Commissioners discuss zoning for The Gathering, a multibillion-dollar project that aims to attract an NHL franchise, at their Oct. 22 meeting.
Commissioners consider phasing rules for The Gathering project
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The multibillion-dollar Gathering project may be able to proceed with a scaled down plan if it fails to attract a National Hockey League franchise, commissioners said at an Oct. 23 work session.
If the $2 billion mega-mixed-use development project off Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road does not attract a team, it also would lose an arena, hotels, retail space and hundreds of homes.
Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group submitted in March a petition to attract an NHL franchise at North Point Mall. New York Life Co., the
insurer that owns the property, said they have plans to create a mixed-use project around the team.
Construction at the Gathering is set to be completed in four phases with the last three contingent on obtaining the construction of an arena, according to county documents.
See PROJECT, Page 14
$2 billion Gathering project
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A ballot measure for the Nov. 5 election will ask voters to allow a tax district that will streamline the repayment of bonds for the $2 billion Gathering development.
Voters are being asked whether to approve “redevelopment powers” allowed under a state law.
Passage of the measure would allow the county to form a tax allocation district, or TAD, to help service $225 million in bonds anticipated for funding the project.
The Gathering, which hopes to include a National Hockey League team on the site, is not dependent on voter approval of the TAD, County Manager David McKee said. But creating such a district would assure the 20-year bonds are repaid through an increase in ad valorem taxes, he said.
Forsyth County ballot question “Shall the Act be approved which authorizes Forsyth County to exercise all redevelopment powers allowed under the ‘Redevelopment Powers Law,’ as it may be amended from time to time solely in the designated 100.3 acres of property designated for ‘The Gathering at South Forsyth’ project?”
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Fake PayPal rep scams woman after deception by bingo app
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Lawrenceville woman reported a theft by deception to deputies Oct. 18.
The woman, who works near Cumming, said scammers had stolen money from her bank account after she downloaded an app, according to an Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. The woman downloaded “Bingo Cash,” a game, which asked her for her PayPal information to deposit $79.50.
After entering her information, she discovered $79.50 was removed from her account.
She attempted to contact PayPal after her bank advised the transaction could be reversed more quickly by contacting the company.
The woman Googled the customer service number for PayPal but mistakenly contacted a fraudulent number.
The alleged PayPal scammer asked her to download apps and transfer money to them.
The PayPal scammer took a total of $900 from her account, leaving it with a negative balance of $400.
Driver arrested on DUI charge with barrel under vehicle
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies arrested a Cumming woman Oct. 18 on a driving under the influence charge after she allegedly pulled into a gas station with a construction barrel under her vehicle.
Deputies saw the woman pull into a gas station on Atlanta Highway with the barrel under the front of her vehicle, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. The woman appeared to be unsteady on her feet after exiting to look at the barrel.
The woman was arrested after deputies completed an intoxicated driving investigation.
Reported speeder pinched for reckless driving
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Cumming man was arrested on a reckless driving charge after clipping another vehicle Oct. 19.
Deputies were dispatched to a report of a crash on the northbound lanes of Ga. 400 near the Shiloh Road bridge, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
A 20-year-old Buford woman said she was changing lanes when a gray BMW struck her side mirror. The woman said she had checked her mirrors and activated her turning signal before making the lane change.
The BMW’s driver, a 29-year-old Cumming man, declined to tell deputies how fast he was going, saying, “I wasn’t born yesterday” and “I’m willing to say it wasn’t felonious.”
Another driver said he decided to remain at the location because he suspected one of the drivers would say they were not speeding.
That driver described the BMW as speeding so fast he felt like he was “standing still.”
The man estimated the BMW’s speed at at least 100 mph. He also said the BMW was moving too fast for the woman to have noticed it.
The man said the BMW’s driver told him he was driving “at least 90.”
— Jon Wilcox
Roswell man faces felony after arrest on warrants
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 50-year-old Roswell man Oct. 18 after Flock Safety cameras alerted officers to outstanding warrants related to methamphetamine possession.
Officers said they conducted a search of the area where the wanted man’s license plate was captured,
locating him at the Quick Trip air pump at West Crossville Road (Ga. 92) and Crabapple Road.
An officer said the man was wanted for failing to appear on a warrant through Cherokee County.
The officer said he arrested the suspect and found a Ruger .44 Magnum handgun, 4.6 grams of methamphetamine and a pipe in his possession.
Officers transported the suspect to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center before taking him to Fulton County Jail.
On top of the Cherokee County warrant, the suspect faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and a firearm during the commission of felony.
Roswell man faces felony after arrest on warrants
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police arrested a 50-year-old Roswell man Oct. 18 after Flock Safety cameras alerted officers to outstanding warrants related to methamphetamine possession.
Officers said they conducted a search of the area where the wanted man’s license plate was captured, locating him at the Quick Trip air pump at West Crossville Road (Ga. 92) and Crabapple Road.
An officer said the man was wanted for failing to appear on a warrant through Cherokee County.
The officer said he arrested the suspect and found a Ruger .44 Magnum handgun, 4.6 grams of methamphetamine and a pipe in his possession.
Officers transported the suspect to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center before taking him to Fulton County Jail.
On top of the Cherokee County warrant, the suspect faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and a firearm during the commission of felony.
— Hayden Sumlin
ASK APPEN
Regional agency pushes aid plan for homebound to area counties
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — An Atlanta Regional Commission trial program reduced long waitlists for in-home care by allowing those in need to hire their own staff, the agency said.
If implemented by counties, the consumer-direct model could reduce backlogs and give caregivers more autonomy and flexibility, said Cara Pellino, access to services unit manager for the ARC.
In Fulton County, waitlists for all in-home services extend more than one year, with many on the sidelines several years, Pellino said. Many on the waitlists are people in immediate need.
“These are vulnerable individuals, some of whom have limited or no caregiver support in the community or may even be caregivers themselves,” she said. “The help is not there when they need it.”
The Atlanta Regional Commission is a regional planning agency. Its Area Agency on Aging serves 10 metro counties, including Fulton and DeKalb.
Often, homebound senior clients who seek in-home services through the 1965 federal Older Americans Act are placed on waiting lists while a case manager determines which services and resources are needed, Pellino said. The act provides funding to allow local and state agencies to provide care for older adults. Its services include home-delivered meals, health and wellness programs, in-home care, transportation, elder abuse prevention, caregiver support and adult day care, according to the nonprofit USAging.
Through the ARC’s consumer-directed model, those
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Cara Pellino, access to services unit manager for the Atlanta Regional Commission, gives a presentation on the organization’s consumer-direct program for caretakers and older adults at the ARC office in Downtown Atlanta Oct. 23.
seeking aid can bypass the normal process and directly hire their own care staff or request help from an agency.
“The assumption is that the person knows better about what they need,” Pellino said. “It’s about preference and choice.”
During its four years of operation which ended in September, the ARC program served 68 clients and seniors in all 10 counties its Area Agency on Aging covers. About 75 percent chose to hire their own employees or family members. About 20 percent opted for finding care through an agency.
The ARC used federal COVID-19 funding to start the
program, hoping it would serve as a “proof of concept,” said Becky Kurtz, manager of ARC’s Aging & Health Resources Division.
“We were like, ‘Let’s show the value of this,’” Kurtz said. Studies on consumer-direct care programs have shown no increase in fraud than traditional models, Pellino said.
Next, the ARC plans to apply the consumer-direct model to services offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
ARC officials will visit veterans who need services and help them complete the necessary paperwork to enroll and hire their own caregivers.
Consumer-direct service models could and should be applied at local-level Area Agencies on Aging, Pellino and Kurtz said.
“They’re the ones that get the funding to pull people off the waiting list, to provide the homemaker personal care,” Pellino said. “So, if they had the consumer-directed model, they could probably really further reduce their waitlist.”
The ARC is ready to work with county governments to show them the benefits and how they can be implemented, Kurtz said.
“We’ve had experience with it over the last few years,” Kurtz said. “We can coach you through it. We really want you all to be trying this at the county level.”
Georgia ranks 47th in the nation for access to consumer-directed programs, Pellino said. Local governments may be wary of trying out a model that is unfamiliar, but she said there’s nothing to be afraid of.
“Try it,” Pellino said. “Instead of having people on multiple waitlists, they could use the same dollar amount … and be more efficient.”
Early voting for general election ends Nov. 1
By ZOE SEILER zseiler@decaturish.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — This is the last week of early voting for the general election. Early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 1.
Polls are open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Fulton and DeKalb counties, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Forsyth County.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Georgia has surpassed voting records so far in the 2024 election.
Over 2.9 million ballots have been cast in the state – 216,688 in DeKalb County, 331,622 in Fulton County and 89,055 in Forsyth County, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s website as of about 3:30 p.m. Oct. 28. Atlanta News First reported that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is projecting the state to hit about four million votes by the end of early voting.
In addition to local county elections, the president and vice presidential races will be on the ballot. All U.S. and state legislators are up for election as well, and the My Voter Page will show voters who their representatives are.
Voters can check their registration
A vote sign on display ahead of an election.
status, see their sample ballot and Election Day voting precinct on the state’s My Voter Page by visiting mvp.sos. ga.gov.
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot
• Local Fulton County races on the ballot are the District Attorney, Fulton County Board of Commissioners District
2, 4 and 6 as well as several other uncontested county officials.
• Local DeKalb County races on the ballot are the DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer, DeKalb Board of Commissioners Districts 1 and 3-7, as well as several other uncontested county officials. Decaturish’s voters guide has more information about the DeKalb County candidates. Visit decaturish.com for more information.
• Local Forsyth County races on the ballot are Forsyth Board of Commissioners Districts 2, 4 and 5 as well as Forsyth County Board of Education Districts 2, 3 and 4. Other uncontested county officials are also on the ballot.
Voting absentee
Absentee ballots must be returned to a ballot box by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the latest to a drop box or a county registrar’s office. Absentee ballots can be returned at any time before Nov. 5.
Absentee ballots can be returned in person, through a drop box or mailed.
• In Forsyth County, absentee ballots can be returned to the Voter Registrations and Elections Office, a drop box at the office or by mail. The address for the Forsyth VRE Office is 1201 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040. Visit forsythco. com/vote for more information.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Passion for environment drives Stormwater staff
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Stormwater Utility Manager Cory Rayburn was still energized days after a presentation on Creekside Park at the Southeast Stormwater Association’s Annual Regional Stormwater Conference.
On the third floor of City Hall, he began an hour-long conversation by describing the many benefits of the project, the city’s biggest to date at nearly $36 million. Stormwater Engineer Roman Carey, a self-described lifelong “tree hugger,” sat across from Rayburn in the room covered in maps.
A large screen showed unseen park renderings, and at one point, data on weather extremes, illustrating a progressive situation that spoke to the urgency of their role in the Public Works division.
It hasn’t rained since Hurricane Helene swept through Metro Atlanta, bringing with it 10 inches of rainfall in two days.
“We’ve had the driest October on record,” Rayburn said. “...It’s these extreme events that really put a lot of pressure on our infrastructure and our drinking water resources.”
City staff in the Stormwater Department oversee water quantity and water quality. That day, Stormwater Inspector Dahn Nguyen was out sampling waterways around Johns Creek for E. coli.
A novel approach
In August, city leaders broke ground on Creekside Park, the tentative name for the 21-acre plot behind City Hall. It’s an innovative project.
The park’s upper pond will feature an amphitheater and deck over the water, terraced seating and pedestrian access areas, including a 15-foot-wide boardwalk that stretches to a lower constructed wetland area. There will also be a trail connection to the pedestrian tunnel under Medlock Bridge Road, the park’s southern gateway.
The project seeks more than to activate the area with a green space for visitors to enjoy, but it also has major utility. Rayburn said it will add around 4.5 million gallons of stormwater storage for the entire area downstream.
He said the plan is to reduce the water in the lower wetland pond about 5 feet and regrade it into a series of shallow and deep wetland pools, then planting native species.
The pond will help with downstream flooding as well as water quality. Plus, the extra detention volume encourages growth in the Town Center area.
Rayburn said it’s an economic incentive, saving upstream developers up to millions of dollars in creating a detention
CIVIC DUTIES: In a new series from Appen Media, Civic Duties will take readers behind the scenes of local government. Senior Reporter Amber Perry and her colleagues will shadow employees across different city departments and turn those experiences into original reporting, so residents get a closer look at what exactly local governments provide the community.
pond themselves. It also saves space, giving developers more buildable area.
“For us, it’s a win-win,” Rayburn said. “We’re doing good for the downstream folks, but we’re also providing some economic incentive for redevelopment upstream, and we’re using constructed wetlands to do it. It’s kind of a novel approach.”
‘Headwall to headwall’
Aside from coordinating new projects, the team oversees repairs to the existing stormwater infrastructure. That’s 23,000 assets — 150 miles of pipes as well as manholes, catch basins and other structures.
The city has spent around $11 million
on operating and maintaining its stormwater system since it implemented the Stormwater Utility in 2021, and Rayburn said Johns Creek is ahead of schedule.
More than 1,700 stormwater assets have been maintained by removing excess sediment; around 80,000 feet of pipe has been cleaned; and more than 400 pipe segments, spanning 30,000 feet, have been repaired, replaced or lined.
Rayburn said the city’s use of “trenchless technologies” have resulted in significant cost savings. They extend the life of a pipe by 80 years and cut the price of a traditional repair in half.
One practice, called “cured-in-place pipe lining,” works by forcing a flexible liner into an existing pipe and curing it with steam to create a new pipe. Another process, called “spincasting,” uses a remotecontrolled robot to spray the insides of an existing pipe with a fiber-reinforced cement that hardens in place.
“So, we’re extending the life of these pipes without having to dig up roads and without having to dig up yards,” Rayburn said.
Without the city’s stormwater credits — incentives to good stewards — and if all $70 annual household bills were paid, the utility would bring in around $3.2 million to maintain, repair and improve the city’s stormwater system.
And, in Johns Creek, one of the newer Metro Atlanta cities to implement the program, the service extends “headwall to headwall,” meaning the city can help repair pipes on private property that are connected to the public right of way.
Carey does most of the reconnaissance, checking out complaints or issues, overseeing a lot of the repair work. He engages with residents regularly, advising them of the opportunity for the city to step in and take the burden, so long as they grant the easement, or right of entry.
City assistance
Carey said homeowners often assume repairs are the city’s responsibility anyway, but that’s a misconception. Carey’s role involves a lot of education.
Johns Creek Stormwater Utility Manager Cory Rayburn and Stormwater Engineer Roman Carey stand next to a map of plans for Creekside Park, which includes constructed wetlands that will add 4.5 million gallons of stormwater storage.
Civic:
Continued from Page 6
“A lot of calls that I go out to, what I hear is, ‘You guys neglected the system for 10 years,’” Carey said. “‘Well, this system, this pipe, is through your property. Technically, you neglected it for 10 years, but we have the ability to help you.’”
Sometimes, a pipe on someone’s private property can affect a larger system, like a project that Carey oversaw last year in the Foxmoor subdivision, a neighborhood developed in the early ’90s. Ten properties were affected.
“Essentially, the entire pipe system was undersized, which was causing flooding within the cul-de-sac, which led to water issues for individual residents who weren’t even touching the pipe systems,” he said.
While pipes in the public right of way are often made of concrete, ones through residents’ yards are typically made of corrugated metal which is good for about 40 years. If ignored, Rayburn said they will start to collapse, causing sinkholes, or in worst-case scenarios, washed-out, collapsed roadways.
“It’s much more expensive than to do the preventative maintenance,” Rayburn said, adding that the city has an asset management strategy that prioritizes repair and maintenance.
Future relief
Rayburn said the City of Johns Creek is exploring a grant-funded program for residents experiencing the detrimental impact of stormwater to their property, like erosion — issues that fall out of the city’s jurisdiction in its extent of service.
Appen Media previously reported on backyard erosion in the Parsons Run subdivision and recently visited the home of a couple in Lexington Woods experiencing a similar issue.
Using walking sticks, Ronald and
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED
Pictured is a damaged stormwater pipe. Since the City of Johns Creek implemented its Stormwater Utility in 2021, it has spent around $11 million on stormwater infrastructure repairs, operations, and maintenance.
Trevolyn Sullivan descended the steep slope of their back yard, arriving at a trench that has expanded over time. They said a tree from their neighbors’ yard had recently fallen into the yard of someone living across the way.
“Homes are beginning to move down,” Trevolyn said, adding the expensive efforts of her neighbors to build up their embankments to slow erosion and the legal limitations on construction allowed in the area.
Erosion is affecting nearly a dozen homes in Lexington Woods.
The Sullivans were told about the city’s grant program, which has more than $420,000 in funding in fiscal year 2025. The application process will be open sometime next year, once it’s finalized.
Applicants will be able to install green infrastructure on their property like rain gardens, permeable pavement as well as stream restoration projects.
“There’s about 10 different mechanisms of improving water quality downstream and preventing some of those erosion issues,” Rayburn said.
He noted that the environmental permitting process on the city’s stream restoration project, currently in the works,
took 18 months. It will restore 1,500 linear feet of stream bank and add a multi-use, 10-foot-wide trail connecting McGinnis Ferry Road to Creekside Park.
“There’s kind of a quicker way to do some of that kind of stream bank work, but we’re currently talking with [the Environmental Protection Division of the state Department of Natural Resources,] the folks that kind of regulate the buffers and variance process,” Rayburn said.
He emphasized the issue is not just in Johns Creek.
“Everywhere you have development, you start seeing degraded streams,” Rayburn said.
Impact of dog waste
Rayburn, who has a bachelor’s degree in environmental health science, said he’s always been a “policy geek.” Later, he earned a master’s degree in civil engineering.
“I’ve wanted to try to implement policies that will protect homeowners and to improve water quality and improve the environment,” he said.
Since Rayburn joined the City of Johns Creek in 2021, the City Council has passed
a dog waste ordinance. Pet owners in violation must pay a fine.
“It’s not something we talk about all the time, but it’s important,” he said.
Last year, Rayburn worked with Student Leadership Johns Creek to develop a survey on dog waste and pamphlets on the city’s stormwater system, handed out at Pup-a-Palooza.
The city is plagued with impaired creeks and streams, meaning they don’t meet the state requirements for fishing, swimming and other recreation. Rayburn said one of the main contributions to the poor water quality is dog poop.
Rayburn oversaw a series of master plans that addressed the issue, identifying a number of projects across three major areas in Johns Creek that could help improve water quality.
Master plans help obtain grant money.
Just this past year, he said the city has received almost $1 million to help with bigger projects, like the stream restoration effort near Creekside Park.
“There’s an unprecedented amount of funds for infrastructure,” Rayburn said. “Having those master plans really help smaller, medium-sized cities to really get some of those federal grant dollars.”
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Trevolyn and Ronald Sullivan describe the nearby eroded embankment in their backyard in the Lexington Woods subdivision.
Three kid-preneurs take reins of family business
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga — In 2015, Mom Adwoa
Asenso-Okyere started a business she called Akoma Collections designing and making bags and jewelry. She got acquainted with the local trade show market and would attend them as a vendor with her three young children.
Papa Yaw, now 11, Akoma, 9, and Nshira, 7, took an interest in what their mom was doing, prompting the family to transition the business with a new name and have the parents take a supporting role while their children are in the driver’s seat.
Today, AsenSoul Inspirations, based out of Cumming, still attends trade shows with jewelry, bags, journals and other goods, but the true focus of their business now revolves around creating media. Snowballing from the first idea of writing a children’s book, AsenSoul sells coloring books, with more in the works, and has a presence on social media with kid-created and kid-focused content.
AsenSoul Inspirations will make its next in-person appearance Nov. 16 at the Fall Children’s Business Market in Stone Mountain. Their books and coloring books are available on Amazon as well.
Mom Adwoa says their goal as a family is to promote balance.
“Each of them is involved in different extracurricular activities,” she said, “but the point [of having them take the ropes] is they have realized they can do anything they put their minds to. They’re not too young. The sky is truly the limit and I think they’ve seen that.”
From left, Adwoa, Papa Yaw, Akoma, and Nshira Asenso-Okyere attend A Taste of Black
business, AsenSoul Inspirations, focuses on cultural education and empowerment.
AsenSoul Inspirations frequents
KidBiz Expos to help introduce other children to “Kid-preneurs” that are in a similar position while gaining life skills as they learn about business. In the Asenso-Okyere family, each child has their own responsibilities within the business.
Papa Yaw is the social media manager for AsenSoul Inspirations
and runs their TikTok and YouTube accounts. He also has a podcast called AsenSoul Kid Talk where he interviews other kids about current events and their world views.
Papa Yaw manages another platform the business handles called FunFam. This is where they have information about activities and events, focusing on cultural adventures.
Akoma handles the production of many of the goods sold at trade shows, including the jewelry and the refreshments at their booth. She’s also responsible for the idea of the children’s book that led to their business transformation, now published, titled “Yo Bro, I Am Not a Monkey.”
See ASENSOUL, Page 9
ASENSOUL INSPIRATIONS/PROVIDED
Gwinnett in Norcross Oct. 18. Their
BUSINESSPOSTS
ASENSOUL INSPIRATIONS/PROVIDED
“Yo Bro, I Am Not a Monkey” was published to help educate other children in response to Akoma’s experience in elementary school.
AsenSoul:
Continued from Page 8
Mom Adwoa detailed the process of writing, illustrating and publication, explaining that her daughter’s experience throughout pre-K and elementary school came to a head the first week of this school year when another incident of racist and hurtful language took place.
“We don’t know the angle they’re coming from, but there’s ways to help,” Adwoa said. “We’re doing this not spitefully but in love, to educate and to help people.”
Akoma told said that her goal in creating “Yo Bro” was to “touch people’s hearts and let them know they are respected,” fostering more tolerance and love to those in need.
Another positive result made from a troublesome situation has been the cultural empowerment club, the Difference Makers, that Akoma formed in her school. The club features cultural diversity presentations and other events to promote education and inclusion.
Mom Adwoa says, “I think she’s seen some of the fruits of that at school already.”
Nshira is the creative director of the jewelry operation, coordinating the design before it goes to production with Akoma. Nshira felt inspired by her older sister creating a book and said she “wanted to uplift girls like me to know
Local businesses, personalities recognized in reader election
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
Asen-Soul Inspiration upcoming events:
• Nov. 16: Fall Children’s Business Market at D7 Lounge in Stone Mountain, Ga., 9-3 pm
• Nov. 30: Holly Jolly Market (Kid Biz Expo) at 4096 E Cherokee Dr Canton, Ga., 10-3 pm
• Dec. 13: A Taste of Black Gwinnett at Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center, 6-10 pm
Instagram: @Asensoul_Inspirations
YouTube: @Asensoul_Inspirations
TikTok: @Asensoul_Inspirations
they are beautiful, valued and worthy of respect.”
The method to accomplish this, coloring books.
Nshira’s first coloring book is titled “Unapologetically Me,” which features inspiring words and images aimed to encourage young girls and highlight different cultures, backgrounds and dreams. A second coloring book, “Colorful Cultures,” highlights historic landmarks and cultural aspects of more than 50 countries to draw attention to the beauty of diversity.
Akoma has plans to make “Yo Bro” a series with the help of some of the members of the Difference Makers club and their experiences facing mistreatment at school. They hope to increase awareness of cultural differences for more people and expand their scope. Papa Yaw and Nshira are also working on stories of their own to be published soon.
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Business owners and community members partied the night away Oct. 17 at Appen Media Group’s 2024 Best of North Atlanta Awards Gala.
The celebration honored winners of the Best of Atlanta contest. Over the course of a month, members of the community nominated their favorite businesses, selecting more than 300 winners and runners up. This year’s contest drew more than 107,000 votes.
More than 300 people attended the awards reception in a ballroom at Phase Events.
Guests indulged in gourmet canapés and desserts provided by A&S Culinary Concepts and wine and beer. Live music was provided by Ethyl's Envy.
Contest winners received certificates, many of which would be hung up in their offices and businesses.
The contest recognizes patrons’ enthusiasm for businesses in North Metro Atlanta, Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen said.
“It's a reflection of the quality of the business environment that we have in North Atlanta,” Appen said. “It’s exceptional. It’s unique. I think we're spoiled a bit in North Atlanta by not only how diverse a business community we have but the quality of the businesses.”
Mike Dorman, Appen director of sales and marketing, said the awards were a way to recognize hard
work and quality.
“It gives a lot of credibility to people looking at what businesses readers choose to visit in the community, and many of these winners have been consistently winning every year,” he said.
Marc Stewart, owner of Johns Creek Physical Therapy, has won every year since Appen Media introduced the physical therapy category in 2018.
For Stewart, receiving the award was humbling and a recognition of all that he’s given in service of his customers.
“When you're in the trenches and you're in the process of doing the work every day, you just hope that your effort is recognized,” he said.
Sophia Crawford, owner of Ground & Pound Coffee in the Alpharetta-Roswell area, thanked those who voted for her business. Crawford opened Ground & Pound after her career as a professional stunt woman and co-starring in more than 30 films.
Crawford said she has worked to make her spot more than just a coffee shop by transforming it into a space where community members can socialize and enjoy live performances after hours.
She said the award’s recognition of her work and success can elevate her business.
“Thank you, from me and my staff. We're all a team,” she said. “It's not just me on my own. From all of us, we love you so much for your support over the years.”
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
More than 300 people enjoy the celebration at Phase Events in Alpharetta Oct. 17. North Metro Atlanta businesses were honored with music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts as well as their award certificates.
MIKE TASOS Columnist
For many Braves fans, it has been an October of twiddling our thumbs. Atlanta barely had a cup of coffee in the MLB playoffs before being sent home by the San Diego Padres. It was a mercy killing. Thankfully, with all the woes that befell the purveyors of Braves Country, this injury-plagued season will hopefully give the players a chance to heal up and get after it once spring training commences in February.
We most definitely need a reset.
It’s been entertaining to watch the playoff field shrink to the final two teams. A Yankees-Dodgers World Series should provide a little more oomph and making a classic Fall Classic.
While Braves fans can salivate and wait, there is an Atlanta connection. Freddie Freeman, with his gimpy ankle, is thriving wearing Dodger Blue. To me, Freeman still belongs in a shirt emblazoned with “Atlanta” and a tomahawk across his chest.
Still, there is something about a Dodgers-Yankees October matchup that makes all seem right with the world. History tells us that it could be epic.
In 1963, the roots of my rebel soul were sown when I pulled for the Yankees as evidenced by my “NY” cap. Living in Los Angeles, the nuns were in no way impressed with my baseball team preference. I think the cap was confiscated by Sister Maria Goretti who hung a label on me that would stay with me. I was termed “disruptive” and threats of “It’ll be God help ya’ if you wear that hat again.”
The nuns and most of my friends had the last laugh when the Dodgers unbelievably swept the Yankees in four games. Southern California was bonkers. My dad took me to a game and my NY pennant was relegated to the trash heap.
As a fickle eight-year-old, I switched loyalties and became a Dodger fan.
There are so many great Dodger Stadium memories that I will have with me for as long as I live.
I recently traded texts with longtime friend Pat Jelletich. As a sportswriter, I had full press credentials and the Dodgers were an accommodating organization. One night, as Pat and I were sitting in the press dining area, legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, accompanied by USC baseball coach Rod Dedeaux, strolled to our table and said: “Hey fellas, Mind if we sit down and eat with you?”
It was a most memorable meal and it was remarkable how personable the two legends were. Hopefully Pat and I weren’t too starstruck and didn’t act like “couple of rubes” as Pat so accurately described us, a pair of 24-year-olds from Bakersfield blessed with a chance to eat with the “big boys.”
The World Series, sure to be bittersweet for Los Angelenos due to the death of Mexican-born Fernando Valenzuela. I was blessed to experience the phenom that was “Fernando-mania” in 1981. The vast Latino population had never fully embraced the Dodgers. There was bitterness over the building of Dodger Stadium in an area called Chavez Ravine. As a law student, I read several writings about the case. It was a “land snatch” pure and simple. When freshfaced Fernando burst on the scene, LA Latinos had someone to embrace. He was special, with his sensational, almost unhittable screwball and a glance towards the heavens as part of his windup,
He’s not in the Hall of Fame. He should be. He invigorated an entire segment of a city and made them proud.
Despite there being no opportunity to do the Chop, I’m giddy about this year’s Series.
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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Election chaos has historical precedent
With the 2024 election just days away, I can’t stop thinking about the time the U.S. House of Representatives chose the president.
The four-candidate race for the 1824 presidential election yielded no one with a majority of the Electoral College. It’s only happened once in American history, almost exactly 200 years ago.
Today, both presidential candidates and their supporters claim that American democracy and the future of the republic is at stake. This history nerd is doubtful, especially given an interesting case study from two centuries ago.
All four presidential candidates in 1824, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford and Henry Clay, were members of the DemocraticRepublican Party.
Crawford, whose poor health throughout the election resembles contemporary times, was a nonfactor.
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Jackson received the most popular and electoral votes but fell short of the threshold to secure a clear victory.
The 12th amendment excluded Clay, who received the fewest electoral votes, from the House runoff.
Clay, speaker of the House at the time, famously backed Adams, who named him as secretary of state once elected to the White House.
Jackson and his supporters denounced Adams’ election and Clay’s appointment as a corrupt bargain.
The 1824 presidential election ended the Era of Good Feelings, a term associated with unity, the end of bitter partisan disputes and the presidency of James Monroe.
Jackson would go on to serve two terms, centering his 1828 run on accusations of the corrupt bargain.
This also reminds us of today, and an easy comparison can be made between the two populists, Jackson and former President Donald Trump.
Both leveraged nontraditional political backgrounds to win over votes in an era of political realignment. Both have accused the political establishment of working against them.
Regardless of how you feel about this election’s candidates, there’s no indication that a chaotic election will spell the end of American democracy and civil liberties.
I think it’s all normal and a part of the game.
There have been two presidential elections in the United States since I received my driver’s license.
After elections in 2016, 2020 and even the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, whichever political party lost the election spent months challenging the results, telling their supporters it was stolen and blaming everything but themselves.
Republicans and Democrats are both doing it, repeatedly, when politically expedient.
There’s nothing unusual about this election. Stop buying “your” party’s line.
HAYDEN SUMLIN Staff Reporter hayden@appenmedia.com
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
The presidential election of 1824 serves as a reminder of the resilience of the United States after none of the four candidates received a majority of Electoral College votes.
President Andrew Jackson President John Quincy Adams
OPINION
100 most influential people, top 10
Pat Fox, our editor and friend, keeps asking me when I am going to write my column on the 100 most influential/impactful people of all time. It seems like a good idea for a column albeit, a bit imposing. But I have finally worked up enough energy and optimism to at least start. Spoiler: I think these might not be your traditional “influential” folk, at least some of them, and I may not take this idea seriously all the time.
No. 1: George Balanchine. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Balanchine was the most influential choreographer in ballet history. Why should No. 1 designation go to a ballet choreographer? I went to the performance of the Ukraine Ballet last night at The Cobb Energy Center with my ballerina daughter (once upon a time) and realized in the middle of the performance, that the opposite of “war” is – and has to be “ballet.” The horror of war is mirrored/refracted by the beauty and truth that is ballet. Both ballet and war are choices. One is not a good one. The other is.
No. 2: Alfred Nobel. He might as well have invented modern war. In 1867 he invented dynamite. Naturally, following his ranking somewhere has to be Robert Oppenheimer —generally regarded as the father of the atomic bomb, the ultimate weapon of war — but I don’t know how I feel about putting him high in the rankings, or at all. Maybe my grandfather H.V. Appen should be there instead. He helped build the Manhattan Project Oakridge Tennessee, the facility where the bomb was developed. He did that while his brother Albert von Appen was piloting a German U-boat. Okay, maybe not. Actually, maybe none of them should be on the list. Maybe the guy who prevented the use of the Atomic Bomb should be.
No. 3: Vasilli Arkhipov. Context: Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, Oct. 27. Soviet submarine, B-59 which is equipped with nuclear torpedoes and captained by Valentin Savitsky. U.S. Navy enforcing blockade around Cuba and is dropping depth charges to force Soviet submarines to surface. Communication is cut off with B-29, and its captain believes that war with the United States has begun and orders the nuclear torpedoes armed and readied to launch. Launch requires approval of three people — the captain, the political officer, and the second in command. The political officer gives his approval, leaving only the second in command to approve. The second in command, Vasilli Arkhipov, refuses to consent to the launch. One guy. Just one guy and a probable nuclear armaged-
don between the Soviet Union and the United States is averted.
No. 4: Stanislav Petrov. Context: In 1983 — about 20 years after the almost nuclear war — this Soviet military officer was on duty when the Soviet early warning system detected multiple U.S. missile launches aimed at the Soviet Union. Protocol called for Stanislav to report the perceived attack to his superiors which would probably have triggered a Soviet nuclear retaliatory strike. Petrov suspected that the alarm was a malfunction and did not report it to his superiors. His assumption later proved to be correct, and his willingness to risk his career and probably his life potentially saved the world from a catastrophic nuclear conflict. Maybe he is the one who should get that Peace Prize.
No. 5: Jointly, Linus Pauling and Albert Schweitzer. Both won Nobel Prizes for Peace, Pauling specifically for his activism in opposing the testing, use and proliferation of nuclear weapons, and Schweitzer for his “Reverence for Life Philosophy” which included his opposition to nuclear arms and his work jointly with Pauling, his friend Albert Einstein, and other scientists. Of note, Pauling also won the Nobel prize for Chemistry, the only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes and one of only two people to have won Nobel Prizes in two different categories. The other was Marie Curie, who won in physics and in chemistry (for the discovery of polonium and radium).
No. 6: The Joker in Batman (The Dark Knight), Context: Hans Zimmer who wrote much of the music for the Dark Knight trilogy said that The Joker — not Batman —- was the only true honest character in The Dark Knight Trilogy. So, naming him as No. 6 is sort of my way of nominating “honesty” as a most influential idea (instead of an individual) — and the fact that it is through art and culture — in this case a movie and a music composer — that the value is spotlighted and promoted. It’s sort of like the Ukraine Ballet and their representation and opposition to Putin’s war.
No. 7: Antulio Ramirez Ortiz. Context: Antulio is the first guy to hijack a commercial plane (National Airlines Flight #337 in 1961) which was traveling to Key West from Miami and was diverted by Antulio to Cuba. He was allowed to live in Cuba but most of the remainder of his life is undocumented.
Honorable Mention goes to D.B. Cooper, the first person to hijack a domestic plane and escape via parachuting out (as it flew somewhere over Washington State) on Nov. 24, 1971. D. B. Cooper was never caught. Both Ortiz and Cooper are largely responsible for the billions of dollars spent worldwide on security screening apparatus and the tens of thousands
of jobs associated with the staffing in airports.
No. 8: Andy Warhol. (I apologize for my indulgence here) Context: There is no serious merit for this ranking, OK? Andy Warhol — mainly because I love the Campbell Soup Cans; I love the potoroids of Marilyn Monroe; actually because I love anything and everything Marilyn Monroe — what and who she was, represented, and suggested; and because when I think about MM, it takes me back to the time when Lou Reed was playing with The Velvet Underground and wrote two of my sentimental favorites, “Walk on the Wild Side” and (my very favorite) “Pale Blue Eyes.”
No. 9: Joe DiMaggio. (Another indulgence, sorry) Context: His 56-game hitting streak — probably the baseball record least likely to ever be broken. Also, his class and dignity. And finally, I have to admit what a romantic sucker I am — his short marriage to Marilyn Monroe (see No. 8) and after her death on Aug. 5, 1962, he delivered a dozen roses to her grave every week for the next 20 or so years… “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” (Thank you Paul Simon)
No. 10: Muhammad Ali. Context: Take your pick Mohammad Ali his principals, his integrity, his willingness to fight for and go to jail for what he believed in — a Black man in a White man’s world who ended up being the most famous, most recognized and arguably one of the most respected human beings on the planet.
Or does one pick his fights? Ali vs Smokin’ Joe Frazer — heavy weight fights that are the boxing standard we will never see again. “It was the closest thing to dying that I know. I was in a war.” That’s Ali on the first fight (losing) with Frazier. “It was like a war. I gave it my all. I thought I was going to die in there.”
Joe Frazier on the second (losing) fight with Ali. “I hit him (Ali) with punches that would’ve taken a tree down. Lord he is a great fighter.” Joe Frazier on the “Thrilla in Manilla.”
Or, do you pick just one fight — the epic fight in 1974 — “The Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, between an aging in the final years of his career Ali and the 25-year-old George Foreman, the reigning heavy weight champion with 37 knockouts. Prior to his match with Ali, Foreman destroyed Joe Frazier (January 1973), knocking him out in the second round, and in March 1974, he destroyed Ken Norton in the second round, the same Ken Norton who broke Ali’s jaw in the second round of their March of 1973 non-title bout.
After the broken jaw, Ali fought another 10 rounds and end up losing to Norton in a split decision. Who fights 10 rounds with a broken jaw? Who? Only
one guy — Ali.
Everyone expected Ali also would be destroyed by Foreman, and for almost eight rounds, Foreman pounded him. Ali had nothing. Just stayed on the ropes and let Foreman hit him until early in the eighth when Ali exploded, drawing on all the remaining strength of his tired arms and relying on pure raw will — the kind of will that only true champions have. He released a series of hooks that rocked Foreman, then landed a heavy right hand followed by a left hook that shook the boxing world to its core as Foreman toppled and couldn’t get up. Only one person wasn’t surprised by the win — only one. Ali. No. 11: Our Appen Media Herald/ Crier reporters and news staff. They are working their hearts out for you, and they need — we need — you to come on board with us and help row; row with your financial support so we can keep doing what we do for you and your family.
We’re monitoring government spending of your tax dollars. We saved helped save thousands this year and we’ll continue to do that. We continue monitoring law enforcement to make sure your rights are respected and you are kept safe. We’ll monitor all this growth and development that directly impacts your quality of life — and the traffic! This accountability journalism is critical. But we do more. You see stories like these:
• Our story on a Dunwoody memorial for fallen American soldiers and the South Vietnamese who fought alongside them.
• A story about local, dedicated business owners working hard to make a living.
• A critical story about efforts to save a top-performing public elementary school from district closure.
All those stories were written by just one of our reporters, Hayden Sumlin; he wrote them all within just a few days and he wrote others as well. The rest of the reporters work just as hard and diligently. Our newsroom is skilled, fast and efficient, so when we ask you for your support, know that we will use it wisely. Our goal is to add 35 new Press Club members by the end of October. We are so close to reaching this membership goal.
Here’s how to make a recurring contribution or a one-time payment, any amount you are comfortable with:
CONTRIBUTE ON AppenMedia.com home page — upper right — click on that red bar that says “JOIN THE CLUB” to access your options. You can also just mail in a contribution: Appen Press Club, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Make the check out to Appen Media and in the subject line write “Appen Press Club.”
In the next column we’ll take a left hook at the next 10 most influential or impactful people or maybe a top 10 rotten tomatoes list! Who knows?
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Project:
Continued from Page 1
The arena would include 18,500 seats.
Without a team, the Gathering could still include up to 1,200 multi-family homes, up to 650,000 square feet of office
Gathering:
Continued from Page 1
A tax allocation district freezes property assessments in a specific area that governments can collect on. As real values climb, the extra revenue that would have been collected by government goes into a separate account – in this case, for bond payments and possible upgrades, for example a facelift to an 18,500-seat arena, there.
McKee said the project would provide an enormous economic benefit to the county and its residents.
Developers have plans to use an NHL franchise to anchor the arena, offices, retail, hotels and homes at the site off Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road.
“From an economic impact, it has huge, huge upside,” McKee said.
But The Gathering has a competitor in attracting an NHL team.
Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group announced in March its petition to attract an NHL franchise at North Point Mall. New York Life Co., which owns the property, said it has plans to create a mixed-use project and arena designed by architect Frank Gehry.
If the Gathering fails to attract
space, 700,000 square feet of retail and three hotels, parking decks, a sheriff’s office station and fire station.
If an arena to host the team is built, the project could include another 600 homes and up to 300,000 additional square feet of office space.
If The Gathering attracts a franchise before the second phase begins, construction can begin as part of the first phase.
the NHL team, no bond funds would be contributed by Forsyth County, McKee said. The developers also would have the option to pursue a scaleddown mixed-use development project that does not include an arena.
State law requires voters to approve the ballot item for Forsyth County to create a TAD. If voters decide against it, county officials would seek a payment in lieu of tax or PILOT program, McKee said.
Under a PILOT program, the Gathering’s developers would make payments to the Development Authority, which would then contribute the funds toward the debts.
McKee said the TAD is a more streamlined, “ideal” and “cleaner process.”
Both the TAD and PILOT would mean Gathering developers contributing funds to repay the county’s bonds, McKee said.
“The developers are going to pay their taxes no matter what in either scenario,” he said.
But the TAD allows the county to ensure the money goes directly toward repayment.
“It has more guarantees for the citizens,” he said, adding, “Without the approval of the TAD, without the approval of that tool, then it is much harder for me to give you a guarantee of what future board members may do. We could be talking about something 15 years down the road.”
U.S. Veterans Hospital #48 once sat at the corner of Osborne Road and Peachtree Road. By 1973, it became the ideal setting for a haunted house.
Brookhaven Veterans Hospital #48 was site of 1973 haunted house
Veterans Hospital #48 was at the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road in Brookhaven and was in use until 1966 when the current Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital was built on Clairmont Road. The address was 4158 Peachtree Road. Today, the DeKalb Services Center and Brookhaven Park are located on this corner.
The hospital began in 1919 in buildings previously home to the Cheston King Sanitarium. The U.S. government purchased the property for $90,000 to care for veterans of World War I and the Spanish American War. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 24, 1919, “King Sanitarium, beyond Buckhead, purchased by U.S.”)
In 1929, the hospital was rebuilt on the same site and continued to be Atlanta’s veteran hospital until the Clairmont Road hospital opened. Franklin Garrett’s “Atlanta and Environs Volume II” indicates Veterans Hospital #48 was demolished in 1969, but readers who lived in Atlanta in the 1970s recall it still standing in 1973 and all the way up to 1976.
The hospital was located on property of the U.S. government until 1972 when it was part of “surplus government land” turned over to local government. In this case, it was turned over to DeKalb County. (Atlanta Constitution, June 27, 1972, “U.S. will give up VA hospital, 2 other sites”)
Still standing and abandoned, the hospital was the setting of “Scream in the Dark” haunted house in 1973, a project of the Atlanta Youth for Christ Campus Life Division. The haunted experience was “guaranteed to chill the blood in your veins.” The Atlanta Constitution announced the haunted house would be open through Oct. 31. (Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 27, 1973, “Eeek, Screech, Scream”)
The event was also advertised on local pop/rock radio station WQXI 790 Atlanta, likely by popular morning disc jockey Gary McKee.
One reader who visited the haunted
house remembers an operating room set up with ghoulish doctors and nurses and fake blood. Three years later, working with DeKalb County on a summer job, that reader returned to Veterans Hospital #48 site to check out a pollution source in a nearby stream.
Both in 1973 and 1976, the hospital was overgrown with trees, shrubs, vines and weeds. In 1976, there were still metal hospital beds, metal cabinets, light fixtures, window blinds and curtains in the building. Furniture was thrown about on the outside of the property. Whether the actual hospital beds were used as part of the frightening hospital scene in 1973 is uncertain.
“Scream in the Dark” continued to be an Atlanta tradition through the 1970s. In 1975, it was held in buildings scheduled for demolition at E. Court Square and Sycamore Street in Decatur. MARTA had purchased the property but had not begun construction yet. (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 29, 1975, “DeKalb students Scream in the Dark”)
The haunted house was set up during the years 1978 through 1980 in the empty space of a former Grant’s department store at Belvedere Plaza on Memorial Drive. It continued to be a fundraiser for Atlanta Youth for Christ Campus Life. The 1979 Atlanta Journal promotion of the event describes it as the ninth year of “Scream in the Dark,” an event which offers “an alternative to Halloween vandalism.” (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 24, 1979 “Scream in the Dark”)
The relocation of DeKalb Services Center from Glendale Road in Scottdale to Peachtree Road in Brookhaven was planned in 1977, with an expected completion date in 1978. (Atlanta Constitution, Feb. 17, 1977, “School needs a new home”) If you remember “Scream in the Dark” at any of these locations or another location, write me at pasttensega@gmail.com.
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 PAST TENSE
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