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A Marine Corps private first class hands a memorial placard to retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Mizell, president of the Johns Creek Veterans Association, during an Aug. 24 memorial ceremony at Newtown Park. The ceremony honored the 13 troops killed in the Afghanistan War’s final days.
By DAVIS WINKIE newsroom@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — More than a hundred people gathered at Newtown Park Aug. 24 to honor the 13 U.S. servicemembers who died during the Afghanistan War’s final days.
The ceremony commemorated the tragic event three years ago when the troops died while supporting civilian evacuations at the Kabul airport.
The Johns Creek Veterans Association and the Fr. Joseph T. O’Callahan Assembly of the Knights
of Columbus organized this year’s annual memorial at the park’s Veterans Memorial Walk.
The emotional climax was a roll call led by retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Mizell, who heads the veterans association. Mizell called the name twice of each fallen soldier, Marine and sailor, followed by silence while a designated audience member would answer and deliver a portrait for placement in front of the park’s Afghanistan memorial. Afterward, two buglers played “Taps.”
Board delays vote on commercial building
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Commission unanimously approved a hike in impact fees for new residential construction projects Aug. 15.
Commissioners decided to defer a vote on increasing impact fees for commercial projects.
The action more than triples the impact fees assessed for single-family and multi-family homes, and it raises mobile home park fees by 847 percent.
The fees are designed to ensure new users of country infrastructure pay their “fair share,” County Attorney Ken Jarrard said.
Fees would be assessed for any structures meant for additional residents, visitors, building occupants, customers or employees, Jarrard said.
See IMPACT, Page 13
WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA Ethan Underwood, an attorney who represents developers and property owners, addresses the Forsyth County Commission Aug. 15 to oppose an increase in residential impact fees. Commissioners approved the measure but delayed a vote on increasing fees for commercial projects.
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Gainesville man was arrested on a reckless driving charge Aug. 20.
Deputies stopped a vehicle on southbound Ga. 400 after the driver allegedly was speeding, made several erratic lane changes and nearly caused several collisions, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
Deputies were initially unable to keep up with the vehicle but managed to stop it after it took an exit ramp for McFarland Parkway.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Suwanee man was arrested on driving under the influence of alcohol charges Aug. 20.
Deputies found a driver sleeping in his vehicle about 11 p.m. on Buford Dam Road, which was closed to the public at that time, and spoke with him, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
The driver, who reportedly smelled strongly of alcohol, admitted he had been drinking and driving to the location, according to the report.
Deputies conducted an impaired driving investigation and determined he was too intoxicated to drive. After the man was arrested, deputies searched his vehicle and found marijuana and an open alcohol container.
Deputies conducted a blood test of the man.
The man was charged with driving under the influence of multiple substances and possession of an open alcohol container.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating an early August theft at the Computer Museum of America, requiring more than $300,000 in repairs to air conditioning units.
An officer said he responded to the museum off Commerce Parkway Aug. 15 about a theft that allegedly occurred Aug. 5.
The museum director said someone stole equipment from air conditioning units on the roof of the building.
Two building contractors told officers that a humidity sensor went off around 4 a.m. Aug. 5.
When a technician checked on the units Aug. 5, the contractors said the worker discovered damage to multiple units on the roof.
The contractors sent to look at the damages said the units are missing multiple copper pipes and wiring.
Because the units need to be replaced, the damages total more than $300,000.
Officers said they found footprints and sunglasses on the roof, but they did not know who they belonged to because of the 10-day delay in reporting the incident.
The Criminal Investigations Division responded and took over the investigation.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating the felony theft of two handguns Aug. 13 after residents reported them missing from their vehicle.
An officer said he met with a married couple, a 79-year-old man and 67-yearold woman from Roswell, who said their two firearms were missing after running errands.
The woman she saw her .32-caliber revolver in the glove box earlier in the day while retrieving a nail file. The revolver is valued at $150. An officer said the couple also kept a 9 mm Glock pistol in the center consol of their silver Lexus ES350. The Glock is valued at $569.
The victims said they went to a Crabapple Road car wash and another
appointment in Marietta before they noticed the firearms were missing later in the afternoon.
An officer said the victims provided him with serial numbers and photos of both handguns. The victims told officers that they would like to press charges if an investigation identifies a suspect.
The couple also said they were in Carillon Beach, Florida, Aug. 6-9 but their vehicle was locked in a gated parking lot.
Officers said they were unable to follow up with the car wash on Crabapple Road as it was closed.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a second-degree forced burglary at Di Paulo Italian Kitchen off Holcomb Bridge Road Aug. 14 after someone ran off with $4,500.
Officers said they did not locate a suspect at the restaurant when they arrived around 4 a.m.
An officer said the deadbolt on the front door had been pulled through the frame, requiring $5,500 in repairs.
Inside the restaurant, an officer said the hostess stand had been ransacked, but other areas were left untouched.
In the back office, officers said they found receipts and checks scattered across the floor and a damaged file cabinet.
Officers said they contacted the business owners who showed them security footage of the incident.
After reviewing the video, officers said the suspect wore all dark clothes, gloves and backpack with a hood concealing their face.
An officer said footage shows the suspect searching the hostess stand, opening the cash register and walking into the back office.
Shortly after, officers said footage shows the suspect take a safe out of the file cabinet, try to break it on the ground and then leave the premises with it.
The business owners said the $200 safe contained around $4,300 in cash.
Officers said the Criminal Investigations Division responded and took over the investigation.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — After years of anticipation, Johns Creek officials broke ground Aug. 23 on Creekside Park, a 21-acre space behind City Hall set for the city’s future Town Center.
Situated on 192 acres, Town Center will also include Medley, a mixed-use development headed by Avalon’s Mark Toro, and biomedical engineering giant Boston Scientific.
In his welcoming remarks to a crowd of more than 50, Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry voiced his excitement over the “historic milestone.” State officials, such as Georgia House Rep. Michelle Au, were in attendance along with city staff and other
community partners to welcome the largest individual construction in the city’s history.
“Creekside Park is going to be our civic hub for our community here in Johns Creek,” Bradberry said. “I think it’s going to be a place of great relaxation, entertainment and just coming together as a community.”
Recreation and Parks Director Erica Madsen described the near-$36 million project, which includes a 15-foot-wide elevated boardwalk, a trail encircling the pond and an amphitheater that can be positioned according to event size.
“It’s really going to be a wonderful place,” Madsen said.
Construction is scheduled for completion in 18 months.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Businesses that can’t afford to move, but are growing out of their space, are set to receive more flexibility.
After months of debating the topic, the Johns Creek City Council agreed to an update of the city’s Zoning Ordinance to allow for outdoor storage units at its Aug. 19 work session.
Mayor John Bradberry brought the issue to the table in April, with a memo that outlined the need to be business friendly with appropriate guardrails.
The policy prohibited outdoor storage units in all commercial areas to maintain a clear, pristine appearance. Businesses that underwent a renovation, whose units are tied to a building permit or other accessory use, were unaffected.
Andrew Traub, owner of A&S Culinary Concepts, had previously told the City Council he would likely have to close his business if he had to move elsewhere. Traub would be responsible for a couple of years in rent, as part of his lease.
“We have been there about nineand-a-half years,” Traub said at the
July 29 council meeting. “It was very important to me to put it in Johns Creek, but now I need more room and more space, and part of that is I need outside storage.”
In a follow-up interview, Traub said he had been cited for his unit which housed items like disposable platters and party props for his catering business, which grew around 30 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Out of the 2,100 square feet of space in Jones Bridge Promenade, Traub has been working with a couple of closets covering about a fifth of that.
“As a caterer and also doing classes and stuff like that, we’re getting busier,” Traub said.
Throughout work session discussions, some councilmembers had voiced concerns about the units negatively impacting the quality of life and making a temporary solution permanent. Others were interested in landlords setting the terms.
But on Monday evening, the council settled on allowing business owners the option to permit outdoor storage units annually for two con -
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Butter up? 23 At full throttle 24 Acrobatic stunts 26 Charity moneyraisers
By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia.com
In just its second year, the Johns Creek Literary Fair will pull off a production of Pulitzer proportions Sept. 29 when Rick Bragg headlines the free 36-author event. Bragg, author of 11 nonfiction works, including “All Over but the Shoutin’” and, most recently, “The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People, Lost and Found,” will be in conversation with Georgia-based novelist Brian Panowich. The event also will feature a renowned panel of lawyers-turned-authors – “Legal Eagles with Scribe Vibes” – as well as 20 local writers and 10 children’s authors.
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Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, will headline the Johns Creek Literary Fair Sept. 29.
Saturday, Sept. 7, Lo Patrick. Atlanta Authors presents Patrick detailing her new thriller, “The Night the River Wept,” alongside author Emily Carpenter. Bookmiser will have copies available to purchase. 2 p.m. Free. In person and online. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., 404-612-9700. atlantaauthorsga.com
Saturday, Sept. 7, Mary McMyne signing “A Rose by Any Other Name.” Noon. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com
Tuesday, Sept. 10, Bookfair for Grownups. Read It Again Bookstore will partner with Gate City Brewing for a boozy book fair. 6 p.m. Free. Gate City Brewing, 43 Magnolia St., Roswell. 678-404-0961. gatecitybrewingcompany.com
Friday, Sept. 13, Poe & Company event benefitting Jesse’s House. Support the local nonprofit providing emergency shelter for adolescent girls during a Sip & Sign Atlanta Authors Night featuring George Weinstein, Kim Conrey, Emily Carpenter, Kimberly Brock and others. 5 p.m. Stoney J’s Winery, 1506 Stoney Point Road, Cumming. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com
Sunday, Sept. 15, “Administrations of Lunacy” author talk with Mab Segrest. 3 p.m. Free. Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming. forsythpl.org/ event/11100456
Tuesday, Sept. 17, Martha D. Peterson, former CIA agent, recounting “The Widow Spy: My CIA Journey from the Jungles of Laos to Prison in Moscow.” 1 p.m. Free. Johns Creek Books, 6000 Medlock Bridge Road. 770-696-9999. johnscreekbooks.com
Tuesday, Sept. 17, Bob Rothman, K.A. Kirtland. A Novel Idea and Bookmiser serve up two launches: Rothman with “A Terrible Guilt” and Kirtland’s “Bleeding Sea.” 7 p.m. Free. Vintage Pizzeria, 5510 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dun-
woody. 770-509-5611. bookmiser.net/ events.html
Saturday, Sept. 21, Laura Elizabeth signing “All Is Now Lost.” 1 p.m. Free. Johns Creek Books, 6000 Medlock Bridge Road. 770-696-9999. johnscreekbooks.com
Thursday, Sept. 26, Veena Rao reflects on “Purple Lotus.” 7 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com
Friday, Saturday and Monday, Sept. 27, 28, and 30, Friends of the Roswell Library Book Sale. See website for hours. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. 404-612-9700. forl.net
Saturday, Sept. 28, Cindy Rasicot on “This Fresh Existence: Heart Teachings from Bhikkhuni Dhammananda” and living a more powerful, compassionate life. Noon. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com
Saturday, Sept. 28, Johnna Stein recaps her middle-grade novel, “Untangling Hope." 3 p.m. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-itagain.com
Saturday, Sept. 28, Lo Patrick, “The Night the River Wept,” with author Chris Negron. 7 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com
Sunday, Sept. 29, Johns Creek Literary Fair. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rick Bragg, in conversation with Brian Panowich, will headline the 36-author event. Noon. Free. Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater at Newtown Park, Johns Creek. johnscreekga. gov/recreation-parks/special-events/ literary-fair
To submit an author event for the upcoming month, email Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi at kathydesjardins3@gmail.com by the 15th.
8 | Forsyth Herald | August 29, 2024
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s no such thing as a regular cup of coffee at Boarding Pass.
“We love when someone comes in to try our coffee and says, ‘I just drink Costco coffee,’” co-owner Christine Santos said. “And then they drink ours. People will say to us, ‘I can’t go back anymore.’”
Since opening their first Boarding Pass in Milton in 2021, Christine and Murilo Santos have offered customers an international tour of coffee. The globetrotting couple’s focus on specialty coffees treats customers to a unique variety of quality beans, roasts and flavors from around the world.
The brew they sell doesn’t taste like your average cup of joe. Lurking in their java is a host of flavors, like raspberry, clove, chamomile, nougat, dried cherry and blueberry muffins.
Murilo says people often don’t realize that coffee, like wine and beer, has different flavor profiles.
Boarding Pass boasts shops in Milton, Alpharetta and Gainesville, but they source beans from a 480acre coffee farm, 3,200 feet above sea level in Brazil. Fazenda Santana is a second-generation plantation about two hours from Sao Paulo run by Murilo’s family.
Mineral spring water feeds the trees there, allowing them to yield an exceptional quality and flavor.
Appreciation for quality coffee is becoming more important to residents, Murilo said. Tastes are becoming more refined, and customers are learning the joy of parsing out subtle flavors.
“Everyone is kind of looking for some sort of connection, especially like nowadays,” Murilo said. “It’s
MURILO SANTOS
Co-owner, Boarding Pass Coffee
becoming more common for people to want to know what they’re consuming.”
Although many of the roasts are derived from beans from the farm in Brazil, the couple offers roasts from around the world — Ethiopia, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, Columbia and Costa Rica, to name a few.
“That coffee travels a long, long, long, long way to get here to us,” Murilo said.
The shop offers a passport book to customers, in which they can place unique logos representing a coffee they’ve tried along with the date it was roasted. Their downtown Alpharetta shop also features a travel-themed decor with seating reminiscent of vintage airlines and an aircraft fuselage hanging above the bar.
The Santoses receive the beans when they are still green. At their Milton location, they spend hours tasting and testing until roasts are perfect. Coffee’s complexity means a whole spectrum of flavors can be found within a single variety, depending on how it is roasted.
See COFFEE, Page 9
Appen
Continued from Page 8
“It’s a mix of science, art and experience,” Murilo said.
The five house roasts, which all come from the same kind of bean from the Santos farm, showcase a wide range of flavors, each a delight in its own right.
The lightest offers notes of honey and lemongrass. A darker roast tastes of dark chocolate and smoky caramel.
Boarding Pass invites customers looking for more in their coffee to explore those flavors with an hour-and-a-half
tasting class.
“You’re letting your tastebuds and senses work … People end up learning a lot,” Murilo said.
But for all the complexity and opportunity for sensory exploration, Christine says coffee also serves a simpler but no less important purpose.
It’s also about sharing an experience with friends and community members, which is why the business donates to local organizations like Alpharetta’s Partners for Care. They also have created a roast specially made and branded for Milton firefighters.
“It brings people together. It’s a connection point,” Christine said.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — East Forsyth High School will premiere two new plays written by Christopher Cleary, an Alpharetta author and former English teacher.
“Two Teachers Often Reform Teens Using Rotten Education,” to be directed by a student, and “Stay Away from the Bottomless Buffet,” to be directed by Cleary, will be presented Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at East Forsyth High School.
The full production runtime is around one hour. Tickets are $5.
Cleary is a regular guest artist at the Georgia Thespian Conference, which attracts over 5,000 high school students annually.
Drawing from his experience as a high school English teacher, Cleary captured the frustrations of students in the radio play “Teachers Often Reform Teens Using Rotten Education,” which he later adapted for the stage.
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The play follows a school principal, her trusted teachers and a unique type of consultant as they prepare for the new school year.
The evening will open with “Stay Away from the Bottomless Buffet,” a brief story about squirrels dealing with a crisis.
Addison Walden, East Forsyth High School Fine Arts Department chair and Theatre East director, spoke about the collaboration with a local playwright.
“When we first read ‘Teachers Often Reform Teens Using Rotten Education’ in class near the end of last year, it was obvious that students connected with the satirical humor,” Walden said. “It’s invigorating to work on a new script with the author directing. Students have the unique opportunity of originating characters and helping shape the final script that the audience sees on stage.”
For more information, please contact EFHS Theatre Director Addison Walden via email at awalden@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
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JOHNS CREEK PHYSICAL THERAPY
One of the things people enjoy most with retirement is the increased amount of FREE TIME you suddenly have on your schedule. Many of us fill this time with busy work, running errands, traveling to see the sights or visit family, or just working on projects around the house. Regardless of what direction retirement sends you, there’s no disputing that you are probably doing more sitting than you ever did in your life. Increased sitting can lead to increased lower back pain.
Sitting is so detrimental to your overall health it is now considered the new smoking. With sitting, comes increased muscle tightness. Over time, this can affect your standing posture. If you don’t believe me, just visit a retirement home and watch as some of the residents walk around with a posture like they are still sitting down.
Did you know you don’t have to see a doctor before starting Physical Therapy?
In addition to muscle tightness, there is an area of your back that is often misunderstood by most doctors and underappreciated as a source of lower back pain. This area is called the sacroiliac joint, or the SI joint for short. SI joint dysfunction is almost impossible to pick up on an x-ray. However, a physical therapist can easily evaluate this problem and it is very easy to treat.
When back pain strikes, most people make an appointment with their doctor to see what’s going on. At the doctor’s office, an x-ray is often a normal first step in the evaluation process. Research studies show that if you are at retirement age, there is a 90% chance your x-ray will show you have degenerative disc disease, which
is a flattening of the discs in the spine. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always explain “why” your back is hurting. Muscle tightness and SI joint dysfunction are much more likely to be the reasons why your back is hurting, and x-rays don’t do a good job of evaluating either one of those. This is why in many cases, the x-ray might have been a complete waste of time.
Depending on your situation, most doctors will recommend seeing a Physical Therapist as a first treatment option. But did you know you don’t have to see a doctor before starting Physical Therapy? A change in the licensure law in 2015 allows patients to skip the wait to see the doctor and come straight in to see the Physical Therapist and the visits are still covered by your insurance.
If you are having more lower back pain after retirement, call us today and ask for a complimentary consultation to see if we can help.
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Drake House fundraiser celebrates its 20th year
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Hundreds of visitors walked around the grounds of Roswell United Methodist Church Aug. 25, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’.
Miss Mary’s is one of The Drake House’s signature fundraisers, named after North Fulton humanitarian Mary Drake. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness to achieve economic independence and long-term stability.
It featured more than 35 volunteer organizations, or “crankers,” that provided samples of their homemade ice cream, entered into four juried categories: Best Vanilla, Best Chocolate, Best Fruit and Best Other Flavor.
Nesha Mason, president of The Drake House, said $50,000 was the fundraising goal that hot Sunday afternoon. Last year, Miss Mary’s cranked out around $44,000 to support families.
Mason recalled the beginnings of The Drake House, when community leaders fresh out of the Leadership North Fulton program realized there was a problem of homelessness that was disproportionately affecting single mothers and their children.
“So they thought: how can we raise funds and awareness to be able to provide the housing and resources needed, or even just to start remedying this problem,” Mason said. “And, Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ was formed.”
Visitors, with smiles on their faces conversing about the unique flavor they just picked up from a cranker, were from all over North Fulton. Monica Geddis and her 6-year-old daughter Mackenzie had moved outside of Roswell but returned for Miss Mary’s.
“My favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip,” Mackenzie said, in the middle of trying a sample, colorful and filled with M&M’s. “We’re trying to find peppermint.”
Many kids were on the other side of the event, serving up ice cream, like the fourth and fifth grade students at Atlanta Academy, who would later win first place in Best Chocolate.
See CRANK, Page 13
It was a feeling that could best be described as “foreign,” especially with all this “suck-thelife-right-out-of-you” humidity that has turned sitting outside on the deck with friends into a real life Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
This was a feeling that caused me to rub my hands together. It seemed like years ago since I’d had any sliver of a shiver.
I was on an early evening Harley ride and I was chilly. In an instant of self-realization, I soon discovered that a T-shirt and vest was a woeful riding wardrobe choice.
Cruising past the Dairy Queen in Dahlonega, the promo for a Blizzard gave me a welcomed chill.
Could it be? Were we moving to the pleasant autumn that means nice weather. In reality, the temperature that doesn’t induce buckets of perspiration is a spot-on indication that college football is once again upon us.
Ahhhhhh! What a great feeling!
Back to the riding. It’s been a regular 7 p.m. occurrence with good friend Jerry Nix and whoever else we can entice to a trek that will take us on a variety of routes that both relax and give us a gorgeous glimpse of a breathtaking pink-hued sunset.
These early evening rides seem to be a perfect ending to a summer day.
* Despite all the controversy about the opening ceremonies, the Paris Olympics provided some compelling moments. The closing ceremonies with Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff and out of an airplane set the table for what will be a Hollywood-
themed Olympiad in four years.
While I found the sacrilegious, offensive portion of the opening presentation something that gave Paris a black eye to start the Games, the rest of the 16 days seemed to pretty go without a major hitch.
The athletic performance was a testimony to teams and individuals striving for and (in many cases) achieving excellence in their respective events.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to develop a greater appreciation for anyone who is able to call themselves an Olympian. And despite what others wrote, I still believe Atlanta did a darned fine job in 1996, despite a lunatic’s bomb spoiling what was a celebration of Atlanta and its people.
I found the nightly dose of athletics (track and field), swimming, gymnastics and basketball entertainment that is sorely missed. My prevalent reaction to what I viewed was “How did they do that?”
With that said, I believe having events like surfing in Tahiti, skateboarding, breaking (as in “break dancing,”) or rock wall climbing served to taint what I believe is a sport.
I know, I know there are many who will disagree.
I guess I’m just getting older and crankier.
However, a recent column about starting the school in early August struck a nerve with readers who agreed. And it’s apparent that some teachers aren’t all that thrilled with everyone having to go to summer school whether they like it or not.
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.
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Pugh Robert Flint
How do you get healthy gardens and yards? It all starts with healthy soil! How do we know if we have healthy soil? Just bring some soil to The University of Georgia (UGA) Extension office. They will have your soil tested to provide a report on the nutrients and pH of your soil and a detailed recommendation to improve the soil as needed. This report is an essential guide to maintaining healthy soil for whatever we want to grow.
Our yards and gardens need an annual or semiannual soil checkup. Our bodies deserve an annual checkup to make sure our organs are functioning as they should. Our swimming pools deserve a weekly checkup to make sure the chemical levels are balanced, and microbiological organisms are in check. In the same way, our yards and gardens deserve the benefit of a soil check for optimal maintenance. Our plants will gather nutrients from the soil and produce color, fruits, strength, and structure that cannot be obtained from weak or deficient soil.
What is healthy soil? First, healthy soil delivers structural support for the roots to grow and sustain the plant. Second, soil provides water and nutrients for your plants. The soil holds water and acts like a purification system as water passes through it. Healthy soil helps break down organic waste and recycles nutrients back to the environment. The soil also provides a habitat for beneficial microbes and animals. Finally, the soil is good for our ecology as it stores and releases beneficial gases like oxygen and nitrogen.
What do you get with a soil test from UGA Extension? You will get a professional analysis of your soil, which will indicate the pH (a measurement of acidity and alkalinity) and the measurement of key elements in your soil. Macronutrients are those that are required in larger amounts such as: Nitrogen(N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Grass (sod) and garden areas should be sampled separately. You will get a professional recommendation of what
your soil needs and how to achieve it.
How do you collect soil samples?
Note: You only need about 1 pint (2 cups) of soil for each area!
• For each turf area (example: tall fescue or bermudagrass) you will collect 8 to 12 samples of soil. The samples should be taken from random locations in the yard using a zig-zag pattern. Collect a small “slice” of dirt from ground level to a depth of 4 inches. Put all the soil from the area being tested into a plastic (not metal) bucket, pulverize the soil, and mix thoroughly, and lay your sample on newspaper or a trash bag to air dry thoroughly. After your soil is dry, put this sample into a plastic zip lock bag.
• For each ornamental area (trees, roses, blueberries, etc.) gather several samples from inside the drip line (leaf/branch edge). Again, you will pulverize and mix the soil in a plastic bucket, let it air dry, and place it in a plastic zip lock bag. Note: Mark each bag clearly as you want an individual report for each desired location.
• Use this website for a more detailed explanation of “how to” soil collection instructions: https:// extension.uga.edu/publications/
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Rock Reed, a master gardener intern. Rock is a resident of Alpharetta, GA and recently retired. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Walden University. Rock enjoys teaching, running, and (of course) gardening. He has experience with farming in Iowa, where large gardens are the norm. He has volunteered on Habitat for Humanity projects and leading children’s clubs and organizations.
detail.html?number=C896&title=soiltesting-for-home-lawns-gardens-andwildlife-food-plots
How do you submit a soil sample to UGA Extension? It’s easy! You can bring collected soil from important areas of your yard and garden to your local UGA Extension office. If you collected soil from multiple locations, please remember to have each sample clearly identified with the different
TABLE BY ROCK REED/PROVIDED Most of us rarely consider how each mineral in our soil makes a difference in how healthy our plants are! Different plants use and need specific nutrients and soil acidity (pH). As an example, above are some common plants and their pH requirements. Note: Expanded tests are available for more detailed testing and are usually used for commercial industrial applications. Please contact your local UGA Extension agent for more information.
locations in a zip lock bag. Bring your samples to your Fulton County Extension office (address and contact information below), and you will get a report back in 10-14 days at a cost of $12 per soil sample for a Routine Test. The analysis is a bit technical—it will give a detailed breakdown of current pH (soil acidity), minerals, and nutrients. However, the recommendations are easy to follow and implement. In laymen’s terms, they give specific nutrients to add and suggested amounts.
The test is easy, and the results will help bring you gardening success. Take out the speculation and become a garden guru without guessing what your garden needs.
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. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.
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The money collected from the projects will fund a variety of transportation projects, but Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills cautioned they will not be enough to solve the county’s traffic issues.
Last year, about $3.8 million was collected, she said. A mile of four-lane highway can cost more than $20 million.
secutive years with a six-month rest period before applying for additional permits.
City Councilwoman Erin Elwood asked that it be more a “pilot program” and that Community Development Director Ben Song report back with results after a year.
A formal vote will take place at a future regular meeting.
Budget talk
Also at the work session Aug. 19, the City Council worked through its budgeting process for fiscal year 2025. The second hearing, as well as adoption, of the new budget has been scheduled for Sept. 9 as part of the City Council meeting that evening.
Some budget items received more airtime during the council’s discussion, like how to set revenue projections.
Council members weighed two options: project revenue growth at $70 million, which only considers new growth and ignores reassessments
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Felicia Hutt, a fourth grade teacher at Atlanta Academy, said 30 to 40 students were signed up to volunteer throughout the two-hour event. Hutt said the school has participated in Miss Mary’s for about a decade. She, herself, has attended for seven years.
“This is a tradition that we do at our school,” Hutt said. “It’s for such a great cause, and it gets our kids to get a little bit of volunteer work in, and they have so much fun making the ice cream and coming up with the flavors.”
Not far from the Atlanta Academy team, the Rotary Club of Roswell members were on a mission.
“We’ve been test-sampling them
Residential developments would see an increase in impact fees for roads under a proposed Forsyth County ordinance.
Commissioner Laura Semanson said the decision to raise the fees shifts the burden of supporting infrastructure from taxpayers to develop -
from the 2024 tax digest, or at $200 million, which considers both.
While the city has historically moved with the more conservative approach, council members had opted for the alternative last year due to a budget surplus of $8.5 million. The leftover cash resulted in concern over transparency in the city’s budgeting process.
With a $200 million assumption, the city projects $1.3 million more in property tax revenue.
City Councilwoman Stacy Skinner said the less conservative projection would ensure that the council allocates the budget on the front end, rather than waiting to spend money later with the surplus.
Mayor John Bradberry called the issue “gimmicky.” He said that it made the most sense that the city move with a projection that had been used in the past.
But, Finance Director Ronnie Campbell said the $200 million figure, which had been calculated based on a five-year trend, was his recommendation — primarily because of the council’s recent decision to hold the millage rate steady, rather than to roll it back.
at our weekly meetings for about a month,” said member Mary Price, who had been a judge at Miss Mary’s since it began. This year was the first time she chose to make the ice cream. “So, everybody would bring their flavor in, and we’d embarrass them or cheer for them.”
The Drake House is one of the main nonprofits the Rotary Club of Roswell supports. It, and more than a dozen others, will benefit from the club’s 2024 Charity Golf and Tennis Tournament at Brookfield Country Club Sept. 9.
In a raised area above the sea of tents and visitors was the group of judges, featuring state Sen. John Albers, members of the Roswell City Council, pastors and other community partners.
Karen Faber, who’s been a volunteer at Miss Mary’s for the past 15 years,
ers, who should bear their burden of the costs.
The Commission considered using impact fees to support projects within the areas they are paid, but County Manager David McKee cautioned against that tack.
Some parts of the county, he said, generate more fees, potentially leaving some projects to languish.
“I’m trying to make the assumptions equal with the previous action of the council,” Campbell said.
The council also reevaluated its calendar of special events, with a lastminute proposal from City Councilman Bob Erramilli. He suggested the Diwali and Lunar New Year celebrations be consolidated into the city’s International Festival.
Questions were posed to City Manager Kimberly Greer whether the newest city events have been a financial issue. Because of the success in sponsorships, Greer said her concerns stem in crowd and traffic control.
Councilwoman Elwood argued that the city should keep the events.
“I think that they’re really valuable contributions to our community that we as the city provide to our residents,” she said.
Referencing a conversation she had, Elwood said that because the city doesn’t have a downtown area, special events are a way for the community to gather.
“My family goes to all of these, and we find that we are celebrating Johns Creek,” she said.
After Greer implored the council
coordinated the group of judges. She said about every 15 minutes, crankers bring up samples for taste-testing. Using a score sheet, judges rated samples on a scale of one to eight.
“It’s a very competitive situation,” Faber said. “People fight to be a judge.”
Roswell City Councilwoman Sara Beeson, a judge for Best Chocolate, said the crankers “came to win.” Beeson shared her approach to distinguishing the many flavors of chocolate coming her way. She said the trick is to have an “open-minded palate.”
“I feel like I’ve watched a lot of ‘Food Network,’ that has prepared me for this moment,” Beeson said. “Really, this is my time to shine. I have been eating chocolate ice cream and chocolate my entire life, and so I feel like I was prepared for this role.”
Ethan Underwood, an attorney who represents developers and property owners, said the fee increase will be passed on to residents from developers in the total price of new homes. The fees, he said, could also drive increases in property values by the Board of Assessors, who would include the fees in the total price of a home.
“It’s very popular to beat up on developers and say we want developers to pay their fair share,” Underwood said. “But the reality is this is a passthrough fee.”
to decide whether to cancel the Diwali event in October during the work session because of time constraints, councilmembers agreed to move forward with the event as planned.
According to the city’s website, the Diwali Festival will be held at City Hall Oct. 26 and 27, from noon to 5 p.m.
At the regular meeting following the work session, the City Council unanimously approved plans that would allow for a 1,982-square foot Dunkin’ coffee shop with a drive-thru in the Abbotts Village at Ocee shopping center on Jones Bridge Road.
Plans call for demolishing a 7,105-square-foot commercial building on the .75-acre subject parcel to construct the business.
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Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc.
Business Integration Analyst
Alpharetta, GA
Remote position
Responsibilities: Provide integration consulting & business process definition. Responsible for implementing Landis+Gyr’s proprietary GridStream Meter Data Management Systems (“MDMS”) & Advance Metering Infrastructure (“AMI”) solutions. Configure MDMS for internal processing to prepare data for CIS (Customer Information System) & data warehouses or data lakes. Up to 20% domestic travel to unanticipated client sites.
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Software Engineer
Alpharetta GA
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Continued from Page 1
“It’s said that if we don’t say their names, they’re forgotten,” Mizell said. “And four years ago … [we] made a promise to the parents of the 13 — their children’s sacrifice will never ever, ever be forgotten.”
Mizell said the fallen troops “were there to help people.”
The 13 killed by a suicide bomber Aug. 26, 2021, at the airport’s chaotic Abbey Gate, were:
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, 20
• Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23
• Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31
• Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23
• Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20
• Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23
• Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario, 25
• Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, 20
• Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak, 22
The former head of the O’Callahan Assembly, Mitchell Touart, declared the annual event will continue “as long as we are physically able.” Representatives from the Marine Corps and the Georgia National Guard played ceremonial roles in the memorial.
Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold Fields delivered the ceremony’s keynote remarks. Fields, a Vietnam veteran who retired from the military in 2004, was the first presidentially appointed watchdog protecting more than $61 billion in Afghanistan reconstruction funds. The former two-star general hails from South Carolina’s Lowcountry and now lives in the Atlanta area.
Fields and the other speakers reflected on the twofold courage of those killed at Abbey Gate: They volunteered to join a military
Aug. 26,
mired in a decades-long war, and they tirelessly worked to evacuate civilians in Kabul at great personal risk.
“Those 13 could have been any one of our children, or any one of our neighbors [or] anyone that we may have loved,” Fields said.
In an interview after the ceremony, Fields emphasized the youth of those who died in Kabul — the average age of the Kabul 13 was slightly less than the reported average age of those killed in Vietnam, the retired general said.
“To the extent that we can accomplish our national objectives without physical combat, we should always strive for that,” he said.
