Forsyth Herald - May 16, 2024

Forsyth County commissioners are scrambling to form a functional advisory committee to study mental health needs within the community. The issue is expected to be discussed at the board’s May 16 meeting.

Mental health panel fails to launch

County may revamp committee makeup

By EVERETT CATTS newsroom@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Just weeks after the Forsyth County Mental Health Advisory Committee was formed, concerns have been raised about its purpose since it hasn’t met in 41 days, according to county officials.

The issue was added as a special agenda item of discussion during the May 7 Forsyth County Board of Com -

missioners work session.

The board approved the committee’s formation at its March 21 meeting, and it was to be composed of county commissioners Kerry Hill and Todd Levent, two Board of Education members, and representatives from the offices of County Manager David McKee, County School District Superintendent Jeff Bearden and Sheriff Ron Freeman.

The committee was formed to identify existing treatment, education and prevention resources that address mental health illness in the county; determine the existing and future

need for mental health services; and identify what is needed to fill gaps in existing resources.

But the School Board has not chosen which members will sit on the committee, and it doesn’t look like it will.

Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills requested the committee issue be added to the agenda after getting an email from a person involved with it.

“Nothing had been done, and that a report was due back in July,” she said the person wrote in the email.

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Police log busy night ferrying woman

ROSWELL, Ga. — In the span of eight hours, an Alpharetta woman, reportedly pregnant, took three trips to jail, had a physical altercation with an officer and went to the hospital twice under police custody, before ending up in the downtown Rice Street detention center. The incident all stemmed from a ticket for speeding and unlicensed driving, according to reports and interviews obtained by Appen Media.

Roswell police stopped a couple April 17 after a remote-controlled camera flagged a car whose owner had an active warrant out of Dunwoody. The officer reported that the registrant, a 27-yearold Alpharetta woman, was sitting in the passenger seat while her boyfriend was driving the vehicle.

Roswell contacted the Dunwoody Police Department and confirmed the warrant for failure to appear in court, and said they wished to take custody of the subject. As a result, the Roswell officer placed her in custody.

Roswell police gave the male driver, also 27, a ticket for driving without a license. They also allowed him to have someone come pick up the car so it wouldn’t be towed.

Meanwhile, the City of Dunwoody gave an update. They would not be able to send an officer to pick up the woman.

The Roswell officer tried to take the subject to the North Fulton Jail Annex in Alpharetta. Staff there turned her away due to complaints of pregnancy cramps and nausea, according to police

Burglars steal valuables from couple’s residence

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek couple reported to police May 2 that their home on Grandview Square had been burglarized of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold bricks and accessories.

documents. Roswell petitioned Dunwoody again, but the agency remained unable to pick up the subject.

The Roswell officer took her to North Fulton Hospital, stopping for gas along the way. Hospital staff evaluated the woman. When Dunwoody again declined to get the subject, Roswell released her.

A few hours later and 2 miles away, another camera flagged the vehicle again. This time Alpharetta police responded. Seeing the car with a female driver enter an apartment complex parking lot, the officer followed. He reported seeing a woman walking quickly toward the building, while he exited his patrol car and ran after her.

According to police documents, the officer and subject went back and forth about her identity, which she initially denied. When asked about her warrant, the woman “stated she had already dealt with it today, through Roswell Police Department.” The officer clarified he was with Alpharetta Police and had her walk back to the parking lot.

There, a scuffle allegedly broke out. The officer reported grabbing her wrist, after which “she quickly pulled it to the front of her body,” and began trying to make phone calls. The struggle continued, according to the officer’s narrative. “Because she was consistently pulling away I pushed [the subject] to the ground, on the pine straw in the planter.” The report went on to describe a continuing struggle, with the woman trying to use Siri to call her boyfriend.

POLICE BLOTTER

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.

When police cleared the residence, they observed the home to be ransacked with several dresser drawers and cabi-

Eventually, the officer secured the subject in handcuffs and led her to his patrol car. Roswell and other Alpharetta officers thenarrived at the scene. Roswell police explained what had happened a few hours earlier. Alpharetta police then contacted Dunwoody. Again, that agency confirmed the warrant and said they wanted to extradite her.

Alpharetta kept the subject in custody, this time adding charges for obstruction and driving with a suspended license. They took her back to North Fulton hospital “for medical clearance from being pushed [to] the ground and her pregnancy.” After receiving medical clearance, police transported her to the Alpharetta jail. Due to the exchange that had taken place there a few hours prior, jail staff denied her entrance. Alpharetta police took her “to the Fulton County Jail at Rice St. in Atlanta where she was admitted.

According to court documents, the woman spent two nights in the Atlanta jail before being released on a $3,000 bond.

Appen Media confirmed the above reports with Dunwoody Police officials. They attributed the actions in part to low manpower, that “call volume was very high during that time” and that they could not commit the personnel to stay at the hospital with the subject.

The subject’s original charges, according to Dunwoody police, were speeding and driving on a suspended license.

net doors opened as well as items scattered around the residence, according to the incident report.

The pair reported $20,000 in gold bricks were missing as well as $25,000 in jewelry, four purses valued at $3,500 and a $600 handgun from their master bedroom.

The scene was turned over to detectives.

Federal agency invites local initiatives

Dollars

made available

for clean energy plans

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Regional Commission Board heard a presentation May 8 from a representative of the U.S. Treasury Department on its direct pay program for clean energy initiatives.

The program, part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, offers tax-exempt organizations, specifically local governments and public schools, federal money to offset project costs associated with clean energy, like electric vehicles.

Nonprofit organizations, like charities, could also be eligible for the assistance.

David Eichenthal, a senior policy adviser with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Inflation Reduction Act Implementation Office, said the legislation created more than 20 tax incentives for clean energy and manufacturing.

The projected impact of the bill on inflation is disputed.

One role of the U.S. Treasury Department, responsible for major

elements of the law, is to implement tax incentives for investments in clean energy and manufacturing.

Individuals are eligible for federal tax credits for the purchase of a qualifying clean vehicle purchase and energy improvements to their home.

Most of the tax incentives apply exclusively to businesses, revolving around energy generation and carbon capture, vehicles, manufacturing, fuels, energy efficiency and healthcare.

For many of the incentives, bonuses are available to increase private sector investment in energy security and climate.

Eichenthal almost exclusively discussed the direct pay program and its 12 available tax credits.

The Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy and the Internal Revenue Service developed tax regulations and guidance to implement the act’s energy credits and other tax law changes.

See ARC, Page 21

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

David Eichenthal, senior policy adviser with the U.S. Treasury Department, speaks on the Inflation Reduction Act’s direct pay program May 8 to the Atlanta Regional Commission Board. Eichenthal promoted the act’s direct pay program for tax-exempt organizations, like local governments.

Atlanta business wins ’24 Good Food Award

PORTLAND, Ore. — Farmers Jam, an Atlanta-based business that creates natural jams sourced from local and organic farms, earned a 2024 Good Food Award at a ceremony in Portland, Oregon.

The business, founded by James Carr — a Milton High School graduate and former account executive with Appen Media Group, earned the award in the Elixir category with its Strawberry Lemon Cocktail Syrup.

Chosen through a rigorous blind

tasting and sustainability vetting process from nearly 2,000 entries, the winners rose to the top on the basis of taste while also demonstrating an outstanding commitment to sustainable environmental and social practices.

“It is an absolute thrill to win a Good Food Award,” Carr said. “We’re honored to be alongside some amazing makers and creators who prioritize local sourcing, quality ingredients, and supporting farmers.”

Every sale for Farmers Jam con -

tributes to the organization’s annual fruit tree fund. According to its website, Farmers Jam has helped plant more than 1,800 fruit trees and bushes on family farms since 2018.

The Good Food Awards, in its 14th year, is organized by the Good Food Foundation in collaboration with a broad community of food crafters, grocers, chefs, food writers, activists and passionate food lovers.

7506 Wilderness Parkway Big Canoe, GA 30143

This is Hazel!

bigcanoeanimalrescue.org 706-268-1346

Farmers Jam is hosting a local celebration at Parker’s on Ponce in Decatur on May 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be a specialty menu with drinks featuring Farmers Jam Cocktail Syrups in partnership with Cathead Distillery.

Proceeds from drinks purchased will generate donations to Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.

Jason Waters and James Carr, founder of Atlanta-based Farmers Jam, celebrate the business’ 2024 Good Food Award in the Elixir category at a ceremony in Portland, Oregon with its Strawberry Lemon Cocktail Syrup. Waters is the owner of Georgia Routes, a mobile bar that uses Farmers Jam cocktail syrups.

Facts About Me

Breed: Labrador mix

Color: Chocolate and white (Short haired)

Age: 4 Years old

Weight: (Current) 48 lbs

Fully Grown: Medium size (50-55 lbs)

Sex: Female

My Info

Healthy

All Shots current

Good with dogs & children

Cats?

Spayed /Good walking on leash

Hi, I’m Hazel!

What a sweet girl. Hazel’s brown eyes say it all, come take me home!

Hazel likes to walk the trails, play in the park or just be out and about meeting people and having a good time. She would make a great addition to any family looking for a companion with a great disposition.

All BCAR dogs are placed as indoor family pets. No electric fences, please. Visit pets every Saturday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (706-268-1346) or visit our website for adoption information at www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org.

JAMES CARR/PROVIDED

Georgia Ensemble Theatre co-founder leaves the stage

ROSWELL, Ga. — Anita Allen Farley, co-founder and producing artistic director of the Georgia Ensemble Theatre announced her retirement, effective May 1, ending her 32 years of leadership.

She and her late husband Robert J. “Bob” Farley founded the Georgia Ensemble Theatre in 1992.

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre Board of Trustees named Laurel Crowe, previously the education director, as interim artistic director.

Farley said she looks forward to spending time with family, looking after her health, pursuing hobbies and getting some much-needed relaxation.

The board announced a search is underway for a new director but has not specified a timeline.

Board President Katherine Parvis said Farley's career with the theater is exemplified by the positive impact she has had on its staff, students, audience and community.

“GET became a cornerstone of the Atlanta arts community thanks to Anita and Bob making the theater their lives’ opus,” Parvis said. “For me personally, Anita’s tireless advocacy for the organization amid challenging circumstances has been an inspiration.”

Farley began her theatrical career in 1968 after studying at The Pasadena Playhouse College of Theatrical Arts where she met her husband.

“While Anita is stepping back from the Producing Artistic Director role, we are excited that she will continue to guide the organization’s next chapter through service as a Board member,” Parvis said. “Anita’s retirement is not the end of an era. It's a celebration of a legacy that we are striving every day to live up to.”

Georgia Ensemble Theatre started

as the resident professional theatre company at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. It has since produced 31 seasons of plays and musicals — 30 years at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center and one year at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre — plus dozens of shows on tour at schools and community centers throughout Georgia.

Bob and Anita Farley were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Atlanta’s Suzi Bass Awards in 2017, with special attention paid to their long-time support of early-career and emerging artists.

For 25 of her 32 years, Farley served as managing director alongside her husband as artistic director. After Bob Farley passed away unexpectedly in 2017, Anita was appointed producing artistic director.

From its inception in 1992, in a part of Metro Atlanta without a professional theatre, the Georgia Ensemble Threatre grew under the Farleys’ leadership to a high mark of 3,000 season subscribers just before the 2020 pandemic.

Interim Artistic Director Crowe is charting a focused, financially conservative path to the future, according to the organization’s statement.

In early 2024, the GET Board of Directors voted to postpone the remainder of the Mainstage 2023-24 season due to financial challenges. Instead, the company has focused on educational programming, smaller studio productions and fundraising efforts.

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre will honor Anita Farley’s career with an open house retirement party this fall.

Vietnam Veterans president to honor past chapter leader

CUMMING, Ga. — Georgia Chapter 1030 of the Vietnam Veterans of America is hosting a visit by National President Jack McManus of the Vietnam Veterans of America as he participates in the May 15 recognition dinner for Gary Goyette, the past president of the local chapter.

McManus will be among the dignitaries honoring Goyette on his many

accomplishments during his six years at the helm of Chapter 1030. Sheriff Ron Freeman and Mayor Troy Brumbalow will also participate in the ceremony.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Cumming Parks and Recreation Activities Building at 437 Pilgrim Mill Road in Cumming.

For more information contact Marty Farrell at 770 500-7234.

at www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org.

FARLEY

Johns Creek Beautification rallies for landscaping, art

June luncheon to help fund Native American sculpture

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Lynn Pennington, president of Johns Creek Beautification, is someone you see at most every cityorganized event, speaking on behalf of a nonprofit that unites people through landscaping and public art.

“If you stay close to our mission statement … it is really a way to bring people together,” said Pennington, whose wealth of energy exceeds her small frame. She stays busy, also serving as co-president to the Cultural Arts Alliance at Johns Creek and as a member of the Johns Creek Historical Society.

While Johns Creek Beautification formed in 2007, its beginnings precede the city’s incorporation with work toward beautifying medians along Medlock Bridge Road.

Over the years, the nonprofit has developed a slate of initiatives.

One can be seen throughout the city, lit up with 52,250 yellow daffodils. The organization’s planting campaign Daffodils4Hope, brought forth by more than 1,100 volunteers of all ages, is in partnership with the nonprofit CanCare Atlanta which provides counseling support to cancer patients and caregivers in the community.

Johns Creek Beautification also hosts a Secret Garden Tour every other year.

The rain-or-shine event features an array of private home gardens and the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, each with musical ensembles or solo performers, along with visual artists sharing their talents with visitors.

Pennington, co-chair to the tour, said she is seeking volunteers to lead the effort next spring with planning beginning in August.

Currently, board members are preparing for a fundraiser in June in support of a new Native American sculpture for the city’s Town Center area — 192 acres anchored by the oncoming Creekside Park, centered around the pond behind City Hall. The hub is also poised to bring retail and industry with tenants like mixed-used development Medley and biomedical engineering giant Boston Scientific.

The Native American sculpture would be the second permanent installation born from the nonprofit’s ArtSpot subcommittee.

The first, unveiled in June 2022 at the Bell and Boles roads roundabout, is Entwined Strength by artist Eric Strauss. Its vine-like form, created from 4,000 pounds of hot forged steel, honors the diverse community members and its leaders who pulled together to create a new city.

Pennington envisions the new sculpture to showcase thousands of years of Native American history that covers what is now Johns Creek, beyond

See BEAUTY, Page 7

Our aim is to build a resilient ecosystem where people, wildlife and plants can thrive together for generations.

LILIANA

BRENNER, Johns Creek Beautification vice president

Artist Eric Strauss stands with his sculpture Entwined Strength at a ribbon-tying ceremony in June 2022 at the Bell and Boles roads roundabout. The sculpture was the first permanent public art installation born from Johns Creek Beautification’s ArtSpot subcommittee. Currently, the nonprofit is in the fundraising stage for a second sculpture, themed around Native American history.

LYNN PENNINGTON/PROVIDED

Johns Creek Beautification President Lynn Pennington, center, works a stand April 13 at the Daffodil Days market with volunteers and board members of the nonprofit. Johns Creek Beautification boasts a slate of initiatives related to its mission to enhance the city’s landscape.

Beauty:

Continued from Page 6

the known Cherokee Nation. She said its intended location, close to City Hall, would allow it to become a symbol of unity and respect for indigenous peoples, showcasing a commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

“In the research, we found out that Native Americans were in the Johns Creek area for 14,000 years,” she said. “There is nothing that really shows that history in Johns Creek yet, so through art we hope to … capture history, heritage.”

The impetus for the project dates to around 2015, a collaboration between the now-defunct Newtown Park Community Foundation and that year’s Leadership Johns Creek class, which included former CEO of Emory Johns Creek Marilyn Margolis.

The group set its eyes on a stone sculpture, a work that could endure the weather, akin to Native American petroglyphs found around the Southeast in places like Blairsville.

But, Pennington said the sculpture would be under the artist’s discretion, ideally to be placed in a new plaza area created from stones that could be purchased and inscribed.

Once Johns Creek Beautification has sufficient funds, Pennington said a call will be cast out, prioritizing Native American artists. She said the selection committee would likely be composed of board members from Johns Creek Beautification and the Cultural Arts Alliance as well as a Johns Creek city councilmember.

While the project is pending City Council approval, Pennington said $50,000 has been raised so far across the nonprofit’s Secret Garden tours, and the goal is to collect $100,000 over the next 18 months.

Another $50,000 may head their way, considering a recommendation made at a recent Johns Creek Arts, Culture and

More info

Johns Creek Beautification’s first annual learning luncheon “Seed Soil Sunshine” June 6 will feature two guest speakers on sustainable gardening practices and a Q&A on how to humanely deter deer while creating a safe environment for pets. The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Sugo on Medlock Bridge Road. Tickets are $70 and include a meal of salads, several main courses and dessert. Proceeds will help fund a new Native American sculpture for the Johns Creek Town Center area. To reserve a seat, visit: www.johnscreekbeautification.org/ fundraiser.html.

Entertainment Committee meeting on the use of hotel/motel tax collections in fiscal year 2025.

The June 6 fundraiser will be the nonprofit’s first annual learning luncheon, featuring two guest speakers — Ashley Frasca, who hosts a Saturday morning garden show on WSB Radio, and Mark Hoban, a golf course superintendent at Rivermont Golf Club who focuses on sustainable, organic methods in his work.

The luncheon aligns with the nonprofit’s other effort to recertify Johns Creek as a National Wildlife Habitat, promoting sustainable gardening practices. The city first earned certification with the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program in April 2012.

Johns Creek Beautification Vice President Liliana Brenner said the organization is also helping to certify individual properties such as homes, parks, schools and businesses by providing food, water, shelter and places to raise young. Residents are encouraged to certify their properties at certifiedwildlifehabitat. nwf.org.

“Our aim is to build a resilient ecosystem where people, wildlife and plants can thrive together for generations,” Brenner said.

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Woodward Academy launches new Maymester program

Brought to you by

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Woodward Academy

Woodward Academy is launching a Maymester program in May 2024 for Middle and Upper School students. This program is an integral goal of Woodward’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, an Unparalleled Student Experience, which highlights the need to increase real-world application offerings in the curriculum to better prepare students for the future.

The Maymester program will take place during the last two weeks of May, after the conclusion of the spring semester, and will provide students exposure to ideas, cultures, community, and relationships through experiential learning and real-world applications. Maymester students will partake in a concrete, hands-on learning experience followed by focused and intentional reflection. Maymester will offer multiple settings in which students can participate and learn on campus, in the community, or via a domestic or international travel experience.

Our Maymester courses will be anchored to Woodward’s mission statement of creating a richer learner community and exceptional academic opportunities for our students in order to nurture lifelong learners. The faculty have designed intriguing cross-disciplinary courses born from their own passions. Course proposals include Zoology, Game Design, Sports Marketing, Public Speaking, The Civil Rights Movement in Georgia, Business in a Box, Writing a Novel, The Chemistry of Food, Ancient Civilizations and Cultures, Auto Maintenance, and more.

Assessment will be based on a deliverable that students create at the end of the course in the context of their learning. These deliverables could be presentations, journals, audio/video logs, peer reviewed feedback, or another method designed and approved by the teacher. With the exception of Class of 2024 seniors, all Woodward Middle and Upper School students are required to participate and will receive course credit for the Maymester program.

Woodward Appoints Academy Psychologist

Ms. Daena Shearer was selected to serve as Woodward’s newly appointed Academy Psychologist. This position was created in response to the Academy’s 20222025 Strategic Plan goal to proactively foster, develop, and support the social and emotional well-being of each member of the Woodward Academy community.

Ms. Shearer has spent the last nine years working as a school psychologist in public and private school systems in New York and Georgia, most recently at the Lovett School. She has extensive experience working with pre-K through 12th grade students experiencing socialemotional, behavioral, and learning challenges. Additionally, Ms. Shearer has provided in-home therapy for students with developmental delays, autism, and other genetic disorders, and has a wealth of experience conducting individual and group setting counseling.

Ms. Shearer is an expert in conducting psycho-educational evaluations and is proficient in using those assessments to tailor academic and behavioral interventions in both school and home settings. Her therapeutic techniques include play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, group therapy, and applied behavioral analysis. Ms. Shearer is excited for the opportunity to join a community that deeply values mental health, and to use her therapeutic background to further advance the Academy’s mental health and wellness initiative. She shares, “I admire Woodward’s emphasis on meeting each student where they are, and equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to achieve success, no matter their learning differences.”

Ms. Shearer holds a B.A. in Psychology from The City College of New York, as well as an Advanced Professional Diploma in School Psychology and a M.S. in Education, specializing in Therapeutic Interventions, from Fordham University Graduate School of Education in New York.

School social worker connects students to resources

Forsyth County Schools posts fewer specialists than in neighboring DeKalb, Fulton counties

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Amy Gamez, one of 14 school social workers in the Forsyth County School District, plants her feet on the ground throughout a scheduled day of meetings, ready to be on the move.

Her role is holistic, community-based and requires the skill of anticipating needs as well as adapting to change, pivoting when a school calls her in the middle of the workday requiring that she be present for additional student support.

“That’s what I love about my job — I like to kind of be here and there and everywhere,” Gamez said.

Gamez handled 400 to 500 of the 5,100 student cases in Forsyth County public schools this year, though some of those were quick one-and-dones versus students who required continuous oversight. Last year, she said, social workers conducted a total of 800 home visits.

Over the course of her 18-year career with Forsyth County Schools, Gamez said the needs have increased, serving more families in a district that has seen nearly 13,000 more students enroll in the last decade. But, she said community resources have grown to meet those needs.

Around a decade ago, Gamez began organizing what is now Family Promise of Forsyth County — a nonprofit that serves families experiencing homelessness. At the time, she knew of five families living out of a hotel, and she began reaching out to churches to schedule a planning meeting.

“I was really frustrated because I saw that they were paying at the time [what] was probably $1,000 a month, which is nothing now, you know, and they were just in a hole,” Gamez said. “Most of these families were in the hotel for six months to a year, and I was very frustrated that they were just stuck in this cycle.”

Gamez is continuing to meet basic needs for students and their families, sometimes doing it through a phone app called Purposity which allows her to request items that individuals around Forsyth County can donate. She said Forsyth County was one of the pilot counties for Purposity, Gamez becoming one of the first slate of school social workers to use the tool.

She said there has also been a shift in focus over the years, from meeting basic needs to mental health challenges. Nowadays, mental health is a large component to her job, though social workers and counselors function differently.

“We really are a connector to families to get them plugged into the resources in our community,” said Gomez, who works with a number of nonprofits and organizations like the Division of Family and Children Services. The week before, she met with representatives of the Boys and Girls Club on how to connect students to its services.

The ratio of students per school social worker in the Forsyth County School District was more than double than in DeKalb and Fulton counties last

AMY

Amy Gamez, one of 14 Forsyth County Schools social workers, stands by a food donation provided by a local community partner. Gamez serves New Hope Elementary School, Otwell Middle School and Academies of Creative Education, which includes Forsyth Academy, Gateway Academy and Forsyth Virtual Academy.

year. But, the ratio of students per school counselor across all grade levels was mid-range.

There were 378 students per counselor across Forsyth County elementary, middle and high schools, whereas there were 478 students per counselor in Fulton County and 283 in DeKalb County.

In addition to its team of counselors, Forsyth County Schools has a mental health facilitator, nine student advocacy specialists, eight support staff for behavior support – each with different roles, and 17 emotional behavioral intervention classes.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners in March formed a mental health advisory committee, set to have two school board members. But, Forsyth County Schools opted out.

Jennifer Caracciolo, chief communications officer for Forsyth County, told Appen Media that Forsyth County Schools is “assessing the effectiveness” of its system efforts with regard to its strategic plan.

“It’s not that we don’t want to partner,” Caracciolo said. “We obviously have made a significant investment in mental health, not only for that of our students, but our staff as well. And, we have a district plan, and we have employed a number of experts in various fields, and so we’re working on that plan.”

JACOB TOMBERLIN/PROVIDED

A comparison of the number of students per school social worker across Dekalb, Forsyth and Fulton county school districts shows that the ratio in the Forsyth County School District is more than double its neighbors in fiscal year 2023. There were 14 school social workers that served nearly 54,500 students in Forsyth County.

JACOB TOMBERLIN/PROVIDED

A comparison of the number of students per school counselor across Dekalb, Forsyth and Fulton county school districts shows that Forsyth County Schools is mid-range with 378 students per counselor across its elementary, middle and high schools.

GAMEZ/PROVIDED

Sowing the seeds of organic learning

Maria Montessori, Italy’s first woman doctor, invented a system of early childhood education based on her scientific observations of how the child constructs himself through interaction with his environment.

Her emphasis on the importance of the “prepared” environment created by the teacher offers the child the freedom to choose his work. This freedom - which is given when the child demonstrates the responsibility to use it wisely - allows him to remain with an activity until its purpose is accomplished. Working without artificial timelines allows him to engage in the spontaneous repetition of a skill so that it is refined; this freedom also creates in him the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and to feel the satisfaction of mastery.

In a Montessori environment, the teacher serves as a guide rather than as a traditional instructor. She continually observes the child, using these observations to give the next lesson so that he steadily progresses.

The multi-aged classroom gives every child regular opportunities to be the learner as well as the leader in the secu-

rity of a home-like environment which is cared for by everyone in it, teacher and student alike. The Montessori classroom is ordered and beautiful, filled with materials that are aesthetically pleasing,

PROVIDED

materials which capture the imagination and assist in physical, academic and social development.

Montessori develops children who are responsible, creative, innovative,

respectful and kind. Montessori children are truly the citizens of the future, equipped to face challenges with confidence and competence.

Located near the intersection of 141 and McGinnis Ferry Road in Johns Creek, Johns Creek Montessori School of Georgia provides excellence in Montessori education for infants, toddlers and children to six years old. JCMSOG provides an authentic Montessori environment, where each individual’s needs are respected, and everyone works together for the good of the community. The focus is always on helping the children to develop themselves in a caring, peaceful environment. By helping children to develop independence, we assist them in their physical and emotional development. As their sense of security in their ability to care for themselves and their environment grows, their brains have more energy or "bandwidth" for increased academic learning. Additionally, this focus on the development of muscular control is a first step in developing self-discipline. The JCMSOG Difference is best experienced in person. Please schedule a visit with your child to observe our “Montessori Magic” - www.JCMSOG.org 770-814-8001

• All Day, year-round, authentic Montessori Program with rolling admissions

• School Administration Team with Advanced Academic Degrees

• Montessori Trained Lead Teachers in every classroom providing individual customized lessons

• Scientifically designed, hands on, multisensory learning materials in all our beautifully organized classrooms

• Designated School Personnel only allowed in the school building

• Thorough handwashing/hygiene practices consistently taught and enforced

• Healthy, nutritious lunch and snacks provided daily and included in tuition fees

Limited Openings Available – The JCMSOG difference is best experienced in person, schedule a tour or visit with your child and observe our “Montessori Magic.”

The magic of middle school

Brought to you by – High Meadows

With one foot rooted in childhood and the other stepping eagerly into adolescence, middle schoolers can pose a perplexing combination of needs and contradictions. High Meadows Middle Years teachers would tell you, however, that this distinct age and stage is also marked by heightened information processing abilities that allow students to delve more meaningfully into complex thinking, problem solving, self-reflection and growth.

What do middle schoolers need to grow and thrive?

Collaborative Learning: One key element of adolescence is a strong social drive. Instead of trying to con-

trol and minimize socialization in the classroom, High Meadows teachers utilize this social motivation through collaborative work, dialogue-driven lessons, and exploring different perspectives and lenses on topics.

Exploration and Self-Expression: High Meadows robust mini-course offerings provide Middle Years students the opportunity to choose from and try many different specialized courses including Animal Care, Yoga, Band, Debate, a variety of Fine Arts courses, Theatre, World Peace Games, Culinary Arts and more.

Fostering Independence & Self-Confidence: High Meadows middle years program empowers students to grow in independence, study and research skills, time management, and accountability. Students reflect regu-

larly on their own growth and set goals for themselves. Mentorship & Leadership: HMS Middle Years students enjoy the role of being campus-wide mentors, and leaders who serve as role models to the younger students in the community. Sixth through Eighth grade students serve as “buddies” to even our youngest Pre-K students on campus.

Intellectual and Academic Challenge: High Meadows graduates enter their high school years with a strong academic foundation, a passion for learning, and a keen understanding of what they need to be successful. The majority of HMS alum start their high school careers in AP and Honors courses.

To learn more about High Meadows’ Middle Years program, visit highmeadows.org.

Beyond high school readiness, our rich and rigorous program inspires students to be positive change makers and lifelong learners.

Age 3 through Eighth Grade | Roswell, GA

770.993.2940 | www.highmeadows.org

An International Baccalaureate® School

Group tours offered weekly. Visit our website to register. Since 1973, the school has inspired children to think critically, learn creatively, act globally, and live compassionately. &

North Springs High prepares for construction on new school

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — With the April 26 approval of a $14.1 million contract for site work at North Springs High School, dirt at 7447 Roswell Road will be moving soon.

The Fulton County School Board of Education approved the contract with Cumming-based Vertical Earth, with an additional $1.4 million contingency, for phase one site work at the new school.

North Springs is a Fulton County public high school in the heart of Sandy Springs.

It is the state's only dual magnet school, allowing students to participate in the Visual & Arts magnet, Mathematics & Science magnet, or both, depending on their qualifications and abilities. Built in 1963, the school is one of the oldest in the Fulton County system.

Fulton County Schools’ “Bricks and Clicks” 2027 Capital Plan, funded through the education special purpose local option sales tax, calls for replacing North Springs High.

Since Fulton County voters first approved ESPLOST in 1997, it has become

FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS/PROVIDED

A rendering shows the campus layout of the new North Springs High School, anticipated to open in August 2027.

the primary funding source for capital improvements, with $3.2 billion generated to date.

The replacement of the school and construction of a new campus will cost around $108 million, according to a February estimate from Noel Maloof, chief operations officer for the district.

Replacing the school requires significant coordination. Construction will take place on-campus while school is in session.

The $15.6 site work project calls for the demolition of the softball field, competition field, stadium, practice field, tennis courts

and surrounding parking lots, driveways and hardscape.

Site work also includes installing a new curb cut at Trowbridge Road and new access driveways as a part of the new layout of the school’s replacement.

Other phase one tasks include construction of new soil-nail and concrete retaining walls, relocation of existing utilities and installation of new utilities, storm drainage pipe systems and three detention ponds.

Anne Boatwright, media relations manager at Fulton County Schools, said all other site work and building construction will happen in a later phase.

She also said the estimated time for completion of the first phase is this December. Because of potential dangers, Boatwright said the campus will be subdivided to keep all construction activities separate from school activities.

“There will be safety fencing and other controls in place to make this possible to manage,” she said. “Safety is always the priority when a contractor is working on the campus while school is in session.”

Boatwright also said the school district coordinates on a regular basis with Princi-

pal Sott Hanson and his staff.

Because phase one involves the demolition of athletic facilities, high school sports will move to other schools, including Sandy Springs Middle.

Appen Media also asked Fulton County Schools representatives about the potential for noise disruptions during the 2024-25 school year and beyond.

Because site work is anticipated to conclude at the end of the year, construction of additional phases is expected to continue until the new school’s projected opening date in August 2027.

“Due to the location of the construction, being elevated and on the back side of the building that faces the gymnasium and other large activity spaces, the noise factor is expected to be minimal,” Boatwright said.

She listed student safety and preserving a disruption-free learning environment as the top priorities of Fulton County Schools.

“Communication has already begun about some adjustments and more will be conducted in the fall to ensure all students and teachers understand the safety and access parameters while the project is ongoing," she said.

Discover the McGinnis Woods Difference!

• Private non-parochial education for infants through 8th grade.

• Nurturing environment featuring 1 to 1 iPads, outstanding teachers, small class sizes with assistants, hands-on academics, STEM, Discovery Clubs, frequent field trips, and leadership opportunities.

• After School, Sports, Science Olympiad, Robotics and Drama available.

quarter century of inspiring students with the passion to excel

Local high school seniors provide advice to students

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Continuing the tradition of recognizing departing students, Fulton County Schools has released the first six videos for its “Senior Spotlight: Class of 2024.”

Fulton County Schools profiles 19 outstanding seniors — one from each high school — who embody the spirit of the class of 2024.

Each week in May, the school district will release additional profiles.

The group of seniors include high academic achievers, all-star athletes and award-winners, students with unusual or unique stories to share, and those who have beaten the odds to graduate.

The class of 2024 began their high school journey at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, but persevered.

Leila Alvarez, a senior at Alpharetta High School, said getting involved in everything she could was her solution to such an enormous challenge.

When she is not at soccer practice or studying for International Baccalaureate classes, Alvarez serves as the student body vice president and participates in other school activities.

In her role as president of the Unified Raiders, Alvarez builds bonds between different students at the school.

Leila calls her work with the Unified Raiders her proudest accomplishment. She said she finds purpose, “knowing that I’m giving back to a community that feels really isolated.”

Her advice to students entering high school is to get involved with clubs and activities at school.

Next year, Alvarez will attend Williams College in Massachusetts.

When Lucy Sillitto, a Centennial High School senior, is faced with challenges, she turns them into opportunities with others.

Social studies teacher Cameron Yarbrough said Sillitto embodies what it means to be a Centennial Knight.

“She’s strong in the classroom, she cares for others and wants to see them succeed and is just really an all-round stellar student,” Yarbrough said.

Sillitto founded a local chapter of the national mental health organiza -

tion, Active Minds. The work of the 50-member club was featured on 11Alive News during Suicide Prevention Week.

After graduation Sillitto plans to attend Georgia Tech and major in neuroscience.

She said she chose the major because of her love for science and push to de-stigmatize mental health.

Sillitto advises incoming high school students to “find a balance in your life and find something that you can use as your outlet.”

Laylah Frazier, a senior at North Springs High School, said her mom helped her balance volleyball, cheerleading and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

North Springs High School Principal Scott Hanson said Frazier’s involvement makes her stand out.

“She is involved in school, she's a multi-sport athlete, and she's somebody that is in the JROTC leadership program,” Hanson said. “She just makes her mark all over the place.”

After graduation she plans to attend college and is considering a career in aviation or aeronautics with a double major in public relations.

Frazier advises incoming high school students to “make friends, talk to people, talk to your teachers and talk to your administrators. If you are a familiar face around school, so many doors open for you.”

Christian Jimenez, senior valedictorian at Roswell High School, said his mother is one of his biggest inspirations for running and as a person.

Jimenez, a member of the cross country team, placed second in the Boys 6A 5,000-meter run this year.

Honors and AP Chemistry teacher Christi Chilton said Jimenez is an intellectual star.

“He is constantly asking thoughtprovoking questions to deepen his understanding,” she said. “He is truly invested in the success and emotional well-being of his peers and celebrates everyone’s achievements.”

Jimenez is headed to the University of California, San Diego in the fall.

Haja Kabba from Banneker High School near College Park and Lauren Jones from Creekside High School in Fairburn also received senior spotlights in the first week of May.

Does my child have a learning disability?

Brought to you by - Rebecca L. Marshall, Ph.D., Summit Counseling Center

If your child is struggling in school despite receiving extra help, you may be wondering if your child has a learning disability. Figuring out whether your child has a learning disability, and what to do about it, can become clear with formal testing by a professional with expertise in the field. Evaluation of suspected learning disabilities is essential to finding appropriate interventions so that children do not fall behind in school.

A learning disability (LD) is defined by poor achievement in particular academic areas compared to a child’s potential, which is based on the child’s general intellectual ability. Poor performance in school is itself not necessarily an indicator of a learning disability (LD); rather, poor performance in the context of appropriate effort, attention, and additional help may be indicative of a specific learning disorder. Learning disabilities may affect particular academic skills, such as reading or math, but often affect a variety of subject areas. Learning disabilities can also be exacerbated or compounded by attention problems. While prevalence estimates vary, a significant percentage of children with learning disabilities also have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

There are several benefits of a comprehensive evaluation for learning disabilities, also called a psycho-educational evaluation. First, the diagnosis of an LD can establish a child’s eligibility for educational services in schools. Second, the reasons underlying poor academic performance in a specific subject area can be determined; and, finally and most importantly, specific learning problems can be

subsequently targeted for intervention or remediation.

Sometimes poor performance in school is a result of social or emotional factors that are not associated with a learning disability. It is important to identify and address, for example, whether a child is struggling with anxiety or depression that may be affecting his or her school performance. Comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations help parents and teachers to determine whether social and emotional problems may be interfering with the learning process. Early identification of learning disabilities leads to targeted interventions that can help children progress in school. Early intervention is best, so it is critical to have your child tested as soon as a learning disability is suspected. Regardless of the reasons behind poor school performance, assessment is the first step in getting your child back on track to academic success.

Rebecca L. Marshall, Ph.D. (rmarshall@summitcounseling.org) is a Licensed Psychologist and Staff Therapist at the Summit Counseling Center in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Valor Christian Academy celebrates the successes of its seniors through Life Prep | College Ready Model

Brought to you by - Valor Christian Academy

Valor Christian Academy, founded in August 2020, grew out of the desire to educate, strengthen and equip the whole child in a unique environment where learning fits the way God designed each child. At Valor, we’ve reimagined educational offerings, and

parents may choose from a variety of educational modes, from virtual, hybrid, full-time, or homeschool, we seek to meet the education needs of every child and family. Our high school model, is one that prepares students to be Life-Prep | College Ready, which includes four days of on campus learning and one day of at home independent study. We

are proud to announce that several students in the Class of 2024 will graduate with a diploma of distinction, which serves as an opportunity for students to receive credit for further study, research, and experience in Fine Arts, Communications, or STEM. No matter what mode fits an individual child, we aim to launch each student as a servant leader who

knows how to shape culture through a biblical world-view. Our team looks forward to prayerfully walking you through the admissions experience where your family can be a part of Education Reimagined.

Contact Valor Christian Academy at 770-751-1972 or visit us at www. valorlions.org.

Sponsored Section May 16, 2024 | Forsyth Herald | 17

Best graduation gift for college bound children or young adults

Brought to you by – Estates Law Center USA

One of the best things you can that you can do for your children who are bound for college is helping them set up their estate planning. Each State varies as to the age when one can create a Will, which can range from 14-18 years old. In Georgia, the legal age required to create a Will is 14 years old. OCGA 53-4-10. Parents who help their children create an estate plan as young adults are laying the foundation to prepare a more comprehensive plan, especially trusts, when the young adult acquires assets or parents gift them significant assets, i.e. property and vehicles. Another huge benefit for Parents helping their children start their estate planning is that their children can immediately start designating the Parents as agents to make financial and medical decisions should

they pass away, become incapacitated or incompetent. By helping young adults create their estate planning when college bound, this grants the Parents full control over their children’s assets, bank accounts, vehicle, medical information, and academic information in the event of death, incompetency or disability. Otherwise, parents cannot make any financial or healthcare decisions on behalf of their own children and cannot obtain their own children’s educational and medical records.

A robust starting point for an estate plan for a young adult is a simple Will, a Healthcare Directive (HCD), a Financial Power of Attorney (FPOA) and a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) release. FERPA release gives Parents the right to their children’s educational records from colleges. In May young adults are graduating and eventually going off to college. Many parents each year

come to our office so they can provide their college bound children a simple Will package that include the above documents. This gives the Parents peace of mind that if something happens to their child while in college, they can immediately take control of their child’s financial, healthcare, and educational decisions, as well as having the rights to obtain their child’s asset, medical and educational records.

It’s never too early to start estate planning so make sure when your children go off to college, they have their Wills, Financial Power of Attorney, Healthcare Directive, and FERPA in place. It is always difficult and scary to see your children go off to college but for many Parents, having a basic estate planning in place for their college bound child gives them peace of mind that they will be able to help their child in all legal and medical matters in an emergency.

• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)

• Should I upgrade my Will to a Trust?

• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?

• How do Irrevocable Trusts work?

• Medicaid. What’s true and what’s not?

• How do I protect my assets for my family and legacy?

• How do I remain in control?

• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?

• How can my family avoid probate? Weekly Workshops: Tuesday – 4PM Wednesday – 6PM Thursday – 11AM Call to Register, Seats are Limited!

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You can’t always get what you want

On July 4, 1969, The Rolling Stones Introduced their song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. The song goes on to say, “But if you try sometime, well, you just might find, you get what you need.”

This can be said about many borrowers trying to negotiate closing cost fees with their lender. Closing cost fees are made up of numerous charges such as lender fees, credit reports, appraisals, attorney fees, lenders title, owners title, recording fees, Georgia intangible taxes, HOA initiation fees as well as HOA prorations and others.

I had a call the other day from a client who wanted me to lower the attorney fees and totally take out the lender’s title insurance fee (required by all lenders if

the buyer/borrower is getting a mortgage, and this fee is charged by the closing attorney).

Granted, most folks believe that the lender controls all these fees which is simply not the case. I explained to the borrower that the credit report as well as the attorney fees, title charges the state transfer/tax fees, are third-party charges that are simply “pass through” charges that we estimate for them on the initial loan estimate, and the actual charges will appear on their final closing statement.

Ironically, the borrower/buyer chooses most of these fees when they agree to a specific closing attorney in their contract, because the attorney determines those fees. The lender only can control their bank/broker charges such as origination fees, discount points, underwriting, document preparation and other fees shown in the origination section of the loan estimate.

My point is, when buyers/borrowers are shopping fees from lender to lender

they should focus on the “origination” charges shown on the loan estimate only…the other fees will be the same at closing, as the lender does not actually charge them. Despite the varying estimates from lender to lender for title, attorney and recording charges shown by different lenders, they will be the same at closing since the closing attorney chosen in the contract will produce those numbers.

So, who do you trust for the most accurate estimate?

Great question! Most buyers/ borrowers are recommended to a lender(s) from their Realtor and or a friend(s). Trust them, especially a Realtor who has done business with this lender and has seen a track record of delivering what they estimated and excellent customer service.

Getting estimates from out-of-state lenders can be dangerous if they do not close many loans in Georgia and are simply going by what some chart in their office tells them to estimate for those

charges. Your Georgia lenders do this every day and know what the estimate should show, not to mention they do not want to let down the real estate agent who referred you to them. These lenders also depend on repeat business from the agents, and they won’t get it if they don’t deliver excellent customer service, including getting the funds to close right.

Trust your referral. Purchasing a home, in most cases, is the largest individual purchase they will make in their life. This is not like purchasing a car or an ATV. However, getting a recommendation from a friend might not be so bad when buying these either.

D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.

What does Moonlight Graham have to do with anything?

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

For those of you who don’t know, Moonlight Graham was, according to Wikipedia, “an American professional baseball player and medical doctor who appeared as a right fielder in a single major league game for the New York Giants on June 29, 1905. Moonlight Graham was also one of the main characters in the movie “Field of Dreams” which starred Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster – who played Moonlight Graham. Many believe that Burt hit it out of the ballpark – no pun intended – in this role. I know I do. In “Field of Dreams,” Moonlight Graham is given the opportunity to go back in time and play professional baseball again – his dream – on Keven Costner’s

(movie name - Ray Consella) baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield - today - in Iowa. In one scene, Ray’s young daughter falls off the bleachers and is choking to death. Moonlight Graham –the baseball player – moves across the ball field toward her. As he leaves the field, he stops. At that point, he must choose between crossing back into the present – as the old physician – to save the girl, or remain on the field as the young baseball player and live out his dream. If he steps off the field, he forever gives up the dream. If he doesn’t, Ray’s daughter dies. He walks off the field and saves Ray’s daughter.

As he returns to the diamond toward the cornfield – now, forever the physician – through all the ghosts of legendary ball players who have “come back to play again,” one of the legends shouts out to him, a shout of respect, admiration and validation: “Hey rookie, you were good.”

Burt – Moonlight – stops in his tracks. Time freezes. He turns and gazes back at the team, deep in thought and appreciation of the moment. Then he walks into the corn field and reality again.

I thought that it was the best line –and best scene – in the movie; it moved me to tears. It still does.

Moonlight Graham is relevant today on a number of levels. First, to me, is simply the magic of the movie. To have loved this movie, one had to buy into the story of going back into time and living out a dream – “ a willing suspension of disbelief “(Fitzgerald’s definition of what “fiction” must enable). If you weren’t able to do that, the movie didn‘t work.

Life today, often feels like it is powered by disbelief – by skepticism – about anything and everything. It’s so unhealthy and debilitating. We need to be able to believe – even in ghosts playing baseball.

Choices.

“Field of Dreams” told a story about choices. It reminds us that even today when there is so much distraction and white noise, when we see so many things that go the wrong way, that we can still swim against that current and be good, do good, and find good. It is a simple and really obvious message, but it is one that we need to hear, and keep hearing. Young people today, I think, have less opportunity than we did to know this. They need to know this.

Choices we make now and, in the future – choices about helping people, or just ourselves – will define who we are; how we have lived; and what we have collectively accomplished.

Hopefully, some day as we are approaching that cornfield that we will all face sooner or later, we too will hear a voice like Moonlight Graham heard – “Hey rookie, you were good.”

D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com

OPINION

A misguided binge with ‘The Sopranos’

MIKE TASOS Columnist

Having grown up in an age when your only hope of missing a “must-see” TV program was to pray that there would be an encore broadcast during summer rerun season. For the most part, once it was over, it was over.

I can still remember staying up late to see David Janssen in “The Fugitive” finally vanquish the elusive, wily “one-armed man.”

But I can’t recall that episode ever being shown again. These days, even though I absolutely adored the show, it sure seems like “The Office” is on every night on several channels, even utilizing an “East Coast/West Coast” schedule.

I have come to resist going on a binge but recently went on a bender of my own. It seems fitting to embrace that concept on my late Dad’s birthday. He’s been gone since 1983, but truth be told, he was gone way before that. He was no stranger to a binge, choosing to overindulge on Russian potato juice that eventually robbed him of what others have shared was a charming personality and outstanding athleticism.

Thanks to modern technology, I treated myself to a complete bingewatching chapter, watching every “Sopranos” season, one through six. I started from the beginning, when the series was all set to break new ground. I was a little resistant when the show premiered on HBO, deducing that it was about opera or Gregorian chants.

Having watched the original show

weekly, it was easy to look at each installment as a sketch. Thanks to binge-watching and streaming, I was able to evaluate the entire show, which ran from 1999-2007. I watched it alone, firmly entrenched in my “Man Cave,” giving me ample time to get a bolus dose of foul language, nudity, violence and murder.

When I’d watched the final episode, the one that is still discussed today, I feel compelled to make a few pithy observations:

• James Gandolfini, who apparently over-indulged himself to an early grave, was brilliant in the Mafia patriarch role. However, much has been written about his kindness to others while also being extremely difficult to work with. Talk about a dichotomy.

• It appears that those Mafia guys in the show didn’t pay for anything. From delinquent bar tabs to swag that might have “accidentally” fallen off a hijacked truck, the theme was the art of the steal.

• The show’s ending, when everything went black was inconclusive and an egregious rip-off. I didn’t like it the first time around and liked it even less when I revisited it. Amazingly, there are websites devoted to unraveling if Tony was killed. My perspective: Who cares?”

• Unlike “The Office,” whose characters were embraced and loved, there was now one to really care about in the entire “Sopranos” cast. The women were crude, the parish priest was a moocher, and the Sopranos children were as unlovable a duo you’d ever want to meet. Crude, bratty and somehow entitled all because Dad was a violent criminal kingpin.

TASOS, Page 21

Readers recall S&H Green and other loyalty stamps

When I asked the question, “Do you remember S&H Green Stamps?” it brought back memories for several readers. The loyalty stamp programs of the past occasionally helped families out, just when they needed it most.

They also provided a fun moment for children, who could trade completed stamp books for a toy.

Gary Field, who grew up on a dairy farm north of Cincinnati, shared memories of his family collecting Top Value Stamps. The local Kroger had Top Value Stamps, but his family also collected S&H Green Stamps. “I remember licking all those stamps and putting them on the book pages.” He also remembers “…the excited anticipation of what we were going to select at the redemption store.”

Years later, Field remembers an S&H redemption warehouse in the southwest area of the intersection of I-85 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. That spot was later home to Western Electric.

S&H Green Stamps and Top Value Stamps were an important part of Susan Edmonson’s young married life, especially when the first child of the family was born in 1968. “I acquired many of the major items when my children were born, crib, etc., with filled books of stamps.”

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/APPEN MEDIA

Above: An S & H Green Stamp savings book and Hastings Savings Stamp book for stamps issued by Hastings Nursery of Atlanta. At right: This tin Trading Stamps Saver and Books container was a handy place to keep the collection.

Growing up, Sandy Feit’s Providence, Rhode Island, family was an S&H Green Stamp family, but they also collected Top Value Stamps “for those infrequent trips to our less preferred store.”

“After getting married, I moved to Vermont and was glad to find S&H stamps in Burlington,” recalls Feit. One February, the temperature dipped down to -27 degrees F. “Just about no one’s car started that morning, and like most of our neighbors,

we needed a service call. Hours later, when it warmed to -11 degrees F, I drove to the redemption center and traded in my stamp books for a little piece of mind – my very first set of jumper cables.”

In the early 1960s, Charlie Evans was in high school in Huntington, West Virginia, and his dad managed a company called Family Stamps. “The company catered to individuals and businesses in hard-to-reach areas.” Customers would fill their books with stamps and return to the

store where they originally received them to decide on a loyalty gift by looking through a catalog. Employees of Family Stamps drove to a warehouse to redeem the stamps. They also sold stamps to the stores.

Evans’ dad managed a region that included West Virginia, Kentucky and parts of western Virginia. He often traveled Monday through Thursday, training and managing his employees. Many people in the area worked in the coal business.

Charlie Evans also worked at the Family Stamps warehouse, where the premiums were stored. His dad traveled Monday through Thursday most weeks, training and managing his employees.

Jan Kepic and Sandy Bond shared a piece of S&H Green Stamps history with me. They had a vintage tin box for storing stamps and collection books. This is a step up from the usual method of storage in a random kitchen drawer.

Kepic and Bond grew up in the small town of Fremont, Ohio, where their job was to adhere the stamps to the books. They also shared their collection of Hastings stamps, which go back to the days of Hastings Nursery at Cheshire Bridge and Lindbergh Drive in Atlanta.

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

Choosing your next read from a list of possibilities

How do you choose which books to read at what time? For me, the choice is often dictated by what arrives at the library, where I regularly put books on hold. Sometimes, they come in within a few days. Other times, it can be months. Sometimes, I come home with five or six books. Other times with only one. When I don’t have a stack of library books to choose from, I turn to my Kindle and catch up on books I’ve downloaded and not gotten around to. Heaven forbid I run out of books.

This week’s selections were chosen from the TBR stack on my desk because my ship came in at the library. I knew I wasn’t in the mood for the Jane Harper book set in the Australian outback. Her books are extremely well-written but very serious. So, I turned

first to a gothic romance, something I’ve rarely read as an adult. Who knows why?

“A Dreadful Splendor” by B. R. Myers

I'm not sure what made me place this book on hold. Perhaps it was reading that it won a Mary Higgins Clark award. Or maybe it was the blurb from "The Globe and Mail" describing it as a “... gem of a book [that] sparkles with wit and originality . . . There is no shortage of tricks and feints in this excellent novel and Genevieve is a delightful character.”

Whatever attracted me to it, the author Victoria Holt came to mind as I became immersed in the story. I read her gothic romances as a teenager, and I have vivid memories of purchasing her books at school book fairs, along with those of Phyllis Whitney and Mary Higgins Clark.

The setting is a grand estate in Victorian England, complete with a murder victim, a damsel in distress, and possibly even a ghost. It wasn't jolly, but it was a jolly good

read. The twists kept me guessing until the end. If gothic romances appeal to you, I recommend you grab this one.

“The Lost Man” by Jane Harper

I'm a Jane Harper fan and picked this book up thinking it was part of her Aaron Falk series. Instead, I discovered it's a standalone, and what a tour de force it is. The pacing seemed slow at first, and the uncluttered sentences seemed to mirror the isolation of the life and the land in this bleak Australian setting. This is the remote outback, sparsely populated with cattle ranches and men of few words.

When the middle brother of a ranching family is found dead in the brutal heat and sun, nowhere near his car, the question is not only how but why? Everyone knows not to set out without water and supplies in the desert. Why did he leave his car without water and walk an unbelievable distance? There's nothing wrong with the car, and no evidence he was forced to leave it. What

happened?

The suspense builds as family secrets come to light. Was the victim troubled? Did he commit suicide? Because walking in the desert is a sure way to do it. Did someone want him dead?

It's not the police who piece together the clues. It's the family history and dark events of the present and the past that finally reveal the truth of what happened. Let's just say, "I never saw it coming."

This week, I’ve turned to a cozy mystery set in 1920s England and book 10 in The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. From there, who knows?

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, Tall Tales, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/Kathy ManosPennAuthor/.

THE INK PENN

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

ARC:

Continued from Page 3

Eichenthal said the direct pay program allows for the “blending and grading of different resources,” which allows tax credits to be combined with some loans.

Since some cities and counties started qualifying projects last year, a few have started filing for the tax credits.

“At some point this year, I’m not going to be talking to groups like this about hypothetically what people are doing,” he said. “I’ll be able to say, the city of ‘X’ made this investment, and they got a check from the federal government covering 30-50 percent of the cost.”

Unfortunately, the credit payment comes after the project goes into service.

“There’s an upfront financing issue that folks need to consider,” Eichenthal said.

A payment from the Internal Revenue Service can be expected within 45

Committee:

Continued from Page 1

County Attorney Ken Jarrard said he heard the School Board did not want to serve on the committee and has already asked its representatives to attend the May 16 County Commission meeting. Jarrard said the School Board was notified about participating on the committee in March.

Mills said the fact that the committee has not met “gives the appearance that we’re trying to hide something and that we’re not transparent, and I want them to be very transparent and give updates.”

“There’s a lot of people who care about this. … I think they need to hear” more, she added.

Mills also said because the committee plans to spend American Rescue Plan Act funds, which expire at year’s end, it has

Tasos:

Continued from Page 19

• If I was Italian-American, I could understand why so many found the portrayal of their ethnicity extremely offensive. From escapades at a strip club to murder wherever it was convenient, I was relieved when I’d watched the finale. I kept checking to see how many more episodes I had to go.

There is talk about the show coming back. My question: “Why?” Like a never-

Members of the Atlanta Regional Commission Board gather at the metropolitan planning organization May 8 to hear a special presentation from the U.S. Treasury Department.

days after a project goes into service, he said.

“Finance directors can now model out what that will look like,” Eichen -

only five months to act.

Jarrard apologized for not following up with the School Board in mid-April, right after he and other county officials returned from a business trip to Savannah.

Mental health remains a key issue for the county, which is considering plans to spend about $30 million to build a crisis center to house the Forsyth Health Department, a mental health center run by Avita Community Partners and a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) facility. With three commissioners up for reelection in the May 21 primary, Mills said some candidates are negatively using mental health as a campaign issue.

“It’s being said that the mental health facility will cost $60 million, and that has never been written and has never been presented,” she said, adding the latest estimate for the crisis center is $29.5 million. “… It’s also being said we’re going to bus the mentally ill into the facility like

ending pasta buffet that causes indigestion, I’ve had enough..

I believe the next time I go on a binge, it’ll be something that makes me laugh and enjoy the experience. There’s a huge “Curb Your Enthusiasm” library that’s available. I can enjoy Larry David and his crew without cringing and turning away when someone gets “whacked.”

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.

initial capital investment but project a reduction in a local government’s operating cost.

Public school districts could receive federal aid installing solar panels on the roofs of buildings.

The idea is tax credits will help build projects more quickly and affordably, mitigating climate risks, creating jobs and lowering energy costs.

Members of the presidential Cabinet have said the program is a gamechanging opportunity to expand clean energy across the county.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, serving as the North Fulton County mayoral representative on the ARC Board, said city staff will review the information and determine whether it can meet the needs of the city.

The city is installing electric vehicle charging stations at its new Police Department and Municipal Court on Morgan Falls Road and its new Fleet Center on Roswell Road.

thal added.

He gave some examples of projects, like fleet electrification and central geothermal heating, that require a hefty

they’re immigrants. … It’s completely a racist comment, that they would be bused into the mental health facility on campaign literature.”

Mills also said some candidates are calling the crisis center “a mental institution,” a designation that was outlawed by the Olmstead Act, which was created in 1999 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Olmstead v. L.C. case, which banned the segregation of disabled individuals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“You’re talking four to seven days as the maximum stay in these crisis stabilization centers,” she said. “It is not institutional. Just false after false thing after false thing. And to me we’re playing with people’s lives.”

Hill and Levent said maybe forming a different group is the answer if the School Board doesn’t want to participate.

“We don’t have a committee that agreed to the structure of that committee,

DEATH NOTICES

Aubrey Jones, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away on May 6, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Carol Mack, 91, of Roswell, passed away on May 5, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

“There are some vehicles in our fleet where the direct pay program may offer us some opportunities,” he said. “We need to dig into it a bit deeper than the cursory overview we got today.”

so we have to do it differently,” Hill said.

Levent added that forming a new committee that included local experts on mental health or adding those experts to the existing committee may be the best bet.

“One of the things that has always worked for any committee I was on, whether it was the jail, courthouse (or) animal shelter, it had certain key players from the county but also had key players from the Sheriff’s Office and others,” he said. “They seemed to work very well with those cases.”

In an email, Forsyth Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said that while the district prioritizes mental health and “has heavily invested funds” to address the issue, it has no plans to assign representatives to the committee.

“At this time, we are focused on assessing the effectiveness of our system efforts and will not be engaging in a newly formed advisory committee centered on this topic,” she said.

John Parsons, 90, of Roswell, passed away on May 2, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Kenneth Walsh, 80, of Roswell, passed away on May 5, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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EDUCATION

Education:

Continued from Page 10

She also said the district is trying to focus on getting students graduated.

While investments have been made toward mental health resources, investments in school social workers are lacking. Caracciolo argued that this is because the district plans according to the needs of its specific student population, opting for other methods.

Caracciolo highlighted the school district’s local investment dollars, spending more than $11 million on school counselors than what is received from the state. She also said neighboring school districts receive

significantly more federal funding, in part because of their free/reduced lunch numbers.

The Forsyth County School District has about half the student population than Fulton and DeKalb counties, and it also works with a much smaller budget. Yet, Forsyth County Schools collects 80 percent of what its neighbors collect in terms of total revenue per student and has 25 percent of the school social worker staffing.

Despite Forsyth County being the richest county in Georgia by per capita income, and its school district maintaining high academic rankings across the state overall, lack of adequate housing for students is growing.

McKinney Vento, a federal, state and local program created during the

Reagan administration to address attendance issues related to homelessness, identifies homelessness as the lack of fixed, adequate or regular nighttime housing.

In March, Appen Media reported there were 1,044 students in the district’s McKinney Vento program, up from the 1,020 students recorded at the end of the 2022-23 school year. There were 610 students in the program in 2019-20.

“Fulton or DeKalb may have a larger number of students that are facing homelessness, and also facing social and economic challenges,” said Caracciolo, who confirmed the district is adding another school social worker next year to serve a growing student population of currently more than 55,300 students.

Deadline to place a classified ad is Thursdays by 4pm