Forsyth Herald - March 23, 2023

Forsyth County resident Richard Barron holds site plans for a detached apartment on Cains Cove Road at a Board of Commissioners meeting March 16. Residents shared concerns that the apartment would ruin the single-family nature of the neighborhood. Commissioners approved the plans with conditions.

County approves spare apartment at private dwelling

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. —

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved a detached apartment in the Cains Cove subdivision amid continued concerns from residents.

Commissioners voted 3-0 March 16 approving the request to construct an accessory apartment at a residence on Cains Cove Road. Commissioners Laura Semanson and Kerry Hill were absent. Stacey Rainwater, a build -

Cumming to host law enforcement basketball tournament

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Dobbs Creek Recreation Center in Cumming will host the 17th annual Great Atlanta Shootout Basketball Tournament March 24-26.

More than 45 teams of law enforce -

ment officers, detention officers, corrections officers, firefighters, probation officers, active U.S. Armed Forces members and law enforcement officers’ spouses will compete in four divisions at the tournament.

The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomed players to

stay in any of Alpharetta’s 30 hotels to enjoy the city’s attractions during the competition.

“We are thrilled to welcome back the Great Atlanta Shootout to Alpharetta,” Visitors Bureau CEO and President Janet Rodgers said. “A

See BASKETBALL, Page 12

ing permit expediter with Georgia Peach Permitting, had submitted the original request for the 1,362-squarefoot structure on behalf of the homeowners. At a Feb. 28 County Planning Commission meeting, Rainwater said the structure would be used as a guest house or residence for an in-home caregiver, not as a rental.

More than 10 residents of the subdivision attended that meeting to oppose the application, expressing concerns

See FORSYTH, Page 4

Northview High School presents Interschool Genetics Symposium

► PAGE 4

Alpharetta Bee Company provides sweet deals

► PAGE 10

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

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Man cited for fraud using company card

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth deputies arrested a man March 7 who allegedly used his employer’s debit card to withdraw more than $400 while with the company in 2021.

A woman at Masterpiece Doors in Alpharetta informed deputies May 6, 2021, she had given fellow employee Lomack Pridgen, 24, of Alpharetta, the company debit card and instructed him to get fuel at Murphy Express on Atlanta Highway May 5, 2021.

The woman said Pridgen filled up two company vans for a total of $110.85, and he returned the card to the office. She said while reviewing the company’s banking records, she noted two withdrawals from ATMs the day Pridgen had the card.

Pridgen had withdrawn $303.50 from Suntrust Bank and $103 from Murphy Express. When the woman called the bank to close the debit card, the branch manager informed her Pridgen had also attempted to use the card for four other withdrawals that were denied.

The company determined Pridgen had made the unauthorized withdrawals and attempts, and he was dismissed.

Pridgen is being held at the county jail with four felony charges of fraudulent use of transaction card. Bond is set at $3,630.

Deputies charge man with assault on girlfriend

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies arrested a Cumming man March 11 who allegedly assaulted his girlfriend

while he was intoxicated.

Sheriff’s deputies received a thirdparty call March 10 in regard to a fight that had occurred on Columns Drive. At the residence, deputies spoke with Dylan Allen, 36. According to the sheriff’s report, Allen smelled strongly of alcohol, and he was slurring his words and struggling to maintain his balance, the report states.

Allen was reportedly uncooperative and refused to answer questions. Allen’s girlfriend told deputies she lived with him, and they had been arguing. She called her son-in-law to come help her, and the two men had fought.

She said she and Allen had had multiple arguments in the past, and she preferred to call her son-in-law rather than law enforcement, the report states.

The woman said Allen allegedly put his hands around her throat, and she had felt her airway being restricted. She and her son-in-law also said Allen had used abusive language toward her, and Allen had been throwing beer bottles on the ground outside. Deputies reported seeing bottles and shattered glass on the first and second floor walkways of the apartment building.

The woman and her son-in-law reportedly declined to file a statement. Allen was arrested on charges of felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Conyers man charged for possessing drugs, gun

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested Aderemi Osinowo, 32, of Conyers March 9 after they reported finding packages of marijuana in his vehicle.

Deputies followed Osinowo’s vehicle from Atlanta Highway onto Ga. 400 southbound after Osinowo had cut lanes to merge onto the highway. His registration had returned suspended and with no valid insurance. Deputies then conducted a traffic stop near Majors Road.

Osinowo handed deputies his driver’s license through the rear passenger window, and deputies reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Osinowo told deputies he knew that he had insurance, but he did not have a valid insurance card on him.

Deputies informed Osinowo they smelled marijuana. Osinowo reportedly said he had CBD, and that other people smoked in his car. Deputies conducted a probable cause search and reportedly found a Glock handgun under the driver’s seat, as well as two large, sealed packages of marijuana.

Osinowo was charged with misdemeanor driving with suspended registration and failure to maintain insurance, as well as felony possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

Personal checks altered for different amounts

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman reported to Johns Creek Police March 6 that on Feb. 27 someone wrote a check on her account for $1,100.25.

The check was written to her bank, Navigant Credit Union, at a branch in Florida.

A second transaction occurred March 6 in the amount of $7,500. The woman said the second check was a check she wrote. However, it was originally made out for $40 and mailed through the U.S. Postal Service Feb. 11.

The check was dropped off at the Publix mail drop off on State Bridge Road with another person’s name on the check. The check number was not valid, the police report said.

It appeared the check had been “cleaned,” the report said, and the thief wrote their information on it.

The woman said she did not authorize the amounts, and the checks had been altered.

Johns Creek lays groundwork for elections task force

Roswell scraps effort to conduct ’23 polling

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Roswell officials have decided to stick with Fulton County to run its municipal elections this November, adding to the list of area cities abandoning efforts to operate their own polling.

Johns Creek, the first out of a North Fulton group to make the same move, has begun scoping logistics for setting up self-run municipal elections in 2025.

So far, Milton is the only North Fulton city that has formally adopted plans to operate its own municipal elections this November. In the first year, Milton has estimated $72,254 in costs for two polling locations on election day.

Sandy Springs has no council posts or referendums scheduled for this year.

Sparked by Milton’s decision in December to wrest control of its own city elections from the county, other cities across north Metro Atlanta have been exploring the idea over the past two months.

Discussion has centered around either self-administration or entering into an agreement with Milton, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Mountain Park. The multi-city contract would have enabled one elections superintendent to oversee all the member cities’ municipal elections.

City staff in Johns Creek estimated that entering into the agreement would have cost the city more than $1 million, and operating its own election independently would have cost only slightly less.

In a spreadsheet, the city nailed down $721,884 of the $1 million for the first year of self-operated

municipal elections and left some items unbudgeted. In its estimate, Johns Creek has accounted for 18 polling locations, the same number used by Fulton County in December 2022.

Fulton County set a deadline of March 31 for cities to decide whether they will go it alone.

Milton had a head start, spending more than a year to study the process through a six-member Municipal Election Feasibility Committee. The panel drew fire from some residents. One of its members, Mark Amick, was subpoenaed last June as part of a Fulton County investigation into Republican attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Cities rethink strategy

Municipal officials were also informed recently that the county had

lowered cost estimates it will charge cities to operate their municipal elections.

Milton launched its effort last spring

under the presumption that Fulton County would charge more than $6 per registered voter to run polling for their municipal election. That figure jumped to $11.48 in December, then fell to $9 and some change.

On Feb. 1, county officials adopted a percentage-based cost formula setting the charge to cities at $7 per registered voter – lower than originally estimated, but still more than twice the $2.96 it charged cities in 2021 when municipal elections were last held.

Even so, the county’s cost reduction spurred some cities to rethink their efforts to go it alone with their own election apparatus.

At its Feb. 28 meeting, the Johns Creek City Council agreed to sign with Fulton County and abandon further efforts to operate its own elections for 2023.

The formal agreement was approved on the City Council’s consent agenda March 14.

That same night, at their work session, councilmembers explored opportunities in the future for city-run elections.

Also on March 14, Roswell announced

See ELECTIONS, Page 12

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Johns Creek City Councilman Chris Coughlin illustrates the process for instant runoff voting to councilmembers at a March 14 work session. The process is not yet allowed in the state, but Coughlin said it’s a possible avenue to cut election costs if the measure were to clear the Legislature.

Continued from Page 1

about the use of the apartment.

Some of the same residents appeared at the March 16 meeting to reiterate their opposition.

Barbara Davidson and Richard Barron addressed commissioners saying they remain concerned that the apartment would set a precedent that would destroy the neighborhood’s single-family environment.

County Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, in whose district the property is located, said she agreed with residents that the apartment could set a negative precedent.

“I was very concerned,” Mills said. “I watched the public hearing, and I tried to take every comment that people said very much to heart.”

Commissioners approved the structure with conditions that require the homeowners to plant a row of trees between the apartment and the neighboring home; prohibit the inclusion of kitchen facilities; prohibit short-term rental; and require the square footage to be no greater than 1,000 square feet in compliance with county code.

In other matters at the March 16 meeting, two county residents ad -

dressed commissioners with concerns over an upcoming family bingo event that includes drag queens.

Drag performer Mrs. Ivana is hosting the April 23 event at the Sexton Hall Enrichment Center in Cumming.

Resident Jeff Tormey said the performer’s suggestive Instagram handle and account are inappropriate for children. He asked commissioners to consider updating its adult entertainment ordinance to mirror Tennessee’s recent legislation, which bans male and female impersonators from performing on public property or in locations with minors.

Resident Heather Tatum agreed with Tormey, saying she shared the same concerns.

“I think many of the people that live here in this county would agree with me,” Tatum said. “And I also would like for you to look at a common sense ordinance in this county that requires people that attend any event that is sexual in nature, adult entertainment, to be 18 or older.”

Also at the meeting, commissioners authorized County Attorney Ken Jarrard to pursue civil action against a property on Browns Bridge Road to cause compliance with signage allowances under the county Unified Development Code.

Northview High School presents Interschool Genetics Symposium

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — More than 50 students, parents and residents gathered at the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce for a student-led Interschool Genetics Symposium March 18.

The event, hosted by the Northview High School Genetics Engineering Club, aimed to create awareness of careers in genetics and science, technology, engineering and mathematics – or STEM.

Club founder and President Vaishali Prahalad said she and the club organized the event to interest students in STEM by showcasing how a future in the fields could look. The symposium featured a Q&A session with three professionals in medicine and genetics.

Prahalad said she had been conceiving the symposium for months, and the club had worked hard to put it together.

“Being able to share what we have put together was really, really meaningful and powerful,” Prahalad said. “And I hope that in the future, we will keep continuing to get people to commit and dedicate themselves toward science.”

The panel included 10X Genomics Science and Technology Advisor Nirav Patel, Emory University School of Medicine genetic counselor Lauren Lichten and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Rheumatology Fellow Dr. Christian Oliveros. All fielded questions from students and parents on internships, opportunities and how to get started in STEM fields.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, who inaugurated the event, said life science and biosciences have a strong and growing presence in the city.

“I feel like this is a very auspicious occasion,” Bradberry said, “because, you know, basically what this represents to me is that our community, especially at the student level, is hand in glove with

what we're attempting to do at the city level.”

Bradberry said Boston Scientific is coming to the Town Center’s Innovation Hub later this year, and the city will repurpose the water reclamation plant at Cauley Creek Park into a STEM playground this summer.

“That is something that, whether it's going to be robotics or something related to art or engineering, that is going to be a place that, of course, you can enjoy the fun parts of the park,” Bradberry said. “But there, you'll be able to actually have a space where you can pursue your extracurricular intellectual endeavors as well.”

Greg Hampikian, founder of the Idaho Innocence Project, presented via Zoom on the use of genetics in exoneration efforts in Georgia and across the country.

The event concluded with a studentled interactive game in which participants used their phones to design a baby using CRISPR, a genome editing technology. Students in the Genetics Engineering Club also shared recent projects.

Students interested in starting a genetics engineering club at their school can reach Prahalad at vaishali.prahalad@gmail.com for more information.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry speaks at Northview High School Genetics Engineering Club’s Interschool Genetics Symposium at the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce March 18. Bradberry inaugurated the event and recognized the growing STEM industry in Johns Creek.

CALENDAR

STUDIO SERIES: MICHELLE MALONE

What: Closing the Studio Series, songwriter and modern-day guitar hero Michelle Malone brings her unique mix of roadhouse rock ’n roll, blues, gospel, countrysoul and folk to the stage.

When: Thursday, March 23, 8 p.m.

Where: Studio Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $20-30

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

HEALTHY FOREST LECTURE WITH INTERPRETATIVE HIKE

What: If we understand the soil of today, then we can better understand the forest of tomorrow.

This program will cover seed bank, soil science, soil horizon, soil testing, limiting factors, mycorrhizae, richness, biodiversity, urban forestry, fungal network (mycelium), nutrient uptake, nutrient fixing and root grafts. Participants can submit soil samples to UGA and begin a soil composition index.

When: Friday, March 24, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

ARTISTIC AFFAIR

What: Building off the success of last year’s groundbreaking fundraising event,

Spruill Center for the Arts presents “Artistic Affair: An Arts Experience” to be held at Factory Atlanta. The fundraiser and auction will include a DJ, magician and fortune tellers, live art painting, open bar, hors d’oeuvres and more.

When: Friday, March 24, 7-10 p.m.

Where: Factory Atlanta, 5616 Peachtree Road, Chamblee

Cost: $75

More info: spruillarts.org/artistic-affair

DUNWOODY FARMERS MARKET

What: The Dunwoody Farmers Market brings together a variety of vendors selling local and organic fruits, veggies and produce, coffee, breakfast, baked goods, prepared meals, frozen treats, eggs, grassfed meat and fresh seafood.

When: Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

SNAP!DRAGON’S GARDEN OPENING RECEPTION

What: Spring has sprung at the Dunwoody Community Garden. Visit the event for an afternoon of Instagram-worthy selfies, free popcorn and garden-themed goodies for kids. Moondog Growlers will be on site with beverages available for purchase. Exhibit runs until April 1.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

When: Saturday, March 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

CITY SPRINGS THEATRE COMPANY’S ‘SPAMALOT’

What: Join King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the glamorous Lady of the Lake as they turn the Arthurian legend on its ear in their quest for the Holy Grail. Along the way they encounter dancing showgirls, flying cows, killer rabbits and assorted French people. The production is the winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical.

When: Up to March 26, times vary

Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $37-100

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

ROSWELL DANCE THEATRE PRESENTS

‘MARY POPPINS’

What: Follow Mary Poppins as she adds sunshine, adventure and magic to the previously solemn and serious Banks home. Join Jane and Michael as practically perfect Mary introduces them to the charming Bert. They explore the rooftops of London, enjoy a spoonful of sugar, fly a kite and do it all in the most delightful way. When: March 30-April 1, times vary Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $30

More info: citysprings.com

Daffodil Days in Johns Creek celebrates local connections

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Symbolizing new beginnings in a caring community, Daffodil Days encourages community participation through a week-long give-back and volunteer effort.

The campaign runs March 19-25 with a market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Johns Creek City Hall. The market will feature more than 70 artisans in The Gibson Co. market, family-friendly and kids' activities, food trucks, a flower arranging cart and more.

Giving back connects residents and strengthens bonds, which can make a positive impact on the community. Residents, business owners and organizations can apply with a “give-back action” idea. Some examples include raising funds for local nonprofits, Girl Scout Troop bake sales and crocheting blankets for cancer patients.

Approved applicants then spend the week of March 19-25 executing their give-back action. All city-approved give-back and volunteer events and activities will be recognized at the Daffodil Day Market March 25. Visit johnscreekga.gov to submit an idea.

Roswell may amend open records policy

Councilwoman Beeson opposes new restriction

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council advanced a resolution March 14 that would require people to provide a “verifiable” name and address when submitting open records requests.

At the city’s Administration, Finance, Recreation and Parks Committee meeting, all but one of the councilmembers voted in favor of the resolution. Councilwoman Sarah Beeson cast a dissenting vote.

The resolution states that anyone requesting a public record must provide a “verifiable name and address.”

Roswell public records, like police reports and city emails are available via open records requests. Anyone can file a request for the information. Once filed, city staff must gather the records. If the records search requires time to gather, the city then charges the applicant a fee when the request is filled.

Mayor Kurt Wilson said the resolution is focused on protecting the public’ tax dollars, because the city is “inundated” with time-consuming open records requests.

Under the resolution, the city would not fill requests for “unverifiable” requestors. The council did not specify what the verification process would entail. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous would be able to go to City Hall to inspect, copy and pay for public documents.

Wilson said the policy change would not impact the city’s position that “all information inside of the city is open and accessible to all residents.”

Wilson said there have been incidents with fake requests, spurring the push for verification.

He cited a specific request in which the city clerk, Marlee Press, noticed the name of the person requesting documents did not align with the provided email address. When the clerk reached out to the resident, they denied every filing an open records request.

City Attorney David Davidson said he spoke to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, and the city cannot make people pay in advance for the retrieval, redaction and copy of records. The resolution, Davidson said is “simply following state law.”

Councilman Mike Palermo said he supports the resolution, because it’s a “clear focus on creating more efficiencies for Roswell residents, the media

Fact Check

and any people requesting.”

Councilwoman Sarah Beeson was adamantly against the proposed change.

“I cannot be emphatic enough about how much I oppose this resolution,” Beeson said.

The councilwoman cited state law that dictates any person, corporation or entity may request access to public records.

“I’m of the frame of mind that Mickey Mouse himself can be requesting this information, and it should not change the context nor the amount of information that’s provided,” Beeson said.

Wilson argued that if he can legiti-

mately prove he is Mickey Mouse, that’s fine, but he should not be able to pose as another person.

“Why can’t I just say I’m Kurt Wilson, and I’m asking for this information,” Wilson said. “What’s wrong with that?”

Beeson responded that the “burden of transparency does not lie on the private residents, but rather on the public entity.”

Beeson also questioned the basis of allowing anonymity if a physical presence is required in City Hall, saying it “defeats the purpose” of not giving a name.

Mayor Wilson argued that most people who come to City Hall are anonymous, because they do not have to present identification.

“Nobody has to give their name, ever,” City Attorney Davidson said. “They can simply make a request and all the documents will be prepared, they’ll be copied and they’ll be sit -

ting waiting when they come in to get them.”

Concerns around unverifiable names and addresses centered on the amount of work it takes to fill open records requests, especially requests that can total hundreds of documents.

Councilmembers said verification will guarantee that a person cannot avoid being charged for requests.

The city clerk did not say whether there has been an instance of anybody failing to pay the costs for an open records request, but she stated that many people often say they do not want certain documents once the cost estimate is provided.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Roswell having rules in place to curb the abuses that are going on currently,” Councilman Peter Vanstrom said.

The resolution was moved forward to the next regularly scheduled Roswell City Council meeting.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson makes a point during a committee meeting with the Roswell City Council March 14. Officials discussed a plan March 14 to require “verifiable names and addresses” or in-person visits for those seeking to retrieve open records from the city.

Roswell gets fewer record requests than most nearby North Fulton cities. See story on the next page.

CHART BY CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

The City of Roswell is discussing changes to its open record policies, claiming it receives far more requests than any other city. Appen Media decided to find out if that’s true. It’s not.

Roswell gets fewer record requests than most nearby North Fulton cities

By DELANEY TARR and CARL APPEN delaney@appenmedia.com carl@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell is considering changes to its open record policies that would require people to either provide “verifiable” names and addresses or go to Roswell City Hall in person to retrieve requested records.

Some city officials say the move is an effort to address a large volume of requests, claiming Roswell receives considerably more inquiries than other North Fulton municipalities.

Appen Media decided to find out if that’s true. It’s not.

In fact, Roswell has received fewer record requests than almost all of its sister cities this year, according to documents reviewed by the news organization.

Roswell has received 406 requests since Jan. 1, according to the City Clerk’s office. The city has approximately 92,530 residents.

Sandy Springs, its neighbor to the south, received 947 requests over the same time period. Sandy Springs has approximately 14,000 more residents than Roswell.

Milton, a city less than half the size of Roswell with 41,259 residents, received 507 requests.

Only Johns Creek, a city slightly smaller than Roswell, received fewer requests. Officials there provided documents showing it had received 323 inquiries during that time.

Alpharetta, a municipality consistently compared with Roswell despite its

smaller population, takes the cake. That city received 1,336 requests, more than three times as many, during the same time window.

It’s worth noting that Roswell was one of only two cities that charged Appen Media for documents related to this analysis, despite the query being the same across jurisdictions.

Residents, including one sitting City Council member, have raised concerns about the legality of the proposed policy changes.

At a March 14 Administration, Finance, Recreation and Parks Committee meeting, Roswell Councilwoman Sarah Beeson cited state law that dictates any person, corporation or entity may request access to public records.

“I cannot be emphatic enough about how much I oppose this resolution,” Beeson said.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson assured residents that longtime City Attorney David Davidson has approved the measure after speaking with the state Attorney General’s Office. The resolution, Davidson said, is “simply following state law.”

Appen Media requested documents to vet that statement through an open records request, but the city has not yet provided them.

Among the six members of the City Council and mayor, Beeson was the only elected official to speak against the policy change.

The measure is scheduled for an official vote before the City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting March. 27.

March 23, 2023

Alpharetta Bee Company provides sweet deals

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Deborah Eves and Michael Buchanan bonded over a shared love of nature, but their passion for beekeeping and business started when they founded the Alpharetta Bee Company in 2021.

Buchanan and Eves started their backyard venture after a year of learning the ropes of beekeeping, and it first launched as The Sunny Honey Company.

“We started Sunny Honey Company, and we got into the Alpharetta Farmers Market, and we’re like wow, it was amazing how much people love honey,” Eves said. “Then the next year, which was last year before the farmers market started, we said, ‘Well, gosh, nobody realizes that we’re actually local Alpharetta beekeepers,’ so we changed our name to Alpharetta Bee Company.”

Eves and Buchanan feed, house and care for their Italian and Carniolan bees in their backyards on Pebble Trail. They also have hives at Buchanan’s cabin in Cleveland, where they produce their sourwood and mountain wildflower honey.

Buchanan said they learned best practices from a friend in Milton and from a neighbor in Cleveland with 35 years of beekeeping experience. The pair studied YouTube videos and purchased equipment in 2020, and the following year, they were ready to launch.

“It’s not something you can kind of stick your toe in the water about,” Buchanan said. “You’re either in it or you’re not.”

The process Buchanan said much of the process is common sense, but it is also hard work. He said it is important to feed the bees and keep them healthy for the period that they have no nectar, which is 60-70 percent of the year.

The two expect to have 12 or 13 hives in 2023, and Buchanan said one good hive can produce up to 70 pounds

of honey.

“They’ve been around since the time of the dinosaurs, so they know what to do,” Buchanan said.

When the honey is ready to be harvested, Eves and Buchanan filter it from their extractor into containers. The honey is raw and never heated or pasteurized, they said, and nothing is added.

Eves also uses the beeswax from their hives in candles and lotion, which is made with coconut oil and shea butter.

Working as a duo, Eves said, allows them to bounce ideas off one another to find the best ways to run their business, and the bees are like

See BEE, Page 9

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Michael Buchanan and Deborah Eves farm, package and sell honey out of their homes on Pebble Trail in Alpharetta March 15. The couple started Alpharetta Bee Company in 2021 as The Sunny Honey Company.

It’s not something you can kind of stick your toe in the water about. You’re either in it or you’re not.

MICHAEL BUCHANAN, co-founder, Alpharetta Bee Company

Bee:

Continued from Page 10

their coworkers, rather than their employees.

A business with a mission

Alpharetta Bee Company served the couple as more than a business venture. Buchanan is a retired teacher, and Eves works as a substitute teacher at the Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy in Alpharetta.

Eves said two of her students want to learn about beekeeping and entrepreneurship, and this summer, they will help the couple at their Alpharetta Farmers Market booth.

“We’re going to train them to work at the market with us so that when one of us is gone, the other one that’s there will have somebody to help,” Eves said. “We’re super excited about it. They’re so cute.”

The company is also passionate about “bees, trees and seas,” and they said they hope to educate others and create awareness about saving the environment.

“We have information at the booth, and we have tasters so they can taste it,” Buchanan said. “They’re not just buying it blindly, and we let them try some of the sourwood, wildflower,

whatever. We try to teach people about beekeeping and how mosquito spraying in the yard is not really good for the bees.”

Besides beekeeping, Buchanan is an artist, writer and filmmaker, and he searches the West and Southeast for fossils and shark teeth. He said he enjoys sharing his findings with children at the farmers market.

“We just like to talk to people,” Eves

said. “We have pictures of us in our beekeeping suits at the market, and we found that a lot of people love to talk about bees. And if people want to bring their kids over and visit the beehives, we encourage that as well.”

Looking back and ahead

Before the success of Alpharetta Bee Company, Eves and Buchanan had to face the challenges of obtaining

a license, paying sales taxes and covering expenses as new business owners.

“To me, the bumpiest thing is the fact that you’re totally dependent upon the bees to help you do this,” Buchanan said. “If we lose a couple of hives, whatever, then it cuts back on product and things like that. We do the best we can, but still the bees have the final vote on how everything’s going to work, and we cannot control that.”

While the pair are still expanding their online presence and navigating the farmers market off-season, Eves said the business allows her to do the things she loves, and she is satisfied with the size and the market of the company.

“We don’t want it to get to where it’s just a job,” Buchanan said. “We still want it to be a business that makes us happy, not one that takes over our lives.”

Buchanan and Eves hope to expand their honey varieties in the future, and they plan to sell children’s books related to beekeeping and nature soon.

Alpharetta Bee Company is at the Alpharetta Farmers Market Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 1-Oct. 31 and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in November. The company will also set up at the Alpharetta Christmas Market in December,

The company’s online shop is at alpharettabeeco.com/.

Tucker

Paras

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta Bee Company sells wildflower, sourwood and clover honey, as well as creamed and infused varieties March 15. Owner Deborah Eves also makes lotion and candles with beeswax, and co-owner Michael Buchanan painted bees that the couple sell on handcrafted note cards.

Elections: Estimated election costs for cities

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in a committee meeting it would also sign with Fulton County to conduct its 2023 municipal elections. Councilmembers had been split over the idea days earlier at a workshop.

Alpharetta was scheduled to hold a March 20 City Council workshop to discuss cost estimates for running its own polling this November. Cost estimates for an Alpharetta municipal election this year have been drafted, and it is based on a varying number of polling locations. At most, the city is looking to spend around $300,000 for three locations.

Roswell backs out

During a March 14 Administration and Finance and Recreation and Parks Committee meeting, Roswell City Councilman Mike Palermo said the city does not have enough time to weigh all the cost variables to reach an informed decision by the county’s March 31 deadline.

Roswell requires two readings for the agreement with Fulton County, so the city plans to have a special-called meeting for the measure sometime in late March.

“The fact that we’re in mid-March and there is so much work that needs to be done — there’s so many unknowns,” Palermo said. “I just feel that it’s more realistic to really explore this in 2025.”

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson added another motion for the council to “formally commit” to run municipal elections in 2025. The council forwarded the measure to the next scheduled City Council meeting.

Wilson attempted to add a third motion, which would have committed the City Council to appoint an election committee by September, but it drew little support from the council.

Councilwoman Lee Hills, who has been a strong advocate for local control, said she was disappointed to see the city abandon its efforts this year.

“It’s unfortunate that this conversation is going in a direction that is not doing this in 2023, but I could not be more elated that it sounds like we’ve got great support for running our own municipal elections,” she said.

Earlier estimates show that Roswell planned to spend $362,822 for 21 polling locations. There was also a proposal based on 12 locations estimated for $320,648.

Johns Creek takes a lesson

While Johns Creek is out of the self-run election drive this year, City Councilman Chris Coughlin is ready for 2025.

In an effort to save on costs they pay Fulton County to run their municipal elections, North Fulton cities have compiled estimates for what it would cost to run their own polling. Right now, there is no final figure from the county, but latest estimates indicate the cities will pay twice the amount they paid the county to run the 2021 municipal elections.

Here is a rundown of the latest figures from cities:

*Roswell Also Had Another Proposal That Estimated $320,648 For 12 Polling Locations Note: Sandy Springs does not have municipal elections this year

Coughlin presented a five-page memo at the Johns Creek City Council March 14 work session detailing variables a city elections task force should consider upon its formation. The idea of a task force was introduced Feb. 28 by Mayor John Bradberry at a City Council meeting in which a few residents voiced a desire to take on the project.

Coughlin outlined three variables, including runoff voting, timing of elections and number of precincts.

For example, Coughlin mentioned the prospect of instant runoff voting, which remains stalled in the Legislature.

Instant runoff voting provides for ballots to include “top choices” for voters, eliminating the need for a runoff election in cases where one candidate fails to garner more than 50 percent of the tally. Johns Creek has already passed a measure to allow the practice if and when it clears the Legislature.

Instant runoff voting, Coughlin said, could save the city from 25 to 40 percent in election costs, and it would encourage more turnout and statistical power for voters.

Not everyone on the council was on board with the instant runoff proposal, however, but they agreed it warranted further study.

“I’m not necessarily sold on any of it,” Mayor Bradberry said. “I do think that there is optimism to think that maybe we could save money … but again, the devil’s in the details.”

— Staff reporter Delaney Tarr contributed to this story.

King’s Ridge boys basketball wins first state championship

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The King’s Ridge Christian School made history March 11 in the Macon Centreplex when the boys basketball team defeated Mount Pisgah 68-58, earning the title of Georgia High School Association’s Class A Division 1 State Champions.

Led by head coach Bob Martin in his fifth year, the team returned to the championship game for the second consecutive year after finishing runner-up in 2022. The team finished the season 23-10 and faced tough competition weekly as a member of Region 6, which housed three of the final four teams in the tournament.

King’s Ridge hit the road as a No. 4 seed to face Social Circle in round one with a 69-60 final, Rabun County in round two with a 65-30 final, WoodvilleTompkins in the quarterfinals with a 62-54 final and Mount Vernon in the semifinals at 53-48 before returning to

Basketball:

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basketball tournament of this nature in our destination creates a wonderful energy. Alpharetta will be host to many players, their families and visitors who will shop, dine, play and stay in our awesome community.”

DeKalb County Police Lt. C. Rorey, who helped organize the event, said he is happy for the tournament to return to Alpharetta.

“We have enjoyed the atmosphere and hospitality of the city for the past two years and are looking forward to another great year,” Rorey

Macon. Micah Hoover with 25 points and Zak Thomas with 24 points were the leading scorers March 11.

The Tigers were led all season by its four seniors Micah Hoover, Isaac Martin, Jack Thomas and Zak Thomas.

“We are grateful for the many blessings this great game has given us. We use basketball as a tool to help develop intangibles such as discipline, teamwork, friendships, commitment, attitude, and dealing with adversity,” Martin said. “While we may fail at times, the lessons learned along the way will make the biggest difference. The players bought into the team by being selfless and accomplishing a goal bigger than themselves. That is the biggest win of all. We were blessed with the opportunity to play in a state championship game and win. We thank God every day for His many blessings.”

said.

Participating teams include the New York Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the New Jersey State Corrections Department, EMCMP Marines and The DeKalb Knights, which is composed of officers from Metro Atlanta agencies.

The tournament opens March 24 at 4 p.m. and at 9 a.m. March 25-26. Adult tickets cost $15, and tickets for children aged 6-17 are priced at $10. The tournament will also offer weekend passes March 24 at $40 for adults and $25 for children.

Tickets can be purchased with cash at the door or via Cash App, Zelle and Venmo.

KING’S RIDGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL/PROVIDED King’s Ridge Christian School boys basketball team earn the title of Georgia High School Association’s Class A Division 1 State Champions March 11.

Don’t procrastinate!

Brought to you by – Jay Looft, Senior Source Medicare

When you are approaching your sign-up window for Medicare, do not wait until the last minute- don’t procrastinate!

The most common reason for beginning Medicare is turning age 65. Medicare gives you a “long runway” of 3 months prior to your birthday month and 3 months after your birthday month to get Medicare Part A and Part B in place.

Use the 3 months before your birthday month effectively.

If you sign-up during the 3 months prior to your birthday month, your coverage begins the first day of your birthday month.

I can’t stress being proactive enough, because we are seeing longer and longer processing times from the federal government in processing Medicare Part A and Part B enrollments. Recently, it’s taken several of our clients 30 days to see their Medicare Part A and Part B in their online account.

Don’t leave it to memory, put it in your calendar.

Set yourself a reminder on the 1st

day of the month, 3 months before your birthday month. This will be the soonest date that Medicare will allow you to go online and sign-up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Once you are ready to sign-up, you can go to the Social Security website at www.ssa. gov/medicare/sign-up.

For those who are above the age of 65 and still on group health insurance, your sign-up window is different than the one discussed above. In many cases, your window is shorter and needs careful planning in order to execute correctly.

When to sign-up for Medicare is just one of many questions you may have when turning age 65, coming off of group insurance, or just wanting a change.

Bring your questions and meet us in-person!

We will be hosting two upcoming Medicare 101 Educational Meetings:

April 20th, 10:00 AM @ The Historic Log Cabin, 200 Milton Ave, Alpharetta, GA 30009

April 26th, 10:00 AM @ Forsyth County Library-Post Road Branch, 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040

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

Partnering with a therapist to strengthen your child’s EQ

Brought

to you by –

Shaquanta “Shelley” Shelley, LAPC, Staff Associate Therapist at Summit Counseling Center

In the busyness of life, many of us grew up thinking we must keep going despite how we feel, and if symptoms of mental illness are not screaming at us, then we are “fine.” In other words, because our symptoms are not always visible, we often neglect considering therapy until things get extremely bad. In my experience, many adults who started therapy later in life had symptoms that began in childhood and would have benefitted from seeing a therapist in their youth. Statistics show that 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24, with it taking an average of 11 years after symptoms first appear for an individual to seek treatment.

Due to many common barriers surrounding mental health, parents tend to seek therapy for their child as a last resort when they experience difficulties at home and school - often after exhausting all other options. While more attention-demanding symptoms like anger issues, wishing to harm themselves or others, or crippling depression are valid reasons to consider therapy for your child, therapy can still be beneficial for children with more subtle symptoms like social withdrawal, acting out, or experiencing the impact of recent life events.

Therapy is an individualized process where kids can acknowledge their own experiences and develop coping skills to work through their emotions, also known as strengthening their EQ, or emotional intelligence. In therapy, kids build confidence, social and emotional awareness, conflict resolution, anger

management, problem-solving tools, stress management skills, selfawareness, and self-discovery (Many of us could use these skills even though our lives appear normal and healthy).

Although these skills can be taught at home, parents may run into roadblocks when they try to fix a child’s symptoms rather than address the root of their behavioroften unknowingly bringing in their own predispositions and biases. Alternatively, therapists are trained to put aside their beliefs and biases to hear their client’s voice and help them build healthier living habits. Throughout this process, parents can partner with their child’s therapist, ask questions, and receive advice as they support their child’s mental well-being. While therapy is a safe place for children to share their experience and find support, it is also important for parents to create this space at home. Teaching a child healthy way to identify and manage their emotions at a young age will encourage them to avoid hiding their problems and know that they never have to face them alone. Each child not only has different experiences, but they also react to those experiences in different ways - even within the same family. Validate these experiences and normalize conversations around mental health, allowing kids to feel seen, heard, and acknowledged – knowing that no problem or feeling is too small to receive support or too large to overcome.

Summit Counseling Center is offering therapy groups for students throughout the summer, teaching skills to overcome anxiety, develop social skills, prepare for college, and more. Learn more about our groups and register your child at tinyurl.com/ sccsummer23.

Misconceptions about active Adult 55+ living

Brought to you 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 needsbased 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 multifamily 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 get-togethers 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

PHOTOS PROVIDED

My lack of electrical knowledge is shocking

When youngest son Greg reported that one of his friends was going to work for Pike, my puzzled reaction was: “I didn’t know he was fond of wheelbarrows, sod, and all things greenery.”

“No Dad, not that Pike. He’s going to work for the electrical people,” Greg corrected me.

So, no dealing with Mulch and chinch bugs. Instead, the friend will be playing with enough electricity to fry him like he’s strapped into Ol’ Sparky, or whatever the electric chair was named at many prisons. He’ll be in one of those buckets attached to trucks and then hope his training taught him good from bad in terms of wires that is.

I have no idea why there are times of year when static electricity is on us like

PRESERVING THE PAST

some type of plague. Touch something randomly and sparks fly from your fingertips like you’re immersed in a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” or fiddle-deep in a Charlie Daniels Band song.

With a little “pop” like that being so unnerving, a heaping helping from Zeus is unimaginable.

Skip Caray, the late Braves announcer who was so crochety he never failed to amuse, was synonymous with Georgia Power as he shilled: “Don’t step on downed power lines.” Skip found the tagline hilarious, doubtless even more mirthful after he had imbibed a few. Sure do miss Skip.

I’m pretty much all thumbs when it comes to all things electricity. I’m usually pretty good with changing a lightbulb, providing I don’t outrun my coverage and “square peg-round hole” things by doing the uber-manly gesture of using too much wattage.

Bottom line is that electricity scares the bejezus out of me. The fear is justified and

stems from a past incident that culminated with me prone on the floor, foggily looking up at the ladder I’d fell (more like flown) from and, for some reason that could be written up in a medical journal, I smelled lemons.

All I had wanted to do was change a ceiling light fixture. Zeus had other ideas and even though it wasn’t a downed power line, I got zonked when I grabbed the wrong wire and as citrus smells invaded my olfactory, knew I had made a rotten choice.

Whenever there are electrical problems in the house, I take no chances after my brush with getting thunderstruck. I call an electrician and take no chances. Not only do I leave the room to let him work, I leave the house or, better yet, leave the county and hope I am rewarded with light when I return and flip the switch.

I marvel at guys who can come into a house and work some sort of magic by getting the lights back on.

Me? I’m an easy mark and

unscrupulous handyman’s eyes light up like a slot machine when I say: “It’s broken. Can you fix it?”

As inept as I am with repairs, it’s no wonder going to Home Depot is in no way comfortable or therapeutic. No sir, it can be as traumatizing and nauseating as flashing lights in the rear-view mirror when you’re going 80mph just for the heck of it.

I’ve been pretty fortunate with the repair folks who have helped us. There were a few occasions when I was being worked over and I played along with the charade.

It seems like any chicanery aimed towards me can be nipped in the bud.

“Let me show you how to change that light fixture. I’ll squeeze us some fresh lemonade for when you’re done.”

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.

Sun Valley Beach Park is an oasis between two cities

When teenagers in Roswell and Alpharetta needed a place to hang out in the 1950s and 1960s, they would often congregate at the Sun Valley Beach Park on Highway 9 halfway between Roswell and Alpharetta. Today the remaining land is overgrown with weeds and beaver dams where traces of its existence are barely visible on Sun Valley Road, but in its day, it was an amazing family recreational and entertainment park popular throughout north Fulton County. Here is the story.

The park was founded in 1950 by Joe C. Mansell (1906-1997) as a fishing lake only. Joe was the principal investor and manager of the operation. The park grew and a Board of Directors was established consisting of friends and relatives of Joe including architect Jim Barker who designed the park’s bathhouse; his brotherin-law Chuck Cunningham, also an architect; Jasper Dolvin, Principal of the Roswell Elementary School; Joe’s cousin, Clarence Westbrook; Bob Patten, a builder and Terry Martin among others.

Sun Valley Park offered a wide assortment of attractions including a 14-acre swimming lake with an imported white sand beach, two boating and fishing lakes one of which had a skating rink around it.

FAMILY/PROVIDED

A postcard of Sun Valley Park shows some of its features: lake, beach, walking trails and miniature pumpkin church. CIRCA MID -1950s

The park had a stable operated by Joe’s cousin, Harry Kaye Mansell and cousin Howard Rucker. The stable offered horseback riding and pony rides for children.

Nephew Willie Mansell ran the bait shop. There were row boats for rent, train rides around the property, a pony-pulled covered wagon, picnic grounds with tables, area for Boy Scout overnighters and a

snack bar. A bowling alley was added in the early 1960s. Admission for adults was 50 cents and 25 cents for children when it first opened.

Joe’s daughter, Linda Mansell Martin, has many memories of the park. She worked every summer as a teenager “behind the basket counter (for holding swimmers’ clothes) or flipping burgers at

SEPTEMBER 28 1959 FEATURE

ARTICLE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION

Joe Mansell, searching for Civil War relics with a mine detector at the site of the New Hope Church battle during the Atlanta campaign. He collected a bucket full of minie balls, a Civil War bullet.

the snack bar or eventually becoming a lifeguard at the swim lake when I was a little older.” She recalls “sock hops, picnics, swimming, diving and sunning, train rides, fishing and horseback riding through the woods, egg hunts, and even a few folks who were caught ‘skinny dipping’ when they broke in at night.”

In the 1950s the rivalry between Roswell and Alpharetta teenagers was strong. The park was neutral ground where teens from all over the area would gather to enjoy the fun and sun. “I don’t know what teenagers in Alpharetta and Roswell would

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MIKE TASOS

Columnist

BOB MEYERS

Columnist

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have done without the park. It healed some of the rivalry between the two cities,” says Linda. Up to 500 to a 1,000 people would visit the park on weekends.

Linda says her father” along with his 4 siblings, inherited land along Highway 9 from their father, Robert Henry Mansell II, a farmer, who provided his children with a house and 60 acres of land each.” Joe, Robert’s oldest son, started his career as a farmer also, but found that he preferred other ways of making a living. In 1930 he opened a filling station in Roswell, and then an ice and coal business. Subsequently he was an investigator in the Fulton County Solicitor General’s office in Atlanta where he worked for 20 years. Joe served as Mayor of Roswell in 1941 and 1942.

He sold part of his 60 acres to Carroll Beyers for Beyers Furniture Store and land for Greenlawn Cemetery in 1961. The rest was Sun Valley Property, all along Hwy 9. When his wife, Lessie Coleman Mansell (1908-1959) became ill with cancer in 1950, he quit his Atlanta job to be home with his wife and two daughters. It was then that Joe decided to convert the property into the recreation park. After his wife died, the family moved to Florida for 8 months where Joe managed the Sharlo Manor Motel on Clearwater Beach. In October 1965 Joe sold the park to John Talbott, Jr, an Atlanta physician, who operated the park for three years before closing it.

Today there are businesses and apartments along Sun Valley Drive, and the City of Roswell owns 11 acres of the original property. A few remnants of the park’s glory days can be detected by discerning eyes, but most of the remaining park land is overgrown with vegetation.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns.

Painting from memory of Sun Valley Park lake by Linda Mansell Martin showing the swimming lake, bait shop, main building and miniature church with bunny rabbit statues.

FAMILY PROVIDED