a cake reading “Happy 75th Birthday American Legion Post 201.”

Ed Postell, chairman of the Atlanta chapter of Our Community Salutes, said celebrating the post’s anniversary is important because the group has been doing for 75 years what Our Community Salutes has done for only three years.

Our Community Salutes is a nonprofit that honors high school enlistees and provides their families support during the transition to military service.

The post received commendations from Gov. Brian Kemp; the Johns Creek Veterans Association; the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame; Our Community Salutes; and the Cities of Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and Alpharetta.

“We have been key partners for a long time, and this is recognition of their contributions to date,” said Keith Bogle, vice president and Color Guard captain of the Johns Creek Veterans Association. He said he is looking forward to the next 75 years and how the association can help the post accomplish more.

Georgia District 21 Sen. Brandon Beach and Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry attended the ceremony, along with Roswell City councilmembers Lee Hills, William Morthland and Christine Hall.

“To me, us being here today is an outward and visible sign of how the City of Roswell feels about our veterans,” Hills said. “It’s so important for us to show up and to stand up. We’ve got a lot of veterans that still need help, need support, and we owe them everything.”

The Johns Creek Veterans Association presents the flags at the American Legion Post 201’s 75th anniversary ceremony at the Carl Black Buick GMC Roswell Jan. 21.

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame Ambassador Roger Wise cuts the cake at the American Legion Post 201’s 75th anniversary ceremony at the Carl Black Buick GMC Roswell Jan. 21.

LNB Candles brings Alpharetta clean, safe scent alternatives

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Entering LNB Candles, visitors are greeted by a small, white chihuahua named Johnny Depp and a modern entryway, featuring floral backdrops and neon lighting one might find on a chic Instagram page.

LNB owner Michelle Walters says she offers something other major fragrance retailers do not: safe and clean scents with simple ingredients.

“It was not ever intended to actually be a full-time business, and it ended up turning out to be one, which is kind of cool,” Walters said.

A self-proclaimed “type A personality,” Walters said her business, located at 6778 Jamestown Drive in Alpharetta, relaxes her and helps her feel her own sense of Zen.

“I want you to feel like you walked into a place that’s here for you, that’s personalized for you,” Walters said. “So, if you have questions about anything, if you have concerns about anything, if you want to know, can I customize something. Like, I can do things more so than a big box retailer can do, and I want to do those things for you.”

Business background

Walters started making candles 10 years ago. Her daughter loved burning candles, Walters said, but after being diagnosed with a health condition, her daughter developed headaches, sleeplessness and cystic acne from the candles.

Some candles, Walters said, contain chemicals that make the scents harmful when inhaled. A study conducted by the South Carolina State University from 2006 to 2010 showed that candles made with

paraffin, a wax made from petroleum, release dangerous chemicals that are “health hazards and could cause various diseases.”

The study also states that candles with bases made from soybean, the base that Walters uses at LNB, do not release similar pollutants.

“So, I made some candles, and then her friends came over to the house, and they’re like, ‘Mrs. Walters, could you make us a candle for our room?’” Walters said. “And then it turned into making candles for their parents that had businesses, and then making them for parties and events and weddings, and then just happened to walk

by a location that had a for-lease sign and signed up and opened up the store.”

Walters has grown beyond candles, now selling car fresheners, room sprays and diffusers. She said LNB will experiment with body sprays and body lotions.LNB

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Michelle Walters sells candles, room sprays, car fresheners, wick trimmers, diffusers and wax melts at LNB Candles, located at 6778 Jamestown Drive, Jan. 17. Walters’ candles and wax melts are soybean-based and are safe to inhale when burned.

“I want you to feel like you walked into a place that’s here for you, that’s personalized for you.”

MICHELLE WALTERS, owner, LNB Candles

Candles:

Candles has already branched out into various retailers, including Walmart and Amazon.

“I got to the point now where I started off with a very small candle-making process, and now I’ve gotten to the point where I’m having a very large candlemaking process, melting wax for me every single day,” Walters said. “So it’s pretty cool.”

Walters said being environmentallyconscious is an important part of her business.

“That’s one thing I like about the products that I use, like a lot of times people bring the candles and are like, ‘Hey, can I refill them?’” Walters said. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, absolutely, come to the shop.’ Instead of throwing a candle container away, you can refill it again, and you can even choose a different scent to go in it.”

LNB’s products are also pet-friendly and non-toxic, she said. Her room sprays, unlike oil-based air fresheners, do not stain walls.

Setting up shop

Walters opened her shop last year. Part of choosing what products to make and sell depends on a customer’s scent preferences.

“Usually, I go in, and I’ll bring them

three types of scents,” Walters said. “So, I’ll bring them something that’s maybe like a floral, something that’s like a herb-type of scent and something else that’s a musk.”

Walters said candles are a very personalized item, and part of expanding on a scent line is deciding what customers most like.

Candles like the “Great Gatsby,” are

inspired by personal anecdote. Walters said the scent reminds her of her grandfather, who smelled like aftershave when she hugged him.

Walters said the number of products for a particular scent she keeps in stock depends on demand and whether the scent is part of a limited holiday collection.

Whether it’s out of stock or a request

for something new, however, Walters said she accepts custom scent orders to find a customer’s perfect product.

Customers will see the LNB logo displayed behind the front counter and a holiday display table when they enter. Down the hall and to the right is the showroom, which Walters said she likes decorating for holidays. Heart pillows, the word “love” and a giant pink Teddy bear Walters stuffed herself get customers into the Valentine’s Day spirit.

Next up

This year, Walters said LNB is going through the trademark process, which would allow her to expand the business’s wholesale contracts.

“I would love to just keep expanding it into stores and into more boutiques and expand our line also on Amazon,” Walters said. “We have candles on Amazon, which have sold really, really well, but I was waiting for the trademark protection to come in before we continue to expand the line, just so we’re able to protect it.”

LNB makes stops at the Halcyon Farmers Market, the Vickery Village Farmers Market, the North Main Street Market at Alpharetta and the Milton Farmers Market.

The shop is open weekdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m.

“I love what I do, and I know it’s going into someone’s home, so I want them to love it when they get it and to enjoy the product,” Walters said.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Michelle Walters, owner of LNB Candles at 6778 Jamestown Drive, decorates her showroom with Valentine’s décor Jan. 17. Walters said she decorates for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and summertime.

Pain relieving Laser Therapy

Having treated hundreds of patients over the past 6 years with Pain Relieving Laser Therapy, it’s not hard for me to appreciate how well it works. But if you’ve never tried it, trust me when I tell you…. you’re missing out!

Several years ago, John Deere ran a promotion on their zero turn lawn mowers. They used a fun tag line,

“It’s not how fast you mow, it’s how well you mow FAST!” I wish I could come up with a similar tag line for Pain Relieving Laser Therapy because it can deliver pain relief in just a few minutes. It’s not uncommon for patients to have their pain be reduced by 50% on the first treatment.

How does it work? Pain Relieving Laser Therapy uses light energy to

promote healing and reduce pain. Laser Therapy is FDA cleared to treat pain, inflammation, arthritis, and muscle spasms and is a great alternative to medications and injections.

The most common thing we hear after someone tries it for the first time is “WOW!” I’m sure if you are just reading this article, you are probably

thinking, “yeah, RIGHT??!! Nothing works that fast!” But don’t take my word for it, call our office today and schedule your FREE TRIAL. The only thing you have to lose is your pain!

Johns Creek Physical Therapy 4060 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite H Suwanee, GA 30024 770-622-5344

Brought to you by - Johns Creek Physical Therapy

Misconceptions about active adult 55+ living

Brought

by - Outlook Gwinnett

Assumption: Active Adult and Independent Living are the same thing

Reality: FALSE! Active adult communities serve as choice-based option for individuals 55 and better who may not be ready for the needs-based services and amenities of a traditional senior living community.

Assumption: Active Adult site staff are medically certified

Reality: FALSE! Our staff does not provide any medical care or interventions. This allows our residents to maintain their long-time health care providers and medical independence.

Assumption: I have to be retired in order to move into an Active Adult community

Reality: FALSE! Just like living in a multi-family community, we encourage our residents to continue to engage in their career and social interests as they did prior to moving in!

The Active Adult environment caters to older adults who typically have

lower health needs and prefer an active, community-based lifestyle where they can engage with their neighbors of similar age. This may allow for a stronger sense of community and an easier adjustment to apartment living. Here at Outlook Gwinnett, we seek to provide luxurious, worry-free living long before you are ready to relinquish your independence. Look forward to spending hot summer days lounging by our meticulously cared for outdoor pool! Or connect with your neighbors and plan your evening gettogethers around our stocked wine nook and sports lounge. Add in our community calendar, packed with a never-ending variety of SUN program activities, the possibilities are limitless here at Outlook Gwinnett!

Stop by our leasing office today to find out how to reserve a spot in this unique community today.

1500 Laurel Crossing Parkway Buford, GA 30519 (678) 890-5371 outlookgwinnett.com

to you

» Spacious and open, one- and two-bedroom floor plans

» Masterfully-appointed kitchen with luxury finishes

» Walk-in closets

» Pet friendly

» Washer and dryer in every unit

» Balcony or patio in all units

Barnacles on the ship of life

Brought to you by -

MD, Premiere Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

Over the next few months, we’ll take a closer look at a few of the most common spots that pop up on our skin. Today’s article is about the most common new growth that develops after the age of 40 – the “seborrheic keratosis” or SK for short.

SK’s are benign, which means that they are not cancerous. Still, they are probably THE growth that patients ask me about most frequently. It is understandable that SK’s generate worry because they exhibit many of the features that we teach people to fear. SK’s grow and sometimes itch. If scratched or traumatized, they can hurt or bleed. They can be brown or black. Such spots often cause alarm.

Changing brown or black growths should be examined by a dermatologist to rule out melanoma. The most common differences between SK’s and melanomas are fairly easy to list but can be hard to apply without practice. And because the stakes for misdiagnosing one’s self are so high (death), having a dermatologist look at spots with you is completely justified. Some patients feel silly coming in for something that turns out to be “nothing” but getting checked is smart. Self-diagnosis is not advised, especially not initially. But, with time, patients can often identify most SK’s confidently using these rules:

SK’s have a few reasonably consistent features: they are usually rough or waxy in texture. They are almost always “stuck-on” in appearance similar to a barnacle on a ship. SK’s often feel as if you can get a fingernail underneath the edge and just pop them off (and some patients can and do!). Waxy SK’s are not particularly rough whereas the rough SK’s are often “warty” in appearance.

Other features of SK’s are less consistent. SK’s are often tan or brown, but they can be black, pink, multicolored or even white. On the feet and ankles, white SK’s are called “stucco keratoses and look as if the ankles and feet were spackled with stucco. Seborrheic keratoses range in size from pinpoint to as big as an oyster shell. Given these variations, color and size are not helpful diagnostic features. They often get thicker and bigger with time, so growth isn’t a helpful differentiator either.

What do you do once you’ve confirmed that a growth is “only” an SK? Seborrheic keratoses are easily treatable and can often be frozen away with liquid nitrogen or curetted away with ease. Insurance unfortunately only considers it medically necessary to treat SK’s that are bleeding, irritated, painful, getting rubbed on by clothing or otherwise symptomatic. “Cosmetic” SK removal is available at most dermatology clinics for a cosmetic fee.

Small SK’s can usually be removed with minimal residual blemish, but larger SK’s may leave a lighter-colored area or subtle scar after removal. In one U.S. study, the average American over the age of 40 developed one new SK per year with the average 65-yearold exhibiting 33 SK’s upon a thorough counting. Given how pleasingly SK’s can be removed when they are still small, a “debarnacling” every year or two is a reasonable choice for most individuals.

Given that skin cancer is more than ten times more common than any other cancer, it pays to familiarize yourself with the appearances of skin cancer and its mimics (Google Images is a great tool for this purpose). For patients with concerning spots, a family history of skin cancer or risk factors such as a history of sun damage or tanning bed use, a visit with a dermatologist is highly recommended.

Brent Taylor,

Get a great PCP!

Going to a physician specialist, like a Cardiologist, might be the final solution; but when a new health concern pops up, consider going to your Primary Care Physician first. To some this might sound like “old school” thinking, but there is a great amount of logic, and savings, to taking this approach. Let me explain.

Too many of my clients have told me that instead of going for an annual physical with their PCP, they ONLY go to their specialists for annual checkups. While seeing your specialists on an annual basis is a good thing to do, the Cardiologist or Gastroenterologist is not typically looking at the body as a whole. I believe most doctors would agree that this is one reason the Primary Care Physician and the Specialist co-exist. One looks at a “specialized” area of the body, while the other is broadly monitoring the “whole” system.

If you are someone who sees your

PCP at least once or twice a year, the doctor might very well catch issues earlier than you are able to detect them yourself. Your PCP could possibly be your lifesaver if visited regularly! There are so many services and tests that the Primary Care Physicians can do to check your body's status. It makes sense to make an appointment sooner than later.

Over the past decade, Medicare and most Medicare Advantage plans have figured out that prevention, by using PCPs, has not only saved money, but has saved lives. It’s hard to make cost an issue, because most preventive services with Medicare are covered at 100%. They want you to go! Many Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 copay for PCP visits, so what’s stopping you from scheduling that appointment? If the reason is that you don’t have the right Primary Care Physician, change it!

Give us a call (770)-315-8145, and we can help provide a list of PCPs in your area based on your Physician Network. You can also reach out to us on our “contact SeniorSource” section of our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com.

Paige Gorman Agent

Brought

Jay Looft, Medicare Insurance Broker, SeniorSource Medicare Solutions

Understanding drug use and addiction

Drug use has become a concerning health issue in our society today. It is generally misunderstood to be a lack of moral principle or willpower when in reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting can be very difficult.

What is drug addiction?

“Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences” (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

While the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, continuing to use drugs changes the brain in a way that affects a person’s self-control and interferes with their ability to resist the intense urges to continue taking them. These brain changes are persistent, contributing to the increased risk of relapsing even after quitting. Drugs affect the brain’s “reward circuit” and floods it with dopamine, creating a sense of euphoria. This reinforces unhealthy behaviors and leads people to repeat the behavior again and again. Over time the

brain adapts, and the person needs more of the substance to achieve the same reaction. This can lead to a loss of pleasure in other things as well, like food or social activities. Longterm drug use causes changes in other areas such as judgment, decisionmaking, memory, and behavior. This is what can lead to continued use despite negative consequences.

Can drug addiction be cured or prevented?

Drug addiction is a chronic disease, and treatment for it isn’t considered a cure. However, it is treatable and can be successfully managed. People in recovery are at risk for relapse, but treatment with addiction medicines and behavioral therapy can offer the best chance of success. Each person’s recovery process is different and must be tailored to the individual. Support from family, friends, and professionals offers the best chance of success.

If you are concerned about a loved one’s drug or alcohol use, join our 8-week Family Support Group starting on February 6th and meeting on Mondays from 6:30 – 7:30 PM at Summit’s Dunwoody Satellite location (1548 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody). Call our main office at (678) 893- 5300 for more information and to register.

Brought to you by - Janet Fluker, Licensed Professional Counselor and Staff Supervisor at Summit Counseling Center

ISTOCK

PERSERVING THE PAST

A passion for preserving and riding historic bicycles

Alpharetta resident Jaime Woodward was born to ride bicycles, not the bikes kids ride to school or even sleek racing bikes serious riders use.

Jaime’s choice is the “high wheeler” with the huge front wheel and small rear wheel that goes very fast and creates a stir wherever it appears. His father was an engineer with Ford Motor Company and repaired and collected antique bicycles, accumulating more than 100 bikes at one point. For two years in the 1970s he served as national Commander of The Wheelmen, the organization of individuals devoted to collecting, restoring and, above all, riding historic bicycles.

BOB MEYERS Columnist

It is easy to see how Jaime comes by his passion. One of his first dates with his wife Lora was riding their high wheelers together at the 1982 Mummers Parade in Philadelphia.

The most common question asked about high wheel bicycles is “why is the front wheel so big?” The answer is to make the bike go faster. The larger the wheel, the more ground is covered with each turning of the wheel. Tall people have a distinct advantage because their longer legs allow them to ride larger wheels. Wheels came in various diameters in the heydays of the high wheeler in the 1880s, initially as small as 36 inches and growing over time to 64 inches. The average wheel was 52 inches. Today’s bicycle tires usually range from 12 to 29 inches.

According to Jaime, high wheel bicycles have a surprisingly good ride. He should know, because he owns three antique high wheel beauties and four other antique bikes. Relatively quick at normal speeds of 10-12 miles per hour over long distances, large wheels smooth out rough roads which was a big advantage on 19th century unpaved roads. “A common question people ask,” says Jaime, “is how riders get up on the bike.“ Answer: a small step on the backbone helps the rider get into the saddle.

High wheel bicycles are also known as Ordinary bicycles, or Penny-farthings in England because they looked like a penny chasing a farthing, to distinguish them from older bicycles that actually looked more like modern bikes. Known as Velocipedes, early bikes had two wheels of the same size and were made of wood and often had metal tires. They did not go very fast and were uncomfortable, hence their nickname, bone-shakers.

High wheels represented a major technological advance when invented in 1870, and they became wildly popular

in the 1880s which was the great cycling era in the United States. However, their popularity was relatively short-lived in part because the bikes were hazardous. The rider’s center of gravity was just slightly behind the wheel which increased the risk that the rider would fly over the handlebars when hitting a bump in the road, “taking a header” as it was called. Both Jaime and Lora have done headers, but fortunately, neither has been seriously injured.

The most important manufacturer was the Columbia Bicycle Company founded in 1877, which by 1900 was the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. Its first product was a high wheeler made at the Weed Sewing Machine Company in Hartford, Connecticut. Called the Standard Columbia it sold for $125 while sewing machines were selling for $13, suggesting that bicycle riding was a pastime for the well-to-do. The Columbia company was responsible for many innovations in the industry, and it became one of the country’s first automobile manufacturers. Although the bicycle industry was the precursor to the automobile industry, the bicycle industry as a preferred mode of transportation was quickly replaced when automobiles gained popularity.

It has been said that without the invention of the bicycle, the automobile would not have been feasible. Hundreds of components incorporated into early autos

were invented for bicycles, and bicycles were manufactured using assembly line techniques. Henry Ford’s first 11 dealerships were in bicycle shops (Chicago Tribune September 18, 1994). According to the Chicago newspaper, in 1899 there were 300 bicycle companies in the United States making a million bicycles. By 1910, there were only 100 companies remaining making half as many bikes.

Another link between the bicycle and the automobile was the efforts of the League of American Wheelmen, founded in 1880. Their effective lobbying for paved roads helped make growth of the auto industry possible.

Jim Farris, a resident of Milton, is an avid antique auto collector and restorer who appreciates the link between the two industries. Owner of an 1886 Victor Roaster 52-inch high wheeler made by the pioneering Overman Wheel Company in Massachusetts, Jim appreciates “any antique machine,” calling them things of beauty. He refers to his Victor Roadster as “a piece of transportation history.”

Jaime says “Lora and I love going out for a ride. Both of us have done organized 25- and 100-mile rides in one day on our high wheel bicycles.” The couple is doing their part to keep America’s cycling heritage alive.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the

Jaime

takes a spin around his neighborhood on his 1885 Victor Light Roaster with its 52 inch wheel. Victor bicycles were made from 1883 to 1900 and were known for their higher quality and lighter weight than less expensive bikes made by competitors. Due to growing competition from low priced bicycles and a disastrous fire in 1899, the company was forced to sell its bicycle business and turned its attention to the automobile industry

it had mixed success.

WOODWARD FAMILY/PROVIDED Early ads for bicycles were very artistic. This is an 1897 advertisement for Columbia Bicycles which were made by the Pope Manufacturing Company. Columbia became the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer. This ad was made using the chromolithograph process which was popular at the time.

City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@ bellsouth.net.

WOODWARD FAMILY/PROVIDED

A New Rapid bicycle figured prominently in Jaime and Lora Woodward’s 1983 wedding. The couple has been avid antique bikers ever since. This high wheel bicycle was built in 1888 and has a 52 inch diameter wheel.

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Woodward

where

So, who’s the new guy with the hat?

I can pretty much guess what you’re asking: Aren’t there any young, good-looking columnists around?

Longtime columnist Mike Tasos joins Appen Media

the author of “Friday Night Lights.” Think, a football game in the middle of World War II Okinawa.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — With a keen eye for the absurd, columnist Mike Tasos comes aboard Appen Media with more than a decade of experience getting personal with readers.

“I remember telling my grandmother I wanted to be a columnist,” Tasos said. “And she started crying because she thought I meant ‘communist.’”

MIKE TASOS Columnist

I’m happy to have the chance to visit with you this week and the weeks to come. I promise to do my best not to bore you, but sometimes we columnists might do that. Also, I don’t want to get you riled up to the point of breaking windows here at the Appen offices.

No, as a columnist, my job is to make you think, laugh, maybe shed a tear. Mostly, I hope what I bring is something you look forward to reading every week.

Opinions? Why sure I have opinions. We won’t always agree, but I promise to listen and entertain yours.

All righty then. Indulge me while I pull back the curtain and let you know not why I’m here, but how I got here.

First off, I’m a 67-year-old geezer who likes the Atlanta Braves, Notre Dame football, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. I have a partial season ticket package for the Braves and youngest son Greg and I will see lots of games this summer.

I’ll also attend the theater with older son Chris. We’ve made some great memories from our secondrow Friday night seats at the Fox. I used to love going to the movies, but really, have you spotted anything at the local movie house that makes you say: “I really gotta see that!”

Hey Hollywood, we’re champing at the bit to pay $20 for a tub of

Before breaking into the pharmaceutical industry in 1981, Tasos was a sports writer in California. While there, Tasos went the extra mile and went through the hiring process for the CIA. At his ripe age, Tasos has a lot of stories to tell.

“There’s just a lot to me,” Tasos said. “I sure hope to hell I don’t bore anybody.”

He jumped back into writing at Forsyth County News in 2010, but on a more personal note.

As a general column writer, Tasos said the world is his easel. He might paint a picture of his time spent at a professional bull riding show or about his friends and family, but all in his distinct conversational style.

Inspired by columnists like Lewis Grizzard and Jim Murray, Tasos said he wants readers to enjoy their time with him and hopes to continue eliciting laughter, and maybe some tears if readers feel so moved, at Appen Media.

popcorn. Just give us an excuse for a family movie night where the product on the screen doesn’t make us cringe.

I like a good explosion as much as the next guy. Just don’t gross me and my family out.

I grew up in Bakersfield, California, and I used to sell pork sausage to Merle Haggard (he liked the spicy stuff) and taught Buck Owens to play racquetball. Growing up, I’m ashamed that I didn’t appreciate Buck and Merle. We were much too cool to listen to that “Okie music.”

Just dumb kids, I reckon.

I’ve been married to the same

woman, Vicki, for going on 43 years and get this, we have the same birthday. I’m an hour older so I’ll spare you the “robbing the cradle” jokes. We have two sons, Chris (25) and Greg (22).

I survived their learning to drive, never once taking solace with liquor or pills to calm my nerves. Now, they look at me with pity, really meaning it if they want to call me “the old man.”

I like to read books. Give me Rick Bragg, Michael Connelly, Tim Dorsey, James Lee Burke, Daniel Silva (we both went to Fresno State), Brad Thor and I’ll try to wear out my Kindle.

Right now, I’m immersed in “The Mosquito Bowl” by Bizz Bissinger,

I keep threatening to write a book and have received encouragement from authors. I think I’ll start with a collection of past columns, but just between us, the thought of sitting at a table and having me and my book ignored by others is more frightening than having an argument with those women on “The View.”

Tough to imagine a good outcome.

Settling into these new digs here feels like it will be refreshing. Personally, 2022 was a tough year. I started the year losing a kidney (renal cell carcinoma). Some robot named DaVinci tore that sucker out while I was stone cold asleep.

Before the operation, everyone said there was no problem. You can do just fine with one kidney. It was glaring that those who voiced that opinion owned both of their kidneys and their only brush with cancer came while munching on Corn Nuts and watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”

The end of the year saw me lose my 59-year-old baby brother, Marty. I was there at the end and got to hug his neck goodbye. He made me laugh so often and now, it just takes a thought or two, and I’ll laugh again.

Just like my kidney situation, I’m down to one brother, Matt.

I’m going to have to live with one of those, too. It’s like I find myself reminding him: Take care of yourself. You’re all I got.”

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

— AMBER PERRY

Call today to place your ad 470.222.8469 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com • FAX: 770-475-1216

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IT Professionals

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Computer Professionals for GA based IT firm : Sr. Software Engineer to Plan, dsgn, develop, test, enhance, customize & co-ordinate activities to implement advance software module components in complex computing environments using Tableau, SQL, HP Quality Center, MS Office, Visio etc. Travel and/ or reloc to various unanticipated loc’ns throughout the US may be required. Apply w/ 2 copies of resume to HR, Blue Fusion Enterprise Technologies Inc. 11205 Alpharetta Hwy, Ste E-3, Roswell, GA 30076.

ArrowCore Group LLC seeks Master’s+2yrs exp/equiv.: QA Manager (AGQM23): JIRA, Agile testing, Salsify, PIM and PROD. Mail resume with job ID # to HR :24 Sloan Street, Roswell, GA 30075. Unanticipated work site locations throughout U.S. Foreign equiv. accepted.

Landis + Gyr Technology, Inc.

Alpharetta, GA

Technical Implementation Manager

Responsibilities: Deliver Landis+Gyr’s GridStream Advanced Metering Infrastructure solutions using structured deployment project lifecycle to ensure quality of delivery. Work closely with program deployment team to evaluate client business processes & consult with clients on technical feasibility & integration of processes utilizing AMI solutions.

Requirements: Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Electrical Engg, or related field & 3 years experience in job offered or 3 years experience with Oracle or SQL Server databases. Experience must include 3 years experience with wireless technologies. Experience must include 3 years utility domain experience. Experience may be gained concurrently. Send resume & cover letter to: Landis+Gyr c/o Lisa Hudson, Talent Acquisition, 30000 Mill Creek Ave, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30022 or via email to: lisa.hudson@landisgyr.com

INFANT TEACHER. ROSWELL, GA.

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Salesforce Application Managers, Cumming, GA: Work w/ sftwre vendors to identify tech & design patterns for the dvlpmt of a solutions based on customer landscape. Lead organization-wide CRM methodology, framework governing Program and Portfolio Mgmt, Sys Dvlpmt & Tech Governance Drive adoption of dvlpmt method best practices across the COE & facilitate the salesforce pltfrm & eco-system across the organization. Some job duties may be performed from home Trave/reloc to various unanticipated locations. Send res to: Hanya Technologies, hr@hanyatechnologies.com

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Agilysys NV, LLC seek Lead Software Engineer - Technical Services in Alpharetta, GA to dev code sols for bus needs. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref: 20490

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