Forsyth Herald - August 24, 2023

Fire investigators continue probe into barn blaze

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Fire Department is still investigating the Aug. 6 barn fire that killed 26 horses at 9533 Old Preserve Trail.

County fire officials reported responding around 6 a.m. Aug. 6 to reports of smoke near the road, which is in northwest Forsyth County. Additional calls received at the County 911 Center confirmed the smoke was from a structure fire.

Officials reported the fire was advanced and had been burning for a long time before it was discovered. Firefighters attempted a defensive fire suppression because the whole barn was engulfed, and it was impossible to enter.

The barn was declared a total loss, and 26 horses inside died. No firefighters or civilians were injured. County Fire Department Technical Services Division Chief Jason Shivers said the condemned roof has since

See BARN, Page 17

SCHOOLS

Forsyth County plans update to animal control ordinance

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County is contemplating updates to its animal control ordinance to address noisy animals, overpopulation and unchecked breeding.

University of Georgia Professor Lisa Milot suggests changes to the Forsyth County animal control ordinance Aug. 17 at a Forsyth County Commission meeting. Milot worked along county staff to draft updates to the ordinance, which address noisy animals, overpopulation and unchecked breeding.

The County Commission voted at its Aug. 17 meeting to advertise the updated ordinance to allow for public comments. The proposed amendments will be heard at two upcoming public hearings, with approval slated for October. Highlights include new regulations for animals that disturb the peace and outlining the definition and requirements of hobby breeders.

► PAGE 3

The Forsyth County Commission presents Rabbi Levi Mentz, center, with a proclamation for “Peace, Goodness and Kindness Day” Aug. 17. Scheduled for Aug. 24, the day recognizes Esther Basch, who survived the Auschwitz death camps during World War II.

According to the code, a hobby breeder is someone who sells no more than 30 dogs, cats or rabbits in a year to other private residents. Under state law, individuals who breed and sell more than one litter annually are required to obtain a license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The updated ordinance also considers mandatory sterilization for repeatedly impounded animals.

“We had some tweaking of the definition of adequate shelter, tweaking of the definition of animal-at-large, animals under restraint,” County Attorney Ken Jarrard said. “We modified the definition of who is in fact an owner to make sure that we could capture individuals that are sort of harboring domesticated and non-traditional livestock.”

See FORSYTH, Page 21

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

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Alpharetta man charged with false imprisonment

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a 23-year-old Alpharetta man Aug. 9 on false imprisonment, battery and cruelty to children charges following a domestic dispute.

Sheriff’s deputies, joined by Alpharetta police, responded to the incident around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 8 at Deerfield Crossing Drive

The victim reported coming home around 10 p.m. She said the suspect had cooked dinner, but she had already picked up dinner from Wendy’s. The meal conflict led to an argument, and the woman decided to stay with her family. She said the suspect had also been drinking, the report states.

The suspect allegedly blocked her from leaving the apartment, and she reported he grabbed her and knocked her onto the floor.

She said the suspect took her cellphone after she said she was calling 911.

The victim reported the altercation had taken place in the kitchen, and it was witnessed by their daughter. Neighbors had also heard the victim screaming, the report states.

The suspect allegedly fled before authorities arrived. Forsyth County deputies located the man around midnight, and he reportedly smelled of alcohol.

He told deputies they had been arguing all day but did not explain why. He also said he never made physical contact with her, and he initially denied taking her phone, though it was in his possession.

The suspect was charged with felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor cruelty to children in the third degree,

battery family violence and interfering with a 911 call.

Man charged with theft in alleged rental scam

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a 66-year-old Cumming man Aug. 9 who is alleged to have stolen money from a man looking for housing in Florida.

Deputies reported receiving the case from detectives in the Jupiter Police Department in Florida. The victim reported to Jupiter police in 2021 he had found an advertisement for a house to rent on Facebook.

The victim reported agreeing to rent a different house in the city, and he paid a man named Mathew $1,500 in rent and another $1,500 as a deposit on Zelle. The victim said he made the payments in $500 increments between Nov. 26-30, 2021.

When he went to the house, he reported the security codes he had received from Mathew did not work, and Mathew had stopped responding to his calls and messages.

Jupiter police detectives later traced the Zelle account to a man in Forsyth County. Video stills from the suspect’s bank reportedly matched the photo on his driver’s license in the Georgia Crime Information Center.

In 2022, Jupiter police reported contacting the suspect, who said he was unaware of the incident. He told police he “put money into the account and takes it out when needed.” He also said he had been a victim of identity fraud, the report states.

The suspect was charged with felony theft by taking and fraud.

Deputies arrest suspect in May shoplifting at CVS

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a 27-yearold Duluth woman Aug. 10, one of two suspects in a May shoplifting incident at

CVS.

Deputies reported responding May 19 to a CVS on Post Road in response to an alleged shoplifting. The store manager said two females had entered the store around 9 p.m. with a child.

The manager said the women concealed an unknown number of beauty and cosmetic items under their dresses until other customers chased them out of the store.

He reported the suspects left in a Honda Odyssey, and he did not know the number of items or dollar amount of what was taken.

The suspect was charged with felony theft by shoplifting.

Jailed suspect faces new forgery charge

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 33-year-old Canton man being held at the Forsyth County Jail faced an additional charge Aug. 10 after allegedly forging checks to his former roommate.

The roommate reported May 27 she had helped remodel a home on Mountain View Trail for the suspect between April and May, and she lived with him at the time. She said the suspect paid her weekly for cleaning supplies and her assistance.

The suspect was arrested that month on multiple forgery and fraud charges, which she said made her suspicious. She said the suspect allegedly implied the checks, which were not in his name, were his boss’s, and he had permission to use them.

After the victim returned to her home in Cleveland, her bank alerted her of a fraudulent signature on the checks. She reported the suspect paid her around $2,800.

The suspect is being held on one count of felony transaction card theft, eight counts of identity fraud, one count of forgery in the third degree and three counts of misdemeanor forgery in the fourth degree.

Bond was set at $248,100, but it has since been revoked.

School board sets date for public forum on redistricting

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County School Board approved a tentative timeline to redistrict eight elementary schools to alleviate overcrowding and populate a new facility next school year.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the timeline Aug. 15 at its formal meeting.

The public forum on the draft redistricting map, originally scheduled at Forsyth Central High School, was moved to West Forsyth High School at 6 p.m. Sept. 20 to be closer to those affected.

The redistricting is likely to impact students at Big Creek, Haw Creek, Mashburn, Sawnee, Brandywine, Kelly Mill, Vickery Creek and the current Midway elementary schools.

The redistricting for the 2024-25 year will not affect middle and high schools.

Deputy Superintendent Mitch Young said the school system is proposing students who are enrolled in dual language immersion programs and their siblings at Brandywine, Kelly Mill and Mashburn be allowed to remain at their current schools.

Students entering fifth grade and their siblings who are affected by the redistricting may remain at their current schools

for one year but must have their own transportation. Parents or guardians of these students must submit an out-ofdistrict application, which will open Oct. 1-Nov. 30.

A draft map for the elementary schools is scheduled to be presented Sept. 12 at the Board of Education work session, with Sept. 13-29 reserved for online public feedback.

The School Board will formally vote on the redistricting Oct. 17 at its regular meeting.

Updates will be posted at forsyth. k12.ga.us/redistricting.

The redistricting is aimed at alleviating overcrowding at the elementary schools, as well as populating the new Midway Elementary School on Mullinax Road near Denmark High School.

The school system celebrated a “beam signing” for the new school July 18. The original facility, which was built in 1961, was earmarked for a new and larger location by the Forsyth County Commission in 2022.

The school will open next summer ahead of the 2024-25 school year. Schools Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Caracciolo said Midway will start at 7:40 a.m. when the new building opens to stagger traffic.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Forsyth County Schools Deputy Superintendent Mitch Young presents plans for redistricting in the 2024-25 school year at an Aug. 15 Board of Education meeting. The public forum on the redistricting map was moved to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at the West Forsyth High School auditorium.

County receives equipment for rapid response to heart attacks

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County residents received equipment and training July 25 as part of the 4 Minute City initiative, aimed at reducing deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.

County staff said 30 people with first responder training and medical expertise attended training at the County Public Safety Complex. The group was armed with the program’s mobile AEDs, or automated external defibrillator. In all, 300 of the devices are set to roll out in the county.

Those who attended the training are now part of the program’s Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement, or CARE, Team. Each member has a mobile AED and can be dispatched by the 911 Center to respond to cardiac arrests until EMS arrives.

The team will also provide feedback on the devices before they are fully distributed in the county.

Dr. Jeffrey Marshall, chief of the Cardiovascular Institute at Northside Hospital, said the AEDs may better inform hospital staff about the events prior to a patient’s cardiac arrest.

“This new system can provide real data from these cardiac arrest emergencies before EMS arrives on scene,”

Marshall said. “Our doctors are very excited and feel this is a game-changer.”

In February, Forsyth County became the third partner community in the program, which seeks to raise the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrests.

The program is in partnership between Avive Solutions and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Fire Department, Central EMS, the Emergency Management Agency, the 911 Center, the Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Association and Northside Hospital Forsyth.

“Our 911 team knows that each second after a cardiac arrest call comes in is crucial to getting medical attention to the victim before it’s too late,” County 911 Director Tom Cisco said. “Having these AEDs available for our 911 professionals to dispatch so close to the scene of the incident, as well as the willing citizens on the CARE Team ready to accept those calls, is an incredible resource that we are fortunate to have added to our emergency response measures.”

— Shelby Israel

FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED

Forsyth County residents receive equipment and training July 25 as part of the 4 Minute City initiative, aimed at reducing deaths from sudden cardiac arrest. The group was armed with the program’s mobile AEDs, 300 of them set to roll out in the county.

Forsyth County CFO announces departure

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County announced the departure of its Chief Financial Officer Marcus Turk, who held the role since 2021.

County Manager David McKee said the Finance Department will continue operations as usual, but declined further comment citing personnel matters.

McKee said Turk’s role formally ended Aug. 15.

“The county is appreciative of Mr. Turk’s efforts on the part of the county and wishes him well in future endeavors,” McKee said.

Turk oversaw the Finance, Indigent

Defense, Business Licensing, Risk Management and Procurement departments. As chief financial officer, he was also responsible for presenting the county’s annual budget.

Prior to his role in Forsyth County government, Turk served as chief financial officer for the DeKalb County School District. He also provided financial services for school districts as an independent consultant.

McKee said there is no information regarding a new county chief financial officer as yet.

— Shelby Israel

Roswell student, friends escape deadly wildfire

Group traverses devastation during Lahaina catastrophe

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — As the wildfires slowly enclosed Hawaii’s historic coastal town of Lahaina, Kristina Benbow quickly grabbed her laptop, wallet and passport.

“The smoke that was starting to get really black – we were starting to see orange and red,” Benbow said. “At this point, we were sobbing.”

She and her friend Natalie Moning are in their final year of pharmacy school at the University of South Carolina. To have some fun during their nine one-month rotations, they applied to a Walgreens in Lahaina and arrived at the home of Bill and Lorri Robusto July 30, about a week before the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.

The Robustos have been integral to the Lahaina community for more than 20 years, with Bill as the pharmacist at the town’s Walgreens. He retired last year after a 46-year career in the field but continued to host students in the guest house behind his home, a 5-minute walk from the beach.

In an aerial shot taken a day after the group escaped, the Robustos’ property had been reduced to ash. Only the frame of Bill’s Ford pickup truck was left standing.

According to an Aug. 18 report from Maui Now, more than 2,100 acres have been burned in Lahaina, aided by winds from Hurricane Dora. There have been 114 deaths. Local media have also reported more than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.

There was no outside communication for the town of Lahaina. Power went out at 4 a.m. that Tuesday morning, Aug. 8., and cell phone service had been lost.

After Benbow and Moning were sent home from Walgreens, they arrived at the Robustos at 10 a.m., and heard shingles ripping off surrounding homes from the violent winds. Beach chairs and tables slammed into the house.

“It was like out of a movie,” Benbow said. “It was very scary.”

Flames trickled down a hill across the street from the neighborhood, first seen by Lorri who had stepped onto a neighbor’s roof. There was a fire truck out there, but no one in authority gave orders to evacuate their area.

Everyone was on their own.

“The lack of knowledge of what was happening was really difficult,” Benbow said.

It wasn’t until the group heard explosions – propane tanks at a gas station down the street – that they gave themselves five minutes to pack belongings.

They left at around 5:30 p.m., but others didn’t leave for another hour.

pharmacy students at the University of South Carolina, join a sunset dinner cruise three days before the wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. They planned to stay with Bill Robusto, a retired pharmacist, and his wife Lorri for a month to work at a local Walgreens.

To make a donation to Bill and Lorri Robusto, visit www.gofundme. com/f/maui-fires-robusto-familyhome

“We would pass by people on the road, and we'd roll down the window, and be like, ‘Hey, do you know what's going on?’” Benbow said. “No one really knew.”

As they were leaving the neighborhood, flames were to the left and right, but the Robustos stayed positive with the hope that winds would go the opposite direction. They told Benbow and Moning not to worry and did what they could to distract them, with pictures of cats and videos of whales.

“They were fantastic,” Benbow said.

After hours of driving, the group finally found a hotel room outside of Wailea, and Benbow made first contact with her family in Roswell. There wasn’t any sleep that night, and Benbow says when she closes her eyes to sleep nowadays, she sees the flames coming down the hill and has thoughts about what she could have done differently.

But she says she’s getting better, surrounded by family. Moning, too, is back with family in Maryland.

Since FEMA arrived on the island, the Robustos have been placed in a condo on the other side of Maui and have seen major support from Benbow and Moning, who launched a fundraising campaign to help them rebuild their lives. As of Aug. 21, nearly $27,000 has been raised.

“We've been blown away,” Benbow said. “There's been complete strangers donating. It's been incredible. We've been very thankful to everyone who has donated.”

KRISTINA BENBOW/PHOTOS PROVIDED Natalie Moning and Krisina Benbow,

Smoke from building flames is seen from a porch in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 8.

Lemonade stand sells sweet hit at Alpharetta Farmers Market

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Cooper GarrisonBrook, a 12-year-old Johns Creek student, began selling lemonade to raise money for a new computer. Now, he has dedicated the weekly stand to helping those in need.

In May 2021, Cooper said he slipped while exiting the school bus and dropped his laptop, which broke on the pavement. Cooper, who was 10 years old, sought an enterprising way to earn money for a replacement.

That summer, he and his parents opened the first Lemonade with a Purpose booth at the Alpharetta Farmers Market.

His father Dan Brook is a partner in Bagel Boys Cafe, another local business. Dan said Bagel Boys owner John Lamb had provided the family some supplies for a test run at the market.

“Now it’s become sort of a family thing where we all look forward to the time together on Saturday and doing it together,” Dan said.

While the lemonade stand began as a way for Cooper to earn money, sales continued to grow. By the summer’s end, the family decided to make Lemonade with a Purpose a staple at the market.

“We have had lots of people tell us it’s the best lemonade they have ever had,” Cooper said.

The purpose

Staying true to its name, Lemonade with a Purpose donates more than a third of its profits to charity. Its current recipients are the Rainforest Awareness

See LEMONADE, Page 9

Dr. Eva Heintz graduated from GaTech in 2004 with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. She is currently a Global Strategic Key Account Manager and a Large Deals Coach at Solvay. Additionally, she is Chairwoman for Solvay North America, GGF and founder and former Chairwoman of Solvay X-factor

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Cooper Garrison-Brook, center, runs Lemonade with a Purpose on Saturdays at the Alpharetta Farmers Market. From left, Cooper’s grandmother Cindy, mother Laura, father Dan and exchange student Bermet, whom Cooper considers a sister, volunteer at the booth.

COOPER GARRISON-BROOK, Founder, Lemonade with a Purpose

I’ve just been having fun with it. That’s the whole goal, is having fun at this point.

Lemonade:

Continued from Page 8

Rescue Education Center, Discovering My Purpose and Save the Children.

Cooper’s mother, Laura GarrisonBrook, is the president and CEO of Discovering My Purpose, a nonprofit that provides resources and programs for young people.

Ultimately, Laura said Cooper chose the three groups because he is passionate about them. While the family volunteers at the market to keep the booth running, she and Dan said Lemonade with a Purpose is Cooper’s idea, from concept to execution.

“This is a big endeavor for our family,” she said. “And it’s about helping Cooper connect to what lights him up, helping him connect to a sense of, ‘I have the ability to make a difference in the world,’ his own sense of agency.”

In its first year, the booth donated $1,555 to charity. To date, it has given more than $6,800. The booth’s cash tips sponsor Shihab, a boy in Bangladesh who is around Cooper’s age.

With the profits from the booth’s second year, Cooper and his family volunteered at the Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center in the Amazon rainforest in Peru for a week.

“I wanted to give back to the community,” Cooper said. “Obviously, everyone in the farmers market is what’s fueling this business, so I felt wrong to just take for myself. I had to give back.”

The process

Much like the concept of Lemonade with a Purpose, the lemonade itself is also a product of Cooper’s mind. He said he spent weeks studying and testing recipes to find the perfect blend to sell at the market on Saturdays.

The process starts on Wednesday or Thursday, when Bermet, an exchange student from Kyrgyzstan whom Cooper considers his sister, makes a simple syrup base. Before, Cooper and his family would hand-squeeze the lemons, a process that takes between four and five hours.

The family has since invested in a commercial juicer, which expedites the process. They work through Friday to prepare the lemonade and watermelon puree. The juices are packed that evening and ready for the market in the morning.

At the farmers market booth, customers can choose from blueberry, mango, peach, pina colada, raspberry, strawberry and watermelon lemonade.

The booth also has weekly specials, like peach tea. Customers can add lemon, lime or grapefruit sparkling water or flavored popping pearls to their

lemonade for $1 extra. Prices range from $5 to $7.

Cooper said the work is sometimes tiring, but he enjoys his seasonal business venture because it allows him to meet people and feel like he is a part of the community. On the side, he also works at a summer camp.

“I’ve just been having fun with it,” he said. “That’s the whole goal, is having fun at this point.”

With two summers under his belt and a successful third in progress, Cooper has no plans to stop selling his lemonade. While he said he may try to expand one day, for now, he is content.

Cooper said he and his family are considering finding other families to sell his lemonade at other local markets. Until then, Lemonade with a Purpose can be found at the Alpharetta Farmers Market.

The market runs April through November from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays in downtown Alpharetta. The market will start at 9:30 a.m. in November.

“It’s been a really good experience for our family to do this together and do something that gives back and at the same time, gives him a good experience,” Dan said.

Lemonade with a Purpose volunteer Laura Garrison-Brook pours lemonade for a customer Aug. 12 at the Alpharetta Farmers Market. More than a third of the booth’s profits are donated to charity.

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Lemonade with a Purpose volunteer Dan Brook offers guests lemonade Aug. 12 at the Alpharetta Farmers Market. Dan and his wife Laura work at the booth to help their son Cooper, the founder.

From exhaustion to empowerment: Conquering caregiver stress

to you by - Line Fleming, Staff Therapist at Summit Counseling Center

We hear a lot about someone going through a medical or mental health issue. We hear about their symptoms, how they affect them, and treatments they implement to improve their health.

But what about the caregiver helping with their recovery? The caregiver is the person experiencing the issues with you and providing care needs, and it can be short-term or life-long depending on the situation.

Caregiver stress is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion caregivers experience.

As a caregiver, you can become so focused about providing care for your loved one that you forget about yourself, putting your physical health and well-being in jeopardy. It's important to be aware of how you're feeling physically and emotionally, and to listen to others if they recognize that your health is suffering.

Signs of caregiver stress:

• Feeling overwhelmed and worried

• Not getting enough sleep

• Isolating from others

• Neglecting daily activities

• Becoming easily irritated

• Feeling sad

Ways to cope with caregiver stress:

• Focus on what you can provide. Delegate some tasks to others.

• Establish a daily routine. Make a list of what needs to be done.

Medicare consumers get ready!

Brought to you by – Jay Looft, Senior Source Medicare

Medicare is coming, Medicare is coming…ACT Now!

Many of my clients are receiving phone calls and mailers making it sound like the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is already here, but it’s not! It’s actually close to two MONTHS away.

Medicare Advantage Plans and StandAlone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan companies are just now getting final approval from Medicare on their plans for 2024. After that, the plan material still needs to be printed and mailed out to plan members.

Still a good ways to go!

That said, disregard Marketing Call Center communication and advertisements talking about “it’s time to change”, because it isn’t.

Right now, is a great time to be thinking about your current plan and if it has met your needs for 2023.

• If there is a monthly premium, are you still able to fit it into your budget?

• Are your copays reasonable?

• Do you need more dental coverage or is the current amount adequate?

• Are there other Medicare insurance plans you’ve heard about that you want to check out during the Annual Enrollment Period?

In other words, it’s a great time to Game Plan! No disrespect to Georgia Tech fans, but my Georgia Bulldogs are game planning right now to take it all the way again!

I digress but having a list (game plan) of benefits and extras you’d be interested in will help your insurance agent find the best option for you, whether it’s a Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement or StandAlone Prescription Drug Plan.

About The Medicare

Annual Enrollment Period:

Medicare Advantage and Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans’ Annual Notice of Changes to clients should be in mailboxes by late-September. The time to make changes for 2024 coverage is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period from October 15, 2023 - December 7th, 2023. Your selections made during the AEP will become effective January 1st, 2024.

The Medicare AEP is for Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans only. Medicare Supplements are not affected by the AEP and may be changed throughout the calendar year, barring any health underwriting requirements.

If you’d like to sit down with a Medicare Insurance Agent from SeniorSource this fall and find the best plan for your needs, give us a call today at (770) 315-8145 or contact us through our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com.

• Be intentional about self-care. Do one thing daily that rejuvenates you.

• Take a break! It is okay to accept help and take a “time out” from your caregiver duties.

Caring for a loved one who needs you is both rewarding and stressful. As your role as caregiver evolves, it's natural to experience a mix of emotions and stressors. It's important to recognize them to be proactive with helping yourself. A healthy and happy caregiver is better for you and your loved one!

Brought

Ticks are ruining hot dogs and hamburgers

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

Although I grew up in Georgia, I spent my summers near Boone, North Carolina at my granddad’s Christmas tree farm. Most mornings, I helped him in the fields where, at 70 years old, my granddad still easily outworked me. As the sun rose higher, I inevitably asked permission to leave the heavy burlap bags behind to hike into the cool shade of the mountain hollows above his fields. At the day’s end, my dog Willy and I would return with muddy scratches and a tick or two to pluck off our skin.

At the time, I didn’t recognize ticks for what they are. I thought that they were just another nuisance like a spider or a wasp. They are so much worse.

Ticks are vile, nefarious, silent creeping instruments of disease, disability, and death. The list of diseases that they carry stands at over two dozen and counting. Ticks carry bacterial diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia (a type of plague). Ticks carry viruses such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Powassan virus. They carry protozoal diseases like Babesiosis. Some ticks even produce a toxin that can completely paralyze you and result in death if the tick is not found and removed. In the movie Oppenheimer, the famous physicist contemplates the destructive power of the atomic bomb and says “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” For me, the tiny tick is every bit as soul-shivering as the tiny atom.

Alright, maybe that comparison is a bit over the top, but ticks really are terrible. In addition to the diseases and toxins listed above is the amazing ability of some ticks to make their human victims allergic to mammalian meat including beef, pork, lamb and more. Ticks can cause a disease called Alphagal syndrome in which people bitten by a tick develop an allergy to these meats. Many patients with Alpha-gal can also no longer eat dairy.

Some mammals including cows, pigs and deer produce a carbohydrate (a chain of sugar molecules) called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (aka “alpha-gal”). When a tick feeds on one of these animals, some alpha-gal particles remain in the tick’s digestive tract. When the tick then feeds on a human, the tick injects a bit of this alpha-gal into the bloodstream of the human which can cause the human to develop an allergic reaction to alpha-gal carbohydrates.

Then, if the human eats food or products made from animals that produce alphagal, the human will have an allergic reaction. Three to eight hours after eating alpha gal-containing mammalian meat, affected individuals develop symptoms ranging from severe stomach pain to rashes, hives, difficulty breathing and even anaphylaxis.

Patients with Alpha-gal can still eat chicken, turkey, eggs and seafood, but some non-obvious foods like jello as well as some medicines can contain alphagal. Refined readers will be dismayed to learn that the CDC website on Alpha-gal syndrome states that Rocky Mountain oysters and “scrapple” are particularly high in alpha-gal. For me, prairie oysters and scrapple were always off the table, but hamburgers and hot dogs are more than just an American staple – they are an American treasure. When my kids and I have discussed what defines Mexican food, French fare, and other national cuisine, they have asked me what qualifies as “American” food. I believe that there is no more obvious answer than a burger at a backyard barbeque with friends or a hot dog at a family outing to a baseball game. And ticks are trying to ruin it!

Ticks aren’t just attacking us in National Parks. They are attacking us in our backyards. They are riding our clothes and animals inside to attack us where we live. They are causing allergies so that we can no longer eat hamburgers and hot dogs. Ticks are un-American.

In all seriousness, ticks really are more dangerous than I ever realized in my childhood, and recognizing the dangers of tick bites should provide inspiration to use insect repellants, carefully check clothing, hair and fur after outings and seek care for any signs of tick-borne illness. Some diseases ticks carry can cause lifelong disability or death, and parents and grandparents alike should perform “tick checks” in armpits and other nooks and crannies for unwanted pests after time in woods or fields. In areas endemic for Lyme disease, recent guidelines are even suggesting prophylactic doses of doxycycline after prolonged tick exposure (tick attachment for 36 hours or more).

As a Mohs surgeon, I have learned that the beach-goer has more to fear from the Sun in the sky than from a shark in the water. As someone who loves the great outdoors, I would add that I am more afraid of the tick on the leaf than the bear in the woods. If you, like me, have ever been sun-kissed or tick-bitten, Premier Dermatology is happy to help.

Milton artist’s creations mark 50 years of hip-hop

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — DL Warfield might be known as “coach” to many in the area, but to others he’s the cover art designer of OutKast’s acclaimed “ATLiens” and “Aquemini” studio albums and dozens more from other well-known hip-hop artists.

Warfield, a Milton resident and human hip-hop encyclopedia, has a stylish confidence. When out and about, he sports one of his 15 wide-brimmed hats and patterned eye glasses, standing out in the crowd much like his iconic artwork.

“My trademark as a creative person is thinking differently at the drop of a dime,” Warfield said.

He aims to disrupt stereotypes, epitomized in his decision to pull inspiration from Spaghetti Westerns for T.I. and the Hustle Gang’s 2017 compilation album “We Want Smoke.”

Long before he became a youth football and track coach or helped brand Cambridge and Milton high schools, Warfield used his background in fine arts to create packaging for Atlanta hip-hop artists. The sensibilities he developed as a breakdancer in the early ’80s on the streets of St. Louis had their place, too.

In 1995, he became the creative director for LaFace Records, once home to artists like OutKast, T.I. and Goodie Mob. Some of their album covers, designed by Warfield, are hanging on the walls of the Atlanta mayor’s office downtown in celebration of hip-hop’s 50th year. They will be available for viewing until October.

Appen Media joined Warfield in his Alpharetta studio, where he was in the midst of adding warm colors with a long paint brush to a piece for a retrospective show to be held in St. Louis.

The space had some of his older work, like the original painting for OutKast’s single “Elevators (Me & You),” tucked away in a side room. But many pieces, propped along the wall, were part of his new series “CYPHERS.” Large wooden wheels, some with rotating pieces, painted and printed in mostly black and white, moving bodies forming kaleidoscopic patterns.

Warfield’s latest hip-hop infused collection materializes the inner workings of a cypher – a tight circle of individuals where someone might step into the middle to rap or breakdance with a competitive spirit.

Warfield said cyphers are a place where rappers “exchange ideas and flows,” where some five B-Boys “keep going and going and going.” From a bird’s

eye view of a cypher, he said angles appear and present as sacred geometry, patterns present in all of nature.

“That's not by mystery, that's designed on purpose,” Warfield said.

One of his intentions with “CYPHERS” is to create an air of mystery before a big reveal. From a distance, viewers see abstraction and it isn’t until

they inch closer that they digest the event, the intensity of graffiti, dancers.

“I've always thought about, like, visually, ‘How can I elevate breakdancing in a way that it feels like fine art?’” Warfield said.

While a location has not yet been decided, he anticipates an exhibition for “CYPHERS” to be held in early 2024.

Warfield said hip-hop, like many other pop culture movements, is a movement started by those with lesser means. From there, he said the music took on a life of its own, but to him Atlanta’s hiphop scene is special.

“Atlanta separated themselves by being non-traditional, not trying to be like anybody else,” he said.

Warfield and his wife Lisa, both from the Midwest, knew they would move to the Georgia capital because of its reputation as a place where a young Black man could go and find success. But what cemented the move, Warfield said, was listening to OutKast’s song “Player’s Ball,” produced by Organized Noize.

“When I first heard that song, I was like ‘Jesus Christ, what is this?,’” he said. “It sounded like some place I gotta go and be around.”

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Above: DL Warfield, Milton resident, accompanies a piece from his new hiphop infused series “CYPHERS.” At left: An exhibit of DL Warfield’s album art will be available at the Atlanta mayor’s office until October. Warfield was responsible for designing album covers like OutKast’s “ATLiens.”

ALPHARETTA FOOD TRUCK ALLEY

What: Kick off the weekend a little early at Alpharetta’s Food Truck Alley. Culinary options include more than 10 food trucks every fourth Thursday of the month until October, offering a diverse range of cuisine types. This is a family-friendly event, with limited seating available and will feature live music each month. It is recommended that attendees bring a blanket or chair and leave pets at home for these events.

When: Thursday, Aug. 24, 5-9 p.m.

Where: Old Roswell Street, 37 Old Roswell, Alpharetta

More info: facebook.com/foodtruckalley

OPENING RECEPTION: BEYOND TRANSPARENCY

What: “Beyond Transparency” is an exhibition of local artists, emerging to professional, presenting a myriad of glass arts. Works in mosaic, stained, blown, lampworked and fused glass will be shown. The exhibit will be on display during normal operating hours from Aug. 26 to Sept. 28.

When: Friday, Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Roswell Visual Arts Center, 10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell

More info: roswellgov.com

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT:

‘THE LION KING’

What: Bring a picnic or choose your dinner from a food truck and enjoy “The Lion King” on the big screen at this free event. The movie begins after sunset.

When: Friday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.

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

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

GEORGIA AUDUBON

SOCIETY BIRD WALK

What: Learn about Georgia’s birds from Atlanta Audubon’s volunteer field trip leaders. All walks are free and open to the public, but please register. If you need to borrow a pair of binoculars, contact the field trip leader or the Dunwoody Nature Center in advance, and they should be able to loan you a pair.

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 8-10 a.m.

Where: Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody

More info: dunwoodynature.org

GEORGIA AUDUBON SOCIETY BIRD WALK

What: Learn about Georgia’s birds from Atlanta Audubon’s volunteer field trip leaders. All walks are free and open to the public, but please register. If you need to borrow a pair of binoculars, contact the field trip leader or the Dunwoody Nature Center in advance, and they should be able to loan you a pair.

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 8-10 a.m.

Where: Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody

More info: dunwoodynature.org

MILTON FARMERS MARKET

What: Every Saturday morning through October, more than a dozen vendors set up shop around Milton City Hall with fresh produce, fresh meat, sweets, coffee and tea, flowers, soaps, jewelry and more.

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

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

RIVERSOUND SOUNDS: JAKE LA

BOTZ

What: Grab your lawn chairs, blankets and friends for a night along the banks of the Chattahoochee River, filled with music from singer-songwriter Jake La Botz. Guests are invited to bring their own food and beverages, but there will also be food and drink vendors onsite, while supplies last.

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 7-9 p.m.

Where: Riverside Park, 575 Riverside

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Road, Roswell More info: roswellgov.com

BJ WILBANKS

What: Georgia-based BJ Wilbanks’s exploration of love and the pursuit of enlightenment has been referred to as “Back Porch Soul,” fusing the musical roots of Americana, Motown and Delta Blues into a blend of Southern Rock.

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 8-10 p.m.

Where: Matilda’s Music Under the Pines, 850 Hickory Flat Road, Milton Cost: $28.50

More info: matildasmusicvenue.com

ARTIST RECEPTION FOR DIANA TOMA

What: This reception is for the latest exhibit in the rotating gallery at Sandy Springs City Hall, featuring the work of Diana Toma until early November. Toma, an instructor at the Abernathy Arts Center, also painted a mural inside the Sandy Springs Library.

When: Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Sandy Springs City Hall, 1

Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT: ‘THE BAD GUYS’

What: Bring a picnic or choose your dinner from a food truck and enjoy “The Bad Guys” on the big screen at this free event. The movie begins after sunset.

When: Friday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

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

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

ROTARY CLUB OF ALPHARETTA

CONCERT SERIES: FLUXCAPACITOR

What: Held on the Town Green, this Alpharetta Rotary concert will feature the opening band School of Rock. Fluxcapacitor, an ’80s cover band, will follow.

When: Friday, Sept. 1, 7-10 p.m.

Where: Town Green, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta

More info: facebook.com/ RotaryClubAlpharetta

PRESERVING THE PAST

The early history of firefighting in Alpharetta

The current hot summer is an appropriate time to write about firefighters because of risks due to weather.

Firefighters’ gear is hot in the winter and dangerously hot in summer when every 15 or 20 minutes firefighters must be replaced by a fresh team so they can hydrate and cool off before going back to fighting a blaze. A special rehab vehicle is an important part of keeping firefighters cool. In this column we are going to highlight the early history of the Alpharetta Fire Department which today is part of the Alpharetta Public Safety Department headed by John Robison.

The five fire departments in North Fulton County are Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and Sandy Springs. Each department has more than one location, and all departments help each other when there are major fires or other catastrophes. Alpharetta has six fire stations.

In the early 1940s, Alpharetta was a town of about 300 people and had no fire department. When a fire broke out, there was little to be done except to rely on ineffective bucket brigades. During World War ll, the Federal Office of Civil Defense donated some surplus firefighting equipment to the city so it could protect civilians in a war emergency. The equipment sat in the Milton County Courthouse unused. In 1944, two local businessmen, Ben and Loyal Brady, who owned a small Chevrolet dealership, gas station, repair shop and taxi business in downtown Alpharetta, worked with the local Civil Defense Council to access the stored equipment. The brothers bought a Dodge military truck for $200 from the Fort McPherson surplus yard in southwest Atlanta, today the location of Tyler Perry Studios. The truck was modified to accept a pump from the courthouse equipment. The brothers bought a 500-gallon water tank which Loyal welded onto the chassis. Hooks to hold ladders, a hose box, a siren and a coat of red paint were added, and Alpharetta had its first fire engine.

Ben Brady became Alpharetta’s first fire chief. Loyal was assistant chief. They kept the truck in Brady’s repair shop, and if a fire occurred, volunteer garage mechanics would jump aboard with Ben or Loyal and

ATLANTA CONSTITUTION/PROVIDED

On Sept. 7, 1964, an Alpharetta fire truck was responding to a request for help from the Roswell Fire Department when the truck swerved to avoid hitting an oncoming car. The truck left the road and overturned. None of the three volunteer firemen were seriously injured but the truck was badly damaged. The city ordered a new fire engine and had it painted white to increase its visibility. Ever since, Alpharetta’s fire engines have been white.

head to the blaze. Since it was the only fire truck in North Fulton that could pump water from a tank, it was often called upon to fight fires in other cities, according to volunteer firefighter John Edelen, now deceased. Over time, better trucks replaced old trucks and more volunteers joined the department, including Billy Bates, deceased, who rose to prominence as a historian and genealogist of local families. Historian Connie Mashburn in his book, “Alpharetta, Milton County, the Early Years,” says that in the early 1950s the city built a small building adjacent to the old courthouse for the use of the fire and police departments. In 1957, a new city hall was completed, and the fire department was given space in the basement. A surplus siren installed on the roof was used to notify volunteers of a fire.

In 1964 Alpharetta responded to a call for help from the Roswell Fire Department to fight a fire that destroyed the Economy Church Furniture Store. While trying to avoid an oncoming car on Highway 9, Alpharetta’s fire truck left the road and rolled over. Although thrown from the truck cab, none of the three volunteers were seriously hurt; however, the truck was severely

damaged. The city ordered a new engine from the John Bean Fire Engine Company in Michigan with a high-pressure pumping engine and a 750-gallon water tank. To make the engine more visible, it was ordered in white. Ever since then, Alpharetta fire engines have been white.

In 1969, the Brady brothers retired from the department. New people and new equipment came and went in subsequent years. In 1976, for the first time the city purchased helmets, rubber coats and boots for the department. Until then volunteers fought fires in their street clothes.

Billy Bates’ son Bill joined the department as a volunteer in 1972 after earning a degree in marketing from Georgia State University. As a youth, Bill accompanied his father when he went on calls. Bill had to stay in the car while Billy fought fires. Bill became the second paid employee of the volunteer fire department in 1988, and in 1990 he became the city’s first full-time paid fire chief. Bill retired in 2006 from Alpharetta Fire Services which became part of the combined police, fire and 911 Public Safety Department.

One of Bill’s proudest achievements was the dramatic improvement in the department’s

FAMILY/PROVIDED

Bill Bates in his turnout gear at the Canton Street Apartments near Wills Park in Alpharetta circa 1990. Turnout gear is the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by firefighters. The suit consists of three layers, an outer shell, a moisture barrier, and a thermal liner. A full set can weigh 45 pounds including helmets, gloves, hoods, boots, coats and pants.

ISO rating which is a score assigned to a fire department based on how well it can protect a community. The rating is used by insurance companies to determine homeowner insurance premiums. The lower the ISO rating, the lower the insurance premiums. When Bill started with the department, Alpharetta’s rating was 8. When he retired it was 2, thus saving residents a lot of money. Alpharetta Fire Services first earned an ISO1 rating in in 2015. Fewer than 1 percent of fire departments in the U.S. achieve that status.

Many dedicated, courageous individuals have served as Alpharetta firefighters over the years. All Alpharetta firefighters are also EMTs or paramedics. All undergo extensive training and are experts at what they do. Alpharetta’s citizens can be very proud.

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

Columnist

Shirley Peters Pruitt, memories of DeWald’s Alley

In February of 2023 I wrote about DeWald’s Alley, a community of Black families who lived off Barfield Road from the 1920s until the early 1970s. Shirley Pruitt contacted me to share her story, because she and her family lived there. Pruitt was born Shirley Peters in 1941 at Grady Hospital. She left Sandy Springs for many years but returned and lives there today.

The Peters family included seven boys and one girl, Shirley. There were eight homes at DeWald’s Alley. Some of the houses were set up for two families, and Shirley Pruitt’s family shared one side of their home with her aunt’s family for a while before using both sides.

Residents of DeWald’s Alley rented from Clyde and Susie DeWald, who lived nearby on Spruill Road, later known as Meadow Lane Road. Susie DeWald would go door to door collecting rent each month. The houses of DeWald’s Alley had outhouses, no electricity, and well water. Pumps were eventually installed.

Ms. Pruitt’s family planted a garden each year by their house. She remembers as a child going to Burdette’s Store at Mount Vernon Road and Roswell Road to buy groceries. She also recalls going with her father to a Spruill farm where Perimeter Mall is today for butter and buttermilk.

When she was 5 years old, Ms. Pruitt started school at the community’s church, known as Mt. Mary’s Baptist Church. The church was a wooden building, painted white, and located on Mt. Vernon Highway. Her grandfather, Will Peters, helped build the church. There had been both a school and church, but the school building burned down.

When the church membership had fallen to only five people, it moved to Lynwood Park in Brookhaven. Then, the children of DeWald’s Alley, including Shirley Pruitt, were bused to the Alpharetta Colored School. Due to segregation, the children were not permitted to attend nearby Hammond or Morgan Falls School. They were bused to a school that would have been at least a 15-mile trip before Ga. 400 existed.

The children’s teachers, Ms. Hambrick and Ms. Jones, went to the new school also. While Pruitt was attending the school, the school’s name was changed to Bailey Johnson. Bailey Johnson was the only school for Black children in north Fulton County. The last class to graduate from the school was in 1967.

All these schools, including Mt. Mary’s, were part of the Fulton County School System. In the school archives of the county, records indicate that Mt. Mary’s School

was in a church building. Some of the other schools that Black children attended were also in churches.

Other Black children in the area, who did not live on DeWald’s Alley, attended Mt. Mary School. Those families included the

Brown, Evans, Martin and Lucas families. The Evans children were cousins of Shirley Pruitt, and the family lived where Glenridge and Mount Vernon Road meet. The Lucas family lived on Meadow Lane.

The Fulton County Superintendent’s

Annual Report reveals the inequities of the time. There was one teacher at Mt. Mary during the 1929-1930 school year, and she earned $660 for the year. Hammond School had six women teachers who earned $1,434 each. (Fulton County School Archives)

During the 1948-1949 school year, Mt. Mary’s had two teachers for 51 children. Nearby Morgan Falls School had 12 teachers for 130 children.

At the age of 13, Shirley Pruitt had a terrifying experience. A White family that lived near where Johnson’s Ferry meets the Chattahoochee River was asking around for a babysitter. She went with the father of the family to their property and the man attempted to assault her. Fortunately, after a long struggle she was able to fight him off and escape.

There would have been no protection or recourse from the legal system at that time for Shirley Pruitt or her family. The family no longer felt safe and moved to Roswell. After the family moved, Pruitt needed to see a dentist for a filling, but no dentist in Roswell would take a Black patient. She ended up going to a Norcross dentist, who said she must enter through a back door. Then, when he administered Novocain, he struck a nerve causing permanent damage to her face.

Shirley Pruitt’s grandparents lived on the property of Dr. Griffith on Heard’s Ferry Road, where her grandfather worked. The couple had 10 children, plus they raised a grandchild on the property.

Ms. Pruitt remembers learning to drive a Dodge straight shift on Barfield Road, a dirt road at the time.

Shirley Peters later married Lugene Pruitt, and they had four children. After the marriage ended in divorce, Shirley Pruitt moved back to Sandy Springs.

While living in Roswell, her oldest son played basketball at Roswell High School, and her youngest child Denny was the mascot. Later, after moving to Sandy Springs, Denny played basketball at North Springs High School. During his time playing on the team from 9th to 12th grade, in the mid-1980s, he was the only Black player. Ms. Pruitt went to all his games. As a senior in 1988, Denny Pruitt was nominated to the McDonalds’s All-American Team.

I am grateful to Shirley Pruitt for reaching out to me and sharing her story of living at DeWald’s Alley in Sandy Springs. This history can be preserved thanks to Ms. Pruitt.

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.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist

SHIRLEY PRUITT/PROVIDED

This Atlanta Journal Dec. 17, 1987 clipping from Shirley Pruitt’s mementos includes her son Denny Pruitt, far left, during his years playing basketball at North Springs High School.

PROVIDED

At left, Ms. Pruitt's brother-in-law Clarence Pruitt, and on the right her cousin A.C. Peters stand in this DeWald's Alley photo from the 2017 Sandy Springs Gazette.

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Two new mystery books spark different emotions

My two recent reads evoked different emotions — one book was entertaining, while the other was thoughtprovoking. I found one delightful and the other distressing. Perhaps I should have read them in reverse order, so that I could more easily dispel the cloud created by the second one.

I feel about this book. It is unquestionably a well-written crime tale, one set in a New England boarding school.

Finally, I found an NPR review that captured its essence:

Columnist

“The Girl Who Knew Too Much”

by Amanda Quick

Amanda Quick is a new author for me, and this book, the first in her Burning Cove series, was a great place to start. Set in the 1930s in an exclusive hotel near Hollywood, California, it entertained me with its spunky heroine and a few mystery men.

Rookie reporter Irene is on the scene for a murder or two and, of course, uses her investigative skills to ferret out the murderer and get the story. Along the way, Hollywood moguls and others try to shut down her investigation, but she has no plans to stop.

It's an intriguing mystery with a bit of romance thrown in, and there's more than one mystery solved by the time it's over. I enjoyed the way the author slowly revealed the backgrounds of the main characters as the story progressed. Wanting to know more about each of them was a big reason that I found this book to be a page-turner. I wanted to learn their secrets as much as I wanted to find out who the villain was – and the villain was a shocker.

I highly recommend this book, but I suggest you be prepared to stay up late several nights to finish it. I sure did. This next novel will also keep you awake at night, but for different reasons.

I've been struggling to put words to how

Barn:

Continued from Page 1

been removed so the structure is safe for entry. The state Department of Agriculture oversaw the removal of the dead horses, some of which were buried onsite, returned to their owners for burial or cremated.

The site is home to Blue Springs Farm, where many county children have learned how to ride. Shivers said the Fire Department has had conversations

"This is a dark, uncomfortable story about murder, racism, sexual abuse, grief, the nature of collective memory, privilege, the way humans want to be at the center of tragedy even when they're not, and feeling like an outsider."

The story centers on a crime committed in 1995 at the school, the murder of a promising senior girl. Twenty years later, Bodie Kane, the girl's roommate, answers the call to teach two short mid-semester courses at her alma mater.

Even before she gets there, the question tormented her: Did they convict the right person? What follows is Bode working her way backward and forward as she examines what she remembers, what she may have blocked, and what she could have done differently. Mixed in with the crime at the center of the novel are references to the ohso many crimes against women that we are now accustomed to hearing about.

It's a thought-provoking book, not just as you try to determine whodunit, but also as you consider today's social environment. What I found most horrifying — yes, horrifying – were the descriptions of what teenage boys said and did to their female classmates in 1995. Do the sexual insults and accusations hurled by these young men have any basis in reality? If so, today’s teenagers inhabit a different world than the one I grew up in. "Dark" is a word that comes to mind as I attempt to describe this book, but somehow, that doesn't begin to touch it.

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries locally at The Enchanted Forest in Dunwoody and Bookmiser in East Cobb or on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail. com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/KathyManosPennAuthor/.

with some of the owners of the horses that were boarded in the barn.

“The stories are just devastating,” he said. “They’ve lost a member of their family, is the best way I can say it.”

Shivers said the investigation is ongoing, and there is no end in sight as yet. The department employs three fire investigators, who have been working with the property owner, Blue Springs Farm and the owners of the horses.

A fundraiser benefiting the farm can be found at gofund.me/0d8f13f5.

— Shelby Israel

“I have some questions for you” by Rebecca Makkai

KATHY MANOS PENN

Who wants to be a Master Gardener Extension Volunteer?

Two weeks ago, I began to notice brown spots in my lawn. Neighbors’ lawns also have these brown patches. Will it eventually go away on its own? Or, should I act?

What are these ferns? They’re choking everything out and they’re so dense they don’t look good. I’m considering removing them entirely, if that’s possible. Some of them are 6 feet tall.

We planted a tree several years ago and now it seems to be dying branch by branch. Why are these branches dying? Are there options available to preserve my tree?

Finding solutions for plant problems sometimes feels like being a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

Myriad websites and product advertisements provide the multiple choices. Neighbors, contractors, and retail garden professionals compose the audience and your phone-a-friend list available as lifelines.

Georgia residents seeking answers to horticultural questions can access another resource. UGA Extension Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are here providing unbiased researchbased horticultural information and educational programs in counties around the state.

The Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program started in the early 1970s as a way for an agricultural extension agent in Washington state to meet the growing demand of home gardeners with requests for information about plants in their landscapes. Volunteers were recruited and trained to respond to gardeners’ questions. The program’s success led to the establishment of programs in all 50 states and multiple countries around the world.

Georgia’s Master Gardener Program was started in Atlanta in 1979, and participants have been teaching community members how to use plants and gardening to improve their environment, personal health, and quality of life since. The UGA Extension Fulton County agriculture and natural resources team depends on the dedicated service of more than 100 volunteers to provide our diverse community of more than one million with answers to their questions, beautifully maintained gardens, and horticultural programs.

The purpose of the Georgia

Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program is to assist UGA Extension in delivering educational programs to increase environmental stewardship, success in home food production, youth participation in gardening, the value of landscapes, and health benefits of gardening. Active projects in Fulton County include exhibiting at horticultural shows and festivals, writing articles, presenting to live and virtual audiences, and responding directly to residents’ questions — like the real questions received by our office last week and included at the top of this article.

The first step in becoming a Master Gardener is completing a few forms and an interview with the local UGA Extension office. Selected trainees complete 42 hours of core horticultural training and pass two exams to prepare for their new role. Within the first year, trainees complete 50 hours of volunteer service. After completing 50 hours on Extension-approved projects that support MGEV program initiatives, the Trainee is recognized as an official MGEV. To remain a current, active MGEV, volunteers give at least 25 hours of volunteer service hours each year and track their accomplishments using an online recordkeeping system.

If you have a passion for teaching others through volunteer community service and consumer horticulture programming, we hope you will consider applying for our upcoming class beginning in January 2024. Applications are being accepted until September 15, 2023 and notification of acceptance will be communicated by December 1, 2023.

To learn more about the UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program or to submit your application for the next training class, visit https:// site.extension.uga.edu/fultonag/ files/2023/08/2024-Fulton-CountyMGEV-Application-Final.pdf or Fulton County’s MGEV site at https:// extension.uga.edu/county-offices/ fulton/agriculture-and-naturalresources/mastergardner.html.

Happy gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative. Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

Learn more

• 2024 MGEV class application - https://site.extension.uga.edu/fultonag/ files/2023/08/2024-Fulton-County-MGEV-Application-Final.pdf

• Fulton County MGEV page - https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/ fulton/agriculture-and-natural-resources/mastergardner.html

• Becoming a MGEV - https://extension.uga.edu/programs-services/ georgia-master-gardener-extension-volunteer-program/volunteer/becominga-mgev.html

• Frequently Asked Questions - https://extension.uga.edu/programsservices/georgia-master-gardener-extension-volunteer-program/volunteer/ becoming-a-mgev/frequently-asked-questions.html

• Become a Master Gardener - https://nfmg.net/becomeMG.html

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is James Herrin, agriculture and natural resources agent with UGA Extension Fulton County. James is motivated by learning and leverages this to help clients solve the issues and answer the questions they bring to the Extension office. In addition to helping coordinate Fulton County’s Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program, James supports county teachers with agricultural programming, works with farmers, and delivers educational programs for Fulton County residents.

JAMES HERRIN Guest Columnist

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR

SALE OF CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GA OWNED REAL PROPERTY NEAR SHILOH ROAD AND FOWLER HILL ROAD, FORSYTH COUNTY, GA ITB # 24-005

The City of Alpharetta is offering SALE OF CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GA OWNED REAL PROPERTY NEAR SHILOH ROAD AND FOWLER HILL ROAD, FORSYTH COUNTY, GA to the public and seeking bids from interested Bidders for the sale of approximately 36.3989 acres non-contiguous land tract along the Forsyth County Big Creek Greenway, zoned R2R. This property is within Forsyth County, GA, and is west of Shiloh Road, north of Union Hill Road, and east of Fowler Hill Road. The City intends to sell to one Bidder. No access is available from either of these roadways. Forsyth County’s Big Creek Greenway bisects the property on the northern portion and a portion of this property can be viewed from the greenway.

The legal description of the parcels is as follows:

All that tract or parcel of land lying and being Land Lots 601, 602, 622, 623, 624, and 625, of the 2nd District, 1st Section, Forsyth County, Georgia, and being more particularly described as follows:

BEGIN at a point at the common Land Lot corners of Land Lots 602 and 623 and run thence north 01 degrees 28 minutes 26 seconds east a distance of 284.34 feet to a point; run thence north 01 degrees 28 minutes 26 seconds east a distance of 605.10 feet to a point; run thence south 66 degrees 03 minutes 56 seconds east a distance of 1097.21 feet to a point; run thence south 24 degrees 49 minutes 35 seconds west a distance of 150.60 feet to a point; run thence south 09 degrees 06 minutes 29 seconds east a distance of 196.94 feet to a point; run thence south 08 degrees 26 minutes 31 seconds east a distance of 20.00 feet to a point; run thence south 27 degrees 01 minutes 50 seconds west a distance of 68.13 feet to a point; run thence south 64 degrees 29 minutes 15 seconds west a distance of 106.53 feet to a point; run thence north 85 degrees 13 minutes 12 seconds west a distance of 58.51 feet to a point; run thence south 59 degrees 26 minutes 39 seconds west a distance of 82.00 feet to a point; run thence south 00 degrees 13 minutes 06 seconds west a distance of 79.00 feet to a point; run thence south 12 degrees 09 minutes 46 seconds east a distance of 214.16 feet to a point; run thence south 33 degrees 29 minutes 38 seconds west a distance of 94.40 feet to a point; run thence south 23 degrees 15 minutes 43 seconds west a distance of 53.86 feet to a point; run thence south 27 degrees 06 minutes 05 seconds west a distance of 86.52 feet to a point; run thence south 01 degrees 52 minutes 28 seconds east a distance of 77.60 feet to a point; run thence south 15 degrees 38 minutes 05 seconds east a distance of 161.09 feet to a point; run thence south 17 degrees 37 minutes 58 seconds east a distance of 145.52 feet to a point; run thence south 39 degrees 02 minutes 11 seconds east a distance of 180.32 feet to a point; run thence south 53 degrees 28 minutes 27 seconds east a distance of 143.92 feet to a point; run thence south 41 degrees 07 minutes 52 seconds west a distance of 102.15 feet to a point; run thence south 43 degrees 39 minutes 58 seconds east a distance of 296.08 feet to a point; run thence north 88 degrees 58 minutes 08 seconds west a distance of 1173.39 feet to a point; run thence north 88 degrees 57 minutes 04 seconds west a distance of 16.02 feet to a point; run thence north 12 degrees 09 minutes 04 seconds east a distance of 146.23 feet to a point; run thence north 03 degrees 09 minutes 58 seconds east a distance of 72.67 feet to a point; run thence north 25 degrees 53 minutes 08 seconds east a distance of 80.20 feet to a point; run thence north 29 degrees 17 minutes 24 seconds east a distance of 81.24 feet to a point; run thence north 32 degrees 28 minutes 48 seconds east a distance of 189.95 feet to a point; run thence north 35 degrees 59 minutes 33 seconds east a distance of 151.21 feet to a point; run north 12 degrees 27 minutes 51 seconds east a distance of 279.59 feet to a point; run thence north 09 degrees 43 minutes 09 seconds east a distance of 301.35 feet to a point; run thence north 89 degrees 17 minutes 19 seconds west a distance of 364.69 feet to a point; run thence north 00 degrees 14 minutes 43 seconds east a distance of 201.22 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING, containing 36.3989 acres, as reflected on survey prepared by George W. Nelson (Georgia Registered Land Surveyor #966) of Shirey, Nelson & Associates, Inc., dated December 27, 1995.

LESS AND EXCEPT:

All that tract or parcel of land lying and being in Land Lot 602,623 of the 2 Land District and/or N/A Georgia Militia District of Forsyth County, Georgia, being more particularly described as follows:

Beginning at a point 10 feet left of and opposite Station 152+25.22 on the construction centerline of Big Creek Greenway on Georgia Highway Project No. TEE-0006-00(586); running thence N 13°10’47” E a distance of 12.07 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 152+37.29 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence northeasterly 157.860 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 1240.000 feet and a chord distance of 157.754 feet on a bearing of N 9°31’58” E) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 153+96.42 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence N 5°53’08” E a distance of 37.73 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 154+34.16 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence northwesterly 178.612 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 490.000 feet and a chord distance of 177.624 feet on a bearing of N 4°33’25” W) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 156+16.42 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence N 14°59’58” W a distance of 26.07 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 156+42.49 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence northwesterly 106.603 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 510.000 feet and a chord distance of 106.409 feet on a bearing of N 9°00’41” W) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 157+47.00 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence N 3°01’23” W a distance of 52.83 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 157+99.83 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence northwesterly 144.261 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 490.000 feet and a chord distance of 143.741 feet on a bearing of N 11°27’26” W) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 159+47.03 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence N 19°53’30” W a distance of 27.76 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 159+74.80 on said construction centerline

laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence northwesterly 126.028 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 760.000 feet and a chord distance of 125.884 feet on a bearing of N 15°08’28” W) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 160+99.17 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence N 10°23’26” W a distance of 32.54 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 161+31.71 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence northwesterly 103.750 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 740.000 feet and a chord distance of 103.665 feet on a bearing of N 14°24’25” W) to the point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 162+36.86 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence N 18°25’24” W a distance of 56.73 feet to a point 10.00 feet left of and opposite station 162+93.58 on said construction centerline laid out tor Big Creek Greenway; thence S 66°56’13” E a distance of 26.70 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 162+75.90 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 18°25’24” E a distance of 39.04 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 162+36.86 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southeasterly 106.554 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 760.000 feet and a chord distance of 106.467 feet on a bearing of S 14°24’25” E) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 161+31.71 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 10°23’26” E a distance of 32.54 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 160+99.17 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southeasterly 122.712 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 740.000 feet and a chord distance of 122.571 feet on a bearing of S 15°08’28” E) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 159+74.80 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence s 19”53’30” E a distance of 27.76 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 159+47.03 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southeasterly 150.150 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 510.000 feet and a chord distance of 149.608 feet on a bearing of S 11°27’26” E) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 157+99.83 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 3°01’23” E a distance of 52.83 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 157+47.00 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southeasterly 102.423 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 490.000 feet and a chord distance of 102.237 feet on a bearing of S 9°00’41” E) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 156+42.49 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 14”59’58” E a distance of 26.07 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 156+16.42 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southeasterly 185.902 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 510.000 feet and a chord distance of 184.874 feet on a bearing of S 4°33’25” E) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 154+34.16 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 5°53’08” W a distance of 37.73 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 153+96.42 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence southwesterly 160.406 feet along the arc of a curve (said curve having a radius of 1260.000 feet and a chord distance of 160.298 feet on a bearing of S 9°31’58” W) to the point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 152+37.29 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 13”10’47” W a distance of 7.33 feet to a point 10.00 feet right of and opposite station 152+29.96 on said construction centerline laid out for Big Creek Greenway; thence S 89°50’24” W a distance of 20.55 feet back to the point of beginning. Containing 0.485 acres more or less.

The Invitation to Bid (ITB) will be available online August 24, 2023 at our bid posting website, https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/. Interested parties are required to log in to review the ITB documents.

The virtual public bid opening will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2023, 10:00 AM using Zoom. See bid document for details.

This procurement is issued under the authority of the City of Alpharetta Procurement Policy and applicable law. The City has the authority to reject all bids or any bid that is non-responsive or not responsible, and to waive technicalities and informalities to award a contract that is in the best interest of the City. The City may also elect to contingently accept one or more Bids so that in the case of the default of the Apparent Successful Bidder, the City will accept the Contingent Bid.

For information, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Finance Department via email at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or at 678-297-6052.

Forsyth:

Continued from Page 1

Under the ordinance, Jarrard said 30-minute intermittent barking, rather than just 15-minute continuous barking, would be considered a disturbance of the peace.

“It’s always difficult to enforce codes involving what is a nuisance or noisebased because sometimes those can be subjective,” he said.

County resident Angela Johnson spoke in favor of the modifications at meeting, saying a neighboring irresponsible pet owner has diminished her quality of life.

“This proposed amendment to address irresponsible pet owners who allow their animals to bark habitually and incessantly is long overdue,” Johnson said.

Jarrard said he and staff added further changes to the ordinance than those posted in the agenda packet for the meeting. The additional adjustments will be

included in the version presented during the upcoming public hearings.

Expert guidance

To draft the newest slew of adjustments, county staff worked with University of Georgia School of Law professor Lisa Milot, who specializes in animal welfare. Milot authored the academic paper “Backyard Breeding: Regulatory Nuisance, Crime Precursor,” which explores the effects of personal dog breeding on local communities.

Milot said backyard breeding can lead to a population of stray animals, which fills shelters and negatively impacts the taxpayer-funded facilities. The strays also are a detriment to public safety because most are not neutered or spayed, and are higher bite risks, she said.

“Part of the goal of the ordinances … is both to reduce the overproduction of these animals, but then also try and surgically target the ones most at risk for both unintentionally reproducing and also causing harm in our communities, by having a very targeted spay-neuter

program incorporated in them,” Milot said.

With the proposed changes, Forsyth County would enforce required sterilization on certain second offenses.

For first offenses, Milot recommended County Animal Services work with the owner of the offending pet or offer free spaying or neutering.

“If their animal is repeatedly running at-large, repeatedly impounded, those are times when we can be certain they’re reproducing,” she said. “About 87 percent of the stray animals you see are intact, which means they’re breeding. That’s why they’re straying.”

County enforcement

A second speaker, Marie Gualtiere, ultimately agreed with the adoption of the ordinance. But, she expressed concerns with the county’s ability to enforce the changes, and both she and Johnson asked commissioners to consider stricter requirements on hobby breeding.

To address enforcement, Milot said she is proposing the county require

breeders to file notice when they breed their first, exempt litter.

“One, is that it lets you know when somebody’s doing that breeding and selling,” Milot said. “And it makes them accountable, and it puts them on the same footing as licensed breeders who currently pay taxes, have business licenses and are responsible for the dogs they produce.”

If the county adopts the ordinance changes, Milot said Forsyth County would be a standout community for animal welfare in the state.

The updated ordinance is subject to change pending staff review. The County Commission will vote on whether to adopt the changes following the public hearings.

Also at the meeting, commissioners proclaimed Aug. 24 as “Peace, Goodness and Kindness Day.” The date recognizes Esther Basch, who survived the Auschwitz death camps during World War II.

Basch shared her story at the Forsyth County Arts and Learning Center at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23.

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