Forsyth Herald - June 1, 2023

Audrey Matey, a recent Pinecrest Academy graduate and Forsyth County native, aspires to a career in runway fashion. Matey dedicated her senior year in advanced placement art to a “Modernizing Historical Fashion” project.

Student sets course for the runway

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — With a passion for designing historical clothes with a modern flair, recent Pinecrest Academy graduate Audrey Matey dreams of taking her unique style to the runway.

Forsyth County officials divided over proposition for smart kiosks

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A proposal to add smart kiosks that could collect public data along major roadways drew concerns and differing opinions among Forsyth County commissioners at their May 23 work session.

Commissioners approved an encroachment agreement with Smartpoint. io allowing it access to county right-ofway for a study to determine the locations and public benefits of up to seven interactive kiosks.

The kiosks, which are proposed on roadways like McFarland Parkway and Ronald Reagan Boulevard near Halcyon, could display county information and advertisements.

See COUNTY, Page 10

In her final year at the Forsyth County academy, Matey enrolled in advanced placement art, in which she chose “Modernizing Historical Fashion” as the theme of her semester-long sustained investigation, an in-depth visual research project.

Matey designed outfits and accessories

inspired by the Romantic, Regency, Edwardian and Victorian eras, as well as the 1920s. In an expansive sketchbook, she assembled dozens of clippings of runway inspiration, notes, materials and her own drawings.

See MATEY, Page 15

FORSYTH COUNTY/SCREENSHOT

Forsyth County commissioners discuss privacy and data collection concerns relating to a plan that would allow smart kiosks along public roadways. Officials agreed May 23 to allow a private firm to conduct research into the project.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

NEWS TIPS

POLICE BLOTTER

Highway between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Owners reported their windshields damaged at Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness, Allstate, LEAPS Therapy Clinic and in a residential area on Primrose Drive. Businesses in the area provided deputies with security footage that showed Lewis at the scene of the incidents, the reports state.

Deputies cite man for threatening live-in

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested an Ellijay man May 16 who allegedly threatened to kill a woman who lives with him.

A woman told deputies David Henson, 27, had been staying with her in her houseboat at Bald Ridge Marina for several weeks, and she shared a video of Henson saying he would kill her “slowly, brutally, intentionally” roughly an hour and a half before deputies arrived.

Deputies reported hearing the woman screaming in the recording as Henson had violently tried to take her phone.

The woman said Henson did not make physical contact with her, the report states, but he had physically abused her over the past few weeks. She had photos indicating the alleged abuse.

Henson reportedly told deputies they had been living together in the houseboat and at his father’s house in Ellijay. He said he did not recall any violent dispute or argument, and he did not admit to the incident on the recording.

Both parties were drinking alcohol all day, the report states.

Henson was charged with felony terroristic threats and acts.

Suspect in vandalisms arrested by deputies

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a suspect May 19 who had allegedly damaged the windshields of multiple parked vehicles earlier this month.

Deputies reported receiving calls about a man who was breaking windshields May 11. The suspect, who was later identified as Justin Lewis, 27, of Duluth, was allegedly yelling and damaging cars near Atlanta

Lewis was charged with four counts of felony criminal damage to property in the second degree and three counts of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

He is being held at the Forsyth County Jail with a bond amount of $25,770.

Driver cited for DUI, damage at dealership

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a 22-year-old Atlanta man May 18 for allegedly driving under the influence, damaging property at a car dealership and leaving the scene.

Deputies reported responding to a possible burglary at Lou Sobh Kia on Buford Highway May 17. Employees said they saw a pickup truck speed out of one of the service bays, hit a locked gate and leave the property.

Deputies reported observing surveillance footage showing the suspect, Ryan Hart, park his truck at the dealership around 8 p.m., sit for 10 minutes and then head to one of the neighboring properties.

Hart reportedly returned shortly after 9 p.m. and drove his truck into the service bay. He then forced a secured gate open with his truck and left the dealership.

Deputies located Hart driving toward Gwinnett County on Buford Highway around 2 a.m., the report states, and conducted a traffic stop. Hart reportedly showed signs of impairment, and he admitted to drinking a six-pack of beer earlier. Deputies also reported locating THC gummies in Hart’s vehicle.

He was charged with felony criminal damage to property in the second degree and possession of a schedule one controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor DUI, defective headlights and taillights and failure to maintain insurance.

Hart is being held at the Forsyth County Jail. Bond is set at $20,100.

Man’s credit card used to buy 6 tons of gravel

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police May 17 that someone charged more than $630 to his credit card at a Tennessee business.

The victim said the May 15 charge posted on his bank account listed Pope’s A1 Lawn Care in La Vergne, Tennessee. He contacted the business, whose associate provided the invoice showing that the suspect bought six tons of gravel, which was delivered to Moonlight Trail in Brentwood, Tennessee.

The associate also said the suspect had another invoice with her company the next day, using different credit card information.

The victim reported the fraudulent activity to his bank and canceled his cards. The bank did not advise the victim to seek a police report, but the victim said he wished to prosecute.

Victim’s checks altered for different amounts

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police May 18 that someone cashed eight fraudulent checks, totaling more than $43,000.

The victim informed police he had written five checks with varying amounts and dropped them into the Canton Post Office.

According to the victim’s bank statements, all five checks arrived at their intended location. However, eight checks were approved and cashed using the same check numbers, but in different amounts, and there were another five sequential checks cashed that the victim still had in his possession.

The victim and the bank did not recognize the fraudulent activity until around May 7. It is believed that an individual logged into the victim’s bank account and changed the contact information online to hijack his identity in order to cash the checks, the police report said.

The victim’s bank account has been disabled, and he placed a freeze on his credit.

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.

Planning officials approve rezoning for businesses near neighborhood

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County residents are set to see a new commercial area on Dr. Bramblett Road that could draw a microbrewery, restaurants and retail within walking distance from nearby neighborhoods.

The County Planning Commission unanimously approved the site rezoning from an agricultural district to a commercial business district at a public hearing May 23.

The property, which was previously not recommended for a zoning change by county staff, will add 186 parking spaces and 38,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space at the corner of Spot and Dr. Bramblett roads.

Rod McBain, who lives nearby on Chadwick Drive, spoke in opposition to the plans. He said the development would raise traffic concerns in the area, noting its proximity to Sawnee Elementary School.

“The amount of traffic that’s there is becoming quite bad,” McBain said. “I think this type of facility may be the worst choice in terms of trying to keep that to a minimum.”

McBain also said the commercial space was unnecessary because of its proximity to gas stations, the Greens Corners Shopping Center and a proposed Publix supermarket.

Addressing McBain’s comments, project attorney Christopher Light said the most recent update to the plans makes an intentional effort to add a vehicle connection south of the property to mitigate traffic issues.

Planning Commissioner Nedal Shawkat, whose district encompasses the project, said other residents in the area had said they liked the possibility of having a restaurant, shops or a liquor store within walking dis -

tance. The Big Creek Greenway also runs along the northern boundary of the property.

“I think if we keep some modest, low-intensity commercial develop -

ment on the corner, hopefully we can manage it well,” Shawkat said.

Drive-thrus; car service shops, washes and rental and sales dealerships; personal care homes; and

senior housing are not permitted on the property.

The Board of Commissioners will decide whether to formally approve the rezoning at an upcoming meeting.

Forsyth County shelter provides free adoptions Support Local News

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Animal Shelter is waiving all adoption fees for its fifth annual “Summer of Love” through Sept. 6.

All animal adoptions during the event include microchipping and vaccinations, as well as spaying and neutering. The shelter provides adoptions 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

“All of the pets in the shelter deserve

a good home, and we are hopeful that this promotion will help families bring a new companion home this summer,” shelter Manager Cindy Iacopella said.

The shelter is off Ga. 400 at 4065 County Way. Further information on adoption can be found at forsythco.com/ animal-shelter.

— Shelby Israel

FORSYTH COUNTY/SCREENSHOT

Forsyth County resident Rod McBain speaks in opposition to plans for a new commercial area on Dr. Bramblett Road at a County Planning Commission public hearing May 23. Planning commissioners recommended the rezoning, which McBain said could create traffic concerns.

‘Down and Derby’ Spring Fling raises $161,000 for Children’s Healthcare

MILTON, Ga. — More than 400 Milton residents came together to support the inaugural Down and Derby Spring Fling at Chukkar Farm May 6, which raised $161,000 to support Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Funds will allow 161 children with complex health and medical conditions to attend specialized camps this summer, free of charge. Hosted by the Milton Friends of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the event was the largest single-day fundraiser since Milton’s incorporation in 2006.

In the farm's main area, guests kicked up their boots with a variety of themed events, ranging from optional race wagering on derby horses to a ring toss, a live polo match, live coverage of the Kentucky Derby on numerous large-screen TVs, an extensive silent and live auction, live music and a surprise visit and performance from Dolly Parton’s doppelgänger.

For guests who preferred a more exclusive experience, the event boasted a “Fillies and Stallions” VIP experience, an exclusive lounge area with a private bar, top-shelf bourbon and bubbly, private photo opportunities with a polo horse, local gourmet food, a dedicated

Held May 6, the inaugural Down and Derby Spring Fling raised $161,000 to fund more than 160 children with complex medical conditions to attend specialized camps this summer, free of charge.

TV to view the Derby, a private restroom and seating area, a premiere bourbon tasting experience provided by Angel’s Envy, VIP gift bags and morning-after takeaways.

Moving forward, the Milton Friends of Children’s is already planning a second Down and Derby on May 4 next year as well as a variety of other exciting seasonal fundraisers. To

learn more about how to sponsor a Milton Friends of Children’s event, or to become a volunteer with the group, please email friendsofchoamilton@ gmail.com.

MEGAN BOWMAN/PROVIDED

Twenty-six bones, 33 oints, and thousands of steps a day. Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia looks forward to helping you get back on your feet!

Milton sculptor invites viewers through her story

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Bouncing from place to place across her basement studio, narrative sculptor Kirsten Stingle provided insight into reimagined worlds. The studio is covered in armoires, storing more than just underglaze. Working in ceramics, but also fiber and found objects, Stingle is attracted to the stories she can tell. She hand-builds each piece, without using a cast, and layers them with detail, asking viewers to take their time.

The latest collection concerns mythology, the stories that reflect a more patriarchal culture. Stingle takes figures who have been “ossified” – rigid or fixed – and “weaponized,” like Medusa, and reincorporates them into the natural world.

After describing the mythical figure, who had been raped by Poisedon and punished by Athena, Stingle said, “You’re looking at weaponization of sex, weaponization of power, weaponization of her.”

A new piece, not yet titled, is a bust of a woman hanging on Stingle’s studio wall. The woman’s hair, in thick strands, swirls around like snakes, but the texture and color are reminiscent of a fungal network. It’s also embellished with gemstones, flowers and even some scabs of saguaro cactus nests.

“We have to sort of re-entangle ourselves into the environment,” Stingle said.

Stingle’s work is women-centric, as she tends to tell her own story. She paints dots on her sculptures’ lips, a signature, as a reminder to stay true to herself. They often feature pronounced, teased, Regencyera hair — another story-telling platform, additional space for layering.

A banner in the far end of her studio: an illustration of Marie Antoinette and the words: “Let them eat cake.” Stingle likes to steal from different time periods and has an eye for fashion porn. She cited fashion photographer Tim Walker as an inspiration.

First time in Paris

In September, four of Stingles’ sculptures will be featured in the “HEY! CERAMIQUE.S” exhibition at the La Halle Saint-Pierre museum in Paris. While not her first international exhibition, it will be Stingle’s first in Paris.

“Being in a different country for a different clientele, collector base … is amazing,” Stingle said.

The exhibition is curated by Anne Richard, founder of art magazine HEY! Modern art & pop culture, and will feature 34 ceramic artists from 13 countries.

The exhibition will be a “rehabilitation” of the ceramic medium, Richard said, as part of her magazine’s attempts to “defy dominant conventions and codes.” Rather than a history of ceramics or an illustration of traditional techniques, she said it is a “testimony to the spectacular energy that permeates contemporary sculpture today.”

Richard chose the artists based on their devotion to exploring an “original relationship to clay as a means of expression and action.” She had an eye on Stingle for some time, having featured her work several years ago in the pages of HEY!

“The quality of [Stingle’s] work, and [her] dexterity with mixed media, is exactly what I’m looking for in this exhibition,” Richard said. “[Her] work is ‘very American,’ so it’s going to be a great discovery for French and European audiences.”

The exhibition runs until August 2024.

Threading human experience

Stingle’s collections fall under varied overarching themes, concluded once they begin to feel stale. But a commonality among them exists, and it is the desire to thread human experiences in an often-isolating world. To promote a better understanding with one another, Stingle encourages self-understanding, revelation.

See STINGLE, Page 20

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Four of Kirsten Stingle’s ceramic sculptures will be featured in the “HEY! CERAMIQUE.S” exhibition at the Museum of La Halle Saint Pierre in Paris from September 2023 to August 2024. The exhibition will have 34 ceramic artists from 13 countries.

Kirsten Stingle describes a new sculpture, not yet titled. In September, Stingle’s work will be featured in a Paris exhibition.

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Hawkers loads senses with street food culture

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — A glow emanates through Hawkers’ indoor space, lighting pouring through red umbrellas that line the ceiling. Colorful, cartoonish comics cover the walls and newspaper images, the tables. The design is busy, cutting edge.

“For the price of a meal, we can transport you to the streets of Asia,” said Kaleb Harrell, Hawkers cofounder and CEO. “You can save the plane ticket and overnight flight.”

The energy is certainly reminiscent of that. It’s disruptive, pop music over the speakers — one-third of the business mantra immediately fulfilled. “Be disruptive. Always care. Never compromise.”

The second and third pieces show themselves later.

Hawkers, which launched in Florida, opened its newest location in Dunwoody April 24.

“We want to challenge the status quo on what restaurants look like in today’s environment,” Harrell said.

Hawkers, named after travelling food vendors, was started by Harrell and his best friends — Allen Lo, Wayne Yung and Kin Ho — with a love for travel and street food. They still have family in Asia and made sure to incorporate generations-old recipes for the Hawkers menu.

“I always got the local version of wherever I went,” Harrell said.

Street food, an Asian subculture

Harrell said street food, especially in Southeast Asia, is its own subculture for locals but also “adventurous tourists.” He described it as a “sensory overload,” consisting of the sounds of ladles clicking against the wall, the smell of delicious food and smoke from the woodburning grills, the neon lights.

“Everything around you is new and different, and you’re experiencing it with all five senses,” Harrell said.

Whenever they would get back to the states, Harrell said they “joked” about taking street food from Asia and making it approachable for the mainstream palate. But that’s exactly what they did, opening their first location on Mills Avenue in Orlando in 2011.

There’s a total of 14 locations now. Georgia had its Hawkers introduction on Atlanta’s Beltline in 2019, which is currently under renovation. Harrell hopes to reopen it by the end of the year.

With more locations, Harrell described the need to examine integrity.

“Maybe the way that we make our pork belly is not exactly how we did it when we started,” Harrell said. “But if we need to make it easier on the team, or more scalable, how do we do it in a way that’s even a better experience for the guests, rather than diluting what we’ve built?”

The menu, consisting of small plates, boasts all kinds of flavors, like Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese, and comes with a complimentary spice tray.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Ashanti Bates, server, and Samantha Benson, general manager, stand together inside the restaurant.

In

late

April, Ashford Lane saw the newest of 14 Hawkers locations. See HAWKERS, Page 9

We want to be contributors to the community and not just takers of it.

KALEB HARRELL, co-founder and CEO, Hawkers

Hawkers:

Continued from Page 8

While the food may be the biggest focus, Harrell also made sure to emphasize Hawkers’ beverage program, which includes craft cocktails, beer, wine and sake.

A place for regulars

Sitting at a table feels like fast living, but also a place where you want to hang out for a while and be a regular. Harrell was attracted to Ashford Lane for a number of reasons, including the green space right outside the door where visitors can linger. Harrell said he didn’t want Hawkers to be somewhere patrons just grab a meal and go.

In just the first couple weeks of opening the newest location in Ashford Lane, some faces are now recurring, like a man and his dog Oreo. The patio is dog friendly, and general manager Samantha Benson said the staff are dog lovers.

“In fact, it’s a requirement,” Benson said. Soon, Hawkers will offer dog treats, and the patio will have dog bowls.

Benson has been a part of the Hawkers team for four years. Dunwoody was her third opening, the

most recent in Nashville. Benson was once a regular herself, frequenting an Orlando Hawkers for a year before hopping on board.

“It’s just a really cool concept — it’s uniqueness, the fact that they care

about their people,” Benson said. Each location has distinct features, she said, like Dunwoody’s arched walls. Hawkers has its own shop where all the furniture is made. The detail of the restaurant’s

design harkens back to Harrell’s comments about the intention of each opening.

“We want to be contributors to the community and not just takers of it,” Harrell said.

Tucker

Paras

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Founded by Kaleb Harrell and three friends in 2010, Hawkers boasts street food culture with night vibes and small, authentic plates from different Asian countries as well as a comprehensive beverage menu, consisting of craft cocktails, beer, wine and sake.

JUNE BOOK EVENTS

Author William Kent Krueger to headline Roswell Reads

By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia.com

As something of an early Father’s Day gift for all Atlanta-area fans of fiction, Roswell Reads has announced its 2023 featured writer. William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of “This Tender Land,” “Ordinary Grace” and 19 acclaimed books in the Cork O’Connor mystery series, is this year’s selection.

Krueger will discuss his latest novel, “The River We Remember,” at two fall events presented by Roswell Reads, an organization of Friends of the Roswell Library, in partnership with Roswell Cultural Arts and Bookmiser. On Sept. 29, he will speak at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center at 7 p.m. And, on Sept. 30, Krueger will lead a 10 a.m. writing workshop at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center. Tickets for both events are available online at roswellcac.com, by calling 770-594-6232, or at the RCAC. Copies of “The River We Remember” can be preordered at eventbrite. com/e/632982135607.

Saturday, June 3, George Weinstein and Kim Conrey. Married authors Conrey and Weinstein will sign their latest novels, “Stealing Ares” and “Return to Hardscrabble Road.” 10:30 a.m. Free. Posman Books, 4105 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta, 470-509-5727. posmanbooks.com

Saturday, June 3, Tracy Solheim. Solheim will sign “It Had to Be You.” Noon. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway No. 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com

Thursday, June 8, Colleen Oakley. Oakley returns to spotlight “The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.” 7 p.m. An Oakley book purchase is required. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway No. 314, Suwanee. 770-2329331. read-it-again.com

Saturday, June 10, multiple writers. Meet and greet featuring six Red Clover authors. 1 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566.

Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Thursday, June 15, Karen White. White, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 titles, will chat about “The House on Prytania.” 5 p.m. Signing. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566.

Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Saturday, June 17, Juneteenth Celebration. The city of Johns Creek’s first Juneteenth Celebration will include a book fair showcasing local African American authors. 3 p.m. Free. Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek. 678 5123200. JohnsCreekGA.gov

Saturday, June 17, MJ Pankey. Pankey will talk about “Epic of Helinthia.” 3 p.m. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway No. 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com

Saturday, June 17, Melanie Sue Bowles, Robert Gwaltney. The double signing event will feature Bowles’ “Liberty Biscuit” and Gwaltney’s debut novel “The Cicada Tree.” 1 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage

Meanwhile, there will be much ado about books happening locally this month. In addition to the list below, the first Juneteenth celebration planned by the city of Johns Creek is slated for June 17 and activities will include a book fair highlighting local African American authors.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce these successful writers to our community,” said Cynthia D. Jones, Juneteenth book fair coordinator. In addition to Jones, other book fair authors will include Eddie L. Johnson, Dottie Chapman Reed, Renee Bradford, Sharon-Horton Pellom, Leslie Renee Briscoe-Andrews and Celeste Johnson. Details about Juneteenth and other June events are below.

Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Tuesday, June 20, Mike Nemeth, Cherie Claire, Fatima Henson. A Novel Idea presents the trio of authors in conversation, with books available to purchase through Bookmiser. 7 p.m. Free. Vintage Pizzeria, 5510 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-509-5611. anovelidea.us

Saturday, June 24, Mickey Dubrow. Dubrow will sign copies of “Always Agnes.” Noon. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway No. 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com

Saturday, June 24, Bonnie G. Busbin. Busbin will sign her children’s book, “Do You See Me in the Sea?” 1 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Saturday, June 24, Terri Parlato. Atlanta Authors is hosting the debut author regarding her thriller, “All the Dark Places.” 2 p.m. Signing. Free. The B Side on the second floor of the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-5095611. bookmiser.net/book-events.html

Monday, June 26, Lewis Clayton Bryant. Bryant will discuss his nonfiction work, “The Cold Case Murder of Fred Wilkerson: Untangling the Black Widow's Web in West Georgia.” 7 p.m. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway No. 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com

Tuesday, June 27, Lynn Cullen. The bestselling author of historical fiction will detail “The Woman With The Cure,” based on the true story of Dr. Dorothy Horstmann, whose groundbreaking research helped make the polio vaccine possible. 1 p.m. Signing. Free. Johns Creek Books and Gifts, 6000 Medlock Bridge Parkway, Suite B500, Johns Creek, 770-696-9999. johnscreekbooks.com

To submit an author event for the upcoming month, email Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi at kathydesjardins3@gmail.com by the 15th.

FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED

An illustration from a May 23 Forsyth County Board of Commissioners work session shows potential locations for smart kiosks in a proposed project by Smartpoint.io. The devices could advertise, display information and potentially collect and transmit data.

County:

Continued from Page 1

County Attorney Ken Jarrard said the devices could also collect data, which developers say could be used in public safety matters and for communicating with vehicles.

County Commission Chairman Alfred John said the kiosks could be helpful infrastructure for autonomous vehicles as technology advances.

“Transportation is going to change,” John said. “I think it’s fundamentally going to change where it’s going to be a lot more autonomous vehicles, and we have to have the infrastructure in place for that, whether it’s going to be led by states, whether it’s going to be led by counties or cities, or whether it’s going to be a combination of public-private partnership.”

But, commissioners expressed concerns about the data the kiosks could collect, how it would be monetized and which entities own the information.

Scott Evans of the County Chamber of Commerce said the data collected by the kiosks would be no different than what is already gathered by smartphones.

Smartpoint.io CEO Eric Hornsby

said no information would be shared without the permission of Forsyth County.

Even so, Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said she was concerned with the emergence of advertising on public roadways. She said residents had long expressed interest in reducing street advertising, and the county had made efforts to remove traditional billboards from along roadways.

Mills said the kiosks would be better suited in a mixed-use development with foot traffic, like Halcyon.

“And these people came out in droves in our community that were against billboards,” Mills said. “Just driving down the road, having these signs in people’s faces, I think people are going to be irate.”

Commissioner Todd Levent proposed amending the agreement to allow county staff to research the public benefits of the kiosks and explore ways to remove advertising from the devices.

Smartpoint.io will return with more details on the project and study findings before any commitment is made.

The Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the amended agreement. Mills cast the dissenting vote.

In other matters at the meeting, the County Commission unanimously approved a new policy to reimburse up to $1,000 in tuition for eligible full-time county employees each year.

KRUEGER

JONES

Town at Trilith

Award-winning community among America’s most exciting places to live!

Brought to you by - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division

Imagine walking out of your front door and bumping into Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, or the Rock. That scenario is actually possible for residents of the Town at Trilith, an award-winning community in Fayetteville, Georgia, only 30 minutes south of downtown Atlanta.

Located adjacent to Trilith Studios, one of North America's largest film studios renowned for producing blockbuster movies like Avengers: End Game, Spiderman: No Way Home, and the hit television series WandaVision, lies a creative community with a pedestrian-friendly layout.

The town boasts a meticulously curated Town Centre that includes an array of distinctive restaurants and retail establishments including Enzo Steakhouse & Bar, Sensu Sushi and Woodstone Bakery & Cafe to name a few.

What sets this town apart is its diverse architectural influences, which encompass a spectrum of global styles ranging from enchanting Provencal cottages and captivating Eastern Asia-inspired townhomes to elegant Scandinavian residences and grand Mediterranean estates.

"Trilith is a place where makers live, create and inspire the world," said Rob Parker, president of the Town at Trilith. "Each home stands out as its own work of art while simultaneously blending into the town’s overall look thanks to a talented network of builders, designers, town planners and interior decorators."

If you're eager to be part of this lively community, there are currently a handful of homes on the market, including:

Cottage Homes starting at $579,900

Terrace Homes starting at $685,000 Village Homes starting at $1,350,000

Trilith has captured the hearts of residents and visitors alike with its abundance of natural beauty and a plethora of recreational offerings. Nestled amidst 51% green space, the community boasts an impressive array of amenities that cater to all ages and interests, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and leisure seekers.

One of Trilith's standout features is its extensive network of 15 miles of walking

trails, which meander through the town's lush surroundings, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Residents can enjoy a leisurely stroll or an invigorating jog while immersing themselves in nature's embrace. Accompanying these trails is a dog park, where four-legged companions can frolic and socialize to their heart's content, fostering a sense of community among pet owners.

The town's commitment to preserving green spaces is evident in the meticulously curated outdoor art collection, which serves as a visual feast for visitors. As they explore the community, individuals can discover captivating sculptures, murals and installations, adding a touch of creativity to their outdoor experience.

Sports enthusiasts need not look further, as Trilith offers an impressive array of athletic amenities. Tennis courts, pickleball courts and basketball courts

cater to those seeking an active challenge. Children can revel in the excitement of a well-equipped playground and a delightful splash pad, providing them with endless hours of fun and laughter. Additionally, numerous fire pits throughout the community create the perfect ambiance for gatherings and shared moments with loved ones, especially during cooler evenings.

Trilith's commitment to providing a holistic lifestyle extends beyond recreational amenities. The Piedmont Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art facility, offers a comprehensive range of health and fitness services to residents. With a dedicated team of professionals, the center aims to promote well-being and a balanced lifestyle through personalized programs and innovative classes.

Exciting developments are also on the horizon for Trilith, as the town re -

cently announced plans for an impressive new entertainment venue, Trilith LIVE. Spanning seven acres, this future destination has already broken ground and is set to be completed in 2025. Among its highlights is an 1,800-seat auditorium, two live audience television stages, and a luxury cinema.

Adding to the town’s allure, a boutique hotel, Portal Guesthouse, will be completed in 2024, offering 192 guest rooms and suites, including 36 apartment-style units designed to meet the needs of a new category of professional travelers seeking flexibility, freedom and exclusivity.

Model homes are now available for touring seven days a week. For more information, call the sales office at 678519-1008 to schedule a private tour or visit Trilith.com.

Sponsored Section

Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty While summer is the perfect time to showcase your outdoor spaces, it can be challenging to keep everything looking its best. Here are five easy ways to keep the springtime momentum going, add life to your landscaping and give your curb appeal a little something extra!

1. Meet with a landscape designer. Looking to install features like a patio, a retaining wall, pathways, a fence, an arbor or a pergola in your yard? Need expertise in which plants would work best for your landscape? Landscape designers are trained

to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of a site and make sure that each element works together in harmony. The mark of a good professional is an ability to creatively solve problems and plan for the overall aesthetic of your yard.

2. Make a garden plan. A good garden plan needs to address issues of space, soil, drainage and function. Do you want to grow vegetables, flowers or trees? How much sunlight will a particular plot get during the day? What’s the hardiness zone? What type of soil do you have, and do you need to adjust the pH?

3. Install seasonal plantings. Once you have the basic foundational plan in place, it’s time to fill it in with plants that will provide color and bloom throughout the year. Remember that most plants are seasonal, meaning that not all plants work for all regions and times of the year. Check with your local garden center to find out which ones flourish best in your area, then group them for year-round color and

variety.

4. Check your planters. Do a wellness check of your containers and planters. Do they need a little TLC after the winter months? Does the soil need to be turned? Is there any weeding to be done? What about adding a little compost?

5. Spread mulch now. It’s always easier to mulch when you don’t need to worry about damaging new blooms, and having an extra layer of insulation for your seeds and plantings is always a good idea!

By taking a proactive approach and planning ahead, you can create a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy all season. If you need assistance staging your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!

Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/ Copyeditor

Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad

Five ways to make sure your landscaping impresses this summer

Pinecrest Academy displays five of Audrey Matey’s original pieces at its Spring Art Show. Matey wore the pink medievalinspired gown, right, to her senior prom.

Matey:

Continued from Page 1

Utilizing ruffles and floral patterns, Matey combined a corset with an exposed back and a short dress to give her Romantic era piece a modern flair. For the Regency era, she sewed a gown with an empire waistline and a detachable overlay.

Matey began researching and designing pieces for the project last

summer under the guidance of her art teacher Theresa Grimaldi. Before the fall semester started, Grimaldi said Matey had made five original pieces.

“Audrey has the ability to kind of go home and take the time and focus on her work and then bring in this beautiful piece,” Grimaldi said. “It's been very cool to see as a teacher. Of course, there's been nurturing, but I feel like a lot of this just came from [her] passion for fashion just being allowed to kind of shine through in [her] project.”

Inspired by designs Grimaldi had shared with her, Matey also created an intricate crystal bead net dress that combines 1920s and Ancient Egyptian bead fashion. Her final product of the semester was her prom dress, a pink medievalthemed gown she designed and sewed herself.

The results of Matey’s hard work were displayed in her final AP portfolio and at a Spring Art Show.

Grimaldi said younger students at the school, which serves preschool through 12th grade, were inspired by

Matey’s work at the show.

“Through this whole process, I was trying to subconsciously investigate my own style,” Matey said. “Through this I realized that I really like older fashion and vintage style because I really like thrifting and stuff like that. I guess this was sort of a selfinvestigation, but I didn't realize it until the end.”

Matey said she aspires to a career in runway fashion. This fall, she will attend the Savannah College of Art and Design and major in fashion design.

A crocheted headdress and shirt Audrey Matey designed to mimic chainmail are displayed at the Pinecrest Academy Spring Art Show. Matey completed five original outfits and accessories for an art project during the 2022-2023 school year.

PHOTOS BY AUDREY MATEY/PROVIDED

A page from Audrey Matey’s sketchbook shows her conceptual design for a Romantic era-inspired dress. The illustration was part of Matey’s year-long advanced placement art project “Modernizing Historical Fashion.”

Harley deal was sealed with a hug

Admittedly, I was never a huge Harley Davidson fan. Then I bought one.

In actuality, that’s not a fair appraisal. What really happened was that I made a friend, had the distinct pleasure of listening to a life story that darn-near brought me to tears, then I bought a Harley Davidson Road Glide 3. And before you say: “Lordy, the boy has gone crazy. Why does he want to ride around on two wheels?” Let’s handle this right up front, my Harley has three wheels. Think about it: Three wheels. More stability. No tipping over. Just a sweet, sweet ride on a beautifully American made…Trike.

After toying with the idea of getting back on a motorcycle, I was worried Vicki and oldest son Chris might plot ways to send me packing. I grew suspicious when I saw them shaking their head amidst whispered conversations every time I mentioned my wants and desire to don a helmet and not play football.

“Why don’t you just drive around with the sunroof and windows open?”

was Vicki’s well-intentioned plea. After tossing out mental health care facility brochures not-so-subtly left on the counter, we reached a compromise: Why not a three-wheeler?

I had a trike when I was a toddler, remembering the green police cruiser with a trunk in back. I wore out the pedals until brother Matt absconded with it one day, modifying my used-tobe mine mode of transportation that was better and faster.

I relented and decided to drive to Buford, figuring a few minutes at Frazier’s Harley Davidson would be a great way to kill a late afternoon. Then I fell in love.

It was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen, even if it did have two wheels in the rear. I was in awe, sort of like wanting to ask that pretty girl for a date, knowing she was way out of my league.

Then I met “Little” Billy Rabon. We talked of previous motorcycles owned, why I wanted to ride, what this shiny black beauty offered a geezer like me, a guy not wanting to succumb to being old.

Heading home, mulling the sheer lunacy of my visit with Billy, I opened the sunroof and windows while blasting George Thorogood. I reported my activity and that took care of my new-

found trek to the lunatic fringe. Or so I thought.

Dropping by unannounced has always been a habit, figuring feigning disinterest was a bargaining chip. I never expected Billy would share his story that plum tore my guts out. It’s easy to spot a sales ploy after being in the sales game for 40-plus years. Billy’s tale was delivered straight from his heart.

Describing his alcoholism that has provided him more than 25 stints in rehab, Billy has now been sober for 14 years, a remarkable achievement. It’s a disease that’s relatable because of my family history.

But that’s not the part that ended up with me wanting to write Billy’s story.

On the night of July 1st in 2012, Billy’s daughter went out to get some food. She never made it home, being killed by an intoxicated driver. Billy told me the story of his 16-year-old daughter snatched from him way too early. Her name was Angel, and now she is one.

Before I bought the Trike, I manhugged Billy and told him his story was one I had to put on paper. I also spent some time at Frazier’s and watched the crew at work. Like Billy, they are all about treating people the way they would want to be treated.

It’s working pretty well for the former

technician for Coke’s fountain division, who says he had never sold anything in his life. He’s the top dog at Frazier’s, selling 200-250 bikes a year. Along with outstanding people skills, he knows (and loves) his product.

“I’ve always loved Harleys. Before I got hired, I offered to wash them here,” says Billy.

It’s a good group at Frazier’s and friendships have been forged. One of the sales guys, “Big” Carl Miller, has been so patient, never pushy. My bombardment of questions after riding a bit has been relentless.

One-by-one, they have been answered and explained. I’m certain Carl might think with customers like me, being back in real estate sales never looked so good.

Last Sunday, with lunch concluded, Vicki and Chris asked me where I was going on a ride.

“Anywhere I want,” was my Harley lifestyle reply.

I think I’m hooked.

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.

Books to take you from Manhattan to London

My latest reads took me to modernday Manhattan and Victorian-era England, and both drew me in. You’d never know from my accent that I lived my first 13 years in New York City and Long Island.

As an adult, I often traveled there on business and even had a stint of weekly visits for several months. Because my father introduced me to so many Manhattan sights when I was a child, revisiting them on foot years later made for heartwarming trips down memory lane.

This was during a time when it was safe to walk from Grand Central Station to Bloomingdales and to explore Fifth Avenue and Broadway on my own. These days, I take those trips only through books.

And England? Anyone who reads this column knows I’m an Anglophile

and could read book after book set in England without tiring of the setting. That’s why the T-shirt I’m wearing as I write this column is so apropos. It reads, “I’m a bad girl. I read past my bedtime.”

“The Cartographers”

by Peng Shepherd

When I reserved this book at the library, I thought it was a mystery, pure and simple. It is much more than that. Doing a bit of research after I finished reading it, I noted Amazon categorized it not only as a mystery but also as “Paranormal & Urban Fantasy.” They’ve also labeled it as an Editor’s Pick for one of the best books in the “Mystery, Thriller & Suspense” category.

The blurb describes it as an “ode to art and science, history and magic— a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.” The ancient craft is cartography, the study and practice of making and using maps.

The mystery concerns what else?

A map. What’s odd is that it’s an old gas station map, not an exquisitely drawn old world map. How many of us still have one tucked somewhere in our homes or in a pocket in our cars? What deep, dark secret could a gas station map contain? Author Peng Shepherd has crafted a captivating tale about maps and the places maps can take us.

As I did, you may figure out who the villain is, but I doubt you’ll predict the twists and turns that ensue even after that revelation.

“A Curious Beginning”

by Deanna Raybourn

After falling in love with Raybourn’s “Killers of A Certain Age,” I searched for her other books, and was delighted to discover she’d written two historical mystery series set in Victorian England. She shifted to a modern day setting without a hitch.

Equally enchanted with this first book in her Veronica Speedwell series. I plan to pick up her Lady Julia Grey

mysteries soon. Raybourn is a master at rapid, witty dialogue, no matter the era, and her Victorian-era heroine has some of the best lines in the book.

Is it believable that 25-year-old Veronica has traveled the world on her own as a lepidopterist (butterfly collector)? No, but then she is a woman beyond her time. Many mysteries require a willing suspension of disbelief, and I, for one, want to believe in this heroine.

This novel checked all my boxes: a strong female protagonist, a twist I never saw coming, and an exploration of a topic I knew little about. Add a favorite setting to the mix, and I was in heaven.

Come to think of it, both mysteries checked all my boxes. Will they do the same for you? Let me know.

Note : Are you in a book club? Would you like to have a local author speak to your group? Contact me to arrange a date! inkpenn119@gmail. com

MIKE TASOS

Columnist

KATHY MANOS PENN

Columnist

ACT1 THEATER PRESENTS ‘BIG FISH’

What: Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, the Broadway musical “Big Fish” tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest and then some. Edward’s incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him — most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales.

When: June 2-18, times vary

Where: Act1 Theater, 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta

M ore info: act1theater.org

MILTON FARMERS MARKET

What: Every Saturday morning until Oct. 28, more than 30 vendors set up shop around Milton City Hall with fresh produce, fresh meat, sweets, coffee and tea, flowers, soaps, jewelry and more.

When: Saturday, June 3, 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

Where: Milton City Hall plaza, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton More info: facebook.com/ miltongafarmersmarket

CELEBRATION GARDEN TOUR

What: This rain-or-shine event will feature five home gardens of master gardeners in the Sandy Springs area and will include container gardening, traditional “Old South” style garden, a garden with museum-quality sculptures, terraced landscape architecture, unique plants and garden designs as well as plein air artists and musicians in the gardens. North Fulton Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and highlight areas of interest in each garden. The gardens can be viewed in any order. Please note that the gardens are not wheelchair accessible or suitable for strollers. Sturdy shoes are suggested. Photography is acceptable for personal use and enjoyment.

When: Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: Locations vary

PICS IN THE PARK: ‘SHANG-CHI’

What: The Pics in the Park summer movie series returns. Enjoy the free showing, free popcorn and candy, and giveaways under the stars. Top Job Beverages will also be on-site with additional concessions.

Popcorn cart opens 30 minutes prior to show time and will be available until halfway through the movie.

When: Friday, June 2, 8-11 p.m.

Where: Pernoshal Park, 4575 North Shallowford Road, Dunwoody More info: dunwoodyga.gov

Cost: For adults, $22 in advance & $25 on-site; children are free More info: nfmg.net/garden-tour. html

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: SLIPPERY WHEN WET

What: Slippery When Wet, a Bon Jovi tribute band, will be featured in this free concert series. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the music starts at 7 p.m. Food trucks will be on-site. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Outside alcohol is not allowed. Dogs are not allowed, except for service animals. First come, first serve seating. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome.

When: Friday, June 2, 6-10 p.m.

Where: Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek More info: johnscreekga.gov

PICS IN THE PARK: ‘SHANG-CHI’

What: The Pics in the Park summer movie series returns. Enjoy the free showing, free popcorn and candy, and giveaways under the stars. Top

FEATURE YOUR EVENT ONLINE AND IN PRINT!

It’s even easier now than ever to promote your event to hundreds of thousands of people, whether online, through our newsletters or in the Crier and Herald newspapers.

Job Beverages will also be on-site with additional concessions. Popcorn cart opens 30 minutes prior to show time and will be available until halfway through the movie.

When: Friday, June 2, 8-11 p.m.

Where: Pernoshal Park, 4575 North Shallowford Road, Dunwoody More info: dunwoodyga.gov

MILTON MAYOR’S RUN: JOG FOR A CAUSE

What: Lace up your sneakers, grab some friends or your running group to join this Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Participation in this 5K race will benefit the families of local pediatric cancer patients. Registration can be completed online.

When: Saturday, June 3, 7:30 a.m.

Where: Freedom Park, 13200 Deerfield Parkway, Milton Cost: Registration is $35 More info: jogforacause5k.com

Ride for Vets

What: This event, which benefits veterans with PTSD, features a police-escorted motorcycle ride

from Newtown Park to the Ga. 400 terminus in Dahlonega. There will be food, a static military vehicle display and a gun raffle. The registration fee is $50 per motorcycle, which includes a free T-shirt.

When: Saturday, June 3, 8 a.m.

Where: Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek

More info:

studentleadershipjohnscreek.com/ student-leadership-program/ride-forvets

JOE GRANDSEN: THE ART OF SONG

What: Join Joe and his quartet with special guest and jazz legend Kenny Banks Sr. as they present “The Art of the Song,” a celebration of the swingin’ music that has inspired generations and crossed over into many musical genres.

When: Sunday, June 4, 4-6 p.m.

Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell

Cost: $35

More info: roswellgov.com

CONCERTS BY THE SPRINGS: CARPOOL

What: This event will feature Carpool, a tribute band recreating the sound, look and vibe that made The Cars world-famous.

When: Sunday, June 4, 7 p.m.

Where: Heritage Amphitheater, 6110 Blue Stone Road, Sandy Springs

Cost: Lawn seating is free; reserved tables are $135-160

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

SUNSET SIPS FEATURING TOPO FREAKO

What: Enjoy sunsets with a side of music from cover band Topo Freako on the Great Lawn and covered outdoor pavilion at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Craft brew options will be offered by Monday Night Brewing. Bring your own chair and picnic dinner.

When: Thursday, June 8, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Where : Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell Cost: Adults are $15; free for CNC members

More info: chattnaturecenter.org

The evolution of financial planning

In the 1960s, and prior to that, financial advice, such as it was, came largely from purveyors of products such as stockbrokers, insurance agents and bankers. Each had a vested interest in selling their company’s products and solutions. Training primarily was based on techniques designed to “close the sale.”

A new idea took flight on December 12, 1969, when 13 business leaders with backgrounds in mutual funds and financial services gathered in a meeting room at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Hilton hotel. Led by Loren Dunton, the group sought a better way to deliver financial services without consumers enduring sales pitches from multiple providers. The group outlined steps to further the idea that the public could benefit from a true profession that integrated knowledge, practices and client-centric solutions from across the myriad facets of the financial services spectrum. Out of that came an educational institution, the College for Financial Planning, and a new membership organization, International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP). Dunton (1918-1997) is regarded as “The Father of Financial Planning.”

In 1972 the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation was introduced and 40 men and two women graduated with the first class in 1973. The graduates decided to create an “alumni association of

sorts,” giving birth to the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP). Hearing about this new concept of financial planning in late 1973, this writer began studying for the CFP exam, graduating in 1975 with the third class from the College. With a new body of knowledge and a certification, yours truly was the 171st Certified Financial Planner on the planet. Later, I was privileged to serve on the board of directors of the ICFP for eight years, including as national president, 1986-1987, and chairman, 1987-1988. In 2000, the ICFP and IAFP merged to form today’s Financial Planning Association (FPA).

Access to financial planning

The primary mission of FPA is to help to ensure that comprehensive financial planning is available to the public through proficient and ethical financial planners. Financial planning is now taught in numerous colleges and universities in undergraduate and graduate formats. We have come a long way in forging a respected profession. At the annual convention of FPA this year in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 27-29, the 50th anniversary of the founding of financial planning as a profession will be observed, recognizing graduates of the 1975 first class of CFP designates as well as the next classes of the 1970s. Financial planning as a concept tends to revolve around money. But money is but a tool designed to benefit your life and the life of those you love and who depend on you. Financial planners in the 1980s began to think more broadly about life events, both positive and negative, as well as the money and assets required to meet a person’s fundamental necessities,

allowing one to feel safe, secure, and confident.

Sooner or later, a person realizes that he or she is on this planet only for a relatively short time when measured against eternity. When America was founded in 1776, the average person could expect to live to the age of 35, a time when many folks today are starting to get serious about security, career, family, purpose and meaning. Now, for a couple, planners plan for a life span of 100 years and a surviving spouse living for 30 to 35 years in retirement. Even retirement overall is being rethought. How money relates to a life of meaning and purpose increasingly is considered, before and, especially, after retirement.

Financial planning preoccupations naturally follow the age wave in terms of the challenges involving money that one confronts. How to pay for educations, for oneself or children? Marriage. Buying a first home. Career decisions. Continuing education and training. Investments to bolster income and net worth. Bumps on the road of life, illness, injury, disability, untimely death, divorce. The freedom to work or to not work. Economic independence.

Planner specialties

We see planners developing specialties to deal with life events and aspirations. College and trade school educations. Career planning. Nurturing a closely held business and ultimately harvesting the value one has built. The psychology of investing. Planning for the vagaries of aging and care for self, spouse, parents and grandparents. Charitable giving and philanthropy. Retirement security

devoid of boredom.

As the early financial planners grew in wisdom and understanding through education and real-life conundrums based on their lives and those of clients, financial planning became life planning at one point. But recognizing that financial advisers generally are not therapists, author and writer Mitch Anthony popularized the term financial life planning. Planners need to know your story — who you are, how you got to where you are, and where you wish to go; your values; goals and dreams; your concerns; identifying those who depend on you or who may do so in the future, such as aging parents. In several of his books, including “The New Retirementality,” Mitch asserts that the “ultimate goal of money is a greater return on life.” Money is but a tool to help answer life’s “what if?” questions, and to facilitate the fulfillment of your life’s aspirations, and whatever you think awaits you in the hereafter.

Financial planning as a concept and career path has come a long way from those early events in 1969 and 1973. As life’s possibilities expand, along with improvements in health care and longevity, life-focused financial planning will continue to grow as a career path and as a personal life-affirming planning necessity.

Lewis Walker, CFP®, is a life centered financial planning strategist with Capital Insight Group (CIG); 770441-3553; lewis@capitalinsightgrp. com. Securities & advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA), which is otherwise unaffiliated with CIG. Lewis a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).

LEWIS J. WALKER, CFP

Columnist

The Investment Coach

Florence Barnard Boykin: ‘Mother of Camp Gordon’

Florence Barnard Boykin was given the nickname “Mother of Camp Gordon” during World War I because of her volunteer work at the training camp. The camp was built on 2,000 acres in Chamblee in 1917. After the gates of Camp Gordon opened September 5, 1917, it was apparent that the social life and morale of soldiers was an important issue. The YMCA and Knights of Columbus had buildings at the camp, inviting soldiers to come there for relaxation and entertainment. The camp also began holding religious ceremonies, singing classes and forming athletic teams.

Florence Boykin recruited women volunteers to welcome soldiers to the YMCA Hostess House and make them feel at home. She also organized entertainment activities each week for the soldiers. Up to 25 activities were held each week. Her volunteers were part of the Woman’s Division of the Young Man’s Christian Association and the Overseas Canteen Service. Prior to Boykin’s involvement, volunteers at the YMCA were men who

were too old or not healthy enough to serve during WW I.

Boykin began her efforts soon after Camp Gordon opened, having a special interest because she had two sons serving at that time. An August 11, 1918, article, “YMCA recruits women to run huts and canteens both in France and over there,” in the Atlanta Constitution wrote of Boykin, “A large part of the credit for opening the eyes of Y officials to the possibility of women workers in the camps is due to an Atlanta woman, Mrs. B.M. Boykin.”

Florence Boykin was president of the Atlanta Woman’s Club and used that position to help at Camp Gordon and in her other causes. She served as chairperson of the war savings stamp drive during WW I, recruiting 270 soldiers to sell $1 million in stamps.

(Atlanta: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, by John Hornaday, 1922)

The Atlanta Commission on Training Camp Activities held a meeting in March 1918 to recognize the efforts of various organizations and individuals who worked to help the soldiers of the camp. Florence Boykin was given a wristwatch at the meeting in recognition of her work.

(Atlanta Constitution, March 2, 1918,

“War workers hold meeting on Friday”) Boykin had other causes beyond Camp Gordon, including the Anti-Saloon League, Poppy Day, and the antituberculosis league. The Anti-Saloon League was a temperance movement, with a goal of making America dry. One of the ways they hoped to accomplish this was by closing bars and saloons. She continued to volunteer with the Atlanta Woman’s Club and was elected corresponding secretary of the Georgia State Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1924. Her post-war volunteer work included coordinating a costume musical.

Florence Barnard was born in Georgia in 1874 and married Basil Manly Boykin from Shelby County, Alabama, in 1893. Their son Barnard served overseas in the 327th infantry, 82nd division.

Florence Barnard Boykin and her husband are both buried at Decatur Cemetery in Decatur.

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

Stingle:

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She intentionally creates figures that are approachable, palatable. But she still gets comments from viewers who perceive some horror.

“It’s supposed to be a dialogue with you,” Stingle said, of those viewers who are alarmed looking at her work. “That also reflects some of the thoughts that you have, and what you might have dealt with in the past …”

Lately, Stingle has begun to advance her mixed media with fiber. She highlighted some pieces, animals with detailed stitchwork, that will be in “Animalia,” an exhibition at the Blue Spiral 1 gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.

One was a bust of a deer with a neck covered in buttons made of mother of pearl, which took her a year to stitch together as she worked between projects.

Everyday, Stingle walks downstairs with a cup of coffee, flips on her studio lights and gets to work. There’s no weekend off. Work and play become enmeshed, she said.

“My work is so much me,” Stingle said. “I’m always in the studio. It’s very much a grounding thing.”

Kirsten Stingle, narrative sculptor, is represented by Signature Contemporary in Atlanta. Visit kirstenstingle.com.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF POSTCARD COLLECTION

YMCA Camp Gordon 1918, where Florence Barnard Boykin became known as the Mother of Camp Gordon.

Milton resident Kirsten Stingle is a narrative sculptor, who primarily works in ceramics but incorporates found objects in ornate mixed media displays.

How a city can paint itself into a corner

So, officially, I am 90 percent retired from the newspaper business. However, I still go into the office. I still manage a few relatively minor – with one exception – parts of the business. So, I am still privy to at least some of the goings on, including the newsroom.

What about early voting?

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus

I had a conversation with my son Carl who is managing the newsroom, and among several topics, the state of Milton’s decision to take elections in-house as opposed to continuing to allow Fulton County to manage local elections came up.

All other North Fulton cities (excluding Sandy Springs, which has no municipal election this year) thought about managing their own elections and decided to not do it. The surface reason for all the fuss was the idea that the cost of having Fulton County run the elections was excessive and that by bringing them in-house, the cost would be significantly less. At least that was my understanding.

So, Milton has taken a few steps toward setting up to administer elections. The number of polling locations in Milton has now gone from eight previously to two – one at Milton City Hall and one at Milton City Park and Preserve.

To me, that seems like it should cut expenses, I suppose. But it also feels like making it harder to vote by reducing the number of polling places is counterproductive. Is that progress? I suppose by some standard it may be.

I asked Carl how Milton was going to manage early voting. In the last election I voted early at the Alpharetta library. If I had been a Milton resident, I also could have voted early at the Alpharetta library, because within Fulton County, any legitimate voting location could accept early votes regardless of what city they lived in.

Hmmm. So, I am guessing now that because Milton is conducting their own election, the only location where one would be able to vote early would be at Milton City Hall.

That does not feel terribly like progress to me unless of course the goal were to be to reduce the amount of early voting.

After I asked Carl about the early voting, it occurred to me to ask him how Milton was planning to manage handle absentee voting. I asked him whether Milton was planning to have dedicated staff to manage the voting process – with the thought that maybe that person could walk me through how absentee voting was going to be handled. He told me that he was aware of three city employees who were at present going to be involved in managing the voting.

“Are those three people up to speed in voting procedures and law,” I wondered to myself. I wondered exactly how many early and absentee votes were cast in the last Milton city election and, from an administrative point of view, how many people might it take to handle the paperwork involved and if it was possible to maintain transparency and credibility of processing those votes – with only three staff people.

I wondered whether these three staff people have other responsibili -

ties with the city. How much of their time will be available to work on this city voting plan? What if there were disputes on absentee votes or early votes for some reason? Who was going to handle that? And, how about Milton residents who, because they were able to do it last election, try to vote early at the Alpharetta library or somewhere, not Milton? Who on the Milton team is going to be responsible for coordinating with Fulton County election workers and officials to deal with these types of circumstances?

It turns out that at present, the three people tasked with managing Milton voting are the city manager, an assistant city manager and the city clerk – all, one would assume, are already busy managing their “main” responsibilities.

It’s complicated

The more I thought about the scope of taking over the administration of voting by any city – as opposed to having Fulton County continue to do it – the more I began to see that it is a very big deal from a staffing, logistics, process and execution point of view, and certainly not something that should be decided generally and primarily to “save money.”

Of course, I do not know that was the primary reason Milton decided to administer its own election. When the issue was hot and being talked about a few months back, I seem to recall frequent opinions about the “outrageous cost” if Fulton County administered the election. Maybe it was something else. Regardless of the reason, one must wonder if the decision was made with at least an adequate consideration of the breadth and scope of the task.

One last comment that son Carl made really threw me for a loop. He mentioned that if in the next election there was a county-wide referendum on something – like increasing a homestead exemption – that the City of Milton could not administer the election and that it would kick back to Fulton County automatically. That sounded like a curve ball if ever there was one, especially if you are a city trying to decide whether to administer your own elections.

So, at the end of the day, one also needs to ask what the goal should be in administering any election. One hopefully would respond that the goal is to facilitate the maximum number of legitimate votes in a transparent, accurate and reliable way. One would think that increasing the convenience and ease of voting would be part of the goal – not the opposite. More votes, in more locations, cast more conveniently and with maximum transparency and credibility, surely should be what we seek. I would think “cost” should be included, but way back at the end of the list of priorities –way back.

I bet, in hindsight, Milton may wish they had passed on this one, like all the other cities. Let’s see how this plays out.

Facilities/Property Manager for church in Alpharetta area. Benefits.

Needs basic competency of the practices, methods, and equipment utilized in facility maintenance, construction, and repair activities; including skills and abilities related to plumbing, janitorial, electrical systems, painting, carpentry, construction, and heating and air conditioning systems. Basic understanding of IT and AV technology would be helpful. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to manage contractors/volunteers. Requires successful completion of a criminal record and child abuse background check, a valid driver’s license and the ability to perform physical tasks.

Qualified candidates please send resume to Alpharettajobopening@gmail.com.

GENERAL CLERK III - CUSTOMER SERVICE

Sawnee EMC is seeking a General Clerk III – Customer Service to assist in a high-volume call center. Requires high school diploma or equivalency, computer, communication and general office skills. Two years of related experience preferred. Position is full-time; must be flexible to work irregular hours, to include evenings, weekends and holidays.

Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, June 2, 2023. Apply online: www.sawnee.com/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.

ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM ENGINEER

Sawnee EMC is seeking an Electrical Distribution System Engineer. Requires a bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, civil engineering or similar engineering discipline. Preferred experience in design, modeling and maintenance of distribution power systems. Must have strong computer, mathematical and communication skills.

Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, June 2, 2023. Apply online: www.sawnee.com/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.

Administrative Assistant for Youth and Children

Protestant church in downtown Alpharetta seeks a parttime (15-18 hours per week) Administrative Assistant for Youth & Children’s Ministries. In addition to normal administrative duties the candidate will assist with scheduling, social media, securing supplies, maintaining attendance records, planning events and mission trips.

Qualified candidates are a person of outstanding character who is friendly, organized, able to prioritize, exhibits an understanding of the importance of confidentiality, and is willing and able to work in an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of all people.

Community Events Manager

The Community Events Manager is responsible for all aspects of NFCC’s community events, from inception through execution, including helping secure sponsorships. Events may include annual golf tournament, annual fundraising gala, community engagement events, donor recognition events, and other community events. Position requires a highly organized, creative, and motivated person to lead event planning, sponsorship, and community engagement. Bachelor’s Degree preferred with 2-3 years special events and fundraising experience. To view entire listing visit: https://nfcchelp.org/workat-nfcc/  To apply, send a resume to Sandy Holiday, sholiday@nfcchelp.org.

HIRING ACCOUNTANTS!

Entry level to Senior level.

Direct Hire and temp to hire.

Resume to lauren@discoverstaffing.com or call or text 678-393-9313 for more details.

HIRING EXPERIENCED TREE CLIMBERS GROUNDSMEN

RYAN’S GRAPPLE OPERATORS

CDL DRIVERS

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SUSIE@TREECAREOPS.COM

Human Resources Manager

Handles all employee-related processes and procedures. This role will be responsible for Recruitment and Onboarding, Job Design, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Training and Development, Employment Compliance, Total Rewards and Talent Management. This position reports to the Director of Finance and Administration and will interact with the entire management team by providing guidance on all Human Resources related topics at NFCC. Bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field and 3-5 years of Human Resources experience, preferably in multiple HR disciplines required. Please visit https://nfcchelp.org/ work-at-nfcc/ to see the full job description. To apply, submit a resume to sholiday@nfcchelp.org and to mburton@nfcchelp.org.

Agilysys NV, LLC seeks Senior Software Engineer in Alpharetta, GA to execute in a tech startup environ incl. green field designs & implementations, build systems, eng processes & deliv sysems. 100% telecommuting permitted w/in U.S. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref: 96645

Geiger Automotive in Suwanee, GA is seeking a Supply Chain Management Consultant responsible for providing and advising strategies for organization, optimization, and assurance of the supply chain to optimize provisions of input materials and supplying to customers on schedule and with optimal use of existing ERP systems. This position requires 10% domestic and international travel. Send email to Yvonne Ranson at Yvonne.Ranson@geigerautomotive.com. Please reference job title on resume.

Volunteer Services

Volunteers Needed! Looking for a fun, impactful volunteer opportunity? One Good Deed Friendly Visitor Program of JF&CS matches older adults with volunteers for friendship and fun! Help a senior in your community. Learn more at //jfcsatl.org/ogd or call 770.677.9489.

A degree from an accredited college or university is preferred. Computer competence within Office 365, editing, and writing skills are required. Experience with REALM is a plus.

Successful completion of a criminal records and child abuse background check is required.

Send resumes to alpharettajobopening@gmail.com.

Donor Operations Associate

The Donor Operations Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and sorts merchandise in a designated area.  They are responsible for keeping the merchandise secure, all areas free of debris and the donor door area neat and clean.  This position is the face of NFCC so they are expected to provide excellent customer service and treat each donor with a professional and friendly demeanor.  High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Ability to perform low to moderate facility maintenance tasks.  To view entire listing visit: https://nfcchelp.org/work-atnfcc/  To apply, please complete an application for employment and email to Marten Jallad,  mjallad@nfcchelp.org.

Pinestraw

Delivery/installation available. Firewood available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch.

770-831-3612

Concrete/ Asphalt

Retaining Walls

Brick or Wood

Contact Ralph Rucker. Many local references. Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices!

678-898-7237

Legal Services

PUBLIC NOTICE: Municipal Communications, LCC is proposing to build a 180-foot Monopole Telecommunications Tower located at 1200 Mountain Park Road, Roswell, Fulton County, Georgia 30075 (34˚ 03’ 57.18” N, 84˚ 24’ 25.76” W). Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to C. Malec, Terracon, 2105 Newpoint Place, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30043; 770-623-0755; cyra.malec@ terracon.com. Reference Terracon Project No. 49237305A.

Home Improvement

DECKS BUILT & REPAIRED-PAINT

Decks repaired/built. Labor payment upon completion. 30-plus years experience. John Ingram/678-906-7100. Act now before prices increase next year! Heritage Home Maintenance HOMEREPAIRGA@GMAIL.COM, (HERITAGECONSTRUCTIONGA.COM)

Gutters

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aaronsgutters.com. Senior citizen discount! 678-508-2432

Landscaping Full Service LANDSCAPING Company

Retaining walls (brick or wood), grading, sod, tree services, hauling, topsoil & more.

Ralph Rucker

678-898-7237

Tree Services

24 hour emergency service. Licensed, insured. Workers Comp, insurance claims. 25+ years experience. Family business. Free estimates. We Love Challenges!

Yellow Ribbon Tree Experts 770-512-8733 • www.yellowribbontree.com

COMPLETE TREE SERVICES

Appen-Rated 98

Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment.

Tree removal, Pruning, Stump grinding, Free mulch. Fully insured.

Emergency 24/7 770-450-8188

Haulers

Bush Hogging, Clearing, Grading, Hauling, Etc.

Many local referencesCall Ralph Rucker 678-898-7237

Bargains – Miscellaneous

ELECTRIC PRESSURE WASHER, A.R. Blue Clean plus surface washer $115. ABOVE GROUND POOL PUMP and motor, new ETJ $200. 770-640-6250

Yard Sale

ROSWELL-30075, Devereux Downs, multi-family. 1000 Devereux Chase. Saturday 6/3, 8am-2pm; Rain/shine!

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

HughesNet - Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/mo!

Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo. com/ads

DISH TV $64.99 For 190

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Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase.

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Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service.

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Free high speed internet if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Call Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892

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HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

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• Easily accommodates up to 5 people

• Office has great light. Ground floor

• .7 mile to Alpharetta City Hall on Hwy. 9

• Smaller office space also available in same building

• Short or longer term lease. Reasonable $