Forsyth Herald - March 9, 2023

Cumming Arts Center honors young artists

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County parents, teachers and residents enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon gathered at the Cumming Arts Center for a reception to recognize student artwork March 4.

The exhibit hosted by the Sawnee Association of the Arts recognized 159 students in the South Forsyth Vertical Team, which includes Lakeside Middle School; Daves Creek Elementary School; Haw Creek Elementary School; and South Forsyth Middle and High Schools.

South Forsyth Middle School art teacher Taylor Shoemake said roughly 30 students from her school had their art displayed.

“I think it's very encouraging for kids in elementary and middle to see what they

can look forward to in high school,” Shoemake said. “And I think it's for the high school kids to be able to look back and see maybe where they came from, but just the creativity that shines through, every single piece that is up there is completely different from the one next to it.”

Shoemake said she was excited for her students to have the chance to show their skills and hard work and to celebrate their achievements.

One of Shoemake’s students, sixth grader Samudita Baral, said she chose Donald Duck as the subject of her ceramic sculpture, “KAWS Donald Duck,” because the character has anger issues, which fits the sad themes of the artist KAWS’ sculptures. Baral said it felt good to have her art displayed publicly.

See ARTS, Page 8

Commissioners bid farewell to departing county executive

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County commissioners recognized Assistant County Manager Brandon Kenney for his

service as he departs from his role at its March 2 meeting.

Kenney served as assistant county manager since June 7, 2021, where he oversaw the Parks and Recreation; Planning and Community Development; Code

Compliance; Water and Sewer; Animal Services; and Senior Services Departments.

In addition, Kenney served as chief information officer since 2016, where he led the Information Systems and Technology Department and Geographic

Information Systems, and he revamped the official Forsyth County website and expanded online access to agenda packets prior to meetings.

See FORSYTH, Page 5

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

The Cumming Arts Center displays art by students in the South Forsyth Vertical Team at its exhibit March 4.

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Suspect cited for theft after domestic dispute

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Sheriff’s deputies added a charge of felony theft to a Gainesville man wanted for questioning in a Feb. 20 domestic incident.

Deputies were called to the suspect’s home on Wits End Drive Feb. 20, where a woman said her ex-fiancé and roommate Keith Brookshire, 44, had struck her face with his forehead.

A struggle then ensued when Brookshire tried to take her phone, the report states. The woman told deputies Brookshire held her down against the bed with his arm covering her face and nose. She said she could not breathe, and she had bitten Brookshire to make him stop.

The woman retrieved her young child and locked herself in a bedroom to call 911. She heard Brookshire attempting to enter the room, but she said he left the scene in his truck before deputies arrived.

Deputies reported seeing signs of injury on the woman.

Brookshire called the woman while deputies were on the scene, but he ended the call when a deputy answered it. He then returned to the scene and drove his truck onto the front lawn.

The sheriff’s report states the residence had a history of domestic violence calls, and the woman told deputies that Brookshire might have a firearm in his vehicle. When Brookshire exited his vehicle, deputies report that he kept his right hand down and near his body.

Due to Brookshire’s history and behavior at the scene, a deputy drew his weapon and aimed it at Brookshire, the report states. Brookshire complied with commands to put his hands up, and deputies transported him to the County Jail.

When deputies informed Brookshire of his charges, he hit his head four times

on the partition in the patrol vehicle, told deputies that he would “show them crazy” and said the woman would “get what’s coming to her” even if she got a temporary protective order.

Brookshire was charged with misdemeanor cruelty to children in the third degree and misdemeanor battery family violence.

The woman notified deputies Feb. 21 she found pawn receipts for two of her personal belongings inside Brookshire’s truck. He had allegedly pawned her wedding ring valued at $4,690 and a $320 cordless drill.

Brookshire was then charged with felony theft by taking. He is being held at the Forsyth County Jail with bond set at $33,390.

Deputies say suspect had drugs inside shoe

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies reported finding methamphetamine inside a suspect’s shoe after a Feb. 25 arrest for an active warrant.

A deputy input the tag number of a vehicle parked at the Shell gas station on Browns Bridge Road. The search showed the registered owner, Jay Hutchins, 30, of Dawsonville, had an active misdemeanor probation violation warrant in Alpharetta.

Deputies detained Hutchins when he exited the store, and they reported asking his girlfriend if she would be willing to take his vehicle.

The woman, Jennifer Evans, 34, of Cumming, told deputies she did not know the status of her driver’s license. The Georgia Crime Information Center informed deputies Evans had an active felony probation violation warrant in Dawson County.

The couple was detained, and the girlfriend was placed in the custody of Dawson County deputies. Forsyth County deputies asked Hutchins if he had any illegal substances on his person, which he denied.

Deputies at the County Jail reported finding a bag of a crystalline substance under the left insert of Hutchins’ shoe. Hutchins told deputies he had purchased

the drugs from a man in another county, and he had forgotten it was in his shoe. He said he did not attempt to conceal the substance, the report states.

Hutchins was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. Bond is set at $16,630.

Deputies arrest man in November rape

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies identified Urve Balli, 26, of Cumming as the suspect in a rape that occurred in November.

A woman informed deputies Nov. 13 she had visited Balli, whom she knew as “Austin,” and his roommate’s townhouse on Summit Crossing Way after work. She said Balli’s roommate had left, and Balli allegedly raped her later that night while she slept.

Deputies arrested Balli Feb. 22 on charges of felony rape.

Crooked credit activity sparks police complaint

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man reported he received a letter from Capital One Feb. 16 in reference to an attempt to open a new credit card.

His son told Johns Creek Police Feb. 21 his father had not made the application, and that Capital One had been notified. It is not known when and where the account was opened or by whom, the police report said.

The man received another letter in the mail from GAP clothing in reference to opening a new GAP credit card, which had an outstanding balance of $800.

GAP informed the man the card had been opened in an unidentified store using his Social Security number and date of birth. The phone number on the account was inaccurate, the report said, and the account had been flagged as fraudulent.

The man and his son went to the Social Security Office and informed personnel of the situation and froze the man’s credit with all three credit bureaus.

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

County planners approve new zoning procedures

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Planning Commission recommended approval of a slew of changes to the county’s Unified Development Code that will affect home occupation permits, mobile vending permits and variances.

County Attorney Ken Jarrard told commissioners at the Feb. 28 meeting that the modifications follow a new state law which changed state zoning procedures.

While the law took effect July 1, 2022, Jarrard said it becomes enforceable this July and will conflict with the county’s existing zoning procedures.

Jarrard said the new law divided county zoning decisions into two buckets.

Processes for making traditional zoning decisions, condition amendments and conditional use permits remain the same, he said. But, the law introduces a quasijudicial administrative procedure to a host of other zoning-related decisions.

“With respect to your traditional zoning enactments, they’ll stay the same, rezoning, zoning condition amendments, [conditional use permits], and then the law does something sort of curious,” Jarrard said. “It says that even variances and conditions that run [contiguous] with rezonings and [conditional use permits] also have the flavor of zoning, so they would continue to abide by that 15 to 45-day protocol.”

Jarrard said right now, the county is required to publish a public hearing on zoning cases notice no sooner than 45 days, but no later than 15 days before the hearing. Zoning decisions defined as quasi-judicial have 30 days under the new law to give notice of public hearings.

He said these quasi-judicial enactments include home occupation permits, mobile vending permits, sketch plats, variances, appeals of administrative decisions and appeals of the Zoning Board of Appeals decisions. These will adopt the new notice protocol, but also must abide by the new law’s adjudication standards.

“There's also a new requirement that

we have to literally mail a copy or a letter to the affected property owner within that same 30-day window,” Jarrard said. “So, it is a different procedural protocol.”

Jarrard said he and county leaders considered unifying all zoning notices to adopt the 30-day window, but the County Commission opted to keep the 15 to 45day notice window for traditional zoning decisions.

The commission also recommended approval of modifications for lot size variances that place a cap of 10 percent of the total lot size in any district except those that share a border with Lake Lanier, where lots would have a 25 percent size limitation. Commissioners approved a third modification that clarifies the definition of corner lots and removes the requirement of a conditional use permit to exceed building height limits.

The modifications will have a second public hearing at the March 16 Board of Commissioners meeting.

Detached apartment debated

Four residents of the Cains Cove subdivision told commissioners they opposed a zoning request for a detached apartment on the property of a home on Cains Cove Road. More than 10 residents of the neighborhood attended the meeting to voice opposition.

Stacey Rainwater presented the request to add a 1,362-square foot accessory structure on the property on behalf of the homeowners. Rainwater said the homeowners intend to use the structure as a guest house or residence for an inhome caregiver, rather than rent out the apartment.

However, some residents said they doubted the homeowners’ purpose for the structure, and they argued the apartment goes against the appearance and atmosphere of the subdivision.

Mark Rykowski said most residents moved to the neighborhood because it was small and had single-family homes, and the detached apartment would set a precedent that would ruin the singlefamily environment.

“You know, this building is 1,300 square feet,” Rykowski said. “That is more than probably a lot of the homes that were originally zoned for the property, so to basically have two homes sitting on a single property line with increased

traffic, increased personnel up there, I just think it is a detriment to the environment that all of us have lived in.”

Barbara Davidson said she was concerned about parking on the small road, sewage requirements for an additional structure and the potential decreases in the value of homes in the neighborhood.

“It would destroy our community,” Davidson said.

Commissioner Adrian Flack, in whose district the property is located, said he thinks the request is permissible, but he does not agree with the applicants’ reasoning for the request. He said there is still square footage available in the home, and the topography challenges Rainwater cited are not extraordinary.

“The balancing act that we always have here is the property rights versus the rights of the community, the individual’s property rights versus what the community wants to happen with this,” Flack said.

The commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the request with the condition that the apartment does not exceed 1,000 square feet. Commissioners Tim Dineen and Nedal Shawkat cast the dissenting votes.

The Board of Commissioners will vote on the request at its March 16 public hearing.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Forsyth County Attorney Ken Jarrard presents modifications to zoning procedures law in the county’s Unified Development Code to the Planning Commission at its Feb. 28 meeting. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the modifications to the Board of Commissioners.

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Alpharetta group

gathers to recognize Arbor Day

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A small group of citizens and city officials joined the Alpharetta Natural Resources Commission to celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting at Wills Park March 4.

The commission planted a serviceberry tree beside the Alpharetta Community Garden to commemorate the holiday, which was formally recognized by Mayor Jim Gilvin and the City Council at its Feb. 27 meeting. The native, all-season tree blossoms with flowers and berries beloved by birds.

Urban Forestry Program Manager Will Eberly said the serviceberry tree, which is also planted along the median of Old Milton Parkway, is resilient and makes a nice addition to Wills Park.

“Trees promote outdoor recreation which improves human health and well-being and reduces ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’ in children by encouraging more activity and connection to the natural world,” Natural Resources Commissioner Kate Tunison said in the proclamation.

Parks Supervisor Nate Hand added the first soil to the base of the tree, and he invited citizens to participate by pouring mulch.

Deborah Eves, city resident and owner of Alpharetta Bee Company, joined Hand in the planting, saying she is passionate about tree preserva -

tion in the city.

“I came today because I am really proud that Alpharetta cares about trees and supporting our canopy and adding more trees to our city,” Eves said. “And I met a lot of great people here today from the city and learned some things and was thrilled to be part of the Arbor Day celebration we had today.”

City Arborist David Shostak said the event marks the city’s commitment to urban forestry. After the planting, he invited attendees to enjoy the nature of Wills Park to celebrate Arbor Day.

“Keeping our trees and planting more trees enhances our lives and the enjoyment of everybody,” Tunison said.

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PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta Natural Resources Commissioner Kate Tunison, left, reads the city’s proclamation to Arbor Day 2023 alongside City Arborist David Shostak, right, at a tree planting ceremony March 4 at Wills Park. The Natural Resources Commission planted a serviceberry tree to commemorate the holiday.

Alpharetta Parks Supervisor Nate Hand, front left, prepares the base of a serviceberry tree for mulch at the city’s March 4 Arbor Day celebration at Wills Park. Residents followed Hand by pouring mulch at the base of the tree.

Milton holds final workshop on District at Mayfield draft

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The District at Mayfield, 22 parcels on nearly 18 acres in Crabapple, is moving closer to having its own vision –set in ink.

The area has been the subject of public workshops the past few months to develop an overlay district that would further distinguish and preserve it.

All elements of the overlay district, which includes properties off Broadwell Road, Charlotte Drive, Mayfield Road and Mid Broadwell Road, would fall under Crabapple form-based code.

But the District at Mayfield will have more strict development regulations to conform to the area’s unique character. Amendments to the city code could mandate certain building aesthetics for the proposed District at Mayfield.

To help the public understand the purpose of the overlay district, Milton Zoning Manager Robyn MacDonald provided an analogy at the first workshop.

“If this becomes what we call an overlay district, it would almost be like having the icing on the cake, and the cake is the form-based code,” MacDonald said. “The overlay is the icing that goes over the cake. It doesn't negate what's underneath it — it works with it.”

Site plans

Serving as more of an open house, the last of three workshops March 2 allowed around 30 stakeholders to lay eyes on two draft versions of the district’s master plan, drawn from their feedback. Stakeholders include the area's 11 property owners and owners of adjacent properties.

Ryan Snodgrass from TSW, the design

Forsyth:

Continued from Page 1

Kenney said he thanked County Manager David McKee, the Board of Commissioners and county staff for instilling in him the values of public service.

“In my 30-year career I have been very fortunate to work with some of the largest companies in the world,” Kenney said. “But today I consider the employees of Forsyth County my all-star team. I leave here today a better person for having worked with you.”

Commissioner Laura Semanson said Kenney’s contributions to Forsyth County have been transformative.

“I don't think most people realize exactly where we were before you were hired, and since you were hired, and the impact

firm responsible for drawing the overlay, displayed plan details that spoke to a “village” feel — a desired element raised in previous workshops. Plans call for lower buildings with a smaller footprint.

The two maps are nearly identical, however one version for the Preferred Master Plan places an office space and adjacent parking lot behind the Milton Library, increasing the density.

Both are broken into four areas. The original Preferred Master Plan holds true to a density of 5 units per acre in each area and includes commercial/mixed-use, residential and programmed open spaces.

Visitors had the opportunity to speak with Snodgrass, TSW Founding Principal Tom Walsh, Milton city staff and steering committee members directing the project. The steering committee consists of members of the Design Review Board, the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Milton Historical Society.

Guests were also encouraged to mark up the site plans to the back of Council Chamber, using markers and post-it-notes.

Snodgrass said the team will give the final presentation to the City Council March 20, then look into potential code changes to adopt the plan.

Project beginnings

Charlie Roberts, chairman of the Milton Design Review Board (DRB), said the idea for a Mayfield overlay district stems from an incident around three or four years ago when a developer sought a demo permit to tear down one of the area’s historic buildings.

The DRB, the city’s authority for approving design aesthetics and building

See MAYFIELD, Page 23

that you’ve made,” Commission Cindy Jones Mills said.

Mills said Kenney helped connect county departments, and he was the county’s greatest hire.

Kenney takes a new position with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

In other matters at the hour-long meeting, Commissioners proclaimed March 3 Employee Appreciation Day to recognize county staff for their efforts.

Commissioners also voted 4-0 to approve a zoning condition amendment to prevent semi-trucks from making right turns from the RaceTrac onto Evans Road. Commissioner Todd Levent was absent.

Four speakers at the meeting asked commissioners to return to using paper ballots amid concerns about the accuracy of voting machines.

Vino Venue serves as one-stop wine shop

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — For the past decade, Vino Venue has been a onestop shop for all things wine related in Metro Atlanta. As a retail space, restaurant, wine school, private event space and travel hub, the store aims to educate everyone interested in wine.

Michael and Lelia Bryan went on their first trip as a couple to Napa Valley, California in 2001. Lelia was a wine lover, but Michael Bryan was new to the spirit.

“He absolutely fell in love with it,” Lelia said.

Michael returned and decided to start teaching wine classes. In the early 2000s, Lelia moved from Brookhaven to join Michael in Dunwoody and the pair opened the Atlanta Wine School on Holcomb Bridge Road. The school was a success, but the couple wanted to expand.

“We had so many people who would taste wine during their classes and want to buy them, want to learn more about them, want to be able to sample different wines,” Lelia said. “It really just made sense to have a place like Vino Venue.”

In October 2012, they opened the doors to Vino Venue, a so-called “wine emporium” with a retail store, cooking classes, tastings and a tapas-style restaurant. One month later, Michael Bryan was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. He passed away five years later, in 2017.

Those five years were challenging

for Lelia and the couple’s daughter, Willa.

“When he did pass, it was my goal to really just keep the vision he had alive,” Lelia said.

Vino Venue now sees 3,000 visitors annually for wine and cooking classes

and conducts about 300 private wine events a year. The emporium also hosts a variety of guided wine trips throughout the year to destinations like Portugal and Piedmont, Italy.

The establishment has grown since it opened 10 years ago, but Lelia said

she tries to maintain Vino Venue’s initial goal.

“We want to educate people who wanted to know more about the passion around wine,” Lelia said.

DELANEY TARR / APPEN MEDIA

Vino Venue, a wine bar, restaurant, event space and wine school has more than 100 wine bottles for sale at its Dunwoody location. The staff tastes about 100 wines a week to maintain a varied offering.

See WINE, Page 7

We want to educate people who wanted to know more about the passion around wine.

LELIA BRYAN, owner,

Vino Venue

Wine:

Continued from Page 6

“Not in a snotty or uptight way, but in a fun way, where people can really experience and try new things and broaden their horizons.”

Vino Venue offers more than 100 types of wine for sale. About 10 percent of the selection costs more than $75. Lelia said the goal is to make wine approachable for everyone.

“We pride ourselves in finding unique wines that aren’t going to break the bank, are very enjoyable and are between $10 and $20,” Lelia said.

The selections aren’t what a customer may find at a typical grocery store, because the Vino Venue staff takes time to find “unique gems.” Lelia said her team tastes about 100 wines a week to find the best bottles.

“It’s a labor of love, it’s actually a lot of work,” she said.

Across the years, Vino Venue has opened its wine classes to people with all levels of experience and interest. Atlanta Wine School, now housed in Vino Venue, offers Wine and Spirit Education Trust certifications.

The establishment also offers casual classes during the week that span across wine regions, like “taste

of Italy” or “taste of Greece.” Wine professionals teach attendees about the flavors of the region, as well as the best pairings for different foods.

Every few months, Vino Venue puts on a “discover” festival, like the upcoming “Discover France Festival” on March 26. Attendees can buy a ticket and sample around 80 wines and foods centered around France.

Events like the discover series draw hundreds of customers, but Lelia said the business is “relationshipbased.” Her goal is to bring customers in on any level of their wine education and keep the relationship growing.

“Michael was passionate about making people feel comfortable in whatever wine knowledge they have, but also in their preferences,” Lelia said.

As the managing partner of Vino Venue, Lelia is an avid wine drinker. She said picking a favorite wine is like “picking a favorite child.” She takes particular pride, though, in a wine that honors her husband.

Lelia had a close friend and winemaker in Italy scatter Michael’s ashes in a vineyard, and the winemaker dedicated the vineyard to Michael. The white wine created from the vineyards is sold at Vino Venue, and all profits go to sarcoma research.

“It’s a beautiful white wine, it’s very unique,” Lelia said.

Tucker

Paras

Arts:

Continued from Page 1

Sammie Sarkady, another of Shoemake’s students in the seventh grade at South Forsyth, said she wanted to include many different elements in her painting “A Peaceful Path.”

“It's pretty cool,” Sarkady said. “It makes me feel like my art is actually appreciated for once.”

Sarkady’s mother Suzy said art is a good outlet for her daughter, and the robust art programs at South Forsyth schools and in Cumming have encouraged Sammie.

“She's had these art teachers that are just really seeing her and seeing her abilities and just, you know, encourage her to bring out that side of her, which I think is good for her mental health and well-being and everything,” Suzy Sarkady said.

Aditi Pabbidi, an eighth grade student at South Forsyth Middle School, painted the brightly colored acrylic on canvas “Flower Face” for the show. She said she cut pieces of paper to use as stencils to create the painting, and the showcase made her feel special about her art.

Cumming Arts Center Chair of Publicity and Marketing Marilyn DeCusati said the student showcase followed a

December exhibit that featured artwork from seven Forsyth County high schools and two home schools. After the success of the event, she said, the art teachers asked to continue shows at the arts center.

DeCusati said events at the center have picked up after COVID-19, and art teachers have been active in showcasing student work, which the community has positively received.

“It is absolutely inspirational,” DeCusati said. “The parents have been incredibly proud. The kids, you can see from their faces, how proud they are, and their teachers give them such a platform, I guess. So it's been great for those of us who have been at it a long time to see that and to get that energy back. The excitement, the energy, the talent has just been immeasurable, so it's a lot of fun. It's just fun working with these kids.”

Lakeside Middle School seventh grade student Cindy Zhou’s “Self Battle” is displayed at the Cumming Arts Center’s student exhibit March 4. The exhibit featured artwork from five Forsyth County schools.

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

The Cumming Arts Center’s exhibit features five colorful sculptures made by students at Haw Creek and Daves Creek elementary schools March 4. The exhibit also included various pieces from Lakeside Middle School and South Forsyth Middle and High Schools.

“It's pretty cool. It makes me feel like my art is actually appreciated for once.”

SAMMIE SARKADY Seventh grade student

A wakeup call to learn your risk for diabetes

March 28th is an important day on the calendar. The fourth Tuesday in March is the American Diabetes Association Alert Day, a “wakeup call” to take time, learn your risk factors and determine if you or your loved ones are at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Over 34 million Americans have diabetes, which happens when blood glucose levels, or blood sugar, is too high. Even more surprising is that 1 in 7 – or over 7 million adults - don’t know they have it. As we age, the risk of developing diabetes increases. Type 1 diabetes most often occurs in children and young adults. Type 2 diabetes is the most common kind for middle aged and older adults. Over time it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, eyesight and nerve damage. Millions of additional Americans also have prediabetes, which means their glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to reach diabetic levels.

Learning your risk factors can start with taking the simple Diabetes Risk test on the American Diabetes Association website. Chances of getting it are higher if you are overweight, inactive or have a family history. Talk to your doctor to find if simple blood tests that can help diagnose diabetes, like an A1C test that can be given at any time of day and shows your average glucose level for the past three months, are a good idea for you. Become familiar with the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, that include

increased hunger or thirst, feeling tired, losing weight without trying, going to the bathroom more frequently, blurred vision and skin infections or slow healing bruising. Your older loved one may also have signs of depression or cognitive issues.

The good news is that many Type 2 diabetes cases are preventable with healthy lifestyle changes. Develop a plan to review with your health care provider that addresses the following steps. Avoid a sedentary lifestyle, with a plan for walking or other forms of daily exercise. Manage your weight with healthy food choices, like eliminating sugar and refined carbohydrates. Stop smoking. Stay hydrated, water is a wonderful choice. Make sure you regularly take any prescribed medications for blood pressure or cholesterol, and track your numbers.

At Home Helpers we know a skilled and well matched Caregiver can help make each day the best it can be for your older loved one, whether it’s making sure a safe walk is a part of their day, following a healthy diet with nutritious meals, monitoring vital signs or creating bonds to battle social isolation. Our heart centered Caregivers can assist with all personal care, help around the house, or provide specialized care for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s, etc.

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Colorectal cancer: moving beyond awareness

Brought to you by - Dr. Jay Singh, medical director of surgical services at Wellstar Health System

Since 2000, when then-President Bill Clinton designated March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the mission to decrease the worldwide incidence of the third most common cause of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths has largely been successful if we simply measure “awareness.”

Unfortunately, as we have seen decreasing incidences in colorectal cancer related to screening, particularly colonoscopies, in older individuals, we

have seen a disproportionate increase of cancers at younger ages. As a result, the current recommendation for screening has gone down from 50 years of age now to 45, as of 2021.

Awareness begins with education of not only the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer but the fact that real prevention occurs before any symptoms can be seen. Awareness begins with understanding one’s own risks, including family history and personal behaviors that would immediately put someone at higher risk for developing colorectal cancer. We know that people with a first-degree relative who has had colorectal cancer are at twice the average risk of developing colorectal cancer and should generally get screened earlier. We know that people who smoke, consume alcohol or are obese are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Adopting healthy behaviors, including quitting the use of tobacco products, reducing

alcohol consumption and eating meals that include fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can also reduce the risk.

Recognizing the impact that this disease has on individuals, families and society, Wellstar has invested in educational programs designed to get the word out, preventive programs that recognize that any test for colorectal cancer is better than no test and treatment programs that involve the comprehensive, multispecialty care of the disease process from diagnosis to treatment.

Wellstar has had an intensive focus on increasing access to screening by the creation and growth of a gastrointestinal service line spanning all our campuses and outpatient centers. This has been in coordination with growth of colorectal surgical services at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center and the expansion of our minimally invasive and robotics programs

throughout the system.

We are proud to have Atlanta’s first program recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons, at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and hope to soon have that same accreditation at Wellstar North Fulton and Cobb medical centers. This accreditation demonstrates Wellstar’s commitment to providing personalized, high-quality cancer care close to home for patients in Georgia. Imagine, after being diagnosed with a potentially devastating illness, you could meet your whole treatment team and have a plan developed in one visit. This is all part of our mission at Wellstar to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve.

Learn more about colorectal cancer screening at wellstar.org/cleancolons.

COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CARE

From diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, Wellstar is ensuring the community in this area has access to expert, compassionate cancer care.

The new Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center brings more than 12,000 additional square feet on the medical center campus dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking cancer treatments right here in the North Fulton area. Services include:

• CyberKnife radiation technology

• Physician expertise in many specialties

• Surgery, medical and radiation oncology

Find care at every step of your cancer journey here in North Fulton.

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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.

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

The intersection of faith communities and mental health

Brought

to you by

- Cathy Murphy, Director of Community Outreach, Summit Counseling Center

Many people with mental health conditions, including suicide risk, often turn first to their faith community for help. On Thursday, March 30th the North Fulton Mental Health Collaborate will lead a panel discussion surrounding mental health and the important role of our faith communities.

Spirituality and Mental Health

Many turn to their faith community for support in dealing with mental health problems. Supportive relationships, such as family, long-term friendships and meaningful connections through faith can be important to building resilience and well-being. Faith communities can also play a key role in educating their members about mental health problems.

Culture and Mental Health

Culture can provide a lens for how people think about mental health and how people and mental health professionals interact with one another. Racial and ethnic minorities bear a greater burden from unmet mental health needs due to the stigma surrounding mental health in their culture. There is also a racial/ethnic inequity within the mental health workforce. Just this month, Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, was able to get a last-minute amendment to H.B. 520 that would require a workforce study commission to examine cultural competence and language to better understand how the state can meet the mental health needs of Georgia’s diverse population.

How can faith communities address these issues and minister to those in need?

Educate your communities and congregations. Promote awareness

by educating the members of your communities and congregations about mental health issues through educational forums and other opportunities.

• Invite local mental health experts—including those who have experienced mental illness—to speak with your congregation or at community gatherings.

• Share facts and common myths about mental health.

• Organize additional meetings, dinners, or other gatherings for members of your congregation or community to have conversations about mental health.

Identify opportunities to support people with mental illnesses. Religious organizations can play an important role in supporting

individuals living with mental illnesses and encouraging them to seek help.

• Consider offering your organization’s meeting spaces for community conversations and support groups focused on addressing mental health issues.

• Provide space for peer-led groups that give people the chance to tell their stories in their own time and way.

• Support community programs (for example: peer mentoring programs or opportunities for volunteering) that encourage social participation and inclusion for all people.

Connect individuals and families to help. Strengthen the connections within your community to mental health services and support and enhance linkages between mental health, substance abuse, disability, and other social services.

• Learn the basic signs of mental illnesses and other facts about mental health to encourage those in need to seek help.

• Remind others that people can and do recover from mental health challenges and that help is available and effective.

• Train key community members (such as adults who work with the children, youth, older adults, veterans, and LGBTQIA) to identify the signs of depression and suicide and refer people to resources.

• Develop relationships with local

mental health service providers and other family and youth organizations to help direct individuals and families in need to available services and support in the community. other social services.

• Promote acceptance of those with mental health issues. The voices of leaders and members of faith-based organizations can greatly influence attitudes about mental health conditions and those who experience them.

• Talk about your own mental health openly.

• Be an example of taking good care of your mental health by making mental wellness a priority in your personal life.

• Be inclusive. Mental health affects all of us.

• Foster opportunities to build connections with individuals and families dealing with mental health challenges through trust and acceptance.

• Foster safe and supportive environments for people to openly talk about mental health, stress, trauma, and related issues.

Join us on Thursday, March 30th from 10:00-11:30am at Alpharetta FUMC, 69 North Main St., Alpharetta to be a part of this important discuss. Learn more about the event and our panelist on our website at summitcounseling.org

Information from mentalhealth.gov/ talk

Medical ethics and dermatology

Ethical questions arise in all fields of medicine, and dermatology is no different. One of the more remarkable cases that I encountered during training was that of a woman who became pregnant while taking a medication known to cause birth defects. Despite explicit and severe warnings, she insisted that she be allowed to keep taking the medicine throughout her pregnancy. When her dermatologist refused to prescribe the medicine, the patient convinced the hospital’s ethics board to recommend that her obstetrician continue prescribing the medication during pregnancy. The woman received her prescriptions at the board’s recommendation, and the baby was tragically but not unpredictably born with birth defects.

Although I wholeheartedly disagree with the ethics board’s recommendation, I can see how ethical principles are sometimes difficult to apply in practice. The four guiding principles of medical ethics are often taught to be “autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.” Loosely translated, these principles mean: respect someone’s right to choose; do good; do no harm, and act in a fair or equitable way.

The above example is extreme. The ethics board made a mistake and prioritized “autonomy” above all other considerations (including “do no harm”). But many less dramatic ethical considerations occur almost every day in practice. When treating patients, I find that the common sense strategies of putting the patient first and asking what I would want for a family member go a long way towards making sound ethical decisions.

In Mohs surgery, a tissue removal technique for curing skin cancers, shades of grey are often encountered. Cancer is not always black and white. Sometimes, invasive cancer has been eliminated, but the edges have “in situ” cancer – cancer

confined to the top layers of the skin, or the edges exhibit “actinic keratoses,” best understood as “pre-cancers.” Severely sun-damaged individuals sometimes have cheeks or scalps that are covered with precancers and “in situ” cancers. Continuing to cut in such cases is sometimes not in the patient’s best interest. Instead, once the invasive cancer is removed, I frequently discuss switching strategies with my patients. We often treat the area around an invasive cancer with an anti-cancer cream post-operatively instead of dogmatically continuing to cut and missing the forest for the trees.

Personalized medicine is often medicine at its best. One recent patient presented to me for a second opinion regarding a melanoma on his eyelid. The first surgeon the patient saw recommended complete removal of the lower eyelid and a 3 month reconstruction process during which the patient would not be able to see from that eye. The patient and I discussed that the large margin the first surgeon recommended is the standard of care. However, the patient stated that at his age he did not want to undergo an extensive surgery. He understood the risks and chose a smaller margin. He understands that the “middle ground” option that he wanted is not in line with the official guidelines for treating cancers like his, but the smaller surgery that he chose is the option that is right for him. The standard of care is a guideline. The patient comes first.

As interesting as philosophical principles like autonomy and nonmaleficence are, I have found that the most useful principles are variations of the Golden Rule. Treat patients like you would want your family or loved ones treated. And put the patient first.

If you or a loved one has a skin cancer or other skin care needs, please consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta. It is our privilege to take care of you.

Brought to You by - Brent Taylor, MD, Premiere Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

Worry less. Hire right.

Brought

Hiring an attorney can be a stressful and scary experience. You want to protect your loved ones and you don’t know how the attorney creates their pricing or if you’re getting enough value for the money or if the attorney has enough experience to actually do what you need them to do.

What do you need to look for when hiring an attorney – especially for estate or eldercare planning?

1. Is Estate Planning and Eldercare or Elder Law all that they do? This is called specializing and it means that the attorney will be studying only those areas of law and should be more knowledgeable about them.

2. Does the attorney have staff? Attorneys that have no staff or only one person working for them may not return calls promptly.

3. Ask the attorney what their process is for returning calls and responding to email.

4. Do they have a process for handling their cases? When will you know the

date when you’re going to sign your documents? When will you know the date when you will receive your documents?

5. Has the attorney followed their own advice? Ask if they have an estate plan for their own family.

6. What about their business? Do they have a backup plan for their law firm in case something happens to them?

7. Is the attorney easy to talk to and compassionate? Does he or she listen to you (without seeming to be focused on what they want to say)?

At Wilson Legal, we’ve been focused on Estate Planning and Eldercare or Elder Law since 2008 taking double the required hours of continuing education most years. Our clients find the first conversation to be easier than they expected, and they leave knowing exactly when they will come back to sign documents and receive delivery of their plan because we book dates in advance and often at the first appointment. We have a team of seven (7) people all helping to make sure each step in the process is smooth and that calls are answered and return calls are scheduled. Worry less. Choose Wilson Legal and hire right for estate planning and eldercare services. Call 770-205-7861 to schedule an initial consultation or visit our website at www.wilson-legal. com to find out more.

WILSON

Pass the Kleenex; Spring is in the air

Pardon me if this one takes a little longer to read and to write.

I’ll be taking frequent breaks.

Hey, get your mind out of the toilet. That’s not where I’ll be going.

giving me just a little more to deal with than the previous year.

“You did okay with that ragweed last year,” those dastardly allergy gods must be saying. “Let’s see how many boxes of Kleenex you can blow through when we toss a heaping helping of mold and grasses your way.”

outstanding urologist), what else can we tear out of there?”

In actuality, Dr. Mellis saved my life.

For now.

That’s the thing about cancer, those MRIs and chest X-rays can come back normal.

Until they don’t.

Oh joy.

I think all this early spring is merely a tease. I’m banking on it getting cold a few more times. I’ll pray for anything so long as it will gets me out of playing in the dirt.

MIKE TASOS

Columnist

No, the way we blazed through January and February like that proverbial hot knife through butter (why would anyone use a hot knife to prepare their morning toast? Wouldn’t that sear your fingers?) it’s time to beeline it for any type of medicine that will stop this early onset of spring.

Snort, sniff, cough, sneeze, enough water in your eyes to fill an Aquafina bottle. Then that “snorty” throaty sound that will get you thrown out of most restaurants.

Ahhh, springtime in the South.

As I’ve increased my tenure on this big blue ball, it seems like the allergy gods are

I can hear you saying: “Oh you big baby, just take a Zyrtec.”

Not a viable solution. A non-drowsy product claim to me means I can take one now and sleep until the last firework has exploded in early July.

Or you might be offering: “Quit complaining. Just go to the doctor.”

My response would be to tell you to go someplace, but it wouldn’t be to the doctor.

I have a crackerjack medical team that keep me on this side of the grass, but I try to frequent them as little as possible.

Having a sawbones yank out Lefty, my renal cell carcinoma-riddled left kidney makes me a bit hesitant to mount a table and inquire: “OK Dr. Mellis (my

So, all this sneezing and snorting has made me deal with staring down those tests. It’s a rite I’ll probably deal with for the rest of my life.

And that’s fine with me. Getting old is a blast. I never thought there were some many ways to say “Oy vey” when I take those first steps in the morning.

The hits (cracks and pops) just keep on coming.

While the Braves get into playing shape, anticipating the opening of the season, I am absolutely giddy waiting for that letter from my gastroenterologist, Dr. Simon Cofrancesco, informing me of his interest in a different opening and that it’s colonoscopy time again.

But there’s nothing quite as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as springtime here in the South. Friends in other parts of the country always ask: “Is Augusta National as beautiful in person as it looks on TV?”

No. It’s an optical delusión. Stay away. And you have a better chance of winning Powerball than ever sniffing around on that hallowed ground.

The Masters belongs to us Southerners. All that flora and fauna comes with a price that we pay every year.

Gesundheit!!!

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.

Sandlot baseball in Sandy Springs

Baseball games were popular in Sandy Springs long before Morgan Falls Athletic Complex existed. The community had a sandlot team, sometimes referred to as the “Sandy Springs nine” in the Atlanta newspapers.

According to “Images of America Sandy Springs,” by Kimberly M. Brigance and Morris V. Moore, many games were played at an unofficial ballpark between Boyleston Drive, Hammond Drive, Mount Vernon Highway and Roswell Road.

Baseball had begun by 1934 in Sandy Springs, because an outdoor meeting and wiener roast was held in August of that year to plan and raise money for uniforms. (Atlanta Constitution, August 8, 1934)

Sandy Springs baseball was part of the Regenstein’s family life. They moved to 10 acres on Mount Vernon Highway in 1946. Robert Regenstein was an umpire at the baseball field. When his efforts to bring City of Atlanta water to Sandy Springs were successful in 1950, the community held a Fourth of July celebration, which included square dancing and baseball.

When Robert and Jean’s daughter Barbara was born, employees of

Regenstein’s store bought a baby-sized baseball uniform for her. The couple took Barbara to the Sandy Springs field in the uniform.

Scheduled league games for August 1, 1948, included Sandy Springs at Roswell and Alpharetta at Austell as part of the North Atlanta League; Dunwoody at Smyrna, State League; Irvindale Dairy vs. Tucker at Piedmont Park and Norcross at Duluth in the County League.

The Atlanta papers regularly reported

on the various sandlot team results and the special achievements of the players.

Bill Hardigree of Sandy Springs was the fielding star of a game against the Federal Pen (Penitentiary) team. Sandy Springs won 7 to 4, and Hardigree got six of those seven runs. (Atlanta Constitution, “Hardigree Leads Sandy Springs, Sept. 17, 1951)

John Davis moved to Sandy Springs with his family in 1962 at the age of 10. Little League baseball had recently become popular in the community.

“By the 1960s, baseball in Sandy Springs had taken on a life of its own and had become part of the town’s spirit, even if there was no official place to play it,” Davis recalled.

Local businesses and organizations sponsored teams, buying sports equipment and uniforms including Arlington Cemetery, the Optimist Club, Swofford Shoes, Northside Pharmacy, and Bondurant Sporting Goods. (Sandy Springs Gazette 2018, “Root, Root, Root for the Home Team”)

Davis played on a team sponsored by Arlington Cemetery. He remembered the team marching down Roswell Road as part of a parade. The league played on fields at Mount Vernon Baptist Church and St. John United Methodist Church and at local elementary school fields.

In 1967, two parks were planned for the southern part of Fulton County in Palmetto and near Fairburn, and two parks in Sandy Springs, Hammond and Morgan Falls. The parks would have baseball fields and tennis courts. (Atlanta Constitution, March 30, 1967, “Four Parks Planned by Fulton”)

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

KIMBERLY M. BRIGANCE AND MORRIS V. MOORE/ “IMAGES OF AMERICA SANDY SPRINGS”

This 1940s Sandy Springs baseball team includes, front row, from left: Bill Sewell, Carl Jameson, Al Holbrook, George Coleman and Hubert Nix. Back row, from left: Charles Sewell, Billy Hair, Doyle Mabry, Richard Coleman and Richard Johnson.

H R NG ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

If only houses could talk

Sometimes we may pass a building every day for years without giving it a second thought. Such structures may reveal interesting stories if given a second look.

BOB MEYERS

Today, I will describe two buildings side by side on Birmingham Highway in Milton, across the road from Scottsdale Farms, one an attractive white brick house and the other brightly painted green and white with a porch situated under a tall shade tree. The two houses are joined by the history of one family. What stories might these houses tell?

In an earlier column I profiled the life of Billy Albertson (1932–2021) a sharecropper’s son who lived to become a beloved local personality, famous for his vegetable garden on Hardscrabble Road. Billy’s garden was a symbol of friendship, neighborliness, and conversation by those who stopped by to chat, help in the garden, to buy fresh produce or to buy goats that Billy raised.

Circa 1950 Billy’s parents, Egbert Tabor Albertson (1892-1975) and Ola Bell Etris Albertson (1891-1969), purchased a 3-acre farm from Billy’s older brother Judge Albertson and his wife Lula Mae across Birmingham Highway from today’s Scottsdale Farm. Judge and Lula Mae moved to Atlanta for Judge’s new job. Since the family had been sharecroppers and moved from farm to farm every few years, the move to their own farm on Birmingham Highway was a welcome chance to settle down. The green wooden house was already on the property. As a teenager, Billy lived in the house with his parents and sister Betty and brother Bobby. For a while as a teenager, Billy worked at Judge’s mobile sawmill. After an accident at the sawmill Billy began his life’s work as a butcher, initially at the Crabapple Sausage Company, eventually at A&P grocery stores. Billy lived with his parents in the house until he married Marjorie Mary Cornelison (1935-2008) in 1955. About five years later he built the home on Hardscrabble Road that would become his landmark farm.

The widowed Egbert lived in the green painted house until his death in 1975. The house remained vacant from that time on.

Next to the painted green house is a white brick house built in 1956 that Denise and Janet’s cousin Shirley Pilcher and her husband Ronnie lived in for 60 years beginning in 1971 when Ronnie got

out of the Air Force. Shirley and her father J.T. Albertson bought the house property from her grandparents Egbert and Ola in the 1960s, attracted by the fact that their Albertson kin lived next door. The house was red brick until painted white about a year ago. The house has been kept up to date and is today a comfortable residence.

In 2015 Luca Gianturco, owner of Scottsdale Farms, bought both houses and surrounding property totaling 10.5 acres at the time, which he enlarged by purchasing parcels in subsequent years. He did not tear down the painted green house even though it would have required substantial renovation to make it inhabitable for two reasons. First, Luca has a keen sense of history, and the painted green house has stories to tell. Second, it serves a useful purpose as a storehouse for the bales of hay cut off the land around the house that he uses at Scottsdale Farms. He did put a new roof on the house to keep its contents dry.

Billy’s daughter Janet Bobeng has fond memories of regular Sunday family gatherings in the 1970s.

“Dad had 10 brothers and sisters, and some would always show up,” she says.

Up to 20 people sat on folding chairs under the large water oak tree in the front yard. A long wooden table was piled high with food brought by the guests.

“Those were special days,” recalls Janet.

Shirley Pilcher has a slightly different memory of those Sunday gatherings which

she always attended since she lived next door. She says, “after the guests left, grandmother would cover the leftovers with a large cloth until evening when I would return to indulge in homemade biscuits and raw onions. It was such a happy place.”

In 2016, Luca bought some goats from Billy Albertson to serve as an attraction at Scottsdale Farms. Billy, and his daughter Denise Huntley, brought the goats to Scottsdale Farms and showed Luca how to castrate the goats. Billy looked across the street and told Luca that he had once lived in the green colored house. He took Luca on a tour of the property, and Luca took a picture of Billy and his daughter in front of the house. The photo has become a family gem. For Luca the picture brings back pleasant memories of the visit, and for Denise it evokes special memories of walking through the house with her father. Billy showed her where important events took place and the kitchen where Billy’s father made biscuits for the family.

So, when you are driving along country roads and see old houses or barns in lessthan-ideal condition, know that those old greying structures may have some tales to tell, if only we could get them to speak to us.

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.

Columnist

PILCHER FAMILY/PROVIDED

This is the original brick house next door to the green and white house where the Albertson family lived on Birmingham Highway. Billy Albertson’s niece Shirley Pilcher and her husband Ronnie lived in it for 60 years. The house was recently painted white. Circa early 1970s.

Mayfield:

Continued from Page

developments, rejected the permit. But Roberts, a developer by profession, said the situation got him thinking about what was going to happen to the Mayfield area. He said for nearly 100 years, Mayfield had been a center of commerce for Milton’s farming community.

The area includes several buildings that are historic and architecturally significant to the north Atlanta area, he said.

In a report, the Milton Historical Society lists 10 sites of historical significance in the area. One includes 800 Mayfield Road, now known as Milton’s Cuisine. In the letter describing renovation to the property, which would become Mr. John B’s, the owners describe the Crabapple community as a “melting pot of the better sort.”

“The old pioneer spirit lives on with just enough of the new for added zest,” wrote the owners, the Pittmans. “A place where you are still accepted for what you are rather than who you are. It is probably one of the few areas this close to bustling downtown Atlanta where you can still dress as you please, reflect on places of your childhood and return to everyday life feeling refreshed.”

Roberts took a cue from Canton Street in Roswell and other areas around the country that have become successful but have preserved a way of life. His thoughts prompted him to ask the City Council consider a moratorium for the area to stall development, which was

approved last summer and extended in December to June 20.

“I didn’t want to see it developed over a number of years in a hodgepodge way,” Roberts said.

Preserving history

Seven of the buildings are at a potential risk, said Kathy Beck, archivist for the Milton Historical Society. They were front and center to her presentation given in February. Beck said they represent the city’s agricultural life.

About half of the buildings were historic homes. Beck called three of them the “Mayfield trio,” located on Mayfield Road. The trio consists of the Oliver house built around 1905, the Sutton house built in 1920 and the Byrd house, built by JJ Rucker in 1908.

JJ Rucker is the descendent of Simeon Rucker, one of the area’s earliest White settlers who founded the Rucker Cotton Seed Company in 1930.

The other two buildings in Beck’s presentation were commercial, opposite the Mayfield trio, and are related to the Ruckers — the cotton gin’s records building built in 1900 and the Rucker Warehouse built in 1902.

Beck described two other historical structures at potential risk, the John B. Broadwell houses on 765 Mid Broadwell Road, built in 1935.

The district encapsulates more than just local history, Beck said, in that it parallels Georgia history.

“When you look at Crabapple and those buildings … they're all right there together,” Beck said. “Just visu -

Stakeholders state preferences

The maps presented March 2 were created from comments provided in the previous workshops.

The first meeting, held in January, sought feedback based on three map designs developed by TSW. The maps were theoretical in nature and gave the public an idea of what would be allowed in the district under the current zoning code. Only one map preserved the area’s historic buildings, making it clear to stakeholders that the code allows for their demolition.

Stakeholders said the biggest threat posed to the District at Mayfield is loss of character and history and defined the site as it is currently with historic cottages, historical commercial buildings and new commercial/office space. The audience also said density is a threat to the area, which could be exacerbated by townhomes.

Most advocated for programmed open space and desired a pedestrian connection from the library to Mid Broadwell Road.

At the second public workshop meeting in February, Jefferson McConkey, a landowner and developer in the area, read into the record his vision for the district.

“The District at Mayfield should become Milton's idyllic interpretation or version of every dreamer’s best backyard,” McConkey said.

ally, when you look at it, that’s what you see — old Georgia, but it happens to be right here in Milton.”